Rob Flanagan is a veteran podcaster, with shows such as Popping the Cherrywood and Shitty Movie Night under his belt. The two of us spend a lot of time discussing the philosophy of podcasting, the fun of toy collecting as adults, and reviving old properties such as He-Man, G.I. Joe, and Transformers. Rob was recently named the Fusion “Fan of the Month“, and is really passionate about the growth of e-sports.
Kevin Stark is the curator of the Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, OK. Since 2005, the museum has served as a beacon for toy fanatics and a wealth of knowledge for people unfamiliar with the hobby. Staffed with friendly, passionate fans, the museum has detailed exhibits for the diehard collector, fun displays for the curious tourist, and a play area for the kids. Because, after all, toys are MADE for them, first and foremost!
Here’s where you can keep tabs on all the fun stuff going on at the museum:
My love of costuming goes way back. In fact, it’s only now I’m starting to connect the dots and realize just how seriously I took it even as a kid. Yeah, I was “that kid”, who asked why his plastic K-Mart Halloween costume didn’t look exactly like Optimus Prime.
Case in point, my love of Ghostbusters. There were few franchises that held more of a fascination for me as a kid, and I spent an absurd amount of time not only playing with the toys, but trying to create my own ghostbusting headquarters and car. I poured through the catalog, checking out the amazing life-size roleplay toys that would let me pretend to be a Ghostbuster with “real” equipment. Kenner, who made the toys, should be commended, because they made reasonably-accurate proton packs, ghost traps, and PKE meters. There was one thing, however, that stuck out at me every time I opened a catalog.
Yeah, I’m looking at you, you happy little shit. Not only do you have the official pack, blaster, PKE Meter, and armband… which is awesome… but you actually get this awesome KID-SIZED GHOSTBUSTER JUMPSUIT!!! A jumpsuit that was, in fact, not actually for sale in any way, shape, or form. Kenner made kid-sized replicas of all the Ghostbusters’ equipment… except the jumpsuit. That was apparently made just for the kid in the catalog. That bastard. Probably the photographer’s nephew or something.
I could never figure out if Kenner just didn’t think it was economical to sell kid jumpsuits, or if they just never realized what a gold mine they were sitting on. Or if I was just a really, really weird kid. However, when I see people at conventions with fully screen-accurate costumes, I have extra respect for their hard work.
Aaron Bossig 