As audio streaming popularity skyrockets, vinyl, CD and cassette tape popularity are holding strong ...
Collecting
2023 National Toy Hall of Fame inductees are baseball cards, NERF, Cabbage Patch Kids and Fisher Price's Corn-Popper ...
Meet the 12 finalists in the running for the 2023 National Toy Hall of Fame ...
The ancient top, cultural phenomenon Masters of the Universe, and beloved Lite-Brite have been inducted today into the National Toy Hall of...
New Star Wars stamps will celebrate droids as STEM inspiration.
A groundbreaking doll, classic sidewalk chalk and a family favorite game have been inducted today into the 2020 National Toy Hall of Fame.
Can My Little Pony gallop past Breyer Horses? Will sidewalk chalk draw up a victory? Can Risk conquer the competition and reign supreme? Or will Lite-Brite...
Re-create some of your earliest gaming memories with LEGO's NES Building Kit.
Online shoppers can be a lot safer with a few easy tips.
Your willpower cannot repel Star Wars toys of this magnitude!
Magic: The Gathering has earned a place of honor in the National Toy Hall of Fame.
Get your fix with vintage to modern toys, comics, video games, anime and more.
An incomplete toy is like a pending love story. Enter the thrift store.
I realized: this was like the old days. I was on the hunt. The feelings from all those years of toy hunting came rushing back to me. Now, I couldn't rest until...
This is an exciting opportunity for fans of both Warhammer 40,000 and Funko Pops to add to their collections.
Think Skylanders video game toys belong in a museum? You're in luck ...
Sneakerheads are growing in the Valley. They are navigating a rapidly-changing retail industry to find the most unique and artistically-inspired shoes.
Hot Wheels, beat that!
Mattel, like many companies adapting to a multicultural world, has been working to diversify the shape, races, ethnicities and occupation of Barbies.
Dark Horse Direct is focused on bringing high-end, limited-production collectibles directly to consumers.
'Weird Al' Yankovic had trading cards?
Force Friday will return Sept. 1, as toys and other collectibles related to Star Wars: Episode VIII -- The Last Jedi go on sale just after midnight.
Lulubell Toy Bodega is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Saturday with its first exhibition at its new location.
Robotech's SDF-1 makes a gorgeous toy at any size.
Yeah, Duracell also has a kick-ass Star Wars toy commercial.
LEGO will produce a Doctor Who set based on a fan concept submitted to the company.
Ever heard of OYOs? Yeah, me neither. But that hasn’t stopped ASU from partnering with OYO Sportstoys to launch a range of “LEGO-compatible”...
With very little direction from Lucas’ then fledgling film company, Marvel Comics took the first step towards expanding the Star Wars universe with Star Wars...
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to blog more. Hey, that’s no more self-indulgent than “lose weight,” okay? And, in fact...
It’s nice to see the Disney parks finally paying homage to the Disney Afternoon TV block of my youth, which gave us such memorable adventures as...
Fun Find Fridays is my series on the strange comic book related paraphernalia I’ve found at comic book shows, antique shops, swap meets, or buried in my closet...
Britain’s Royal Mail has released stamp designs to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in 2013. You can see one below celebrating the First...
Fun Find Fridays is my series on the strange comic book related paraphernalia I’ve found at comic book shows, antique shops, swap meets, or buried in my closet...
Like many children and geeks, I spent Black Friday Weekend wondering which toys I’d like for Christmas. I’m an action figure man, and I’ve been wondering if...
Todd McFarlane’s original cover artwork for 1990’s The Amazing Spider-Man #328 has sold at auction for more than $657,250, a record for a single...
An auction in Beverly Hills later this month will see some rare Star Wars posters on the block. They were released between 1977 and 1982 and include a nylon...
Red Hot Robot, a vinyl toy boutique in east Phoenix, will close up shop at the end of January.
A couple weeks back, I reported that Tucson’s Lulubell Toy Bodega, a store specializing in designer vinyl collectibles and gallery pieces, was setting up shop...
A designer toy store in Tucson plans to open a downtown Mesa location this fall. Lulubell Toy Bodega specializes in vinyl collectibles and gallery pieces, and...
The sudden closure of Atomic Comics last weekend has deeply impacted the Valley’s pop culture community. I’ve already had my say. Now, here’s...
The first Saturday in May is approaching, and you now what that means: Cinco de Mayo indigestion? Probably … but it also means it’s time again for...
CopperCon, the science fiction convention planned for Sept. 2-5 at Avondale’s Hilton Garden Inn, will hold a charity auction to benefit the Literacy...
Fresh on the heels of the first official images of Bandai's new ThunderCats toys, Warner Bros. has released a video showing the collectibles in action.
Last week we got our first glimpse of Cartoon Network’s upcoming ThunderCats remake. Today we get our first official look at the toys from Bandai.
Newsarama reports on the end of an era: Comics-industry magazine Wizard and its sister publication, Toyfare, are ceasing their print runs, to be replaced by an...
A new line of Doctor Who collectibles including action figures, bobbleheads and glassware will debut at the New York Toy Fair in February and reach consumers...
Feel like Christmas is approaching at light speed? Don't know what to get that special nerd in your life? Well here are some of the hottest gifts of 2010, for...
Poor Darth Vader. Nobody wants him. The helmet, mask, shoulder armor and shin guards worn by David Prowse as the Dark Lord of the Sith in The Empire Strikes...
A Christie’s auction house employee in London gets a Darth Vader costume from The Empire Strikes Back ready for auction next month. The helmet, mask...
Where was this when I was a kid? The Cub Scouts now award activity badges for video games. Rather than simply recognizing video game proficiency, however, the...
Here’s a bargain even a Ferengi would love: A warehouse in Las Vegas today is playing host to an auction of roughly 1,000 items from Star Trek: The...
With a couple of successful promotions under their belt, apparently DC Comics has decided to beat the idea into the ground. If you haven’t read Blackest...
Hasbro is honoring the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back with many of its Star Wars toy releases this year, and making good on a promise Kenner made...
The fans have spoken. The next Barbie shall be a nerd — complete with specs, laptop, smartphone, Bluetooth headset and binary-code print tee. Oh, and a...
The Victorian Era is alive and well in Mesa. So are zombies, rayguns and superheroes. Evermore Nevermore is all that, and more. An eclectic clothing and...
A nonprofit museum dedicated to pop culture paraphernalia is finally opening in the Valley after years of preparation. The Arizona Popular Culture Museum is...
A New York fourth-grader was nearly suspended from school after his principal saw him playing with a LEGO police officer Minifig that was holding a tiny...
Long before they were the holiday season’s hottest craze, Zhu Zhu Pets caused a mini sensation in the Valley of the Sun, where they were test-marketed as...
What do you get for the Jedi Knight or Sith Lord who has everything? It’s a difficult question, as Star Wars fans are passionate collectors. Here are a...
LEGO is ending its popular Bionicle toy line after the next release in January, according to a post on Wired’s GeekDad blog. Next summer the company will...
Cartoon Network is now offering build-your-own DVDs of Adult Swim series episodes — to the point where you even select the case artwork and disc name...
Utinni! Now available for pre-order at the official StarWarsShop: the Garden Jawa! Sure to keep pesky droids from trodding on your precious plants, the...
According to ICv2, Wizards of the Coast has conjured up a holiday bargain. The 4th Edition Player’s Handbook Collection includes both the essential...
Every year the Honors program at Phoenix College holds a massive book sale that helps students pay for books and tuition. This year the 17th annual Padriac...
The widow of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax is working to have a memorial erected to the game designer in his adopted hometown of Lake Geneva...
A couple of events coming to the Valley next month will help to usher in the release of DK Publishing’s LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, due out...
From our friends at Robot Viking: The company that revolutionized tabletop miniatures gaming has been resurrected. Most of the WizKids intellectual property...
Because slaying monsters is thirsty work, Jones Soda — known for its unorthodox sales strategies and seasonal flavors such as Turkey & Gravy, Sweet...
Members of the Grammy-nominated band Fall Out Boy will sign copies of their new comic book series Saturday at Atomic Comics’ Chandler Fashion Center...
Starting today and running through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7, buy two of any item at Atomic Comics and get another one for free. In other words, buy 2 comic...
Yeah, right. I said that last year, too. But until that day comes, thanks to magic of the Internet, I can bring you RPG news via the many bloggers who did go...
You may have noticed a new item on the right-hand side of the page: the local convention calendar. Here are the current contents for those reading via RSS...
Betty or Veronica? Archie Comics is entering dangerous territory with a six-issue story arc that answers that question for carrot-topped everyman Archie...
In a clear indication of just how bad G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is likely to be, Paramount has declined to let critics see it before it opens Friday, The...
Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield is working on a new collectible card game that incorporates collectible figures. Ku-Mighty, which will be aimed...
The Disney Blog (not an official Disney blog, but a darn good one) talks a bit about the LEGO Toy Story Mini Figures that debuted this week at San Diego Comic...
According to the Tampa Tribune (AP story here), a Florida man is being sued by DC Comics for copyright and trademark infringement because he was selling...
Boy, have the D&D folks at Wizards of the Coast have gone contest-happy, or what? Their latest competition lets fans design a set of Dungeons & Dragons...
Adidas Originals is working with Lucasfilm to fuse iconic Star Wars characters and scenes with classic footwear and apparel silhouettes: Inspired by the...
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO True to the spectrum of good vs. evil that defines most comic books, Free Comic Book Day has its own polar opposite. As The Associated...
You know the hype for the new Star Trek movie is approaching warp speed when AMC Theatres is releasing gift cards featuring Uhura, Kirk, Spock and the villain...
After seeing Watchmen, several of my non-comic book reading friends have expressed to me their surprise that a comic book could have a story like that. They...
Attention all you twisted Dexter fans out there: Entertainment Earth is taking preorders for an action figure based on your favorite sociopathic blood splatter...
Fans of Disney and LEGOs should check out this recent story from Wired’s GeekDad blog: Disney and LEGO are in plans to make millions of kids (not to...
Marvel is seeking a fifth printing of Amazing Spider-Man #583, which contains a five-page story featuring President Barack Obama. Already in a fourth printing...
Atomic Comics’ location at Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix is moving from a rather depressing and lonely spot in the inner circle that surrounds the mall to...
Attention Star Trek collectors: Mattel is rolling out four die-cast vehicles in its Hot Wheels line this summer to celebrate the franchise and its return to...
What a cute little Cyberman and Dalek! I’m sure they don’t have any interest in Cyber-converting or exterminating you. The new Time Squad line from...
Missing that copy of Watchmen or Batman: The Long Halloween you should have picked up ages ago? Or is yours maybe in less-than-collectible condition due to...
LEGO doesn’t do guns. That’s obvious. The closest they get to providing firearm accessories for its minifigs is a megaphone that kind of looks like...
Toy Anxiety, a collectors’ toy store at 32nd Street and Thunderbird Road in Phoenix, holds a collection drive each December to gather new toys, books and...
Each week through December, we’re giving you a few ideas for the nerd on your shopping list who stubbornly has everything. Think of it like an advent calendar...
The holidays are approaching at warp speed. Are your phasers set to stun the ones you love — with joy? Each week through December, we’ll give you a...
Star Wars storylines used to be kept tightly under wraps until opening night. Remember Blue Harvest, the movie that never was except as a smokescreen for...
ONE OF THE FINAL FABLES COVERS BY JAMES JEAN. ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF JAMES JEAN. I think this is the saddest post I’ve ever written. After seven years of...
The best games are the ones that create their own believable set of physics, or that adhere so strictly to the rules of our own world that they are 100 percent...
Lucasfilm photo How’s that for irony? I swore I’d never go to see this movie. But as this post goes live I’ll be buying drinks and popcorn at...
What more can I say? My experience at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con was unforgettable. It was fantastic hanging with fans, seeing famous artists, writers and...
AN OLD-SCHOOL BATTLESTAR GALACTICA CYLON WITH A FULLY-FUNCTIONAL HELMET. SWEET! Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it did. Saturday was my...
