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Q: Do you have a favorite illusion?
A: Whichever one I am developing on at any given time. I don’t like to get bored, and challenge myself to create new illusions.
Q: Why do you perform escapes in your show?
A: It is important to create some dynamic tension in your show using risk and peril. I like to end all of my
shows with something that looks dangerous, so the audience will get that feeling of release when the show is over.
Q: Have you ever been injured performing an escape?
A: Yes, in 2000, my hand was injured performing am "Iron Maiden" escape when a steel spike went through my hand during the effect. I was also burned from pyrotechnics in the same escape because I was unable to remove my hand from the spike. Fortunately, I was rushed off to the hospital very quickly, and recovered.
Q: Do you have a favorite escape?
A: Yes, I performed an escape, on a show that I hosted a couple of years ago called the "Masters of Magic " show on the Pax Network, where I was chained and shackled to pillars of an old shopping mall. I was also wrapped completely in cellophane, to make the escape look more unique. I had to escape before explosive charges were set off at the pillars. It took a minute and a half for the fuse to detonate these charges, and I made my escape.
Q: Do you have a favorite illusion?
A: Yes, I performed a teleportation effect in Japan, with a pop star known as Takizawa, where he was transported from Japan to Los Angeles. And let me mention, without giving away the secret to the effect, that he was actually in Japan when the effect started, and was actually in Los Angeles when the effect was finished. There were no videotapes, digital effects, or nothing else used in the effect It remains the design that I am most proud of.
Q: Tell me about your work with the MASAT, in India.
A: They are truly amazing people. Their illusions are performed with dirt, dust, and garbage. They use multiple dynamics of psychology in their magic, to completely fool their audiences.
Q: What advice would you give to someone trying to succeed in magic?
A: Don’t copy from others. Magic is an art form that is used as a vehicle that should be used to communicate to our audiences. Try to analyze what you see from others and understand how it may apply to you. Be inspired, but do not duplicate. This issue is of the utmost importance to me.
Q: Any upcoming projects, or specials?
A: I will be performing in Indonesia, and doing a television show in China. I am also working on two specials for the Travel Channel.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: Whatever you do, be it magic, escapes, or any of the allied arts, have a good time, and enjoy the ride…
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About Mr. Blacke and The International Association of Escape Masters …
Escape Masters is the International Association of Escape Masters. It was founded in 1985 by Norman and Janet Bigelow. It has been run by Thomas Blacke, who serves as International President, and Editor/Publisher of Escape Masters Magazine since 2001.
Membership in Escape Masters extends to four continents around the world, and members stay connected through their quarterly publication, “Escape Masters Magazine” which feature articles on escapes from some of the greatest minds in the business, as well as, interviews with some of magic’s biggest stars.
Thomas Blacke has been a professional magician and escape artist for nearly 25 years. He has performed around the world, and has been featured on a number of television programs, as well as, a number of periodicals.
His list of accomplishments include being an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star from the Magic Circle, a Member of the Magic Castle, in Hollywood, CA, and has been invited to attend and perform at “Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic” (FFFF), the most prestigious, and by invitation only, close-up magic convention in the world.
In addition to his duties as International President of Escape Masters, and Editor/Publisher of Escape Masters Magazine. Blacke has authored a number of books, and created magical effects that are marketed to magicians around the world.
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