Gary Panter's Jimbo Vinyl!

OY! This here's an official press release from Dark Horse, but I had to throw a lil starry-asterisk in it 'cuz they said the only word we don't say here to The Rundown (cuz we do comics and prolly get a few kids checking it out from time to time). Well, we don't say cu*t either - you know, 'cuz of the Charles Manson bit and those cats with the Nikes that rode off on that comet and shit...

One of the most iconic and bizarre characters of the modern era is about to make his first appearance as an authorized vinyl figure. He is none other than Jimbo—quasi-heroic denizen of Dal Tokyo, Gary Panter’s hypothetic Martian
space colony.

Since his explosive appearance on the Los Angeles punk scene in the early 1970s and his strong work in venues like Art Spiegelman’s RAW Magazine, Jimbo has inspired, puzzled, enraged, and captivated artists and graphic story readers worldwide.

Apart from Jimbo, Panter’s designs and graphics have graced venues as diverse as Time, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker, as well as a smorgasbord of more esoteric venues. His design work for Pee Wee’s Playhouse garnered him two Emmys, and longtime pal Matt Groening himself is happy to admit the similarity between Jimbo’s spiky hairline and that of Bart Simpson. He is a recipient of the Chrysler Design award.

“I am a longtime fan of Gary’s,” Dark Horse President Mike Richardson recalls, “and to have him trust us with making the first Jimbo figure is a real big deal for me!”

The figure, sculpted for Dark Horse by Yoe! Studio, was designed from Panter’s control art and personally checked over and approved by Panter as it progressed. Measuring 9.5" tall, and featuring a fabric costume of tartan loincloth (anatomically correct beneath) and tattered t-shirt, this unusual vinyl item is a limited edition release. Only 750 copies are slated to be produced for worldwide distribution, with a special signed and numbered edition of only 75 copies, featuring special packaging and other extras, planned for simultaneous release.

Asked to comment on the project, Gary Panter remarked, “When I draw my comics, I see them in my mind a few different ways; as the black and white drawing I’m trying to pin down and capture; as a big budget action movie; and, more importantly as toys in a sandbox or floor set up. Sometimes I dream about toy versions of my characters and it’s a drag when I wake up and have to leave them in Dreamland. Here, at last, is a dreamy, neanderthal-punker, toy Jimbo, that won’t fade from view when the sun rises. It has been a pleasure working on it with all the nice folks at Dark Horse. Punk’s not dead.”

Craig Yoe added, “I’ve tried to live my life, with at least a little punk-rock attitude each day. It was a thrill, then, when YOE! Studio got the assignment to sculpt the ultimate punk rock character, Jimbo, who was created by the Gary Panter who originated punk f*cking art!” [Ed.]

The Jimbo vinyl figure comes packaged in a full-color two-sided window box, decorated with new, wildly colored art by Panter, created for the project. A 32-page book, including Jimbo strips, concept art, work-in-progress photos and revisions and other behind-the-scenes material is included as a part of the package. At a suggested retail price of $49.99, the Jimbo vinyl figure will be released in December, 2007.