From the 1980s on, the G.I. Joe franchise has been built on a unique combination of military and sci-fi design sensibilities. Even so, plenty of Halloween-appropriate elements tend to slip through the cracks. In keeping with the spirit of the season, here are 10 of the spookiest G.I. Joe figures to ever hit the toy aisles.
Street Fighter V might be right around the corner, but the crazy costume packs for its predecessor are far from over. Available now for every platform under the sun, the Ultra Street Fighter IV Horror Costume DLC packs have to be my favorite add-on yet. For your viewing pleasure, I've taken the time to highlight some of the best new outfits below. Let's get freaky.
Is it seriously the end of the month already? The calendar can't be argued, so we may as well get our retrospection over with before moving on to March. Here are 10 of Castle Geek-Skull's favorite comic book covers of February 2015!
I'm almost certainly biased in the matter, but I'm of the firm belief that the Transformers brand completely stole the show at Toy Fair 2015. In effort to prolong my robot-fueled high as long as possible, I'm going to pour over as many of the eye-catching new reveals and official promo images as I can. Tag along, won't you?
While the GDO Hot Spot made from Universe Inferno was an acceptable placeholder, the firetruck Protectobot leader now has a fantastic original sculpt on the way. Once again, patience pays off!
Near the end of my 2014 wrap-up, I decided to pick 14 of my favorite comic book covers of the entire year. Electing such a small number from 12 months worth of comics turned out to be quite a difficult task! Moving forward, I'd like to highlight at least 10 per month. For the first time on Castle Geek-Skull, here are 10 of the best comic book covers from January, 2015.
Awesome Games Done Quick 2015 is now behind us. Over 160 games were played over six days, and the donation drive was a great success. I wrote before about not having the time to check it out live, but I've finally been able to catch some highlights via Youtube. Let's go through a few of them below!
It only seems fitting to start off with a four-way race to finish Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. This is easily one of my favorite games and I still love seeing it. Skip to around 7 minutes in to get to the good stuff!
I couldn't find the time to play everything I wanted, but I definitely had some good times with video games this year. As 2015 looms on the horizon, there's no better occasion to look back on some of the titles I enjoyed the most. Due to what I'm sure must be extremely popular demand, I've compiled 14 of my personal gaming highlights of 2014 below! Let's get to it.
Disclaimer: Forgive me if I leave off something you found amazing; I promise I'm going to get around to catching up!
Mega Man's Final Smash from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U is pure bliss. I'm a huge fan of the Blue Bomber, so you can imagine how bummed I've been that he hasn't gotten the best treatment in recent years. His inclusion in the latest SSB did a lot to heal those wounds.
In my attempt to keep up with pop culture goings-on this year, there were a lot of developments I never could have predicted. It seems awesome television announcements or crazy character appearances were turning up all over the place. Take my silken hand as I lead you down the path of 14 of my favorite unexpected surprises from 2014!
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.
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!
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!
As Halloween unfortunately draws to a close, it seems fitting to go out by highlighting some of this year's awesome costumes. The dedication it takes to pull this stuff off makes every single repost very much deserved, so please excuse me while I join in on the fun. Vicarious dress up frenzy, engage!
Most people around my age are likely to have had great fun with the original run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures. Given the series' overarching theme of mutation, Playmates was able to fill its toyline with all sorts of oddballs and monsters. Looking back, some of the releases were straight up disturbing. Let's stroll through memory lane and take a look at 5 of the freakiest oldschool TMNT toys!
At face value, wickedly winged scientist Baxter Stockman is actually rather creepy. That grin is nothing short of unsettling.
Even if they don't realize it, Transformer collectors likely have all the makings of an exceptional Dinosaur Dracula-style Halloween mood table. The core concept behind the TF series already falls right in line with the holiday, and the evolution and experimentation of its toylines has delivered plenty of spooky/scary bots over the years. If I were to assemble a Halloween-friendly Transformers display of my own, it would absolutely have to include the following:
Autobot double agent Punch is able to transform into Counterpunch: a completely different persona that the Decepticons foolishly accept among their ranks. It's like the ultimate Halloween costume contest.
Of course, even more ubiquitous than decorations, toys, and even costumes are reams and reams of candy assortments and other tooth rotting delights. Just about every snack food you can think of tends to get doctored up in bat-riddled orange and black packaging around this time of year, even those you probably wouldn't naturally associate with it. (I'm looking at you, Goldfish crackers.)
Despite the commonality of it all, there are at least a few that I absolutely adore seeing return to the shelves each October. I think I smell a list-post coming on! Here are 5 sugary standbys of Halloween:
Hey you crazy kids, it's time to throw down with the Autobot side of my Transformers Generation 1 toyline highlights! My affections might lean towards the Decepticons, but there are still more than enough lovable 'Bots to go around. Now, journey with me through each year of the original TF toyline as I struggle to decide which releases are my favorites!
Disclaimer, Part II: There's no need to freak if I leave out one of your preferred 'Bots. Everyone has their own taste and I'm merely sharing mine. Blah blah, let's get to it!
Picking a favorite from the 1984 Autobot assortment is actually quite difficult. Part of me would love to go with Prowl, Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, or even Hound. I don't want to immediately jump to the obvious choice, but I can't help it; I'll always have a soft spot for Optimus Prime. His original toy has an undeniable presence that really sets him apart. It's not hard to see why Hasbro assigned this guy the leadership role.
While the lovable characters, rich mythos, and hooky underlying concept keeps us invested, the hope of selling droves of toys has always been at the center of the Transformers franchise. In its 30 year history, there has been an absolute onslaught of additional promotional material hoping to aid the cartoons and comics in their quest to send the Autobot and Decepticon toys flying from the shelves. Naturally, the copious television commercials have been the most memorable.
Despite dramatic narration and dazzling robot money shots, some of the Transformers commercials stick out more for their flirtation with the bizarre. This was especially true in the 1980s, but weird moments can be found throughout the entire history of TF adverts if you dig long enough. Let's go over a few examples!
Hey. Wanna know a secret? The original Transformers toyline from the 1980s brought us some of the most memorable toys ever. Yeah, I know I just blew your mind, so I'll give you a minute to compose yourself.
All better now? Good! With the Transformers toyline's iconic status in mind, I figure sharing a list of each year's highlights is a fun idea. I'm going to start with the Decepticons first. In the 80's, the bad guys were always a bit more fun.
First, a disclaimer: I know from experience that some of you reading this might become enraged because I've left out one of your favorites. I'd suggest taking matters like some dude's toy preferences a bit more lightly. Anyway, let's get to it!
Soundwave is one of the most iconic Transformer characters around, and his toy is excellent. It goes without saying that the micro-cassette recorder alt mode sparked tons of imaginations, but the biggest draw here is the tall, reasonably articulated, and solidly proportioned robot mode. If there's one must-have Decepticon from '84, I say it's Soundwave.
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!
I've been talking about the upcoming DC Collectibles Batman: The Animated Series and New Batman Adventures action figures left and right. I can't help it, they just look too freaking good! I've even considered shirking all responsibility just to Pre-Order them, and now I'm even imagining how the assortment might expand. To keep my expectations realistic, here's a small 5 character wishlist for future B:TAS and TNBA toys:
