| INVISIBLE ZONE |
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 When Lubor Fiedler decided to create a product idea for Tenyo, he undertook the challenge of creating a trick that uses everyday objects. The object he selected was a ballpoint pen. He started by applying an old magic principle to a pen, and worked on a penetration effect in which the pen would pass through some object. Later, he developed the idea of making the tip of the pen protrude from the opposite side of the object, and approached the format of the trick which was eventually released. Since Lubor has an intense interest in applying "transparency" or "the inability to see certain things" to magic tricks, the theme of the trick was changed at this stage from a "penetration effect" to "a space in which items become invisible."
The theme of making the center of a pen invisible is unique, but the element of this trick that leaves a strong impression is the spring that appears inside the case. Not only does the spring increase the effectiveness of the illusion, but it also serves as psychological misdirection that makes spectators think that the spring might somehow be a necessary element. Once he conceived of the spring idea, this product was completed. In Lubor's original prototype, it was necessary to connect the pen to the gimmick once the pen entered the case. However, Tenyo staff member Shigeru Sugawara replaced this with a mechanism that merely requires the pen to be inserted and removed, without having to be connected to the gimmick. This was added to the unit, and made the trick easier to perform. The title of this product was decided after sending numerous faxes back and forth between Tokyo and Spittal, Austria.
Created by: Lubor Fiedler (1995)
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| EYE OF THE IDOL |
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 This effect started with the discovery of a material that possesses a special movement. When Tomoyuki Shimomura happened to realize that this movement could be controlled, he worked to combine this principle with the perfect effect. In his files, he already had the idea of using moai statues as the theme of a magic effect, so he immediately matched this to the principle that he had discovered. After seeing this trick performed, Tony Spina of Tannen's Magic in New York went out of his way to write a letter to Shimomura, offering his highest praise.
Created by: Tomoyuki Shimomura (1995)
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| SQUEEZE PLAY |
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 Years ago, Tenyo released a game product called "Mental Game." This product included ring-shaped pieces that had been punched out of a plastic sheet, so in the factory, there were many plastic disks that had been punched out and discarded as waste. Sugawara thought that he might be able to use these disks for something, so he brought some back to the office where he placed them on his desk. He happened to have some dice on his desk, which led him to think that it might be possible to sandwich a die between two disks, and to make the die penetrate through them. He left two disks on his desk, with a die sandwiched between them. As he stood to get up from his desk, he happened to place his hand on top of the upper disk. When he did so, the die that had been inside was propelled out from between the two disks. This led to the idea that ultimately became "Squeeze Play." American magician Mark Wilson was in Japan when this trick was first released. Wilson loved this trick, and was in fact the person who gave the trick its name. |
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| THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS |
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 Tomoyuki Shimomura had an idea which allowed a spectator to freely select one card from a group of cards, place the cards into a case, and then tip the case until all of the cards fell out - except for the selected card. However, this effect is not inherently interesting, so he began to think about the presentation - what kind of cards could they be, and what could the case represent? His first prototype used cards that contained the pictures of various cocktails, and the case had a picture of a cocktail shaker. In this presentation, the spectator would choose a cocktail, and the cards would be placed into the case. The magician then shook the case up, and tipped the cards out. The selected cocktail card remained in the case.
The presentational concept of shaking the case prior to tipping the cards out was amusing, and he was ready to consider this item completed. However, the alcohol-related theme limited this trick to be purchased only by adults, so production of this item was delayed. Shimomura eventually changed the presentation to a "mystery" theme. The performance is now concerned with catching a "criminal" card, which has a more general appeal, allowing us to wrap up the development of this item.
Created by: Tomoyuki Shimomura (1996)
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| PHANTOMA |
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 The classic "Haunted Hank" gets a great reaction, and has continued to sell well for many, many years. We have always wanted to develop this into a Tenyo product. We did not want to release this trick as-is, but rather we desired to add something that would increase the impact it has upon the audience. We continued our consideration of this trick, but realized that the "Haunted Hank" gimmick is so complete that it leaves virtually no room for improvements. The only thing left to do was to combine this gimmick with another item. Tomoyuki Shimomura eventually hit upon the idea of sound to really sell the "ghost" presentation. Then, he took a hint from the "rattle box" gimmick used in coin magic, to complete the development of PHANTOMA.
Created by: Tomoyuki Shimomura (1996)
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