THE CLINIC club was formed by members of the Parent Assembly (N.Y.) S.A.M. in order to actually accomplish what should be any magic organization's first and chief reason for existence. At each meeting each member must perform one trick and submit to a follow-up criticism by all who so desire to criticise. Methods of procedure are smoothed out, unnecessary actions eliminated, and the suggestions never fail to come along. No sane devotee of magic could take umbrage at such a "clinic" and it is an answer to the problem of most new members to the various societies - how to…
The Linking Ring, January 1941, has a two page article by Fulton Oursler. It is titled The Sane Viewpoint of Exposure. We doubt if ever before such a point of view has been given such concise wordage. It's too bad that LR copies are not for sale to the public at large over magic counters, but restricted to members only. From a nationally known editor-author-amateur magus rabid, the paragraphs tell truths from a spectator's position. It may be a hard pill to swallow but once down it certainly will give relief. The printed stint makes exposing a minor factor in…
That penny swindle in issue #123 made more friends than enemies, at least. The secret is "timing" and assurance. As no coin changes hands behind the back you must count 1-2-3 before bringing them back into view. But when you show the victim he has won or lost, there is no time lost in putting them back out of sight again. The N.Y. Knights of Magic certainly belong in high brackets, for their public shows, judging by that on Jan. 22 at the Barbizon-Plaza Hotel Theatre filled the seats and satisfied the people who paid. Sensible, too, is the policy…
Our previous contests, puzzles, and what-not quiz propositions never did have enough popular appeal to make them worthwhile. For some reason magi are immune to such things. They just want to read and do the tricks inside the covers of what they buy and have no inclination for figuring out something which is of no use before an audience. But, with a prayer, we try again, using an idea which should be a novelty item for every magus even if he doesn't tell us about it. "Squiggles" is quite an appropriate appellation for the making of pictures, sketches, drawings or…
There's an object lesson in the reading of the news clipping (Boston American, Sept. 13, 1940) reproduced at the end of this Editrivia. Elwin ("Le Conjuror") T. Shaw's technique for making blase reporters and columnists interested might well be followed by many others. The Walter Gibson just incarcerated in the N.Y.C. bastile for advertising a Seventh Day Adventist meeting by motoring through the city's streets with a picture of Hitler, IS NOT magic's Walter Brown Gibson, alias Maxwell Grant, confidant biographer of The Shadow. Just thought we'd put it down to squelch those ever-present "boys" who haven't enough engagements to…
Hallowe'en time is with us again, or maybe I should say "Houdini Day". I wonder how many of the boys took advantage of the chance to do a benefit show and be certain of press recognition due to the Houdini tie-up? We were going to put handcuffs and leg-irons on our cats but Sid Lorraine kept us on the time honored track by donating a couple of pumpkins for them. It probably will get to many readers too late, but we just learned the gag. Those "salesman's campaign (Presidential) buttons" which show a picture of BOTH candidates allow the "fence-walker"…
Magic should have a shrine for its relics. True, there are a few with enough reverence for their life-long hobby to acquire ancient pieces of apparatus and objects personally associated with "the greats" but it is all disjointed. Only a national group, in unity, could permanently house and care for such a collection. I doubt if there is any magus who hasn't got tucked away somewhere his first "pull" or homemade gimmick that is cherished because of the memories it brings back. I know I still have those first color changing cotton hanks which didn't match in size together with…
Time out for business: The Jinx does not accept paid advertising. Therefore we have had unparalleled response from dealers because we do not advertise other retailers. For this reason we've left out even our own address and subscription prices from most issues. Only because of requests we print these data: The Jinx is edited and published by Theo. Annemann, Waverly, N.Y., U.S.A. The subscription rates are; 8 copies for $1. By first class mail $1.12. By tube, $1.24. These prices apply to the entire world. (That's that for another 52 weeks. Ed.) Magicians should forget about any tricks pertaining to…
Buzz-buzz (meaning phone). "Yes?" (meaning us) "The board of directors calling, sir." "Yes." (tremulously but with thanks for the 'sir') "Professor Humdrum speaking." -- "Well?" -- "We know you do your best, and we stand for an awful lot, but why do you lay yourself and us wide open to "come-backs" as of that S.A.M. public night on November 18th?" "You mean ---" --- "You know what we mean. You should time your Editrivia better, maybe take lessons from Fulton Oursler who gets Liberty magazine on the press from four to six weeks ahead of publication dates." "But we never…