Episode 2 of The Magic Detective Podcast is UP!

I'm really having a fun time with these podcasts. I just uploaded episode 2, and episode 3 is finished and will go this weekend. Episode 4 however is one that I'm REALLY excited about. This one has the first feature that was written specifically for the podcast and will also be a blog article. That is what I had hoped to do all along, use both mediums to complement each other.

In Episode 2, I share some Washington D.C. connections to Magic History. The 15 item list can be seen here. During the HOUDINI RADIO Segment, I share the story of where Houdini got the dog that he gave to The Great Lafayette. Of course, that dog, whom he called Beauty, would be Lafayette's companion for the rest of his life. If you'd like to read more about Lafayette & his dog Beauty, follow this link.

I'll be experimenting with the Interview feature next week, so hopefully by the time I get to episode 5 or 6, I'll be ready to conduct some awesome interviews. And WOW, do I ever have a list of people!!!! You probably know some of them, and you might even BE one of them, lol. And I expect to have quite a few people that maybe you've not heard of but have so much to share!

Personally, I have gathered a great deal of information that I have never used for the blog. Now, I'll finally get a chance to use it for the podcast. I have a couple of interviews I did with people who have since passed on, so those might be fun to include. In addition, I've got some wild ideas that I just can't reveal, yet.

There is one thing I'm very careful NOT to do, and that is reveal secrets. I'm very old school in that regard, so I won't be tipping any big secrets. I know there will be non-magicians listening to the podcast and I don't want to give away the farm, so to speak. I've done a pretty decent job of keeping secrets out of the blog all these years, with the exception of two incidents which are among the 700+ blog articles, so I guess they're safe.

PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR, if you like the podcast, please leave me a review, or comment, or a LIKE, depending upon where you listen to it. 5 star reviews are appreciated. Trust me, I'll be working hard to earn them! And if you're listening via iTunes, please subscribe to the podcast! Or go to, MagicDetectivePodcast.com

The Magic Detective PODCAST Has Arrived!!!

I've been sitting on this news for some time, but I can now let the cat out of the bag and tell you that The Magic Detective has been turned into a podcast! (For the few who may not know what a podcast is, it's basically like a special radio show that you can listen to on your computer or smart phone) Truth be told, I have shared the info on several social media sites previously, I just haven't gone into much detail.

Episode 1 is an Intro podcast. I give you a little taste of what to expect. The first segment of The Magic History Minute is on there, as is the Feature segment, which deals with Houdini in Germany. I've decided to refer to all the future Houdini sessions as HOUDINI RADIO. There are a couple plugs and even a mention of two of my favorite websites that are NOT mine. Episode 1 has a run time of 24 minutes, so it's just shy of my 30 minute mark, but that's ok. Episode 2 is also done, but it hasn't been uploaded yet. It will appear on Oct 15th. Basically, every Monday there will be a new podcast....aka Magic Mondays!  I plan to move The Magic Detective History Contest over to the podcast, so that means I'll be giving away the occasional prize as well!

You may be wondering what will happen to The Magic Detective Blog? Well, it's staying right here, and I'll continue to write articles for the blog as well. I fully expect to point listeners of the podcast over here often so they can see the photos, and read more about the various artists and performers. The two mediums should compliment each other really well. Then there is the third medium, that is video. I intend to bring back The Magic Detective Youtube Show, though that is a bit further down the road. I expect to post the occasional short videos over there however, videos that are supplements to the blog articles or podcast episodes. So eventually, you'll have The Magic Detective Blog, The Magic Detective Podcast, and The Magic Detective Online Show.


So now that I've let you know about this new project, you may be wondering what you can do? I NEED You to do is subscribe to the podcast and then listen to the episodes as they debut. There are many ways to listen to the podcast, if you're on a computer you can listen through the podcast site http://magicdetectivepodcast.com    But if you want to subscribe, you can do that through the podcast section of iTunes. Simply go to iTunes, or click your podcast button on your iPhone, type in Magic Detective in the search area and look for the logo below. Then hit the subscribe button! Episode 1 was released a couple days early because I wanted to be sure that iTunes approved my podcast before Monday. With that done,  I'm very excited about all of this, I know you'll really enjoy this unique Magic history podcast!

The 2nd episode will air Monday Oct 15th!

The Doug Henning Documentary - Fundraiser

In the 1970's there was no bigger name in the world of magic than Doug Henning. With his incredible yearly specials and touring shows he was responsible for the resurgence of interest in magic. He inspired so many future magicians, myself included. Doug was so different from every other magician out there. Doug was just Doug. He didn't try to be Blackstone, or Kellar, or even Houdini. He had his own way of doing things and his way was simply, magical. Sadly, Doug Henning is often forgotten today. 

But there is someone out there who wants to change all that, his name is Neil McNally. In May 2017, Neil created The Doug Henning Project, which is a blog devoted to the life of Doug Henning. Due to the popularity of the site, Neil decided to take the next step and create a documentary about Doug. Neil is the writer and director of the documentary, while Michelle Opitz, a veteran documentary filmmaker, is the projects producer.

From the website: This feature length documentary is made with the cooperation of the Henning family, and features such magic luminaries as Penn and Teller, Lance Burton, Max Maven, Johnny Thompson, Milt Larsen, and many more. It follows Doug’s complete life starting as a youth in Canada, his first breakthrough on Broadway with “The Magic Show,” his eight television specials, his devotion to Transcendental Meditation, and his ultimate reasons for leaving it all behind. The framework of which is told by Doug himself through a comprehensive and unreleased video interview recorded six months before his passing.

Like the Beatles before him, Doug Henning was attuned to his time. It was a time of hippie sensibilities, positivity, rainbow spandex, and love. We could sure use a lot of that today.

The documentary can use your help. Neil and Michelle have put up a website DougHenningFilm.com which tells you all about the documentary. And they've also put up an Indigogo Fundraising page which can be found here https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/doug-henning-s-magical-world#/You can contribute as little as $5 or as much as $10,000. Please go check out the sites and if you are able, contribute to the project. But before you go, watch the video below which tells more about the film! And THEN go donate to this very worthy project.