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Volume 2, Issue 18 12 November 2013

Words from the Secretary President’s Message

Craig Colombel Jeff Dial -President 2013
October 2013 – [email protected]
Nothing this month because of the Three of Hearts
th
Greetings from your secretary, Craig Colombel. convention. See you all on the 14 .
We are looking for writers for the newsletter.
Anything on your thoughts on magic, any
performances you are doing, or conventions you
have been to. See yourself in print. Send the
articles to [email protected].

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 President’s Message

1 Secretary’s Message

2 October Meeting

2 Calendar of Events

3 Librarian Report

3 Magical Happenings

4 Notes to Self by Phil Reda

5 Reviews by Payne

6 Notes to Self: continue

7 Special Guest Writer

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2
September 2013 MEETING
September’s theme was – I’m Not Dead Yet – Themed Master Payne demonstrated for the club a new version
magic around life, death and the undead. of Martin Lewis Cardiographic, call the Rose Pad. This
version, the magician draws a black rose on the
notepad then magically turns the rose red.
Jeff Dial led off the evening with the story trick. He talked Master Payne then demonstrated a trick called
about a person who was successful in life and when he got to Matchbox by Joshua Jay. He removed three matches
middle-age he started thinking about life and wondering when from the matchbook. One question for each match as it
he would die. Being very rich, he used his money to find is lit. The questions determine who goes to hell. Using
someone who could tell him. He found an old woman who a deck of cards he lit a match and asked the spectator
had the second sight. She took out two decks of cards, one did they pick the number cards or court cards. The
red deck one black deck. She had him take the blue deck and spectator picked the court cards. One of them was
deal out seven cards facedown spread out on the table. She going to hell. Payne then lit another match and asked
then had him remove one card at a time until one card was whether were boy cards or girl cards and the spectator
left. That card was turned over and it was the four of spades. chose the girl cards. Payne lit the last match and asks
She told him that card was his life card. He then was told to which Queen went to hell and the spectator said the
take the red deck and deal the cards face up one at a time Queen of Diamonds. Payne then took out of the
each card being a year of his life and he was to do so until he matchbox a card that was folded and inserted in a
reached the four of spades. The number that the four of paperclip. The folded card was the Queen of Diamonds
spades showed was the number of years he was to live. Payne, gave the club a rehearsal of his lecture that he
While dealing the cards face up, each time he turned up four was going to be giving at the Magic and Meaning
that was not the four of spades, she gave a reading based on conference.
that card. After going through the whole deck, there was no
four of spades found in the deck. Thus he is immortal.
Danny Dragon talked about taking a field trip to Northern REMEMBER, TO VISIT THE CLUB'S WEBSITE,(
State hospital before it closed, this closed mental hospital is HTTP://WWW.NWRINGOFFIRE.COM/INDEX.HTML)
considered the most haunted place in Washington. During
and also visit the clubs Facebook page.
the tour, he looked into a closed wing that had what was
called the dead room. The most violent stayed in the dead
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northwest-Ring-
room until they died. He took out the key from the door of the of-Fire/429616737105973
dead room and kept it as a souvenir. He later found out that
the key was possessed. He then put the key in his hand and
closed his hand and the key turned on its own. He then held
the key between his finger and thumb and the key once again
turned on its own. He then placed the key is open palm and
we could all see the key mystery turn. He then showed us a
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
deck of cards that he also took from the hospital. He had a
card signed on its face, and replaced the deck. He then asked 2013 NWRF Meeting Themes
for the spirits to handle the cards and the deck cut itself to the November – Why Don’t You Just Read the
signed card. Directions? – Effects requiring the
Craig Colombel had four people write-down names on the
back of notecards with three people writing the names of
spectator(s) to follow your directions.
living people and one person writing down the name of a Lesson – False calls, multiple outs,
dead person. The cards were handed to a fifth person who redefining what happened.
spread them out on the table facedown so the names on the December – Liar, Lair, Pants on Fire –
cards could not be seen. Craig then took out a pendulum and Application of false calls, multiple outs,
using the motion of the pendulum was able to determine
which card had the name of the dead person.
and redefining.
Mark Paulson had 5 paper cups that were upside down on the
table. He then had a spectator tell him which cup to smash Make sure to check the website for
with his hand. He smashed the cup and it was empty. All the upcoming events and lectures.
other cups had cupcakes in them. HTTP://WWW.NWRINGOFFIRE.COM/INDEX.HTML
FACEBOOK :
HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/NORTHWEST-
RING-OF-FIRE/429616737105973

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 3

Librarian Report November 2013

Magical happenings
Read Books! That’s Impossible
OK that if that is not enough incentive let me pass along Tim Flynn is looking for performers, If interested
something I found in my reading and may be it will inspire you contact Tim at 206-290-7767 or on Facebook at
to do so extra reading yourself. In his column in The Magic [email protected]
Circular (the publication for The Magic Circle in England),
Harold Cataquet over several issues in 2008 – 2009 published Magic Monday! Magic Monday is an hour of magic,
the “Official List of Standard Magical Effects” from 1959. It conjuring, & prestidigitation which stars magicians from
was a requirement at that time that all members wishing to the Northwest region on the second Monday of each
month.
join the Magic Circle perform two effects from this list.
Location: Ravenna Third Place Books in the Ravenna
Cataquet annotated his list and gave some sources, but I will neighborhood of Seattle.
just list them here. th
6504 20 Ave. NE, Seattle, WA. Time: 7-8pm
1. Patriotic Billiard Balls Magic Monday is not only a great place to see local
2. Torn and Restored Strip of Paper magicians doing what they do best; it is also a great place
3. Cut and Restored Rope for YOU to perform. It happens the second Monday of
each month. If you want to hone your magic skills, get in
4. Chinese Linking Rings touch with Mark Paulson, the producer of this venue
5. The Cups and Balls ([email protected]). It is a wonderful chance to
6. Torn and Restored Newspaper perform for an appreciative audience. It’s been standing
7. Magazine Test room only all year.
November 11: Mark Paulson is the MC and performer.
8. Gypsy Thread Trick Performers are Brian Cook, Jim Earnshaw, and
9. Snowstorm in China Master Payne.
10. The Miser’s Dream
For the December 9 show: Mark Paulson as MC.
11. Cards to Pocket
Performers include Tim Flynn (the MC for That's
12. A Clear Case of Anti-Gravity Impossible), Jeff Dial, Jim Earnshaw, Master Payne.
13. Sympathetic Silks [email protected] or on Facebook at
14. Stretching a Rope http://www.facebook.com/thirdplacebooksmagicmonday?
15. Blindfold Card Stab fref=ts
16. The Thirty Card Trick
17. Three Cards Across
18. The Cords of Fantasia
19. Test of the Tiber
20. Billet Reading Reports from the “Ring of Smoke” the youth
21. [A] Prophesy of the Koran group associated with our club. Everyone
should make a try to attend one of their
22. The Cap and Pence meetings. A great group of young magicians.
23. The Burling Hull Jap Box Routine
24. Jardine Ellis Ring Routine No report this month
25. Colour Changing Penknives
26. Twentieth Century Silk Tick (Non-mechanical method)
27. The Dyeing Silks
28. Diminishing Cards
29. Rope[s] and Rings

There are two effects on this list that I have wanted to work up for a
couple years. Re-reading them has got me thinking about going for
it. Also I did check out one I had never heard of and need to check
one that I know of but have never read.
So, start reading and practicing to see if you would be able to try out
for the Magic Circle of 1959.
Jeff Dial
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 4

Notes To Self
By Phil Reda
U.F. Grant – A.K. - “Phantini”

By Phil Reda

(1901-1978)
As I was unpacking some boxes the other day I discovered a DVD a friend of mine had sent me years ago–
it was a long lost copy of an 8mm movie shot at U.F Grants home. On it he is demonstrating and explaining
about 12 tricks in rapid succession. Prior to that video I had never seen a picture or for that matter a
performance by this intriguing figure. I found a few short video clip's you might enjoy –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf2_6ephDD0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbrcgNCFhow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lep0igyxMk8

Recently MAK Magic has put together a 3 DVD set of U.F. Grant. MAK Magic is owned and operated by
Grant's daughter and grandson.
Who has not at one time owned or performed a U.F Grant miracle? My first Grant item was “ The Candy
Factory”- I have written about that experience in the past. The second item was the “Chen-Lee Water
Suspension “ - I loved that trick. I remember standing at the counter of “Fox Fun and Magic” (owned by
Carol Fox) -I was in 6th or 7th grade – Roy Kissel demonstrated this for me and I remember my eyes bulging
out as the water disappeared as he poured it into the tube. I marveled at how a silk was the pushed through
the tube to demonstrate that the liquid was really gone -I immediately forked over my $5. I performed that
effect all the time until the little plastic gimmick broke. I would have to buy a whole new trick just to get the
gimmick – I must have owned 3 of them.

Continue on page 6
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5

Reviews by Payne
Magic and Meaning Expanded
By Eugene Burger and Robert E. Neale
$40.00
Hermetic Press
http://hermeticpress.com
Hardbound 6 ¼” X 9 ¼” 224 pages
ISBN: 978-0-945296-14-1

Magic and Meaning Expanded

By Eugene Burger and Robert E. Neale
$40.00
Hermetic Press
http://hermeticpress.com
Hardbound 6 ¼” X 9 ¼” 224 pages
ISBN: 978-0-945296-14-1

Reviewed by Payne

I knew this day would eventually come. A day where I would be asked to write a review for a book by either Eugene Burger
or Robert Neale. I suppose I should feel fortunate that when my time came that the book in question was penned by both
of the aforesaid mentioned authors as it is killing two birds with one stone metaphorically speaking. But in truth this makes
the tome doubly difficult to review. After all, what is there to say? Not only has this book been written by Eugene Burger
and Robert Neale but it is also regarded by many to be one of the classics texts on magic. Any review would simply say
“stop reading this review, run over to your computer get online and order yourself a copy. After all, it’s by Eugene Burger
and Robert Neale (plus a forward by Max Maven)”. What more is there to say?
Of course some of our younger readers might not know who Eugene Burger or Robert Neale are. So what better way to be
first introduced to the writings of these two luminaries of magic than by reading a fine collection of their essays on the
subject of finding meaning in magic? Especially now that this new expanded edition has an additional 31 pages, making it
17% more meaningful.
Magic and Meaning was originally published in 1995 and quickly became recognized as one of the seminal texts on the
performance of magic. Taking its rightful place along such other titles as Our Magic, The Fitzkee Trilogy and Magic and
Showmanship -- or for those of you born after 1980 Strong Magic, The Books of Wonder and Maximum Entertainment.
In it the authors voice their discontent with the current status of magic and the magician in the modern world, explore
magic’s long history by delving into its shamanist and ritualistic roots and explore several avenues the reader might pursue
to make their magic presentations more meaningful to both themselves and their audiences.
The attentive reader of course caught the references to Shaman and Ritual in the preceding paragraph. However don’t let
this keep you from reading this book. I myself being an avowed skeptic without a spiritual bone in my body was still able to
glean much insight from the collected writings of Burger and Neale. Even if you do not agree with their assertions of the
magicians ancient roots or his perceived place in our society, it is always good to challenge ones own personal perceptions
and beliefs by exposing yourself to new and possibly opposing views. If we never question ourselves or our beliefs we
needlessly relegate ourselves to the status quo and thus can never grow as performers or individuals. This book was
written to make us question our assumptions of both magic and the magicians place in the world. It strives to give us the
ability to find for ourselves the too long neglected “Why” that is missing from our magical repertoire.
But this is not a dry text bookish diatribe of dreadfully dull doctoral dissertations. It is an enjoyable and informative read and
as a plus there are tricks in it as well as Mr. Neale shares with us several effects – mostly with cards -- to illustrate many of
the points put forth in his essays.
For those of you who own the original publication of Magic and Meaning, and are wondering if the extra 17% is worth
purchasing a new copy or not. I say it is. The new material is a essay on making sense of Mumbo Jumbo by Mr. Neale
which includes a rope routine using the old GW Hunter Knot Puzzle. Mr. Burger’s contribution is a lengthy dialogue where
he talks with several colleagues about some of the topics he felt were misinterpreted in the original book. I felt this
discussion really helped clarify the earlier essays and gave the book a much stronger and comprehensive finish. Any fan of
this book should purchase this new addition edition for themselves and give your old (and I’m sure well read) copy to your
clubs library or some young magician who is ready to find meaning in their magic.

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 6

Notes to Self from Page 4

One of the first magic catalogs I owned was from a company called Top Hat Magic out of Evaston
Illinois – I would estimate that 75% of their items were U. Grant creations. I used to curl up with that
catalog , pencil in hand and read it from cover to cover and put a check mark next to items I wanted
– as you probably guessed every item eventually and a check mark. Over the years I owned several
Grant tricks and manuscripts.

Gene Grant was born in 1909. was a descendant of General U. S. Grant and is named for the
General as well as the General's son. Grant started in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he created
his first tricks. Later he moved to New York City joining the Abbott Magic & Novelty Co., eventually
settled in Columbus, Ohio creating his own firm. He started creating and marketing his magic trick
magic. As his health began to fail he sold the company to his daughter and grandson which is now
MAK Magic. U.F Grant is considered to be one of the most prolific magic inventors of our time.
After watching the DVD that I rediscovered I went through my stack of manuscripts and found some
U.F Grant publications. At first blush they are very simple little pamphlets – the tricks are explained
in a few paragraphs and illustrations are crude and few and far between. But as I re-read through
them I was amazed at the boldness and cleverness of the material. Yes a lot of it is dated but it just
needs to be dusted off. Let me review just briefly some of them.

“Victory Cart Illusions” - When I was a teenager I loved this manuscript. It showed how to build stage
illusions out of card board boxes – just perfect for a 16 year old budget. I actually the sword cabinet
from that manuscript and performed it in my high school talent show.

“Challenge Magic Act” - This is a very interesting manuscript. The premise is – hand me anything
and I can do a magic trick with it. For example someone hands you a shoe and you perform a trick
with it. The manuscript outlines simple tricks that can be adapted to any situation. So for example of
the shoe above – if you had a thumb tip with a silk in it you could produce it from the shoe. What is
intriguing is the idea of being able to perform with any object. There are no earth shattering tricks in
the manuscript but it does get the wheels turning.

“Bodies in Orbit” is a manuscript on levitation’s you can build for a stage performance.

Many people do not know that Gene Grant was also a mentalist! He went buy the stage name of
“Phantini”. I have two of his mentalism books -”The Challenge Mind Reading Act” - which was a
ground breaking booklet on Equivocation or better known as the Magicians Choice. It is worth
reading. The other booklet is “Phantini's Lost Book of Mental Secrets” - this is an excellent read and
should be on every mentalist book shelf. Gene Grant is under appreciated in this area. When I first
purchased this little book I was just starting to dabble in mentalism but I still had a magicians mindset
and did not appreciate the simplicity( read Genius) and boldness of the methods. Buried in this thin
volume are 21 items. As I am reading through again I am constantly smiling at the devious secrets
there in. One of my favorites is a very clever Q&A routine that I think would play very strong. Some
of the items need updating – but the methods and lessons are timeless.

I always had a fascination with U.F. Grant and now after reading his booklets in my library I tip my
hat to this forgotten genius

Until next time

Phil Reda

[email protected]
 7
Magic Shops in the Area

Below is a list of the Magic shops in the Area None

have paid for this listing and if anybody knows of others
let me know and I will list them.
Seattle’s Market Magic Shop
Pikes Place Market
1501 Pike Place #427
Seattle, WA 98101
www.marketmagicshop.com
(A store that many know about. In existence for 30
years)

Terjung’s Studio of Gifts

4547 Calif. Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
(This is a gift store with a counter in the back were they
sell magic)

Lakewood Costumes
5932 Lake Grove ST SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
http://www.clownshop.com
(Mainly Costumes and Clown items, they have a
counter where they sell magic)

Dave’s Killer Magic Shop

910 NE Minnehaha St. Ste 1
Vancouver, WA 98665
1-888-360-6244

Brian Cook’s

WWW.MAGICCRAFTER.COM

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 8

Diamond Jim Tyler has offered to donate some material from his upcoming book Bamboozlers Three. For the next couple of
months I will print them here. More information on the book can be found at www.diamond-jim.com/originals
Bamboozlers- The Book of Bankable Bar Betchas, Brain Bogglers, Belly Busters & Bewitchery: Volume Three
by Diamond Jim Tyler is due out June of 2013.
Expect the same classy style pocket-sized book. It contains 75 effects with over 100 illustrations and is bound in green faux leather, with
silver gilt edges, silver foiled stamping and has a ribbon marker. The foreword of the book is by Mac King. The book will be sold
exclusively at www.diamond-jim.com/originals for $19.95.
HITCHHIKER BILL

GAG: Persuade your audience to find the hitchhiker on the back of a one dollar bill.

Begin by asking, “Where can one find a key on a dollar bill?” This can be found on the right side of the bill in the
green seal (Fig. 1). It is directly under the scales.
Follow up your question with a harder one by inquiring, “Does anyone know where the spider is on the face of a
one-dollar bill?” Some will answer “Yes,” and some will say “No.” Permit the audience to search for a short while,
and then show them where it is (Fig. 2). You may need a magnifying glass to show the audience.

Then ask, “Does anyone know where the hitchhiker is on the back of a one-dollar bill?” See if you can find the
hitchhiker. He is next to the pyramid (Fig. 3).After everyone has looked for a good while, to no avail, offer to show
where he is. Take the bill and point next to the pyramid, saying, “See. He is right here.” Bewildered, everyone will
look closer. Finish by saying, “Oh! Wait a minute. Somebody must have picked him up.” Gotcha!

This a great gag to use on a group after they have been telling stories related to history or trivia. Pull a
bamboozler or two on them that have concrete solutions first and then try the hitchhiker bit for the best results. By
the way, here’s a little financial advice… “The best way to save money is to forget who you borrowed it from.”
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