Today I take a look at a very strange action figure in from the late 1990s. 1999 to be exact. The license is WWE (or WWF at the time) & the line is called Maximum Sweat with the gimmick being, you fill your figure up with water, and watch as they perspire. Yup, it’s a strange one, but in the defence of Jakks Pacific, you can see why they did it. It was the Attitude Era after all.
So, without further ado…enjoy!
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Having children brings you many wonderful moments in life. Yeah, they can be nightmarish at times and can make life stressful, but the good will always outweigh the bad. One of these wonderful moments (for me at least) is watching how my 6-year-old daughter learns, plays and grows with Youtube.
Growing up, I had 4 channels. Channel 5 came along at the end of my teens, and we were too poor for Sky or cable. So we made do with what we had (which for me was a mixture of toys, stickers & cards, and video games) and life was good (well I enjoyed for the most part) now that I have children of my own I not only get an insight into what they like but also watching them react to things I liked at their age (check out my Detective Pikachu post for an example) and one of the hot ticket items of the moment, is slime.
TMNT Retromutagen Ooze from 1989 was not only my first ‘exposure’ to slime…but it was also the best. Not only was it part of one I my all time favourite franchises (the TMNT) but it also came with a tiny glow in the dark pre-evolved turtle! It was amazing. Thinking about it now takes me straight back to shopping for it with my mum in Woolworths in Dewsbury (West Yorkshire) we had so many of those canisters growing up, they were an integral part of playing with our other toys. Fast forward 30 years later and my daughter is enjoying the exact same thing! Only this time, there’s a slight ‘twist’ to what she plays with.
For whatever reason, (& it really is beyond me) children of today are OBSESSED with poo related toys. Seriously, it is EVERYWHERE. Some of the biggest play creation toy manufacturers in the world have poo related toys. Make your own poo, poo based board games, poo emoji cushions, you cannot escape it. It is everywhere. And the biggest ‘culprit’ of them all? Poo slime. That’s right, slime that is pretending to be the excrement of some magical mystical animal. I don’t get it, but it clearly works, so why not. The question is though…is it any good?
The answer (I’ve found) is, yes! But only from one specific company. In my 36 years of living (& being a man child) I’ve played with my fair share of slime. Ecto-Plazm, Gak, Silly Putty and a whole host of knock-off brands, but there is one company out of all of these that has well and truly hit the nail on the head when it comes to branding, fun and slime consistency. That company is HGL.
Last weekend my daughter brought home a small tub of unicorn poo (yes, you read that correctly) the container of which is a couple of cms thick with the circumference being just a little smaller than the base of a coffee mug. Inside was this creamy white slime…full of glitter (her mind exploded when she saw it was glitter, but why wouldn’t it be, its unicorn poo) as soon a she got it out, hand to God, she had it with her all day. If she wasn’t playing with the other toys with it, she had it in her hand while she was watching TV, and fiddling around with it while she was reading to me. It did not leave he sight. When she eventually went to sleep, I finally got my hands on it (to see what all the fuss was about) and I was amazed at what I found.
To get the full effect of it I placed it back in its tub for a bit to cool down and to reshape (she had been playing with it so much it was warm from her touch!) But when I did get my hands on it…my word, it was the real deal. The consistency is spot on; not too runny like a Mattel slime, and not to moldable like Silly Putty. They well and truly hit that sweet spot. The colour is mesmerizing (especially with the hint of glitter) the packaging and gimmick are cheesy but perfect for the target audience. It also plays well with other toys (I used an action figure and some lego and it didn’t leave any mess or residue behind) and when you put it all back in its little tub, it all folds back perfectly into a smooth ‘new’ consistency (after a while)
If you’re buying slime for your children, ignore the fact that it’s ‘poo’ (I know some parents are put off by this, lord knows why, but some are) just buy this stuff. It’s a great price point (I paid £1 for each of these tubs, yes, I have my own now) and it will give your child hours of fun, with very minimal mess (as long as they are using it properly) it also works well as a relaxation tool too! I use mine all the time when I’m just sat watching TV. Open up your inner child. It’s way more fun than you imagine.
Jo
The vast amount of Podcasts I listen to are based on True Crimes or video games. I don’t know what it is, but the older I get the more I want to listen to True Crime stories. Slightly morbid? Maybe…but that’s a story for another day. The only relevant (as in ‘up to date’) show I listen to is The Joe Rogan Experience.
Joe Rogan is exactly what an interviewer should be; intelligent & articulate & informative. Not only that, but he sits down with all manner of people. From Travis Barker to Professor Brian Cox & everyone in between. This diverse mixture of guests is one of the many factors of why he’s such a pleasure to listen to. His latest episode features the notorious Alex Jones.
If you were to describe a stereotypical American, it would be very close to Alex Jones. He’s loud, he always sounds angry, he speaks twice the speed of most people, he’s very arrogant & a little obnoxious…cut him open and he will spill out Red, White and Blue. He’s pretty intense, but that’s what gives him character too. I just recommend you listen to him in small doses. Too much Alex Jones would leave you a nervous wreck.
What makes Joe such a good interviewer is the way he conducts himself, all the time. Regardless of who he is up against, he’s always cool, calm and collected. He’s none judgmental and very factually accurate (there’s no guesswork; he either knows or doesn’t, and if he doesn’t then he asks) and there’s no bias either. He has his opinion, and if it’s different to that of the interviewee its just accepted.
In a world where blame and shouting and offence is used before logic, it’s refreshing to hear that there are people out there (like Joe) who prove that a civil conversation can be had, even if it’s with someone that you may not necessarily like or agree with.
Jo
One of the joys of being an ‘old man’ (I’m 36, but the ‘yoof’ of today make me feel MUCH older) is being able to say ‘I’ve been a fan since day one’ (it’s a weird bragging right, but I’m having it) and being a fan of Pokemon since day one is one such claim. This film is beyond how I can explain…but ill give it a go.
If you are of a similar age then you probably grew up watching some TERRIBLE ‘game to film’ adaptations. Mario, Street Fighter, all the way up to Resident Evil. Video games have just never been able to make it in film format. Which just baffles me because games these days (more ‘old man’ talk there) are full of movie moments. As much as I enjoyed the always brilliant Duncan Jones foray into The World of Warcraft it just didn’t hit the mark for me. That was the last video game film I saw, and I never thought it would be beaten…until now.
This film (Detective Pikachu) has THE most realistic (and in proportion) looking Pokemon we ever could have wished for. It’s so earnest. They look terrifying and cute and even better than I ever could have imagined! I just…honestly, words fail me. I thought I was passed the age of ‘the magic of the movies’ and the ‘cinema experience’ but this trailer makes me feel like a kid all over again. I’m excited, I’m full of anticipation… I seriously just cannot wait.
What’s even better than all this is the fact that I get to witness it all with my daughter. We don’t go to the cinema that often as there aren’t many films that capture her imagination, but she’s super excited about this one. I get to see, first hand, her face light up when she gazes at the screen in awe of these ultra-realistic creatures, that have, until now, been nothing more than pixels on a DS or cute and loveable looking characters in cartoon format. I will not only get to relive my youth but also share this magical moment with my daughter. THAT, for me, is why this trailer (& film) is going to be one to watch over, and over again.
Jo
I love Jables. I was there for the birth of Tenacious D, and have followed his film career since I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. But his latest venture really winds me up. Here’s why.
First off, let’s start with the obvious. The issue that winds people up the most is the fact that he claims to be a gaming channel. Again, I know it’s an obvious and easy criticism, but it’s true. He isn’t a gaming creator. Yeah, he’s mentioned Ninja and Pewds. He did the fake Fortnite footage and the Pinball machine ‘tour’ video, but that’s it. It’s not gaming as we know it, or expect it to be. Call it what it is, a weekly vlog channel. It’s cool, we’re ok with your content (I am at least) just don’t claim to be a gaming channel. WWE’s Xavier Woods (Up Up Down Down) is a gaming channel, yours, is not.
Secondly is the unfair push he gets from Youtube. His content is watchable, I’m not denying this, but there are so many tiny channels out there who are super creative and original (shout out to my personal favourite DOPLEX ) who don’t get anywhere near the attention they deserve because YouTube (& other media sources) would rather push a well-known celeb. Again, his content is watchable, I just feel like other channels are more deserving of a subscriber.
As with most things in life, it is what it is. I can’t change it…but I CAN try & help. So if you’re reading this, give some love to the smaller, more creative channels too, and not just the ‘A’ list celebs. Share the love and let other people know YOUR favourite artists. Don’t just stop with YouTube either. Writers, animators, singers, let’s give some love to the underdogs and make the world a more original & creative place.
Or don’t. It’s your call. But I know I would.
In fact, I just did, so…
Jo
I’m fairly new to the world of Billie Eilish. To be fair, she’s 17 years old. I’m not exactly her target audience. However, on watching this I will definitely be keeping a track of her career.
At first glance, you might mistake her for just being a ‘moody’ teenager trying to express herself in ‘new ways’ (we’re all guilty of judging a book by its cover) but when you actually take the time to listen to her…she is WAY beyond her years! So fresh and intelligent and creative and new. She is amazing.
The way she ‘writes’ a song (or at least this one in particular) by drawing how she ‘feels it sounds’ is so next level. In one part she even goes to the dentist for a procedure and records the sound of a high speed whizzing away and not only uses THAT in the song…but it works too!
Honestly, before you actually listen to any of her songs or watch any of her videos, I highly recommend you watch this first to truly appreciate how diverse and creative she is. She will blow your mind.
Jo
The latest Sims game pack is soon to be available and the trailer for it has dropped. It seems that some form of alien life is inhabiting the bodies of the population. Specifically the army?
Now, call me a cynic, but it kind of feels like it’s borrowing from Stranger Things, which is fine…just a little out of time (I know season 3 will be dropping sometime in the future, but it’s not quite in the air at the moment) what IS rather disturbing is its (unintentional?) ‘homage’ to Momo. If you’re not familiar with Momo…well, you’re in for a treat.
According to Wikipedia, The ‘Momo Challenge’ is an alleged form of cyberbullying that spreads through social media and mobile phones. After phone users are enticed to contact a user named ‘Momo’ they receive graphic threats from the user and are instructed to perform a series of dangerous tasks. Despite claims that the phenomenon was reaching worldwide proportions in July of 2018, the number of actual complaints is relatively small, and no police force has confirmed that anyone was actually harmed.
It’s currently prevalent as recent as today, with schools up and down the country are warning parents about the ‘dangers’ of the game.
So what has all this got to do with the newest Sims game? Well, below is a picture of one of the ‘infected’ Sims characters, and below that, a picture of Momo…
Now, this is just my own personal opinion…but they’re pretty blooming similar…right? Even if you don’t agree, doI have a problem with it? Not at all. Is it intentional, who knows? Regardless, it could swing either way for the release of the game; other people may also see the similarity and try cause the game to be ‘banned’ (or whatever it is outraged parents do these days) or the potential publicity may help sales.
Or…all of this could be absolute pointless nonsense and the game is what it is. What ever happens, I look forward to seeing. I might even give it a play too…
Jo
The Baxter Report 