Roky Erickson, founding father of psychadelic rock gods The 13th Floor Elevators, has been immortalized in the throbblehead kingdom. This figure capturing Roky’s look circa 1980, or “The Evil One” era, is limited to 1000 numbered units, stands at 7 inches tall, and is made of super strong polyresin. Displayed in a window box, Roky is accurately sculpted right down to the grizzly beard, wild hair and Vanson jacket. The figures cost $19.95, and orders will ship immediately. All Throbblehead figures are distributed by MVD Entertainment Group – a company specializing in music-related distribution since 1986 – and DKE Toys – a wholesale distributor of urban / vinyl / designer art / objects / toys / figurines. Roky Erickson is the ninth person to be polyresinated by Aggronautix. In May of 2009, the company launched with a highly popular G.G. Allin “1991” figure, which was limited to 2000 numbered units. All Aggronautix figures are now available for purchase on www.aggronautix.com or www.seeofsound.com and will also be available at many independent retailers, comic shops, tattoo parlors, etc.
ROCK SNOB ENCYCLOPEDIA: ERICKSON, ROKY: ’60s psych/garage-rock pioneer, demon-crazed ’70s solo artist, acid casualty, drug-war martyr, 
patron saint of alt-rock’s fringe dwellers. In 1968, Erickson, then singer for Texas’ psych-edelic avatars the 13th Floor Elevators, was busted for possession of a small quantity of marijuana and offered a choice: 10 years in prison or a stretch at Rusk State Psychiatric Hospital. He opted for the padded cell. Already half-fried from Herculean doses of psychedelics, Erickson was subjected to a cruel regimen of “experimental” drugs and electro-shock therapy and was released three years later a diagnosed schizophrenic. Telegraphing the horror within, Erickson released a series of protopunk solo records in the ’70s and early-’80s riddled with references to zombies, vampires, aliens and the devil himself. His profile was raised further by the 1990 tribute album Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye, which featured REM, ZZ Top, the Jesus and Mary Chain and the Butthole Surfers. After getting arrested again–for stealing his neighbor’s mail–Erickson was taken under the wing of the Butthole’s drummer, King Koffey, who got him back into the studio for 1995’s quite lovely All That May Do My Rhyme. More recently, Touch and Go released Never Say Goodbye, a recording of Erickson alone with his acoustic guitar during his stay at Rusk. Minus the acid polemics of his tenure with the Elevators and the demons that haunt his solo career, Never Say Goodbye reveals a gifted, broken soul searching for peace, love and understanding–and really, there’s nothing funny or crazy about that. Like fellow Texan Buddy Holly, Erickson delivers heart-tugging snatches of melody in the hiccup of his reedy voice and the plaintive strum of his guitar, mapping what Leonard Cohen calls the crack at the center of everything where the light gets in. The intent of this release was to make these previously unheard songs available to other performers, with all proceeds going to Erickson’s trust fund. Here’s hoping somebody picks them up and carries them to the exalted places they hint at, a trip that Erickson is no longer willing or able to undertake. MORE