This morning, we heard from Mark and Shelia Cannon of the coincidentally named Cannon’s Great Escapes.
The email came in around 5:00 am here in Mystic Hollow, Michigan so
that means it was sent at about 2:30 am in Orange County, California.
They are clearly working the late-nights to make ready for the best escape convention ever staged.
How can we make such a claim? What about the famed Oakbrook Convention of 1913? Wasn’t that a better convention?
After all, it had Houdini and fifteen other performers with names sounding like “Houdini.”
Surely, you’re not saying the Great Escapes Third Annual Convention can top this classic of escape history.
Yes. Yes, we’re saying exactly that.
In his review of the infamous Oakbrook Convention, Hardeen wrote,
“But for my brother, the conclave would have been a waste of entrance
fees.” (Hardeen: What I Thought and Why I Thought It, Magic Rag-Time, June 1913).
Historians have puzzled over this sentence for years. Otto Maxing noted in his treatise, Houdini: Ein Schlag ins Wasser, “Theo (Hardeen) was right, of course. But why would Houdini charge his own brother entrance fees?”
It should also be noted that unlike the Cannon’s Great Escapes, the
Oakbrook Convention of 1913 happened only once. Mark and Shelia Cannon
are preparing for their third annual convention.
Quantity does not equal greatness — we know this to be true.
If it were otherwise, we’d have the greatest collection of magic in the modern world.
Instead, we have 252 boxes (each holding 144 smaller boxes of 12 packages each) of improperly printed sets of the Tree Card Monte
packet trick. Long-time readers will no doubt note our inventory has
decreased just a little (down from 254 boxes in 1998) thanks to our
clever use of our bulk purchasing power to buy hundreds of glue sticks
to turn bad magic tricks into not so bad beer coasters.
(We still have some available on eBay in both the 24-pack and 144-pack economy model).
So the Cannon’s Great Escapes Convention is the greatest not because
it has staying power. It has staying power because it is the greatest.
Today is the last day to take advantage of the $99.00 room-rate.
We’re advised you will still be able to get rooms, but they will be at
a higher rate.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Why am I still reading this?” Or more
pertinent, “what can I get out of a convention bringing together the
finest escape artists in the world?
I have never performed an Upside Down Underwater Escape, I can
barely pick my teeth after a turkey dinner, much less a Master padlock.
I never practice getting-out of rope-ties. I have a straight jacket but it’s not that kind of straight jacket.”
That’s where your thinking is diseased and wrong.
There will be contests, lectures, shows, dealers, and escape
artists. Chances are you’ll find something to meet your current level
of interest and ability as well as something to encourage your further
development in this great part of our magical culture.
Plus, as you will read below, it is likely the only convention
you’ll attend where you have a…
Continue reading Cannon’s Great Escapes 3rd Annual Convention
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