The Toy Box

A Day In The Life At The Toy Box

Just another typical day at The Toy Box. Listening to music for a Retro Spin post while simultaneously working on a future toy post.

Can't think of a better way to spend a little down time.

Happy July 4th to you!

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The Walking Dead Comic Book Series Ends As Of Today

Fan of The Walking Dead? Did you get into it from the comic books, or was it the AMC series that pulled you in? Do you hate it?

Regardless of your answer, tomorrow, July 3rd, 2019 brings the last issue of Image Comics The Walking Dead to comic book racks. The series will official end with issue number 193. Being the world of the internet, the ending has already been leaked online as fans chime in with their reviews and opinions on the issue and series as a whole. I won't spoil the ending for you, but for all the hype from Robert Kirkman and crew, it's rather predictable.

I personally read the books when their published in the hardback format collection, the last being volume fifteen, which collects issues 169 through 180. As such, I'm a bit behind on the series. The question is, will they release the final volume collecting issues 181 through 193. While I hope so, I've been burned before by the comic industry.

Overall, it's been an enjoyable series to read. However, with the AMC show so derailed from the original vision of the books, and actor Andrew Lincoln leaving, it's really no surprise that Kirkman has decided to fast track the series to a conclusion. Fatigue on both the books and show have long since set in - Despite its creator stating he could, "Do 1,000 issues." While season ten has been green lit by AMC, as have three movies based on Rick Grimes, I don't personally see how it can go on much longer than that. But, I've been wrong before.

Love it or hate it, the one certain thing here is the comic series is over - At least in this particular iteration.

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Retro Spins: UB40 Labour Of Love

UB40
Labour of Love
1983

I have to be honest and say I really don't respect the band UB40. The reason for this being that they themselves, well, rather Ali Campbell, on behalf of the band is quoted as saying their music has been, "a series of compromises". Essentially what it came down to was the band continued to compromise the vision for their music because they wanted to commercialize it for radio play.

Sorry, but to me, art should never be compromised. Be it music, movies, drawings, paintings, etc. Do what you love and do it with the passion you see in it. Granted if you asked UB40 how they sleep at night making such compromises, they would probably respond in line with, "Very well on super king size beds with satin sheets." Okay, fair enough. There's no denying these compromises brought with it hits which in turn included money. Still, where's the integrity in that?

Anyway, enough beating UB40 over the head for my own moral justices. I'm hear to talk about albums. Today's just so happens to be the band's fourth studio album, Labour of Love...I so badly wanted to strike out the work "love" and type "compromises". Apparently I'm really butt hurt over here.

Labour of Love features ten cover tracks of their most favorite and influential reggae tracks which the band hand picked to rework for the album. Their plan was to use this to help commercialize reggae music across the world.

Did it work? Well, I suppose so. How many people were playing Red Red Wine when it came out in 1983? Oh, wait! Red Red Wine wasn't actually a reggae song, now was it? The track was actually written by Neil Diamond in 1967 for his second studio album and it is very much so not a reggae mix. The band had mistakenly thought the track was from Tony Tribe who released a cover of it in 1969. Oops. Oh well, that's what happens when the internet doesn't exist. No way to cross reference stuff like that.

Nitpicks aside, was the album good? Well, I honestly don't particularly like reggae music. So for me, UB40's overall plan for the album ended up sliding towards home base and much like Willie Mays Hayes came up short. I won't say Red Red Wine is the only good track as I did also enjoy Johnny Too Bad and She Caught the Train. Unfortunately though, three out of ten is a pretty bad average.

You know, at the end of the day, I paid a buck for the album and I only bought it for one song. I think we all know that was Red Red Wine. So to get a second and third track out of the bunch for me was really just a bonus.

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Thundercats - Sword of Omens (LJN)

Thundercats - Sword of Omens
LJN
1985

Equally as fun as wielding Kenner's Han Solo Blaster was LJN's Sword of Omens - The legendary weapon of the Thundercats. With its battery operated light up feature, and overall great design, kids could spend hours whipping this thing back and forth!

Sadly, I never had one as a child to do so, but it has always been a number one on my "must get" list. Unfortunately, at $250.00 to $300.00 for a loose / working one, it's also one of those, "maybe later" items.

As I was typing this post up, I actually got lost for a few minutes, just staring at the picture here. This thing is plastic beauty from tip to handle. The packaging is perfect, and seriously, can I gush over the actual sword any more than I have?

This one is definitely on my list to get prior to the end of the year.

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360° Toy Room

When I'm home, this is where I spend the majority of my time. Not a bad place to be, huh?

Why not take a panoramic shot of your toy room and share it on your own site?

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Retro Spins: Prince And The Revolution - Around The World In A Day

Prince and the Revolution
Around the World in A Day
1985

Ask any casual Prince fan if they like the song Raspberry Beret and they would probably say, "Yes." Ask that same casual fan if they like the album, Around the World in A Day, and they would probably ask, "What is that?"

It's amazing for how popular Prince became in 1984 with his (personally speaking) masterpiece album, Purple Rain, that despite this major success not too many casual Prince fans could tell you what the follow up album was to that. Well, obviously I'm talking about 1985's Around the World in A Day.

Admittedly, my opinion of any type of Prince album may be somewhat biased as he is one of the few artists I have actually kept up with and sought out / own all of his (legitimate) studio albums. Is all of his music amazing? No, far from it. However, there are many, many, many songs he has released over the span of his multi decade career which are staples in my iPod / iTunes shuffle list. He's also one of the few artists who's music I will listen to past his 1980's era.

Okay, okay, so I like the artist, but how does Around the World in A Day stand up next to his most notable albums?

Well, I like it, you know, if you didn't see that coming. It starts out with the album's title track which sets a fun tone for the album. It's followed by the track named after his home, Paisley Park and from there slows down for the ballad Condition of the Heart - Not bad, but not one of my favorites. Raspberry Beret comes next and admittedly it feels like you're listening to a whole different album. It's so different, so good and so well know that it almost feels like it was the only song truly completed and polished for release. As if the remainder of the album was built around it just to be able to put out a full record.

Don't get me wrong. I love other tracks on this album, and the following funky, Tamborine (apparently Prince didn't know how to spell tambourine), is one of them. Admittedly this particular track isn't for everyone as I can see it grating on people's nerves if they're not expecting the style of music they're about to get.

America and Pop Life are two stand out tracks which follow Tamborine. Both send a strong messages about the Country as a whole (America) as well as people's desire to have more than they do and be more than they are (Pop Life). At least those are my interpretations of them.

The album rounds out with The Ladder and Temptation. Admittedly, I don't particularly care for these two tracks.

Overall, this is definitely a Prince album worth checking out. While it's not as catchy or even pop oriented as Purple Rain, it shows he was definitely not content as an artist to play it safe and just produce radio friendly songs. Prince had a vision for his albums, and while that vision may not have been what people considered to be the best idea or concept, he stood by his work - When he wasn't just throwing out albums to fulfill his contract with Warner Bros.

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X-Men: The New Mutants (Toy Biz)

Before I jump into today's post, make sure you check out all the updates from this weekend. I posted quite a few Order of Battle posts. Additionally, the side bar at the bottom of my Blog has been updated with a link to all of my Order of Battle posts. This is more so a quick reference for myself, but also a great way for visitors to quickly check out my own personal collection as well.

X-Men: The New Mutants
Toy Biz
1998

Marvel was always on the lookout for how to expand its popular X-Men series, and in 1982, this came in the for of the New Mutants. The group made their debut in Marvel Graphic Novel, a series of trade paperback produced in response to DC's DC Graphic Novel. Issue number four to be exact.

The group's origin followed five young mutants who are just starting to learn about their powers. Each one has their own trouble past, but with the aid of Charles Xavier, are given a path to follow.

With the popularity of the book, Marvel green lit a full volume series for the team, which debuted in March of 1981. The series would run for a well rounded out one hundred issues as well as seven annuals before evolving into Rob Leifield's popular X-Force.

This however wouldn't be the last of the team's comic days under the "Mutants" banner. A second volume was published July of 2003 and June of 2004, lasting for thirteen issues. Then again in July of 2019, a third volume would run for fifty issues through December of 2012.

In between it's comic series, Toy Biz delivered a set of four action figures - Well, three actually, as one was a variant of Magik. Each figure featured the quality one would expect at this point from a Toy Biz Marvel line, and as was the case of the era, was pretty cross compatible with other comic lines from the manufacturer.

Warlock*Wolfsbane

Unfortunately for fans, the series never got rounded out with the remaining team members. It would have been great if Toy Biz would have finished what it started, and delivered Sunspot, Karma, Psyche and Cannonball.

Magik (Red Outfit)*Magik (Yellow Outfit)

Toy Biz's The New Mutants line remains yet another one of the companies numerous "mini" lines which came and went during their desperate attempt to make anything and everything Marvel related. It will be interesting to see if popularity comes back full circle on this one as the New Mutants make more and more of an appearance via television and big screens.

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