Purloined Letters > Toy storage, the MOTU movie, and bad toy memories

December 21, 2012 | Poe

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I looked over a huge list of comic book letter column titles for inspiration for that title. Ultimately, I think “Going Postal” is still probably the cleverest one, but given the origin of that term and current events I think it’s in even poorer taste than “Poe’s Sack.” So I decided to play up the Edgar Allan Poe side of things and go with “Purloined Letters.” It should be noted, however, that these letters are not actually purloined – they were sent to me by readers of their own free will. (more…)

Bat-Libs II Winner

December 21, 2012 | Poe

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We’ve got a winner in last week’s Bat-Libs II contest! The winner gets a Dark Knight Rises Funko POP! Batman figure, courtesy Superheroden.com.

First, the runners-up. The first comes courtesy dasbookpimp:

It is a cheap time in Gotham City. Koalas run rampant through the streets. Absent for years, the time has come for the Batman to rise and prevent his greatest enemy from sending the people of Gotham. Aiding the hero in his quest is a cast of characters including Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, and Phil.

Ah yes, those dark days when koalas threatened the people of Gotham, and Batman had to call upon his greatest ally: Phil.

Next we have one from BubbaShelby, who chronicles the Gotham Religious Riots of 2003, when the Quakers fought for the city block by block with the Mormons, who were led by their current standard bearer:

It is a grouchy time in Gotham City. Quakers run rampant through the streets. Absent for years, the time has come for the Batman to rise and prevent his greatest enemy from probing the people of Gotham. Aiding the hero in his quest is a cast of characters including Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, and Mitt Romney.

And finally here’s the winning entry by Joshua Raymond:

It is a surreal time in Gotham City. Sea monkeys run rampant through the streets. Absent for years, the time has come for the Batman to rise and prevent his greatest enemy from massaging the people of Gotham. Aiding the hero in his quest is a cast of characters including Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, and Abraham Lincoln.

I’m pretty sure Batman actually did team up with Lincoln once in the comics…probably sometime in the fifties. There was some weird crap going on back then.

Also, it’s kind of a dick move for Batman to prevent his enemy from giving massages to the people of Gotham. After everything they’ve been through, what with being conquered by Mumbly Joe and having a nuclear weapon detonated six miles from the city which must have given radiation sickness to thousands, they could use a rub-down.

Just in case the Mayan Apocalypse turns out to be zombie-related: ZombieTraining.com

December 21, 2012 | Poe

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A lovely person named Naomi Sterns did me a very big favor a while back (which you haven’t enjoyed the fruits of yet, but you will once I get to reviewing all my S.H.MonsterArts stuff). In return, I promised to promote anything she wanted. And as it turns out, what she wants to promote is really cool!

It’s a website called Zombie Training, a site devoted – and I mean devoted – to preparing for the zombie apocalypse. These people are sure it’s going to happen, and they’re serious about making sure you’re ready for it.

Like no other horror/sci-fi sub-genre, zombie fiction allows us to combine the instantaneous gratification of fighting terrifying hordes of undead creatures while at the same time exploring more profound themes regarding human behavior and the societal ills of our time. The magazine is dedicated to all things undead: survival tips, theories on the nature of a zombie outbreak, combat tactics, new short story and serial fiction, interviews with like-minded zombie fans/celebrities, updates on events and entertainment – Zombie Training aims to cover it all.

Speaking of fiction, check out their latest tale of yuletide terror, “Last Christmas at the Cabin.” It will warm your heart before it gets very cold as it’s torn from your chest and devoured. Or if you’re just looking for that perfect gift for the zombie doomsday prepper, check out their list of Zombie Apocalypse Survival Gifts.

Review > Snake Men 2-Pack (Masters of the Universe Classics, Mattel)

December 21, 2012 | Poe

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Wikipedia has a page for “Reptilians,” which states, “The idea of reptilians on Earth was popularized by David Icke, a conspiracy theorist who says shape-shifting reptilian people control our world by taking on human form and gaining political power to manipulate our societies.” I love the idea that there are people who think half-human half-lizards are running the world.*

Reptile-men have a long history in folklore and fiction. Some people may think the Reptilian Conspiracy Theory stems from the 1980s television series V, but the idea is a lot older than that. My personal favorite appearance of reptile-men comes from Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. Conan had a fictional predecessor, Kull (whom I like more than Conan, actually). In the 1929 story “The Shadow Kingdom,” one of my favorite heroic fantasy stories, King Kull battles a conspiracy of Serpent Men who have infiltrated his court and are masquerading as humans. Killing them, of course, reveals their ophidian nature. (more…)

Poe’s Point > Eras End All the Time

December 20, 2012 | Poe

Ryan “The Superfly” Prast has a blog post at AFI in which he predicts “within the next few years, the action figure will be an endangered species, and possibly completely extinct.” He continues:

My rants on corporate greed’ are commonplace on the forum, but I am also aware that overseas manufacturing costs have been kept artificially low for over a decade due to the influence of certain retailers. We have seen fifteen years of adjustments in just the past few years, and many collectors can no longer afford the action figures at today’s prices. Add in improving factory conditions, fair workforce compensation, additional regulations and safety standards, and, well, you begin to realize the days of cheap action figures are nearly over.

Hold on – there’s a big difference between saying “the 6″ action figure market will become extinct” and “the days of cheap 6″ action figures are over” (my italics). The latter is obvious. The former is unlikely.

(more…)

DASH is Giving Away Amazon Gift Cards

December 20, 2012 | Poe

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At DASH we have a pretty good idea what collectors like, but we can’t make everyone happy with every single contest. So we’ve decided to take the route of grandmas around the world this holiday season and simply give away gift cards. You might think it lacks creativity, but there’s nothing quite like a shiny new gift card underneath a tree, especially when it gives you the control. Welcome to the DASH Community Contest #7, where 10 lucky winners will win a prize that transforms into the toy of their choosing.

To enter, just register on Collector-ActionFigures.com (if you haven’t already), and then add new items to your My Collection page. Each item you add is an extra entry into the contest (up to 100 per day), so take a few minutes to fully update your collection and you’ll be increasing your odds of taking home a free gift card along the way. And when Christmas Eve rolls around, keep your eyes out for a lifesize Santa action figure as he brings more contest entries down the chimney.
We hope you enjoy adding figures to your collection, and we think once you start, it’ll be difficult to stop. And don’t forget to go ahead and start adding items to your wanted list to get ready for next year too!

And don’t forget we’re also giving away a Captain Action figure signed by Joe Jusko! Just like Captain Action on Facebook for all the details and to enter!
For complete contest rules and requirements, please email corey@Collector-ActionFigures.com

MOTUC Bio Discussion > Rattlor

December 20, 2012 | Poe

Rattlor

Real Name: Slltyo of the Rattlor House

A loyal leader in King Hssss’ army, Rattlor was the first of the Snake Men to escape their imprisonment in the Void. He worked with the Snake Men descendent Kobra Khan to liberate the entire serpent army. Once freed, Hssss quickly began a three-way war against the Masters of the Universe and Skeletor’s Evil Warriors, with Rattlor leading the attack. Eventually, Khan manipulated Hssss into demoting Rattlor and he defected to the evil Horde army. Under Hordak, Rattlor became known as “The General” for his keen insight into enemy strategy. After sounding his sinister battle rattle, Rattlor lashes out at victims with his terrible quick-strike head!

This bio is interesting because it strives to provide in-universe explanations for two completely incidental aspects of MOTU history. (more…)