tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84261291582811490492024-03-13T23:57:03.260-07:00Toys and BaconUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-11209381018995629012020-01-28T12:38:00.001-08:002020-01-28T12:38:05.446-08:00Still cooking, still collectingOh wow, long time no see. It's been nearly five years since I last updated Toys and Bacon, but people still click in to read old articles and see old pictures. So here's an update - and a promise to share stuff occasionally. At one point I updated the blog three times a week. I can't promise <i>that</i>. I can't promise more than a handful of articles and entries a year, but I will at the very least keep this blog alive - because in my honest and humble opinion: Some of the stuff here is worth reading.<br />
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But yeah, let's see. Still collecting.<br />
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Right now, I have a rather diverse collection. Still lots of G.I. Joe, Transformers, MOTU, StarCom, LEGO. Since the heyday of this blog I have gotten heavily into Battle Beasts, Bionic Six, Silverhawks, Thundercats. Dipped my toes into Tigersharks, Photon. Nearly completed rather obscure toy lines such as Golden Girl, COPS, and.. hmm Combat Commandos. Comment if there's something you want to see featured.<br />
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And still cooking.<br />
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Making spice blends, and trying new techniques, without really taking big risks. For me, cooking the last five years has been mostly about keeping the fun with making food, while also managing a rather busy life as a father, husband, house owner, and by appearance: an adult with regular boring adult responsibilities.<br />
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Here's a small selection of good stuff that's been going on recently. The figures are among my favorite additions from 2019.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee2kVAYDLE1Spyn45ex5EfJ4A77RQSRu74dtupP9_iAUvC66tDtd38MgePiRH5nYsKV4y8Idj9gxZp-aHDeGU55c8nk9P4asJBmVDy_txZY68FPnVT7Abtqhn42gLwzW4v0p91ZHxRg/s1600/IMG_20200108_201424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee2kVAYDLE1Spyn45ex5EfJ4A77RQSRu74dtupP9_iAUvC66tDtd38MgePiRH5nYsKV4y8Idj9gxZp-aHDeGU55c8nk9P4asJBmVDy_txZY68FPnVT7Abtqhn42gLwzW4v0p91ZHxRg/s640/IMG_20200108_201424.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noodle soup/Ramen. Home made broth, flour coated meat, and my personal favorite: Brussels sprouts. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl-BNr2mLvuonzfLpzO9QTwlqHDHSPDP8AU5Xg4Y8tR2t5UcJhMffEYjHOSXTR518fo6jk_HrNe0mGd4mJ_70O6morUPtwNhVkvXvXKavZ2XLqnjwn97RUbQ273vPQMwDElT8oRGIFA/s1600/IMG_20191216_193102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl-BNr2mLvuonzfLpzO9QTwlqHDHSPDP8AU5Xg4Y8tR2t5UcJhMffEYjHOSXTR518fo6jk_HrNe0mGd4mJ_70O6morUPtwNhVkvXvXKavZ2XLqnjwn97RUbQ273vPQMwDElT8oRGIFA/s640/IMG_20191216_193102.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taco is our national dish here in Norway, I'm not even remotely joking. I make my own seasoning. Tastes infinitely better than the store bought seasoning. Healthier too. I think. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUIvtDLIbMyo_v9mVXzVE3AjfI5rcp9scDM5CGduqj-fVq71QQiPDhVmeVVKXPjWtFYNFtiXa5vg1KWF1hXomva5szoW8M8xVe5TKjGIPX1xHe7Uz8bY1FAFB-CfGplu7wfNKWRMEQ/s1600/IMG_20191218_164743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUIvtDLIbMyo_v9mVXzVE3AjfI5rcp9scDM5CGduqj-fVq71QQiPDhVmeVVKXPjWtFYNFtiXa5vg1KWF1hXomva5szoW8M8xVe5TKjGIPX1xHe7Uz8bY1FAFB-CfGplu7wfNKWRMEQ/s640/IMG_20191218_164743.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brainstorm, Transformers G1. Lovely colors. A favorite from back in the day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvmJAKayt1nXMoHjnvKYxljkTpeO-T54wUR2CLKYOAh0t9oCPF_xIKiMr4pknlsZDOePFrdfRIoW4TwvdsffVtZQ5ntPN23cIh4bXEFPBsWKIA3MAU-eCxCF9o5ZO9Rhbx_4KnXkkAQ/s1600/IMG_20191217_222119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvmJAKayt1nXMoHjnvKYxljkTpeO-T54wUR2CLKYOAh0t9oCPF_xIKiMr4pknlsZDOePFrdfRIoW4TwvdsffVtZQ5ntPN23cIh4bXEFPBsWKIA3MAU-eCxCF9o5ZO9Rhbx_4KnXkkAQ/s640/IMG_20191217_222119.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have gotten heavily into MOC Joes, specifically the sub groups of the 90s. I love the oversized cards and the variations on the "explosion". The EVIL HEADHUNTERS consisted of exactly two figures. Both with lovely 90s pink lazers in the background. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNSyH0XRLKmrhHnGps6ClNqfB2-PsD60XCCrmTfnqsglHhjiVqjW0nl9JiPghJhBfjl1Fgur8J01arKYjzTi5MRBpPqyjsQVmgO83HG9d-rVxGlx_M_q0V9KoZH4Aywabz_dbgAZe3A/s1600/IMG_20191217_221649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNSyH0XRLKmrhHnGps6ClNqfB2-PsD60XCCrmTfnqsglHhjiVqjW0nl9JiPghJhBfjl1Fgur8J01arKYjzTi5MRBpPqyjsQVmgO83HG9d-rVxGlx_M_q0V9KoZH4Aywabz_dbgAZe3A/s640/IMG_20191217_221649.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the years since I blogged, prices on G.I. Joes and pretty much every vintage action figure has sky rocketed. I remember you could pick up a WORMS for like $20 tops. Now, the antenna alone is like $50-60. I lucked out on this example at $40. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpPXoRe940YBUPr2AbRyeWcfkU8jgoGt7Q_51VjceYX5LbSWyMR_kFWz_atyf5puQosOLoS4rURf7pyhmAeBzYGY8VENWtTych7FkScFCyVJN1XKJXQ27EKqKNdo_dqX1md1cZlGY4g/s1600/IMG_20191217_221557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpPXoRe940YBUPr2AbRyeWcfkU8jgoGt7Q_51VjceYX5LbSWyMR_kFWz_atyf5puQosOLoS4rURf7pyhmAeBzYGY8VENWtTych7FkScFCyVJN1XKJXQ27EKqKNdo_dqX1md1cZlGY4g/s640/IMG_20191217_221557.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photon from LJN is as obscure as toy line gets. Leon here is a rather rare piece. My example is not complete, but I really like this guy. Anyone seen the show? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iSzcGO5sYjpJDSlouL_0qocklPZ__9zIFEMt6RnzKSqTQM6WP7PdFirWI438VuhIsz9tc4j9s12nznFeRf1lrQmBSla0j2OGM_MxMkRoKBP5nFY8grrxkPsxXDAUwvTk0BAj6pPvuQ/s1600/IMG_20191217_221514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iSzcGO5sYjpJDSlouL_0qocklPZ__9zIFEMt6RnzKSqTQM6WP7PdFirWI438VuhIsz9tc4j9s12nznFeRf1lrQmBSla0j2OGM_MxMkRoKBP5nFY8grrxkPsxXDAUwvTk0BAj6pPvuQ/s640/IMG_20191217_221514.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Scare Glow was literally a wedding gift to me from the collector community in Norway. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NuuEEWT9hhCl_dUy5wTR6h3EDSM_xT6AOW6fr6vstzrYLCmTYyyY6ssn1SBm53BUVB-n0qYk-nEFtZh-_Jm-NoNhKpaBJeGTWMLql9Wu3e7na-DkwuJ1y5MV-xj_T5KsNbEELyzZnA/s1600/IMG_20191217_222029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NuuEEWT9hhCl_dUy5wTR6h3EDSM_xT6AOW6fr6vstzrYLCmTYyyY6ssn1SBm53BUVB-n0qYk-nEFtZh-_Jm-NoNhKpaBJeGTWMLql9Wu3e7na-DkwuJ1y5MV-xj_T5KsNbEELyzZnA/s640/IMG_20191217_222029.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son is at this moment 8 months old. When he stops putting chewing on everything, he has lots of cool figures waiting for him. Like this Star Convoy. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_V_VjSldxUJH66AzOYULT-wDmsbcrdDomnEBinw0kha1jqXDMosK6T-i7mWOTOGJykYGOM8vN7-302wbOe5oh6-UkyDLAfWtvIHBB_4DnHImQAFjhAhmVwpb80lLu9-zLQKPRkNm2Q/s1600/IMG_20191217_221405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_V_VjSldxUJH66AzOYULT-wDmsbcrdDomnEBinw0kha1jqXDMosK6T-i7mWOTOGJykYGOM8vN7-302wbOe5oh6-UkyDLAfWtvIHBB_4DnHImQAFjhAhmVwpb80lLu9-zLQKPRkNm2Q/s640/IMG_20191217_221405.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duke Nukem from Captain Planet,. A lovable radiation glowing, hawaii-shirt wearing, mohawk rocking, yellow scaled weirdo. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrQCgFrZZAv0YT2Fxv8X89blQPrr8peseDWiMbyu8H8qvatlx5pAt5Uoh8VsJ7ucVukI079jHn_DfpTPEdn3pp1FugPbyxZ9NYntL7mJvf2qxNOuIfNO3xiAJrL3N8ZK16Pw8linmmg/s1600/IMG_20191217_221733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrQCgFrZZAv0YT2Fxv8X89blQPrr8peseDWiMbyu8H8qvatlx5pAt5Uoh8VsJ7ucVukI079jHn_DfpTPEdn3pp1FugPbyxZ9NYntL7mJvf2qxNOuIfNO3xiAJrL3N8ZK16Pw8linmmg/s640/IMG_20191217_221733.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A strange toy line that I have started collecting: Supernaturals from Tonka. Impossible to appreciate from pictures alone, the magic here comes from the holograms, the feel of the figures and the glow-in-the-dark weapons. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmLJfwngeKlY2WTl-BL8eCiDN3PrT-q-bVt6jvKfnfLlFLRIJD_PB0s-nhOmhUEjkjUpCp0lYfECBO6fZYpGJdWOjxckB8AKlUQQDDjTd211aKu96gwVBCwTREMwzKNnBee6I3bVSsA/s1600/IMG_20191217_221420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmLJfwngeKlY2WTl-BL8eCiDN3PrT-q-bVt6jvKfnfLlFLRIJD_PB0s-nhOmhUEjkjUpCp0lYfECBO6fZYpGJdWOjxckB8AKlUQQDDjTd211aKu96gwVBCwTREMwzKNnBee6I3bVSsA/s640/IMG_20191217_221420.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snakebite from Supernaturals, possibly my dark horse favorite figure of 2019. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vTVBa0tJR6y3CO11-5Ew_cs_SnDZlsdVkpvZDxB7lm_nA5kOli1IUaQgI0xgN1WKK6nIo5zyXF3FA-HMziiWKuwLZKXHfNXcl74GVBkxbcUeMHLcplhan0Ru5MJj94kEgNWJwxlbjQ/s1600/IMG_20191217_221458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vTVBa0tJR6y3CO11-5Ew_cs_SnDZlsdVkpvZDxB7lm_nA5kOli1IUaQgI0xgN1WKK6nIo5zyXF3FA-HMziiWKuwLZKXHfNXcl74GVBkxbcUeMHLcplhan0Ru5MJj94kEgNWJwxlbjQ/s640/IMG_20191217_221458.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paid top dollar for Doc Walro of the Tigersharks. I'm consuming almost every LJN toy line, but collecting the Tigersharks is extremely expensive. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWktKmencILHbkySxBwYja0d8W1UOeC5lc4hd0x1Ubcdgnq0r6MRL_cYXwiUTQ4iSB5X0KN9ZrWm89vzStfEd5QC8tgqhaw3rY6N7ETY6wwTZXTCN4HYt8foKv5Vot5aL_9JZnPhClw/s1600/IMG_20191204_163537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWktKmencILHbkySxBwYja0d8W1UOeC5lc4hd0x1Ubcdgnq0r6MRL_cYXwiUTQ4iSB5X0KN9ZrWm89vzStfEd5QC8tgqhaw3rY6N7ETY6wwTZXTCN4HYt8foKv5Vot5aL_9JZnPhClw/s640/IMG_20191204_163537.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cute little one, Mainframe from Transformers Action Masters. Still unsure about the Action Masters, there's something very un-transformersy about these figures. </td></tr>
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Finally:<br />
This here is a screen dump of my instagram account. It's definitely more updated than the blog, so head on over to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/retrotoybox/">https://www.instagram.com/retrotoybox/</a> and follow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UlibbFcg4u5U0nraYPa89j33BxdZezq9EMiW2BDoVNPI5oIAqqSlLHSQLSLgNRPM75DfZRcHUkajiwctYnp3PNNIF4dbZrbxy_j77WJtVqvICIgsuyqx9xD8un9Y08-CYoUnyIh4dQ/s1600/Screenshot_20200128_205056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1043" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UlibbFcg4u5U0nraYPa89j33BxdZezq9EMiW2BDoVNPI5oIAqqSlLHSQLSLgNRPM75DfZRcHUkajiwctYnp3PNNIF4dbZrbxy_j77WJtVqvICIgsuyqx9xD8un9Y08-CYoUnyIh4dQ/s640/Screenshot_20200128_205056.jpg" width="451" /></a></div>
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All right! See you around in 2020!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-77673462559335888132015-04-22T14:17:00.002-07:002015-04-22T14:22:36.981-07:00Avengers: Age of Ultron ReviewI've done reviews of several of the other Marvel movies, and while I don't plan on making a habit out of it, I do like to share some very short thoughts on the new Avengers movie.<br />
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And rest assured, absolutely no significant spoilers below.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxztq5if8zg/VTgLdDI97xI/AAAAAAAAKBQ/n5kjWS2ORbw/s1600/avengers_poster_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxztq5if8zg/VTgLdDI97xI/AAAAAAAAKBQ/n5kjWS2ORbw/s1600/avengers_poster_large.jpg" height="640" width="546" /></a></div>
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Yes, I've talked before about how incredible it is to see all my favorite superheroes band together in one single film. In some ways it's almost become such a familiar occurrence, that I barely think of how awesome it is. For instance when Captain America shows up in Thor 2 - yes, it was cool - but considering how Marvel Studios has run things, it was almost expected. </div>
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And that's really where we are, it's cool to see all of them. Literally all of them, in one movie. But do we really appreciate how amazing it is? And do we really appreciate how impressive it is to do that, and not have a movie that sucks? Because Avengers 2 definitely didn't suck. </div>
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Yes, it was not as surprisingly good as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And it wasn't as fun as Guardians of the Galaxy. But I feel that <i>that</i> isn't the idea of the Avengers movies either. </div>
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The idea of the Avengers movies is to gather all of them, and have cool fight scenes and explosions and stuff. Have buildings collapse, have skyscrapers collapse, have entire cities collapse. Stuff like that. And all the while ALL OF THEM are looking cool, while doing cool stuff. And it's just so damn awesome to see the Marvel cinematic universe in this place, where it's familiar, expected and natural. And that's the strength of Avengers: Age of Ultron.<br />
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It's like reading a Marvel comic book, but in cinema.</div>
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Yes, I could talk about details, and there were tons of them in this movie. Interaction between Ultron and Vision, interaction between Hulk and Black Widow. Interaction between Tony and almost everyone else. Most of the stuff involving Hawkeye. It seems they wanted to round out a few characters a bit more than they have done in previous movies, and it works fairly well. But this movie is about seeing all of them together, and explosions. </div>
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Ok, some details. Holy shit, Vision! I like. Hulk riding a Quinjet alone made an impact for some reason. Ending shows promises, but also challenges for Marvel Studios. Post credits scene somewhat boring, but not necessarily bad. Also, regarding Hawkeye, thank god they didn't follow Ultimates storyline, or I would never be able to drag my girlfriend to another Marvel movie. Ok, that last one may have been a spoiler. </div>
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Marvel is at an impressive - and some what dominating position these days, and I just fear they won't be able to keep up the pace, and that they won't put as much effort into the "individual" movies as they have done so far. If they do continue to make an effort, I'll gladly accept the occasionally mindless, but still glorious action from future Avengers movies. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-19440251246817192962015-03-02T14:37:00.001-08:002015-03-02T14:37:52.937-08:00Masters of the Universe Board Game... In NorwegianYes, so I got invited to a facebook group for people who collected G.I. Joe figures in Norway. I didn't know there were more than 2-3 of us, but it turns out there is.<br />
Come to think of it, I'm not that surprised. G.I. Joe - or Action Force - was a big thing here, and it had to leave a lasting impression on more than just me and my friend, Runar. <br />
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So, one of the guys contacted me and said he was collecting anything 80s, but preferably specified to Norwegian releases. He asked if I had anything cool lying around. I gave it a thought, and realized I actually had a very specific item he would appreciate. I had just been digging for treasures in the attic, and managed to find a vintage board game set to the Masters of the Universe universe. -_-<br />
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Anyway, it's not nearly complete, and it's missing box, lid and rules of play - in addition to several pieces. But the cardboard of the playing field looks to be intact, as does Castle Grayskull. The interior is made to be elevated an inch, and this function seems to still work. All though I didn't want to break anything, so I just left it lying flat on the floor.<br />
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You could play as the heroes, and I managed to find He-Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms and Stratos. When playing, you could end up literally stumbling onto villains, represented by square pieces, but of these I only found Mer-Man.<br />
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The more I look at this game, the more nostalgic I get. This was, for some reason, a big deal. It has obviously survived longer than my original collection of MOTUs.<br />
I believe I could make some proxies for some of the missing pieces, and this could easily be a functional game. If my memories serve me well, it was far from the worst game I have played.<br />
I have a vague sense of how we played this game, and regardless of its state, this has to be one of the coolest items I own.<br />
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Of course, the guy I was talking with wasn't particularly impressed, as he already had like five of these (among other seriously impressive treasures). But hey, we all have our thing, and that's great.<br />
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Here's some more pictures.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-91527715462553981902014-11-26T12:47:00.000-08:002014-11-26T13:44:49.916-08:00Collectible Minifigures Series 13Wow.. 13 full series of this amazing toy line. And they're still not running out of ideas!<br />
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Or are they...?<br />
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The first image is directly from Lego just now, and the second image resurfaced earlier November 26 We see the lineup of Series 13. It's obvious we have a few absolute hits here. The Hot Dog Dude is completely out of the ball park, and the carpenter, with a 2x4 is amazing. I also like the Egyptian warrior, the Evil wizard and the Unicorn costume. Fencer and Fakir are also nice.<br />
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But just stop with the female counterparts! Female cyclop, female disco enthusiast, female samurai, female explorer. Surely the designers of Lego can make female characters that isn't just "the other half" of a couple? It goes the other way as well, easily the most boring figure in Series 12 was the male lifeguard. We already have a lifeguard! Why not make the carpenter a woman instead? Or the fencer? Or something new?<br />
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Oh well. I guess I shouldn't rant. Truth is, the Hot Dog Dude makes up for the entire set.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-88716367997540527422014-10-28T13:49:00.000-07:002014-10-28T14:08:42.183-07:00Marvel Phase 3These are great times.<br />
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Nearly three decades ago, I picked up an issue of Secret Wars, and I was instantly a fan. Many kids of my generation grew up reading the comics with the Marvel superheroes. And sure, we dreamed of watching movies with our heroes, but as we aged, we realized that they very well could be similar to Street Fighter the Movie, or the TMNT movies. With this kind of quality as an alternative, I'd say it was a better option to not have superhero movies at all<br />
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Back in the late 90s, we actually started getting the superhero movies. Blade, Spider-Man, X-Men, followed by Hulk, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider and sequels to the first wave. Some of these were good, a few of them were great, most of them were just awful.<br />
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Hindered by technology, but even more so a lack of scope and ambition.<br />
You see, one of the reasons I fell in love with the Marvel universe was that any and all hero and villain could have some sort of link to the others. After all, the first comic I consciously read was a massive team-up between the heroes and villains. <br />
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And up until Marvel Studios, we just haven't seen this. They managed to team up four superheroes that easily could be the sole superhero franchise at any other movie studio. And they're building the story lines towards a goal.<br />
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Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men - maybe the most popular Marvel characters at one point - are locked at other studios. But that kind of doesn't matter.<br />
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You see, another impressive feat with Marvel is that they're not afraid to take chances with lesser known characters. Iron Man? Sure, every comic book reader knows Iron Man, but at the time the first movie came out, he wasn't the most popular Marvel character, probably not even top ten. Guardians of the Galaxy? Popular in the comics the last few years, but in the mainstream? Not even remotely.<br />
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Now, look at that line-up of movies. Captain Marvel. Black Panther. Doctor Strange. Inhumans. This is sick. This is insane. These are ridiculously awesome times to be a fan. I'm so glad I grew up with these comics to build the enthusiasm, and I'm so glad I'm around now to see them come alive like never before.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-46549365608792426472014-10-21T13:07:00.004-07:002014-10-21T13:10:38.728-07:00Star Wars Episode 7 Concept Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrRboRKTXQM/VEa1WqzXc5I/AAAAAAAAJuI/k4zGio1adsg/s1600/starwars7conceptart5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrRboRKTXQM/VEa1WqzXc5I/AAAAAAAAJuI/k4zGio1adsg/s1600/starwars7conceptart5.jpg" height="368" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A handful of concept art pieces leaked the other day, and I thought it was worth talking a bit about the value of these illustrations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Me, and many of my generation are probably as excited as it's possible to be for a movie. I even knowpeople outside my generation are excited for the new movie. The popularity of Star Wars extends far beyond the kids that grew up watching it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And we just can't wait. We have to know all the information right away! Every little piece of news regarding the JJ Abrams directed movie has the internet buzzing. Now that Lucas is out of the picture, we shouldn't have to worry about repercussions should we leak secret information. It's not like the new owners are overly protective of their copyrights.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l7V-gHDau90/VEa2uy9RDAI/AAAAAAAAJuw/eDmiCEuVHNY/s1600/Disney-Deadmau5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l7V-gHDau90/VEa2uy9RDAI/AAAAAAAAJuw/eDmiCEuVHNY/s1600/Disney-Deadmau5.png" height="104" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Well, except if your image sort of resembles one of their million trademarked logos. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, I don't fear any C&D letters, simply because I have nothing to gain from sharing these images. And to be fair, these illustrations does nothing but get fans more excited, so for all I know, the leak may be fully intentional.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But for the sake of the fans that want to go in to the theater with zero knowledge of what's coming, I'll put a break.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So hop on in for Star Wars Episode 7 concept art!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VcNP9QBNWc4/VEa1XF0Bt7I/AAAAAAAAJt8/bdrRi4-XaqA/s1600/starwars7conceptart7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VcNP9QBNWc4/VEa1XF0Bt7I/AAAAAAAAJt8/bdrRi4-XaqA/s1600/starwars7conceptart7.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Well, this could be anything. It's a downsized Millennium Falcon, but other than that, I don't know. Maybe Han Solo has a lot of fans in the new republic, fans who want to copy his style. Maybe the Corellian freighter was reissued, but due to increased production costs, they had to scale it down.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-IytLfG_pY/VEa1Vi6jAOI/AAAAAAAAJuY/r-ekj-j9lR4/s1600/starwars7conceptart11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-IytLfG_pY/VEa1Vi6jAOI/AAAAAAAAJuY/r-ekj-j9lR4/s1600/starwars7conceptart11.jpg" height="300" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Kira is, as far as I know the female protagonist, and she looks to be a Jedi. I like the style, it looks to be a bit more practical than the robes the Jedi usually wear. </span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12wuMQHC42g/VEa1VFGrQ0I/AAAAAAAAJuc/x5fJLK26Saw/s1600/starwars7conceptart10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-12wuMQHC42g/VEa1VFGrQ0I/AAAAAAAAJuc/x5fJLK26Saw/s1600/starwars7conceptart10.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrRboRKTXQM/VEa1WqzXc5I/AAAAAAAAJuI/k4zGio1adsg/s1600/starwars7conceptart5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrRboRKTXQM/VEa1WqzXc5I/AAAAAAAAJuI/k4zGio1adsg/s1600/starwars7conceptart5.jpg" height="368" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Is this her companions? The droid looks to be a cuter version of R2D2. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-glmh2yGrz5A/VEa1W38xnpI/AAAAAAAAJuE/LddugAjDqgY/s1600/starwars7conceptart6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-glmh2yGrz5A/VEa1W38xnpI/AAAAAAAAJuE/LddugAjDqgY/s1600/starwars7conceptart6.jpg" height="262" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Exploring ancient Jedi/Sith temples, I hope. That was the big draw with comics like Tales of the Jedi, and Tales of the Sith. The idea that this has been going on for thousands of years, and traces of those old cultures are still there to be discovered.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ydl6X3v8uLs/VEa1WTNef8I/AAAAAAAAJuM/X1vXDrZDStM/s1600/starwars7conceptart4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ydl6X3v8uLs/VEa1WTNef8I/AAAAAAAAJuM/X1vXDrZDStM/s1600/starwars7conceptart4.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I kinda wanted to save the best for last, but I'm not sure this is a shock. That Darth Vader has a follower should come as no surprise to anyone. This may be the main antagonist of the movie, the entire set of sequels even. I'm really feeling this guy, with his robotic hand, and face. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Another theory is that this simply is Luke Skywalker. But you know, Luke promised us he would never turn to the dark side. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aF8CDgTbPHo/VEa6s3g-o1I/AAAAAAAAJvA/g7uuytyrGR8/s1600/darksideluke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aF8CDgTbPHo/VEa6s3g-o1I/AAAAAAAAJvA/g7uuytyrGR8/s1600/darksideluke.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Except in the comics, but who read those?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A digression. Here's more concept art from the upcoming movie.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1rB24NBMoU/VEa1VBsL0WI/AAAAAAAAJtQ/ESLPN86TSaw/s1600/starwars7conceptart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1rB24NBMoU/VEa1VBsL0WI/AAAAAAAAJtQ/ESLPN86TSaw/s1600/starwars7conceptart1.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">New lightsabers. I guess they look kinda "futuristic" compared to the ones we're used to. I hope to see something really exciting with the sabers, similar to the dual saber of Episode 1. Lightdagger? Lightwhip? I'm sure all of this has already been used in the Expanded Universe. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCeYyNOeZMc/VEa1VaugrzI/AAAAAAAAJuk/4fV_ztCyyLY/s1600/starwars7conceptart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCeYyNOeZMc/VEa1VaugrzI/AAAAAAAAJuk/4fV_ztCyyLY/s1600/starwars7conceptart.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Max von Sydow has a role in the new movie. Is this his character? Is this the same dude brooding over Vader's helmet? </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally just some scenery. I just love these illustrations. The AT-AT turned into a dwelling is amazing, and it just makes a lot of sense. The Empire probably left a lot of stuff behind in various planets. People would definitely have put it to use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So there it is. Leaked Concept Art from the upcoming Star Wars movie. There are more illustrations floating around on the net, but I chose the ones I liked the most.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, I don't feel anything is spoiled, and like I said, this only makes me more excited for the movie. Now, I don't intend to find out everything in advance, Fan Boys style. But I welcome drops and bits to remind me of the potential of this movie.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-82372723337119110452014-10-09T05:55:00.001-07:002014-10-09T05:55:26.561-07:00LEGO Jurassic WorldI guess the news is out there, so I can safely report without breaking a promise. This summer I visited a friend in Billund, where he works. For Lego. He was so excited about this new project they were doing, but couldn't really tell what it was. After a few guesses, I landed on Jurassic Park - or Jurassic World, as the new movie is called. Me and him both grew up watching Jurassic Park in the mid 90s, and believe me - going to the cinema to see that movie definitely made an impact.<br />
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And here it is. Lego are making sets for the movie. It will be exciting to see how popular the movie - and the sets will be.<br />
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Here's the Brickset report, based on a press release from Universal Studios.<br />
http://brickset.com/article/12650/It-s-official-LEGO-Jurassic-World-sets-due-next-year<br />
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See! I could keep the secret!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-79990081426863259332014-09-30T03:30:00.001-07:002014-09-30T03:30:26.967-07:00Megatron x Sega 16-bitStraight from a Japanese hobby magazine, a picture of an upcoming figure. It's Megatron diguised as a Sega 16bit console. Segatron. -_-<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-68969470713608303192014-09-04T09:21:00.000-07:002014-09-05T05:53:48.717-07:00The Top 24 G.I. Joe Figures... From the 90s! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a guest article written by my little buddy, Al. He's a fan of G.I. Joe himself, and was let loose on my collection. I gave him the task to find his favorite figures among the later ones, the ones from 1990-1994. There's a lot that could be said about the demise of the original G.I. Joe - A Real American Hero toy line, and the way it ended was down right sad. But, as Al points out, there are a lot of gems here. Surprising ones even. </div>
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The entire article is written by Al, and he has also taken the pictures. So, not a lot of work done by me. Which, honestly, is just the way I like it. </div>
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Read on for the list of the top 24 G.I. Joe figures from the 90s!</div>
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<b>24. Vega (1992)</b><br />
Technically not a G.I. Joe, but he's a cool character in the Street Fighter games. Very similar to the video game version, and some decent sculpting on the weapons strapped to his chest.<br />
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<b>23. Toxo Zombie (1992)</b><br />
Incredible details. Significantly better than the "original" version, Toxo Viper. You have to wonder what turned him into a zombie, and what he really thinks about his life right now.<br />
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<b>22. Astro Viper (1993)</b><br />
No reason to display this guy with his weapons, because like many of the 1992-93 figures, he came with a crap-ton of brightly colored, and very random weapons. But, this guy has to be displayed with his amazing helmet. He has this kind of 60s sci-fi look to him. Original 1988 version is better, but this guy isn't bad at all.<br />
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<b>21. Range Viper (1990)</b><br />
His weapons are off the hook, and a cool back pack, this guy comes with great accessories. Good details, and relatively realistic color combinations, at least compared to what would come the next four years.<br />
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<b>20 Ambush (1990)</b><br />
Sadly, while this Ambush came with incredible accessories stateside, among them a make-shift tent, the European version (which Jon owns), came with spring loaded junk. Still, looks like a realistic desert trooper, which became a rare thing this late in the line. Also, mustache.<br />
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<b>19. Desert Scorpion (1991)</b><br />
One out of at least three desert-themed guys on the list. Desert Scorpion came with a ridiculously over-sized scorpion pet. Looks very "Cobra-like". Headsculpt is bad ass, and his weapon is small, but great.<br />
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<b>18. Dusty (1991)</b><br />
The second version of Dusty came with a pet coyote, Sandstorm. This guy is very reminiscent of the vintage figures from the glory days of 84-88. So, nostalgia points. Clean costume, realistic colors.<br />
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<b>17. Lamprey (1990)</b><br />
Cool card art, and even though he came with a very random selection of weapons, they were at least colored black. Good sculpt, but colors are a bit strange.<br />
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<b>16. Deep Six (1993)</b><br />
This guy was a mail in, and I have a soft spot for Deep Six. That's the main reason he's here, but also because he's just deliciously retro. Practical colors when diving? Maybe not. But who cares.<br />
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<b>15. Red Star (1991)</b><br />
This guy fits perfectly into the October Guard, and it's great to have some variation, and not just Joes and Cobra. Figure has some cool accessories, including a removable hat. Who doesn't love that?<br />
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<b>14. Countdown (1993)</b><br />
For some reason, I think about pills when I see this guy. One of the best figures from 1993, all though that's not a big accomplishment. Nice colors on the figure, but his bright yellow weapons makes him look like a clown.<br />
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<b>13. Cobra Commander (1994)</b><br />
Last Cobra Commander figure in the main toy line, and well... What a way to go? The figure isn't particularly great, but his helmet is enormous, and you know what they say about bad guys: The bigger the helmet... The eviler the villain. Or something. Also, accessories, suction cups attached to a wheel. Because that screams space.<br />
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<b>12. Big Bear (1991)</b><br />
This guy just looks like a military guy. His gun is great, and his uniform is both great sculpted and realistic looking. More Russian characters is good for the toy line.<br />
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<b>11. Snake Eyes (1991)</b><br />
The "rave edition". Look at those glow sticks! The figure would have been #1 had it not been for spring loaded crap and orange weapons. His costume is awesome, and looks like something Snake Eyes would wear. You can totally see it's him, even if you only knew about his previous costumes in advance.<br />
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<b>10. Storm Shadow (1991)</b><br />
From the Ninja Force line, this is the third version of the white ninja, and once again it's just perfectly "ninja". His cloth belt is a nice detail. His movement is hindered by the action features Hasbro for some weird reason felt belonged in this toy line.<br />
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<b>9. Crimson Guard Immortal (1991)</b><br />
If you feel your 1985 Crimson Guards can't take the heat, here's the armored version. Nice red colors, and ammo belt is always great. Cool helmet. Nothing negative to say about this guy. He's great!<br />
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<b>8. Undertow (1990)</b><br />
This is how the 90s version of Eels should have looked like. Jon's toy has lost his mask, but that doesn't make him less cool I think. Comes with a barracuda pet, and that's kinda bad ass.<br />
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<b>7. Laser Viper (1990)</b><br />
Sweet helmet, just as cool without helmet. Cannons, targeting handle, tubes, great costume, good color combination. This guy is just awesome.<br />
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<b>6. Freefall (1990)</b><br />
His helmet is removable, and very cool. The rest of his stuff is also great. Maybe one of the best parajumpers in the line, and that's no mean feat, as the entire wave of Sky Patrol figures were all strong.<br />
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<b>5. Lt. Falcon (1991)</b><br />
Identical to the original, except his forest camo is replaced with city camouflage. All over great color combinations, and of course a fantastic sculpt. His gun is a bit silly, and he should have come with his trademark shotgun.<br />
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<b>4. Decimator (1990)</b><br />
The pilot of the massive Hammerhead, if you display him with or without his helmet, he looks great either way. Comes with a cool harpoon, and a giant submersible tank.<br />
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<b>3. Headhunter (1992)</b><br />
Sadly, this guy has some play wear, but what a cool figure. Came with incredibly cool weapons. They could have colored his leather parts baby blue or neon orange. But they didn't! They look like leather. Maybe the coolest guy in the entire team, including the Stormtroopers and Headman himself.<br />
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<b>2. Slice (1991)</b><br />
Slice came with two great blades, and is easily the coolest among the Ninja Force figures. It's always great to see a ninja who actually looks like a ninja.<br />
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<b>1. Interrogator (1990)</b><br />
Not just one of the best figures from the 90s, but one of the best figures period. Came with a helicopter thing, so he may have slipped under the radar back in the day. Realistic colors, and just an amazing sculpt. You notice new details every time you see this guy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-61997593964967601462014-09-04T00:12:00.001-07:002014-09-04T00:12:07.365-07:00Hot Toys DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the FutureAt this point, we've probably already pre-ordered the Marty McFly 1/6 scale action figure from Hot Toys, and we kinda expected the DeLorean to be made as well. And we knew it would be awesome. And it is awesome. Expect the pre-order from various online retailers to be up any time soon.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-64659058824387737562014-09-01T09:45:00.001-07:002014-09-01T09:45:49.555-07:00Dinner Suggestion: Club SandwichSome days you just don't have the time to make a proper dinner, some days you simply don't want a proper dinner. In fact, I hate the term proper dinner. What really defines a dinner? Well, Wikipedia claims that it's the "significant meal of the day", and in that case, my club sandwich is dinner more than anything else I ate today. <br />
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Well, either way, let us say you didn't feel like mashing potatoes, or boiling rice. Here's how you make an extremely simple, yet awesome club sandwich.<br />
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Cut a chicken fillet in thin slices, 1/3 inch or 1 cm thick tops. Salt it before you fry it. I also use lots of black pepper. Fry it on medium high heat. Fry some smoked ham. Cut up half an avocado. Use good bread, add butter and crispy lettuce. It's really simple, and perfect for those days. You know those days... When you have lots of work.<br />
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Or those days you just want to sit at your computer and play Hearthstone.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-33087315526087122052014-08-28T11:39:00.001-07:002014-08-28T11:39:35.294-07:00Hot Toys Black Widow from Captain America: The Winter SoldierJust a year ago, I argued that I preferred quantity over quality, when it came to my superhero toys. Of course, today, things are very different. With a dozen of Hot Toys figures from Marvel's cinematic universe, I can admit to being hooked.<br />
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I've been talking about Hot Toys Black Widow for a few years now. Ever since she was announced as part of the Aveners wave, she <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2012/06/figure-friday-expensive-announcements.html">had my attention</a>, and I still regret not picking her up from <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2013/04/there-are-toys-in-new-york.html">Forbidden Planet in New York</a>. But that was then, and I'm actually glad I waited. First of all, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an impressive movie, and honestly, better than The Avengers. Secondly, this is a better toy than the previous version. Yes, the head sculpt may be just as reminiscent of Natalie Portman as it is Scarlett Johansson, but the details on this figure is out of this world. The fabric in the clothing, the incredible details on her belt. It's all very subtle, and all extremely impressive.<br />
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Anyway. Pictures.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-8642437325570293432014-08-21T23:14:00.000-07:002014-08-21T23:14:10.494-07:00Sneakers and ToysI have several hobbies, and every now and then they overlap. Like for instance when Lego said they would make a watch for adult fans of the bricks. Or when I got my hands on the <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2013/07/tea-robot.html">Tea Robot</a>.<br />
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I have always been into sneakers, training shoes, or shoes in general. I don't know why, but I guess I like the aesthetic, the culture around collecting sneakers. I also both play and follow basketball, where the shoe game is a big thing.<br />
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So naturally, I pay extra attention when the sneaker brands release shoes based on toys and action figures. This happens from time to time, but not nearly as often as one should expect.<br />
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The most recent was a basketball shoe from Fila, inspired by the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'm a big TMNT fan, but haven't gotten around to see the new movie. I expect it to be a bad movie, but eventually, I know I will see it.<br />
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This isn't the first time Fila has made TMNT sneakers, and I actually own the previous release, from late 2012. The FX-100 Fila x TMNT is an awesome sneaker. Premium materials, lots of cool details. Even the box is TMNT-themed, with the sewer lid. And the pair came with option to switch out the strap to match your favorite turtle.<br />
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Like with toy collecting, you really need to keep up, and get the new releases when they drop, or else you may find yourself paying extreme prices. Back in 2009, Nike dropped a pack of 6 pairs nicknamed "Nike x Hasbro". Three pairs of G.I. Joe-inspired sneakers, and three pairs for Transformers. They all came packed in amazing windowed boxes, with the original toy art. You'd think this was something for me... Yes it was. Yet I still didn't pick it up when prices were still manageable.<br />
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Another mighty sneaker pack inspired by toys is the Reebok x Voltron from 2008. I have never been a big Voltron fan, but these five sneakers are delightful. Look at those colors. Each pair came with a lion robot, so if you got all five pairs, you were actually able to form Voltron.<br />
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We have seen many sneakers vaguely inspired by toys, and you are probably able to find action figures to match most of the colorways that drop. This pair of Nike SB Dunks are nicknamed "Skeletor" for a good reason. It's a perfect match.<br />
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Of course today, the big sneaker brands lets you design your own shoes. So there's really nothing stopping you in getting those Battle Cat styled LeBron 11s you always wanted...<br />
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And finally, a pair I do own. I know Star Wars isn't technically a toy line, but these sneakers are definitely toy inspired, as they came packed in a bubble, on card back, just like the vintage action figures.<br />
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If you want a more thorough article, I wrote a more lengthy piece for a sneaker blog. Read it here:<br />
<a href="http://www.oslosneakerfest.com/blog/2014/8/21/sneakers-and-toys">The Greatest Sneakers in the World... and the Toys that Inspired Them!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-48790260738946038782014-05-26T12:24:00.000-07:002014-05-26T12:31:23.993-07:00Weekend at a local games conThis weekend, me and the girlfriend went to a local games con, as exhibitors, sellers and enthusiasts. We had a great time, met lots of great people, sold some stuff, talked old toys, and saw a bunch of really amazing collectibles.<br />
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Read on for a short report and tons of pictures!</div>
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The convention was specifically geared towards vintage games and consoles, but the staff had every console on display, ready to be played in the center of the hall. In the far end, several cabinets hold various gaming treasures, and up against the walls were various sellers and other exhibitors - among them me and the girlfriend playing "shop". </div>
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Over the course of two days, I assume roughly thousand unique visitors attended the con. Not jam-packed, but more than enough to create that special con-feeling. </div>
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There wasn't any options of choosing games with the playable consoles, but the staff had made rather conscious choices of what games to show off. Additionally, they swapped games for day two. For instance, one of the SNES played F-Zero the first day, and Turtles IV the second. I barely recognize any of the consoles, but had a blast playing Pinball Fantasy on Amiga CD32. </div>
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Projected on the wall, various consoles were being played competitively. Difficult to get good shots of, but the image was decent. The crowd went wild during the Street Fighter 2 competition. </div>
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When it came to the sellers, our stand turned out ok. I wanted initially to just show off some of my vintage toys, but the idea came up to unload some of my extras, and some of the stuff I had lying around in the closets. Where I feared this would end up bearing no fruit at all, the fact was I actually ended up selling quite a few toys. </div>
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We also had many visitors who stopped by just to get a nostalgic rush from seeing figures they had as kids. Of course, this being a game convention, we may not have been as relevant as some of the other sellers and exhibitors, but I believe people enjoyed our stand. </div>
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The best part was of course the people who came over to chat toys, and it dawned on me that I really like toys. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qH7h3ZUlWNw/U4OIeBnah-I/AAAAAAAAHHE/VPk9RkiXvmg/s1600/IMG_6752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qH7h3ZUlWNw/U4OIeBnah-I/AAAAAAAAHHE/VPk9RkiXvmg/s1600/IMG_6752.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our stand. For day two, we also put up some t-shirts on the back wall. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--nSw8dvcxWs/U4OIgePY79I/AAAAAAAAHHg/wbxzAyTdSRk/s1600/IMG_6756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--nSw8dvcxWs/U4OIgePY79I/AAAAAAAAHHg/wbxzAyTdSRk/s1600/IMG_6756.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two glass cabinets showed off a tiny, but good representation of my collection.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6qDCj5WS7M/U4OIgbStp5I/AAAAAAAAHHc/7-QXVGhdCBc/s1600/IMG_6757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6qDCj5WS7M/U4OIgbStp5I/AAAAAAAAHHc/7-QXVGhdCBc/s1600/IMG_6757.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top part of the cabinets had some robots. I transformed the cassette decks for the second day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59Yyaz9HweY/U4OIg3n4taI/AAAAAAAAHHk/RbJjbkEq5XQ/s1600/IMG_6758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59Yyaz9HweY/U4OIg3n4taI/AAAAAAAAHHk/RbJjbkEq5XQ/s1600/IMG_6758.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My vintage MOTU collection is sadly tiny, but we were able to really show off the difference between MOTU and MOTUC. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Vh1mY9uNmU/U4OIhwtMQjI/AAAAAAAAHHs/DONZToid3EI/s1600/IMG_6759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Vh1mY9uNmU/U4OIhwtMQjI/AAAAAAAAHHs/DONZToid3EI/s1600/IMG_6759.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom section had various toys. G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., Thundercats, my two Jetfires and some smaller Transformers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogXK6DdKuNo/U4OIi8xTRZI/AAAAAAAAHH8/wmeuN-yn06w/s1600/IMG_6760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogXK6DdKuNo/U4OIi8xTRZI/AAAAAAAAHH8/wmeuN-yn06w/s1600/IMG_6760.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sold some of my extra MOTUCs, and lots of people gazed upon the monumental Masterpiece Optimus Prime. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HmTlWlW6UTI/U4OIi8RwSoI/AAAAAAAAHIA/OFLfW_IcgsI/s1600/IMG_6761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HmTlWlW6UTI/U4OIi8RwSoI/AAAAAAAAHIA/OFLfW_IcgsI/s1600/IMG_6761.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selection of vintage MOCs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1XRz2PnIyK8/U4OIjfDITeI/AAAAAAAAHIE/zhaQDfZKb18/s1600/IMG_6762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1XRz2PnIyK8/U4OIjfDITeI/AAAAAAAAHIE/zhaQDfZKb18/s1600/IMG_6762.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a box of re-issue Vipers, and sold them cheap to the kids, and let them pick a free accessory. This was a huge hit among the young attendees. Star Wars figures, on the other hand, were not that popular, for some reason.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DhWi2Zv-e00/U4OIkbKQZCI/AAAAAAAAHIM/Tr940Dqbh98/s1600/IMG_6763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DhWi2Zv-e00/U4OIkbKQZCI/AAAAAAAAHIM/Tr940Dqbh98/s1600/IMG_6763.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sold quite a few of my extra Joes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3ca7BgE-sg/U4OIlLbpaGI/AAAAAAAAHIc/HaExIyAqgIY/s1600/IMG_6765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3ca7BgE-sg/U4OIlLbpaGI/AAAAAAAAHIc/HaExIyAqgIY/s1600/IMG_6765.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom, my bootleg Metrotitan with tons of minibots. Above, some Joes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k_-ce-WQcYc/U4OI8dYPtII/AAAAAAAAHOM/SLR1i8xsAJc/s1600/IMG_6815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k_-ce-WQcYc/U4OI8dYPtII/AAAAAAAAHOM/SLR1i8xsAJc/s1600/IMG_6815.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day two, we moved Scorponok to the table and let the kids play with him.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LlRS3aFoTHU/U4OIlKLp_QI/AAAAAAAAHIg/tssvIZwMgKU/s1600/IMG_6764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LlRS3aFoTHU/U4OIlKLp_QI/AAAAAAAAHIg/tssvIZwMgKU/s1600/IMG_6764.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girlfriend and her little brother working the shop for day two.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUzj6F4bq7o/U4OJDqGP6VI/AAAAAAAAHP0/dk_5t3HlYeU/s1600/IMG_6827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUzj6F4bq7o/U4OJDqGP6VI/AAAAAAAAHP0/dk_5t3HlYeU/s1600/IMG_6827.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our customers, a toy collector himself, came back the second day and brought some interesting toys for us to discuss. One of them were this 1976 handheld gaming device from Mattel. Extremely crude, yet astonishing in it's simplicity. </td></tr>
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Other exhibitors and sellers included a cool dude showing off his home made card/strategy game, a girl selling some home made, video game inspired pearler beads, a guy demonstrating the Oculus Rift, and of course shops selling old video games. </div>
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Finally, the exhibition of various console rarities, and complete collections. This part I really enjoyed. I can't recognize too much of these objects, but I love the way they're presented. </div>
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A great weekend, and we're already looking forward to next year at this convention.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-48919493904349052572014-05-22T12:45:00.002-07:002014-05-22T12:52:02.970-07:00SDCC 2014 Infinity Gauntlet SetOnce again I'm not heading to San Diego for the annual comic convention. Of course, at this point it's pretty much pointless attending SDCC, as it has grown too big for it's own audience. And it's certainly not worth my time travelling to the states just to stand in lines, endless lines. I don't have patience for that.<br />
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At the very least from an outsider's point of view, SDCC has gone from being a pure comic convention - where like-minded came and celebrated comics - to being a showcase for movie and media. There's nothing wrong in that, but watching panels with movie stars, and hearing the latest toy news, I can really do that just as comfortable from my chair at home. </div>
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That said, there is something special about attending conventions, the atmosphere, meeting other fans, watching cosplayers. If you've ever been to a con, you know what I'm talking about. </div>
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I'm sure you can still get all this at SDCC - it's just that you have to stand and walk in line at all times. </div>
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This very weekend, I'm heading to a small, local games-con. I'm excited, and hope to get that "con-feeling". </div>
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For the bigger cons, there's always the allure of goodie-bags, con exclusives and freebies. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wp6rR4mAsds/U35NH7oyOZI/AAAAAAAAHGk/3ddiUuYv0YU/s1600/sdccinfinitygauntlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wp6rR4mAsds/U35NH7oyOZI/AAAAAAAAHGk/3ddiUuYv0YU/s1600/sdccinfinitygauntlet.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>Hasbro has had a monstrous streak of incredible exclusives, ranging from their back-to-back Transformers cassette players (2009-2010), to their Star Wars Death Star set (2011), their Transformers/G.I. Joe collaboration 2011-2013) and the simple, yet excellent 6" Boba Fett with Han Solo in carbonite (2013). </div>
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This year, they hit a home run for me with the Infinity Gauntlet set, within their 3 3/4 Marvel Infinite line.</div>
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I'm a sucker for everything from Marvel's cosmic heroes, and I've been reading their epic space comics ever since Secret Wars. Naturally the Infinity Gauntlet series is one of my all time favorites. Author/artist Jim Starlin and artist Ron Lim had an insane run where they, among other stories, told the tales of Thanos, the mad titan, in his quest for scoring with Lady Death. </div>
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And now, this weird relationship is being captured in toy form. The set includes Thanos, his brother Starfox and Lady Death (whom I think is a first-timer in toy form). </div>
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In addition, we see Thanos' on/off associate, Nebula. She will be a major character in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but in this set they all have their comic appearances. </div>
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And finally, the set comes with a wearable Infinity Gauntlet - complete with all six infinity gems, that will let its wearer control everything in the universe. Except lust for something you cannot have - lust that will eventually make you screw up, and let yourself be defeated. Again. </div>
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This set would have been truly monumental had they included a vintage-appearance Adam Warlock. I'm not saying the asking price of $75 is too high for just four figures and a rubber gauntlet - but standing hours in line, you'd hoped to get at least one more figure. </div>
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I want one. </div>
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Yup, it's clear that Marvel is really taking it's cosmic "universe" seriously. Their six inch SDCC set is also cosmic related, with Black Bolt, Gladiator, Star Lord in the mix. Pair these sets with the Guardians movie this summer, and we almost have our dose of superheroes in space. Almost. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-55371948707097601632014-05-04T03:47:00.003-07:002014-05-04T03:47:25.490-07:00May 4thNormally, I try to avoid these "days". I haven't posted waffle recipes on the international waffle day, nor have I regularly posted Halloween articles on Halloween (all though it has happened once). I usually don't make a big deal about holidays.<br />
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The fourth of May is as nonsensical a holiday as they get. But at the same time, these are exciting days to be a Star Wars fan. The action figures are as good as ever, with the 6" Black Series. The Lego sets are incredible, and the new Sandcrawler 75059 is truly monumental. And of course, the upcoming seventh movie already looks more promising than any Star Wars movie the last 30 years.<br />
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So here it is: May the fourth be with you.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-12274320213306254182014-04-29T10:54:00.003-07:002014-05-01T02:01:53.963-07:00Episode VII Cast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-50137859799448945902014-04-07T08:27:00.003-07:002014-04-07T08:27:52.723-07:00Lego Ice Planet ArtworkReminiscent of when I wrote an entire <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2012/03/figure-friday-lego-spyrius-droid.html">article around an art piece based on Lego Spyrius</a>, this artwork based off Ice Planet just had to be featured.<br />
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Made by artist "<a href="http://mr--jack.deviantart.com/">Mr--Jack</a>" - real name Luke Mancini, who posted this on his DA account. He has also done some amazing work for game company Blizzard's properties, like Arthas from World of Warcraft, Tyrael from Diablo and Tychus from Starcraft.<br />
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But this work from Lego Ice Planet sticks out to me. There's something awesome and fantastic about the idea of making a Lego theme more realistic, because to a kid, this is exactly how it feels. In a way, Mancini has tapped into the very nature of playing - the act of pretending and imagining to expand what is already there.<br />
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Very much true to the theme of The Lego Movie, the ability to imagine seems to be easily lost as kids grow into adults. We loose desire or skill (or both) to see more than there actually is.<br />
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But it's not difficult to get back into the habit of imagining, and in other ways than playing with Lego, adults are just as creative as kids. And of course, we have people like Luke Mancini, who are both creative and skilled enough to articulate his imagination, and gift us with amazing artwork based of a Lego sub-line. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-32032435752900943852014-04-01T06:48:00.001-07:002014-04-01T06:49:51.614-07:00Sideshow 12" Governator Action Figure is coming!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Politically damaged!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.sideshowtoy.com/april-fools-day-giveaway/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Image+-+Governator&utm_content=Image+-+Governator&utm_campaign=TM_AprilFools_040114">Visit Sideshow for more info!</a><br />
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Truth be told, I'd be all over this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-35624212648400760862014-03-29T17:34:00.000-07:002014-03-29T17:39:53.805-07:00Captain America: The Winter Soldier ReviewI have this feeling that Marvel is continuously trying to better themselves, and are learning from their mistakes. Now, I don't really mind any of the movies from Marvel Studios, but there are obvious quality differences, with Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers and Iron Man 3 in one end, and The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 and Captain America: The First Avengers in the other end.<br />
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The first Captain America movie wasn't bad, rather than flawed. The movie didn't feel like a fluid piece. It's difficult to make the origin story look good in the movies. Now, we're past this. The movie universe knows Captain America. The movie audience knows Captain America. We can be treated to a story that stands on its own. Expectations were surprisingly high, after seeing the various trailers, and trying to figure out the plot line without getting too much of the movie spoiled, I found myself unusually excited.<br />
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Expectations were met, it was a complete blast. Now, the part I was looking forward to the most, didn't exactly pan out how I had hoped, but it didn't really matter, as I was fully enthralled to the very end.<br />
A thoroughly fun movie: Interesting characters and character interaction, impressive battles, well-paced story, and lots of goodies for the Marvel enthusiast.<br />
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Read on for a complete review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And beware, there could be some spoilers.<br />
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When we first meet him, Captain America is hanging around in Washington D.C. He's working for Shield, and still trying to adapt to the contemporary world. In fact, apart from the scene where Cap and his team rescue a kidnapped boat, the entire movie is set in D.C.<br />
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<b>Captain America and Falcon</b><br />
Steve Rogers is running some laps when he runs into Sam Wilson, and they sort of bond through both being war veterans. I really like both this part, and the following sequences with Captain America and Falcon, because it shows that Rogers isn't necessarily a man out of time, he's just in a different situation than many of the other people he meets. He's a soldier. Black Widow, Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and all the others - they are different. They have fought the big battles, but they have mostly done it on their own, either as agents operating in solitude, or as lone heroes. But Captain America is a soldier first, and a superhero second. A theme through out the movie is relying on others, fighting alongside friends, trusting the guy to your left.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falcon is a great addition to the Marvel movieverse.</td></tr>
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That said, I found it a bit weird that after Steve Rogers is being told that he can't trust anyone, he still has doubts about the Black Widow, who he fought alongside with in the battle of New York. But, I guess in this universe, where mind control and shape changing already has been shown, it makes sense to question the motives of your friends.<br />
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Rogers and Wilson connect, and it's apparent that they can trust each other, both being honest-to-God good guys and war veterans. Falcon was truly an awesome character, and his combat scenes were impressive to the point where it's weird he's not already working for SHIELD, who seems to employ these kinds of people.<br />
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One thing I particularly liked about the first part, was how they recapped the first Captain America movie. Rogers is visiting the Smithsonian, where a whole section is attributed to Captain America and the Howling Commandos. Here we see interviews with Peggy Carter, we hear information about Bucky Barnes, and of course see the golden age costume of Captain America.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Widow plays a big part in the movie. </td></tr>
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<b>Captain America is surprisingly relevant</b><br />
Admittedly, Captain America has never been my go-to comic. I have picked up an issue every now and then, but my main knowledge of Captain America has been through The Avengers. And I guess I'm not alone in thinking like this: Captain America is the boring one, he wears the flag, and it all feels a bit silly. The movie plays on all these strings, and it works. Better than in the comic, I'd say. Cap is the good guy, he's so good that both Black Widow and Nick Fury insinuates that he's too good for SHIELD, and that's why he's the best suited person to clean up when Fury loses control over his entire organisation to a certain Alexander Pierce, board director with bad intentions. Captain America isn't fighting for an organisation. He's fighting for a nation. He's the good guy that steps up when everyone is in danger.<br />
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The plot revolves around government surveillance, which is both a relevant and important. All the digital traces people leave behind are being used to map out their necessity to be eliminated by the enemy of the movie.<br />
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A big plot devide of the movie is the brand new Helicarriers, hidden underneath the Triskelion, SHIELD HQ, Now, the Helicarrier in The Avengers was more a floating command center, where these Helicarriers are built purely to destroy stuff. We're never really treated to an example of their destructive force until the very end, so there's not really any sense of what's at stake. We're being told that they can kill millions of people every day, but so can a well placed biological bomb.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WY7lp_iIMmk/UzdSUgQYYmI/AAAAAAAAGx8/UDg7cipnpsE/s1600/cap4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WY7lp_iIMmk/UzdSUgQYYmI/AAAAAAAAGx8/UDg7cipnpsE/s1600/cap4.jpg" height="274" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd liked to see more of the Helicarriers. </td></tr>
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And Fury suddenly finds himself in lack of control over these monsters. Who's behind this plot?<br />
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Well, let me say it like this: Some old friends and foes of Captain America. <br />
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<b>Spy movie? Not so much.</b><br />
Now for the part that contains <i>some</i> spoilers, and where I actually have to critique the movie. I anticipated a spy movie, who's the "real" villain, who can trust who, what's REALLY going on? I had hoped for double agents that turned out to be triple agents. I had hoped for big surprises, like we sort of got in The Ultimates 2 - Where Black Widow turned out to be a villain. In this movie, it's very obvious that Black Widow is on Cap's side, and they are both on the run together for a large part of movie. I like the proper conversations they have about friendship, and the nature of their mission, all though their small talk is a bit lame, centered around Natasha wanting to hook Steve up with his neighbor.<br />
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Now, I do like Black Widow better as a hero, but this is where the movie failed to surprise me. No triple agents, no "whoah"-moments, and the true villain - or rather who he's working for - is revealed very early on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5AczIMTQEw/UzdSUtABnZI/AAAAAAAAGx0/2LO6BDIdVSY/s1600/cap6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5AczIMTQEw/UzdSUtABnZI/AAAAAAAAGx0/2LO6BDIdVSY/s1600/cap6.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last 30 minutes of the movie includes explosions.</td></tr>
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Now, that ended up not being too much of a big deal to me, because I got completely distracted by fantastic action scenes, and kick ass appearances by classic Captain America villains: Batroc the Leaper, Arnim Zola, The Winter Soldier. The way they did Arnim Zola was a bit surprising, truthfully a bit creepy, and very instrumental to the plot. I guess they just as well could have called the movie "The Revenge of Hydra", but at least with the current title, they managed to keep some sort of secrecy regarding the plot.<br />
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<b>A great superhero movie about friendship</b><br />
The movie feels very fluid, the parts blend perfectly into each other. There's no dead space or slow moments, yet it doesn't feel like our heroes never get a breather. I'd like to say that the impressive and balanced pace was the best feature of the movie, but truthfully what left the greatest impression were some of the battle scenes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgpQP0MYqD4/UzdR-oiGt4I/AAAAAAAAGxk/jQZYFU7NLFA/s1600/cap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FgpQP0MYqD4/UzdR-oiGt4I/AAAAAAAAGxk/jQZYFU7NLFA/s1600/cap1.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Winter Soldier is about Cap's old and new friends. </td></tr>
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All our heroes take part in exciting battles, and the best two were probably when Captain America escapes the Triskelion, and when Falcon is being chased by Quinjets. In the first, we'er truly shown how skilled a combatant Captain America is, and what he's actually capable of. In the latter, we're treated to a thrilling aerial pursuit, and being shown that Falcon is every bit of a superhero.<br />
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I doubt the audience will be surprised at what they see. After all, superhero movies follow a certain pattern. But I can say this: The sequences between Captain America and the Winter Soldier, while some what predictable, doesn't end exactly like you'd expect.<br />
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Marvel Studios have managed to maintain what is essential about Captain America, while making the movie exciting. This is no mean feat, because on paper, literally, Captain America has never managed to excite me. At least not in his own comic. And I guess that's where they have done right in The Winter Soldier. They have given Captain America interesting friends, and they managed to convey that you can't, shouldn't, and doesn't need to fight battles alone - pair this with a decent story and impressive action, and you have one great superhero movie.<br />
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<b>End credits: </b><br />
Baron Strucker researches Loki's spear and has imprisoned Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-68498528625477875862014-03-24T15:31:00.003-07:002014-03-24T15:31:56.080-07:00Vintage style Captain America Poster by Paolo RiveraYes, I'm strangely enough excited for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Me and girlfriend saw The First Avenger again the other day, and are now ready for this next Cap movie. I liked Thor 2, but it would be seriously impressive had it surpassed the first Thor movie. But with Captain America, it's a bit different. The first one is good, but certainly not great, while the trailers for the new one are promising, to say the least. I expect it to be significantly better than The First Avenger (and I also expect teasers for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie).<br />
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Now, by now you have probably seen the various promo pictures for The Winter Soldier, the actual movie posters, trailers, toys (see the last update), stills, and so on. But this one is something different. A poster made in the vintage style that you would see in the 70s spy movies. Roger Moore's James Bond movies comes to mind.<br />
Done by skilled artist Paolo Rivera, you can also check out his blog here: <a href="http://paolorivera.blogspot.com/">http://paolorivera.blogspot.com/</a><div>
<br />Marvel has said that it will indeed be a spy movie, with conspiracy and treachery being parts of the plot. But we have also seen the trailers, where stuff is being blown up. Passionately. I like both, and I think Paolo's poster resonate with this.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1VNjSBuflGA/UzCv5nJrWTI/AAAAAAAAGxI/FdKMlGg3jUs/s1600/paoloriveracaptainamericaposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1VNjSBuflGA/UzCv5nJrWTI/AAAAAAAAGxI/FdKMlGg3jUs/s1600/paoloriveracaptainamericaposter.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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I love it, and it makes me even more ready for the movie the upcoming weekend.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-87969445596059010522014-03-17T00:57:00.002-07:002014-03-17T00:57:50.851-07:00Hot Toys Captain America ComparisonWell, with the new Captain America movie coming out, titled "The Winter Soldier", we are getting new action figures from Hot Toys. They already showed their new Black Widow, which caused somewhat of a discussion on the internet. People are surprised how life-like it looks.<br />
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No shit! Hot Toys have been doing this for a couple of years, and they're just getting better and better at it. They have already done three Black Widow figures, the first one from Iron Man 2, then the Avengers version, and now for the upcoming Cap movie. I still prefer the Avengers one.<br />
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Today, at Hot Toys facebook page, we were shown the pre-release pictures of their new Captain America - Golden Age costume. Apparently, Steve Rogers wears his vintage outfit in the last battle in the movie. It looks as fantastic as you could expect.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cabpdZmpxdw/UyapqMYTnXI/AAAAAAAAGws/qJVm-mkAvW0/s1600/hottoyscap5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cabpdZmpxdw/UyapqMYTnXI/AAAAAAAAGws/qJVm-mkAvW0/s1600/hottoyscap5.jpg" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, Hot Toys already did the golden age costume, from the first Captain America movie. Which one is better? You tell me.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6aGMP-zLANk/UyapqISFKsI/AAAAAAAAGww/NnVWnVDeMGc/s1600/hottoyscap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6aGMP-zLANk/UyapqISFKsI/AAAAAAAAGww/NnVWnVDeMGc/s1600/hottoyscap3.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here are the two side by side.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--dBy3YLJ9ZM/Uyapcrqc-0I/AAAAAAAAGwg/LkDNbohO8wk/s1600/hottoyscaptainamerica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--dBy3YLJ9ZM/Uyapcrqc-0I/AAAAAAAAGwg/LkDNbohO8wk/s1600/hottoyscaptainamerica.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-79476357022386732512014-03-13T13:14:00.002-07:002014-03-13T13:38:06.530-07:00Toys are fun. I collect toys. I play with toys. Article number 300.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Would you know, I've written three hundred articles in this blog. Some of them are pure nonsense, some of them are well thought out, and some of them are extremely personal. This leans towards the latter, but I suspect any collector can find some meaning here. It's about stepping out of the comfort zone and finding something that re-ignites the passion. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-em41wyzFnwk/UyH33ryC9qI/AAAAAAAAGvg/60wf50bKM2s/s1600/hottoysironman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-em41wyzFnwk/UyH33ryC9qI/AAAAAAAAGvg/60wf50bKM2s/s1600/hottoysironman2.jpg" height="510" width="640" /></a><br />
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How do you <i>use</i> action figures? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-69Ev4DOzzWg/UZ5pAUI2PkI/AAAAAAAAFeY/egzh-ExL2sQ/s1600/metrotitanrunning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-69Ev4DOzzWg/UZ5pAUI2PkI/AAAAAAAAFeY/egzh-ExL2sQ/s1600/metrotitanrunning.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured: Story line.</td></tr>
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Well, there are many ways, and I've talked about this before. Of course the most common way to use an action figure is to play with it like a child would. Well, I'm not a child, so you will probably not find me clashing my toys together and make explosion sounds. But what is the child really doing while playing? </div>
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The child is creating a story line, interacting with the toys, taking part in the story. It's entertainment and creation at the same time. </div>
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If I had a new years resolution this year, it would be to not collect stuff just to collect. The last few years I feel like I have been doing just that. Most of the toys I collect, I really like. That goes for my other collections as well. But I also found my self buying action figures and toys I simply didn't <i>use</i>. </div>
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Now, my action figures are being played with, but not exactly like I describe above. You see, I also consider it playing with toys just to pick them up, and hold them, look at them, pose them. And in some way, I do the same as the child. It's a combination of appreciation of the toy itself and the creation of story lines. The story lines are probably not as strong and as lively as when I was a kid, but they're still there in some way. I look at some of the pictures I take, and there's definitely story lines. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6pgPcJ9T_zY/UXlfDoF3zjI/AAAAAAAAFSM/m2TTGGgpu-Q/s1600/modulars3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6pgPcJ9T_zY/UXlfDoF3zjI/AAAAAAAAFSM/m2TTGGgpu-Q/s1600/modulars3.jpg" height="200" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In storage...</td></tr>
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Far too many of my toys see little to no play time. And that's not how it should be. Sure, some of them I have stored away for a specific purpose, and for good reasons. Some of my toys are appreciating just by sitting in storage, like a few sealed vintage pieces. Some of them I simply have no room for in my current apartment, like the bigger Lego sets. And some of them are valued treasures from my childhood, that I couldn't possibly get rid of, even though I don't necessarily use them any more - my entire G.I. Joe collection for instance. </div>
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But I own toys that doesn't fall in any of these categories. What's really the point of these? I don't play with them, and I don't really need them. It's just stuff that's clogging up my closets. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmluWYCegSE/UyH346QiRJI/AAAAAAAAGv0/f5zSUvGwFUA/s1600/hottoysironman5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RmluWYCegSE/UyH346QiRJI/AAAAAAAAGv0/f5zSUvGwFUA/s1600/hottoysironman5.jpg" height="400" width="350" /></a>So since Christmas, I have been getting rid of - selling a lot of toys. We're talking a significant amount, both in numbers of action figures, and in money. </div>
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Some of this money obviously goes right back into collecting, but this time more focused. I have been drooling over the Hot Toys Marvel superheroes ever since the Hong Kong company made toys for the first Iron Man movie. And naturally, I too start with Iron Man - more specifically the Iron Man 3 Tony Stark Suit Test. </div>
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Now, this isn't about this specific Tony Stark toy, and I have only half-assed taken a few pictures of it. These pictures doesn't do the toy justice, and it's easy to find better pictures online. This is about what these figures are bringing to the table. These are the ultimate superhero action figures. </div>
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In the past, my reasoning for not picking up Hot Toys figures have been: "These doesn't feel like toys". It's a common critique. They're extremely expensive, they're 1/6 scale, they're not intended for children. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DTpgXpAKrcU/UyH33vzBwdI/AAAAAAAAGvc/-hPzsPYXiDk/s1600/hottoysironman3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DTpgXpAKrcU/UyH33vzBwdI/AAAAAAAAGvc/-hPzsPYXiDk/s1600/hottoysironman3.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Stark plays with toys as well. </td></tr>
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But when I display them in my cabinet, are they not toys that I play with? When I can't even leave them alone in said cabinet, am I not playing with them? </div>
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I'm having more fun playing with the Hot Toys superheroes than I have had in a long time. The last time I had this much fun playing with toys was when <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2012/01/gi-joe-collection.html">me and Runar built a G.I. Joe diorama for a museum</a>. </div>
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The details on Tony Stark are amazing, his head sculpt is so realistic it's almost creepy. He has great articulation and comes with tons of cool accessories. Light up functions. I mean, apart from the high price, there aren't any reasons this couldn't be the perfect toy for anyone even remotely interested in action figures, comic books and the likes. </div>
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When I think about it, I actually understand why it has been difficult for me to make this jump, and that may also be the reason I enjoy these toys more than I had thought. These aren't rooted in my nostalgia in the same way as say G.I. Joe, Transformers and Masters of the Universe. These are only indirectly connected to my childhood. I have always collected action figures, and I have always read the superheroes. But as a child I never had superhero action figures, and I was never into 1/6 scale. </div>
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In that way, my Hot Toys Superheroes are something new, something exciting. Fear not, I'll still be into all the other stuff, Joes, Lego, robots and so on. But this is deliciously refreshing. </div>
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Current collection consists of Tony Stark, one of his suits, one of his super powered colleagues, one of his adversaries, and two members of the espionage agency. All are obtained by simply getting rid of stuff I didn't use. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WIQpwpXnLFA/UyIQoEkT4RI/AAAAAAAAGwM/UDpisyHSRGY/s1600/hottoysavengers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WIQpwpXnLFA/UyIQoEkT4RI/AAAAAAAAGwM/UDpisyHSRGY/s1600/hottoysavengers2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fun.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-71526412440670959402014-02-13T11:03:00.000-08:002014-02-13T11:03:07.854-08:00Guardians of the Galaxy Promo Poster remade with Marvel LegendsYes, this is exactly what the title says. We've known about the upcoming Marvel Legends versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy for a while. These characters have already been done by Hasbro in their comic book versions, but that was in the 4 inch line. This time it's for the 6 inch Marvel Legends, and in the style of the upcoming movie. And they look awesome!<br />
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The pose we see here is meant to resemble the promo poster we saw a little while ago. And they have nailed it. A little more detail on Peter Quill's costume, but other than that I think they are amazing representations of the movie designs.<br />
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As a long time reader of Guardians - and almost anything in Marvel's "cosmic" catalog, I'm excited. Obviously for the movie, but I have to be honest, I'm also tempted by these action figures. Marvel Legends is an awesome toy line these days.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426129158281149049.post-81133102956753952592014-02-04T09:05:00.001-08:002014-02-04T10:28:09.049-08:00Women in LegoThe story broke yesterday. A girl, Charlotte Benjamin (7) wrote a letter to Lego complaining about their selection for girls. It's <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/7-year-old-writes-lego-lack-toys-girls-article-1.1600272">here</a>, and pretty much every other news channel. And it's awful!<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--4V7iUzUNnw/UgDHWcBKzbI/AAAAAAAAF-s/6zSmeGh1gKs/s1600/7+viking+woman+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--4V7iUzUNnw/UgDHWcBKzbI/AAAAAAAAF-s/6zSmeGh1gKs/s1600/7+viking+woman+1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
The girl is of course as clueless as any 7 year old, but it's being blown way out of proportion. I get it though. It's newsworthy, to attack a major toy company for neglecting gender equality. It's all very brave. Of course, Lego tries to tell it like it is: Hey, we only make what we know will sell.<br />
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The girl complains that the "Friends" line doesn't offer what she wants in a toy. She wants adventure and bravery, real jobs, like the boys get in their toy line!<br />
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Lego has had a moderate success with their "Friends" line - a sub line aimed towards girls. It's what you would expect, pastel colors, hair brushes and problem free living. All in bricks.<br />
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Let me show you:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1f7FzBJpPOY/UvEUIbDWtnI/AAAAAAAAGuA/940hbmA-UWE/s1600/legofriends3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1f7FzBJpPOY/UvEUIbDWtnI/AAAAAAAAGuA/940hbmA-UWE/s1600/legofriends3.jpg" height="572" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lego Friends are able to lounge on the deck of their multi-million dollar yacht. Isn't that adventure enough?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I773kra5Yyc/UvEUIn4N0LI/AAAAAAAAGuE/MZu4hhevyc8/s1600/legofriends1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I773kra5Yyc/UvEUIn4N0LI/AAAAAAAAGuE/MZu4hhevyc8/s1600/legofriends1.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She has a pink skirt, a pink phone, her dog has a pink bow, her bucket is pink. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLANeAHZY4s/UvEUIHCrujI/AAAAAAAAGt8/6AYRnKMNCHM/s1600/LegoFriends2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LLANeAHZY4s/UvEUIHCrujI/AAAAAAAAGt8/6AYRnKMNCHM/s1600/LegoFriends2.jpg" height="640" width="634" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is kinda manly though, chopping up stuff with your bare hands. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I agree, these sets are hilariously awful. Mostly because Lego abandoned their greatest invention: <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2011/07/minifigures.html">The minifigure</a>. But also because of the activities the girls do. And here I agree with little Charlotte. This is pathetic. Lego is basically just painting the picture perfect life of teenage girls - just hanging around in the stables, feeding their pet lions, doing absolutely nothing of substance.<br />
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But Charlotte.. if you want substance, why don't you buy the proper Lego sets? Does it say anywhere in the Star Wars sets that these are intended for boys? Does it say anywhere on the police and fire fighter sets that girls should stay away? No!<br />
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Oh wait, you may complain about the lack of female figures in these sets. Well, those days are also gone! Almost every big set since the early 90s have included at least one female figure. They are being outnumbered by men, for sure. But Lego has made an effort to include at least some women in their various sub lines for literally decades and are showing far greater gender equality than their contemporary toy lines, Barbie, Turtles, G.I. Joe, etc.<br />
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I remember there were women in Ice Planet, I have the girl from the late 80s pirates set, all the various licensed sets have often had female figures. And off the top of my head, didn't the last Christmas calender include a woman fire fighter? Swimming with sharks you say? Look no further than 2010s Atlantis line.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pH-CKis7_Hc/Tm0GukaJpMI/AAAAAAAAAaI/RhQ4l8Bqgaw/s1600/ocean4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pH-CKis7_Hc/Tm0GukaJpMI/AAAAAAAAAaI/RhQ4l8Bqgaw/s1600/ocean4.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a bit pointless, because I'm not really complaining about the opinions of a 7 year old girl, rather about the channels that report this as news.<br />
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The weird thing is, Lego is universal. If any sub-line is "strictly for boys", it would have to be the Hero Factory line. And either way, Lego is just making what they know will sell. And girls apparently buy the pink package that is the current Friends line.<br />
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For the girls that want their female toys to do real work, real adventure and real action, why not look to the collectible minifigures?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bVHrak3sl7E/UvEUPajuMAI/AAAAAAAAGuM/2BA_0VR59ZU/s1600/lego+women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bVHrak3sl7E/UvEUPajuMAI/AAAAAAAAGuM/2BA_0VR59ZU/s1600/lego+women.jpg" height="558" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is just sample of the many female minifigures. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Now, could the situation have been better? Absolutely. You know I'm a big advocate for equality in toys. I have written about female toys many times, even <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2013/02/the-top-10-female-action-figures-of-80s.html">devoted entire articles to female action figures</a>. Lego, specially with the collectible minifigures, are playing along with gender stereotypes. The fitness instructor, the bride, the fairy, etc. Even the space girl has a pink costume. But is this a problem? I mean, they are playing along with any and all stereotypes. <a href="http://toysandbacon.blogspot.no/2012/06/top-10-collectible-lego-minifigures.html">I talked about this in the top ten list</a>. If you want to complain, I'm sure you can find something where ever you look. Truth is, the collectible minifigures include more women than we honestly could hope to expect. Is it enough?<br />
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Well, I admit, Lego could have had better representation of women.<br />
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But fact is fact, Lego is being bought mostly by boys. And this isn't Lego's fault. Lego are building sets, and girls just don't buy building sets. If they did, we would have seen more building sets aimed towards girls. Who's fault is this? Probably the parents. But what do I know? I'm not a parent, nor a 7 year old girl. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kPi80c9dLIc/UvEUV_0s5lI/AAAAAAAAGuU/23KHy2Dpjyo/s1600/legomovie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kPi80c9dLIc/UvEUV_0s5lI/AAAAAAAAGuU/23KHy2Dpjyo/s1600/legomovie1.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a><br />
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With the Lego movie coming up - obviously with a male main character, but right next to him, as a strong supporting character: A woman.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O85rDkhb2Nc/T9Za4XRXRBI/AAAAAAAADEA/haUUKeL8DWU/s1600/top10minifigures16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O85rDkhb2Nc/T9Za4XRXRBI/AAAAAAAADEA/haUUKeL8DWU/s1600/top10minifigures16.jpg" height="200" width="157" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy? Girl? You decide!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not only that, based on reviews and what I know about the movie, she's significantly more capable than the guy. I mean, look at the picture above. Who would you trust to do... anything? The guy in the front or the girl right next to him?<br />
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And finally, as my friend Roxi pointed out: The letter from "Charlotte" may very well just be the work of a mother who just wants to stir the pot. Roxi, a life long fan of the bricks, has never had any complains, and as she says:<br />
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"You can't tell me the basic, nondescript minifigure isn't a girl. And that's the beauty of Lego."<br />
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Keep up the good work, Lego. News channels, keep on being awful. 7 year old girls, keep on being completely oblivious.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1