Toy industry trade magazine Toy Directory has an article discussing how action figure sales are declining even as the blockbuster films they’re based on are more popular than ever: Action figures in the doldrums Aside from the usual “kids don’t want plastic replicas, they want interactive experiences” discussion (which is true, and when combined with […]
Not exactly news: action figure sales are declining
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How Young Travellers are Embracing Technology
Going on holiday today is simply not the same as going on holiday twenty or thirty years ago: everything has changed. Technology has streamlined the way you make choices when you travel, changing the way you pick destinations, how you get there and where you’ll stay. The popularity of aggregate user-based review sites has made… [read more]![]()
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New Look At The ThreeA 1/6 Scale Iron Man Prototype
Back in February when ThreeA first announced that they would be collaborating with Marvel Comics to produce 1/6th scale action figures, many collectors didn’t know what to think. Was it a dream come true? Or was it a real nightmare? We have already seen one brief image of their first figure, but now that the […]
Action Figure Fury - A Toy Blog with Toy News, Action Figure News, Reviews, and Guides
New Look At The ThreeA 1/6 Scale Iron Man Prototype
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New Look At The ThreeA 1/6 Scale Iron Man Prototype
Back in February when ThreeA first announced that they would be collaborating with Marvel Comics to produce 1/6th scale action figures, many collectors didn’t know what to think. Was it a dream...
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[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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11-19-13 Galaxxor Release
Ben Spencer has a new Galaxxor release coming up next Tuesday, November 19th 2013, at Noon CST. It features a wide array of Galaxxor figures. Amongst those are a few one-off prototype Megakeshi 5.5" Galaxxors (each with 3 interchangeable heads, including one by Matt Doughty) running $90.00 each. There will be a large selection of […]
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COMMENTARY: Not Your Average R/C Toys
Give a child a R/C controller, and he or she will be occupied for hours, steering or flying whatever device it is around the room or outside. Give a child an iPhone and chances are your contacts will end up being deleted, you’ll be left with 350 pictures of the inside of your little boy [...]
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The Funniest Comics I’ve Ever Read Humor and comics go...
The Funniest Comics I’ve Ever Read
Humor and comics go hand-in-hand, with major titles such as Hawkeye and She-Hulk blending superhero action and comedy in a witty way. And while I could easily name some bigger/mainstream titles right off the bat that may already be known to feature jokes and one-liners, I’m not going to do that.
Instead, here’s a list of the funniest alternative comic books I’ve ever read, mostly outrageous from the plot alone. Keep in mind these are solely from what I’ve read and humor is a totally critically subjective topic, but I still expect some disagreements.
Hit the jump for some comedic comic recommendations.
The Scott Pilgrim Series
Okay, I know a bunch of people have read this series and it’s pretty widely known that Bryan Lee O’Malley is a hilarious guy, but there’s no way in Hell I can just not include it on this list. The Scott Pilgrim series is one of the funniest comic books ever created, hands down. It revolves around an awesome 23-year-old dude, Scott Pilgrim, who falls for fashionable girl named Ramona Flowers and ends up having to defeat her seven evil exes to be happily bonded together.
It’s got some amazing style and humor. It’s almost disguised as a manga, with black and white (color editions are out now from Oni Press) coloring and huge panels, similar to comics done on the east side of the world. It’s also got great wit throughout and a ton of homages to numerous video game series and heavily relates with awkward nerdy kids. Surely one of the funniest comics to ever hit store shelves.
Hark! A Vagrant
New Yorker cartoonist, Kate Beaton, has created one of the funniest webcomics created, Hark! A Vagrant. This terrific comic literally teases every era of western civilization through humorous historical parodies with the wittiest jokes ever placed inside of a panel.
The comic has given Beaton four Harvey awards in the past, including wins in the “Humor,” “Best Cartoonist,” and “Online Work,” categories. Famous characters and events in both history and literature are parodied and poked fun at, providing some hard laugh-out-loud moments. I haven’t read much funnier than Hark! A Vagrant.
Bighead
Bighead is a parody of superhero comic books and characters, created by comic author, Jeffrey Brown. Unlike most of Brown’s early autobiographical work, this is a narrative revolving around a superhero who simply has a huge head and strong emotions.
It’s full of clever cliches and hilariously weird villains, such as Bullman, a villain with a bull’s head and a wrestler’s outfit who is an “icon of senseless male aggression,” and Tsunami, a fat man who controls water who Bighead eventually defeats by literally soaking him up with a sponge. It’s a super fun read and has some of the best one-liners I’ve read in any comic book, providing some clever social commentary and superb retro superhero action.
Brown released two books with Bighead: Sulk Volume 1 and a stand-alone graphic novel based on the character, both published by Top Shelf Comix.
King City
Brandon Graham’s King City is everything Scott Pilgrim could have been had Bryan Lee O’Malley decided to expand his universe into every which way possible. It’s super wonky and futuristic, giving an alternative feeling of punk-rock style visuals and a super cartoon-feel.
Absolutely nothing short of fantastic, King City is also one of the most amusing comics I’ve ever had a chance to come across. The story revolves around a thief named Joe who’s also a cat master, which is a being who could control the power of cats, injecting it with different needles in order to get specific tasks done. It’s insane.
Joe and his cat, Earthling, live in a city similar to New York or Tokyo, entirely populated by ninjas, spies, thieves, ghettoes, weird drugs and crazy hideouts. There’s also a guaranteed pun on every single page of this book. King City is a reflection of literally everything Graham can associate his art with, so it’s totally bananas and seriously hilarious.
All 424-pages of King City were published by Image Comics.
The Amazing Screw-On Head
Between B.P.R.D. and the Hellboy series, Mike Mignola did a one-shot comic book called The Amazing Screw-On Head in 2002. The idea of the character was based off of Batman action figures, and how each figure seemingly was the exact same, except with different paint jobs. Mignola thought, why not create a hero that can screw-on his head onto different bodies to fit the occasion?
So he made The Amazing Screw-On Head, a short black comedy comic book revolving around a character called Screw-On Head, who is an undercover agent for president Abraham Lincoln, who must track down the evil Emperor Zombie in search of a stolen manuscript with the help of his two sidekicks, Mr. Groin and Mr. Dog (a dog).
Believe it or not, it’s more ridiculous than it sounds, and it’s super hilarious, full of imagination and weird occult stuff. There’s also an animated version of the comic book that aired on the Syfy channel, with Paul Giamatti voicing Screw-Head himself.
The Amazing Screw-On Head was published by Dark Horse Comics, and although it was a one-shot, it has been collected in hardcover format with a couple of other short stories by Mignola.
Eat More Bikes
Nathan Bulmer has created a masterpiece of comic comedy with his debut comic book, Eat More Bikes. I’ve read Eat More Bikes numerous times this year and have recommended this title to anyone wanting a great laugh since it’s so accessible and easy-to-read.
Bulmer draws hilarious short comics with ridiculous situations and the most absurd punchlines you’ll ever get a chance to read, hands down. 36 pages, but totally 100% worth any price for the amount of laughs Bulmer tosses at readers.
This comic was published by small pubs favorite of mine, Koyama Press.
The Perry Bible Fellowship
Before I even started this list, I had the idea of only limiting comics to those with a narrative. But I honestly cannot justify creating a funniest comics list and not including the greatest webcomic ever created: The Perry Bible Fellowship.
I’ve never seen sharper humor in my entire life and it honestly may never be topped. Not on the internet, not in a book — no where can PBF really be topped in terms of humor and substantial greatness.
Those of you needing a dose of PBF can head over to their site to read strips for free, while those wanting a physical form of reads can buy the book off of Amazon for a totally reasonable price.
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Cra-Z-Loom Bracelet Maker
Cra-Z-Loom Bracelet Maker was a very popular Christmas toy for Girls over the summer. And now that school is in, it’s become even more popular as girls create unique bands to show off at school. If your child has not already asked for one for Christmas, she will. It seems all too simple, use color [...]
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Poe’s Pick of the Week plus Voltron, Marvel Select, FT-04, Warbotron, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, New 52, GI Joe, Eaglemoss, Funko, Bowen & More at BBTS
I'm very curious to see how collectors respond to the 6" Total Heroes line. At a $13 price point, they're more competitive than most comparable 6" lines out there. I chose to use Mr. Freeze as the example figure because there's obviously a lot to like - the details and the metallic blue sheen, for example.
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Top Christmas toys 2013
Old favourites given a new twist sit alongside modern gadgets – it's the dream toys vying for a place at the foot of the tree, and where you can get the best deals The "Dream Toys" for Christmas list includes a few old favourites alongside some new, and sparkly, additions. According to retailers, Furby has stood the test of time making the list of this year's most wanted gifts, just as it did in ...
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GI Joe Club Reveals 12-Inch Vintage Style Man Of Action
The GI Joe Club has revealed one of their 2014 club incentive action figures; a 12-inch vintage style Man of Action figure along with some neat gear. Click the thumbnails above for a closer peek.
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GI Joe Club Reveals Code Name Cross Country
Along with their 12-inch Man of Action toy, the GI Joe club has revealed their 2014 club exclusive 3-3/4" Code Name: Cross Country action figure. Click the thumbnail above for a closer look.
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Randomly Stating Harry Potter Facts To Anyone Who'll Listen
If you're a fan of Harry Potter (and Facebook), be sure to "Like" the Facebook page Randomly Stating Harry Potter Facts To Anyone Who Will Listen. It's full of great Harry Potter stuff and fun conversation. Click the thumbnail above to check it out!
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Toys for Tots in Minot
Christmas is a magical time of year...just mention the holiday to a child and chances are you'll see a face light up. Of course not all kids experience the full Christmas experience...with a tree and
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This Shannon pre-order is still more Shining prettiness
Just in case you forgot how pretty Tony Taka's art is, the Shining series is back with yet another lovely young lady who happens to be the epitome of pastoral fantasy elegance. The surprising part is that it's from Griffon, not Kotobukiya who usually seems to have a mildly irritating monopoly on all things Shining.
Even better, Shannon retains her Tony origins and doesn't fall victim to Griffon's occasional mishaps. I actually did a double take when I saw the manufacturer. She is definitely one of the calmer series figures around, so there isn't a whole lot that stands out other than her general appearance.
She's a cute blonde elf in a pretty ruffled green dress, and that's about the size of things. To be sure that's usually plenty for Tony and Shining fans, for good reason. Shannon certainly looks like a worthy addition to the ever-expanding Shining figure lineup, even with a just slightly higher than expected ¥9,200 asking price. Arriving late next month, get ready to spend some of that Christmas money!
[ Pre-order at Hobby Search | AmiAmi | CD Japan ]
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Childhood Reading: Travels with Gannon and Wyatt Series #GannonWyatt
Our eight year old is such an active reader. She devours books quickly and has a real joy for reading. This month we’ve been reading the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt Series and the book my child connected most with was the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Great Bear Rainforest. In this book Gannon and Wyatt can’t… [read more]![]()
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Crafting Miniature Books by Michaela Unbehau
Michaela graciously sent this tutorial with photographs to me to share with my readers. These little books are so much fun in dioramas and in photos of your dolls.
Thank you, Michaela!
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Thank you, Michaela!
01: I create bookcovers on my PC and print them out. Cut the covers out.
02: Fold them.
03: Generously cut paper to fill the books.
04: Add hot glue to the rebate (don't know if it's the right word in English.) (She means the inside of the binding.)
05: After the glue cools, cut the edges.
06: And it's done. Happy crafting!
Get to work, everyone. These make great gifts for your doll collecting friends.
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The Four Horsemen Power Lords: Power Elite Soldier, Power Soldier & Ggrapptikk Grunts Figure Video Review & Images
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DC Collectibles Announces 3.75" Injustice Batman & Joker Figures
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McFarlane Toys Reveals Highly Limited Edition Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Edward Kenway Statue
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