An OOP classic is finally here!
My first Marlo books & other musings
If you’ve ever shuffled a deck of cards and dreamed of entertaining your viewers with card tricks like they’ve never seen before, you’re in for a treat. In this issue, we dive into the brilliance of Ed Marlo, one of card magic’s most prolific innovators, whose Marlo’s Magazine series (1976–1988) is once again available as a treasure trove for magicians, thanks to the recent republication by my employer, Vanishing Inc.
Marlo is known for his technical precision and creative genius, but more than that, his work has shaped so much of modern card magic. In this issue of the Erudite Magic Digest, I’m going to share some personal anecdotes about the books as well as a list of some tricks you shouldn’t miss once you get your own set of these beauties.
Full video discussion coming on Sunday…
My first Marlo purchase
This will likely surprise many of you, but I’ve never owned a book dedicated to Ed Marlo material prior to this collection. Sure, he contributed to many other periodicals I own, and there’s no doubt I’ve studied derivatives of his work, but this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of reading directly from the source.
The surprising thing about that claim is how prolific an author Marlo was. Just based on the books logged into Denis Behr’s Conjuring Archive, Marlo is responsible for over 6,500 pages of magic! He wrote so much, I’m guessing if there was a “Six Degrees of Marlo” game for card tricks, most of them wouldn’t get past one or two degrees of separation before they intersected with Marlo.
I have no idea if this will be my last Marlo acquisition, but it’s certainly enough that I could likely spend the rest of my life just digesting his thoughts from his eponymous magazine.
The untold story of the front cover…
While I still don’t have my name in a magic book as a credit (one of my bucket list items!), I did have a part to play in the Marlo’s Magazine cover, no matter how small. Here’s the story:
Back in November at Vanishing Inc, we were almost ready to send Marlo's Magazine to production, but we hadn’t yet settled on a cover design. As a fun side project, I decided to experiment with ChatGPT to generate an image of what Marlo's Magazine might look like reimagined as a sleek, modern book. I wasn’t expecting much - just a creative spark or an idea to play with.
When the image came through, it was surprisingly striking: bold, elegant, and a perfect blend of classic magic vibes with a fresh twist. On a whim, I shared it with my boss, Andi Gladwin. His reaction? “This is brilliant!” He saw something special in it and passed it along to our designer, Michal Kociolek, with a simple directive: use this as inspiration.
Michal took the concept and ran with it, crafting six covers that surpassed the essence of my AI-generated image and took the beauty to a whole new level. The result became the official cover for Marlo's Magazine - a design that’s now turning heads and sparking conversations among magicians everywhere. It’s a little surreal to think a casual experiment I did ended up shaping the face of such an iconic release. Sometimes, magic happens in the most unexpected ways, and I’m just glad I was a part of the story!
MAGIC Live
I’m so excited - In just a few short days, I’m heading to MAGIC Live, the biggest magic convention in the world. And, this is my first time attending, so I’m extra excited for this new experience with “1,599 of my closest friends.”
What do I hope to get out of the convention?
Spending time with old friends. As much as I love Magifest, I am always working during that convention, so I never really feel like I get to spend quality time with my magic amigos. This time, I’m an attendee of MAGIC Live, so I’m looking forward to being less “busy.”
Sometimes you only get to see your friends once or twice a year - enjoy it! Meeting new friends. If we’ve never met and you’re going to be at the convention, please say “hi” if you see me. I love to meet other Erudite Magicians - it’s one of the privileges of posting content online. So please introduce yourself if we happen to cross paths. I’m looking forward to meeting many of you!
Learning some magic. The lineup is always great (from what I’ve seen and heard reported), and it’s kind-of cool that they keep the lineup a secret until the event. I’m enjoying the anticipation and figuring out what things I want to attend with my friends. I’m confident I’ll learn a lot throughout the convention.
Where else can you sit and session with David Williamson?? Spending time jamming. One of the reasons I can be so confident about learning magic at the convention is because of the late-night jamming that always happens. I enjoy watching what everyone is working on, brainstorming it together, or just suggesting moves and scripting to help make a piece perfect for that magician. I can’t wait to see what it’s like in Vegas!
Taking photos to make memories. If you know me, you know I love to capture the moment with my camera. Whenever there are a lot of friends gathered, that’s my time to bottle the magic, so I have vivid memories of the good times together.
One of my favorite convention photos ever - 2 AM in the middle of a blizzard Buying some magic books. Yes, I have more than a few lifetimes of instruction in my magic library, but I’m always on the hunt for something. I took advantage of the recent sale to pick up a few titles that have been missing, but we’ll see what kind of books will be available this upcoming week.
What do you hope to get out MAGIC Live if you’re attending? If you’re not attending, what drives your decision to attend or not attend a convention?
Essential Routines from Marlo's Legacy
As you no doubt know, Ed Marlo's contributions to close-up card magic are unparalleled, a testament to his relentless passion and creativity, meticulous tinkering, and unyielding dedication to the craft of card magic. This preview highlights just a few of the effects I’ve discovered from this monumental set, each offering a unique insight into Marlo's genius and promising to elevate your own understanding and performance of card artistry.
Your list will differ, but that’s what makes this collection great. Without any further ado, here are some truly outstanding pieces from this collection that every serious cardician should explore:
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