If you caught Albert Ching’s June 20 Tribune story “More men seeking sneakers for shoe collections,” you know that acquiring massive piles of footwear is big business and no longer just the realm of fashionistas and Philippine politicos.

So it should come as no surprise that when Nike goes “future-retro” and releases a limited-edition pair of sneakers based on the self-lacing shoes worn by Marty McFly in the 2015 world of Back to the Future II, they would go for as much as $2,000.
(Source: Gizmodo)

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

But I still want to know: Where’s my hoverboard, Mattel?

Read the rest of this entry »

LUCASFILM/STARWARS.COM
The New York Times reports that Toys “R” Us stores are now displaying clocks counting down to July 26, when many will open at midnight to start selling the toys that tie in with the new Star Wars movie, The Clone Wars. That movie comes out Aug. 15. (Times writer Douglas Quenqua also mentions that McDonalds will have its first-ever Star Wars-themed Happy Meal.)

East Valley locations that will be a part of the midnight madness include 1516 S. Power Rd., Mesa, at Superstition Springs Center, and 12801 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, at Paradise Valley Mall.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the spirit of Free RPG Day this Saturday (June 21), Nerdvana has a gift for readers: The first person to e-mail us by midnight Friday, June 20, with the correct answers to these five D&D trivia questions will collect some sweet D&D Game Day 2008 gear:

Read the rest of this entry »

Go to Toys “R” Us online now through May 17 and you can help choose the Star Wars scene that will be turned into a Toys “R” Us exclusive LEGO set.

The choices are: “The Arrest of Palpatine” (Revenge of the Sith), “Slave I and Cloud City Landing Platform” (The Empire Strikes Back) and “Mon Calamari Cruiser Set” (Return of the Jedi).

The winning set will be announced at the New York International Toy Fair in February.

I’ve got visuals from these scenes after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

“Does this pic make my head look big?”

StarWars.com is at it again with its feature of all things Japanese and Star Wars, in advance of the Star Wars Celebration Japan event July 19-21.

Last month the site profiled the wildly different cover art that Star Wars novels had in Japan versus the U.S. This week we get a look at 10 cool posters from the Land of the Rising Sun, and why they’re so attractive to collectors.

Comic books began as a way for publishers to make money from idle printing presses by reprinting newspaper comic strips, but they have clearly taken on a life of their own. The industry celebrates this success each year and tries to bring new readers into the fold with Free Comic Book Day.

Free? Comic book? Day?

I’m there! And I’m dragging my little ones with me … or is that the other way around? Read the rest of this entry »

Four action figures based on the Spike TV show Afro Samurai were released this week. Created by DC Direct, the characters Afro Samurai, Kuma, Ninja Ninja and Justice are brought to life with amazing detail and capture the style of the hit anime in every possible way. The scale of each figure is also impressive, ranging from 7 to 8.25 inches tall. If you’re not familiar with the show, Afro Samurai (played by Samuel L. Jackson) is an epic tale of a black samurai’s hunt for Justice (played by Ron Perlman) who murdered his father. Composed by famed artist RZA (from the Wu Tang Clan) Afro Samurai blends traditional Japanese culture, funky technology and hip-hop to create a brutally fresh experience.

Read the rest of this entry »

A fandom phenomenon that’s near and dear to my heart is the collecting of Star Wars posters and book covers - specifically, when possible, the Japanese versions. OK, so I don’t have any yet but it’s a goal.

With the Star Wars Celebration conventions here in the U.S. in ruins due to litigation, the people from the Galaxy Far, Far Away are trying again elsewhere, this time in the Land of the Rising Sun with Star Wars Celebration Japan. And the folks at StarWars.com are taking the opportunity to showcase the Far East’s sometimes wildly fantastic visual take on Star Wars. You can check out Part I of their feature on Japanese cover art here, Part II here and Part III here. (The U.S. cover art is included in the lower right corner of each example.)

Read the rest of this entry »