Comic Book Pick 2/27/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

CAPTAIN MARVEL BRAVER & MIGHTIER #1

HERO FOR A DAY, HERO FOR A PLANET!
It's CAROL DANVERS Day!  Air Force Pilot Carol Danvers is a hero to many...so what could possibly delay her to her own celebration? Only her other job-as Earth's Mightiest Hero, CAPTAIN MARVEL!  Stuck between her duty to her community and her responsibility to the wider world, Carol will have to make a tough decision, and muster all of her power to fend off an invasion force!  Don't miss the excitement of the STRONGEST & MIGHTIEST hero of all in her latest adventure!

(W) Jody Houser (A) Simone Buonfantino (CA) Ron Lim

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

Throwback Jam of the Week: 2/25/19

Throw on your flannel, cut your hair in the fresh micro-braid style and watch an episode of Fresh Prince as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: Tevin Campbell

Song: Can We Talk

Album: I'm Ready (Released 1993)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 9

Bonus Fun Fact: This song was written by hitmaker Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and was nominated for a Grammy award. It won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single.

My Faves: Figure Collection #9

I have a fairly big collection of loose figures from the 80s & 90s. I would like to share a few of my faves with you at this time. These are a few of the toys I re-discovered while cleaning out my basement closet this past weekend. Here we go!

Air Raiders: Battle Squad Member (Hasbro, 1987)

These little guys were AWESOME! I loved the Air Raiders line of toys. I never owned any of the big battleships, but my neighbor did and I was envious. I loved the story of how the bad guys controlled the air and the rebels aka the Air Raiders were on a mission to make the air free to all who lived in Airlandia! The ships in the toy line featured some cool air related features from floating orbs to firing missiles. This little guy sadly is the only relic I own from this forgotten series.

 Star Wars: X-Wing Pilot Luke (Kenner, 1978)

Ah, X-Wing Luke he looks nothing like the character and is probably the least wanted of all the Luke figures in the original Kenner line. In principle it should be a cool figure, but the likeness is way off. The positive side of this figure is that you could incorporate him into any battle as an anonymous pilot who just wants to rebel against the Empire! 

 Masters of the Universe: Orko (Mattel, 1984)
I always wanted this figure as a kid, but never got him until years later. He is so cool! He looks just like the character from the cartoon series. From his removable hat to pull cord spinning action this is one of my favorite Masters of the Universe figures of all time!

TMNT: Rocksteady (Playmates, 1988)
The first ever Ninja Turtles action figure I ever owned was the original Donatello. Some time later my Mom took us shopping at Ames Department Store and the entire line of TMNT toys was on sale and for some reason she spoiled me and my brother by buying us the entire first wave of figures! On that trip I ended up getting Leonardo, Foot Soldier and Rocksteady. He was so cool and the toy pictured above is the same toy my Mom got us over 30 years ago.

Thundercats: Snarf (LJN, 1985)

This figure kinda ticked me off as a kid. He was included when you bought the original Lion-O action figure. By the time Snarf was included though, I already had a Lion-O figure and my Mom couldn't justify buying the same figure just to get this accessory. Damn LJN!!! I found this figure at a second hand store for about $1 and now I can finally add Snarf to my Thundercats collection!

Check out some of my other Fave figures by clicking HERE!

Comic Book Pick 2/20/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

TMNT URBAN LEGENDS #10

Welcome to Chicago! Hot on the trail of bat-Splinter, the Turtles find themselves embroiled in a new mystery when a string of killings points to a mythic villain... a vampire! But just like the Turtles themselves, things aren't always what they seem... The entire TMNT Volume 3 run-all 23 issues-reprinted in full color for the first time!

(W) Gary Carlson (CA) Erik Larsen (A/CA) Frank Fosco

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

Throwback Jam of the Week: 2/18/19

Throw on your Flavor Unit Jacket, cut your hair in the fresh baldy style and watch an episode of Living Single as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: Queen Latifah

Song: U.N.I.T.Y.

Album: Black Reign (Released 1993)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 23

Bonus Fun Fact: This song won the 1995 Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance! This video features a cameo appearance by some more famous New Jersey MCs, Naughty By Nature.

Happy Valentines Day 2019!!!

It's been crazy cold all over the United States these last few weeks, so hopefully taking a look at these retro Valentines Cards from the 80s & 90s will help to spark some warm memories of years past. When you handed out cards of your favorite cartoon characters to your friends, teachers and special someone. I love seeing the faces of my kids as they fill out their cards for their classmates. It brings me great joy to know the tradition of handing out Valentines still gives kids joy today. A few years ago the fine people at the website Top Hat Sasquatch wanted to bring back that fun to it's readers and wouldn't you know it, I was one of the lucky ones to receive some Valentines! They sent a great selection and now I am sharing them with you. ENJOY and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

You can check out all the fun at Top Hat Sasquatch by clicking HERE!

Comic Book Pick 2/13/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

WONDER TWINS #1 (OF 6)

Exiled from their home planet, alien heroes Zan and Jayna must navigate life as teens on Earth at South Metropolis High School, where they're even bigger outsiders than the typical awkward young adults. Under the watchful eye of Superman, the brother and sister pull monitor duty at the Hall of Justice as interns, while also trying to overcome the pitfalls of Zan's brash confidence and Jayna's shy but streetwise persona. If you think you know the Wonder Twins, think again-this book takes the form of the unexpected.

(W) Mark Russell (A/CA) Stephen Byrne

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

Throwback Jam of the Week: 2/11/19

Throw on your animal print leisure suit, cut your hair in the fresh Jherri Curl style and grab an Ice Cream Castle as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: Morris Day and The Time

Song: Jungle Love
Album: Ice Cream Castle (Released 1984)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 20

Bonus Fun Fact: Morris Day sang and Jesse Johnson played guitar on this track while all the other instruments were played by Prince! This song was performed by The Time in the movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back in 2001!

80s Commercials from the East Coast

I had planned on a pretty cool post for this week, but with sick kids and the crazy weather I have been unable to get it written and onto the blog. Instead I decided to share some of my favorite local commercials that I used to see on TV in the 80s while living in the great state of New Jersey. If your from the tri-state area these should bring back some great memories. If not, I'm sure you can still enjoy the nostalgia of the spots. ENJOY!

Shop Rite: Can Can Sale

Land of Make Believe: Hope, NJ

Milford Plaza: Lullaby of Broadway

The Children's Aid Society

The Wiz: Home Entertainment Sale

Mount Airy Lodge

Comic Book Pick 2/6/19

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

LADY DEATH THE RECKONING #1 25TH ANNIV ED

This 25th anniversary edition of the legendary Lady Death: The Reckoning #1 has been intimately re-mastered: re-scanned color pages, lettering restoration, and features a never-before-seen behind the scenes sketchbook section, interviews with Brian Pulido, Steven Hughes, and Jeson Jensen, and little seen art. Learn how a medieval girl named Hope renounced her humanity to save her mother's soul in Hell, only to be transformed by insurmountable circumstances into Lady Death, the diva of death!

(W) Brian Pulido (A/CA) Steven Hughes

SRP: $4.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com

Throwback Jam of the Week: 2/4/19

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 jump suit, cut your hair in the fresh rat tail style and grab something TO THE EXTREME as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: Vanilla Ice

Song: Play That Funky Music
Album: Hooked (Released 1989)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 4

Bonus Fun Fact: The original composer of the song "Play That Funky Music", Rob Parissi never gave permission for Vanilla Ice to sample his music and won a $500,000 copyright infringement lawsuit!

Retro Reading Corner: The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album

Originally published by Harper/Collins in 1991, the Simpsons Uncensored Family Album is a scrapbook through the history of the quintessential Nuclear Family through the eyes of it matriarch Marge Simpson. It is filled with mementos from Homer and Marge's years growing up in Springfield to the present day with their 3 children Bart, Lisa & Maggie. I love the way this book is presented through the characters viewpoint of events and how it incorporates classic scenes from some of the best episodes. I wanted this book back when I was a Simpsons fan in the 90's and I finally grabbed a copy at a used book store for around $1. Let's take a look inside and delve into the backstory of one of the most iconic animated families in television history....

I loved seeing these photos of Homer and Marge from before they had children. It really gives you a glimpse into the people they would become and how they got there. I may be getting too deep with this one, but it's always cool to see what your parents were like before you born. It gives you a deeper appreciation for them as people. Plus it's pretty surprising to see Homer's High School Certificate of Merit.

Here is where it all began. This was the start of the Simpsons clan. Baby Bart has finally arrived. I wonder if he got his name from the package shown on this page. Who would include that in a family scrapbook?

I included this page because of the El Barto Wanted poster. I always thought Bart was cool and strived to be an underachiever (and be proud of it). I gotta give Chief Wiggum some credit, he was pretty close with this sketch though.

"Bart's Dog Gets an F" was an early episode highlight for the Simpsons. It finally put the spotlight on Santa's Little Helper and the results were amazing. Who can forget when the family dog destroys Homer's new $125 pair of Assassins sneakers. Great scene, great episode & cool page in the Simpsons family album.

I just added this page because it reminds me of the day I first watched the Simpsons Christmas special when it aired on FOX 5 on December 17th, 1989. I watched it when it very first aired and I have been a fan of the show ever since.

This Simpsons Family Tree was especially interesting to me. If you follow the lines to the left you will see that Homer is actually related to Mr. Burns in some crazy way! Interesting stuff. I wonder if this book is cannon to the series? What a cool way to end this entertaining trip through the first few decades of the Simpsons Family History. Now enjoy where it all began with the first Simpsons short that aired on The Tracey Ullman show on April 19th, 1987.