"Collard" by John Archer
Suggested Retail USD$68.00
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Collard", John Archer's take on the classic "Koran Medallion", is fun, entertaining, and engaging, but also simple enough to allow you to shine during the performance.

I have to say I really liked where Archer took the "Medallion" plot (I also have to say I was kicking myself for not thinking of it first -- I do that a lot nowadays). Instead of using numbers from three or so spectators, Archer makes this much larger. Here's what it looks like:

You show a large stuffed toy dog and, showing a homemade "birth certificate"say that you'd like the audience to name it for you. Several spectators are asked to call out a letter which you write down on the certificate. After the spectators are done, you have a spectator join you and you have them notice that, on the stuffed dog, there is a collar, complete with name tag. When asked, they say there is already a name on it. When they read the tag, it's the same name that the audience spelled out.

To me, that's just neat. It's a great natural extension of the Koran idea without stretching things too much -- the premise is a natural. To me, that's the big idea about this one and the handling is secondary (as it should be).

But then the handling itself is slick. It's simple to do (there's some handling that could be thought of as sleight of hand, but it's minor) and relies more on a sneaky technique than vast mechanics. This is very workable and very well done.

I could say that about all aspects of "Collard". Archer really outdid himself with this one. With the premise, he's made a version of "Medallion" that can be performed for a variety of audiences and get great reactions from them all. This is really great work.

Just a couple or three caveats to get the whole picture of what you're getting.

First up, you've got to supply most of the stuff you'll need. With the package, you get the gimmicks and all, but you'll need to get your own toy dog, a note pad (nothing special here -- any pad will work and I found myself using a simple steno pad), and a collar (you're supplied with the name tag, but you'll have to pick up the collar separately). Also, one part of the gimmicks requires a certain something that will need to be replenished from time to time -- I checked and there are a number of sources for it so that's no problem there.

Second, this is really designed for platform work (or what is sometimes called "cabaret"). Yes, it could conceivably be done close-up, but that's really stretching it, I think. Best save this one for the times when you've got a number of people and the space from them to do this one right.

Third, the directions are heavy on workings and light on presentation. You'll definitely need to roll your own with "Collard". To see how Archer does it, just check out on of the performance videos online; it's good for several ideas.

All in all, this is a great piece of entertainment. It's fun, engaging, and different. What more could you ask for?

For someone looking for a big of mental magic, this is a wonderful piece to have.

"Collard" by John Archer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
This is a platform piece needing more than a few spectators to pull off. Otherwise, this is about as practical as it gets with a quick, painless set-up, small real estate needs (the stuffed animal will probably take up more room than anything else) and easy handling; there's nothing to worry about with this one.

Workmanship: 10
Everything's extremely well-made here and should last for a long time. There is a "certain something" that needs replacing, but there are numerous sources for it. You'll need to find you own toy dog, as well as a notepad and collar (you're supplied with the tag, but not the collar itself).

Documentation: 7
Archer did a good job with the instructions, though a bit more detail about the presentation would have been nice.

Effect: 10
"The Koran Medallion" is one of those things that always plays big; "Collard" is no exception. It might even be getting better reactions because of the premise.

Presentation: 10
It's about the comedy and the audience interaction here. Archer gets major kudos for making this funny and engaging at the same time. It's a great presentational idea that pays off handsomely.


Shane