Monday, December 5, 2011

Spotlight: Willie & Jerry bobblehead (Bif Bang Pow!)



The second of three new TZ bobbleheads tweaks the format a bit: we get not one bobbling head, but two!


Willie & Jerry (the dummy and his ventriloquist, respectively) are from season three's "The Dummy." Jerry is played by veteran TV and film actor Cliff Robertson (who recently passed away), and Willie is played by... well, a block of wood. The patented Twilight Zone twist in this particular episode involves Willie gaining psychological --- and eventually physical --- control over Jerry, ultimately switching places with him. Bif Bang Pow! captures this metaphysical switcheroo brilliantly.



In the Willie & Jerry bobblehead, Willie is the master over Jerry. However, Willie is still clearly a wooden puppet, and Jerry is a miniaturized human. The episode found Jerry actually becoming a wooden dummy (and Willie becoming a man), but the choice to toy with the outcome (har har) here is an inspired one, as it adds another layer of TZesque weirdness. The fact that BOTH heads bobble elevates the piece even further.

Left view.

Right view (with spooky shadow).

As with several other TZ bobbleheads, the Twilight Zone logo is prominently featured out in front of the piece's base. The Bif Bang Pow! logo, and the usual copyright lingo, is printed on the underside of the base.



Willie & Jerry weighs in at 15.5 ounces, which places it in the middle of the pack (The Gremlin still rules the roost at almost 2 pounds!). It's heavy enough to break a window, though, so don't go tossing it around.


Willie (in his pre-transformative dummy state) was immortalized in action figure form last year, but he's much more menacing here, and not just because he has his hand stuffed inside Jerry's unfortunate back. He just looks.... y'now, evil.


What's left to say? Bif Bang Pow! continues its perfect Twilight Zone bobblehead record with Willie & Jerry, and you'd have to be a dummy not to add this one to your collection. Yes, I really did just type that.




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