Jinx Navigator

In this issue Jay talks about Annemann’s “Red and Blue Back Color Change,” a two-card back-swap, discusses L. E. Duncanson’s “With Sight Unseen,” a hands-tied, blindfolded identification routine requiring a homemade gimmick that Jay doubts can accomplish all claimed feats. He covers two solutions to a prior issue’s “lie calling” challenge: Charles Nyquist’s stacked-deck approach dependent on a clean dovetail shuffle and Stuart Robson’s “The Lie Detective” with constraints on when the lie occurs. Annemann’s “A Question and the Answer” uses slips, a switch, and a gimmick for answering written questions, and Nat Scherzer suggests using used envelopes as a novel forcing/prediction prop. Annemann’s editorial includes performance notes, industry news, and a quote on secrets reducing income-earning value.

In this issue we review Annemann’s “The Master of the Message,” an impromptu thought-reading effect. We summarize Martin Sunshine’s “Cigarette Perception,” where a blindfolded performer identifies cigarette brands, and suggests the method could be repurposed beyond smoking. Jay discusses Orville Wayne Meyer’s “Card Box Sympathy,” which uses a P&L Metal Card Box, but says the written handling seems inconsistent and asks listeners with the prop to test it. Jay explains Calvin Cole’s “One of Those Things,” a calculator-age-and-change revelation based on a simple math principle, with Annemann’s note that personal details like age increase interest and could be paired with numerology. He covers Vincent Dalban’s “Something to Work On,” a plot with no method where the performer detects when a helper lies while calling out dealt cards. Finally, he summarizes Stuart Robson’s “The Twentieth Century Newspaper Test,” using page-number corners and classified ads to reveal an ad’s contents. Jay invites listeners to view the full issue for free at JinxNavigator.com, share feedback, and teases Issue #5 and its “With Sight Unseen” effect.

Jinx Navigator Podcast: Jay Jennings reviews issue number three of The Jinx, a roughly 90-year-old newsletter for magicians and mentalists, to see which ideas still hold up and how they might be tweaked for modern use.

Aside from the editorial, Jay covers four items from the issue: Les Gilbert’s “A Card in Transit,” where a spectator-initialed card vanishes from the deck and appears in the performer’s pocket using sleight of hand and a gimmick card; Annemann’s “A Real Psychic Card Test,” a simple thought-transmission drawing match using chalkboards (or business cards) and misdirection through distance/time; Annemann’s “Dead or Alive,” a living/dead name test using five cards and a prepared envelope, which Jay finds workable but dislikes as a presentation outside séance contexts and discusses envelope sizing/handling considerations; and Annemann’s “The Bending Swizzle Stick,” a gag based on the rubber pencil illusion involving glass stirring sticks and a final apparent permanent bend. The episode ends with mention of a poem Annemann received from the Great Lester at an IBM convention and a brief note about Lester as a ventriloquist and mentor to Edgar Bergen.

Jay invites listeners to read full instructions and articles on jinxnavigator.com, share feedback, and return for issue #4 featuring “Cigarette Perception.” 00:00 Welcome to Jinx Navigator:

What this podcast is about

Join Jay as he dives into the second issue of The Jinx (1934-1941), the legendary magic newsletter that shaped modern mystery performance. This episode breaks down five effects from Issue #2, exploring which tricks still work today.

In This Episode:

We explore five effects from The Jinx #2, including Ted Annemann's "The Devil's Four Aces" (a visual four-ace assembly), Orville Wayne Meyer's "The Finders" (a behind-the-back card location with a killer kicker ending), and "Your Card" (a clever effect using Si Stebbin's technique that's been fooling people since 1898). Jay admits defeat trying to decode Annemann's "Synthetic Sympathy" and calls for help from card workers who can make sense of the confusing instructions. The episode wraps with "The Demon-Yogi-Goblin Book Test," Annemann's tongue-in-cheek title for a book test method that's surprisingly versatile.

Contents:

In this episode of the Jinx Navigator Podcast, Jay takes listeners through the significant highlights of the first issue of The Jinx, a historic magic newsletter by Theodore Annemann. He discusses the first magic effect, 'Hallucination' by Eddie Clever, the 'Supreme East Indian Needle feat' by Ted Annemann, 'Two Papers and a Spectator' by Ted Annemann, and 'The Mystery of the Blackboard' by Paul Rosini. Jay provides insights on the relevance and adaptability of these tricks for modern performers, and offers resources for those interested in learning more. Tune in to discover the timeless art of magic from the 1930s and how it can still mesmerize audiences today.

00:00 Introduction to the Jinx Navigator Podcast

00:54 Exploring Issue Number One: Hallucination by Eddie Clever

02:52 The Supreme East Indian Needle Feat by Ted Annemann

04:08 Two Papers and a Spectator by Ted Annemann

05:42 The Mystery of the Blackboard by Paul Rosini

07:32 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview