"Inked" by Jordan Johnson
Suggested Retail USD$24.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 4 Out of 10

"Inked", a DVD by Jordan Johnson, is one of those things that appears ready-made for the hobbyist or casual performer, but performers looking for a solid piece of commercial magic will avoid like the plague.

Why? The effect speaks to that directly:

A spectator takes a card and examines it. The performer rubs the card against his face and one of the pips vanish. The performer opens his mouth, turns the cheek out a bit, and seen tattooed to the inside of the cheek is the missing pip. The performer then makes a spitting action and the pip is seen back on the card and gone from inside the cheek.

Got it? Probably, I'm sure, but let me spell it out for you anyway because I just love to hear myself talk.

Are you going to do this one while strolling? You're at a party, you walk up to a group of people, and you at some point open your mouth wide and push part of your cheek out, then move your head back and forth so that anyone and everyone can see the small thing "tattooed" inside your cheek. Yeah, that sure spells class. Restaurant work? Yeah, doing that over someone's pork chop (or, heaven forbid, beouf wellington) will definitely win you points. Street (real street, not the "ambush" type)? Except for the fact that you'll spend more time trying to get everyone to see the mark in your mouth than with the trick itself, that might work.

With your friends? Family? Sure, that'd work. They're probably used to you doing some insane stuff every now and then.

But formal settings? Paying gigs? Well, let's put it this way: there's no way you'd catch me doing it. It's a bit too... intimate for those settings.

As to the trick itself, there's really not a whole lot here except for the theme: the cards are handled as you'd expect them to be and the gaff for the climax is what you'd likely come up with yourself if you bothered to think about it for a minute. For other practicality issues, this one doesn't have many: repeating it can be a bit of a problem, but the set-up and the reset are easy enough. You'll have to do a bit of craftwork (that will likely involve a run to Kinko's if you want to do it right with as little sweat as possible) but it's minor.

All in all, "Inked" isn't an awful trick. It's just too limited for folks looking for something to add to their professional acts because of the "taste" problem: I simply can't imagine anyone doing this in that kind of environment (or maybe I can, and that's really the scary part here).

My recommendation? If you're looking for something to shock your friends and startle your family, "Inked" will certainly do that. Wanting something to throw into your act? Pass on this one. Please.

"Inked" by Jordan Johnson
In a Blink: 4 Out of 10

Material: 4
Well, it is what it is -- a force here, a change there -- with little new except the theme, which has its own problems.

Practicality: 4
You throw the gaffs into the deck (and another one someplace else) and you're ready to go. But really the crippling problem here is where and when are you going to perform this one? If the answer is for your friends and family, then you'll have no problem.

Quality of Production: 4
The big problem here is the single-camera shoot from medium-close; there are times you can't see what Johnson is doing or talking about. You can work through it, of course, but still a bit of attention here would have been nice.

Quality of Instruction: 5
Johnson does an adequate job of teaching his effect. You'll have no problem getting the basics down.

Presentation: 5
It's all about the weirdness factor here, but unfortunately it's a weak idea for anyone but the casual practitioner.

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.