Force Friday

So Force Friday came and went... If you don't already know, Force Friday was September 2nd 2015 when all of the new Star Wars things went on sale at midnight...sort of... What happened was a handful of people brought their phone cameras to vlog post their experience. Some footage made you tube. I was waiting for it to be over the next day in hopes to find lots of happy posts of happy fans in line and in stores. I think it might be expecting too much from the current young people to embrace Star Wars. Most of the adults taking their kids to force Friday grew up with phantom menace being their intro to the much larger world of the force. If you remember the rush to stand in line for that movies midnight toy reveal it was flooded with product...all of it now worth less than original retail price. So this time they put less product out. What was there on the shelves seemed to be pretty well thought out and the surprise I assume is they held back most of the new characters from the movie. I am told they are saving the rest for December when the movie comes out.

I love Star Wars but truthfully Disney is so massive now I really don't want to buy tons of the new movie things. I have collected for some time now. Some of my good friends work for Disney and I am very glad to see them involved with Star Wars now. One of my buddies I used to work with and collect figures with at lunch time got the chance to design some of the new packaging. I am so stoked for him and I imagine his son must be overjoyed and so proud of his dad. 

I love what Walt Disney did in his lifetime, but I don't think he would have necessarily have been a Star Wars fan... I am happy for my friends that work there, but Disney is so massive now I can't say I dig that big of a corporate machine. I slowed way down on my action figure collecting long ago too. One day I hope to make my own toys on some small level. I guess why I don't is plastic. I don't want to put more plastic out there. I really don't know the conditions of the factories that make Star Wars toys. Some toy companies like figures toy co. Show photos of their factories, but how do you really know how the workers are treated? Sorry if this is a bummer toy collectors...but that's my take on collecting now. Can I live without it? Yes. 

Well, one thing is certain...I am looking forward to the movie. I made the decision to buy one new figure. I bought the 20 inch captain phasma from jakks pacific. I got it online real cheap. My wife bought a remote control darth Vader car on the Q too mostly for me and my dog to play with in the back yard. I have never owned a remote control car, so that should be fun.

I don't care for the snarky comments from some of these kids posting videos of force Friday who are obviously not fans, but hey I was once an angry young man so a long as they are not hurting anyone...whateves... Hey cool guys, we know you just went to buy toys to sell on eBay later for profit, and it's not your thing...may the cash be with you. 

It's entertainment. That's all it is. It supposed to be fun. 

I stared collecting toys when I gave up cigarettes and alcohol years ago. I thought we might have kids to pass them on to someday... Well we did not have kids. Toy collecting got a bit addicting but thankfully we just don't have the room for too much. Sometimes if I have mint in box toys I donate them to toy drives. 

I don't let myself get too caught up in entertainment. I try to entertain myself with my own art mostly, but art books and toys can be inspiring at times, so now and then I do love new toys and books. The movies are nice too, but I love more getting the object to hold and imagining the story...like right now...we don't know anything really about the Force Awakens, but we have a handful of new figures to imagine what we can expect. A giant chrome female storm trooper for me is a great place to start.

Too bad Siskel and Ebert are going to miss it.

See you at the movies!

Researching the blues

Today I watched the new Keith Richards documentary on Netflix. I have always wanted to be a rock star first and artist second growing up, but art won and here I am today. Music has been the most important art supply I ever bought. A good record can help you find the connection to the flow of the painting almost right away. I had the chance to meet many of my idols. Many were rock stars and more were artists. Most of the artists I love have a connection to music in some way. Watching this documentary made me want to play guitar today, and I will. The part about being a good artist is the magic happens when you let go and let it take over. Usually most artists work in solitude in a studio. Time passes fast for me as an artist or painter...whatever...I sit and work and the world happens. I get so focused I get lost. I forget to take care of my life and myself. I have at times gone so far I have lost my sense of humor. Note to self: don't ever lose your sense of humor. Guitar can be a challenge for me. Using the left hand instead etc... Sometimes I play very well, but usually I'm the only one who hears it. I have always thought I had to play three chord rock, but I got this nylon classical acoustic at a flea market awhile back that has this wonderful tone. I am working on music here and there. I am going to try and sing too. I bought an old tape recorder online awhile back and I am going to use it this week to start working on signing and songs. I don't like my voice that much, but I f you don't dance and sing once in awhile you are missing out on life. I really don't want to play for anyone but my wife, dog and my close friends, but I have learned that if you practice a lot you get past that fear. That's what guitar is for me facing my fears. Singing is even a bigger fear, but I will work towards it. Most likely I will sing silly songs, but I don't know yet what it will be. Last time I tried it was trying to do a replacements/teenage fan club thing. Maybe it will be me and my acocutic guitar solo someday (well yeah...just like this afternoon). My dog falls asleep when I play and he seems to enjoy it. For now it's my escape. I have been taking time to take care of myself and my health too. Taking care of things at home. Watching this documentary today seeing keef at home and listening to records I sure miss my uncle Don who named his first born son Keith... He sure would have dug it. Lots of love in this documentary. I reccomend it. I want to get Keefs new cd, but I just ordered the new Wilco and Los Lobos cds recently so I gotta get to those first. From what I have heard so far I really like it. If you have never watched hail hail rock and roll you shoul see that too. I must have watched it 20 times or so on t.v. Growing up. The dialog between Keith and Chuck are so incredible, and the part were chuck sings by himself in his dim lit house... Just check that one out... My favorite Stones lp? So hard to choose but the Keith moments on them make them great. The first Keith moments I fell in love with were on Some Girls... When the whip comes down, and even though Mick sang far away eyes that tune is so Keith and it might be my fave Stones tune, but don't make me pick...o.k.? 

Be safe and take care! -Scott