Tag: card magic

Jimothy and How To Create a Card Trick

A couple of days ago I saw a video of a unique looking racoon that that internet has named Jimothy. Here’s the video:

He’s popping up everywhere, and that got me thinking, what magic trick could I do with him.

A Simple First Step To Creating Magic Tricks

The easiest way to create a magic trick quickly is to find the theme, in this case Jimothy and figure out what to do with it. I’m travelling right now, so I’m limited with props, which can be a good thing when trying to create something new. I did have some blank face playing cards, so that gave me a start, it’ll be a card trick, with a picture of Jimothy.

My idea was to do an ace assembly type trick, with Jimothy and things raccoons eat. The challenge was that I didn’t have enough blank face cards to do it in the traditional way with 16 cards. I think this was a good thing, because most ace assemblies are too long and redundant, but you kinda need to have three “traveler” piles because there are four aces. I didn’t have that restraint for this trick.

I’m a huge belivier in creating magic tricks with rules or restraints. It definately makes it easier. You can read about how this applied to a full show that I wrote here!

Here’s what I came up with:

What I like about the format of this card routine is that it can be used for other themed tricks. It’s an easily adaptable format, customizing!

-Louie
PS: You can learn more about how I create magic here!

A Good Card Trick for Emergencies!

Last week I finished reading Card Man Stuff by Al Leech and this week I started reading another card magic book by Al Leech called Super Card Man Stuff. This book is pretty good. I’m about halfway through it, and while I don’t think it’s as good as Card Man Stuff, it’s still pretty good and a worthwhile read.

Here’s a Card Trick I Love!

In the book, there’s a gag that’s essentially an impromptu novelty card, like the ones that came in a FAKO deck. Here’s what it looks like:

I think this is a great trick (gag) to have in your brain for emergencies. I can see many opportunities where knowing this and having it in your mental toolbox, ready to be used, would be helpful!

Many times knowing little bits like these have bailed me out of situations or enhanced them!

-Louie

The Nest of Envelopes – More Work!!

I’m wrapping up two weeks of performing at the San Diego County Fair and I’m learning a lot about the Nest of Envelopes routine. This is a trick that I started working on a little bit ago. It started as an routine idea as a running gag in the show, with not specific trick attached to it.

You can read about it’s journey in these posts:
https://www.magicshow.tips/magic-show-tips/magic-show-running-gag/

https://www.magicshow.tips/magic-show-tips/the-nest-of-envelopes-trick/

https://www.magicshow.tips/magic-show-tips/nest-of-envelopes-as-a-running-gag/

https://www.magicshow.tips/uncategorized/the-nest-of-envelopes-update/

https://www.magicshow.tips/magic-show-tips/ditching-the-invisible-deck/

https://www.magicshow.tips/magic-show-tips/nest-of-envelopes-single-spot/

I think I’ve finally figured out what I don’t like about the routine, and that’s the use of physical props aside from the envelopes. The challenge is coming up with a method that allows me to do that in a manner that I like.

One of the bonuses of trying different methods is that each has things that are positive and could be used in different situations. For example, the method that I was using for most of the two week run of shows I did in San Diego would be great if I were in a situation where access to the audience was challenging. Like stairs to the stage that are behind the stage.

The current method I’m really liking because it’s visually cleaner, it just uses the envelopes, and I like that! I think an important thing to do when creating magic is to try your best not to settle for what just works if it doesn’t align with your vision. Keep trying new things!

-Louie

Discount Transposition!

I’m really enjoying going through Al Leech’s card magic. His card magic is really direct, which I like. One of the tricks in his book Card Man Stuff is called A Quick Theft. It’s a transposition of a card in your pocket and a card in your hand.

Here’s what the original version looks like:

And here’s my version of the trick:

What I did was give the trick a bit of a premise with the coupon card. I also added the force of the coupon card to get the card into my pocket before the actual card was selected. Finally, I changed the card control, to something a bit more direct to get the selection in position for the trick.

I think it’s a better trick now!

-Louie

“I Know This Trick”

A topic that comes up every now and then in social media magic groups is what to do when a kid says, “I know that trick”. Most of the advice given views the kid as a heckler and suggests lines like:
“There are thousands of tricks, how could you know”
“I checked the script, and you don’t have a speaking part”
Lines that try to shut down what the kid says.

This happened at a library show recently, here’s what went down:

The kid wasn’t heckling; it was them simply saying that they want to see the trick! In the video, you can hear how excited the kid was when I said I was going to do the trick.

Try not to look at everything a kid says in your show as a heckle, 95% of the time, it’s not, you’re just hearing it that way. You need to step back and really look at the situation.

-Louie

The Magic Garage!

Whenever I’m in the San Francisco area, I pop by the Magic Garage! It’s a great hangout with a bunch of magicians.

The magic garage
The magic garage
The magic garage

While I was there I did my Nest of Envelopes trick that I’m working on and got some great feedback!

The magic garage

Having a room full of magicians to give you ideas, or tell you that something doesn’t look right, is worth its weight in gold!

Things like this or magic clubs are great ways to get feedback on things you’re working on. I’m a huge fan of magic clubs, and I think everyone should go to them. They helped me out a lot when I was younger!

-Louie

A Card Trick You Can See Thru!

In a box of old magic, I found a couple of card that were see through, but had the numbers and pips printed on them. I think they were from a trick by Astor, but they had no instructions.

Here’s what I came up with:

There’s not much to it. Force the 9 of diamonds, then steal it out of the deck. Simple and direct.

This was the obvious choice for a real world trick. What I really want to do is a snap change so a normal card visually turns clear! I’m working on it, but it doesn’t quite look right yet. This would be a trick for video.

-Louie
You can read a post about creativity and trick development here!

Card Man Stuff by Al Leech

I picked up the booklet Card Man Stuff by Al Leech recently and I’m digging it!

Card Man Stuff by Al Leech

The stuff in it is older school card magic, and the clunkiness, I think, can be easily fixed. For example, he used the cut deeper force to have a card selected, and that’s a move that I really dislike. I think the problem with that force is that when the cards aren’t in face up and face down clumps, it kinda gives it away. There are better forces that can be done in its place.

The first trick is the production of a four of a kind, and that naturally flows into the second trick, which is a transposition of the two four of a kind sets of cards. I like things in books that can be routines that flow from one to the next to eliminate set up in the second trick, but still work as stand alone magic tricks if needed.

Despite the clunkiness, the tricks are pretty direct, which I like!

-Louie

Tommy Wonder’s Card in Ring Box

Tommy wonder card in ring box by jm craft

The other day, I started playing with Tommy Wonder’s Card in Ring Box. This prop is detailed in Tommy Wonder’s book The Books of Wonder. The effect is pretty straightforward, it’s a signed card to ring box. What makes it cool is that the audience sees the card drop out of the ring box.

Before I give my review of this, I should mention that I didn’t pay for it. I don’t know if that really affects how I feel about this, but figured I should mention that.

I took it out and gave it a try at the fair I’m performing out, here’s a peek at it in action:

@louiefoxx The Card In Ringbox is a vintage Tommy Wonder magic trick idea! #cardtrick #magictrick #magic #tommywonder #jmcraft ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The box looks great, and the measurements are what is in the Books of Wonder. I really like it, and I think it works great for doing a card under a box, then ending with the folded card in the ring box.

My only issue with the box is how the card is attached to the box. In the Tommy Wonder Books of Wonder, there’s a loop of thread that you slip the card into. In the JM Craft magic’s version of it, the card is permanently attached to the box.

This doesn’t sound like a big deal…until you are in a situation where you have a blue deck and the gimmick is red!

Tommy wonder card in ring box by jm craft

At the gig I’m at, I took a brick of Bicycle Cards, which are 6 red and 6 blue. I go through a deck each roving set. That means that on my 7th roving set, I couldn’t do the trick.

Not being able to easily change the gimmick is an issue for me. Sure, I can pack only red decks, since I buy my decks by the brick, which means that I can’t do the trick in half of my shows.

If the gimmick color is an issue for you, like all your gimmicks or whatever are one color, make sure the gimmick matches that! Other than the change from how the card attaches to the box being different from what’s in the book, the JM Craft version of Tommy Wonder’s Card in Ring Box works great!

-Louie

Magic at a Coffee Shop

Last week, when I was in Chicago on vacation, I stopped at a coffee shop, and noticed they had a magic trick on the shelf!

The coffee shop was called the Two Hearted Queen, so I expected the card on the shelf to be the queen of hearts. Here’s what it was:

It was fun finding a magic trick out there in the wild, just sitting on the shelf.

-Louie