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Totally Wired Alien
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 27, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above is a fun sculpture project by Ludovic Blay, a fanboy artist from France who loves Ray Harryhausen (which makes us think all the better of him). Found via neatorama. The Shogun Warriors vs. the Micronauts
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 24, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above are TV commercials from the 70s for the Shogun Warriors, the Micronauts and Suckerman! Following that are spots from the 60s for Parcheesi, Union Station by Remco, Word Nerd and Duncan Yo Yo. Special thanks to Ira Gallen. Snarf Says T-Shirt
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 22, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
I never quite liked the TV show itself, but for my money back in 1985 there was nothing quite as cool as the opening titles of ThunderCats, in fact we would video tape it and watch it frame-by-frame to catch everything that was going on! Well now you can relive the glory the this epic show and give your friends nicknames like Panthro and Cheetara with this rad ThunderCats t-shirt from ThinkGeek. …but when will there be some Jem and the Holograms merchandise for us to buy? Disney Revisits the House of the Future
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 16, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above is the 1957 version of the House of the Future which was removed and destroyed in 1967. I think it would be much more fun to create a Retro House if the Future complete with a jet pack stand and nuclear power generator in the basement ala the Jetsons rather than trying to re-invent the concept: House of Tomorrow returning to Disneyland “Disneyland will team with Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and others to bring the $15-million Innoventions Dream Home to Tomorrowland in May, according to the Associated Press. The two-bedroom demonstration home with a kitchen, living room, dining room, study and backyard (but no bathroom) will feature current and near-future technology, including: * Closets that help select clothes and suggest matching outfits. Disney actors will play the fictional Elias family of four (an obvious nod to Walter Elias Disney) living a “digital lifestyle” in the 5,000-square-foot “smart house” inside the rotating-floor Innoventions building.” Ummm, no bathrooms in the house of the future?! A Real James Bond Submarine Auto
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 16, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Sure it wasn’t a Sean Connery picture but The Spy Who Loved Me was one of my favorite films back in 1977. I think every fanboy back then would have loved to go on a dream date with Barbara Bach while driving underwater in a Lotus Esprit: Swiss create Bond-like underwater car “OK, so the Swiss have invented a car that runs on land and underwater. But did they REALLY have to make it a convertible? It’s called the “sQuba,” and conjures up memories of James Bond’s amphibious Lotus Esprit from “The Spy Who Loved Me.” That fictional vehicle traveled on land and, when chased by bad guys in a helicopter, plunged into the water and became an airtight submarine — complete with “torpedoes” and “depth charges”.” Fanboy Fantasy: Shoot Down the Spy Satellite
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 15, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
When I first read the The Pentagon is going to shoot down an ailing US spy satellite, my first thought was “I want that job!” But sadly instead of sending up fanboys on the space shuttle armed with ray guns (like the Japanese Tin Space Gun pictured above) the Pentagon will just do the conventional solution of firing a missile from boat: Social Networking with Hello Kitty
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 14, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
If you think that MySpace and Facebook have jumped the shark well perhaps it’s time to try social networking with the kitty? Hello Kitty Online is the new community site from Sanrio and it’s now accepting players for closed beta. Found via ValleyWag. Sew a UFO!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 12, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Talented Teresa of Sewing Stars created the wonderful hand crafted UFO above. I just love how she managed to make the space aliens look ever so cute! Mickey Mouse Merchandise from the Eighties
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 10, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above (click on the image to see at full size) are two pages from the 1988 Sears catalog, which featured quite a bit of Mickey Mouse merchandise. At this point in Disney history Michael Eisner was busy turning the company around, with the Great Mouse Detective (a good but under appreciated film) having come out in 1986 however they were still working on the Little Mermaid which didn’t come out until 1989 and put the studio back on the map. But in the meantime the studio did quite a few merchandising deals — some of the goodies shown above include a Mickey Mouse necktie, 101 Dalmations sweat suit, a tacky 80s black satin jacket, a Mickey phone, matching his and hers nightshirts (tacky!), underwear and yes an ultra light weight Minnie-Vac! Found via Alan and Jason of WishbookWeb.com. Year of the Rat: An Urban Toy Celebration
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 6, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Tomorrow marks the start of the Chinese New Year, so we’re exploring fanboy themes relating the Year of the Rat. Shown above is an urban toy themed photograph by Flickr community member ecpica who is based out of Singapore. Year of the Mouse?
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 6, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
I thought that the Chinese New Year (February 7th) was the start of the year of the rat, but perhaps I’m wrong! According to Hot Toys of Hong Kong it’s the year of the mouse — Mickey Mouse that is! And you can purchase two sets of Disney figures to bring you good fanboy luck in the year to come — the first set are 11″ high Mickey and Mini Mouse figures and the second set are 3″ high Cosbaby Disney figures featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy Dog, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck (shown above are Mickey and Mini Mouse). Found via Action Figures Hub and ToysBlog.it. Etch-A-Sketch on Homer’s Head
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 5, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
I love industrial design of the above Etch-A-Sketch based on Homer Simpson’s head, it shows some clever thinking on the part of the toy designers. Here’s the product description: “D’oh! This hilarious Simpson’s Etch-A-Sketch is shaped like the top of Homer’s head. Turn the pupils of his eyes to draw your masterpiece. Homer’s hair forms a handy plastic handle. Shake well and start over with a new, clean screen.” Speed Racer Battle Morph Mach 5
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 4, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
For yours truly the best part about the upcoming Speed Racer film will be the toys! Shown above is the Speed Racer Battle Morph Mach 5 Vehicle & Figure from Mattel. As you can see the Mach 5 is packed with all sorts of cool weaponry like saw blades and the well documented “jump-jacks” to bust a move on bad guys. Found via Toy News International. Mobile Suit Gundam Cell Phone
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 2, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above is a new Mobile Suit Gundam themed cell phone from Softbank in Japan that’s based on the high-performance version of the Zaku II robot from the classic anime series from the 80s. The phone comes packaged in a Zaku head, and when you lift it open your Gundam cell phone is inside: Roboquad: Pet with a Remote Control
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 1, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Currently one of the hottest selling home robots is the WowWee Robotics Roboquad What I think is interesting is that while this first generation of robots are very much novelty devices or toys, I could see a day in the not too far future where they turn into every day devices. For now these robots seem to be a solution in search of a problem, but there may come a day where they can take on the role of a seeing eye dog. Here’s an official demo from WowWee to give you a taste: Big Lebowski Action Figures
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 31, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
What do you do for recreation? Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback! Shown above is the Big Lebowski Urban Achiever 8-Inch Figures Wave 1 Set “Are you a Lebowski achiever? Let’s hope so. After all, it would be totally ‘un-Dude’ of you not to be. Walter and The Dude are here, and they brought their little dog, too! Relive all the fun and laughter from The Big Lebowski with these cool action figures. They combine the stylized look of ‘urban vinyl’ with a little Lebowski fun. This hilarious set includes 2 individually packaged 8-inch figures: 1x Walter and 1x The Dude. Each features an outfit with real cloth pieces and includes various movie-accurate accessories even removable sunglasses! Achieve your desires by buying these characters today! Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski is a real laid-back kind of guy. He enjoys ‘bowling, driving, (and having) the occasional acid flashback.’ In the classic film The Big Lebowski, this humble pacifist and his bowling buddies become entangled in a web of embezzlement, supposed kidnapping, and White Russians.” Patariro Collectables CommercialThe anime series Patalliro! ran from 1982 until 1983 and is interesting because it was based on a manga by Mineo Maya which focused on bishounen (i.e. pretty boys). The show was more comedy than anything else, but I think it’s a good early example of Yaoi, which are manga focused on male gay relationships marketed to the ladies. There’s a good article on the show here by Mary Kennard. It was funny for me to come across that article because back in the early 80s I knew Mary, as she could be spotted at meetings of the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization in New York City which I went to all of the time. Richard Knerr: Toy Genius
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 17, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Richard Knerr the co-founder of the Wham-O toy company, died on Monday at the age of 82. Shown above is a commercial for Super Elastic Bubble Plastic, and below is a commercial for one of my childhood favorites Silly String: Coris Whistle Candy
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 14, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Shown above is the special secret surprise package from Coris Whistle Candy. The small package within a package contains a surprise toy, which turned out to be a pink racing car. This candy itself will drive parents up the wall, because when you blow into it you get a painful playful whistle-like noise: The Fashionable Astrotwins
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 13, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
Ah the good old days when being a NASA fanboy was in style! This November 1965 fashion spread from Mademoiselle features a prototype of the Mercury Space Suit (click to see the page at full size). The photo is by David McCabe (a young British fashion photographer of the era who worked with Andy Warhol) and discovered by digital diva archivist Sugarpie Honeybunch. World War Robot Bertie
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 12, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
The above photo is a “Dirty Deeds” variant of World War Robot Bertie by Ashley Wood. I just love the rusty look of the metal and the nice touch of the decorative graphics… Photograph by Toybot Studios. Dark Crystal uRac Statue
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 11, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
I was looking at the latest Dark Horse offerings for April of this year and came across the above cool looking statue based on the character uRac from Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal. Billy Blastoff Space Base
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 7, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
The above Billy Blastoff Space Base commercial dates from 1969. According to Wikipedia Billy Blastoff was sometimes packed with his friend Robbie Robot, who as it turns out isn’t the same as the famous Robbie THE Robot from Forbidden Planet: Lotte Kancho: Kissing Cookies
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 6, 2008 in Hobbies and Collections
At first glance you might mistake this package for something from Japan, but Lotte is based out of Korea. This love themed package design is a bit more inspired than the mini chocolate cookies inside. Although I found that this cute illustration on the back of the package was rather cute: |
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