Would it be wrong..

[thaiboxerken]

to do an effect just to scare the crap out of the JW's and Mormons who knock on my door? I was thinking that Stigmata would be appropriate and might keep those 'tards from bothering me anymore.

 

[Katana]

to do an effect just to scare the crap out of the JW's and Mormons who knock on my door? I was thinking that Stigmata would be appropriate and might keep those 'tards from bothering me anymore.

I can't help it.

So bad yet so good.

 

[Brown]

Keep a TT with a small bag of phony blood next to your front door. It only takes a second to load, and then you can make the red stuff appear to come from anywhere. You can preface the gore with some sort of joking curse, such as, "If that's not true, I'm sure the Almighty will send us a sign."

If so inclined, see some of Joe Nickell's writings in Skeptical Inquirer for tips about how to make stigmata seem more shocking than it actually is. As Joe explains it, a little blood can go a long way.

The TT with phony blood, by the way, was a gimmick used by one of our buddies (his name rhymes with "brandi," and it ain't John Candy, Jessica Tandy, Jack Handey or Fred Grandy) on a certain late-night national television show. If it's good enough for him to gross out the entire USA, then it's probably good enough for you to scare the excrement out of some religious pests. Just be sure to hose off your front step after they run away.

 

[thaiboxerken]

I just figured having the number 666 appear on my forearm after they squeeze it would be good enough.

 

[JonWhite]

I just figured having the number 666 appear on my forearm after they squeeze it would be good enough.

Great idea!

Let us know how it goes (assuming they don't burn your house down - you're being The Antichrist and all!).

 

[thaiboxerken]

Hmm. Maybe I'll just force them to think of the number 7 and have that appear on my wrist instead. It'll freak them out, but I like my current habitat.

 

[Brown]

I just figured having the number 666 appear on my forearm after they squeeze it would be good enough.

Oooooh, you can do this one impromptu, too. Just take a few seconds before you open the door completely, and you can prep to perform a gen-u-ine miracle!

Banachek sometimes does a variation of this effect in his act, in which a "thought of" number mysteriously appears on his forearm, right in front of the audience member.

Showing three sixes gradually appearing on the forearm would certainly have a frightening effect upon the religiously superstitious. With these folks, you don't need any devices to figure out what number they're thinking of; rather, you already know which number is going to give them the willies.

 

[thaiboxerken]

When I got Ellusionist's stigmata explanation, the introduction included an anecdote where the inventor of the effect had to convince many, many of a church (to whom he was going to do his show for) that he really wasn't channelling demons. I find it hilarious and cool. I do the effect for skeptic friends and they aren't quite as freaked out, for some reason.

 

[JonWhite]

When I got Ellusionist's stigmata explanation, the introduction included an anecdote where the inventor of the effect had to convince many, many of a church (to whom he was going to do his show for) that he really wasn't channelling demons. I find it hilarious and cool. I do the effect for skeptic friends and they aren't quite as freaked out, for some reason.

Well, if you engage the brain it's pretty obvious to figure out really - so JW's etc. have no chance!

 

[thaiboxerken]

I couldn't figure it out from watching the demos of the effect, that's why I bought it. However, the video resolution was poor enough that I couldn't really see the numbers appear where the audience could. So, I had no idea what was really freaking them out. Oh well, I'm just starting into magic so the DVD was still very useful in showing me several different methods of forcing cards, numbers and gleaming information from folded paper.

 

[Blue Monk]

to do an effect just to scare the crap out of the JW's and Mormons who knock on my door? I was thinking that Stigmata would be appropriate and might keep those 'tards from bothering me anymore.

Are you kidding!?

If you do that you'll probably end up with about a thousand of them camped out on your lawn hoping to see the 'miracle'!

He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!

 

[thaiboxerken]

Hmm. Maybe I'll just do an ambitious card routine instead.

 

[JonWhite]

I couldn't figure it out from watching the demos of the effect, that's why I bought it.

Sorry, didn't mean to be smug. We used to "write" stuff on our arms in the stigmata way as kids, so kind of assumed it to be obvious. Audience reactions also prove otherwise - I showed the trick to a friend the other day who was completely stumped too.

An extra thought re. peeing off the JW's and mormons - how about a sleight with a small blood pouches and using (i.e.) theatrical scars so your palms could start bleeding as attention is initially drawn to the 666 appearing?

 

[thaiboxerken]

An extra thought re. peeing off the JW's and mormons - how about a sleight with a small blood pouches and using (i.e.) theatrical scars so your palms could start bleeding as attention is initially drawn to the 666 appearing?

Already discussed. I figure that making a harmless number 7 appear would be a bit safer for me and my family and making a card rise to the top of the deck even safer than that. I just want to use my magic for the dark side, but I don't want the consequences.

 

[firecoins]

to do an effect just to scare the crap out of the JW's and Mormons who knock on my door? I was thinking that Stigmata would be appropriate and might keep those 'tards from bothering me anymore.

Its fine. i think the best thing to do is open the door named.