Giobbi Genii Session

[Guest]

I read with great interest Mr. Giobbi's Genii Session in the September issue of Genii on themes and effects of card magic (I'm a sucker for lists, okay?).

It is a wonderful addition to his list of methods (Jan 2006) and basic effects/phenomena (July 2006). I especially learned some new credits and references.

It is a perfect compliment to Daniel Fitzkee's works, including Trickl Brain (1944) and, for cards, The Card Expert Entertains (1978 2nd edition).

Kudos, Mr. Giobbi. I look forward to part 2 in November's Genii.

Sam

[Philippe Billot]

The first edition of The Card Expert Entertains was 1948.

[Guest]

In his book The Card Expert Entertains, Fitzkee categorizes card tricks in nineteen fundamental effects. They are:

1. Materialization
2. Disappearance (Four Ace Assembly, Cards Across)
3. Transposition (travel) (Card to pocket, wallet etc)
4. Transformation (Diminishing Cards)
5. Penetration
6. Restoration (torn and restored)
7. Animation (Haunted Deck)
8. Overcoming laws of gravity (Rising Card)
9. Attraction (Magnetic Cards)
10. Sympathetic (Triple Coincidence, Do As I Do)
11. Invulnerability
12. Denying natural physical laws (change shape)
13. Spectator failure
14. Control (Remote Control)
15. Identification (90% of all tricks?)
16. Thought reading (performer reads thoughts)
17. Thought transmission (performer projects thoughts)
18. Prediction (Brain Wave deck)
19. ESP (sixth sense)

As Fitzkee points out, tricks are often a combination of the fundamental nineteen effects. Tricks are different tricks only from the viewpoint of the spectators and not the performer, no matter what number of accessories and methods are used.

Mr. Giobbi expands on Fitzkee's fundamental nineteen effects and distinguishes the difference between themes, effects, and tricks.

I haven't compared Mr. Giobbi's list to Fitzkee's, but I'm sure they all fit into the nineteen basic effects, maybe even more than once.

;)

[Guest]

I'm sorry you mention 19 fundamental effects but there are 18 listed. What is the 3rd category?
Respectfully,
Dom

[Guest]

Oops. Thanks for catching that, Dom. Post has been edited. At least someone is out there reading this. ;)

[Guest]

I love this Giobbi articles. Can I translate it to spanish to post in a private magic forum ? :rolleyes:

[Richard Kaufman]

Sorry, but Roberto Giobbi's Genii Session articles are owned by The Genii Corporation and we do not allow foreign translations. Thank you.