The 80's Called...They Want Their Magic Book Back

Official review from MAGIC Magazine

From the August 2015 MAGIC Magazine. Reviewed by Jared Kopf

Magicians invented quirky magic in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and they published their creations in quirky magic books. The movement, led primarily by that wonderful seeker of astonishment Paul Harris, focused on offbeat methods, eccentric presentations, and packet tricks. Take one look at The Incredible Tap Dancing Aces from Las Vegas Close-Up [1978] and you’ll see what I’m getting at. Then, read the entire book. When you put it down, you won’t be the same.
Only a few other magic books have had a similar first impression on me, and I didn’t expect to find anything quite like it again. But then I read Jonathan Friedman’s new book, The ’80s Called… They Want Their Magic Book Back.
If this book were a magician, it would be wearing stone-washed denim flares and a slogan T-shirt. Instead, it’s wrapped in a black perfect binding with its title emblazoned in a powder-blue to hotpink rainbow font, which appears to have been written by the same artist who designed the album cover of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

On the back, we find a photo of the author staring pensively through Erik Estrada’s sunglasses. “Go on, read it,” he seems to say. “It’s going to be fun.”
The opening trick, Wannabe Ninja, perfectly sets the tone of the book. This trick is more like a routine in itself, a barrage of effects that leads to a version of the Benzais/Lorayne effect Stabbed in the Pack.

This trick might be as fun to perform as Harris’ pun-filled Vacuum Cleaner Cards [ Super Magic, 1977]. Here, Friedman recommends that the reader vocalize “various Kung-Fu sound effects and hiyah’s” as the trick is performed.
Having established his playful voice, Friedman goes on to explain a variety of strange pieces. If you were ever enticed to buy a Paul Harris collection because you knew you would find magic with chocolate bars and houseplants, then you will love that Friedman will teach you to conjure with guitar picks, keys, popcorn kernels, plasticware, and pretzels. Even if you never actually perform a single effect from this book, you will never be able to say it wasn’t an interesting read.
The work of Friedman’s contributors rounds out what is already an impressive collection of material. Cameron Francis gives his postmodern version of Vernon’s Travelers, which classical card magicians will enjoy. Francis Menotti’s excellent This is Real shows the blurry overlap of illusion and reality with Telleresque gravitas. And there are some fine card effects from John Guastaferro, Shaun Dunn, Steve Mayhew, and Joe Cole.

The ’80s Called is a delightful magic book. It’s ironic without being flippant; nostalgic without being sappy. Friedman shows that he can have a great time and still cite his sources like an academic. And best of all, by including “Volume One” in the title, he hints that there’s more magic to come.