One of Australia’s most famous characters is gone… whatever his name was.
The man who immortalised the phrase “this is democracy manifest” while starring in what has been described as the pre-eminent Australian meme, Jack Karlson, has died aged 82.
Karlson – although there are debates as to whether this was his real name or one of many aliases – was a serial prison escaper and small-time crook who shot to fame in 2009 after a news clip of his arrest at a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley in 1991 was uploaded on to the internet.
“What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?” Karlson theatrically boomed as his bear-like frame resisted a string of police officers.
Chris Reason, the Channel Seven journalist who reported Karlson’s arrest 33 years ago, paid tribute to Karlson on social media site X, tweeting that “Mr Democracy Manifest has died”.
Karlson died surrounded by family at 6.31pm on Wednesday.
“He walked a full and colourful path and, despite the troubles thrown at him, he lived by his motto – to keep on laughing,” his family said in statement.
Niece Kim Edwards said Karlson spent the last few weeks of his life in hospital, where he “had a few attempts to escape and pulled his cords out a couple of times and asked us many time to sneak in his pipe”.
Edwards said her uncle was “battling many ailments but what got him in the end was [systemic inflammatory response syndrome]”.
“As a final send off, we gave uncle a last taste of red wine through his drip just before it was removed,” she said.
Alas that a succulent Chinese meal evidently wasn’t an option. This news comes not long after I read that a documentary about him was being made; it looks like the director, Heath Davis, got him just in time. Alas again that Jack, or Cecil, or John, or “The Hun” won’t get to see it.
