We’re back and we’re squirming. Sure, the best way to get out of this straitjacket would be to have someone unbuckle it, but where’s the fun in that? Then again, now that we’re getting lowered head first into this water tank, being untied sounds a lot more appealing. Let’s see how long we can hold our breath!

Main Topic: Harry Houdini

This is the latest instalment in our Strange NPCs series, offering discussions of the lives of interesting historical personages from the classic ages of Call of Cthulhu, along with thoughts about how we might use them in our games. Previous subjects have included Albert Fish, Louis Wain and Edgar Cayce, as well as the various luminaries covered by our Great NPCs of History series.

This episode is an exploration of the life of legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. The word “legendary” is particularly apt here, as the myths Houdini and others created about his life make the truth difficult to ascertain sometimes. This probably makes him a more interesting candidate for games, however, as everything about him is garbed in stories.

As many listeners almost certainly know, there is a direct connection between Houdini and Lovecraft, but we shall delve into that next episode when we head “Under the Pyramids”.

Links

Things we mention in this episode include:

• Houdini: the Elusive American by Adam Begley
• Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls by William Lindsay Gresham
• The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski
• Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Kenneth Silverman
• Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin
• Jacob Hyman
• Theodore Hardeen
• Medicine shows
• Dime museums
• Spiritualism and Call of Cthulhu

• Nightmare Alley (2021)
• Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham
• Metamorphosis illusion
• Spirit cabinet
• The Davenport Brothers
• Martin Beck
• “Under the Pyramids” by HP Lovecraft for Harry Houdini
• Needles routine
• Chinese Water Torture Cell
• The vanishing elephant
• Mansions of Madness
• Randolph Douglas
• William Hope Hodgson
• Funk & Wagnalls
• “Houdinize”

• Voisin biplane
• The Man From Beyond
• The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin by Harry Houdini
• Magicpedia article about The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin
• Other books by Houdini
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Episode on séances
• Mina Crandon, AKA Margery the Medium
• A Magician Among the Spirits by Harry Houdini and CM Eddy Jr
• CM Eddy Jr
• “The Loved Dead” by CM Eddy and HP Lovecraft
• Houdini (1953)
• Arthur Ford
• James Randi
• “Tales of Houdini” by Rudy Rucker

News

Big Changes for the Podcast

After 11 years of co-hosting the podcast, Paul is stepping down as a co-host. His last appearance will be in episode 300.

While this does mean big changes, The Good Friends of Jackson Elias will continue. Matt and Scott have invited an exciting series of guest hosts to round out our numbers, each bringing their own special area of expertise to our discussions. We shall announce the first guest hosts soon, once we have a few recordings in hand.

Paul at Gen Con

Paul will be attending Gen Con 2024 as part of the Chaosium presence. Seek him and the rest of the team out on booth 511 or in room 134, off the Hoosier Concourse, or at any of the events in which he is participating. These include the scenario writing seminar and workshop, with Mike Mason, and a game with You Too Can Cthulhu. The Good Time Society will also be running some Call of Cthulhu, and our good friends from the HP Lovecraft Historical Society will be showing their film adaptation of The Call of Cthulhu.

“Getting the Band Back Together” at Gen Con

If you are attending Gen Con, do try to check out the live 1920s Call of Cthulhu game from Glass Cannon, running at 3 PM on the Friday. This will be based on a new scenario written by Scott, called “Getting the Band Back Together”, and run by Troy Lavallee for an all-star cast. Tickets are still available at the time of posting, but they are going quickly.

Matt Running Heaven & Earth for RPG Reanimators

Matt recently ran an actual play of Heaven & Earth for the crew at RPG Reanimators, appropriately enough by resurrecting one of his old convention scenarios. Join a bunch of hapless mobsters as they track through weird woodland in search of a frog pond.

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