TGIF! How about a bevy of Batmobiles?

Our roving reporter Jason has been roaming the countryside and files this report just in time to celebrate the end of the week! As in Friday, and ain't we lucky we got 'em??!!!!

Jason was in Indianola, Mississippi, at a Love's truck stop. "Almost every GOOD Batmobile was there," Jason writes. "Not the Val Kilmer or George Clooney crappy ones, or the Michael Keaton, which is my most favorite, were missing. But still an impressive display of cool Batman stuff for $21.99 a piece."

"What really made me stop was they had the animated series car, which I thought was really slick. Loved that show and the sound that car made at idle. Note the Adam West car has the Batphone and Bat-emergency-turn-lever, if that was what it was called. It made the car do a 180."

"The Tumbler, my second favorite from the Keaton cars," Jason says. "It was difficult trying to open the hatch, everything inside is black but it did have a dash."

"The Ben Affleck car. This one was difficult to like," he says. "I don't dislike it, I don't think Affleck did a bad job at Batman; he actually did well in my opinion. It's the gun thing. The car had guns, not that the Keaton car didn't. I think it's just the scene where Batman was high on that crane holding a long rifle and when he was shooting with that automatic when he got ambushed. Batman shooting guns just ain't right in my eyes; still a good movie. Too bad Affleck is out now."

Photos by Jason G.; please do not copy without permission.

Share the flyer for Tom Wopat's Michigan Christmas concert, and snag your tix now!

You already knew from the August 1 post of this very blog that Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat, star of "The Dukes of Hazzard" as well as various great Broadway productions, is returning to Corunna, Michigan, this December for another good-ole Hazzard County Christmas concert. It's almost like we're becoming Hazzard North up-in-here (coo-coo-I-love-it-I-love-it!!!). Now, event organizer Pastor Steve Rau has finalized the flyer for the event:

 

Share this with all your friends, and run -- don't walk -- over to the Eventbrite page for the event. Tickets are only $20, a terrific deal considering this is a smaller "Dukes" event. This isn't the mile-long line you expect from the bigger "Dukes" events of old (oh, it was a grand era indeed, 'round about 2006!). Nosiree, this is a more-intimate gathering, like you walking right up to Mr. Wopat's table before or after the event and chatting while he kindly signs that item for ya. And, as with last year's event, you can get your picture taken with a General Lee and a Hazzard County Sheriff's car. There will be a meet-and-greet starting at 4 p.m. that day.

Kimberly Rogers also has a Facebook page for the event, along with many other upcoming appearances for Tom linked from her fan club page. And BRBTV has video clips of last year's concert, so you can get all warmed up for what you'll see live and in-person this December 7. The holiday spirit will be in abundance; come on out!! 

Yeee-haaaaa!!!!

Terrific non-TV Toys: Snoopy pet toy and Funko figure

Weeeellll ... you were going to see a "Star Wars" item this month on the Terrific non-TV Toys series, but then a couple adorable Snoopies fell into the lap of this author. One, I just couldn't put down when wandering through the Halloween aisles at Walmart; the other was a gift from the Mysterious Claw-Game Avenger Who Shall Remain Nameless, who is responsible for the many, many great claw-game prizes you've seen on Terrific TV Toys (and perhaps even non-T3) over the years. This figure is an Astronaut Snoopy, and it is a 2019 summer convention exclusive by Funko, though it was snagged at Barnes and Noble. As you'll hear below, it comes on the heels of the Snoopy toys in McDonald's Happy Meals that feature Snoopy as an astronaut, a partnership with NASA.

Terrific TV Toys: Scooby-Doo plush by Gund, Applause

It's been a little while since we've talked Scooby plush, and we had a couple stragglers to show since the series of episodes you saw on Terrific TV Toys a few years back. (Well, that's because we got them more recently, both in 2016.) So here are a couple cuties, courtesy of pal Andrea. One is ready for Christmastime, actually, rather than Halloween, and the other is sightseeing in some exotic place, we just know it!

And we thought the manufacture year was unknown on these two, but in later review the year was discovered on Tourist Doo's tag -- 2001 Also, the stamps were issued in 2018, not this year. PLUS ... special thanks to Wendy, who provided a year for Tiny Tim, as well! "On the green tush tag, the (s02) is the date," she says. "So he came out in 2002. A lot of Scooby merch has that same style of dating: (s19) would be 2019, etc." Mystery solved!!! :)

Yabba, dabba, doo -- it's an inter-view!!!!

It was so much fun cosplaying the Flintstones at the Monroe Pop Fest a couple weeks back for Andrea, Don, and this author! And many thanks to Crazy Mark of Crazy Mark TV, who did an interview with us at the scene, following the costume contest. You can see this video now posted on Crazy Mark's Facebook page. Bummer that we can't embed it here! But go check it out and hear all about how we put this animated trio together!

https://www.facebook.com/CrAzYMaRkTV/videos/337738723667729/

More appearances scheduled for Tom Wopat

Thanks again to Kimberly for being our go-to for the appearance schedule of Tom ("Luke Duke") Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard." Kimberly has added a few dates since our August 5 post:

30th New York Cabaret Convention
October 28, 2019
Jazz at Lincoln Center
60th Street, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Tickets

Batesville, Arkansas (will be updated with more info soon)
November 8-9, 2019

Happy Hazzard Holiday
December 28, 2019
Leo and Leona's
W1436 Highway 33, 12 miles east of LaCrosse
Bangor, Wisconsin
http://www.leoandleonas.com/

Hazzard Fest 2020 presented by 96.3 The Possum
May 8, 2020
Volunteer Speedway
14095 W Andrew Johnson Hwy
Bulls Gap, TN 37711
Tickets

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.

What a nice time at the Hot Wheels show in Marysville, Michigan

It's a show I had my eye on for a few years, and this year, this author finally got to check it out. It was the Hot Wheels Weekend in Marysville, Michigan, all tucked up on the east side of the state near Port Huron and Canada and oh, that big lake called Huron.

Lots of classic cars of every era and variety were there, even a 1930 Model A Ford that the famous John Dillinger once made a getaway in. Super-cool.

Paul Michael Glaser of "Starsky and Hutch" and Butch Patrick of "The Munsters" were the guest stars, and they had nice displays complete with vehicles.

I got the chance to chat with Mr. Glaser a bit -- what a nice person he is. And thanks so much to Motor City Reel Rides for posting photos.

Motor City Reel Rides, by the way, has a great new calendar out for 2020 that features photos of many (well, 12) of their beautiful star cars ...

Yes, that's even the beautiful Farrah car from "Charlie's Angels," which you've seen profiled on this very blog. There are two versions of this 2020 calendar, and they're only $10 each. Contact the group at its Facebook page.

And you've gotta love Mike's shirt he had custom-made -- I want a dress of this material!

Photos by Billie Rae Bates and Motor City Reel Rides

Terrific non-TV Toys: Scarlett O'Hara Barbie doll by Mattel

We venture into "Gone With the Wind" territory in the latest episode of Terrific non-TV Toys, into that Civil War era South, for one round with the formidable non-Southern-belle Scarlett O'Hara. She's resplendent in red -- well, burgundy, actually -- in the amazing velvet and feather gown her husband Rhett Butler forced her to wear to Ashley's birthday party in that famous scene. Mattel celebrates that scene in this 1994 Barbie doll from its Hollywood Legends collection. This is an out-of-the-box experience -- she gets some oxygen after 25 years.

Check out new playlist of some of BRB's acting clips

This author has been enjoying a few acting gigs the past few years. Not to take over the world or anything -- just to goof around with it a bit. To prove that it can be done. A personal challenge and all. And fulfilling a childhood dream. Blah-blah-blah, whatever, it tends to be fun! And some of the fruits of that labor can be seen on a new playlist on my second YouTube channel, which I've just basically been using for demo reels and stuff.

This new playlist starts with the role of tough interrogator Blanche Lancaster in Evil Genius Entertainment's "Reanimated," then goes into a few other assorted roles, like a rather-evil nun in "SeVen" and the MedGuard member Denna McClure in "Anders Dark," which you can see in both trailers for the web series, but a little bit better in the second trailer.

Soon to come: episode 2 of "The Rapture Chronicles," where I have been truly blessed (thank-you, Dray Hill) to play the thoroughly unsaved Francine O'Neill. Uncomfortable, but, I pray, effective!!! That's coming in September.



On Vimeo, you can also check out "Surprise!", where I am Mary, and "A Taste of Honey," where I was thrilled to play the deliciously evil mom Louise Patterson. Embedding that one below, too ...


A TASTE OF HONEY from Nikoleta Vatiqi on Vimeo.

Thanks for watching and indulging this silly girl!

Enjoy your Friday! TGIF!!

Terrific TV Toys: Supergirl "S:TAS" figure by Hasbro, 1999

We've been examining, on the Terrific TV Toys series, a set of 12-inch action figures released by Hasbro in the late 1990s celebrating the animated series of the Timmverse, more specifically "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures" with Batgirl, Harley Quinn and Nightwing. Now, we turn our attention to Supergirl, who first appeared in the "B:TAS" spinoff "Superman: The Animated Series." She's dated 1999 and so girlish and full of life, as you'll see in the latest episode ...

An update on Tom Wopat's appearance schedule

Kimberly of the Tom Wopat Dedication Fan Club has it covered, as far as appearances for Mr. Tom Wopat, our own Luke Duke of "The Dukes of Hazzard." In our May 30 post, we gave you some of Wopat's summer schedule from the fan club page, but now it's time for an update, cuz' there's a lot more stuff coming up ...

Midwest Mopars, Sioux Empire Chapter

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Misquamicut Fallfest 

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Nostalgiacon 2019 

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Sammy Hagar's High Tide Beach party 

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Hazzard RUN 2019 

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Supermegafest Comic Con 

Saturday, November 16, 2019

And, as we mentioned last week ...

A Christmas Concert 

Friday, December 6, 2019

Plus ....

Cooter's Place in Luray, Christmas concert 

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Wounded Warrior Project Show 

Friday, March 6, 2020

Shiawassee County = Hazzard County???? A "Dukes" Christmas comes to Corunna, Michigan, once again

Well, he said it, during the Hazzard County Cars and Stars event at the Owosso Speedway in this author's hometown a couple weeks back, Mr. Tom Wopat of "The Dukes of Hazzard." He just happened to mention (and you can see it yourself in ChunkeyMonkey40's video coverage of the event) that he would be returning to these parts -- mid-Michigan and the greater Owosso / Corunna area -- this Christmas for another holiday concert.

Last year, the Hazzard County Christmas concert was a wonderful time, so we look forward to it again this year! Kimberly already has an event created for it on Facebook. The dates are December 6-7. Ya know, when I was a little kid watching the show, I really wanted to go live in Hazzard County. Now, thanks to Pastor Steve Rau, he's plumb-near turning this county where I grew up into Hazzard!!! (Weeeellll ... OK, let's make it "Hazzard North" while Covington, Georgia, can be Hazzard South ...)

Watch this space and the Facebook event page for more details!