What to say about Johnny Eck. This week’s beautiful freak is a true talent, I must say. He was born Johnny Eckhardt Jr. in the year of our goddess 1911 in Baltimore Maryland. And why is Johnny special? Why, it’s not just because he was born as a twin, but because he was born the magnificent odd twin of the pair. While his brother Robert emerged from the womb as any average squalling American infant boy, his brother Johnny came into the world with a truncated torso. This fascinating genetic peculiarity is called Sacral Agenesis and gives one the appearance of being but torso, head and arms, minus the legs and such. The midwife helping with his birth is quoted as calling him a “broken doll” upon first laying eyes on him.
But despite being a bit “broken” to the eyes of the norms, Johnny grew into a man of many talents, ambitions and abilities. Extremely smart from the get-go, Johnny was walking on his hands by age one and reading by the age of four years. One would be surprised to learn that instead of having a really hard time at school, Johnny got along with his classmates. The only real issue’s he had were people coming to the school to oogle him, prompting the school faculty to cover the lower edge of some class windows to cut off the impromptu exhibit of the budding celebrity.
At the ripe age of 12 years, Johnny joined the side show and slowly made a name for himself as a man of many talents. Apart from the side show act he’s credited with being a freelance artist, illusionist, photographer, expert-level model maker, orchestra conductor, animal trainer, race car driver (for realz), gymnast, tight rope walker, Punch and Judy operator, train conductor and globe trotting world traveler just to name a few. And if you get a chance check out the movie Freaks (like I haven’t mentioned it before) to really see this guy move it. It’s a bit creepy because, damn it, he’s fast. He’s super crazy fast for a guy moving about on his hands and it just messes with your mind a little. I work out and do yoga, but somehow I get the obtuse feeling he would have beat me in a foot race during his young man years.
Man, really makes you feel you’re not doing nearly enough with the two legs the gods gave you, right!
