Cardian Angel
Type: close up, walk-around
Skill Level: 
Retail Price: $22
Effect: As you riffle through the deck, one of the printed angels
on the back of a Bicycle deck starts to animate like a cartoon... flies
off its bicycle... reaches into the air and produces an animated card that
has the spectator's actual name printed on its face.
Performance Time: 3 - 5 minutes
Reset Time: none
Angles: 
Quality: These are very high quality cards meant to be used with
a red-backed Bicycle deck which you supply. They match perfectly. I suspect
they were printed by the US Playing Card Company for Paul Harris.
Dr. Mitch: This effect has some MAJOR drawbacks. But guess what? I like it anyway !!! This is NOT an effect you perform over and over as you walk from table to table in a restaurant...what this is...is a one time STUNNER ! Drawbacks...well, you have to know the spectator's name in advance and it has to be one of the options given to you..in addition is must be spelled in one of the pre-selected ways. Now if you are going to perform this effect on your best buddy Mike....then NO PROBLEM....however if you are going to try and do this effect of Allyson, Simone, or Zachary...THEN you have a problem. But guess what...when you do it for that guy Mike...or Bob...or Ben...or Jeff THEN they are going to be impressed as heck...and remember that trick forever!!!!
Mike Maione: And don't plan on doing Cardian
Angel on a Mary or Sue, because the set of names is all male, which is
another reason I am not a fan of Cardian Angel. I think this trick has
too many short comings and I can't recommend it. Here are just a few more....you
have to determine who will be the subject of the trick, find out his name
and set-up the deck somehow when he's not looking. (And this is not as
easy as stealing a coin or bringing a card to the top of a pack ....you
literally have to find the correct name card from about 50 cards with names
on both sides in the supply deck and set it up in the performance deck.)
Also to animate the cards you have to flip them really slowly ... much
slower than is comfortable. All this just to have the angel on the back
of the deck come to life and reveal the spectator's name and the chosen
card. Too much work for me ... If you're a fan of animation, I say get
Cardtoon and forget this one. It's easier to perform, the animation is
better, it can be immediately repeated and gets pretty much the same reaction.
BTW -- This trick was nominated (but did not receive) the coveted Turkey of the Month .... I mean Turkey of the Year Award ... by one of our readers. Although Cardian Angel is pretty sad in my view, Dr. Mitch likes it and, well, in the right hands it is admittedly a very strong effect. But it is NOT for everyone.
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