Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. I hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving Day. I watched the Macy’s parade, went to the airport to pick up Aron, ate some turkey with very few of the fixings, watched some football, spent an hour on the treadmill, worked on the new Book Book and finally went to sleep. It was a most excellent day.
As of Wednesday evening, my weight loss to date is 38 pounds. Even better, all of my “health” numbers are starting to fall right in the normal range. I am hope, hope, hoping that by the time this program is over, I will be off all meds. The docs seem to think it will happen, and I like the way they think. I have made a personal decision that if spending an hour every day exercising will put me in a med-free situation, it is well worth the effort. See Hank. See Hank sweat.
The holidays are now hard upon us. We are really ready this year. Some absolutely amazing items have been coming in the door. This week Tony Curtis’ Hook’s Chest arrived in stock. This is one of the most beautiful pieces of small apparatus I have seen in a very long time. We only got a few pieces, so if you have not ordered one, now is the right time.
Every day, I am getting more and more excited about next year’s Cape Cod Conclave. I know I talk about it all the time, but the 2007 edition is really looking wonderful. We have put some new information online, so check it out under the Conclave Button at www.magicfact.com. Some of the talent we have booked for next year has never been seen in the US, and I am very excited to present them first. Personally, I think you should register right away. And, don’t forget, a Conclave Registration makes a fabulous holiday gift. Hint, hint.
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Hotlist, which is really why you’re here!
Kronos: From the mind of Yves Doumergue comes this extraordinary device that gives you the power to control time!
You are now the master of time! Borrow a spectator’s watch. Using just the power of your mind you are able change the time! You can even make time stop. It is possible only with Kronos.
Comes in its own special metal case with instructional DVD complete with several presentational ideas.
A revolutionary product. $249.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8554&cat=0&page=1)
Frankie The Snowman: Available again this season, the perfect routine for your holiday shows. We have only a tiny number of these, so if you have always wanted to add this terrific effect to your holiday program, now is the time! The very latest from Peter and Cynthia White at P&A Silks.
To build a snowman, ask the boys and girls to throw invisible snowballs towards a black silk that one of the children is holding.
Place the black silk with the invisible snowballs into a very special bag. The children say a few magic words, and when you pull out the black silk, it is now covered with visible snowballs! The problem is that the balls are scattered all over the silk, in no particular order.
So, you place the silk back into the bag, and ask the kids to toss more snowballs towards the bag. Alas, when you pull the silk out for the second time, the balls are shown scattered in yet a different configuration, but still not right.
Explain that the large snowball should be on the bottom of the stack, with a medium snowball on top of it, and a smaller snowball at the top. Return the silk to the bag. The children now follow your instructions very carefully and throw the snowballs in the correct order. When you pull the silk out of the bag, the snowballs all stacked in the right order, but upside down!
Once again, you return the silk to the bag, and the children throw snowballs.
When you remove the silk from the bag, the balls are shown to be in the correct order. But, the snowman is missing some of the parts that make up a snowman. These parts would include a hat, a broom, a couple of tree limbs, a scarf, a nose (carrot variety), buttons (coal), and maybe even a pipe.
Place a white silk into the bag along with the snowball covered silk, and ask the children to toss all of those items towards the silk. The kids shout the magic words, and you now pull out a black and white silk with the outline of a snowman and all the additional parts that the children have thrown. The snowman is now complete, but has no color!
A white silk goes into the bag again. Ask the children to toss some colors towards the silk. When you remove the silk, it is now a rainbow silk!
The rainbow silk and the black and white outline silk go back in the bag. You wave your hand, say the magic words, and pull out a fully colored happy 36" Snowman Silk! What a finish! What a routine. The kids will love it. Comes complete with all the silks. Supply your own Change Bag. $250.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8064&cat=0&page=1)
Spike: A simple game of chance. With a four inch spike.
Four inches of cold, hard steel ground to a point and rising vertically from a solid wooden base. Will you drive your open palm down onto it with force? Blindfolded? Take the chance, prove yourself. A life without pain has no meaning. Give your life meaning. Spike.
Three unmarked wooden blocks are displayed and one four inch steel spike. The performer can have his back turned, be blindfolded, or even leave the room while the spectator places the spike into one block (free choice). The spectator is then instructed to cover all the wooden blocks with styrofoam cups. The performer walks over to the three cups and instantly smashes his hand on two, leaving the cup with the spike underneath untouched! An incredible feat of mentalism!
Ideal for stage, cabaret, cruises, and other larger venues, this hand-crafted beauty is a versatile magic prop that can be played for comedy or high drama! Whichever way you choose, you will leave your audiences spellbound!
Please note that there are no electronics to fail, no outer markings and the system used is sure-fire and no-fail 110% safe! Everything can be examined before, during and after.
Note: We are not liable for any misuse and any injury that may incur due to carelessness on the part of the performer and will not sell it to anyone under the age of 18. $209.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8553&cat=0&page=1)
Birthday Card – Wayne Dobson: From J.B. Magic comes Wayne Dobson’s Birthday Card.
A brilliant card at any number routine, with a mind-blowing climax!
The rumors are true. The spectator really does count down to any number in any deck! She arrives at the only card with the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY printed across the back!
What’s more, a previously shown mini calendar is flipped over and printed on the other side is the exact same card!
Any Birthday! Any Deck! No Memory Work! No Outs! No Switches! Easy to Do! Works Every Time!
Comes complete with 2 sets of specially printed bicycle gimmicks and an instructional DVD. $20.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8558&cat=0&page=1)
Psychological Subtleties 2 – Banachek: Psychological Subtleties remains one of the best selling books in the magic and mentalism community and is considered a basic reference source for any complete library on our art. Psychological Subtleties offers ideas, tips and observations of natural human responses that can be inserted into performing situations to make the overall result of an effect much stronger, entertaining and memorable. Several performers incorporated that knowledge into their acts and built whole routines around those clever ideas.
Psychological Subtleties 2 picks up where the first book ends. Whereas Psychological Subtleties was not a book of tricks and routines, this book contains complete routines from professionals who understood the value and impact of those ideas in the first book. Here you will find routines from: Peter Arcane, Greg Arce, Lance Campbell, Dr. Bill Cushman, Christian David, David De Leon, Paul W. Draper, Gerard, Jonathon Grant, Patrick Kuffs, Andy Leviss, Rick Maue, Mike Merchant, Ravi Johannes Pazhur, Ian Rowland, Leonardo Silverio, and Michael Sibbernsen as well as routines and more subtleties from the mind of Banachek. $55.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8555&cat=0&page=1)
Larry Jennings Private Lesson DVD: Larry Jennings was one of the greatest sleight-of-hand artists who ever lived. Over the course of his 64 years, he developed many classic plots in card and coin magic. Lots of Larry's magic has been described in books, videotapes, and DVDs. But, the books often failed to capture the nuances in his work, and he was usually nervous during the shooting of the formal videos and DVDs.
During the early 1970s, Larry left his home in Los Angeles—where he had moved to study with Dai Vernon—and relocated to Lake Tahoe, California, to open his own plumbing business. There he met Louis Falanga, who became Larry's student and friend. One day in Louis' living room, Larry allowed himself to be videotaped describing 12 of his favorite routines:
. Jennings' Chop Cup
. Don Alan's Lump of Coal (LJ. Version)
. Peripatetic Coins
. The Chinese Connection (explanation only)
. Cigarette Manipulations
. Larry's Linking Ring Routine
. Coins Through the Table (with Pop-Up Move)
. L.J. Four Coins Across
. Coin Through Spectator's Fist
• Open Travellers
• Nowhere and Everywhere Again
• The Visitor
This was the perfect setting for Larry—he was relaxed and in his prime, just making a personal video for a friend. The quality is exactly what you'd expect from a 30 year-old home video made in someone's living room. Considering that great material, we can forgive the technical shortcomings (though the tape—original Beta master—has been put through a state-of-the-art digital clean-up).?At the time, few of the routines on the videotape were in print. It is now a quarter-century later and Larry Jennings has been dead for a decade. Most of the items on the tape were later published, but some details and fine points were inadvertently omitted. Other routines, such as the Linking Rings, Lump Of Coal, Coins Through Table using the Pop-Up Move, were never published. All of the routines are superb examples of the finest in close-up magic and some of these, such as the Chop Cup routine, benefit from the best recorded explanations Jennings gave. Having had the pleasure of watching a
copy of this videotape many times over the years and now, through the generosity of Louis Falanga, you will too. So slip the DVD into your player and step back in time to when Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, men were visiting the moon on a regular basis, and Larry Jennings was knocking 'em dead. - Richard
Kaufman
$30.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8557&cat=0&page=1)
Mag Card DVD: From the creative brainboxes who brought you the Wizard PK Ring comes yet another magnetic marvel—the Mag Card DVD...
In this simple to follow DVD, you’ll learn how to create, step-by-step, your own magnetic cards.
And then, once you’re running your own little Mag-Card production line, they’lll also show you some of the amazing things you can do with them—including 3 super effects!
The applications are limited only by your own imagination!
Including all the materials you need to construct five magnetic cards, plus instructions for three effects:
Coin Thru Deck
The Poltergeist Deck
Card Star
Everything is explained in simple and easy to understand stages, and we even give advice on how to dream up new and exciting ways to combine the Mag Cards with other PK items, such as the Wizard PK Ring. Includes 5 magnets and 10 Bicycle cards. $28.00
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8552&cat=0&page=1)
Mythos: From Diamond Jim Tyler, Mythos, a new spin on the classic Wild Card routine.
Lay out several cards before the audience.
Then, introduce a special mirror-faced card. As you explain the lore and mystique surrounding the history of mirrors, touch the special card to the ordinary card and the magic begins.
Each of the cards, one by one, slowly becomes a mirror card. Surprisingly the mirrors soon shatter to further stun the audience! Comes complete with all necessary cards, special holder and full instructions. $19.95
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=8559&cat=0&page=1)
And that’s all the hot stuff for this Thanksgiving edition. Enjoy the weekend, and enjoy the leftovers!
I hope, during this hectic time of year, that you will find some time to spend with us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person in our fabuloso retail store at 112 South Street in Boston. Either way, we do love your company, and I hope you love ours!
Hank Lee
