Tornadoes May 24, 2011

Good grief was it a crazy day here in Oklahoma. There were tornadoes everywhere! Me, T & our Pup Leela are all okay though. We were lucky. The small town 7 miles from us was hit hard. Homes completely destroyed. We actually had debris from the town in our yard. The fork in the picture was found with the prongs stuck into the dirt. Glad no one was standing there when it came hurtling out of the sky!



Homes to the North of us were also destroyed. My friend Misti rushed up there to help people search for their missing pets & help with the clean up. She even brought cold beer. She's awesome. There has been so much damage in Oklahoma today. My friend Dan lost his house. His parents lost theirs, and they lost their family business. They make beef jerky. Mike's Beef Jerky to be specific. I'm not sure what they are going to do. Thankfully though, they are all safe & unharmed.



I cannot stress enough how important the RED CROSS is in times like this. If you can, donate. If I learn of any other specific places you can donate to help, I will let you know. Keep all of these people in your thoughts, as well as those in the other affected tornado devastated areas.

The Rapture!

So apparently the Rapture is supposed to happen tod

Steampunk

image via Geek Alerts

Steampunk is a term described on Wiki as: a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.[1] Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history.

Steampunk is growing. Not only in the written word, but also in art, fashion & design. There is even a steampunk magazine. One guy went as far as steampunking Star Wars & did an absolute amazing job!


Photo courtesy of Sillof's Workshop

There are numerous blogs & sites & even Etsy shops full of steampunk merchandise & creations. Even musicians have gotten into the spirit. Check out this amazing guitar!


Image via 2dayblog

There is no limit to what you can steampunk! If you would rather just shell out some $$$ though, lucky for you, Entertainment Earth has just what you're looking for! They have 3 pages dedicated to steampunk merchandise.

Steampunk goggles

Steampunk multi gear neclace & earring set

Head over to their steampunk link to check everything they have! Entertainment Earth Steampunk

Good news!!!

So with the help of a very good friend I have reclaimed my .com! Yes, JenTucker.com is once again back in the hands it should be. What does this mean for you, my faithful blog followers? Well, as far as this blog goes, not much. I'm leaving this one just the way it is, right here on blogger. However, if you see any art or want to find T-shirts of my stuff, you will probably be seeing new links appear. JenTucker.com will focus solely on my art & photography. There will also be another blog dedicated solely to my art which will feature videos & show the progression of pieces as I work on them, with thoughts on art & the processes of art. That will be at jentuckerart.com. Right now, there's nothing there but a place holder with one piece of art & a blurb. Many thanks to Chris & T for all their help!

BifBangPow! and their Comic Con Exclusives!

BifBangPow! is a newer toy company making some really sweet toys & collectibles. They are the company that made the simply amazing, king of the impossible, Flash Gordon Figures a couple years back. Well, since that time they have expanded their licensing base quite a bit. Now they have toys & collectibles based on Dexter, The Twilight Zone, and just recently added, Doctor Who! They are creating the Doctor, The Master, and many of the Aliens from the show in the same old school stlye as the Mego 8" figures. Not only that, but they are offering up their first ones at Comic Con 2011 as Comic Con Exclusives! Check their newest creations out! BifBangPow!

Amazon Toy Sale

Every once & a while Amazon has a toy sale where you can find some of those missing parts of your collection for a great price. Right now seems to be that time.

They have everything from Star Wars to Doctor Who to Pokemon to Warcraft to Alexander Dolls.

The sale runs through May 15, 2011. You might head on over & check it out.




On sale at Amazon right now for $42.99, reg. Price $99.99. Kotobukiya ArtFX Statue.

Wonder Woman Painting: More progress

A bit more progress made. This is where it really starts getting hard. I don't want too much detail, but I don't want it to be too simple either. Getting it clear in my head before I lay it on the canvas is sometimes a bit of a challenge.

Big Kids & Toys

You may not be aware, but big kids play with toys as well. Not only do we play with them, but we also like to pose them & take pictures of them in cool action poses. There are many Flickr groups dedicated to just such things. Don't believe me? Go check out some of my favorites:

The Secret Life of Toys

Toys & Models With Backdrops

Toys'r'Uz

Star Wars Toys

or

Skip the Frogman's photostream

I participate in playing with toys myself. Being a Star Wars collector, as well as all kinds of other action figures, I get the urge once & a while to break out the figures & pose them. I have even gone as far as building elaborate backdrops from time to time.

Last night was one of those nights. Here's a few pictures of what I did!





Remember, I have tons of photos & art displayed over on my Flickr. Go check them out if you ever have a moment.

Have a great weekend everyone!

May the 4th Be With You!

Happy Star Wars Day! That's right, May 4th is Star Wars Day all over the Universe! For exciting news on the Blu-Ray release of the Star Wars saga head over to maythe4th.starwars.com and enjoy all the news & goodies. There are going to be 9 different discs in the Blu-ray set which you can purchase either together as a set, or separately. Twitter has #maythe4thbewithyou & #starwarsday trending right now as well! Go, have fun, enjoy Star Wars today!

May the Force & the 4th be with you!

Yoda Comic

I was posting Star Wars quotes on one of those social networking sites, specifically the "Fear leads to anger..." one & my friend Chris commented, "It can all be subdued with a great cup of coffee though". That made me laugh & an image appeared in my mind, so I drew it. Ta-da!

Munsters & Monsters!!!

Welcome to May, blog readers! Look what I found! 7 inch tall figures of that beloved monster family, The Munsters! Diamond Select has created 3 in the series so far which include Herman, as seen above, Lily & Grandpa.

The Entertainment Earth website is offering the figures with the specialty market exclusive "Build-An-Electric-Chair"- not available to the Mass Market.

I'm not sure who gets the specialty market figures & who gets the regular mass market figures outside of that.

Keeping up with the ghoulishness, I also found a giant Frankenstein by Diamond Select that is slated to be released in October! The biggest Frankenstein figure in the history of Frankenstein figures, this one looms in at 18 inches tall. A 1/4 scale figure! He also has 26 points of articulation & a real cloth suit! You can pre-order yours now for $69.99 at Entertainment Earth.

Futurama Tineez

Here are some adorable Futurama Collectibles! They are called Tineez & they are produced by Toynami. They are between 3 to 4 inches tall depending on the character & made of vinyl. I have seen them at the mall chain Vintage Stock, but you can also pick them up online at Entertainment Earth. Oh, and don't forget, new Futurama Episodes start June 23rd!

Thundercats Classic Figures Re-Issue

Holy Thundera! There has been more Thundercats news than you can shake a stick at this year! The announcement of the New Series on Cartoon Network this fall, new staues, new toys, & now a re-issue of the classic figures. These are re-worked, but are very close to the originals. They are 8 inches tall with 18 points of articulation. The originals had around 5. Not only can you get Lion-O & Tygra, but you can also get a retooled Sword of Omens from the new series! It has a 17" plastic blade & extends to 25". It also has phrases & sounds from the new series.

There is also a 4 inch wave of new figures. These look sharp! Thundercats figures come with their own environment so you can recreate scenes from the TV show or make up new ones!



Check out all the awesome Thundercats toys available now for pre-order from Entertainment Earth

The most amazing collectible from Thundercats this month though, goes to, without a doubt, Sideshow Collectibles with their 26" High, 15.00 lbs, Mixed Media Statue that not only has the best sculpt I have ever seen on a Mumm-Ra collectible, but also, get this, LIGHTS UP! You read it right! The thing lights up. Light-up features include Sword of Plundarr, eyes, and chest symbol. How freakin' sweet is that!? Now, the bad part is the price. $374.99. OUCH! Luckily they have a flex-pay plan so you can get it for payments of $84.38 a month. Not too bad. It's definitely worth it!

Attention! Calling all Doctor Who fans...

(Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor, 8 1/2 inch tall maxi-bust statue)

Right now over at Entertainment Earth, you can, for a limited time, order Doctor Who items at a savings of buy 1, get the 2nd of equal or lesser value at 40% off! everything including action figures, prop replicas, T-shirts, and dozens of other items as long as they are Doctor Who! The sale is good until April 26, 2011!

Lynda Carter Wonder Woman Painting update

More work done on the painting. She's almost done. I am nervous & excited. Toward the end of a painting is very similar to reaching the ending of a story you are writing. You have fewer choices in direction & every stroke/word effects the whole thing. You really have to be aware of the effects to the whole. Basically, you don't want to mess it up with one bad choice. So far, I am very happy with my choices. It is indeed one of my favorite things I have ever worked on.

R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen AKA Sarah Jane

Very sad, sad news Doctor Who fans. Our beloved Sarah Jane has passed away. She was 63. Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane was always one of my favorite companions on Doctor Who & the one I remembered the best from when I was a kid. She was witty, charming, looked great in a pair of knee high boots & will be missed by all who had the joy of watching her play Sarah Jane. Positivity & love to those who knew her personally.

Luis Royo Figures

You have probably seen Luis Royo's art on book covers, calendars, or on magazine covers. His style is haunting and sexy. I love his style & the way his figures seem to float or have a real lightness to them. Now Yamato USA is producing PVC 1/6 scale (approx. 13") mini statues of some of his sexiest ladies. These figures have incredible detail in the way of the paint job. The detail is amazing. The outfits are molded of plastics that appear very cloth-like & can be translucent enough to see tattoos hidden underneath. The one shown here is called Ritual & will be available from Entertainment Earth October 2011. You can pre-order it now. They have it listed for $109.99, which is $10.00 cheaper than the Yamato site has it.



Make sure you check out many of the other figures inspired by Royo's art work on both the Entertainment Earth site & the Yamato USA site as well as the artist's website.

B.P.R.D. Zippo Lighter

Hellboy fans, Mike Mignola Fans, & B.P.R.D. fans & Zippo collectors, check this out! It's a chrome "Black Ice" Zippo brand lighter with the B.P.R.D. symbol on the side. Those of us that don't have Liz Sherman as a friend or a teammate can rely on this Zippo brand lighter to start a fire any place any time! Entertainment Earth has them for $29.99.

The Pandorica Opens.....

"The Pandorica will open and silence will fall."

As those of us that are Doctor who fans try to contain ourselves waiting for the new Season of Doctor Who with the 11th incarnation of the Doctor to start, Underground Toys has given us a nice little distraction. A new wave of 5 inch figures, each with a MP3 CD & a piece of the Pandorica itself! There are 6 different figures in the set. They include: A Silurian Warrior, Angel Bob, Roman Auton, Amy Pond, Eleventh Doctor with Fez hat & mop, & Cyberman Pandorica Guard.

You might be able to find these locally by having your local comic book store order them for you, or you can head over to Amazon or Entertainment Earth & pick them up. You can buy a case at Entertainment Earth for $104.99 or Amazon has the whole set at $99.99.

Something unusual

Dog & Cat Buddha. These 5 inch polystone statues will run you right around $12.99 over at Entertainment Earth. You can also pick them up from the company that makes them: Accoutrements



You can also check out all the Accoutrements items on Entertainment Earth or their home site. They have lots of novelty type items. Like the Bacon Strip bandages.

Firefly Builder's Plaques

Check it out! Metal Stickers to turn anything you want into an official Firefly ship of your own. Printed from the original prop files that were used to create the metal plaque in the show. You can't beat the price of $7.95. Head over to Quantum Mechanix (QMx) and snatch yours up today!

More Wonder Woman

That left bracelet was driving me batty. I worked a little more on it. I think it looks much better.



03.27.11, 2:30 am

Wonder Woman Painting in progress

As of today, March 26, 2011



March 20, 2011




As of March 1, 2011



Feb. ? 2011



Feb. ?, 2011




More on Feb. 3, 2011




Feb. 3, 2011




Feb. 2, 2011




The beginning. Feb 1, 2011

Suckerpunch

Okay...I don't even know where to start. This movie was a moving religious-like experience for me. OMG. It's as if the universe put me in front of a screen & said, "You want to know what to do? You need direction? You want to make your dreams come true? Okay, fine, here is what you do." For two hours my mind was in a state of unbelievable bliss & complete concentration. It was everything I have ever wanted to see on the big screen in one place, in one movie. The acting was perfect, the screenplay was perfect, the soundtrack was perfect, the direction was perfect...I cannot find anything about this movie to criticize. The way the film was shot was exactly the way it should have been. The sets, the design, the special effects...everything was just...well, perfect.

The last movie that came close to achieving this was probably V for Vendetta. Suckerpunch may very well be my 2nd favorite movie of all time.

It was my "Up". "Up" really moved me, but not at this level. It didn't really make me believe the message. THIS movie made me feel like all I have to do is walk out of the theater & conquer the world...and I believe it.

So, if you weren't sure you wanted to see it or not, my suggestion is OMG, hell yes, go see it! See it IN the theater. It will really lose a lot on TV or video, unless you have a really sweet home theater.

I don't expect it to do too well. I don't think many people will grasp it. In fact, T heard two women in the restroom of the theater after the movie saying just that. They liked it, but they were a little confused & not sure they got it. It will, for the most part, be lost on the mainstream. That's okay, that's what "Up" was for.

This movie was for me. For me & T & those like us.

Thank you Zack Snyder.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Model Kit

This is a 1/8th scale model of the buxom babe, Elvira. The model is a recreation from her 1988 film "Mistress of the Dark". It features her classic couch pose, as well as her ferocious poodle "Algonquin", a skull, rat & candelabra. You can get it for $34.99 on Entertainment Earth's site, or $29.99 over at Monsters in Motion. I've never ordered through Monsters in Motion before, so if you have a good or bad experience with them, let me know.

These models are usually pretty limited & once they are gone, they never show up again. If you want it, make sure to get it now. Elvira Models are one of the few collectibles Elvira fans can get their hands on. There's not a huge amount of merchandise for this sultry siren.

You can check out Elvira's Website for some autographed merchandise.

Have fun darlings...and Unpleasant Dreams. :)

Hastings $9.99 Action Figure $ale!

Head over to Hastings to check out the figures they have for $9.99. You can order online. Some of them, like the Doctor Who figures, are great deals, others, like the G.I. Joe Bat, are not really a deal. There's about 6 pages worth of figures though, & one of those pages might have that missing figure you've been searching for.

Movie review "Battle of Los Angeles"

Avoid this film. This is 2 hrs. of shaky cam, repetitive plot, thin as paper characters, bad & many times muffled dialogue & it lacks any tension or suspense. You know the outcome of almost every situation. OMG, I have never wanted a refund from a movie more in my life. Hollywood really needs to figure out how & when to use the shaky cam. NEVER EVER use the shaky cam for every frame in the film. The military cliches are way overdone. Director Jonathan Liebesman makes Michael Bay look like a compositional genius.

Now, if you love watching people play first person shooters & your review of a "good" film would be, "Stuff blew up awesome & the CGI rocked!" I would say, this is YOUR movie. Go knock yourself out.

Oklahoma is on fire

So far today we have had 22 different fires break out today. Many of them around the city I live in. Smoke filled the air for quite a while today. Over 50 houses have been destroyed.



I hope all the fire fighters come home safe & they are able to contain the fires. All of this on top of the horrible earthquake & tsunami in Japan.

Too much devastation for one day.