I think Twain has immense cultural power, and this is simply because he
wished it to be so.  Twain marketed himself aggressively throughout his
entire life--from his search for a suitable pseudonym to his lecture
circuit to his trademark white suits.  This marketing made him one of the
first, the greatest, the best-loved celebrities ever--and in a global
market nonetheless!

So, while I hate to see less-than-terrific products bearing his name, I
think it is entirely appropriate.  I just wish one of our organizations
like the Forum, the Circle, one of his houses, or the Bancroft library was
benefitting from the use of his name.  Does anyone know if it is
trademarked--and if so, who holds it?

To answer the other part to Larry's question--I don't think these items
could drag down his name or memory. After all these years of _Huck Finn_
being one of the most banned books, I think the memory of one of our
best-loved authors (despite the current generation's complete lack of
familiarity with his work) will weather about any storm bad products can
bring on.

Kathy Farretta
Northern Arizona University