In 2008 NBC thought it would be a great idea to revamp the Knight Rider franchise for a 3rd time! This series followed the adventures of Michael Traceur, who was allegedly the son of the original and best Knight Rider, Michael Knight. The new Michael drove a vehicle titled the Knight Industries Three Thousand or KITT. This version of KITT was voiced by Batman himself...Val Kilmer.
Crazy thing is that Will Arnett was signed on to voice KITT, but a conflict of interest between him being a GMC spokes person and Ford being the makers of KITT, kept his already recorded voice over from making it into the new Knight Rider show. The series lasted only 1 season and was cancelled by NBC due to low ratings. This show came and went without really leaving a lasting impression on Knight Rider fans.
The only thing I have that even keeps this show in memory are the recently unburied stacks of these KITT bumper stickers that NBC sent me over 10 years ago! All things considered they are pretty great. Let's take a look!
No this series was not the Knight Rider renaissance NBC thought it would be. No, I never watched a single episode of the show, but maybe someday KITT will get the treatment he deserves. So as The Hoff himself says "Keep Smilin".
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
HEROES IN CRISIS #9 (OF 9)
The most-talked-about miniseries of the year reaches its stunning finale! The mystery behind the murders at Sanctuary is solved, but the mind behind it is one the heroes never expected. With their deepest secrets exposed, the Trinity has to consider how to carry on. Should the tragedy cause them to redouble their efforts to help their hurting comrades, or will they need to close up shop? The answers will be found in the ashes of this final showdown, and the fates of Booster Gold, Harley Quinn and the rest hang in the balance.
Throw on your tie dye shirt, cut your hair in the fresh dreadlock style and hit the dancehall as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Salt-n-Pepa
Song: Push It
Album: Hot, Cool & Vicious (1987)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 19 Bonus Fun Fact: The album this song was on went platinum, marking the first time a female rap artist/group would do so. The whispering of the words "Push It" are sampled from the Coal Kitchen song "Keep On Pushin'".
In 1984 Marvel Comics started their new young readers imprint STAR COMICS! At the time Gold Key, Harvey and other children's publishers had shut down production of their young readers lines so Marvel started up this new imprint to grab those beginning readers.
The first STAR COMICS book to reach the stands was an adaptation of the movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan in November of 1984. Marvel saw how popular the book could be and decided to not only publish licensed books, but also to create their own new characters in the mold of the old Harvey comics. This led to the creation of Royal Roy, Planet Terry and Wally The Wizard.
Wally The Wizard and Planet Terry would both last 12 issues, while Royal Roy only lasted 6 issues. This was due to a lawsuit by Harvey Comics claiming the character infringed on their creation...Richie Rich! These Marvel made characters were a nice try by the company to start a new universe, but it would be their licensed comics that would leave the biggest impression.
They had some of the best characters that the 80s had to offer all in glorious four color beauty! If you were a kid during this time, chances are they had a title for you. Thundercats, Masters of the Universe, Strawberry Shortcake and so many more! This line holds a very special place in my heart, because...
The first comic I ever remember owning was Heathcliff #16. This was STAR COMICS longest running series at 56 issues. I loved this comic and read it over and over. These comics were great! Unfortunately the STAR COMICS imprint was discontinued in December of 1988. A few of the titles were continued under the Marvel banner, but most were done and never seen again. It was a short run, but damn was it AWESOME!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...
DETECTIVE COMICS #1004
The face behind the mask is revealed! Who's taken up the mantle of the Arkham Knight? What's their endgame? And what's the shocking secret that Batman never knew about a part of his life he'd taken for granted?
(W) Peter J. Tomasi (A/CA) Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy
Throw on your tie dye shirt, cut your hair in the fresh dreadlock style and hit the dancehall as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Ini Kamoze
Song: Here Comes The Hotstepper
Album: Here Comes The Hotstepper (1994)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1 Bonus Fun Fact: This is Ini Kamoze's only song to reach the Billboard Top 40. It contains samples from Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick's "La Di Da Di" and Isaac Hayes' "Hung Up On My Baby" among others.
This past weekend my wife and her female family members took part in a women's run downtown to celebrate Mother's Day. After the run it is traditional for the girls to grab some coffee and check out the stores. My wife texted me and asked if me and my son would like to join them when they went to the antique store. I asked the boy and he said yes! 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.
Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Disco Album: $3.95
I recently received a record player this past Christmas and since then I have been searching for some records to play on it. When I see a stack of vinyl. I'm gonna check it out! This stack had a few old country records and this Disney Disco classic. Very cool, but not exactly my kind of jams.
Kenner Return of the Jedi Coloring Book: $9.95
This coloring book really took me back! I had a bunch of these Star Wars books back in the day and love that classic look on the cover also I am a sucker for anything that pictures the Max Rebo band! I thought the price was a little high, so I passed this time around.
Pac-Man Mini Arcade Game: $89.99
If there was one item in the whole store that I could get regardless of the price, this one might be it! Pac-Man is one of my all-time favorite video games and these mini arcade games are jam packed with nostalgia for me. I got the Donkey Kong game for around $20 and I know these are tough to find, but I could not justify buying this for myself on Mother's Day. I guess Father's Day is only a few weeks away!
Star Wars Ewok Village, Death Star & Millennium Falcon: $135, $350 & $250
My head exploded when I saw these on top of a display case. I grabbed my wife to show her and picked up my kids so they could have a clear view of the toy greatness before them! This seller always has great toys in their booth, but this time he freakin' nailed it! I had the Ewok Village as a kid, so it holds a soft spot in my heart, but damn that Millennium Falcon in box looked AMAZING!!!!
Random Display of Action Figures: $5.99 - $19.99
This display was a glass case of emotion for me. It had some of the coolest toys I remember playing with as a kid. They had Doc Ock from Secret Wars, Superman from DC Super Powers, Dino Riders, Star Wars and G.I. Joe action figures. If that Doc Ock had any of it's tentacles left, I would have taken it home with me, but just like mine and thousands of other kids who owned this toy, his mechanical arms of doom had been ripped off. Dang!
Vintage Lunch Boxes: $12.99 each
I always stop and check out vintage lunch boxes when I see them on a shelf. Usually I will crack them open to check for a Thermos. 99.9% of the time the Thermos is missing. These boxes were reasonably priced, but had no Thermos. Since I was not attached to any of these, I passed. The lunch boxes I would grab in a minute would be Thundercats, The Real Ghostbusters and Super Mario Bros. Those were the ones that carried my lunches for years during that formative time in my life. If anyone has one of these lunch boxes hit me up, and let's see if we can make a deal!
