Toy Fair 2013 Pt. 3

As far as genre shows go, one of the shows to have the very seasons this past year had to be Dexter!! And, fans of this show should love these toys and bobbleheads. A bunch of them are already out:

 

 

 

Let's be honest, here. Though useful, flash drives are pretty fucking boring looking. That was until Mimobot got into the business. They make some pretty awesome and fun ones based on such diverse geek and pop culture franshises as Star Wars, Transformers, DC Comics, and others.

The awesome BMO flash drive from this upcoming Adventure Time line is going to be limited edition, but not as limited as originally intended. Still, he is limited, so get your ass to buying him, if you see him!

Oh my fucking God! These Transformers and G.I. Joe ones maybe my fav ones out of all of them!!!

And, for my female readers, I give you some Hello Kitty! 

Unless you count pro-wrestling the only sport I watch religiously is UFC. I don't own any of their toys, but I really should. Sadly the one I won't most is no longer available. 

This variant is based on when the lovely Brittney Palmer (my fav UFC babe) worked in the now defunct WEC.

Sadly, she is sold out in both version! Shit! I didn't even they had made a figure of her!! :(

Jon Jones, one of my fav UFC fighters!!

Dear Dark Horse, please keep up with the awesome Game of Thrones statues!!!

 

Over at the Kotobukiya booth, AMAZING looking statues were at the call of the day!  

Based on the DC New 52, these statues go between 40-50 (Cyborg, the most expensive one in the the set) bucks.

 

 

 

 

 

  

The Iron Man above and below are based on the upcoming and hotly anticipated Iron Man 3!

 

And, now for something cute. I thought these killer whales were cool and adorable. Sadly, they cannot reenact the scene in Orca where the killer whale bites off Bo Derek's leg.

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Toy Fair 2013 Pt. 1

This was my 3rd year doing Toy Fair, and also the longest amount of time I ever spent there, as I ended up doing a whopping three days! Though, I must admit by day three my friends and I were kinda done with it... But, for the other two days, it was fun and great to see a lot of the toys. Here is the first of many reports:

Let's begin with some plush dolls, to show that this site isn't always blood, guts, and boobs. I must admit to loving Pokemon, back in the day. I still have a sort of soft spot for it. Enough so that I give you some Pokemon toys, from this booth, that surely will make fans of Pikachu and friends wanna "catch em all"!

 

In keeping with the cute video game theme, here is some Mario Bros. plush dolls at another booth.

 

 

 Gotta love that Bowser!!!

And, now on too some more booth specific reporting:

First off, there was the Kid Robot booth. These guys have some great high end toys. I actually left that booth wanting to buy some. Maybe I will someday. I know those of you who are fans of theirs don't need convincing to buy thier product, but here you go anyway:

 

The Cartman is based on an upcoming upcoming line, that in turn is based on a upcoming video game. The Homer is just fucking sweet!

 

One, of my favorite booths had to be The Loyal Subjects. These guys are doing awesome G.I. Joe and Transformers toys. There is no better way to get my geekgasm going, than with these two great franchises!!

 

The packaging on these little guys is similar to the classic toy packing of the Hasbro action figures. You won't know who you get when you buy one.

 But, I do know that I want the above hooded Cobra Commander!! COOOBBRRRAAA!!!!!!

Aww, Grimlock and Soundwave never looked cuter!

They ain't just doing these litte figures but tees and skateboards as well!! 

While, I don't skate, I do like skateboards. And, these are as fuckin cool as they get! Cobra Commander FTW!

 Megatron the Decepitcons' ruthless leader is one of the great shirts that they will be releasing!

I think this Soundwave one is my favorite, though. Soundwave is the communication's expert for the Decepitcons and has an undying loyality to Megatron.

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The Top 10 Opening Themes or Intros To TV Shows

Back in the 80s opening themes to TV series were at their best. These days aside from a few, like True Blood (which barely missed out from making it on this list), are pretty forgettable. These ten represent the very best, whether through their song, the narrating, or both I always fondly remember these. Enjoy and give me your favs, I would love to know what they are!



10. Tales from the Darkside- From the creepy music to the awesome and unforgettable narration this one has long been one of my favs. I find myself always, ever since I was a child, reciting it. I simply LOVE it!





9. Thundarr the Barbarian- I've discussed the awesomeness of the show, before. And, this intro with it's driving score and awesome narration freaked me out, as a kid!





8. The X-Files- This classic sci-fi/ horror show had a theme I loved humming too. The final words, like "Trust No One" and others were cool as hell. Season finales, many times had a new phrase. Even my mom would tell me how much she liked this song.

BONUS POINTS: I once heard about a stripper dancing to a remix of this song. Considering Mulder's (and David Duchovny's, the actor who played him) love for porn, that totally fits!





7. Monday Night Raw 2007- Out of all the openings for Raw this one remains the best. It summed up what was the earliest part of the the great Attitude Era. Fitting with the more aggressive violence, ampped up cursing, and in your face sexual content this Biohazard type metal song intro gets you pumped up and lets you know what you are in for.





6. Aqua Teen Hunger Force- The catchiest of all intros of the last fews years, this is one I love signing to. They have changed it as the they renamed the show. And, while that one is good, this one is still the best! By the way, a lot of the videos posted are different variations or edits of the song on youtube, so this is the best I could come up with:





5. ECW- There is no doubt in my mind that WCW & WWF/E (& TNA, currently) ripped off a great deal from the late, great ECW. Failed attempts at them bringing them back and all, nothing touches this organization. Their opening theme was hard and driving and the clips showcased the violence, wildness, technicality (of the wrestling, I mean), and sexuality of the show. I love this song so much it's on my fucking I-Pod, so that should tell you everything.





4. The Twilight Zone- Much like the aforementioned Tales from the Darkside, I knew this one's narration since I was a kid. Also, the music to me, was something I always hummed whenever something weird occurred. I think, it will always be synonymous with weirdness. And, of course, the greatness of this classic sci-fi show.





3. Batman: The Animated Series- This is one of the greatest cartoon series of all time. And, from the intro you knew it would be dark and not campy. Plus, it had the great score from Burton's Batman, whose driving and powerful sound I loved since I first heard it as a kid. Awesome.





2. Transformers (Generation 1, Season 3)- This seasons featured some of the best and worst episodes of the show. But, it also featured THE best version of the classic theme song. I simply LOVE this song!! I fucking always sing along to it, to this very day!





1. Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors- And, for the very best song. Note, I said song, NOT TV show or toon. As as show it's probably OK, at best (well now looking at it as an adult, anyway), but this song still kicks ass. It's a wonderful 80s rock tune, that you sing along and rock out to. The narration is OK, as well, I suppose. By the way, as a kid, I liked this song so much I recorded it off of the TV and on to tape. Not a joke!

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An Interview with a Photog & Graphic Designer: Alan Camuto

Alan Camuto is a both a graphic designer and photographer. Aside from being a friend of mine, I am also a fan of his work. Not only has he designed some pretty cool stuff, but he's taking some great pics. He recently launched his site, and I thought this would be a great chance for me to introduce his work, to you, my loyal readers.

In fact all of amazing the pictures accompanying this interview have been taking by him. It should give you just a taste of his excellent work!

How did you become a graphic designer?
When I was younger, I really wanted to create graphics for videos games. By the time I was 10, I had owned an Atari 2600 and a Nintendo Entertainment System. Even though graphics were still primitive, I was amazed by them. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out. While I did take two years of computer programming in college, I never developed my love for it. I always wanted to do something more visual, and at the time, video game courses and schools didn’t exist. 3D modeling was still in its infancy. So in my junior year of college, I decided to switch to fine arts and began to concentrate on Graphic Design. I never looked back.

Who are your biggest influence(s) art wise?
When I was younger, I would sit around the house and draw comic book characters all day long. Back then, my inspiration came from comic artists such as Walter Simonson and Marc Silvestri. When I was old enough to start reading Heavy Metal Magazine, I discovered and fell in love with the artwork of Olivia De Berardinis. At college, I studied the works of American Painter Edward Hopper. He painted realistic everyday life at a time when the modern art techniques of the 20th century began to flourish. I really admired Hopper for going against the grain and not changing his style. As many don’t know, Hopper was also an accomplished photographer. In general, the works of my peers inspire me to be a better photographer.

When did you notice your interest in photography?
In 2005 I began working on the photography web site of a popular photographer. After seeing his work first hand, I decided to give photography a try myself. Soon after, I purchased my first digital camera. I’ve been taking photographs ever since.

What do enjoy most about photography?
For me, photography gives me the ability to freeze time and share a moment that the naked eye usually takes for granted. This is basically what Edward Hopper did with his paintings. He took every day life and turned it into art. The only difference is that I’m trying to accomplish this with a camera.

What is your favorite subject(s) to photograph?
That’s simple… It’s New York City! This city never sleeps and there’s always something to photograph. Architecture, people, sporting events… The possibilities are endless in this city.

If you could photograph anyone who would you pick?
Since I can’t travel back in time to the 1960s and photograph Diana Rigg, I’ll have to settle for someone else. Otep Shamaya would be high on my list. Possibly a shoot of Otep in concert. I’m also a big hockey fan, and I think a photo shoot with CBC hockey commentator Don Cherry would be a real kick. The man is known for his eccentric suits and “tell it like it is” attitude. I think it would be fun to follow him around for a day taking photos. If you’re not familiar with him, look him up on Google. The man has a style all of his own!

What is your most proud photographic accomplishment?
I think my most proud accomplishment is having my photos published for the first time. A writer in Hungary saw my photographs online and approached me about an article for an upcoming issue. We spoke over e-mail and worked things out to make it happen.

What cons do you enjoy the most photography wise?
I love cars, so I think the New York Auto Show is my favorite. There’s so much to be seen there. The New York Tattoo Convention was fun. I wasn’t even thinking about going until my friend talked me into it. I brought my camera, and sure enough, some of the photos I took that day ended up being published. I also enjoy hitting the Horror, Anime, and Comic Cons. Photographing Cosplay is also a lot of fun, especially with the amazing costumes I’ve been seeing of late. This year, I’ll be attending all 4 days of the New York Comic Con. I can’t wait to see what photographs I’ll be bringing back.

What do you find most challenging about your field of work?
As with any line of work, it’s competition. In today’s world there are a lot of photographers and designers to compete against for jobs and opportunities. A lot of them are excellent at what they do, and deserve their accolades, but unfortunately the market is also flooded with “wannabes”. Learning Photoshop is only 1% of the game. You need to know design theory. It’s unfortunate that anyone can illegally torrent a copy of Adobe Studio CS5. You can’t download the title of Graphic Designer along with it.

What do you like to do on your spare time?
Besides taking photographs, I enjoy watching films, playing video games, and creating artwork.

What are some of your favorite video games, movies, TV shows, and music?
Right now I’m playing Final Fantasy XIII and the first Dead Rising. As far as movies, I’ve been watching a lot of Asian films of late. I’m a fan of Chan-wook Park and Takashi Miike. I watch a lot of sports on TV. And music… Well I like just about anything except pop and modern country music. I love Anime. If not for Akira, I would never have picked up a pencil to draw.

Where do you see yourself in the future?
Hopefully continuing what I love to do most, only on higher profile jobs. I’m expanding my horizons and moving forward with my work. As long as I’m having fun doing what I do, I’ll never give it up.

Where can people go to view your works or inquire about future photography and graphic design opportunities?
If you’d like to see more of my design and photography, you can visit my portfolio website at www.negativepop.com Visit the blog section for up to date photography postings. I also post to Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nixed/

You have read this article Alan Camuto / Cosplay / graphic designer / Interviews / NYC / Optimus Prime / photography / Sasha Grey / Sunny Lane / Transformers with the title Transformers. You can bookmark this page URL http://thestoryoc.blogspot.com/2011/08/an-interview-with-photog-graphic.html. Thanks!