Quick answer
For card magic enthusiasts, start with Organic for improvisational ideas or Splay for foundational card flourishes, then explore Genii magazine for historical context and twothousandten for a compact lecture summary.
Genii magazine
twothousandten
Start with your current skill level
Dan & Dave's catalog spans raw creative notebooks, historical collections, and lecture distillations. The right pick depends on whether you want to build fundamentals, explore new angles, or study rare material.
Beginners often benefit from a focused resource like Splay, which compiles early card flourish findings from scarce magic books. More experienced performers may prefer Organic's improvisational essays, which assume you already have technique and want to think beyond it.
Consider the format and depth
Books like Organic and Splay offer deep, non-linear reading—ideal for study sessions. Videos like twothousandten provide a condensed, visual walkthrough of a live lecture tour, better for quick learning on the go.
The trade-off: books give you room to reflect and re-read, but require more time. Videos deliver immediate demonstrations but may skip some theoretical background.
How to choose the right resource
- You want to learn card flourishes from rare sources: Choose Splay. It compiles Dan and Dave's early findings from obscure magic books, giving you a foundation that predates modern Cardistry.
- You want to develop improvisational magic: Choose Organic. Its essay-driven format teaches you to engineer miracles by adapting to your environment, not just following routines.
- You want a compact lecture summary: Choose twothousandten. This DVD distills a six-week European lecture tour into essential ideas—ideal for learning on the road.
- You want historical magic context: Pick up Genii magazine. The October 2011 issue features Dan and Dave on the cover and offers a snapshot of their work in the magic community. These are the last remaining copies, so availability is limited.
Product highlights
- Organic: A Study on Engineering Miracles: Organic is a notebook of ideas written after a month-long road trip, exploring improvisational magic. If you already know sleights and want to create spontaneous effects, this book offers a framework rather than a script.
- Splay: Splay collects early card flourish findings from rare instructional magic books before Cardistry existed. For those building card-handling fundamentals, Splay provides historically grounded flourishes you won't find in modern tutorials.
Which resource fits you?
Best for
- Card magic enthusiasts who want to build card-handling fundamentals with Splay
- Performers seeking creative inspiration and improvisational methods from Organic
- Collectors or fans of Dan and Dave who want a historical memento with Genii magazine
Not for
- Absolute beginners who need step-by-step trick instructions—start with a basic magic book first
- Viewers looking for high-production video tutorials—twothousandten is a simple lecture recording
