FUN on TV!

Chicago's WCIU-TV dropped by the FUN compound to film a segment for their morning show. Here it is!

NEW! Bernstein's Linking Pin Routine

Honed to perfection over nearly three decades, the Bernstein Linking Pin Routine is as sharp and mystifying an effect as you will ever see.

The magician links two large safety pins together, fairly and plainly. On his command, the pins visibly and slowly melt apart. The unlinking of the pins actually looks like trick photography. The effect is repeated - the pins unlink again - and the illusion looks just as baffling as it did the first time.

The pins are then caused to magically link together in a seemingly impossible manner. One moment the two are separate, and the next, they are linked.

Finally, an ungimmicked finger ring is legitimately locked onto one of the pins. Despite the fairness of the proceedings, the ring melts off of the pin it was locked on. At the same moment the two pins link together, in full view, inches from the spectators.

At the conclusion of the routine, everything can be examined. There's nothing to find!

The Bernstein Linking Pin Routine requires no specially manufactured gaffs and no complicated sleight-of-hand. Nothing is switched in or out. All that's required are the two pins and a finger ring. There are no external gimmicks. It's ready any time.

Included inside are all necessary props and media: two, specially selected and hand-adjusted three-inch safety pins, a broadcast-quality instructional DVD featuring Bernstein's performance and explanation, and a 17"x22" poster (no page turning required!) with clear line drawings to make learning easy.

Words from those who know:

Hank Moorehouse: "From A to Z - the best linking pin routine I've ever seen."

Phil Wilmarth: "Here is a superb four-part routine... The final phase is a wonderful visual unlinking of a spectator's finger ring from a pin as a separate pin immediately links to the very same pin the ring just left. Bruce also explains how to pass the pins out for examination, upon completion of the routine, without switches. It's a fooler of a routine, yet is no that difficult to do."

Barrie Richardson: "Bruce Bernstein's Linking Pin Routine is one of the most astonishing and entertaining effects on this planet - period!"

FUN Inc. and USPCC Continue to Produce Bicycle Gaffs

For Immediate Release
August 30, 2010

FUN INCORPORATED AND U.S. PLAYING CARD COMPANY
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE BICYCLE GAFF CARDS

FUN Incorporated, America’s largest magic manufacturer, and the U.S. Playing Card Company will continue to produce and distribute gaffed decks and cards on Bicycle 808 Rider Back cards.

“Magicians can rest easy knowing that Bicycle cards will not be supplanted anytime soon,” said Graham Putnam, President of FUN Inc.

All standard Bicycle Rider back gaff cards, including Double-backed, Blank Face, double-face, and Blank Back cards will still be produced by U.S. Playing Card. FUN Inc. has made a substantial investment in these cards to insure that they will remain available through its worldwide network of retailers.

Though recent policy changes at USPCC have limited magicians’ abilities to alter the Rider Back design, these changes will not hinder the production of the most popular gaffed cards. Undoubtedly, the Bicycle gaffs so important to magicians will remain available for years to come.
“FUN will continue making Svengali, Stripper, Invisible, and various other gaffed decks on Rider backs, too,” Putnam added. “Our production methods ensure that all our trick decks meet high standards of quality. Just as importantly, is the fact that they will still be offered on the world’s most popular playing card back design,” he added.

FUN will also continue producing short runs of custom-made gaffed cards on Bicycle Rider backs, a service it has provided to the magic industry for decades. The company counts many of the industry’s most creative minds among its customers, having produced trick cards for nearly every popular cardician of the last 20 years, both domestically and abroad. A wide assortment of modified faces, backs and specially designed cards are regularly produced in the company’s 50,000 square foot Chicago factory.

Contact: John Sturk
Tel: (773) 745-3837
Email: john@funinc.com
-###-

Take cover from the Mandolin Rain!

The big question: Will the new back design replace the classic 808 Bicycle Backs as the standard among magicians?

The answer: Absolutely not.

FACT: FUN Inc. will continue to make gaffed decks from classic Bicycle Backs.

This includes Svengali, Stripper, Invisible, Brainwave, Split Decks, Mirage, Mental Photography, Cheek-to-Cheek, Mene Tekel, and Pop-Eyed Popper. This means we will continue to carry the full assortment of Double Backers, Double Facers, Blank Backers, Blank Facers and Double Blanks.

FACT: FUN Inc.'s screenprinting department makes Bicycle Backs alterable.

Do you need a customized design? We can do it. Our silkscreen department can print what you want, and in much smaller quantities than what other companies would require.

We can't say "Bicycles are back." They never left.

Order today!

What Bicycle Decks are available from FUN Inc?

✔ Svengali
✔ Stripper
✔ Mental Photography
✔ Invisible
✔ Brainwave
✔ Mirage
✔ Split Deck
✔ Cheek-to-Cheek
✔ Mene Tekel
✔ Pop-Eyed Popper

✔ Double Backer
✔ Double Facer
✔ Blank Backer
✔ Blank Facer
✔ Double Blank

✔ Your Custom Design

Infinity Deck - One Deck to Rule them All

Tomás was doing his reading last night, and found his way into "Experience: The Magic of Jon Allen." Inside, he discovered Jon's FISM routine with something called the Infinity Deck.

That's when the (Floating?) Lightbulb went off. "Hey, we still make that trick," thought Tomás. Perhaps we can take the opportunity to supplement the release of this book with renewed push on the Infinity Deck!"

So here it is!

The Infinity Deck is like no other deck of cards! Many gimmicked decks enable you to perform only one effect or many similar effects. This revolutionary deck of cards enables you to perform a variety of different effects without the need for difficult sleight-of-hand! Enclosed are instructions for various effects covering peeks, reversals, think-a-card, visual changes, transpositions and mentalism. All this without the use of breaks, crimps, side-steals, passes, top changes, jogs, glides or false shuffles!

Also enclosed is Triumphinity - the routine from creator Jon Allen’s IBM award winning act! It is the easiest and most effective triumph routine you will ever perform! No other deck of cards manages the variety of effects with a minimum amount of skill required. You will be able to master this deck in just a few minutes!

Sturk's Debut Project

Well friends, your prodding has paid off, and a new post to the blog will be my way of saying Happy New Year!

I'm particularly excited now, because we are ready to put the finishing touches on my debut project, called "Unconquered: Mastering the Three Card Monte." I'll be teaching three different versions of Deland's original PickItOut card routine, two with poker-sized cards, and a third using jumbo cards. Look for a trailer coming soon!

Second, we've got a new project in the works from David Solomon and his take on the classic Oil and Water plot. This one's a fooler for sure! If you're not familiar with Mr. Solomon, you may want to take a look at his two previous releases with FUN Inc., Knaves Gone Wild (one of Tomás' favorite tricks) and Thoughts Across.

Aside from these new DVD releases, I've been working busily on some technical changes to the FUN Inc website, including moving to a new, more reliable host server which will improve our website's speed. I can already hear the industry's collective sigh of relief.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to make it to a big magic convention this year outside of the Midwest circuit. IBM? SAM? Maybe even Blackpool? If you've got a suggestion, let me know in the comments.

Kostya Kimlat products!

With all the hoopla surrounding the return of Fart-Toon, I nearly forgot to mention the addition of products from Kostya Kimlat!

Kostya is a triple-threat: he's young, talented, and good-looking, which just makes me hate him more (j/k KK!).

The truth is, despite his young age, he's widely recognized as a true authority on card magic. His magnum opus (thus far) is his Roadrunner Cull DVD. I first saw Kostya perform back in '04 at the Motor City Close-Up convention. He demonstrated his culling technique, and not a single person was unimpressed. At the time, his cull notes were only written up in lecture notes, and while they were well written, video is the perfect medium for learning such a complicated and versatile sleight.

We also have 2 of Kostya's works available on CD-ROM in e-book formats. Card Work, Card Play includes PDF files along with video files, so you'll be able to see the sleights and tricks described, and keep the PDF files to print or add to your mobile device for on-the-go learning. We also have a double-dose of Kostya with the No Card Tricks/Post-It Prestidigitation CD-ROM, combining two e-books onto one disc in PDF format. I love that Kostya is a diverse magical talent and branches away from cards to become an all-around magic entertainer.

For the time being, Kostya's not giving any of these products to any other distributor. The only place you can find them right now is at FUN Incorporated! Act fast - supplies are limited!