Muffler Men
Roadside America: A tribe of titans, made of fiberglass and 14 to 25 feet tall, stands watch along the vibrant roadside landscape. They include lumberjacks, cowboys, and Indians, but the first statues we spotted held big car mufflers, so we named them "Muffler Men."
M-Men News
Glenn Goode's Big People - Joel Baker, who founded the Muffler Man restoration business American Giants, has created a new documentary on Glenn Goode and his Gainesville, Texas cluster. Joel, an avid M-Man fan and documenter since 2011, interviewed the charismatic Mr. Goode just two months before his death in 2015. See it on YouTube. [12/21/2022]
Mobil 1 [Muffler Man] Hits the Open Road - Big oil remembers the little guys running attractions by hauling their own big guy Muffler Man on a Route 66 Kickin' road trip. [9/3/2022]
Right Hand Man: Sculptor Richard Ellis was a 24-year-old art school student when he played a small but significant part in the creation of the original Muffler Man. [1/3/2021]
For These Roadside Attractions, Big Things Are Happening - The Boston Globe discovers Muffler Men, and they chat with the experts at Roadside America and American Giants. [10/21/2020]
The Happy Halfwit: Comic Relief Muffler Man - A round-up and history of the highway bumpkin, also known as Alfred E. Neuman and Mortimer Snerd. [3/30/2020]
Latest M-Men Sightings
Check for recent eyewitness tips and leads on Muffler Men, Uniroyal Gals and their ilk.
Identify!
Learn the types and characteristics of classics, hybrids, mutants -- their postures, their accessories, and their imitators. Hone your spotter skills!
Track!
Our specially configured Muffler Men Map reveals a happy continent of fiberglass giants. The original tracking chart lingers, full of our research and travelers' reports since we created the Muffler Men Home Page in 1996.
Origins
Where do they come from? Our interview with someone who really knows the "Origin of the Species."
Secret Plot of the Muffler Men
Friend or foe? Biding their time for over 50 years, true intent and machinations are still hazy to the non-fiberglass population.
Emerging Breeds, Related Roadside Giants, Competing Species
- Auto Parts Sculptures: Some call these "muffler men," too. Bah!
- Big Friend Extermination: The shame of the advertising industry.
Uniroyal Gals: Perky Jackie Kennedy lookalikes.- Frankenmuffler: Hard to explain.
- Big in Pictures: Bit parts for Muffler Man in movies and TV.
- Strange Sentries: Excursions across the border.
- True Tales: Accounts and revelations from the field.
