Mac King is one of the most talented and funniest magicians in the world.  He is a fellow Kentuckian
and I met him and his teen age running buddy, Master Magician Lance Burton when we are teenagers,
and all members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians in Kentucky.

Thanks to his easy going, childlike manner, King finds plenty of audience members willing to join him on stage. (An interesting note: Mac met his wife of almost 20 years when she was an audience volunteer.) With his friendly demeanor, King doesn’t embarrass his “assistants” and appears surprised and bewilderment when tricks work.

Penn & Teller call their fellow magician “a talented, comedy god” and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s entertainment critic, Mike Weatherford, declares The Mac King Comedy Show “the best of the afternoon shows.” King has earned a number of impressive accolades, including the famed Hollywood Magic Castle’s prestigious “Magician of the Year” award.

IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN MAC KINGS GUINE PIG ROUTINE, IT IS A MUST SEE!

King is as adept at sleight-of-hand magic as he is with larger illusions. We won’t spoil the surprises by describing all the illusions but we will say that Mac King could do for Fig Newtons what Steven Spielberg’s ET did for Reese’s Pieces candy. The well-known cookies make frequent appearances and disappearances in the pockets of his plaid suit and other unlikely places. One of the reasons for King’s success and popularity may be that he, along with the audience, has fun with it all. Another reason is because, he makes it all look so easy.

MAC IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST COMEDY MAGICIANS IN THE WORLD

In the last 11 years Mac King has performed an incredible 5,720 shows to more than one million audience members at the main showroom at Harrah’s Las Vegas.

That translates to:
• 2,860 days of plaid suits worn
• 17,160 feet of rope used for King’s famous rope trick
• 297,440 playing cards
• 17,160 magically appearing fig newton pastries
• And 28,600 audience volunteers!

How did Mac Become a Magician?

Mac King’s successful career in magic comes as no surprise for those that knew him when he was a teenager.  He and Lance Burton were best friends and they both, ate, slept, and breathed the art of magic,  24-7.

King grew up in Western Kentucky  around two grandfathers who were magicians, and gained an interest in magic at an early age when he checked out a book on magic in his school library. As a child, like many
of us, he he would perform magic shows for his family and friends, and by age 10 he had his first paid show at a friend’s birthday party.

While studying for dual degrees in Magic and Anthropology from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., King spent his summer vacations performing in a two-person magic act with fellow Kentucky magician
Lance Burton at a tourist trap in Eastern Kentucky called Tomestone Junction.

They did 3 shows a day, 7 days a week and both mastered their craft.

MAC KING SHARES THE FUNNIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO HIM ON STAGE

In 1981, Mac graduated college and then King took his show on the road, where he eventually headlined at every major comedy club in the United States. In the 1990s, King began appearing regularly on NBC-TV’s “The World’s Greatest Magic Shows.” While filming these shows at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, he caught the attention of many local bookers for casino showrooms. Soon after, King began to appear in local shows such as: “Spellbound” at Harrah’s Las Vegas, “The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular” at The Flamingo, “Splash!” at the Riviera, and with comedian Rita Rudner at The Desert Inn.

In 2000, King took the stage at Harrah’s Las Vegas, where he now performs “The Mac King Comedy Magic Show” twice daily, Tuesday through Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m.

Mac King launches Magic in a Minute

In 2004, King, who was born and raised in Kentucky, partnered with KFC to create the KFC Mac King Kids Laptop Pack® — a customizable kids meal featuring “Magic In a Minute.” During the fall months of August through October 2004, KFC sold nine million KFC Mac King Laptop Packs nationwide.

In June of 2004, King expanded his brand and launched “Magic In a Minute” – a Sunday comic strip that runs in major national newspapers – alongside illustrator Bill King. The success of the comic strip led to the Magic in a Minute™ line of products for amateur magicians with the introduction of Mac King’s Trunk-O-Tricks™ and Book-O-Magic™.

You can still find this Mac King Trunk of Tricks from time to time on Ebay

Continuing his bookstore endeavors, Mac King recently released his latest
book Mac King’s Campfire Magic™ in March 2010 followed by a
supplemental iPhone App in June of 2010. Later that year, King released his
latest magic kit, Lunchbox-O-Magic™, a real lunchbox containing more than
50 funny and easy-to-do magic tricks that will make your kid a lunchroom
superstar. These products are sold in major box retailers nationwide and
online at his magic shop.

Mac King Awards 

Now in his 12th year of headlining afternoons at Harrah’s Las Vegas, Mac
King has been consistently lauded throughout his impressive run, including
“Best Strip headliner” in the 2011 Las Vegas Weekly Awards. King’s awards
and accolades also include “Funniest Act in Magic

Today” by Magic Magazine in 2008, “Best Comedy Magician” 2007 World
Magic Awards, and “Magician of the Year” in 2004 by the world-famous
Magic Castle, Home of the Academy of Magical Arts. King, who is a Louisville
Kentucky native, served as “Grand Magician” in the 2007 Kentucky Derby
alongside Grand Marshall Mickey Mouse – as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

A locals favorite, Las Vegas Review-Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” readers’
poll named The Mac King Comedy Magic Show the “Best Bargain Show”
for eight straight years (2003-2011) and deemed King “Favorite Male Las
Vegan” in 2008. King was also named “Entertainer of the Year”
by the Las Vegas Weekly “Readers Choice Awards” in 2004.

MAC KING APPEARANCES

In addition to being the only magician to appear on all five episodes of NBC’s
“World’s Greatest Magic,” King has made numerous television appearances
including a featured performance as part of “Magic Week” on “The Late Show
with David Letterman.” King’s other credits include:

“PBS Nova Science Now: Magic & the Brain,” “Just for Laughs: Montreal
Comedy Festival,”

“Just for Laughs” TV series,

“Houdini: Unlocking His Secrets,” “Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular,”

“Masters of Illusion: Impossible Magic,”

“The Mad Men of Comedy Magic,”

“Now That’s Funny,”

“Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus”
starring Cybill Shepherd,

The “Donny and Marie Show,”

“The Other Half,”

“The Greatest Magic Tricks In the Universe…Ever,”

The Travel Channel’s “Magic Road Trip” and

“Lance Burton’s Guerilla Magic” on Animal Planet.

King has also made several high profile appearances including:
The Magic Castle, home of the Academy of Magical Arts, The Luminato
Festival “Masters of Magic” series in Toronto, Canada, and Gilda’s Laugh
Fest, honoring the late Gilda Radner.

Mac King’s Magical Literacy Tour

For years, King has been an avid supporter of literacy programs for
young students, dedicating his personal time at local schools to
discuss the importance of reading and showcase magic.

In February of 2011 King launched Mac King’s Magical Literacy Tour
with a mission to promote childhood literacy and provide more reading
opportunities for children in Las Vegas. To date, Mac King’s Magical
Literacy Tour has provided more than 5,000 books to children at
underprivileged schools.

Mac King is just a good dude, and one of the funniest, skilled,  comedy
magicians on the planet.