Greetings from all of us at Hank Lee’s Magic Factory. Let me tell you, this is the life. Here I am with my feet up on the coffee table, drinking a big mint julep and smoking a really smelly cigar. Just me and Bones The Dog. I offered him a cigar, but he declined. Bonnie and Lucas have gone off on a two day adventure to Martha’s Vineyard, leaving just Bones and me in charge. What was she thinking? So far, we have had a blast. But, all good things must come to an end. Now, I must figure out how to get the cigar smell out of the house. What was I thinking?
Are you “Anonymous?” You shouldn’t be. You really should register for the online catalog at www.magicfact.com. There are all kinds of benefits. First off, by registering, you are automatically enrolled in the Magic Of The Month Club. Which means that you will get automatic discounts on all the items listed in the monthly HankoGram, now in its 30th year! You can see the HankoGram by clicking on the Magic Of The Month Club Button on the front page at magicfact.com. Plus, by being a registered customer, your order history is available to you right online! You can see your orders by simply logging in to the online catalog. It’s a really nice feature. Then there’s the Wish List. Only registered customers can make their own Wish Lists and email them to friends and family. A great feature for birthdays, anniversaries and the holidays. Plus, it’s free. So, what are you waiting for? Do it today!
What with the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, this has been a short week. And, an exceptionally busy one! I have barely had time to answer those letters from the nice folks at Days Inn. But, I will get to them for sure. For now, I’m going to sign off and let you check out this week’s excitement!
I really didn’t know what to do this week, so I decided to let you guys decide what you wanted!
GIMMEE SUMTHIN’ SALES EVENT: I think this is a really good one. You get to decide what you want! Here’s how it works. Until Tuesday, June 2nd at midnight, you can pick your deal.
You can choose between Free Shipping (all the usual rules apply), Free DVDs (all the usual rules apply) or 25% off your entire order (you guessed it, all the usual rules apply). You need to figure out which deal is the best for you. You do the math, and then let us know. For all the usual rules, go to: (http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/gimmesumthin.html).
All you need to do is put your choice, Free Shipping, Free DVD (with the DVD or DVDs you want) or 25% Off in the Customer Notes Box of the Online Checkout at www.magicfact.com.
The computer system will show the full amount of your order, but depending on which choice you make, we will make the adjustment before the order is processed.
Of course, if you are calling your order in or FAXing your order in or emailing your order to us at magicfact@aol.com, just let us know that you want the GIMMEE SUMTHIN’ DEAL and which of the three choices you want.
Remember, this all ends on Tuesday the 2nd, so get going!
Now, let’s look at this week’s Hotlist!
Sacred: Produce a child out of thin air with no boxes of any kind!
The performer calmly walks onto the stage. In one hand he carries a folding chair. The other hand holds a large curtain suspended from a rod; this is propped up against his shoulder as he walks. The performer moves to the center of the stage and unfolds the chair in front of him. He now drapes the curtain in front of the chair, but holds it just above the stage level, so the audience has a clear view underneath the chair. The magician raises the curtain high enough so that the entire chair is visible, and then lowers it so that the chair is once again covered for just a moment. Now in a startling climax, the curtain is dropped, revealing a child standing on what was just an empty chair!
About Sacred:
This effect is both baffling and stunning for an audience to witness. The sudden production will shock your audience, as it is the last thing they will expect. Although Sacred cannot be performed surrounded, it does offer incredible viewing angles that are perfect for a wide variety of performance situations. Sacred uses a very unique load system that will both hide and deliver your child production with devastating reactions! Using principles of physics, the system is designed to ingeniously incorporate the body’s natural ergonomics, and allows you to hide a small child, yet move and appear unencumbered. The system is easy to use, and incredibly deceptive.
Sacred uses no black art, no fake hands, no traps, and no loads from the back curtain or stage. The special design of the system requires no abnormal or special physical attributes to perform. You can perform Sacred inside or out and there is no special lighting required. You can use Sacred to produce a child from thin air, have them appear atop a folded chair; make them materialize onto a table, use it to create a Shadow Box illusion without the box or simply produce a child out in street in broad daylight!
Not only can Sacred be used as a startling illusion on stage but with just a few minutes of prep work, imagine being able to tell your party event clients that you can produce the birthday party celebrant in the show and you don't even have to bring any boxes to do it! An effect that will help set you apart from your competition!
Sacred only takes a couple of minutes to load. It is compact, lightweight, and can be easily cleaned up along with the curtain at the end of the routine, so that you can quickly continue with the rest of your show. $99.99 (60.1591)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1829&cat=0&page=1)
Director’s Cut – Horror!: The classic effect, born again. With a darker side!
Director's Cut Horror is a much-requested release since the launch of Simon Shaw's hugely successful original plot.
This new version includes all of your favorite effects from the original, along with many additional twisted plots, ideas and routines that are simply to die for!!
Director’s Cut Horror comes complete with Horror poster cards (the same high quality stock as the original version) Some great Bonus Cards and a new DVD jam packed with great new effects!
Director's Cut is a set of 26 movie poster cards that have been perfectly printed in full color and laminated so they should last you a lifetime of performances! You also received a DVD which features Routines, Tips and Ideas to use with the cards.
Now you will be able to perform some seriously strong mentalism with an interesting and popular premise.
Director's Cut is mentalism in its purest form. It's a whole act in your pocket. If you love the idea of using films as part of a routine then the Director's Cut is definitely for you. It can be used strolling, close-up or even parlor. Once you try it you will never leave home without it.
No gaffs, no markings, super clean, resets instantly and best of all everything is examinable!
Director's Cut can be used with a range of effects such as mindreading body language, drawing duplications, remote viewing, predictions and muscle reading, in fact the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Simple to perform and strong reactions. What more could you ask from a performance? There is plenty of room for fun, drama and good old fashioned presentation.
$49.00 (40.682)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1820&cat=0&page=1)
"I used Simon's Director's Cut at a trade show last week for 3 consecutive days. Not only did it constantly amaze, but it provided one of the most entertaining routines I have ever used. It is a winner and should be in the arsenal of every serious mentalist!"
- Richard Osterlind - May, 2008
Smileys – With Coins & DVD – Michael Rubinstein: The magician has had a bad day. Unlike most people, however, he doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, he shows them in his coins! The magician draws a sad face on the face of a half dollar. To make the coin feel better, the magician gives it a tickle. The sad face changes to a happy one! Another tickle, and the coin changes to a yellow smiley face! One last tickle, and the smiley face becomes a big smiley face, bringing a big smile to your audience!
But wait, there's more! Also included: Smileys Jr.:
This is a more impromptu looking version of the same effect. The magician borrows a quarter, and draws a sad face on the coin. With a tickle, the frown turns into a smile! Another tickle, and the smile on the coin changes into an even bigger smile, which is returned to the spectator as a happy souvenir of a magical moment.
Comes complete with two specially made gimmicked coins, two smiley faces with something extra, and a DVD with comprehensive instructions on how to perform both effects. $50.00 (20.418)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1815&cat=0&page=1)
Hell’s Tea Towel: Is there anything funnier in all of magic than the classic Magic Cooking Routine? Baking A Cake In A Hat. Baking A Cupcake In A Shoe. Baking A Cake Magically using a Dove Pan. There are a hundred variations on this classic theme.
And, what better way to vanish some of the key ingredients, like the eggs, than using the new Hell’s Tea Towel. There is no better and certainly no more innocent way!
How about the classic Orange, Lemon, Egg and Canary. What a great way to vanish the items, using an innocent-looking dish towel!
And, let’s say you don’t have a show. Wouldn't it be great to be able to do magic for your friend with items that are inherently found in your home? Like a dish towel!
The Hell’s Tea Towel is a newly designed utility device disguising itself as an ordinary looking dish towel while allowing you to perform amazing feats of magic.
Remove an egg from it's carton and cause it to vanish within the folds of a dish towel, only to reappear a moment later back in the egg carton.
Drop a bunch of grapes in the folds of the tea towel and cause them to transform into a full glass of wine.
Place a fork in the folds of the tea towel and have your guests focus their energy on it. The center of the towel is then seen to mysteriously rise and fall as if it were breathing. A moment later the fork is removed and is seen to have bent itself in an unbelievable manner.
Included:
* Hell's Tea Towel
* Instructional DVD with routines from the mind of Aaron Paterson
$39.95 (60.1590)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1816&cat=0&page=1)
Chapeaugraphy – Roland Schopp: The art of Chapeaugraphy means visual comedy. From a simple felt ring the performer folds various hats in order to impersonate different people and characters. Within seconds, a stoic Napoleon Bonaparte becomes a crying baby; after that a Chinese Mandarin; and then a Spanish Torero, to name a few. The audience is truly amazed and amused by the fast and visible transformations.
In 1984, the author, award-winning German performer Roland Schopp, aka ChaPeau, awoke the “sleeping beauty,” the art of Chapeaugraphy. Ever since, it has been an integral part of his repertoire as both magician and quick-change artist. Now for the first time he shares with the reader his knowledge and the experience of 25 years performing the art professionally.
Learn everything about it in words and pictures: The exciting history of Chapeaugraphy • How to make the felt brim • Various folding techniques • Tips for performing, gestures and facial expressions, possible props and appropriate music.
The art of Chapeaugraphy offers much more than the fun of transforming. It allows you to build your own routine and perform it to please the audience. The result is entertainment at its best, with a minimum of baggage!
Contents
* Preface by Eberhard Riese
* About Chapeaugraphy
* History of Chapeaugraphy
* Making a hat for Chapeaugraphy
* No Folds
* One Fold
* Half Fold
* Two Half Folds
* The Rolling Fold
* The Needle Fold
* The Elevation Fold
* Hands-on Hats
* Elastic Band
* Annotations
$45.00 (BK01651)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1818&cat=0&page=1)
Bunnies Gone Wild: The Peter Kane/Frank Garica Wild Card routine just became wilder with Paul Romhany's Bunnies Gone Wild. Here is a fantastic close-up routine that uses specially printed cards that will fit perfectly with your business card stack and can be performed anywhere, anytime.
Have you ever been in the situation where somebody asks you to do a trick with a rabbit? Well now there is no excuse, as this trick offers the perfect solution.
Magician brings out six cards showing a photo of a cute bunny rabbit coming out of a top hat, and one card with a photo of a sexy lady dressed as a bunny. A throwback to the oh, so fun 1960s.
When the bunny rabbit cards are touched by the sexy lady bunny they all change into her.
Comes complete with Paul Romhany's handling for this version of Wild Card making it the perfect routine for close-up situations.
Comes complete with special cards and full instructions. $25.00 (10.1521)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1851&cat=0&page=1)
Hung Up On Ropes DVD– Ron Dayton: Back in the 80’s Ron Dayton was doing a lecture series based on his newly released book Hung Up On Ropes. As a present for some of his friends, Ron and his wife Susan created a home movie version of the lecture.
It is jam packed of creative and interesting rope ideas, routines and methods that will be new to many of you. Of course, this is an 80’s home movie. So, it is what it is in terms of film quality. Bad light, kinda grainy, you remember your vacation videos, right?
On the other hand, we are lucky. Ron is still with us. He still contributes to various forums and is as creative, sharing and caring as ever! So, here is a chance to see him at his best and learn from him.
The video has been upgraded. Digitally enhanced and cleaned as much as possible. When it appeared you could not see a specific detail, new HD footage has been recorded and inserted into the original video.'
This DVD features subtitles in both English and Spanish!
$25.00 (DVD01007)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1845&cat=0&page=1)
Get Your Act Together DVD Set – Joanie Spina: This revolutionary two DVD set is for the serious performer who wishes to learn how to develop, build, and improve his or her stage act.
Some of the subjects addressed:
* Selecting the material that is best for you
* Evaluating your strengths and talents
* Directing focus
* Structuring a routine
* Creating striking and memorable pictures
* Building a "vocabulary" of moves
* Movement as dialogue
* Utilizing props in the choreography
* Movement exercises
* Applause cues
* Smooth transitions
* Tips for assistants
* Selecting the appropriate music
* And much more!
The series features video clips from the acts of numerous successful professional magicians including Becky Blaney, Connie Boyd, Jason Byrne, Christopher Hart, Jeff Hobson, Mark Kalin and Jinger, Tim Kole and Jenny Lyn, Rocco, Ashley Springer, Kevin and Cindy Spencer, and Marco Tempest. $60.00 (DVD01008)
(http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=1839&cat=0&page=1)
And that’s this week far more than fabulous Hotlist. Something for everyone. Some really good somethings in fact!
As always, we appreciate your taking time out from your busy schedules visit us either online at www.magicfact.com or in person at 102 North Street in Medford. Either way, we love your company!
Hank
