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PRECURSOR LXIX This is PRECURSOR LXIX and is published in June 1999. PRECURSOR is edited by William P. Miesel and is published by unikorn magik. The editorial offices are at 2215 Myrtle Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, 16502-2643 (phone 814-454-8802). PRECURSOR will be published more than three times a year, and it will be sold for $21.00 (U.S.) for three issues. Outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico, three issues are sent Air Mail for $25.00 (U.S.). "Dogging The Princess" by Jon Racherbaumer is a method of performing Henry Hardin's "Princess Card Trick." This version of the "Princess" does not require gimmicked cards; it is repeated, and ends up with a surprise climax. "Muppet Magic" by Marty Kane is another one of his "story" tricks but is very interesting in that he uses a "Leapfrog Count" to obtain the same results that would be gotten from an "Australian Deal." Bob King's "Another Late-Night Session" is an excellent card location with a repeat that is based on Alex Elmsley's "Late-Night Location" that can be found in Ibidem #11 and the Complete Works of Alex Elmsley Vol. 2. This is just one of seventeen fine effects in Bob King's new book Card Notes, which I highly recommend to thinking Cardmen. Card Notes is available from Bob for $15 plus $1 for postage at 304 Suburban Court, Rochester, New York, 14620. In "Spectator Split," Joshua Jay credits John Carney and Jean-Jacques Sanvert, but the premise of this effect goes back thirty years to a trick of Karl Fulves', "Even Money Proposition," which was in the Pallbearers Review, Vol. 4 #7, and there have been many variation on it since then. I always liked this trick and have a number of versions in my notebook. I believe Joshua Jay's handling is different and well worth your attention. Gary Ward gives us "Top Dog Monte" which has an interesting patter story about the Top Dog woven around the "Homing Card" premise. Many of David Neighbor's coin tricks are very difficult, but "Quick Hang" does not require any difficult sleights and is really quite simple, but it will be necessary to play with this. It is one of those tricks where a rhythm must be established. This quickie is very pretty done in pantomime. Simply stated, "Confusing Sevens" by Aldo Colombini is the discovery of a selected card, but "Oh! So much more" happens. Give it a trial. The last three tricks in this issue use dice; two of them in combination with playing cards and the third one using just the dice. "Jackpot" by Michael DeMarco is an interesting effect that uses both playing cards and dice. At first glance it would appear that the "Principle of Seven" is used because all of the patter revolves around the game of "Craps," but actually the principle that is used is Gene FinnelPs "Freecut Principle." My own "Finding Four Cards With A Pair Of Dice" does use the "Seven Principle" as a small part of the explanation, but the different controls used are so deceptive that any spectators who suspect this are still not going to be able to try and explain this trick.
Ed Eckl got another effect from Harry Hirschvogel - "Harry's Oil & Water Dice." This is a take-off on an old puzzle that is usually done with nickels and pennies. In the Editor's Note, I have added a little move that makes the final display more aesthetically appealing. I'm not sure if it's really worth the trouble but when I described it to Ed, he really liked it.
William P. Miesel April 1,1999
AN ESSENTIAL CREDIT In "Invisible Coin Aces" in Precursor LXVIII, Shaun Robison did not credit the Coin Box move in Phase III, Figures #7 to #10. He just said, "This is an old Okito Box dodge." Actually, this move is not that old (at least at our age, neither Howie not I consider this move old - W.P.M.). This move should be credited to Frank Thompson. Frank invented this move in the 1950's, but he never published it. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that it has appeared in print, so a note should be made crediting Frank Thompson. Too many of Frank's ideas that were never published have been resurfacing without credit. Howard Schwarzman
* * * CHANGE OF VENUE * * * Along with the last Precursor, I sent out fliers for Dan Block & Joe Ryan's "Buffalo GetTogether," but since then, some unforeseen circumstances necessitate a change of venue: Convention Hotel Ho Jo Inn 5245 Camp Road Hamburg, New York 14075 716-648-2000 The room rate is $43 + tax per night for a double room. Reservations must mention the magic convention to get this rate. Lectures & Shows West End Inn 340 Union Street Hamburg (5 minutes from the hotel) There is no change in the dates (Oct. 21 - 23) or the registration fee ($85) Featured lectures by Martin Nash, Bob King, and Tom Frank. Special show by George Kirkendall. William P. Miesel
DOGGING THE PRINCESS This is an attempt to perform Mario's conditional version of "The Princess" that was published in The New Tops, Vol. 9 #4 and later in M.I.NT. - Volume One. There was a marketed trick called "In Space" that featured the Four-Ace Surprise Climax, but it used a bulldog clip and gaffed cards. Because many workers have an aversion to Pip-Covering Moves, this approach, though bold, does not use any. The mental aspect is demolished by the climax, but you can momentarily enjoy having "psychic status" because you repeat the 5-to-l feat. Remove the four Aces and the Five through Nine of Clubs from the deck. Square up the four Aces and place them into your pocket. Arrange the Club cards in this order from the face to the back: 9C - 8 C - 7 C - 6 C - 5 C . Place the deck face down to your right. Introduce the five-card packet and say, "This is a trivial experiment that suggests more momentous implications. " Spread these cards face up to show the Club set-up. Continue, (<Picture one of these cards in your mind. " Close the spread and flip the packet face down into your left hand. Grasp it from above in the right hand between the fingers at the outer end and the thumb at the inner end and Buckle or Pull-Down the bottom Nine of Clubs with the left fingers. Take the top four cards as one with your right hand and place the card(s) into your pocket, adding, "I'm going to place a card in my pocket - then you will name your card -" As soon as your right hand enters your pocket, leave the Club packet behind and grasp the four Aces as a squared unit between the fingers and the thumb in the same grip that was used to hold the four Clubs. Remove the card(s) as one, ostensibly holding the same card momentarily placed in the pocket, and continue, "â&#x20AC;&#x201D;And this card will be your mentally selected card!" Immediately place the card(s) face down onto the left-hand card and gaze at the spectator. Lift off the top card and hold it without exposing its face to anyone else. Say, "Believe it or not, this is the card you are thinking ofâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; " Smile and replace the card. Grasp the cards again in a right-hand Biddle Grip while talking, gesture, and flash the Nine of Clubs on the face of the packet. Continue, "Of course, everyone thinks that I'm being facetious - or, worse, that I'm a liar, trickster, and knave. Therefore, continue thinking of the same card or picture another. Meanwhile, I'll mix these and put one in my pocket. " Mix the five cards but keep track of the Nine of Clubs. Eventually, place it into your pocket with the other four Club possibilities. Table and spread the Aces face down. Ask the spectator to name his mental selection, then locate and remove the correct card. Suppose the selection is the Five of Clubs. Reveal the Five of Clubs and drop it face down onto the Aces. Pick up all five cards and mix them face down, keeping track of the Five of Clubs. Take it with your right hand and place it into your pocket. Repeat the "mental" aspect by having the spectator name one of the Club cards. Locate the correct one and place it face up and squared on top of the other face-down Club cards. Grasp all of the cards in the right hand from above in the Biddle Grip and remove them as one. Say, "Igot it again!" Place the card(s) onto the tabled deck. Leave the named Club card face up on top. Your pocket is now clean. Say, "I'm glad you named the of because if 3