Penguin Magic Podcast

Perseus Arkomanis is an incredible magician, author, and illustrator based in Athens Greece. His new lecture on adding meaning to magic and finding your voice is making waves in the magic community. Perseus shares his own journey and how you can make your magic more meaningful in this wide-ranging interview.

Erik Tait takes a slight detour on this week's podcast to address a situation that's been brewing this week. We discuss AI, how it's used at Penguin, how it shouldn't be used to alter people's images, internet bullying, and a lot more. This one is a bit of a rant. Buckle up.

Alan Rorrison is known for his clever gimmicks, insatiable curiosity, and boundless drive to innovate. In this candid interview, he shares how he went from an apprentice in the shipyards of Scotland to one of the most in-demand creators and magic consultants today. He shares his methods of creativity and discusses what he has in store for the magic community next.

Joan DuKore is one of the hardest-working women in magic. From performing for the raiders to the Magic Castle, she blows away her audiences with wry wit and expert sleight of hand. In this episode, she discusses her approach to strolling magic, her background as a ballerina and dancer, creating incredible moments on stage, and more.

The Great Kaplan is the stage persona of the hilarious and brilliant magician Dave Kaplan. This week, he stops by the show to discuss his show, how he built a brilliant ten-minute silent act, and the history of Big Headline, the killer newspaper effect he put out with Penguin Magic. As a special treat, he shows off his brand new action figure and his wallet. Trust us, you are going to want to see his action figure and his wallet.

Ben Seidman comes on the show to discuss his work on YouTube with Vanity Fair, consulting on the latest Now You See Me film, and his new ticketed show Con Man. Ben is one of the most in demand working performers today, and in this wide ranging interview he discusses his current projects like Ring Watch Wonder, and shares some of his thoughts and approaches to magic.

We are back with more listener questions. Get Erik's views on the state of restaurant magic, how to eliminate nerves, and his thoughts on Oz Pearlman performing at the White House Correspondents' Dinner!

Bob Sheets is not just a legend, he's a legend who has created legends. From learning bar magic from Heba Haba Al, to creating the Jolly Jester and perfecting the Malini Card Stab, Bob has been there and done that. In this exclusive interview, Bob shares a lifetime of stories and insights into his magic and life.

R Paul Wilson is tantalizingly close to releasing his film about Juan Tamariz. The long-awaited film is a portrait of The Maestro, Juan Tamariz. The film is a look at magic through the lens of one of the most influential magicians alive today. R Paul gives us a once-in-a-lifetime look behind the scenes of the development of the film, working with Juan, and gives us a glimpse into this incredible work.

Rob Balchunas is an award winning balloon sculptor and magician who travels the United States creating wild creations out of nothing more than balloons, and twisting magic and inflatables into a fabulous show. This week he stops by the show to discuss how he got started, tips on creating your own sculptures, and the chaos in the balloon world following the collapse of Qualtex.

Kent Axell Jr joins the show to celebrate his third year in residence at The Mandalay Bay Casino with his show Ghost Stories. He shares with our listeners how to add immersive theater qualities to your show, how to find meaning, and how  to get your own residency.Kent’s Score Card and Magic Performance Lab https://lp.uniqo.de/cCbBUN

Alex Kirk is a familiar face from YouTube and the magic industry. He was with Prop Dog and one of the faces of their live streaming show for quite some time. A few years ago, he opened his own shop. In this episode, he discusses running his shop, helping customers find magic perfect for them, and his wild YouTube interviews he does in his dressing gown from a couch he carries around conventions with the Who's Who of magic.

Cate Osborn, known to her legions of fans as Catieosaurus, comes on the show to discuss her new book The ADHD Field Guide for Adults, and her new tour Wildly Unprepared. The tour takes a deep dive into the history of magic, and Cate pulls a rabbit out of a hat, as well as discusses the journey to the rabbit she uses in her show.

Bill Wood is not just an accomplished magician and comedy actor, he is also a working therapist. Bill and Erik discuss how sketch comedy and Improv as well as becoming a practicing therapist have made his magic connect with his audiences on a deeper level, and given him the ability to tackle tough subjects on stage.

Erik Tait recounts his, and the Penguin Team's, adventures in Blackpool 2026. Erik shows more of the new products that were Blackpool exclusives. Then he shares his favorite effects from the dealers room, and showcases the toys and tricks he bought! This episode closes out with Erik's guide for American's in Blackpool.

Erik talks about what he is bringing to Blackpool 2026, the Penguin Magic Awards, and answers to listener questions from the UK. Live from Blackpool!

Marc DeSouza is not just an incredible magician, but one of the foremost magic collectors on the East Coast. In this exclusive podcast he takes us on a tour of the brand new venue House of Magic in Philadelphia, and shares with us an exclusive tour of his collection on display. Heads up, this is a great one to watch on YouTube because of how visual this episode is.

Filmmaker, writer, creator, and mentalist Chris Philpott joins the show to discuss the origin of 100th Monkey, his new release Odyssey 2, and how you can add a filmmaker's creativity to your magic.

Drew Backenstoss wrote an amazing book called Architect of the Mind.  It's back in print for the first time ever.  This secretive mentalist discusses the book, and shares his amazing approach to creativity. You will come away from this podcast with actionable things to make you more creative than ever before.

Unfortunately, due to a series of crazy technical difficulties, we won't have an episode this week! We will be  at Magifest, and back next week with  guest  Lloyd Barnes! Sorry for the delay.

Every week we post the podcast to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, and Google, but did you know there is a video version of the Podcast on YouTube? This week, Erik takes questions and comments from the viewers on YouTube and gives his thoughts and answers.

Comedy magician Farrell Dillon and producer Damian Costa join the show to talk about the newest magic venue on the Las Vegas Strip. The Magician's Room is the newest venue dedicated to magic in the United States. The theater currently hosts Farrell Dillon, David Golddrake, and Late Night Magic featuring Bizzaro, The Shocker, Lefty and Hollie England. They discuss the development of the space, the amazing features, and the incredible street performers driving ticket sales.

Nick Locapo and Erik Tait wrap up 2025. They discuss some of their favorite tricks, favorite downloads, and favorite moments at Penguin in 2025. Nick also shares some updates on the new venue, The Hand and the Eye, opening in 2026 in Chicago.

One more retrospective for the holiday season. Erik Tait gathers the very first Top Five Under Five segments ,including appearances by Nathan Coe Marsh, Michael Kent, and more! Stay tuned to the end of the show if your name is Ben for a special holiday message.

This week we take a look back at the first dozen Desert Island Magic Book recordings, featuring Cate Osborn, Mat Franco, Ben Earl, and many more. We also take some time to keep our thoughts with Eric Jones, and consider donating to his GoFundMe.Eric Jones Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-eric-jones

Carisa Hendrix joins the show live from Las Vegas. She discusses the explosive rise to prominence of Lucy Darling on Instagram and TikTok. She dishes on Canada's Got Talent, building her incredible community, and how the transition from magic famous to actually famous has changed her show.

Bill Cook has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Masters of Illusion, an award-winning documentary, and is currently headlining cruise ships around the world. He started as a young teen magician in Chicago, working in nursing homes, and went to school to be a Foley Artist. Now he's on top of the world.

Jason Bird has headlined on the Las Vegas Strip, appeared on Masters of Illusion, and now has written a book, Strolling for Dollars. He details his decades of experience as a strolling magician, making a successful living, so that you can learn how to translate his experience into your success. Plus, he shares some incredible tips that you can start using right away.

Erik and Nick wake up at the crack of dawn and give a totally unauthorized preview of all the new tricks dropping during Penguin Magic's 2025 Black Friday. They hold nothing back and talk about eleven new tricks dropping for the holiday season!

Nick Locapo returns to the show to discuss the latest tricks.  Nick &  Erik also discuss a listener  question that  came in after the  last show. What is the best way to submit a trick to Penguin, and what happens after your trick is submitted.

Erik Tait takes questions sent in by the listeners! Where to find your local magic club,  how to get longer sets,  where to get your tricks published, and a lot more! He even brings back Desert Island Magic Books and Top Five Under Five when asked by a loyal listener.

Josh Burch is not just a talented creator and performer of magic; he is also the brains behind the social media team at Penguin Magic. He helps to curate the videos that regularly go viral, and develops new material for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. He shares the secrets magicians should know to get their own magic videos featured on Penguin Magic's channels.

Myq Kaplan is a comedian and writer with a truly unique approach to creativity. He discusses not only his approach to writing, but also actionable ways magicians can infuse comedy into their show. Before that Nick Locapo comes on the show to discuss the latest tricks  and share updates on The Hand & The Eye, the new magic venue coming to Chicago.Myq Kaplan's  Special Rini - https://youtu.be/y0uf9i_z-Aw

Craig Petty returns to the show to discuss his chaotic trip to Magic Live, spill the beans behind Game Changer and an unreleased effect for Keymaster, and discuss his kids' illusion show that is performing on some of the largest stages in the UK. Magic and Mischief is headlining House of Secrets and you need to know about it.

Steve Reynolds stops by the show to discuss the new expanded edition of The Olram File. He also discusses his relationship with Jon Racherbaumer, how he came into possession of so much unpublished Marlo material, and the best way to study the Late Great Ed Marlo. If you are a fan of card magic, this is the episode for you.

Gabriella Lester has joined the cast of the new touring show Now You See Me Live, based on the popular Now You See Me Film franchise. She discusses the casting process, creating magic for the show, and their first show at the Sydney Opera House. Nick Locapo kicks off the show, discussing the latest tricks and the Vogue article declaring magic at your house parties as hot again.

Fitzgerald stops by the show to discuss the Black Rabbit Rose Theater in Hollywood, as well as his work with The Unholy Three, and his transition from magician, to comedian, and then onto comedy magic. The show starts with Nick & Erik discussing the latest tricks and news in the magic world.

David Regal stops by the show. He is a television writer, creator, performer, and powerful force in magic creativity. He's an executive producer and co-head writer on The Carbonaro Effect. A popular performer at The Magic Castle. In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses his history in television, creating magic, and behind the scenes on one of the most popular magic shows on television.

John Reid is a Guinness World Records balloon sculptor, a legendary magician, on the forefront of teaching magic to the youth, and the guy who has kept Cressey Coils as the premier coil producer in the world. He shares a wide-ranging conversation with Erik Tait. The show kicks off with Erik & Nick discussing the latest tricks, and the recent spate of fake endorsements to plague the magic marketplace.

Blake Vogt has worked behind the scenes for David Copperfield, David Blaine, Dynamo, and Justin Willman. He's also become quite the popular performer himself with his appearances on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Disney Cruise Ships. Blake discusses creativity, sleeping on couches, and how a titanic winter storm changed his life forever.

The new world champion of Parlor Magic Mortenn Christiansen returns to the show to discuss how what started as his hand stuck in a Pringles can turned into a second world championship. He discusses how the act developed, how his first win changed his life, imposter syndrome, and so much more.

Jason Michaels takes a break from hosting his own podcast to discuss The International Brotherhood of Magicians, touring military bases around the world, and how he has embraced his journey with Tourette's not only as a magician but also as a storyteller.

Nick Locapo returns after a long absence to discuss the hottest new products, his experience at Magic Live, and give an eagerly awaited update on The Hand & The Eye, the hot new magic venue coming to Chicago.

We've never missed an episode, and we won't let Erik's poor destroyed voice from working two magic conventions back to back get in the way of that streak! This week, Erik shares his thoughts on FISM, Magic Live, the troubles of travel, the incredible magic he saw, and sharing new products with the magic world.

Mind2Mind are the newly crowned world champions of Mentalism. Their electrifying performance at FISM resulted in people thinking their act was so good it used stooges, and nothing could be further from the truth. They join the podcast to discuss their road to FISM, the intense training, and just what happened right after the audience leaped to its feet in an unbelievable standing ovation.

Craig Petty joins the show to discuss his controversial YouTube video, The Desolation of Yigal Mesika. He gives background on the dispute over Air Flight, the controversial behavior of Yigal Mesika, and the fallout from the video. Erik Tait, for the first time, shares a story of when he wrote ad copy for Yigal and how it didn't end the way he had hoped. If you haven't viewed the video in question, a link is provided below.The Desolation Of Yigal Mesika: https://youtu.be/TnsLrTi5pX4?si=wsFPLAaf5movhKd1

David Kuraya is a performer and author who was a regular performer at Warren and Annabelle's in Hawaii. He was also a close friend of Curtis Kam and discusses his legacy on magic and Hawaii. David also discusses his book of magic and essays.Ginosko David's Book - https://www.davidkuraya.com/about

Christopher Carter joins the show to discuss his new book In The Spotlight. One of the most anticipated books on Mentalism of the year, Christopher shares what the book is about, the process of writing it, and shares his deep insight into the performance of mentalism. 

Jason Latimer stops by the show to discuss his road to FISM, performing and speaking at FISM Italy, and his incredible work in California schools with Impossible Science. Jason is inspiring children to get more active in Science through magic.https://impossiblescience.com/

Harrison Lampert is one of the owners and performers of the newest magic venue in Chicago, The Cosmic Underground Theater. He discusses opening the venue, combining improv and magic, and their magic school that is open and accessible to all. Before the show Nick and Erik discuss the latest tricks and break down the OG Penguin himself, Oz Pearlman, appearing on The Joe Rogan Podcast.