Many of my old magic magazines were destroyed in a fire, and I'm afraid that issue of Genii was among them. I'll ask around on the Genii forum if anyone can locate the issue. I don't think they sell back issues of Genii going that far back. However, I have the original plans, parts of the props and even the patter that was used by the Wiz Kids. I think I even have the original dirty burnt up sneaker. Maybe I should sell it on e-Bay as an antique.

I tried writing up the trick again for Spellbinder to use in The Wizards' Journal, but he doesn't want to clutter up his Wizard Magic with magician's boxes and tubes.However, he IS publishing my PVC pipe Illusion book, so maybe he would publish it in a separate book of Kid Magic for non-wizards.

P.S. I think he should be me. It would serve him right!

Jim,

Here is what was referenced at this index of Genii Magazine. Are any of these the articles what we're looking for?
DeWayne


http://www.obsolite.com/genii/genii.php

Coded by Graham C. Nichols • Maintained by Cameron Roat

Search from Nov 1968 to Jan 1990 for GERRISH in all categories

Off And Running
(Miscellaneous Props)
by Jim Gerrish (Vol. 46, No. 8, Aug. 1982)

Microcomputer Mentalism
(Mentalism)
by Jim Gerrish (Vol. 49, No. 6, Dec. 1985)

Portable Dove Cages
(Article)
by Jim Gerrish (Vol. 49, No. 6, Dec. 1985)

Snake Can Psychometry
(Miscellaneous Props)
by Jim Gerrish (Vol. 49, No. 10, Apr. 1986)

"Off & Running" sounds like a routine were one takes off a sneaker?

Vol. 46, No. 8, August 1982
It's a green cover with a picture of Lance Burton "FISM Garnd Prix Winner" on it.

Can anybody confirm this?

I'm glad to know the index is there. I never realized how much I have forgotten about those issues. I have no memory at all about "Off and Running." Serves me right for giving articles "cute names" instead of descriptive ones. It may be that I did not submit the Shoe-Fly to Genii after all. At the time I was submitting articles to the Linking Ring, and something I believe was called The Magic Manuscript, but I'm not sure. Fortunately, I have the original writings that I sent somewhere, but it doesn't mention where it was published. I know it was published somewhere because that's how it got "ripped off." Thanks for helping me out and jogging my memory. The older I get the more forgetful ... what was I saying?

So Jim!

We have no idea were it was published, you have the original text, it's your routine, ....why not sell me a photcopy?

Thanks!
-DeWayne

After careful study, I find the index is not complete. Missing are two articles that I know I submitted to Genii back in those years- George The Genii, and The Lucky Duck Race. So the shoe trick may have been published in Genii after all, as my memory says it was, and we just havn't found the issue yet. I'll keep looking.

Found it! Gerrish is not quite ready for the Old Magician's Home! His name was mis-spelled as "Jim Garrish" and the title was incorrectly typoed as "O.O.P.'s " (There should be no apostrophe). The issue is Genii, Volune 49 #2, August 1985, Page 86. What reward can I expect for all this diligent searching?

OK, Spellbinder, quit gloating! For your reward you can come over and smell the original burnt sneaker that I used back in 1976 when I first invented the thing. Now that you found the article, memories come flooding back in like an amnesiac's reprieve. I first used the trick with the Washington (School) Wizards, which was the group that gave birth to the Wiz Kids. The Wiz Kids were incorporated in 1980 and we used the trick until 1986, at which time it was put away as "over-worked" and the article was sent out to Genii so others could use the idea (and I see they did!).

Wiz Kid Fred Goode (who is the present director of The Wiz Kids, Inc.) remembers performing it and said it was always one of his favorites. He dropped by the other day and as we reminisced about the OOPS machine, he began recalling the patter we made the Wiz Kids memorize for it and recited it line by line. We still use a lot of those techniques, like making them memorize a set line of patter, and then encouraging them to ad-lib until they no longer need the memorized script. Fred was able to remember which jokes were his contributions to the effect. If I ever reprint it, I'll have to get some of the "old-timers" (now in their thirties!) to recall some of their bits of business and jokes for the rewrite.

At last ... some FACTS are revealed.
I knew I wasn't going crazy. I saw Jim Gerrish perform this Burnt Shoe routine "Shoe-Fly" back in the late 70's and thought it was brilliant then and I still do today.
When I saw Lance Burton perform this on television I thought ..."wow!!"..."Jim's work is truly appreciated by the top professionals in the magic world."
I had been out of touch with Mr. Gerrish since around 1979... and did not know if he was still involved in magic.
A few years ago I saw something called the "Wiz-Kote" being sold on some dealer website and I left a review stating my enthusiasm for the effect and crediting Mr. Gerrish who I know created it..
Then I received an email informing me that someone else created the effect in 1986.
Well...I knew that I had seen it performed ( several times) 10 years before that. I also knew that it was published in Genii but did not know which issue.
Some people thought I was making it up...But low and behold!!!!
Mr. Jim Gerrish posts here on the Café' and I didn't even realize it.
"Hi Jim"!
I've only browsed through this site on occasion and this may be my first post... but I'm glad to see that Mr. Gerrish is still around and still creating.......and is finally get the proper credit for his creation.
Stephen

Thanks, Stephen, both for your concern and for your kind words. I'm not sure if I want my only claim to fame to be "he invented the burnt shoe thing," but neither do I want someone claiming to own (and restrict rights to) an effect that I gave to the magic community by publishing it in Genii.

For the historical record, Stephen was selected to play the part of "Young Merlin" in a kind of theatrical play/ magic show we put together back in the seventies. We had a lot of rehearsals, built all the illusions (and I wish I had PVC pipe to work with back then!) and then in transporting the equipment to the show site, there was a car accident and most of the critical equipment was destroyed in the process. I had no more money to invest at the time and the project was abandoned.

Stephen and I stayed in contact afterwards, and I was delighted when he and his father opened a magic store in a shopping mall in NJ... the first time a magic store had made such an attempt to the best of my knowledge. You should visit his web site ( http://www.optimystiks.com/ ) and see how "Young Merlin" has grown up, and also see his tribute to our shared mentor, Ted Collins.

Thanks Spellbinder! Now it's off to the basement to dig through all those old Genii's. Awww I wish I had filed them in order!!!!

For those of you following this search...It's a pink"ish" cover with a headshot of Leon Leon on it. View it here...
http://themagicfiles.com/genii/view_issu......980-1989

Hey Gang, Finding this topic fascinating! I have been looking for one of these for the last 3 months. Does anyone know where I can purchase a new or used one at? Denny from "Denny & Lee magic" said there is a waiting list for up to 6 months. YIKE! I would be very grateful to anyone who can help me.

bstinson@nemonet.com

What does steve hart have to say about all of this? I've always been of the impression that he was the inventor of this thing and that lance Burton, according to hart on another thread, paid him for the right to perform the wiz kote on tv...fascinating stuff...i too am looking forward to the wacky wolfs magic version of this prop

I have convinced Jim Gerrish to rewrite the original effect and publish it with the original secret and plans for building the effect. You'll find it on my site as the first of several KID'S MAGIC by Jim Gerrish effects, under its original name "O.O.P.S." I think this is the best way to preserve ownership and control of the effect. The purpose for originally publishing it in Genii was to offer the effect freely to the magic fraternity, not to lock it down in rights, arguments and legal wrangling. This new publication does not violate any copyright claims of Genii, since it was freshly written in 2005, with new diagrams drawn. Only the original secret is preserved along with many elements of the original routine.

One point that Jim makes in the new article is that the effect is best done with a machine that looks entirely home-made and somewhat rickety. If you buy a fancy box to do the effect, you're missing the point.

Fantastic! Any idea when this publication will be available? Days, weeks, months, years?

Can you please post here when it is available?
Thanks!

As I said in my post (said the Professor, sternly) it's on my site now. Look for KID'S MAGIC by Jim Gerrish and then O.O.P.S!

Lance Burton mistakenly (and I am sure innocently) paid the wrong guy.... but besides that...
Yes...of course the machine should look "rickety" ... to subtley forshadow the "oops" that is about to occur.
That is why I built my own years ago and that is what I always admired about Jim Gerrish's creations ...is that they were well thought out right down to the patter with silly puns and funny lines. Even the minute details to how the "Original and Only Polisher of Shoes" falls apart to strategically leave only the O.O.P.S. showing... a cute touch but what you'd expect from mr. Gerrish's stuff.
The current "popular" version misses the boat and is lacking in many ways from the original.
I hope that Mr. gerrish continues his generosity and releases more of his creations... the magic world can sure benefit.
Stephen

I gave Chance Wolf ( http://www.wolfsmagic.com ) permission to try his hand at making the OOPS machine into a Whacky Wolf version. I think he has a good concept of the whacky inventor and will do it justice, but feel free to make your own versions... no one has an exclusive on this. Meanwhile Wiz Kid Fred has been remembering more and more of the patter and bits of business he used. He was the last Wiz Kid to use the effect in a Wiz Kid public show around 1985 and so was the inheritor of all the previous Wiz Kids' jokes and gags for the effect. He had me rolling on the floor remembering some of the bits, like the "iron clad guarantee" and other stuff I had not only forgotten about, but had forgotten to write it down. I have put him on the project of trying to restore the original routine and getting one of his present day Wiz Kids (Fred is currently the Director of the non-profit Corporation, The Wiz Kids, Inc) to "bring it back to life."

Spellbinder,
Sorry I didn't understand that the first time I read it! But that is what you said. I've placed my order.
Thanks!
DeWayne

Jim,
WOW! That is BRILLIANT!! It is interesting to actually hear the original concept and too see how it gets watered down and sterilized over the years. I would guess most builders would not want to deal with all the details and "Wacky"ness...but NOT this guy I always felt that the Wiz Kote needed a lot more sillyness in design and wild parts. Clearly it was the original design and intent. You are a WACKY Man Jim!! I would love to get together with you someday and talk magic and creating.
Thanks for the permission and please add me to the list for the original routine write up. This sounds like a GREAT routine and prop. It should be very fun to re-create....eventually. Hopefully by the end of THIS YEAR!! I know I know..I have been saying this forever I will do my best
Chance

Since I don't have that issue of Genii, is there another way I can get to see that O.P.P.s artical. If I can enhance what I now have, that would be really great!