Slap Happy…
Despite exponential tech advances in video gaming, Pong is still my favorite. My Dad and I spent hours in front of our 13” black & white TV trying to stop that pesky pixel from getting past our paddles. That is what drew my interest to Fat Brain Toy’s VolleyShot during the Toy Association‘s 2023 Toy Fair New York.
VolleyShot can best be described as a non-electronic version of Pong. If the ball gets past you – into the groove below your paddle – your opponent gains a point.
52 years ago today, what is now considered a milestone album in the history of rock music, Who’s Next was released. With a massive Super Deluxe Edition of early 70s Who music looming I had cause to reminisce about my personal attachment to the Who‘s Next album and the uncompleted project called Lifehouse that spawned it.
Hot Mash…
Super Impulse, famous for their line of impossibly small replicas of iconic toys, games and products, showed off a basket full of their Poptaters at the recent Toy Insider Sweet Suite Event.
Poptaters are a mash-up of Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head and the world of pop culture personalities. A bit bigger than SI’s usual licensed collectibles, Poptaters feature characters from fandoms both obvious and surprisingly obscure. There are also generational leaps from Boomers to Gen A giving the product a wide appeal.
The Toy Insider’s (TI) Sweet Suite event was back in full swing this past week. The 2023 installment brought together media outlets from across the continent. National news agencies to social app influencers of all ages convened at Manhattan’s Chelsea Pier to alert the public to what will be the most sort after toys throughout the summer and into the year-end gifting season.
Come on the Amazing Journey….
I know quoting a song by The Who is pretty cliché for me, but I could not think of a better description of my experience at the newest wing of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. The Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation will open its doors to the world at large on May 4th, 2023, but reporters were gathered on April 26th for an advance look.