http://magicderris.com The Magical World of John Derris Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:40:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A bold claim - but true. Not a brilliant new gimmick. Not a new routine from the Vernon archives. Not something requiring a big investment but a proven procedure that does really work. Group magic. Vernon and the greats used it. Fred Kaps used it.Peter Warlock, Jack Avis, Francis Haxton and other ... http://magicderris.com/magic-miscellanea/a-guaranteed-way-to-improve-your-magic-and-creativity/ I'M JUST A CHILD IN THE BAFFLING WORLD OF COMPUTERS and for some unknown reason my web site has been unavailable for some considerable time bringing up a horrifc healdine that said - FORBIDDEN! I know nothing and explanations from the computer intelligensia (my nephew Martin Avis - he's brilliant ... http://magicderris.com/magic-ideas/very-important-news-after-a-long-long-long-time/ HAVEN'T SAID MUCH ON THIS BLOG FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS.. No particular reason other than I was pumping out news and trivia almost on a daily basis and I think this could devalue the content of the information.  There's too much info around today in my view.  Therefore I will ... http://magicderris.com/magic-miscellanea/important-news-after-a-long-pause/ THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CARD MAGICIANS AROUND THE WORLD and over half a century I've seen many of them. I'm not a card man myself but know enough to know the difference between a demonstrator of card tricks and an artiste who can really entertain with just a pack of ... http://magicderris.com/magic-miscellanea/sublime/ I'VE HAD AN ITEM UNDERGROUND FOR MANY YEARS made for me by a mechanic friend who is no longer with us. It's an Okito Box with which you can do the normal Okito Box routines. But the climax is a stunner. At the end of the routine when perhaps four coins ... http://magicderris.com/magic-miscellanea/the-quite-incredible-okito-box-rice-production/ NOTHING ON THIS BLOG SINCE DECEMBER. No I haven't retired, demised or emigrated. Firstly I had a lot of work, magic, publicity and design  over Christmas and I was churning out a blog almost on a daily basis prior to that. I did not get many responses, messages etc from magicians ... http://magicderris.com/magic-news/as-i-was-saying/ AT THE RECENT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION  three magicians came up to me to talk about ideas on items and presentations. During the conversations they all asked if I had in mind to stage a limited, one-to-one workshop based on the presentation ideas and simple magic effects that I have given in the KISS ... http://magicderris.com/magic-miscellanea/the-kiss-workshop/ RECENTLY I WROTE THAT I WAS GOING TO PUT OUT a monte routine originated by Jack Avis that involved three like cards and a queen that mysteriously appears and disappears during the effect. In itself it's very good as Jack showed it to me but I did it for a close friend, ... http://magicderris.com/magic-ideas/watch-out-for-the-phantom-queen/ BEEN WORKING AWAY RECENTLY AND LAST WEEKEND I went to the International Convention organised by the MacMillan family. A great weekend of magic both close-up and stage with the accent on international. This is a trend that was started by Ron MacMillan who was well in touch with magic and magicians all ... http://magicderris.com/magic-reviews/hello-again/ IF YOU LOOK AROUND TODAY AT MAGIC that is sold by the ton to the fraternity, there are hundreds of gizmo cards,  bits of cardboard, fake coins, routines and things that are cooked up from such sources as stationers, hardware shops and the like. There are few pieces of beautifully handmade ... http://magicderris.com/magic-miscellanea/real-craftsmen-in-magic/