Hi -

My wife and I just returned from our weekend at Kidabra. Wow! What a great time.

Someone who performed during the birthday party routine show did an effect where they drew a top hat on a sketch pad and a rabbit came up out of the hat. Is this a marketed item? Neat trick.

Eric

Unfortunately I was unable to attend this year. So I did not see the effect, it sounds like an axtell special effects drawing board.

http://www.axtell.com/sfx.html

Eric- it was nice meeting you at Kidabra. I think that was Cardiographic by Martin Lewis, but using a rabbit from a hat instead of a card out of a pack. The Axtell SFX board is nice, but it does not allow you to rip off the drawing and give it away. You can find the effect for sale at most magic shops or online for around $125 plus $20 for refills, or you can learn how to build it yourself. Look for MAKING MAGIC DVD Volume One by Martin Lewis for $35:

http://www.magikraft.com/shop/ (look under videos/cd's)

It looked like a clever variation on the Cardigraphic principle...the variation being that he actually wrote the child's name and age on the image, personalizing it BEFORE the rising rabbit made it's appearance.

Although the basic rising method and the switch at the end undoubtedly draw upon Martin Lewis' version, I'm sure the gimmick is built much differently.

I recall exploring the method in my head at the time, but with so much going on at Kidabra, my mental blueprints are lost. (Should have taken better notes.)

Sadly, I don't recall WHO presented it either, but it is indeed a good expansion of the standard effect.

Dan/EARL

I thought it looked like Cardiographic too but I wasn't sure if you could customize Cardiographic to do that. Like signing the little girls name on it. I don't remember who performed it but I have Mike Bent written next to it in my notes. Maybe I'll ask him. I also thought I'd seen an effect like this on the market a while back.

A friend of mine adapted cardiographic to a very similar premise well over 10 years ago, which he also gave me permission to perform. It was basically the same as the original except that instead of a deck of cards, you started with four cards (dove, rabbit, top hat & magic wand). They were rough & smooth and the kid picked one. I was going to draw what image he was thinking of. I drew the hat, which was wrong. When he showed me what card he had, the rabbit rose from the top hat. It made MUCH more sense to do this for kids than with the playing cards. I had ideas and thoughts of doing the same thing for Christmas with santa. One picture was a mantle with stockings - which is what you ended up drawing. The kid had chosen the Santa card, then Santa came DOWN into the fireplace. Could also have him rising up from the chimey. Feel free to play with these ideas for yourself - manufacturing rights are reserved . . .

best,
Tim Sonefelt

There was a write up in an old Linking Ring where the magician puts a sketch pad on a stand and draws a picture of a top hat, then draws a picture of a rabbit coming out of the hat. He than reachs into the hat and pull's out a live bunny. Looked easy to make and I think it would be a great routine in a kid show. You close the pad and tear out the drawing of the hat with a tear drawn on it and no rabbit.

It does sound a lot like Cardiographic.
I would love to see that adapted version.

Mike Bent Performed it.

Thank You Dennis!

I was checking out the Linking Ring magazines and found the one that you pull out a live rabbit. It is in The Linking Ring Vol. 48 No. 9 Sept. 1968. Bill Spragg's Hocus Pocus Parade. I made one that you close at the end and than tear off the picture and give away.

In coming up with all these variations I think we have to remember that one thing that makes Cardiographic so strong in the spectator's mind is that they actually selected a card from among many, and it was that card which rose. (Copperfield in his variation had several choices as well with the various moon phases). This makes it more than just a moving picture illusion.

I've seen Lance Burton perform that effect on a tv special before.

Hallo ,
I have the " Making Magic " dvd , I bought this for the sole purpose of learning Cardiographic . It is explained very well on the dvd and is indeed a great effect . I to had a problem with performing this is my childrens show , but I was also very fortunate to purchase Ken Scotts brilliant dvd " Making The Birthday Dough " , he does a great job with a fun routine , using cards based round Cardiographic .

I liked his routine and used it in my shows , but was not getting the reactions I was to some of my other effects . Yet again I was fortunate to buy the Kidabra dvd " Birthday Party Ideas Session " , Mike Bent performs his variation of cardiograph , but instead of cards he uses a rabbit rising from a bowler hat .

I started tinkering with the idea and made a few adjustments to my original cardiograph . After a few prototype rabbits , I eventually came up with a neat little rabbit that rises from the hat holding the selected card . This has allowed me to keep using ken Scotts funny routine with the cards , put having the addition of the rabbit in the hat , which adds a bit more fun and becomes more understandable for young children .

Also after I have done the switch to the giveaway , I then write there name and age on the hat as Mike does . This has got far better reactions and has added more laughter to a very funny routine .

I made up something like this effect some years ago, kind of a mix of Carddiographic and Kevin James Bowling Ball production. (this was at Kevin's suggestion, long before iw was marketed).
The child got the drawing, from the pad I produced the live bunny - but here's a warning: small ones will usually want the real rabbit instead of the drawing!

Is Cardiographic much better than the Rising Card described in Tarbel V8 p211?

I have purchased both the DVD Making Magic, but thought it sounded like a lot of trouble to make one as described, and then went and bought the full trick with 2 different cards as refills (nice to have the 2 different endings in case you know the audience might remember the last time you did it, or in the case of 2 mall/ fair shows in one day). Although I have not put a lot of work into it, I am having difficulty with the handling and the extra ripped off page ending.

Will anyone be at Kidabra this 2007 that could help me with this? Give me a few pointers and a live demo? I could bring it along if I thought I could get a hand, or perhaps I should bring it anyway as there are always good folk there willing to help in anyway they can.

I think it is a killer effect, I just need that kickstart to get my rehearsals going in the right direction. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

This version has now been marketed by Magikraft Studios. Hocus Pocus carries it, I believe I saw it on Hank Lee's page too.

..... looks very interesting.

It is now a marketed Cardiogrpahic Martin Lewis effect .... 13 years later

Here is what it looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJMCJ9ynG6U


The magician shows a picture of a top hat. A rabbit magically rises out of the hat bearing a "Happy Birthday" card. The picture is then torn off, signed, and given to the birthday child.

I have added an extra feature to Birthday Cardiographic Lite. In this version, the rabbit not only rises out of the hat but can duck back inside too. This allows a "look don't see" sequence where everyone can see the bunny in the hat except you, a plot known to delight kids worldwide! After that, the rabbit rises to his full height to reveal a Happy Birthday message that you tear out and give to the celebrant.

Consider this for your closer, get all the kids to sign the birthday card and, while they are busy with that, make an uninterrupted exit.

Birthday Cardiographic Lite resets in a flash, comes with 30 giveaway pages, and written and video instructions.