Warduke (NECA)

I've never been super big on Dungeons and Dragons. I tried, but pen and paper RPG just isn't for me. However, I've loved the old D&D cartoon since childhood. During it's time, I had a lot of fun with the toy line by LJN and the assorted kids books and stuff. I was actually quite disapointed that I couldn't get into the game itself despite multiple tries. The occasinal video game, sure, just can't do pen and paper RPG. That being said, how I've enjoyed D&D lead to me appreciation of one of the most badass villains of all time. Warduke.

I've actually spoken about my admiration for Warduke here before. This weird occult flavored cousin of Darth Vader who of course set off the Satanic Panic folks back in the day. My original action figure was destroyed thanks to a jealous cousin and replacing it hasn't worked out in my favor. There's various homages to him in independent toys (especially in the Glyos area), and I did luckily find his Funko Pop a while back. NECA recently has put out some premium D&D figures including the Duke of War here. Thankfully he was a birthday gift from my wife who absolutely spoils me on holidays.

NECA nailed it with this incarnation of Warduke. He looks 100% like you'd expect a 'serious collector' premium toy to look. All of his classic design is here with leveled up detailing and paint. I'm especially fond of the metallic pain on his helmet and the flame effect that can be attached to his sword. Warduke has his additional daggers and short sword as well as his trademark shield. They're all sorts of magical and NECA made them look it. The figure has a ton of articulation so the EVIL ACTION FIGURE can be put in all sorts of menacing poses. There's also a range of extra hands for this purpose.

Warduke is one of those characters that I keep on an untouchable high shelf. Thankfully this figure really drive home some of that prestige. He's pretty large, about 6 inches and scales pretty well with Masterverse figures from what I've seen in MOTU groups. Despite being from different series, he fits in nicely there. Warduke comes from that same 80's fantasy boom that He-Man came from, and both respective toy lines set off the Satanic Panic alarms of the time. This is an amazingly great figure of an all time favorite villain of mine. I'm definitely glad to have it and grateful of my wife for giving it to me.

Mondays Are Evil

It's a new week here on Planet Zone! Spooky Summer is in full swing and I'm looking forward to enjoying some scares with all you. Speaking of something spooky, there's a new Not As Brightly Lit available. Halloween merchandise is going to start flowing into local stores over the next few weeks and man I'm excited! It's that fun time of the year where you can enjoy the pleasantries of summer while looking forward to the awesomeness of Autumn. Thanks for continuing to support Zone Base. I don't have any ads or anything, the only thing I ask is that you please share with your friends!

Friday Night Frights- Jake The Snake, The The Ultimate Warrior, The Hell Am I Doing With My Life

Oh, yes, it's Friday Night and the Frights are right, it's Friday Night...Frights. Summer is a Spooky season, as you all are used to seeing by now, and as a spooky season that leads up to THE spooky season... there's some spooky shit to be had. What am I talking about, well, that was literally just filler. I have no clue how to start this.

*cough*

Back in 1991, The Ultimate Warrior was in a feud with The Undertaker. Which means all sorts of stuff filmed in a graveyard while Paul Bearer did that face thing... the hell was that? Did... did he poop himself or something? As The Ultimate Warrior was facing a dark evil foe, he needed the help of another dark and evil individual, Jake The Snake! If nothing says dark and evil in the early 90's it's a guy with a mullet in a silk shirt who owns a snake. Jake begins showing the Ultimate Warrior the ways of the darkness and to believe in a thing called love. Just listen to the rhythm of your heart, Warrior. Which beats the blood of the warrior.

We are then treated to various clips of Jake and Warrior in a graveyard doing such things as digging up bodies, closing the Warrior in a casket, and other spooky shit until the culmination in a shed full of snakes. It's a carnival haunted house come to life with SO MUCH HEAVY BREATHING.

Mysteries So Unknown They Wrote About Them

Time Life Books Mysteries of the Unknown. If anything ever was as serious business as these books, then it should be in a second volume. Because that indeed would be a mystery of the unknown variety. If you're of a certain age (old), you've likely spent some time with these books. Either at your Aunt's house, a waiting room, or the library. Myself, all three. I wanted a set of my own, but for reasons unknown I wasn't allowed. Perhaps it was due to forces preferring me to not know of their existence. Or my dad telling me 'hell no, go mow the grass'.

The above commercial isn't the only ad spot for the books. There were shorter ones, longer infomercial ones, and uh... this one. While the exact percentage of unknown was known after reading these books, one thing 100% known is they'd scare the crap out of you. No other commercial had the power to make the entire room uneasy as Time Life Books Mysteries Of The Unknown. Aside from this one. They'd just suck the energy from the room, leaving eonly uncomfortable silence. Time Life was making sure you know just how serious they were taking things.

While I enjoy watching things like ghost and other various paranormal videos in my spare time, I don't 100% believe it. Completely entertained, but not completely convinced. I do believe there's more to life than what's in front of us, absolutely, but Bigfoot sightings videos don't exactly sell themselves well (it's probably just my brother hunting). Though if more presented themselves as well as Time Life did with these books... there'd probably just as many people who didn't believe. But they'd pretty uneasy for awhile after the commercial at least.

The Evil Horde