A book is like the TARDIS. Open it up and it's bigger on the inside. One part reading journal, one part educational tool for pop culture newbies and parents of young geeks. This blog is your portal into the world of movies, TV, superheroes, and of course books!
The Crow has a new vessel of vengeance in this holiday themed one shot from Dark Horse. Every year, six of the most deadly assassins in the business take a week off from their dehumanizing profession to come together as a family. Celebrating Christmas, the killers hunker down in a cabin and play cards, sing carols and exchange gifts. Last year, one of the killers decided to take a pair of innocent lives. Now exactly 1 year later, one of the innocents has been resurrected by a crow to revenge their murder and the death of a loved one. This is not a holiday special for those who like their Christmases sweet and happy. Hark theHerald is gritty and violent. There's no punches pulled here! But if you know what your in for; then you are going to love this festive take on The Crow. Hack/Slash's Tim Seeley crafts a Crow story that actually answers some long standing questions that I've had about the franchise since I was first introduced to it way back in 1996. I'm not sure why the character of Eric isn't used here. But I can completely understand why the crow has chosen a replacement. Filled with a ton of violence, this is not an easy read. But it was definitely a great entry for those who need their holidays to be a little more R-rated for a change. Worth Consuming! Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
It's the final day of Advent 2019! As promised I present to you my favorite toy from Santa. Actually it's a whole grouping of toys and I almost didn't get them that year!A little backstory on that.
It's December of 1980. I wanted to find my dad's comic book collection. So I went into my dad's study and opened his closet. There hiding everything was this beautiful Empire Strikes Back sheet that was hanging down like a curtain! I was in awe.
Yes- I still have the sheets!
So I tore it down, only to find my dad's closet was filled with Star Wars toys! So I grabbed something and ran to my mom in the kitchen and asked if I could have whatever it was I found.
Needless to say, my mom freaked out. She called my dad thinking Christmas was ruined. Anyways, they decided to let me have whatever the toy was thinking that I would forget about the rest in the closet- which I did. Sorta...
So let's jump to Christmas Eve. That day it actually snowed. So much that it was considered a blizzard in my state of North Carolina. We all ended up staying at my Grandmama's house for some reason. But it didn't mean that my mom got off from work. Being a nurse, someone came in a big four wheel drive thing to take her to and from. But I got to stay at my Grandparents house for Christmas. And I had snow cream and hot weenies (spicy BBQ hot dogs) for the first time ever!
What made a great Christmas even better was when I got home a few days later, my floor was covered in toys from the ice planet of Hoth! There was an AT-AT, a snow speeder, Luke and Han on Taun-Tauns; one of which had a slit in which to keep Luke warm. Plus there were several Hoth base play sets! Oh- and a Wampa!
Empire Strikes Back being the first movie I remember going to see in theatres (I had been taken to Star Wars when it first came out, but I was too young to remember!), and after having an awesome ESB themed 3rd birthday party the month prior, this just seemed to be the best Christmas ever. Plus, there was still snow outside. So I got to recreate scenes from Hoth in the snow!
Almost 40 years later and I still am in love with Empire. It's my favorite movie! I feel like I am on Cloud City every time I drive into a brilliant sunset. My Yoda impression is on point! And Hoth is my happy place! I love the cold and as I fall asleep, I imagine I am in a research station on that frozen planet. Man, you cannot tell my joy on those rare times it snows.
I think these toys are my favorite because Christmas of 1980 truly was a magical holiday. Nothing seemed to go wrong at that time. Sadly, as I got older, those yule tide's were more bitter as my family struggled with divorce, health issues and life in general.
But hey- this is a happy time! So as my final Advent present for you this 2019 Christmas season, here's a great video in which somebody turned the Battle of Hoth in a Christmas Parade massacre! It's great!
If you are expecting a toy today- sorry. I cheated today. But you know what? It's my Advent to you. I saw this great sign today that said 'Your opinion is not a part of the recipe!' Nobody pays me to do my Advents. In fact, for the life of me, Google AdSense refuses to grant this blog to be a source of extra income. Thus Madman with a Book is a labor or love and if I say that today's item is a toy- it's a toy. Today, I am talking about one of my most favorite gifts of all-time. It's something I still love to receive and if you are a regular read of this blog, you'll know that I still regularly purchase and consume these almost everyday. I'm talking about comic books!
I was introduced to comic books at an extremely young age due to my father. He had an extensive collection of books from the 1950s and 60s- many of which would first appearances of icons such as the Barry Allen Flash and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern. My dad grew up during the beginning of the Silver Age of comics and his collection showed. There were tons of Superman, Lois Lane, Hawkman and other titles. Thus, I had no choice but to become a DC person! IT was a rare treat when my dad would bring out his box of comics. I'd say he did it once or twice a year. We'd spend hours looking over the books. It was so fun!
Over time, I started getting into comic books. But it wasn't until 1988 that I seriously started collecting. That's when we moved to Knightdale, NC. My new home had an attic and my mother wanted above all else in her new house closet space. And my dad's comic books were slated to be taken up to a very hot, dank setting that had zero climate control. Not wanting the books to get damaged future, dad's collection became my collection. Over the course of a year, I became a geek. A new Batman movie helped to feed that obsession. As part of all that, I wanted comic books for Christmas of 1989 that and that's where today's GIFT came it.
I don't remember where I saw it. But I wanted a comic book collector's kit. It came with protective sleeves, and a guide to pricing and collecting comics. And there was a grab bag assortment of books. (Man I love grab bags! To this day, I can't pass up a comic book mystery bag!) I really wanted that collector's kit and since my mother would buy her son anything if it involved reading, that was what I got for Christmas 1989.
This was also the year I was introduced to a quaint series about mutants living in the U.K. called Excalibur. The grab bag was filled with several issues (in a row) of the Marvel Comic. I have fond memories of lying on the floor under my tree, next to my dog Lassie and cat, Midnight, just pouring over every page from Chris Claremont and Alan Davis. Comic Books has been a part of my life since almost day 1. But it's not been as prevalent as tomorrow's gift. This is it! the biggie! What is the most beloved toy I ever got for Christmas? Find out tomorrow. Until then, here's a comical holiday skit starring some Marvel Comics characters. Enjoy!
Today's Advent marks my last toy flop. Over the past 3 weeks, I've highlighted some toys that I asked Santa for that ended up being huge busts. This one wasn't so much a flop as it's an example of asking for one very popular thing and getting another thing instead. But that's okay because I really loved this toy!
The toy I'm talking about today really was actually pretty cool. Though when the batteries ran low, things got weird. And if you put a heavy metal cassette in it, things got insane! Yes- the year was 1986. But the toy I got from Santa wasn't Teddy Ruxpin. Instead I got the talking Fievel!
Let's go back a bit. In late 1985, Hasbro introduced the word to Teddy Ruxpin. This was a teddy bear that could play audio cassette tapes. As the tape played, Teddy's mouth and eyes would move as if he was alive and telling you the story. Every kid seemed to want one and boy was he expensive. That year, the toy was also impossible to find in stores.
In 1986, the Teddy Ruxpin craze was still going on. But by now, Hasbro was able to meet up with the demand. With 1985's shortages a thing of the past and considering that 86 was the year I finally got a Cabbage Patch Kid, I was certain that I was going to get a Teddy Ruxpin.
But when Christmas morning rolled around I found something different under my tree- a Talking Fievel doll!
While this wasn't what I had asked for, this wasn't a bad substitute. Fievel was the tiny immigrant mouse lead character from the animated movie An American Tail. I felt so horrible that he gets separated from his family that I wanted to save him and make him a part of my family.
Anyways, though I didn't ask Santa for Fievel, it was not a bad toy for me. Mostly because I didn't know that such a toy existed. Had I did, I probably would've asked Santa for it. Fievel was a great surprise under the tree! Though my friends all seemed to mock me for getting it instead of Teddy Ruxpin, I loved my Fievel.
While talking Fievel wasn't as popular as Teddy Ruxpin, Fievel had a major advantage- playability. See Teddy Ruxpin could only move it's eyes and mouth to the cassettes designed for him. If you put a Pat Benetar cassette into Teddy Ruxpin, he would play the music but he'd sit there all static. Not with Fievel!
You could put a Twisted Sister tape into Fievel and his mouth would move along to Dee Snyder. It was quite insane but so neat too! Unfortunately, Fievel's eyes didn't move. Had they, this whole thing would've been epic!
You also could speed up the tape to make anything you played sound like a tiny mouse was singing to it? Imagine Chip n Dale singing We're Not Gonna Take It! That's what this was like.
One problem with the talking Fievel was that the do used up a lot of juice. I don't remember what type of batteries he used. But to operate, the doll required a lot. 6 or 8 batteries, I think.
This meant that sometimes Fievel started to run out of power quite often. If you wanted to keep listening to music or books on tape and your family was out of replacement batteries, you had to make do. So Fievel would… talk. Slo...ooow...ly. That run-down effect soundly very creepy. It was a tad disturbing as you thought about it like Fievel was dying.
For 2-3 years, Fievel was my tape player. But by 1989, I had to say goodbye to him. A middle school student couldn't expect to survive bullying using a giant stuffed mouse as a Walkman. While I have no regrets upgrading to a sleeker, less plush model of personal stereo, I wish I had kept Fievel. Being a less popular toy in the 80's has made this cartoon icon quite collectible.
For my Advent present to you, here's another item featuring Fievel that I didn't know existed. An American Tail Christmas stockings from McDonald's! Had I known about them, I would've made my mom taking me to Mickey D's for them. Enjoy!
Tonight marks the first night of Hanukkah. As with every Advent that contains an opening eve of those eight crazy nights, I devote today's post to my Jewish princess. Today, I am talking about one of my wife's all-time favorite toys: The Emergency! Board Game.
Based on the TV show of the same name, this 1973 board game was produced by Milton Bradley. The board was a winding maze of roads that lead to various locales. When you landed on certain spaces, you drew a card it which the 911 dispatch told you of an emergency. A child is choking at the park! An elderly gentleman is having a heart attack at the apartments! A woman has gone into labor at the super market!
With your miniature fire truck playing pieces, you used a spinner to race to the scene and then make it to Rampart Hospital as soon as possible. Once the patient was safely taken to the emergency room, you were to head back to headquarters for your next adventure. The first squad to complete 3 rescues won the game! My wife had this game as a little girl because Emergency! was her favorite TV show. I think if you asked her now, it probably still is. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, she lost the game.
Years later, I found her a copy of the game for sale on eBay! I think I got it for her for Christmas. I'm pretty sure I did. I might have gotten it for Valentines. Or our anniversary. Or her birthday. Or just because I love her. Maybe Hanukkah? Nah! I would have gotten her gelts for that. Anyways, you can be sure that as soon as she opened her present, we had to play the game. As board games go- it's a pretty simple game with a Candyland premise. But when it comes to board games from the 1970s- being based on a franchise product, the Emergency! board game was really good.
Board games based on TV and movies from 1960-1989 often are not fondly remembered for being player friendly. The artwork on the box is memorable. The board might be pretty awesome. But game play is often confusing, difficult or boring. Sometimes all three! Case in point- the Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four game. Oh my god, was that one of the most headache inducing games based on a licensed product ever! As my Advent gift for you today, here's a tour of the actual L.A. station in which Squad 51 was based out of on the 70s series. Be sure to note that a rerun of Emergency! plays on the TV in the lounge. It's very meta! Enjoy!
(Note: I realize that for a Hanukkah post, I have included images based on Christmas. Do you know how impossible it is to find Hanukkah images of the TV show Emergency!? If you are a fan of Roy and Johnny and you have the skills to make some sort of Jewish holiday themed Emergency! images, please share them with me and I'll replace them holiday pics I put up in this post!)
Babymouse has only one thing on her Christmas list this year. It's a Whizbang! This thing does everything from playing games to text to even math homework! And Babymouse will do anything to get one!
From writing Santa for the device to attempting to win one by decorating her locker for Christmas- Babymouse is putting out the word that she really wants a Whizbang for Christmas.
In the meantime, Babymouse will learn of new holiday customs such as her best friend Wilson's celebration of Hanukkah. They get 8 days of presents! But before the holidays are over will Babymouse learn the true meaning of Christmas?
This was a very cute and fast holiday graphic novel read. This book covers quite a few holiday traditions as well as pay tribute to several holiday classics such as A Christmas Carol; in which Babymouse dreams that she is Scrooge because all she desires is that Whizbang.
Babymouse often gets lost in her daydreams. And while these moments are very funny, the reader sometimes also gets lost with her. The fantasies of Babymouse just happen without any warning. Sometimes it happens right in the middle of the action. And until you figure out that this is just Babymouse dreaming, reader's just can't figure out what's truly going on here.
One element that I thought was really clever was the interactions between Babymouse and the creators of this series; the brother and sister duo of Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm. Those moments add an element of whimsy to Babymouse that's rather delightful.
A Very Babymouse Christmas was a charming holiday story that reader's 8-12 should really love. It's quite festive and very pink. (That's Babymouse's favorite color!) Being the 15th volume in the Babymouse series, this a a great introduction to a mischievous and imaginative character that young readers will want to return to time and time again. Just be aware that Babymouse's imagination gets away from her sometimes.
Nowadays, the crafting of action figures has become an art form. But back in the 70s and 80s, there were action figures based on iconic characters. Growing up, they seldom looked anything like the characters on the screen. That all changed with Kenner in 1984 as a superior toy line, that brought the characters on paper to life, debuted. For today's Advent, I'm talking about Super Powers!
I remember the day I discovered this iconic toy line. I was watching a rerun of Super Friends when a commercial for Super Powers came on TV. It was a mix of cartoon and reality as Superman punched out a wall and Batman did too! And there were villains! (Oh, how I love baddies!) I was instantly hooked and I had to have it! Somehow, my mom decided we needed to run to K-Mart and get me a couple of those figures. Normally, she'd poo-poo such an idea. But on this day, she was all for it.
Unfortunately, Batman and The Man of Steel wasn't at K-Mart that day. Instead, my Justice League was first comprised of Aquaman and Robin, the Boy Wonder. But that's okay. As by Christmas of 1984, I was leading all of the heavy hitters including Green Lantern, Hawkman and The Flash. Oh, and Firestorm! My favorite!
Look folks, if you are to ask me if I am a DC person or a Marvel guy, I am going to answer DC. I love any and all super heroes. But I grew up on DC! And a lot of that is thanks to two men- Dick Giordano and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. These two amazing artists had created the DC style guides which were used to instruct licensing companies how DC Comics wanted their characters to look like. And Kenner got it right with the Super Powers line! These heroes looked like they had come right from the comics I adored so well! Each action figure came with 2 unique features. First of all, each figure had a distinct 'power action.' For example, if you squeezed Red Tornado's arms, his lower torso would spin around like a cyclone.
The other feature of a Super Powers action figure was my absolute favorite. The mini comic! Every figure came with 4-inch tall 8-page comic book that starred the character whose action figure you bought. The mini books are the rarest thing for fans to locate. They often either got lost or destroyed or thrown away. I've been asking for years for DC to reissue these as a collection. But my pleas always seem to fall on deaf ears.
One of my favorite Christmas gifts from the Super Powers line wasn't the toys! It was the case that you collecting them in! Yes, the Super Powers carrying case was that awesome! The case has 2 lids that opened on both sides like a book. Inside both lids were several 4 panel strips that revealed the secret origins of all your favorite super heroes. I read and re-read those so freakin' much.
As my Advent gift for you today, I want you to enjoy those awesome commericals as much as I did. It's kinda long, but it's every commercial from Super Powers' 1984-86 run. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have!
