Illusionist Howard Blackwell

Howard was fantastic ! Very engaging !

I first came into contact with Howard Blackwell while searching for a magician to help with proposing to my then girlfriend (she loves magic tricks; and she is now my fiancée). I reached out to numerous magicians/illusionist in the Georgia and South Carolina area on several websites and Howard easily stood out from the rest. What originally caught my eye was the detail and thought that he put into his message; he did far more than merely quote a price, in fact, Howard very much so tried to sell his services. He described in careful detail his experiences and skills and even provided video links as proof. But by far the most noticeable detail was his grammar. I am by no means a stickler for perfect grammar but when it comes to business, I expect someone who wants me to purchase their product to have a sense of pride in their work. It is a noticeable difference when someone uses the proper forms of “their, they’re, there, its, it’s, accept, and except.”

Howard was accessible and prompt with his communication. Being in law enforcement, I work rather unorthodox hours, often I would email Howard at 3am and he would almost always reply by 8am. He understood the discreet nature of what we were planning and agreed to stick to email as the most secure method of communication. He was very thorough in his portion of the planning, providing written details of the magic tricks and video clips for reference. Howard reassured me several times of the plan to make sure that no detail was left out; he truly understood and appreciated that this was a one-time only event, no do overs or repeats allowed. Howard understood that I would be extremely nervous the day of the event (he was right) so just days before he sent a lengthy and detailed script for what would unfold on the day of the proposal. Although we encountered some hiccups and obstacles in planning, Howard was flexible and willing to work with me to bring this event to fruition. By the day of the proposal there were no questions or unknowns.

The idea was that my then girlfriend and I would stumble upon Howard in Chippewa Square, Savannah, GA. Howard would be performing a magic show and we would watch, my then girlfriend would become a participant, and at the end of the show through means of a trick, I would propose.

The day of the event, Howard was extremely friendly, kind, and he played his part phenomenally. Howard arrived early and was setup in advance of what we had planned, which is something I admire. He was also prepared for the sudden stint of rain which appeared just as we arrived at the event site, he came prepared with umbrellas as a second contingency plan. Howard was also able to get the assistance of a photographer and a local news crew. Howard was dressed in a black tuxedo which appeared neatly pressed, free of any wrinkles or lint; he was cleanly shaven and had a fresh haircut. His personal appearance was extremely professional. Howard worked very hard to lighten up the mood, not only to get me off edge, but also to sell the random-magician-performing-in-a-park story. He had the perfect balance of humor, friendliness, and professionalism.

The magic show itself was great, amazing. At the time we were a bit distracted but even days later we realized details of different tricks that baffle us. In fact, it was not until minutes after the proposal that my now fiancée and I realized that the card she guessed was the one Howard had placed in the envelope at the end. Howard is extremely skilled at his craft. We truly appreciate the variety of illusions/tricks/mind boggling that he performed, some simpler than others.
In the end, I got far more than I paid for, Howard was worth more than I could have paid, he was invaluable. I would recommend Howard to anyone who is looking to amaze and dazzle any audience with illusions and tricks. I am so glad that I met Howard, he is a compliment to magicians as a whole, he is an extraordinary illusionist and just a plain good person.