Halloween is this weekend, so how about a spooky new podcast?

Ghouls and goblins are all about, and one classic TV series that had lots of spooky things was Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone," originally airing decades ago in black-and-white and remade a few times over the years, though not quite to the glistening splendor of the original. Our buddy Brian, whom you've seen on a couple episodes of Terrific TV Toys, and his friend Bruce have a relatively new podcast / web series that discusses "The Twilight Zone" in light of current events and other sociological musings. It's called "Just Beneath the Surface." Check it out, like and subscribe ...

By request: Images of the manual for the "Batman: The Animated Series" alarm clock

We've received a couple requests for photos of the instruction manual for alarm clock celebrating "Batman: The Animated Series" featured in an episode of T3. The easiest way is to post them here, so here they are! If you have the clock and don't have the manual, now you can set the thing! LOL

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific non-TV Toys: Halloween Batgirl statue by DC Collectibles Bombshells

DC Comics must be making bank from its Bombshells series, because they sure have churned out a ton of these statues. Any kind of female from the DC Universe has been cast in the Bombshells vintage look for a sort of alternate take on the character. These ladies are lovely, they're so feminine, and they're quite powerful. You saw a Batgirl Bombshells statue in this same series on a previous episode of Terrific non-TV Toys, and now we turn to a variant released at Halloween time in 2016. She's clad in black and orange like a Halloween specialty item certainly would. This item is numbered, limited-edition and specially designed. She's quite exquisite ...

Spookiest shirt ever! Thanks, Jason!

Just a quick note of thanks to Jason, and a happy Halloween greeting to all. This Spooky Snoopy shirt rocks!

Terrific TV Toys: CatDog figure from Burger King Kids' Meals, 1999

Talk about a blast from the past! This author had forgotten about this series but truly loved it when it originally aired on Nickeloeon from 1998 to 2005. A critter that's half-cat and half-dog? I mean, wow. How can that be? Burger King celebrated this crazy animated series in 1999 with a set of toys in its popular Kids' Meals, and you'll see one of those toys in the latest episode of Terrific TV Toys ...

 

 

Burger King promotional image from eBay.

Terrific non-TV Toys: Wonder Woman Barbie by Mattel, 2003

A couple weeks back on our sister series for collectibles, you saw a Poison Ivy Barbie by Mattel based on the character's appearances in "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures." Now for Terrific non-TV Toys, we turn to another femme of that Barbie set, another gal of the DC Universe, and arguably the most famous one.

Mattel has done a few different Wonder Woman Barbies over the past couple decades, but this one was part of a set released around 2003-2004. She doesn't have that luscious satin cape that you saw on the Wonder Woman Barbie featured in the T3 episode a few years ago, but she's definitely got better boots ...

Back at a con after a year and a half -- thanks, Monroe Pop Fest!

It was a sunny day, and that fit just right, because it was great to be back at a comic-con again, first time since lockdowns hit at the beginning of the pandemic. It was the Monroe Pop Fest south of Detroit, and it was a cool little show this author had been to a couple years back. I really went there to do a quick interview with my buddy Tom Hutchison of Big Dog Ink (first photo below), for an upcoming BRBTV project yet to be disclosed, and ran into some other friends, as well, like T.J. And took a few photos!!!

This guy looked so good -- I could have totally bought the idea that Michael Myers stepped off the movie screen and into this friggin' parking lot.

My friend T.J., featured on a couple Terrific TV Toys videos for his "Dukes of Hazzard" collection, brought his Rosco sheriff's car. His friend Dylan, who has employed both T.J. and his car in some of his independent Detroit area movies, was there, as well, showcasing his screen-used TV and movie prop collection, below.

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV
Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

A lot of Scoob can be collected in a year! Just ask Wendy …

Wow … a charm bracelet of Scooby and the gang … T-shirt iron-on transfers … an original painting of “Scooby’s Clues” … Playmobil toy sets … a Scooby Dee push puppet … tons more … and that’s just everything she has added in the past year, added onto everything Scooby-Doo she already had!!! Wendy is a commissioned artist in Canada and a hard-core Scooby collector who appears in the ScoobyAddicts panel discussions you’ve seen linked on this blog. I was delighted to read through her latest blog post on what she’s acquired for her collection in the past year … then I scroll down to the plush “Billie Doo” and the shout-out to BRBTV!!! Mind blown?!!! Thanks so much, Wendy!

https://wendylovesjesus.wordpress.com/2021/09/13/scooby-haul-2021-jeepers-another-almost-full-year-of-collecting/

Terrific TV Toys: Poison Ivy Barbie by Mattel, 2004

She's pretty and she's perfectly poisonous. She's Poison Ivy, and she got good play on the "Batman: The Animated Series" of the 1990s. It's that incarnation of this femme Batman villain that this 2004 Barbie doll by Mattel plays on. It's this month's featured item on the Terrific TV Toys series, so let's get up-close and personal with this emerald-clad gal ...

Catch the discussion of Daphne Blake in the latest ScoobyAddicts panel

There are a variety of ways the character of Daphne Blake has been portrayed in Scooby-Doo lore. Amid the multitude of cartoon series and movies over the years, she's been the spoiled rich girl, the danger-prone one, the pretty one, the crafty one who helps concoct a plan, even the clever one who invented Scooby Snacks! Daphne is a lot of things, beyond that purple-and-lavender-clad exterior. The latest panel discussion on the ScoobyAddicts channel on YouTube explores the many facets of Daphne, and this author was delighted to join host Nikki, along with Wendy, Cameron and Tiger for this talk! It just dropped on Saturday, and in this discussion you'll see lots of interesting points raised by a group of hard-core Scooby fans. Thanks again for the opportunity, guys!

TGIF! Tune in tomorrow for the latest ScoobyAddicts panel!

It's Friday, and if you're reading this, you made it through another week. It's a great time to remind yourself to tune in to the ScoobyAddicts channel on YouTube tomorrow for the drop of the latest episode of the ongoing Scooby-Doo panel discussion. This time, host Nikki is joined by Wendy, Cameron, Tiger and this author right here to discuss the character of Daphne Blake. How cool is that? All aspects of good ole Danger-prone Daph are discussed (yes, even that aspect). Join in the discussion in the comments area!  

Terrific non-TV Toys: Batman color change mug, Zak, 2019

We just love those episodes of the BRBTV collectibles series that are most like live TV -- for instance, when unboxing a toy for the first time and the packaging is complicated. You can only shoot it once. Stuff can go wrong. Yea, we love that. Well, this month's episode of Terrific non-TV Toys is a lot like that, but this time it's the interactive quality of this piece that possibly could run things off the rails. This Batman mug was a gift from family in 2019, and it's designed to add a lush color design to the black background when hot liquid is poured into the mug. Sooooooo ... will it work? It's an out-of-the-box experience that you'll just have to watch and see ...

(Note that for some reason this video upload cuts off at 5:28, but the only thing missing in that last minute is more of this collector prattling on about how great the mug is, thanking bro, nephew Christian and niece Veronica, and then the closing music and credit screen! LOL.)

TGIF! Catch the new trailer for the "Rapture Chronicles" web series

(Happy Friday the 13th! It was my mom's favorite day. She always said good things happened to her on that day.) I have been so thankful to be part of the "Rapture Chronicles" web series for the past couple years. Director / producer / creator Dray Hill has just released a new trailer for the series, below, and there's a new episode coming out soon. This trailer gives some glimpses of the first few episodes of the series, which you can find on Facebook and YouTube. Like and share!

Mike shows us his finished shadowbox of Daisy Dukes' eyelashes

OK, maybe that's the strangest headline we've run on this blog so far, but it's absolutely true! Mike, our honorary procurement chief at BRBTV, procured himself a genuine "Dukes of Hazzard" ... "prop," shall we call it? Maybe just "wardrobe piece." Anyway, you can read about it in our July 27 post. He has been working on a display for this marvelous piece, and here it is now, finished and on his wall. You can see he has included the business card of the makeup artist whose estate the eyelashes came from, Ray Sebastian, along with the "Dukes" logo and a wonderful batting-eyes image of Daisy ... 

 

A Batgirl comic run includes a cool toy blast

Comic book ads over the years are fun -- just think about the comics from when you were a kid, how they advertised some cool toy that you decided you had to have! Well, this author recently collected and read the latest Batgirl series by DC Comics, issues 1 through 50 that just completed a year or so ago. I loved seeing the ads for collectibles just released ...

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific TV Toys: Scooby-Doo model sheet mug, Enesco, 2019

Evidently August is Drinkware Month here at BRBTV, because both of the collectibles series will feature mugs celebrating beloved pop culture icons. First up, on Terrific TV Toys, is everyone's favorite Great Dane, Mr. Scooby-Doo, in this interestingly labeled "model sheet" mug. It shows sketches of Scoob in varying poses, along with a full-color image. It was a gift from Mike, our honorary procurement chief. Here it is, up-close and personal ...

Bjørn checks in again with a "Dynasty" collectible update

For several years our friend Bjørn has shown us wonderful "Dynasty" collectibles and memorabilia on this blog, from drinkware, art and other goodies to a dazzling "Dynasty" dollhouse / scale replica of the Carrington mansion. This hard-core fan of the 1980s primetime soap checks in once again with an update, and it's rather exciting. Emma Samms, our own second Fallon Carrington of "Dynasty," has spoken up since the pandemic as being a COVID-19 long-hauler, and she organized a "Dynasty" Zoom reunion fundraiser for COVID research this past March. You can read more about the cast reunion in this DigitalJournal.com review, and here's what Bjørn has to say about it:

"Got some fun additions to my 'Dynasty' collection. Was also invited by Emma Samms to show my collection to most of the cast during the zoom reunion. Fun to hear them 'oooh' and 'aaah' over artifacts from the show 30 years ago. Fun to talk to them one-on-one as well. As you can see,  my 'Dynasty' dolls has extended their wardrobes now. And Pamela Sue was kind enough to give me stationary from Fallon's desk at La Mirage. ;)"  

 

 

 

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