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F EBRUARY 2007
T HIS
MONTH ’ S
S POTLIGHT :
In This Issue:
Greg Arce Contents: 1 This Month’s Spotlight 2 Emotion-All 7 Greg Arce’s Mind 9 STP 14 Hummer Bill 16 Square Peg 18 Magic Wonder- A Rant 20 Bomb Roulette 22 Jheffsmind
Jheff’s Journal of the Mind, Volume 1, Issue 1. Printed in the U.S.A. Journal of the Mind is published six times a year for member of the Marketplace Membership Club Layout and design by Matthew Schouten. Copyright © 2007 All rights reserved by the authors. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the copyright owner.
Email:
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GREG ARCE I first met Greg Arce (pronounced “ar’see,” like the cola) a few years ago at the Magic Castle. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Greg astonish audiences as he performs impromptu shows at the Magic Castle. And it was about that time that Greg posted frequently on internet forums and shared his invaluable advice and routines. He quickly became a highly respected creator. Greg is a very generous individual who always has something unique, creative, and valuable to say. He’s certainly one of the most prolific creators in mentalism and I’m certainly honored that he is a friend. Greg has worked with Kenton Knepper and Keith Barry on the latter’s recent TV specials. He’s also advised, and contributed material to, many other performers. He’s published quite a few e-books of material (which are sampled in this newsletter). Two of his most astonishing achievements are The Freestyle Book Test (with Frederico Luduena) and Cash Out. The Freestyle Book Test is an original and invaluable concept to gimmick books that describes how to turn any book into a personalized powerhouse routine. Cash Out is a devious, utilitarian index system for the working mentalist. This month, Greg is releasing to the general public a number of his earlier works, plus some new stuff, in physical form, as opposed to the earlier e-books. His first two books, Deep Thought and Simple-Minded, contain what many consider to be Greg’s finest effects. Some of the effects he’s noted for, and that he still performs, are contained in there. Two effects from those books, Emotion-All and STP, are included in this issue. Also included are the Hummer Bill and Square Peg effects that were bonus routines in the Cash Out manuscript. Another recent book of his, Lost in Thought, is a huge compendium of material that is insightful and useful to the working mentalist. Bomb Roulette and Magic Wonder – A Rant, which is an incredibly topical essay, are both included here.
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“EMOTION-ALL” from DEEP THOUGHT Believe it or not, this I feel is the strongest effect in here. I’m going to be putting it up front because if you don’t like it then I’m probably not going to do well in your eyes. I came up with this when I was thinking about my acting life. I trained in Florida as an actor and graduated with a degree in theater. I’ve done more plays than I can count and wouldn’t even try counting the amount of scenes and monologues I’ve attempted. Like most of my effects, I came up with it just sitting around in my apartment wondering what I could do. The thought hit me fast and I put it together in minutes. Let me warn you up front: If you have trouble with very strong acting skills then this is not for you. If you are not in touch with your emotions then this is not for you. If you are afraid to possibly cry in front of your audience… well, then go buy some Tenyo because this is not for you. The same night that I created it I went right to The Castle and ended up trying it out in the Museum room… it was just six other magicians and myself… no real audience. When I finished there were shocked looks and murmurs of “What the @#%$* was that!!!”
THE WHAT You display a bunch of blank cards that have words printed on them… each card has one word. The words are all related to emotions or states of being like HATE, LOVE, DESIRE, SLEEPY, etc. You display a few of these cards and talk about the various emotions. You explain that several people will randomly get an emotion and they are to take their time and try to conjure up thoughts and feelings that will bring that emotion into them. They do this privately as you turn away. You ask if they are ready, and when they are, you turn around and grab one of the spectator’s hands. You ask them to feel their emotion. Think about a situation that got them there. Slowly, YOU start to bring up the emotion in yourself. Many times the person you are holding onto gets startled or cries out or just starts to laugh as the emotion is transferred. You get four emotions… each one getting stronger than the next until you end up in tears.
THE HOW The method for knowing the various emotions is so simple I’m sure many of you will come up with other ways of getting the words. All I did was make a bank of about thirty cards… although the first three emotions that are at the face of the pack show as DESIRE, HATE & LOVE… in reality those are the only different emotions in the Greg Arce’s Deep Thought is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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pack. The rest of the emotions are actually a bank of four emotions that repeat about five times. The emotions are: FEAR-TIRED-LAUGHING-CRYING… but here is the key… each set of four just has synonyms for those words so you can casually spread and different words are seen. So for FEAR the other words are: TENSE, NERVOUS, AFRAID, FRIGHTENED…for TIRED you have: SLEEPY, EXHAUSTED, DROWSY, WEARY… for LAUGHING you have: SILLY, FUNNY, COMICAL, GIGGLE… for CRYING you have: TEARFUL, SORROWFUL, SOBBING, WEEPING. As you can see, different words are used, but they basically mean the same thing or will put someone into a general atmosphere. I don’t mind that some people have gotten various other meanings to certain words and they have not felt that I got the right emotion, but when the word is shown to the rest of the audience they all agree I got it. The two emotions or feelings I made sure had more exact meaning with their main words were the last two: LAUGHING & CRYING. I want everyone to be on the same page _____________________ with those emotions… and they are the strongest that I recreate.
“While studying I learned about Sense Memory. It is the way that actors can bring up emotions.”
My original set of cards was simply handwritten on blank faced Bicycle cards. When I did my stage show, I used a large font and then printed the words on heavy card stock. Each word was printed on a piece of card stock that was about 3 by 10 inches.
So you pull out the packet of cards and start to talk about emotions. Here’s my patter, but try to change it for your own style: “I studied acting many years ago. While studying I learned about Sense Memory. ____________________ It is the way that actors can bring up emotions. Now I’m sure most people think that if you have to be sad then all you do is think about the time your friend died in the hospital. Well, yes… that could work, but it might not work the way you think. What you have to do is try and remember all the details about that day. Think back to that experience. If you do, you might find that when you remember that day there was a weird ashtray next to his bed… well, the thought of that ashtray might bring on the tears. Or maybe you remember that on the drive to the hospital there was a specific tune playing on the radio like Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head… now when you remember that song while driving that day… then that brings up the emotion.” “So it’s not that easy. In a few moments I’m going to have some of you pick emotions from this pack. (I display some of the cards as I talk) I wrote down about thirty emotions or words that bring on feelings that I’m good at receiving.” “Let me explain though, when you get an emotion like DESIRE (I show this card) it’s too easy to think ‘I desire a new pair of shoes’ No! You have to go deeper. You have to think things like ‘I desire my ex back. And I’m going to wait in the bushes… outside her apartment… and wait for her new boyfriend… WITH A HIGH-POWERED RIFLE!!!’ Not that I do that.” This little speech gets a laugh because I really get overly excited about doing damage to that boyfriend and it gets funnier when I suddenly break out of character to say, “Not that I do that.” Back to the patter: “So let’s see what happens. I’m going to try to use all women here because they usually are (Continued on page 5)
Greg Arce’s Deep Thought is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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LIMITED SPECIAL AVAILABILITY Greg's first book that took the mentalism fraternity by storm... 7 powerhouse routines and effects contained within 52-pages that are easy to perform and highly commercial. Some of the effects included are: EMOTION-ALL - The performer recreates the emotions spectator's are feeling. ADAM'S PREDICTION - A cute and very entertaining nailwriting routine, but still has a big surprise at the end. DATE ME - The easy Calendar/Card routine around. With this method you'll be able to use your cards and any calendar and you can make it stage size... practically self-working once you make the initial set up. SCORCH & FLOATER - Two equivoque routines that allow any performer to get the spectators to name the one card that is in an envelope or inside of a balloon... this one regularly destroys audiences! "DEEP THOUGHT contains some very powerful and commercial pieces of mental theater. The Balloon trick is worth its weight in gold. I predict thoughtful performers from all over will consider adding at least one of these pieces to their working repertaire, and novices will benifit from seeing how powerful mentalsim is constructed." - Brad Henderson, author of The Dance "Beware when Greg Arce puts on his thinking cap... weird surprises await you!" - Paolo Cavalli, author of UPSILON "I love EVERYTHING you have to say about mentalism." - Larry Becker, godfather of mentalism
$27 from Jheff’s Marketplace of the Mind ($30 Suggested Retail Price)
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(Continued from page 3)
more in touch with their emotions. Sorry guys. (I turn to the nearest woman to my left) Please cut the pack like you would do cards.” She does and I deal out the next four cards, from left to right, to the women upfront. I turn around as I say, “Okay, pick up your emotions and read them. Don’t show them to anyone or let anyone see them. Try to bring up those emotions. Sometimes it takes thinking about a personal experience, sometimes it’s a song, or a TV show, or a movie or maybe a story someone told you… use whatever you can to get you there.”
_____________________
“This is so strong that I ended the first act of my stage show with it.”
As I turned around I gathered the cards and put them away. I casually glance the bottom card and now know what emotion every woman has gotten. If you see the four basic emotions as a cyclical order of 1-2-3-4 and if you see the third emotion (LAUGHING) then you know that the first person on your left has the fourth emotion (CRYING) and the second person has the first emotion (FEAR), third person has TIRED and so on.
____________________
I used to mark the back of the cards so I knew what everyone was getting, but I found it much easier to put everything away and look at the bottom card to see where I was in the stack. Now, a bit about my order… I want the emotions to go in this pattern: FEAR-TIRED-LAUGHING-CRYING. Why? Well, for one it has a built-in dramatic rise. FEAR is usually the one that is not actually understood at first as often, but once they turn their card over the audience and the other spectators realize where I’m going and what it will look like. Second reason, personally I have an easier time bringing up LAUGHTER then that takes me into CRYING without a problem. But third, you can see how dramatic it is to end crying. Tears flowing. Sobbing. Trying to control yourself. I’ve had some of the women cry along with me. I’ve had the woman who gets this emotion go deeper into it when I start bringing it up myself. This is so strong that I ended the first act of my stage show with it. I had four women come down to the foot of the stage and encircle me. A big group hug. As I got each person’s emotion, I would let them go from the group, until the last lady remained. After the crying emotion, I would send away everyone for an intermission… as if I needed some time to calm down. A couple of times a lady or two approached me as the intermission started to ask if I was all right. You can’t get that feeling from Mental Epic. So back to the action & once again to explain: My stack runs in a 1-2-3-4 pattern, which correlates to the emotions FEAR-TIRED-LAUGHING-CRYING. In this case, I now know that the second lady from my left has the FEAR emotion card because the first lady to my left has the CRYING card so I go to FEAR first. I say, “Please give me your hand… not the one holding the card. Are you in your emotion? Good.” Here comes the acting… as soon as I grab her hand an emotion hits me… I start to breathe heavily… I say, “I’m getting what is known as the flight or fight syndrome… my heart is beating faster (I grab at my chest)… it’s like I want to get out… this is dangerous… I shouldn’t be here… oh, boy… does this make sense?” Jan/Feb Marketplace Specials: Free-Style Book Test and Lost in Thought 20% off the suggested retail price! www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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The lady will usually say Yes and then I’ll have her show her emotion card. Most people applaud when they see that card because they now realize I was right… in some way. In this case, I will now turn to the third lady from my left because she has the TIRED card. I go through the same process… I then say, “My eyes are getting red… I’m feeling like I want to take a nap… I used to work for a touring firm and sometimes had to drive for two days straight and I feel that way now… like I just want to close my eyes and take a nap on the table. What is your emotion?” And they show something like SLEEPY… applause. Let me add that in the middle of my speech I bring up a yawn… that always gets the person who has the emotion card. Now, I go to the person to my extreme right who has the LAUGHING card. I go through the same process of holding their hand, but I say nothing. Slowly, I start to laugh. I bring up a hysterical laugh that usually gets others going and the person who has the emotion usually joins in. This is a very funny moment and I play it up. Not only is it strong that I got the correct emotion without saying a word, but it’s good theater that now the crowd is laughing. She shows her card and it reads SILLY or one of the other words. I usually say to her, “You’re good! I like that one!” I continue to try and bring my laughing down, but it seems to take over. I go to the last person, on my extreme left, because she has the CRYING card and I hold onto her, but suddenly break away and laugh. I say, “Oh, man… it’s too good. Let me get out of this first.” I go through what looks like a private mental routine to release the last emotion and then get back to the last person. Well, this last person, with the CRYING card, I take much more time with. No words are spoken at first because the audience will see my eyes getting red, and my body trembling a bit… they can see that this is a deep emotion. From time to time the tears will flow, but sometimes I just have to act it… but I’m pretty good at that so I go with it. I blubber the words out, “This is dark. Not a good thing. If I stayed here you would have to see a really big guy bawling like a baby… what’s your emotion?” She holds up SORROWFUL and the applause comes in. It isn’t over. When I did my stage show I ended the first act this way, but stayed in that emotion for a bit so they could see it was real. When I do this close up I usually reach for another item to do as I say, “Great way feel, huh? Let me do something that’s not that dark.” As I start to set up or pick up the other items I stay in that emotion… sometimes I stay long enough that as I start the other effect I’m still on the verge of tears so I have to stop and control myself. When it plays this way it’s very strong. Believe me, this is very strong. HINTS: You don’t have to do the emotions I’ve given you in this order and you could pick ones that fit your style. When I did my stage act I had a larger set of emotions, but I made sure that in every four there was one that dealt with tears to end strong. In that case, it was not a rotating cycle of four, but twenty or so different emotions. I would take the peek on the bottom of the pack as I put the emotion cards away then dropped the cards into my bag… inside the bag was a crib sheet of all the emotions so now I had to memorize, quickly, the four that were now out there. I’ve also thought about doing a version where people are just given out cards to write in an emotion then either Greg Arce’s Deep Thought is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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doing one of the many brilliant peeks or billet switches or center tears to get the words. It would be cool not knowing what you’re going to get on any given night, but it would be much harder to control the built in drama or revelations or the possibilities of duplicate emotions. By the way, the idea of doing any emotions would work well with one of the impression devices like Kopy Kat or Invisible Assistants. You would hand the device over to four people and have them write out one emotion each, but as they pass it along tell them not to do the same emotion as anyone else. This allows for a different emotion for each. Let them keep the page then get the peek and go into your psychodrama.
Greg Arce’s Mind Greg and I meet frequently at the Magic Castle. He actually lives within a stone’s distance of the place. So it was easy for me to ask him a few questions while hanging out with him one night. I began by asking him why he decided to share his material and produce his latest book, Lost in Thought. “That's an interesting question because I have no concrete answer. The closest thing I can say is that my brain is full of ideas, methods, and presentations and if I don't get them out then I get bogged down with these ideas. I like playing around with them and having friends try them out and then, at times, I'm done with them. I come up with a lot of stuff that doesn't end up fitting my persona and style, but it might fit others so that's one reason I put it out there. “I like to put out books that contain a wide variety of effects and methods. I like doing that so that everyone can find something that might fit their needs. I've hated, in the past, reading a book that only has one specific take on magic or mentalism and then it ends up being something I can't use at all. I'd rather give the buyer a smorgasbord of effects so they can pick and choose what they need or what will fit in their act.” Then I asked him the big question. “What makes mentalism attractive to you as a performance art form? “Personally, I've done all types of magic and loved them all, but when I started focusing on just mentalism I just found I had affinity for it. It just felt right. I think it was all my training and life in the theater that helped. Being a trained actor I was able to make the audience believe in what I was doing because I believed it while I performed. Using my acting techniques I always go in front of the audience with the "Magic If" system playing in my head. Basically, if what I'm doing is real or works with the methods I claim I do then what would it feel like and what it would look like... and then I do it.” Being an experienced performer, Greg continuously keeps me amused by some of his experiences. I asked him to share some? “The most embarrassing thing didn't happen while doing mentalism, but I had many fire effects go wrong in the past. When I was a teenager I had a dove act and within it I did a lot of fire stuff. I once almost burnt down a stage with a finale vanish of a Pagoda filled with doves. I overdid the amount of flashpaper and it kind of looked like an H-bomb test when it went off. In mentalism I've had many things go wrong, but I don't care. I've noticed that whenever something goes wrong the audience believes more in what I'm doing. In magic you have to find the card, but in mentalism just getting close is good enough. That's what so amazing about what the audience perceives when they watch a good mentalism show. You can be wrong and it works in your favor.” Jan/Feb Marketplace Specials: Free-Style Book Test and Lost in Thought 20% off the suggested retail price! www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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Who or what inspired your mentalism when you began your exploration of the craft? “Uri Geller first got me interested in it because I was in my early teens when he was popular and, although I performed magic, I believed he was the real thing. It shocked me when I found out some of the methods. I was also fooled by Kreskin when I was growing up. Later on, as I studied a bit more, I got into all of Max Maven's stuff and fell in love with 13 Steps to Mentalism.” So, besides Kreskin, Max Maven, and Uri Geller, are there any mentalists you’ve seen recently that have influenced you? “Marc Salem truly made me want to do this fully and give up all my magic ways. His show was marvelous.” What advice would you give to those starting out doing mentalism? “Read, read, read, read, read, read.... oh, and read.” And to those who are experienced in mentalism? “Read some more... oh, and try to play around with all the methods out there because you never know which one will work for you. And try to perform as much as possible to keep your skill levels up. Our field requires us to be on our mental toes when performing so it's best to keep doing what your doing to as many different groups as possible.” I asked Greg what he saw as the biggest problem facing mentalists today and how he thought it could be solve
_____________________
“Everyone has this sense of entitlement... like just because they exist they deserve to know every secret out there.” ____________________
“The internet. It's just too easy for anybody to get the information now. Everyone has this sense of entitlement... like just because they exist they deserve to know every secret out there. And on top of that they don't feel the need to learn the basic steps. They get a nailwriter and suddenly they want to know everything... without putting in the work. I don’t think there is a solution. Unfortunately it's going to get worse. I think the only thing that will work is going deeper underground with certain information and making good effects very costly. I was part of the team that originally put out the Devil's Cola Bottle and many people screamed that it was way overpriced and that they would find out the secret and duplicate it. None did. The secret is still safe because those who bought it had a professional mindset and paid a high price for it... plus we made them sign confidentiality agreements. I think those high standards are what are needed with many of the secrets that are just too good to be given with the click of a computer button.”
Jan/Feb Marketplace Specials: Free-Style Book Test and Lost in Thought 20% off the suggested retail price! www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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STP from SIMPLE-MINDED The first time I saw Martin Lewis’ Technicolor Prediction I fell in love with its simplicity and its built-in humor. What I didn’t like was the need for that extra prop… the wooden piece that allows you to make the switch. I wanted to do something a bit cleaner and organic, but keep the same feel. Here’s where it gets weird: I got the idea one night and immediately put the pieces together. I tried it out for the next several days at The Castle. It worked. Then one of the other magicians came up to me and said, “Hey, this is similar to that Max Maven thing he put out.” Oh, no! I went to the Internet and looked it up. Sure enough, Max had put out a similar premise and look to the same effect… it even had a tagline that was almost identical to the one I had just created. What to do? Well, killing Max was out of the question… who could find a silver bullet that fast? So I asked him. Guess what? He said it was different enough that he had no problem with me putting it out. You have to love that widow’s peak performer! So through the kindness of the Maven, I present my Simple Technicolor Prediction… or STP.
THE WHAT The performer displays three envelopes marked A, B & C. He drops these envelopes onto the table, in front of the spectators. “I’m going to try a little game of suggestion. I want to see if I can guess, in advance, which of these envelopes you will decide on. Will it be envelope A or envelope B or envelope U?” This last call provides a laugh because you have casually dropped the last envelope so that the C is on its side and looks like a U instead. You correct the error by turning the envelope around so the C shows correctly. “Oh, it’s a C… my bad. Well, young lady, decide… maybe I want you to pick the A envelope because it’s the closest to you, or maybe I want you to touch B because it’s dead center… or, maybe that little joke with the letter U was a way of me giving more attention to that envelope. Decide.” Let’s say she picks B. You pick it up and open the envelope and drop a small slip that is inside… nothing else drops out… and the spectators can clearly see that it is empty. “A wise choice. Open up my prediction and see what it says.” She opens up the small slip and reads it out loud. It says, “You will pick Envelope B.”
Greg Arce’s Simple Minded is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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The usual laughs come. “Well, it’s not much of a prediction, but it is correct. You can’t fight me on that. Sir, will you please choose between A & U… uh, C.” The gentleman points to C, let’s say. You open that envelope just as cleanly and pour out the contents. One slip falls out… the envelope is seen empty. “I wait with anticipation for your prediction.” The man opens his slip and it reads, “You will pick Envelope C.” “Well, two for two. Can’t get any better than that. I guess this one is mine.” The performer picks up the remaining envelope, A, and opens it up. He pours out the slip into his hand, but this slip is already slightly different… a bit bigger and there is some writing already visible. The performer shows the inside of that envelope and it too is empty.
_____________________
“What? You don’t trust me? Have I ever lied to you before?” ____________________
He opens up the slip and it reads, “The lady will pick the B envelope, the gentleman picks the C envelope and I have the A envelope.” The performer stands there displaying the slip as he gets a round of applause. He notices someone either making a comment or looking suspiciously at his prediction. “Oh, you feel something else is written on the back.” The performer looks at the back of the paper as he says, “What? You don’t trust me? Have I ever lied to you before?” After saying the line above, the performer turns the paper around and that exact comment is printed on the back. Hold for laughs.
THE HOW As I said, this is a very simple take on this particular effect, but it is all self-contained and there are no extra visible parts… maybe a few hidden ones. You need to first make up slips. There will be nine in total. Three of them will long enough that when you fold them they will be about an inch square. The other six will be slightly larger so they look a bit different when they fall out of the envelopes. On the three that are the smallest, you will print the following, in as big of font as possible, “You will pick envelope A.” & “You will pick envelope B.” & “You will pick envelope C.” Each of those slips will be folded down then placed into their named envelopes. The other slips are a bit more complicated. Greg Arce’s Simple Minded is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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On the larger slips you will need to print all of these predictions: “The lady will pick the A envelope, the gentleman picks the B envelope, and I have the C envelope.” “The lady will pick the B envelope, the gentleman picks the A envelope, and I have the C envelope.” “The lady will pick the C envelope, the gentleman picks the B envelope, and I have the A envelope.” “The lady will pick the B envelope, the gentleman picks the C envelope, and I have the A envelope.” “The lady will pick the A envelope, the gentleman will pick the C envelope, and I have the B envelope.” “The lady will pick the C envelope, the gentleman will have the A envelope, and I have the B envelope.” On the back of all those slips you will print the same funny line: “What? You don’t trust me? Have I ever lied to you before?” Okay, now all the slips are done so it’s time to make up the envelopes. You will need six of them and I use the size that is 3 by 5, but you can make them smaller or larger, and change the size of the slips accordingly. You are going to cut three of the envelopes so that they fit into the other uncut envelopes. Each cut envelope is made as follows: Slice off the top of the envelope so you’ve removed the flap. Then slice about 1/16 of an inch or less from each of the long sides of the envelope. You want to take off just enough so that the envelope is now just two pieces held together by the bottom edge. This insert should look like a large three dimensional V shape when you open it up. Jam one of these large Vs into one of the whole envelopes… bottom edge going towards the bottom of the whole envelope. If you’ve cut it just right you will now have an envelope that has four walls to it… two on the outside and two on the inside. Make sure that this inner insert is snug inside the envelope. Also, see if the edge of the inner V, at the top, peeks over the top edge of the full envelope… it should barely be visible… just enough to lightly grab with your nail or finger. If it’s longer than that then remove this V and shave off some more from the top. I’m sure by looking inside you can now see that we have created three areas inside the envelope where you can place three different slips. Now make up the other two whole envelopes the exact same way so you end up with three envelopes that have three partitions inside of them. Mark each envelope with a large letter on the outside: A, B, & C. Now, let’s get back to the slips. There is a pattern as to how they go into each envelope. The slips are actually divided into three sets. Okay, this is how I decided on how to divide each of my envelopes for their various predictions, but you might want to play around with it and decide on another variation. (Continued on page 13)
Greg Arce’s Simple Minded is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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LIMITED SPECIAL AVAILABILITY Greg's second jam-packed book was another rousing success... within its 73-pages are 10 explosive routines you can put to use right away... Greg reveals the complete details of many items taken directly from his own celebrated act, including: POINTILISM - A drawing duplication effect for those who don't like peeks or switches or pre-show work. It has a very "free-will" feel to it, while being sneaky as hell! (Greg, should have marketed this on its own, but it's all detailed in this book). THINK THAT TUNE - This is an idea based on Pointilism,however, the effect is totally different. Basically, you predict the song a spectator will play: the spectator comes up and plays a song on an xylophone, and SOMEONE ELSE comes up to guess the name of the song. When you pick up your prediction, it has the name of the song, the spectator's name and how many notes it took before they got the song. AWE-SOME TOTAL - Based on Larry Becker's work. The audience are shown a small paper bag onstage; inside is a calculator and some slips of paper. The audience then calls out numbers, eventually creating a six-digit number. Then someone comes up and adds the numbered slips in the gift bag - the total is the same as the just-created six-digit number. No forcing, no switching. No trick calculator. The numbers on the slips can change every night you do it AND can be examined before the effect begins. Amazing - This has blown away magicians and other mentalists, even those who know Becker's routine! "Thanks once again, Greg, always fascinated by your thinking. Really cool stuff. I like the map idea a lot by the way. And, yes, I think indeed it could be manufactured. I like your version of Sum total as well. Very, very nice." - Banachek
$27 from Jheff’s Marketplace of the Mind ($30 Suggested Retail Price)
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(Continued from page 11)
Let’s all hold one envelope the same way so we know what’s going on: Pick up one envelope and pop open the envelope. Hold this envelope in your right hand so that the flap side of the envelope is against your palm and the other side, without the flap, is away from your palm. If you look inside while holding it this way you can count the four walls of the envelope. Let’s call the wall that is furthest to the left and away from your palm as Wall 1, then the wall to the right of that is Wall 2, and further right is Wall 3 and the last wall, which is against our palm and has the flap is Wall 4. In Envelope A, between Wall 4 and Wall 3 drop the slip that reads: “You will pick Envelope A.” In Envelope A, between Wall 3 & Wall 2 drop the slip that reads: “The lady will pick the C envelope, the gentleman picks the B envelope, and I have the A envelope.” In Envelope A, between Wall 2 & Wall 1 drop the slip that reads: “The lady will pick the B envelope, the gentleman picks the C envelope, and I have the A envelope.” In Envelope B, between Wall 4 and Wall 3 drop the slip that reads: “You will pick Envelope B.” In Envelope B, between Wall 3 & Wall 2 drop the slip that reads: “The lady will pick the C envelope, the gentleman picks the A envelope and I have the B envelope.” In Envelope B, between Wall 2 & Wall 1 drop the slip that reads: “The lady will pick the A envelope, the gentleman picks the C envelope, and I have the B envelope.” In Envelope C, between Wall 4 and Wall 3 drop the slip that reads: “You will pick Envelope C.” In Envelope C, between Wall 3 & Wall 2 drop the slip that reads: “The lady will pick the B envelope, the gentleman picks the A envelope, and I have the C envelope.” In Envelope C, between Wall 2 & Wall 1 drop the slip that reads: “The lady will pick the A envelope, the gentleman picks the B envelope, and I have the C envelope.” So, depending on which area you open, two slips will be wedged between walls and will not fall out or be seen. For example, if the lady first picks Envelope C, you pop open Wall 4 & Wall 3 of that envelope and let the slip fall out… the other two slips remain hidden and wedged in their walls. Here’s a tip: You know that you will be opening up Wall 4 & Wall 3 on at least two of the envelopes in the beginning so bend those walls on each envelope so that they are the easiest to open each time. Now, in this example, the gentleman then picks Envelope A, so pop open that envelope at Wall 4 & Wall 3 and let that slip fall out. You are left with Envelope B. You have plenty of time to get ready because most people are chuckling at the dumb predictions. In this case, you need to get in between Wall 3 & Wall 2 so just dig your nail in that area and separate the walls. You can then pop the envelope and let the slip fall out… the other two slips will be wedged inside. Greg Arce’s Simple Minded is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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Here’s another tip: To make these walls easier to get to simply cut off just a bit of the back edge of that initial V shape you made so that Wall 3 is a bit shorter than Wall 2. It will be easier to push open these walls because it now works like a very small Svengali deck. Oh, there is kind of a memory thing I did so I could easily remember which wall to get to for the end. I always track what the lady takes first. If you noticed, in each envelope, the lady’s first choice is the earliest in the alphabet between Walls 1 & 2. If the choices are between C & A and she picked C then her choice will fall between Walls 2 & 3, but if she picked A then it’s between Walls 1 & 2… so on and so on for each envelope. Of course, you can come up with any way that you feel comfortable with in order to remember where the correct predictions are situated. Of course, when you get to the end of this effect you will pull out a slip that is slightly larger, and because you have printed the funny line in the back, they will immediately see some writing as you try to open this slip. This is the time to act a little suspicious. You want someone to wonder what’s on the other side. Once again, I’d like to thank Max Maven for allowing me to put into print an effect and ending that is similar to his version.
HUMMER BILL from CASH OUT Doing the Hummer principle using three cups to find where a spectator has placed his rolled up dollar bill. What I think I've added is another step to the revelation under the cup and a new addition when revealing the serial numbers. Okay, in the Hummer effect I use three Styrofoam cups, but I also use the small plastic set of Cups & balls that are red, blue and yellow. I've marked each Styrofoam cup with a different mark and I put the plastic cups in blue, red and yellow order near cards that are marked 1, 2 & 3. I tell the spectator to pull out a dollar bill and roll it into a small ball. I tell them they are to place the bill under any plastic cup then cover the cup with the Styrofoam cup then cover the other two cups. I then show them how they are to move cups around while my back is turned and how people will call out numbers to switch. I always start by tracking position one which has the blue cup... the color cups start in blue, red and yellow order as that is the alphabetical progression so it is easy to remember. At the end I can not only tell them what cup they put the bill under, but also the color. I do it in stages as if I'm getting a feeling when I pass my hands over the cups. So the color part gets an extra reaction. Now for the bill. I've switched it early in the routine: sometimes as I explain what to do I have the rolled up duplicate and just switch it like a cups and balls routine. Sometimes I do it as a Cash Out is available directly from Greg Arce at:
www.freestylebooktest.com/cashout
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little joke by dropping their bill into the upturned cups and saying, "That's a nice tip... does anyone have another dollar?" As I apparently roll out their bill I really let mine drop out. Okay, so the bill is switched early and the go through the process of moving the cups around. After I've revealed the cup and color, I have them take their bill and unroll it. I have them stare at the number, but say, "Most bills have some letters before and after the number but sometimes they have double letters like AA... is yours a single letter before and after." They say yes. Now depending on what the letters are I do one of several things. I'll give last night's example: The first letter was F so I said, "Okay, it's _____________________ easier for me to get the letter if you think of a strong image. Let's see, can you use that letter to come up with a male name? Something short that you can repeat over and over?" They say yes. I start to work at getting the name... now I know the most common name here will either be Frank or Fred so I start by throwing out "I think I'm getting an R... is there an R?" They said yes so then I went for the E and got it and I was home free. I then get Fred and call out, "So the first letter is ____________________ F?" This extra divination of the name is a bonus effect. In this example the last letter in the serial number was E so I tried, "Okay, can you use the last letter to, hmm, let's see, think of the name of a famous performer we would all know... someone in the entertainment world. Do you have one? Well, I was able to get Elvis and that got a strong reaction. After doing that I got the numbers... which I usually try to be off slightly like turn two around... 41 instead of 14.
“This extra divination of the name is a bonus effect. ”
Other letter ideas I've used were things like one bill had an L so I said "Can you think of the name of an animal that starts with this letter?" I then proceeded to get Lion. With the letter A I had them think of a fruit and got apple. As you can see you can use the letters to get you small set of words that can try to receive and it will give you a bonus effect. The cool thing about this is if you don't get the thought of word you can still get the main letter and it still looks like a hit when you reveal the whole serial number. Anyway, I've talked to several of the guys at The Castle and no one could recall someone using the color cup addition to the Hummer effect or the letter idea I use so I hope it's new... but I'm sure I'll find out it's just something old I've reinvented. I hope it's of some value to someone out there.
SQUARE PEG from CASH OUT
This was an ending I came up for Shoot Ogawa. Shoot was going to do a demonstration in Japan and wanted something a bit different. The weird thing is that he liked the idea, but realized it didn’t fit his style. So now you can use it if you so desire. You do the normal magic square, but at the end you explain that people think that all those numbers can be shown to be any number. They feel that it’s just some mathematical trick that works no matter what number is called out. Cash Out is available directly from Greg Arce at:
www.freestylebooktest.com/cashout
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You say, “This can only be your number… look.” You erase the numbers and square and what’s left is a large version of their number like 37. How: You make the square grid with permanent marker then when you are trying to get their number you use erasable marker to go over certain areas of the grid to make them erase later so that the grid that is left shows their number in a large version. When you go over permanent marker with an erasable one it makes the permanent markings erasable also. So either you can get the number via pre-show and set up your grid so that when it erases only certain sections of the grid are permanent and show that number. Or, have the grid visible and drawn with permanent marker then get a peek at their number via an impression device, center tear or billet move and start to write in the numbers in the square with an erasable marker. As you write in the numbers you trace over certain areas of the grid to make them erasable. You leave only parts of the grid that will form their number when everything is erased. If you look at the magic square grid as digital numbers you’ll see how erasing certain edges or angles will get you all the various combinations of numbers. Look at the grid and forget the four crosses that are at upper right and left & lower right and left… those will always be removed and made erasable. . Just see the grid as a large box that is divided in four. If you were to erase the long left edge then bottom of the right most edge, you will end up with a large number 37 showing. Beolow I’ve made a magic square grid to show what would happen when you erase the numbers and some of the lines. In this example even the thinner lines would have been erased so that you are left with the thicker 37:
Try a few numbers and you’ll soon start to see how to from any number called for or formed in the Magic Square. I should try to be as complete as possible as I know some have never attempted a Magic Square routine so what follows will be the basics of making one. As you will see below, I’ve constructed one magic square. Here is the formula: In the box marked X you will end up putting in your key number that is gotten by subtracting 21 from the number your spectator has written down. Jan/Feb Marketplace Specials: Free-Style Book Test and Lost in Thought 20% off the suggested retail price! www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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It is best to get him to give you a number between 25 and 100. So your key number will be whatever number you end up once you subtract 21 from the spectator’s number… in the case of 37 you will put 16 in the box marked X. Now you will start adding one to that number to fill in the rest of the X boxes. You can see that at the second box from the upper left it shows X + 1 so that will equal 17, then the box marked X + 2 will have you putting 18 there. Finally in the box marked X + 3 you will put 19. All the other numbers you see are always there… you will only fill in the X numbers. After you do this you will see that if you add the boxes in practically any direction, including even adding the center four boxes or the four corners, you will always have it add up to the spectator’s number… in this case it is 37. Try it with different numbers until you get used to the pattern and the layout. I do recommend anyone deciding to add Magic Squares to their acts that they should get Doug Dyment’s MINDSIGHTS book. You’ll find great ideas and various patterns to use.
Cash Out is available directly from Greg Arce at:
www.freestylebooktest.com/cashout
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Imagine… You involve the spectator in a little game of money. You explain that the other night you placed one card into an envelope and you want to see if they can guess what that card is, but they'll do it in a unique way that gives them more ways of winning money -- They are to predict what card is in the envelope by slowly guessing what cards are NOT in the envelope. If they guess correctly they lose!... It’s to their benefit that they not pick the card you have placed in the envelope and they has 51 chances to get it right. This is a game where being correct will lose your money. You even bring out a wad of bills and say they can keep them if they guess which card is NOT in the envelope. Cash Out! uses a devious new index system that can easily be applied to various effects. In the main effect, although the spectator gets 51 guesses to guess what miniature card is NOT in an envelope, he ends up guessing the right one so the performer keeps his cash that was on the line. Using this system you can have any card called for appear inside an envelope (which can be sealed). The system will allow you to use ESP cards, Tarot cards, billets, etc. Cash Out! comes with various ideas & presentational tips from Paolo Cavalli, Tony Blake, Larry Becker, Federico Luduena, & other performers. This e-book comes complete with performance rights plus reveals the complete Cash Out! routine and teaches you how to construct the ingenious and easy to use index system with items you probably already own.
Only $30 buy it directly from Greg Arce at: www.freestylebooktest.com/cashout
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MAGIC WONDER—A RANT from LOST IN THOUGHT No, the title is not about the “wonder of magic”, but I how I often wonder why a lot a magicians, and mentalists, think the way they do. I started a bit of this rant in my first ebook called DEEP THOUGHT, but time has not changed anything… it actually has gotten worse. We are in a field that deals with creativity and a unique take on entertainment yet many settle for NOT being creative and for NOT bothering to be unique. I started seeing this time and time again over the years, but the ability to instantly post your ideas on the internet gave me more to think about. I found myself constantly asking the readers, on many forums, why they followed the pack. Why do they jump at the latest TV magic effect? Why are they trying to be like everyone else? I just don’t get it.
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“We are in a field that deals with creativity and a unique take on entertainment yet many settle for NOT being creative and for NOT bothering to be unique.” ____________________
There is one case that drives home that point every time: Cyril. Cyril is a friend and one of the best magicians I know. He was a secret to most of the magic community outside of Japan. But then the secret got out. Some got mad at me for wanting to keep him a secret, but I defended my point by saying that once other magicians saw his stuff they would try to copy it. And it happened and will continue to happen. Instead of watching Cyril’s effects and thinking, “Wow! Look at all the new ways and presentations this guy has! Maybe if I sat down, and put some thought into it, I could come up with something fresh, new and innovative.” But that never seems to happen. It’s always, “Where can I buy that?”, “Does anyone know if that’s for sale?”, “I need to be doing that effect!” And it always happens when those effects appear on TV.
You would think that someone, hopefully most, would start realizing that each time they see something new from Cyril that they had never thought of doing but now saw that it was possible, and that it’s likely there are more things out there like that, that maybe they could create new things, too… if THEY would only take the time to discover them on their own. It really baffles me to see a sheep mentality. I guess it’s worse because I’m so close to the Castle and see great magicians on any given night. But I’m not talking about famous magicians… I see those, too… I’m talking about young & old magicians that think creatively. They hunger to be original and come up with new ways. The group I know consists of many amateurs, hobbyists, semi-professionals, and others, you will probably never see on TV, or in a magazine, or even have their own shows… YET… these guys toil away in the library looking for just the right combination of moves that could enhance their acts. Work on every detail. Constantly try to stand out from the crowd. Greg Arce’s Lost in Thought is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind: www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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I have to sit back and ask, “Why are THEY different from most of what I see on the internet?” I don’t know… but I want to know. Think of how great magic would be if everyone thought like Cyril. If every guy, and gal, in magic sat down and tried to be different. Tried to think outside the box. Wow! Now that would be wonderful. If you are reading this, can you do me a favor? Please take some time to think on how you would do things if you really had power. Think how you would even structure or change some of the routines within these pages. Please help to stop this community of “I gotta have that” and “Does anyone know how he did that?”, and let’s change it to a community of “How can I make MY act better?”, “How can I be the best ME there is in magic?”
_____________________
“Please take some time to think on how you would do things if you really had power.”
That’s my magic dream. Seeing a world full of people that want to be original, unique and be the best they can be. If you thought about this ____________________ approach with something like acting you would see my point. Would you want to keep going to the movies if every other actor you saw modeled themselves after a handful of very famous actors? Would you be happy plucking down your money if every actor was trying to look and sound like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore, Morgan Freeman, ad nauseum, ad infinitum? I know I like diversity… don’t you think your audiences deserve it? I once said such things in one of the magic forums and was immediately attacked for such thoughts. One answer to my question was, “What about cover bands? They are just doing other people’s music? They work all the time.” Fine… so I guess you just want to be a cover band? You don’t want to be as out there as Marilyn Manson? You don’t want to be a great creator of songs like Billy Joel? You don’t want to have a legendary stage show like KISS? You don’t want to have the singing chops of an Aretha Franklin? You don’t want to change the face of music like The Beatles. Nope. You want to be a cover band. So be a cover magician. I guess that’s just fine for a lot of people, but not for me, and thankfully, not for a lot of guys I know in the world of magic. I just wish that there were less cover magicians and more Bach magicians… more Benny Goodman magicians… more Beach Boys magicians… more… oh, what the hell! Some will never get it and the ones that don’t seem to get it hate me for pointing it out. For those that do get it, thank you for letting me see a small part of my dream come true.
Greg Arce’s Lost in Thought is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind: www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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BOMB ROULETTE from LOST IN THOUGHT THE WHAT The performer talks about various routines used by others that are full of danger and tonight he wants to join them. He talks up about the inherent dangers in the next routine and how he’s warning those that watch it not to try it at home. Finally, after a serious discussion about what is to happen, he pulls out six cute little cartoon bombs. The bombs are about the size of a ping pong ball and have that cartoon look of a black bomb with a fuse and the word BOMB written right on them. The performer shows that each bomb has a little mousetrap device underneath them that you can load with a cap so that when it is picked up the trap goes off and BOOM!! He loads one of the bombs then mixes them so that no one knows which is which. He then places each tiny bomb on its own paper coaster. He has someone else shuffle the coasters around so that now even the performer does not know which contains the deadly bomb. Slowly the daredevil puts his hand over the bombs and suddenly raises one up by lifting it by its fuse… a loud CLICK is heard, but no BOOM. He does this four more times and finds all the safe bombs. To prove there was danger he lifts the last bomb and BANG!!!
THE HOW This has got to be the cutest and safest roulette effect to do. I came up with it when I saw these baby bombs sold at the local magic store. I’ve seen them since at other novelty stores so I’m sure you can find them in your town or on the internet. Essentially, they really look like tiny cartoon bombs… the kind you would have seen the Coyote holding just before it goes off and made him turn to ash. They are black, round, and have a flat bottom that houses the cap device… also known as a bingo device in some stores. When I first bought them I knew I would do a comical roulette routine, but as I worked with them I started finding that it was hard to mark the one I needed to follow without making it obvious. I kept playing around with (Continued on page 23)
Jan/Feb Marketplace Specials: Free-Style Book Test and Lost in Thought 20% off the suggested retail price! www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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Greg's new book is jam-packed with powerful, impactful and easy-toperform mentalism routines designed to be highly useable and commercial. Within these pages of "Lost In Thought" you'll discover: Sticky Pop - The whole audience decides on one card - no force - and that card is inside a balloon that has been visible throughout the routine. No equivoque. It uses a very sneaky method. Add Sense - A spectator decides on one of many newspapers then tears down to one piece on any of the pages and you tell him what's on that piece. You are nowhere near the spectator and the paper is not gimmicked in any way. This is remote viewing at its best. Hypno-Math - You are able to not only remove a piece of memory from a spectator, but change what he now remembers. Pinhead's Roulette - The audience chooses 9 of 10 paper bags for you to smash - no force - yet the last bag contains a very menacing spike ball that would have impaled you if you had smashed that bag. Absolutely idiot-proof roulette. Look dangerous, but is very safe. The _____ Book - A new book test that you can make yourself. Four spectators randomly look in their books and you are able to tell them what they are reading. This is just plain weird. It was planned as a marketed item, but now you can make it up yourself. Sticky Dupe - Now you can redraw a spectator's hidden drawing using a few business cards, an envelope...and a little secret something you probably already own. Hallmark Memory - A Derren-like effect where you know details of someone's past event. Bizarre Dupe & Super Swindle Steal - Two mentalism takes on Paul Harris effects that even took Paul by surprise. Plus: Various ideas, techniques, essays, rants, and bits of business...and two other roulette routines...and yes, even more. Pages 125 - Comb Binding
$54 from Jheff’s Marketplace of the Mind ($60 Suggested Retail Price)
_____________________ "All the routines are solid and worth the attention of anyone. I can see how strong they would play with good presentation." - Richard Osterlind
_____________________ "Loved it." - Larry Becker "Killer material as usual, and I mean it!" - Paolo Cavalli
"Several clever routines." - Chuck Hickok
"You truly are a unique thinker." - Banachek
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(Continued from page 21)
various spots on the bombs, but nothing worked for me and then it happened… I knew I was going to present this at the Magic Castle and probably place the little bombs on one of the nice felt-covered tables that can be found there. I could tell that when the cap went off it sent out a flash and spark that could burn a spot on the table so I realized that the bombs would have to sit on some sort of holder… like a coaster. As soon as I realized that, I knew that it would be the coaster I was tracking and not the bombs.
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“My initial thought was that this would be a cute routine and no one would feel it was dangerous… how wrong I was.” ____________________
I bought some crazy looking paper coasters that I could easily mark up and the marks would just blend in. Now I had a simple routine, but what I didn’t realize is how well it played. My initial thought was that this would be a cute routine and no one would feel it was dangerous… how wrong I was. The first time I did it I heard the cries and whoops of surprise as the unloaded bombs clicked in silence. It seems that even that mousetrap click makes people wince. I guess it’s the expectation of the blast that gets them to back up… sort of like a balloon that’s going to be popped. You can now see how the whole routine plays out. You do a funny, but serious speech about what could happen then bring out the bombs and load one. Mix them up then place the one you’ve kept a track of on your marked coaster. Have a spectator mix the coasters around and then start picking up the little bombs. I have played it up even bigger by blindfolding myself. You are going to be surprised by the reaction you get from such a simple idea and routine.
Jheffsmind I got a lot of positive response for the bonus #0 issue from readers (thank you very much, if you were one of them). There was a lot of praise as to the quality of the material and an eagerness for more. Again, I thank you, but I must ask you to be realistic. As the editor I know that there will be material that you’ll absolutely love and material that you won’t care for, so much so that you’ll write me and perhaps curse me. Please do so. It will definitely help me decide in the future what material to include. I also got a few queries from subscribers who wanted to contribute material, but they didn’t feel they had enough to warrant an entire issue. That may be so, but I’m still interested. This e-zine is to help creators sell their books, videos, effects, etc, but not entirely. If you have an effect, send it to me. Perhaps I’ll pair you up with a few other creators and have a special potpourri issue. Oh, and of course, if you have several products that you’d like to push, this e-zine would be ideal for you, of course. Also, in regards to issue #0, let’s set the record straight: Lee Earle is NOT dead! Yeah, I used the phrase “the late Lee Earle’s Syzygy” on the first page. It should have been “Lee Earle’s late Syzygy.” It’s Syzygy that is dead. Greg Arce’s Lost in Thought is available from Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind: www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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Lee is doing just fine and still creating some wonderful stuff with Larry Becker (you are buying it all, right?) I’ve gotten numerous inquiries as to when Jack Kent Tillar’s material will be available. The problem was with the printer, but it looks that issue has been corrected. You can pre-order Trio right now from www.Triobook.com. By doing so, you’ll get 3 free bonus routines that are terrific. One of them is Jack’s solution to the magic square and there is no doubt in my mind that it is one of the best magic square routines out there, if not the best. He eliminates having four suspiciously large numbers among the sixteen and makes it easy to create a magic square instantly. A subscriber noted that Design Duplication is very similar to an effect published in Lee Earle’s Syzygy. I don’t doubt that it is a case of independent invention and Lee wasn’t familiar with Jack’s version, which he created years earlier. Please don’t forget to use the special subscribers’ link to obtain the additional link when you purchase items from the Marketplace of the Mind. I cannot check every customer to ensure that they receive the additional discount. If you don’t use that link, you don’t get the extra discount on the order. And, to make it easier, I have put that link on the subscriber page for the Journal of the Mind. The current specials, which are for January and February, are Greg Arce’s Freestyle Book Test and Lost in Thought. The members’ price is 20% off. To get that price, log in to the members page and you’ll find instructions and links there. Until next time!
Jheff January 2007
MARKETPLACE SPECIALS FOR JAN./FEB 2007 FREESTYLE BOOK TEST and LOST IN THOUGHT
20% OFF
the suggested retail price (LOG IN TO THE MEMBERS PAGE FOR DETAILS)
Jan/Feb Marketplace Specials: Free-Style Book Test and Lost in Thought 20% off the suggested retail price! www.marketplaceofthemind.com
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The freestyle book test is a powerful book test that you can make at home... with practically any book. Imagine... you display a book that you say you've had for a long time and have even written and doodled ininside of it... throughout the book there aree notations of cards, serial numbers, dates, locations, names, drawing, highlighting... A pectator stop at any page and holds onto the book...you begin to call out various words from the book, numbers, doodles, colors, names and all sorts of information.
You've also written in playing cards throughout the book. you have the spectator call out their favorite card and then have them find it in the book...without touching the book you begin to call out information fromthe pages they are looking at... including cards thatare inscribed next to their card!
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"Once agin we mentalists are fortunate to benefit from Greg's unique perspective and his obsessive-compulsive disorder - as he brings us The freestyle Book Test uses a method that has now been what may be the most indidubbed "The Interlocking Mnemonic Lists." You'll be able to vidualized booktest yet. incorporate this method into any of your books plus even incor- Read, enjoy, marvel ... you porate the method into other effects. never would have come up with this yourself!" Now you can take any book and use your own personal history - John Riggs to make up a book test. And with a little effort, you can do this Mentalism Legend in any language. ____________________ The Freestyle Book test gives you a book test that looks like no other used in mentalism.
$88 from Jheff’s Marketplace of the Mind ($97 Suggested Retail Price)
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What you will find in Four Thought-M.O.M. – a one-on-one drawing dupe where a spectator stares at a photo of your mom and then you are able to redraw his secret drawing by looking into her eyes… your mom’s. Within that section there will also be two other ideas using the basic method and gimmick including one in which the spectator stares into your palm and you draw his drawing right on your own hand as he watches… his secret drawing, of course. Includes the gimmick necessary to make up your own M.O.M. and some extra for you to try it out on the other ideas. Drop-See – another one-on-one drawing dupe where the spectator draws on one of your business cards then that card is placed into a small pay envelope. That envelope, along with others like it, are mixed by the spectator while your back is turned and then you proceed to find the correct envelope that contains his drawing. To end the effect you duplicate the drawing inside. A Coffee At Any Number – a quirky card at any number where the spectator stops you as you drop mini-cards into a coffee mug and he ends up stopping you at his earlier chosen card. All Cards At All Numbers – an even quirkier ACAAN effect where the spectator stops you at one place in the deck and it turns out to be the only place that contains a facsimile of his card… a 52 to 1 card. There several handlings for this that are explained. Bonus Effect: Dark Soul – a bizarre story that uses a Bounce-No Bounce ball to do an effect that deals with a very dark story about an evil man. Pages 24 - Saddle Stitched
"Liked it very much. You have some very evocative themes in a few of the effects and I love them. All are fine and well thought out and each person will pick his or her favorites, and I am sure everyone will find something that will hit with them. Your photo thing is priceless! " - Allen Zingg "This is more good work from you -- I especially like the ACAAN with the mini cards!" -Millard Longman "Greg, I really enjoyed this. You have a very personable approach to Mentalism and your mind works in devious and twisted ways that delight me. Good job man." - John Riggs
$27 from Jheff’s Marketplace of the Mind ($30 Suggested Retail Price)
