J. Jonah Jameson

A gruff exterior, a crunchy peanut center. J. Jonah Jameson is the editor of the Daily Bugle, and if attacking Spider-Man sells papers, then that's just what he's going to do. JJJ may seem a bit gruff, but he risked his life without hesitation to protect young Peter Parker from the Green Goblin's menace. As you sat in the theatre watching Spider-Man, you may have thought that J. Jonah Jameson looked familiar. If you never bothered to check the imdb to find out who he is, the answer is J.K. Simmons. Yes, J.K. Simmons, who plays Vernon Schillinger on HBO's Oz... aaaaand the yellow M&M. Evil Aryan hardass on one hand, comical candy-coated chocolate on the other. That's what actors like to call "range." In any case, this JJJ is part of the Spidey movie line, and fits in well. The figure's sculpt is on par with the rest of the line - and while it's easy to do exaggerated musculature or a suit of armor, an actual business suit is a bit more difficult to do well. ToyBiz has managed, however, so Jonah's looking pretty good; his slacks and vest all "fold" appropriately, and the pinstripes on his sleeves are all straight. RealScan technology means that the facial sculpt is dead on - that's surely Simmons' face behind the Hitler mustache and beneath the haircut you can set your watch by. He's pointing with his right hand, and his left is clenched into a fist, which can give you some Saturday Night Fever flashbacks, if you're of that age. Since the '60s, Spider-Man readers have wanted to know what the initial (first) J in J. Jonah Jameson's name stood for; officially, it doesn't stand for anything. That eponymous initial (letter) will join the ranks of Harry Truman's "S" and, uh... Jesus Christ's "H" in the world of phantom initials. Or perhaps it's more Homer Simpson-style, and his name is actually Jay Jonah Jameson. The world may never know. Jonah's articulated enough to look good standing or sitting in the included desk chair. Sit him down and roll him up to his desk to utilize his action feature; press the lever jutting from his spine and his arms flail, pounding against his desk. The errata on his desktop (phone, tape dispenser, coffee mug, cup full of pencils, bottle and inbox) all rattle and jump as he takes his frustration out on this innocent piece of furniture. While the lever is actually quite blatant, it was designed to be accessible when the figure is seated in his chair; it fits between and moves freely within the slats. JJ's articulated at the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips and knees. He's also got a balljointed neck, which allows for a more natural range of motion. This is only the second figure of J. Jonah Jameson ever produced, with good reason; a newspaper editor isn't normally the first toy kids would ask for. However, for fans of the movie (or the comic), this is a welcome addition. -30- -- 06/21/02

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