Help us get to over 8,753 articles in 2024.
If you know of a magician not listed in MagicPedia, start a New Biography for them. Contact us at magicpediahelp@gmail.com
Karl Fulves
Karl Fulves | |
![]() | |
Born | Carl A. Fulves July 27, 1938 New Rochelle, NY |
---|---|
Died | February 16, 2023 (age 84) Hackensack, New Jersey |
Categories | Books by Karl Fulves |
Karl Fulves (b.1938-d.2023) taught thousands of beginners, young and old, to perform remarkable feats of sleight of hand through the books he has published (as Gutenberg Press), especially with his "Self-Working" series he did for the general public, published by Dover Books.
Biography
Fulves (pronounced full-ves) lived in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and was a private person who repeatedly turned down all requests for interviews. There is not much known about him other than his incredible output of magic literature.
Karl Fulves was married to his wife Jean with whom he had three children.
One of the most prolific writing magician of the 20th century, Matthew Field gave a detailed presentation on the "Collector's Day" in London in 2012, listing almost all publications.
Fulves used over 30 different pen names throughout his works, especially in magazines, which have included: Ralph Gironda, Robert Hess, Fred Lessor, Glen Kehler, Gray Leese, Peter Alexis, Francis J. Baker, Alan Brown, Ben Christopher, B. Jordan.
Awards
- Literary Fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts.
Force Books
Fulves wrote a science fiction book, published in paperback in 1976 called "Aftermath: Stories From the Rigel War", which he also created as a Force Book.[1] There were two versions of this science fiction book. The first was a typed manuscript offered for a limited time, the second is the paperback version.[2]
Fulves produced another force book for magician Sam Schwartz called "Astrology, The Hidden Force, sometimes called Incredi-book" (1983). Released as a hardback set, it was dedicated to astrology, and used branching anagrams. It came with two books with different covers, one a black cover, the other a red cover.[3]
Periodicals
Karl Fulves took over The New Phoenix magazine from Don Tanner. He published three more issues and then at issue 400 in October 1965 stated "The bird will be fondly laid to rest." He then started a new magazine called The Pallbearers Review which continued until 1975.
He also started another periodical called Epilogue from 1967 until 1976.
In 1970, Joseph K. Schmidt submitted to Fulves a rope trick complete with illustrations. The contribution was published in Volume 5, Issue #10 of Pallbearers. Fulves was very impressed with Schmidt's artistic abilities and, coincidentally, was looking for an artist to illustrate some of the lengthier routines. He asked Schmidt to illustrate an effect called Canterbury Cups and Schmidt agreed. Fulves and Schmidt's relationship grew and it continues to this day. Fulves was the first person to refer to Schmidt as an "artist". Schmidt has illustrated over 75 books, manuscripts and booklets for Fulves, including Swindle Sheet, Cheat Sheet. Rigmarole, and Verbatim.
Shortly after concluding Pallbearers and Epilogue he announced the birth of a new periodical, The Chronicles Limited to 36 issues, The Chronicles took from 1978 to 1988 to complete, and during those ten years, some of the finest close-up magic of the period was explained in its pages.
Fulves published many more periodicals over the years including Charlatan, Underworld, Fine Print, Interlocutor, and Midnight Magic Monthly.
Midnight Magic Monthly (15 issues, only one complete file is known to exist) was a periodical by Karl Fulves that ran from 1959 until 1960. According to Karl Fulves who writes in the index,"The first thirteen issues were written in order and the Fall and Winter Extra's followed." The index was last to follow. It should be noted that the original title was "Midnight Magic Magazine" and the first seven issues are named as such. Beginning with issue eight, the "Midnight Magic Monthly" title began.
List of periodicals published by Karl Fulves.
Alfredson/Daily ... Fernandes number, title, year of publication and number of issues in a complete file:
- 4850...Midnight Magic Monthly 1959-1960 13+2 issues
- 3262...Lamplighter (with Jim Sarles) 1963-1964(?) 7(?) issues
- 5510...Pallbearers Review original series ?-1965 22 issues
- 5515...Pallbearers Review 1965-1975 120 issues
- 5180...New Phoenix 1965 4 issues 397-400
- 2130...Epilogue 1967-1975 25 issues
- 2955...Interlocutor 1975-1988 52 issues
- 1580...Chronicles 1978-1988 36 issues
- 5335...Notebooks no information available
- 6055...S-C Contemporary Money Magic 1985 7 issues
- 15505..Charlatan 1999 - 2003 10 issues
- 15550..Cheat Sheet 1990-1992 10 issues
- 19657..Discoverie 1999 - 2003 10 issues
- 65703..Swindle Sheet 1990-1992 10 issues
- 29505..Interim Report 1993 1 issue
- 58955..Rigmarole 1993-1994 10 issues
- 69800..Verbatim 1993-1994 10 issues
- 69206..Underworld 1995-1999 10 issues
- 22102..Fine Print The 1995-1999 10 issues
- 32627..Latter Day Secrets 1999 - 2003 10 issues
- XXXXX..Off The Books 2000-2003 10 issues
- XXXXX..Prolix 2006-2013 10 issues to date
- XXXXX..Xtra Credit 2006-2013 10 issues to date
- XXXXX..The Lowdown 2016-? (10 issues plus 10 supplements expected)
Fulves has announced in the final issue of Prolix that there will be a new periodical issued with an estimated 20 pages per issue. This new periodical is called The Lowdown. There will be 10 issues plus 10 supplements. The material was written in 2013, printed in 2015, and began being distributed in 2016.[4]
Publications
Most of the titles are published by himself under his own name or Gutenberg Press
Title | Date | Pages |
---|---|---|
13 Prophets | 1996 | 60 |
28 Card Tricks | 1991 | 64 |
A History of the Brainwave Principle | 1983 | 100 |
Ace Machine | 1963 | 6 |
A Die of Another Color- Martin Gardner | 1995 | 40 |
After Jordan | 1983 | 12 |
And a Packet of Cards | 1989 | 60 |
Animation (Workshop #1) | 1979 | 12 |
Big Book of Magic Tricks (reprint of The Magic Book) | 1994 | 196 |
Binary Count Notes | 1969 | ? |
Blocking Off | ? | |
Bob Hummer's Collected Secrets | 1980 | 106 |
Bob Ostin's New Submarine Card | 1983 | 40 |
Calculator Tricks | 1998 | 130 |
Card Counting | 1982 | 48 |
Card Under Glass | 1979 | 24 |
Cards #1 Four-card Brainwave | 1978 | 20 |
Cards #2 51 Faces North | 1978 | 24 |
Cards #3 Interlock | 1980 | 72 |
Cards #4 Side Steal | 1981 | 60 |
Cards #5 The Multiple Shift | 1989 | 48 |
Charles Jordan's Best Card Tricks | 1992 | 252 |
Charles T. Jordan Collected Tricks | 1975 | 315 |
Clockwork: Approaches to Card Counting | 2005 | 75 |
Close-up Mental Magic | 1974 | 55 |
Color Capture | 1986 | 30 |
Color Quick | 1980 | 50 |
Combo | 1998 | 55 |
Combo II | 2005 | 125 |
Command Colors | 1997 | 22 |
Contemporary Handkerchief Magic, part 1 | 1987 | 30 |
Contemporary Handkerchief Magic, part 2 | 1987 | 28 |
Contemporary Rope Magic, part 1 | 1986 | 28 |
Contemporary Rope Magic, part 2 | 1986 | 28 |
Contemporary Rope Magic, part 3 | 1986 | 28 |
Confessions of a Psychic by Uriah Fuller (pen name of Martin Gardner) | 1975 | 37 |
Covenant | 1987 | 29 |
Crooked Tales | 1994 | 129 |
Cryptology | 1979 | 24 |
Curioser | 1980 | 61 |
Deceptive Practices | 1992 | 83 |
Day for Any Date- Sam Schwartz | 1997 | 43 |
Deceptive Practices, Supplement | 1992 | 28 |
Downs on Malini | 11 | |
NSOM : Dr Ken Krenzel's Incredible Card Tunnel | 1975 | 6 |
Easy to do card tricks for children | 1989 | 47 |
Easy to do magic tricks for children | 1974 | 90 |
Ellis Stanyon's Best Card Tricks | 1999 | 313 |
Epilogue | 1993 | 312 |
Faro and Riffle Technique | 1976 | 90 |
Faro and Riffle Technique- original xerox copy will be signed | 1969 | 46 |
Faro and Riffle Technique; Supplement 1 | 1970 | 10 |
Faro and Riffle Technique; Supplement 2 | 1970 | ? |
Faro and Riffle Technique; Supplement 3 | 1970 | ? |
Faro Possibilities | 1967 | 36 |
Four Color Problems | 1979 | 24 |
Fourcast | 1981 | 36 |
Fr. Cyprian's TV Card Rise | 1982 | 40 |
Further Confessions of a Psychic by Uriah Fuller (pen name of Martin Gardner) | 1980 | 69 |
Gambler's Third Lesson | 1979 | 16 |
Gene Finnell's Card Magic | 1973 | 76 |
Hardcore Aces | 1983 | 12 |
Hocus Poker | 1982 | 32 |
Hofzinser's Card Tricks | 2002 | 148 |
Hofzinser Notebook | 2003 | 87 |
Impromptu Holdouts | 1977 | 50 |
Impromptu Openers | 1979 | 8 |
Labyrinth | 1980 | 7 |
Magic with Cards and Cases No. 2: Inner Sanctum | 1979 | 48 |
Magic with Cards and Cases No. 1: Jack in the Box | 1979 | 24 |
Jacob Daley's Notebooks (transcr. Csuri)1st ed. HB no pagination | 1975 | 194 |
Jacob Daley's Notebooks (transcr. Csuri)HB with pagination | 1975 | 194 |
Jacob Daley's Notebooks (transcr. Csuri)comb bound | 1975 | 194 |
Kaleidoscope | 1989 | 50 |
Kannibal Kards | 1975 | 8 |
NSOM : Karl Fulves Technicolor Cards | 1974 | 6 |
The Magic Book | 1977 | 195 |
Methods with Cards, Part 1 | 1975 | 80 |
Methods with Cards, Part 2 | 1975 | 80 |
Methods with Cards, Part 3 | 1975 | 80 |
Mexican Monte | 1972 | 32 |
Milennium Aces | 1981 | 92 |
Money Moves | 1989 | 34 |
More Self-Working Card Tricks | 1984 | 136 |
Mutus Nomen | 1988 | 82 |
Neale's Trapdoor Card | 1983 | 12 |
New Card Rises | 1996 | 62 |
Notes from the Underground | 1973 | 61 |
Nyria Effect | 1979 | 24 |
Octet | 1981 | 76 |
Origins | 1981 | 56 |
Packet Switches (Part One) | 1973 | 56 |
Packet Switches (Part Two) | 1973 | 56 |
Packet Switches (Part Three) | 1977 | 76 |
Packet Switches (Part Four) | 1977 | 72 |
Packet Switches (Part Five) | 1977 | 70 |
The Pallbearers Review, Volume 1-4 | 1993 | 290 |
The Pallbearers Review, Volume 5-8 | 1993 | 390 |
The Pallbearers Review, Volume 9-12 | 1993 | 380 |
Parallel Lines | 1980 | 40 |
Principles of Riffle Shuffle Set-ups | 1968 | 30 |
Prototype | 1989 | 50 |
Punch out Puzzle Kit | 1982 | 24 |
Quick Card Tricks | 1989 | 50 |
Riffle Shuffle Control | 1979 | 23 |
Riffle Shuffle Controls Part Two: Blocking Off | 1996 | 206 |
Riffle Shuffle Methods | 1987 | 49 |
Riffle Shuffle Set-ups I | 1973 | 98 |
Riffle Shuffle Set-ups II | 1976 | 98 |
Riffle Shuffle Technique Preliminaries, Notes, Problems | 1971 | 22 |
Riffle Shuffle Technique Preliminary Notes, part 1 | 1972 | 22 |
Riffle Shuffle Technique, part 1 | 1973 | 12 |
Riffle Shuffle Technique Preliminary Notes, part 2 | 1973 | 60 |
Riffle Shuffle Technique, part 2 | 1975 | 12 |
Riffle Shuffle Technique, part 3 | 1984 | 92 |
Secret Session, part one | 1987 | 29 |
Secret Session, part two | 1987 | 28 |
Secret Session, part three | 1987 | 28 |
Self-Working Card Tricks | 1976 | 113 |
Self-Working Close-up Card Magic | 1995 | 120 |
Self-Working Coin Magic | 1989 | 136 |
Self-Working Handkerchief Magic | 1989 | 184 |
Self-Working Mental Magic | 1979 | 121 |
Self-Working Number Magic | 1982 | 145 |
Self-Working Paper Magic | 1985 | 147 |
Self-Working Rope Magic | 1990 | 148 |
Self-Working Table Magic | 1981 | 122 |
Setting up Exercises | 1995 | 111 |
Shape Changers | 1979 | 44 |
Shuffle off | 1983 | 12 |
Six Impromptu Card Tricks | 1982 | 48 |
Swindle & Cheat - a collection of nontransitive games | 1991 | 71 |
Teleportation Notes | 1969 | 8 |
Teleportation Notes | 1979 | 24 |
The Best of Slydini ... and More, vol 1 (text) | 1976 | 108 |
The Best of Slydini ... and More, vol 2 (photos) | 1976 | 126 |
The Book of Numbers | 1971 | 47 |
The Book of Numbers, Supplementary Notes | 1971 | 19 |
The Children's Magic Kit | 1980 | 16+16 |
The Magic of Slydini and More, vol 1 (text) | 1976 | 108 |
The Magic of Slydini and More, vol 2 (photos) | 1976 | 126 |
The Magic Thrust | 2001 | 46 |
The Magical World of Slydini, vol 1 (text) | 1979 | 101 |
The Magical World of Slydini, vol 2 (photos) | 1979 | 176 |
The Noir Test | 1998 | 26 |
The Return Trip | 1986 | 39 |
The Shamrock Code & the Parallel Principle | 1979 | 48 |
Topological False Count (Workshop #2) | 1979 | 18 |
Transpo Trix | 1978 | 80 |
Trick with Dice | 1970 | 26 |
Under Tension Tricks With Rubber-Banded Decks | 2004 | 101 |
Vampire Chronicles | 1997 | 92 |
Vampire Papers | 1997 | 45 |
When Psychics Play Poker | 2004 | 63 |
Wireless II | 1982 | 48 |
Word Play | 2007 | 71 |
Worknotes on Brainwave | 1983 | 20 |
Contributions
New Stars of Magic manuscripts
Fulves also wrote the text for a number of the New Stars of Magic manuscripts, including Chris Capehart's 3-Ring Routine, Joe de Stefano's Chinatown Poker, Max Londono's Eternal String, Metalogic (Fred Baumann) and David Roth Okito Box routine.
Abra magazine
Contributions to Abra (from Andi Gladwin's post on the Clog):
- A Hofzinser Variation - 1st March, 1969. Volume 47, Number 1205. Page 140
A variant of Hofzinser’s Remeber & Forget effect. In this handling three people each select a card. The first person is then asked to pick another card and decide which of the two they’d like to keep. They then hand their discard to the next participant, who decides whether to keep that or his first selection. That discard is passed to the next person, who is asked to make the same decision. Karl then names all three selections. While the effect is certainly simple in method I’m considering adding it to my repertoire as I’m sure that it would absolutely fry any audience.
- Think-A-Card - 16th March, 1974. Volume 57, Number 1468. Page 210
Instructions for how to make a pretty detailed gimmicked deck. It’s similar to the Ultra Mental deck, but with the cards separated at the start. This allows you to place a odd-backed card into the deck (without anyone seeing its face) and have someone think of one of the cards from a spread. Then, you show that the named card is actually the odd-backed card.
- Kings Row - 30th March, 1974. Volume 57, Number 1470. Page 261
A basic Sandwich routine using two black Kings. Fulves also suggests a challenge to the reader that you might like to experiment with: “As a problem the reader may wish to solve, this basic effect can be elaborated upon as follows: the red Kings and the black Kings are shown separately. One of two chosen cards ends up between the red Kings. The other chosen card then ends up between the black Kings.”
- That’s Odd - 27th April, 1974. Volume 57, Number 1474. Page 330
An fun transposition routine where someone on your left is given two odd value cards and someone on your right two even value cards. The two odd cards are placed into the card box and are caused to transpose with the even cards. When the participants check the card box for extra cards they just find the words, “That’s odd” written on the case!
- Restoration - 22nd June, 1974. Volume 57, Number 1482. Page 490
A weird and original effect using two borrowed playing cards and two clear plastic sheets. A card, say the Four of Spades is cut into quarters and placed on top of one of the plastic sheets. Another card, say the Seven of Spades, is placed on top of the quarters and then the other plastic sheet is placed on top of that. The condition of the cards is then caused to swap: so the Seven of Spades is now the cut card and the four is shown to be completed restored.
References
![]() |
This page incorporated content from Karl Fulves,
a page hosted on Wikipedia. Please consult the history of the original page to see a list of its authors. Therefor, this article is also available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License |