Campfire’s Ghostbusters Marshmallows!
What a ridiculously great time to be a Ghostbusters fan. Even aside from the new movie, the toys are starting to trickle into stores, and they’re all such must-buys that I’m already testing out shit faces in response to May’s AmEx bill.
Then there’s Ecto Cooler’s return, now confirmed to be just a month away — right around the time that Ghostbusters Twinkies will nail their national release. And those are only the pack leaders. There’s so much GB stuff on the way, I can barely keep track of it all.
Now joining the fray are official Ghostbusters Marshmallows, made by Campfire. The scoop on these leaked a few weeks ago, but I’m pleased to report that they’re finally in stores. (Well, they’re at Big Lots, at least. Thanks for the tip, JC. Even though you were totally lying about them also having Great Bluedini.)
While it’s hardly a spoiler to say that Slimer and Stay Puft have eked out some small place in the GB reboot’s universe, the bags are classically designed, looking more at home with that volley of oddball Ghostbusters bric-a-brac that came out several years ago. Read More…
Monster Mashes: An Art Project.
Yesterday afternoon, I asked the folks on Twitter for help with a special art project:
They could name any two people or characters, and I’d merge them into one.
So like, if people ever wondered what it might look like had Godzilla been part Ninja Turtle, I was their guy.
Dozens were happy to oblige, and I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of awesome ideas. Below are my first five attempts to do them justice. Please keep in mind, I have the artistic ability of the average third grader.
LIGHT OF THE OUTWORLD!
(Goro + Jesus Christ)
Suggested by @jeffmack
Goro, the four-armed Shokan who beat the shit out of you in Mortal Kombat, finds his more benevolent side through a merger with Jesus Christ. Kind of an extreme measure.
In retrospect, I admit that I should’ve given him (Him?) a halo. Read More…
Five Retro TV Commercials, Part 6!
A reader/pal who we’ll call “MZ” sent me a huuuuuge pile of old taped-off-television videocassettes, loaded with commercials from the ‘80s and ‘90s. What a score. I’m now armed with enough material to keep the Five Retro TV Commercials series going until 2050.
One of those tapes had a handwritten “Ghostbusters Cartoon” label, and that seemed like a good place to start. Indeed, it was several hours’ worth of Real Ghostbusters episodes, all taped back in 1988, with every last commercial left intact. So much win! Here are five of my finds:
Army Gear! (1988)
Wow, I haven’t thought about Army Gear in ages, and considering that it’s among the few ‘80s toy lines that literally not one reader has ever asked me about, I’m guessing that you haven’t, either.
Shame on us all! Army Gear was a collection of kid-scaled weapons and equipment that could be transformed into miniature action figure playsets, and it was some of Galoob’s finest work.
Like, you’d start off with an appropriately-sized plastic machete, and when you got bored of slashing at pillows, you could turn it into a lookout tower for tiny soldier figurines. It was like buying a Halloween costume and ending up with a Micro Machines playset. Just a totally boss concept. Read More…
Five Random Action Figures, Part 27!
Everything featured in this edition of Five Random Action Figures was found last weekend. Four came from that flea market, while the fifth was hiding at a yard sale just down the street.
Total cost? Eight bucks. Considering that any two of them would’ve been a bargain for that price, I begin this many paragraph journey with a stupid sense of pride.
Lion-O
Thundercats (1985)
As the starring hero of the franchise, it’s a safe guess that Lion-O was by far the most popular Thundercats figure, beating out the likes of Panthro, Vultureman, and that steampunk pirate dude with the giant hand.
That’s usually the case with starring heroes, irrespective of how cool their action figures actually were. Fortunately, in Lion-O’s case, his really was one of the best in the line, and with the possible exception of Jaga, it was certainly the best of the “good guy” figures. This despite the fact that Lion-O wore the sort of outfit that could get you kicked out of a hotel pool.
Even without his plastic Sword of Omens and prototype Infinity Gauntlet, Lion-O still looks regal. Like the result of some Frankenstein experiment that merged He-Man with Ronald McDonald, but better because he’s all of that plus a cat. Read More…