Difference between revisions of "Fusion"

Revision as of 20:19, 18 May 2016

Fusion is a Topological Card Magic effect in which two signed cards magically merge to form one card which became popular when Doc Eason marketed it as Anniversary Waltz in 1994.

There are basically three versions: the two cards become fused either back-to-face (ordinary looking card), face-to-face (double backer) or back-to-back (double facer).

Wesley James claims to have developed this plot in 1965 and was performing the effect in the 1970s. James' effect is first mentioned in Peter Samelson's book, Theatrical Close-up (1984) but did not publish the actual effect called Forgery until his Stop Fooling Us! lecture notes (1989).

Publications

• Joint Signature by J.G. Thompson, Jr. in The Pallbearers Review (October, 1970) - two signatures appearing on the same card, although presented as a transposition rather then as a fusion of two cards. (back to face)

• Fuzed Cards, marketed trick by Ben Braude (1971) (set of pips and color superimposed on one card)

• Three Way Illusion - The Second Climax by Edward Marlo in Marlo's Magazine, Vol. 2, page 316 (1977) (face to face).

• Fusion by Richard Kaufman, Gene Maze, and David Arthur in CardWorks (1981) - Two cards become fused together forming a double backer and then is separated back into two cards. (face to face)

• The Beast With Two Backs by Paul Harris and Looy Simonoff in Close Up Fantasies Finale (1981) - a prediction card matches spectator's two cards, then after being placed face to face, melt together forming double-backed card. (face to face)

• Signa-Fusion by Meir Yedid in Incredible Close-Up Magic (1982) - one person signs the back of one card, a second person sign the face of another card, then the two cards fused together as one between their palms. (back to face)

• Atomic Fusion marketed by Tom Ogden and Marshall Ellenstein (1982) - Special cards with pictures of an atom on them are used. One spectator signs one card and a second card is signed by another spectator. The magician performs "fision" and the signatures end up on the very same card.

• Soudure (Soldering) by Christian Chelman in the French Mad Magic ( magazine from Jean Merlin and James Hodges) no. 45 (May 1983). Later republished in Chelmania. (back to back)

• Hotfoot by Jay Sankey in Sankey Pankey (1986) - a double facer handling of the fusion plot is used as a kicker to a dual Ambitious Card routine. (back to back)

• Forgery by Wesley James in Stop Fooling Us! Lecture Notes (1989) - a back to face card version of the fusion routine which he says he developed in 1965 and was performing in the 1970s. (back to face)

• Cold Fusion by Christopher Carter in The Linking Ring (September, 1990) - two signed face cards become fused together. (back to back)

• Joker "Con-Fusion", developed by Steve Michael Schieszer in 1990 (shown to Bill Deihl, the new owner of Sun Magic). Specialty cards printed by Haine's House of Cards.

• Anniversary Waltz by Doc Eason's - Popularized the fusion plot using Christopher Carter's Cold Fusion handling and his own (1994). (back to back)

• Bold Fusion by Darwin Ortiz in Cardshark (1995) - Two cards fuse together creating a double facer. (back to back)

• The Cincinnati Two-Face Blues by Paul Harris in The Art of Astonishment - Book 2 (1996) - impromptu fusion effect using the advertisement cards found in most packs of playing cards. (back to back)

• Sign Fuze by Brian Melchiorre in Card Magic: For The Serious Magician - DVD (2000) - A fully impromptu fusion effect where person selects and signs the face of one card, a second person selects and signs the back of another, then the magician pulls the signature off of one card and 'fuzes' it onto the other card. Each person opens their hand to reveal one card has no signature and the other has both. Everything can be examined. Multiple revisions have been published throughout 2000-2004 on Top Secret Vol. 1 DVD (2002) & The Magician's Arsenal (2004).

• Ultimate Fusion by Darwin Ortiz in Scams and Fantasies with Cards (2002) - Another version of the double facer fusion effect. (back to back)

• A Marriage of Cards Al Schneider in Genii 2005 October - his take on Anniversary Waltz where the spectator gets to freely choose both cards. (back to back)

Note: Marc DeSouza and Irv Furman may have published a back-to-back card fusion routine in the M.U.M. around 1985/86.

References

• Fusion Discussion on Genii Forum
• Running Man Credits from Tyler Wilson's one-man MAGIC mazgazine issue (January 2008).