The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

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Joe Mckay
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The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Joe Mckay » March 6th, 2016, 11:15 am

Just had a great couple of weeks going over these magazines again.

I sold my last set in order to purchase a complete file of The Crimp. And I thought it was time to study these magazines again. I also picked up a copy of The Chronicles as well. I have also gotten hold of a stack of Interlocutor inserts which is a publication I have never read before (it is still in the post).

The last time I had these magazines I was a boring card freak. Now I am a boring non-card freak. So going over these magazines again - I was very much focusing on the non-card stuff.

Now I think GENII in many ways is the most important magazine ever. But in terms of focusing on the smaller trick magazines - The Pallbearer's Review, for me, is the best magazine ever.

I was pleased to see how much non-card material there was. Recently I have being playing around with Stewart James's Sefalaljia effect. And it was nice to see JW Sarles's work on this principle in the magazine. I know that Karl Fulves didn't allow any of his material to appear in the The James File. As such - I always wondered if he ever published any handlings for this principle elsewhere? I would be interested if others have any leads on this? But for now - it was nice to see the mysterious JW Sarles's handling for this trick. Since he was Karl Fulves's mentor. Still - I would love to find out if Karl Fulves has any work on this principle in print as well?

In light of the recent Tenyoism book (which was superb), I have become interested in new handlings for old effects. In this magazine - you will find sneaky handlings for the Jardling Ring, the wire and ring puzzle (which has been turned into a magic trick and the absolute best handling for The Devano Rising Cards I have seen. It is such a simple twist - but really turns it into a totally new (and spooky) type of effect. There is also a lovely touch for the hoary Finger Chopper effect as well.

Fulves also has a number of sneaky effects scattered through the magazine that make use of bottomless glasses as well. It is a principle he returns to a lot.

The Chronicles also has a nice handling for the coin slide and a trick using a nail puzzle (from Mike Rogers) that turns it into an amazing magic trick.

I can't wait to dig out these old effects and do something new with them.

In the PR - you will also find a lovely use for the Stewart James 'Love Sick Tennis Ball' which makes use of it as a secret mechanism for a much stronger effect. This would make a lovely phase in the Sefalaljia Spirit Cabinet routine.

I remember once sticking a coin on my head and being intrigued by the visual effects that could be achieved by standing one-on-one with a spectator and allowing the coin to fall from your head into your hand. One coin visually becomes two and so on. I later found that Karl Fulves was the first to come up with this simple (but sneaky) idea. More recently I saw that John Kennedy has a great use for this idea. Anyway - I mention this since buried away in The Pallbearer's Review is a great adaptation of this concept that makes it a much bigger effect, resulting in a marked coin being visibly thrown through a window.

In this magazine there is a wonderful coin through table effect from John Benzais. From my research - I don't think this trick ever appeared in his books. Anyway - the trick makes use of a new principle in magic that I have never seen before. And is totally self-working. At the moment - I am just trying to figure out if the trick can be adapted to UK currency (any pointers on this would be much appreciated)?

There is just so much interesting material in these magazines. And since it was part of the old wave of magic. It has a different feel to the magic you will find in Apocalypse or Richard's Almanac.

One thing I really enjoy is Karl Fulves passion for reprinting tricks that are buried in print and have been long forgotten. I think this is a great feature for a magazine. And in The Chronicles - this feature lead me to discover a very sneaky silk and ball penetration effect by Tom Sellers. And that in turn inspired me to spend some time studying his published work from the 1920s.

Anyway - I could go on all day about this magazine. And that is without even mentioning the card material. But I thought I should give a shout out to this wonderful tome.

I am familiar with some of Karl Fulves's other magazines (which had smaller circulations). And I have studied Epilogue (devoted to sleight of hand card magic). But I am not sure if he ever released another magazine that had a similar ethos to The Pallbearer's Review (or The Chronicles) that focused on sneaky tricks and simple ideas using a wide array of items? Does anyone have any pointers in that direction?

And don't worry - I left out any mention of my favourite trick that I stumbled across in the write up above. Just so you have at least one buried gem to uncover for yourself.

Already I am looking forward to diving back into this great magazine. I must find some time this evening...

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Matthew Field
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Matthew Field » March 6th, 2016, 12:00 pm

Jarding Ring?? Jardine-Ellis?

There are a bunch of other great Fulves magazines with 10-issue runs, very difficult to find and uncollected, like Underworld, Rigmarole, Prolix, and the accompanying "bonus" publications which were sent with them, like "Off the Books" etc.

Matt Field

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Richard Kaufman » March 6th, 2016, 2:22 pm

Epilogue was his best magazine. An enormous amount of good to great material.
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Leo Garet
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Leo Garet » March 7th, 2016, 6:17 am

I might as well be take the pedantic path (it is Monday) and say that I like Pallbearers and Epilogue; in fact all of Fulves stuff that I've seen. Though that's not everything by a long shot.

But as for best: "What is best"?
I have no idea.

El Mystico
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby El Mystico » March 10th, 2016, 6:29 am

I've got shelves full of bound copies of old magazines - Pallbearers, Epilogue, Chronicles, Apocalypse, Richard's Almanac, Pentagram, Hugard's, Jinx, Phoenix, Pabular, Ibidem, Mahatma, Swami/Mantra, Magick....I'd be hard pressed to identify 'the best' or my favourite....I think they're all great; so much fantastic material, and lovely glimpses into magical history

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Q. Kumber
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Q. Kumber » March 10th, 2016, 10:21 am

El Mystico wrote:I've got shelves full of bound copies of old magazines - Pallbearers, Epilogue, Chronicles, Apocalypse, Richard's Almanac, Pentagram, Hugard's, Jinx, Phoenix, Pabular, Ibidem, Mahatma, Swami/Mantra, Magick....I'd be hard pressed to identify 'the best' or my favourite....I think they're all great; so much fantastic material, and lovely glimpses into magical history


Well said.

I much prefer bound volumes of magazines as opposed to single issues, even if in sequence. Nine times out of ten, the non-trick articles pique my interest first. When the Magigram came the first articles I'd turn to were those of Billy McComb and George Johnstone. With Abra, it was always the historical articles by people like Peter Warlock, and Arthur Hambling, and articles on the American scene by Robert Lund, and Frances Marshall.

mrmagik68
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby mrmagik68 » March 11th, 2016, 3:23 am

For me, Epilogue, was absolutely wonderful. The amount and quality of the close-up material, especially the card stuff, is just superb!


Roberto

Joe Mckay
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Joe Mckay » April 14th, 2018, 4:12 am

I was reading about Hooker's Rising Cards the other day. It is a legendary trick. Many who have witnessed it claim is the greatest trick in magic.

Well - when Jim Steinmeyer and John Gaughan reconstructed the routine for the first revival of the trick back in the early 90's, it turns out that Fulves's magazine was crucial. Since it contains John Mullholland's accurate description of the entire routine. And - from what I read - it would not have been possible to accurately reconstruct the routine without these important details buried away in The Pallbearer's Review.

I do wonder if some kind of routine could have been cobbled together in any case? Just from studying the props. But either way - it would not have been a faithful recreation of the performances that Dr Hooker gave in his house.

That is quite a nice feather to have in your cap, and is another reason to celebrate this wonderful magazine.

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Q. Kumber
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Q. Kumber » April 14th, 2018, 4:56 pm

The Pallbearer's Review is an excellent magazine, but for a vote of the best magazine of a similar type, my vote would be for Hugard's Magic Monthly. However, I enjoy going through them all. I just wish there were fewer card tricks in them.

At the Manchester Circle of Magicians' auction last Monday, I bid £2 for a big pile of magazines, a mixture of mostly Sphinx and Hade-e-Grams. Delighted to later find forty issues of Lloyd Jones' 'The Bat' amongst them.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 14th, 2018, 5:12 pm

A much better article about the Hooker Rising Cards is in Genii some years back, written by Jim Steinmeyer.
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Bill Mullins
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Bill Mullins » April 14th, 2018, 6:09 pm

Leo Garet wrote:But as for best: "What is best"?
I have no idea.

"Conan! What is best in life?"
"To crush your enemies. See them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of their women."

Max Maven
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby Max Maven » April 15th, 2018, 8:58 am

“Derr vimmen.”

performer
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Re: The Pallbearer's Review - Best Magazine in History

Postby performer » April 15th, 2018, 10:15 am

I always liked the Gen magazine. Odd that nobody ever talks about it any more.


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