Archive for June, 2009
Daredevil Doctor Danger Hurt
Of all the characters I met while doing State Fairs last summer, none impressed me more than Greg Carpenter, aka ‘Dr. Danger’. One of the last of the true dare devils, Greg made his living going from town to town and doing death-defying feats at public venues. At the Iowa State Fair, Dr. Danger not only lit himself on fire, but also jumped a car through a wall of fame, crashing into a stack of cars on the other side. Sound dangerous? It is.
Last Saturday the risks caught up with him when a car jump went terribly wrong in Abilene, TX. The vehicle he was driving made it to the pile of cars that absorb the energy from his jump, but then it literally fell sideways off the pile, landing on the driver’s side and putting Greg in very serious condition at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, Texas.
Not only does Greg need your thoughts and prayers, he could also use your money. As a professional dare devil, he cannot get health insurance.
Any donations would be greatly appreciated. You can send them to:
Greg Carpenter, AKA Dr. Danger
c/o Ads In Gear
P.O. Box 684608
Austin, TX 78768
Corndogs, cattle, and fried Coca-Cola

Joel’s photos accompany a story written by Garrison Keillor in the July issue of National Geographic Magazine. Watch your mailbox for the issue, or view it online here. Helping with research for the story last summer was definitely one of the more fun tasks I’ve been assigned, and probably the only time in my life I’ll have to quiz someone about the logistics of outhouse racing.
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