Questions About The Toy Industry

[beaker]

Nah, they air those at 4Am Sunday Morning. Though, to be fair, there's about 2 hours of bland informative programming that easily fits into the TV EI guidelines (lame career oriented shows and "what would you do" junk aimed at teens who wouldn't watch if you paid them) that airs from 7-9 before the infomercials start up, but again, that's just lipservice so they can keep their broadcaster's licenses.

I will say This television is making strides... Sunday they had 2/3ds of DIC's Sonic cartoons (why they have 2 Sonic Undergrounds, AOSTH but not SatAM is beyond me... and why they have that terrible Ghostbusters with aliens cartoon from Fox Kids warps my mind) and Weekdays they have Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff (Tuesdays and Thursdays Pink Panther)... but as for Saturdays, they have junk (minus the Busy World of Richard Scary of course... ). RTV is supposed to have old Filmation cartoons (Fat Albert especially got my attention) but my local broadcaster opts for infomercials, adding TV EI lipservice in the form of said bland programming at 11 Am weekdays when no one's watching. I just wanna know if there's some fixed price point for airing Infomercials past midnight. I'd LOVE the FCC to step in and crack down on that, but... well, I'll save my rants about that useless figurehead of an organization for another time. It IS all their fault, though.

As for the toys... Well... I will say that while well sculpted, the Sonic figures look pretty fragile. I only really wanted Sonic, Knucles, and Tails...why Tails is impossible to find kills me. And I HAVE been hearing complaints. However, I definately still want the Eggman set (wish he was sold separately) and the Vector/Espio set... other than that, there's no one else I care for (still don't get the idea of Silver the Hedgehog and Werehog). And I wish wish wish that Chuck D. Head from Decap Attack was in Sonic Racing so he'd have a figure in that series.

Other than that, the only other thing that piques my interest is the M.U.S.C.L.E. sized Marvel heroes figures. But they're too expensive and way too hard to find. Target managed to get them in for Christmas, but I'm gonna have to get some in the next few weeks before they're all cleared out.

Ha, I thought of you when I saw the Marvel "MUSCLE" little toys.

Man, I seriously remember getting up at ungodly hours as a kid. pretty much from 1981 til the early 2000's(about 20 years) I was a HUGE saturday morning cartoon fan, in particular the 1984-1990
period. Seriously, it didnt matter if it was Kid Video, D and D, Captain Planet, Wuzzles, Gummi Bears, New Ad of Pooh, Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, Alf animated, Garfield and US Acres, Tiger Sharks, Silver HAwks, MASK, Centurions, all those atari based cartoons etc. I was all over that stuff. Just an amazing amazing time. But sadly, like all good things(arcades, Kaybee, dollar theaters, old school chuck e cheese, etc) it got phased out.

Little snot nosed brats are going to bully their parents into getting them the latest mindless cartoon based sweatshop garbage regardless(im looking at you bakugan!) so what difference does it make if cartoons are made to market toys?

And how is banning happy meal toys going to make up for bad parenting. I cant tell you how many parents I see at walmart fill their carts up with huge leaders of high fructose corn syrup filled
soda, candy, and utter garbage. A happy meal now and then for good behavior is an ok thing. Shoot, Happy meal toys are a way better deal than whats at the stores.

Ha, and youre totally right...when it comes to important social, justice and financial matters the left is powerless and incompetent. But when it comes to "violent video games", "unhealthy food", and "whats good for children"...boy they sure know how to come together!

Why was it so called liberals and democrats who were the main ones pushing censorship on games, movies and music in the 90's? I thought the Democrats were suppose to be on the people's side? Look how Republicans under Bush tried to END PBS and Sesame street forever

But here's the answer: MAKE your own toys.
Take apart and examine how your favorite action figure, figurine or vinyl figure is make. Sculpt using plasticine, casteline, super sculpey, etc. Put those pieces in a bucket or small plant holder, carefully ppur liquid silicon...let it dry, and voila. Now just pour your resin, two parts vinyl, rubber, what have you(just make sure and do it outside and with supervision with someone who knows what theyre doing)

My goodness, they have printers that can print out fully painted plastic action figures now days. The possibilities are endless. We shouldnt rely on stores to carry what we want. Just make what you want

 

[Drtooth]

Little snot nosed brats are going to bully their parents into getting them the latest mindless cartoon based sweatshop garbage regardless(im looking at you bakugan!) so what difference does it make if cartoons are made to market toys?

And how is banning happy meal toys going to make up for bad parenting. I cant tell you how many parents I see at walmart fill their carts up with huge leaders of high fructose corn syrup filled
soda, candy, and utter garbage. A happy meal now and then for good behavior is an ok thing. Shoot, Happy meal toys are a way better deal than whats at the stores.

Here's the problem. We got parents that don't want to parent and kids who don't want to be kids. Action figures are cool until you're, what, 6 now? And that's a year too young for the TV Y7 rating demographic. Now kids who are 7 have to act 10 and kids who are older than 7 have to be teenagers. Then I could go into the stupid spoiled brats that have every next gen gaming system and iPhones and all that. NO ONE was buying toys for their kids... and when they do, it's ONLY the lamest new fad... Bakugan... those stupid little hamsters... the FADS aren't even fun anymore. Rubber Bands that are shaped?

Seriously, with all this whining that kids are growing up too fast, no one realizes that we push it on these kids? We sit them down to watch cartoonish live action excuses to sell bubblegum music (and pretty tasteless bubblegum at that) and subconciously tell them that cartoons are "kid's stuff." Yet the only ones that really care about cartoons are teenagers and adults. Sure, there's a LOT of adult cartoons out there, and they're ALL exactly the same Family Guy ripoff.

But above all, I hate parental groups, wheter they be on the right or the left (or the extremes of each), they HATE children, they hate having to deal with them, and they want to parent everyone else's kids. And they don't want to just demonize Toucan Sam and the Hamburgaler... they also are taking aim at ANY commercial, be they for toys and games... it's this whole idea of "Kids are so innocent" (read "complete stoopids that can't think for themselves unlike us") and they don't want to instill capitalism or consumerism in them, all the while their mom and pop take the SUV to Wal*Mart to buy discount sad medicine and sleep aids on their way to mail their Cash 4 Goldz envelope. This is a soap box I can't retire no matter how much I try. Kids aren't that stupid, adults are. And their commercials play off homophobic or fatphobic ideals (depending on what gender you are) instilling them with the idea that mass marketed medications are the solution to every problem. We're the ONLY country where perscription medicine commercials aren't illegal.

And they complain about Count Chocula and Chester Cheetah are corrupting our youth?

Ha, and youre totally right...when it comes to important social, justice and financial matters the left is powerless and incompetent. But when it comes to "violent video games", "unhealthy food", and "whats good for children"...boy they sure know how to come together!

Why was it so called liberals and democrats who were the main ones pushing censorship on games, movies and music in the 90's? I thought the Democrats were suppose to be on the people's side? Look how Republicans under Bush tried to END PBS and Sesame street forever

I hate "Will someone please think of the children!" I hate it so much. The right has been doing things I can't even say to the country and the left watches like the Woody Allen-esque wimps they are... but if some kid is eating a cheeseburger, they're up in arms. Need I say the FCC deregulation was passed from both sides BECAUSE of the idiotic strict regulations they put on kid's television that KILLED children's television? No, we can't get little Sydney's parents to get a working wage, nor can we get his school to serve actual edible food and have sports activities... but we can make it so he can't buy a candy bar until he's 18, it's in a plain brown wrapper behind the counter, and it costs 18 bucks tax included. I wish they were this organized to regulate big industry than just punishing kids and fatties.

Give kids a DECENT Saturday morning! Especially ones that don't have cable.

 

[beaker]

Here's the problem. We got parents that don't want to parent and kids who don't want to be kids. Action figures are cool until you're, what, 6 now? And that's a year too young for the TV Y7 rating demographic. Now kids who are 7 have to act 10 and kids who are older than 7 have to be teenagers. Then I could go into the stupid spoiled brats that have every next gen gaming system and iPhones and all that. NO ONE was buying toys for their kids... and when they do, it's ONLY the lamest new fad... Bakugan... those stupid little hamsters... the FADS aren't even fun anymore. Rubber Bands that are shaped?

I still cant believe most movie comic hero tiein toys just have the main character and none of the villians(ie: Iron Man 2) so odd. Btw I saw a buttload of Megamind stuff at my local TRU and thought of you. I wish I wasnt so broke id get you some. Funny they are $10, but so are the dinky little Tron figures. Whats up with that? The Megamind figures are large and detailed.
Btw, is it a good film and as good as Monsters vs Aliens?

I was hanging around my friend today and her little 3 year old...and man, he was so estatic playing around outside. Marveling at the cloudy sky, the grass, being so happy just to be alive and seeing wonder everywhere. It's sad how people lose that sense of play and imagination so quickly. And how many kids are just holed up inside all day in front of the tv or playing dang video games all day. When I was a kid, I loved my cartoons and nintendo, but half the time I was OUTSIDE playing with kids.

But yeah, sadly kids are exposed to the latest cgi filled movies and games...so its like a kid sees an old nintendo game or 80's puppet animatronic fantasy movie, and its like "ugh, this is boring!" then again kids lose attention span over even the latest whiz bang stuff. So many spoiled kids have a whole side of their room where there toys are pushed to the side, cuz mommy and daddy cater to the kids every whim. Im so glad I was raised poor, on thrift stores and the occasional new toy.

Also, toys should be enjoyed forever, way past 7. The 1990's bulldookie notion of "keep figures carded and MOC!" is so lame. I always open up my figures, display and occassionally play with em...and Im almost 33!

Yet the only ones that really care about cartoons are teenagers and adults. Sure, there's a LOT of adult cartoons out there, and they're ALL exactly the same Family Guy ripoff.

Im all about edgy subversive humor, but Family Guy goes into truly abhorrent and obscene material. Im almost embarassed over the obssession of having Muppet cameos in there. I cant stand Seth Mcfarlane's work now

and they don't want to instill capitalism or consumerism in them, all the while their mom and pop take the SUV to Wal*Mart to buy discount sad medicine and sleep aids on their way to mail their Cash 4 Goldz envelope. This is a soap box I can't retire no matter how much I try. Kids aren't that stupid, adults are. And their commercials play off homophobic or fatphobic ideals (depending on what gender you are) instilling them with the idea that mass marketed medications are the solution to every problem. We're the ONLY country where perscription medicine commercials aren't illegal.

Well look how so many of these families just forcefeed all that horrible high fructose soda and junk food down their kids throats every day, while the kid has to endure the parent's endless arguing. So many people having kids that shouldnt have kids...go to any Walmart and observe the lowest rungs of humanity at work. And the way the powers that be like to push harmful powerful SSRI and uneccesary vaccines on kids, no wonder so many kids have health and mental problems(not to mention the GMO stuff in food) I cant stand the weight-ist stuff tho, its so schizoid. One minute its "America's top next model and Biggest Loser, coming up! And now a commercial for the new triple cheeseburger, only 99 cents!"

The right has been doing things I can't even say to the country and the left watches like the Woody Allen-esque wimps they are... but if some kid is eating a cheeseburger, they're up in arms. Need I say the FCC deregulation was passed from both sides BECAUSE of the idiotic strict regulations they put on kid's television that KILLED children's television? No, we can't get little Sydney's parents to get a working wage, nor can we get his school to serve actual edible food and have sports activities... but we can make it so he can't buy a candy bar until he's 18, it's in a plain brown wrapper behind the counter, and it costs 18 bucks tax included. I wish they were this organized to regulate big industry than just punishing kids and fatties.

The left has become so pacified, while the ruling Democrats are just as bad. I laugh in the face of liberals who thought Obama was "Change"...unless they consider Obama robots murdering innocent Pakistani civilians every day and backing down on gay rights to be "Change". Obama is proving to be just as much of a warmonger as the Bush junta, and has shown to be a coward when it comes to civil liberties and rights. And now look how pretty much going to the airport means getting sexually violated in the name of "homeland security".

The problem with food is balance. The powers that be put so much harmful stuff in our foods(I dont know if its to save money or keep the population dumb) as well as people have no balance or self control. Hence health issues from food.

Give kids a DECENT Saturday morning! Especially ones that don't have cable.

I agree. Imagine how nice it woulda been if everyone coulda seen Fraggle Rock in the 80's, not just rich kids.

Kids need that saturday morning cartoon ritual. I wish you were a little bit older, as I swear that whole 84-90' saturday morning cartoon era was pure magic beyond imagination.

Now, most cartoons are just ugly cheap flash animation. And people make fun of 80's animation, ugh

 

[Drtooth]

The left has become so pacified, while the ruling Democrats are just as bad. I laugh in the face of liberals who thought Obama was "Change"...unless they consider Obama robots murdering innocent Pakistani civilians every day and backing down on gay rights to be "Change". Obama is proving to be just as much of a warmonger as the Bush junta, and has shown to be a coward when it comes to civil liberties and rights. And now look how pretty much going to the airport means getting sexually violated in the name of "homeland security".

The problem with food is balance. The powers that be put so much harmful stuff in our foods(I dont know if its to save money or keep the population dumb) as well as people have no balance or self control. Hence health issues from food.

I wouldn't consider anything his fault since the country has become so intensely right wing being a moderate means being far far left now. How much change can you get from someone who's too busy trying to keep the side that hates him from hating him he can't do anything with his own side? I dunno about you, but he's faring EXACTLY as well as I expected him to. Pass one or two watered down pieces of easily overturned legislation that does barely anything, but it's still something. I dunno about you, but I'd hate to have the job of someone who has to clean up after the wars of a spoiled brat moron drug addict legacy trust fund baby of an oil baron. I do agree, like everyone else on the left, they're ALL cowards. Face it, America doesn't like you... oh wait... no... America is TOLD by rich neoconservatives not to like you. I'd HATE to be a democrat in the age of Fox News' fatso talking heads. If anyone on the left said anything to the extent that Glenn (danger to himself and others) Beck said on the left, they'd get fired, blacklisted, and called a fruit cake... that is if anyone even bothered listening.

I hate the fact he can't do anything better with the Middle East than slowly and painfully pull out of Iraq like a glacier and stay in Afghanistan forever. But what are you gonna do? John McCain wanted to stay in Iraq indefinitely, and mark my words, if he WAS president, we'd be in Iran and Yemen by now. Gay rights? That's political suicide for some reason. The left is too afraid that they'd lose votes to religious types that obsess about ONE passage that's buried in the appendix of the bible. Apparently when a celebrity says something bad about gays, they're ostracized and blacklisted... but if a politician or talking head says anything homophobic, they get elected/a billion dollar book deal.

The best way out of the Middle East is to build a time machine, and give Russia Afganistan, and let Iran keep the hostages. Everyone wants to blame Obama for everything, when frankly, everything is the fault of everybody's hero Ronald Reagan, who's administration helped Sadam come into power to fight the Iranians, who then SOLD weapons to them to give to far right drug smugglers to fight against far left drug smugglers. The corporate factors keeping any change down are HUGE. Anyone who thought Obama could wave a magic wand and the tax burden would fall onto the rich, we'd be out of war with no consequences, and jobs would fall from the sky was fooling themselves. And the worst part is, now any small, tiny, and barely significant but much needed change has been killed by Tea bags that STILL think an almost conservative president is a far left Marxist so they can let the big fat corporations rule their lives, and give their jobs to ungrateful foreign companies so everything can be made for pennies, but still cost the same so they can all buy everything at Wal*mart and moan and whine about how they have no jobs. Then they fight against social security and unemployment for future generations.

In short, you've got people who are either too cowardly to change anything, and stone cold sell outs who would have everyone sell their organs to the wealthiest .0001% for nickles just for the fun of it... and kickbacks. I'm going with the cowards.


Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest. These people WANT seeds of discontent so the right will vote for the far right and the left will vote for green rainbow that has no chance of winning and only takes votes from the lesser of two evils.

 

[beaker]

I wouldn't consider anything his fault since the country has become so intensely right wing being a moderate means being far far left now. How much change can you get from someone who's too busy trying to keep the side that hates him from hating him he can't do anything with his own side? I dunno about you, but he's faring EXACTLY as well as I expected him to. Pass one or two watered down pieces of easily overturned legislation that does barely anything, but it's still something. I dunno about you, but I'd hate to have the job of someone who has to clean up after the wars of a spoiled brat moron drug addict legacy trust fund baby of an oil baron. I do agree, like everyone else on the left, they're ALL cowards. Face it, America doesn't like you... oh wait... no... America is TOLD by rich neoconservatives not to like you. I'd HATE to be a democrat in the age of Fox News' fatso talking heads. If anyone on the left said anything to the extent that Glenn (danger to himself and others) Beck said on the left, they'd get fired, blacklisted, and called a fruit cake... that is if anyone even bothered listening.

I hate the fact he can't do anything better with the Middle East than slowly and painfully pull out of Iraq like a glacier and stay in Afghanistan forever. But what are you gonna do? John McCain wanted to stay in Iraq indefinitely, and mark my words, if he WAS president, we'd be in Iran and Yemen by now. Gay rights? That's political suicide for some reason. The left is too afraid that they'd lose votes to religious types that obsess about ONE passage that's buried in the appendix of the bible. Apparently when a celebrity says something bad about gays, they're ostracized and blacklisted... but if a politician or talking head says anything homophobic, they get elected/a billion dollar book deal.

The best way out of the Middle East is to build a time machine, and give Russia Afganistan, and let Iran keep the hostages. Everyone wants to blame Obama for everything, when frankly, everything is the fault of everybody's hero Ronald Reagan, who's administration helped Sadam come into power to fight the Iranians, who then SOLD weapons to them to give to far right drug smugglers to fight against far left drug smugglers. The corporate factors keeping any change down are HUGE. Anyone who thought Obama could wave a magic wand and the tax burden would fall onto the rich, we'd be out of war with no consequences, and jobs would fall from the sky was fooling themselves. And the worst part is, now any small, tiny, and barely significant but much needed change has been killed by Tea bags that STILL think an almost conservative president is a far left Marxist so they can let the big fat corporations rule their lives, and give their jobs to ungrateful foreign companies so everything can be made for pennies, but still cost the same so they can all buy everything at Wal*mart and moan and whine about how they have no jobs. Then they fight against social security and unemployment for future generations.

In short, you've got people who are either too cowardly to change anything, and stone cold sell outs who would have everyone sell their organs to the wealthiest .0001% for nickles just for the fun of it... and kickbacks. I'm going with the cowards.


Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest. These people WANT seeds of discontent so the right will vote for the far right and the left will vote for green rainbow that has no chance of winning and only takes votes from the lesser of two evils.

I agree that Obama has been pinned down, just like most of us easily predicted: Made extreme ineffectual and marginalized. A Jimmy Carter type figure. But if Bush could pass laws above the heads of people, I dont see why Obama cant take a stand, say 'screw it', and pass laws that help people or this country.

Yeah its really gone from annoying to just abhorrent with how the Republican/Tea Party side has sidelined everything. :Health care for people? Health care for wounded vets? Why, that's communism/socialism! And we dun wan that!" Even the left doesn't buy a lot of what Democrats say, but man...the amount of brainwashing that goes on, and how gullible people on the conservative side are. Gosh bless em, they probably mean well, but they sit and listen to Rush and Beck all day, and then try and spout this stuff...you know Rush and Beck just sit there laughing their buts off when their off air, making all this stuff up.
Its like if the Onion ran fake right wing news and people bought it. But its also dangerous, as Ive heard Rush flirt with saying he wants a return of segregated buses and Beck saying some awful things. Then ya get a nutjob who sprays up a gay accepting church or clinic, saying he was inspired by a Fox commentator and somehow the commentator feigns ignorance. We roll our eyes at the overprotective leftist yuppy parents for wanting to ban happy meals, but it's certainly not a luaghing manner when
right wing groups are able to take away gay rights, send kids to die for lies, destroy and gut the mental health care system and poverty assistance, etc. There vision for America is so warped, is so unfriendly and ultimately will destroy the lives of even the conservative base that voted them in.
Think about this...why are so many poor people voting convervative(and struggling working class conservatives) when they are the ones who got screwed by the corporate greed system ran by the right?

 

[Drtooth]

I agree that Obama has been pinned down, just like most of us easily predicted: Made extreme ineffectual and marginalized. A Jimmy Carter type figure. But if Bush could pass laws above the heads of people, I dont see why Obama cant take a stand, say 'screw it', and pass laws that help people or this country.

The funny thing is, you're second paragraph answers your first one. If he were to do anything, and I mean anything, they'd second guess him within a heart beat. Oh, sure, I'd love for him "That's it... we're getting the crap out of Iraq, so you little wimps that hated Saddam so freaking much better get off you're lazy fat butts... and I'm raising the heck out of taxes for the oil companies and war profiteers who made a mint off the last 8 years! And I actually firmly say NO MORE OCEAN DRILLING!" That would be a wonderful world if Obama had the same reckless abandon that Bush had and actually got things done. But then again, he tries oh so hard to pander to the same people who think he's Hitler for coming up with Healthcare and threatening to make big business play by (GASP) rules. Not to mention said big fat media forces that over accentuate ANYTHING he does in a negative light.

Seriously, as soon as he got elected, there were about a thousand "He's a Commie" books written by greedy Dr. Nick type quacks. And the gullible public bought it.

Yeah its really gone from annoying to just abhorrent with how the Republican/Tea Party side has sidelined everything. :Health care for people? Health care for wounded vets? Why, that's communism/socialism! And we dun wan that!" Even the left doesn't buy a lot of what Democrats say, but man...the amount of brainwashing that goes on, and how gullible people on the conservative side are. Gosh bless em, they probably mean well, but they sit and listen to Rush and Beck all day, and then try and spout this stuff...you know Rush and Beck just sit there laughing their buts off when their off air, making all this stuff up.
Its like if the Onion ran fake right wing news and people bought it. But its also dangerous, as Ive heard Rush flirt with saying he wants a return of segregated buses and Beck saying some awful things. Then ya get a nutjob who sprays up a gay accepting church or clinic, saying he was inspired by a Fox commentator and somehow the commentator feigns ignorance. We roll our eyes at the overprotective leftist yuppy parents for wanting to ban happy meals, but it's certainly not a luaghing manner when
right wing groups are able to take away gay rights, send kids to die for lies, destroy and gut the mental health care system and poverty assistance, etc. There vision for America is so warped, is so unfriendly and ultimately will destroy the lives of even the conservative base that voted them in.

I could go hours about this. I really could. People LOVE bully politics. They love to be treated like big pampered babies having people tell them what's good for them so they don't have to actually USE that brain in their heads. They listen to PAID opinions from the right. When the left does it, they FAIL. Remember Air America? That was a good 2 weeks, right? They couldn't compete with the onslaught of books, local and national radio hosts, television personalities, and information deprived blogs. I love that irony. The very same weak, pathetic, voiceless blogs that the left tried to make to get people to NOT vote for the same Neo-Con(Victs) bit them on the butt with louder, backwards, nasty flaming vomit that keeps the establishment well fed. Essentially, we're getting people TOLD that anything that's out to help them is terrible, but we should ALWAYS keep the rich rich and have the poor go off and die in some quagmire they have invested in. These are the SAME people who said "Anyone who doesn't wanna go into Iraq and everywhere else the Muslins are is just as bad as the terrorits! Peace Symbol = footprint of the American Chicken. Praise Reagan!" And people are still listening to that?

I try hard not to have problems with conservatives, but it's a TALL order. I love how peace protests (and the corrupt cops that beat those people into submission) were GREATLY ignored by the media, but we have 5 minute nightly segments on how we LOVE the far right ill informed Tea Party. We can't even make fun of them. Marvel made a comic mocking their mob rule ways and had to rescind it because they cried their eyes out. You can't even mock Fox News because they're so "Patriotic" that insulting them makes you a brainwashing liberal whatever. Look what they did to Sesame Street. These are the same people who tried to keep left wing free speech silent, but WE have to listen to them non stop? To say nothing of Fox actually sponsoring them.

 

[beaker]

It is funny how the anti war protests were ignored by the media, but even the smallest "Tea Party" protest gets major coverage. Its the ultimate Stockholm syndrome with how they protest the very health care proposal that poor/struggling rural folk like themselves have been wanting. Also, they seem to only be anti establishment when the other party is in office.

But getting back on track...other than ebay, which can run up a lot of money, you know where the best place to randomly find toys is?
Good will and thrift stores, as well as flea markets and garage sales. You'd be amazed what you can find.

 

[Drtooth]

It is funny how the anti war protests were ignored by the media, but even the smallest "Tea Party" protest gets major coverage. Its the ultimate Stockholm syndrome with how they protest the very health care proposal that poor/struggling rural folk like themselves have been wanting. Also, they seem to only be anti establishment when the other party is in office.

I'm also sure that no one was paying attention when these people where trying to succeed from the union when Obama got elected. I think we should have let them. They made us all consider moving to Canada when their guy got wrongfully elected once and elected based on homophobia the second time, but I'm not going into it.

I love how they always get the clean, articulate people to go on news programs and interview shows to say they aren't all a bunch of nasty 50 year old white racists from Podunk towns, when that's like a good fraction of their base. I could go on and on about them, I really could. But anyone who questioned Iraq 8 years ago almost got sent to Guanotanamo.

ANYWAY:

I still cant believe most movie comic hero tiein toys just have the main character and none of the villians(ie: Iron Man 2) so odd. Btw I saw a buttload of Megamind stuff at my local TRU and thought of you. I wish I wasnt so broke id get you some. Funny they are $10, but so are the dinky little Tron figures. Whats up with that? The Megamind figures are large and detailed.
Btw, is it a good film and as good as Monsters vs Aliens?

I found a small corner with that stuff... it looks pertty good, and I might just try to pick up one of the 2 minifigure packs. Maybe the action figures if they go down a good price. It's good looking stuff, but I can't even remember what it was sandwiched between that I almost missed it. Still, I really wanted to get one of the little Yellow minion things from Despicable Me somewhere. I only found a plushy at a seasonal arcade, it cost several hundred tickets for this dinky little bean bag sized thing... AND they ran out of them. I agree, this movie merchandise stuff is a crapshoot. Still, there was no excuse for Disney to not further produce any Up figurine sets. They had them, they made the molds... they could still have a limited edition set as an onlie exclusive if needs be. And they could literally build a storage house for all the G.I. Joe movie stuff OUT of G.I. Joe movie stuff. I keep forgetting there WAS a movie.

 

[Starchamberfall]

Thank-you for your thoughts on childhood and the toys of 2010, Drtooth.

I think...what was going to be freeing has become leveling - leveling things out, creating a more (not less) rigid society and I mean the ideal of no ideology: let everything flow, like electricity, and we'll all be better off. The flow will take care of everything. People did think that early on in the twentieth century. I think we have all thought it somehow, sometime.

What we ended up with is: money, science and technology. Those are the ideology. They (particularly money) take no prisoners. Man is for sale.

Anyway, for toys, action figures especially, what we seem to have now is too-polished product, dreams come true for cash, and there is less and less left of what made toys so cool from the fifties through the early eighties: slight quirkiness. Edges are the edges of -something. When all the edges go you've got nothing.

Too, the money thing is leaving fewer and fewer niches - little worlds inside our world - such as 'toyland.'

The Muppet Show itself was great primarily because it wove the magic spell of place. Succeeding projects after the Muppet Movie, which is one of the great films of the twentieth century, don't seem as succesful in creating a (new) place. Maybe movies were just not made for Muppets?

 

[Drtooth]

Anyway, for toys, action figures especially, what we seem to have now is too-polished product, dreams come true for cash, and there is less and less left of what made toys so cool from the fifties through the early eighties: slight quirkiness. Edges are the edges of -something. When all the edges go you've got nothing.

Too, the money thing is leaving fewer and fewer niches - little worlds inside our world - such as 'toyland.'

Also... we have to take into consideration that kids can't be kids now. We have too many people basically just rushing kids into their teens (I feel that's completely unhealthy). Kids DO NOT want toys anymore, 20 year old geeks do. You're seen as a baby if you have toys meant for 8 year olds at age 8. Kids want only the expensive gaming products and gadgets. And that hurt the toy industry in 2 ways, I think.... firstly, when the economy was "good" parents spoiled the crap out of their kids and maxxed out their credit cards. Thus, people stopped buying the smaller, cheaper little toys, and they fell through when we were TOLD the economy was good. And of course, I already said the second one... toys are seen as something for kids and kids don't want to be kids anymore. Same thing that's partially killing the animation industry.

And there are so few licenses out there. I only see the same movie stuff, and it has to be the blockbuster stuff, since TRU has stuff like Megamind exclusively (selling like hotcakes, I might add), and EVERY store I know is desperately trying to get rid of their A-Team stuff. Sigh... if only they did A-Team TV show figures as well... And the wrestling toys... thousands of them. I am kicking myself for not getting Captain Lou and Andy Kaufman... but other than the classics kine, there are just SOOOOooo many different figures of the same guys. Not a huge wrestling buff (and I wish Ultimate Muscle did that good), but even I think an entire wall of similar merchandise is a bit much.

I almost cried a tear of happiness when I saw Phineas and Ferb stuff. A COMEDY cartoon with MERCHANDISE? Surely... surely it can't be true. The last time I saw that was the impossible to find Mattel Cartoon Network line! If only there were more cartoons out there that could have this sort of treatment... If only there were more cartoons PERIOD!