Le Guerre Des Etoiles

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This is a page from the Meccano Toys catalog from France showcasing all the new Star Wars stuff for 1979, I love how Blue Snaggletooth and that prototype troop transporter (which looks cooler IMO) snuck in there.

Bright Tops & Fancy Pants!

So...when the people at work call me "Fancy Pants", it's not a compliment?

Pastels- The Cool Color Coordinates

The New Lime Order is here, either you stand with them or you are in their way.

Wanted! More Photos like this vintage He-Man appearance

This wonderful photo of Nick meeting the heroes of Eternia in 1985 is EXACTLY the kind of thing I want for Mall of Justice. If you have photos and stories like this DIG THEM OUT and tell me about it. I want you in my book!

Mall of Justice is a love
letter to the sensational personal appearances of our comic book, TV, movie and
toy icons during the 1970s and 80s.

Whether it's Adam West at a
car show, He-Man at a Toys R Us opening or an ersatz Chewbacca at a stereo
store, Mall of Justice melds vintage photos with childhood recollection of these epic meetings.

While I will design and
eventually publish the book (via PlaidStallions Press), it's a project we can all get involved with!

How you can get involved:
I'm looking for your photos and your recollections! Even if you've submitted
them to the site before, I would likely need higher resolution and I'd want to
talk to you.

What am i looking for:

Appearances of costumed characters during the 1970s and 80s, be they from comicbooks (Batman, the Hulk) , cartoons (, toy lines (Masters of the Universe, GI
Joe
)  or movies (Planet of the Apes,Star Wars
) , a date and place and a description of how you felt meeting theseiconic characters. Did you think they were real?

Does it have to
specifically be in a mall:

HECK NO! Car shows, county fairs, grocery stores, heck I'd
even accept birthday party shots. It's all fair game.

Download the PDF Concept booklet for Mall of Justice Here.

Download a PDF Here.

Check out a Little Flip Book Here.

Thanks everyone for reading and I hope you'll share your experiences with me!

Battle of the Planets Helmet

I seriously was trying to swear off Battle of the Planets merchandise after finding this and more importantly this in the previous few months.

However, a well meaning friend of mine forwarded me an auction and it was a) Super Cool and b) TWENTY MINUTES FROM MY FREAKING HOUSE. I'm not made of stone, more after the jump.

Origin of the Creature Cantina

This past June, I spent a little time with the former toy buyer for Sears. He was a wealth of interesting info but my favourite takeaway of that conversation was this anecdote.

I am paraphrasing:

Basically, the buyer asked Kenner to make "The bar with all the aliens" as a play set for the Sears catalog.

The Kenner rep was initially reluctant feeling it wasn't good to market taverns to children.

His reply?

"It's not a bar, it's a cantina, call it that"

And thus, the Creature Cantina was born.

The Fox

Ladies and gentleman, the villains in every Summer Camp Movie ever.

The Inflatable Hulk

The vinyl industry had a field day with Bruce Banner.

Denim Champions

You can run but you can't hide from the Denim trio of Champions.

UFO Eagle

Presenting the coolest cross ever toy I've seen in a long time, normally I am immune to spaceship models (cause I suck at painting them) but this just broke my brain.

More after the Jump:

Peanuts gang on the go!

Ok, Charlie Brown is driving a pitcher's mound and not a giant poop as I initially thought.

The Refreshment Stand

I never had any of these nor did I know any child with them. I would suffered some obnoxious kids gladly had they the ability to make pies.....

Turtleneck and Jackets

It's my goal in 2017 to make this look a thing, who's with me? We can all meet at Sears.

Mr Mantooth's wardrobe provided by Botany:500.

From the Children's Shop

 I think I'm beginning to piece together why we were so angry in the 90s....

Pod Stallions 49: The 2016 Retro Awards

Happy New Year! It's time for our annual salute to all the things that made us happy in 2016, especially those that harkened back to our childhoods and while it was kind of a rough year, there were still some nice bright spots.

The 2016 Retro Awards salutes the movies, books,  and toys we raved about this year. It's a double decker episode and let's all make 2017 the best year ever, see you in January with another Pod Stallions.

Thanks for listening and happy new year!

  Download the Show Here

Listen here

Show notes:

• Brian loves the Dolemite Blu Ray by Vinegar Syndrome.
• Both guys LOVED the book "Comic Book Fever".
• Brian also read The MLJ Comics Companion.
• Jason heartily recommends the Power of the Daleks Animated DVD.
• Brian admits to playing with his 12 inch Capaldi.

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!






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PodStallions Mini Sode 2: Nerd Horror Stories

We're finally back after a few bumps in the road with our second mini sode (remember when we planned to do these monthly?).

To make it up to everyone, our second mini is all about bearing our souls. We get into some personal cringe worthy pain from the days where being a geek wasn't something attractive women dressed like Powergirl loudly proclaimed.

We talk about cosplaying at middle school, getting caught with toys by girls or even worse, your entire grade nine class and the lengths you'd go to keep our fandom on the DL.

Join us for 30 minutes of pain and shame, just in time for the holidays?

Topics Include: Kenner Super Powers, Doctor Who, Scarves, Star Wars, Mom, The Mall, fist fights, shame, Shogun Warriors, punch out books, shame, geekery, Colin Baker, 

Hit us up on our facebook page with your feedback.

  Download the Show Here

Listen here

Show Notes:

on the PodStallions Facebook page!

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A double Shot of 70s Barbie

I always seem to fixate on boy's toys over the Christmas season and that's kind of a shame because I always glossed the Barbie section in envy over all the cool stuff she had.

Here's a double shot from the Simpson's Sears 1979 Catalog, click on it to embiggen it.

Atari Dreams

My grandmother never threw catalogs out, she let them sit until the new one came in.

So I can remember spending the better part of a year staring at this image, plotting as to how I would make the Atari 2600 mine.

I had to get my first job but it was so worth it and it changed Christmas forever.

Superheroes and Sci-Fi

One section of any wish book that I love is the "other" action figure pages in the era of Star Wars. There is a lot of great stuff on this page!

While my time with the Mego Superheroes decreased sharply in 1979, I still viewed them like old friends. I still kinda do....

Short Jacket Suit Sale!

This sale comes right in the nick of time for my secret santa.

Space:1999 Space Eagle by Popy Japan

It's no secret that I love Space:1999 toys although I don't own many these days. An opportunity came up to own an item I have never even held before, I couldn't pass it up.

This wonderful diecast Space Eagle was made by Japanese toymaker Popy and as we'll explore they've wonderfully left some cultural fingerprints.

Frontier Fun

I never got any Best of the West or Gabriel Lone Ranger but I certainly remember their presence in the early 1970s wish books and i miss seeing them.

Jumpsuits!

I cannot wait to see the look on my daughter's face when she opens a set of these instead of an ipad on Christmas morning.....

The BIonic Age

Christmas always reminds me of the Bionic Man, I think it's because he was pricier than Mego or Big Jim.

I honestly got every Bionic toy I had at Christmas and it was a sweet three years, let me tell you.

Made for Each Other

Come on honey, let's go share a facebook account!

1985 Child World Toy Catalog

Even though I personally was a teenager at the time, I fondly remember stocking a toy aisle full of a lot the things in this Child World Toy Flyer from 1985.

 This piece is chock full of happy memories for 80s kids from the popular Care Bears, Go Bots and He-Man to the more forgotten toys like the Hugga Bunch, Zybots and Robotix, there is a lot to love.

1985 Child World Catalog

Classic Toy Store Ads on PlaidStallions

Hagensick's Playroom 1975

1981 Toys R Us Flyer

Childworld 1975

Childworld 1981

1975 Toys R Us

Star Wars....Only at Sears

Another Christmas page that made me crazy, those "exclusive" figures came on these weird shrunk wrapped cards and it drove me crazy tracking them down as a kid.

Now, I wish I'd kept them as they're worth a bundle.

Orlon Love

This ensemble is the exact reason they took "Obey" out of wedding vows.

World of G.I. Joe

This Shop-Rite piece from 1976 is another wishbook image that burned right into my brain.

I managed to con my folks into Bulletman and the Capture Copter (purchased at Shop-Rite no less) that year. I was really sad to not see Joe in the catalog next year.

Get It Together

Even I can tell these guys are Narcs....

Black Hole 1980

Seeing as it's December, I thought I'd showcase some of my favourite Christmas Catalog images of all time starting with this one.

I remember exactly where I was when I first laid eyes on this, riding in the back seat of my father's gigantic car to go visit Vince, his barber.

It blew my mind to see Bob, Star and the humanoid on this page and I stared at this for WEEKS and  would eventually make them mine. I would have no idea that Canada (along with Italy) get the exclusive on these characters.

I never lost my love for Black Hole or Christmas catalogs but I still hate haircuts. 

M*A*S*H Field Hospital Set

I love how they included the latrines in this....

Fur Shoulder Bag and Cap set

This is the perfect combo for me, I plan to use the bag to transport my many inhalers and jitterbug cellular telephone.

Help Dorothy and friends find the Wizard of Oz

The Witches Castle was a Sears exclusive (and now a pricey collectible) and was originally meant for the Super Knights toys. 

My local toy store put these in the same basket as the Superheroes, as a six year old boy they just couldn't compete with Aquaman. 

Slack Monday

You will not find a better Cyber Monday deal than these fine, fine slacks, you'll need a rotary telephone to order sadly.

Thunderbirds are Going Japanese

Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds was easily his most toyetic series and that was not lost on the Japanese.

Even though the show was 14 years old in 1980, it didn't stop Popy from creating some incredible diecast toys.

Featuring Brushed Denim

Once you know the pleasure of brushed denim, regular denim will feel like sandpaper wrapped in an old garbage bag!

Sgt Rock by Remco

I've never read more than one Sgt. Rock comic and I missed the toys when they were new but I really think they're neat....

Tron Pajamas

Obscure Pajamas are some of my favourite things to find, also it's a killer band name.

Night Shirts on Parade!

I hope those guys aren't standing on a subway grate.