The Complete Mojo by Wesley James

Between November 2006 and October 2007, Wesley James, a revered figure in the underground magic scene, published 12 issues of an e-zine showcasing some of the most intricate close-up magic ever documented. His signature detailed style brings each effect to life.

Initially priced at $10 per issue or $100 for a subscription, the entire e-zine collection has now been reformatted into a single PDF volume at a more accessible price.

This comprehensive volume spans over 250 illustrated pages, complete with an index and a detailed table of contents. It features contributions from more than a dozen creators, including a full issue dedicated to Sol Stone, and includes over 60 effects and sleights involving cards, coins, and various objects, alongside insightful essays and tutorials.

The material ranges in difficulty, with some effects being technically challenging while others are more straightforward. However, the notion of self-working magic is a myth; all magic requires practice and presentation to resonate with real audiences. Every effect in this collection is practical and thoroughly explained, making it ideal for dedicated students of close-up magic.

Here’s a list of featured items (those without a creator name are by Wesley James):

• 1-2-3 Rise
• 1-2-3-4 Rise
• 4 Story ElevAces
• Ace Producer Revisited (Randy Wakeman and Wesley James)
• Amazing Disposable Wallet (Laura Kruskol)
• Any Second Middle (Jack Diamond)
• AutoCraft (Carl Albright and Wesley James)
• Back Maker
• Beveled Whisper Bottom Deal
• Beveled Whisper Middle Deal
• Beveled Whisper Second Deal
• BRJ Tabled Shift (S. Reynolds and Wesley James)
• Chang Change (Tony Chang)
• Child’s Ancient International Box
• Crunch’em If You’ve Got’em (Sol Stone)
• Count-Revertable Aces
• Da Brooklyn 8ces
• Diamond Shift Stratagem (Jack Diamond)
• Domino Cards
• Drop Pass (Gordon Bruce)
• Eagles of Ishtar
• Etymology of Uppity
• Fake Reverse Reverse Redux
• Flight of Amelia
• Friedhoffer’s Ring Toss (Bob Friedhoffer)
• Funky Jazz Aces
• Half-Way Passed Malini
• H-Ace-tory
• I Think You Thunk
• I’ve Got a System (Carl Albright)
• Jack in the Box
• Jazz Transform
• May the Force Triumph With Ossip (Randy Wakeman and Wesley James)
• My Universal Card
• No Questions Asked II (Randy Wakeman)
• Nova Sight (Matt Sedlak and Wesley James)
• Olive Oil on the Side
• Original Stone Dice Routine (Sol Stone)
• Out of Sight Discernment
• Packet of Ten
• Poppy’s Playboy Prophecy
• Progressive Ladies
• Reset Meets Below Zero Minus None
• Reset Wild Card (N. Coughlin and Wesley James)
• Rubber Meets Houdini (Tom Gagnon)
• Slip Pop Knot
• S Collins meets Progressive Aces
• Ten Card Hold’em Deal
• They’re Never There
• Tiger in the Bush
• Tippler’s Flush
• Trans-Warp Transpo (Randy Wakeman)
• TreAce Sheik
• Two-phased Ace Producer
• Ungaffed B’Wave
• Viagran Cork (Sol Stone)
• Visible Twist
• Waterfall Blatancy
• Why Knot Your Knot (Sol Stone)
• You See, I’ll Remember

Here’s a closer look at the initial issues:

Mojo, Volume 1, Issue 1

Tippler’s Flush, by Wesley James — A prediction effect where a card is set aside, and black cards are mixed face-up and face-down. The prediction reveals the number of face-down cards, which turn out to be a Royal Flush.

Tiger in the Bush, by Wesley James — An impromptu effect using a borrowed deck where any card can be named, with the title serving as a clever presentational hook.

TreAce Sheik, by Wesley James — A twist on the Reset genre where the four aces magically transpose with the four kings.

Mojo, Volume 1, Issue 2

Ace Producer Revisited by Randy Wakeman and Wesley James — A streamlined approach to Marlo’s Ace Producer, featuring a simple setup and a simultaneous production of two final aces.

Funky Jazz Aces by Wesley James — A unique handling kept secret for 35 years, incorporating innovative presentational and technical elements.

Jazz Transform by Wesley James — A continuation of the Jazz Aces theme, culminating in a double kicker ending.

I Think, You Thunk by Wesley James — An effect where the performer divines three cards merely thought of by spectators, with insights on logical presentation.

Poppy’s Playboy Prophecy by Wesley James — A coin divination effect involving a spectator selecting a coin from a mixed collection, with the performer accurately predicting its denomination and date.

Mojo, Volume 1, Issue 3

Visible Twist, by Wesley James — A refined version of Hollingworth’s Waving the Aces, maintaining a clean upper-torso frame.

No Questions Asked II, by Randy Wakeman — A unique take on Marlo’s Amazing, Isn’t It?, exploring the ‘Think-a-card’ plot without asking questions until after the card is found.

Out of Sight Discernment, by Wesley James — Enhancements on Randy’s effect.

Nova Sight, by Matt Sedlak and Wesley James — A variation where four aces vanish and reappear in the magician’s hand during a poker deal.

I’ve Got A System, by Carl Albright — A presentation for John Kennedy’s Red Black, featuring multiple climactic reactions.