Friday, August 12, 2005

Friday The 12th With Hank Lee

Greetings from all of us here at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. I hope you are having a great summer, filled with warm and sunny weather and fabulous new magic! Personally, I am having the best summer ever. Lots of time at the beach with the fam. Tons of fantastic new magic to check out. Sometimes I forget just how lucky I am, getting to play with all the new magic.

The past two weeks have been just plain nuts around here. With two major sales events in two weeks, we are just plain tired. “But, no!” the elves complain. “We want more orders. We love orders. We love to be busy. Bring ‘em on, Hankie!” Don’t you wish you had elves like that at home? It’s no wonder we are the number one magic dealer in the hearts and minds of you, our fine customers. Being a sensitive employer, I always try and do what the elves request.

Now, let’s take a look at the Hotlist at www.magicfact.com

Great Twister: The very latest from Erez Moshe, whose Perfect Bend was such a smash hit!
Display a spoon in your outstretched hand. Close your hand around everything but the bowl of the spoon.
Slowly and spookily the bowl of the spoon begins to turn! The spoon stops rotating in your hand after a few seconds.
The spoon now has an amazing spiral twist in the handle, and you can hand the spoon out for immediate examination. Absolutely fantastic! $35.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7904&cat=&page=1)

Illusiontech Vol. 1 – Andrew Mayne - earn how to build illusions for $1 to $10,000 by understanding basic illusion principles. Andrew Mayne's newest book features several new creations along with re-worked classic illusions that help teach you how to think like an illusionist.
In the first installment of the series you'll discover the methods of secret spaces, contortions and manipulation as they apply to magic.
* Build a $99 beveled base
* Build a $1 head twister
* Create a stretching illusion for under $75
* Create a stunning shadow box effect for less than $50
* Plus learn how to turn classic effects into modern miracles!
8.5 x 11, 120 pages filled with diagrams and illustrations. $35.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7903&cat=&page=1)

One Step Snowstorm: Sparks' One Step Snowstorm was designed with a short barrel to have the load reach the optimum height for making a production.. You can create a Great Smoke Screen using a snowstorm or cornstarch,(which is inexpensive and non toxic).
This wonderful cannon is launched with a foot switch so booth hands are free to make the production. Anything you can conceal as a body load will appear right from the snowstorm or smoke. A super utility item, powered by carbon dioxide, that will give you years of service. And the CO2 12 gram non-threaded cartridges are available from most sporting goods stores. $60.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7902&cat=&page=1)

In The News - Devin Knight’s In The News is a miniature version of the Copperfield Graffiti Wall that is suitable for both close-up and small platform shows.
Effect: Invite 3 people on stage. No stooges or impromptu coaching. Can be any 3 people. One is given an envelope to hold before the trick even begins. You never touch this envelope again until the effect is finished.
Show three different newspapers face down on the table. The first spectator freely selects any newspaper. There is no force of any kind! He has a free choice of any one of the three newspapers.
Tear the front page of the freely chosen paper is into fourths. The spectator chooses a piece and is given the chance to change his mind. Pin the selected quarter to an 11 x 17 inch cork board.
Now introduce a deck of jumbo cards, shuffle the deck and show it to be quite normal. Have a card is selected from this deck.
Show spectator three a clear bag containing over 40 crayons. Crayons are both long and short styles. He is invited to reach into the bag and grab any crayon. This crayon is given to the 2nd spectator who draws a picture of his card on the newspaper pinned to the board.
Climax: Ask the person holding the envelope to open it and remove what is inside and hand it to you. It is a folded sheet of newspaper. The envelope is torn open showing nothing else inside! When the paper is unfolded, it is seen to be the exact newspaper that was freely selected. Not only that, but the quarter section of the paper is identical to the one pinned to board!
On the paper is a drawing of the selected card. If that isn't enough, your prediction is in the same color as the chosen crayon. A perfect 3 way match!
* No sleights or any kind.
* Prediction is in hands of audience before trick begins.
* No force of newspaper, they can choose any of the 3 papers.
* No rough & smooth or short cards used.
* One man effect, no offstage or secret assistants needed.
* No secret writing during the show!
* Prediction sheet can be left with the audience member.
Comes with everything you need. 11" x 17" corkboard, push pins, envelopes, special jumbo deck of cards, over 40 crayons and clear bag to hold them in. You get all needed gimmicks. All you supply is 3 of your local papers as they are totally unprepared. $99.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7896&cat=&page=1)

Visual Comedy – Patrick Page - Essential for the entertainer!
An invaluable resource for entertainers of every description: magicians, comedians, clowns, speakers, variety entertainers, M.C.s. Performers of all kinds will find fantastic, time-tested material between these covers.
Not only does the book provide a wealth of laugh-making material, it details the essential reason as to why and how expressive gags are funny and "play" so well.
You'll learn dozens of funny situations, stunts, and expressions that will have them rolling in the aisles. No special props or devices are required. For the most part, these gut-busters can be performed at the drop of a hat, on a moment's notice.
Patrick Page is an entertainer with over 50 years of experience, having worked as a magician, comedian, writer and producer. Over the course of his career, Page has created and collected material of every description for countless performances, on television, for private performances, and stages the world over.
Even if you're an aspiring entertainer, or just want to have fun at an after-dinner or social event, this book was written for you. The material inside is of a professional caliber, yet suitable for anyone. And best of all, it's easy to learn. Dozens of charming illustrations by Max Morpurgo make every nuance easy to understand.
This book can serve as a source of inspiration for developing your own hilarious act, or as a jumping-off point for creating an amusing, thrilling moment or two of light-hearted fun.
123 pages, perfect bound. 7x10." $20.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7897&cat=&page=1)

Alain Nu’s Close-Up Sketches DVD - Alain Nu is a full-time creative performing magician who is equally adept at close-up, stage, mental and television magic. He has earned his chops by performing in restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, bars and even on the street. This DVD features the routines he uses in formal and informal close-up situations. You will learn audience-tested routines and some Nu-wave approaches.
Routines performed and explained:
Be My Home Computer: A simple all-backs routine with a home computer presentation where a selected card visually appears as all the faces come back.
That Old Coin Trick: An entertaining and visual coin routine where a coin produced from a spectator's ear vanishes, appears, flies to your pocket, splits into two coins and finally and magically turns into four.
Eraser Head: A rubber ball held in your left-hand changes places with a coin in your right. The ball, which is made of putty, is stretched into a small magic wand shape and used to vanish the coin. The coin appears on the end of the wand. The wand (putty) is now used to erase parts of the coin via David Roth's "The Eraser." When the coin is erased into nothing it is found absorbed into the putty.
Switch Blades: An excellent multi-phase, color-changing knife routine where knives change color, transpose, multiply and finally the odd knife changes to a totally different color.
Forked Up: An impromptu routine where a borrowed and signed coin is tossed into a cup full of coins. A fork is used to stir the coins in the cup. When the spectator removes the fork from the cup the selected signed coin is found laced on its tines.
You can't go wrong learning the routines on this DVD; they are all relatively simple in execution but powerful in effect. $29.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=5484&cat=&page=1)

Phil Cass Pea & Shell Game DVD - Featuring The Pea & Shell Game & Fisherman's Wharf Special - Australia's superstar magician, Phil Cass, has finally consented to release the secrets of two of his pet effects. Phil has been awarded "Australia's #1 Variety Act" numerous times, and is in constant demand for both his close-up and stage work. These two effects are absolute killers!.
The Pea & Shell Game: A classic magical con game. Three walnut shells and one small pea. The mark tries to guess which shell the pea is under. The mark always loses! Phil has made this the mainstay of his close-up work for years. Those willing to study his presentation, technique and psychology will have a complete 20 minute act to add to their repertoire.
Fisherman's Wharf Special: A thing of beauty. Pour a small amount of water into one closed fist. It vanishes and reappears inside your other fist! $29.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=5426&cat=&page=1)

Bring Me The Head Of A Packet Trick - Building on the work of Hamman, Harris, Racherbaumer, Close and others, Mark Elsdon (in collaboration with Guy Hollingworth) has developed the most commercial handling of "Re-Set" released to date.
Four red backed cards change places with four blue backed cards one at a time, and then instantly "Re-Set" back to being reds.
The blue-backed cards are examined and are now found to have green backs! And, when the red packet is checked again the backs have vanished altogether, leaving four blank backed cards! All eight cards may now be examined!!
If you enjoy performing magic that simply devastates laymen, then you really should be performing this routine.
Complete with all the cards and an instructional DVD. $24.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7898&cat=&page=1)

Safety Hole - If you thought Menny Lindenfeld’s hole obsession was over, you were wrong. If you hoped it wasn’t, you’re in luck. If you liked Hollow and if you like credit cards, you will love Safety Hole! A new portable-hole effect that will keep your credit safe and your banker happy!
Pull your credit card out of the wallet. Show to the audience both sides, but more importantly, the hole punched through the magnetic stripe. A hole? Why, yes. You explain how you punched it yourself for security reasons. If your card ever gets stolen, the unlucky thief will discover some of the magnetic data is missing so the card is of no use.
Now it's time to show them what you do when it’s you who wants to use the card; simply grab the hole with your fingertips, and visibly slide it out of the way, nice and easy, and move it to another location.
And when you want it secure again? Just shake the card and the hole leaps back to the magnetic stripe.
Being the paranoid type, sometimes you feel like even that’s not good enough. In these cases there's only one thing to do; you give the card another good shake and the single hole duplicates to three, all sitting safely on the magnetic stripe. Now that really makes you feel secure.
Conclude by letting the audience examine your theft-proof card.
Real holes. Instantly examinable. $22.50
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7899&cat=&page=1)

Kitson Miracle - The killer Kitson Miracle is Bob Sheets powerful and entertaining routine for Patrick Page's Three-Card Monte.
You're doing walk-around surrounded at a corporate function, and everyone has a gooey spare-rib in one hand and a drink in the other. You don't have a table to set anything down on and you don't want them touching anything, but you still want to be effective.
Bang. The Killer Kitson Miracle.
One high impact, short attention span theater piece for the real world worker.
There are rules. You never let them touch the cards, and if they were stupid enough to bet, you'd take all their money.
The reason they never touch the cards is because they are mechanical trick cards designed to do tricks without any skill or practice. Huh?.
The Svengali Pitch meets the Polaroid card for one powerful entertaining routine that repeats and will be one of the most talked about effects in your walk-around set.
The cards are hand made. The routine--polished by 20 years of real performance . The hysterical script makes this the one routine you can depend on to kill!
And, it’s all here on one DVD. $34.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7900&cat=&page=1)

Bite Off Credit Card - For those of you hungry for original magic, with just a pinch of insanity, dinner is now served!
Start by displaying both sides of your credit card, then go crazy! With one big chomp, you bite the corner off of your credit card! Show ‘em the bite mark and chew a bit. You don’t wanna choke yourself. But plastic tastes awful, doesn’t it?
It’s bad for your health too, so aim from a distance and spit the corner back onto the card. In a blink of an eye the card will be restored to mint condition.
Now hand them the card to verify it’s as good as new.
Bite-Off Credit Card is not just an effect, it’s the top of the food chain! $23.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=7901&cat=&page=1)

And that’s all the Hot New Stuff for this week. Good stuff, eh? Something for everyone, eh? Sounding a little Canadian, eh? Think the heat might be getting to me, eh? Anyweh, spend some time checking out the cool hot stuff and send those elves a big order. Make the little guys happy, eh?

I hope you will find some time to spend with us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at our fabulous retail store at 112 South Street in the heart of downtown Boston.
Hank Lee