Well, I can’t. I am still sick. So maybe I’ll meet them next weekend. This weekend I may just have to go downstairs and see what my children have done to the house this week while I’ve been busy trying to remember how to breathe.

Oh, nevermind. Even I am tired of listening to me whine about being sick. So! The movie! The much-anticipated Disney offering! Available in 3-D at select theatres! Probably you’ve already heard a bunch about Meet the Robinsons, but if you live under a rock or are new to our planet, you might want a bit of background before heading out to the cinema.

There’s plenty of info on the official site, but be aware that there’s also a lot of animation and sound. (That could be a problem if you’re at work. Or if you’re in bed with your laptop and a bad flu headache. Ow.)

It’s always entertaining to read the reviews at Rotten Tomatoes (so far the ratings are overwhelmingly favorable).

Animated News did a great Meet the Robinsons roundup which includes a few contests around the ‘net you can enter for fabulous prizes.

And don’t forget all the great video over at o-meon from the world premiere. This is the one to go to if you want to hear from behind the scenes (actors, director, etc.).

After all of that, you can head out to see the film tonight, if you’re so inclined. No, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Maybe you can bring me some soup on your way back.

Sometimes the universe does not align in a way which we would like. Like, say, when your favorite Toy Box Mommy comes down with the flu in spite of having gotten her annual flu shot. (Sure, this may result in crummier postings for you, but imagine being my kids. Poor things are being treated to a constant chorus of “Don’t touch that, I breathed on it! Go wash your hands!”)

And then, sometimes, the universe aligns in a way that is most fortuitous. Like, say, when the Toy Box Mommy is down with the flu but someone who is not busy dying writes a bunch of good stuff you can go read, instead.

Isn’t it great when that happens? I mean, the second part, anyway?

I’ve been following Troy Brownfield’s series on Naruto over at Newsarama, and yesterday he finished it up. It’s essential reading for Naruto fans, or anyone who wants to get into the series but wants a primer to catch up on what’s going on. Now you can sit down and read the whole thing in one ginormous chunk, just by following the links below:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

And after you read all of that, you can go watch the series with complete comprehension. (Well, unless you’re me… I read it all and still don’t understand the series all that well, much to my son’s dismay.) And then maybe you’ll think to yourself, “Self, I wonder if there is an official Naruto store? It seems like maybe someone told me about one, once.” And you can rest easy, because yes, there is. See, I’ve got you covered.

But you should probably go douse yourself in Lysol, because what I have right now you do not want to be covered in.

If you’re a dedicated Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy fan, perhaps you already know that it’s the longest-running show in Cartoon Network history. I didn’t know this.

Then again, Billy and Mandy is one of those shows that we moms love to hate. Oh, you know what I mean—it’s gross, it’s sort of mean, and generally when it comes on I encourage the kids to change the channel. But, I also can’t help laughing. I want to dislike it, I do. But it’s so cleverly done, I just can’t. It’s good. (Sometimes I find myself humming the Keeper of the Reaper song, too, which is mildly horrifying….)

But enough about me. Billy and Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure is the show’s first movie, and it’s debuting this Friday night (March 30th) on Cartoon Network. Newsarama’s Steve Fritz spoke with creator Maxwell Atoms about the movie:

As with all Grim shows, this 90-minute special works on its own logic. The basic premise is after being held captive by Billy/Mandy for all this time, the Grim Reaper has NOT been able to do his job properly. Now it’s time for him to pay. He’s stripped not only of his powers, but more importantly his scythe. And does how do Billy and Mandy treat this? Why they dump him, of course. This is only the first few minutes of this special. You’ll have to watch to see how our hellacious hero manages to get his revenge on Boogey and all who sail with him.

Atoms also confirms during the interview that a Kids Next Door crossover is set to air this summer, called—what else?—The Grim Adventures of the Kids Next Door.

The interview is quite good, and I encourage you to read the whole thing if you’re not going to be bothered by a few spoilers. And really, if you can stomach Billy playing with his boogers every week, what’s a couple of spoilers?

You might recall that I was a bit wary of the marketing plans for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Well, I guess at this point I have to concede the brilliance of the folks behind the film.

While standing at only 34% on the Tomatometer (indicating a “rotten” overall rating), TMNT ruled the box office returns upon opening this past weekend.

Newsarama’s Steve Fritz offers up a great review, full of both admiration for the franchise and clear vision about where the movie perhaps falls short. Definitely worth the read, if you’re a Turtles fan (new or old).

You’ll also want to check out all of the review snippets on Rotten Tomatoes, because it’s chock-full of lovely little bits like this:

Time stands still during the many feeble jokes; the Turtles comic book came out in 1984, the last year you could get a laugh just by ending a sentence with the word ‘dude.’
—Kyle Smith
NEW YORK POST

I could say more, but go check out the provided links for people who say it better (not to mention more succinctly) than I can. Also, that way you can avoid me ending a sentence with “dude,” which I am sorely tempted to do right now.

If you’re a fan of Avatar, you’re probably already following the Avatar Spirit site for all of the latest news. But just in case you forgot to check it out recently, I’m here to help. Because I care. (And because it makes my obsession with all things Avatar seem like something work-related instead of just me being overly invested in a cartoon.)

Anyway. There’s a few things I want to draw your attention to.

First of all, Avatar Spirit is holding their Spring Avatar Haiku Contest. Who doesn’t like to ‘ku? No one fun, that’s who. 17 measly syllables can get you one of two fabulous prizes, so check it out.

Second, seems like folks have a lot to say about the upcoming Avatar live-action movie, and opinions vary, but now we have it from the horse’s mouth: The creators of Avatar couldn’t be more excited about the film. Though Bryan Konietzko’s comment about getting to hang out with Momo for real did worry me just a little.

Last—but not least—there’s bit of news about season 3 that might pique your interest. In addition to specific plot hints, I loved this bit:

The creators intended Avatar to be both whimsical and edgy. “Bryan and I wanted to create a show that had a lot of heart and integrity, and we wanted to create a show that we would like to watch,” DiMartino said. “Like Aang trying to balance the four elements, we try to balance comedy, action, drama and spirituality in every episode so there is something for everyone. Also, there is a message of balance that is pervasive throughout the series: characters trying to balance their lives.”

See? That sounds very much like entertainment intended for grown-ups like me, rather than just kids. My infatuation is totally justifiable. Stop looking at me like that.

I sort of hate it when I get excited about a movie, because often it turns out to be, well, just plain lousy, and then I’m disappointed. I try not to get too worked up over the commercials, just in case.

But I just can’t help it, I’m feeling jazzed about The Last Mimzy. It’s not just the special effects in the commercials (those though are pretty nifty), it’s lots of things. It’s the cast, which includes both Rainn Wilson and Timothy Hutton (two of my favorites). It’s that the film is based upon Mimsy were the Borogoves by Lewis Padgett, something of a sci-fi classic for those who are so (geekily) inclined. It’s that it features precocious kids who know more than the adults, but part of the problem is that no one wants to listen to them and take them seriously (that’s gold, as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to children’s stories). It’s that Mimzy is a stuffed bunny that turns out to be some weird futuristic brain-altering device. How can you not be intrigued by that?

Mimzy opens tonight, and soon I’ll be able to see for myself if it is, indeed, as Variety called it, a “curious bandersnatch of a movie.” Unfortunately, their review is somewhat lukewarm, but does mention:

Kids will like “Mimzy” if for no other reason than it doesn’t talk down to them. And it imagines they will laugh and respond to the same things as adults, something adult filmmakers often have a problem understanding.

At least now I know my kids will likely love it, regardless of whether I do or not.

Are you feeling the Mimzy love? Do you like free stuff? Be sure to drop in over at Slice of Scifi; they’re holding a drawing and three lucky winners will receive Mimzy prize packs. I don’t know what’s in them, but that’s part of the fun.

Let me know your thoughts if you go see it. Have a great weekend!

Hold onto your eardrums: PBS Kids will be launching a new show in September, and for those used to hearing “Why? Why? Why?” all day long, your 3- to 5-year-olds are going go to love it.

The brainchild of Angela Santomero (co-creator of Blue’s Clues) and Samantha Freeman (former Nickelodeon exec), Out of the Blue Enterprises will be producing this exciting new program:

The new animated preschool series Super Why! boosts literacy skills through interactive fairy-tale adventures that encourage viewers to participate in learning through entertaining and engaging games. It focuses on the adventures of the 6-year-old, Whyatt Beanstalk—younger brother of Jack, from “Jack and the Beanstalk”—and his fairy tale character friends, among them Red, the Littlest Pig and Princess Pea, living in the enchanted Storybrook Village. PBS KIDS has made a 65-episode initial commitment to the new series and the program has received a Ready to Learn grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the U.S. Department of Education.

I sort of love it already. I mean, c’mon. Whyatt Beanstalk? And what’s not to like about any show brought to us by a Ready to Learn grant?

(Oh, sure. I balked at Between the Lions, initially, thinking that it couldn’t possibly be as good as Sesame Street. I can admit now that I was wrong. My kids have since outgrown both shows and now I have to sneak episodes of Cliff Hanger and Chicken Jane on the sly. Don’t judge me.)

Anyway. Out of the Blue is also responsible for the various offshoot Blue’s Clues shows (Blue’s Room and the Meet Blue’s Baby Brother special), and looks to be ready to take the market by storm, with licensing and merchandising plans already underway. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.

(And maybe even missing the incessant “Why? Why? Why?”s. Because when they get older, it changes to a very whiny, “Why nooooooot?”)

Playful Perspectives is a new feature wherein your intrepid Toy Box Mommy (that’s me) and The Toy Guy jointly tackle a topic to give you twice the insight and perhaps slightly different takes on an issue.

Given the current craze for all things Ben 10, I suppose that this news should come as no surprise:

Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network, has signed with Huffy and Bell Sports to bring Ben 10 branded bicycles and safety equipment to store aisles in time for the summer rush.

Huffy will produce a line of Ben 10 inspired bicycles for the United States and Canada. The bikes have a special handlebar “disk changer” that comes with several changeable character discs, allowing kids to personalize their bikes with their favorite Ben 10 alien heroes.

Bell Sports will develop a full line of helmets and protective gear including knee and elbow pads as well as wrist guards.

On the one hand, I wonder if this is character-branding gone a bit too far. Does Ben 10 have something to do with bicycles? On the other hand, when kids have a special favorite they want it on everything, and I do applaud the application of appealing characters to something inherently active instead of, say, another video game. If this gets a reluctant cyclist out there to play with the disk-changer (and then, hopefully, take a spin around the neighborhood), I’m all for it.

Long ago and far away, when I was but a small girl and dinosaurs roamed the earth, I received my first big-kid bike during the bicentennial celebration year. It was—of course—red, white and blue with stars. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. And as for imaginative play to go with it… well, my brother and I were especially fond of playing Evel Knievel on our bikes, so my patriotic wheels were perfect. (We needn’t discuss the fact that the most I ever managed to jump was perhaps a stone or the end of a two-by-four; we were imagining, darn it.)

I guess that’s why this part of the announcement bothers me so much:

“Sports and sporting goods are an important part of a boy’s life, and thus a critical category in the marketplace,” said Christina Miller, vice president of consumer products for CNE.

Um, Ms. Miller? Is there a special reason you’re planning to cut your target market in half? The last time I checked, girls were Ben 10 fans, too. In fact, my daughter is a pretty die-hard Gwen fan. (What’s not to like? She’s a quintessential tween with a sassy mouth, quick brain, and a healthy disdain for icky boys.)

For a cartoon that’s been so awesome about sparking the imaginations of our kids, I’m disappointed at this apparent lack of imagination on the part of this marketing team. The last time I checked, it was 2007. Equality now, CNE. Girls want to fight the aliens, too.

What do you think? And don’t forget to go check out The Toy Guy’s take!

If you tuned in for the first part of our interview yesterday, you already know that Chris Byrne, a.k.a. The Toy Guy, has just about the coolest job on the planet. One day he set out to the big city to become an actor; the next he was taking a job as a secretary to bring in a paycheck; and then [insert a few serendipitous career steps here (go back and read the first part if you’re confused)] he became a renowned expert on all things toys.

(Pictured above: Chris Byrne with the Cheetah Girls and their line of toys. If his eyeballs are singed from the sheer force of all that fuchsia, he’s not letting on.)

Now that we have the background, today we’re going to delve into the good stuff: The toys, of course! Who better to ask about trends in the toy industry than the man who eats, sleeps and breathes it?

Be sure to read all the way to the end; you won’t want to miss one word of Chris’ great blend of humor and insight, plus we have a bit of an announcement following the interview. (more…)

I love a man with a pink guitar.

If you’re a toy fanatic, or a parent, or a parent who’s a toy fanatic, you’ll instantly recognize the man in the photo with the Doodlebops there as Chris Byrne, a.k.a. The Toy Guy.

Now, I think my life is pretty good. And as your humble Toy Box Mommy I can perhaps to claim to be something of an expert in my field (”Decades of experience in warping tender young minds!”), but I have nothing on The Toy Guy. His job is toys. Playing with toys. Demonstrating toys. Writing about toys. Talking about toys.

I not only bow down to his expertise, but I may also be seething with jealousy that he gets to play all day and get paid for it. Ahem.

Regardless, any envy I may feel is greatly tempered by the fact that Chris is a fabulous and fun guy with an infectious enthusiasm for his work. Plus, he’s recently launched The Toy Guy Blog, and I have suckered, er, talked, him into doing some collaboration between our blogs. More on that exciting development to come, but today, it’s all about introducing you to the man, the legend, the Toy Guy.

You might want to go grab a snack. (more…)