The Bergen Record

May The Farce Be With You

Friday, May 28, 1999

First, they made fun of those adorable Beanie Babies, with a line of Meanies bean bag dolls with names such as Splat the Road Kill Kat. Now, the guys who like to call themselves the "bad boys of toys" are tackling the galaxy's biggest merchandising empire with a line of toys called Farce Wars: The Fantom Meanies.

Meanies are the brainchildren of Allen LeWinter and are produced by Lance Kushner and Glenn Rudin, founders of The Idea Factory, a novelty company based in New York City. In the Meanie version of the Phantom Menace, bad guy Darth Maul become Dark Mole, armed with a double-ended shovel; Queen Amidala is Queen Armadillo, and Jedi master Yoda is Goata, a wise and wrinkled old goat.

The Fantom Meanies will sell for $8 and are due to arrive in toy and gift stores in July. Kushner and Rudin said they simply couldn't resist the power of the farce -- and the chance to cash in on the Star Wars craze.

Copyright © 1999 Bergen Record Corp.