This is a new 'magazine' for mentalists by Simon Lea (creator of the Image Grabber and Totem Tear, review on the Café). There is a full description of the contents and, which I've never seen before with a magic/mentalism ebook a previewof the inside on the website Katterfelto.com. So there isn't much point going into detail on the contents here since it's all there.

The price is £15.00 for the ebook and you get to buy the book test (that comes free with the printed magazine) for £6.00. Other people have said that you get a lot for your money and you do. This magazine is way underpriced.

I originally put 'magazine' in scare quotes, as Katterfelto isn't a magazine like you'd find on the shelves of WHSmith or on the newsstands - it's more like an academic journal or periodical of mentalism. Having said that, there are lighter articles to balance out the more serious stuff and the magazine is illustrated throughout with full page colour photographs.

I haven't seen the book test yet but having read the method and seen the pictures it looks excellent and I have ordered myself a copy.

Verdicts

The Articles and discussions

Science & Magic, Philosophy & Occult interesting look at how the original Dr. Katterfelto and his contemporaries mixed genres during performance.

Readings as spiritual therapy lengthy essay comparing the ethics of various forms of reading to pyschotherapy. Lea, is a pyschotherapist himself and the article which runs to about 7000 words is a fascinating read even if you're not a 'reader'.

The problem of duplicity interesting look at how the human mind understands information and how this can be exploited by the mentalist. I really enjoyed this but wished it was a bit longer. Ends by applying the theory to a blindfold routine.

Bluff: Numerology starts out by claiming to be some kind of 'bluffers guide' i.e. everything you need to know about numerology if someone asks you about it but quickly turns into a complete guide to numerology with detailed instruction on the principles, sample readings and information on doing your own readings. This could have easily been sold as a seperate ebook.


The effects

There are 7 effects, all strong in my opinion.

Taking a Chan-ce I'll actually seen Simon perform this effect and as a spectator it blows you away. The idea is based on the power of will over material objects - if a spectator wants and believes that a card will be his when turned over, it is. It's an original method inspired by the work of Canasta (hence the Chan-ce. Surprisingly easy to perform for the results.

Stack17 a nice way of tailoring a mentalism rountine to particular audiences. It's a clever way of stacking words to force. I haven't tried it yet.

Specsync three ways of going about it the best being one spectator draws anything they like while another chooses an envelope. The image is revealed, the envelope opened and the picture is the same. Can be used with the Book Test, so chosen word and word in choosen envelope is the same. Nice thinking. Haven't done it but looks easy to perform.

Smirting a topical effect. Smirting is a word created by the media to refer to the mix of flirting + smoking that goes on outside bars now the smoking ban is in place. A group of people with a common interest, thrown together, become an ideal audience for some cigarette magic. I'm not a smoker so I left this til last. A first I couldn't understand why what is a magic effect is in a mentalism magazine but then it occured to me that it could be because it is a magic effect that uses a mentalist's method. There are two effects with the 2nd being strongest, an ashtray is covered with a plate or something solid, a cigarette is borrowed and signed and is made to pass magically through the plate and into the ashtray.

Watch & Learn my favourite effect. The mentalist explains to the audience how mentalism works - gives a very plausible explanation on actual mind-reading - and then proceeds to wow them with a very nice effect. Great thinking on this one.

Charmed this is an updated version with a different presentation of an effect Simon put on Online-visions.

Girl on the bus appears to the audience as an experiment in memory and mind-reading. Haven't tried it but looks like it's a good one.

Graphology

Part 1 of 3 in a serialized book. It is a very detailed account of how Graphologists actually work but from a mentalist's perspective. After reading this part you can present yourself as a genuine authority on graphology - to the point of citing studies etc. if you wish! You will also work like a graphologist. This isn't an effect using handwriting, it is the actual theory and principles of graphology with the actual method of analysis. However what is more interesting, to me, is the mentalist angle. Simon gives detailed and well thought out instruction on what is a fascinating twist on cold-reading.


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Overall, I can not reccomend this enough. The shere level and depth of the work is amazing. Graphology is a serialized book and sold separately, but I don't know where, but I can't help thinking that Simon would be better served if he'd broken up the sections and sold them separately. Not only from a financial point of view, sold separately the total value ought to be well over $100 but from a community point of view as well. There is so much to take in that the many different topics covered could be 'lost' someone looking for original thought on cold-reading for example wouldn't know to buy the magazine.

Thanks for your thoughts. I could have sold the various parts of Katterfelto seperately. I think in terms of the mentalist as polymath, knowledgable in multiple fields (as the original Dr. Katterfelto indeed was) and wanted this to be reflected in the magazine.

Like most creators, any money earnt is a bonus and as Subgenial wrote in another post, most likely reinvested in mentalism. Katterfelto is labour of love rather than anything else. Which is why I've tried to keep the cost as low as possible. A full colour magazine on a low print run with no advertising runs up a high print cost!

Looks nice. When will the "hard" version be available ? I don't like downloads...

The hard copy version should be available by the end of this week. The proof copies have come out really nicely and, after making a minor alteration, I'm waiting on a copy of this to arrive to me for final checking before I release it on the public. Publishingwise, it's the most ambitious thing I've attempted and so I wanted to be 100% sure it is the best it can be.

Personally, I don't mind downloads if the eBook is very short, less than 10 pages. I just read it off the computer screen. If it is any larger, then I print it out and bind it. Katterfelto is 80 A4 pages and involves full colour photographs and diagrams so is probably best 'experienced' as a hard copy magazine.

I hate to read on a PC screen and I used to print e-books out and bind them, but they look to much like a slim version of college courses than... and I've seen enough of those So, I'll happily wait for the hard copy version. Thanks for your reply !

I've just downloaded a chess course off the internet made up of several PDFs. If I never manually bind another sheet of A4 again, I'll be a happy man

A hello to everyone who has asked about the Hard Copy version of the magazine - it is now finally available!

Links aren't on the website but the direct link is:

http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=722820

(if you buy the magazine DON'T buy the Pocket Book Test, email me and I'll send it out to you free. If you only want the book test and not the magazine, you can use that link.)

Simon released this earlier in the year and it picked up some appreciative reviews. However while many have mentioned how good the content is (which it is), the free book test seems to have passed unnoticed.

This is a real gem. It is a small book, looks perfectly innocuous and allows a spectator to choose any page. With its small size and thoughtful content, it is the sort of book you could carry around with you and pull out and perform at a moments notice. It is not only good for close up and impromptu but I can see myself also using it for larger audiences. I am well pleased and highly recommend it.

Thanks for you kind comments Neil

The latest issue of Kattefelto (The Mind Control Issue) is out at the end of this month.