Episode Details

On this week's episode of The AP Strange Show, Houdini historian John Cox joins AP for an in-depth discussion about the legendary magician, escape artist, and arch debunker of Spiritualist phenomena, Harry Houdini. John's incredible breadth of knowledge about the larger-than-life figure stems from a childhood fascination, and has culminated in several books and appearances on TV shows such as The UnXplained with William Shatner. Throughout his career as a screenwriter, he has continued pursuing the life story of the man whose name has become synonymous with stage magic and escape artistry.

In this conversation, he and AP discuss some of the lesser known history of Houdini in AP's hometown of Worcester, MA, including his last outdoor performance and the mystery surrounding the coffin he used during his "buried alive" performances. From there John talks about what got him into the rabbit hole of Houdini's life, the work he's done to attempt a balance between the legends and facts about the man, and the various projects he's worked on in preserving Houdini's legacy. They also discuss his complicated history with séances, the evolution of the handcuff and jail escapes, and conjecture about Houdini's alleged involvement in espionage. The conversation is a real deep dive into entertainment history, and John Cox is an unparalleled source of information and enthusiasm on the matter!

Keep up with John's work at https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/ , where you can find an unbelievable amount of information as well as links to purchase his books- and if you're eager for even more, join his patreon!