Old vs. New: She-Ra Action Figures

Myself and my kids have been watching the She-Ra reboot on Netflix since it started back in 2018 and I have to say that I have really been enjoying it. It has a great writing staff, the animation is excellent and the characters have a lot of … character! As we all know, with a new high profile cartoon series must also come new action figures. Today we will compare and contrast the original 1985 She-Ra to her contemporary counterpart from Mattel! Let's get to the toys!

Obviously the first thing you notice about these two figures is the size comparison. The original line comes in at around 5.5 inches while the new version is twice the size at 11 inches! This size difference leads to the ability to give the 2019 doll better sculpting. The 1985 She-Ra seems to be sculpted with a more intended muscular look, while 2019 has an athletic sculpt.

Head and face sculpt wise, I will have to give the nod to 2019 She-Ra. She has more expression in her face and seems to be created to look more like her cartoon counterpart than the 1985 edition. Also, the original sculpt seems a bit more manly to me.

The other thing the new She-Ra has the advantage over the original is the inclusion of removable accessories. For example the boots are removable, whereas the original has most of her accessories painted on. Actually, now that I think about it, I may prefer the painted on boots and wrist bands. That just leaves less things to loose!

Speaking of things to loose! Here is a side by side comparison of the Sword of Protection. The 2019 version is far superior to the 1985 sculpt. I do have to give Mattel credit for what they were able to create in 1985, but the new version actually looks like the sword used by She-Ra!

Overall, I will have to give the crown/tiara to the 2019 Mattel She-Ra doll. The advances in toy making since 1985 and the larger scale of the figure really gave this toy the opportunity to shine...and it does. My daughters have all of series 1 and I'm hoping we will eventually see a series 2. There are so many great characters that have yet to be immortalized in plastic. Please Mattel, I would love to see a new Entrapta doll! Until that time, enjoy the great intro theme song to She-Ra and the Princesses of Power!!!

Comic Book Pick 5/27/20

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

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE MULTIVERSE #6

(W) Tim Seeley (A) Tom Derenick (CA) In-Hyuk Lee 

It's the finale of the reality-bending miniseries, and Prince Keldor is trapped in the bowels of Castle Hellskull. Now the only way to survive an onslaught of Anti-Eternians may be to embrace the full powers of Skeletor! 

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

Throwback Jam of the Week: 5/25/20

Throw on your sideways cap, and learn what homosapien means as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

Song: Mistadobalina

Album: I Wish my Brother George Was Here (1991)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A

Bonus Fun Fact: This song samples The Monkees song "Zilch" and reached #6 on the US Hot Rap Songs chart in 1991!

Movie Memories: Star Wars The Special Edition

Not that long ago on the planet Earth the year was 1997 and I was 17 years old. Star Wars was celebrating it's 20th anniversary and George Lucas was re-releasing his masterpiece to theaters with upgrades to special effects, new CGI characters and extended scenes. I was excited and so were my older brother and some of our friends. We had grown up playing with Star Wars figures, collected TOPPS Star Wars Cards and watched the Star Wars movies! Here is a picture of us in our early 80s glory days...on a tractor like gangstas!

It was February and we had our tickets to see Star Wars: the Special Edition at the Rockaway Town square Mall in NJ. We had plenty of time to kill, so we hit up our usual money dropping stores like...

Babbage's for our video game needs...

 KB Toys for our collecting and toys/cards needs (Mostly, this was just me that wanted to go here)...

 Modell's for our sporting goods and favorite team apparel needs (Mets, Jets, Nets & Devils!)...

This weird sculpture that had been in the mall for years in the 80s was now outside for all to admire. Have no idea what it is or what it is supposed to be, but it brings back memories and looks cool...

and of course Sam Goody for our music needs! But on this trip we made an unexpected detour to a store we usually don't shop at and that was JC Penny!

We were there because allegedly a buddy of mine had spread a rumor that it was really easy to shoplift jerseys from this store and one of my friends, who will remain nameless, got the idea that he would partake in this crime. He spotted his target, grabbed it and tried to make a break for the exit, but was stopped by Mall Security. The jersey he was after...

New York Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell! Anyway, my friend was detained in the mall offices for a while and since my brother was over 18, he was able to bail my friend out. In the time that it took to get him out though, we had missed the movie! I never did get the chance to experience Star Wars in the theater and I still have the movie ticket somewhere in a forgotten box of memories. I will never let my friend forget about the time he made us miss Star Wars! On a side note, he did have to do community service for his infraction and while doing this service he met a girl who became his live in girlfriend for a few years. So. I guess that worked out. Here is the trailer for the movie that brings back these painful memories...Star Wars: The Special Edition!

Comic Book Pick 5/20/20

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

STAR WARS ADVENTURES: CLONE WARS #1 (OF 5)

(W) Michael Moreci (A) Arianna Florean (A/CA) Derek Charm 

This exciting weekly series explores a time of great upheaval in the galaxy-the Clone Wars! While Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and other Jedi Knights confront Count Dooku, two Republic squadrons must hold their position against an encroaching droid army of the Separatists. Pinned down for the duration, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, and other clones swap war stories that feature your favorite characters from The Clone Wars animated series, such as Padmé Amidala, General Grievous, and many more! 

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

Throwback Jam of the Week: 5/18/20

Throw on your backwards cap, and work that booty as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Song: Boom! Shake The Room

Album: Code Red (1993)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #13

Bonus Fun Fact: This song reached #1 on the charts in Australia, Ireland, Spain and the UK and was certified Gold with sales over 600,000 by the RIAA!

Nobody Beats The Wiz!

Indeed! Nobody does in fact beat The Wiz! For those readers who did not grow up on the East Coast, The Wiz also known as Nobody Beats The Wiz was a chain of electronics stores mainly in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The first store was opened in 1977 and the last store was closed in 2003. I used to visit the closest Wiz to me which was in Ledgewood, NJ off Route 10. They had a great selection of stereo equipment, music and movies, but the one thing that really stood out to me was the advertising for the store with it's incredibly catchy jingle. Here are a few commercials advertising some great 90s promotions from The Wiz!

1995 Portables Commercial featuring "Rump Shaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect

1996 Christmas Commercial with weird Elves

1991 Christmas Commercial featuring Joe Namath

Nobody Beats The Wiz was a very popular store in the 90s. This led to them sponsoring many of the major sports teams in the area including the Jets, Mets, Yankees & Knicks. Because of this sponsorship many of the biggest stars from these teams were featured in their television ads. A lot of the ads, like the one above, included Super Bowl winning Jets quarterback Broadway Joe Namath.

1990s Knicks commercial featuring Boomer Esiason

When the Knicks were doing well in the 90s they were featured in a bunch of Nobody Beats The Wiz ads like the one above. I hated the Knicks, but loved these cheesy commercials. Especially liked the delivery from Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. But my favorite Nobody Beats The Wiz commercial of all time is...

New York Knicks Wiz Bucks Commercial

I love it because it's so absurd! Why would multi-millionaire basketball stars be playing poker with coupons from the Sunday paper? I also love how they are cutting them out while playing the game. Hard times man! It also includes one of my favorite players, Anthony Mason! That guy was a beast!

Nobody Beats The Wiz was so popular in the area that an entire 1997 episode of Seinfeld revolved around the store and their fictitious mascot...The Wiz! Elaine fell in love with this mystery man for unknown reasons until she finally realized it was because he was The Wiz from TV! Who can forget his memorable line "I'm the Wiz! I'm the Wiz! I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me!"

Even legendary rapper Biz Markie samples the Nobody Beats Wiz jingle for his 1988 song "Nobody Beats The Biz"! Which allegedly led to him being sued by the chain.

Like I said before for being so popular, Nobody Beats The Wiz had a pretty short lifespan. It was bought by Cablevision in 1998 and eventually closed in 2003. At this time, rival electronics store PC Richards bought the left over assets and The Wiz was no more. I also have a pretty vivid memory of shopping at The Wiz on 9/11 when the Twin Towers were struck. I was purchasing the new Jay-Z album "The Blueprint". So many great memories of a time when stores like this thrived. Electronics, music and movie stores sadly no longer make money and will be relegated to a memory from my youth. So sad!

Comic Book Pick 5/13/20

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

DC HEROES IN CRISIS

By now I sound like a broken record, but once again there are no new releases hitting local comic shops this week due to Covid-19, so I decided this would be a great time to catch up on some books I have not read yet. This week I am going to pull back the pages of DC's Heroes In Crisis mini-series. I have held off on reading this for a while now. I have heard very mixed reviews about Heroes In Crisis. Some really liked it, while others hated it. I guess it's time to find out if it's any good for myself! That's why I am excited to read these issues! Have you read this title yet? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below. If not, what are you reading now?

Throwback Jam of the Week: 5/11/20

Throw on your leather jackets and braids, and Start a Karaoke Party as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: Milli Vanilli

Song: Blame It On The Rain

Album: Girl You Know It's True (1989)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #1

Bonus Fun Fact: This song was the final single to be released for Milli Vanilli before their lip-synch scandal hit.

It Came From The Closet! PART III

Green Apple Spider-Man 3 Soda

While stuck home during quarantine, one of the things my wife asked me to do is to clean out the back basement closet. When we had our kids a lot of my things were packed up and stored in this closet to make room for their stuff. I gotta say, even though cleaning sucks, it was fun to uncover some of these items that I haven't seen in years. One such item was this box of Spider-Man 3 Green Apple Soda! Spider-Man 3 soda came in 3 flavors: Orange, Blue Raspberry & Green Apple. Each box contained 12 - 8oz cans. I actually remember liking these when I drank them back in 2007. The cans have all been emptied of their contents, but the memories will last forever!

 Schylling Tin Robot

I am a sucker for these types of wind up tin robots. I love the look, I love the simplicity and the price was pretty damn good on this one. I think I paid around $2 on clearance at our local Cracker Barrel Restaurant Country Store. 

 Retro Star Wars Plastic Cups

This purchase I remember vividly as it was my second to last trip to Toys R Us. Everything was being liquidated and the stock was picked over pretty good. But somehow these cups were still on the shelves. They feature images from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in a border that resembles the old Topps cards. The cups take me back to being a kid and drinking out of cups that had all sorts of popular characters on them from He-Man to X-Men. Of course the 90% off discount didn't hurt either.

X-Men Page Proof

I bought this on e-bay when I was in my original art phase back in the early 2000's. Yes, I know this is not original art, but it is a proof used by marvel comics to produce an issue of X-Men Unlimited in 1999. Also, it featured a shot of Wolverine. That was the clincher for me. Not sure what it's worth, but I'm glad it's part of my comic memorabilia collection. Who doesn't love 90s X-Men?

If you would like to see what was found in "It Came From The Closet! Part I" click HERE. How about Part II? Click HERE for that!

Comic Book Pick 5/6/20

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

TRANSFORMERS/GHOSTBUSTERS

By now I sound like a broken record, but once again there are no new releases hitting local comic shops this week due to Covid-19, so I decided this would be a great time to catch up on some books I have not read yet. This week I am going to pull back the pages of IDW's Transformers/Ghostbusters crossover mini-series. I have been a little hesitant with these IDW crossovers. It seems they have become pretty formulaic. A portal to another dimension is opened up somehow, two awesome groups of heroes come together to defeat a big bad guy & then they return to their respective dimensions. I really hope this one is different. I love both of these 80's properties and would love to see something fresh and new. I guess it's time to find out! That's why I am excited to read these issues! Have you read this title yet? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below. If not, what are you reading now?

Throwback Jam of the Week: 5/4/20

Throw on your bowties, and Start Dancing as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: Shannon

Song: Let The Music Play

Album: Let The Music Play (1983)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #8

Bonus Fun Fact: This song was ranked #42 on VH1's list of top One Hit Wonders from the 80's! This song is featured in the video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.

It Came From The Closet! PART II

Jedi Mickey Windu

While stuck home during quarantine, one of the things my wife asked me to do is to clean out the back basement closet. When we had our kids a lot of my things were packed up and stored in this closet to make room for their stuff. I gotta say, even though cleaning sucks, it was fun to uncover some of these items that I haven't seen in years. One such item was this sketch of Mickey Mouse as a Jedi that I bought in a store at Downtown Disney in Orlando Florida. I chose this drawing because Mickey is wielding the bad-ass light saber of Mace Windu. This amazing art was done by Disney artist Monica Willis in 2006. I would love to have it framed and put on my wall.

 Kazaam on VHS

Not too much to say about this one. I bought it for a quarter at a thrift store and I've heard nothing but terrible things about the movie, but I can't see how a movie about a 7 foot rapping genie could be all that bad. Soon I will have to watch it with the kids and find out for myself. The movie almost made back it's 20 million dollar budget and features an appearance from Efren Ramirez aka Pedro, so it has that going for it!

 Tiny "Zeus" Lister Autograph

I had the chance to meet Mr. Lister (hey, that rhymes!) at the Chiller Theater convention in NJ around 2005. He was very cool and took the time to take photos, sign pictures and chat with each person who stopped by his table...all for a price, but still a nice guy from one of my favorite 90s movies "Friday"! Gotta get this back on the wall in the basement!

Whiz-Kid

I loved this toy as a kid. It came out in the early 80s and was, if I remember correctly, my first real exposure to anything that resembled a computer. The Whiz-Kid came with cartridges that you would insert into the toy and each cartridge contained around 50 games that could be unlocked by using the corresponding cards that came with the cartridge. Most of these were educational games that included math, spelling and shape & color recognition. I found this Whiz-Kid at a second hand store for around $5 and believe me it was well worth it. The sound this machine makes when you get a correct answer took me back decades and my kids also had fun plating with it too. Love this thing!

Bart Simpson from Burger King

These dolls were released in 1990 as a special premium at Burger King restaurants. For a mere $3.49 you could own either Homer, Bart, Lisa, Maggie or Marge...of course with the purchase of fries or the new BK mini-muffins. When I was a kid we owned the Bart & Homer dolls, so when I found this in package specimen at a local Goodwill for $2, I grabbed it! That's less than what it cost in 1990! Love the early 90s Simpsons stuff, brings back great memories of Simpson-mania! Below is a commercial from this legendary fast food promotion, ENJOY!

If you would like to see what was found in "It Came From The Closet! Part I" click HERE.