My Most Prized Possession

I have been a fan of Marvel Comics for as long as I could read. I remember getting a copy of Origins Of Marvel Comics and Here Comes The Bad Guys as a birthday gift. I remember reading the origins of The Fantastic Four, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Doctor Doom, The Green Goblin and Doctor Strange. Heck, I still have that copy of Bring On The Bad Guys, all beat up as it is. But inside Origins Of Marvel Comics, I read a story that cemented my love of comics for the rest of my life and that was the origin story of the Amazing Spider-Man.

I loved the fact the Peter Parker was not much older than I was (Actually, since I was probably 6 at the time, he would have been a lot older than I was). I like the fact that he had such cool powers and dressed in a weird costume. Instantly after reading the story, Spider-Man became my favorite super hero. I read as many Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man and Marvel Team Ups as I could get my hands on. Sure, I still loved watching Batman and Super Friends on TV, but Spider-Man was the man to me. I owe a huge thank you the man who helped create this wonderful character. Stan Lee.

Now, I know half that thank you would also go to Steve Ditko, who was just as instrumental to bringing Spider-Man to the heights of popularity that he enjoyed, plus he is now credited as a co-creator of the character. But since Mr. Ditko has now since become a recluse, I can only express my gratitude here to Mr. Ditko.

 Now Stan Lee on the other hand is still touring the country at the ripe young age of 91 years old. This man should be celebrated for without him, there is no Fantastic Four. There is no X-Men. There is no Avengers. There are no movies to spend our hard earned bucks on or cartoons on TV or merchandise to pick up. Without Stan Lee, life would have been all DC Comics. Not that it's a bad thing. But last I checked, Spidey was shooting webs at Marvel.

One of my dreams is to meet Stan Lee. Unfortunately, I have not as of yet the closest I have yet to come to meeting him was at last year's Comikaze. The line though was way too long and I didn't want to put my girlfriend and her daughter through that. Not that they would have minded. They are so awesome that they would have waited and had fun doing so. Maybe another time.

My most prized possession is a Stan Lee item. See, a few years back, Stan was still signing his mail (He's long stopped doing so) and I wanted to send something Spider-Man related for him to sign. Now, I wasn't going to send a comic or a DVD cover of Spider-Man to him. Mo, I wanted to send something meaningful to me for him to sign. One day, as I was reading a Spider-Man comic, the idea came to me. I went out and bought a poster of Amazing Fantasy #15. The very first story I remember reading of Spider-Man. So, I packed it up and sent it to his POW Entertainment offices along with return postage.

A couple of months later, this came back to me:

Sorry about the bad picture. I took this with one of my old cell phones which had a crappy camera on it.

But this doesn't look too bad though.

This poster is my most prized possession. To have, essentially, the father of Spider-Man sign my poster is just amazing (No pun intended) to me and I will cherish it for as long as I live. My plan is to be able to have it professionally framed and hung on my wall in the very near future. For now, I have it guarded by 4 ravenous pit bulls and it's also booby trapped. No one is getting this poster if I can help it.

I may never get an opportunity to meet the man who is responsible for hours of enjoyment as a kid, teenager and adult. I can only hope that many of the people who get to meet him express to him just how much happier he made their lives with his creations and fantastic books. Hopefully, one day, I will have that chance. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to walk up to him, knees shaking, extend my hand out and simply say Thank you. Thank you for all the wonderful stories and characters you created. That, my fellow geeks, would mean a lot to me. Just as it has, I'm sure, to all those who already had the good luck to shake the hand of Spider-Man's dad.

Happy Independence Day From The House Of Swag!

OK, so this image is from a calendar that is 33 years old, but it's the closest I can find that celebrates our nation's birthday, geeky style.

Of course, when I think of patriotic superhero images, this is the image that always comes to mind.

The cover of Superman #14 from January 1942. This is one of those images that even if your not a Superman fan, your going to want this in your collection is someway shape or fashion. For me, I want the DC Direct statue from 2002.

So I would like to wish you all a Happy Independence Day. I hope you spend it with your families, eat a lot of BBQ, down a few adult beverages and kick back and relax with your favorite comics.

Excelsior!

I Don't Only Collect Sports Bobbleheads

Over the past few years, Funko has become one my favorite companies. It's well documented on this blog my love for the Pop Vinyl line. In my opinion, they are one of the funnest lines to collect. But that is not the only line that Funko produces that I have become a huge fan of.

Before there was Pop, there was Wacky Wobblers. These are bobbleheads that, much like POP, are made of just about any character or famous person you can think of. I was introduced to them when my buddy gave me a set of Monkees Wacky Wobblers for my birthday one year. I was floored by the set and I have them on display in my bobblehead 3 shelf bookcase. Although I cherished them and was impressed by the likeness on the bobbles, those were the only Wacky Wobblers I owned for quite a while.

Then a couple of years ago, My buddy, George and I went into a Big Lots store up in Poughkeepsie that we go to every now and then. We went into the toy aisle and I found these bad boys.

I was ecstatic, to say the least. I had wanted to grab some of these when they were first released, but held off on picking any up. Now, I see a whole shelf of them and they were only 5 bucks a piece. I had a hard time deciding and had to leave Wolverine and Vision behind, but I am happy with the ones I did pick up.

Of the four, I definitely would say that Captain America is my favorite. I love that this bobble is sculpted to look like he just came out of the comics. Captain America is in my top 5 favorite heroes, so picking this up was a no brainer for me.

This one is also going to be the one that I may actually keep in it's box. I love the Jack Kirby style art that is all over the box as well as the iconic lettering.  I doubt I will be getting rid of this box anytime soon.

I loved the Incredible Hulk. I loved that Edward Norton tried to capture the style of the 1970's T.V. series, right down to the equipment that Banner used when he was exposed to the gamma rays. It's a shame he and Marvel had a falling out and he didn't do the Avengers. Then again, if Norton is in it then we get no Ruffalo and Ruffalo was awesome as Banner/The Hulk.

The only thing I would have done differently was make The Hulk a lighter shade of green, like in the comic books. He has that Philadelphia Eagles green going and I'm not sure I'm a fan of it.

Of course, I had to get Iron Man when I saw him. These two Wacky Wobblers are from the first movie, so I was pleased that I could get them at such a good price.

I love this Mark I Wacky Wobbler. I snatched this as soon as I saw it on the shelf.

And let's take a look at them out of their boxes.

These maybe made of plastic, but I would say that they are pretty bad ass nonetheless. I think I actually like the Mark I Wobbler a little better than his Mark IV brother. I'm almost sure this is the Mark IV suit.

Nice detailing on the back.

Wow, Cap looks even better out of the box than I thought. I do wish Hulk was a bit bigger, but what are you going to do?

I actually forgot that Cap had a star on his back as well. It almost looks like Cap has got the height advantage over Hulk. Just slightly though.

I had them in their boxes ever since I bought them and they look even better out of the box than I thought. These maybe made of plastic, but Funko didn't skimp on the attention to detail when they made these Wobblers. From the chain mail on Captain America's costume to the screws in the back of the Mark I Iron Man, I think Funko did a heck of a job on these. The paint, which has been an issue with the more recent Funko releases, is flawless on these figures. If I was in charge, I would put these in front of the painters as an example of how to produce a great paint job on Wobblers.

There are a few more Wacky Wobblers I need to pick up. The Spider-Man Wacky Wobbler has been on my must have list for quite a while and I think I will be crossing it off my list sooner than later. What I love about Funko is they give you options of other cool items to add to your collection. Be it bobbleheads or Pop Vinyls or even blind box Mystery Minis, you really can't go wrong when you add a Funko product into your collection.

League Assignment: Halloween

Another assignment from the League. This one is about one of my very favorite holidays.

Halloween.

Who doesn't love Halloween except, maybe, the Amish. I mean, what's not to love? Candy, costumes, candy, scary movies, candy, tricks or treats, candy, It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and did I mention candy?

As a kid, Halloween was a very special occasion. It meant a trip to Woolworth's (Google it, kids) to pick out a Halloween bucket to hold the loot in and a trip to my favorite aisle. The aisle of Ben Cooper Halloween costumes.

For those not in the know, Ben Cooper was a company that manufactured Halloween costumes. They had licenses to turn any character into a Halloween costume. The costumes were basically plastic masks and vinyl smocks with a silk screen image on the front, but during the 50's, 60's and 70's Ben Coopers was synonymous with Halloween.

Thanks to Ben Cooper, you didn't need an imagination. For around $4.00, you could be a Six Million Dollar Man

A Beatle

Or A Damn Dirty Ape

You could be a masked crime fighter

Or something just down right creepy

How parents allowed their kids to dress up as an Alien yet fight for the removal of said toy I will never understand.

Some of my personal favorites costumes are some that I wore as a kid. Allow me to indulge my middle aged geeky self and take a walk down memory lane.

Since two of my favorite heroes are Spider-Man and Batman you would think that I was Spidey and the Caped Crusader for Halloween and you would be correct. Two of my favorite costumes are the Batman and Spider-Man costumes. I believe I was Batman first, then Spider-Man the next year. With the Spider-Man costume, I had the matching Spider-Man Halloween bucket. Batman, I had the usual pumpkin shaped bucket. No matter, that bad boy was filled with candy and when I got to my little Batcave, I ate as much candy as I could before I passed out.

Another year, The Incredible Hulk T.V. series was a huge hit, so I wanted to paint my skin green and wear rags. Thankfully, I was given this instead:

Give me that candy and don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

The last year I remember getting a Ben Cooper, I wanted to be Luke Skywalker. So, basically, I asked my mom for this:

And I got this instead:

Is it any wonder why I can be deliciously evil? That's all on you Mom.

I never wore this, but I just think it's freaking sweet and would love to add it to my future Green Hornet collection.

As much as kids today have costumes that look a bit more realistic, I will always have a soft spot for the Ben Cooper outfits. I mean, today's costumes come in a bag. No presentation whatsoever. You guys can keep that. I will just cherish the memories I have of seeing those boxes stacked on the shelves of Woolworths, going home and staring at the graphics on the box. I wish I had some of them. To me, nothing says Halloween like Ben Cooper.

Check out what Halloween means to the other League members:

http://coolandcollected.com/1965-munsters-lunch-box/

http://monstercafesaltillo.blogspot.mx/2013/10/league-assignment-here-comes-halloween.html

http://teamhellions.com/2013/10/09/halloween-the-league/

http://goodwillhunting4geeks.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-countdown-day-7-loeg-here.html

http://nerdoutwithmeblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/this-nerds-favorite-halloween-movies.html

Ask them for some candy and bring it to me!

What I Have Been Reading-World War Hulk

Once I finished Superman Secret Origins, I wanted to knock off another graphic novel I had on my reading list. Especially since I seen Planet Hulk. I say seen because I cheated and instead of reading it I decided to watch the movie on Netflix. Yeah, I know, Lazy. Now, I would knock off World War Hulk off my list and read it.

Like with Superman Secret Origins, I had planned to take the book with me and read on the plane ride to and from Los Angeles. Unlike Superman Secret Origins, however, I was unable to bring the book with me. Jim Haley's Universe didn't have it initally, but would get it for me the day before I was to leave for the west coast. Unfortunately, I didn't get the call from them that it was in the store until about 7 PM. By then, I was getting ready to take a nap since I had to be up and on the subway by 3 AM.

So, I didn't get to read it until I returned and after I had read the Superman book. That was fine. I had enjoyed Superman, now I was hoping that this book would be just as good as Superman was. Like Superman, I wasn't a fan of the Hulk in the comics as I found the stories a bit boring. This book, however, was anything but boring.

This book answers that age old question: What happens when you really piss off the Hulk? Well, Greg Pak with the incredible John Romita Jr. penciling, tell the story of a really angry Hulk who returns to earth to gain revenge on the people who banished him to the alien planet of Sakaar in Planet Hulk. His revenge is not just because he was sent away. He thinks that the responsible parties, Iron Man, Reed Richards, Black Bolt and Dr. Strange known as the Illuminati, also had a hand in the death of his wife and unborn child when the ship that transported him there explodes.

Before he gets to Earth, he makes a little visit to see Black Bolt.

Not even Mr. McGee could make him this angry.

 Once Hulk makes it to Earth, his intentions was to take out the Illuminati and anyone else who gets in the way. Hulk knows that he would have to face other heroes, so he doesn't come back alone.

 He brings along his Warbound gladiators back with him for back up. The thing is, as angry as the Hulk is, he really didn't need them. Along the way he would battle the Avengers, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Doc Samson, Gen. Ross and the US Army as well as a Zom merged Doctor Strange. Not to mention the epic confrontation with The Sentry.  He even transforms Madison Square Garden into a gladiatorial arena. Haven't seen that much fighting there since the beginning of last years Devils/Rangers game.

I don't want to give too much away here. If I have already, I apologize. No Spoilers here.

Bottom line, Pak writes a hell of a Hulk story and John Romita Jr. is John Romita Jr. The story is great as it gives The Hulk a reason for the rage. The action is incredible (no pun intended) and intense. The ending is a bit of a shock, but it's the icing on a rage filled green cake. If your a fan of the Hulk and you have not read this yet, I think you need to. If your looking for a good Hulk story, but not so much a fan of the character, this book along with Planet Hulk might convert you into a fan.

No, I want to read another good Hulk Story. Any suggestions?

Visit To The Thrift Store

Today was the first day I was able to go out and about in and around my area in the Bronx. I had some errands to run and wanted to head over toward the Riverdale section of the Bronx. There is a thrift store I like going into and I wanted to take the trip over and see if there was anything intresting there.

Yes. I'd say I found some intresting stuff. For 8 bucks I got some nice toys to add to my various collections.

For .99 cents, I scored a vintage Two Bad from The Masters Of The Universe toy line. I don't normally collect Masters Of The Universe, but to score a vintage toy at that price, I wasn't passing it up. He didn't come with his shield, but I will probably not keep it anyway and trade him instead.

 

In this bag, I got 2 of the same Smurf (I hate Smurfs), an Iron Man for my Iron Man PC, a small Ninja Turtle, a Buzz Lightyear that's missing his helmet, 2 Darth Vader figures, another Darth Vader that is missing his light up lightsaber (sad face), a Anakin Skywalker with a broken arm and a Sponge Bob figure. I bought the baggie for the Iron Man and Darth Vaders. Everything else is either trash or for trade.

 

 

This was an intresting lot. I was initially drawn to Spidey but I also scored another Iron Man, a wind up Iron Monger and what I think to be a Halo figure, which will also be for trade. Everything else is mine, mine, mine!

 

 

This was a nice sized lot. I got a few pieces here for my various PC's. I got a Super Friends Batman, a Hulk, 2 figures I really have no earthly idea what they are, an Electro, a Super Nova, a Camo Batman with what looks to be one of the ears chewed off, an Avatar figue, a Jedi Luke Skywalker with the light up lightsaber missing (That one hurts) and a Captain America. I had seen the Capt. America and the Hulk in the baggie and bought it for those two. Everything, but the Avatar and the Double Mint Twins are PC.

 

 

 

This lot was the steal of the day. For 1.99 I scored a construction worker, a small Lego guy, an army guy AND some original Star Wars figures. A Hoth Outfit Han Solo, a C3PO, a Bespin Outfit Luke Skywalker and a Bespin Security Guard. I know the Solo, Skywalker and the Security Guard are from the Empire Strikes Back line. Not sure about C3PO though. I can guess he is. There was a Threepeo released in that line, so I'm guessing he is. The Solo and Skywalker were missing their blasters, but I can pick those up on ebay rather easily. It's always a great day when you can find some vintage swag at a dirt cheap price. Those are going into the Star Wars/Luke Skywalker PC.

 

Tomorrow, I plan to hit a flea market I saw a sign for. I am hoping for much of the same as today. I usually hit thrift stores and come out empty handed. Today I learned that if your patient, you will be rewarded and was I ever.