Ask Ken at Palisades

[ResidentLilly]

OK...point taken. Maybe there is room for a WAY figure after all...

 

[bizarreblair]

Weird Al not current since the 80's?!! Really?
His last album (released in 1999) sold over a million copies.

VH1's done oodles of specials about him including the following:

Coming to VH1... Driven: 'Weird Al' Yankovic!
Driven is a new program that will trace the artist's history, from childhood to the first glimmer of stardom, through the eyes of those who knew him best: teachers, creative partners, family members and friends. Al's episode is slated to debut Tuesday, July 30, at 9 pm! (check your local listings, satellite times may differ.)

He's debuting some new songs from the album (that is still in the works) next week at the Orange County Fair (in California). They're also doing an exhibit on him you can read about at the following link:

http://www.ocfair.com/2002/theweirdalexperience.asp

The DVD of his 1989 movie was just released last month (and hit the Top Ten in DVD sales)

People have already custom make their own Al action figures:

http://weirdal.com/fanart17.htm

Sorry to get up on a soapbox, but Al is a very talented guy who has sold more comedy records than anyone on the planet (that includes Adam Sandler, George Carlin, The Jerky Boys, Spike Jones, EVERYBODY!!)

 

[Aerosmith]

Even Cheech and Chong? I got Weird Al's autograph

 

[ZootandDingo]

Weird Al

Originally posted by bizarreblair
Weird Al not current since the 80's?!! Really?

Thank you, Bizarre! I caught this little part of the thread a bit late, so it's really cool to see someone else jump in to defend Al.

I just can't stand it when people say "Weird Al? That 'Eat It' guy from the 80's?" Sigh....he's only had his three best selling albums within the last decade with each one in Billboard's Top 20 and going Platinum. I mean, how many people here like hearing "The Muppets? From that kids' show in the 70's?" You see my point.

A lot of people have been asking for a Weird Al figure lately, especially in this time when all of these other artists with unique followings are getting their own produced.

I just personally don't think McFarlane would be the best choice for a company (not that it wouldn't be a good idea). Weird Al would be the kind of figure that someone would want to either pose in goofy positions (such as one in particular...) or dress up as he appears in videos. You would need a generic looking figure without any "extreme" sculpted poses or faces that McFarlane likes to do on their acquired properties.

I think really any of the modern toy companies (not counting Hasbro or Mattel) could pull it off, as long as they knew exactly how to market it. So easily could a bunch of them go unsold if they weren't solicited to the right places, which I think is perhaps one of the reasons why not too many rock groups even have figure lines in the first place.

But oh well, at least I think it's a good idea.

BTW, is this like the second or third time in the last 48 hours that the thread ended up talking about Weird Al? Sounds like kismet.....you know, that little singing frog from the 70's.

 

[Louis Kazagger]

Hey, now I know what to do with all my overused stack of book accessories that came with my Simpsons figures. Watch out Newsman!

Ken, maybe I just haven't been paying attention, but has Robin been considered for a spot in the Muppets line? Robin is definitely not a favorite character of mine (to put it mildly), so it's not like I'm dying without him, but I was just curious. How does everyone else feel about Robin?

 

[ResidentLilly]

Wow...had no idea had done so much stuff lately. I am very out of the music loop...

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Re: Weird Al

Maybe he's no longer current, but IMO he's no longer great. Personally I liked him better in the 80's. I just don't think he's been very funny lately. In the 80's not only did he have "Eat It", "Fat", "Dare to be Stupid", and the like, he also had "You Make Me", "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White" and other crazy, nonsensical stuff of his own composition. "Amish Paradise" and "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" just don't seem to stand up as well. I liked his "Off the Deep End" album and "Alapalooza" was decent, but from there on IMHO things just started to get too tame and not ludicrous enough, the well going dry if you well, er, will. That started off as a typo but sometimes accidents are a good thing.

All this said, I still would have loved to see him work with the Muppets and he is still one of the defining influences of my sense of humor (as are the Muppets, the Warner Brothers' cartoons, the old Disney shorts- especially Donald Duck- and Mel Brooks).

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[MuppetQuilter]

Originally posted by EmmyMik
"Ken, I dropped a whole bunch of books on my Newsman figure. It broke. What should I do?"

And so it begins....

"Ken, my Newsman figure is defective. He did a report about unidentified flying cows and nothing fell on him. Can you send me one that works?"

"Ken, I droped pork bellies on my Newsman figure during a stock market report and now he's all gooey and gross. If he does a report about soap, will he get clean?"

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Looks like the Newsman will have to be made from concrete!! or steel at least.

FOZ

 

[uncleduke]

Re: Weird Al

Originally posted by ZootandDingo
...I just can't stand it when people say "Weird Al? That 'Eat It' guy from the 80's?" Sigh....he's only had his three best selling albums within the last decade with each one in Billboard's Top 20 and going Platinum. I mean, how many people here like hearing "The Muppets? From that kids' show in the 70's?" You see my point.

A lot of people have been asking for a Weird Al figure lately, especially in this time when all of these other artists with unique followings are getting their own produced.

I certainly see and conceed your point. Al is a very talented man, and we certainly enjoy his CDs and bought UHF when it came out on DVD... We even picked up his read poster from the ALA.
However the main problem I would forsee with an action figure line of W.A.Y is:
1) Most of the figures would be based on his look in a music video.
2) In most of the videos, he is mimicking an established Celebrity
3) This would probably be a licensing nightmare:
Who do you get the approval from for an action figure of Weird Al Dressed as Michael Jackson? From Al? From MJ?
How about W.A.Y as a Jedi?
Lucas? Not bloody likely
While I agree the figures would be fun, just not feasable.

Personally, my total extreme wish list is topped by The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai
I saw where Big Trouble in Little China is getting figures, so I am still keeping my fingers crossed.
C'mon Ken.... Is a 12" Dr Emilio Lizardo too much to ask for?