Brave Enough to Burn

So I'm finally getting caught up on the last few episodes of Transformers: Animated that have been languishing on the DVR. Just finished the first half of the season finale, and I have time for a few bullet points before getting ready for work:

( just in case )

So, my interest was peaked in the upcoming CBS drama Moonlight Vampire detective stories- gotta love 'em. But looking at an overview, it looks just like a re-vamp of USA's classic Forever Knight. Waaaay too many similarities in base plot.

Of course what should I expect from a TV culture that has turned a series of commercials into a sitcom?

Ah, well, at least Kelsey Grammer's coming back to TV, in all his snarky glory.

I have a spectacularly cool Decepticon logo shirt now...

And a cap that says CSI: Arkham

So about a year ago, I ordered NECA's in-scale Balrog model. It looked super-sweet in the catalog, and NECA is known for putting out top quality figures. I've wanted a Balrog for years, long before Peter Jackson's movies came out. And it's to scale with the current figure line? Can you say, "bitchin'?" Yes, I believe you can.



And believe me, when he came in this week after several months of delays, I was a happy fangirl. It looked just as good as promised; the detail was perfect. He is 29" tall and 42" wide. I had to attach his wings and tail myself, and that was fairly easy, for the most part. His flame crest lights up and he growls when you press a button on his back...a feature I could have done without, to be honest. It adds weight to an already top-heavy fig (more on that below), and the "ain't it nifty" factor wears off quickly. And it wasn't in the original description. NECA has a bad habit of that; my 29" tall Lord of Darkness came in and had motion-activated voice tracks. I probably wouldn't have ordered him if the talking bit had been in the original solicitation, just because I find such features cheesy, as a whole.

So he's articulated at wrists,elbows, neck and waist. All good. He's also articulated at hips and "knees". Not so good. The only way to balance him is to place most of the weight on his tail...but the tail is roto-cast in two pieces (ie not solid), something I didn't realize when i set him up. So I come home yesterday to find the tail had given way enough so that he could no longer be supported by it. The "knee" joints are so loose, they will not stay in line with the thigh, so his legs splay at an odd angle. He is so Top heavy, that even WITHOUT the wings, it's almost impossible to get him to stand up on a smooth surface. And the only display space I have large enough to keep him on is wood.

Currently, the $100 Balrog figure is resting on my spare bed, wingless and whipless. I am not a happy fangirl at the moment. It doesn't seem to be a defect, per se, just a design flaw. Everyone on the boards seems to be having the same problem, to varying degrees. I think I am going to have to find the "perfect postion" and then glue the leg joints in place. I will be writing to NECA about it; I really think that had they simply made the tail a solid piece so it could help support the figures weight, and left out some of the articulation, it wouldn't have near so many balance issues.

Still, it's impressive and I'm glad I bought it. It is one of the largest, if not THE largest action figures ever made. It just needed a bit more fine-tuning.

Entirely unfair! I was really into a fic on RS and when I changed chapters I got a "can not connect to the database" message. Then, I try the forums page and the home page for the site, same crap.

Grrrrrr

Edit: Back up now, thankfully.

Since I know there are a few fans on my f-list...

One of my vendors has a solicitation for Silent Hill original movie one-sheets. This is for the final version, as shown here

I'm getting one, because it's simply too cool of a poster, and I like the franchise. Haven't seen the movie yet though *pouts*

It says it ships rolled, but of the 6 or so movie posters I've ordered this year, only one came rolled; all the rest were shipped shrink-wrapped flat.

retail is $30.00, but for anyone on my list whose interested I can do it for $22.00...I have to charge shipping on it though, because it's oversized.

Just thought I'd share...

Gen-Con just released an change to their Guest of Honor List.  Tricia Helfer, Number 6 on ‘Battlestar Galactica’, will be there signing on Saturday and Sunday! Mary McDonnell, President Roslin on ‘Battlestar Galactica’, will be signing on Thursday and Friday!  I'd like to get signings from both, but I know I won't be able to beg off work duty twice, so I hoping to meet Tricia.  Yes, it means I'll probably pay $25.00 to stand waayyyy to close to sweaty gamers for waaaayyy to long, just for a 2 min converstation and a signed stock photo. I can't believe they actually go Galactica stars at the con....  I REALLY wish the first issue of the Galactica magazine had come out on TIME, so I could get that signed instead, since Number 6 is on the cover, but oh well.

So my birthday presents consited of the following: 1 sealed case of McFarlane's Twisted Fairytales Series 4 Figures, which netted me one complete set and a few extras for barter or ebay purposes AND one sealed case of Sin City Series 1 Figures.  That netted me one complete color and one complete B&W set....except for the Nancy and Marv Varients.  I need the Nancy w/ straight hair, and the Marv /w bloody face, no badages (both color and B&W versions of each).  I got both the the Yellow Bastard versions.  So if any of you see those variants out there LET ME KNOW!!!! PLEASE!!!!!  I'm trying to avoid paying ebay prices for them!!


Go here to see the McFarlene Figs

Here's the Sin City link, click each fig for a close up and series 2 comes out in a just a few months! Wheeeeeee!!!!!!