Stellantis’ official Design Studio has revealed a new range of living room furniture inspired by DC Comic’s greatest super villain, and Batman’s arch-nemesis, The Joker. Created to be an “all-new, daring and provocative” tribute to the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker Collection includes two sofas, two armchairs, and, in rather a neat addition, a gum dispenser, each of which has been inspired by “the iconic characteristics” of Mr. J himself.
“This collection is a bold statement of duality and conflict, capturing the chaotic and mysterious spirit of The Joker,” explains Klaus Busse, head of the Stellantis Design Studio. “It’s a celebration of the unapologetic and unpredictable, making each piece a true work of art.”
The collection is already on display at the Salone del Mobile Furniture Fair in Milan. There’s no official word, however, regarding development time and pricing, nor whether The Joker Collection will be sold to the public.
Five-Piece Set, Featuring ‘Asylum Armchair’ And ‘Smile Sofa’
Highlights of The Joker Collection include:
- ‘Asylum Armchair.’ Essentially an exaggerated pillow-top, the design theme of which is ‘restraint’ (easy now) as comfort. The Asylum is said to reflect the Harlequin of Hate’s “unbalanced and unexpected essence.”
- ‘Chaos Sofa.’ A two-tone red-and-yellow ottoman, the duality of which “mirrors The Joker’s unpredictable nature” as both an articulate yet anarchic madman!
- ‘The Joker Throne’ and ‘The Smile Sofa.’ Nope, they’re not made of skulls and bones, but are heavily inspired by the Clown Prince of Crime’s trademark, disfigured grin, hence the ‘flicks’ either side of the seat. Both pieces bring “a sense of tension and rebellion” whilst at the same time displaying “a twisted sense of humor.”
- ‘The Prankster / Dispenser.’ Probably the most random element of The Joker Collection (which, given that this also includes an armchair designed to feel like a straightjacket really is saying something!), the gum dispenser is both “mischievous and quirky,” reflecting the “unpredictable nature” of its muse. And yes, this being essentially the goodie drawer for a super villain; It is shaped like a human head!
“We loved the idea of creating this villain’s lair, a welcoming space that fosters a false sense of security in its guests.”
– Hugo Nightingale, Global Creative Director at Stellantis Design Studio
Interestingly, the collection, inspired by the Jester of Genocide (I’m starting to run out of these…), is intended to be seen as one “immersive experience” rather than five admittedly striking individual pieces. And, before you ask, this is not just an art collection either; Stellantis has worked closely with Italian artisan Formitalia to ensure each piece works ergonomically as an actual piece of furniture.
TopSpeed’s Take
Hopefully you’ll forgive us for taking this otherwise lighthearted story far, far, FAR too seriously, but when a furniture collection, a reimagined lair for the scourge of Gotham himself no less is presented, several members of the TopSpeed.com office can’t help but wonder which on-screen iteration of the Ace of Knaves (right, I literally can’t think of anymore!) would be most at home spread across the ‘convention-challenging’ chaise.
Heath Slater’s Dark Knight? Unlikely. For a man that’s (possibly) unsure of his own backstory, thinks little of burning a little mountain of cash, and is quite partial to magic tricks including pencils, concerns over “asymmetric forms and distressed materials” probably won’t be too high on his wish list.
Joaquin Phoenix? Thematically (and color-wise) on point, but again, unlikely. There’s no word on a refrigerator you can easily sleep in being added to The Joker Collection anytime soon. The “duality” of the ‘Chaos’ sofa won’t mesh well with Arthur’s mother’s wallpaper either, and presumably he’ll be too knackered from dancing down all those steps to really enjoy the gum-dispenser.
Jared Leto? Come on, be serious!
Jack Nicholson? We’re on the right track, at least. He’s the world’s first fully functioning homicidal artist after all, but time spent shipping out all those Smylex bottles and giving Gotham an enema with an extendable boxing glove (cue party whistle) probably wouldn’t leave the former Jack Napier with much time to feel “playful and sinister” with the gum dispenser. He’d probably like the ‘Smile’ throne, in fairness…
Mark Hamill? Interesting. The man does love a lair after all, as fans of ‘Arkham Asylum’ will attest. Then again, Ol’ puddin’ (hey, I found another!) may be happy to lord it over Clayface and the Dark Knight beating the crap out of each other in a battle arena from a wooden throne, probably wouldn’t care much for “luxury craftsmanship.”
… I get the feeling you’ve all checked out by now. Why don’t you just give me a call when you start taking things a little more seriously?
Read the full article here
