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The video you've all been waiting for! YES! Born Different is no longer bootleg. It's legal and available for $19.95. You can order by phone, online, or by good old snail mail. Don't miss this opportunity to see pictures of the infamous Miracles of 1937 sawing illusion. Please forgive the cheezy music and bad narration. Trust me, the images of Johnny and other famous human oddities are rare and wonderful.

This T-shirt is distributed by Eck-head Andrew Gore, who has communicated with me by email. A very nice guy and he makes a boss T-shirt. He also makes a cute little Johnny Eck doll but I don't know if they're in stock. They're stuffed cloth, like a pillow, with Johnny's front and back printed on the front and back. You can ask Andrew if he has any to sell and if so for how much. The link will take you to a snail-mail order form. Print it out and mail it in.

This takes you to Reel, where I bought my copies of "Freaks" and "Chained for Life." I was very satisfied with the service and thought their prices were excellent.

This takes you to Visionary, a U.K. site where you can purchase "Freaks" and other videos. Since I'm living deep in the heart of Texas, I've never used them. If you have, send me an email and fill me in.

This treasure is the #3 issue of Pandemonium. Unfortunately it is currently out of print. This link will take you to an internet used book database that has TONS of books at a variety of prices. They don't currently have Pandemonium, but if you keep popping in, one may turn up. If anybody knows a better way to get one, let us know via the Guestbook. This issue is to die for. Besides this breathtaking cover shot of Johnny, it includes the Johnny's original typewritten unfinished autobiography, experpts from a telephone interview with Johnny, and a treasure trove of pictures. If you can buy only one Johnny Eck item, this would be the one.

This takes you to Lost Angeles Rubber Works, that sells this Johnny Eck stamp for $6.55. They include a licensing agreement allowing you to use the stamp to make shirts, caps, and so on, to sell, as long as you manually stamp each image; no mass-producing. Make your own Johnny Eck stationery! I haven't bought one. If you do, drop us a line in the Guestbook and tell us what you think.

This is Shocked & Amazed #2, which unfortunately is out of print. Not only does it have a delightful interview with Rustie's mom, Jeanie Tomaini, it has four great pictures of Johnny Eck from Jeff Gordon's collection. You might want to at least pop in and let them know you're interested. This is a great issue and you should pick up a copy if you can -- and the Pandemonium link takes you to a used book clearinghouse on the net that actually HAD a copy of S&A #2 for NINE DOLLARS! You might want to check it out.

This pleasant little documentary features probably the last footage shot of Johnny before his death. At first it was a shock to see him so old and snaggle-toothed, after getting accustomed to seeing him as dashing and strikingly handsome. But once he starts talking, you can see Johnny shining through: the grin, the twinkle in the eye, the tongue stuck in the cheek. It's a little hefty at $25, but the footage is rare, and it's a nice glimpse into Johnny's life in Baltimore. Check out how he dabbed paint all over the back of his house. Jeff says that's how Johnny tested his colors, so see if he'd mixed them the shade he wanted. I like to think he just liked to see the colors there. You'll have to snail-mail for this one, but I thought it was worth the wait.

This is the Johnny Eck Pitchbook sold by Atomic Books for $3. It comes with a silver sticker of a picture Johnny drew: a leggy brunette in a champagne glass. Interesting. These are Jeff Gordon's contributions to the marketplace. Since the S&H charges are almost as high as the cost of the item, you might just want to make a note to pick this up when you place a larger order.

This is the picture that started it all for me -- the famous shot of Johnny on the set of "Freaks," as seen in Frederick Drimmer's "Very Special People." The section on Johnny evidently comes from a pitchbook and the MGM promotional book for "Freaks,". All in all I think the book is a worthwhile buy. It has sections on a lot of carnival folks, and even unusually bodied people who lived quite ordinary lives.

The link here will take you to the used book clearinghouse, but personally I recommend that you just keep your eyes peeled. This was a big seller through the supermarket tabloids and is always turning up cheap at Goodwill, used book stores, and so on. I paid $5 for mine, but if you keep your eyes peeled you can probably get it cheaper.

"Tarzan, the Ape Man," where Johnny plays the uncredited role of a bird-creature. Don't ask me; I've never seen it. I just know they have posters and pictures of Johnny in the bird costume in Pandemonium. At least I figured out why Johnny was credited with being in "the first Tarzan" movie, even though the first Tarzan movie was released in 1918. (I don't think Johnny's mom would have brought her six-year-old twins to Hollywood when she didn't even want them to be noticed at a church program.) "Tarzan, the Ape Man" was the first SOUND Tarzan picture, and the first Johnny Wiessmuller Tarzan picture. If anybody's seen it, give us a holler in the Guestbook. .

That's all for now, folks. If you know of anything I missed, PLEASE leave a note in the Guestbook. I check it several times a day.