Colorblind as a bat...

Can you remember a time before Sharpies? I mean, the company has existed since the 60s but they didn't really take off until the 90s for magic. I got my first (and only) Sharpie thru bill in 1997. It was basic black. However since then a myrid of basic and exotic colors have come out. Some guys have built an entire career using them...

Maybe these will distract you from my Ramsey Subtlety?

Color Match

If you have been performing for 20 years or 20 days, you have likely had someone sign something. If you are in the USA it was with a Sharpie. My questions is this: Was it the right color for the job?

Believe it or not, there are certain colors that you SHOULD be using when you have items signed. I'm not some marker racist, but color does matter.
 

• Blue: This color is our preferred go to for playing cards. Black and red just blend in and if it's a free choice it's a crap shoot. Blue will pop against any color, even court cards. 
• Red: Don't you EVER have an American bill signed with a black marker. It is impossible to see even from up close. Red is the way to go. It can be seen from a very far distance and gives you instant recognition.
• Black: For everything else. Black is good for things like balloons, coins, or other things with a good contrast.

Size DOES Matter

When you work anything other than close-up (and even then) you need the markings to be visible. By using the larger "Chisel tip" style markers, you increase the readability of the markings your helpers leave. Mac King has people sign a card with a HUGE marker.

This came with my Bowl-A-Rama but &$%# that trick!

It's the small details like this that come with performing, experimenting and caring about your audience and what they see/perceive.

Who are we to argue with Mac King?

Like a pin drop...

I wonder if magicians can hear the sound of an appearing metal cane. Do they think the loud sound of rapidly expanding spring steel is what magic sounds like when it's happening. I got news for you. If you can hear it, so can everyone else.

I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

There are ways to do it where it doesn't sound like a pterodactyl swooping out of the sky. There are (read: were) canes that used to be pretty damned silent but good luck finding those for a good price. You could use plastic but they usually look like crooked and wobbly. 

Personally I prefer the production out of a scarf like Shimada and Dimmare were oft to do. (If you don't know what I'm talking about Scott Cervine can show you.) 

So next time you want to fire of an appearing cane ask yourself, "Is this what magic sounds like or am I just fooling myself?" 

It's likely the latter.

More machine now than man....

So I was watching a youtube video of a dove act (I know, I know mistake number one on my part shut up) and when they used a dove tray I realized there is a way to get more magic out of it.

The problem with things that work on a hinge/spring system is they can look TOO mechanical. You are sacrificing a little bit for that visual change. Physics dictate certain things move and look a certain way when activated. As magicians we are limited by, what we perceive is, reality. So if we use the same mechanics the world is used to we may or may not fool them. Let's go back to the dove tray...

In the video I watched a young lady laid her glove upon the tray and it turned into a dove. Now aside from the random prop that was obviously big enough to hold a live animal we can dress this up a bit. Say you lay a cloth over the glove and make that gesture and suddenly the cloth starts moving. (Magic moment #1) and then you whip away the cloth it's a dove (Moment #2). By using the mechanics against itself we can delay the moment.

I personally believe anything that is mechanical looks that way and while it gets a reaction I don't think it deep down fools people. We see certain things happen in our lives and our brain can fill in the gaps. However if we can get something to look/react abnormally then we have magic. A good example is the card gimmick where the pips move to create another value. When done right, it's smooth and spooky looking. When people see something that can't equate it to their brain kinda short circuits and they truly feel that magic moment.

Sometimes things can be TOO visual.

A Salt and...

Just a little note to any magician who uses anything electronic - You get what you pay for.

I just learned Rayovac, despite saying they are equivalent to Energizer are NOT. Do yourself a favor and use Energizers. (Especially if you own one of Sylvester The Jester's Funkenrings)

That is all...

I, card trick...

What does magic look like? No one knows right? However we all have a picture in our mind of what it should look like and it's always different from person to person. One will think that something appearing should fade into existence. At the same time another will picture it just blinking into existence.

I don't think anyone will argue that the former seems more mystical or mysterious. The problem with the latter is it can very well end up looking, well... mechanical.

The problem is we have seen things move faster than our eye can track. It can easily be dismissed by a certain "something". Sure it might still get a reaction but I'm not sure it looks magical in the end. I have seen a few tricks on the market that suffer from this mechanical feeling. It's like a sleight done too fast. It will look like a move. How do you fix this? Perhaps with a wave of the hand or a magical gesture or some moment that looks like YOU caused this to occur and not a rubber band.

To each they own...

Hey big spender...

So today I needed to make a prop more visible from stage, however I needed something that would be flexible and durable. I only needed maybe a shot glass full but had to buy a large container to get that shot of yellow goo. So 9$ later my prop is finished and I have a huge container of tool dip that I have nothing else to do with.

This is the joy/pain of creating your own stuff and trying to make the magic better. However I am here to say to you now: Don't be afraid to spend the money on something you need!

Do you only need an 1/8th of a can of spray paint in a color you won't ever use again? Will it be worth it or make a prop better because of it? If so, BUY THE DAMN PAINT! It might seem like a waste to you, but it's actually an investment (and tax write off) that will make you look better in the end. O course if you don't have the funds to grab simple stuff like paint or whatnot, ask some friends. You never know what they have lurking in their garage. Also check online for cheaper prices.

Sometimes however, spending the money can't be avoided so you just have to save up to get that part you need. Just make sure you know FORE SURE it's what you need. It sucks to buy something that you can't use.

So the next time you grimace at that 5$ you have to drop on some bauble to improve a prop, just remember it's all worth it in the end....

Maybe.

Wash yo' balls!!

I have had this post in mind for a while, but I keep getting distracted by more important things.

Anywho, ever seen a magician produce wrinkled silks or rope that USED to be white. What about sponge balls that look like they USED to be green? I think the only thing magicians try to keep pristine all the time are card decks. (Personally I use mine until the box lid falls off, then downgrade that pack to a waste deck and open a new one.)

Don't give me no shite excuses that you don't own an iron or don't have time. Here is a little quick ironing tip for those of you who are domestically challenged. Take your wrinkled ass silks and wet them in the sink, squeeze them out, and then press them flattened out on a mirror, tile wall, glass shower door, etc. Let them dry. The will fall flat and wrinkle free to the floor. The only downside to this is that over time, it can have an effect on the vibrance of the color. After that store your silks (for stage use and stuff) in a zip-lock bag with some air in it. This will keep them tumbling around and not smished flat.

Wash your damn rope. That's it really. It gets dirty no matter what color you use, but if your gray rope didn't START that way, wash that shit yo.

Our good friend (and avid reader) Christopher Lyle recently posted a YT video on ways to care for you sponge balls. If you do table magic, and don't know how to work a sink along with your iron, you need to watch this.

Take a good long look at your magic props. If they seem faded, tired, or just plain sad maybe it's time to invest some of that money you were saving up to drink away the pain on new toys.

Your tools can and will give you away.

Bizzaro.

Giraffes!!

Or as Ken Driscoll would say, Gaffs. The insertion (ew) of desktop publishing has allowed others to pursue that life long dream of making one's own gaffed cards. No longer does one have to shell out 20$ for a double face card of special design. Long gone are the days of fako sheets. Long live the revolution!!

There have been a handful of helpful guides that have popped up over the last few years. Each one contains different ideas and tricks that will help you achieve your lifelong goal... of getting lai.. er.. making yer own gaff cards.

One of the more well known is Marty "Martini" Grams. His DVD, The Art of Card Splitting, has everything you might need or WANT to know to get started. It's a visual guide to his book, Lickety Split. Despite the fact it's a Magic Maker's DVD, I rather enjoyed it. The material is easy to understand and very straight forward.

If you want a more guerrilla form of gaff making, then navigate to Ken Driscoll's Gaffed Again. It has a lot of the tips and ideas from the Martini DVD but in a cheaper and more brief format. Two things that stand out about this product is the unusual way to make a Hofzinser card (in which you can use an Ace or other similar card) and advice on how to sell gaffed cards if you are so inclined to head in that direction. For the price, it can't beat and the information is top notch.

Both of the methods used in the previous two mentionings just aren't enuff for some people. Good thing for those types there is someone out there who wants to share his knowledge of dry mount card making. That person is Craig Matsuoka and his e-book, "The Gaff Factory" has a thorough (not to be confused with Thoreau) look into alternative methods for card making including ink transfers from your printer (oooooohh aaaaah). It's worth a look see if you want to explore other possibilities.

In that same, I recently stumbled upon a website that has many ideas concerning this subject.

You may have noticed I didna put links to any of aforementioned products. I figure my readers are smart enuff to do a google search and make up their own damn minds. In today's market we have choices and damn near instant access to the technology needed to make those choices. There is nothing more satisfying that doing something for yourself....

Just ask any person with no arms.

Bizzaro.