Theory, Articles & Reviews in Magic & Conjuring

"Devin Knight is the Guy Jarrett of our time. He exposes many common magic "facts" as myths and explains why they are not true and should not be believed. You can improve yourself and improve your magic if you stop taking to heart those age-old lies that magicians and magic dealers made up just to ease their conscience about taking money from strangers." - Jim Kleefeld

"A fast, informative, high-impact read from the ever-interesting Devin Knight. As magicians and mentalists, we often lose sight of the observations detailed here. Highly recommended!" - D. Ulin

The theme of this e-book is that...

Out with your friends just to enjoy the evening. The manager comes up to you and says one of the acts did not show up. He asks you to do a 20-minute set. You didn't bring anything with you. All you can work with is what you can find on hand. Could you do it? This ebook offers some ideas you could use.

• Real events
• Don't panic
• Relax, take your time
• Audience must believe this is natural
• Look around
• Wrapping it up

1st edition 2021, PDF 16 pages.

"I'm an enormous fan of the philosophical perspectives flowing through this book, but make no mistake, these pages also document many powerful, clever, commercial magic effects. Among my favorites are 'Leaving Decks', 'Martika', and the extremely intimate 'Ode to Charlie.'" - Jay Sankey

"Jeff Stone's 793.8 asks us to discover where the magic is in our methods, effects, presentations, and in our lives. Perhaps we do not care or think we know, but Jeff lightly and joyfully keeps at us with his tricks and reflections until we are moved to wonder more broadly and deeply about our experience of magic....

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.

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...

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...

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...

If you think you have no creativity in you, you should read this article. Gregg describes concrete examples of his own creative process and development and how you can start with baby steps to ease yourself into becoming more creative. Progressively you take bigger and bigger challenges to ultimately create your own tricks.

Gregg Webb encourages magicians to create some original magic tricks, even though there is plenty of good material out there, for several reasons. It is a good exercise for the part of the brain that thinks creatively, and that part gets stronger by use. Also, even though...

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...

Is she part of the show? Or is she eye candy for the audience? There is a difference between a cosmetic and functional assistant. This text identifies the difference and helps you get started searching for, and working with an assistant.

• Assistant Profile
• Business Considerations
• Assistant Functionality
• Team Profile
• Finding an Assistant
• Assistant/Magician Relationship
• Production with Assistant
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2021, PDF 25 pages.

In March 2022 there was a unique gathering of professional magicians in Sydney Australia. Joel Howlett was one of the lecturers on the bill and he discussed performing exciting visual magic that caters to modern audiences who have shortening attention spans.

Participants were invited to take an honest look at the effects they were using before the COVID pandemic and reassess if they might be a little slow-moving for today's audiences. This PDF is a brief outline of the points discussed.

1st edition 2022, PDF 7 pages.

The difference between an average and great magician is the audience connection. Audience members text, talk with their neighbors and do other things because they are not tuned in, connected, with the performance. This ebook identifies the connection, points out the importance, and covers a few tools magicians can use to capture and strengthen that connection.

• The Audience Connection
• Capturing the Audience
• Different Connection Tools
• Working the Connection
• Wrapping it Up

1st edition 2021; PDF 17 pages.

Audiences rate magicians based on their entertainment experience. One can have the best of everything: magic, manipulation, etc. and still fail in front of an audience. This material is not new. It has been taught in the theater industry and at schools for a very long time. However, there are not that many materials written to bring these skills into the hands of a magician.

This ebook will identify key elements that the magician must follow, and be aware of as he/she performs. Suggested materials might seem unimportant or a waist of time. But those same elements could be the factors that...

• 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.

Everyone has creativity. When you select the color to paint a room, pick out an outfit to wear or the wrapping on a present you are exercising a form of creativity. One only has to recognize that, and learn to develop it. New magic is the result of someone coming up with an idea and developing it into a trick/routine. This ebook identifies creativity and the creative process. I have included a step by step narration of one of my signature tricks "the magical egg tray". The process begins with an initial idea and works through sequential steps to bring the routine to the finish. Creativity, like...

At the 5th British Close Up Magic Symposium, John Bannon and Mark Leveridge held an open discussion for nearly an hour on creativity in close up magic. The techniques revealed in the course of this discussion will enable you to set about creating and refining your magic, as it provides you with a clear framework and approach. The combination of interview and questions from the Symposium audience makes for a lively and often humorous session which not only provides you with many concrete suggestions to work on, but which also entertains. Some registrants considered this to be the highlight of...

Detailed explanation of the method to build a creative act and the techniques of impact on the audience used by Boris (including a whole chapter on how to create standing ovations).

For the very first time, a full-time French professional performer unveils all the secrets that will allow you to develop and strengthen the impact of your magic on the audience: thinking and process of creation, techniques of working, presentation, interaction with the audience, body language, psychological subtleties...

Boris even explains the method he developed to build his FISM award winning act. A method...

A dictionary for the language of horse racing, dice and cards, bookmakers and runners, touts and tote boards, a colorful but expensive language to learn first-hand from the natives.

Excerpt from the preface:

This is a collection of six theory talks by Ian Kendall on various subjects of performing in general and performing magic in particular.

1st edition 2009

This is the first lesson from Egotistical Opinions. In this 12 minute video Ian talks about entrances, and how to make that important first impression. Covering both stage and close up situations, he shows examples of how he starts a show, and then explains why he does what he does when he does it. The final story is not only true, but still makes him wince...

1st edition 2009, runtime 12 minutes

This is the second video from Egotistical Opinions. The 32 minute video covers microphone technique for magicians, covering handheld, tie clip and headset mics. Ian shows the correct way to handle and use the microphone so that you look and feel confident and professional.

1st edition 2009, runtime 32 minutes

This is the fourth video from Egotistical Opinions. This 13 minute clip talks about performance, professionalism and generally getting the correct attitude to entertaining your audience.

1st edition 2009, runtime 13 minutes

This is the fifth video from Egotistical Opinions. In this six minute lesson Ian talks about the correct way to approach practising and how to get the most from your practice sessions.

1st edition 2009, runtime 6 minutes

This is the sixth video from Egotistical Opinions. In this six minute lesson Ian explains his approach for conquering stage fright, a proven method that may sound strange, but one that means stage fright, and 'shaky hand syndrome' are a thing of the past. Everyone can benefit from this advice, beginners and experienced performers alike.

1st edition 2009, runtime 6 minutes

This is the third video from Egotistical Opinions. This ten minute lesson talks about the concept of visual noise, and how you can control your body language so that you are not distracting to watch. This information is useful for both stage and close up performers, as well as anyone who needs to speak in public.

1st edition 2009, runtime 10 minutes

Robert Houdin once said, "A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician". If this is true, then what character are you playing on stage and how are you playing it? To be an entertainer one must learn to be and think creatively. This 21 page lecture note ebook is about learning how to be creative, think creatively and how to apply direct exercises and techniques to allow your own creativity to grow with the magic that you perform.

Every single person possesses the ability to be creative. These notes teach you techniques and exercises that you can use to unlock the doors to your own...

This is a new edition of the famous and unique magic dictionary by Bart Whaley. Bart has continued to correct entries in this dictionary until the present. We have converted everything to PDF and added bookmarks for each entry in the dictionary as well as inserted thousands of hyperlinked cross-references to make browsing and using this dictionary as convenient as possible.

There is simply no other such encyclopedia. Some have tried but nobody has achieved what Bart Whaley has. The depth and breadth is mind boggling. Almost 4000 terms are described. This is the absolute must have magic desk...

Not a trick in the ebook, but contains more real information on how to entertain with magic than you can get by reading a hundred others. Gives details so frequently neglected. Invaluable to any magician, for not only must one know how to do tricks, but he must also understand how to make his tricks entertaining.

• Preface
• Hermann Pallme
• Foreword
• CHAPTER I. History Of Magic
• CHAPTER II. The Literature Of Magic
• CHAPTER III. Educational Value Of Magic
• CHAPTER IV. Magic As A Profession
• CHAPTER V. The Study And Practice Of Magic
• CHAPTER VI. Concerning Deportment
• CHAPTER VII. The Dramatic...

Two magicians do a show. At the end one audience leaves the show walking out like students changing classes at high school. The other comes out excited, talking about some of the "WOW" moments of the show. The difference between the two magicians is the entertainment factor.

You can have the best equipment, do the latest/greatest magic and still fail. The true unit of measure for magicians is the entertainment factor. That factor is controlled entirely by the audience. This text identifies elements that impact the entertainment factor.

• The Entertainment Factor
• Entertainment Factor Impacts ...

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 ...

"A splendid lecture which delves into the psychology of tricks and the thought behind them." -Central Connecticut Magicians' Association

"Brian elevates our art to a very high standard." -Ken Maynard, S.A.M. Assembly 16

"Very creative and informative." -C. Parker Swan III, Magic Historian

The unexamined routine is not worth performing.

Brian Miller has performed extensively for colleges, high schools, comedy clubs and theaters with his unique integration of stand-up comedy and magic to consistent adoring critical praise. In addition to his packed performing schedule, he currently...

• 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.

From the preface:

Two hours of practical professional advice from the man who has entertained the Royal Family on several occasions and who for many years was the choice of the world's richest man, Paul Getty, as entertainer. In each volume there is a classic feature trick explained in the fullest detail move by move. Years of performing experience have enabled Harold to perfect each effect to gain maximum effect. Packed with professional advice and including several live show extracts.

Volume 2 opens smartly with the Harold Taylor presentation of the marvelous Stodare Egg effect. Use this and you will be...

The title might be a bit misleading as most of the advice is applicable to any magician who wants to add comedy to their performance.

If you are serious about mixing magic and comedy you need to read this. It will either make you reconsider your choice or give you a head start and pointers in the right direction.

"If you see one magician this decade, Hobson is it." - Herald Sun Melbourne, Australia

"Hobson closed the show with excellent magic and gales of laughter ... his acting and comedic timing are superb!" - Linking Ring Magazine

"... the audience gave him top applause at finish."...

Gene Anderson shares his international experience and opinion on things ranging from the difference between semi-pro and part-time pro, timing, entertaining. Excellent information on how to improve and get the most out of your act.

This tape contains a first class routine embodying a couple of tricks that blend beautifully into a linked routine...not only practical but devised for maximum impact. The full performing routine for Gene's world famous torn and restored newspaper effect is given. The secret is not revealed as the manuscript can be purchased from most magical dealers but the actual...

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...

An authoritative ebook on collecting for collectors. Written by one of the world's foremost collectors. Covers the whole subject of the care and arrangement of the magical library, data on the books themselves, bookplates with pages of examples, plus the Mulholland article on same. Other bits by well known collectors. Highly recommended to all who are building up their magic libraries, no matter how small at present. Preface by John Mulholland.

1st edition 1952 (self); 2nd edition 1958 (Ireland Magic); 1st digital edition, 44 pages.

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...

Unless you have been hiding in the basement for the last decade, you know Jamy Ian Swiss has been writing insightful, well written, educational, funny, and opinionated book reviews for Genii magazine. Swiss, soon to begin his ninth year of book criticism, began reviewing books for Genii in June of 1994.

Now you can own the complete collection of book reviews, from 1994 through 2001, in one convenient ebook. In addition to 217 reviews, you’ll receive "A Millennium of Magic Literature," a special, comprehensive feature Swiss wrote for the January 2001 millennium issue of Genii, as well as an introduction...

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