Here’s a trivia question with which you can stump just about anybody but the most avid Spawn:
Q: What does a federal court in Madison, have in common with Paul’s Valley, Okla.?
A: Spawn action figures.
On Oct. 3, 2002, in Judge John Shabaz’s federal court in Madison, a jury awarded a victory to writer Neil Gaiman in his court battle with toy and comic magnate Todd McFarlane. Gaiman maintained a copyright interest in Medieval Spawn, Cagliostro and Angela, the three characters he created in his script for “Spawn #9,” produced by McFarlane. The trial received a great deal of interest among those in the toy industry and Spawn fans.
Spawn is one of the longest-running independent comics of all time. Spawn is Al Simmons, once the “U.S. government's greatest soldier and most effective assassin.” According to SPAWN.com, he “was mercilessly executed by his own men. Resurrected from the ashes of his own grave in a flawed agreement with the powers of darkness, Simmons is reborn as a creature from the depths of Hell. A Hellspawn.”
From the comics, videos, toys and action figures, and other products have been spun off.
But, “where does Paul’s Valley come into the picture?” -- you ask. There, you will find Spawn action figures and many others at the Toy and Action Figure Museum.
You won’t find any legal battles or mention of the 2002 case in Madison. You will see characters created by Gaiman and McFarlane, along with hundreds of others, ranging from action figure prototypes to the final products.
The mission of the museum is “to educate and excite visitors with a comprehensive collection of classic ‘pop culture’ toys, with an emphasis on the social and historic evolution of the action figure and to serve as a catalyst for the economic revitalization of historic downtown Paul’s Valley. It is the goal of the museum to pay tribute to the designers, sculptors, and toy companies that have turned action figures from a child's play thing to a work of art.”
The museum got its start in 2000 during a city-wide process called VISION 2010. In a series of meetings, local citizens identified goals they would like the community to reach in the next 10 years.
With the help of local artist, toy designer and collector Kevin Stark, a board was formed to start working on the world's first Toy & Action Figure Museum.
Stark was at the museum the day my wife and I toured and shared his enthusiasm for the project. “We want to show that the making of these action figures is an art,” Stark said. “We also want to have fun, and appeal to the kid who is in all of us.”
With a gleam in his eye, Stark, who has designed the action figure toys for a number of big hit movies, said his work also allows him to remain a kid, although, “My wife says I’m adult and responsible when I need to be.”
Stark has designed action figures for more than 15 years and has a personal collection of more than 7,000 figures, most of whom now dwell in the museum. He has worked on figures designs for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (original line), Stretch Armstrong, Toxic Crusaders, Toonsylvania, Universal Studio’s The Mummy, The Simpsons, and “tons of others for companies in Italy, France, Hong Kong, etc. (including McFarlane)”
Oklahoma turns out to be somewhat of a hot bed for action figures. In addition to Stark, right up Highway 35 in Purcell is Kyle Windrix, a sculptor who designed figures for the characters in Lord of the Rings and other movies.
The museum has several interactive displays so that children can enjoy a "hands on" experience with the exhibits.
From concept through manufacturing, the museum has exhibits on the creation of action figures. Visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at how toys are made.
The Action Figure Hall of Fame also is housed in the museum. Each year a select few toy lines that have made their marks in the world are inducted into the hall of fame
The museum is also the home of the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection, put together by writer Michael Vance from Tulsa. This exhibit features published artists and writers in the comics field from Oklahoma. It features such well-known creators as Chester Gould of Dick Tracy fame, as well as Jack and Carole Bender, who currently work on Alley Oop.
If you have an opportunity to be in Oklahoma, a trip to the museum is very worthwhile. It’s located at 111 S. Chickasaw St., Pauls Valley, OK 73075. You also can become a member of the museum. Details can be found at actionfiguremuseum.com.
During the tour of the museum, you get some idea of how large of an industry toys and action figures have become. But, this museum is mostly about the fun side of toys and action figures. That side also was not lost on Gaiman and McFarlane in 2002.
ICv2News reported this scene at the close of the trial: “The trial ended with a bizarre, almost surreal scene of camaraderie between the two adversaries, who both comported themselves with great civility and showed considerable mutual respect, at least in a creative sense, throughout the entire proceedings.
“After Judge Shabaz dismissed the jury and adjourned the court, McFarlane caught up with Gaiman outside the courtroom. With one of the Spawn comics that had been used as an exhibit in the trial in his hand he asked Gaiman to sign it for a young boy who was in the courtroom with one of McFarlane's attorneys. McFarlane signed the comic and handed it to Gaiman saying, ‘I saved you the sweet spot.’
“Gaiman signed and posed for a picture with McFarlane and the boy, providing a fitting coda to a case about a medium that is, after all, about entertainment and fun.”
