Spirit Coffin

Penguin and Nate Kranzo released a new effect called The Spirit Coffin.

The ad copy says:

“The Spirit Slates have been a traditional prop in spiritualism and bizarre magic for decades, but modern audiences have little reference for chalkboards in an age of screens.”

Good point.

And in the video for the product, Nate says:

“The Spirit Slates have always been a kind of unnatural prop for me.”

Yes! Finally we can replace those weird old Spirit Slates with something more modern, more relatable, more in tune with the times.

Something like… hmmm… I don’t know… a mini chalkboard coffin?

Now, look—I think this is a fun idea for a prop. But let’s not pretend this is a more normal or organic upgrade to the typical Spirit Slates. Sure, maybe small chalkboards aren’t as common as they were 100 years ago, but they’re infinitely more common than a mini coffin you write in with chalk. In fact, most people would say the latter isn’t something that exists.

Some of those endorsements are wild, too. The essence of most of them is, “Ugh, finally someone upgraded those stupid Spirit Slates and put them in a coffin like we’ve all been hoping for.”

Marc DeSouza says this is “such a natural prop.” Ah yes, so “natural.” Honey, the magician just pulled out a mini chalkboard coffin. Like the ones we use at the veterinary clinic to give the hamsters a proper Christian burial.

Again, I don’t dislike the prop—I just think trying to advertise it as more relatable than the normal Spirit Slates is dumb.

Maybe they figured they couldn’t get away with saying, “It’s like the traditional Spirit Slates, just even less recognizable.”

Here’s the thing…once you start pulling out a coffin of any size to do a trick with, we can stop pretending that relatability is the quality you’re trying to maximize in your performance.

You’re doing some goofball magic nonsense. At that point, just own it.