Story time!

Years ago, probably in the "zero one", I remember performing regularly at a trendy Chicago nightclub. It was a challenging gig, but fun. Challenging because I had to deal with intoxicated 20-something's who were busy dancing. The music was loud, so all my tricks had to be extremely visual and talking had to be to a minimum. I did pretty well. One of my favorite effects was an item called Flash Point. It was a clever gizmo. Basically I wore a flash bulb under my shirt and would trigger the flash at appropriate "magical" moments. It was a nice little addition to my magic set.

The effect I'd do was from David Acer. I'd draw a picture of a light bulb and hold it in front of the spectator. The picture would then mysteriously flash. People went nuts! In fact, many would ask for the paper as a souvenir. The routine was fun and a bit of a reputation maker. Then one day tragedy struck...

A couple handed me their camera and wanted me to snap a photo of them. Feeling playful, I pointed the lens towards myself and pretended to accidentally trigger the flash. I hit my flash gimmick around 3 times. From the looks on their faces, they thought I was wasting their film.

I quickly reassured them it was a trick. I went to set off my gimmick a 4th time....and it BURNT OUT. How embarrassing! I thought they were going to strangle me! In Clark Kent to Superman fashion, I pulled open my shirt to reveal the contraption stuck on my t-shirt. PHEW! Talk about poor judgment.

I broke my trick, revealed a secret, and almost got pummeled by drunken spectators.

Even worse, I went to purchase another and found that the item was not manufactured anymore. Good news though, FUN INCORPORATED now distributes this quirky item! It's called Flash Point. They are redesigned and WAY more reliable. A huge improvement to a wonderful effect. Make sure to ask your local magic shop for the item!