LOEB - Dinner Party

 "Dinner Party! Invite five guests (dead, alive, or fictional) for the ultimate dinner party."

 

LOEB - Top 10

This week the League of Extraordinary Bloggers is tasked with creating a top 10 list. The topic is wide open so I decided it would be fun to share my Top 10 favorite knick knacks/decorations in my man cave/collection room/Nerd Nook (as it's come to be called).

LOEB - CONtemplation

With San Diego being the biggest nerd convention in America there are always loads of teasers and announcements. This week's assignment from the League is all about what news/products came out of the con that have drawn our collective gazes......

Day 28 - 80s Marathon Cont.

I've been covering quite a bit of ground on Netflix streaming this summer. It's kind of fun to just go through the movies and pick random titles. I like to think I've got a pretty comprehensive movie background. I've been a huge movie fan for decades and have seen most of the must see titles. While scrolling through I came across one movie I haven't seen, "The Witness".

Days 26-27 - 80s flicks, Outback and a Holy Grail!

So I finally watched an 80s favorite of mine "Lucas". If you haven't seen this it is definitely worth watching. I'm always impressed with Corey Haim's performance in this movie. He really nails it and conveys the emotions a kid in Lucas' position would be feeling. I don't want to spoil it so if you haven't seen it, WATCH IT!

Days 23-25 - The Shore

The wife and I made the drive to Rehoboth beach to visit my in-laws. I was pretty excited to finally be hitting up the beach and walking on the board walk. As a kid I spent loads of time in the summer down the shore. It's always a nice jolt of nostalgia to hear arcade sounds, eat ice cream and check out the amusement park.

Day 22 - Life Itself

Today was a fairly lazy day. I cleaned up the man cave and watched Roger Ebert's documentary "Life Itself". It was pretty hot and I've had very few lazy days so I embraced the hell out of it!

Days 20/21 - Trains, Frogs, and Country Drives

So I got out of the city a bit these past few days. Nothing super exciting. I'll let the photos do the talking...

I was reminded of a U2 favorite -  "In God's Country"

Dissecting the Banner - Harry and the Henderson's

 Lately I've been toying with the idea of creating a new 80s inspired collage type banner for the old Nerd Nook. I also decided that before I do so I'd go back to something I thought of doing a while ago..... I give you the first installment of what I'm going to be calling.....

Dissecting the Banner!

LOEB - It's just not summer until...

Day 17 - An 80s Lunch

Today I took a buddy out for lunch who's getting married next week. We settled on Uno. For starters I love being off when it's crazy hot out. We went in ordered cold beers and I quickly realized they had an 80s playlist going......

Day 13 - Parks, Nieces, Toys and Movies

Today I was out of my house for almost 12 hours! My niece is in town this weekend and I couldn't wait to spend some time with her....

Day 9 - Ghostbusters, Soccer, Paint and Laziness

The last thing in the title was really theme for day 9. In my defense I've been super busy and really hadn't spent much time bumming around. Yesterday I took care of that little problem!

Day 8 - John Candy, Pizza, Soccer and Toys

While typing out the title of this entry I realized it sounds like I was pretty busy. Truth be told I spent quite a bit of time bumming around (this is inevitable when you have 72 days off). Anyway I started the day with a quick bike ride to the gym (trying to get in exercise early before summer laziness sets in. After the gym (I was back by 9am) I settled in for a bit to watch another summer staple....

Days 6 & 7 - Toy Shows and Outside Cookin'

The summer of Rich is moving along and I finally did something cool. This past Saturday (6/28) a friend and I made the drive out to a pretty cool toy show.

Days 4 & 5 - Painting, Soccer, Beer and Toys

The Summer of Rich is off to a rather uneventful start. I more or less spentthe entire first week playing catch up with loads of stuff I put off until summer. I also made good on a few promises I made to mom for stuff she needed done around her house.

In spite of my overall boring and uneventful week I'm going to make a quick post to keep consistent!

So yesterday I spent a few hours painting a giant fence around my mom's house. It was kind of ironic having just watched "Karate Kid" the night before. It was like my mom was Miyagi saying "paint the fence!". 

I really should have worn a cool bandana!

LOEB - Hake's Auction!

It's League time again and this week we're going on yet another imaginary shopping spree! This time we'll be selecting items currently for auction at Hake's Americana & Collectibles. With their record of having absolutely amazing items for auction I have no doubt I'll find loads of goodies to fill my "shopping cart"! Let's dive right in!

Day 3 - Diner Breakfast, Toy Store, Bike Ride and Karate Kid

Today was fairly uneventful. I started out meeting up with a friend and having breakfast out (I love breakfast out). After that I came back to the cave to finish cleaning up from yesterday's shelving project. I happy to report to cave is back in action and better than ever!

Summer of Rich - Days 1 and 2

It's SUMMER! Yes, even as an adult, I am lucky enough to enjoy this time off. I use it to recharge the batteries, relax, collect toys, go to collectible shows, and (honestly) reconnect to the kid at heart I'll always be. Being off in the summer gives me a chance to be carefree....a feeling not often felt by grown ups! I got the idea from Tim over at Flashlights Are Something to Eat to blog about my summer as a way of really soaking it in and making sure I don't spend too many days doing nothing. Anyway here goes......

LOEB - Pop Culture Road Trip!

This assignment seemed to be focused on one spot rather than a continuous road trip. Sure there are loads of places I could have sat around and thought about visiting but I decided to go with what popped in my head first....

LOEB - Shelf Expression

This week's assignment from the League - "Shelf Expression". I love a good picture assignment so lets get to it!

LOEB - James, Jimbo, Jimmy

I knew right away, upon seeing this, that I'd be writing about everyone's favorite suave British spy.... non other than 007 himself, Bond...Jame Bond!

LOEB - Yo Joe!

The week's assignments from the League: YO JOE!

LOEB: Would You Rather?

Would you rather have a time machine that can only travel back in time or into the future? For me I think I'd have to choose back in time. Sure, it'd be nice to see the world long after your years would surely be past.  But being a history buff and super nostalgic, I think revisting the past would be pretty darn awesome. Doc Brown wouldn't have anything to worry about with the space time continuum...i wouldn't change a thing :)

LOEB - When Did I Get So....

Been having a tough time deciding on a topic to write about for this one so I decided to go with what initially popped in my head...."When did I get so.....LAME!"

LOEB - Hey, i'sn't that...

So yeah...I've pretty much lived along the East Coast my entire life and celebrity run-ins have been few and far between. Sure there have been a few. I once ran into Billy Dee Williams and caught a passing glimpse of Bill Murray....but beyond that my celebrity elbow bumping has been slim to none. So, with that said, I figured I'd stick to what I know....

"Hey, isn't that Green Lantern dressed up like The Riddler!"

April Fools Toy Show 2014

 

LOEB - Blue-Light Fan Boy!

Having chosen this week's topic, it's slightly ironic that I had a hard time deciding on something to write about.  Luckily for me I took some inspiration from Brian's post and am going to run with it. I bring you.....

The League of Extraordinary Bloggers: Blue-Light Fan Boy!

 

I honestly can't remember a time when I wasn't into comic book heroes, cartoons, toys, and all sorts of pop culture. Having a brother only a year and half older than me was awesome.....We dug the same stuff and had TONS of fun playing together. I can still remember some of our late night talks in the dark, each of us in our beds (we shared a room until we were well into our teens) staring at the ceiling talking about whatever it was we were obsessed with at the time. It was great fun and I truly cherish those experiences. 

With all that said I didn't really get into movies until the late 80s. Prior to that it was primarily toys and cartoons. Things changed when my family moved in 1987. We went from being a few 100 miles away from my Grandmom to sharing the same house. My brother and I acclimated to life in the city fairly quickly. You could say we picked up right where we left off with the toys, cartoons, and collectibles. We found all the closest comic stores and were off and running in no time. Aside from our favorite comic stores there was one other place we loved to go.....

 

Our weekly K-Mart trip became quite the event. My Uncle Charlie would drive me, my brother, and my Grandmom over. My brother and I would of course head straight for the toys while my Grandmom took care of her shopping. We'd always get something small like a match box car while my Grandmom would make her weekly VHS selection. This brings me to "Blue-Light Fanboy!".

 Uncle Charlie and Grandmom- Couple of characters!

The first tape my Grandmom ever bought was "Raiders of the Lost Ark". I remember it like it was yesterday. My brother and I sprawled across the carpet completely spellbound. I wanted to BE Indiana Jones in the worst way! Sure the ghosts at the end scared the living shit out of me but damn it if it wasn't worth it! The weekly movies continued on from that point. There was "Goldfinger", "Last Crusade", "Where Eagles Dare", "Rocky", and SO MANY more. Those simple K-Mart trips turned a kid with fan boy tenancies into an UBER fan for life! It was the beginning of my lifelong love for movies. I discovered some of pop cultures most legendary characters from that carpet, fresh off a trip to K-Mart. It was an overall awesome experience. Fun and exciting! I think that's a big part of what's missing for the younger generations these days. The experiences. We couldn't just press a button and stream a movie. We had to go out TOGETHER. Our friends, families, whoever, and interact. We went to places like Blockbuster, K-Mart, and West Coast video. We stopped for ice cream or donuts. We rambled away in the back seat with seat belts that only went across our waists! We not only survived but had a ball while we were at it! No one was checking a cell phone, Tweeting, Instagraming, texting, or anything else. We were in the moment. Our only source of entertainment was our buddy next to us listening while we babbled away about TMNT, our favorite ball team, or what we were gonna do outside the next day. It was fun in every way possible and I sure do miss it! Grandmom and Uncle Charlie are well into their 80s these days but we still catch the occasional movie and reminisce about those good old days that I'll never forget!

With ALL that said, I suppose it could sound silly to say you fondly remember trips to a defunct department store, but as I mentioned above they were anything but ordinary! 

Hopefully I didn't bore you to death! Be sure to check out the rest of the League's "Cool Stories!"

80s Spotlight - Black Rain

The 80s was a decade rich with cop movies. There was "Lethal Weapon", "Beverly Hills Cop", "48 Hours", "Robocop", "Police Academy" (for the lols), "Running Scared" (childhood favorite), "The Untouchables" (epic soundtrack), "Die Hard", "Red Heat", "Tango and Cash", "Turner and Hootch", and the list goes on. With all those great and memorable movies mentioned, there's one that rises to the top for me, "Black Rain". 

This movie had an amazing cast and the settings in Japan were perfect. The score by Hans Zimmer as well as "I'll Be Holding On" by Greg Allman were perfect compliments to this great cop flick. 

The movie begins with Nick (Michael Douglas' character), a motorcycle racing for cash New York cop embroiled in an internal affairs investigation into his on the job ethics. His partner Charlie (Andy Garcia) is a young, hip (for the 80s), hot shot cop loaded with enthusiasm. They make for a great pair! 

While Nick is dealing with the heat of the investigation, he and Charlie by chance witness a Japenese mob style hit in a restaurant in New York. They are able to chase down and apprehend a high ranking member of the Japanese mob, Sato. Sato is wanted in Japan for an assortment of offenses and is to be sent back to Japan. Nick and Charlie are to personally deliver him and that's when things go south....fast! They are duped before they even get off the plane by Sato's men impersonating police. Needless to say Nick is not the type of cop that takes kindly to being screwed with. They delve head first into a counterfeiting war more complex than they could have ever predicted.

It's truly a masterpiece of a movie with some great quotes from Michael Douglas that if I included would lose me my PG rating fast! The performance by the cast is outstanding. If you haven't seen this movie put at the top of your to do list! 

LOEB - My Life in One Square Foot

 

This week for the League of Extraordinary Bloggers we'll be snapping a photo of one square foot. The catch is we'll need to fill that one square foot with items that sum up our lives. I decided a fun way to approach this topic would be my life as a lover of pop culture in one square foot. Here goes....

 

Literally the first thing I popped into my frame was the MOC Super Powers Superman and my Flying Fist He-Man from childhood. Super Powers and MOTU are the first action figures I remember playing with. You could say it's where it all started. Also in this photo are two variations of Super Mario. I don't think many 80s kids can think back to their childhood and not recall fond memories with everyone's favorite plumber! I also threw in some Muscle Men. I had loads of them. Simple yet fun! Finally I popped in my Ultimate Warrior action figures (Thanks Brian!). For a few years my brother and I went through what I like to call our wrestling phase. We were obsessed and the Warrior was my favorite!

In this shot I've got some more vital pieces of my childhood. My first pocket knife (I thought I was Indy himself with that thing), Malebolgia from the 90s Spawn toy line (I had quite a collection of those but never had this guy!), a pvc E.T. (my favorite movie of all time), Ghost of Obi Wan (my love of Star Wars began in the 90s and I had loads of those figures), 1989 Batmobile (all time favorite Super Hero flick), a Micro Machice (cause they were pretty much awesome), and a ghost from the Real Ghostbusters!

Moving right along I've got a Super Powers Batman (cause he's Batman), a Dinosaurs Attack Card (we could handle the violence), my Batman watch from 1989 (that symbol was everywhere!), some Cap N Crunch cereal premiums, a super rad Super Powers ring, a pvc Alf, my R2D2 clock key chain that I had on my school bag in grade school, a Congo Taco Bell giveaway watch (there was a Taco Bell next door to the movie theatre), and my first pet Buddy's shell (he was a hermit crab)

Finally I have my high school class ring, my 1989 Toy Biz Superman (I loved that toy!), a photo of me and my bro decked out in Nasta Super Powers shades, a check list I made for the new Star Wars figures coming out in the 90s (I love that this somehow survived), a transforming box of chicken nuggets, 2 sticks of gum from about 25 years ago (sentimental value), and a foil card from a set of Spiderman cards I collected (I loved comic cards!). I probably could have jammed more stuff into this photo but I tried to stick to the stuff I remember the best and enjoyed the most! It's true, I'm a life long lover of pop culture with no signs of stopping!

Hope you enjoyed my photo and be sure to scope out Cool and Collected for the rest of this week's post. They are sure to be worth the look!

MOTU Minis!

It's official, I made my first ever purchase from Matty Collector. The little guys in the picture above are what finally broke my resolve! They represent the first toys I've purchased in a good six months that were made after the 80s! These toys are part of the new MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE MINIs line.

As a kid I always liked compact toys. This continued to adulthood and even evolved to me enjoying silly/stylized versions of my favorite characters. These 2 inch tall, top heavy toys cover all bases! A neat added bonus to the 20$ two packs is a build-a-piece for Castle Greyskull. I'm certain that when assembled, this set is gonna look sweet! I'm hoping to see another wave with perhaps a build-a-Snake Mountain? One can only dream of how awesome that display would be! 

As of this post Battle Armor He-Man and Mer-Man are sold out at Matty Collector but available at BigBadTyStore for $35 ($15 more than Matty). As for Battle Armor Skeletor and Moss Man (who's actually been flocked! How cool is that!?) they'll be available on Matty Collector on April 15. 

I'll be posting my progress as these awesome little dudes start arriving in the Nerd Nook. Stay tuned!

Nerd Nook Newbies

I'm just gonna dive right back into Nerd Nook Newbies and the logo above says it all! Yes, I have recaptured a huge part of my childhood with this one. He-Man and the Masters figures were literally the first action figures I remember playing with. Until this new addition I only had one single Masters of the Universe figure in the Nerd Nook, my flying fist He-Man. I'll never forget the day I dropped his weapon into a water trap on a golf course near my house. Who knows what happened to the shield. Regardless of him being incomplete, he's still a favorite!

For the longest time I wanted to reclaim the piece of my childhood that was defined and dominated by these muscle bound characters. I'd casually search for them here and there but would never pull the trigger. That all changed about 10 days ago when I scored this guy!

I figured if you're gonna start a MOTU collection why not dive in head first and start with non other than the Most Powerful Man In the Universe, He-Man himself! I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been walking around the house today (he just arrived in the mail this afternoon) shouting "He-man...and the Masters of the Universe!" then proceeding to sing the melody that would play in the cartoon's intro. Thankfully my wife knows the level of uber nerdyness I've achieved and loves me anyway!

Seeing this guy reminds me of great times! Times spent with my big brother and the amazing Masters of the Universe collection! The feeling I got when I pulled this guy out of the box is why I collect in the first place!

I love the pose of He-Man and the line that describes him! Iconic to say the least!

So there ya have it! My first Nerd Nook Newbies in a while was quite the jolt of nostalgia! Now I need Skeletor ;)

"He-Man guards the safety of all Eternia, his faithful allies at his side."