Digital May Issue of Genii Now Live Online

[Richard Kaufman]

Better late than never. Many of you have already received the paper issue, and the digital issue is now live for computer users, and will be up with its videos for tablet and smartphone users by late tonight or tomorrow. At the top of Genii Speaks you'll find a clip of Genii's old friend Harry Mendoza on the Burns and Allen TV show; a video invitation to the Congress of Wonders by Ricky Jay; Max Maven's audio report on the AMA Award Show, and my own More Genii Speaks video. Page 12 brings you Jon Racherbaumer's On the Slant audio column with an interesting trick.

On our cover is one of the geniuses behind Tenyo, Mr. Shigeru Sugawara. He is one of the magic world’s most original thinkers, a creator of diabolically clever principles and equally devious methods. Max Maven wrote our cover story, and there are half a dozen videos to complement it.

Aladdin! Disney's big new musical is now open on Broadway and a big hit. Read my interview with Jim Steinmeyer that takes you behind the scenes and watch another half dozen videos.

Our great roster of columnists is here this month, including Tom Stone's latest installment of “Conjuring”, er ... "Lodestones." Tom is up to his tricks again in his year-long series of pastiches of our columnists and this month Jim Steinmeyer is his victim. Damn fine trick, too.

This month Al Cohen’s “Memoirs of a Magic Dealer” teaches one of his old dealer routines with “IZOD.”

Chamber of Secrets brings us a “Coin Casket.” This is not something in which you bury dead coins, but a 19th century trick that's pretty cool.

Jonathan Pendragon knows “Metamorphosis.” It’s in his blood. But only recently has he again started performing one of the illusions for which he’s most famous. If you’ve ever wondered what one of the greatest illusionists is thinking balanced on top of the trunk, he spills the beans in this month’s “Panmagium.”

Caleb Wiles’s routine in this month’s “Ringside” could be a reputation maker for you.

It’s impossible to summarize the content of Roberto Giobbi’s “Genii Session” in two or three sentences. He’s theorizing about theory, good workable theory that cleans up dirty moments in magic. If I was Paul Harris, and it was 20 years ago, I’d call it “The Psychological Eraser of Doom.” But I’m not, so I won’t.

David Kaye went to London and had his first experience at what the British call a “Panto.” Short for “Pantomime,” it’s not at all what you might think. There’s a lot of cross-dressing and silliness—in a good way—in these musical re-tellings of classic fairy tales and children’s stories which are held during the Christmas season and in which TV and theatrical stars have some fun. “No they don’t.” “Yes they do. “No they don’t.”

The goings on at the Academy of Magical Arts at The Magic Castle are brought to us as usual this month by Daniel Ulin in “Knights at The Magic Castle.”

Where does Jon Racherbaumer find the time to read all those books he writes about every month in “On the Slant”? He must spend a lot of time in the smallest room in the house. Been there, done that.

Four tricks are in “Magicana” this month, with our writers Andi Gladwin, Ian Kendall, and Jon Racherbaumer. Guest Al Schneider gives a tutorial on his famous vanish, and then makes you want to learn it very badly with his video demonstration in the digital edition.

David Britland, Dustin Stinett, and Danny Orleans, render darkness visible in “Light from the Lamp” with their excellent reviews.

[Bill Mullins]

I received and read my paper copy today, and now I'll go look for digital content.

Another really good issue. Max's article is making me wish Richard would go ahead and publish the Tenyo book RIGHT NOW (and Richard, when it does come out, how much discussion of method will there be? Max didn't tip many secrets.)

I notice that both Al Schneider's and Jonathan Pendragon's articles approached "How do I make my execution better?" from completely different angles (Al's didn't make me think about sex; Jonathan's did. I'm not being salacious -- read the articles). And David Kaye taught me about something that I'd never even heard of.

Tom Stone's picture on the Table of Contents is just freaky. My initial reaction was that he'd combined his photo with Jim Steinmeyer's in the same way that Marilyn Monroe's is combined with Einstein's for an optical illusion (maybe there's a trick in doing that?).

When I go into AskAlexander and look at magazines from 20 years ago, it amazes me how good we have it now. The very best issues from back then wouldn't hold a candle to what is routine today.

[Steve Bryant]

The biggest thrill in the videos is the ring and ribbon routine. Wow.

[Richard Kaufman]

Thanks, Bill and Steve.

Steve: Sugawara's "Ring and Ribbon" is simply amazing. Can you believe how the ribbon appears to melt through the ring? The gimmick is simple, and it's ridiculously easy to do. Sugawara doesn't do anything that's difficult. I rarely feel moved to want to learn something like that, but this routine makes me feel that way.

Bill: the Tenyo book explains many many MANY new handlings for existing Tenyo tricks, but generally does not explain the workings of the original tricks devised by Tenyo's Creative Division. In other words, if you own "Flash Dice" or "Zig Zag Cig" or "Blue Crystal" (just as examples) you'll find half a dozen new routines for each of them. They are described in such a way that those who own the prop can understand it. The three DVDs in the book contain video demonstrations of hundreds of tricks--and these are the Japanese demos, not the ones given to US dealers on video cassettes.
The book also explains many tricks (in detail) that were never sold in the US, as well as tricks by members of the Creative Division that were published in Japan, but never in the US. All told, I'm sure I've written over 100 trick explanations for the book. The book is currently at 1,000 pages--if we explained the details of all the plastic mechanisms it would be 5,000 pages.

[Q. Kumber]

May issue received today in Manchester, England.

[Matthew Field]

Also in Hastings, England.

Matt Field

[AJM]

And also, beyond The Wall, in Livingston, Scotland.

[C Howell]

On Giobbi's theorizing about theory...

I thought it was an incredibly insightful article - and even better than that, it was practical in showing how to incarnate theoretical words on a page into something that makes for strong magic. I've always been a theory geek even though they say that nothing clears a magic lecture faster than a magician talking about theory... but maybe after a few more articles like this, that tendency will be on the way out.

I ran across this quote today (from none other than Leonardo DaVinci himself) that sums it up...
"He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast."

(Apologies in advance if Roberto has already published this quote in one of his books - it seems too perfect for him to not have come across it already!)

[Q. Kumber]

Christopher, I concur completely. This is one of the best articles to have appeared in GENII in years.

In addition there is Al Schneider's essay on the false transfer plus a whole bunch of other stuff which makes this issue worth far more valuable than the asking price.

Not to mention Max's excellent feature on Sugawara, Tom's 'Quantum Logic" etc.

And a footnote to David Kaye's article on the traditional British panto... Pantomime dames never consider themselves as being in drag. They are 'in skirts'. Subtle difference.

[Tom Stone]

Our great roster of columnists is here this month, including Tom Stone's latest installment of “Conjuring”, er ... "Lodestones." Tom is up to his tricks again in his year-long series of pastiches of our columnists and this month Jim Steinmeyer is his victim. Damn fine trick, too.

This piece, "Quantum Logic" from the May 2014 issue, is what I chose for my "Fool Us" entry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uCT_RRHiRY

http://www.metalwriting.com/quantum-logic.html

[Joe Mckay]

Great stuff Tom! Really cool seeing that routine come to life.