Magic Tricks

This magazine was wonderful and I enjoyed reading it more than any other magician magazine I have read in the last year. It’s filled with insightful knowledge and aside from only a few adds, its focus is purely on magic. Below you can find my take on the pros and cons of this issue of Penguin Magic Monthly.

Pros:
-Each article is well written and covers a different aspect of the art of magic, not just effects.
- Eric Leclerc’s “think of a card” interview was a great quick look at the great card effect and was fun to read.
- Kranzo’s article on Edward Bagshawe was a great read, having never heard of him, I enjoyed learning about his contributions to the world of magic.
- No Rip For Roy by Frank Fogg is a clever reworking of the classic effect it could be a blockbuster for the right performer
-Spidey’s article on Social Dynamics Applied to Magic and Mentalism is pure gold and a must read for anyone looking or wanting to do magic socially.
- Tony Brent is a working professional with this own show in Flordia which has been running for the last 13 years. His article on how little things making a big difference in you act was amazing. I loved it and I’m happy Penguin included it in this issue, as this topic is rarely talked about.

Cons
-Yes, they're quite a few close-up card effect in this issue. It would have been nice to see a more diverse array of magic aside from cards, such as coin, mentalism, stand-up, stage, etc.
-Overall the tricks covered in this issue would have benefited by having figure or picture numbers embedded in their text to correspond to their accompany pictures. In that way, it would be easier for the reader to follow the effect and learn it.
-The “Jay Sankey is Insane” gag seemed to be lacking in instruction and it would have benefited from a bit more detail.
-The cover article on Dan Harlan’s take on the Tarbell course to me seemed like old news. A year ago when the project started it would have been great, but now as Dan nears entering book four of Tarbell more recent users of Penguin Magic will know of the project. A Q&A interview with Dan talking about the challenges with the projects, his favorite/least favorite parts of the project, etc. would have been, in my mind, a better read.

Overall, this magazine was a great read and should have something for everyone. Aside from the some flaws and minor formatting issues, this is a must read for any magic fan. The magazine an apparent labor of love. I can't wait to read the next one! So check it out, or not, the choice is yours.