Duck Tales Woo-oooo

A few days ago Gavin made a comment about Duck Tales having a super catchy theme song.

I loved Duck Tales growing up.  I remember playing the game on my NES, seeing the movie with my grandmother, and Donald Duck being the first character I got an autograph from at my first trip to Disney World.  

Duck Tales ruled!

The intro may actually be one of the best cartoon intros of all time in terms of fans.

There have been countless numbers of people to cover it including 

Andrew Huang covering it in 10 different genres (here)

Panic at Disco!'s frontman Brendan Urie putting his own spin on it for the Jimmy Fallon show (here)

I've heard it covered in multiple languages and styles and it still kicks ass! (here)

Duck Tales is the story of Donald Duck's nephews (Huey, Duey, and Louie) and their adventures with Uncle Scrooge in Duckburgh.  They go on Indiana Jones style adventures each day.

Duck Tales debuted in 1987 and it was the flagship show for Afternoon Disney that ran for 4 years on syndication.  The success of Duck Tales lead to other shows like Tale Spin, Chip n Dale's Rescue Rangers, and Darkwing Duck. 

I remember getting home from grade school and hearing that theme song come on and immediately dancing like a duck and having a good time.   

I already mentioned that Duck Tales was the first movie that my grandmother took me to see.  She passed away over 8 years ago and I miss her terribly.  

I really like doing these 80s week cards every year because it reminds me of much happier and carefree times.  Adulting is not nearly as fun as dancing like a duck or singing Duck Tales with grandparents or collecting 1987 Topps baseball cards with my dad.  

Thank you for following along on this week of 80s posts as I turn another year older today.   

Here are my Cutch cards based on the 1987 design (one of my all time favorite designs and the first set I ever completed).

Above are the two minis I have of Cutch using the 1987 design.  They include a 2017 Topps Mini 1987 Cherry Wood parallel (numbered to only 25 copies and to be featured again next month for October) and the 2012 Topps Mini 1987 throwback insert set.

Above are cards from 2017 celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1987 set.  I have the base and red wood parallels from the main flagship set along with the 6 main color mojo parallels from the "Silver Packs" found at Hobby stores as part of their Hobby Community Program.  The only way to get those silver packs was to purchase a disclosed amount of Topps packs which could then be redeemed at your local hobby shop for packs containing a few of these 1987 throwback cards.

Above are the backs for the 2017 cards commemorating the 30th anniversary of 1987 Topps.

These 5x7 cards are a unique situation where Topps didn't announce color parallels, but did in fact color a few cards differently with the same print run number.  Both of these, the orange and yellow name parallels are numbered 14/49.

They were released in 2016 and don't celebrate an anniversary for 1987 at all, just a random oversized tribute to an iconic set.

So there are my 1987 Cutch cards and my Duck Tales stories.

And this is a giant rubber duck that took a tour of Pittsburgh in 2013.  I saw it, but unfortunately all my pictures were taken with a digital camera and I no longer have the computer that everything was saved on.  Thanks Google for this awesome image!

Best 80s Cartoons Theme Song Openings

Yesterday I discussed my favorite movie soundtrack of all time.  I also mentioned my love for that soundtrack back in 2017 when I listed my 5 favorite albums of all time.  The 80s were loaded with great bands and killer guitar riffs.

Check out this intro to the 1980s cartoon King Arthur and Knights of Justice on YouTube

Bryan Reynolds' rookie season in 2019 was really good and he instantly became one of my favorite current Pirates players.  I went out and picked up a few cards here and there of his, especially any early cards that were cheap.

These Panini Stars and Stripes Crusade cards represent my latest rainbow attempt.

The Crusade background ties in very nicely with the King Arthur cartoon.

My favorite intro though is Thundercats

Here is a Thundercats cover done by my favorite couple of cover artists Pamela RomVel and David Galardi.

What are some of your favorite cartoon intros?

80s Week: My Favorite Movie/Soundtrack combo

Yesterday I wrote about my favorite current tv show based on an 80s property.  Cobra Kai is amazing.

But my favorite movie and favorite soundtrack can all be tied to one movie, Transformers.

No, I'm not talking about that Michael Bay stuff from the 2000s.  I am talking about the original, the OG!!!

Transformers, the animated 1986 movie, is the story that broke many boys hearts.  It had our hero, Optimus Prime, die.  It had a young brash wise cracker literally grow up to become the hero to light the darkest hour of the universe.  There is so much symbolism in the movie, it is insane.  

You want "cursing" in a G rated movie?  Yup. That's there too Damnit.

You want a soundtrack that can help you work out at the gym and push yourself to the limits of greatness?  Yup, this soundtrack will dare you to have the touch.

It's my favorite movie.

It's my favorite soundtrack.

It came out in 1986.

This 2020 Donruss Optic retro autograph is designed to look like the 1986 design.

Jose Canseco would be proud.

I Love The 80s: A Real Kick to the Head Regarding 1984

Last year I celebrated most of the week leading into my birthday on this blog with a look back at the 1980s.  I was born in the 80s and had a lot of fun with those posts.  You can revisit any "80s week" post here.

While my most influential years of my life were the 90s, I actually prefer all things 80s compared to the 90s.

Give me Thundercats over Ren & Stumpy

Give me Motley Crue over Foo Fighters

And give me Karate Kid over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Karate Kid is a top 10 movie of mine.  I always viewed Daniel Larusso as the film's hero and Mr Miyagi as a spiritual instructor who looks to bring inner peace. 

A video and article made 5 years ago could make you rethink that logic.

This analysis of the movie directly leads into the newest incarnation of the franchise, Cobra Kai.  

Cobra Kai was initially a YouTube streaming show, but has since moved to Netflix where it was just revealed a 3rd season will be released next year.  In the meantime you can get caught up on the original movie and the first two seasons that directly follows up on the first movie 30+ years later.

Cobra Kai is amazing and I plan to binge watch the second season this week!  

Here is the scan of a card that ties the original Karate Kid released in 1984 to the latest season of Cobra Kai released in 2019.

I have had this card forawhile but just got around to scanning it this week.  The shine and design really pop with all the primary colors on it.

The back design features the same context all other 1984 cards have from the 2019 Silver Packs, but this also has the fine print about the signing of all Topps products.

I put it in a one touch and what a beauty

What is your favorite movie from the 80s that has seen an extension to the mythos in recent years? There's been lots like Terminator, Rambo, all the toy selling cartoons (TMNT, Transformers, Ghostbusters, GI Joe), or maybe something?

80s Week: Turning a Baseball Card into the Baddest Motha'

Time is running out to post your favorite player born in the 1980s.  All week I have been showing off my Andrew McCutchen 80s related cardboard and making references to the 80s all week.

Today I am going to do a 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon style post by taking an unlicensed Donruss baseball card and trying to connect it to Samuel L. Jackson because I have been on a Marvel Cinematic Universe binge.

Here is the card

This 2015 Donruss Press Proof is numbered to 299 copies and is inspired by Donruss' inaugural release from 1981.

The back of the card features exactly the same design as the first release in 1981.  This is a nice touch by Panini as it is almost like Topps Heritage.

Cutch's card is 198 which in the 1981 Donruss set belonged to Andre Thornton (images borrowed by COMC.com)

Thornton was a power hitting first baseman/designated hitter.  He finished his career with 253 Home Runs.  He was a two time All-Star during his age 32 and 34 seasons.  He also won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1979.

As you can see in 1976 he was traded from the Expos to the Indians for Jackie Brown.

Jackie Brown was also a 1997 Crime Film that Pam Grier starred in with one Samuel L Jackson.

My Favorite 80s Fictional Characters

I am running a contest which you can still enter here, but time is ticking away.  I am gearing up for my 4th Annual Save Second Base Event where I show off only pink (with some hues of magenta, peach, and maybe a light purple or light red shade) baseball cards relating to my favorite baseball player for an entire month.  Prior to each post about the card I give out some frightening information about a major disease that is effecting many woman in this country.  I also show off some beautiful women for why we should be looking for a cure and to Save Second Base.

The prize is this very limited (only 25 copies produced) of two players who debuted in the 1980s, Barry Larkin and Gary Sheffield. 

As someone who was born in the 1980s and because it is my birthday week, all week long I am showing off cards of Andrew McCutchen and how they relate to the 80s. 

Cutch is my favorite player born in the 80s. Who is yours? Enter the contest here.

Each post so far this week I have been talking about different things from the 80s I like, but today I am going to talk about my favorite fictional characters to debut in the 80s and show off a card relating to their debut year.

Up first is Marty Mcfly, played by Michael J. Fox.  If you haven't seen any of the Back to the Future trilogy I DEMAND you leave this blog and don't come back until you have.  This Sci-Fi comedy takes a look at how one event can cause a ripple effect that can cause the entire universe to change paths.  Had Lorraine, played by the very stunning Lea Thompson, not fallen in love with George McFly  then Marty and his siblings would never have been born which causes more chains in the universe to be broken etc. 

The character Marty Mcfly debuted in Back to the Future which premiered in 1985.

 Here is a trio of parallels of Cutch screaming as he rounds the bases, likely trying to leg out a triple or coming home to celebrate a walk off homer.  It is from 2013 Topps Archives.

Speaking of Homer, here is Homer Simpson, who made his animated debut in April of 1987.  

The Simpsons is the longest running TV show ever.  While early seasons had me liking Bart for his catch phrases like "Eat my shorts" or "Cowabunga", it wasn't until I was older that I realized Homer is the best character on the show.  

There are multiple options I could have used showing off Cutch using the 1987 cardboard design, but ultimately I went with a more plain option from the 1987 5x7 card line produced in 2015 as an online exclusive.  

Another animated favorite of mine was Bumblebee from the original Generation 1 Transformers.  He has changed his appearance A LOT since his 1984 VW Beetle days to his mid 2000s Camaro car mode, but the heart of the character remains the same.

I wish I had the other parallels of this card (gold/50, blue/150, Orange/25, red/5) to pair up with the black and green, but for now these 1984 Topps Chrome style cards will have to do.

This next character is actually a pair because quite honestly you can't discuss William S Preston (Bill) without talking about his best friend Theodore Logan (Ted).  Bill and Ted introduced a franchise that will see it's third installment finally get made this year, twenty years after the original.  AND I AM PUMPED FOR IT!!! I jist got done doing a totally gnarly wicked air guitar solo to show my enthusiasm duuuuude.  

Seriously. Tho. Bill and Ted!!!!

2 totally awesome characters that helped shape the end of the 80s in a most bodacious way. 

I have a new segment revolving around the awesomeness of Keanu Reeves which I will debut next week.  It will definitely be a fun one to show off.

The original Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventire came out in 1989.

I loved 1989 Topps. I think it gets a bad rap for being such an over produced set from the 80s.  The design lends itself so well to today's color parallels though.

These die cut minis were from 2014 and are most excellent finds in a pack of cards.

1986 marked the first time I watched a movie and thought of a girl as being pretty and not having cooties or being some stupid girl.  That girl was Sarah Williams, played by Jennifer Connely.  

My parents got me into all things Jim Henson as a kid. I wasn't a super fan and couldn't recite much of the movie, but I was drawn in by the wonderfully created bizarre world that Jareth lived in and Sarah stumbled into.  As I got older, I grew to appreciate the unique nature of this film even more.  It didn't hurt that Jennifer Connely got more beautiful as she got older.

1986 Topps was a series I had only a few packs of.  The following year my dad and I went full blown collector crazy.

The simple nature of this set is so fun.  I wonder how many of today's stars will still be playing in 16 years so they can get a Heritage design similar to this  2014 Topps Archives release.

I Love The 80s: Those Uniforms Tho...

As I marched towards remembering the 1980s and at the same time promoting my contest, today I will be looking at some of the uniforms and players from the 1980s.

I will specifically look at the four teams that Andrew has played on and talk about the uniforms they wore in the 1980s along with my favorite from each team during the 80s.

Let's start with the team that Cutch played the fewest amount of games with, the New York Yankees.  Rich in tradition, the Yankees uniform remains unchanged for nearly a century.  The pinstripes are world famous, there are no names on the back, and the NY has largely remained the same on the front since the days of Babe Ruth.

(This card is insanely overpriced. It had a print run of less than 250 copies and can fetch over $50.)

Choosing my favorite Yankee of the 80s is a no brainer. It has to be Donnie Baseball.

Mattingly looked to be a lock for a Hall of Fame career as he was winning batting titles, MVP, and gold glove awards all before his age 30 season. I don't have any specific memories of Donnie Baseball, but my best friend in grade school would brag about having his 84 Topps card.

The Giants had a white home jersey with big bubbly letters for the G and S, but those uniforms haven't been worn by the team in a long time.  During Cutch's tenor with the team they used a road grey jersey worn in the 80s. It included a SF over the left breast plate of the player.

The uniform is very noticable on the 2018 Topps Update and all it's parallels including the autograph versions.

Favorite player from the Giants in the 80s? Will "The Thrill" Clark.  I collected a bunch of his cards and he was always a pesky hitter at the plate.  Will was also a good fielder.  After nearly two decades since his last game played in San Francisco, the team is doing the right thing and retiring #22.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will likely always be the team that Andrew is associated with and he helped bring a winning tradition back to the Steel City for a brief time from 2013 to 2015.  This three year stretch was only the second time since the 1979 World Series Champions made the playoffs.  The uniforms made famous by the 1979 "We are Family" Pirates were worn into the 80s by the Battlin' Bucs.

For me, there is no pitcher that influenced my little league life than Kent Tekulve.  I felt like I was him on the mound. Tall and a string bean with not enough arm strength to throw over the top.  I loved everything about this dude.

His current uniform of the Phillies has a throwback variant and has already started showing up on cardboard.

Wondering who may favorite Phillies player of the 80s is?

It's this guy again!

80s Week: More 1 of 1s

Because it is my birthday, I am continuing the theme of the 1980s all week.  As someone born in the 80s I have put together a contest for everyone to write about your favorite player born in the 1980s.  It is a blog bat around that leads into another Save Second Base contest where you can win a pink card of Gary Sheffield and Barry Larkin (two former superstars that made their debut in the 1980s).

Here are some more of my favorites from the 80s.

Video Game:
RBI Baseball

This was a toss up for me. I had an original NES and the only games I ever played were sports games or Super Mario Brothers. I never got into much else. I enjoyed playing MegaMan but could never defeat the last level.  My other favorite games growing up were Base Wars, Baseball Stars 2, and Mutant League Hockey.

If you have never seen the YouTube video of Vin Scully announcing Game 6 of the 1986 World Series to RBI Baseball, you are in for a treat. It is amazing!

Favorite "retro drink"
Ecto Cooler

I lived off of juice boxes as a kid. My cousin and I would pound a 10 pack of these in just a few hours.  Ecto Cooler has been brought back a few times since it was originally changed by Hi-C, but that original package with Slimer from the Ghost Busters is still a classic.

Favorite toy

Yesterday I said Thundercats was my favorite cartoon despite not having many toys of them.  One toy line that I had a lot of was Transformers.  It's weird that I can distinctly remember asking for certain toys and where I was when I got them or wanted them. Oddly enough they all revolve around Transformers.

I remember bringing my Rodimus Prime with me to Vermont to visit my uncle at a bed and breakfast.

I remember asking my dad if I could get one of the new Decepticon jets (Dirge I believe) and him telling me "you don't play with the ones you have". I ripped off Starscream and Skywarp's wings and threw them on the ground. "They're broke" I told him.

My favorite though was Blaster, the cool talking Autobot radio that debuted in the full feature movie.  I got him as a Christmas present from my Grandmother and played with it all the time, putting him on my shoulder like I was carrying around a boombox.  I loved that toy!

I also loved the Seacons and built the entire Piranacon combiner.

My favorite toy leads into
My favorite movie then (and still to this day)

Ok. This movie was a game changer.
I remember my dad picking me up from day care on his motorcycle as he rode us to the theatre so quickly.  My dad still tells me how I would fall asleep sometimes as he would ride me around strapped in tightly on his Honda.  Once we got the food and popcorn I sat on his lap, or stood actually leaning forward watching so intently on every animated scene. I loved all the new characters that were introduced.  Blaster and Hot Rod were my favorites.  I cried when Optimus died and didn't want to watch it anymore. Then the movie introduced Wheelie and I was fixated once again.  Everything about this movie is pure gold.  The pacing, the animation, the voice actors, and the soundtrack.  To this day it is my favorite movie I have ever watched.

I mentioned a long time ago that the soundtrack is one of my 5 favorite albums ever produced.



Now for some 1980s inspired baseball cards.

These are ALL 1/1S!
Yup, each card you see below is a 1 of 1 and is a pack produced card that drew inspiration from 80s baseball cards.

Let's start with Archives

One thing I absolutely loved about the Archives brand being reinvented in 2012 was having printing plates of current players on older Topps designs.  A lot of people hate on printing plates, but when you get them all together, they are one of the hardest parallels to piece together.

As you can see I am at 75% on a pair of 1983 inspired printing plate sets.

The 1983 All-Star design is from 2013 Archives.

The 1983 base is from 2015 Archives.

I also have this Archives black border 1 of 1 from 2015 Archives.

Topps had their annual Transcendent Party in 2018 and as a result they had a few buyback cards that were released as 1 of 1 stamps at the party.

Again, with 1983?

Sheesh....I need some other years.