What you are saying...is exactly out point! Mr Anders took an old idea, modified it, and released it...he didn't create the concept, he modified it. James has done the same, and is so much better! With James, you can vanish, produce, exchange, etc and can also use it for mentalism! Trust me, you can't even do half of that with Johns.
Now, for the history. The concept dates back to the gibeciere of seventeenth century street conjurers.
At the turn of the century, the Hamley brothers devised a version to which Professor Hoffmann describes in Later Magic. Hoffmann also attributes it to David Devant. In the 1930's, Audley Walsh designed a version as well. After thatm Fred C. Baumann created something similar for his coin work.
After that came Mr Anders, with his addition, which in my opinion, though good for the time, isn't too much good now. Now most recently, James has done what I don't think Mr Anders could do...and make this a worker! In Mr Anders version, he does a deck vanish, like James does...difference...you cannot retrieve the deck in front of the audience with Mr Anders version, with James version, you can...with ease...from either pocket! Not just the one as in Mr Anders...enough?

Word-parsing again, Christopher. Mr. Anders' original and new IDEA was his modification of an old utility gimmick, which brought that old utility gimmick into a completely different realm, making possible, for the first time, to use that gimmick to "vanish, reproduce, exchange, etc." He did not take an old "idea" and modify it. He took an old "gimmick" and brought to it a brand new IDEA that revolutionized that gimmick. It is Mr. Anders' new and original IDEA, i.e., modifying that old utility gimmick in the way Mr. Anders did for the first time, that James is infringing on with workeroo.

You might think that James executed Mr. Anders' idea better than did Mr. Anders, but that IDEA belongs to Mr. Anders and is his intellectual property owing to his prior release of The Direct Link.

So, yes, enough . . . . Enough of magicians appropriating others' ideas and profiting from them.

We obviously will have to agree to disagree. Just hope that others don't take the same track when they re-market ideas of yours and James'.

E.S.A.

Wow wow wow...i am in no way at all affiliated with this. All credit goes to James for bringing this into the 21st century and making it a worker. I think you are right, we will have to agree to disagree...

However, I don't know why you continue with this, the way you are. Coin in bottles have been around for ages, yet over the past few years, loads have come out, almost all of them with no credit to the originator. They have been changed and modified and improved, and will continue to do so.

James has taken an existing idea, he has not lied about that, and changed it and modified it so it is better than the preceding versions out there, same as all other ideas out there. Fact is, and you will see when it is released, that James has added a new dimension on this

Is there any size limit on this, my jeans and trousers are quite tight on me and there is no gap between my stomach and trousers/jeans?

Christopher,

The age-old gimmick in question is public property. Mr. Anders' idea to modify that gimmick in the revolutionary fashion he did, is not. It was Mr. Anders, not James, who brought this gimmick "into the 21st century" and made it a "worker" by virtue of his original idea for how to modify it. Mr. Anders' idea effectively made this old gimmick a new and different gimmick. Mr. Anders' desire was that his idea be a limited release. It is THAT "existing idea" that James has "taken" and seeks to mass market. Whether James believes his version of Mr. Anders' idea is "better" than The Direct Link is irrelevant. It is still Mr. Anders' idea to sell or not to sell.

Anyway, it is good to know that James won't object to me taking Workeroo-- an "existing idea" now that it has been announced--and releasing a "better" version of it. I will post a teaser video when my version is ready, hopefully to coincide with the release of Workeroo or shortly thereafter.

E.S.A.

Has anders complained about the workeroo? I'm not sure of the point of being the direct link champion when ideas are reinvented and market in magic almost everyday. id like to hear what anders has to say.

Joshua,

How would Anders know to complain unless he happened to read this forum? That was my point in writing James privately weeks ago. I, and others, noticed from his teaser video that he was intending to market something that Mr. Anders had already thought of and marketed as a limited release. I brought this to James' attention via private message. He ignored my private message (he tersley acknowledged even receiving it only when I asked publicly) and, to my knowledge, has made no effort to contact Mr. Anders to determine whether Workeroo would infringe on Mr. Anders' creation.

I have no desire to be "the direct link" champion. However, we, as magicians, should all be champions of those whose original ideas and creativity benefit us as performers.


E.S.A.

Ok I do understand that, so let anders know, and see what he says.

Exactly!

E.S.A.

I have tried contacting Anders...no response, I have sent several emails, over the course of about a month, nothing.

Now, what James does in the demo...about 90% of what James does, is impossible to do with the Direct Link! Take if from someone who knows! that's what has made it better! Mr Anders brought it into the 20th Century, James improved version has brought it into the 21st. E.S.A, whether you believe me or not is irrelevant, but please stop posting when you don't know about James version too much. When it is released, people will see the differences and why his is better

Well silience speaks enough for me. I would support the workeroo unless anders responses before its release. if anders cares about it, he will make a response to chris I'm sure

The Workeroo will be released in August this year! Initially there will only be 100 available. Pre-orders will now be accepted by emailing your name and address to magic@jbmagicman.co.uk

The cost of the Workeroo will be £78-50 plus postage and will include the Workeroo and full instructions on how to fix it up. A small amount of sewing is required but nothing that your Aunt Sally couldn't do in 15 mins.

I have been using this for the last 2 months with astonishing effect. The no palm card to pocket routine is a killer! They choose a card, sign it, you hand them the pack hands empty. You ask them to CHOOSE which pocket it will appear in... killer!

All the best

James Brown
magic@jbmagicman.co.uk

Initially? So later on will there be more?

Probably after Xmas.

Sweet! Thanks

UK£ 78.50 = around 157 U.S. dollars)

Snap one up quick guys if you want one!

Hi James!
Sent you an email...
After reading the whole post, I have some questions which I didn't see answered:
About the dressing, is there any restriction?
Could this work with t-shirt as well as "tenue de soirée"?
Thanks,

All you need is trousers or jeans. T-shirt or shirt is optional!

JB

E-mailed you james, hope you got it?
thanks mate
matt wainwright

Hi james,

about the dressing restriction...u used a kind of black art principle in the demo (black shirt and trousers)...is it necessary to carmouflage the gimmick or is it invisible from nearly all angles...so how close (up) can a spectator be...

regards and greetz from austria (not australia!!!)
max