"Any last words?
Good, then throw the switch.
Marv, the gritty anti-hero from the Frank Miller Sin City comic series,
rides the lightning in this re-creation of the final scene of the original story arc.

Marv is 6 1/4 inches tall seated on the electric chair.
When you flip the switch, you hear an electric buzz sound,
Marv's eyes glow red, he convulses and says,
"That the best you can do, you pansies?"

He is articulated at the neck, shoulders,
waist and wrists, and comes with the chair,
wired helmet, floorboards and electrocuting switch."
 
- From Toy Description

Real "Death Row Marv"

To see the facts behind what a REAL execution looks like, click HERE
Tiny Davis - tortured to death with electricity by order of
Governor Jeb Bush and the people of the State of Florida.

Dear Mr. McFarlane,

The Canadian, Dutch, Italian, and USA Sections of Amnesty International are writing to express our concern
 over your production and distribution of a so-called "toy" entitled Death Row Marv. 
We understand this figure is being sold in specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe to people aged 13 and older.

Although Amnesty International is unconditionally opposed to the death penalty, we welcome all serious discussions,
encompassing the widest spectrum of opinion, on the issue.  However, the promotion of a "toy" that suggests to people
of all ages that this is an issue that need not be taken seriously only serves to perpetuate a climate of disrespect for human rights.

While Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and many other countries have abolished the death penalty, the United States has not. 
We believe that people in all countries deserve to be given the facts on capital punishment and the reasons that
Amnesty International considers it the ultimate human rights violation.  The promotion of a "toy" that mocks a form of violence
condemned by more than half the countries in the world today encourages disregard for the basic human dignity of all people.

Compelling evidence exists that death in the electric chair is unspeakably horrible. 
Some influential medical experts believe that unconsciousness - let alone death - is seldom instantaneous and
that the pain is excruciating.  Frequent malfunctions of the electric chair only compound its horror.

Every execution is a premeditated killing.  Your product treats the suffering, degradation,
and death of human beings as a suitable subject for profit and amusement.  In our view, corporate ethics require that
businesses promote and respect basic human rights values, both in the workplace and in their products. 
We urge you to give serious consideration to the negative human rights message that this "toy" conveys and to respond accordingly.

For your information and review, we have enclosed a copy of Amnesty International's Human Rights Principles for Companies,
which contains a recommended code of conduct for all businesses.

We look forward to your reply to our concerns at your earliest possible convenience.

Sincerely,
William F. Schulz
Executive Director, AI USA

On behalf of: Michel Frenette Directeur AI, Daniele Scaglione Presidente AI, Bob Goodfellow Executive Director AI Canada, Frits Davelaar Acting Director AI Nederland

WASHINGTON - DEATH ROW MARV is sitting on my desk, strapped to an electric chair, staring at me.
This "toy," marketed for kids ages 13 years old and up, came from a local comic book store.
It's a half-foot-tall replica of a violent character created by surly graphic artist Frank Miller.

I feel sick just looking at this prison-gray chunk of plastic. And I haven't even installed the batteries.
These are the times that make you long for the good old days of Cabbage Patch Kids and Betsy Wetsy dolls.

Death Row Marv can move his neck, shoulders, waist and wrists. He comes with "the chair, wired helmet,
floorboards and electrocuting switch." For $23.95, you, too, can purchase the "deluxe box set"
and share the cheap thrill of executing a murderer: "Feel the burn as the electric buzz fills the room and he starts to shake and convulse,"
an ad promotion for Death Row Marv beckons. "Experience the pain as the shaking continues and his eyes start to
glow bright red. Enjoy the torment as he utters his famous last words, 'Is that the best you can do, you pansies?' "

TODD MCFARLANE, an action figure entrepreneur based in Arizona, rolled out the macabre novelty item earlier this summer.
According to one newspaper account, 65,000 Marv dolls have been produced and sold in the United States.
There are waiting lists across the country.

McFarlane says the toy is "cool." Lighten up, Marv fans tell their critics.

I am not interested in seeing Marv toys or comic books banned by government, and of course it is parents'
responsibility to monitor what their children buy and read. But have we grown so accustomed to bloodlust marketed
as youthful entertainment that nothing is beyond the bounds of good taste?

The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children is one of the few groups that has objected to Death Row Marv.
"Is this the type of toy we want our children playing with?" the group asked in a recent alert. "What will they come up with next -
- a rape doll, complete with bottles of 'blood'? How about an incest doll? Why isn't murder just as disgusting as these two examples?"

Death penalty supporters should be just as sickened by Marv as death penalty opponents.
The power of the state to punish is both its greatest and worst power.

Conservative columnist George Will notes that "capital punishment, like the rest of the criminal justice system,
is a government program, so skepticism is in order." So, also, is a sense of sobriety and self-restraint.
The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children has a simple request:

"If you are as disgusted with McFarlane Toys as we are, and wish to let them know that murder is not entertainment,
you can contact them at: Todd McFarlane Productions, P.O. Box 27228, Tempe, Ariz. 85285-7228."

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The CCADP has offered free webspace to over 1000 Death Row Prisoners Since 1998

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Last updated December 29, 2010  Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
This page is maintained and updated by Dave Parkinson and Tracy Lamourie