Jay Sankey
by P. Craig Browning

It is no secret that I host a rather strong and frequently expressed bias when it comes to magic in general but mentalism in particular, especially when we are looking at the extremes of 21st century commercialism now associated with the latter and the seeming wholesale availability of both classic secrets that have been well guarded for decades as well as “new” thinking that should (in the opinion of we selfish psychic workers) remain out of the hands of children. As catty as that sounds, there is a truth to it that many an old timer can recall: how it was in those good ole days when an old pro or shop owner would pull you under their wing and push you into the act of learning how to create magic versus selling you tricks for the sake of a quick buck.

Jay Sankey and company have kind of put me in my place… only "kind of", though. In their amazing commercial manner they are handing down some of the most important principles associated with magic in general and showmanship quite specifically. His books, like “Beyond Secrets”, are literally priceless in that they are helping the patron to learn how to move outside the confines of typical amateur buffoonery (what many of my associates refer to most as "Magic Café Magic 101") and towards the art of being an actual performer with or without gadgets and devices.

In exploring his site, I was attempting to learn about this clown that’s become one of the biggest household names our industry has known since Don Wayne in that he’s the must-go-to guy with the neat and nifty stuff – the Baskin-Robbins of Magic except his 31 flavors tend to be the veneer that catches your eye and allows him to sew certain bits of evil know-how into your cranium without you even registering on the fact that you're learning! My first taste of this came through a viewing of Boris Pocus some months back that a friend had lent me. Once recovered from Jay’s peculiar sense of comedy, I found the DVD packed with some solid thinking, not just neat little gems but intelligence. You see, tricks don’t impress me nearly as much as what I find enveloping them: the thought processes of the creator, his/her philosophic point of view when it comes to what magic needs to look like, feel like and “taste” like. Jay and his team seem to be “in the know” when it comes to all of this and then some. My point of view towards Jay shifted by leaps and bounds given my prejudice towards card magic and the score of magicians that jumped onto the mentalism bandwagon a few years back just to make a quick buck by bilking the suckers.

Yes, I know that’s a very rude sentiment but if you look around just a tad, you might just catch more than a glimpse or two as to who is guilty of said shenanigans and how much money they’ve managed to steal from your pockets over the past decade that mentalism has known a new high in general popularity.

Fortunately, that popularity is on the wane and thus more and more serious students of magic are shifting their points of view and modes of interest, which brings me to another Sankey product that I am going to endorse and encourage the novice to take a long (very long) look at. I refer to Jay's DVD “The Art of Sleight of Hand”.
When it comes to this topic, my typical reflex is to send people to the older Chavez materials still offered by Dale Salwak & Co. or the Jeff McBride series. Again, a brief review of this DVD and its contents have placed my perspectives on a new front, making this one of the more important investments most all of us can make when it comes to “the basics” of being a true prestidigitator. But then augmenting this study with Jay’s “Anytime Anywhere” would be a most intelligent decision as well -- that is, if you are of the belief that anyone claiming to be a “magician” should be able to manifest the miraculous under totally random conditions free of those self-imposed limitations we place upon ourselves as the result of plastic thumbs, gimmicked decks, special threads and the whole gambit.

And before you shriek in disgust about my "exposing" things, bear in mind that the average human being actually does have a brain and most of them know we use such items and then some; there’s a reason laymen will refer to what we do as “smoke and mirrors” or “parlor tricks”, as well as why most have little to no respect for us in that they see such things as being silly not to mention annoying. But that’s why we need contributors like Mr. Sankey and his compatriots.

Because I am a bit of a prude and have heavy bias when it comes to this, that and the other I could only find about 10 primary items on Jay’s web site that I’d classify as either personal “must haves” or wonderful research aids…they include the following:

"The Omnilope" mainly because I’m a pack-rat and love both clever and innocent looking switching devices as well as various modes of envelope modification.

"Hemispheres", "Boris Pocus", and "Twenty-Two Blows to the Head" go without saying. They are excellent reference material for those working out the “right” material for their acts/shows not to mention some down-right rotten fun.

"The Gemini Pouch" is something that’s seen a great deal of controversy in the online forums filled with inexperienced experts but I can assure you most any real life worker will see the potential such a device has and how the simplicity and “innocence” of it make it a valuable gem. Just bear in mind that you must supply the time to work with it and the talent needed for working up routines and handlings that sustain your claims, etc.

Last but not least we have "Mercuring", "Twister" and "Zero Gravity" which can be easily adapted to psychic- as well as magic-related routines. They are totally clean, awesome bits of business that I feel would be excellent reputation makers.

Needless to say there is more to come; in fact I foresee something quite wonderful upon the horizon that should be hitting the markets. In Jay’s own words, here are a few items to look forward to that will soon be available.

"Blockbuster": a totally crazy card trick where the signed card ends up nailed to a solid block of wood (I have another trick called "Nailed" that involves a photo of a block of wood. What can I say? I like the image!)

"Vanishink" : very cool gimmick that allows you to vanish your Sharpie marker with your sleeves up and without a pull whenever you want!

"Perfect Timing": an exceptionally direct method for predicting the exact hour and minute a spectator will name.

There has been an amazing myriad of material composed on Jay, his marvelous creations, and his life as a showman. I sit here with mud on my own face because there is so much to this man that no one writer could do him justice. My views hosting significant bias, limiting what it is of Jay Sankey that I’d personally use, distinguishing that quite deliberately from what is out that he and his team have developed over the past two-decades.

Another bias that I come with in looking at any business type entity is what they do for the greater good, the greater good of magic as well as the greater good for society and humanity as a whole Jay and his team quietly leading the way when it comes to such venture: they support OXFAM.

I personally think this example of how to create “real” magick in the world is something we all need to take a long and serious look at, setting our selfishness and lust for instant gratification off to the side in order to bring a bit of joy, hope and dignity into this world via our time and talents. None of us have an excuse to do otherwise, most especially those of us peddling our wares to the greater whole of this community.

You can learn much more about Jay and the team by visiting his web pages and blog. While you’re there pick up a couple of things. Jay delivers some of the most clever and affordable magic currently on the market. By his actions he’s supporting us so it’s only right that we reach out and do our best in supporting him.

In closing I have to say that this has been one of the more eye-opening and educational articles I’ve ever composed when it comes to my little glimpses into the lives of this or that innovator But the following words are Jay’s own, words and ideas that mirror my own look at the subject and points of view we all need to consider when it comes to being something that is genuinely “magickal”:

Jay’s 9 Keys to Learning Magic

1. Learn from a great magic teacher.
2. Invest in the best instructional magic materials you can find.
3. Practice magic tricks as often as possible, especially in front of a mirror.
4. Perform effects that are simple and direct.
5. Share your magic in a slow and deliberate manner.
6. Involve your audience as much as you can.
7. Resist the temptation to share the secrets behind an illusion. People will only be disappointed.
8. Remember that knowing the secret behind an illusion doesn’t make you a magician. Knowing how to perform the illusion makes you a magician.
9. Make the magic your own. Only when you bring something of your unique self to the performance does it become real magic.

Craig Browning