Got tremendously positive feedback from last week’s episode.  Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it.  Sometimes we get to put our resources to work in pretty amazing ways.  Part of what makes this a job I love — the best job in the world.

This week, you get to see a little more of our day-to-day antics.  And…some of the really unique stuff that makes its way through the doors.

First up was the R2-Q5 XBox 360.  The gentleman who goes by the artistic name “Mark Bongo” truly put his heart and soul into this creation.  Speaking to him afterwards, I found out that over 16 hours worth of work goes into each one of his mods.  I gotta admit, I’d love to have one, but unfortunately, $1,300 is a little too much to spend on an XBox when I’m trying to rebuild my house.  

This really is an XBox with all the bells and whistles.  We hooked it up to an HDTV and it was just spectacular.  

Next up was the Garbage Pail Kids cards.  It always makes me happy when one of the guys is able to get something back from their childhood.  This time around it was Ming’s turn.  And since he didn’t have much stuff as a kid, that child-like look on his face whenever he gets something is always heartfelt and satisfying.  

Now, WHY this was a fond memory of his childhood, I have no idea, but this was a little after my time.  I grew up on Wacky Packages and one of the brainchildren of that was Art Spiegleman, who was also responsible for the Garbage Pail Kids.  Parents may have shaken their heads over the Wacky Packs, but they were downright hostile to the Garbage Pail Kids.  I think there was a line that was crossed here — one of good taste.  

As we bring up on the show, Spiegleman won a Pulitzer Prize for his groundbreaking Maus, which is being taught in literature classes at many colleges and universities throughout the country.  Its a great example of how comic books can transcend the medium to be recognized as great literature.  

Following in his footsteps, Harvey Pekar and his American Splendor also received critical acclaim, opening the floodgates for other comic writers and artists to follow.  I think it’s great that more and more high schools, colleges and universities are offering courses specifically using the graphic novel as a literary vehicle.  

The cosplay girls.  These two were a lot of fun because they broadcast their geekiness in an unselfconscious way.  They were dorky and they knew it…and embraced it.  They were having fun and no amount of teasing from Bryan could dampen their enthusiasm.  

Geek Note #1:  The character these girls are trying to get into, Deadpool, is a direct swipe of DC Comics character, Deathstroke.  Both are mercenaries, carry many weapons of various types and have similar facemasks.  Deathstroke’s real name is Slade Wilson and Deadpool’s real name is Wade Wilson.  I believe Deadpool was supposed to be one of those wink-and-nod characters who should have faded into obscurity, but was such a hit with fans that, instead of fading to black, Marvel Comics ended up giving him his own series.    

Last but not least, the Marvel Legends figures.  Back in 2002, Marvel started to put out action figures of such high quality and levels of articulation that they became the ‘must-have’ toy for any collector.  These sought-after dolls, especially “chase” or short-packed per case figures were going for upwards of 5X their suggested retail price.  So for instance, a short-packed clear Vision which would retail for $12.99, could fetch as much as $69.99.  

Geek Note #2:  “Chase” or short-packed per case figures is the industry term for a figure that comes one per case.  This makes it extremely limited and therefore extremely collectible.  Oftentimes, “chase” figures are readily available in other countries.  Manufacturers hate to waste their molds and materials, but they love to create demand among collectors for their merchandise.

The figures have gone down in value in recent years, but Walt actually gave this gentleman a good deal on his figures.  

As far as foosball goes, Walt and Bryan spent MANY afternoons at the Highlands Recreation Center honing their skills.  Walt worked there prior to managing the Secret Stash.  I would have been disappointed in them, if they couldn’t have taken a couple of rubes like me and Ming.  

That’s it for this week.  Hope you enjoyed the show.

And there ya go.