The Way Back Machine To Your Favorite Gen-X Nostalgia and Modern Day Nerd News!
If you have been a reader of our website for the last almost 20 years you have seen plenty of articles that started off with “Story by Mitchell Smith.” My wife and I first met Mitch back in 2008 through an online G.I. Joe fan forum and online chat room. Since then he has been one of our closest friends whom we communicate with on a daily basis. He also has been the head writer for our blog since 2013. This week we lost Mitch way too soon. It is…
Read MoreTo celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars they have released The 6 inch Star Wars Black Series line. A few years ago when they started the 6 inch line, I said to myself I’m going to stay away from this line. I found a New Hope Luke on clearance so I decided to check it out and see how these compare to a 3-3/4 and 12 inch figure. So once I checked out one, I was hooked and I get goose bumps every time I see one of these figures. These are really…
Read MoreOskar Schindler born April 28th 1908 was a Nazi German who saved 1200 Jews during the WWII holocaust. During a time of complete bedlam in Germany and the surrounding areas, Schindler who was a businessman, kept a handful of Jews as his laborers in his enamelware and ammunition’s factory. Steven Spielberg created a masterpiece in 1993 in Schindler’s List. Liam Neeson did a remarkable acting job, and the movie showed what times in Germany were like, and how Schindler used his creativity to move Jews into his factory instead of…
Read MoreBack in 1989 one of my favorite songs was Toy Soldier by Martika. In the rise of the POP era the song was very catchy and didn’t mean a whole lot to a 15 year old sitting on the bus waiting to head to the amusement park. The song was catchy and did hit #1 for a couple weeks. In 2004 Eminem used some of Martika’s song in his own song Like Toy Soldiers. The song itself was more then just a catchy pop tune written by some person in…
Read MoreThe 12 inch G.I. Joe was created in 1963 and marketed first in 1964 to compete with the success of Barbie. G.I. Joe was aimed at boys and represented the military and later on went to a more non military figure to aim at promoting peace but adventurous, so they would not be boring. Over the years the 12 inch figure has stayed strong in other lines as well as G.I. Joe. Other lines include Star Wars, Marvel, and WWE. There is still a strong hold with Military, police, and…
Read MoreStory by Mitchell Smith The Next Star Wars movie should be about DR. Evazan and Ponda Baba! Disney has the next few years covered with backstories on characters with the Han Solo story confirmed, Boba Fett Story, and a number of others on the horizon. Rouge One had a quick scene with 2 characters I would love to see the movie made on and by bringing Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba to the big screen we also could get another longer closer look at the Mos Eisley Cantina. These 2…
Read MoreThis week with Valentines Day coming up, I’m telling my personal story of Destiny and the unlikely events that lead me to my sole mate. Some may believe that there is no higher power with a hand in what we do or where we are going, but I beg to differ. June 23rd 1975 I entered this world. It was a beautiful Monday with no rain and high temp of 88 degrees. I was born in the heart of the Adirondack mountains. When I started school I was very shy…
Read MoreVince Lombardi was born June 11, 1913 in Brooklyn, NY and passed away at age 57 in 1970. Lombardi’s name is raised high once a year when 1 NFL team prevails as the Super Bowl Champion. In his early teens, Vince would help his father in the family butcher shop. Although Vince and both his parents were born in America his family was subject to the rampant discrimination against Italian immigrants at the time. He grew up in an ethnically diverse middle class neighborhood where religion was very important to…
Read MoreG.I. Joe had a lot of cool military vehicles from 1982-84, and 1985 there was a stellar lineup of great vehicles from the U.S.S. Flagg right down to the Bomb Disposal – this year was packed with great figures and play sets as well, but the Snow Cat was one that just jumped off the shelf at me that year. The white body with the two large orange missiles on skis was hard to overlook back in the day. The half track vehicle that has been reused many times over…
Read MoreThe recent death of Carrie Fisher has raised a number of questions about the direction Disney will take on the next 2 Star Wars films and any spin offs that would include the Leia era. Although it appears Fisher had finished her filming for Star Wars episode 8, that leaves a door wide open for the end of 8 and all of 9. Do you kill off Fishers character, does she simply fade away into the back of the franchise, maybe she rides off into the sunset. Leia did come…
Read MoreEric Lynn Wright was born September 7th 1964 in Compton, CA. E is know as the Godfather of Gangsta Rap. E dropped out of tenth grade and supported himself by selling drugs. He earned a lot of money with drugs, but realized that there was a better and more honest way to make a living. He started Ruthless Records and started rapping. He was a big part of N.W.A until he had a falling out with Dr. Dre. He would have a solo career as well but his life was…
Read MoreGrowing up with 3 brothers and a sister could prove challenging for my parents to fill the tree with presents. Many years the tree was filled, but with presents for 5 under the tree, it could look like I was getting a lot more then what I was, either way, I was always appreciative of what I did get. As a 7 year old I had that magical Christmas when my brothers and I received many of the 1982 G.I. Joe line up, not realizing at the time how popular…
Read MoreG.I. Joe has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandparents had 12 inch figures and they were awesome growing up. I have always enjoyed the 3-3/4 inch figures and they were a huge part of growing up as well. 1982 was that magical start to the 3-3/4 inch figures and 1983 and 1984 where major growing years and each character got a unique figure, but they also had the file cards where each character got their own unique back story. The card…
Read MoreDA BEARS 1985 proved to be one of the best years for the Chicago Bears who were formed in 1919. Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphin’s 38-24 win was the only loss of the season as the Bears went 15-1 and they went on to roll through the playoffs, beating the New York Giants 21-0, the L.A. Rams 24-0, and the New England Patriots 46-10 to claim the championship in Super Bowl XX. The Bears had one of the all time greatest running backs with Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, was…
Read More– Society is in Perpetual Motion The world is in perpetual motion. The galaxy, the stars, the planets, the sun and moon, the wind, the ocean, the lithosphere, the blood in our veins, our hearts, and our brains. Society today is very busy. The days of grandma quilting blankets and grandpa sitting on the front porch chewing tobacco and watching the cars go by have long past. Now a good many grandparents are chasing their grandkids while both parents are at work, it might not be a bad thing though…
Read More
