Price$40.00
Media TypeTrick, DVD
CategoryClose Up
Date AddedMay 11, 2013
Tiny Plunger
John Armstrong
Kozmomagic Inc.
(Based on 2 reviews)
A Tiny Plunger!
This unsuspecting little prop becomes the feature of an amazing trick. The small plunger clings to a thought-of number of cards, finds a selection, and lots more! Based on a concept by Mathieu Bich, with additional ideas by Jon Armstrong and Garrett Thomas, Tiny Plunger is that rare prop that is at once funny, amazing, and memorable. Best of all, the routine is within the range of the beginner.
Take the plunge, and perform Tiny Plunger!
Reviews
(Top ▲)
Overview
If I had to perform only one card trick for the rest of my life, Tiny Plunger would be it. I know that’s a bold statement but Tiny Plunger ticks all the boxes for me. The routine is funny, incorporates a few audience members, impossible to reengineer and finally, even though the plunger does all the work, the magician gets all the credit.Effect
One by one cards are chosen by spectators and despite the incredible constraints imposed by the magician and spectators the plunger regularly finds the spectators’ cards. Depending on the persona and personality of the performer this multi-phase routine will baffle, amaze and amuse all who watch.Method
The method involved is through the clever use of a gimmicked card which has been used in card magic for decades. The original DVD came with two plungers one gimmicked and one un-gimmicked. The routine the gimmicked plunger was used for, is a sucker (no pun intended) routine which I personally don’t care for. The magician can pick up cards with the plunger but the spectator cannot. The regular plunger is the workhorse of this routine. What happens is the cards are spread out, a spectator chooses one and remembers it, the deck is squared up and the spectator places their card on top and cuts as high or low as they want and completes the cut. The plunger is pressed on top of the deck, lifting up bank of cards and they are moved to the side. The card left on top of the remaining deck is the chosen card. An absolute miracle.Product Quality
The DVD features routines by Jon Armstrong, Mathieu Bich and Garret Thomas. Each creator adds his own take on the use of Tiny Plunger. What is most important is that the presentation is so flexible, you can come up with your own ideas as to how you want to present the effect. The filming, lighting and sound are all well done. There are various live performances of the routine but once you know the method I’m sure you will come up with your own. What is also interesting is the story behind how the effect was created.Ad Copy Integrity
The ad copy does not do this effect justice. It is such a great routine I actually think it is undersold. I perform this routine regularly. My routine is a meld of Tiny Plunger and Herbert the Trained Rubber Band by Denis Behr. Believe me, the reactions to the plunger finding their chosen cards are astounding.Final Thoughts
Do to the nature of the card gimmick, you should test it frequently to see if it will work in the setting you are performing in at that moment. The softness or firmness of the surface the cards are on, the condition of the gimmick and the condition of the deck as a whole are all factors in the performing ability of the plunger. I ended up making my own gimmicked cards mechanically to insure that they will work on every surface no matter where the gimmick ended up in the deck. This is one of my favorite tricks to perform, I think you would like it as well.(Top ▲)
This is a really, really fun little item. When this hit the market back in 2013 it was one of the hottest items of that year, and 2014 Jon Armstrong appeared on the Penn & Teller show called 'Fool Us' and used this in that act. No spoilers here, however, we will explore the product!
As with all DVDs from Kozmo, the video, lighting and audio quality are absolutely fantastic. Jon Armstrong is joined on the DVD by Garrett Thomas and Matthieu Bich as they introduce to you the Tiny Plunger and talk a little bit about its history (short, though it is) and how it came to be. After the intro you are taken to the menu where you are given options to watch a live performance by Jon Armstrong, the Armstrong explanation, two different versions along with the explanations by Matthieu Bich and a bonus section which is like a jam session with Jon, Garrett and Matthieu as they talk about different ways to present the plunger as well as many other ways to use it. Unfortunately there is no coveted 'Play All' button, but at least with this DVD it takes you back to the short main menu after each section plays, and the menu is easy to navigate. There is also a blooper/outtake reel and an Kozmo Magic trailer section
The ad copy for this product is 100% accurate and the video trailer for this is actually the full performance by Jon Armstrong - the same one you will see on the DVD, so you see some of what you will be learning on the DVD.
Jon Armstrong does a very good job of teaching you his handling and the way he performs with the plunger, but he also gives you the ins and outs - what to do and what NOT to do. Those were some very valuable tips. His live performance was in a restaurant with a group of people sitting and standing around him so you get to see the great reactions that this prop produces. The way that Jon presents this makes it all about the plunger and what the plunger can do, not what the performer can do with the plunger or the cards. One quick aside: There is one extra item that, if you do not already own a variation of it and want to do one particular gag in the Armstrong handling, will cost you anywhere between $10-40 (roughly, depending on the version), BUT this item is absolutely NOT necessary to perform the Armstrong handling at all - it is purely optional.
Matthieu Bich only does a live studio performance of his version and it is a one-on-one performance, but it is enough for you to understand his take on the plunger. He also performs and teaches a version using a pen instead of the plunger, and if you like that idea, you can easily use that if you ever find yourself sans-plunger and have a pen and a little 'something' handy. What is different about his handling is that it is more of a challenge type presentation but when he first created it, it suited his style and he has since come up with other ways to present it so that it is less of a challenge. The point of this is to show you just one more way of presenting it - in this case it is more about what the performer can do that a spectator cannot; I can lift these cards with a pen but when you try, you cannot. Some people like things like that, others will not - it is not a style for everyone. Matthieu also does a very good job of teaching his two versions of the effect.
One of the handlings that Matthieu Bich presents uses a gimmicked plunger* which is very clever. He came up with that method because he originally, independently thought of doing this effect with a pen and he wanted to come up with a way to do his pen presentation with a plunger. The problem was, with a normal plunger it was not possible. Later he developed a way to do the same effect with a normal plunger and a very cleverly gimmicked card.
*About the gimmicked plunger: When this first hit the market it came with one normal plunger and a gimmicked plunger (made by Roy Kueppers) for the Bich handling, but they were made in limited quantities. It no longer comes with the gimmicked plunger but it does come with two normal plungers. If you want to do the Bich handling with the gimmicked plunger, it is not difficult to make your own using one of the supplied plungers once you see the explanation.
The price point for this is, for what you are getting, very good. It comes with two normal plungers and you are given many different ideas and ways to use the second plunger if you want to. If not, you will always have a spare plunger should you lose the first one.
I have seen a lot of people stop and wonder if they should get this just because it is a plunger - they are afraid it will touch on an iffy subject with their audiences if they use it. Let me tell you from experience that this is nothing at all to worry about. As Jon Armstrong puts it, when you bring the plunger out, people immediately fall in love with it because of its size and the humor involved with it. There is also a cuteness factor. That said, even without having it in your hands, you can easily come up with lots of jokes and gags to go with it, but once you get a hold of the tiny plungers, they just flood your imagination! The presentations and the uses for this prop are limitless and can bring a lot of laughs from your audiences.
VERY, VERY HIGHLY recommended!
As with all DVDs from Kozmo, the video, lighting and audio quality are absolutely fantastic. Jon Armstrong is joined on the DVD by Garrett Thomas and Matthieu Bich as they introduce to you the Tiny Plunger and talk a little bit about its history (short, though it is) and how it came to be. After the intro you are taken to the menu where you are given options to watch a live performance by Jon Armstrong, the Armstrong explanation, two different versions along with the explanations by Matthieu Bich and a bonus section which is like a jam session with Jon, Garrett and Matthieu as they talk about different ways to present the plunger as well as many other ways to use it. Unfortunately there is no coveted 'Play All' button, but at least with this DVD it takes you back to the short main menu after each section plays, and the menu is easy to navigate. There is also a blooper/outtake reel and an Kozmo Magic trailer section
The ad copy for this product is 100% accurate and the video trailer for this is actually the full performance by Jon Armstrong - the same one you will see on the DVD, so you see some of what you will be learning on the DVD.
Jon Armstrong does a very good job of teaching you his handling and the way he performs with the plunger, but he also gives you the ins and outs - what to do and what NOT to do. Those were some very valuable tips. His live performance was in a restaurant with a group of people sitting and standing around him so you get to see the great reactions that this prop produces. The way that Jon presents this makes it all about the plunger and what the plunger can do, not what the performer can do with the plunger or the cards. One quick aside: There is one extra item that, if you do not already own a variation of it and want to do one particular gag in the Armstrong handling, will cost you anywhere between $10-40 (roughly, depending on the version), BUT this item is absolutely NOT necessary to perform the Armstrong handling at all - it is purely optional.
Matthieu Bich only does a live studio performance of his version and it is a one-on-one performance, but it is enough for you to understand his take on the plunger. He also performs and teaches a version using a pen instead of the plunger, and if you like that idea, you can easily use that if you ever find yourself sans-plunger and have a pen and a little 'something' handy. What is different about his handling is that it is more of a challenge type presentation but when he first created it, it suited his style and he has since come up with other ways to present it so that it is less of a challenge. The point of this is to show you just one more way of presenting it - in this case it is more about what the performer can do that a spectator cannot; I can lift these cards with a pen but when you try, you cannot. Some people like things like that, others will not - it is not a style for everyone. Matthieu also does a very good job of teaching his two versions of the effect.
One of the handlings that Matthieu Bich presents uses a gimmicked plunger* which is very clever. He came up with that method because he originally, independently thought of doing this effect with a pen and he wanted to come up with a way to do his pen presentation with a plunger. The problem was, with a normal plunger it was not possible. Later he developed a way to do the same effect with a normal plunger and a very cleverly gimmicked card.
*About the gimmicked plunger: When this first hit the market it came with one normal plunger and a gimmicked plunger (made by Roy Kueppers) for the Bich handling, but they were made in limited quantities. It no longer comes with the gimmicked plunger but it does come with two normal plungers. If you want to do the Bich handling with the gimmicked plunger, it is not difficult to make your own using one of the supplied plungers once you see the explanation.
The price point for this is, for what you are getting, very good. It comes with two normal plungers and you are given many different ideas and ways to use the second plunger if you want to. If not, you will always have a spare plunger should you lose the first one.
I have seen a lot of people stop and wonder if they should get this just because it is a plunger - they are afraid it will touch on an iffy subject with their audiences if they use it. Let me tell you from experience that this is nothing at all to worry about. As Jon Armstrong puts it, when you bring the plunger out, people immediately fall in love with it because of its size and the humor involved with it. There is also a cuteness factor. That said, even without having it in your hands, you can easily come up with lots of jokes and gags to go with it, but once you get a hold of the tiny plungers, they just flood your imagination! The presentations and the uses for this prop are limitless and can bring a lot of laughs from your audiences.
VERY, VERY HIGHLY recommended!