Booty: Jean Laffite Super Pirate!

Sweet sea serpents the Interwebs are a wonderful, horrible place. Most of us who have lived in the World Wide Web age have seen and read about things that our parents could only imagine. As suggested, that is both good and bad. Sometimes it’s both. As an example, note figure A above.


While browsing images last Saturday for Sunday’s post on Jean Laffite’s untimely death, I came across the magnificent corner of action figure realness known as Mego Museum. They offer a variety of action figure collectibles and, as noted on their homepage, have been serving collectors since 1996. That’s why you have to take the folks at MM seriously when they offer Jean Lafitte (again with the misspelling), Super Pirate.

Yes, as you can see, there is an actual line of “Super Pirate” action figures. It should come as no surprise to anyone in the freebooting community that NOLA’s own Jean Laffite is counted as one of their number. The action figure (don’t you dare call him a doll) wears a brightly colored piratical ensemble that has more of Mardi Gras than the “Gentleman Laffite” to it. He is well armed with accessories and quite obviously ready for boarding (click the link above to see our hero in “action”). He’s wearing his hat athwart ships, Nelson style, which may or may not be accurate given Laffite’s reported obsession with up-to-the-minute style; fore-and-aft being the favored wearing by around 1800. Most questionable of all is the inclusion of that by now standard mustache. Fashion was important to Laffite and the mustache did not return to popularity until at least the 1820s. He may have worn a mustache later in his short life, but side whiskers would be a far more historically correct facial hair choice here. Much like Edgar A. Poe, our dear Jean is forever saddled with a latter day shaving choice.

All that said, there is nothing more enjoyable than knowing that people are learning about – and remembering – our seafaring past. If an action figure Super Pirate is what it takes, I am on board with that. Our gratitude goes out to Toltoys, Ltd. And Mego Museum; the Brethren – and the Baratarians – salute you.

Header: Super Pirate Jean “Lafitte” by Toltoys, Ltd. Via Mego Museum