Accoutrements, a Seattle-based gift manufacturer, is scoring a major success in some quarters with a five-inch Jesus Action Figure that retails for about $7.00. Unlike the Buddy Christ dashboard figure from Graphitti Designs that came directly from the skewed universe of Kevin Smith, the Jesus Action Figure has no cinematic origins or literary antecedents other than the New Testament.
The Jesus Action Figure is not an item for all stores, and though some Bible belt retailers may see the articulated Jesus as a healthy alternative to, say, a Stone Cold Steve Austin figure, the marketing of the Jesus figure in trendy boutiques such as Urban Outfitters literally drips with Letterman-esque irony. Some may be offended that the Man from Galilee has become an accessory for the ultra-hip, but others may well be able to profit from it. Don't look for the Jesus Action Figure in distributor catalogs since Accoutrements sells directly to retailers through a network of representatives.
