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 Nike Visor, cut your hair in the fresh gumby style and slip on your KangaROOS as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: L.L. Cool J
Song: I'm BAD
Album: Bigger and Deffer(Released 1987)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 84
Bonus Fun Fact: Executive produced by Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons. Includes a sample from the theme song to the 1960s cartoon, Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse!
Every time I enter a Dollar Tree store, I rush immediately over to the trading card section. Most of the time you can find a nice selection of Baseball, Football, Basketball and Pokémon cards in addition to their comic packs and small novelty items. This time around I picked up a pack of Walking Dead Season 3 cards by Cryptozoic and these Star Wars 40th Anniversary cards by Topps! The Walking Dead cards were kind of plain and really didn't catch my interest, but on the other hand these Star Wars cards are AWESOME!
This Star Wars cards set consists of a 200 card base set and many insert set that include original art sketch cards, autograph cards and a buyback set. I don't believe any of these insert cards are available in the 4-card bargain packs though? Even though you may not have a chance to grab one of these special cards the set itself is excellent and includes character profiles, series highlights, art cards and poster cards! Each card has a foil stamped Star Wars logo on it and glossy coating.
The card backs are not the best I've ever seen, but the border graphics are nice and they give you just enough info about the image on the front without being too wordy. Needless to say, this is a nice looking set and definitely worth the $1 I spent. Topps has created another great Star Wars set! I may have to see if I can get a box of these on the cheap to see if I can score one of those insert cards. If you are a fan of Star Wars and enjoy looking back on it's history in comics, film and toys I highly suggest giving this set a look. If you find yourself in a Dollar Tree in the near future, check out the card section and grab a pack of these Topps Star Wars cards, you won't be disappointed.
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 Nike Visor, cut your hair in the fresh gumby style and slip on your KangaROOS as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Bonus Fun Fact: This song never made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the U.S, but it went all the way to #1 in Norway in 1997! The music video was directed by Hype Williams!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
DC BEACH BLANKET BAD GUYS SPECIAL #1
It's summertime in the DCU and the bad guys are taking over! Beat the heat with 10 all-new stories by top comics talent starring DC's most spectacular super-villains! In this issue, find out what Mr. Freeze does on the hottest day of the Gotham City summer! Learn what made Grodd such a bad gorilla! Then, while in a small beach town, Deathstroke gets hired for murder by the last person he'd expect! And The Joker and Bizarro team up for a truly weird summer bromance!
(W) Paul Dini, Lee Bermejo, Gabriel Hardman, Corinna Bechko, Tim Seeley, Rod Fontana (A) Carlos D'Anda, Gabriel Hardman, David Williams, Otto Schmidt
Sorry, no feature post this week. You know why? Cuz it's vacation time brothas! Taking the family out for a little vacation time this week. 20 Years Before 2000 will return to it's normal schedule next week. Thank you and enjoy your summer!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #0
A new age of mutant madness begins with the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! This special zero issue is your very first look at the new adventures the guys in green will be getting into this fall! Will the TMNT be able to master their new weapons, or will the weapons master them?!
The Guys Next Door was a sketch comedy show that ran on NBC Saturday mornings from 1990-1991. The cast included Patrick J. Dancy, Bobby Leslie, Damon Sharpe, Chris Wolf and Eddie Garcia. The Guys were an actual band that was signed to SBK/EMI Records. Their song "I've Been Waiting For You" made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 list and they released 1 self titled studio album. The NBC program lasted only 13 episodes, but was nominated for a Young Artist Award for "Best Youth Variety or Game Show". They ultimately ended up losing to The All New Mickey Mouse Club, which is one more reason to dislike Justin Timberlake. I always felt it was NBCs attempt to cash in on the New Kids on the Block craze that was sweeping the United States around this time. Take a look at this episode and decide for yourself.
Even though the series was short lived, it did have a pretty big fan following (including my 2 sisters) and they did have some catchy tunes! But, these manufactured boy band pop groups usually have a pretty quick shelf life and The Guys Next Door were no exception.
But what happened to The Guys Next Door after NBC evicted them from their Saturday morning lineup and the record label kicked them to the curb? I did some digging and this is what I could find!
Eddie Garcia
Eddie had been acting for a few years before becoming a Guy Next Door and appeared in the films Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) and Lambada (1990). After The Guys Next Door series ended in 1991 Garcia continued to act in various television and movie roles. Most notably in Boogie Nights (1997), Bringing Down The House (2003) and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)! He also took his dance talents on the road and danced for Michael & Janet Jackson and choreographed routines for the Dirty Dancing TV series and Jennifer Lopez: Live In Concert!
Patrick J. Dancy
Like Garcia, Dancy continued to act in television for a few decades after leaving The Guys Next Door in 1991. He appeared in a recurring role on the hit sitcom Family Matters as Ted and appeared as a guest star on the shows Living Single, In The House, The Pretender and NYPD Blue. His last acting gig was in 2004 on the TV series She Spies. In 1993 he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for "Best Young Actor Recurring In A Television Series". He lost to Aeryk Egan & Bumper Robinson. They tied for the award.
Chris Wolf
Wolf had been an actor for several years before becoming a part of The Guys Next Door and some might argue that it was his best work. He acted in the films Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989) and Tango & Cash (1989). After The Guys Next Door his most high profile role may have been his turn as the Swamp Creature on the television show Big Bad Beetleborgs!
Bobby Leslie
After the cancellation of their TV show, Bobby Leslie has never acted again and I really can't find much info on what he has been up to since! The Guys have reunited a few times recently, but Bobby has been nowhere to be found.
Damon Sharpe
Probably the most famous of all The Guys Next Door alumni, Sharpe has created an amazing producing and songwriting career for himself. Over the years he has worked with such A-list talent as Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull and Nelly just to name a few. He did act on few television shows after Guys. You may have seen him as a Male Student in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode "I Robot...You Jane". But his biggest on screen contribution was probably his role as a vocal coach on the hit television series The X Factor.
So there it is, a brief update on where the Guys went after they left next door. It was a short period of time where their star shone bright, but damn it was a hell of a ride. They even had their own board game for cryin' out loud! If that doesn't count as AWESOME, I don't know what does?
Just like every other boy band of the early 90s they left us too soon, but at least they left us with some freakin hot jams!!! Thank you Guys Next Door and may God bless you wherever you are!
For more investigative reporting on some of your favorite icons from the 80s & 90s, check out the posts below!
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 Members Only Jacket, cut your hair in the fresh gumby style and slip on your LA Lights as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: 2Pac
Song: I Get Around
Album: Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.(Released 1993)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 11
Bonus Fun Fact: Features Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground. Samples on this song includedrums from the 1985 Zapp song "Computer Love" and background vocals sampled from "Step in the Arena" by Gang Starr.
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1
An alien invasion hits New York City and the only one who can stop it is...Spider-Man?! But that's far from all you'll find here - a revelation from the past puts Peter Parker's job, relationships, and whole life in jeopardy! And if even that's not enough, you'll see a new roommate, new love interests - and a new villain! Spider-Man goes back to basics courtesy of Nick Spencer (SECRET EMPIRE, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN) and the Marvel debut of RYAN OTTLEY (Invincible)!
I would always see this advertisement to purchase authentic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animation cels in the pages of the Archie published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics. I always wanted one, but never could find them in any store near me. I just accepted defeat as a youngster and moved on with my life, until I was doing a search on eBay and stumbled upon some listings for TMNT animation cels.
I made a few bids on some of the cels, but only won one of the auctions. It was a scene with April calling from a phone booth. I know it's not the greatest example of animation art, but it is from one of my favorite properties of all time and it's mine!
Here is a closer look at the artwork. This is the first animation cel that I have purchased and I can really see myself starting a collection of these one of a kind works of past pop culture. Next on my list is an actual cel of the Turtles themselves!
I didn't pay much more than what these were actually going for back in the 90s at your local Toys R Us store. I'm glad the price sticker is still on this piece. The price tag itself is now a piece of pop culture history since we will never see these again on any toy packaging again!
The April O'Neil piece did come with a Certificate of Authenticity from Murakami Wolf Swenson Inc stating that this cel was used exclusively in creating the animation for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series!
I love the packaging for this item. It has this great illustration of Mikey drawing the Shredder! Pretty cool! I will probably have this framed, so I can add it to my TMNT collection. Right now I am working on putting together a specific section in my basement dedicated to only the Mean, Green Machine and this will be a nice addition to my medley of mutant merriment! TURTLE POWER!
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 sequined glove, cut your hair in the fresh wave style and slip on your Jordans as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Whodini
Song: The Freaks Come Out At Night
Album: Escape (Released 1984)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: NA
Bonus Fun Fact: In the early 80s Whodini was managed by Def Jam co-founder, Russell Simons. As a young child, So-So Def founder Jermaine Dupri served as a backup dancer for the group in the early 80s.
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
CATWOMAN #1
The wedding night's barely over, but Catwoman's back on the streets, this time to expose a copycat who's pulling heists around Gotham City. As Selina cracks the whip on her former criminal cohorts, she's attracting unwanted attention from one of Gotham's most dangerous groups. The mob? Nope. Try the GCPD. And as if the Bat-Bride didn't have enough problems, don't miss the debut of an all-new villain determined to make trouble for all nine of Selina's lives. Don't miss the start of an all-new monthly series written and illustrated by Eisner Award-nominee Joëlle Jones!
