League Topic - Geek Confessions!

This week’s league topic:
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What is something you absolutely hate or love or just don’t get, or maybe it’s something you have never even seen or read. What is your deepest, darkest geek confession?

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of this topic.  I was sketchy on it being the nerdiest thing I ever did or an embarassingly nerdy guilty pleasure or vise-versa being a guilty pleasure which is entirely un-nerdy within its characteristics.  Oh hell, I'll just start writing and see where it takes me...

Disclaimer:  These are just my opinions.  I can't say they are popular.  If you disagree, I wholeheartedly respect that and I bear no ill will toward any opposing thoughts.  In the world of pop culture, it is our differing opinions which keep the evolutionary ball turning.  Unfortunately, if some of these points make me lose cred, so be it.

In no particular order:

I've never attended a comic convention/toy fair/video game competition of any sort and it deeply shames and pains me to admit this.  I really have no excuse and I lived in Philadelphia for half a decade... I guess small living quarters and financial constraints kept me from justifying buying anything that would pretty much have to go directly into a closet. (If, at that time, I even had the closet space)

I've never owned a single issue of any mainstream marvel or dc superhero comic....unless you count Spawn...which I don't think many of you do.  However, I've read about Superhero origins and plot structures on Wiki pages, watched cartoons, collected toys and cards, etc.

Robot Chicken annoys the hell out of me...as does most of Adult Swim's lineup  (especially whenever they bring up Star Wars)  I don't know if it's because I can't stand Seth Green  (who just seems like a cocky prick) or if there's something broader to it.  Their "funny" Star Wars stuff feels like a nail in my spine.

Die

Watchmen bored the hell out of me. (which sucked because I really wanted to like it and was super pumped to see it.)  The same could be said for, "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World".

At what point am I supposed to begin enjoying this film?

When a local weatherman came to my school in the second grade and he asked us if we knew of any types of natural disasters, I answered, "Gozer the Gozarian."  It didn't go over well.

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, no.... Gozer the Gozarian

I owned Hero Quest and never played it once.

Even if this box wasn't in German, I still would have no idea what they were doing.

I could draw Super Mario rightside up or upside down in 10 seconds.

Didn't know who Dr. Who was until I was 28 years old.  (Besides for the line Comic Book Guy said on the Simpsons back in the day)

Saw "Starship Troopers" in the theater 5 times....as well as "Star Trek: First Contact"...honorable (or dishonorable) mention to "Mars Attacks!" which I saw three times.

Don't get the appeal of MMORPGs and anything Blizzard makes... or any Dragon Quest game to boot.

I think Ocarina of Time is completely overrated. (this was my first post on Destructoid.com's blogrolls and boy did I get some hate-mail)

Bored.

I enjoyed the "Ninja Turtles: Coming out of their Shells" concert VHS tape.  Even as a 9 year old, I should have known better.

Never beat Punch Out, Metroid, or any Castlevania, Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden, Double Dragon game.

Screens like this are burned into my memory

I just can't get into "the Walking Dead"... I've tried on several occasions and like it less each time.   Even planned my night around the last season premier to be utterly disappointed.  Tried to sell my wife on it who, also, did not enjoy it.  Bizarre because we love zombie stuff.  Why can't they just make a Left 4 Dead movie? 

When I was 13, I sold two fully loaded Cobra TerrorDromes for 20 dollars....Why God, Why?

I'm really going to enjoy paying the 300 odd dollars to get this back eventually.

I slept with a Gizmo doll well into college.

That is all.



Check these confessions out as well!

Memories of Toymorrow has no time for blast processing or Bits.

Ashley at Life with Fandom has no time for playing dress up.

The Surfing Pizza has nightmares of world 8-4.

League Topic: Ultimate Crossover Event!

This week’s league topic:
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What pop culture heroes or stories would make for the ultimate crossover–think along the lines of Han Solo meeting up with Firefly’s Mal on a smuggling run.

So... as you see above we're brushing with the fires of Fan Fiction. I really had to dust off some shelves in the archives of my brain to rekindle some of my "what if scenarios" from my adolescence. Honestly, it has been a while since I've been in any form of debate about whether Robocop was a better cop than John McLain or if the Millennium Falcon could outmaneuver the U.S.S. Defiant or if Kyle Reese is tougher than Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn vs. Michael Biehn...worlds collide, haha)

My final thought on the matter landed me with this newly formulated topic. It's a three way crossover that really lends into some pretty obvious franchises. Nothing obscure in any respect of the word unlike many of the previous posts from other League members. Just a neat what-if scenario: Wookies and Klingons team up to fight the Aliens.

My rationale spawns from my wife’s constant mention (any time we watch episode IV or First Contact) that not only does she wish Chewbacca and Commander Worf were real people, (as well as Lieutenant Data and Malkor from Neverending Story) but that she wishes they could be friends. I kinda do too, haha. I told her much to her dismay that if she went to comic con, more than likely, she could meet Peter Mayhew and Michael Dorn but they would not be in their costumes.

After thinking about this, I really could see how both species would hit it off. Being pretty much the roles of tough-guy on their respective properties, I could see them both taking up the challenge of a bug-hunt quite well. Klingon especially, with the blood wine laden songs of victory and glory about bringing home the skull of a queen. Wookies, with their brute strength, sharp teeth and huge reach would be quite a match for an Alien as well. Add in some Bat'leth and Bowcaster Rifles and you got yourself a match.

The Alien, well... what could be said about the Alien. The sci-fi world's perfect killing machine with lightning fast speed, acidic blood, lethality from larvae to pupal stage, they would certainly give both of these ass-kicking species a run for their money in the challenge department. Plus, could you imagine what a Alien-wookie or Alien-Klingon would look or fight like? Dirty pool, indeed. This could even work in reverse with instead of the Aliens, having the Predator mix with Chewie or Worf and their ilk...I picture it kind of like the buildup fight when Billy smears blood on himself to pretty much instantly die except it being an actual match where both sides have an even chance. Cameos a plenty as well, you could throw in some Colonial Marines, or Borg (I wonder if a Borg could be implanted or if an Alien could be assimilated?) As you can see my little idea is snowballing out of control.

Way to buy us, like, three seconds, Billy.

Another idea... Mariner from Waterworld gets to land, only to meet Mad Max as they are pit against the Cannibals from "the Road" as well as the gangs from Robocop and Cyborg. "Can you fly Bobby?"

                                                                              VERSUS!

Be sure to drop by some other great ideas!

Ashley at Life with Fandom beat me to my first idea (and did it way better than I ever could)

Branded in the 80's has probably the cleverest scenario I could think of, always nice to be giving Henry Thomas work.

Claymation Werewolf takes Bruce Campbell and mixes in Nickelodeon... I love it!

Sweet Ride!

To respond to a topic posted by a much respected and frequently read fellow blogger, cool and collected, I'm focusing on the question, "besides the Batmobile, what is the coolest ride cruising the streets of pop culture?" I really had to do some serious thinking about this. Besides the caped crusader's ride (of which I have a picture of myself sitting in the original Adam West version at a car show) there are some real obvious choices. You have the Delorean, the Ecto-1, any Transformer, any car from the 70's-80's which stood in as the trusted steed for the new breed of lawmen or lawbreaker, hell...does the TARDIS count?


What I wanted to do was pick some road vehicles that not only stood out to me over my formative years but also would be one's that are iconic but may be off our immediate radar. They are from a few varied properties in animated, toy or film formats. These are in no discernible order besides that fact that they all are undeniably sweet-ass rides.

First, we have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Foot Cruiser. Holy hell, this is a beauty! Everything about this particular vehicle just screams quality. In fact, almost all of the major TMNT vehicles were high quality, amazingly designed pieces. It retained such a spot on look from the animated property (which Playmates Toys did with expert levels of craft) and had such vibrant colors and accessories, it was simply a feast for any child's eyes to behold. Many people would prefer the Turtle Van (a great vehicle in its' own right) however I think this selection takes the cake for ground vehicles... In fact, the Foot Clan did seem to get the cooler stuff, from the Technodrome (In my opinion, one of the top 5 playsets ever produced) to the Mutant Module.

Mad Max's Interceptor. Starting out as an Australian exclusive 1973 GT Ford Falcone Coup, this car has totally stood the test of time as a vehicle synonymous with utmost badassery. *technical term* I remember liking this car from the first time seeing it on TV before I could comprehend what the hell I was watching. From toddler size, I knew this car demanded respect. Honestly, in the Road Warrior I tend to get a little antsy with some of the dialogue and acting but the car (as well as costume design and most of the other vehicles) always managed to keep my attention. This is a production where the car is just as much a character as our protagonist. It might not talk like KITT but it definitely has a vibrant personality all its own.

The Dreadnok "Thunder Machine". Apparently some people at Hasbro thought the same thing about Mad Max as I did because this beastie looks like it could have been riding the wasteland scrapping for fuel. From the armor plating to the awesome bullet chain firing Gatling guns, this is a serious piece of Cobra Machinery. Couple that with some sweet Cobra red and blue and you got a stew goin'! Never owned this puppy, but some day it will mine, oh yes, it will be mine.

"We've got nukes! We've got knives!"

Honorable Mention: Okay, this doesn't technically count as a car per se but it does have wheels and travels the road.... well the roads of colony LV-426. That's right, the USCM M557 APC. Giant wheels? check. Huge cannons? Check. Dropship compatibility? Check! Many a drawing of mine from grades 5 through 8 (the "Aliens years" for me) were spent centered around this military vehicle as well as SMART guns, xenomorphs, the USS Sulaco, Dropships and all things related. Always wanted one in toy form but it never was to be...kind of bizarre really that this has not been immortalized in plastic.

And for really off the grid stuff that pretty much doesn't have a chance of counting besides the fact that it's wheeled. The Skynet Ground Hunter Killer... shoots lasers, crushes skulls, looks how the Transformers should have looked in a live action movie instead of whirling pieces of garbage. Could have been Johnny 5's deranged half-brother. 'Nuff said. 

Check out  FLYWHEELS's post  for a great Transformer pick!

Stop by the Dork Horde's Lair to see some fine work featuring the Duke's of Hazzard, General Lee!

May the Fourth be with you!

Toy Review: Real Ghostbusters Proton Pack by Kenner

As a child, I was a collector of a many brand of action figure, toy line and video game however I never really was one for life-sized (or kid sized) accessories. Sure, I had a random Return of the Jedi Lightsaber or something of the like here and there but it just wasn't my cup of tea. One exception though was the Kenner Ghostbusters Line. I always wanted to reenact the scenes from the movie and cartoon be it figure form or on my own.

Popper, Zapper, Goggles and Neutrino Blaster

Now THAT is official! :)

We came, we saw, we kicked it's ass!  (I'm diggin the triforce on the upper right corner as well)

Kenner was a master company at producing beautiful replicas of the animated product that were pretty spot on in many respects. Even the cartoon-inspired weapons and gadgets looked like they could have been in the background of any episode. They all had great functionality as well. The ghost popper shot foam projectiles (a la Nerf) the Ghost Zapper (the fist Ghostbusters toy I ever remember getting) had a super cool effect of projecting light images of various ghosts on a slide reel and had a multi frequency  sound emitter... seriously for 1986, that's insanely innovative! Recently, I let a bunch of these things go (and made really good money on it) but there was one specific item I held on to. It, in my opinion, is the mother of all childhood accessories. It is the Proton Pack.

Killer Package design, front and back.  (I tried coloring the back)

The proton pack is a great 1:1 scale kit. Nothing made you feel like you're part of the team like that did. It was a perfect translation to the animated Ghostbusters stuff and came with cool extras; the beam emitter (with firing action), a foam proton beam, the PK-E meter, an armband and an id card (which I lost). It was such a jam packed accessory set which I give Kenner props for bundling because they could have shilled parents by selling these items separately. I managed to hold on to the box and even looking at that reminds me of seeing it on the shelf at Children's Palace (now the inferior Toys R Us) and loving the awesome packaging artwork.   I remember drawing the "grabber" ghost so many times from the front of that box.  Drawing Ghostbusters stuff was pretty much the sole subject of what got me into sketching as a kid from ecto-1, to the Marshmallow Man.



Even the logo is amazing, I was one happy kid when I got this baby!

Can't bust ghosts with your pants falling down, can you?

Kenner also made a cool Goggle and Ghost Trap set as well that functioned properly. The trap was extra cool for the glow in the dark ghost it included. I had the added bonus of this kit when my aunt's sister made me a custom Ghostbuster jumpsuit for Halloween when I was in grade school. Yeah, I was cosplaying before that even existed! Many a day was spent blasting pretend spirits around the house.

Transformers Review: G1 Blitzwing Triple changer (Fighter or Tank? Why not both?)

Even until very recently, I've been pensive about growing yet another collection on top of the Joes and Star Wars. However, I'm just about done getting what I want from both of those collections save a few major money items. (POTF guys, blue snag, straight arm Joes, snake eyes v1 and 2, etc.) From there, I thought I'd get into building a small, respectable G1collection. As of now, I only have three small shelves fo these guys but I'll tell you, it's addictive as hell! I've talked about "toys that got away", or "toys that time was unkind to." Well after you lose a bag of G1s that seem to walk off the face of the planet without a trace, you kind of have a sour taste in your mouth regarding that specific toy line. Especially since said bag contained; (no word of a lie) Optimus Prime, Shockwave, Blaster, Ravage, Jetfire, Cyclonus (with box), Warpath, Powerglide, Laserbeak, Rumble, Eject, Frenzy....well pretty much a giant bag of money in collectible toy form. If your any type of G1 enthusiast, you hopefully can feel my pain.  The bag is still lost to this day, probably next to One-Eyed Willie's "rich stuff."  note: Besides in "the Goonies", did you ever hear anyone refer to treasure as "rich stuff"?

Anywayssss.... we're looking at the Transformers G1 Blitzwing.  I just got his weapons in the mail for a mere 4.00 and managed to get some repro labels for this guy on clearance for 99 cents so after spiffing him up a bit, I wanted this fellow to be my first Transformer I showed off on the blog.


alt mode; JET

alt mode: TANK

I'm focusing on Blitzwing because of the formers I've been getting he's one that was at the top of my list.  He was part of the triple changers line and was one of the top selling toys of his release year in 1985.  I love his colors, both of his alt modes as well as his robot mode and the fact that he's a tank.  My favorite guys were the tanks with Warpath, as diminutive as he was, being my all time favorite Transformer.  Brawl was a recent purchase as well just to fit in with the tank theme. I always thought Blitzwing had such a German WWII Tiger Tank look to him (hence the Blitz in his name) even though he's supposed to be a Japanese type 74 MBT.  In jet mode He's a Russian MiG 25 fitting in well with emulating a figher synonymous with the Evil Empire of 1985 when he was released.  Not only is Blitzwing amazing to look at and have swift killer transformations, I got him for next to nothing!  Decepticons Attack!



I have him next to G1 minibot Warpath to show the size comparison

We've also got bears! McDonald's Happy Meal Berenstain Bears set

I said I'd follow up the Joe post with something a bit more random so here we are. These little guys have been synonymous with so many of our childhoods. I for one had about 20 of their stories. They had such neat illustrations that really rang true. Well, as true as anthropomorphic bears can ring. The junk food in the overeating one always looked so good, come to think of it most food in our kids books and cartoons looked awesome from the pizzas in the Donald duck golden book to gummie juice to the Ninja Turtles Pizzas which they managed to eat whole in one bite! I liked how the kids had problems we all did as kids from nightmares to messy rooms to nailbiting. My favorite being the one where Brother's sci-fi toys come alive in his dreams and attack him (the nightmare one). Well, besides my obvious bear-love, I also want to point out how awesome McDonalds was in their prime. You know before they got "urban" by "Lovin' It" and 86'ed Ronald and Grimace and the gang and parent groups didn't want to draw and quarter the Fry Kids for trans-fat content and before the utter ridiculousness of "Hope" in my happy meal, what "Mighty Kids Meal". Back in the day, even if you didn't like the food, McDonald's really was a master at promoting various children's licenses and products and producing fine, high-quality toys to go with it. I have a massive amount of these guys and am going to be displaying them over the weeks but I wanted to start with not only a complete set but one I really enjoyed playing with as standalone toys. These were the Berenstain Bears' which, I might add, was one of the only, if only, way to get these guys in toy format as was the case with Bambi, Fraggles, Muppet Babies and so on. (They are all coming up) From the pack in illustrations to the paint application to the actual fur they had, these toys were cool as hell for a 4 year old and still retain a lot of niche appeal just for collectibity's sake. Even though you've really lost your touch, hats off to you, Mickey Dee's for making some awesome toys even worth having still.