Performed by Randy Wakeman before random, live audiences . . . then explained and taught in full detail.

Over the 1950s, 1960's, and through the 1970's a brand of bold and direct close-up magic was developed in Chicago, Illinois. These effects were known for simplicity, clarity, and strength of effect, and the powerful response they elicited. Chicago magical legends Don Alan, "Heba Haba Al" Andrucci, "Senator" Clarke Crandall, Frank Everhart, Jack Murray, Johnny Paul, James Patrick Ryan, and Matt Schulien forged their reputations with these effects, and now you can too.

While these quick, direct, simple, baffling effects...

A historical, extremely rare video: the only video ever released of one of Chicago's most beloved bartender/magicians, the "Great Heba Haba Al."

"How wonderful that this footage has been preserved for the charm, the methods, and the trick selection of the man Jay Marshall described as "the grandfather of bar magic in Chicago" are there to be studied and learned from. Even when you know what he is doing, and if you know card magic you will, he will still amaze you with the ease and the confidence with which he does it. Remembering that he may have had three tricks going on at once will only...

In this vintage and somewhat wacky video, Randy Wakeman demonstrates and explains in great detail his work with "Small Packet Ambitious," "The Visitor," the Rainbow Deck, Tom Gagnon's Impromptu Haunted Deck, Gagnon's "LBD Aces," and much, much more.

Miscellaneous mayhem by Simon Lovell is also included. And yes, although this isn't exactly "Team America" . . . puppets are involved.

length 1 hour

A selection of Randy Wakeman's favorite card routines.

• Ascension Transposition
• Spectator on Stage
• The Randy Revelation
• The Natural
• Give Us This Day Our Daley Aces
• But Fast!
• Free Choice Sudden Aces
• The Mystic Card
• Marlo's Bluff Ace Assembly
• Triversion
• One-Hand Center Deal
• The Emergency Card
• Overclock
• R.W. Four Card Stunner
• Fore-Figuration
• Maximum Penetration

1st edition 1988, length 1h 24 min

All card routines except one, which is a torn and restored paper money effect.

• All That Jazz
• Three Phase Follow-Up
• I Like Nice Things
• The Odds Against Me
• The Bill Tear
• Marlo's Six Card Trick
• Mini Surprise Stab
• The Force is with You
• Heba Haba's Favorite
• R.W. Ambitious Card Routine
• Exploding Aces
• The Formula One Card Routine
• The Card of a Thousand Faces
• Smorgasbord Cannibals
• Playing on the Three-Way
• Reverse Reverse Surprise
• Did You Get The Odd One?
• Shuffle Them Twice ... They Rollover Nice

1st edition 1989, length 2h

A variety of close-up magic: cards, coins, cups and balls, sponge balls, and dice stacking.

• How Did You Know?
• Watch Me Work
• Anything I Can Do, You Can Do Better
• The Big Red One (sponge balls)
• R.W. Flying Eagles (coins)
• A Personal Triumph
• Count Wakeman
• A Piece of Your Mind
• Randy's Wild Card
• Stacked Impact (dice stacking)
• R.W. Coins Through Table
• Randy's Cups and Balls

1st edition 1990, length 1h 30min

Visual sleight-of-hand card magic.

• Acetral Projection
• Do You Feel Lucky?
• Unbelievably Copless
• The Devil and Randy Wakeman
• Miracle Move Aces
• Professional Reverse Assembly
• Eidetically Yours
• Marlo's Aerial Change
• Randy Fooler
• Expecting the Unexpected
• A Dime A Dozen
• Topsy Turvey Charlie
• Marlo's Unbelievable Aces
• Spectator's Invisible Palm
• A Frantic Tumble and a Shy Goodbye

1st edition 1990, length 1h 20min

Some sixty complete routines are performed and explained! As far from a "one trick wonder" type offering as can be imagined, when you get the series you are just paying one dollar and thirty-five cents per routine.

This is the complete set of all four vintage Randy Wakeman instructional videos. now available by download for the very first time. It includes performances and thorough explanations of most of the pieces from Randy's first trilogy of books (Formula One Close-up, Randy Wakeman's Special Effects, Randy Wakeman Presents), Randy's Linking Ring Parade, Randy's Genii issue, Randy's...

From the Foreword by Ed Marlo:

The effects have been constructed with the audience's conditions in mind. By this I mean that practically every close-up, at-the-table worker in a restaurant has to work under the audience's conditions and not the performer's. Thus, angly moves, risky sleights, lapping, etc. have been eliminated from Randy's lay audience routines. Therefore, you can be assured of the practicality of his magic.

As for my section of effects, it is obvious that much of it will not be used if one works under the spectator's conditions. Which also means that I work under my conditions....

Softcover comb bound in very good condition. For details on the content see the digital edition.