While this review certainly covers THE MENTALIST publication, I felt it necessary to comment about Chris and Lybrary. Mentalism and magic aficionados world-wide owe a debt of gratitude to Chris Wasshuber. I'm not certain this publication, like many others, would have resurfaced if not for Chris' diligence and wonderful digitizing skills. It's a long story, but Chris was able to exhume THE MENTALIST, reach out to those currently "watching over" this publication and bring it to us. Kudos, many times over, Mr. W!!
I had very fond memories of this publication. One of the first things I purchased at Kanter's Magic Shop in Philly in the mid-1960's. The names of the contributors meant little to me at the time, but now it reads like a who's who of mentalism at the time. Don Tanner edited the first year, Jack Dean a couple of subsequent years before the magazine folded. I always felt Bascom Jones "Magick" picked up the baton in the 1970's.
The effects are your typical newsletter mixture of great but impractical to just plain great! The writing is very much of its time: terse, but to the point. Things are well explained. The important thing is to read this with an open mind. First picture yourself performing the effects as written, then ask would this work with today's audiences and my performance style. Revise as necessary; the ideas and thinking are what is important here.
Nostalgia can be a funny thing. Reading through the magazine again, I can picture myself very clearly where I was reading through this material the first time around!
I loved THE MENTALIST then. I love it now!