I love this Onion bit.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Whatever happened to this guy?
Well, after doing a teensy bit of research (I looked on eBay), it seems he's either out or due to be out soon. One seller had him listed as a "presale," so that you'd pre-buy it with the idea that it would be available within 30 days of the posting. Other sellers seemed to have it with no delay, including a gold variant. So keep you eyes open, you! The Mojo series of Marvel Legends figures is series #14, if that helps.
This is the first ML fig I've ever thought about getting. Good thing for that beauty shot up there; he doesn't look as appealing in the package.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Even more random Star Wars figures
Ready for a little commando raid? This Internet exclusive set of action figures brings you what you've been craving, unless you missed out on who these are and just how great they can be!
This special collector's set of figures brings you everything you need for battle, including:
1x Delta Three-Eight / RC-1138 'Boss'
1x Delta Four-Oh / RC-1140 'Fixer'
1x Delta Oh-Seven / RC-1207 'Sev'
1x Delta Six-Two / RC-1262 'Scorch'
1x Geonosian Warrior (purple)
1x Geonosian Warrior with Blaster
1x Sun Fac
(Subject to change.)
Each figure comes with weapons and accessories needed to fight the good fight during the Clone Wars!
Taken straight from the commando raids in the hit LucasArts Xbox title Republic Commando, this set brings the boys of Delta Squad to action figure form for the very first time. These warriors were trained on Kamino, and were first deployed behind-the-scenes during the Battle of Geonosis, which took place at the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones. While there, they were put to work destroying the Separatist's droid factories.
Since then, Delta Squad filled a variety of roles for the Republic during the Clone Wars including the assasination of Geonosian leader Sun Fac, the rescue of their fellow clones from Omega Squad, and some missions on the Wookiee world of Kashyyyk.
From the very beginning, it was understood that the tactical superiority of the Grand Army of the Republic would reside in its flexibility of response. Hopelessly outnumbered by the droid armies of the Separatists, every Clone Trooper is expected to be the equal of ten of his enemy. Sometimes though, ten-to-one odds is too much to hope for, and that's when you call in the Deltas.
Delta Three-eight
Known to his men as "Boss," Three-Eight doesn't talk much, except to bark out orders in a voice that carries over the fiercest artillery barrage.
Scorch
The resident demolitions expert in Delta Squad, Scorch has a special relationship with explosions and the gear that makes them happen. If it ain't broke, give it to Scorch and you can count on getting it back in at least three pieces.
Fixer
Second in command of Delta Squad, Fixer handles code breaking and computer slicing. Always at the front of a charge, it's his voice that urges his squad mates on under fire. Off the battlefield however, he prefers the company of a good, quiet power droid to his fellow Deltas.
Sev
Clones are supposed to be good at fighting, but they're not really supposed to enjoy it. So no one really knows why Sev seems to be happiest when the battle is thickest. If you're looking for him, try checking the middle of the huge pile of blasted battle droids.
Sun Fac
Commander of the Geonosian forces during the Battle of Geonosis, Sun Fac rose to his position of power through a combination of combat prowess and a calculating willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Geonosian Warriors
Though they lack ranged weapons, their ability to fly gives them an acute advantage on an open battlefield and their powerful force pikes can kill with a single blow.
Star Wars Imperial set
Octopunk, are you gonna get all these?
He finds your lack of faith disturbing! Darth Vader's meeting on the Death Star with some of its best military minds proved that the Sith Lord was really the one in charge, able to choke someone just by gesturing at them. This exclusive boxed set of the best known bureaucrats from the classic film Star Wars brings you 7 unique 3 3/4-inch action figures of the Empire's finest. This set contains: Grand Moff Tarkin, General Tagge, Admiral Motti, Chief Bast, Colonel Wullf Yularen, Officer Cass, and of course Darth Vader armed with his trademark red lightsaber.
Famous figures
I have Freud and Obsessive Compulsive action figures sitting on my shelf at work. The only place I've ever seen this collection is at Newbury Comics, and they're expensive!
Historical Figures
Through the ages many regular everyday people have made steps in their lives to translate groundbreaking ideals to future generations.
Through history these pioneers of life strived on making a difference in the world we live in. Whether they are inventors, politicians, athletes or martyrs, they all made an impact on the way we all live our lives today.
That is why today in tribute to our past, Action Figures like Albert Einstein, Edgar Allen Poe, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus and many more have been developed as an alternative method of inspiration for us to grasp and remember.
I'm just not into "expanded universe" stuff
Get Kir Kanos and Carnor Jax in this shared Entertainment Earth Exclusive - #1 in the all-new Star Wars Expanded Universe series of 2-packs from Hasbro. Includes 3 3/4-inch figures of Kir Kanos and Carnor Jax, neither of which have ever been made as an action figure before!
Buy this set and you'll get:
1x Kir Kanos action figure, as seen in the Crimson Empire comic book series. He includes removable helmet, cloth cape, and double-bladed staff.
1x Carnor Jax action figure with accessories.
1x Crimson Empire comic book.
First in a series of Hasbro Expanded Universe Action Figure 2-Packs! If you miss out on this one, your collection will be incomplete! And despite rumors to the contrary, this item will not be made available in major stores!
Who is Kir Kanos? After the fall of the Empire and the final death of the Emperor in Empire's End, Kir Kanos set out to avenge the death of his former leader by taking out the traitors in the Empire. In the process, the entire guard is wiped out, except for Kir Kanos. Who's responsible for this? Kanos investigates in the Crimson Empire comic series. This great action figure includes awesomely sculpted armor, a double-bladed staff, a biker scout style pistol, a removable helmet with a scruffy face underneath, and of course, his red cape.
Learn all about Kir Kanos (and his bounty hunter alias, Kenix Kil) in our selection of related graphic novels.
This is the first in a brand new line of Expanded Universe 2-Packs which will come out in 2007, but this is the first one so start your collection here!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Octopunk's JLU collection is looking to kick your ass
On my way home from Wine Country this weekend, I swung by the usual haunts and found the TRU exclusive 3-pack with J-Lord Hawkgirl -- and since they also had one J-Lord 3-pack with Wonder Woman I decided to just eat it and buy the lot. The back of the Hawkgirl blister card has pics of all the combos I posted below, and also Huntress, available with Batman and the Atom (annoying).
And as if that weren't enough for the weekend, last night I scored this gray Amazo fig off eBay for only 10 bucks with shipping. Score!
So the old figures I still need are...
Sinestro
Booster Gold
Hawk
Dove
Black Canary, except she kinda sucks
Friday, August 25, 2006
New JLU 3-packs to delight and enrage you
I was poking around eBay today and found a bunch of new JLU figures I've never seen in real life. From the exorbitant prices they were offering, I'd say these are still pretty new. Of course there is a big burn, which is the Justice Lords Hawkgirl, who comes in a TRU exclusive 3-pack with THE SAME TWO figures as the first Justice Lords 3-pack. So in order to get both the J-Lords Wonder Woman and the J-Lords Hawkgirl, you'll have to double up on J-Lord Supes and Bats. Which is especially discouraging because moments before I discovered this I decided I needed to get that original 3-pack. After looking at the J-Lord Flash, GL and Manhunter I bet you'll feel the same. I want the whole evil League.
Toywiz.com, from which I pulled most of these images, also offered pre-orders for the Etrigan 3-pack and the 3-pack containing the Ray, both of which ship in October. Toywiz's markups are far to high to consider.
Still no sign of Vigilante.
Monday, August 21, 2006
New stuff to check out! Ben 10
Imagine my surprise during my toy hunt on Friday when I found a whole new action figure line that was worth my attention. The cartoon is called Ben 10, and seems to be about this kid who can turn into any one of ten different aliens. The toys came in a couple formats: six-inch figures, six-inch figures with vehicles, and four-inch figures. The four-inch series was called “the Alien Series,” which includes all ten alien variations. I went for these because the six-inchers had discouraging action features that overdominated the look of the toys themselves. It also helped that the smaller ones were only $4.99 each. I picked up the two pictured here.
Both are solid, well-jointed and stand up quite well, even when their big hands are raised in front of them (I suspect the drawing style of the toon favors big hands, a number of the characters got ‘em). I especially recommend Greymatter (above) because he comes with a tiny PVC that’s a baby version of himself.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Which way does the wind blow for hot collectibles?
By John Waggoner, USA TODAY
Next time you're poking around Grandpa's barn for anti-ques, try looking on the roof instead. Antique weather vanes are some of the hottest collectibles on the market.
But you don't need a weather vane to know which way the wind is blowing in the collectibles market these days. Baseball bats, psychedelic posters and even Transformers toys are all hot items. Can't afford a Babe Ruth game bat? Consider stashing away a few items that are popular today, in hopes that they'll be hot in 2026. We have one (hyphenated) word for you: Spider-Man.
PHOTO GALLERY: Collectible weather vanes
Tapping a vane
Interest in collectibles, from antique furniture to baseball cards, has been soaring, thanks in large part to Internet exchanges like eBay. But even though you can sell just about anything online, keep in mind that just because something is old doesn't mean it's valuable. Grandpa's stuffed blowfish isn't going to sell, unless you package it with something more attractive.
So what makes a collectible collectible?
•Origin. You could sell a stuffed blowfish if Elvis kept it on his nightstand. It will certainly sell if Elvis signed it.
•Condition. Collectibles are worth more if they're in pristine condition. Toys, for example, should be in unopened boxes, preferably with shrink-wrap still on the boxes. Scratches, dents or ham-fisted repairs slash the value of antique furniture. And you should never clean an old coin or tape an old letter.
•Popularity. A few years ago, people could finance a trip to space by trading Beanie Babies. Though there's still a lively market in the stuffed toys, Beanie Baby prices are teenier now.
Of course, some collectibles never go out of style. Chippendale or Queen Anne furniture, for example, are the equivalents of blue-chip stocks, says Sotheby's expert Leslie Keno. "People battle it out for these pieces," Keno says. A 1755 Queen Anne armchair, for example, is expected to fetch $500,000 to $1 million at auction Oct. 7.
But Americana isn't just furniture. Consider weather vanes. A weather vane in the shape of a locomotive sold for $1.2 million in Manchester, N.H., this month. (It had adorned the top of a Rhode Island train station.) Another in the shape of the goddess of Liberty sold for about $1 million in January.
Weather vanes appeal to collectors because they hearken back to a simpler time, says Nancy Druckman, senior vice president for the American Folk Art Department at Sotheby's. Even though many were mass-produced, they were made from hand-carved models or templates. The best ones are works of art in their own right.
"They were made to be seen from a great distance and are very powerful visually," Druckman says.
Similarly, memorabilia from baseball's golden age tends to hold appeal even though not too many people alive today ever saw Babe Ruth hold a bat.
"Babe Ruth cards or Willie Mays bats aren't growing on trees anymore," says Joe Orlando, president of PSA/DNA Authentication Services, which verifies authenticity of collectibles.
"The market for that kind of material has never been better."
That '70s stuff
If you can't afford a weather vane or a Queen Anne chair, you still have a whole world of collectibles available to you. Look for items that recall the more immediate past.
Harry Rinker, host of Whatcha Got?, a syndicated call-in radio show about anti-ques and collectibles, says many collectibles, particularly toys, become valuable two or three decades after they're made. After 20 years or so, Rinker says, the people who grew up with those toys become nostalgic for their youth — and by then they have the money to spend on collectibles.
For the baby boomers, born 1946 to 1964, it's space toys, says Karen O'Brien, editor of O'Brien's Collecting Toys. Consider the mechanized robot toy inspired by the 1956 science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet. A battery-operated robot, sometimes called Robby the Robot, from TN Co. of Japan is worth $4,500 or more, O'Brien says.
Generation X-ers wax nostalgic for Transformers, robots that change from mechanized animals to mechanized battle-bots and later combine to form large mechanized battle-bots.
Transformers were launched in 1984.
"They were expensive toys then, and it's hard to find one still in the box," O'Brien says.
Kids got them and ripped them right out of the box. A 1987 boxed set of five Transformers — Lightspeed, Nosecone, Scattershot, Afterburner and Strafe — is worth about $550, she says. A Transformers movie, due out next year, could combine to make Transformer memorabilia even bigger.
Appliances from the 1970s are hot, too, Rinker says. "It's all about avocado, autumn harvest, rust — all those god-awful colors," he says.
Sports fans are bidding up prices of 1970s-era baseball players. Fans from the 1970s are looking for cards and memorabilia from such players as George Brett and Pete Rose, Orlando says.
Slightly older boomers are bidding up prices for posters from San Francisco's Fillmore Ballroom into the thousands.
"They're through the roof," Rinker says.
Nostalgia isn't just for U.S. investors. Thanks to a rising economy, Russian collectors are bidding up old Russian gold coins, says Tom Michael, market analyst for the Standard Catalog of World Coins. In fact, prices have gotten out hand, he says.
"They have to come down," Michael says. "I can't see them as sustainable now."
Tomorrow's anti-ques
Let's say you don't have the budget for a $500,000 weather vane. And you really hate toasters with daisies on them. What can you put away now that will be collectible later?
Check out what kids are playing with now. Bratz dolls, for example, are replacing Barbies as icons of plastic pulchritude. If you buy one for your niece, consider tucking one away for yourself.
Or consider going with an old favorite: Spider-Man. Thanks to the recent Spider-Man movies, the web-slinger is popular with kids once again, Rinker says.
O'Brien says Superman toys also endure. The Man of Steel made his debut in 1938, so many people alive today have grown up with him, she says. The TV series Smallville has brought Superman to a new generation as a teen hero.
Another potentially hot collectible: The Most Wanted card deck that the U.S. produced shortly after the invasion of Iraq, says Michael, who is also co-editor of Coins and Currencies of the Middle East. Look for the ones originally issued to soldiers. Eventually, they could be worth $50 or $60 apiece, up from about $10 now.
Anything you buy now for investment later is purely speculative, Rinker notes.
People may wax nostalgic for Lost in Space, but if you collected Mr. Ed memorabilia, they were probably best left in the barn. But if you have a barn, take good care of the weather vane.
Next time you're poking around Grandpa's barn for anti-ques, try looking on the roof instead. Antique weather vanes are some of the hottest collectibles on the market.
But you don't need a weather vane to know which way the wind is blowing in the collectibles market these days. Baseball bats, psychedelic posters and even Transformers toys are all hot items. Can't afford a Babe Ruth game bat? Consider stashing away a few items that are popular today, in hopes that they'll be hot in 2026. We have one (hyphenated) word for you: Spider-Man.
PHOTO GALLERY: Collectible weather vanes
Tapping a vane
Interest in collectibles, from antique furniture to baseball cards, has been soaring, thanks in large part to Internet exchanges like eBay. But even though you can sell just about anything online, keep in mind that just because something is old doesn't mean it's valuable. Grandpa's stuffed blowfish isn't going to sell, unless you package it with something more attractive.
So what makes a collectible collectible?
•Origin. You could sell a stuffed blowfish if Elvis kept it on his nightstand. It will certainly sell if Elvis signed it.
•Condition. Collectibles are worth more if they're in pristine condition. Toys, for example, should be in unopened boxes, preferably with shrink-wrap still on the boxes. Scratches, dents or ham-fisted repairs slash the value of antique furniture. And you should never clean an old coin or tape an old letter.
•Popularity. A few years ago, people could finance a trip to space by trading Beanie Babies. Though there's still a lively market in the stuffed toys, Beanie Baby prices are teenier now.
Of course, some collectibles never go out of style. Chippendale or Queen Anne furniture, for example, are the equivalents of blue-chip stocks, says Sotheby's expert Leslie Keno. "People battle it out for these pieces," Keno says. A 1755 Queen Anne armchair, for example, is expected to fetch $500,000 to $1 million at auction Oct. 7.
But Americana isn't just furniture. Consider weather vanes. A weather vane in the shape of a locomotive sold for $1.2 million in Manchester, N.H., this month. (It had adorned the top of a Rhode Island train station.) Another in the shape of the goddess of Liberty sold for about $1 million in January.
Weather vanes appeal to collectors because they hearken back to a simpler time, says Nancy Druckman, senior vice president for the American Folk Art Department at Sotheby's. Even though many were mass-produced, they were made from hand-carved models or templates. The best ones are works of art in their own right.
"They were made to be seen from a great distance and are very powerful visually," Druckman says.
Similarly, memorabilia from baseball's golden age tends to hold appeal even though not too many people alive today ever saw Babe Ruth hold a bat.
"Babe Ruth cards or Willie Mays bats aren't growing on trees anymore," says Joe Orlando, president of PSA/DNA Authentication Services, which verifies authenticity of collectibles.
"The market for that kind of material has never been better."
That '70s stuff
If you can't afford a weather vane or a Queen Anne chair, you still have a whole world of collectibles available to you. Look for items that recall the more immediate past.
Harry Rinker, host of Whatcha Got?, a syndicated call-in radio show about anti-ques and collectibles, says many collectibles, particularly toys, become valuable two or three decades after they're made. After 20 years or so, Rinker says, the people who grew up with those toys become nostalgic for their youth — and by then they have the money to spend on collectibles.
For the baby boomers, born 1946 to 1964, it's space toys, says Karen O'Brien, editor of O'Brien's Collecting Toys. Consider the mechanized robot toy inspired by the 1956 science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet. A battery-operated robot, sometimes called Robby the Robot, from TN Co. of Japan is worth $4,500 or more, O'Brien says.
Generation X-ers wax nostalgic for Transformers, robots that change from mechanized animals to mechanized battle-bots and later combine to form large mechanized battle-bots.
Transformers were launched in 1984.
"They were expensive toys then, and it's hard to find one still in the box," O'Brien says.
Kids got them and ripped them right out of the box. A 1987 boxed set of five Transformers — Lightspeed, Nosecone, Scattershot, Afterburner and Strafe — is worth about $550, she says. A Transformers movie, due out next year, could combine to make Transformer memorabilia even bigger.
Appliances from the 1970s are hot, too, Rinker says. "It's all about avocado, autumn harvest, rust — all those god-awful colors," he says.
Sports fans are bidding up prices of 1970s-era baseball players. Fans from the 1970s are looking for cards and memorabilia from such players as George Brett and Pete Rose, Orlando says.
Slightly older boomers are bidding up prices for posters from San Francisco's Fillmore Ballroom into the thousands.
"They're through the roof," Rinker says.
Nostalgia isn't just for U.S. investors. Thanks to a rising economy, Russian collectors are bidding up old Russian gold coins, says Tom Michael, market analyst for the Standard Catalog of World Coins. In fact, prices have gotten out hand, he says.
"They have to come down," Michael says. "I can't see them as sustainable now."
Tomorrow's anti-ques
Let's say you don't have the budget for a $500,000 weather vane. And you really hate toasters with daisies on them. What can you put away now that will be collectible later?
Check out what kids are playing with now. Bratz dolls, for example, are replacing Barbies as icons of plastic pulchritude. If you buy one for your niece, consider tucking one away for yourself.
Or consider going with an old favorite: Spider-Man. Thanks to the recent Spider-Man movies, the web-slinger is popular with kids once again, Rinker says.
O'Brien says Superman toys also endure. The Man of Steel made his debut in 1938, so many people alive today have grown up with him, she says. The TV series Smallville has brought Superman to a new generation as a teen hero.
Another potentially hot collectible: The Most Wanted card deck that the U.S. produced shortly after the invasion of Iraq, says Michael, who is also co-editor of Coins and Currencies of the Middle East. Look for the ones originally issued to soldiers. Eventually, they could be worth $50 or $60 apiece, up from about $10 now.
Anything you buy now for investment later is purely speculative, Rinker notes.
People may wax nostalgic for Lost in Space, but if you collected Mr. Ed memorabilia, they were probably best left in the barn. But if you have a barn, take good care of the weather vane.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Assimilate!
Skinny Puppy - Assimilate
Wow, check out Skinny Puppy performing "Assimilate". It never occured to me that they performed live.
Wow, check out Skinny Puppy performing "Assimilate". It never occured to me that they performed live.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Lego Scoop
No pictures available yet, but they're coming.
Droids Battle Pack (7654) - EUR 12.99
Clone Troopers Battle Pack (7655) - EUR 12.99
General Grievous’ Starfighter (7656) - EUR 25.99
AT-ST (7657) - EUR 24.99
Y-wing Fighter (7658) - EUR 45.99
Imperial Landing Craft (7659) - EUR 64.99
Woo Hoo! Octopunk's last box arrives
I mailed four boxes to myself when I was in RI last month; the first three arrived the following week and the fourth one took three weeks to get here. And the gorillas managed to break the casing on my Cuisinart, dammit! And I don't care how gay that sounds.
The good news is my toys all arrived safely, including the glorious Thunder Cab pictured above (pic snagged from eBay since I don't have a camera anymore). The rest of the box was filled with my action figures that don't belong to vast categories like Star Wars or Marvel. This endears them to me in a special way, because I think it's the strange nooks and crannies of a collection that really reflect the collector.
Whatever, I'm glad they're here. The only action figures left in my East Coast storage space are the handful of Disneys, all the Alien related ones (in a box with the Alien Queen Playset), and some others I threw in the Alien box because they had antennae atop their heads and that box had lots of room at the top. No squishy antennae! Basically it's a few Antz figs and NM-E, guys like that.
Of even more note, the bulk of the figs' accessories still languish in the dark. It's amazing how many figures just don't cut the same slice of cool without their stuff. You can bet your ass I won't use the Post Office for that haul.
Coldplay/Kraftwerk? You decide
Coldplay - Talk
So I was in this store and the new Coldplay song was playing. It thought it was pretty good and then I realized why - they TOTALLY ripped off Kraftwerk's Computer Love!!! Give it a listen. The video is actually kind of cool, but still...
So I was in this store and the new Coldplay song was playing. It thought it was pretty good and then I realized why - they TOTALLY ripped off Kraftwerk's Computer Love!!! Give it a listen. The video is actually kind of cool, but still...
Friday, August 11, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Kraftwerk rocks
Kraftwerk - The Robots
This video is just adorable! At this point in their career Kraftwerk clearly had their fingers on the pulse of the future, they just lacked money to realize it. Check out this video and look how hard they try.
This video is just adorable! At this point in their career Kraftwerk clearly had their fingers on the pulse of the future, they just lacked money to realize it. Check out this video and look how hard they try.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Speaking of watching each other's backs...
For a huge chunk of time my after-school routine was Ray Clark coming to my house with his Star Wars figures and we'd "build a base." Every time the base involved the same pair of TV trays and my father's set of Life Science Library books. Usually we'd spend the whole time building it and he'd have to go home before we actually played anything, but that was fine.Ray was the only person I knew who also had the now-coveted Blue Snaggletooth. So, some time after we'd ceased our usual routine I wandered over to his house and asked if I could have his, since I had a friend who only had the little red one, the poor sap. I'd correctly surmised that Ray didn't care for those figures anymore; he said yes and I handed the figure over to JPX, probably saving him over a hundred bucks at some distant future time.
Ray went on to marry one of my sister Julie's high school friends, and I saw him at her wedding a few weeks ago. We reminisced about making bases and such, and Ray mentioned that his daughter liked to play with his Star Wars figure collection. "I told her they were really valuable," he said enthusiastically, "I kept them all."
"Uhh..." I said in a low voice, "all but one."
My biggest currently unresolved toy-related "D'oh!"
You know what I’m talking about. The toy that you left at your cousin’s house and never saw again. Or your brother broke it. Or, if you’re JPX, your mother threw it away. Thanks to eBay we no longer need to wait for good luck to right those terrible wrongs. Here’s some that I’ve corrected in recent years:
I replaced my Dinky Eagle after I, myself, threw away the middle section during a big room clean.
I replaced my Doctor Fate and Green Arrow, both of whom disappeared after being informally absorbed into my brother’s G.I. Joe collection. (Dr. Fate’s severed forearm did show up.)
I finally purchased an American-produced Super Powers Cyborg, after I’d bought two unimpressive knock-offs and accidentally thrown one of them away (or so I presume, a container of things I wanted to make molds of vanished from beneath my desk at Deathmatch; my best theory is that it tipped into the waste basket).
Also from that mysterious vanishing, I replaced the Alpha Series Cloud Car. As a result I have three regular Action Fleet Cloud Cars, which isn’t a toy worth having even two of, let alone three.
When I was in NYC I snagged a loose Captain Kirk in his spacesuit and lost the helmet that same day, which naturally drove me nuts. I replaced that during a particularly jobless and moneyless month during my early days of living in San Francisco.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, some time back JPX was visiting me in New York, and when I spotted an exclusive glow-in-the-dark Radioactive Homer at St. Mark’s Comics for 25 bucks, JPX said:
“Nah, don’t buy it for that. They’ve got one at my store in Massachusetts for only 20. And if it isn’t there, you can have my glow-in-the-dark Radioactive Homer.”
Pretty convincing, right? I figured I’d have one in my mitts either way.
BUT, very shortly afterwards that figure turned out to be extremely rare and sought-after – before today I’ve never seen one listed for less than 100 bucks.
Today, however, there’s a loose one on eBay and I threw down for it. I don’t know if I’m going to win; I’m the high bidder right now at 51 bucks and I shouldn’t even be spending that much this week. The auction ends on Sunday.
I don’t blame you, JPX, for needing to hold on to the one you have once you realized its value. But you were the certainly the frontman in this particular “D’oh!” If you advise me not to go for this one, I probably won't listen to you.
Update: I had to let this one go, I'm too broke this week. It sold for 68 bucks, and I definitely would've gone higher. Ah well.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Indiana Jones is lonely
Indiana Jones Kenner TV Commercial
All the shadows and fog can't disguise the fact that there are no other Indiana Jones characters in this toy line. For crying out loud, where's Belloq? Cairo Swordsman? Nazi? Sure the first thing every kid did was roll a ball after him, but then what? I guess you could pair him up with Chewie so they could defeat Darth...oh never mind. Lame.
All the shadows and fog can't disguise the fact that there are no other Indiana Jones characters in this toy line. For crying out loud, where's Belloq? Cairo Swordsman? Nazi? Sure the first thing every kid did was roll a ball after him, but then what? I guess you could pair him up with Chewie so they could defeat Darth...oh never mind. Lame.
Comic-Con nerd teases us about upcoming Justice League Unlimited figures
Just got back from the San Diego Comic-Con and let me tell you, the Justice League Unlimited line is about to explode with new figures, I went to the special toy question pannel that Mattel set-up, plus what they showed and displayed now come to about 30 brand new characters from now until 2007, with some figures still being underwraps. The are as follows
-The Huntress,-Big barda,-Vigialnte,-Shinning Knight,-Star Girl,-Kyle Rayner,-Katma Tui,-Etrigan,-Arkis Chummuck,-Zatanna,-Obsidian,-The Ray,-Sand,-Nemesis,-Ligh Ray,-Shayera Hol,-Doomsday(target exclusive),-The Shade,-Star Sapphire,-Parasite,-Volcana,-Justice Lords: GL, Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Hawk Girl(target exclusive), Plus the coolest surprise was that Hawkgirl will be packaged with redecoed Justice Lord Batman and Superman to make them look like the Brainithor Clones. There were hints also to one more Green Lantern 3 pack, Some unique exclusives that will be only geared toward collectors, and somemore female figures leading up until the end of 07, when asked if the line may be discontinued after that, the Mattel representative stated that no talks about any Mattel figure line has gone past 07 yet, so we should not have to worry right now.
Friday, July 28, 2006
New Death Star Gunner with removable helmet
I'm a bit worried that he might only look good in this pose.
Hasbro is running out of ideas
Now this is just weird. It's no secret that Hasbro has been repacking their Star Wars figures for years ("She has a new hat!"), but it seems that even Hasbro realizes they need to make the repack thing less obvious. It appears that some marketing wizard in a toy-pitch meeting came up with a novel way to put new paint on old walls. Just look at this - they went back to the old Marvel comic books and decided to paint repacks in the colors of the original artwork. Check out these examples.
I'm not at all impressed with Han and Chewie, they look exactly the same.
Okay, I like Tarkin's color and the red eyes on the stormtrooper are pretty sweet, but not sweet enough to own ("He has new eyes!").
I'm kinda digging the Rebel pilot and, godamnit, I like the Darth too. I'm really pleased that Hasbro is bringing back the cloth capes.
Here's what Rebelscum has to say about it, "Hasbro officially announced last weekend at Comic-Con a new series of 2-packs based on the Expanded Universe series of comic books. These sets will retail for $9.99 and will include a reprint of the original comic, plus 2 action figures.
The initial wave will focus on the classic Marvel Comics Star Wars series, and will be made up of repacked figures from the past, painted up in the same color scheme as they appeared in the panels of the original comic books, complete with shadows and highlights painted on.
Rumor has it that a Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper disguise) & R2-D2 is also on tap from the Marvel era. No word yet if all 6 issues will be part of this series.
The next batch of these sets will focus on characters from the Dark Horse series of comic books. This time however, instead of repaints of previous figures, these will be made up of new sculpts.
While the internet-exclusive Kir Kanos & Carnor Jax will serve as a precursor to this series, look for the following sets in 2007:
Quinlan Vos & Vilmarh Grahrk
Obi-Wan Kenobi & ARC Trooper Alpha (rumored)
Mara Jade & ???"
I'm not at all impressed with Han and Chewie, they look exactly the same.
Okay, I like Tarkin's color and the red eyes on the stormtrooper are pretty sweet, but not sweet enough to own ("He has new eyes!").
I'm kinda digging the Rebel pilot and, godamnit, I like the Darth too. I'm really pleased that Hasbro is bringing back the cloth capes.
Here's what Rebelscum has to say about it, "Hasbro officially announced last weekend at Comic-Con a new series of 2-packs based on the Expanded Universe series of comic books. These sets will retail for $9.99 and will include a reprint of the original comic, plus 2 action figures.
The initial wave will focus on the classic Marvel Comics Star Wars series, and will be made up of repacked figures from the past, painted up in the same color scheme as they appeared in the panels of the original comic books, complete with shadows and highlights painted on.
Rumor has it that a Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper disguise) & R2-D2 is also on tap from the Marvel era. No word yet if all 6 issues will be part of this series.
The next batch of these sets will focus on characters from the Dark Horse series of comic books. This time however, instead of repaints of previous figures, these will be made up of new sculpts.
While the internet-exclusive Kir Kanos & Carnor Jax will serve as a precursor to this series, look for the following sets in 2007:
Quinlan Vos & Vilmarh Grahrk
Obi-Wan Kenobi & ARC Trooper Alpha (rumored)
Mara Jade & ???"
I love the Snowspeeder
Yep, it's true. Octopunk, I know you've never really liked the Snowspeeder design, but there's just something so simple yet sleek about it that I've alway grooved on. It's the kind of design that makes you say, "Well of course". It's almost like you ask yourself, "How is it that this wasn't designed before, it's so obvious?" Although I've been increasingly disappointed in the state of Star Wars figures these days, I've been pleased to see that the ships are getting even better quality-wise. Look at the detailing on this baby.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Ithorians RULE
I held this picture back when I was posting yesterday so I could get another post out of it. This makes me want to get a Clone Wars dvd RIGHT NOW so I can watch this dude use his wall of sound to mash droids. Love his big hands, too.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
New Star Wars animated-style maquettes
More good news in the category of stuff I can't afford, Gentle Giant is making animated maquettes for Original Trilogy characters. This is the same outfit that made the Clone Wars maquettes I was gabbing about last December (here and here), but what's really amazing is that these aren't based on any actual existing cartoon. It sure makes me wish they were, though.
Click here for a good article on the designing of these pretty bastards.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Lame Star Trek toys
Terrible Star Trek Mego products
Wow, did you know Mego made other things besides crappy "dolls"? These products are about as much fun as a fart in an elevator. I love how they try to market the calculator as a "toy".
Wow, did you know Mego made other things besides crappy "dolls"? These products are about as much fun as a fart in an elevator. I love how they try to market the calculator as a "toy".
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Mobile Action Command
Does anybody here remember these? I had some of these toys but, unusually: 1)I can't recall exactly which ones I had, and 2)not one single piece of plastic from any of these toys survived my childhood. The last thing that lived was the person-holding bucket from the end of the liftarm of this rescue vehicle below. I removed it and pretended my Twiki figure used it as a flying vehicle, like the flying trash can things that Dick Tracy sometimes used. The bucket's gone, but I still have Twiki. Beedie-beedie-beedie.
M.A.C. men were small but kind of cool. Their vehicles had that mildly futuristic look I associated with the background vehicles on Thunderbirds, that "21st century as seen by the 1960's" look. You can see in the bottom picture that they redid the torsos to make them bulkier -- not an improvement. I don't think I ever got any of the buffer M.A.C. men; I preferred the more rectangular torso. I looked on ebay yesterday and only the beefy guys were available.
Check out the M.A.C. archive page here.
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