TZ Spotlight: Kanamit bobblehead (Bif Bang Pow!)

Regular readers of this blog are already aware of my affinity for The Kanamit, the alien ambassador from season 3's "To Serve Man," which first aired 3/02/1962. He's tall, he's enigmatic, and he's... really hungry. Bif Bang Pow!, already responsible for three stellar Twilight Zone bobbleheads (The Mystic Seer, The Invader, and talking Talky Tina) are back with their rendition of this iconic character. How did they do? Let's have a look...

Well, he's just about perfect. It's all here: The bulbous forehead, the deceptively docile expression, that mysterious (and, as it turns out, plot-twisting) book.... and then there's the base, which represents the Harryhausenesque flying saucer seen in the episode! With any bobblehead, you're not necessarily looking for accuracy (in terms of proportions or actor likeness). The character should be recognizable, and the sculpt should possess both charm and whimsy. On these fronts, Bif Bang Pow!'s Kanamit succeeds brilliantly.

The Twilight Zone logo sits at the front of the saucer base. It's not that obvious in the above picture, but the logo appears to be springing forth from the base in 3D. A nice touch. The white paint is a bit sloppy, but nothing some black paint and a tiny brush can't fix in about thirty seconds. At this price point, it's a VERY minor quibble. The rest of the paint --- particularly on the face --- looks good.

Hello, my pretty. You look good enough to eat...!

The Bif Bang Pow! logo can be found on the underside of the base, along with the requisite copyright information. Oh and look, he's Made In China. A Chinese food joke seems appropriate, given the culinary aspect of the episode in question, but I'll hold my tongue.


At 12.5 ounces, The Kanamit ties with The Mystic Seer as the lightest of the first 5 bobbleheads, but that doesn't make him (it?) a lightweight. A well-aimed throw would almost certainly result in a big bruise.

Attention to detail? It's here in spades. Check out the alien language on the book:

..and compare it with shot of the original prop. Or it could be replica, I dunno. With Google Images, you take your chances. Anyway --- we've got a match!

The verdict? Bif Bang Pow! is four for four. Their Kanamit bobblehead is an absolute knockout. They're kinda like the Pixar of the Twilight Zone merchandise realm.... they can do no wrong.

As much as I love the TZ bobbleheads, I view them as something of a precursor to my true Twilight Zone heart's desire: action figures. As previously reported, Bif Bang Pow! is answering my prayers with several action figures, soon to be released, including my beloved Kanamit:

Wow, talk about accuracy. Here's the real (well, you know what I mean) Kanamit:




Next: It turns out Tribbles aren't William Shatner's only furry nemesis. Before he ever stormed the galaxy as Captain Kirk, he ran into a rather ugly character on a fateful airplane flight. That character, commonly referred as The Gremlin, has arrived in bobblehead form. How did the little furball turn out? Stay tuned.