Wenk's Misled

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
El Mystico
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Wenk's Misled

Postby El Mystico » February 5th, 2015, 11:45 am

I've just dug out Misled.
In the instructions he says that "a very well known...very prolific... figure in the magic world...widely recognised as a genius...is claiming that his creativity suddenly extends backwards in time".
Anyone know what the story behind this is?

Also, I note in his introduction he says his first effort involved permanently gaffing the pencil. So that would be "Just Passing Through" I guess!

Anyone know what Timothy Wenk is doing these days?

Brad Henderson
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Brad Henderson » February 5th, 2015, 3:58 pm

just passing through is, if I remember correctly, a version of an older trick that was not misled. the creator mentioned it in the instructions.

the misled gimmick even if permanently attached would still be different from that offered as just passing through.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 5th, 2015, 4:00 pm

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Brad Henderson
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Brad Henderson » February 5th, 2015, 4:33 pm

what does he know????

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby El Mystico » February 6th, 2015, 2:38 pm

"just passing through is, if I remember correctly, a version of an older trick that was not misled. the creator mentioned it in the instructions. "

So, yes, as Brad's review makes clear,the older trick was Wenk's Misled.

Brad also says "the misled gimmick even if permanently attached would still be different from that offered as just passing through."

Really? Can't see that.
Without Timothy to comment, reading his instructions suggests very strongly to me that his original thinking must have been pretty much identical to Just Passing Through.
I may be wrong - but I'd welcome the description of an alternative gimmicked pencil that does the same job.

But I do note that Brad's review plumps for the Wenk effect.

Brad Henderson
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Brad Henderson » February 6th, 2015, 3:07 pm

no.

There is another source for just passing through, something closer to the actual incarnation that is passing through than misled. I want to say flip, or teytelbaum, or rink. while the effect is the same between misled and passing through, the method is different. Of course, we may just be drawing lines of what constitutes different as different points.

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby El Mystico » February 7th, 2015, 5:08 am

"'Just Passin' Thru' was inspired by Timothy Wenk's 'Misled'"
That's from the instructions.

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Brad Henderson » February 7th, 2015, 8:30 pm

Yes. I know that. But what I'm telling you is he ended up replicating an idea that is more similar to just passing through than it is to misled. I just can't remember whose it was.

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Leonard Hevia » August 23rd, 2018, 7:29 pm

Does anyone know when Wenk first released Misled?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 23rd, 2018, 8:53 pm

When dinosaurs ruled the earth.
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erdnasephile
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby erdnasephile » August 23rd, 2018, 9:21 pm

I did buy Misled when dinosaurs ruled the earth (in the pre-Copperfieldian era), so my instructions didn't come with the routine Copperfield did on one of his specials.

Does anyone know if: 1) Wenk developed the handling that Copperfield used and 2) In the current iteration, does the routine include the additions seen on the TV special? 3) My gaff's color doesn't match the pencil--in fact, I could never find a pencil that exactly matched. (I should have just painted both the pencil and the gaff now that I think of it). The gaff also looked noticeably fat on the pencil. Are the current gaffs better in this respect?

Lastly, those Number 2 pencils just don't seem that popular anymore. All the kids around here (except for the grade schoolers) are all using mechanical pencils and take their exams on the computer. I use one to do my taxes and to mark the wall to hang pictures on, but that's about it.

(I agree with Mr. Henderson: Lonnie Chevrie's contribution to the "Just Passin' Through" DVD is the reason it's worth buying)
Last edited by erdnasephile on August 23rd, 2018, 9:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Leonard Hevia » August 23rd, 2018, 9:29 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:When dinosaurs ruled the earth.


It was 1990, shortly after Copperfield's 12th Special. No partial credit for that answer.

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Bill Mullins » August 23rd, 2018, 11:13 pm

Leonard Hevia wrote:Does anyone know when Wenk first released Misled?


It's advertised in the Mar 1987 Linking Ring.

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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Tom Gilbert » August 24th, 2018, 7:02 am

I was thinking it was out well before the Copperfield special. Tim used to live in MA and I bought mine directly. Again, good work Bill.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Richard Kaufman » August 24th, 2018, 12:40 pm

Yes, it was definitely out several years for David's special. I saw dozens of guys in New York do it long before it appeared on TV.
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Jonathan Townsend » August 24th, 2018, 1:25 pm

There's an ad in July 1980 Genii Magazine for Misled.
He also advertised a coin assembly item, E-Pluribus Unum.
Last edited by Jonathan Townsend on August 24th, 2018, 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Pete McCabe
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby Pete McCabe » August 24th, 2018, 1:29 pm

When I was in Maui recently, sessioning with David Kuraya, Tom Gaddis, and Curtis Kam, there was a possibility that Tim Wenk was going to join us. He ended up not being able to make it, so I never got to meet him. But I think he's in Maui, or at least Hawaii.

richardingram
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby richardingram » August 24th, 2018, 3:25 pm

He is in Maui and he is pretty active in the SME Talk Magic Facebook group.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby erdnasephile » August 24th, 2018, 10:11 pm

Just dug out my original Misled instructions. It was released by Metempiricla Magic The copyright date is listed as 1980.
E Pluribus Unum lists on the title page: "1980 All Rights Reserved. Also Copyright 1981""
PB & J was also released around that time.
Insomnia (a counter-intuitive Professor's Nightmare type routine) was released in 1988. The original booklet had hand colored ropes in the illustrations and was a favorite of Daryl's.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Wenk's Misled

Postby erdnasephile » August 24th, 2018, 10:18 pm

More Tim Wenk references on Denis Behr's wonderful Conjuring Archive:

https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/s ... yword=wenk


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