Card magic is an art form that has captivated audiences for centuries. From the humble beginnings of simple tricks to the complex and mind-bending illusions we see today, the journey to mastering card magic is a splendid one. To embark on this journey, one must first have a genuine passion for the art. A deep appreciation of the history and elegance of card magic is essential. It is this passion that will drive the aspiring magician to practice and perfect their skills. The road to becoming a skilled card magician starts with learning the basics.
This book is brilliant! and although the title says it needs better tricks it does have some brilliant ones but it would be nice if they had a few more modern tricks many of them are a little out dated with people like Blaine and Dynamo people expect you to be able to put a house in a bottle.
and although the title says it needs better tricks it does have some brilliant ones but it would be nice if they had a few more modern tricks many of them are a little out dated with people like Blaine and Dynamo people expect you to be able to put a house in a bottle. Reading even only the first chapter, the novice will learn a lot, the expert a little, both will find the basis of many tricks you ve seen and might even perform yourself.
The road to becoming a skilled card magician starts with learning the basics. This includes understanding the different types of shuffles, cuts, and flourishes. It is through these foundational techniques that the magician can begin to create their own unique style and presentation.
The splendid route to card magic
Garfield Event Cards
One of the advantages of being the creator of Magic: the Gathering is that you get to make your own cards. Richard Garfield has used this privilege four times, celebrating different aspects of his life.
None of the Garfield Event Cards are legal to play in Type 1 tournaments as these cards were never released by Wizards of the Coast and, for that matter, were never really intended to be seen by the public.
Seven other cards are also related to Richard Garfield:
* Erhnam Djinn (Arabian Nights) - "Erhnam" is an anagram of "Herman," Garfield's brother-in-law. Card illustrated by Ken Meyer, Jr.
* Ifh-B�ff Efreet (Arabian Nights) - "Ifh-B�ff" was a childhood nickname for Garfield's sister, Elizabeth. Card illustrated by Jesper Myrfors.
* Mijae Djinn (Arabian Nights) - "Mijae" is an anagram of "Jamie." "Richard Garfield was the best man at his wedding, summer 1993,". Card illustrated by Susan Van Camp.
* Wyluli Wolf (Arabian Nights) - An Anagram for his wife's maiden name, Lily Wu. Card illustrated by Susan Van Camp.
* Ydwen Efreet (Arabian Nights) - Richard Garfield was best man when "Mijae" married "Ydwen"-- that is, his friend "Jamie" married "Wendy." Card illustrated by Drew Tucker.
* Phelddagrif (Alliances)- An Anagram for his name, Garfield PH.D. Card illustrated by Amy Weber.
* Richard Garfield, Ph.D. from the Unhinged set. Card illustrated by Dave Dorman.
Proposal is not a real card but a color copy sticker glued to a basic land. It was created to be given to Garfield's girlfriend Lily Wu to propose marriage during a game of Magic. The legend goes that it took four games for Richard to draw the card, but when he finally played it, she accepted.
There are 9 Proposal cards in existence. One of them was given to Quinton Hoover, creator of the artwork and one of Lily Wu's favored artists, but was stolen off the table at a convention in Tokyo in 1999 and never reappeared.
Another copy was handed to Dave Howell, at that time production manager of Wizards of the Coast and technical creator of the card. The other cards were given to members of the Garfield family and are kept in privacy, as Richard Garfield does not want images of this card to appear in public.
A print sheet was created out of a scan of the original art with a full size piece of the art at the top and three cards at the bottom as well with a letter that were given by Richard Garfield to replace the stolen one from Quinton Hoover.
The 3 cards are the same with the artwork set inside the frame not the variant with Richard's knee resting on the bevelled frame itself. It is also known that a set of the nine Test Prints exists in black & White.
Description of Proposal by Dave "Snarke" Howell, former production manager of Wizards of the Coast back in 1993:
Lily's dress is golden.
Richard's wearing a cloak.
Lily's *Asian,* not European.
The actual Proposal is, in effect, a Beta black border, not-so-round corners, gray (not white) lettering, no second copyright line, no copyright date. Even the text itself is wrong. Allows Richard to propose MARRIAGE to Lily.
If the proposal is accepted (no comma here) both players win; mix [remainder is correct] and the line breaks are in the wrong place.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT PROPOSAL FROM MTG ARCHIVE
Around October 1993, Richard Garfield approached Dave Howell (aka Snarke) to produce a special card. Richard was planning on proposing marriage to his girlfriend Lily Wu, and wanted to do it in a special way. Richard asked Howell to create a card which he could put into a deck and then cast while the two played.
Richard had already contacted Lily's favorite artist Quinton Hoover to create an original piece to be used on the card. The artwork reportedly shows Garfield proposing to Lily on bended-knee wearing Renaissance-style clothing.
When Howell received the artwork, he scanned the image and then digitally added the card frame, mana symbols, and text. He then created an Iris print from the digital image producing a very high-quality sheet of nine cards. Simple land cards were glued to the backside of the print, and then cut apart.
According to Howell, two of the cards were off-center, but seven other turned out well. The cards appear slightly more shiny than real cards, but otherwise very authentic.
Howell also said that there are two variations of the card image. Four of them have the artwork set inside the frame, like normal cards. The other five show Richard's knee is resting on the bevelled frame itself.
According to Richard, he put just one in the all-white deck he was playing. As luck would have it, the first three games the pair played, he didn't draw the card. He did finally find it in the fourth game, but was losing.
At one point, Lily asked if he wanted to concede because, as a playtester, she didn't think any card he could play would allow him to win. Shortly after, Richard played the now-famous card:
Proposal White mana White mana White mana White mana
Sorcery
Allows Richard to propose marriage to Lily. If the proposal is accepted both players win; mix the cards in play, both libraries and both graveyards as a shared deck.
Lily and Richard did get married and the shared deck created by the casting of Proposal is apparently still intact. The eight other Proposal cards were given to family members, except two. One was given to Dave Howell and the other was given to Quinton Hoover.
Sadly, someone later stole Hoover's copy during a tour in Japan and its whereabouts is unknown.
Excerpt of the interview of Quinton Hoover in The Duelist 2 Magazine (Summer 1994), page 43 talking about Proposal.
Richard and Lily have asked those who do have copies not to publish the artwork, due to the personal nature.
SPLENDID GENESIS
Splendid Genesis was created to commemorate the birth of Richard's and Lily's first children. A daughter named Terry Linnea, born the 24 September, 1997.
This card was included in the birth announcements sent to their friends. Additional copies were distributed to Wizards of the Coast employees.
It is estimated that 15 sheets (4 x 5) of 20 Splendid Genesis cards were printed at Carta Mundi (200 cards).
5 uncut sheets of Splendid Genesis were sent to the artist and she gave them to Richard Garfield, one of the sheet was offered by Richard Garfield to the artist.
Indicating 200 Splendid Genesis copies of the former card.
The Splendid Genesis announcement came with a card-sized square-cornered glossy sticker of a Spendid Genesis card glued on the front. The announcements were only given to family and friends. The employees that rounded out the 200 print-run of the Splendid Genesis card did not receive the Announcement.
So, there�s more cards than Announcements out there. The drawing on the card was done by Monique Thirifay an early WotC employee that was an administrative assistant in R&D and a close family friend of the Garfields.
The flavor text is taken from the book: Love in the Time of Cholera by the Colombian author Gabriel Garc�a M�rquez (1985 Spanish version, 1988 English translated version).
Splendid Genesis was a a pencil drawing that was given to Richard Garfield by the artist.
The green was a digital enhancement to the drawing.
There's a typo in the flavor text, in Garci�, the accent should be on the "i" not the "�": Garc�a.
The artist uncut sheet was signed and numeroted from 1/20 to 20/20. 15 in Silver and 5 in Gold (the nicest condition cards: 1/20 to 5/20). On August 31, 2023, the artist sheet was cut and the 20 cards Non Factory Cut (NFC) were graded.
After that cutting, the MTG backs was gessoed (White paint) and a sketch was done by the artist, then they were graded.
So that's 20 NFC Splendid Genesis cards with square corners with sketches on the back on top of the 200 regular cards with rounded corners.
FRATERNAL EXALTATION
Fraternal Exaltation was created to commemorate the births of Richard's and Lily's second children. A boy named Schuyler born the 5 August, 1997.
This card was included in the birth announcements sent to their friends. Additional copies were distributed to Wizards of the Coast employees.
It is estimated that two sheets of Fraternal Exaltation cards was printed (220 cards). To be reverified. .
Indicating 220 copies of Fraternal Exaltation cards to exist. (To be reverified)
Fraternal Exaltation has a glossy MTG back. The drawing on the card was done by Susan Garfield, the sister of Richard Garfield. The flavor text is taken from the Children's counting book: One, Two, Three by American author Sandra Boynton (1993).
Q: "This may seem like a ridiculous question, but. this has actually come up. Are Proposal, Splendid Genesis, and Fraternal Exaltation legal to play in Type 1 tournaments? While Proposal is impossible to obtain, both Splendid Genesis and Fraternal Exaltation can be purchased from some reputable warehouses.
If they are legal, what is the Oracle text for Splendid Genesis and what happens if the third player wins a game in a tournament?"
-- Justin
A: From Paul Sottosanti , Magic R&D:
"Well, Justin, when I asked rules manager Paul Barclay if Splendid Genesis and Fraternal Exaltation had Oracle text, he responded with:
'No. They're not real cards.'
"While I think that's being a little harsh, it's true that the cards don't fit under the definition of being legal for Type 1, which says that 'Type 1 tournament decks may consist of cards from all Magic card sets, any extension of the basic set, and all promotional cards released by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.'
These cards were never released by Wizards of the Coast and, for that matter, were never really intended to be seen by the public.
"For those of you who are a little lost right now, you can read about these three cards here. Unfortunately, though, that's about all you can do with them, as they aren't legal in Type 1 tournaments.
Cover, inside, back of Splendid Genesis announcement (For privacy, the name of the child and birth date have been obscured).
Splendid Genesis announcement close up of the front. Illustration by Monique Thirifay.
Splendid Genesis close up of the art of the announcement card.
Splendid Genesis Uncut Sheet 4 x 5 numeroted with silver and gold signatures from Monique Thirifay.
Splendid Genesis sketch on the back of the NFC card with MTG back.
Splendid Genesis announcement page 19 of The Duelist issue #21 (January 1998).
FRATERNAL EXALTATION ART
Fraternal Exaltation close up of the art of the card. Illustration by Susan Garfield.
PHOENIX HEART
In 2014, Drew Tucker created an original art for Richard Garfield and his fianc�e Koni Kim. A card was made out of it. The card was inserted into the marriage invitation, it is not known at the moment of how many of them were sent and how many sheets were printed.
Richard Garfield married Koni Garfield on August 29, 2015 in Kirkland, Washington, United States.
Phoenix Heart Original Art from Drew Tucker
Phoenix Heart card front (Original card in the tab)
UNKNOWN CARDS
Other cards are known to exist. At this point, I don't feel comfortable talking and providing info about them.
1993-2015 - Garfield Event Cards
| SET | NUM | CARDNAME | ARTIST | SOURCE | DATE | INFO |
| 001 | Proposal | Quinton Hoover | Part of Garfield's marriage proposal deck | 1993-11 | YES | |
| 002 | Splendid Genesis | Monique Thirifay | Birth announcement addition of Garfield's first child, Terry Linnea | 1997-09-24 | YES | |
| 003 | Fraternal Exaltation | Susan Garfield | Birth announcement addition of Garfield's second child, Schuyler | 1999-08-05 | YES | |
| 004 | 1/1 | Phoenix Heart | Drew Tucker | Richard Garfield and Koni Kim engagement celebration card | 2015- 08 | YES |
The research team also found that participants had a ‘moderate’ (5.5/10) sense of wonder when the prediction of the magician matched their choice of card. This was caused by people vastly underestimating the percentage chance the magician would get it right (35% compared to 66%).
As the magician progresses, they will become familiar with various sleights and techniques that allow for incredible and seemingly impossible feats of magic. The ability to control a deck of cards and manipulate them with precision is what sets the card magician apart from the rest. But card magic is not just about the technical skill. It is about telling a story, creating a sense of wonder, and connecting with the audience. The magician must learn to engage and entertain, using their skills as a tool to captivate and mesmerize. Practice is the key to success in card magic. Hours upon hours must be dedicated to perfecting every move, every sleight, and every routine. It is through this repetition and dedication that the magician can achieve the level of mastery required to create truly astonishing moments of magic. The journey to becoming a skilled card magician is not an easy one. It requires patience, perseverance, and a commitment to continuous improvement. But for those who are willing to put in the effort, the rewards are beyond measure. Card magic is an art form that has the power to amaze and inspire. It is a form of entertainment that transcends language and culture, captivating audiences of all ages. The magnificent journey to card magic is one that is filled with excitement, wonder, and the potential for endless possibilities..
Reviews for "The World of Card Gaffs: Using Specially Designed Cards to Enhance Your Magic"
1. John - 2/5
I was really disappointed with "The splendid route to card magic". The instructions were very confusing and hard to follow. I ended up getting frustrated and giving up. It's definitely not suitable for beginners like myself. I would have appreciated more detailed explanations and step-by-step guides. Overall, a letdown.
2. Sarah - 3/5
I found "The splendid route to card magic" to be quite underwhelming. While the book does cover a variety of card tricks, I felt that the explanations were lacking. The author assumed a certain level of knowledge, which made it difficult for me to follow along. Additionally, the illustrations weren't very helpful either. It's definitely not the best resource for someone wanting to learn card magic from scratch.
3. Robert - 2/5
"The splendid route to card magic" fell short of my expectations. I expected more advanced techniques and tricks, but the book primarily focused on basic card handling. I was hoping for more intricate routines and advanced sleights, but I didn't find much of that here. The book may be suitable for beginners, but it didn't cater to my own skill level and left me wanting more.