October 2017

Volume 107 Number 5

GEOFF GRIMES
PAGE 36
 MAGIC - UNITY - MIGHT
Editor
Michael Close
Editor Emeritus
David Goodsell
Associate Editor
W.S. Duncan
Proofreader & Copy Editor
Lindsay Smith
Art Director
Lisa Close
Online Edition Coordinator
Bruce Kalver
Publisher
Society of American Magicians,
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4 OCTOBER 2017
M-U-M OCTOBER 2017
MAGAZINE Volume 107 Number 5

Cover Story Page 36 44

S.A.M. NEWS
6 From the Editor’s Desk
8 From the President’s Desk
11 M-U-M Assembly News
23 Good Cheer List
23 New Members & Reinstatements
28 Broken Wands
69 Our Advertisers
58
THIS MONTH’S FEATURES
10 The Dean’s Diary • by George Schindler
10 Basil the Baffling • by Alan Wassilak
22 Backstage • by Paul Stone
24 Combined Convention Highlights
30 Life is Good • by David Oliver
36 COVER STORY • by Norman Beck
42 The High Road • by Mick Ayres
44 Magical Masterpieces and More • by David Haversat
48 Cheats and Deceptions • by Antonio M. Cabral
50 No Smoke, No Mirrors • by David Corsaro
24
52 Between the Lines • by Michael Perovich
54 Mind Craft • Jim Kleefeld
58 A Brief Moment in Time • by Gary Plants
60 Informed Opinion • New Product Reviews
68 Tech Tricks • by Bruce Kalver
69 Inside Straight • by Norman Beck 48
70 Personal Magic • Eric Lewis
Cover photo by David and Donna Thomason

M-U-M (ISSN 00475300 USPS 323580) is published monthly for $40 per year by The Society of American Magicians,
4927 S. Oak Ct. Littleton, CO 80127. Periodical postage paid at Littleton, CO and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to M-U-M, c/o Manon Rodriguez, 4927 S. Oak Ct. Littleton, CO 80127.

M-U-M Magazine 5
Photo by fivebyphotography.com

baffling effects interspersed, no one stays awake to the end. I was

pleased that there was standing-room-only for the lecture, and
that nobody headed for the hills during the brief intermission.
As often happens in learning encounters, it was the teacher
Editor's Desk who gained the most from the experience. As I organized the
Michael Close material for the lecture, I discovered a way to tie together all the
various aspects of magic theory, which made the presentation
much easier to understand.
You may remember seeing Dr. Geoff Grimes’s name in the The key was starting off the discussion by giving my definition
cover story article on the Main Street Magic Shop in the October of “magic.” It’s important to establish this definition. If you
2015 issue of M-U-M. Doc has served as the weekend house haven’t given any thought to what your definition of magic is, you
magician at Main Street Magic for almost a decade. Recently, should do so. Here is mine: “Magic is an astonishing theatrical
Norman Beck (who wrote the Main Street Magic story) suggested event for which there is seemingly no logical explanation and
that Doc deserved a cover story of his own; I agreed. When you for which no rationalized explanation satisfies.” This definition
read Doc’s accomplishments as a teacher, a humanitarian, a vital is useful because it divides the performance of magic into its
member of his community, and a magician, you’ll understand theatrical (emotional) aspect and its logical (analytic) aspect. The
why it is easy to consider him to be one of magic’s greatest gifts. conflict between the brain (“What I just saw can’t be real”) and
You’ll find the cover story on page 36. the heart (“But it felt as real as anything I’ve ever experienced”)
As I write this column, Hurricane Irma, a hurricane of record- helps give expertly performed conjuring its poignancy.
breaking intensity, is about to make landfall on the Florida Fortunately for the student, there are theoretical texts that
peninsula. It comes just a few short weeks after Hurricane Harvey address each aspect (for example, theatrical/emotional: Fitzkee,
devastated the area around Houston, Texas. Hurricanes Jose and Nelms; logical/analytical: Vernon, Ortiz, Ascanio). And with the
Katia are waiting in the wings. There are going to be tough times introduction of that definition, the group and I were off on a three-
ahead for the people who live in the affected areas. hour thrill ride that ranged from Palestrina to Daniel Kahneman. I
The Disaster Relief Fund of The Society of American enjoyed this presentation, and I hope to give a refined, condensed
Magicians Magic Endowment Fund needs your help. Their existing version of this lecture at other venues.
funds will not be enough cover the estimated losses and needs of I’ll be hitting the road in the next few months. I’ll be in Orlando
magicians and allied artists affected by the recent storm disasters. for the Genii convention at the beginning of this month, in Kansas
Your contributions City for David
are greatly Sandy’s Workshop
appreciated. This convention in
solicitation is the November, and
only one presented in London in
by the S.A.M. All January for the
monies donated Session convention,
will go directly to hosted by
the Disaster Fund. Josh Jay and
While they welcome Andi Gladwin. If
offerings from you’re planning on
assemblies and third- attending any of
party givers, they these gatherings, be
do not use raffles, sure to say hi.
prizes, drawings, At the end of
or incentives, other August I spent five
than your generous days in Las Vegas
and compassionate working with Penn,
desire to help Teller, and Johnny
bring some relief Penn, Close, Thompson, and Teller in the Monkey Room. Thompson on new
to those in need of material for the
assistance. P&T show. When
The Society of American Magicians Magic Endowment Fund I lived in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to work with those
encourages direct donations earmarked for “Disaster Relief.” three gentlemen on a regular basis; lookingnback, those were
Mail checks to: S A M. Magic Endowment Fund, 18 Stoney some of the most enjoyable and professionally satisfying times
Creek Road, Hilton Head, SC 29928. You can also contribute of my life. There are few things more astonishing than seeing
online via www.paypal.com to SAMadminstrator@magicsam. the transformation of an idea as its makes it way around a circle
com (message DISASTER). of four friends and colleagues. Above is a photo taken in the
At the beginning of August, I was asked by Jeff Pinskey, owner Monkey Room backstage at the Penn & Teller theater in the Rio
of the Browser’s Den of Magic in Toronto, to present a lecture on Hotel & Casino. 
magic theory. At first, I was hesitant; magic theory lectures are
an iffy proposition. If not carefully planned, with a few relevant,

6 OCTOBER 2017
 Magic for Special Needs: For many years PNP Harry Monti
and his wife Trudy championed the Magic for Special Education
program within the Society. I believe this program needs to be a
priority within the S.A.M. I would like to move forward to enable
our compeers to perform for and teach magic to special-needs
educators. These educators will in turn teach their students. Per-
President's forming magic will build both dexterity and self-esteem in the
special-needs students; it can also help them with inclusion in the
Desk main student body.
But to do this we need to develop a program that has the support
Dick Bowman of educators in the field who work with special-needs children. To
do that we must have an educationally based agenda that can be
provided to magicians so they can work with the schools in their
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, area. We are looking for special-needs professionals at the ad-
THANK YOU! ministrative level (college professor, school administrators, etc.)
within the S.A.M. (or who have an interest in magic or support
Hurricane Harvey: Our thoughts and prayers go out to all making this program a success) who would like to help work on
those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Many have lost everything, this initiative. If you have these credentials and are willing to help,
some have lost something, and all affected by the wrath of Mother please contact me. Mitch Geier will be heading up the develop-
Nature will take time to recover. One can never fully overcome ment. I solicit other magicians who want to assist to please let me
this kind of devastation, but must be resilient and try to move know. We will start by building a program and getting the support
forward. from leaders in the field. We will then bring it to the schools and
I have been very impressed by all those who answered the call the children. I believe we can make the magic happen for these
to respond with help. First responders came equipped to provide children.
relief. Many folks came to the area to help where they could, dis- Magic Week: As discussed in Michael Close’s column last
tributing aid, food, and supplies and helping those displaced with month, I have declared October 25-31, 2017, as Magic Week. As
care and concern. The National Council asked magicians to help in you know, Magic Week started with a small, one-day event for
any way possible. I could not have been more proud of our magic magicians and has expanded to a week during which magicians
community participating in this outreach. The Magic Endowment give back to their communities by performing for those less
Fund set up a process fortunate. I hope everyone will take up this call, and work either
for disaster relief for through your Assembly or individually. Magic needs your help in
magicians and allied keeping magic known as the great art form that it is.
artists to receive Children see magic on television, but few have experienced it
help. The Houdini firsthand. I know from doing shows for families who are searching
Fund was available to for housing and jobs as a part of a community of churches program,
help those injured or seeing magic live (some for the first time) from a “real” magician
who needed help with brightens up their spirits and keeps their sense of wonder alive.
medical payments. After a show for one of these groups at our church, a young boy
South Central RVP asked me, “Mister, can you use your magic to get my dad a job?”
Jeff Lanes coordi- It breaks your heart sometimes that you do not have an answer, or
nated requests to the couldn’t make that magic happen. But at least watching the magic
MEF for financial as- took his mind off his family’s troubles for a little while.
sistance. Magicians Although activities may already be planned, in case you don’t
helped relieve some of the stress by performing for the displaced have something planned thus far, here are some ideas:
folks at relief shelters. Thank you to those magicians who Go to a library near you and see if you can do a show during
performed for the displaced folks at relief shelters. story time.
In situations like this, it is important to have a vehicle for Perform or display magic in the community in nursing homes,
magicians to use to be able to donate to our fellow compeers, as hospitals, churches, for shut-ins, child care centers, the Veterans
many times in disasters such as this there are unscrupulous folks Administration Hospitals, Senior Citizen facilities, homeless
who prey on those with big hearts and just want to help, only to shelters, USOs, etc.
get scammed. Locate charities through your local Chamber of Commerce or
Christopher Weed of Showtime Magic Products in Phoenix merchant’s organization. They will have lists of charitable groups
solved that problem for magicians to donate and have the money who could use entertainment for their clients.
reach our brethren affected by Harvey. He organized a raffle with Please do this without financial remuneration; just ask for
over $12,000 in prizes donated by over twenty-five magic dealers. a “thank you” letter after the event from the group. Use photos
For each $10 donated a ticket for the person making the donation from the show for publicity in the local newspaper. We’d like to
was put into the raffle, with all the money received going to the hear what you’ve done after Magic Week concludes. Please send
MEF disaster fund. I know many of you participated. The raffle a quick email to Tom Gentile at tdgmagic@gmail.com with your
ended at midnight on Labor Day with $9,460 received from 211 information.
different compeers. Thank you to all those who participated with Assembly Contest: Please don’t forget to send in your assem-
a donation. Thank you to all those dealers who donated prizes. bly’s list of “Best Practices from our Assembly” by the end of the
Please see the Facebook page and magicsam.com for the list of month (see last month’s column for details).
dealers who donated. Once again, thank you for your help for those affected by

8 OCTOBER 2017
 S.A.M. National Officers

Dean: George Schindler, 1735 East 26th St.,

Brooklyn, NY 11229, (718) 336-0605, Fax (718)
627-1397, showbiz10@aol.com
President: Richard Bowman,
(719) 527-0678, Professor1@higginsmagic.com
President Elect: Ronald Ishimaru,
(808) 428-6019, 808magicron@gmail.com
First Vice President: Steven A. Spence, (317)
722-0429, sspence@mediationalternative.com
Second Vice President: Joel Zaritsky, (845) 546-
1559, Jizdds@optonline.net
Secretary: Marlene Clark, 274 Church Street,
#6B, Guilford, CT 06437, (203) 689-5730,
Skype: marlene.clark, afuntime@comcast.net
Treasurer: Eric Lampert, (215) 939-5555,
Eric@MagicSam.com

Regional Vice Presidents

New England: CT MA RI NH ME VT
Thom Dunlap, freakshow@optonline.net
North Atlantic: NY NJ
Sara Crasson, sara@saracrasson.com
Mid Atlantic: PA DE MD VAWV DC
David Clauss, Visionenhancement@comcast.com
South Atlantic: FL AL GA MS NC SC
Debbie Leifer, 404-630-1120,
debbie@debbieleifer.com
Central Plains: KY TN OH IN MI
Don Miller, 317-634-5411, demmagic@aol.com
Midwest: IL MN WI MO ND NE KS SD IA
Randy Kalin, (314) 630-1300
rwkmagic@charter.net
South Central: TX AR OK NM LA
Jeff Lanes, 713-850-1770,
illusions@wizardscircle.com
Southwest: CA AZ NV HI
John Thornton, john@thorntonfinancial.org
Northwest: WA OR UT ID CO AK WY MT
Jann Wherry Goodsell, bravesjann@comcast.net
Canada: Shawn Farquhar, 604-936-1234,
shawn@magicchampion.com
Society of Young Magicians Director:
Jann Wherry Goodsell, 329 West 1750 North,
Orem, Utah 84057 (801) 376-0353.
bravesjann@comcast.net

Living Past
National Presidents

Bradley M. Jacobs, Richard L. Gustafson,

Bruce W. Fletcher, David R. Goodsell,
Michael D. Douglass, George Schindler,
Hurricane Harvey. Thank you for perform-
Dan Rodriguez, Dan Garrett, Donald F.
ing for the less fortunate during Magic Meek
Oltz Jr., Craig Dickson, Loren C. Lind,
(or anytime this month) to help us support
Gary D. Hughes, Harry Monti, Jann Wherry
the advancement of the art of magic. Please
Goodsell, Warren J. Kaps, Jay Gorham,
do so and I know you will have FUN! 
John Apperson, Richard M. Dooley, Andy
Dallas, Maria Ibáñez, Bruce Kalver, Mike
Miller, Mark Weidhaas, Vinny Grosso, J.
Christopher Bontjes, Dal Sanders, Kenrick
"ICE" McDonald, David Bowers, Jeff Quinn-
Sikora

M-U-M Magazine 9
 brief welcome and had a friend translate it for me. The words I
spoke were Japanese. Just before the show Ali Bongo gave me a
great idea.
My opening words began with “Konbanwa” (good evening),
which was the cue for a translator to come on stage. She translated
Dean's Diary my Japanese into English. The audience was wild with laughter
George Schindler and I was personally greeted with bows everywhere I went. At
that same convention I met a Chinese magician Kan Sai Go.
LOST IN TRANSLATION After the show we had drinks and Yuki my translator came with
us. Kan Sai had produced a giant fish. I was curious as to how
Felipe San Pedro was born in Cuba, but spent several years in they were able to find such fish in Tokyo. I was sure he didn’t
Venezuela and spoke perfect Spanish. His wife Lucy was from bring it from China. I asked Yuki, but he spoke no Chinese, so
New York’s Puerto Rican community and spoke in a less formal he asked Kan Sai’s translator who translated it from Japanese to
“newyorican” dialect. Her words were not quite as precise as his, Chinese. It was very confusing. I finally found a paper napkin.
but in New York it didn’t matter. The couple moved to Puerto I drew the fish and we no longer needed translators. Yuki was
Rico, where Felipe had a job as a TV comedy writer. His shows at my lecture and halfway through, finally said, “Georgie-san,
were well received and were patterned in the I Love Lucy, two- please slower.”
couple, situation-comedy style. As a magician, he did a fine Since our Society is getting more international, it would be
lecture; we hosted him when he came to town. a good idea for us to learn key phrases in other languages. At
I was invited to lecture in Puerto Rico, and that was fun. the S.A.M .convention in Eisenstadt, Austria, the magicians
Almost all the magicians spoke English. My high school Spanish all spoke English. The local magicians were a great help when
allowed me to read signs, but was problematic when I had to we had to order in restaurants or shops. I was lucky enough to
speak. After my lecture, we had a party at the San Pedro house. have learned to speak some Yiddish, which was very much like
We sat around a table and Felipe translated for Lucy, who German.
translated my mixed words. A man named Professor Lulu did Words may not be necessary when speaking to magicians.
not get my English or my Spanish; our conversation could have I remember a lawn party at an Abbott’s Get-Together one
been another comedy TV show for Felipe. Nina laughed through year. A number of Japanese magicians met with a few British
it all. Lulu asked a question, Felipe repeated it to Lucy, who told performers. When asked about their acts, they did not need
me what he said and I replied to Lucy to Felipe to Lulu. After a words. The card manipulator mimicked a front and back palm.
while I got the gist of it and we omitted Lucy and Felipe. It was Brian Miller brought his raised thumbs forward from his chest
like the game of “Telephone.” and we all knew he did a “bird act.” 
Years later, when I was invited to Japan as national president,
I was asked to open their S.A.M. Japan convention. I wrote a

10 OCTOBER 2017
 ASSEMBLY NEWS OCTOBER 2017 Volume 107, Number 5

Society of American Magicians Monthly News

GO TO:
WWW.MUM-MAGAZINE.COM
and use the easy submission form to file your report

6 which cards selected by two nized. We had a new member

MAGIC IN THE MONSOON spectators found their mates. Tommy from Tyler, Texas.
And their backs matched. Welcome Tommy! Next, some
BALTIMORE, MD— Torren- And they turned out to be the discussion was made around a
tial rains could not keep this only red cards in an otherwise TAOM event schedule, as well
hardy band of magis from their all-black deck. Jay Silverman as specifics on how to assist at
August meeting. After a quick followed with a cute card trick TAOM. Additionally, we spoke
reminder of next month’s magic using the nines force plus a fine about how club events can be
competition with Columbia John Carney effect in which more educational.
Conjurers, President Andy three specs each shuffled a third The treat for the evening was Cards, Coins, and Jamming
London kicked off the magic of the deck yet all cards were a lecture on Conquering Stage at Our After-Party
with a subtle card trick, Max found in the end. Tim Hall had Fright, by Daryl Howard,
Maven’s Predixion. Next was his spec pick a card; it turned whereby he offered many ways volunteer Ava Byers became
Craig Feinstein presenting the out to be the only red-backer to overcome a fear that has Alice in Wonderland and went
always fascinating Pom-Pom in a blue deck and had “Your always haunted performers. through the “looking glass”
stick (including the mystifying Card” on the back (his “Sales Daryl discussed how proper in the dollar bill to get to the
take-apart at the end). Pitch” routine he does at trade preparation and rehearsal can other side. Shawn Messonnier
Up next was Mark Wolfire in shows). Dave Thomen shared eliminate some of the doubts performed a teach-a-trick using
character as a stoner who just a 1945 Conjuror magazine that act to fuel stage fright. a method commonly employed
stumbled out of a head shop. that included a Houdini quote Daryl cited many references by Richard Osterlind.
Purporting to teach us “the about PR. He followed with from Tony Robbins and Jeff The meeting adjourned about
modern miracle of maximiz- his own version of PR, his McBride, to Shakespeare and 9:30 p.m., and then we all went
ing your memory,” he did a eye chart trick that ends with Socrates. He also offered a to Vernon’s for cold beverages
pick-a-card trick followed by giving away his “eye chart” twenty-page handout of lecture on a hot, muggy Texas night.
a fake memorization of the that includes his contact info. notes on the topic, featuring Our after-party at Vernon’s
deck (a Michael Weber effect). —Eric Hoffman many problem/cure scenarios. every month is a place where
Jacob Knuckey followed with Assembly 6 meets on the first After a short break, we re- we meet to share tall tales and
a version of OOTW, John Thursday at 8:00 pm at Magic convened for an open mic magic, and enjoy the camara-
Kennedy’s Red & Black (origi- Warehouse, 11419 Cronridge session. Russell Turner kicked derie and friendship that we
nally published in Genii 3/89). Drive suite #10, Owings Mills, off the performances with a share as DMC members (see
Dean Joe Bruno, performed Maryland. Contact Andy performance on visual linguis- photo). —John Hale
his 1966 Yet Another Four London alondon@comcast.net tics. Assisted by Ava Byers, Assembly 13 meets on the
Aces Trick for critique in www.baltimoresam.com for Russell performed a ring to a third Tuesday at 7:00pm at
preparation for his upcoming more details. nested Lippincott Box, using Dallas Builders Association,
One Man Parade (his sixth) a prop he called “Tells Bells.” 5816 W. Plano Pkwy, Plano,
in Linking Ring. Next up was Next, Derrel Allen gave a short Texas. Contact Frank Seltzer
Mike Hotovy with his Triumph 13 review of the kazaam.com/ president@dallasmagic.org
variation with a kicker ending AUGUST MEANS HOT magicwand party booking 972-837-8543 http://www.
of the selected card appearing TEMPS AND HOT MAGIC services from Party City. A dallasmagic.org for more
face up on the spectator’s cell IN TEXAS short discussion ensued that details.
phone. He followed with a afforded everyone the opportu-
signed card transporter effect DALLAS, TX— Vice President nity to ask questions and weigh
in the spirit of Portal. Andy Daryl Howard called the August in on the topic. 19
London then jumped in with a 15 meeting of the Dallas Magic John Hale performed Real HOUSTON MAGIC IS AS
cell phone quickie in which he Club to order at 7pm. First of all World using Shawn Messon- HOT AS EVER
increased his battery state of came the meeting announce- nier as his volunteer. Next was
charge from 14% to 75% merely ments. Volunteers are needed Scott Horn who performed the HOUSTON, TX— Houston
by “warming” the phone in a for the Texas Association of Coins of Ishtar, in which silver is now one year away from
spec’s hands. Hmm ... Magicians convention over and gold coins switched places. hosting the 2018 TAOM with
ERIC HOFFMAN was next Labor Day Weekend. Visitors Dr. Mike Smith performed Assembly 19 being one of
with a Rainbow Deck trick in and new members were recog- a dollar bill effect whereby the key clubs sponsoring this

M-U-M Magazine 11
Assembly News
event. We hope you can join us. tribute to Daryl. he described as his modifica- meeting of Assembly 24 was
Our November meeting will be David Rangel had Kim tion of a Senator Clark Crandall very special as we welcomed our
our flea market evening with Lampkin select a series of routine. Whit spent a consider- own Jim Snack as our lecturer
plenty of magic expected to be military alphabet cards and able amount of time discuss- for the evening. Jim’s creden-
for sale. See houstonmagic.com then spell out any word using ing the importance of scripting tials are long and varied. For the
for all the latest news. her chosen letters. Chris your patter and the reason for first twenty years of his profes-
The magic began with Eric Alonzo was then asked to doing so. He also discussed the sional career he performed as a
Falconer sharing his Cups select one from a series of topic of character development, magician and family entertain-
and Balls routine. Each step old toys, records, photos, etc. especially for older magicians, er. In the mid-1990s he shifted
in Eric’s professional routine Amazingly, Kim’s word and in his view. As “Pop” Hayden, into motivational speaking and
of over twenty years was Chris’s selected toy both had he can say and do many things training, presenting hundreds of
explained along with the logic. the same word. —Miles Root that Whit Hayden would not be programs on change, teamwork,
It was a great piece of magic. Assembly 19 meets on the first comfortable doing or saying. creativity, and communication
David Rangel shared some Monday at 7:30 at International Billy McComb mentored him all over the country for corpo-
tips on card sleights that he Alliance of Theatrical Stage on character development rations, associations, and gov-
had learned over the years Employees, 3030 North during his earlier Magic Castle ernment agencies. Jim is one of
and then taught us his routine, Freeway, Houston, TX. Contact days. His character continues to about seven hundred speakers
Backstage, which can be down- Miles Root milesroot@aol.com develop and evolve. worldwide who have earned the
loaded from the Penguin Magic 832-607-6678 houstonmagic. Moving in to card magic, Certified Speaking Professional
site for a few dollars. com for more details. which he has considerable skill designation from the National
Eric Falconer returned and had performing, Whit presented Speakers Association. He is
David Rangel select a packet of Chicago Surprise. This is currently pursuing his PhD and
cards as he used his “psychic” 22 based on the classic card trick teaching undergraduate classes
abilities to predict the number WHIT “POP” HAYDEN Chicago Opener. He also in public speaking, organi-
of cards, the number of reds LECTURE presented Multiple Peeked zational communication, and
and blacks, and the name of Cards to Pocket, a multi-phase leadership.
the bottom card of the packet. LOS ANGELES, CA— The card effect. Jim shared with us principles
Roger Johnson had Phil Nichols August 21, 2017, assembly Mongolian Pop Knot was of showmanship that magicians
select a card and then had Phil meeting began with announce- performed next. This is a Whit can use to create a magical
perform his own prediction as ments of upcoming S.A.M. Hall Hayden signature rope routine experience. Jim stressed that
to what card he had selected. of Fame and Magic Museum and an audience favorite. He magic is “the art of doing
Unfortunately, Phil’s prediction shows scheduled for September commented that the use of something so well that it tran-
was not correct, but it matched 10 and again on October 28 in ropes and silks on a stage adds scends ordinary experience
exactly Roger’s prediction of celebration of National Magic a lot of color and movement to and transports the audience to
what Phil would say. Week. The assembly is now at an act and plays big. A presen- a place they have never been
Chris Alonzo had guest Rob home in our new digs at West- tation and study of the Three- before.”
Haber assist in a magic display minster Gardens in Duarte, Shell Game was next followed Since people make up their
of card finesse as cards were California. by a Coins-Across routine. The minds about you within the first
transposed time and again The much-anticipated lecture closed with his presen- thirty seconds, it is important to
between the Aces and Rob’s program for the evening was a tation of the color-changing make an entrance. Arrive ahead
chosen card. Phil Nichols and lecture by Whit “Pop” Hayden. knives. of the audience to establish a re-
his vent magic rabbit Molasses A resident of the Los Angeles This was an entertaining lationship that allows them to
gave us some laughs with a ri- area, Whit has been a frequent lecture by a personable and like and trust you. Introduce
diculously hilarious interview. Magic Castle performer likeable magician. Pop Hayden yourself, smile, and make eye
Now we know why his name is since the 1970s. Whit is a lingered to discuss magic well contact. It’s important to get the
Molasses. magician of national reputation, after the lecture ended and was audience’s attention. What is
Rob Haber had Jamie Salinas lecturing around the country part of another great night of the first thing you want them to
blow some magical bubbles with frequent appearances at Southern California Assembly see? Fire, flashes, color,
towards a boxed deck of cards magicians’ conventions. For 22 magic. —Steven L. Jennings movement, noise, and music are
and showed us the one Jamie a number of years now, Whit Assembly 22 meets on the also good attention-getters.
had called out was reversed in has adopted the persona of third Monday at 8:00pm at
the deck. Desmond Mitchell Pop Hayden, a con man and Westminster Gardens, El Sueno
had Chris Alonzo select a card medicine show performer. Room, 1420 Santo Domingo
that showed us “a prediction” The lecture combined stand-up Avenue, Duarte, California.
on paper that was seen fully effects and close-up magic from Contact Steven L. Jennings
as the paper was heated up his performance repertoire. He slj229@hotmail.com 805-581-
with a small “flame thrower.” began with his color-changing 9054 for more details.
Bob Smith performed Daryl’s handkerchief routine. Included
Double Dazzling Triumph with in this segment was an in-depth
Marti Stein and Roger Johnson demonstration of a variety of 24
selecting the chosen cards. This dye tubes and their use. Whit LECTURE BY JIM SNACK
is a great Triumph routine and then presented his Six Card
Lecturer Jim Snack
Bob’s performance was a great Trick, a Six Card Repeat that ALBANY, NY— The August

12 OCTOBER 2017
 Assembly News
Introduce your props by the August show. A randomly chosen card was floor, and sponge balls along
holding them high for everyone The performance segment selected and shown to match with soup cans appeared as
to see. Make them seem bigger of the meeting was jump the same card in a second deck well. In one of his effects, his
by unveiling or unwrapping started when V.P. Dan Silvestri with a an ‘X’ marking the card. shoelace was untied, and
them. Preselect volunteers performed a slick mentalism Card maestro John Henderson removed, then it changed
from the audience. If someone card feat with two volunteers performed a cards-across colors, and if that wasn’t
is compliant or defiant, catch randomly selecting cards from matrix based on a Stewart enough, they re-laced onto his
them on the offbeat. Remember different decks to reveal an James Open Prediction, 51 shoe. Mario’s top hat had just as
that your act is what you do exact match. Dan’s routine Faces North. Dennis Melillo many electronic features as
before you get to the trick. The was based on Gemini Twins took the front table and showed well. We were awestruck with
creative part is coming up with and a Henry Evans handling. a clever card effect based on the amount of time, effort and
your own bits as you use or The illustrious Al Callus next O’Connor’s Four Ace routine. precision of his magical
adapt a trick to your personality performed a deceptive Coin Jay Paul made an encore ap- apparatus. He had a cool Cups
and style. How you get to that through Table routine with his pearance and closed the meeting and Balls routine with a surprise
point is the most important part. always entertaining, humorous with a demonstration of how final load too. Both Trevor and
Stealing other people’s material patter. Dennis McSweeney to predict any phone number Mario explained how they stay
doesn’t work. performed a coin and ribbon with a slightly stacked deck. so positive while performing
Make an exit: take a bow. illusion with two Chinese coins —Carl Morano and practicing magic. Surround
Leave your audience wanting on a red ribbon that seemed Assembly 25 meets on the yourself with fun, loyal, and
more. End your act just before to magically melt through the third Friday at 8:00 pm at energetic people and you should
you think you should. Listen to ribbon! He continued with a Morley’s Magic Shop, 18 experience success. Mario also
your audience; they want you to card clock trick in which the Boonton Avenue, Butler, New explained how you can make
succeed. Did they get what they spectator chooses a random Jersey. Contact Scott Morley magic out of anything. If either
needed? It’s not about you; it’s time and a card goes into the MorleysMagicShop@gmail. of these two magicians are in
about the audience. card box. When the cards in com 973-616-8686 http:// your area be sure to invite them
Jim used a number of magic deck are all reviewed, the www.livem973agicguide.com/ to your meeting, you won’t be
props, movements, and his selected card is missing, Dennis sam25/ for more details. disappointed!
voice to demonstrate these prin- named the card and it was found
ciples as he explained them. miraculously in the card box. 37
What a great summer evening Dennis also regaled the group JULY MEETING
of learning and enjoyment. with humorous stories from
—Jean Bruce his days performing bartender DENVER, CO— The Trevor
Assembly 24 meets on the magic. Duffy lecture was a lot of fun.
second Tuesday at 7:30 at Trevor taught us how to double
S.W. Pitts Hose Company, 226 our money at any given moment
Old Loudon Road, Latham, and how to change paper into
NY. Contact Cliff Bruce money. A spectator’s signed
cliffordbruce@earthlink.net card ended up in Trevor’s Make Magic With
518-793-6776 for more details. pocket, then disappeared and Anything!
ended up in his other pocket,
which had been clipped shut the Our August Teach-In by
25 entire time with a binder clip! members had a good turnout.
JULY MAGIC JUBILEE It was a true miracle that had Greg Tobbo did a spectacular
Mark Karavolos kills it us all wondering how he did job teaching us his Linking
BUTLER, NJ— The July with coins! it. His hand never went into or Ring routine. He took parts from
gathering opened with near his pocket until he showed Dai Vernon and from watching
Assembly 168 member Mike us his empty hand, removed the others in person an online to
Healy making an impassioned, Jay Paul wowed the club with a clip, and proceeded to pull out blend the parts he liked into his
heart-felt plea to Assembly 25 convoluted card matrix trick in the signed card. Smoke came own routine. In Greg’s routine
magicians to perform at Magic which seemingly random cards out of his hand, and he made he has built in parts where he
On Main, the theatrical magic are laid out in a grid pattern, blood appear on a person’s arm. will get maximum laughter and
extravaganza held every first turned over, and mysteriously He also explained his design automatic audience applause.
Friday of the month in Boonton, add up to a previous predicted of the Phil deck and how it has He did part of his routine on
New Jersey, at the historic value. Mark Karavolos followed evolved into a wonderful trick. stage and he had a spectator
Daress Theatre. Despite it being up with a variation of the All had a great time. help. Later in the performance
the town’s longest-running Dennis McSweeny’s Chinese Next, we had electronic master he stood behind the spectator so
magic show, there seemed to be coin trick. Utilizing a coin and professional, Mario every move was up close and at
a total lack of interest amongst purse, a red ribbon, and three Marchese, and his family from eye level to the spectator.
members. Although a few days Chinese coins, Mark made the New York. Everyone’s mouth Matt Brandt had holes punched
later, Assembly 25 member coins vanish and travel! was hitting the floor with his into each corner of a dollar bill
Carl Morano (aka Carliostro) Carl Morano demonstrated masterful routine. His suitcase and using his magical powers,
did pick up the gauntlet and a Max Maven standard called was alive, it would open, close, all of the holes migrated all up
made his solo public debut at Predixtion with two decks. flowers appeared, fell to the into one corner. Matt explained

M-U-M Magazine 13
Assembly News
how to use a dinner receipt conventions to be held this year President Paul Mims has had card effect and a fun Sword
from a local eatery or by using in Florida, and of course the lots of experience working through the Neck. John Edsall
colored pieces of paper to create S.A.M. Convention also to be as a restaurant magician. He showed us the latest skillful
this magic. Another thing Matt held in Orlando, Florida, next shared his tips for success when iteration of his ball, cone, and
suggested was to draw a stick year, members got down to per- working in this venue. He then silk routine. Emcee Bob Eaton
figure of a woman on one piece forming some magic of their introduced the feature perform- transformed a dollar bill into a
of paper and then make that own. The theme was: Silks, ers for the night, Mike Melito $100 bill, a favorite he always
switch into another stick figure Coins/Money, and Ropes. An and Ken Theriot, who both has with him. Tom Waldrop
of a woman cut in half. It was array of effects was presented demonstrated restaurant magic performed a couple of nifty
pretty ingenious. along with impromptu “teach- to tables of club members. Ev- effects, including a rope effect
Glenn Proulx showed how ins” of them. erything from Chop Cups to that joined three ropes into a
he adapted and made a trick The members having the most smashed marbles delighted the circle of ropes. Mel Anderson
he read about in Linking Ring, guts were: Joshua Conant, crowd. Thanks, Mike and Ken, gave us a nice newspaper tear
Shawn Farquhar’s egg inside Mark Horowitz (who will also for an enjoyable evening. and a unique effect using a
a lemon and the lemon inside be lecturing at the S.A.M. in Congratulations to tonight’s necklace around a volunteer’s
a balloon trick. He used small Orlando next year), Steven door prize winners, Mike neck in which beads magically
switches he scavenged from an Kramer, and Billy Byron. — Melito and Ray Adams. Mike changed places. Larry Seymore
old computer. Glenn showed us Billy Byron won the DVD Jumper by Joe had a card selected, returned
how he took an Arduino and Assembly 49 meets on the Rindfleisch, and Ray won a to the deck, and boxed; he
made a deck of cards move second Wednesday at 7pm deck of Brian Brushwood cards. held a lighter under the box.
and then move a small bucket, at NW Senior Center, 6009 —Gorman Doug When opened the selected card
which was perched on top of a NW 10th. Street, Margate, Assembly 52 meets on the was scorched. Dave Ashton
shoebox. He showed how easy Florida. Contact Billy first Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at transformed a fistful of dollar
it is to make lights blink on and Byron billybyron@comcast. LaMadeleine Restaurant, 722 bills into mis-made bills, and
off if you want them added into net 954-522-1466 www. N.W. Loop 410, San Antonio, divined a selected card using
your shows. for tlauderdalemagicsociety. TX. Contact Doug Gorman his heart monitor! Tom Cramer
Gene Gordon did some card com for more details. douggorman@att.net 210-643- did a very smooth and enter-
magic in which signed cards 6055 for more details. taining Linking Rings routine
ended up in a couple different 52 using small rings. Jorjan
places, under a bag, and in RESTAURANT MAGIC 59 Plimmer closed the show with
Gene’s wallet. In another trick, FUN AT THE AUGUST an excellent PK Touch routine.
a card, which was torn into four SAN ANTONIO, TX— August PICNIC She tapped one volunteer and
pieces, vanished except for one 3, 2017, Brother John Hamman the taps were felt by another,
piece, but the cool part was the Assembly 52 held its monthly PORTLAND, OR— Once again using the mystic incantation
rest of the card pieces vanished meeting at La Madeleine Res- Assembly 59 held our August “Covfefe.” Thanks to everyone
except one. The rest of the card taurant. President Paul Mims picnic in a lovely park in West who helped make our picnic
was restored and found inside called the meeting to order. We Linn, Oregon, arranged by such a fun – and delicious –
a sealed box of Frosted Flakes had a great turnout tonight with Danny Schreiber. Jay Freder- time. —Frank Dudgeon
with a corner missing. The members and guests. Welcome icks deserves a huge round of Assembly 59 meets on the
missing corner was being held to Richard Blake, Geoffrey and applause for organizing the fourth Wednesday at 7:00
in the spectator’s hand and fit Tabitha Sadowski, and Zach event, helming the barbecue, PM at Beaverton Activities
the card perfectly. What a trick! Rodriguez, grandson of Doug bringing the drinks and ice, and Center, 12500 SW Allen
Assembly 37 meets on the and Fran Gorman. much more. Jay put in a ton of Blvd., Beaverton, Oregon.
second Thursday at 7:00pm John Murphy started off the work and it really paid off. We Contact Frank Dudgeon
at RiverPointe Community, open performances with an all brought side dishes, partici- f r a n kdudge on@g m ai l.com
5225 S Prince St, Littleton, effect illustrating the Gilbreath pants sold magic at the swap 503-810-6408 http://www.
CO. Contact Glenn Proulx Principle, performed (without meet, and we had a great show. sam59portland.org for more
glen nproulx@g mail.com name or explanation) by Max details.
303-794-5208 http://www. Maven at the twelfth Gathering
milehighmagicians.com for 4 Gardner. His next effect was 88
more details. based on an unnamed effect FROM FRUIT TO JAM...
in Jim Kleefeld’s Mind Craft
49 column in the August 2017 ANN ARBOR, MI— At
REPORT FOR AUGUST 2017 issue of M-U-M. Next, Ray our August meeting, some
Adams performed Johnny members shared fond memories
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL— Wong’s Coin Trick to music, of Eugene Burger, who died
On August 9, Assembly 49 followed by Geoffrey Sadows- the night before, followed by a
held its monthly meeting. ki’s Match Box Illusion with magic jam session – everyone
After a discussion and review a surprise gold coin. Richard Jay Fredericks Cookin’ in attendance did at least one
of the recent S.A.M./I.B.M. Blake performed a jumbo card at the Picnic effect!
Combine Convention in Louis- prediction, and Michael Tallon Bill Brang started us off by
ville and the upcoming Genii performed a card effect entitled Randy Stumman opened producing three large, clear
and Daytona Festival of Magic Phil Out-Done. with a neat double prediction cubes filled with sponges from

14 OCTOBER 2017
 Assembly News
an empty box. Jim Placido Richard Stride, ending with two Fujimoto, Tom D’Agnes, Bob and how Howard Thurston’s
wowed us with his masterful predictions, one being the food Festa, and Curtis Kam. Kekoa book was edited by the Expose
handling of the Hummer Card bill total! Dan Jones vanished followed-up by demonstrat- Committee of the S.A.M. in the
using a credit card. Ken Magee a coin, which later reappeared ing multiple thumb tip tech- early 1930s. Phil’s insights into
showed everyone the pathway in a small wood box and Vice niques and then took time with magic history made us aware
to animal magnetism by dem- President Mark O’Brien did his individual members, which of how things have changed in
onstrating how to make a spoon best impression of “Alexander – everyone clearly enjoyed. After the way magicians understand
stick to your hand. Jim Ruth the Man Who Knows” with his the presentations, Kekoa held magic exposure.
performed the old Will De card prediction! —Dr. Joaquin a raffle that included several Phil Schwartz then emceed the
Sieve Clippo effect with a fish- M. Ayala de Cedoz happy winners. The magical Ring show and Bev Bergeron
shaped paper and a great story Assembly 88 meets on the evening concluded with classic opened by turning selected
line. Linda Triemer performed a second Wednesday at 7 p.m. Hawaii “talk story” and local playing cards red and finished
lovely Max Maven effect using at Senate Coney Island, 34359 sales and swaps of magic tricks. with the Devano Rising Cards.
a number of black and white Plymouth Road, Livionia, —Dr. Joe Page Dennis Phillips produced a live
balls that are mixed in a bag Michigan. Contact Dr. Assembly 89 meets on the rabbit, showed the Marshall
and removed to either one of Joaquin M. Ayala de Cedoz first Wednesday at 7:30 pm Vanishing Alarm Clock, and
two bowls or another bag. In the chefayala99@gmail.com 313- at Kalihi-Palama Library, finished with the Arabian tent
end, Linda predicted how many 910-1041 www.aamagic.org for 1325 Kalihi Street , Honolulu, illusion.
of each color were left! Rich more details. Hawaii. Contact Dr. Joe Craig Schwarz did an unbe-
Triemer used a clear tube and a Page rainbow.connection@ lievable card effect in which
length of rope to magically tie hawaiiantel.net 808-381-7820 a spectator selected card was
knots into the rope! 89 htt ps://w w w.facebook.com / revealed. Joe Zimmer did a
Michael Doyle performed ORIGAMI AND THUMB search/top/?q=hawaii%20ma well-received classic Chop
a favorite from Cameron TIP MAGIC IN HAWAII for more details. Cop routine. James Bailey the
Francis called Deceit Treat and Third did the Keller Rope Tie
President John Russell tried HONOLULU, HI— The Jimmy routine. Jimmy Ichihana and
a lovely piece from Woody Yoshida Aloha Assembly 99 Ed McGowan teamed up for
Aragon in which everyone 89 meeting for August was LECTURE ON FIGHTING a hilarious “memorized card
tears four playing cards in half, attended by over twenty magic EXPOSURES deck” routine where Ed always
shuffles, mixes, and eventu- aficionados and a special guest. knew which card was selected.
ally discards six of the pieces, They were all rewarded with ORLANDO, FL — President J.C. Hyatt pulled apart twisted
ending up with two matching multiple raffles and several Craig Schwarz called the straws and did a color changing
halves! fun presentations plus special meeting to order. He did brief pocket knife routine with a
Dr. Joaquin Ayala performed training provided by President announcements of upcoming vanish at the end.
and explained his take on the Michael “Kekoa” Erickson. ring events. Bev Bergeron’s Tom Parkin did a mind reading
Royal Marriage by Card-Shark The theme for the meeting Teach-in featured his story of card effect in which selected
and later detailed a stand-up was “Origami & Thumb Tip performing in LA for bank cards matched cards with holes
handling for Triumph from Magic,” which allowed several openings with Dai Vernon. and squares cut in them. Dan
Michael Vincent. Don Oester- presenters to display their Vernon said Bev only had one Stapleton closed with show
wind who performed a great magical talents. Kekoa opened gag yet it “killed.” It was an old with some excellent “play big”
version of the Rainbow Deck in the meeting and took a timeout Lux Soap Bottle and string that card magic that he used when
which three pairs of selections for a pizza break (thanks to looked like you were squirting he was a cruise director. He put
were made from a deck with Bob and Rungfa Festa) and soap on someone. Today the a card deck back in order after
fifty-two different backs; the se- cold water (kudos to Mike gag is very common using both a “slop shuffle” and did Out
lections were the only matching Lynch). Several magicians a mustard and ketchup plastic of this World, but rather than
pairs in a deck of blank-faced volunteered to make presenta- squeeze bottle. any moves he simplified the
cards! Don later performed the tions, including Kelvin Chun, Phil Schwartz presented ending into a powerful finish.
old Computer Card Trick and a James Lee, Glen Bailey, Glenn Magic History Moment #87. It —Dennis Phillips
quick little ESP card bit. Karl was on Magic Exposure over Assembly 99 meets on the
Rabe performed the Magic the years. Phil began with Penn third Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Martini in which a spectator & Teller being denied mem- at The International House
divines the color of candies bership in the Magic Circle. of Pancakes, 5203 Kirkman
that appear in the cocktail Then he presented the history Road, ORLANDO, FL.
shaker. Karl also performed a of Exposure Committees in Contact Dennis Phillips
funny newspaper gag of a card all the major magic organi- craig@ibmsamorl.com craig@
selection. zations where members like ibmandsam.com for more
Andrew Martin performed Blackstone, Dunninger, and details.
a rousing rendition of the Devant were thrown out due
Francis Carlyle Homing Card to exposing secrets. He told of 104
from Stars of Magic and Bob Assembly 89 President, how Floyd Thayer was falsely DOG DAYS FOR 104’S
Goodwin performed a great Kekoa Erickson, accused and exonerated for MAGIC CATS
effect from way back in the demonstrates proper allegedly exposing illusions to
1970s called Randomental by thumb tip concealment a Hollywood movie production SALEM, MA— As August

M-U-M Magazine 15
Assembly News
everyone in a day of inspiring Should be lots of fun!
lectures and an unforgettable Our faithful Scribe Mark
evening show. Krotulski was off on a well-
Other updates planned deserved vacation, so I (Barry)
for SAM104.com include a am trying to remember the
schedule of future events at the details of this meeting. We got
assembly and other assemblies off to a great start regarding
as well. Upcoming events at the magic trick section of
Diamond’s Magic will also be the evening with a neat Theo
featured. Annemann slate test by John
104 Wizards beat the heat Of course, our S.Y.M. 124 kids Wolfe. Lou Abbatiello did a
at Diamond’s Magic will be joining the S.A.M. 104 Barry Yiengst & Jack Ritter fine job with a special pre-
compeers at Camp Evergreen, diction effect that he made.
burned on, various Assembly Andover, Massachusetts, for show will appear on the CW More mystery followed with
104 compeers kept busy both our annual, combined BBQ Channel on Friday evenings a puzzling card prediction by
in and out of magic. While Vice festivities. The Loscutoff’s gra- and Penn & Teller on Thursday Dan Scully. Yet another card
President Jim Loscutoff and ciously throw open their facili- evenings. Barry reminded effect (fooled Penn & Teller)
Treasurer Debbie Loscutoff ties every year for swimming, members of the complimentary with a twist by Al Bienstock.
found their days amply active, tennis, BBQ, the annual flea shows that are being planned Our master of pasteboards Kyle
managing Camp Evergreen, market, and S.Y.M. magic com- for October. They include the Purnell wowed us, as always,
Jim still managed to attend petition. It’s fun in the sun and VA Hospital in Lebanon, the with cards. Barry said he was
Wizard meetings at Diamonds. just one more benefit of mem- American Legion Lebanon going to do something totally
Bill Jensen, Pete Jackson, bership in our assembly. and the VFW Hampton different but showed a pack of
Debby O’Carroll, and others A tentative schedule proposed Township. Suggestions for ad- cards and presented “Oscar.”
popped in. The August for this year included: Sep- ditional sites are requested. The Rodney Ries proceeded to
Officers’ Planning Meeting for tember’s lecturer Mike Bent; upcoming Kutztown Conven- produce an elephant amid many
SAMCON 2017, held at Jade’s October’s Eugene Burger Night, tion sponsored by Reading’s oohs and aahs. Jack Ritter
Restaurant, in Peabody, MA, a tribute to his art; November’s Mingus Ring 57 will take place closed out with a really cool
enjoyed full attendance. Many split night of Origami, Balloons, on Saturday, November 11. variation of the Die in Cup by
good ideas and Chinese delica- and Face painting; December’s More information will follow. Rich Bloch. There was lots of
cies were digested before the Annual Yankee Swap; January’s Members planning on attending good ensuing conversation, and
cards came out. Magic Auction, featuring hot the MAES Convention were constructive ideas presented.
Among the fun facts presented dogs provided by the Forrests; also mentioned. Another special meeting!
was Jim Loscutoff’s report that and February’s Holiday Party. Following the meeting that I’m fast forwarding a few
our website www.sam104.com Meanwhile, March, April didn’t take place, President days to mention that our club
was updated during a session (Nomination Month), and May Barry Yiengst started off the picnic was a terrific success
between Jim and webmaster (Election Month) remain open evening with a grab bag dice – a huge thank you to Jack
Dan Schuette. The PayPal for lecturers. The June Installa- count. Michael Worsham dem- and Linda Ritter for hosting
link is now fully active for tion Banquet fills out the year. onstrated a Rick Maurer card this event. And thank you to
SAMCON ticket purchasing. Now, it’s on to September. trick. Kyle Purnell shared an all the folks that supported
Full Convention Pre-registra- —Bob Forrest original card trick he invented the CAPM picnic. Looking
tion is only $75. After October Assembly 104 meets on titled High Card High Jinx. forward to next summer!
31, the price is $85. As last the first Wednesday at 7:30 Dick Zechman then performed —Mark Krotulski
year, S.Y.M. members will be p.m. at Diamond’s Magic, Position Impossible, a recently Assembly 110 meets on the
allowed in free when accompa- 515 Lowell street, Peabody, purchased trick developed by second Thursday at 6:00 pm
nied by a paid adult. Tickets for MA. Contact Bob Forrest Brent Braun. at John’s Diner, Limekiln Exit
the gala evening show only will captainalbrightsq1@comcast. While many organizations ex- off I-83, New Cumberland,
be $20 for an adult and $10 for a net 339-227-0797 www.sam104. perience a significant drop-off PA. Contact Barry Yiengst
child under fifteen. com for more details. in attendance over the summer wbyiengst@gmail.com 717-
As last year, SAMCON 2017 months, we had a decent amount 383-0857 for more details.
will be held, November 18, in of members for our August
the spacious facilities of the 110 meeting. Our time of business
Hogan Regional Center, 450 Old JULY AND AUGUST and discussion included our 112
Maple Street, Danvers, Mas- MEETINGS picnic on August 13, the POCKET FULL OF
sachusetts. Our All-Canadian Eddie Clever competition next MIRACLES
line-up of talented magicians HARRISBURG, PA— President month and lots of special ac-
is eagerly anticipated. Chris Barry Yiengst said that we tivities in October, including PLEASANT HILL, CA— This
Mayhew, Rod Chow, and Paul would dispense with a business a lecture by Dan Fleshman on month our members and guests
Romhany are poised to delight meeting due to the low atten- October 8. And this just in, we were treated to a workshop and
New England magic lovers with dance. Only ten people were in will be joining the Lancaster several performances based on
refreshing ideas from up north. attendance for this gathering. PMC club in a joint Christmas the theme of Pocket Magic.
There will be something for It was noted that a new magic Party program on December 4. Michael McGriff started the

16 OCTOBER 2017
 Assembly News
demonstrations by pulling and teaches simple magic. She Fears. Its premise is that our This is a must-have for the
several items from his pockets showed us tricks with rubber unconscious irrational fears act Stripper Deck.
and discussing the sort of magic bands, a slide for vanishing like magnets to attract the very The theme for the evening was
tricks he likes to perform. He coins, and magical crayons. things of which we are afraid. Convention Magic. Performers
showed us a few sections of As you can see, there are a To demonstrate, Tom had a included Chris Bontjes, Andy
rope useful for a number of variety of small items that fit spectator name his least favorite Dallas, Justin Dudley, Mark
tricks, sponge balls, flash into a pocket and can be used single-digit number. Tom says Carlon, John Bontjes, Roy
powder, thumb tip, and a to perform magic “on the go.” this means the spectator has an Stoutenborough, Jason Brewer,
Sharpie pen. Michael likes to Even if you do not have that unconscious fear of the number Dave Wernick, Randy Shields,
keep a few “special coins” (that special item you like to carry, he just named. To prove it, Tom Diego Messina, and Dave
only a magician would own) in cards, rubber bands, folding has the spectator shuffle the Wernick.
a small coin purse. money, coins, and paper clips cards and hold his hand over In August, we welcomed
are always handy so there is no the deck. The four cards of the new member, Julie Brannan!
excuse for a magician to not be “feared” value have risen to the Several club members recently
prepared. top. The least favorite of these went to the convention in
The evening concluded with cards is named, signed, and Colon and said it was one
our usual raffle and the auction placed among the four Kings, of the best. S.A.M. Virtual
of a pair of great magical but ends up transposing with Assembly 1.1 has a lecture
props. Thanks to everyone a card under the hand of the on the forth Sunday of each
who attended and participated. spectator thus “curing” him or month. The lectures are free
—Bill Marquardt his “irrational fear.” to members and past lectures
Assembly 112 meets on the Dan Rowan showed an effect are available for streaming.
Chris Herren’s Fast Fingers third Wednesday at 7:00 pm at by Uday called the long-long Roy Stoutenborough reviewed
VFW Hall, 1919 Wendell Lane, rope. A long rope forms into Martin Gardner’s Table Magic
Next, Rick Allen demonstrat- Pleasant Hill, CA. Contact multiple square knots then and Professor Putter’s Lecture
ed a Coins Across routine using Bill Marquardt billmarq@ transforms into multiple loops Notes with over Twenty-five
ordinary coins. Jerry Barril- sbcglobal.net 707-592-1285 of rope. He also shared with us routines. Roy gave both books
leaux emptied his pockets, www.sam112com for more some advanced moves for the a high rating and recommend-
revealing a thumb tip and silk, details. magic shoelace. These were ed both as a good read. Chris
Hot Rod, paper clips, a pen for quick ways to tie or untie one’s Bontjes suggested Jay Mar-
the Pen through Dollar effect, 115 shoelaces. Also some work shall’s Table Crap as a good
and a ring and rope. Jerry can SUMMERTIME MAGIC on the silk through wand was DVD for table magic.
get about fifteen minutes of discussed. We hope to host a Roy Stoutenborough opened
magic out of that ring and rope CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA— lecturer in the coming months. the magic with a Vanishing
alone. When he wears a shirt Our August meeting had five Assembly 115 meets on the Napkin and Vanishing and
with a pocket, Jerry carries a members attending and one first Friday at 7:00 PM at Pepsi Appearing coin. Chris Bontjes
wallet filled with packet tricks guest Ken Foglietti. David Cola Bottling Plant, 1150 performed the Multiplying
and paper strips that turn into Clauss and Tom Olshefski Pepsi Place, Charlottesville, Bananas and Signed Bill to Salt
dollar bills. reported on highlights from the VA. Contact David Clauss Shaker. Randy Shield demon-
Bob Holdridge also carries a combined I.B.M./S.A.M. con- visionenhancement@comcast. strated his Card Lasso.
wallet loaded with tricks such vention in Louisville. Some of net 434-823-8584 for more CIMA member Wayne Les-
as Two-Card Monte, and “flat” the memorable performers and details. kosky’s daughter Hannah
props like the Mis-made Dollar lecturers were discussed and appeared with her partner
Bill. Diego Cervantes likes mention made of next year’s 120 Marty the Unicorn on The New
to carry around Post-It notes S.A.M. convention in Orlando. JULY AND AUGUST Gong Show on September 7 on
and pen for a mentalism effect To start off the evening of MEETINGS ABC. —Ken Barham
(which he performed later in the magic, Tom presented two Assembly 120 meets on the third
evening), and a Nest of Wallets card routines. The first was his CHAMPAIGN, IL— We Wednesday at 7:00 at Dallast
for producing a vanished coin. version of the Sympathetic 13. In opened the July meeting with Magic and Costumes, 101 E
Chris Herren demonstrated this effect, a packet of thirteen discussion of the combined University Ave, Champaign, IL.
how to use a single playing card Spades, initially placed in Ace convention. Everyone had a Contact Ken Barham kebram@
in a feat of prestidigitation, or through King order, magically great time and was delighted comcast.net 217-841-5616 for
as he calls it, “Fast Fingers.” mix themselves to match the they were able to go. Professor more details.
Bill Marquardt performed the order of a packet containing the Higgins gave a report on The
classic Twisting the Aces. The thirteen Diamonds shuffled by Last Greatest Magician in the
four cards fit neatly in a shirt a spectator. Tom revealed his World: Howard Thurston by 127
pocket or can be borrowed. method, which has a couple Jim Steinmeyer. He gave a good MAGICAL AUGUST PICNIC
Mark Richardson showed us the of improvements allowing the review and recommended the
Crazy Cube he uses to divine a magician to more convincingly book for anyone interested in WALLINGFORD, CT— Our
secretly selected number. show all four suits in new deck Thurston. Roy Stoutenborough August picnic took place at
Carole Yvonne Kula works order at the start of the trick. reviewed A New Angle by Ryan Al Palmero’s on Lake Besek.
with children in the S.Y.M. Tom’s second routine is called Plunkett and Michael Feldman. Thanks to Al and David for

M-U-M Magazine 17
Assembly News
their hospitality, cookout, boat base. Cards were passed under a $2.00 trick in which a two- membership to lapse beyond
rides, and colorful fireworks. the bulb. The bulb rotated and dollar bill broke into two one December 31 must apply for
The events of the day were ap- blinked on and off. Some of us dollar bills. Roxy performed a reinstatement for $5”. Penn
preciated by the well-attended believed that his lakeside home card prediction routine. and Teller’s new season on TV
membership and their guests. was haunted. Others guessed Later in the month, Assembly weekly has started. Mike Super
We combined this annual that the oncoming eclipse was 136 was fortunate to get a will be at the Lincoln Park
event with our official monthly somehow the cause. Although lecture from Shawn Farquhar, Theater, Saturday, September
meeting. The agenda included revealing our methods to one an award-winning magician for 16, 2017, at 7:30pm. Can get
announcements of perform- another as part of our mem- both sleight of hand and stage. tickets online. Jim Tate did
ing members, a report on the bership I was reminded on He’s fooled Penn & Teller Teach and Learn on a 20-year-
children’s workshop project, the way home that it’s never twice. His lecture was enter- old trick he does in nearly 95%
and a progress report by Bill the gimmick or secret that taining and educational. He of his shows, “Old Cup and
Hoagland on NEMCOM. makes the effect successful presented a torn and restored Ball Routine”. He performed
March will come up fast! but the magician’s all-over signed photo routine that re- the trick, then showed how
For our regular magic sharing, performance and personality assembled the photo, but in each section is done. Several
it was a no-theme free for all. – that’s entertainment. Here’s which the untorn edges healed. members asked questions
Brad Beady did an original to magical summer picnics. — He performed several card and discussed other ways and
take on the gypsy rope effect Arthur Guagliumi routines and then explained means of doing it.
using a length of yarn cut in Assembly 127 meets on the how they worked and some Performances were emceed
front of us from a scan. The third Tuesday at 7:00 PM at tips on performing them. He by Judy Steed. Bob Mullins
piece was then cut in half, each First United Methodist Church, demonstrated and taught how did a trick by Darryl which he
given to two different specta- 941 Old Rock Hill Road, to put a deck back into new got at Magic Live in Las Vegas
tors. They were asked in turn to Walllingford, CT. Contact deck order and several card consisting of a piece of string,
cut these into two pieces, again Bill Hoagland whoagland@ techniques. Overall, it was an a ring, and a stick. He slid
and again. Then Brad collected billmagic.com 203-877-0157 amazing lecture. ring on string. Has helper hold
all the pieces in his fists www.magicsam127.org for Assembly 136 meets on the first both ends of stick, says magic
which, when brought together more details. Monday at 7:00pm at Viscount word. Ring off string and onto
produced one whole piece. An Suites Hotel, 4855 E Broadway rod. He told several stories of
entertaining yarn! Blvd, Tucson, Arizona. magicians he has met.
Jeff Doskos followed by 136 Contact Mike Parasich mike. Tom Chidester showed a
spinning a borrowed quarter JULY ASSEMBLY NOTES parasich@gmail.com www. paddle with a pizza on it. Makes
in midair. The effect was erie/ magicintucson.com for more the pizza appear and disappear.
airy. His skillful performance TUCSON, AZ— The July details. Gets a pizza from under paddle
looked like a graceful juggler. meeting for assembly and it disappears under stuff on
The coin was retrieved and Assembly 136 started with the table. Don Moody has a card
passed out for examination. report of recently scheduled 157 with 3 ho9les. He puts scarf
Arthur Guagliumi (Professor lectures. We will have Shawn NOMINATIONS AND BY in red side, puts behind back,
Nemo) placed six quarters with Farquhar on July 18 (more on LAW CHANGE scarf has moved to yellow side.
different dates in a small box that below), Diego Minevits Does it again and scarf moves
and left the room with instruc- on August 16, Alan Sands on BEAVER, PA— The Mystic to striped center. Jim Tate
tions to pick one of the coins, September 11, and Billy Debu Magicians of Beaver Valley performed “B-wave” by Max
note the date, and pass it on to November 1. had short meeting, Teach and Maven, another old trick. Has
a few others to verify and then We discussed the local Stars Learn, and some performanc- 4 large cards, all are Kings.
return the coin to the box and show; that is where our local es. Nominating committee will Audience picks color , then
shake well. When he returned talent presents an annual show. be Bob Mullins, Jim Tate, and suit. Jim places remaining card
he shook the box again and This will be our thirtieth year Tom Chidester. The 3rd reading in holder. It is the picked card.
reached in and identified the of presenting so we’re looking of the By-law change was done. —Judy Steed
date of the chosen coin. An old forward to a phenomenal show. No further discussion needed. Assembly 157 meets on the
concept with a new twist. Due to last year’s overflow Jim Weyand made motion second Thursday at 7:30pm at
Jon Cap used two volunteers crowd and selling out, we will to accept change, Jim Tate Towne Square Restaurant, 518
for his smart effect. They were be adding a matinee show this seconded, All were in favor. 3rd Street, Beaver, PA. Contact
given an ordinary marker and year. Paper copies were available Judy Steed heyjude1943@
held it in view at opposite ends. Mike D presented a seminar from secretary. She will email msn.com 330-525-5389 www.
Jon borrowed a ring and placed on how to present and promote copies also. Change reads: mmbv.club for more details.
it on the marker. He waived his shows via Facebook. He Dues deadline will be evening
hand over the ring and it moved explained how Facebook posts of the October meeting.
across the pen. As one of the worked and how to tag others Members not paid will have 161
volunteers, I was unable to to spread the word of the show. club membership rights and CATCHING UP WITH
detect any gimmickry! Finally, It was very informative. privileges suspended. Persons ASSEMBLY 161
Al Palmero, our host, showed When the business part of the wishing to reactivate will pay
off his suspending light bulb assembly was over, we got into $5 penalty in addition to all NORTH BRANCH, NJ— We
mysteriously floating over its the magic. Mike B. performed year’s dues. Persons allowing are catching up on some past

18 OCTOBER 2017
 Assembly News
meetings. In April 2016, Dr. going style. one, like all the drug stores
Lawrence Hass returned to June brought our Jim Hart sell. With each breath, the
lecture for us, drawing from Competition. First was Doug water bottle expands. Audience
his latest book, Inspirations. Thornton with Tom Do- members start covering their
Larry talked about the impor- brolowski’s Big Four Poker ears until “boom,” and the
tance of telling a story (“Once Deal. Alex “The Cardman” show is over.
upon a time…”) but not telling Perricone somehow had three “Keep ‘em entertained. If
too many stories, because our chosen cards match three that you have a good time, your
audience wants to experi- were cut to. Chris Smith shared audience will feel that and want
ence magic. “The world needs his spring water gag then had to be taken on whatever ride
more magic.” – not tricks. His Al Callus sign a card. Chris tore you’re putting them on. But it’s
mantra is Smile, Project, Relax, it in quarters, set the edges on also really important to respect
Converse. He shared that every fire, and restored the card! Tom Adam Realman the audience, after all, they’re
great magician has a script. Durnin (did I spell that right?) paying you,” is Adam’s well-
He opened with a production performed a hip-hop routine Island USA’s Sideshow School, spoken philosophy of success-
of a light bulb and shared how as I.B. Chillin’ with sponge where he shares his extensive ful entertaining. If you are in
the piece had developed. He balls, stiff rope, and Sidewalk knowledge of the Sideshow’s the NYC area, you should stop
turned a blank piece of paper Shuffle. Bob Simek had a gag working acts with eager in and see the world famous
into a five-dollar bill using in which his prediction said, students. Coney Island amusement park
John Lovick’s (no tip) version. “You will make love to a He started our show with and the Circus Sideshow. It is a
(He then gives it away, his clown.” Bob turned around and Blockhead, the hammering of show you will not soon forget.
thought being that no one wants he was wearing a red nose. He a five-inch nail into his face —David Zboray
to see their one-dollar bill also had a chosen card appear straight towards his cerebel- Assembly 181 meets on the first
turned into a hundred and back in an empty picture frame. lum. By definition, a swallow Thursday at 7:00pm at First
again!) Larry continued with Tom, Alex, and Chris were the is a fast, intricate neuromus- United Methodist Church, 187
some card magic, which he top three champions. Thanks cular process. The process Stockton Street, Hightstown,
loves and some engaging to all of our club members. — of swallowing is controlled New Jersey. Contact Stephan
mentalism. Doug Thornton by cranial nerves located in Sloan stephansloan10@gmail.
Assembly 161 meets on the the brainstem; all of them are com 732-757-5337 http://
second Monday at 6 pm challenged by Adam as he magicsam181.com/ for more
dinner 7:30 pm meeting at proceeds with his sword swal- details.
Stoney Brook Grille, 1285 lowing routine. He starts with
Route 28 (Easton Turnpike), the shortest of the three swords 188
North Branch, NEW JERSEY. he brings and then proceeds to MAGIC TIMES
Contact Christopher J Smith swords with longer and longer
SAM-161@comcast.net 908- shafts, culminating in 27.5 PROVO, UT— We had a small
850-8765 for more details. inches. After each swallow, an gathering for our August
audience member is allowed meeting. Several members
to remove the sword to show were in Las Vegas for MAGIC
181 everyone just how real this is. Live 2017. That was a great
MADAM, I’M ADAM After the sword swallow- convention with lots of fun,
ing, Adam continues with great magic, and many familiar
Members Doug and Phil HIGHTSTOWN, NJ— more classic feats of strength. faces. Exciting events, good
“Madam, I’m Adam” is a pal- As he bends steel nails in his food provided at the final party,
Mike Kirschner, one of our indrome because it reads the bare hands, Adam
local friends, visited in May same backward or forward. explains all of
and talked about knowing your There are many palindromes the cheats that
level; if you’re a beginner, be in the English language. There others might use
the best beginner you can be. is only one Adam Realman and to perform these
Bill Malone taught him that that is why we invited him to feats. He continues
when doing card magic, relax entertain at our end of year with tearing a
your hands. Regarding the buffet. Brooklyn phone
classic force, Mike said it’s all Adam Realman was born and book in half and
about attitude. Gauge the spec- raised in the legendary Coney then tearing a deck
tator’s moving hand speed and Island section of Brooklyn. of fifty-two cards.
stick the force card into her He’s spent the past fifteen He tries to teach an Magic LIVE Final Night Party
hand. He performed effects in years developing and perfect- audience member
which a card appeared in a card ing his one-man show, per- how to tear a deck, but no one hamburgers, milk shakes, and
box and a four coin routine forming daring and unusual else can succeed. a ‘50s DJ.
– basically a Coins-Across acts with spot on comedic He finishes the show by Thanks go out to Scott Cham-
routine using a wine glass. timing. Adam is currently the blowing up a rubber water berlain for the notes. I was at
Solid magic with Mike’s easy- Dean and “Professa” at Coney bottle until it explodes, a pink MAGIC Live. —Mont Dutson

M-U-M Magazine 19
Assembly News
Assembly 188 meets on the Then made a color change of a origami. guest Angela be a magician
third Thursday at 7:00pm at lighter, all in the unbelieving A quick series of easy gags by reading cue cards. Al then
The Courtyard at Jamestown, spectator sight. Then past to and tricks easily rolled off the introduced his pet balloon dog,
3352 N 100 E, Provo, Utah. coin and realized a great fingers of Alec Negri, again which revealed a selected card.
Contact Mont Dutson routine in which a Chinese coin employing items found in Jerry took the stage with
montd84@comcast.net 801- magically change places with any home. Richie Klein loves an adventure involving gold,
253-3595 www.utahmagicclub. three americam coin in a line Cheerios (the cereal) and after pirates, and walking the
org for more details. and in sight of all without producing several items from plank. A fun presentation.
covering anything and that was an empty box managed to ef- Guest Frank Velasco showed
210 repeat again and again. fectively predict a selected card his Golden Nugget gambling
MEETING REPORT using a “solar eclipse.” routine, which got lots of
Alan Wheeler recalled the laughs from the crowd.
TOA BAJA, PR— Hola from our magic of Daryl and perfectly After the show we did a brain-
magical island, Puerto Rico… demonstrated one of Daryl’s storm session with Beverly’s
we began our meeting at 9:00 early improvements on a three version of an Allen Wakeling
pm. We have the pleasure of to single rope transformation effect she had built in her
having our past president, Dr. by having the knots blown off. magic workshop. We discov-
Luis Lebron, mago Lura, from A slightly inebriated (acting) ered there was a typo in the
Humacao P.R. a beautiful place Linda Barrett very ably instructions and once the brain
in the east of our island. And we performed a Southern style trust figured it out Beverly was
were also very happy about the wine tasting scenario resulting able to perform it flawlessly.
visit of Mr. Manuel Rodriguez, MAGO JOHAN in bent wine glasses. Greg A great example of our team
the editor of the book “LA SEBASTIAN Clements closed the evening’s pulling together with their
MAGIA EN PUERTO RICO” performance section by simply different areas of expertise.
del Profesor Lulu. When he finished his presen- using his powerful mind to When plans bring you to
Like always we started with tation we spent a dialogue of bend a spoon almost complete- Central Florida be sure to stop
a prayer that was said by his experience in Flasoma con- ly in half. in and visit with the friend-
magician Luis Santoni who vention. It’s amazing what one can find liest assembly in the south!
come from Aguadilla’ another Later come Johnmichael with and do with household items! —Al D’Alfonso
beautiful city but in this his unique style delighting ev- —Bob Malinchock Assembly 266 meets on the
occasion in the western area of eryone’s with his unique card Assembly 252 meets on the second Wednesday at 7:00
the island, near two hour away tricks. third Thursday at 7:30 pm at PM at International House
from our club. At the end magician Luis Knights of Columbus Hall, of Pancakes, Corner of I-4
Our magician of the month Santoni with his great person- 3700 Old Lee Highway, & Rt-98, Lakeland, Florida.
was, Johan Sebastian, but ality also made card tricks and Fairfax, Virginia. Contact Tom Contact Al D’Alfonsoi
before of his presentation, our manipulations of coin for all of Bohacek bohacek@gmail.com keeper0499@embarqmail.com
past president Mago Lura show us. 703-754-2005 for more details. 321-437-3814 for more details.
us a variety of card tricks and We finish at 12 am, what a
a novelty with a red light who great nigh, congratulations
come from energy in his close to all members and see you at 266 292
fist. our next meeting in August. END OF SUMMER MAGIC THE WONDERFUL
Also Profesor Lulu did the act —Past President, Frederick WIZARDS OF ODDS
with a safety pin and a hand- Assembly 210 meets on the last LAKELAND, FL— The
kerchief borrowed from the Wednesday at at El Castillo De Lakeland magicians proved GREELEY, CO— Children’s
public, very clean and with the La Magia, calle cristobal real that their routines were as hot author L. Frank Baum would
comedy like he just know do. E.G.18, Toa Baja, PUERTO as the Florida weather this have enjoyed our August
At 9:30 pm our magician of RICO. Contact PROFESOR month. President Jerry Kardos meeting. The theme was “Odd,”
the month began his presenta- LULU verdilescarlos@yahoo. led the business meeting where and we met in a fine new venue,
tion and his memories of being com 787-784-0283 for more we discussed our November Ocean Bistro, in Loveland, CO.
at the convention Flasoma 2017 details. lecture from Martin Marcey in It is in a long-established Asian
in Colombia. addition to next year’s S.A.M. restaurant that has been mod-
He start with a wonderful card 252 convention coming to Orlando. ernized by recent new owners.
trick where a spectator takes a HOUSEHOLD ITEMS? Card maven Ed McGowan The service was good, and the
card and sign it then the deck is discovered guest Erick Olson’s food was tasty, inexpensive,
shuffle and all the card extend FAIRFAX, VA— Kicking off card as it was dealt to the and very plentiful – so much
face up in the mat, only one our August meeting theme, table. Erick stayed on stage to so that almost all of us took
have the spectator sing, but is “Household Items,” Bob Malin- discover Jerry’s signed card in a take-home box for a second
the only with different back. chock successfully attempted his wallet and followed it up meal.
In his next trick he put two a “home grown” lamp routine with Houdini’s last card trick. Lloyd Worley ran a short
silks in two crystal glasses he called Lamplighter. Drew Scribe Al D’Alfonso business meeting during lunch.
which he then magically Kennerly, using household presented his revised version There were a number of show
extracted with the glasses paper, ribbon, and scissors, cut of Chris Capehart’s Book of reports, particularly of per-
covered by their mouths. and restored the ribbon using Facts routine in which he let formances by Tim (TimFool-

20 OCTOBER 2017
 Assembly News
ery) Pendergast and Lew (The $450). Joe Gschwind had – an easy, yet very effective the children so intent on the
Great Loudini) Wymisner. earlier gotten his new-member card to wallet; I’ll Start Again! entertainment. Our magicians
In a random drawing for first packet. He displayed a book, – a paddle trick with perhaps then volunteered to have a fall
choice of the door prizes, Swami/Mantra, of sometimes- fifteen surprises; Wildest Card class after school for children
Cody Landstrom picked Lew dangerous sideshow and geek – Mike’s version of Wild Card ten to eighteen years old. They
Wymisner as the winner. effects, available from Penguin with some new, yet simple will be taught magic and at the
Magic time: Gary Erichson Magic. moves; Astral Ashes – an Al end of the class they will have
facilitated the “Odd” show. The “Odd” magic turned out to be Cohen favorite; Poker Deal – a a magic show for their parents
opening act was a special treat. great fun. —Ron Dutton and can’t lose deal that will blow and friends. The students will
Former full-time pro Gary Ed Hurtubis a lay audience away. Other perform their illusions on
Kornfield performed for the Assembly 292 meets on the effects performed and revealed stage.
first time in thirty years (when second Saturday at 11:00 AM included a close-up switch The meeting on the third
he had retired from magic for at Kenny’s Steak House, 3502 can, a predicted card found at Tuesday of the month was a
reasons of family and business). West 10th Street (corner of 35th a freely selected number in the workshop by Don Campbell.
He used to have two different Avenue), Greeley, CO. Contact deck, and a very clean multiple Fourteen attended; Don
acts and was well known. Dr. Lloyd Worley lloyd@ silk vanish. Appreciated by performed an illusion of putting
Gary’s top-quality Pro Dove worleythewizard.com 970- many, even more than the tricks a silk thorough his cell phone
Harness is still on the market 356-3002 www.sam292.org for and methods themselves, were and various other objects. It
today. After showing us his more details. the many subtleties of presen- was done with a Magic Wipe
take on Professor’s Nightmare tation that Mike taught that App. The silks came out and
ropes, he did a beautiful Silk in 297 would ensure a good, solid and there was a lot of activity going
Glass production that was HUMMER LECTURE convincing miracle if followed on.
breath-taking. The glass was a carefully. —Bob Malinchock Gary Hann had gone to the
complex mirror glass, with a WINCHESTER, VA— Our Assembly 297 meets on the combined Convention of I.B.M.
long clear lever in it. By flicking August meeting was Lecture second Tuesday at 7 p.m. at and S.A.M. It was held in Lou-
the lever, Gary instantly Night, hosting Mike Hummer, Incredible Flying Objects, isville, Kentucky. He brought
produced the silk in the air well who treated us to an enjoyable 111 North Loudoun Street, back to the club the Charter
above the glass. and entertaining evening. Winchester, Virginia. Contact and Unity Flag for S.A.M and
For seventeen years Mike Bob Malinchock robert. the I.B.M. Our club is now
performed full time at Al’s malinchock@verizon.net 703- a charter member of S.A.M.
Magic Shop, Washington’s 669-9570 for more details. Also, Gary received a round of
oldest magic establishment. applause for the work he did to
His knowledge and experience make this happen.
was obvious. Mike’s effects 302 Don Campbell showed the
were intentionally selected SUMMER MAGIC AND illusion called the Contrary
for doability and well-tested FUN! King. It consists of three cards,
audience impact and not for and the backs change colors.
clever handling and method. PALM SPRINGS, CA— We He distributed instructions for
Rather than viewing the effects meet the first and third Tuesday everyone to take home and
Gary Kornfield as magicians, he suggested we of the month. The Community practice the technique. He
all use “new eyes”: the eyes of a Center asked for volunteers; had a couple other illusions to
Lew (The Great Loudini) lay audience member to appre- Mitch Cazier and his assistant share. Norm Lewis revisited an
Wymisner showed a po- ciate the impact of the effects Jo Ann volunteered for stage illusion called This is not Your
litically incorrect but very demonstrated and taught. magic. John Gilbert and Don Card. The club had a workshop
funny British effect by Jack Campbell also performed on on this illusion last year. It was
Hughes reminiscent of the big the stage. Our walk-around nice for the members to have a
pictures of Bathing Beauty, magicians were Norm Lewis, refresh on the technique.
who was Lloyd Worley, had a Michael Richman, and Ed We’ll miss our treasurer, John
chosen card in her garter. Lew Waldo. They performed for a Gilbert, because he is in the
combined this effect with some half hour before the main event. hospital having an operation.
“call-back” lines from the My one observation was: don’t To all our members out of town
Banana Bandana. hand out magic wands to each for the summer, we’re looking
Lloyd (Worley the Wizard) child before the show starts. forward to seeing you in the
Worley performed Ken Allen’s We had an auditorium of future fall. —Gary Hann
Hot Rod paddle, and then magician trying to turn each Assembly 302 meets on the 1st
showed the props for an Out- other into toads. The magicians and 3rd Tuesdays at 6:00 PM
to-Lunch-principle Spider didn’t give them the real wands at Palm Desert Community
in a Jar trick. Gary Erichson Mike Hummer and of course we weren’t in Center, 45-480 Portola, Palm
performed with a very large any danger. The children were Desert, CA. Contact Gary
vintage Wellington Switch- Presented and described in fascinated and had such a great Hann yragnnah@gmail.
board with eight positions of significant detail were the time that the Center’s director com 734-480-4140 for more
switches and bulbs (now worth following: Hummer Stunner commented he had never seen details. 

M-U-M Magazine 21
 Backstage:
The Inside Stories of
a Show Producer
By Paul Stone

I am writing this in my home city, or to be more exact,

the city that I was born and grew up in, Liverpool, across Nick Lewin
the pond in England.
The reason why I am here right now is because I am
about to produce Magic on the Mersey, an intimate magic
convention. I have always personally favored the smaller
conventions, which is why I produced the Innovention
conventions in Las Vegas. I think the ambiance and
general atmosphere of a smaller convention is much more
conducive to learning; it also affords a unique opportunity
to spend quality time with the lecturers and performers, Armando Lucero
which is definitely something the larger conventions are
rarely able to offer due to the sheer size of the event and
their non-stop scheduling.
At Magic on the Mersey our slogan is “promoting
excellence in magic performance.” Although more
magicians than ever are performing close-up magic, fewer
and fewer perform stand-up or stage acts; because of this,
stagecraft is rapidly disappearing.
I’ve mentioned before in a previous article that I
strongly believe the same disciplines should be applied to Seth Kramer
a close-up performance as would be expected in a stage
act: knowing how to make an entrance, pacing an act, and
taking applause, to mention just a few. Also ensuring that
the material used suits the specific performer’s personality
and style.
At Magic on the Mersey, for example, there will be Michael Close
several top-class magicians lecturing and performing.
Three of the featured lecturers and performers are from
the USA – Nick Lewin, Armando Lucero, and Bob Kohler Bob Kohler
(actually four if you count Michael Close, although he is
now a Canadian) – and three are from England – Paul
Zenon, Mandy Muden, and Marc Paul. Each of them has
their own distinctive style, which, together with the fact
that they are all extremely talented, is why they are so
successful.
To illustrate my point, Nick Lewin has been a top
working pro for over forty years. In his formative years
in the UK, Nick was fortunate to be mentored by the
legendary performer and magic dealer Ken Brooke (a Marc Paul
blessing that Nick and I share) and by the one and only
Billy McComb. Nick’s performing style was certainly
influenced by both these magic greats. Nick is an excellent
magician with a strong onstage personality and is a master of Although rarely seen, Armando also performs a silent stand-up
one-liners. act that is a master class in using a spectator on stage and working
By contrast, Armando Lucero has a much more classic an audience.
approach to his magic. It can almost be described as performance In next month’s article I plan to feature the Magic on the
art. Armando is small in stature and is a laid back and calm Mersey Convention and elaborate further on how to develop your
performer, but his magic has huge impact. To watch him perform, own performing persona. 
which he does silently, is like watching a masterpiece being
created: every last details is perfect, right down to the choice of
music.

22 OCTOBER 2017
 New Members and Reinstatements

NEW MEMBERS:
Sheehan, Michael Romoland, CA - Southwest
Brannan, Julie Bloomington, IL - Midwest Solomon, Robert Weston, MA - New England
Craig, Jeff Monkton, MD - Mid Atlantic Swanson, Larry Los Angeles, CA - Southwest
D’agnes, Thomas Kailua, HI - Southwest Vinjamoori, Venu Wheeling, IL - Midwest
Davis, Kevin Lake St Louis, MO - Midwest Walsh, Graham Colorado Springs, CO - Northwest
Denatale, Rick Wake Forest, NC - South Atlantic Werking, Doc Peoria, IL - Midwest
Doppelt, Loren Palatine, IL - Midwest Wilson, Sean Granbury, TX - South Central
Esty, Jacob Salt Lake City, UT - Northwest Wilson, Richard Provo, UT - Northwest
Fox, Joe Kissimmee, FL - South Atlantic
Gindi, Julian San Francisco, CA - Southwest
Hamilton, Michael John Fruit Heights, UT - Northwest REINSTATEMENTS:
Lee, Benjamin Union City, CA - Southwest
Lopez, Roger Thornton, CO - Northwest Minter, Michael Poughkeepsie, NY - North Atlantic
Low, Gilbert Carson City, NV - Southwest Hoffman, Avi Brooklyn, NY - North Atlantic
Mccaman, Kent Redondo Beach, CA - Southwest Rourke, Sean Omaha, NE - Midwest
Neaves, Lupe San Antonio, TX - South Central Burke, Larry Broken Arrow, OK - South Central
Ottesen, Christopher Prescott, AZ - Southwest Stack, Jason Florissant, MO - Midwest
Pearson, D.O., Jeffrey Carlsbad, CA - Southwest Telekesy, Michael Glendale, AZ - Southwest
Peltier, David Lake Forrest, CA - Southwest Molinelli, Teofilo Rio Piedras, PR - South Atlantic
Price, Mark Bakersfield, CA - Southwest Besst, Maureen Orlando, FL - South Atlantic
Roberts, Ty Granbury, TX - South Central Becker, Bobbie Savannah, TX - South Central
Schoonover, James Midland, TX - South Central Weed, Christopher Phoenix, AZ - South Central
Schwartz, Brian Los Angeles, CA - Southwest Mitchell, J. Christopher Las Cruces, NM - South Central
Secrist, Luke Clifton, VA - Mid Atlantic Larue, Robert Los Angeles, CA - Southwest

Good Cheer List

Please take a minute to spread a few words of cheer with a card or note to one of our less
fortunate members. Send additions, changes, or deletions to: Anthony Antonelly, Chairman,
Good Will and Cheer Committee, (215) 820-3192 ext. 1512. magicforfun60@gmail.com or
you can send mail to: 1512 Lake Rd., Feasterville, PA 19053.
DANIEL CUDENNEC “DANY TRICK” JAMES J. MORRISEY
225, Stang-ar-Veil-d’an-Traon, 24 Grove St.,Wayland, MA 01788
Mellac-29300, Quimperle, France NAHMEN NISSEN
CHARLIE GROSS PO Box 1856, Colfax, CA 95713-1856
16745 Gertrude St., Omaha, NE 60136-3023 JIM RELYEA
ROY HORN C/O SIEGFRIED & ROY 241 W. Lakeshore, Rockaway, NJ 07866
1639 N. Valley Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89108 PAT RYAN
BOB KING 43 Fairbanks Rd., Churchville, NY 14428
304 Suburban Ct., Rochester, NY 14620 JACK WHITE
GEORGE GILBERT LOTT 4288 Arguello St., San Diego, CA 92103
1725 Great Hill Rd., Guilford, CT 06437

M-U-M Magazine 23
 FRIENDSHIPS, MAGIC, & MEMORIES AT
THE LOUISVILLE COMBINED CONVENTION
By Bruce Kalver PNP

Gene Anderson
Mac King & Lance Burton

Murray
Hatfileld &
Teresa

Domenico Dante & Jim Vines

Three years of planning an almost impossible task finally came to be this past July when the International Brotherhood
of Magicians and The Society of American Magicians presented a combined convention in Louisville, Kentucky. This was
the third combined effort in the past ten years and, by all counts, was a rousing success.
The committee headed by Bill Wells (I.B.M.) and Bruce Kalver (S.A.M.) along with Chuck Arkin, Bill Evans, Mike Stratman,
Andy Dallas, Steve Spence, Brad Jacobs, Becky Wells, and Manon Rodriguez, assembled, with their amazing team of volun-
teers, a convention to remember.
Everything was first class, from the shows to the lectures, the international dealers, the amazing Galt House Hotel,
and the friendships new and old. When was the last time you heard conventioneers raving about the food? Each activity
topped the last, with everything starting on time and all activities happening in the same general area.
Honorees Lance Burton and Mac King were present and accessible throughout the convention, pleasing all attendees.
Signing autographs, taking selfies with everyone, these two professionals were humble, friendly, and appreciative.
The shows in the Kentucky Center Theater gave everyone a perfect view of incredible talent and variety of acts. Some
familiar faces mixed with some surprise performers made for many enjoyable evenings.
I’d like to offer a thank you to all those who attended and who became part of magic history. For many years you will
brag that you were there.
International photographer of magicians, Arto Airaksinen, documented the shows and lectures for us with some
amazing photographic memories. You can view the slide show in the online edition of M-U-M by clicking HERE. 

24 OCTOBER 2017
 Po-Cheng Lai Bruce Kalver

Michael Close

Max Maven

Stuart MacDonald

Veronin The Outerbridges

M-U-M Magazine 25
 THE LOUISVILLE COMBINED CONVENTION 2017
HIGHLIGHTS

Martin Lewis
Julianna Chen

Chris Randall

David and Dania

Billy Topit Panel

See the whole convention slideshow by clicking HERE

26 OCTOBER 2017
 Broken Wands

publishing extraordinary books that would revolutionize

EUGENE BURGER the way magicians understood and performed magic. The
(1939-2017) earliest of these books include Secrets and Mysteries for the
Close-Up Entertainer (1982) and Intimate Power (1983).
Eugene Burger was After a number of successful runs at the Magic Castle,
a genuine master in our and winning two consecutive Lecturer of the Year awards
field: a supremely gifted there in 1984 and 1985, Eugene published, through the as-
performer, writer, phi- sistance and vision of Richard Kaufman, several books that
losopher, and teacher are essential reading for magicians, including Spirit Theater
of magic. (1986), The Performance of Close-Up Magic (1987), and The
Since his death in Experience of Magic (1989). By 1990, Eugene Burger had
Chicago on August 8, become an international star.
2017, there has been an Eugene always felt deeply fortunate to count two other
astonishing outpouring great magicians among his closest friends: Max Maven and
from magicians all over Jeff McBride. Eugene met Max in 1979, and their friendship
the world: testimonies, flourished over all the years. On the professional level,
eulogies, performances Eugene brought nearly all of his material to Max for advice
in his honor, and re- and assistance, which Max generously gave. Eugene and
membrances. All of it Jeff met in the late 1980s – a close friendship that eventu-
widens our perspective ally became an extremely productive partnership when, in
on the man; it has been 1991, they created The McBride Magic & Mystery School,
Photo by Michael Caplan beautiful and moving. of which Eugene was the Dean.
Nonetheless, I have In 1995, Eugene and Robert E. Neale published the
been asked by Eugene’s executors to write his obituary, a groundbreaking book Magic and Meaning. In addition,
statement of his history, and I am honored to do so. I have Eugene created a significant number of instructional DVDs
written a long, detailed, and personal obituary that will be that are essential viewing, including Real Secrets of Close-Up
published in the October 2017 issue of Genii magazine. Yet Magic (1991), Gourmet Close-Up Magic (1995), and Eugene
this short, fact-based version is required as well. Burger’s Magical Voyages (2002). In 2008, Eugene was the
Eugene Burger was born in Chicago in 1939. He fell focus of a wonderful documentary by Michael Caplan, A
in love with magic at the age of seven after he saw Jack Magical Vision: The World of Eugene Burger.
Gwynne perform in Chicago. Eugene pursued magic pas- Over the course of his career, Eugene received ex-
sionately as a boy and a teenager. His father would take traordinary recognition from his peers. For example, in
him to magic hotspots around town, where he watched the year 2000 he was named “One of the 100 Most In-
excellent magicians, including Don Alan, who served as a fluential Magicians of the Twentieth Century” by MAGIC
special inspiration and gave Eugene guidance. magazine. In 2009, he received a prestigious Performing
Magic fell away from Eugene as he graduated from Fellowship from the Academy of Magic Arts. And in 2012,
Beloit College and then received a Masters of Divinity he received the third-ever Special Award for Theory and
degree from Yale University and a Masters of Philosophy Philosophy from FISM.
degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham- Eugene’s health throughout his entire life was excep-
paign. In the late 1960s, Eugene moved back to Chicago tional. In the past five years, he had more work than at
and spent a number of years in various social services any time in his career: magic lectures, workshops, shows,
positions, including that of Director of Welfare for the conventions, and many weeks in Las Vegas to teach at the
City of Evanston. School, and he never missed the mark! However, in June
Around 1974, magic reawakened in his life as he, along of this summer, 2017, Eugene started feeling unusually
with his close friends Marcella Ruble, Dennis Rook, and fatigued, and thus began a diagnostic process that even-
Erik Counce, launched a successful séance show in Chicago tually discovered a tumor had spread through his body.
titled Hauntings. Emboldened by its success and encour- Less than two months later, Eugene was hospitalized on
aged by his friends, in January of 1978 Eugene resigned August 5 and passed away on Tuesday, August 8. If it is any
from his nine-to-five job and became a full-time profes- comfort, I can tell you Eugene died exactly as he wanted:
sional magician. quickly, with no pain, and surrounded by a group of loving
Eugene spent the next twelve years performing in in- friends.
creasingly upscale restaurants and lounges in Chicago, Eugene Burger is gone, and the magic world grieves.
through which he built an extensive private and corporate But Eugene has more to share. In early 2017, he and I
party clientele. Also during this time, he was writing and began working on a new book titled Teaching Magic: A

28 OCTOBER 2017
 Broken Wands

Book for Students and Teachers of the Art. I sent the book off 2007, my nephew, Jesse Shira, who also caught the magic
to the printer just before Eugene’s diagnosis, and so it is bug, joined “Pa Pa Wizard” and me at the Get-Togethers.
untouched by awareness of his loss. Teaching Magic will be My dad met the late Earl Ray Wilcox through his
released in the fall of 2017. father (at a time when his father and Earl were both in
In addition, in 2010 (after a short hospitalization for the restaurant business). This led to joining the local
heart arrhythmia), Eugene approached me with a request magic club in 1969; he continued his association with the
to write and publish two posthumous books that would club as it became a Ring. He held every office, except for
finally reveal his many unpublished routines. The answer, of treasurer. He was the Ring president five times, was the
course, was “Yes”! Since then, he and I have been working Ring secretary back in the early years, received the most
intently on these books: planning, organizing, gathering, awards presented by the Ring, offered to perform at club
filming, writing, approving, and so on. They have a ways to meetings many times, for a long time was the workshop
go, but are fully underway, and they follow Eugene’s inten- chairman, played the organ for all fourteen Ring 211’s
tions to the letter. annual Installation Banquet and Shows and the first few of
Yet today, and for months to come, we mourn. We Ring 211’s annual Hocus Pocus Parties.
have lost one of our brightest stars, someone who taught Dr. Jack performed an act on the cabaret show of the first
us, through his shining example, that magic can be a great twenty-two annual Hocus Pocus Parties. He performed
art, someone who called upon us to remember that magic his close-up act at each of the fourteen annual Installa-
isn’t about tricks at all. As Eugene always said, magic is tion Banquet & Shows, and did strolling close-up magic at
about life. And he showed us over and over with a simple each of the past thirty Annual Hocus Pocus Parties. When
strand of thread he was at peace with the fact of death: the club held its board meetings at members’ homes, he
the great mystery. volunteered his home. From the 1970s to the late 1990s,
– Lawrence Hass, Ph.D. many great magicians presented lectures for the club in
his basement, known as the “magic cellar.” Since, the mid
1990s, he offered his backyard for the annual club picnics.
Dr. Jack Vander Wal He was also a member of The Society of American
Magicians in the 1970s to the mid 1980s. He volunteered
Dr. Jack Vander Wal passed to sell ads in the S.A.M. 1983 convention program when
away on August 26, 2017. He the S.A.M. held their convention in Grand Rapids. He also
was a charter member of Ring was an honorary member of the club known as a “hall
211, the June Horowitz/John of famer.” Just recently, in May, he was inducted into the
deVries magic club in Grand Michigan Magic Day Hall of Fame at this year’s Michigan
Rapids, Michigan. He enjoyed Magic Day. He was an Order of Merlin Shield and held
magic and the many magic I.B.M. number 23507.
friendships he made over his In the ‘70s, his wife was his assistant; they performed
life. Abbott Magic illusions such as the Temple of Benares and
He caught the magic bug the Zig-Zag Lady as part of his banquet show. This act was
around eight years old. His also featured on one or two of the Installation Banquet &
father came home with a Shows. In fact, Dr. Jack even performed these two plus the
magic trick from staying in a Sword Basket with an assistant for a few Ring 211 events
hotel in Holland, Michigan. (His dad worked for the Heinz in the mid 2000s.
Company and sold soup to supermarkets. He had to stay He was my main mentor in magic. I would not know
over one time because of gas rationing during World any other magician, nor even be part of this wonderful art
War II.) This may have been the trick that first caught known as the performance art of magic, if it was not for
his interest. Later, magic tricks were brought home from him. I am very thankful.
Abbott’s Magic and Manufacturing Company by his father. A Broken Wand Ceremony was presented by Gil
This led to trips to Colon, Michigan. Percy Abbott, himself, Scott and Jeff Brodrick with the wand being painted and
taught my father both his version of the Egg Bag and the prepared by Bill and Julie Rasmussen. 
Linking Rings (eight rings). My father attended the Abbott’s – Randy Vander Wal
Magic Get-Togethers. My father and mother’s honeymoon
was at the Abbott’s Magic Get-Together in 1958. He and
she attended many of these events. He first took the
family in 1983; he and I then went continuously since 1991.
For a good many of those years, up to my mom’s passing
in 2001, my younger brother and her would join us. Since

M-U-M Magazine 29
 Life is Good:
Lessons For The iGeneration
By David Oliver

favorite quiet place, and devour the book the floor of the attic was actually made of
and its contents. This ritual would happen eight-inch thick glass, and light from the
again and again for many years. It became library below would eerily illuminate the
WHAT’S THE BIG a big deal. attic. There was just enough light for me to
In Rockland, Massachusetts (the little lie on the floor and read my magic books,
DEAL? town that I grew up in), we had a lovely kind of reminiscent of that scene in the
public library. The Rockland Memorial movie, The Neverending Story. It was a big
Have you ever wondered what the big Library was built in 1903, out of bricks, deal.
deal is with magic conventions and magic with a copper dome roof, and looked My story is not unique. Many magicians
clubs, and if it is something for you? Of rather regal. As a novice bibliophile, I of my generation began this journey alone,
course you have. We all have. always enjoyed going to the library. When and learned to study in solitude. This
Recently, I had a conversation with a I realized my town library had more method of learning forced us to be creative
young magician who asked me what was magic books than my school library, that and clever as well as self-sufficient. At the
the big deal about going to a convention, made my trips to the library even more time, we didn’t think there were any other
or joining a magic club. I had to stop and appealing, and it seemed like a big deal. magicians around. After all, it would be
think. What is the big deal? I mean really, great to have another magician around to
in today’s world, isn’t there enough infor- share thoughts, ideas, tricks, and methods
mation to be found on the Internet, so you with. It would be much easier than doing
don’t need the clubs or the conventions? it all alone. Learning with someone else
When the old guys like me were around was a big deal.
growing up, believe it or not, there was no Well, I was not alone. There was
Internet. We certainly had places to learn another magician in town. In fact, he was
about magic, but we had to search them the first magician I’d ever seen perform
out. Our education in magic usually began live. His name was Bob Magoun. Mr.
with the trick taught to us by a drunken Magoun had performed a magic show at
uncle at a family get together. More often my kindergarten when I was six. His son
than not, it was an awkwardly done French was a classmate of mine, and Bob did a
Drop with a coin, or the Twenty-one Card magic show for our class. (A funny side
Trick. Soon after, we discovered magic Rockland Memorial Library note for you: After his magic show at
books written for the public; simple joke kindergarten, I went home very excited,
shop magic tricks would begin showing and told my mother that I had seen Bob
up as birthday presents and holiday gifts. At the end of the school day, I would ride Magoun, the magician. She corrected me,
As exciting as these were to receive, the my bike “up town” to the library and dash and said, “‘He’s not a magician, he’s a
young magicians of my generation began to the 793.8 section (look it up). There they mortician.” Bob was also our second-gen-
to realize that there must be more out were: the magic books. I was in heaven. eration, local undertaker. I insisted that he
there. There must be something better I now had three books to choose from. was a magician and had done a magic show
and bigger. These simple tricks cannot be Picture this: it’s like a scene from a classic for us, and she continued to correct to me.
the only ones. The library was the next film. The town library had three floors; the I tried to tell her otherwise, to no avail.
obvious step. Finding the library was a big uppermost was an attic. The attic was in My mom eventually called Bob’s wife
deal. the dome section of the roof. There was a and explained the situation. Bob’s wife,
Our detective-like instincts kicked in, rickety old staircase that went up to this
and most of us went directly to our school little room and it was blocked with a chain
library. We were excited to find a magic (it’s permanently closed today). When the
book on the shelf. That excitement was librarian turned her head away, I would
short-lived, when we came to the realiza- slip under the chain and make my way up
tion that this was the only magic book in the staircase and into the attic. The round
the entire library. By looking at the card room was dark and smelled of old books
in the back of the book, we could also tell and dust. There were cobwebs everywhere
that it wasn’t taken out very often. Usually, and one or two broken chairs. Around the
the last time it had been taken from the perimeter of the room were boxes of old
library was at least a generation before. discarded books just sitting there in a sort
Of course, we would immediately take of book purgatory. It was dark because
the book out from the library, run to our there was no lighting in the attic. However, With Bob Magoun

30 OCTOBER 2017
Barbara, told my mother that Bob was a together and share ideas. I could now meet dinner, and then return for the evening
magician and that he did in fact perform a and talk about magic with the people who show. An older gentleman approached me,
show at the school that day. My mom took taught my first teacher, Mr. Magoun. They and asked if I was a magician. Of course
me to Dairy Queen, also bought me a deck were the teachers of my teacher! This was I responded, “Yes.” He asked if he could
of cards, and I’m sure a few other things a big deal. show me a trick. I responded in the affir-
to make it up to me.) So, I was certainly Imagine my surprise when the guys at mative, again. He reached into his pocket
aware that there was another magician in the magic shop began to talk about local and showed me two large safety pins. With
town. Knowing that was a big deal. magic clubs. “Magic club? There is such his gravelly voice, peppered with a slight
Eventually, Bob introduced me to his a thing?” I almost wet myself. If I under- Spanish accent, he began to perform a
own library in his basement. He had a lot stood them correctly, there was a place, simple magic trick for me, wherein the two
more than three books. He had shelves that even bigger than the magic shop, with pins linked and unlinked at will. No matter
were filled with magic books. I would ride more magicians, who gather on a regular how closely I watched his arthritic fingers
my bike to Bob’s house on a regular basis, basis. They would talk about tricks, share perform their little dance with pins, I could
and he would let me peruse his books. We ideas, learn how to perform, learn from not for the life of me figure out how he did
would also sit and talk about magic, he visiting performers, study history together, it. After a few unsuccessful attempts at
would show me tricks, and even let me and more. This can’t be true. If it were trying to learn the secret myself, the nice
borrow the occasional magic prop. Finally, true, it would be heaven for this thirteen- older gentleman showed me how it was
I had someone to share my love of magic year-old. Unfortunately, you had to be at done. When he was finished, he asked,
with. Bob took me to many of his shows least eighteen years old to join at that time. “Did you like that?” I replied, “Yes! That
and allowed me to perform for five minutes (The S.Y.M. had not yet been invented!) was amazing!” He handed me the pins, and
in the middle of his production. This gave Bummer. I would have to wait to be able to said, “These are for you. Now, you become
me valuable flight time in front of live become part of this valuable community. the magic.” He quietly walked away and left
audiences. Following those shows, Bob Although this was a letdown, it made me for dinner. When Bob returned, I shared
and I would go for a bite to eat and discuss more driven than ever to connect with the story with him. He said, “Wow! What
our performances. What a wonderful a larger group of like-minded people. It was his name?” In my excitement I forgot
learning experience, being able to bounce became a big deal. to ask him his name. However, I remem-
ideas off of someone, face to face, and in Just when I thought the future looked bered what he looked like and his accent.
person. I could not do that with books. bleak and far away, Mr. Magoun told me Bob smiled, and said, “That must’ve been
Traveling and performing with Bob as my about the “Boston Magicale.” I had never Charlie Cambra. He’s a master magician
first mentor was a big deal. heard of this several-decades-old, two-day, and a local legend. He must’ve liked you
local magic convention, organized by the to give you one of his favorite tricks. Let’s
local magic club, Assembly 9. It was the go eat.” I had just been in the presence of a
most amazing experience ever. It was master magician for the very first time, and
not just a one-on-one lesson with Bob, or didn’t know it. The fact that he had made
hanging out with the three guys at the magic the effort to show this random kid a magic
shop, or even the thirty or so magicians trick, and then gave him the props, was a
at a magic club. There were literally big deal.
hundreds of magicians in attendance. My Time moved on, and I attended the
head exploded. There were lectures and University of Hartford in Connecticut. My
seminars by top pros, and a dealers’ room goal was to study English as a major, with
filled with trinkets, toys, and dreams. It a minor in Theatre Arts. One of my profes-
was beautiful, and a bit overwhelming. I sors put me in contact with someone locally
remember that when the event closed for who was a member of the local S.A.M.
dinner, I was sitting on a staircase in the assembly. I was eighteen now and I could
lobby waiting for Bob, so we could go to join a magic club, finally! As a freshman
in college I did not have my own transpor-
tation. That guy from the club offered to
Performing in Bob Magoun’s show pick me up and drive me to and from the
meetings. I agreed. When he arrived to
pick me up for the first meeting, he intro-
Bob was the one who eventually intro- duced himself to me. His name was Dan
duced me to a magic shop – a real magic Sclare. Dan is currently the national Life
shop, not the simple magic counter at the Membership chairperson for the S.A.M.
local toy store, or the spinning rack filled I joined Assembly 21 in Hartford that
with whoopee cushions, fake doggie-doo, night. It’s been more than thirty years
and a lonely Svengali deck at the corner since I met the members of the club, and
deli. Nope. We’re talking a real, true blue, we’re still friends. In fact, Dan is still one
brick-and-mortar magic shop, the kind of my closest friends in the S.A.M. (He
that was staffed with the real magicians was also very supportive and instrumental
(or in this case, it was staffed by “‘Elves”). in raising support for me, before, during,
I never knew such a place existed. I was and after my double lung transplant
unaware that magicians would gather With Charlie Cambra surgery. You may have seen him running

M-U-M Magazine 31
life is good
As it turned out, the summer after I of the S.A.M. Here in Boston, I am still an
joined Assembly 9, the S.A.M.’s fifty- active member of Assembly 9. Recently, I
seventh national convention was coming also reconnected with my old mentor and
to Boston – a real national convention. family friend, Bob Magoun. It’s kind of a
By this time I had attended several of the big deal.
Boston Magicale’s, and even a NEMCON Thirty years ago, in 1987, we formed
or two. Yet, I had never been to a national a new club in Boston, “The John Calvert,
convention. Of course I signed up, and Boston-area Assembly 29 of the S.Y.M.” It
even entered the stage competition. (That is still one of the most active assemblies
competition changed my life in more in the nation. The S.Y.M. in Boston is a
ways than one.) The other acts in the stage lot more than just learning the secrets to
competition were Michael Conrad, Scott magic tricks. At our monthly meetings,
Meyer, George Saterial, Mike Rappa, members work together in critiquing
Leo Stremsky, Fred Becker (& Jane), sessions designed to help correct per-
Kevin Priebe (the late Kevin King), and forming techniques, create a sense of
a very young Steve Wyrick with his even confidence, and build self-esteem. Skills,
younger niece Erica as his assistant. (In the including on-the-spot problem solving,
close-up competition, there was some guy public speaking, and creativity are
named Eric DeCamps. Wonder whatever nurtured into fruition. Members have been
happened to him?) Being in my first com- able to use their creative energy to raise
petition was a big deal. funds for other charitable organizations
With Dan Sclare This convention was huge. There were in a full-scale illusion and magic show we
four days of shows, lectures, seminars, and call Magic & More. The girls and the boys
around conventions, wearing and selling the big evening shows, the likes of which I in our club have built lasting friendships,
little purple bracelets on my behalf! I am had never seen before. For the first time, for some of which have spanned decades. I
forever grateful.) Being able to attend a me, I was hanging out in lobbies jamming
magic club on a regular basis for the very with magicians whom I had only just met.
first time was, to me, a big deal. These jam sessions went well into the night
Unfortunately, my college career did and into the wee hours. It was amazing. The
not last long. When I returned to Boston, dealers’ room was the biggest I had ever
I made contact with Assembly 9. Not long seen. There were forty-two dealers from
after joining that assembly, as the new, all over the globe. The sounds, smells and
young, up-and-comer, I was asked to be the sights of that first convention are still very
instructor for the pre-meeting workshops much active in my memories. It was also at
every month. For the next several months, this convention where I first met some of
I happily shared my ideas, thoughts, and my heroes in magic, many of whom have
my “wisdom,” with the group. This was since become dear friends, including, Stan
a larger group than the one in Hartford, Allen, Meir Yedid, Piet Forton, William The Magic & More show cast
with approximately forty to fifty people Commins, Petrik & Mia, our Dean George
at every meeting. During my workshops, Schindler, David Seebach, Trevor Lewis, am proud of our organization, its current
I encouraged members of the club to ask FISM winner John Cornelius, Trevor and past members, our supportive parents,
questions and share their knowledge of Lewis, Dan Garrett, Al Schneider, John and everyone else who has helped us and
the subject at hand. After all, even though Salisse, Berga & Wanda, Danny Scott, supported us for the past thirty years.
I was the teacher, I was still a student of Steve Keeler, Donald Abernathy, Dick In 2011, I was surprised when S.Y.M.
the art. Little did I know at the time how and Dianna Zimmerman, Cesareo Paelez, Director Jann Goodsell and National
influential some of these names were George Johnstone, Turrini, Ricky Dunn, Secretary Marlene Clark, who, on behalf
in the magic industry – names like Irv Fantasio, and Norm Nielsen. What a of the S.A.M. national council, honored
“Mr. Fingers” Weiner, Ray Goulet, Dave line-up! Meeting these superstars was a me by officially changing the name of our
Cresey, Parker Swan, Lyn Dillies, Dave big deal. assembly to, “The John Calvert & David
Downs, Jim Rainho, Jim Vetter, Alan A lot has happened since that first con- Oliver, Boston Assembly 29 of the S.Y.M.”
Wassilak, Jack Ryan, Manny Williams, vention. I have been fortunate to attend It is my honor to be the adult director of
Bernard Whitman, George Saterial, Chris and/or perform at dozens of conventions in this assembly for the past thirty years,
Mitchell, Richard Simm, the incomparable my lifetime. I have lectured and performed and I look forward to continuing for thirty
General Grant, and even the guy who gave for magic clubs across the continental US. I more. That is a big deal.
me the pins when I was much younger, have been honored at a number of conven- In 2013, when I needed a traumatic and
Charlie Cambra (he remembered me). tions and clubs, with a number of awards risky double-lung transplant surgery, the
It was almost like I was living in one of for my performing, my teaching, and my magic clubs and conventions immediately
those books that I read in the glass-floor dedication to magic. I was the honoree stepped up and came to my aid. Clubs had
attic of my local library when I was a kid. at NEMCON XXV, at Bob Little’s Super benefit shows for me. The members of our
Becoming friends with these masters of Sunday in 2007, and I was the first honoree S.Y.M. and their families came to my aid:
magic and icons in our industry was and is at the Oceanside Magic International in cooking, cleaning, driving, and doing all
still a highlight of my life. In other words, 2014. Thanks to the generosity of some the things I could no longer do. The con-
it was a big deal. very kind people, I am now a Life Member ventions asked for donations and dedicated

32 OCTOBER 2017
shows to me. There were cards and letters, I believe the Internet is a wonderful tool known of me through conventions and
thousands of them, from magicians to learn from and to connect with others. club meetings. Iconic dancer, choreogra-
around the world, wishing me well. I had Used properly, the Internet will open many pher, and performer, Joanie Spina, reached
video messages from S.Y.M.ers and other more doors, and will give you a million out to befriend me when we were both
students of mine, and even a few videos opportunities and lessons that my genera- diagnosed with fatal lung diseases, and
from dozens of well-known magicians. tion never had. That being said, there is we comforted each other for seven years
That was a very humbling situation for me, something tangible and real in those “live before she passed. Late at night, sitting
and certainly a big deal. and in person” situations, like conventions on the floor at a convention, learning the
So what does this all mean? It’s simple and magic clubs. Some things you just can’t Zarrow shuffle from Herb Zarrow, himself,
really. There’s nothing wrong with your get on the Internet. Some things are much rebuilding Jeff McBride’s entire show from
generation. You have been presented with better in person. The stories and memories scratch, or wearing Johnny Thompson’s
many tools to learn about magic. I get it. I shared above would never have happened
However, there are many people in my had I not attended those conventions and
generation and beyond, who don’t get it. I club meetings. I may never have met some
understand the value and the easy access of my closest and lifelong friends had I not
of modern technology and the Internet. attended the convention or gone to the club
Learning at home, by yourself, is con- meetings. I certainly would never have felt
venient, and there’s no pressure. What the emotions rush through my body while
began with the books became videotapes, giving standing ovations to my heroes, or
then DVDs, YouTube videos, download- receiving standing ovations when it was
able tutorials, and now streaming videos, my turn to perform at those conventions.
Skype, Snapchat, and more. There are chat Being a mentor and friend to the next gen-
rooms, forums, and new ways of commu- eration of performers and inventors, from
nication being developed every day. These Joshua Jay, Noah Levine, Justin Willman,
are all great tools, but tools need to be and Michael Carbonaro, to Alex Boyce,
used appropriately. We all know of some Ryan Lally, Harrison Greenbaum, Matt
people who learn a trick or effect, immedi- Schick, Trent James, Ben Zabin, Stephen
ately record it, share it online, exposing the Smolak, and Jeff Prace would not have
methods (either on purpose or through bad happened had I not been involved with
performances), get tired of it, and move conventions and clubs. Becoming close
onto the next one. They don’t get it. I don’t friends with the biggest names in our With Jeff McBride
believe all the magic on the Internet is bad
– far from it. There’s a lot out there, and a
lot to be shared. But we still have a long
way to go. We are moving forward, and I
believe anything that moves magic forward
is good for magic, good for magicians, and
good for me. And that is a big deal.
There’s one thing missing with magic
on the Internet, however. It’s called
community. Yes, I know there are groups,
and chat rooms, and Skype sessions
available online. Yes, I know you can
communicate with magicians around the Bill Herz, Paul Gertner, David Oliver,
world, and even connect with some of your Michael Carbonaro, and Matt Schick
heroes. However, there’s nothing quite like
actually shaking the hand of someone you business would not have happened without
admire. There’s nothing like sharing a conventions and clubs. Without the con-
meal with several of your heroes at once. ventions and clubs, I would never have
There’s nothing like hanging with the best become a regular columnist for Genii,
With Johnny Thompson
of the best in the world. Being able to see MAGIC or M-U-M magazines. I would
someone perform a miracle live on stage is not have had my magic featured in books
much more impressive and memorable than such as John Lovick’s Switch, Simon costume as he taught me his secrets to
just watching a video. Walking through the Lovell’s Son Of Simon Says, David Kaye’s dove productions, working with Shin Lim
dealers’ room at a convention, seeing new Supersized Silly, Paul Osborne’s The Art on adding touches to his act , or developing
releases performed right in front of your Of Rehearse!, or David Linsell’s Spirit of new magic with Jeff Prace would not have
eyes, and being able to handle the props Magic. I would never have become part happened over the Internet. This is not
and ask questions cannot be done in an of NYC’s longest running magic show, about name-dropping. It is about sharing
online shop. Having the opportunity on a Monday Night Magic, for the past twenty with you the idea of anything is possible if
monthly basis to meet up and hang with years without first becoming friends with you associate with clubs or attend conven-
people your own age (and a few older or the producers at conventions. The support tions. There are memories and adventures
younger) and share lessons and techniques I received when my life was on the brink that you have yet to make or experience.
in person is truly a gift. would not have happened had people not If there are no local clubs, try to start one.

M-U-M Magazine 33
life is good
tionality difference, cultural issue, or age of Magic Award” at their annual awards
boundary, and will last you a lifetime. And dinner. It is truly an honor to be only the
don’t be surprised, if along the way, some fifth person in history to receive this pres-
old guy comes up to you, does a trick for tigious award, following in the footsteps
you, gives you the trick, and says, “These of Gay Blackstone, Adele Rhindress, PNP
are for you. Now, you become the magic.” Mike Miller, and PNP Brad Jacobs. The
Then you’ll know why it’s a big deal. award was a definite surprise, and is one
Send your thoughts on your first con- of the highest honors I have ever received.
vention or club meeting to me (domagic@ I am overjoyed at being the latest recipient.
DavidOliverMagic.com). Thank you for this tremendous honor.
P.S. (This is also something else that There’s nothing like it. It’s a big deal. 
With Shin Lim probably would never have happened had I Life is Good – DO
not attended conventions and magic clubs.)
You will make lasting friendships and I want to extend a heartfelt “thank you” ©2017 David Oliver,
build a lifetime of amazing memories that to the Milbourne Christopher Foundation DoMagic™ Entertainment
will surpass any gender difference, na- for presenting me with the “Ambassador

ENHANCE YOUR ONLINE

M-U-M EXPERIENCE
Look for the following two symbols to access extra content
in the online version of M-U-M.

Click on this icon to play added video content.

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34 OCTOBER 2017
 Doc Grimes:
One of Magic’s Greatest Gifts
by Norman Beck
Take a birthday present, mix in a snarky letter, toss in a murder, and Doc appears in the magic world. Most paths are not so
serpentine. Dr. Geoffrey Allan Grimes had his first taste of magic as a child, but didn’t become besotted with magic for about
forty years. If magic were booze, he would be the biggest drunk in Texas, and that is saying something.

In a metaphorical sense, he drinks 24/7/365. Take the magic that he is involved with:

• I.B.M./S.A.M. member
• Monday Night Magic Club member
• Formed the Mark Wilson Magic Club at Mountain View College
• Formed the Mid Cities Magic Circle (a club dedicated to creating better performance)
• Main demonstrator at Main Street Magic for eleven years, performing over four hundred shows
• House magician at a Golden Corral Restaurant for nine years
• TAOM worker for six years
• Past editor for the local magic club newsletter
• Author of a children’s play on magic that has been produced twice
• House magician at the Dallas County jail
• Has produced and performed at the Mountain View College Family Magic Shows since 1999
• Created the “Magic USA” magicians troupe who entertain our military families
• Attended Jeff McBride’s Magic Mystery School seven times (no, he is not a slow learner)
• At any magic show or function, he is there working

Ask Doc to do something magic-related, and the response is yes. He works full time, teaching English, and he uses magic
in his classes. A person’s age, gender, or station in life matters not; if you move, he wants to show you magic, and if you are
not moving, he will shake you.
When Doc performs, he gets “the look” from people. Doc does magic to bring joy into people’s lives and put smiles on
their faces. The currency that Doc trades in is kindness. He would make a great poker player, but they
didn’t offer poker at the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant – that was Doc’s other
home growing up. Just like a great hustler, Doc hides his knowledge and
his wisdom from people. On first blush, you would write him off as an
armchair magician who couldn’t perform for a flea. He looks dishev-
eled, with too much stuff in his pockets and a god-awful smiley-face
tie.
Watch him do magic; or better yet, just listen – not to him, but
to the people who are watching. You will only hear laughter and
people clapping. Much like Penn & Teller or Mac King, one becomes
addicted to watching this kind, soft-spoken, Red Skelton-type man
make people laugh. He just makes you feel good when he brings
out a toothbrush for a wand. People watch his first trick out of
respect for his age. The ones after that they watch because he is
entertaining and fresh in an old sort of way.
At the tender age of eight, Doc’s mother gave him a
paint-by-numbers kit. Doc did not like being told to paint
inside the lines, so he turned the canvas over and painted
his own picture. He has been painting outside the lines
ever since.
His persona is that of a soft, kind, harmless
man who would not hurt a flea. Under that soft baby
face, however, is nothing but grit. Doc does not do
anything a little bit, except sleep. I am not certain he
ever sleeps. The five passions in Doc’s life are magic,
teaching, family, barbeque, bridge, and magic – and
did I mention magic?

Photo by David and Donna Thomason

 The one word that describes Doc in everything he does is
“committed.” He has been married for fifty-one years. He and his
wife have three kids, five grandkids, and several great-grandkids.
I understand that his wife is very nice, but I have never met her.
She prefers the shadows and family life and lets Doc be the one to
do whatever it is he does. He has taught at Mountain View College
for forty-six years and has himself been a student for sixty-five
years. You see, once he starts something, he is not one to stop.
Doc grew up in South Houston, Texas, not on the wrong side
of the tracks, but close enough you could see that neighborhood.
Painting, books, and the arts were important to him from a young
age. The calling to preach came very early, and that was going to
be his career path.
For his birthday, at about the age of eleven, his father took
him to Howard’s Fun Shop in Houston. The shop was owned by
Howard Campbell, a magician who was featured in the April 1961
Genii magazine. A cowbell rang when you opened the door, and it
was time for Doc to buy his first drink of the elixir of magic with
the ten bucks his father had given him. Who knew that trick was
the seed for more magic forty years later. Every Sunday at 4:30 in
the afternoon, Mark Wilson was on the TV, and that helped fan
the fire as well.
Girls, band, painting, and the church soon got in the way of
magic. It was not until the murder that magic got back into Doc’s
life.
Preaching was what Doc was going to do with his life. He
had made his mind up by the third grade. Brainwashing worked
very well in South Texas in the early ‘50s. The preacher at the
Presbyterian Church was like a god, and Doc was enamored. The
preacher was smart, kind, and more educated than Doc’s folks
were. The road for Doc’s life was set; it was on the straight and
narrow. But someone forgot that he likes to paint outside the lines.
As preparation for his goal of entering the ministry, Doc
enrolled at Austin College, a private liberal arts college affiliated
with the Presbyterian Church. It’s located in Sherman, Texas,
about sixty miles north of Dallas. Austin College was chartered
in 1849 and remains the oldest institution of higher education in
Texas operating under its original charter and name.
The last thing a person must do before going off to preaching
school is have an interview with the elders. On a hot August night,
in front of the preacher and eleven elders, Doc had the interview
from hell. The first question concerned the “virgin birth,” but
somehow the words “ostrich egg” got in the mix. The three hours
seemed like forever. Later that night, Doc wrote a ten-page letter
to the preacher, attempting to clear up his thoughts. A couple of
days later, he received a letter in reply.

The L et ter
The letter was a “dear John” note. The elders informed him
that he was not going to be a preacher. They suggested he might
Aust in Col lege
not even be a Christian and was going to need a year’s worth of What to do? The road he had been on was closed. He would
counseling to unlearn what he had been fed full of at that Austin not change his position, and staying inside the lines was not in his
College place. They took Doc’s ten-page letter and made copies to makeup. In college, he had met three friends: Ralph, Henry, and
send to all the other churches in Texas as a good example of a bad Walt. The three turned his world upside down. You may know
prospect. This was Doc’s first published work – without permis- them. They were Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman. One morning,
sion, I would add. Doc woke up and said, “I am going to be a teacher,” and that is
Doc, being the outside-the-lines painter that he is, sent the what he did.
minister a nice postcard. The postcard suggested where he might Someone pointed out that teachers with a “PhD” at the end
go. Let’s just say it is a place that is reported to be hotter than of their names make more money. In need of guidance in this de-
Texas. partment, Doc sought the council of Dr. Frank Hewitt at Austin

M-U-M Magazine 37
College. Doc had been in four of Dr. Hewitt’s classes, spent softly, he burned words into Doc’s brain: “I received your article,
time at his house, knew his wife, and had the utmost respect for and it was very good. You made it! I have had a stroke and can’t
the good doctor. After Geoff explained his own “doctor plans,” teach any more. Now it is your turn to carry the torch. And you
Dr. Hewitt informed him it was a bad idea, because he “knew will need my library to do it.”
nothing.” “You don’t have a chance in an Ivy League school’s PhD Monetarily, the gifting of the books meant little; what that gift
program. With a little luck,” said Dr. Hewitt, “you might get into a symbolized was priceless. Unlike the preacher, the professor saw
‘Big 12’ school’s program, but most likely not.” the value in painting outside the lines.
Doc had gone into the meeting full of piss and vinegar and
left pissed off. He went home and started writing letters. In two
weeks, he was in a doctoral program at Texas Tech. Not long after, Mark Twain
he sent his first published paper to Dr. Hewitt and got no response.
Over Christmas, Dr. Hewitt contacted Doc. He asked him Magicians all need role models. Doc started his training
to come to Sherman, and instructed him to “bring a box.” Loyal ground with Samuel Langhorne Clemens, best known by his
student that he was, he made the three-hundred-mile drive and penname, Mark Twain. While Doc was in school, Dr. Fred Lorch,
found the professor in bad shape on the veranda of his home. He the leading authority on Twain, was teaching at Austin College.
was wearing pajamas, wool socks, and house slippers. His wife Doc needed a three-hour reading course on Mark Twain and
was in the library where, in times past, Doc had sat and learned went to talk to the professor about it. On the way, he attempted
from the great teacher who was now just a fraction of the man he to memorize book titles, but, under pressure, he could name only
had been. two. The professor asked what books of Twain’s he had read, and
As Doc walked up, the old man snapped at him. “You forgot Doc’s sheepish reply was, “None.” Dr. Lorch smiled and said, “It’s
something, didn’t you?” Doc played dumb and asked, “What?” and nice to know where to start!”
then went back to the car for the box. “No,” said Dr. Hewitt as Doc went on to become an expert on Mark Twain; his dis-
Geoff returned, “I told you to bring ‘boxes.’ Now go to the store sertation was “The Evolution of the Mark Twain Persona.” The
and bring back boxes!” project took two years and was 286 pages long. Doc had seventy-
On his return, the old man was sitting on the porch swing. He five-plus books on the subject, plus everything Twain had written.
said, “Go on back to the library, son. Ruth has been getting ready Starting in 1975, and up through 1994, Doc performed on
for you.” Doc did not understand, but in the library the books stage as “Mark Twain,” much as the actor Hal Holbrook has done.
were off the shelves, and the papers were in disarray in an orderly Dr. Paul Benson, who has known Doc since 1971, told me the
sort of way – fifty-plus years of teaching and learning, all in one only difference between Doc and Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain
room. The old man put his hand on Doc’s shoulder. Speaking is that Doc is better. At lunch this summer, I asked Doc if he
could still “do Twain,” and with no make-up, set up, or get-ready,
he morphed into Twain and recited “The Golden Arm Story”
from a 1906 essay, “How to Tell a Story.” When asked why he
stopped, Doc’s response was, “I outgrew the suit and was bored
being someone else.” In addition to learning Mark Twain, Doc
got French, German, Spanish, and classical Greek under his
belt. Once the PhD came through, it was back to Dallas and his
first real job.

Mountain View Col lege

Mountain View is a community college in southwest Dallas
and is home to ten thousand students. Doc has been teaching
there since 1971. One semester, he taught twenty-two classes. He
confessed that was too much. Doc is not a professor, but rather a
teacher.
On the students’ first day of class, they find that he learns
everyone’s name. I am not going to say he has a photographic
memory, but it is very close. They also learn the three reasons why
they should be in the class. He also explains that they decide their
own grade, not him. In Doc’s class, if you turn in a paper and get
an “F,” you can redo the paper and get a different grade. In fact,
you can redo a paper as much as you want. I have never seen this
done at any other school, and it made no sense until Doc explained
it to me. “I am a teacher,” he said. “I teach writing. The more the
students write, the more they learn. I don’t care about grades. I
care about teaching.”
For many people, a community college is a bridge between
failure and success. Doc’s mission in life is to make certain his
students make it across the bridge. Twice I witnessed former
students from thirty years past walk up to Doc and say, “Thank
you for teaching me how to write.”

38 OCTOBER 2017
 From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala was in a civil war, and Doc
became involved in helping people in various ways. The most
important was that he became an expert witness in helping people
who wanted to come to the USA. In 1998, the murder of Catholic
Archbishop Juan Gerardi Conedera broke Doc. He could not and
cannot return to that world.

In the library at Mountain View is a copy of the Taschen book

on magic. Doc bought it. The school has its own magic club. Doc
formed it. Every year the college hosts a three-day magic show. Geoff Grimes, Robert Neale, and Mike Smith at the
Doc produces it. Magic and Meaning Conference 2016
Last year, Dr. Robert Garza, the president of Mountain
View College, gave the Presidential Award to Doc. His one-word
description of Doc was “magical.” He told me that Dr. Grimes’s
calling is to change lives every day, and because he cares, he is
able to do it. Texas is a “right to work state.” Doc wants the college
motto to be, “We are a ‘write to work’ school.”
So how does a guy go from being a teacher to the hardest
working magician in Texas? A murder did it. Doc was not the
victim, a suspect, or even a witness. On April 26, 1998, Juan José
Gerardi Conedera was beaten to death in his garage in Guatemala.
That single act of senseless violence caused Doc to escape into
magic.
Starting in 1973, Doc had been involved in the community
of his hometown of Desoto, a city south of Dallas. Doc joined
the Jaycees, but couldn’t play golf. He tried the Lions Club, but
they met on the evening he was teaching. He got involved with
the city on a Horizons project that was tied to the United States
bicentennial celebration. The idea was to come up with things With Larry Hass
that would impact the city after 1976. The idea that they came up
with was a children’s art exchange program with Guatemala. Doc
was the chair of the committee, but he didn’t even know where Shortly after the murder, Doc was at Mountain View in a
Guatemala was located. staff meeting, and the question came up, “What do we do with
In 1973, he made his first trip out of the country with people the kids when parents come to enroll?” Doc suggested a magic
who were all above his pay grade but not above his intellect. In show. But there were problems: they had no budget, no magic,
June of 1974, the powers that be in Guatemala called Doc to send and no magician. Doc advised he would do it. Doc walked into
the kids’ art. The problem was it was summertime, and he had no Dr. Benson’s office and informed him he was about to become
kids’ art to send. a kid show magician at fifty-two years old. Many people would
He drove to a grade school, found a custodian, became the have asked Doc what he was drinking. Not Dr. Benson. They have
new art teacher on the fly, gained access to the classroom, got known each other since 1971. He knows that if Doc says a goose
into a closet, found seventeen pieces of kids’ art, stole them – can pull a two-ton cart, just find a harness. People who know Doc
some would say “borrowed them” – and made his departure. accept that if he decides to do something, it gets done.
He repeated the same act at the college and obtained three more Doc’s first stop was the Queen of Hearts magic shop in Plano,
paintings. Texas. Doc took the train. It was around Christmas. The train
A trip to the Desoto State Bank, a check from the bank was late, and the shop was about to close. Doc called them. The
president, and the art was sent. By 1985, the program had grown owner let him know that as long as he was coming, they would
to seventy-two countries, and the method of obtaining the chil- be open. At 6:00 p.m. on December 23, the door opened, and Doc
dren’s art had become more streamlined. heard the cowbells on the door speak. Doc somehow knew he was
Doc never just puts his foot in the water when he goes home. Two hours later and $800 lighter, two small sacks and Mark
swimming. He wasn’t able to just swap kids’ pictures, either. Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic under his arm, Doc started

M-U-M Magazine 39
the journey of learning magic, touching people, making them for. The bunny costs ten dollars wholesale, and it is a giveaway.
smile, and leaving the world in a better place than he found it. On the same note, any tip that is given to Doc he gives to the wait
You might outthink Doc. You might outsmart him. You won’t person. Doc’s currency is not cash but caring. It is easy to see how
outwork him; it is not possible. He quickly found the other two he keeps his job.
shops in the D/FW area along with the I.B.M. and the S.A.M. He
quickly maxed out two credit cards on magic books and DVDs. Magic Shop Demonstrator
On first meeting Doc, one would not think “entertainer.” He is
quiet, humble, soft spoken, and is able to hide his passions and The last job you would want a heavy drinker to have would
knowledge well. Many magicians would not even give him a be to tend bar. That has been Doc’s job for eleven years. When he
second look as he walks to a table to perform for people. Watch heard a new magic shop was opening, he had to go; soon he found
just one routine start to finish, however, and he will convert you, himself working every Saturday and doing all the birthday parties
much like a preacher might. Rather than save souls, though, he at Main Street Magic in McKinney. More than once, a kid comes
makes sad people happy and lets people forget about whatever it in, and Doc can tell he loves magic but has no money. Doc will
is that’s ailing them. buy it for him as a gift. He needs more drinkers.
Here is the foundation under it all: Doc likes to perform what
Gol den Corral he calls “consequential magic” – response-driven magical perfor-
mances that change our audiences’ lives in often deeply personal
Eleven years ago, Doc asked people about working as a table ways that leave them profoundly moved and grateful.
magician for no money. I told him to take the gig. I explained This is not a pipe dream. I have witnessed him do this over and
to him that he would get “flight time” – a chance to do magic over. Doc cares more about his audience than he does about his
for real people. He is still working there. The pay is better, and tricks. On a recent trip to D.C., Doc found himself on the wrong
the people who eat there get to see some great magic. In eleven side of the tracks in a bad neighborhood in a low-end diner with
years, they have had seven managers and three regional managers a waitress who was less than stellar when three “suits” walked in.
come and go. They keep the magic. He can work as much as he They were in two black Suburbans, and all were “packing.” They
wants and when he wants. Right now, it is four nights a week. were the Secret Service escorting the Speaker of the House in for
Now remember, he teaches full time and works at the magic shop tea.
on Saturday. I would have left them alone. Not Doc. He walked over to
Doc approaches the table, and you first think he is the manager; the Secret Service guy and asked if Mr. Boehner would like to
then he just pulls a silk out of a thumb tip. Now it is more than see some magic. The response was yes. The show was short, but
that. After the first trick, the table is engaged, and he is off to the effective.
races. Many magicians talk about gifting magic. When Doc does Later that day, he was in another dive (Doc prefers the seedier
“multiplying rabbits” it ends with the production of a large stuffed side of town). Now, he can converse with the upper crust, but
bunny from Doc’s hat. The bunny is a gift for the child he does it he relates to the disenchanted. The waitress was young and was

Geoff Gimes with Charles Cox, instructor-machinist, with Dallas County inmates

40 OCTOBER 2017
having a hard day. Doc thought he should fix that and soon learned hood from Guatemala as well as a male fertility jacket, and his
that Annie was working three jobs in order to save enough money hometown named a street after him for his work. In his office
to get married. Most would leave a nice tip; many would leave a is a small note card that came from a friend in Guatemala. It is
good tip; Doc did neither. Doc asked to borrow a dollar from the twenty-seven words long and basically says, “Thank you.” That
girl. With the help of a thumb tip, that one dollar became a hun- one note card is Doc’s biggest treasure because of what it means.
dred-dollar bill. The response was tears and “Now I can afford to The act that precipitated the note does not matter. You can’t spend
get my hair fixed.” time with Doc and not want to say thank you.
A couple he met in the hotel started to cry after he performed Doc, as good as he is, has a weakness. He has one flaw; in
Anniversary Waltz. Doc found that it was the one high point in poker you would say that he “leaks.” The flaw is that he doesn’t
the trip for the lady’s cancer treatment. know how good he is. The people who know him know he is good
The county jail would seem like an unlikely place to have a and the response from all of them about this article was the same:
gig. Doc does magic there for the inmates at the end of machine “Thank You” and “No one deserves it more.” In closing, here’s a
shop classes. When he works, he gets the inmates and the guards poem for Doc.
involved. You might say he has a “captive” audience. He is old
and they are young. Doc is white and many of them are not. Account ing: From a Magic Friend
He is a doctor and a well educated man and most of them are
dropouts. None of it matters. He can relate to a murder suspect Doc, no man as rich as you
or the Speaker of the House with ease; most people can’t do that. In Nature’s gifts
In the early 1970s when his friend Paul Benson got married, Should doubt his wealth.
Doc needed to give them a gift. Money was short, and times were But doubting does you grace –
hard. The gift he gave was a painting that was done outside the Goodness seldom sees itself
lines. It is one of Paul’s most prized possessions. Rather than a As good enough.
toaster, the gift was a symbolic part of Geoff. Forty-five years Your balance test wealth awry –
later, he is still giving a part of himself every time he does magic. Your totals
The world is a better place because of Doc. Every person who Take doubt away from self
knows him is affected by his magic in a positive way. He has And add regard in summing us;
gone to the school that Jeff McBride puts on seven times and has Turn with trust
no thought of slowing down. Doc will never stop doing magic, In this our wish:
learning magic, teaching, eating BBQ, or playing bridge, and Would that we had the gift to
those are all good things. Give you
Doc has gotten many awards in his life. He received a Knight- To see yourself as we see you. 

M-U-M Magazine 41
 The High Road
Script Writing, Character Development,
and Act Construction For the Modern Conjuror
By Mick Ayres

this pretend toy and a willing imagination construct your act, develop your character,
could now be the Pied Piper leading rats and write your script; it is also about
The story goes that Harry Blackstone out of town, or maybe a pirate dancing a thinking through the details of every
was standing on one side of a large stage jig after a day of looting. These imagin- motion and considering how logical and
while the orchestra played gentle music. ings became real to the guests as a bright, innocent it appears from the audience’s
A female assistant approached carrying a toe-tapping melody was now played on point of view. That statement may sound
silver tray that held a large cloth. Smiling, the homemade toy. Afterwards, I had the obvious, but most magicians have not
Blackstone took the cloth and unfolded it option of wadding up my pretend fife and studied the elements of theatre enough to
as his assistant departed toward the wings. tossing it aside – or I could present it to a know their stage-right from the house-left
As Blackstone held up the colorful cloth child with the challenge to test his or her (a wee bit of humor for you; stage-right
by each corner, the silver tray unexpect- imagination often. and house-left are one and the same). It is
edly slipped from the assistant’s hand and The toy was nothing but craft paper a shame that Basic Stagecraft is not taught
crashed to the floor. Embarrassed, the rolled into a tube that was held together in our magic clubs.
pretty woman snatched up the tray and by squares of masking tape. A marker was Blocking isn’t just for the grand il-
scurried off stage. Blackstone whipped the used to draw the mouthpiece and “holes.” lusionists; it is applicable to conjurers
cloth aside dramatically to reveal a donkey However, a working fife (doctored up with offering close-up performances in intimate
standing before him. paper and tape to look like the crafted one) venues, too. Watch a video of Tommy
Blackstone’s position on stage was rested on the table behind the small cigar Wonder’s presentation of the Cups and
precisely chosen – as was the moment box that held the art supplies. When I “ac- Balls. Tommy’s careful blocking made it
when the tray hit the ground – as was the cidentally” dropped the cap of the marker possible for him to load the most unex-
small donkey that had been trained to trot on the floor, one hand was placed on the pected surprise under the cup…twice.
out from the other wing and stop between table to steady myself as I bent over to While performing a multiple-selection
Blackstone and the cloth the instant it retrieve the cap. By the time I stood up, card effect in my own shows, at one point
heard the crash of the tray. All of these the paper fife and the real instrument had a guest’s selection is revealed and tossed
well-timed elements blended to direct the been switched behind the cigar box and no aside to the table. However, an attempt to
audience’s attention back and forth like one was the wiser. Through blocking, the find the next person’s card is futile; in fact,
a crowd watching a tennis match. This is switch occurred long before anyone antici- the first card makes another appearance.
theatrical “blocking” in its purest form. pated the effect itself. The card belonging to the second guest is
In theatre, blocking is the positioning In both of these examples of switching now found to be the one tossed aside earlier.
and movement of actors in order to fa- one object for another, careful blocking This simple plot is used by many magicians
cilitate the performance of a drama. The made the difference between the action who stand motionless behind their table in
term comes from the 1800s when theater being perceived as innocent or obvious. the belief that doing so makes them less
director Sir W. S. Gilbert worked out the Just by thinking ahead and giving careful of a distraction to the magic itself. This is
staging of his scenes on a miniature stage consideration to the details of position and only true if your movement is a nervous
using tiny blocks to represent each actor. timing, it is possible to change the impact swaying from side-to-side. Well-blocked
For magicians, blocking is important of your next performance. body movement can increase the impact of
for artistic reasons because it can change Richard Wiseman’s Quirkology video a conjurer’s surprise. In the example just
the significance of any moment on stage. Colour Changing Card Trick (available on given, it is better if you choose a second
Juan Tamariz’s Crossing the Gaze Switch YouTube) provides an excellent example of guest who is further away from the table.
comes to mind; the precise blocking and how precision blocking can fool the eye as Once the first card is switched and tossed
choreography of the performer’s stance, well as the brain’s assumptions. In each of aside, you politely take a few steps toward
head, and hands makes the switch unde- the Quirkology videos, there is far more the second guest while searching for her
tectable. going on than what is perceived; whole card. This added distance between you
Through careful blocking, I create a teams of people work together to create and the tossed card increases the dramatic
moment of magic and music in my own simple illusions that are achieved as if revelation that’s about to occur. In that
shows. On stage, while speaking of the Rube Goldberg himself choreographed the moment, the audience understands you
power of imagination, I would cobble blocking. somehow switched the card when it was
together what looked like a fife of sorts Being prepared to perform isn’t just clearly out of reach.
using simple art supplies; a child with about spending the time required to What if magicians today could put

42 OCTOBER 2017
aside their craving for the newest trick it away in a gambler’s cop or bottom on top of the Joker and discard the other
for a few months and instead focus upon palm before you hand the packet to the one onto the pile. However, if the red spot
learning every aspect of theatrical stage- gentleman for mixing. card is touched, put it on top of the pile and
craft possible? Imagine the rapid improve- When your guest is finished, take the place the Queen face down on the Joker.
ments that would occur overnight in our packet with your right hand. Transfer it Say, “It all boils down to the catch-of-the-
acts and in the general public’s perception into your left hand and discretely return day, doesn’t it? Let’s see the result of your
of the art of magic. Perhaps you could be the Queen to the bottom. Your right hand fishing trip.”
the first one on the block to try. is now free to point out the Joker on the Turn over the Queen and lay it face up
table as you say, “It is time to take a stab with the Joker. Say, “This is perfect! Fate
CATCH-OF-THE-DAY at some fishing. In other words, slide this has dealt you a card that has the same at-
card into the center of all these while I hold tributes as the Selkie mentioned earlier:
This presentation is a blend of folklore them steady.” The Joker is kept face down she is female, with a seal-like color, and
and conjuring. It begins as you take several as he slips it into the middle of the packet. she’s royalty!” Just stare at your guest for
cards from the deck without showing them However, a firm grip on your end of the a moment until you can almost feel him
to the guests and place these cards in a stack does not allow him to push it flush. thinking, “So what?”
face-down pile. Specifically, you remove Point to the out-jogged card and say, Explain by saying, “Think about it, sir.
all the red spot cards with values from Ace “Before we go any further, you should Against all odds, you cast your net and
to Ten. Add the Queen of Spades on top the know this card represents you...” You will snagged the perfect catch-of-the-day – and
stack. Finally, place the Joker face down now turn the jogged card face up using Bill you did this without knowing your choices
next to the pile. Return the rest of the deck Simon’s Prophecy Move. Basically, push were severely limited.” As you deliver this
to the card case. the half-deck above the jogged card into last phrase, pick up the pile of cards, spread
While you are separating these cards your right hand as a block. Now rotate your them face up and enjoy your guest’s look
out, channel your inner storyteller and right hand palm down so this half-deck is of surprise at the evidence laid out before
share this bit of folklore from the British now facing up. Use your right thumb to pin him. Conclude by saying, “You sure know
Isles: “There is an odd but lovely creature the end of Joker firmly against the back of how to drop a line.”
in Celtic mythology called a Selkie – a this half deck. Now rotate your right hand Although the method in Catch-Of-
changeling from the ocean who can palm up again, with the Joker still pinned The-Day includes sleight of hand and
transform from a seal into a beautiful against the deck-half to fully expose its a psychological dodge, there is no heat
woman and back again. Stories about face. Put the right half-deck below the left on the conjurer during the execution of
selkies tend to be ‘romantic tragedies.’ For half-deck so the Joker is clearly out-jogged these techniques. The average layperson
example, a fisherman only learns the truth from the middle of the deck. The beauty assumes a card trick doesn’t start until a
about his wife when he wakes to find she of Simon’s Prophecy Move is that your card is selected. This means your guest is
has returned to her seal form; or perhaps guest is so focused on the revelation of the not alert for any subterfuge…yet. By the
a sailor knows everything, but hides his jogged card he completely misses that you time the card is chosen, and your guest
companion’s sealskin to prevent her from just gave the packet a cut. switches on the analytical side of his brain,
returning to the water. Selkie lore is quite Look at the Joker and finish your all the sneaky stuff is already done.
abundant; but selkies themselves are so sentence by saying, “...and apparently, If Catch-Of-The-Day feels familiar to
rare their very existence is questionable.” you are a fisherman with a good sense of you it may be for good reason. In 1990, I
Deliver this last line with a wink. humor. The Joker is considered a neutral showed the effect to David Harkey when
Address one of the gentlemen and say, card because no value or suit is associ- he came to visit during one of his lecture
“In the little drama that’s about to unfold, ated with it – however, the two cards you tours. Dave and I then collaborated on a
you shall play the role of a lonely fisherman split with it definitely have value.” Take variation that presented a You-Do-as-I-Do
who understands there are plenty of fish the Joker, along with the cards immedi- challenge between the conjurer and a guest
in the sea – but he still hopes for the most ately above and below it, as a three-card with matching results. That effect is called
elusive prize.” group and place them on the table. Put the Sirens and was published in the January
Pick up the packet and say, “Think of remaining cards face down off to one side. 2014 issue of M-U-M. 
these cards as the fish, aimlessly swimming Slide the Joker out from between the
about the sea. To keep everything fair and pair of face-down cards. Of the two cards Catch-Of-The-Day copyright 1987 by
shipshape (so to speak) the faces of the left, the Queen is the uppermost card. Put Mick Ayres. Mick is a conjurer, tunesmith
cards will remain unknown to us all until these two cards side by side and face down and tale-swapper who can be reached
later. Can you give the packet a simple on the table. online at mick@mickayreswares.com or
mix like this?” Demonstrate an overhand Say, “Of all the fish in the sea (at least, via Facebook.
shuffle; however, the Queen of Spades those we have available today), you have
is pulled to the bottom of the packet and caught two. However, this fishing trip
remains there as the remaining cards are is a catch-and-release adventure – one
shuffled on to it so the Queen is in-jogged. to keep, one to toss back. Please touch
As you square up the packet, the jogged either one.” Using a simple equivoque,
position of the Queen allows you to steal if the Queen is touched, set it face down

M-U-M Magazine 43
 Magical Masterpieces
and More
By David Haversat

ADELAIDE
HERRMANN
DOES A GOOD DEED

Alexander Herrmann

As a collector and historian, sometimes

you uncover interesting objects related to
conjuring that fall outside the realm of
physical illusions or printed memorabilia.
Such is the case with this month’s feature,
the deed to the burial plot of Alexander
and Adelaide Herrmann, two of magic’s Deed to the Herrmann grave site
royalty.
Several years ago Margaret Steele Samuel Herrmann who appeared through- Samuel and Anna Sarah Herrmann. At
produced a wonderful biography of out Europe in the early 1800s. Samuel first, Alexander’s role in Compars’ show
Adelaide Herrmann drawn from a manu- performed until 1855, when he taught was to be suspended in a horizontal
script Adelaide wrote several years before magic to his son, Compars. Compars position with his elbow resting atop an
her death. When Adelaide’s draft manu- performed widely and then took his eight- iron bar. He also performed as a medium
script surfaced, so too did the deed to the year-old brother Alexander on tour. He in a second-sight act and was produced
family burial plot in Woodlawn Cemetery also instructed Alexander in the art of from a large portfolio.
in The Bronx and I was able to obtain it. conjuring. It would take too much space to recount
Alexander Herrmann was the third in Alexander was born in Paris and the many tours Compars and Alexander
a dynasty of magicians that began with was the youngest of sixteen children to took, but when they came to America in

44 OCTOBER 2017
 Old time photo of Adelaide putting flowers on

Herrmann’s grave.

1860, Alexander was seventeen years old. which he moored in Long Island Sound. Herrmann’s grave currently
By then he played less of an assistant’s He also had a private rail car and two
role on stage; Compars began introducing baggage cars on a rail spur nearby that in Woodlawn Cemetery
him as his successor. It was at this time carried his equipment. The private car cost by one, he produced a number of silver
that Alexander started scaling cards into him $40,000 (about $800,000 in today’s dollars from the air. After the shining
the audience. He could throw them to any figures). coins hit the glare of the spotlight, he
spectator who raised his or her hand; he A typical Herrmann effect involved tossed them into the hat where they clinked
even scaled them into the balcony. picking up a silk top hat that he had loudly. He produced a large number and
It wasn’t too long before the name borrowed from an audience member. One then poured the coins into a silver tray and
Herrmann became synonymous with showed it to the audience. The coins were
magic. What enamored Alexander with then poured into a paper bag and presented
audiences was his humor, wit, and pure to the owner of the hat who instead found
sleight of hand. His philosophy was: “The a box of candy.
magician depends for the success of his art Herrmann was also the only magician
upon the credulity of the people. Whatever who ever pulled a rabbit from a top hat
mystifies, excites curiosity; whatever [Editor’s note: Until the current Penn &
in turn baffles this curiosity, works the Teller Vegas show]. After stroking it, he
marvelous.” pulled it apart and had two rabbits, one in
After appearing in England in 1874, each hand. Placing the rabbits on the table,
Alexander returned to America by ship; he squeezed them back into one. Madame
during the trip, he saw a young dancer, Herrmann’s portion of the show involved a
Adelaide Scarcez, whom he had met in fire dance. Herrmann also often performed
London. By the time the ship docked, they the bullet catch in his show. The method
had agreed to marry. On March 27, 1875, was designed by Billy Robinson, who years
the Mayor of New York performed the later would be killed doing the same effect
ceremony. while performing as Chung Ling Soo.
In order to buy a home, Alexander Perhaps with that the danger of the
became a naturalized citizen in July 1876. bullet catch in mind, on August 31, 1895,
He and Adelaide then bought a mansion Adelaide purchased a burial plot in Oak
in Whitestone, Queens, in New York. Hill Section 86 in Woodlawn Cemetery,
A souvenir card Herrmann scaled into
When friends visited he picked them up Bronx, New York, for $763 (about $21,000
the audience.
in New York in his yacht, Fra Diavolo, today). The plot number is 8755 and

M-U-M Magazine 45
m agical m asterpieces

Herrmann fan, James Hamilton.

Adelaide’s stage setting after her husband died.

comprises four hundred and thirty-six feet. and appeared in vaudeville for many years.
Or, perhaps she purchased the plot because she knew how The all-time Herrmann fan and family historian was the late
Alexander blew through money or to prepare for her ailing magician James Hamilton, who also impersonated Alexander on
mother’s death. On December 16, 1896, Herrmann performed his stage. Unfortunately, Hamilton died on May 20 of this year. His
last show in a week’s engagement in Rochester, New York. The fondest wish was to be buried on the Herrmann plot; on October
next day, he boarded the train and while en route, suffered a heart 7, his remains will be interred within feet of the Herrmann family.
attack. On December 17, 1896, at the age of fifty-two, Herrmann Reverend Bill Rauscher will conduct the committal services.
the Great was pronounced dead. Adelaide continued to perform Funds from the sale of Hamilton’s estate go, in part, for the upkeep
both her husband’s show and her own, calling it A Night in Japan, and restoration of the Herrmann graves. 

46 OCTOBER 2017
M-U-M Magazine 47
 Cheats & Deceptions
(For Entertainment Purposes Only)
By Antonio M. Cabral
columns, I’ve talked about knowing what a in such a way that strengthens the impact
trick is really about before you try to work of the whole set. It’s how you can take a
up a script beyond “cooking show patter” genuinely shuffled deck and end up with
– i.e. simply describing what you’re doing all the cards back in perfect order over
A MATTER OF as you do it. Once you know what you the performance of three or four tricks
ROUTINE want your audience to perceive, you’re in (I know, because I have). It’s not an easy
a better position to find a word to describe thing to put together.
At some point early in my magical de- it. If you’re talking about a way to achieve Sometime very early in my magic de-
velopment, it was fashionable to meticu- success at the card table – whether you’re velopment, I came across an interview
lously avoid the word “trick” whenever doing the real work or something like the conducted by the late lamented Eugene
one was performing magic. Card Vernon Poker Deal – you might call it a Burger for his magazine column that
magicians in particular tend to use varied “demonstration.” If you’ve brought up he’d shared on his website. It was called
terminology interchangeably: “tricks,” ESP, mind reading, or even psychological A Conversation with Martin Nash. I was
“effects,” “routines” – not to mention techniques that feel like mind reading, you largely unfamiliar with Martin’s work at
“plots,” “handlings,” and the dreaded might call whatever happens an “experi- the time, but I knew the card shark repu-
“card problems.” A hundred years prior, ment.” If you want your audience to doubt tation. However, this conversation wasn’t
Hofzinser would introduce the tricks in his their eyes, despite irrefutable evidence, about second deals or riffle stacking or any
venerable parlor shows as “experiments,” you can call it an “illusion.” of the “fun stuff.” The conversation was
or “demonstrations.” Roberto Giobbi, in Those are terms that the audience about how Martin structured each of his
his book Secret Agenda, offers up a list of – those people with the external view – professional acts – including his famous
more than a dozen terms for a performer benefits from. They describe and provide Magic Castle act – to follow the dramatic
to use to refer to his or her tricks besides… context for what the audience is seeing. structure of “a Shakespeare play.”
well, “tricks.” On the other hand, terms like “plot” and Talking about his Castle Act, Martin
It got to the point where even the lay “effect” speak much more to what the described how he introduced himself and
public caught on to the gag. I’ve had so performer is concerned with. These are “set the stage” with a little prologue, and
many well-meaning audience members try internal ideas, the parts of the trick that the then cut to the Aces in any order called by
to ask me about whatever trick they just saw, performer has to convey to the audience, the audience. (I will forever think of a four
then stop themselves and apologize. “Oh, via other concepts like “presentation” and Ace production or one-at-a-time cutting
I’m sorry; you don’t call them ‘tricks,’ do “handling.” sequence as a “friends, Romans, country-
you...‘Illusions?’ What do you use?” While And this brings me to what Teller once men” sequence, because it’s a great way to
I admire the progressive civility, I let them referred to as “the dramatic hell known as get an audience’s attention. They don’t get
off the hook pretty quickly: “You can say a ‘routine.’” it until the second Ace appears, but when
‘trick.’” It was even famously written into Magicians often refer to any multi- they get it, they get it.) Then, as the act
the TV show Arrested Development as a phase trick as a “routine.” That’s not continues and the demonstrations get more
fit of adolescent posturing by the show’s always the case. If you’re doing Mac- astounding, he throws in some “comedy
inept magician, G.O.B. Bluth: “…Illusions, Donald’s Aces (or any Ace assembly of relief” with a Triumph routine, and ends
Michael. ‘Tricks’ are something a whore the “slow-motion” variety), the trick isn’t with what he called “the full battle scene”:
does for money.” (Whenever someone over until each of the Aces vanishes and his version of Ovation, in which the entire
offers up this line, I respond with: “Let’s reappears in the leader pile. That’s a series deck is face up on the table in one big final
be perfectly clear: I’m a whore.”) of effects, but it’s still one trick. Likewise, display. That description stuck with me
I eventually stopped being afraid of the if you’re doing a three-or-four phase Oil for a long time, so much so that it’s still
word “trick” when I realized I could use & Water routine, each phase might (and the guideline I use whenever I’m putting
the term and still take my magic seriously. should) be progressively stronger than the together a set, either planned or on the fly.
Rather than bristle and chafe at the word, previous ones, but that’s still one trick, That interview was the reason I sought
I think, like everything else, it’s a matter repeated three or four times. out the L&L tapes of Nash’s acts. All six
of individual taste. Don Alan, for example, Nor is a routine whatever tricks you of the acts featured can be analyzed in this
would often turn to a hysterical audience string together because you happen to fashion. One act that continues to fascinate
member and attempt to cool her out by like them (this is what Teller meant by me is his “Kings Incognito,” because it uses
saying, “These are tricks, dear!” (And as “dramatic hell”). A proper routine has a the inverse shape of most of the other acts.
with much of Don’s act, he said wryly; if shape to it, from a theatrical standpoint Unlike the Castle Act, in which he starts
it was good enough for him, it’s apparently and – for lack of a better term – from a by cutting four Aces and progresses to
good enough for the rest of us.) magical standpoint. And ideally, a really Ovation, “Kings” begins with a full-deck
Where these terms do come in handy strong routine has an internal component Triumph to produce four Kings, and then
is in crafting presentations. In previous that allows each trick to set up for the next dwindles down to Martin’s version of the

48 OCTOBER 2017
Ambitious Classic, which itself decrescen- tricks, the cards are shuffled, and shuffled, though you know where the show is going,
dos from five cards to one. and shuffled again. Then part of the deck is your audience does not, and might not
But what I discovered upon learning the switched out, and more cards are shuffled. even care. Awareness is key.
internal structure of the acts was the other Then the rest of the deck is rung in after One of the books that furthered my
component I mentioned: how each trick even more shuffling. (This is incidentally interest in this kind of thinking was
was designed to set up the performance of very similar to how Nash managed his Darwin Ortiz’s Scams & Fantasies with
the next one, then the next, and how the act Castle Act.) After all that structure and Cards. Routines like The Professional and
flowed not just from the outside audience’s shuffling, he creates a huge moment out of Shark Attack were eye-openers regarding
standpoint, but from the inside as well. literally nothing. You can’t point to that in- how to cull and arrange big set-ups from
In previous columns I’ve revealed a dividual trick and say “That’s the strongest a shuffled deck (inspiring huge chunks of
predilection for this kind of thinking that trick in the act,” but because of how it’s my own card work). But most important,
goes back to discovering Martin’s work. routined you sure as heck can call it the Darwin points out that while the performer
Certain tricks, as strong as they can be strongest moment. It’s like the last line of learns the performance to be one trick,
on their own, get even stronger if you the movie Babe: “That’ll do, pig. That’ll the audience is going to see two separate,
can precede them with other tricks that do.” Shakespeare, it ain’t, but given every- related tricks. This is the reason this
function in some way to reinforce them. thing that comes before, it’s a powerful kind of routining works in the first place,
For example, my memorized stack allows ending. because the audience doesn’t know or
me to end a performance by putting all Of course, these are professional formal suspect that the mechanics of one routine
the cards back in new-deck order. The acts I’m describing. But you can apply the have anything to do with the other. At the
simplest and most direct way to do this is same thinking to shorter, informal close-up same time, they’re very much aware of
to false shuffle, show the cards mixed, and sets. And it happens to fold very nicely into how many tricks you’re showing them. I
then have the cards go back in order. But if a classic piece of advice Michael Skinner have once or twice in my over-eager youth
I can precede that trick by having the cards described in his book Classic Sampler: overstayed my welcome with an audience
genuinely shuffled by someone else and “Years ago, Charlie Miller gave me trying to make it to the “big finish.” That’s
secretly reassemble the stack (e.g. Marlo’s a tip. He said to combine some of your a mistake I don’t make anymore, and I
Mental Miracle in my April 2016 column effects in groups of twos and threes. This hope you won’t, either.
or my handling of The Invisible Card from will enable you to remember a great deal The aforementioned Michael Skinner
my December 2016 column), then the more material. All you do is remember the quote has a follow-up paragraph: “Of
effect of order from chaos becomes that first effect and the next two or three will course, you don’t do this with every effect.
much stronger. be recalled instantly because each one is Some tricks are meant to stand alone. The
Another great resource for routining a part of a whole routine. Choose effects effects that you decide to blend together
an act this way is Rene Lavand’s book The that blend well together.” By “blend well will give your work a flow as well as
Mysteries of My Life (written by Richard together,” he’s talking about everything enabling you to remember a great deal
Kaufman). The act detailed in that book we’ve mentioned up to this point. of material.” Whether or not your goal is
has Lavand earning his ovation with a A word of warning however: In a more to “remember a great deal of material,” I
routine that in all honesty should have very casual or fast-paced setting, you might hope you’ll give some thought to thought-
little impact: he rattles off his memorized not have time to take three tricks to set up ful routining, which as Michael Close
stack, dealing all the cards and showing he one big one. If you need one trick to cull pointed out not once, but twice in his
knows the order. As tricks go, it’s dumb your set-up, and another to arrange your Workers series, is a “lost art.” 
as dirt – not to mention a blatant revela- set-up, your audience might be done with
tion of the method (i.e. a pre-memorized watching card tricks before you get to your If any M-U-M readers want to get in
order). But it’s everything that comes big, blockbuster finish. This is something touch, please feel free to contact me at an-
before it that makes this a blockbuster of a you have to be prepared for, and this is toniomcabral@yahoo.com. I look forward
moment. Over the course of the preceding when judicious planning comes in. Even to answering your questions.

ENHANCE YOUR ONLINE

M-U-M EXPERIENCE
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M-U-M Magazine 49
 No Smoke, No Mirrors
Real World Marketing
For The Working Magician
By David Corsaro

three-percent success rate in going from are trying to call around and get a bunch
a cold-call to a sale or follow-up meeting, of weekly restaurant gigs, start to gather
THE WORLD OF then you are doing well. Think about that information on which restaurants are in
COLD CALLING for a minute. This is a sales technique in your target area and get the names and
which only striking out ninety-seven times phone numbers of the managers at each es-
Most of the advice I have written about out of a hundred is considered good. This tablishment. Sometimes there is already a
in this column is aimed towards people means that you need to be very comfort- source out there you can purchase that has
who are willing to put in the work without able in hearing the word “no.” You need to amassed a phone list that would be helpful
having to spend a ton of money. If you be so comfortable with it that someone can to you. For instance, there are vendors
happen to have a lot of money, then hiring yell, scream, and curse you out for wasting and organizations that service restau-
a marketing specialist, a public relations their time…and you pick up the phone four rants, libraries, and such that would have
person, and a graphic designer would be seconds later and call someone else. member lists, thus dramatically reducing
ideal. If you do not have unlimited funds, I have never had much success in cold- your need to prospect and create an ap-
then I hope the advice in this column helps. calling, but other magicians have. So to propriate hit list. Think like a member of
If I am asked about a particular aspect of pass along some ideas concerning cold- your target audience. Better yet, call and
marketing that I am not as fluent in, then I calling, I went to New Jersey magician ask a member of your target audience to
go to an expert and pass which vendors and orga-

“One of the hardest

their advice on to you. nizations they subscribe.
This month, we are going This can be most helpful
to dive into the world of if you are targeting
“cold-calling.” If you are libraries or government-
familiar with this term, based organizations
my guess is that you are
either thinking “Yes I
things to remember is that that tend to all be a part
of the same network or
could use some help in online community from
this area,” or perhaps, “I
am more scared of cold-
you cannot take rejections which they get informa-
tion. Look through your
calling than that killer Facebook or LinkedIn
clown from the Stephen
King book.” So let’s talk
personally. This is a accounts and see if any
of your friends works

numbers game.”
about what cold-calling in the areas you are
is, who I think does it targeting and ask them
well, and the advice that how they network with
they have discussed with others in that occupation.
me. If you have the opportu-
The basic definition of cold-calling is Mark Zacharia. Mark has been a friend for nity to get one of these lists and can vet
“to make an unsolicited call on someone, many years; I have worked with Mark on the validity of it, go for it. If a list is not
by telephone or in person, in an attempt to his own marketing ideas. When it came already available, then consider creating
sell goods or services.” The most nerve- to cold-calling, Mark already had a great one on your own. Go online and begin
wracking part of that definition to most technique he was having an above average doing some deep research about the clients
people (myself included) is the “unsolic- success rate with. I sat down with Mark you are targeting. Sometimes this might be
ited” part. Essentially you are making a recently and asked him to share his ideas calling a general phone number and asking
phone call to someone who is not expecting with you. for the right person (the general manager,
your call, in the hopes that he will listen First, there are things that you need to the event coordinator, the administrative
to your pitch and purchase the service you do before you begin picking up the phone assistant, etc.). If you can find that person’s
are selling (or at the very least, be open to to help ensure you are starting from a name before calling the general number,
further discussion in person). The general solid foundation. Begin by thinking, very always double-check the correct spelling
rule of thumb is that if you have a one-to- broadly, about who you want to call. If you and pronunciation of names (Mark writes

50 OCTOBER 2017
them phonetically). the rest of your conversation. It could be down thirteen years in a row before finally
Let’s assume that you are looking at a something as simple as, “Does your restau- bringing him in. (And after the first show,
list of fifty names and phone numbers of rant have live entertainment,” (obviously, the librarian said, “Wow I wish we had you
possible clients you are about to target. if you are looking for a restaurant gig) or, here years ago.”)
You now need to view each one of these “Have you ever had entertainment at your After each phone call, whether it was
prospects as the most important phone call trade show booth?” Now you need to dif- positive or negative, update your Google
you will make that day (even though you ferentiate yourself. “I provide something Calendar or notepad to reflect everything
are about to make fifty phone calls). Every different. I do close-up magic tableside. that happened. If the prospect asked you
person you speak to needs to be document- Perhaps this isn’t what you are used to to call back at a later time, set a reminder
ed (along with the date and time of the call) seeing; it is specific to each age group that in your calendar for that date. And try to
so you have a strong paper trail of your I perform for. So I can entertain the family ask what method of contact the prospect
interaction with this prospect. Mark uses with kids as well as the happy-hour crowd prefers. Getting him to (even verbally)
an electronic calendar, but you can use at the bar. Plus, you are the only restau- commit to “Call me next week on my cell,”
pen and paper as long as you are diligent rant in this entire area that would have this or “Email me tomorrow night,” is much
and don’t misplace that information. It is unique entertainment to ensure people are better than “Yeah, call me later,” when it
very possible you will need to call this talking about you. Is this something you comes to arranging that follow-up. And if
prospect multiple times before you reach have ever thought about having?” he turns you down completely, note that as
the right person. And when you do finally Notice how in fifteen seconds, Mark well. Move that prospect to the bottom of
get the right person on the phone, saying mentions key themes like uniqueness, your priority list but by no means should
“I spoke with Linda last Monday and she customization for different types of you delete him. Make sure to retain as
said to call you today,” is a lot better than, customers, and word of mouth. Plus he much information as possible about that
“I spoke to somebody one day last week.” ends on a question. If the prospect says prospect just in case you should need it
Every time you make a call, send an email, yes he has considered this before, then in the future. The last bit of advice is to
contact them via social media, or drop a you can push for an in-person meeting to practice. Once you feel like you have your
piece of mail indicate the date and time in show an example of your work and discuss elevator speech down cold, set up some
your notes. Also include any details of the details. If he says no, Mark said that his time with a friend to review it. Call him up
conversation. preferred response is “Is this something and have him pretend to be your prospect.
In all likelihood, the first person on the that you have had a bad experience with Ask your friend to do everything he can to
phone will not be the ultimate decision in the past?” What I like about this is that get off the phone with you. Have him give
maker. You will have to get past the gate- it is not a hard push. You are not saying you every excuse he can think of to end
keeper who will decide whether or not you “Yes, but I am different,” or, “Yes, but have the phone call. And then make sure you are
are worthy to be put through to the general you considered…” You are just inquiring prepared to respond to anything. And be
manager or whoever it is. Remember that about the reason for their “no” answer. If kind. Even if the prospect responds to your
you catch more flies with honey than you the client responds that yes, he did have a phone call by referencing the relationship
do with vinegar - meaning these people bad experience with a magician in the past, habits of your mother, be nice. Remember,
are your friends. They want you to be a now you have somewhere to go. You can that call was just one of the ninety-seven
solution to their boss’s problem (even if it stress you are a professional and mention “no’s” you will get…and still be consid-
is a problem they do not know they have your experience. Your goal here is to make ered a successful cold-caller. Now, go be
yet). So you need to be polite. Also try to the client understand you are not the same awesome.
time your call for early in the morning or magician he dealt with in the past. If the (If you have any questions specific
right near the end of the day, when they are client says that no, he did not have a bad questions relating to a marketing challenge
less likely to be in the middle of another experience in the past but he does not feel you are facing, please email me at timeto-
call or task. like magic is appropriate for their venue, beawesome@gmail.com.) 
Now you have the correct person on you once again have somewhere to go.
the phone. At this point you need to under- Say that you understand his concern, but David Corsaro is a part-time profes-
stand you are, almost literally, the lowest if he has five minutes one day, you would sional magician working the restaurants
priority in their life. So you have a limited welcome the chance to come in and show and clubs of New York and New Jersey. He
time to make your case and convince that him how you are different and how you hosts the popular web series, Time to be
person you are worthy of their time. This can bring all kinds of unique appeal to his Awesome (www.timetobeawesome.com),
is what is often referred to as the “Elevator establishment. Notice that in all cases, you and has lectured on marketing to magicians
Speech.” This refers to how you would are not being pushy. You are simply asking at conventions all over the country.
describe your services to a potential client for the chance to prove you are someone
if you had only the time it takes to ride in worth meeting, even for just five minutes.
an elevator with them. Mark recommends One of the hardest things to remember
starting with an opening question to not is that you cannot take rejections person-
only ensure you have a decision maker ally. This is a numbers game. Mark told
on the phone but also to set the stage for me that one particular library turned him

M-U-M Magazine 51
 Between The Lines
Fifty-Two Books for the
Well-Read Magician
By Michael Perovich
form, the most notable being the beautiful An even lighter book is 1966’s Tops
edition by the Miracle Factory in 2001. Pictorial Album of Magicians, edited by
This version has been edited by Edwin A. Neil Foster. This is a book chock full of
WORKS ON MAGIC Dawes and Todd Karr and contains spec- glossy 8x10s presenting magicians popular
HISTORY tacular plates from Bob Read’s Cup and from the early 1900s to the mid century. It
Ball collection. The book presents a com- will help you connect a face with many of
The history of magic goes back pretty prehensive history of magic along with the names you’ll encounter in the books on
much as far as any other subject we can charming anecdotes featuring magicians our list. I like it.
identify. To help handle this large expanse both great and obscure. There is nothing Our third book from the list, and my
of time, we’ll divide known history into else that really replicates this book in personal favorite, is Magic: A Pictorial
eras, with the understanding that the closer scope; it has an innate attraction for the History of Conjurers in the Theater by
we get to modern times, the more infor- reader no other can match. David Price. Price had the ultimate collec-
mation there is to be mined. We’ll do it as But, hey, The Annals of Conjuring is tion of magic ephemera and untold juicy
follows, just in the hopes it will start an a hefty tome and a bit pricey. Let’s say tidbits about the conjurors whose place
argument: you wanted something a bit less imposing in magic history he lays out. This book is
and more cost effective. You might take a true to its title in that if you didn’t appear
• Ancient times (say from 1100 back to gander at Henry Ridgely Evans’s The Old in a theater, you didn’t appear in his book.
the dawn of civilization): after about and the New Magic, which you can find He covers not only illusionists but makes
1100 we start to see reliable recording of here (http://tinyurl.com/ybtgyw4z) or find a more thorough attempt to delve into the
effects. a copy of his more history oriented History careers of magicians whose no less accom-
• 1100 to 1840: by 1840 transportation, of Conjuring and Magic or his Magic and plished acts were presented on a smaller
printed works for the common man, and Its Professors. He’s briefer and a bit more scale. This book may be a bit of a challenge
show business really start to take off. fun (http://tinyurl.com/yckou3e8). to obtain, but serious students of the art
• 1840 to 1935: this covers the Golden Age Milbourne Christopher was the go-to will seek it out.
of Magic and the run-up to it. illusionist of the 1950s. He was a notable In the case of all three books, the ac-
• 1935 to 1975: magic foundered in a multi- collector as well, with a fabulous library complished creators of modern close-up
decade trough until Doug Henning’s and a far-ranging knowledge of the magic are all but overlooked.
World of Magic was broadcast on conjurors of yesteryear. His monumental Here are few more titles you might
national TV. history work is The Illustrated History come across or wish to seek out in your
• 1975 to the present: this is about as far of Magic, which is filled with reproduced magical travels:
back as most anyone reading this can photos, woodcuts, paintings, and more, Lives of the Conjurors (1876) by
recall. together with a text that details all of Thomas Frost: The publication date tells
magic’s history. To some extent these big the story. There is little doubt that subse-
Most of us consider history to be history books are ephemera collections quent authors have borrowed information
anything before our own time. The three connected by an overarching text, and this from Frost’s work (http://tinyurl.com/
books that follow are on our list and each is no exception. A new edition with added ydepk9ka).
in turn includes everything before its time: input by Christopher’s wife, Maurine, Quicker than the Eye (1927) by John
updates the illusionist-heavy text to its Mulholland: Mulholland was a performer
#19 The Annals of Conjuring (1924- 1996 publication date. and magic historian who wrote magic
1928) – Sidney W. Clark But suppose you just want to take in a history articles for encyclopedias,
#45 The Illustrated History of Magic large portion of magic history without too magazines (including for the Sphinx,
(1973) – Milbourne Christopher much effort. If so, you shouldn’t have too which he edited), and books. See also
#48 Magic: A Pictorial History of much trouble tripping onto a copy of Chris- Story of Magic (1935) and Magic of the
Conjurers in the Theater (1985) – David topher’s Panorama of Magic, a volume I’ve World (1965). Quicker than the Eye is
Price always cottoned to. Focused primarily on available from Lybrary.com (http://tinyurl.
the period from the middle ages to the mid com/y7fgbdb6).
The Annals of Conjuring was initially twentieth century, this 1962 picture-heavy, Original copies of this and other works
published in Magic Wand magazine text-light book will help you absorb a large we’ve discussed are offered by booksell-
between 1924 and 1928, taking us up dose of magic history with a minimum of ers on the Advanced Book Exchange,
through the Golden Age of Magic. The effort. It’s fun to just page through and Amazon, eBay, and magic book dealers.
material was later published in book read what catches your fancy. Conjuring (1992) by James Randi is

52 OCTOBER 2017
another full-throated history of the art of the most acclaimed is Illusion Show (1991) The Classic Magic with Apparatus
magic, breaking things down by period, by David Bamberg. There are biographies, series was issued over a number of years,
by person, by family, and by type. Like books focused on mentalists and Spook so I only had to mortgage my house inter-
the three we’ve listed, it has a number of Shows, and summaries of magician’s acts mittently to obtain it. Each time the final
beautiful color plates. This book is a bit in Programmes of Magicians (1906) by volume seemed to have been printed, more
less scholarly, perhaps, yet still has its own J. F. Burrows, and Programs of Famous magical stuff came to light and another
refreshing way of presenting the material. Magicians (1937) by Max Holden (http:// giant book was issued. This led to multiple
More than the others, it gives close-up its tinyurl.com/yb4vhhjc). indexes, separated like-themed items, and
due. These can all add to your overall a general sense that finding what you are
The Art of Magic (1997), a companion knowledge. In a more structured sense, looking for should earn you some sort of
volume to the PBS series of the same name, there is David Hibberd’s spiffy time-line, prize.
is a picture and poster focused history Chronicle of Magic (2003) if you can find a If you are interested in building
of magic. The series presented a number copy. It focuses on magic in Great Britain. apparatus, as I am, you’ll note there is little
of talking heads to accompany various I’ve included Dr. Albo’s wonderful information on joinery, material type, or
phases of the program and, to some extent, series, Classic Magic with Apparatus in thickness. Still, you can figure it out, and
that format is followed in this text. this section because, well, I had to put there is no undertaking nearly so ambitious
There was a spree of magic history it somewhere. This is a series of large- in all magic’s literature.
specials around this time, including The format books, with many lovingly photo- Here, you can learn who, how, where,
Story of Magic (1997) hosted by Ricky graphed color plates that seeks to describe and when what apparatus was made.
Jay and even Learned Pigs and Fireproof the working of virtually every piece of You’ll see that many dealers made the
Women, a book in 1986 and a television apparatus ever concocted by magicians’ same pieces, each with their own indi-
special in 1989. YouTube and Facebook fertile little brains. Here you’ll find tons vidual flair. You’ll learn about the various
continually spit out film clips of famous of information on the various magic companies and the magicians who used
magicians of yesteryear, which are in their companies that have flourished over the their apparatus. You’ll learn the history
own right additions to our knowledge of years. As this type of small apparatus has of magic apparatus and the craftsmen
magic’s history. typically been seen as proprietary, dealer- who made the bridge between conceptual
There are magic autobiographies of sold, buy-to-learn-how-it-works stuff, few dreams and mystery’s reality.
note such as those by Robert-Houdin, books address it; without Dr. Albo’s collec- #46 Classic Magic with Apparatus
Charles Bertram, and Carl Hertz. One of tion, you might never even know it existed. (1973-2007) – Dr. Robert Albo 

M-U-M Magazine 53
 Mind Craft
By Jim Kleefeld

elicit emotion. A painter will use subtle amaze, scare, worry, amuse, or surprise
brush strokes and mixed colors to invoke them? Do you want them to be in awe?
feelings of beauty or tension or peace- To firmly believe that you have extraordi-
fulness or fear. They shade and caress nary powers? Do you want them to walk
the canvas, continually altering, editing, away telling their friends they had the
PAINTER retracting and adding – defining space most wonderful time? Or that they saw
Magic. Mentalism. Mental magic. and movement with an overall concern something unbelievable? Or that they now
Often these three fields are inextricably for the end result. Painters plan, but they think there is much more to the mind than
linked. Many mentalists use methods, also allow the product to take shape, even they previously thought?
routines, or plots gleaned from the field change, as it develops. Let’s examine a standard effect and
of magic. Some magicians perform feats Often in magic, the trick is asked “paint” it. Alan Shaxon’s Confabula-
of mentalism in their magic shows. Yet to stand on its own. You show a white tion routine has become widely known in
there are still fundamental (pardon the handkerchief, run your hand over it, and the field. Many performers have offered
pun) differences between a magic act it changes to red. With no further talk or variations on the method using double
and a mentalism show. One main differ- actions, you have presented a feat that writing, one-ahead, pocket pads, or other
ence is purpose. If you are booked to do should invoke some degree of amazement. gimmicks. Despite the plethora of ideas for
a magic show at a public venue, what is A girl gets inside a box. You close the various methods, the plot almost always
your purpose? Do you intend to entertain doors, and then open them to show that the stays the same: Pretend you are going on
the audience? Puzzle them? Amaze them? box is now empty and the girl has vanished. a dream vacation and tell us where you
Provoke a sense of wonder? Make them Yes, good music, lighting, costumes, and would you go, how would you travel, and
laugh? Instill a sense of awe? All of these choreography can all help to make this how much money would it cost. Even
may be valid purposes, and in fact, you more enjoyable to the audience. But the David Copperfield’s television special,
may have several in a single show. But if essence of the act is in the trick. “How did with a spray-painted brick wall, had the
you are booked to present an evening of that happen?” is often the basic reaction, same basic story premise.
mentalism, is your purpose the same? not just as perceived by the audience, it is There is nothing wrong with the Dream
Probably not. often the ultimate goal of the performer. Vacation story for the Confabulation
A mentalist often sets out with a In mentalism, you rarely strive for puz- effect, but it has become well-used by this
different agenda than a magician. Usually zlement. A performer wants the audience time and it is certainly not the only way
entertainment is one of the core principles, to perceive a variety of emotions including to present the effect. It does usually paint
but the overall purpose of your show may joy, wonder, concern, pleasure, ennui, a picture of joy and serenity, but there are
be to enlighten the audience about the nostalgia – even sadness. You have to be other emotions that could be the focus
powers of the mind – or to provoke discus- a Painter. instead. Gather a few common supplies
sion about the plausibility of mind-read- In this field, routining is the equivalent
ing – or even to convince people that true of working with brushes and oil colors.
thought transference is possible. In most For mentalism to be effective, you have to Fig. 1
mentalism shows, the performer expects consider what you say, what the spectators
much of the audience to believe in mind should think, and how your actions develop.
powers, and others who are skeptical to at Your goal should be to give your audience
least consider it plausible. These purposes an emotional response. That’s one of the
are different from those of the magician. reasons that Q&A is strong in this field.
And one major difference is that they often People write personal questions on small
involve strong emotional content. slips of paper and pass them anonymously
to the performer, who provides answers to
WHICH IS WHY A MENTALIST the queries, sometimes reading the slips
HAS TO BECOME A PAINTER and naming the writers, sometimes not.
How do you become a Painter? You
When you present mentalism, you have read, study, and practice – but most of all,
to create an engaging story with a clear you think. as shown in Figure 1 and follow along to
plot, but also thought-provoking nuances. Think about the end result of an effect. create a different scenario for this effect.
Like an artist with oils on canvas, you can Decide what you want the audience to take You will need a business card and a
make your work stronger if you strive to away from the routine. Do you want to small note pad big enough to hide it. You

54 OCTOBER 2017
also need a small envelope large enough many years ago. Well, it is not about the like D.B. Cooper, he was known by just
to hold the card with some room to spare, robbery so much as it is about my ability his first two initials. Do you recall those
and a pencil or pen. There is some minor to foresee what someone here might two initials?” As you say this, look at
preparation for each show. Turn the know about that robbery. Let me get a your volunteer, but poise the pen over the
business card over to the blank side and volunteer to help.” Choose someone from business card and write “21” in the blank
use the pen to hand-write the text shown the audience to come up front and stand space right after the dollar sign. When she
in Figure 2. Note the special placement of beside you. gives you two initials (let’s suppose she
the words and blank spaces. The year and “Thank you for agreeing to help. I’d says “A.J.”), write those in large letters on
initial blank spaces are on the ends of the like to recall the famous First Trust heist the paper and then also write the initials
line, as is the word “not.” You will need to in Sioux City, Iowa, many years ago. Do (without periods) in small letters on the
write out a new card for each performance. you recall ever hearing about that from space on the business card. Your set-up
Open the notebook, lift up the first sheet, crime documentaries? No? Well, I want
and place the business card underneath it. you to use your best intuition on this, even
Close the top sheet and cover and have all if it is something about which you know
the components handy. nothing.” At this point, pick up the pen
Fig. 2 and notebook, holding the business card in
place with your thumb. Open the notebook
and casually show the audience the blank
first page, pointing to it with the pen.
“Last month, after I watched a docu-
mentary on the History Channel, I wrote
down a few of the details. Today I am going
to write down whatever you remember
about it, or if you remember nothing, I’ll
write down your best guess or estimate. Fig. 4
For example, the robber got away with
For the presentation, you will first show several thousand dollars. Do you recall
an envelope and set it in view on the table. how many thousand? No? Then just give
As you tell the story about a robbery, you me a number? How many thousands would will now look like Figure 4. (The il-
will open the pad and write three pieces have been a good haul that long ago?” lustration shows red writing where you
of information on separate sheets of paper. Suppose she says twenty-one. Write “21” have just added the new information, but
You will also write the same information in large numbers on the first page of the of course, you would be writing with the
on the business card, filling in the numbers pad (Figure 3). Turn the pad away from the same pen that you originally used to put
and letters in the appropriate blank spaces. audience and tear off that first page. Show the sentences on the card.) Note that you
You set the pieces of paper on the table it again and set it down on the table. At this move the pen quite a bit to make two large
after showing them to the audience. Then point the business card is uncovered, so letters, each with a period after it. Writing
you will secretly remove the business card keep the pad facing away from the the two small letters with no periods is
from the pad under cover of the envelope audience. shorter and quicker. Grip the card and the
and pretend to pull it out of the envelope. top sheet together and tear the paper off the
You read the filled-in card along with your pad. Set the paper back onto the pad as if to
spectator to provide a prediction purport- re-grip it. Lightly hold the card in place as
edly written ahead of time. Here is the you pull the paper out from under it, show
story, along with a few necessary direc- it around, and set it on the table. Removing
tions. the paper looks natural if you carry the
“I don’t know how many of you have card with it rather than try to sneak the
ever thought that you had precognition, the paper out from under the card.
ability to know ahead of time what events “Okay, last bit. Do you happen to
would happen. I think I do, and we will recall the exact year of the robbery? If
recreate a bit of history to see if it turns out you do not recall, just make a guess. Say,
I’m correct.” Remove the empty envelope 19…what?” Note that you have already
from your pocket, show it around, and set stated it was many years ago in Sioux
it on the table. City. These clues will point the spectator
“I have made a few notes, a precogni- Fig. 3 towards the twentieth century, so she will
tion of sorts, and written them on one of not say 1845, for example. If she does, just
my business cards. I placed it inside this act a bit surprised. “Oh, it wasn’t near
envelope; we will look at it in a moment. “Good so far. How about the suspect that long ago. What do you think? 19…?”
It is about a bank robbery that took place that they caught? You may remember that, Let’s presume she says “82.” Write 82 in

M-U-M Magazine 55
mind cr aft
because the story is fictitious. Since it is
Fig. 6 a fake story about a crime that never
happened, nobody in the room will know
anything about the event or the facts behind
it. The spectator who helps is always
flustered and flabbergasted because she
knows in her heart she was simply making
random guesses. I’ve played this routine a
lot and the spectator always comments that
she knew nothing about the bank heist.
One small tip: If you are afraid that your
audiences will want to inspect the card,
you might want to leave out the portion
about the robber being caught, since you
tary, he or she can corroborate your facts. only have a fifty-fifty chance of having a
You claimed that you knew nothing about clean card at the end.
Fig. 5 it and had no memory of the events. But Like a painting, this story has room for
look at the notes I made after watching subtlety and nuance with shade of color
large figures on the pad and also in small the documentary. Pull
numbers on the card, as in Figure 5. Tear the flap of the envelope
out the paper, holding the business card up, keeping the face of
behind it, and use your other hand to pick it towards the audience.
up the envelope. Cover the paper with the Pull the business card
envelope briefly as you exchange hands in out from behind the
order to set the paper on the table. Pull it envelope, acting as if
away from the other pieces, leaving the you are taking it from
business card hidden behind the envelope. the inside, as shown in
Show the 82 paper in one hand and the Figure 6. If the spectator
Fig. 7
envelope in the other, and then set the paper has said that she thought
on the table with the other two pieces. The the robber was never
card remains hidden behind the envelope. caught, hold the card
“So you said that it was A. J. who so she can see the entire message. If the that blend truth and fiction into a story
robbed the First Trust Bank of twenty- spectator said that she thought he was event that people will remember. For a
one thousand dollars in 1982? Oh, before caught, cover the word “not” with your spectator to “know” about true events from
I open this envelope, there was another thumb as shown in Figure 7. Read the history and yet have no recollection that
important piece of information. Was he entire card together with the spectator she thought she knew gives everyone in
caught and sent to prison, or not, do you looking over your shoulder. “I wrote, ‘In the audience some complex “art” to digest
think?” Let’s supposes she says that he was the fall of 1982, a criminal named A J stole at the show and then afterwards as well.
caught. $ 21,000 from the First Trust Bank. He was Don’t just “do” routines – paint them. 
“Of course, if anyone here remembers caught and sent to prison.’”
that bank robbery, or saw the documen- This plays much stronger than it sounds

56 OCTOBER 2017
 A Brief Moment in Time
By Gary Plants

DAI VERNON
What can be said that hasn’t already
been said about the Professor, Dai Vernon?
In my late teens I used to read Genii
magazine and I always immediately turned
to “The Vernon Touch” column to read
the latest writings of Dai Vernon. What
an amazing person and what an amazing
life that he led. He lived to be ninety-eight
years old; I truly feel that had he been
allowed to stay in Hollywood to visit the
Magic Castle on a regular basis as he had
done for so many years, he would have
made it to his one-hundredth birthday.
Back in the mid 1970s, the Professor Dai Vernon and Gary Plants discussing Dan Cummings,
went on his “Farewell Lecture Tour” Las Vegas 1980, in Siegfried and Roy’s backyard.
across the United States. At that time, the
Professor usually lectured for approxi- no one else could. I was shocked when I that you didn’t get the slightest flash of that
mately five to six hours straight. In 1978, first saw Vernon. He was so short...and he orange ball.
it was announced in M-U-M that he would looked more like he was sixty-four, not After about four hours, security came
be lecturing at the fiftieth S.A.M. conven- eighty-four. in and made the announcement that
tion, which was going to be held in New Vernon’s lecture started at midnight they had to close down the room, so the
York City. Not only that, but it was going and went on for over four hours. The Professor moved the lecture just outside
to be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. lecture was on a stage in the ballroom, and the ballroom. He continued his discussion
I told this to Michael Ammar and we at that time video cameras were not used of magic for another hour or so before he
decided right then and there that we had during lectures. Michael and I sat about let us go off to dream about what we had
to fly to NYC to see Vernon lecture.....this six rows from the front of the stage. The just seen and heard.
would probably be his last lecture ever, lecture started with Vernon asking various Shortly after returning home I decided
because (we thought) he would probably assorted questions, a lot from Erdnase, and to write the Professor a letter about Walter
die sometime soon. After all, he would be whoever answered the question correctly Scott, the Phantom of the Card Table. I
eighty-four years old! received an autographed photo. After about hoped to get some kind of response, but
So off we went to the Big Apple to five or six questions were asked, he decided I never really thought that he would write
listen to the Professor tell his tales like he wanted to move on to other things and back. I remember to this day checking
he just threw out the last three or four the mailbox for about two weeks. Then
photos towards the audience. I pushed my on a rainy Saturday (yes, I still remember
way past Michael and ran up onto the stage it was a Saturday) a letter arrived. I still
where one of the photos had gently floated remember not opening it for about an
down. About that time a hand reached out hour...just looking at it...and wondering
to grab the photo. I quickly stomped my what story would be inside. That letter
foot down on the photo so that it would go was an eye-opener for me because I had
nowhere. I very calmly reached down and always been puzzled by the story written
picked it up and walked back to my seat. If by Eddie McGuire. Many of the stories
you doubt my story, ask Michael Ammar. described in Phantom of the Card Table
The lecture was marvelous. One of the couldn’t be explained by second dealing,
amazing things that Vernon did was the the punch deal, roughing fluid, etc. In
wand-spin ball vanish with an orange ball the letter, the Professor explained the
about the size of a baseball. Over fifteen “missing” material, and that explained ev-
hundred magicians gave the Professor a erything. Now it all made sense, thanks to
standing ovation immediately after he the Professor.
executed this one move! It is hard to believe I received several more letters from

58 OCTOBER 2017
 Las Vegas, 1980

Vernon over the next ten years. One in one of the photos in this article,
particular that I remember had to do Vernon is telling me the entire
with Mexican Joe and a man named Dan Dan Cummings story. In this
Cummings. The professor had talked about day and age you might be inter-
these men at one his lectures and I wanted ested in hearing how old Dan
to ask him some specific questions about Cummings came to have so much
them. In this letter he said, “Dan Cummings money to give away. According
was a truly remarkable character and an to Vernon, he went around the
exceedingly clever mechanic. His bottom country and put people in office
deal and number two was uncanny. All by rigging the voting machines!
the details and circumstances concerning Some things never change. If
how I met him would take many pages to you want to read or hear more
describe. about Dan Cummings, pick up a
“He stated that years ago, when he copy of The Vernon Chronicles
was in action, he used to look for other Volume 4 by Bruce Cervon
cheaters. He claimed that he could rob and Keith Burns, The Vernon
them all because they had no idea that he Companion by Michael
took any advantage. When I meet you in Perovich, or the Revelations Dai Vernon Las Vegas Desert Seminar
Vegas, I’ll tell you the whole story. DVD Series by L&L Publish- lecture on how Malini crimped cards.
“Too bad Francis Carlyle is not around ing.
anymore to add any missing details. He I would see Vernon lecture several very poor and he needed help in hearing
was with me when I met Cummings.” more times, often at the Joe Stevens’ the questions that were being asked.
In a few months, I met up with Vernon Desert Magic Seminar and the St. Louis I feel very lucky to have been able to
again at one of the Las Vegas Desert Jubilee. The last lecture I saw was in 1989 actually witness the magic of Dai Vernon,
Seminars. We were in the back yard at at the St. Louis Jubilee. He lectured and The Professor. It is something that I will
Siegfried and Roy’s home. A very lavish Harry Monti was the emcee for the lecture. never forget. 
party was held there for the attendees. In By this time the Professor’s hearing was

M-U-M Magazine 59
 Informed Opinion - Latest Product Reviews
Compiled and Edited by W.S. Duncan

THE EXPERIENCE DVD to your routines, your work will benefit.

BY PETER TURNER There is value in this lecture and the price is not unreasonable.
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies However, there is a lot of video material of Turner on the market
Price $35.00 and those who already have other releases by him or are looking
for particular effects of his, may wish to compare content descrip-
REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE tions and reviews before making your purchase; for only a few
additional dollars more or possibly less, I found you may be able
If you have to up your value. Keep in mind, though, that the subtle tips and
not yet encoun- advice that I recognized as value may differ on other releases.
tered the works of That said, I am very happy to have spent almost an hour and a
Peter Turner, this half with Mr. Turner and look forward to encountering him in his
lecture DVD may other works.
serve as a short
and easy intro- LEADING THOUGHTS DVD
duction. Turner’s BY CHRIS RAWLINS
theme is perform- Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
ing seemingly Price $35.00
prop-less mentalism that has the ring of authenticity in presenta-
tion. The lecture was recorded at the 2015 LADS convention, and REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE
is a mix of tricks (many which we have seen before, but not often
presented so well), philosophy, and anecdotes. Turner makes it This week, while cleaning out
clear from the start that he has not prepared his lecture, and that my office, I found a few DVDs and
it will evolve from questions and reactions from the audience. He notebooks that had fallen between
is a bold performer with such confidence in his material that it my wall and the desk. Among them
all looks very good. His demeanor is not that of most mentalists: were my notes for a favorable review
there is no sense of superiority, no smugness, and no hype. He on Chris Rawlins two-DVD set. I put
comes across as a real person who happens to be able to do ex- the DVDs on again to see if, over the
traordinary things. His material hits hard because he is so good year since I had written the notes, my
with it himself. This was my first time seeing Peter Turner in a opinions had changed; they had not.
video. He is a burly Englishman with a northern accent, and an Published under the Vanishing
authentic non-pressured presence. He is very warm and passion- Inc. label, this offering served as
ate in his presentation, with a very high likability and approach- the first video introduction for many
ability. to the works of British mentalist
Routines presented include a PIN reveal using a borrowed Chris Rawlins. Rawlins had previ-
iPhone and the phone’s calculator app. This routine played very ously published a few works that had
strong, especially because it was mixed with a star sign revelation garnered praise, including an ebook
called Isabella’s Star, that is not taught on the DVD but which sold thru Kenton Knepper called Mind Experiments.
can be found in a separate manuscript sold by Turner. As this is There are a total of seven effects taught. The plotlines are
a recording of a lecture where he was undoubtedly pitching his familiar ones and the methods are not revolutionary, but Rawlins
materials I can forgive him for not teaching everything shown. has given a lot of thought to his routines and most important has
Please note that most of Turner’s work requires strong partici- provided complete live performances of all of the routines. No
pant management skills. Another strong calculator effect is also convenient edits or camera moves. It is all there.
not taught but reference to its source being in a book by Michael The first routine is a Newspaper Test called Hack. Everyone in
Murray is made. There is a hypnosis-style, synchronicity-styled, the audience has a folded page of one of two newspapers under
Psychic Lift effect based on a routine by Derren Brown. A his or her chair. They pick up and pass them around to randomize
mathematical effect in which you are able to reveal the total of them. The performer then picks one person to bring his page up
a seemingly randomly generated number is taught. The presen- onto the stage. To randomize things further the performer then
tation makes this seem fair and procedurally light. Turner also tears the page into strips, and then squares. He asks the partici-
shows how to turn it into a larger effect by adding a touch of Hoy pant to then think of a number from one to thirty. The performer
to it. An added touch for your own Any Card at Any Number starts counting to the number of the square chosen and stops
(ACAAN) effect is shown. It is a touch to close a routine and one square short and places the pile of squares onto a table. The
should be noted that an actual ACAAN routine is not taught. You performer then asks the participant to complete the count and then
will, however, learn the definitive answer to the challenge “If to focus on the square that matches his number. The performer
you’re a mind reader, tell me what I am thinking” (and, no, I will then reveals what is printed on the square. This is a messy pre-
not tip it here). sentation with pieces of newspaper scattered onto the floor of the
Turner has a good sense of the kind of experience he wants an stage and crinkly papers left with the audience. The method is
audience to leave with; if you apply the questions he asks himself inspired by Graham Jolly’s presentation of Koran’s Newspaper

60 OCTOBER 2017
Test. There’s nothing new here in method, but there are new ideas been thinking of and the performer is then able to reveal the full
in terms of thoughtfulness about how not to create uncomfortable name. The paper bits flutter like confetti and the routine builds
situations for your audience. It is the kind of thinking found in the nicely. The reveal is so far away from the modus operandi that I
best of headline predictions. Problems with this routine for me believe you and your audience will be very pleased. You will also
include the randomization not feeling random since the performer learn some excellent spectator management in regard to the pad.
chooses which spectator with which piece of paper comes up Drop Card is a two-person routine in which one spectator
onto the stage. As with the original routine, it feels a bit proce- chooses a card and the other is then able to find it in a spread of
durally heavy. There are more direct newspaper tests out there. cards, with her eyes closed. There is a very deep and thought-
The mess on the floor of the stage means that your performance filled explanation given to teach the subtleties of how to manage
space is littered for the remainder of your show and the thought of the volunteers and create the outcome. The live performance will
crinkly sheets of paper left in the audience make me cringe both teach you both what to do and if you watch closely also what not
for the prospect of noise and potential slip and fall. Also if you to do. There are times when an imperfection in the performance
become even briefly distracted or are not able to see clearly at a of another can yield more gold than their success. This only works
key moment you will be screwed in regards to controlling your when you can be seated between two spectators at a table with a
outcome, a prospect once you buy into the value of the elimination floor length tablecloth. Shades of Derren Brown and Peter Turner
of offensive imagery, might you give you pause. Of course there will be observed by the cognoscenti. There is also a bit that is
are methods that both remove the risk and appear truly random. taught to qualify a participant where she is able to detect how
In Credit Guard the performer asks for a volunteer to loan him many fingers you are holding up outside of her view.
his bank card. The volunteer secures the card face down in a pay The final routine on the set, E-Numbers, is a savant type routine
envelope. Then the performer takes the envelope with the bank involving the performer’s sense of taste. A card is handed out
card in it from the spectator and gives him another envelope with a list of colors found in a tube of the candy called Smarties.
which contains the performer’s business card. People tick off their preferences. The card is folded and put in an
The volunteer is asked to mix the two cards on the table and envelope. A tube of Smarties is introduced and a volunteer pours
the performer is able to locate the bank card. A third envelope is one out into your hand while your eyes are closed. You pop it into
added and the performer locates it again. The performer adds two your mouth and can correctly name the color. The Smarties are
more envelopes each with business cards inside. The envelopes poured into a bowl and the volunteer taking the card out of the
are fairly mixed and laid out in a row. Things follow in Russian envelope drops the appropriate number of candies by color into a
roulette fashion as envelopes and contents are cut in half with wineglass. The performer is handed the glass while blindfolded
the last envelope being handed to the spectator to confirm his and he pours them all into his mouth and begins to chew. As he is
card is safe. The performer then reveals the last four digits of chewing he calls out colors and numbers which match the totals
the bank card, which he has not previously seen or apparently on the card. This is fun, colorful, and does give you the chance for
touched. Rawlins credits the method used to the late Bob Cassidy, a quick snack mid-show. I suggest adding plastic gloves or tongs
but in application to bank cards and envelopes it actually should for the sorting of the Smarties, as you do not know where people’s
be credited to Gary Lee Williams, who published the method in hands have been.
Hocus Pocus magazine more than thirty years ago. Rawlins has All in all, I enjoyed this set and am looking forward to reviewing
you using business cards in the other envelopes. I suggest dummy his At the Table lecture in a future issue. I previously gave his
credit cards or plastic gift cards, which will better match the I.D.D. Design Duplication high marks and appreciate his present-
weight and feel, thus increasing the believability of the stakes. ing his work with a real audience for our benefit. Well done. Rec-
This is a very good routine with a lot of potential fun and drama ommended.
with a good finish.
In his Lucky Lottery routine, the performer invites spectators CODY NOTTINGHAM –
to call out numbers forming a set of lottery numbers, which are AT THE TABLE LECTURE VIDEO
recorded on a pad of paper. He then calls them out and confirms BY CODY NOTTINGHAM
them with the audience. He then removes an envelope from his Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
pocket and pulls out what we are told is a lottery ticket with the Price $10.00 DVD, $8.00 download
matching numbers printed on it. This is confirmed by a volunteer.
The routine requires minimal arts and crafts and a piece of dual REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT
reality. It should also be noted that it is not a printed lottery ticket
one receives from a vendor but the grid with which you choose There is another
the numbers. I do not believe that Rawlins is being deliberately name recently
deceptive here and in play for the audience I believe it will fly. emerging from the
This is easy to do and can be prepped on the road. “magic underground.”
Flutter is a routine that will require a John Riggs Butterfly Kentucky magician
Pad or similar device. I see it as serving especially well at a table Coty Nottingham is a
or in walk-around. The way I see an audience remembering it close-up wizard who
is as follows. A volunteer is asked to think of a friend’s name. creates and adapts
She writes it down on a pad, tears out the sheet, and returns the magic. He has already
pad to the performer who then writes the alphabet on a sheet been quite prolific in releasing new effects to the magic frater-
of paper. The paper is then torn into tiny pieces, creating little nity. This includes items released by the “big three” producers:
alphabet cards. The volunteer shakes the pieces up in her hands Murphy’s Magic Supply, Penguin, and Vanishing, Inc. This At
and lets them flutter to the table. All of the face-down pieces are the Table installment, hosted by Luke Dancy, contains a solid
eliminated. The process is repeated until only one face-up letter two hours and about a dozen routines, several card moves and
remains. It matches the first letter of the name the volunteer has artifices explained, and various pieces of advice to the real-world

M-U-M Magazine 61
performer. The lecture video is over two and a half hours in length! Chris-
Cody is known for his creative card magic, but there are a couple topher teaches some close-up mentalism that he has developed
of non-card items performed and explained as well. For instance, for a table-hopping venue. Although the material is primarily
there is a money routine in which the spectator punches a hole in designed for close-up, you can use and adapt the material for
a dollar bill with a hole punch and the mage instantly restores it. parlor performances as well.
While this is very visual and unexpected, some audience manage- Gregory Wilson is the host for the lecture. He keeps things
ment is required. Everything looks copacetic, but the gimmicked moving along nicely and asks questions to help clarify what is
bill cannot be handed out. So, some distraction is required to being taught. Christopher follows the “perform an effect and then
prevent your audience from asking to examine the bill, such as teach the effect” format, which works well in the streaming video
doing the effect in the midst of several quick effects in succes- format. Christopher is a very good teacher and clearly explains
sion. This allows you to quickly put the bill away before anyone the workings of the effects as well as providing additional tips for
can ask to see it. each routine.
Three other non-card items include couple of quick and visual Christopher covers a handful of routines and ideas including:
penetration effects with a ring, in particular a man’s wedding a prediction of a color and number, a variation of Bob Cassidy’s
band. In the first effect the ring melts through the index finger Name and Place routine, a routine using the “Pick Any Two
of one hand directly onto the index finger of the other hand. It Eliminate One” procedure (PATEO Force) with a martial-arts
is completely impromptu with no gimmicks required. There is a theme, his work on his index system, and a coin bend in the spec-
follow-up ring trick that is a bit more difficult to pull off, but still tator’s hand. All of the routines are fairly easy to perform, and
impromptu. The performer places his finger under his shirt and they are also very well thought out; Christopher has honed these
puts the ring over it on the outside of the shirt. The finger then routines with many real world performances.
melts through the shirt with the ring still on it. The other main You will need to gather a few supplies to make up your own
non-card trick is a mentalism divination of serial numbers on a versions of these routines, and be a little crafty to construct and
borrowed bill. This particular routine, called Cipher, is one of my assemble the items you will need. But everything that is needed is
personal favorites on the video. readily available and easy to obtain.
If you like fancy displays and flourishes, there is plenty here for The routines presented here are practical, well thought out,
you as well. Good examples are Cody’s Pop-out Move and Spread strong effects. Christopher’s design on the index system is
Split. You should also check out Dude, Where’s Your Card? great, but you will most likely be better off purchasing his fully
I recently attended a lecture where Cody performed many of assembled index system. I really like the color and number pre-
the items from this video, as well as items from his Code Red diction; it is straightforward and easily customized to different
DVD, and even some unpublished future releases. Every item presentations. What is a no brainer here in this instructional video
looks as good or better when performed live. He is a very person- is the value for the dollar. I still can’t believe that this is less than
able young family man in his late twenties. Although he has been eight bucks! Very good solid material created by a working pro for
around in magic for fifteen years, you may not have heard of him less than $8.00 makes this a must buy. If you perform or want to
before. Look out for more from Cody in the future. perform close-up mentalism, get it!
I think there’s something for everyone here. Cody Nottingham
– At the Table will give you plenty of stuff to work on for a long PAUL ROMHANY – AT THE TABLE
while. And like almost all of the At the Table downloads, you get DOWNLOADABLE LECTURE VIDEO
a bargain load of magic for a very low price. It’s hard to beat that. Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
Price $7.95
CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR –
AT THE TABLE DOWNLOAD REVIEW BY JIM KLEEFELD
BY CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies This At the
Price $7.95 Table video lecture
features prolific New
REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS Zealander/t rans-
posed Canadian Paul
I love to attend Romhany tipping
magic lectures; some terrific routines
I always learn and ideas. Hosted by
something from Greg Wilson, who
each one. Being keeps Paul on track
able to see a lecture and adds some insightful comments, the two-and-a-half hour
on video allows video moves quickly and discloses many good secrets. Full dis-
me to watch on my closure: I have worked with Paul on a couple of projects and have
schedule. It also a great deal of admiration for his act, and many of the book, trick,
allows me to replay and other projects he has launched. I also contributed to some of
any parts of the lecture I want to and watch it again. This down- the products he touts here, products of both Romhany and Wayne
loadable lecture is from Canadian mentalist and creator Christo- Rogers. But I can still be objective when I review something; I
pher Taylor. I met Christopher several years ago at a Mindvention thoroughly enjoy watching a video lecture like this one.
convention in Las Vegas. He is a great guy and has created some The attitude of both performer and host is playful and friendly,
incredible devices for the mentalist and magician. I had not seen so you almost feel like you are live in the room with them; just
him lecture before. some guys who know cool insider stuff sharing with each other.

62 OCTOBER 2017
 Romhany performs and teaches several easy and effective in the video here. But you will still have to go out and buy the
tricks. There is a great examination of the Out to Lunch principle product if you want to perform it, so this section of the lecture is
and several novel ways to use it in routines. Paul’s ideas of not more of an ad than a lesson.
rubber-banding the packet and of cutting the half-card in a non- Except for the couple of routines that require a purchase, there
straight manner are both very worthy additions to the genre, and is much to be gained from watching this At the Table lecture, a
open up the principle to many more interpretations. decent bargain at the small asking price. If you don’t know Paul’s
Perfect Time is explained and taught well, although, to be fair, work, this is a great introduction. In addition to teaching you some
this is an early Bev Bergeron idea and has seen publication in great tricks, it will lead you to more of his fine books, products,
several iterations over the years. and ideas.
I enjoyed Paul’s Chair Test. Three spectators each come on
stage, grab a sign with a large number placard, and sit in a folding REBORN DVD
chair covered with a bright cloth. Although their choices were BY BOND LEE
their own, Paul shows a prediction that reads “Spectator 1 will Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
sit in the blue chair, spectator 2 will sit in the yellow chair, and Price $79.95
spectator 3 will sit in the red chair,” all of which are correct. He
then closes the routine by having one of the spectators choose a REVIEW MARC DESOUZA
random page from a book and shows that the three number cards
the men are holding can be reversed to reveal letters that spell My first love in magic was
out a three-letter word – the same word that was chosen from the stage manipulation, and my
book. This routine combines a couple of mentalism effects and first foray into that field was a
is also surprisingly witty. The only caveat here is that Paul uses set of small multiplying balls
and extols the virtues of Wayne Rogers’s Force 4, a commercial made by Adams Magic. Given
product that you need to buy to make the trick work. Force 4 is a the difficulty in working with
great idea, a wonderful product, and worth the money, but Paul’s those tiny wooden balls and
routine here on the video depends on it, so you’ll have to add $185 metal shell, it is a wonder that
to the cost of these instructions if you want to perform the routine I continued in that discipline.
as he does. Along with the Chair Test idea, the Force 4 instruc- As time went on, I progressed
tions include two routines that I contributed. to a larger all-wood set and eventually acquired my first (of many)
Following these strong openings, Romhany offers several sets of balls by Frank Radtke (aka Fakini). The field of ball manip-
great tips for Mental Epic, the commonly-known mentalist trick ulation has gone through some remarkable advances, primarily
in which you predict three outcomes. Most of us have bought a due to the creativity and efforts of a number of Asian manipula-
Mental Epic board at one time or another. They range from $3 tors. I think it is safe to say that this branch of our art has been
plastic close-up toys to $300 hardwood slate boards to $3,000 elec- dominated by the Asian contingency for over a decade now, and
tronic whiteboard transmitters. What Paul teaches here are great they continue to produce some amazing work.
routining tips that can be used with virtually any Epic routine, I first became acquainted with Bond Lee when he released his
as well as some other ways of performing the routine impromptu first DVD, Born. This was a fine DVD that taught his techniques
and without props (well, other than three ungaffed cards or slips and routines with billiard balls. I recently had the pleasure of
of paper and a pen). Personally, I think the Roman numeral tip is hosting Bond’s first lecture in the US, and he certainly did not
worth the cost of the entire download. If you paid someone eight disappoint. The strongest part of the lecture (IMHO) was his ball
bucks to learn that you would be more than satisfied. manipulation routine. He has taken the work detailed in his first
But wait; there’s more. There is an idea on how to use a Rubik’s DVD and absolutely blown the roof off it. This new two-disc
Cube to force either a color or a number. It flew past Greg Wilson, set details all of that work and more. Most of the material deals
or at least he claimed so. The color force works well with Mental with multiple shell techniques. It used to be difficult to find the
Epic and the number force can be used to set up a Magic Square. materials necessary for this work, but fortunately Bond (as well
Both are good routine ideas, though not fully explored here. as other Asian dealer/manufacturers) has made these materials
Next comes an ACAAN routine that will fool the pants off of readily available. Just go online and search them out.
you when you first see the demonstration. One spectator picks a Within these two discs are an examination and teaching of a
card (for example, the Four of Clubs); he then shuffles it into the variety of newer techniques for ball manipulations. These include
deck. Another spectator names a number, say eleven. You deal productions, vanishes, multiplications, and color changes that, for
cards straight and true from the top of the shuffled deck, and sure the most part, are different and startling. He has collaborated with
enough, the Four of Clubs is the eleventh card down. Although it Ian Tsang and Bojan Barisic on some of the routines. There are
is an unbelievable effect, you may be disappointed to learn that techniques using single, double, and even triple shells that allow
the method makes it usable only in certain situations. There is also for some incredible productions, the best of which is the Flash
a Book Test you can perform with any book, one of my favorite Four production. He also details a variety of gimmicks used to aid
mentalism genres, and although I was familiar with this version, in the techniques and routines. These include loop balls and shells,
you may not be. It can be strong in the right hands. ball holders, and pocket servantes, as well as his G4 gimmick.
Romhany closes with an interesting discussion of his past, life Most are available through Bond’s company and elsewhere. Some
including working for cruise ships and developing his signature are variations on classic gimmicks, while some are new. All are
Charlie Chaplin routine. Not a lot of depth here, but this is, after fascinating. It is up to the individual to apply the judicious use of
all, a teaching lecture, not a history lecture. I found the discus- such props.
sion interesting. The set closes with the examination of another The production on this DVD set is excellent, with good clean
Romhany product, Calendar Presage. I own one. It is a fine video, and excellent audio. There is a bit of difficulty in navigat-
product, well worth the $40 cost, and you can discover its secret ing through the menus, but stick with it and eventually you’ll be

M-U-M Magazine 63
able to get to everything. If you love ball manipulation, you need This leads to setback number two. The trick is not easy to reset,
this set. If you are just getting started in this fascinating field, I which makes it unfriendly to table-hoppers. You have to make up
would recommend his first DVD, before graduating to this set. In a separate gimmicked card for each performance if you wish to
either case, Reborn presents some groundbreaking new material perform Stab for several groups in a row. It is great for a single
and gets my highest recommendation. performance for twenty people or less, or even better on camera.
Now we arrive at my biggest problem with this effect. Although
STAB TRICK the method is super clever and it is a fooler, a “real” magician would
BY PETER EGGINK not do this. There is no real justification for using the playing card,
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies other than artificially with your script. You would simply borrow
Price $20.00 the bill and stab it through the center (using something like John
Cornelius’s Pen through Anything or Perfect Pen).
REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT It’s a great method for a fair price. If you are an amateur looking
for something to play with and “fool the guys” who haven’t seen
As is “common- it, I can recommend it. If you are a worker looking for something
place” with new trick to add to your “quick reset” repertoire, this may not be for you.
releases these days,
this clever penetra- TUNNEL TRICK
tion trick does not BY NIMH
come with instruc- Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
tions. You must Price $30.00
download them from
an online source. REVIEW BY DAN GARRETT
Readers may already
be aware that I look upon this practice with some disdain. What Tunnel is a
if twenty years from now the online instructions no longer exist? creation of Viet-
Magic auctions may never be the same. That’s why I recommend namese magician
always keeping a backup file of downloadable instruction videos Nimh. It was
on a thumb drive for your future reference, just in case the magic inspired by a trick
websites go out of business or stop paying their hosting fees. that many non-
Ron with Magic from Holland hosts the online video, where magicians have
he performs the effect, and explains everything one needs to shown me as “the
know about making the gimmick. We never see the creator, only card trick I
Peter Eggink. Ron’s gushing over this trick comes across as a bit know” (other than
maudlin. But, he gets the job done – mostly. the Twenty-one Card Trick). And they always want to show me.
The effect simply stated is this: a playing card (any card) is However, this principle is used in a unique way to create the
folded in half and a hole is torn out of the center. A bill is borrowed illusion of two bills instantly changing places while held in the
and folded in half lengthwise. The folded bill is cleanly inserted tight grip of two spectators. When performed properly, this is a
into the folded card and a pencil is “stabbed” directly through the fantastic illusion. The best magic is always that which occurs in
center of the borrowed bill. Everything is shown on both sides, the spectators’ hands.
and then the pencil (or pen) is pulled completely through the bill. Here is a more detailed look at the effect. The magician
The bill is slowly removed from the card, no switching or funny borrows two bills of different denominations. Each bill is signed
business, and the hole is “healed” before the bill is returned, by a spectator. No funny business yet. The performer produces
unharmed. a long and narrow black envelope with open flaps at both ends.
I recommend you seek out the demo video online and watch Squeezing the sides makes the envelope pop open, forming a
a performance with no editing or cut shots. The method is very tunnel of sorts. A few spectators look through the tunnel and see
clever, and will fool almost anyone, magician and muggle alike. an empty, unobstructed envelope.
The angle problems are minimal, with the only bad line of sight Each bill is inserted partway into either side of the envelope/
being any that are above your own. If your eyes are higher than tunnel. Two spectators are enlisted to hold tightly to one of the pro-
your audience, you can perform Stab completely surrounded. truding bills. With a quick snap, the magician pulls the envelope
There are several major problems to consider. First, you have to quickly away, leaving each spectator holding a bill. Only now the
make your own gimmick. It’s not as easy as Ron makes it appear bills have mysteriously transposed in the spectators’ hands.
on the video, and you may have to make more than one to get it Tunnel is good for most close-up situations, from street per-
right. He does not do the best job of explaining, and many of you forming, to bars, to table-hopping. The gimmick (a black envelope,
will need to rewatch sections a few times to get the details. You about size 10) packs flat, but you are better off carrying it around
may have to fill in a few missing crafting tidbits along the way. in a jacket pocket as opposed to jeans to prevent wear and tear.
Why can’t they make the gimmick for you? Sounds like a great On the positive side, the bills are genuinely borrowed and un-
suggestion, but there’s a catch. The trick will work with practi- gimmicked, and can be signed. Tunnel can be performed with
cally any currency in the world (with a few exceptions where virtually any paper currency from any country. But not so fast.
currency is printed on plastic and cannot be “stabbed”). But You will not be able to perform this routine straight out of the
you must make the gimmick in advance to match the exact bill package. There is a lot of time and work to put in before you
you wish to borrow. Fortunately, the producers include enough will actually be able to present this great close-up effect for an
material to make up several gimmicks, as well as some fake Euro audience. By my estimation you should plan on at least a week of
and U.S. currency. work. There is no gimmick provided, just black paper and special

64 OCTOBER 2017
material from which you must construct the gimmick yourself. with one hand, and then quickly tossed into the other hand. The
The gimmick will be made according to the two specific bills you change takes place in that instant. You are then able to open the
plan to borrow. Once made, you must borrow those exact denomi- card case, remove the cards, fan them, show their faces and backs,
nations in performance, or have two similar bills available. and go on to a card trick. The card box can be casually tossed onto
The two black envelopes you will make come partially con- the table and can be examined. Obviously this is not a stand-alone
structed. The second envelope only requires being folded and effect; it is a clever, flashy prelude to doing some card miracles.
glued. It is unprepared, in case you want to switch and have it The gimmicks are simple and will last for many performances.
examined after the fact. Whether you need this extra envelope is They are also easy to make and repair. While the “fit” is not quite
debatable. You will also have to provide scissors and double-stick precise, the handling on the online instruction video shows this
tape. The instructions recommend you go out and buy a special is not an issue. This will make complete sense once you see the
can of spray adhesive. They tell you the actual name and brand of gimmick.
the glue. A quick online search revealed many stores in my area The instructional video shows how to make and repair the
that carried it, so it should not be hard to find. gimmicks, how to use the gimmicks with a standard Bicycle
In the U.S. it will also cost you a minimum of six dollars (a $1 card case, several ways to execute the change, and how to hide or
and a $5 bill) to make the gimmick. Of course, you can always dispose of the gimmick after the switch. (All of this is quite clever,
take the gimmick apart if you want the bills back, but at the cost by the way.) The gimmicks have a black-art feature that enhances
of extra wear and tear of the envelope. It is best to choose bills (or the effect when applicable, but an alternate handling is explained
bank notes) that are easy to borrow where you are performing. when the black-art feature is not an option.
Let’s say you have invested the considerable time and money to An added bonus is a short, three-minute demonstration on
make everything up. It is a considerable hill to climb for a single how to use camera angles to strengthen your magic YouTube or
close-up trick. But there are still a couple of big roadblocks in Instagram videos when performing the effect.
your way: rehearsal and audience management. You simply can’t You receive two gimmicked cards, one of which you will need
rehearse the trick alone. You must call on a couple of friends, to finish yourself (a five-minute job), a small supply of “stuff”
preferably magicians, to help you rehearse. You need to get the to make the gimmicks, and the contact info for going online for
audience management down to perfection. If either spectator does instructions. No sleight of hand required!
not follow your instructions explicitly, the trick will fail. If it fails, Note: Live TV and recorded rights are reserved by Magic World.
there is no out and you will be left with egg on your face.
Fortunately, the instructions cover the audience management TRAVEL TRICK
aspect very well. There are checks to ensure each spectator is BY MICKAEL CHATELAIN
doing as you ask. While I am still not a big fan of the instruction Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
videos from SansMinds, this one is a little better than their normal Price $29.95
attempts at teaching. There is still plenty of room for improve-
ment, however. REVIEW BY JAMIE SALINAS
Angles are also a consideration. Once you master it, you can
probably perform the effect surrounded, as long as you keep ev- If you have read my reviews, you
erything below the audience’s eyes. You need to be aware of all know that I am not a big card magic
these obstacles from purchase to performance before you fork fan; I only perform a few card tricks
over your thirty bucks. Having said that, a good performer and in my performances. I also am not a
audience management maven will have a wonderful effect in his fan of gimmicks used with cards. In
or her arsenal. For those special individuals who don’t shy away this review, I will cover a card trick
from doing their homework, I can recommend this effect. that uses a gimmick. So, you are
probably thinking I am going to hate
TIC-TAC-AL TRICK this trick. Actually, no. Even though
Available from: MagicWorld.co.uk this may not be for me, it is actually
Price$29.95 a good trick.
The plot is simple and the effect is
REVIEW BY DAVID GOODSELL good. A freely selected card is signed
and placed face up on the face-down
Perhaps for as deck, which is being held by the
long as there have magician. The magician states that the card will vanish, and
been card tricks, reappear in the card box. After a ploy that involves the obvious
performers have palming of the card and placing it on the tabled card box, the
toyed with methods effect is actually accomplished in a much more magical way.
for the flash ap- When the actual effect is performed, the spectators see the
pearance of a cased magician wave a hand over the face-up card, and it vanishes in
deck of cards, or the an instant. The magician then shows an empty hand as the box is
flash transforma- picked up. The box is shaken so all can hear that there is something
tion of something inside. The magician opens the box and removes the signed card.
into a cased deck of cards. The creative team from Magic World You are supplied with a gimmicked card box that is packed flat
(UK) has come up with a pair of gimmicks that enable you to (and will need to be assembled) and a gimmick that is ready to go.
change a small box of Tic Tacs, or a mini-deck of cards into the You will also receive some extra material to repair or replace your
full-sized, cased deck. The change is virtually instantaneous. In gimmick. Included in the packaging is a link with a password to
either example, the small object is held in front of the performer an online video that teaches you everything you need to perform

M-U-M Magazine 65
the effect and repair or replace your gimmick. The setup comes in ers today are learned by watching performers on instructional
red- or blue-backed Bicycle cards. You will need to supply your DVDs, be aware that the snapping fingers gesture in the direction
own deck of cards to match the included box and gimmick. of the spectator as used by Strebler may be considered rude in
The gimmick will eventually wear out, but thanks to the in- many cultures.
structions you will be able to repair (or replace) it. The routine is The oddest thing about this DVD is the line in the promotion
fairly easy to perform, but it will take some time to practice and be “TV rights not included with purchase. Please contact SansMinds
comfortable with the gimmick. This will have to be the opening Magic for TV rights.” It is ludicrous that a hidden method should
effect with the deck of cards, but at the end of the routine, you have such restrictions. In the category of methods to secretly gain
can perform any card tricks using a standard deck. Even though information I feel your money can be better spent elsewhere.
English is not his primary language, Mickael is a good teacher; it
is fairly easy to follow his instructions. TRIPLE C TRICK
Bottom line: this quick effect is easy to follow and looks very BY CHRISTIAN ENGBLOM
magical. If you are not opposed to using gimmicked cards or card Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies
boxes and are a card magic enthusiast, you should consider this Price $40.00
offering. Priced at just under $30 makes this a very good buy for
the right worker. REVIEW BY NORMAN BECK

MIND INVASION DVD Christen Engblom

BY MORGAN STREBLER is one of my favorite
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies authors. That list
Price $19.95 includes Stephen
Minch and Richard
REVIEW BY JOSHUA KANE Kaufman in the magic
world, and Stephen
Morgan Strebler’s King and Lee Child
Mind Invasion is in the world of fiction
a full billet peek. writers. If their names
This is not the first are attached to a product, I will buy it. Mr. Engblom falls into that
time that Strebler’s mix. I don’t have to know the method, or what the effect is; if he
peek has been out puts it out, I buy it.
and about in the With Triple C you receive a gaffed deck and some online in-
community. It was struction of its principles and how to use them. But the interest-
previously described ing thing about this deck is that I would bet money many people
under the name of would play with it for a day and not find the work. Yet once you
the Bullet Peek in a publication by Peter Turner. Renaming the are told what the gaff is, it is clear. I would say that I could take
effect for the DVD without referencing the initial release feels a this deck into a game of bridge players and they would never find
bit disingenuous, and could result in someone inadvertently pur- the work.
chasing the same information twice. If you liked it in Turner’s So what is it? Well, I can’t really tell you without giving the
Mentalism Bulletin #4 but found it difficult to learn from the de- secret away. But rest assured that you can do some amazing things
scription, then this visual media approach may be better for you. with this deck. And the instructional video gives you several tricks
Be warned, the entire DVD runs less than twenty minutes; I did with it. In my mind what you are buying is not a gaffed deck that
not find the tutelage to be of the highest quality. you can do three tricks with, but rather a deck that could be used
The same over-edited street footage is played too many times for hundreds of tricks. And if you are wondering from those hints,
for my taste, and the production feels hasty. Strebler apparently no, the deck is not a Stripper Deck. The deck could be used in any
did not even have time to take his hat off. This is not the first card games and would pass very close scrutiny. But in fairness to
time a full billet peek has been on the market; despite the ad- the creator, I don’t feel I can tell you what it is.
vertising claims, I did not find anything particularly “revolution- One of the effects is a Poker Demo. I am going to describe how
ary” about the approach. There are peeks that are just as good, it looks to the audience. A spectator names a four of a kind. You
or better. For about the same price you can buy Elliot Bressler’s ribbon spread the deck face up and remove the named set, making
SwitchCraft, which has a ton of billet moves, including some good it clear there are no duplicates or extra cards of that value. Then
peeks. Richard Busch’s Zen Billet is a precursor to this, along with you replace them into the pack and shuffle. Next you deal out five
Millard Longman’s Acidus Globus. I also prefer Alain Bellon’s hands, and you get the four of a kind that was named. You do no
Obsidian Oblique. seconds or bottom deals, and you honestly have no duplicates.
It is questionable how necessary a full billet peek is to accom- The trick is not self-working, but it is not that hard, either. Now
plish our goals. Most peeks contain the information to one area. A you can’t do this with a normal deck. The cards are shuffled and
whole card could end up inviting more writing than can be taken it still works.
in at a glance. Too much data requires one to read. I also feel the In a second effect, called Name Spell, you have a card selected,
beat of the peek is at a time when the heat is at its highest. This returned, find out the person’s name, and you spell to the selection.
peek is not designed to be used with all business card stocks. It is This one will take some practice. You are using not only the deck
best to avoid glossy stock both for how the card will look at the and some sleight of hand, you are also doing some estimation. At
end from being worked and the fact that glossy stock may make the end of the day the trick never looks the same, and you must be
noise and talk at critical moments. able to think on your feet. There is also a trick in which a card is
Keeping in mind that many of the bad habits we see in perform- selected and a spectator names the selected card. You must have

66 OCTOBER 2017
two spectators for this effect. magic magazines. What makes this so maddening is that many
The deck is clever, and well made. In addition to the tricks there times I will have read the exact trick in the self-same magazine
were two bits of business that for me were worth the price of the yet failed to see its possibilities. I only mention this because I feel
trick. One allows you to simply reverse a card, and the other is the same way about Steve Rowe’s Appear-8. There possibly is an
a method for forcing a person to pick one or two as a number. outstanding effect in it somewhere. I’m just unable to see it.
Now they both may seem simple things, but to me they were the Appear-8 is, as the name implies, a trick in which you make an
best part of the project. Were those the only two things offered, eight ball appear. It is a visually startling production that looks
I would have felt I got my money’s worth, because both provide like a special effect you would see in a movie. You may find
building blocks for other effects. yourself marveling as you do it over and over again for yourself in
I am going to tell you that you should buy this. And if you’re a mirror. But for all that, I fail to see the point of it.
like most magic buyers you will play with it a little bit, and when Making a pool ball appear is not a bad premise. Unfortunately,
the novelty wears off, put in the drawer. That would be a mistake. in this case you make it appear off of a deck of cards. It is the
Please buy this product, and use it enough to become good with it. juxtaposition of these two divergent forms of gaming equipment
I’m sure you will fool the magicians you show it to, and you will that I have difficulty in reconciling. “What has billiards to do
slay a lay audience. I must say after playing with the deck and not with playing cards?” is the question that keeps rattling through
finding the work, it made me laugh at myself. my head. Unable to reconcile pool balls with pasteboards, I will
leave it to my readers to see if they can make this more than a “I
ALOTTA MUG PROP do this because I can” type of effect.
BY GARY BROWN A deck of cards is brought out, and a few effects are presented
Available from: www.ronjo.com with them. The card box, which has been in full view throughout
Price $19.99 the entire effect, is then turned over to reveal that it (inexplica-
bly) has a picture of an eight ball on its face. The performer then
REVIEW BY PAYNE plucks a real, albeit not reg-
ulation size, eight ball from
I wanted to like this trick, I really this image, leaving the box
did. But, in the end it was a disap- illustration-free. And that’s
pointment. It’s a great idea, updating it.
a classic of magic into a common As I said, it’s startling and
everyday item. But in the end it failed highly visual, but not even
miserably. the online video instruc-
Mr. Brown has taken the old Lotta tions helped in providing
Bowl, which is usually a suspect spun any motivation or logical
aluminum vase that inexplicably reason as to why one would
adorns a magician’s side table, and have a deck of cards with a
he’s replaced it with a plastic mug. picture of an eight ball on it. It’s pretty much presented as a flashy,
Unfortunately, instead of having a non-sequitur opener.
mug custom made, he has taken an The box is well made and will pass cursory visual observa-
everyday mug and gimmicked it for use as a Lotta Bowl. tion. The spectators in no way can ever handle the box, or even
I was only able to get four pours out of it. The first, a massive overly scrutinize it, especially in its pre-transformed state. While
two cups worth of liquid, the next only two thirds of a cup, the one showing the box with the eight ball displayed you need to be aware
after that comprised just one third of a cup, and the final pour was of your angles as well as the lighting, because there are certain
a measly quarter cup. tells that could be caught by a keen-eyed spectator. After the eight
The walls of the reservoir are just too thin to provide suffi- ball has been plucked off of it, the box, I believe, can be more
cient volume for the ever-appearing liquid. It was obviously made casually handled. But it still should be placed well out of view as
to insulate the contents of the cup, not to provide a seemingly quickly as possible as all attention is drawn towards the pool ball.
unending supply of water. This is pitched as a great running gag. If you suffer at all from magician’s guilt this might not be the
Unfortunately, at least in my opinion, it’s a gag that runs out long effect for you. Not only are you going to have to very casually
before it should. handle a highly gimmicked card box. You also need to palm an
On the positive side, it fills easily (no submersion required), the eight ball. Granted you have all the cover in the world, because
secret something is in an easily accessible and logical spot, and it no one knows what’s coming and it is a smaller than average pool
looks like a common everyday commuter mug (because it is). It ball (measuring only two inches in diameter) but I know how
even comes with a spill-proof top, so you can actually use it as a some of you feel about palming anything.
mug, which is probably what you’ll end up doing. Also, pocket management might be an issue for some. You’ll
have to sacrifice valuable space to an eight ball that has no other
APPEAR-8 TRICK use other than to make its appearance off of the face of a deck of
BY STEVE ROWE cards.
Distributed by Murphy’s Magic Supplies The viewable online instructions clearly show you the care and
Price $39.26 feeding of your gimmicked card box. You get a couple of different
handlings, an idea from John Bannon, and a DIY project of how to
REVIEW BY PAYNE make a carrying case for your deck out of gaffers tape.
So, if you have a need to make a pool ball appear, or aspire to
I have an infuriating friend who often shows me fabulous magic perform startling and highly visual magic for no logical reason
routines that he has adapted from effects he originally finds in whatsoever, then Appear-8 might be just the thing for you. 

M-U-M Magazine 67
 Alexa Learns a Card Trick underestimate the power of having Alexa reveal the card.
The popularity of voice assistant devices for your house like People have seen magicians find cards in mysterious ways.
Amazon Echo and her alter ego Alexa are getting more and Few have seen technology do the same. I’ve performed this
more popular. As more companies create their own device, I for several people in my home as well as in the office and the
knew it was just a matter of time before some bright magician/ reactions are excellent.
IT professional would come up with a magic trick for it. Meet If you have any questions or improvement ideas, feel free to
Andy Makar. I believe he may be the first to teach Alexa a reach out to Andy (andy@andymakar.com).
magic trick. Andy was also kind enough to put up a page with videos of
Andy was kind enough to send me the instructions for his basic card forces that you can use (http://tinyurl.com/y83f5565).
creation, Card Finder – An Amazon Alexa Card Trick. Simple Thanks for sharing, Andy!
in nature, it is a direct and uncomplicated card revelation you
can perform in your home or office if you own an Amazon Echo Low Tech
(or any of its siblings). This free add-on is a gift from Andy to Although these are not tech gadgets, I am always on the
the magic community. If you use it, feel free to drop him a line lookout for gadgets that will help magicians with their act. At
and thank him for his efforts. a recent trip to a local shopping
center, I found these gems.
Card Finder – An Amazon Alexa Card Trick Absorbing Confidence
By Andy Makar The popularity of pouring
The smart-home trend continues to be more accessible to a drink into a newspaper is
everyone with Amazon’s Alexa and Echo devices, and Google coming back. I found a perfect
Home. If you have an Amazon Alexa enabled device (Amazon gimmick that is guaranteed not
Echo, Echo Dot, Tap, or Show) here to leak. The Rezip Stand-Up
is a great trick you can try. 1-Cup/8-ounce Leakproof
Effect: Two spectators select a card Reusable Storage Bags are
from a shuffled deck of cards. Instead made of a silicon-like material and has a zip lock top that is
of having the magician find the card, super large and thick. It is guaranteed to close on one rub from
Amazon’s Alexa reveals both cards. your fingers. I have tried it as an Absorbing News gimmick and
Prerequisites: 1) Amazon Echo it never fails. They come five in a pack so you can also use them
or Amazon Echo Dot; 2) Enable to keep all your audio adapters in order or magic gimmicks in
the Card Finder Alexa skill in your your case. Rezip bags are available on amazon.com or at The
Amazon Alexa account; 3) Search Container Store. They sell for $20 for a pack of five.
amazon.com for the Card Finder Skill; 4) A deck of cards.
Setup: Place the Ace of Spades and Three of Hearts on top of All Bottled Up!
the deck. The order of the deck should be: Ace of Hearts, Three A company called Copco has come up with
of Hearts, remainder of the deck. a useful bottle that has some possibilities for
Procedure: You simply need to force the two cards; the magicians. It looks like a plastic water bottle
Card Finder skill will reveal the cards. Use whatever method you would get from a vending machine. It
you prefer. My force and preferred procedure is as follows. unscrews in half for easy cleaning. Magicians
Overhand shuffle the deck face up, retaining the top two cards can put a real bottle label on it, keep the two
on top of the deck. Cut the deck, holding a break, and riffle halves behind their table, and load it with their
force the Ace of Spades on the first spectator. After the riffle prediction, borrowed ring, borrowed signed
force, return the bottom portion of the deck to the top, which paper currency, etc. Simply screw the halves
brings the Three of Hearts to the top. Overhand shuffle, con- together and present the bottle to the audience.
trolling the Three to the bottom of the deck. Perform a false cut I’m sure you will find a use for this. The Copco
and force the Three using the Hindu shuffle force. Hydra Resuable Water Bottle is available on amazon.com or
Say “Alexa, ask Card Finder to find the first card.” Alexa will at The Container Store for around $10. 
respond with, “The card is the Ace of Spades.” Say “Alexa, ask
Card Finder what is the second card?” Alexa will respond Found a cool gadget, app, or website for magic applications?
with, “The card is the Three of Hearts.” Share your discovery with Bruce to include in a future column.
If you want to personalize the effect for the first revelation, Email him (SAMtalkBruce@gmail.com).
you can say, “Alexa, ask Card Finder to reveal Joe’s card.” You Pricing and details are not guaranteed and are accurate at
can’t use this phrase for the second revelation. the time of writing this article. Prices and features are subject
I’m not going to claim this is an earth-shattering trick; many to change.
magicians might pass on such a simple force. However, don’t

68 OCTOBER 2017
 INSIDE STRAIGHT BY NORMAN BECK
OUR ADVERTISERS
Bammo Magic & Bob Farmer 35 MR. BECK SENDS HIS REGRETS
Burgoon Magic 9 I have a strange habit: I never delete names and numbers
Christian Painter 34 from my cell phone. In the past few days word came in
Genii Magazine 3 that John Moehring had died. The reason you are reading
this column is because of John. When he became editor of
Jim Kleefeld 47 M-U-M, he called me and asked if I wanted to write for the
Joe Mogar - Magic Stars 56 magazine. I said no. The main reasons were that I didn’t know
La Rock's Fun & Magic Outlet 27 how to spell, had never written anything, didn’t like to write,
Lybrary.com 69 and just barely knew how to read. Other than that, I was fine.
Just like a fisherman waiting to catch a catfish, John listened
Magicana 71 and struck down my arguments. John told me that I could use
Magikraft.com 46 a spellchecker (I didn’t know what that was). He would edit
M.H. Magic Magazines 9 the words and I could write about whatever I wanted to put to
MichaelClose.com 47 paper. He told me that if I did it my life would change. I never
knew John to lie and that last line hooked me.
M-U-M Advertising 4 Writing did change me. I soon caught myself looking at
Nielsen Magic 4 the world rather than just seeing it. I am always looking for
Peron Design 7 something to write about or study. A new word or a clever
phrase is always on my radar screen. When I started out, I
S.A.M. Advertising 7
had no concept of word count; now that is the first question I
S.A.M. Benefits 2 ask before I take on any new story. I wrote this month’s cover
S.A.M. Convention 2018 72 story. It is about 4,500 words long about a magician here in
S.A.M. on Twitter 56 Dallas.
At the start, John asked me if I could write a word. I
Show-Biz Services 9 said yes. He asked if I could write a sentence. I said yes. He
The Magic Bakery 57 informed me that if I could talk, I could write. I didn’t believe
him, but I trusted him. Like so many people in the magic
world, I owe a lot to John Moehring. He would help anyone
and loved everyone. The magic world needs more people like
John.
In my cell phone I have the names of many of people I
can’t call because they have died. Common sense says you
should clear the names and make room for new people. I don’t
see it that way. In my Okie brain, if you are worth making it
to my directory, then if you die you’re worth keeping. I find
pleasure in looking up a name, seeing the name of someone
I can’t call, and wishing things were different. Whenever I
see a name I can’t contact, I stop and think about them; I
remember the good times and why they are in my phone.
More important, I remember why they are in my thoughts.
I would suggest that you call the people you care about; if
they have helped you, tell them “Thank you.” Trust me, if you
don’t do this, someday you will wish you had. My favorite
line to say is, “Have I ever told you that I am glad you’re my
friend?” That line is true for many people in my life; I use
it in that form sparingly. The response is always the same:
“You might have mentioned it.” I am old fashioned in that
I would like to be able to say it over and over again, in case
they forget.
Make no mistake about it, in this world the only thing that
really matters are friends, family, and health. Nothing else
makes any difference. Normally, I don’t tell my readers what
to do. But I’m telling you today: pick up the phone and call
the people you care about. Just say, “Thank you for all you
have done for me.” They will feel good and you will as well.
So, John, I wish I had told you thank you. I didn’t, and I am
sorry. 

M-U-M Magazine 69
 Personal Mag ic
By Eric Lewis

This is a stage-size version of a popular

close-up card effect – Peter Kane’s Wild
Card. The original effect appeared in Jean
Hugard’s Magic Monthly in April 1962.
A stand is desirable, preferably a dou-
ble-ledged stand such as used for four-Ace
effects.
Effect: The conjurer displays seven
cards. Six are all the same (let us suppose
the Five of Clubs) and one is an odd
picture card, say the Queen of Hearts.
These are counted with the backs towards
the audience, and then again with the
faces showing.
Three cards are placed face outwards
along the bottom ledge of the stand, one
at each end and one in the center. The
packet of cards in the hand is turned over,
the Wild Card (Queen) is removed, and is
placed on the top ledge, face outwards.
The remaining three cards are fanned face
downwards in the hand.
By merely touching the backs of the
cards in the hand with the Wild Card, they change, one at a time, takes all the remaining four cards together, but the three cards
to match the Wild Card. These are placed on the stand between previously counted are left behind in the left hand in their place.
and partly behind the face-out cards on the stand, one at a time Then without hesitation, the remaining cards are also counted
as each change is shown. Immediately after this is done to each off. The counting and the switch should be in a smooth rhythm so
one, the two cards are turned over. it appears that just seven cards are counted backs out.
Now the conjurer touches the backs of the face-down cards Now turn over the cards so their faces are towards the
with the Wild Card and it is found that these all match the Wild audience and count off exactly as before the first three Five of
Card. Now all the cards are the same. Clubs. Draw attention to the fourth card, which is the Queen of
Required: Four unprepared jumbo Wild Cards (Queen Hearts. In counting this off, the switch is made as before and the
of Hearts), three double-faced jumbo cards with the Queen of remaining cards counted to show three more Five of Clubs.
Hearts one side and the Five of Clubs the other side. Now take off one at a time the first three Fives and put them
Stack these cards by placing the four Queens face up on the in a row on your stand. Turn the remaining four cards face down
table, followed by the three double-faced cards, with the Fives and at the same time slide the face Queen off and set it aside as
uppermost. Turn the whole stack over and you are ready to begin. the Wild Card.
Working: Hold the packet of cards in a block lengthwise Fan the remaining three in the hand (Queens), touch them
in the left hand, backs upwards. Now count off, one at a time, one by one with the Wild Card and show they have changed
three cards into the right hand, drawing these away with the right to Queens. As each one is changed, slide it under one of the
thumb and forefinger, and then transferring the counted ones Fives on the stand and turn them both over. Then finally you
between the second and third fingers as they are counted. The turn over all three of the back-out cards to show these are now
order is reversed during counting. Queens also. 
On the count of “four,” a simple exchange takes place. You
will find that as you count the cards, those in the right hand go
underneath those in the left. As “four” is counted, the right thumb

70 OCTOBER 2017