Today I've got what has to be one of the most, if not THE most unusual offering I have ever put out. The effect itself is very straight forward and couldn't possibly be easier to do, but the props and potential presentation possibilities make this piece beyond merely unusual. As such, this is easily one of the most memorable pieces in my repertoire and one that no one ever forgets.I have an entire act that I do (which, for the moment I am keeping under wraps) that is very disturbing and most definitely bizarre. It's baffling in every way and very unsettling for the audience. As such it plays extremely well for those who are into thriller and horror movies as well as lovers of horror literature, but is not even remotely limited just to that audience. Needless to say I do it quite a bit around the Halloween season, although I do it year round. The act actually started with a published routine by a good friend of mine. I combined some ideas of my own along with his basic routine and the act started to take shape. Over time it has morphed and evolved into something quite special and, as frequently happens, it is now almost unrecognizable from where it started.But the one aspect of that act that has remained unchanged over the years is what I have for you today. And while I use this as a part of a larger act, this works beautifully as a stand-alone piece, and I have decided to do a very limited release of it here.This piece started life as a casual, "I wonder what would happen if..." kind of moment a few years ago. It's based on an unusual and little known procedure that, to my knowledge, has never been applied in this way before. The end result is a hands off, worry free prediction that is decidedly unusual.As you will see, what I have for you today is a limited interest item. There will be many who read what follows and immediately say, "That's not for me." I completely understand that. There's nothing that is automatically for everyone. But I suspect there might be some who consciously pull away from what I have here. Again, I understand if that's the case. But I can assure you, given the proper framing and presentation, what I have here is not only very unusual, but entertaining, powerful and memorable.So, if you like your material to be potentially a bit dark, then this is for you. If you love Bizarre Magick (which I most definitely do!), then this is for you. If you have a somewhat twisted sense of humor, then this is for you. If you don't mind challenging your audiences a bit and taking things somewhat out of a 'standard magic comfort zone', this is for you. If you like having material that literally no one else is doing, this is for you. If you want to bring something to your performances that no one has ever seen before, this is for you.So, what in the world is it?odontologyodon•tol•o•gy | \ (.)ō-ˌdän-ˈtä-lə-jē1 : a science dealing with the teeth, their structure and development, and their diseases - Websters International DictionaryHyperdontia is the condition of having supernumerary teeth, or teeth that appear in addition to the regular number of teeth (32 in the average adult). They can appear in any area of the dental arch and can affect any dental organ. The scientific definition of hyperdontia is "any tooth or odontogenic structure that is formed from tooth germ in excess of usual number for any given region of the dental arch." The additional teeth, which may be few or many, can occur on any place in the dental arch. Their arrangement may be symmetrical or non-symmetrical. - WikipediaNo doubt you are now wondering, 'oh dear, what has Strivings done now?'It is with both excitement and a tiny bit of trepidation that I introduce you to…
Obsessive Odontology
by Mark Strivings
As my dear friend, the great Docc Hilford would say, this is weerd. And while he hasn't seen this yet, I know Docc would love it!(And, yes, that's how he spells it in this context)
Here's the basic effect.A small jar full of pulled teeth is introduced and a spectator is instructed to count them carefully. Meanwhile a second spectator is shown a diagram of human teeth (along with their corresponding tooth numbers) as used by dentists. With aid of a dental pick, four of those teeth are punctured. The corresponding numbers of those four randomly selected teeth are added together.That grand total matches the number of teeth in the jar!It's just that direct and clean.I know, this isn't your 'normal' prediction effect, nor should it be. This is a framework upon which to hang a deliciously memorable presentation that your audience will not soon forget.A few salient points to remember:Everything is done completely by your helpers.There is no sleight of hand.There are no hidden gimmicks.There is no secret writing.There are no formulas to remember.This is quite literally self working.Everything is 100% examinable.You will be able to do this three minutes after you read it.The props you receive with this outfit are magnificent. You receive all of the necessary 'teeth' that comprise your prediction. These are not the real thing, but they are indistinguishable from real teeth. They are gorgeous.
You also receive a translucent plastic jar in which to keep the teeth, along with a travel dental pick. In addition you also receive a master copy of the dental charts that are used, simply make as many copies as you wish and you are set. Pictured below is my personal set along with a close up of the teeth.One small note - in my personal set I use a clear glass jar to house the teeth (pictured above). It is somewhat fragile and easily broken. What I will be supplying in your set is a translucent plastic jar which is very resilient and virtually unbreakable. Plus it also has the benefit of not being completely transparent like glass. There is a reason why this is good.Awhile back I was performing this piece and had the jar on display pretty much right from the beginning of the act as I always do, and I realized that the objects inside, while certainly not being hidden in any way, are not easily discernible from more than a few inches away. For the first time since I put this piece together I actually had someone ask what was in the jar, right in the middle of the presentation. It kind of blew a hole right in the middle of things. In hindsight I realized that this thought was probably occurring in every performance and rather than listening to my words and the hook that I was setting, the audience was sitting there wondering what was in the jar that they couldn't identify. After that I took to introducing the jar wrapped in a small cloth and this seemed to help tremendously in terms of the audiences focus on what I was saying, but I still was not happy.In searching out resources for this release I came across the plastic jars that I will be including with your set, and I already feel that they will be a tremendous improvement on several fronts. They are virtually indestructible, and since they are translucent, you can tell that there is something in the jar, but there's no way to know what it is. When I introduce the jar I shake it lightly, indicating the presence of something, and as I weave the tale the audience will automatically start to wonder exactly what is in the jar while still being able to focus on what I'm saying. The anticipation will build properly as the audience begins to wonder if what you have in the jar is what they think is in the jar. When the jar is opened and it is revealed to be full of pulled teeth, there will be a visceral response. Beautiful!PLEASE NOTE! As I have already noted this is a very limited release, and only EIGHT sets are still available. Once they are gone there will be no more. I will also be offering this to my exclusive email newsletter list. And now I am now offering this to you, members of my Facebook group. If any sets remain after this I will go to the bizarre community at large and I am certain they will be gobbled up in very short order. Should that not be the case, then any sets remaining will go with me to the East Coast Spirit Sessions in January. But that remains to be seen.So the bottom line is simple. If you'd like one of these gorgeous sets you need to act fast! Once they are gone there will be no more.This is ready to perform quite literally right out of the package. It simply doesn't get any easier than this. And all of it can be yours - all of the necessary life-like teeth, the dental pick, the translucent jar, and a master copy of the necessary dental charts along with complete instructions and several presentation ideas. It's all yours for the paltry price of only...