John Gaughan (born 1940) is an American manufacturer of magic acts and equipment for magicians based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. His style of work is classic, not based heavily on machinery and technology. Professional illusionists have noted his work, such as

David Blaine David Blaine (born David Blaine White; April 4, 1973) is an American magician, mentalist, and Endurance art, endurance performer. Born in New York City, Blaine became interested in magic at a very young age. He gained prominence in 1997, when h ...

, who has several times called him "a magical genius".

Jamy Ian Swiss Jamy Ian Swiss (born November 30, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American magician, author, speaker, historian of magic, essayist, book reviewer, and scientific skeptic. He is known for sleight-of-hand with playing cards. Magic Swiss i ...

called him "America's premiere illusion builder". Gaughan has built illusions for magicians and other performers including Harry Blackstone Jr., Doug Henning,

Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

, Alan Wakeling, Mark Wilson,

Criss Angel Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos (; born December 19, 1967), known professionally as Criss Angel, is an American magician, Magic (illusion), illusionist and musician. He is often referred to as one of the world's most successful illusionists, g ...

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...

, David Blaine, Simon Drake, and

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

, and is responsible for the construction of dozens of major acts. He also has constructed a replica of the 18th century

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

-playing machine, The Turk, which often tours chess conferences. Gaughan created

David Copperfield's flying illusion David Copperfield (illusionist), David Copperfield has performed a levitation illusion in several Magic (illusion), magic shows since 1992 in which he appears to fly on stage for several minutes, while surrounded by audience members. The flight is ...

, which is notable for its graceful motion and unencumbered appearance. Gaughan held a patent on a method for creating the illusion of flight. Gaughan also created a "one-of-a-kind" prop for Mark Wilson Productions for a National Fire Prevention Week Event. Using a standard golf cart chassis, John and his team created "Snuffy". Snuffy was a "magical" boiler type

fire engine A fire engine or fire truck (also spelled firetruck) is a vehicle, usually a specially designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to ...

that seemed to drive along without any visible driver.

References

External links

* *
Dodd Vickers' Interview with John for MagicNewswire.com

* ''Magic Magazine'' Web Extra

* New York Time

* Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 Magican

* Visit by Huell Howse

1940 births Living people Academy of Magical Arts Lifetime Achievement Fellowship winners Academy of Magical Arts Masters Fellowship winners {{magic-stub

References

Further reading

External links