You may have seen Jellyboy the Clown on America’s Got Talent Season 19, where he amazed audiences and the judges. Or perhaps you've read his recent book: Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown (Outside Talker Press). In this episode, you'll hear about Jellyboy’s beginnings as a clown, his start in sword swallowing and his creative twists on the art, like adding a chainsaw to the blade and experimenting with a Tesla coil. He also tells us about his adventures in retrieving a confiscated rifle sword in Ukraine, and much, much more.
Jellyboy is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Find Jellyboy online:
Website
And check out his new book, published by Outside Talker Press!
Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon.
Keith Nelson, also known as Mr. Pennygaff, is the co-founder of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. The Bindlestiffs have been performing circus, sideshow, and vaudeville acts for thirty years. The show has presented nearly 600 of the world’s top artists in the circus and variety fields across New York City and the Hudson Valley, and throughout the United States. Performances have engaged audiences in the hundreds of thousands in theaters, Spiegeltents, big tops, cruise ships, fairs and festivals, and more.
In this episode, Keith shares his experiences working for Ward Hall, offers tips to aspiring sword swallowers, talks about performing on Late Night with David Letterman, and more.
Follow Keith Nelson and the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus online:
Website
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Chris Steele is the sword swallowing half of America’s Favorite Sideshow Couple, Captain & Maybelle. In this episode, you’ll hear about his start in gulping steel, his adventures on America’s Got Talent and Wife Swap, working with Ripley’s, lifting cinder blocks from a swallowed sword, twisting 7 swords 180 degrees, the extra-dangerous lightning bolt sword, nearly dying from a sword swallowing injury, spilling a bag of swords at the airport, and much more.
Chris Steele is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Find Chris Steele online:
Website: CaptainandMaybelle.com
Instagram: @captain_steele_
Facebook: Captain & Maybelle
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Bill Berry has been entertaining, juggling, and sword swallowing for more than 25 years, and is world-renowned as a silver medalist IJA juggler. Along with his performing partner Nerdy Noah Royak, they perform a variety juggling-sword swallowing act as the Distinguished Daredevils.
In this episode, you’ll hear about Bill’s beginnings in sword swallowing, the power of visualization, integrating juggling into his act, dealing with saliva, and Dorothy. Yes, Dorothy—the worst audience volunteer ever. Plus, Bill’s Distinguished Daredevils partner, Noah Royak, joins us as well to discuss some of his new sword swallowing stunts.
Bill Berry is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Find Bill Berry and the Distinguished Daredevils online:
Website
YouTube
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
The Amazing Zilla is a sword swallower known for swallowing monster swords, as well as a bearded lady and contortionist. In this episode, she talks about learning to swallow swords from Red Stuart and how to modify her blades properly, swallowing an Excalibur sword at a beard and mustache competition, finding ways to push the limits of her abilities, and much more.
The Amazing Zilla is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Find The Amazing Zilla online on Instagram for photos, videos, tour info, and more: @the_amazing_zilla
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon.
Red Stuart has been swallowing swords since 1967, when he learned from sideshow performer Toni Del Rio. Within two years, his quick mastery of the art led him to become the only sword swallower to swallow broadswords and car axles.
Red has worked with many shows over the years, including Ward Hall and Chris Christs’ World of Wonders. He can currently be seen at Pexcho’s American Dime Museum in Augusta, Georgia.
Red has also taught 61 apprentices over the years, and at the end of this episode, two of his latest students join us—Jax Silvertree, and 11-year-old Billy Excho.
Red Stuart is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing. Purchase the book here on Amazon, or wherever else you buy books.
Find Red Stuart online:
Facebook: Red Stuart
Website :Pexcho’s American Dime Museum
Buy Red's Book: Red Stuart: With It, For It, and Proud of It
Erik Sprague, better known as The Lizardman, is a sword swallower, multi-talented performer, and author. As his website says, he’s “The Modified Marvel from the dark heart of Austin, a man with more ink in his skin, than blood in his veins."
In this episode, he discusses his beginnings in sword swallowing, his experiences with other dangerous stunts, his time with the Jim Rose Circus, and much more.
The Lizardman is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Find The Lizardman online:
Website: TheLizardman.com
Instagram: @thelizardman23
Facebook: The Lizardman
The Lizardman's Book: Once More Through The Modified Looking Glass
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Franz began swallowing swords in 2013, and since then has earned nine world records, including the most bowling pins knocked down while sword swallowing, the most sit-ups while sword swallowing, and swallowing the most curved sword (133 degrees).
In this episode, Dan and I speak to him during his recent visit to America. Hear about his start in sword swallowing, his many remarkable feats, and the time one of them sent him to the hospital for several weeks.
Franz is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Find Franz online:
Website: https://www.red-hot-sharp.com
Instagram: @franz_huber_81
YouTube: @redhotsharpentertainment
Facebook: @TheBavarinDaredevil
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Adam Rinn, aka, Adam Realman, is the artistic director at Coney Island USA and has been swallowing swords for about 25 years after learning at the Coney Island Sideshow School. Years later he took over as its instructor teaching sideshow arts to students eager to learn.
In this episode, Adam discusses growing up around the Coney Island sideshow in the ‘80s, his experiences learning the art of sword swallowing, his adventures as a performer, and much more.
Adam is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Follow Coney Island USA online:
Instagram: @coney.island.usa
Facebook: coneyislandusa
Website: coneyisland.com
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Brad Byers has been swallowing swords for more than 45 years and is known for swallowing 12 swords one at a time and then twisting all 12 blades at once in place. Brad also juggles, rides a unicycle and tiny bicycles, balances on the rola bola board, walks on broken glass, yoyos, throws tops, spins suitcases and other large objects on his finger, balances a running lawn mower on his chin, and blows bubbles with a tarantula in his mouth—just to name a few of his stunts. His remarkable skills have earned him 73 world records.
Hear how Brad got started in sword swallowing, his adventures on Letterman, his experiences with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and much more in this episode.
Brad is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Follow Brad online:
Facebook: Brad Byers
The Amazing World of Brad Byers
X: iambradbyers
Website: Bradbyers.com
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Cyrus Pynn is a sword swallower, juggler, equilibrist, and knife thrower known for his amazing shows at Ren Faires. As his website says, “He's a man of skill, a man of danger, and some would say....a complete lunatic.” Hear about his adventures in sword swallowing and more in this episode.
Cyrus is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Follow Cyrus online:
Instagram: @cytheswordswallower @bladesandbravery
Facebook: Cyrus Pynn
TikTok: Cytheswordswallower
Website: cyruspynn.com
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
At 89 years old, Jim Ball holds a rare triple distinction in sword swallowing: he’s the world’s oldest living sword swallower; when he learned at age 12, he was the world’s youngest; and having swallowed steel for 77 years, he’s the world’s longest-performing sword swallower. Jim is also unique in that both his parents were sword swallowers: John “Lucky” Ball and Estelline Pike. It was his mother, Estelline, who trained him.
Jim’s career took him across the U.S. and Canada, working with legendary showmen like Dick Best, Walter Wanous, and Alex Linton. From Hubert’s Museum in New York to Madison Square Garden with Ringling Bros., to What’s My Line? in 1958, and a stint in the army in between it all, Jim has many adventures to share in this episode.
Jim Ball is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
Brianna Belladonna is a tattooed sword swallower, fire eater, and all-around daredevil who’s appeared on How I Met Your Mother, AMC’s Freakshow, CSI, Inked, just to name a few shows, and has performed at The Magic Castle, Six Flags Theme Park, the Playboy Mansion, Coney Island, the Jim Rose Circus, various tattoo expos, and many other shows and venues around the world. In this episode, she shares stories of her many amazing adventures in sword swallowing!
Brianna is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Follow Brianna online:
Instagram: @briannabelladonna
Facebook: Brianna Belladonna
Website: https://www.briannabelladonna.com
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf
George “The Giant” McArthur stands 7’ 3” and is known as the world’s tallest sword swallower. He’s been gulping steel since the mid ‘90s. Find out how and why he got started, and about the adventures he’s had since—including being cast in Tim Burton’s 2003 film Big Fish.
George the Giant is one of more than a hundred sword swallowers featured in the book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, published by Schiffer Publishing.
Follow George online:
Instagram: @therealgeorgethegiant
Facebook: George the Giant’s Strange Museum of Oddities and Wonders
Website: Giantsoddities.com
For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf