Panic Pete

Panic Pete, also known as Jo-Bo, Obie, The Martian Popping Doll, The Martian Popping Thing, Popping Martian or Bug-Out Bob is a novelty Natural rubber squeeze toy invented by John M. Auzin and debuted in 1953.

History[edit]

John M. Auzin, a United States Navy veteran born in Rhode Island and grew up in Whitman, Massachusetts^[1], Patent various catheter designs^[2] before filing a patent for a "squeezable pop-out action toy" on May 24, 1947, with the ability to have protruding eyes, ears, and mouth when squeezed. Other designs, such as one with teeth or another squirting water, were also included in said patent.^[3] Though the patent was not accepted and published until February 9, 1954, the toy had already been launched and produced at least a year prior by Blake Industries, located in Boston, Massachusetts.^[4] The toy was marketed as a trick and party toy titled the Jo-Bo, retailing at 79 cents before being lowered to 69 when the factory expanded in 1954.^[5] The toy's strange appearance has been theorized to be inspired by characters in a comic book titled Robotmen of the Lost Planet, published by Avon Periodicals in 1952 and illustrated by Mort Lawrence.^[6][7] However, whether or not Jo-Bo was designed before the publication of this comic is unknown.

By 1981 the toy was renamed Obie, being manufactured by an unknown company and distributed by Department store stores such as Montgomery Ward along with a similar toy called the Green Weenie,^[8] later named the Martian Cuke.^[9] Later in 1985, Archie McPhee had started distributing the toy as The Popping Martian Doll, marketed as a stress toy and manufactured by a company named Aliko.^[10][11] By 1991 the name was changed to The Popping Martian Thing and redesigned so that the mouth was now a nose and the toy now resembled a clown.^[12] This version would continue to be manufactured in Taiwan under that name until 2008 when it was then being distributed simultaneously by Schylling under the name Panic Pete^[13] and in 2007 as Bug-Out Bob when being distributed by Toysmith.^[14]

By 2009 Schylling redesigned Panic Pete to have plastic balls for his protruding features, rather than having them be part of the rubber mold like previous versions.^[15] This is currently the only design still being manufactured.

In Popular Culture[edit]

Films[edit]

• In Jurassic Park (film), Dennis Nedry uses a Martian Popping Thing as a stress toy.
• In The Mask (1994 film), a Martian Popping Thing is taken from Stanley Ipkiss when he is apprehended by police.
• In The Boss Baby, a parody of the toy named "Señor Squeeky" is a background prop.

Television[edit]

• In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV series) Mona Wilder shapeshifts into a Panic Pete toy.
• In Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents The Telemarketer, Colin Valenti squeezes a Panic Pete for the majority of the sketch.
• In The Pee-wee Herman Show: Live Roxy Theatre, Pee-wee Herman uses a Green Weenie as prop comedy.
• In SpongeBob SquarePants, Mr. Krabs uses a blue squeeze toy resembling Panic Pete in the episode "Bossy Boots."
• In the episode "The Sting" of Futurama, Leela is handed a toy resembling a Martian Popping Thing by Hermes.

Video Games[edit]

• In Sam & Max Hit the Road, an object resembling a Panic Pete or Green Weenie is used as a "use" icon.
• In The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, an item labeled "Squeezy", vaguely resembling Panic Pete, can appear during gameplay.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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