Pop Culture Will Eat Itself » Toys

Legos vs Photographs

Sean — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:00:53 +0000

It’s hard not to love it when people come up with creative uses for Legos. Here’s a guy who takes famous photographs and recreates them with Legos. From the photo of Marines planting the flag at Iwo Jima to New York construction workers eating lunch on a girder and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, he’s reenacted them with great care and attention to detail. If you’re not familiar with the original photos, here’s a site that shows both the original and Lego versions together.

All the photos on Flickr

G.I. Joe - The Movie (with Pics)

Sean — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:34:59 +0000

In yet another shameless attempt to cash in on my childhood Paramount Pictures is making a live-action G.I. Joe movie, creatively titled G.I. Joe. It’s being directed by Stephen Sommers, the mastermind behind The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, The Revenge of The Mummy, and Van Helsing. Wow, that’s a tour de force of shit. Can’t wait to see how he rapes my cherished childhood memories…

The movie is currently filming, and it isn’t due out until August of 2009. While you wait anxiously for the release, here’s a few things we know already:

Dennis Quaid is playing General Hawk (click for picture)
Fire-maned hottie Rachel Nichols is Scarlett O’Hara, quite possibly my first crush
Korean star Byung-hun Lee is Storm Shadow, the badass Cobra ninja
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is hooded hoodlum Cobra Commander. Yes, the kid from Third Rock From the Sun is playing Cobra Commander.
The pivotal role of Joe leader Duke will be played by a guy with a gay pr0n name: Channing Tatum
Ripcord, who just missed our 10 Lamest G.I. Joe Figures Ever list, is in the movie. Maybe Marlon Wayans can make the character cool. Wait? MARLON Wayans? Shit. No chance.
Snake Eyes is played by Ray Parks, the stunt man who played Darth Maul in the shitburger that was Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. A couple of pictures of Park as everyone’s favorite good guy ninja have come out:

I have a scary feeling that when all is said and done, the Michael Bay suckfest that was Transformers may actually be the lesser of two evils. And writing that makes me feel very dirty.

So, my fellow children of the 80s:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Lego Arms Dealers

Sean — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:00:59 +0000

Are your Lego men boring? Do they lack a certain something? Are they a little too goody two shoes for you? Well finally there’s a solution: automatic weapons. That’s right, you can finally have that AK-47 or RPG to complete your “Day in Iraq” scene.

BrickArms is a small toy company based in Redmond, WA that specializes in creating custom Lego figures as well as weapons for the little brick men. Prices are reasonable, so head over to their site and arm your miniature “freedom fighters”.

via Gizmodo

RIP Richard Knerr - Co-Founder of Wham-O

Sean — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:59:37 +0000

Richard Knerr, the co-founder of Wham-O, the originators of Hula Hoops, Super Balls, Frisbees, Silly String, Hacky Sacks, and Slip ‘N Slides has died at age 82. He and his longtime friend Spud Melin founded Wham-O in 1948 to market slingshots. But it wasn’t until 1958 when they heard about a bamboo ring used in Australia for exercise and their business took off.

Without seeing one of these Aussie exercise devices they devised their own and made it out of Marlex. Then they re-wrote the book on product marketing, giving away free to kids who mastered them, had salespeople take them on planes, and generally did everything possible to create buzz. Soon their new product, the Hula Hoop, was the biggest fad to ever hit America.

Wham-O didn’t stop there. They went on to become heroes to hippies everywhere when they brought the Frisbee and the Hacky Sack to the market. They defined summer entertainment for kids (and drunk college students) when they introduced the Slip ‘N Slide. They seemingly defied the laws of physics and redefined bubble gum machines when they developed the Super Ball. Along the way they entertained countless people with reasonably-priced, innovative toys. Basically, if there was a Nobel Prize for toys, Knerr and Melin would get it.

So rest in peace Richard Knerr. I hope like the Egyptian Pharaohs they buried you with all of your toys to keep you entertained on your journey over the River Styx.

Classic commercials for Wham-O toys after the jump.

Commercial for Hula Hoop and Frisbee:

Super Ball and Super Elastic Bubble Plastic:

Full-Sized Transformer

Sean — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:12:50 +0000

Three Chinese dudes who have too much time on their hands have paid homage to Michael Bay’s uber-craptacular film adaptation of Transformers by building a full-sized Citroen Transformer. It doesn’t actually transform or anything, and it cost $8,000 to build. So really it’s just a statue. Bo-ring! Call me when it transforms…

More photos and info at Weird Asian News

UPDATE: There’s another one in West Hollywood

What if Darth Vader was a Samurai?

Sean — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:21:10 +0000

I know this is a question you’ve asked yourself time and time again. Well now you can see the answer. Japan’s Yoshitoku Company has created this 1/4 scale rendering of what the iconic Star Wars badass would have looked like as a traditional Japanese samurai. If you want to get your hands on one, good luck. If you can find one, and I doubt you can, it’s going to set you back a cool $5,200. Yikes. I’ll just take this little number.

Via ALBOTAS

Suck It Again Michael Bay: A Real-life Transformer

Sean — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 02:45:05 +0000

I have no information on this other than the video, but it appears to be a real-life transforming robot. And it doesn’t look like crap. See Michael Bay, it IS possible to do this stuff without ruining my childhood.

Optimus Prime’s Insurance Claim Letter

Sean — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:16:17 +0000

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency has a hilarious letter from Optimus Prime’s GEICO agent in regards to his recent claims:

$6,564,239.44 requested reimbursement for repairs to a truck part called the “Autobot Matrix of Leadership.” You stated this occurred in “an ultimate confrontation between good and evil,” with a Ms. Meg Atron and a Mr. U. Nicron causing the damage in question. Mr. Prime, I have checked every known car- and truck-part catalog published in the United States and have found nothing even resembling that part, never mind any part so expensive. Whatever disagreements you had with Ms. Atron and Mr. Nicron, I suggest that next time you either settle things peaceably or leave your Autobot Matrix of Leadership at home so it doesn’t break. GEICO does not cover Autobot Matrix of Leaderships.

Read the rest of the letter here

Transformers Costumes That Actually Transform

Sean — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 19:20:11 +0000

The undoubtedly craptacular Michael Bay helmed Transformers movie comes out this week. If you’re looking to retain your childhood memories instead of having Hollywood soil them, check this out instead. These people-with-too-much-time-on-their-hands made Transformers costumes that actually transform. Looks like they’re based on actual Transformers too. So sit back and relax and pretend it’s 1985 all over again…

Homemade Transformers Movie

Sean — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:57:31 +0000

Suck on this Michael Bay. This homemade stop-action movie was made using actual Transformers toys. There’s not much in the way of plot, but something tells me there won’t be much in Bay’s upcoming summer blockbuster either. And the effects in this one look like Transformers, not some sort of strange-overdone-too-complicated-ridiculous-robot thing. Strike another blow for the little guy!