Authentics Elita-1 (2025)

A generation or so ago, most toys came from one of five major retailers: Walmart, Target, Toys"Я"Us, Kmart, and KB Toys. Any toys sold outside of those "Big Five" were thus often referred to as "market six" toys. While many of the toys sold in these retailers were the same toys found elsewhere (sometimes well after those toys had disappeared from the "Big Five"), Hasbro would even create the occasional toy specifically intended for these more obscure venues. Fast-forward to today, and the reality is that three of those "Big Five" no longer even exist (well, as we established a few weeks ago, there is a Toys"Я"Us operating again, but it's really not the same company), and so the term "market six" became less and less accurate, and finally seems to have fallen out of use. 

Batman #457 (1990) and 35 Years of Tim Drake as Robin

In the over 85-year history of Batman, there have been many partners who have taken on the identity of Robin. While the original, Dick Grayson (who was introduced only a year after Batman himself), will probably always be the most well-known (despite now having spent almost half of his existence with a different identity entirely, that of "Nightwing"), the third Robin, Tim Drake, may well be the next-most popular. Tim's tenure as Robin, itself, is now 35 years old,^* and it's time to recognize this achievement.

Happy Halloween with Casper - "The Friendly Ghost" (1945)

If you're reading this on the day it drops, it's Halloween, but how to celebrate? Sadly, there are only so many appropriate Transformers to cover (that last one was, admittedly, a stretch), and I really want to focus on something fun rather than creepy. 

It turns out that Casper, the Friendly Ghost, is just about to celebrate his 80th birthday! Casper first appeared in a cartoon entitled (appropriately enough) The Friendly Ghost, which first appeared in theaters on November 16, 1945 (oddly, a couple of weeks after Halloween!). Also, conveniently, this short is in the Public Domain, so I can safely drop the whole thing right here and not worry about whether or not my usage qualifies under Fair Use doctrine:

Voiced by Walter Tetley (better known to many as the voice of Sherman from the Peabody's Improbable History cartoons that aired alongside Rocky and Bullwinkle), Casper was intended just to be a one-off, but proved so popular that he went on to star in dozens of further cartoons, and I don't think I'm exaggerating to say literally hundreds of comic book stories! Other cartoons often followed much the same plot as The Friendly Ghost. Casper is a lonely ghost, who struggles to make friends because nearly everyone he meets runs away in fear. Eventually, Casper finds another lonely soul, perhaps in danger from some persecutor from whom Casper is able to save them, and the cartoon ends with a new friendship forged. Why Casper always seems to be lonely again by the time the next cartoon begins is never addressed, and it's best not to think about it too hard. The later comic stories tended to give Casper a far more stable social life.

Whatever your Halloween plans, have a happy and safe one!

Jeffrey Prime (2016)

7 years ago, we said good-bye to Toys "Я" Us. At that time, I picked up this toy, a Japanese-exclusive, one of the surprisingly-few examples of a Toys "Я" Us-branded Transformer item, as a memento of the chain. It has hung quietly on a hook on my computer desk ever since. I never really intended to keep it in its package. I seldom do, anyway. Toys are meant to be played with, as I often say. But this toy is more of a symbol, certainly. So, for 7 years, it just stayed on the hook....

...Until now.

The Wild Wild West Comic Mini-Series (1990)

Before there was Legend, there was The Wild Wild West, a melding of western and spy genres that aired on CBS from 1965 to 1969. Its popularity was so great that it not only spawned two "reunion" specials (one in 1979, and the other in 1980... and there might have been even more if one of the leads didn't unexpectedly pass away the next year) and a theatrical spin-off starring Will Smith in 1999 (which wasn't generally well-received, but was responsible for rescuing a damaged historical locomotive engine. I say more about that here), but also a couple of comic book series. There was a series published by Gold Key in the '60s, which I've never seen, and a more recent comic book mini-series published by a company called Millennium in 1990, which is what I'll be talking about here.

Thrilling 30 Sandstorm (2013)

About mid-way into 2013, Hasbro started (perhaps prematurely?) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Transformers franchise (which started well into 1984) with what they called the Thrilling 30. Toys were released as part of already-established Generations line, revisiting characters from all of the various aspects of the franchise to this point (not just "Generation One," although it's undeniable that those characters were given a bit more attention than other specific lines that came later, and which had been on toy shelves more recently).

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the JSA's "Next Generation" (All-Star Comics #58, cover date February, 1976)

In previous entries referencing the Justice Society of America, I've discussed how the group, which originated in the few years before World War II, fell out of favor in the years immediately after the war, but had started to make return appearances a decade or so later, especially alongside the Justice League of America. These "Crisis" appearances became an annual tradition for many years. However, it wasn't until 1975 that the industry's first super-hero team made a comeback in a comic book devoted specifically to them. In fact, All-Star Comics, the book which originally featured the JSA, itself was brought out of cancellation, with the first "next generation" issue of All-Star Comics being given issue number 58, as that would have been the next issue All-Star Comics in 1951 if DC hadn't decided to rename the whole book as "All-Star Western" (removing the JSA in favor of Western stories) with #58 at the time. 

G1 Strafe (1987)... and a Few Namesakes

If you were to ask most Transformers fans, specifically ones who have followed the franchise during the 1980s and have continued to do so to this day, to name all of the G1 combiner teams, the odds are reasonably good that they can remember all of them (and even if they somehow forget the Pretender Monsters or some groups of toys that never came out in the US, they're all-but certain to identify all of the "Scramble City" teams, as well as Devastator and Predaking). That said, even those fans are likely to stumble if you ask them to name all of the combiner team members, especially those who came out after 1985. The reason for this is apparent enough. While the combined forms, themselves, likely were featured on the popular cartoon of the era, the members often were only name-checked once, if at all. Thus, an individual like Strafe, whose G1 package art is seen here to the left, is frequently forgotten....

Fraggle Rock Happy Meal Toys (1988)

Dance your cares away! Worries for another da-a-ay!

(Be honest, you just sang that, didn't you?)

Almost from the time the Fraggles first hit television screens in 1983, they were incredibly popular. The adorable puppets^*, infectious music, and whimsical stories became "must-see" viewing for many of my generation (perhaps despite being available only on HBO, then still only a cable service that subscribers had to pay to receive).

Celebrating National Video Games Day - Quarter Arcades Ms. Pac-Man (2020)

I sometimes quip that anyone can call anything a "National Day" at any time, and it becomes so. While I definitely don't take these so-called "holidays" very seriously, they do at least provide excuses to feature relevant items here from time to time. Thus, when I learned that September 12th is "National Video Games Day" (note the plural, as at least one source suggests that the singular "National Video Game Day" is July 8th, just in case you needed another reason to recognize how silly this stuff is), and apparently has been since at least 1997, I decided that this was a good time to feature my favorite video game, Ms. Pac-Man (strangely, for the first time ever on this blog).

Legacy Jhiaxus (2022)

The third time, as it happened, was indeed the charm.

The first official Jhiaxus toy, which I reviewed a dozen years ago, was a repaint of a Beast Machines figure, and looked nothing like the character created for the Transformers: Generation 2 comic book, either in form or coloration. But even though it was little more than a name slapped on a seemingly unrelated figure, the fact that the comic had already been ancient history for a decade at that point meant that few Transformers fans ever expected to have another opportunity to see the character in toy form, so we snatched it up.

Atari 2600 Pac-Man revisited (Pac-Man 8K homebrew and upcoming official 7800 releases)

In the past few years, I've gotten more involved in retro video gaming than I've been in a long time. One of the main catalysts of this resurgence was the release of the Atari 2600+ in late 2023. For those unfamiliar with the plus systems, the 2600+ and its later cousin, the 7800+, are consoles designed to resemble their 1980's-era namesakes (they're slightly smaller in total size), and to play original cartridges on modern TVs using HDMI (original consoles have to be modified to play on modern TVs, having been designed in the era of CRTs). Since then, I have been buying up and playing quite a few old cartridges, and my collection now is probably larger than the one my family had back in the 1980s (some of which my brother, who lives in the house I grew up in now that my parents have moved elsewhere, still has).

Mock Game Show: Pointless

Especially in the years since COVID-19 lockdowns, I've found myself gravitating to British game shows that are available to me despite living in the United States. One such show, Pointless, has been running for over a decade now, despite being all-but unknown here. 

The premise is that, before the show, 100 people are surveyed with questions. Unlike Family Feud, they're not looking for opinions, but rather how many of those 100 respondents can give correct answers. The contestants on the show are then asked the same questions, and seek to respond with answers that the fewest survey respondents could get right. Points are awarded for each respondent who got it right. For example, if asked to name a capital city in Europe, you might answer "Paris" (the capital of France). In the case of this survey (conducted in the UK), 98 people in the survey said "Paris," meaning you'd score 98 points, which really isn't very helpful, since that's practically everyone. But if the contestant instead tried something more obscure like "Stockholm" (the capital of Sweden), the score would be a much more attractive 30 points, since only 30 people in the survey could come up with the more obscure answer. What you really want is an answer like "Sarajevo" (the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina), because that answer is both correct and one that no one in the survey group could come up with, rending it "Pointless," not only scoring zero points, but adding money to a jackpot that can be claimed by the winners.

But beware! If a contestant gives a wrong answer, they're hit with the full 100 points representing the entire surveyed group. Lowest scores win.

If you'd like to see the actual show, you can find an assortment of episodes at either YouTube (free) or BritBox (if you have a subscription). (I'm assuming a US audience. If you're lucky enough to live in the UK, you can get everything for free with iPlayer!)

When I was asked to help close out the college year with a game the faculty might play along with, I had to adapt the game play of Pointless a bit to accommodate an auditorium of potential players, but the basic rules are the same. You can watch the video below. The first several questions even come from books published for UK Pointless fans, while the last couple come from surveys we conducted at the college. I hope you enjoy the game!

Transformers: The Last Knight Cybertron (2017)

While I'll never be a fan of Michael Bay's live-action interpretation of the Transformers franchise, I've had little trouble accepting that the popularity of those movies has meant that a lot of toys got released that would never have been done, otherwise. This toy is an excellent example. While it's true that the mold already existed (and has already been featured here), released back in 2006 as Primus, this 2017 repaint was created simply to meet the increased demand for toys that came out of the then-latest feature, The Last Knight. Specifically, this toy was released under a "Mission to Cybertron" banner as a Toys"R"Us exclusive.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Skeletons in the Closet

"Skeletons in the Closet" was the twelfth and final episode of Legend, and first aired on August 8th, 1995. It was written by David Rich and directed by Steve Shaw. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

Super Powers Collection Firestorm (1985)

Kenner's "Super Powers Collection" line of action figures certainly weren't the first superhero action figures. Companies had been doing such toys for literally decades by the time the Super Powers figures started to come out. But, speaking only for myself, most of those older toys only vaguely resembled the characters they were intended to represent. The Super Powers toys looked like they popped right off of the comic book pages! Although I only had a passing recognition of the comic books themselves when the line first hit shelves in 1984 (I was more familiar with the Super Friends cartoon at the time, but did start collecting comics only a year later), this immediately drew my attention.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Clueless in San Francisco

"Clueless in San Francisco" was the eleventh episode of Legend, and first aired on July 25th, 1995. It was written by Carol Caldwell & Marianne Clarkson and directed by Charles Correll. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Fall of a Legend

"Fall of a Legend" was the tenth episode of Legend, and first aired on June 18th, 1995. The teleplay was written by Ron Friedman from a story by Bob Shane, and the episode was directed by Michael Vejar. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

Mock Game Show: Zoom Family Feud

As long-time readers already know, I'm a big fan of game shows, and over the years have accumulated not only a significant collection of physical game show home games (many of which have been featured here in the past. Just click the "game shows" label on the right-hand sidebar to see them), but computerized front-ends that allow me to host games as well. I've gotten a few of these on video to show off. This particular edition of "Family Feud" was hosted as part of a college kick-off event held online during COVID lockdowns a few years back. I pitted the STEM department chairs against the Humanities department chairs. 

How did it work out? See for yourself!

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Revenge of the Herd

"Revenge of the Herd" was the ninth episode of Legend, and first aired on July 4th, 1995. It was written by Tim Burns and directed by Bob Balaban. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

Newage The Legendary Heroes H42EXR Shean (Red Version, 2022)

Starting in 2018, Newage Toys (originally styled as "New Age," but the one-word form seems to be in consistent use today) has quickly become one of the more popular third-party (that is, unofficial) alternatives to Transformers toys from Hasbro and/or Takara. Newage has released a few different lines of transforming robots, catering to different sizes and aesthetics, but perhaps their most popular line is "The Legendary Heroes," which replicates a wide variety of characters and toys homaging the original Transformers line (now often called "Generation One") in a smaller scale. For example, Shean, which is patterned after "Generation One" Mirage (but in a red color scheme from Mirage's pre-Transformers days as a Diaclone toy), is just 3 inches tall in robot mode.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Bone of Contention

"Bone of Contention" was the eighth episode of Legend, and first aired on June 20th, 1995. It was written by George Geiger and directed by Charles Correll. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: The Gospel According To Legend

"The Gospel According To Legend" was the seventh episode of Legend, and first aired on June 12th, 1995. It was written by John Considine and directed by Michael Vejar. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

Crisis on Infinite Earths: 40 Years Later

So, generally, when I want to celebrate an anniversary, I make an effort to post pretty close to the actual date of the anniversary. In this case, I wasn't back up to speed on blogging when the anniversary of the first issue took place in January, but since it was a year-long event, I'm going to assume this is still a timely discussion.

In Memory of Peter David - Star Trek: Once a Hero (1991)

Last week, the world learned of the passing of writer Peter David. David was probably best known for his work on The Incredible Hulk, but for me, he was one of the absolute best writers of Star Trek novels and comic books of the late-20th century. In that vein, I can think of no better tribute to pay to him than to review the very last Star Trek comic book he wrote as part of a long run as the book's regular author (not the last such comic he ever wrote. Just his last as the regular author): Star Trek Vol. 2, No. 19, cover dated May, 1991. The title of the story is "Once a Hero!"

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Knee-High Noon

"Knee-High Noon" was the sixth episode of Legend, and first aired on May 23rd, 1995. It was written by Steve Stolier & Frederick Rappaport and directed by James L. Conway. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: The Life, Death, and Life of Wild Bill Hickok

"The Life, Death, and Life of Wild Bill Hickok" was the fifth episode of Legend, and first aired on May 16th, 1995. It was written by Peter Allan Fields and directed by Michael Caffey. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Custer's Next-To-Last Stand

"Custer's Next-To-Last Stand" was the fourth episode of Legend, and first aired on May 9th, 1995. It was written by Bill Dial and directed by William Gereghty. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Legend on His President's Secret Service

"Legend on His President's Secret Service" was the third episode of Legend, and first aired on May 2nd, 1995. It was written by Bob Wilcox and directed by Michael Vejar. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Mr. Pratt Goes to Sheridan

"Mr. Pratt Goes to Sheridan" was the second episode of Legend, and first aired on April 25th, 1995. It was written by Michael Piller & Bill Dial and directed by William Gereghty. You can watch the episode via Amazon Prime Video or DVD.

The Memoirs of Nicodemus Legend: Birth of a Legend

When I first started blogging 20 years ago, it was almost entirely a coincidence that I did so concurrent with the then-10th anniversary of UPN's Legend starring Richard Dean Anderson. As I made plans to restart the blog, I decided that one way to celebrate was by doing a review of each episode of Legend, to be released on the 30th anniversary of that episode's premiere. Thus, today, I'm celebrating the first episode of the series, entitled "Birth of a Legend," which first aired on April 18th, 1995. The episode was written by Michael Piller & Bill Dial and directed by Charles Correll.

Before I begin, I'd like to share this link, wherein I review the series as a whole, which I did 15 years ago, on the occasion of Legend's then-15th anniversary (wow!). The reviews I'll be doing on this occasion will focus on specifics relating to each episode. If you'd like to see the episodes, yourself, they are available via Amazon Prime Video. A DVD is also available.

Naming Conventions and Death in Paradise

Whenever we travel to Northern CA, and specifically when we visit the house where my Dad grew up (in which his sister and her family still live), we drive up Aguilar Drive. This is a point of contention for my family (which is not named Aguilar), because it was my grandfather who built the first house up that way, and who created the road now bearing the other family's name. When it comes down to it, the Aguilars simply thought to give the road a name before my family did.

Comic Feature: Last Days of the Justice Society Special (1986)

The Justice Society of America (JSA) was introduced nearly 85 years ago.

A touch over mid-way through that time, in April of 1986 (just over 45 years after their debut, and almost exactly 39 years ago at the date of this posting, for those who care about the math), a comic book was published that was intended to be the very last JSA story.

In 1986, DC Comics had recently finished publishing Crisis on Infinite Earths, a now-legendary story that was intended to both revitalize and streamline their fictional universe. In this new, streamlined, universe, the powers-that-be thought that the Justice Society, a group of superheroes (indeed, the first, ever superhero team) created in the days shortly before America entered World War II... no longer fit. 

Toxitron Collection Cloudcover (2023) and the "Lost" Generation 2 Toys

So, it's been a couple of years, but I'm back with a semi-regular posting schedule. I'm hoping to have at least a post a week for the time being, although posts won't always go up on Fridays so that I can properly recognize anniversaries and such on the proper date. Also, I'm trying to be a bit more diverse than just writing about Transformers for the time being (although it did seem appropriate that my first post in so long should make clear that Transformers will remain something this blog should be known for). You'll see what I mean as more posts appear in the coming weeks.

Watch This Space...

The past few years have been pretty chaotic ones. The pressures of moving forced me to pull back on my writing and posting a few years ago (and I've moved again since then!). But even though blogging is considered more and more archaic all the time, writing remains a form of self-expression I enjoy.

So, when I realized that the 20th anniversary of my first blog post (back when I did them at Transforming Seminarian) was coming up in April, I decided that this was a good time to get back into the habit of regular posting. But I'm not quite ready, thanks to current work pressures and other commitments, so I'm looking through the archives, and posting links to old posts that I think still hold up after all this time (and, sadly, I see that there's quite a lot that doesn't... I guess that's what 20 years of growth means, though, so I guess I won't complain) over on my BlueSky account. You're welcome to follow me over there. Subscribe to @gbblackrock.bsky.social. A new link to an old post will go live every Friday between now and the anniversary in mid-April.

In the meantime, I'm making plans. By the time the anniversary comes around in April, there will definitely be content here. Another thing you might look forward to in April is "JSApril," a podcasting and blog event celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Justice Society of America, the very first comic book super team. You can see a list of participating podcasts and blogs (including this one!) listed at https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jsapril/.

See you then!