December 14, 2007
Here's what's in this edition of
Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind Newsletter
*** DUPLICITY - Joshua Quinn
*** SCRIPTING MAGIC - Pete McCabe
*** CARDS OF INFLUENCE - Kenton Knepper
*** THE DANCE - Brad Henderson
To make a purchase of any item in the JMOM newsletter,
please go to http://www.MarketplaceoftheMind.com
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this, you may respond to this e-mail.
To make sure you've not been missing any newsletters, check
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the recent past newsletters are archived there.
*********
I was hoping to have my list of the Best Mentalism Products
of 2007 out now, but I keep getting more stuff that I want
to add to the list. So I think I'm gonna finalize it right
now and send it out this weekend. This newsletter features
two items that I have to put on that list: Joshua Quinn's
Duplicity and Pete McCabe's Scripting Magic.
There's a lot more stuff coming though. You'll be getting
another newsletter tomorrow with my comments on Ross
Johnson's Simply Psychic DVD, Anthony Miller's Pocket Space,
and PK Putty. This info is already on my site, but I'll be
sending it you tomorrow for your convenience. If you don't
wait to wait, visit the site. On Sunday, I'll send out the
special newsletter listing what I consider to be the best
mentalism products of 2007.
**** MAIL ISSUES & HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Though the shipping costs problems has been corrected,
apparently not every order is being charged. If you don't
see the charge on your invoice before you check out, try
entering your address again. Any order that does not have
the shipping charges applied will not be processed until
they are processed.
I will be out of the office right after Christmas and
through New Year's week. So any orders placed after the
20th of December may not be sent out until January 7.
Orders placed after Christmas definitely will not be sent
out until January 7. This excludes e-books and Marketplace
Memberships, of course.
**** REAL GHOST STILL AVAILABLE
My distributor did get a limited supply of Christopher
Taylor's Real Ghost, but apparently some that were earmarked
to be distributed were not claimed. So there is a nice
supply of this wonderful new utility item that should last
through Christmas. Oh, and I'll be adding my comments about
Real Ghost within a day or so.
**** PAST NEWSLETTERS NOW ON-LINE
Finally, I broke down and just decided to be plain lazy.
Instead of taking the time to re-format the newsletters and
make them all pretty looking for the blog, I decided I'd
rather spend the time on other more important things like,
oh, keeping the website up to date with the current
mentalism products and my comments. Right now, I'm only
posting the 2007 newsletters. Perhaps, in time, I'll put
more up.
So, there's a whole new section where you can see all the
past newsletters. If you subscribed and aren't receiving
them, either check to make sure that the newsletters aren't
being considered spam by your Internet provider, or
re-subscribe (which is the easiest).
***** MARKETPLACE MEMBERSHIP CLUB
The new issue of Jheff's Journal of the Mind spotlights
Mark Strivings, one of mentalism's most prolific creators
and most famous as the creator of the SUC case, which
pros use. To get this issue, you need to buy a membership
in the Marketplace of the Mind. For the $37 cost you get a
subscription to the 2007 issues of Jheff's Journal of the
Mind, an all-new e-zine for mentalists, and an additional
5% discount off merchandise from the Marketplace of the
Mind. There will also be specials and other stuff
throughout the year. Check out the preview edition
of the Bonus #0 issue featuring Jack Kent Tillar. Go to
the website and click on the banner at the top. Or use
the link below.
Check it out here:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com/jmmc.html
***** THE FRIENDS OF THE MARKETPLACE
Don't forget to check out the new Friends of the Marketplace
section. This is for those creators who are producing
wonderful products that I don't carry. This is because, to
save overhead, I order as needed from my distributor, and
these creators aren't mass distributing it. If you'd like
me to review your product and help you sell it, then you'll
find details about the Friends of the Marketplace program on
the website. There's a button on the left hand side for you
to click on.
Enrique Enriquez has a wonderful new e-book on the Tarot,
LOOKING AT THE MARSEILLES TAROT, which is suitable for both
beginners and experienced readers. Joshua Quinn's DUPLICITY
takes your favorite drawing dupe routine to the next level.
Also new to the section are Ron Martin's THE TAROT READER'S
NOTEBOOK, a must-have for Tarot readers; Patrick Redford's
TRIANGLE, a comic book featuring 3 clever new items; Loren
Tindall's beautiful new THE DELPHI PORTAL, which is a
must-have prop for anyone who is a reader; and Gene
Nielsen's THE MAGICK YEARS, a jam-packed e-book filled with
over 70 professional and varied routines.
Remember, I don't make a dime on this stuff. I do this
because I think the stuff is very good and worth it.
http://www.jheff.com/friendsofthemarketplace.html
Until next time. -- Jheff
*********
JOSHUA QUINN
DUPLICITY
Limited Edition!
Suggested Retail Price: $50
Available at:
http://www.mentallyimpossible.com/duplicity
THE BLURB:
Anyone can duplicate a drawing. But...
To make someone duplicate your drawing...
And to be able to show her why she drew what she did...
And to point out the suggestions hidden in every seemingly
innocent thing you said...
And to see her react as she recognizes each suggestion's
influence on her thoughts...
And to leave her genuinely questioning whether her will is
her own...
For that, you need more than a drawing dupe. You need...
DUPLICITY
A devious new direction in drawing duplication, by Joshua
Quinn
Duplicity is a very different approach to a drawing
duplication. Rather than duplicating someone's drawing, you
have her duplicate your drawing... and then you go back and
show exactly how you allowed her to do it. Far from being a
let-down, this apparent peek behind the curtain moves the
effect out of the realm of the impenetrably inexplicable
(and therefore "unacceptable" in many people's eyes), and
into the realm of the wholly believable yet still
gobsmackingly incredible. Here's how it plays out...
You invite someone to assist you with a thought experiment.
You say a few words to explain what you're going to attempt,
help relax her, and put her in a receptive state of mind.
Then you ask her to draw a picture of an object of her
choice, keeping it hidden from you and from the rest of the
audience. Afterward, you confirm with her that she could
have drawn anything, and that her choice was a free one. She
agrees. You then unveil a picture that you drew earlier as a
prediction, which you show to the audience, but not to your
assistant. Before you see if her picture matches yours, you
say you'd first like to demonstrate exactly why you
predicted this particular thing. You then repeat, word for
word, what you said to your assistant before she started
drawing. In retrospect, the entire speech is seen (or
rather, heard) to be a series of subtly veiled suggestions
aimed at planting the image of your prediction into her
mind. As the audience hears it for the second time, they
realize it's full of phrases that seemed innocuous at first,
but now stand out as glaringly obvious references to the
object in your picture. Although your assistant still hasn't
seen what you drew, she quickly catches on to what's
happening, and her increasingly startled reactions make it
clear that she recognizes how each phrase really did
influence her thoughts. Finally she reveals her drawing
which, of course, matches your prediction.
Important points to remember: The assistant's choice of what
to draw really is a free one, and she makes it when she
appears to. There is no force, no pre-show, and no selecting
from a list or a stack of cards or anything of the sort. She
experiences the same effect that the audience sees, and is
just as astonished by it.
MY COMMENTS:
Right up front let me warn you that this is for experienced
mentalists only. This manuscript does not provide any
techniques for the actual drawing duplication. Experienced
mentalists will have dozens of different methods and this
will work with just about any of the ones that allow a free
choice of drawing.
Also, the work in this is not done for you. In this 44-page
limited manuscript, Joshua Quinn shows you how to script
your drawing duplication so that you can prove to your
participant (and audience) that the drawing was not a free
choice, but he does not provide sample scripts for you.
There is a basic script for the drawing instructions, but
the scripts for the revelation that it's not a free choice
are left for you to customize. When delivered expertly, it
is a powerful demonstration of mind control. This is a
limited edition of 200 copies. I don't know how long
they'll be available, but this is something that experienced
mentalists shouldn't want to pass up. Certainly
recommended.
*********
PETE MCCABE
SCRIPTING MAGIC
JMOM Price: $36
Suggested Retail Price: $40
THE BLURB:
Pete McCabe and 26 other guys show you the art of scripting
magic. Includes 45 scripts, 13 essays, 7 interviews, and 1
flowchart to make you a better magician.
Contributing magicians include:
* Michael Ammar
* Jon Armstrong
* Bruce Barnett
* Rafael Benatar
* Eugene Burger
* Michael Close
* Bob Farmer
* Paul Green
* Eric Henning
* Guy Hollingworth
* Larry Jennings
* Mark Joerger
* Kenton Knepper
* Jonathan Levit
* John Lovick
* Max Maven
* Eric Mead
* Sean O'neill
* Gary Ouellet
* David Regal
* Jim Steinmeyer
* Vic Sussman
* Jamy Ian Swiss
* Teller
* Joe M Turner
* and Larry White
Excerpt from the book:
"They did it because they believe that scripting your magic
will make you a better magician. They all believe that
scripting can make you more effective, more entertaining,
more dramatic, and most of all, more magical." -Pete McCabe
A few Chapters include:
- Eugene Burger and John Lovick: A Theatrical Endeavor
- Johnathan Levit: An Actor Playing the Part of a Magician
- Max Maven: Scripting Tricks
- Teller: Entering Uncharted Terrain
- and many more!
Pages 454 - Hardbound
MY COMMENTS:
Mentalists talk too much. Really. They do. And that's a
big reason why many find mentalism boring. A great deal of
mentalism performers just don't seem to know how to use
brevity with their patter. Part of it is that they don't
script out their routines in advance so that they can
examine each line, each joke, each word, and each action to
make sure that it's needed or eliminate it if it's not.
Moreso than magicians, a good mentalism performance is
defined by what they say. With magic, if the visual wonder
is stupendous, it's still entertaining. With mentalism,
it's all words and so it's essential that you have a good
script.
This book, then, fills a much needed gap in performance
literature. It examines scripts and scriptwriting in a way
that no other publication has done. There are dozens of
examples of scripts for various effects. There are also
enlightening discussions by masters of magic and mentalism
about how to craft and edit a script. The book, as you can
tell from the blurb, is a 454-page book lovingly devoted to
craft of performance scripts and scriptwriting. Hopefully,
after reading this, you will learn how invaluable it is to
script out every routine you intend to perform, however
you're comfortable doing it, so that your performances will
be tight and memorable.
Since I've gotten this book, I've been reading and
re-reading this book. I stayed up way past my bedtime being
engrossed in this, and I do script and know how to do it.
But it's always fascinating to learn how others do it.
About the only thing that I can find that I really would
have liked to see is someone go through their actual
process of editing a script. In other words, we see a
first and final draft and discussions of the evolution
of it. But this is a minor quibble and possibly an
exercise that I may do and share with folks. In any case,
this book may have the word "magic" in the title, but the
principles definitely apply to mentalists as well. There is
no question that not only is this book highly recommended,
it is a book which every performer should obtain, study, and
benefit from.
*********
KENTON KNEPPER & MARK TOWNSEND
CARDS OF INFLUENCE
JMOM Price: $36
Suggested Retail Price: $40
THE BLURB:
Kenton Knepper tips some of his highly successful and wildly
entertaining examples for the public on subliminal influence
and word power – using cards no less!
Mark Townsend is a student of Kenton’s who is well known for
adding deeper dimensions and unusual presentations to all of
his effects.
These two extraordinary thinkers present material you will
use right away that is unlike nearly anything else you may
have seen or read before.
You will find everything from close up material and magic,
to story-telling effects, weird pieces, never-before-seen
card concepts and yes, even mentalism. Here are just a few
of the effect as the audience sees them...
*A card, object or anything else is apparently seen inside a
crystal ball by a spectator. NO gimmicks.
*Letters on blank cards are mixed by spectators yet return
to their original state and more under the fairest
conditions imaginable. Truly UNIQUE magic.
*A spectator cannot avoid the performer's subliminal
influence on repeated occasions, ultimately unable to move
or do anything but be influenced "as if hallucinating and
smelling laughing gas" - This is a riot for everyone,
including the spectator.
*Design Duplication made easy, with the audience realizing
that they are the ones who have been hypnotized as a finale.
*A marked deck you can read across the stage or down the
hall...
*And MUCH, MUCH MORE.
Memorable and unusual effects made simple, as only Kenton
and his students can.
EASY to do material. Basic card sleights or no sleights at
all are required.
You should have a basic background in card sleights if you
wish to perform all of this material. Other effects
incorporate standard trick decks available at most dealers.
In many cases you can simply make your own cards with a
marker and blank cards, or use a regular deck, to perform
material in this book.
Includes the favorites “Subliminally Wild”, “Your Spell Is
Numbered”, “The Well”, “Amethyst”, “Subliminal McCombical”
and that's just for starters.
With bonus effects by Allen Zingg. Be prepared for some real
twists!
80 Pages of surprising, easy, innovative card magic and
mentalism. It's Kenton - so you know it's not like anything
else with cards - ask Jay Sankey!
"This book is a shining gem of a collection featuring
supremely practical effects and marvelous examples of rock
solid, real-work scripting.
Among my favorite effects are an inspired variation on Frank
Garcia’s “Wild Card” and a really lovely variation on the
“Split Deck.”
I was especially impressed with the generous spirit of the
writing here. As the authors share one smart alternative
handling after another there is a sense that they are
completely focused on you the reader and care deeply about
imparting their creative knowledge in as clear, humble and
patient a manner as possible.
Such a gift!" - Jay Sankey
MY COMMENTS:
Obviously, the title will turn off those of you who don't
use playing cards for mentalism effects. Too, this work
explores very creative uses with gimmicked decks, such as
the Wild Card set, the Split Deck, the McCombical Prediction
Decks, and an original deck called the BMD (Blatantly Marked
Deck). There's also some work with the tarot. All of the
routines with these decks have a subliminal, or
Kenton-esque, edge to them. And all of the routines are
intriguing and well-thought out. This is actually a more
accessible work by Kenton (and friends) than some of his
others which require you to be have a certain familiarity
with Kenton's performing philosophies (i.e., "Kentonism").
If the premise of this work interests you, then you'll enjoy
this.
*********
BRAD HENDERSON
THE DANCE
JMOM Price: $36
Suggested Retail Price: $40
THE BLURB:
Quickly selling out in its first edition, THE DANCE is now
recognized as one of the most important books written on the
subject of cold reading. Revealed, often for the first time,
are the the tricks of the trade employed by psychics to
convince the public they are delivering profound messages
replete with specific details. THE DANCE will teach you both
what to do and how to do it, including:
* Asking the right questions
* Your natural safety net
* Handling skeptics
* Dealing with stereotypes
* Spinning a miss into a hit
* Getting them to do the work
* Ethical Issues
* Avoiding common mistakes
* Rewriting their memory
* Readings from the stage.
Finally, THE DANCE closes with two audience-tested
performance pieces that will allow you to develop your cold
reading skills while entertaining your audience.
Praise for The Dance:
"THE DANCE is a wonderful resource: rich, thoughtful and
rewarding, and packed with insights that only real
experience can provide."
- Ian Rowland
"A modern classic...the best description of the art (as
opposed to craft) of cold reading written to date. A must
read!"
- Doug Dyment
"Brad debunks a lot of the mystery of cold reading and gives
you the real work... THE DANCE contains material that could
only be gained through experience-lots of it. Brad has saved
you a lot of time and trouble with this book. It's really
too cheap at this price."
- Bill Palmer
"This is the best information I have ever encountered on the
subject."
- Roger Klause
Pages 98 - Softbound
MY COMMENTS:
For anyone doing cold reading, this is an essential
addition to your library of cold reading information that
you will use. It does what the blurb explains and helps
you elevate the craft of cold reading into an art.
Be warned, though! This is not another book on how to do
cold reading. In fact, if you've never done cold reading
before, but this book interests you, then seek other books
on the subject and read them first before you tackle this
one. This one does NOT tell you to do cold reading. It
only tells you to apply your already learned skill to your
performances.
The first limited hardback edition of this has been selling
for hundreds of dollars on ebay. This new edition is a
softcover and has editorial revisions as well as improved
layout changes. If you use cold reading, this is highly
recommended. Get it now before it becomes unavailable
again.
*********
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