Houdini Lincoln cover story in Skeptical Inquirer

The March/April 2025 issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine has a cover story by Jason Emerson about how spiritualists tried to claim President Lincoln as a believer and Houdini's role in debunking that. This one is a must buy just for the awesome cover art!

You can read or listen to the article HERE, or pick up a print edition in stores. To subscribe visit the Skeptical Inquirer website.

I suspect this subject will be covered in greater detail in the upcoming book, Lincoln's Ghost: Houdini's War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency by Brad Ricca. You can pre-order that book now on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Release date is October 28.

Related:

• Houdini, Rose, and Randi in Skeptical Inquirer
• Skeptical Inquirer looks at Houdini and Lovecraft
• Skeptical Inquirer discovers Houdini's Girl Detective

Discover the Houdinarian Society

Houdini devotees Larrian Gillespie, MD and Shell Reinish (who is currently teaching a class on Houdini at UNLV) have launched the Houdinarian Society. The website is already packed with Houdini content, including videos, artifacts, links, reviews and research. They also have a dedicated Facebook page and a way to subscribe and receive alerts when new content is published.

Larrian was kind enough to give WAH a shoutout and join my Patreon as an Angel, so I'm excited to share the love. The Houdinarian Society is a terrific way to keep up with all that's happening in the world of Houdini, so get to browsing!

Related:

• Houdini Museum launches new website
• Roger Dreyer launches "Houdini Revealed"
• Houdini's early days online

Houdini will never escape Jeopardy!

Houdini was back on Jeopardy! last Friday (Feb 28). This time he appeared as the answer to the Final Jeopardy question. All three contestants got it right.

Check out the J! Archive website to see all mentions of Houdini on the show going back to 1985. Cool to see that Hardeen got a nod on 12-26-24.

Thanks to Arthur Moses for the alert.

Related: 

• Houdini Jeopardy! triple stumper
• "I'll take Houdini for $1000, Alex."
• Escape Artist: An Edna Ferber Mystery available now

Houdini inspired Henry Fonda to act

Did you know Henry Fonda was inspired to act after an encounter with Houdini? The actor told the story in an interview shortly before his death in 1982, and I think I've been able to pinpoint exactly when and where this would have happened. This is a Patreon History Exclusive that you can read by clicking below.

Not yet a member of my Patreon? If you join this weekend using the promo code FONDA you'll get 20% off your first month.  Come hang with us!

Related:

• Houdini's Omaha break
• Houdini hangs in Omaha
• Houdini wins the Oscar for Best Actor

The Cancer of Superstition is coming March 24

Exciting news! David Haversat's 1878 Press Co. will be publishing Houdini's The Cancer of Superstition next month. You heard me right. The Cancer of Superstition is finally coming to print! Below are details.

99 Years in the Making - The Wait is Over! 

The Cancer of Superstition is a book Houdini was writing at the time of his death with C. M. Eddy Jr. and HP Lovecraft. A week before Houdini died on Halloween of 1926, he was in communication with C.M. Eddy Jr. and was enthusiastic about the project's completion. However, as Houdini's condition worsened at Grace Hospital, his wife Bess sent Eddy and Lovecraft a telegram telling them to stop The Cancer of Superstition. 

Nearly 100 years later, the COMPLETE manuscript in the archives of C.M. Eddy's grandson has surfaced! With special arrangements with Alchemy Productions, 1878 Press Co. is proud to announce the March 24, 2025 release of Houdini's Cancer of Superstition!

• Foreword by Sammy Cortino.
• Featuring Houdini artifacts from the collection of David Haversat.
• Release Date - Houdini's Birthday: March 24th.

The Cancer of Superstition will be available from 1878 Press Co.

Related:

• The Cancer of Superstition is FOUND!
• C.M. Eddy, Jr. and The Cancer of Superstition manuscript
• Houdini, Lovecraft, and The Cancer of Superstition

Spectral Motion Houdini mini bust

Here's one that's worth jumping on. Our friend Mike Elizalde at Spectral Motion has produced a 3D printed version of his famous bronze Houdini bust in a smaller size at a smaller price. It may not be bronze, but it sure looks good to me!

Own a piece of magic history with this Harry Houdini mini bust, expertly 3D printed in tough resin and hand-painted in a stunning bronze finish. This highly detailed collectible is crafted from a precise 3D scan of the Houdini bust on display at the world-famous Hollywood Magic Castle, making it a truly authentic tribute to the legendary escape artist.

You can purchase Spectral Motion's Houdini mini bust at their Etsy store.

Thanks to Dan Bowen for the heads-up.

Related:

• Houdini bronze by Spectral Motion
• The Magic Castle makes some Houdini additions
• REPORT: Inside the L.A. Conference on Magic History

LINK: CBR remembers the Houdini Miniseries

CBR has a well-written piece by Alex Huffman remembering the 2014 Houdini Miniseries starring Adrian Brody (who is currently Oscar-nominated for The Brutalist). They gave me a nice shout-out, so I thought I'd do the same! Click the headline or image below to re-discover The Great Brodini.

Related:

• REVIEW: History gets a C- in Houdini
• Fact checking HISTORY's Houdini - Part One
• Fact checking HISTORY's Houdini - Part Two

The Garrick after Houdini

Houdini was booked at the Garrick Theater in Detroit for two weeks starting Sunday, October 24, 1926. As it turned out, he only did one show before entering Grace Hospital early on the morning of October 25. There, he would spend the rest of the week battling peritonitis before dying on Halloween the following Sunday.

But what happened at the Garrick during Houdini's absence? I find this kind of thing interesting, so let's have a look.

Houdini's hospitalization was unexpected, and the next day, Monday, October 25, the paper advertised him appearing at the Garrick that evening as usual. However, the theater was dark that night.

Detroit Free Press, October 25, 1926

Detroit Free Press, October 26, 1926.

The Garrick remained dark on Tuesday, October 26. Then Duse Mohamed Ali and his Oriental Theater Company moved from Orchestra Hall to the Garrick and played out the rest of the week.

Duse Mohamed Ali wasn't the only performer at the Garrick that week. The Junior League of Detroit presented "Old King Cole" during three afternoon performances on October 28th, 29th, and 30th. It appears these performances would have happened even during Houdini's run, as they were announced before Houdini's arrival in Detroit.

Houdini was originally booked for a second week at the Garrick starting October 31st. Of course, this was not to be. It appears the Garrick remained dark this entire week. The only advertisement for the theatre announced the coming of "The Garrick Gaieties" for the following week of November 7th, when Houdini would have moved on to Cleveland.

The Garrick Theater closed on August 11, 1928. Its last show was Gene Buck's dramatic play Ringside. 

Last week for Ringside and for the Garrick Theater.

The Garrick was torn down in early 1929 to make way for the David Stott building, which still stands today. In an account of its history in the Detroit Free Press, writer Len G. Shaw did not mention the Garrick as the site of Houdini's last performance, but that is certainly what it is remembered for today!

Detroit Free Press, Nov. 1, 1928

Want more? You can read Len G. Shaw's full history of the Garrick Theater as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon below.

Related:

• Houdini's last stop
• Houdini's Detroit today
• Plymouth man believes house bricks from Garrick Theater

Potter & Potter 'Houdiniana' auction April 26

Need something to look forward to? How about a Houdiniana auction from Potter & Potter! That happens on April 26, and if past Houdiniana auctions from Potter are anything to go by, this will have some stunners!

If you need more to look forward to, I recently updated my patrons on the progress of my first Houdini Chronology book. That will have some stunners too!

Related:

• Rare pitchbooks highlight 'Houdiniana' auction (2018)
• Potter & Potter Houdiniana auction results (2016)
• Potter & Potter's Houdiniana auction results (2014)

David Blaine will give up stunts at 52, like Houdini

David Blaine told the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast that he is planning on giving up stunt work at age 52, in honor of Houdini.

"Harry Houdini, who has always been my favorite and a big inspiration for so many things, died when he was 52," says David. "I've always thought 52 should be the mark, you don't want to push until the point that you break. So I have a few more years of pushing and then I'm going to shift to what people like to see me do more, which is just magic and bringing that to kids in hospitals, which I love doing."

He also revealed that he is currently planning his final stunt. "There's one that's a culmination of everything I've ever done that I'm obsessed with but it's a pretty over the top ambitious idea, so I'm trying to put it together, and it will be my last one."

As we know, David frequently states in interviews that Houdini died in his Water Torture Cell. This time he parsed it somewhat, saying, "[Houdini] had done the water tank, collapsed on stage because he didn't want to disappoint the audience even though he had severe stomach pains and then he was rushed to the hospital and died."

You can listen to the entire interview on Spotify.

Related:

• Is David Blaine reviving a Houdini myth?
• The enduring mystery of David Blaine
• David Blaine shares his Houdini posters

Houdini's secret marks?

Here's a curiosity from the January 1938 issue of Genii magazine. This is a new one to me.

Another Houdini mystery? Or a bit of Ed Saint malarkly? Let us know if you've spotted any mysterious markings in any Houdini-owned books you might be fortunate enough to have.

Below is Houdini's copy of Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain (1635) in the Library of Congress. Certainly one of his rarest books. If you click the image you can see every page. I've paged through it and found no obvious marks.

Thanks to Eric Colleary for providing the LOC link. Eric is currently organizing an exhibition and writing a book on Houdini's Library for the Harry Ransom Center.

Related:

• Houdini the bibliophile
• Houdini’s Library coming to the HRC in Fall 2026
• Dean Carnegie looks at the enigmatic Edward Saint

Huis van Houdini at Bellewaerde Park in Belgium

The Bellewaerde Park in West Flanders, Belgium, has a "Huis van Houdini" (House of Houdini) ride attraction. This appears to be the same ride that one can find at Six Flags in New Jersey and MagicLand near Rome. I gotta say, I love that there are Houdini rides at amusement parks, and I love the facades.

You can watch a video of Huis van Houdini below.

Don't forget that you can go inside the real house of Houdini in New York. Although I'm not sure if it spins around! Click for details.

Related:

• Houdini is back in action at Six Flags
• Rainbow MagicLand's Maison Houdini
• "I'm not a Frenchie, I'm a Belgie!" (Patreon)