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Monday 25 February 2013

On my Travels This Weekend

On my travels this weekend..... Anyone remember the GoBots????

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GoBots were Tonka toy's version of Hasbro's Transformers.
The toy's were produced from 1983 to 1987 until Tonka was brought out by Hasbro.
The figures came in 2 different size 2-3 inch's of which the figure in the above pictures comes from and 5-6 inch figures.
I seem to remember that the figures were not as well made as Hasbro's transformers but after finding this Scooter figure at the weekend I am not so sure they were.
The pictures are of the actual figure I found and it is very well made and very heavy for it's size.
Hasbro in the end took some of the good names and characters and mixed them in to there popular Transformers toy line, The most famous of which was the rock lords which were stones that transformed into robots and back again.
Sadly there was no comic book for the GoBots  but  there was a comic book strip that appeared in then 1980 relaunch of The Eagle comic called Robo Machines which featured the GoBot Characters. 

Friday 22 February 2013

Is 2000AD still a Great British secret????

When I was a kid my mum use to take me to the newsagent every Friday after school to get a kitkat and a comic book to munch and read in front of the TV before bed time.
Most of the time I would go for a copy of anything UK Marvel had done, this was the mid 1980's and there were loads to choose from be it Transformers or Action Force or even Spider-Man and Zoids it was mainly down to what was going on or who was on the cover to which I would choose but from time to time my eye would catch the cover of the 2000AD sat usually on a higher/different shelf to the other comics this was because it was aimed at an older age range then the UK Marvel. Sometimes I would even pick it up only for my mum to say "your not having that one it is to old for you" At this time I would only have been between 7 to 10 years of age so I would put have to put it back. For years I wondered what this Judge Dredd was doing in this fabled 2000AD comic I was never allowed to get.

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Above is the 1st issue I ever read.

One day I was at a friends house I i noticed in the corner on the bottom shelf of a book shelf two masive stacks of comics and when i say massive there were hundreds of issues from Marvels Rampage and Fantastic Four and of cause 2000AD's.
My friend was not a big reader and it turn out that his dad had saved these from the tip that he work at so a deal was done and one swap of some transformers for all the comics and they were mine. After getting them home safe and stored in the only hiding place that is best for comics under the bed next to the sling shot and pee shooter over the next couple of weeks the 2000ADs were read as all the best comics are under the duvet by torch light and that was it me hooked and have been on and off for the last 20 or so years.
No to sure what the one thing is that I was hooked on about the comic I found most of the stories very good from Judge Dredd or Rogue Trooper to Strontium Dog.

  2000AD was first published in 1977 (1st issue cover date is 26th Feb) put together by two comic freelancers Pat Mills of Battle picture weekly fame and John Wagner at the request of Kelvin Gosnell of IPC Magazines to produce a sci-fi comic to jump on the band wagon of all the up and coming sci-fi movies of the time. The two came up with the title 2000AD a very futuristic name for a comic at the time which no one expected the comic to run as long as the tittle inferred.
The first issue was a Dredd free zone as the concept had not been hone in time for the first issue so 2000AD started out as a vessel to relaunch Dan Dare of The Eagle fame who IPC at the time owned the rights to with Judge Dredd appearing in the 2nd issue.
Over the 35 years plus 2000AD has prided itself on its ability to keep up with pop culture have great characters and stories which are laced with black humor and Irony. 2000AD has hone the talents of some of the best writers and artist on there way to stardom over the pond in the USA.
Writers and artist such as Alan Moore,Neil Gaiman,Grant Morrison,Mark Miller,Frank Quietly and Garth Ennis to name but a few all started out in comics on 2000AD or its spin off's Starlord or tornado .
The thing is over the years I have gone from just a reader of comics to a seller/comic book geek as well and over my time of selling I must have had my hands on most of the printed issues/Progs there is and looking back at my sales there has been less the 10% gone to the US which I find this as a bit strange.
I am not sure that the US is aware of this comic over there and looking at the forums on www.comicbookrealm.com and www.comicbookpriceguide.com when the subject comes up it is all about Judge Dreed this and Judge Dredd that.With the release of the new movie and the launch of  IDW comics
Judge Dredd the interest in him is on the high again.

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But nothing about the comic where he started which I can't understand. from me I love these comics as much as the DC and Marvel and all the different Indie tittles that come over from the US.
Maybe it's the size of the comic I mean they are twice the size of your normal US comic so I could see that storage would be a problem you would have to have a system that would fit magazines as well as comics but
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in my honest opinion I like the size of them the art work looks better in larger panels.
the comic porgs numbers are now up to 1820 and is in it 36 year still going strong and it is a shame that it is not better know over the pond and it will soon start to get harder to get back issue as the paper it was printed on is not the best and it is a shame that 35 years plus of this mega British comic will be lost to US comic collectors.
Or maybe I have it wrong maybe there is a hardcore group of 2000AD fans across the pond but I doubt it if I am wrong the pleas comment and let me know which issues you have or have like to read and which character you have enjoy.


I am also in the next couple of week putting about 1500 back issue in to my store on ebid so here your chance to see what you are missing




Thursday 21 February 2013

A few More Mini Marvels

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My finds of the week.

Just thought I would show off some of my finds of this week  photo 3269535c-1830-465f-a5ee-ade786b1bb86_zps5a606270.jpg
 First up is a Dalek Supreme from the Character Building Mini Figure range. This figure is one of the 10 figures you can get from series 2 of the range.
I Love these little figures that come in blind boxes and packet not sure why but I always have.

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Also found this week is a Heroclix of the DC Comic new 52 Batgirl and Nightwing.
This figure is from the Heroclix 10th Anniversary range.


Also acquired this week is Alan Moore's From Hell graphic novel.
This book has always been on my hit list but have never been to happy about paying the £25 pound asking price but as a thank you for hard work over xmas my work provided me with some amazon voucher and it was rude not to get this well if someone else is paying.......


And last but not least we have some bargain ebay buys The Uncanny X-men #124,133 and 136 all key issues in very fine condition at bargain prices very nice indeed.


So all in all a nice few items garbed this week. Also calling all 2000AD fans I will be listing below on my ebid.net store so take a look if you are interested.

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Wednesday 20 February 2013

Some Trailers For Amazing upcoming movies

First up is the latest trailer for the up coming Man of Steel film. This re-boot is said to be DC new hope for battling Marvel a the Cinema.
The New Superman has been said by many to be the stepping stone for DC to go forward with a Justice League of America film to rival the next Avengers movie. so everyone over at DC are fingers crossed that Zack Snyder turn at Superman is a massive hit.   


Next up is Oblivion starring Tom Cruse.This Sci-Fi is taken from a yet to be released graphic novel writern by the films director Joseph Kosinski.
The film is set in the future the Earth has be evacuated after war with an alien race had made the planet unlivable Tom Cruse is sent down to Earth as a kind of clean up guy (bit like a human Wall-e) but everything down on planet Earth is not what it seems.  



and last up for the time being is Cloud Atlas.
Sorry guys but i Know nothing of this film other then it has a massive cast of stars including Tom Hanks and Halle Berry and is set over 6 different eras with interweaving plot lines.It also looks visually stunning.  




Monday 4 February 2013

Sorry for not posting sooner.

First off I would like to say sorry for the lack of posts through January.
It has been one hell of a busy month in the real world.
So this post is a bit of a catch up post of the things that I have missed since Christmas.
This is a heads up this post will features some spoilers. 

First off on December 26th 2012 we saw Amazing Spider-Man #700 hit the shops.
This issue was the last Issue of the long running main Spider-Man series.


ASM #700 bring to a close the longest running Spider-Man comic with the sort of Death of Peter Parker slash mind swap with Doc Ock. To me this just does not make sense to me. Marvel say they have ended Amazing Spider-Man to bring us a new Spider-Man in the new Superior Spider-Man which is part of the new Marvel Now range which is there reaction to DC Comics New 52 range.
I am yet to be convinced that we have seen the last of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book range and maybe it is the cynic in me but I see this as just a money spinner for Marvel.
The comic sold out super quick and was nearly double the cost of a normal issue plus it ran with 9 variant covers which is a nightmare for the completist having to buy all 9 issue of one comic and then there is the fact that 2 of the variants are now valued at £159 ( 1 in 150 Joe Quesada sketch variant) and £318 (1 in 200 Steve Ditko variant) show how much of a money spinner this would be for Marvel.

Talking of comics that have numerous variant covers I have only just read issue #100 of the walking dead.


I have been a long time fan of the sitcom with zombies and this issue is a key turning point taking place just after the group had got to Washington and it was exposed that Eugene was not who he pretended to be the group had mixed with survivors from the Washington area which are split into 3 groups two peaceful and one not unlike the Governors group way back in Woodbury. 
  Rick and the gang had help one side but it cost them to loose Abraham.
Glen and Maggie Now in the Family way decide they wan't to leave to group to move to the other camp as it had better prospects so Rick decide to escort them on the journey.
On the road rick and the gang run into Negan and his group. This group is the bad guy group that would rather bully and brutalize the others to get what they want. Negan rounds up Ricks group and for revenge after Rick and his gang had help kill so many of his gang in a previous attack Negan promises that he will kill one of Ricks group to force them to work with his group.

Negan singles out Glen and in a very short 2 pages of the comic he beat him to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbwire. Glen who is on of the longest running characters after Rick himself dies screaming Maggie's name.
With all the characters that have been killed off in this comic Glen's death is way up there as one over the most moving.
Meanwhile over on the Walking Dead the TV series season 3 is living up to its hype.



So far i have watched up to the 7th episode and am hooked again.
This season we have seen the group find the prison the death of Lore the birth of  baby Julie the arrival of Michonne and the Governor and in the last  episode we will see the appearance of  Tyreese.
I have stopped getting cross with the fact that different people and and events seem to turn up and happen out of order to the comics and am just now interested on how things are going to turn out.
Meanwhile over on the Green Arrow.

This TV series started out with a bang loved it but now it is starting to bug the hell out of me.
The concept was great loved the fact that the thing that happen to Oliver on the island would come through in drips and drops and was looking forward to seeing how they would bring though characters from the DC Universe but one of the things that bug me is that this series is made by and aired on a teen channel in the US and not only that but one that is more popular with girls then boys. There seems to be more and more of Oliver without a shirt on working out then there needs to be. The other thing is I have been a massive Deadshot fan for years.


Be it from him popping up in Batman,Checkmate or the Suicide Squad I am a big fan of Floyd Lawton and was over the moon to have him as a side mission of the last Batman Video game and was excited to hear that he was going to be in Arrow until I saw the episode he was in. MAN what a let down.


First off compare the 2 pictures which looks more bad ass? The red and silver with the masked face of the comic book or the over size eye scope and black leather of the TV series? and why the hell has the rifle got a telescopic site on it if he has that massive eye scope?
The TV series produces missed a trick in my opinion I mean Floyd Lawton should have stuck around a lot longer then one episode and the way he met his end was so poor I could see it a mile away.


Where else would you get an arrow through other then the massive eye scope.
And just cause I can here is the Rock steady version of Deadshot.


Moving away from comic books and TV me and my son aged 6 have found a new passion. We both lover our comic book and our Video games and we have found the perfect thing for both.


This is Amazing you have to try it. Both myself and my son gave each other a sideways glance when we were given it but we tried it and we both love it.
Sod ya Wii fit board would should all play this for 30 mins it is way more of a fun work out.