While researching a 19th-century Hungarian magician named Chevalier Agoston, I found myself confronted with a question about the history of electric lighting. In situations like these—which I seem to encounter surprisingly often—I usually plan to call Thomas Fraps.
Trying to reach Thomas by phone can sometimes be difficult, especially while he is hosting the Zauberwochen München—an excellent public festival dedicated to magic in Munich (this year featuring special guest Guy Hollingworth). But speaking with Thomas is always worth the wait. He seems to swim in a personal Money Bin overflowing with knowledge, anecdotes, and wonderfully entertaining observations about life.
After answering my question—and recommending five books along the way—we began talking about writing for Genii. Thomas then shared a quote by Bill Bryson, who said in an interview, after a friend convinced him to write a newspaper column: “The first thing I noticed about writing a weekly column was that it comes up weekly.” The same, of course, is true for a bimonthly Magicana column.
One of the great pleasures of writing this column is the opportunity to talk magic with people whom I would otherwise only meet briefly once a year at a convention or lecture, and being able to fully immerse myself in their thinking and magic.
The contributions I selected for this month come from very different areas of magic and from all around the world.
Hernán Maccagno always amazes me with his creative approach to magic combined with his charming performing style. His The Power to Find Cards combines a very old but ingenious principle with a playful and entertaining interaction with the audience. To get a sense of Hernán’s unique style, check out his performance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us—and be prepared to be fooled.
Chen Ting combines suggestion with magical trickery to create a uniquely eerie effect with a cigarette. His book Reality is Magic (published under the name Anson Chen) is filled with clever ideas that blur the line between magic and mentalism.
Tomoya Horiki is one of the finest coin workers I have seen in recent years—and be warned, he is now turning his attention to card magic. His Slow Filtration is a highly visual coin-through-table sequence that offers only a brief glimpse into his work.
Ignacio López is a deep thinker with a remarkable talent for clear and analytical routine construction. His Rising Card is not only a beautifully staged performance piece but also employs a highly practical method. Ignacio also builds his own props and recently published what may be the most thorough analysis ever written on the Cylinder and Coins effect: La Pila – Cinco Siglos en un Juego de Magia (2025).
Last but certainly not least is an idea for Paper Balls Over the Head by Markus Zink. Markus performs large-scale and handmade illusions—such as being beheaded by a giant mousetrap—but he also deeply appreciates smaller miracles. He created the now widely performed presentation of the Hindu Thread attached to a helium balloon, though the idea is rarely credited back to him.
One final thought: In 2005, Andrew Payne and Keith Barber hosted a podcast called GoMagicGo. I believe it was one of the very first magic podcasts, making Payne and Barber genuine pioneers of the format. Not only was it an informative and entertaining podcast about the magic scene, it also featured a beginner series devoted to The Royal Road to Card Magic. Unfortunately, the podcast is now almost impossible to find.
One piece of advice they gave has always stayed with me: When someone is new to magic—or when teaching a student—they should film themselves early on while cutting, dealing, shuffling, and handling cards. Later, they can return to those recordings and see how much progress they have made. It is highly motivating, clearly demonstrates one’s improvement, and remains one of the best pieces of advice I have heard for beginners.
When Magicana relaunched in 1964, Charlie Miller hoped it would be “a storehouse wherein today’s magical greats keep their secrets.” Since then, it has featured material from magicians including Vernon, Goshman, Marlo, Tamariz, Walton, Hollingworth, and Elmsley. If you have original magic to share and want to add your name to that list, email submissions@geniimagazine.com.