Stranded with a Stranger: Ken Hallgring

. So we do have another stranded stranger . Firstly , let me just say thank you for the influx of these . We've had quite a few come in , which is great . It means we can get these a bit more regular again and , as always , if you haven't sent one in , please do send one in because , like I just said , the more of these we get , the more we can record .

So today's stranded stranger is Ken Holgring .

Now , I hope I said that right . I'm hoping I said that right , but Ken has given us a really cool bio , so we're going to start with that . He says Hello , jamie , my name is Ken Hallgring . I've been listening to Desert Island Tricks since you began . I've not missed an episode , nor a Stranded with a Stranger episode .

I'll admit that I've looked up and purchased a fair number of the tricks and books mentioned by your guests . I'm hopeful that you'll keep this podcast coming for years and years and years . Spoiler alert I guess it's time for my background . I've been performing magic for the past 50 years .

When I was quite young , I had a book that an aunt sent me for my birthday , as well as a magic kit for Christmas from my grandparents , but it wasn't until I was about 13 years old that the magic bug really bit . Like so many others , I spent those years scouring my local library for magic books .

At the time I didn't appreciate the great number or variety of books our library had . That was because the head librarian was a magician , which I wouldn't find out until many years later . I spent my early teen years performing at birthday parties , scouting events , etc .

By the time I was in college , I was performing a weekly strolling gig at a local restaurant , as well as all of the other usual shows . Since there were no clubs around , I took it upon myself to contact the Society of American Magicians and wound up founding Assembly 181 .

Naturally , we met at the local library , with the aforementioned librarian being one of our original members . Wow , that's amazing . Leaving college meant working , getting married , having children , etc . Magic took a back seat . I was no longer performing , but I was still keeping up with magazines , books and tricks .

I retired a couple of years ago and have re-immersed myself into the hobby . I'm not performing professionally , but I spend many hours a week studying , practicing and getting together with friends in magic . As you can tell , I'm a big fan of magic .

I've been lucky to see and meet many of the great magicians , including Doug Henning , harry Blackstone , jr Copperfield , penn and Teller , matt King , the Amazing Randy Banachek , steve Valentine , jamie Ian Swiss , peter Samuelson , asi Wind , steve Cohen , paul Gertner and so many others .

I live in New Jersey in the USA , and I'm only an hour away from New York City , philadelphia and Atlantic City , so I have an opportunity

to see a lot of magic . Most recently , piff performed in the next town over . I've also been to Las Vegas and the Magic Castle in the recent past . Next May I'll be in your area as my wife and I will be visiting London for a week . I'm definitely hoping to get to see some great magic and perhaps even visit the magic circle , which would be phenomenal .

But enough about me . This is supposed to be about the tricks I'm going to bring on my desert island . Well , let's just address some of that . First off , please do come and see us . The Alakazam shop is in Ashford in the UK . It's only a train ride away from London . Half an hour train journey and you'll be into the centre of London .

So if anyone's over in the UK , please do come over . Harry , emma , andy , sometimes Wayne , pete . Obviously everyone is in the store , so it'll be great to see you .

And just looking at that massive list of people harry blackstone , jr copperfield , pen and teller , matt king , so on and so forth wow , what an incredible , uh amount of people you've had the chance to meet .

And the fact that you I actually went onto your facebook page and looked up assembly 181 and it looks like there's regular events and meetups there , which is amazing and the fact that your librarian was a magician how cool is that ? That is so cool . It must have been such a weird moment when you discovered that that person was a magician . So it's great .

Now the cool thing is Ken has started with some honorable mentions , so this might give us an idea of his list . Okay , so this may give us an idea of where he's going to go . So , to begin , I'll have to give an honorable mention to a couple of my favorite tricks . First , the invisible deck . This was my get out of jail free card back in my table .

Hopping days , I kept it in my jacket in the outside breast pocket . If I had a problem , I could always resort to that for my out . I admit that I rarely needed it , but just having it gave me tons of confidence . Nowadays I make my own decks .

I'm quite pleased with my presentation and I use another prop with it , which I feel adds a great justification as well as a unique presentation angle . I'm also a fan of ACAN . I really like the Grail . It's such a clever approach . I've tried many different variations , aside from a method that is somewhat my own . The Grail easily bests all of the others .

And I didn't even get to talk about book tests . I've got a ton of them . Tourist Trap is a great book and All About Eve is so clever in so many ways . I really think you need to give us another dozen tricks . Maybe we need to have like a sequel to the podcast

, another Desert Island Tricks or Desert Island Tricks Extended . So let's get into it . What do we think Ken's top eight tricks are going to be there ? We started off with card tricks , so maybe this is going to be a lot of card tricks , but then he also mentioned book tests , so maybe , and then A can . So maybe there's a bit of mentalism in there .

Let's have a look . So in first position , ken has put New York Transpo . In first position , ken has put new york transpo . This is a peter samuelson trick from his theatrical close-up book . It's a chicago opener type trick with signatures that transpose . If I could only do one card trick , this would be it .

As a matter of fact , it's the first trick that I performed for my wife and she still has the card . By the way , I'm I'm a very lucky man . My wife is a big fan of magic and thoroughly enjoys going to magic shows with me A definite keeper .

By the way , peter Samuelson's version of Wildcard from his theatrical close-up book is the best script for Wildcard that I have ever seen . It really takes the trick to a higher artistic level Amazing . Again , it's not one that I've seen , so I'm going to be looking up that one after I finish this recording . And very lucky of you .

It sounds like you are very lucky that you have a partner who is also into magic . I think most other people's partners are sick of it very quickly in the relationship . So very well done you . But let's find out what Ken's put in number two . So he has gone for B wave . I've been performing this for over 30 years . It's such a strong piece .

I have the necessary items to be able to perform it with red or black jacks , queens or kings . I also perform Eugene Berger's variant . If I happen to be performing for a magician , it's a treat to see their faces when I place the cards on the table to be examined .

I do agree with Eugene , however , that the original version is the best for lay people and that's the one I'd be bringing to be examined . I do agree with Eugene , however , that the original version is the best for lay people and that's the one I'd be bringing to the island . Great B wave is a phenomenal trick and it's just so direct and clean .

I think it's an absolutely great choice . So so far we've got two card tricks . We've got New York transfer and B wave . B wave , of course , mentalism . Where do we think we're gonna go with number three ? We've got , uh , skinner's monty . I have a bit of a quandary . I like the three card monty plot and I know several . Each has their strengths .

I've been performing michael skinner's ultimate three card monty for close to 40 years . It's one of those tricks that I've performed so many times that I could probably perform it in my sleep . I also like Harry Anderson's the Last Monty , as well as Stand Up Monty by Garrett

Thomas , but I know the rules . I have to pick one . There's no disrespect to the others . Certainly they are honorable mentions , but the Michael Skinner routine will get the nod simply because of its longevity , absolutely . I know lots of people that still perform skinner's monty . Uh , I think it's just one of those things . It's going to be a classic .

And to the other ones that you mentioned , obviously , harry anderson's , the last monty and stand-up monty . Both of them are both phenomenal . I know lots and lots of performers who use stand-up monty at every single gig . So a great , great choice . And even though you've just picked three card tricks , they're all very distinct in their selection .

So New York Transfer you mentioned that that was a signature transposition , which sounds quite unique . B-wave obviously is a mentalism prediction . And then Skinner's Monty , which is a three card Monty . So each of those tricks feels really , really unique , which is really cool . And it does bring us to number four , which is our great trick Dean Deal's Blizzard .

As you can tell , I do like me some card magic . I love the plot of ending up with a deck of blank cards . Again , I have quite a few of them . Although I've owned Blizzard for a long time , I recently purchased the new version with the updated plastic gimmick . Again , I have quite a few of them .

Although I've owned Blizzard for a long time , I recently purchased the new version with the updated plastic gimmick . It looks wonderful and handles like a dream . I think that the reason I'm selecting Blizzard is that at the end , everything is examinable . Most of the other variants have something to hide at the end , not so with Blizzard .

I can still recall the first time I saw Blizzard . It was in the dealer's room at a convention . I was so fooled by the time I saw all those blank cards . There was no way to reconstruct what had happened . I feel that most folks have never seen a deck with blank cards .

It's only natural that they'd like to examine them , and for me , that's what separates Blizzard from the rest Absolutely . I think we've spoken about this on the podcast before , but I distinctly remember the first time I saw it in Davenport in London when I was probably I don't know , maybe 17 , 18 .

And it absolutely knocked me for six and I cannot imagine that there's any magician who had that performed on them that doesn't remember that first performance . It's such a phenomenal trick and it's so . It's so cheeky , like when you find out how it works . You just can't believe that it works so well . It really is phenomenal . So a great choice .

And again , another card trick , but feels pretty different with that blank deck ending to everything else . That brings us to number five , which is gene anderson's newspaper tear . We've passed the halfway point on the list . I know I'm allowed to define my desert island exactly as I wish . Well , on my island people still read newspapers .

There's so many magic tricks from days gone by that use props that are not commonplace anymore . Cigarette magic used to occupy a large section of magic catalogs . When was the last time you saw a magician manipulating thimbles In the United States ? Coins are becoming quite rare . Very few people carry them anymore .

I know that I don't , other than for magic purposes . I've made the decision to exclusively use either old , antique or foreign coins . That gives me a chance to talk about them and justify having them . Even paper currency is becoming somewhat rare . There are many establishments that only accept credit cards .

Now I have to wonder if money and coin tricks will join cigarettes and thimbles in the near future , which brings us back to newspaper magic . There are so many wonderful effects that have been created for newspapers . I was lucky enough to see Doug Hennin perform Gene Anderson's newspaper tear on Broadway in the magic show when I was a teen .

It was so powerful it really stopped the show . When I was a bit older , I purchased it and began performing it in my shows the show . When I was a bit older I purchased it and began performing it in my shows . There was always an audible gasp at the flash restoration of the paper .

So on the island , newspapers will be commonplace so I can continue to perform it . Okay , so we now have a newspaper that we're going to have to develop just for our island , just for Ken . So I want name ideas for this newspaper . What are we going to call it ? We need a good name for it . That's a great choice .

I know that newspaper tears are still something that's used fairly widely . I know that we've seen it on talent shows like Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent over recent years , so hopefully there's always going to be a place for it .

Seen it on talent shows like Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent over recent years , so hopefully there's always going to be a place for it . I know in the UK newspapers are still sold quite widely . I'm not sure what that's like around the rest of the world , but hopefully it will be something that you can carry on doing .

So number six we've got Dean's Box . I was lucky enough to purchase one of the originals shortly before Dean Deal passed away . I've rarely seen many folks perform it and it's a shame . It's a wonderful small illusion . Dean Deal was such a creative guy . I have a number of his effects and they're all quite clever .

I think what appeals to me so much about Dean's Box is that the box itself is interesting . It's quite easy to weave a tale regarding the origins of the box , or at least Absolutely true . I always wish that I got the chance to go to Dean's Barbershop . I think it would have been incredible to visit .

And Dean's Box I remember seeing this one as well when I was younger and absolutely loving it . I think the mystery of the box , I think the simplicity of the method , but just how clever it is . And when you think about Blizzard as well , it's the same sort of thing . It's a really simple method , but just so , so cleverly thought through .

Going back to andy nyman's episode of the podcast , when he speaks about magicians having strange objects , I think this is a perfect example and the boxes the original ones look so beautifully made . I've seen someone perform one of the original boxes up close , and every time I watch it I just have to sit in awe of how amazing it really is .

So an absolutely great choice . So that brings us to number seven , which is Stephen Bargatz's I Hate Kids . I'm running out of slots and I have so many other tricks that I love . I hate kids Well , not really , but I do love Stephen Bargatz's trick by that name .

It's a tough call , since I think Martin Lewis's Technicolor prediction is outstanding and similar , but I love the fun of I hate kids . I can't perform it as Stephen does and I don't think that anyone really should , but I do think it to be such a clever trick with so many opportunities for bi-play and comedy .

I was at a weekend magic gathering in Washington DC a couple of years ago and Stephen was there and performed the trick the following day . I was fortunate enough to sit next to him during one of the other shows . Stephen is such a smart magician . He puts so much thought into his magic .

We were sitting in the back of , we were sitting in the very back of the room and as we watched the magician on stage , stephen kept coming up with terrific ideas on how he could make the show better . It was just natural for him . Yeah , I remember seeing this trick years ago and thinking it was funny .

I get that his presentation is probably quite unique to him . Absolutely another really great choice . And now we're getting into sort of a different territory . We've sort of started with those card tricks and then we've progressed into a newspaper tear Dean's Box and now I Hate Kids .

So a really different mixture towards the end there , segueing away from the card tricks . So what do we think the last trick is going to be ? Everyone ? Do we think it's going to be cards ? Maybe mentalism with cards ? Maybe it's going to be another prop trick or an object trick ? Let's see what we've got . Colossal Killer in number eight .

This is my one and only everyday carry . I found a nice wallet , the type that I would normally use . I keep the cards in my wallet all the time . If the subject of magic comes up , I can easily slide into performance of Colossal Killer . One thing I did is made the decision to use double-decker cards . With these cards , my wallet is slim , really slim .

No one would ever think I could possibly have more than an extra card or two . When I first read about the trick . I was concerned about the two out of three times that it wouldn't be a direct hit . Once I find the right presentation , I found that I actually am disappointed . When I have a direct hit , I always want to be off by one .

When that happens and I turn the card around , the reaction is spectacular .

For me it's the best everyday carry that I can think of , absolutely Again , one of the first card tricks I ever learned when I was in my teens , and I think anyone that performs it will say that they prefer it when the off by one option comes out , because I think it lowers the audience's expectations at that point and makes that reveal even more impactful .

It also makes it feel a bit more preemptive when you've written something on the back and you knew that you were going to be off by one . So I think it's a great , great choice .

So , just going back over your list , you've gone for new york transpo b wave skinners , monty dean , deals blizzard , gene anderson's newspaper tear dean's box , steven bagatzis I hate kids and we're ending with colossal killer . Now there are quite a few card tricks in there , but all of them are really different and diverse .

So I think that even that as a selection of tricks for your island would be great to watch . Now it brings us onto our two curveball items . So , obviously , at the point that this list was sent in we didn't have our banishment . So we've only got a book and a non-magic item . So let's go for book . His book is Greater Magic . I'm a lover of books .

I have so many wonderful books . My early books with fond memories are the Amateur Magician's Handbook by Henry Hay and Magic Digest by George B Anderson . Both were important books in my formative years . I'm lucky enough to have one of Robert Harbin's book , number 442 , but the book that I'm going to bring with me is Greater Magic .

I've owned my copy for over 40 years . While I've referred to it many times over the years , I must admit that I've never put the effort into really studying it . I tend to fall into the same trap as most other magicians the shiny new object is vastly more interesting . Being on the desert island would give me time to really study this massive tome .

I do have one condition when Richard Kaufman finally finishes his update to the book , I'd like to have you magically replace my current volume with a new one . I think that seems fair , don't you . Absolutely , ken . We will do that for you . We will magically change it for you .

Now , funny enough , a few days ago I recorded another episode and someone put the amateur magician's handbook in their book position . So you have to wait for that one .

But greater magic is an absolutely excellent choice and , like you just said , I wonder how many of us would go back and take one of those early books and really study it on our island when we have the opportunity to do it . So that brings us to our last item , our non-magic item . Ken has put in iPhone with AirPods .

Wow , technically , two items here , ken , but I'll let you have it . Let's see your reason . First . I have quite a few magic podcasts that I religiously listen to . I found them both inspiring and educational .

I won't list them here , but suffice to say that I have more than enough to occupy my time on the island listening to the various podcasts to which I subscribe . Okay , because you're using it to listen to podcasts , I will let you have the iPhone and the AirPods , and no doubt you'll come up with a cool little AirPods trick as well . Absolutely great choice .

Yeah , I'm a massive podcaster as well , not just in magic , but in other areas . I'm quite into comedy as well , and I think that there's a lot of information to be had by other creative industries that we can use in our own performing lives as well .

And I think that there's a lot of information to be had by other creative industries that we can use in our own performing lives as well . So a great choice . So thank you so much , ken , for sending that in . It's such a great list . There's some phenomenal , phenomenal tricks there , and I'm going to look up the New York transfer at the beginning .

So thank you for that . Now up the New York transfer at the beginning . So thank you for that . Now , ken is a stranger , no more . We know everything . We know about him . Now , if you want to send in your list , don't forget , you can send in your list of eight tricks , one book , one non-magic item and now one banishment to sales at alakazamcouk .

In the subject line , please put my Desert Island tricks . Of course , include a bio and the reason for your choices as well . We'll be back later on this week with another episode of Desert Island Tricks , but for now , have a great week , goodbye .

These forks have been custom designed to be able to bend right in front of your spectators eyes . It's so easy to perform , it's so visual and , trust me , they will honestly keep this impossible object because they've seen it morph in front of their eyes . It literally does the impossible .

Not only that Liquid Forks comes with 50 of these forks in each pack and it comes with the full liquid forks routine taught by the world famous David Penn . Not only that , we have a subscription service .

If you guys love these forks and you get through them at your gigs , we now offer a monthly subscription where you get sent a box through every single month at a 10% reduced fee . Like I said , you guys are going to be loving me . You're going to be performing them every chance . You can Trust me , the reactions are second to none .

So , guys , head over to alakazamcouk , pick up a set of liquid forks . You will not regret it . Easy to do , leaves them with a killer souvenir . And , to be honest with you , it's not cards , it's not coins , it's not mentalism , it's something beyond belief . Check out now , guys , the Liquid .