Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 10: Issue #10 Issue #10 of The Jinx opens with Annemann on his soapbox about impromptu magic — and Jay gets on one of his own — before delivering a signed card on a ribbon, a startling deck production, a masterclass in cigarette vanish presentation, and a one-person picture-duplication effect that Annemann vouches for with characteristic honesty. A strong issue from start to finish. Effects Covered [0:52] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann makes the case that working professionals who can't perform on the spot are failing at showmanship, pointing to Harry Blackstone and John Mulholland as performers who…
Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 9: Issue #9 Issue #9 of The Jinx features one of the most widely used envelope techniques in mentalism, a mathematically driven counting effect dressed up in Depression-era politics, and the effect Annemann himself called one of the greatest one-man psychic pieces available — and it's hard to argue with him. The editorial is lively too, with convention news, a rare unprompted book recommendation, and a very satisfying mathematical footnote. Effects Covered [0:51] The Modernized Reading — Theodore Annemann A method for secretly reading the contents of a sealed envelope while it's still being held by the person…
Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 8: Issue #8 Issue #8 of The Jinx is a varied one — a mathematically clever card effect, two contributions from Dr. Duncanson, a borrowed bill in nested envelopes, and Annemann's own opinionated reading list for magicians. The editorial is packed: a victory lap, a moving tribute, and Annemann publicly setting the record straight on not one but two separate grievances. Effects Covered [1:07] An Improvement à la Carte — Theodore Annemann A helper names any card, then makes a series of apparently free choices as the deck is dealt and sorted — and somehow lands on the…
Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 7: Issue #7 Issue #7 of The Jinx is a strong one — a clean card transposition, a clever two-person code system, a prediction that disappears from the deck, and a classic bill-in-lemon with some real teeth to it. Annemann also pays tribute to a giant of the magic world and goes on a rant that's just as relevant today as it was in 1935. Effects Covered [0:57] The ELM Card Change — E. Leslie May A chosen card and a card initialed by the performer swap places — the helper's card ends up in the performer's pocket,…
In this episode, Jay browses Issue #6 of The Jinx (1934–1941), the legendary newsletter for magicians and mentalists. This issue is heavy on Theodore Annemann, with contributions from Russell T. Wise and a peek at the editorial page. Effects Covered [0:00] Intro Jay introduces the show and the episode's focus: Issue #6 of The Jinx. [0:45] Impromptu Frame Ups — Theodore Annemann Annemann explores using "instant stooges" — audience members who don't know they're confederates until the moment they're needed. Includes a card-calling effect, a watch-setting routine, and slate work. Jay notes the term "frame up" seems to have died out by the mid-1900s. [2:48]…
In this issue Jay talks about Annemann’s “Red and Blue Back Color Change,” a two-card back-swap, discusses L. E. Duncanson’s “With Sight Unseen,” a hands-tied, blindfolded identification routine requiring a homemade gimmick that Jay doubts can accomplish all claimed feats. He covers two solutions to a prior issue’s “lie calling” challenge: Charles Nyquist’s stacked-deck approach dependent on a clean dovetail shuffle and Stuart Robson’s “The Lie Detective” with constraints on when the lie occurs. Annemann’s “A Question and the Answer” uses slips, a switch, and a gimmick for answering written questions, and Nat Scherzer suggests using used envelopes as a…
In this issue we review Annemann’s “The Master of the Message,” an impromptu thought-reading effect. We summarize Martin Sunshine’s “Cigarette Perception,” where a blindfolded performer identifies cigarette brands, and suggests the method could be repurposed beyond smoking. Jay discusses Orville Wayne Meyer’s “Card Box Sympathy,” which uses a P&L Metal Card Box, but says the written handling seems inconsistent and asks listeners with the prop to test it. Jay explains Calvin Cole’s “One of Those Things,” a calculator-age-and-change revelation based on a simple math principle, with Annemann’s note that personal details like age increase interest and could be paired with…
Jinx Navigator Podcast: Jay Jennings reviews issue number three of The Jinx, a roughly 90-year-old newsletter for magicians and mentalists, to see which ideas still hold up and how they might be tweaked for modern use. Aside from the editorial, Jay covers four items from the issue: Les Gilbert’s “A Card in Transit,” where a spectator-initialed card vanishes from the deck and appears in the performer’s pocket using sleight of hand and a gimmick card; Annemann’s “A Real Psychic Card Test,” a simple thought-transmission drawing match using chalkboards (or business cards) and misdirection through distance/time; Annemann’s “Dead or Alive,” a…
Join Jay as he dives into the second issue of The Jinx (1934-1941), the legendary magic newsletter that shaped modern mystery performance. This episode breaks down five effects from Issue #2, exploring which tricks still work today. In This Episode: We explore five effects from The Jinx #2, including Ted Annemann's "The Devil's Four Aces" (a visual four-ace assembly), Orville Wayne Meyer's "The Finders" (a behind-the-back card location with a killer kicker ending), and "Your Card" (a clever effect using Si Stebbin's technique that's been fooling people since 1898). Jay admits defeat trying to decode Annemann's "Synthetic Sympathy" and calls…
In this episode of the Jinx Navigator Podcast, Jay takes listeners through the significant highlights of the first issue of The Jinx, a historic magic newsletter by Theodore Annemann. He discusses the first magic effect, 'Hallucination' by Eddie Clever, the 'Supreme East Indian Needle feat' by Ted Annemann, 'Two Papers and a Spectator' by Ted Annemann, and 'The Mystery of the Blackboard' by Paul Rosini. Jay provides insights on the relevance and adaptability of these tricks for modern performers, and offers resources for those interested in learning more. Tune in to discover the timeless art of magic from the 1930s…