Wayne's Magic & Illusion Blog

Offered in downloadable PDF format, the article appears exactly as it will in the upcoming September issue of "M-U-M," the society's monthly magazine. The article is 26 pages long and features some 116 photos. The numerous reports, reviews and write-ups of the shows, lectures, and events include contributions by: John Moehring, Jon Racherbaumer, Richard Hatch, Steve Marshall, Mike Perovich and David Michaels.

Please click here to visit the SAM site and download the pdf file.

Suggested Reading:
IBM/SAM 2008 Combined Convention
Magic Clubs and Conventions

Here's a trick that you can do after dinner with just a napkin and a butter knife.

You drape a napkin over your hand and a butter knife appears to pass right through the napkin. It's an impromptu effect that requires no gimmicks. You can perform this one with a pencil or pen, but it's traditionally performed with a butter knife.

Please click here to learn this trick.

More Reading:
Easy Magic Tricks That You Can Learn and Perform for Your Friends
The Best Easy Card Tricks

Here's a stunning color change where you transform the back of a playing card from blue to red. The catch here is that spectators see the card change in stages.

While the change is part of an entire routine where a blue-backed deck changes into a red-backed one, the climax is the conversion of the single card. In the end, the effect will be impressive to lay spectators, but will be appreciated most by other magicians familiar with the standard card changes.

Please click here to read our review.

More Reading:
Trick Review: Autobahn by David Forrest
CTW (Card Through Window) by David Forrest
Book Review: Fandango - Part 1 by David Forrest
Trick Review: Wipe The Slate Clean by Chris Webb

Ask anyone who is into magic and they'll probably tell you that they owned a magic set when they were younger. I am no exception and did go through a few magic sets in my youth.

So what does a magic set offer the beginning magician and what can you expect in a magic set? Here are some things to consider before purchasing any magic set.

By the way, in anticipation of the holiday season, look for upcoming stories about magic sets that will include articles and reviews.

Please click here to read our story.

More Reading:
Buying Magic Sets Versus Tricks
The Five Best Magic Tricks for Kids

I've never been a fan of paddle tricks. Most employ odd-looking, unworldly props and the routines are typically contrived with end effects that are rarely awe-inspiring.

While I still feel this way after reviewing Baffle Bat, I'm strangely intrigued by this prop. And at $20, I find it reasonably priced.

Please click here to read our review.

More Reading:
Color Changing Knives (World's Greatest Magic)
Review: Hot Knife-Rodger Lovins

A recent article in the New York Times discusses a paper, written by scientists and magicians, which demonstrates how magicians exploit the human brain’s ability to construct a real-time model of the world.

The paper discusses perception, the brain’s ability to create a mental picture that is based on experience and context. "The brain uses neural tricks to do this: approximating, cutting corners, instantaneously and subconsciously choosing what to 'see' and what to let pass..." says the article. "Magic exposes the inseams, the neural stitching in the perceptual curtain."

Another aspect that’s discussed is the brain’s tendency to focus on a single aspect at the expense of the rest, something every experienced magician knows and uses.

You can read the entire article by clicking here. More Reading:
Five Steps to Perfect Your Sleight of Hand Moves
Magic 101: Overcoming Nervousness

Here's a classic easy magic trick. You grab your wrist with your hand and a pencil appears to stick to your hand.

When you let go, the pencil drops. At the end, your spectators can examine the pencil.

Look for an advanced version of this trick soon.

Please click here to learn this trick.

More Reading:
Easy Magic Tricks That You Can Learn and Perform for Your Friends
The Best Easy Card Tricks

A Strong Ringer

This pseudo psychometry routine involves four borrowed finger rings and four coin purses.

Four people place their finger rings into four coin purses as the magician looks away. The magician then takes out each ring and identifies its owner.

This routine was explained on "Between 2 Minds," a three-disc DVD set by Haim Goldenberg and Guy Bavli that offered 15 mentalism strong routines for stand up, stage and close up. This kit provides everything that you need to perform the trick.

Please click here to read our review.

More Reading:
Review: Between 2 Minds
Review: Inside Thoughts by Haim Goldenberg

I wish that I had written this editorial a month ago when the interest in the latest Pixar/Disney movie, "WALL-E," was at its height. I attended the movie to watch the accompanying short, "Presto," which is about a magician, to possibly write about it.

While I enjoyed both "Presto" and "WALL-E," I walked out of the theater thinking that I had nothing to write about from a magic perspective. However, I recently had a major change of mind.

Reel Magic
If you haven’t seen "Presto," the short features a magician who has trouble with his strong-willed rabbit. The premise is that the magician uses real magic, a top hat that acts as a portal to a wizard's hat, which allows him to reach through and grab and produce objects, including the rabbit.

I initially dismissed the short. It featured a stereotypical, old style magician complete with top hat and tails. And I concluded that the short was irrelevant to magic mostly because of its core premise of real magic or some type of science fiction style portal.

Real Magic
What took me a month to realize is that "Presto" is absolutely relevant to the art of magic. You see, as magicians, it's our job to take the impossible and seemingly make it a virtual reality in real time.

If we magicians want to reach our hand into a hat and have it appear in other places, it's our job to find a way to create the illusion. And there are numerous routines that come to mind that provide a foundation: Kevin James' "Re-Animator," Christopher Hart's "Zombie" and Penn & Teller's "Blast Off" parody. And don't forget that if it wasn't for cartoons, we may not have Dan Sylvester's "Sylvester the Jester."

No Limits
This experience has reminded me to not to limit my thinking to the established effects that I can perform as a magician, but to take cool concepts and ideas and come up with ways to make them happen.

This cool concept comes from nothing less than the creative and brilliant minds at Pixar. How's that for inspiration from folks who know a thing or two about creating real magic?

More Reading:
Review: Nintendo's "Master of Illusion"
NBC's "The Phenomenon" - Final Thoughts

Portable Close-Up Pad

For table hoppers, the Presto Pad, by Hampels Magic Center, offers an attractive and useful portable close-up pad that not only provides a plush and soft surface to work on, but offers convenient pockets so you can carry cards, coins, pens and more.

By the way, at the recent Louisville convention, I had an opportunity to look at a second, recently released model that's larger and thinner. I was very impressed. While I like the size of the original pad, there may be some of you who prefer the larger size.

Please click here to read our review.

More Reading:
Review: Bob Does Hospitality - Act 1 by Bob Sheets
DVD Review: Magic Up-Close by Shimshi