It’s certainly no surprise that Jim Coles at the Unexpected Wonders blog has written another insightful and intelligent post called Avoiding Confusion. Jim has hit on one of my favorite themes and one so frequently overlooked by magicians. You know the tricks I’m talking about – your card is the Jack of clubs – which now has a blue back AND now I’m wearing no pants! Huh?!?!

Think of the magicians that made it – especially among layman. Those that became popular because of their magic, generally did so because they practiced effect clarity. Never a doubt about what they did. As an example, take Michael Ammar. He made his reputation on the floating dollar bill, coins through silk, card on ceiling etc. Every effect easily described in a brief sentence or two.

Mike Skinner – what did you always hear about him? Every effect was clear and precise.

Go back to the Stars Of Magic and count the multiple ending effects – it won’t take long. Jim does a good job covering logic and how it can make a multi-climax effect work, but you must think and study.

Look at most of the Vernon effects. You can, again, describe them succinctly in a very few words. Of course, executing them like he did can’t hurt.

To me, this is why we’ve never seen a real improvement on Al Schneider’s wonderful Matrix. The original is so elegant – 4 coins covered by 4 cards all gather – one by one – to join the others. Don’t mess with it. You’re not going to improve it.

John Kennedy’s Translocation is another “perfect” effect. Want to argue that? Just watch Chris Korn do it. Four coins travel – one at a time – from under the left hand to the right hand. Beautiful magic.

Think through your repertoire. Can all of your tricks be quickly and easily described. If not, maybe you should remove certain phases that are nothing more than useless obfuscation.

Take care…….

Two down and 363 to go! Then we will finally be done with George F Bush. listen

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Many years ago, there was a Dean Martin (or Friar’s Club)  roast of Johnny Carson. The details escape me, but I vividly recall one of Carson’s come backs at the end of the roast.

One of the Presenters was the great Don Rickles and he had killed Carson – he was at his best. Carson’s comeback was simple:

I’ve always enjoyed Don’s joke.

I feel that way every time I listen to Eugene Burger or watch one of his DVDs. I know it’s not MC (magically correct) to question Mr. Burger, as he has become an icon and the godfather of magic presentation, but I find most of the stuff he does mind numbingly dull.

Light some incense – light a candle – tell some relevant story….. Yawn!

I’ve read his book, seen his DVD and lecture. That’s enough for one lifetime.

Take care……… 
 

The really incredible thing it is I’m dictating via voice and not text messaging. Really neat!. listen

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It’s now old news, but on 1/13/2008 at 12:20 PM Richard Kaufman announced that the Genii Forum would no longer be public, but available to subscribers only. He’s given nothing but vague reasons from what I’ve read – it’s his forum and he’s free to do with it as he pleases. Non-subscribers will be able to view but not post. 

I’ve been very impressed with his very noble attempts to treat those that buy Genii at a magic shop fairly. I don’t know him, but I suspicion he has a very high level of integrity. I just wish he weren’t so publicly crabby. I can’t believe that’s good for business.

OK – call this pure speculation, because that is what it is, but on the same day Kaufman made the announcement, he published this Apology to Thomas Wayne earlier in ther day:

In a now-deleted thread I made several remarks concerning Thomas Wayne. One of these was that he threatened a moderator on this Forum via e-mail. Unfortunately the hard drive on the computer on which this e-mail was stored has crashed, so we no longer have the e-mails to prove it. Subsequently I deleted that portion of my message.

However, I also stated that Thomas Wayne is “mentally ill.” Since I am not a trained health care professional, I cannot use that phrase since it insinuates a trained opinion.

Thomas Wayne’s ill-mannered behavior resulted in his expulsion from the Genii Forum, so you may draw your own conclusions from that.

Coincidence?

Take care……… 
 

I had written a fairly lengthy post welcoming Steve Pellegrino back to the blogging world, but before I posted it his site disappeared.

Does anyone know if this is permanent?