Jay & Silent Bob Reboot

If I'm being honest, Jay & Silent Bob haven't been my thing since the 90's, back when I originally saw Clerks and Mallrats. After the duo got popular, mainstream, if you will, I lost interest. They were cool until everyone started talking about them. As such, both Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes have long since been irrelevant to me.

I think I vaguely remember the Jay & Silent Bob Reboot movie coming out, and no, I didn't bother watching it. Based on the reviews, it doesn't appear that I missed anything.

Awkward and unfunny in exceptionally long stretches, Reboot probably won't turn his diehard fans against him. But it's unlikely to win him any new converts either. - Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

A 3,000-mile drive that's almost entirely fueled by fan service...Smith basically just swings from cameo to cameo in the hopes that no one will care that his movie is short on actual scenes. - David Ehrlich

Ouch.

While rekindling my love for creating posts based on archiving toys, I came across this very short series of figures released by Diamond Select in 2019. The company only produced a figure based on Jay and Silent Bob, and I highly doubt they had any plans to expand beyond that.

Quality wise, they're on par with figures of the era. The package, however, seems bulky, and excessively large. Especially for what comes with each one. There is a ton of negative space in that bubble, and with no artwork behind it, it's rather dull, even ugly.

Though uncommon on secondary markets, there aren't too many buyers out there looking for these, or if there are, they aren't paying the asking prices. Still, I can't help but feel like these will eventually go the way of those Toy Biz video game figures. Wherein they sell for dirt cheap for years, and then suddenly explode in value. Maybe these will, maybe I'm wrong. I suppose time will tell.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 40

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 40
Release Date: December 1975

Highlights

• First appearance of Lotus
• First full-color appearance of the Sons of the Tiger
• Reference is made to Deadly Hands of Kung Fu 19, Fantastic Four 164, and The Amazing Spider-Man 27
• Reading Spider-Man comics with the TV on, and a Farmers Insurance commercial with J.K. Simmons comes on - Awesome!
• Spider-Man tells Sandman, "It's clobberin' time!" - Classic nod to Ben Grim, The Thing
• Death of the second Big Man, Janice Foswell, the daughter of the original Big Man, Frederic Foswell
• Nick Lewis, Jr., the second Crime Master, has to live with the fact that he killed his girlfriend, Janice, unaware she was disguised as the Big Man

Low Points

• Racist slurs in Spider-Man books is not cool

Oddities

• How many glass containers do Big Man and Crime Master keep on hand to trap the Human Torch in so that he can't flame on? We're up to two in the past two issues - the first was smashed by Spider-Man
• Human Torch leaves Spider-Man high and dry after they lose their fight against all the villains because he has a date
• No explanation for how the Sons of the Tiger got caught by the villains - They were literally with Spider-Man and Human Torch one page prior

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 39

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 39
Release Date: November 1975

Highlights

• First appearance of Janice Foswell as the new Big Man, Manuel Arguelles, and the new Crime Master, Nick Lewis Jr.
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 19, and 52
• Sandman is back, and in his classic outfit
• Classic Hostess Fruit Pies ad staring the Incredible Hulk

Low Points

• Pepita, the pigeon, takes a bullet and dies

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 152

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 152
Release Date: January 1976

Highlights

• First, and only appearance of Abraham Beame, 104th Mayor of New York City (1974-1977)
• A mysterious homeless bum hides in alleys, only to soon be running for his life proclaiming things weren't his fault - Who is he? We'll find out in a later issue
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 140, and Giant-Size Spider-Man 2
• Flash Thompson asks Harry Osborn to be his new roommate, and he accepts

Low Points

• Shocker's plan, which we didn't learn about in the last issue, is nothing more than holding the city hostage for money
• These past few issues have had no depth to them - Spider-Man is becoming a monthly serial, versus an ongoing series

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 151

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 151
Release Date: December 1975

Highlights

• Spider-Man disposes of the clone's body in the furnace stack of the incinerating plant
• Harry Osborn returns
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 46, 72, 136 and 137

Low Points

• The plot is never explained in the issue, which ends on a cliffhanger ending
• If this was the first Spider-Man comic I ever picked up, it wouldn't intrigue me enough to continue reading

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 38

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 38
Release Date: January 1975

Highlights

• Reference is made to Avengers 137, and Amazing Adventures 15
• Origin of Griffin

Low Points

• Boring story with a villain of the week
• Unnecessary goofy ending that tries to be funny, but falls flat

Oddities

• The Griffin can control seagulls?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Star Bird (Milton Bradley)

 

Star Bird
1978 - 1981
Milton Bradley

Star Bird was Milton Bradley's answer to Star Wars, Space 1999, Star Trek, and all the other far more popular movie and television based franchise toys of the era. “Fire your photon beams and hit the alien spaceship. Hear distress signals and sputtering engine sounds!” That was the shtick the back of the box promoted, and in short meant that if you had two ships, they could do battle against each other with space themed lights and sounds. Score enough points, and your ship will declare victory through another unique sound.

Micro sensors built into the Star Bird space craft were able to sense if you were raising the ship upwards, lowering it, or leveling off, all while providing accompanying sound effects. It was quite high tech for its time, especially as a kid's toy. Not only did it include laser firing sounds, but if your craft took enough damage from another, distress signals and power down sound effects would occur.

Though it assembled as a giant spacecraft, several smaller ships, including and escape pod, and interceptor fighters, were attached to the hull. The Star Bird itself could also be transfigured into a smaller fighter.

A second ship, the Star Bird Avenger was essentially the same ship as noted above, but with different bird like decals. It too contained all the features as the original craft.

You've probably noticed that each vehicle was released in two different boxes. This was most likely just a result of the line being popular enough to warrant a multiple year run, and boxes were just updated as time went by. Additionally, you may have notice the word "Space" being added before the vehicle's name as well. Again, this was most likely just a product of time, and the revisions to packaging that came with it.

The Intruder was released as the enemy vehicle to do battle against your Star Bird. It too featured lights and sounder. Packed in with it was a, "special target", a 3D satellite looking box made of cardboard.

Speaking of cardboard, the Command Base was the final piece released in the line. Though massive when put together, the main construction of the playset was, as you probably guessed, cardboard. However, it did feature some plastic parts, such as a crane, transport vehicle, and mini figures.

Much like the crafts, the base too was released in alternate packaging throughout the lifespan of the line.

It's difficult to pinpoint a price point for these toys on secondary markets because they're all over the place. One day, a complete in box / working ship (or playset) will sell for under twenty dollars, the next, close to two hundred. No one piece seems to be any rare than the other, so putting this line together shouldn't be too much trouble, if that's what you're interested in doing.

Overall, this is a pretty cool line. The technology for its time was mind blowing for kids, and they provided hours of interactive fun. It's a line I definitely recommend to vintage collectors.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 37

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 37
Release Date: September 1975

Highlights

• Reference is made to Creatures On The Loose 37

Low Points

• Von Shtupf is nothing more than a villain of the week
• The Frankenstein Monster is relegated to the background

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 36

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 36
Release Date: August 1975

Highlights

• First appearance of Ludwig von Shtupf, and Judith Klemmer
• Interesting retelling of the Frankenstein Monster's origin

Low Points

• All the build-up from Marvel Team-Up 33 and 34 turns out to be irrelevant, and we skip the conclusion in issue 35 because it doesn't even have Spider-Man in it

Oddities

• Um...Spider-Man meeting the Frankenstein Monster

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 150

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 150
Release Date: November 1975

Highlights

• Peter Parker struggles with the thought of whether he is the real Peter Parker or the clone
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 18, 19, 64, and 100
• Robots of Vulture, Sandman and Kingpin, all created by Spencer Smythe, attack
• Peter discovers he is the real Peter Parker through his love for Mary Jane - The clone would have been hung up on Gwen

Low Points

• Yet another Spider Slayer - Give it up, Smyth...They don't work
• This is where the clone saga should have ended...Thanks, 90's comics

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 149

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 149
Release Date: October 1975

Highlights

• Death of Anthony Serba, and Jackal
• Jackal knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man
• Jackal lays out why he created the clone of Gwen Stacy, being an "admirer" of her, and feeling heartbroken when she died
• First appearance, and at the time, also the death of the Spider-Clone, retconned in the 90's as Ben Reilly
• The Gwen Stacy Clone says goodbye to Peter Parker
• Peter and Mary Jane hook up in the end

Low Points

• In hindsight, it's the story arc many fans wish never happened, leading to the awful, and excessively drawn out Spider-Clone saga of the 90's

Oddities

• Tarantula, who was prominent in the past two issues of the arc is nowhere to be found in the final act

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 148

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 148
Release Date: September 1975

Highlights

• First appearance of Anthony Serba
• Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 144
• Peter and Ned Leeds start to put the clues together of how the Gwen Stacy clone came to be
• The return of the long forgotten Spider-Signal
• Jackal reveals his identity, Professor Warren, to Spider-Man

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Faith No More - The Real Thing

Many people forget that Faith No More was not only relevant in the 80's, but also had their biggest hit from their 1989 album, The Real Thing. This is most likely contributed to the fact that the album had been out for a full year before Epic finally hit the charts in June of 1990. It would just barely make it into the number ten spot in late August, and eventually make it to number nine. However, soon thereafter it would drift away amidst the bloomers of the 90's.

Falling To Pieces would eventually land on the charts and make it's way to the number forty spot by October. While it wouldn't be the last chart topper for the band, it would be for this album.

Personally speaking, for as much as I enjoy the song, Epic, I much more prefer We Care A Lot from their 1985 album of the same name, later re-recorded and added to their follow up, Introduce Yourself (1987). This may be bias though since the song references Transformers and Garbage Pail Kids. Hits a nostalgic note with me.

But, enough about songs and albums I like more. Let's talk about the one at hand.

Question - Is your impression about music supposed to be that it's, "Loud?" Cause that's my honest first impression of this album. Even though it's turned down relatively low, it feels like a wall of sound pushing against me. It's kind of unnerving. Almost uncomfortable.

The Real Thing marked a change for the band. It saw the departure of original singer, Chuck Mosley, and introduced Mike Patton as the new front man. Patton's voice was unique unto its own with the tendency to be almost nasally, powerful and forceful if necessary, but also smooth and silky when called for.

The album had some "good" points in it, despite being overly loud. Of course, Epic, is a solid tune. But so too was the title track, The Real Thing. Then there's War Pigs...

Look I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you can't improve on a cover, then don't do one. It shouldn't just be a throw away track to fill space on an album.

Overall, The Real Thing was forgettable. It's loud, it's bland and it doesn't have much to offer. Perhaps on the cusp of 1990 it was something to behold, but times have changed. Maybe it just didn't have the oomph to age well.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.