Ed Marlo

Who was Ed Marlo?

Ed Marlo was a prestidigitator who specialized in card magic. He referred to himself and others of his specialty as "cardicians".

One of the most notable names in card magic, Marlo himself coined the term cardician, a term which has since been used for performers who do card magic exclusively. His first publication in 1938, Pasteboard Presto, merely hinted at the bulk of work which was to follow.

The many sleights he created have changed the face of card magic. One notable example is his snap change, used in David Blaine´s Street Magic Special.

Marlo wrote over sixty books and manuscripts, and contributed over 2000 tricks in the field of card magic. He did not limit himself to cards as he also authored works on coin magic and dice magic. His most famous works are The Cardician and Revolutionary Card Technique, the latter of which was originally published as a series but later compiled into one weighty tome.

He also wrote a series of private manuscripts that were circulated only among the top card magicians of the era. Titles included Riffle Shuffle Systems, Patented False Shuffle, Faro Controlled Miracles and others. They are extremely rare and highly sought after.