Friday Freebie - Special Star Wars Anniversary Edition

For those of you not on a first name basis with the Sith Lord, today is a special day for Star Wars. On this day, 30 years ago, the first Star Wars movie (Episode IV) opened in the United States. Since then, it's been a defining force in our culture, and the phenomenon continues today. So, keeping this in mind, I felt that a special Star Wars edition of the Friday Freebie was in order.

Not many things in the Star Wars universe are free. Turns out, George Lucas has really cornered the market on getting money out of people for the same thing over and over again. But if you look hard enough, you can find something cool that doesn't cost a dime.

So what is a fanboy to do when you want to show your love for all things Star Wars, in vehicle form, but can't scrape up the cash for one of those fancy Lego kits or some "official" Hasbro goodness? You make one yourself out of paper. See, you can find anything on the internet:

The Movie Paper Craft Gallery is your stop when you want to make a Star Wars model on the cheap. They have kits for all your favorite vehicles, including the massive AT-AT (shown above), the even more massive Imperial Star Destroyer, and everyones favorite, the Millennium Falcon. All you need to supply is paper, scissors, tape, glue, and a hell of a lot of patience.

These kits certainly aren't easy, but making something this complex out of paper is pretty cool. Not to mention, you're wallet is not $50 lighter, which is always a plus. So take your time, and have some fun with them.

There's even more Star Wars fun to come, so be sure to check back at the Atomic Playground later in the day for the main course. Until then, start folding!

Comic Con NY - Cause East Coast Geeks Need Love Too

For years, east coast comic book geeks have had to haul a$$ all the way out to San Diego just to get their X-Men and Incredible Hulk fixes at Comic Con. But all that changed last year, with the introduction of New York Comic Con. East coast comic freaks were thrilled, as it meant less money spent traveling, and more money spent on a life size bust of Black Cat (money well spent).

The second annual New York Comic Con took place this past weekend at the Javits Center in NYC, and it was bigger than last year. All the major players in the comics, movies, and toy world were there, including Marvel, DC, Amok Time, Mattel, and Lions Gate (full list here). You see, Comic Con isn't just about comic books - it involves all the major entertainment players. Over the years, the big companies have realized just how much money there is to be made in the comic universe. Unfortunately, that's meant that we've had to suffer through such mediocrity as Daredevil and Elektra, but good things, like the Spiderman movie franchise, have also come from it.

Some big news this year revolved around the 10th anniversary of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV show. Much of the cast, but not Gellar, showed up for a panel on Saturday, to interact with the fans and sign autographs. Some other notables at this year's convention included Stan Lee (wouldn't be a Comic Con without him), Stephen Colbert, Jason Mewes, and Hayden Panettiere - probably the first time a hottie TV cheerleader was within 10 feet of a comic book.

Notable by his absence was Kevin Smith, unless he was hiding somewhere in the back. Smith has been very involved in the comic book world over the years, although he's never really had as much time for it as the fans would like.

Unfortunately, Hasbro was too tied up with Toy Fair to have any major Transformers announcements at the show, but there's still plenty of time for more news to drop between now and July. But Comic Con International (in San Diego) will be in the end of July, after the Transformers movie release, so a large presence there probably isn't a good bet.

Check out all the details about this year's NY Comic Con at the official website here. And truthfully, that stuff I said about one or the other show is nonsense. You're not a true fan unless you hit both. So save those pennies, and sell that autographed hardcover copy of The Watchmen if you have to, but be sure to make it to San Diego this summer, and NYC next winter. Cause you never know when a hot TV cheerleader is going to be at the Con.

Toy Fair 2007 - No Kid Is Worth This Much

The 2007 International Toy Fair took place in New York City recently, with all the major toy manufacturers showing off their goods for the coming year. The theme this year seemed to be technology - apparently, it's not considered a toy anymore unless it has a microchip inside and connects to the internet.

Hasbro had a major showing this year, with the requisite Star Wars figures (because you need a seventh limited edition Darth Vader) and Spiderman 3 tie-in crap. But the best part of the show had to be the Transformers. 2007 will give us an all-new live action Transformers movie (opens July 4 - homepage here), and as a result, Hasbro is pulling out all the stops with this year's figure lineup. (And for the record, they're not dolls, they're action figures.)

All your favorites from the original series are back with all-new molds, including leaders Optimus Prime and Megatron. As with so many big budget films, corporate tie-ins are here, in the form of actual GM bodies for many of the Autobots characters. This was most evident in the star of the Transformers collection, Ultimate Bumblebee (pictured above). Standing 14 inches tall and packed with enough electronics to start a riot if you try and board a plane with him, he's being billed as the most complex Transformer ever. And, he just so happens to transform into a new Chevrolet Camaro. This guy is rumored to set you back about $90, so all you fanboys better start saving now.

It's hard to characterize something as a toy when it's more technologically advanced than a DVD player, but here we are. Pretty soon, toys may be on the cutting edge of technology, with your home computer learning a thing or two from Furby 2.0. No one said the future would be pretty.