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I bought the coolest thing today

Published at:  Jul 22, 1999 5:13:14 AM CDT



Heh heh heh... I was walking around the mall today looking to buy something for a beautiful young lady, Cora Smith, who's coming down to spend her birthday with us pathetic Austin Geeks, when lo and behold, I found the DELUXE IRON GIANT TOY at the Warner Brothers Store.





I freaked. I have been watching the TRENDMASTER's website hoping to get the drop on the Evil Toy Scum Guys (TM) of the world that usurp cool toys then quadruple the prices and/or sell them on Ebay, thus making toy collecting a very expensive and/or stressful hobby. If there are laws about Ticket Scalping then there damn well ought to be laws about Toy Scalping.





As soon as I got Cora Smith her present (yes dear I didn't forget you) I rushed to the car and as Father Geek drove I began to free my big metal guy from his cardboard and plastic coffin... For all toys suffer a bit of a premature burial till you set them free. Personally, since seeing this movie I've been dying to get this toy. Call me silly... Call me childish.. But damn does this toy rock. I love how BIG this thing is. It's like two and a half feet tall, comes with magnetic Hogarth you can stick in his hand or shoulder. He talks, eyes light up and change and he guards my room from the center of my toy display atop my printer...





I tell ya... I can't wait to see this movie again. It's strange how films work on me. Especially a movie like IRON GIANT. Some folks out there seem to think swag can 'sway' one's opinion of a movie... or make one give out a good review. But ya know what. I don't really get much free studio swag. I don't get them packets of promotional goodies. I go out and buy my own swag. And ya know what... I slapped my $30 down so fast to get my own big metal guy so fast it woulda made your head spin. Just like I'm gonna force everyone I know into that theater opening day. Not because of Warners. Not because of Brad Bird or any other person associated with this movie.



I'm taking all my friends to this one cause... THE IRON GIANT... THE MOVIE.... Is a brilliant animated film that now has a character that's the centerpiece of the most looked at wall of my life. And I tell you... that Joe Johnston design just friggin rocks!



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    Readers Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 5:41:24 AM CDT

    tauntaun

    by r_dimitri22

    Harry, is that a big stuffed tauntaun over on the left? I sure would like one of those. I do a great tauntaun impression.

    Reply to Talkback

  • ...the sort of sign or poster thing that says "not since Frankenstein have you experienced such horror" or something.

    PS - I didn't like ET. I didn't like Quest for Camelot. I detest the Batman/Superman cartoons. Give me one good reason why someone with such tastes would NOT despise Iron Giant?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 6:38:55 AM CDT

    toys

    by bud

    Wish I had a digital camera and a scanner so I could show ya all of my neat toys. Although, all of my toys are Disney (with a little bit of Star Wars thrown in) so you guys would rag on me. The IG reminds me of the cool Buzz Lightyear toys that I have in my collection.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 7:11:34 AM CDT

    Way Cool Stuff.

    by dallan

    That is one groovy collection, dude guy. But it needs a Classic Godzilla to round it out I think. IG vs. Godzilla would be a kewl matchup, methinks. Just so long as Devlin doesn't have anything to do with it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 7:41:17 AM CDT

    times like this

    by z

    when I think to myself "I'm in the minority". I don't know how many of the other readers jave toy collections like that, but personally, I found that shot of harry's room a little disturbing, possibly even scary. Was that someone standing in the corner?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 7:55:24 AM CDT

    That's a scary monkey!

    by jj mcclure

    Yikes! You got a lotta stuff, hairball. But you call all kiss my ass, cause I got a super-rare Kenner Shuttle Tydirium! The largest Star Wars vehicle ever produced! C'mon! Both lips, both cheeks!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 8:07:05 AM CDT

    More, must see more!

    by essemtee

    I'll admit my collection isn't that good! (Cammy and Chun-Li aren't exactly big movie characters!) It'd be bigger, if I didn't have cousins coming over to the house periodically and messing around with them, putting them in naughty positions, etc. Anyway, never mind all that, so how much was that Iron Giant toy? Not too cheap, I'll bet, by the looks of it, size, detail, etc.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Clean your room Harry!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 8:45:26 AM CDT

    Wrong about the toys, Harry

    by purchagent


    Harry:

    You put toy and ticket scalpers in the same league, villifying both.
    I simply disagree. I say God bless anyone with the wherewithal to find in-demand toys and get a big markup on them. It's not nice to do, but it's neither illegal nor immoral. And if you can make money and not do anything to violate those two principles, then anything goes.
    It's hard enough in this life to carve out a decent living, so anyone with a little creativity and gumption deserves their lucre.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 8:56:47 AM CDT

    If Cora looks like Lana...

    by meca

    Harry-
    If "Cora" looks anything like Lana Turner - my man spent his 30 well.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 9:04:44 AM CDT

    Barbarella

    by bloodstained

    Hey, Harry, is that a Barbarella doll there standing in front of that rag doll girl from The Nightmare Before Christmas?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 10:23:12 AM CDT

    Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

    by rodimusprime

    Or is it "Sta-Puft"? Anyway, nice to see it there. We GB fans are legion it seems hehehehe!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 10:34:50 AM CDT

    If having a Kenner Imperial Shuttle is grounds for ass-kissing..

    by lando plenty

    Then my ass would be kissed raw by now. That hotel is a dump and your monopoly is pathetic!!! You're only cool if you have the Droids A-Wing, bought from Kay Bee on a markdown for 10 bucks. Or a Scrubbing Bubble. Always wanted one of those.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 10:53:35 AM CDT

    I dig your Frankenstein, Harry...

    by fred4sure

    It's the best figure in the Universal line. For those who don't live down the block from a Warners Store and want the IG toys, like me, you can shop at Warners from home over that new-fangled Internet, at: http://www.wbstore.com/store/wbss.asp?l=wbo
    You can also get those Wild Wild West shot glasses you've been searching high and low for.
    --Fred4Sure

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 11:03:17 AM CDT

    Ilvenshang

    by morgus

    I maay be mistaken, but I think the poster behind the toys is for Karloff's BLACK SABBATH.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 11:34:03 AM CDT

    We have something in common !

    by robinp

    I have the same way, way cool Lost in Space robot here in my study!
    It took me a year to figure out that the arms were retractable, and the litle button in back released them !

    Toys were simpler when I was a kid !

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 2:25:06 PM CDT

    something's missing

    by michelle21

    Nice room, Harry. But you need a Crow and a Tom Servo.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 6:56:45 PM CDT

    Important question for Harry concerning the cool toy...

    by cronksty

    I have to know, is it actual metal ala Shogun warriors/early transformers? Or is it just that oily substance we call plastic. I'm getting it either way though. One more question...I don't mean to doubt you, but after seeing the trailer, what makes this movie different than Warner Brothers (or Disney's) typical animated cheese? The concept is like a dream I would have had in grade school after watching WAY too much Voltron. An answer would REALLY be appreciated.

    Connor
    P.S. Kick ass collection!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 7:07:32 PM CDT

    WOW

    by reywing

    I have the same exact printer that you have.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 22, 1999 10:37:25 PM CDT

    Be careful with that magnetic hogarth, man!

    by lindzee

    magnets+computery stuff=bad. Nice toys, by the way! I had no idea people collected the stuff. Maybe I should try selling the box of gotterdamerung little figurines and stuff that lives under my bed. But if I had a scrubbing bubble, I would keep it...that's spiffy. And...what's a hogarth?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 2:40:43 AM CDT

    O Cymbal Monkey, Where Art Thou?

    by justin sane

    On any ordinary day I would be BEGGING (and I mean BEGGING) for you to tell me where you got that Cymbal Monkey, Harry. I have been on a quest for half my life to find that rare species, Monkeyus Cymbalus. At every turn I was vanquished with replies of "I don't think they make those anymore" and "Cymbal whats?! Oh... those monkeys. Nope, never had those". But this is no ordinary day.
    For you see, finally, after years of searching, someone finally found one and gave it to me for my birthday. PRAISE BE TO THE CYMBAL MONKEYS!
    Now all I have to do is find a mint condition Gobbles, The Garbage Eating Goat ("That crazy eating goat!!")...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 8:09:50 AM CDT

    Norman Bates=Harry?

    by cronksty

    Has anyone actually SEEN Father Geek?
    "Father Geek has been in Greenlong cemetary for the past ten years." Yikes!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 8:43:36 AM CDT

    Ultimate Iron Giant

    by s.a.r.h.

    I ran right out to warner bros and got that robot, they only had one left! Go to trendmasters.com and look at all the cool Iron Giant stuff, there's a bunch of different versions of the robot. He's almost as cool as my 2'Robby the Robot (since we're bragging about our toys...).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 4:03:45 PM CDT

    Dad Mastercraftsman built me 5 ft Iron Giant

    by quack

    My dad has worked on this thing for the past month and a half. It is made with brushed stainless steal but it looks like its 10 ft thick iron. The material cost 150 dollars and the eyes glow from within. I've seen the toy, this is the real thing!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 4:08:17 PM CDT

    Is that a 2' vibrator in the collection?!

    by quack

  • Jul 23, 1999 4:10:24 PM CDT

    ive seen him

    by frog

    yeah, i can vouch for harry not being norman bates and acting the part of father geek. father geek is alive and well. cool guy too... he told me this neat story about the double homicide in austin about 10 years ago. some babysitter of his daughters. it was great.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 8:37:55 PM CDT

    The Minkey

    by sammy glick

    Oh what wonderful memories of Close Encounters that awesome monkey inspires. "Look with care for the shape of a square!" Just like Barry's room! Simply cannot wait for Iron Giant. Scott Johnston is a genius whose hard work on Beethoven's 5th in Fantasia 2000 will never be seen by the public. So glad he went to Warner Bros to work on this movie. He was endlessly harassed by the EVIL producer of Fantasia whose name should never even be uttered. Sort of a cross between the Penguin and one of the Muppet Rats. EVIL EVIL!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 10:03:40 PM CDT

    To see pics of tons of robot toys. . .

    by jmachinder

    check out my website http://www.cooljapanesetoys.com
    I've been giving a real push to these toys even though they're American. Iron Giant rocks. Can't wait to see the movie again.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 10:40:58 PM CDT

    what the...

    by chief

    Who's that fuckin' dork who said, "I have the same printer as you"? Hey dude, I bang the same chick your dad does. In fact, I'm probably your dad! I shot a nut in your printer when I was laying pipe inside your mom, so you might want to clean the print head before you send any jobs to it. Your mom always cleans my head when...well, you get the point.

    Love,

    Bill

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 23, 1999 10:48:07 PM CDT

    Is it just me...

    by sarcasmo

    ... or would anyone else have trouble sleeping in that room? I think Harry's collection is way cool and lest I critisize what with my boxes of PEZ under my bed (by the way, anyone want to buy/sell/trade PEZ?! Email me!).... but I'd be afraid that monkey would wait until I was sleeping and then steal my immortal soul.
    Bad monkey! Spank the monkey! (that was for my housemates)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Aug 15, 2006 1:31:32 PM CDT

    Reminds me of that one Stephen King story.

    by wolfpack

    It was from his Skeleton Crew anthology, and it was evocative of The Monkey's Paw. Each time it clapped the cymbols, something really ghastly happened. The moral of the story being stay on good terms with monkeys.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jun 03, 2008 10:01:10 PM CDT

    Not as cool

    by series7

    As Wall-E

    Reply to Talkback

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