Gardyloo #60
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(No, this picture wasn't hidden away on Josh's hard-drive. And I didn't steal it so you could make perverted photoshops or tribute pictures with it. He put this picture out himself. No, I don't know why. I can only assume the pressure of the new show is getting to him.)
Best of luck to my pal Joshua Jay whose new show, Six Impossible Things, opens tonight. (There are 11 tricks in the show, apparently, but only 6 are any good.)
What can we expect from this show? It's hard to say. But, as reader D.C. noted in an email to me. If you search magic set josh jay on amazon, it recommends you watch Transparent.
So I'm guessing his new stage show might be the one that finally addresses his struggle with his sexual identity? I'm not sure.
On a similar note, does anyone know how Amazon does their algorithms? What I mean is, how many of us would have to buy Magic: The Complete Course by Joshua Jay and a big black dildo, before we could make this a reality on the Amazon page for that book?
Is there video anywhere of Juan Tamariz doing the Crossing the Gaze switch? [Update: I've been sent the video by a few people. Thanks.] It's something I've done in the past myself, and it seems like it should be a psychologically fooling switch.
However, when I watch anyone else do it, it seems to just draw attention to itself. Their actions don't seem natural in the least. It either happens way too quick or there's a lot silent over-acting, like they're in a 1920s movie. "Oh, is the object OVER HERE in this pocket? No. Then it must be OVER HERE in this one." With lots of broad gestures and looking from pocket to pocket. (I've never needed to look at my pocket before putting my hand in it. Yes, I know, I must be some kind of genius.)
So I'd like to see the move in action by the originator, because I think there's something I'm missing.
Here's a little trivia/anecdote/exposure that Joe Mckay mentioned using in relation to the trick I wrote up on Wednesday. I think it's a good bit of knowledge to have rolling around in your head to engage people with and perhaps transition into an effect. Yes, it technically exposes a "secret" (maybe, it might not even be true) but it's not something that's really going to affect your audience's enjoyment of what you do, or likely what any other magician might do in the future.
Here it is, in Joe's words...
I spent some time studying the work of Harry Houdini. Along the way - I found a cool Houdini idea buried away in an old U.F. Grant book.
It was a method that Harry used to use to escape from any pair of handcuffs.
Houdini used to have specially prepared handcuffs made available when he performed. Along with handcuffs that he had keys for as well as handcuffs that he figured out how to escape from (eg by giving them a hard bang on the floor). Along with other methods.
Anyway - sometimes he would come across handcuffs that he would have no way of escaping from. So this is what he used to do. He would make the trick harder and in doing so, create a way to escape from the handcuffs. It was very ingenious.
He would place multiple sets of handcuffs on his wrists. And the ones that he could not escape from would be placed higher up the arms. So that when the lower ones were removed - the uppermost ones could simply be slipped straight off the wrists.
My friend and the primary illustrator that I work with, Stasia Burrington, is working on a new deck of playing cards/oracle cards with a cat theme. I'm looking forward to it, because I love her work and I know it's the type of thing that will charm laypeople (in a way the Bicycle Titanium Elite Masters Vortex Knights: Stardust Edition Version 3 sorts of decks never will). I'll mention it here when it's released, or keep an eye on her etsy store.
