Toys, Books, and Stuff
Released by Hasbro in 1984, Zartan has been a fan-favorite character from the beginning. He came with his own mini vehicle, the Chameleon. A master of disguise, Zartan came with a mask that found a home in his backpack and fit nicely over his face. The reason Hasbro topped him with a cowl was so … Continue reading Zartan (1984)
Tying into the 40th anniversary of RETURN OF THE JEDI, Hasbro Pulse released an exclusive set of four figures that are sure to make any fan of Jabba the Hutt happy. Let's check out the box before tearing it open! Here they are out of the box, but still in their individual packaging. Tessek (previously … Continue reading Jabba Henchmen 4-Pack (2023)
Journey released their 15th studio album, FREEDOM, on July 8, 2022. It was the first one they put out in 11 years, and the third one with lead singer Arnel Pineda. At this time, there are three official members of the band. Guitarist Neal Schon is the only one who has been with the band … Continue reading Journey FREEDOM Tour 2023
Hard-hitting and powerful, ENDURING FREEDOM begins with the events of 9/11 as experienced by two young men living on opposite sides of the world. Baheer is a teen living under harsh conditions in Afghanistan. Joe is a senior in high school and a member of the U.S. National Guard. The opening chapters are in Baheer's … Continue reading ENDURING FREEDOM by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy (2021)
The Joe Hovercraft, known as the W.H.A.L.E. (Warrior: Hovering Assault Launching Envoy), is a large, impressive toy that floats and has a ton of play features. It came with a Hovercraft Pilot figure, code name Cutter. (His "real" name is Skip A. Stone according to the file card - haha) In addition to being on … Continue reading G.I. Joe Hovercraft (1984)
I recently picked up the TREK films on 4K and did a marathon. It had been several years since I had seen any of these (a couple decades for some), so I was seeing them with new eyes. Shortly after watching each one, I took notes of what I liked and what I didn't for … Continue reading Ranking the STAR TREK Movies
Here's what I have. This set is from 1995 and features art from the THX remastered '95 VHS box set of the original trilogy. Here's another set from 1994. And this sheet is from 2007, commemorating thirty years of STAR WARS. Fun stuff!
MISS CLASSIFIED by Susan Phelan was published in 2022 by Chicken Scratch Books. Seventh-grader Bly snares herself into a web of cheating and lies as she attempts to give her parents the impression that she is measuring up to their expectations. A super lovable character, I was rooting for her to find a way out … Continue reading MISS CLASSIFIED by Susan Phelan
On May 5, Marvel Studios and Disney released the third GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY film. (Well, really May 4, counting the "preview" screenings.) To commemorate the occasion, Hasbro dropped an 8-figure set in their "Marvel Legends Series" line of 6-inch scale figures. And I'm going to throw my Howard the Duck figure into this post … Continue reading GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOLUME 3 Marvel Legends Series Action Figures (2023)
In 1995, Galoob jumped on the rekindled STAR WARS hype with a run of MicroMachines based on the space saga. Inside each box was a form to join the fan club. A year or so later Galoob re-released some of these with color added, along with a new Speeder Bike sculpt. They make for some … Continue reading Star Wars MicroMachines (1995)