Society of World Deaf Magicians

The only encounter I have had with a magician who is also deaf is my dear friend Ron Jaxon, of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Ron has got talent in spades - he's a creative consultant with Sean Bogunia, is a recognized authority on using Invisible Thread, and has some of the best card moves I have ever seen.

I figured that a magician who is deaf was quite rare. I was wrong.

Recently, Tomas forwarded to me the latest edition of Magic Hands, the newsletter of the Society of World Deaf Magicians. The organization connects deaf and hearing magicians worldwide, and hosts an annual festival with gala shows and contests.

I'm having a little trouble tracking down a website for the Society, but if anyone knows it, feel free to post in the comments.

Kaleidoscope Cards - New and Improved

We're just finishing up a run of Kaleidoscope Cards here at the Fun factory - a new and improved version of this classic impossible coincidence effect.

For the uninitiated, here's a rundown of what a spectator sees: You and a spectator each select two a card from a deck made up of more than 50 different back designs. Amazingly, the backs of the chosen cards match! Even better, the faces of the selected cards match, too! The triple whammy comes at the end of the trick, when you explain that of all the cards that could be chosen, you and your spectator chose the only ones that were different. When you turn the deck over, all of the rest of the faces are the same card, a different value than the ones chosen by the two of you!

For years, Fun has manufactured this effect - which is virtually self-working - with bridge-sized cards. We're now making them with poker size cards, and at a very reasonable price.

Fun in the Archives

One of the perks of working at America's Largest Magic Manufacturer is the storied history of our company. Having been around for soooo long, we've accumulated a vast archive of old magic books. Every so often I like to check one out, take it home, and absorb the information.

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend time with our old friend Dr. Tarbell. There is so much information in that set of books, it would be possible to own the set, nothing else, and still have an excellent career as a professional magician. Sure, the patter is pretty dated, but the effects remain solid as ever.

For those of you who are into this new-fangled Internet technology, I suggest checking out the audio archives of The Magic Lantern. They do interviews with magic celebrities like Marc DeSouza, Al Cohen, and Bill Palmer. But my favorite interview was the one they did with Denny Haney. In fact, they wanted to cram all of Denny's wisdom in, so they split the episode into a 2-parter!

In those interviews, Denny discusses his first brush with the Tarbell series as a teenager, and how he advocates it to all the budding magicians that wander into his shop. As he says, "We consider it a good day in the magic shop, anytime I sell a Tarbell Volume 1. When I sell two, it's a great day."

So, take a moment to go back into your archives. Re-read Royal Road to Card Magic! It's amazing the insight you find when you re-read those books that got you started in magic. Remind yourself why those books got you started. You'll be glad you did.

String Them Along!

As John mentioned in yesterday's blog, I am involved with two more Royal magic DVD projects.
The Card Magic Essentials DVD is very good. For the price, it's going to have a lot of great information. Usually on beginner videos/dvds, the material is rather basic. No "cool" moves are taught.
This DVD has Elmsley Counts, Double Lifts, Controls, Forces, and even shuffles. Wish this was around when I got started. Also, I am very proud of my AT THE TABLE DVD. No, it's not as zany as my Geek Magic release, but it's still fun to watch. It's a great collection of impromptu magic. No throw away material here.... all good stuff! Oh, and a customer of mine was surprised to learn I was the magician on ROYAL's Amazing Tricks With Rope DVD. Many customers really enjoy this DVD. It features a slew of effects! Even how to make a stiff rope gimmick! Plus it's priced very nice. I always do well with it when I lecture. For years I have been watching instructional magic videos/dvds, I still can't believe I'm making them myself!

Coming Soon

The forums have been abuzz with the imminent release of the final chapter in John Bannon's Fractal Card Magic Trilogy: SPIN DOCTOR. We're waiting on some supplies, but the DVD and art is all ready to go. We expect to have this one on store shelves beginning in November.

Second, we have a release from the Royal Magic line of DVDs: Card Magic Essentials is a project I alluded to earlier on this blog. CME is going to be a basic reference for the most crucial moves and sleights used in card magic. Geared for the beginner, I predict this one is going to popular!

And lastly, we are wrapping up the final details for another release in the Tomas department. "At the Table" is going to feature lots of impromptu gags, tricks, and bits that can be done while hanging out at a bar or restaurant. Great stuff here from everyone's favorite Customer Service Manager.

Stay tuned!

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.

Delightfully Creepy Halloween Magic!

From private parties to pumpkin patches, magicians generally work a variety of engagements during the Halloween season. I'm sure many of our customers are being asked for delightfully creepy Halloween themed magic tricks. Here are some of my favorites:
1. Made popular by Harry Anderson, the Needle Thru Arm is a must have for gore loving fans. Looks so real, but thank goodness it's not!
2. Andrew Mayne has been very popular in the past number of years. His products are always fresh and hip. FUN carries his ARMBUSTER booklet. This is a clever method of gimmicking an ordinary power drill to apparently pass through your arm. A very
convincing illusion.
3. A reasonably priced SWORD THRU NECK! Magically push a 23 inch sword through the frame and the spectator's neck. Spectators see the sword pass through the middle of the stock and come out the other side. A classic!
4. Take a look at the SWORD THRU FINGER. This is a mini version of the SWORD THRU NECK. The perfect Halloween giveaway! Super inexpensive. Halloween is a FUN time of the year. If you need any other suggestions, please give us a call!