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My own experiences are few, though I do have some interesting anecdotes to share.

I grew up in Toledo, OH (I'm still here) which was the home base of Jack Baker aka Dr. Silkini.

Now my father was in the advertising business for many years and somehow he did some work for Jack. My Dad even claimed to have designed the logo that he used.

My Dad is the type of person that becomes easily obsessed with something that interests him. This obsession will continue until the next one comes along (a trait that, for better or for worse, I seem
to have inherited). So I don't know if my father's appreciation of magic preceded or was a result of his working with Jack. I do know that there was magic store in town at the time -- Ted Carrothers'
Magic Studio, and we spent a lot of Saturday afternoons there.

Anyway, that's enough background info. Here are the facts as I remember them, listed in what I believe to be chronological order:

1. I am in the first grade during the 1977-1978 school year. One afternoon flyers are passed out for something called "The Great Ghost Show". I am very interested in attending. I remember this was
scheduled for a Wednesday night at Whitmer High School. I remember the parking lot being fairly empty that night and there was a piece of paper taped on the doors that read "Ghost Show cancelled". I'm very disappointed.

2. What may have been weeks or months later, I see an ad for the same Ghost Show in the local paper. The show is scheduled for that very night! My parents have already made plans to go out that
evening and a sitter is coming over. I will not be able to see the Great Ghost Show. I'm very disappointed.

3. Jack Baker pays a visit to our house. I'm very excited that Dr. Silkini's coming over! I know of him from my father's work. I've seen some sketches and poster designs that he's done. Clients have been known to stop over from time to time so this is not unusual.

4. Jack Baker is hired to perform for our Cub Scout troop. My father was the Cubmaster and Jack was hired to entertain us one evening. I remember he was supposed to only perform a few tricks but he brought a trailer with his whole outfit. Unfortunately, most of that stuff stayed in the trailer that night. To this day, none of those kids (now in their mid-to-upper 30s) have any idea what they've had the chance to experience. The only tricks I remember him performing are a) a knot is tied in a rope. The knot is slid down the rope and removed, b) Mickey, a knotted handkerchief and is ghost friend, and c) a trick where a playing card (the ten of diamonds) is shrunk down to 1/8 of its original size, and returned to normal. A copy of the trick card was given to all the scouts. I believe that this may also have been the "free gift for everyone who is able to sit through it all and leave unassisted" at the shows.

5. Jack Baker has died of a heart attack. I read the obituary and cry. There were many things that I wanted to ask him, but never had the chance.

In March of 1982, we move to a house in Sylvania, a Toledo suburb.

6. Apparently someone has bought the rights to use the Dr. Silkini name. This "new" Dr. Silkini plans on reviving the Ghost Show and touring. A dress rehearsal was videotaped in an attempt to sell the show. Dr. Pepper is the apparent sponsor. The VHS tape is labeled as MASTER and is dated August 14, 1982. The tape is currently in my possession.

7. My Dad does some initial work with him on the revival, including a television commercial that was "animated" from stills (actually slides). I don't believe that this ever aired, except for an accidental airing of the first few seconds during "The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show" on our local ABC affiliate (where the spot was produced) in September 1982. I didn't watch the program but I heard of the incident later. I believe I have a second or third generation copy of the television spot, but I haven't located it yet.

This is probably the same guy who is still using the name, though I don't know this for a fact. It seems he was primarily doing radio station promotions and has apparently since retired.

That's all I've got. A few years later Ted Carrothers was electrocuted in a freak accident while he was changing a light bulb (or something like that). The Magic Studio stayed open for a few years after that, but has recently closed.

If anyone is still reading this at this point and can fill in any of the gaps or has their own stories to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Jeff