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.

Hey, Glowball,how about two card houlettes one above the other with a plain coloured background rather than any figure at all..

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.

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

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.

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

Here is an old video of Joe Stevens doing a demo of the trick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVT4YOGNazQ

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.

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.

Oops, 52 x 52 x 52 = 140,608 therefore not one in a thousand chance but more like one in 140,000 chance.

Here is the correct link to Attaboy on my site: Attaboy (this one built by Abbott's).

It is a great effect!

andy

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).

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!

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.

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.

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