Progressive Ruin Presents…The End of Civilization: Special Edition
Why a “Special Edition?” Because I’m actually providing images for every item listed here, for once…and plus, the first item I discuss makes it special. So as always, bust open your copy of the Diamond Previews catalog and follow along. (Previous installments: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17)
p. 193 – The greatest Iron Man cover…nay, the greatest comic book cover of all time gets the statue treatment:
“Tony Stark has never been a stranger to vice; a fact captured perfectly in this Marvel Milestones release! Taken from the shocking cover of Iron Man #128™, this 11″ statue features a working mirror along with the two most challenging aspects of Tony Stark’s life – the bottle and the mask.”
p. 442 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: Spike Puppet 21-Inch Plush:
Okay, that first Angel “Smile Time” puppet was cute, a nice tie-in product to what was arguably the best episode in Angel‘s run. That item turned out to be a hit, so soon we had the Battle-Damaged Angel puppet…I’d rather have seen another run of the first puppet to meet demand, but, eh, this was okay, I suppose. The Vampire Angel puppet was just plain going to the well one too many times.
“This original design answers the question: ‘What would happen if Spike had been turned into a puppet instead of Angel?'”
Wow, merchandise based on fan-fiction…who knew? And the Angel puppet at least sort of looked like the actor…this doesn’t look a darned thing like Spike. And besides, now that we’ve opened it up, what’s next? Puppet Doyle? Puppet Lorne? Puppet Willow…hmmm, puppet Willow…er, let’s move on, shall we?
p. 444 – Monty Python Horse Non-Action Figure:
“…Comes with all the parts necessary to reproduce the horse sounds from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
Yes, those are coconuts in a plastic bag. That’s damn-near genius.
p. 457 – UDA Alex Ross Collection: Silver Surfer Bust:
Gah! That’s terrifying. Who in God’s name wants that leering at them from the mantlepiece?
p. 462 – UDA Heroic Moments: X-Men Danger Room Statues:
This is a series of seven statues, priced from $25 to $30 (and $40 for the “observation deck”) that assemble into the Danger Room diorama seen above. That’s…well, I’m tempted to call that “brilliant,” actually.
p. 462 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Mr. Pointy” Stake Prop Replica:
Ah…a flashback to my proto-End of Civilization post with the original Buffy stake replica. Yes, it’s hand-carved from real wood. Includes “care instructions.” (“Don’t tell significant other what you just dropped seventy-five bucks on.”)
p. 466 – Rocky: “Go The Distance” Boxing Gloves Prop Replicas:
“Exact reproductions of the on-screen props from this Oscar-winning film, these gloves are made from the finest leather and come ready to display in a attractive box!”
Also, the production run is limited to 1,976 pieces, 1976 being the year of Rocky‘s release.
p. 492 – Hello Kitty Cell Phone Resin Ornament:
Not a “Hello Kitty Cell Phone,” but a model of a Hello Kitty Cell Phone you can hang on your Christmas tree. And thus does civilization die.
