Halloween in February! NECA’s DC Comics x Ben Cooper Costume Kids Collection — five 5 1/2-inch action figures dressed in the beloved, cheesy mass-market Halloween costumes of yesteryear — is hitting shops and arriving on porches as we speak. You’ve probably already seen folks post pix online and you’ll probably recall that we ran a whole in-depth series on the figs late last year. So what’s there left to say? Plenty! Here are 13 REASONS NECA’s BEN COOPER DC COMICS FIGURES ARE A SPECIAL TREAT: — 1. They’re like having action figures of yourself. When I was very young, maybe 5 or 6 years old, I wore my Ben Cooper Batman suit everywhere. I was fortunate that it was the sturdier, year-round cloth play suit and not the nylon jumper that Ben Cooper put out for Halloween. Nevertheless, seeing this Batman figure is like looking through a tiny mirror into the past. — 2. Seriously, I would be wearing it at the supermarket and the stock guys would always ask me where Robin was. I would reply, with a serious bearing, “He’s doing his homework.” Even now, I have a t-shirt based on that logo and it frequently gets a reaction. At a Dunkin’ Donuts recently, I held the door for an older woman, who smiled and said, “I always knew Batman had manners.” If only she knew where the design came from! Seeing it on an action figure — an official one — is magic. — 3. That Randy Falk and the NECA folks chose to make the entire Ben Cooper line like Mego-style figures was an inspired decision. There’s strong generational overlap, so it’s the perfect marriage of form and function. — 4. Plus you can finally team yourself up with Robin and drive the Batmobile! Or Batgirl! — 5. I’m glad they went with the pleather instead of nylon, which I think wouldn’t have been strong enough. It doesn’t matter that it’s not 100 percent accurate: The paint and tooling do a superb job of replicating the look of the costumes. — 6. I also had the Ben Cooper Superman outfit, but again, it was the play suit as opposed to the costume. This was the two-piecer that had the infamous “Only Superman Can Fly” warning at the hem of the shirt (which was really unsettling...
An ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Marking the movie’s 1968 premiere with the new Planet of the Apes: The Role-Playing Game… By JIM BEARD Paws? We don’t need no steenkin’ paws! You just need to sit down and listen while I jabber away about this, ya damn, dirty apes! The upcoming Planet of the Apes role-playing game has been a long time coming. How long? Well, I’d say 57 years as of today, the franchise’s birthday… or a few thousands years, depending on your perspective. But who’s counting? (The first movie premiered Feb. 8, 1968, in New York City before going wide in April.) Magnetic Press, that’s who, along with a team of writers and artists spearheaded by Andrew E.C. Gaska with Blam! Ventures. I’m one of the members of that illustrious team and I’m here to tell you: It’s gonna be well worth the wait. It’s amazing to me that before now there has never been an official RPG for the franchise, one of the most important in all of science fiction film history. Before 1968, its likes had never really been seen in the industry and it paved the way for later blockbuster film series like Star Wars and Alien. Who woulda thunk it from a crazy collection of cavorting chimpanzees and grouchy gorillas? Not to mention those outrageous orangutans, of course. Magnetic ran an amazing Kickstarter campaign for the game last year that was funded in 15 minutes and wound up going way, way, way past its original goal. I call that a testament to not only Planet of the Apes fans but to the film series itself. Call me crazy but I think by 3978 we’re still going to be talking about it—and playing the RPG. Now, pull up a banana—even if you loathe them—and settle in while I run down all my reasons I think the franchise is simply perfect for a role-playing game, and what will make it one of the most creative, fascinating, and fun ones yet. — The Core Concept. Man vs. Apes, Apes vs. Man, dogs and cats, living together… oh, wait, that’s another franchise. Anyway, POTA makes a perfect landscape for an RPG because at its core it’s either incredibly simple or amazingly nuanced. Gamers can either explore its many and varied themes or just run a hack-and-slash campaign through Ape City....
An ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Marking the movie’s 1968 premiere with the new Planet of the Apes: The Role-Playing Game…
A BIRTHDAY SALUTE to the Bard of Gotham, who’s turning 65…
With The Untold Legend of the Batman tabloid hitting shops, we imagine the possibilities…
