March 2, 2008
JMOM: Bill Mason's Sensational, Mirabill, 3 No Evil, Winks Diary
Here's what's in this edition of
Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind Newsletter
*** BILL MASON'S SENSATIONAL - E. Raymond Carlyle
*** MIRABILL - Bill Cushman
*** 3 NO EVIL - Doug Higley
*** WINKS DIARY - Bill Thompson
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*********
It's the end of an era. Oh, I'm not referring to Castro's
resignation or the end of HD-DVDs. No, I'm referring to my
decade long marriage. And though it's sad that it happened,
I know that I'm much happier without her in the same living
space. Many of you know that this was not a decision that I
made hastily. The signs started many years ago and I did
everything that I could to try to fix the marriage or save
the family unit, even delaying the settlement for over a
year while I tried and hoped. There comes a point, though,
when you have to cut your losses and realize that some
things just aren't meant to be. And those things are
certainly for the better. Now that she's been out of the
house for a few weeks, I'm actually quite content as the
tension has magically vanished (okay, maybe not so content
financially) with the only real problem now being the
children who are taking it as well as could be, but still
need therapy, which they're getting. Thanks to all those
who've written me with words of encouragement and support
during these past few years.
Now, let's get back to some mentalism. There's a whole
bunch of new stuff I'm readying. Among that new stuff, I'll
be providing links to, and comments on, books by Paul Brook,
who's latest book is The Alchemical Tools. I'm almost done
reading it and, hopefully, will be able to write up some
comments for the next newsletter. Paul will be the feature
of the next issue of Journal of the Mind and it will include
some chapters from The Alchemical Tools. His other books
include Good Vibrations, The Brook Test, On Mephisto's
Shoulder, and The Gift.
Also, I've had to push back the Conversations of the Mind
start date. This is mostly because I have all this material
that I wanted to present in the first one and I've not had
time to adequately prepare. I know you want a great session
and I'd rather wait until I can deliver one.
**** CONVERSATIONS OF THE MIND
Okay, hopefully most of you know about the Marketplace
Membership which features the Journal of the Mind, plus
specials and discounts on merchandise. I've decided to add
a brand new feature called Conversations of the Mind. This
will consist of conference calls to discuss various subjects
and also to converse with top performers in the field. Many
top performers are not releasing books or new material and
do not fit the format of the Journal of the Mind, but they
would be ideal for the new Conversations of the Mind.
Subjects that I've been requested to cover include
structuring acts, effects that can be done totally impromptu
and with ungimmicked items, Q&A routines, marketing, and
selecting material for your act.
These conversations, which will be recorded and available
for download, will be accessible only to those who have
Marketplace Memberships (see below). However, the very
first one will be available to all newsletter subscribers as
that one will be available later as a free preview. I have
tentatively scheduled the first conversation to take place
on Thursday, Mar. 13, probably at 6 p.m. PST (and it's
very tentative right now). Unfortunately, there is only a
limited number of folks who will be able to participate. I
can't tell you how many yet as I'm still undecided about
which service I'll use to make this happen.
The first topic will be an important one to all mentalists:
the difference between performing mentalism and magic. It's
an issue that I've been working on for awhile (and I'm
planning on finishing my book on this subject to be out by
the year's end). For those magicians who wish to get into
mentalism, I'll discuss the differences and how to make the
mentalism more effective. For mentalists, the information
may help you greatly improve your act. Of course, this
topic is one that I can use to cover quite a few questions
that people have.
Speaking of that, if anyone would like to submit questions
ahead of time to me on this topic, please do so. I will
definitely answer all the questions I have in the allotted
time. And, of course, I will certainly send out details and
instructions as we get closer to the date of the conference
call.
**** 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.
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 FOR 2008 AVAILABLE NOW!
For extra discounts and six issues of Jheff's Journal of the
Mind, which spotlights mentalism's hottest and most creative
talents each issue, join the 2008 Marketplace of the Mind.
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.
I've just added BILL MASON'S SENSATIONAL by E. Raymond
Carlyle, which is a wonderful Q&A act, and Dr. Bill's
MIRABELL, an elegant update on a Stewart James classic.
Outlaw-Effects have a beautiful new aged book called THE
WITCHES' ALMANAC and it is their best aged book yet. 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. Also new to the section are Ron
Martin's THE TAROT READER'S NOTEBOOK, a must-have for Tarot
readers; Joshua Quinn's DUPLICITY, which takes your favorite
drawing dupe routine to the next level; 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
*********
RAYMOND CARLYLE
BOB MASON'S SENSATIONAL
Suggested Retail Price: $25
http://www.carlyletouch.com/
THE BLURB:
WITH THOUGHTS BY KARRELL FOX
RE-EDITED AND EXTRA THOUGHTS AND IDEAS BY RAY CARLYLE
PUBLISHED ORIGINALLY IN 1981
BY Robert Mason Productions
This is the REAL work on a Q&A Act! True, it is. I've looked
all over the Mentalism and Magic writings by those that were
great and well known and those at the fringe and nowhere did
I find a method that answered all my problems. The problems
that stopped me may be those that have stopped you, so read
on. First I have a bad memory. Therefore the "One-A-Head" or
Washington Irving Bishop method didn't work because after I
read the next question (which was supposed to be the last
question) I forgot all the details like numbers I needed.
Second I felt uneasy messing with someone's life. If they
ask a question about love advice or money or quitting their
job or anything that could really be important, I just
couldn't take it upon myself to give that advice. So lets
not go there! In this manuscript you will find all the
answers to those and many other bits that may have stopped
you from adding this most impressive part of a mentalism
act. And have you ever wondered if the mind reader is so
good why does he have to open the envelope to make sure that
the answer was correct and helpful. Well Karrell Fox came up
with the answer. Dr. Scott had a method to cover this but in
his you needed a pad. Here you don't. And the questions,
what about them. Remember I don't want to mess with lives.
Right you don't! The biggest name in Mentalism in the 20th
Century was Dunninger and this is the way he did it so why
not you? How? Just feed back information you have them give
you bit by bit. And since the card is right in front of you
you have nothing to remember. In front of you? Yes you will
find out how by reading this act. And get this when you call
out a name of a person that wrote a question, before they
answer, "HERE" you are looking at them. That's right,
looking right at where they are seated.
If that isn't the answer to your problem with Q&A then don't
buy it and look elsewhere! I think so much of this
manuscript that it will be included in a larger work that
I'm putting together which I will call Ala Dunninger.
MY COMMENTS:
If you're familiar with Cicardi/Dr. Scott's Psi-Graphico, a
classic routine which first saw print in Bascom Jones'
Magick, then you're already familiar with the basics behind
this routine. And, if so, then you already know the Karrell
Fox idea that refers to provides an authentic justification
for opening up the envelopes to check the contents inside
after the performer reveals the info. Actually, Bob Mason
credits Fox as his inspiration, but it was Eddie Fields who
came up with the idea. In any case, Bob Mason took the idea
in a different direction than Cicardi, though the routines
are similar.
The question, of course, is whether this is any better than
Psi-Graphico. Of course, Psi-Graphico is classic and this
version certainly doesn't do anything to negate that.
The main difference is that Psi-Graphico uses a pad which
helps to do some of the work. This version doesn't use a
pad. There are also some additional unique subtleties that
Bob Mason uses that make it quite effective, some of which
are mentioned in the blurb. I would have to say that the
additional features of this version make it much more
effective than Cicardi's. However, if one still prefers to
use the pad, and there's nothing wrong with that, you can
still add some of the other features from this routine.
This 28-page e-book, originally published in 1981, has been
re-edited, and contains additional thoughts and ideas, by E.
Raymond Carlyle. And that's another solid reason to get
this. If you've never done a Q&A routine, or you're not
satisfied with the one you have, or you're looking for a few
good ideas to add to the one you're doing, I highly
recommend this. If you already do Cicardi's Psi-Graphico,
then you probably don't need me to tell what you probably
have already done, which is to order this now.
(REVISED MARCH 23, 2008)
*********
DR. BILL
MIRABILL
Suggested Retail Price: $15
Available at:
http://outlaw-effects.com/outlaweffects
THE BLURB:
Now, one of the mentalism’s greatest “self-working” effects
has been simplified to the point where it really is
self-working ! One early reviewer referred to Mirabill as
“Miraskill minus the skill.”
“He told me to bring a deck of cards and we’d play a
friendly game. Never trust a man who calls a game friendly."
I still can’t fathom how it happened. They were my cards. I
shuffled. I dealt. Yet somehow he still knew ahead of time
exactly how things would turn out.
If it had happened once I might have convinced myself he
just got lucky. But the second time destroyed any such
thoughts. How could he have known precisely how the cards
would fall?
My every decision, the play of random cards, twists of fate
only Dame Fortune should have had a clue about; did he
foresee or control them?”
Stuart James Miraskill, first published in the September
1936 edition of The Jinx, has rightfully earned its place as
a classic effect of mentalism. It is one of the most famous
contributions to The Jinx and has certainly enjoyed its
share of attention and variations.
Though often hailed as “self-working” some sleight of hand
was required. Ingenious alternatives have been explored but
none quite like Mirabill.
The premise remains the same. The mentalist predicts how the
red and black cards will fall when dealt from a borrowed and
shuffled deck. And then, just to prove it wasn’t luck, does
it again with an entirely different and even more
mind-blowing outcome.
There is no palming, no extra props, no sleights whatsoever
and Mirabill is totally impromptu and can be done with any
borrowed deck at any time. The entire effect takes place in
your guest’s hands and has been streamlined so it plays more
quickly and with even more punch than the original!
In addition The Twist is taught, pitting two guests against
one another in a unique way that drastically changes the
appearance of the game while maintaining all of the
advantages of Mirabill.
Please send 15 dollars via PayPal to
wcushman@bellsouth.netThis e-mail address is being protected
from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and
your ebook will be delivered within 24 hours. In most cases,
it will be much sooner. Enjoy!
"Bill has taken a modern classic and put some nice touches
into it. He's made it into an 'untouched' routine... it all
happens in the spectator's hands. It's a kind of remote
viewing experiment with almost laboratory conditions. It's
always the simple ideas like this one that become the true
stunners."
-- Greg Arce
"I've always avoided this effect because I felt that it was
too easy to explain and reason out. But in your
presentation, you have breathed new life into it and
rekindled my interest in it. This is a wonderful
modification, and is superbly written."
-- Tony Eye
MY COMMENTS:
I first became acquainted with Stewart James' classic
Miraskill with the version printed in Scarne on Card Tricks,
a book that was my father's favorite on magic (he had an old
hardbound copy). Interestingly, I didn't realize until now
that the version in the Scarne book is not the original.
Even though it did appear in Annemann's The Jinx, I skipped
past it because I thought I was familiar with it.
Apparently, the original has some card sleights involved.
The Scarne version uses no sleights, but does use some
actions which are easy, but seem a bit contrived. If you're
not familiar with the effect, a participant deals pairs of
cards, and sorts them into piles of red cards, black cards,
and mixed pairs. The performer, who has written down
something, shows after the sorting that he knew in advance
the specific amounts of red and black pairs.
Dr. Bill has elegantly addressed the aforementioned issues
and come up with a very workable, impressive version of this
classic effect. The whole deck is not used, there are no
difficult sleights, and, unlike the Scarne version, there
are no "forced" or illogical moves. Also, Dr. Bill has
included a clever hands-off presentation in which two
participants handle the cards and even change the order of
the cards to prove that the performer has absolutely no
control over the results. Dr. Bill presents this as a
unique children's card game. For those who are fans of the
classic Miraskill, or who like doing mentalism with cards,
this very reasonably priced nine page e-book is a
delightful, elegant, and easy-to-do version of a classic.
Unquestionably recommended.
*********
DOUG HIGLEY
3 NO EVIL
JMOM Price: $18
Suggested Retail Price: $20
THE EFFECT:
From the 'Dark Museum' (an Envelope), three Strange exhibits
represented by photos of Shrunken Heads on 'old' Post Cards
are brought forth. It seems the decrepit museum is in
financial trouble and the disposition of the exhibits needs
to be determined. A 'Guest Curator' is chosen from the
audience to help decide the fate of the old museum. However
a fourth postcard is present which contains a Prediction
made 66 years earlier during the Higley Expedition 1942!
Despite having free choice, will the decisions of the 'Guest
Curator' be influenced by the Power and Secret of the
Shrunken Heads'? Will the Prediction be deadly accurate
detailing his/her every move to disperse the exhibits? Yep.
Diabolical and Easy To Do because it's virtually Self
Working! No Sleights, No Gimmicks! Based on Doug Higley's
legendary original props and his tried and true 'Dark
Museum' Prediction Effect (itself, a simplified version of
Corbuzier's 'Free Will' reading principle).
Doug Higley's varied 'Dark Museum' releases are currently
performed in 28 countries and is so popular that it inspired
the book by Jim Magus of 45 routines by the greats of the
magical arts, 'Midnight In The Dark Museum'. Now for the
first time this fantastic concept in Adventure Magical
Mentalism is available in a pocket version for every style
of act! It allows for great story telling too! The 'Heads
represent 'See no Evil, Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil, thus
the title. 3 No Evil is Fun and easy and can be a short
interlude or feature depending on your input. Corporate
Performer Jon Stetson says "This is Adventure Magic and
Mentalism at it's best! It's as if Indy just got off the
Jungle Cruise!" A Stunning Adventure in your pocket! 3 no
Evil and the Amazing Secret Of The Jungle Heads!
Includes: Four Sepia toned 4x6 Photo Postcards, the Envelope
(ungimmicked) and Full SIMPLE Instructions.
MY COMMENTS:
If you're familiar with Dedy Corbuzier's Free Will, then you
know what this is. To set the record straight, though Dedy
Corbuzier may have made this principle popular, it most
definitely is not his. Doug Higley points out that he got
permission for Dedy to produce this, when he didn't have to.
This routine uses three handsomely-made, really eerie
postcards which feature pictures of shrunken heads in the
see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil poses. There is a
fourth postcard which contains the prediction already
pre-written on it. I think that if you're interested in
this routine it would be more fun with actual shrunken heads
(as I suspect is contained in the Dark Museum kits that Doug
Higley markets), but a pocket-sized version using postcards
is effective enough.
*********
BILL THOMPSON
WINKS' DIARY
JMOM Price: n/a, special order only
Suggested Retail Price: $30
THE BLURB:
Welcome to Bill Thompson's Winks Diary. Join you hosts Peter
nardi and Martin Sanderson as they take a detailed look into
this intriguing piece of magic.
Contents include:
Two different versions performed by both Peter & Martin to
real people in real situations! Peter Nardi's mindreading
routine that uses NO playing cards. Direct and to the
point...A REAL MINDBLOWER! The Bill Thompson routine, as
performed by Martin Sanderson using a deck from which a card
is freely selected with no force. BRILLIANT!
Hints and tips from Peter and Martin including Peter's
destination prediction, which takes the effect to a whole
new level.
Get ready for the easiest and most direct Card Diary to date
- Bill Thompson's Winks Diary.
* Use a regular diary!
* No multiple outs!
* No stacked decks!
* In fact don't use a deck at all!
Running Time Approximately 29min
MY COMMENTS:
This isn't something I can recommend to serious mentalists.
This is definitely in the category of mental magic. As the
blurb suggests, it uses a regular diary, no multiple outs,
and no stacked decks. You don't even need to use a deck.
Unfortunately, I take issue with the claim that it is the
"most direct Card Diary to date." It's not direct at all.
A card must be selected and that card is used to determine
the date which, in turn, is used to determine a new card.
It's quite procedural. If it were direct, then any date
could be mentioned, or randomly turned to, and the card
there would be the selected card. I'm not saying what
principle this uses is ineffective, but I don't feel it's as
direct as is claimed.
I also don't feel that there are two different versions on
this disc. Peter Nardi performs the effect without cards
and Martin Sanderson performs with cards. However, the same
things happen. The only difference is that in one version
someone thinks of a card and in the other someone selects a
random card. Both feature selected cards chosen at random
and both routines are identical from that point on. To
state that there are two different versions is somewhat
misleading. And then there's Peter Nardi's destination
prediction, which he clearly states he hasn't performed yet,
but that if he did, it would happen the way he proceeds to
explain it. It's definitely a workable idea, but it bothers
me that Peter offers this routine without the benefit of
having performing and refining it. If it was merely an
added bonus idea it wouldn't bother me as much, but it's
advertised as an additional feature routine on the disk.
Finally, this routine is not repeatable, and thus not
entirely suited to walkaround. Of course, you could have
several diaries prepared. Admittedly, though this isn't
entirely all that bad (I do like the idea of having one
card/prediction on the table before the start of the
routine), I have a very hard time recommending this to
mentalists. Cassidy's work on the card diary effect is so
much better and just as easy, including a version which uses
travel destinations instead of cards. Many other mentalists
and magicians have released ideas on this plot that are just
as good, if not more recommendable, than this.
*********
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