"Toasted" by Rodger Lovins
Suggested Retail USD$29.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Toasted", the latest effect by Rodger Lovins, is a quick and visual piece of card that packs it punch for spectators with something completely unexpected and will strike performers with its simplicity.

"Toasted" is simple to describe: a selected, signed card, lost in the deck, suddenly appears sticking out of the middle of the deck. And that, folks, is what is known as "underselling". Though that's exactly what the spectators see, that doesn't convey the clean handling, the level of surprise, or the great reactions "Toasted" gets from spectators. As card revelations go, "Toasted" is a great one.

I have to get this off my chest first, just so there's no misunderstanding. This may, technically, be a "rising card", but it's a mistake to think of it that way. True enough, the card rises from the center of the deck, but that's about the only thing that makes "Toasted" a "rising card". On the effect side, the action is so fast (the phrase "so quick its sudden" comes to mind) that the card seems to simply appear sticking out of the deck. No slow, graceful rising action here; this is more of a flinch-inducing appearance. When it comes to working, the usual niceties one looks for in "rising card" variants -- control of the speed of the action, a graceful, smooth rise, and the like -- aren't to be found in "Toasted".

That's because it's not a "rising card". It's an appearance. A devastating, quick, visual appearance that makes for a great card effect.

So, with that out of the way, let's look at what "Toasted" is (well, as much as we can without tipping everything).

First, "Toasted" consists of a couple of small gimmicks you put into your own Bicycle deck. Once there, "Toasted" is ready to go. The deck isn't hampered by the gimmicks; the deck is free for a wide variety of other effects, though you'll have to exercise a bit of care in the handling. Since you're not dealing with a huge gimmick here, you'll probably find it just as easy to simply add and steal the gimmicks as you want.

Second, "Toasted" is extremely easy to do. Since there are no forces to worry with or difficult controls to fret about, I'm almost tempted to say if you can spread a deck of cards and cut the deck "Toasted" is easily within your grasp. It really is close to being that easy.

Third, this is about as surprising a card appearance as you could ask for and it plays big. When that selected and signed card appears from out of nowhere, spectators stand a good chance of being stunned. Whatever they're expecting when you hold the deck up and have them think of their card, it suddenly sticking out of the top of the deck doesn't seem to be it.

Last, and probably the big reason I'm in love with this one, is that it is simply an appearance and an easy one to do. That means there's a lot of flexibility here, plot-wise. Done as Lovins suggests, it's startling and worth every penny; put it into your favorite card plots and things get really weird, and personal, and worth a fortune. Me, I do it as part of a "Triumph" climax, but imagine it as a piece of a transposition or a teleportation for that matter. Apply a little thought and you may find yourself packing "Toasted" every time you head out the door.

For my money, "Toasted" is an simply excellent piece of work. Simple, startling, and flexible, it's a great product to add to any card workers bag of tricks.

"Toasted" by Rodger Lovins
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
Throw the gimmicks into your matching Bicycle deck and you're ready to go. With instant resets and no forces, repeating this one is a breeze. The deck itself can be used for other things, but you'll need to exercise a bit of care in the handling so as not to tip the gimmicks early.

Workmanship: 10
Lovins always does exceptional craftwork and this is no exception. Well-designed and well-constructed, this one is built to last.

Documentation: 10
Lovins' documentation is easy to follow and covers all the bases; you'll have no problem learning this one.

Effect: 10
This one gets their attention and gets it good. With a clean handling and a powerful appearance, this one gets the reactions.

Presentation: 10
With a cleanliness to die for, with no forces or fidgety handling anywhere near it, and a spectacular visual appearance, this one gets high marks for being just plain impossible.

Shane

Available direct from your favorite dealer. Dealers, please contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-853-7403 or visit Murphy's Magic Supplies website.