Do you remember at what age you wanted to become a magician?
I always loved magic as a kid, I think most kids do… so I started magic at the age of 7 years old. I saw David Copperfield vanish the Statue of Liberty at my Uncle and Aunts house (Bill & Olga Sawchuk) back in Vancouver – Canada and that was it… I know it wasn’t a special power but a skill of illusion. Later in the year they bought me one of my first magic kits and I was hooked forever.
Who have been some of the magicians you have enjoyed over the years?
Some of my favorite magicians over the past and present are Cardini a well-known card manipulator in the early 1900’s, Houdini who was one of the world’s greatest publicists, David Copperfield who really changed the face of magic for the modern world, and I would have to say David Blaine who really brought close-up magic into the forefront.
Have you ever had the opportunity to work with any of these magicians?
No I haven’t worked with any of those magicians in my career but some of our effects have parallel each other’s.
Did you learn magic on your own or did you learn from another magician?
I first learnt magic on my own by going to the library… yes that old antique building that held books before the internet came around and people could sit at home and learn everything. I once took the same book out of the library 26 times learning the tricks from it. It was called, ‘Mark Wilson’s Course in Magic’. Ironically, years later I became friends with booth him and his wife Nani and worked with their son Gregory Wilson.
Do you have any thoughts about any of the magicians who started it, such as Houdini, Slydini, Thurston, Mark Wilson, etc?
Yes all of them have influence me as a professional. Houdini as now I am the resident Houdini / Magic Expert on History Channel’s Pawn Stars, Slydini – I used his version of my newspaper tear in my Las Vegas strip show, Mark Wilson was the first Magic Book that I really learnt my magic out of… But the one magician that really became my mentor was Mr. Electric aka Marvyn Roy & Carol. He was famous in the 1940’s – 1980’s lighting lightbulbs in his barehands… they toured the world for 50 years, was a opening act for Liberace for 5 years and have worked with everyone and everywhere. Marvyn is still alive and well living in Palm Springs, Ca. I met them when I was 16 in Brush Prairie, Washington and they taught me if you want to be a star in magic… you need to be remembered… you need a hook, a look, and quality! So that is when I started to brand myself with my own magic I invented, my look with the messy hair and black framed glasses and electric blue suit
You can find more of this exclusive interview in our December 2014 issue of ModelsMania
