I Was Doing The Batutsi Recently

I haven't been purchasing much for myself lately as money has been pretty tight. However, I did have a Amazon gift card I got for Christmas had been saving for a rainy day.  As of late, I haven't had a whole lot to smile about, so I decided to rectify that and placed an order with Amazon. My order came a couple days ago and I started to giggle like The Riddler as I opened the box.

I finally decided to pull the trigger and picked up the Diamond Select 1966 Batman Bust and I am so thrilled to finally own this piece. It's my first Batman statue of any sort and I'm happy it's of my favorite Batman of all time.

As you can see, the front of the box has a great image of the statue you are getting as well as the 1966 Batman logo in the upper right hand corner and a great picture of the Bat Signal signing above a silhouette of Gotham City. The box alone was enough to get strange stirrings in my utility belt.

Both side panels of the box had just about the same image as the front did, sans Bat Signal.

The back as the same imagery as the side did, except there is a brief write up about the Batman. If you don't know who the Batman is, please leave your address down in the comments below and I will have the geek police stop by and pick up your geek card.

The top of the box features a nice artist rendition of my favorite car, the George Barris Batmobile. I swear, if I ever win the lottery, I will be having the guys at Fiberglass Freaks build me a Batmobile.

And here is the Piece De Resistance. When I took this out of the box, I was blown away with how good this bust looks. This is 6 inches of pure Adam West Sexiness. This bust was designed by Barry Bradfield and sculpted by Jean St. Jean and limited to 3,000 pieces. I am just amazed at how much this bust looks like the Adam West Batman. The facial features and body type are dead on to how Adam looked on the TV series.

One of my favorite parts of this bust is the base. The base has been carved to depict the closing of the TV show. The shadows of Gotham City, the dark blue of the night sky as the Bat Signal cuts through it, alerting Batman and Robin that treachery is afoot and they are needed right away in Commissioner Gordon's office. The base is genius.

The back looks great. I love how the cape is scultped with folds and the paint is spot on. The colors are perfect to how they looked on the classic TV show. The base continues with more shadows of Gotham City in that dark blue sky. I'm glad they didn't stick another Bat Signal here.

The bottom of the base gives you the trademark info as well as who and where the bust was manufactured. This base also gives you the number it is. Mine is a high number, 2,676 out of 3,000. I know a lot of collectors would rather have a low number in their collection. I'm just happy I was able to get this bust in my 1966 Batman collection.

Plus, I get a Certificate Of Authenticity which tells you this is an authentic Diamond Select Toys Batman Bust. It shows off another picture of the bust as well as the numbering of the bust you have in your possession.

So, no doubt you practically read me drooling over this bust as I reviewed it. It's a fantastic piece and I'm so proud that I can own one. Do I recommend this? YES, YES, Oh HELL YEAH! OK, got my wrestling catch phrases in there as well. Not only do I recommend this piece to a fan of the TV show, but I would tell any Batman, pop culturist, comic book fan to race out and grab this piece before it is gone. Diamond Select has also released a Robin, Joker and Riddler and I plan to pick up all of them. I do hope we get a Batgirl and Catwoman soon as well.

This bust has bought me the same amount of joy I get whenever I get to watch the TV show. Yeah, I know it's campy and not the serious, emo Batman we are all used to, but this show celebrated how comics were at that point and I think we can be thankful Batman didn't go into outer space like he had in the comics earlier in the decade. I love the show and always will. This bust will become a featured piece in my collection for a long, long time.

And just because I feel generous, here is the greatest opening to a television show, ever!

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.

Add Another To My Must Have List

Just when I thought I had made my Batman pick up list for the year, I get thrown a curve.

As we know, this year we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our favorite Caped Crusader, The Batman. So far, we got a great issue of Detective Comics #27 earlier this year to commemorate the event and we got the 1968 Filmation Batman on DVD. Later this year, we will be getting some nice Batman goodies like the 1966 Batman TV Series on Blu Ray and DVD in November, Herocross is releasing an awesome Hybrid Metal Figuration of the 1966 Batman in October, which you can see down below:

You can preorder this from Big Bad Toy Store for $89.99. But earlier this week, I got my first look at the newest Kotobukyia Art-FX statue and it's a must have for me and for probably every Batman fan out there.

We are getting a First Appearance Batman by Bob Kane Limited Edition Statue and I think this looks sick.

I think this is a San Diego Comic Con Exclusive, but kotous.com has a pre-sale going on for this for a cool $39.99. They wouldn't be shipped out until a week or two after SDCC, but that's a small price to pay to get something this cool. Seriously, when I first saw these images I thought this would be a $75-100.00 statue. At $39.99, I will be jumping on this.

And to this all I wanted from SDCC initially was the Spider-Man/Iron Man NECA Scalers dual pack.

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!

Five Spider-Man Related Figures I Want For My Collection

When I decided to re-focus my collecting energies on my Spider-Man collection, I knew I would be in for a huge task. So many fantastic Spider-Man related stuff was released and I barely picked up any of it. I actually don't mind being behind the eight ball because I get to hunt for the stuff I really want and there is a lot.

On the flip side, there are a few things that I had never seen released before. With the long history of Spider-Man, there are a lot of variations of the outfit that has never seen the light of day in figure form, statue or otherwise. So I started thinking what 5 Spider-Man or supporting characters I would love to see get released as a figure or statue.

For The Little 1970's Kid In Me.

I grew up a child of the 1970's. That is when I discovered Spider-Man. I remember seeing the cover of Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man and after reading it, I was hooked. Now that I am older, there are 3 different Spider-Man figures I would throw my wallet at a store clerk to pick up.

Let's start with the very first Spider-Man cartoon. Sure, there are webs missing from his outfit, but this is one version of Spider-Man that I believe was the very first exposure to the character for many fans. While I am not shocked that a figure of the 1967 cartoon hasn't been released, I think a 6 inch figure would be a fantastic addition to any Spider-Man collection. Maybe even release a line of figures including Green Goblin, Scorpion, Mysterio, Dr. Noah Body and J. Jonah Jameson among others.

OK, maybe this one is a bit cheesy, but who wouldn't want an Electric Company Spider-Man in their collection? Me, that's who and I like me some cheese. This was another incarnation of the Web Head that I looked forward to seeing each time I watched the Electric Company. If I didn't hear that theme song at some point during the show, I was a disappointed little geek. Don't know the theme? Come on, sure you do. Sing along with me.

And yes, that is Morgan Freeman doing the narration. Your welcome.

Of course, the Yankees fan in me doesn't like that he's a Mets fan.

Grrrrr.

If there is a figure that begged to be made into a 1/6th scale, its this version of Spider-Man. I think it would be a brilliant figure if Hot Toys made this. I would love having a Spidey figure with his web shooter and belt on the outside of his outfit like in the show. Yeah, the show was cheesy and there wasn't any super villains, but I loved that show and still do. I have a couple episodes on DVD and I enjoy watching them. I have never owned a Hot Toys figure, but if this one was ever made, I would make sure it would be in my collection. God, I wish I could customize figures.

How About Some Supporting Characters?

Now, I wouldn't call it a crime that Betty Brant has not been made into a figure, but I am a bit shocked. I am guessing it's because Mary Jane and now Gwen Stacy has been immortalized on film and cartoons as Parker's loves, but how about something for the very first gal he had the hots for? Maybe you could stick her in my proposed 1967 Spider-Man cartoon line? Come on Hasbro, get it done!

Now this is a stunner. Why hasn't Uncle Ben, the basis for Peter Parker being Spider-Man, not have been made into a figure by now? This has to be one of the all time biggest omissions in Marvel toys history. I would have thought that there would have been one made for the Rami movies, but nope. Nothing, zip, zilch, nada. I'm hoping that one gets made some day. Aunt May has been made a few times, but shockingly, no Uncle Ben to be displayed with her on a shelf.

Now, these are just some of the figures I would love to add to my Spider-Man collection. This is, of course, subjective to my taste. I'm sure some of you could come up with a few other characters that you would like to see get made. Leave them in the comments below so I can smack my head and look stupid for not mentioning that character in the first place. Either way, I think there are a lot of variations of Spider-Man and some characters that could be made into figures. The Spider-Man universe is one of the more vast in comic books and there will always be character that will be made into a collectible to be put in your Spider-Man collection.

An Amazing Addition To The Spider-Man Collection

With my must see movie of 2014 set to open here in the US next Friday, I thought I would show off my newest addition to my Spider-Man collection. I have actually been wanting these ever since I saw some preview pictures of them before the Blu Ray of the Amazing Spider-Man was released. I recently saw them on eBay for a price that was too good for me to pass up, so I bought them.

These PVC statues were sold as part of a box set with the Amazing Spider-Man 3D Blu Ray. I love when you pick up a Blu Ray and there is a little something extra in it. I saw the Superman statue that was included in the French release of Man Of Steel and I was hoping we would get something similar. I wanted this set, but when I saw the sticker price on the box set, I figured I could get the statues separately off eBay at some point and put the box back. It took me a while to get them at the price I was willing to pay, but it was well worth the wait as these are pretty cool.

The sculptor did a great job capturing the likeness of Spider-Man. He looks exactly how he did in the movie, right down to the silver in his shoes and the yellow in his eyes. I didn't get what they were going with when they went with this look, but after seeing the movie I understood it. It looks like they are going with a costume that is closer to how he looks in the comics in the new movie.

The Lizard also came out great. You can see a bit of Rhys Ifans in the face sculpt. You could also see the color and texture of the Lizard in this statue as well, which really helps this statue stand out. When I first saw the Lizard, I couldn't understand why he didn't have a snout like he did in the comics. But, if you look in his earlier incarnations, you can see that he barely had a snout and I think that's what the designers were going for here. Again, I really didn't have a problem with a snout-less Lizard since I loved Ifans performance as Dr. Connors/The Lizard.

I'm thrilled I finally was able to add these two pieces to my Spider-Man collection. They may be just PVC statues, but I am very pleased with how good they look and they will be displayed prominently in my collection.

With the new movie coming out, we should see a flood of Spider-Man related merchandise. I cannot wait to see what will be flooding the shelves in the stores. I know we will get action figures, POP figures, bobbleheads, statues, t shirts and other cool merchandise that will tempt me to dive into my pocket for my wallet. If it's anything like we got for the first movie, then I will be a happy Spidey fan.

Sometimes, Awesome Comes In Small Packages

Alex Ross is one of my all time favorite artists. I'm sure I am not the only one who says that. Alex Ross's work is amazing. I have loved his work on such classics such as Justice League Justice, Marvels and Kingdom Come. Plus, I love his takes on Battle Of The Planets, Batman, Superman, Captain America and of course, Spider-Man.

Alex Ross is one of my top 5 favorite Spider-Man artists. I have always wanted to own a piece of Alex Ross Spider-Man art, but at the prices his work commands, I doubt I will be able to own one, unless I go for a lithograph at some point. Marvel has yet to make a Alex Ross inspired Spider-Man figure, so I'm shut out there as well.

A few years ago, Marvel and Dynamic Forces released a life sized Spider-Man bust. It is the coolest thing I may have ever seen. The bust captures Ross's work perfectly and I wanted one. Still do in fact. The lowest I have seen this bust go for is $400.00 and I don't have that kind of cheddar lying around right now. But, there was the next best thing and I got it off eBay for a steal.

Lucky for me, a mini version of the bust was released and it now has a proud place in my Spider-Man collection. When I received the package and opened it, I was blown away by how cool this thing really is, despite the smaller size. Through the cellophane on the front of the package, you can see Spidey staring right back at you.

On either side of the box you get the same Alex Ross drawing of Spider-Man, without my flashes glare.

On the back of the box, you get a picture of the bust plus a write up about the statue. I'm actually not too crazy about the Spider-Man lettering they chose for this. Being that this was inspired by John Romita Sr's art, couldn't they have used the classic Amazing Spider-Man lettering? Maybe I'm nitpicking just a bit, but the new, modern Spider-Man lettering seems out of place on the packaging.

Here's the bust out of the package and what else can I say but this bust is awesome. It measures about 4 3/4" tall and is limited to 5,000 pieces. The statue was sculpted by Mike Hill. I'm not a statue collector, so I am unfamiliar with Hill's work, but he did a fantastic job on this piece. The bust looks like it jumped out of an Alex Ross piece. I love the eyes on it. It's not painted white like a lot of other Spider-Man busts and statues, but has that mirror like lens. Makes me wonder why the producer's of the 1970's TV series couldn't have done something similar.

Here's both profiles of the statue. I love how it looks like a mask. You can see the wrinkles on the neck and Peter's ears, nose and chin underneath the mask. Hill's attention to detail makes this bust even better than I could have dreamed.

Here's the back of the bust. It always freaks me out how the bust just ends into nothing like what you see where. Creepy.

An here is the certificate of authenticity that came with the bust. Mine is numbered 2059. I wonder if that is an actual John Romita Sr signature. I am leaning towards not, but it's still cool to have.

This actually might be my favorite Spider-Man piece in my Spidey collection. Owning this piece may actually get me to start picking up more statues and busts if I can find them at decent prices like at what I found this one for. I still want the full sized version and I will own one at some point. But for now, I am more than content to own this awesome bust and I'm really in no rush to grab the full sized version. It's funny how you can get attached to something so small, yet so awesome.

When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best...

I love my girlfriend. She knows me pretty well. My likes, my dislikes. My hobbies and everything else in between. Ever since we have been together, she has fed my Batman obsession and has fed it well. Thanks to her, I was able to add a few things to my Batman collection like t-shirts, watches, POP vinyls, Blu-Rays among other things.

This year, for Valentine's Day, she topped them all.

Seriously, how awesome is this? She gave me a Batman heart with some Bat-gummies in them. I am seriously tempted to tear open that sucker and inhale the contents inside, but I am restraining myself. I want to put it up on my shelf along with all my other Batman items. I will admit, I can hear Carly Simon's "Temptation" whenever I see that heart.

As you can see, she also bought me the Kotobukiya ArtFX DC New 52 Batman statue. I was floored when she got this for me. She knew that I wanted this for a very long time and now it's all mine. I have fogged up too many a display case looking at this and now that I have it, it's even more fantastic than I imagined. I have gushed over this piece long enough. On to the review.

The statue comes in a clear plastic package. You can see the statue inside the package as clear as day. The Batman logo is on the top left hand side and the DC Comics logo is on the top right. The lower middle lets you know which statue your buying (if you couldn't tell just by looking through the plastic) as well as the Kotobukiya name and various warnings under that.

On one side of the box, you get a picture of the Dark Knight.

On the other side you get the bat logo.

That back has the New 52 Justice League logo. The upper right corner also has the Artfx logo.

Out of the box, I am gushing again. The detail on this statue is terrific. The bat logo is featured prominently on his chest, the sculptor, Goutaro Takeuchi,  sculpted the chain mail in the Bat Suit's armor as well as all the details on the costume. I love the metallic finish on this costume.

They also did a great job on Batman's cowl. The paint job is great. They painted the cowls eyes without any spillage of white anywhere on the cowl. The sculpting of the cowl was done just as good as the outfit. The ears are not bent inward or outward. The cowl has folds in the neck and where the eyebrows would be and has the lines that would make up the cowl.

When holding the statue, I was a bit surprised at how much it felt like I was holding an action figure. It seems that the statue is made of  a hard plastic or PVC, not plaster or resin like other statues. There is no articulation in this statue. Just the Batman and the base which he stands on.

The base is a black plastic base that has Justice League imprinted into it.

Here's a better shot of the base.

Check out the back of the statue. Look at the detailing on the cape and the back of the cowl. Fantastic. The cape is made from a black plastic, but it detracts nothing from how awesome this looks.

Now, if you didn't know and was asking how the statue stood up, you can now tell from the picture. Most statues has pegs in the bottom of their feet and the peg would go into a hole on the base. Not this statue. It has magnets on the bottom of Batman's boots. That leads me to believe that there is a piece of metal inside the base for the magnets to attract itself to. I think it's pretty cool. It's different, I will give you that. I do think a peg would be better.

Overall, I think my girlfriend knocked it out of the park with this awesome Valentine's Day gift. Plus, it is my very first Batman statue and I cannot thank her enough for it. But, to be honest, my very favorite gift was not the Batman statue. It was Gina coming all the way from the warmth of the California sunshine to the cold and snowy temperatures of New York City. Now, if that isn't love then I don't know what is.

Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you for spending it with me.