My childhood dog was named Mulder because even at a young age I was completely mesmerized by the world of The X-Files. Agent Fox Mulder’s childlike need for something to be bizarre coupled with Agent Dana Scully’s cool, level-headed, scientific approach to everything gave the show such a fun and dynamic quality, you almost didn’t need monsters or conspiracies. Almost.
My near obsession with the show pales in comparison to Jim Thorton’s THE X-FILE PRESERVATION COLLECTION. Like every red-blooded horror fan, including myself, Jim was a huge fan of the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series and their “monster of the week” approach to television horror. Once he saw the similar style that X-Files brought to the screen, he knew he needed something collectible from the show.
What started with Jim buying an X-Files trading card way back in the 90s spiralled out into what is now a mighty impressive monument to the show, becoming what may possibly be the world’s largest collection of X related stuff.
Jim has everything. He’s got Mulder’s office furniture, he’s got an alien cryopod, he’s got Chinga the doll (from the episode written by Stephen King), he’s got Skinner’s suit, he’s probably got Cigarette Smoking Man’s lungs. He collects all of this for the fans, simply for preservation, and never for resale.
In the spirit of finding all these hard to find props (the first five seasons were filmed in Vancouver and props from that era are nigh impossible to track down) a permanent place to live, Jim has decided to turn his impressive collection into a Museum. In his own words, “We are planning more that just a place to view these items, we are planning a place for you to experience the History of The X-Files.” He is looking at fans of the show, and of horror/sci-fi television in general, to donate what little they can to raise $10,000. That’s an insanely low amount of money, and he’s already raised most of it, so you really can make a difference here.
The money will help secure the location in Saratoga Springs, New York, as well as help with the first few months of rent and licensing. If you’re a cold blooded capitalist and only believe in supporting charities that give you something in return, there are tiered rewards depending on how much you donate. The rewards include shout outs, mugs, hats and shirts. It’s all actually pretty cool.
If that hasn’t convinced you, let the collection speak for itself. THE X-FILE PRESERVATION COLLECTION is all over social media (The Lone Gunmen would hate that) so feel free to check out their Facebook page or their Twitter. And of course, the most important thing you can do, outside of being a fan, is to check out their indiegogo campaign. Go on, check it out, share it to your friends. I want to believe you’ll do the right thing.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-x-files-preservation-collection#/