Pop Culture Break

Madeline Strum Photography

One more great toy from 2021 has us cheering

TEN HUT!

When I heard the Major Wresting Figure Podcast rundown the top wrestling figures of 2021, I realized I omitted one of the best figures of the year from my Toys of the Year list (Issue 112): the San Diego Comic Con exclusive Ultimate Edition Sgt. Slaughter.

The packaging on this figure is insane. An oversized box utilizes the illustration from the traditional Legends figures along the sides. The box then opens to reveal an LJN blister pack with the figure posed like the original Sgt. Slaughter LJN.

On top of the unreal packaging, the sculpt and likeness on the figure are perfect. The blister pack also slides down to reveal a bevy of accessories, like his riding crop and swappable body parts. WWE SDCC exclusives continue to be the cream of the crop over the past three years (Slim Jim Macho Man, Wrestlemania Mr. T). I did not attend SDCC, but Slaughter is available online through the Mattel Creations site. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for 2022.

Madeline Strum Photography

UNCOVERED

Digging through boxes this winter to find samples for LV’s portfolio (and things that just needed to be tossed), I found the copy of Headstrong Ashley Tisdale signed for Meg on her Rolling Stone advertorial shoot in 2007. I used to listen to the whole disc on repeat while editing photos home alone. It’s shocking to listen to now because I forgot how popular auto tune was.

For those not familiar, Ashley Tisdale was the first female artist to debut with two songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 when the High School Musical soundtrack was released. (I had to read that sentence twice and confirm it.)

Now if you know Olivia Rodrigo came from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and won three Grammys, you might be wondering is Headstrong is as good as SOUR?

No.

But it’s fun. Hopes were sky high for Tisdale, but she doesn’t establish herself as a character in her own music. I’m totally going to keep blasting it in the car, though.

Madeline Strum Photography

PROGRAMMING FREE WILL

Coming of age stories where a teenage character has to overcome a fear to achieve a happy ending are great and all, but we seem to keep seeing movies where the main character has to decide to be a better person—and that saves the day. Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen easily captured Kal’s imagination as they battled big obviously evil characters. That was so elementary school, though. Now he reads the most absurd humor he can get from the library. The movie options seem to have shifted as well. We streamed Free Guy and The Adam Project, both from star-producer Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy, that include big bad characters—but also main characters who had to decide they wanted to get involved. Free Guy in particular reminded me of The Truman Show in the way is plainly begs what is the point of all this and who is really in control?

Are stories about middle age characters going on exciting adventures that question reality and the purpose of their lives a new genre? I can’t wait to see Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh’s multiverse action adventure. —MV

MS. MARVEL

I’m very excited for Ms. Marvel Disney+. Iman Vellani seems to perfectly capture the youthful exuberance of Kamala Kahn. The series set in Jersey City (is she the first Jersey super hero?) looks like it’s pulled straight from the Marvel Comics pages (created by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Jamie McKelvie). Check out this teaser poster and the actual comic cover that inspired it. —LV

MLB The Show Legends Edition

takashiokazaki

Manga Mantle

The brilliant manga artist takashiokazaki (Star Wars Visions: The Duel, Batman Ninja, Afro Samurai) not only did the art for the Legends Edition of MLB The Show, but he is also producing five new legends cards in his singularly unique style. The first of the five legends was revealed March 23 via MLB The Show’s social channels: Mickey Mantle. The card looks amazing (hands down the best looking cards in the game) and this exclusive pack will be available day of launch to all of those who preordered the Legends Edition. Hopefully this is a sign that The Show is going to go the route of 2K and Madden and create more conceptual cards.

SPORTS in the time of COVID

Trying to nail down Luis’ thoughts about the 2-year anniversary, Madeline suggested pandemic really started when Rudy Gobert ended a press conference by slapping a bunch of recording devices. Two days later, March 11, 2020, Gobert tested positive and the NBA shut down the league.

“Lack of sports was a big time low,” Luis said. “There was legitimately nothing between March and July.” No college or professional sports until baseball and basketball came back in July. ESPN was airing NBA players playing 2K against each other. EGaming became such a thing for MLB network and NASCAR, too.

Sports entertainment never paused. WWE, NXT, and AEW kept going. AEW had wrestlers in the crowd in an outdoor space in the Jaguars practice space. No plexi, just ringside outdoors.

WWE couldn’t cancel Wrestlemania in April 2020, but there were no fans at the performance center. It was a black box set up. It took WWE months to bring in an audience. First they had video screens in the Thunderdome that fans could sign up for like NBA virtual fans. They were better than no fans, but nothing picked up until Wrestlemania 2021, the first live event in front of fans. The whole locker room came out before the event. “Tears were streaming down Rhea Ripley’s face because she hadn’t seen fans in 15, 16 months. That endeared her even more to fans and wrestlers because she was so emotional. She’s the future of the entire company.”

Basketball handled the pandemic the best. The NBA created a bubble in Orlando. “Those were high quality games in the bubble.” The level of basketball in the bubble is the best Luis has seen in his life. “The games were more open scoring and the efficiency of it all—there were no cameras or fans along the baselines so players could drive more effortlessly because there was no threat of crashing. It was more breakneck speed, more daring feats of athleticism.”

The MLB lockout was endlessly more annoying to him. “Everyone is sacrificing to make pandemic work. Ratings are going down nationally, rising on local networks so owners are still making more money than ever but refused to pay talent.” Now he has all his sports back.