BlobFest 2026

Alert readers will recall that about two years ago, while traveling in Pennsylvania on a secret mission, I stumbled upon the old Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, where parts of the 1958 movie The Blob was filmed. Marquee posters informed me that every summer the theater hosts BlobFest, which honors that film and, presumably, the larger genre of classic B movies. I mused that it would be fun to come back for BlobFest one day.

Well friends, “one day” has arrived!

Blobfest begins tonight at 7 pm, and I will be there! I just landed in Philadelphia, and once I get my Blobmobile from Avis, I’ll make my way toward Phoenixville. And for those of you unfortunate enough to miss Blobfest this year, I’ll be blobbing blogging from the Colonial Theater. Stay tuned; you won’t want to miss it!

Until then, I’d like to share these…

Muffler Man Sightings

Loyal reader Brian W sent us this photo he took of a Muffler Man in Wilmington, IL.

This is a classic muffler man, with the distinctive hand positions and that same determined half-grin that was worn by Babe at Babe’s Mufflers in San Jose. This one is huge, standing 30 feet tall. Just look how it dwarfs the picnic table!

According to my research, this muffler man–which is named “Gemini Giant”–was installed at a restaurant on Route 66 in the 1960s. That restaurant was originally named “Dari-Delite,” but was rebranded as “The Launching Pad” in a cynical but successful effort to capitalize on the then-extant space race. He was outfitted with a space helmet (which to me looks like a welding helmet) and a handheld rocket which, confusingly, is labeled “Launching Pad.”

Gemini Giant soon became one of the most famous attractions along Route 66, and the Launching Pad served hungry travelers for over sixty years, until finally closing down in 2022. The Gemini Giant sold for $275,000 (!) at auction in 2024, purchased by the local historical museum. It now stands at the entrance of South Island Park in Wilmington.

Meanwhile, loyal reader Chris F. sent us this photo of a Paul Bunyan-themed muffler man in Coeburn, Virginia.

Chris helpfully provided several links verifying this muffler man’s provenance. He’s a 20-foot-tall statue from International Fiberglass, and was first installed in front of Palmer Hardware in the Elkhart, Indiana in 1967. The hardware store experienced several ownership changes, and along the way the muffler man’s clothing colors and handheld implements changed as well. In 2011 the hardware store closed for good, and the muffler man was relocated to Coeburn, VA, where he stands in front of the Red Oak Trading Company.

Both of today’s muffler men appear on Wikipedia’s official list. I’m still holding out hope that we can locate a new one that’s not on the list!