Ash Marlow: Making the Impossible Possible

Given our name, you'll not be surprised to learn we love card games and cardistry. One of our favourite YouTubers is master cardist and skilled magician Ash Marlow. 

We’ve never been too keen on old-school magic of the wand-waving, conjuring kind, but the deft, skilful, close-up magic Ash does is right up our magic circle. His pub bet hustle videos on social media have had millions of views. You should definitely check them out. Impress your friends.

Wanting to know more about his magical powers and social media success, we got in touch. Leicester lad Ash now lives in Norwich with his wife and baby daughter. Norwich being many miles from our Oxfordshire HQ, we opted to chat via the magic of Zoom.

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be entranced and entertained, baffled and bewildered, awestruck and amazed, by the miraculous magic of preeminent prestidigitator par excellence Ash Marlow.

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Hello, Ash. Thanks for agreeing to answer our questions. To begin, how do you describe what you do? Are you a magician? A cardist? Something else?

I'm a magician and a content creator. I also do a bit of cardistry.

I perform live magic and also make videos and tutorials online for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. I have about 200 thousand followers on social media, and over 50 million views.

Blimey! When did you start doing magic?

I started when I was 14. That’s 20 years ago, incredibly! I was in the Young Magicians Club growing up.

I've performed at countless events over the years. I was sponsored by Red Bull for a time and did a lot of cool events for them. That was a great experience. But I don't perform stage magic now, and I am definitely not a children's entertainer!

What kind of magic do you prefer?

I prefer close-up and visual magic, with a hint of mentalism. I use everyday objects and standard playing cards. I like to keep my magic as grounded as possible - no special props - so everything can be examined and checked before and after.

What was it that hooked you on magic?

Good question. I love making the impossible possible, or at least making something that seems impossible become possible.

Showing someone something they have never seen before, and watching them react to it, is so positive and satisfying. It’s a great feeling. Magic is something that brings people together.

Who are your favourite magicians?

David Blaine was the first magician that sparked my interest. He really changed the game in magic, bringing it to the streets, showing that you really can create magic anytime and anyplace.

As my interest grew, I started to research and study the work of greats like Wayne Houchin, Gregory Wilson, Jay Sankey, Dai Vernon, and many, many more. I’m definitely standing on the shoulders of giants.

My favourite people to see perform are Mario Lopez and an old French magician called Bebel. 

Tell us about how you go about creating a magic trick.

I work backwards. I start with what I want to achieve, then what knowledge I have in terms of execution, how I want to present it and, finally, how can I make it seem more natural.

I am currently working on coin magic, trying to perfect my skills. This is one of the hardest types of magic to pull off. To really achieve it, every movement needs to be perfect, fluid, and natural. To be really good at it will likely take me many more years to master.

What is cardistry? Is it different to magic?

Cardistry is also a visual art. It’s the way in which one handles, moves, and shuffles cards. Magic is more about the trick. But cardistry can be adapted to magic also, and most big names in magic have some element of cardistry to them.

I do a card flourish called ‘The Hex’ that’s so visual. I love this move. It takes practice but it's a very cool flourish. There's a tutorial on my Instagram.

How many hours a week do you spend practicing?

I practice every day, mostly in the evenings while watching TV, or if I’m travelling somewhere. I have a deck of cards on me 24/7.

I have around 1,000 decks of cards.

Do you need so many?

Not all decks are equal; some handle and look better than others. Some are by brands, magicians or designers I admire and look up to. Some are made in small print runs, as low as just 100 decks, which makes them very sought after and rare.

My collection is so big now that I have it displayed in my magic studio. I also have my own card brand: Ape Card Co. I’ve released 2 decks so far, with 3 more coming in 2023.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get started in magic?

Read books. Learn from them. I suggest you start with 'The Royal Road to Card Magic' and 'Expert Card Technique' both by Jean Hugard. Also, 'Modern Coin Magic' by J. B. Bobo. They’re easy to find and not too expensive.

If you’d like to read minds, 'Thirteen Steps to Mentalism' by Tony Corinda is a great place to start.

You can watch YouTube videos, of course, including mine, but you risk imitating someone else’s style, performance and presentation. When reading a book, everyone will take the information differently and reproduce each trick in their own style. That’s much better.

You have a huge social media following. How did it start?

I have always posted online. There’s a great community in magic and I wanted to be part of it, to keep in touch and to grow my own following.

Lockdown and having to isolate for medical reasons throughout Covid gave me a lot of free time in which to film a lot. I mean hours of content. This helped my account and my following blow up.

What do you love about social media?

I love the social side. I like being in contact with likeminded people, a community, and people who look up to me because of my content, personality, and skills.

I want to make a living from social media and be a full-time influencer. My next goal is to hit the one-million followers mark on one of my platforms.

And what do you hate about social media?

The worst thing is the negativity and the people who troll others. I don’t take anything to heart - it’s just words and opinions - but some people do and it can really upset and bring someone down.

What’s your social media secret sauce?

Just be yourself. Be natural and show your real character. Don’t be afraid to show your face and speak to the camera. Engage with your audience. You also need to be consistent.

What other interests do you have?

I absolutely love music. Blink 182, Angels & Airwaves, Box Car Racer, The Ataris, Alkaline Trio, Green Day, Matchbook Romance, New Found Glory. So many great bands!

I’m obsessed with football - I support Manchester United - and family time means everything to me.

I also have a weird obsessions with horror films, especially older ones like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978) and The Shining (1980).

All classics! What’s the best way to start the day?

Get up early. Think positive. Plan. You've got to get up every morning with determination if you want to go to bed with satisfaction.

That’s the most wholesome and inspiring answer we’ve ever had to that question. Everyone else has said something like smoke a fag or have a poo!

Thanks for answering our questions. It's been great getting to know you.

Likewise. Every time I’ve spoken to any of your team, they’ve been amazing and so positive and passionate about the brand.

The quality of your clothing is just so good, especially compared to other streetwear brands. I love my grey Wave Hoodie. I live in it! I need it in black now.

You do. And finally, what have you got planned for 2023.

I have new card decks coming from Ape Card Co and there will be lots of new magic, cardistry, tricks and hustles on my socials. Join our magic community.

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► For pub bet hustles, magic and cardistry, follow Ash Marlow on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.