What I Just Read

A few months back I saw the graphic novel Laika, by Nick Abadzis at a local book store. I was fascinated by the beautiful, non "traditional" look of the art and by the subject matter as well.

But I didn't buy it, because I have a hard time with books about dogs. The last dog book I read was My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen and I probably cried for three weeks after finishing it.

I stumbled across Laika again last Saturday at the library and, having a couple hours to kill, I read the whole thing on the spot - despite the fact that I knew I'd be struggling with my emotions in a public place. I bit my lip, my tongue, looked away, stopped and read other books at times to maintain composure, but it's probably better I was in public. If I was in private I would have been a sobbing mess.

But that's a good thing, because Nick Abadzis, through his beautiful graphic style, was able to tell an honest, emotional story based on the life of Laika, Earth's First Astronaut.

From :01 First Second Books:

Earth's First Astronaut

Laika was the abandoned puppy who grew up to become Earth’s first space traveler. This is her story.

Nick Abadzis masterfully blends fact and fiction as he recounts Laika’s journey — from the streets of Moscow to the Soviet space program, and then to her fateful final journey on Sputnik 2. Moving words and powerful pictures relate the history of this momentous event and the political landscape surrounding it, through the life of this small, curly-tailed dog. Poignant and authentic, Laika's story speaks straight to the heart.

I recommend this book to any and every fan of the graphic storytelling medium.

How many faces must a MOTU have, before they call him Man-E-Faces?

The answer my friend is...three.



Man-E-Faces was released in 1982 and like Meck-a-Neck, his power or ability is so very lame yet so action figure awesome as to create a paradox that shatters all reason.

Rotate the dial on his head, and he has three distinct faces. That's it. He doesn't even change one single component of his body. Just his face. In other words, Man-E-Faces' power can be recreated by any Eternian with three bucks and bus pass to the nearest Spirit Halloween store.

Yet somehow Man-E-Faces pulls it off and is so very awesome that no kid I knew could resist twisting his head around for hours of schizophrenic fun!

Man-E-Faces could be a robot:

"I am a Robot!"

A monster:


"Like, grrrr, man!"

Or a heroic human:



"Whoah, I feel dizzy!"


As you can see, the effect loses a little of it's kick at a mere foot away.

But somehow he's still so very awesome.

Man-E-Faces. Eighties Paradox.

Main Sssqueeze

The later years of the original Master of the Universe line brought about the sub-sect of the Snakemen. Although snake based villains weren't new to the line (in the personage of Kobra Kahn,) it wasn't until Mattel pushed out King Hiss and his minions that Eternia became a scaley place to live indeed.

And in true MOTU fashion, all the Snake-horses and all the Snakemen (okay there weren't Snake-horses, but that would have been cool, no?) had to have snake based gimmicks. Which brings us to Sssqueeze:



Sssqueeze was a pretty standard reptile looking guy up close, but pull back to reveal...



Sssqueeze has long arms to wrap around his victims in a death hug of epic proportions!



Obviously based on a Boa Constrictor, Sssqueeze's hands were made so he could hold his arms tight, and his arms are like your typical bendy toy, with a metal wire inside to keep their position.

Yo! Go suck a snake egg, He-man!

Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

The Shadow knows!

In 1994, the radio and pulp vigilante The Shadow burst onto the silver screen, starring Alec Baldwin in the starring role. The film wasn't much of a success, but I actually enjoyed it, and a recent re-viewing upheld my original interpretation. It's a good flick!

Amazingly, The Shadow also spawned a toyline by Kenner at the same time.

This is "Lightning Draw Shadow." He's the closest of the few figures released to The Shadow's traditional look. He isn't the greatest action figure of all time, a little plain, but then again, how often do we get action figures from 1930s radio drama supernatural vigilantes?

The Shadow has red plastic "piping" so that light shining into his hat shines out his red eyes. that's pretty cool, of not really relevant to the character. His nose is also covered by his sash, which makes him look more like a bad cowboy.

If you squeeze Shadow's legs, his arms flip up in a firing pose. I got this guy at the Swap Meet for a quarter, so he doesn't have his guns, but I'm sure I can improvise.

In the meantime, he's still a pretty cool figure and probably not a tough find on eBay if anyone is looking for him and others from his line. Surprisingly, they even produced a couple vehicles for this series!

But of course, The Shadow already knew that.

Hahahaha HAHAHA hahahah HA!

Oooh Baby Baby it's a Wild World

Before there was He-Man, there was Blackstar.

Blackstar was a concept very similar to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, following the same basic Sword and Sorcery meets Star Wars story and characterizations.

Blackstar was a Filmation cartoon like He-Man but was initially launched without a toyline (remember those days?)

The show was a flop, but the success of another Filmation endeavor immediately thereafter - He-Man - gave rise to a Blackstar toy line and a re-release of the Blackstar cartoon; but still the success of the line/characters/concept paled in comparison to Masters of the Universe and today is merely a footnote in the annals of eighties toy and cartoon history.

As a kid I had a few Blackstar figures, but they just didn't exhibit the same level of charm that my MOTU figures had. Regardless, they weren't half bad, and actually had some keen features and characters too. None survived in my collection to adulthood, but the other day I came across this furry fellow, Tongo, at the flea market and picked him up for a quarter.


I remember having Tongo as a kid, but remember nothing about his character from the cartoon. I also had Blackstar, Neptul, Overlord, and Kadray.

Tongo was available in this version and also with a spark-action chest medal. I think I had the sparking one when I was a kid. The badguys all came with little rubber demons and the good guys all came with Trobbits. The demon was there at the swap meet too, but he was missing a leg so I left him there.

Another of the gimmicks of the Blackstar toyline was glow-in-the-dark weapons. Sadly my Tongo has none of these, but I remember that as being a very cool feature when I was a kid. There's nothing better than turning out the lights and playing with your action figures. I mean, there WAS nothing better...I am an adult now, it's not like I'd be playing with my action figures after dark anymore. Or any less. HA!

Tongo shares a lot of similarities with the original MOTU figures, but he's a little bit larger. He shares the same type of articulation, similar taste in clothing (or lack thereof,) same squatty stance and similar construction.

I was actually considering buying a Tongo on eBay last year because I wanted a Blackstar representative in my toy collection. I never followed through, so thanks to the Swap Meet for once again bringing a piece of my childhood back into my hands. He's really pretty silly looking, and comes across as more of a knock-off MOTU than a legitimate Galoob made contemporary, and it's fun to imagine him and his cronies being both first (in cartoon form) and runner-up (in toy form) to the juggernaut that was Masters of the Universe back in the early eighties.

Meow, man!

Anyways, I may have to track down a couple more of these Blackstar guys. they are pretty cool after all, and are probably pretty cheap and easy to find, since the line didn't last too long and isn't very big in the collector circuit.

Also, all this Blackstar talk also has me wondering about the famed Wonder Bread He-Man, and if the similarities to that toy's design and the look of Blackstar holds a clue to his origins. Hmmm.

Anyways, here's some Blackstar for your viewing pleasure:

Crisis on Earth-Blog: Super Powers 25th Anniversary

There's something BIG going on in the blogosphere today - too big for just one blog to handle! The call went out far and wide in celebration of the world's greatest DC action figure toyline (at least until DCUC came about) and it's 25th anniversary!

Sadly, I do not own one single piece of Super Powers merchandise (I was more of a *gasp* Marvelite back then!) But these fine folk are doing a better job than I ever could anyways, so swing by one and all of them and regale your eyes at the awesomeness that is Super Powers!

Aquaman Shrine - http://www.aquamanshrine.blogspot.com/


Bat-Blog - http://www.tomztoyz.blogspot.com/


Being Carter Hall - http://beingcarterhall.blogspot.com/


SpeedForce - http://speedforce.org/


Crimson Lightning - http://thefastestmanalive.blogspot.com/


Dispatches from the Arrow Cave - http://thearrowcave.blogspot.com/


Love Dat Joker - http://lovedatjoker.livejournal.com/


Justice League Detroit - http://justiceleaguedetroit.blogspot.com/


Idol-Head of Diabolu - http://idol-head.blogspot.com/


... nurgh ... - http://nurgh.blogspot.com/


Doom Patrol blog - http://mygreatestadventure80.blogspot.com/


Fortress of Baileytude - http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/


Firestorm Fan - http://firestormfan.com/


Once Upon A Geek - http://onceuponageek.com/



...and check out this groovy Super Powers ad I found in World's Finest Comics number 307, September 1984.

How Bizarro

Goodbye!

Me am not DC Infinite Heroes Bizarro dollie. Me made by Hasbro. Me not released in three pack with DCIH Wonder Girl and Supergirl. Me also available in single pack.


Bizarro not very cool toy. Me have so much articulation too! Bizarro love so much articulation, me want to do Yoga, that why so much articulation am good to have!

Bizarro look happy. Bizarro colors bright and cheery, and skin so soft and tan, not like friend Superman.


Bizarro not have "S" on front of cape too. Lame!

Hurry, me not hear something!


ZZZOOOOOOOOOOMMMMZOOOMMMMZOOMZOOM!



CRACK!

OOOF!!!

Bizarro not faster than slowpoke.

Bizarro have nowhere to go now. This post am great, and there am more me want to say.

Hello.

Take the long way, Holmes

The new Sherlock Holmes movie directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role looks like a good time, and if Downey brings half of what he brought to the role of Tony Stark it should be worth your eight bucks.

Surprisingly (or maybe not so much, considering the subject matter) Warner Brothers has launched a viral campaign around the movie. All I know for now is that you hear a message from a hooded stranger and then enter your email address.



If it leads to free Sherlock Holmes schwag, then I'm in!

Go HERE, click on the "?" and type IRENE.

It's elementary, my dear Watson.

Batgirl you know it's true...oooh oooh oooh I love you!

There have been a lot of shake-ups in Gotham City lately, and the newest (as of yesterday with the release of Batgirl #1) is an all new gal under the cowl.

I won't ruin the big reveal for you, you can find it at any number of web locations yourself or you can pick up the comic and turn to page two. I'm relatively ambiguous to it, not overly surprised, not overly POed either. I think it works and I'm willing to move forward with "her" as Batgirl.

I will add this, however:

1) It isn't Barbara Gordon.

Barbara Gordon was the best Batgirl ever, and with the way comic book stories have been lately you might think she was up for the role regardless of her paraplegic condition.

2) It isn't Cassandra Cain either.

I never liked Cassandra Cain, so I'm glad she's gone and I hope the door doesn't hit her cape on the way out.

3) The faceless mask has got to go.

It was always stupid looking. Based on the cover, and the comic itself, thankfully it does appear to be on the way out. Yay!

I admit that I am sad it isn't Babs. But my sadness was squelched in reading Batgirl #1 because it appears they may be doing her role one better - making her direct mentor to the new Batgirl.

The potential for great stories with Babs in this role is a goldmine, especially considering her history with Dick Grayson, his current role as Batman, and his equally difficult role as mentor to his own new Robin.

There's a lot that can be done with these characters in the time between now and the return of Bruce as Batman. What's better, Bruce's return does not mean an end to this pairing, as it invariably will with Grayson and Damien (at least with Grayson as Batman and Damien as Robin...will we see a similar Nightwing/Birdboy team spinoff at that point? Probably.)

Dr. Thompkins also appears in this issue, and a triumvirate of strong female mentors/mentees (Mentos?) could also build into some good stories, with Thompkins taking the James Gordon role in this female branch of the bat family.

I enjoyed Batgirl #1 and am looking forward to seeing where they take these characters. I think it has a lot of potential and I only hope the new Batgirl's time under the cowl lasts longer than her stint as Robin (oops - sorry - that was a major Spoiler! ;) )

If I grow up I'll be a lantern, and wear a ring on evey finger

I just learned today that DC Comics' Black Lantern ring promo was such a hit that they're expanding to all branches of the color corps!

From Bleedingcool.com:

"The Black Lantern ring giveaway to kick off the Blackest Night event was an immense hit, with demand booming for these chunky stylish collectable black plastic fingerwear, and a call for similar rings to match the different Lantern colours seen in the series went out.

And DC listened.

So for every 25 copies of Doom Patrol #4, Booster Gold #26, R.E.B.E.L.S. #10, Outsiders #24 and your retailer orders, they can order a bag of fifty Sinestro rings, Agent Orange rings, Indigo Tribe rings and Star Sapphire rings respectively.

And for every 50 copies of Justice League of America #39, Blackest Night #5 and Adventure Comics #4 sees you with a bag of fifty Red Lantern rings, Green Lantern rings and Blue Lantern rings, also respectively.

Each ring will ship every two weeks, Yellow on November 4th, Orange on November 18th, Red on December 2nd, Green on December 16th, Blue on December 30th (well, December 23rd now, I guess, thanks to Comic Book-Free Day), Indigo on January 13th and Violet on January 27th."

I'm going to fly to my comic shop like a beam of light right now to put all these comics on reserve!

Oh, and to Chunky B - I don't want to hear any "jewelry" jokes from you ;)

Fa - La - Lala - Lala - Falalalalaaaaaa!

I was holding out on posting these guys until I could do a full-fledged forest photo shoot, but fellow lunatic toy collector/blogger Reis of Geek Orthodox fame tipped my hand.

But first, a little context.

I love the Smurfs. I collected the little figurines as a kid and got up every Saturday morning to watch the cartoon. I even trained myself to sneeze like a Smurf whenever I had to "aaah aaaah aaahh - Ahhh SMURF!"

I ate Smurfberry crunch every morning and to this day cannot hear the Nutcracker Suite without thinking of the commercial's theme song "Smurfberry Crunch is fun to eat - a Smurfy, fruity breakfast treat!"

I even once tried to steal my friend's brother's Papa Smurf. Yup, I had it bad.

In fact, Toyriffic's fourth post EVER was a Smurf, way back in December of 2007!

Anyways, a couple months ago I discovered new Smurf toys were popping up at Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc.

Made by Jakks Pacific, these new Smurfs are similar to the old (and surprisingly still being made) PVC Smurf figurines, but with a little articulation, houses, vehicles and accessories giving the series a more "playable" angle.

I bought my daughter the Smurfette mushroom house playset back in March and tried not to obsess over how cool these new Smurfs were (could I, a grown man, love the Smurfs again?) all the while looking with longing at the smurf cars and figure two-packs on the shelves every time I made a trip to the toy aisle (which is like, every other day!)

Well, Doctor, about two weekends ago the Smurf became more than I could Smurf. I walked into K-Mart and saw a new release of two-packs - one set containing Gargamel and Azrael and one containing Wild Smurf and Tracker Smurf!

I, like my brother-in-Smurfs Reis, struggled with the upcoming rift in my mandom - the struggle to maintain manly dignity at mid-thirty-something while gazing in wide-eyed awe at shirtless little blue communists (one in a loin cloth no less!)

I snapped.

Unlike Reis, I couldn't get out of the store without at least ONE set - the struggle finally leading to the purchase of Wild Smurf and Tracker Smurf...with the promise to return later for Gargamel/Azreal if my man parts didn't fall off and I didn't suddenly develop a penchant for a house full of cats, or the musical Cats for that matter.

Well now I have two new blue friends who can't wait for their Redwood forest photo shoot, which should be coming soon. So without further ado, I give you:

Tracker Smurf -


"Tracker Smurf is the Smurfiest guide in the entire village. He loves to explore and never gets lost. Seen with a feather in his cap and a walking stick in his hand, he knows all the best picnic spots."


Wild Smurf -


"Wild Smurf may live in the forest, but he is a friend to everyone. Especially animals! Although other Smurfs can't understand what he says, he's always there to lend a helping hand."


Unfortunately Wild Smurf has a mistake - his hat is painted white in the front as if he wrapped a regular Smurf cap in leaves, when in actuality he made his cap out of leaves (he is wild, after all.) I will have to figure out a way to safely remove the white paint without damaging the plastic he is made of. But come on - a Wild Smurf figure? Really?!?! How Smurfin' cool!!! I couldn't pass him up!


Other Smurfs available in this new release include Grandpa and Granny Smurf, Painter Smurf, Tailor Smurf, and of course the previously mentioned non-Smurfs Gargamel and Azrael.

So turn in your man-cards, boys, and go get you some Smurfs!

(I just want to add that on Jakks Pacific's website the Smurfs are listed in the boy's section.

So there.)

You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it.

This IS your father's Oldsmobile.

One of the coolest Matchbox cars ever released has just hit the toy aisle pegs near me (and was as quickly swiped from the toy aisle...by me!)


Cast your Brady Bunch lovin' eyes on this new Matchbox 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser!


No red blooded American can deny that tinge of nostalgia when they see an old station wagon go by. The long road trips where Dad refused to pull over unless HE had to pee, popping your head up in the back window and sticking your tongue out at the drivers behind you, and nights at the drive in movie megaplexes - the ones that showed Disney on the screen in front of you and the Exorcist on the one to the left (as if you couldn't see the horror or had self control enough to not look that way.)

This Vista Cruiser even has two dogs sticking their heads out the back (as well as a cooler and other camping accouterments molded in the back,) and even the outline for the bumper-step! Groovy.


The seventies-era lime green paint, top window, luggage rack and faux wood trim are all here. You can almost hear the v8 roar!

Go 100, dad! (As a kid I would yell that to my dad from the back seat all the time. He would always comply.)

I've been eagerly anticipating this Matchbox release since it was announced over a year ago. Although I would have prefered a 1971 Torino Country Squire (a woody I once owned) I am as happy as Bobby Brady when he saw his first booby (remember that episode?) to have my Matchbox Vista Cruiser.

Edward and Henrietta Episode Nine

Edward and Henrietta Episode Nine: The End of the West

in which Vikings, Aliens, Cowboys and Indians battle for control of the Silver Sphere of Mars

The Adventures of Edward And Henrietta, Episode 9 from edandhen.com on Vimeo.

Save(d) the Aquaman Hoodie!!!!

Long time Toyriffic readers may remember last year's "Save the Aquaman Hoodie" campaign.

80sTees.com had announced, then pulled, this bitchen Aquaman Hoodie from their line-up. Fans cried out like so many tuna-net trapped dolphins, and some (namely me) even went so far as to create a signature campaign to bring the Aquaman hoodie into production.

Enough promises to purchase the hoodie were procured, but with a bleak economy and non-hoodie weather looming, it sort of...well...died in the water.

Until today, when to mine wondering eyes appeared such a beautiful site, an email from 80sTees:

Hello Eric Stettmeier,

The wait is finally over! The Aquaman Costume Hooded Sweatshirt is finally in stock and ready to buy thanks to your promise to buy one! We are proud to present this product because it's the first time where our customers got together to turn a prototype into a real product by sheer force of will. If it was not for die hard Aquaman fans like yourself this product would not have been made! We hope you like it, and while you are at it please check out our other Super Hero products.

Sincerely,

Kevin SteckoPresident, 80sTees.com, Inc.

Well...what are you waiting for, high tide?

Show your Aquaman Solidarity: Go get it NOW!

And as always, for your daily dose of Aquaman goodness, go check out The Aquaman Shrine.

Geek Bloggers in Singapore :: Check this Out!

My friend Leon, who runs the blog Open the Toy, is looking for 30 Singapore area Toys, Games, Comic, Anime, and Cosplay bloggers to share in 30 free passes to the Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2009 for it's opening night (not open to the public;) tomorrow August 13th 2009, starting at 5pm.

Leon was able to secure 30 exclusive coverage passes for the Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2009, and you could get one free if you meet a few geek-blogger requirements.

So if you're in the Singapore area, head on over to Open The Toy now and get on the list!

My run for the office of "Coolest Dad Ever"

Yesterday was my oldest daughter's 11th birthday. I made her this cake:



Okay, so I made the word "POW!" and posed action figures on it, but it's the artistic vision that counts. I mean, anyone can bake a cake, but not everyone can make a cake so cool!

1.24 Kilowogs? Great Scott!

You know all those Justice League Unlimited Kilowogs that have been clogging up the JLU pegs at Target for months now?


Well they are now clogging up the clearance aisle at $1.24 each!


That's right, and at $1.24 you can't go wrong even if you don't care much for the character...


...although how anyone could pass up that pretty face even at full price is beyond me!


"Who you callin' ugly?"


Kilowog even comes with a Lantern, which could be used for your other JLU GLs or your DC Infinite Heroes GLs, so even if you aren't excited about Kilowog at $1.24 the lantern alone almost makes the price worth it! The lantern looks correct above...


Although it's packaged like this. I guess you can make up your own mind on how you want to display it.


Ironically, I was wearing my Green Lantern shirt when I did this photoshoot. Completely unplanned of course, I'm just nerd like that.


So take your time getting to Target today - because at this price Kilowog is probably still going to be there in a month. Maybe he'll even get cheaper!

(Poor Kilowog - I can see him starring in a remake of that Rudolph stop motion movie where he visits the island of misfit toys; or teaming up with Stinky Pete in Toys Story 3.)

Don't worry Kilowog, I still love you!