Zig Zag Girl

The rights to the book and the Zig Zag illusion were then in time passed to The Magic Circle in the wake of Harbin's death.

Evidence of his fascination with this concept of dividing an assistant can be found in his earlier publications; the closest relative to the Zig Zag is the "Little by Little" illusion, which was also explained in The Magic of Robert Harbin.

Large metal blades are inserted horizontally in the cabinet's midsection, dividing it—and presumably the assistant inside—into thirds.

At the completion of the illusion, the assistant's midsection is slid back into place, the two blades removed, and she steps out of the cabinet unscathed.

The method of this trick was partially explained by Masked Magician Val Valentino as part of a Fox TV series called Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed.

The design of the box creates a usable space (shown in pink) larger than the audience would expect. Black stripes down the front of the cabinet make this space appear narrower, and the blades (shown in red) do not extend all the way across. Apparent ornamentation on the box (shown in green) is hollow inside, providing the performer with more space.