Power Lords: Revenge of the Misfit Toys

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Ammon

I previously established that we had some pretty lame toys back in my day. Following that theme, I’d like to reacquaint you with the Power Lords.

This was the kind of toy that I was probably given by my grandma who got it for me on a whim while shopping at K-Mart (I know I certainly never would have asked for it on purpose). Not that there’s anything wrong with grandma’s generosity, it’s not her fault she was out of touch with what little boys wanted back in the 80s (I love you Grandma!).

Looking at these toys I think it’s fairly evident why no one is clamoring for the Power Lords movie, the Power Lords 8 part mini series on SyFy, or the complete Power Lords reboot by DC Comics to wipe away all the years of bad continuity and make him more accessible for today’s new comic reader.

I had to consult Wikipedia to remember the basic storyline, In a nutshell, Adam Power was a huge nerd with a big nose and bad hair who liked to dress up in a bright orange jumpsuit to fight the evil extraterrestrial despot known as Arkus.

When Adam Power harnessed the power of the cosmic Power Jewel (at the push of a button) he became (feigned excitement) Lord Power (yawn)! As Lord Power, Adam now had blue skin and protruding red veins, his hair was even worse than ever, he had a jewel stuck in the middle of his forehead, and he was still stuck wearing the same orange pants from his jumpsuit.

It’s not worth going into the even lamer supporting cast of heroes and villains, it would only bore you to tears. However, if you’re reading this late at night and feel the urge to click a link you can check out images of all the action figures and vehicles over Action Figure Archive or read all about them back at Wikipedia .

This is one misfit toy that Santa should ~~accidentally~~ leave on the island. I’m sure most kids would rather have a Charlie-in-the-box over an Adam Power action figure any day of the year.

What’s the dorkiest toy you remember from growing up? Did you have one? Did you despise it or secretly love it? Sound off in the comments below?

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

The 36 Worst Action Figures From Iconic Toy Lines (neatorama.com)

Superhero Toys: Then Versus Now

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Ammon

Superhero movies rock these days and so do their toy counterparts.

Growing up in the 1980s most superhero toys either looked like Ken dolls or like this.

My kids, however, gets to play with these.

Who do you think had it better? Sound off in the comments below.

All images via my flickr

The Time I Met Vader & Chewie

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Ammon

Did I ever tell you about the time I met Darth Vader and Chewbacca? I didn’t!?! Well, it was only the best day of my life!

Yup, that’s little me with them in the picture above. Just chillin’ with Vader and Chewie, no biggie.

In reality, I have absolutely no memory of this day and if it weren’t for this one polaroid, I never would have remembered that this meeting even took place.

From the look of the smile on the face of my 4 year old self I’m pretty sure that this was the highlight of my life up to that point.

What I do remember is that I, like many children of the 70s, loved Star Wars with a passion. I watched the movies, I re-enacted my favorite scenes with the toys, I read the comics, I listened to the records, I the wore t-shirts & pajamas, and slept under the sheets.

Such an encounter couldn’t have been anything less than magical.

What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you that you can’t remember? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

Darth Vader in Commercials Compilation (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)

Retro Skills: Clean Out Your Mouse

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Ammon

Image via Wikipedia

Over the years I’ve acquired quite a few valuable technical skills. Many of them are as useful today as they were back when i learned them.

The art of de-gunking a computer mouse is not one of those skills, sadly, and has not held its value.

For my kids’ sake (in the event that they should ever find themselves trapped in the past and the only way to get back to the future is to perform an intricate series of mouse clicks and the darn thing just isn’t responding), below are detailed instructions courtesy of an old 1990s Macintosh Classic factory manual I found several months back.

It’s amazing that so much care went into describing such a mundane and now obsolete process. That’s part of what made Apple’s culture the way it is today.

What’s the most irrelevant technical skill you mastered? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

10 Awesome Accessories Featuring the Vintage Apple Logo [RAINBOWS] (mashable.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Wonder (slightlyinsightful.com)
Retro Mouse Merges New Technology with Old-Timey Wrist Pain (techland.time.com)

Hot Links: PopRocksCandy.com

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Ammon

Sometimes a website is so ugly, it’s awesome. This isn’t one of those times. It’s just plain horrid.

Check out PopRocksCandy.com and see how many of the biggest web design mistakes it’s guilty of.

What’s the ugliest site you’ve seen lately? Sound off in the comments below.

All images via my flickr

82-Year-Old Grandma Tries Pop Rocks for the First Time (neatorama.com)

The Muppets + Star Wars = Nexus of All Awesomeness

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Ammon

Image via Wikipedia

When I was a kid, something magical happened each Friday night. The whole family gathered around the TV to watch The Muppets until we laughed ourselves silly.

No skit has had more enduring appeal to me than a very special, Star Wars themed Pigs in Space.

Luke Skywalker, Artoo, Threepio, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, & more stared in spectacularly unforgettable sketch.

To my young, impressionable mind this was coolest thing that had ever happened in the history of the universe.

What was your favorite Muppet moment? Sound off in the comments below.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wonder

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Ammon

This weekend we helped my wife’s sister move into her new home. Instead of unloading boxes and furniture, however, we were brought in to clean the place up.

The previous occupants left a hideous mess which needed to be removed. Yet, within the debris something special caught my eye!

I couldn’t believe it—a real honest to goodness, old school Macintosh Classic! Were my eyes deceived? Had the former tenants left in such a hurry that they’d neglected to retrieve their priceless treasure?

And then, I thought to myself…

“I wonder if this thing works!?!?”

At that moment, I knew I had an entry for this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

So, I grabbed the Mac, it’s keyboard, mouse, and cables, hooked them up and plugged it in.

As I waited with gleeful anticipation for the familiar Macintosh startup chime I was greeted instead with what sounded like a dying dial–modem and the smell of burning plastic.

Unfortunately, there was a reason that this particular Macintosh had not been brought with its owners.

This Macintosh Classic has passed on. It is no more. It has ceased to be. It’s expired and gone to meet its maker. In short, it’s run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible.

No longer did I wonder whether or not this Mac would run. For I knew that this was an ex-Mac.

Want to participate in the challenge? Head on over to The Daily Post and follow the instructions below.

1. Each week, [they] provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

Now, take a picture that captures this week’s theme and post a link to it in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.