News from Mark Mitton

Canadian filmmaker and animator Ann Marie Fleming has written a delightful graphic memoir about her great-grandfather, Chinese acrobat and magician Long Tack Sam. It not only tells the story about his life, but also describes how she researched him for a documentary she made in 2003. The book mentions many historians who helped her put together the pieces of the puzzle, such as Jay Marshall and Stanley Palm.

Yours truly appears on page 10:

Below are some pictures of me at work. If the slideshow does not load properly, or if you would like to see a bigger version of it, you can also see it by clicking here.

I am sightseeing and visiting relatives in Nova Scotia for a few days, after working at a reinsurance trade show in Halifax earlier this week. Today we went whalewatching off Brier Island in the Bay of Fundy. It was spectacular. We saw 10 humpback whales and 2 minkes. It is amazing how close these magnificent creatures get to the boat.

Take a look. These are humpbacks:

I just got back from Columbus, Ohio, where I performed with comic juggler Michael Davis at a fundraiser for the Main Street Synagogue. Michael is the deadpan juggler who was in “Sugar Babies” on Broadway and on Saturday Night Live. We have performed together many times and we are old friends. It was an absolute blast. In previous years they had had problems with comedians doing inappropriate jokes, but they had no reason to worry with us. At the end of the evening, the general consensus was that our show was “the funniest and the cleanest” they had ever had!

Having fun with the audience.

The trick with two scarves.

Thanks for a great time!

(photos by Lorne Spolter)

No, I am not trying to be insulting here. “Old Dogs” is the title of a new movie starring John Travolta and Robin Williams, directed by Walt Becker who also directed “Wild Hogs”. This week I had the pleasure of teaching Mr. Travolta a couple of tricks, for a scene that was shot in the street outside Grand Central Station. One of the things he had to learn was how to produce a big flame from his hand without burning himself or the child actors.

Practicing the trick. The girl with her back to the camera is Travolta’s daughter Ella. The director is the guy in the black t-shirt on the right.