To The Hilt

Stan Marye: Memoirs of a 1950s Sword Swallower

Meet Stan Marye, an 88-year-old former sword swallower who started after reading an excerpt of Daniel Mannix’s 1951 book, Step Right Up!, in Reader’s Digest. He taught himself fire-eating and then learned to gulp steel. During the 1950s and '60s he worked with numerous sideshows and added various other stunts and skills to his repertoire. Hear about his adventures in sword swallowing and much more in this episode of To The Hilt. Stan Marye 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 [https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf]

Jellyboy: Clown of Danger and Science

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 SquidlingBrothers.com [⁠https://squidlingbrothers.com⁠] Facebook Eric Broomfield [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1Usyou4dxP/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠] Squidling Brothers [https://www.facebook.com/share/16yzD49Rpp/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠]  Instagram @ConeyIceland [⁠https://www.instagram.com/coneyiceland?igsh=MXVtczBxejVwdGl1NA==⁠] And check out his new book, published by Outside Talker Press! Memoirs of a Coney Island Clown [⁠https://squidlingbrothers.com/memoirs/⁠] Outside Talker Press [⁠https://outsidetalkerpress.bigcartel.com/memoirs-of-a-coney-island-clown-jellyboy-s-sideshow-saga⁠] For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com [http://tothehiltbook.com] or purchase a copy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf⁠].

Keith Nelson: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Sword Swallower

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 Bindlestiff.org [⁠https://bindlestiff.org⁠] Instagram Bindlestiff Family Cirkus [⁠https://www.instagram.com/bindlestifffamilycirkus/⁠] Keith Nelson [⁠https://www.instagram.com/mrbindlestiff?igsh=bWNvcmhnaXBraWp1⁠]   Facebook Bindlestiff Family Cirkus [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1C48LEYp78/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠] Keith Nelson [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/16oGeY9CoY/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠] For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com [http://tothehiltbook.com] or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf [https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf]

Chris Steele: World’s Most Extreme Sword Swallower

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  [https://captainandmaybelle.com ] Instagram: @captain_steele_ [⁠https://www.instagram.com/captain_steele_⁠] Facebook: Captain & Maybelle [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1F5x1NemMw/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠] For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com [http://tothehiltbook.com] or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf [https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf]

Bill Berry: Juggling Sword Swallower

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 mrbillberry.com  [⁠https://www.mrbillberry.com⁠] Instagram @mrbillberry [⁠https://www.instagram.com/mrbillberry?igsh=MWF4OGdmaG5uejd6bg==⁠] @nerdynoahshow [⁠https://www.instagram.com/nerdynoahshow?igsh=dmE3ZGYwaGk1eTM2⁠] @DistinguishedDaredevils [⁠https://www.instagram.com/distinguisheddaredevils?igsh=NjZhZzhjcThsdzJv⁠]   Facebook Bill Berry [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1HRUA3RZ1V/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠] Noah Royak [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/16XMAJ9RHX/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠] Distinguished Daredevils [⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/1G8xw7Emmw/?mibextid=wwXIfr⁠]   YouTube Distinguished Daredevils [⁠https://youtube.com/@distinguisheddaredevils2964?si=EFE634keWgzfJBjb⁠] For more on To The Hilt, visit ToTheHiltBook.com [http://tothehiltbook.com] or purchase a copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf [https://amzn.to/3EbUsQf]