Needless Things Podcast: Episodes 2 & 3

I’ve got some catching up to do.

A clearly distraught Director Faber pointed out to me the other day that I have not been posting new episodes of the Needless Things Podcast here on the ESO Network page. At the time I couldn’t remember why, so I just told him that I’ve only actually done two episodes and it’s not like I have the manliness or intestinal fortitude to produce multiple podcasts in a single week like he does. I’m lucky if I can muster the will to crank out one every six weeks.

Which is why I am only now producing my third episode since the beginning of 2013.

Needless Things Podcast Episode 2: New York International Toy Fair 2013

I suppose every one of these podcasts is going to include a certain amount of drama and stress. If I could just record them and then shoot them out of my computer and directly into your brains I would be extremely happy.

As I stated last time, I have no schedule for these things. If there’s something I feel like I can record a show about,. I’m going to try and do it. And I definitely felt like Toy Fair was something I could record a show about. I’ve been following Toy Fair for fifteen or so years now and providing coverage of one kind or another for maybe five. Every single year me and my toy dork buddies end up discussing the reveals at length and the obvious next step was just to record one of those conversations and then upload it.

Easy, right?

HA , HA, no.

Needless Things Podcast Episode 1: Masters of the Universe 30th Anniversary

Inspired by my work with Director Faber, Mike, Bobby, and the multitude of fascinating personalities that are part of the Earth Station One network; I finally had to do it. I made my own podcast.

Toy Review – Masters of the Universe Classics Draego-Man By Mattel

Dragon*Con starts this Thursday (or Wednesday according to some), so let’s kick off the week with a review of a dragon! Er, a dragon dude. Dude dragon. Whatever.

It’s been a while since I’ve said this, but I had no intention of buying Draego-Man.

Don’t get me wrong – he looked like an awesome figure. I just didn’t feel like he quite fit the Masters of the Universe Classics aesthetic, despite having quite a few farmed parts. I also wasn’t too crazy about an all-new character with no established place in the mythology.

Toy Review – Marvel Select Black Widow (Disney Store Exclusive) By Diamond Select Toys

For the most part I avoid Marvel Select figures. They’re too big, they have weird articulation, and often they don’t even look very good.

Why are they so big, anyway? Who at Diamond Select Toys decided they wanted to make a line of figures that was not compatible with any action figures that have come out in the past… ever? It’s like DC Direct deciding their larger clothed figures were going to be thirteen inches rather than a standard 1/6^th scale. What a stupid decision. I still think that’s why that line failed. They were good figures (except for the females all having massively oversized mammary glands), they just looked too odd next to all the other figures of that size.

So aside from the Marvel Zombies figures, Uatu the Watcher, and an Ultimate Thor I got on clearance I don’t have any Marvel Select.

Toy Review – Back to the Future Part II: DeLorean Time Machine By Diamond Select Toys

I hate to start this review on a negative note, but there’s no getting around the false representation involved in this toy. The box proclaims it to be the time machine from Back to the Future Part II. It is not. If it were, the tires would fold down for a flight mode. They don’t.

I’ve been pretty excited about this toy ever since Diamond first announced it. I’m 36 years old, so the Back to the Future trilogy is somewhat sacred to me and the second movie will always be my favorite (though the third is kind of special too since it was one of those rare movies I saw with my dad). And besides the nostalgia and just general high quality of the franchise; who wouldn’t want a toy of that DeLorean?

 

Toy Review – Star Trek: USS Enterprise Retro Playset By Diamond Select Toys

There has been a fairly massive resurgence of Mego-style action figures over the last several years. We have gotten Real Ghostbusters, Venture Bros., Universal Monsters, and even Doctor Who! I have a fondness for the 8″, clothed figures because the Megos were some of the first toys I had when I was a kid. Maybe I’ll post a little bit about that later in the week.

There’s one line in this resurgence that caught my attention when it was first announced but that I never bought anything from – Star Trek.

When I first saw the reproductions in Previews I thought they looked awesome, but I wasn’t in the market for a new line to collect at the time. Every successive release has tempted me, but I knew I would be getting into a whole new world of toys if I got started. I mean, it’s not like you can just buy one member of the crew and call it a day. I almost gave in when Diamond solicited the reproduction of the original Enterprise playset by Mego.

Toy Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder By Playmates

So Shredder, Skeletor, and Cobra Commander walk into a bar.

They all go, “Ouch,” because their stupid minions failed to move the bar like they were told.

I guess that probably wasn’t even funny, but it was in me and I had to let it out. If somebody else can come up with a better variation on that one feel free to post in the comments.

Toy Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Foot Soldier By Playmates

I think Shredder’s minions might be the most consistent out of all the Ninja Turtles characters. They’re bug-eyed ninjas. Always.

Yeah, the Turtles are always green guys with headbands, but they have varied a lot in size, shape, color, and ocular detailing. Shredder is always a guy with blades stuck to him, but that design has looked a whole lot different every time we’ve seen it. The new Splinter is about as different as that rat has ever looked and they had to go and make him look like a badger to change him any.

Toy Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kraang By Playmates

I first saw this figure displayed along with the rest of the new TMNT toys back in February at Toy Fair. I was glad to see that Krang was still around, but this time in a more streamlined robot exoskeleton that was much more reminiscent of the TGRI aliens from the Mirage comics than the giant baby in sunglasses that the cartoon Krang used to roll in.