Wednesday, January 31, 2018

ZZ Top Eliminator



What do you get when you combine a Rock and Roll group with a classic car?  Why, the ZZ Top Eliminator of course!

Revell presents the 1/24 Scale, Level 4 (12 years and up) ZZ Top Eliminator (’33 Ford Coupe) plastic model kit.

ZZ Top guitarist Billy F. Gibbons commissioned Don Thelan’s Buffalo Motors in 1976 to create the street legal Eliminator car to be showcased on ZZ Top’s latest album cover.

The model kit faithfully recreates the classic R&R hotrod beginning with a solid red car chassis.  Accessories are included on a chrome parts tree and the kit also includes a windshield/light parts tree, a decal sheet and complete assembly/decal and paint instructions. Four rubber tires are also included.

Once completed take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this four-wheel beast.

With its chrome trim and grill, low profile, full chrome undercarriage, maxed out motor with chrome trim, twin seats, full instrumentation, large swept fenders, seamless trunk and all the other accesory goodies, this is car really does rock and roll!

Parts fit snuggly together with little or no flashing, paint and decals are easy to apply using the instructions as a guide and before you know it you have a classic car front, back, top and bottom.

Monday, January 29, 2018

Dennis The Menace and Monster Squad



If you are familiar with newspaper comic strips then you’re sure to have come across the single-panel adventures of America’s blond hair mischief maker: Dennis The Menace.

Each day Dennis can been seen in all his mischievousness doing everything from pestering his neighbor Mr. Wilson, tormenting his classmate Margaret, paling around with his buddy Joey and playing  with his canine pal Ruff.

My son Harrison reminds me of Dennis.  Harrison was a high maintenance child-constantly on the move and full of mischief.

Like Dennis he had his own unique way of looking at things and people.  He also had/has a heart of gold and genuinely cares about people.  Don’t tell him I told you that.

In Pocket Full Of Dennis The Menace, by Mark Arnold and published by BearManor Media, everyone’s favorite mischief maker is given his fair due.

Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey) offers a foreword and tribute. 

Hank Ketcham (Dennis's’ creator) based Dennis on his own son.  Little did he realize that his tike’s likeness would go on to be a world-wide phenomenon and loved by millions.

The book goes into great detail about the origin of Dennis, showcases early Dennis comic strips and follows the long and glorious history of the American comic strip character that has been a small boy for over 50 years.

Archival photographs, early art, vintage merchandise, a look at the Dennis The Menace TV show and movies and more from the Dennis vaults are presented in a fun, entertaining book that also includes a full listing of every Dennis The Menace comic book appearance!

If you love the misadventures of the blond hair boy bombshell then be sure to pick yourself up a copy of the book.

Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy films all have their fair share of monsters.  Whether it’s bug-eyed alien invaders, axe-brandishing madmen, demons or dragons each genre would not be complete without them.

Movie going audiences sometimes forget that the Silver Screen monstrosities don’t just appear out of thin air.

It takes a talented group of people to conceptualize, design, fabricate and ultimately bring each monstrosity to life on the screen.

In Monster Squad Celebrating The Artists Behind Cinema’s Most Memorable Creatures, by Heather A. Wixson, 20 monster makers are given their due.

Interviews with the monster masters include personal insights, past recollections, career spotlights, creature memories and lots of insider information.

Candid photos of the creators and their creatures are also included.

The book is an impressive chronicle of the incredible work and creations of some the Silver Screen’s most memorable monstrosities.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Planet Of The Apes and SpongeBob Squarepants



Way, way back in 1968 when I was 15 years old my friends and I went to watch the first Planet Of The Apes movie starring Charlton Heston.


We knew we were in for a treat when the first scene played where three Earth astronauts crash into an ‘alien’ planet lake.  As the astronauts struggle to escape they watch as their spaceship sinks beneath the waves.



Marooned on an alien planet they decide to take stock of their surrounding and meet up with a band of primitive humans.  Suddenly chaos breaks out as the humans are herded and captured by—intelligent apes!  Wow!



From that point on I was hooked on the Apes movies-all five in the first wave.  Later Tim Burton would offer his own interpretation and eventually a new series of computer generated apes would star in a reboot of the original series.



Abrams ComicArts presents its Planet Of The Apes The Original Tops Trading Card Series book that beautifully recreates the classic series of Apes trading cards from the original first movie of the series of five films, the TV show and Tim Burton’s version.



After an interesting introduction and history lesson about the cards pages recreates each card in all the series including autograph cards, special inserts and book art.  You’ll go ‘Ape’ over it.



Who loves Spongebob Squarepants?  I know I do and so do millions of other fans of the quirky animated series starring a sponge, a starfish, a crab and other undersea citizens.



Spongebob is so popular that an entire merchandise Mecca has been created, including comic books.



The Spongebob Comics Treasure Chest by Stephen Hillenburg includes a select collection of some of the best Spongebob comic book adventures.



What makes the Spongebob comic book stories so unique is each and every one looks different than the other. 



An impressive studio of artists draws Spongeboob’s adventures in a variety of styles using different story structures and perspectives.



Every conceivable art style is used from fine line illustrations to outrageous abstract images.



Regardless of the techniques used each story is hilarious and chock full of fun.



It’s a veritable underwater wonderland of whimsy, wit and wry humor.  I still don’t understand how they can light fires underwater.



The deluxe hardbound book comes in a custom die-cut slipcase that is sure to make it a treasured addition to anyone’s comic book collection.  

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Previews, February



COMIC BOOKS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
Terry Moore: Strangers In Paradise Gallery Edition l ABSTRACT STUDIO
The Brothers Dracul #1 l AFTERSHOCK COMICS
Dark Ark Volume 1 TP l AFTERSHOCK COMICS
Uber: The Complete First Series Slip Case Set l AVATAR PRESS INC
Robocop: Citizens Arrest #1 l BOOM! STUDIOS
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual #1 l BOOM! STUDIOS
Be Prepared GN/HC l :01 FIRST SECOND
Red Dog: The Complete Graphic Novel TP l 451 MEDIA GROUP
Archer Coe Volume 2: The Way of Dusty Death GN l ONI PRESS INC.
DAYGLOAYHOLE #1 l SILVER SPROCKET
The Beatles: Yellow Submarine HC l TITAN COMICS
The Prisoner #1 l TITAN COMICS
The Art and Making of Tomb Raider HC l TITAN COMICS
Ninja-K #6 l VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Homestuck Book 1: Acts 1 & 2 HC l VIZ MEDIA LLC
Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction Gn Vol 01 l VIZ MEDIA LLC


BOOKS
International Cheesecake: Good Girl Comics from Around the World HC l ART BOOKS
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Imaginarium HC l ART BOOKS
Marvel’s The Avengers: Ultimate Guide Updated Expanded HC l COMICS
Back to the Future Pop Classic Illustrated Storybook HC l MOVIE/TV
MAGAZINES
Horrorhound 2018 Spring Annual Special l HORROR
Cinefex #158 l MOVIE/TV
Star Wars Insider #180 l STAR WARS
TRADING CARDS
Topps 2018 Baseball Series 2 Trading Cards l TOPPS COMPANY
Topps 2018 The Walking Dead: Road To Alexandria Trading Cards l NON-SPORTS CARDS
APPAREL
Batman: “Utility Belt” Black T-Shirt l PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE WEAR
Deadpool: “Skull Shot” Black T-Shirt l PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE WEAR
Star Wars: TIE Advanced Silver Snow Heather T-Shirt l PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE WEAR
Bat-Man T-Shirt l GRAPHITTI DESIGNS
Superman Universal Symbol T-Shirt l GRAPHITTI DESIGNS
TOYS & STATUES
Green Arrow The CW Gallery PVC Statue l DIAMOND SELECT TOYS & COLLECTIBLES
Dc Comics: Rebirth Deathstroke Unmasked Statue l DC HEROES
IMPORT TOYS
Black Panther: Movie Black Panther ArtFX Statue l KOTOBUKIYA
Captain America: Civil War EA-028: Black Panther Figure l MARVEL HEROES
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Lucius Malfoy 1/6-Scale Figure l HARRY POTTER
Star Wars: A New Hope: Millennium Falcon 1/72-Scale Model Kit l STAR WARS
Star Wars: Elite Praetorian Guard ArtFX+ Statue 2-Pack l STAR WARS
Animal Crossing: New Leaf: Shizue Isabelle “Winter Outfit” Nendoroid l NENDOROIDS
Overwatch: D.Va “Classic Skin” Nendoroid l NENDOROIDS
A Clockwork Orange: Alex MAF EX Figure l MOVIE/TV
Robocop MAF EX Figure l MOVIE/TV
Crash Bandicoot: Aku Aku Life Size Mask l VIDEO GAMES
Kingdom Hearts II: Keyblade Kingdom Chain Proplica l VIDEO GAMES
COLLECTIBLES & NOVELTIES
Harry Potter: Dumbledore’s Army Light Up Notebook l SD TOYS
Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort Light Up Notebook l SD TOYS
Star Trek: The Next Generation: 30th-Anniversary Poster Set l STAR TREK
GAMES
Stranger Things: Eggo Card Game l HASBRO TOY GROUP
Stranger Things: Monopoly l HASBRO TOY GROUP
Stranger Things: Ouija Game l HASBRO TOY GROUP
Stranger Things: Screen Test Game l HASBRO TOY GROUP
The Walking Dead: All Out War Miniatures Game Core Set l MANTIC GAMES