halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!

I am counting the hours until I can fully unleash the Burt Gummer costume - I was able to test drive 70% of it at a work party the other day, with great success. In the comfort and safety of my own home I feel that I can properly equip the guns and dummy grenades.

Here's a nice set of cardboard Transformer costumes, but this dude really went all out.

Also today, Jackhammer, of VENOM fame, with awesome driver Cliff Dagger, has joined the archive. Close on the heels of that addition is Bulldog, driven by the amazing 1980s russian stereotype of Boris Bushkin, with 'Comrade' mask that shoots red stars! Glasnost!
Posted by charlie on October 31st 2006
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auto-nots

I recently got the first 12 episodes of Transformers Galaxy Force, which is the original Japanese version of the current Transformers Cybertron cartoon. As I'd hoped, I find the original, with the excellent voices, to be far superior and more watchable.

However, as I'm watching the US/english episode, number 38 or something, (called "Warp" in the US and "Breaking Through the Super Space-Time Tunnel" in Japan! You tell me which is more awesome) I am again caught by surprise by some of the writing, which is now and again clever and enjoyable. One of the humans asks 'do minicons dream of electric ships?', the context of which fits in with the episode plot of course. As most will catch, this is a reference to the P.K. Dick novella which was the inspiration for Blade Runner. Only some 30 seconds later, the minicons, who are being stubborn, are asked by the human 'if they are Autobots, or Auto-Nots?' While probably not a direct reference to my favorite "are you a Mexican, or a Mexican't?" line in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, I'll just imagine it is.

It's always a surprise when they bust out something like that in this show, and I can almost guarantee that wasn't in the Japanese version, so really speaks to some clever translation. The bootleg copy I have is totally Engrish Transrate, so it's awesome, just in a less movie-reference sort of way.

Also, the MASK vehicles Thunder Hawk and Piranha have joined the archive.
Posted by charlie on October 26th 2006
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cat pics

Even if some, or all, of these images are photoshopped, they're just so perfect that I still find them highly enjoyable - witness today's Internet Aneurysm. (note: the page now appears to be down - damn bandwidth killing internet memes! Here is a picture of an exploded toaster oven instead...)

Today three more MASK vehicles have been posted - I am being reminded of just how solid the second season of the MASK line was - check out Raven, Slingshot, and Firecracker.
Posted by charlie on October 25th 2006
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Flash Force 2000

Does anyone remember Flash Force 2000? I didn't either - but it's all starting to come back to me now...
Posted by charlie on October 21st 2006
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new mask org

I'm trying out a new organizational method, starting with the MASK collection page. I figure that any series which is sufficiently large requires sub-grouping for ease of navigation, and dividing along year-of-release boundaries is a good start. Additional categories will likely include merchandise, like board games and party hats, and a distinction between figures and vehicles where applicable.

In other news, I was watching an episode of Boston Legal from several weeks ago on my digital video unit, and was shocked to see that it was a subtle Star Trek reunion of some sort. Rene Auberjonois plays a mostly-regular character, as he is one of the main lawyers at the firm, and you may remember him as Odo on Deep Space Nine. Then I realized that a semi-recurring character of one of their judges is played by Armin Shimerman, who was Quark on Deep Space Nine. It would be great if they had those two characters interact more, but it seems to rarely happen (in my memory). Then to raise the stakes, they bring in the mother of a defendant, played by Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal) and her crazy husband shows up and is played by Ethan Phillips who some may remember as Neelix on Voyager. Now, let us not forget the entire reason why the show is worth watching, and that is the man himself, Shatner, at the Helm - the rightful place for Captain James T. Kirk. I have to imagine there were even more characters in there, perhaps someone from Next Generation, just to be able to say someone from every series was included (well, and Enterprise, but whatever). Ahh the trivia abounds!
Posted by charlie on October 20th 2006
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green lion head


I am excited to have discovered the original box to the Headmaster Decepticon Base, Scorponok, in the Preserve back-storage. This encouraged me to pull down from a top shelf the random box I have been using to hold the actual figure of Scorponok, and was astounded to find within the box, *under* the giant Decepticon, the head to Voltron's green lion! Many of you may remember that I lost this part after a night of indiscretion some many moons ago. Having searched what I felt to be the entire room where it could be, I felt that it surely was gone, but life has a way of surprising you just as you've forgotten about something!

I also have re-discovered the original boxes for the Clock and Pepsi vehicles in the Computer Warriors line, and have added the MASK vehicle Iguana to the archives.
Posted by charlie on October 18th 2006
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lep cake

After the 10 hour Leprechaun Marathon (aka. Tremors-A-Thon 3) I felt that the hearty souls who had made it so far, and through so much, deserved a treat. It was really the least I could do.
Posted by charlie on October 16th 2006
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Leprechaun post marathon

The Leprechaun Marathon was a tremendous success! By that I mean that we made it through all 6 movies, there were no major technical problems, and no one went mad, berzerk, or stormed from the house. It was even tolerable...I would go so far as to say a lot of fun. I have pictures of the event, though they're largely of everyone staring at a TV so they are of minimal interest, but I'll do my best to Zaz them up.
Posted by charlie on October 15th 2006
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leprechaun

This weekend we will be undertaking the ill-advised Leprechaun Marathon, wherein we will attempt to watch all 6 movies (yes, there were 6!) in a row, no breaks allowed. It should be a pretty awesome time, and I hope to get a few pics posted in the aftermath.

The M.A.S.K. vehicle Stinger has a page now - what an awesome toy that is, both in design and in quality of manufacture.
Posted by charlie on October 12th 2006
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Primus episode

In a continuing effort to enjoy the latest Transformer cartoon, titled 'Cybertron', I have ordered a few episodes in the original japanese from the wasteland that is ebay. Having just finished watching episode #31 in english, I feel confident in my decision to keep trying with this series. Even in english, the episode titled 'Cybertron' (like the series) is perhaps the most revealing, pivotal, well done and mature episode of the series to date.

[spoilers]
Megatron actually shatters to a million shards after his final battle with Prime, and all of cybertron undergoes a spectacular transformation sequence to become the embodiment of Primus, the creator. I swear that some scenes of the planet transformation were blocked identically to the movie, when Unicron reveals his true form to Leonard Nimoy. I'm glad that I made it this far in the series, because this one episode has made all the insipid, childish parts well worth the wait.

This vintage special comes from Jellis - The Executive Coloring Book. I totally want a copy.
Posted by charlie on October 11th 2006
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Gator

The specifics for the Powerjet XT-7 have now been painstakingly entered, as has the page for Gator, the first of the classic MASK line to come into its own at the Preserve.
Posted by charlie on October 9th 2006
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Wheel in Space

Today was the first day of the big annual book sale in town. Every year I go and look for a few things, and some years I find interesting things, some years I don't. As you have seen in previous posts, I've been starting to collect the old Dr. Who target novelizations. I had heard that one of the most rare, expensive and hard to get titles in that series is The Wheel in Space. I had a strange hunch, really not based on anything, that I would find that at the sale today, and that's exactly what happened - all by itself, between the Mech Warrior and X-Files books - just waiting for me, and I didn't let it down.
Posted by charlie on October 8th 2006
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High School USA

Recently I had a chance to spend a few hours in the infamous storage bins, the mysterious back storage for the Preserve. It was a good search, which filled in several holes in key collections!

I am currently watching High School USA, and just from the credit sequence it looks so awesome. It's totally low budget, has a very young Michael J. Fox *and* Crispin Glover, Bob Denver (yes, Gilligan) *and* Dawn wells (yes...Mary Ann!) and Dana Plato! I recommend it already, and it's just getting better.

Update: I've finished the movie - Crispin was amazing - completely stole the show, and had perhaps the lowest billing in the credits. I think an awesome movie night would be High School USA, Back to the Future Part 1, and Willard.
Posted by charlie on October 7th 2006
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powerjet xt-7

Anyone wanting a closer look at the Captain Power Powerjet XT-7 is in luck. You'll be frustrated that you can't read all the copy off of the box and inserts, but I'll have it typed up soon enough.
Posted by charlie on October 6th 2006
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uncle gummer

I just did a Google image search for "burt gummer", everyone's favorite survivalist from the Tremors films, and was shocked and delighted to see that The Uncle is the fourth image returned! I guess some mighty internet magic took place, and this is the result!
Posted by charlie on October 5th 2006
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games section update

I can't promise in depth analysis or even as many pictures as I'll eventually like, but at least all the links in the Games menu resolve to something other than a blank page now. If you want to see box art for the original NES, the SNES, N64, the much maligned Virtual Boy, PS2, Gamecube, Sega Saturn, Sega 32x, Sega Dreamcast, Sega CD, or even the Intellivision then you've got a few new pictures to enjoy.

Ok, you caught me - I actually don't have an N64 box! I keep meaning to fix that, but it is still pending. You'll also notice the distinct lack of Atari representation on the list. This is in no way a slight to them, it is just that my collection of Atari consoles is very weak currently, which I am working on. I certainly have several 2600 systems, including my original one which was my first ever gaming system, and at least a few should shortly spearhead their own sections.
Posted by charlie on October 4th 2006
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Botcon 2007

According to The Uncle, Botcon 2007 has just been announced. The reason this is important is because we just skipped Botcon 2006 (along with every other botcon that has ever been held), after much deliberation and gnashing of teeth. For the past few years, it seems that the powers that are behind the event have insisted on holding it everyplace but the East Coast, making it just a little too involved, expensive and ridiculous to actually attend.

Now, as if in payment of our tremendous karmic debt of not being able to attend for years, the 2007 event will be held in Rhode Island, which is convenient for both of us. More importantly, it is to be held the week before the 'live action' movie is being released next summer, with a possible pre-screening. To really top it off, there is a rumored tour of the Hasbro facilities there in RI. This could be an amazing time - it's time for the two of us to dust off our yellow hard hats, and the family Witwicki will ride again!

And I must point everyone to Indian Thriller. If only that were Dahler Mendi!
Posted by charlie on October 3rd 2006
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