The smell of the sea, the noise of the roller coaster, the sounds of laughter, the taste of a nickel hot dog, and the applause from the audiences watching magic shows in Coney Island around the turn of the 20th century. Those are some of the senses you will think about as you listen to this week’s podcast. Richard Cohn takes us way back in time when “Dime Museum Harry” Houdini was still performing there with his brother, Theo (or “Dash”) for 12 cents a week in the late 1880’ and 90’s. There were so many others who came through Coney Island try...

Michael Finney was explicitly voted by his peers as one of the Top 10 Comedy Magicians in the World in the April 2008 edition of MAGIC magazine. You will get no argument from me on that account. Michael is funny and has spread joy and happiness worldwide. Known for his trademark overgrown blond flattop haircut, booming voice, and distinct lack of pretense, Finney masterfully walks the line between a hardened stand-up comic and a top-tier illusionist. He is a magician, comedian, philanthropist, creator, traveler, producer, entrepreneur and overall a generally nice, sensitive family man. He has appeared at nearly all of...

Say his name three times and he might appear! Or you can just send him and email to book him. :) He has a very different on-stage character from his off stage personality. I think Jordan Jonas is a perfect guest to feature for this “Month of Boo” because of his unique character. At the young age of 33, he seems to be comfortably settling into his character as he continues to “tweak” the act and find performing venues for his act. This is one of those podcast episodes where I hope to inspire listeners to consider their on-stage persona and develop th...

Andreas Sebring, from Sweden, is quite a creative person. He developed and markets an engraving technique for the classic “Koran Medallion” that allows the magician to hand out the engraved object. This is one of the many creations that came from his mind. Andreas has recently been here in the U.S. attending a few magic conventions as a dealer and sharing his creations with the community. It was at one of these conventions that I caught up with him to discuss some fascinating things.

John Cerbone is a full time hypnotist. This is the first episode on The Magic Word that has featured someone whose sole occupation and direction is as a hypnotist. There are several magicians who have transitioned to add hypnotism to their repertoire, and others who have been thinking about it. In this episode you will learn from a professional what it’s like to create and be successful at such a vocation.

Technology is advancing faster than we could have imagined. In fact, the current fear is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is learning and growing on its own without the aid of human intervention. Recent news has reported that some of the creators are advocating a hold on further advancement until we can control this potential monster. In the meantime, there are a multitude of opportunities for AI to be used “for good” as magicians create music for their shows, voice overs, promotional materials, help in scripting, help in developing a stage character, researching show opportunities, and much, much more.

Th...

Jack Hart  is an artist in the truest sense of the word. He has designed illusions to make them more deceptive and toured with Blackstone, Jr. for nearly five years. He worked with Copperfield, Henning, Kalin, and so many more. For many years, Jack worked designing games for the television show, “The Price is Right” plus he currently does missionary work around the world. 

Christopher Hart has had, and continues to have, an amazing career, or should I say “careers”. Many people, not just magicians, would be satisfied with success in any one of the areas where Chris has exceeded expectations. Many listeners of The Magic Word Podcast know that it was his hand as “Thing” in “The Addams Family” movies. And yet there is a whole generation who have never seen nor heard of “The Addams Family”, the New Yorker comic strip, the TV series let alone the movies. The recent Netflix series “Wednesday” has introduced many to this genre, but Chris wasn’t in that, and I d...

Multi international award winning escapist, Dean Gunnarson, joins us this week to talk about his dangerous career. He has been called by the media “The World’s Most Daring Escape Artist” and the title fits. Traveling from his home in Canada to lands across China, Dean has conquered it all and accepted challenges much like Harry Houdini, from rope and chain escapes to the Water Torture and Milk Can Escapes, not to mention straitjacket escapes while being suspended hundreds of feet in the air,

One of magic’s most creative minds, Dan Harlan, joins us this week. No doubt many of you have his “Card Toon” card trick or have watched him on Penguin Live videos or perhaps on the Tarbell Course of Magic on video. Maybe you once subscribed to The Minotaur which he co-published with Marv Leventhal. His life and career hasn’t all been roses and indeed had many bumps along the way. Currently he hosts MagiCon - The Mystic Tower convention in Raleigh, North Carolina plus he continues to create and perform.

Schedule

Wednesday, August 6th

 24 hours          Bicycle Lounge, St. Charles

9:00 a.m.               Information Booth, Kiosk (9:00p)

10:00 a.m.             General Sessions, Showroom, (Noon)

10:00 a.m.             Focus Sessions (11:00a)

11:00 a.m.             The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras, (2:00p)

11:15 a.m.             Focus Sessions (12:15p)

11:30 a.m.             Cafe Live!, Esplanade K/L (2:00p)

12:15 p.m.             Lunch Break (2:15p)

2:15 p.m.               General Session, Showroom (4:15p)

2:15 p.m.               Focus Sessions (3:15p)

3:30 p.m.               Focus Sessions (4:30p)

Live Tonight!

6:00, 9:00 p.m. - Live Onstage!, Showroom

10:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. - Farewell Party, Mardi

Schedule

Tuesday, August 4th

 24 hours          Bicycle Lounge, St. Charles

9:00 a.m.               Information Booth, Kiosk (9:00p)

10:00 a.m.             General Sessions, Showroom, (Noon)

10:00 a.m.             Focus Sessions (11:00a)

11:00 a.m.             The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras, (6:00p)

11:15 a.m.             Focus Sessions (12:15p)

11:30 a.m.             Cafe Live!, Esplanade K/L (2:00p)

12:15 p.m.             Lunch Break (2:15p)

2:15 p.m.               General Session, Showroom (4:15p)

2:15 p.m.               Focus Sessions (3:15p)

3:30 p.m.               Focus Sessions (4:30p)

Live Tonight!

5:45, 7:10, 9:00, 10:20 p.m.  The Close-up Experience, Bienville G

6:15, 8:00, 10:00 p.m. In C

Schedule

Sunday, August 2nd

 24 hours          Bicycle Lounge, St. Charles 

10:00 a.m.             Registration, Bienville G (10:00p)

10:00 a.m.             Photo Badges, Dauphine F (10:00p)

 Live Tonight!

7:30 – 11:00 p.m. -  The Zombie Ball, Esplanade 

7:30 – 11:00 p.m. - The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras 

11:00 – 11:30 p.m. - Grand Prize Giveaway & Costume Awards, Esplanade

 Monday, August 3rd

24 hours           Bicycle Lounge, St. Charles

9:00 a.m.               Information Booth, Kiosk (9:00p)

10:00 a.m.             General Sessions, Showroom, (Noon)

10:00 a.m.             Focus Sessions (11:00a)

11:00 a.m.             The MAGIC Shop, Mardi Gras, (6:00p)

11:15 a.m.           

For many years, Scott Tokar has been helping clients at industrial shows across the country and indeed, across the globe. He structures trade show programs to engage, educate and entertain and sending the corporate message to everyone who passes by his booth. He co-authored Special F-X with Harrison Carroll that teaches magicians how to engage with hospitalized patients using magic. He also dabbles in photography and enjoys taking stills of friends. Scott also owns a booking agency for trade show magicians.

Tobias Beckwith used to manage Jeff McBride and Marco Tempest, just to name a couple “names” in our magic community. He has worked on Broadway with some of the most iconic plays such as “Oh, Calcutta” and “The Fantastiks” among others. He was one of the early staff teachers at the McBride Mystery School as it was formed and of course, was close friends with Eugene Burger, among others. Tobias has authored several books on production and direction and are well worth you inspection.

In 1973 Alan Bursky burst on the comedy scene in a big was when he was just 17 and being the youngest comedian to ever perform on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. He was also involved in booking entertainment in the early days of the Magic Island. But long before that when he was growing up in New York, he developed a friendship with David Kotke aka David Copperfield. Later while on the comedy circuit, he befriended Freddie Prinze who starred in “Chico and the Man” television series. He was a roommate with Freddie for a while. He also booked Steve Martin...

Just Alan owned a magic shop near Woodstock, New York, for over 40 years. During that time he worked on his Zen archery, meditation, and relaxation. His search for real magic in his early years took him to India where he followed his heart and the stars as he was led to understand what is important in life. Also during the past several years, he studied with Jeff McBride, he entered magic contests, and he recently wrote a book, “Just Alan Not Just Magic.”

Schedule

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026

TBD - YOUTH ACADEMY

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM REGISTRATION OPEN - 2027 CONVENTION

10:00 AM- 2:00 PM HOUDINI COLLECTION DISPLAY - Adjacent to Dealer Room

Rare Houdini artifacts provided by various collectors and museums

10:00 AM- 2:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN

9:00 AM THE S.A.M. AWARDS & RECOGNITION SHOW

Contest winner awards, recognitions and installation ceremony

10:30 AM LECTURE - John Shyrock

2:00 PM SPEAKEASY CLOSE-UP SHOW

Featuring Shawn Farquhar, Boris Wild, Daniel Garcia, Dale Penn, Alyx Hilshey

4:30 PM PRESIDENTS...

Schedule

FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2026

TBD - YOUTH ACADEMY

10:00 AM- 2:00 PM HOUDINI HISTORICAL CENTER @ MUSEUM at the CASTLE

Free admission for convention attendees

12:00 AM- 5:00 PM HOUDINI COLLECTION DISPLAY - Adjacent to Dealer Room

Rare Houdini artifacts provided by various collectors and museums

12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN

9:00 AM S.A.M. NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING

11:00 AM LECTURE - BORIS WILD

2:00 PM LECTURE JONATHAN NEAL

3:45 PM LECTURE - DANIEL GARCIA

7:00 PM MAGIC OPERA SHOW

Featuring Mike Caveney...

Schedule

THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2026

TBD - YOUTH ACADEMY

11:00 PM- 4:00 PM HOUDINI HISTORICAL CENTER @ MUSEUM at the CASTLE

Free Admission All Day for Convention Attendees

12:00 AM- 5:00 PM HOUDINI COLLECTION DISPLAY - Adjacent to Dealer Room

Rare Houdini artifacts provided by various collectors and museums

12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN

9:30 AM WORLD RECORD CHAIN ESCAPE @ Houdini Plaza

Join 300 magicians attempting a world-record escape. Siberian chains and training is

included

10:30 AM UPSIDE-DOWN STRAIGHT JACKET ESCAPE @ Houdini Plaza

Featuring Houdini...

Schedule

Tuesday June 30, 2026

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

7:00 PM - 11:00 PM OPEN FORUM SESSIONING

8:00 PM - 9:30 PM HOUDINI SÉANCE HISTORY, DISCUSSION and METHODS

Featuring Dorothy Deitrich and Bruce Kalver

Wednesday July 1, 2026

10:00 AM- 1:00 PM YOUTH ACADEMY

Youth-focused lectures, workshops and group events for SAMY members ages 7-17

12:00 PM- 5:00 PM DEALERS ROOM OPEN

10:00 AM S.A.M. LEADERSHIP TRAINING

with Past National President Joel Zaritsky

10:00 AM CLOSE-UP CONTEST BRIEFING / TECH REHEARSAL

1:00 PM LECTURE - CHRISTOPHER HART...

Last episode we visited with Scott Pepper, the proprietor of the Magic Saloon in San Antonio, Texas. This week we chat with the featured stage entertainer who performed there: Jade. She was the winner of the I.B.M. Gold Medal for Stage in 1990, which is a distinctive honor in so many ways. The Gold Medal and Gold Cups (for close-up) are not awarded every year, but only when a performer is so outstanding and their execution is so perfect, that you cannot deny that it’s the best. Jade has gone on to perform around the world in cl...

Scott Pepper hails from England but is soon to be a Texan through and through once his citizenship papers are completed. In the meantime, he is successfully running the Magic Saloon as a magic venue in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, just across the street from the Alamo. Soon, people who have been shouting “Remember the Alamo” will be chanting “Remember the Magic Saloon!” This is a great venue that features stage magicians as the main entertainment, but also has close-up magic at it’s best at the gift shop featuring I.B.M. Gold Cups winner and Past Natio...

Kenrick “Ice” McDonald is a man who stands on many well deserved accolades. Aside from the many performance awards, he was the first African American to become the National President of the S.A.M. and he has been recognized for his work in the community by being inducted into the S.A.M. Hall of Fame. He served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) and appeared on multiple television shows across the U.S. and abroad. He has done much to advance the black magicians in our culture today.

Gary Brown is a U.S. District Judge from New York, but he knows a con man when he discovers one. His recent revelations about Claude Alexander Conlin who had several aliases, but is most well know among magicians as “Alexander, the Man Who Knows.” Judge Brown has written several scholarly books about the history of magic including an innovative book, “Wandcraft” as well as “The Inventive Magicians Handbook.” His monograph on Alexander was published in Bill Kalush’s “Gibecière".

Doug Gorman specializes in story telling. And he has lived a full life with stories to tell. He weaves storytelling into his magic that makes it relevant and interesting to his audience. He is an award winning magician and also a creator of some unique, rather bizarre “artifacts” that he sells at conventions and online. But one thing that makes him stand out, is his relationship with Richard Turner. For many years, Doug has been the “driver” for Richard taking him not only around town, but also across the country to lectures and corporate gigs.

Bob Bengal worked for Hitachi for many years as their “in house” magician. That meant that he had all the benefits like insurance, vacation, 401-K, etc. He was responsible not only for performing at their trade show booths around the world, but also for playing golf with their premiere customers and keeping them happy.

Schedule

Thursday, May 14, 2026

9:00 to 11:00 a.m. – Dealer Room Open
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Session #4
12:30 to 2:00 p.m. – Dealer Room Open
2:00 to 3:30 p.m. – Session #5
6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Cocktails & Close Up
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. – Dinner & Show

Schedule

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

10:00 a.m. – Registration Opens
1:00 to 4:00 p.m. – Dealer Room Open
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. – Session #1
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. – Session #2
8:30 to 11:30 p.m. – Dealer Room Open

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

9:00 a.m. – First Group Bus to NYPL/Lincoln Center
10:15 a.m. – Second Group Bus to NYPL/Lincoln Center
11:30 a.m. – First Group Leaves NYPL/Lincoln Center
12:30 to 5:00 p.m. – Dealer Room Open
12:30 p.m. – Second Group Leaves NYPL/Lincoln Center
7:00 to 8:30 p.m. – Session #3
8:30 to 11:30 p.m. – Dealer Room Open

Everyone’s favorite close-up comedy magician, Bill Malone, joins us this week. He gives us his all including his career, his starring role on a TV show (NCIS Los Angeles) his first magic bar work, learning from a comedian, working trade shows around the world for years, training executives, his relationship with Ed Marlo, opening Malone’s Magic Bar in Boca Raton, Florida, his health scare that nearly ended his life, and he tells us about his forthcoming book that will hopefully be released in 2027.

Doug Scheer has been performing thousands of school assembly shows since 1987. He has a proven formula that he fine tunes every year as he returns to many of the same schools year after year because of his entertaining and educational programs. There is more to school shows than just considering them as an oversized birthday party show. It involves a lot more business acumen in booking the shows and keeping clients happy.

Dan Stapleton is one of those magicians who has seen it all and now in his 60’s could easily set his remaining days on “cruise control” for the rest of his life; however, that is not who he is. He was a cruise magician for 23 years and served as a cruise director, too. Early in his career, he performed in Circus World where he got his chops at performing illusions. But his passion and goal was always to work on Main Street in Disney World as a demonstrator in the magic shop. That opportunity came to him and he loved...

For many decades, Joe Eddie and Betty Fairchild were “road warriors” traversing the country to perform at state and country fairs. They toured with assistants and even a big cat that kept them on the road over 40 weeks out of the year. At one point, they had a residency in Las Vegas at the Riviera with their big show. Now retired from trouping and performing, Joe Eddie has retired to Florida where he builds quality hand-made props and cases for professional magicians.

Magic dealer, creator, consultant, lecturer, and performer, Paul Richards joins us this week as we talk about a treasure chest full of topics. Paul has been at the epicenter of innovation first as a brick and mortar magic shop owner, then online dealer, coordinator of one day magic events, as well as a well-known and highly respected magic dealer. He is often seen at all of the large magic conventions like Blackpool, MAGIC Live!, Magifest, and others.

As a result of being in the forefront of magic innovation, keep that in perspective as you listen to this...

Michael Breggar is a columnist for The Linking Ring journal (the house organ for the I.B.M.) and has written dozens of articles about putting new scripting ideas to old close-up tricks. He has also authored several books that fit his style and are quite cleverly written. For example, “The Expert at the Cod Table” by S.W. Ordfish and “Raiders of the Lost Card” by “Jerseyana” Michael Breggar. These tongue-in-cheek titles give a glimpse into his comical and satirical thinking and writing.

Michael has also invented and marketed several magic tricks (mostly with a comedic mental twist...

John Guastaferro has his priorities straight. He thinks of others before himself. From his magic career to his professional life as a director on the board of Hundai’s “Hope on Wheels” philanthropic organization. John has just released the third book in his close-up card magic trilogy “The Final Degree.” In these books, John emphasizes how small degrees of change can make a big difference in the effect on your audience. You can see how he puts his work into action when he performs in the Close-Up Gallery of the Magic Castle.

As to his philanthropic activities, John works...

Dean Carnegie is the host of The Magic Detective podcast. He has blown past 100 episodes and there appears no stopping in sight. His podcast takes deep dives into the lives and worlds of magicians (mostly from yesteryear) and released sporadically as his research unearths something of interest. Beyond his podcast and blogging, he is also an accomplished artist having painted the visages of several magicians from our history.

The National President of the S.A.M. is often referred to as “Most Illustrious.” This week’s guest, John Midgley, is a Past National President and also a “Most Wonderful Illustrator” creating magic posters and graphic novels. As a magician, he is one of the house magicians at Nashville’s “House of Cards” where he regularly entertains at the card table. Not content with just those vocations/hobbies, John can also play multiple musical instruments. Oh, and his “regular” job during the day is as a Licensed Therapist.

Once upon a time in a distant place near the Sands and Stardust of our memories was a kingdom below the desert called Caesar’s Magic Empire. Well known magicians performed there among many younger, magicians who became very well known after they honed their craft before thousands of diners and revelers.

Yes, this was a real place (but not below ground) that was a premier, immersive dinner-show attraction at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, operating from 1997 to 2002. Many fledgling magicians got their start there, one of whom is our guest in this episode: Jason Bird.

When in Las Vegas, most magicians plan to see shows by other magicians like Mike Hammer, Mac King, David Copperfield, and others. But there are other attractions not to be missed whilst visiting Sin City. One major attraction (in terms of both scope and physical size) is the Neon Museum. Just a few blocks from the downtown Fremont Street Experience lies one of the best kept secrets of the city. As casinos, hotels, motels, coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants turn out their lights for their last time, the glitz lives on at this outdoor museum. It is a feast...