Win all of these!
Drawing on April 1st, 2024
Details

Stars and Hexes

McClintock, Reed

(Based on 1 review)
Take a step into your mind’s eye for a moment, and imagine this: You draw a star, for instance, on your arm, then have a spectator cover the image with their hand. You snap your fingers and...the star is gone without a trace, only to reappear in the palm of your hand! Again the star disappears and miraculously re-materializes on your spectator's arm.
You can perform this jumping-image effect for just one person, or bring in two, three, even four people.
This effect is not a knuckle buster. It is a perfect effect for restaurant work, trade shows, hospitality suites, walk-around, parlor, one on one, schools, churches, mentalism, bizarre magic, and just because you can.

Reviews

Bryce Kuhlman

Official Reviewer

Jan 24, 2004

If you've ever seen Eugene Burger do the ashes on the palm, you know the effect this type of magic can have on people.

In essence, this is a new twist on the ashes trick. The performer draws a symbol on their arm and then slides it onto the helper's arm.

The package comes with all of the necessary props and a nine-page booklet detailing the setup, working and presentational strategies.

Be aware that there is one item that needs to be replenished frequently. It's something you can probably find at a convenience store, but if you forget to stock up, you'll find yourself at a gig with one less effect in your repertoire.

One of the nice things about the manuscript is that the author provides three different setup options depending on your wardrobe (jacket, dress pants or jeans-and-a-t-shirt).

The routine is relatively straightforward and accomplishes the "work" in an efficient manner. My only concern is that your helper is forced to stand with one arm raised at eye level for a period of time. This causes three problems. First, it can obstruct the person's view of the rest of the performance. Second, this can be a very uncomfortable position if held for a minute or two. Finally, there is no motivation for the user to have his/her arm in this position.

It should be noted that the author has his arms entirely tattooed. This makes the original drawing on his arm somewhat sensible. If you're not covered in tattoos you'll need to come up with some other motivation. But lucky for you, the author provides two full pages of interesting presentational avenues.

I have one additional concern about this effect. I remember my days in grade school when we were told not to write on our skin for fear of "ink poisoning." This memory has stuck with me to this day. If I had someone drawing on themselves with a pen and then transferring the ink to me, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the results. Just something to think about…
(Top ▲)