Trivia

climbed the stairs to the top of the Washington Monument, on his hands. (1938)

Owned a miniature car that was street-legal in Baltimore.

Was "discovered" by talent scouts while performing in Canadian Exposition. His manager had told him he was going to California to work in a circus, so didn't realize he was going to be in a movie until he reported for work and found himself on a sound stage.

The only time Johnny and Rob were ever apart from each other was the time Johnny spent in Hollywood filming Freaks (1932).

Had a lifelong obsession with trains, and even bought a miniature train which he and his brother, Robert, would take to carnivals. Johnny would serve as engineer and give children rides.

His true stature had he born with normal legs would have been about five foot seven inches.

Was displayed in the late 1930s in several Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditoriums, where he was billed as "The Most Remarkable Man Alive!"

He and his twin brother are both buried in the 'R' section in Baltimore's Greenmount Cemetery.

Born without any legs.

Eck wrote an autobiography, "King of the Freaks: The Johnny Eck Story." He enlisted Robert Bloch to write the intro, Robert Crumb to design the cover art, and the rights were sold to Anaconda Press in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. Unfortunately, the publisher died before it was printed, so the book got ensnared in permanent legal limbo. The cover artwork was included as a bookplate in the 1995 book "Crumb-Ology: The Works of R. Crumb 1981-1994".