“Farewell 2007”

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!"

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

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…

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

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

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....

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