I have the collected Jinx on CD from houdini magic and I think its great, its interactive meaning that you can click a hyper link from the contents which takes you to the item you just clicked on , over 1000 pages, great to rediscover now and again

Tom

WOW that's a lot of pages which makes me wonder. What kind of magic is there....ranges of all beginner magic or from advanced card magic to great thread ideas.
I guess what Im trying to say without repeating question is, what is your favorite material on there, what kind of trick is it, what do you search for in those large engines
Thanks

Rojerj, my favorite stuff in both is discovering the early origins of card tricks and especially getting to know the personalities of the magicians who shaped magic, especially close-up, during these years. I enjoy reading the hard bound and loose issues Ive got but I ordered up a CD of each today from Houdini's Magic. I think the hyperlink feature I read about here will enhance my enjoyment of the books. I think if you get them you won't be sorry.

-=tabman

Great, thanks for the input Tabman......anyone else have some favorites?

Although some of the material in the Jinx and Phoenix are a bit dated upon first reading, with a little thought they are easily updated. Mark Strivings has done a lot of work with Annemanns material. Even though I have the cd rom versions of both, I too enjoy paging through the hard bound copies from time to time. Annemann, Im told, from time to time would send hidden messages using the first letter of each line to spell out a sentence. If this was done purposely or is just coincidence I don't know for sure.
On the cds the value is terrific. The Jinx cd also includes the New Jinx in its entirety.
You may want to check out the Learned Pig site for a lot of old magic books and articles. Quite a few downloads are availible.

Great and thanks for all your input. I just got the Phoenix and Jinx CD's and the Jinx vol. 1-50 with me and Im about to pop in the CD's. Howevr there is quite a lot of info and I would still LOVE to hear some your favorite effects from there. WEll Im off searchin,
ROgerJ

Geno Munari at http://www.houdini.com has the Cds... what is great is (vs. hardbounds) is the ability to SEARCH and find things on your computer.

I recommend to read all of JINX and PHOENIX. Even if you know what are my favourites, it is possible they won't be your favourite.

By reading all, you will find all of your favourites without a miss. Besides, you will learn many things other than strong tricks. Such knowledge will be very helpful in your magical life.

If your interst is only in learning powerful tricks, my sugestion would not help you.

Hideo Kato

The Jinx (all 3 volumes) probably remain my favorite magic book(s). I have read them cover to cover twice and, before the days of computers, I cross-indexed the books in the page margins and in the table of contents. It is very interesting to find a first reference to an effect and then watch as other magicians have a "go at it" and make changes and "improvements" to it. It is facinating to watch (almost as an interloper) as magicians discuss these various effects and the modifications.

Additionally, the books make facinating reading regarding the magic environment and mileu of the times. Lots of little snippets about the various magicians, and the back-biting and the gossip of the times. Especailly fascinating was the on-going running feud between Ted Annemann and (Burling Hull?). The name of the other individual escapes me at the moment but I think it was Burling.

Finally, the nice thing about these effects is that they are so old that they are new. What a treasure trove of fresh new material. And, because the effects usually just give the "bare bones" description of the method, this is very liberating in that it forces you to develope you own personal presentation.

If you came in and started to rob me and remove all of my magic, you'd have to pry my cold dead fingers away from this 3 volume set.

The Phoenix is equally facinating reading and, having Bruce Elliott as its main editor, is just an invaluable bonus. I only have one volume of The Phoenix so I'm not as strongly wedded to it as I am to The Jinx. But, both sets deserve to be be in every serious magician's library.

Just IMHO.

Mike

Incidentally, there is an issue of the Jinx that was not included in the bound versions. It was written by Walter B. Gibson. I doubt that it is included in the CD-Roms.

The chronology of these magazines goes Jinx, Phoenix, New Phoenix, New Jinx.

If this magazine were still being published, it would probably be a slick mag like others we see all the time. Magic started out as Inside Magic and finally became the huge magazine it is now.

I have the Jinx CD now and I like it very much. It's so interesting to read about magic in these old days....

(Actually I have two CDs, because I ordered one in the US, and my brother brought one for me when he was in New York two weeks ago as a gift..... so I think I'm going to sell one of them).

Magixx

Posted: Jun 4, 2005 4:55pm
I think it is time now to get the "Phoenix" CD-ROM.....

Magixx

Calexa good job grabbing them
love to hear input of your favorites

To be honest, I'm not so much interested in new tricks. I bought the CD-ROM to read about past times in magic, what people where thinking, and what was going on at that time. I'm not sure if I will find what I'm looking for....

Magixx

Oh I see. Well theres pretty good stuff still.........If you look at a lot of newspaper articles, you'll find a great deal on thurston

Calexa,

"I'm not sure if I will find what I'm looking for...."

Yes you will. In reading your past posts, I believe that you have the analytical type of mind that lends itself to such a learning experience and process. What you'll find is that as you read, your mind begins to wander and you remember reading about a similar effect 30-40 pages ago, or, you begin to key in on a present day effect in your repetroire and you start brainstorming about incorporating something that you just read about into your effects. (""Hmmmm? I wonder....if I could replace that difficult 3rd move of the XYZ trick with this Francis Carlyle move here in the Jinx? Hmmm?")

I dare you to purposefully try NOT to think aobut the stuff you are reading and try not to wonder if there is a way to integrate it into your present effects. It just seems to happen--almost automatically. You have stumbled onto a gold mine of thoughts and ideas. And as you read about "past times and what people were thinking" way back when, your creative juices just start leaking out all over your effects and routines.

Too bad so many of today's young magicians are so impatient to "go from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds" in their magic education. Too bad they can't slow down somewhat and take the time to look aroud and enjoy the scenery on the highways of yesteryear that is out there for the viewing.

Mike

Mike

I agree with you Turk.....
I have been looking through these and love to see all of the treasures in here. In fact I found a good amount of effects in the book that are presented EXACTLY the same from Richard Osterlinds Easy to Master Mental Miracles (All the ones that are either Anneman or another older mentalist)

I wanted to add a little something to this discussion. Having the bound issues of Jinx makes it much easier to see some of the "surprises" Anneman left in the text. Once you know about them it is fun to flip back through and see all of those. Besides where else besides the Jinx will you find magic by Jimmy Stewart among others.<g>

~ Dan

Check out Hugard's Magic Monthly (also available on CD). Also, you won't be disappointed with Phoenix. The CD usually includes the New Phoenix as well. I'm waiting for someone to finally produce a CD of the complete volumes of Bascom Jones' Magick.