By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
In very much the same spirit as Sunday’s Easter post, comes a great image from scruffy_nerf_herder.
This photo tells a fun story. I imagine Count Orlock somehow waking up in New York City, in living color, and being totally overwhelmed.
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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
I can’t believe they sell these figures. It’s a testament to just how beloved that original TMNT animated series is.
This shot from tone.toys was done in Times Square in New York City. The funny thing? Two mutants in bunny suits probably isn’t the weirdest thing you’d seen in Times Square on a given day.
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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Good lord, this is terrifying.
Terry Lai Toy Photography presents an altered take on The Mandalorian. We’ve got a Dark Knight Joker head, with a full body custom paint job. Terrifying though it may be, the quality of the craftsmanship is undeniable. Ronald McDonald has never looked more intimidating.
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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
This shot from Cyril Mallet Photography reminds me of the shot near the end of Toy Story 2, where Woody and Buzz are looking out the window. Only it obviously has a more melancholy feel to it. I like the layered effect with the window and the rain.
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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
I’m a toy collector. Action figures in particular. That shouldn’t be too hard to ascertain, given some of the stuff I post. I used to have a lot more shelf space in my office to display them. Be warned, collectors. Once you get a house and a family, shelf space becomes a rare commodity….
I have a vivid memory from a day years before Baby Primary Ignition was born. We had a two friends, a married couple, over with their young son. They knew I was a toy collector. Apparently word had trickled down to their boy, as right when we opened our front door, the little guy made a mad dash for my office. He proceeded to make his way in and out with Ghostbusters (shown above), Power Rangers, superheroes, etc. Our friends looked at me apologetically. But I said something to the effect of: “You can’t have a room full of toys, and then have a kid over and say he can’t play.”
I look back fondly on that moment. That felt like a good one for yours truly.
Now if only I could be as understanding today with Baby Primary Ignition. She’s almost two, and as one might surmise, she’s gotten very grabby…
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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Somebody in my Facebook feed this morning referred to people getting freaked out over “an androgynous potato,” and I knew something was up.
Turns out Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are rebranding. Hasbro is going to less prominently display the gender labels for the toy line. The brand will now simply be “Potato Head.” (See packaging below.)
This triggered some folks online, because that’s what the internet is and has always been for: Triggering people. How dare we cut Mr. Potato Head’s imaginary balls off! (What would you call Mr. Potato Head’s balls anyway? Spuds? Spudlings?)
My initial inclination was to say this is one of those things that’s been given way too much thought. Just how much will the world be improved by de-emphasizing the gender roles of toy potatoes? Is Hasbro fixing something that isn’t broken?
Then I read the AP story, in which Ali Mierzejewski, editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider says…
“It’s a potato. But kids like to see themselves in the toys they are playing with.”
Okay. I’ll buy that. It makes sense.
The older I get, the more I understand the importance of representation in popular culture. It’s not just toys that kids project themselves on to. It’s all kinds of mass media and merchandise. Everyone deserves to feel seen, regardless of sexuality, race, or however you want to measure difference.
I find it usually helps to look at these things through the lens of fatherhood. Baby Primary Ignition has a pretty conventional family thus far. It’s mom/dad/baby. But I’d like to think that if it were mom/mom/baby, or dad/dad/baby, or if there were a gender-neutral “they” mixed in there somewhere, she’d still be able to look out into the world and not feel like she doesn’t belong. I’d want her to know her family is beautiful the way it is.
And if genderless plastic potatoes can move us further in that direction, I’m game.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Because chess can make you angry. Just ask Magneto and Alex N. Richardson.
Sometimes, when you find just the right lighting, it makes your whole image. That glow in the background gives the shot that perfect touch of realism.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
The whole Ant-Man concept really lends itself to toy photography. Once again, Simon Hill finds himself in this space making a statement about COVID-19. At least I presume it’s about COVID… maybe somebody let out a giant fart?
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
