The word 'stooge' evokes all sorts of emotions from magicians. Whenever we, as magicians, hear that a stooge is involved in an effect, often we're disappointed or angry. Many magicians have never even used a stooge as part of a routine. There are several reasons for this. Some magicians think that using stooges is dishonest, as if there are moral limits to trickery. Other magicians think that using stooges is too obvious, in the sense that an observing spectator will easily figure out that a stooge is involved.
In this PDF I would like to offer some ways of using a stooge that are not at all obvious. If you use a stooge in these ways, not only can you fool lay people but you can fool your magician friends as well. I've fooled plenty of magicians with these ideas. In general, I think there are obvious ways of using a stooge, as well as non-obvious ways. In this PDF I will differentiate the two.
Hopefully, after reading this PDF, you walk away with a fresh outlook on the use of stooges. Perhaps you even incorporate a stooge in a routine or two.
1st edition 2025, PDF 11 pages.
word count: 4010 which is equivalent to 16 standard pages of text
