Episode 017: Issue #17, A Novel Glass Through Hat, and More

Episode 017: Issue #17, A Novel Glass Through Hat, and More

Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 17: Issue #17 Issue #17 opens with a sharp warning about cameras and sleight of hand, delivers a blindfolded cigarette identification built on a coat dropper, a deceptively clean two-card prediction with a Magician's Choice structure, and closes with a historical essay on the torn deck from the SAM's national president. The Burling Hull situation also resurfaces — this time with attorneys and Post Office complaints. Effects Covered [1:00] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann leads with a warning: don't do sleight of hand in front of cameras. Two performers he respects were recently caught on film, and his point is that a lens that can catch a bullet in flight isn't going to miss a sleight. Jay's commentary: please, nobody tell him about YouTube. The editorial also covers U.F. Grant's new photo-electrical effect, a genuinely positive update on Percy Abbott's The Tops, a pointed dismissal of an anonymous free publication called The Links, and a reluctant apology for the delayed winter extra — Annemann had spent the holiday stretch doing four shows a night on a nightclub tour while simultaneously editing the Jinx. [3:03] Cigarettes in the Dark — Theodore Annemann Blindfolded, the performer reaches into a hat of mixed cigarettes, lights one, takes a puff, and names the brand — three times in a row, three correct. The blindfold is genuine; the cigarettes aren't coming from the hat. The coat dropper Fischer described a couple of issues back is loaded in advance with three brands in a known order, and the reach toward the hat covers the actual retrieval each time. Jay suggests a modern variant using coins and a bowl that works the same angle without requiring anyone to light up. [4:38] The Spectator's Choice — Stuart Judah Six piles of cards, two freely chosen cards added to any two piles, a dealing procedure that ends with exactly those two cards — whichever of two apparently independent predictions the helper decides to keep. Judah admits it didn't look like much on paper and he nearly set it aside, then saw it performed. The Magician's Choice structure is particularly clean here because both slips look like independent predictions and the helper genuinely doesn't know until the end which two cards they'll be holding. [5:53] To Our Associated Dealers — Burling Hull Another chapter in the ongoing saga: a letter Hull sent directly to magic dealers, printed in full, addressing attacks in the anonymous publication Annemann had been calling The Stinks. Hull's attorney has characterized the attacks as a perfect case of libel by innuendo, a lawsuit is proceeding, and Hull is filing with the Post Office to have the publication's mailing privileges revoked. The practical point to dealers is that distributing defamatory material through the mail could make them liable alongside the publisher. Annemann prints the whole thing without editorial comment. [6:56] Finger Exercise — Otis Manning A thimble routine framed as a demonstration of finger dexterity — one red thimble and one blue, appearing to jump positions and then swap simultaneously, closing with a helper invited to try it themselves. No vanishes, just a series of apparent transpositions using the simplest thimble steal. Annemann's note: he can't do many sleights himself, but this one he can manage. Manning's closing advice — never mention you're using two thimbles, and learn when to talk and when not to. [8:10] A Novel Glass Through Hat — Alvin C. Thompson A drinking glass with a red silk inside, covered with paper, passes through the crown of a borrowed hat and appears inside it. The key is a moment early in the routine where the paper-covered glass is briefly placed inside the hat on an apparently incidental pretext. Jay's summary: everyone here has done the salt shaker through the table, yes? Same thing. Thompson's performance note is to do it smartly, no stalling, and get to the climax as fast as possible. [8:59] The Origin and History of the Torn Deck — Julian J. Proskauer A historical essay and performance piece from the SAM's national president, who opens by noting that whenever a magician claims an original effect, he smiles skeptically. He walks through three versions of the torn deck effect across his 20-year history with it — a version using a saw (cards kept slipping), a bare-hands version inspired by Physical Culture magazine, and a 1936 version where performer and helper tear their packets simultaneously before the selected card is reassembled. Proskauer claims no originality for the trick itself, tracing it back at least 75 years — only that he helped bring it back to light. [10:30] Outro Links and a preview of Issue #18 — featuring Tom Sellers' Death Flight.

Episode 016: Issue #16, The ACME Thought Card Pass, and More

Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 16: Issue #16 Issue #16 rings in 1936 with Annemann reporting from a turbulent SAM club night, closing the Burling Hull matter with two words, and delivering a book test built on a pocket index, a magic square from a birthday, a comedy coin-to-candy-cone switch, and a thought-of card transposition that Annemann couldn't crack until Dr. Jacob Daly figured out the core method in about five minutes of conversation. Effects Covered [0:58] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann skips the standard SAM club night recap in favor of what other reporters missed — including Cardini spending the final three minutes of a magnificent eleven-minute act doing a deliberate expose of a rubber band trick, which Annemann says ruined everything that came before it. He closes the Burling Hull dispute with a two-word response: "I apologize." He also welcomes Percy Abbott's new monthly publication The Tops with measured skepticism — though Jay notes from the future that it ran for 21 years, relaunched, and ran another 33. [3:05] A Visible Cigarette Vanisher — Lou Brent A cigarette holder of the kind actual smokers carried in the 1930s is shown openly with the cigarette seated inside — then both vanish. The prop never registered as apparatus because it looked like an ordinary accessory, which Annemann notes is exactly how magic props should look. He adds a practical tip: adhesive tape inside the holder keeps the cigarette firmly seated during the vanish. Jay suggests the principle adapts naturally to vaping, with an obvious presentational angle ready-made. [4:15] Again, a Prediction — Doc Mifflin A card is freely chosen from a mixed deck, the helper opens a small book of poems to the matching page number, finds the word at that same position, and the prediction already in the cup matches it exactly. The method requires thirteen outs and a pocket index — and Jay points out that if you have a pocket index collecting dust and never knew what to do with it, this is the answer. [4:59] The Lucky Number Magic Square — Royal V. Heath A helper names their birth date, the performer writes it above a blank 3x3 grid, the helper makes two apparently free choices along the way, and the completed grid is a magic square — every row, column, and diagonal adding up to the same total. That total reduces to the helper's personal lucky number, the whole thing fits on the back of a business card, and Jay notes in the comments at jinxnavigator.com there's a free crash course on numerology readings to pair with it. [6:10] Burr — Otis Manning A borrowed nickel vanishes under a handkerchief and reappears as a candy ice cream cone, handed to the helper as an even trade. The cone was a one-cent candy counter item in 1936 that passed for the real thing at three feet, and Annemann notes the second laugh when the helper realizes it's candy is just as good as the first. Jay acknowledges his earlier snarkiness about nightclubs and handkerchiefs and admits the effect has genuine promise — and suggests there are plenty of modern substitutes for the candy cone worth exploring. [7:27] The Acme Thought Card Pass — Dr. Jacob Daly and Theodore Annemann Two people each silently think of a card from a packet held in the audience — both packets are sealed in envelopes, one pocketed by a helper, one kept by the performer. The thought-of cards travel invisibly: the helper's envelope comes up two short, the performer's has two extra, and both named cards are right there. Annemann had been trying to crack this with unprepared cards for a long time; Daly solved the core method almost immediately when the subject came up in conversation, with the preparation built entirely into an ordinary stack of envelopes. [8:46] Outro Links and a preview of Issue #17 — featuring Otis Manning's Finger Exercise.

Episode 015: Issue #15, Diabolical Influence, and More

Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 15: Issue #15 Issue #15 is a compact but well-stocked issue — a three-way out envelope used for real election-night publicity, a self-working spelling effect updated for American audiences, a coat-mounted ball retriever that takes Jay on a nostalgic tour of his heavily rigged performing jackets, and a parlor effect that Annemann calls the best drawing-room conception he knows. The editorial is sharp, covering glowing promotional eyes, a handwriting expert working a crystal ball act, and Annemann's blunt thoughts on how the magic community handles exposers. Effects Covered [0:52] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann opens with a photo of Otis Manning landing a three-column front-page picture — full details promised next issue. He covers a lobby display trick using luminous paint on a promotional photo, a crystal ball act secretly backed by a handwriting expert sending personalized notes about audience members, and a practical tip about writing predictions on your own business card so people keep them. He closes with a pointed editorial on magic exposers — formal expulsion doesn't work, he argues, and watching the community immediately surround a known exposer asking to see his latest stuff proves it. [3:42] An Original Faked Envelope with a Publicity Angle — Theodore Annemann A three-compartment envelope that opens to a different compartment depending on which end is trimmed — content simply falls into the helper's palm, no fumbling required. Annemann describes using it during a local election: writing a prediction, having a newspaper editor sign it, apparently having second thoughts and sealing a new envelope, then returning after the results came in to verify it — leaving the clean original on the table and pocketing the faked one. Clean entry, clean exit. [5:21] A Different Card Spelling — George C. Hannemann A refinement of a spelling effect from Gibson's Houdini's Magic, updated for American audiences who don't call Jacks "knaves" or 2s "duces." A helper spells out their card's suit and lands on a matching suit, then spells the value and lands on a matching value — two separate arrivals, both exactly on cue, with no sleight of hand. Nineteen cards in a specific order near the middle of the deck, and the trick essentially runs itself. Hannemann also offers a handling that avoids a force entirely. [6:42] An Original Ball Dropper — Otakar Fischer A coat-mounted device that delivers a palmed ball with nothing more than a slight lowering of the arm and two fingers of gentle pressure — gravity does the rest. Fischer's key note is that the hand stays completely still throughout, and the dropper lies flat against the body once empty. Jay takes a nostalgic detour through his performing jackets of 40-some years ago, which apparently housed doves, pinned cards, a vanishing candle, and a giant card against the breast pocket simultaneously. [7:57] Diabolical Influence — Harris Solomon The performer writes a prediction, covers it with an initialed sticker, and leaves the room — from outside, he directs a series of apparently free choices: a card at a counted position, a named card, three random numbers. He returns, peels the sticker, and the prediction matches the card at the counted position. Two more cards match the other selections. The three numbers add up to the sum written under the sticker. The pocketed card is named, the deck shown complete. Annemann calls it the best parlor and drawing-room conception he knows, and Jay says he's going to try this one. [9:31] Outro Links and a preview of Issue #16 — featuring Doc Mifflin's "Again, a Prediction."

Episode 014: Issue #14, Coins En Route, and More

Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 14: Issue #14 Issue #14 is a busy one — Annemann makes the case for learning fortune telling, prints a point-by-point rebuttal from a critic in full, and delivers a card on a window, a coin transposition for platform use, and the two-person mentalism piece he's been using in real-world conditions. There's also a dime passing through a handkerchief, which Jay notes would be perfect EDC material if anyone still carried handkerchiefs. Effects Covered [1:00] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann opens with a practical case for learning fortune telling — nothing takes over a party faster, he says, and card layouts do most of the work once you know the meanings. He also addresses magic exposés in Popeye cartoons, touches briefly on the ongoing Burling Hull dispute, and closes with an elaborate fantasy publicity campaign involving a coffin, a jailbreak, a department store climb, a bullet catch, and a live burial — described in gleeful detail. Jay endorses the fortune telling advice and points to his own numerology site as a companion resource. [3:20] The Burling Hull Letter Battle — Burling Hull / Theodore Annemann A departure from the usual format: Annemann prints a full letter from Burling Hull responding to criticism directed at Hull's publication Stage Magic. Hull defends his publication history point by point, cites over 1,200 testimonials, and closes with a pointed shot at Annemann's own book — noting it nearly didn't appear at all and only made it to print through a dealer's intervention. Annemann prints it in full, as promised, which says something about how he ran the Jinx. [4:43] Images of Business Cards — Theodore Annemann A full page of magicians' business cards from the era — not something that translates to audio, but worth a look at jinxnavigator.com. [4:51] A Card in Flight — Bobby Hummer A helper notes a card, the deck goes into a borrowed hat, and the performer appears to remove the spots one by one — flicking them away. The card vanishes from the deck entirely, and when a window curtain is raised, the card is on the outside of the glass looking in. The vanish uses small pieces of black paper and a move inside the hat that happens in plain sight without anyone registering it. The card on the window is a duplicate, planted during an earlier visit that same day. [5:55] Coins En Route — Otakar Fischer Ten coins on a helper's palm under a handkerchief, ten more in a second helper's cupped hands — the first helper shakes the handkerchief a chosen number of times, and that many coins travel invisibly between them. Fischer's contribution is a quiet steal built into the initial counting action, looking purely functional. Diachylon plaster is called for in the original; Jay recommends magician's wax and notes this may be the first coin version of a traveling-coins effect he's encountered. [7:05] A Cute and Quick Location — Theodore Annemann Four cards dealt face down, the helper touches one, and its value tells the performer exactly how far down in the deck to count for the selected card. Four specific cards in a particular order near the top of the deck — that's the entire setup. Annemann discovered it while noodling around rather than setting out to invent anything, which gives it the feel of something that slots naturally into a casual impromptu session. [7:52] Metal vs. Fabric — Fred Demuth A dime and a penny are placed on a handkerchief, the cloth is twisted tight around them, and the dime is pulled slowly through the fabric — leaving only the penny behind. The method uses a classic coin set that many performers already own, with Demuth offering a new application that makes the penetration visible and direct. Jay notes that pennies are still around even if handkerchiefs aren't, and recommends giving it a shot. [8:53] Thoughts in the Air — Theodore Annemann A two-person mentalism piece that Annemann has been using and finds genuinely practical. A helper hides a personal object somewhere in the room while the performer is present — then the performer leaves, the assistant returns, finds a chosen card in the deck, and locates the hidden object without asking anyone anything. The card selection is pure misdirection; what the audience remembers afterward is the object being found and returned. The location system divides the room into a coordinate grid, learnable with a partner in about five minutes. Jay plans to try it at an upcoming magic club meeting. [10:28] Outro Links and a preview of Issue #15 — featuring Annemann's original faked envelope with a publicity angle.

Episode 013: Issue #13, Higher Magic and More

Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 13: Issue #13 Issue #13 arrives with two black cats overhead and Annemann unbothered — he notes the cat should be the worried one. The issue delivers practical stagecraft from a Viennese theater veteran, a publicity stunt involving a postage stamp and a ceiling, a newspaper prediction with mentalism flair, and a self-working eight-ace routine that Manning insists should be performed as one unbroken sequence. Effects Covered [0:56] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann opens with a genuine pet theory: magicians do too many things in threes, and the third repetition risks nullifying the mystery entirely. Jay pushes back slightly — he's fine with threes, but argues that if you repeat something, at least vary what the audience perceives. The editorial also covers a bird cage update tracing Robert Heller's version, a recommendation for U.F. Grant's one-way deck booklet, a cigarette vanish by Calvert Cole that fooled Annemann completely, and Andrew Brennan's follow-up to last issue's shrinking dollar — which ends with a large souvenir penny and the punchline that the secret of 59 cents is that they have bigger cents. [4:21] An Original Tie for Loads — Otakar Fischer A practical stagecraft solution from a man who spent 12 consecutive years performing two-hour shows at a magical theater in Vienna. The device is a simple endless loop of cord with a ring and a dress hook — a load secured diagonally releases instantly with a single upward motion of the hook, and the heavier the load, the more securely it holds until needed. Twelve years of professional use is about as good a recommendation as it gets. [5:17] Higher Magic — Theodore Annemann A wet postage stamp pressed to a half dollar and thrown at the ceiling with a particular motion — the coin comes back down, the stamp stays up. Annemann's best version involves a card name written in ink on the back of the stamp, placed on a hotel ceiling during one visit and confirmed by forcing that card on a return visit. Practical notes: use ink not pencil, small stamps work best, and for a walking advertisement, have gummed stickers printed with your name instead. [6:35] The Super Slates — Anonymous A two-slate effect where both slates are openly numbered on all four sides before anything happens — and when opened, there's chalk writing on the inside of each one. The method involves a precisely timed sequence of flap handling woven around the numbering procedure. Jay's honest take: lay audiences probably aren't going home wondering why only one slate had writing on it, but if you want to fool the folks at the next magic club meeting, this will do it. [7:51] Cards and a Newspaper — Arthur Johnson A helper shuffles and cuts a deck into four piles, cards are moved between them, and the top card of each pile turns up a page number, column, line, and word — which matches a prediction written before anything began. The underlying card principle is one magicians will recognize from the classic four-aces location, but Johnson's repurposing of it as a newspaper prediction shifts the feel entirely toward mentalism. Jay notes it would work just as cleanly as a book test with a small adjustment to the presentation. [8:58] Aces of Eight — Otis Manning Eight aces — two from each suit — are mixed and cut by a helper, and the performer produces them from behind his back in a sequence of escalating phases: matching suits, then matching colors, then a spelling sequence, then finally both hands emerge with reds in one and blacks in the other. No conventional sleight of hand — the work happens behind the back through arrangement and one simple repeated move. Manning's instruction is to learn it smoothly and perform the whole thing as one continuous unbroken effect. [10:04] Outro Links and a preview of Issue #14 — featuring Annemann's Thoughts in the Air, an almost-impromptu two-person mentalism effect.