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“Hooray for Occupy Wall Street,” says Jello Biafra in the opening of the promo for his new Aggronautix Throbblehead doll. It’s good to know that the punk rocker/ activist/ politician/ spoken word artist/ ad infinitum rabble rouser is still at it. His enshrinement as a Throbblehead (just in time for Christmas) is a welcome addition to the collection, which now numbers an even dozen. Although it was not clear in 2009, when Aggronautix released their first punk rock bobble-head doll (of GG Allin), the honor has become something akin to a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For hardcore punks of a certain age, being chosen for Throbblehead status is a rite of passage.
Besides the late Allin, previous artists to be so honored include Wendy O. Williams, The Dwarves, Tesco Vee, Roky Erickson and others. Besides the obvious cool factor of having a bobble-head of punks like these, the care that the Aggronautix company have taken in producing the series is a huge plus. The Biafra doll stands seven inches tall, microphone in hand, and wearing an Alternative Tentacles t-shirt. It is the classic Jello stance of the 1980s, and at any moment you expect to hear him shouting out anti-Reagan, censorship, or Rambo rants.
Aggronautix have changed their usual packaging for the Jello Biafra Throbblehead. Rather than the previous tri-windowed box, the doll comes in an oversized cardboard box, and is snugly encased in molded Styrofoam. There is certainly no fear of this being damaged in shipping, although I personally prefer the windowed box for display purposes. That minor quibble aside however, this is a great addition to the collection. The Jello Biafra Throbblehead was produced as a limited edition of 1,000. If history is any indicator, they will sell out quickly. I have seen various Throbbleheads at local record stores, but they are also available directly from the the Aggronautix site.
