A Whispy Shadow Demon

Prologue

In an attempt to improve my writing & scratch the creativity itch I’m going to attempt to write daily. Usually, I write when I’m feeling inspired…but that’s not that often anymore. So I’m going to prompt inspiration & see where it takes me. Today’s prompt is…

A Whispy Shadow Demon

My 6-year-old daughter is fearless. In her mind at least. Unfortunately, she has inherited her mother’s delusions of grandeur. She’s the best at everything and afraid of nothing. I love her very much, but this is an awful trait for ANY human to possess. But there you go.

Introducing Bendy

One day, while randomly flicking through Youtube I saw a thumbnail depicting (what I now know as) Bendy & The Ink Machine. For those of you who don’t know who or what this is, it’s basically (as Wikipedia will tell you)

An episodic first-person puzzle-action survival horror video game. The game follows Henry Stein, a retired animator who returns to his old animation studio from the 1930s, after an invitation from his old employer, and discovers a nightmare of cartoon characters seemingly brought to life by the titular Ink Machine.

It’s a wonderfully scripted game with iconic characters brought to life using a 1930s style of animation (think Steamboat Willie) I am slightly obsessed…but not as much as my daughter.

From Fear to Fandom

When she first saw him I could tell she was slightly suspicious of him. Yeah, he looked cute…but he definitely has a demonic look and feel to him too. I had no idea about him, so when she asked me who it was and what he did, I made up all kinds of horrific (or as horrific as I can be towards a 6-year-old girl) stories. Stories of how he would chase children in their dreams if they didn’t behave for their parents (I never said they were original stories!) And the usual ‘boogeyman’ tales we know and love.

The Journey Begins

One Friday night it was just me and her, and she asked me if I would tell her more about Bendy. I told her I would do one better. I hopped back onto YouTube and found some playthrough footage (without commentary) and we watched it together. Two hours later, she was in love. She was fascinated by each character & the journey they took. She instantly became a fan.

Curiosity Inspires The Kid

The very next day she wanted to watch it again, but this time she knew what to expect, so she was able to quiz me more on the plot and characters (she is only 6 years old remember) after another viewing she wanted to write about him (she’s an avid reader and I’m very proud to say she is reading at TWO levels higher than what she should be) so she did. Now, I’m not saying what she wrote makes any sense, but the passion is there. And nobody should ever mock or deny a passion to create, especially in a child. I will always continue to motivate and help push her creativity, because who knows where it will take her.

Thanks, Bendy.

YouTube

I have this itch I just can’t scratch when it come to YouTube. Like, I want to make videos, but I just don’t have the equipment, software or editing skills to do something ‘good’. I say ‘good’ because there’s a lot of competition. But, I thought…bugger it. It’s for my own personal creative pleasure anyway, so why not.

Armed with my Motorola e5 play & Vlog Star I thought I’d give it a go…and here it is.

Enjoy!

Top 5 Most Expensive Game of Thrones Funko Pops

Today, I am told, is a huge day for Game of Thrones fans, as it marks the beginning of the end of the series. While the hype is real, I thought I would take a look at the top 5 most expensive GoT Funko Pops, according to the trending values on the official Funko Pop app.

1) Ned Stark (Headless)

Released in 2013 this (now vaulted Pop) was an SDCC exclusive, and has a trending value of £1,605! I wonder if anyone has theirs out of the box…

2) Tyrion Lannister (scarred)

What I personally like about this pop is that it’s just a regular release. Not an exclusive, just a ‘bog standard’ 2013 release (also vaulted) I you’re wanting it now though, expect to shell out around £605 for it!

3) White Walker (Glow in the Dark)

This is the first on the list that isn’t actually vaulted! Another 2013 release, this time for HMV, the GITD ‘gimmick’ makes this pop one I actually want…but not for £474! I think I’ll pass…

4) Children of the Forest (Metallic)

This is the most recent release (2018) and a character(s?) I’m not familiar with. Fairly ‘plain’ given the crazy world of Westeros, but it’s still a Pop that claims a heavy chunk of your change if you want it in your collection. An HBO shop exclusive trending at £466!

5) Daenerys (White/Gold Dragon)

She’s only just made it onto the list, but it wouldn’t be complete without her. She’s the oldest pop to make the list (with a 2012 release) and is also unsurprisingly vaulted too. Good luck tracking her down, but if you do, expect to fork out around £298 for her.

If you have any of these pops id love to see them in your collection. Let me know on Twitter (@Baxterrat) and maybe I’ll showcase your glorious pieces in a future blog!

Until then

Epic Mickey Nintendo Wii

Sign of the Times

Being a ‘poor & starving artist’ a lot of…ALL of my video gaming is done ‘retro’ (I hate using that term on a machine that came out in the 2000s, but apparently that’s where we’re at) I don’t have a problem with gaming on a budget (hunting down seventh gen games in charity shops is one of my most favourite things to do) but just because it won ‘Game of the Year’ or scored high on Metacritic doesn’t mean I will personally enjoy it…

Motion Control Catastrophy

When the Wii first came out, the motion control was seen as (& probably ACTUALLY) groundbreaking. It was revolutionary…and a gimmick. The latter being the problem. I don’t mind a mini-game that requires a bit of tilting and shaking and ‘wand pointing’, but a full game? Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it just hasn’t aged well. Most probably, it’s both, because playing this game sucked.

The Pros

Before I get all negative Nancy, there are some things I enjoyed about it. The art is phenomenal (using many different styles) and the story has a real Disney/Mickey feel to it; it’s a magical adventure that slightly (and I mean slightly) takes me back to Castle of Illusion (legitimately one of the greatest games ever made) there are lots of things to collect and places to explore too. It’s a shame it handles so poorly…

The Cons

Simply put, it’s the gosh darn controls! If I’m not fiddling about with the lord awful camera (trying to get a decent angle while moving was near impossible, I literally had to stop, adjust the camera and THEN move) I was faffing about trying to get close enough to the items I needed to paint or thin (even trying to remember which was which was a tricky task at first, but that’s probably being more down to me)

I like my games to be, not necessarily fast action, but definitely smooth flowing. This was neither. As mentioned above, I would have to stop and position myself all too often before jumping or painting. It was a chore to play that literally left me with achy hands! (But again, that could just be me)

The Verdict

Was it good back in 2010 (NINE whole years ago!) We’ll according to IGN, yes (it was a ‘best of E3 2010 winner) but does it hold up now? For me…not at all. I would have loved to have played it back in the day to see how it felt back then, but we’ve come so far in the last 9 years or just simply doesn’t hold up in today’s market.

But what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts (good or bad)

Top 3…Funko Pop Ideas

The Pitch

Advertising & mascots go together like chips & curry sauce. We may not like those pesky Meerkats, but we know what they’re selling. That’s the magic of advertising. One of Funkos MANY lines is such mascots. Given that they are a USA based company, the majority of the pops from said line won’t be as familiar to us Brits (& the rest of the world) so I thought it would be fun to share my personal 3 favourite mascots, and ones that would make the best pops. Have a read, see what you think, and let me know!

Churchill Car Insurance

A British Bulldog named after a beloved politician, voiced by Bob Mortimer…thats the most English sentence ever put together! He’s also (originally) a bobblehead toy. Bobbleheads (if you weren’t already aware) are a major part of Funkos history. This character makes complete sense to be turned into a Pop! Instantly recognisable and a guaranteed top seller.

PG Tips

If you can say Monkey without doing it in Johnny Vegas (wonderful) Northern accent, then you’re a better person than me. This is another character voiced by a great British comedian (Ben Miller) & one that is the more ‘posh’ & stereotypical English to Vegas Northern grunt. Making him into a Pop would be interesting to see as he’s not known for standing, so he’d be in a more ‘original’ pose (maybe sat crossed legged?) It would also be interesting to see if they gave him the ‘knitted’ look or keep it plain.

Old Speckled Hen

This one… this one’s a long shot. I can’t imagine for one minute that Funko would want to create a Pop based on a character that sells alcohol. But let’s pretend he doesn’t and just take him on face value…he’s a fox wearing tweed! So wonderfully British. Can you imagine how awesome that would look? In an alternative universe, they’d be able to do this AND have him hold a pint! But no. It’s a good character…just not exactly family friendly. Never mind eh.

Slash Maraud

Number 1 of 6 (mini series)

November 1987

Have you ever started to read a comic (or book) and the words just don’t seem to sink in? Like, you’re saying the words…but they’re just words. They’re not conjuring up any imagery, they’re not making any sense…they’re just words. This is exactly what I’ve just encountered with this comic book. I’m actually lost for words at how bad it is.

The story… I couldn’t even tell you what the story is! I even went on a Wiki and nobody has filled it in there either! I don’t know the year, the place (i assume its an alternative dimension or alien planet, given that there is a mixture of humans, dinosaurs and aliens all living together) I don’t understand what the hero is doing…I just started to gaze off in confusion. Has anyone else done that? Or is it just me and my short attention span?

I don’t wish to be rude to the writer (I’m all about positivity & spreading the love) but yeah…this (in my opinion) was just terrible. I couldn’t get into it, didn’t understand what was going on…absolute mind melter.

Maybe you have read it and can tell me what’s going on. If so, let me know! I’m also intrigued to know whether anyone else has an attention span as short as mine. If a story doesn’t instantly grab my attention, then I just don’t see the point of carrying on. Harsh I’m sure, but that’s what you’re dealing with people.

Here’s hoping next weeks comic book picks are better.

Until then!

The Pied Piper of Everett

I don’t like to use the Lord’s name in vain, but this one is deserving…God damn you, Brian Mariotti. No matter how hard I try to step away from Funko (pops in particular) he just keeps on tempting me in like the (wonderfully) geeky Pied Piper he is.

I’ve never met the man (almost certainly never will) but from what I’ve read, heard and seen of him he sounds like one of the most down to earth, chilled out, cool guys in the world. But God damn him (sorry Lord) for FINALLY getting The Office pops sorted. Of all the franchises & licences to REALLY get me in…its The Office.

Despite being a Brit, and a huge Ricky Gervais fan, The Office (US) is hands down the greatest TV show ever made. I can watch that show from start to finish and back again. Never gets boring, never gets old. One thing that does frustrate me though is the lack of merch. To be fair, why would there be (especially in the UK) But still, one could dream…

Ever since I was aware of Funko Pops (The Walking Dead: Bicycle Girl Zombie from 2012 being the very first one) I knew I wanted The Office characters in that form. Not only is there a Stella ‘regular’ main cast, but they each also have a plethora of alternate ‘versions of themselves too (Belsnickel and Recyclops anyone?) the possibilities are endless, and now, thanks to Brian Mariotti, my wishes are fulfilled…and my wallet is now empty (even before I started)

God damn your Brian Mariotti, God damn you indeed.