Spawn Comic
Spawn Comic
Slade Ham: Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
Slade Ham
Age: 34
Marital Status: Single
Location: Houston, TX
Children: none
Education: Some college
Hometown: Beaumont, TX
Year of first performance: April 2000
Number of performances: Absolutely no idea. Easily over 200 a year.
If you do a name search you will discover that there is one or fewer people in the United States named Slade Ham. Not surprising you scoff. True, but for all you thinking it's a stage name, you would be incorrect. Now that we have that cleared up, let's continue. I have never met Mr. Ham in person or even seen him do his stand-up comedy show. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't listened to his act on CD until recently when I purchased his latest effort, "Three-legged Unicorn". I laughed out loud, something I am not prone to do as I fall into the group deemed "tough" audience. I was pleasantly amused by the fact that this man, whom I have chatted with online, exchanged emails and faithfully read for years, is as funny live as his pondering on paper. Slade's work is not for the stupid, if you read his writings or listen to his live material and you don't get it, let me clue you in, "you are whom he is talking about in his rants."
Introduced to Slade's blog on MySpace back in 2006 through a mutual friend, I have been annoying him ever since. I have auctioned him off on a friend's MySpace page, referred to him as "pork chop" as though he was just a "piece of meat", convinced him to allow a group of friends to conduct a dating contest on his blog, and periodically leave obscure comments on his blog to which he always has a clever response. If I can state anything besides the obvious; that his intellect and talents are immense, it would be that he has shown himself to be good-natured and professional.
I figured why stop the harassment now? Having just returned from another tour with the USO in Iraq, producing his second CD and touring the southwest, surely he has time for me. In replying to my email asking for an interview, "I don't BASE jump." Maybe not at this point in his life, but I wouldn't remove it from his bucket list just yet. He then asked, "What angle are you going for with this?" My reply, "Please, you have read my writing, you expect me to have an angle?" Realizing whom he was dealing with, he agreed to "just go with it".
So here's my angle, I supplied him with 22 questions, he had a couple of days between his hectic schedule to answer them as honestly as he could without pondering the greater meaning of it all. For those of you who know Mr. Ham, perhaps his answers will offer you further insight into someone you thought you knew all too well and for those being introduced to him for the first time; I whole heartedly suggest he is someone you should know.
"Hey Slade, ask your people if you are available to do my radio show next Friday and have them get back to my people." :)
1. To what degree do you think being raised in a single parent household played in your remaining in a 7 year relationship that was so toxic to your well-being? Honestly, I've never thought of it in that context. I'm sure Freudian psychology screams to the contrary, but I have never really considered my parents' relationship with each other to have any bearing on my decision to stay in or get out of my own relationships. My parents did not get along. They just didn't. I was eight when they divorced, and as rocky of a road as that is for any kid, I somehow knew that it was the best thing for all of us. I don't think I ever blamed them for splitting up, and I definitely never wished they had stayed together just for the sake of staying together. My reasons for staying were entirely different. Again, there is certainly some rationalization on my part, but sometimes it is easier to stay than it is to leave. I had a lot of things going on in my life that were positive, from my career on the road to my comedy club back at home, and adding more upheaval to the mix wasn't something I was ready to do. The drama that existed while we were together was smaller than the drama that would have come with leaving her. That's why it was much easier to have it end on her terms. That, and I possibly possessed a few co-dependent qualities at that phase in my life. I think the fact that I watched my parents' relationship deteriorate was just coincidental. I never tried to hang on for those reasons, though the possibility that I did has to seem glaring.
2. At what moment did you realize that you could intentionally make people laugh and could earn a living do so? I'm still not positive that I know that for sure. I've been fortunate in that I have always found a way to slide underneath the fence of responsibility. With my radio career or opening a club or doing comedy as I do now, it's really all just come about because I tend to do what I think is fun. The fact that they pay me for it is a happy bonus. When my club closed in 2007, it was the first time I wasn't actively doing more than one thing. I've always had several irons in the fire and they always tend to overlap. Suddenly, I was presented with the reality that I only had one source of income, and it was untested as a viable, singular, income source. Fortunately, it did pay enough, and still does.
3. What process did you undertake in choosing the material on the new CD? On Three-Legged Unicorn, it was more of a process of deciding what not to include. I taped almost 80 minutes of material for that CD and then had to decide what not to keep. On every CD thus far, I have the show in my head months beforehand, and then suddenly, for no reason, I get surges of new ideas as the weekend approaches. This CD more than anything else I've done has some stuff that might only have been a week or two old as of the recording. The more I try to plan exactly what I intend to put out there, the more I realize how hopeless that endeavor really is.
4. What is your greatest fear in life? If I'm being honest, I'd have to say "success". I'm good at failure. Really good. I have a Masters Degree in F*cking Up. Success brings with it a lot of expectations though, and I don't always think I want to face those down. I'm not a leader, and I'm not any sort of visionary. I am a guy that stays out to late at night and gets in arguments and drinks a lot of whiskey and skates around the fringes of the system so I can pay my bills without actually working. I just brain dump these ideas out into whatever medium I can, and hope some of it sticks. Right now, if it doesn't, no one is disappointed. To cross that line into "success" suddenly means being accountable to a lot more people. I'm a little intimidated by the thought of having to live up to that. People's expectations can be highly unrealistic.
5. Who is/was the most influential person in your life? My mom was, and remains, an incredibly resilient woman. She raised four boys as a single parent on a school teacher's salary – a wage I don't think I could support just myself on today – and she did it without resorting to welfare, and without us ever feeling like we were deprived of anything. I'm certain that meant a lot of credit cards, etc, but she did it. She's always set such a great example of survival. She also never pushed me or my brothers to do anything we didn't want to do, which I think so many parents do. Being given the freedom to explore is what has led me down these really fun, really unorthodox paths.
6. Have you ever suffered personal backlash by family, friends or associates, due to you something you said in one of your shows or that you have written about? It happens far more rarely than it probably should. My family doesn't really have an issue with any of it, but then again I don't really incorporate them into what I do. Friends on the other hand, they can get a bit touchy. I just had a friend email me two days ago upset by how I had portrayed her in something I had written. I'm quite careful to change the names of people and protect their identities, but that doesn't stop anyone from recognizing themselves in the things I create. At the end of the day, I always fall back on the defense that anything any of us do is fair game. If you don't want to be held accountable for it later, don't do it around me. Still, even with that caveat, I am pretty careful not to vilify my friends or family in any way. There are so many other things to talk about.
7. If you were a recruiter for the military Morale, Welfare & Recreation department what would you say to entertainers to convince them to take part in a tour of our war zone military bases? You have to find a way to get people, particularly artists, to turn off their selfish tendencies. I think a lot of why people say no to these tours is because they have misconceptions. First, they believe it is dangerous and dirty and uncomfortable, which is relatively untrue. It's no country club, but it's highly doable for a week or two, regardless of how much of a prima donna someone is. The other area that I don't think people are really aware of is just how tedious and boring some of these deployments really are. The little COPs and FOBs and Joint Security Stations out in the middle of nowhere absolutely suck. I think that if any entertainer knew how enthusiastically they would be received, and how much good their visit would do, they wouldn't be able to say no.
8. In what order of importance do you place: Money, Sex, Family, Fame, Friends, Sanity and why? Sanity and family are definitely at the top of the list, though I am neglectful of both more than I should be. With those two things intact I am quite capable of surviving without the other four. Fame and friends are fickle. I do have a very tight inner circle of friends that I consider irreplaceable, but I lump them in with family. Sex and money come and go continuously and are hardly worth making priorities. They're definitely the most temporary and trying to hang on to them generally just disappoints.
10. What has been the most difficult personal challenge that you have faced in your life? There was a period between the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008 where I couldn't seem to shake bad news. I was forced to close my comedy club in October which liquidated my entire life savings. Then, in January my father passed away. My road schedule was empty, my money was gone, even the transmission dropped in my car… it just came in waves, no matter how I adjusted. Somewhere in the summer of 2008, I started to feel like I had finally clawed my way back to level ground. I don't feel like I did anything spectacular to get through it though, other than just tkeep my head down and continue to walk forward. Sometimes you just have to wait it out.
11. Has there been a point where you have thought about not working as a comedian? Every single day of my life. Every time a tire blows on a road trip or a Jameson hangover pounds away at my head after a three show night. Every hotel room or airport or restaurant sat at alone… they all make me question the sanity of what I do. Then I step on stage that night and all that doubt disappears. I don't know that I could ever stop doing stand up entirely, regardless of where I end up. It's such a free medium. It really is the last bastion of free speech. Even if I landed a book deal and a travel show tomorrow, I would still have to feed my hunger for a live stage.
12. What or who in your life keeps you grounded in reality ? I don't know that I stay grounded in reality at all. I do think that every time I find myself too far down my little rabbit hole, life throws a cancelled gig at me or some other speed bump. Other than that though, I remain convinced that I can fly. Reality is such a subjective concept anyway. I've been writing a lot on the subject actually, exploring how unfixed this thing we call reality really is. I'm a big proponent of doing what makes you happy, and if that means displaying a total disregard for the "reality" around us, then so be it. There was a Dutch scientist a week or so ago that theorized that gravity doesn't exist. How f*cking cool is that? GRAVITY is an illusion? That's amazing, to even propose something like that. I want to live in that world, where even the most proven facts are questioned.
13. When you spend time with your nieces/nephews do you find that you act parental or are you completely lost outside your element? (Based on you having once written about tossing babies from balconies in your blog). It's funny, because I am actually amazing with kids. Ones I know, anyway. Stranger's kids annoy me, especially the loud, uncontrolled ones. I adore spending time with the kids I do know, though I don't do "parental" well. I'm a much better playmate, particularly with my nieces, the older of which has such a great imagination. She sees a world that is invisible to everyone else, and we spend time fighting monsters or being different animals or buried in books. Adults don't let me play that way. It's healthy I think, regardless of your age, to exercise those muscles we had when we were young. We lose them when we get older and that's when the ideas stop. Kids have no boundaries though. They're not beaten up by the world. The dreams aren't dead yet. Immersing yourself in their world is an easy way to relearn that skill. I'm a horrible disciplinarian though, despite my belief that children are highly under-disciplined today. That's better left to other people. I'll help the kid kill dragons, but someone else will have to yell at them because we broke a picture frame in the process or because we were too loud and rowdy.
14. Do you think you have a combative personality or is it a compulsion or do you feel as though it's your personal mission to point out the stupidity in people, laws, society in general? I think too many people would call me out if I denied being at least a little combative. I think I probably overcompensate sometimes because I don't feel that enough people speak out. Whether it's a character flaw or not is up for debate, but I do feel driven to have my little head butting matches with people or things that I feel are completely wrong. I think common sense was cut from the team a long time ago, and we have, as a collective, put our faith in the majority to decide the right way to do things - which is fucked up because the "majority" can't even figure out how to merge properly on a freeway. We let them, whoever they are, tell us what is what and we adhere to it without question. They tell us what is healthy and what is dangerous and what we should and should not do, and we just accept it without even noticing that they change their minds every few years. The global cooling problem in the 70's became global warming in the 90's. They just keep pumping out guesses and no one questions any of it. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out in five years that cell phones and cigarettes CURE cancer.
15. What is the one thing that people who meet you in person will be most surprised by? Probably the fact that I'm not that funny in real life, or that I am much easier to get along with than I let on.
16. Is there a difference between Slade Ham "the entertainer" and Slade Ham "the person" and are you able to "chill" and not do when off stage? Yes and no. The "me" on stage is 100% me; it's just me with the volume knob turned up to 11. Off stage though, like I mentioned above, I don't really consider myself that funny. It's not that there is an off switch that I flip, but more that I just really do like to be low key sometimes, particularly in groups. I'd much rather someone else takes the spotlight.
17. If you weren't an entertainer and writer, what would you be doing in life today? I would almost certainly be homeless, but I would have highly creative cardboard signs.
18. Congress gives you the opportunity to abolish, reverse, or institute one law, which one is it? Wow. Of ALL the laws… There is probably something huge that I should care more about. Traveling as I do though, I just want speed limits gone. Speed limits, and the law that says I have to sit at a red light until it changes despite a complete lack of traffic. The red light cameras and the Big Brother mentality that makes everything feel like a police state at times… I get frustrated by how I am so frequently not allowed to use my better judgment. There should be a test though to determine if you are capable of making decisions for yourself. And while I'm changing laws, the drinking age for anyone serving in the military should be lowered to eighteen.
19. Which subject did you excel at in school: Math, Science, English, Social/Cultural Studies and why? English was definitely my stand out subject. Writing has always come naturally to me. Math and I fought like step-brothers. We hated each other. Math is about bringing order to chaos, but I love the chaos. Science was fun too, until it also became a math class. I still am a bit of a closet science fan, but I am more concerned with the result and not the process. It's enough for me to know that potassium dropped into water makes hydrogen, which burns and explodes. That's fun. I don't care about the reaction mechanism; I just want to see the bubbles and the flame.
20. List 3 words that you believe best describe you as a person. I try to avoid questions like this because I HATE labels, particularly self-chosen ones. There's the way I like to describe myself and there's the way people see me and there's the way I actually am. I like words like defiant and confident or charismatic and intelligent. The reality is that if I'm being honest, I am also indecisive and irresponsible and stubborn. So, three of any of those.
List 5 Random Facts or Habits about yourself that would be classified as weird, strange, or different. *I listen to a lot of world music.
*I am a huge nerd. Star Trek: TNG, Battlestar Gallactica, Spawn comic books, and all things Star Wars, etc. It is probably the uncoolest thing about me, and I absolutely don't care.
* My taste for good Irish whiskey aside, I live a pretty clean lifestyle. I kicked my cigarette habit over a year ago and I don't do drugs at all.
*My brother is in the Wu Tang Clan.
*I have driven an M-1 Abrams tank and been on a nuclear submarine. I am qualified to do neither.
All Photos courtesy of Slade Ham.
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Many thanks to Slade for being Slade, ~Cynthia
About the Author
The BASE Chronicles is a series of profiles and interviews with participants from the sport of BASE Jumping conducted February of 2009 through February of 2010 published on her website. Cynthia Lynn is a Freelance writer living in Chicago, Illinois. She is currently working on completing the BASE Chronicles Interviews and conducting research for a book.
In the comic series Spawn, what is Clown's weapon of choice?
I don't know if he uses any weapons, if he does what would it be?
Clown does not have any particular favorite or signature weapon, per se. But then, Clown himself does not fight all that often. He mostly torments Spawn, schemes and sets the Devil's plans in motion. When he does need to fight, he just turns into the Violator and uses his strength and fire-breath to beat his enemies.
But Clown will occasionally use guns, knives or anything else that is handy at the time should the situation call for it.
Spawn Comic
Image Comics: Spawn Tribute - Disturbed Prayer
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Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 5 $19.49 Featuring the stories and artwork (by Todd Mcfarlane himself) that laid the groundwork for the most successful independent comic book ever published. Spawn Origins Volume 5 includes early artwork by fanfavorite Spawn artist, Greg Capullo. Collects Spawn #2732. Author: McFarlane, Todd/ Capullo, Greg Series Title: Spawn Origins Series Number: 5 Binding Type: Paperback Publication Date: 2010/06/01 Language: English Dimensions: 10.78 x 6.38 x 0.32 inches |
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Spawn: In the Demons Hand $90.81 Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Spawn: In the Demons Hand is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Dreamcast and Arcade, released on February 1, 2000 in North America. It is based on the Spawn comic book series created by Todd McFarlane and produced by Image Comics. Critics judge this as the best Spawn game, although it did not achieve high rates in Gamespot and IGN, specially due to camera and AI problems. A port was planned for the PlayStation 2 as a launch title but it was later canceled. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 124 Publication Date: 2011/07/03 Language: English Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 x 0.29 inches |
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Todd McFarlanes Spawn $92.4 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Todd McFarlanes Spawn was an animated television series which aired on HBO from 1997 through 1999. It was based on the Spawn comic series from Image Comics. The show was nominated for and won an Emmy in 1999 for Outstanding Animation Program (longer than one hour). An unrelated series titled Spawn: The Animation is in production since 2009, with Keith David reprising his role as the titular character.The series centered around the story of an exserviceman who fought in the Vietnam war as a commando named Al Simmons. He was betrayed and killed by a man whom he believed to be his close friend (the man, Chapel, burned him alive with a flamethrower). Upon his death, Simmons vowed revenge on Chapel and hoped that he would one day return to his beloved wife Wanda. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 146 Publication Date: 2010/08/19 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.34 inches |
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Spawn: Special EditionAnimated UMD for PSP $25.6 Language: EnglishRegion: Region 1 U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1Rating: PG13 Parental Guidance SuggestedRun Time: 140 minutesHow can you avenge betrayal and murder? How can you fight for right in a world so steeped in evil? How can you protect those you love most from all that can do them harm? No man living or dead can tell you. But one trapped between both is struggling for an answer that can save the lives of his most beloved or plunge the world into eternal darkness. The cloak and chains of Spawn explode from the comic book page onto the screen in a deadly tornado of untapped unwrapped merciless power. |
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Spawn Directors Cut Line Platinum Series DVD $26.12 Imagine a creature on the verge of creation. From comic book legend Todd McFarlane comes the live action specialeffects event of the year Spawn. Michael Jai White John Leguizamo and Martin Sheen star in a battle beyond good beyond evil and beyond imagination. Original Title: Spawn. Director: Mark A.Z. Dippe. Condition: NEW. Format: DVD. Format Size: Fullscreen Widescreen. Runtime: 94 mins. Language: English. Region code: Region 1. Discs: 1. Rating: R. Genre: Horror. Subgenre: Sci Fi. Release Year: 2005. |
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Umd SPAWNUMD Spawn Special Edition Animated UMD for PSP $25.6 Megagoods' Inc is a distributor of consumer electronics. We pride ourselves on reliable fulfillment and superb customer service:. Great Selection of Brand Name Items amp; Fast and Efficient Processing. Our goal is to dedicate ourselves to providing you with excellent service and quality merchandise. amp;nbsp;. How can you avenge betrayal and murder? How can you fight for right in a world so steeped in evil? How can you protect those you love most from all that can do them harm? No man living or dead can tell you. But one trapped between both is struggling for an answer that can save the lives of his most beloved' or plunge the world into eternal darkness. The cloak and chains of Spawn explode from the comic book page onto the screen in a deadly tornado of untapped' unwrapped' merciless power. |
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Spawn (Comics) $82.85 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Spawn (Albert Francis Al Simmons) is an undead superhero in the Image Comics Universe. He first appears in Spawn #1 (May 1992) and was created by Todd McFarlane. The series has spun off several other comics, including Angela, Curse of the Spawn, Sam Twitch and the Japanese manga Shadows of Spawn. Spawn was adapted into a 1997 feature film, an HBO animated series lasting from 1997 until 1999 and a series of action figures whose high level of detail made McFarlane Toys known in the toy industry. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Timpledon, Miriam T./ Marseken, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 122 Publication Date: 2010/08/04 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.29 inches |
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Shadows of Spawn $16.89 Volume 2 of the pulsepounding story of a Spawn and his struggle for vengeance against his own gangster killers. At the same time, hes trying to hold onto his humanity long enough to save the life of his sister. Allnew heroes and villains and 100 manga Spawn like youve never seen him before Author: Tokoro, Juzo/ Tokoro, Juzo Series Title: Spawn Series Number: 2 Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 197 Publication Date: 2006/02/01 Language: English Dimensions: 7.28 x 5.06 x 0.65 inches |
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Spawn Volume 11: Crossroads $17.77 Features Todd McFarlanes character Spawn. Ties up major plot lines started from the debut issue of the Spawn monthly book. A turning point in the story line for the Spawn characters. Author: McFarlane, Todd/ Miki, Danny/ Conrad, Kevin Series Title: Spawn Series Number: 11 Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 96 Publication Date: 2000/11/13 Language: English Dimensions: 10.22 x 6.70 x 0.22 inches |
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SPAWN 10TH ANNIVERSARY GIFT SET BY SPAWN (DVD) [4 DISCS] $45.49 Animated series about an ordinary man who becomes known as Spawn, trying to fight evil and fulfill his own destiny. Artist: SPAWN Genre: Television: HBO Rating: NR Release Date: 24JUL2007 |
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Movie Monster Legends: Ten of the Greatest Ever Onscreen Beasts
Some monsters never die. Some of them keep on burrowing ever deeper into the collective unconscious until they are rooted there for all time. Here we'll take a look at ten of the film industry's most unforgettable creatures. There is no real order to this list, as they are all fine examples of celluloid terror (and opinion, after all, is subjective. Nowhere moreso than with film fans), but the big names speak for themselves. We'll also take a look at some of the licensed merchandise that these creatures inspired, which has thrilled fans for decades.
Chucky:
The possessed doll first hit the screens in the 1988 horror classic 'Child's Play'. Following that came four sequels, and with each one his appeal was diminished as each film became more and more of a spoof of what came before. Chucky is also to be getting the remake treatment, but in the new version he will still be played by veteran movie villain Brad Dourif.
Pinhead:
Famously portrayed by Doug Bradley in eight feature films, Pinhead is one of the most striking images to have come to cinema. With his fetishistic outfit and hideous mutilated visage, he leads his Cenobite minions across realities to ensnare twisted individuals who crave the next big fix. The character is to come to the big screen again with the forthcoming remake of the first Hellraiser.
Jason Voorhees
The mutated hick from Crystal Lake has terrorized audiences for decades, and to date has appeared in eleven feature films including the 9 Friday the 13th movies, Jason X and Freddy Vs Jason. A remake of Friday the 13th is soon to be released and kick off the series all over again. With his distinctive Hockey mask and bloodied machete, Jason is an unforgettable movie monster.
Predator:
First shredding flesh in the 1987 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Predator quickly became an iconic movie monster despite only starring in two films until the AVP franchise came along. With its distinctive features and abilities, the Predator grabbed ever more fans due to it being such a relentless adversary for the films' heroes. The Predator has gone on to become one of the most sought-after collectable items in history.
Ghostface
Surprisingly, the masked killers from the SCREAM trilogy always rank very highly with horro movie buffs. While not strictly monsters, the image of the masked, robed murderers is one that permeated all of the horror industry for a time in the lkate 90s, spawning a whole generation of lesser imitators who wanted to get in on the teen slasher reinvention bandwagon.
Freddy Krueger:
The legendary dream demon, Freddy Krueger, brought terror to our screens in seven movies of his own, as well as a short-lived TV series, countless books and comics, and the lacklustre Freddy Vs Jason feature film. Played by Robert Englund in all of the above, Freddy was (and is) an intense and memorable character. He worked best in the first and third films of his own franchise, when he was at his darkest. The first of his films, A Nightmare on Elm Street, is currently being remade, with Krueger now played by Billy Bob Thornton.
Alien:
Originally designed by legendary artist HR Giger, the eponymous creature in the ALIEN films (and indeed AVP and AVP: Requiem) is an instantly recognizable movie monster. Its very form thrills and terrifies in equal measure, proven by its longevity as a driving force in the film industry. To this day the first two Alien films stand up as masterpieces of the genre and cinema as a whole, and while later films and the Alien Vs Predator spinoffs may have been lesser products, they did nothing to diminish the power of the creature's presence when glimpsed onscreen.
STAY PUFT MASHMALLOW MAN
Mr Stay Puft only appeared in one film, namely the all-time classic first Ghostbusters movie from 1984, but that brief appearence was enough to cement the character in film fans' hearts and minds forever more thanks to his frankly insane visage. Who could forget the sight of a giant man made of sweets, standing 112.5 feet tall (according to Harold Ramis), attacking New York before being destroyed by four eccentric men in overalls and proton packs? He went on to become an icon in comics, cartoons and toys
King Kong:
Back in 1933, the world gasped in awe at the sight of the original King Kong movie and all of its legendary stop-motion animation. The ingenious technique brought to life one of the most incredible beasts ever known, and a genre was born. Spawning various spinoffs, sequels and remakes, including Peter Jackson's impressive 2005 effort, there are few other onscreen beasts that can lay claim to the crown of most influential movie monster of all time. Incredibly influential in every sense, the original film, and indeed the titular giant ape, have become synonymous with the creation of the monster movie genre. Nobody will ever forget that climactic and iconic battle atop the Empire State building.
Godzilla
The 1998 American remake may well have been a critical and commercial failure but it couldn't change the fact that the famous Japanese monster, Godzilla, is the most recognizable and revered of all monsters that have appeared on film. Notching up over 50 film appearances, he has fought off all manner of weird attackers, spawned cartoon shows, spin-off franchises and a massive merchandising industry. The image and idea of Godzilla has proven to be remarkably enduring, and even though the character was supposed to be laid to rest with the incredible Godzilla: Final Wars a few years ago, the legend continues with yet more giant monster projects. I swear, Tokyo must have been rebuilt more times than I've seen Star Wars. No, really. The giant monster action may well have been a bunch of guys in big rubber suits, but it has nevertheless thrilled audiences ever since the 1950s. Long may Godzilla reign as the king of all beasts.
So there you have ten of the greatest movie monsters of all time. But what of the merchandising industry they spawned?
There has long since been an insatiable appetite for licensed movie monster memorabilia from fans the world over. Thankfully, there are some fantastic companies out there who are creating some truly incredible work in this area, and fans are eager to get their hands on the latest items. Let's take a look at some of the big names currently proving the world with high quality licensed merchandise.
In the past decade, the licensed collectibles market has been dominated by a select few companies, who have earned their status as the best in the world through years of dedication and the quality of their work. The leaders in the field of official movie merchandise are companies such as Mcfarlane, NECA, Sideshow Collectibles and Gentle Giant. Mcfarlane cornered the market in action figure versions of the most famous movie monsters at the end of the 90s with their legendary Movie maniacs range, bringing quality articulated figures of such characters as Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, Jason Voorhees and suchlike into the realms of affordable merchandise. Their box sets, such as the much missed Alien Queen set or their equally popular Jaws set, were of such a high standard that they remained hot sellers for half a decade. Mcfarlane's attention to detail and giving the fans what they wanted was noticed by several other companies who tried to get in on the bandwagon, but Mcfarlane are yet to be bettered.
Other collectibles companies looked to different avenues of licensed items to make their mark. NECA were hot on the heels of Mcfarlane and brought fans some of the best large scale figures and music based action figures the world market had ever seen, whereas creators such as Sideshow and Gentle Giant directed their energies towards making extremely high quality items. In the case of the amazing Sideshow Collectibles, many of these items are deemed to be of museum quality, such is the craftsmanship that goes into each of their stunning pieces. Where some would be content to create simple articulated figures, Sideshow go for the grand, the huge, the massive pieces, and employ the finest artists and sculptors in order to bring legendary creatures and characters to life as collectible statues, dioramas, replicas and figures. The appetite for movie monster merchandise has seen the growth of an international industry. As long as monsters tear up cities and terrorise whole worlds, there will be fans who want one of their own.
Really though, the appetite for monsters, creatures, demons, beasts, aliensa dn all those other fantastic creations shows no signs of fading away. While the popularity of the films may have waned a little, and the genre begins to be reinvented (Cloverfield, for example), we stand on the brink of a whole new breed of terrors ready to smash and destroy in the name of cinematic chaos. Long may they reign.
About the Author
Andrew writes for the memorabilia and collectibles site Starstore and their many famous entertainment and collectibles blogs. He is also a renowned rock and metal journalist and science fiction author.
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