magician – MagicShow.Tips

Coin Balm by Rocco and Roy Kueppers

Over six years ago, I published a trick called Lip Bomb in this blog and in Vanish Magazine. Here’s what the trick looks like:

Then recently, I saw an ad for a trick that Rocco and Roy Kueppers called Coin Balm. It looks like this was initially released in 2004, here’s what it looks like:

It looks very similar to my trick…doesn’t it?

I do like the lifting of the coin up out of the tube that Rocco does, that makes the trick play bigger than the dumping of the coin downwards that I do in my trick. However I really like the spectator producing the coin from the chapstick tube that I do more than the reveal that Rocco does where he pulls it out himself.

I haven’t bought this product, so I don’t know if my trick is credited in it, or if Michal l P Lair’s Rich Smoke trick is credited.

-Louie

How Unique is it Really?

Recently this ad came across my social media:

The headline with the picture made me laugh. He’s telling you about using or creating NEW magic routines; however, the video’s cover shows him doing a very common trick!

I don’t know what product he’s selling; I didn’t click the link. I just thought the headline of not using common tricks really contradicted the image of him using a very common routine.

-Louie
PS: You can learn about my process for creating unique magic here!

The Best Way to End a Card Trick

When doing a card trick, the ending is the most important thing. Here’s three options that I’m playing with:

Each has something going for it.

Option 1: quick and direct

Option 2: BIG

Option 3: a gag, then a bonus trick

I posted this video on my social media and everyone liked number three the best. One thing I didn’t mention was the conditions; this was a stage piece for large groups.

After trying all three of them, the one that played the best for me was number 2!

The size of the reveal, I think, made a huge difference. Also, when the folded card comes out, you have a little bit of build as it’s being unfolded.

I think the problem with option #3, which is the 52 on 1 card that turns into the selection, is that the gag is too small to be seen from the stage, and everyone has to take my word for what’s on the card. Also, you have a gag and a magic trick that are pretty close together. The changing of the card, I think, doesn’t hit as it should. I think to the audience it feels like the card just has the 52 on 1 on one side and the selection on the other, and I just turn the card over. Yes, I do show the back of the card twice; however, I don’t think the audience processes that or remembers that.

I’m glad I tried all three and was surprised at the result.

-Louie

Three Shell Game Ending

One of the endings that I’m doing with my three shell game routine is using a small cap that goes under the shell to replace the standard shot glass. I got the idea when I was on a flight and realized the tiny liquor bottle cap would fit under a shell. (you can read the post about it here)

Here’s a demo of what it looks like:

You could put a shot glass on top of the cap and shell for a triple cover! I really didn’t want to use the shot glass, as it’s bulky, heavy, and semi-fragile. This is a good solution for me!

-Louie

Summer Camp Magic Shows

The final summer camp magic show of the year is done. That means my busy season is starting to end! I still have a very full September; however, it’s not as crazy as it was since mid-May!

I’ve been doing summer camp magic shows for a couple of decades. At one point, they were my main market in the summer; now they are mostly shows that fill in holes in my schedule between five (or longer) day contracts.

These shows are a ton of fun; it’s interesting how they’ve changed over the years. When I first started doing them, there were a lot more older, school-age kids; now they’re predominantly younger kids in the 3-6 year old range. That means the style of material has really shifted from what was more of a school assembly type of material, which was a bit more sophisticated, to a lot more silliness. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can be a very different gear.

-Louie

Make Money Magic Work Onstage!

The Juggling Monte routine that I’m working on has taken another step closer to reality. One of the challenges that I identified early on was how to make a two dollar bill visibly different from a one dollar bill onstage. The solution was to write “lucky” on the back of it. Originally I thought writing it in pink, sparkly ink would be good, however I just made one with white ink with a black border and I think it looks great!

There’s not much to making this prop. I took a white paint pen and wrote lucky on the bill. Once it dried, I used a black Sharpie to do the outline. Finally, I took some matte clear spray paint and gave it a light coat to seal it. Hopefully the sealant will protect it from dinging or chipping.

I still need to write some jokes and figure out the routine, but it’s off to a good start. We’ll see how it actually plays for an audience.

-Louie

The Shell Game Onstage

The idea of doing a three shell game style routine onstage has been in my head for a little while. Onstage, a shell game type routine typically manifests itself as a Bank Nite type routine, where money is mixed with worthless prizes. The spectator picks all but one envelope, leaving the magician with one, which has the money.

There are two challenges with a Bank Nite style of routine:
1: The spectator loses (usually)
2: The final reveal is anti-climatic, the audience knows what’s in the last envelope, so opening it isn’t really a moment.

A good example of ending the routine with a bit of a moment is telling the audience that money is in one of the envelopes, but not showing them. A good example of this is John Archer’s Blank Nite routine:

What’s the Solution to Doing The Shell Game Onstage?

This doesn’t really solve the problem, but here’s the idea I came up with: You have three tennis balls with slits cut in them. You put the $100 into one of them, and the audience has to follow that one while you juggle it.

This is nice and visual, and it has the mixing element of the three shell game. The audience is involved in trying to follow it.

This doesn’t solve the two main problems: the spectator loses, and the final reveal is anticlimactic.

I like the visual…but now to try to figure out how to solve the two issues.

-Louie

A Simple Cell Phone Magic Trick

Personally, I don’t like using my cellphone for magic tricks. It’s too easy for an audience to say something is an app or AI. The other reason is that so many magic specific apps get abandoned by their creators, and they just stop working.

Here’s a little magic trick that I came up with that uses a cell phone:

The video above was the test of the trick, I’ve tightened it up and removed all the double lifts from it.

Honestly Evaluating The Magic Trick

What I like about this is that it doesn’t use any magic apps, so I’m not relying on some magician in their basement in Alabama to keep it updated!

What I don’t like about it, is that the effect is fairly slow. Removing the double lifts speeds it up a lot and takes out a lot of unnecessary process.

One last thing, I found the trick is stronger when it’s repeated a second time!

When creating magic tricks, I think it’s important to evaluate what’s going one. Figure out what you like and don’t like and what makes it hit harder for the audience. Try things, take risks. .

-Louie

How To Create a Visual Hook For Magic Routines

One of the things that I try to do when creating magic routines is to think about what they look like. This is important when you perform at places like state and county fairs, where you have a transient audience. Having strong visual hooks that will stop someone that’s walking by is important in that market.

Here’s an example of a visual hook, it’s part of my Body Language Book Test which is in my 2025 PCAM Lecture notes.

In the routine, a guy ends up hitting me in the belly with a tube. It’s a great bit, but more importantly, the routine is visually interesting virtually the whole time!

Three Easy Way To Adding Visual Appeal To Magic Routines

Here are three common, and easy ways to add visuals to magic routines:
1: Props – If you have an interesting prop, that is obviously visually interesting, and of course, the bigger the better! People need to see it from a distance, or they won’t stop.
2: People – More people onstage can create drama. You’ve changed your show from monologue to dialogue.
3: Action – Having motion onstage makes people stop to watch. A bad dance troupe will having an easier time getting a crowd than an amazing stand up comedian.

Ultimately, most things will use more than one of the things above to draw attention.

A good example is my Straight Suit routine, which you can see here. It combines a interesting prop, the inflatable suit with action.

Also keep in mind that not every single routine needs to be a giant thing, for texture in your show, you should vary things. A great example is Franz Harary in one of his MEGA illusion shows also does silk to egg.

-Louie

Magic Show in Seattle!

On Monday I popped by Magic Monday in Seattle. This monthly magic show has been running for over twenty years! The show is currently run by Jim Earnshaw, and it usually features 3-5 magicians each month. Then in August, they do magic show that’s all young magicians performing.

This week it was Jim Earnshaw, Sven “The World’s Tallest Magician”, Monty Reed, Me and Master Payne.