Titans Terrors and Toys

Over the years, I have blogged about many of the classic creature feature items I have either owned or encountered during my childhood, items that deepened my interest in horror and sci-fi movies to the point where such an interest became a lifestyle choice. These trips down memory lane have provided to me a greater understanding of how studios such as Universal and American International kept their movie monsters alive in the imaginations of kids long after they stopped scaring audiences at local theaters. This post is devoted to one of the collectibles I picked up on a whim in the early '80s: a set of collectible trading cards from Topps' Creature Feature set.

A few years ago, I published a post about how some Japanese robot model kits (and a few Japanese robot toys) are so detailed that they include removable panels that reveal the internal workings of the robot. Such attention to detail gives the robots a sense of verisimilitude, with these internal workings suggesting that the robots are actual machines with actual functional parts. However, thanks to Bandai’s BN Bot brand, some of these model kits are about to get just that: functional, programmable parts.

Last week, I posted about two monster figures (Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster) that have been included in the recent relaunch of the Mego toy company. Based on what I found online, it looks like the Wolf Man is poised to join the other Mego monsters, even without the official blessing from Universal.

For as much as I have written about Mego and Mego-inspired products on this blog, I've been very lax on responding to this tidbit of news: During the last San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), original Mego Corporation Chairman Marty Abrams announced that he was relaunching the Mego brand through a selection of limited-run 8-inch and 14-inch figures that will be sold exclusively at Target. Wave 1 of the figures was released back in August, and wave 2 was released in September. While I know that Mego still has a passionate fan base, I'm baffled about why anyone would want to do a Mego revival at this point. So many other toy companies have capitalized on Mego nostalgia (e.g., Distinctive Dummies, Figures Toy Co., NECA, etc.) that officially reviving Mego now feels anticlimactic. Furthermore, the Mego figures I most fondly remember were the ones based on popular superheroes (DC and Marvel) and sci-fi franchises (Planet of the Apes and Star Trek). While the new Mego figures have som...

I've spent the last few months trying to wrap my head around the current state of virtual reality (VR)--the technology, the applications, the markets, and so on. With the rise of Google Cardboard and smartphone-compatible headsets such as Samsung Gear and Google Daydream, it looked like smartphones would be one of the key platforms that push VR and VR-compatible content to the general public. Now, that platform appears to be falling apart.

Recently, I heard about a kickoff event that was sponsored by DC Virtual Reality (DCVR) called "Paint the World: A VR Painting Pop-Up Public Event" . Held last week on October 2nd in downtown DC, the event promoted VR technology and education and to raise funds that will assist in getting VR tech to communities. While this is a worthy goal, some of you might be asking: What exactly is VR painting? Read on to find out ...

This year’s New York Comic-Con (NYCC) was held last week and, as with most events such as these, two NYCC toy announcements caught my attention.

It always brings a smile to my face whenever I hear about parents encouraging their kids to become the next generation of devoted geeks. Case in point: Two Harry Potter fans in Maryland built a replica of Diagon Alley in their backyard for their daughter's birthday.

It's finally happening: The virtual reality (VR) version of one of Nintendo's most beloved kart racing titles is making its debut this week in our nation's capital, courtesy of Bandai Namco.