Another Score for Solomon

David Solomon's Thoughts Across has to be the most underrated Fun Inc. product of 2008. It's received less attention than everyone here at the Fun Factory thinks it should.

Luckily, the Linking Ring is on our side. A review of the product in the latest issue of the International Brotherhood of Magicians' journal calls recommends Solomon's trick highly. We do, too.

Speaking of Solomon, Fun has a new, very clever Solomon creation in the pipeline. It'll be a long, long time before the effect is released, but it's a doozy. Stay tuned.

Here's the video:

Bamboozlers from Diamond Jim Tyler

Since I had the chance to see Harry Anderson's "Hello Sucker!" special from HBO, I've been interested in bar bets and con games. Not that I'd ever want to try throwing the Monte myself, but just to lift a couple of drinks from my closest friends. Simon Lovell published a book to the lay public called "How to Cheat At Everything" that's got several nifty little betchas, but Diamond Jim Tyler has got a real winner in his "Bamboozlers".

This elegant little book is pocket-sized for your jaunt to the pub, along with a ribbon marker and gilded silver edges. There's dozens of bets in there that'll be sure to keep your pocket jingling with your buddies' change. You might want to pad it with some of their bills to keep the noise down.

My personal favorite is an impromptu liquid suspension using a drink that you see everyday.

Here's DJ's vid on the book.

The World's Most Useful Coin Set!

I'm pretty sure most magicians have DRAWERS FULL of magical merchandise they do not use. Imagine owning a gaffed coin set which enables you to perform just about EVERY coin classic imaginable. This is it.

Make sure to watch the video demo for our new MIRAGE COIN SET. Yes, we've seen many of these routines before, but this is a one-stop-shop on gaff coin sets.

All in all, this is a great product! With Craig Petty's Mirage, 100's of routines are possible (the DVD shows you 7). The coin set is mega-gaffed and extremely useful. There's no way you're tossing this into your "magic dresser drawer".

Working magicians would appreciate the versatility. With MIRAGE, you're ready to perform coins across, hanging coins, matrix, and copper silver. The set is wonderfully produced and the DVD is jammed with moves, routines, and theory. Highly Recommended.

"Stars of Magic" returns!

After a long time out of print, Meir Yedid has decided to reprint "Stars of Magic." This book features the true greats, like Tony Slydini, Dai Vernon, John Scarne, and Francis Carlyle, just to name a few. This book has been the foundation of truly dedicated students of sleight-of-hand magic. It has spawned the careers of many professionals working today, and sparked hundreds of applications and variations.

Here's the copy from Meir:
If you have not read and learned the magic contained in this book you have no business calling yourself a close-up magician. The magic by John Scarne, Dai Vernon, Bert Allerton, S. Leo Horowitz, Emil Jarrow, Francis Carlyle, Dr. Jacob Daley, Tony Slydini, Ross Bertram, Nate Leipzig, and Max Malini helped shape the art of close-up magic as we know it.

Here's some video of Slydini himself performing the Paper Balls (found inside this book!)

Our trip to Houdini's

Last week Tomas and I traveled to Manitowoc, Wisconsin for the annual Houdini Club of Wisconsin convention. Both Tomas and I lectured and performed on stage and close-up. I was fairly nervous, being my first convention booking, but Tomas was truly a pro.

My friends at Street of Cards were on hand to document the convention via web and video. They already posted video of Tomas' close-up set.



My lecture was the first event upon arrival on Friday. Having only lectured two other times before (and even then, in front of friendly hometown crowds), I was apprehensive on how it would be received. After all, the main items in my lecture are classics: things like the egg bag, cups and balls, and linking rings.

Fortunately, folks liked the blend of trick/explanation and theory that I offered. Kenn at SOC wrote this on their forum:

Classics are classics for a reason.

Ask John Sturk. His afternoon lecture featured three classics that John has made his own. He shared the routines and thinking that have made his brand of street performing a favorite all over the Midwest. No e-llusionist kid here. Sturk shared a style and philosophy that harkens more to Cellini and Gazzo and less to some other media phenoms.

Clean, crisp magic coupled with enthusiastic audience participation are the hallmarks of Sturk's performance. I hate him. He will always be younger.

That last part is tongue-in-cheek. Kenn is actually a good friend.

Friday and Saturday culminated in public evening shows. Tomas killed, as usual, with the Cigarette-Eating Act on Friday night. I was on Saturday's show. Tomas told me he was sitting near Marshall Brodien (of TV Magic Cards fame and Wizzo of The Bozo Show), who kept murmuring very positive comments during my act. I was flattered.

Then, after the evening show on Saturday, was the Houdini's Got Talent contest. Any conventioneer could participate with any kind of act, be it magic, ventriloquism, or anything else. I got up to play a little Duke Ellington on the piano, and took home the trophy. More flattery.

All in all, it was a lot of fun. I got to meet several of FUN Inc.'s customers, most of whom I usually talk to by phone. I also hope I inspired a few of the attendees to use one of my ideas, or adapt it to their own program.

Trusted Reviews?

Is there a single source, a single opinion you trust when it comes to reviews of new magic products?

In the last several weeks, we've posted links to and excerpts from a wide variety of reviewers here on the Fun Inc. blog.

My question is: which sources are the most trusted when it comes to product reviews? Websites? Chat/discussion boards and forums? Magazines?

I have my own answer to the question already, but won't cloud the discussion on this topic by posting my thoughts here. Let us hear from you. We'd like to know what you think!

WPT Gets Reviewed

We knew we had a winner with Boris Wild's Wild Poker Trick, but iTricks.com's Derek Merdinyan has confirmed it.

You can read and hear his review here, but here's my favorite part:

"As far as packet tricks go, I really want to commend Boris Wild and the crew at Fun Inc for putting out a packet trick that goes above and beyond what this humble magic reviewer has come to expect."