Good morning, everyone. It’s Saturday, August 29th, 9:00 a.m., and time for the Monster Magic Saturday Show. Let’s get started.
Quartto by CM and Muza Magic (£25.99)
The basic effect: a participant selects the four of hearts, which they hold in their hand. You display the queen of hearts, give it a shake, and the pips shift visually to become a four. The queen itself then changes into the four of hearts, and when the participant checks their hand, they’re holding the queen. On paper, that sounds strong and a transposition with a built-in visual change. I like the concept; it’s reminiscent of the kind of magic you get from a simple double lift in a spectator’s hands, which is always impactful.
The issue here lies in execution. The gimmick is thin and workable, but setup is fiddly, requiring careful alignment for the pip-morph to look right. The lighting and angles are critical, under ideal conditions it works fine, but in many environments, the gimmick shows creases and thread, which breaks the illusion. The cleanup is also clumsy: CM suggests a second deal, but a top change would be smoother. The eight-minute tutorial is barebones and doesn’t provide tips for real-world handling, which suggests the effect hasn’t been stress-tested in live performance. Overall, the gimmick is well-made but not fully reliable. In the right setting it works, but the conditions and the required handling make it less practical than classics that accomplish similar plots more cleanly.
No Risk by Chris Toronte and Magi Factory (£60.50)
This is another entry into the “ring to shoelace” genre. The effect: you borrow a ring, vanish it, and it reappears tied securely to your shoelace bow, from which you untie it and hand it back immediately. The plot itself has a long history: Richard Sanders’s “Interlace” was an early strong version but required clothing mods and had the occasional risk of a rolling ring. Adrian’s version removed the clothing mods, though it carried a small chance the ring might miss the lace.
“No Risk” aims for certainty—once you vanish the ring, you know it’s on the lace before any motion is made. It requires you to cut or adapt a pocket, but the modification is simple—scissors are enough, no sewing required. The gimmick is clever, well-built, and allows use with any shoes and any laces. It resets instantly: once you untie the lace and return the ring, just retie and you’re ready to go again. The strength of this version is reliability and safety, removing the risk of losing or damaging the ring, which is crucial when handling valuable borrowed objects. For best impact, it works well as the finale to a ring-and-shoelace routine (like Gregory Wilson’s or Nick Einhorn’s), tying the phases together naturally. Practical, strong, and audience-pleasing.
https://monstermagic.co.uk/products/norisk-by-chris-torrente
Super Extra by Ritzy Landa (£14.99)
This is a light, engaging packet trick. You show three cards—two jokers and a mystery card. The spectator thinks they’ve seen the three of clubs, but it changes to the king of diamonds. After further confusion, the mystery card ends up being the ace of spades. To wrap it up, you reveal you do have an “extra card”—a card literally printed with the words “extra cards.” It’s very simple to perform, essentially self-working aside from handling the packet casually.
The gimmicked cards are printed on standard red-back Bicycles, so they’ll fit in with most decks. The “extra cards” card can also be customized using a blank face, letting you write a message or gag to fit your style. It’s a fun piece of magic—quick, surprising, and engaging, suitable for casual performance or walk-around. The tutorial is brief (12 minutes), but since the trick requires little technical skill, most of the teaching focuses on presentation and pacing. This is more about entertainment and delivery than sleight-of-hand. In the right hands, it plays charmingly and leaves spectators smiling.
https://monstermagic.co.uk/products/super-extra-by-rizki-nanda
Distortion by Dante and UltraBello (£34.99)
This one stands out as a modern, quirky revelation device. The performer shows an index card covered in messy lines, claiming it’s a prediction. With a pull, the card stretches visually, and the lines resolve into the chosen word, card, or name. The stretched card can even be given away as a souvenir.
The gimmick is clever—thin, durable, and disguised by the scribble design. It uses a whiteboard-like material, so with proper markers it’s reusable. Fifteen matching giveaway cards are included, so you can hand out finished reveals. It comes with a special envelope for switching, though sturdier storage would be advisable to preserve the gimmick long-term. The 30-minute tutorial is more comprehensive than the others reviewed, with Dante and Julio Montoro covering setup, handling, writing tips, and creative presentation ideas.
This isn’t a trick in itself but a utility prop, a way of making any prediction (a playing card, a word from a book test, a celebrity name) more visual and playful. It suits mentalism, card magic, or comedy, depending on presentation. Its charm is in the surprise: what looks like a botched prediction resolves magically into the correct one. Durable, fun, and flexible.
https://monstermagic.co.uk/products/distortion-by-dante-and-ultrabello
That wraps up this week’s show. I hope you’ve enjoyed the reviews and found a few ideas to inspire your magic. Whatever you’re planning for the weekend, take some magic with you—perform, have fun, and keep sharing the wonder of this brilliant hobby. See you next time!