Linking Cards

Linking Cards is a plot popularized by Paul Harris wherein the centers of two or more cards are torn out, then the resulting card rings are made to link and unlink à la Linking Rings.

Published Versions

• (1977) Cardboard Connection by Paul Harris published by Chuck Martinez as a one-trick manuscript. Reprinted in The Art of Astonishment, Book 2 (Harris, 1996). Done impromptu from any deck of cards

• (1978) The Crabtree Connection by Roger Crabtree. A variation of Paul Harris' Cardboard Connection utilizing an alternate gaff, published by Supreme Magic Co. as a one-trick manuscript.

• (1979) The Complete Card Linking by Sixten Beme. The first linking-card routine where the cards end up genuinely linked and examinable. Published by El Duco.

• (1979) The Best Gosh-Darn Impromptu Linking Card Effect You'll Ever See, by Harry Lorayne. Published in Quantum Leaps (Lorayne, 1979).

• (1980) Ed Marlo's Linked Card Routine, published in Don England's T.K.O.s written by John Mendoza.

• (1983) The Immaculate Connection, by Paul Harris, published in the New Stars of Magic series (Vol. 2, #1). An impromptu method using three cards (as opposed to two), thus allowing for a wider variety of "links." Performed by David Copperfield on national television shortly after its publication. Reprinted in The Art of Astonishment, Book 2 (Harris, 1996).

• (1983) Chain of Thought by Michael Weber, a one-card linking effect published in Genii 1983 March.

• (1986) Boromian Link, by Terri Rogers. A version of The Immaculate Connection published as a one-trick manuscript (sold with sample cards) by Martin Breese. Does not require gaffs but isn't impromptu due to an exacting procedure for cutting out the centers of the cards. The advantage (some feel) is a more aesthetically pleasing linking and unlinking sequence.

• (1988) Linking Cardboard by Toru Suzuki. Published in New Magic of Japan (Kaufman & Goldstein, 1988). From the introduction (pg. 98) - " Instead of linking two playing cards together, the performer introduces four small squares of cardboard, each with a large hole cut out in the center. Despite the fact that there do not appear to be any slits, these four squares are magically linked together one at a time, then visually unlinked."

• (1993) Osmosis by Sylvain Mirouf. A four-phase linking-card routine using only two cards that employs The Immaculate Connection as its jumping-off point, but quickly veers into more topological areas. First published in France as a one-trick manuscript, then later reprinted in The Art of Astonishment, Book 2 (Harris, 1996).

• (1996) One Card Link by Sixten Beme, distributed by El Duco. The center of one card is torn out and discarded, then, from the remaining card frame, a new inner frame is torn out, whereupon the resulting card ring is linked to the card frame.

• (2006) Hypercards by Andrew Mayne. Impromptu two-card method released as a one-trick DVD. Distinct from other impromptu methods in that the two cards never actually link, though the illusion of their being linked is perfect.

• (2008) One Card Link by Ben Williams. A non-impromptu, one-card linking-card effect wherein the center of a single card is torn out, then the center of the excised piece is torn out, whereupon the resulting ring is magically linked to the card frame. The linked pieces can then be given away as a souvenir.

Other Variations

• DVD The Linkage by Sean Fields (2004)
• Smoke Rings by David Forrest (uses one card) (2005)
• DVD Klink by Kris Nevling (2008)

Notes

Karl Fulves' in Interlocutor-27, "In 1972 I published a simple method for linking two cards. It used two cards and no gimmicks."

Karl Fulves' in Interlocutor-35 (1980?), "Years ago I published in Pallbearers Review a principle that I used to do the then-unknown linking card trick."