Jerry Andrus was a renowned magician known for his incredible performances that left audiences in awe. His magical abilities were so extraordinary that he became famous for his optical illusions and mind-boggling tricks. One of his most famous tricks was the "impossible box." Andrus would present the audience with a small wooden box that seemed ordinary at first glance. However, he would then proceed to demonstrate the impossible by showing that the box had no top or bottom. It was a mind-bending illusion that left spectators scratching their heads in disbelief.
Books and lecture notes
A self-taught magician, Andrus preferred to develop his own style rather than learn the craft as traditionally handed down from other magicians, eventually becoming one of the best and most-influential close-up magic performers ever. Routines performed and explained Mylar Mystery A yellow spot on a piece of Mylar turns into a three-dimensional ball which is bounced, examined and then put back into the sheet to become a flat spot.
It was a mind-bending illusion that left spectators scratching their heads in disbelief. Another remarkable performance by Andrus was his "card manipulation." He would effortlessly manipulate playing cards, making them disappear and reappear in unexpected places.
Jerry Andrus magical performance
First, let me say that I am not making this post as an ad for a product, even though it does address a new multi-volume video download project I am working with Murphy’s Magic. It’s called “The Andrus Project.” This series will cover the material in Andrus Card Control; actually, the first time that Jerry’s card control approach will be covered in its entirety on video. We will cover chapter-by-chapter and move-by-move.
The first 3 vols have been released as of today with others being released about every two weeks as we move forward. There has been a great deal of positive feedback from magicians who have purchased the downloads. However, there has also been inquiries from magicians who are interested in purchasing the downloads but desire additional information. So, I thought I would make a post here, hopefully this is the right place, and try to address some of those inquiries as best I can.
One of Jerry’s strongest goals or desires in his life was than when he was gone, people would not forget about him or forget about his magic. For those of you who also knew Jerry personally, you most likely heard him express this repeatedly. As many of you know he passed in August, 2007 and now over a decade later, Jerry’s material is receiving a new release. Murphy’s Magic recently purchased the printing and publishing rights to Jerry’s material from Chazpro Magic. They had a desire to take on the monumental goal of preserving all of Jerry’s material, not only Andrus Card Control, on video for the magic community, thus honoring Jerry’s goal and desire.
I came to be involved in this project as a long-time friend and student of Jerry Andrus. I met Jerry in 1975 right before Andrus Card Control came out. Jerry was actually the magician who got me into magic those years ago. I lived in a little town in Oregon, called Albany, also Jerry’s home town. There were only five other active magicians in that little town besides Jerry. Dean Fox, Dwight Vance, who were adults, and three of us who were teenagers at the time. Jim Gamble, Rod Rodgers and myself.
We had the blessing and opportunity to learn Jerry’s material directly from Jerry himself. I know I spent countless weekday afternoons and Saturdays sitting in Jerry’s kitchen at a gray metal typewriter table learning from Jerry. So, when Murphy’s invited me to come onboard this project to teach Andrus Card Control in this series of videos; I was honored and thrilled to be able to contribute to fulfilling my old friend’s desire that he and his material would be remembered in the magic community.
So, there’s the impetus of how this project came into being and now I’ll try and address the inquires about the volumes released so far.
Volume 1: This really is the foundational volume as we cover the Diagonal Jog Push In Control, an hour and a half of in-depth teaching. This volume is needed to be able to follow the other volumes. The contents are:
• Intro
• CLIVOT Control
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - Master Move
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - At the Fingertips Version
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - Timed Version
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - Twizted Control
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - Bevel Control
• Misdirection and Movement Principles
• In-Jog Techniques
• Diagonal-Jog Techniques
• Side-Jog Techniques
• Personal Insights About Being Friends with Jerry Andrus
Volume 2: This volume completes the foundational moves for Andrus Card Control and introduces you to the first moves working with in-jog controls. The material covered is as follows:
• Intro
• Shifting the Angles Principle and Application
• Blocking Movement Principle
• Drift Shift Control
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - Multiple Cards (packet of 2-6 cards)
• Diagonal Jog Push-In Control - Multiple Cards (2-6 cards inserted into different parts of the deck)
• INJOGTO Move (in-jog turnover) Version 1
• INJOGTO Move (in-jog turnover) Version 2
• Gambler's Aces Routine - Demonstration and Explanation
• In-Jog Addition Control
• Clip Slip Control
• Clip Slip to Top or Bottom Versions
• Card-Tration Routine - Demonstration and Explanation (Card Through Handkerchief using the clip slip)
• Andrus at Halloween
Volume 3: (Just Released August 30, 2018) This volume covers the workhorse move of Jerry’s, the legendary Sidewinder Shift. As Jerry put it, “This is the move I use the most out of the others.” One additional note. I was able to obtain some rare footage of Jerry performing two of the routines taught on this volume at the Magic Castle. I thought it would be better to allow people to see the old master himself than my demonstrating them. The content is as follows:
• Intro
• Sidewinder Shift (book method)
• New Sidewinder Shift (Jerry's last version)
• Sidewinder Shift to Top of Bottom
• Sidewinder Shift with Multiple Cards
• Using Poker Sized Cards
• Card to Any Small Number Performance and Explanation
• Sidewinder Deal
• Tracker Jacks Explanation
• Sidewinder Clip
• Sidewinder Palm
• Sidewinder Shuffle (multiple card control)
• Sidewinder Turnover (reversal)
• Any Card Thought of to Any Number Thought of Performance and Explanation
• Conclusion
These volumes and those being released in the future are and will be available from your favorite online magic store. You can type “Andrus Card Control, John Redmon,” into almighty google and find numerous places that sell the downloads. Just for completeness sake, I am including two links. One to Penguin Magic and the other to Vanishing Inc. I do not have any affiliation with either, I simply know that these are well known distributors.
Well, that’s it gang. Hopefully, I have answered some questions and shared some information that will help you if you decide to pursue learning Andrus Card Control. If there are any other questions just send me a PM here on the Café and I will try my best to help.
Best Regards,
John
I came to be involved in this project as a long-time friend and student of Jerry Andrus. I met Jerry in 1975 right before Andrus Card Control came out. Jerry was actually the magician who got me into magic those years ago. I lived in a little town in Oregon, called Albany, also Jerry’s home town. There were only five other active magicians in that little town besides Jerry. Dean Fox, Dwight Vance, who were adults, and three of us who were teenagers at the time. Jim Gamble, Rod Rodgers and myself.
We had the blessing and opportunity to learn Jerry’s material directly from Jerry himself. I know I spent countless weekday afternoons and Saturdays sitting in Jerry’s kitchen at a gray metal typewriter table learning from Jerry. So, when Murphy’s invited me to come onboard this project to teach Andrus Card Control in this series of videos; I was honored and thrilled to be able to contribute to fulfilling my old friend’s desire that he and his material would be remembered in the magic community.
His skill and precision were so impeccable that it seemed as if the cards were moving on their own. Andrus also had a knack for mind reading. He would select a random member from the audience and correctly guess their chosen word or number, leaving them astonished. His ability to tap into the minds of his audience members was beyond explanation. Furthermore, Andrus was a master of misdirection. He would capture the audience's attention in one area, while seamlessly performing his tricks in another. This skill allowed him to create illusions that seemed impossible. Overall, Jerry Andrus was a true master of his craft. His magical performances were a testament to his creativity, skill, and ability to amaze audiences. Whether it was the "impossible box," card manipulation, or mind reading, Andrus had a way of leaving his spectators in awe of the impossible..
Reviews for "Unveiling the Genius of Jerry Andrus's Magical Performances"
- Sarah - 1 star - I was really disappointed with Jerry Andrus's magical performance. I found it to be very underwhelming and just not entertaining at all. The tricks he performed were predictable and lacked any wow factor. I was really hoping for a captivating and mind-blowing experience, but this was far from it. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time or money on his show.
- John - 2 stars - Jerry Andrus's magical performance left a lot to be desired. The tricks were not very impressive and seemed quite basic compared to other magicians I have seen. I was also disappointed with his stage presence and charisma. He seemed quite dull and unengaging throughout the show. Overall, I was not entertained and wouldn't go out of my way to see him perform again.
- Emily - 2 stars - I found Jerry Andrus's magical performance to be quite lackluster. The tricks he performed were not very original or innovative. It felt like I had seen them all before. Additionally, his delivery and stage presence were subpar. He lacked the charm and charisma that makes a magician captivating. I was not amazed or entertained by his show and wouldn't recommend it to others.