This is a page from the third version of Technopagan Yearnings. There are some formatting differences. Originally published at www.neowayland.com/C1982366546/E973265222
ETA: Since the original link has decayed, here is the quote from my notes. Attributed to sistercoyote cadhla.
Class of 2023 baller Jyles Brandon earned his Top 20 spot at the NEO February camp. NEO Youth Elite evaluators described Jyles as of one of the best athletic guards at the camp. He used his athleticism to get to the basket, get steals on defense and create for his team. Keep your eye out for this rising star!
​Have you had any big tournament wins? “We play in the King James tournament in April for the first time"
Have you had any recent accomplishments? “I went down to Buckeye Prep and made the All Star team and was a Top 5 Performer!”
What are you working on to improve your game? “I just started speed and agility training with Coach Matt from Sky High Training for better defense. I am focusing on ball handling and push-ups!”
Who were you most excited to see at the camp? "Anyone that was considered top competition in my grade"
What were you hoping to accomplish by coming to the NEO Youth Elite Showcase? "To win MVP!! Also get invited to the Buckeye Prep camp"
Kidrobot and The Simpsons go together like Duff beer on a warm Smarch day (two references – one sentence). With the success of their first series of mini-figures, Kidrobot released a second series of new blind box toys featuring Matt Groening’s famous cartoon creations. Back with some old favorites in new ways, and some new fan favorites that did not get the toy treatment in the first wave, this second batch has a lot to offer to buyers of figures and Simpsons merchandise.
The second series of Simpsons mini-figures includes 25 new figures, including both a zombified version and a Mariachi band version of all five members of the Simpsons family, as well as other characters like Sideshow Mel, Groundskeeper Willie, Otto the Bus Driver, Patti & Selma, Milhouse, and many others. The packaging lets you know the rarity and odds to get the specific figures, which makes opening the packages even more exciting. Blind boxes are always a gamble, but it’s much more fun when you know what is at stake.
Each blind box contains one silver bag that hides the character within it. Nothing fancy, and it sadly does not come with a jagged metal Krusty-O, but we can only hope that becomes a contest in the future (are you reading this, Kidrobot?).
First off, one of the more common figures, is Karl. Homer’s co-worker at the Nuclear Power Plant and resident bar fly, Karl Karlson has a great smug look on his face that resembles his idle pose on the show. Along with his iconic outfit, him and Lenny are an easy pair to snag since they are both the same rarity, so chances are if you buy a few of these figures, you should be able to complete the couple.
Everyone’s favorite disgruntled/ suicidal bartender, Moe Syzlak! That is a face only a mother could love, but clearly Moe’s did not. I love the sculpting on Moe, it really captures the grooves and bumps that make that mug so distinctly Moe.
Mariachi Homer! Homer comes with a removable Mariachi sombrero and a tiny guitar which fits in his hands with a bit of effort. The hat is almost as big as his entire body is, but it balances easily on his bald dome, and rests snuggly so you do not need to worry about it causing your figure to topple over.
“Hi, everybody!” “Hi, Dr. Nick!” You have no idea how excited I was to get Dr. Nick Riviera, who looks amazing! From his goatee to his signature clothing, Dr. Nick was easily my favorite of the four I unboxed.
Each mini-figure comes boxed with a small collector’s card with the figures production art on it, a neat collectible and something that comes with most of these larger-scale Kidrobot blind box figurines.
The figures are all roughly three inches tall, and most come without accessories (with the exception of the Mariachi family figures). The sculpting nails the look and feel of the characters, and the clean paint job completes them. The Simpsons are not super detailed characters to begin with, but Kidrobot has matched the clothes, colors, and appearances of all the characters and makes some great mini-figures. I do wish that more of figures came with accessories of some kind, but if my only complaint is asking for more stuff from a very good figure, then I really don’t have any complaints after all – I’m just being greedy!
These mini-figures will range in the $10-15 range, depending on where you buy them from. These are an easy buy for me no matter what the price, and I give these two yellow thumbs up!
A special third series is on the way as well, which is inspired by Treehouse of Horror episodes and features 12 toys based on the great moments from those Halloween episodes, including Mr. Burns as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Homer with a donut for a head, and Kudos & Kang.
Kidrobot has the market on blind box products with great franchises, especially heading into 2014 when they announced Megaman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will join their already loaded line with Futurama, Family Guy, South Park, and one of the license’s we will look at today, The Simpsons! America’s longest running cartoon family was given the keychain treatment, which means that this looks like a job for a boy and his blind box!
With 14 potential figures to get, the wave is pretty diverse with plenty of fan favorites like Disco Stu and Hans Moleman to yearn for. The big mystery item is Bumbleeman, who is the rarest of all of these keychains. The odds are stacked against me for getting him, along with Stu and Moleman, but otherwise, this is a good mix of core characters with b-lister’s that make for a great wave.
I love the design work that goes on the packaging, which keeps the tone of the art on the show fused with the stylized look of Kidrobot. It’s a colorful box art that looks extra cool when you have a pair to put side-by-side and really enjoy the effort that went into making this not just attractive, but very unique. I would love to get a print of The Simpsons characters done in this simple but cool-looking style.
Each keychain comes individually wrapped in a small blue bag to ensure that you have no idea what figure you got, even if some industrious little snoop tried to pry open the box to peek at the inside. Blind box figures can be a pain in the butt, but at least Kidrobot makes sure that the mystery stays mysterious and any jerks that want to try and spoil the surprise will have a very difficult time doing so.
D’oh! It’s a father and son pair, as I got Homer and Abe, complete with his rarely worn fez (because fez hats are cool). Each keychain is about an inch-and-a-half tall, although Grandpa Simpson is a bit taller because of his fez (so in general, most of the keychains will fall in that 1 1/2 – 2 inch range, although I feel like Maggie will be a bit smaller but I can not confirm this theory until I get a keychain of her).
The sculpting is very good, with a slightly more caricatured look to them as opposed to the old Playmates or current NECA Simpsons figures. They are all a bit more warped and stylized, and I think that adds to their appearance and makes them more cartoony than just trying to sculpt them straight on. The Simpsons were characters that were never really meant to be three-dimensional, but I think Kidrobot has nailed not just the look, but the feel of The Simpsons with these keychains.
The paint job is also good, albeit simple, but nonetheless still as detailed as you would see on the show itself. Overall, a very good blind box figure/ keychain that is worth checking out.
Each Simpsons keychain blind box retails for $5.99 from KidRobot, and for those wondering, even the keychain itself is sturdy (and features a tiny clip so that you can remove the keychain part and attach it to a necklace, wrist band, or whatever else it will fit onto). I really like these Kidrobot Simpsons keychains, and if you are a fan of the show or Kidrobot, they are absolutely worth the purchase.
Back at NY Toy Fair 2014, we first heard about the latest blind-box style mini-figures from Wicked Cool Toys, the Crashlings! Our wicked cool friend at the company let us grab a handful of the mystery figures to play with, so it seems like an appropriate time for a boy and his blind box to return to Nerd News Today and see what he can uncover!
The Crashlings mini-figures each come in a tiny asteroid ball made of a soft rubber that is 1 1/2 inches tall, which we will talk about a bit more later since this container doubles as an accessory. Each series within the wave is color-coded to make it easier to find a specific breed, such as green being for aliens, blue for sea creatures, grey for dinosaurs, red for insects, and black for monsters!
And here are my first three Crashlings! The last two (from left to right) are Space Rocker and Meteor Mammoth, and for the time being, I can not name the Vampire fellow on the far left since I lost his name page. Each figure is about an inch tall, and for a mini-figure this small, the detail of the paint job is very good. Not even for a mass=produced level, but overall there was no slop or misaligned colors, and while these might not be super-detailed, what is done is done well. There are a few very tiny paint specks, but you would need to look very closely to see those.
Shake yo’ booty, Crashlings! On the underside is a small hole, making these guys equally useful as pencil toppers. I don’t know if kids are still into pencil toppers, but back in my day, these were the rage and I like seeing a higher-end version of them back on toy shelves (higher-end in comparision to 25-cent vending machines at super markets).
Here is a size comparison next to a Doctor Who mini-figure and a Kid Robot Spiderman Dunny zipper pull, and below are pics of each Crashling on their own.
Each Crashling comes packed with a fact sheet called a “Crash-tronomy” Chart related to which species they are from (pictured above is the Dino sheet). This very tiny piece of paper is folded neatly inside the orbs, and opens to unveil all 30 creatures, and reminds you that there are still over 150 more Crashlings to collect. Aside from telling you the names of each little creature, the back of this sheet also explains different ways to play with them. Not all Crashlings are created equally, as this chart also lets you know which monsters are common, rare, ultra rare, and “Special Edition”, the hardest of all to find.
This is where that tiny meteor comes into the picture, as it is actually an elastic cup that you can push in, and once it releases, it sends your Crashling flying into the air! I was unable to capture a photo of this since it happens very fast, but these little dudes will soar through the sky, so when you do play with these, make sure to do it in a controlled environment so you do not lose them as easily.
Overall, these Crashlings are a lot of fun and priced to move! The designs for the characters are cute and creative, and designed with a younger child in mind. This feels like Pokemon back when they were fresh and innovative, but much more kid-friendly with their design and color schemes.
Great for little kids and even adult collectors, Wicked Cool Toys is also releasing some playsets which we will be reviewing son as well, so keep your eyes to the stars and look out for the invasion of the Crashlings!