A look inside Nic and Norman's for the "Dead"-heads among us

Special thanks to Jason and Billy for sharing these photos from their trip earlier this month to the Nic and Norman's restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The eatery, owned by Norman Reedus of "The Walking Dead" and the show's executive producer and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, features everything from brisket nachos to crab and avocado toast to chicken pot pie to meatloaf to shrimp and grit cakes and whatever else in-between. Their chain has two other locations in Senoia, Georgia, and Lexington, Kentucky. Jason was enthralled by the former-train-station atmosphere of this Chattanooga spot, though. Looks comfy, not to mention delicious!

Here's Jason, left, and Billy, with Billy's wife, Kim. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Some glimpses of the goods from Novi toy show

It seemed like a brand-new show, at least it was one this collector had not seen before. It happened yesterday at the Suburban Showplace Collection in Novi, Michigan, home of the wildly popular Motor City Comic Con (which is in just a couple weeks, incidentally, and which I may actually make my grand return to this year after several years away). And this toy show was pretty lush -- one big convention hall with lots of tables. It wasn't well-attended -- maybe it wasn't advertised that much? Anyway, no matter. It was nice to not have hordes of people. 

So many TV-show-related goodies! There are a ton of photos to show, everything from "All in the Family" to the beloved Batman and Scooby-Doo to the ever-present "Star Trek" and so much more. Such a joy to get back to a nice-sized toy show. Maybe this one is / will be yearly and if so, it's highly recommended. Folks there were really nice to chat with.

Three views of the same thermos, featuring images from the Krofft shows of the '70s, except for "Land of the Lost," unfortunately. Very cool and priced at $50 loose without the lunchbox. 

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Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific non-TV Toys: Queen by Funko Pop!, 2022

Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon ... they're all here, looking good in their 1970s performance fashion, in this recent set of Funko Pops. We've had a number of Pops on the two collectibles series of BRBTV, and this set represents another foray into the musical realm. These four figures depict the band as it was just coming into its own, coming out of the UK clubs and onto the larger stages, garnering attention across the pond and around the globe. The detailing is nice. 

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

And because we've had such a diverse array of Funkos make their way through the episodes, we now have a playlist that draws them all into one convenient place for hardcore Funko fans out there:

Terrific TV Toys: A look at Jim's awesome "Magnum, PI" collection

The latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys series is a quick hit, a delightful romp through the "Magnum, PI" memorabilia collection at the home of BRBTV's friend Jim Wilson of Canada. You've seen Jim's fabuloso art on this blog and in the BRBTV books, and you'll see it in this episode, as well. Jim is a fan of various TV shows and movies, and he paints scenes inspired by those, as well as by his love of trains and maybe just a bird outside his window! Lots of his paintings are listed in his Facebook shop, and you can see more of his art at the Facebook page Jim's Creations.

A couple items from Jim's "Magnum" collection: A Ki'i replica statue from the "Simon and Simon" crossover episode, and a jar of sand from the Robin's Nest sent to him by his friend Kimo, who worked on the TV series back in the day.

Another Skipper hat update? Say it *is* so!

If you've been keeping up with our resident "Gilligan's Island" fan Bobby, you know he has tirelessly searched for items for his Skipper cosplay, in particular the hat(s) Alan Hale wore on the series over the years. He's got an update for us on his latest acquisition:

1st company made black Skipper hat I ever owned during my search for one. Broner Hat Co established 1933. Amazon 2011 $33. Late friend Rick Karpinski got it for me.

Photo courtesy of Bobby; please do not copy without permission.

"Gilligan" fan turns to a little down-home "Dukes" cosplay

If you've seen our April 30, 2021 and April 11, 2022 posts, then you know our friend Bobby is an avid "Gilligan's Island" fan, voraciously chasing down a screen-accurate Skipper hat, among many other items in his cosplay collection. Well, Bobby is also a big-time "Dukes of Hazzard" fan, and he's taken to cosplaying Bo and Luke more recently. He just purchased these shirts as replicas of what Bo and Luke (and Vance, actually) wore on the show. Now, Bobby says, he's just looking for the right Coy Duke shirt in blue.

We asked Bobby for some good ole "Dukes" lines to go with his cosplay, and here's what he says:

(Season 1, "One Armed Bandits") Bo: "Grab that sign."

Luke: "You grab it."

Bo: "Well, I can't. I'm drivin'."

Luke: "Oh, is that what you call it?"

Photos courtesy of Bobby; please do not copy without permission.

Terrific non-TV Toys: Archie Comics ReAction figures by Super7, 2019

Ooooh, it's a long one, because we're putting all *five* figures into one episode instead of breaking them up. This is a modern set of Archie Comics action figures in Super7's ReAction line. You saw another figure from the ReAction line on the sister series, Terrific TV Toys, and that was a figure of the brilliant Alfred Hitchcock. Now on T let's go back to Riverdale and behold the truly vintage look of these small figures. They are all adorned in very classic looks, and Jughead even has a submarine sandwich!

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

An update on the Green Hornet animated series

Thanks very much to Mary Kay of Green Hornet Inc. for passing along this update on the planned Green Hornet animated series. Mary Kay is a granddaughter of George Trendle, a creator of this beloved character from radio days way back when in Detroit, and she serves as vice-president of the GH board nowadays. BRBTV is eagerly anticipating this new series!

Kevin Smith Gives Update on Green Hornet Animated Series (comicbook.com)

Visit www.greenhornet.com to learn more.

"The Call With Nancy Sabato" features "Rapture Chronicles" guests including BRB

Many thanks to Nancy of "The Call with Nancy Sabato" for having this author as well as writer-director-producer Dray Hill and actress Staffy Blakely on her show to talk about "The Rapture Chronicles." It was a wonderful chat, with a wonderful host, talking about our web series and what makes it unique. 

On "The Call" guests typically share stories of perseverance, faith and courage – stories that give hope to those who feel worried and restless. Nancy produces episodes of her own series every two or three days, so it was an honor to be a guest. We discussed Dray's vision behind "The Rapture Chronicles," as well as our own thoughts about the rapture itself and what kind of impact a series like this could have on those who are unsaved. Check it out:

Learn more about Nancy Sabato at her website. Thanks so much, Nancy!

Announcing the fourth Kindle edition of "The Ultimate Super Friends Companion"

It's been several years since "The Ultimate Super Friends Companion" was first released in Kindle edition and in part 1 and part 2 of the print edition. Author Will Rodgers keeps collecting, though -- you can see much of his action figure collection in the photo albums of the Terrific TV Toys Facebook page. And so, because Will has accumulated a lot of great figures of the beloved "Super Friends" characters (such as more-recently released items from Figures Toy Company's various robust lines), we decided to freshen up the Kindle edition of the book with some new photos. 

So, in the Kindle edition only -- the two-volume print series remains the same -- you'll see a brand-new photo accompanying each "Super" character profile scattered throughout the book. Each new character profile photo shows all of Will's figures of that particular Super Friend or super-villain, whether it's the Mego or Figures Toy Company eight-inch, cloth-clad figure or a smaller (or sometimes bigger) figure by Mattel or another manufacturer. So it's another feature of this "Super Friends" guide -- illustrations of the various collectibles out there.

The price for the Kindle edition remains the same, and it's a good deal at $8, because this thing is just huge, the equivalent of 809 letter-sized pages. Besides these comprehensive character profiles, the book gives you extremely detailed episode synopses for every one of the series variations through the 1970s and 1980s, along with complete histories of each series, a look at the comic books and other merchandise associated with the shows, and other fun stuff. Will loves the Super Friends -- it's one of his areas of expertise!

An example of one of the new character profile photos in the Kindle edition of "The Ultimate Super Friends Companion," showing variations in Batman figures from Will's own collection. 

Photo by Will Rodgers.

Terrific TV Toys: Golden Batmobile by Mattel / Hot Wheels, 2021

The Terrific TV Toys web series posts the first episode of its 10th season (I mean, 10 years, really???) by drawing once again from the TV show we all know and love so very much ... the 1966 "Batman" series starring Adam West. This hot little gold-colored Batmobile is something this author didn't actually see on store shelves, but hey, my buddy Jim in Canada saw it, so he was kind enough to mail it to me across the border! It even got sent to the wrong house at first! Jim is nothing if not diligent and thoughtful (as well as a being a talented artist -- check out the Jim's Creations page on Facebook) ...

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.

Terrific non-TV Toys: Malibu PJ doll by Mattel, early 1970s

In previous episodes of the Terrific non-TV Toys series, you saw the Malibu Barbie doll and the Malibu Ken doll from this author's childhood. Now it's time to bring out "the pretty one," as I always thought of this doll representing Barbie's friend, PJ. The character of PJ largely faded from the pop culture landscape years ago -- and maybe she didn't make that big of a splash in the first place, not as well-known, perhaps, as Barbie's cousin Francie or other friend Midge -- but she'll always be dear to my heart. I distinctly remember receiving her as a Christmas present one year. She's a little worse for wear, but you can see her up-close and personal on this episode:

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

Welcome to 2023! Here's your updated episode guide to the BRBTV collectibles series

It's that time once again, when we recap the year's episodes of our two web series, Terrific TV Toys and Terrific non-TV Toys. This was the "Year of Snoopy" on both series, and on T3 in particular we examined the PVC figures featured on Whitman's candies from several years ago. Production of the two series will continue in 2023 at the rate of one episode per month. This year marks 10 big years for T3! This author can't believe it's been that long, and I have truly loved showing you these treasures from my collection. Have you checked out the T3 Facebook page? If not, head on over there and share the love of these toys related to our beloved classic TV shows. And remember that you can catch other great videos on the BRBTV YouTube channel ...

Terrific TV Toys

Season 9

168. Pocket Pop! and Mighty Meeples blind bags by Funko, Cryptozoic

169. Snoopy Valentine PVC figures from Plastronics / Whitman's

170. "Bionic Woman" figures by Super7, 2022

171. Snoopy Easter PVC figures from Plastronics / Whitman's

172. "Dukes of Hazzard" sleeping bag, 1980

173. Riddler and Creeper figures by Kenner, 1998-1999

174. Snoopy PVC summer figures, Whitman's / others, 2000-2012

175. Snoopy PVC Halloween figures, Whitman's / others, 2000-2012

176. Snoopy PVC Christmas figures, Whitman and others, 2000-2012

Season 8

Season 7

Season 6
Season 5
Season 4
Season 3
Season 1 and 2  

Terrific non-TV Toys

Season 5

44. Dawn beauty salon by Topper, 1970s

45. "Star Wars" AT-AT plush by Animal Magic, pre-2012

46. Batgirl Funko Pop!, Breast Cancer Awareness edition, 2020

47. Marilyn Monroe musical figurine, 1982

48. Snoopy ceramic musical stein, 1971

49. Daphne Barbie by Mattel, 2001

50. Archie bendy figure and fan club items, 1988-89

51. Batgirl Artists Alley statue (iridescent), DC Collectibles, 2019

52. Batgirl True Moves figure, Mattel, 2018

53. Golden Age Wonder Woman Pop!, Funko, 2021

54. Malibu Barbie by Mattel, early 1970s

55. Singing Snoopy wizard by Gemmy, 1997

56. Farrah Fawcett figure, Mego, 2018

57. Malibu Ken by Mattel, 1970s

58. Snoopy Christmas plush, 2000-2012

Season 4

Season 3

Season 2

Season 1

May 2023 be blessed for you and your family!

Terrific non-TV Toys: Snoopy Christmas plush, 2000-2012

It's been a Snoopy extravaganza this season on the BRBTV collectibles series, and here we are at the final episode of the year. So why not more Snoopy? There's always room for more Snoopy. To cap off this year's series focusing on the Snoopy PVC figures accompanying small boxes of Whitman's or Russell Stover candies, we now take a look at some of the plush toys that would also accompany those candies. Did you miss these on store shelves a few years back? You might be able to snag them online.

Merry Christmas from BRBTV!

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

Terrific TV Toys: Snoopy Christmas PVC figures, Whitman / others, early 2000s-2012

We have been rolling through a miniseries of Snoopy PVCs all this year on the T3 collectibles show, and now it comes to its jolly conclusion. Its Christmastime conclusion. That most wonderful time of the year, and it's certainly beloved here at BRBTV as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our favorite thing about "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is that it directly discusses the birth of Jesus. So for this final episode in the miniseries, we take a closer look at the very first Peanuts primetime TV special, the genesis of it, aided by an older book by one of the folks behind the special. And we'll highlight our last three Snoopy PVC figures in the collection!

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.

Terrific non-TV Toys: Malibu Ken by Mattel, 1970s

We're making our way through the Malibus on the Terrific non-TV Toys series. A couple months ago, you saw the Malibu Barbie doll this author had as a child, one of my very first dolls. She is totally 1970s, and she was followed-up with a Malibu boyfriend, a Malibu friend, even a cousin and little sister. We're going to see  most of those (all but the cousin) in this four-episode miniseries. So part 2 is the handsome young man (who is quite worse for wear, unfortunately) ...

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

#SoMuchBatgirl!

... And so much other stuff, too! How much Batgirl is too much? There's never too much, right!? Just because it's Thursday and we're surviving the week, how about a glimpse of the new setup of Batgirls at BRBTV headquarters? This author is doing some tinkering around with video this morning, so how about two views on the "media" room ...

Go wide-screen if you can, and there may or may not be a special guest in the first one (we kinda had to include him; he was making a lot of noise).

#collectibles  #actionfigures  #superheroes  #snoopy  #autographs  #memorabilia

Terrific non-TV Toys: Farrah Fawcett figure by Mego, 2018

The ever-iconic Farrah Fawcett is back on the BRBTV collectibles series. In episodes of Terrific TV Toys there were episodes of the 12-inch Mego doll of the 1970s, then the 9-inch Kenner "Charlie's Angels" figure, along with an array of wonderful fashions. The reboot of Mego released a modern Farrah figure a few years ago, and BRBTV secured that figure fairly recently. Now you can see it up-close and personal on the latest episode of Terrific non-TV Toys. 

This figure is crafted in cooperation with the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, which we just had to look up. That's Farrah's longtime friend Alana Stewart, administering the foundation since Farrah has been gone, and you can snag yourself a T-shirt with this very-famous poster image, and learn more about what the foundation does.

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

Happy Halloween! Celebrate the spookiness with the latest episode of "Pop Ninja"

The annual Halloween video episode of the "Pop Ninja" podcast is here, and in this one, Patrick, Lisa, and friends Kendall and this author discuss favorite spooky movies. For my pick, I had to go back to a movie I for years only vaguely remembered seeing on television when I was a kid in the 1970s. It was a movie about a guy turning into a snake -- that's mainly what I remembered. As an adult I got a chance to find the movie and rewatch it. Yeah, it's still chilling and totally creepy. It's 1973's "SSSssss" (that's seven "s"s) and it stars a very young Dirk Benedict before he did "Battlestar Galactica" or "The A-Team." If you haven't seen it, it's worth looking up. Patrick, Lisa and Kendall discuss "Halloween" (I mean, of course!), "Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night I" and "Fade to Black." And we're all in costume!

Thanks to Midwest Book Review for featuring "Let's Roll, Kato" in its reviews

Many thanks from BRBTV to Gary Roen of Midwest Book Review for the heads-up that a review has been posted on "Let's Roll, Kato: A Guide to TV's Green Hornet," Book 6 in the BRBTV Fact Book Series. This author is thrilled and humbled all over again any time I see one of the books out there being enjoyed! This review is part of the October 2022 issue of the online book review magazine "MBR Bookwatch."

Step inside the amazing museum of writer Tim Hollis

If you look closely, you'll spot the Flintstones, the Lone Ranger, Huckleberry Hound, Captain Kangaroo, Mighty Mouse, the Looney Tunes gang, Bozo the Clown, Donald Duck, Snoopy, Batman and Superman. You'll see the vintage book-and-record sets, board games, drinkware, talking dolls, comic books, lunchboxes, cereal boxes. It's a wondrous pop culture wonderland, and it's in the home of  Alabama collector Tim Hollis. 

Tim contacted this author recently and invited me out, but unfortunately I'm not living in Georgia these days, or else I would totally head right over! Anyway, courtesy of podcaster Meagan, step into what he calls his "Weird World." He's an author himself of many different pop culture history books, but the array of pop culture items in this museum in his home is much more astonishing. There are just zillions of yummy items here, many of them related to beloved classic TV shows. Thanks, Tim, for the virtual peek!

Terrific non-TV Toys: Singing Snoopy wizard by Gemmy, 1997

This delightfully magical Snoopy doll has a song for you, and it's just in time for Halloween. This toy comes from Gemmy Industries, and not only does he play the Peanuts theme song, he also shuffles and moves his head. So cute. Perfect for a Halloween display, and you can snag one of these on eBay or elsewhere online in the $25-30 range.

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

Happy Halloween from BRBTV!

Terrific TV Toys: Snoopy Halloween PVC figures, Whitman's / others, 2000-2012

Oooooh, that spookiest of seasons is upon us once again, so let's celebrate by taking a look at some Halloween-themed Snoopy PVC figures in the latest episode of Terrific TV Toys. These guys were atop a small box of Whitman's or other brand candies on store shelves a few years ago. We talk about this as well as that wondrous thing called the Great Pumpkin! It's part of our yearlong series commemorating the Peanuts primetime TV specials. Only one episode left after this -- can you guess what that will be???

See what else is on the Terrific TV Toys playlist.