Fifty Two 80’s: A Totally Awesome Shop!

This month we are not going to review a single item, but rather we will review an entire era: the 1980s – yes, we went there. You may ask how we accomplished this feat of time travel? Was it Police Box, Delorean or a hot tub? No, we stepped through the threshold of a magical emporium called Fifty Two 80’s: a totally awesome shop.

Item/Place:

Fifty Two 80s a Totally awesome Shop!

 

What it is:

A store entirely dedicated to items right out the 80s and early 90s. These good people stock mostly toys, but also have some clothes and iconic posters from that era. Here’s just a short list of items I found of interest: Voltron with all the Lions, Garbage Pail Kids collector cards, GI-Joes from 84-89, a Captain America poster from the 80’s TV show, PeeWees Playhouse toys/videos, Plush Gizmo from Gremlins, WWF actions figures, and a full sized Chewbacca cardboard cutout. You can see many more of these items in the video above and the pictures below.

How Much it Costs:

The cost is so affordable you can’t miss the opportunity to go to this store and step back in time. Items range in price from a few dollars to around a hundred dollars. Most items I saw were under twenty bucks. These items are not in perfect or A+ condition and might be missing a few parts. That’s what makes this store special. Everything is meant to be enjoyed without having to spend a fortune to relive your childhood. This isn’t a thrift store either! All the items are laid out and displayed with care. If you are looking for something specific and they have it, you will find it. You don’t have to dig through bins or shelves of random brick-a-brack to find that special item that will trigger those joyous memories of your childhood.

Is It Worth It?:

This store is beyond worth it – from the casual to the hardcore collector and everyone in-between. I’m a casual collector and have some nearly mint items that could go for hundreds of dollars. The down side is, neither myself nor my kids really get to enjoy my collectable toys anymore because I’m trying to retain their value. Fifty Two 80’s gives you and your kids a chance to enjoy toys from the 1980’s and 90’s. These vintage toys are very inexpensive and in a condition that begs to be played with. While I was at Fifty Two 80s my eight year old son ran around this store discovering a whole new world of toys he’s never seen. We ended up getting three GI-Joes and a couple of loose Star Wars Micromachines for fifteen bucks! These prices will blow away any bargain you find on ebay. They do have some better condition items that go for more and even those are set at amazingly low prices. If you happen to be in south Denver, stop by Fifty Two 80s a Totally awesome shop. Talk to Tony or DeDe, the co-owners, about any item you find. They are very knowledgeable and totally awesome people!

5280s a Totally Awesome 1980s shop:

1874 S. Broadway, Denver CO 80210

Store Hours:

Wednesday – Friday from noon to 6 p.m.

Saturday- noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday – noon to 4 p.m.

Denver Comic Con 2014 Preview

We’re one day away from the third annual Denver Comic Con. Just one year ago, we ventured through the Colorado Convention Center with our eyes and wallets wide open, soaking up the comic book convention experience like The Quickster. This year, we have new faces joining us as writers, adding to our little band of fancy-pants nerds. Denver Comic Con has EXPLODED this year, featuring more celebrities and more programming. In preparation for the Con, we’re going to be highlighting the guests that will be coming and the panels that we’ll be trying to check out. We’ll be writing live from the event, so if there is anything crazy happening, you’ll hear it straight from us.

Click on the link to take you to all of our Denver Comic Con 2014 articles

It was so difficult for us to narrow down the list of things we want to do. If it were up to us, we’d do everything, but with we will be able to cover a lot of ground. That doesn’t mean we can do everything (or does it??), but we will try. Here’s a list of the stops we absolutely have to make:

Guests:

Batmen: Continuing the celebration of Batman’s 75th Anniversary, Denver Comic Con has brought two of the most iconic men to take the mantle of the Batman. Legendary voice actor Kevin Conroy, who played Batsy in Batman: The Animated Series will be there, and so will Adam West, who played Batman in the 1960’s television series (and the spin-off movie). West brought friends, too; he will be joined by his Robin, Burt Ward, and his Catwoman, Julie Newmar. They’re all getting their own panels, to boot.

Star Trek: TNG: Perhaps the biggest announcement is that of a ST:TNG reunion panel, featuring some of the biggest names from the hit show. Among those attending are: Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, and LeVar Burton. Joining them is Star Trek alumnus William Shatner. Trekkie nerds will be freaking out.

Bruce Campbell: My top people to meet would first be Bruce Campbell. I would love to meet him because he is a legend in my eyes and has been a part of some of my favorite films of all time. Not to mention he is one of my biggest inspirations for pursuing film and acting. The second highest up person would be Jim Cummings because he has played some characters in animation that mean the world to me and those ones (Mr. Bumpy and Genghis Frog) are some he is not known for so of course you add Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck and Taz in there and it is impossible to contain the nerdy child inside of me.

Arrow: We were lucky enough to meet Stephen Amell at Emerald City Comic Con this year, so imagine our delight to see that he’ll be making an appearance in our hometown. He may be a hardcore vigilante on TV, but Amell is a sweet guy in real life. With him comes his crime-fighting buddy, Caity Lotz, who plays Black Canary on Arrow. This is one of the best shows on right now, so don’t miss your chance to mingle with the superheroes!

Comic Book Artists: Some of our favorite comic book artists are coming. We’re expecting to take home an abundance of prints and/or sketches. These artists range from mainstream to independent, and are the reason we pick up the books  that we do. The beautiful art of Fiona Staples, the gritty Tim Sale, Whedonverse’s Georges Jeanty, the inspiring Colleen Doran and the innovative Yanick Paquette are just a few that we’re looking forward to talking to.

Very Honorable Mentions:

Max Brooks (World War Z)

Doctor Who (Peter Davison, Slyvester McCoy)

Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk)

J. Scott Campbell (Marvel cover artist)

Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon from The Walking Dead)

Legendary Artists (Neal Adams, George Pérez)

Greg Weisman (Star Wars Rebels, Young Justice)

Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett from Star Wars)

Power Rangers (David Yost, Jason David Frank, Walter Jones)

 

Want to know more about the guests at Denver Comic Con 2014? Check out our 30 spotlight articles here.

 

See all the special guests here.

Programming:

Star Trek: The Next Generation Reunion Panel

Denver Comic Con announced it will host a reunion of six of the cast members of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to be moderated by William Shatner. The ticketed panel also includes Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden and Marina Sirtis. Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart and Will Wheaton will not able to join the rest of the cast in Denver due to scheduling conflicts.

“Even though Star Trek: The Next Generation only originally aired for seven seasons, fans have come to have deep attachments to these characters,” said convention director Dr. Christina Angel. “We’re thrilled to be able to provide a forum where fans and cast members can interact—including, of course, the captain of the reunion panel: William Shatner.”

Batman 75th Panels

There will be three different panels celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Dark Knight. The first, held on Saturday, will be a nostalgic journey with Adam West, Julie Newmar and Burt Ward that is bound to make the crowd laugh. Later that day will be a panel discussion about the actual comic books, where the room will gush over The Dark Knight Returns, The Court of Owls, and, of course, Hush (even if that somebody is us!). Then on Sunday, we get the Kevin Conroy panel. This guy pretty much raised us with his voice on Batman: The Animated Series, so we’re super excited for the panel.

See all the programming here.

Outside the Con

Mile High Comics Pre-Party

Denver Comic Con looks to have 75,000 guests. Yes, you read that correctly. Seventy-five THOUSAND. That’s just over half of the 130,000 capacity at San Deigo Comic Con (the world’s largest) and larger than Emerald City Comic Con. That being said, you definitely want to grab your badge before you get to the convention center. There’s no better way to do that than attend Mile High Comic’s Denver Comic Con launch party. While you wait, peruse the largest comic book warehouse IN THE WORLD. Meet legendary artists like Neal Adams (who was totally awesome to us last year) and George Pérez and mingle with other nerds about the world’s fastest-growing Comic Con. More details here. THIS HAPPENS TONIGHT!

Cosplay Contest Shindig

Denver has been the best con for cosplay we’ve been to – hands down. Even we got into the mix last year, dressing up as Jesse Pinkman and Walter White from Breaking Bad; here’s a free tip – don’t wear industrial grade chemical suits in a highly-crowded area. Yuck. Anyway, Denver is a breeding ground for creativity, and with as many hardcore nerds as we have here, this is a must-attend event.

Film on the Field

The Denver Outlaws and Denver Comic Con are partnering with Denver Film Society to bring you Film on the Field after the Outlaws June 14th home game. Watch The Amazing Spiderman on the HD Thundervision screen at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The game starts at 7pm and after the conclusion of the game, fans will be invited down to the field to watch the 2012 blockbuster staring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Tickets for both the game and the movie start at just $12 with $4 from each ticket going back to benefit Comic Book Classroom. Buy tickets here.

Denver Comic Con info can be found by downloading the Guidbook app. It’s a pretty seamless app, so hopefully it will be helpful.

 

Going to Denver Comic Con? Have any topics you want us to cover while we’re there? Have any tips about Denver in general? We want to hear it!

So Far This Week… April 30th, 2014

Holy crap! Get ready to have your socks knocked off; this week brings in a lot of great news tidbits.

This Sunday is May the Fourth!  Hush Comics is lucky enough to be running a panel at StarFest to commemorate the holiday.  Come see us at 10 AM!

This Saturday, May 3rd, is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Head to your local comic book store for free issues of some of the biggest (and smallest, in the case of Mouse Guard) stories in the industry. Many local shops are holding insane sales for books, so it’s an amazing opportunity for new fans to dive in head-first to the comic book world. Don’t believe me? Just take Levar Burton’s word for it.

For more information on which books are available, this is your one-stop shop (figuratively, I mean, you still have to go to the shop to get the books. duh.). Also, Denverites, visit the Mile High Comics’ Jason Street Mega-Store for some awesome festivities on  Saturday.

If you’re like us, you like to occasionally use the ComiXology to supplement the physical copies of comics you buy at your local stores… RIGHT?? Well, since the acquisition by Amazon, there have already been some swift changes to the storefront. If you’re as confused as we are, check out this informational article.

Today marks the return of the Amazing Spider-Man to the comic book world. After over a year of Otto Octavius as Spider-Man (it’s complicated), Peter is back in command and with a new lease on life! And just in time for the movie, Amazing Spider-Man 2, to hit theaters.

Gwen Stacy herself challenged Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon to a lip-sync battle, which is quickly becoming my favorite recurring bit on the show. Emma Stone destroys Fallon – all she does is win, win, win.

Before last week’s episode of Game of Thrones, “Oathkeeper,” a trailer for the upcoming series called Leftovers. I’m still not too sure what it’s about, but I’m interested enough to check it out when it airs June 29th.

Speaking of Game of Thrones, the upcoming video game by Telltale Games is getting some narrative assistance from the story creator’s right hand man, Ty Corey Franck as a story consultant. With games like The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us, I’m sold with anything Telltale puts out.

Marvel is not just trending, but making it a priority for gender equality in their books. Our article on what Ms. Marvel means to us (and the world) is just the start. Now that Elektra, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, X-Men (all female cast) and the aforementioned Ms. Marvel have solo titles, it’s time for another leading lady to get her own series; Storm debuts this summer, written by Greg Pak – an interview from C2E2 can be found here.

Not even a year after the series’ Felina, and we’re still mourning the legendary Breaking Bad. Fans should check out this 8 minute-long tribute (seriously, whoever made this should win a freakin’ award) to the Heisenberg; while you’re at it, read our Breaking Bad Week articles. You’re God Damn Right.

Image Comics (The Walking Dead, Saga, Deadly Class, Black Science…..) is trying to get some much-deserved cred with Humble Bundle, a site that lets users choose how much they pay for these works (sorry, there is a minimum payment lol). Here are some more details on the deal.

2014 is the year of the Bat…man 75th Anniversary, and July 23rd has been officially dubbed Batman Day! To celebrate, go to your local shop and pick up a FREE issue of a reimagined Detective Comics #27; Batman Day also coincides with the release of Grayson #1 and Robin Rises: Omega #1. Ah, it’s a good time to be a Bat.

The DC New 52 run of Batman has been arguably the best comic out since it went to print in 2011. A line of Greg Capullo-inspired action figures will be released soon (Batman and Talon coming this month). I want to buy an army of Talons, but I will likely settle for two.

Saturday morning cartoons meets Sunday night slow jams! Check out this awesome rendition of the classic Ducktales theme song.

Spider-Man is definitely the topic of choice this week, but DC and Warner Bros. can’t let Marvel steal all the shine. Zack Synder has been announced as the director to a Justice League movie to be released after Batman vs Superman.

Classic Frank Miller graphic novel, Ronin, is getting picked up by the SyFy channel. Hell yes.

Just in time for Star Wars Day, the initial cast for Star Wars: Episode VII has been released. What do you think?

To continue to expand upon its appeal to fourteen year old boys (just a good ribbing from a PlayStation person), X-Box One has launched WWE Network on consoles.

The Disney-Marvel connection will be in full effect this fall when Disney Infinity brings the big guns to its platform for its second iteration, Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes. I haven’t gotten a chance to play the game, but it seems like a great game for kids.

DC’s adult alter-ego game, Injustice: Gods Among Us, is rumored to be getting a sequel out next year. I’m not too sure how a new installment will be justified, but I’m excited, nonetheless. We’ll have more news on that as it develops.

Village idiot Joe Dirt may be getting a sequel. Yeah, that’s where we’re at with comedies…

Weekend Wrap-Up… February 23, 2014

The Olympics are finally over, and all I could think about was that NBC’s Community, Arrow, and Scandal are coming back to the air!

To christen Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show debut, Justin Timberlake hooked back up with the formal SNL comedian for the fifth installment of “The History of Rap” and it was epic! This came after an incredible “Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing” skit with Will Smith.

There’s trouble in paradise here in Denver, as Denver Comic Con is having some internal issues, low-lighted by accusations of fraud and embezzlement. The two accusers are holding a town meeting to elaborate. We’ll give you guys the full scoop as it unfolds. Remember, there are two sides to every story.

Heroes will be making a comeback, by way of a 13-episode event. While the director, Tim Kring, will make a return, there will be an entirely new cast of heroes – hopefully with new powers. It’s not the Heroes we need right now, but it’s the Heroes we deserve.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics have been fairly lackluster according to resident Buffy expert Adrian Puryear, but there will be 3 issues of season 10 written by Nicholas Brendan himself.  Perhaps those issues will be more noteworthy than all the other comics?  In addition, James Marsters will be penning a graphic novel set during the final televised season.  Will in be Spike-centric?  Let’s hope!

Space Jam 2 is a real thing, regardless of whether or not LeBron James is going to be in it. To say that I’m skeptical about this would be a massive under-statement, but I know I’ll go see it anyway.

The hilarious independent comic book Burn the Orphanage, inspired from 90’s video-games and pulp style, will have a sequel out this May entitled Reign of Terror. We’ll be lucky enough to meet Sina Grace at ECCC, but I suggest you all download the first two issues of Burn the Orphanage and keep up

Vince Gilligan’s (you know, the guy who created Breaking Bad) upcoming crime drama, Battle Creek, has found itself its first cast member in Kal Penn (House, Harold & Kumar). He’s a very entertaining actor, and I think he’d be great for the detective role.

The Green Goblin has reared his ugly head in this Amazing Spider-Man 2 still. What do you guys think? I kind of miss the purple hood, personally.

Matt Ryan, who voiced the main character in the Assassin’s Creed IV video-game, will be playing the title role in the upcoming Constantine TV series. He definitely looks the part, and I was a big fan of his voice work in AC4.

Will Smith is in the talks to start in Brilliance, based off the sci-fi novel that was released last year. The concept sounds goo enough that we will be reading the book. Another Will Smith sci-fi?  Well, we kinda think the man can do no wrong, so we’re looking forward to it.

The Suicide Squad will be joining Arrow on March 19th. The Suicide Squad (as it is now, a group of criminals offered to go on suicide missions for reprieve) is over 25 years old, but hasn’t been able to catch on. But, I mean, Michael Jai White and Sean Maher together?! Geek. Out.

This is a good week for new comics, as: Fantastic Four, Tomb Raider, X-Files Conspiracy: Transformers, Vandroid, & The Revenge all debut.

The Walking Dead continues with “Claimed” tonight. If you’re not caught up, check out our most recent reviews. Abraham, Eugene and Rosita have made their debut, and Rick is recovering from the ass-whoopin’ that the Governor put on him, so I expect much of the screen-time will be given to them. Predictions, questions, gripes? We want to hear them all.

Written by Sherif Elkhatib and Adrian Puryear

“Respect My Craft” – William H. Foster III

In this consumer-based industry, it can be easy to forget the years of hard work that the people in the business put in. Behind every panel, it takes a skilled writer, artist, inker and colorist to make the product complete. Hush Comics’ weekly article “Respect My Craft” will dive into the history of these comic book greats that will hopefully give a new perspective on how the men and women behind the pen (or stylus) contribute to the collective awesome-ness of comic books, or at least give you a reason to invest in their work.

Name: William H. Foster III

Profession: Writer/Historian

Notable Work: Dreaming of a Face Like Ours, Looking for a Face Like Mine

“It’s not about what you read, but what you do with what you read.” – William H. Foster III

William H. Foster III is a scholar, historian, writer and comic book enthusiast.  Informally known as Bill, Dr. Foster currently is a Professor of English at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Connecticut.  He also travels the world speaking about African-Americans in comic books.  He has a very wide scope of knowledge including black characters, authors, artists and publishers.  Because of his wealth of knowledge, he is renowned amongst his peers in the world of comic books.

His traveling exhibit “Changing Image of Blacks in Comics” is a lesson in American history.  He speaks on the beginning of comic books and how that intertwines with the history of African-American’s in this country.  The display shows an array of prints from covers of some the most famous comic books featuring black heroes and characters.  He also shows a sample from his own collection of prized books including Static, Black Lightning, Sabre, and many publications from Golden Legacy Publications.  He also lectures about the history of it all, relating to it himself, as well as with other pieces of history that are important to consider.

Dr. Foster touches on Tom Floyd and his comics Blackman and Blackwoman, Golden Legacy’s Black Cowboys which features famed bull-rider Bill Pickett, all the famous baseball player comics including, but not limited to, Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis, as well as Luke Cage, Black Panther and issue #106 of Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane when Lois Lane turns black for a day (uh, what?).  But more importantly, he weaves in his own experiences and his reactions to these stories along with real history.  Why were black people portrayed as “the help”or African?  Why was it impossible to find a black hero?  And if you could find one, they were instantly pulled from the shelf?  Under all the negative stereotypes and lack of diversity, there were people who were trying, though.  Dr. Foster makes sure to highlight all the great things that were happening and continuing to happen in the pop culture medium he (and we!) feels so passionately about.   He expounded on the Spring 1953 Weird Fantasy issue that brought racism to light, the beginnings of Static, and Stan Lee actually putting African-Americans in New York City.

Negro Romance #1 – June 1950, published by Fawcett Comics

What is really wonderful about what Dr. Foster brings along with his exhibit is a way to bridge the gap and talk about issues that may be hard for a lot of people, especially people in the comic book industry, to talk about.  Not only can he make everyone feel included in his lecture, but he can inspire anyone to pick up a comic book, no matter who is on the cover.  It is evident by talking to him and listening to his stories that comics are deeply ingrained in life.  He is most definitely influential for all people to pick up a book, graphic novel or comic and think deeply about what it says to society, to groups and to each individual.  Thank you Dr. Foster for teaching us that everything has meaning.

Checked out his bibliography and still want more? Check these books out:

Bill Foster has published to books on the history of African-Americans in comic books.  Dreaming of a Face Like Ours and Looking for a Face Like Mine are were both published by Fine Tooth Press and can be found in limited quantities on Amazon.  In 2015, Dr. Foster will publish his third book, Untold Stories of African American Stories in Comics.  He also runs his own website, Finally in Full Color, where he aims to begin an online store for black comic books. The best part is that this is for sentiment and historic value – so no ridiculous mark-ups to make a quick buck. 

How Much Does Hush Comics Love Bill Foster?

Just this past weekend, at the Blair-Caldwell African-American Research Library in Denver, Foster held a lecture that outlined the history of people of color in comic books. We found out about the lecture from John Soweto, and with the work we have been doing for our All Black Everything articles and the idea behind Hush Comics as a whole, it seemed only appropriate to attend.   We all left knowing more than when we walked in and felt inspired to keep on creating a community through Hush.  Thank you Bill Foster for educating and inspiring us!

Evan, Adrian and Sherif with Foster

Written by Adrian Puryear and  Sherif Elkhatib

So Far this Week… February 12, 2014

With the expansion of Hush Comics, we have decided to give bi-weekly news updates.  Anything we find news-worthy will be posted here bi-weekly.  Have anything to add?  Post it in the comments!

R.I.P., Shirley Temple. May the afterlife be full of maraschino cherries and lemon-lime soda.

Jimmy Palmiotti, DC Comics writer, is trying to launch an independent graphic novel through Kickstarter called, get this, Denver. Set in a future where Denver remains the last city in a world submerged by water (now tell me Global warming isn’t real!), Denver is about a whole new type of apocalypse. Check out this interview detailing the process.

If you weren’t sold on a Tarzan reboot that star’s Alexander Skarsgard, Samuel L Jackson and Christoph Waltz, the inclusion of The Wolf of Wall Street‘s Margot Robbie as Jane will have your jaw on the ground and your wallet in the air.

Speaking of Sam Jackson, this BAMF went all Black History Month on Sam Rubin during a TV interview for mistaking a commercial Laurence Fishburne did as Jackson’s. While I think that Rubin was just a victim of circumstance – the circumstance being that he told the angriest black man in Hollywood that he looks like another famous black man, it sheds some light on the portrayal of black celebrities among the media. Do you remember when George Stephanopoulos mistook Celtics’ legend Bill Russell for Morgan Freeman?

The hilarious Englishman John Oliver or Daily Show and Community fame will be getting his own HBO show called Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It sounds like it will be the same format as Jon Stewart’s show, but with more foul language and obscenities – just the way we like it.

The Protector 2, starring Muy Thai legend and actor Tony Jaa, will be released March 27th (date varies). If you don’t know who Tony Jaa is, take ten minutes out of your day to watch this. This guy is 38 years old and still kicking ass. Oh yeah, Wu-Tang legend The RZA will also be acting in the film!

All-New Ghost Rider is coming out in May, and it’s not the Johnny Blaze we know. Check out this feature on the amazing new approach to a classic Marvel character.

For people looking for a reason to cut out cable/dish, Apple TV may be releasing a version that can stream live TV. I’m pretty skeptical, but it sounds like we’re on the right track.

Stephen King’s It was one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen. Alright, I have have been seven when I saw it – give me a break. A reboot has been in the works for almost two years, but director Cary Fukunaga (True Detective) has confirmed that it’s happening.

Now that Nikita is over, lead actress Maggie Q has found a new gig as a Chinese pirate queen Ching Shih in the limited series Red Flag. Shih was a real pirate in the 1800’s who rose through the ranks as a prostitute (they don’t call ’em working girls for nothing). This is in addition to her role of Tori Wu in the upcoming film-adaptation of Divergent.

Guess what Batman: Arkham Origins fans? WB Games has heard your complaints, and they don’t care about your problems. They’re too busy making the next Mr. Freeze DLC. It’s an added frustration to a game that has been riddled (get it?) with issues since it launched in October.

Mob City no mo.’  The TNT mini-series centered around mob life in LA during the 30’s and 40’s has been cancelled. It bums me out because John Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead) and friends acted their butts off in this noir Frank Darabont production, and I felt the show could have gone a lot further if renewed.

DC Comics and Robot Chicken are teaming up, once again, to release DC Comics Special: Villains in Paradise. There will also be accompanying variants for special DC Comics issues in March. Check em out here.

There have been several additional castings for Fox’s Gotham show, including: Alfred Pennyworth, Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin), Captain Sarah Essen (Gordon’s coworker and eventual spouse), and Barbara Kean (Gordon’s spouse-to-be and soon ex-spouse).

In the upcoming Flash series (just a pilot at this point), Tom Cavanagh will play Harrison Wells, genius physicist of S.T.A.R. Labs. It’s a huge jump from his portrayal as the title character of Ed, or as JD’s brother in Scrubs, but I think it’s a good call. Also, the original Flash from the 1970’s series will be making an appearance on the show. Our bet is that he will play the first Flash, Jay Garrick.

They just can’t let How I Met Your Mother go. A lead character has been cast for the spin-off, titled How I Met Your Dad. With HIMYM ending on March 31, I think it’s too soon to be moving on to a spin-off.

Joss Whedon and Co. have begun filming Avengers: Age of Ultron, slated to hit theaters in May 2015.

New York’s Fashion Week displayed some of the freshest dresses this side of the galaxy. Check out the Star Wars-themed dresses here.

Would you sleep with Scarlett Johansson, even if it meant being trapped in goo and preyed on by an alien? What, did I lose you after “Johansson?” Well then, you might want to check out Under the Skin, coming to theaters everywhere April 11. Leave you girlfriends at home.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, along with their 50/50 director Jonathan Levine, will reunite to bring holiday cheer back to the world in Xmas.

Yee-haw! Star Wars fans, saddle up and get ready for Kanan, the cowboy Jedi (although, aren’t they all space cowboys?). Voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr., Kanan will debut in the upcoming Disney animated series, Star Wars: Rebels.

 

Written by Sherif Elkhatib

Shut Up and Take My Money: Retro Duo Portable System

The money in our bank account is limited, so how unfair is it that there are endless gadgets, collectibles and toys out there that demand to be purchased? Let us help you sift through the crap, so you don’t can save that hard-earned cash for the things that deserve it. In other words, we give you the power to go to the counter and say, “Shut Up and Take My Money!”

Item: Retro Duo Portable NES/SNES/SEGA Genesis system.

What it is: Eighties babies can finally find a use for all those Nintendo and SEGA cartridges collecting dust in some random pocket of the basement that HDMI ports and Blu-Ray disc games have rendered obsolete. You know what they say; if you can’t come to the party, bring the party to you. You can do just that with this portable gaming system designed by RetroBit. With the included adapters, you can alter your Retro Duo system to play almost any old NES/SNES or Genesis game that you may have lying around. As opposed to current-gen games that net anywhere from $20-60, you can find a lot of these 16-bit classics for less than five bucks at the right place (locally-owned used game stores like Game Force in Aurora, Colorado, Amazon, eBay). There’s a definite cost benefit to buying the Retro Duo pro, and if you still consider Street Fighter II and Mega-Man X to be in your top games list, then there’s no reason not to invest in this system. Emulators have been around for years, but there’s just something weird about playing a retro game on a full keyboard (although you can buy Nintendo/SEGA-like controller USB adapters). Nothing that can replace the initial three-four button systems that SEGA and Nintendo released these games on. Retro Duo offers a controller with a built-in 3.5″ screen (comparable with most smartphones on the market now). 

How much it costs: $80 brand new (Amazon). Released in January of 2012, the Retro Duo system is still widely available in nostalgic gaming stores and online alike, so there’s no rush to buy one if you’re interested. Fortunately, if you’re not worried about the portable aspect of it, you can always opt for the more affordable Hyperkin Retron 3, a gaming system that connects via your television’s composite cables so you can watch all 16 bits of NBA Jam on the big-screen. The Hyperkin Retron 3 retails for less than $50.

If it’s worth it or not: With all the emulators out for 16-bit games being computer-based, this could be a great pick-up for somebody who is on the go. However, for just double the price, you could get a brand-new PS Vita, equipped with way more features and new games that will blow the socks off you. Personally, I do just fine with mindless games like Clumsy Ninja and Robot Unicorn Attacks II (don’t even bother with the first installment). Really though, if you would prefer retro games over modern ones, this would be a great investment for you. This could be a smart purchase for your kids, as well. 16-bit game greats like Super Mario Kart or Shaq Fu (hate all you want; Shaq had moves) can be played on the go so you don’t have to miss that episode of Community because your four year-old can’t get enough Flower in their life. Keep in mind, too, that this system is not compatible with EVERY retro game out there. You can find a list of games that won’t bring back the memories on the Retro Duo Wikipedia page.

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

The bottom line: Pretty much, this purchase should be reserved for 80’s babies and hipsters – those who would rather play Sonic the Hedgehog than Infinity Blade. There’s really no way for adults to get away with playing this at work, it could be a great time-kill for that road trip or family reunion you have coming up.

Anything you feel this article is missing? Are you wondering whether or not a certain product is worth grabbing? Let us know!

Written by Sherif Elkhatib