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| Topic: Attaboy Review? |
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Strangely I have never seen this performed so I know very little about it. Simply put, it seems like there are 2 versions - Abbott's and one from India (supposedly not as good). The effect sounds terrific but what do others think of performing it before an adult audience? I usually do predictions, some card stuff - pretty mainstream. Thank you. |
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What is this? Sven |
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Could you describe the effect or provide a link to it? Thanks in advance. |
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In order that I not getting in trouble for violating any sort of copywright, this link is from Martin's Magic Collection: http://www.qualitymagic.com/?html=large&lphoto=attaboy-original.jpg&key=1170 |
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I saw this effect demonstrated like six months ago. Not my kind of thing anyway, but it’s nice. If I recall correctly, a volunteer pics a card, bury it into the deck, you put de deck “in the hands” of the bell boy and he produces the very same card. The prop is a new version of an old one. Looks ok (I think wolud be nice to work it a little bit to make it look older), but seems more like a curiosity than powerful magic. This, of course, is relative. |
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There is a version in T.a. Waters "Mind, Myth and Magic" that has you using your outside side jacket pocket and your ouside pocket at the front of your jacket. PSIncerely Yours, Paul Alberstat AB Stagecraft |
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| I too have wondered about this effect. It appears more for the younger crowd (spectator wise). |
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The Attaboy is a good effect, it's just the prop that's outdated. Having said that, there's a NEW version out that's taller than the original and is in the design of a sorceror/he looks like someone from Harry Potter! These are made by Fairchild and not sold directly, but you can get it from Abbott's (YES!) and possibly other dealers. To make it an even better effect (you can even fool "Magicians) check John Mendoza's handling in the book of John (#1, I think). With a minor modification of John's routine this old trick becomes fresh and appealing. I use a Harry Potter deck produced out of a Harry Potter drawer box. Dress the youngster as Harry complete with cape, hat, glasses and wand (from the costume store). I haven't used the Disney cards, yet, but I have 'em ready to go "one of these days". This version is worth a second look! |
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Julie, It should be noted that Joe Fairchild now has his own website, and does indeed sell this effect direct, as well as many other very cool items for both kids shows and sdult shows. Go to http://www.fairchildmagic.com and check it out. As an aside, I used to tour with Joe as a musician in the band, (yes, the show had a live seven piece band !) and if anyone knows how to design props for the working magician, it is Mr. Fairchild. His extensive days of touring and working for all age crowds have led to the devlopment of some great pieces. Mark Pettey aka ROBBiE the RiNGMASTER Naples, FL |
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Mark A couple of those items look interesting. I couldn't get the description of the Banner Nest of Boxes to come-up, so I e-mailed him. Julie |
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Didn't Docc Hilford have an up-to-date version of this, minus the "prop", just you, a deck and some clients....... Dave |
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[quote] On 2004-04-13 20:08, Thoughtreader wrote: There is a version in T.a. Waters "Mind, Myth and Magic" that has you using your outside side jacket pocket and your ouside pocket at the front of your jacket. [/quote] Had my share of pain in making that one but I did. A great idea from Mind, Myth & Magick. Another one I saw, not the same thing but close as concept, was ATTAGIRL by Docc Hilford. It was a gaffed deck allowing a three phase effect |
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| I think the prop is goofy and dumb but there's a great routine in 'Stewart James In Print: The First Fifty Years' that ain't bad at all. Seems to me that the James routine paired with Waters' pocket rigging would look ok. |
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| Gaeton Bloom has an effect in his 2002 "Ideas" lecture notes called Clin D'oeil. He has created a completely different look for the Hughes Attaboy effect. Worth looking into especially if you don't like the idea of the large figure prop. |
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VIDEO DEMO: http://www.magicgettogether.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AM&Product_Code=A0 |
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David Williamson performed a hilarious version using driver licenses from men in the audience. The basic effect was that David needed to find the license that matched the father of the boy. Ron |
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Great method, dated, hokey prop for ADULT use. But I have seen versions that were practical for adults. Years ago saw Ray Roberts of Yorkshire using one he made which just looked like a simple undecorated holder for cards. He and his brother when doing the working mens clubs (that's many years ago)incorporated it with an add-a-number effect. As mentioned earlier by Spook, the James routine is good too. Like the Spelling Bee prop, it was useful, with an alphabet deck, for personalising effects. Anyone using it to reveal just a playing card was under-using the prop. Somewhere in one of my early booklets I had a routine with one designed to catch out magicians familiar with the prop, (not intended for lay use) where I moved cards from the TOP holder to the bottom :). The Fairchild version mentioned above looks a good one for kids. And you can do mentalism for older kids of course. Paul. P.S. Checked out Mats link above and I see Abbott's also do a wizard version. |
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| The T.A. Waters "Mind, Myth and Magic" version is great! Made it up and works like a dream. |
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| I just discovered this thread and want to elaborate on enriqueenriquez's description. The normal way this effect is presented is that a signed card is returned to the deck and deck is placed in the lower holder backs out. The magician removes cards one at a time from the lower holder (backs of card toward audience) and places them in the top holder. The spectator says "stop" at any time just before the magician places the card he is holding into the top holder. The magician turns the card around (no switches) and it is the signed card. Works 100% of the time. Can be done with several signed cards. The key point is that the card is in the magician's hand when the spectator says "stop". |
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Several have mentioned the out-of-date bellboy image. To address this I am making my own Atta-xxxxx with a generic body and inter changable heads of Einstein, Spock, Nostradamus, Yoda, Darth, Obie1 all who possess mental powers to "influence" people to do what they want. It could be presented like this "No matter how hard you try to defeat Darth his power of the force will overwhelm you". When presented as a challange many adults become interested. When done with 3 signed cards and 3 spectators this effect becomes very entertaining for adults especially with the Darth head. Depending on the audience you would magnetically attach the appropriate head to the attaboy before the show. Of course you would use "Mind Meld" patter for Spock. Also the Talosian head could be used at a Star Tr. convention. For Nostradamus: "He knows in advance where you will say stop". For Einstein: "Using his enormous mental powers he has calculated where you will say stop". You could have a Lord of the Rings character and a bright gold circle (the ring) painted around the top holder and then use patter about the ring having a powerful effect on the mind. You could use Santa "He knows if you've been bad or good and he knows where you will say stop". Maybe a Harry P. character. You could use a Fortue Teller image etc. etc. I may add a couple of blinking L.E.D.s in the eyes for more audience appeal. I think that Darth would be the most recognizable for everyone so his head will be the first one I make. Einstein would work well for a sophisticated audience. I'm sure there are many more famous "mental" people/aliens that could be used. What can think of? Please post. Thanks. |
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Another thought about using Darth. Could have a small ipod type player that could be pressed before each signed card is revealed. It would say (in Darth's voice): "Don't underestimate the power of the Force." "I find your lack of faith disturbing." "You don't know the power of the dark side!" What can you think of? Please post. Thanks. |
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| Hey, Glowball,how about two card houlettes one above the other with a plain coloured background rather than any figure at all.. |
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Paul, good idea, that way the trick is themeless and could be done for any audience. I like to add a little pizzaz to my tricks so I might add some blinking lights around it and say "This is the worlds most powerful alpha wave computer, it can force your mind to say stop at the signed card". Also there is a small lightning disk about 4 inches in diameter sold at Spencers that could be attached at the top and the patter could be that it is a computer or that it is a Borg mind control device. This way it could be adapted to different type audiences with just the patter. I would never have thought of this had you not brought up the idea of a generic attaboy. Ideas tend to piggy back. Thanks, Paul. |
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Glowball, I love your ideas on updating this effect but I'm concerned with one aspect of it: if you have not obtained proper licensing, your use of the likenesses of Darth Vader, Mr. Spock, etc. might be considered infringement. Not trying to rain on your ideas, but I would hate to see you receiving a cease and desist letter from George Lucas's attorney. - Bob |
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| I still remember an easy version from Karrell Fox that only took a few seconds to make and was really deceptive. It didn't require any hokey props. I learned it in one of his lectures, a few years before he passed away. |
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Here is an updated version from Magic Wagon The Golden Dragon by Magic Wagon http://www.magic-wagon.com/ProductDetail.asp?id=145&pa=8 |
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Here is an old video of Joe Stevens doing a demo of the trick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVT4YOGNazQ |
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| Bob raises a good point about copyright infringement. If you are making this just for yourself there should be no problem. However if one was to market this with interchangeable heads then I would have about six black round 5 inch magnetic disks (steel) and one generic wizard head disk and then let the buyer find and print a few images and glue them onto the other disks themselves. |
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This trick is extremely powerful when presented three or four times in a row. The key is to emphasize that the spectator say "stop" while the signed card is still in your hand and also emphasize that getting it correct three times in a row is about one chance in a thousand. I made an attaboy out of a Spider-Man comic book and did this in front of some young professionals and got the comment "that's impossible". Although this effect can be done with just a deck of cards and utilizing the "glide" slight but the spectator will always suspect some slide of hand however with the attaboy device sleight of hand is completely ruled out in the spectators mind. |
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| Oops, 52 x 52 x 52 = 140,608 therefore not one in a thousand chance but more like one in 140,000 chance. |
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[quote]On Apr 12, 2004, edseas2 wrote: In order that I not getting in trouble for violating any sort of copywright, this link is from Martin's Magic Collection: ... [/quote] Here is the correct link to Attaboy on my site: [url=https://www.martinsmagic.com/allmagic/mentalism/attaboy-original-by-abbotts/]Attaboy[/url] (this one built by Abbott's). It is a great effect! andy |
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Well I went wild the past several months making attaboy type tricks. Using Tinkercad I designed a two-hollowette with secret chute for the half size bicycle cards and 3D printed a bunch of these (Anycubic Mega S). I then went to the dollar store and got activity books of Spider-Man and Wonder Woman and bought a felt elf a felt Santa Claus a felt snowman and attached the device to each of these (cut two rectangular holes for the houlettes). For Wonder Woman I made a little golden lasso to fit around the spectators fingers "to force them to tell the truth". I also made and painted a Star trek Spock figure on a foam board and attached the device (Vulcan mind meld powers force the spectator to tell the truth). I then modified the design to look like an old style robot with two arms and 3D printed a bunch of these (improving the design a little with each print). Next I modified the design to handle full size playing cards and the robot now has a bit of a helmet and it looks somewhat like Darth Vader or a witch doctor. I 3D printed about 10 of these (modifying the design ever so slightly on each print but they all work great). |
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| I'm sat here imagining this being done with something like a bespoke suit a la confabulation. Would have to be a well-lubed chute though! |
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I'm working on another version that is the image of Harry Houdini in a tuxedo. The patter could be that Harry Houdini is trying to send a message. Pre write "Rosabelle Believe" on the Ace of diamonds (plenty of white space) and have the spectator initial it and then proceed to do the trick as normal but with patter appropriate for Houdini theme. Or instead of a regular deck of cards use a deck with blank faces and have the word "No" written on all the cards except one which has "Rosabelle Believe" written on it. |
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Val Evans "Stop Trick" attaboy type trick with ribbon and one houlette https://youtu.be/gYGv4Nw46us I think the two houlette attaboy is better because the signed card is in the magician's hand when they say stop. This ribbon version has a slight delay and hand covering of the deck top when pulling the ribbon up, is a little fishy looking. The method is like doing the glide. It can be examined. All that being said it is ingenious and would be a great collector item IMO. I'm thinking about buying one. |
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Hi Guys, I suggest you do a Café search for Val Evan's Stop Trick to find a couple of good tips for performing this interesting and baffling trick. Julie |