Lost - New Dharma Initiative T-Shirts

Now that we’ve seen what life was like in Dharma-ville back in the late 70’s, what job assignment would you hope to get after being brought to the island? Would you want to join Sawyer and work Dharma Security or work with Juliet in the Dharma Motor Pool? Well now you can, sort of, by wearing the official Lost Dharma logo t-shirts found at ABC’s official Lost online store. The Dharma Security t-shirt comes in blue and features the star logo of the official Dharma Initiative Security Force seen in Episode 507, "Le Fleur."


Then we have the official Dharma Motor Pool logo shirt, a blue t-shirt that features the wrench logo first seen on the March 4, 2009 episode of Lost as worn by Juliet. ABC is also releasing a grey Dharma Cafeteria logo t-shirt featuring the official chef’s hat and fork & knife logo of the Dharma Initiative’s mess hall. The logo was worn by Hurley in Episode 510, “He’s Our You.”


There is also an all new Dharma Initiative Station t-shirt inspired by the Lamp Post Station used by Ms. Hawking in Episode 316, “The Lie.” The Lamp Post logo t-shirt obviously features a lamp post logo and comes in black.


All four of these new Dharma Initiative t-shirts come in sizes S-XXL and sell for $24.95 each. You can purchase these awesome t-shirts and so much more great Lost gear here.

Barneyism of the Week - Laser Tag

Ted, laser tag knows no age restrictions,

kind of like stripping in the Midwest.

- Barney Stinson

"Murtaugh"

How I Met Your Mother

I thought all the HIMYM fans out there would be interested to know that Alyson Hannigan (Lily) gave birth last week to a baby girl. (link) Satyana Denisof was born on March 24th and is doing well. This is the first child for Hannigan and husband Alexis Denisof, who met on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer during the 1999-2000 season.

The Future Of Hasbro’s Mighty Muggs Line

I know a lot of The Blot Says… readers first started following this blog because of its Mighty Muggs coverage, and sadly there hasn’t been much of that going on lately. The reason for this is because Hasbro hasn’t released any official news on the fledgling toy line in quite a while. I’ve gotten a few e-mails recently from fans concerned the toy line may be getting canceled, so I thought I’d write a brief post on what I’ve heard lately.


The truth is not much is known as of now, and Hasbro is sending out some seriously mixed messages. First came reports out of NYCC that as of August all Mighty Muggs would be sold as Toys R Us exclusives. While it seems like this news is legit, I still haven’t seen anything concrete or official out of Hasbro. What we do know is that no new Muggs from any of the four existing toy lines (Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers or G.I. Joe) have been solicited lately, which means there will be a significant lull in new figures for the foreseeable future.

With that being said, both Transformers Wave 2 and Marvel Wave 6 have now hit store shelves and we still have the Iceman, Magneto, Unmasked Spider-Man and Green Goblin Wave to look forward to. Plus, there is the rumored X-Men Origins: Wolverine Wolverine with retractable claws SDCC ’09 exclusive that I know many fans are excited about. I’ve also heard some rumblings about an upcoming Transformers Wave that is to include movie versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron, but again no official word on those figures has been given yet.


While it could happen, I don’t see any way Hasbro could cancel their Mighty Muggs line now with such a huge summer ahead of them. With the licensing rights for X-Men Origins: Wolverine and two movies being released based on their properties (G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Hasbro is in charge of the toy lines for three potentially huge summer blockbusters and the more toys they can produce in conjunction with these movies the better. Hopefully Hasbro agrees with The Blot on this and we’ll be seeing a bevy of movie tie-in Mighty Muggs released in the coming months.

In the meantime, spread the word to all of your friends on the greatness that is Hasbro’s Mighty Muggs because the toy line could definitely use all the promotion and spike in sales it can get! Also, if you typically only read The Blot Says…’s Mighty Muggs page then I highly recommend checking out the The Blot Says…’s main page (since there hasn’t been much Mighty Muggs news lately) for all the latest in movies, television, designer toys, comics and more!

Muttpop - Tequila 2.0 Vinyl Figure

Thanks to Muttpop we now have official photos of Tequila 2.0. Tequila 2.0 is a rerelease (and a slightly different take) of the first Lucha Libre vinyl figure Muttpop ever produced, the OG Tequila vinyl figure. Tequila and its three colorways have been highly sought after collectables since their release a few years ago and the high prices of those hard to find figures on the secondary market continue to hold steady. While there are a few slight differences in the figure’s mold and coloring, the biggest difference between the original Tequila figure and Tequila 2.0 is the blood splatter on his right hand and poncho.


While I’m not a huge fan of blood splatter on my vinyl figures, Muttpop Bob explained that “the blood was a nice way to distinguish this version from [the] Original. We must pay respect to the og fans that got the first one.” I totally get that, and it really is a great way to reproduce an amazingly popular figure without over saturating the market and devaluing the original Tequla’s status in the eyes of collectors. Many fans of Lucha Libre and Muttpop vinyl figures have been waiting for this release for a really long time, but The Blot is still way more excited for the upcoming Radioactive Tequila Pop Culture colorway inspired by Marvel’s Incredible Hulk seen here.


Muttpop’s Tequila 2.0 vinyl figure will hit stores in just a few weeks sometime in April, 2009 and have a retail price of $60.

The Blot Says… Will Be At San Diego Comic-Con 2009

This summer The Blot turns the dreaded 3-0. While Aly and my parents wanted to throw me a big birthday party, I suggested we go a different route since a party of some sorts was already taking place the very next weekend in San Diego, CA. After some convincing and weeks of planning the trip is now set and Aly and I will be heading out to California on July 23rd for the world’s biggest pop culture extravaganza, San Diego Comic-Con 2009.

I’ve been wanting to attend SDCC since I was probably 12 or 13 years old, but living in Alabama it was just easier to attend Dragon*Con in Atlanta (during the heyday of the comic book boom naturally) then go all the way out to Cali. Over the years there was always something else taking precedence over attending the mecca of all things comic books, but this year there were no excuses to be had. Besides, I figure I need to go now before life as an adult gets in the way!


This is part of the reason The Blot set up a Twitter account earlier this week. This way I can blog in real time via Twitter while walking the halls of the San Diego Convention Center. I’m not exactly sure how I am going to set all this up, but I’m going to schedule a trial run next weekend while I attend the biggest event in sports entertainment history (more details on that to come next week).

Comic-Con should be a lot of fun and if any readers of The Blot Says… are in attendance I hope we can all meet up. But if you’re not able to make it to sunny southern California July 23rd-26th then I suggest stopping by The Blot Says… that weekend. I’ll be giving constant Twitter updates on the latest news coming out of San Diego Comic Con 2009 and pics each night of the newest releases and any other randomness I might come upon.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - Cobra Commander Live Action Movie Photo

Wow…that’s all The Blot can think to say after seeing the first leaked photo of the new Cobra Commander movie tie-in 3 ¾” action figure. As you all know The Blot has been extremely excited about the upcoming G.I. Joe live action movie G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, but after seeing what Cobra Commander will look like in the film (see the still photo of the character on the figure’s backing card) I think it’s safe to say this movie might turn out to be a complete disaster.

(click on the photo above for a more detailed look)

I originally thought there was no way Cobra Commander could possibly look as bad in the movie as he does in Combat Heroes form (as seen below), but the photo on this action figure’s packaging just reinforces my worst fear…that G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra is going to suck. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but this movie has summer blockbuster flop written all over it. Why are they messing with a sure thing?


I think the success of the live action Transformers movie has gone to Hasbro’s head. Cobra Commander has been a feared villain for years while wearing nothing more than a blue hood, and yet that was evidently too easy for Paramount to use on screen. Instead they turn him into the monstrosity we see here for simple shock effect. It’s all very disappointing. But, I hope the movie is successful if for no other reason that we get an eventual sequel where we can see more classic G.I. Joe characters adapted to the silver screen.

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra debuts in theaters August 7, 2009.

One of a Kind Kidrobot x Stones Throw Black Quasimoto Vinyl Figure

The Blot has no idea if this is a one of a kind custom Lord Quas or if an actual Black colorway was produced as a prototype, but the picture below showed up on the Stones Throw website last week so we know it’s legit. (link) According to the article, the Black Quasimoto is a limited edition of one and is going to Lord Quas himself, Madlib.


I’d love to find out more about this figure, so if you know any other details surrounding the creation of this toy or find any additional information about it on the web please let me know! You can read The Blot’s original post about the Kidrobot x Stones Throw Quasimoto vinyl figure here.

Where The Wild Things Are Official Trailer

Like The Blot said last week, I have no idea if Where The Wild Things Are will be good or not, but this trailer is a serious step in the right direction. The Wild Things of Where The Wild Things Are look awesome and based on viewing this fun little trailer I’m actually excited to see this film at my local theater (and that’s something I don’t usually say about most movies). Check out the film’s first official full length trailer below, which gets mad brownie points from The Blot for playing the Arcade Fire’s terrific song “Wake Up” in the background.



Where The Wild Things Are premieres in theaters on Friday, October 16, 2009.

Lost - Namaste

The Blot wouldn’t exactly call “Namaste,” last week’s episode of Lost, a filler episode because it definitely moved the storyline along, but it didn’t really do that much for me. It did finally answer the question of “where is Sayid?” and reminded me why I like Sun so much (can she swing a paddle or what!?). Speaking of Sun, I think the reason I feel she is such an important and likeable character is that she views what’s going on around her the same way I view the show; she trusts no one and has a very cynical view of everyone’s motives and the decisions they make.

Besides finding out that Sayid did in fact wind up in the past with Jack, Kate and Hurley, we also found out a few other important details including when in the past they are (1977) and if Ben, as a child, had moved to the island yet (he has). In "Namaste" we saw the first official meeting of Ben and Sayid in a complete role reversal from their first meeting in Season 2, which begs the question did Ben recognize Sayid from his early days on the island and did it change the course of events from that point on?

I know Faraday keeps spouting that you can’t change the future by things you do and say in the past, but how does he know that the things they’ve gone through in the future weren’t directly caused by their actions in the past. I know it’s one big conundrum that we could go back and forth on forever, but it makes sense that the future is in fact changing based on the decisions the time lost Losties have made in 1977, including convincing Desmond and Penny to go to England to find Ms. Hawking.

I loved the interplay in this week’s episode between the time lost Losties and the Oceanic 6. and Sawyer’s quick thinking never ceases to amaze me. He and Juliette did a great job of initiating the Oceanic 6 into the Dharma Initiative and saving Sayid’s life by portraying him as a Hostile. But my favorite scene from “Namaste” had to be the interaction between Sun, Ben and Frank Lapidus on the dock and the subsequent return of Christian Shephard. The island definitely feels like a much creepier place since it was “moved” by Ben and John Locke.

My final though on last week’s episode revolves around Jack’s surprise in finding out that Faraday was with them and Sawyer’s response that he was but “not anymore.” So there are a few ways you can interpret Sawyer’s response, but I think Faraday either went missing or is now living with the Others. Either he went nuts/had a mental breakdown after everything he’s been through and disappeared in the middle of the night, or he left the Dharma Initiative because he wants to try to change the future (i.e. not be the creepy old man who tells a young Charlotte Lewis to leave the island and never return, which ultimately drives her as an adult to find the island again and leads to her eventual death). Either way I can’t imagine he’s dead because it seems like he still has a bigger part to play in the show’s mythology. What do you all think!?!

Skeletor Is My Homeboy T-Shirt

As you all know, The Blot loves spoofs of the classic “Jesus Is My Homeboy” t-shirt. While I’ve seen a ton of them, they don’t all pass my high standards of excellence. But every once in a while I’ll get an e-mail or someone will leave a comment with a link to the next great “Is My Homeboy” shirt. Thankfully Otto did just that and directed me to the Skeletor Is My Homeboy t-shirt below.


I have no idea who designed this shirt or how long it’s been out, but what’s not to love about a shirt that features He-Man’s greatest enemy, the evil Skeletor. While Masters of the Universe has a huge cast of unique and crazy looking heroes and villains, Skeletor is the one character other than He-Man who has stood the test of time and become a true pop culture icon. He-Man might have gotten top billing, but Skeletor has held his own in the years since the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon went off the air being referenced in a number of different mediums (including Lost!).

I have no idea how much the Skeletor Is My Homeboy t-shirt will cost you after you include shipping and handling because it looks like the company producing the shirt is based in England, but if you’re interested in ordering one click here.

Mr. Brainwash - The Chocolate Vandal Print

Mr. Brainwash already has a new print ready to go for release this Thursday. “The Chocolate Vandal” marks the third release in as many weeks for this mysterious street artist and it’s a good one. "The Chocolate Vandal" is based on Jean-Etienne Liotard's "The Chocolate Girl," originally painted in 1744, Brainwashed in 2009.


“The Chocolate Vandal” is a 22”x30” screen print on textured archival art paper and comes signed and numbered by MBW. This all new print has a limited edition of just 50 prints and will be available for sale Thursday, March 26th, at 12pm PST at Mr. Brainwash’s online store.

March Madness Infects The Blot

Last weekend was the opening weekend of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and it is far and away my favorite sports weekend of the year. I tried so hard to be productive this past weekend but I kept being beckoned to the television to watch college basketball. There is nothing better than watching the little guy take it to the big state school and show them that on a neutral court it truly is anyone’s game. While there weren’t as many Cinderella stories this year, it was amazing watching 14, 15 and even 16 seed teams push their “more talented,” higher recruited rivals to the brink.

It reminded me of my first ever March Madness experience and one that submitted my eternal love for what is IMHO the greatest sporting event in the world. Picture it: Birmingham, Alabama - March 12, 1987, it was the first round of the NCAA tournament. My dad took a then 7 and a half year old lil' Blot to his very first session of NCAA Tournament games. The first game was between the University of Illinois Illini, a three seed, and a little known school named Austin Peay, the 14th seed.

Back then I knew nothing of rankings, seedings or who was “supposed” to win. What I did know was the Austin Peay Governors, who were in the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in school history, had the best cheer ever, “Let’s Go Peay!” Let me just tell you, to a 7 year old “Let’s Go Peay” is probably the coolest thing you could be cheering over and over again at a basketball game. The stadium was going crazy for the underdogs from Clarksville, Tennessee and the Governors pulled off a huge upset.

After that my dad and I watched 6 seed Providence Friars, coached by the now legendary coach Rick Pitino and led by a then unknown (and current head coach of the Florida Gators) Billy Donovan, begin their march to the 1987 Final Four by defeating our hometown heroes the 11th seeded UAB Blazers. It was a fun time to be a 7 year old and it was an afternoon I won’t soon forget. Once I got older I made it a point to attend as many NCAA Tournament games as I could, which thankfully wasn’t too hard as there always seems to be games taking place in a city near where I live, either in Birmingham, Atlanta, or one of four cities in Texas.


I’m currently running a pretty hot streak, having gone to games 10 of the last 13 years, including the 2002 Final Four. But no games are in store for The Blot this year as the tourney has for some reason skipped Texas completely. That’s ok though, because when you are in the thick of March Madness as we are right now, one game just isn’t good enough. You need to be watching bits and pieces of the two, three or four games going on in hopes of catching that last second upset and ultimately the tournament’s one shining moment.

New Luke Chueh Prints - Reach and Whitewash

Both of these Luke Chueh prints have been out for a week or two, but with The Blot’s computer meltdown I wasn’t able to blog about them like I had originally intended. Instead I’ll combine the two into one big Chueh post and direct you good readers to their brilliance. Surprisingly neither is sold out yet (I think), so if you’d like to add one of them to your art collection act while you still can!


First up is “Reach,” an 8 color print on velvet fine art paper, produced for Gallery Nucleus’ The Chubby Bunny Show. The 14”x11” print comes signed and numbered by Luke and is limited to just 100 prints. Each print is $135 and can be purchased here.


The second print, which is truly stunning, is entitled “Whitewash.” “Whitewash” was released in conjunction with Luke’s show at the Corey Helford Gallery entitled From Light Cometh Darkness and also has a limited edition of just 100 prints. “Whitewash” is a 24”x32”paper giclee print and comes signed and numbered. The print can be purchased here for $250 each.

Barneyism of the Week - Scarlett Johansson

Check out Scarlett Johansson at the Oscars.

If I could nail any celebrity
it would definitely be Scarlett Johansson.

Hot, talented and nobody does that many
Woody Allen movies without serious daddy issues.

- Barney Stinson

"Old King Clancy"

How I Met Your Mother

This past week The Big Bang Theory and its cast of quirky characters were rewarded with a two year renewal by CBS. (link) I can understand CBS giving Two and a Half Men its two year renewal since it’s the top rated comedy on network television and a consistent Top 5-10 hit, but The Big Bang Theory? I have a feeling Chuck Lorre, the creator of both shows, had a little something to do with this. It’s too bad the creators of How I Met Your Mother don’t have this kind of clout with the network! While The Big Bang Theory definitely deserves its early renewal, here’s hoping a similar fate is in store for the cast and crew of HIMYM.

The Blot Says… Joins Twitter

Are you a fan of The Blot Says…? Are you on Twitter or have you been waiting for an excuse to join? Well, now’s your chance as The Blot has finally created a Twitter page! Head over to Twitter.com/TheBlotSays and sign up to follow The Blot’s exploits as I navigate the world of pop culture. Now you can learn what’s on my mind in between my daily blog posts here on The Blot Says… and get the latest, most up to date news on all things pop culture as they happen in real time.

Follow The Blot at Twitter.com/TheBlotSays

The main reason I finally signed up for a Twitter account is that it’s a great way to blog on the go. There are a few big events coming up this year that The Blot is excited to attend and I’m going to set up a Twitter widget here on The Blot Says… so you virtually attend with me. More news to come later this week about The Blot’s upcoming events, but one of them is going to be really killer!

Thanks again for everyone’s support of this blog and I hope to see you all on Twitter soon!

Bishop Allen - Grrr…

Last week Bishop Allen, one of The Blot’s favorite indie rock bands, released their third full length album Grrr… I haven’t heard it yet, but I ordered the album a few days ago and can’t wait to hear what Justin Rice and Christian Rudder have been working on since 2007’s The Broken String was released. I’ve been lucky enough to see the band perform three times, and every time I see them they are better than the last. Unfortunately, I was sick the last Bishop Allen played Houston, and for some reason even though they were in Texas last week for Austin’s SXSW, they only scheduled a show beforehand in Dallas and not one afterwards in Houston.


I don’t know what the deal is, but for some reason a majority of indie artists skip over Houston completely when traveling through Texas, choosing to schedule shows primarily in Dallas and then Austin before heading out West. One of these days The Blot is going to have to plan a trip to SXSW so I can finally check out some of the amazing indie artists I’ve only read about/heard online since most of them will never come to The H. It’s really a shame that even though I lived in Austin for four years I never attended one of the world’s greatest music showcases in my own backyard.


Anyway, Bishop Allen has just launched a world tour to support Grrr… and if the band is coming to a city near you I highly suggest going. Their indie pop is really addicting, and Rice, Rudder and Co. put on a fantastic show. You can check out Bishop Allen’s scheduled tour dates below:

Bishop Allen
The 2009 Grrr… World Tour
Mar 23 - L.A. @ Troubadour
Mar 24 - S.F. @ Rickshaw Stop
Mar 26 - Salt Lake City @ Kilby Court
Mar 27 - Provo @ Velour
Mar 28 - Denver @ Hi-Dive
Mar 29 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon
Mar 30 - Minneapolis @ Triple Rock
Mar 31 - Chicago @ Subterranean
Apr 02 - Northhampton @ Iron Horse
Apr 03 - Cambridge @ Middle East
Apr 04 - Brooklyn @ Music Hall of W'burg
Apr 05 - New York @ Bowery Ballroom
Apr 14 - Amsterdam @ Paradiso
Apr 15 - Groningen @ Vera
Apr 16 - Ghent @ Voruit
Apr 17 - Utrecht @ Ekko
Apr 18 - Hamburg @ Knust
Apr 19 - Berlin @ Live at Dot
Apr 20 - Köln @ King Georg
Apr 21 - Münster @ Gleis 22
Apr 22 - Osnabrück @ Glanz und Gloria
Apr 23 - Leipzig @ Ut Connewitz
Apr 24 - Karlsruhe @ Substage
Apr 25 - Freiburg @ Swamp
Apr 26 - Offenbach @ Hafen
Apr 28 - Heidelberg @ Teufel
Apr 29 - Geneve @ L'Usine
Apr 30 - Düdingen @ Bad Bonn
May 01 - Konstanz @ Kulturladen
May 02 - Wien @ Wuk
May 03 - München @ Feierwerk
May 04 - Colmar @ Le Grillen
May 05 - Paris/Rouen @ TBA
May 06 - Manchester @ Cafe Saki
May 07 - London @ Bardens Boudoir
May 08 - Cardiff @ Clwb
May 09 - Reading @ Oakford
May 10 - Brixton @ The Windmill

Tree Huggr AWOL Edition 8 Inch Dunny by Kronk

This might be a first for Kidrobot! Yesterday the designer toy company announced they were releasing an AWOL Edition of South African illustrator Kronk’s Tree Huggr Dunny to select retailers worldwide. Basically this means the AWOL colorway is a non-Kidrobot exclusive that will only be available at the 41 stores listed below and not at Kidrobot.com or any of Kidrobot’s four retail locations (NY, MIA, SF or LA). As you can imagine this means the Tree Huggr AWOL colorway will be extremely hard to find. Think of it as a thank you to all the stores who have been faithfully selling Kidrobot toys and apparel the past 7 years.


The Tree Huggr 8” AWOL colorway is limited to just 500 figures and will sell for $75 each. While this is extremely cool for The Blot because one of these stores, Domy Books, is here in Houston, the AWOL Edition Dunny may be extremely hard to get for those of you who don’t live in a city that hosts one of the following 41 stores. If you do live in one of the following areas, I recommend contacting them ASAP to find out details on price, inventory and the AWOL Edition’s arrival date.

Countries, Cities, Regions and Stores Selling
The Tree Huggr AWOL Edition 8” Dunny

USA
Arizona:
Lulubell Toys Bodega, Tuscon

California:
Mixi-bang, Los Angeles
Mobius, Torrance
Munky King, Los Angeles
Neon Monster, San Francisco
Somos, Salinas

Florida:
Lift Designer Toys Royal Oak, Miami
Pinkghost, Coral Gables
Uberbot, Winter Park, Winter Park

Illinois:
Museum Of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Rotofugi, Chicago

Minnesota:
Robotlove, Minneapolis

New Jersey:
Brain Candy, Ridgewood

New York:
Hero Design Studio + Boutique, Buffalo
My Plastic Heart, New York

Ohio:
Shoparooni, Cleveland

Oklahoma:
Chingogu Gallery, Oklahoma City

Oregon:
Missing Link Toys, Portland

Pennsylvania:
Jinxed Clothing, Philadelphia

Texas:
Domy Books, Houston
Domy Books, Austin

CANADA
Camiondepompier, Montreal
Headquarter, Vancouver
Lost Marbles, Ottawa
Magic Pony, Toronto
Voltage, Vancouver

EUROPE
Artoyz Montreuil, France
Atom Plastic, Italy
Concrete, Netherlands
Highland Toys, Netherlands
Orbital, UK
Playlounge, UK
Richard Goodall Gallery, UK

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
Headquarter, Mexico
Plastik, Brazil
Zoo Concept, Chili

ASIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Adventures in Kitsch, Singapore
Fresh Metro, Philippines
Popup Gallery, New Zealand
Starluxe, Seoul, South Korea
Tomenosuke-Syoten, Japan

AFRICA
Toitoy, South Africa

Battlestar Galactica - The End Is Here

This is it, the day I’ve been dreading for almost two years now…the day the two hour Battlestar Galactica Series Finale airs on the Sci Fi Network. I don’t know what to expect from tonight’s BSG episode, but I have a hunch it’s not going to end well for the show’s central characters. If there is one thing I’ve learned from watching Battlestar Galactica these past 6 years it’s that no one is safe.


Who will survive tonight’s final episode? Will Adama be able to save Hera? I really have no frakking idea, but I hope “Daybreak, Part 2” lives up to the expectations of the BSG faithful. While series finales often garner huge ratings for shows, they also typically end up being let downs to long time fans hoping for real resolution. I’ve read that not everyone’s stories are tied up in neat little bows, but I pray we at least get some closure to the story of the human race’s fight for survival. In the end, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that humanity and its rebel Cylons allies survive their final battle with Cavil and his army of evil Cylons. I guess all will be revealed in just a few hours…and nothing will ever be the same again.

The two hour Battlestar Galactica Series Finale “Daybreak, Part 2” airs tonight, Friday, March 20, 2009, at 9/8c on the Sci Fi Channel.

Chris Bosh Custom Munny by MAD

I saw this custom CB4 Munny yesterday on MAD's twitter and thought it was way too cool not to share. Chris Bosh, who is number 4 on the Toronto Raptors and won a gold medal last summer as part of Team USA’s Men’s Basketball Team, personally commissioned this hand painted custom CB4 Munny from MAD. How cool is that!?!


Chris Bosh is one of The Blot’s favorite young NBA superstars, as much for his bigger than life personality than his on court game (which are both equally impressive). Not only does this confirm Bosh has great taste, it also shows he’s hip to the designer vinyl craze. The Blot can now add this little tidbit to the long list of reasons I'm a fan of CB4.

Lost Wednesdays - Season 5 Finale Set For May 13th

The Blot knows it’s not Wednesday, but I didn’t get a chance to post this tidbit of Lost news yesterday. I guess I could have called today’s Lost post “Lost Thursdays,” but then that might be confusing on the grand scheme of things…but I digress. News came out yesterday that Lost’s fifth season finale will be a two-hour episode that is set to air on Wednesday, May 13th. (link)


This is big news because it means “ABC has opted not to send Lost’s season-ender on a suicide mission against the American Idol finale on May 20.” (link) I don’t view this so much as waiving the white flag as a way for ABC to artificially boost Lost’s final ratings for the season. Plus, this way Lost doesn’t have to share the media spotlight with FOX’s ratings juggernaut American Idol. Either way you look at it, this is a great move for Lost and its fans.

Where The Wild Things Are Teaser Movie Poster

The Blot, like most American kids, grew up reading Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. I’ve wondered for years why a live action movie adaptation of the beloved children’s book has never been made. Jim Henson could have definitely made a sick Where the Wild Things Are in the same vein as the 1986 classics The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Thankfully the film sat in limbo for years until movie special effects could properly adapt Sendak’s cast of scary yet fun Wild Things.


Much has been made about the stryfe surrounding production of Where the Wild Things Are, but I have faith in Spike Jonze’s vision for this movie. It may be misplaced, but from interviews I’ve read he sounds to have a real passion for this project. I am excited to see how the film’s combination of live action, suitmation, animatronics and CGI turns out. The movie’s first teaser poster was unveiled yesterday and so far so good. The Wild Thing, which dominates the poster, looks awesome and I love Max’s trademark wolf costume and crown. I can’t wait to see the movie’s first official full length trailer, which is set to debut on March 27 before screenings of Monsters vs. Aliens.


Where the Wild Things Are, which debuts in theaters on October 16, 2009, stars Max Records, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Paul Dano, and Tom Noonan.

OBEY Giant - Israel/Palestine Print by Shepard Fairey

This Thursday OBEY Giant is releasing an all new print that The Blot is very excited about. It is entitled “Israel/Palestine,” so you can be sure Fairey is subtly trying to convey some sort of message about the strife taking place in the Middle East. I’m not exactly sure what Fairey’s message is on this subject since he hasn’t given any background information on this screen print’s inspiration, but that is part of its charm. “Israel/Palestine” leaves itself open to the viewer’s interpretation and the symbolism it conveys with contrasting red & white and red & black Obey fabric patterns on either side of a mysterious woman peeking out from between them.


The “Israel/Palestine” screen print will be 18”x24” in size and will go on sale this Thursday, March 19, 2009 at the Obey Giant online store at 12pm PST. Each signed and numbered “Israel/Palestine” will sell for $45 and the print will probably have an edition of around 450. In The Blot’s personal opinion this is one of the coolest OBEY Giant prints to be released in a while, and I will definitely be trying to get my hands on one. Of course like all OBEY Giant print this one should sell out extremely quickly, especially since the sale’s start time has been published.

The Creole Creamery

The Blot is back from NOLA! I haven’t spotlighted an ice cream parlor in well over a year, so I thought I’d introduce everyone to The Creole Creamery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aly and I first learned about The Creole Creamery by watching the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives hosted by Guy Fieri. It’s really amazing what great restaurants and delicious food you can find out about by watching food and travel shows.

The Creole Creamery truly is a unique ice cream experience. All of their ice cream is made in-house and their goal is to make an assortment of diverse and unusual flavors to stimulate your palate. Of course you can also find the standard flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, and mint chocolate chip, but Aly and I were excited to try some of The Creole Creamery’s signature creations like Red Velvet Cake, Cookie Monster, Doberge Cake, Mexican Hot Chocolate and one of my personal favorites Butterscotch English Toffee. They also had a sick flavor made in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Chocolate Guinness Cake which is vanilla ice cream swirled with chocolate Guinness cake. It’s a must get for true beer aficionados.


I don’t know if I can truly explain in words just how great The Creole Creamery’s ice cream was, but it was so delicious Aly and I had to go back twice during our three day stay in New Orleans. And, it’s not even in the French Quarter so we had to make the extra effort to drive there. I think the consistency of the ice cream is what sets it apart from other ice cream parlors, especially those large nationwide chains, but the huge variety of quirky flavors and delicious waffle cones doesn't hurt either! The best part, for those of you who can’t make up their minds, is they offer a four or five scoop sampler so first timers (and long time fans) of The Creole Creamery can try never before seen flavors along with their traditional favorites.

As for the trip itself, ever had one of those vacations where you needed a second vacation to recover from your first? That’s how I’ve been feeling after returning from New Orleans late Monday night. All day yesterday I was walking around in a daze wanting nothing more than to crawl back into bed. Of course Aly hasn’t had this problem since she’s off all week for spring break. Anyway, let’s just say NOLA was fun and leave it at that.

The Creole Creamery is located on 4924 Prytania Street; New Orleans, LA 70115 and their phone number is (504) 894-8680.

Grin Original Colorway Vinyl Figure by Ron English

Ron English’s second Charlie Grin colorway is set to be released in just a few short weeks. The Grin Original colorway vinyl figure is a more traditional ode to Peanut’s Charlie Brown and features Charlie Grin in Charlie Brown’s trademark yellow shirt. The Blot never pulled the trigger on English’s original Grin figure, but I don’t think I’ll be able to resist all of this figure's pop culture goodness now that he is sporting good old Charlie Brown’s traditional yellow t-shirt.


The Original Colorway Grin, officially titled the Chapel of Dawn x Made by Mosters x Ron English Grin, will be limited to just 100 pieces and is set for release on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. The Blot is not sure of the figure’s retail price yet, but if you’re interested in pre-ordering the Original Colorway Grin inquiries can be sent directly to Garage Works Industries at info@garageworksindustries.com.

Barneyism Of The Week - The Nightshirt

Marshall’s wearing a nightgown! Marshall’s wearing a nightgown!

Hey guys, you know how in the future we’re always saying,
“remember when Marshall wore a nightgown?”
This is that time!

“It’s a nightshirt.” - Marshall

You can call it a ninja star danger jock if you want,
doesn’t make you any less of a cross dresser.

“Whatever dude, it’s comfy.” - Marshall

Uh huh…

So, flying to Neverland with Peter and Tink, was that amazing?

Ooh, let me go next.

Was it nice to finally get out of that crowded bed
and take Charlie to the chocolate factory?

Ooh me me me me me!

Something about Scrooge!

Come on guys, I’m carrying the team.

- Barney Stinson

"The Front Porch"

How I Met Your Mother

The All New Batman and Robin - First Look

As you may or may not know, depending on if you read/follow DC Comics, is that Batman (a.k.a. Bruce Wayne) went missing, then was killed by Darkseid in Final Crisis #6 and has since been subsequently shown reborn in an unknown time and place at the end of Final Crisis #7. With Wayne’s departure from the DC landscape a huge void has been created, a void that obviously must be filled. Enter Battle for the Cowl, a three issue comic book mini-series which will answer the question once and for all who will be the new Batman.


Most people think it will be one of three men: Richard “Dick” Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing and the original Robin; Tim Drake, the third Robin; or Jason Todd, the recently resurrected second Robin who may or may not be the title character of the new series Red Robin. The Blot has absolutely no clue who will take over the mantle of Batman, but I’d like to see the cowl go to Bruce Wayne’s true successor Dick Grayson. I think as long as it’s not possibly deceased, former Batman replacement Jean-Paul Valley (a.k.a. Azrael) I’ll be a happy reader.


What’s cool though is that after Battle for the Cowl concludes, DC will be reorganizing the Batman family of titles and launching five all new series including what “is being pegged as the ‘flagship’ Batman title” Batman and Robin. While DC will still be producing Detective Comics and Batman, Batman and Robin, written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Frank Quitely, will be where all eyes are focused when it is launched in June 2009. (link)


While we still don’t know who will be under Batman’s cowl when all is said and done, we at least now have our very first look at the all new team of Batman and Robin courtesy of IGN.com (see above). This is the cover for Batman and Robin #1 drawn by Quitely, and after seeing it I am dying to know who the new Dark Knight and Boy Wonder will be.

Head here to read IGN’s interview with author Grant Morrison and to see some pages of art from Batman & Robin by Frank Quitely.

*Potential Spoiler* After reading IGN’s interview with Morrison, does anyone else think the new Robin is without a doubt Damian Wayne, Bruce's illegitimate son with Ra's al Ghul's daughter Talia? Thoughts!?!

Tree Huggr 8 Inch Dunny by Kronk

In exactly one month Kidrobot will be releasing their newest 8” Dunny, Tree Huggr designed by South African illustrator Kronk. This is Kronk’s second production Dunny, the first being the 2007 Gingerbread Man Holiday Dunny. The Gingerbread Man Dunny is not only one of The Blot’s personal favorites, it also has two of the coolest chases every produced (a bitten and a burnt edition were created). On April 9, 2009 you can discover nature’s sinister side by purchasing Kronk’s Tree Huggr 8 inch Dunny.


Surprisingly, the Tree Huggr Dunny will be even rarer than Jesse Hernandez’ Jaguar Warrior Dunny which sold out in just a few days. Kronk’s Tree Huggr Dunny is limited to just 1,000 figures and will have a 1 in 12 super-light and rare chase figure. While I’m in complete shock that Kidrobot has decided to release two 8” Dunnys in a row with such relatively low production numbers, what is not surprising is the vinyl figure’s high price. As with the Jaguar Warrior Dunny, this vinyl figure will retail for $75 each. The Blot is hoping this is just a temporary price hike and not the new standard on Kidrobot 8” figures.

The Blot will be sure to post more pictures of this very cool figure as they become available.

ER’s Highly Anticipated Reunion Episode Airs Tonight On NBC

While tonight is not ER’s series finale (that airs on April 2nd), this is the episode fans both new and old have been waiting for all season! Tonight’s episode “Old Times” features the return of four of ER’s original cast members, Noah Wyle, Eriq LaSalle, Julianna Margulies and…George Clooney. While Dr. John Carter has already been back on ER for a few weeks now, it marks the first time in many years Dr. Peter Benton, Dr. Doug Ross and Nurse Carol Hathaway have walked the halls of County General Hospital.


This is a great jumping on point for new viewers and former fans who want to reconnect with this NBC Thursday night staple before it airs its 15th and final season finale on April 2, 2009. It’s almost a shame Susan Sarandon is also guest starring in tonight’s episode, because she is sure to be overshadowed by the return of these four fan favorites. Hopefully they will utilize her character in such a way as to spotlight Sarandon’s amazing acting ability in spite of the time the show must dedicate to its stars, both present and past. There are only four more new episodes of ER left, so be sure to tune in tonight on NBC at 10/9c.


ER airs every Thursday night for the next four weeks on NBC at 10/9c.