John Carpenter, like so many of us alive back then, was a big pro-wrestling fan in the ’80s. Invited to WrestleMania III to see the first of many Rowdy Roddy Piper retirement matches, he got to talking with the rowdy Scot about future plans beyond wrestling. Piper took him up on the concept, and They Live kicked off a whole new career for Piper as the hero of horror flicks and other B-movies. We may all have our favorites, like Hell Comes to Frogtown, but nobody can doubt that Piper’s biggest impact as an actor came in Carpenter’s social-commentary sci-fi flick They Live.
Live, Forever
Now Mondo‘s 1:6 scale figure of Piper’s protagonist, John Nada, is up for preorder, with this timed version available through Sept. 9 at at 11:59 a.m. CT time. Future offerings will have fewer accessories, though Mondo isn’t being super-specific about which ones. Based on their comments, it seems others will not include the movie poster sunglasses with alien reflection or the alternate universe head, which depicts Nada as an alien, a twist that was definitely not in the movie.
NECA has yet to make a 7-inch Nada, so this one is the fanciest to date, with multiple hands, guns, and even a pack of bubblegum so he’s never all out. Maybe that’s not what you want, though. If the goal is to have him kick ass, hide that gum.
An action figure of Sam Hell from Hell Comes to Frogtown seems unlikely, so pay for the Piper now. He costs $250, with payment plans available. Could Kurt Russell have played this role? Possibly, but Carter’s wrestling fandom shot Piper to the top. As the aliens’ messages tell us, we need to obey that choice.
Check out more official images below:
