Magic Magazine Preview September 2013

From The Editor The September 2013 issue of MAGIC Magazine is now out. If you haven't already received your copy, here's a look at what's "between the covers." MAGIC Magazine is also available for the iPad. The cost is only $3.99 per issue, and it arrives within a few minutes. Best of all, you only buy it once, then you own it forever and can enjoy it wherever you want. Thanks for your continuing support… Stan Allen Feature stories in MAGIC this month:  Johan Ståhl By Jaq Greenspon Swedish magician Johan Ståhl has plenty up his sleeve — figuratively and maybe literally. Turning setbacks into opportunities to push himself farther, Ståhl's creativity and technique have earned him awards at FISM and elsewhere. And his successes have also pushed him to work even harder at his craft. Win Star! By Rory Johnston  David Magee is the star, and he's onstage to let people win. Entertaining huge crowds at a casino in Oklahoma, Magee adds magic to themed game shows, where everyone in the audience has earned a chance to win cash and prizes. Magic at the Fringe: Part Two By Chris Philpott Fringe festivals are not on the theatrical fringes as they once were. Many cities now hold extended festivals with dozens, or even hundreds, of shows. Continuing his interviews from last month, Chris Philpott learns how magicians can make a fringe show work for them, and how it might work against them. Davenport's Magic Kingdom By Fergus Roy Lewis Davenport began dealing in magic 115 years ago. Since that time, the family has amassed literally tons of equipment and ephemera, acquiring individual items and whole collections. Last July, a dream was finally realized when the Davenports opened a museum to preserve and display many of their treasures. Plus Updates on… The 2013 SAM convention in Washington DC. The 2013 IBM convention in Phoenix. Magic on display, now or upcoming, in Louisville, Lake Tahoe, and Dublin. MAGIC Magazine "Conventions at a Glance." Remembrances of Albert Ching and Bart Whaley. Bonus Content in MAGIC Plus… Johan Ståhl performance video. "Walk About Tricks" videos with Jason England. Convention Podcasts: TAOM and Daytona Festival of Magic. More products reviewed this month: Twenty products are reviewed this month by Peter Duffie, Jared Brandon Kopf, Francis Menotti, Arthur Trace: Creative Magic by Adam Wilber Hug by Nefesch The Grumble Glim by Nathan Kranzo Hide & Seek by James Brown Bitten by Bob Solari True Mysteries by Fraser Parker Magic in Mind edited by Joshua Jay The World's Greatest Magic by Hyla Clark Henri Robin, Expositor of Science and Magic      by Edwin A. Dawes The Artful Remote Viewer by Bob Cassidy Ultimate CD Prediction Kit by Will Tsai The Fortune Teller's Prediction by Magical Tales Birthday Surprise In Las Vegas by Magical Tales Chaotic by Kieron Johnson East Meets West by Ken Niinuma (W)Hole Deck by Marc Arthur CAANDY by Chris Mayhew Welcome to My World by John Stessel Inscrutable by Joseph Barry Pretty Fly with Michael Eaton And there's even more tricks and advice this month: Talk About Tricks: Outro Joshua Jay This month, we explore four sensational routines from longtime "Talk About Tricks" contributors. Andi Gladwin shows us his take on a very old routine. This routine requires a specially printed gaff, and we're pleased to announce that this gaff is tipped into every issue, as a free gift! Joel Givens' Cheating Suite may be the perfect, quick gambling expo to add to your repertoire, and Joshua Jay himself rounds out the issue with one of his prized parlor effects: Hitchcock. Les Amis: The Tennis Court Gaëtan Bloom & Kevin James In this effect, you see two people playing tennis on a court, like you would on a big televised match. The magician is near the camera, in frame and commenting on the game. You can see a wide-open court. At some point the two players stop playing and look up at the camera and at the magician. He comments that the player on the far side of the court could really use some backup. The magician shows a playing card that is taped to a chopstick. He slowly brings it edgewise towards the camera, making sure you can always see the space on the court around the card. He then tilts it vertically so it obscures the net. A few seconds later, he tips the card edgewise again to reveal fifteen tennis players, all on the far end of the court ready to help the one player having trouble! Loving Mentalism: Fishy Game Ian Rowland This is a simple game with a slight con effect. You ask two spectators to assist you, then set a kind of rotating plate on the table. On this plate you have six transparent boxes, each with a tiny foil-wrapped gift inside. Each box is closed with two rubber bands and has a metal hook fixed on the lid. You give each of the spectators a child's fishing rod, ending with a simple "lasso" loop. When you start rotating the plate, the volunteers have to try to fish out as many gifts as possible, the last one being left for you. They do so, and the results at this point vary. Maybe one person is the winner, or maybe both end up fishing out the same amount of gifts. At the end, they discover what is in their respective boxes. They all have candies. Then you open the remaining box — your box — and this one is full of bank notes. Lucky you! Bent on Deception: You Can Teach an Old Bag New Tricks Mike Bent Magicians show things empty all the time, but the minute we do, the audience knows we're going to produce something from the "empty" container. So, from the spectators' point of view, is the magician just showing something that looksempty? We all learn to get over the stilted patter of our childhood: "Here I have an empty hat…" But do we get over the need to show the damn hat empty? 50 Years at the Castle: Hollywood Loved Stars, and the Stars Loved Magic! Milt Larsen In a recent newsletter, Joe Furlow, the Academy of Magical Arts general manager, wrote about the many celebrities who have been involved with the Magic Castle over the years. It's quite a list. I thought it might be interesting to consider some of the famous Hollywood personalities who were involved with magic in days gone by. Some of the names I'll mention might not be familiar to our younger readers. But when Bill and I were growing up, these folks were very active in magic. In a sense, they probably created the foundation for the Magic Castle to become known as a magnet for the Hollywood stars. Real-World Methods: Million-Dollar School Shows Mike Straka Can you make a million dollars doing school shows? This isn't a trick question. I don't mean can you make a million dollars over a lifetime of school shows. I mean can you make a million dollars a year doing school shows. I'll let you in on the secret. Yes, you can! For What It's Worth: Humiliation 101 Mark Kornhauser I have always believed that if you have command of your material, you should be able to perform admirably even if there are no laughs. I guess it was the blank stares that got to me. They hated me immediately and then it got worse. When it was over, I found a quiet place and screamed. What went wrong? Paynefully Obvious: The Cost of Magic Payne For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This third law of motion was basically Newton's way of saying "There's no free lunch." We magicians might think we're immune to this because we can seemingly bend the laws of nature. The rules that govern the physical universe are for other people. And perhaps they are. But is there a cost for being a magician?