What's NEW in the past 8 years?

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Bill Duncan
Posts: 1639
Joined: March 13th, 2008, 11:33 pm

What's NEW in the past 8 years?

Postby Bill Duncan » August 29th, 2001, 4:22 pm

I've been away from the magic scene for about eight years and other than this forum I haven't found much in Twenty-First Centurey magic to excite me yet. I have picked up a couple of copies of Genii and have to say that I couldn't be happier with who is running it and the quality of the two issues (including the butt crack ad issue).

I'm grazing on volume one of The Books Of Wonder at the moment and I just picked up one volume of Daryl's card revelations series of video tapes. While at the magic shop someone demo'd NFW for me. It's the only "current" effect I see much talk about on the web and I have to say I was less than impressed...

So here's my question:
What should I be looking at to bring myself "up to speed"?

Thanks in advance for any replies
bill

Guest

Re: What's NEW in the past 8 years?

Postby Guest » August 29th, 2001, 4:41 pm

Bill,

Tell us a bit about what interests you. Cards? Coins? Balls? Mentalism? Close Up? Stage? Manipulations? You looking for effects? Videos? Books? How much experience do you have? What stuff did you do eight years ago?

There is a lot of magic that can be talked about, but the responses here would probably serve you better if you narrow your request a bit.

All the best,

Dan

[ August 29, 2001: Message edited by: Dan Watkins ]

Jeff Haas
Posts: 957
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: San Mateo, CA

Re: What's NEW in the past 8 years?

Postby Jeff Haas » August 30th, 2001, 3:30 am

Bill,

There's been a lot of good stuff in the last several years. Here's a list off the top of my head, of publications that were really worth the time and continue to be worth it:

- Eugene Burger's books
- Doc Eason's videotapes
- Darwin Ortiz's books & videos
- Mike Close's "Workers" series of books
- John Bannon's books
- Jim Steinmeyer's publications, both books and lecture notes. Try and see him lecture sometime.
- Jamy Ian Swiss writing in Genii, under both previous owner and current one. I will go back and re-read his reviews a few years later because I enjoy them so much.
- Tommy Wonder's books, which you already mentioned.
- Ted Lesley's book on mentalism
- Dover reprints of many old classic books otherwise unavailable
- Penn & Teller's books on magic for the general public...which everyone who's serious about magic should read
- "The Magic Show" by Mark Setteducati, which is an amazing pop-up book for kids and well worth the time taken to track down.
- www.littleegyptmagic.com, Steve Bryant's web magazine about magic. Go to his site and order the back issues of "The Little Egypt Gazette" on CD-rom.

I'm sure there's more, that's just what I thought of quickly.

Jeff

Bill Duncan
Posts: 1639
Joined: March 13th, 2008, 11:33 pm

Re: What's NEW in the past 8 years?

Postby Bill Duncan » August 30th, 2001, 2:07 pm

Originally posted by Dan Watkins:
Bill,
Tell us a bit about what interests you...

There is a lot of magic that can be talked about, but the responses here would probably serve you better if you narrow your request a bit.


Dan, thanks for replying. I intentionally left the question vague and posted to the close-up forum thinking that would narrow it down a bit. I'm really interested in what's been happening thematically and theatrically, rather than in recommendations for tricks.

Folks in the Seattle area would tell you I'm a "coin guy" because when I purchased Bobo's (the Magic Inc. hardbound) I told the dealer that if I was spending $30.00 on a book I wouldn't be purchasing anything more until I'd learned it all. When I'd read and digested Bobo's I came back and the next thing I bought was RK's CoinMagic so people seemed to see a trend. I've long since learned to work a deck a bit but the idea stuck. I can do a passable shift or two and used to have a wicked Diagonal Palm Shift... but I'm a bit rusty.

Influences:
Eugene Burger - two hours with him and I'm energized for a year or more.
Michael Ammar - the second lecture I attended was the Topit Book tour.
Daryl - no one who does card magic (or close-up) can ignore Daryl.
Jay Sankey - I don't move like Jay does so most of his methods aren't for me but I love how his mind works.

Authors: I trust the judgment of these fellows and will read and listen to whatever they have to say... but not always agree.
Steven Minch - I don't think putting him first on this list will offend JR or RK.
Richard Kaufman - I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kaufman an a NYMagic Symposium some years ago and he was quite kind to me even though he was sick with a bad cold. I love his honesty and clarity.
...and last but...
Jon Racherbaumer - the most entertaining to read. Reading his prose is like watching Al Pachino act. Hooo Haa!

Bill Duncan
Posts: 1639
Joined: March 13th, 2008, 11:33 pm

Re: What's NEW in the past 8 years?

Postby Bill Duncan » August 30th, 2001, 2:13 pm

Originally posted by Jeff Haas:
There's been a lot of good stuff in the last several years. Here's a list off the top of my head...
Jeff


Thanks so much. That gives me a lot to look forward to reading. I got reaquainted when the local IBM ring sent out a mailing (using an old address list) for one of Eugene's lectures. I went just to see him perform and...


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