I now understand the slippery slope that straight people are afraid will follow gay marriage, because I seriously want to marry my new 13” Nightwing action figure from DC Direct. He is gorgeous beyond all reason. Let’s start with his face and hair. He’s the most handsome piece of plastic I’ve seen in a long time. And if you recall, I own the Ken Doll Legolas AND the Patrick DempseyEnchanted doll. So I know from handsome plastic. Anyway, Dick has dreamy blue eyes that go beautifully with the electric blue stripe on his skin-tight black spandex suit. His lips are perfectly sculpted, with just a hint of shine to the paint to make them look moist and totally kissable (though I never would...really...). Then there’s his hair. Fabulously styled and sculpted with a shock of bangs jutting out and hanging forward over his forehead. His body is one of the most convincing and realistically proportioned sculpts I’ve ever seen. He’s musclebound, yes, but his muscular legs and realistic articulation make him at once larger-than-life, and yet totally believable and proportionate. His legs go on forever, and his boots, while bulky, lend another detail of realism to his height and anatomy.
In terms of accessories, Nightwing comes with two different masks that are sculpted so perfectly, they just fit. Really, they just fit on his face. No tricks, no pegs, no strings, no glue. They just fit. It’s a miracle. Plus, he has one blue mask and one black mask, you know, for formal occasions. He also has his trademark batons, as well as a handful of Batarangs (Nightwingarangs?). Speaking of handfuls, he also comes with two sets of hands. One set are his fightin’ fists o’ justice. The other pair I’ve been calling his ”jazz hands,” since you can actually bend the fingers to pose them. In his black tights, he’s makes the perfect Fosse back-up dancer. If you’re going to leave him in the box, it’s a wonderful display case. But, if you’re like me, then you just have to get your hands on him. Luckily, he also comes with a display stand. The terrific articulation makes for some cool and dynamic poses, and he towers above most of my other large-scale figures. I’m now tempted to invest in the rest of this line, though I wonder if any could possibly compare.
Incidentally, his bulge isn’t really as pronounced as it is in the publicity shots floating around the web, but that’s easily fixed with a little Sculpey and a gentle, loving hand.
On the FBOTU Scale of Fabulousness, I give DC Direct’s 13” Nightwing 4 out of 5 winking emoticons:
Carrie Fisher...or, I should say Princess Leia...was my first (and last) crush on a girl. Beautiful and brave and strong, I loved her immediately, and while I related closely to Luke Skywalker‘s farmboy with an important destiny, I secretly believed Star Wars was as much Leia’s story as his. She was a princess after all. (And I was a little queen.) One fateful day, I was playing with my Star Wars toys, and my older sister took great delight in informing me that Princess Leia was a drug addict. That’s when I first began differentiating Carrie Fisher from the role that made her famous. Even back then, I was pulling for her, hoping she’d borrow a page from Leia’s story and beat the odds. Our current FBOTU Book Club selection is Carrie’s new book Wishful Drinking, a brazenly honest memoir of excess, madness and survival. On January 21, the discussion thread will open in the Forum, and we’ll have coffee and cake and a little chat about the book. Join us, won’t you? And if you’re thinking of buying the book online, just click on the Amazon link in the FBOTU Recommends box in the column to the right.
P.S. If you’re wondering where Book Buddy Marc is, don’t worry. The last couple of shots of him diligently reading Wishful Drinking will be sent to everyone who takes part in the discussion thread!
Podcast Episode 19: Frak Me Gently with a Chainsaw
Battlestar Galactica‘s Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber)
If you’re like me (and why wouldn’t you be?), you have a frakkin’ fanboy hardon for the January 16 premiere of the final frakkin’ season of Battlestar Galactica on SciFi. And, if not, then frak you, mother frakker. If case you hadn’t guessed, I just watched all of Season 4 of BSG with my friend Hudson. Not to be confused with this Hudson:
Ten hours and ten bottles of champagne later, we offer our thoughts, impressions and deepest feelings about the fate of humanity, the Final Five and what we might do if we found out we were sleeping with a Cylon. Hudson thinks love conquers all, whereas I think Cylons conquer all and would promptly take over Earth. Whether you’re a BSG devotee or not, tune in to learn what a 10-hour marathon can do to two sloshy gay fanboys. Or, just tune in to hear Hudson’s sexy Southern accent. Yowza! And if you want to buy Season 4 on DVD, just click on the Battlestar Galactica link in the FBOTU Recommends box in the right column.
Be sure to join in the live BSG Talkback Thread during the premiere of the show on Friday, January 16! It’ll be frak-tastic! As always, thanks for listening!
Title: Pride High #7: “Spring Forward”
Story & Letters: Tommy Roddy
Cover & Pencils: Robert Rivera
Inks & Colors: Polawat Darapong
“Spring Forward” is an apt title for Issue #7 of Tommy Roddy‘s groundbreaking comic book Pride High. In addition to a swift progression in the school year at Poseidon Preparatory Academy for Heroic Youth, the writing and artwork take the series a major leap forward in terms of storytelling and visuals. When last we saw our heroes in Issue #6 ("Kid Gloves"), Pride High had just trounced the Argonauts in the Inter-Squad Championships at school and were getting ever-closer to unraveling the mystery of Mindsweeper‘s death. “Spring Forward” picks up immediately after, with Kid Olympus again managing to be in the right place at the right time to save Kid Mischief‘s life. The gang soon realizes that as much as they’d like to stay out of trouble and enjoy the school year, there are darker forces at work, drawing them deeper and deeper into a dangerous battle.
The portrayal of the relationship between opponents and rivals Kid Mischief and Kid Olympus has been a high point of the entire series. Clearly, something is going to happen between these guys, but Roddy plays the tension, subtleties and complexities of the relationship realistically, and understands these things take time, as well as many transformations and incarnations along the way. Roddy’s confidence in his characters has grown since previous issues, and it shows. The sparse dialogue and narration is tight, and there’s as much interest in what is left unsaid as what is spoken. This is not a book that feels the need to over-explain or comment on its own cleverness. Roddy trusts his characters, and clearly trusts his readers, since not a single word is wasted. This is no easy feat, and the artwork contributes greatly to bringing a new-found depth to this series. In case I’ve made this issue sound somehow darker and more serious than it is, let me assure you the Pride High wit and humor is in ready supply and benefits tremendously in execution thanks to the artwork. Robert Rivera‘s illustrations and Polawat Darapong‘s coloring bring these familiar characters to life in a whole new way. Expressive and layered, the art is tied beautifully to the text, filling in the emotional ellipses in Roddy’s writing. It’s a wonderful combination of word and visuals, and I’m hoping we see this team again in future issues.
Pride High is available through the official site or from IndyPlanet.com. Or, if you’re very good and post the Pride High squad’s battle cry “For the out crowd!” in the comments section, I have three copies of “Spring Forward” to give away for free. So, don’t wait!
Quote of the Week: I Fell Into a Burning Ring of Fire
I think we can all agree that comics don’t spend enough time addressing the important issue of...sex with superheroes. I mean, would a roll in the hay with the Flash be over before it began? Would Mr. Fantastic be offended if you asked him to add a couple of inches to Little Mr. Fantastic? These are relevant questions, people! Site member DaleWho‘s concerns about the Human Torch are equally valid and have won him the coveted Quote of the Week honor:
So, if Johnny Storm offers to buy you a drink, maybe you should think things through first. Now, for our illustrious group of runners up! Enjoy!
“I’m not sure whether to be completely excited or utterly appalled. Either way, I’m getting a tingle.”
-dhama_kane, on new “must-tingle” TV show Hung. Join in the anticipation here.
“Just because we have giant cubes filled with cybernetic humanoids hell-bent on assimilating the universe does not make us stupid.”
-Razz-Bel, on why Star Trek is a cruel mistress. Beam up here.
“I always wanted to be Coco from Fame. I routinely set up the camera and recreate that scene. I’m good at crying.”
-Rolltideguy77, on the inspirational topless work of Miss Irene Cara. Light up the sky like a flame here.
“I have all three seasons and can’t get enough. Tracy Scoggins is flawless;, she gives me funny feelings downstairs about girls. Cougar-tastic!”
-Allen, on the transformative powers of high camp. Call upon all the powers of Tresum here.
An animated fan film/music video/adventure tale, this cool little machinima features the World of Warcraft gang playing out their various roles as guards, deities and assassins all to the tune of “Hide & Seek” by J-Pop star Namie Amuro. I’m told the characters are particularly relevant in WoW lore, but I haven’t a clue. You don’t need to know a thing about WoW to enjoy the skill and artistry that went into this. Why couldn’t I have been born talented instead of beautiful? Let’s watch, shall we?
I was toy shopping online today, because...you know...it’s a day of the week, and I’m breathing. I don’t usually check out the Star Trek toys, because...you know...Star Trek is stupid. But the retro line of figures from Diamond Select Toys caught my eye, because I grew up coveting Mego dolls and have always toyed with the idea of collecting them. (Ha ha, toyed.) Anyway, I clicked on the thumbnail and--OH MY GOD--is Uhura flashing her yoohoora at that Oompa Loompa alien thing?
Wait. Is she wearing a tunic and pants? Has she always worn a tunic and pants? I decided to investigate. Clearly, this took precedence over any work I needed to do. So I Googled images of the enchanting communications officer, and after wading through a galaxy of erotic fan art, I found this:
I like her attitude in this shot. It’s as if she just saw the doll in question and can’t believe she’s flashing her situation to the whole universe. In this photo, it appears she’s wearing hosiery of some kind, but not tights or leggings. Plus, she clearly has the modesty to cover her troublesome Tribble. So I think the toy version of Ms. Uhura is definitely hiking her skirt to invite Mr. Alien to go where no alien has gone before. But I’d be concerned about that thing on his head if I were you, Uhura. Yikes!
Two weeks is more than enough time to read our current FBOTU Book Club selection: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. If you’ve never read any of Carrie’s work before, Wishful Drinking is a great introduction to the acerbic wit and wisdom of this unique Hollywood icon. If you’re unfamiliar with Carrie’s career, she was in a little movie a few years ago called The Star Wars. Anywho, you have until January 21 to get and read the book. On January 21, the discussion thread will open in the Forum, and we’ll have coffee and cake and a little chat about the book. Join us, won’t you? If you’re thinking of buying the book online, just click on the Amazon link to the right, and in two short years, Fanboys of the Universe will earn enough referral points to get 10% off our next purchase! Woohoo! Almost forgot, here’s FBOTU Book Club Book Buddy Marc nearing the big climax of the book!
