Meet The Team | Ellis James

By Damian Jennings - Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Who are you and what do you do at Vanishing Inc. Magic?
Hi, my name is Ellis James and I’m the marketing intern.

What got you into magic?
It depends on how far back you want to go. My grandfather used to pull chocolate from behind my ears, and when I was 6 my father got me a magic coloring book, but the moment when I became obsessed was when I was 11. My family flew from Pittsburgh to San Francisco and then took a train back. Before we left San Francisco, my dad bought me a copy of Royal Road to keep me entertained on the journey. By the time I stepped off the train 4 days later, I had the bug.

What sort of magic do you do?
I do mostly close up card stuff, though recently I have been toying a lot more with mentalism.

Who are you magical heroes?
I have a lot. Off the top of my head my heros would be Rick Maue, Ben Earl, Asi Wind, Dani DaOrtiz, Juan Tamariz, Paul Gertner, Jason Ladanye, Paul Vigil, and Johnny Thompson.

What’s your favourite magic book?
Thats a tough one. I really enjoyed The Card Magic of Edward G. Brown, Drawing Room Deceptions, Less is More, and Repertoire. I’m currently reading The Magic Rainbow.

What’s your favorite magic trick?
Honestly it changes by the month. If I had to pick one trick to do for the rest of my life it would most likely be Vernon’s Triumph. Recently I’ve been having a blast with Cassablanca from The Buena Vista Shuffle Club, and, although I don’t do one, I love egg-bag routines.

What’s one bit of advice you can share you’ve learned over the years?
I have two, but they’re related. Do whatever you can to meet other magicians. Conventions are my favorite way, but clubs or camps are awesome too. Not only is it good for your magic, but I met some of my closest friends at magic events. (Tannen’s Magic Camp is my second family).

My other one is to sit with the older magicians, even if you don’t know them. You’ll pick up a lot of tips from sitting with them, and there are always good stories to hear.

What Vanishing Inc. tricks do you perform most regularly?
But probably Ben Earl’s Real Ace Cutting, but I also use Andi’s Master Push Off anytime I do a double.