Genii Magazine, The Conjurors' Magazine

08/20/2024

Subscribe to Genii today for as little as $35 a year and you can visit The Magic Castle with your subscription! And get eight gazillion pages of magic in every back issue of Genii and MAGIC magazines ever published. www.geniimagazine.com.
Boomsky, Boomsky, Boomsky! How many Boomskys were there? Have you even heard of Boomsky before? The poster you see on our cover is only one of the many Boomskys. While most were assistants to Alexander, Adelaide, and later Leon Herrmann, other Black performers also took the name because Boomsky gained great fame during the era of Reconstruction and early 20th century. Our cover story this month consists of a pair of excerpts from Margaret Steele’s new book The Great Boomsky, a terrific read that traces many of those who took the name, but our focus here is on the first—M.H. Everett, known as “Hutchin.” He ran straight from a field picking cotton with his family to Alexander Herrmann’s show in Americus, Georgia in 1891 and never looked back. His was a life of amazing tales.
Counting down our last five months of the current iteration of Genii with this line-up of great columnists, this month we present: Jon Racherbaumer “Three’s the Charm,” a variation on a trick by Carl Jones that appears in Greater Magic (which I happened to read the other day). * A stunning French Physic magic set from the late 1800s from John Gaughan’s collection is on display in this month’s “Chamber of Secrets.” * David Kaye keeps a diary of his experiences doing children’s shows, and this month he shares a bit of it with you in “Expert at the Kids’ Table.” * Rafael Benatar shares his “Thoughts” on getting ready for the Double Lift, with four video clips. * Part 2 of the story of The Pendragons appears this month in “Panmagium.” * In “Cardopolis,” David Britland delves into a clever use of a double-backed card in a trick with a funny name. * Roberto Mansillia, like so many Spaniards, has a deep and abiding love for the Color-Changing Knives, and he shares some of his ideas in “Artifices” (with video). * Jamy Ian Swiss helps Matt Holtzclaw open his “Umbrella,” which is a full performance piece with everyday objects, in “Magicana” (also with video). * Vanessa Armstrong, one of your new editors starting in February, scans the globe for news in “The Eye.” * Shawn McMaster gives you the latest news from our home in Los Angeles in “Knights at The Magic Castle,” which focuses on the initial Artist in Residence program with Juan Tamariz. * And in the final pages of this issue you’ll find “Light from the Lamp” with reviews of videos, tricks, and books by Jonathan Levit, David Regal, and Francis Menotti.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

08/10/2024

New David Blaine series coming to NatGeo in 2025, and it looks insane!

David Blaine: Do Not Attempt is a cinematic journey following magician David Blaine as he chases little-known magic within our world. David is searching for ...

07/20/2024

Join Genii today for as little as $35 and you’ll be able to make a reservation to visit the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, get 12 new issues over the course of a year, and have access to all back issues of Genii and MAGIC magazines at www.geniimagazine.com.
And … 25 years has passed in a blink: August 1998 is when I called Irene Larsen and said I’d heard that Genii was for sale. After a quarter of a century, I am retiring as editor with the January 2025 issue, along with my wife Elizabeth Kaufman, our most talented art director, and my associate editor Dustin Stinett, truly my right-hand man for many years. Creating a new issue every 30 days has been both exhausting and rewarding, but we are most definitely not going to miss that deadline.
Our owner since 2016, Randy Pitchford, has big plans for Genii and its brand, but I’m not the person to share that news. What I can tell you is that the remarkably talented Julie Eng has completed her run as chief of Canada’s Magicana and is now in charge of all things Genii related, of which there will be many—the magazine will be just one part.
For my job, we needed someone who has been in magic their whole life, knows pretty much everything and everybody in the field, can write, edit, meet deadlines, and so on. There are not a lot of people who have the necessary experience and expertise. I thought of one name, and one name only: Jim Steinmeyer. We are the same age and, like me, he always has a million and a half things on his plate. And yet, after much discussion with both myself and Julie, he embraced the offer and will be your executive editor for 2025 as the new team takes shape. What a coup for you, my readers! We have found someone I am genuinely thrilled to take my place and who can certainly do the job as well or better job than me.
Jim will be backed up by a team of excellent associate editors and writers. Some will be new to you, others you already know. Their names will be revealed in the coming months. Some of Genii’s columnists will remain, others will depart. I am delighted to be working with Julie, Jim, and the new team on the next iteration of Genii. Wonderful things will happen.
On our cover this month, a magician I’ve greatly admired for many years, Canada’s Shawn Farqhuar. He’s been a working pro his entire life, and became FISM Grand Champion in Close-Up Magic in 2009. He did great sets at FISM in Quebec in 2022 and is really at the peak of his powers as a performer. Watch his Topsy Turvy Bottle routine closely next time you have the chance—there’s no gimmick. Dustin Stinett takes Shawn down memory lane.
Once each spring since the pandemic the Tenyo Company of Japan has been holding an annual fan meeting in Tokyo. Each year, the most dedicated Tenyo fans attend and are treated to lectures and interviews, plus a special gift. This year that gift (the Japanese call it “omiyage”—oh-me-ya-gay) is an ingenious new handling of a flexagon for the revelation of several chosen cards. Called “Anakarakuri,” we have a video demonstration of it in this issue embedded in Yuki Kadoya’s report on the event.
Get thee hence to New World Stages in New York City by September 1st to see Swedish magicians Peter Brynolf and Jonas Ljung in their 90-minute show Stalker if you can. Carl Mercurio did, and it was so good that he decided to write about it for Genii. Tickets here: https://stalkershow.com/tickets/.
And I’m sorry to report the death of my old friend Andy Galloway, the sole student of the Scottish genius of magic John Ramsay. The material in his Ramsay books really came alive when he did it (fortunately both of Andy’s videos on Ramsay are available via streaming from International Magic: https://www.internationalmagic.com/l/general/the-magic-of-john-ramsay-vol-1-by-andrew-galloway). Dominic Twose memorializes him.
Our columnists this month run the gamut: John Bannon, Jonathan Friedman, Krystyn Lambert, David Regal, Jon Racherbaumer, Jamy Ian Swiss, and of course the latest doings at The Magic Castle, and reviews of the latest books, tricks, and videos.

06/24/2024

Join Genii for only $35: receive one visit to The Magic Castle, a new issue each month, and access to over 800 issues of Genii and MAGIC online in our archive. www.geniimagazine.com.
On our cover this month we are pleased to bring you the first feature-length article on Hide (pronounced hee-day) Yamamoto, one of the world’s best magicians. In his little bar Half Moon in Tokyo he has created a place of mystery and deep humanity. And that’s what our story and interview are really about—the humanity in his performances is something unique you won’t see anywhere else.
We follow that with full coverage of the Academy of Magical Arts annual Awards Show by Simone Marron. And …
Jamy Ian Swiss brings us a mindreading piece from David Gerard in “Magicana.”
In “Exhumations” Jon Racherbaumer explains a clever trick using a little-known principle: pointer cards.
In “Thoughts,” Rafael Benatar discusses saccadic eye movement in relation to magic. Watch a game of ping pong or tennis and you’ll get the idea.
In “Artifices” Roberto Mansilla explains the important differences between performing card magic for close-up or parlor venues.
David Britland devotes “Cardopolis” to is simplification of a little-known trick by U.F. Grant.
David Kaye discovers the birthday peeing during his show in one of several humorous anecdotes in this month’s “Expert at the Kids’ Table.”
In “Panmagium” Jonathan Pendragon reflects on the origins of The Pendragons athletic style of illusion performance.
Vanessa Armstrong sings out the news in “The Eye.”
Shawn McMaster brings you the latest happenings at our club in Los Angeles in “Knights at The Magic Castle.”
Reviews of books, videos, and tricks come our way from David Britland, Joe M. Turner, and Mark Phillips.

WHO WRITES FOR GENII? More Stars Than There are in the Heavens. Tom Stone Jim Steinmeyer David Kaye Max Maven Dani DaOrtiz David Britland Jon Racherbaumer Jeff Prace Jonathan Pendragon Kainoa Harbottle Helder Guimarães John Gaughan John Lovick Dustin Stinett Danny Orleans John Guastaferro 80 YEARS ...

05/20/2024

Subscribe to Genii today for as little as $35—your subscription lets you visit the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. www.geniimagazine.com

The performance of coin magic is generally not an emotionally moving experience but, when Luis Olmedo appeared at FISM 2022 in Quebec, you could sense a feeling move through the large room. His quiet manner, the music, and of course the leaves … specifically autumn leaves. He is a magician of uncommon discipline and ability, no matter the props, but in this case his act consisted of a Coin Assembly done on a diagonal instead of a square. The leaves changed to cards, magic gently ensued as the coins mysterously relocated as if pushed by a ghostly hand, and the cards returned to leaves, then carried away by the wind. Considering the enormous stage and room in which this was performed, Luis managed to create a remarkable feeling of intimacy. He deservedly tied for first place in Close-Up Magic. When not performing magic he’s an athlete—no awkward school day stories for this kid. And—good for him—his act did not depend on anything that can’t be done in close-up circumstances for real spectators sitting at the table with him. His story is told in part narrative, part interview, by Roberto Mansilla.

And we have our usual sterling line-up of columnists this month, including John Bannon, who, in “Dealing With It” explains “HofScotch,” which most cleverly fixes “The Hofzinser Ace Problem.” Krystyn Lambert muses on pursuing your passion in “Stage as Studio.” Jim Steinmeyer has created the ultimate routine based around the game of Clue in “Conjuring.” Jamy Ian Swiss presents another remarkable routine in “Magicana,” and this month it’s Adam Elbaum’s “Visible Deck.” In “WWPD” Jonathan Friedman exhibits strange behavior with those leftover center bits—the detritus from a Linking Card routine. David Regal renews his license to perform magic in this month’s “Material Concessions.” Jon Racherbaumer reclines while reading a mind in “Exhumations.” If its in the news it’s in “The Eye,” courtesy of Vanessa Armstrong, and if it’s happening at The Magic Castle you can read all about it through the eyes of Shawn McMaster in “Knights at The Magic Castle.” Tom Frame, Mike Dobrowolski, and Bill Wellls review books, tricks, and videos in “Light from the Lamp” to complete the issue and propel you properly into your summer reading.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

03/21/2024

Wanna go to The Magic Castle? Subscribe to Genii for as little as $35 a year and YOU’RE IN! www.geniimagazine.com
Smart, sassy, spicy ... a wily meshuggenah MOT, the frabrulous Rachel Wax appears on our cover this month. Interviewed by Krystyn Lambert, Ms. Wax is her true self, no small accomplishment for someone so young.
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, we visit another new magic venue. This one, Kanpai Magic, has empty boxes of sake on a bare stage as the backdrop for some of New York’s finest magicians including, you guessed it, Alex Boyce and … Rachel Wax! A mindreader you are. Brought to us by Hal Shulman.
Thought you could escape from some mad magi divining into which seat your derriere will descend? Get back in the hot seat with Jim Steinmeyer and a new version of the Chair Test in this month’s installment of “Conjuring.”
David Regal does a mushy trick with the signatures of two lovey-doveys in “Material Concessions.”
“We control the horizontal; we control the vertical,” Krystyn Lambert wants you to seek full control of your mind and soul—on stage—in “Stage as Studio.”
Jonathan Friedman stumbles across a fab new idea with paper money that is immediately out of the question in countries with those damn plastic bills—so yell yeehaw for the good ‘ole U.S.A. where we still use paper money in this month’s “WWPD.” The trick is HISTORIC!
Creepy little dudes come rappelling down onto your close-up pad and engage in a Black-Ops Ace Assembly courtesy of John “Don’t Ask Me Who I Work For” Bannon in “Dealing with It.”
Jon Racherbaumer raises the dead with a previously-unpublished and really-quite-good easy-to-do card effect from the ghost of cigar-chomping Ed Marlo in “Exhumations.”
Jamy Ian Swiss steps into a Twilight-Zoned coincidence bordering on a nightmare when he describes yet a second trick involving the signatures of a lovey-dovey couple, this one by Prakash Puru, in “Magicana.”
“Ace” … er, Vanessa, Armstrong, our intrepid reporter who seeks out interesting tidbits from around the globe for “The Eye,” continues her diligent efforts this month. You might think she sits behind a keyboard in California, but in reality she is traveling almost continuously to the furthermost regions of the five continents solely in search of news for Genii. Ahem.

WHO WRITES FOR GENII? More Stars Than There are in the Heavens. Tom Stone Jim Steinmeyer David Kaye Max Maven Dani DaOrtiz David Britland Jon Racherbaumer Jeff Prace Jonathan Pendragon Kainoa Harbottle Helder Guimarães John Gaughan John Lovick Dustin Stinett Danny Orleans John Guastaferro 80 YEARS ...

03/15/2024

On the new Princess cruise ship The Sun Princess, there is a mini-Magic Castle.
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/sun-princess-cruise-spellbound-by-magic-castle/?fbclid=IwAR2qdSX2IMyRqHW67seq7c37A9dgn4X7Mf-Pu3PzQW4ndbBohTBQhmWz34M

A ghost, a dancing cockatoo and drinks that come in treasure chests are among the oddities at the new magic-infused Spellbound by Magic Castle venue on Princess' new Sun Princess ship.

02/20/2024

Only $35 a year? Visit The Magic Castle each year as a subscriber to Genii? YES AND YES!
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In our March Issue: The smooth light Southern drawl I hear is Pop Haydn making a pitch for his miracle elixir. It didn’t take long for me to plunk down the cash for a bottle. What I got was something that amazed and amused, mystified and delighted … Pop Haydn’s company for several most pleasant hours doing the interview for this month’s cover story written by Dustin Stinett. Pop is an extremely engaging performer—a perfect example of great presentation and technique, combined with superb taste in tricks.
Our illustrious line up of columnists this month include: “Thoughts,” in which Rafael Benatar explains things your pinky can do that you may not know about.
“Magicana,” in which Jamy Ian Swiss explains—I can’t believe I’m typing this—a sandwich trick. But it’s from Ben Seidman, so it must be a great sandwich trick.
“Expert at the Kids’ Table,” in which David Kaye relates the tale of a kids’ show magician who drove to his gig only to discover he left his props behind!
“Chamber of Secrets” in which John Gaughan is brought before The Learned Judge only to be taught a trick with ci**rs and playing cards.
“Cardopolis” in which David Britland teaches a presentation of the “Invisible Deck” by Pat Page conjured for a TV show.
“Panmagium,” in which Jonathan Pendragon takes “Copentro” and beats it down to size, getting rid of odd-looking props.
“Artifices,” in which Roberto Mansilla explains a Spanish card trick in English, though it’s still in Spanish.
“Exhumations,” in which Jon Racherbaumer, who recently turned 84, teaches a trick that involves Dani DaOrtiz, Hofzinser, and something else.
“The Eye,” in which Vanessa Armstrong tantalizes you with tidbits of intriguing news.
“Knights at The Magic Castle,” in which Shawn McMaster writes about performing at The Magic Castle while trying to catch all the other acts so he could write his column.
And of course, as we exit February, our issues ties up with reviews of books, tricks, and videos from David Britland, Mark Phillips, and Joe M. Turner.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

01/20/2024

A $35 subscription to Genii gets you into The Magic Castle, along with 12 new issues a year of the best magic magazine on the planet, along with every back issue of Genii and MAGIC magazines every published. Make it happen at www.geniimagazine.com.

This month we feature the elusive coin master Ponta the Smith, who hails from Osaka and has been a professional magician since graduating from college. Ponta’s article is a bit of a potpourri—an interview, two essays, and a trick. His level of skill is extreme, to say the least; his DVDs are titled Sick for a reason. His handling of the classic “Tenkai Pennies” is among his less difficult pieces, so please give it a try.

The late Ken Silverman, an accomplished amateur magician since a young age, and a Pulitzer Prize winning biographer, wrote the definitive biography of Houdini in 1997 titled, most appropriately, HOUDINI!!! Ken started writing about magic while still at Columbia University and, in cooperation with his son Ethan, we are pleased to bring you the first publication of a story involving Ken, Al Flosso, and Frank Garcia.

Also this issue: Stephen Forrester remembers Micky Hades, while Paul Gertner remembers Bill Goldman. * In “Dealing With It,” John Bannon exhumes an overlooked twist to Spectator Cuts the Aces, ditches the sleight of hand, and comes up with “SMACK Monte.” * “The Chair Test” is a well-known plot in mentalism where the performer is able to predict where spectators brought onstage will sit. In this month’s “Conjuring,” Jim Steinmeyer divines that in advance. * The goings on at The Magic Castle are revealed to us by Shawn McMaster, who spotlights Kevin Kapinos and Jonathan Levit in “Knights at The Magic Castle.” * In “Magicana” Jamy Ian Swiss explains a working pro’s Coin in Bottle routine and then tells us who Alex Boyce really is. * Vanessa Armstrong, who sometimes seems to be everywhere all at once, tells all in “The Eye.” * Krystyn Lambert delves into Who We Are vs. Who We Were in “Stage as Studio.” * David Regal delivers an Ace Assembly in which the principal cards hang invisibly in the air until they drop into view in “Material Concessions.” * In “WWPD,” Jonathan Friedman does a pirouette and a card changes between his lips. * Jon Racherbaumer digs deep for a fooler from Al Leech in “Exhumations.” * The issue wraps with Light from the Lamp in which: Bill Wells reviews videos, with a deep look at Curtis Kam’s third Penguin Live lecture; David Regal reviews tricks, including Angelo Carbone’s big-seller “Demi Deck”; and Tom Frame reviews books, among them The Elusive Illusive by Ben Daggers, whom I saw with Ponta the Smith in Tokyo.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

01/01/2024

Dustin Stinett presents his annual run-down of the year in magic on the Genii Forum:

12/20/2023

2024 is almost upon us. There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays and new year than with the gift of Genii, The Conjurors’ Magazine. For a mere $35 you get a monthly digital magazine and access to every issue of Genii and MAGIC magazine ever published (or $58 for paper and digital). Join us today at www.geniimagazine.com.
Armando Lucero’s intense approach to the study of conjuring is admirable. His manner of moving his hands is studied and masculine. There is almost always much more going on than you can see, but you don’t feel that anything is happening, and there are no tells in his work when the coins or cards are vanishing, reappearing, or traveling. He values his magic deeply. Our cover story this month is brought to you by Krystyn Lambert.
We look back at the inaugural Magic Castle Conjurer’s Cruise which took place this past October, with John Lovick.
This month we carry obituaries for David Berglas and Leo Behnke.
This month we welcome the return of Jamy Ian Swiss to these pages. Having taken over as editor of “Magicana,” we can expect a year’s worth of great tricks and thoughtful writing. He debuts the column with a handling of “Dunbury Delusion” by Mark Calebrese.
Jonathan Pendragon returns with another run of his column “Panmagium.” This month he explains his famous routine with a Card Sword, “Cyrano.”
David Kaye makes a startling New Year’s admission: “The Dumbest Show I Ever Did” in his column “The Expert at the Kids’ Table.”
Yet again taking the easy way out (i.e., a card routine with no sleights), Jon Racherbaumer twists “Miraskill” by the pony tail in “Exhumations.”
Do the spirits come back? Do they ring a bell when they do? You need a Spirit Bell to find out, and if you don’t know what that is then I suggest you read John Gaughan’s “Chamber of Secrets.”
Roberto Mansilla ponders haiku in “Artifices.”
In “The Eye,” Vanessa Armstrong investigates the moon, Kuda Bux, Josh Jay, and an underwater magician, among other tidbits.
Rafael Benatar continues his “Thoughts” on the Overhand Shuffle, sharing some technical details and subtleties even the experts might not know.
Do you like the “21-Card Trick”? Of course not. But you may like what David Britland uncovers this month in “Cardopolis.”
We conclude our first issue of the new year with reviews of videos, books, and tricks by Jonathan Levit, Francis Menotti, and Tom Dobrowolksi.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

11/27/2023

For those folks sitting on the fence about ordering this at a greatly-reduced pre-publication price, here's what you're missing!

Secure your copy at store.conjuringarts.org"Amazing!"—David Copperfield"Filled with incredible ideas."—David BlaineThe celebrated "Geschichte der Zauberkunst...

11/20/2023

For only $35 (which just happens to be the cost of a one year digital subscription to Genii, The Conjurors’ Magazine, www.geniimagazine.com) you can also visit the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California!
In this issue you will find a cover story about the unique magician Jeanette Andrews, written by Chloe Olewitz. Jeanette’s intellectual art-based approach to the shows she does in museums and art galleries is tremendously different.
Our secondary story focuses on the traveling show Champions of Magic, which began its journey in the U.K. in 2013 and has been touring the U.S.A. since 2017. The show is the brainchild of Alex Jarrett, who even now is only 32 years of age. Amazing!
Our obituaries this month include Dan Garrett, Larry Becker, Darwin Ortiz, and Dick Gustafson.
In this gap month before Jamy Ian Swiss begins his work as editor of “Magician,” I step in with a holiday gift from Larry Jennings: a “Magicana” composed of three previously-unpublished routines pulled from what I’ve already written for his next book Mr. Jennings Takes it Tough.
Jim Steinmeyer reveals a new creation, an opening routine for mentalists, in “Conjuring.”
Jon Racherbaumer digs out a red/blue miracle in “Exhumations.”
Krystyn Lambert ponders beautiful moments of astonishment in “Stage as Studio.”
Jonathan Freedman explains a clever prediction written on a card box in “WWPD.”
David Regal divulges a new way to do an old thing, in a good routine, in “Material Concessions.”
John Bannon teaches a short poker deal in “Dealing with It.”
Vanessa Armstrong gives the newsy bits in “The Eye,” where you can learn all about the Magic Castle style lounge, bar, and performance space on the newest ship in the Princess Cruise line, as well as the next Magic Castle Conjurer’s Cruise which will depart from Ft. Lauderdale in November 2024—just about a year from now.
Shawn McMaster shares recent AMA’s recent happenings in “Knights at The Magic Castle.”
And to wrap up the issue we have reviews of books, videos, and tricks from Nathan Coe Marsh, Suzanne, and Ryan Plunkett.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

09/20/2023

Visit The Magic Castle! Get 12 issues of Genii a year! Get Digital access to tens of thousands of pages of back issues of Genii and Magic magazines. All for as low as $35 at www.geniimagazine.com. Join us today.
In 1912 the Martinka brothers built a Spirit Cabinet for illusionist Charles Carter. It is here that Mike Caveney’s cover story this month begins. In it you will learn the complete workings of Carter’s Spirit Cabinet in sufficient detail that, armed with the hundreds of pounds of apparatus, several assistants, and a stooge, you could perform it yourself.
We follow up with what is a rarity in these pages these days: a convention report. While many people think that this type of coverage in a printed magazine is no longer relevant because people discuss it online while it’s happening, in truth there’s a difference. First, that online coverage will likely cease to exist in coming years (websites vanish all the time), and Genii has always been the magazine of record in the magic world. Second, people’s brief online comments are not comparable to the full coverage we provide, from opening to closing with coverage of every act and lecture. With that said, I hope you enjoy the full report on Magic Live!, which took place at the beginning of August, brought to you by Dustin Stinett and Krystyn Lambert.
Jonathan Friedman’s column “WWPD” contains a particularly intriguing trick this month that relies on a small mirror and some scraps of paper. The included video in our digital edition (or accessible via the QR code printed on the page) enables you to vividly picture the effect. * Jim Steinmeyer uses the principle most well-known from “Powers of Darkness” to tap into a spectator’s thoughts in “Conjuring.” “Simpleton’s Affinity” is Jon Racherbaumer’s name for a nearly sleight-free trick of Don May’s in this month’s “Exhumations.” * There’s a very tricky card box at work in David Regal’s “Dark Perception” in his column “Material Concessions.” * “Stage as Studio” finds Krystyn Lambert thinking about patter with Armando Lucero. * Detectives are at work, trying to save 52 pasteboards from underworld terror in John Bannon’s effect “Gang Related.” It’s a sandwich trick—you’ll just have to deal with it. * No card tricks in “Magicana” this month, wherein Robert Ramirez presents two clever effects from Mark Gibson. There’s video for both! * And of course we have our monthly columns from Shawn McMaster, “Knights at The Magic Castle,” and Vanessa Armstrong, “The Eye.” Tie it all up in a bow with reviews of books, videos, and tricks by Francis Menotti, Bill Wells, and Tom Dobrowolski.

Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, is the best selling magazine for magicians in the world. We publish

07/20/2023

Want to visit the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood? Subscribers to Genii can score a reservation at this exclusive private club each year as one of their perks. Subscribe to Genii magazine today for as little as $35 and get more magic than you can dream of … at www.geniimagazine.com
Because things in magazines tend to vanish from common consciousness after a year or two, most people don’t remember that a substantial amount of Steranko’s unique card work had been published in Genii. This month our cover story is a mid-century retro replay: Steranko’s “Stacked Deck,” a 20-page potpourri combining interview, essay, and seven card routines never published elsewhere other than their original appearance in Genii’s November 1962 issue.
We do a complete 180 in our next story, which focuses on The Don Silvio Museum of Magic in the Medieval city of Cherasco, Italy. Created by Father Silvio Mantelli, the priest who led the campaign to make Don Bosco the patron saint of magicians, it is filled with magic ephemera and books, and functions as a place for the young to learn magic.
Our third story reports on the second Tenyo Magic Fan Meeting which took place in Yokohama in May. Organized by the Tenyo Company, Tenyo fans will be eager to hear about the latest Tenyo news and learn about the special tricks given to attendees and unique souvenirs sold. One of the old lions of Tenyo’s Creative Division, Shigeru Sugawara, gave a lecture and demonstrated one of his ingenious routines, which I’m delighted to present to you at the end of the article.
In this month’s “The Eye,” Vanessa Armstrong brings you news of Jason Sudeikis’s interest in magic; I met him backstage at David Copperfield’s show one evening and I know he enjoys reading magic books. * Shawn McMaster talks up the AMA Awards Show and Milt Larsen’s passing in “Knights at The Magic Castle.”
There’s a soldier who served in Vietnam involved in this month’s bit of digging in Jon Racherbaumer’s “Exhumations.” How far can you toss a Tossed-Out Deck? In Jim Steinmeyer’s “The Tossed-Aside Deck” the answer is far enough that the deck is left with an audience member; in “Conjuring.” David Regal sends a packet of Aces back in blankety-blank time in “Material Concessions.” In “Stage as Studio” Krystyn Lambert digs into the “zone”—the moments during performance when all things good converge to produce excellence. Jonathan Friedman has remodeled the sleight into “Pop Gun Pasteboards” in this month’s “WWPD.” The so-called Hofzinser Ace Problem has intrigued card workers for decades: John Bannon, this month in “Dealing With It,” lets loose with his version called “Blitzinger.” Robert Ramirez regales you with three tricks in this month’s “Magicana,” including a devious trick using a borrow iPhone. Just before this issue folds closed, “Light from the Lamp” squeaks in, bring you reviews of the latest books (including Max Maven’s eagerly-awaited Parallax), videos, and tricks from Nathan Coe Marsh, Suzanne, and Ryan Plunkett.

WHO WRITES FOR GENII? More Stars Than There are in the Heavens. Tom Stone Jim Steinmeyer David Kaye Max Maven Dani DaOrtiz David Britland Jon Racherbaumer Jeff Prace Jonathan Pendragon Kainoa Harbottle Helder Guimarães John Gaughan John Lovick Dustin Stinett Danny Orleans John Guastaferro 80 YEARS ...