Titans Terrors and Toys

I've always been fascinated by the giant robots that populate sci-fi movies, TV shows and comic books, so much so that I've regularly wondered what these fantastical machines look like under their metallic skins. I suppose part of that fascination came from the "used universe" aesthetic that George Lucas used throughout his Star Wars movies, where high-tech machinery was frequently juxtaposed with vehicles and robots that were on the verge of falling to pieces. Unfortunately, it's hard to provide a detailed look inside of a machine that doesn't exist; thus, viewing the arrangement of pistons, motors and joints that make a giant robot move was a rarity when I was growing up. Thankfully, times have changed and Japanese model kit companies have gone to great lengths in recent years to satisfy sci-fi fan boy curiosity with kits that represent both the inside and outside of fictional giant robots. These are more than just intricate robot kits with multiple p...

Funko's line of ReAction figures have been a hit with nostalgic toy collectors who remember when Kenner-style action figures (i.e., 3 and 3/4 inch figures with durable, play-ready sculpts and only five points of articulation) were the dominant seller in toy stores across the country. Starting with recreations of Kenner's unreleased line of Alien action figures from the late '70s, the ReAction line has since expanded to included figures from films such as Back to the Future , Goonies and Pulp Fiction . Unfortunately, if you want vehicle toys and playsets that are scaled for the ReAction figures, you'll have to look elsewhere because Funko has produced mostly figures ... until now. At this weekend's Toy Fair event in New York, Funko provided a preview of the new licenses it is adding to the ReAction line. New figures will be released for popular titles such as Breaking Bad , Karate Kid , and the original Star Trek TV series. Among the new releases are a set of...

What's really cool? Robot toys. What's cooler than that? Upgrading robot toys. Bandai and Action Toys are teaming up to release a series of high-end action figures that are based on the Machine Robo series of robot toys. Even though Machine Robo has undergone many changes throughout its history (click here to read my Machine Robo retrospective), the new figures will be based upon several designs from the early MR-600 line as they appeared in the Machine Robo: Revenge of Chronos anime series. As you can see from the prototype pictures provided, the new designs look extremely impressive, although the new MR-01 Bike Robo design isn't quite as detailed as the DX9 Toys version that was released last year. It is also unknown if these figures will ever become available outside of Japan, or if Bandai and Action Toys plans to visit other areas of Machine Robo's long history if these figures are a hit.

The first few weeks of 2015 have been rough for me, and what better way to cope with the stress than with cartoon mirth and mayhem? Here are five of my favorite primetime cartoons, each examples of the kind of animated anarchy that soothes my unruly Id in times of uncertainty and worry. Read on ....