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?

Magic Magazine Preview for August 2013

From The Editor The August 2013 issue of MAGIC Magazineis 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 Stories in MAGIC this month:  The Petrosyans: New Generations and Quick Change By Alan Howard Sos & Victoria Petrosyan are known as one of the busiest quick change acts in the world, keeping up a fast pace onstage and off. Yet they also find plenty of time for family -- and the next generation of their family, sons Sos Jr. and Tigran, have already become acclaimed magicians in their own right. Magic at the Fringe: Part One By Chris Philpott Fringe festivals can provide a unique way for a magician to reach an audience, along with unusual challenges. For this first of two articles, Chris Philpott talked with several magicians who have lived on the fringes, either to move on from there or to embrace the genre and return for more. He's Bizzaro! By Rory Johnston Growing up in Texas the son of free-spirited parents, Jimi (named after Hendrix) Robinson was exposed to all manner of entertainment. He gravitated to magic and has been making a name for himself in the business — and that name is literally Bizzaro. Luminato and Louisville: Festivals for the Rest of Us By Gabe Fajuri This year marked the fourth year for magic at the Luminato festival in Toronto, and the first incarnation of a magic festival in Kentucky. Both events showcased diverse conjuring styles in shows for the general public, as well as entertaining and educating other magicians. Plus Updates on… The spooky, magical, creepy, artistic, and diverse event that was Beyond Brookledge. The past and future of The Illusionists from producer Simon Painter. Magic coming to television around the world. MAGIC Magazine "Conventions at a Glance." A remembrance of Amos Levkovitch. Bonus Content in MAGIC Plus… Sos & Victoria performance video. Videos of Sos Jr. and Tigran from 2011 MAGIC Live! Sos Jr. teaching his multiple card production. Additional photographs from Beyond Brookledge. "Walk About Tricks" videos with Jason England. Convention Podcasts: MagiCelebration, Abbott's Get-Together, MAGIC Live!, Mid-West Magic Jubilee, Daytona Festival of Magic, and TAOM. From the Marketplace: Fifteen products are reviewed this month by Peter Duffie, Jared Brandon Kopf, Francis Menotti, Arthur Trace: The Mirage by Dani DaOrtiz DVS by Mark Calabrese Dusheck's Diminishing Cards  Skycap by Luke Dancy, Paul Harris,     Uday Jadugar, and Alex Linian Nine Uneasy Pieces by Robert E. Neale Deliverance by Jay Sankey PET by Richard Pinner More iCandy Volumes 1 & 2 Morrison Pill Box The Web by Lance Richardson Paper Prophecies by David Parr LinKey by Allan Rorrison Packs Small Plays Massive     Vols. 1 & 2 with Jamie Allan Portable Ink by Takel Melting Point by Casshan Wallace And there's even more tricks and advice this month: Talk About Tricks: Say What? Joshua Jay This month of Talk About Tricks kicks off with an unusual coin effect in which you cause a picture of a coin to become a real coin. Bank on 64th Street is a novel effect in which a spectator "chooses" an array of money for you. Timothy Paul, Alfredo Alvarez, and Daniel Chard round out the issue with three excellent card contributions. 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: Over The Brainbow Ian Rowland This months "Loving Mentalism" item is a simple yet ingenious mystery about colors. The theme is that of impossible coincidence. You give a spectator eight simple cards each bearing a different color. With the cards in his own hands, the spectator first mixes them up and then chooses one at random. Despite the obvious fairness of this procedure, it turns out that you predicted exactly the color he would choose — including a physical prediction he can take away! The ingenious principle behind the mystery is one that can be adapted to many different themes and routines. Bent on Deception: Comedy, We Have a Problem Mike Bent "Heckler" is a comedy term that oversimplifies a complex problem. It's no surprise that the cliché of the heckler that everyone has seen in movies or on television shows doesn't mirror comedy in real life. In fact, Hollywood never seems to get the realities of being a comedian right. They usually show the one loudmouth boor in the back of the audience, yelling barbs at a flustered comic. Or they depict the birthday magician doing a show for a group of smart-ass kids wearing party hats who know how all the tricks are done. Those situations are rare in real life; the real situations are way more complex. However, if you handle them correctly, they're not nearly as painful. 50 Years at the Castle: No Room for Expansion? Place Your Bets — Double or Nothing! Milt Larsen Eleven years after we opened the Castle, 1974 was the start of something big. In 1972, we had literally run out of space at the Magic Castle. Every inch of the old mansion had been utilized. We even made rooms where there were no rooms. By digging out the dirt floor of the original basement, the Hat N' Hare Pub was created. Our tiny "Palace of Mystery" had been the old furnace room. The old baggage storage area in the third floor attic had been turned into the library. Porches were enclosed, but there was simply no more additional space for expansion. The Mrs. Winchester in me was frustrated, I couldn't find anything at the Castle to build or destroy… Viewpoint: A Brief Dissertation Plucked out of Thin Air Larry Thornton When we say that a magician made a rabbit — or doves, or his assistant — "disappear into thin air," what exactly are we talking about?For What It's Worth: Kids Don't Learn Nothing Mark Kornhauser Oh, they will be there. They will be at MAGIC Live. They will hang out in the hallways, show each other endless half-practiced flourishes, watch the shows with a mixture of admiration and envy, and maybe go home with the Next Great Idea. "They" are the young twenty-something, stubborn, chattering, inattentive, inexperienced, over-confident, aimless magicians who are the future of magic. I worry about these aspiring magi. Paynefully Obvious: Fanning the Fire Payne When I start putting together an act, I rarely seek out the advice of other magicians. Not necessarily because they are fans, but because the way magicians see magic is completely different from the way non-magicians see it. Magicians are more concerned with moves, feints, and sleights than motivation and character. They will accept blindly the use of certain props or routine structures that non-magicians would automatically question. We know why we can't show the tube and the box of a Square Circle empty at the same time. That's just the way it works, so we never question it. And because we never question it, we never think there might be a better way for it to work. We just keep doing it the same old way, never considering that it might look very odd and suspect to our audiences.

Reel Magic Magazine Issue 34 Preview

Hey! You want to know what's coming up in the new issue of Reel Magic, issue 34. Take a look below! TRAILER PLUS is now live On Demand! There might still be a problem with playback on some Ipads and Iphones. It will be fixed soon. There will be an update to PLUS around the 20th of July ,with more Garrett Thomas Ring material, more lecture notes and the entire Jason Alexander interview and more Justin Miller "The Lost Tapes" PLUS 2 more back issues of Reel Magic. PLUS is just going to get bigger and better! In issue 35 Jim Steinmeyer is on the cover and Doc Eason's "Behind the Bar" along with Bill Wisch "On Slydini" return. Subscribe NOW

Magic Magazine Preview for July 2013

From The Editor You might be thinking that I've been spending a lot of ink on Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães over the last few years. And with cover stories in May and October 2011, respectively, plus a full report of their debut shows at the Magic Castle in August 2012, you'd be right. But I can't think of two other artists who have rocked the magic world, and now the real world, as much as Derek and Helder have recently. Individually, they've dominated the Close-up and Parlour Magician of the Year awards at the Castle for the past two years. Together, their show,Nothing to Hide, did sellout business at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, with extensions upon extensions. And now there's serious talk of bringing the duo's magical piece of theater to New York City. Mike Caveney wrote our first article on Derek and Helder's show at the Castle. This time, he sat down to talk with them about their success at the Geffen. The conversation begins in this month's issue and I suspect it will be continuing for years to come! This has been going on all year, and it doesn't matter what I say or what I write — I can't seem to get the word out to everyone that MAGIC Live is not sold out! I know, it has sold out in the past, but we've added close-up shows and we've added parlor shows. And that means we've added capacity. Yes, we're running ahead of 2011, so this will be the biggest MAGIC Live ever, but we still have a place for you. If you're on the fence, here are a few things to consider. Our theme this year is Friends, and friendship is without borders. We're bringing in over sixty performers and presenters from fifteen different countries. To give you an idea of how international we are, our stage show and our close-up show have only one American in each. And if you were with us in 2011 and enjoyed our Documentary Live, the story of Sawing A Woman in Half, we're at it again. I won't reveal the subject of the show this year, but I will tell you this: it's not a trick! Also, there's our $35 per night hotel rate, and the fact that the next MAGIC Live is over three years away. And if all that doesn't sway you, just ask a friend. See you in August! Stan Allen P.S. The July 2013 issue is now available in print, as well as on the iPad. If you haven't already received your copy, here's a look at what's "between the covers." Stories in MAGIC this month:  Derek & Helder: Nothing to Hide By Mike Caveney Teaming up to present a duo show at the Magic Castle, Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães became the talk of the magic world. A highly successful run at the Geffen Theater in Los Angeles brought them public acclaim. Mike Caveney talked to the pair about how they got where they are and where they're going next. King of Conjurors By David Meyer Ed Reno was a classically styled magician who toured the small towns of America throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, generally playing under canvas on the Chautauqua circuit. He may have had some eccentric habits, but other magicians were impressed with how good Reno really was. The Gift By Jamie D. Grant It was the worst night of Dan Harlan's life. A crime he doesn't remember, a very public embarrassment, and a life-altering aftermath. With that all behind him now, Dan Harlan reflects on what happened and what a gift it may have been. Pocket Tricks By Diamond Jim Tyler This excerpt from Diamond Jim Tyler's latest book features tricks and gags that will fit in your pocket, using common items that are not normally thought of as magic props. Here's an impromptu prediction with a cell phone, a Post-it note puzzler, and a crafty use for fortune cookies. Plus Updates on… The home of Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Magic Company, the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts, up for sale. The opening of the Hilton Head Comedy & Magic Club, Kerry Pollock's new home. Walt Anthony celebrating the 100th performance of the San Francisco Magic Parlor. A 2004 Porsche Cayenne named Izzy offers magic history around town. Bonus Content in MAGIC Plus… A 360-degree video tour of Izzy, the magic car. "Walk About Tricks" videos with Jason England. Additional photographs of the Cabot Street Theatre. Convention Podcasts: SAM National Convention, IBM Annual Convention, MagiCelebration, Abbott's Magic Get-Together, MAGIC Live, Mid-west Magic Jubilee, Daytona Festival of Magic, and TAOM. More products reviewed this month: Twenty products are reviewed this month by Michael Claxton, Peter Duffie, Jason England, Alan Howard, Jared Brandon Kopf, Francis Menotti, Arthur Trace: The Art of Switching Decks by Roberto Giobbi My Magical Journey by Milt Larsen The Grid by Richard Wiseman Houdini and Gysel by Wayne Wissner Transparency by Boris Wild Every Trick in the Book by Charlie Dancey The Trilby Deck by Joe Stuthard One Card Collector by Alexander Külle Delicious Ambitious by Alexander Külle The Complete Works of Derek Dingle      by Richard Kaufman Voyeur by Romanos David Williamson Live with David Williamson Scents of Wonder by The Miracle Factory Extraordinary Beliefs: A Historical Approach      to a Psychological Problem by Peter Lamont The Monk's Way by Steve Reynolds 6 by Six with Michael "Six" Muldoon Combustion by Arron Jones The Omni Pen by World Magic Shop Magnum by Mark Zust Mona Lisa Van Gogh by The Miracle Factory And there's even more tricks and advice this month: Talk About Tricks: The Happy Magician By Joshua Jay This month, we begin with John Guastaferro and a beautiful moment in which a pack of cards vanishes from around two selections. Chris Westfall's Off By A Lot is a charming routine in which messages on the back of a selected card keep changing as the card itself changes, until you finally arrive at the selected card. Tattle Too is Donny Orbit's handling of a little-known Google Easter egg, and Yu-Hsuan Lin explores a fun effect with just five cards. Les Amis: On the Rocks By Gaëtan Bloom & Kevin James In this effect, you have two clear plastic cups The first one is full of ice cubes, the second one full of scotch. You pour the liquid over the ice cubes, then pour the combination back and forth a few times, showing the two cups full of the mixture of ice and beverage. You pour everything back into one cup a final time, leaving the other cup empty. Your two hands approach each other and, in a split second, the hands are separated — and one cup is now full of scotch, the other full of ice cubes, just like at the beginning! Loving Mentalism: Four The Win By Ian Rowland This month's helping of mental mystery is a ten-card poker deal with a few important differences. For one thing, there are no playing cards involved. And there aren't ten of them. And it has nothing to do with the rules of poker! It all adds up to a short and simple exercise in verbal mind control that can be presented either close-up or onstage. Bent on Deception: Mismade Flag? Myth-Made Flag? Miss-Made Flag! By Mike Bent The Mismade Flag is an old standard, and it's an especially great trick for younger kids. It can be used in any show, but it works particularly well for Presidents Day, Fourth of July, or school and library shows that are tied in to a George Washington or Betsy Ross book. 50 Years at the Castle: Gags, Gimmicks, Gadgets, and Goofs — Fifty Years of Fun! By Milt Larsen From the day we opened the Magic Castle in 1963, we felt it should be a really fun place to visit. When the owner of the property, Thomas Glover, was a little unsure of leasing his grand old Hollywood mansion to a comedy writer/magician, he asked me to write up something that would explain what I had in mind. I wrote him a little scenario that described arriving at the grand entrance to a millionaire magician's mansion at the turn of the century. Guests would enter a room with no exit and say a secret word that would activate a fireplace mantel that would swing open like the one I remembered from an old Abbott & Costello movie.… Our Magic Stories: Harry, Harry, and Me By Gerald A. Schiller I don't remember most of the show Harry Blackstone Jr. did that night, except for one trick. It was the Kellar Rope Tie and it involved some pickpocketing as well, all of which I discovered when I volunteered to be his assistant. He deftly got my watch and my wallet, and once again I enjoyed being the victim of a master magician's skill and humor. After the show, I stopped to thank him as he packed his apparatus. I couldn't resist saying, "You know, the last person who picked my pocket was your father — back in Philadelphia at the Walnut Street Theater, many years ago." Viewpoint: The Joy of Failure By Chris Philpott What do you do when a trick doesn't work? There's a scary thought. That's the magician's nightmare, isn't it? But maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe — just maybe — we should fail more. For What It's Worth: First Trick By Mark Kornhauser Every magician remembers his or her earliest inspirations. There was some moment of wonder and confusion and the burning desire to know how it was done. We got "the bug." We wanted to be the magician. Who wouldn't trade a little innocence for an opportunity to be master of the universe? Paynefully Obvious: The Wisdom to Know the Difference By Payne The other day, I heard a story about a magician whose performance was repeatedly disrupted by a boisterous audience member who kept shouting out how the tricks were done. Unlike the hecklers of old who would spout off best guesses such as "It went up your sleeve" or "He's using a magnet," this fellow's revelations were all spot on. He really knew the magician's secrets, not because he'd stumbled across them somewhere, but because he was using his iPhone, in real time, to find explanations on the Internet.

Preview of Magic Magazine June 2013

I am really curious about the article about another Magic Castle. I have heard stories from Milt Larsen and Dale Hindman about it. There has already been an attempt out in New Orleans my the owners of the Mortuary.

From The Editor Here in Las Vegas (and most places north of the equator), we're heading full speed into summer. And that means that magic conventions are bustin' out all over. Our "Conventions At A Glance" page has fifteen gatherings listed over the next three months. All together, they total close to fifty days of conventions this summer. And, for the most part, those are just the conventions happening in the United States. To find out more about upcoming conventions, you can take a look at page 25 of the June issue or visit our "Online Convention Guide" on our website. While we've been publishing our exclusive "catalog of conventions" for almost thirty years, we've never been able to list so much information conveniently in one place — and continuously update it. And the best news is that the data is fully searchable. You can find out where your favorite magicians are appearing, what the best registration price is, and which offers the most lectures or parties. Come visit! If you're producing a magic convention in the future, please check out how easy it is to create a new account for your event, then login whenever you want to update your listing. Scott Wells edits our Convention Guide, and he can be reached atconventions@MAGICmagazine.com. See you at a convention this summer! Stan Allen P.S. The June 2013 issue is now available in print, as well as on the iPad. If you haven't already received your copy, here's a look at what's "between the covers." Stories in MAGIC this month:  Silvan By Massimo Polidoro hen young Aldo Savoldello continued to practice magic against his father's wishes, his family had to give in to the fact that the boy would become a performer. It wasn't long before his magic and manipulations took him to television and around the world, making his one of the most famous faces in Italy. John Taylor: Creator, Performer, Protector By Rory Johnston Creating his own acts rather than copying other magicians' work resulted in some of John Taylor's strongest routines. Now he's a staunch proponent of defending intellectual property, known for his protection of his most famous illusion, Suspended Animation. Dick Cavett, In Conversation By Adam Rubin Lauded as "the thinking man's talk show host," Dick Cavett has provided wit and intelligent conversation on television and other media for five decades. But he started as a magician, and he's remained an enthusiastic promoter and practitioner of the art ever since. Laid Back, Energetic Magic By Alan Howard Joel Ward wanted to be an illusionist, and loves close-up. His magic has taken him from table-hopping in restaurants to television to starring with Ringling Bros. circus. Lately, he has settled into a comfortable style doing fun, interactive parlor magic, with some original comic twists. Plus Updates on…  Steve Valentine and Joel Grey play magicians on the Syfy Network'sWarehouse 13. The incredible auction of Cardini's props and personal effects. There's magic history in the nation's capital. Remembrances of Dennis Loomis and Bob Escher. More products reviewed this month: Fifteen products are reviewed this month by Peter Duffie, Jason England, Alan Howard, Jared Brandon Kopf, Francis Menotti, Arthur Trace: Fat Brothers 2 with Miguel Angel Gea, Christian Engblom, and Danny DaOrtiz Juxtaposition by Devonte Rosero A Taste of Chaos by Loki Kros Trace by Will Tsa Haunted: Extreme Edition by Mark Traversoni & Peter Eggink Comic Book Test by Yoan Tanuji & Guillaume Bienné Gold Dust by Paul Gordon  Ice Pack by The Miracle Factory The Secrets of Brother John Hamman by Richard Kaufman The Business of Street Magic with Will Stelfox Eureka by Roberto Mansilla Deep Mental Mysteries by Lawrence Hass The Little Things with Alan Rorrison Tommy Cooper: "Jus' Like That!" by John Fisher Close-up Comedy Mentalism by The Miracle Factory Tricks and advice in MAGIC this month: Talk About Tricks: Still Life By Joshua Jay We begin "Talk About Tricks" this month with Adam Rose's intriguing coin and chewing-gum transposition, and then we explore a coin-roll flourish by Marc Simpson. Cameron Francis delivers a terrific card sequence, and the issue is rounded out with card handlings by Steve Draun and Rob Gardner. Les Amis: Inside-Out Rose By Gaëtan Bloom & Kevin James You take a beautiful rose out of a vase, smell it, and admire its beauty. You place the bud in your left hand and hold the rose horizontally, with a hand on each end of the stem. The leaves are pointing to the left side. Concentrate on the leaves. Slowly and visibly they begin to change directions and end up pointing to the right. You open both hands to show that the bud is now on the right end of the stem! Loving Mentalism: Killer Test By Ian Rowland A parlor game forms the basis of this month's routine. Four spectators join you onstage. By a random secret process, three are designated as "angels" with a clear conscience. One is designated as a "killer" with a guilty conscience. Just by asking them questions and observing their responses, you can unfailingly spot the guilty party. The routine is played for laughs rather than mystery, but nonetheless the question remains: how can you reliably spot signs of a guilty conscience from the other side of the stage? Bent on Deception: Spring Cleaning, or How Not to Let Your Act Die Under the Weight of Its Own Clutter By Mike Bent By the time you read this, it will almost be summer. Here's your last chance to do some spring cleaning — and I don't mean cleaning out your basement (although that's probably a good idea). I mean cleaning out your act. Stand back and take a good long look at the material you're performing. Ask yourself some simple questions. Is your act neat and tidy, or is it a mess? Are you happy with all your material or are there things that really need to be fixed? Are you hanging on to jokes and bits that have no practical use? Are there old, stock, or "appropriated" bits you're only doing out of habit, even though you know you shouldn't? Depending on your answers, you may need to de-clutter your act. Creative Play: Word Shuffle By Tracy Atteberry & David Parr The random word technique can be very effective when you need a fresh perspective on a creative problem. Maybe you're staring at a blank page and don't know where to start, or maybe you're halfway into a project when you reach a creative bottleneck and don't know how to squeeze past it. To get "unstuck," a bit of randomness might be just what you need. 50 Years at the Castle: Another Magic Castle? Don't Shake the Wagon! By Milt Larsen Over the years, we've had many opportunities to open another Magic Castle. For one reason or another, that never happened. One very significant reason was that we were really struggling to stay afloat in the early days. Plus, we didn't have time or inclination to take on another "Impossible Dream." We came very close at times, but plans never jelled. After all this time, we still haven't gotten around to it. But there's always the future. For What It's Worth: Smoke Signals By Mark Kornhauser I'm no psychic, even though I sometimes play one onstage, but common sense often foretells the future just as well. By the year 2020 (or much sooner), there will be pot cabarets and pot nightclubs, pot cruises, and a pot-pourri of pot parties everywhere. Blue and red states (okay, not Utah) will legalize and regulate marijuana. Entertainers will explore the newfound limits of social acceptance and cater to a new sensibility. It may very well be that the rich sensory experience of a magic show will have a unique appeal to those people who are fascinated by mind-altering adventures. Add a munchie buffet and you might even revive dinner theater. Paynefully Obvious: It Can Happen By Payne I'd heard the story of magician who was so awful that whoever booked him vowed that they'd never hire another magician. I always thought it was just one of those cautionary tales. After all, it couldn't be true. Who would be so narrow-minded as to let one unpleasant experience with a magician tarnish all the rest of us? But then I learned firsthand that it can and does happen.