The Award- Winning Magic of John Cornelius

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The Award-Winning

Magic of John Cornelius

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The Award-Winning

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Magic of John Cornelius

Written by Lance Pierce

Photographs by Anne White

Design & Composition by Andrew J. Pinard

L & L Publishing

P.O. Box 100 Tahoma, CA 96142 800.626.6572 • www.llpub.com

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FIRST EDITION

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani-cal, photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system now known or to be invented, without the permission of the publishers.

All manufacturing rights reserved.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

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Foreword

re you seated and comfortable? Would you like to get anything, a drink perhaps, before we begin? Okay, then. I know, Dear Reader, that you are anxious to turn the next few pages; to jump into the material that makes the meat of this book. But first, allow me a few moments of your time, if you will. You see, the rou-tines, the effects, the ideas embodied in what follows . . . they are all important. They are, after all, presumably why you purchased this book. I’m willing to wager, though, that as famous as some of these routines are, as much as you may have heard about some of them, that you have heard little or nothing about John Cornelius himself.

When I say that, I’m not referring to trivial biographical data such as his place of domicile (which is San Antonio, by the way) or when he learned his first trick (which was probably around the age of five). No, I’m referring to what kind of

mind John has and how he thinks about things. If you would like some kind of

indication, consider this:

Karl Fulves once showcased the magic of John Cornelius in an issue of The

Pallbearer’s Review (republished by L & L Publishing). In that issue are several

magi-cal routines and ideas, most of which used offbeat methods that relied on materi-als you were more likely to find in the Edmund Scientific catalog rather than at your local magic dealer. In the middle of all that interesting arcana, however, is an idea, seemingly unrelated, designed to foil would-be car thieves.

In short, by extending the electrical loop leading to your ignition and running it through a magnetic reed switch (which is mounted on the underside of your dashboard directly in the center), you can control the flow of current to your starter. Now, if you take a small statue or some other common dashboard item (John used a statue of St. Christopher that people used to place on their dashboards back in the 1950’s and 60’s) and put a magnet in its base, when you place it on the dash-board directly over the reed switch the circuit is closed and you can start your car. If the magnet is moved or taken away entirely, though, the circuit is broken and

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you cannot start the car with the ignition or by hotwiring it. The thief would have to trace the wiring to determine the nature of the mechanism and even then he would have to have a magnet to close the circuit or remove the reed switch from the loop entirely.

Now, if you’re like me, reading this in The Pallbearer’s Review for the first time, you have to wonder—what kind of a mind does this man have? His creativity is certainly not limited to the field of magic. Wherein developed this particular idea? Later, in this book, you’ll see how he puts the reed switch to more magical appli-cations.

Okay, stay with me now, because I’d like to present another example. The set-ting is Oklahoma City, where a small magic convention is being held. John is one of the featured performers and has flown into the local airport, where I and sev-eral others are waiting to pick him up. He is quiet-spoken, almost shy. At the baggage claim, he picks up one small garment bag, one very small satchel, and a monster trunk decorated with shipping labels from all over the world. It is large enough for Mama Cass Elliot to have performed the “Metamorphosis” illusion with Meat Loaf. Pulling out a metal device of some unknown origin, John snaps it out into a luggage caddy and attaches the trunk to it with practiced ease. When we get to my car, it barely fits. The ride back is not too comfortable.

Someone suggests dinner before hitting the convention hotel. Good idea. Before long, we’re sitting at a restaurant and the conversation is lively. John is continuing his quiet ways, listening, taking everything in. At one point I turn in his direction and I see that he has unobtrusively pulled toward him the small placard display, which shows tantalizing pictures of desserts and mixed drinks. He has in his hand a fork and a straw, twisted together in some odd fashion, and he is attempting to lever the placard into the air with it. He makes many minute adjustments, finding centers of gravity, shifting points of counterbalance. Then, seeing he needs cover for the apparatus, he masks part of the assembly with a napkin and makes more adjustments. He is, in essence, manufacturing some sort of levitation device. Sud-denly realizing now that he has gained the attention of the entire table, he softly says, “Well, you never know.” The fork, straw, and napkin go back down to the table and he resumes his quiet posture.

What kind of a mind does this man have? Constant. Watchful. Active. Now let’s consider some of the material in this book. In the first item, for instance, John uses a baby bottle nipple to cleanly cause four coins to penetrate a table top. Think about that for a moment, then ask yourself “What kind of a person

would see a baby bottle nipple and think ‘Hey! That would make a great coin clip!’?” Or, as in

other items, where did this man make the connection between a two-inch piece of Romex®_{sleeve and “Glorpy?” And how did heat-shrinkable tubing become a}

cigarette?

Not that all the effects here require a trip to your local home builder’s supply store. There is also what can be considered “standard fare,” although these items as well have a particular stamp on them—an essence of John’s approach. The methods are clean, the effects are solid. And each of them is another clue into the mind of John Cornelius.

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I could think of no better metaphor for this mindset than that of a fine crafts-man constructing a minutely-tuned mechanism. That’s how his material feels when you begin examining it on the most fundamental levels—you’ll see that pattern evolve throughout the book. In keeping with that metaphor, each section symbol-izes another step in the building of such a mechanism. The first, “Bits,” begins with singular concepts and ideas. As the chapters progress, the material becomes more involved until at the end of the book, the final product stands as a whole greater than the sum of its parts: The F.I.S.M. Card Act. This final presentation is so intricately woven and well-constructed that it stands as the best possible rep-resentation of what John is all about. It is a device that in its simple complexity and complex simplicity exemplifies the very essence of John’s thinking. It com-bines beauty and function, eloquence and efficiency.

But for now, I have taken far too much of your time. You are anxious to con-tinue, and I am equally anxious for you to do so. The journey was mine in writing it, and is now yours in the reading. What more can I say? I envy you the trip. For me, a journey into a mind is more fascinating than anything. Bon Voyage. Happy returns. See you when you get back.

Lance Pierce

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Baby Boom

or this clean and baffling penetration with coins, go into the nurs-ery, reach lovingly toward your young offspring with tenderness in your eyes, and yank that bottle out of his hands. It’s the baby bottle nipple you’re after, and John

finds that the Nuk®_brand

orthodon-tic nipple works best (being slightly larger). The nipples come in clear or flesh color—flesh may be preferable, but take your pick—and are just the right size to hold four half-dollars very comfortably (see Figure 1).

To prepare the appliance, insert a ½" dowel of plas-tic or wood into the tip of the nipple (gluing a thimble in the same place also works well) and fill about half the body with cotton. If you’ve found a nipple that bears a wide rim around the mouth, feel free to cut it off. Also, you can apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly around the lip of the gaff, if you feel that will help the coins enter it more readily.

With this minor preparation complete, you now have a different kind of coin clip, one that you can handle easily, is flexible, and silent. Hold the gaff, open end up, in right finger-palm position (Figure 2). By this time, the baby should be emphatically screaming. To distract him, lay four half dollars on the table in front of him. As he starts to reach for one, pick it up with the first and sec-ond fingers of your right hand, followed by another. Shake your hand slightly, which causes the coins to align together and settle on the mouth of the hidden gimmick (Figure 3). As he reaches for the other coins, say, “No, no,

no . . .” and pick those up as well. Push the coins into your

Figure 1

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hand with your thumb, setting them firmly into the mouth of the nipple. This insertion is automatic and quick, requiring almost no motion of your hand.

The tears should be welling up again. Reach out with your left hand and gesture to the table, asking him to point to a spot. As you move this hand forward, bring your right back toward you, relaxed, until it rests on the edge of the table. Under the misdirection of your request, drop the gimmick and its coins silently into your lap. If he doesn’t point to a spot like you asked, pretend he did and say, “Oh, right here?” Move your right hand, apparently still holding the coins, to the chosen site and point to it. Showing your other hand completely empty, take it be-neath the table directly under the spot where your right hand points.

When your hand is out of sight, press your left upper arm against the edge of the table as you lean forward. This secures your upper body and reduces the visible move-ment as you double back to your lap and pick up the gimmick. As Vernon and others have pointed out, this is superior to getting the gimmick as your hand travels past your lap.

Secretly take the gimmick, mouth down, in your left hand. Pressing on the tip of the nipple with your thumb (the dowel provides the body to push against—we knew you were wondering what it was for) will force the coins into the lower part of your hand, where you hold them with your third and fourth fingers (Figure 4). Drop the nipple silently into your lap.

While this is going on, gesture with your right hand above the table, in prepa-ration for apparently pushing the coins through. Lightly slap this hand down— simultaneously slapping the coins in your left hand against the underside of the table to emphasize the penetration—and lift it to show the coins have gone. After a short beat, bring your other hand with its coins into view, much to the baby’s amazement, and slowly drop them on the table.

An idea such as this has applications beyond that described here, so put the kid back in his crib with a copy of Marlo’s Magazine, Volume 6 while you conduct your further explorations. He should be kept quite occupied until college.

Figure 3

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ere is a clever idea that allows you to make an impression on your customers seemingly without any planning on your part. Basi-cally, when asked for your business card, you notice that the stack of cards you have is still blank. With just a snap of your fingers, though, your name, address, and any other personal information you wish to reveal suddenly appear on all the cards.

For this, you must have business cards with raised lettering (typeface that is higher than the surface of the card around it and has texture). In the industry, this process is often called thermography. If you’ve ever run your fingers across the type, you probably noted that it feels tacky, and therein lies the heart of this routine.

Take a group of business cards (about 15 to start) and trim a small amount from the short ends. Then, by placing individual “long” (untrimmed) business cards face down on top of face-up “short” business cards and stacking the pairs, you have, in essence, a miniature mental photography deck—sometimes called a “nudist pack.”1_{The lettering on the cards acts the same as roughing fluid,}

hold-ing the pairs together.

Perform your rope and coin miracles with aplomb. When someone asks you for your business card (and we hope they will), take out your prepared stack and spread them between your hands, looking at both sides. They are apparently blank.

“Uh, oh,” you say, “I hope I have a good one left.” At this point, if you turn the stack over

so the short cards are the top cards of each pair, you can dribble them from hand to hand to casually show nothing but blank faces (Figure 1).

Turn the pack over again, so the long cards are the top cards of each pair and say, “I remember . . . I just have to put a snap into it!” Snap your fingers and then lift off about half the cards, exposing a printed card in the middle of the packet.

Prints Valiant

1. For those purists who have decried the use of this deck, obviously a tricky one in the eyes of the lay public, consider that Michael Skinner and Albert Goshman both found it worthy enough to include in their working repertoires, perhaps even as a feature in the act . . . need we say more?

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Complete the cut so the printed card is the top card of the packet, saying, “Luckily, I don’t think it was my last one

after all.” Either riffle the cards at their front edges or

dribble them from hand to hand to show that there is now printing on all the cards. Take the top card and hand it to your spectator as you turn your left hand to prevent him from seeing the blank card beneath. Later, by plac-ing another short card face up on the bottom of the stack, you’re ready to go again.

With a little tinkering, you can also incorporate your favorite techniques, such as color changes, to exemplify the magical effect of printing the cards. Give it a try. Go on. We dare you.

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his is another effect using the thermography principle explained in the previous item. Here, when asked for your business card, you take out a stack of blank cards and in turn ask the spectator to name any number between one and fifteen. When he does, you count down to his number and there you find the only printed card in the stack. To top it off, his number is written on it!

To do this, get about forty business cards and arrange them in face-up/face-down pairs as before (you won’t need to trim any of these cards—unless you just absolutely want to). On the face of the bottom card of each pair, number them boldly from one to twenty. Next, place an inconspicuous pencil mark on the back of the top card of the tenth pair.

With this simple preparation, you’re ready. When asked for your card, say to your spectator-turned-prospective-client, “How odd! Last night I had a dream that a man who looked

exactly like you and was wearing that same tie would ask me for my business card. In fact, in my dream, I told him that I had just had this dream! He didn’t believe me, so I showed him. Look, I brought some cards—because I knew you were going to ask—but they’re all blank; there’s nothing on them.” Spread

the cards, your pairs clinging tenaciously, and show both sides to emphasize your point. Ask your spectator to name his number and when he does, count down in the stack, taking the cards in twos and counting them as single cards. The pencil dot on the tenth pair serves as a point of reference to ensure that you do not miscount. When you reach his number, split the corresponding pair of cards and say, “Look,

we take off exactly that many cards and there is the only card which is printed!” Show the

bal-ance of the cards to be blank, then say, “And on top of that, it has your number written on

it! It must be good luck, so take it with you and be sure you keep it. Oh, and next time you decide to drop in on one of my dreams? Bring a date.”

Later, in a moment’s privacy, replace the missing card with another and you’re set to roll again. Obviously, almost any playing card effect that takes advantage of roughing fluid can be converted in some fashion to using business cards instead . . . it’s simply a matter of exercising your imagination.

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Viewed from a distance, the visage of Dai Vernon becomes apparent. Proposed cover by David Zieglar for a set of John’s lecture notes.

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t looks just like this: You spread through a borrowed shuffled pack and the spectator removes one—a free selection. Upon his replac-ing it, without lookreplac-ing at the faces of any of the cards, you imme-diately have a known key card.

~ or ~

You dribble cards from a shuffled pack and the spectator tells you when to stop. You raise the right-hand cards to allow him to see the card at which he stopped you—no force. Upon restoring the deck, without looking at any of the cards, with-out any “work” in the deck, and withwith-out any sleights or manipulative ploys or any sort, you already know the identity of the selection.

~ or ~

You allow the spectator to select a card as you turn your head away and close your

eyes. Once he returns the card, you square the pack and set it on the table or hand

it to the spectator, who can put it away. Only then do you open your eyes and turn to face full front again. Nevertheless, you know the exact identity of the free and

uncontrolled selection.

This is an idea that John has used for many years to deceive the best minds in the business. The ploy is easy to understand . . . so easy, in fact, that the brevity of description may fail to impress upon you just how strong the idea is. Neverthe-less, we form great mysteries by the simplest means, especially when the method is as direct as that of the shiner—a gambler’s term used to refer to any mirror-like surface with which one can discretely glimpse the identity, color, or value of play-ing cards.

Gamblers and hustlers have used shiners for centuries (most likely since the discovery of reflective surfaces, and how far back does that go?), but explorations

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with shiners in the magic world have been limited—at least in print. From polished dimes to buffed money clips to small convex mirrors, the shiner has taken many forms and worn many masks. The best, however, lie in the open, innocent and unassuming—and John has taken advan-tage of this to the fullest degree.

There is a minor bit of preparation involved, but one that will last you for years. To make use of this principle, you must wear a wristwatch, and it must be of the kind shown in Figure 1, which has a curved metal clasp that closes on the inside of your wrist. Take your watch to a jeweler and have him buff the surface of the clasp to a mirror finish. Afterwards, you have a permanent and seemingly innocuous shiner that you can carry with you everywhere you go.

With deck in hand and watch ready, have a spectator thoroughly shuffle the cards. Taking back the deck, spread the cards for a free selection. When your assistant removes a card, separate the deck at that point and hold this pose as he notes his selection. When he has, extend your left hand with its cards for him to return it. If you look in the reflection of your watchband, you can see the bottom card of the right hand spread (Figure 2), so when the selection is back in the pack and the deck restored, you have availed yourself of a known key by which you can locate the card in most mysterious manners.

As another option, you can dribble cards from your right hand into your left, asking your spectator to stop you at anytime. When he does, ask, “Would you like this card

or this card?” as you point to the top card of the lower

portion and then the bottom card of the upper. It is when you point to the top card of the lower half that you glimpse the bottom card of the right-hand packet in your shiner (Figure 3). No matter which he names, you have achieved your objective, for in one case you use the glimpsed card as a key, in the other it will be the selec-tion itself.

The ploy that is most deadly here, though, is this one, where you follow either of the above procedures, but offer first to turn away and close your eyes. Turn your head to the extreme left, presenting your right profile to the audience. When the card is selected, open only your left eye. From the audience’s point of view, both eyes are still closed (the bridge of your nose prevents them from seeing the one eye), but you can use your shiner to make the necessary glimpse. Leave your eye open only long enough to obtain your needed information. Once he replaces the selection and you know its identity (or have a key) hand the deck

Figure 1

Figure 2

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to the spectator. Turn back to him again—both eyes firmly shut—and, verifying with him again that everything is fair, only then do you open your eyes and con-tinue with your most baffling location.

This is a subtle and devious principle that extends beyond its reach—one that permits you to bring in other ideas and maneuvers to blend a baffling mystery. Those who are willing to stretch the boundaries will find this to be a useful tool— at least when used with honest intent. You wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?

John suggests as a real fooler to use the “Apprentice Cut.” Have a card peeked at and controlled to the bottom. Perform the “Apprentice Cut” as described on pages 37 and 38 and catch your glimpse before the Charlier Cut (see Figure 5 on page 38).

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t always begins with the germ of an idea and flowers into fine mysteries. When playing with his topit years ago, John noted that once an item went into the bag, he couldn’t get it back out with-out reaching inside his jacket. It didn’t take long before the scis-sors came out and, by cutting a slit between the inside of the jacket and the left outer side pocket, he had a way to reach into the topit unobtrusively (he was obviously not the only one to think this way, as later this idea was incor-porated into the topit design publicized and marketed by Michael Ammar). From there, it was a simple matter to explore the possibilities of using a slit both with and without a topit. Gimmicked jackets may seem an odd idea for practical work. In the proper environment, however, their use makes the baffling commonplace. For example, these items:

ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE

Have a card selected and secretly control it to the top (shift, cut, side steal, shuffle, bluff, palm and replacement, whatever). Saying that you will perform this effect in the dark, place the deck in your left side pocket. “Also,” you say, “I will perform this effect without the benefit of looking at your

amazed faces.” Hold your left hand up, showing it empty

and, maintaining this position, turn your back on your audience.

Standing thus, slowly reach in your left pocket and pretend to be attempting to locate the card. As you do, take the card from the top of the deck and bring it through the slit where you can see it by glimpsing down-ward out of the corner of your eye (Figure 1). Do not tip

Passages

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your head to do this. Assume the card is the Nine of Diamonds (the Curse of Scotland!). Say, “I think your card is a red one, correct?” Gesture broadly with your right hand as you talk. The spectator will say yes. Say, “And I think it’s

a spot card, right?” The spectator will say yes again. “And furthermore it’s a dia-mond? A nine? The Nine of Diamonds?” Now the spectator will again concur

with each of these points as you gesture widely again with your right hand. Moving your jacket as little as possible, reach down with your right hand, take the card from your left, and place it by one corner in your mouth

(Fig-ure 2). There should be no pause as your hand passes your mouth and it

continues outward as if to make your sweeping gesture with an empty hand. Note how the previous open gesturing establishes and covers the movement now.

Turn around to show the spectators the surprise appearance of the card between your teeth as you murmur out of the corners of your mouth, “Yeah,

I thought so!”

A TOAST

This is a fine piece for those moments when you’re standing around with friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

Obtain a glass that will accommodate a plastic lid to form a good seal (perhaps the top of a tennis ball can or similar). Attach the lid to a short length of string, the other end of which you fasten to a safety pin. Fill the glass with your favorite drink (okay, maybe not your favorite drink), place the lid on it, and set it upright in your left rear pants pocket (Calvin Kleins are not recommended for this). Fasten the safety pin to the back of the inside of your coat somewhere, high enough so that if you let the lid hang freely, it would not be exposed below the hemline of your jacket.

Now, as you’re hanging out in some seedy bar, place your left hand in your jacket pocket, as if you’re just lounging around, but you actually reach through the slit and behind you to remove the lid from the glass. Letting it dangle, take the glass and hold it beneath your coat (Figure 3). Hold your right hand casually in front of you and say, “I think I’m thirsty.” Turn your back on your friends briefly and pass the drink from your left hand to your right. Immediately turn around again. When you do, you have a full glass of liquid, from which you take a sip and say, “There, that’s better.”

Naturally, you can work the effect in reverse, by which you begin with a glass half-full of liquid in your right hand. At some point, place your left hand in your pocket (through the slit) as you’re standing around socializing. When the moment is right, turn your back on your audience very briefly and pass the drink from your right hand to your left. As you turn back, place the glass in your left rear pocket (which explains why the glass should only be half full) and complain about how the drinks are so expensive there. You can reproduce the glass later or not, as you want.

Figure 2

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2. Techniques for multiple shifts can be found in many sources, i.e., several Vernon books, more than one routine in The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings by Mike Maxwell, and of course, Ed Marlo’s “Multiple Shift” chapter of the Revolutionary Card Technique series. Check ’em out.

INSTANT TRAVELERS

Vernon’s “Travelers” routine is still the acid test for many cardmen. It has become such a classic that there have been many other methods and approaches over the years of making four cards travel to four different pockets, sometimes more than once. John’s, though, has to be one of the easiest, because the four cards shoot to four pockets with only one top palm. This takes advantage of the slit in the jacket we’ve discussed (this time with topit), but makes use of one additional ploy: By removing the partition separating the outer breast pocket from the inner one, they become one pocket and anything placed in one can be retrieved from the other. Prepare your jacket in such a manner and find a group of people sitting some-where waiting for someone to watch.

You can use four selections or four aces, but having the cards signed is best (as Vernon learned from experience when working cruise ships). How you control the cards is a matter of preference, but most efficient is a multiple shift, where you insert the cards into different places in the pack and control them to the top (or bottom) all at the same time.2

Once the cards are on top of the deck, obtain a break beneath them and palm all four in your right hand, immediately placing the deck on the table. Say, “Watch

. . . I have something in my pockets . . .” Reach inside your jacket with your right hand as

if you’re going for your inner breast pocket. When your hand is out of sight, drop two cards in your topit, continue upward, drop one card in your inner breast pocket, and produce the remaining one. Toss this card face up to the table.

Show your right hand empty, then reach into your outer breast pocket and pull out the second selection. After disposing of this second card, show your left hand barren of pasteboard (empty). Smiling, reach in your left outside jacket pocket (really going in the topit through the slit), and take hold of both cards. Under the cover of your jacket, place one card in your trouser pocket and immediately bring your left hand back out through the pocket with the third selection. After show-ing it, toss it away also.

For the last card, pull your jacket wide open, cleanly reach in your pants pocket, remove the card, and accept your laudations. Try not to brag too much.

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hown to John by Harry Anderson years ago, here’s a component you can include in many existing rope routines, or can use to form the core of a new one. The basic effect is that of the sliding knot. To prepare, take a length of rope

approximately 4-feet long and cut it exactly in half. Next, cut about eight inches from one rope so that you now have three pieces, the combined lengths of two equaling the third.

Next, tie a knot at the very end of the medium-length piece, which you then hold in your right hand, your little finger securely grasping the knot. Hold the short piece of rope in the same hand by the second and third fingers (Figure 1) so that the two appear to be one continuous length. Take the long piece in your right hand beside the other two and you’re ready to begin.

Say, “I have here two pieces of rope. . . .” Begin to twist the upper ends of the ropes around each other, as if you’re about to tie a knot (Figure 2). Say, “No, I wouldn’t cheat

you . . . ,” as you take the end of the long rope with your

left hand and pull it clear of your right hand (Figure 3). Each hand now appears to hold an identical length of rope.

As you say, “There really are two pieces of rope . . .” show the ropes around with about four inches of the ends dan-gling from the tops of your hands. “And I’m going to join

them together into one piece, right before your very eyes.”

Bring the ends of the rope together, the piece in your right hand going in front of (nearer to the audience) and crossing your left. Pinch both ropes at their point of

KnotSoTuff

Figure 1

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intersection with your right thumb and forefinger (Figure 4), in preparation for the following knot:

With your left thumb, reach under the loop and hook the loose end hanging on the left (the end of the short piece of rope). Bring it through and straight up (Figure 5). Pinch the ropes in this position with your left fingers so your right hand can let go of the end it holds and slide straight down, grasping the other (Figure 6). This is easily covered by turning your wrists or slightly turning your body.

Now that you have secretly switched the ends with your right hand, the audience is unaware that you actu-ally have the middle length of rope dangling from your right hand, one end of the long piece also in your right hand, and the short piece wrapped around the long. Tie a simple knot in the short piece of rope around the long piece (Figure 7).

“Look, a little magic, a little squeeze, and voila! ladies and gentle-men, one piece of rope!” Cover the knot momentarily with your

left hand and give it a squeeze. At the word voila! pull your left hand away from the knot (grasping the rope again

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 6

Figure 5

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about four inches away from the knot), dramatically dis-playing it to your audience (Figure 8). Let go of the rope with your left hand and point to the knot, muttering, “Oh,

it has a knot in it. You could probably see that, huh? Well, if you don’t like the knot there, you can just pinch it and move it somewhere else.”

Take the knot with your left hand and slide it toward the end of the rope (Figure 9). Say, “Or if you don’t like it

there, you can slide it over here.” Move the knot further down,

almost to the end. “Or,” you say, “if you don’t like it there,

you can move it way over here.” Hold the end of the rope up

with your left hand and use your right to slide the knot back to its original position (Figure 10). Be careful not to expose the configu-ration of the ropes in your hand as you do.

“And then when you untie the ropes, you have two pieces again.” Untie the

knot and, as your hands move around, take hold of either end of the short rope with your right hand as you let go of the end of the long one (Figure 11). Without pausing, continue by pulling your hands slowly apart, each appear-ing to hold one rope. “So much for

that,” you say, as you put your

ropes away.

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 11 Figure 10

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The Fan Steal

here have been techniques to secretly remove cards from a fan before (for example, Russell Barnhart’s from Marlo in Spades, by Ed Marlo), but few have been as simple and elegant as this one. As a matter of fact, almost no skill is involved, other than that required to form a pressure fan with the deck, yet the action delivers the card smoothly and automatically to angle palm position.

First, a brief description of the mechanics behind the pressure fan:

Hold the deck in your left hand, your right hand framing the deck from above as in Figure 1. Your left thumb extends across the top of the deck, your right thumb extends across the rear end, and your right first and second fingers are near the upper right corner. Note that the deck bevels to the right.

With your right hand, carry the deck forward so that it now rests further up in your left hand. Figures 2 and 3 show the situation at this point, from the top and bottom, respectively. Your left thumb in Figure 2 rests mainly at the center

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of the top card near its lower end, while your left first and second fingers in

Figure 3 reach all the way across the bottom card of the pack.

Next, by applying pressure with your right hand, bow the cards downward as in Figures 4 and 5, using your left fingers for leverage. You are now going to turn your right hand at the wrist, so that your fingers follow the circumference of an imaginary circle. Your right thumb turns also, but stays in the same place, pivoting at the center of the circle. Simultaneously, allow the cards to slip off your right first finger in even succession (much like “springing” the cards from hand to hand—Figures 6 and 7). With a little prac-tice and familiarity with the amounts of pressure needed in certain directions, you will find yourself making per-fectly circular fans with almost any deck.

For the fan steal, let’s assume you’ve already had a card selected, which the spectator still holds. Form a neat pres-sure fan, take the card from the spectator, and place it into the fan to the left of center, as in Figure 8. Without any hesitation, pull the card through the fan to the right until it appears to be at the center of the pack. In reality, the card has been partially slid clear of the fan on the underside as in Figure 9. Your left second fingertip rests on the face of the selection.

Push the card flush into the fan, apparently losing it (after it is pushed flush, your left middle finger should be in the exact center of the card). Now, holding the fan parallel to the floor, begin closing it by pushing to your left with your right second finger as in Figure 10. This finger points directly downward as it closes the fan.

As you move the cards to the left, you will feel the side of the selection against your finger. Continue closing the fan, applying slight upward and backward pressure with

Figure 4

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the tip of your left second finger. The card will swivel and end up both injogged and sidejogged from the deck (Figures 11, 12, and 13). The back of your right hand shields this card from your audience’s view.

Immediately take the deck from above in Biddle grip, which all but places the card in angle palm for you (Figure 14). By grasping the card in Tenkai Palm while

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Figure 15 Figure 14 Figure 13

it still protrudes from the pack, you can then take the pack by its upper left corner with your left hand, carry it forward (leaving the selected card behind), and set it on the table (Figure 15).

The action is as fast and deceptive as it is simple to execute. In appearance, the card is no sooner lost in the deck, then the fan is closed and the deck set on the table or handed to a spectator. Deriving its strength from its practicality, it can become a useful tool in any performer’s repertoire.

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Flicker

his popular idea of John’s is an instantaneous change of a card that is snapped from the deck onto the table. Let’s assume that you’ve had a card selected and it is now secretly on top of the deck.

Do a double turnover and leave the two cards face up on the deck, showing an indifferent card. You may ask if this is the spectator’s selected card, although both of you already know the answer. Move the double over the right side of the deck (Figure 1) and hold it there with your left thumb on top and the pad of the left middle finger touching the back of the double.

You next will apparently snap the card with your right middle finger, flicking it off the deck and onto the table. Curl your right middle finger inward against your thumb as in Figure 2 (much like you were going to give your little brother a good one on the noggin). Bend both hands

Figure 2

Figure 1

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upward at the wrists slightly (we’re talking about a very small degree in movement here) and during this motion, pull back the indifferent card with your left thumb (Figure 3). This leaves the selection side-jogged beneath it. This action is com-pleted just as you reach the apex of the movement of your left hand and the card is out of the audience’s line of vision (“necktie”-ing the deck). Because you’ve pulled your left thumb to the side, there is nothing holding the selection except the weight of the card above it.

Drop both hands (again, not an exaggerated motion) as you snap the center of the right edge of the selection with your right middle finger. The card will fly from the deck, landing on the table for a startling visual change. As this is exe-cuted, the left hand turns palm down to shade the face-up indifferent card on the back of the deck. You are left with one indifferent card face up on the deck that you can clean up at your leisure. John accomplishes this clean up by scooping up the tabled card face up onto the face-up card at the top of the deck. He once again displays the card and performs a Double Lift, turning the two cards face down.

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Fold-A-Card

here are many effects in which you reproduce a card, folded, in some impossible location. Quite naturally, then, there are sev-eral methods to secretly fold cards so one can put them in those unlikely places. Hugard and Braue’s

Expert Card Technique lists at least two. Jos

Bema has a “wonder”-ful method. Gary Kurtz and David Williamson have also sported their excellent approaches. All these, though, make the folds barehanded or under cover of a squared deck. John’s handling of the idea is interesting, as it takes place while you spread the deck from hand to hand, providing greater cover and motiva-tion. The move, then, can be performed standing or sit-ting in almost any type of environment.

The card to be folded is on the bottom of the deck. Holding the deck face down in your left hand, pull down the bottom card with your little finger to obtain a break above it. Take the deck as in Figure 1 to turn it face up end for end. Your right thumb contacts the inner right corner of the bottom card.

As you rotate the deck face up into the left hand

(Fig-ure 2), bend the bottom card downward with your right

thumb. Once the pack moves to a vertical position, grasp it with your left hand (Figure 3). Your left thumb comes down on the bent card and completes the folding action. Now spread the cards from hand to hand, the folded card being held in place by your thumbs (Figure 4). Appar-ently sighting a card that you’re looking for in the spread, push the spread back into your left hand slightly, fold-ing the card again from right to left with your right thumb

Figure 1

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(Figure 5). Once the card is in quarters, place your left thumb on it to hold it steady so you can remove a card from the spread with your right hand.

From this point, the avenue you choose is largely one of preference or need. The deck can be placed face down in your left hand, the folded card riding beneath it and ending in left-hand palm; the folded card can be stolen behind the card you removed from the fan; or it can be loaded under or into another object. Another ruse would be to remove the “unnecessary Joker,” placing it and the folded card in your pocket.

There are distinct advantages in using a spread of cards to cover the folding actions. This is a utility move that can find a comfortable place in many routines.

Figure 3

Figure 4

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ot a peek of a selection, but of a key card that you can use in any way you need. It takes advantage of the standard actions of a Faro shuffle, in which you weave two packets together at their ends, then bridge the deck to cascade them

together (Figures 1, 2, and 3—if you need further information on this technique, check out Ed Marlo’s The Faro Shuffle, Faro Notes, and Faro Controlled

Miracles, for starters).

Do a couple of Faro shuffles, weaving and cascading the cards. When ready, prepare for your next shuffle, taking less than half the deck in your left hand. Match-ing the ends, straddle faro the left-hand half into the right-hand half (Figure 4).

Adjust the deck so you are now holding it upright in your left hand, the smaller packet extending upward. The faces of the cards are toward your assistant. With your

Peeping Tom

Figure 2

Figure 1

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right hand, riffle through the upper cards as in the stan-dard spectator peek, asking that he stop you any time. When he does, pull back the cards, allowing him to see his selection. This will open a gap along the side of the deck that extends into the lower telescoping portion

(Fig-ure 5). Take a left little finger break in these lower cards

where the opening lies and allow the deck to close. Once the spectator has noted his card, bring the right hand over the cards, preparing to complete the shuffle by cascading the cards together. When your right hand provides cover, however, kick the cards above the break to your left with your left little finger (Figure 6, the finger has been removed for clarity). Now when you bow the cards to spring them together, you will find that you can clearly see the index of the card on the face of the angled packet (Figure 7, where the Ace of Spades is visible). Once you have sighted this card, allow the deck to cascade toge-ther, finishing your shuffle. Handle the pack very fairly to allow a critical observer to appreciate that you hold no breaks or steps. You may even set the deck on the table and hold light conversation. The situation is under con-trol, however, since the card you glimpsed lies directly

above the selection in the deck.

Figure 4

Figure 5

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hey say nothing worthwhile comes without practice. They say no

pain, no gain. It’s lucky, then, that with only a minimal amount of time and effort and a miniscule amount of practice, the cards can flow through your fingers like

wa-ter with this simple flourish cut. Before working on the actual cutting sequence, two components must be mastered first. The first is the simple and sometimes lowly-regarded Charlier Cut.

THE CHARLIER CUT

With your left hand, hold the deck at your fingertips as in Figure 1. Note that your first and little fingers straddle the ends of the deck for control, while your thumb and opposite fingers hold the sides. Some performers may wish to curl the first finger underneath for more control. Your right hand does not take part in the following ac-tions:

By gently lifting pressure with your thumb, allow the lower half of the deck to fall in the cradle of your left hand (Figure 2). Move your forefinger beneath the bot-tom cards and push gently upwards. This will cause the packet to rise on its side, its lower edge resting com-fortably in the fork of the thumb (Figure 3). As you keep pushing upward, the packet will eventually lift the top half of the deck up and their edges will clear (Figure 4). When this happens, the upper packet will fall and rest on the nail of your index finger. Now slowly lower your

The Master Cut

Figure 1

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forefinger, allowing the now lower packet to drop down and the new upper packet to coalesce with it (Figure 5). You control this new top half with your thumb and the edge of the packet beneath it.

THE CIRCLE AND ROLL CUT

If the Charlier Cut is the left hand’s task, then the Circle and Roll Cut (for want of a better name) becomes the right’s. To learn this, hold the deck as shown in Figure 6. Turn the pack clockwise as far as is gracefully possible to allow your right third and fourth fingers to come be-low the deck and contact it on your near side (Figure 7). Once there, your third finger can take approximately half the cards from the bottom of the deck and control this packet by using your forefinger as an opposing support. Move your second finger beneath the cards (Figure 8) to get it out of the way. Now, by spreading the fingers of your hand, your thumb going to your right while your

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 6

Figure 5

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Figure 8

Figure 10

Figure 11

third finger moves to your left, the packets will turn in opposite directions and end nearly parallel to one another. This is the “double circle,” shown in Figure 9. Next, bring your palm-up left hand next to your contorted right and, by lifting your right forefinger a little, allow the left packet to tumble over and end face down in dealing position. Figures 10 and 11 show this—the “roll.” You can now roll the remainder of the deck into your left hand, or pivot it (as you did the last packet) 180 degrees first with your third finger before

rolling it over and onto your other hand. We should also note (since this comes into play in the actual combined flourish) that when the packets are side by side, as in Figure

9, and you are “ready to roll,” you don’t have to allow

all the cards in your right hand’s left packet to tumble over into the left hand. You may opt to drop only por-tions of the packet, by releasing pressure with your right forefinger, and allow them to roll in succession. This will become more clear in a moment.

In any event, you are ready to combine all the actions. With the deck in your left hand, riffle down the outer corner with your thumb. When you are about halfway

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through the deck, turn your left hand downward and allow all the cards above your break to flop over, ending face up on your right fingers. Continuing the momen-tum, flop the packet over once more, so that it ends face down in your right hand (Figure 12). Now that each hand has half a deck, adjust the positions of both so that you hold the cards in your left in Charlier Cut position and the cards in your right are ready for the Circle and Roll Cut (Figure 13).

Begin the Charlier action with your left hand while your right pivots the packets for the circle and roll. Just as your left hand clears its packets, your right should have a packet ready to roll over. Allow about half this packet to tumble into the left half—between the packets of the Charlier Cut (Figure 14). Close the Charlier and begin another with your left hand. As the packets clear again, allow another batch of cards to fall from your right hand into the left hand’s cut. Repeat as necessary.

When the left packet in your right hand is depleted, swing your third finger under again and take another fif-teen cards or so to restart the process. This continues until you pour all the right-hand cards into your left hand. The cards move in tandem and look almost as if they’re alive as they move from place to place. When you achieve the proper rhythm and economy of movement, the entire sequence flows quite fluidly and is aesthetic to watch. And was it said that this requires only a minimal amount of time and effort and a miniscule amount of practice? Okay, that was a lie.

Figure 13

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The Apprentice Cut

kay, you’ve tried the Master Cut and strained your patience, your wife’s loyalty, and your social credibility. You’ve missed meetings, dinner dates, parties, and conventions because you’re obsessed with sitting in front of your mirror wondering

why your fingers won’t stretch just a little more in just the right way. You’ve lost the respect of friends and family, slowly eroded your self-esteem beyond any hope of retrieval, and have developed a severe textbook case of tendonitis in both hands.

And you’ve made a silent but sincere promise to hurt John severely if you ever meet him.

For you, poor lost wandering soul, castaway to paste-board purgatory, here is a simpler yet quite effective flour-ish false cut.

Hold the deck from above with your right hand as

in Figure 1. Bring your left hand back as in Figure 2, the _{Figure 1}

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back of your left forefinger contacting the rear end of the cards.

Now move your left hand forward again, your fore-finger picking off and carrying about two-thirds of the deck (Figure 3). Your right second finger is the pivot point for the upper packet, which turns end for end clockwise (Figure 4) and finishes at the left fingertips as in Figure 5, in perfect position for the Charlier Cut.

Do the Charlier with your left hand. After the bot-tom packet has come over and they’re about to close, insert the packet in your right hand between the two packets in your left (Figure 6). The right-hand packet goes flush with the upper packet in your left, but maintain a separation between this combined packet and the lower one in your left hand.

Immediately lever the bottom packet onto its right side as in Figure 7 (a turn-over pass type of action, but here done openly). Continue by moving the tilted packet up and over the other, bringing it to the top of the deck (Figure 8). Square up. The order of the entire deck has been restored.

Happy now? Figure 4 Figure 6 Figure 8 Figure 5 Figure 7

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The Oh, Calcutta! Shuffle

alse dovetail shuffles that completely preserve the order of the deck abound. Every close-up worker out there seems to know two or three, but ask them about completely false overhand or Hindu shuffles and their faces often go

blank (as if with some of them you could tell the difference). There are a few good shuffle techniques out there, but most are unpublished or otherwise well protected—and Ricky and Persi aren’t talking. When working in the casual world of the laity, however, overhand techniques can become more valuable than your Zarrows, strip-outs, Spades, or pull-throughs, because overhand shuffles are what they know.

This shuffle perfectly emulates a casual Hindu shuffle and, even though it is blatantly discrepant, it is also extremely deceptive. Figures 1 through 6 show the actions of a normal Hindu shuffle, where you hold the cards at their long sides by your right hand as your left hand takes successive packets from the top of the deck. Your right hand moves in small clockwise circles to clear the pack-ets you’re taking and to set up for the next removal of cards from the top. The movements take place more in the wrists than in your arms as you casually mix the cards. To execute the false shuffle, your hands move in exactly the same manner, and you adopt the same non-chalant demeanor and rhythm, but your left hand takes the packets from the bottom of the deck instead. Pay no attention to your hands as you do this. Note that in the figures of the real shuffle, your left forefinger is at the ends of the cards to keep them from escaping your

con-Figure 1

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trol. This is also true in the false shuffle. In fact, the place-ment of every finger is exactly the same as in the genuine shuffle and your hands make the same circular motions. The only difference is the removal of the cards from the bottom of the pack instead of the top.

For the most deceptive point of all, begin with your right side to your audience. As you do the shuffle, slowly turn to your right (clockwise, bringing your left side to your audience), and tilt the deck on its side so they can see the faces. Although in a genuine shuffle the face of the right-hand packet should always show the same card, here they will see the cards constantly change, which fur-ther drives home the illusion of mixing.

Again, a relaxed demeanor and guiltless attitude account more for the illusion than anything else. This is a tool that derives its strength from its simplicity—which makes the solution even more elegant.

Figure 3

Figure 4

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his is a flourish revelation that is much easier to do than it reads. First released in The New York Magic Symposium: Close-Up Collection

One by Richard Kaufman, “Spring Set” became a favorite of

many workers, especially after being popularized by Bill Malone in his han-dling of the ever-classic “Sam the Bellhop” (see the August 1988 Linking Ring for Bill Malone’s “One-Man Parade”). With almost no movement of your hand, the top card of the deck suddenly flips over and lands face up on the pack.

For starters, here is the basic underlying movement: Holding the deck in your left hand, your thumb rests on top of the pack at the outer left corner, as in Figure 1. If you pull this thumb to your left while pressing down-ward, you’ll find that the right edge of the top card will lift up (Figure 2). What you want to achieve is a springing

Spring Set

Figure 1

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up of the card; your left thumb snaps around the corner of the deck. No other part of the hand moves.

To do the actual production, the second card from the top of the deck is the one you’re going to “pop.” Push the top card to your right with your left thumb. This will ex-pose the outer left corner of the second card (Figure 3). Place your thumb on this corner and execute the “spring” action previously described. The second card will pop up, caus-ing the top card to turn over and land face up on the deck (Figure 4). By the time this card descends, you’ve already relaxed your thumb and lowered the “sprung” card. It may help to tip the right side of the deck down a little.

That’s the idea of it, and the brevity of the descrip-tion belies its surprising effectiveness with audiences. Undoubtedly, a few tries will be necessary to achieve the desired result. The only thing that moves during the action is your left thumb—and that motion is a very slight one. It all happens so quickly that onlookers are unable to figure out exactly what caused the card to turn face up. It almost seems to happen of its own accord. In fact, given practice, if you can get the top card to turn over within a minimum of height from the pack, it will look as though the selection simply appeared on top of the deck. The turnover of the card completely escapes the eye, changing the effect from one of sudden animation to a sudden—and quite magical—production.

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irst released in Harry Lorayne’s Apocalypse, this startling color change has been a preference of many for several years. Its casual and soft appearance enhances the simple yet surprising change of the face card of the deck. It is also

used in the F.I.S.M. Card Act described at the end of the book.

Hold the cards face up in your left hand. Your left little finger holds a break near the center of the pack, perhaps beneath a selection. As you talk, casually gesture with your empty right hand, then grasp the deck from above. Your right thumb is at the inner end of the cards, your fingers are at the outer (Figure 1). Your right hand will provide shade for the following mechanics:

As soon as you hold the deck between your hands, place your left thumb across the face of the deck (Figure 2) and insert your left second and third fingers into the break

The Winter Change

Figure 1

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(Figure 3). Without pausing, use your left fingers to push the card to the right from the center of the pack, in a rection that will set the outer right corner of the card di-rectly beneath the base of your right little finger and the card itself parallel with your hand (Figure 4).

Now move your left second finger back to the side of the deck and apply a slight upward pressure against the face of the card with your fingertip. Glide your right hand to your right (the card moving beneath it), relaxing it, and opening your fingers slightly. Your left second fin-ger helps to push the selection completely from the cen-ter of the pack while holding it against the palm of your right hand.

Also, you must always keep the card parallel to the deck to prevent a clicking sound as its corner leaves the deck. Never should you attempt to palm or grip the card with your right hand—this hand remains open and relaxed. The card is back far enough beneath your hand that its top edge does not show between your fingers. As you keep moving your hand to the right, you will end with the card completely clear of the deck, supported by your left second finger (Figure 5). Note that you are now free to move your right hand about, as long as you maintain the support of your left finger. Because you are not in any way holding the card with your right hand, your appearance is very casual and relaxed. Also, because of the extension of your left second finger, your right hand is high above the face of the deck, which will play an important part in the color change that occurs in the next movement.

Move your right hand to your left, your left second finger coming to rest again at the side of the pack. Your right hand keeps going, however, the card gliding off your left second finger and onto the heel of your left thumb (Figure 6), which now supports it. Completely pass over the pack until it is visible on the other side of your right hand, the card now held in place by the mound of your left thumb (Figure 7).

Next, pass your hand over the deck once more, mov-ing it to your right again. As your right hand obscures the deck from view, move your left thumb to the side of the pack, allowing the card to drop onto the face. Your right hand never breaks its flow and once it passes over the deck, the card appears to have transformed.

The moment following the change is the most important. As you complete the movement with your right hand, slow down somewhat, allowing the audience to

Figure 4

Figure 5

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perceive and appreciate the change, and possibly form any suspicions before you nonchalantly show the hand empty. The important points to remember through the entire process are threefold: 1) maintain a constant and flow-ing movement with your right hand, 2) your right fin-gers are always relaxed and partly open, and 3) due to the mechanics of the routine, your right hand seems to float some distance above and away from the face of the pack, making the change seem even more impossible.

Figure 7

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Go For Go Switch

lever enough to have been invented by the Japanese (should you subscribe to stereotypes), this technique holds its own as a very deceptive switch of two packets of five cards. You can use it in a gambling (pseudo) exposé or in a

magi-cal context, or just in a session with the boys, but skillfully plied, it will always get by.

For purposes of explanation, we will use five red cards and five black cards. Palm the red cards, backs to your skin, in your right hand and hold the black cards in a spread between your hands (Figure 1) as if playing poker. Separate the two rear black cards slightly from their spread so you can feed their lower right corners behind the upper right corners of the palmed cards (that is to say, the upper left corner of the palmed packet feeds between the second and third card in the black packet— you might have to raise your right forefinger a tad to allow this). Figure 2 is an exposed view, looking down from the top of your hand.

Once the packets are interlocked, square up the black cards as in Figure 3. Moving your right thumb to the upper end of the black cards and releasing them with your left hand, turn your right hand palm down so that your left can approach the cards from below (Figure 4). Your left hand appears to simply take the visible packet from your right, but as you make the transfer, reach under your right hand with your left fingers and pull the palmed red cards into the center of the black packet (Figure 5). It is an easy matter to obtain a left little finger break beneath the red cards as they are pulled flush.

Figure 1

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Once the red packet has been fed in, take the combined packet in Biddle Grip, transferring the break to your right thumb. Your right forefingers cover the front edge of the packet, hiding its thickness. Toying with the cards, peel the top two cards singly from the top to the bottom of the packet. You now have the five red cards on top of the black ones, with a break between them.

Place your left little finger on the near end of the bottom five cards. You will find that with this finger alone, you can swivel these cards to the right, using your right first finger as a pivot point. Move all the cards beneath the break under your right hand and take them in full palm (Figure 6). This is done as you turn both hands palm up and spread the red cards between them to check your poker hand again. Now you can simply take the red cards with your left hand and lay them face down on the table as your right hand withdraws and reposes to the edge of the table.

The fluidity of the move will not come without prac-tice. Have faith, though, for its appearance is most casual and deceptive. Remember, the onlookers only see you spread a packet of cards, square them, turn them face down, transfer two to the bottom, and then spread them again. You merely seem to be toying with the cards while you’re waiting for the next bet. Also, the switch is almost retentive (in a psychological way), since the back of the packet never seems to leave the audience’s sight.

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Armed & Ready

Figure 1

here was a brief time, when a gallon of gasoline cost less than a day’s wages, during which it seemed everyone was spending much of their time balancing coins on their elbows. The challenge was, ostensibly, to bring the arm down and catch the coins in midair. Increasing the number of coins in the stack made the feat pro-portionally more difficult, until at last it became nearly impossible to balance the coins at all, let alone catch them. The greater challenge may have been to avoid looking foolish while doing it, but finally the fad subsided, along with disco, wide lapels, and good customer service.

Roger Klause, ever eager to throw the boys for a loop, began doing the stunt on occasion—except for a minor variation: After adeptly catching the coins, which clinked solidly as he snatched them from the air, he opened his hand to show it completely empty. The coins had vanished! His presentation has necessarily changed with the times, evolving from “Have you tried the stunt where . . . ?” to “Remember

when people used to . . . ?”

This is John’s variation on Roger’s effect—one of transformation instead of a vanish. Here, when you catch the quarters in the air, you

open your hand to reveal a cluster of pennies instead. The effect is strong and sure to surprise.

To prepare, obtain three quarters and three pennies, some magician’s wax and an instant bonding glue, such as “Krazy Glue.” On two of the quarters, place a small dab of magicians’ wax on one side. Put these quarters, separated, in your right trouser pocket. Now take the third quarter and glue it to your left arm just above your elbow (Figure 1). Use a very small amount of glue and no one gets hurt. Don’t worry, it can be removed later with nail polish remover or some acetone-based solvent (if you happen to have skin allergies to these chemical

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com-pounds, please don’t send us your medical bills). The pennies go in your left pants pocket. Roll your sleeves down, button your cuffs, and you’re ready.

Later, when you’re hanging around (preferably next to a sign that says “No Loitering”), tell your prospec-tive audience that you would like to show them an amaz-ing stunt. Unbutton your cuffs and roll both sleeves up

one turn only. Push your right sleeve up past your elbow;

your left arm won’t come into play until later.

Place each hand into your pants pockets, searching for change. Take all three pennies in your left hand, holding them loosely in fingerpalm. As this hand comes out, your right hand brings one of the quarters into view. Take this coin at your left fingertips as you raise your right arm in “cocked” position (Figure 2). Place the quarter on your arm just above your elbow.

When ready, snap your right arm out, catching the coin in the air. The best way to ensure success is to spring from the knees slightly just before the snap. This will cause the coin to move upward a little, suspending it in the air long enough for you to make your catch.

Say, “I can even do it left-handed!” Take the quarter again with your left fingers and use your right hand to push (not roll) your left sleeve up past your elbow. Turn to your left slightly and take the quarter with your right hand as you bring your left arm up. As it rises, your right hand comes to meet it, to prevent the quarter already there from coming into view too early. Pretend to place the quarter on your arm and bring your hand away, show-ing the glued quarter instead. The waxed quarter is concealed in your relaxed right hand and your left arm appears ready to catch the coin on its elbow.

Say, “I’ll even make it more difficult.” Reach in your pocket with your right hand and apparently remove another quarter, really bringing forth the one hidden in your hand. Place this coin onto the quarter on your elbow, firmly fixing the two with the wax. Reach in your pocket again and bring out the third quarter, placing it delicately on the stack. As you do, press the coins together so all three now bond to each other.

Spring and snap your left arm out as if catching the coins. The pennies in your hand create the perfect sound of catching the coins. Bring your right hand in front of you, palm up, and pour the pennies from your otherwise empty left hand. At this point, since your right side mainly faces the audience, you can turn the left hand over to show both sides (Figure 3). You will find that your arm will not turn nearly as much as your hand, and the quarters will remain safely concealed behind. To end, lower your left arm, which will allow your sleeve to fall down, covering the quarters. Button your cuffs again and you have all the time in the world to clean up later at your convenience.

Figure 2

The Award- Winning Magic of John Cornelius

The Award-Winning

Magic of John Cornelius

The Award-Winning

Magic of John Cornelius

Written by Lance Pierce

Photographs by Anne White

Design & Composition by Andrew J. Pinard

L & L Publishing

Contents

Foreword

Baby Boom

Prints Valiant

Passages

KnotSoTuff

The Fan Steal

Flicker

Fold-A-Card

Peeping Tom

The Master Cut

The Apprentice Cut

The Oh, Calcutta! Shuffle

Spring Set

The Winter Change

Go For Go Switch

Armed & Ready