Words by Jesse Serwer—
Mr. Monopoly?
Goodbye Boardwalk, hello Half Way Tree. A Jamaican version of Monopoly is being produced to celebrate Jamaica’s 50th anniversary, and will be released in time for Independence Day celebrations, on Aug. 6. The game, the first of many international Monopoly variations to be produced for a Caribbean country, will feature Jamaican landmarks such as the Bob Marley Museum, according to the Queens Chronicle. Traditional tokens like the tophat and thimble will be replaced with more classically Jamaican symbols like a soccer ball, mini bus, the doctor bird (Jamaica’s national bird) and even Freddie McGregor.
But the best part is this: Oliver Samuels will appear on the board and box in the role of “Mr. Monopoly,” and Jamaica Observer cartoonist (and Jamaica’s greatest satirist) Clovis is drawing all of the caricatures. Read more about Jamaican Monopoly and its creator Earnest Flowers here, and definitely look out for more on the game here soon.