He’s glued over 1,100 dolls to his car. Meet the man behind this unique Columbus ride
You’ve seen it before.
And if you haven’t, your friends have told you about that one silver SUV in Columbus covered from rooftop to back bumper and most places in between with dolls, action figures and figurines.
It looks like a mobile shrine to childhood fascinations of yesteryear. Old women stop traffic to take pictures. Unruly children try to rip parts off.
Questions follow: How do they all stay up there? Can you drive fast? How do you wash it? Why did you do it? Some smile. Others say its creator must be a fool.
Columbus resident Michael Angelo Jackson, 61, has heard it all since he began gluing an assortment of superheroes, sports stars and fictional characters on top of and inside his 2008 Nissan Armada two years ago.
The project started slow. But he estimates that more than 1,100 figures are now stuck somewhere to his car. And, yes, there’s room for more.
Why does he do it?
Gluing dolls on his car isn’t how Jackson imagined he might gain fame.
The Phenix City native told a Ledger-Enquirer reporter Tuesday that he was a standout athlete at Central High School. He played semi-professional football for the Phenix City Vikings, eventually getting the attention of coaches at the University of Kentucky. Jackson played defensive back for the Wildcats, but knee injuries prevented him from pursuing a professional career.
Outside of his football days, Jackson has lived in the Chattahoochee Valley for much of his life. He spent time in New Jersey for a bit but moved back down south because he said he couldn’t stand the winters.
He worked for more than a decade at Kysor Warren, a refrigeration manufacturing company, before getting hurt and going on disability.
With more free time on his hands, Jackson decided to decorate his SUV. For him, it was another art project. Jackson creates pieces through his business “Michaelangelo World of Art.”
The first figure Jackson glued to his car was Superman, his favorite superhero.
“I had a lot of action figures (when I was little),” he said, sitting in the shade at Lakebottom Park. “I was looking at the top of my truck and I said ‘I’ma put something up here.’ I got my Superman and put him right in the middle.”
Jackson only planned to do the top, but boredom got the best of him. Figures came to cover the roof. He’s gotten to the point where he can’t even open the sunroof. Some are stuck to the back and sides of the vehicle. But the hood will never be covered.
A mixture of Gorilla Glue and nail polish hold the figures to the car’s body. He applies new dolls in the evening, allowing them to dry and adhere to the vehicle overnight. Jackson handwashes the SUV, taking care not to damage the figures. He sprays all of them with a furniture cleaner and a tire cleaning foam to make them shine just right.
Jackson’s formula is potent. The glue mixture withstands scorching summers, high speeds, torrential rains and even the occasional snow and ice.
“When I do it, I use Q-Tips like a paintbrush, and I put glue all around it like an artist,” he said.
‘You made my day’
Jackson’s car has gone viral outside of Columbus. Multiple videos of the SUV have appeared on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. A recent post by Barstool Sports has been viewed nearly 2 million times, as of Tuesday afternoon.
Those who see the car in person sometimes leave friendly notes for Jackson. Some stop by his workplace and even donate figures to add to the SUV. Another offered to buy the vehicle for $60,000. But Jackson said he isn’t selling.
“Sometimes I go to the store and come back and somebody will leave a note that says ‘You made my day,” Jackson said. “That makes me feel good.”
Most folks get a kick out of the whole thing. But Jackson says the occasional snide comments don’t bother him.
“You’re going to have critics wherever you go,” he said “So, you’re always gonna have negativity. People are gonna say you’re crazy. Why did you do that and blah blah blah — But I’m going to do what makes me happy.”
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 11:08 AM.