Tuesday, June 7th and still NO DAMN Ecto Cooler in any of the stores around me. Even went to the local Coca-Cola distributer and they didn't know when they would be getting any! This sux!
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Retro on the Cheap: 90's Comics
Out at a local entertainment store yesterday I saw a few bins of comics labeled "4 for $1!" As a comic collector how could I resist. Of course there were not any of the popular comics we know and love like Spider-Man, Superman or Batman. Instead it was full of 90's small press comics that came out during the height of the indie comics boom. I remember some of these comics being listed as "HOT" in the industry mags back in the day, now they are in the quarter bin. No wonder the boom busted. Here's what I picked up:
In addition to the comics, I also scored these great collectors cards. Remember when every comic had some kind of gimmick to try and get you to buy their book? I kinda miss that...and I kinda don't. So altogether I walked up to the counter thinking I was gonna spend $2. After everything was rung in the grand total was $1.64! That's about $0.20 per comic. I know this is not the first appearance of Deadpool, but for the money I was pleased with my purchase.
Monday, June 6, 2016
The Adventures of...
Peeled back the page on my Simpsons 2016 Year-In-A-Box desk calendar this morning and found this:
The Simpsons theme song singalong to "The Adventures of Ned Flanders"! This really made my morning. Being a Simpsons fan from the start I have a fondness for this 30 second Flanders short. It was just so weird and out of place that it has always stuck with me as an early Simpsons highlight.
Originally this aired on April 15, 1993 at the end of the Simpsons episode "The Front" (19th episode of season 4) and according to legend this was created after the writers tried "Every trick in the book" to extend the episode. They wanted to keep these shorts going, but sadly just couldn't find the time. Here it is in all it's 33 second glory!
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Ghostbusters: Ecto Minis
I finally broke down and bought some of the Ghostbusters: Ecto Minis from Mattel. I am always hesitant to pick up these type of collectible mini-figs just because of the price. It is $3 for one small figure! But, I am a GB fan and couldn't resist anymore. I was pleasantly surprised at what was inside once I opened the packs. Here's what I got:
In the first Ghostbusters classic pack I got a GHOST WINSTON! I always felt Winston got a bad rap back in the day. Just because he wasn't one of the founding fathers, he always seemed to be left out of all the merchandise of the original Ghostbusters. He was the "Everyman" of the team and deserves more respect.
In the next classic pack, I got a transparent Slimer figure. This was a score! Everyone loves Slimer!
Lastly in the 2016 Ghostbusters pack I got a Rat Ghost. Not too happy with this one. I guess I will have to see what part this little blue guy plays in the movie before I can pass final judgment. Although I do like the pose. He is waving to you, so I guess he is a happy little fella?
All in all I was happy with what I received out of these packs. The quality of the figures is great. I like the sculpts and they have quality paint jobs. The best part is that they all GLOW IN THE DARK! Anything that glows in the dark will immediately receive my seal of approval. I was expecting these figs to be rubbery, kind of like a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure, but they are surprisingly solid and could take some damage. If I see these again in the store, I might just have to pick up a few and see if I can score myself a Terror Dog?
Friday, June 3, 2016
Second Hand Score: Star Wars & A Grab Bag
Scored these bad boys today. Pictured you'll see a Furby Boom (McDonalds 2013), Dino Grabber, Doug's dog Porkchop (McDonalds 1999), DC Universe Infinite Heroes Weather Wizard (2008), Mickey Mouse figurine (Applause 198?), Rugrats DVD Double Feature unopened and a Fox Video release of The Empire Strikes Back! All together these cost under $5.
I just think the artwork on this Star Wars VHS box is superior to anything we have on the shelves today. Also, I haven't seen the non "Special Edition" version of this film in a long time. It will be interesting to see the differences between the two.
I will be adding the Mickey & Porkchop to my collection. The other toys will find a nice home, I'm sure. There is still one more thing that I left out of the picture. This was the highlight of this toy grab bag. Ladies & gentlemen...Introducing...
FREAKIN' MAC TONIGHT!!!! I have never owned anything with this McDonald icon's sun glassed, moon shaped face on it before, but damn I had to add him to the collection. How could you not? I still remember his catchy songs and weird commercials trying to get me to buy a McD.L.T. and Chicken McNuggets as a late night snack to this day. So, I end this post with a spot from McDonalds circa 1986! ENJOY!!!!
Retro Reading Corner: Simpson Mania (1990)
Simpson Mania was released in 1990 through Publications International Ltd. I purchased this book originally through the fantastic Troll Book Club while in the 4th grade. This was a must have for any Simpsons fan, and at that time everyone was a fan!
This came out during the height of Simpson craziness and all the kids on the school yard black top poured over every image in the book and all our minds were blown when we read how the voice of Bart was really A GIRL!!! This had been the source of rumor around school, but now it was finally confirmed and worlds were changed.
I recently found a spiral bound copy of Simpson Mania at a local thrift store and didn't even think twice about grabbing it up. Looking back through the book, I loved the 90s artwork and layouts. It made me remember how big the Simpsons really were. Everywhere you went there were bootleg and official Simpsons shirts, buttons, video games and posters. It truly was amazing!
Of course I owned some of these items and remember the backlash of the whole "Underachiever and proud of it" merchandise. A friend of mine received this poster for his birthday and his mom promptly confiscated it. This only led to us wanting more of the Simpsons as a rebellion against our parents. If they didn't approve of it, we wanted it!
Overall Simpson Mania does a good job of giving information on how the Simpsons went from a series of Tracey Ullman shorts to world wide phenomenon! It also contains profiles on the characters & voice actors, show summaries and lots of cool pictures...oh and TRIVIA!!!!
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Coleco Donkey Kong Arcade Game
Every summer our town has a huge flea market which I try to make it to. You'll find everything from used tools to artwork to vintage toys. This past year I was able to score a few carded WildC.A.T.S figures a box of Deathwatch 2000 cards and some Nintendo DS games. But the best pickup of the day had to be this vintage Coleco Donkey Kong table top arcade game from 1982!
The seller wanted a pretty high price for this item. He claimed it was something he didn't want to get rid of, but his wife was making him do it. I passed and figured I'd go back later and if it was still there, it was meant to be mine. I went back after searching about 100 tables and Donkey Kong was still on the table. I made an offer to the seller. He refused. In the end I paid him the asking price, but he did throw in a few Hot Wheels cars to sweeten the deal!
It worked and immediately reminded me of the scene from Gremlins where Stripe and his Mogwai buddies were playing the same game under the Christmas tree while Gizmo tooted his horn in the spirit of the season.
This past year a Reaction figure of Stripe was produced and included a mini version of the game. Of course I had to own that too. I added it to my collection this past holiday season.
I attempted to snap a pic of the screen, but it came out all blurry. Thankfully I was able to grab this off the website Geek Vintage. My kids and I enjoy playing this game from time to time. Sometimes it is frustrating and other times satisfying. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you reach the top and save your girl...only to have her get nabbed again by DK!
The artwork on this game is fantastic and definitely from the 80s. With a classic depiction of Mario and the pre-Donkey Kong Country DK without a tie. I always wanted one of these as a kid and the dream was realized in my 30s. Better late than never! Now enjoy some retro ads for the Coleco lineup of mini arcade games!
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