Local Muppet Support in San Francisco

[frogboy4]

I posted this in the save Fozzie thread, but it "bears" repeating.

For two days only my Gonzo poser will be prominently placed in a local specialty toy store in downtown San Francisco. I have recently been filling in for a freelance client and actually work the store on Sundays and Mondays from 10-6.

If you are in the bay area and feel like stopping in to see Gonzo or this notorious Frogboy we both will be at:

Action Figure Freddy
812 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA​

(Past the Sony Metreon and across the street from Westfield Shopping Center.)​

The owner wants to see if there is any interest in selling the posers and I have volunteered my own for display. Also (shameless plug) if you come in on these days I can offer you 20% off any item in the store. If this isn't support for Muppet posers I don't know what is. I'm sure Action Figure Freddy is not the only store willing to do this. I feel it's what this sort of item needs.

I doubt this will get us Fozzie, but it couldn't hurt.

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Sorry, I'm nowhere near there, but I just thought I'd pop in and say good luck!

 

[frogboy4]

Why thank you very much for your support from the east coast! I used to live there once upon a time. Anyway, I'm so excited to have Gonzo work with me I actually made him a "Please Do Not Touch!" sign with Kermit in the O. Here it is.

Feel free to copy this hi-res image and use it for anything you guys might need!

 

[Redsonga]

I love visiting San Fran once a year but the only way I can ever get there is greyhound and I don't have the money . I use to go there every summer for my leg check ups and nearly live in every comic book shop in the city . We use to rent a room from a sweet old black couple that are dead now ;.;

 

[Beauregard]

I love visiting San Fran once a year but the only way I can ever get there is greyhound;

Hang on...

You ride a greyhound?

Or you bet on greyhounds to get the money?

Or...nevermind

LOVE the poster, Frogboy! And think it's great that you've got Gonzo there is your shop! How cool!

Beau

 

[Luke]

good luck Frogboy!

 

[Redsonga]

Hang on...

You ride a greyhound?

Or you bet on greyhounds to get the money?

Or...nevermind

LOVE the poster, Frogboy! And think it's great that you've got Gonzo there is your shop! How cool!

Beau

Greyhound bus . The buses that smell like some unnamed thing that can make even the strongest stomach car sick in half an hour

 

[Ilikemuppets]

That's great, Jamie! Hope all goes well!

 

[frogboy4]

My Adventures with Master Replicas’ Gonzo Poser

(picture link at the end of this post)

It would be an understatement to cite my intense interest in this product. The depiction of my favorite Muppet on store shelves has always been important to me. To be honest, I had given up on ever seeing an even passable Gonzo reproduction until Palisades Toys welcomed my presumptuous and highly opinionated little frogboy fingerprints on their figure after the luke-warm reception of the series two version. Ken and company perfected Gonzo in series five, exclusive versions and beyond to the point where Mega Gonzo actually appears on the licensor style sheet for the character. Sideshow released a fantastic replica of the colorful weirdo as well. Later Disney parks appeared to have knocked off the figure design (that they own anyway) for their own Muppet knickknacks and for the first time Gonzo’s purplish hues are permitted to appear on his beak in licensed product! Okay, so sometimes it’s too purple, but you will never hear me complain about that now that the Baby Gonzo sky blue color is absent on classic Gonzo merchandise.

All was right with the world and then we see…Terry Angus’ masterpiece poser prototype build to MR. It was the Gonzo that set the bar of the products at - actually being Gonzo! Everybody's jaw was on the floor (mine had dropped through it). I understand how a handcrafted design has to be simplified for mass production, but many fans found the nose netting unnecessary. I’ve had my fill of talk on the subject and those thoughts are known. I was pleasantly surprised when I received the product and (after a few easy custom touches) it is my favorite Muppet item ever made. I thought everyone should feel that way and many do. So why the sluggish sales?

This could be the edition number of 2500 or the justifiably high SRP for the item even when discounted. After hearing the cancellation of Fozzie’s poser I set out to see for myself. I placed my Gonzo poser all around Action Figure Freddy – a client’s toy store where I just started working a few days a week. My feeling is that once people saw him in the store that they would fall in love with this fellow and pay him much attention.

There was some interest during his two day appearance, but only one real interested buyer. Some customers literally looked through him as if he weren’t there. I don’t get it, but those are the facts. I finally placed him in the window where he got a lot more attention, but still no real-world interest or price inquiries.

It is my conclusion that people do know this character well. They know his name, they do not mistake him for Grover, they like him and remember his fetish for poultry. There’s just no current project to support enough sales interest for anything but the frog. That is changing, but I do not know if MR will care by the time that happens. I wouldn’t fault them for that. They did what no other company has done. They have given us “real” Muppets. Well, as much as Disney can allow. I hope to see a Fozzie down the line, but I won’t hold my breath.

Them’s the facts from this aggressive Gonzo fan. Enjoy the pictures.

(PS, the last picture is flipped, but it doesn't really matter)

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Oh wow! great picks!