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Cannibal Cards
Cannibal Cards is a classic plot in card magic developed by Lin Searles, marketed in 1959, where cards disappear when sandwiched between other cards (that is, they are "eaten" by the "cannibal" cards.) The original routine uses gimmicked cards, which eat various small objects (such as a paper clip) in addition to other cards.
Later, magicians began developing sleight of hand versions. The prototypical version first published with credit to Matt Corin in Kabbala #1 (1971).
In a footnote within The Legendary Kabbala (1998), Racherbaumer cites that Corin learned this routine from Sam Schwartz, who at the time had not yet published it. Fulves eventually published it as "A.E.-I.O.U" in Epilogue #14 (March - 1972). Corin demonstrated it to Racherbaumer during the I.B.M. Convention in 1971 and it was subsequently published in Kabbala.
Wesley James, however, claims that he demonstrated his creation to Matt Corin before it was published in Kabbala. (See James' "The Magical Record and Thoughts" or Epilogue Special No. 4, 1976)
Roy Walton recognized that Alex Elmsley's "Repulsive Aces" could be used to perform Cannibal Cards. See page 229-233 in The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley, Vol. 1 (1991)
Publications
- The Devil's Playthings by Roy Walton (1969).
- Matt Corin in Kabbala #1 (1971).
- Sam Schwartz "A.E.-I.O.U" in Epilogue #14 (March - 1972),
- Bob Stencel's in Pallbearers Review December 1972.
- Ed Marlo in Linking Ring Vol. 55, No. 02, feb, 1975, p. 73.
- Cannibal Cards by Wesley James (which includes Bob Fitch idea of also vanishing a coin from between two cards) in Epilogue Special No. 4 (1976).
- Elmsley's Cannibals in Epilogue Special No. 4 (1976).
- The Ascanio Spread (book) (1976) written by Jon Racherbaumer.
- Cannibal Act by Walt Lees (1981)
- Drawing Room Deceptions by Guy Hollingworth (1999).
- Cardivore by Jay Sankey in DVD Revolutionary Card Magic (2004).
- Jean-Jacques Sanvert did a version for his FISM act. See The Lost Pages of Kabbala by Jon Racherbaumer, page 47, Cannibals French Style, 1981.