Archive for September, 2008

Coming soon: Bakugan and Ben 10 nirvana

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

If you were to ask my son what sorts of things he requires to sustain life, I’m sure he’d list Ben 10 and Bakugan right after food, water and air. It’s in the Small Boys Manual, you know. (I think it’s in the same section that explain about having small plastic objects that are very important but make no sense whatsoever to your mother.)

We (and by “we” I mean “my kids”) enjoy the shows, the toys… you name it, they’re into it. And now Newsarama has announced that there will be more of it to love:

Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, in collaboration with Cartoon Network Enterprises, today announced a new manga publishing partnership that will launch with original manga based on two of Cartoon Network’s most successful series: Bakugan Battle Brawlers and Ben 10 Alien Force. This announcement marks the first partnership between Cartoon Network and the Random House Publishing Group’s manga imprint.

The books will start rolling out in December, with more to follow in 2009. My son is going to be delirious with glee. And, um, if he’s reading a book, then I can call it educational, right? Right.

Don’t forget to visit Ty’s Toy Box for all of your Ben 10 and Bakugan needs, in the meantime!

Posted in Bakugan, Ben 10, Kid Stuff | 4 Comments »

Win Teddy Ruxpin from Ty’s!

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Picture it, if you will: The year is 1985. A young teenager is slowly amassing her mall money via babysitting, and some of her clients are on the well-off side. And so within days of seeing a commercial for a teddy bear that actually talks, she arrives one night to sit for one of her regular charges and discovers none other than Teddy Ruxpin there—book at the ready—and she and her charge passed the evening utterly fascinated with the talking bear. It’s even possible that the babysitter continued playing after the kid went to bed, but you can’t prove that or anything. Ahem.

The thing is, back then, this was a technological marvel. And it was the first of its kind, too. We were all amazed by it. And if you check out Teddy’s Wikipedia page you’ll see that he’s had a long and varied life since his debut in 1985. But yes, he’s back, and just as popular as ever. He’s even got his own official site and everything, and even though there’s plenty of talking toys, nowadays, there’s still something special about a snuggly bear who can tell your kid a story, no? It’s not just a creative thinking adventure, it’s a pal who takes their hands and journeys along with them as they go.

To celebrate Teddy Ruxpin’s arrival at Ty’s Toy Box, we’re giving him away! More specifically, we’re giving two lucky Ty’s Toy Box Blog readers a Teddy Ruxpin plus The Airship story cartridge. Wouldn’t you your kids love that? Of course you they would!

To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, October 4th, 2008. Two winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, October 6th, 2008. Only one entry per person, please, and make sure you leave a valid email address so that we can contact you if you win. As for what to leave in your comment… well, do you have any memories from Teddy’s debut back in the 80s? Don’t leave me here feeling all old and alone… share! (And good luck!)

Posted in Kid Stuff, Teddy Ruxpin, Ty's Stuff | 148 Comments »

Read for the Record next week

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

It’s nearly that time of year, again, and I love this so much that I am giving you plenty of time to get on board. I don’t want to hear any excuses or anything, either. This is important.

As a parent you already know how important it is to read to your children. But some children aren’t read to at home, sometimes because their families cannot afford books. Jumpstart’s Read for the Record exists to serve a dual purpose: Providing books for for children in low-income homes, and raising awareness about the importance of early activities to foster literacy. What better way to do that than to strive for the world record of people reading the same book at the same time?

So put it on your calendar and dig out your dog-eared copy of Corduroy, because on October 2nd, 2008, you can be part of history. You can also be part of the solution for children suffering a learning gap due to economic inequality.

Yeah, I’m happy to talk about television and movies and such, but reading is always going to be my first love. My kids’ first love, too, if I have anything to say about it. I have a soft spot in my heart for programs like this, what can I say? Do check it out. It’s always a good time to help a child learn to love reading!

Posted in Kid Stuff | No Comments »

Yes, Master… Igor has opened

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

I’ve seen the trailer for Igor two or three times, at other movies I’ve gone to see. It’s always made me laugh. I thought the idea was brilliant—behind every story of a hero vs. a villain, there’s a big-part Igor doing as he’s told, somewhere in the background. What if one of those Igors got a story all his own?

If you haven’t seen the trailer, allow me to help you out:

You can’t tell me that doesn’t look awesome. It looks awesome!

Unfortunately, after this weekend’s opening, the Tomatometer reading isn’t very pretty. Sorry, Igor.

Still, if you’re willing to overlook that, you might want to check out AWN’s chat with producer Max Howard about the movie. Whether or not it truly hit the mark, you can see where the goal was admirable:

“Igor is really an homage to the classic monster movies,” Howard says. “It was inspired by Frankenstein, but it’s not a scary movie. Igor builds a monster, but she’s really a lovely monster.”

See? I really want it to be a good movie. Maybe the critics are just being grumpy? Yes, perhaps they are. Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell me any differently. I’m just pulling for poor little hunchbacked Igor here, after all. C’mon! Steve Buscemi! John Cusack! John Cleese, for goodness’ sake, and Eddie Izzard!

I may just have to go see it, in the interest of research, you know.

Posted in Movies | No Comments »

Yo Gabba Gabba starts anew, with parents’ favorites

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

To your kids, it’s just going to be some random people on their favorite show. But to you, it’s going to be a veritable carnival of personalities you love, showing up to join in the fun.

(Hey, it worked for Sesame Street, right?)

Yup, Monday marks the beginning of the second season of Yo Gabba Gabba on Nick Jr., and the line-up is impressive, to say the least. There’s a whole slate of new episodes planned, starring many names that might surprise you. Next week will bring:

– Monday, Sept. 22 (11:30 a.m.) — “Birthday” — Melora Hardin teaches “Dancey Dance”; The Ting Tings perform; Mark Mothersbaugh makes a cameo; Biz Markie in “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment.

– Tuesday, Sept. 23 (11:30 a.m.) — “Games” — Mates of State perform; Mark Mothersbaugh in “Mark’s Magic Pictures” segment.

– Wednesday, Sept. 24 (11:30 a.m.) — “Talent” — Amare Stoudemire teaches “Dancey Dance”; Hot Hot Heat performs; Mark Mothersbaugh in “Mark’s Magic Pictures Segment.”

– Thursday, Sept. 25 (11:30 a.m.) — “Animals” — Jimmy Eat World performs; Mark Mothersbaugh in “Mark’s Magic Pictures” segment.

– Friday, Sept. 26 (11:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m.) — Encores of “Birthday” and “Talent.”

I really didn’t think anything could top Jan from The Office teaching a Conga line, but later in the season will be seeing Amy Sedaris and Jack Black (just to name a couple of the stars on the slate), so who knows. Really, when you take a show the kids love and interject actors the parents love, you can’t ask for much more.

The Nick Jr. Yo Gabba Gabba site even has a new game, in honor of the new season. Your little one could probably pass some time playing on there, while you’re waiting for Jack Black to show up.

[Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon]

Posted in Yo Gabba Gabba | No Comments »

A harmonious future for digital video?

Monday, September 15th, 2008

I just started using iTunes in the last year, since (finally) getting my first iPod. On a couple of occasions I’ve acquired music or video from other sources, and boy was I confused when I realized that I couldn’t actually play that media on my iPod without converting it to another format (or in some cases, at all).

Why yes, I did used to ride a dinosaur to school, too. Thanks for asking.

Of course, short of your grandparents, I’m just about the last person in this country to realize that the iTunes format is different than everyone else’s format, and even those so-called “open format” devices can occasionally be bamboozled by a different format (or even a rogue file extension). And—like most people—I mostly just want these things to work the way I want them to with minimal fuss.

All of which I bring up to explain why last week’s news is kind of a big deal:

A group of media industry companies said it is planning to build a digital world where video devices and content websites play together in perfect harmony, and consumers can safely store their digital content and access it anywhere in the world.

The consortium of Hollywood studios, retailers, service providers, and consumer electronics and information technology companies, called the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, or DECE, is working on a “uniform digital media experience” but won’t announce details until the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

As for iTunes…?

“This is very different from the Apple ecosystem,” he said. “We encourage Apple to join the consortium. We don’t ever anticipate Apple going away or this consortium replacing it.”

I dunno. I mean, they say “consortium,” but I mostly just picture the guys from the “I’m a Mac / I’m a PC” commercial singing kumbaya together. And then I can watch it on my iPod with a single click, right? While telling the kids how back in my day you had to run it through three different converters, first, and it would crash your computer and still not work…?

Posted in Of Industry Note | 2 Comments »

It’s time for the Fall TV premieres!

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

There are many, many things I love about summer, but the television programming isn’t one of them. When all of our favorite shows wrap up in the Spring, a sort of ennui settles over the TV until the new seasons begin. Because there are only so many reruns even the most dedicated couch potato can watch before you just have to admit that there’s nothing good on.

Alas!

But the wait for new programming for the kids is just about over; both Disney and Nickelodeon are stepping up to the plate in the next few days.

Disney is having their Night of Premieres tomorrow night (Friday), September 12th, 2008, starting at 7:55 p.m. Eastern. If you haven’t seen the (rather clever) preview, check it out:

(You can get fresh episodes of six different Disney hits, tomorrow night, but I can tell you that my children are more excited about Phineas and Ferb than may be healthy.)

And as if that doesn’t fulfill your need for entertainment, get ready for the new My Family’s Got GUTS on Nickelodeon, premiering on Monday, September 15th, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. According to the press release:

Each family will face-off in The Extreme Arena and compete in two of 10 extreme sports challenges. At the end of the episode, they advance to compete in the challenge of all challenges — the Aggro Crag! The family who gets to the summit of the Aggro Crag wins and moves on to the next round of the tournament.

This sounds like some prime family viewing, except for the part where my kids will start asking why we don’t go compete on such a show and my subsequent explanation about how their mother loves them very, very much but has all of the coordination of a blind walrus in a box of marbles. (Not that we’ve had to have that conversation before, or anything.)

Posted in Random acts of television | No Comments »

Who you gonna call?

Monday, September 8th, 2008

I think I saw the original Ghostbusters in the theater four or five times. Hey, it was the 80s, the music was catchy, the plot both funny and frightening, and I’d probably inhaled so much Aquanet hair spray that I kept forgetting how it ended. Who knows. Certainly it was one of my favorite for a long time.

The second movie wasn’t as good; sequels rarely are, of course. But when I think of the 80s, I always think of Ghostbusters.

[Don't cross the streams!]

I’ll confess to being perhaps ridiculously excited by the notion of a third movie in the series, now, as Harold Ramis recently confirmed:

“yes, columbia is developing a script for GB3 with my year one writing partners, gene stupnitsky and lee eisenberg. judd apatow is co-producing year one and has made several other films for sony, so of course the studio is hoping to tap into some of the same acting talent. aykroyd, ivan reitman and i are consulting at this point, and according to dan, bill murray is willing to be involved on some level. he did record his dialogue for the new ghostbusters video game, as did danny and i, and ernie hudson. the concept is that the old ghostbusters would appear in the film in some mentor capacity. not much else to say at this point. everyone is confident a decent script can be written and i guess we’ll take it from there.
best,
harold

Ghostbusters! Back again! Ready for the next generation to have nightmares about the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! Aaaaaawesome! Right?

Well… maybe. The Underwire’s Jenna Wortham isn’t so sure:

Would a geek-friendly revamp with a Judd Apatow ensemble cast improve upon — or destroy — fans’ memories of that fabulous ’80s aesthetic? (Akroyd told E Online that the idea of Apatow and actor Seth Rogen working on the Ghostbusters sequel would be “an absolute dream.”)

The nearly guaranteed heavy-handed use of CGI also could slime the sequel. Would it be worth it to risk fouling the franchise with a film that might fall a few protons short of audience expectations, like 2001’s Planet of the Apes or Peter Jackson’s King Kong?

Hmph. I choose to believe that this could be great; my Magic 8 Ball said it would be.

Posted in Movies, Retro | No Comments »

Wii-mania at Ty’s Toy Box

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

To hear my children tell it, we are living in the only household in America that still (insert loud child sighing, right here) doesn’t own a Nintendo Wii. I am a monster, I tell you.

Unfortunately, as an employee of Ty’s, I’m thinking that I’m probably not eligible to enter this awesome drawing for a complete Wii system that they’re holding. Darn it. But probably you could enter, and then, if you win? Please invite my family over. Because we are deprived, y’all.

The contest will be taking entries through October 15th, 2008, so you have plenty of time to enter. Then again, why wait?

If you’re a hipper and nicer mom than I am, you probably already have a Nintendo Wii. And if you do, did you know that Ty’s carries plenty of popular Wii games? If we actually owned a Wii, my son would be demanding the Code Lyoko game and (of course!) Pokemon Battle Revolution. And my daughter would want Hannah Montana’s Spotlight World Tour, of course.

Me, I’m sort of eying the High School Musical Sing It! game. Stop looking at me like that—it’s purely for the opportunity to embarrass my children, of course. The fact that the music is incredibly catchy isn’t part of the equation at all. Probably.

Anyway, there you go. Whether you’re looking to shop or win, Ty’s has you covered.

Posted in Avatar, Code Lyoko, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Lego, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pokemon, Spongebob Squarepants, Ty's Stuff, Wii | 2 Comments »

Have you met Sid the Science Kid?

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

He’s the latest brainchild of the Jim Henson Company, and Sid the Science Kid debuted on PBS yesterday to the delight of preschoolers everywhere. The Muppet Newsflash summarizes the show thusly:

The show focuses on an inquisitive kid named Sid who consistently raises questions about simple everyday things (such as why bananas go bad or how a pancakes cooks) and then he goes and finds the answer using a variety of methods. In the first week Sid will find out how to read a chart, use a magnifying glass, estimate and use other scientific tools. Joining Sid in this scientific adventures is Sid’s family and a cast of friends – including classmates Gabriela, May, and Gerald and their teacher Miss Susie. The show encourages children to explore the foundations of science through the world they encounter every day, making science an inviting adventure focused on real life, close-to-home topics.

What’s not to like about that? Nothing I can think of.

I missed yesterday’s episode, so I went and checked it out on YouTube:

My kids always wanted to know why their shoes shrank, too. I predict Sid is going to be a big hit with inquisitive little ones. And as every parent knows, there is no word more treasured to a little one than “Why?” (Well, maybe “No,” too, but that wouldn’t make for as educational of a show….) Check out the show on PBS, let your favorite small person play around on the official site, and get ready for some serious smartypants action.

Posted in Sid the Science Kid | No Comments »