My Singing Monsters Babies Series 1 Review

Rounding out the first waves of My Singing Monsters toys, Play Monster Fun! has released MSM Babies, and they are just too cute for words... But I'll try.

The first wave has Baby Toe Jammer, Baby Dnadidoo, Baby Pompom, Baby Furcorn, Baby Maw, Baby Flowah, and Baby Mammott. They're are extremely tiny and can fit easily in your hand. They come with an egg you can also store them in. They don't make music, but they're really great if you want something to remind you of your favorite monster without taking up too much space. 

Who would you like to see in the next wave of My Singing Monsters toys? Which island do you think they should next?

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Mezco Presents Popeye and Bluto Stormy Seas Ahead Deluxe Boxed Set

The epic rivalry between Popeye and Bluto can now be brought to life by you, courtesy of Mezco Toyz.

The One:12 Collective Popeye gets a refresh. From his crisp white sailor slacks, to his navy and white trimmed shirt, Popeye looks shipshape and in bristle fashion! Included are three different head portraits: two classic One:12 Collective Popeye options and an all-new roughed-up portrait. Popeye comes complete with a wide range of iconic sailor accessories and outfitting listed below.

The One:12 Collective Bluto completes the set. Appearing like he has been hanging around the docks and is up to no good, Bluto cuts a choppy wake wearing a collared shirt over a long-sleeve undershirt, work pants, and work boots - all featuring his classic colors.  He is packaged with two head portraits displaying varying levels of brawn and brawl. Bluto is well-equipped with some heavy, real metal gear to give his adversary a run for his money.

  
THE ONE:12 COLLECTIVE POPEYE & BLUTO FIGURES FEATURE:

• Popeye
  • One:12 Collective body with over 28 points of articulation
  • Three (3) head portraits
  • Hand painted authentic detailing
  • Approximately 14cm tall
  • Seven (7) interchangeable hands
    • One (1) pair of fists (L&R)
    • One (1) pair of posing hands (L&R)
    • One (1) holding hand for spinach and compass (L)
    • One (1) holding hand for spy glass (R)
    • One (1) pointing hand (L)
• Bluto
  • One:12 Collective body with over 28 points of articulation
  • Two (2) head portraits
  • Hand painted authentic detailing
  • Approximately 18 cm tall
  • Six (6) interchangeable hands
    • One (1) pair of fists (L&R)
    • One (1) pair of posing hands (L&R)
    • One (1) pair of holding hands (L&R)

 COSTUME:

• Popeye
  • Tailored dress shirt
  • Slacks
  • Work boots
• Bluto
  • Collared shirt
  • Long sleeve undershirt
  • Slacks
  • Belt
  • Work boots

ACCESSORIES:

• Popeye
  • Three (3) hats
    • Captain’s hat
    • Sailor’s hat
    • Longshoreman’s hat
  • Three (3) corncob pipes (fit into mouth of all heads)
  • Three (3) corncob pipes with smoke (fit into mouth of all heads)
  • Two (2) spinach cans
    • Open can
    • Closed can
  • One (1) Compass (Lid opens & closes)
  • One (1) Spy glass (collapsible)
  • One (1) set of rain gear (hat & coat removable)
  • One (1) pea coat (removable)
  • One (1) duffle bag
  • One (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo
  • One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post
• Bluto
  • One (1) fisherman’s cap (fits on both heads)
  • One (1) real metal wrench
  • One (1) real metal kettlebell
  • One (1) gaff hook
  • One (1) One:12 Collective display bases with logo
  • One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display posts

Each One:12 Collective Popeye & Bluto – Deluxe Box Set is packaged in a collector friendly box, designed with collectors in mind.

The One:12 Collective Popeye & Bluto: Stormy Seas Ahead Deluxe Box Set is available for preorder at https://www.mezcotoyz.com/one-12-collective-popeye-and-bluto-stormy-seas-ahead.

Grab some spinach and help Popeye kick Bluto's butt! Then ride off into the sunset with Olive Oyl (not included) This is a great set for collectors who love to do figure photography. The potential poses seem endless. And I don't know about you, but I love the idea of having the corncob pipes. That just amuses me. 

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Coming Soon! Funko Directors - Ava DuVernay

Celebrate the Oscar-nominated and Emmy winning filmmaker who became the first black woman to have a film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards with Selma and who is the top-grossing black woman director in American box office history with A Wrinkle in Time. She has even had a collector’s edition Barbie doll in her likeness sold out in 16 minutes in 2017. Through her arts collective ARRAY, DuVernay amplifies the experience of people of color and women of all kinds on screen through her film and TV projects, including Selma, 13th, A Wrinkle in Time, Queen Sugar and When They See Us.

We don't cover a lot of Funko products, because in all honesty, they don't need the coverage, and we aren't hardcore collectors. However, this is really cool. I like how Funko is highlighting the people who help bring our favorite pop culture franchises to life. I'm also excited for them to include more female directors. Who would you like to see them make a Pop! of? And do you want us to cover more Funko products? 

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Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! 

McFarlane Toys adds to Game of Thrones line!

McFarlane Toys is expanding their GOT line again!  And, as always, they are blowing our minds with how amazing this looks.  McFarlene are known for their attention to detail, and it looks like they are continuing that with this line.  With these figures in your collection, you can remake the last season right in your own home!

Check out the press release below:

My Singing Monster Halloween Spooktacle

We're back with more My Singing Monsters. Play Monster Fun! is giving us a couple of specialty monsters. For those who don't use the app, My Singing Monsters offers different skins for the holidays as well epic and rare versions of the monsters. They make the same sounds, but the changes in look add great variety to the islands, and makes breeding more of a challenge. If you couldn't tell from the title, this time, we're getting Halloween Furcorn and Mammott. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so these made me very excited.

What do you think of these, and who do you think Play Monster Fun! should make next? Which holiday should they tackle?

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My Singing Monsters Series 1 Toy Review - Plant Island

I can't begin to tell you all how excited I am for this review. For the uninitiated, My Singing Monsters started as a mobile app. You hatch eggs, and the monsters that come out each sing a melody. The more monsters you have, the fuller the song is. There are several different islands that play different songs. It's a lot of fun, and allows for a lot fun.

LEGO IDEAS goes green with new Treehouse set!

LEGO announced their latest LEGO IDEAS set today with this awesome looking treehouse!

Kidrobot x Sanrio = Cute Scoops Ice Cream Plush!

Hold on to your hats, people, because the cuteness has arrived! Sanrio has teamed with Kidrobot to bring us Cute Scoops Ice Cream Plush. These are just ridiculously adorable. 

Sanrio Cute Scoops Ice Cream Plush
by Kidrobot

Drops Right Now at Kidrobot.com

Kidrobot x Sanrio where food meets fun! Coming with four adorable ice cream scoop flavors, the Kidrobot x Sanrio Cute Scoops ice cream carton plush lets you scoop up your favorite characters and build your own Sanrio fun! Packed with four colorful velcro ice cream scoops featuring your favorite characters Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Keroppi & Pompompurin and two cones, this plushie Ice Cream sweet treat is the perfect plush for every Sanrio fan! Fun plush to play all day but not to eat. Grab these deliciously cute stackable scoops today at Kidrobot.com!

100th Statue in the Batman Black and White Collection to be Unveiled at SDCC

If you're a collector, like statues, or love Batman, you're in for a treat. As the headline goes, Warner Bros. Products and the always great DC Collectibles will be unveiling the 100th Statue in the Batman Black and White Collection at San Diego Comic Con. This is to celebrate Batman's 80th Anniversary.

If that wasn't enough to get you excited the over 6 ft. life-size statue is designed by the one and only Todd McFarlane. I'm not going to be at SDCC, but I'm excited for this.

The rest of the press release states:

BURBANK, Calif. - (July 16, 2019) - In celebration of the 80th anniversary, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Collectibles announced today that the 100th Batman Black and White statue in the popular ongoing DC Collectibles line will be unveiled at the forthcoming San Diego Comic-Con Museum on July 17. A special over 6-foot life-size version of the Todd McFarlane-designed statue will be revealed during a special ceremony recognizing DC’s iconic Super Hero, Batman, the inaugural inductee into the Comic-Con Museum Hall of Fame. 

The milestone #100 statue is based off McFarlane’s own cover of Batman issue #423. As with the previous 99 in the series, McFarlane’s design, reinforces the core value of DC Collectibles to represent the printed page in 3D form and pays homage to Batman’s rich legacy. 

Guests of the Museum will also have the rare opportunity to see the current 100-statue series throughout the week as part of The Batman Experience Powered by AT&T at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park. Not only will #100 be revealed with its special life-size version, but #99 by Doug Mahnke will be making its first public appearance.

Following the Comic-Con Museum launch event titled, “The Gathering” which will feature a “black carpet reception,” the life-size #100 Black & White statue will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Comic-Con Museum.

“To simply be a part of the 80th anniversary of a character that has always held such a special place in my heart is an honor,” McFarlane said. “But in designing this statue I truly feel like I’m adding to Batman’s legacy and in the process benefiting a hall of fame that will become an institution both for comic fans and the San Diego community.” 

DC Collectibles will give fans even more super-sized experiences and opportunities during Comic-Con week with:

•  DC Collectibles will hold its annual panel, moderated by Samm Levine, in Room 9 on July 18 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. PT. Led by Executive Creative Director Jim Fletcher, the panel will also consist of special guests Todd McFarlane and Jake Castorena. From limited edition statues and action figures to prop replicas, busts, and vinyls fans can join the DC Collectibles crew to hear the latest exclusive news about what’s coming and how each designer turns their amazing ideas into fan-favorite items.
• DC Collectibles will once again highlight new and never before seen sculpts and figures on the Comic Con floor this year in the all new DC and WB mega booth #4545. A few of the notable items to be displayed will include:
• Batman Black and White #99 and #100
• Batman Animated: The Adventures Continue Action Figures
• DC Artists Alley: Aquaman by Chris Uminga and The Joker by Brandt Peters
• DC Essentials: Batman, Poison Ivy, Superman (Black Suit) and Bizarro
• DC Cover Cover Girls
• Joelle Jones completes her run with the beautiful Catwoman Wedding Statue
• Frank Cho takes over the line with his own take on the classic Batgirl 
• And Many More!

 Warner Bros. Consumer Products in partnership with DC, is launching a partnership with Visa and UMB Bank to bring fans a collection of Ultimate Hero Rewards credit cards. Fans can apply at the Warner Bros./DC booth and choose from several DC Power card designs that feature DC characters including Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, The Flash, Harley Quinn, The Justice League and more. Fans can also visit DCPowerVisa.com to learn more.

Cardholders can earn Ultimate Hero Rewards points that can be redeemed for exclusive items, merchandise and experiences. Additional perks include 10% off a DC Universe annual streaming service subscription, 10% off of purchases made through ShopDCEntertainment.com and 20% off Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and merchandise. Images of each card are available here.

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Across the Void - Very Mild Spoilers Review

Billed as "A visceral space thriller - perfect for fans of The Arrival and The Martian -following the sole survivor of a catastrophic accident in space that leaves her drifting in the void with only the voice of her estranged husband, a NASA scientist, to guide her back to Earth," Across the Void is written by S.K. Vaughn, which is a pseudonym for a Hollywood writer and director, with credits at Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Lionsgate. The man's clearly gotten around.

Now that I've told you what the press release says, I'll give you my version. The story is about Maryam "May" Knox, the brilliant commander of an exceptionally important space mission. She wakes up from a medically induced coma alone and with no recollection as to how she got there or what happened prior to the coma. Her only companion is the ship's AI, affectionately named Eve. Her ship is failing, resources are scarce, and she's still recovering from her coma. The bright side is she's able to communicate with NASA and her husband, Stephen (she has no memory of them being estranged). But there's much more to this story than meets the eye.

That alone would have gotten me interested in the book, but what really hooked me was how the book read. The chapters are small, similar to how James Patterson writes his books. The story jumps between the past, the present, May's point of view, and Stephen's point of view. They're all necessary to tell the story Vaughn is telling. With the exception of a few times towards the end, I was never confused between the past and the present. The book reads like a script. There are moments and chapters where visuals are so clearly defined. I can easily see where Vaughn's storytelling experience comes in.

The story itself is fairly solid. At no point was I bored with it. I was invested, and I cared what happened. However, there were some predictable moments, which were easy to suss out. One big plot twist I saw coming, and my reaction was, "Is this about to happen?" and on the next page, it did. Another add-on to that big twist, I thought, "Are the story really going to do this? I hope not," but it did a few chapters later. And then there was another moment towards the end, where someone behaved in a way I had hoped they wouldn't, but they did. A bigger plot twist would've been if the person didn't do the thing they did. Oh well. Vaughn is good at describing the more scientific and technical aspects of the story in a way that's easy to digest and understand, and he's good at putting you with the characters, and since much of the story is in space, you feel like you're there too.

There are some parts of the story that feel underdeveloped. And again, I think some of this might be attributed to Vaughn's other career. Certain relationships are clearly more contentious or complex, and the reader is able to discern it, but whereas if this were on screen, we'd be able to get more of the subtext and more subtleties of the relationships, but as this is in writing, some of it is lost, so certain developments don't feel as impactful as they could. This is especially noticeable in the end with one particular character.

Speaking of characters, I liked our protagonists. May is a smart, strong, determined, pig-headed, vulnerable character. You want her to win and survive. Stephen is very different than her, and sometimes she overpowers him with her big personality, but they clearly have a lot of love for each other. Even when we learn what led to their estrangement, you still want them to work things out, whether they reunite or are able to be friends, you just want them to stay a part of each other's lives. 

The antagonists are a little weaker. I don't think the reader gets enough time with them to truly connect with them in any meaningful way. This is especially obvious in the end. The story gets a little rushed, so the necessary character development needed to justify this person's actions never really hit for me. 

This goes back to my point about this reading like a movie script. A lot of today's action movies favor the action over the character development. That can work when you have stunning visuals, but when it's in written form, it's harder to cover up. And I prefer strong character development over crazy action any day. In book form, you can have both and should.

If you like space or thrillers or both, you'll like this. Faults and all, this story had me hooked, so grab some popcorn, a drink, and get cozy. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop. 

Across the Void goes on sale today. It's available in hardcover, eBook, and audio formats. 

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McFarlene is coming out with new Harry Potter figures!

McFarlene Toys blew us away during Toy Fair with their new figures for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! So, we weren't allowed to take any pics except for the covered up case that held the display. However, I did get permission to share details about Wave 1!

Here's the lineup for Wave 1:

Mezco Presents Toy Fair '19

Mezco has done it again! This year's showing at Toy Fair was incredibly strong. They have a ton of great things coming out, particularly in the One:12 Collective line. Personally, I'm a little in love with that Captain Marvel, but OMG! They're doing a Keaton Batman! I can't wait! Yes, I'm being extremely emphatic, but that's because I'm really excited about what's coming out. Take a look for yourself.

Other standouts for me are Scooby Doo, The Warriors, and The Living Dead Shining Dolls. How creepy and great does that Jack Torrance look? The twins look eerie, but they can also be written off as old fashioned style dolls. That Jack Torrance will mess you up, and it's all because of the eyebrows. A perfect example of why details matter. What Mezco reveals are you most excited for?


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A RENThead's Review of RENT Live or a RENTview, If You Will

Let's give a warm welcome to our newest guest contributor, Joseph Sheets! As a huge RENThead, it only makes sense his first post for us would be a review of Fox's RENT Live. 

“Tonight’s show is in mortal danger due to technical difficulties” is one of several new and updated lines which took place during Fox’s RENT Live production. Spoken by Mark Cohen, narrator of the show, the line is a grim foreshadowing about the problems that would plague the production. One of the leads had broken his foot during the final dress rehearsal, leading to Fox airing pre-recorded footage. Some people had trouble connecting to the live-stream, or had blackouts, missing the opening numbers. While unfortunate, the show did its best to recover. And though it’s more “pre-recorded” than live, it doesn’t lose any of its charm and is an absolute delight.

RENT tells the story of seven artists struggling in the Lower East Side in the early 90s. An updated version of Puccini’s La Boheme, the show is famous for its representation of LGBTQ+ characters, rock opera score, and how it handles the topics of homelessness and AIDS victims. The fact a show renowned for its grit and edginess somehow managed to air on Fox is amazing. The fact the majority of the book remained largely unchanged is nothing short of a miracle. I’ve seen a lot of hate for this production, and a lot of it seems unwarranted. Let’s break it down:

DC Comics Goes Primal!!!

Do you love DC Comics?  Do you love Funko?  Do you wish I would stop asking you questions?  Well, you are in luck on the first two!  DC Comics announced that they are releasing a 100-Page One-Shot Inspired by Funko toys!  That's right, you are getting a comic books based on toys that are based on comic book characters.  

Before you plan out your pull list, keep in mind that this is a Target Exclusive, so you will need to make two stops this week!  And when it includes the tagline of "the Joker on a Giant Lizard" and a lineup including Marv Wolfman, Louise Simonson and Jerry Ordway, how can you pass this up?!

Check out the press release, with all the juicy, giant lizard details, right after the break.

1000toys 1/12-Scale Test Body Action Figures Drop Online Jan 15th

If you're not familiar with Tenacious Toys, now is a great time to get acquainted. They're a "NYC-based online designer toy shop specializing in vinyl art toys, imported action figures, handmade resin collectibles and one-off custom toys," and their stuff is fantastic. Tenacious Toys has some of the most unique items I've ever come across. 1000toys 1/12-Scale Test Body action figures are a perfect example, and you can get a piece of the action on January 15th. 

Per the Press Release:

"Tenacious Toys has announced a long-awaited online drop of the fantastic and highly coveted 1/12-scale Test Body action figures by 1000toys & Sen-ti-nel Co Ltd.Rarely available at conventions and almost never available for purchase online, this super detailed, highly articulated 6-inch action figure is sought after by collectors worldwide.Tenacious Toys will have just under 100 units to sell at USD$80 each, with a strict limit of one per customer.Test Body figures will be available at 9AM sharp (EST) on January 15th on the 1000toys page at TenaciousToys.com"

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LEGO Movie 2 First Look at the newest Construction Set

Remember The LEGO Movie?  Everything is awesome and Will Ferrell is evil?  Yup, I do too.  In fact, I loved it so much that I still have the lego Shakespeare from that blind bag set on my fridge.  Well,  The LEGO Movie 2 is coming!  The awesome people at LEGO Group revealed a new set inspired by The LEGO Movie 2, called Welcome to Apocalypseburg. Check it out after the break.