Billie Rae Bates's Blog, page 74

Terrific TV Toys: Hallmark's Christmas ornament for "The Dukes of Hazzard"

The next two episodes of BRBTV's Terrific TV Toys series are going to show you brand-new items, each only a few months old, but still "of a vintage nature," as we love. For the second episode of Season 2, it's the first-ever "Dukes of Hazzard" Christmas tree ornament by Hallmark. Get up-close and personal with this item as Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV opens the box and breaks out this fab collectible.



Stay tuned for next week's installment, which gets a little Batty ....

The beautiful Lynda Carter Wonder Woman returns in a digital comic

We love it when comics news hits the mainstream, and here USA Today does a story on the release of a new digital comic series by DC that focuses on the Lynda Carter version of Wonder Woman that we all know and love.

DC Comics' digital-first series Wonder Woman '77 will have chapters available for download weekly on the DC Comics app, Readdcentertainment.com, ComiXology.com, Google Play, Kindle Store, Nook Store, iBooks and iVerse ComicsPLUS. The adventures will also be collected in print, which is when we'll hop on board, because we're still rather fond of that print thing.

"It's being really faithful to why Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman has endured for almost 40 years now," says writer Marc Andreyko in the USA Today story. Even the license for Lyle Waggoner's likeness was attained for this series. And if the comparisons to the Batman '66 comic series on the Adam West "Batman" TV show that started a year or so ago are valid, we're loving this new one already.

Check out BRB, Andrea and Don in costume at the Motor City Comic Con!

It was the first spin at actual cosplay for Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV (though there have been plenty of fun Halloween costumes over the years), and she was joined by friends Andrea Melchiori and Don Covell Jr. as a terrific trio tribute to the 1960s "Batman" TV series. BRB is the Yvonne Craig version of Batgirl, while Andrea is the Julie Newmar version of Catwoman, and Don is more or less the Adam West version of Batman! Check it out below in this video courtesy of the "Comics Continuum" TV show based in Detroit, which BRB once did hosting and correspondent work for. Part of this clip aired in a May 2014 episode of the show ...

Casino treasures: Try your luck at some "Wonder Woman" and "Batman" slots

Consider these some great "Terrific TV Toys" even if they're not part of our BRBTV T3 video series ... And special thanks to our friend, who shall remain nameless for taking risky photos in a casino (which, by the way, is not actually illegal but tends to be frowned upon -- look it up).

The classic 1970s Lynda Carter "Wonder Woman" TV series stars in these machines at the Monte Carlo casino in Las Vegas, and another machine celebrates the 1960s Adam West "Batman" series (we've seen that one up here in the Detroit casinos, too).


 
What's really fab, as our friend pointed out, is that there's both a tribute to the first season of the show, focusing on the 1940s adventures of the Amazon Princess, and the second and third seasons, focusing on the 1970s (note the difference in costuming above).

 
Then, Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Frank Gorshin and Cesar Romero are featured in the "Batman" slots ...

Terrific TV Toys: "The Brady Bunch" View-Master set

Brian Lombard knows a thing or two about "The Brady Bunch" -- he's the author of "Bradypalooza," a book about the classic, well-loved family sitcom. As Season 2 opens for the Terrific TV Toys web series in this brand-new year, Brian takes another spin as guest host, and he shows us a View-Master set celebrating the Brady family. The set focuses on the three-episode story arc of the Bradys' trip to the Grand Canyon. It was released in 1971.



We can't believe it's episode 23 of the show, already! And we've got some great toys queued up for this second season, so stay tuned!

Happy New Year from BRBTV!
Here's to a wonderful 2015!

Merry Christmas from BRBTV!

 

Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Watch "Fantastic Forum" in Manhattan beginning next week!

Ulysses Campbell's "Fantastic Forum" TV show, based in Washington, D.C., but also airing in Baltimore and Philadelphia, is branching out once again. Now you can catch the discussion on all things comics-related -- as well as interviews with industry professionals and other cool segments -- in Manhattan!


Beginning next week, the show will air on MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK in New York, N.Y.! Watch for it Mondays at 1:00 a.m. starting December 22! Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV is proud to be a part of this TV show, so watch for her own hosting and correspondent work, along with the rest of the great cast.

Terrific TV Toys: It's the Christmas episode!

Do you know what significance the date December 9 holds, as far as TV history goes? Well, it's an anniversary. And the latest episode of the Terrific TV Toys web series -- posted on this important anniversary -- will tell you all about it.

Check out, in living color and nice detail, a set of figures celebrating the TV special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." You'll see ole Chuck, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Pigpen, and definitely that beloved beagle, all with their included accessories as released by Playing Mantis 'round about 2003. It's a special Christmas episode of the T3 series! Thanks to Brian for the assist with the camera.

TV treasures abound at Kalamazoo Circus Maximus Toy Show

We just loved roaming the aisles at last weekend's toy show in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a twice-yearly event that serves up two large convention halls of delicious toys from every decade. It was our second November attending, and this year we noted lots and lots of toy cars and tons of farming-related stuff, but we also noted a good supply of TV show-related goodies. Behold ...




 


 





Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

TV treasures abound at Kalamazoo Circus Maximum Toy Show

We just loved roaming the aisles at last weekend's toy show in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a twice-yearly event that serves up two large convention halls of delicious toys from every decade. It was our second November attending, and this year we noted lots and lots of toy cars and tons of farming-related stuff, but we also noted a good supply of TV show-related goodies. Behold ...




 


 





Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTVCopying with credit is OK; a link would be grand