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Bingo Bango

Jeff Stone

Stone Cold Magic

(Based on 1 review)

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BINGO BANGO!:115 Pranks, Games, Magic Tricks, Emcee Bits, and more

A book devoted to the small spring-loaded Bingo Shooting Device, which causes a loud bang by exploding a gunpowder cap.

According to its creator, S.S. Adams, ". . . It goes off with a loud bang when moved or disturbed. This little fun-maker can be used for jokes in a hundred different ways. Place it in a napkin or magazine, under a plate, cigarette box, hat, etc. [it's] entirely harmless and always creates a big laugh."

Adams himself was known to install them in decks of playing cards, cigar boxes, books with risqué titles, and a whole lot more. Many of the ideas originated by Adams are sprinkled throughout this book along with a relatively deep dive into its history and various resources where you can learn even more.

Inside this book not only will you discover the fun and exciting history of the Bingo Shooting Device, but you’ll also find 115 Pranks, Games, Magic Tricks, Emcee Bits, and more that are all accomplished with this one tiny little device.

Take the ideas. Make them your own. Prank your friends. Surprise your audience, and most of all watch out for things that go BANG!

Reviews

Doc Johnson

Official Reviewer

Aug 31, 2022

WHAT YOU GET

You get a 79 page book with just about everything you would want to know about how to use those little pop cap blasters, four cap exploding bingo devices, a bunch of sticky dots and a bunch of explosive caps.

WHAT IS COOL

One thing that Jeff and every successful magician knows is that you need a little more than just good or great magic. You need to be entertaining. Some performers are just fun to watch for their entertainment value, like Bill Malone, Harry Anderson, David Williamson, Tom Mullica, and Tommy Cooper. These are all superb magicians, but they would not have had nearly the same impact if they weren’t good at entertaining. Some of those performers listed, like Tommy Cooper used a lot of little props like this to make his magic more entertaining. Don’t underestimate the power of what some may call “silly little” gag props. For example, a friend of mine had an awesome magic routine that just didn’t get much reaction from laypeople. Magicians found it to be amazing, but laypeople… not so much. I suggested he add a little wind up toy to the routine, and the lay audience reaction went through the roof.

What is great about this book is that it focuses on something that you can add to the magic that you are already doing, to make it more impactful, and it has several suggestions for new magic routines you might enjoy.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

The quality of the product is very good. I would say that the book is really a collection of brainstorming ideas for how you could use a Bingo device. It is a collection of 115 ideas. It is not 115 magic routines, although there are some really good descriptions of how you could incorporate the Bingo device in specific routines.

My favorite routine idea involves you shooting a card using your finger as a pretend gun, making the loud banging sound as you do, and then showing the same card with a bullet hole and blood on it.

The explanation is very clear and concise. These are not long drawn out explanations, but simple and short.

This book could be useful for any form of magic, be it casual, close up, parlor, or stage. One word of caution is that if you use this professionally you must discuss it with the individual hiring you, and if you do this casually, be careful of potential safety issues as it does involve a cap with gun powder and it could harm someone if not used correctly. For example, if it were to be discharged close to someone’s ear, it could cause damage.

The ad copy is honest and conveys the product fairl.

AT A GLANCE

Skill level required: 3 of 5. Given that it is an explosive, care should be taken and adult supervision should be used for minors.
Audience management skill required: 2 of 5.
Performance angles: 360 degrees
Reset time required: Given you get four devices, you could reset in a matter of seconds by ditching one and using another.
DIY time involved in advance: It depends on what you are going to do. Some suggested uses could take 15 seconds to prepare.

VERDICT

An excellent book as it covers something that you could used with a wide variety of magic that you are already performing. However, you should really know your crowd and how you will be using it. For example, I sometimes perform for a group where one of the individuals has hearing problems caused by damage to the ear. I just wouldn’t use this with him, given he is very sensitive about the little hearing that he has left.

Suggestions

This is a great book to skim and pick out things that look interesting rather than reading cover to cover. Each idea is simple and clear. You will no doubt find some gems in there. There are 115 suggested uses! Personally, I read a bit about how to use the device in different ways, I skimmed through the seemingly endless possible uses, then I spent quite a bit of time on the suggestions related to magic routines and I focused on one really good idea. In the future, I will go back to it, skim for more uses, and focus on a different idea.
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