Stephen King is part of an elite group of authors whose works have produced as much merchandise and other ephemera as they have actual books (books for adults, anyway; children’s book authors are a whole other story). J.K. Rowling. George R.R. Martin. J.R.R. Tolkien. Stephen King.
For every book, there’s at least one — if not hundreds of — other items to capitalize on fans’ obsessions. Here’s a list of some of the oddest or rarest Stephen King ephemera that’s out there.
Stephen King Simpsons figurine
Stephen King made a memorable appearance on “The Simpsons” (as did Amy Tan and John Updike) on the season 12 episode “Insane Clown Poppy.” So much so that when the show was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014, a series of action figures of memorable guest stars on the show were released — including one of King himself. The action figures are still readily available to purchase in lots of places.
“Creepshow” action figure
There are, of course, lots of other King-themed toys and action figures, including a plethora of items produced around the release of 2017’s “IT.” But some of the older, rarer items include this action figure from the “Father’s Day” tale in anthology movie “Creepshow,” complete with ridiculous severed-head cake. We wish there were action figures made of characters from the whole movie, so your inner child can have gruesome, bloodthirsty fun re-enacting each story.
“Bag of Bones” magnetic poetry
A promotional item produced when King’s 1998 book “Bag of Bones” came out, this magnetic poetry set features the first page of the novel, which includes several fun references to both Bangor and Derry — they are different places, after all. There aren’t too many of them floating around the internet, but Gerald Winters in Bangor has at least one that he can sell you.
Snow globes of “The Shining” and “Under the Dome”
Storms factor into a number of King’s works, such as the film and TV adaptations of “The Shining” and “Under the Dome.” It’s the winter weather that finally drives Jack Torrance crazy in the former, and it’s the “purple stars falling” in the latter that lead the main characters to figuring out why there’s dome around the town. A snow globe themed to both stories is certainly an appropriate piece of memorabilia. The “Shining” globe features the Overlook Hotel in the midst of a snowstorm; the “Dome” one features the barn that the “egg” is stored in, as well as the half-cow seen in the series.
Firestarter matches
There exist only a small handful of these matches, made specifically for attendees of the Australian premiere of “Firestarter” way back in 1984. Gerald Winters has several available for sale, and he makes a good point that these days, handing out matches in a packed movie theater is something that is pretty unlikely to happen.
Other assorted goodies
There’s lots more stuff out there that’s available — some easily findable on eBay, others extremely rare. Stuff like the “ Graveyard Shift,” Halloween treat bag, tied to the movie’s 1991 release; temporary tattoos for the release of the “ Road Rage” graphic novel; tennis balls to promote King’s 2008 novel “Duma Key.” Dig long enough, you’ll find something made for just about every book or movie that’s out there.
Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.
