Get your head shaved and head on into the streets as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: ONYX & Biohazard
Song: Judgement Night Album: Judgement Night: Soundtrack (1993)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A Bonus Fun Fact: The version of the song differs from the release on the album soundtrack. The lead singer of Biohazard, Evan Seinfeld, has more of a presence in the video version and the lyrics from ONYX are cleaned up and changed for television viewing audiences.
My family did an amazing job again this year taking care of me on my birthday! First off when I got home from work that evening, sitting on the kitchen counter was this amazing Ice Cream Kitty cake my wife made for me! She made the iconic TMNT character out of homemade Rice Crispy treats and fondant and placed her on top of a Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake!
As soon as I stepped in the door, my kids were begging me to open my gifts. After thanking my wife for the cake I started ripping some packages open. I finally have a copy of the Batman Vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated movie! I have still not yet seen this flick, but that will change soon. I've heard good things and can't wait to see it for myself. My kids got me a Donatello mini Ty stuffed animal to go along with the Leo I bought at a yard sale this past summer. He now lives on my Turtles shelf in the basement.
My son thought I needed this Spongebob slime figure since it has always been a dream of mine to get slimed at Nickelodeon studios. It is actually a pretty fun toy. You put the slime inside Spongebob and push his head down to make the goo come out of his pores! I also gotta say that the slime that came with this toy is some of the best I have ever played with. Got this box of 1980's favorite candies which includes things like Bubble Tape, Runts, Laffy Taffy and Ring Pops.
I will admit that the box of TMNT 2 cards was a gift to myself, but I have good intentions of using this as a family activity. Me and the kids have had a lot of fun opening old boxes of trading cards to try and build sets. We've done it with Super Mario Bros. movie cards and Star Wars cards already and I can't wait to tear into these wax packs with my children. The wife picked up these Adidas kicks for me since my latest pair of Nikes are wearing down.
One of the coolest things I received for my birthday was this Leonardo that my youngest daughter made for me out of Perler Beads! I love that she took the time to make this for me and I also love that she used the pattern from the recently released Pixel Pals. My son made me a Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda out of these beads also, but they have not yet been melted together. Can't wait for that project to be finished!
After presents it was time to eat! Just like we do almost every year, we went to my favorite local pizza place and enjoyed some great pizza and played some video games! It was another great birthday and I am thankful for having a family that takes the time to celebrate and have fun with me all the time! Can't wait to see what happens next year!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
HARLEEN #1 (OF 3)
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions. On that road I saw a pale man, and he smiled at me..." Dr. Harleen Quinzel has discovered a revolutionary cure for the madness of Gotham City-she just needs to prove it actually works. But with the criminal justice and mental health establishments united against her, the brilliant young psychologist must take drastic measures to save Gotham from itself. Witness Harleen's first steps on a doomed quest that will give birth to the legendary super-villain Harley Quinn in this stunning reimagining of Harley and The Joker's twisted and tragic love affair by visionary storyteller Stjepan ejic (AQUAMAN: UNDERWORLD, SUICIDE SQUAD, Sunstone).
Get your hair braided and head on a Fantastic Voyage as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Coolio feat. 40 Thevz
Song: C U When U Get There Album: Nothing To Lose: Soundtrack (1997)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 12 Bonus Fun Fact: This song samples the melody from Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" and has been certified Gold by the RIAA.
I don't really talk too much about wrestling here at 20 Years Before 2000. I was into the WWF back in the mid 80's and then lost interest in the sport until the 2000's when my Dad started watching WCW wrestling while he was working in Tennessee. I started to watch it too because it gave us something to talk about when I would see him. This was during the time of the NWO, Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman in the ring. Although there have been many great wrestlers during the years I watched, one really stood out to me and became a favorite...Junk Yard Dog!
He was so crazy and I will never forget his snarling face as he would
enter the ring to the sounds of Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” while
barking at his opponent and swinging that badass chain around his neck. My
introduction to JYD was in the form of the animated Hulk Hogan’s Rock N
Wrestling cartoon.
Out of all the iconic characters in that show JYD just stood
out to me and I was hooked. The one match of his that stands out more than any
other to me is when he gave Macho Man a beat down to win the WWF Wrestling Classic
in 1985. I didn’t see it live, but I had friends who were wrestling junkies, so
I borrowed their VHS tape of the event.
Unfortunately I never got to see JYD
wrestle in person and never will have that chance. In 1998 JYD was in a car
accident and passed away thereafter. For his contributions to wrestling and the
WWF/WWE JYD was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
This post was originally written as a submission to the Retro Round Table at the Retro Ramblings website. You can view the website by clicking HERE.
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 5)
WHO IS CADAVEROUS?! The most shocking and incredible comic of 2019 is here as J.J. ABRAMS (STAR WARS, STAR TREK, SUPER 8) and his son HENRY ABRAMS are joined by superstar artist SARA PICHELLI (MILES MORALES, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) team up for SPIDER-MAN! What do they have planned for Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson?! Who is Cadaverous?! The Modern Master of Mystery Makes His Marvel this September!
(W) J. J. Abrams, Henry Abrams (A) Sara Pichelli (CA) Olivier Coipel
Throw on your Orlando Magic jersey and head to Newark, NJ as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Fu-Schnickens feat. Shaquille O'Neal
Song: What's Up Doc? (Can We Rock?) Album: Nervous Breakdown (1994)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 39 Bonus Fun Fact: This was Shaq's first commercially released single. The song originally included a sample of Bugs Bunny saying his famous line, but Warner Brothers would not clear it. The video was filmed under the Manhattan Bridge in NY.
A few weekends ago, myself and my family went downtown and visited a few antique stores. I enjoy going to these kinds of stores, because you'll never know what you're going to find. Most of the time the cool stuff that I like is way over priced, but it's cool to know it's out there if I really want it. Below are some of the items we found this time around.
I have seen so many Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars over the years that were way overpriced at antique stores just like this. These ones though were pretty reasonable. I'm not a huge collector of cars, but the 99 cent asking price for them was not a bad deal. The Shirt Tales car in the middle was produced by ERTL in 1982 and was priced at $9.99! I loved these guys when I was a kid. I felt the asking price wasn't terrible, but a little high for my taste.
1990 Donruss Baseball Cards: $8.99
I love finding old baseball cards at the antique store. The only problem is that people price these for way more than what they are worth. These 1990 Donruss cards came out when I was at my peak of card collecting and I have many of them in my collection. I think the design is pretty sharp and there were some great players in this series, but once again paying $8.99 for what is referred to as "Junk Wax" cards in a package that had been opened was not for me.
2018 Met Solo Bobble head: $35
This was one of the items I am kicking myself for not picking up! I am a lifelong Mets fan and also a lifelong Star Wars fan. This is the best of both those worlds wrapped in a bobble head tortilla. These were given out to the first 25,000 fans who entered the gates during Star Wars Night at Citi Field in 2018. If this is still there when I go back, it may just end up in my collection!
Nestle Quik Bunny Mug: $5
I have always thought of the Quik Bunny as one of the top advertising mascots of my lifetime. I always liked his commercials and was jealous of my friend when he got a stuffed Quik Bunny for his birthday. This cup is from the 80's and what I like most about it is that it still refers to the product being called Nestle Quik! To hell with this new fangled Nesquik crap, it will always be just plain old Quik in my house!!
Spaghettios Plastic Bank: $10
I totally forgot about these old styled cans of Spaghettios!!! On there own Spaghettios were great, but throw in some meatballs and you have a feast! I still enjoy this delicacy toady, but my wife usually does the shopping and will not pick up most canned foods because she feels they may be "unhealthy". What up with that? Anyway this was not just your standard can, this was a 9.5 inch tall plastic bank fashioned to look like a can of saucy goodness!
Thundercats Top-Spinner Action Figure: $25
I had this guy as a kid and he was AWESOME! He was part of the bad guy pirate group known as the Berserkers! The Thundercats toyline by LJN was know for each figure having a great battle feature and Top-Spinner's was pretty excellent! He had a trigger on his back that when you pushed it his entire top half of his body would spin around and knock over any would be do gooders! This was an amazing series and when I head back to Jersey, I may just have to search through my Mom's attic to see if I can find any of my original Thundercats toys. Enjoy a Thundercats toy commercial below and let me know who your favorite figure was in the line in the comments below! HOOOOOO!!!!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
MILES MORALES SPIDER-MAN #10
SPIDER-SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL OR BIG 250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE? That's right, it's our 250th issue and it's Miles Morales' birthday! But YOU'RE getting all the gifts! A mystery dating back to Miles' first appearance? Answered! A terrifying villain destined to become one of Miles' greatest adversaries? Revealed! Special guests, like maybe Peter Parker: Spider-Man? YOU KNOW IT! All busting out of 25 pages by main series storytellers Saladin Ahmed and Javier Garr n, PLUS a bonus back-up by Ahmed and a special guest artist delving into the history of your new favorite character, STARLING! Your FOMO is well-founded! DON'T MISS IT!
(W) Saladin Ahmed (A) Javi Garron (CA) Mahmud Asrar
Throw on your oversized plaid shirt and grab your Spaulding Basketball aswe take you back to the streets of Boston! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Bobby Brown Posse
Song: Drop It On The One Album: Friday: NBA Jam Session (1994) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Bonus Fun Fact: The music video for this song features B. Brown Posse members Harold Travis, DeDe O'Neal, Smoothe Silk, Stylz and Coop B in addition to NBA legends Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Willis and Stacey Augmon. Heavy Weight Champ Evander Holyfield also makes a cameo appearance!
The 80's & 90's were an amazing time to grow up! The freedom of being a kid, the delicious candies, the unbelievable action figures and of course the unforgettable cartoons. The majority of the toons on TV during this time were created to sell toys, foods and other awesome merchandise, but what do you do when the popularity of a franchise is wearing off? You introduce new characters and give them their own shows to create more toys, foods and merchandise. The shows listed below are some of my favorite spin-offs from some of the most iconic shows of my childhood. Let me know in the comments which ones you liked when you were a kid!
She-Ra: Princess of Power
The character She-Ra first appeared in the animated film "He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword in 1985". After this introduction to the world of the Masters of the Universe She-Ra was given her own cartoon series that lasted 2 seasons from 1985-1986 for a total of 93 episodes. She-Ra was created so the MOTU brand could reach the female toy buying demographic and it succeeded. Not only was the toy line and cartoon popular with girls, but boys also enjoyed the new troop of bad guys, The Horde led by the evil Hordak!
Extreme Ghostbusters
The premise of this series is pretty basic, after years of busting ghosts the Ghostbusters have seen little to no activity in the area. They all decide to go their separate ways, but Egon stays behind to monitor the containment unit, take care of Slimer and continue his studies while teaching a college course on the paranormal. So, when ghost activity picks up and Egon has no one to call for help, he recruits a team from his students. I really liked the new team of busters compiled of Kylie, Roland, Eduardo and Garrett. I thought their personalities and backgrounds really could have led to some interesting turns in the series, but unfortunately it only lasted one year in 1997 and ran a total of 40 episodes.
Pink Panther and Sons
I really liked this cartoon as a kid! So much so that I had Pink Panther and Sons bed sheets! The series focuses on the two sons of the original Pink Panther, Pinky & Panky. Panky is a toddler who was always getting into trouble and his older brother Pinky was the leader of the Rainbow Panthers Crew. This show had a close resemblance to Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, but with talking animals! Each episode contained a few Pink Panther shorts that would run before each Sons cartoon. The series had a pretty short run of 26 episodes and was on air from 1984-1985 on NBC before it switched networks to ABC in 1986.
Pinky and the Brain
Following the success of Tiny Toon adventures the show Animaniacs was launched in 1993 and ran until 1999. It was in this run of 99 episodes of zaniness that we were introduced to the lab rats turned would-be world dominators, Pinky and the Brain. As many of you know, the Brain is obsessed with taking over the world and each night he creates more and more elaborate plans to do so. When these plans almost reach their goal, somehow someway Pinky, the clumsy sidekick, finds a way to ruin it! During the 66 episode run from 1995-1998 this dynamic duo never completed their goal. I think maybe it's time to bring these guys back so they can finish what they started all those years ago.
Darkwing Duck
This one may be a little bit of a cheat, but technically this show did spin-off from the extremely popular DuckTales cartoon. It even shares a few characters including bumbling sidekick Launchpad McQuack and super hero Gizmoduck! This was one of my favorite cartoons at the time and we would go over to a friend's house to watch the episodes he recorded before we had to head to soccer practice. This series ran from 1991-1993 for a total of 91 acion packed episodes as we saw our hero Drake Mallard aka Darkwing Duck fight off the likes of Megavolt, Liquidator, Bushroot and Negaduck! This is an amazing series that I really don't think gets it's due as the other Disney Afternoon shows get. We took the kids to DisneyWorld a few years back and I was stunned at the lack of Darkwing Duck merchandise. Maybe that will change with his recent appearances in the new DuckTales reboot?
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
HARLEY QUINN & POISON IVY #1 (OF 6)
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are taking their show on the road in this new miniseries! They'll have to evade villains and heroes alike while they explore their relationship and unpack their time and experiences at Sanctuary. Set after the events of HEROES IN CRISIS and smack in the middle of "Year of the Villain," it's a journey across the DC Universe that will change their friendship forever...if they live that long!
Throw on your White Sox Hat and grab your Chili Fritos from Big Worm aswe take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Dr. Dre
Song: Keep Their Heads Ringin' Album: Friday: The Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 10
Bonus Fun Fact: The music video for this song was directed by F. Gary Gray and features cameos by Friday actors Nia Long, Chris Tucker and Faizon Love.
