Normally I don’t write too many news articles unless it’s something sent directly to me via a press release and falls in line with NN’s nostalgic fuzzies oath. However, being as how this one hit my hometown and involves two of horror’s biggest creepy iconic dolls, I just couldn’t pass up spreading the news that Las Vegas resident Zak Bagans just bought the original Poltergeist clown doll and one of the used Chucky dolls from the 1988 film to proudly set up in his Haunted Museum here in Sin City.
Am I surprised the guy who has Ed Gein’s cauldron and briefly the original Annabelle doll made these purchases? Not a bit. Do I think these dolls are haunted? Again, hell no. But I suppose it will bring a new crowd of curious folks over to the famed house of horrors with loyal fans to the franchise.
About a year and a half ago, myself and the better half visited the now famed museum along with a group of friends. Us being locals and all had to keep our horror cards valid with being able to say we walked though the 30-room mansion. At the time of our visit, Anabelle WAS there but not on display. However, that didn’t stop our tour guide from pulling back an ominous curtain as the group pressed on to another room exposing the Raggedy devil to a friend in the group. Of to which I was a little pissed that my anxiousness to get to the Bela Lugosi mirror backfired on me. Just a little tip for those that may visit in the future- WAIT FOR THE TOUR GUIDE TO LEAVE THE ROOM.
Anyways, Bagans purchased the Poltergeist prop nightmare at an auction for a whopping $80,000 and states to TMZ that for the time, the creep-tastic nightmare fuel will safely stay in his room for a test run and will end up in the museum at a date yet to be determined.
1982’s Poltergeist has long been rumored to be a film riddled with some sort of curse extending into the sequels that include a string of bad luck and many deaths surrounding the movies. While I myself think that much of those occurrences are mere coincidences, one of the most questionable details coming from the original film was Robbie’s Superbowl poster hanging above his bed predicted the date of co-star Heather O’ Rourke fell fatally ill in 1988. The cursed rumor of course, was probably fuel for Bagans to obtain the little guy.
More recently also, the Ghost Adventures star managed to snag one of the Good Guy props from the original 1988 Child’s Play film; for $11,000. Not as much as clown boy above, but still a certainly good chuck of change. The movie prop as well has a TBD debut date at the Vegas attraction.
Credit:TMZ
For more information about the museum, check out the official website by clicking here!
One of the greatest aspects of growing up in the 80s’ was the weekend trip to Toys R Us to bask in all the very latest of trendy, plastic treasures. Taking bikes off the shelves and riding them around the store like a goddamn heathen. Grabbing your complimentary Geoffrey balloon while scoping out this week’s new Barbie doll. And most importantly, the heaven on earth video game aisles where you could sit for hours playing video game demos until your hands cramped up or a store associate threw your ass out.
Good times man. Good times.
Playcontrol Software
Now, we all know the tragic troubles our beloved childhood relic has succumbed to leaving us with only nostalgic memories, photos if your parents were the type to take pics of anything and everything, and then THIS. Oh yes. I stumbled on this NATIONAL TREASURE quite accidently of a glimpse inside a Toys R Us chain store uploaded by and features a then teenage Youtube user Kimock7; who by the way is rocking a very snazzy era fashion hat and radical on-point trendy clothing of the latter decade. Checking out the rest of his videos, no surprise here he is now in a Doors tribute band called Of Perception and that just validates that this guy knows the importance of tried and true nostalgic feelings. If you can’t tell, that something I damn appreciate.
I mean, it is 2020 after all. Fuzzy memories are always welcome!
The video is only over two-minutes long, and mind you this is wayyyyy before influencers were counting on supreme content for views. This was clearly done just for shits and giggles by the user and his buddy Brian as he refers to him enter the palace of plastic pleasures looking for “curious kids looking for curious toys”.
These days one might be arrested for something like that but hey, I’m gonna bypass that joke on the heels of what we see next.
The store in the video is shot and located in Vernin Hills, Illinois and isn’t hyperfocused on any toys in particular, except a few creepy dolls that I can’t seem to identify at the expense of a classic joke aimed at Brian ol’ boy. However, the fantastic Nintendo fiber-optics sign smack in the middle of Nintendo world with shots of Sega Genesis along the way is the way to my heart ladies and gentleman.
I’ll admit I would have loved to see some of the Ninja Turtle merchandise they mentioned in the video but I can’t even complain about anything going on here. These types of videos are so rare that the fact this even exists is quite enough for me! Check it out below and give this guy a subscribe who also is an Autism Awareness advocate. Great stuff all around and enjoy this internet gold nostalgic nuggets!
Ahh, Thanksgiving 1990. An Italian family gathering I remember quite well as the entire clan was not only unbuttoning our pants to make room for the 12-course-meal that awaited, but for the beerfest that was assuredly going to happen with the adults in conjunction with the highly-anticipated Survivor Series! And this PPV event brought on by the glorious WWF at the time would both mark the debut of one of the greatest Wrestling Superstars of all time, while also bringing about the company’s greatest blunder- the goddamn Gobbeldy Gooker.
Hey man, I’m just a Gooker trying to make a living!
Well, anyways the WWF promoted this “Big Surprise” they had in store for us that would be revealed at the Thanksgiving Survivor Series via promos and displaying this oversized egg at live events leading up to the big day. So of course, we were all riddled with anxiety, placing bets on what exactly was inside this damn thing.
I’ll never forget the reaction from my family when the moment finally came where Mean Gene debuted this monstrosity. It may as well had been an episode of The Steve Wilkos Show in the Butrico house.
That weird anger, although I certainly understand it, I feel was misplaced. It certainly wasn’t the Thanksgiving surprise anyone expected; or even wanted for that matter. However, over the years Vince McMahon had said this was something more for the kids and not the adults. It seems to me while ol’ Vince might be savvy to what we wanted to see in regards to Wrestling, it’s pretty clear he was kind of out of touch with what us kiddos wanted. I mean, I wasn’t really impressed. I was eight-years-old and more confused than anything. That thing with its protruding golf ball eyes was umm…. a little terrifying actually.
JUST LISTEN TO THOSE BOOS! Looking back as an adult, I feel really bad for this poor guy (later identified as Hector Guerrero) as the blame really falls on Vince and the higher-ups for this debacle. It’s quite clear the trio of Okerlund along with Piper and Monsoon announcing tried to make the best of this now awkward situation. It was and still is, so damn amazingly cringe-worthy.
While most of us know by now that Hector Guerrero of the infamous Guerrero wrestling dynasty donned the outfit, it was acknowledged pretty recently that The Undertaker himself was scared to death thinking that HIS debut was going to be not as the iconic dead man, but this awful gimmick instead as he described in Steve Austin: The Broken Skull Sessions:
“So about the time I got my phone call, they were doing this promotion where, on the show — back then they’d do three or four weeks in a row — they had this gigantic egg on the set. So this egg appears on the show, right? And all of a sudden my mind just starts going like, ‘Aw, man, they’re going to bring me in — now this is how outlandish the gimmicks were back then too — I’m going to be ‘Egg Man.’ I had convinced myself, to the point where my stomach hurt, that I’m going to be ‘Egg Man.'”
I mean, that would have fucking sucked for Mean Mark Calaway.
Instead, Guerrero pulled on the Turkey get-up and according to an interview with Sports Illustrated, he has little regrets about it and seems to have embraced the big Razzie Award of the WWF. He also recalls just how awful and visually limiting that costume really was- I mean, looking at it are we really surprised by that?
“The Gobbledy Gooker is called the biggest flop in professional wrestling history, but it wasn’t meant for the adults. It was for the children. Vince wanted to do something noble, which I take my hat off to and respect. But the circumstances were not favorable. I couldn’t see. The eyes were outside and they were bubbled out—it was almost like they drilled holes through golf balls.“
“I had to get in the egg early before the show. There was a box under the egg, and I had a fan down there to keep me cool. I had a light, I had a monitor, and that’s where I was. As soon as I came out, you heard the boos—the real bad ones, and a lot of them. Gene Okerlund went through our routine, and he worked really hard, even going in the ring with me. I was flawless and didn’t miss a cue, but the stares and looks from the crowd made me feel like the biggest flop in the history of wrestling. That’s just the way the people reacted. I was in a bad situation, and you don’t blame the boss. You blame the performer.“
“We went to Madison Square Garden two months after the Survivor Series flop. We shouldn’t have showcased the Gobbledy Gooker at Madison Square Garden. I came out cold turkey, and they told me they’d spotlight me when I walked out. The building went black and they shone the lights on me, and all I could see was white. I couldn’t see down, up, left, or right. I tried to feel my way to the ring. I handspringed into the top rope, but I couldn’t see the floor. I landed on my bottom, and then they finally turned the lights on and I went through my routine—cartwheels, high-fives, a little jiggle-jiggle-jaggle, and dances with the kids. I get back into the dressing room, and they were giving me the dirtiest faces. Vince wouldn’t even look at me and then he walked away. I started to undress, and Gorilla Monsoon walked in and said, ‘We finally figured it out. You couldn’t see, right?’ You think? Everything was wrong. They wanted to put me in a spot, but I was blind and couldn’t see.“
Hector Guerrero
So now that we know all that, do we really have to continue this undefined hatred for the Gooker? I think enough time has passed where we can learn to embrace the whacky Thanksgiving mascot and I for one would love to see the gimmick one more time for Turkey Day via the WWE.
So, let’s partner up with The Bushwackers, Tugboat, and others to show some love for the Gookster this holiday season!
