From January, 1942 through February, 1954, the Phoenix ran for 300 issues under the editorship of Walter Gibson and Bruce Elliott. It was the direct descendant of the Jinx which ended in December 1941 with the untimely death of Theodore Annemann.
With two good friends, I spent a few years digging through the Jinx that resulted in the Jinx Companion. It was well received and still continues to sell a few copies annually a decade or so later. There were many who thought we should repeat the process with the Phoenix, Hugard’s Magic Monthly or any number of other publications of the past. However, we were done.
In this new series of Sunday posts, I’ll share some thoughts about the Phoenix as in some respects I believe the magazine hasn’t received the attention it deserves. Today we begin with Volume 1, Issue 1.
Keeping a similar format as the Jinx, Gibson and Elliott maintained the four pages with the fourth dedicated to commentary about magic performances, observations and other topics.
Issue one begins with an effect from Walter Gibson that today we’d call “self working”. Pay Off is card prediction effect where the magician predicts the number of red or black cards in his or her half of the deck. While Gibson offers no crediting, I believe that Pay Off has its roots in Stewart James’ Miraskill which was published in the Jinx.
Two shorter items follow: New Finger Finger! and Grade A Vanish. The former is a variation of Elliott’s number prediction that involves two helpers displaying a number of fingers that the performer correctly identifies with his or her back to them. A clever impromptu effect. The later is a milk vanish that requires some arts and crafts as well as a dealer’s item. Maybe it’s the fuss and muss of liquids but this types of magic is seldom seen these days.
The final effect is Mind Over Money. The performer folds up a borrowed bill and is able to instantly recall the serial number of the bill. It’s a clever method and worth updating if it fits your style.
The issue closes with news and views in The Back Room. All this sold for $.15 or about $3.00 in today’s money. A bargain then and now.
