This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
SHANG-CHI #1
(W) Gene Luen Yang (A) Dike Ruan, Philip Tan (CA) Jim Cheung
THE MASTER RETURNS! An ancient and evil secret society has stayed in hiding since the death of their leader, Zheng Zhu. But now his successor has been chosen to shift the balance of power in the world...Zheng Zhu's son, Shang-Chi! Witness the Marvel Universe's greatest fighter return to a world of death and destruction he thought he left behind long ago...and discover the secrets to Shang-Chi's past that will change his world forever. Don't miss out on this epic tale of family, betrayal and justice as the incredible team of Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese), Dike Ruan (SPIDER-VERSE, BLACK CAT) and Philip Tan (UNCANNY X-MEN) launch a new chapter in the legend of Shang-Ch!
Throw on your Pastel Suit, and roll out to Oaktown as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Hammer
Song: This Is The Way We Roll
Album: Too Legit To Quit (1992)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #86
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was featured in the movie "The Addams Family" and the music video features cameos by Golden State Warriors players Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin & Billy Owens.
This past weekend was my 40th birthday. I'm not ashamed to say that. I feel great, I have an amazing family, good job and excellent comic book collection. What else could anyone ask for in life? As usual my family spoiled me with some fabulous gifts including shirts, DVDs and collectibles. Let's take a look under the wrapping paper and see what I was given this year!
The Goldbergs: The Complete First Season
This is one of my favorite shows on TV. Me and my kids love watching it on Wednesdays on ABC, but if for some reason we miss our weekly episode we can pop in this DVD and watch Adam get smothered by his mom, Barry go on a crazy rage filled rant, Pops give us some of his wisdom and Murray take his pants off at the door. I really like how this show based in the 80s, doesn't parody the decade, but gives us a peak at how life was back in the 80s. If you haven't already, check it out!
He-Man Clip by Monogram International
This one was a surprise. I hadn't asked for these figural key chains, but I am glad my kids picked it out for me. These come in blind bags, so of course ou don't know what you were going to get. Honestly I would have been happy with any of the characters included in this set, but I ended up getting one of the chase figures, Battle Armor He-Man. I never owned his figure growing up, but I did have Battle Armor Skeletor and loved the battle damage gimmick on his chest. Now I can add this cute little fella to my Masters of the Universe collection!
The Key to One-Eyed Willie!
I have always wanted a replica of the Key to One-Eyed Willy from my favorite movie of all-time, The Goonies! My wife really came through on this one. Not only did she make me a cake that had Willy's Map on it, but she continued the these by getting me this amazing prop from the movie! It's pretty heavy duty and very well done.
Hostess & Drake's Cakes
Since I left the East Coast a while ago, I have been missing some of my favorite foods like Pork Roll, Slupees, Entemans Cakes, Herrs chips and Drakes Cakes. My parents always send me a box full of goodies from back home and this year was no different. Not pictured is the box of Drake's Funny Bones that now resides in my office desk drawer. I lost a bit of weight this year and am back to the weight I was in high school, but with these babies in my cabinet I am sure it will all come back!
Weird NJ Magazines
Again, this is another sweet gift from my parents. I loved reading these magazines back in the day and finding out some of the lore and legends from my home state. The magazine doesn't dissapoint. If you are a fan of weird stuff or the state of NJ, I recommend you pick up a few copies. BTW, I had one of my letters printed in one of these issues! Life goal achieved!!
Old Sport Card Packs
The hits from my parents keep coming! My Dad got me into card collecting back in 1987. The first set I really collected was the 1987 Topps Baseball card set. You know the one, with the classic woodgrain boarder. They sent me a bunch of '87 Topps packs, but also included were some 80s Topps Football and 90s Fleer Basketball! Nothing beats ripping open a vintage pack of cards. The smell of old mummified bubble gum really brings bak the memories! There was also a random stack of old school cards, which is where I pulled this freakin' awesome Bo Jackson '89 Topps baseball card. Thanks Dad!
Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King
My Dad is a huge Stephen King fan and growing up I knew these books were scary stuff. This book really freaked me out as a kid, but I would continuosly flip through the pages to check out the the grotesque but beautiful artwork by Bernie Wrightson. I never read the book and this has been on my reading wish list for a while now. My wife found it on Target's website on sale for $11 and grabbed it immediately. I know what I'm reading in October!!
Throw Throw Burrito Game
My kids and I really enjoy the card game Exploding Kittens. I know it sounds terrible, but it's actually a really fun game. This game, Throw Throw Burrito is from the makers of that game and does not dissapoint in the fun category. Esentially it's a card game where you have to get three of a kind. If you get three of a kind cards that reflect either Burrito War or Duel, the players have to grab the extremely squishy burritos and throw them at each other. At the end whoever has the most three of a kind card sets wins the game. My kids like throwing things at people, so this game was right up their alley!
Stranger Things "Roast Beef" shirt and Dustin Pop
It's no secret to my family that I love Stranger Things. I have been a fan since day one. My kids thought I would like the "Roast Beef" shirt that Dustin wears in Season 3 and they were right! Funko shirts are really good quality and are comfortable to wear. I actually wore my shirt out of the box that day as we hit up the mini-golf course. Now that I have this Dustin Pop and Steve from Scoops Ahoy, I need to get the rest of the crew to complete the set! Pops are so addictive!
Musical Mutagen Tour Set
I have been wanting this set for a long time and my wife spotted it at Target early in the month and set it aside for my birthday! I love the guitar picks, souvenir ticket and concert lanyard! They are so cool! The shirt on the other hand was a little bit of a disappointment. Unlike the Funko shirt form the Dustin set, this one was stif and seemed to feel almost waxy on the inside of the shirt. I wonder if this is due to the screen printing on the shirt? Has anyone else had this issue? Maybe it will be nicer after I give it a good wash? I still love that all these decades later the "Coming Out of Their Shells Tour" is finally getting some respect. If you missed it back in the day, you can view the entire special below. That's my birthday gift to you...ENJOY!!!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
BROOKLYN GLADIATOR #1 (OF 6)
(W) Dan Fogler, Andrew Harrison (A/CA) Simon Bisley
Dan Fogler, actor in The Walking Dead and J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts series, writes an original new comic book! It's 2033, New Yorkers survive on scraps in a despoiled America. John Miller is an action hero for the ages, a rough and ready badass who could drink Han Solo, Jack Burton, and John McClane under the table. BrooklynGladiator is a tribute to the comics, films, and experiences that have inspired author Dan Fogler.
Throw on your Le Coq Sportif, and yell "Geronimo" and jump out the window as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble
Album: Rock The House (1986)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #57
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was the debut single by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and contains a musical sample from the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme song! This music video was accidentally shown on MTV in 2016 during a Prince marathon to honor the artist after his passing.
Over the last few months I have succumbed to the addiction that is on-line shopping. Seriously, once you start you find so many other cool things and you just can't stop...that is until your wife reminds you that you have children and bills to pay. This realization led me to be pretty selective of what I've purchased recently and as a huge fan of the Green Machine there are a ton of options. So without wasting anymore time, here is part 2 of the newest additions to my TMNT collection!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Metal Sign
My wife and kids saw this neat little metal sign on clearance at Hobby Lobby and picked it up for me to hang in my basement. I have a wall downstairs that is pretty much dedicated to my TMNT collection and now this sign hangs on that wall right next to my Casey Jones hockey mask from Halloween. A few years ago my son and I went Trick or Treating as Rapahel and Casey Jones. Wonder what we'll be this year?
TMNT: Coming Out of Their Shells Tour Guide
Everybody has been going crazy for the new NECA Musical Mutagen Tour TMNT figures that were relaeased a few weeks back, but for my money I want some of the original Coming Out of Their Shells Tour merch! Recently I've aquired the tour cassette tape, a promotional pin-back button and this Tour Guide that features some bios about the Turtles and what instrument they play, a sweet poster, a cut-out Turtle mask and an exclusive 2 page comic. I think I'll have to scan the contents and share them with you all sometime soon!
Mega Construx: Mikey's Kitchen Chaos Set
Ever since the Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon introduced the character Ice Cream Kitty I had been hoping they would release a toy of her to include in my collection. I know a few years back there was a plan to release a figure, but those dreams were dashed when the show was cancelled. The closest thing we got was the minifig that was included in this Mega Construx Kitched Chaos set. I paid a little over $10 to get this set mint in box and when it came home, myself and my son busted open the box and built this together. Honestly, the Ice Cream Kitty that is included is almost the perfect size to include with my TMNT action figures. Isn't she cute?
Thanks for bearing with me and checking out some of the latest additions to my TMNT collection. I gotta say, I'm running out of room and may have to expand my basement collection area because I'm sure there is more to come for this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fanatic! COWABUNGA!!!!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SINS OF NORMAN OSBORN #1
(W) Nick Spencer (A) Federico Vincentini (CA) Ryan Ottley
The Sin-Eater has leveled up thanks to Kindred, and his evil plan is WORKING - New York City is on fire at its own hand, Ravencroft is under siege and Spider-Man seems to be the only one who knows right from wrong anymore. He certainly can't look for help from Ravencroft's chief administrator, NORMAN OSBORN, whose past will haunt both himself and Spider-Man! So Spidey calls his Amazing friends Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Ghost-Spider, Spider-Girl and Madame Web in to help. The Order of the Web is born.
Throw on your sideways capand head over to the upside down as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: The Pharcyde
Song: Passin' Me By Album: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1993) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 52
Bonus Fun Fact: This song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles Chart in 1993, features samples from "Summer In The City" by Quincy Jones and "Are You Experienced?" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and was featured in the NBA2K9 video game soundtrack.
Over the last few months I have succumbed to the addiction that is on-line shopping. Seriously, once you start you find so many other cool things and you just can't stop...that is until your wife reminds you that you have children and bills to pay. This realization led me to be pretty selective of what I've purchased recently and as a huge fan of the Green Machine there are a ton of options. So without wasting anymore time, here are the newest additions to my TMNT collection!
Hot Wheels TMNT Surfin' School Bus
I had seen these pop up on some of the blogs I follow, but I had been unable to locate them in person. Then one day on a trip to Walmart, I spotted them in the toy car aisle. I grabbed the Surfin' School Bus because the packagin features all 4 Turtles and the design most closely looks like the original Party Wagon from the 80s Playmates toy line.
IDW Comics
If you are a Turtles fan and have not read this comic book series by IDW, then you are missing out on some very cool stuff. The artwork is excellent, the stories are solid and the fact that this series is building it's own universe is AWESOME! The owner of my local comic shop knows that I am a die hard TMNT fan, so any time he gets any of the variants or Retailer Incentive covers, he sets them aside for me. He's a pretty cool guy and I appreciate him helping me build my TMNT comic collection.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dorbz
I really enjoy these cool little figures put out by Funko. When one of our local Hastings stores was closing years ago, I was able to grab Leo, Donny & Raph for around $2.50 each. It wasn't until a few weeks ago where I would make the family whole again and picked up Mikey off ebay for about $8. Now there is no stopping these Ninja Teens!
TMNT II Signed Film Presentation
This item was something I discovered on the site for Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman. He was offering up these radical items that feature a reproduction mini poster, film strip and autograph mounted as you see above. I had a discount code and got this fairly cheap. When the item arrived at my home I was excited to check it out, but when I opened the package, the item was scratched and some of the ink on the mini poster was smudged. I contacted Team Eastman and they replaced the item immediately and let me keep the damaged item. Excellent customer service from an all around nice dude. If you want to see more of what is available from Kevin Eastman Studios, you can check out his store by clicking HERE.
There are still a few more TMNT items I recently picked up that I would like to share with you, so check back next Friday for "New Additions to the TMNT Collection: Part II"!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is... BILL & TED ARE DOOMED #1
(W) Evan Dorkin (A) Roger Langridge (CA) Evan Dorkin
After defeating the evil dictator De Nomolos in Bogus Journey in 1995, things aren't looking as excellent as they should for either Bill and Ted or Wyld Stallyns. There's tension in the band and worry at home. Bill and Ted's obsessiveness with writing the one song to bring peace to the world is affecting their playing and their relationships with their families. The band is losing favor with fans and the future isn't shaping up as they were all led to believe it would from past (and future) events. Desperate for a solution Bill and Ted burst in to announce their great idea to revive the band's fortunes: A world tour to spread the love-and the rock, and the love of the rock-to the world.
Throw on your suit jacketand head over to the barber shop for a fresh Gumby cut as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Bobby Brown
Song: Don't Be Cruel Album: Don't Be Cruel (1988) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 8
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds and L.A. Reid and grabbed the #1 spot on the Billboard "US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart in 1988.
Recently I have been organizing my entire comic book collection that I currently have at my home. Of course while bagging & boarding I have been flipping through some of my favorites. A lot of the favorites were put out by Marvel under their STAR Comics imprint. These were some of the best comics put out in the 80s and featured many of our favorite cartoon characters including Thundercats, Silverhawks, Heathcliff and of course Muppet Babies. The stories are fun and nostalgic, but if you really want a blast of memories past you need to check out the ads within these thin paper pages of gold! I have decided to share every ad in this issue from May 1986 since all of them are great! I guess that's enough jibber-jabber...on with the ads!!! ENJOY!!!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
BLACK WIDOW #1
(W) Kelly Thompson (A) Elena Casagrande (CA) J. Scott Campbell
Best-selling, Eisner-nominated writer Kelly Thompson (CAPTAIN MARVEL, STAR) and rising star artist Elena Casagrande (Catwoman) launch a new BLACK WIDOW series that changes everything! Natasha Romanoff has been a spy almost as long as she's been alive. And she's never stopped running, whether she was working for the good guys...or the bad. But Natasha's world is about to be upended. Beyond San Francisco's Golden Gate lies a mystery that only the Marvel Universe's greatest spy can solve. Don't miss the heartbreaking thrill ride of 2020!
