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Care Bears Finally Try Being Loving and Inclusive with New ‘Togetherness Bear’

If you grew up in the 1980’s you probably remember The Care Bears. They were brightly colored bears, with tummy symbols that fought against bullying and evil and taught kids to care-a-lot about others.  Apparently, that message wasn’t what we all thought it was because there’s a new Care Bear in town to finally represent inclusivity and acceptance and has the “Love All” catch phrase.

At least that seems to be the message behind the newest Care Bear.

It gets better.

Togetherness Bear was a new Care Bear that they found. She had no color (She’s white) and no name or symbol. The Care Bears tell her about each of their colors and what they mean so that she can choose to be one of their colors. In the end she chooses the best of each Care Bear to be all the colors.

So the white Care Bear appropriates other Care Bears color identities. Why didn’t they just tell the Care Bear that was different that it’s okay to be different and to accept themselves because they accept her? Wouldn’t that be actual acceptance?

Ashley Mady Brand Development for Basic Fun talks about how everyone’s different.

It really represents everything and everyone, and this idea that it takes colors from all of the rainbow and really represents all of the bears as a collective. Just like no two people are the same, no two bears are the same, and that’s what really makes Togetherness different than any bear we’ve launched before.”

She was different before they make her like them, but her difference wasn’t okay then. Now it’s diversity?

Also “collective”?  What is this the Borg? A cult?

She was different so they converted her to their collective and gave her color and a brand, I mean tummy symbol so she could belong.  She couldn’t belong as herself? She had to change to be one of them.

She continues:

There couldn’t have been a more perfect time for when the world needed to come together. And the idea that Togetherness Bear is coming to bring people even closer together — to unite them — after COVID and to celebrate inclusion, there’s so many different messages and meanings for what this bear could stand for. There’s an opportunity for each person to really project what they care about — and what they want to stand together on — onto this bear.

So they’re leveraging a pandemic and diversity.

An opportunity for each person to really project what they care about.” You mean like choosing which Care Bear was your favorite by the color or symbol you related to?

Why am I so annoyed? It’s just a toy?

I’m annoyed because I’m tired of these companies “reinventing” things that don’t need reinvented. The Care Bears were always inclusive and loving. They’ve had a couple different rainbow colored Care Bears before. This just feels like pandering.

I’m annoyed because I’m so tired of companies trying to leverage diversity and inclusion for money.  If it were truly about message, then the Care Bear should have been accepted for who she was as she was. Not changed to be the best of them.

Plus it’s wrong to keep using “diversity” and “inclusion” as buzz words to make money.

I want kids to know they are who they are and that’s okay. You don’t have to change yourself to fit in. This bear literally changes everything about herself to be “better.”

Kids need to understand that it’s okay that people are different from them and to accept who they are. Not to encourage them to change for you to accept them. It’s like the polar opposite of the message we should be teaching kids.

“Love All” has been the Care Bear message the entire time, until now, because now you have to change to be loved.

They did NOT think this through. They seemed to only see a rainbow cash grab.

Anyways. You can buy the new bear at Walmart. It’s $12.88 and exclusive to the store.

 

Source: The Toy Insider

‘My Adventures With Superman’ Animated Show Announced for Cartoon Network and HBO Max

Warner Bros. has announced a Superman cartoon (with a two -season order) called My Adventures With Superman during their Upfronts presentation today.

I’m sure it’s coming on the heels of the CW Superman & Lois show doing so well.

This new show won’t just be about Superman (Clark Kent) and Lois Lane. No. Jimmy Olsen is going to be inserted into the famous duo as well.

Here’s the synopsis:

The animated series features twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist actress Alice Lee), and their best friend Jimmy Olsen as they begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet.

My Adventures with Superman follows Clark as he builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis – and perhaps the world. Lois, now growing into a star investigative journalist, takes aspiring photographer Jimmy Olsen under her wing. All the while, Clark and Lois are falling in love, sharing adventures, taking down bad guys, stumbling over secrets, and discovering what it means to be Superman and Lois Lane.

With this announcement came the slew of obligatory quotes:

Amy Friedman, Head of Kids and Family Programing at Warner Bros. said:

Superman has remained one of the most iconic and beloved Super Heroes in the world. This fresh take from the Warner Bros. Animation team delivers a modern, relatable Clark Kent alongside a fearless, whip-smart Lois Lane who are navigating the small tasks of both becoming adults and trying to save the world.

Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, and executive producer on this new show said:

It’s been a great partnership working with Cartoon Network and HBO Max to bring more DC Super Heroes to the platform in new and creatively interesting ways. This is the first animated Superman series in many years and we want to tell our Superman story through the trio of Clark, Lois and Jimmy – whose relationship dynamic will allow for rich, serialized and engaging stories as we explore their lives as individuals and their journey together as friends.

I think as long as they stick to what has worked for decades and don’t try to “reinvent” the wheel too much, it could be good.  This comes after the announcement that they will be doing a new Batman Animated Series as well.

Previous shows like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and now Superman and Lois have performed very well. If they stay to formula it should be okay. Let’s just hope we don’t get some weird love triangle with Jimmy Olson.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Sources: Deadline, Comicbook.com, The Hollywood Reporter

Alec Baldwin Set To Star In ‘Supercell,’ Herbert James Winterstern’s Directorial Debut

‘Red October’ actor Alec Baldwin is cast in Herbert James Winterstern’s feature film directorial debut ‘Supercell,’ a disaster movie that follows a group of storm chasers. The director previously worked on several episodes of the television show ‘Siberia.’
Short Porch Pictures is currently filming the movie in Georgia and Montana with Highland Film Group picking up international distribution rights to the movie. Winterstern co-wrote the script along with Anna Elizabeth James, best known for writing Netflix’s ‘Deadly Illusions.’
According to a press release, Daniel Diemer (‘The Half of It’), Jordan Kristine Seamón (‘We Are Who We Are’), Skeet Ulrich (‘Armored’), and Anne Heche (‘Superman: Doomsday’) have joined the movie’s cast. Winterstern is producing along with Nathan Klingher and Ryan Donnell Smith.
The synopsis explains, “Supercell tells the thrilling tale of William (Diemer), a good-hearted teenager, who lives in hope of following in his father’s footsteps, the legendary storm chaser Bill Brody who was killed in action. His father’s legacy has been turned into a storm chasing tour business managed by the greedy and reckless owner Zane Rogers (Baldwin). After William runs away from home, he teams up with his dad’s old partner Roy (Ulrich) and enters into the world of storm chasing. But the tornadoes have only gotten bigger. As his mother (Heche) anxiously searches for her son, she’s joined by his classmate (Seamón) in hopes of protecting William as Zane leads the group deep into the eye of the most dangerous supercell ever seen.”
Ulrich said, “I am excited to join this talented group of filmmakers and cast to tell this story. I’ve always been a fan of Alec Baldwin’s work and am honored to have the opportunity to work with him.”
Winterstern echoed those sentiments, saying, “With Skeet, Anne, Daniel, and Jordan joining Alec, I’m so grateful to have such a versatile and talented cast behind this story.”
Baldwin is coming off a Saturday Night Live as well as the sequel ‘The Boss Baby: Family Business.’

Epic vs. Apple: Is Roblox a “Game”? It May Decide The Lawsuit.

I’m going to show my age here, but I have no idea what Roblox is. I’ve heard my kid talk about the “game” mainly made up of user-created content in my peripheral. I use the quotations because that word is now referred to as “experiences” on Roblox’s website.
When logged into the website, a tab once called “Games” has been updated to read “Discover.” In addition, the term “players” was switched to “people.” This may not signal anything more than perhaps a branding change to a passerby or the average player. However, in the scope of the ongoing lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games, it may be a huge deal.
In short, Apple wants to prove that games like Fortnite, Roblox, etc., are games. Therefore they must abide by Apple’s rules and fees. Epic is attempting to make their products on the App Store exempt from Apple’s 30% revenue cut it takes per purchase. The same is done over at the Google Play Store. Epic believes these fees and limited avenues for customers amount to antitrust violations.
That’s as basic as I can make it.
The Verge reported on the confusing game of words that is being played out. Just a clever term can change your product from a game to an app in the eyes of Apple. This circumventing of the terms was also confirmed by a 2017 e-mail from Trystan Kosmynka from Apple’s marketing division.
What is a game? Kosmynka defined it in the following way, “If you think of a game or app, games are incredibly dynamic, games have a beginning, an end, there’s challenges in place. I look at the experiences that are in Roblox similar to the experiences that are in Minecraft. These are maps. These are worlds. And they have boundaries in terms of what they’re capable of.
So, is Fortnite really a game since there’s no end and you create things in the game? Doubtful. It’s a competitive game where you build structures to defend yourself against the enemy. Fortnite does have a beginning and end of each match. It’s not just an open-ended sandbox with no point.
While I disagree that Apple or Google should be the only gateway for us to get games on the devices, playing these word games may blow up in Epic’s face. If they lose this court battle, it could set the consumer back even further.
What are your thoughts on the lawsuit? Is Roblox a game? Is Fortnite? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: The Verge]

GameStop Offering 20-50% Off Anime Merchandise and Games!

There’s a huge anime sale going on right now over at GameStop. Over 200 items from manga and anime are listed. The games are up to 50% off, while the non-video game merchandise is discounted up to 20%.
If you’ve been eyeing up a certain action figure or game, now is the time to buy. The sale also applies to items that are GameStop exclusives like Funko Pops. Some things are already selling out. If you’re like me and interested in Gundam stuff, click here to go right to those listings.
We took a screenshot of the most expensive items currently included in this sale. Check it out.

GameStop
Here are the properties we’ve seen included in this sale:

  • One Piece
  • Dragon Ball
  • Persona
  • Evangelion
  • Cowboy Bebop
  • Sword Art Online
  • Demon Slayer
  • My Hero Academia
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
  • Sailor Moon
  • Mobile Suit Gundam
  • Love Live
  • Saint Seiya
  • Attack on Titan
  • Naruto
  • Fire Force
  • Fullmetal Alchemist
  • RE: Zero
  • The Idolmaster
  • Fate/Grand Order
  • Junji Ito

Games, statues, action figures, and Funko Pops are just some of the items listed. We also saw backpacks, shirts, and other wearables. How long this sale will be going on is not shown. Don’t delay!
A lot of these toys and stuff aren’t available at physical GameStop stores. We checked locations in a few large metro areas, and the number of items available for pickup averaged around 90 things out of the original 223. Now is the time to use up any trade-in credit or certificates since you’ll have to swallow a shipping cost.
I’ve noticed that GameStop stores have been flushing out the non-game merchandise as of late. Once, the ten stores within my town used to have half of the store taken up with Pops, action figures, and replicas. Now all those toys are consolidated to a few shelves and a clearance bin. It may not be long before we see these stores revert to being 95% games and 5% “other.”
[Source: GameStop]

‘Jurassic Park’ Actress Laura Dern Speaks Out About Cast Reunion For ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’

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Laura Dern has been a part of Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise since the very first installment of the dinosaur films in 1993. Playing paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler, she would go on to have a minor role in ‘Jurassic Park III’ and has been announced that the ‘Dr. T & the Women’ actress will return for the Colin Trevorrow-directed ‘Jurassic World: Dominion,’ joining the ensemble cast that includes many from ‘Jurassic Park’ and the sequel series.
Speaking with People Magazine, Dern discussed the enormous cast reunion and that “saving butts” will be “involved” in the movie.
“I can say that it was incredible to be back together,” said of her co-stars Sam Neil and Jeff Goldblum, who are reprising their roles as Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm, respectively. “It was an amazing thing to join my original cast members and go down memory lane, from that experience in the beginning of a franchise through the whole course of these films together with all the key cast members who have been working on these movies, as well as [director] Colin Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg, who is like family to me.”
“We’ve had a beautiful time remembering what we loved about the origin story, and the first CGI and working with the animatronics of the brilliant Stan Winston, and what we want to hold and protect of the original characters.” She added, “So it’s just been amazing.”
The Oscar-winning actress explained that she went back and re-watched the movies to prepare for the filming of ‘Dominion,’ seeing that it was “creating a complete story” with “the idea of bringing everyone together.” She described reuniting with her castmates as a “high school reunion.”
‘Jurassic Park’ and its 1997 sequel ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ were loosely based on science fiction novels by the late award-winning author Michael Crichton. Steven Spielberg directed the first two films while Joe Johnston directed ‘Jurassic Park III.’ Colin Treverrow and J. A. Bayona directed ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,’ respectively.
‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ is set to hit theaters June 10, 2022, by Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures. It features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, Omar Sy, Jake Johnson, Mamoudou Athie, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, Campbell Scott, and DeWanda Wise.

Mads Mikkelsen Opens Up About Replacing Johnny Depp In ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’

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Johnny Depp was selected to play the dark wizard Gellert Grindlewald in the Harry Potter prequel in ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ and its sequel ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.’ Depp was set to reprise the role in the third entry in the series but following the scandal around his turbulent relationship with ‘Aquaman’ actress Amber Heard, Warner Bros. asked him to step aside.
While speculation on who would play Grindlewald grew, ‘Rogue One’ actor Mads Mikkelsen was tapped to replace Depp, even after the film’s production was delayed due to the pandemic lockdowns.
Breaking his silence on the matter, Mikkelsen spoke with Entertainment Weekly about entering the Wizard World and replacing Depp.
“Well it’s going to be me, so that’s a difference,” he joked.
“No, this is the tricky part,” Mikkelsen explained. “We’re still working it out. There has to be a bridge between what Johnny did and what I’m going to do. And at the same time, I also have to make it my own. But also we have to find a few links [to the previous version of the character] and some bridges so it doesn’t completely detach from what he’s already masterfully achieved.”
When asked what he thought about being tapped for the role, he said, “Job wise, it’s obviously super interesting and nice.”
“It’s also a shocker that it came after what happened, which is just super sad,” Mikkelsen continued, referring to the ongoing legal battle between Depp and Heard. “I wish both of them the best. These are sad circumstances. I hope both of them will be back in the saddle again really soon.”
Directed by David Yates, the third ‘Fantastic Beasts’ also features Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Jessica Williams, Jude Law, and is based on a screenplay co-written by Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves.

‘Hellboy’ Reboot Director Discusses Why The Movie Failed

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Created by writer-artist Mike Mignola in 1993, Hellboy is a half-demon summoned by the Axis Powers during World War 2. He was rescued by the US Army and had a hand in developing the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) which polices supernatural events.
The character’s appearances in Dark Horse Comics have paved the way for two films starring TV’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ actor Ron Perlman as Hellboy and a 2019 reboot starring Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ David Harbour as the demonic protagonist. The latter was poorly received by critics and audiences alike, causing it to be a box office bomb.
In an interview with Den of Geek, director Neil Marshall, who helmed the reboot, explained why he thinks the movie failed and that ‘the script was never any good.’
The director explains that he wanted to do a horror adaption of the character, considering his nine-year absence from directing a feature film, while others wanted to see a more traditional approach similar to the two films directed by Guillermo del Toro.
“That appealed to me, and obviously getting a chance to do a feature was a big thing,” he said. “Despite my reservations or whatever, I jumped at it, because it was a chance to do a feature after nine years. I wanted to get back in the game. But I made an unwise decision, because I should have based my choice purely on whether the script was any good. Unfortunately, the script was never any good, and there’s only so much a director can do.”
“Even the best director in the world can’t make a masterpiece out of a script that was substandard,” he said. “This was a confused script from the start, combining different stories and sticking rigidly to the comics, which worked fine as graphic novels. But when you translate them to the screen, there are gaping plot holes.”
Marshall continued, “Ultimately, it came across that they brought me in so they could tell me what to do. They didn’t really want to make a horror version of it at all, because I was the most experienced horror person involved in the entire production, and I wasn’t allowed to touch the script. I wasn’t allowed to bring any kind of horror essence to it. So it just ended up as a disaster, really. It was just a mess, and a deeply unpleasant experience.”
The ‘Dog Soldiers’ director elaborated that the studio “just didn’t care” about any opinions he had about retooling the script. Marshall added, “I’ve said it a few times before, you can’t polish a turd.”
He compared the making of ‘Hellboy’ with his upcoming horror flick ‘The Reckoning,’ saying that with the latter he had a smaller budget, but more creative influence on the film.
“On Hellboy, I had lots of money and no creative input,” he explained. “On (‘The Reckoning’), I had full creative control over the piece and no money. But that was a good sacrifice to make because the experience of making ‘The Reckoning’ was just creatively way more satisfying.”

Henry Golding Opens Up About ‘Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origin’

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ actor Henry Golding is set to portray fan-favorite ‘GI Joe: A Real American Hero’ ninja in the upcoming Paramount Pictures film ‘Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins.’ In a recent interview with Comic Beat, Golding discussed playing the warrior and working on the action sequences.
“When you’re filming something like that, do remember, it’s like 30 takes of the entire sequence,” the actor said describing the physical demands of the role.
He also praised the fight coordinator for the choreography of the action sequences.
Golding explained, “(Kenji Tanigaki) was with us for like two months, and put us through our paces, brought us up to speed on where we wanted our characters. What is shown in this movie is super grounded and the majority of it is without special effects. All of the actors doing their own stunts. Every single choreography we had to learn and do ourselves.”
He also discussed getting to know his co-star Iwo Uwais, who plays Hard Master in the film.
“I speak broken Bahasa, obviously Bahasa Indo is very similar to the Bahasa Melayu,” he said. “So, you know, we cracked some jokes on set and stuff, we were very close. But for him to teach me a little bit of Silat, which is the traditional martial arts of Indonesia, is phenomenal. That style has so much sexiness to it. I think just the moves themselves are just unbelievable. But yeah, working with him was unreal.”
On the subject of how Snake Eyes is shown in the movie, the character seems to do things that fans would find unfamiliar, such as speaking and removing his mask.
“We need to understand the jeopardy behind the decisions that he makes,” Golding explained. “We need to understand that he’s not just a fighting machine. He has a heart. He has a history. He has family, at the end of the day. So, how did he get to the space of putting that mask on? And why did he make those decisions? That’s what we explore. And that’s why I’m so excited to revamp and really start at the origin.”
Snake Eyes is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 23, 2021 and also stars Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Úrsula Corberó as The Baroness, Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Haruka Abe as Akiko, Takehiro Hira as Kenta, and Iwo Uwais as Hard Master.

Capcom’s ‘1942’ and ‘1943’ Replicade Cabinets Are Coming!

If there’s one thing I miss from the 1980s, it’s darkly lit arcades filled with cigarette smoke and blacklight posters. There was something magical about trying to get the top score on Pac-Man while your eyes watered up due to all the acrid smoke in the air.
Nowadays, you can recreate all that fun in your own home, kind of.
New Wave Toys is gearing up to launch two new 1/6th scale Replicade machines. This time around, they’ll be in the style of Capcom’s classic top-down shooters 1942 and 1943. An exact release date has not been confirmed, but look at those beauties!

Capcom | New Wave Games
What to expect:

  • Replica 1942 ROMSTAR/Capcom Lowboy Arcade Machine in 1/6th Scale (11 inches tall)
  • Plays the original 1942 and 1943: The Battle of Midway arcade games
  • Arcade Operator’s menu featuring customizable dip switches and cabinet settings
  • Miniaturized Control Panel featuring Mini Joystick 
  • Includes bonus 1943 Mini Arcade Stick for two-player gameplay. It also works with some USB-compatible modern console controllers
  • Plug and Play HDTV connectivity
  • Authentic wood cabinet construction
  • Illuminated Marquee
  • Diecast metal Japanese-style coin slot
  • Signature amplified multi-speaker audio reproduction with volume control
  • High-resolution cabinet art reproduction on quality 3M vinyl overlays
  • High score saving with non-volatile memory
  • Built-in high-capacity rechargeable battery
  • Premium LCD color screen 3:4 aspect ratio (vertical orientation)
  • Officially licensed by Capcom
  • Limited Edition
  • 100-Day New Wave Factory Warranty
Capcom | New Wave Games
What to expect:

  • Replica 1943 Dynamo arcade cabinet in 1/6th scale (12 inches tall)
  • Plays the original 1942 and 1943: The Battle of Midway arcade games
  • Arcade Operator’s menu with customizable dip switch and cabinet settings
  • Miniaturized control panel with mini bat-top microswitch joystick and microswitch buttons
  • Includes bonus 1943 Mini Arcade Stick for two-player gameplay. Also works with some USB-compatible console controllers
  • Plug and Play HDTV connectivity
  • Authentic wood cabinet construction
  • Illuminated marquee & cabinet accents
  • Battle scarred metal coin door with security bar
  • Signature amplified multi-speaker audio reproduction with volume control
  • High-resolution cabinet art reproduction on quality 3M vinyl overlays
  • Yellow T-Molding
  • High score saving with non-volatile memory
  • Built-in, high-capacity rechargeable battery
  • Premium LCD color screen 3:4 vertical aspect ratio
  • Officially licensed by Capcom
  • Limited Edition
  • 100-Day New Wave Factory Warranty

New Wave Toys isn’t new to the scaled-down arcade machine game. A few years ago, they released Centipede, and it was a surprisingly well-done effort with a very accurate trackball. I was so impressed that when they announced a crowdfunding campaign to get a tiny Dragon’s Lair made, I jumped right on it. Now sold out, the beautiful recreation of Don Bluth’s masterpiece is sitting behind me in the studio.
These Replicade machines may not be ideal for long gaming sessions. They are, however, amazing display pieces and a fun way to relive the good old ’80s arcade days without spending a grand or so on a full-size cabinet.
I’d love to get APB, but the logistics of making the controls useable at that scale would be a right pain. What classic arcade games would you want to see replicated at this scale? Smash TV? NBA Jam?. Let us know in the comments.

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