Guess What I Did Today? I’ll Tell You Tomorrow.

Posted on March 10, 2015 by geelw

Shhhhh. It’s a secret! Actually, a little embargo is silencing my lambs for the moment, so you’ll need to come back later. Um, same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel, okay? Okay. It’s a date, then…

Apple Watch Gold: Go Save Some Hungry Orphans Instead.

Posted on March 9, 2015 by geelw

Hey, it’s ONLY $10,000. Not including mandatory iPhone 6 so it actually works (!), service contract and whatever other other Apple charges they hit you with. Hell, if I’m paying that much for a watch (and I’m not), that thing better make me Dick Tracy on his Two-Way Wrist Radio (and later, Two-Way Wrist TV!) AND have a battery I can change myself. AND a damn protective case. The thing the I dislike so much about Apple products is for all the ads touting innovation and creativity and how awesome they make every aspect of your Apple life seem, treating the consumer like a dope who can’t swap out their own dead batteries (or maybe download a new OS on an older phone no longer supported even if it still works PERFECTLY) is just too condescending.

Imagine a car you HAD to drive all the way (or have towed) back to the dealership when you got a flat tire, needed wiper fluid or something else anyone an learn to do if they apply themselves. Sure, some people are total tech wipe-outs when it comes to maintenance. But not all of us who want a battery we can swap out are pirates, hackers, or whatever else Apple seems to be scared of. It’s a damn good thing they don’t make flashlights or toilet paper holders, people. Although, I hear there’s some sort of vehicle in development, so perhaps that flat tire and washer fluid thing WILL happen sooner that later. Damn technology is turning us all into Weebles and we don’t give a rat’s ass about it.

Eh, whatever. This thing will sell out all over from the basic model to this exorbitant golf truffle bar supremo. Perhaps I can go scout out a space in line at an Apple Store in NYC and make a mint selling that space to someone who REALLY wants this or any other Apple Watch? Well, I’d do that if I didn’t have more interesting things to tackle. That and I’m not THAT koo-koo (even thought I’m sure I’d make a nice chunk of change)…

Best of Toy Fair 2015, Newbies Edition: Life Is Wabi-Sabi

Posted on March 5, 2015 by geelw

Note to new trade show exhibitioners: Outside of appointments where I walk away with something to review on the site or someone promises to shoot over samples later, the best way to get me to stop at your booth is to jump out in front of me and say “Hi!”. If that fails (and it usually doesn’t), feel free to use a tripwire or other handy item that gets me to stop, look and smile. Whenever that’s happened at Toy Fair, I’ve always seen stuff that makes me want to write cool things about. Here are a few of this year’s products and people that reached out at the right moment:

Meeting the Life is Wabi-Sabi crew was a highlight of the show because Aaron Castillo Jr. and Marilyn bought that Big Island spirit from Hawaii all the way to NYC, braving the record-breaking cold weather to introduce their SUPER cute line of buttons, magnets and plush kitties. Seeing that big-eyed imperfect cat stopped me in my tracks and made me smile for a few reasons. There’s just something wonderfully zen about that cat that makes you want to pick it up and stare back for a spell.
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Mezco’s Talking Mega Scale 15″ Chucky: “Best Friends Forever”… But Not One of the Good Guys

Posted on March 5, 2015 by geelw

Well, now. Chucky’s back in action, this time in a new Mezco Toyz figure bound to scare up some sure sales among collectors when it ships out this September. Be very polite and don’t forget to wave and smile back, now. You really wouldn’t want to get Chucky angry with you, not even a little bit.

Mezco’s latest take on the classic horror villain from the Child’s Play and Chucky films stands 15″ tall and features real cloth Good Guys clothing, 11 points of articulation, a plastic knife and his trademark flaming orange hair. Did I mention he also talks, saying seven phrases from the movies? Well, he does. Nope, “I Can Talk” isn’t from any of the films, but seeing that in the image below made me immediately chuckle and think “Well, I can run away while you talk!” as well as “Exit, Stage Left!”

Anyway, you can pre-order the Talking Mega Scale 15″ Chucky by clicking away on that handy link I’ve provided. It’s $94 worth of scares coming your way, but you knew that from the moment you laid eyes on him. Make some room for him, or he’ll be pretty upset when he arrives and has to lurk about in his shipping box while you clear out that space you should have beforehand. If he starts yapping away in that box before you get to opening it, that’s not a good sign at all…

Donsuemor Delivers Today’s Delicious Diversion

Posted on March 5, 2015 by geelw

So. That’s the view outside living room my window here today. There’s about oh, 4 or so inches of snow on the ground and it’s still coming down. It’s not that bad out, but considering I woke up still not completely over my yucky throat stuff, I wasn’t looking forward to heading outside. After some medication, a bowl of soup and yeah, yeah, a cup of coffee to kick me in the pants, I was still feeling a bit out of sorts.

And then the intercom rang, buzzing me out of my haze. Who the heck could it be on such a lousy day? Fed Ex? Hmmm. The Rolodex inside my fuzzy head started spinning as I wondered what was coming up in the elevator. I wasn’t expecting any games, I just got a nice movie delivery from MVD and any other surprises I couldn’t quite think of in my somewhat toady condition. It’s a good thing my memory wasn’t working correctly, folks… Continue reading →

Toy Fair 2015: (Happily) Blinded By Science!

Posted on March 4, 2015 by geelw

One of the best things about Toy Fair can be those moments between appointments when you hit the show floor and stumble into a story idea (or when someone stumbles into me and gives me a story idea). What usually occurs is either someone swings a product sample out that stops me in my tracks (“Whap!” Ouch. – it’s happened!), or I happen to slow down because I see something that makes me want to stop and chat with the person or people running the booth. In the case of The Young Scientists Club, it was the latter and thanks to a non-active volcano in the middle of a board game… Continue reading →

Merchbro: Your Link to Some Cool Custom Gear

Posted on February 26, 2015 by geelw

Call it kismet, serendipity or maybe it’s just some good karma working its way through the universe – I’ll take it. Amusingly enough, I’ve been talking to a few people over the past few months who want to get a bunch of T-shirts and other clothing printed, some using my art, some using theirs. I tend to not think of my own artwork as wearable, but that hasn’t stopped folks from asking if I do design work on the side. Perhaps I should, but my brain tends to flick through ideas far too quickly to settle into a creative groove for long.

Anyway, I got an email out of the blue from Dan at Merchbro, a company that just so happens to do custom T-shirts and other goodies and it looks as if I get to forward that info to the folks that want to put my art and theirs onto assorted gear. How weird is that for timing? As for the quality of Merchbro’s work? Well, that image above is pretty cool, isn’t it? I’m betting some of you may even want one of these shirts, hmmmm? Well, stay tuned – we’ll see what we can do about that…

(Not that Link being able to run would actually happen given Link’s current immigration status. But hey, it really would be nice to see more variety on the ticket in the next election.)

Bravo for IDW! Alex Toth’s Classic Gets A Collection Worth Owning

Posted on February 22, 2015 by geelw

File this under “It’s about time!” and “Thanks again, IDW Publishing!” as Alex Toth’s excellent Bravo For Adventure finally gets a solid-looking complete edition absolutely worth a buy. Toth’s work as a cartoonist and character designer is legendary, but his illustrated stories are for a number of fans, some of the most visually outstanding and memorable.

Headed to a comic shop or online book retailer in July, this 100-page 9.5″ x 13″ hardcover contains the original 48-page story from 1975 along with two other stories featuring Toth’s handsomely heroic creation Jesse Bravo, a slew of never before seen sketches and even color samples from the Bravo tale that was to originally be published back in 1975. The man was and is called “The Genius” by his loyal fans for good reason. Whether looking at a single panel or entire story he worked on, there’s a sense or realism and stylization blended together with a phenomenal use of black and white and a solid sense of storytelling. Anyway, keep an eye peeled for this one when the summer sun is strong, as it’s a great read from one of the best classic comic illustrators ever.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Secrets of Eternity Super Edition: It’s in the Cards!

Posted on February 21, 2015 by geelw

The next time you see some kids or teens sitting around playing with Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, you should probably tip your cap in their direction or something nice like that. As the #1 trading card game in the world (25 billion cards sold!), it’s also a means to get those kids into math, tactical thinking and becoming more social with each other through play.

For the uninitiated, You-Gi-Oh! is “a game of strategy, where players create individual Decks of cards collected from Structure Decks and Booster Packs. Two players engage in a Duel while using cards that represent powerful monsters, magical Spells and surprising Traps. Duelists with well-constructed Decks, dominating monsters, solid strategy and good fortune are the victors…”. But that’s just scratching the surface. Watching matches play out is a surprisingly compelling affair that can be likened to a competitive chess tournament with complicated rules only fully grasped by seasoned players. Continue reading →

MVD and Arrow Films Shoot More Mature Movies Your Way Soon

Posted on February 20, 2015 by geelw

Wow. Since I was so darn busy these past few weeks (and still am), I missed the second email from Clint over at MVD and almost missed the third until a friend reminded me to check and see what movies Arrow Films was getting out on DVD here in the U.S. of A. over the next few months. Well, here you go, then – six more films ABSOLUTELY not for the kiddies coming to Blu-Ray or DVD. Three in April, three more in May. yes I can count – you’ll see if you keep reading… Continue reading →