Celebrating Houdini and National Magic Week

Yesterday, Tom Gentile and the SAM hosted a six-hour Zoom event celebrating Houdini and marking the start of National Magic Week. Yesterday also happened to be the 100th anniversary of Houdini last performance at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit on October 24, 1926. The countdown to Halloween has begun!

It was a terrific event with presentations by many prominent Houdiniites, including Joe Notaro, Eric Colleary, Tom Ewing, Jeff & Debbie Blood, Charles Greene III, Bill Radner, Bruce Averbook, Dean Gunnerson, Trudy Monti, Joe Devlin, Houdini II, Robert Kirkpatrick, John Hinson, Scott Wells, Wayne Alan, and more. I was also invited to give a brief presentation. I had planned something history-based and a little unique, but then I received a package in the mail and decided to change things up.

What's in the mystery box behind me? If you were on the Zoom, you know. If not, I'll soon be sharing it here on the blog.

Congratulations to Tom Gentile, Robert Dadras, and Joel "Batman" Zaritsky for an outstanding event and wonderful six hours celebrating Houdini!

Photo courtesy Charles Greene III.

Related:

• Six-hour Houdini online celebration, Oct 24
• Houdini takes the stage for the last time
• The Garrick after Houdini

A peek at the Premium Edition slipcase

This week I received a sample slipcase for the Premium Edition of Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, from the printers. It's a beauty! I'm not planning to reveal product images until next month, but I couldn't resist giving my patrons a video first look below.

I've also created a poll on my Patreon asking which edition, Regular or Premium, you are considering buying (or not). This post is open to everyone, so feel free to vote by clicking below. 

Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909 will be available for preorder next month, with an expected shipping date in late December. It's getting exciting!

Related:

• Patreon Priority Preorder
• End of the road (Patreon)
• Handcuff King wet proof (Patreon)

Cover reveal postcard has arrived and it's a beauty

My new Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini 1900–1909 cover reveal promo card (Style C) has arrived, and it's a beauty. The cover art color reproduction is perfect. Let's hope the real cover looks as good!

CLICK TO PURCHASE

If you preordered, your card shipped yesterday (and you should have received an email notice). Thank you for helping me test my Shopify preorder system. It seems to work!

As always, the cards are signed, and domestic shipping is FREE. International shipping is a reasonable flat rate. This will be my last general release card. If you have my two previous cards, why not complete the set?

By the way, an unsolicited shoutout to VistaPrint, where I get these made.

Related:

• Handcuff King signed promotional cards
• Handcuff King cover reveal postcard preorder
• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business

Handcuff King cover reveal postcard preorder

Would you like to see the cover of Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, and help me out with the book launch? Here's how you can do both.

My Handcuff King signed promo cards have been surprisingly popular and are now sold out. So I've created a new (Style C) card. This one shows the book's final cover art on the front and has book details on the back. This will be the last general release card.

I'm offering this card as a preorder to test my Shopify preorder system before book launch. Better to test with a handful of postcards than 300 books! So preordering this card will help me, and you'll get the new card before anyone else. 

All cards will be signed and will ship on October 1st. As always, domestic shipping is FREE.

CLICK HERE TO PREORDER

Thank you!

Related:

• Handcuff King signed promotional cards
• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

Last call for signed Handcuff King promo cards

If you are interested in grabbing one of my signed promo cards for Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909, this might be your last chance. I plan to bring my remaining stock to Kansas City this week, where I will likely hand them all out. I won't be printing any more cards in these styles.

The cards are $5 each with FREE shipping in the U.S. Only the cards I'm offering here are signed. You can grab one or both card styles by clicking below.

Handcuff King Signed Promotional Postcards

If you happen to be in the Kansas City area, please come and hear me speak at the Kansas City Central Library on September 9 at 6:00 PM. Click below for details.

Related:

• Next stop: Kansas City
• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

The three unknowns

After two and a half years of hard work, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909 will soon go to press. The book contains more information and photos from these 10 years of Houdini's life than has ever appeared in print. But I still have three pesky unanswered questions:

When did Houdini and his mother go to Budapest?

When did Bess's sister Stella die?

When did Hardeen marry?

I've dealt with each of these in the book as best I can, but I would sure love to put these moments in their proper places and in context. But the window for doing that is closing fast.

Thanks to everyone who has given these their best shots. If I ever do a paperback edition, maybe I'll have an exciting update!

Related:

• The search for Stella
• When did Hardeen marry Elsie Fozzard?
• When did Houdini and his mother go to Budapest?

When did Hardeen marry Elsie Fozzard?

I'm preparing to send Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini 1900–1909 to the printer on Monday, and I just realized I don't have the exact date for when Hardeen married Elsie Fozzard. It's said to have been sometime in 1904, and it may have been in England. I have the marriage dates of his other brothers. I have the date of Franz Kukol's marriage ("to an old girl his age"). But somehow I don't have Hardeen.

I currently don't have a subscription to Ancestry, so if someone wants to be a hero and try to suss it out for me there (or anywhere), I'll give you thanks in the book! You can leave it in the comments or shoot me an email.

Thank you!

UPDATE: Want to hear George Hardeen imitate his Grandma Elsie? This is why I have a Patreon!

Related:

• Hardeen hangs up his handcuffs
• Theodore "Dash" Hardeen
• Related to Houdini?

PATREON: Book update and Thor's arm

Every day brings Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909 closer to being in your hands. I wrote a new introduction this weekend, and David Copperfield sent me a fantastic photo for his Foreword that I've never seen before. Maybe the first time published? I'm now in the final stages of production and still on track for a late 2026 release. I've shared the latest update on my Patreon below.

If you're new to my Patreon, you can read all my book updates below, including the reports from my trip to "the mountaintop" last year. It's been fun to share this journey with my patrons, whose support is helping make it happen!

You can get details on Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909 at Wild About Harry PRESS.

Related:

• Handcuff King signed promotional cards
• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

Handcuff King signed promotional cards

My new book, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909, will soon go to the printer, and by the end of the year you should have it in hand. I'm very proud of it and very excited to share. I set out to make the Houdini book of my dreams, and it feels like I did. But you'll be the ultimate judge.

In the meantime, I am offering two promotional cards at my online store, Wild About Harry PRESS. I handed out Style A in Appleton and have just received Style B. Both cards feature unique original Houdini advertising on one side and a promo for the book and my signature on the other.

The cards are $5 each with FREE shipping in the U.S. International shipping is a flat rate. Only the cards I'm offering here are signed. Supplies are limited.

Handcuff King Signed Promo Card Style A

Handcuff King Signed Promo Card Style B

You'll also get both cards FREE with the purchase of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 while supplies last.

Thank you for your patronage and patience!

Related:

• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• Signed copies of Escaping Obscurity back in stock
• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

Signed copies of Escaping Obscurity back in stock

I have replenished my stock of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. Once again, I have SIGNED copies available in my online store, Wild About Harry PRESS. I will also throw in a signed promotional postcard.

Read how Houdini escaped his obscurity before the next chapter arrives later this year.

The story will continue in Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909. You can get a taste of what this new book will contain by clicking the image below.

Related:

• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions

Appleton S.A.M. convention surprise

Mike Caveney and I gave our presentation last night at the S.A.M. National Convention here in Appleton, Wisconsin. The S.A.M. is honoring Houdini's 100th, and the entire city is wild about Harry! Earlier in the day, Dean Gunnarson did a water drum escape in Houdini Plaza, and Houdini II did a suspended straitjacket escape. It was fantastic. (Watch coverage here.) 

Our presentation was billed as "Houdini History Interview and Presentation." We didn't tell anyone, even the S.A.M., what we were actually going to present. Our friend, magician Dave Thomen, did a nice job sharing the reveal on Facebook. (FYI, this was the "German Poem" cylinder.)

Oh, and I also revealed the cover of Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909, as promised. I think people liked that as well. Patreons also got an exclusive first look, which you can see below.

If you're here in Appleton, please say "hi." My work is done, and I'm just going to be enjoying the rest of this terrific convention and exploring this special town.

Related:

• Next stop, Appleton
• ALL the Houdini wax cylinder audio has been saved!
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

HANDCUFF KING cover reveal in Appleton

My new book, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909, is finished, and I can't wait to share it with everyone this Fall. While I designed the book myself, I turned to the talented illustrator and artist Elijah Henry for the all-important cover. (Call me old-fashioned, but I still think humans do better work than AI.)

What Elijah created is the Houdini book cover of my dreams, which I plan to reveal during my presentation with Mike Caveney at the SAM National Convention in Appleton on the evening of July 2. Members of my Patreon will also be getting a first look.

If you want a taste of what Handcuff King will contain, click on over to the new product page at Wild About Harry PRESS.

Hope to see you in Appleton!

Related:

• Next stop, Appleton
• Let's all go to Appleton next year!
• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

David Copperfield concludes his 25-year MGM run

The big news in magic this week is that David Copperfield has closed his MGM show after a remarkable 25 years. An incredible run with an incredible show. I can't wait to see what comes next for David because he is as active and creative as ever. If I were the moon, I would be very nervous today.

As I revealed here, my upcoming book, Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900-1909, will be an official presentation of David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts. It's still a few months away (I feel like it wants to be October), but maybe we can think of this as the first post-MGM David Copperfield production? I know I'm working hard to make it worthy of the Copperfield name. A Houdini book that will put Doug Henning's to shame! Haha.

Congratulations to David and his team on a remarkable run. You beat Houdini's record by 24 years and 7 months!

Related:

• David Copperfield ending his MGM show on April 30
• There's a Houdiniesque David Copperfield poster out there (update)
• OFFICIAL POLICE NEWS!

OFFICIAL POLICE NEWS!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Cox (@houdiniwild)

If you want the latest news on this exciting manhunt, sign-up at:

www.wildaboutharrypress.com

(For those who might not realize it, this is a real Houdini advertisment from 1906 from the Ken Trombly Collection. You will see what's really on the other side in the book.)

Related:

• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!
• Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business
• The Ultimate Houdini Chronology book update

Wild About Harry PRESS is open for business

Today, I'm throwing open the doors of Wild About Harry PRESS. This is my new retail website (powered by Shopify) and publishing imprint. Here, I intend to sell my own books, notably The Ultimate Houdini Chronology, the first volume of which will be released later this year.

For starters, I'm offering my limited author's stock of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, published last year by Mike Caveney's Magic Words. I'm offering a choice of SIGNED or SEALED. The book retails for $125, but as thanks for being my first customers, I've lowered the price of the sealed editions to $95. I'm pretty sure this is the lowest price for this book you'll find anywhere online. Supplies are limited.

I'm a one-man one-cat operation, so be patient with me as I learn the retail ropes. I'm looking forward to providing everyone with some great Houdini books!

Feel free to sign up to receive notifications when new books are added.

Related:

• Wild About Harry PRESS is coming soon
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

Escaping obscurity in 2025

It's time for me to wrap up 2025 and take my year-end break. It was another great year for Houdini, and for me personally with the release of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899. I'm looking forward to continuing the story next year in Handcuff King: The Rise of Harry Houdini, the first book in my 3-volume Ultimate Houdini Chronology.

With more and more AI slop flooding the online space, I'm happy to be moving into the world of books, which is where I learned about Houdini in the first place. I hope you'll join me. But don't worry. WILD ABOUT HARRY will continue into 2026 and beyond.

Here's a look back at the year that was.

2025 in Review:

January (18 posts)

February (16 posts)

March (19 posts)

April (20 posts)

May (19 posts)

June (20 posts)

July (19 posts)

August (13 posts)

September (19 posts)

October (25 posts)

November (19 posts)

December (5 posts)

Most Viewed New Post of 2025

YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY (June 29)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Top image: Street advertising for Houdini's 1912 engagement at the Gayety in Washington, DC. Screen capture from The Truth About Houdini (1970).

ANNOUNCEMENT: I'M DONE WITH HOUDINI!

Today is an important anniversary for me. It was 50 years ago, on November 16, 1975, that I saw the Tony Curtis Houdini biopic on television. Two hours later, I was a changed person. The story of Houdini had captivated me. But even at the age of 10, I knew movies were just entertainment. They didn't offer the truth. So I set out to learn as much as I could about this amazing man.

Fifty years later, I'm here to tell you that I'm DONE. Yes, I learned everything about Houdini! Now it's time to get it out of my head and into your hands.

I'm therefore thrilled to announce THE ULTIMATE HOUDINI CHRONOLOGY, a three-volume set of books in which I will follow Houdini through every engagement he ever played, every escape he ever performed, and every significant moment of his life. If you enjoyed Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, know that was just an appetizer for the multi-course meal I'm cooking up now!

But wait, it gets better.

These books will be official presentations of David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts. As such, David has given me carte blanche to use anything in his collection to realize my dream of creating the most complete and accurate account of Houdini's life and career ever published. This, combined with material from several other major collections, has enabled me to gather a truly mind-bending amount of unseen Houdini images to bring the text to life.

The good news is that this is not some far-off future project. The first volume, which covers the years 1900-1909, is largely complete and will be released in 2026. It runs 600 pages and is packed with new information and more photos than I can count. I'm designing the book myself and working hard to make it the Houdini book of my dreams. I think it will be the Houdini book of your dreams as well.

My plan is to publish these books as limited edition hardcovers under my own imprint, Wild About Harry PRESS. I will soon be launching a new retail website where you can buy the books directly from me. I'm talking to Mike Caveney about offering a Deluxe Edition, because no one does Deluxe Editions like Mike!

Watch this blog and my Patreon in the coming months for more details. I'm excited about launching this new era and completing what I set out to accomplish fifty years ago today. Because I'm still wild about Harry! And so are you.

Related:

• November 16, 1975
• Into The Copperfield Zone, Part I | Part II
• Book Work (Patreon)