A film crew in the San Francisco Bay area, in association with RoadsideAmerica.com, is raising money for a movie about Muffler Men — the giant fiberglass figures.
The crew is trying to raise $30,000 in donations by Sept. 1 through a Kickstarter project so it can start shooting the documentary this fall. As of Thursday evening, the campaign had raised over $3,200.
Roadside America also put out this request to roadies:
Clean White Lines is also asking for traveler and roadside fan stories of memorable encounters with these roadside giants – the good, the bad, and the crazy. Did you propose to your spouse there? Pepper one with arrows in your irresponsible youth? Get stung by hornets while posing? The best true tales may make it into the documentary, or even persuade the crew to detour to your town for a personal interview!
You can send your accounts as RoadsideAmerica.com tips (mark as: “M-Man Tale”). Or mail your (legible) handwritten letter to:
Attn: Muffler Men
1155 5th St #306
Oakland, CA 94607
Roadside America’s map of Muffler Men is here. Route 66 boasts of several Muffler Men, including one of the most distinctive ones (pictured at top) at the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Ill.
I love the Gemini Giant….and the Launching Pad has great food!
My friend, Gabe Aldaz wrote and self-published a book on his quest to find all the Muffler Men, Lumberjacks, Cowboys, Tire Men, and other iterations of the fiberglass giants. He traveled all over the country trying to find the ones that are left. His book, Right Palm Up, Left Palm Down chronicles the story of his travels and discoveries over a period of several years.
See:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Gabriel+Aldaz&x=0&y=0
The first ones made, are the ones he encountered as a child in Flagstaff, Arizona, and they are now on the campus of Northern Arizona University, as the official mascott. His adventures led him to locate and interview the original maker and the stories of many of them as they changed hands and owners.