Genii Magazine, The Conjurors' Magazine

01/24/2025

We treat attention like a static thing that we can pay, attract, or control. But the truth is our attention is constantly being pulled in a million different directions that we hardly ever choose.

Novelty piques our interest. People with ulterior motives riot our emotions. Sometimes we skim the text just because we’re in a rush.

Professor Peter Lamont says that with a little extra effort, we can learn to put ourselves in the driver’s seat.

Sure, magicians can control audiences’ attention through misdirection. But how often do you consciously choose where you put your own attention? When’s the last time you didn’t just see, but really took the time to observe?

Photos of Peter Lamont by R. Paul Wilson.

01/20/2025

It’s finally time to unveil the new Genii we’ve been talking about for months! We hope that our work will be inspiring. In these pages, you'll meet writers, inventors, magicians, and advisors. Then we’ll do it all again next month, with a whole different slate of contributors.

It’s a brand new magazine and one that we’re really proud of. We'd love to hear what you think. Let us know at [email protected]

—JIM STEINMEYER

_____

The digital version of Genii February 2025 is now live. Subscribe at www.geniimagazine.com and get instant access to this month's stories! Here's a peek about our cover story!

FEBRUARY 2025

WHAT WE SEE & WHAT WE DON'T
In this excerpt from his new book, Peter Lamont tours the streets of Edinburgh and peers into the minds of both Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to show just often we look without observing.

Photo by R Paul Wilson

12/20/2024

It's been my pleasure to serve as the editor of Genii for 25 years. Thanks!

11/20/2024

Join us at Genii for only $35 a year! Go to The Magic Castle! www.geniimagazine.com
This month a number of us reminisce and memorialize our friend and all around good fellow Jon Racherbaumer, who died in October at age 84. Jon was an excellent writer, a good magician, fun to be with, caring, and a great conversationalist. Our remembrances in this issue are a celebration of Jon, of his many successes, and the great legacy he leaves behind.
Every once in a great while a magician who has been seemingly lost to history pops up on the radar, and so it is with the curious case of the performer known only by the name Shaman. My old friend from New Jersey, Denny Tittus, takes a look back at the curious career of this obscure magician who knew fame only briefly years ago … before he was murdered.
Summer is a beautiful time of year in Sweden, home to magician Tom Stone and his cohorts. Each year they muster a unique experience named the Conjuring Workshop. Sixty people, more or less, from various countries take part. The course is free to them once they have been accepted, though they must pay for their own transportation and accommodation. This is rigorous stuff, done over the course of a week, with four levels of students and multiple instructors, plus guest lecturers. Cydney Kaplan of Los Angeles made her second sojourn this summer and tells us all about it.
As mentioned both last month and above, Mike Gallo died in October, and his formal obituary appears this month rendered by Dr. Michael Rubenstein.
Jon Racherbaumer’s final “Exhumations” column for Genii appears this month. Jon introduces the trick as only he could: “It is the equivalent of a knock-knock joke that could, if the hour is late enough, induce someone to buy a round.” * With two “Magicana” columns left in his pocket, Jamy Ian Swiss this month presents one of his own favorite routines, a dexterous handling of the “Cavorting Aces” that would make a fine addition to your repertoire. * This month we bring the first of the two final installments of John Bannon’s column “Dealing With It.” This time it’s an offbeat divination in which the performer fails to find the thought-of card, but the thought-of card finds his failures. * “Material Concessions” from David Regal brings an effect with a prediction that hangs in full view of the audience throughout the trick. * For Jonathan Friedman’s final “WWPD” column, he treats you to an extremely clever torn and restored coffee sleeve. If you search the Genii archive, you’ll find a trick by David Acer where he uses two coffee sleeves to perform a version of the Jastrow (aka Boomerang) Illusion. You might be able to routine the tricks! Come to think of it, you might be able to do Jay Sankey’s “Cardboard Chameleons” with two coffee sleeves. You can find that routine with playing cards in Sankey Panky. The rest is up to you. * Krystyn Lambert will continue her philosophical essays with the new team at Genii. This month in “Stage as Studio” she addresses a potpourri of subjects as she completes her fourth year as a most-welcome columnist. * Vanessa Armstrong, soon to be one of the four editors of Genii starting in February, once again brings you the best of the news from far and wide in “The Eye.” * Shawn McMaster relates some recent goings-on at the clubhouse in “Knights of The Magic Castle.” * In this month’s “Light from the Lamp,” our monthly compendium of reviews of books, tricks, and videos, we introduce a new book reviewer, David Kuraya, and handling tricks and videos are Mark Phillips and, in her final review column, Suzanne, who has done an outstanding job for us over the years.

10/20/2024

Join Genii for as little as $35 for one year and get more magic than you can imagine, plus the opportunity to visit The Magic Castle, at www.geniimagazine.com.
I live on the east coast, somewhat isolated from the world of magic, and so there are lots of magicians I never get to see work. Benjamin Barnes of Chicago is one of them. When Carisa Hendrix first approached me with the idea of doing a cover story on him, I took the opportunity to ask a bunch of people their opinion of Ben. All were effusive. Ben is the person who books the Chicago Magic Lounge, an extremely successful venue in Chicago that I’ve always enjoyed visiting. He’s also a regular performer there. The videos I’ve linked to in the article will give you an idea of his style, which I like a lot. Classy but not too subdued; impressive without a lot of forced excitement. And he fooled Penn & Teller.
The Tenyo Company of Japan is about to release its new line of tricks for 2025. I offer a review of the new tricks, with videos of them, and then Yuki Kadoya takes you to the annual Tenyo Festival which took place at the end of September in Tokyo with a full report. As my time in charge of Genii draws to a close, this may be the last of these annual reviews you see here. I hope you’ve enjoyed them.
David Britland’s “Cardopolis” has run in Genii for many years and this month’s column will be the last. He’s going to devote his attention to a paid version of his Cardopolis website at https://cardopolis.substack.com. The free version will still appear periodically at https://cardopolis.blogspot.com. For his final column, David divulges a gussied-up presentation for the “21-Card Trick” perfectly matched with a stealthy method.
We hear the expression that you have to “make a trick your own” when you perform it. Most magicians don’t know exactly what that means, but in this month’s “Expert at the Kids Table” David Kaye will explain it. * John Gaughan’s “Chamber of Secrets,” which Dustin Stinett will continue in these pages going forward, treats a fairly silly trick of Floyd Thayer’s, but one which many collectors nevertheless hunt for. * Jamy Ian Swiss brings you Noah Levine’s handling of the justifiably famous “Stencel’s Aces” in this month’s “Magicana.” Noah, who will shortly become the Magic Editor here at Genii, has most improbably improved Bob Stencel’s original handling. * “Panmagium” brings, of all things, a fine card routine from Jonathan Pendragon. * In “Thoughts …” Rafael Benatar continues his exploration of the Double Lift. * Robert Mansilla shares a nice routine using a red/blue double-backed card in “Artifices.” * We closing in on the last few installments of Jon Racherbaumer’s column “Exhumations,” and this month we get a trick by Ed Marlo and Don May. * Shawn McMaster brings us yet another month of Magic Castle Madness in “Knights at The Magic Castle.” * “The Eye” gazes over many realms from which Vanessa Armstrong plucks the most interesting stories. * “Light from the Lamp” has been where Genii’s reviews have been parked since October 1936. This month David Britland reviews books, Mark Phillips reviews tricks, and Joe M. Turner reviews videos. Joe has been with us for many decades, always doing great and thoughtful work for our readers. This will be his final column. Thanks, Joe!

10/04/2024

Friends, this looks like an incredible convention! I will be going.

This groundbreaking three-day event is for anyone and everyone who’s eager to be part of the exciting future of women in magic.

09/23/2024

Join us! A $35 subscription to Genii brings you a visit to The Magic Castle and a full year of new issues, plus access to our digital archive of every issue of Genii and MAGIC magazines ever published. www.geniimagazine.com
On our cover this month is the anonymous character known as The Magician, who performs at a venue in Las Vegas known as The Magician’s Study. He wears a rabbit mask in all of his publicity shots and keeps it on only for the first few minutes of his show. His name is never spoken and few know his true identity. His success speaks for itself: consistently sold-out shows in a small premier parlor-style venue, seating 60, located in a fancy boutique hotel within a larger hotel on the Las Vegas strip. His performing style is unique in today’s world of magic.
The beginning of August saw the yearly convention MAGIC Live take place at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. For those of you who could not attend, our coverage of the event is provided in this issue by Dustin Stinett and Bill Mullins.
In “Magicana,” Jamy Ian Swiss explains an excellent handling of Al Baker’s classic “Haunted Deck” by Jeffrey Kellogg. There have been many versions of the “Haunted Deck,” but not so many in which any card is named rather than physically chosen. * From David Regal this month an intriguing illusory card control in “Material Concessions.” * John Bannon takes an off-beat approach to using Bill Simon’s Prophesy Move in “Dealing With It” (includes two videos). * Jonathan Friedman could have marketed “MVP,” this month’s installment of “WWPD,” as a download—but he didn’t! It’s yours, at no charge, in this month’s issue (includes video). * In Jim Steinmeyer’s “Conjuring” this month you’ll learn an adorable trick called “Hershey Comes Home.” * Krystyn Lambert discusses a college course she teaches on magic in “Stage as Studio.” * And of course Vanessa Armstrong brings us interesting news in “The Eye”; Shawn McMaster tells of his recent visits to our club in “Knights at The Magic Castle”; and books, tricks, and videos are reviewed by Tom Frame, Tom Dobrowolski, and Bill Wells.

GENII was founded in 1936 by William Larsen, Sr., and is now published by Genii Enterprises, LLC. It is the longest-running magazine devoted to magic. Jim Steinmeyer is Executive Editor, taking over from Richard Kaufman, who retired in 2025.

09/18/2024

Something great!
https://jackofhearts.squarespace.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFX-Q9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSBUBWGLHs8OELPc3vjgHbVNIESzWv9guxyLEQxNFY5dQ2u1UQVMUK8cpw_aem_hg9U7bbZ1Vr93q0a11hZ4g

The Jack of Hearts Session. A very special online event to help a family in need.

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 was founded in 1936 by William Larsen, Sr., and is now published by Genii Enterprises, LLC. It is the longest-running magazine devoted to magic. Jim Steinmeyer is Executive Editor, taking over from Richard Kaufman, who retired in 2025.

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 was founded in 1936 by William Larsen, Sr., and is now published by Genii Enterprises, LLC. It is the longest-running magazine devoted to magic. Jim Steinmeyer is Executive Editor, taking over from Richard Kaufman, who retired in 2025.

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!
Subscribe today for these benefits and many more at www.geniimagazine.com.
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 was founded in 1936 by William Larsen, Sr., and is now published by Genii Enterprises, LLC. It is the longest-running magazine devoted to magic. Jim Steinmeyer is Executive Editor, taking over from Richard Kaufman, who retired in 2025.