Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Gay Empire Attack!

There are yard sales, comic conventions and auctions. If your mom is in charge, it’s a yard sale. If the Comic Book Guy is in charge, it’s a Con. If Christie’s is in charge and the loot is worth thousands of dollars, it’s an auction. Christie’s of New York is holding a Pop Culture Auction on June 25, 2008. Among the cool stuff available are Evil Superman’s cape from Superman III ($2,000-$3,000), Catwoman’s mask from Batman Returns ($2,000-$3,000) and a MIB 1979 Kenner Alien action figure ($1,500-$2,000). And then there’s this:

It’s called Gay Empire Attack! by Suckadelic ($1,500-$2,000). Resin cast action figures on white PVC plastic backboard (photo courtesy of Christie’s). Suckadelic also offers a graffiti-tagged At-At from the Hasbro line and a crucified Boba Fett. I kid you not. Rounding out the Star Wars offerings is a collection of 93 Kenner action figures, on card, from the Empire, Jedi and Power of the Force lines ($5,000-$7,000). So, if you have a few grand to spare and want to add some cool pieces to your collection, head on down to Rockefeller Center on June 25. Or see all the lots and place your bids online at Christie’s website.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Podcast Episode 6: He-Man and the Podboys of the Universe

Season One, Volume Two of the Mike Young Productions series of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe hit stores last week, so the Podboys of the Universe crack it open and go over every episode and feature in full fanboy detail!  Here are a few highlights:

I Am Adam...Um...Something?
Allen and Johnny take a stab at reciting the classic intro that should have been burned into all of our memories forever. Never send a He-Boy to do a He-Man’s job.

Orko’s Package
Two words you never thought you’d see together. Well, here they are. And there it is. Tune in and find out where to see it!

Man-at-Arms is a Power Bottom
Johnny explains the secret code and function of Duncan’s manly ponytail.

Enjoy! As always, thanks for listening!

P.S. Be sure to keep listening after the music outro on the podcast for a quick outtake.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Meet Greg! Your FBOTM for June!

When Greg first strolled into the Fanboys of the Universe FBOTM studio, he looked like the kind of guy who intimidated me in high school. Handsome, popular, athletic, I was tempted to run the other way. But as soon as we started talking movies, superheroes and comics, Greg and I were suddenly the best of friends. Greg is the boy next door, if the boy next door happened to have a cape hanging on the back of that door. Sweet as his smile, I think I could definitely count on Greg to swoop in and save the day. You can see the first shots from Greg’s Fanboy of the Month shoot in the Gallery, and you can read more about him in his profile on the FBOTM page. Don’t forget to check back every Friday in June to see more of Greg!

REMINDER: You too can be a Fanboy of the Month! No experience necessary! If you’re going to be in San Diego this summer for Comic Con and would like to secure your place in history as a Fanboys of the Universe FBOTM, just send me an email at !

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Quote of the Week

“Wait a minute, am I on FBOTU or RealJock.com?"
-Lysander

Congratulations to Lysander for snagging the increasingly coveted title of Quote of the Week! As our hunky members start posting shirtless pics of themselves over in the Members Mugshots thread, the fitness advice is flying fast and furious. Which, of course, prompted Lysander’s winning response! You can read up on that thread, as well as countless others, over in the Fanboys of the Universe Forum. And you can enjoy Lysander’s quip all week in the Quote of the Week box at the top of the navigation column to the left!

Note: Quote of the Week appointees receive 5 FBOTU Points, good towards probably nothing. They also receive bragging rights for being ever so clever.
Note: Bragging rights expire after one week. 

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Behind the Scenes @ FBOTU: Rock

Our strong and handsome Fanboys of the Universe who perch at the top of the page and protect us didn’t just join us in their current state and appearance. Bringing the Boys to life took some time and effort. Not by me, of course, but by the talented artists who helped me turn my cloudy thoughts into crystal clear concepts. I just re-organized the Featured Artists Gallery, dividing it up among the different artists who lent their skills to this endeavor. But stay tuned! More art is on the way! In the meantime, I thought I’d share with you Diego Gomez‘s original sketches for each of the characters. First up is Rock! I wanted Rock to represent the G.I. Joe/Military/War Gaming section of the fanboy community. But I also wanted him to be a little older and wiser than the rest of the Fanboys, so he could serve as their leader. Here you see some of his early incarnations. You can see more of Diego’s were in the Gallery or at his website. Enjoy!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Bobble Fett

Entertainment Earth is offering an exclusive Boba Fett bobble head in his original 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special colors. I have two responses to this. 1.) I can’t believe George would sanction any reference at all to the existence of the Holiday Special, but since he clearly has, I hope that means we’ll see Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman action figures in the near future! By the way, a fond farewell to Harvey. He was one of the greats and will be missed. And B.) What is up with bobble heads? They are everywhere! I don’t get it. Who collects them? What are they for? Can someone please explain the appeal of them? Is it because they always look like they’re drunk?

Thursday, May 29, 2008

“I Hate the People Who Love Me and They Hate Me”

What is it about plastic that’s been molded into the shape of familiar characters that makes me go all light-headed and pull out my wallet. Like a lot of kids, my first introduction to action figures was thanks to Star Wars. I remember telling my parents that I just wanted Luke, Leia, Han and Darth Vader. Because, really, what more could you possible need or want? A thousand figures and a zillion dollars later, here I am. Maybe it was a sense of control for a scared and powerless gay kid to get to be in charge of all these tiny plastic people. Maybe it’s a touch of OCD that propels the need to have them all. Or maybe it’s just because they’re sooooo cool. For whatever reason, here’s today’s plastic menagerie that caught my eye, made me go light-headed and brought out the other kind of plastic. You know, the one that charges interest. Good news, everyone! Waves 3 and 4 of Futurama figures!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Review: Meet “Boy Meets Hero”

Some of you may already be familiar with Chayne Avery and Russel Garcia‘s Boy Meets Hero adventures from their web presence. If you’re just tuning in, or don’t know the whole story, you are in for a treat. Partners (in every sense of the word) Avery and Garcia just published their first Boy Meets Hero graphic novel. It arrived in my mail box yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance to read it until this morning. With a brisk and engaging story, plus fun and interesting characters, even at 120 pages, I couldn’t put it down. 

Boy Meets Hero tells the story of a young superhero duo called the Cosmic Crusaders, which consists of Blue Comet (aka Derek Maxwell) and Sunstar (aka Jillian Summers). They are part of the World Hero Organization (W.H.O.) and gallantly protect Golden Bay City from a host of villains, invasions and general destruction. There is a lot of familiar territory here: secret identities, superheroes, superhero leagues, cities in peril. Luckily, the creators use these conventions to their full advantage, giving even the casual comic book reader an easy road into the story’s world. What Avery and Garcia do with that familiar world, however, is extraordinary.

As the story opens, Blue Comet and Sunstar are playing along with the W.H.O.’s marketing scheme to present them as a couple to their adoring fans. They play along for the publicity, but really they’re also playing a complicit role in keeping Blue Comet’s homosexuality a secret. And then if that weren’t enough to conceal, Blue Comet’s alter ego, Derek, is in a secret relationship with Sunstar’s brother, Justin. Secret identities, phony relationships, closeted heroes...there’s a lot going on here. So much so that is all begins to take a toll on the trio.

More than just an adventure story, Boy Meets Hero could easily serve as a primer for coming out. Funny, complex and full of both practical advice and emotional layers, the book struck many chords that will undoubtedly ring true to gay readers, whether coming out, thinking about coming out or long out of the closet. Coming out is never easy, and there are many pitfalls along the way: friends, family, work. The book tackles them all, as well as showing that even when you do come out, it’s not always an easy road after that. They manage to convey all this, plus give the reader a great story full of action, humor and sly winks and nods to other pop culture references and superhero archetypes. Understanding that it’s not enough to just announce a superhero is gay, Boy Meets Hero really delves into the subject matter, giving us both a highly realistic and evocative story.

Though the exposition is a little heavy at the beginning, it’s a necessary evil to bring the reader up to speed quickly. After that, the story and dialogue are crisp, fun and memorable. The artwork is dazzling, in bold colors and clean lines. This isn’t a moody, muddy world our supers live in. It’s bright and bold and colorful. Avery and Garcia will soon launch a downloadable comic of the further adventures of the Cosmic Crusaders. And, oh yeah, the guys in the book are hot! You can read more about Boy Meets Hero, its characters and creators here. You can purchase the book there or at Amazon. Enjoy!