Pages from precursor no 76 39179

RSOR n mnGnzine OF innovnTion LXXVI

PRECURSOR LXXVI This is PRECURSOR LXXVI and is published in November 2000. 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 is being published more than three times a year and is 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.).

Tom Craven took a real liking to Hideo Kato's "Magnetic Searcher" in Precursor LXXIV and after performing it a number of times, he had a couple thoughts that he then incorporated into a routine, which he calls "Carrying on with the Magnetic Searcher." I think that it might be interesting while performing a magician's close-up show, the first method would be performed at the first table and then at the second table, the second method is performed. Then sit back and listen to two magicians comparing notes.

Still thinking about Hideo Kato's "Magnetic Searcher;" after commenting to Tom Craven that he thought the magnetic card was going to change to the selected card, Russ Polizzi played around with the idea when he got home and came up with "Search and Destroy." Of course, a switch is critical, but the actual switch and numerous other details are very different in the routines offered

by Russ and Tom. "Lollapalooza Wallop" is Dan Block's variation of Fr. Cyprian's "Wild Card," with the presentation developed from Bro. Hamman's "The Lollapalooza Hand."

Michael DeMarco's "Casecount" is an interesting revelation of a number of cards that incorporates a force that was developed by Stewart James and P. Howard Lyons and was first published in Ibidem #1.

"Anna Graham's Magic Spells" by Marty Kane is an extension of his own "Magic Words of Anna Graham" in Precursor LXXIII. The original effect was basically a packet trick and this extension takes it a step further to a full-deck trick. An entirely new First Phase has been added, and the spectator can name the suit to be used.

"The Government Deal" by Aldo Columbini was developed from Marty Kane's "Trimble Nimble," which was in Precursor XLIII. This trick has been in my file for a number of years because there was a step missing in Aldo's manuscript, which got set aside. I just recently rediscovered it. "The Government Deal" should prove to be a very commercial and entertaining routine.

Several years ago, Dan Block posed a problem that involved a number of playing cards either predicting or divining a serial number on a dollar bill. I came up with a couple ideas that I called "Playing Cards And Dollar Bills" and filed them away waiting for Dan to develop his own ideas.

With the issuance and acceptance of the new dollar coin, I believe the Treasury Department is going to want to do away with dollar bills in the next couple of years, so I figured I had better get these ideas into Precursor before that happens.

Al Thatcher provides us with "Much Further Than Further Than That," which is his version of the Stewart James routine, "Further Than That." After going through five very amazing and amusing steps, the finale of this routine comes when the faces of the rest of the cards change to blank.

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One of the most popular plots in Card Magic is the Elevator Cards, which Ed Mario published as "Penetration" in the Sphinx, Vol. 47 #4, and later in the Cardician in 1953; "Going Up" is Tom Hubbard's" handling of this classic.

Here is another trick from the past; in March 1947, Neal Elias took a trip to New York City where he saw Dr. Jaks. Neal took notes on three of Dr. Jaks' tricks in his notebook, one of which, is entitled the "Initialed Card." There have been many similar tricks in print but I don't recall ever seeing this exact presentation before. For good measure there is a second handling that was developed by Neal Elias when he got back home.

William P. Miesel September 4, 2000

ADDITIONAL CREDITS Al Thatcher's "Reversa-Skill" was in Precursor LXXV, and I received a letter from Karl Fulves who reminded me of some of the versions of "Miraskill" that he has had in print in various books and manuscripts over the years.

In Principles of Riffle Shuffle Set-Ups (1968), "Future Perfect" appeared. It was a rather complex routine where not only the difference between face-up and face-down cards was predicted, but the name of a selected card was predicted, and it was discovered in the discard pile among the face-up cards. It was the only red card among all black ones.

A much simpler version entitled "Miraskill" developed by Karl Fulves and Joe Schmidt appeared in More Self-Working Card Tricks (1984).

Then in 1992, Karl's book Deceptive Practices appeared, and it contained "Balancing Act." Then in the Supplement to Deceptive Practices a couple more variations of "Balancing Act" appeared, including "You Go First" and "Black List."

So, if you liked "Reversa-Skill," you ought to look into these versions by Karl Fulves.

William P. Miesel

In July, I received a certificate from the International Brotherhood of Magicians which stated that I was "named to membership in the Order of Merlin, Excalibur". This signifies fifty years of continuous membership in the I.B.M. Son of a gun! The next milestone in that organization is O.O.M., Excelsior, which is awarded for 60 years membership. I doubt if I'll be in this world ten years from now, so I'll enjoy my Excalibur. I still think the I.B.M. got that last award a bit wrong. I think it should have been "Excalibur, with Scabbard"!

Ed Eckl, O.O.M. Excalibur, AIMC, nema* no e-mail address

CARRYING ON WITH THE MAGNETIC SEARCHER I love Hideo Kato's "Magnetic Searcher," which appeared last spring in Precursor LXXIV. Whether magicians will admit it or not, a great many astute laymen are familiar with the key card when the bottom card of the deck goes on top of the selected card.

Now, this actually happens in Hideo Kato's "Magnetic Searcher" except that the key card is not the face card of the deck but rather the twelfth card from the face. I thought that it would be a good idea if the face card of the deck would be very obviously lost between the time that the magnetic card is removed from the deck and the selection is returned to discount the idea that the face card is a key card. After just a bit of thought, the following very simple technique was developed.

1. Take the deck, which had been freely shuffled by a spectator and turn it face up while pattering about "magnetic cards." Starting at the face of the deck, spread through the cards looking for the magnetic card and at the same time, note the ninth card from the face.

2. Continue spreading the cards, finally removing any card from near the center of the deck calling it the magnetic card. Close up the spread and turn the deck face down.

3. Start spreading the cards face down as if to have one of them selected and say, "/ could have you choose a card as I spread, but I think I'll have you choose one in different manner. " As this is said, get a break beneath the third card from the back of the deck.

4. Continue, "But before I have you choose a card, let me cut the deck." Now, Multiple Undercut the three cards above the break from the back to the face of the deck. Your key card is now twelfth from the face of the deck and everything is now ready to perform Hideo Kato's "Magnetic Searchers" exactly as explained by him.

At the end of May, the Youngstown Magic Club had their annual golf outing in Jamestown, New York. I showed my handling of the "Magnetic Searchers" to Russ Polizzi. At the completion of the routine Russ said, "I thought that the magnetic card was going to change into the selection."

This surprised me because I thought he was going to be familiar with the original Kato version.

He couldn't believe he missed this trick in Precursor and he was going to go home and look it up. I showed him the working including my addition of cutting the three cards from the back to the face.

On the way home, I got to thinking about those comments that Russ made and this very simple method of changing the magnetic card into the selected hit me.

1. At the point in the final paragraph of Kato's trick where the magnetic card goes down onto the (supposed) chosen card, make it go down on the card before the chosen one. Pull this card out of the spread and drop it onto the table, asking if it would be a great trick if that were the chosen card. When they answer, "Yes," tell them to check it out.

2. As they do, I simply push the magnetic card into the spread and remove the chosen card while all attention is on the card that the spectator is turning over. When the spectators look back it appears to the spectator that everything is status quo. When the spectator say's it's not the