The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

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Richard Kaufman
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The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 18th, 2017, 11:26 am

The May issue of Genii, the largest-selling magic magazine in the world, is now available online, with the paper issue on its way.

* Jose Frakson is little known today. As one of Frakson’s foremost students, the late David Alexander knew all of Frakson’s secrets and fortunately this’s month’s Genii cover story lets us in on a few. For most of our readers, the name “Frakson” will not be familiar, however he was a great magician and a star of vaudeville and nightclubs in his day—his story should be told. And in our digital edition you can see him perform his masterpiece: a cigarette act whose secrets have never been revealed.

* When Jim Swain read Jon Racherbaumer’s comment in one of our issues last year in which he suggested that it was not necessary to learn the Pass, Mr. Swain wrote an excellent essay on exactly why every person who does sleight of hand with cards should learn the Pass. I have rewritten and included the explanation of Derek Dingle’s Riffle Pass to which he refers (from The Complete Works of Derek Dingle) to accompany the article. In addition to the description of Dingle’s handling, there is a video included in the digital edition in which he does the Shift invisibly.

* In Jeff Prace’s “Left-Handed,” he describes a trick by Kevin Li where the image of a key instantly becomes real—it’s easy to do (watch the video in our digital edition) and likely worth more than the last download you bought.

* I cannot describe in any simple way the card trick which John Bannon teaches this month in “Dealing With It” because, as he himself admits, it’s strange—but in a good way, like a trick of Brother Hamman’s. Watch the video in which he performs it before reading the explanation and be fooled.

* The Doctor is in … Dr. Harbottle, that is, and this month in “By Means of Metal” he has gifted you with an essay on Curl Palm, aka Nowhere Palm, and what that means if you combine it with a Retention Vanish. Video as well makes learning swell.

* John Guastaferro continues his excellent stewardship of “Magicana” with another three routines this month, including a clever balancing deck by Stephen Hobbs, and of course there’s a video of the whole deal.

* For you real-world standup workers, Martin Lewis shares a routine in “Making Magic” that he’s obviously used for humans in chairs who form an audience. The color of a silk and a cardboard box transpose … and it’s plenty easy to make and do.

* I’m amazed—stunned, frankly—at how Mike Caveney is able to spin what is often such a simple letter into an interesting tale in “Classic Correspondence.” This time around it involves, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Dante, all in A Haunting We Will Go.

* Our story-telling Hannibal explains that sometimes performing Cards Across can get hairy in “Happiness is the Road.”

* Books get reviewed by our Associate Editor Mr. Lovick, tricks by Mr. Oliver, and videos by Mr. Turner. Todd Karr peeks around in “The Eye.” And only in our digital issue there are audio columns by Max Maven and Jon Racherbaumer.
Subscribe to a year of Genii for as little as $35 and obtain access to all 80 years of our magazine in our digital archive for no extra charge!

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Brian Hebert » April 18th, 2017, 10:46 pm

In the Jim Swain article he states on page 73 that Larry Jennings .."beat the casinos in Nevada using sophisticated sleight of hand". Is there truth to this? Its a great article but this stood out.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Ted M » April 18th, 2017, 11:56 pm

"Never perform with children or animals."

More Genii Speaks was quite the variety show!

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 19th, 2017, 11:08 am

To answer the first question, I have no idea if Larry Jennings "beat casinos" or not. I only talked about card magic with him.

To respond to the second remark, the cat was not a planned part of the act.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby erdnasephile » April 19th, 2017, 11:58 am

Long live Lord Baltimore and Winky!

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Ted M » April 19th, 2017, 12:15 pm

I very much enjoyed the unplanned cat.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby erdnasephile » April 19th, 2017, 12:21 pm

The article on the Dingle Riffle Pass is great--the important fine points included are really helpful. I'm really enjoying studying it!

The problem for me is trying to undo years of muscle memory with regards to the left first finger. (I thought the point of curling the left index finger under the deck was to prevent that finger from flashing during the pass?)

Another thing I noticed on the accompanying video was the position of the right first finger. I had always assumed it stayed on top of the deck during the pass, but Mr. Dingle appears to move it to the front end of the deck during the pass and then back. There's a lot more movement going on there than I initially had appreciated.

Finally, the description makes the point that the top of the deck needs to be completely horizontal during the pass. Does that mean that the spectators need to be looking down at the deck for it to be deceptive? I'm asking because when I've seen some performers do the pass while standing, it really flashes unless they tip the top of the deck downward.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 19th, 2017, 4:06 pm

You adjust your Pass based on where people are standing. If you're standing and they're sitting, then you have to either do a big dip up and down while riffling, or do a body turn as Dingle does in the video. Unfortunately the video doesn't give you the view if he's standing and you're standing looking down at the deck--the optimal view. Then you don't see anything. When you're standing, and they're standing and looking downward, the top of the deck should remain horizontal.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby erdnasephile » April 19th, 2017, 9:21 pm

Thanks, Richard!

I'll ask you (and everyone else) a question that you asked Lord Baltimore: did Vernon have a good pass? I don't hear his name come up very often when people talk about pass legends.

One other thought: I enjoyed reading Jim Swain's case for mastering the pass. I tend to agree with it.

Yet, there are some mighty good cardmen who don't use the pass during their work. (Daryl was one of them) I would love to read an article containing a series of expert opinions on both sides of the issue (ala the awesome Too Perfect Theory article that was published in Genii).

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby erdnasephile » April 20th, 2017, 10:24 am

Currently, I have been unable to locate a US based dealer who carries the Derek Dingle DVD referenced in Genii Speaks (which is weird, since the Larry Jennings companion volume is readily available). Normally, I like to buy direct from the creators, but I also don't like giving away money to the postal/delivery services either.

Perhaps if enough people express their interest, one of the big US dealers might consider carrying it, which might be a win-win situation.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 20th, 2017, 10:55 am

The Dingle DVD is available only from Mayette in France.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Bill Mullins » April 20th, 2017, 12:43 pm

erdnasephile wrote: Normally, I like to buy direct from the creators


Kinda hard to do that with a Derek Dingle video nowadays.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 20th, 2017, 12:45 pm

Very dry, Bill. Very dry.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Bill Mullins » April 20th, 2017, 4:36 pm

My copies of the Derek Dingle and the Larry Jennings Mayette videos are from the VHS days, and all three have the Jeff Busby logo on them.

There are lots of negative things you could say about the late Mr. Busby, but he did release some good magic over the years.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 20th, 2017, 7:28 pm

Mayette let Busby release NTSC versions of the videotapes. By that time the number of people who did business with Busby (or from whom he would take money) was pretty small, so I don't think he sold many sets of those tapes.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Bill Mullins » April 21st, 2017, 3:39 pm

The intro and outro music for the Busby tapes was taken from Dave Grusin's soundtrack to "The Firm", with no "copyright Paramount Pictures" statement or credit or anything like that.

I wonder if the Mayette DVDs have the same music.

It struck me as ironic when I noticed it, because this was back when Busby was being such a jerk to people selling Paul Fox items on ebay, claiming he owned all rights to the mark, and here he was selling tapes with copyrighted music on them.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 21st, 2017, 4:15 pm

Busby was just a jerk, period. Hypocrite, too. But I would imagine that the video footage is likely exactly as he received it from Mayette.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Brad Jeffers » April 21st, 2017, 4:56 pm

HERE is another clip of Dingle doing the Riffle Pass.

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 21st, 2017, 5:19 pm

That clips isn't representative of his best work.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Doug Thornton » April 21st, 2017, 9:01 pm

Ted M wrote:"Never perform with children or animals."

More Genii Speaks was quite the variety show!


More Genii Speaks gets better all the time, Richard. The shtick is great! Thanks for the laughs.
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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Steve Mills » April 21st, 2017, 9:37 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:...... back when Busby was being such a jerk to people ...........


That would be 1954 - 2014!

(Personally, when I sit down and list my least favorite people, Buzzbee is certainly in the front row of the hypothetical team picture. I just read his biography on http://geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Jeff_Busby Magicpedia. I wouldn't suggest he give it to St Peter to go through the Pearly Gates)

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Re: The May Issue of Genii is Now Live Online and On Its Way to Your Mailbox

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 21st, 2017, 9:51 pm

Unfortunately that will be Lord Baltimore's sole appearance.

I cannot make the some promise about Winks since she has a mind of her own.
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