On a roadtrip out to California in the summer of 1991, my friend Cap'n Jim introduced
me to these crank calls. There were times when it would've been safer to just pull
over than continue listening... that's how hard we were laughing. Over the years,
the comedy value of these calls hasn't subsided. The repertoire has seeped into the
everyday vocabulary of me and my friends. At one point in the mid-90's, I made an
honest attempt to find out the identity of the genius behind these calls. From the
calls, I knew he lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and I got within one degree
of separation ("I know that guy... what was his name?"), but I never found him.
Between the overrated Jerky Boys and surprisingly successful
Crank Yankers,
crank calling has become all the more widespread. Still, I have yet to hear someone
match the slow-burn, improvisational brilliance of this guy (much less the gullibility
of the call recipients). I want to know who he is and — far more importantly
— if other calls exist. I've converted the calls to MP3 and linked them below.
Each of the calls is a response to a local newspaper ad. Not to be listened
to at work or in the presence of the easily offended.
CALL #1: The Raccoon
CALL #2: The Snake
CALL #3: The Doberman Pinscher
Know the guy behind the calls? I'll pay $50 to anyone
who leads me to the man himself.
