Christmas in July

MERRY CHRI--wait a second. *checks calendar* Hmm, it's still July...nevermind. Well, I don't remember when I first heard the phrase "Christmas in July" nor did I understand its meaning at the time. That's no longer true of course. As toy collectors though, Christmas kinda runs year round for us. And we love it. No decorations or music. All toys.

Retaliation Storm Shadow and Red Ninja as well as Marvel Legends Spider-Man (BIG TIME!) and Thunderball were adopted from Target. MU Iron Fist and DotM Jolt fought their way out of Wally World. The Masters of Evil conquered Hasbrotoyshop.com. The Ghostbusters busted all the ghosts on ebay to round out my haul for the month.

I wanted the SDCC Uncanny X-Force set and the Jinx figs, but missed out on them through several HTS restocks. I might be able to acquire them from some tankers over on Hisstank.com. I also wanted the NECA's SDCC Gears of War 3 Savage Theron and the MU Guardians of the Galaxy set (which is really only 2 figures since Rocket Raccoon is an inch tall or something).


I planned on skipping most or all of the Joe Retaliation figs, but I like this Storm Shadow's modern look. In case it's running through your mind, yes, I do have the Renegades Stormy as well. As far as the Red Ninja: it's a ninja. I really don't have much to say beyond that. With Retaliation going through it's problems, these could be the last Joes I'll pick up for the rest of the year.

I wasn't too sure about picking up Iron Fist seeing as how I have all three of his previous releases. The only reason I picked him up is because it appears he'll be rocking the white costume for sometime. If I didn't read comics, I would've left him on the peg. I already planned on liberating the Masters of Evil from their plastic prison, but I might enjoy them in their package for a bit. Call it an extended sentence.

I had been hoping I would catch Big Time Spidey and Thunderball at some point. I have FF Spidey and Piledriver already. As you'll see in a bit, Thunderball is huge. Spidey looks great. I was expecting more black, but I like this too.

I missed out on the Ghostbusters when they were first released. I actually didn't even know about Mattel's new series until much later. I have the GB2 TRU exclusive set, but I had to have these. And someone on Hisstank mentioned that Mattel actually cancelled the Ghostbusters line. That sucks.

Quick note on Jolt: this is the first Transformer toy I've owned since I was in grade school. I have another post lined up discussing him and TF in general, so be on the lookout for that later.

Who loves action shots? Great! If you didn't, well check out these shots anyway.

I told you Thunderball was huge.

Let's take a look at another entry in the eternal battle between good and evil.

Here's hoping Iron Fist has enough qi to fell Thunderball.

Maybe not.

What do you think of my haul? Have any of these in your collection? Let me know. I'm hoping my area sees new Marvel Universe stuff (unlikely), but they'll get posted if I find them. Thanks for looking. Keep collecting my friends.

Cover of the Week

Happy New Comic Day! Apparently there are new comics hitting stores today. And I will be picking up quite a few of them including Nowhere Man #4, the sci-fi mini from Dynamite Entertainment. I've been waiting for this final issue for what seems like months. There are tons of other good looking books coming out today though. For now though, follow me as we check out some cover art.

There was a decent amount of choices this week. I almost passed over the winner for some other strong candidates, but it made its presence known and took the cake (no lie). Say hello to Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #7.

I've never heard of Alex Milne, but clearly I dig this cover. The aspects that really stand out are the purple (one of my favorite colors) and the rain. And if that's a bolt of lightning in the background, add a third to that list.

Love it? Hate it? Tell the world. Thanks for looking. Keep it geeky my friends.

Cover of the Week

Recent days have been busier than expected, but the show must go on. Things appear to be slowing down meaning these weekly entries will resume their regular Wednesday schedule. It's only proper to start New Comic Day that way. So let's get to it.

A couple books stood at the top of the list. It was a tough choice, but we're going green this week. I'm thinking about the environment here people. This is only the second DC Comics cover to walk away a winner. Take a look at Birds of Prey #11.

You gotta give Stanley "Artgerm" Lau his due. His art is just beautiful. I believe I first came across his work during the previous Batgirl series which actually was the reason I decided to pick it up and I grew to love it. Steph Brown, I miss you. So I am definitely a fan and had the chance to meet him at SDCC in 2011.

For this lovely cover, Artgerm makes Poison Ivy the center of attention with the BoP team entangled in her plants. This book has been one of my favorite DCnU titles and I look forward to it every month.

So my comic friends, what do you think? Is this choice worthy of your vote? Let me know.

SDCC 2012 - Sunday Highlights

Today is the final day of San Diego Comic-Con. Even though I wasn't able to attend or read the updates on time, it was fun catching the news when I could. My little experiment didn't work out as planned due to the busy week I've had, but I learned a few ways to improve upon it for the next convention. Even though this is the last day of the show, it doesn't fall short of fun events for the fans.

Marvel: Women of Marvel brings together several women at Marvel to discuss their work for the publisher and what the industry holds. Editors Jeanine Schaefer and Sana Amanat will sit on the panel. You might want to make your way to Room 5A at 11:15 to catch this conversation.

1 p.m. is the starting time for Image Comics's 20th Anniversary. Twenty years ago, this publisher was formed by creators who wanted more control over the work they created. Moderated by Eric Stephenson, the panelists include some Image's founders and top talents. Room 6A is the home of this celebration.

Zombies have a hold on our imaginations and it doesn't look like they'll loosen their grip anytime soon. And honestly, that's not a bad thing. Max Brooks: Zombie Survival 101 takes a look at the author's work with zombies. The zombieocalpse begins at 2 p.m. in Room 7AB.

Making Comics for Kids at 3 p.m. in Room 11AB will detail what goes into making comics for the younger readers out there. Neo Edmund (writer/editor for Silver Dragon Books), Joe Lefavi (editorial director for Jim Henson Co), Tim Beedle (Fraggle Rock), Paul Morrissey (editor of Eisner award-winning Mouse Guard), and Adira Edmund (JumpStart's Windy Hollows) lead the discussion. This is a conversation that needs to be had by others as more "mature" titles emerge and books for young fans and all-ages material decrease in quantity.

John Rogers, president of the Comic-Con board of directors will be there for Comic-Con Talkback. He will listen to fans about their concerns for the show. Even though it may not matter to everyone in the room, I'm sure one of the topics will be about their ticket system. Room 23ABC at 3 p.m. is a place you might want to check out.

Here's the sad part ladies and gentlemen, we have to wrap up Comic-Con. I'm sure it was a blast for everyone in attendance. All of us at home have been tuned into the internet to read all the news and eagerly await the post-con reports to hit the net. I wish I could've made it this year, there were several events that would have entertained me. Enjoy this final day and maybe I'll see you next year.

SDCC 2012 - Saturday Highlights

So it's Saturday. Anyone who's ever been to a convention knows this is the busiest day. San Diego Comic-Con will be no exception. The show floor will be packed. The area around the convention center will have constant traffic. On foot and otherwise. Here are just a few (of the many) events happening today you should keep an eye on.

At 11 a.m. comiXology Open Discussion: Everything Digital will be led by comiXology cofounders David Steinberger and John D. Roberts. You can join the conversation on the subject of the digital realm in Room 23ABC.

Writer and publisher Paul Levitz will host Kickstarter Changes Comics. Joined by Cindy Au (director of community, Kickstarter), Vijaya Iver (publisher, Cartoon Books), Batton Lash (writer/artist, Supernatural Law), and Jimmy Palmiotti (writer, Queen Crab, Retrovirus), they will examine how Kickstarter has changed comics. This will take place in Room 26AB.

If I were in San Diego, I would definitely hit the 4 p.m. Hasbro: Marvel panel. Adam Biehl (senior director, global Marvel line at Hasbro), Jesse Falcon (licensing director, Marvel), Dwight Stall (senior Marvel product design manager, Hasbro) and Kristin Hamilton (senior manager, global Marvel line at Hasbro) gather to discuss Hasbro's Marvel Comics' action figure lines. These include two of my favorite, Marvel Legends and Marvel Universe. Someone save me a seat in Room 24ABC.

The World of Capcom! will be moderated by Francis Mao (Capcom). Join some of Capcom's producers and product managers at they reveal more information on some of their upcoming titles. Resident Evil 6, DmC, and Lost Planet 3 are among the games expected to be seen. Room 25ABC at 4 p.m. will be the stage for this show.

At 5 p.m., actress Robin Givens moderates Comics of the African Diaspora which will discuss creators and characters from various African nations. Kevin Grevioux (co-creator, Underworld film series), Lee Daniels (director/producer, Precious), John Jennings (creator, co-author Black Comix), and Damian Duffy (author, Other Heroes: African American Comics Creators, Characters, and Archetypes), will take part in this conversation. Room 4 has my name on it. Well if I was there anyway.

This is a big year for this next event. Gays in Comics: 25th Year Celebration! is longest-running panel in comics. Founding moderator and best-selling author Andy Mangels will lead the celebration. This panel looks packed to the brim with things for fans to be excited about. Tons of special guests are lined up. There's more than I can even mention here. You just need to make it to Room 6A to check it out yourself.

At 6 p.m. in Room 5AB Geoff Keighley will moderate Reimagining a Gaming Icon: Lara Croft. Join Karl Stewart (Tomb Raider global brand director), Noah Hughes (creative director), John Stafford (narrative designer), & Camilla Luddington (voice of Lara Croft) at they explain the reinvention of iconic gaming explorer.

Room 6A at 7 p.m. will be the site for Gays in Comics Fan Mixer!. Prism Comics, the nonprofit org supporter of LGBTQ comics, creators, and fans will host this fun event.

Unlocking Arkham: The Forensic Psychiatry of Batman's Rogues' Gallery at 7:30 p.m. makes its return. Arkham Asylum has some interesting residents. Why do they act the way they do? Forensic psychiatrists H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D. will examine what motivates the behavior of these "disturbed" individuals and if they're truly responsible for their action. Check in on this Room 7AB.

As you already know, Saturday will be action packed. There's no way you can see it all and trying will certainly tire you out. Well, you're going to be worn out anyway, might as well enjoy it. Feel free to comment on any panels or events you attend throughout the day. See you Sunday for the final day of San Diego Comic-Con.