Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Stranded with a Stranger: AJ DeBeck
What hidden secrets lie in the toolkit of a magician who also pilots helicopters through the rugged terrain of the Pacific Northwest? This episode introduces AJ Debeck, a multifaceted magician and mentalist, who shares his top Desert Island tricks and the tools of his trade. From the sleek Black Roses marked cards to the indispensable magic wallets like the Stealth Assassin and Heirloom, AJ’s methodical selection process is a revelation. Paul Voudini’s marked cards effect and the brilliance of various magic wallets are just the tip of the iceberg as AJ opens up about his passion for card magic and mentalism, infused with a touch of the bizarre and the eerie.
AJ reveals his go-to gadgets, including the innovative Parapad and its sophisticated addition, the Foster-Johnson handling. The Phantom Deck's visual flair gets a nod over the Omni Deck for its standout impact. Listen as we dissect the intricacies of Tricolour by Simon Lipkin and explore the magic behind Eclipse ESP cards by Dee Christopher and the 1914. AJ also shares his top book recommendation, "Mentalissimo" by John Bannon, alongside his unique choice of non-magic item, a set of Major Arcana tarot decks, bringing a mystical edge to his performances. This episode is a treasure trove of insights and inspiration for both aspiring magicians and seasoned performers alike.
A podcast about being an artist from a practical perspective. The series will...
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Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
Thank you for watching. Hello and welcome to another episode of Stranded with a Stranger. So this is our mid-episode episode I have no better way of explaining it than that and this is your opportunity to send in your list of eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that you use for magic. Now, if you want to be a part of one of these, then please do send in your list to sales at alakazamcouk and in the subject line put my desert island tricks. That way it comes through to me, I can read through them and we can get one of these episodes ready with your name on it. The more of them we get, the more of these we can do. So please do send them in. It's really interesting hearing your list, but also hearing some of your background. So when you do send in your list, please tell us a little bit about yourself. With that being said, we are joined by another stranded stranger this week. This week's guest is AJ Debeck. Now AJ has given us a little bit about him. First, he's also given us some honourable mentions and, of course, he's given us his list. So, without further ado, this is AJ Debeck's desert island list. So AJ says by profession, I'm a helicopter pilot based out of the Pacific Northwest here in the United States.
Speaker 1:By passion, hobby and hard work, I am a part-time magician and mentalist. Lately I tend to focus on bizarre and seance type effects, but dabble in many other genres as well. I'm currently working for a local ghost tour company on the side, doing seances and spook shows related to the local history of our city. Like most, I got my start in card magic and still have a deep, sincere love for the Devil's Picture Book. I'm a big fan of the podcast and listen religiously every week on my ways to and from work. It's also been a great thought experiment to try and come up with my own desert island tricks list, seeing as I would be stranded on the island. I've put together a list that would be easy to carry around yet still impactful magically and, as you'll see, I've stuck to more traditional card magic and mentalism in picking tricks as opposed to more obscure and bizarre stuff. With that being said, I've shared my list below in no particular order Great Wow, a helicopter pilot. That sounds incredible. I've only ever been in a helicopter once, actually, and it was phenomenally scary. Not going to lie, that one little thing holding you up. That's quite scary, but it's all good. That sounds amazing. What an incredible thing to do. And of course you mentioned Souncers and Spook Shows, so I was instantly interested there. So let's see what AJ's list consists of. In AJ's first position he's put the Black Roses marked cards.
Speaker 1:Being a massive aficionado of card magic, I usually always have a deck of marked cards on me. I've used a bunch of different styles throughout my career, but seemingly always come back to black roses. They seem to handle beautifully and their aesthetic suits my style very well. The marks are readerbacks, but so devious and clever I've never been caught out with them, even though most effects I enjoy performing do not require markings. It's a failsafe that's there when I need it. A deck is more of a utility device rather than a single trick, so that will also help my long stay on the island. I know you will want me to narrow it down to one effect, which is nearly impossible, but I'll give it a try. You definitely have listened to them.
Speaker 1:I really love Paul Voudini's marked cards effect as they are relatively simple to perform but have massive impact. I highly recommend his works to anyone who enjoys a mentalism slant with cards, hypnomental self-working card tricks and mark of the devil. Boris Wilde and Looch's works with Mark cards are also wonderful. If I had to narrow it down to just one routine, I'd probably have to use a one-ahead style routine of Spectator as mind reader. I love seeing Jaws agape when the conclusion of the effect yeah, great. I think it's one of those things that most people probably have in their close-up case. And there are lots of really beautiful marked decks that are out there nowadays, loads and loads. I have to give an honourable mention to Steve Deller's decks of cards, which are wonderful. Of course there's the Butterfly Paying C paying cards, which is a really interesting unique marking system as well. But, yeah, absolutely superb choice in at number one and great as a fail safe if you do ever need it absolutely.
Speaker 1:But in AJ's second position he's put a wallet. Oh, let's hope he narrows this down. I'm a huge connoisseur of magic wallets and I love the functionality they provide. I had a really hard time narrowing it down just to one, but I figured it out. First I have to give my honorable mentions Number one, the Stealth Assassin wallet. This is killer. Get it For a mentalism wallet. It's pretty hard to top. The peaks are deceptive, the index works great and the extra storage makes it seem and feel like a relatively normal wallet to carry around. If you aren't familiar with the Saw, I highly recommend checking it out. If need be, it can also be used as a Carter wallet, but not my preferred method for that.
Speaker 1:My next honorable mention is the Minimalist Shelby wallet from Gaz Lawrence. It's definitely a one-trick pony, but it does that one trick nearly flawlessly. If the only thing I need is a peak, this is my go-to, fits nicely in my front pants pocket and is so utterly deceptive If you own a Viper wallet. The Shelby is similar, but much more slim and minimalistic. My last honorable mention for wallets is the heirloom from Alakazam. I absolutely love this combined with the heirloom routine. I've put my own slant on it and changed the story to fit my local city and family, but wow, is it impactful. If I were to take multiple wallets with me, I'd probably also bring the heirloom, but seeing as I have minimal space, it would have to stay behind. Wow, great choices so far. Who knows where this is going to go. Now for my desert island choice. It has to be the Orphic Plus by Louis Laval.
Speaker 1:This small bifold style wallet is so incredibly versatile. I use it for card to wallet rainbow card, himbe utilities and I put the index from a shadow wallet in my Orphic Plus as well. There is just so much you can do with it. Again, I know you will force me to pick one routine to use with the wallet. So if I must, it would be a card to wallet in envelope Bonsalopes. It would be a card to wallet in envelope Bonsalopes. It's a card to impossible location, but with the kicker of the sealed envelope I usually get a lot of swear words thrown in my direction with that one. Wow, what a list of incredible wallets there.
Speaker 1:I would be super interested to see what your presentation is for the heirloom wallet as well. But absolutely, Orphic seems to be one of those wallets that has become a modern staple. It's absolutely everywhere. I know so many people. I myself have one at the moment, as well as, of course, my other preferred wallet, which is the Stealth Assassin. So absolutely great choice. If you're looking for a really clever multiple utility wallet, then the Orphic is not only really well produced but works in a really clever and flawless way. So it's definitely one to check out.
Speaker 1:And that brings us on to AJ's third choice, which is the Anverde die from Murphy's Magic. I was about to call it Murray's Magic then. That's not a thing. Anverde die by Murphy's Magic, this little utility crushes. There are endless possibilities using just one little die, and if you aren't familiar, you basically can ascertain the value of a rolled dice without seeing or looking at it. I have a myriad of routines. I use it for narrowing it down to one that I enjoy performing more than the others. It would have to be my ACAN routine, in which multiple participants roll a dice to come up with a number that I never see. I've also heard incredible things about Pro Mystic's die, but I've never been able to justify the expense, as its cost is much steeper than the inverdy absolutely another killer choice. Lots of working pros use a form of this nowadays, whether it is the inverdy one, I think there are other producers of this style of gimmick now all pro mystic as well.
Speaker 1:Um, it's a wonderful, wonderful trick. Now, what I love about it is you can, at its bare bones, just reveal number after a number, and I think we've spoken about it on the on the main podcast before, where it becomes like a challenge trick where one person at a table, in particular if you're a an event like a wedding or a corporate or something, and you're going around the table, people will just want to challenge you. They'll go oh no, you couldn't get my number, let me have a go. So it's a wonderful, wonderful trick. You can get a lot of mileage out of it and, like you mentioned, you can expand on it. So you don't just have to do that one number. You can do, like AJ mentioned, his ACAN. That sounds phenomenal, that sounds like a great use of the dice and there are lots of additional ways that you can force things on them. It's just a great utility and it's definitely one that people should check out. The Anverde ones are super reliable. I myself have a Prom Mystic one and I've had it for about I don't know eight years now and it's not fouled me once. So you know, if you are worried about the electronic side of things, then don't worry too much. If you get a good brand that's reliable, then go with one of those those. But that does bring us on to AJ's fourth effect, which is the Parapad Forster Johnson Pad from Paralabs.
Speaker 1:When it comes to mentalism and gaining information, I've had excellent success with Parapad. The participant writes down some information, tears out the piece of paper, so there's no way we could know what it was, what written down, yet we get all the information we need in full view. I love this method. When, seeming genuinely impromptu, I'll take the pad out of my pocket or bag and hand it to the spectator to write down the information they're thinking of when they rip it out and hide the paper. It's inconceivable how I'm able to know what they're thinking of.
Speaker 1:When it comes to impression devices, the Parapad is excellent. Furthermore, there has been a subtle update to the Parapad called the Foster Johnson Pad. It's basically a Parapad, but after the participant tears the paper out, you hand them a opaque envelope to put their folded paper in, so no one can get to it or see through it. In the act of handing them the envelope, you'll get all the information you need. It's very clever and I've loved the updated handling. It feels slightly more justified and also, personally, seems a bit more impossible.
Speaker 1:Either option works great and if I had access to extra envelopes, then I'd go with the Forster Johnson version. If the island was void of envelopes, then my'd go with the Forster Johnson version. If the island was void of envelopes, then I. Then my pick would be the original parapad. Do you know what? I'll give you some envelopes. There you go. You can have some envelopes to go with it.
Speaker 1:Now, I've heard of the parapad, but I didn't know about the edition. So that's certainly something that I'm going to check out. And again, there are lots of different versions of pads that are out there without giving too much away. But just by looking online, you'll see that there are certain kinds of pads, the names and brands of pads that stand out. You'll immediately get lots of people recommending a certain kind of pad, and this is one of them, for good reason. It's really, really clever, works flawlessly and it's more importantly, easy to get the information, if that makes sense. Um, so, absolutely. And that brings us on to number five.
Speaker 1:Aj's fifth position is tricolor by simon lipkin, a relatively new release, but this method is so devious. Simon and the 1914 knocked it out of the park with this one. Simply put, it's a colour match effect using sharpies, without any electronics, that takes up very little space. I can't recommend this enough. If you're into mentalism style routines, my favourite use of them is the colour match, in which I add additional sharpie to the mix and incorporate the pips of the playing cards. I don't want to give too much away as I hold the routine a little close to the chest, but every time I've performed it it's gotten me wonderful reactions and left astonishment.
Speaker 1:Great, a really nice, updated, well like recent trick is what I'm trying to say. Uh, and again it's another one where the color match element is one part of that. But there's so much that's taught on there. It's it's actually a much cleverer principle than I think people gave it credit for initially. Initially it's really well made. It's got some wonderful routines. Simon's a really clever thinker, um, and certainly everything that I've seen from him. In fact, one of my favorite tricks from next year is a Simon Lipkin trick, um, and obviously I can't say anything about it, but it's one of those ones that as soon as I saw it I knew it was going to be for me, because it's just a phenomenal trick. He is a really great thinker and I'm sure we're going to see lots more from him in the future. Which is really, really clever.
Speaker 1:And that takes us to AJ's sixth position, phantom Deck by Joshua J. It was a toss up between Phantom Deck and Omni Deck, but lately I feel the Phantom Deck has garnished more wonder than the Omni. I also feel like more people perform the Omni version and I like to be a little different if possible. If you don't know what the Phantom Deck is basically, while the cards are in the participants' hands, you make all the other cards vanish without touching them. By vanish I mean the cards change and become completely clear. When they open their hands, they just see a deck of transparent cards. As you start to deal them, their selected and signed card starts to slowly materialize within the pack of clear cards. It's a really awesome visual. Everything can be inspected and it ends clean, really clean, transparent, yep, absolutely great choice. And lots of people who use that trick, who I personally have spoken to, always mention that it just has something a little bit different when they perform it to an Omni deck. So another really really great choice. But it does lead us to the tail end of AJ's list. Now he has given us some honorable mentions at the end as well, but we'll carry on with this list first.
Speaker 1:So number seven Eclipse ESP cards by D Christopher and the 1914. It's probably no surprise that a set of ESP cards was going to appear on the list after hearing my style. I've tried many different types but by far the best I use is the Eclipse. They handle very well, the markings are devious yet easy to see, and the cardstock is a plastic, so they are very durable. The tutorial is also great and has some wonderful ideas.
Speaker 1:If you are looking for more esp routines, mind effects also has a video called sub modalities filled with some excellent stuff. It may be a bit cliche but again, if I only get to do one routine with them, it's got to be the one ahead. Matching routine it's where we each have five cards, shuffle them. I lay down one card first before the participant. Each time, when both our hands are empty, the cards are turned over and shown to match exactly. Super fun and always a very powerful trick. Another great choice. What I love about the Eclipse ESP is there is a really unique marking system which makes it really clear and easy to see. It's a great, great trick and easy to see. It's a great great trick. And if you've heard the Derren Brown episode of Desert Island Tricks, he talks about that same matching effect and it ended up being one of his favorite routines. So yeah, it's an absolutely brilliant choice and it always gets great reactions. It's really, really good. And this does bring us to AJ's last trick In my last spot.
Speaker 1:I know it's a shocker, but another utility device the executive pad by Dennis Alm and Dick Barry. This piece of kit is so deceptive and smooth. It's an add a number pad, mixed the tried and true out to lunch principle, wrapped in a seemingly normal notepad. The reviews can speak for themselves, but after using the first time in performance, I knew it was going to become a staple. The single routine I chose would be an add a number with my own flair. I like to use it to force a number that I have used Cryptex to generate. If you're unfamiliar with Cryptex, hit the pause button and go check it out. If you're a fan of number routines, cryptex is a must. I know that's cheating a little bit, sneaking Cryptex in there, but honestly, the add a number feature of the executive pad could stand on its own. Great choice.
Speaker 1:Now, I think the executive pad was a fairly new thing, maybe last year or the year before, but I've seen it in action and it is super clever. And your choice of cryptex there is sneaky, but I'll let it go because it is wonderful. We actually put a recent routine on Unlimited if you're a member of that by Ben Sidwell, which is a sort of cryptek style routine, except instead of turning it upside down like a traditional cryptek, it's actually mirror imaged and it's just a wonderful routine. It's really, really clever. So what a great list to close out on. You've got a nice diverse amount of utility devices, but the fact that you've mentioned them and the routines that you do with them specifically is great. So we had the Black Roses marked cards in which you said you'd do your one ahead.
Speaker 1:The next choice would be the Orphic Plus wallet, the Enverdi dice from Murphy's magic not Murray's magic Parapad, the Foster Johnson pad from Paralabs, the Tricolour by Simon Lipkin, phantom Deck by Joshua J, eclipse, esp by Dee Christopher in the 1914, and, of course, the Executive Pad by Dennis Almond Dick Barry. Now this does bring us on to AJ's two curveball items, which are his book and his non-magic item. So let's see what he said for his book. I had a hard time figuring out which book to bring.
Speaker 1:One of the most important aspects of my magic catalogue is my library of books. To whittle it down to a single one is like picking your favourite child. Like most of us, I'd be lying if I said I've read every single book on the shelf that I've purchased. There is still a plethora sitting there that I haven't even cracked the spine. The most logical choice would be to pick one of those, but of course I'm not going to be logical. The runner-up and honourable mention would be Book of Shadows by Paul Voudini. It's basically his collective works and most of all his PDFs, combined into a single book that's just shy of 800 pages. Wow, that's big. That would definitely be an ideal desert island book, but seeing as the topics are more of the bizarre psychic and seance style stuff, I'm afraid it's staying on the mainland for now.
Speaker 1:That being said, if I have to pick a favourite child to go on the journey, it would have to be Mentalissimo by John Bannam. Such a great book filled with mentalism and mental magic with cards. If I had to sum up the type of card routines I love to perform, I'd say over half of them are in the vein of John Bannon. His hard-hitting effects and the way he thinks about structuring his routines is fantastic. The techniques that go into his effects are always more versatile than the single use as well. I've learned quite a bit from my time diving into Mr Bannon's books. So Mentalissimo is a clear winner Again, a great, great choice.
Speaker 1:It's a wonderful book and you know we've had John Ballen's books a lot on the podcast and no doubt we will have them many times again. They're fantastic books. If you've not seen Mentalissimo then do go check it out. It's a really great book. Smoke and Mirrors also would be an honorable mention for me. It's a really great book. Smoke and mirrors also would be an honorable mention from me. It's a wonderful book. Um, and destination zero is also a wonderful book. So, yep, there are lots of great bannon books, so do go check them out.
Speaker 1:And this brings us on to aj's non-magic item, my non-magic item used for magic. I'm gonna have to go with my set of two major Arcana tarot decks stacked together. They're poker size and handle just like playing cards but a tad thicker. I'm considering it a single item because it's only 44 cards, less than a standard deck, and I always have them together in the same case. Aside from basic readings and such, with the two major Arcana decks I can do a ton of magical card effects.
Speaker 1:I know most tarot folks will consider magic with tarot cards sort of blasphemous, but in my personal experience when doing magic with tarot. It adds such an extra layer of deception and intrigue. People are fascinated by the cards and there is an esoteric quality to them that draws people in and makes each effect seemingly more mysterious. I understand that it's not for everyone, but given the right circumstances, I really enjoy bringing the tarot cards out to mystify. They lend themselves perfectly to involve the participant and let them handle the cards while seemingly make the magic happen themselves. I love those types of tricks, so I feel like this is a must have for me. A great choice Again.
Speaker 1:Tarot cards we've had on the podcast before, but for good reason. Exactly what AJ just said there. It's one of those weed items that as soon as you bring it out, it really raises people's interest levels. You don't even have to say anything. People just see tarot cards. They react to seeing tarot cards and you know they engage nearly instantly in the thought of using them. It's a really interesting sort of strange prop for non-magic folk or non-mystic folk. So you know that's a really interesting choice as well. But it does bring us onto AJ's honourable mentions, and there are quite a few of them, but they are all excellent. So he says that brings me to the end of my list, but here are a couple of other items I would like to briefly discuss as honourable mentions, if possible. These are some things that nearly made the list but didn't quite make the cut.
Speaker 1:Billets from the 1914. These are nearly the perfect billets if you were a card man. They're playing card quality in a billet size and, best of all, they handle like a dream If you do card moves with billets. These are incredible. Also great for Acidus Novus.
Speaker 1:He also has put the grum dice cup. In my opinion, this is the best chop cup ever made. The quality is excellent and the prop is justified. If you haven't seen michael o'brien strolling chop cup routine with this, I highly recommend it. It's a great prop to use with gambling routines or even as a standalone chop cup routine. Ari at Grum also hand makes everything and his customer service and support are unmatched Another great choice. Chop cups are always phenomenal and I know Ari's stuff is always great quality.
Speaker 1:Also, he has put in plain sight by Matt Johnson. This is a no memory work method to do a magic square at any time. Ever since I got this I've been doing the magic square at nearly every performance. This method is so practical and easy and the best part, it's in plain sight. If you are someone who has wanted to do magic square but the memory work put you off, definitely grab a copy of this before they don't exist anymore. I always have this on me for those impromptu times. Someone says can you show me something? If I could be sneaky about it, I could add this to my parapad and no one would ever know could secretly be my ninth trick. But shushush, don't tell Jamie Too late, I know.
Speaker 1:The next one he's put as his honorable mention is Cartomancy by Peter Nardi. This is such a killer prop that goes so well with my mentalism style card routines. I can't believe I haven't seen more people talk about it. I feel like it has flown under the radar or maybe just float in the wrong circles. I always carry some of these cartomancy cards with me in my Orphic Plus or Saw wallet. If you do any sort of mental magic or mentalism cards or even tarot cards for that matter you'll be able to incorporate this into your routines easily. So definitely go to Alakazam and grab it. Yeah, it's a great trick and they're a great prop. Essentially they're like scratch off mystic cards. They're great.
Speaker 1:And the last honorable mention is Lucky Ladybug from Duskala. Such a lighthearted effect that brings a huge smile to everyone you perform it for would have been perfect for the island to bring a little luck, hope and joy to those who were stranded, but unfortunately I couldn't justify it over my other picks. The more I think about it now, though, maybe I should have. I do not know that one at all, so I'm going to have to look that one up. Aj ends with that. Does it for my list. I hope it finds you well and that you aren't actually stranded stranded anywhere. Cheers. Thank you so much, aj. What a superb list and it's so in-depth. So thank you so much for giving all of those different reasons and for telling us a little bit about you. There's some in there that I can go and check out as well. Definitely Lucky Ladybug. I've not heard of that one before, so I'm definitely going to check that one out.
Speaker 1:Now, if you also want to be stranded with AJ and our other guests, don't forget, you can send in your list of 8 trick, 1 book and 1 non-magic item that you use for magic to sales at alakazamcouk with the subject line my desert island list. Um, as soon as you do that we can get it through here and we can give you another one. Now. Today's stranded stranger is a stranger no more. It was aj de beck's list. Thank you once more, aj, for sending that in, and we will hear back from you all this friday when we have our main episode of desert island tricks, but for now, goodbye. Have a good week hello guys.
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