The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... STRANGER THINGS: TOMB OF YBWEN #1 (W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Diego Galindo It's January 1985 the Hawkins crew survived their battle with the mind flayer, but Will and Joyce are still reeling from the recent death of Bob Newby. Will's friends have been too busy with their girlfriends to notice how much he is struggling. After he and Mr. Clarke discover a mysterious map Bob left in a box of old nerdy memorabilia, Will rallies the crew to investigate. SRP: $3.99 Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com
Throw on your shiny suits and head to Harlem World as we take you back to the 90's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: 112 feat. Mase Song: Love Me Album: Room 112 (1998) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 17 Bonus Fun Fact: This song contains a sample of the Luther Vandross song "Don't You Know That?".
I still love celebrating my birthday, but after all these years a little bit of the excitement has gone. Lucky for me, I have an amazing wife and kids that make sure each year's celebration is fantastic.
This year my wife made me a Simpsons cake. The cake was butter pecan flavored and my wife made a vanilla cream cheese frosting to make the Simpsons intro design. Needless to say, it was delicious!
After cake, it was time for presents. The family picked me up a copy of Black Widow, which I have not seen yet, the second season of The Goldbergs, my favorite current TV show and the complete series the Office DVD set. I love the Office and it became my bedtime watch when it was on Netflix. Now that the show has switched over to Peacock, I have not watched it as much. Only the first few seasons are part of the free package, so it was great to see this collection under the festive wrapping paper.
Next up are a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle books I have been wanting for a while. The Official TMNT Treasury has been on my want list since it was first printed in 1991. It's a visual guide to a lot of the early TMNT merchandise. It's so cool to see everything from old toys to games to bath products that feature the Ninja Turtles. The TMNT Pizza Cookbook looks like a lot of fun to try at the next make your own pizza night!
My family has enjoyed the Exploding Kittens card game for years and it's pretty cool that they keep the game fresh by adding these expansion decks every once in a while. I know the name of the game may seem a little off-putting, but once you get past that, it's a really fun game!
Next up was this FREAKIN' SWEET Mini Stay-Puft container. These little cuties come "blind boxed" in a canister of imitation marshmallow crème. When I say this stuff was sticky, I mean it. Took a while to get it off my hands once the can was open, but that was part of the fun. I got this cool looking Mini Puft who is strapped to what looks like a rocket. Would love to get more of these. Only drawback was the stench from the sticky marshmallow. It stunk up my hands for a while.
Lastly, I received this Ecto-1 from the new Ghostbusters Afterlife movie. It's smaller than the Ecto-1 from when I was a kid, but it's actually really cool. I knew I was going to get this gift, since I was the one who picked it up at Target. There was a reason I wanted it though. I had my wife give it to me to gauge my son's excitement. You see, I picked my son up all the Ghostbusters action figures for his birthday and my wife didn't think he would want them. So I said, we can check how enthusiastic he is about the Ecto-1 and if he likes it, he'll get the GB toys. If not, I would keep them for my collection. Well, he loved the Ecto-1 and pretty much took it for himself after it was assembled. He even told us that he wished he put these toys on his birthday list.
Two days later, we have a nice set of Ghostbusters to play with and me and my son spent some quality time busting heads...in a spiritual sense of course. Now we can't wait for the new movie to come out. SO EXCITED!!! Not a bad birthday at all.
Oh, and we also had a Shaq-A-Roni pizza for dinner from Papa John's!
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN SECRET FILES: MIRACLE MOLLY #1 (A) Dani Strips Since Miracle Molly’s explosive first appearance in the pages of Batman, people have been clamoring to know more about the colorful transhumanist vigilante! Now the wait is over-the history of Gotham’s latest breakout star is revealed! It’s a story so secret even Miracle Molly doesn’t remember it! Discover what led a regular Gothamite to reject their past, name, and humanity to embrace the promise of a blank slate-the promise of the Unsanity Collective! Batman series writer James Tynion IV teams up with rising superstar artist Dani to bring you all the way back to the beginning of Miracle Molly in this exciting and integral Fear State special. SRP: $4.99 Synopsis provided By: DCcomics.com
Throw on your baggy pants and head to the barber shop for the fresh Gumby cut as we take you back to the 80's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Bobby Brown Song: Every Little Step Album: Don't Be Cruel (1989) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 3 Bonus Fun Fact: This song was the fourth single off the "Don't Be Cruel" album and won Brown a Grammy in 1990 for "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance".
80's Day was something I started a few years ago to show my kids how cool the decade was. I share some of my favorite 80's music, movies, video games and food with them and they seem to really enjoy it! Typically we head out and take part in some activities that I liked as a kid, but of course, again this year we had to make some changes and I think we were able to pull it off and everyone seemed to have a good time. Here's what we did!
We started the day as most kids in the 80's did, eating cereal in front of the TV while watching cartoons! This year was extra special because I was able to track down some Ghostbusters cereal thanks to an acquaintance on Twitter. The taste was good and fruity, but I just wish they made the cereal pieces look like the "No-Ghost" symbol like the original cereal had. I guess nothing is perfect and I should be thankful Ghostbusters cereal is a thing at all in 2021! I did enjoy the Ghost shaped marshmallows though!
Anyway, to the cartoons! My son chose the Boogeyman episode of The Real Ghostbusters, my youngest daughter and wife chose My Little Pony and my oldest daughter chose Jem! My choice for the morning led to some head scratching as the kids and even my wife had never heard of the Centurions! I seem to do this to them every year and pick a semi-obscure cartoon from my youth. After all was said and done, I don't think I created any new fans to the sci-fi super hero series. The kids had so many questions and could not grasp the concept of an outer space base that beams down parts of an exo-suit to our heroes back on Earth when they yell "POWER EXTREME"! Also, they questioned how the bad guy set the atmosphere on fire and why there was a monkey. My response to that was "Why not?". Anyway, you can view a clip of the episode we watched at the YouTube link below:
Even though they did not care for the Centurions, I did discover that they all have a lot of love for the "Where's The Beef?" lady! I added some 80's commercials in between cartoons and they thought Clara Peller's portrayal of an annoyed fast food customer was hilarious. I told them how popular she was and that I even had stickers of her saying her well known catch phrase. This truly was the golden age of advertising.
After cartoons it was time to throw on some of our best 80's licensed character t-shirts, so we could go out and hit the town! Represented in my kids' attire were the Ghostbusters and Care Bears. I chose to wear my Masters of the Universe shirt and my wife had her My Little Pony shirt on.
Looking good and ready for some adventure! We hopped in the van and the soundtrack for the day would be a random assortment of CDs containing some of the biggest hits from the 80's! My kids favorite, which led to a car ride sing along, was "Careless Whisper" by George Michael!
Our first stop was the local mini-golf course! On our way in we were greeted by what we thought was an abandoned dog with 3 legs and one eye. He was sweet and we thought he was probably a dog from one of the nearby ranches. So we went inside and hit the mini-links!
I usually kick everyone butts, but this time around my wife was on fire and I only beat her by 2 strokes! Too close for me. We left and that dog was still outside and my daughter and her big heart did not want to leave the dog by himself without water, so I dug through the van and found a bowl and she poured the water from her water bottle out so the dog could have a drink. We let the folks inside know about the dog and as we were leaving a bunch of what can only be described as "Yokels" came out of the arcade area and it was their dog! Ugh! BTW, that is my son wearing the Proton-Pack Backpack.
By this time we were ready for lunch, so we hit up McDonalds and the kids all grabbed cheeseburger Happy Meals, my wife got a spicy chicken meal and I got a Double Quarter Pounder Meal with a Hi-C Orange Lavaburst for my drink! I loved this stuff when I was a kid and I am ecstatic that it is back at McDonalds restaurants!
We fueled up and were ready for our next stop at the local comic shop! I picked a Spider-Man book and let the kids each pick out an item. Their picks included an IDW Godzilla comic and a Pokemon binder. It had been a while since I had taken them to the comic shop and they had fun perusing the shelves and looking for something new to read and help with their overflowing Pokemon collection.
After the comic shop we decided it was time to head home and play some retro video games. We played many NES classics like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, Super Pit Fall and the kids favorite of the day Bubble Bobble!
We had a great time playing games and I was able to share some of my old favorites with the kids, but we were getting hungry, so it was time to head to the hut...Pizza Hut that is!
Every year I gush about how much I loved our local Pizza Hut in Newton, NJ back in the 80's. It had a Rygar arcade cabinet and a juke box loaded with all the hits. I still vividly remember going there one afternoon after my Mom took us shopping.
I had just bought the Inhumanoid Auger action figure and I made him dance to "Burning Down The House" by The Talking Heads on our table while we waited for our pizza! Too bad this Pizza Hut didn't have a juke box or arcade, but at least we got what we wanted, a Stuffed Crust Pizza!
We chowed down and after dinner, we got ready for the night's movie. Our local zoo does a "Movies Under The Stars" series each summer where people can go to the zoo and view some movies in the common area of the zoo. This past weekend was supposed to be "The Never Ending Story", but at the last minute the zoo pulled a switcheroo and instead ran Disney's "Lilo & Stitch". This is one of my daughter's favorite movies and she had never seen it on a big screen before, so that was cool. Just kind of bummed that the 80's vibe went a few years off track.
It was late when we got home, so myself and my wife put the kids to bed and we watched the 1988 horror classic "Pumpkinhead". My wife had never seen it before and it had been decades since I last saw it. The wife was surprised at how good it was and wondered why Pumpkinhead doesn't have the same type of following as Freddy or Jason? We'll have to add the sequels to our Halloween watchlist this year. Overall a pretty successful 80's day was enjoyed by all. Hopefully next year we can make it bigger and better! Thanks for taking this journey with me. I hope you'll start your own 80's Day traditions.
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... BATMAN '89 #2 (W) Sam Hamm A showdown in Burnside leaves both Batman and the Gotham borough reeling. As the community rallies together behind Harvey Dent, can Bruce find a way forward for both Batman and the city? SRP: $3.99 Synopsis provided By: DCcomics.com
Throw on your baggy pants and head to the recording studio as we take you back to the 90's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Hi-Five Song: I Like The Way (The Kissing Game) Album: Hi-Five (1991) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1 Bonus Fun Fact: This song was co-written and produced by Teddy Riley and spent 2 weeks at #1 on the Billboard "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart.
I am a huge Ghostbusters fan and I have been since I watched the VHS at my friend Ron's house back in the mid 80's. This movie was more than just a mindless summer blockbuster, but it was humorous, had a great & original story, outstanding cast and really captured the imagination of a generation. It inspired us all to stand up to our fears and bust them! Today I am glad to say that I have been able to share that same feeling of wonder and empowerment with my kids. They have seen both films and a number of the animated "The Real Ghostbusters" cartoon and they genuinely enjoyed them. To say that we are excited for the new Ghostbusters Afterlife movie is an understatement. It looks so cool!
The teasers and trailers alone have not been enough to satiate our hunger for more ecto plasm splattering fun. We are counting down the days to the November 11th release date. To help bridge the gap between then and now I have picked up some of the new Ghostbusters toys for my kids to enjoy and create their own adventures. 2 of their birthdays are coming up and they will be gifted with these surprisingly cool action figures and vehicle. I am so excited to see their reactions when they bust these open in a few weeks. Let's take a look and see what we've got to look forward to:
Freaking AWESOME, right? I'm glad I was able to score the Ecto-1 at Target, but I had to grab the Ghostbusters themselves on Amazon. Surprisingly, they were $1 cheaper online than the would have been if I bought them in the store. I'm still on the lookout for the Venkman with Terror Dog. The Muncher ghost looks pretty cool, but I can't help feeling like he is a sort of bootleg version of Slimer? I guess I should wait to see the movie before I pass final judgement. Like I said earlier, I hope my kids are excited to see these when they unwrap them on their birthdays. I know I look forward to partaking in their adventures just like I did back when me and my older brother were kids. Hoping this movie is what will keep the franchise going for generations. See you at the theater on November 11th...hopefully!!!
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... EXTREME CARNAGE: TOXIN #1 (W) Steve Orlando (A) Gerardo Sandoval (CA) Skan TOXIN RETURNS! Bren Waters, the new host of TOXIN, enters the fray! Will he be enough to turn the tide? SRP: $3.99 Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com
Throw on your skull cap and head to the streets of East Orange, NJ as we take you back to the 90's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Naughty By Nature Song: Feel Me Flow Album: Poverty's Paradise (1995) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 17 Bonus Fun Fact: This song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles Chart in 1995 and was part of the album that won the 1996 Grammy Award for "Best Rap Album".
Recently while scrolling through my Twitter feed, I came across an old toy ad similar to the one above. The post asked "Which Toy Would You Want From This Ad?" and my immediate reaction was the Sewer Lair! We all know how AWESOME the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer Playset was when it was released in 1989 by Playmates toys. It was on the wishlist of every turtle fan that year and for many years beyond that. I mean, who could resist this beautifully crafted playset that featured a High-Voltage Battle Swing, Real Working Elevator, Fire Hydrant Sewerscope and Realistic Sewer Pipe Passageways? I know it was on my list and my Mom knew this and that's where our story begins.
In 1989 I was about 8 years old and I don't like to admit it, but I had a thumb sucking problem! My Mom tried everything to get me to stop, but I kept on going. I would snuggle up with the Smurfs blanket my Mom made me and suck my thumb quite often. It was a real comfort thing for me and no matter what my Mom tried, I would not stop.
After exhausting all other possibilities, my Mom made a deal with me. If I could go one month without sucking my thumb, she would buy me the TMNT Sewer Lair! I was excited and totally determined to do this. I wanted that Sewer Lair so bad! Myself and my brother were and still are, huge Turtle fans and had all the figures and some of the vehicles, but we never in our wildest dreams thought we would have the opportunity to add this grail item to our collection!
For a while I was doing pretty godd, but then the draw of the thumb crept in and I would sneak around the house and find some hiding spots where my Mom wouldn't see me and suck my thumb. I thought I was brilliant and would never get caught. I vividly remember being 1 day away from the end of the month and my Mom caught me hiding behind the couch with my thumb in my mouth! I lost the deal and never received the playset of my dreams! I was so angry about this that it actually encouraged me to stop sucking my thumb. I no longer partake in that past time and I also have never owned a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer Lair Playset. I see that they go for around $250 out of box on ebay. Maybe someday I'll be able to drop the cash and get one, but for now it remains "the one that got away"! Remember folks, no matter how sneaky or secretive you think you may be...momma always knows!
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... BATMAN: FEAR STATE ALPHA #1 (A) Riccardo Federicci The event over a year in the making begins Fear State settles upon Gotham City, and no one is safe! Overwhelmed by the dual threat of the Scarecrow and Peacekeeper-01, Batman and his allies have been one step behind since the events of Infinite Frontier #0 and with the arrival of a mysterious anti-Oracle and the return of Poison Ivy, Batman might have more than he can handle! SRP: $4.99 Synopsis provided By: DCcomics.com
