Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Comic Book Pick 1/30/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #46
High school principal Jefferson Pierce is used to teenagers acting like monsters-but not when they start turning into actual monsters! Even Scooby and the gang might have their hands full with an entire horrifying homecoming, but fortunately, they're not alone-because Jefferson Pierce is secretly the electrifying hero Black Lightning! Is it all a plot by Tobias Whale and his ruthless gang, the 100? Or is Garfield High doomed to become the Ghoul School?
(W) Sholly Fisch (A/CA) Dario Brizuela
SRP: $2.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

Monday, January 28, 2019

Throwback Jam of the Week: 1/28/19

It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Reeboks, cut your hair in the fresh baldy style and grab some Pepsi & Taco Bell as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Shaquille O'Neal feat. Def Jef
Song: (I Know I Got) Skillz
Album: Shaq Diesel (Released 1993)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 35
Bonus Fun Fact: This is Shaq's only song to reach top 40 status on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single reached Gold status in the US for selling over 500,000 copies and was featured in the movie Pineapple Express!

Friday, January 25, 2019

My Collector's Wish List #2

I collect a lot of things from the 80s & 90s. Mostly stuff that reminds me of my childhood like toys, comics and cards. Some of these items can be pretty scarce or out of my price range. I have compiled a list of these items in the hopes that I will find them and be able to cross them off that list some day. Here are 5 items that I have on my wish list that I hope to add to my collection.

Li'l Bendable Gremlin Creatures
Average Price: $18 each
I remember loving these little creatures as a kid. Produced by Marty Toys you would find these toys everywhere from your local Shop Rite Supermarket to KB Toys.  There wasn't much to these little guys except the bendy feature, but the designs were cool and I remember Mooky being my favorite. One of my memories of owning these creatures was sharing a hot dog with my blue Mooky at a local Howard Johnson's restaurant. Those were good times!

FLEER Dragon's Lair Card Box
Average Price: $125 per box
These scratch off cards were great! Not only did you get to collect a set of cool cards & stickers but you got a game with it also! The goal as it is with most of these types of cards is to make it to the end of the maze without getting too many skulls that would end your turn. I love collecting vintage non-sport boxes of cards and this one is high on my want list.

The Smurf Chase: Wind up Gargamel
Average Price: $50
I have some vague memories of owning this figure as a very young child. I remember loving it and detaching the Smurf from the toy itself. Beyond that my memories are lost. I do know one thing though, I really was big into the Smurfs early in my life and would love to have this piece back in my possession. My Mom could tell you stories about my Smurf obsession that would make me cower as an adult. Now that you know too much, let's move on...

M.U.S.C.L.E Trash Can
Average Price: $35
There were so many ways you could have purchased your M.U.S.C.L.E. figures in the 80s. In small packs of 4, large boxes of 28 and my personal favorite the trash can filled with 10 figures. I remember my mom breaking down and buying me and my brother one of the cans while on a shopping trip to Shelby's department store. We busted that thing open while she was still shopping and sat on the steps in the store and played with our cool new toys! I still have some of my M.U.S.C.L.E. figures, but sadly the trash can has been lost.

Silverhawks Burger King Toys
Average Price: $75 per set
These toys hit a sensitive spot in me. When I was in grade school we went on a field trip to the local library, probably to learn the Dewey Decimal System. Anyway while we were there I got busted playing with my Tally-Hawk pencil topper instead of listening to the lecture. My teacher took my prized possession and I never saw it again. This tragedy needs to be amended and one day it will be when I purchase a new Silverhawks pencil topper and rise back to the height of writing utensil AWESOMENESS! Below is the commercial from 1987 for the Silverhawks Meal Pack!
To see more things on my want list, click here and check out My Collector's Wish List #1.


Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Comic Book Pick 1/23/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
NAOMI #1
DC's biggest, newest mystery starts here! When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into a small Northwestern town, Naomi (last name?) begins a quest to uncover the last time a super-powered person visited her home-and how that might tie into her own origins and adoption. Follow Naomi's journey on a quest that will take her to the heart of the DC Universe and unfold a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before. Join writers Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker and breakout artist Jamal Campbell in Wonder Comics' massively ambitious new series and star... NAOMI.
(W) Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker (A) Jamal Campbell
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com
 

Monday, January 21, 2019

Throwback Jam of the Week: 1/21/19

It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Polyester Suit, cut your hair in the fresh braided style and grab some mangos in Trinidad  with attorneys as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Wyclef Jean feat. Pras & John Forte
Song: We Tryin' To Stay Alive
Album: The Carnival (Released 1997)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 45
Bonus Fun Fact: The Bee Gees were not fans of this song sampling their hit Staying Alive. Barry Gibb told MTV News "Don't like it. Don't approve of it. Don't like it."

Friday, January 18, 2019

Second Hand Score: Micronauts!!!

A few years ago I picked up this 1977 Mego Micronauts Battle Cruiser set at a local Goodwill store. I had never really been a big fan of the toys and the only time I ever actually played with them was at my cousin's house, but they only wanted $1.99 for it so how could I pass it up!
Here is what was in the box. I would say about 80% of the set was in there. There was another set at the store, but it didn't look nearly as complete as this one.
The box contained a nice assortment of Micronauts figures. Sadly most of them were missing body parts or had broken waists. There were 2 figures though that were in excellent condition. The blue Pharoid figure even came with his sarcophagus!
This is what I was able to put together from the pieces in the box. The remote control no longer works, but still pretty cool looking! I let my son play with this toy and he really enjoys the fact that you can customize the vehicle any way you want it. Overall, I call this pickup a win!

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Comic Book Pick 1/16/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
TMNT SHREDDER IN HELL #1
Abandon all hope...The Shredder returns in this brand-new mini-series! Oroku Saki's death is just the beginning, and his journey through the depths of the underworld proves to be anything but a divine comedy. How much of Shredder's soul will remain after he's faced the horrors of hell? Fan-favorite artist Mateus Santolouco returns to the world of TMNT as both writer and artist!
The most infamous villain in the TMNT universe gets his own mini-series.
(W) Mateus Santolouco (A/CA) Mateus Santolouco
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

 

Monday, January 14, 2019

Throwback Jam of the Week: 1/14/19

It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Kangol, cut your hair in the fresh Gumby style and grab some Hi-C Ecto Cooler as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Jam
Album: Dangerous (Released 1992)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 26
Bonus Fun Fact: The music video for this song prominently features Michael Jordan and also includes cameos by rap groups Kriss Kross and Naughty By Nature!

Friday, January 11, 2019

Christmas 2018 Fallout

 Now that I am a parent Christmas is mostly all about making the kids happy and helping Santa get them the toys that were on their list. But every year I still look forward to unwrapping my own gifts from my kids & wife. They typically do a great job of getting me some sweet presents and this year they did not disappoint. I know it's a little late, but lets look behind the wrapping paper and see what goodies were under the tree for me this year!
 Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Visual History Book
I love this book! I have been a huge fan of the Ghostbusters since the awesome foursome hit screens in 1984 and I thought I knew a lot about the series, but according to this book I didn't know as much as I thought I did. This book goes deep into the creation & production of the 2 original films. This is a fantastic read for any Ghostbusters fan with some bonus extras included inside.
Funko Pop Doctor Octopus & Blanka
I collect Funko POP figures, but I am not a ravenous collector. I usually grab the figures I like from series that hold a special place in my life. My wife picked me up these two guys because she knows I am a fan of ol' web head and she heard me say Blanka was my favorite Street Fighter II character while I was playing the game with my kids. I guess my wife does listen to me every now and then!

Super Mario Kart Piranha Plant & Rosalina Figures
My wife admitted that she picked these up for me because they were on a smokin' clearance sale at Barnes & Noble. I think they are pretty cool, but I will probably hand them down to my son so we can add them to his Super Mario figure collection.

Movies!
I rarely make it out to the movie theater to see a movie above a PG rating these days, so my wife picked me up a great selection of movies I have missed over the last year. Included are Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Death of Superman, Justice League, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Avengers: Infinity War, Rampage and Stephen King's IT. Can't wait to find the time to watch these flicks!

Stocking Stuffers
I freakin' love stocking stuffers! Ever since I was a kid I couldn't wait to rip into the stocking on Christmas morning to find the cool little gifts Santa had brought in addition to all the edible goodies inside. This year was no different. I got a mini Horn Head Madball, Batman Fidget Spinner, Ghostbusters Ecto Plasm container, Ninja Turtles Playing Cards and some sweet treats!

Guitar Hero Live for the WiiU
I kind of looked at my wife confused when I opened this one. I hadn't played Guitar Hero since it was on the PS2 and really hadn't shown any interest in picking my guitar back up, but once again my wife found this on a great Black Friday deal and thought I would enjoy it. I was skeptical, but I plugged in my pretend amp and myself and the kids had a blast playing this game again!
Well, that's it for this past Christmas. I hope yours was merry, bright and full of good tidings. Now enjoy a full hour of Christmas commercials from the 90's to tide you over until next year! Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Comic Book Pick 1/9/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #1
Spider-Man is the worst neighbor EVER! There are always crazy villains and property damage and drama and...and he CATCHES the villains. And he tries to fix the damage and he helps carry your groceries and actually that property damage keeps the rents down. You know what? Spider-Man is the best neighbor ever and this book will give you a closer look at Spider-Man's (and Peter Parker's) neighborhood than any book ever. Also, it wouldn't be a Spider-Man adventure without a threat that could destroy not only Spider-Man, but all his neighbors. Superstar writer TOM TAYLOR (X-MEN RED, ALL-NEW WOLVERINE, Injustice) and rising art star JUANN CABAL (ALL-NEW WOLVERINE, X-23) give you the most local Spider-Man ever!
(W) Tom Taylor (A) Juan Cabal, Marcelo Ferreira (CA) Andrew Robinson
SRP: $4.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

Monday, January 7, 2019

Throwback Jam of the Week: 1/7/19

It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Kangol, cut your hair in the fresh Gumby style and grab some Hi-C Ecto Cooler as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Bobby Brown
Song: We're Back
Album: Ghostbusters II Soundtrack (Released 1989)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was featured in the film Ghostbusters II where Bobby Brown himself makes a cameo appearance as the doorman at Gracie Mansion!

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Comic Book Pick 1/2/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
HEROES IN CRISIS #4 (OF 9)
Wonder Woman versus...Booster Gold?! Diana finds out the hard way that Booster can be a formidable opponent when his back's against the wall. Of course, being the prime suspect in a superhero massacre and exposing a secret trauma hospital for metahumans will do just that. Meanwhile, Batman and the Flash combine their detective skills to investigate what went awry at Sanctuary and uncover a serious glitch in the system-not to mention an explosive, spoiler-ific secret!  
(W) Tom King (A/CA) Clay Mann
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com