John Cornelius magic trick

Prints Valiant

ere is a clever idea that allows you to make an impression on your customers seemingly without any planning on your part. Basically, 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, holding 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. 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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Figure 1

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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 placing 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.

The Award-Winning Magic of John Cornelius

Roughly Mental

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/facedown 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 balance 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. Bits

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