I was just wondering if anyone at the Café owned this, and how difficult the effects within were to construct. I.e. are the supplies required easily obtained etc. Any help would be appreciated.

S.

I ordered it from Keith Last Year in June. Unfortunately I still haven't received it, a refund or a reply.

Never ever order something directly from Keith Lack - you will never recieve it. With luck you will get your money back (after a couple of month and many e-mails, calls, etc.)
Meanwhile his webpage is closed and I think it´s the best for all customers and Keith Lack also.

Yep, I have Volume One, and am starting to wonder if there will ever be a volume two...The P.A. is a staple bound black and white mag that is around A4 size. Layout is basic - small font text crossing right across the page, and no columns. Pictures are however, quite clear. Several of the effects have illustrations available to be scanned or copied, but sadly as the paper is very thin, photocopying tends to pick up the text on the other side of the page.

The effects included are "Dear Boss", "The Butterfly Effect", "Bleeding Heart", and "Tarot Cards from the Edge & Beyond". There is also an editor's note, performance tips, an ad for the now non-existent Arlen website, and a black and white signed reproduction of a "Cabinet of Curiosities" show poster.

"Dear Boss" is an effect in which a bloody hand print appears on a Jack the Ripper letter after some suitably macabre buildup. The text of the letter is given exactly as it should appear, and if you can copy it to the correct form of parchment you can have a fairly authentic looking Jack the Ripper letter. Apparently Lack marketed this item at one time. To make it up from his instructions in the mag, you will need to acquire a certain paper type, and what he calls A/B blood (not regular fake blood). Fortunately he tells you where to get it from and exactly what to get.

"The Butterfly Effect" is preparation heavy. The effect is that the performer reveals a small butterfly tattoo on his or her wrist, then the tattoo turns into a live butterfly. Lack credits Paul Harris as having input into this one. It would probably look magnificent if you can pull it off,but I have too many visions of crushed butterflies to want to do this one (even though he suggests you learn the effect with a fake butterfly). You'll need to be pretty crafty and artistic to create the a convincing fake tattoo on flesh coloured tissue paper, and then of course there's all the hassles of handling a live monarch butterfly. You really do not want to be producing dead or injured butterflies with this one, or, as Lack points out "It makes the kids cry and the ladies will think you are a psycho". Use this one with caution.

"Bleeding Heart" is my personal favourite from the mag. Inspired by Dean Dill, this technique allows you to create the effect of paper bleeding when poked with a sharp object, here used to make an ace of hearts bleed. Patter involving a broken heart is provided.Again you'll needd to be crafty to make up the blood bags required, and Lack thoughtfully provides two recipes for making your own fake blood if you don't want to buy it. One warning though - the blood will stain, so caution is required in its handling.

"Tarot cards from the Edge and Beyond" is a pseudo tarot card reading effect that uses rough and smooth cards. You'll need to make up your own set of twelve rough and smoothed tarot cards - I suggest using actual tarot cards if possible. Lack does provide full size photocopies of appropriate cards, but they really don't look professional enough to me. You'll have to buy the rough and smooth fluid, and Lack helpfully provides an address where you can do that.

Well that's about it, hope it has been helpful.

The good news... If you still haven't recieved any items or refunds from Keith, he performs on a weekly basis for a local bar here in Redding!

-Bryan

Anybody have this?