I Think This May Be Bigger Than A Womp Rat

Ever since I was 6 years old, Luke Skywalker has been my favorite Star Wars character. Whenever I would get Star Wars toys as a kid, somewhere in the lot there would be a Luke Skywalker I would gravitate to and play with above all the others. I wish I still had them all, but I lost them in the great war of 1982 when my sister and I were at war and destroyed each others toys. She threw out all my Star Wars stuff and I played skydiving with her Barbies from our 6th floor window.

Ever since I decided to restart my Star Wars collecting, I made sure I focused on Luke Skywalker, picking up as many pieces of him as possible. From puzzles to action figures to cups to calendars, anything that has Luke on it, I usually picked up. But I can't say I'm doing it all by myself.

My buddy, George, gave me some late Christmas presents and one of the items fits right into my Skywalker collection.

Recently, Hasbro released some Star Wars Titan figures in their Star Wars: Rebels line. I've never seen the show on Disney XD, so I don't know if it's any good. To me, if it has nothing to do with my beloved characters from Episodes III, IV and V, I have no interest. I gave the Prequel characters a chance and wasn't crazy about them. Also, I'm not sure why Luke was released in this line, unless he will make an appearance on the show or will at some point. All I care about is I get a new Luke Skywalker in my collection.

As with all Titan figures, they come in a box with a cellophane front and some art underneath. In this case, we get a Stormtrooper with the classic Star Wars lettering under the Stormtrooper, which is enough to make me squeal like a 10 year old.

I love the back of the box as it a has a great action shot of the final battle between Luke and Darth Vader in Return Of The Jedi. The picture captures Vader down for the count with Luke about to deliver that final blow that chops Vader's hand off. If I was Luke, I would have been like "A hand for a hand, eh Daddy"? That is probably why I will never be a Jedi. Much anger in this one. Then again, there is no such thing as a Jedi Knight, no matter what those cos players tell you at conventions.

I had wanted to keep the box for display purposes, especially since I was digging that picture on the back so much. Unfortunately, Hasbro did not make getting the figure out all that easily. I would have hoped I could have slide the figure out, but no. It was tied down to a piece of cardboard that was glued to the box. What the heck?? I had to tear apart the box to get the figure out so I could cut the elastic like strings off to set him free. After I was done, there was no box. just one long piece of cardboard. It looked like a piece of the skin off an orange if you peel it right.

Here is Luke out of the package. Right off the bat, I like that he's wearing his Jedi outfit from Return. He also looks enough like Mark Hamill for this figure to work out well.

I did say he looked enough like Hamill, not totally like him. There's enough there where you can look at the figure and say, "OK. I see it." Only thing I might have done was darken his hair just a little. Mark Hamill has dark blonde hair. Not very light blonde that the companies have been putting on him since the 70's. I never got that.

The only accessory that came with the figure was his green lightsaber, which I'm glad we got. Of the two lightsabers Luke had, the green by far is my favorite. Not sure why since blue is my favorite color. I thought, and still do, that the green made Luke more of a bad ass than the blue one did. The hilt on this lightsaber is a little bit bent, so I will have to figure out a way to straighten it out since I'm pretty sure Luke had a straight hilt and not the curve on the end that I have seen on some lightsabers.

There is barely any articulation to this figure. Luke's head turns slightly from left to right, the arms do a full 360 rotation at the shoulder and the legs go up in front and that's it. That's not a problem for me. My problem is if we weren't going to get wrist articulation, why is Luke's hand out stretched instead of at his size? It's not like we can pose this figure, so I fail to see the reasoning for the palms out theory with this figure.

Maybe Luke is asking Vader for some long overdue child support? No wonder he chopped Vaders hand off. The cheap Sith Lord.

The paint on the back of the figure is as good as the front is. Hasbro did a bang up job on the paint application. I did not see any splotches or messed up paint on any part of the figure.

That's as much posing as your going to get out of this figure, but I really don't care. It's a new Luke Skywalker figure that has been added to my collection and I am very glad to have it. Once I am able to display my collection, I figure (Pun intended, heh heh) this will have a prominent spot next to my other larger Skywalker figures.

Like most of the free world, I am looking forward to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I usually avoid seeing a newer release with crowds, but I may break that rule just to see this movie. I have been on such a Star Wars kick lately. I've watched New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi all weekend get my Star Wars mojo flowing. The 2 best things about The Force Awakens? We get the original cast back and we are sure to get more Skywalker collectables for me to pick up. That's a win win...for me at least.

Sexy Geek? Maybe It Should Be Old, Picky Geek

Every New Years that passes, I think about another year that passes and how much closer to the grave I am. There's a lot I want to accomplish and still hope to in my life. I would like to see if my writing can take me anywhere aside from my blogs. I would also like to do a podcast with one of my very good friends. When the two of us are together, we crack each other up and I think we could have a great podcast. We have discussed it and hopefully it will come to fruition. It's really my fault for the delay as I don't have a microphone on my laptop and I would like to have a better laptop as well. Hopefully soon. Most of all, when I do think about things, I do think about my collection and what direction I'd like it to go.

I know I have discussed this topic in previous blog posts, but as of late, I have been really considering downsizing it and concentrating on what I really like to collect. I feel as of late I have been stagnate when it comes to my collection. I haven't really been adding to it, not because I'm out of work, although that does come into play. I just haven't found really anything I've wanted to add. A lot of the stuff that comes out these days are not things I have been quick to open my wallet for. In my opinion, the stuff that comes out is too expensive and your really not getting the best bang for your buck.

There have been stuff that I have been excited for on paper, yet when I saw the finished product I was like, ehhhhhhhhhh. Like the 1966 Batman figures. I only got the Batman and Surf's Up Batman in my collection and I'm fine with that. I wasn't really impressed with the quality of the figures and the likenesses of them. Plus, I was a bit ticked that Robin was only released in a box set and is supposed to be released in another box set with Batman and Batgirl. When that will be released, I don't know. Also, at $22 bucks, these were pretty expensive figures. I'm sure I will get the rest at some point, but not anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong, I know that stuff is expensive these days. It's part of the hobby and if I want to have a sweet collection, I will have to spend, spend spend. I'm just not going to spend anymore on every Spider-Man or Batman item that comes out. I think it's time to concentrate on specific characters or things or people I m passionate about.

1-Batman Pre 1989

I enjoy the Christopher Nolan movies. I really think those are the best Batman movies ever made, aside from the 1966 Batman movie, which I enjoy the hell out of. I will admit something though, I hate the all black Batman outfits. My Batman has grey in it. Blue and grey to be specific. I can't explain the joy I feel whenever I see a Batman figure in those colors. It takes me back to my childhood when I used to sit in my room, watching the Super Friends while noshing on a bowl of cereal or when I opened Christmas presents and got a Batman Mego with Batmobile. So I decided I will start focusing my collection on Batman before the Tim Burton movie. I love the 1966 TV show, so I will buy stuff that fits that part of my collection, vintage or modern releases. I love the Super Friends Batman and have the figure. I want that Hot Wheels Super Friends Batmobile and I also want the statue and will get them eventually. I can concentrate on just this period of the character and have a pretty kick ass collection.

2-Spider-Man

I don't see myself really changing in how I collect Spider-Man. I will probably continue to collect him as is.

3-Statues

One thing I want to do is add more statues to my collection. I figure if I don't spend money on newer releases at Toys R Us or Target, I can save up for some really cool pieces. I have been wanting to start collecting the Batman Black And Whites. I want to pick up the upcoming Adam West Batman statue. There are some really nice Spider-Man pieces I want also like the Origins piece and the half Peter Parker/Spider-Man bust that I drool over each time I see it on eBay.

4-Hot Toys

These are some of the most beautiful and expensive figures you will ever see. I see some of these figures in comic book shops or cons and I just start getting feverish and itchy and I start walking toward the figure like I'm looking for my next fix. I, unfortunately, do not own a Hot Toys figure. Part of it is I haven't had steady work in almost 2 years and part of it is because I spend, spend, spend. I couldn't save a dollar even if I knew I was getting thrown out tomorrow. I'll still be at Toy's R Us buying that cheap plastic Spider-Man that I really don't need. This year, I will try my best to save for at least 1 Hot Toys figure. I'm leaning toward 1966 Batman to be my first Hot Toys figure.

5-Luke Skywalker/Star Wars

I have been collecting anything and everything Luke Skywalker I can get my hands on. I just recently got a Luke Skywalker Titan figure that I love as a late Christmas gift. I will be reviewing it in the near future. I also want to pick up some vintage Star Wars figures and play sets. I still want the Death Star playset. I also need a vintage X Wing too.

6-Beatles

Some of the most expensive collectibles you will find are Beatles items from the 60's. Because of that, most of the Beatles things I will own will be modern Beatles releases. Right now, my Beatles holy grail is the set of Beatles cartoon figures that McFarlane put out. That box set goes for close to $200.00 bucks on eBay.

7- Back To The Future

I really don't go out of my way to pick up Back To The Future stuff, even if it's my favorite movie of all time. I haven't picked up the Funko POP's yet. I haven't thought about grabbing the Hover Board I've seen. If I come across it and feel like picking it up, I will.

So, I've managed to streamline my collecting habits to 7 categories, and that's not even mentioning my sports collectibles. I won't be collecting Kiss or Iron Man or anything else I was picking up before. The Simpsons are a category that I also don't normally collect, but I have picked up a piece here and there and will probably continue to do so. I can also see myself knocking off a category or two in the future. Why?

Well, I need room to walk around. My room is starting to become cluttered. I have no space to display my stuff and in the future, what if I don't have room for display then either? I have always hated collections that look so cluttered, unorganized and I never want mine to look like that. I will display in cabinets and shelves, but I want it to be a neat display. Also, money. I don't have a million dollars to spend on figures and collectibles. I barely have $50.00 at times. I need to pick and choose what to get. I want to pick up the best things for what I can afford.

When going shopping, my buddy and I don't buy just anything anymore. We look for the "Wow" factor. Something that I will not put back after holding it and walking around the store. If I have to think about it, it goes back. Maybe I'm trying to grow up a bit or maybe as I reach my 44th birthday in April, I am starting to realize I cannot own everything. That's not what collecting is all about. It's about picking up pieces that you will be proud to display and never, ever want to let go. I want to be able to look at my collection years from now through coke bottle glasses and smile as I sit n my rocking chair.

So I Walked Into A Bookstore The Other Day...

Don't you hate it when you go out some place, not looking to pick anything up, yet you walk out spending a some of your hard earned green backs? Neither do I.

I went to pick up some photos over by Union Square yesterday. Since I was in the area I decided to stop off in Barnes N Noble to use their facilities and see if there was anything interesting.While there, I stopped by the section that had POP figures. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything there so I moved along. While passing by this section where the Walking Dead stuff was, tucked between a couple of zombies I found this cool Spider-Man item:

Not sure where I would put this as I don't own a computer monitor, but it's going to look pretty sweet with the rest of my Spider-Man Funko collection.

So, I went to pay for the Spider-Man computer sitter when I noticed a huge display of POP figures right by the registers. Yeah, go ahead and put a huge collection of items that I'm going to want to purchase right by the register. Genius.

While standing on line, I peruse the Funko Pops on display when I saw them right next to each other. I knew it was fate that they would be coming home with me.

Anytime I can pick up a new Luke Skywalker item for my Skywalker collection, I am grabbing it. I had heard of a new Luke Skywalker POP in his Hoth gear paired up with a Wampa and I saw it at Barnes N Noble, but I decided to pass on it as it was a bit pricey. But I did find this Luke solo (No, not Han), so he came home with me.

But Luke was not alone. Right next to him was a POP I had been looking for:

Spider-Man, of course. Duh.

I had been looking for this Amazing Spider-Man 2 POP ever since the movie came out, yet I had trouble finding it. I was all set to order it from eBay like I did with the first Spidey POP, but lucky for me, he and Luke were chilling out, waiting for this sexy geek to grab them both and bring them home.

Since I'm here, Let's take a look at Spidey out of the box and check him out.

Right off the bat, I love the sculpt on this POP. unlike the last Spider-Man, the web lines are not colored in, but it doesn't take anything away from this figure. The Spider symbol is also larger on this POP then the last one as well.

Check out the eyes on him. Awesome job Funko.

Here's the back of Spidey. The paint on this figure is fantastic. There is nary a sploch, messed up line or anything negative to say about the paint application on this POP.

Heck, I even like the Spider on his back.

I always said two Spideys are better than one. I initially thought that the blue on the ASM 2 was lighter, but that isn't the case. The eyes are also wider on this POP. To tell you guys the truth, I can't decide which POP I like better. To me, both have great qualities that I love and because of that, I'm not going to even try to figure out which I like better, so NAHHHH!

What made this trip to Barnes N Noble even sweeter was that I had a 30 % off coupon, so this sweet shopping spree cost me less than $20.00. As Mel Brooks once said, "It's Good To Be The King".

Must...Resist...Urge...To...Spend!

Every time I hit a Target or Toys R Us or even a comic shop, I always find something I want to pick up. It never fails. I'm at Midtown Comics, I see a statue that I want. I'm at Toys R Us, I see a figure. Even at the supermarket I see a box of Amazing Spider-Man 2 fruit snacks that I want to add to my Spider-Man collection. Being a compulsive buyer can be a pain sometimes.

Because I have a bad habit of buying and the fact that I have little room, I had to have a discussion with myself. I had to be honest and really think about what I really want to have in my collection right now. Maybe go quality over quantity. This approach helped me make my decision to put back the 2 DC Multiverse 1989 Batman and unmasked Batman figures easier. I may still own them at some point, but initially I wasn't impressed with the size or likeness.

Since I decided to go this route, I have been keeping an eye on some upcoming releases that I would love to own when they come out:

Ever since Figures Inc. released photos of it's 1966 Batman line, I have been wanting to add this Batman to my 1966 Batman collection. I have always wanted a Mego-like Batman figure and now that this is available, I will do what I can to have one to display with my NECA Batman and my custom 12 inch Batman.

Sticking with the 1966 Batman theme, this bank is definitely going to be added to the 1966 Batman collection. This awesome piece won't be released until November, so I will be eagerly awaiting for this to be released. This may be released around the same time as the release of the 1966 Batman TV series on Blu-Ray. November is shaping up to be a awesome month if your a Batman fan.

About a month ago, my buddy George and I went into a Disney Store in NJ. I saw a really nice Rebellion fleet t-shirt that I was thinking of picking up when I saw a 12 inch talking Han Solo figure, which I thought was pretty cool. I told George if they ever came out with a Luke I would buy it. As Biff Tannen famously said, Well looky what we have here. A 12 inch talking Luke Skywalker. I cannot wait to get my mitts on this. The cool thing about the Han Solo figure was it had phrases from the movie. It wasn't a lame actor reading lines. It was the voice of Harrison Ford. I can only assume this one will have actual dialogue of Mark Hamill from the movies as well. This makes it a must have for me.

Ever since I first saw this gigantic 31 inch Spider-Man figure at Toys R Us I have been conspiring to get one. Each time I see it however, I am low on funds. I will be picking up this behemoth at some point real soon. Yeah, I know I complained about lack of room. I don't care. I want it, I want it.

When I saw this picture I shrieked like a 10 year old. I cannot wait until October comes around. This is a must have for my Spider-Man collection. I will probably hit up Dr. Mego for two bodies so I can have all three displayed at the same time. I love the old school Spidey outfit with the webbing under his arms. Very John Romita-ish. This will look great on display.

Unlike many of you, I actually enjoyed the Amazing Spider-Man 2. I went to see it multiple times in the theaters. Although it made a lot of money, word of mouth about this movie wasn't the greatest, but whatever. I think it's the best Spider-Man movie made, edging out Spider-Man 2 for that honor, in my opinion. I haven't bought a lot of Spider-Man 2 merchandise just yet. This bust is something I do want to have at some point. It comes out in October and if I can, I will pick it up. I'd like to build a Spider-Man statue collection and this is one I'd like to add to the small collection I have so far.

Finally, and most expensive of the bunch, I really want this Hot Toys Amazing Spider-Man 2 figure. I do not own a Hot Toys figure. I would love to make this one the first I pick up and then try to add the other Spider-Man Hot Toys figures as I go along. At $200.00 a pop, that will be difficult for me to pull off, but that also won't stop me from trying. If I have to sacrifice a few figures and comic books to make this happen, then I will do it.

With all the cool stuff coming out, I had to make a list of the goodies that I really wanted above all else. It was hard to do, in the end, I think I did a good job targeting the really nice items that I think would look great in my collection. Like I mentioned earlier, quality over quantity will be the mantra for a while as I have other personal things I need to take care of. But, if I can stick to the plan, then I can take care of everything I need to and still pick these up. Once I do, you can be sure to look here for reviews.

Oh, and I do accept donations.

Now, Why Haven't I Started Collecting These?

Let me take you back to the mid 70's. As a kid, I was obsessed with a few things. Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Star Wars, The Beatles were among the things that kept me busy. But then there was lunch boxes. Man, I loved them. All the different characters, colors shapes and sizes of these things kept me drooling over them. I would always look at my classmates lunch boxes and then look at my brown paper bag.

See, I never did own one. I had to obsess over everyone's lunch boxes and obsess I did. Whenever someone bought a new one I had to be the first to give it the once over. When my mom went shopping I would find a lunch box I liked and would beg her for it. But she never relented. She would always tell me I would lose it. To her, a brown bag was dispensable. To me, a cool looking lunch box was a status symbol. By the time my mom started to consider buying me one, I was already on my way to Junior High School and was perfectly OK with a brown paper bag.

So, now that I am an adult and have started some collections, yet I STILL have not picked up any vintage lunch boxes for my collections or started a lunch box collection. After watching a couple of lunch box collection videos on YouTube,  I started thinking about why I had not picked up any. I came to the conclusion that 2 factors, lack of room for displaying them and money has kept me from picking any up. Vintage lunch boxes have become a costly hobby, but if I do come across any that I can afford, I may start picking some up and finally start that lunch box collection I have been dreaming of since I was 5.

Which ones would I pick up? Well, let's start off with the obvious ones:

Superheroes:

I have been wanting that vintage Batman lunch box forever. It's a pretty expensive lunch box, so I probably wouldn't go after it as a starter for my collection and would probably put it with my Batman collection anyway. The Superman The Movie lunch box would probably be a better one to start off with, price wise. I love the Hulk lunch box, but I never understood why Spider-Man never got his own lunch box. I always see him with other Marvel heroes on a lunch box. As much of a Super Friends fan I am, the Super Friends lunch box is a no brainer for me. I have come lose a couple of time to acquiring one, but could never agree on a price.

The Beatles

These two Beatles lunch boxes will have to wait until I hit the lottery. These are pretty high end pieces.

TV Shows I liked as a kid:

I had fun watching all these shows as a kid and in some cases still do watch them. I would love to pick up these lunch boxes to remind myself why I loved lunch boxes as kid and why I want to start a collection of lunch boxes.

And of course the movies I love:

I have to have the Star Wars lunch boxes. I was and still am a huge fan of Star Wars, but if Luke Skywalker is on the lunch box, it would probably go with the rest of my Luke Skywalker collection. Too bad a Back To The Future Lunchbox was never made. With all the Back To The Future stuff being released, maybe they will make one.

And finally, 2 music acts that I would have to add to my future lunch box collection:

How did I get from Kiss to The Monkees? I love them both, that's how. Even though Kiss has really been annoying me as of late from lip syncing their performance at the Kings/Ducks game at Dodger Stadium to not performing at the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame induction. Still, the lunch box is something I've wanted for years and would jump at the chance to own one.

After looking through all the pictures and videos of all the lunch boxes that are out there any collection, no matter how big or small, would be a great one. My hope is that one day, maybe I will fulfill the dream of a 5 year old me and one day get that monkey off my back by picking up a few.  The fact is I have loved these things for far too long. For me not to own any vintage lunch boxes is a personal crime and hopefully, one I can make right for my inner kid.