TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

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TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Mats Kjellstrom » February 19th, 2009, 8:22 pm

Super hot news:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-PSYupQz8

Super smooth levitation - pure magic.

I found it here.
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby MagicWhiz » February 24th, 2009, 12:30 am

We are really looking forward to this!
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 28th, 2009, 7:29 pm

You mean a copy of Tarantula by the guy who sold the rights to Yigal.
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Carlo Morpurgo » February 28th, 2009, 10:37 pm

This does not smell so good...Can anybody explain?

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Michael Kras » March 5th, 2009, 6:16 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:You mean a copy of Tarantula by the guy who sold the rights to Yigal.


Hold up now... I'm a friend of Mr. Fearson's, and have been helping him try to clear the air. Fearson is not copying Tarantula because, simply, Yigal Mesika NEVER obtained the rights to use Fearson's hook-up. He claims to, but never did. There's a huge dispute going on, which I hope to not get into, but just know it is in fact Mesika who has apparently ripped off Fearson. Fearson is only releasing his system simultaneously to avoid the impact of such a rip-off.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Michael Kras » March 5th, 2009, 8:14 pm

Here is a copy of what I have said over at the Magic Cafe:

Maybe it's miscommunication, misunderstanding, whatever, I didn't mean to make it sound as though I'm bashing Mr. Kaufman. I have a great deal of respect for him, in fact.

I just meant to say, what he's posted isn't completely true. In a nutshell, Yigal releases the Tarantula, an apparently neat new reel which incorporates Steve Fearson's beautiful thread hook-up. Now, Yigal seems to think he's purchased the rights, but he has not. Steve has stated this to me, Yigal himself, and Nicholas Einhorn (who is also disputing the use of his method for the haunted deck). Simply put, Yigal has no right to use Steve's hook-up. This issue practically forced Steve to work on and release his own method to avoid being completely ripped off.

As I've said, here is where you can see Steve's demo: http://emagicsupply.com/112-masterlevit ... ustom.html

If you like what you see and have considered purchasing either this or the Mesika effect, do the right thing and support the original creator.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 5th, 2009, 8:40 pm

Yigal told me that he purchased the right from Steve Fearson.
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Michael Kras » March 5th, 2009, 9:03 pm

He seems to think he did, but according to Steve, he definitely didn't. I completely trust Steve in this regard, having worked with him for a few years long distance.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 5th, 2009, 9:38 pm

And why wouldn't we trust Yigal Misika? Everyone knows him as a straight-forward business man for many years. Steve has, how shall I say it delicately, had "troubles."
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Michael Kras » March 5th, 2009, 9:53 pm

Here's the email he sent me and gave me permission to post on forums.

"Regarding the Caf thing, I'm not sure who's word they are taking over
mine. Yigal has said nothing. Kaufman has not bothered to ask me
before making his claims and I'm certain he's seen no proof because
none exists.

Yigal claims on his DVD he bought the rights and it's a huge problem.
I've asked him to provide proof and he can not.

I'd post on the Caf myself but I'm not allowed to. The whole thing
is ridiculous. The burden of proof is not on me, it is on Yigal.

Everyone is acting so strange, it's to the point they're somehow in
denial that the material on these demos is mine. I invented the
hookup yigal is using 20 years ago. Sometimes I sell the rights to
people to use in a project. David Blaine, Mike Ammar, but I never
sold Yigal rights to use it in his Tarantula project. Tell me what
part of that is hard to understand?

I also didn't really grant permission to Yigal in 1999 for the
Sunglasses. He asked for permission and I didn't respond right away.
By the time I got back to him to say no, he had already went to print
with it, saying friends had told him since I didn't get back to him he
could just take it!

I managed to convince him that we at least needed a small financial
agreement for use in the Sunglasses (which wasn't easy), simply as
damage control on my part. To ensure I'd be credited or else others
would assume you can just use my work. Also out of fairness for
everyone else, who had paid for the use. To that date, nobody had
ever used my hookup without paying for it.

We made a deal on that trick only, and what else could I do? He had
already taken it. He failed to conform to certain parts of that
agreement, so you can bet there was no way I'd be willing to do it
again for Tarantula. But this time he didn't bother asking. Instead
he's tried claiming rights for the use which he clearly does not have.
We have a written contract from 1999 specifically for the floating
sunglasses. Nothing else. I would never sell unlimited rights to
anyone. Especially someone who used my material for profit without
first receiving permission.

I have been in touch with Yigal over the past week and he has not been
able to show me anything that gave him rights to use this in
Tarantula. Instead he now says I should be happy with credit because
my work isn't patented so anyone can take it without even giving
credit. That is highly debatable. Now he seems to want to work
something out but the damage has been done already. I'm not sure what
my next course of action will be.

I hate seeing you get bashed around over this.

Feel free to forward this to the Caf if you think they honestly care.
Maybe it will help them to believe you.


Steve"

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Richard Perrin » March 6th, 2009, 2:01 am

I felt for Steve and Yigal. I hope thing will work out but don't know for how long the problem or issue to solves. Wish you the best!

Richard

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Tim Ellis » March 6th, 2009, 5:17 pm

It's ironic that the guy who created 'The Magic Secrets Network' which advertised: "Did you ever wonder how David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear? Or about his other amazing illusions? A magician won't tell you these secrets. But we will! These are the secrets you really wanted to know. The ones even the Masked Magician was afraid to reveal! The magicians are steaming mad about this site. But we don't care! If you want to know the secrets, we're going to tell you... everything!" (For only $29.95) is upset because someone is (allegedly) selling something he came up with without his permission...

He released "his version" of Anders Moden's 'Healed & Sealed' and sold the 'Self Folding Bill' as a download and, after all the controversy over those two items here in the Forum he said: "So kick me out of your clubs and blow me out your magic circles. I'll keep working."

Now he feels he's been ripped-off. It hurts doesn't it Steve.

In Steve's announcement above he says of Yigal:

Instead he now says I should be happy with credit because
my work isn't patented so anyone can take it without even giving
credit. That is highly debatable.


Well, perhaps you remember the words you said a few years ago on this very Forum to those who felt ripped off by you:


"It doesn't matter what you invent, if you don't do anything with it you're not going to be recognized for it. Generally, the guy who does the footwork will get the credit. That holds true for marketing as well as performing. And you'll be lucky indeed if you find a guy like Mike Ammar or myself, who is willing to give credit once you've let it slip away."

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Richard Perrin » March 6th, 2009, 9:43 pm

Ouch!

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Diamond Jim Tyler » March 8th, 2009, 4:45 pm

I'd like to set the record straight!

I have footage of myself using the tarantula gimmick at a magic shop in the early 90s.

Forget Yigal and Mr. Fearson.

Look at the proof: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/555413
Magically,
Diamond Jim Tyler

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby somethingreal » March 11th, 2009, 7:47 pm

Hello

This Is Yigal Mesika

I just want to say thank you to all the people on the Genii forums who are defending me. For some reason there a couple people out there that just don't know the truth about the Tarantula and decided to defend Mr. Fearson without knowing the flipside of the story. The truth is Steve sold me the rights to teach and explain his hookup in 1999. I find it sad and misleading that people assumed I just used his hookup without any publishing rights. I did not do anything unethical. He told me his price and I sent him a check the next day. I would never steal from anyone as I have had a lot of people steal from me and I know how that feels. Secondly, before the conspiracy even started I had already given Mr. Fearson FULL credit in my DVD and this will only serve to help him and not me. He has been told that I gave him credit and he was still ungrateful. Legally, even if he had a patent (which he does not) his hookup was published over 20 years ago and is now public domain. Out of respect and ethics I did what I thought was right and mentioned his name over 5 times in my DVD.
I find it annoying that people want to complain about this hookup. The Hovering is the only effect I use with his hookup, which I have upgraded and simplified. The other effects I perform and explain have nothing to do with his hookup and can only be done with the Tarantula motorized reel. Also everyone knows that the Hovering is 100% my effect and it has never been done or seen before. Not only is the horizontal spinning ring original, so is the ring landing on a spectators finger.
An interesting fact is I was selling the Tarantula at the IBM/SAM convention in June of 2008. It was the highlight of the convention and I completely sold out of Tarantulas while I was there; Steve is currently just trying to jump on my hype. On the 16th of February I posted my video on You Tube. Mr. Fearson was then so inspired by my video he then posted his video on week later on the 24th. In his video he clearly copied my Hovering effect and performed it exactly as I do in my video. I then told him my attorney would be contacting him if he did not take my Hovering effect off his clip. Since he knew he was wrong he took the video down but put a different version of a ring going onto a spectators finger. Which as I explained before is my idea and Im sure he wont give me any credit as he never gives credit to anyone but himself. For example his hookup, which was based on Bob Hummer and his Hummer Whirling Card effect. Also you can take a look at Braco's Schweberoutinene fr Tisch und Bhne which was published in German and English by the Magischer Zirkel von Berlin in the early 1970's. Everything from the LeClair hookup to the Fearson hookup is in there. If he knew how to give a credit at least one of those guys would have been mentioned in his material.

Anyway

Like I said before, thank you to those who have taken the time to defend me. It's people like you that keep me going. Im glad there are people out there that look for the facts and understand the truth.

Sincerely,

Yigal Mesika

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Harry Entwistle » March 11th, 2009, 9:24 pm

Gentleman please take a breath

I don't know either person, but I do know if I had bought the rights to something that I wanted to market or distribute, I'd surely had it executed in contract format as well as notarized.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Richard Perrin » March 11th, 2009, 9:53 pm

I don't know what to say but I rather leave them to work the problem to settle down and fixed. Let us know when it is done.
I am not going to buy this type of trick until...

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Tom Stone » March 11th, 2009, 10:27 pm

Tim Ellis wrote:He released "his version" of Anders Moden's 'Healed & Sealed' and sold the 'Self Folding Bill' as a download and, after all the controversy over those two items here in the Forum he said: "So kick me out of your clubs and blow me out your magic circles. I'll keep working."

Now he feels he's been ripped-off. It hurts doesn't it Steve.


Tim... whether someone is pleasant or unpleasant should not be an essential factor in discussions about the rights a creator has to his work. Yes, it is ironic in this case, but still - the rules should not be dependent on someone's personality.

somethingreal wrote:Also you can take a look at Braco's Schweberoutinene fr Tisch und Bhne which was published in German and English by the Magischer Zirkel von Berlin in the early 1970's. Everything from the LeClair hookup to the Fearson hookup is in there.

Can anyone confirm, with page number and publishing year, that Fearson's hookup is in this book? If that is the case, and the publishing year preceeds Fearson's release, then this dispute is solved.

Legally, these things are a mess. US signed the Berne Convention in 1988, but the transition is not complete yet and there's still a lot in US copyright that is different from the rest of the western world.
Still... Fearson created his "Floating Cigarette" as an emulation of John Kennedy's "Animated Self-lighting Cigarette" - and found out that his rendition was well beyond the "threshold of originality" and could be considered a whole new piece (as confirmed by Kennedy himself).

On the other hand - just sticking a different object on the end of the thread, does not constitute a new piece of work. That's below the threshold of originality - i.e. it is not merited to put a new title on it, since it is still "Fearson's Floating Cigarette", even if it is done with a small illuminated ball, glasses, candy bar etc ("I do it with a BLUE deck" )
The "hook up" in itself can not be considered a piece of art, therefore it is outside the realm of copyright (that is, just the hookup, without any object on the end, without any choreographic moves), but Fearson's Floating Cigarette is a piece of art - and the hook-up is the biggest part of what defines it.
Therefore, it was well and proper to obtain the rights from Fearson, not for the hook-up, but for the "Fearson's Floating Cigarette, with glasses".

Then we have "Hoovering"... I don't know the set-up for this, but if the trailer is accurate, that effect can not easily be duplicated with Fearson's original Floating Cigarette. It seems like something essential has been changed or added. If so, that would be beyond the threshold of originality, and "Hoovering" should be considered a whole new piece of art. I.e. no need to obtain any rights from Fearson, except perhaps in the name of goodwill. Of course, for courtesy and schoolary reasons, it still would be necessary to give proper credits.

However, all this is moot, if the hook-up is printed in Braco's bok.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby The Magic Apple » March 11th, 2009, 11:58 pm

Just an FYI - Yigal is expected to come by The Magic Apple tomorrow (Thursday) about 4pm to demo the Tarantula, give some pointers to those that bought it and have a Q and A about it.
We'll have some refreshments to enjoy as well!

This is as close to REAL magic as you can get! Come on by!!

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Brad Henderson » March 12th, 2009, 12:34 am

The Magic Apple wrote:Just an FYI - Yigal is expected to come by The Magic Apple tomorrow (Thursday) about 4pm to demo the Tarantula, give some pointers to those that bought it and have a Q and Q about it.


Well, that doesn't sound productive at all if you think about it.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby The Magic Apple » March 12th, 2009, 2:16 am

oooops...Q and A
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Jon Allen » March 12th, 2009, 10:04 pm

somethingreal wrote:The Hovering is the only effect I use with his hookup, which I have upgraded and simplified. The other effects I perform and explain have nothing to do with his hookup and can only be done with the Tarantula motorized reel.


On the promo video there seems to be a haunted deck with the deck on the ground and a card jumping out. This can be done with Nicholas Einhorn's 'Spooked' setup which doesn't utilise a motorised reel.

Am I missing something?

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Tom Stone » March 27th, 2009, 9:45 pm

somethingreal wrote:Also you can take a look at Braco's Schweberoutinene fr Tisch und Bhne which was published in German and English by the Magischer Zirkel von Berlin in the early 1970's. Everything from the LeClair hookup to the Fearson hookup is in there.(snip)
Sincerely,
Yigal Mesika

Does anyone have access to the Braco book? It seems hard to find, and I'd really want to know the publishing date, and the page numbers to where the items that has become known as "LeClair" and "Fearson" hookups are described.

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Denis Behr » March 28th, 2009, 4:22 am

I have a copy. Its publishing date is 1973.
I did not search through it to find those hookups, but maybe I get a chance later.

Denis

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Mats Kjellstrom » March 28th, 2009, 4:36 am

What hookup did the great Fred Kaps use?

Fred Kaps Dancing Cork, 1976:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pRiTBqcObE

Fred Kaps performing the floating cork: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-TpKRE64OU

Join FRED KAPS group on Facebook:
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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Fearson » March 29th, 2009, 11:59 am

I know I may not be welcome on this board but I have no intention of clinging on anyway so please bear me out.

MESSAGE DELETED

MESSAGE FROM RICHARD KAUFMAN: That's right, you're not welcome on this board. So I've deleted the rest of your post. You've got zero credibility here.
Last edited by Fearson on March 29th, 2009, 2:47 pm, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: Unwelcome Guest

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Tom Stone » March 30th, 2009, 5:05 am

Denis Behr wrote:I have a copy. Its publishing date is 1973.
I did not search through it to find those hookups, but maybe I get a chance later.

Thanks Denis!
Someone emailed me a photo of page 67, illustration 77, from the book, saying it might be Fearson's hookup. But I interpret the dotted lines to signify when the thread is behind the body. Could you check the text that go with that illustration?

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Mats Kjellstrom » March 30th, 2009, 7:07 am

I think Jon LeClair has a similar hookup, or?

http://www.leclairanimator.com/

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Re: TARANTULA by Yigal Mesika - Official Trailer

Postby Denis Behr » March 30th, 2009, 12:50 pm

Tom Stone wrote:Someone emailed me a photo of page 67, illustration 77, from the book, saying it might be Fearson's hookup. But I interpret the dotted lines to signify when the thread is behind the body. Could you check the text that go with that illustration?

Illustration 77 is on a different page in my copy, but dotted lines are indeed usually behind the body (or whatever is in front of them).


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