Let’s play a game: How many pounds does a 5-foot tall Stan Lee bobblehead weigh? Here’s exhibit A, from Royal Bobbles:
The answer is about 50 pounds! (Not counting the Little Stan Lee Plush hiding in there. That would add an extra 0.5 pounds.)
Have you ever seen a life size Stan Lee bobble in person? Unless you were at New York Toy Fair earlier this year, we are going to assume you haven’t, because that’s the only place this masterpiece has shown up. (And to answer another question that’s bound to come up, no the 5-foot Stan bobble is not the biggest figure made by Royal Bobbles – they crafted the Guinness Record holder for World’s Largest Bobblehead back in 2016, which was over 15 feet tall!) BUT, Stan’s legacy and cultural stature is certainly gigantic, so as you can imagine, creating a bobblehead for such a huge icon, both the 5-foot version and the regular size collector’s item, presented both a joy and challenge.
“Stan Lee is such a creative icon, we wanted to be sure to capture as much of the ingenuity, humor and imagination in his bobblehead as he was known for in his own work,” Rachael Royal, Art Director and Lead Artist for Bobbleheads.com and Royal Bobbles, told us. As admirable task, for sure, but how does a designer go about doing that and make it unique?! As you can imagine, that was one of the hardest parts, and it comes down to getting creative with the project – just as Stan would have done with any story or character that crossed his desk.
Aside from the classic Spidey stance and phenomenally sculpted head and body featuring Stan’s trademark green sweater and khaki pants, the bobble’s base is a whirlpool full of Easter eggs that pay homage to Stan’s stories and legacy in an inventive way. As Royal explains: “The shape of the base represents the imagination, the constant motion and energy of the creative mind. In the middle of the chaos of design and imagination is Stan Lee, stable and strong popping out of this storm, a leader, and a creative icon.” (Yup, that was Stan!) Her favorite part of the base? The fist, because it “represents the spirit of the underdog, the unexpected hero — which was always my favorite part of Stan Lee’s work,” she said. It’s one of our favorites, too!
Given that Stan is such a recognizable figure, the Royal Bobbles team knew he 100% had to be given the star treatment in the form of a gigantic bobble, especially for travel to conventions and shows across the US – after all, Stan was a staple at conventions for decades, and fans loved posing for pictures with him and pointing him out as he briskly passed by.
And guess what? Fans responded in a similar way to the bobble! Royal found the collective reaction of fans from New York Toy Fair who stopped by to admire the bobble incredible to watch. “Everyone had to copy the stance, they had to have their picture taken imitating Stan Lee, and with the biggest smiles on their faces,” she said. “But also, everyone who came up, they had an air of respect – you could see on so many faces how much Stan Lee meant to so many people.” That respect was paramount to the team as they aimed to create a figure that not only captured Stan’s imaginative spirit and vibrance but also brought fans immense joy, just like Stan did.
Having the bobble perched upon my desk is just like seeing Stan’s approving nod as I go about my work, and it brings a smile to my face. To pick up your own Stan Lee bobblehead, click HERE.