We’ve got another Channel Surfin Box Swap today! This time around we were sent a box by Mr Hyper Geeky Johnny Tellez, and we couldn’t have been more excited because we know that Johnny knows us SO well! He totally proved it with this box, that was jam-packed with all kinds of awesomeness that you just HAVE to see. Check it out, and then be sure to check out the videos of everyone else involved! 😀
Tag: Doctor Who
Surprise Mail from Dave in the UK!
We got an AWESOME mail call today from one of our awesome Basement Geeks from the UK, Mr Dave, and OMG. So much stuff! Batman, and Buffy, and Mega Man, and Star Trek, and Terminator, and Doctor Who, and even MORE! You’ve just gotta check it out…there was too much awesome to type about. XD
“F” is for “Fangirl” – An A-to-Z Blogging Challenge Post
For the A-to-Z Challenge 2017 I’m writing all about myself. Every post will be some random fact or bit of information about me that you may or may not have already known. Maybe you’ll learn something! Feel free to let me know! ^_^
I am an enormous fangirl in every sense of the word. I’ve often been teased – both on and off of my YouTube channel – for the massive number of Funko Pops I’ve amassed, but the fact of the matter is that it’s less about the Pop figures themselves and more about the fact that I love so many franchises. Let’s just try to list a few, shall we?
We’ve got… Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, some of the DC television universe (Arrow, Flash), pretty much all of the Marvel cinematic universe (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Avengers, etc.), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a ton of anime (Sailor Moon, Dragonball, Attack on Titan, Gintama, etc.), lots of comics – specifically Deadpool, tons of video game franchises (Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Gears of War, etc.), X-Files, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Predator, Die Hard, Alien, Disney in general, Harry Potter (movies and books), Stranger Things, Power Rangers, horror stuff in general (but 80’s slashers specifically)…
Need I go on?
Basically, I just love so many things, and I rarely ever stop loving something. I’m still hooked on stuff today that I first discovered when I was a kid, and the list is always growing with new (and new-to-me) discoveries, to the point that I’m practically the definition of FANGIRL nowadays. And I wear that badge with pride. XD
Are you a fanboy/fangirl for any particular franchises, or a million of them like me? Feel free to leave a comment!
The Collectors Case – Space Case Unboxing!
If you haven’t caught on yet, The Collectors Case is totally our favorite sub box, and this month’s case was no exception to the rule! Packed with value and three of my all-time favorite fandoms: Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. How could you go wrong? 😀
Surprise Fan Mail from Sally in Sweden!
I was totally caught by surprise with this shipment from Sweden! Sally sent me three Pops beautifully wrapped in Christmas paper. XD Want to know what she sent? Well you better watch the video then! 😀
Fan Mail! Doctor Who TARDIS Mini-Set!
I got fan mail! And it’s ADORABLE! Who doesn’t love building sets? And it’s Doctor Who! So much win! Thanks again, Tom!
Doctor Who & Game of Thrones Pop Haul
There are more than a few TV shows that I enjoy immensely, but Doctor Who and Game of Thrones are two that I’m borderline obsessed with. My husband and I devour the short seasons of Game of Thrones when they are released, only to then have to wait almost ten months before the next one. Doctor Who is something I’ve by-and-large watched myself, but oh boy have I watched… I only actually got into it about 2 years ago and I’ve gobbled up Doctors 9 through 12 (accounting for approximately 125 hour-long episodes) and gone back to watch the adventures of the First Doctor (accounting for approximately 143 episodes, including the recreations of the lost footage).
Point being, I have a deep love for both of these shows and think they’re a couple of the best shows on TV, so it’s unsurprising that I have a few Funko Pops of the characters. (Were you surprised? Nah, I didn’t think so.) Recently I did a Pop haul featuring some of my new pickups from these two lines, so today I thought I’d share that video. Who’s your favorite character?
Loot Crate Unboxing and Review for October 2015
It’s a new week and we’re leaving the “Nerd Block Family” of subscription boxes behind to move on to all the other stuff I have left to share. Today we have the Loot Crate for October, for which they decided to skip any kind of Halloween theme and went with “Time”. I was fairly hopeful about this box because it was set to have a Doctor Who item as well as a vinyl figure, which are two of my very favorite things. So let’s just go ahead and check out the unboxing video, shall we?
“Time” can be a pretty fun theme, I think, and I feel like Loot Crate did a pretty decent job with it. Let’s have a breakdown:
“Be Excellent to Each Other” t-shirt:
Right off the bat we have a very different t-shirt from many of the ones I’ve gotten in the past. It’s blue, right off the bat, which is a strangely uncommon color for geeky t-shirts (unless they’re Doctor Who ones, obviously). I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Bill and Ted, but I do enjoy the movies and I think they definitely picked the best possible quote for a t-shirt featuring them. Of all the time-related fandoms they could have sent a t-shirt of, this is not the one I would have picked first, but I do think the shirt is pretty cool and I will happily wear it. Approximate value: $15
Loot Crate “Time” pin:
I don’t always include these little collectible pins in my breakdowns, but this particular crate has a low item count so I thought I’d throw it in. This one features a picture of a flux capacitor. Approximate value: $1
“Back to the Future Part II” 1:5 scale hoverboard:
This is a neat idea for a collectible; not something I would necessarily go looking for, but a neat idea. It’s actually a rather nicely-made replica of the hover board from the movies, and it comes mounted with plastic pegs on a glass base to give the illusion that it actually is hovering. Approximate value: this is a box exclusive and thus difficult to put a value on, but it seems to be going for an average of $15 by people and sites that are reselling.
“Doctor Who” Sonic Spork:
This item, I have to admit, is a little disappointing. I love Doctor Who, so I was excited that there was going to be an item from this awesome fandom in Loot Crate, but what we got is something that just isn’t that impressive to me. It’s kinda cute and funny, being as it looks like a sonic screwdriver and all, but I’m just not going to use a spork, and it’s not exactly the kind of item that you would display among the rest of your geekery. It’s a big “Meh” to me, basically, which is sad because Doctor Who is my jam. Approximate value: this is another exclusive item, so I have to go by the resellers, who seem to be ditching it for an average of $12
“Dr Emmett Brown” Exclusive Funko Pop:
Guys, I love this Pop, I really do. He is significantly different from the original series Dr Brown I’ve got, which I love because so many exclusives/variants/second series’/etc are practically exact copies of the originals. Plus he’s just so well done! I love the little clear blue plastic electricity running between the cables, and the detail in the goggles, and the little battery standing behind him… It’s all just super-nicely done and I love it. This little dude made the whole box for me, no argument. Approximate value: $19, according to PopPriceGuide.com
Total approximate value of box:Â $62
Total approximate cost to me:Â $40
So, okay, right off the value is fairly average; it’s neither the best nor worst-valued box I’ve gotten from Loot Crate, so there’s not much to say there. Even though the value is decent though, one thing that bothered me a bit about this box is that it didn’t feel like there was much in it. I suppose that’s mostly because the items that were there are fairly sizable (a Pop takes up half the box, after all), but still, if you don’t count the little Loot Crate pin, this box only had four items in it, which is pretty unusual for these subscription boxes. I might be wrong, because my memory isn’t exactly the most top-notch thing in the world, but I feel like I’ve never gotten a nerdy subscription box with less than five items, not including the little service-specific extras.
That said, those four items are pretty cool. The Pop is a big, big, BIG plus to this box, being not only just a Pop but also a pretty awesome Pop. The hover board replica isn’t my usual kind of collectible, but it’s pretty neat and will look great next to my other BttF stuff. And the shirt is different and quite excellent (ha ha). The only thing that’s a little disappointing is the “sonic spork”, which is just something I’m not going to use at all. Maybe I’ll give it to my daughter to help get her into Doctor Who. 😛
When all is said and done, this was a pretty good box. I would have preferred a different (*cough*cooler*cough*) Doctor Who item, but everything else gets two thumbs up and even though the box felt a bit light on items, I can’t really argue with the value. So I guess it’s a thumbs up for this one!
What did you guys think? Favorite item? Least favorite? What do you think of the sonic spork? Isn’t that Dr Brown Pop just awesome? Were you surprised that Loot Crate didn’t do a Halloween theme for October? Please share!
Some Things I Love Right Now
Today I felt like sharing some random products and services that I personally love a ton, because why not share the love? Maybe you guys will even find your new favorite thing on my list!
I’ve been replaying Dead Nation on my Playstation Vita lately because I want to finish off the last of the trophies I have to get, and it’s reminded me how damn fun this game is. It’s a zombie apocalypse story that’s set as a top-down shooter, and the waves of zombies that sometimes come at you all at once are intense. I’ve literally replayed the story mode about fifteen times at this point, and it really isn’t getting old any time soon. There’s just something immensely satisfying about blowing away wave after wave of zombies and zombie-like monsters. I’ve been working really hard on the “kill 53,596 zombies” trophy. >:)
But seriously, if you’re looking for a really fun little top-down shooter, this may be the one for you. Check it out if you get a chance!
You guys know, via my constant whining, that I am not the best person in the world for keeping fit. But if there is one thing that helps me want to get fit, it’s my Fitbit. These wearable devices are activity trackers, and depending on which version you get they do much more as well. I personally have a Charge HR, which not only tracks your steps and flights of stairs climbed (based on changes in elevation), but also continuously monitors your heart rate and adjusts a calculation for calories burned based on that info. So in other words, if you walk 10,000 steps in a day but your heart rate stays pretty close to resting, you’ll report fewer calories burned than if you went 10,000 steps and your heart rate was elevated for some of them. This was a big improvement to the previous Fitbits, in my opinion, because the non-heart-rate-monitoring versions can’t tell if you’re casually strolling or sprinting uphill against the wind.
You can also pair a Charge HR with your phone so that it buzzes and shows the incoming number whenever someone is calling you, and you can set silent vibration alarms to wake you up in the morning. Not to mention this particular model is also a sleep monitor. And on top of that, I’ve recently discovered the joy of having Fitbit friends, with whom you can set challenges, motivating you to be the one to exercise the most. Brilliance, I tell ya. Check them out!
Metamorphosis Quad by ColourPop and Coffee Break with Dani
If the title of this one made absolutely no sense to you, don’t worry, I’ll explain. First off, ColourPop is a cosmetics company that sells all kinds of awesome stuff at pretty affordable prices. Coffee Break With Dani is one of my favorite YouTubers. Dani, who is a beauty guru, collaborated with ColourPop to make this four-piece eyeshadow set called “Metamorphosis”, and I decided to pick it up both because I love Dani to death, and because they really are amazing eyeshadows.
The two brown shades, Bravery and Strength, are classic colors, one in a matte and one in a satin finish, but the real players here are Hope and Kindness, which are both duo-chrome with opal finishes. These two shadows are so awesome because they are super-versatile. Basically, you put them over top of whatever other eye color you’re in the mood for, and they transform the color. I can’t even really describe it, but for instance, I’ve tried Hope (the one that looks pinky-white) all by itself, and it looks like a lovely shimmery, sparkly pink, but when I put it over top of a blue eyeshadow, all of a sudden there are gorgeous purple shifts everywhere. Kindness, on the other hand, looks kind of dark purplish-blue when I wear it on its own, but when combined with a green eyeshadow it pops full of gold and blue sparkles. And they change significantly depending on what you have underneath them!
Best part? They are totally inexpensive. The set of four is $20, and though the pots don’t seem that big they last really, really long. I’ve been using Hope and Kindness steadily and I don’t even have a significant dip in the surface of the pots. But this is a limited time set and we don’t know when Color Pop is going to pull it, so if you’re interested get it soon!
Okay, okay, Doctor Who isn’t exactly anything new. Even the new version of the show started a decade ago. So yeah, I’m pretty late to the party. But that said…
I started watching the new version of the show about a little over a year ago and my reaction was pretty much, “Why have I not been watching this?” So after about two seasons of that I started thinking, “Why have I never watched the old version of the show?”, and I went out looking for the old version. Turns out the old version has, like, 800 episodes. So…yeah. None-the-less, I’ve been slowly making my way through those old episodes. I’ve watched about five years now, and I’m only just making it up to where the first Doctor regenerates into the second Doctor. @_@
So yeah, I have assloads of episodes left to go through, but I am loving it. Even the super-old episodes from the 60’s in which they had little to nothing for special effects are awesome. The stories are great and so inventive for the time, and the most of the characters are just so likable. The first Doctor has actually really grown on me, so I might be sad to see him change!
And of course, the new show is absolutely fantastic. So far I’ve only watched the Christopher Eccelston episodes and about 3/4 of the David Tennant episodes, but I’m really itching to watch more! If only I could trick my husband into watching them with me more often. ^_^
So those are a few things that I’m loving right now. What about you guys? What are you just, like, super into right now? Please share!
Why “SuperWhoLock”?
I’m a fangirl. Nobody who knows me personally, reads this blog, or follows my YouTube channel should be surprised by this fact. Even my coworkers know that I’m an unapologetic nerd. I scarcely get through a day on the job without making some kind of geeky reference that makes my coworkers look at each other in that, “Oh, our Tracey” kind of way.
I’m also a fangirl of equal opportunity. I love all kinds of fandoms, from the ‘Avengers’ to the ‘Green Arrow’, from ‘Star Wars’ to ‘Star Trek’, and from ‘Harry Potter’ to ‘Game of Thrones’. I’m a nerd of many colors, a geek who loves many fandoms equally.
And among those many fandoms that I do so hold dear, there are three particular television shows that have sparked a strange, combined fandom that has taken over the internet. I did not come across this multi-fandom myself. It was my husband who introduced it to me one day after stumbling across the word and looking it up in his confusion: ‘SuperWhoLock’.
When confronted with this odd amalgamation of fandoms I had to admit that I do, in fact, fall into the category of a “SuperWhoLockian”; that is, one who has a great love for the three shows, ‘Supernatural’, ‘Doctor Who’, and ‘Sherlock’. But despite my sudden inclusion into this vast community of squealing fangirls (and boys, presumably) who are quite fun-loving and amusing, my first real question was, “Why?”
Why these three shows? How and why did the internet come together and decide that these three particular shows deserve to be grouped together into some kind of mecha-fandom?
Many others have asked the same question, and no one seems to really be able to pull a real answer together. This is a curious conglomeration that just seems to have sprung out of the ether and entrenched itself in the waiting minds of the many. No one can explain the reasoning. There is no real answer.
The shows have almost nothing in common. ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Sherlock’ are both British programs, but ‘Supernatural’ is American. ‘Doctor Who’ is a very old show that has gained new success in recent years, while ‘Supernatural’ is only a decade old, and ‘Sherlock’ started as a famous series of mystery books. ‘Doctor Who’ is science-fiction/fantasy, while ‘Supernatural’ is occult/fantasy, and ‘Sherlock’ is more firmly entrenched in the realm of actual possibility (i.e. solving crimes). ‘Supernatural’ follows two young adult brothers trying to save the world from monsters and demons, ‘Doctor Who’ follows a centuries-old alien time lord traveling the Universe and trying to save everyone and everything he possibly can, and ‘Sherlock’ follows two middle-aged men matching wits against some of the world’s most notorious criminals.
There are very few ways in which you can group the three shows together. One way I’ve seen people try to explain the connection is by bringing up the intensity of the relationships. In ‘Supernatural’ we have two Winchester brothers who have literally gone to hell and back for each other and always follow each other into the fire. In ‘Doctor Who’ we find that the Doctor is so in love with the human race (and his companions therein) that he’s been willing to die for them on numerous occasions. In ‘Sherlock’, the titular character and his companion Watson become such close friends that the nigh-emotionless Sherlock risks his life for Watson multiple times.
But that can’t just be it, can it?
I’ve also heard the idea that it’s all about the light and dark of humanity. ‘Supernatural’ shows the horrible side of things, the way monsters and demons use the human emotions of anger, lust, envy, and greed to feed and further their gains, while also showing that redemption is always possible. ‘Doctor Who’ shows how, even though humanity does horrifying things, it’s a powerful race with powerful emotions and has done (and will do) amazing things as well. ‘Sherlock’ has constant comparisons of love and hate, courage and fear, terrible evil and self-sacrificing good.
But I still don’t think that’s quite it.
There are always the simple, obvious, completely meaningless points, such as the fact that all three shows feature drop-dead gorgeous actors. (For my part, my husband has added many of the characters from these shows to a mental list he refers to as “Tracey’s Boyfriends”.)
But I’d hate to think that that’s the only reason for the grouping.
Me, personally, I don’t know what the answer is, and I’m actually quite confident that there really is no answer. However, there is a connection between the three shows that binds them together for me.
I’ve written before that I’ve often been moved to tears by an excellent story, especially if that story is brought to life by excellent actors. And while there are certainly other shows and movies that I can put on the list, the three shows that make up the “SuperWhoLock” fandom are three that I have absolutely sobbed like a little baby to in more recent years.
!!!!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!
Throughout the seasons of ‘Supernatural’ there have occasionally been deaths of important characters, because you can’t have that many episodes of a show about demons and nightmare creatures without someone eventually dying. A few of those deaths have almost killed me in turn. The most recent one was Bobby Singer, who was always one of my favorite characters and a huge father figure to the Winchesters; during that episode I had to struggle to bite back the tears so that my husband wouldn’t torture me relentlessly. Call me crazy, call me a total sob-queen, but whenever Jensen Ackles gets super-sad it makes me want to burst into tears and hug him to pieces.
Most people probably wouldn’t consider ‘Doctor Who’ an inherently sad show, but there’s at least one episode that weaseled its way into my heart and squeezed, and that is the episode in which the Doctor lost Rose to an alternate universe and used a one-time method to speak to her and explain that they would never be able to see each other again. That tore away at my insides because it seemed so much more horrible than if one of them died…to know that the other was out there, but to never be able to see or touch them again no matter what you were willing to do. It was a brilliant way to end the Rose saga, but it was also a hateful, horrible ending that made me want to curl up into a little ball and cry forever.
‘Sherlock’ also isn’t a show that many people would think is likely to be very sad, but there’s a lot of emotion involved, especially between Sherlock and Watson as they slowly become extremely important to one another. The actors did such an amazing job of bringing the relationship between the two characters to life, which made it all that much more heart-wrenching when Sherlock leaped to his death with Watson watching. Of course, having already known that this was a storyline that played out in the books and that Sherlock was going to turn out to have faked his death, you’d think this scene wouldn’t have that much of a punch, but it really did. In particular Watson’s reaction to the whole thing had me weeping like a little baby.
So maybe it’s a combination of things. Perhaps these are just three awesome shows with great (good-looking) actors, interesting takes on good and evil and humanity in general, and they also happen to evoke an amazingly emotional response in those who enjoy them. But then again, that combination of things could probably quite easily describe a great many different trios of TV shows.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever really understand why legions of fans suddenly started grouping these three shows together, but in the end I guess it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we “SuperWhoLockians” love them, hold them dear, and wish to never let them go.
EVER.
emotions
each has an episode that made me bawl like a little bitch
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