Louisville Run-Down

Along with Fun #1 (that's Graham Putnam, company president, to you), I spent last week in Louisville, KY at the combined IBM/SAM convention. While many online reviews of said convention were negative overall, the small portion of scheduled events I took in were, for the most part, good. Were they "history making" or epic in the way that the convention organizers made them out to be? Not from my perspective. But were they good, solid shows and events? Absoultely - from nearly everyone's perspective.

For me, the stand-out act on the shows was a French hand shadow artist, Jerome Helfenstein. Part magic, part hand shadow act and part performance art, his turn during the International Gala stage show was, for me, the highlight of the convention. He combines traditional shadowgraphy with technology in an entirely new way, and in the process, elevates the entire art. Ray Crowe, watch out!

Beyond Helfenstein's act, I also enjoyed, as always, Rick Merrill in the close-up Gala and Michael Finney. Jon Racherbaumer and David Ben delivered back-to-back lectures on Marlo and Vernon, respectively, that were both well worth attending.

That's my short report from the front lines. Next week, I may not blog as I am off to Abbott's Get-Together, but will try to post another report from the front if at all possible. The week after, on Thursday (my usual day for posting), I'll be at another magic convention in Toronto - 31 Faces North. Again, I'll try to post, but no guaranteees.

A potpourri of prestidigitation!

Buy Ed Marlo's Cardially Yours! It's the second volume of Magic Inc's Marlo Trilogy. This book is crammed with fantastic magic. Personally, I've never seen Ed Marlo perform in person, but I would have to imagine it was pretty extraordinary. How on earth did he think of this stuff? This guy obviously ate, slept, and breathed card magic.

This is an anthology of card magic like no other. Between these covers you'll encounter classic works of Chicago's legendary cardician.

This book has Pasteboard Presto, Amazing isn't it?, Marlo's Discoveries, Oddity & Other Miracles, Let's See the Deck, Off the Top, Marlo in Spades, and The Cardician. All of these items are in ONE BOOK. From self working miracles requiring no sleight of hand, to knuckle-busting sleights, shuffles, moves, and flourishes. This is a must for card magic nerds.

If you want to catch a fascinating glimpse of Ed Marlo, be sure to watch It's All in the Cards. A WONDERFUL documentary by David Solomon. The footage is great and the stories are better. In fact, this documentary is so good, it should have been released in the theaters. Really! You don't have to be a magician to fully appreciate it either. There are two DVDs in the case. One is for laypeople to watch, the other reveals the secrets. Worth every penny.

Powers for Good and Evil

The skills we develop as magicians can come in very handy outside of performance pursuits. Have you noticed that you may have acquired superhuman-like observation or deductive abilities? Have you ever used sleight-of-hand for a benign, yet deceptive purpose?

When I was a high schooler, I was introduced to Sherlock Holmes, literature's most famous detective. With his unique brain, Holmes could spot and deduce more information about a suspect or crime scene than any of the Scotland Yard inspectors. Here was a character (who, I read, was based on an actual teacher of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's) with powers that were not bestowed upon him by gamma radiation or magic, but were merely honed through self-training and force of will.

Perhaps you may have heard of Harry Blackstone, Sr.? Back in the golden days of radio, the world's greatest living magician was the star of his own show, Blackstone: The Magic Detective, was a 15-minute radio series which aired Sunday afternoons at 2:45pm ET on the Mutual Broadcasting System from October 3, 1948 until March 26, 1950.

The series, starring Ed Jerome as "the world's greatest living magician," was based on the real-life Blackstone. Storylines usually opened with Blackstone (Jerome) telling his friends John (Ted Osborne) and Rhoda (Fran Carlon) about an experience from his past, and this mystery story was then dramatized in a flashback. At the end, Blackstone challenged the audience to find a solution to the magical mystery. Each show concluded with Blackstone outlining a trick that listeners could perform for the amusement of their friends.Being a magician, I feel, gives us some real power and skills - not the magic powers we pretend to have, but powers that give us a new way to think and analyze what we see.

Share the story of your epiphany, when your powers of deduction and observation benefited you outside a performance.

Whoops

Well, aren't I just red as a sheet? With half the office down at IBM/SAM in Louisville and a skeleton crew in Chicago, the blog was rather neglected this week.

Not to worry, we'll pick up the slack when we're back at full strength next week. In the meantime, we've got some new items in you'll be clamoring for:

Zombie Silk: A double-thick silk made especially for your Zombie ball, this quality foulard adds a touch of class to the classic routine.

Eject: A card is freely selected and placed back into the deck. The magician places the deck onto the table. After a few magic words, the deck EJECTS a single card out - the signed card! The routine can be done by staying away from the deck of cards. There is no connection between you and the cards. Easy to do! Many routines shown for various effects. A must for street magic.


Will Rock Presents: A new book on the most famous magician you've never heard of. Will Rock bought the Thurston show and made a success of it during the worst financial period of America's history, the 1929 - 1939 Depression. But his life started long before that, and now you can cheer his successes and share his despairs as he studies the art of magic, and slowly builds up a first-class illusion show. A must for any magic history buff.

Effects from the worker's repertoire

Whew! It's been a hot and muggy weekend in Chicago, which has made it all the more uncomfortable to be out performing. This past weekend was probably the busiest I've had since I've moved to Illinois, in terms of private engagements. I found myself doing perhaps the same 4 tricks all weekend - and they have yet to let me down.

Don Alan's Complete Chop Cup: This is a comprehensive depiction of Don Alan's theories, handling, and presentation of the Chop Cup. It's his way of doing it, not merely a replication of a single performance.

Bar Bill Stunt: Chosse's Bar Bill Stunt is now a classic - the Mis-made Bill/Quadflex bill. In this version, you try to teach a trick. It's almost magic; advanced Origami, but the audience is unimpressed until too much oversell results in the bill turning inside out! This is visual, entertaining magic. We've also got the Mismade Dollars available.

BKM Wallet: The Card to Wallet is a classic plot, and a fitting end to any Ambitious Card routine. I love our BKM Wallet because it gives you the ability to adapt to whatever performing situation you find yourself in. If you aren't wearing a jacket or don't feel comfortable palming, you can use the no-palm method. You can even use it for a card-to-sealed envelope!

5" Linking Rings: The Linking Rings have a stunning impact on an audience - even more so when done in front of their faces! These are small enough to be carried in your pocket, but they play very big.

New Projects from FUN

The buzz on the magic boards has been all about John Bannon's Fractal Card Magic trilogy. The Royal Scam and Duplicity, parts I and II, have been a big hit with those that have tried it. Inevitably, the question is brought up "when does part III come out?"

Spin Doctor, the final installment of the trilogy, will be out - soon. Sorry I can't be more precise. We hope to have it out before the end of September, at the latest. As soon as we have the video demo, we'll post it here on the blog.

Second, yesterday we wrapped filming on a DVD project that is intended for the beginning card magician. That's all I'd like to say about it, just because I like to tease and tantalize.

Lastly, we have a DVD project on the burner concerning magic with bills. The DVD will feature a magician prominent in money magic. We don't have too much on paper yet, but the concept and the willingness are there. This one is going to be really good.

That's all the suspense I think I can stir up for today. If it gets to be too much for you, just take a few deep breaths and remind yourself that you can always get the latest FUN info right here.

Louisville on the Horizon

For those of you conventioneers in the reading audience of this blog, expect to see part of the Fun Inc. family - Graham and Kathryn Putnam, along with yours truly - in Louisville next week. We will all be attending the combined IBM/SAM convention, which will be held at the Galt House Hotel.

A host of magic dealers and performers will also be in attendance at this historic event, the first combined IBM/SAM convention in over 50 years. If memory serves (not that I was there, though I think I remember the date), the last combined IBM/SAM convention was held in Chicago in 1955 or 1956. This was the convention at which John Ramsay was first introduced to American magicians (Vernon among them).

For this year's soiree, Fun Inc. was comissioned to create a custom-made giveaway for every attendee. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but will say this: it's quite the choice gift, and suitable for magicians of any age. The truck picked up two pallets stacked high with these beauties just last week. Distribution takes place at the convention next week.

On to Louisville!

What ever happened to secrets?

The other day a magician asked me to show him a "good" card trick. Actually, he said,"fool me." I then proceeded to let down the hammer of THOR. I really did fry his brains. Seconds later he begged me as to how the trick worked.

I politely rejected his requests with standard magician lines. I eventually ran out of witty banter and had to boldly tell him NO. Now the guy thinks I'm a jerk! Aren't magic tricks suppose to be kept secret? After all, I don't tell laypeople how tricks work. This magician didn't share any tricks with me in the past. He just assumed that I'd tell him how it works. Plus, he wanted me to fool him! That's the last time I take requests. After all, he's a magician, he should totally understand about secrets. I guess he assumed that if he's a magician, that should be reason enough for me to tell him.

The trick I showed him was Misprinted Thoughts by Michael Boden. It's a little hidden gem at FUN. Not sure how on earth Michael Boden thought of this, but there's no way anyone could figure this out. View the video.

Are you an inventor?

I received a phone call last week from a young man in Michigan. He's invented a trick - a rather remarkable one - and wanted to talk to us about putting it on the market.

Among magic companies, I'm proud to say that FUN is unique. Not only do we have a vast warehouse of products, but we are actually able to mass-produce tricks. No other company has the resources and knowledge that we do.

We've manufactured magic for companies at home and abroad. If you've got an idea, we can help turn that into reality. Our expert staff of illusion engineers can handle nearly anything (we love a challenge).

So if you've got an idea that you think the magic world needs, let us know about it. We'd love to hear from you!

Magic Documentaries

In the last year, a few documentary films have been released that examine the magic world. One is about the brotherhood of magicians, the other, about the sisterhood.

Women in Boxes, a film produced by Dante Larsen, a part of the legendary Larsen family (Magic Castle patrons will recognize the name), is the first to examine magic's better half. Aside from having a truly all-star cast including Gay Blackstone, Nani Darnell, and Luna Shimada (to name a few!), the film takes us into the world of the boxjumper - where getting sawed in half is a routine day at the office.

If you've seen this one, let us know how it is, and let me know where I can see it! View the trailer here.

The other film I wanted to mention here is Street of Cards, a documentary film about the Abbott's Magic Get-Together held each August in sleepy Colon, Michigan. This film takes us in depth behind what brings an eclectic group of people from all over the world to a town with no hotels, is difficult to get to, and has horse buggies roaming the streets.

AJ Olson, who produced the film, has set up a very nice website that includes a SOC-TV channel, where he broadcasts via the Internet from magic clubs in his native Las Vegas, and will be broadcasting interactively from both this year's Get-Together as well as the IBM-SAM combined convention.

Plus, the film has a brief scene of yours truly busking with Cups and Balls on a Colon sidewalk. It's worth watching just for that, right?

Traveling with your Tricks

When you head off to a gig, how to you carry your props?

I started out with a large silver briefcase. The case was actually a hard shell laptop case. I removed the foam innards so I could accommodate my 10" linking rings and various other large props when I did larger shows like kids parties or a parlor show.

I found, however, that most of my time was spent performing in close-up and strolling situations. I started to wonder, if I only needed half the space in the briefcase to carry my props, couldn't I get a smaller bag?

The answer was "of course!" I ended up getting a doctor's bag, perfect for carrying my close-up equipment - things like cards, my 5" linking rings, and my chop cup. Plus, the doctor's bag looks classy. I arrived for one show last winter wearing a suit, coat, and fedora hat while holding my doctor's bag. The client took a look at me, and said "Wow, you look like the guy from The Exorcist!"

I laughed, and decided I'd keep the look.

I have found what works for me - it's all about being adaptable. How have you adapted your show for travel? Leave a comment, and let us know.

Information Overload!

This past 4th of July weekend was very relaxing! I got to sit at home a take the time to watch magic DVDs I purchased MONTHS ago. Honestly, I have a very cool job at FUN Incorporated. Not only do I get to talk "magic" all day, but I also get a chance to see all the new products before most magicians do. A magician's dream come true!

Many would think that with so much magical information/resources at my fingertips, I'd be a pretty good magician. Well...maybe. Sometimes too much access can be a problem. Around 5-6 years ago, when I wasn't so darn busy (with FUN Incorporated, performances, and family), I would purchase ONE book and learn just about every trick from the book. Really!

I would watch a DVD and try out EVERY trick. I'd practice for hours. Nowadays I still practice, but I lack focus. I don't know where to begin! I have 100's of books, lecture notes, and tricks I haven't even touched! I suspect that most busy grown ups have this problem. I know of a Chicago magician who has EVERY book, DVD, VHS, and lecture note available. Surprisingly you'd think he'd have better chops. He doesn't take the time to FOCUS on a particular trick. Personally, I think it's better to perform 1 trick flawlessly than fumble through five tricks. Unfortunately I can't stop from buying new stuff.

However, I will not perform the tricks until I have mastered them (not only sleights, but patter). After 1,000's of magic shows throughout the years, I'm still perfecting my act. For beginning magical people (who lack funds), I always recommend The Mark Wilson Course in Magic. It's the best bang for your buck. There are 100's of tricks in this publication, all of which you want to master. It's clearly written and loaded with excellent illustrations. This book will make you a magician.

Custom Magic

On my Independence Day weekend, I took a trip home to visit family in suburban Detroit. I made sure to stop by my old stomping grounds at the Wunderground Magic Shop. We've been doing business with the Wunderground for years and years, in fact, we're working on an order of custom Magic Wands (imprinted with their name and phone number).

The owner, Paul, was excited to try out FUN's custom magic services for the first time. He's so interested in it, that he made flyers to hand out to other local businesses who may be interested in obtaining new and different promotional items, aside from pens and keychains.

Does your shop promote custom magic to other business in your area? Aside from the benefits your clients will reap from having interesting promotional items, you'll open your shop to more business-to-business relationships in your community.

Drop by our customized items page or email me for more details!

Gabe's Convention Tips

Gabe isn't in the office today, but he forwarded me his blog post. For as many conventions as he's attended, he's a wealth of information when it comes to getting the most out of the experience. We'll all be back on Monday. Happy Independence Day!

Gabe's Convention Tip #1

I feel no more qualified to riff on this subject than anyone else who attends multiple magic conventions each year, but will give it a shot nevertheless. Here is one pointer (and there may be more to come) for blog readers on the convention circuit this summer. This tidbit is based on personal experience.

The biggest mistake you can make at a convention is to be what Young M.C. called a "poindexter" in his loquacious mid-90s classic Bust-A-Move. Don't be a wallflower. You want to meet that magic "celebrity"? Do it. Go up to him and talk to him. He's just a magician, and he'd probably like to hear what you have to say. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, like you do.

You want to hang with other like-minded folks? It's not as hard as asking a girl out on a date, chump. Go up to other conventioneers and talk to them. They like magic, too! As such, they probably will be happy to talk to you. More likely than not, you'll make a new friend in the process. So why offer up the above apparently obvious pointer? Well, for the first ten years of my convention-going lifetime, I spent absolutely no time with other conventioneers. I went to all events (lectures, shows, and other items on the program), but did not mix and mingle. Not at all. What a blunder. Once I finally did, I realized that I'd been missing out on everything that makes conventions great.

Once learning this lesson - and I learned it well at my favorite magic convention of them all, Abbott's Get-Together - my entire perspective on magic conventions changed. What now draws me to most magic events - and likely anyone else who has attended them in a serious way for any number of years - is the cameraderie. 'Nuff said.

I'll close this post with my favorite convention quote. It should come as no surprise that the author of said line was Jay Marshall, and he likely first used it at the IBM Convention held in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1939 (this would have been the 14th annual IBM convention). When asked what room he was staying in, Jay's response was short, to the point and funny. I'll paraphrase it here: "Room? What Room? It's only a three-day convention!"

If you're attending the IBM/SAM convention in Louisville, Abbott's Get-Together this summer, or the NEMCA convention in November, I'll see you there.

Power of the Press

Ask any old-timer how they learned magic, and you're almost assured to hear them say "books." While DVDs do have their place in the field of magic instruction, they'll never replace the written word.

I often wonder why so many of the young kids (with their rap music and baggy clothes) gravitate toward single-trick DVDs. Richard Kaufman in a recent issue of Genii also referred to the trend, calling it a "horrific trend in magic," because "you're paying a huge amount of money for one thing that usually doesn't even come with a prop." (Unlike items like The Royal Scam or Thoughts Across, which do come with the props plus bonus material.)

In addition to the fine selection of books we carry from other publishers, FUN Inc. has a modest but powerful assortment of in-house publications. Any one of these will give you a strong foundation on the path to magic mastery, not to mention very high trick-to-price ratios.

Cups and Balls Booklet: The subtitle on this one is "A Treatise on the World's Oldest Deception." As I once heard Gazzo say, "a classic is a classic for a reason." Personally, I find the C&B to be so powerful, I close with it! It's longevity is an endorsement in itself.

50 Amazing Illusions: I wish I had this booklet when I was starting out. There's all sorts of great material in here for the beginner - stuff that pros can and do still perform.

125 Tricks with a Regular Deck of Cards: The perfect primer for budding card magicians. Since its first printing in 1976, hundreds of thousands of copies have been sold - and keep selling, year after year. These are tried and tested tricks that can be performed with any deck of cards - and with little sleight of hand or special ability. These are tricks that literally be mastered in minutes!

Pick A Card, Any Card: Ever wonder how to make a spectator pick that certain card you want them to? We have a gem of a booklet here with dozens of forcing methods, some super-easy, some requiring sleight-of-hand, and some using gimmicks. Plus, a few very nifty tricks to go with the forces (ever want to make a chosen card appear in the center of a citrus fruit? It's very Blaine.)

AMAZING!

You've got to see the amazing demo for Mathieu Bich's amazing card gaff: EJECT. Eject enables you to amazingly cause selected cards to LEAP out of the deck! Prepare to amaze others with your amazing amazingness! Amazing!

Seriously, I've been performing this trick all weekend long. The cards really do fly out of the deck. If Jackie Chan were a card magician, he'd totally use this clever magical apparatus. Really, this trick is that cool. Wish I thought of it.