Billy
the Kid does not belong on a list of
"6 Faces of Madness"!
As
webmaster for the BTKOG website I feel a responsibility to stay current on any
Billy the Kid related developments. I could not believe my eyes when I found
that a toy manufacture was coming out with a Billy
the Kid action figure in a "6 Faces of Madness" line
of toys. The list includes; JACK
THE RIPPER , VLAD
THE IMPALER , ELIZABETH
BATHORY , RASPUTIN
, BILLY
THE KID , and ATTILA
THE HUN .
Some of these folks
I've never heard of but to see Billy the Kid on such a list with Jack the
Ripper, Attila the Hun, etc. makes me disappointed with Spawn.com.
I guess the world really needs this new line of faces of madness
"TOYS" ! Anything to make a buck. I guess this is just business but we
don't have like it and their misrepresentation of Billy the Kid. Anyone who has
at least read anything current about Billy the Kid knows how the legend of Billy
is one thing and the real "Kid's" story is another. This is not the case with Jack
the Ripper, Attila the Hun, etc. I'm not sure if there is anything the BTKOG
should do about this, any ideas let us know and let Spawn.com know as well if
you wish to, on their comment
page. On the "Send to"pull down menu choose "McFarlane
Toys" . 
There is another Billy the Kid Toy out there that is part of a Six Gun Legends series that folks might prefer to have if they wanted a BTK toy.
"6 Faces of Madness"!
an open letter to Todd McFarlane
UPDATED JUNE 2, 2004
Contact
made with McFarlane Toys,
Lets give them a chance to explain their
actions. They have gotten our e-mails ! We have their attention and I don't
think we need to send anymore e-mails, at least for the time being. I will
certainly immediately post their response to us on this page.
UPDATED JUNE 4, 2004
McFarlane Toys Responds.
Fri 06/04/04 10:16 AM
Joe,
Your point of view is valid and, to be honest, at some point it is very likely that we will produce a more "true to life" Billy the Kid action
figure. With that said however, Billy was included in this line because of his legend, which, contrary to the facts, is viewed by many different
people many different ways. The thought behind this figure was not one of complete historical
accuracy, but more along the lines of...
...what if Billy had survived Pat Garrett's attempt on his life. What if he lived for many more years, outside the law? The possibilities are
endless when you consider what could have been and that's exactly what we did. We
decided to build on the legend and make him even more of a mythological figure (like the rest of the characters in the line-up). Were we aware
that some would find our interpretation to be "incorrect?" Yes, but we are in the
business of fantasy and storytelling, so from time to time we choose to use a little creative license.
Our Billy the Kid figure should not be seen as an attack on "the Kid" as a person, but more as a re-telling of a legend (after all, most people
agree that he did not survive his final encounter with Garrett). We are taking him
into his later years and the fact remains that there are both people who view him as a heroic legend and those who think of him as symbol of the
"Wild West's" bad old days. Either way, the figure should not detract from what each person believes.
I would suggest viewing the figure on its own merit and not in the context of the entire line. Whether or not he is actually a "Face of Madness" is
purely in the eye of the beholder.
JON GOFF
MCFARLANE TOYS
www.spawn.com