I’ll freely admit that I was wracking my brain to come up with another Figure Friday column that fit with the overarching theme of this year’s Biff Bam Pop 31 Days of Horror topic, The Devil Made Then Do It.
But part of the fun of being put in a box is finding your way out of it. I assume, as I am speaking figuratively, I’d have to ask my cats as they are the box authorities in my household. For what it’s worth, they seem to enjoy them.
Josh had left no stone unturned with his first entry into deviltry and I felt my last column was grasping at smoke and brimstone trying to link toys back to the great horned one. What was left for me to do?
Luckily for me, Satan heard my prayers before I had to draw the blood pentagram and I was reminded of the most sinister devil of them all…
It IS always the one you lease suspect!
The Simpsons ULTIMATES! Devil Flanders Figure
Doubly lucky for me Super7 managed to produce the definitive Devil Flanders figure as part of their The Simpsons ULTIMATES! line of figures. While they had the license they certainly made some…inspired choices for what figures they produced and I am NOT complaining. I mean, I got both a Poochie AND a Moe that sit proudly on a shelf in my office.
Hailing from the golden age of The Simpsons, Devil Flanders made his first appearance in “Treehouse of Horror IV” thirty-one years ago and every single segment of this episode was an absolute banger. Aside from Devil Flanders you’ve got a rock solid Twilight Zone parody (not to mention the solid Night Gallery framing device for the episode) and the Mr. Burns-as-Dracula segment.
If I had more space for a tangent here I’d try and calculate which one of the “Treehouse of Horror” specials is the best one. I think there’s a case that can be made for this episode being near the top of the list. I’ve been working my way though the Halloween episodes of The Simpsons thanks to the modern miracle of streaming but what I wouldn’t give for a DVD boxset of, say, the first fifteen of them.
While I’m riffing, my thoughts are drawn back to a Halloween party I went to in 1998. I dressed as an early Star Trek: Deep Space Nine era officer in Medical/Science blue. I held the rank of lieutenant, which I think says a lot about me since everyone else seems to make themselves a captain or an admiral. What can I say? I never was after my own command.
My friend who was hosting the party had gone to great lengths to record the “Treehouse of Horror” reruns in order off the local UPN affiliate in the days leading up to the party. What I wouldn’t give to have a copy of that tape.
…well, Devil Flanders didn’t appear to offer me a VHS tape in exchange for my immortal soul so I guess I’ll have to settle for this figure. Check out all the stuff it comes with!
- 3 Interchangeable heads
- Neutral head
- Angry head
- Smiling head
- 6 Interchangeable hands
- Pair of open palm hands
- Pointing hand
- Pen gripping hand
- Pitchfork gripping hand
- Contract gripping hand
- Hot pen
- Contract
- Pitchfork
The Simpsons ULTIMATES! line may not have lasted too long but it burned as hot as the pen in Devil Flanders hand while it did last and for that, I’m grateful. Happy Halloween and Hail Satan.
