Conover

Tim Conover is considered by experts to be a once-in-a-generation performer. His high-energy mentalism and sleight-of-hand prowess earned him adoration from lay audiences and magicians alike.

Tragically, in February of 2011, Tim passed away. Not wanting Tim’s work to be forgotten, Tim’s sister contacted his close friend, Eric Mead, and asked him to memorialize Tim’s work. Thanks to their hard work, we are honored to present Conover.

As Eric puts it in the foreword, “What is here is all of the material he used to make his living as a highly paid and busy professional.” Across the over 500 pages, you’ll find magic and mentalism of the highest caliber. There is no filler or half-baked effects. Every single piece is considered with a laser-like attention to detail.

In Volume 1, you’ll find Tim’s professional magic repertoire, consisting of thirteen pieces of classic magic plots created with the highest attention to detail. While each piece is fantastic, some of our favorites include Tim’s “Shot Glass Apparition”, which is one of the best shot glass productions of all time, and “The Bending Coins”, which fooled some of the greatest minds in our industry. Every piece is explained in detail with dozens of photos and includes all the intricacies that make them so incredibly powerful. Most importantly, you’ll learn about Tim, how he thought about magic, and how you can take his lessons to improve your magic.

Volume 2 contains Tim’s highly acclaimed mentalism work. Tim made a name for himself as a corporate mentalist, and after reading his material, you’ll understand how talented he truly was. Inside are versions of classic mentalism plots like Koran’s Medallion, spoon bending, and a drawing duplication. You’ll also find Tim’s incredible signature pieces like his “Eyeless Vision”, where, despite being blindfolded, he can see objects placed into his palm, his highly deceptive Q&A routine that uses a crystal ball, and the most deceptive Center Tear ever constructed. These are incredibly powerful mentalism pieces, any one of which would be a reputation-making effect.

For Volume 3, you’ll learn Tim’s legendary work on his favorite effect: John Ramsay’s “Cylinder and Coins”. At the time of his death, he had almost completed a book exploring the plot. Unlike the other volumes, the writing is directly from Tim, and the photos are his own hands performing the routines. Tim teaches six different versions, ranging from his variation on Ramsay’s original to the completely reimagined version performed by Eric Mead on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Each version has its own strengths, but all are taught in intricate detail by Tim. This is a masterclass in how to truly focus on an effect and perfect it.

Conover is a legacy of a magician who left us too soon. Throughout the books are countless stories from friends and family about him. Reading these stories gives you a glimpse into Tim, his character, and, of course, the way he viewed magic.

Books like this come once in a generation, and Vanishing Inc. has not taken this lightly. We have worked closely with Eric Mead and the Conover family to produce this stunning, three-volume book set, complete with slipcase. This is our highest-quality book production to date, befitting the exemplary writing, photos, and, most importantly, magic.

In Tim’s honor, Vanishing Inc. has set up a scholarship for young magicians, and we have donated copies of these books to major magic libraries across the globe. Eric has spent over a decade on this book set, and we’re incredibly excited to share it.

Total page count: 519. Produced with Shari Conover.