Jim has been interested in magic since 5 years old. Fifteen of those years were spent working for Jay and Francis Marshall at Magic Inc. He regularly performed close-up at Schulien’s Restaurant in Chicago. In 1993, he won the Most Valuable Participant award at the presti-gious FFFF convention. He has created over three dozen original effects and techniques, and has lectured about them in nine countries. Jim has studied with Ed Marlo, Jim Ryan, Tony Andruzzi, Don Alan, Eugene Burger, Slydini, Tommy Wonder and Juan Tamariz.
His lecture contains his original ideas, theories, routines and improvements in close-up magic. Focusing on close-up magic, Jim will teach his hands-off cards across (wherein the magician legitimately never touches the cards), his torn and restored card (called Rip-per, described by Juan Tamariz as his favorite torn and restored card), his invisible tri-umph (this fools everyone!) and his version of wild card, which features his impossible card case load (called Imp-Load)—which is performed under the direct observation of the audience. Here is a quote from R. Paul Wilson about Jim’s Imp-Load: “I’ve been fooled badly by this. My friends have been fooled badly by this. Signed card cleanly goes into the deck, vanishes and appears inside the box that’s in full view on the table. Highly rec-ommended.” Interspersed throughout the lecture are Jim’s theories on creating and performing magic. Topics include participants preferred, making magic matter, the practice of prac-tice and crafting creativity. Also featured are his coins across (using his “one-behind principle”), his oil and wa-ter (called NeoMix), Coincidencia (a coincidence routine with genuinely shuffled cards) and his handling of John Cornelius’ Pen Through Anything, which elevates the routine to the status of a miracle.
Unsolicited quotes about Jim and his magic:
“Dude who fooled me the most with cards:
In 1991, it was Spain’s Juan Tamariz;
In 1992, it was Swe-den’s Lennart Green;
In 1993, it was Chicago Conjurer Jim Krenz.” Dan Garrett (From M.U.M.—the national publication of the Society of American Magicians) •
After reviewing a number of other prominent close-up magicians (including Chuck Fayne, Bill Gold-man and Eugene Burger) who performed at the National Society of Magicians Convention in 1994: “Jim Krenz was my personal favorite due to his very likable character and absolutely astounding card work. He brought the house down with his signed cards routine.” Erika Larsen (From Genii—the International Conjurors’ Magazine) •
“I literally saw jaws drop at Krenz’s multiple signed card revelation.” Hiawatha (From Magic—the Independent Magazine for Magicians) •
“Jim Krenz is a treasure trove of ideas and a powerhouse of innovation. Check out his online store and support a true innovator — an “inside guy” who’s sharing some brilliant ideas.” R. Paul Wilson •
“Jim thinks in another dimension and creates cutting edge miracles. His devious and thoroughly de-ceptive methods never fail to pack a powerful punch.” Rafael Benatar
“When I was a child I was fascinated with the magical emotion that I felt upon watching magicians. I could not comprehend anything—what I would see was impossible; now I love to feel this emotion. It does not occur very often. Normally, I can see behind the curtain—I see the “hidden” secrets and the mechanics. But from time to time a magician performs a trick, or several tricks that seem impossi-ble—and the magical emotion returns. This happens to me with Jim Krenz (how wonderful!). For this, thank you Jim!” Juan Tamariz
