Alakazam Magic

The Manchurian Approach A review by Chris Harding

2009-05-02T23:31:00.000-07:00

A weekend in Derbyshire like no other…on a slightly overcast Friday afternoon I found myself driving up the motorway on route to attend a two-day course entitled “The Manchurian Approach.” Although I did not know it at this stage, it was to be a weekend that I would never forget.

Anthony Jacquin has become well recognised in the magic world over the last couple of years, following the publication of his fabulous book “Reality is Plastic: The Art of Impromptu Hypnosis.” Having always had a fascination with hypnosis I decided to order the book and try and get to grips with this slightly elusive art. Well, the book arrived along with a free DVD full of instruction and tips on many of the techniques from the book. The book is an excellent read and is certainly a “page-turner” in the sense that once you start reading it, it is very difficult to put down, due to the clear, precise and very understandable style in which it has been written.
What is also worth mentioning here is the superb correspondence that Anthony provided after I bought the book. Always on hand to give advice and answer any questions that one may have regarding any of the techniques set out in the book, this is indeed very kind and immensely useful. I was very excited by the book itself and immediately wanted to express my feedback to the author and after a period of correspondence, the topic of “The Manchurian Approach” came up.

“The Manchurian Approach” is a two-day course aimed solely at magicians and mentalists. It is an intensive training weekend that runs as follows:
Day one kicks off early with a detailed classroom training session that focuses on the approach, set piece and very quick induction that will allow you to literally approach anyone and put them into a hypnotic trance in just a few short minutes. Having spent a considerable number of hours in the classroom setting, learning and practising the techniques, it is then time to hit the streets and the bars to put the newly learnt skills into practise - in the trenches - so to speak.
Day two starts off with a discussion about the night before and the experiences that people had as well as some consolidation on the techniques themselves. This is followed by a detailed examination of the applications of hypnosis to the world of magic and mentalist performances. With some very specific practical applications along with countless tips, ideas and brainstorming, the imagination is pushed to the extreme and opens up a whole new realm of performance possibilities.

In my opinion, this was one of the most fascinating and worthwhile weekends ever. Anthony Jacquin is an outstanding teacher and makes the topic of hypnosis, not only very clear, but also very approachable. Although I had read the book beforehand, I had not yet been brave enough to try out any of the techniques and this was part of my motivation for attending the course. So on the first day myself and a small group of magicians and mentalists were collected from a nearby hotel by Anthony and driven to the Derbyshire Conference Centre, to begin the training. What was particularly brilliant was the fact that as the techniques were being taught, we were all then encouraged to practice on each other and this was aided by Anthony and his team, all of whom were extremely helpful and friendly.

I should take this opportunity to mention that along with Anthony himself, were the following guys, all of whom were tremendously helpful throughout the learning process. Kev Sheldrake, Amit Badiani and Vince Lynch are all very accomplished hypnotists and their knowledge and experience was particularly inspiring as well as being a very valuable resource to answer any queries and questions that anyone had throughout the course.

So back to day one; having completed the classroom training and feeling confident with the hypnotic techniques that we had learnt it was time to head into town for some lunch before hitting the streets to hone the skills. I think it is fair to say that there was a alight air of nerves and tension as we headed out to start hypnotising the public. However, with Anthony and the team on standby for moral support and also to give us some backup it did not take long before the whole group was hypnotising strangers on the streets of Derbyshire city centre. What was particularly fascinating to behold was the huge amount of interest that hypnosis creates from passers-by. It certainly does not take long for a crowd to assemble.

Having spent some time on the streets hypnotising unsuspecting strangers, we headed to a popular local bar where we assembled and regrouped, ready to move onto the evening training. I was particularly excited to learn throughout the course of the evening that hypnosis does not require a silent, clinical room in order to be effective. Anthony quickly proved that this was not the case and had the whole lot of us hypnotising unsuspecting drinkers into varying states of hypnotic trance. It was a great way to end day one and I think everyone left that night with much excitement about what was still to come the following day.

So after a few hours sleep, we were back at the conference centre for further training and some discussion and tutorial on how hypnosis can be weaved into a magic or mentalist performance, creating a unique type of performance that gives the character of the performer another, slightly darker but intriguing side. Anthony set out some fantastic practical applications as well as demo-ing his brilliant routine, “The mask of Sanity.” Anyone that attended the recent Tabular Mentis meeting in London will have seen how strong this performance piece is live. The second day also provided an abundance of opportunities for some one-to-one discussions with the training team and I think that the fact that the course is limited to just a small number is great as it really does allow for that personal advice and feedback, which is invaluable.

I think that everyone got some very valuable skills out of this weekend and I was genuinely sorry when it wrapped up on Sunday. It had gone by so quickly and been so enjoyable and I met a great bunch of people, many of whom have become friends since the course. It has been great to be able to discuss the techniques with Anthony and his team since the course and I can honestly say that anyone with even a curiosity about this genre of performance should definitely get involved in “The Manchurian Approach” when it comes to a city near you. Just be careful if you decide to shake hands with Anthony or Amit! I will explain…

Some of the more avid readers of the Alakazam Magic mailing list may already have seen the Youtube video but in case not, then I want to give the link for it here. For me, a personal highlight of the whole weekend course was being hypnotised by Anthony himself. I never realised how susceptible I am to being hypnotised and for your enjoyment, you can check out the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn4AwVBgrgc Having now watched it back, I draw the conclusion that reality really is plastic and that Anthony Jacquin is the most dangerous man in Britain!!!!

I wholeheartedly recommend “The Manchurian Approach” to anyone with an interest in hypnosis and how it can be applied to a magical performance. No prior knowledge is required and the courses run at various locations across the country throughout the year. Check out
http://www.anthonyjacquin.com for details on up and coming courses. I will definitely be up for doing more in the future, not only to consolidate what I have already learnt but also because the guys are great fun to hang out with and the whole weekend is tremendous value for money.

© Chris Harding, April 2009

Up and coming at Alakazam Magic

2009-02-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Just a few quick paragraphs to give you a heads up on what is to come over the next few weeks!

For all those of you that perform the fabulous Heirloom effect then look out for the project DVD release coming very soon. This is an in-depth look at the classic effect, the wallet and the bonus pack. On top of all that there will be a fresh look at alternative presentations, additional ideas and countless tips that have evolved over the last few years since the initial release of the now best selling Heirloom effect. So if you already perform the effect then you will find some added tips here but if you are new to the routine, then you are in for a treat!

Also any of you that are going to this year's Blackpool Magic Convention, be sure to get to the Alakazam stand early to get your hands on a set of the very limited iChange cards by Peter Nardi. This project is due for full release later this year but many of you have requested the gimmicks since seeing Peter's Instant Interchange routine so we have had a handful of sets made up exclusively for this years convention weekend. If you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about with this, then be sure to visit the stand at Blackpool and find out!

Squash by David Loosley will make its official debut at the Blackpool Convention also and is already pre-selling like mad! It is a real worker's routine that we are sure will be added to the repertoire of many pros immediately. Whether you perform professionally or prefer to do some magic for friends at parties or in bars, Squash is a versatile piece of magic that really packs a punch.

Finally, we are very excited about a forthcoming DVD project that we know is going to have a great impact on the magic world. One of the finest magicians in the world today with many prestigious awards to his name and with his debut Alakazam project we are really looking forward to bringing this material to the magic world. Keep your eyes peeled and prepare to be inspired by "The Classic Magic Of..." wait and see!!

Round up of Alakazam Magic in 2008

2008-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Well here we are again, it is a cold, wintry Sunday afternoon and I sit down in front of my computer yet again to put together a closing newsletter for what has been another very busy year for Alakazam Magic. The whole idea of rounding up the year in this fairly in-depth manner is really to highlight some of the “best-bits” for us over these past twelve months and also to remind us that without all your on-going support, much of this would not have been possible.

So where on earth do I start? The past twelve months have seen the release of some hugely popular items, many of which have been standout items in the entire magic community and hopefully will continue to be well into the New Year. The most obvious place to start is with the EXTRACTOR deck. Way back at the time we released the RISER DECK, the genius that is Rob Bromley also sent us a new device that he said in passing would change the way people thought about card magic. It sat on the shelf in the office for nearly eight months. Fast-forward to the Blackpool Magicians Club Annual Convention 2008 and Peter decided to take this new device along to show it around informally to see what people thought and show an initial idea he had had with it to do a card to pocket effect.

BANG! The card to pocket routine set the convention alight with a buzz that overwhelmed some of the greatest minds in magic and more importantly – they were being fooled by it! Nobody had seen anything like this before and this was just the tip of the iceberg. With rave reviews for Peter’s card to pocket coming in left right and centre, it suddenly opened up the creative doors to a device that we now know as the EXTRACTOR. The release of this device became highly anticipated and production began immediately. However there was a drawback – the demand! With each EXTRACTOR being painstakingly hand-crafted by Rob Bromley and the DVD content looking to be over two hours long this was going to be a lot of work to get everything together in time for the release!

With a funky new packaging design courtesy of the artistic genius of ADRIAN GOWER of Monster Creations, two thousand EXTRACTORS ready to go and a tutorial DVD that ran for a whopping 130 minutes, everything was ready to go. I do not think anyone could have anticipated just how big this thing was going to be and on the day of release we set about fulfilling the preorders – which actually ended up taking two days in total, at the end of which we were cleaned right out! So we set about the whole production line again in order to get more of these sought-after devices made again and honestly – we have been on a catch-up with the ongoing demand ever since. The phenomenon looks set to continue in 2009 with more and more people submitting ideas and feedback, a follow-up DVD is planned and EXTRACTED looks set to bring you bang up to date with the latest routines, tips and ideas with the device that has kept us on our toes for best part of the last year. It has been a complete joy to get emails and calls from people that have bought the EXTRACTOR who openly admit they have done very little card magic in the past and now the EXTRACTOR has given them new confidence and they are now blowing people away all the time!

Whilst the EXTRACTOR was a major addition to Alakazam Magic in 2008 the other most notable event was MARK GRAY joining the team and 2009 will see him becoming a full time member of the Alakazam Magic team of staff. Mark has a huge wealth of experience in the world of magic, not only in selling it but also as a full time performer of many years. Working extensively in the kid show market as well as close up there is very little that this guy does not know and Mark will be a driving force in Alakazam’s plans to expand our range of kid show props and unique material. Mark will also be in the shop every day so whether you are stopping buy the store or calling up to place an order then you can rest assured that you will be in safe hands with Mark.

Christmas 2008 saw the return of the classic Rubik’s Cube puzzle to the UK toy store shelves and they were set not to stay there for very long, with it being tipped to be the hot must have toy as far back as the summer. To coincide with this, we were proud to finally bring Mark Elsdon’s RUBIK REMEMBERED to the magic marketplace. This hugely popular DVD teaches Mark’s full presentation, routine and methodology for performing the RUBIK REMEMBERED routine – solving a randomly mixed up Rubik’s Cube from memory whilst blindfolded. The teaching is excellent and the feedback has been phenomenal, with magicians all over the world now performing the routine to great effect.

Around six years ago Alakazam released E.S.PERFECT by Peter Nardi and it quickly became a popular mentalism packet effect that was used by a few professionals. Well this year after the last few years in development, Peter decided to collate all his ideas using the concept behind the original effect and we put together E.S.PERFECT: THE PROJECT DVD. This instantly shot E.S.PERFECT back to the top of the sales stats and the variations also included on the DVD are now being used and recognised by professionals and amateurs alike all over the world. With the advent of DVD tutorials now becoming almost standard with the release of magic tricks, the re-release of existing effect but now with an instructional DVD is proving to be very popular, since it makes learning a routine far easier than ever before. So watch this space as you see some of the classics reloaded and re-released in 2009 with up to date tips and handlings that have evolved over the past few years along with some brand new tricks too!

PAST MIDNIGHT was a huge success for Alakazam Magic in the run up to Christmas 2007 and this year saw the completion of our second project with BENJAMIN EARL in the form of the much anticipated SKIN, released for the first time ever on DVD. This unique DVD details, in my opinion, the most complete study of the coin bend that has been in a long time. The psychological journey that the spectator experiences within this effect is sure to have a extremely powerful impact in performance and those that take the time and effort to study this DVD will have added am extremely unique and strong performance piece to their arsenal.

Mentalism has played a large part in 2008 for Alakazam in association with INNERMIND PRODUCTIONS. For Alakazam Magic, Simon Shaw’s DIRECTOR’S CUT has been a runaway hit with us reaching the end of the year and being completely sold out! This simple concept has paved the way to some very powerful routines and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has given us some great feedback and suggestions. Many of you expressed an interest in a second version of the effect but based on horror movies and we have listened! Next year be sure to look out for DIRECTOR’S CUT II: THE HORROR EDITION coming soon!

YOUR THOUGHTS ARE MINE saw the DVD debut of British based mentalism LOOCH, of SIMPLE AND DIRECT MENTALISM fame. This DVD release was just one of many through the INNERMIND PRODUCTIONS team and other highlights include THE TOMMY PAD DVD, Tom Lauten’s 357 and GLIMPSE 20/20. With more things planned for the New Year, mentalism fans around the world should stay tuned!

JOHN VAN DER PUT also shot to fame through Alakazam Magic in 2008 with the release of his signature effect VDP and then later on a collection of his unique and sophisticated style of close up work in his second hit DVD of the year OUT OF THE ROUTINE. Based on the success of his previous two releases I think we will be seeing a lot more from John in the future. I know he has created a big following so I hope that his fans will not be left waiting too long!

MOZIQUE is an extremely clever man as well as being a long time friend and associate of Alakazam Magic, with such projects as DECISIONS to his name already, the COBRA SHARPIE 2.0 was bound to arouse excitement and anticipation all round when it was finally launched on mass in 2008. Not only was this a revolutionary and truly deadly secret weapon for magicians and mentalists but also I think it set a new standard in magic tutorial, with a unique style and a super slick video trailer. I think it is important to continually push the creative boundaries within the magic world and I think that seeing the development of the aforementioned project as well as other DVD projects and the continually attractive packaging designs we can feel safe that we are doing everything we can to ensure that things are kept fresh, appealing and unique here at Alakazam Magic.

Many of you will remember the big Genii article on Peter Nardi and Alakazam Magic back in the summer of 2008 and this also saw the worldwide launch of our DVD catalogue that shows many of the items from our unique range. Since then we have been delighted to see a massive response and praise for our products and thank you all for your ongoing support and feedback. We will continue to work hard in 2009 to bring you even more fantastic products as well as keeping the DVD catalogue up to date with these additions and above all keep it FREE!

ALAKAZAM MAGIC USA also saw its major launch in 2008! Headed up by the highly respected MICHAEL RAPPA, Alakazam USA has gone from strength to strength this past year and will continue to do so in the next twelve months. As well as a huge product range, the USA site is also home to the ALAKAZAM INSTANT DOWNLOADS section where you can get some great magic from your favourite Alakazam artists on demand! If you have not yet checked it out, log on today at: www.alakazam-usa.com and get downloading!

It really has been a busy year with much to be pleased about and whilst successful products are always a delight, it is always important for us to highlight that it is only possible due to your ongoing phenomenal support and feedback. We always aim to please our customers and use your feedback to keep raising our game as much as possible. So as always if you have any suggestions or feedback then please let us know about it by dropping me a line on: sales@alakazam.co.uk as your comments are always welcome.

We have some new and extremely exciting things planned for 2009 and whilst I usually like to take this opportunity to give you a hint of what is to come, this year you are just going to have to stay tuned as the first three new projects of the year are currently top secret and confidential at this stage. But you can be sure that you will be the first to hear about them as and when we release details. So make sure you add Alakazam Magic to your Internet favourites today as well as signing up for the email updates and forwarding this on to your friends if they have not yet signed up.

Once again, on behalf of the whole Alakazam Magic team: Peter, Jenny, Mark, Sarah, Adrian and all the rest of the phenomenal individuals that help to make Alakazam what it is today; I would like to thanks you all again for all your support and wish you and your families and friends a very happy new year!

See you in 2009!

Kindest regards as always

Chris Harding
28.12.2008

Sun, Sun, Sun, Summers Here at Last & Alakazam Magic have loads of new Magic to keep you busy

2008-07-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

The summer is here and so much is happening in the ever increasing world of Alakazam Magic!
For starters THE EXTRACTOR has easily become one of our best selling items EVER! If you have not yet checked out the videos and feedback then firstly – Where have you been?! And secondly get yourself onto the website and look at what has been called the best Magic item for years! It has been endorsed by all the top pros and has been selling faster than they can be manufactured!

Alakazam Magic USA has been fully launched and is a runaway success with loads of new items added every week it is fast becoming the best way to buy Magic online for USA customers. Check out the brand new site: www.alakazam-usa.com

“The Business of Peter Nardi” is a five-page article in the August 2008 edition of Genii magazine – which also includes a free copy of our latest DVD catalogue as well as a few bonus tricks from some of our best-selling DVDs. So make sure you order your copy before they all sell out!

Up and coming release “E.S.Perfect: The Project” DVD is set to be another winner – with well over a hundred already presold, I am sure that this will also stand the test of time and become essential mentalism for a very long time to come.

Alakazam Magic USA has just finished exhibiting at the recent IBM/SAM convention in Kentucky – this is the first time Peter has appeared as a dealer at a USA convention and judging by the feedback – it was a great success with EXTRACTOR receiving even more rave reviews and positive feedback!

Other successful items that have been flying off the shelves here at the Alakazam HQ are FLOW by Dan Hauss and Emotional Intelligence by Luke Jermay. Both are highly recommended and well worth checking out!

Also keeps your eyes peeled for some new items from the Alakazam stable coming later this year – namely: Rubiks Remembered, Director’s Cut and The Tommy Pad DVD from Innermind Productions!

Hope you are all enjoying the summer and remember to keep checking the website for weekly new items and the latest and greatest in the world of Magic!

Chris

“Farewell 2007”

2008-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Chris Harding looks back at some of the highlights over the last twelve months at Alakazam Magic

Well here we are once again – another Christmas, another New Year and another busy year ahead. Yes, 2008 looks to be another promising year for Alakazam Magic, with some fantastic new artists on board, the Alakazam stable looks like it will continue to produce even more exciting, top quality products in the new year.

With all this ahead let us not forget the last year and all of the great things that we have seen in the world of Alakazam Magic. So before we head into 2008 at Alakazam, I thought it fit to take a look back at the last twelve months and highlight some of my favourite moments, people and products from 2007.

So grab yourself a festive drink, put your feet up and join me on a journey down memory lane…

It is hard to imagine how we can top 2007 in the coming year when I recall some of the Alakazam products that have hit the shelves in 2007.

Collard, Ascension, Riser Deck, Taylor Made Book Test, Bright Ideas, Party Animal, Session 2007, Ice Coins, Decisions, Phuzion, Sealed In, and most recently, Past Midnight to name but a few and along with every new Alakazam release comes a brand new challenge and a brand new friend. It is a constant pleasure to meet and work with all of the artists that choose Alakazam through which to release their material to the worldwide Magic community. Some are already well known whilst for others, the launch of their first product is their springboard into notoriety in the Magic community and in 2007 we have been fortunate enough to have a mixture of both.

Both John Archer and Mark Elsdon are valued friends of Alakazam Magic and each of them have had top notch DVD releases through our range. And we are fortunate enough that they have continued to work with us throughout that last year with John helping us to bring his highly acclaimed COLLARD routine to the Magic fraternity, which was a runaway success at the 2007 Blackpool Magic Convention.

More recently, after many months of individual craftsmanship on each unit we were both proud and lucky enough to release Mark Elsdon’s genius creation – THE RISER DECK – which was not only a big retail seller but also very well received by various Magic columnists around the world.

Following the success of both the above releases, Alakazam Magic are pleased to announce that you can expect to see more from both John Archer and Mark Elsdon in 2007 and if you have enjoyed the last year then you are going to love what we have coming for you from both of these exceptional creators next year.

So the Blackpool Magic Convention was a success for Alakazam as we continued to grow as a recognised dealer and manufacturer of unique Magic. This was also the year of the largest convention at which we were fortunate enough to run into a young man who would go on to make every working performer out there sit up and get excited about watching a “commercial Magic” DVD again. Whilst at the same time, inspiring a whole new generation of young performers and in both cases, showing all of us that performing Magic should always be a fun and memorable experience for not only the audience…but also the Magician….

Enter forth Matthew J. Dowden… the man that took close up card Magic by the scruff of the neck and proved to everyone that even the most unlikely of audiences are still both fascinated and entertained by one of the oldest and most common items in Magic – the trusty pasteboards. PARTY ANIMAL quickly became the most recommended DVD for all budding Close Up Performers, as well as a refreshing new look at some great themes in card Magic even for the most seasoned performers. It was recognised not only for its outstanding material but also for its “live action” performance footage that was filmed by the ever-fabulous Russ Stevens in a totally un-setup bar in town where, unbeknown to us at the time, we were making the hit DVD of Summer 2007!
From our point of view we were all looking to make a Magic DVD that people would actually be entertained by watching and the final result had it all…the right routines, the right venue, the right audience and the right performer bringing it all together; the result: Matthew J. Dowden’s PARTY ANIMAL.

With every Alakazam release, as far as possible we like to have the performer come down to the shop and discuss and put together all of the necessary logistics of the project and go ahead from there. The Alakazam shop is obviously a great place to do this from due to the vast Magical surroundings and catalogue of reference material that having a bricks and mortar premises brings. The shop has also attracted some great famous visitors over this past year – Justin Lee Collins joined us one evening for advice and initial filming in the run up for an impending Magic competition. The FRIDAY NIGHT PROJECT star was extremely enthusiastic throughout the filming and whilst nearly igniting himself on several occasions during his stay, left in one piece and Alakazam was proud to be chosen out of all the shops in the UK to participate in this project… look out for us in further media projects in early 2008.

But it is not only the media that Alakazam attracts – we are proud to have played host to some of the most noted names in Magic these past twelve months. What with local lectures and conventions, many well-known characters have appeared at the Alakazam Magic counter. Mind reader Marc Salem took time out of his busy series of sell-out West End performance of his famous one-man-show MIND GAMES to come down and discuss mentalism with Peter our owner and leader here at Alakazam Magic! Marc still keeps in touch and continues to be a fan of Alakazam mentalism products. This is a great time to mention the ASSASSIN wallet, which is Peter Nardi’s latest and greatest utility that is a twenty-minute mentalism act in your pocket.

During the summer months, Gregory Wilson flew in direct from the USA just to see us! Well, okay he was over here doing a UK lecture tour and happened to be giving a lecture at our local Magic club one evening till late in the night – however – the morning after…

We were more than delighted when Greg dropped by one summer’s morning and the creator of numerous popular effects took this opportunity to take a look at a new Alakazam Magic effect… at this time, Alex Ward’s SEALED IN was still in the editing stage – with the DVD filmed and the artwork designed – we were just starting to publicise a very different type of effect for Alakazam. The street Magic cult continues to grow and the desire for offbeat, unusual and weird routines remains strong so when Alex Ward came to us with his coin in sealed bottle effect we were more than interested. Now as we speak, we have shifted over 1000 copies of SEALED IN and thank Gregory Wilson for his endorsement of the routine. Look out for more releases of this nature coming from Alakazam – Summer 2008.

As we headed towards the end of the summer, the funniest foreigner in Magic premiered himself in his first two DVD releases! Kokov is pure entertainment at its best – Jasper Blakeley as he is better known has created what I think is one of the most amusing characters in mentalism ever. There is not really any easy way to describe what you will experience when you are introduced to Kokov for the first time but I promise you one thing – you will be amused – anyone who can have a routine called “PANTASTIC” is surely going to make you laugh! But then, no sooner had DIALABOLICAL and PLUNGE OF DEATH both hit the shelves then it turned cold!

But whilst the leaves were blown away by the cold wind, we at Alakazam were still brewing away and getting ready for a winter release that goes right back to the beginning of the year…this is a Winter’s Tale that even David Essex himself would be dreaming of – if he were a top Magic dealer, always looking for the very best new artists and by chance also happened to be at the Session Convention 2007 that is!

The Session Convention is a new UK based Magic gathering organised by Rob James and Andi Gladwin that takes place in Gloucester and at the 2007 meeting we were fortunate enough to meet a very special young man that fooled the hell out of everyone, took us all by surprise and whom Allan Ackerman said was “the best card guy” he “has seen in years.”

After almost a year in the making, Alakazam Magic are proud and privileged to present the unbelievable Benjamin Earl in his debut DVD collection PAST MIDNIGHT. With over 200 retail sets sold within the first week of release, this is the biggest selling Alakazam Magic release of 2007. When Peter called me from Gloucester and was talking about this guy who was not only fooling everyone but also had so much original and exciting material, I too was completely hooked.

I cannot tell you how he managed it but after numerous negotiations, Peter finally convinced Ben to release his outstanding card material to the Magic world on DVD. He filming took place over various months throughout the year and I think you will all agree that it was more than worth the wait. PAST MIDNIGHT is the most anticipated Magic DVD of 2007 and whilst we are only just on the tip of this project right now with it having been released just days ago, I am sure that this will continue to prosper for many months to come.

It is not often that you meet someone that is not only a master of their craft but also a thoroughly nice bloke too! But in this case we were fortunate enough to get the best of both worlds! Those of you that have already seen this collection on material can already agree with me that it is totally unique and sets a new standard in card Magic… And this is just the beginning…

So now as we draw to a close I think it is important to make reference to a couple of effects from 2007 that we have had huge success with from two relatively new artists within the Magic world – Nick Langham visited the shop one morning and very unassumingly asked to demo and effect that took the rising cards plot to a totally new level. ASCENSION has received rave reviews and become a constant popular seller as well as very welcome addition to the Alakazam range.

Secondly, Andrew Scott from across the pond gave us one of his signature pieces – PHUZION – and we were more than happy when we received the demo video for this fabulous routine. Although we are still yet to meet in person, it just goes to show how a successful creation can be born to fruition with close correspondence and constant dedication to each and every project. We look forward to meeting with Andrew at the Session Convention 2008!

And who knows who else we will meet in the coming year – the most exciting thing is that the next star of the next DVD or creator of the next best-selling trick could be anyone – even you reading this right now! Yes that’s right – you may be sitting there reading this thinking “I have a trick, routine, technique or concept that is new” and if that is the case, then we at Alakazam Magic want to hear from you. With our initial projects meeting for 2008 just days away we are welcome to new ideas and artists that want to add their ideas to the increasing wealth of material available through Alakazam Magic. So if you want to join the likes of John Archer, Benjamin Earl, Matthew J. Dowden, Mark Elsdon, Andy Nyman, Andrew Scott, and many more, then send your ideas, along with full contact details to:

Alakazam Magic
113 Ellingham Industrial Estate
Ellingham Way
Ashford
Kent
TN23 6LZ

And you too could be “the next big thing” in Magic and join our exciting new line-up for 2008. All of us at Alakazam look forward to seeing all of you in 2008 – whether it is at our stand at the Session 2008, Blackpool Convention or in the Alakazam shop – you are always welcome.

Now as we look to the year ahead I am bursting to tell you about all of the exciting things that are going to happen…and thought I am sworn to secrecy on a lot of things at this stage I can drop you a few hints of what is to come.

Further Education – Skin – Rubiks Remembered – Capture – Decisions Unlimited – Totally Assassinated – Mind Spy II

At the up and coming Blackpool Convention 2008 look out for guest performers on the Alakazam Magic stand including: Benjamin Earl, Matthew J. Dowden, Mark Elsdon, John Archer, Christopher Taylor and more, as well as our very own Peter Nardi.

I am very excited about the coming year what with all the new projects as well as a brand new line-up within the Alakazam team so stay tuned for more information!

However amongst all things new, sadly, there is also one very important goodbye…

For any of you whom have been to the shop or visited our stand at a convention during the last few years, you will all know Jack already, either by meeting or by reputation.

Or those that do not…Jack has been with us at Alakazam for just over five years now – originally starting out when we first moved to our retail premises in Ellingham as a Saturday employee – but going on from there to become a permanent and much valued member of the Alakazam Magic “family” as it is affectionately known.

Over the years that he has been with us, Jack’s quick wit and diverse knowledge of Magic have made him an asset of our team and as 2007 draws to a close, sadly, so does Jack’s time with Alakazam Magic, as he moves on to pursue his other great passion in life – the passion for fine food. Anyone that knows Jack well enough will already be aware that since a child he has always had an affinity for cooking, a talent that he has now decided to pursue with a vengeance.

As we speak, he is currently awaiting his first day in the prestigious House of Lords Kitchen in London and it seems only fit to take this opportunity on behalf of the whole of the Alakazam team and all of our customers to wish him the very best of luck with this new endeavour. We would like to thank you for all of your hard work and consistent support over the last five years and wish you every success for the future Jack.

Thank you all for reading this far – I hope that throughout it you have found some form of interest and inspiration. This year has been a roller coaster of a ride with new and exciting things around each and every corner. On a personal note I would like to make a quick shout out to a few of the usual suspects – without whom, working at Alakazam would not be the same!

“Don’t mess with…” Russ Stevens!

As many of you will know, Russ is the Steven Spielberg of the Magic DVD world! He keeps us all in line throughout and is a great guy – so if he ever asks you for help lifting an A.T.A. case – be nice and don’t throw stones!

Sir Christopher North!
The only winner of “New Faces” that can call the shop and make me feel like I am being told off at school again! Monday mornings would not be the same without you!

Mark Elsdon – he’ll fool you out of a rucksack!

The self subtitled “beer-monster” who is the famed Welsh fountain of knowledge that is an invaluable resource throughout all of our projects and a consistently creative thinker!

All stand for the legendary…Mr Noel Qualter!

The man that makes ginger cool! Noel is the guy who knows everyone and everything, as well as all things to come – Noel is the Nostradamus of Magic!

And to all the rest of those of you that call up for a chat every now and again – it’s always good to hear from you!

And finally – I would like to say thank you to you all, on behalf of the whole of the Alakazam Magic team for your consistent support that enables us to continue to bring you the very best in unique Magic. I would also like to personally thank both Peter and Jenny – the founders and much loved owners of Alakazam Magic – for tolerating me for another year – and without which I would not have a job and all of you would not have the fantastic Magic that you do now! So thanks both of you!

Well all that remains is to bid you all farewell for the time being and wish you the very best for the coming year. I hope that we at Alakazam will continue to push the boundaries in Magic and keep bringing you the very latest and greatest from this weird and wonderful world.

If you have any queries relating to what you have just read then please be aware that any quips were meant in good faith and Alakazam will deny all knowledge and simply edit this document should you decide to go public!!!

Hope you have a great New Year!

Speak to you all soon!

Over & out…

CHRIS HARDING

"For Russ!"

2007-07-21T03:32:00.001-07:00

I apologise for not updating this blog for such a long time! Things have been extremely busy here at the shop but now I have a spare half hour to update you guys on what’s new, hot, interesting and so on.

You will notice the title of this is slightly unusual but I would like to dedicate this to Russ Stevens – a chap who eagerly awaits this new blog after badgering me to get on and do it for weeks! So I have finally given in!

Speaking of Mr Stevens, this seems an ideal opportunity to rave about his latest DVD release – The Mel Mellers project – Tickling the Mind. If you have not already seen these discs then I can offer no other advice than to BUY THEM TODAY! These really are seriously funny and we have been struggling to keep up with the orders and demand for them in the past few weeks. Mel Mellers is one of those people you may or may not have heard of but once you have watched Tickling the Mind, you will not forget him in a hurry! Extremely funny, great routines and unforgettable humour! Do not miss out on these!

Ascension is now out and available to buy! This is a great close up rising card trick that takes the whole premise of this classic routine to a whole new level. Check out Peter on the video demo on our website! Also coming soon is the fabulous Riser Deck by the man himself – Mr Mark Elsdon. This guy has got so many great ideas that just seem to keep coming. The Riser Deck is one of his best and takes the whole Ultimate Ambition routine to a whole new level and blows its predecessors out of the water! With top pros raving about it already you will want to add this to your repertoire straight away.

As I write this blog, the ever entertaining and thoroughly pleasant John Archer has popped in to discuss and look at the latest prototypes for some fantastic up and coming Archer releases through Alakazam. As you will know if you have seen John’s highly acclaimed DVD Educating Archer, he is a very creative and funny man and like the Mel Mellers discs, this is a must if you do stand up Magic and Mentalism.

So here is a link for all you lovers of levitations – and let’s be honest, there is a fascination for flight in all of us Magicians somewhere and it seems to be that everyone is lusting after the ultimate self levitation trick. Well this one looks pretty good and at such an affordable price what do you have to lose! Skywalker by the Enchantment will have you all chomping at the bit and it should be with us early next week. And like all these type of effects it will be in huge demand and everyone will want it immediately so get your order in sooner rather than later. Here is the video demo:

http://www.murphysmagicsupplies.com/video/clips/SKYWALKER-VIDEO1.wmv

So there you have it – I am sure there will be a wealth of debate about this effect on the Magic Café as ever but if you prefer to judge for yourself, you can get it from us next week.

Other things to check out this week are the Mini Magic Switchboard by Wellington. These come in and sell out so fast it is unreal. Although not a cheap item it is fabulous and Mark Elsdon – the lovely chap that he is – has done us a marvellous video demo for our site and since that went up on the site we have sold many more! Oh and before I forget – we are due another shipment of Switchboards next week and there are only one or two left available so if you want one you gotta move fast!

Well I think that is enough “blogging” for now – I will try not to leave it so long til the next one but I cannot promise anything…

P.S. check out Bruce Kalver’s Growing & Shrinking Head illusion if you have not already!! It’s fabulous!!

Random Visitors...Part 2

2007-05-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well here we are again for the second chapter in the epic journey through the weird and wonderful world of Magic. I should start by saying thanks to all you guys e-mailed through saying that you liked the first blog the other week. Unfortunately I have been too busy to write another until now, so there is a lot for me to get through.

Last time I talked about the whole Justin lee Collins visit and a few days back we had another random visitor to the shop…this time a bit more Magic related. Gregory Wilson stopped by to pick up some stuff and hang out for a bit. You might know about or have seen his recent UK lecture which was received with great enthusiasm by us Brits. Going to a lecture is a dodgy thing at times as you never quite know what you’re gonna get – we’ve all been there!

So anyway, Greg stopped by and we showed him SEALED IN - the coin to sealed bottle trick that we have just put out on DVD – and he loved it! In fact he was good enough to drop us a quote for it:

"Sealed In is a very deceptive illusion that will make you marvel in the mirror for hours before showing a real audience"

So he clearly enjoys it!

Out of sheer idle interest and the prospect of having nothing else to do, last Wednesday I took home and watched David Forrest’s Card Thru Window DVD. It has been out for a fair while now and I, like most Magicians have always been a fan of this sort of effect. I knew nothing about this one other than it had previously been released in manuscript format. By the time I got to sticking it in the DVD player it was quite late at night and I didn’t really have high expectations, due to the fact that most CTW releases are pretty naf! But hey…this one made me sit up and rewind! I love it! The effect is brilliant, the point it goes through is even better and you end with the card stuck on the other side of the window with NOTHING else to find – meaning you can walk away and no dodgy gimmicks or duplicates lying on the floor can be found whatsoever! How cool is that! It is identified as being the selection by a previously torn corner which matches perfectly! I cannot believe that these are not flying out left right and centre! Maybe it is because people are always dubious of this effect and are weary of taking a risk. The gimmick is ingenious and the actual penetration of the card is both slow and utterly Magical and baffling! You must watch the video! Then get it, set it and do it!

The other thing I did this weekend at a gig was INTERLACE. After it having been sat on my desk for well over a month, I finally got off my backside and got it fitted on Thursday morning then spent Friday and Saturday practising with it. Honestly – this is better than ring flight! I am not saying ring flight is a bad effect, I do it all the time, but the reaction to this is far superior and is right up there alongside, bill in lemon and so on. This really is far more organic too as I guess that leather pouch key cases are a slightly less common thing to be carrying around nowadays!! INTERLACE is especially good though if you’re working for crowds, family, friends etc that have seen you do ring flight in the past. As you borrow a ring and they think they know what’s coming – BAM – you have the ring appear tied on your shoelace! I never even wore lace ups at gigs but do now – just for this trick! Sanders is a legend for bringing this out and for those of you who think it “might not be for you” then you’re wrong! This should be a staple trick from now on! The only people who should not do it is are those who have no feet and therefore never wear shoes of any kind. Only those people are excused. In fact part of me doesn’t really want to hype it like this because then you’ll all do it! But I suppose one has to make sacrifices from time to time for the greater good!!

I want to make a quick mention of the Bristol day of Magic convention that happened this Sunday just gone and say how well we did! I wasn’t there myself but Peter and Jenny were joined by Matthew J. Dowden of Party Animal fame who was there to promote and show effects from the new DVD. He sold bucket loads of them and that combined with sales over the last week online and here in the shop have made it one of the fastest selling Magic DVDs ever! So well done Matthew for a great DVD and well done us for producing it! Excellent work all round I feel!! Party Animal is great so get it now and watch it and above all you will enjoy watching and performing the material on it. We all do!!

There is a ton of new stuff that has come in from the states recently, most of which I’ll outline properly in the formal e-mail news letter that I do, but to give a quick round up now, there are mainly DVDs – some more world’s greatest stuff on stand up Magic this time and a new set from Osterlind about doing mentalism on television. As I have already said, there’s also the Party Animal and Sealed In now available. Not forgetting The Garden of the Strange.

And here is a heads up for you guys reading this…we should have about three Mother of all Book tests coming in a few weeks as well as a couple of Mini Switchboards which are just marvellous! If you want to know more or stick your name down for one then call us at the shop.

Right that’s all for now as I am off to get on with some work!! Actually to eat lunch but hey!!

From the Mind of Chris Harding…

2007-04-28T04:11:00.000-07:00

Hi I’m Chris Harding and this is my first attempt at writing the Alakazam Blog! I shall endeavour not to rant on too extensively on too many occasions. Just as a bit of background info, I have worked at Alakazam coming up for around seven years now! I know…that’s a long time! It has been fascinating so far looking at the infamous magical “trends” that come and go and meeting some of the weird and wonderful characters in the world of Magic! It is always a joy and the great and interesting magicians that I have met through working for Peter have always been friendly and helpful. But enough about my little world of wonder and mystery…onwards with the blog!

It has been a very busy month so far here at Alakazam Magic. We’ve been filming new DVDs, working on new tricks, had a Channel 4 film crew in for a day as well as keeping the shop running from day to day! But more on that later!

I would like to start by wishing our Store Manager of two years, Andy Smith, the very best of luck as he leaves Alakazam to take up a new position elsewhere. I know you will all join me in wishing him well for the future! Also special congratulations should go to Andy for recently passing his Associate of the Inner Magic Circle examination! Well done!

Last Friday we went out on Andy’s leaving do into the hip and rocking town of Ashford for drinks and a curry, which all seemed to go down rather well! I don’t have the strongest recollections of it but hey – it was a party too as we combined it with local printer and Alakazams resident layman – Paul Johnson’s birthday! Paul is the guy behind the printing of the top notch Alakazam Magic packaging and instruction manuals! Great for publicity brochures and flyers too (plug, plug!!) It was a blast all round and a good laugh too – and despite the presence of four Magicians there was not a card trick in sight!

There is a great new DVD coming out from a young guy Peter met at the Blackpool Convention called Matthew J. Dowden. It is called Party Animal and it really is packed full of wicked close up magic that is really great and very commercial. Matthew is a great performer and you can check out a sneak peek demo video on our You Tube site here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2vBBeLQUxs
This really is a great DVD people and I am totally honest when I say that this is not just a shameless plugging mission! The DVD is fun to watch and shot in a bar in town as opposed to a studio setup audience. Since filming I am already doing a bunch of the tricks from Party Animal and they hit very, very well!! You lot can get your hands on this double disc set on the 4th May. Check out the post on the Magic Café for more info on the effects included here:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=206608&forum=218&17

Also coming out soon for all you Street Magic dudes is a great new coin in bottle effect by Alex Ward – but don’t scroll down as this is a coin in bottle with a difference – the bottle is still factory sealed at the climax of the effect! Making it an IMPOSSIBLE penetration!! This is a cool trick and you leave the victim with the sealed bottle with coin inside at the end! Only one bottle is used and best of all - the effect is easy to perform! The demo will be on You Tube very soon! If not already by the time you read this far down!!

Last week Channel 4 came down to do some filming in the shop, along with Friday Night Project’s Justin Lee Collins for an upcoming TV project! Justin was a great laugh and came with a whole entourage of fussy and nervous producers who just seemed to panic more and more as Justin endeavoured to master the art of fire Magic! How delightful!

Well should go get on with some work now as I feel I have gone on enough for one day! Do keep checking back here for updates and to keep really up to date – then subscribe to our weekly e-mailing list – you can do that by sending an e-mail to sales@alakazam.co.uk with the EXACT words “SUBSCRIBE TO ALAKAZAM MAILING LIST” in the subject line and we will add you in!

Thanks for reading this far and for those of you who have then here is the link to the SEALED IN video demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuG9gA6aEEI
How cheeky is that! Hope you like it!

Chris.

Great New Magic now released

2007-03-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Blackpool has now been and gone, and is always the case we are left in the aftermath of yet another successful convention.

Runaway successes on the Alakazam front were all new releases ‘Ice Coins’, ‘ The Taylor Made Book Test’ and ‘Collared’ as well as Innerminds Production’s ‘The Unexpected’, featuring impromptu mental magic performed by Peter Nardi and Marc Spellman.

‘Ice Coins’ by Christopher Congreave unleashes a groundbreaking new generation in coin magic. ‘Ice Coins’ is sure to leave your audience with a complete BRAIN-FREEZE! This is not just another collection of coin effects, it is a whole new ultra-visual approach to the genre of magic. This DVD contains eye-popping, high impact, visually stunning routines that will WOW any audiences!

‘The Taylor Made Book Test’ by David Taylor is finally a book test you can perform with almost ANY book. On this DVD Davis Taylor shares with you the inner workings of this fantastic piece of Mentalism honed from many performances of his professional working repertoire. Once the principle is learnt, you will be able to apply it to almost any book in any language very easily. As a bonus on the DVD, there is an explanation of ‘The Hoy Book Test’, which is a totally impromptu, un-gaffed book test. This DVD comes highly recommended.
Finally Alakazam is proud to offer its customers ‘Collared’ by John Archer. Ever since the release of the best selling ‘Educating Archer’ DVD, we have had countless requests for this routine to be released. Finally after months of research and countless prototypes, we can now bring to you this highly acclaimed, professional routine. If you like good, direct, entertaining and funny presentations accompanied by strong magic and mentalism; you will absolutely love ‘Collared’. This has received rave reviews from magicians, mentalists and laypeople alike! You too can add this outstanding routine to your act!

All of the above and many more can be viewed via our website and Windows Media Player

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Blackpool Magic Convention...Coming Soon

2007-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Blackpool will soon be upon us, and as ever we aim to bring you the best in what’s new and hot from the magic world at the world’s biggest magic convention. Not only the best from around the world, but also top Alakazam Exclusives.

‘The Unexpected’ is the first DVD from Marc Spelmann and Peter Nardi covering the genre of Improptu Mentalism. With the impromptu weapons on this DVD you will always be ready when the Unexpected happens! This DVD covers premonition, pre-cognition, metal bending and other fascinating subjects of the mentalism genre and comes highly recommended.

‘The World Renowned Magic of Paul Potassy’ is an insight in to one of the greatest magicians of all time. In this very special DVD set, you’re about to meet an extraordinary man and watch and learn the thoroughly entertaining and baffling material that came of his lifelong love affair with magic. Following each of the performance you’ll be taken backstage and shown the inner workings of these extremely strong performance pieces.

And finally…

Watch out for the following great new products, due out at Blackpool ‘Collared’, ‘Ice Coins’, ‘The Taylor Made Book Test’ and ‘Andy Nyman’s Dead Zone Pro’

Until next time...

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Shhh...Come Close....

2007-02-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

We are very enthusiastic about the new close-up releases we have planned for 2007. It’s a little early to discuss what we have in store for our customers, only to say that it is GOOD! In the meantime allow me to tell you about some of the other great things that have arrived in to our store.

‘It’s All Relative’ by Arthur Trace focuses on a card move called the Relativity Change. This versatile tool can be used to visually transform a playing card into another card, simulate the reversal of a stack of cards and secretly switch out one card for another. Enclosed in the booklet are three different adaptations of the change, as well as six routines featuring the change. In addition, there is an essay discussing how to effectively structure a magic presentation.

‘No Smoking’ by Jean-Luc Bertrand is now available on DVD. This close-up, quick fire routine is based entirely on the paddle move but with an amazing climax which builds to a crescendo. The routine has been especially designed for perfect interaction with your audience. Comes complete with the props you will need to perform what Gregory Wilson calls ‘a piece of mini-theatre’, this comes highly recommended.

And finally we have limited numbers of TV’s Alastair Cook’s lecture notes ‘Beginnings’, ‘The Lecture’ priced at £12.00 and his routine ‘The Postcard’ priced at £17.50. These really are limited stocks and contain some great material from one of the UK’s leading close-up magicians. Once these are gone, there gone! These can only be ordered by phoning our hotline number 01233 637888 and do not appear on our website.

Until next time...

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,
It’s been such a long time since I last spoke to you all, but we have been so busy here planning an exciting 2007 with all of our new releases, that there just hasn’t been enough hours in the day!!!

The New Year has brought with it an exciting array of top class DVD’s effects and books, all of which have been taking the magic world by storm.

Paramount in the book department have been ‘Psychological Subtleties 2’ by Banachek, the acclaimed second volume detailing thoughts and ideas by some of the worlds top mentalists, ‘Tangled Web’ featuring the superlative magic and mentalism of Eric Mead and finally ‘Card College Lite’ by Roberto Giobbi a collection of some of the worlds best semi-automatic card effects written by a of modern master of close up card magic.

Top of the DVD list is ‘Between Two Minds’ by Guy Bavli and Haim Goldberg. This three DVD set contains some of the best ideas in modern approaches to powerful mentalism there is available and should be studied by any serious student of mentalism.

Also to grace our shelves are Carl Cloutier’s ‘Expert Topiting Made Easy’ and ‘Expert Sleeving Made Easy’. If you have ever wanted to learn how to make these difficult utility moves more sure fire and convincing, then these are the DVD’s that will teach you how! Highly Recommended.

Finally ‘Decisions’ by Mozique is now available in a blank version and also in combo packs. Upon its release the original ‘Decisions’ took the magic world by storm. The blank version is capable of doing things not dreamt of with the original and is only limited by your imagination! Stocks are limited so order yours today.

Over 1700 line items and more can be found at http://www.alakazam.co.uk/

Cheers!
Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Here comes Christmas...well, It's nearly December!

2006-11-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Christmas is almost upon us and as ever everyone here at Alakazam are preparing for the festive season. Tis the season to be jolly, and you will be once you check out some of the new effects available at your favourite magic dealer.

Nicholas Night’s ‘Enigma’ puts a miracle at your fingertips. A borrowed crumpled bill is placed in your pocket. It immediately jumps from your pocket to a clear glass! You pour the bill out and then you slam it up through the bottom of a solid glass. A true enigma! Next, the spectator places their hand over the top of the glass, and the bill magically penetrates her hand and then falls in to the glass! Finally the bill vanishes and jumps back in to your pocket! Everything is then examinable!!!

‘Kronos’ is taking the magic world by storm with units selling out here quicker than we can get them in! The ultimate in watch stopping and watch prediction routines is available exclusively at Alakazam.

STOP THE PRESS!!!

Peter has just returned from Mindvention in Las Vegas where he demonstrated the worldwide premier of ‘Decisions’ by Mozique, to rave responses. There is no doubt that this is one effect that has endless possibilities and should be in every serious mentalist’s repertoire. We are now taking pre-orders for ‘Decisions’ at our website, but get in quick as stocks of this product are limited.

All of the above and many more from our 1700 line items can be found at www.alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Magic Circle Dealers Day coming soon!

2006-11-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Most of the conventions for this year are now over with only the Magic Circle Dealers day left to go. Conventions and dealer dems are always a great way to introduce ourselves to new people and showcase our latest and greatest creations and offer the hottest new magic effects to the magic fraternity.

New in this week to the Alakazam stock range are some great new releases by Kenton Knepper including ‘Khameleon Deck’, ‘Split Decision’ and ‘Krazy Kard’. Kenton has performed these effects to rave reactions with real people in real world performing situations. Audiences laugh, freak out, and never know that these eye-popping effects are some of the easiest effects you will ever do! Each one comes with full instructions and special Bicycle cards needed to perform these stunning effects.

Also new this week is ‘Tricycle’ by Daniel Garcia and Luke Dancy, two of the worlds rising stars of close-up magic. A card is selected by a spectator and remembered, the logo on the card case is caused to visually transform in to the name of the selected card! No reset times, easy to master and completely examinable. ‘Tricycle’ is approved and printed by the United States Playing Card Company. This genuine Bicycle card box is the first of its kind.

Finally ‘Kronos’ has now arrived. The ultimate in watching stopping and watch prediction routines from the creators of the best selling ‘Ripped and Restored’ ,is now available exclusively from Alakazam. My words could not do it justice, but you can check out the on-line demo at our website. Don’t miss out, be the first to own this unique effect that is light-years ahead of it’s time.

All of the above and many more from our 1700 line items can be found at www.alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Jam Packed With Magic...

2006-11-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,

Alakazam is recognised around the world as one of the leading manufacturers of high quality magic effects, DVD’s and books. To this end we have committed ourselves to providing our customers with the best in magic from some of the UK’s top magicians. There is great material to be found from top names like John Archer ( Educating Archer and Blindfold Tips), Luke Jermay (Skullduggery and Building Blocks) and Andy Nyman ( Get Nyman, Dead of Night and the superb Killer Elite Pro). But there is more to Alakazam. We also bring you the best material from some of the newest, brightest and rising stars of the UK magic scene.

‘Urban’ by Richard Bellars features some great ideas and tips on the art of card scaling, the ability to throw playing cards harder, faster and further than anyone else as well as some of the freshest material from a rising star of the street magic scene.

James Brown caused quite a stir when he won the Magic Circle’s Close Up Magician of the Year in 2006. You can find out why by watching ‘Still Fancy a Pot of Jam?’ the DVD jam-packed with all of James’ top routines. All commercial and entertaining effects performed by a modern master of misdirection and sleight of hand, this is a winner that you should definitely add to your library.

And finally…

The first batch of ‘WOW!’ by Masuda has been and gone, and what a sensation it has been! The second and third batches are in production and will be with people as soon as we get them. If you haven’t ordered yours, don’t miss out and order today. You too can be one of the select few to own one of the greatest tricks of 2006!!! Also by Masuda are other great items such as ‘ Frozen in Time’, ‘ Five Black Holes’ and ‘Visual Transformation’ and more, which can be viewed at www.alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us or call 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Ipswich Convention and The Magic Circle Junior Day

2006-10-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

The first batch of ‘ WOW!’ by Masuda is due to arrive within the next week. A UK exclusive to Alakazam, imagine one of the most visually striking card changes ever, with absolutely no sleight of hand whatsoever and completely self working, this has to be seen to be believed! Each one is hand made and is so painstakingly manufactured that all units are in limited supply, in fact the first two batches sold out within hours of being made available! We are taking pre-orders for the third batch, which are due for arrival at the end of December/beginning of January. Pre-order yours today and be one of the lucky few around the world to own one of the best effects of 2006!

Two superb new additions to the Alakazam DVD range arrived at the end of last week. ‘Treasures’ by Alexander DeCova contains visual, baffling and commercial magic that will delight you and your audience. Most of the material is relatively easy to learn and you will find many new tips and insights for enhancing your own performances. Three DVD’s in one case contain the very best magic from one of Germany’s most creative and multi award - winning magicians.

Second to top the list is ‘Allen Zingg’s Master Billet Course’ the definitive guide to work with billets and centre tear techniques. Allen Zingg is a highly regarded creator and performer of mentalism and his credits include books, periodicals and the creation of tools and effects for working professional mentalists and magicians. He has also consulted for television internationally and his creativity valued by top names in the field including Kenton Knepper, Barrie Richardson and Banacheck. This four-volume set is currently in stock, but are selling quick. You can order yours today as well as any of the above by visiting www.alakazam.co.uk

And finally…

The cat’s been let out of the bag to a few people! We have an excellent new release in the pipeline due around the middle of November. A select few have seen it and you know who you are! I can’t say anymore at this stage, but watch this space! You don’t want to miss this!!!

Cheers!

Andy
Retail Manager

For all the best deals in magic come see us this weekend at Ipswich Convention and The Magic Circle Junior Day, or visit us at www.alakazam.co.uk

WOW!

2006-10-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

It’s been a busy time here the last few days at Alakazam. Excitement in the shop is reaching fever pitch as we look forward to receiving some outstanding new products.

One such item is ‘ WOW!’ by Masuda. A UK exclusive to Alakazam, imagine one of the most visually striking card changes ever, with absolutely no sleight of hand whatsoever and completely self working, this has to be seen to be believed! Each one is hand made and is so painstakingly manufactured that all units are in limited supply. We have limited quantities, so order yours quickly to avoid disappointment. Visit us at www.alakazam.co.uk to order yours today, and make your audiences say “WOW!”

Two new DVD’s graced our shelves this week. ‘The Magic of Mike Gallo’ contains material from a man widely regarded as one of the best close-up magicians in the world. This is your unique opportunity to find out exactly why. Effects with cards, coins, sponges and other miscellaneous items are featured on Volume One of this DVD series. For those of you that enjoy learning the secrets of card cheating, watch out for ‘Cheating at Poker’ by George Joseph, one of the worlds leading authorities on casino gambling and cheating. Sold for educational purposes only, this is a crash course in artifice at the card table. Items covered include false shuffles and cuts, false deals, marked cards and cold deck switches.

Finally, if there is ever anything that you require more information on or you just want to find out what’s hot and what’s not, why not drop us a line on 01233 663636 or 01233 637888, or you can e-mail us on sales@alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!

Andy

Retail Manager

We're back from the International Brotherhood of Magician’s convention

2006-09-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

The International Brotherhood of Magician’s convention in Eastbourne is now over, and to all intents and purposes was a success for many, including us here at Alakazam.

‘Chaos II’ by Mark Elsdon was a runaway success at this year’s convention (totally selling out!). A self-working miracle sure to fit in any performer’s repertoire, this is an effect not to be missed. A warped version of the seminal Triumph routine, this looks like real magic with built in presentational highlights and some funny bits of business using the deck, this is one you are sure to use. Check out a more detailed description of the effect by visiting our website.

Also new this week is David Regal’s ‘Sudden Deck 2’. The next evolution in this now classic effect takes Sudden Deck to new heights. You show a blank, unfolded card case, which, with the snap of the fingers, instantly prints with a bicycle brand, front! As if that wasn’t enough, you now assemble the card box and take from within a full deck of playing cards that can be used immediately for your next miracle!!! By going to www.alakazam.co.uk you can see a performance by David Regal himself.

And finally we have just had word that ‘Simple and Direct’ by Looch is near to being delivered. A big thank you to all of you who have pre-ordered this book featuring material from one of the up and coming stars of British mentalism. Sales for Looch’s first book have been overwhelming so don’t miss out. We still have some pre-order spaces left at the special price of £24.99. Once these have gone, the price will increase, so don’t miss out and order yours today to avoid disappointment.

Cheers!

Andy
Retail Manager

International Brotherhood of Magician’s Convention...

2006-09-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Looks like the great weather we were having has returned for the attendees of the International Brotherhood of Magician’s Convention in Eastbourne this week. Needless to say the Alakazam team will be there with some new and exciting goodies for them to feast their eyes on.

‘Trickery’ by David Forest contains some excellent close-up magic with cards, and some with other objects, that will quite simply blow you away. My personal favourites were ‘Glazed and Confused’, a card thru window (with no window!) and ‘The Revolution Change’, one of the most visual card changes I have ever seen!

New this week is ‘Far Sight’ by Devon Knight another superb mentalism effect from one of the leading exponents in this increasingly popular branch of magic. Easy to do and strong mental magic at it’s best. Also new this week is ‘Viva Las Vegas’ by Max Maven. Let Mr Maven take you on a gambler’s holiday, where your always a winner!. Speaking of winners, check out the David Stone DVD ‘The Real Secrets of Magic’ for not only some superb magic, but some useful tips and ideas for walk around and close-up magic. Jam packed with fantastic effects for the beginner and seasoned professional alike, this is one not to be missed. Check out a video demo by visiting www.alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!

Andy

Retail Manager

Rain, Rain Go Away...

2006-09-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Looks like it’s the end for all the glorious weather we’ve been experiencing here in Kent. Torrential downpours and gales seems to now be the norm, such a relief to see that the great British weather is back to normal!!!

Something sure to brighten up any gloomy day is the new DVD ‘ Decks, Lies and Videotape’ by Brent Braun. A virtual unknown to most people, Brent has been an underground figure in the magic world for sometime, his name most associated with his version of the Torn and Restored Card. The DVD centres mainly on card effects and moves including the cleanest and most visual striking two-card transposition I have ever seen. Also featured is the ‘Ball thru Glass Table Top’. If you want people talking about your magic, then this could be the effect for you. Totally amazing magic at your fingertips, order yours today!

‘Simple and Direct’ by Looch is the soon to be released book on top class mentalism from one of the rising stars of the British Mentalism circuit. This book contains many revolutionary twists and ideas for otherwise standard effects and some new and original ideas sure to set tongues wagging!!! Don’t miss out, you can pre-order yours today at the special price of £24.99 by visiting www.alakazam.co.uk

Finally we look forward to seeing many of you at the I.B.M Convention in Eastbourne next week. Come visit us on our stand for lots of great magic, special offers and other exclusive deals you will only get from your favourite magic dealer…Alakazam!

Cheers!

Andy

Retail Manager

Hollywood Here We Come!

2006-09-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Finally, the James Brown DVD ‘Still Fancy A Pot OF Jam’ has been released. This is one of the most long awaited releases of 2006 and showcases one of the best magical talents we have in the UK. Commercial and powerful material from the current winner of the Magic Circle’s Close-Up Magician of the Year Competition. Don’t miss out! Order yours today from www.alakazam.co.uk

We have recently replenished our stocks of John Kennedy products. ‘The Mindpower Deck’, ‘Stealth Retractor’ and the all new ‘Mystery Box II’ are now again available. Top quality products from one of the world’s leading close-up manufacturers, these items are sure to amaze and bewilder any audiences.

For those of you that haven’t heard, watch out for the new effect from Collectors Workshop ‘Serendipity’. This is the ultimate borrowed ring to lighter and has already become a huge favourite with many top-flight professional magicians worldwide. Due to its popularity, this item is currently out of stock however we have just learnt that we are expecting some directly from the manufacturer shortly. Stocks will be low due to the great demand for this item, so get in quick to avoid disappointment!

And finally….

A big thank you to the guys at Objective Productions, especially Anthony Owen, for making me and a few of the guys here feel very welcome at a film shoot Bank Holiday Monday. We were involved with filming a new film due for release in 2007 centring on the world of magic and magicians. Filming was great and the finished product will be a joy to watch. Look out for yours truly making several appearances!!!

Andy

Retail Manager

Free Video & Competition

2006-08-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Welcome to this weeks blog!

Equinox V2 is now in stock. This newer version of the ultimate balls in bag effect, following in the footsteps of Charles Gaucci’s ‘Body Language’ and Max Maven’s ‘Kuratsake’, is sure to be a winner. Comes complete with all you will need to perform the best ‘hands off’ version of this now classic effect. Smaller receiver, higher quality bag (hand made!) and more compact, order yours today, as stocks are limited.

For you close-up guys don’t overlook two great effects by John Archer and Jon Allen. ‘Double Back’ will convince your audiences that you are a master of expert sleight of hand. Very easy to do, very visual and high impact. Highly Recommended!!

‘Dodeckadeal’ by John Archer was one of the highlights of the highly acclaimed ‘Educating Archer’ DVD. This effect can now be yours, ready made and complete with all you will need to perform a self working miracle from one of the funniest and magical guys in show business!

Finally we have extended our Special Offer for another week. Any orders placed for £25.00 or more will receive a FREE video. Stocks are limited and once gone, are gone! Your FREE video will arrive with your order from our mixed selection.

STOP THE PRESS!!!

A BONUS OFFER FOR ANYBODY ORDERING OVER £50 WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY ENTER YOU IN TO A PRIZE DRAW TO RECEIVE A MIXED SELECTION OF MAGICAL GOODIES. YOU WILL STILL RECEIVE YOUR FREE VIDEO AND BE ENTERED. OFFER ENDS WEDNESDAY 23rd AUGUST 2006. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. WINNER WILL BE INFORMED ON THE DAY AND ANNOUCED VIA NEXT WEEKS E-MAIL SHOT AND BLOG.

For details of any of the above visit our website www.alakazam.co.uk or call 01233 637888.

Cheers!

Andy

Retail Manager

Get Off The Roads....GET OFF THE ROADS!!

2006-08-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

It seems the weather can’t make up its mind! With so many wonderful items to choose from, it’s no wonder that I have trouble telling people what’s hot at the moment! We have so many great items EVERY week; our customers must be spoilt for choice!!!

A recent edition is the long awaited ‘Black Widow’ by Daryl Vanamberg. This wonderful gimmick fits comfortably about the performer’s body and at anytime will allow you to visibly vanish, switch and produce items on command. Looks like sophisticated sleight of hand with 100% less work! Completely self working and includes an instructional DVD too! Stocks are limited, so get in quick! To view a demo of this unit in action visit our website www.alakazam.co.uk

We now have back in stock ‘Exit’ by Peter Eggink. The ultimate in ring to impossible location, this has to be seen to be believed. Workable within half an hour of opening the package and extremely easy to do. This can be ordered on-line or by calling our hotline direct.

We also have in stock ‘Reboxed’ by Steve Bedwell. Although not a new item, this is one effect that elicits a response too rude to be put on this blog! An awesome effect suitable for all close up performers who wish to perform seemingly real magic. Highly Recommended!

Finally, please be aware that we are offering a free video to anyone placing orders with us over the value of £25.00. The video will be selected from a mixed bag of titles and CANNOT be chosen. Performers featured include Daryl, Michael Ammar and Rene Levand. Last, but not least, I have finally done it!!! Up until last week, your truly was not able to drive, but after many attempts I have passed my driving test!!! Can I offer my most sincere thanks to my work mates, Peter, Chris and Jack for their support and to all of you who have offered your congratulations already.

Cheers!

Andy

Retail Manager

Tricks R Us!

2006-07-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Whilst some of our customers are away on their holidays, or otherwise enjoying the glorious weather here in Blighty, we at Alakazam have been busy working on new effects due for release and making sure that you are brought the best in Magic from around the world.

‘Entourage’ is a superb new packet effect from Gordon Bean. This pocket miracle from one of magic’s most creative and fertile minds, is a must for all those magicians who want to fry their audiences with strong magic without all of the work. Stocks are going fast, so order yours today!

We have recently added a new addition to our PDF downloads. ‘Kennedy Killers’, by British mentalist Kennedy, features top mentalism from one of the UK’s rising stars of magic. This long sought after publication can now be yours by visiting our download section at www.alakazam.co.uk

STOP THE PRESS!!!

New to our bookshelves, three new publications from Jack Avis and Lewis Jones ‘Ahead of the Pack’, ‘Encyclopaedia of Impromptu Card Forces’ and ‘Seventh Heaven’. These three books contain superlative magic with playing cards of the highest order, for every skill level. These two gentlemen reveal the devilish thinking behind effects that have garnered them a reputation with such luminaries as John Ramsey, Al Koran, Alex Elmsley, Ed Marlo and Dai Vernon.

Remember if there is ever an effect that does not appear on our website, why not give us a call to see if we can get it for you. We can advise you of stock availability, delivery times, prices and even try to help you find those difficult to locate items. Give us a call today on 01233 637888 or e-mail sales@alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!
Andy

Retail Manager

Scorchio!!

2006-07-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

Well, even though the weather has been scorching, and at sometimes unbearable, this has been a great time for all of us here to take the time after work, have a drink and chat about all of the exciting things we have in store for all our valued customers.

Dai Vernon an autobiography by David Ben is one of the latest editions to the Alakazam stock range. A colourful, exciting and interesting story about one of magic’s greatest characters and whom many consider to be the father of modern close-up magic and theory, this is a must read for any magician. Vernon’s life story is told in parallel to what was happening in the world around him at the same time, as well as being littered with stories concerning other well known magicians of the time, including T. Nelson Downs, Houdini and Max Malini. This book is highly recommended.

As most of you are aware, Alakazam specialise in mostly close-up and mentalism effects, although our extensive stock range caters for all forms of magic, including children’s magic and cabaret. One of our newest editions is the Shoulder Dragon, a small life like puppet that fits on your shoulder and can be manipulated by the performer to move his head, open his mouth and swish his tail upon command. This puppet is extremely well made and would make a worthwhile edition to any children’s entertainers, ventriloquists, or comedy magician’s repertoire.

Finally, more and more PDF downloads are appearing on a weekly basis. These downloads feature material from Peter Nardi, Mark Elsdon, Richard Bellars and Luke Jermay, much of which has never appeared anywhere else. These downloads contain fantastic routines and effects suitable for anyone, whatever your skill level. Order yours today by visiting www.alakazam.co.uk

Cheers!

Andy

Retail Manager