Warning - Daniel Garcia

[Guest]

Recently, Daniel Garcia did a revised perfomance of producing smoke from your mouth without the use of a cigarette, etc. in a method that is described as being "safe". I am aware of a few methods for producing smoke from my fingertips, but have yet to find one for producing it from my mouth. Does anyone know where this effect originally came from and where I can go to learn it? Thank You.

[Pete Biro]

Paul Diamond use to sell a little holder with burning cotton in your mouth. The books on Hindu magic might explain ways and I think Abbott's in Colon, MI sold a similar item.

[Ian Kendall]

From what I've seen it's from Martin Gardner's Match-ic booklet (by that, I've seen someone do it, and it's identical to the Gardner version).

Take care, Ian

[Guest]

If this is the same effect I've seen him perform using the matchbook, it may be available from his earlier notes. Mr. Garcia is an incredibly talented, creative, and professional speaker.

This effect is very stunning, but there's no way in hell that effect is 'safe'. I don't care who says it is. It aint.

[Doug Brewer]

This is in his lecture notes, but it is very difficult to do. You need nostrils of steel . . .

[Guest]

In case somebody is looking for the old Match-IC booklet we have a digital version of it available as well as one other of Gardner's booklets. BTW, this is all with the permission of Martin himself.

Of course we also have Garcia's lecture notes.

Best,
Chris....
www.lybrary.com

[Guest]

The version in MATCH-IC (originally published in 1936) is also available in an anthology of Gardner's early magic titles published by Dover under the name MARTIN GARDNER'S TABLE MAGIC. The smoke from mouth trick is described on page 66 under the heading "Smoke from Nowhere." The book is just $5.95 new (we also currently have a nice used copy in stock for just $5.). The method published by Gardner more than 70 years ago is the same one used by Daniel.
Gardner\'s Table Magic at H & R

[Guest]

In Martin Gardner's Encyclopedia, he says that this process is "hightly unpleasant, and one should perform the trick only at infrequent intervals"

While "extreme", "awesome" and "cool", inhaling burning sulpher doesn't sound very healthy. But then again, they could put that on your gravestone....."He did this really cool trick with matches..."

[Guest]

"hightly unpleasant" is an extreme euphemism. I'm no Doc, but know enough that many toxic chemicals are released during match combustion that would be absorbed into the body.

I sat around a late night watching Mr. Garcia demo this, and many other effects, to impressionables. Watching the kids try this effect and seeing the pain they endured to replicate this was worth the price of admission.

good times.

[Ryan Matney]

Didn't matches used to have a different make-up than they do now?

[Guest]

Thank you for the valuable information. As I am not a teenager or child I shall experiment with this method at my own risk. As far as inhaling a substance, well, let's just say I won't mix it with my illusion that I perform while on fire.
Thank you all again. (Hmmm... blowing smoke while on fire....)