"Cocaine Bear" is back - again! This time in the form of a bobblehead

Devarrick Turner, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

As if the "Cocaine Bear" couldn’t get any more ingrained in pop culture, it has now been immortalized in bobblehead form.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum – in partnership with Kentucky for Kentucky – has released the first Cocaine Bear bobblehead.

The bobbling display features the black bear standing on a duffle bag of cocaine with a plaque chained around its neck that details its cocaine-induced demise. The $30 limited edition bobbleheads are only available online through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and Kentucky for Kentucky websites.

The first Cocaine Bear bobblehead has been released. The $30 limited edition display features to famous black bear standing on a duffle bag of cocaine with a plaque detailing its cocaine-induced demise.
The first Cocaine Bear bobblehead has been released. The $30 limited edition display features to famous black bear standing on a duffle bag of cocaine with a plaque detailing its cocaine-induced demise.

“Nothing makes a bear’s head bobble more than a bunch of cocaine,” said Griffin VanMeter from Kentucky for Kentucky in a press release.

“Since the release of the movie of the same name, Cocaine Bear has found himself in the spotlight. This bobblehead is a must-have for fans of this party animal,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar added.

Orders for the bobbleheads are expected to ship in July, with a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

The cocaine bear's real story

In 1985, just over two months after drug smuggler Andrew Thornton fell to his death from the sky in South Knoxville with more than 70 pounds of cocaine strapped to his body, a dead bear was found near the Tennessee-Georgia border.

Scattered around the bear were 40 plastic bags that once had contained cocaine. An autopsy confirmed the 175-pound bear had died of a cocaine overdose.

In 2015, what was believed to be the taxidermized body of the “cocaine bear” was placed on display at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington, Kentucky. The gift shop sells various styles of Cocaine Bear T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other memorabilia.

The movie “Cocaine Bear,” a dark comedy thriller (very) loosely based on the events of 1985, was released earlier this year and has grossed more than $86 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. A documentary about the true events is now streaming on Peacock, along with the fictionalized film.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: "Cocaine Bear" is back, this time as a bobblehead