Your point is a good one Frank. It would be very easy to steal a large load from nearly anywhere... under the cover of the first four silks.

But it is far more magical... and impossible looking, for EVERYTHING to come from within the box.

A portal indeed!

I'll just say that ANYTHING by JNeal is genius. I've been privileged to see his effects created over the years and his thinking and creative output is such a joy to experience. Do yourself a favor and get this just to see how a brilliant mind works. I'll be getting it for that very reason.

I received the manuscript earlier this week and am as enthused as Bill and Ray are about it. Not only does it describe a very fine routine at a high level of detail, the first part goes into the creative thinking process behind how the routine evolved. It is instructive to see the different avenues which were tried and rejected/refined and the logic as to why. This provides a fantastic launchpad for further experiment and customization as the reasoning behind each decision is known. This is A-Level material which you can draw upon not only for the wonder box but for any "production from a container" type routine.

Thanks Ray for the kindness!
I do mention in the booklet that Ray and I had a great 'testing ground' when we worked together at Hollywood Magic.
We got to experiment and play with all the props available... putting our theories to the test.

In one day we sold at least a dozen of the Demon Wonder Boxes... many years back!

Ray could outsell me on most things, by a margin of 2 to 1 !

In case you may be wondering, "how did the current Demon Wonder Boxes" get made, and. get to America"?

n the early '90s, Duuane Laflin and I were sitting in his motel room, awaiting the opening of a little regional convention. We had just met, and were getting acquainted. For some reason, we were discussing silk productions. I went to my room and returned with my wonder box. I believe it is a Sherms made prop. Duane had never seen one. I had bought at the KARLAND FRISCHKORN estate sale in Norfolk Va in 1954. I had found the extra load gaff in an auction, in Milwaukee, about 30 years later. I use it as a pad in my 20th C Silks.

Duane liked it and had some made in India. We've both laughed about, how the boxes got here...

That extra load gaff, holds almost a 20 ft. string of 12" half silks!

The India DWB is still available at the Magic Goods website. It does not look as well made as the Empire Magic Silk Box model.

Dick Oslund was kind enough to provide me with his second Sherm’s Wonder Box and it arrived the other day...magnificent!

His sister was kind as well, as she did all the mailing! I owe them both a debt of gratitude for their kindnesses.

The Sherms is a heavy unit ( just the way I like them!) and the same size as my Davenport models.

Thank you Dick Oslund!

Dick, it is great to see you on the forum.

That is a great piece of history.

Is the extra load gaff in the Sherms' model a duplicate gimmick or is it something else?

Another winner! Thank you Bill! I went to Ziggo's and got me a Wonder Box! $15 including shipping. I could write an entire new thread on this thing! Best magic trick I have bought in a LONG time!

Doug

I wonder if the India model is made after the Davenport or the Sherms model, anyone know.


https://magicgoods.com/products/wonder-silk-vanishing-box

Click here to view attached image.

Both the Sherms and the Davenport only drop down on two (opposing) sides... the front and the back.
It looks like the India model 'improves' on that, by allowing all four sides to drop.
Not sure if the is an improvement...

During my search previously, I seen a line drawing of the DWB from long ago, with just a frame, I believe it was from a Pennsylvania magic company.

Sent you a PM.

The extra gimmick was a 'torpedo' gimmick, although square sided.
In other words, one end was slightly tapered so that it could be inserted into the DWB after the wedge gimmick was removed.
here is an illustration that explains best:

Click here to view attached image.

Thanks! I never knew that type of load was marketed.

I just reread Dick's use of the Wonder Box in The Road Scholar. In many ways it is the perfect item to keep in reserve for when extra material is needed.

For those having a problem putting in the quantity of silks in their DWB, take a look at Diagonal silks sold at magicgoods.com . 18 inch silks cut diagonal, and only cost $2.99 each.

Just ordered the DWB from Magic Goods, within a couple hours the sent me an email it has been mailed. I will review when I receive the DWB.

There were a lot of different manufacturers of the wonder box. Abbott's, Sherms, Boss Mfgs., Davenport, Conradi and Bartl. Bart originated the idea and through an agreement with Davenports he allowed them to make them in England. It was cheaper to make them there rather than import them.
I think Sherms is one of the best as it just seems a little heavier and less likely to get bent up. Their bullet load is a good idea also.
Jonathon's routine is very well constructed and routined. Don't think you are just going to pick up and do it and make it a hit. You have to spend a little time working with it so the motions become second nature so you can concentrate on other things. The silver mylar coils right now are hard to get. I have some on backorder. But you can get other colors like red, blue, gold, etc.
What about make a tin foil duplicate box and switching it in and then crushing it at the end? A bit of work but might be worth it.
As Marvyn Roy told me years ago, "Magicians are too lazy to do a silk act as you have fold and reset it". That is what keep it unique to Duval. Jonathon also does a silk act that plays big but it takes work. But that is why the pros keep working...they are not afraid of a little work that keeps the copyists from stealing.

You are so right hugmagic about some of the new generation of magicians, not wanting to put in the time for a good act, like preparing props and practicing plus cleaning props after the act. Not all, but many I have met. That is OK, as it keeps the good seldom seen magic out of their hands. Just an old magician's opinion................

Another enthusiastic thumbs up for Jonathan Neal's 'Demon Wonder Box' lecture notes. I am very glad I ordered this excellent publication.

See Bill Hegbli's first post in this topic for an extensive review. I don't have to add to Bill's review. That should tell you all you need to know.


However there is updated information you should know about if you plan to order it: since Bill Hegbli first posted about this on Feb. 19, 2019, Jonathan Neal's email contact has changed , so don't use the email listed in Bill's original post.

Use the contact email you'll find on Jonathan's website at the bottom of the page, where it says "Click HERE to contact us Now!" - http://jnealshow.com/

The cost is still $25.00 for the booklet. Check with Jonathan for the exact amount you should include in addition to cover the postage. (for me it was only $3.00 for postage. I received it in 4 days, from west coast to east coast.)



Jonathan announced last month in the pages of Genii magazine that he will be taking a break from the excellent series that he has been writing for Genii over the past year or so , however I was happy to find out the reason his column is going on hiatus is so he can devote more time to writing his book. The high quality of his Genii series and the 'Demon Wonder Box' lecture notes are an indication of what to expect from the book and I'm sure it will be a must have item for anyone who enjoys classical stage/parlor magic.

Click here to view attached image.