Note: I began writing this article last fall, when the topic was a bit more relevant. But I think the idea still has merit, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the DCnU was developed, now that we have some time and distance to reflect upon the original event and transition…

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

The DCnU. We are nine months into the New 52, and I can say with certainty that I am no longer interested in reading about the DCnU. It’s disappointing, and sad.I’m not here to nitpick about continuity and costumes, or argue about the sales of DC and the general health of the industry, nor am I willing to discuss the legitimacy of stubborn, Silver Age fanboys that may no longer be in DC’s Target Market and how they are resistant to change. But I am writing about one thing:

It could have, and should have, been different.

(more…)

Share:

In my previous article, I discussed my feelings on the biggest issue with Mattel’s Young Justice line, the price.  You can read about it here.  Today, I want to talk about character packout.

1. One of the things I noticed while collecting the Batman Brave and Bold line was what was left on the shelves.  As the line progressed, I saw that what hung on the shelves were the single packed villains.  While these tended to be characters with multiple appearances on the show, the demand for them as toys seemed to be over estimated.

The other thing was that many of these villains were also available in two packs with the main heroes of the show.  Batman.  Aquaman.  Blue Beetle.  I believe the hero helps sell the villain.  There really is no need to offer the villains as single pack figures. (more…)

Share:

So we’re a month away today from the Main Event, the Big Show, the Granddaddy of them all, San Diego Comicon. It’s hard to believe last year we got our first glimpse of the gigantic Voltron Mattel had in store for us. Fast-forward to today, and we are ever so close to finally completing the big guy.
By now, you pretty much know what you’re getting for your buck, and you do get a lot of bang for that buck!

Today we’re going to take a peek at the Green Lion & Pidge, going on sale at Mattycollector.com tomorrow, as well as the August set, the Blue Lion & Princess Allura! If you’ve read the previous entries detailing the Red Lion and Yellow Lion, these are their corresponding limb counterparts. Also included are two more parts of the huge electrified collect-n-connect Blazing Sword! And we’re off!!!

(more…)

Share:

Father’s Day is this weekend, and what better way to celebrate than to revisit and expand upon my article from last year?

Some fathers go fishing or hunting with their sons; others bond over golf, or tinker with cars.  I have friends that regularly camp with their sons, and play guitar, and build their relationship through sports.  And sadly, some fathers don’t share much of anything with their sons at all.

But my own father, he and I always had three things we shared – playing and coaching athletics (basketball and baseball in particular); an unwavering love for the hapless Chicago Cubs; and most importantly…collecting. (more…)

Share:

If you’ve read me here on AFI since the beginning (which, unbelievable to me, was seven years ago), you know I spent most of my time back in the column days wringing my hands, fretting, and generally hating myself over the number of toys I had and the capricious manner in which I acquired them. Here’s an example, from my very first AFI blog entry, back when us old timers had individual blogs we didn’t maintain.

I’ll wait while you go read it and embarrass me. (more…)

Share:

Once again, I find myself wondering if DC/WB wants us to even know this is being made.  I have seen zero advertising for this release.  An interesting note, this will be the first release where I have not read the base story.  I did enjoy Joe Kelly’s Justice League which came out shortly after this, so I am hoping for good things.  The animation / art style is not one I am familiar with.  It feels off.  My guess is it is based on the actual art like the previous releases have been.

Best Buy is likely to have sales on other DC released series and prior movies.  I’ve used release week to pick up a number of sets at Best Buy at reduced prices.  Also, if history repeats, this movie itself will be on sale this week and will be priced 2 or 3 dollars higher after that.  Also, Best Buy continues their tradition of offering an exclusive package with a mini figure.

Anyway, it is out tomorrow.  Run out and buy it. Then come back and tell us what you thought of it.

Share:

I suspect you aren’t, either.

So, in the event we might have some other common ground, I’ll just leave this here and maybe we’ll have someplace else to have fun together, from time to time.

I’m still here. But now I’m there, too.

Hope that’s cool.

-J

Share:

I stumbled across this amusing account of my encounter with the oft-reviled “scalper” collector from 2004.  This was posted to RTM and the AFi forums, before it was deleted during the Great Hack of the 2005.  Keep in mind, I have obviously added anecdotal aspects for the sake of entertainment, and reflects my feelings and my reaction to the events of that morning.  While my personal views of so-called “scalpers” have changed over time, I kept the original writing intact for the sake of authenticity.

- – - – -

I’ve read these types of stories many times on the different boards, but now I have to share a wild and dramatic tale of my own. My up-close encounter with…

A Real, Live Scalper!

(cue dramatic ‘dum-dum-dummmmmm‘!)

(more…)

Share:

A few months ago I was out in NJ visiting my mom. By now, I’ve scoured every nook and cranny of the house I grew up in for remnants of toys from days gone by. My previous visit turned up a vintage MEGO Dukes of Hazzard General Lee (a week after I bought one on eBay). But that was in a far corner of the attic and it was the bottom of the barrel. So when I was out this time I didn’t think there was anything left to go through. My mom, however, pulled out a big box of old LEGOS. Just for fun I decided to separate all the pieces by color, put the sets in Ziplock bags, and have ma sell them at her next garage sale. Well, as I picked through the pieces I came across some miscellany related to the little plastic people …

(more…)

Share:

I cannot even begin to describe the hours of entertainment that came out of the famed Hanna Barbera animation studios over the years. The powerhouse teaming of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera produced a wealth of fantastic cartoons for kids of all ages since the studios inception in 1959. (more…)

Share:

I have been out of town for the past ten days, but wanted to share something very cool that happened on the eve of the recent Memorial Day weekend…as many of you know, I am a huge supporter of the Colorado Freedom Memorial.  To recap, this would be the first monument in America to honor all local veterans of all wars, by name, in one place.  You can read more about the details, and the numerous setbacks that have occurred HERE.

On May 25th, my good pal and mastermind behind this project, Rick Crandall, held the annual KEZW radiothon fundraiser for the CFM.  It went well, but the project still needed to raise at least $400k to start building.  We weren’t quite there, but then something amazing happened.

(more…)

Share:

If you are a fan of the Young Justice TV show, like me, you might wish you could collect some form of figure of the characters on the show that reminded you of the show.  Mattel offered this in 2 forms, 6 inch and 4 inch, both of which the general public rejected.  Before they can offer something else, they and the mass market retailers – Walmart, Target, Kmart, Toys R Us – need to know why we rejected it.

I can only offer my own reasons.  Price. (more…)

Share:

Earlier this week saw the release of WizKids newest HeroClix set, Galactic Guardians.  Available in single pckas, 5 figure boosters, and a 6 figure starter set.

I played in a sealed tournament on Thursday.  400 points.  I my 2 boosters I pulled : Adam Warlock, Gamora, Nebula, Annihilation Seeker, Xavin, Nova Corps Centurian, Doombot, Hollywood, Cardinal Raker, and Medusa.  The first 4 became my team.  I lost the first round, but won the next to for a score of 2 -1.  One of the awesome things about the event was that since this was the first week of a new set, I had never seen the pieces before and between the 8 players we had, we pulled just about every piece.  Someone even pulled a chase figure.

Share:

As we race towards Comicon and the sunny shores of San Diego, I am harkened back to this time last year, when just rumors of a gigantic, fully transforming Voltron by Mattel floated through the spring air….

Flash-forward to one year later, and we are already two-fifths of the way to completing this heroic monstrosity!  If you caught our last installment, we were taking a sneak-peek advance look at Lance and his Red Lion.  Today, it’s his chunky comrade in arms, Hunk and his trusty Yellow Lion!  Let’s go!!!

(more…)

Share:

Our favorite Defender of the Universe is back is his own graphic novel!  VIZ Media has generously sent along a preview, this one looks to be a sure-fire winner, continuing the Voltron Force saga as soon as in the new cartoon.  It’s time to slay some RoBeasts!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LET’S GO VOLTRON FORCE®!
VIZ MEDIA DELIVERS ACTION-PACKED ADVENTURES FOR ALL AGES WITH NEW
VOLTRON FORCE GRAPHIC NOVEL SERIES

VOLTRON FORCE® Updates the Classic ‘80s Sci-fi Epic
For A Whole New Generation of Fans

San Francisco, CA, April 3, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, debuts today the riveting outer space action of VOLTRON FORCE®, in a new graphic novel series that complements the animated series currently airing on Nicktoons. VOLTRON FORCE Volume 1: SHELTER FROM THE STORM, under the VIZ Kids imprint, is rated ‘A’ for All Ages and will carry an MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN.

VOLTRON® is a hugely successful brand that is recognized globally ever since it was introduced in the early 1980’s. Season one of VOLTRON FORCE debuted on Nicktoons in 2011 and was the highest rated premiere ever for the network. The new series is a continuation of the classic ‘80s cartoon, Voltron: Defender of the Universe, with updated storylines and characters for a whole new generation.

VIZ Media’s graphic novels are all-new, original adventures featuring Larmina, Daniel and Vince, the Voltron Force cadets. In the first volume of the series, SHELTER FROM THE STORM, the evil King Lotor and his villainous minion Maahox unleash a horrifying storm, churning with evil energy. When Daniel, Larmina and Vince are sucked into the vortex, their worst nightmares come true!

“Many of us at VIZ—myself included—were huge Voltron fans as kids, so being part of the reimagining of this iconic series is a real thrill,” says Traci Todd, Senior Editor, Children’s Publishing. “The best part? Everyone creating these books is a fan too! From the action-packed adventures by series writer Brian Smith, to the stunning art of Jacob Chabot, Dario Brizuela and Alfa Robbi–these books are truly labors of love.”

VOLTRON FORCE writer Brian Smith is a former Marvel Comics editor whose past credits include The Ultimates, Ultimate Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and dozens of other comics. Smith is also the co-creator/writer behind the New York Times best-selling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, and the writer/artist of all-ages comic The Intrepid Escape Goat.

Smith is also the illustrator of The Adventures of Daniel Boom AKA LOUDBOY!, named one of The Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youths 2009 by Booklist Online. His illustration clients include Time Out New York Magazine, Nickelodeon, MAD Kids Magazine, Harper Collins, Bongo Comics, Grosset & Dunlap, and American Greetings.

For more information on VOLTRON FORCE or other VIZ Kids properties, please visit: www.VIZKids.com.

About Voltron®
In a galaxy plagued with chaos and evil, five robotic lions, piloted by a team of brave space explorers, combine to form the mighty robot hero, Voltron®. After blazing onto TV screens in 1984, Voltron: Defender of the Universe quickly became a top-rated animated series. The hit series inspired a best-selling toy line and made Voltron a pop-culture icon. An all-new 2D/CGI animated series, Voltron Force®, is currently airing in the U.S. on Nicktoons. Follow Voltron on Twitter @Voltron or join the official Voltron Facebook page at Facebook.com/VoltronOfficial for all the latest news.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Share: