Theory, Articles & Reviews in Magic & Conjuring

A practical guide to creating a basic professional virtual studio.

Times have changed and virtual magic shows have become commonplace all around the world. Do you have a virtual studio in your home and do your Internet broadcasts come across as professional? Or do you shy away from the technology and not sure where to start? Here is a great booklet aimed at the beginner in the virtual space who has a limited budget. A few options are shared, from basic to advanced, including how to make the best of what you currently have, and how to add to your studio with various simple, professional, yet...

This work compares the contents of Jean Hugard's Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, Encyclopedia of Self-Working Card Tricks, and The Second Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Glenn G. Gravatt, to see which effects and discussions were kept, altered, or deleted by Hugard. It will also identify those effects added by Hugard.

1st edition 2020, PDF 19 pages.

Tamariz' False Clues method helps professional magicians to eliminate contradictions from their acts, guaranteeing they produce the effect they really want on their audiences. This ebook explains the method, helps you avoid common errors and provides an overview of the fundamental theoretical concepts you need to correctly use every aspect of it.

Contents

• Understanding and using Tamariz' False Clues method
  • Is it difficult to use the False Clues method?
• First Part: Preliminaries
  • Nelms' importance of meaning theory
  • Tricks lacking meaning are perceived as a challenge to solve a puzzle ...

From Wesley James' 1st new lecture in more than 10 Years

Not everyone will immediately recognize the name Wesley James. However, those in the know will. For many years Dr. James has been an underground secret. During his many years as a professional he refused to lecture for magicians or publish the effects he used in his professional performances. Now, Mr. James has largely retired from performing and has begun to lecture for magicians. Make Me Care are the lecture notes from his 2nd lecture series, focused purely on presentation.

Larry Jennings, Ken Krenzel, Jim Patton and Gordon Bruce would agree....

Dorny was a much liked and regarded magician of his time. One of the highlights of this book is the "Who's Who and Why" section which will tell you a lot about the colleagues of Dorny. There is also a good patter section and a number of tricks ranging from cards, coins, mentalism, most of them contributed by other magicians like Hugard, Blackstone, Jordan, Brema, Hilliar, ...

1st edition, 1921, W. Dornfeld, published by Arthur P. Felsman; 286 pages.

13. Overture
19. Act One - "Chatter"
65. Intermission - "The Ne-Kro-Mancer Man"
73. Act Two - "Who's Who - and Why"
181. Intermission - "War Magic"
193. Act Three - "Trix"
272. Finale

Written by a man who has won many magic contests and who has the trophies to prove it! They illustrate this ebook.

• Introduction
• Why Enter A Magic Contest
• How To Win...Before The Contest
• Deadlines
• Time Limits
• Contest Categories
• Standard of Judging
• Learn the Situation
• Plan the Act as a Contest Winner
• Consider What Works Best in a Contest
• Rehearse a Winning Act
• How To Win...During the Contest
• Make the Most of the Audience
• Make the Most of the M.C.
• Make the Most of Your Act
• Make the Most of the Judges
• How To Win...After the Contest
• Win With the Magic Award
• Win With or Without...

This is the review of Robert-Houdin's The Sharper Detected and Exposed that appeared in Saturday Review on May 9th, 1863.

1st edition 1863; PDF 5 pages.

Terry Seabrooke is a genius at comedy. He has only to walk out in front of an audience and they begin to laugh. In these recordings Terry explains how you take a standard prop and turn it into a comedy item.

Who would have thought of cutting a piece of wallpaper by getting a lady assistant to lie on it while he saws through her and the sheet of paper? Only Terry Seabrooke. Here in this master class he teaches you how to develop your own comedy magic routines and explains the essence of building comedy situations that will make your audience laugh. If you are thinking of creating your comedy...

This is volume two of Terry Seabrook's comedy masterclass. How do you take any object and turn it into a comedy item?

Terry is one of the funniest magicians. He has entertained lay audiences and magicians and they all fall under his spell. It is all here. It looks so easy but it requires careful planning and a lot of hard work and the inside info that you will find here.

And even if you are not planning to put together a comedy magic show, it is extremely helpful to understand how comedy works. How do get somebody to laugh and laugh at the right moment? It puts you, the performer, in charge...

This bibliography collects about 2000 works that deal with tricks and illusions, and with the varied deceptions that are usually presented as part of a conjuring entertainment, including automata, chapeaugraphy, chemical and electrical tricks, escaping, fire handling, gamblers' tricks, hand-shadows, juggling, lightning sketches, optical illusions, pseudo-spiritualistic manifestations, second sight, thought reading, thought transference and ventriloquism. The list includes languages other than English in particular German and French books. Excluded are books on the so-called occult arts, but...

The art of the conjurer.

Neo-Magic is the foundation for all of Sharpe's writing. Sharpe offers great insight into what makes magic magical. Starting with an analysis of art and its relationship to magic, Sharpe explores what he feels is needed for magic to become a fine art. He provides his insight into topics as originality, patter, styles of presentation, program construction, stage fright and others.

From the preface to the second edition:

From the preface:

• Part One: Good Conjuring
  • The Essence Of Magical Criticism
  • Audiences
  • Audience Mentality
  • Conditions Of Presentation
  • Variety Of Methods Desirable
  • The Elements Of Magic
  • The Magical Plot
  • The Dramatic Plot
  • Fantastic And Pseudo-Scientific Plots
  • Pure, Story, And Symbolic Magic
• Part Two: Poems In Illusion
  • Narcissus
  • By Candle Light
  • The Nervous Card
  • The Invisible Silkworm
  • Domination Of Thought
  • Thoughts Are Things
  • Mediaeval Multiplication
  • The Bluebells
  • Fantail

1st edition 1935, 40 pages; 1st digital edition 2019, 37 pages.

• Part One: Good Conjuring
  • The Objects Used
  • Misdirection
  • Construction
  • Characterisation
  • Technical Mastery
  • Dramatic Ability
  • Manner
  • Speed Of Presentation
  • Style
  • Magic-Artist Versus Showman
  • Summary
• Part Two: Poems In Illusion
  • Catching The Post
  • Card Bubbles
  • Love: The Magician
  • The Two Jewels
  • Reflected Thoughts
  • Citizens Of The World
  • The World’s Pearl
  • Poor Yorick!
  • Alice In Conjureland

1st edition 1936, 40 pages; 1st digital edition 2019, 39 pages.

Sam Sharpe reprinted three of his books under one title called Magic Artistry.

Originally entitled Artifice Ruse and Subterfuge at the Card Table, is probably the most cited and referenced book about card gambling moves - a classic in the history of magic literature. A must read for any card magician or aspiring gambling expert and an indespensable reference book. While the authorship of this book is hotly debated we are convinced it was Edward Gallaway. (For a detailed work on the search for Erdnase see Hurt McDermott's Artifice, Ruse & Erdnase.)

[A copy of this book is also included in Michael McDougall's Card Mastery. This ebook is also available in a German translation.

Paul Fleming wrote:

This is a totally unique book. 52 reader supplied questions. 52 opinionated, informed, expert answers by Roberto Giobbi. Roberto spent often several days to thoroughly answer each of the 52 questions. It is no wonder that this ebook has more than 330 regular sized pages. It is a publication unlike any other, where the readers gave the direction which the author followed.

Download a free extract.

The 52 questions asked and answered:

1. Injog Overhand Shuffle
2. Presentation Ideas
3. How to Study
4. Staystack
5. Fear of starting to perform
6. Three Card Monte
7. Memorized version of Out of Sight Out...

Secret Twitter is now available as a PDF compilation. In addition you will get a readworthy introduction by Roberto. We have also added all replies to Roberto's daily tweets. Max Maven was the most vocal and opinionated one, but you will also get thoughts by Pit Hartling, Denis Behr, Ian Kendall and others.

What is Secret Twitter? If you are familiar with Roberto Giobbi's book Secret Agenda you can probably guess. Secret Twitter is a completely new and innovative way for Roberto to share his thoughts, comments, advice and insight with you - via Twitter.

For fourteen months, starting with November 1st 2014 and...

The average magician focuses on tricks, moves and method. The really good ones know that acting is an even more important aspect of a magic performance, regardless of if you are standing on a stage or close-up next to a cocktail table.

Richard Tenace is one of those performers who urges all magicians to take acting classes, to develop a character or persona, to script your effects, to treat our audience with respect, to go beyond fooling somebody to achieving astonishment and entertainment.

Tenace describes these methods and practices on a very accessible and practical level. This is not...

A practical workbook for the serious performer.

One of the main reasons magicians neglect the "acting" part of magic is because magic is such a demanding discipline to learn. A performing magician wears many hats. The magician has to learn sleights, misdirection and technical prowess of the hands. The magician is the choreographer, writer, sound person, booker and promoter of his show. Learning how to develop a character often takes a back seat because "there's no time to do everything!" But taking the time to learn how to develop a real character, or stage persona, is the most important...

When watching a magician the question that is most pressing on people's minds is how did he do it?

This is not the only question that can be asked of a magic performance. A psychologists might ask why it is possible that the mind can be deceived, occupational therapists are interested in how performing magic tricks can help people with physical disabilities and sociologists research the subculture of magicians.

This ebook explores some answers to the questions that scholars from different fields of science have asked about the performances of magicians. For magicians this ebook provides...

Let's face it, once you step in front of an audience you not only have to be seen, but you have to be heard. And just like the sleight of hand in your show has to be the best it can be, the sound has to be the best it can be as well. Your audiences deserve better than 'it's good enough'.

Sound Advice For Magicians was written out of a lecture I do for magic clubs and clown alleys because I saw too many talented performers bomb in front of audiences because their sound system failed or the people running them were incompetent. In addition to performing full-time for over 40 years (with many...

Magical Creation or "How to invent a new trick"

The work consists of three distinctive parts

• Part ONE renders a brief outline of magical theory. The review details most of the basic effects, major principles and means, complemented by a summary, of elementary props.
• Part TWO relates to generalities of the history of magical creation, including a survey of some of the most distinguished inventors and outstanding magical feats of the last century.
• Part THREE deals with the author's approach to magical creation, illustrating practical examples of effects and their solutions.

Tips, Advice, Thoughts, Experience, The Business, Patter, Presentation, Acting, Skills & More

"The book is called The Real Secrets of Card Magic but it should more accurately be titled The Real Secrets of Being a Professional Magical Entertainer. In this new volume, Paul Gordon offers wisdom that could only be gained through years of actually performing magic for real people for his living. If you feel that you have a commercial repertoire of material and can present it in an entertaining fashion, The Real Secrets of Card Magic will surely help you to the next plateau of becoming a professional...

Paul Fleming wrote what some consider the best book reviews in magic ever. This is the collection of all three volumes, in total 167 book reviews. Many reviewers then and now chose to write largely very positive reviews, more like an ad rather than a critical review. Paul Fleming on the contrary wrote his true opinion and slammed a book if he thought it was garbage. That makes the reviews so valuable, because you get an honest and informed opinion.

The only danger in reading these reviews is that you will find many more books you will want to read.

1st edition 1942; PDF 273 pages.

Patrick Page had a monthly column in Pabular. This is a compilation of all those articles. You will hear the stories and anecdotes that make magic such a fascinating pursuit. You will also learn a lot from Patrick's incredible mastery and knowledge of magic. And if you like the more juicy gossip then you can read why Patrick Page was expelled from the IBM...

Martin Breese writes in his foreword:

This study identifies deep lying instincts and impulses of the psychic life are the basic elements in conjuring. Its aim is to show the psychological reasons of deception of a magic effect. It also provides an extensive classification of magic tricks.

Contents:

1. Origin of Conjuring.
2. Classification and Typical Examples of Modern Conjuring Tricks.
3. The Training of the Conjurer.
4. Psychological Justification of the Rules and Practices of the Conjurer, treated under
   1. Attention
   2. Perception
   3. Suggestion and Association
   4. Suggestion and the Law of Economy
5. Sociological and Pedagogical Observations. ...

Two things are noteworthy. One, it is a must read book for magic theory interested. Two, it has a 20 page bibliographical index of card tricks. This includes sleights as well. Anybody doing research on card moves or routines should have this index. It makes searching a lot easier. And this index might point you to interesting books you have not heard about or which are not in your possession.

Paul Fleming wrote:

This was the first booklet I published way back in 2002 and it was born out of a lecture I did in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where I ended by discussing The Art Of Performance In Magic And Mentalism and answering questions on the subject.

It's a brief manuscript with strong messages to reflect upon concerning principles that will enhance your rounded approach to becoming a respected performer.

In this manuscript I touch on the following questions:

• Is There a Quicker Way To Become a Better Performer?
• How Do You Keep Spectators From Messing You Up?
• What Is The Most Important Aspect of Performance? ...

The real secrets on how to become the greatest magician in the world. Dedicated to the discerning conjurors, the cheaters, the liars, and all other lost souls - whatever age, who want to impress, manipulate, and magish other people for profit, fun, or just entertainment.

Included is a very clever and creative book test, for all of you who require a strong effect to justify the purchase.

The truth is delivered as a satire, which makes it a fun read, but at the same time delivers a profoundly deep and true message.

• About the Author
• Part One
  • Introduction
  • The Basic Principles
  • The...

Read and search all the reviews from Magic Magazine from 1995-2005. It contains almost 1400 pages of text, over 1500 books, videotapes, DVDs and tricks from the last 10 years.

Find out if that product on eBay is worth purchasing. Search for products from your favorite creators. Search on the term "highly recommended" to find out what should be in your magic library. You can search on products you already own to find the hidden gems.

This ebook is particularly useful in combination with Jamy Ian Swiss Book Reviews. It allows you to get a second opinion on many books both reviewers covered.

2nd edition 2005; 1379 pages....

This audio MP3 is Michael speaking on his theories of how to make your magic more memorable. It contains stories and ideas from his performance experience.

This ebook is published with Dani DaOrtiz' permission and blessing.

Card magic is evolving. Card magicians are no longer looking for the latest "moves" and "techniques", no longer are they caring for more ways to deal seconds and bottoms. What they are looking for are psychological ploys and techniques that will allow you to create impossible magic.

Dani DaOrtiz is a new force in card magic. He revolutionized it. But how many times do I hear: "I would do that... If I were him". Many magicians feel that DaOrtiz' spontaneousness and carefreeness is not a match of their personality.

In this report...

This ebook gives a very nice glimpse into the past. It describes the routines and effects of the programmes of famous magicians. You will find descriptions of programmes by Dai Vernon, Al Baker, Annemann, Cardini, Blackstone, Dante, Davenport, Hugard, Keating, and many more. Check the table of contents link further down for the complete list.

1st edition, 1937, Max Holden, New York City; 49 pages.

2. Percy Abbott
2. AMAC
3. Annemann
4. Al Baker
4. Roy Benson
5. Walter Baker & Co
5. McDonald Birch & Co
5. John Blackledge
5. John Booth
6. Harry Blackstone
7. The Late Herbert Brooks
7. Milbourne Christopher
7. The Great Carmo
7. Keith Clark
8. Cardini
8. Cortini
9. Chris Charlton
10. Judson Cole
10. Henry Clive ...

This is an interesting analysis of how a magic trick works in terms of psychological processes. A better understanding of the underlying science does help the performing magician.

Translated from the German by Mrs. Emily S. Boyer. The original German essay appeared in Psychologische Skizzen by Edmund W. Rells, which was a pseudonym of Max Dessoir.

1st edition 1893, PDF 21 pages.

In this second manuscript in Fogel's Top Secrets series, he explains his system of how to develop a new routine, what he calls "The Fogel Formula". It is a system of how to structure and proceed with your training and development towards a particular goal. Fogel is using his success system for things he wants to achieve in general not just magic.

Fogel demonstrates how his formula operates by applying it to a question he often received after his shows: "Can you tell fortunes?" To address this frequent question he developed a particular routine involving a zodiac chart. The chart, the routine,...

The famous British mentalist, Maurice Fogel, leveraged his success as performer to branch out into the self-help category, by writing this book. He writes:

• Foreword
• The Mind Is Lazy
• Controlled By Subconscious
• Secret Of Hypnotism
• Learn To Relax
• Power Of Suggestion ...

It's witty and it's full of wisdom. These are the ramblings of Mark Lewis on Internet forums. Irreverent and funny at times and full of deep thinking about magic and mentalism at other times.

Many incredible anecdotes of his varied life as a fortune teller, magician and hypnotist. In addition to this are techniques described on how to pitch svengali decks, how to do psychic readings, and most important of all how to do magic with showmanship and verve.

Included is a video clip of his legendary svengali deck routine which he has performed all over the world thousands of times plus tips...

A thoroughly understandable explanation about how to create new magic and the techniques for improving the magic that you already do. De-mystify the creative process and open up your mind to simple yet effective ways to improve your magic.

Over the years there have been a number of books which have sought to create some sort of ‘system’ to explain and to formalize the process of magical creation. The problem is that in seeking to explain and elucidate the process so much jargon and complex theorizing takes place that the average reader is left with little that is understandable to work...

If you suffer from any kind of performance anxiety (and Kellar, Thurston, Houdini, and many prominent present-day performers have had to deal with it, too), this could be the best purchase you'll ever make.

There's nothing like the healthy satisfaction or "natural high" that comes from giving a great performance. Yet if you suffer from performance anxiety (commonly known as stage fright), then you're missing out on one of the best feelings that entertainers can experience. When you're ready to rid yourself of these demons, this manuscript contains 40 proven ideas that have helped others like you to put aside...

Subtitle of the book is: A series of artistic conjuring experiments fully explained in detail and supplemented by a preachment upon the art in the form of original essays upon the subject, The Actor Magician.

• PREFACE
• PROLOGUE
• PART I. MAGICIAN'S OPENING, PAR-EXCELLENCE
  • The Gloves And Pigeon Transformation
  • Chameleon Balls
  • The Astral Billiard Ball
  • The Phantom Billiard Ball
  • New Vanishing Billiard Ball. No. 1
  • New Vanishing Ball No. 2
  • The Travelling Balls No. 1.
  • The Travelling Balls No. 2
  • New Handkerchiefs And Balls
  • New Vanishing Handkerchief
  • The Multiplying Handkerchiefs
  • Handkerchief...

Do you know the correct temperature for your library? What should the humidity be? Can you save rotting leather? What's the best method of storing playing cards? How do you recover computer disks that have been drowned? Just one reading of The Conservation of Magic will save you years of research and study in order to care for your artifacts so future collectors will find them in the best possible condition. Each chapter gives you the basics of understanding your magic collectibles, and then, step-by-step, how to care for them. You will learn how to look at your treasures like a professional,...