Thursday, April 30, 2009
2009 SDCC Exclusive Translucent Domo 2 Inch Qee
What separates this Domo Qee blind boxed series and other similar mini-figure blind box series is that each Domo Qee box contains one component of a “Build-A-Domo” clear transparent figure. When the correct six components are accumulated, the buyer can put together the pieces to complete the bonus figure. There will not be a “Build-A-Domo” component in the 2009 San Diego Comic Con exclusive Domo Qee.
The Blot knows everyone recognizes Domo either from his many internet videos clips or his new found celebrity status at Target, but you may be unfamiliar on where this furry lil monster came from. Domo started from a very unusual place as an advertising icon. His unique look and personality catapulted the character from 400 television spots in Japan into one of the internet’s biggest sensations, sparking worldwide recognition. As the poster child for personalized, user-generated content, Domo has been able to transition from popularity within Japan to a worldwide following, spawning countless fan-made images, websites and videos, along with a varitey of licensed products including plush, toys, fashion and collectibles. Most recently Domo has taken America by storm, being featured prominently at major retailers all over the U.S. and even starring in his first worldwide manga.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Dunny Series by Nikejerk
As I got older I moved on from the “kiddie” version and became an even bigger fan of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series by Eastman and Laird (and produced by Mirage Studios). The original black and white Mirage Studios series is still one of my favorites, but I will always have a special place in my heart for the animated/comedic version of the Turtles. That’s why I love this blind boxed TMND series by Nikejerk. If you don’t recognize everyone in the picture above, here is the complete list of TMNT characters included in Nikejerk’s TMND set: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello), Master Splinter, Shredder, April O’Neil, Casey Jones, Krang and his mechanical body, Bebop, Rocksteady, Metalhead, the Rat King, Baxter Stockman and Usagi Yojimbo.
For more pictures of these amazing (and to see each figure close up) check out NikeJerk’s Flickr page here. While Nikejerk is selling this blind boxed series for $50 per figure, the list you need to get on to purchase one of these amazing custom Dunnys is closed. If you missed out in getting on the list there is still one other option, head over to Blindboxed.com and enter their Nikejerk TMND Giveaway!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Lost - Some Like It Hoth
The writers of Lost didn’t disappoint with the awesome Star Wars themed discussion between Hurley and Miles. I know I’ve said this before, but it is amazing how two characters who had never interacted on screen before could instant chemistry. In past seasons I always felt like Sawyer and Hurley had the best verbal sparring on the show, but Hurley and Miles have officially taken over as The Blot's favorite "on screen couple" this season. The extended car ride between Hurley and Miles was a great scene, especially when you consider it was just these two tormented characters sitting there talking. It also helps when at one point they are talking about the parallels of Miles relationship to his father and the paternal relationship of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
Miles has become the main character on Lost we know the least about, even less than the mysterious Daniel Faraday and that’s saying a lot. But by the end of the episode I think everyone now has a better understanding of who Miles is and what drove him to the island. A friend of mine has been saying for months that Miles would end up being the son of Dr. Pierre Chang (a.k.a. Dr. Marvin Candle, a.ka. Dr. Mark Wickmund, a.k.a. Dr. Edgar Halliwax) that we met way back in Season 5, Episode 1. Needless to say, The Blot had to eat a lot of crow on this one when we quickly learned that Miles was in fact Chang’s son. I think the episode really was as much about Dr. Chang as it was about Miles. I thought it was neat to learn how much Chang really did love his son and that he probably drove off both Miles and his wife to save their lives from the impending purge.
Like always Lost slipped in a few references to prior episodes, which always makes The Blot very happy. It was interesting to learn how Miles was first recruited by Naomi to work for Charles Widmore, but what I really found interesting was finding out the significance of the amount it would cost Ben to have Miles switch sides and help him against Widmore’s people. While I always knew there had to be more to it than just a random number, it was funny to have it confirmed as double the amount Widmore was paying Miles to go on this mission. Miles really is always about the money isn’t he? And of course who didn’t love the random scene with Lost's newest bad guys who seem to always be spouting the phrase "what lies under the shadow of the statue?"
Tonight’s episode “The Variable,” Lost’s 100th episode, should be another good one. It looks to be a Daniel Faraday-centric episode, so I expect to learn some all new facts about the history/mythology of the island and where Faraday’s been the last three years (especially after reading the teaser for tonight’s episode). According to Lost’s official website “on the 100th milestone for the series, the time of reckoning has begun when Daniel Faraday comes clean regarding what he knows about the island.” If I didn’t know any better I’d swear that the beginning of the end was starting tonight!
2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival Lineup Poster
Last night when The Blot finally got a chance to look at this year's ACL line up I got so excited I couldn't go to sleep. What got me this worked up!?! Two words: Pearl Jam. Yup, you read that right, Pearl Jam is finally returning to the Lone Star state to headline the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival. Did you know its been almost 6 years since PJ last played a show here in Texas? It's a fact that has bothered The Blot greatly these past few years, but thankfully the drought ends this October 2-4, 2009 at Zilker Park in Austin, TX!
I've never attended ACL before, but you can rest assured I will this year. Although, now that weekend passes are $185 each I might have to settle with just going on Sunday to see Eddie Vedder and Co. It's a shame that weekend passes are so expensive because the 2009 initial lineup looks really awesome. It's definitely a huge improvement on last year's lineup.
2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival Line
Pearl Jam
Dave Matthews Band
Beastie Boys
Kings of Leon
Ben Harper and Relentless7
Thievery Corporation - John Legend
Ghostland Observatory - Sonic Youth
Mos Def - Toadies - Flogging Molly
The B-52s - Lily Allen - Arctic Monkeys
The Decemberists - Coheed and Cambria
Andrew Bird - Girl Talk - Phoenix
!!! - Medeski, Martin & Wood
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Grizzly Bear - Reckless Kelly - Devotchka
Blitzen Trapper - K' Naan - Daniel Johnston
Asleep at the Wheel - Dr. Dog - The Knux
Click here to see the entire 2009 ACL Lineup!
OBEY Giant - Flower Vine Prints by Shepard Fairey
All three 18” x 24” “Flower Vine” screen prints go on sale later today, Wednesday, April 29th, at a random time. Each color of the print is limited to just 100 pieces, comes signed and numbered by Shepard and will be sold for $45 at the official OBEY Giant online store.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Waffle Micci Resin Figure by Erick Scarecrow
The "ESC Toy exclusive" Waffle Mousey Micci resin figure will go on sale this Friday, May 1, 2009 at 11am EST at the ESC Toy eBay store for $95 each. The 6" hand painted resin figure by Erick Scarecrow is limited to only 22 pieces and each figure comes signed, numbered and sealed in a package for protection.
Barneyism of the Week - The Three Days Rule
“Barney, the Three Days Rule is insane.
I mean, who even came up with that?” - Ted
Jesus.
Seriously, Jesus started the whole wait three days thing.
He waited three days to come back to life.
It was perfect.
If he had only waited one day
a lot of people wouldn’t have even heard that he’d died.
They’d be all, “Hey Jesus, what up?”
And Jesus would probably be all like,
“What Up? I died yesterday.”
And then they’d be all, “Um, you look pretty alive to me dude.”
And then Jesus would have to explain how he was resurrected
and how it was a miracle.
And then the dude would be like, “Ok, whatever you say bro.”
”Wow, ancient dialogue sounds so stilted now.” - Robin
And he’s not going to come back on a Saturday,
everybody’s busy doing chores,
working the loom, trimming their beards.
No, he waits the exact right number of days - three.
“Ok I promise I’ll wait three days just please stop talking” - Ted
Plus, it’s Sunday, so everyone’s in church already.
They’re all in there going, “Oh no Jesus is dead.”
Then BAM he bursts through the back door
runs up the aisle, everyone’s totally psyched.
And F.Y.I. that’s when he invited the high five.
Three days Ted.
We wait three days to call a woman
because that’s how long Jesus wants us to wait.
True story.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Chuck - Jeffster Raglan Baseball T-Shirt
The amazing wedding band Jeffster made their world television premiere in “Chuck vs. The Best Friend” a few weeks ago and fans have been craving more ever since. The band consists of the Buy More Nerd Herd’s dynamic duo Jeff and Lester (hence the band’s name Jeffster) and are horrifically Awesome! Week in and week out Jeff and Lester make a strong case as the best characters on Chuck, and if you’ve ever seen the show you know why. They are so awkward and ridiculous it makes for truly great television.
The Chuck Season 2 Finale airs tonight, Monday, April 27, 2009, on NBC at 8/7c. For helpful ideas of what you can do to help Save Chuck click here and/or here!
Chuck Season 2 Series Finale Airs Tonight on NBC
Chuck is one of the most consistently entertaining shows on television, but it needs help from fans like you! Although the hour long spy/action/comedy series seems to be on the proverbial bubble, NBC is giving off strong indications they could be persuaded to give the Nerd a Third. NBC has even posted on the official Chuck website “if you love Chuck, show your support by watching this Monday’s finale at 8/7c!” (link)
Tonight everyone is encouraged to stop by your local Subway and purchase a $5 Footlong for dinner before going home to watch the Chuck Season Finale at live on NBC 8/7c. Subway is a big sponsor of Chuck and their Footlong subs have been featured prominently in recent episodes. While at Subway be sure to fill out a comment card to let Subway know you’re participating in the ChuckTV.net campaign to save NBC’s Chuck (of which Subway is a product placement sponsor). This is a great way to show NBC and all of Chuck’s sponsors the value of renewing the show.
If you’re interested in finding out other ways to help with the Save Chuck campaign click here! ChuckTV.net has some great suggestions, including a letter writing campaign to NBC Co-Chairman Ben Silverman. Make sure to include a package of Nerds with your letter to drive home the point to give a Nerd a Third!
Make sure to tune in tonight, Monday, April 27, 2009, to watch the Chuck Season 2 Season Finale live on NBC at 8/7c.
G.I. Joe SDCC ‘09 Exclusive Destro and Baroness Figures
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 3 ¾" Destro 2-Pack Special Edition Figures
According to the official Hasbro press release, the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 3 ¾” Destro 2-Pack Special Edition Figures were covertly retrieved from a G.I. Joe evidence storage facility and released by the Cobra Office of Propaganda. This special edition 3 ¾” Destro 2-Pack represents James “Destro” McCullen’s personal bound tome containing the history of the Clan McCullen. The tome opens to reveal two fully articulated 3 ¾” carded McCullen figures with masks and accessories as seen in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, as well as a timeline highlighting the weapons supplying escapades of each McCullen generation throughout history. (link) Sounds pretty cool doesn’t it?
This limited edition G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 3 ¾ inch Destro 2 pack might be my new favorite 2009 San Diego Comic Con Exclusive. The Destro 2 Pack will retail for $24.00 and will be available exclusively at Hasbro’s San Diego Comic Con 2009 booth. The limited edition Destro 2 pack’s run size is currently unknown.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 12" Baroness Special Edition Figure
For fans of 1/6 (or sixthscale) figures Hasbro is releasing the first and only 12 inch Baroness figure as a San Diego Comic Con 2009 exclusive. The figure is modeled after actress Sienna Miller, who portrays the evil Baroness in this summer’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra live action movie, and features a soft goods trench coat and body suit as well as multiple signature weapons. The 12” Baroness figure comes with a Cobra propaganda themed recruiting poster designed by R. Black and comes in a premium faux-leather box with embossed foil.
The G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 12” Baroness Special Edition Figure will retail for $29.99 and will be available exclusively at Hasbro’s San Diego Comic Con 2009 both. Like the Destro 2 pack, The Baroness special edition figure’s run size is currently unknown.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Star Wars Screen Prints by David Flores
Flores’ Star Wars set consists of three prints, "White Rebel" (Stormtrooper), "Dark Lord" (Darth Vader) and "Bounty Hunter" (Boba Fett). Each print is sold separately and has an edition size of 50.
The "White Rebel" and "Dark Lord" prints are 5 color screen prints while the "Bounty Hunter" print is a 6 color screen print. Each David Flores Star Wars print is 18 inches x 24 inches and comes hand signed and numbered by Mr. Flores.
There is still a limited amount of all three Star Wars prints available, and Art Asylum Boston even has matching numbers of all three prints if you are interested in purchasing a complete set. Each David Flores Star Wars print is $75.00 and that includes free domestic shipping. If you’re interested or have any questions contact Art Asylum Boston directly at sales@artasylumboston.com.
Cartoon Canvases by kaNO
As kaNO explained, “I wanted to do something fun for this set of canvases, so I decided to paint 4 of my favorite cartoon characters. I wanted to see if I could recreate these characters from memory while adding a subtle twist.”
Each piece is entirely painted in acrylics on a 10 inch x 10 inch stretched canvas, and all four are available for purchase right now at The kaNO shop for $300 each.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Unusuals on ABC
I missed the original airing of the first episode, so I headed to ABC.com to watch the free replay online. I can’t lie, I was more than a little shocked to realize I actually liked the show! It definitely had a few ridiculous moments, but I thought the stories were interesting and I absolutely loved the motley crew of quirky characters that make up New York’s 2nd precinct. Without a doubt the best part of the show is the interplay between Adam Goldberg’s character Detective Eric Delahoy and his partner Detective Leo Banks, portrayed by Harold Perrineau (one of my favorite television actors of the last 10 years). What’s not to love about watching the Hebrew Hammer and Lost’s Michael Dawson patrol the streets of New York? Plus it’s cool to see two of my favorite actors from Oz, Perrineau and Terry Kinney, share screen time together again.
The Unusuals is definitely not your average police procedural, and if you give it a shot I am sure you’ll enjoy it as much as The Blot has! The Unusuals airs every Wednesday night on ABC directly following Lost at 10/9c.
Disney x MINDstyle Stitch Experiment 626 Artist Series
This new Disney x MINDstyle Stitch Experiment 626 Artist Series really came out firing by featuring some amazing and well known designs by Ron English, Buff Monster, kaNO, Peekaboo Monster and Angry Woebots. If you’re wondering how there are only five artists but six designs, it is because English had two different designs produced (X-Ray and Grin). These figures had their limited release at last weekend’s FX International show in Orlando and will be hitting stores worldwide this summer. I definitely plan on getting a few of these this summer at SDCC.
Each Disney x MINDstyle Stitch Experiment 626 Artist Series vinyl figure will retail for $25 and each design is limited to just 500 pieces.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
New Where the Wild Things Are Teaser Promo Movie Poster
Where the Wild Things Are premieres in theaters on Friday, October 16, 2009.
UPDATE: New Green Lantern Uni-Formz Colorway
The Modern version is dressed in the uniform Green Lantern is currently sporting for the upcoming "Blackest Night" story arc, which features a metallic-like hue. The Classic version features Hal Jordan dressed in his Silver Age tank-top uniform, while the Power Glow version gives GL a translucent green look from his power ring’s solid light energy.
Like with the two previous Uni-Formz releases, the Classic and Power Glow colorways will be produced in far lower quantities than the Modern Green Lanter Uni-Formz vinyl figure colorway. Now that the Green Lantern vinyl figures have been officially solicited, The Blot can’t wait to find out which DC Comics super-hero or villain is the next to be give the designer vinyl treatment.
These limited-edition vinyl Uni-Formz Green Lantern vinyl figures, which go on sale December 16, 2009, each feature 12 points of articulation, stand approximately 8" tall and are packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Kidrobot - 3 Inch Endangered Dunny Series
Artists with Dunnys in the series include Amanda Visell, Aya Kakeda, Elizabeth Berdann, Chuckboy, Frank Kozik, Jeremyville, Joe Ledbetter, Kronk, Michelle Valigura, Mr. Shane Jessup, Sket One, Tad Carpenter, Triclops Studio and Touma. Rumor has it Kidrobot’s latest 3” Dunny series will be extremely limited edition, which is how Kidrobot is justifying yet another blind box price increase. The Endangered Dunny Series will now retail for $8.95 a box.
And just released yesterday by Kidrobot’s own Toy Baroness comes the above picture of all 13 standard animal Dunnys in the Endangered Series. (link) Can you identify which design goes with which artist? The Touma blue knuckle bear in the back left corner should be obvious. The furry lion is Chuckboy’s and the chainsaw wielding pig is none other than Sket One’s. I’ve figured out most of them, but will leave the fun in identifying them to you! More details to follow as they become available.
G.I. Joe: Resolute
Ellis was going for a PG-13 version of G.I. Joe, but all we got was pure bleh! While I thought the updated character profiles and animation was nicely done, the dialogue was mind numbing bad, the voice actors seemed to mail it in, and the storyline was truly painful to sit through. As much as I want to give Ellis the benefit of the doubt and continue watching parts 5-11, I just don’t know if I can do it. The only aspect of G.I. Joe: Resolute I actually liked was the realistic take on the battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra.
Unlike in other series, Hasbro is actually letting characters be killed in the line of duty. Yes it happened occasionally in the comics, but Hasbro has since put a stop to that when it realized it’s harder to sell products of deceased heroes and villains. Knowing a character can actually die in Resolute gives greater weight to the story and makes the outcome of every battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra much more significant. I haven’t read any reviews of G.I. Joe: Resolute yet, so I’d love to hear from all of you. Have you watched it yet? And if so, what’d you think?
G.I. Joe: Resolute will first be released online at AdultSwim.com as “ten 5 minute episodes and one 10 minute final episode,” before all of the episodes are combined to form one hour long movie scheduled to air on [adult swim] April 25, 2009 at midnight. (link) Two new episodes are set to debut every day, with the first four parts of G.I. Joe: Resolute already available online here. But don’t say The Blot didn’t warn you!