Showing posts with label toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toys. Show all posts

July 17, 2015

A new Beaker?


I've taken a lot of photos of Beaker around the country, and some other folks have taken Beaker outside the country, even.

But Beaker's gotten big or at least gotten to be a hassle, so I haven't been taking Beaker much of anywhere for a while now.

I wonder, though, if I might not be looking at Beaker's replacement in the multicolored ModiBots.

They've be less weight to carry, more poseable than Beaker ever has been, more varied (coming in eight different colors with lots of different accessory sets), and small enough to throw into a pocket.

I might just get some of those printed for myself this year thanks to PHS's 3d printers.

May 3, 2012

Guns a squishing



Yeah, it's Nerf Wars time at Princeton again, and that means Springdale, Evendale, and all the Princeton communities have seen a rash of underclothed teenagers sneaking between houses, hiding behind bushes, and bombing test. If you're not familiar with Nerf Wars, just go with what I overheard one of our principals say about the game when asked what this Nerf thing was about, "It's a game country kids play."

Clearly, though, it's a game that isn't long for this world. See, Nerf is the past.

The future is far more technological than a stupid foam dart with a suction cup tip.

If you're fighting wars with Nerf, you might as well be chucking a sharpened stick or a rock or a giant bone at your fellow hairless apes.

You need to step up to the future of friendly warfare: Max Force and Xploderz.

See, MaxForce is way more frickin' modern. It's a gun made of paper pellets that are soaked in water and then fired. See, the future is pretty much just spitballs...





Or there's the even cooler Xploderz which is pretty much the same concept as MaxForce but with the paper bullets swapped out for sodium polyacrylate (or a similar polymer).





Either way, fancy shooters for the kidz these days. I love that the companies are taking something as simple as spit balls and diaper crystals and turning them into money making opportunities - and something that they can keep the kids buying for years rather than something stupid like Nerf guns where the bullets never run out.


June 8, 2011

Actors with Action Figures

There's a whole lot of the new Marvel boys (Thor, Iron Man, Cap'n America), but the Actors with Action Figures tumblr is well worth a check out.

Here's to hoping people can help the blogger out and keep this thing growing.

February 14, 2011

Update; Spanglerific


More Steve Spangler...the man is a hell of a pitchman, he really is...

Check his new product -the Mentos Soda Geyser Car...

February 9, 2011

Quasi-update: Mighty Cool

A while back I pointed out the line of Mighty Muggs and commented that I was really happy that they didn't offer a DC line because they're so frickin' cute that I might need to start collecting them if they did.

This week, however, I noticed that it looked like the Mighty Muggs line had, indeed, been expanded to include DC heroes.


Upon further inspection, however, I noticed that this is a slightly different line called Mez-Itz from Mezco, apparently a similar toy in a slightly smaller (2" high) scale and with a weirdly thin, freaky neck and an oddly shaped head. Where the Muggs were kind of cute, the Mez-Itz are just kinda freaky looking and hold no interest to me.

Don't know exactly why those small changes make a big difference to me, but they do.

January 6, 2010

Free stuff

Okay, who wants this box of toys?



I'm a clearing off some of my shelves and weeding the crap that was on them.  The Girl actually let me get rid of some books, so I'm balancing things out by sending away some of the tchotchkes on those same shelves.

And my clearing could be your gain.

The box of toys is a combination of inaction figures from Kevin Smith's sales machine and Kill Bill action figures (a gift from Calen a few years back - sorry, Calen, but the toys are moving onward).  To see just which ones there are, check 'em...

 

 













For total honesty, I will warn you that Steve Dave's ponytail is cracked off (but the missing piece will be included) and that the Flying Silent Bob's left arm has come unglued - but is included, as well, as are a bunch of the other hands and swords from the Kill Bill action figures.

So, if you want the full box of toys - and I'm fully willing to ship 'em within the country (sorry, Lakes) - just be the first to drop a comment saying that you want 'em and telling me your favorite Kevin Smith movie.

December 30, 2009

Best gift this year


The Mother-in-law came through big time with this Christmas's best gift: a PVC marshmallow gun.

The whole of the gun didn't cost $2 to make, and I'm the one who cut all the pieces and put the thing together, but it's a cheap blast of fun.

Head over to Instructables and make one for yourself.  The comic above (also from Instructables) is really about how easy it is.  I will make one suggested change to their instructions: a ratcheting PVC cutter makes quick work of the pipe cuts and is way cleaner and easier than a hacksaw.

November 18, 2009

So much want...


I don't actually want a Whatnot, but I do desperately want to go to FAO Schwartz to try my hand at making one of my own, seeing it be made, and then testing it out.

I don't know that I'd actually play with it - especially after reading this review that says...
it's really not made for adult hands (at least not mine). It's a tight squeeze through the neck, but once your hand is in the head, it's not too bad although your body doesn't easily let you forget that feat. When it comes right down to it, it's still essentially a toy.
Plus, it reads like the Muppet Whatnot Workshop has dropped a few of the possible features this year.

Woulda been kind of cool to have seen the Whatnots take over the Today show.

Thanks to TL for pointing this all out.



My Whatnot, in case you were curious...

July 13, 2009

Mighty cool

I really wish that one of three things were true:
  • either I was a bigger fan of one of the licensing lines that Hasbro has - Star Wars, GI Joe, Marvel, Transformers, Indy Jones
  • or Hasbro had licensing agreements with DC
  • or I had a buttload of money
Without one of those things being true, I just can't bring myself to start collecting Mighty Muggs because I absolutely love the things and am tempted to start buying them every time I see one of them in the stores.

The most awesome part about them is their simplicity and near-perfect graphic design. As Jason Knize points out, The simplicity of the Mighty Mugg is the line’s trademark. Scale isn’t a priority, the molds are all basically the same, articulation is limited, accessories are minimal, and the paint applications aren’t too complicated.

But I don't really care about that, they just look so cool.

I want to buy all the ones on Amazon. I want to check the whole Wikipedia checklist. I want to start making custom Muggs from the blanks that they sell. I want to start following the Mighty Mugg blogs.

January 22, 2009

The glories of Playmobil

A week or two ago, this image showed up on Neatorama and was mocked as an example of showing the darker side of our current times to our kids. The rest of the text, however, mentioned that the link finder found the rest of the customer reviews hilarious, so I went checking.

Here's what I found over at Amazon...
I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My 5 year old son pointed out that the passenger's shoes cannot be removed. Then, we placed a deadly fingernail file underneath the passenger's scarf, and neither the detector doorway nor the security wand picked it up. My son said "that's the worst security ever!". But it turned out to be okay, because when the passenger got on the Playmobil B757 and tried to hijack it, she was mobbed by a couple of other heroic passengers, who only sustained minor injuries in the scuffle, which were treated at the Playmobil Hospital.
The best thing about this product is that it teaches kids about the realities of living in a high-surveillence society. My son said he wants the Playmobil Neighborhood Surveillence System set for Christmas. I've heard that the CC TV cameras on that thing are pretty worthless in terms of quality and motion detection, so I think I'll get him the Playmobil Abu-Gharib Interogation Set instead (it comes with a cute little memo from George Bush). ~loosenut
and...
Thank you Playmobil for allowing me to teach my 5-year old the importance of recognizing what a failing bureaucracy in a ever growing fascist state looks like. Sometimes it's a hard lesson for kids to learn because not all pigs carry billy clubs and wear body armor. I applaud the people who created this toy for finally being hip to our changing times. Little children need to be aware that not all smiling faces and uniforms are friendly. I noticed that my child is now more interested in current events. Just the other day he asked me why we had to forfeit so much of our liberties and personal freedoms and I had to answer "well, it's because the terrorists have already won". Yes, they have won.

I also highly recommend the Playmobil "farm fencing" so you can take your escorted airline passenger away and fence him behind bars as if he were in Guantanamo Bay. ~ Zampano
and...
I like the basic idea. I applaud Playmobile for attempting to provide us with the tools we need to teach our children to unquestioningly obey the commands of the State Security Apparatus, but unfortunately, this product falls short of doing that. There's no brown figure for little Josh to profile, taser, and detain? Where are all the frightened plastic Heartlanders pointing at the brown figure as they whisper "terrorist?" Where are the hippy couple figures being denied boarding passes? And shouldn't someone be forcing a mother figure to drink her own breast milk? ~ Gen. JC Christian, patriot
It seems like some of the Amazonians are a little bothered by Playmobil's newest playsets. Me, I'm more bothered by the fact that the cost of the TSA checkpoint is over $50 - for three figures and a small playset.

I checked out a few of the other Playmobil sets to see if the prices held true, and I was amazed to find that the Playmobil Police Checkpoint with two figures and minimal accessories was $49.99. Plus it appears that the same group of reviewers has been at work:
This playset is one of the best purchases I have made for my three-year-old. In the past, when we have been stopped at roadblocks, or when during one of Daddy's arrests, he would start crying uncontrollably. Now, after playing with this for the past several months, he is perfectly docile.

As an adjunct to this product, I would also recommend that you purchase the Playmobil Armed Standoff Playset, Fisher-Price Little People Battering Ram, and the Nerf Tear-Gas Canister Deployment Gun.

Bill of Rights sold separately. ~ Christopher Barber "gooseman"
and...
I was pretty pumped to get this model. After my Leviathan teddy-bear burst at the seams and my Guantanamo slip and slide tore into several pieces, I was looking for a petty distraction as durable as state tyranny itself.

Finally, I found the Playmobil Police Checkpoint. It's everything a colorful plastic method of indoctrination should be: mobile, plastic, and filled with red warning signs. I love setting it up outside my house. That way I feel like I have to show papers to get in. I know I own it, but it's cooler if the state lets me in. They know best.

Still, I have a complaint about this darling set. I mean, I'm no curmudgeon, and I hate to nit-pick, especially over such a usefully didactic toy. But I must-

No taser? ~ JohnnyOrlowskawitz "Johnny O."
Seriously, folks, I think you might be taking things a bit too far. Playmobil is just trying to give the kids a glimpse into the world around them. Take, for example, the Playmobil Safe Crackers set which is more reasonably priced at under $20.

Here's what one reviewer had to say about this set:
These guys are absolutely fabulous. They got right to work when we took them out of the box and quickly showed their stuff. They have gotten bored with the supplied safe and I've been having to keep them occupied by buying other kinds of locks and safes to keep them occupied, which has been hard because I seem to be misplacing money. I've even lost a credit card or two, now!

The wife seems to like them, too. She especially likes the little blond one and keeps talking about how he really has a heart of gold. She also points to the rather fancy Playmobil yacht that I'd only recently noticed (odd that, I don't remember buying that one for the kids) and keeps saying she bets he really knows how to "treat a woman like the princess she deserves to be treated as". I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but overall she seems happy, so I'm not complaining. Overall a great toy! ~ RunDown
See, that's much happier.

January 12, 2009

Somebody's hoping for no earthquakes

At least George Vlosich III has a section of his website that explains how he makes the Etch-a-Sketch artwork permanent.

Otherwise, that would suck.

August 26, 2008

He's just so cute and primeval

Now, if you were looking for a plushy Cthulhu, you'd have lots and lots of options - even a hand puppet to truly terrorize your bonnie wee bairns.

But if you wanted the cutest Old One around...the sweetest little plastic engine of destruction, you'd clearly want to check out My Little Cthulhu complete with its very own Little Victims.

There are also more standard resin statues, but who wants that?

Personally, I'm all about My Little Cthulhu.

He's just so darn cute...

August 6, 2008

Back off, lady, they're professionals

I had no clue that there were Lego certified professionals. Sure, I knew there were some awesome Lego artists out there, but apparently the Lego overlords have tapped six guys to be their official Lego artists.

And they seem to be pretty deserving, having built some amazing creations. Check out their websites:

July 24, 2008

The holy brick grail

Holy frickin' crap...

Gizmodo took a tour of the Lego factory and got to take a tour through - and video of - Lego's secret vault containing every Lego set ever made in its original box with packages unopened and in near-perfect minut condition.

It's like somebody told me that angels had come down from upon high and offered to give us a tour of heaven.

The photo, by the way, is Gizmodo's photo of the very first Lego set that I owned.

And - as an addition - I stumbled upon this microscale Lego blog while searching for photos of the town set - 6390 - shown.

July 2, 2008

You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness...in heaven above, or...the earth beneath, or...the water under the earth

Unless, that is, you've made a Talking Jesus Doll!. For just $19.95 (plus $7.95 shipping and handling - might I recommend the word of god in bulk as it were), you get a foot-tall Jesus who speaks a half dozen scriptures, though he thankfully avoids Exodus 20:4.

Ah, I do so love the smell of commerce in the morning - especially successful commerce.

Just don't try to donate Jesus to the a Christmas toy drive. That could cause a bit of a stir.

January 28, 2008

Play well

If it weren't for Google, I wouldn't've had any idea that today is the 50th Anniversary of the Lego brick, but thanks to today's doodle, I am informed and so shall be you...

...plus this year's the 30th anniversary of the minifig.

How much cooler can that be?



I do digs me some Legos...in case you hadn't noticed...

November 14, 2007

Get it together, boys and girls

I've got my Legos pretty well sorted - thanks to a few industrious student aides at school a few years ago.

But if I didn't, I'm thinking that the Box4Blox would be a possible solution.

Dig it, folks...

And start thinking about Christmas...in case you were thinking of getting a present for your favorite blogger...

just in case...

August 29, 2007

Thanks to a former colleague...not Lakes, though...

Wonderful new stuff from the folks down at Disney...click here if the embed doesn't work for you...


If ever there was an attraction that might drag my backside to Disney, this would be the one.

More info can be found here, here, here (when they visited Pixar), here, and here.

How abso-frickin'-cool...

March 12, 2007

More Superman Returns craptacular toys

I've crabbed and complained about Superman Returns more than enough.

So I'll continue...

The movie stunk...

The toys stunk...

And I'm not the only one to notice the fact that the Superman Returns toys are utter crap.

January 19, 2007

Lego madness

Too much Legoodness for today, so let's get right down to it, shall we?

We open with some proof that the Lego minifig is the coolest action figure of all time because it is imminently cutomizable from my personal favorite, the classic space minifig, to just about any combination of parts that you'd like to put together. As a good Princeton guy, I'm glad to see that Lego has finally even come through with a Viking set - something I'm clearly going to have to drop a few quid for before it drifts off into the land of unpopular Lego sets.

Plus, the all of the options and choices of minifig parts let you make Lego abominations or freakish Halloween creations and castle creations.

None of this even begins to touch on the idea of customizable digital minifigs that you can buy or the numerous minifigs - like Gregor Mendel - that have been set into tiny tales called vignettes (more vignettes) - a recent addition to the Lego canon and many of which use some rather impressive building techniques.

Ah, the humble minifig...desired by many, available in bulk.