Mailbag #117
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Another Craig Petty release and another controversy. Can we get a Judge Jerxy ruling on the issue? He implies cards can be examined during the routine by saying they can be “checked.” But they can’t really be looked at too closesly since they’re roughed pairs. What does the Judge think? Is this deceptive advertising? Do you think the trick is any good? I can barely get through it with Craig screaming at the audience the way he does. —EW
I can understand how “check” could mislead people in regard to the examinability of the cards at certain points in the routine. But I don’t think there’s really any controversy here. The verb “check” is completely appropriate for what the spectator can do to those cards.
There are words in magic that have a specific meaning (or should) like “examinable.” But if that word itself isn’t used, then you have to accept the least restrictive interpretation of the word that is used.
“Check” really doesn’t have a set meaning in the world of magic advertising. Or in anything else, for that matter. I used to sneak out of my house at night a lot when I was a kid. My parents would “check” to see if I was sleeping and they would see a body shaped lump under the covers made up of a saxophone case and this weird spherical game called Computer Perfection where my head should be.
My point being, you can check if your daughter is asleep by opening the door a crack. Or you can check she’s asleep by barging in the room, pulling off the covers, waking her up, and interrogating her under hot lights to make sure it is actually your daughter and not a clever look-a-like your daughter put in her place so she could sneak out and go get fingerbanged by her boyfriend, Tito.
So I don’t see the controversy with “check” in this situation.
As for the trick, I like the structure, but I don’t know that the “superimposed” climax works for me. I think it will fool people and surprise people. But the people I perform for regularly are accustomed to a logic—a storyline—to the tricks I do. And, “I fused your selections to the aces” doesn’t really work with that style of magic. It’s sort of confusing. But for anyone who does like the effect, I think the method (as much as I understand it) is pretty good.
Is there any chance you would do a new feature on the site (or in the newsletter) where you cover your current EDC every couple months? —MD
No.
I don’t really have a “current” EDC. I frequently have one trick in my pocket that I’m carrying with me in order to test it out. And I might have a deck of cards and another item or two in my computer bag. But it’s just what I’m working on at the moment, more so than “EDC.”
I know a lot of people have a significant magic EDC: with Sharpies, and sponge balls, and multiple packet tricks, and gimmicked coins, and trick keys, and fake bottle caps, and purse frames, and so on.
This feels like mental illness to me.
Loading yourself up with gimmicks because you want to show people magic feels about as productive as saying, “I want to go out and meet some women. I should memorize a lot of good pick-up lines!”
Like, how do you think people look at you when you pull your second packet trick out of your special wallet?
I do like to have an extensive repertoire so I have a full arsenal of tricks to choose from, should the right moment arise. But as I wrote in 2022, I recommend an Invisible, Imperceptible, and Intangible EDC—focusing primarily on the intangible.
There are times when I’m going to an event where I know there are going to be a number of people who like seeing magic. In those situations I may put a couple extra things in my wallet or something like that. Or I may hae a “big” trick I’m prepared for, which may require some specific items.
But more and more, I’m trying to limit the tricks that I carry with me literally “every day” to the stuff that’s in my head. Which, unfortunately, doesn’t make for an interesting picture when I spread my EDC over the table.
If you had to estimate about what percentage of the people in your life do you perform magic for? —JC
I’m going to assume you mean family and friends, and not just the people I encounter on a day-to-day basis.
I would say that 85% of my friends and family see magic from me at least a couple of times a year.
I think that’s a pretty good range.
If you’re showing magic to 100% of the people in your life, then you’re probably not noticing the people who just aren’t that into magic.
If you’re only showing magic to like 50% of the people in your life because you think the other half isn’t interested, then I think you need to find a way to make what you’re doing more palatable to a wider range of people. Because—in my experience—more than 50% of people should be interested in seeing something unusual. There is a legitimate population of people who just can’t enjoy magic regardless of how it’s presented, but I think that’s much closer to 10 or 15% than 50%.