The Garcia Grip

Frank Garcia was a man of marvellous magical talent, and, sadly, also a man of some less than wonderful traits when it came to self-aggrandizement and crediting (the lack of it, rather). “Even our Gods have feet of clay,” as someone rightly put it on the Genii’s Forum.

Only recently I discovered this four-part private magic lesson video on YouBurp which gives us, in my view, Frank Garcia at his best with cards, coins, spongeballs, and a truckload full of tips and subtleties that left me in awe and will keep me busy for quite some time! That’s what I call the “Garcia grip” on things.

Enjoy two hours of old-school magic! (And try to ignore Jerky Bob who interferes a bit too often…)

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Creativity in Magic (1)

I have always found it amazing how new tricks, ideas, or routines come into this world. Sheer luck and mere chance seem to play a far greater role in their conception and delivery than any logical thinker could ever imagine.

Take the following example about Joe Karson’s creation of the famous “Zombie”, a wonderful story (if true) which I have just come across in Frank Garcia‘s “New York News” in an old issue of Magic Manuscript (Vol. 4, Issue 4, p. 45):

Incredible as it may seem, the trick called “Zombie” was invented by the late Joe Karson quite by accident. He bought a house and everything was fine but the toilet commode didn’t function, so Joe started taking the commode apart. He removed the balance ball attached to the rod and dried it with a towel. He then came upon the idea of making it a floating ball. The rest is magical history!

I will be happy to share more examples in the future. Stay fresh and stay tuned!

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