Favorites from small sources
Obscure-ish magic recommendations
In Sunday’s Erudite Magic episode, I shared 10 sources for some of my favorite booklets/pamphlets. For just a few of them, I mentioned some tricks I liked, but in this issue of The Erudite Magic Digest, I thought I’d go a little further with the recommendations. Ready? Let’s go!
High Spots by Caleb Wiles
26! (p. 19)
I’ve liked this trick for quite a long time. I believe the first time I saw it was during a Magifest with Caleb himself performing it. It packs a TON of magic into one routine, and if you were only going to perform one trick to establish your credibility as a card magician, this would be the one. Of course, it’s in the book, but you can also find it as an individual video download if you don’t have the original source.
Crystal Cut (p. 35)
This is a versatile procedure that can help you control a selected card to many different positions. It’s sort-of like a double undercut, only better. It looks slightly more flourishy, but also more convincing that the cards are not under your control (even though they’re perfectly under your control).
4F XII by Daryl
Rising Cards from Envelope (p. 35)
This is the one I mentioned in the video. Even though it’s not specifically Daryl’s idea, it’s a fun piece and different from most pick-a-card tricks. If you want to learn it without tracking down these more obscure notes, you can also find it in Tarbell 7 (p. 121) or Self Working Card Magic by Karl Fulves (p. 98). And if you’re a video-learning magician (what are you doing here??!), Daryl taught it on his Card Revelations 4.
Hyper-Bent-Elation (p. 23)
What can I say? I like tricks that are outside the norm. This one requires some special supplies (double-faced cards), but you can definitely give your participants not only a memorable visual/moment, but also a souvenir they’ll potentially keep forever. I still have the card Daryl gave me when he taught this in his lecture…
Funny by Nick Diffatte
Nest of Office Supplies
This booklet doesn’t have page numbers, so you’ll have to flip through and find it for yourself. But those who seek this will be rewarded with a cool “object to impossible” done with organic props that you probably already have lying around your house. If you have a good library and don’t feel like tracking down the pamphlet, you can find this one on page 103 of Offbeat.
(we’ve come a long way, baby. I would not consider reviewing a small booklet like this by itself anymore, and yet, this was one of the early reviews I did back in May 2020 - check out those production values!! 😄)
Thom Peterson
Flash Wad (Atomic-Fueled Deceptions, p. 12)
When you’re a CPA like me, you’re always looking for a magical way to produce a wad of cash. This is a tried-and-true method based on an older trick, adapted for this use. If you’re a corporate or trade show performer, this piece is a gold mine.
Rock, Paper, Rabbit (Magic Justice, p. 4)
If you love giving away magic souvenirs, this is a fun one. The effect is a two in the hand, one on the pocket routine with balled up Post-It Notes, but in the end, the last ball transforms into an origami bunny, which you can then hand out for your audience member to keep.
Brady Bunch (Magic Justice, p. 9)
This is an ending to your Ambitious Card routine, again building off of Thom’s experience on the trade show floor. In a way, it shares a similarity to the aforementioned Nest of Office Supplies in that it’s a build-your-own LePaul style wallet out of office supplies. It’s a two-part kicker to your ACR where the signed card ends up magically transporting to a sealed envelope, then is returned to the deck and the envelope put away. Then the entire deck disappears to the envelope in your pocket, leaving only the signed card in your hand.
Seemingly Impromptu by Michael Kaminskas
EZ BP (p. 72)
This is the bottle production I referenced in Sunday’s video. This one is easy to do and very fun, especially if you’re in those casual situations that need only some off-beat magic to add to the party. This is exactly the situation where Michael originated this effect, so it’s perfect for your next party appearance.
Escape (p. 31)
Escape is a sharpie through bill routine. Everything can be borrowed, and the illusion looks really good. Michael uses this both on its own and as a lead-in to a routine with a bill that needs to be signed, so take your pick whether you want a quick trick to stand on its own, or if you want to add it as a nice bit of business before the main course.
Marc Oberon’s Way Out
This booklet is one of those rare pieces where the method is so clever that I don’t have a specific favorite to recommend to you. I simply love the idea that you can use a regular sheet of paper to create such a devious multiple out system. Unlike many other multiple out systems, you can have your prediction on full display before you even begin the routine. It’s getting harder to find this booklet, but it’s still available from the creator on his website.
In case you missed it, you can still catch up and see all of the small book (or pamphlet) recommendations I provided this past Sunday. It’s an underutilized source of magic in today’s book-plenty world.
I hope the episode (combined with some of these recommendations) have you combing through your library to look for hidden gems, regardless of the size of the source. Let me know, what are some of your favorite booklets or tricks hidden in out-of-the-way places?