Remodeling Week

Another very busy week. Between magic shows and working on releasing a new effect, I am in the middle of renovating our kitchen and dining area. I am upstairs knocking out tile flooring and the kitchen cabinets, then when I need a break run down stairs to the studio to work on the magic routines and filming. It will be take-out dinners until it's all done! My wife and I love cooking so we are really looking forward to it all being finished.
Last week I talked about how much snow was outside .... just to prove it I took a 30 second video clip. Click here to see the back yard and porch covered in snow ... somewhere there you might spot the BBQ.

This week sees the second installment from Matthew Johnson on how to make money from Goodie Bags after your shows. I had a few emails from magicians in the UK who saw Matthew lecture two weeks ago on his England lecture tour, and they raved about his lecture, in particular his ideas on selling goodie bags. I am so thrilled that Matthew has shared it with all of us. When it comes to promoting yourself he is one of the best ... certainly one of, if not THE busiest magician in Vancouver.
I am also pleased to introduce to many of you what I consider Magic's Best Kept Secret. It's an incredible magic magazine that I grew up with and still subscribe to. The quality of articles and variety of magic tricks explained is simply amazing ... continue reading to find out more.


Where in the World is Paul?



Clue for this weeks photo. Over the years, people from all over the world have found their way to this Caribbean Island with large numbers of immigrants coming from South America (primarily Colombia, Venezuela and Peru), other Caribbean islands as well as from countries as far away as China and the Philippines, and even from 17 different African countries. Despite a multi-cultural background, this island shares in common a strong national identity, buoyed by the success of a healthy economy, a strong educational system and with its people enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. Sadly this island has been in the news lately for a very tragic story.see end of blog for answer

ROGER KLAUSE



Here is some news about one of the living legends in magic. One of my favourite magic books in my library is by Roger Klause called Roger Klause in Convert by Lance Pierce. It is a fanstic book with incredible magic by a great magician. It has something for everybody from cards to silks to finger rings, and includes his wonderful Four Linking Ring Routine; The Chinese Quartet. When I got this message I knew I had to share it with all the wonderful people who read my BLOG.

Last July, Roger Klause was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung and bone cancer. This began with a tumor in his lung from which cells migrated and settled in his hip. The doctors first told him they'd never had a patient with both kinds of cancer to this degree who's survived. However, he's received numerous radiation treatments to attack the cancer in his hip and chemotherapy for the tumor in his lung, and he's still fighting. His treatments and therapies continue, and this, of course, has placed considerable financial strain on Roger and his wife, Wanda.
Not long ago, South Carolina magician Dexter Cleveland approached magician Lance Pierce with an idea he called Project F.O.R.K.. The "FORK" stands for "Friends of Roger Klause." He envisioned some kind of donation program to help Roger and Wanda, and it grew into the effort you can see now by Clicking here!.

Roger is a gentleman who has given so much to all of us in magic it would be nice for us to show how much we appreciate him and his incredible skills and talents. I can't even imagine how many magicians worldwide are using his $100 Bill Switch in their shows - even David Copperfield featured this in his TV special. Please take the time to click on the link above to find out more. They've made it very user friendly to help out this amazing person.

Indian magician promises ‘unforgettable feats’ on Friday




Here is a great article that I came across in The Times of Oman.



MUSCAT — When he performed a vanishing act with his ring at the Times of Oman office, his sleight of hand had us completely baffled. But for magician Prof Samraj, this is a feat he can pull off with his eyes closed, literally.

Magic has been a passion for this civil engineer by profession for the past 25 years and no wonder it has now become his full time vocation. Currently in Muscat to perform at the ‘Arabian Illusion’, a mega magic show at Al Falaj auditorium on Friday and Saturday, he told the Times that the upcoming event would be “one of a kind for the audiences as they would not forget it in a long time to come.”

That is Prof Samraj’s USP, so to say. Whenever he performs his effort is to present something innovative and exciting.

“I always keep in mind that people have expectations and I never disappoint them,” says this globally celebrated magician.

Prof Samraj’s association with magic goes back to his school days.

“As a student, I nursed an ambition to become a magician. I used to be enthralled seeing street magicians perform. But later, I went on to do my engineering and found myself a job in Dubai. In Dubai, I picked up my basic magic lessons from a co-worker.

Dubai provided me an opportunity to develop my skills. I also had the chance to meet up magic greats like Johnny Hart, Paul Danielle and others who furnished me with ample tips,” says the man who now has numerous awards to his credits.

Prestigious awards such as the Best Magician of the Year award by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, Best Magician Award instituted by the Magic Circle, Colon, Germany, Best Performance Award by the International Magic Convention, Dubai have come his way for his unique performances.

A magician who has been compared to Harry Houdini, Prof Samraj’s shows are known for their unique ‘horror touch.’

“I am the first magician to have attempted this style,” he asserts.

In fact, Prof Samraj has many firsts to his credit. Special items he has conceptualised include the ‘Tragic end of Titanic’, ‘Resurrection of beatified Mother Teresa’, ‘The Helicopter Vanishing Act’ and ‘Harry Potter Magic’ among others. He is known for adding theatrics and drama effects to his productions.

How did he manage to conquer the world of magic? “A little bit of many things have helped me in this journey. To begin with it was dedication and hard work acquiring speed, learning to divert attention, hypnotism and above all, scientific principals. With these techniques in your pocket you can actually master magic,” he stresses.

Prof Samraj insists that magic is a performing art and should be considered on par with other stage acts.

“In a country like India there are innumerable schools teaching magic with lots of students passing out each year. This itself proves the popularity of this art form. But of course to click you need to have the best tricks up your sleeve,” he smiles.

He admires the styles of magicians PC Sorkar, Jadugar Anand, Gopinath Muthukad, David Copperfield and Paul Danielle.

Prof Samraj uses magic as an effective tool to promote social causes. Perhaps one of the few magicians to blend magic with a cause, Samraj has raised funds and has also used it for therapy.

“We often perform at an oncology hospital back in India. Doctors have confirmed that patients have responded positively to using magic as therapy. So I believe magic has therapeutic value too. Magic has many benefits,” says the man with a mission.

Prof Samraj caters to all age groups. His admirers insist that his exclusive approach to presentation backed by high-tech methods and experienced troupe members (normally 30 but with 18 members here this time), light effects, sound system, live orchestra and stage effects make him a top ranking performer in the world. In fact, his performances are a rage wherever he goes.

This perhaps explains why this civil engineer has no regrets about turning into a full time magician. In fact, he has worked many years in Oman and Dubai.

For the people of Oman he wants to do a “car vanishing act”, a famous item in his kitty. “But, of course, for this we need to get the right sponsor and necessary permission because it will have to be done in the open air,” he says.

Prof Samraj wants to clear misconception people have of magic. “People often misunderstand magic but I want that to be clear. Magic is not about anything evil but a pure art form. Come and see, we will prove why it is an art,” he says.

So, get ready for some wondrous feats from Prof Samraj’s magical hat. The ‘Arabian Illusion’ show is being organised by event management company Seven Star Visuals.

A magical twist of fate; Bet pays off for magician with long-running, popular show




Here is a story close to home for me, I only live in the next province. If you find yourself in Ontario, Canada Friday night you will want to check this show out.

Lawrence Larouche was entranced by magic as kid.

Watching shows like Bill Bixby's "The Magician," or even Magic Tom, it was so cool, says the father of the popular family act, Majinx. Over the years, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design graduate, honed his skills in acting, set design and painting, but it wasn't until a friend bet him he couldn't make a living as a professional magician that he pulled a proverbial rabbit out of the hat.

"I was always interested in magic from the time I was 10 or 11-years-old," explained Larouche. "When I look back on shows like 'The Magician,' it seems so hoaky now, but then it seemed really cool.

"Then I got into film and acting, but I also started doing close-up magic with coins and cards."

Larouche's first gig was at The Willow Inn, in Hudson. He discovered he had a real knack for it, and one thing quickly led to another, going from birthday parties to corporate shows.

He laughs how he eventually convinced his wife, Cynthia Martin, to join in on the business.

The thought of being the pretty pseudo Vanna White female left holding the bird cage just didn't appeal to Martin, who was an accomplished and well-schooled actress.

"She not willingly followed me into it," admits Larouche. "But I wanted to enter a competition, and convinced her she wouldn't be an assistant, but an actual performer, too."

In 1993, they were hired to work with magician David Copperfield. During the three-week adventure across eastern Canada, they learned what it took to sustain a large-scale production while on the road. This experience inspired them to expand their own show, as well as branch out into festival and special events.

"It was a very cool opportunity to see a huge machine works," Larouche stated. "He's a workaholic to an extreme, and it was amazing to see how people work around him."

Majinx continued to evolve, and the couple captured the Canadian Championship of Magic, in 1999. As well, the family-oriented duo got tired of leaving their two youngsters, Nathan and Zadia, behind at home so in 2000 they incorporated them into the act during a performance at Paramount Canada's Wonderland.


It was an immediate hit and they were christened Canada's First Family of Magic.

Thirteen-year-old Zadia still performs with her folks, while Nathan, now 18, is studying special FX and animation in Toronto, and performs when time permits.

"It was always really important to us for children to have as normal a life as possible," explained Larouche. "We'd switch them between home-schooling and regular school throughout the year, and both had strong interests outside performing.

"Nathan has always been interested in his field, and Zadia is very active in figure skating and sports, so I imagine she'll go in that direction."

Majinx has never aspired for the monstrous crowds of thousands and thousands of people that flock to the likes of Copperfield performances. Larouche "loves" an audience of about 600, and the largest they've done is 2,000, but that was at Toronto's Skydome, now the Rogers Centre. It's important for them to keep that same family appeal and, to this day, Larouche relies upon his formal training in set design, painting and construction to create transportable sets suitable for both indoor and outdoor stages.

As well, state-of-the-art illusions have been made more family-oriented, too, so that everyone can enjoy them, he says.

Majinx will be taking their performance to Aultsville Theatre this Friday evening for the next in Mad Hatter's popular series.

Show time is 7 p.m.

Tickets are $8.

They may be purchased at Cornwall & Seaway Valley Tourism, 11 Water St. West, or at Echo Trends, 54 Pitt St.

And, while like any business, you need to make the dough to keep afloat, there's an undeniable satisfaction that comes from making so many people, of so many ages, happy.

"I never intended to go into magic, it chose me. There's so much joy in it, and if there wasn't, I probably wouldn't be doing it. It's the look on the faces of the audiences, that's what makes it so special," Larouche said.


THANK YOU
A big THANK YOU to everybody who has emailed me this week saying how much they are enjoying reading the BLOG. I can't believe it, up to 2500 hits!! I can only tell you all that this BLOG is going to get better as I have some more amazing articles coming up. It's great to have so many people want to share in such a positive project.
Also, a great big thank you to Paul Gross from Hocus-Pocus who phoned to order more Dream Predictions and Dream Prediction Lites. The positive reviews and emails from magicians has been just overwhelming. The real proof of any magic effect is hearing from people who are actually using it. So many magicians, both amateurs and full time professionals are now using Dream Prediction in their own shows and from the emails it seems with great success. Knowing so many magicians are using this routine makes it all worthwhile putting a product out that is so close to my heart.
I just read famed New York magician Ben Robinson's positive comment on Dream Prediction - "I saw Paul perform Dream Prediction on YT and was completely blown away. It is clean, direct and purely magical -- what more do you want? Congrats on great innovation". If you want to see me perform it then click here.
It's in every show on a cruise ship and is one of the effects people ask me about afterwards and during the rest of the week on a cruise. It's ALWAYS the same question:- "HOW DID YOU KNOW?"

NEW RELEASE THIS WEEK -
MIXED EMOTIONS

A new release from me this week is a routine I've been performing since the early 90s. The whole routine started off with David Britlands "Zennerism" effect using ESP cards, which he released in the late 80s. This had been a regular feature in all my close-up shows both in restaurants and trade shows and really packed a wallop. While working in restaurants I wanted to change from ESP cards to something that was a little more 'fun' and gave me more scope and humor and wider appeal to the mixed audiences of adults and children. That is when I developed my 'smiley' emotion cards. Not only did they make it easier to perform Zennerism, no need for 'marked' cards for those in the know, but also it also gave me an added bonus of another great routine using a Jumbo Smiley Card as a prediction. So now you get TWO great routines for the price of one. Perform both or just one of the routines that I explain in the instructions. I finally released my routine with all the necessary cards and instructions, and permission from David Britland, for Mixed Emotions.

Effect One: Magician brings out a large card with different 'smiley' emotions on it. It is placed face up on the table. Five smaller cards are shown and spectator gets to play an emotional game with the magician until one card is left. The large card is turned over and a large picture is seen that matches the one left on the table.

Effect Two: With permission by David Britland, Paul explains his personal favorite close-up routine using two sets of emotion cards, ZENNERISM. Using Paul's smiley cards it makes this routine so much easier to perform and a lot of fun. Two packets of cards are on the table. Spectator is offered a packet and takes one card without looking at it and puts that card in his pocket. The rest of the packet is shuffled.

The magician takes the other packet of cards, mixes them and places one card face down on the table. The spectator then places one of his cards face up on top of the face down card. This happens three more times, the magician laying down his card first. The magicians fifth and last card is matched up with the spectator's pocketed card. The pair of cards are gathered up.

Again, the magician explains that the spectator made their choice AFTER the magician placed his cards on the table. The cards are now turned spread out and it is shown that all SMILEY the cards match.

Comes complete with:
Large Colored Prediction Card
Two sets of 'smiley' emotion cards
Full instructions

MAGIC'S BEST KEPT SECRET




As I mentioned in one of my earlier BLOGS I wanted to introduce you to some magicians and magic items that you might not otherwise have heard about. This week I am proud to bring to your attention an amazing magic magazine that comes from New Zealand. It is actually one of the world's longest running magic magazines with contributors from all over the globe. Even though the magazine is published in New Zealand it has a huge international clientele.

For me, one of the highlights is the regular column by Richard Webster, Wayne Rogers (appearing pole product fame) and Ken Ring. If you want a magic magazine that offers more than just card tricks then you will want to check this out. These guys write amazing columns with a vast array of magic from mentalism, cabaret, stage, close-up and birthday party magic. "Magicana" tries to be all things to all people - professional and amateur performers, enthusiasts, collectors - everyone interested in any aspect of magic would love this magazine.

Magicana is published bi-monthly and you can check it out online at www.magicana.co.nz




Michael Woolf Interview about New Zealand Magic and Magicana Magazine

Paul - Magicana is one of the oldest running Magic Magazines in the world? How many years has it been running?

Michael - "Magicana" was founded in 1953 as the Newsletter of the Waikato Magic Circle
in New Zealand. It soon achieved national and then international status. "Magicana" is now one of the longest-running magic magazines in the world.

Paul - How long have you been editor of the magazine? How many editors have there been?

Michael - I was asked to become the Editor after the resignation of my predecessor Jim Reilly. Before Jim's time the late Colin Smith was Editor and prior to his time the late Harold Chandler led an Editorial team. That was in May 2000, just a few months after I had been Convenor of the International Convention held in New Zealand in 1999. Issue No. 333 for October-November this year will be the fiftieth magazine that I have produced.




Paul - What type of material is in the magazine? What can readers expect to
get from the magazine?

Michael - "Magicana" tries to be all things to all readers - professional and amateur
performers, enthusiasts, collectors - everyone interested in any aspect of magic. We have and have had some impressive names on the subscriber/contributor list - Bev Bergeron, George Schindler, Lance Burton, Peter Reveen, Mike Caveney & Tina Lenert, Stan Allen, John Booth, Maurine Christopher, George Daily, Eddie Dawes, Duane Laflin, Billy McComb, John and Tammy Calvert,Wittus Witt, Norm Nielsen, Bill Rauscher, Nick Lewin, Bernard Reid, David Ginn,Fantasio, Mervyn & Carol Roy, Terry Seabrooke, John Lovick, Burton Sperber, Pavel - the list goes on.

Paul - Is the magazine aimed just at New Zealand magicians or an international
audience?

Michael - "Magicana" is published in New Zealand but with an international focus.
About one-third of the subscribers are outside New Zealand, in the USA, Europe and Australia. It is printed each two months. A 36-page magazine, full color covers. The annual subscription cost ($US30) includes postage by air mail.





Paul - Where do Magicana's contents come from?

Michael - I have been lucky in being able to assemble a superb team of contributors including David Ginn, Joel Moskowitz, Bernard Reid, Wayne Rogers, Terry Seabrooke, Richard Webster and others. In recent times I have conducted interviews with, among others, Gaetan Bloom, John Fisher, Carole Cardini, John Lovick, Jeff McBride, Bev Bergeron, Shimada - and I could go on.
Richard Webster, Ken Ring and Wayne Rogers contribute original magical ideas and we welcome ideas from anywhere. You can send material for publication by e-mail. Articles, publicity stuff, people, events, news - anything at all from the world of magic.

Paul - Tell us a little about your history in magic?

Michael - I was born in England and my parents emigrated to New Zealand when I was
nine years old. I was given a set of Punch and Judy puppets for the long sea voyage to our new home. I developed this interest in puppetry into ventriloquism and magic, and while in high school was performing at corporate functions and touring in the school vacations. Joined the local magic group as a young teenager in the early 1950s. I remember seeing Jasper Maskelyne, Virgil, John Calvert, Sorcar Snr. and the New Zealand magician Edgar Benyon.
I began my professional career as a radio announcer in 1957 (I was very young!) and continued as radio presenter, writer, director and actor. Then turned my attention to television as interviewer, director and actor. Was in a couple of movies, did a lot of stage acting.
Taught media at a college for 17 years. Freelance writer, voice-over performer. Revived the magic interest, attended Conventions in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Co-formed the Hutt Valley Magicians' Society and was elected President. Coerced the late Rovi into becoming first Patron. Was Convenor of International Convention in 1999. Collect antique magic apparatus and books. Perform occasionally. In 2007 was Guest Speaker at the NZ Skeptics National Conference, with a mentalism show including a newspaper headlines prediction.

Paul - Does New Zealand have a strong magic scene?

Michael - Most performances in NZ are to children. My good friend Alan Watson has a long-term contract with the country's only theme park, performing daily as the Wizard. Second to kids shows would be corporate magic. There are also many non-performing magic enthusiasts.

Paul - The population of NZ is just under 4 million at last count, how many magic clubs are there in New Zealand?

Michael - We're a little over the four million mark now and we have ten or eleven clubs spread over the whole country.

Paul - I know there is a convention coming up. Can you tell us a little about it?

The 29th New Zealand Magicians' Convention begins in Auckland on December 27th 2008. It finishes after the New Year's Banquet, at one AM on New Year's Day. In addition to competitions, workshops and the dealers' Room, guest lecturers announced so far are John Shyrock from Caesar's Magical Empire; Marty and Brenda Hahne and Australia's leading illusionist, the ex-patriat New Zealander Ross Skiffington. I understand further guest announcements are to be made and it should be a great Convention.


Matthew Johnson
Money for Old Roope - part II




What should I put in the bags?

What you put in the bags is up to you. You can put magic books in that you make on the computer, decks of cards from the dollar store, a magic picture of you that the kids can color in etc.

I buy my Loot Bag supplies from a wholesaler in the US called Loftus, their website address is www.loftus.com.

Loftus is a wholesaler of novelty products and they have so much magic it’s not even funny. The great thing about Loftus is this, anyone can become a member, they ship worldwide and the little plastic tricks and wands are CHEAP! For example a dozen Cup & Ball Vases packaged with instructions costs me about $4.00 US, that’s only 40 cents a trick. The wands are about the same price.

What do your Loot Bags contain Matthew?

Here is a run down of what I presently include in my Loot Bags and their approximate costs:

Plastic Magic Wand: 35 cents
Cup & Ball Vase: 40 cents
A Bottle of Invisible Ink: 40 cents
A Fortune Telling Fish: 5 cents
A Lollypop: 5 cents
A Coloring sheet of me: 5 cents
Magic play money (My promotional material): 2 cents
Plastic Loot Bag: 5 cents

Combined Total: $1.37

Now because of shipping and import charges from the US to Canada it probably works out at about $2.00 a bag (outside guess). I sell these bags for $6.00 a bag + tax. That is a $4.00 profit per bag for doing nothing more than putting the bags together. On a party of 20 children that’s an extra $80.00 in your pocket. That my friend is “Money for Old Rope”
>

next week Matthew reveals his 'script' he uses to sell the bags!

ROMHANY'S PICKS OF THE WEEK

Pyro Kinesis



This just came in to Hocus-Pocus and ready to ship out.This is such a cool piece of magic that you'll want to do it over and over. I can imagine performing this in a nightclub type gig or even when you are out with friends at a bar, it has so many great possibilites. Can I see myself using this, YES. It's the type of magic you want to have on hand when somebody asks, "have you seen that Chris Blaine (sic) guy on TV ... everybody get's these two guys confused!!" Can you do magic like him?" Simply take a matchbook and get the person to concentrate on it ... FLASH ... it's on fire.


Of course, a side note is that this CAN NOT BE SOLD TO MINORS!! Here's a TRUE story why this isn't sold to minors - Ever since I was a little kid I've been fascinated with fire. Do you remember as a kid being told "not to play with matches". I didn't listen to my parents and almost burnt our house down because I played with matches and threw one in a trash can thinking it was put out. About an hour later the entire basement of our house was aflame!! Fortunately we always kept a fire extinguisher in every room so my brother managed to put it out without too much damage. You can imagine my punishement, I couldn't sit down for weeks!!! OUCH.

Just imagine . . . you pick up any unprepared matchbook and unfold it. Now, with just the matchbook at your fingertips, you ask for silence as you stare intently. After a moment, without warning, the entire book of matches spontaneously self-combusts. It's Pyro kinesis! Check out the online video - it will leave a burning impression.

People are doubly shocked because they just touched the matches a moment before. All they can claim witness to is you, the borrowed matches, and your awesome mental powers.

Pyro Kinesis allows you to make any book of matches spontaneously combust . . . on a moment's notice. Pyro Kinesis is completely self-contained - there're no chemicals and you control exactly when the matches catch fire.

The possibilities are positively frightening - light a cigarette with the burning matches, or rub the burnt match heads across your arm to reveal a spooky prediction. You could even order custom printed matchbooks, and hand out the burnt matches as your business card - they'll never forget you or the macabre miracle you just performed.

Pyro Kinesis comes with everything you need including a video cd explaining everything. You'll be up and running in just 5 minutes and reset time is just a few seconds. Additionally, Krisjian Pipho's clever handling and insights allow you to accomplish the effect invisibly and effortlessly.

Because of the nature of this effect, Pyro can only be sold to adults. Flash paper (a very tiny amount is needed) is available HERE! .

DELUXE SPOTS BEFORE YOUR EYES
By Reg Donnelly, Paul Romhany and Matthew Johsnon



Here is a product that I know A LOT about, because I was involved in putting it all together. Once in a blue moon I'll see another magician perform something and ask them if they would be interested in releasing it. Reg Donnelly's Spots Before Your Eyes was one of those rare items. I saw him perform it live in a theater and it got a huge reaction from the audience. I couldn't believe that the What's Next routine could get that many laughs! After a year of hounding him, Reg finally let me release this with an additional routine that I recorded and started using myself. We also included a Spanish version for those who work that type of market. I use the Spanish version on cruises in South America and you'd be amazed at how well it goes over.
Recently, Reg phoned me to say he had made up a few of his origianl LARGE SPOT CARDS that he himself uses. I was the FIRST to get hold of one of these as they are incredible. The quality is made to last a lifetime! Because I perform so many shows I am pleased to have a product that is durable to my travel and packing.
To top it all off, Reg also gave me permission to include his Japanese Script that he recently used for this trick while in Japan. He had a member of the audience come on stage and read the script while he performed the effect. What a very clever idea.
If that is not enough ... I was talking to Matthew Johnson about Reg's routine and he pointed out that he had published a routine called "C'ing Spots". It is a very clever and funny rhyming routine. Matthew gave me permission to re-print his routine with all of the original text and photos and include it in this Deluxe package.

There you have it, the DELUXE version of this trick. Never before has anybody released such a fully scripted package with so many different routines. This is my PICK of the week and I'm really proud to have my name attached to it.


Child's Play 3, Curse of the Black Ball




I really enjoyed the previous version of this routine, however really impressed with version 3. This really is a fantastic piece. I can imagine doing this routine and incorporating more drama by playing a game with money in which you put up your pay cheque each time! Even though this reads like a simple routine, don't be fooled. This is something that a good performer could really build up to a solid piece of entertaining piece.

Coinvexed by David Penn




Wow ... this is HOT HOT HOT!!It take A LOT to impress me, but I have to tell you this BLEW ME AWAY. No wonder it was one of the top selling items at the recent Blackpool convention! This is, in my humble opinion the LAST WORD on a signed bending coin routine. You only have to look at the list of top professionals who are endorsing this amazing effect. The method is fantastic and enables you to concentrate on your performance. This is HIGHLY recommended and after talking to Paul Gross you might want to order yours today to avoid missing out. Make sure you check out the video, just click here.

David Penn has finally released his Coinvexed gimmick to the magic world. After signing a coin the spectator experiences something extraordinary as the signed coin bends within their own hands. The spectator can then keep the coin as a souvenir that freezes the moment of magic forever.

No switches! The coin that the spectator has signed is the same coin that bends. Only the coins and the sharpie are seen and the sharpie is perfectly normal. No special chemicals! Just a diabolically clever gimmick that hides in full view.

Supplied with precision mfg. Coinvexed gimmick and detailed DVD instructions.

"David Penn has the best solution for a signed, bending coin routine I have ever seen! This is sure to become a regular performance piece for many professional magicians." -- Nicholas Einhorn, Magic Circle Close-Up Centenary Magician

"Finally, a coin bending gimmick that I actually want to use!" -- Marc Spellman, leading European mentalist

"This is too good to sell!" -- Braco, World renowned inventor and magical historian

"This is what we have come to expect from David Penn. Revolutionary new thinking and an expertly structured routine that is now destined to become a modern classic!" -- Chris Priest, Millennium Champion of Close-Up Magic

"Charlie the Chicken and I never leave home without it and we look forward to damaging the economy forever!" -- Max Somerset, TV magician and star of "Max Magic"

Where in the World is Paul?
answer - Aruba

Exciting News

Before reading my BLOG you might want to get a cup of tea or coffee and take a few minutes out of your day as I have some great articles including the rest of TC's interview PLUS the start of a fantastic series by Matthew Johnson aimed at Birthday Party magicians who want to BOOST their income.


WHERE IN THE WORLD IS PAUL?



I thought it would be fun to include a photo of me somewhere in the world each week and see if you can guess where I am. I'll give you some clues. I'm sitting in a very famous 'cafe' owned by Rick at a grand piano and I hear the words, "play it again Sam". A classic movie was also named after this very famous city. See the end of this weeks blog for the answer.




What a busy week it's been. Finally back down to earth here in Shediac after being on ships for three months, I now have to shovel snow every day just to get the car out of the driveway. I spent all day yesterday shoveling snow off the back porch just to get to the BBQ. Yes, in true Kiwi fashion I will BBQ come rain, shine or snow.



Things have also been hectic with two releases this week including Minuette Aces and Code Breaker,two effects I released almost a year ago but now with added bonuses. I re-filmed Minuette Aces with a slight variation than the original. This is a theatrical four ace routine that I perform in close-up and also in my stage show on cruise ships. The technology on ships is amazing and I have this routine projected on to 3 screens so an entire 1500 seat theater can see it. I am a huge fan of using any technology that is available to enhance an act.
Code Breaker is a routine I do in every close-up show and also for private parties. I have re-written the instructions so it now comes with three different routines for stage or parlor shows plus my walk-about routine. The great news is that some well respected magicians; TC Tahoe, Nicholas Einhorn, Wayne Rogers and Matthew Johnson have added their own ideas and routines to the instructions. This trick is a limited release so when it's gone it's gone.



I have also been very busy in the studio filming some new products and working on three Personal Magic Teaching DVDs for magicians. Several years ago I put together a product for those magicians who want to have their own DVD to sell after their shows. It is a generic DVD which teaches 12 magic routines and is all done in white gloves. You just email me your photos and I produce the DVD with your name and website all over it so that it looks as though YOU went in to a studio and had it professionally filmed, in other words the DVD is personalised just for YOU. The product has done incredibly well and has proven to be one of the most popular 'back of room' sale products in magic to date. This week has seen me BACK in the studio filming a brand new DVD with more great magic and a few extra bonus chapters, including an optical illusion section and interactive TV magic. For any magician who wants to make EXTRA MONEY after shows then this product is what you need. The feedback from those that have purchased this has been incredible. Many cruise ship magicians are now selling this DVD and making as much money from their sales as they are from performing!
I have one friend who works in a restaurant and has it on display there and actually sells these during the week even when he's not working!Now that's what I call a passive income. This is one of those rare magic products that you can actually MAKE money back you spent on purchasing it, and then some ... what an investment!

I plan to have the new DVD ready in a months time. Forget about the coloring books, this is the way to go. You can sell them for as little or as much as you like. Once you get your Master DVD, it is yours to keep and do with what you want. I know this is a product that many magicians can use so I have managed to keep the price very affordable. If you were to go in to a studio and do this project yourself you would easily be looking at paying thousands of dollars.


I do have some wonderful news for readers of this BLOG, which incidentally has almost reached 2000 hits!
During the week I spoke to some of my good friends in magic, many of whom you will all know by name, and they have agreed to write articles and do little interviews with me. I am very excited about having them join me in this venture as I know it will be both entertaining and educational.
My good friend and incredibly busy magician from Vancouver Canada, Matthew Johnson has just returned from a very successful series of lectures in the UK, and has given me permission to publish his amazing article on earning extra money after each show. I will be publishing it over the next few weeks starting today.




LAS VEGAS - This news just in and I think it's very exciting and something I would love see.
Illusionists Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn plan
to make a one-night-only comeback next February, performing their
signature show at a fundraiser more than five years after a tiger
attack ended their long-running production on the Las Vegas
Strip.

Siegfried and Roy will perform at the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute's
Keep Memory Alive fundraiser in Las Vegas at a location yet to be
confirmed.

This year, tickets to the charity dinner cost $1,500 and raised
more than $12 million.

Publicist Dave Kirvin said the German-born duo was working out
plans for the act and said he would be "very surprised if animals
were not part of the performance."

"Siegfried and Roy and white lions and other endangered animals
go hand in hand," he said.

Roy, 63, was critically injured when their white tiger,
Montecore, sank its teeth into his neck and dragged him offstage
in front of a horrified audience at The Mirage in October 2003,
ending one of the most successful casino shows in Las Vegas
history.



INTERVIEW WITH TC TAHOE
(continued from last week)


Paul - Is your show tightly scripted?

TC - I work with a script, mostly. I script out the show/act, even a
lot of the ad-libs, to a degree.
To what degree depends on the type of show I am doing. I do not
believe in ‘locking’ myself into script. My act depends so much on
the audience’s energy, their reaction (sometimes their lack of these
things).

Each show is and should be very personal. I want the audience to feel
a part of something special, something that doesn’t happen all the time.

If you know exactly how each and every member of your audience is
going to respond, every time, you are either doing something very
wrong, or very right.

You need to be flexible, so that you can respond to the way they
respond. Especially in mentalism. Sure you want to come across like
you know what you're doing, but you are dealing with forces of nature
that nobody really understands, some things are bound to ‘get away
from’ or ‘surprise’ you.

Sometimes when I use humor in my mentalism, or bizarre shows, I am
almost apologetic about it. Again, I like to stress, subtly, to the
audience that this is fun/surprising for me also.

Yes, humor in mentalism can be a very good thing, just understand why
you are using it.

Paul - I know you have worked pretty much all types of venues and
gigs. Any tips for magicians wanting to get in to the restaurant scene?

TC - I don’t know if there are necessarily any Golden Rules that
apply to all restaurants. Things I do when working restaurants…

Always share your tips with the waiters. You want these people on
your side. They don’t just have the ear of the customers, but also
the management.

Do not stay at the Tables too long. I like to do a couple of fast
passed effects and leave. Right before I leave I say something like
“Remember I will be here all night…so if you want to see more tell
your waiter, or throw something at me and I would be happy to come
back.” Leave them wanting more and they will ask you to come back. It
looks good when you are talking to the manager and one or even two of
the waiters comes over and says, “Table so and so wants you to come
back”.

Depending on the type of restaurant, I sometimes involve separate
tables with each other. Just simple, fun stuff, but it starts to
create more of a party atmosphere.

The most important thing to remember is that you are an Ambassador
for the restaurant. You are there to make sure that they want to come
back.

Also, don’t forget that table-hopping is a wonderful way to build up
a mailing list. More important then handing out your business cards,
get theirs!

Paul - what sparks your creativity? Any ideas on how a magician might go
about creating something 'new' and different for their act?

TC - Music is a big inspiration to me. Sometime just a line or phrase in a song will set the wheels Turning. Sometimes it’s a “hit ya right in the face” idea. I was working on a salt pour and listening to an oldies station when the song Sugar Sugar by the Archie’s came on. I looked at the salt in my poring out of my hand and realized the only reason they [the audience] knows this is salt is because magicians tell them or start with a saltshaker. What if I start with a sugar packet? Now my salt pour has taken on a life of it’s own because of a cartoon band from the sixties.
I get inspired by all kinds of different things. I think one thing magicians need to do is get away from looking to magic for inspiration. Look to other art forms, look to nature. Inspiration is all around us, we just need to open ourselves up to it. Wow, I sounded very zen-like there…ok, if you can snatch this people from my hand…you will find inspiration….

Thank you TC for the interview and insight - for those that have not had the opportunity to see TC work then keep your eyes open as he is planning on doing a few lectures.


MATTHEW JOHNSON



As promised, I am going to introduce a very clever and talented magician who has kindly agreed to let me publish some of his 'work' and business ideas in my BLOG. First, a little background on Matthew.

Matthew Johnson is a Magician, Juggler, Actor, MC & “Real Funny Guy!” A versatile and busy performer from Vancouver, Canada who handles everything from Corporate Events to TV Commercials with the same DYNAMIC flair!

He began performing as a magician in his native England where he developed his own unique style of Magic and has traveled the world performing for over 15 years. After 2 years aboard Cruise ships and an extended stay at the Hilton Hotel in Japan, Matthew decided to make Vancouver his new home in 1998.

Since moving to Vancouver he has become a favourite with companies such as Mercedes, Microsoft, Toyota, Ford, AT&T & Telus to name but a few.

In the early part of 2007 Matthew decided to give the world of Film and Television a try and recently landed the principal role in a US national TV Commercial for “Nationwide Insurance”, where he can be seen vanishing a car on the streets of Argentina.

As if all of this were not enough Matthew Johnson has also won many awards for his creative style, some of these awards include,

Close-Up Magician of the year
Parlour Magician of the year
Stage Magician of the year
Most Inventive Performance

Here is the first in a series of Business articles for magicians called :-

Money for Old Rope
Making Money through the sale of Loot Bags



While their may be some truth to the saying “You cannot teach an old dog new tricks” it is also true that we can (no matter our age or skill level) learn something that may be valuable to us in the future, should we choose to pay attention.

The idea of “Money for old rope” or money for doing nothing came to me only a few years ago while watching a lecture about marketing. One of the principals that struck me as being very useful in the lecture was that of offering Extra Add On services to your show to make extra money, more notably the sale of Loot Bags.

Now don’t get me wrong, I had toyed with the idea of selling Loot Bags to my regular birthday party shows before, but had never been very successful in selling the Loot Bags to my customers. It was not until two years ago that I hit upon the solution……Magic Loot Bags!

What are Loot Bags & Do people buy them?

As most of you know Loot Bags are usually made up of little plastic bags of stuff such as toys, candy, crayons etc, that are given to the birthday child’s friends at the end of the party. His or her little friends then run home, empty the bag on the living room floor and feverishly eat the candy while playing with the colorful little pieces of plastic junk!
Mom’s & Dads spend hours of their time (not to mention money) buying the stuff and putting the stuff in bags to give to the child’s friends. Why? Because it has been a staple of the whole birthday party experience since the dawn of time! As sure as putting up your Christmas tree or getting money from the Tooth Fairy, kids expect a Loot Bag

They are buying them anyway so why don’t they buy them from me?

This is the key to selling Loot Bags! Why buy from you? The answer eluded me up until a couple of years ago. You see I was trying to sell the same bags of junk that they were putting together themselves and there in lies the problem.

You cannot sell something to someone that they can easily put together themselves, why? Well because for one, it has a perceived value to them. With the booming popularity of dollar stores they know exactly how much a little bag of plastic junk costs.

The key to successfully selling Loot Bags to your customers is to sell something they cannot put together very easily and therefore something which has a higher perceived value (even though it may be the same). The second key to selling Loot Bags is to link them to your service, so in our case Magic. The general public has a somewhat miss guided perception that small plastic magic tricks have a much higher value and so therefore they must have to pay more for a Loot Bag with them in, there my friends is your hook. You see the bags you are putting together cost you know more (or fractionally more) to put together, yet you can offer them at pretty much the same price, the difference is that your customer does not have to go to all the hassle.

Continued next week

ROMHANY TRICKS OF THE WEEK




If you haven't seen or heard of Mel Mellers then you are missing one FUNNY magician. Mel is a hilarous comedy magician from the UK and this is a DVD that every comedy magician will want to own and add some of Mels routines to their own act. I had the pleasure of meeting Mel on a cruise ship a year back and he brought the house down with his incredible act, I was laughing so much I was crying!! When I heard he was releasing some of his pet routines to the magic community I made sure I was one of the first in line to get his DVDs.

Mel Mellers is back! Hot on the heels of his best-selling twin DVD set Tickling the Mind, comes Mel Mellers' brand new DVD, Undiscovered Wonder, featuring eight jam-packed routines - complete with all the gags and presentational plots you'll need.

The clown is dead... welcome to Mel Mellers' Undiscovered Wonder the very latest DVD from the ever inventive mind of one of Britain's most successful comedy magicians.

Contents:
Human Word Generator
Noises we don't like
Beat the Brain
The Mindreading Duck
Flowering
Flags
Unseen Revelations
Agony Aunt

Sean Bogunia's Lamp



This is more than just another 'trick', this is a wonderful and very mysterious routine. In the right performing situation this could be a real masterpiece. As with everything Sean releases, this is high quality product and worth every penny.
I like this because you can perform one effect or combine both, depending on how you routine it all to fit your act.

Imagine this: The stage is empty except for a table on which sets a shadeless unplugged lamp. The magician enters and screws in a light bulb into the lamp socket. He then plugs the lamp into an extension cord and turns the lamp on. However, the bulb does not light up! He then proceeds to unplug the lamp and then the bulb LIGHTS UP! The confused magician then plugs the lamp in again and the bulb goes out! This routine can be repeated as many times as you like!

The magician then takes a cloth and places it over the lamp, mysteriously, the bulb begins to float, it floats behind the cloth and even pushes the cloth forward as the BULB IS GLOWING! The bulb then seems to vanish, but is then spotted GLOWING AND ANIMATED in the magicians pocket! And now for the killer ending..the bulb floats back towards the lamp and then APPEARS BACK in the socket ON THE LAMP!

FISM 2006 DVD



It's finally here! This is something I've been waiting to see come on the market for some time now. What a great DVD this is for any fan of magic. If you want to see great magic with a few bonus sections thrown in then this is for YOU!

On this DVD, the World Championships of Magic™ 2006 TV show comes to your home! You'll also see "The Real Secrets of Close-up Magic" award-winning short movie by David Stone. Included, of course are some amazing pictures of the 23rd FISM™ World Championships of Magic™ 2006

You Asked For It Collection



What a great package this is. If you are a fan as I am, of watching magicians of days gone by, then you are going to LOVE this four DVD set. It contains some absolute classics that appeared on the TV show You Asked For It.

You Asked For It: Rare TV Magic Acts on Four DVDs!

Over eight hours of footage on four DVDs for optimum viewing quality, 67 classic magic performances!

Performers include Blackstone, Dante, Frakson, Tarbell, Birch, Jack Kodell, and other greats Illusions, challenge escapes, manipulation, and more!

Between 1950 and 1959, the American television program "You Asked For It" presented dozens of magic acts, and these DVDs preserve 67 of them. You'll find not only priceless historic footage of prominent illusionists, but also a time capsule of some of the best (and often oddest) illusions, escapes, mindreading, and manipulation of the time!

In the FOUR DVDs of You Asked For It: Rare TV Magic Acts you'll find Blackstone's Buzz Saw, Dante's Sawing, Kuda Bux's blindfold act, Jack Kodell's parakeets, Tarbell's Eyeless Vision, Frakson's famous cigarette act, "Think-a-Drink" Hoffman's any-drink-called-for routine, and hours of other delightful and weirdly fascinating acts. The roots of extreme escape challenges are here, plus much more of interest to both the performer and historian, now in convenient DVD form!

AND FINALLY!!



I couldn't believe that Andrew was releasing this! He showed me this a few years back and I was blown away. I told him then I would LOVE to put it in my act if he ever released it. This is something that you can carry with you all the time. For those that don't know Andrew, he was a consultant for Chris Angel and now David Blaine! I think probably the only person EVER to consult for them both? He certainly has a different take on magic than most magicians and a very clever thinker.

First off, the performer gives a spectator his/her business card folded up and asks that they place it in their pocket for later. Then a game of “which coin in the hand” is played 5 times in a row and a score is kept of the spectator's hits and misses…

The game is repeated except the mentalist/magician claims he/she will influence the spectator to pick up on subconscious suggestions given by the performer and they are correct 5 times in a row ! BUT wait; the performer asks the spectator to remove the business card that’s been in their pocket all along, they open it, without the performer ever touching it, and it matches their score the first time around!
No magnets
No electronics
100 percent
Perform in a t-shirt
Bonus routines and notes:

NON Cents - Impromptu Street Effect - The magician/mentalist reaches into his/her pocket and pulls out a closed fist announcing it contains 3 coins and asks a spectator to play a little game of imagination. The spectator is asked to name a coin, and ANY coin they name the magician will pull out of his hand. After the coin is named and removed, the magician announces the game wasn’t fair, opening his hand showing it completely empty!
No shells
No pulls
No magnets
Perform in a t-shirt
Nothing to add, steal away
Only ONE coin shown
Different outcome every time!
Chair Cents - a routine idea for stage (this idea is worth 5 times the price for a working performer)! You will love what Andrew Gerard has done with this gimmick.


Where in the world am I? - I am sitting in a cafe called Rick's Cafe in Casablanca.

Valentines Day

Love is in the air .... I will be celebrating Valentines day with my wife Natalie. We have been married for three years and together for eight. We actually met on a cruise ship. It is amazing how many of our friends who work on ships have ended up with partners they met on a cruise, well it is the LOVE BOAT after all. One of the most memorable gigs was working on the original LOVE BOAT - The Pacific Princess. We were actually the last magic act on the ship before she left the company and became a casino ship. The history of amazing magicians that appeared on the ship read like a whose who of the magic world. As a special farewell to the ship some of the cast members from the original TV show The Love Boat came on her last voyage. Below is a photo of Gavin Macleod who played Captain Merrill Stubin on the TV show The Love Boat and yours truly.



The response from my first blog has been overwhelming. I never anticipated so many readers and people to email me. I answer everything personally so look forward to hearing from you all. If I am on a ship or on the road then sometimes my responses may be a bit slow.

I received many emails from magicians who purchased my original DREAM PREDICTION asking for updates that I offered in my first blog. The offer is always open to anybody who purchases the original and wants to know the difference between Dream Prediction and Dream Prediction Lite.
This week has been hectic as I have just finished putting together Dream Prediction Lite which will be shipped down to Hocus-Pocus early next week ready for orders. Paul Gross phoned during the week with the news that my 'Comedy Five Card Repeat' had really taken off and orders were coming in thick and fast. I have been busy making up more gimmick cards to keep up with the demand. I'm glad it's proven to be popular as it is one of my favorite routines.

NEW PRODUCT RELEASE
Here is a NEW product that I am releasing in the next two weeks exclusively through Hocus-Pocus. It's my UPDATED version of my own Multiplying Bottle routine. We had so much success and positive feedback with Reg Donnelly's routine that I thought I would re-release my original version that was included in that package PLUS an additional routine which uses TWELVE bottles. This is a complete package with DVD, Twelve bottles, labels and audio CD male and female voice overs. I am very proud of this package because you GET ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING you need to put this in your act. In the DVD itself I go in to detail on BOTH routines plus a lot of extra tips and ideas that I do with my bottles. Your get both my original NINE bottle routine AND the NEW TWELVE bottle routine. This has been in my act for many years and the routine is designed to get maximum impact and laughs. The great thing is that there is NO script for you to learn, you just follow along with the CD.


One of the things I want to do with this BLOG is ask questions of some of my friends who have been in the magic business for a very long time, enabling them to share some of their experiences with all of us. My first guest is TC Tahoe who is one of the most creative magicians that I know and is constantly coming up with incredible and innovative ideas. Some of them we have even worked on together including Cookies Fortune and Free Lunch which are available from Hocus-Pocus.

GUEST: TC TAHOE
Here is a little background on TC. He was born in Great Falls,Montana. His parents worked very hard, thereby depriving him of a life of poverty and giving him the chance to rise above it. The Magic Castle in Hollywood has named TC Parlour Magician of the Year,(twice), and TC was nominated Stage Magician of the Year (four times), Close-up Magician of the Year (three times) and Lecturer of the Year. (twice).

TC has been seen literally all over the world, from the Amazon to Australia, Puerto Rico to the Philippines (and way too often in Barbados). He has appeared on TV in four countries and hundreds of radio shows.

When it comes time for the Hollywood elite to be entertained, they call TC Tahoe. He has performed for celebrities such as Pierce Brosnan, Jane Symour, Steven Seagal, Minnie Driver, Sean Penn and Josh Brolan. He currently performs corporate shows around the USA and for Carnival Cruises on a weekly basis.

Here are a few of the many questions I put to TC ... will share more during the coming weeks.

Paul - For the past several years you have been working on cruise ships, how did that job come about? Was it through an agent?
TC - I first got onto ships with an agent. It is much easier to go through an Agent. Then you only have to tell one person the why you would be great on the sea. Albeit you must then trust that person to sell you. The Carnival gig I have now, was through a friend of a friend.

You can cold call or just send out a dvd. When you do call, understand that most of these guys are inundated with would be acts, so they may sound a little curt. Send them a cover letter and a dvd of your whole act. That is what most of them want. No montage, the whole act, or acts.

Most likely if you get booked you will be asked to do two different shows.
When they ask how much material you have tell them an hour, that is what they need.
An hour that can be divided up into different types of shows. And, the fun part is, that no matter what you are told over the phone, it will be different on the ship.

The Cruise director, your boss, may ask you to do a five minute bit for a welcome aboard show. This five minutes must be strong, you want to be a good draw.

I guess I am getting a little off topic here.

Send out dvds, make phone calls, or get an agent.

Paul - I know you are a fan of mentalism and your style of performance is very humor based, does Comedy and Mentalism go well together?

TC - I guess some may call this semantics, but I don’t know about comedy in mentalism, humor yes. Comedy? I just don’t know. If you are doing good strong comedy, I think it might be hard to get them to appreciate the full impact of the mentalism.

On the other hand, a little humor never hurt anyone. In fact the stronger the mentalism, the more your audiences are apt to laugh. Not necessarily because it’s funny, but because you are messin’ with their reality.

I might be alone on that but….

More from TC next week.


ROMHANY'S TOP PICKS

Here are my TOP picks for great effects that are available from Hocus-Pocus.

STRETCHING THE TRUTH
by Tim Gabrielson & Jim Flagg
This has to be one of the BEST cardiographic type routines to EVER come on the market. Hocus-Pocus have really pulled one out of the hat by being the EXCLUSIVE dealer to offer this product to magicians. I first heard about this through a good friend who told me I should watch the promo video. As soon as I saw the performance I knew it had to be in my own show!! Some of my good friends who are top names in magic have purchased this routine and are using it in their own shows. If Mac King says it is THE BEST version he has seen then you KNOW IT'S GOT TO BE GREAT.
The package comes complete with everything you need to make this up and start performing. I highly recommend this amazing routine and no matter what type of performing gig it is ... you will want to put this in your act. If you want a really clever, funny and well thought out routine PLUS something VERY different, then YOU NEED THIS!Just watch the video and you'll see how brilliant this routine is. In my humble opinion the best routine I have seen in many years.

Picture this:

You and a randomly chosen audience member will entertain the crowd with an hysterical 7 minute comedy mind reading effect, where you will be attempting to draw a picture of the "volunteers" chosen animal cracker.

You and the audience seem to be one step ahead of the "volunteer" on stage due to you finishing the silly drawing of their animal on the comedy off beat, so only the audience can see and not the "volunteer" on stage.

However, in the end you will completely amaze everyone when the last animal drawn visually changes on paper before their eyes into the correct animal. This drawing is then torn out and handed to the "volunteer" to keep, with an astounding gasp from the audience.


“When I saw Tim perform this it immediately became my favorite version of this trick ever.” -Mac King

Telepath - Cellular Conjury
Every magician who has a cell phone should get this product. Never be caught out again when somebody asks you to perform a miracle. This is a great concept and something that will knock the socks off spectators. Truly one trick you will NEVER leave home without. This will work on pretty every cell phone, as long as your can store images. I like this because there is such a diverse range of routines and effects you can do with your phone.

Once prepared is impromptu.
Easy to use.
Extremely versatile.
Perform any type of revelation or display.
Use almost any camera / picture phone.
Highly visual.
Revelations can be done with the phone in a spectator’s hands.

Very highly recommended


Wristband Mystery by Hiro Sakai
This is one of the coolest card effects I have seen in a long time. You only have to see the video footage to see how unusual this is. The method is incredibly clever and the fact you can give things out at the end leaves your audience dumbfounded.

A card is selected and the magician removes his wristband and instantly penetrates the card. Moving the wristband up, down, all around, the magician just as easily separated the two and hands both the card and the wristband for complete and utter examination.

Nothing can be found!
No magnets!
The wristband and cards are examinable
Great magic for magicians
You need only a Bicycle poker size deck
Includes special gimmick with instructional DVD.

Dan Sperry's Dove From Sketchpad
A few years back I toured with Murray Hatfield on his Canadian tour which also featured Oscar Munoz and Dan Sperry. I would watch Dan's act from the wings every night for two months and be amazed at the skill and artistry that he showed. He always brought the house down with his wonderful dove act. Since then Dan has been a regular performer in Las Vegas his act just gets stronger.
I saw the reaction of this routine every night for two months and it never failed to get gasps from the audience. If you are a dove worker and want to add something really unique and offbeat to your dove act then this is it! It almost wants me to go out and get a dove just so I can perform this one routine ... although might be hard to take them on ships with me.
At any time during your show you take out an ordinary sketchpad and display it to the audience. You then pull the cover back to reveal a fresh sheet of sketch paper and begin to draw the outline of a bird. After your work of art is complete you tear off the paper and place the marker and pad of paper back into your table. Lastly the drawing is crumpled up only to have a live dove appear from within the crumpled up paper!
Complete with DVD Instructions
Includes Andy Amyx's Ultra Quick Release Dove Holder - the best dove holders on the market!
Totally self-contained
Perform virtually surrounded
Can be done at any time during your performance
Special gimmicks included along with everything you need to start performing it right away; even a simple dove outline to trace for the artistically un-inclined!

Welcome

Welcome to my first weekly BLOG. This is such an exciting opportunity for me to be more involved with the wonderful people at Hocus-Pocus and to share reviews of the hottest items in magic. This BLOG will also have interviews, ideas, tips and stories from magicians around the world.

I always enjoy hearing from magicians so if you have a story, an event or any news you would like to share please email me. I am very fortunate that magic enables me to travel the world and meet many magicians from all walks of life. I will be introducing many of these people to you, including a few acts that aren't so well known in the magic community but I think you should know about.

I will also be having updates and information on routines that I will be releasing through Hocus-Pocus, giving you the chance to ask me questions and have some insight in to my way of thinking.

The past two weeks have been very hectic as I was in Brazil on a cruise ship for twelve days. Every cruise ship offers different working conditions and the ship I was on, while high end, doesn't have a state of the art theatre like many modern ships. Working on a cabaret floor like the one on the ship I was just on, always reminds me of watching Billy McComb work. I first met Billy when I was in my early 20s and living in New Zealand. Billy came over for a magic convention and he did a few private corporate shows. Watching him work for a lay audience was such an amazing learning experience. He was certainly the king of 'pack small and play big' and his personality and charm really won audiences over. His version of the Linking Himber Rings was something to behold.

Billy was such an influence on so many magicians and I was certainly one of them. With my own show I am able to pack everything in to one bag and still perform two different 45 minute shows on cruise ships. Most of the ships today seat 1000 people and over, so you still have to be able to play to a large room. Traveling as much as I do, and having the airlines lose my luggage so many times, eleven last year and once already this year, I now travel with a back up show in my back pack.

I will talk more about my 'back-up' show in a later blog, but would be very interested to hear from people what their favourite routines are that 'pack flat and play big'.

AND NOW ...

REVIEWS

Here are a few effects that are available from Hocus-Pocus that I am really impressed with and want to share with you all.

The Royal Scam by John Bannon


I have been a huge fan of John Bannons since his book Smoke and Mirrors. It is full of great practical magic that I currently use in my close-up act. I would say that I use more of his material in my close-up work than any other magic book I have ever bought!

Here is another GREAT routine by John Bannon which is an expanded version of Roy Walton's classic Cascade effect-on -steroids!

Beginning with a number of identical red-backed Aces Of Spades, the performer magically causes the packet of Aces to turn all face-up and, them, all face-down. All of the faces and all of the backs are shown repeatedly.

Unexpectedly, four face-up Aces are turned face-down and now have different-colored backs. As a complete surprise, the remaining aces now become a Royal Straight Flush in Spades.

You end clean and everything may be examined. No palming or difficult sleight-of-hand.

Step-by-step DVD instructions and a photo-illustrated e-book illuminate the workings of The Royal Scam. All necessary cards, specially printed by the US Playing Card Co. are supplied.
This is more than worth the small amount that is being asked for this trick and I highly recommend it as a very practical and eye popping piece of close-up magic.


Richard Sanders Fiber Optics Extended


I was so impressed with the first version Richard produced I couldn't wait to see what this extended version was about, and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed! You only have to watch the footage on Hocus-Pocus website to see some of the incredible moves Richard has come up with. This is very practical and as the ad says, eye popping visual magic. Great value for money and something you will keep in your act for years to come.

All the original eye-popping material from Fiber Optics PLUS 10 brand new phases, 5 brand new routines AND Hyper Ring: The visually astounding ring and rope routine!

On this 2 hour, power packed DVD, you will learn 32 eye flipping, mind crunching, hyper visual rope moves that will literally stun your audience! Nowhere else will you find this much mind crunching visual magic, without the aid of gimmicks, magnets or special props.

All 7 routines featured on the DVD are immediately repeatable with no reset, there is nothing to get ready, nothing to prepare and nothing to hide; just pure adrenaline magic right out of your pockets!

As performed at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, The Magic Circle in London and FISM in Den Hagg.

Includes NEVER BEFORE SEEN bonus footage:
10 amazing new phases
5 amazing new routines
PLUS HYPER RING, the visually impossible ring and rope routine
Super Practical:
Instantly reset for multiple performances
No scissors ever needed
Use the same rope over and over
Over 5 minutes of visual magic in your pocket
Stage or Close-up
3 Rope and 1 Rope routine include
Featured moves include:

Throw Restoration, The Ends Switch, Finger Cut, Super Slide, Gravity Pull, Endless Loop, Pop Endz, Static Cling, Clip Link, Gravity Link, Toss Link, Lickety-Split Ends Switch, Midair Morph, Ends Away, Loop Swoop, Air Toss, Opposite Ends, Middle Melt, PLUS much more!


FINALLY ...

Dream PredictionLite by Paul Romhany

I can't really review my own trick however I feel very proud about this routine and would like to give you some insight in to this. The original Dream Prediction sold through Hocus-Pocus and proved to be one of the top selling items for 2007. The reviews were great and I had some amazing emails from well known magicians who bought it and are using it in their act. Some of those magicians were nice enough to share some of their own thoughts on slightly different handling techniques which I am sharing with the 'LITE' version.
Those of you who have purchased my original Dream Prediction and would like to know a few of the differences email me and I will be happy to explain a few of the changes and improvements I have made.

This version still is the same effect as the original however because the final prediction is smaller it enables me to do a slightly different handling making it even stronger than the original. In the LITE version I explain in detail two different handling plus my Dream Date routine AND I discuss an amazing version from a working magician which takes this to a new level in the right condition. My own handling makes this the ideal ONE PERSON prediction routine with no need for offstage assistants.

The LITE version is more practical for magicians who work in smaller venues, such as homes, parlour and cabaret type situations. You can take my basic routine and either perform it exactly as I do, or come up with your own presentation. This type of routine really gives you a lot of scope to work on routines for your specific performance.

Here is the basic routine that I have been performing.

The magician talks about his dream holiday and tells the audience that he wrote it down on a large piece of paper and sealed it inside an envelope which can be seen at all times. The audience can see the prediction through the envelope at all times.

A spectator is asked to call out the name of a cruise ship they would like to travel on, the performer writes the answer down on a small white board for verification later on.

Another spectator is asked to call out a destination they would like to visit, again it is written down on the white board.

A third spectator is asked to count the change in their pocket and the amount is again written down on the white board. This spectator comes on stage to verify each of the items called out. The envelope is shown and opened, the audience can see the prediction fall out of the envelope and the spectator reads the prediction which matches EXACTLY what the audience chose.

This is an extremely adaptable routine, as you can use any presentation you like, such as a "Dream Date," a "Dream Car," or a "Menu" type routine in a restaurant. You are limited only by your imagination.

Everything in this routine is worked out through hundreds of performances, making it very easy to perform, giving you time to concentrate on your own presentation. If you have always wanted a mentalism routine that will play big and not have to worry about offstage help then this routine is for you.

Comes complete with:
Gimmick Envelopes that are smaller in size than the original making this more adaptable plus enabling you to perform Paul’s NEW way of loading the gimmick and enabling you to show BOTH SIDES of the envelope prior to the prediction falling out.
White Board
Pen
A COMPLETE Instructional DVD with cruise ship performance AND a ‘dream date’ type routine that Paul uses at private parties.
Many top professional magicians around the world have added DREAM PREDICTION to their repertoire, and now YOU can add DREAM PREDICTION LITE to YOURS.