Fifty is on the horizon, but every day I still feel like a kid. I'm looking forward to a day out with my girl, some good eats, and fun times. First, it kicks off with my annual allotment of gifts from me, to me, for being me.
I don't tend to drift too far from Spider-Man titles when it comes to collecting comics, but this year, I did just that. Fantastic Four issue 207 wasn't a book that would have been on my radar any other day of the week. It was only has I was making my way through the chronological order of Spider-Man reading that I became aware of it. Had it just been a run of the mill team-up, I would have skipped it. However, this book features a key event in the life of Peter Parker.
Next up is a book that in hindsight, I probably would have skipped in the long run. Deadpool number eleven was overhyped by a Youtuber, which led me to tracking it down. It's unique for sure, but after reading it, it's not at amazing as I hoped it would be. I definitely won't be actively tracking down any additional Deadpool books in the near future.
The main haul that I got for myself were some straggler titles in the very few remaining cartoons of the 80's available in the US on DVD.
Pound Puppies (1986) never saw a complete series release on DVD. Instead, there were a handful of episodes originally released on VHS back in the day. In 2007, Family Home Entertainment produced a batch of DVD's that contained the original 1985 special, which got packaged with select Pound Puppies plush toys. While the disc can be found these days, it's kind of scarce in good condition. These were, after all, packaged with toys for little kids. I'm definitely glad I was able to find and nab one.
There are an abundance of Charlie Brown / Peanuts related DVD's out there. So many, that I had to take a hiatus from them after getting the main / most commonly known holiday specials. This year, I decided that I would at least grab the two 80's series which aired in syndication.
The first, The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, aired from 1983 to 1985. Over the course of two seasons, there were eighteen episodes produced, making it one of the smaller multi-season series. Unlike the popular specials, the series didn't resonate all that well with kids, which ultimately led to its low production run. It did see a bit of a revival in 1998 when Nickelodeon aired the episodes as part of its, You're On Nickelodeon, Charlie Brown umbrella.
I also picked up the 1988, This Is America Charlie Brown, which encompassed one season containing eight episodes. Unlike most Peanuts related cartoons, this one actually shows adults from head to toe, mainly because they were historical figures being depicted. This series too was aired in the aforementioned Nickelodeon series in 1998.
Saber Riders and the Star Sherrifs was a series that had been on my radar for quite some time. However, what often kept me away was its high price tag, typically around $125.00 to $150.00, as well as the overall premise. I'd be lying if I said I was in to Japanese style cartoons of the 80's. Shows like Voltron, which subsequently were the same makers of Saber Rider, never really resonated with me. Truthfully, the only reason I ended up with it now was because the seller accepted my offer of $100.00. I'll give it a try for sure. Hopefully, it hits a high note. Either way, I'm happy to have it.
Last up, in the realm of DVD, is another incredibly hard, and subsequently high priced, series, The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin. This was given a very limited DVD release from Image Entertainment in 2008 across three sets, which were then packaged together in 2009 under the title, Come Dream With Me - The Complete Series. It was released one final time, to date, in 2012 as The Complete Teddy Ruxpin Adventures. Regardless of which version you're on the hunt for, all are long out of print.
While you can find the three individual DVD sets more regularly than the box sets, only volume one is common, and as such, "affordable" (under ten dollars). The remaining two volumes can easily set you back fifty to eighty dollars each. Since this hit my radar, while I had seen the 2012 set come up occasionally, typically for close to $200.00, I had never seen the 2009 set. That is until early August when I came across one seller who not only had all the individual sets, but also the box set. I couldn't believe it when they accepted my offer of $95.00.
There's still some key titles I need to track down, but I'm honestly hesitant to get them. The biggest reason is that I know me too well. Once I finish getting everything I can from the 80's, I'll start looking at other eras. Everything is a rabbit hole.
At the last minute, I also ordered a few CD's. Frankly, I'm not surprised they all haven't arrived yet. What did show up were Janet Jackson's Control: The Remixes (1987), Icehouse's Sidewalk (1984), and Kansas's Vinyl Confessions (1982). Still in transit are Icehouse's Primitave (1982), and two albums from Sparks, 1982's Angst In My Pants, and 1983's In Outer Space.
The final item I got for myself was a log.
Hooray!
No, it's not the infamous log from The Ren & Stimpy Show. Rather, this is one of the few remaining accessories of the even fewer toys that I'm still actively collecting. Specifically, this is the break-away log, which came with the wave two Mr. Miyagi figure from the
Remco The Karate Kid line.
This is the only line I have ever actively collected piecemeal. Meaning, figures which were incomplete. Fortunately, I bought all mine prior to the boom of Cobra Kai, but even then, I had to settle for several only having their karate gi.
The accessories are sparse, at best, with wave one being the most common to find. Once you get into the second series, forget about it. One pops up occasionally, and typically far overpriced. If the timing weren't right, my birthday, I would have probably passed on this one.
I just need one more break-away fighting pole for Sato (or Chosen - it was the same piece), one piece of the seat to, or a full replacement of the break-away chair for Kreese, the stand, or a full replacement of the break-away ice, version 2 for Daniel, and the weapon on a rope which came with Kreese. Of course, all of these are from wave 2, so the challenge and hunt remain active.
I suspect when Cobra Kai ends that all the fans who jumped on these figures will start to offload them in abundance once they've moved on to the next best thing. As such, I'm hopeful that the remaining pieces will eventually come to fruition. Until then, this is what I got myself for my birthday this year.
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