FUN Inc sightings!

Last week I mentioned The Masked Magician's feature on one of our products, the Universal Floating Gimmick.My keen eye has spotted FUN products in yet another video venture: Reel Magic magazine. I don't know if it is on purpose (probably not), but David Regal's review column is filmed at The Magic Apple in Studio City, CA. In the background of the most recent episode, I noticed a few FUN products in prominent locations.
The Art of Levitation DVD and Boris Wild's Wild Poker Trick are clearly visible on the left, behind David. I'm not sure, but I think it's Bolted Aces inside the display case on the right. That's definitely a Royal Magic product, though. Also note that David's new book, Approaching Magic (BTW, awesome book), is on the counter behind him.

Is this subliminal advertising on the part of Reel Magic? You be the judge.

Artist Spotlight: Ross Johnson

Here's an interview I did earlier this week with mentalist Ross Johnson, star of FUN Inc's Simply Psychic DVD. Ross is an accomplished performer with over 20 years of experience as a psychic entertainer. In that time, he has amazed, entertained and delighted thousands of people from hundreds of the top corporations in America.

Q: How did you get interested in magic?

RJ: I met Eugene Burger at a youth conference back in 1963. His magic piqued my interest. Later, I came back to Chicago after 2 years in college. I worked for both Tom Palmer and Tony Andruzzi, then at Magic Inc. for a few years.

Q: When did you decide to switch from magic to mentalism?

RJ: When I first made the switch, the interest was piqued from the Abbott Get-Together. One of the performers was a two-person mindreading act. It really intrigued me, because the reaction of “Is it real or fake?” was very different from reactions the other magicians were getting. Since I didn’t have anybody who wanted to be my assistant, I developed a one-person act.

Q: How did you go from a full-time teaching career to a full-time performing career?

RJ: It was a gradual transition. When in college, I was a speech and education major, so I used my interests in performing. Eventually, I had to leave my joy at the magic shop and get obtain gainful employment somewhere, so I ended up in the Chicago Public Schools. Being newly married, I had to supplement my income somehow, so I did a lot of performances, for service organizations and private events. Then, I get involved in corporate work, and after almost 20 years of teaching, I decided to pursue it full-time.

Q: Do you think there is a distinction between mentalism and mental magic?

RJ: I think there is a distinction. Mental magic is usually, effect-wise, stronger or unbelievable. For example, if I asked someone to think of a number, and reveal that, as opposed to asking someone to think of a license number on a car. Mentalism is simpler and little more direct; it isn’t as contrived as mental magic.

Q: What do you think about using a disclaimer to explicitly tell your audience you don’t have real psychic powers?

RJ: I use a disclaimer if I think it’ll help create a rapport with the audience. I never make claims that I’m something I’m not. It’s usually in the guise of a humorous comment, making it clear I’m not a prophet or maintain a psychic hotline. I don’t like to step on anyone’s spiritual toes.

Q: Aside from “Simply Psychic,” what resources would you recommend to the budding mentalist?

RJ: Book-wise, there are major texts. 13 Steps to Mentalism is a good start, although the Tarbell Course is a bit more basic. Then, the Anneman Jinx series is very good. Many of the effects from that magazine have been put into a book called Practical Mental Effects, but much of the gold was removed. I recommend going back to the original pamphlets. There are a lot of newer resources that are a bit more evolved, I don’t think they cover the basics.

View the trailer for Simply Psychic

Bending Metal

New to the FUN catalog is a release from Steve "Merlin" Branham: Bending Metal Magic. Steve teaches the techniques on bending metal objects in true Uri Gellar fashion. You will learn how to bend all sorts of cutlery, keys, coins, nails, and more. Best of all: it's not a card trick!*

To go along with that, we also have the Ultimate Bending Set in stock. All the secrets fully explained behind several fantastic metal bending effects, and all of them are easy to learn by watching the detailed DVD included.

Every metal effect has detailed presentation and method explained, step-by-step.

Not only do you receive an instructional DVD, but you also receive several objects to psychically bend, including a spoon, nail, and fork.

*Not that I have anything against card tricks - but you can only take so much.

Better Than The Original

Well, at least that's what David Regal thinks:

"Twisted Sisters is one of the best-selling card tricks of all time. I like this more."

Fun Inc. is thrilled to announce the release, next Tuesday, of part two in John Bannon's Fractal Card Magic series, Duplicity. It's the same powerful effect as his classic Twisted Sisters, but at the finish, you're 100% squeaky clean. Everything can be examined.

Here's the demo.

Forgotten Goodies from the Magic Factory

FUN Incorporated is a pretty big place. We manufacture almost 300 items and distribute over 2200 products. We get new merchandise almost every day, but because so many NEW products come in, older products tend to get ignored.

The other day I took a look at Cody Fisher's Fifty-Two Thoughts. Ever see this trick? Talk about packing flat and playing BIG! This trick is the perfect pocket mentalism act. Yes, they are disposible, but the effect is so worth it. Plenty of audience byplay, comedy, and the effect is a total fooler! Try one out and thank me later!

Also, make sure to check out the Jupiter's Changing Cards trick. Not only is it extremely visual, but it's pretty easy to do. There's only one move in the whole trick... you do it several times in the routine. The move is a no-brainer, plus the specially made cards make the trick uber-easy to do. Check out my stellar video demo.

In regards to one of my favorite DVDs, I really enjoy watching 10 Years Of Steve Spill. I own this on both VHS and DVD. More magicians should release stuff like this. Even though it's only a collection of performances, you will watch this over and over again. No joke.

Steve's a very funny guy. Watch this, laugh, learn, and wish you were him. In fact, steve's performance of the needle trick is worth the price of the DVD alone. How does he do it? Probably magic. Watching this DVD is kind of like getting kicked in the face by a horse... but in a good way. Two "thumb-tips" way up!!!!

If you're interested in any more "forgotten goodies" please let me know and I will keep you posted.

New Stuff and Old Stuff

After our successful appearance on iTricks.com this week, I've been receiving tons of praise and offers to do other shows. Sorry Oprah, this week's not good for me...

OK, by "tons of praise" I mean my mom listened to it, and by "offers to do other shows" I mean no offers to do other shows. But we are available!

Am I crazy, or has the new stuff been rolling in at a surprisingly fast clip this week? We received a giant shipment from an overseas manufacturer, as well as new DVDs and tricks from other places. Plus, we're continuing work on the remainder of the Fractal Card Magic trilogy and new DVDs coming up from Troy Hooser. Nobody ever said the magic business was easy.

But with all this new stuff, there's an old classic that has recently captured my interest: the venerable Svengali Deck. You may think "Surely, John is a magician of some skill. Why would he want to use a Svengali?" The reason is because these old tricks have a way of staying around, and as I once heard Gazzo say, "a classic is a classic is a reason."

Being relatively new in magic, and having a rapid education, I never really used a Svengali deck in my magical development. So I decided that I would take one home and see what the hubbub was about.

Invented by Burling Hull around 1909, the Svengali came into its own around the 1930s and 40s. It has been sold by pitchmen all over the world (including Chicago's own Marshall Brodien on national TV), and is undoubtedly the best-selling trick deck EVER.

After a few minutes, I could finally see the true genius behind the method. So many options, so little time! But I realized, that with so many magic effects, the key to its proper use in performance was to not over-play it. Perhaps I would perform a card effect with a normal deck, switch it for a Svengali, do a routine, then stop doing card tricks for the rest of the show.

Pitchmen, on the other hand, are working from a completely different angle. They demonstrate the deck showing all different, all the same, selected cards jumping everywhere, trying to entice customers with promises of becoming the hit of the party. That's all well and good, but I say there's still room for the Svengali in the professional magician's repertoire.

FUN Inc. carries several varieties for Svengalis: a Bicycle Svengali, our own Royal Magic brand, and a Svengali Pitch Deck that comes in bulk. We've also got a Svengali DVD and Svengali booklet that's also available in Spanish. The FUN Inc. Svengali Kit includes the booklet, DVD, and a Bicycle Svengali Deck, everything you need to become a Svengali master.

So if you think you're too professional to use this old chestnut, give it a try. You just may look at the Svengali Deck with new eyes.

On the Horizon

After a semi-spirited post about books vs. videos, I'm here to loudly and proudly announce several upcoming DVD projects from FUN Inc.

Currently in production (and available in the next several weeks) is another excellent card effect from the fertile brain of David Solomon. Called Thoughts Across, the trick is a mind-numbing thought-of cards across effect that requires no forcing or pumping for information. Two spectators each think of one card among ten. These cards then vanish completely and reappear in another packet that has been in full view from the outset of the performance!

Another imminent project from FUN Inc. -- this one not in the card arena -- features master technician/chopmaster Troy Hooser. The DVD, which will cover a wide array of tricks and techniques with an Expanded Shell, will not only be reasonably priced, but include a special bonus item worth more than the DVD itself. This will be a first in the magic industry, and will set this product far apart from others on the value scale. You heard it here first.

Also in the works are the second and third installments of John Bannon's Fractal Card Magic series. Stay tuned for details on these exciting releases. The Royal Scam is already garnering high praise online. Look for reviews in all of the major magazines in the next month or two.

Introducing The Royal Scam

Yes, it's finally here: John Bannon's The Royal Scam, first in the Fractal Card Magic trilogy.

Dealers, be sure to ask us about the special discount for Bannon's "Smoke and Mirrors" book.

Remember folks, this is a FUN Inc. exclusive: your local dealer will only be able to get it from us. If they don't have it, tell them to call FUN!

Exclusive FUN Interview with John Bannon

After many promises, here it is: my exclusive interview with creator and author John Bannon. John has written three books, and created several marketed effects including Twisted Sisters. The first in his new trilogy of fractal card magic, "The Royal Scam," will soon be released, exclusively through FUN Inc, starting this Friday!

Q: How did you get started in magic?

I started in Norfolk, Virginia while in high school. A primary influence was the great Woody Landers. Woody would come down from Richmond to the magic club and would always be doing the latest card and coin tricks. He was very generous and skillful. I did table magic for a while, then an occasional walk-around gig when I lived in Washington D.C. After moving to Chicago, I stopped doing even the occasional paid performance. Once, while I was performing strolling magic at a charity function, I turned around to see the managing partner of my law firm. I didn't want the firm to think they weren't paying me enough, so now I perform primarily informally.

Q: What is your creative process like?

It varies. Sometimes I see a trick that I think I could improve upon, or sometimes I take a plot and work on it. Often enough, you see or read something, and play with the concepts for a while, add or subtract, and eventually I may come up with something workable--even if it no longer resembles the trick that I started with. Some times I let ideas percolate--set them aside and come back later. I find my subconscious can make progress even if I am not directly thinking of a trick. Part of the fun for me is to work on stuff --that's the hobby. This new series started several years back; I set a number of requirements for a certain class of tricks. The driving requirement was being clean at the end. Starting there, I focused on the classic areas and tried to work out tricks that met my requirements. At least in a few instances, I succeeded.

Q: Where did the phrase "Fractal card magic" come from?

At the 31 Faces North convention in Toronto, I did a presentation on "packet" tricks. Every now and then, the term "packet trick” gets a negative connotation --but I have alwys liked them. When I was in DC one of my magic colleagues was the great Larry West--of Emerson And West. I have never thought it was uncool to take a packet of cards out of the little wallet, do a trick, and put the cards away. One night at the convention, we brainstormed to try and create create a new term for "packet tricks"–sometimes a new name can give you a new way of looking at something.

In mathematics, a fractal is "an object or quantity that displays self-similarity, in a somewhat technical sense, on all scales. The object need not exhibit exactly the same structure at all scales, but the same "type" of structures must appear on all scales."

In a non-mathematical sense, tricks with fewer cards than the entire deck would exhibit many of the same characteristics, but on a smaller scale. There would be self-similarity in the sense that the same "structures" (such as transpositions, color-changes, divination of selected cards) could exist without needing the entire deck.

Besides, I like how "fractal" sounds. "Fractal card magic" seems like a good trademark-able name for what we used to call packet tricks.

Q: Tell us about the creation of Twisted Sisters.

It was created by playing with one plot and then borrowing from another plot. There is a class of tricks called "small packet brainwave," (like Max Maven's "B'wave.") where a card in a packet is named and the named card is reversed and has a different color back. Then there’s another class I call"small packet card transpositions"; for example, where you might have four red-backed aces and four blue-backed aces, and each named ace transposes to the other packet. There are several methods. I first saw this trick in Vernon's. It occurred to me, "you know, if you did the small-packet brainwave with two packets at the same time you could get a small-packet-transposition." Then all I had to do was work it out. The rest is, as they say, history.

Q: Any plans for another book?

Yes. I’m always working on something. Right now my current project has to do with card tricks that begin by having a spectator think of a card, opposed to physically selecting one. Working title, "Mentalissimo." That's all I want to say on that for now.

Q: What suggestions would you give a beginner who wants to start in magic?

The obvious answer is to read as much as possible. I believe that even if you’re just doing someone else’s tricks, there’s still a creative process, in order to do things in your own way. The best way to make that happen is to read and learn all sorts of different ways. The more you learn, the more things connect. The more connections, the more of a network you have to bounce around in. The larger the network, the deeper your understanding will be. The more you know, the better you’ll be, even if you don’t perform all of it.

So the most important thing is to take it seriously, study, and learn as much as you can. These days a lot of people would rather watch than read, and while there is a place for video, but I think you get more from a well-written book than a well-produced DVD. That's why I insisted the FCM trilogy each contain a downloadable e-book. The other thing is to perform. You really will not understand a lot about magic unless you do.

The Royal Scam...almost here!

I just got word from Gabe that the first in John Bannon's fractal card magic trilogy, The Royal Scam, is en route to the FUN Inc. compound!

The extra good news is this: When Royal Scam is officially for sale, we'll be doing a special offer for the month of February. If you order 6 or more Royal Scams, you'll be eligible to order John's book "Smoke and Mirrors" for an impossibly low reduced price!

Stay tuned right here for that interview with Mr. Bannon that I promised last week. Aside from being a prolific creator, John has a full-time job as an attorney, so his schedule can change on a moment's notice. Fortunately, we managed to find a time to chat, and I'll bring that to you as soon as I can.

New Stuff at FUN

Last week was a busy one for me, as we added several new items to the catalog. We now carry new DVDs from the Greater Magic Video Library, each featuring a different performer. The new ones we added are features on Roger Klause, Mike Rogers, and Bill Boley. We also added the GMVL's Our Best #3, featuring snippets from performances by Johnny Paul, Johnny Thompson, Jay Marshall, and others.

Last year, I had the brilliant stroke of genius to add a card manipulation routine to my repertoire. Unfortunately, I forgot how lazy I am when it comes to learning new material. That said, if I had access to some reasonable manipulation cards, I may have very well succeeded.

Vernet has brought us Manipulation Cards as well as Fanning and Manipulation Cards, ready for the aspiring manipulator to learn this classic branch of magic. To go along with the cards, you may want to consider Routined Manipulation by Lewis Ganson or the Shimada Manipulation DVD, also brought to you by the Greater Magic Video Library.

I'm going to take just one quick moment of personal indulgence. My friend AJ Olson has completed his first documentary film, Street of Cards, about the Abbott's Magic Get-Together and the village of Colon, Michigan. For those of you who have never been and wonder what it's like, check out this film. Plus, there just happens to be a scene featuring me performing Cups and Balls in front of the American Legion post. What can I say? I love a discerning audience.

Coming Soon to FUN Inc.

Chicago went through a deep freeze this past weekend. This Monday morning we're scraping the ice off our cars and defrosting the fake vomit, but that won't stop me from breaking some news here at the FUN Inc. compound.

Prolific creator John Bannon, author of Smoke and Mirrors, will be releasing a trilogy of what he calls "fractal card magic." Each part of the series will include an instructional DVD, and of course, the necessary apparatus.

The first in the series, "The Royal Scam," is on its way to us from the duplicators, and will be available to dealers very soon, hopefully within two weeks or so.

In other news, I'd like to thank Ryan on the Genii forum for giving us a little publicity (completely unsolicited, mind you). Thanks to Ryan, our pageviews spiked over the weekend, making a pleasant morning today when I glanced over the weekend stats. Ryan, thanks for your interest and support.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, meaning your favorite magic pal Tomas will be posting. Don't miss it!

Fun Inc. on TV - again!

This report of a product spotted on TV comes from our old pal Tomas. He witnessed this a few years back during a broadcast, but I'm sure they re-run old episodes regularly, so you can probably catch it on your local station.

The Wiggles, the popular children's television show, recently featured the Fun Magic Coloring Book on their show as a break from the show's usual musical format on their recent DVD release, "Wiggle Time."

Here's a description from one parent:

In addition to the songs, there is a little "Magic" show break in the middle of the video. The kids are shown a magic coloring book, which is blank. They are asked to draw a picture in the air and throw it at the TV, which makes the book suddenly have drawings. Next, they are told to grab some colors from their clothes and throw it, making the pictures have color. This was a cute little break from the music, and really involves the kids watching.

The Fun Coloring Book has been featured in many other TV shows. If you have any Fun Coloring Book or other Fun Inc. product sighting, make sure to let us know!

Card Trick of the Year

It is rather rainy today in Chicago, but nobody is complaining. How can you complain when its pushing 60 degrees...in January? Even though the temp is balmy, the rain is keeping us from enjoying the outdoors.

Now, I intend for us to promote some of our new and old products on this blog, but I don't want to turn everything into the "Trick of the Year" or "DVD of the Year." So when I write a post about some product being the "Whatever of the Year," it's only because I really mean it.

Knaves Gone Wild is worthy of the nomination. David Solomon, a protege of the legendary Ed Marlo, released this trick through Fun Inc. in the waning weeks of 2007. What you have is a MacDonald's Aces-type assembly routine that will fool those familiar with MacDonald's Aces.

Solomon's brilliant handling of the effect leaves no doubt the Jacks are present in each of the four packets until the very last instant.

Take a look at this video, performed by our very own Tomas Medina. Included is the required cards, and an instructional DVD hosted by Solomon himself. The DVD also includes a bonus routine!

On one of my last trips home to Michigan, I spent a day demonstrating behind the counter at The Wunderground in Clawson, Michigan. I demonstrated this routine all day, having learned it within 30 minutes of my arrival. Easy to demo, easy to setup, and especially, easy to reset, making it a great choice for those strolling/walk-around gigs.

Knaves Gone Wild earns its kudos from the reactions it generates. Pick one up from your favorite magic dealer.