WickedCoolBlog

Obama Bobblehead - Setting the Record Straight

Everyone wants an Obama Bobblehead!  Well, maybe not everyone, but right after the election was finalized we started getting slammed with orders… only to run out by 10am Wednesday.   We tried to restock but Funko, the manufacturer, was sold out too.  There was only one thing to do… create a new PRESIDENT Obama version!

This is the third version of the Barack Obama Bobblehead… and we’ve been fielding calls and emails from people confused over what’s what – so please allow me to explain...

 Earlier this year we started taking Pre-Orders for a Senator Barack Obama Talking Bobblehead.  At first all we had was the pre-production illustration (see left) – showing him with a red tie and "Obama 08" on the base.   When we did get the actual product it turns out he had a blue tie and "Obama" on the base (see right).  Not a big deal really.  Only one person of hundreds complained.  The Talking Obama Bobblehead sold consistently all summer and fall… we sold our last one in mid October.  

There was still demand and 2 more weeks to the election, so next came the non-talking Barack Obama Bobblehead.  The same design, same color tie (blue) etc… just quieter.   That was in stock through 10am the day after the election – when they blew out.

 

Coming late December, or early January will be the PRESIDENT Obama Bobblehead.  Again it’s the same sculpt, and doesn’t talk. 

There are a few changes – the tie is red, the base reads “President Obama” and the box will also feature the Presidential Seal.  We started taking pre-orders for this one on November 5^th.   We won’t have them for Christmas gifts, but they will ship in time for pre- Inauguration delivery.

Any questions?

CHROME WARS!

As I previously wrote the Star Wars Bobblehead collection by Funko includes a Chrome Base chase figure in every case.   Over time we have collected several of these rare variants, and with the holidays approaching now seemed as good a time as any to Release the Chromes!

The bobbleheads themselves are great looking, but the chrome bases are spectacular.  If you haven't seen one, take a look at the Gamorrean Guard Wacky Wobbler:

We have a limited number of Star Wars chrome base chase wacky wobblers - typically we only have one per character... occasionally more.

So if you're missing a chrome for your collection, or want to really WOW a bobblehead collector or Star Wars fan this Christmas check out our ebay listings now through Christmas.

We currently have Chrome Obi Wan and Chrome Gamorrean Guard listed... more coming in the days and weeks ahead.

http://stores.ebay.com/Wicked-Cool-Stuff

Happy Holidays, and May The Force Be With You!

********
ADDED TO EBAY LISTINGS AFTER THIS POST:
********
11/7 - Holiday Special Boba Fett Chrome Base Bobblehead

VOTE!

It's not everyday you get to alter the course of history.

I'm Brett Dewey and I approve this message.

Looking for a few good heroes to save HEROES

Things have been looking bleaker this fall. The numbers are not what anyone expected, costs are way over budget... something had to be done.   No, I'm not talking about Wall Street or Washington DC - but the nbc superhero series HEROES.  

Entertainment Weekly is calling it a "Series In Crisis"

After getting off to a phenomenal start in the first season - the show floundered with a repetative plot in the writer's guild strike shortened second season.   Producers said they knew what to do and got everyone jazzed for season 3 subtitled "Villians"... but the ratings are lagging and episodes are going over their already huge $4million per episode...

So this weekend NBC took action and fired Heroes producers Jesse Alexander and Jeff Loeb.  Click HERE for the Variety report.

Loeb has received critical acclaim in both televison and comics for years and was widely seen as the best person to bring the superhero world of Heroes to the screen.  His comic work includes the popular Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman For All Seasons

Jesse Alexander had previously been an Executive Producer for LOST and Alias, and was expected to be able to manage the multi character, big budget series.

NBC exectives cited "frustration with the creative direction of the show."  No word yet on how firing the co-executive producers will affect the current season.

How Did the Cardboard Candidates Standup?

In the world of pop culture merchandise things change all the time.   But rarely can you pick the EXACT DAY an item will no longer be popular.   This is different.  All year we’ve been having great success selling our life-sized standups of the Presidential Candidates – but on Tuesday November 4^th we expect to see a sudden drop in sales for either Obama or McCain. 

Both the Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama standups have been incredibly popular all year – (and Hillary was too, for a while).   No one expected much from the Vice Presidential candidates, but we were all impressed with the sudden interest in having life-sized likenesses of a certain Alaska Governor to send to display at your office or send to a friend. (one gift message read “Dude!  Happy Birthday – from America's First MILF”)

Looking back on this nearly done fad, we asked some of our customers how they displayed their standups, and what kind of reaction they got.   The responses (and pictures) were great:

Darren Garnick of the Boston Herald used Barack and Hillary standups to conduct what he calls “A one-of-a-kind cardboard cutout political poll judging the strength of Hillary vs Obama before they were at each other's throats”

See his article HERE.

“My standup was really well-used.  I have a lot of photos with him.  At clubs, and at a BIG rally in Washington

DC at the Lincoln Memorial.  We had tons of people (supporters of Barack and non-supporters as well) taking photos with 'him'.

We had to duck tape him to a folding chair and stand him up like that to endure the abuse.”  Rachele Taramona, DiversityForAmerica.org

 

HERE you can see Barack, Hillary and McCain attending a PayU2Blog.com office foosball competition.   And Sarah Palin makes an appearance in THIS second goofball video from them.

 

 

 

We heard from several customers who used life-sized standups for convention appearances – as conversation starters and attention getters:

 

“We dressed Barack and Hillary in our Zombie Presidents t-shirts at Fangoria's Weekend Of Horrors (horror convention) and got a ton of attention.  Everybody was getting their pictures taken with them.  I’ve sent along a photo of two of the stars of  the original ‘Night of The Living Dead’ posing with Barack and Hillary.” – Mark Tavares, Humerus

“They have endless potential...  Customers can come to our booth, get their mock vote on, and talk to us about PeopleSoft and Workday consulting.  The cutouts have really helped add some color to an otherwise staid and starchy business.  People love them and it’s amazing how many people will see them and launch into their own political diatribe.  Fantastic rapport-builders.” Jeff Ventura MiPro Consulting

 “We used both of them at a booth we had at our tradeshow at our annual conference this past August to promote our political action committee… They were a big hit; everyone that came by our booth kept wanting them”  Teresa Brown, Florida Health Care Association

 

"They did great and were a real hit at our convention. Everyone wanted to take their picture with them..." Cyndi Miller Carroll Company

At WickedCoolStuff.com we’ve had a blast spreading democracy one cardboard candidate at a time.  And for those keeping score – Barack did outsell Hillary, but Obama and McCain were fairly even in sales.   And Sarah Palin simply blew poor Joe Biden out of the water.  (Sorry Joe!)

We know our other standups will continue to sell – for birthday parties, children’s room decorations, party décor, and to fans of Star Wars,  Disney Princesses, the Simpsons or our other movie and cartoon figures.   But one of the two presidential candidates will probably stop selling on Tuesday – just like the sad John Kerry standup from 2004.