Odds ‘n Ends > Surf Party USA

April 23, 2010 | Poe

  • You may have noticed PGPoA seems a bit…wider. That’s right, we’ve increased our girth, and completely without the aid of that terrifying Enzyte mascot with the rictus grin of a ten-month-old corpse. It was mostly done because I was finding it difficult to post certain videos, since the smallest embed options were larger than the 500px width I was using. The new width may screw up some of the older reviews, so let me know if you notice any, and bear with me as I fix them. Thanks as always to OB1 for the fix.
  • As I mentioned previously, PGPoA has brand-new forums in the hip phpbb style all the kids are talking about.
  • Evil-lyn and Wun-Dar arrived at Chez Ghostal this morning, though I won’t see them until I get home from work. Expect reviews next week–remember reviews?
  • The weapons pack is due to arrive Monday. In the meantime, check out this creative use of the brown Beast Man armor from the weapons pack. It makes Wun-Dar about 10x more awesome.
  • A few weeks ago, Dr. Mrs. Ghostal and I saw How to Train Your Dragon. It was the first time I’ve seen a Dreamworks movie approach a Pixar level of quality. Other movies I’m psyched for this summer, for good or ill: The Losers, Iron Man 2, The A-Team, and The Expendables. Damn, the Expendables had better be good, because I want to love that movie so bad. (Before you ask, no, I haven’t seen Kick-Ass and have no interest in doing so, though I have no big qualms with it and wish it well.)
  • DC Unlimited’s God of War figures–because aren’t you tired of having to bend your well-articulated NECA Kratos into a squatting position and then leaving him that way forever?

Show and Tell > Kunama and Tigrinya Tribal Dolls

April 21, 2010 | Monte

In August 2009, my wife and daughter and I moved from our short-lived home of Idaho to a city called Asmara, in Africa. Thus far, the experience has provided me with an incredibly valuable lesson in perspective, not least because our first few weeks here were a struggle to adjust to a lifestyle that seemed filled with hardships by our spoiled Western standards, despite the fact that we were living like royalty by local standards. For example, my daughter, who was five when we arrived in Asmara, found it difficult to be comfortable in our new house, because she found it “old and dirty” (privately, I had similar feelings); to most of the local citizens, our house is a mansion. (more…)

Poll > Did you get an Evil-lyn?

April 20, 2010 | Poe

I’m curious as to exactly how many people who wanted an Evil-lyn, but didn’t have a sub, were able to get one.

[polldaddy poll=3083322]

New forum format

April 20, 2010 | Poe

I just wanted to mention, I’ve updated to a new PHPBB forum. It’s a bit easier to navigate and has a few more features than the previous forum. Here’s the link: The Poester Gallery

Happy Evil-lyn Day

April 19, 2010 | Poe

Apologies,  folks–I forgot about making this post, and now I’ve actually already gotten my order through for the Weapons Packs.

Anyway, discuss.

Review > DCUC vs. MOTUC 2-packs (Superman vs. He-Man, Lex Luthor vs. Skeletor)

April 19, 2010 | Poe

The following review was previously posted on OAFE.net.

One of the biggest toy-related surprises of the new year was the announcement of Mattel’s DC vs. Masters of the Universe 2-packs, sold not through Mattycollector.com but exclusively through Toys R Us stores.  The first pack, Superman vs. He-Man, recreates their famous first meeting in DC Comics Presents #47 and includes a full-sized copy of that comic. The second pack features Skeletor and a reissue of the DC Super Heroes Lex Luthor in his iconic purple-and-green armor, and includes a copy of the second Supes/He-Man meeting, which was a one-shot included in a few different DC comics in 1982 as a preview of DC’s 3-issue MOTU miniseries (one of my personal favorite depictions of the MOTU universe).

Luthor doesn’t appear in either comic (both of which are drawn by legendary Superman artist Curt Swan), but it was a shrewd move to include the DCSH Luthor, who’s still scarce enough that the set will entice both DCUC and MOTUC fans.

To make the pack attractive to fans who already own He-Man and Skeletor from Mattycollector–and also to ensure the versions of He-Man and Skeletor sold on Mattycollector retain their value–both figures are repaints, and He-Man even has a slight sculptural difference.

The Superman and Lex Luthor figures are nearly identical to their previous releases, so I refer you to their respective reviews: Superman, Lex Luthor. The only major difference I’ve noted (aside from Luthor’s lack of a pistol and extra Kryptonite pieces) is that Superman’s hair has more blue in it than usual, presumably to reflect the more “comic book” style of the sets. (more…)