The Amazing Johnathan

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**John Edward Szeles**
Born:	September 9, 1958 Detroit, Michigan, USA
Occupation:	Comedian, Magician, Actor
Spouse:	Sandra Szeles (? - ?) [divorced]
Website:	www.amazingj.com

John Edward Szeles (born September 9, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan), better known by the stage name The Amazing Johnathan, is an American stand-up comedian/magician. His act, mostly composed of hijinks, is usually followed by one or more legitimate magic tricks which then ends his performance. Nicknamed "The Freddy Krueger of Comedy", Johnathan often depicts himself as wearing an omnipresent headband and his shows frequently use gore for comedic effect. He is also good friends with fellow performer Criss Angel, and has helped Criss perform a variety of illusions.

Johnathan first appeared in The 8th Annual Young Comedians Show in 1983 and later went on to become the host of the short-lived 1991 syndicated variety/game show Ruckus. He appeared on various shows from the mid-90s to early 2000s, where he eventually released a 2001 "Comedy Central Presents" special. His only credited performance as an actor was The Obligatory Holiday Episode of The Weird Al Show (playing the part of Uncle Johnathan). The 2005 documentary The Aristocrats was his last major performance until November 18, 2006 where he had a one-hour special on Comedy Central.

As of January 2007, he is performing at the Las Vegas Sahara hotel and casino in the Congo Room. Johnathan has also authored a how-to book on practical jokes titled Every Trick in the Book, a compilation of both classic practical jokes and plain magic tricks, along with several of his own original material in both categories. In addition, he is currently working on his memoirs. Johnathan has also recorded an as-yet unaired television special titled "Wrong on Every Level" for Comedy Central.

[edit] Trivia

Szeles' November 2006 Comedy Central Special "The Amazing Jonathan: Wrong on Every Level" was dedicated to his uncle Eugene Szeles "who showed me [John Szeles] my first card trick which started this whole mess."