I haven’t talked about because well, it’s Star Wars, but down in Florida right now the latest Star Wars Celebration is going on. This is pretty much the year’s biggest Star Wars event, and they have debuted some great footage from Clone Wars Season 5 over on IGN.com.
Throughout the footage, a key character named Embo appears, with his trusty animal sidekick. There is apparently some significant acrobatics, and the bounty hunter Embo has a pretty unique friendship with this animal. Embo is also notoriously… silent.
If this whole dynamic seems familiar, it should. According to Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni, Embo and his compatriot were clearly modeled after G.I. Joe ninja Snake Eyes and Timber. IGN says the following in regards to the homage:
“After the clip was over, Filoni talked about how the quiet and deadly Embo and his fearsome and loyal pet were, “My homage to Snake Eyes and Timber.” As a kid, Filoni was a big G.I. Joe fan and recalls how cool he thought Snake-Eyes was, exclaiming, “He’s a ninja and he’s got a wolf!? Are you kidding me!?”
A pretty cool tip of the hat. Thanks to Dan Uthman on Twitter for the heads up, and check out IGN.com for the full details, including The trailer for Clone Wars Season 5, which contains a brief snippet of the footage described above.
I’ve been seeing a ton of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles love in my Twitter stream, and I would imagine for many of you, the love is there, too. TMNT took up a large chunk of many of our childhoods, from the awesome Mirage comics to the pervasive animated series…
But one thing we haven’t really had were cartoon accurate action figures that were actually decent toys. That’s all changed! Apparently, Toys “R” Us around the country have started stocking these Classic TMNT figures and apparently they are… amazing. Both Newton Gimmick at Infinite Hollywood and Adam over at 16bit.com has some especially kind things to say about them.
Well, seeing as how I don’t have a Toys “R” Us near me, I was a bit discouraged…but hey, a timely email from Amazon.com cheered me up! They have all of the TMNT classics in stock, and at a discount. Throw in some Super Saver Shipping, and they just might be cheaper than retail.
I know I don’t usually talk about a whole lot other than G.I. Joe, but like Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a pretty big part of my childhood, so I thought it was important to mention this here. Click the links below to buy ’em up at Amazon.com.
Collectible shows are springing up all over the place, and this month on SyFy it would appear that another show is preparing to join their ranks. On August 14th “Collection Intervention” will be launching on the SyFy network!
The details and a trailer can be seen below.
SYFY PREMIERES COLLECTION INTERVENTION TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 10PM ET/PT
NEW SERIES FOLLOWS THE MEMORABILIA-OBSESSED TRYING TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR OVERSIZED POP-CULTURE COLLECTIONS
NEW YORK – July 25, 2012 – In Syfy’s newest reality series, Collection Intervention, premiering Tuesday, August 14 at 10PM (ET/PT),former Head of Special Collections at Christie’s Elyse Luray helps couples, families and individuals whose pop-culture memorabilia collections – from Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica to Catwoman and Barbie – have become damaging obsessions, creating financial strife and a huge strain on their lives.
In each of the six hour-long episodes, Elyse will create a strategy that helps these collectors curate and showcase their collection by assessing where the true value lies and then allow them to decide what’s worth keeping and what they can sell. These massive collections include dining rooms stuffed with 30,000 comic books, a garage filled to the rafters with Catwoman memorabilia, and an almost uninhabitable house filled with Transformers. For each collector, parting with some of their collection may free up some much needed space in their home, provide a cash windfall to get out of debt, or even just allow a couple to become more focused on their relationship.
In the premiere episode titled “A Disturbance in the Force,” what started out as a single room dedicated to Star Warshas grown to take over the entire Concord, California home of Garet and Consetta. When Elyse quickly realizes the Star Wars collection has intense emotional meaning to Consetta, she fears that Consetta may not be able to part with a single item. If Elyse is going to help this couple take back their house, she’s going to have to use The Force to break through to them.
Also in the episode, disgruntled Los Angeles housewife Lolly calls Elyse to see if she can help her husband Mark let go of some of his extensive Catwoman collection so they can start to pay some bills. When Elyse sees the collection, which has overtaken their garage, she is stunned by the poor manner in which Mark has stored the collectibles he says he loves. Nonetheless, to save their relationship and pay down their debt, Elyse helps Mark identify what in his collection is truly important to him while pushing him to let go of what is not.
Collection Intervention is produced by High Noon Entertainment with executive producers Pam Healey, Jim Berger and Elizabeth Grizzle Voorhees.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
Veteran toy developers, Go, Go, Dynamo!, are harnessing the power of Kickstarter to crowd fund the first line of action figures that teach kids about diverse cultures through great play and magical stories. This knowledge fosters a mutual understanding between people of unfamiliar backgrounds and cultures.
Providence, RI, July 28, 2012 –(PR.com)– As the world’s athletic heroes gather in London, the world’s cultural heroes assemble at crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter (www.hero.gogodynamo.com) for a new generation of action figures. The Hero Project aims to introduce kids to a spectacular selection of action figures from around the world, starting with Rama, the greatest hero of India.
“These figures teach kids about their own heritage and allow them to discover amazing heroes from other cultures,” explains Wayne Losey of Go, Go, Dynamo!, formerly a design exec at Hasbro responsible for bringing Boy’s Action properties to life. “Knowing these heroes and the cultures they came from creates a broader understanding that helps kids relate to people from different backgrounds.”
“Heroes stories are symbolic of growing-up and capture kid’s imaginations. Just look at all the kids around the world who share a love for the latest pop culture character,” offers Tucker Johnson, a veteran industrial designer with a knack for telling stories through play. “Heroes bring people together.”
It’s going to take a heroic effort to meet the Kickerstarter funding goal by August 8th. Children of the world, unite! Come together in Play!
Wow, I think it’s safe to say this episode was packed. We had a bunch of stuff to talk about, so we brought on The Mike from the Canadian JoeCon, the guys from the JoBurg Podcast, but we also really wanted to pay some close attention to the guys from Go Go Dynamo, who are behind The Hero Project and also were the lifeblood behind a little 8″ toy line you might have heard of… Sigma 6.
As many episodes of these podcasts that I’ve done, it surprises me that we can continue to talk to folks who I consider personal heroes. Wayne and Tuck from Go Go Dynamo are absolute revolutionaries in design and art, and I considered it a true privilege to talk to them for an hour or so. Cast whatever stones towards Sigma 6 that you might want to, but listening to their absolutely brilliant insight behind toy design, the G.I. Joe universe in 2005 and how that whole thing translates to The Hero Project was one of the most interesting and captivating 60 minutes I’ve ever spent on the show. Truly awesome stuff.
Please consider supporting The Hero Project on Kickstarter, and once you’re done, come on back and hit up our Podbean Page to listen to the latest episode, especially because we also talk a ton about the awesome Canadian JoeCon and keep the JoBurg guys up way past their bed time. Things get pretty wacky!
Check out the embedded player below, and the Show Notes after the jump.
From one Convention right into another. Fresh off of our return to normal broadcasting schedule from the 2012 G.I. Joe Convention, the crew from What’s on Joe Mind immediately jumps to the next convention, this time the familiar ComicCon in San Diego.
With not much G.I. Joe news likely there, we bring in Arune Singh to talk about Marvel’s presence there and what we might expect from the House of Ideas. We also bring in Moira Hunger to talk in more detail about the IDW seminar at JoeCon and comic nerdery in general.
But it’s not all about Comics, there is a healthy helping of G.I. Joe talk as well. Check out our latest episode on our Podbean Page, or via the embedded players below. Show notes as always are after the jump.
