About Card-Shark
Many people still have the idea that Card-Shark is a one-man business.
In the beginning, in 2006, that was certainly true. But today we are a professional company with several employees and a branch office in the USA. Our products and creations are recognized worldwide and have found their way into the repertoire of renowned magicians.
You can be sure that every one of the top 10 magicians in the world has already performed at least one of our tricks.
Christian Schenk
My name is Christian Schenk. In my "first" life I studied business administration and graphic design, since 1997 self-employed as a . In 2004 a client's project "IT's Magic" brought me (back) to magic when I realized my first playing card print. I suggested converting playing cards with advertising print into stripper games (magicians know what I'm talking about). As I liked the idea very much, I also produced these games for my own company. At the customer event, I met the close-up magician I had booked and he invited me to my first small magic convention. The rest is history, I met new friends and have been soaking up everything "magical" like a dried-up sponge (ball) ever since.
What seemed like a new hobby to my friends turned out to be the most exciting and thrilling activity of my life. To this day, I am not only a member of the Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland (MZvD), but also a member of the British Ring, the IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians) and SAM (Society of American Magicians), which was founded by none other than Harry Houdini. I am now not only a member, but also an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle (AIMC) of the Magic Circle of London, of which Prince Charles is also a member. (Incidentally, he performed a cup game routine for his entrance exam!)
I now attend monthly magic conventions around the world, from Asia to the USA, England, France, Spain, Italy and, of course, Germany.
The invitation to the FFFF (Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic in New York), where I was able to lead a seminar for the best close-up magicians in the world, was followed by seminars in Japan, England and Germany.
How did I become "Card-Shark"?
I quickly realized that the best and most affordable quality playing cards come from USPCC. The deck most used by magicians worldwide is called Bicycle 808®, but I'm certainly not telling you anything significantly new. As a graphic designer, I aim to produce my own magic props wherever possible. So when I was watching an old Stan and Laurel movie from 1929 a while back, Stan actually pulled out a Bicycle deck that was pretty much the same as today's deck. That meant that the layout of this deck hadn't changed noticeably in at least 80 years. Wow, what a long time.
And that's why I had the idea to recreate the layout as best I could to get an extremely close match to the original cards for custom trick cards. You can hardly imagine the effort I put into this. I spent weeks scanning, separating and painstakingly reworking the playing cards with the ulterior motive that this effort would pay off for the rest of my life. But imitating the most used brand by magicians worldwide was just the beginning.
Today, after publishing several authentic-looking antique card games, I plan to revolutionize card magic as we know it. Over the past few years, I've gotten to know numerous playing card manufacturers around the world and realized that some of them could make an important contribution to the art of magic. Unfortunately, of course, each manufacturer has its own designs, which made it impossible to bundle the numerous offerings. This will be a thing of the past with the introduction of the Phoenix Deck. The standard deck is produced by USPCC in the identical quality of a Bicycle deck, plus of course all variations of trick cards. Thin playing cards in an identical design from a European manufacturer followed, as well as cards in a format optimized for parlour magic. And this is just the beginning, because there are still many ideas waiting to be realized...
In the meantime, I think I'm the specialist for playing cards, as I'm the only one who has been allowed to visit several playing card manufacturers worldwide and have been shown around the usually closely guarded production facilities. This means that I know all the advantages and disadvantages of the different production methods and can therefore have the optimum playing cards produced for the respective purpose. I pass on these manufacturing secrets to card magicians in an entertaining seminar. Please contact me for bookings.
Roger Nicot
Roger Nicot (pronounced "Nico" due to his French roots) has been performing magic for 90.4% of his life. Born in Wellsville, NY, he received his first magic box at the age of six. By the time he graduated from high school, he already had numerous local and national TV appearances under his belt. While studying psychology at Ferris University, he spent his weekends performing magic in nightclubs and hotel lounges in Michigan, Indiana and Southern California. In 1977, he became a member of the Academy of Magical Arts / Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.
In 1980, Roger opened a magic store in Buffalo, NY. He was a magic consultant for several advertising agencies and also for the toy manufacturer Fisher Price. Many magicians have benefited from his knowledge and ideas, and he has worked on numerous network TV specials.
Roger joined our Card-Shark team in 2009. He manages Card-Shark USA from Jamestown, New York and handles all orders from the US, Canada and South America.
His magic knowledge, attention to detail and craftsmanship are THE perfect addition to Card-Shark. If he didn't have French roots, you could almost assume German roots, he represents us so conscientiously in the USA! A great collaboration and a real stroke of luck for our entire team.
Roger has since followed his heart and lives with his British wife Amanda in England, near Stonehenge and other magical places. He continues to look after US customers from afar.