Magic Tricks

This publication is usually a nice "light" read. Most of the articles offered, I feel, lack the depth or involvement that the subjects truly demand and therefore provide little in the way of serious, or useful instruction. I perform very little card magic, so the PMM is usually of little value to me since it focuses primarily on cards (as does Penguin Magic overall, generally speaking--check out their "bestsellers").

It appears to me that younger magicians these days, in an attempt to be hip, different, or indifferent to "magic" prior to their involvement, have distilled magic down to nothing but card tricks and mentalism (non-magic). These require fewer props and therefore less expense, and they can carry them in their hip pockets so as to be ready to foist them upon some unwilling spectator at a moments notice and then run like a bunny.

They lose the concept of "magic" and opt to present nothing but card "tricks" and card manipulation (non-magic). I feel the audience senses this as well and rejects their presentations as being "magic," or "magical" since most people (laymen) can show you a card "trick" or two themselves, and they certainly don't call them "magic," or refer to themselves as "magicians," so why on earth would they grant you that title simply because you can string card tricks out for hours.

Most of youth, I feel, are willing to throw away everything that has preceded them in an attempt to standout, appear superior, or differ from their predecessors--they throw out the baby with the bath water in most cases, and while they may impress each other, I doubt that without a fertile change in perspective, they stand much of a chance of making a rewarding life in magic.

I also feel that "packs small, plays big" should involve far more than a deck of cards. If we could actually perform real magic, would we truly limit ourselves to merely "card tricks"? And, would the paying public continue to attend "magic shows" if they were certain they would see nothing but card tricks? I WOULD FAR RATHER ROLL INTO A GIG WITH A TRUNK FULL OF DIVERSITY INSTEAD OF A TRUNK FULL OF CARD DECKS AND PAPER BILLETS! I'm absolutely sure that most of the paying public would agree with me. We need to refocus on "magic," not selling card tricks to kids so they can expose them on YouTube! And, before you spring Darwin Ortiz, or Harry Lorraine on me, you must understand that they don't represent "magic" in its entirety, and that even most professional magicians aren't in league with them let alone thousands of "hip" youngsters.

Compare any of the past/present masters, their contributions to the art, and the products and literature they left with us, to the tattooed, and pierced ninja street mages of this generation, and I believe my point is made quite readily. . .no substance!!! Why do we continue to propagate or support an evolution that detracts from the great body of work we should all be aspiring to? We're cheapening the very art we profess to love--simply for the sake of being different, modern, or making a buck?

All of this being said, I enjoyed the "Pop Coin Change" by Alex Linian and hope that Penguin has a vision to include far more of this type of content in the future and lean towards magical diversity in this little magazine. You'll attract a lot more "magicians," and I'll be impressed, and compelled to write you a much better review! Thanks for listening!