Ripley's Believe It Or Not declared
him King of Escapists. Police
officials have called him potentially dangerous, unstoppable, and
unbelievable. Lock
manufacturers despise and covet his secret.
Had he lived 300 years ago, he may have been burned as a witch
Todd Anthony Martin was born in
Sheboygan, Wisconsin on March 4, 1966.
The mysterious and daring was
always an interest to the young Martin.
His interests swaying from the world of magic to the world of
daredevil and stuntman. Anthony
started his never-to-be shackled ways at the age of 10, four years after a
Christmas Magic Set sent him on his elusive path.
Magic, however fun to the boy, proved too deceptive to the man.
Anthony vowed to prove skill and knowledge could surpass illusion
and trickery in entertainment.
The escapist's first police
substantiated escape at age 13 in his hometown jail quickly established
him as a prodigy. More
escapes were to follow: ropes, chains, vaults, jail cells, even underwater
releases from chains and coffins. Nothing
seemed able to contain the budding escapologist.
Jail cells that have contained such notable crime figures as Baby
Face Nelson and Edward Gein of “Psycho” fame fell easy prey to his
expert hands.
His exploits have been covered by
every medium from Associated Press to prime time national television.
The escapist’s appearances in Ripley's Believe It Or Not have
been translated into 17 languages around the globe.
The most dangerous escapes ever
performed are the crowning masterwork of Anthony Martin.
Whether escaping from a box thrown out of an airplane or a cage
lowered under the ice of a water filled quarry, he consistently defies all
odds. Having completely
divorced himself from the tricks of illusionists, he has clearly defined
and personified the Great Escape. An
Anthony performance is a genuine vicarious thrill for the viewer, a
smorgasbord of excitement executed with the finesse of a master pianist.
This “school of hard locks” has
culminated into presentable stage escapes without peer in the escape
profession. Anthony performs
the majority of his escapes in full view of his audiences.
He also offers $25,000 to anyone who can prove he uses any faked
locks or handcuffs.
