941: Craig Diamond - Around the World in 50 Years

Craig Diamond has been performing magic on cruise ships since the 1970’s. That is nearly 50 years at sea as he has visited ports across the world and both sides of the equator. Because of his busy career, he has not been regularly seen at magic conventions nor even featured on magazine covers…until now. His energy is infectious and he has a great memory for hundreds of stories. You may have never seen nor met Craig Diamond, but all of that is going to change this week as you hear his many stories.

Craig relates many stories from the sea including some advice he received from Marvyn “Mr. Electric” Roy. This week Craig shares many of his adventures from his globetrotting experiences. It is a delightful chat that you will learn from and enjoy. This episode moves along quite rapidly because of the fun we had.

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940: John Cox - Houdini Master

It’s National Magic Week, as designated by the Society of American Magicians. It also means it’s that time of the year to chat with the Houdini expert, John Cox. He has been blogging daily for years about all things Houdini. So, on the eve of the 99th anniversary of Houdini’s death, it seems appropriate to check in with John to see what’s new with Houdini. During our chat, he surprises us with several revelations that I didn’t know, and perhaps might be new to you, too.

John’s biggest and his proudest accomplishment over this past year has been the publication of his book, “Escaping Obscurity” available from Mike Caveney’s “Magic Words” website. He talks about this book in our chat this week, plus he also reveals that the ending to the Tony Curtis movie of “Houdini” did not end with him dying in the water torture cell! This and other revelations are discussed in this week’s episode.

Thank everyone who entered the contest. We could only have one winner each week, but anyone who is genuinely interested in procuring a deck, you should visit their website at https://houdinicards.com while supplies are available.

Although this book is long out of print, I do have a source who can probably hook you up with a copy. Please contact Kent Cummiins at Kent@kentcummins.com and ask if he has an extra, shrink-wrapped copy to sell you.

939: Susan Gerbic - Busting Grief Vampires

While attending the recent Magistrorum Conference in Dallas, I was surprised to see and hear from a variety of entertainers I had never met, seen, nor (in most cases) even heard of before. It was refreshing to see such robust and exciting talent. One such person who made an impression on me was Susan Gerbic. A long time skeptic (and regular contributor to the Skeptical Inquirer), Susan has been dispelling myths about psychics, spiritualists, and others who “suck the life and money” out of unsuspecting “believers.” Her late partner, Mark Edwards coined the term “Grief Vampires” for those who prey on the grief of others and promise the hope of talking with their dead loved ones from beyond the grave…for the right price.

Susan busts psychics much like Houdini did in his day which was part of his three pronged act in his later years: magic, escapes, and spiritualism exposes. She does it using today’s social media and speaker platforms across the country. Not only does she have a rich background in the skeptic community, she is also known for her contributions to Wikipedia. In 2010, Gerbic founded "Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia" (GSoW), a group of editors who create and edit Wikipedia articles that reflect scientific skepticism. Among her many awards, she has received the "James Randi Award for Skepticism in the Public Interest" at The Amaz!ng Meeting 2013.

Having never met nor knowing anything about Susan Gerbic before we sat down to chat, we talked first about our common interests and friends in the community, like Banachek and the Amazing Randi. We quickly connected then I turned on the microphones and the results are obvious in our warm conversation as I seek to explore more about what Susan does. Since this is the “Month of Boo,” I felt it appropriate to celebrate the life of Houdini and his work on busting spiritualism by introducing you to this dynamic woman who is following in those big footsteps.

941: Craig Diamond - Around the World in 50 Years

940: John Cox - Houdini Master

939: Susan Gerbic - Busting Grief Vampires

The Magic Word