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.