League Of Extraordinary Bloggers: Spacemen

This week, The league was given one simple topic: Spacemen. We could write whatever we wanted as long as it was about those daredevils who saved worlds, fought evil empires and, at times, won the love of a beautiful woman. 

So, what to blog about. Do I write a 500 word essay about how awesome spacemen are? Do I do a blog about how well spacemen toys sell? Maybe write about a great spaceman toy collection? 

Nahhhhh. I will take the easy way out and list my 5 favorite spacemen. Yeah, I know, another list. But it's what I do best. That and eat. I love to eat.

5-Han Solo

How can you not love the scoundrel who turned into a key figure in the Alliance's movement against the Empire. Solo goes from conceited, wisecracking smart ass who captains his own ship to a conceited, wise cracking smart ass who is a captain in the Alliance. And, he wins the heart of a Princess in the processes. What a guy.

4-Buck Rogers

  

When I was a young Sexy Geek, I remember my mom taking me to see the Buck Rogers movie. I knew nothing about the character before I saw the movie. I don't remember much of the movie, except the robot Twiki kicking someone which cracked me up. I did, however watch the show, which came out later that year of 1979. I enjoyed the show and always hoped we would see another Buck Rogers movie. I feel this is a character that should be revived in someway. 

3-Captain James T. Kirk

 

I'm not the biggest Star Trek fan. Yes, I remember watching the original series as a kid when it was shown here on WPIX, watching the cartoon, seeing the movies and owning some of the toys from the first movie. But Star Trek never captured my imagination like Star Wars had. It wasn't until I met my best friend that I appreciated the greatness of Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Kirk was a fighter, a leader and loved more women, green and not, than any other Captain who's come before and after. Screw Picard, give me Kirk anytime!

2-Superman

 

OK, he might not be what is typically considered a spaceman, but he is to me. He was born on another planet, he has traveled to other worlds and has powers us other mortals can only dream of. Superman is THE superhero and he is not even of this planet. 

1-Luke Skywalker

Skywalker is my all time favorite spaceman. He always had a good heart, despite a temper that could have led him into the Dark Side of The Force. He came from humble beginnings but would eventually become a key member of the Alliance and a Jedi Knight. I have a small Skywalker collection and I am always looking to add more to it. A lot of kids liked Solo because he was the cool guy. But for my money, Luke was the man and will always be. I hope he is a huge part of the new Star Wars movie that J.J Abrams is going to direct. I would be greatly disappointed if he was not.

I will admit, I am not a huge Sci-Fi guy. I do have my favorites, which I listed here and there were a few others I left off the list, like Lt. Starbuck, Uncle Martin and Astronaut Taylor. But, I do think that spacemen are very cool and I do enjoy watching movies and t.v shows about them. 

Here are some other fellow Extraordinary Bloggers you should check out:

http://monstercafesaltillo.blogspot.mx/2013/01/league-assignment-spacemen.html

http://aeiouwhy.blogspot.com/2013/01/loeb-post-spaaaaaaace-post.html

http://coolandcollected.com/buck-rogers-poster-by-laurent-durieux/

http://shezcrafti.com/mtv-moon-man-tribute/ 

Marvel Universe FF Foundation Spider-Man

When I first heard that Spider-Man was going to be the one replacing Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four after Storm's "death", I had 2 questions: How long would it it be before Storm comes back and what costume would Spidey wear. Well, it didn't take long for Marvel to restore the original Fantastic Four line up, but what we were left with was a very cool outfit for Spider-Man.

When I first saw the white and black outfit, I actually liked it. It was different from what he's ever worn before. Yes, he's worn black and white before, but not with white being the dominant color. I actually thought we might have seen a Fantastic Four blue and white outfit, but I was pleasantly pleased to see something completely different from Marvel.

Another thought I had when I saw the figure was, of course, toys. Now, I will have to admit, I was hoping to see a 6 inch figure or even bigger. I wasn't surprised to see a 3 8/4 Marvel Universe figure, but I was disappointed we didn't see something more.

The package art for the figure looks pretty cool. I always thought Hasbro did a great job with the packaging for these figures.

The back of the package. It gives information on the character as well as show which other figures are released in this particular wave. Also, we have more character art.

Here is what's in the package. The figure, a web and a very small cardboard comic cover. Not sure why the comic cover was included with the figure.What do you do with it?  I would have much rather had a small stand for this figure for display purposes. Fail Number 1 by Hasbro.

I have to say that this figure is pretty bad ass looking. The paint job on it is terrific. He actually looks like he popped out of a comic, which to me is is the selling point of an action figure. If the figure doesn't look right, I pass it by.

Here's what the back looks like. Again, great paint job. Very constant with the way the front of the figure. Visually, this figure is a winner.

Now, here's my problem. This figure is not as articulated as you would think. The legs are very stiff, almost as if they weren't put in correctly. I was playing around with this figure, trying to get some cool poses out of it when the left leg popped off. I was able to put it back in without any problems, but it popped off again not to long after when I was playing around with it again. After the second time I just gave up on trying to get anything out of it. 

My other issue is the web. It doesn't fit into the figures hand. It kept falling out of it when I would put it in. the hands don't open enough for you to slip the web in properly. The figure can't get a grip on it so it keeps dropping out. I like the idea of a web as an accessory, but build the figure so that the hands can grasp it.

I guess I can say that this figure, while visually beautiful, was disappointing for me. the articulation was nil, the figure doesn't seem well built and the accessories packaged with this figure are pretty useless. I have never been a big fan of smaller figures and this is why. As nice looking as they are, you really can't do much with them. I have 2 other Marvel Universe figures that are still in their packages and I think I will keep them in there as well as any future Universe figures I pick up. It's a shame. These are some nice pieces Hasbro puts out. If they take a little more time putting together the figures as they do with the paint job, then these would be the best figures you could buy, As it stands, for 9.99 all you get is a cool looking piece to put on your shelf.

Restoration Projects: Are They Worth It?

One of my holy grails is the 1966s Captain Action Batman figure. As any collector knows, this particular figure is a pretty expensive piece. Now, each time I see one on ebay, the drool I release almost short circuits my keyboard. It's dangerous for me to look at them on ebay. And God forbid I see one at a toy show. I become transfixed and my buddy George has to drag me away, usually kicking and screaming. It's an embarrassment to both he and I...mostly him.

Here is the problem my fellow geeks; I cannot afford this glorious piece. Like most of you, I have bills to pay and that's where the bulk of my dollars go. Whatever is left over is usually enough for work expenses and my leisure time as well as any purchases I make. Now, since I have vowed to concentrate on vintage pieces this year it should clear up some cash for the goodies such as this. Unless the modern piece is really cool or I can get it at a great price, I will more than likely pass on it.

Looking at prices for this on ebay over the past few months, I have noticed this usually finishes anywhere from 100.00-300.00. If I have a hankering for Raman noodles, I could probably swing 100.00. But those finish at that price few and far between. But while looking at the figures I noticed that sellers also sell the pieces to the figure separate, which gave me an idea.

What if I start picking up the pieces and just build the figure that way? Seems like a pretty good idea.I can add pieces when I get the money and over time I should have the figure I want. I actually got the idea for this from my buddy John over at the Batcave Toy Room, which you can read here: http://www.batcavetoyroom.com/  He restores Star Wars toys, so I thought maybe I can do the same thing with this Captain Action figure.

Then I start to notice a few things:

A-The pieces can go for a pretty steep price. I've been watching a few and some finished at 30.00 and over. I'm currently watching a bat-a-rang and it's at 46.00 with 21 hours to go. That piece alone could finish near 60.00.

B-Some of the pieces are not in the best condition. I mean, that's expected with age. These pieces are 47 years old. You really can't expect mint condition, but some of these sellers sell the pieces in horrible shape and that's a shame. If I had customizing skills, I could probably work with it, but I don't. I failed finger painting in kindergarden.

C-I would have to buy the original Captain Action Figure as well. I sometimes forget that the Batman figure is actually a Captain Action figure. Batman was sold as a suit for him to wear. I have seen, on average, the Captain Action figure go for around 120.00 alone. Heck, a modern Captain Action figure goes for about 40.00 and I don't want to pay that. I need one for my Spider-Man that was released last year.

So, going this route, I might actually pay more for the figure than one that is completed on ebay. By how much is the question. If I do thrifty shopping, maybe I can find the pieces at a good price, but there's no guarantee that will happen. I'm sure other collectors will have the same idea (especially after reading this, lol).

Knowing this, I wonder if restoring a vintage toy like this is the way to go. I think it could be. You have the thrill of the chase when looking for the accessories and pieces needed for the figure. Then there is the satisfaction of a completed figure in your collection. Hard work always pays off, right?

So, I guess the answer to that is really up to the person buying. Would you rather pay the money to have a completed figure or spend time and possibly more money to build the figure yourself with pieces you find on ebay and take the time to make sure the figure looks as good as you want it. Either way, you'll end up with a vintage figure that will look awesome on a shelf.

The Beatles Yellow Submarine K'Nex

Now that I finally fixed the issue of not being able to download pictures to my blog (thanks to Hobgoblin for the tip), I have some catching up to do. I had gotten a few things that I haven't been able to blog about. Now, I can.

I finally pulled the trigger and picked up The Beatles Yellow Submarines K'Nex set. I wasn't too sure about this set. I am not a fan of smaller toys. The pieces can get lost pretty easily and the figures are pretty hard to stand. There's not a lot of detail to these little guys, but I couldn't resist. It's the Beatles. I had to have it.

The back of the package doesn't really say much about the product, but does show that there is a stage for the teeny tiny mop tops to play Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band for us.

If you decide to pick these up, you have to be careful when you open this. The pieces are really shoved into the plastic case and when you try to get them out, they can pop out at you and you can lose the pieces pretty quick. I had a couple of instruments pop up at me as if they were attacking me. Be careful.

So, once I finally was able to get the figures out of the package, I had to then get the instruments into the figures hands, which wasn't that easy. Since George has a tuba, you have to pop off his head and slide the piece on his neck, then pop the head back on. Then, you have to get them to stand. This was easy, which was a good thing.

So, using my best Ed Sullivan voice, here they are.....The Beatles!

Paul

John

George

And Ringo

"Cause The Singers Going To Sing A Song And He Wants You All To Sing Along...

The stage is made of light plastic and the stage is made of cardboard. It makes for a pretty nice display. I can't wait until I can display this with the rest of my Beatles collection on a shelf.

Overall, this is a cute set for kids to play with and learn about the greatest band ever from their parents as they play Beatles tunes. for 9.99, I think this set is worth the pick up and will make a nice addition to any Beatles collection. Just be careful with the pieces and you should be fine.

Now, I may pick up the KISS set as well.

Issues With Blogger

So, I have been wanting to post a blog for a while, but for some reason, I can't post pics. I tried to post from my computer at work (relax, I was at lunch) and the same thing happened. I'm unable to post any pictures.

Until I figure out how to fix the problem or just restart this blog elsewhere, I won't be able to post anything. Really sucks too.

Anyone have any idea's?

Now that we are in 2013, I had made a few New Years resolutions to myself. On of which is to buy less comics. Reason being is that this sexy geek isn’t in the upper tax bracket. I have to eliminate a few things to have more wompa in my pocket and it looks like buying comics will be eliminated…but not totally. See, I have decided instead of blowing 30.00 plus on comics each month, I will pick up more graphic novels.

Plus, since I will be buying fewer titles, I can catch up on stories I have already missed. Sure, I will still buy Batman and I have already ignored my hesitations and started reading the Justice League. I will also still read any comic based on the original Star Wars characters. But, for now, that will be it. I already have a reading list of what I want to read this year. Here are my five books that I need to pick up, in no particular order.


I read the first issue in DC’s reboot of this title, but I never picked up any of the other issues. Since I recently picked up issue #15 and liked it, I would like to go back and catch up on the events in this book. Plus, anything that is written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jim Lee will have me reading it.



This book grabbed my undivided attention when I first saw it on a shelf at Barnes N Noble. Again, a story written by Geoff Johns is nothing to ignore, but holy hell. I love that Superman is drawn in this story to look like Christopher Reeves. That alone is enough to get me to pick up this book.



For years, I have been dying to read a real good Hulk book. To me, much like Superman, The Hulk has been a boring character in comics. With Mark Ruffalo’s portrayl in The Avengers this past summer, I rediscovered a fondness for ole green skin. Then, I discovered that during Free Comic Book Day I had grabbed issue number 1 of this arch. I read it and loved it. Now, I want to read the rest.



I guess you can’t read World War Hulk without reading Planet Hulk. When I pick up WWH, I will pick up Planet Hulk and read that first.



Another story I had started to read, yet never finished for one reason or another. Since I am not liking what is happening currently in Superior Spider-Man, I will go back and re-read this story and catch
up on what I hear to be a reall good Spidey arch.

Of course, there are other books I want to read aside these. Avenging Spider-Man: My Friends Can Beat Up Your Friends comes to mind and when Batman: Court Of Owls II is released in March, I will pick that up as well. Now that I think about it, maybe this should have been a top ten list as a few other graphic Novels come to mind.

Anyone care to hook me up with a Barnes N Noble card?