14 Toys That Made Me Want To Break The Bank In 2014

Nyaaaah? Nyaaaaah!

Despite taking a step back from amassing action figures and other collectibles over the last few years, my interest in the hobby has remained fully intact. While staying away has obvious financial benefits, I just can't help myself from checking out all of the latest releases. There were all sorts of tempting plastic-crack goodies in 2014, so much so that I actually ended up spending some cash. Oops. Let's look at 14 toys that inspired me to do so!

I loved seeing Original Comic Book Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures on store shelves this year. They aren't as swanky as the NECA versions from a few years back, but they're more than acceptable for their considerably lower price point. When I spotted this version of Raphael on the pegs of Target last month, I threw my money at it and never looked back.

FanArt Frenzy - 14 of My Favorite Pieces of Fan Art From 2014!

2014 Retrospective Edition!

As we prepare to say our goodbyes to 2014, I feel it's the perfect time to dip into the FanArt Frenzy well once more. Below you will find 14 of my absolute favorite illustrations from the year. You're here for pretty pictures, so let's skip the blabber and get right to it!

Three of my favorite Transformers designs: Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge by Golby2

Castle Geek-Skull's Santa Hat Party - Christmas 2014

Ahoy there, jolly internet users! Let's celebrate the Christmas season with 25 pictures of iconic pop-culture characters wearing Santa hats! Hit it, Google Image Search!

Santa Doom from What The?! Vol. 1, #10

Ugly Christmas Sweaters Gone Geeky

Holiday cheer is the right of all sentient beings.

Well, here we go. The holiday season is upon us yet again. I'm more of a Halloween kind of guy, but there are at least a few elements of Christmas I can still appreciate. At the very top of the list are the festive yet disturbingly ugly sweaters adorned with tacky graphics, glitter, and bells. I'm not especially keen on wearing any, but I admire their alluring mixture of goofiness and gaudiness. It's all about the alliteration, baby.

Despite admiring these eyesores from afar, I find myself feeling more swayed than ever to actually join in on the fun. This year, the wonderful world of pop culture t-shirt stores have tapped into the realm of ugly Christmas sweaters in glorious fashion. Here are a few that have caught my eye thus far:

Guardians of the Galaxy "Holiday Mix Vol. 1"

Weekly Want - Sideshow Deadpool, MP Star Saber, & More!

Hey you crazy kids! It's Weekly Want time once again, so let's take a look at some of the new toy and collectible promos or newly in-stock items that graced the interwebs from the end of September through early October! Where does the time go?

The guys over at Sideshow Collectibles really know how to tease. It's not coming out until a year from now, but the Pre-Orders for their Sixth Scale Deadpool figure are now live. The hefty $230 price tag looks to be worth it given the high quality costume and elaborate variety of accessories and interchangeable parts. There are tons more pictures over on Sideshow's site, so check 'em out!

The Only New Movies I've Seen This Year Are Marvel Movies

Leave me alone, I'm watchin' mah stories.

Despite the crowds full of people that won't be quiet or turn off their cellphones, I still love going to the movies. I'm even the sort to keep my ticket stubs. I don't even let the apparent stigma that it's somehow sad to go alone get to me. If I want to go see something, I go for it. Regardless, 2014 has been a pretty light year for me as far as theatrical experiences go.

With the release of Guardians of the Galaxy, it dawned on me that it'll only be the third movie I've actually gone to see this year. As the image up top suggests, the first two were Captain America: The Winter Soldier and X-Men: Days of Future Past. It seems only Marvel characters have enough allure to actually get me to the theater these days. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fell through the cracks somehow, but I did at least plan on seeing it. I may have also flirted with the idea of checking out Godzilla for a moment or two, but that's honestly it.

Maybe I've been too distracted, or maybe it's just been a mostly ho-hum year for mainstream movies. Beats me. I really enjoyed Winter Soldier and Days of Future Past however, so hey — quality over quantity!

As I look through the list of films yet to be released this year, there's only a small handful I have any interest in. While it's been nice to keep the list of movies I actually attend short and sweet for a change, I miss the days of seeing them more frequently. Maybe 2015 will turn things back around, or maybe I'll only end up seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man! Shrug.

Side-note: I look damn good in a top hat. For more, feel free to check me out on Twitter & Facebook!

Marvel vs. Capcom's Attack Names Would Be Pretty Weird In Comics

Can't we all just get along?

With Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins on sale for just over $3, it was clear that there was no better time to finally make the purchase. This compilation of the original Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel Super Heroes is a wonderful journey through mid to late 1990s arcade nostalgia. Of course, the anime style attack names shouted by the characters throughout each match comprise one of the first quirks you're reacquainted with as you begin battling your way to either Thanos or Onslaught. Just as Street Fighter gameplay is riddled with cries of "Hadoken" and "Shoryuken," Capcom's Marvel based fighters assault your ears with the likes of "Berseker Barrage," "Charging Star," and "Spider Sting!"

Hearing all of this again made me imagine how bizarre (and cluttered) mid-battle dialogue would become if comic books followed the same convention. I took to Photoshop to see what it might look like. Behold:

I Want Rocket Raccoon and Groot Children's Books. Come At Me.

^_^

Legendary poster warlords Mondo released a handful of Guardians of the Galaxy prints for San Diego Comic Con 2014, and my favorite of the bunch is undoubtedly Mike Mitchell's "Tree Hugger" featuring Rocket Raccoon and Groot. While I'm sure there are comic fans that would cringe at the idea, this incredibly cute aesthetic makes me clamor for a series of slightly tongue-in-cheek children's books featuring all sorts of adventure and awesome bro moments.

Jeffrey Brown's Star Wars books (such as Darth Vader and Son) prove that you can take iconic characters initially meant for slightly older audiences and portray them in a friendlier context that can be enjoyed on different levels by both children and adults. I'd love to see Marvel join in on something similar. They have more than enough strong characters to work with, and I say Rocket Raccoon and Groot would be the perfect pair to help kick things off. Who's with me?!

Don't tell me I'm all alone here. Feel free to jump on my Twitter & Facebook profiles to discuss your feelings on the matter!

New Captain America and Thor FanArt Frenzy!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Despite the recent nature of Marvel's major character shakeups (with Falcon replacing Steve Rogers as Captain America and an undetermined female character taking over the mantle of Thor), the announcements have already captured the imaginations of comic fans all over. It might not be on the level of the recent Batgirl fanart just yet, but plenty of artwork featuring the new Cap and Thor designs is beginning to pour in. That means it's FanArt Frenzy time!

This striking Thor piece is from DeviantArt user TheRedKid.

Ultron's Avengers: Age of Ultron Design Looks Solid

Yep, that's Ultron alright.

For the two of you that somehow missed it: Entertainment Weekly's upcoming issue is a San Diego Comic-Con Preview that features a striking Avengers: Age of Ultron cover, complete with our first official look at the film's Ultron design. You can check out the full cover image via EW's Twitter.

For me, this is another case of not expecting to see so much so soon, but I suppose it makes sense. SDCC 2014 is next week, and the movie itself is only 10 months away at this point. Where does the time go?

As far as reveals go, this feels like a big one. The cover manages to give the basic gist of the design, and I think it captures Ultron well. A big part of the character's comic history has been a constant string of upgrades, so landing on one defining look can be tricky. The following example doesn't even scratch the surface:

From Kurt Busiek and George Perez's Ultron Unlimited arc, as collected in Avengers Assemble Vol. 2

Evo 2014 Fighting Game Tournament Day 3: Highlights & Wrap-Up

Rose from Ultra Street Fighter IV.

July 13th brought us the final day of the Evo 2014 fighting game tournament. With the grand finals for BlazBlue, Killer Instinct, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, and Ultra Street Fighter all lined up, it goes without saying that there was an absolute barrage of intense matches on display. Here are a few key highlights:

The day kicked off with the BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma finals. Garireo (with Litchi) ultimately defeated Dogura (with Azrael) after a difficult climb out of the losers bracket. If fighting games have taught us anything, it's to never give up!

Evo 2014 Fighting Game Tournament Day 2: Highlights

They're destined to do this forever.

As you might expect, the second day of Evo 2014 was filled with many hours of fantastic high-level fighting game matches. There was even a bit of upcoming game news sprinkled in! The whole event can be a lot to take in, so let's look at a handful of highlights:

Super Street Fighter II Turbo proved yet again that it still has some life left. The match above is the 3 on 3 "X-Mania USA" grand final featuring Team M3 versus Team Japan 2. There was some solid play here, especially from Mao: a Vega player with a personality the size of the moon. Like many, I still absolutely adore this game, and it does the heart good to see it get a bit more time in the spotlight.

Magneto #7 Cover Has the Greatest "Come at Me Bro" Pose Ever

Welcome to die!

This is an excerpt of David Yardin's cover for the upcoming Magneto #7. It's an incredibly striking piece of art, but I couldn't help myself from subjecting it to the "Come at me, bro" meme:

Weekly Want July 2-9 feat. SH Figuarts Injustice Batman & More

Take. My. Cash.

Bills? Bah! Why pay bills when there are so many awesome action figures and collectibles to buy? Here's the latest Weekly Want:

Funko will be offering a flocked version of their Pop! Vinyl Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon figure as an SDCC 2014 exclusive. This puts the already excellent looking figure over the top. (Side note: flocked toys always make me think of Moss Man.)

Star-Spangled Superhero FanArt Frenzy!

The United States' Independence Day has fallen upon us once again, and of course, I've been seeing Captain America this and Captain America that all day long. I like Cap just fine, but I haven't seen a single mention of any of the myriad of other superheroes that don the stars and stripes. It'd be great if there was a little more love going around for the rest. With that in mind, the latest edition of FanArt Frenzy was born:

Irene Flores of beanclam.tumblr.com brings us this incredibly striking image of America Chavez, the most recent character to don the "Miss America" name in Marvel Comics. Those unfamiliar with her should check out the 2013 Young Avengers series.

Weekly Want June 25 - July 2, feat. Doctor Doom, Aliens, & More!

Doom will take as much of your money as he pleases!

Oh hey, it's Wednesday. That means it's time for another edition of the Weekly Want! Last week's installment focused entirely upon Transformer toys, so I'll be covering a bit more ground this time around. (Ooh, peep that sexy rhyme~) Batten down the hatches; here are the action figure and collectible promo shots that struck my fancy between June 25th and July 2nd, 2014:

Oh, my! This lovely lady is NECA's Aliens Xenomorph Queen "Ultra Deluxe" figure. True to its fancy pants designation, this is a 15 inch tall, 30 inch long monstrosity that will absolutely tower over the rest of your NECA Aliens collection. The hefty $90 price tag might seem like a lot to take in, but with an impressive scale, plentiful articulation, and killer sculpt work, it looks to be more than worth it! You can have the figure in-hand this November.

Weekly Want May 26-Jun 2 feat. Kre-O Grimlock & More

Me Grimlock say empty your wallets now!

Toys and collectibles. I often want them. On the "Weekly Want," I share the latest product reveals and promo shots that have struck my fancy. Last week's "Weekly Want" had cool thangs such as Revol Mini Iron Man Mark VI and Transformers Masterpiece Wheeljack. Now, let's move on to all of the lovely wallet draining goods from May 26th through June 2nd!

Twitter Reminds Me Of Oldschool Myspace in the Best Way

How could I possibly say no?

When Myspace was still huge back in 1812 (ooh, such original and scathing commentary!) my favorite aspect of it was not in listening to low quality music uploads or keeping up with anyone I actually knew. I had much more fun filling my friend list with endless parody accounts.

There were many wonderfully bored individuals spending their time creating entire Myspace profiles under the guise of characters like Batman, Leon Kennedy, and even freakin' David Lo Pan. It was actually pretty amusing. Even better? More and more began to send me friend requests over time. Aww, shucks. It was a blast while it lasted.

It's not something I ever thought I'd say, but Twitter is actually reminding of Myspace these days. Rest assured, if there's a character or personality you like, you'll often find someone essentially roleplaying as them for all to see. Let's check out a few of my recent finds!

Weekly Want May 19-26 feat. Masterpiece Wheeljack, Iron Man, & SDCC Exclusives

Another week. Another wave of want.

Oh no, it's "Weekly Want" time once more! Last week's installment featured some cute Godzilla Minimates, DC Collectibles' animated Batman figures, and so on! On to more pressing matters: let's see what May 19-26 had to offer in the realm of action figure and collectible promotional imagery:

10 Weird Things From "Pryde of the X-Men"

Pryde of the X-Men's VHS release.

Many of us have fond memories of Fox Kids' X-Men cartoon from the early 1990s, but interestingly enough, that wasn't Marvel's first attempt at getting the beloved mutant superheroes onto the airwaves. In 1989, Marvel Productions (the studio behind shows like Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Muppet Babies, G.I. Joe, and Transformers) created a X-Men pilot known as Pryde of the X-Men.

While the show never made it past the first episode, it managed to inspire Konami's memorable beat 'em up arcade game and has remained a notable little piece of Marvel media history. It's quirky nature makes it well worth watching. Anyway, the proof is in the pudding; here are 10 weird things from Pryde of the X-Men!