Progressive Ruin presents…the End of Civilization.

§ November 1st, 2012 § Filed under End of Civilization § 12 Comments

I’m sure you’ve all heard the big news: the Walt Disney Company has, after a long negotiation, bought out Progressive Ruin Industries for a grand total of $127, plus a case of Diet Coke. Now I can afford to sit back and watch the End of Civilization in comfort and luxury, and you, the Little People, can follow along yourselves with your November 2012 copy of Diamond Previews:

p.73 – Good Luck Trolls Mystery Box Assortment Series 2:


Now they’re probably hiding the “secret” troll color combination with that silhouette-with-question-mark image, but what if…what if…that “mystery troll” actually looked just like this:


All black, with a question mark painted over the front. That would be swell.

p. 147 – The All New Metallic Superman by Frank Miller Statue:


“Say, Bill, why do you have a statue of Superman doing a pirouette?”

“I’ll have you know this is a representation of Superman from one of the greatest graphic novels of all time.”

Superman Versus Baryshnikov? Can I borrow it?”

“…Shut up.”

p. 152 – Mars Attacks Popeye:


Man, that “Destroying A Jeep” card is particularly traumatizing.

p. 155 – Star Trek Countdown to Darkness #1:


Not to be confused with Star Trek: Countdown to The Darkness, where the Enterprise crew travels back in time to just sorta hang around in a concert hall before that band comes on stage.

p. 178 – Hey, wait a second…


…Perhaps you missed them back on page #152, Weird Cartoony IDW Mascot Guy:

p. 237 – Expendable Stormtroopers T-Shirt:


Psst. Hey. Hey Disney. Over here. Get a load of what’s goin’ on here.

p. 240 – Archie Meets Glee:


Looking forward to the inevitable “Archie Meets Breaking Bad.”

Walt: “I’M THE ONE WHO KNOCKS!”

Moose: “Duh…I love jokes! ‘Who’s there?'”

Walt: “D’OH!” (flips backward, feet and legs sticking up from bottom of panel)

p. 241- Archie The Married Life Volume 3 TP:


They’re sure milking the hell out of this “Archie gets married” thing. I expect multiple trade paperbacks out of the eventual “Archie: The Bitter, Acrimonious Divorce” saga.

p. 348 – DC Batman Automobilia Collection Magazine:


Will this series last long enough to eventually get around to the Bat-villains’ sweet rides? In particular, this vehicle? I certainly hope so.

p. 354 – The Geek Handbook SC:


“How to Most Efficiently Bite the Heads off Chickens.” “The Carny Life: As Exciting As You Want It to Be.” “Living in Filth: Not As Bad As It Sounds.”

p. 356 – The History of Mario 1981-1991 TP:


So I was all ready to call the book on cutting off the history just before the 1993 release of the Super Mario Bros. movie, thus avoiding having to deal with it, but the actual solicitation does mention the film’s existence. Way to joke-block me, Previews.

p. 367 – Before Watchmen Nite Owl Symbol T-Shirt:


Test the face perception/pareidolic abilities of passerby with this vaguely face-resembling image!

p. 380 – Star Wars Angry Birds Koosh Faceball Packs:


If any of you plan on taking that Han Solo Angry Bird faceball to Harrison Ford to sign at some point in the near future, please let me know so I can be there to see the look on his face.

p. 382 – Justice League Logo Trexis:


After the wholesale rejection of Jim Lee’s New 52 costume designs for all of DC’s heroes as being “too complicated,” the next reboot’s costumes will follow a different strategy.

p. 387 – Twilight 1/18 Scale Die-Cast Replicas:


Remember back when Twilight fans would divide themselves into “Team Ford Police Cruiser” and “Team Chevy Truck?” Oh, youth, you so crazy.

p. 388 – Star Wars Kenner Power Droid Jumbo Action Figure:


Okay, Disney, listen, I only ask for one thing: a giant motorized version of this action figure that I can ride around in. C’mon, dudes. C’MON. I KNOW YOU GOT THE MONEY.

p. 390 – IT Conquered The World Statue:


The statue costs about a hundred bucks…which is about what they originally spent on the prop for the film, I think.

p. 392 – Gingerdead Man 1/1-Scale Replica:


I was hoping someday there would be the perfect piece of merchandise immortalizing Gary Busey’s finest role, and lo, it has come.

p. 400 – DC Comics Batman The Killing Joke The Joker ArtFX Statue:


HEY, DOES THIS STATUE COME WITH A BONDAGE CROTCH-CHERUB


OH GOOD THANK YOU

p. 427 – DC Heroes Grow Toys:


Tiny figures you add water to, and then they grow to six times their original size. Surely there must be one of these for the Atom. SURELY THERE MUST.

p. 433 – Marvel Heroes Cufflink Sets:


People who aren’t comic book fans are going to draw some mightily inappropriate conclusions from seeing you sporting your Punisher cufflinks.

p. 444 – The Lord of the Rings Dice Building Game:


“So, how do you play?”

“Um..you dump out all these dice, and then you spin the dial to see what you build with them.”

“Okay.” (spins dial) “Uh oh, we have to build a 1/25 scale model of Minas Tirith.”

“Well, better get started. Let’s move the furniture out of the room, first.”

Marvel Previews p. 76 – Marvel’s Thor Adaptation #1:


This “comic book adaptation of a movie based on a comic book that’s coming out way too late to take advantage of either the theatrical release or the home video release” trend is a strange one. But as long as they’re doing it, can we get one of the Roger Corman Fantastic Four film? Because that deserves four color immortality.

12 Responses to “Progressive Ruin presents…the End of Civilization.”

  • C. Elam says:

    I was hoping the Bat-villain sweet ride would be that very vehicle, and lo, it was so.

    That crotch cherub is going to go down as one of the most unsettling things I’ve seen this year.

    Not exactly the End of Civilization, but Marvel somehow managed to misspell the word “superior” in the solicitation for an issue of the Superior Spider-Man comic. I deem that “sad” rather than “cringe-worthy.”

  • Snark Shark says:

    “Star Wars Kenner Power Droid Jumbo Action Figure”

    isn’t he ADORABLE?

  • A.L. Baroza says:

    I would buy that Space Mick Jagger Meets the Ghostbusters comic.

  • Corey says:

    I have an irrational hatred for that guy they keep drawing into the IDW solicitations. I get the feeling I would hate him in real life and I can’t explain why.

  • Randy Jackson says:

    Strictly speaking, it should be “Twisker Action Punch”.

    Not that comics fans are the slightest bit pedantic at all…

    :D

  • Pal Cully says:

    Thank you for “Destroying a Jeep.”

  • IT says:

    That pointing Superman statue makes me think ‘haters to the left’.

    And the hero statues make me think they’re advertisements for new Microsoft Instant Messenger icons.

  • Andrew Leal says:

    Since I got a Jack Benny CD set for my birthday, I’m just thrilled that Mike pulled strings to have Lucky Strikes sponsor this post.

    I’m still waiting for my limited edition Frank Nelson replica.

  • David G says:

    LSMFT!

    I love those ads on Jack Benny.

  • G23 says:

    Totally thought those were Angry Birds pogs. Based on how much crap I’m seeing of the Angry Birds, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Angry Birds were testing the pog market again…

  • Tony Chavira says:

    Man, I love when you do these articles. Just reminds me of how much 80s bric-a-brac I still have in storage, and how unwilling I still am to admit that its worth giving/throwing away.