January 2008 – Page 2 – Poe Ghostal's Points of Articulation

Cloverfield

January 22, 2008 | Poe

I loved it.

I won’t go into too much plot detail except to say this–it’s exactly what you think it is: a movie about a giant monster attacking New York filmed through a home video camera.

Cloverfield is one of those visceral movies where your preconceptions and your own life experiences will have a huge effect on your experience of watching it. Some critics have focused their reviews on the film’s use (many call it exploitation) of 9/11 imagery, with opinions running from considering it “tacky” to Salon‘s Stephanie Zacharek’s claim that it “takes the trauma of 9/11 and turns it into just another random spectacle at which to point and shoot.” (more…)

Odds ‘n Ends > Albino Frog Edition

January 21, 2008 | Poe

ODD: PGPoA will be moving to a new Web host soon, so there may be some hiccups over the course of the next few weeks. Do not attempt to adjust your monitor if something goes wrong–chances are, I goofed something up. I’ll have more updates on this later in the week, but there’s a chance the site be offline for most of next weekend.

The new Web host will allow me to split PGPoA, Biggerboat and my other new website (for my wedding, if you must know) into separate domains. What does this mean for you, dear reader? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just makes my life a wee bit easier.

END: Saw Cloverfield over the weekend. Working on the review. Short version: enjoyed it, want an action figure of the monster, but not sure I’ll buy the DVD.

ODD: I finally found my KITT toy. I took some new photos and added them to my earlier review.

END: Mrs. Ghostal-to-Be and I have been playing a lot of Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure. It’s fun stuff, though it’s more of a puzzle game and less of an adventure game than I’d been led to believe.

ODD: Much like my recent Batman redeco mock-ups, collector RM did some Photoshop-fu on NECA’s upcoming Ninja Turtles figures. Check it out.

END: The next round of voting for the 2008 FANtastic Exclusive is underway. Cast your vote!

FAN-freakin’-tastic

January 20, 2008 | Poe

The Four Horsemen have hit yet another roadblock on their quest to get quality figures of the 2007 FANtastic Exclusive, Ramathorr, into the hands of collectors.

The new factory was finally able to take possession of the molds recently and inspect them in preparation for production. During their inspection they’ve noticed that some of the molds have a small amount of surface rust because the previous factory had left them sitting, un-oiled and uncovered for an extended period of time. This surface rust is not enough that it will weaken the quality of the detail in the figures, but it is enough that all of the molds will need to be thoroughly cleaned and greased before they can begin running the new batch of figures. […] It now looks as if we may be able to have the product in our warehouse and be able to begin shipping everything out in mid to late March. That is if nothing else rears its ugly head. Please keep your fingers crossed, bear with us, and we’ll update you as often as possible with any further developments.

I own a Ramathorr from the first production run that a friend of mine got me at last year’s San Diego Comic Con. I can vouch for the multiple QC problems these figures have–very loose joints, poorly glued tusks, weapons that won’t fit in their holsters. I suspect the Horsemen will offer some sort of replacement deal for those who already got a Ramathorr or one of his variants, but I decided to just order another one off their website. They’ve already taken enough of a bath on this thing as it is.

Mock-ups of possible DCUC Batman redecos

January 19, 2008 | Poe

Spent a little time with Photoshop today mocking up these potential redecos of the DCUC Batman figure. The third one would be a must-buy for me. (Though I’m sure it would be one of those cases where Mrs. Ghostal-to-Be would be completely perplexed as to why I needed yet another Batman.)

I think I did a decent job with my amateur Photoshop skills. The original photo is at the bottom for comparison.

On the Menu > Soaron Sky Sentry

January 18, 2008 | Poe

When I was designing this site in my head, one thing I knew I wanted were graphics inspired by some of the more random toys I loved as a child. Hence the first “On the Menu” figure, Weed Killer. From time to time I’ll be posting a review/memoir about each character found on the site’s graphics (incidentally, watch for two brand-new graphics coming at the end of the month).

Today’s OTM is a fellow that many of you have mentioned in your comments: Soaron Sky Sentry, the pterodactyl-like robot-man and official PGPoA enforcer who orders you to post a comment. (more…)

Odds ‘n Ends > Thor’s Day Edition

January 17, 2008 | Poe

ODD: Well, Raving Toy Maniac has managed to get their RTM Spotlight of the DCUC wave one up, while I continue to dither on my own mega-review. I have a good reason for dithering, as I hope you’ll eventually get to see, but I’m still gonna be real late to the party.

In the meantime, Mattel has released some PR images of mock-ups of the second and third wave figures. You can see them all at the DCUC Info Archive. For fun, I edited together this image of the DCSH series eight Batman and the upcoming Robin, shown here next to their 1984 Kenner Super Powers counterparts (the latter taken from Jason Geyer’s Super Powers Archive).

Talk about coming a long way, baby. (On a side note…Batman went through three or four costume alterations from the 1940s through the 1980s, but DC Comics left Robin with that exact goofy uniform for fifty years. Why?)

END: In other news, Paul from Toy Bender has for some reason decided I would make for a gripping interview…but you can decide for yourself.

ODD: It seems I started a trend with my review of Cleatus the Fox Sports Robot; both Michael Crawford and OAFE have hopped on board the bandwagon.

END: I think I can declare PGPoA’s first contest a success–seventeen entries and counting! There are still plenty of days left in February and March, so if you haven’t entered yet, go for it.

ODD: You may have noticed this blog has its first ads. More are on the way. Have I sold out? Short answer yes, long answer…more or less, yeah. But I just can’t do this sort of thing for free anymore. If I can make back some of my expenses with a few relatively unobtrusive ads by retailers I approve of, then my conscience is clear.

END: I finally received my proper, horn-less Gentle Giant Hellboy. There are photos on my Flickr page, and I’ll try to get a quick review up soon.

Gentle Giant debuts horror-themed website

January 16, 2008 | Poe

Gentle Giant has created a horror sub-site at www.gentlegiantltd.com/horror. The site features their newest license, 30 Days of Night.

The site says simply, “Based on the graphic novel by Steven Niles and Ben Templesmith.” Not having read the GN or seen the movie adaptation, I’m not clear whether that’s referring to the film or the action figures. Anyone?

Mattel update

January 15, 2008 | Poe

Mattel’s “ToyGuru” has posted an update regarding the DCUC and JLU lines. Here are the passages I found interesting:

First off, there has been some concern about the variants for Wave 1. In our efforts to get WAVE 2 out as quickly as possible we had to break a few eggs. One of those wound up being the WAVE 1 variants.

Take note, those of you participating in my contest–they’re trying to get wave two out as soon as possible. So far, only one person has chosen a February date.

The first half of the WAVE 2 production will be Ronnie, the second half will be Jason. Superman Red/Blue will continue to ship 50/50 throughout the run, and the Aquaman variant will continue to be a chase figure.

WAVE 3 is not changing and will still contain chase versions of Sinestro in his corps uniform and Deathstroke revealed to be Slade Wilson. (about time we stick to our original plan!)

This seems to be pretty good news all around, though I do hope the chase figures aren’t too hard to find (particularly now that I’m starting to like the Sinestro variant).

On a related note, I want to point out this post by Jason “ToyOtter” Geyer. Here’s the key paragraph:

Talking to the fans doesn’t increase sales (the fan will buy the product regardless), and many times doesn’t even give accurate feedback because the fan’s passion skews the impression too far in one direction. Cost wise, the interaction and time spent is much more valuable by reaching out to those that aren’t already seeking the information. Which means ads & exclusives in Toyfare. And ads in comic books. And flyers in comic shops. And promotions in toy stores. But not interaction online. The execs probably get this, and is one reason this type of thing is frowned upon. And a huge reason the ToyGurus and Jesse Falcons of the world should be even more appreciated than they are.

This is obviously just a dose of good old-fashioned common sense, but it’s one most fan communities should probably take two of every morning. It’s important to keep the fans happy and build positive buzz, but pandering to fans quickly creates a sense of entitlement that will invariably backfire. More than once, I’ve seen a toy representative go from being a hero to the collector community for their communication to being loathed for this or that decision by the company. As Geyer writes, “feeding this hunger is a thankless job.”

That’s alotta toys.

January 15, 2008 | Poe

Yo go re of OAFE has posted his entire toy expense report for 2007. The total, by my count, is around $4,880. It makes mine look laughable.

I didn’t keep track, but I’d estimate my own spending around $1,000.

Retro Review > The Knight Rider 2000 Voice Car

January 15, 2008 | Poe

NOTE: Originally published on OAFE.net.

First off, let’s get one thing straight–in theory, that pasty, blobby white shape in the picture is intended to resemble the face of actor David Hasselhoff, circa 1983. In theory. In practice, the only clue that this is Mr. Baywatch is the distinctive wind-blown coiffure. With its lipless, tepid smile, beady eyes fixed in a zombie-like stare, and milky, translucent-looking skin, this figure resembles an albino frog more than every German’s favorite actor.

I offer you this photo of an albino frog for comparison. I think you’ll find the similarities disturbingly apparent. (more…)