Author Archives: Jon

Collection Spotlight — Chief Medical Officer Raphael (Playmates, 1994)

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At the height of the merchandising zeitgeist that Playmates launched into toy aisles during the 1990s, they created an unholy union between their two top product lines: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek.

TMNT_Raph

Official Collectible Trading Card Biography:

“When the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise go into hyper space and nosh down to many alien pizzas, it’s up to Chief Medical Officer Raphael to clear the air.  Using his highly sensitive Mutant medical classic tricorder, Chief Medical Officer Rapheal quickly determines the state of things.  Whether he’s beaming down to some unknown planet or attending some illogical ceremony on the planet Vulcan, Chief Medical Officer Raphael brings with him good common sense and a classic Foot blastin’ phaser, just in case common sense dictates blastin’ the baddies.  

It was not until recently that I realized that his indescribable mash up of two of my lifelong franchises existed.  Imagine my excitement when I dusted off this carded figure from a dealer’s overstock box earlier this month at Wizard World Philly.  It must have been fate that brought me to Chief Medical Officer Raphael that day (It was nearly 25 years after I walked out of KB Toys in the Neshaminy Mall with my first ever Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Series 1 Raphael).

As one of the later releases in the Playmates line, Chief Medical Officer Raphael has seven points of articulation (neck, arms, elbows, legs) and decent paint applications.  The Star Trek/TMNT theme mashup is very effective, giving Raphael the appropriate tunic color, rank, and insignia.  With a grimace reminiscent of Dr. McCoy this a great addition to any Star Trek or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan.  And now I have to do track down the remaining three figures in this line.

 

The Lego Movie Trailer Had Me At ’1980s Something Space Guy”

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I vaguely remember something about a LEGO movie going into production some time last year, but at no point did I expect to see something that looked anywhere near as entertaining and visually accurate to the LEGO experience.

As someone who has never outgrown their love of all things LEGO, I cannot fucking wait to see this movie.  Everything I’ve seen from this trailer accurately depicts the greatest aspect of playing with LEGO is that your only limit is your imagination.

The Lego Movie is slated for a 2014 release.

via [Ain't It Cool News]

“You Go In The First 5 Seconds” A New International Trailer for Riddick

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I have been eagerly anticipating the big screen return of Richard B. Riddick for quite some time now as the release of Riddick is just months away.  Vin Diesel returns to his signature role in a story which more closely resembles that of Pitch Black then say The Chronicles of Riddick.  A new international trailer has been released which details some of the broad strokes of the sequel: hostile planet, bounty hunters, big scary nocturnal predators … and I couldn’t be more excited.  And you know what doesn’t hurt at all? Katee Sackhoff.

I give Diesel a lot of credit, he clearly enjoys the hell out of this character and has fought long and hard to keep the franchise going despite the lukewarm box office and critical results of The Chronicles of Riddick.

I have thoroughly enjoyed both entries in the Riddick-verse and I highly suggest seeking out the Director’s Cut of The Chronicles of Riddick.  As silly as the whole Necromonger mythology is, there are some critical scenes and characters cut out which help flesh out Riddick’s past and frame out some of the awkward religious babble.

via [Ain't It Cool News]

B-Movie Mania!!! Blob Fest 2013 at the Colonial Theatre

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This July the truly excellent Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA will be playing host Blob Fest 2013, its celebration of the 1958 B-movie classic film The Blob.  During the weekend of July 12th-14th the Colonial Theatre will be the epicenter for all things Blob related, including a street fair and parade on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to its annual “Run Out” on Friday night (which is already sold out) there will of course be classic screenings throughout the weekend of The Blob, Them!, Tarantula, The Deadly Mantis.

For a full rundown of the weekend’s festivities check out the Blob Fest on Facebook.

Bath Fitter, The Saddest Booth @ Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con

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If you figured that the booth featuring the Twilight moms at the Fangs, Fur & Fantasy selling their fan fiction was the most awkward and saddest booth on the show floor, good try but you are wrong.

Because when I think Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con I immediately think, I wish there was someone there that could give me information on how to cheaply give my bath surround facelift.  

Bath Fitter, The Saddest Booth @ Wizard World Philadelphia

Bath Fitter, The Saddest Booth @ Wizard World Philadelphia

 

 

Sightings — Bootleg Tyler Stout Prints @ Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con

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Anyone who has been to any comic convention can attest to the fact that there is always a booth or two that deals in bootlegged items.  For the longest time the only way to get certain DVDs i.e. the awful Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie was from a shady booth set way in the back of the convention floor.

While cruising through the aisles of Wizard World Philadelphia I happened to spot a very familiar print from Captain America: The First Avenger that seemed out of place.

Bootleg Tyler Stout 'Captain America - The First Avenger'

Bootleg Tyler Stout ‘Captain America – The First Avenger’

Yes, that is a blatant scan and reprint of Tyler Stout’s print which was released in 2011.  I would like to apologize for the blurriness, but the dealer would not permit photography of his merchandise (despite my press credentials) so I had to engage my ninja skills to document this.

In my brief interaction with this dealer, he presented a lot of his offerings as original or ‘commissioned’ pieces, and clearly did not want to engage in further conversation with me.  This is America, everyone should be entitled to make a living, but I really feel bad for the fan who may have picked that up for $60.00 was under the impression that it was actually a Tyler Stout print … not a bootleg scan slapped into a $5.00 frame from AC Moore.

 

Acid Free Gallery Booth @ Wizard World Philadelphia

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Acid Free Gallery Booth #555

Acid Free Gallery Booth #555

One of my first stops at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con was at the Acid Free Gallery (Booth #555) to check out their exclusive prints as well as some of their catalog pieces.

The undoubted star of the show was their Soundwave print by Laurent Deriux, which they were fully expecting to sell through during the course of the show.  However my personal favorite was Tom Whalen’s Voltron,  I’ve long been a fan of Whalen’s style and own several prints as well as some sketches.  And this is an excellent piece to grab that is indicative of his style and love of 1980s pop culture.

If you weren’t at Wizard World Philadelphia, you will have a chance to purchase all of their exclusive prints today, June 4th at 12:30pm when they go up on Acid Free Gallery’s website.

 

Collection Spotlight — GI Joe #95 (1989)

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gijoe95cover

GI Joe #95 Cover Scan from my collection

Thanks to the dealers at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con I am now roughly 40 issues short of a complete run of Marvel’s GI Joe series.  One of the purchases I made was G.I. Joe #95, the second part of The Snake Eyes Trilogy, and I immediately fell in love with cover art.  There’s just so much to love here, a battered Snake Eyes silhouetted against flames and a Cobra insignia amidst a pile of broken (and most likely dead) Cobra Vipers.

 

Toy Hunting At Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con

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I enjoy the obscure vintage toy line as much as the next guy; but I saw lots of Megos, vintage Masters of the Universe, and GI Joe going for prices WAY above market value.  This valuation is driven by two factors: 1) paying off the insane booth rental fees at the Con and 2) Travel Channel’s hit shot Toy Hunter.

During my wanderings I documented some of my favorite finds that I most definitely could not afford or risk bringing home and having to explain said purchase to my wife.

Vintage GI Joe

Vintage GI Joe Sky Raven — Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con 2013

A sealed GI Joe Sky Raven, which was going for $400 at the Con. A repaint of the very popular Cobra Night Raven, but the savvy eBayer can pick one of these up for around $250.00

Kenner's Sherwood Forrest Playset

Kenner’s Sherwood Forrest Playset

I thoroughly respect anyone who has had this Sherwood Forrest playset sitting in their garage since the release of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.  I’m sure someone walked away with this for $75 at the end of the show on Sunday.  

Remants of the much maligned Street Fighter ... err GI Joe Street Fighter line from Hasbro

Remants of the much maligned Street Fighter … err GI Joe Street Fighter line from Hasbro

 This dealer wanted $40 a piece for these figures which is a complete non-starter.  He also had a slew of vehicles from the Street Fighter line as well.  I remember getting some of these for a steal at KB Toys.

Tally Hawk!

Tally Hawk!f

This Silverhawks electric toothbrush holder/electronic figurine was quite simply the greatest thing I saw all weekend.  I never even knew this thing existed, and those are the finds I enjoy the most.  

MIB Playmates' Starship Enterprise-D

MIB Playmates’ Starship Enterprise-D

Despite the lurid instructions to PRESS HERE, this dealer was not having it.  When asked if I could test the electronics (because I wanted to make an offer) he removed it from the table.  Ass clown.

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Another dealer had a bin full of broken GI Joe vehicles from anywhere from $12-$15 a piece.  Very dirty, but some really great vintage items in that Rubbermaid tote of despair.  

IMG_3277

And what did I walk away with you ask? Two very cool figures … a carded Nightfighter Robocop from the Kenner Robocop and the Ultra Police line and a Star Trek Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Chief Medical Officer Raphael.  Look for reviews on both coming up shortly.

 

Optimus Prime Has More Flames … Because Hasbro Said So

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This afternoon I realized that I was really out of the Transformers 4 news loop not only when was the new alt-mode for Optimus Prime was revealed, but principal photography on the film had actually started today.  I am a life long Transformers fan and I find myself having a conflicted view of Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise.

After the release of Transformers: Dark of The Moon I was ready for a break.  Seeing the Autobots in a trilogy of live action films really was my childhood dream realized (although I could have done without 85% of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).  And even though Michael Bay said he was done with Transformers, everyone knows that in today’s Hollywood he is literally the only director that can actually make these films work.

I remember back in 2006 when the alt-mode for Optimus Prime was revealed on the Internet and the uber neck beards were over the top and chock full of hyperbole.  People were upset that he was a Peterbilt and that he was mostly blue and had flames!  But with today’s reveal of Optimus Prime … the fan reaction is surprisingly positive.

Optimus-Prime-980v2

I have to admit I think that the redesign is pretty damn cool and completely over the top in typical Michael Bay fashion.  But don’t let His Bayness fool you, this redesign was completely dictated by Hasbro simply due to the fact that they did not sell enough toys in conjunction with Transformers: Dark of The Moon.  Hasbro essentially used the same molds for five years and refreshing them with new paint applications and gimmicks.

Now Optimus was not the only reveal this week, two more Autobots’ alt-modes were unveiled a 2013 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse which is reportedly “Drift” and a 014 C7 Corvette Stingray concept which is dubbed “Slingshot”.

I’m sure as filming progresses we will find out what other Autobots and Decepticons are joining the ranks for Transformers 4 which is slated for a June 2014 release.

via [SlashFilm] & [TFW2005]