the two blades removed, and she steps out of the cabinet unscathed. Further developments A number of magicians have begun performing variations on the basic illusion. In some, rather than the assistant's face being visible through a hole in the front of the cabinet, their entire head projects out of the cabinet through a hole in its upper surface. In another variation, rather than being divided into three pieces, the assistant is instead divided into five - This variation is commonly referred to as the "Five-Way Zig-Zag". Method The method of this trick was partially explained by Masked Magician Val Valentino as part of a Fox TV series called Breaking the Magicians' Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed. The trick hinges on two things: that people will not suspect the woman is key for the trick to work, and that the box is larger than it appears. Details are as follows: Unlike more conventional magic tricks, this illusion relies on the skill of the woman inside, while the magician outside is a demonstrator. The success of the illusion rests on the woman's ability to fit into the smallest possible space. The black strips down the sides make the box appear narrow. In reality, all that black space is usable. The box accommodates the woman (although it is a very tight fit). The blades are inserted into the right side of the box. It appears as if the blades take up more space; when inserted, the handle fills up the width of the box on the outside: but the blade inside only slices a portion of the box. The sliding contraption is not as narrow as it seems. Black paint hides a column that gives extra space for the woman. The designer of the box must give the most space to the woman while making it appear as small as possible. Cultural references Films In the comedy film A Pleasure Doing Business (1979), actress Misty Rowe is shown inside of a trisected Zig Zag Girl box, although the trick itself is not depicted. Literature In Elly Griffiths' mystery novel The Zig Zag Girl (2014), detective Edgar Stephens enlists the help of his former military buddy, master magician and former Magic Circle member Max Mephisto, to solve the murder of a young woman whose body was cut in thirds like a Zig Zag Girl's, the body parts placed in boxes akin to