Tom Mullica

Tom Mullica born in Waupun, Wisconsin on August 19, 1948, is a comedy magician and impressionist who has performed on television specials, and has appeared on television many times including Late Night with David Letterman, World's Greatest Magic, Viva Variety, Penn & Teller's Sin City.

One of Tom's most memorable appearances was on the Late Night with David Letterman^[1] which he performed his popular signature effect of the manipulation and vanishing of several lit cigarettes in his mouth.

In 1984 Tom was awarded $5,000 cash for winning the Siegfried & Roy Golden Lion Award at the Magic Desert Seminar in Las Vegas.^[2]

He has also performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and toured the US and Canada with RED – A Performance Tribute, a Red Skelton Tribute show which Tom wrote and stars in as Red Skelton and his characters. RED is the only Red Skelton tribute show authorized by the Red Skelton Estate.^[3]

In July 2013 Tom helped dedicate the Red Skelton Museum & Education Center.^[4]

Personal life

Tom Mullica was born Thomas Blaine Mullica in Waupun, Wisconsin on August 19, 1948. When Tom was five years old, he wanted to be a clown. However, on his seventh birthday his mother bought him a "Sneaky Pete Magic Kit" for Christmas.^[5]

After he graduated from Waupun High School in 1966, he enlisted in the Army at age 18, serving 3 years in Korea and Germany. Once he had finished his military service he moved to Colon, Michigan, where he built illusions and demonstrated magic for Abbott's Magic Company.

Tom then moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended bartending school and opened his own nightclub called The Tom-foolery Magic Bar Theater which was open from 1976 until 1987.

Red Skelton visited the Tom-foolery in 1980 and they became fast friends. After the closure of Tom-foolery Tom asked Red for his advice, and Red suggested that Tom take his best material and perform it pantomime to music, which would eliminate any language barrier so that Tom could perform anywhere in the world. Tom took Red's advice and after six months of rehearsal moved to Paris, France where he worked at the Crazy Horse Saloon.

Tom returned to the United States in 1991 and continued his comedy magic career. In 1996, he began writing RED (A Performance Tribute) which he now performs in theaters throughout America and Canada.

In 2010, Tom was diagnosed with acute Myelogenous Leukemia.^[6]

References

External links

• Tom Mullica's official page
• Red Skelton Tribute website