Terrific non-TV Toys: James T. Kirk doll by Knickerbocker Toys, 1979

He was Admiral James T. Kirk by the time "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" rolled around, rather than Captain, having advanced in the Starfleet ranks. And the 1979 movie marked the return of the crew of the USS Enterprise after 10 years off the airwaves.

To commemorate that, Knickerbocker Toys released this James T. Kirk doll in the same year as that first installment of a very successful film franchise. It's what we look at in the latest episode of Terrific non-TV Toys, as we continue "Star Trek" Month here on BRBTV ...

It's a report from the field: Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Con '19

We love the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Con here at BRBTV but didn't manage to make it this year. Our pal and fellow author Brian Lombard was there, though, and caught some great photos.

You know, it used to be, a couple years back, that Brian in his Gilligan costume was the only cosplayer at this event! This one is more an autograph show, after all, and it skews to another generation, so it's much more about the great celebs of classic TV shows and movies who appear. But look what's happened ... folks are getting into the spirit, so to speak ...

Photos by Brian Lombard; please do not copy without permission.

Yabba, dabba, doo! It's a great time at the Monroe Pop Fest!

Got the chance yesterday to take in another show that's been going on for a few years that I had not been able to make it to in the past, the Monroe Pop Fest south of Detroit in Michigan. This was a great comic con with special celebrity guests from the screen and the comic book page, and lots of great vendors (shopping ... we love the shopping ... yummy ....). Pals Andrea and Don were there, and we cosplayed the Flintstones for the first time, and we actually got third place in the costume contest! Yay! (And yes, there were other entries -- probably 30 or so!) It was a fun day.

 

Special thanks to T.J., owner of the Hazzard County Sheriff's car above, for snapping this one! T.J. had a great display of "Dukes of Hazzard" collectibles at the event; see the photos further below ...

 

Some "Terrific TV Toys" were available, like this set of Charlie Brown figures from the Great Pumpkin special, just in time for Halloween.

 

Not sure what a Demogorgon from "Stranger Things" was doing there, but it was super-cool!

The League of Enchantment hosted a panel talking about bullying and why it's not cool, assisted by actor Michael Foster, right, who grew up in Monroe but now lives in Hollywood and has appeared in "The Walking Dead" and much more. The League is a group of cosplayers who have formed a nonprofit group to work with hospitals, Make-a-Wish and other organizations to bring joy and hope to kids. These are real heroes! You can see this panel on the League's Facebook page.

 

Another great entry in the cosplay contest! A whole Poke-family!

T.J. has some great "Dukes" memorabilia!

After the show, the Flintstones had lunch at the Bedrock Quarry Bar and Grill in Monroe. If that isn't fun, well, then, what is????

Four "Dukes" display photos courtesy of T.J. Bethards;

bottom two photos courtesy of Don Covell Jr.;

other photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Take a jaunt through the "Star Trek" exhibit

Captain's Log, Stardate ... well, we don't know, but we do know that our latest mission was to explore the new worlds of the "Star Trek" exhibit at The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan. This fantastical universe of "Trek" costumes, props and information was well-worth the visit. It was at the beginning of September, just one day before the exhibit closed (this summer got away from us, didn't it???). It was fascinating, Captain. Just fascinating. And now we've got your walk-through, in case you weren't able to catch it yourself, or you just want to relive it ...



And we've got a few great photos courtesy of Mike. On the way to the museum, I was telling him, "I hope they have some real costumes and stuff used in the series." Boy, did they!

 

Yea, so happy to become a Borg, yea, that's me ...

And by the way, we've decided September is "Star Trek" Month here at BRBTV. We showed you a set of "Trek" Hot Wheels cars on last week's ep of Terrific TV Toys. Look for a Terrific non-TV Toys episode in the next couple weeks on the same theme!

Photos by Michael Knight / Motor City Reel Rides

Please do not copy without permission

Terrific TV Toys: "Star Trek" cars by Hot Wheels

Vroom-vroom ... Can you just hear that Baja Breaker speeding across the planet in Alpha Centauri! Well, no, you can't, because it didn't happen ...

In our continual love of all things classic "Star Trek," we simply couldn't resist this set of six Hot Wheels cars when they were released a few years ago. This author snapped them right up off the store pegs. It took a few trips to multiple stores, but I eventually got 'em all.

And that was actually the second set of Hot Wheels "Trek" cars I saw -- there's another set of two years earlier that you'll see on a future episode of Terrific TV Toys. But for now ... from the Baja Breaker to the Volkswagen T1 Panel Bus and more ... let's take a closer look at these mini-vehicles carting around the classic crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise ...

Catch episode 2 of "The Rapture Chronicles" with BRB as Francine

For the past few years this author has been having fun with some acting gigs on the side, but I have always wanted to become involved in a screen project that is Kingdom-serving. Enter "The Rapture Chronicles" by producer / director / writer Dray Hill, which I am so thankful to be a part of.

This is a web series designed to change lives, depicting the reality of the Rapture event that all believers know is coming soon. Each episode shows a few characters from various walks of life, in various stages of faith (or lack thereof). Some share their beliefs in the Lord; others might not want to hear it. It's real life. I love it, and I love working with this group.



For some, the Rapture event mentioned in the Bible might be fantasy. I play a character who thinks it's sheer fantasy. Francine is a tough cookie, and her doubt and sarcasm about these Biblical issues definitely took me out of my comfort zone. You'll see what happens, as the episode dropped today both on Facebook and via the YouTube above.

You can also see the interview I did on the role:



Catch up with the first episode and so much more at the Facebook page for the series, as well as the web page at ChurchouseProductions.com, which features photos and links to interviews with the other great folks involved in the series. And watch for future episodes -- this one is hot! Episode 1 jumped to more than 100,000 views on Facebook in just a couple months.