The geekier side of Michael Jackson
Josh
Thursday
5:17 pm
Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest today, leaving behind a huge musical legacy and enough tabloid headlines to stretch to the moon and back. While all of that will be discussed elsewhere, I figured I’d start the ball rolling on the ripples he left on the nerd pond — the king of pop was always in touch with elements of the fantastic.
Before his death, Michael Jackson was planning the construction of a 50-foot robot replica of himself to patrol the streets of Las Vegas, giving out announcements on his upcoming concerts.
Japan, home to all creepy robots everywhere, created this robotic dancing Jackson clone.
Michael Jackson was a huge sci-fi fan, occasionally taking late-night trips to local bookstores to procure the latest stuff, as well as the classics.
He was the star of his own video game. In 1990, Sega released a series of “Moonwalker” games. These arcade version was similar to Double Dragon or any other beat-em-up, while the side-scrolling home version had players tossing Michael’s magic fedora at ne-er-do-wells.
Michael Jackson had his own ride. Captain EO, a 3D film which showed at Disneyland/Disney World, was a semi-interactive experience that starred Jackson as a captain of a ragtag band of alien spacefolk. Their mission, to bring a present to a creepy supervillainess, Of course, when the crew is captured, only the music can save them.
And don’t forget the action figures. Michael Jackson has had many likenesses produced in articulated form. From his Moonwalker persona to the iconic Thriller pose to Captain EO, he’s been done up in plastic more than half a dozen times.
What other marks did Michael Jackson leave on geekdom? Leave your thoughts below….
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Reader Comments
I loved that Moonwalker game! Michael Jackson was truly not of this world.
MJ was a legacy and an intricate part of my childhood friends’ music circle. Coming later will be my top 5 MJ songs.
I can’t say that MJ’s death made much of an impact on me. It has been a log, long time since his music had any place in my life. But that said, there WAS a time way back when. I will always remember the day music videos changed forever with the release of “Thriller.” Do I care for music videos? Well, no, to be honest. I was never one to watch MTV or pay any attention to such. But “Thriller” got everyone’s attention, even mine.
I never owned any of MJ’s music. My brother was a far bigger fan than I. But there were certain songs I was quite into and remember to this day. And I was certainly aware of the changes he made in the music scene. While my memories of MJ’s heyday are clouded with distance, still they are there. He was most definitely a part of my childhood and will be remembered as such.
I have no memory of the marks he left on geekdom–unless, of course, we include his contribution to 80s attire. After all, 80s wear counts as a geekdom all its own….
This is the only Michael Jackson doll that I vividly recall from the 80s:
http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jackson-Barbie-Superstar-American/dp/B001K207BO
Doh! Sorry. It’s not a “doll”: it’s an “action figure.” >;)
Damn skippy it is an action figure.
Or collectible. Either would be acceptable.
We feel that Michael Jackson has left us so early, with just his music and our memories. Our prayers go out to his family. I love you so much, and never got the chance to go to a concert. I honestly think you
Am I the only one who noticed that was NOT a robot but the actual Michael Jackson??