Tattoo Joe by Joe Russell and produced by Paul Harris is a quirky trick that will wow, confuse and intrigue anyone who sees it. Tattoo Joe allows you make a tattoo of just about anything you want show up on your arm and then disappear. This is an extremely clever trick which would gain you instant notoriety. In the package you receive enough material to make several "tattoos" of your choosing and if your mind runs amuck and you want to make others, a quick ride to the local arts and crafts store and supermarket you can accrue all you need to create more.

Bear in mind nothing is made for you, you will have to design and make all your "tattoos". You are only given the raw materials and knowledge and ultimately you would have to apply some art skills to create what you want.

The training video is filmed in a casual style and the video in itself is amusing to watch. Joe Russel explains everything in a step by step low key easy going manner. He shows how to make his favorite tattoos but virtually anything you think of can be made depending on your artistic ability, patience and imagination.

Like many street magic tricks there are some angle considerations and Joe Russell spends some time on how to minimize them. There is also a clothing requirement. A long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up a third of the way would be the only way you can perform this. The tattoo gimmicks can be quickly changed if needed. All you will need is a secluded spot and within seconds a different tattoo can develop on your arm.

Everything in the ad copy is true except for "Perform surrounded with sleeves rolled up or with short sleeves." You cannot perform this surrounded without the risk of tipping the method and you definitely cannot perform this with short sleeves. When I first saw this I quickly wrote it off as too gimmicky for my personality. However, the method is so easy, clever and devious, I may actually give it a try.

I think most magicians have, at some point in their development, performed the Ashes on Arm. Wouldn’t it be nice to perform that type of effect without the mess and with an almost-instant reset? Tattoo Joe makes that possible.

This 42-minute DVD teaches a great piece of visual magic in which a tattoo appears on the performer’s bare forearm, then vanishes completely. The tattoo can feature any simple image. The performer’s hands are empty before and after the effect, and no residue or mark is left behind.

Joe Russell, the creator of Tattoo Joe, is our guide and instructor. He’s a dude — low key, not trying too hard to be hip, and not taking himself too seriously. I laughed out loud a few times while watching this DVD, not because the video was unintentionally comic but because I found Joe’s sense of humor to be genuinely funny, which was a nice surprise. Joe explains the process of setting up, which requires some arts-and-crafts time, then he demonstrates a few approaches to performing the effect under different conditions. (Wardrobe is a key element; more on that later.)

On a couple of occasions, what Joe is saying and what he is doing don’t match. Here’s a handy guide: When he says “horizontal,” he means vertical; when he says “pips,” he means indexes. You’ll see what I mean. (Allow me to take a moment to remind the makers of instructional videos that the real magic of video can be summed up in one word: RETAKES.)

Those mistakes notwithstanding, Joe is definitely up to the task of explaining this material, and it’s clear that he has performed this effect many times in many settings. Near the end of the video, he tells an amusing story about performing the effect for someone who should have been able to recognize the method but didn’t. It’s a lesson in how people don’t perceive what’s right in front of them.

The package comes with the instructional DVD and the materials needed to make appearing tattoos for multiple performances. My recommendation of this effect comes with a few caveats. I expect that many performers will find the wardrobe requirement very limiting. It boils down to a choice between a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up or a short-sleeved T-shirt. And contrary to the ads for Tattoo Joe, the materials supplied may not be appropriate for your skin tone. But after watching the video, you’ll be able to find the necessary items cheaply and easily. And, finally, don't expect this to be easy to perform. Joe Russell makes it look effortless. It isn't. This will require more than a little practice to get the knack of making it look like magic.