My exposure
to the various TV series created by Sid & Marty Krofft has been pretty
minimal. I don’t recall any of their series being on TV at an age where I would
have noticed. H.R. Pufnstuf is
probably the most famous in Australia, and had some kind of VHS re-release
around the time I hit high school, but I’d aged out of the target audience by
then.
I’m sure
the shows were quite charming in their day, and I can appreciate why some of my
older friends have fond nostalgic memories of them. But it all kind of falls a
bit flat with me. So with that out the way, you’re no doubt wondering why the
hell I bought a Sleestak at inflated convention exclusive prices?
A complex
question which has a simple answer – Reptilians. I’ve spoken on here numerous times about my
enjoyment of UFO literature, and this Sleestak is likely the closest thing
Funko will ever release to a Reptilian.
These
alleged creatures have probably most heavily popularised by David Icke, former professional soccer player and noted
conspiracy theorist. By his definition, reptilians are an offshoot of ancient
astronaut ideas; sinister shapeshifting creatures who make up most of the
globe’s elite (e.g. Presidents, Prime Ministers, pop culture figures),
exploiting the common folk for their own benefit. This alleged control has been
going on more or less since the dawn of civilisation. In the years since he
first introduced the idea in his writings, it’s infiltrated mainstream and
fringe pop culture alike; it’s a joke to many, but taken seriously by a
dedicated few*.
Of course,
Icke’s ideas weren’t without precedent. The most obvious inspiration is the TV
miniseries V, which featured
reptilians disguised as humans. But things extend back further; Theosophical
beliefs, Robert E. Howard’s fantasy stories, and reports of alien abduction
have all played their part in developing this cultural myth.
The Sleestak are really
just another piece in this puzzle. Originally
appearing as semi-villainous creatures on Sid and Marty Krofft’s The Land of the Lost, it’s not hard to
see how closely they resemble the reptilians of conspiracy theory. One must
also ask if Dale A. Russell had been drawing from their design when he
hypothesised the “Dinosauroid”
back in the early 80s, too. It’s a cool
design which, while dated, is still kind of unnerving thanks to those
horrifying blank eyes.
The sculpt
and paint are solid, making this a great piece for fans of Land of the Lost and the Kroffts in general. I’m not a fan of the
show, and bought it for much more niche reasons but I’m still very happy with
it**. I know I say this a lot -- but this really is one piece where your mileage really will vary according
to personal taste.
*I feel it would be helpful to note here that I
in no way believe or endorse Icke’s ideas. Reptilians make for entertaining
science fiction tropes, but the man himself has some dubious associations.
**Hopefully we get a glow version in the future
too!
Good reading
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