Greetings from all of us here at Hank Lee's Magic Factory. It's March. And the Madness begins. Of course, around here it is madness all the time. And, we love it! My quick trip to New York turned out to be very productive. While I can't tell you the big news just yet, suffice it to say that it is really big and quite exciting. Just stay tuned and be among the first to know!
Now, let's take a look at the Hotlist at www.magicfact.com.
Heading North Plus - Heading North, one of the standout items from David Regal’s Constant Fooling books, is a rising card effect that incorporates a simple, foolproof gimmick inspired by a brilliant concept by the late, great Irv Wiener. The gimmick is a playing card, now professionally made for the first time, that has been turned into a rising device. The gaffed card can be in the deck for an entire card act and brought into use whenever the performer desires.
Included along with two Bicycle gimmicks, one red and one blue, is the heretofore unpublished routine “Rising Transpo”, and it’s an absolute killer: Two cards are selected. The first slowly rises from the center of the deck and is tossed face down to the table. A magical gesture and another card rises. But it’s the same card as the one just tabled. The tabled card is turned over – it has become the second selection. The gimmick makes this two-phase effect almost automatic. $15.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=8186&cat=&page=1)
Royal Road To Card Magic DVD Set - R. Paul Wilson - A complete course in card magic - If you are If you are seriously interested in learning card magic, there is no better place to start than The Royal Road to Card Magic with R. Paul Wilson.
Since its initial publication, The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue has been regarded as the most complete course in sleight of hand with playing cards ever written, teaching essential sleights from the Overhand Shuffle to the Pass and Palm.
Each chapter explores a new sleight followed by several tricks using what the student has already learned—tricks that, incidentally, include many of the best card effects ever created.
Many of today’s finest magicians began with Hugard and Braue’s classic book, including world-renowned card expert R. Paul Wilson. On these DVDs, Paul guides you along this Royal Road, demonstrating the sleights and effects from the book along with many important touches from his own repertoire. Paul guides you effortlessly through each chapter, using clear and concise instructions combined with multiple camera angles. He also performs most of the tricks in the book for an informal audience, allowing the student to see each effect before learning it.
This DVD series is a complete course in card magic that expands and updates the material from The Royal Road to Card Magic with new effects, improved methods, and advice from many of today’s finest exponents of card conjuring. If you follow this course from beginning to end, learning each sleight before moving to the next chapter, you will soon be on your way to becoming an excellent card magician. $79.95
Phil Goldstein's Printer's Demon - One of the first items we ever released! Now, back and better than ever!
Not just a trick, but a world of possibilities!
Four routines are packed in this one little package:
#1 - Show three cards, blank on both sides. One of the blanks prints a back, and then a face, to match a selected card.
#2 - A signed selected card is sealed in an envelope, which is held by a spectator. It changes places with a blank card that is held in your hands.
#3 - Three cards are shown, front and back. The spectator has a completely free choice of any one of the three. That card turns into a blank, and the selected card is reproduced from your pocket.
#4 - A selected card changes the color of its back from blue to red. The color of its face changes into reverse printing!
This illustrated manuscript comes complete with the needed gimmicked cards (printed by Us Playing Card in Bicycle back poker), plus full descriptions of all four routines by Phil himself. Many other effects are possible with Printer's Demon! $14.95
Roy Benson By Starlight - Levent & Todd Karr - Roy Benson was a legendary performer: a brilliant magician whose ingenious techniques baffled his peers, a superb manipulator and a daring comedy magician considered far ahead of his time.
At last, you can learn dozens of his hidden close-up and stage mysteries through hundreds of step-by-step photos. There is also a treasure-trove of Benson's original writings, including The Second Oldest Profession, his long-lost unpublished book on the technique, presentation, and psychology of magic, along with hundreds of rare photos and documents tracing his long career.
• Over fifty incredible effects, including the famous Benson Bowl Routine, Long Salt Pour, Billiard Balls, Linking Rings, Miser's Dream, card moves, coin effects, stage magic, close-up routines, and much more.
• The complete text of Benson’s lost book The Second Oldest Profession and his scarce lecture notes Benson on Magic
• Essays on theory, presentation, and showmanship from Benson’s notes
• Benson’s writings on his teacher Nate Leipzig, with Leipzig's autobiography and 20 Leipzig effects
• A complete biography of Roy Benson
• Over 1200 step-by-step illustrations
• Nearly 600 rare photographs and memorabilia. 800 hardbound pages on satin-finish acid-free paper with beautiful full-color cover
Available April 1st. Pre-order now! $149.95
In Flight - David Regal- Says Roger Klause: “First a word of advice. Trust me when I suggest that all well seasoned “workers” toss out your Tossed- Out-Decks! That’s right: get rid of them!
Once you experience David Regal's In Flight, you will be in command of the most bewildering and diabolical feat of pure mentalism one could imagine. I can personally attest to the stunning impact this effect had on the very knowledgeable attendees at the 2004 4F convention.
Included with the ingenious deck and professional script, David has been granted permission to share a “wonderful subtlety” of Wayne Dobson’s. On a personal note: in the early days I became friends with the legendary David Hoy and witnessed his signature performance of this effect on many occasions. If possible, Mr. Hoy would be the first to give In Flight a standing ovation.” $40.00
Symbolicus - The latest creation of multi-award-winner Alexander de Cova, whose videos "Treasures" were such a big hit.
Display a big envelope with a prediction. Two spectators assist you with this experiment. Next, show a transparent clipboard with a single sheet of paper on it. Printed on this paper are 25 different abstract symbols in a numbered grid.
Ask one spectator to think of any odd number from 1 to 25 (including 1 and 25). The other spectator thinks of an even number. These numbers are held only in their minds!
Each of the spectators now looks at the clipboard and remembers the symbol corresponding to her number. Again the spectators never name aloud their symbols and you don't ask a single question!
The prediction is read aloud: "I predict that tonight two volunteers will freely, and without any influence from me, decide randomly on an abstract symbol each. These two symbols will be a wave and a moon." The two spectators indeed verify that they have been thinking of the wave and a moon - your prediction proved to be correct!
Comes complete with a transparent clipboard, special grid printed on plastic-foil and detailed instructions.
Clipboard Dimensions: Approximately 12 1/2" x 9" (31.75cm x 22.86cm) $39.95
Blindfold Tips DVD - John Archer - The ultimate, most comprehensive guide to one of mentalism's most versatile routines. John Archer has performed this routine all over the world and it has become one of his signature pieces. Imagine being anywhere in the world, grabbing a couple of coins, some gaffer tape, a blindfold, pen and paper from the local store and being able to perform a hilarious twenty minute, mind-blowing routine!
Now for the first time, John goes in-depth to explain all the secrets and nuances that have made this one of his most requested effects. This is not just a quick trick, it is an entire act that builds and builds into a standing ovation finale. This is the real work on the blindfold routine and it will open up a world of possibilities. Shot in front of a live audience, you will experience John at his very best, performing the routine, and then he goes into every little detail with you, in an informal discussion-style explanation, which is equally entertaining. $39.00
Killer Elite Pro - Andy Nyman's Killer Elite was not only one of the most successful tricks of its time. It was also voted "Trick of the Year." Unfortunately it ceased production in early 2005. However it is now back and has been totally redesigned for the working performer.
Even if you own the fantastic original version, you will want to update with this all new pocket sized showpiece.
Complete with stylish custom designed leather wallet, manufactured in high quality leather, real poker chip and full color movie cards specially printed on credit card stock. No expense has been spared in bringing you this award winning effect in a slick new form.
Effect
Take out a small leather wallet and remove a poker-chip and four cards, each bearing the image of a well-known movie-killer.
Set these out on the table and ask the spectator to imagine the following scene: All four of the killers are in a room, when all of a sudden the inevitable happens and gun-shots are fired.
When the smoke clears only one man is left standing!
The survivor is the owner of the poker chip.
The spectator is asked to choose the killer he believes to be the owner of the chip, which is then placed onto the card bearing the image of the chosen survivor.
Amazingly you show that the spectator's selection is the correct one! $45.00
Madness Behind The Methods DVD Set - Simon Lovell - This is a chance to learn from one of the most entertaining magicians in the world. You won't be learning from the back of a lecture hall; you'll be up close and personal. You'll get to know Simon Lovell in live performance, and you'll have the rare pleasure of sitting across the table from him as he explains his most valuable and sought after secrets.
You'll learn the effects, and just as importantly you'll learn the subtleties. Simon will share with you the hundreds of seemingly insignificant distinctions he's made in the thousands of times he's performed these effects for laypeople. It's awareness of these finer points that will set you apart as a magician.
Simon is outrageously funny in real life and in these DVDs, and you'll be laughing throughout. But Simon also has a serious side. He is deeply philosophical and passionate about his art. This is someone who can teach you how to do magic and why to do magic.
You're about to embark on a journey into the mind of a genius. Simon holds nothing back.
DVD Set Features: Hilarious performances; Lectures on expert card magic; Lectures on world class entertainment
Volume One: • Fingered • The Namer • Heartless • Your Number’s Up • Star Trick • Imagination • Twisted Rose • Sleight of Tongue
Volume Two: • The Packet Wallet • Another Departed Point • Lemming Ace Exchange • Whispering Royal • Kicked: Gaffed Deck Derek Dingle’s Collectors_• Radical Aces Explained • Bonuses: The Standing Vanish & The Wobbly Wombat
• Lovey Dovey Sandwich • Jack Catch • Simon Takes on Le Paul • Sandwich 2001 • Coin Deck • Nightmare Deck • Sploge, Simon’s Matrix • Vernon Can Be Explained_• Oily Snobs_• Lily Long Legs Story Deck_• Bonuses: Sidney The Hamster & Sebastian The Mind Reading Chicken.
Filmed in the studio & before live audiences in Lake Tahoe. Each volume is over 90 minutes long. $69.95
And that's this week's Hotlist. One of the best we've ever seen. Some really great new stuff! And, the chance to buy it at 25% off makes it all the greater!
I hope you will find some time to spend with us at www.magicfact.com. And, don't forget if you are in the Boston area, check out the Peter Studebaker lecture on Monday evening!
Hank Lee
