The Cardwarp Tour
Pierce, Jeff
Jeff Pierce
The Original Cardwarp routine created by Roy Walton.
An unpublished Cardwarp idea by Roy Walton.
Two essays on routining and what not to do.
Ten scripts to adapt to your Cardwarp routine.
Twenty Five routines using, cards, bills and business cards.
Over 400 illustrations guide you through the routines.
A reference section to help you find other ideas in print.
"I'd buy two books so you can fold one in half lengthwise and one in half widthwise...you get the idea!"
- David Acer, Magician and Author
"Few concepts in card magic are this simple or robust. The possibilities that arise from simply folding a card has created its own genre of visual, topological impossibilities. Beautifully researched and presented; surely something here will become a personal favorite."
- Michael Ammar, Magician and Author
Pages: 192 - 8.5" x 11" - Hardcover - Black and white illustrations
Reviews
(Top ▲)
At the risk of being burned at the stake for heresy, let me go on record by saying that I don't perform Cardwarp, and I don't even like the effect. But a loyal reader (crossing my fingers), you should know by now that my opinion of the effect is pretty much irrelevant when it comes to my final star rating. With that said, let's dive in.
Overview
The book is a solid 8x11 hardbound book. It's well made, and chock full of clear and easy illustrations in abundance. Take a look at the sample pages.
You'll see the table of contents which is huge, followed by some excerpts from the book showing you how the book is laid out and written. As you can see it's very well put together and full of tons of material. The original manuscript by Roy Walton is included in the book, followed by just about every variation, idea, script, essay, and thought in general on the subject. There are variations that don't use playing cards at all. In fact, there are actually some scripts and variations that I, myself, the anti-Cardwarp, have considered adding to my own repertoire.
Final Thoughts
There's not a whole lot to say. Read the table of contents to see what's there. If you've ever considered doing Cardwarp or have been doing it for years, you will be extremely happy with your purchase. It's worth every penny. If you're a card person at all, this is a must have. Even if you're not planning on doing this effect, there is a ton of great ideas that could be applied to other routines. Further, for all you collectors out there, this is a great addition as well. Having just about everything Cardwarp all in one place is priceless.
Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of Total GEM!
(Top ▲)
To put this in perspective, if I had paid the asking price for this book when I learned just the original effect ten years ago, it would have been a minor investment in comparison to the use I’ve gotten out of it, and reactions I’ve gotten with it. All the other promises in the copy are delivered on a silver platter, making this a steal.
My one issue is with the twenty five ‘variations’ included. While as clever some of the effects and methods are, they tend to be watered down versions of the beautiful, simple original. Some of them require gaffs, and why someone would add a gaff to a such beautiful effect and method is a little confusing to me. Especially when the end result isn’t as amazing, clean, or deceptive as the original.
That said, someone who is NOT a performer, and simply a collector of methods and variations will probably get the most value from this part of the book.
Performers will definitely get the most use out of the first part of this book. There is wonderful information, tips, and ideas throughout. There is a wonderful idea of how to get into the effect by Darwin Ortiz that is especially suitable for table hopping, and a nice presentation by Alain Nu that takes the pieces left at the end of the effect and transforms them into a mini origami gift for the spectator.
No matter what your skill level is, or whether you are a professional or amateur, or whether you know Card Warp already, or would like to learn it, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone, and is worth having on your shelf.