Freetime: Mark Rathkey, Miller Marketing Associates

From Harry Houdini to David Copperfield to David Blaine, the world has been enthralled by magic and the slight of hand.

“Magic has no language, cultural or age barriers. Everybody can enjoy it,” says Mark Rathkey, a
magician who is also a sales representative for Miller Marketing Associates, a manufacturer representatives firm based in Anaheim, Calif.

Mark started doing magic as a teenager.

“I got some magic books and did simple tricks for the younger kids in the neighborhood with cards, coins, ropes, cups and balls, and it progressed from there,” he says.

These days, he does tricks for kids, as well as for adults, and performs both on-stage and in close-up scenarios. Outside of the impromptu magic tricks done during the work day for his customers and colleagues, Mark performs magic shows at least once a month. Mark is a semi-professional magician — but he doesn’t charge for his performances in the jan/san industry (maybe you saw him at last year’s ISSA/INTERCLEAN show in Las Vegas) or for the magic he does for his grandkids.

Magic tricks must be heavily rehearsed if a magician wants to do a good job. Mark practices magic alone for three to four hours each week.

“You spend a lot of time alone when you’re a magician, practicing in front of a mirror with cards or ropes,” he says. “Once you are comfortable, you do it in front of a few other people. My wife is my coach and my critic. She gives me helpful feedback about what works or doesn’t work.”  

There are a few professional obstacles for magicians, including mastering the new and difficult tricks that take a long time to learn. And, it could be hazardous if certain kinds of tricks go wrong. Mark doesn’t do any magic tricks that would put him in harm’s way.

“I don’t do anything with spikes, swords or animals,” he says. “I don’t want to endanger people, animals or myself.”  

Wherever he goes, Mark always has a trick in his pocket.

“It really lightens up conversations and establishes a nice comfort level,” he says. “Once I was at a restaurant, and I was doing some tricks at the table, entertaining the people I was with. Somebody at an adjacent table tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘When are you going to perform for us?’”  

Though he is always prepared to do a trick, Mark never talks about how magic is done and would never disclose any trade secrets.

“The three most common things a magician hears from the audience are:  ‘Do it again,’ ‘Where did that go?’ and ‘How did you do that?’ There’s a strong code of ethics among magicians, and we do not reveal our secrets. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard, ‘Do it again,’ I would be a very rich man.”

Mark performs for his love of magic, not the money. He can’t imagine a day that he’ll stop doing tricks.

“I love the looks on peoples’ faces when I do a trick well,” says Mark. “Sometimes I see surprised looks, other times I see puzzled looks, and once in a while I see frustrated looks when people are trying hard to figure out how things work.”