Sad news this day. I found out that the only comic book store worth anything in my neck of the woods is closing due to the owner having to move to another city for undisclosed reasons (meaning I wasn't going to be that guy who asked him all the details of his life as if it were my business). This got me to thinking about my own dreams of opening up a store of my own and realizing that I'm never going to be able to do such a thing if I don't make some sacrifices and reign in my spending. So, the wife and I decided that we would sell things off, tighten up the budget, and get out of debt. Trust me, this sounds like no fun whatsoever but let me tell you something: there are things worth sacrificing for, and those things are dreams my friends. Well, there are other things as well, like family, friends, and Papa John's Pizza, but you get my drift.
Thus I've had to prioritize what is really important to me, and I realize more and more that toys bore me. Oh, not every toy out there. But I just can't get giddy over things like the new City Strike Snake-Eyes figure that Justin at generalsjoes.com is drooling over. I don't know why, but I just don't see what the fuss is about. And while we're talking about it, the DCUC figures seem more like a burden than a collection to me, though I don't really have a lot of them. I much prefer the smaller Infinite Heroes line even if they don't have articulation like their Marvel rivals. They're just fun, and the fact that they don't cost an arm and a leg (except at Wal-Mart for some inexplicable reason) only endears me to them even more. In fact, I just picked up Batman, Nightwing, and Joker yesterday and am very pleased with them. But the DCUC guys...well, at 12-13 bucks a pop, they've gotta go.
That's it, I'm done for the night. Just some random thoughts for you, and no pictures. Why? Because you need to learn how to read without seeing pictures every other paragraph. :-P
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Old comics and great videos
I should be in bed right now, but the internet is actually working properly so I figured I'd update my woefully underupdated blog. After all, if there's one thing the 'net needs, it's another blog to be updated!
The comic store that I frequent has been having this truly awesome back issue sale where many of their back issues are 50 cents. Having sold my entire 4000+ comics collection a while back because I needed money (a decision which I regret to this day), this sale warms my heart. Comics fill me with much joy and I find that just being surrounded by them makes me happy. Since one of my dreams is to one day own my own comic store, this could be construed as a good thing. I've probably bought 200 comics during this sale ad will probably continue to buy many more as long as the sale goes on. My problem is that I will read pretty much any and every comic out there, which is how I can accumulate so many.
One of the comics that I have bought a number of in this sale is the old Marvel Two-In-One series which featured the Thing and a special guest star:
I never read this series as it was pretty much over by the time I started reading comics that weren't Spider-Man or G.I. Joe and I never picked up any back issues. I never really liked the Thing as a kid or even as a quasi-adult (read:teenager) so I tended to pass over things (ha! get it?) that included him. Nevertheless, as my mind has widened with age I found myself willing to give this series a chance, and am I gald I did! Great stories, great art, and just plain and simple fun permeate the pages of this series. (For a picture gallery of covers check out http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/marvel-two-in-one and tell them I sent you. You won't get anything special, but hey, at least you can feel important). The series is light-hearted but still has enough character, angst, drama, etc. to make you forget about all of these "adult" themed comics out there that would rather offend and sicken than entertain and remember the days of good stories with solid characters and creators that didn't take themselves too seriously.
Another good thing has come from this comic however, and that is Megaforce:
I never saw this movie nor did I really know it existed until I saw an ad for it in the Marvel Two-In-One comics. This move looks like it sucks, and for all the right reasons. You've got bad special effects, terrible acting, a cheesy soundtrack, and a protagonist who really wants to be Chuck Norris but hasn't realized that no one, not even the Dairy Queen herself, can be that cool. Nevertheless, he tries, and he is part of what makes this move so crappy and oh so great. If only they would still make movies like this today.
Well, that's all for now. I leave you with this sad, shocking, and highly hilarious video:
"I didn't have it locked!"
The comic store that I frequent has been having this truly awesome back issue sale where many of their back issues are 50 cents. Having sold my entire 4000+ comics collection a while back because I needed money (a decision which I regret to this day), this sale warms my heart. Comics fill me with much joy and I find that just being surrounded by them makes me happy. Since one of my dreams is to one day own my own comic store, this could be construed as a good thing. I've probably bought 200 comics during this sale ad will probably continue to buy many more as long as the sale goes on. My problem is that I will read pretty much any and every comic out there, which is how I can accumulate so many.
One of the comics that I have bought a number of in this sale is the old Marvel Two-In-One series which featured the Thing and a special guest star:
I never read this series as it was pretty much over by the time I started reading comics that weren't Spider-Man or G.I. Joe and I never picked up any back issues. I never really liked the Thing as a kid or even as a quasi-adult (read:teenager) so I tended to pass over things (ha! get it?) that included him. Nevertheless, as my mind has widened with age I found myself willing to give this series a chance, and am I gald I did! Great stories, great art, and just plain and simple fun permeate the pages of this series. (For a picture gallery of covers check out http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/marvel-two-in-one and tell them I sent you. You won't get anything special, but hey, at least you can feel important). The series is light-hearted but still has enough character, angst, drama, etc. to make you forget about all of these "adult" themed comics out there that would rather offend and sicken than entertain and remember the days of good stories with solid characters and creators that didn't take themselves too seriously.
Another good thing has come from this comic however, and that is Megaforce:
I never saw this movie nor did I really know it existed until I saw an ad for it in the Marvel Two-In-One comics. This move looks like it sucks, and for all the right reasons. You've got bad special effects, terrible acting, a cheesy soundtrack, and a protagonist who really wants to be Chuck Norris but hasn't realized that no one, not even the Dairy Queen herself, can be that cool. Nevertheless, he tries, and he is part of what makes this move so crappy and oh so great. If only they would still make movies like this today.
Well, that's all for now. I leave you with this sad, shocking, and highly hilarious video:
"I didn't have it locked!"
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Apology
It's been far more than a fortnight since I've written anything anywhere. Some of you who considered me a "friend" are probably wondering what happened to me, others of you have probably not given me a second thought. That's fine, it's not like I hold the fate of the world in my hands or anything (though once I get Dr. Doom's time platform I shall finally gain the power I crave! Muahahahahaha!!!!!). Seriously though, I feel like I owe so many people out there an explanation and an apology. So, here goes.
About 7 months ago or so my wife found out that her job was being terminated. Without getting into details that would only lead to name-calling and finger-pointing, suffice it to say that without her extra income we could no longer afford to live in Virginia Beach, so we decided to move to Tennessee where my stepmother owned a house that was available for rent. Through a series of miracles (or coincidences if you can't bring yourself to believe in miracles) we got the house and our wonderful friend Melissa moved with us...with no jobs and very few prospects. But hey, what's life without adventure, and how could we call ourselves Christians without believing that somehow God would aid us? Now, 7 months and some change later here we are with jobs and an extra roommate (my brother-in-law Lee) and things are starting to look up.
That's the background. Simple, short, all those things we as Americans love. So now we get to what the point of this blog is. Shortly after we moved here I asked people on the YoJoe! forums if they had any comic books for sale because I wanted to buy them. Numerous people messaged me and I said I would get back to them, except I never did. Now, this might seem like a little thing to you, but it's not to me. I try my best to be an honorable and truthful person, though like us all I fail at times. I considered the guys on the forums to be like a mini-family and I took my good name there very seriously. By setting these people up with the hope that I would buy their comics and thus give them some extra money, then pretty much dropping off the face of the earth for months, I feel that I betrayed them and tarnished my good name on the forums. Maybe I'm overreacting...it's happened before. But I want to say that I am sorry from the very bottom of my being for any ill-will I may have caused by my actions.
My reason for dropping off the face of the earth in a sense is simple: depression. Yes, I struggle with depression and at times it can be pretty severe. Those of you who don't suffer with it may not be able to understand how it affects people, but it basically makes you not want to do anything. I didn't want to read, write, collect toys, watch movies, etc. In short, I didn't want to do anything I loved doing, and while I chalked it up to various things like the price of toys being insanely high (which they really are) it boils down to the fact that instead of doing the things I love I was busy fending off thoughts ranging from how worthless I am to how I should end it all...if you know what I mean. Depression is a scary thing, and it steals your life from you even if you don't take the final step. What scares me more is that there are people who are very dear to me who have also struggled with depression, gotten "help" via medication, and then that same medication caused them to commit suicide. My Uncle David was one such person, and I miss him every day.
So there you go. I know this is pretty heavy stuff for this blog, but I needed to explain myself and I needed to get it off my chest. I'm not looking for pity or sympathy, just understanding. I want to write again, because it is in writing that I find joy and release, and the depression lifts from me while I am doing it. So, I will do my damnedest to update this blog on a regular basis, which may be hard since I have crusty internet service at the moment, and I hope that it will be as enjoyable for you to read as it is for me to write.
I hate to end this on a down note, so I won't. My buddy Paul from Toybender (who sent me a Snarfariffic gift not-so-long-ago) posted pics from SDCC of the Battle Cat from the MOTU line that Mattel has out now. In case you haven't seen it, here's a pic:
That, my friends, is a thing of beauty. I hear a rumor that they will re-release He-Man so he can ride Battle Cat into battle and if that's the case, Mattel has become my favorite toy company. I bathe in the sweat of the creators of this line.
Well, I've become longwinded, so it's off to do something constructive...which will most likely turn into something counter-productive.
About 7 months ago or so my wife found out that her job was being terminated. Without getting into details that would only lead to name-calling and finger-pointing, suffice it to say that without her extra income we could no longer afford to live in Virginia Beach, so we decided to move to Tennessee where my stepmother owned a house that was available for rent. Through a series of miracles (or coincidences if you can't bring yourself to believe in miracles) we got the house and our wonderful friend Melissa moved with us...with no jobs and very few prospects. But hey, what's life without adventure, and how could we call ourselves Christians without believing that somehow God would aid us? Now, 7 months and some change later here we are with jobs and an extra roommate (my brother-in-law Lee) and things are starting to look up.
That's the background. Simple, short, all those things we as Americans love. So now we get to what the point of this blog is. Shortly after we moved here I asked people on the YoJoe! forums if they had any comic books for sale because I wanted to buy them. Numerous people messaged me and I said I would get back to them, except I never did. Now, this might seem like a little thing to you, but it's not to me. I try my best to be an honorable and truthful person, though like us all I fail at times. I considered the guys on the forums to be like a mini-family and I took my good name there very seriously. By setting these people up with the hope that I would buy their comics and thus give them some extra money, then pretty much dropping off the face of the earth for months, I feel that I betrayed them and tarnished my good name on the forums. Maybe I'm overreacting...it's happened before. But I want to say that I am sorry from the very bottom of my being for any ill-will I may have caused by my actions.
My reason for dropping off the face of the earth in a sense is simple: depression. Yes, I struggle with depression and at times it can be pretty severe. Those of you who don't suffer with it may not be able to understand how it affects people, but it basically makes you not want to do anything. I didn't want to read, write, collect toys, watch movies, etc. In short, I didn't want to do anything I loved doing, and while I chalked it up to various things like the price of toys being insanely high (which they really are) it boils down to the fact that instead of doing the things I love I was busy fending off thoughts ranging from how worthless I am to how I should end it all...if you know what I mean. Depression is a scary thing, and it steals your life from you even if you don't take the final step. What scares me more is that there are people who are very dear to me who have also struggled with depression, gotten "help" via medication, and then that same medication caused them to commit suicide. My Uncle David was one such person, and I miss him every day.
So there you go. I know this is pretty heavy stuff for this blog, but I needed to explain myself and I needed to get it off my chest. I'm not looking for pity or sympathy, just understanding. I want to write again, because it is in writing that I find joy and release, and the depression lifts from me while I am doing it. So, I will do my damnedest to update this blog on a regular basis, which may be hard since I have crusty internet service at the moment, and I hope that it will be as enjoyable for you to read as it is for me to write.
I hate to end this on a down note, so I won't. My buddy Paul from Toybender (who sent me a Snarfariffic gift not-so-long-ago) posted pics from SDCC of the Battle Cat from the MOTU line that Mattel has out now. In case you haven't seen it, here's a pic:
That, my friends, is a thing of beauty. I hear a rumor that they will re-release He-Man so he can ride Battle Cat into battle and if that's the case, Mattel has become my favorite toy company. I bathe in the sweat of the creators of this line.
Well, I've become longwinded, so it's off to do something constructive...which will most likely turn into something counter-productive.
Monday, December 15, 2008
I hate coming up with titles
Wow, it's been a while since I've written anything. See, I went on this cruise, and then I got back and things got hectic, and then my wife lost her job which prompted us to decide to move to Tennessee. Of course, this means no nerdy stuff to buy and it also means no time to write between now and then, but I hope to be able to write more often once I get moved and settled in. Of course, I need a job...
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Ebay gets crazy sometimes
I've never had a bidding war go in my favor before, but it looks like I may have been blessed by the Ebay gods with a recent auction. I placed this Yoda figure on Ebay:
He's currently at 66 bucks and these two guys have been fighting it out for him. Craziness. I'm in the process of selling off pretty much all of my collectibles, and Yoda here has been with me since he was first released, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1997(or so) so he holds a special place in my heart. I hope that when he sells though the people buying him aren't deadbeat bidders. Seems like Ebay's been getting a lot more of those these days. Must have something to do with that no negs on buyers thing their brilliant minds came up with.
On a completely unrelated note, I have to go to a birthday party tonight for a friend of mine. Here's a picture of her for all the lonely hearts out there:
I love old Sophronia (who would kill me for posting her picture) and she's a bigger nerd than I, but man this party is going to have waaaaaaaaay to many people for an antisocial person like me. I guess I'm not really antisocial as much as I'm just offensive, but the two can be buttbuddies I think. There are going to be 20 people crammed into a space that could comfortably hold 10 at best. Blah. Oh well, I need to stop complaining.
By the way, I finally saw a different wave of DC Classics figures at TRU yesterday. I'm currently putting my collecting on hold, but those are some great figures. Of course, this guy had cleared out Wonder Woman, who was the one figure I probably would have bought in spite of myself. I told my wife and she suggested we club him with her purse.
My wife is violent...
He's currently at 66 bucks and these two guys have been fighting it out for him. Craziness. I'm in the process of selling off pretty much all of my collectibles, and Yoda here has been with me since he was first released, waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1997(or so) so he holds a special place in my heart. I hope that when he sells though the people buying him aren't deadbeat bidders. Seems like Ebay's been getting a lot more of those these days. Must have something to do with that no negs on buyers thing their brilliant minds came up with.
On a completely unrelated note, I have to go to a birthday party tonight for a friend of mine. Here's a picture of her for all the lonely hearts out there:
I love old Sophronia (who would kill me for posting her picture) and she's a bigger nerd than I, but man this party is going to have waaaaaaaaay to many people for an antisocial person like me. I guess I'm not really antisocial as much as I'm just offensive, but the two can be buttbuddies I think. There are going to be 20 people crammed into a space that could comfortably hold 10 at best. Blah. Oh well, I need to stop complaining.
By the way, I finally saw a different wave of DC Classics figures at TRU yesterday. I'm currently putting my collecting on hold, but those are some great figures. Of course, this guy had cleared out Wonder Woman, who was the one figure I probably would have bought in spite of myself. I told my wife and she suggested we club him with her purse.
My wife is violent...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Whiplash!
So He-Man probably made half of my generation gay. I mean, c'mon, it's a bunch of muscled dudes in loincloths and furry briefs with really weird accessories. If that doesn't scream "gay man's wet dream" I don't know what does. But seriously, while Prince Adam and Co. may have made some of us gay, for most of us they made our childhoods a little less dreary. I mean, who couldn't resist a story about a distant planet where one only had to grab a sword, shout about Greyskull, point the sword at a scared cat, and then have cool armor and a really cool ride to boot?
He-Man had a smattering of toys that, upon further inspection, were kind of...cheap? boring? Whatever adjective I might choose, none could be as bad as the one needed to describe the character of Whiplash. I mean, look at this dude:
He looks lost. Seriously, is this the best Skeletor could come up with? A green kid who badly needs braces and looks like opening an automatic door would give him trouble? But hey, at least he has that spiffy keen spear to fight with, right? It's no wonder old Skelly could never win. With minions like that, he may as well just tape a sign on his chest that says, "Please, beat the cap out of me and leave me broken and bleeding on the ground. Then have your way with Evil-Lynn."
But for every Whiplash out there, you at least had cool creatures like Stinkor:
Who can't love a figure that looks like a skunk and whose plastic smells absolutely awful, even 20+ years later?
Here's some filth for you all, courtesy of Warren Ellis:
Sam
Thursday, September 18, 2008
11:08 PM and I just felt like typing.
Nothing really important here, I just felt like typing. Must be the writer in me. Anywho, I recently decided to try to save $1,000.00 In an effort to do so I'm foregoing buying anything, and I mean anything until I've reached that goal. I'm a little over halfway there at approximately $530.00. Woohoo! So, what should I buy once I'm able to? I'd buy books, but I'm not allowed to do so until I've read 100 of my own books. Quite a lofty feat for me. I love books, but reading them can sometimes take quite a while, as I am usually either:
1. Busy
or
2. Lazy
Nevertheless, I will reach my reading goal. But what to buy, what to buy? It's funny, because I get these grand ideas to go out and buy something but when I actually get to the store the desire kind of dries up. I think this is due to the fact that I see an item, I see the price, I think of how annoying it can be to get said item removed from its box, and then I remember how small an area I have for displaying the things I buy. Or maybe it's just leftover guilt from my ex. Nevertheless, I shall buy something, and when I do, I'll put up a pretty review of it for all you lovelies.
Better go now. My butt's getting numb.
Sam
1. Busy
or
2. Lazy
Nevertheless, I will reach my reading goal. But what to buy, what to buy? It's funny, because I get these grand ideas to go out and buy something but when I actually get to the store the desire kind of dries up. I think this is due to the fact that I see an item, I see the price, I think of how annoying it can be to get said item removed from its box, and then I remember how small an area I have for displaying the things I buy. Or maybe it's just leftover guilt from my ex. Nevertheless, I shall buy something, and when I do, I'll put up a pretty review of it for all you lovelies.
Better go now. My butt's getting numb.
Sam
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