More press coverage
A story about Madeline's belly dance teaching was in the paper today. They interviewed us both, and I got quoted in a nice little paragraph. Here it is for your reading pleasure.
Part 2
Part 2
Friday, March 24, 2006
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Star Wars: The Saga Collection R2-D2 (the Battle of Hoth) action figure review by Andrew Lenahan
Figure: R2-D2 (the Battle of Hoth)
Property: Star Wars
Series: The Saga Collection
Number: Saga 010
Keywords: R2-D2, Artoo-Detoo, Astromech, Droid, Droids
Company: Hasbro
Release year: 2006
Note: This is the second R2-D2 figure I've reviewed. The first was the Episode III R2-D2 from 2005.
Series Overview:
With the final new Star Wars movie behind us, Hasbro turns its attention once again to reissuing classic characters. Unlike the 2004 Original Trilogy Collection, the new Saga Collection does include characters from the three prequels as well as the classic trilogy. Most of these new figures are great-looking, with excellent paint work in particular. But the entire line hinges on whether collectors (and perhaps more importantly, kids and casual fans) will once again shell out for more figures of the same characters. Hopefully, the answer is yes, as these are great figures and deserve recognition as such.
Character Overview:
A cylendrical astromech droid with a domed head, R2-D2 is easily one of the most recognisable Star Wars caracters. This particular figure represents R2-D2 as seen in the Battle of Hoth, from the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. R2-D2 is in the process of fleeing the Echo Base on Hoth with Luke Skywalker in the X-Wing.
Action Figure Sculpt and Paint: 9
Those expecting something brand new will be disappointed from the start: this R2-D2 is a repaint of the Original Trilogy Collection's faux-vintage figure (though without the removable panel and tools). Fortunately, they picked a great figure to repaint, and at a lower price point as well! This Artoo has a removable front leg, glowing "eye" feature, and a sensorscope which moves up and down while his head is turned! What about detail? This figure is loaded with it, right down to rarely-seen touches like painted stripes in Artoo's, uh, underarm areas. Since the Echo Base wasn't exactly the Waldorf-Astoria, R2-D2 has some painted grunge on his lower half. The effect is very delicate and subtle.
Articulation: 7
R2-D2 has a 360-degree turning head (which also activates his sensorscope feature), plus joints at the shoulders and both rear ankles. In addition, all three legs have rolling wheels under their feet so that R2-D2 can roll a bit. There isn't much articulation possible in an astromech droid figure, and this R2-D2 is actually better than most.
Accessories: 8
R2-D2 comes with several accessories, which is also above average for an astromech. He has a "survival kit" consisting of a box with lid (which reminded me of a cooler), a rations box with lid (a small flat box), and an emergency lantern. I have read that the survival kit accessories are actually repaints from a 2002 Toys R Us exclusive Luke Skywalker's X-Wing Fighter vehicle. Still, it's an improvement on the sparse accessories one usually gets with an R2-D2, and I certainly don't mind seeing some obscure accessories getting reissued.
There's also a display base. I was never much of a fan of the generic display bases from the Original Trilogy Collection, but this update at least has the Empire Strikes Back logo embossed on it, and a little place with R2-D2's name on the front edge. Oddly, it also has a peg for standing up a figure with a foot peg hole, which R2-D2 doesn't have.
Finally, like all Saga Collection figures, R2-D2 comes with a "hologram" figure moulded in sparkly blue translucent plastic. I got a lightsaber-wielding Luke Skywalker. I certainly would have preferred one more accessory--anything at all--that could be used with the figure, but I'm sure some people are sure to like these and will collect them.
Oh, one more thing... oddly enough, R2-D2 also comes with an instruction sheet explaining how to make the sensorscope feature work by rotating the head. It seems to me that even the dimmest youngling could figure that out on their own, but there it is anyway.
Packaging: Very Slightly Above Average
The Saga Collection comes in a rather basic card backing with a large shaped bubble. I do like that the backing card shows a scene with the character's environment from the movies.
Overall score: 8.5
The Saga Collection R2-D2 is a fine figure, and I'd even go so far as to say that this is the best R2-D2 figure yet. While the accessories aren't quite as qonderful as last year's Episode III R2-D2, the sculpt and paint is far better, which more than makes up for it. If your collection still doesn't have an R2-D2, go ahead and get this one. If you already have the other dozen or so R2-D2s... well, there's always room for one more, isn't there?
Availability:
As of this writing (March 2006), this is a current figure and easily available in numerous stores, including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, and K B Toys.
Property: Star Wars
Series: The Saga Collection
Number: Saga 010
Keywords: R2-D2, Artoo-Detoo, Astromech, Droid, Droids
Company: Hasbro
Release year: 2006
Note: This is the second R2-D2 figure I've reviewed. The first was the Episode III R2-D2 from 2005.
Series Overview:
With the final new Star Wars movie behind us, Hasbro turns its attention once again to reissuing classic characters. Unlike the 2004 Original Trilogy Collection, the new Saga Collection does include characters from the three prequels as well as the classic trilogy. Most of these new figures are great-looking, with excellent paint work in particular. But the entire line hinges on whether collectors (and perhaps more importantly, kids and casual fans) will once again shell out for more figures of the same characters. Hopefully, the answer is yes, as these are great figures and deserve recognition as such.
Character Overview:
A cylendrical astromech droid with a domed head, R2-D2 is easily one of the most recognisable Star Wars caracters. This particular figure represents R2-D2 as seen in the Battle of Hoth, from the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. R2-D2 is in the process of fleeing the Echo Base on Hoth with Luke Skywalker in the X-Wing.
Action Figure Sculpt and Paint: 9
Those expecting something brand new will be disappointed from the start: this R2-D2 is a repaint of the Original Trilogy Collection's faux-vintage figure (though without the removable panel and tools). Fortunately, they picked a great figure to repaint, and at a lower price point as well! This Artoo has a removable front leg, glowing "eye" feature, and a sensorscope which moves up and down while his head is turned! What about detail? This figure is loaded with it, right down to rarely-seen touches like painted stripes in Artoo's, uh, underarm areas. Since the Echo Base wasn't exactly the Waldorf-Astoria, R2-D2 has some painted grunge on his lower half. The effect is very delicate and subtle.
Articulation: 7
R2-D2 has a 360-degree turning head (which also activates his sensorscope feature), plus joints at the shoulders and both rear ankles. In addition, all three legs have rolling wheels under their feet so that R2-D2 can roll a bit. There isn't much articulation possible in an astromech droid figure, and this R2-D2 is actually better than most.
Accessories: 8
R2-D2 comes with several accessories, which is also above average for an astromech. He has a "survival kit" consisting of a box with lid (which reminded me of a cooler), a rations box with lid (a small flat box), and an emergency lantern. I have read that the survival kit accessories are actually repaints from a 2002 Toys R Us exclusive Luke Skywalker's X-Wing Fighter vehicle. Still, it's an improvement on the sparse accessories one usually gets with an R2-D2, and I certainly don't mind seeing some obscure accessories getting reissued.
There's also a display base. I was never much of a fan of the generic display bases from the Original Trilogy Collection, but this update at least has the Empire Strikes Back logo embossed on it, and a little place with R2-D2's name on the front edge. Oddly, it also has a peg for standing up a figure with a foot peg hole, which R2-D2 doesn't have.
Finally, like all Saga Collection figures, R2-D2 comes with a "hologram" figure moulded in sparkly blue translucent plastic. I got a lightsaber-wielding Luke Skywalker. I certainly would have preferred one more accessory--anything at all--that could be used with the figure, but I'm sure some people are sure to like these and will collect them.
Oh, one more thing... oddly enough, R2-D2 also comes with an instruction sheet explaining how to make the sensorscope feature work by rotating the head. It seems to me that even the dimmest youngling could figure that out on their own, but there it is anyway.
Packaging: Very Slightly Above Average
The Saga Collection comes in a rather basic card backing with a large shaped bubble. I do like that the backing card shows a scene with the character's environment from the movies.
Overall score: 8.5
The Saga Collection R2-D2 is a fine figure, and I'd even go so far as to say that this is the best R2-D2 figure yet. While the accessories aren't quite as qonderful as last year's Episode III R2-D2, the sculpt and paint is far better, which more than makes up for it. If your collection still doesn't have an R2-D2, go ahead and get this one. If you already have the other dozen or so R2-D2s... well, there's always room for one more, isn't there?
Availability:
As of this writing (March 2006), this is a current figure and easily available in numerous stores, including Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, and K B Toys.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Adult Swim: Sealab 2021 Quinn and Debbie action figure review by Andrew Lenahan
Figure: Quinn and Debbie
Property: Adult Swim
Series: Adult Swim Series 1
Keywords: Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Sealab 2020, Sealab 2021, Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn, Debbie DuPree, "White Debbie"
Company: Palisades Toys
Release year: 2005
Series Overview:
With a wide array of diverse characters ranging from trial lawyers to alien mantis to sentient meatballs, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block of programming seems like an obvious choice for an action figure line. And Palisades Toys, creators of the legendarily good Muppets line of figures, seems like an obvious choice to pull it off. Palisades had an excellent idea to sell the figures as two-packs, in hopes of reducing peg-warmer syndrome by offering obscure characters paired with popular ones. Unfortunately, this also brought the price up considerably, at some stores well into the $15.00 range.
Character Overview:
Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn is probably the smartest Sealab crew member (with the possible exception of the scheming Sparks), and certainly the most capable of actually doing his job. This might be due to the fact that he's actually a robot, however.
Debbie DuPree is Sealab's resident marine biologist, and is sometimes in a relationship with Quinn. She's probably best remembered for a first-season episode where she became obsessed with having a baby and had to decide which crew member to procreate with. That episode is also the reason for the dolphin and clock accessories in this set.
Action Figure Sculpt and Paint: 6
Unfortunately, both figures offer somewhat underwhelming sculpts, especially by Palisades standards. Quinn's facial likeness is the low point here, which bears only a slight resemblance to the cartoon version. The cartoon quinn has fuller hair, thicker eyebrows, a wider head, broader nose, bigger lips... overall, the figure looks far too caucasian and otherwise different. Debbie's facial likeness is by far the better of the two, but still not perfect. It's a good thing these guys are sporting their distinctive orange jumpsuits, because nobody would recognise these figures based on their faces alone.
Both figures have decent enough body sculpts, but both are too skinny and Debbie has much larger breasts than in the cartoon. The paint job is competent but without much in the way of detail, though this is excusable since the cartoon versions don't have much detail to them, either.
Articulation: 6.5
Quinn and Debbie move at all the same places: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and hips. Though this isn't terrible, none of the articulation points are of the ball-joint type, and knee joints would have been much more useful than the twistable waists.
Accessories: 8
Accessories are definitely a high point for these figures. There's a TV, underwater camera, three liquor bottles, a shot glass, can of Mingus Dew soda, Debbie's dolphin "baby", and Debbie's biological clock. I like the liquor bottles as they have huge potential as diorama props, though I wish they'd put some more effort into the bottle labels: for example, one just has "WHISKEY" in white letters on a plain black label. I know they can't have used real liquor bottle labels due to license issues, but they could have done lookalikes a la Todd McFarlane's "Strange Brew" figures from way back when with their "Hosehead" beer. Other than the bottles, the best accessory is the clock, which is stickered to look just like the one on the show.
Packaging: Slightly Above Average
The Adult Swim figures some in clamshell cases with paper inserts showing a background environment for the characters.
Overall score: 7
While the quantity of accessories keeps their overall score out of the mud, I'd still say these figures are somewhat of a disappointment, especially at their $15 price point. The line still has a great deal of potential though. Let's hope Palisades manages to recover during series 2.
Availability:
Probably the best place to find these is in Hot Topic stores. Don't let the high price worry you, as Hot Topic seem to have put their Adult Swim figures in their clearance section at around 50% off. If you can't get to a Hot Topic or just can't stand shopping there, try eBay instead.
Property: Adult Swim
Series: Adult Swim Series 1
Keywords: Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Sealab 2020, Sealab 2021, Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn, Debbie DuPree, "White Debbie"
Company: Palisades Toys
Release year: 2005
Series Overview:
With a wide array of diverse characters ranging from trial lawyers to alien mantis to sentient meatballs, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block of programming seems like an obvious choice for an action figure line. And Palisades Toys, creators of the legendarily good Muppets line of figures, seems like an obvious choice to pull it off. Palisades had an excellent idea to sell the figures as two-packs, in hopes of reducing peg-warmer syndrome by offering obscure characters paired with popular ones. Unfortunately, this also brought the price up considerably, at some stores well into the $15.00 range.
Character Overview:
Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn is probably the smartest Sealab crew member (with the possible exception of the scheming Sparks), and certainly the most capable of actually doing his job. This might be due to the fact that he's actually a robot, however.
Debbie DuPree is Sealab's resident marine biologist, and is sometimes in a relationship with Quinn. She's probably best remembered for a first-season episode where she became obsessed with having a baby and had to decide which crew member to procreate with. That episode is also the reason for the dolphin and clock accessories in this set.
Action Figure Sculpt and Paint: 6
Unfortunately, both figures offer somewhat underwhelming sculpts, especially by Palisades standards. Quinn's facial likeness is the low point here, which bears only a slight resemblance to the cartoon version. The cartoon quinn has fuller hair, thicker eyebrows, a wider head, broader nose, bigger lips... overall, the figure looks far too caucasian and otherwise different. Debbie's facial likeness is by far the better of the two, but still not perfect. It's a good thing these guys are sporting their distinctive orange jumpsuits, because nobody would recognise these figures based on their faces alone.
Both figures have decent enough body sculpts, but both are too skinny and Debbie has much larger breasts than in the cartoon. The paint job is competent but without much in the way of detail, though this is excusable since the cartoon versions don't have much detail to them, either.
Articulation: 6.5
Quinn and Debbie move at all the same places: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and hips. Though this isn't terrible, none of the articulation points are of the ball-joint type, and knee joints would have been much more useful than the twistable waists.
Accessories: 8
Accessories are definitely a high point for these figures. There's a TV, underwater camera, three liquor bottles, a shot glass, can of Mingus Dew soda, Debbie's dolphin "baby", and Debbie's biological clock. I like the liquor bottles as they have huge potential as diorama props, though I wish they'd put some more effort into the bottle labels: for example, one just has "WHISKEY" in white letters on a plain black label. I know they can't have used real liquor bottle labels due to license issues, but they could have done lookalikes a la Todd McFarlane's "Strange Brew" figures from way back when with their "Hosehead" beer. Other than the bottles, the best accessory is the clock, which is stickered to look just like the one on the show.
Packaging: Slightly Above Average
The Adult Swim figures some in clamshell cases with paper inserts showing a background environment for the characters.
Overall score: 7
While the quantity of accessories keeps their overall score out of the mud, I'd still say these figures are somewhat of a disappointment, especially at their $15 price point. The line still has a great deal of potential though. Let's hope Palisades manages to recover during series 2.
Availability:
Probably the best place to find these is in Hot Topic stores. Don't let the high price worry you, as Hot Topic seem to have put their Adult Swim figures in their clearance section at around 50% off. If you can't get to a Hot Topic or just can't stand shopping there, try eBay instead.