Legos are one of the most popular and diverse toy lines created in the last 100 years. From the toddler friendly Duplo blocks to the intricate 7,500+ piece Millennium Falcon, everybody loves Legos!
Lego Japan recently released the findings of a real interesting study. The study asked 100 graduates from each of six of Japan’s most elite universities (the University of Tokyo and Waseda, Keio, Hosei, Meiji, and Rikkyo Universities) about their childhood habits and how they think it affected their development.
More than 60 percent of the graduates from each of the universities said they played with Legos as children and 92 percent of them didn’t even use the Lego provided instructions (i.e. built from scratch). When asked how they thought the Legos improved their brain development, more than half claimed it improved their concentration, spacial organization, and creativity.
Last September, the Geeky Family headed over to the Brickworld Fan Exposition to introduce Lil’ G-Man to the wonderful world of Legos. While he was a little too young to appreciate much of the engineering marvels that we saw, he did enjoy tossing the Duplos around.
The holidays are upon us and it’s time to find the right gift ideas for that special Geek in your life.
This year, the Geeky team is going to breakdown our gift ideas into three separate lists: For Geeky Him, For Geeky Her and For Junior Geek.
Here are Geeky Daddy’s Top Ten Holiday Gift Ideas For Him.
10. Die Hard Christmas Sweater
I think we can all agree that it’s not really Christmas until we see Hans Gruber falling out of the 30th floor window of Nakatomi Plaza.
Well now you can dress the part, well at least the part of Karl’s brother Tony, who was the first of Hans crew to be offed by our hero John McClane in Die Hard.
This officially licensed sweater by Funny Threads Outlets is available on Amazon.com and is the best way to communicate to the entire ugly Christmas Sweater Party what you think the best Christmas movie of all time is!
9. Nixon Star Wars Inspired Watches
Whether you are a member of the Imperial Army or a “part of a rebel alliance and a traitor,” you still need to be at grandma’s on time for dinner. Enter your new best friends, Nixon’s line of Star Wars inspired time pieces!
All made of high quality stainless steel parts and with Star Wars inspired designs, these watches make awesome gifts for the Star Wars fan!
Like it or not, there’s a good chance of receiving hosiery as a gift for the holidays. And while Grayson would love socks as a present because they’re so fun to throw, chew on, and more, all you can do is hope that the socks you receive are a socking stuffer and not the main entree of your gifts.
“What’s up docs?”
The popularity of Doctor Who seems to be at an all time high, based upon the amount of police call boxes I see at conventions. So let’s pay homage to the phone booth with these officially licensed socks!
This is a must have for any true fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation!
ThinkGeek.com Exclusive
This ThinkGeek exclusive hooks up to your phone or device via Bluetooth® and has a built-in microphone for hands-free calling. Once connected, one touch answers/ends calls, plays/pauses audio, or accesses Siri, Google Now, or Cortana. And, of course, a touch plays that classic communicator sound effect.
I would end every call with “Geeky Daddy out.”
6. Super Mario Wall Mount Lamp
This custom lamp made of maple plywood and colored translucent acrylic is an awesome way to light up the gaming room of any vintage gamer!
The only thing that could make this lamp any cooler would be a push button on the bottom of the block that you could jump up to punch on and off!
5.Portable BBQ Grill Briefcase
Picture this: James Bond approaches Q and needs to be outfitted with kit to blend into a tailgate. Q says “I have just the thing for you 007, but bring it back in one piece this time!”
The Portable Briefcase Grill may look like a briefcase on the outside, but on the inside it holds all the right tools to grill you up a delicious meal. Open this little wonder to reveal a cooking grate and ash-catcher. With enough space to cook a meal for two, it will grill up just the right amount of food at the tailgate for Bond and the bad guy’s girlfriend (that Bond is probably going to nail 10 minutes after meeting).
Ok, so maybe it’s not for a State University binge-drinking type tailgate. Probably more of a corporate BBQ “hey, hit me up on LinkedIn so we can discuss the potential merger” type tailgate, but you get the idea.
4. Tetris Stackable LED Desk Lamp
Available at ThinkGeek.com
While we do see Russia’s name negatively in the news a lot lately, it is important to remember that Mother Russia is also responsible for some of the 20th centuries greatest inventions! Such as the helicopter, synthetic rubber, television and, of course, Tetris!
These cool LED Tetris blocks light up automatically when stacked together and turn off when separated.
And best of all, when you make a row of all the same color, they don’t disintegrate like they do in the actual game! Unfortunately, the blocks do not play the awesome soundtrack from the game.
3. Transformer USB Drive
Available on Amazon.com!
My favorite Transformer growing up was Soundwave! He was smart, loyal, had a cool voice and was incredibly useful on the battlefield thanks to the added punch of his cassette disciples such as Ravage.
Soundwave & Company
Now you can control your own Ravage with this amazingly detailed Ravage USB drive. Available in true 16 GB or 32 GB, this USB is the perfect way for any Transformers fan to back up off the cloud.
This Star Trek: The Next Generation hoodie from ThinkGeek is an essential for any Trekkie living in a cold weather environment! Not only do these full zip hoodies (with pockets) have screen-accurate colors and embroidered combadges – they have actual raised collars and rank pins!
The rank pins are extremely important if you plan on wearing the red hoodie on away missions! There is a huge difference between being the captain and the expendable!
Now you can have friends over for game night and try to solve who killed your favorite Game Of Thrones character on the board game while watching the same characters getting offed on TV.
12 treasonous scheming suspects, 6 metal weapons and a double sided board (confines of the Red Keep or the streets of Meereen) are just some of the components of this modern take of the classic CLUE board game. Drink, know things and solve a murder all at the same time!
Tell us what gifts you like, don’t like or have gotten that you love!
“And it would have worked to if it weren’t for you pesky kids!” screams a rather upset Commander In Chief.
Will President Trump ever actually direct these words towards those pesky kids over at Chicago based Cards Against Humanity? Probably not but if it doesn’t happen, it surely won’t be do to a lack of effort on CAH’s part!
Probably “Fake News”
Cards Against Humanity announced on their website this week that they have purchased acres of land along the Mexican-United States border and retained a law firm that specializes in eminent domain in effort to halt the potential production of this massive (and expensive) project.
“Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans,” said Cards Against Humanity on its web site. “He is so afraid that he wants to build a twenty-billion dollar wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing. So we’ve purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built.”
A portion of CAH’s funding for their wall blocking project is coming from their popular annual holiday surprise gift package sales. The $15 holiday package includes six days of gifts sent out through December and this year’s package sold out in a matter of hours.
“On Day 1, all Cards Against Humanity Saves America recipients will get an illustrated map of the land, a certificate of our promise to fight the wall, some new cards, and a few other surprises.”
The company also applied for a trademark for one of Trump’s favorite terms, “Fake News”.
If anybody reading this has never played Cards Against Humanity “party game for horrible people,” I highly suggest trying it out. It is a lot of fun, even while sober…
I have bins and bins of my old mid to late 80’s G.I. Joe toys in the basement. I’ve been holding onto them so that one day I can play with them with my son.
Now that Lil’ G will be turning 1, my wife and I spent some time in the basement going through the toys to see what we have. I had to spend much of the time defensively describing what various weapons and vehicles were and how they were used. (She was slightly less impressed than I was.)
“What? It attacks enemies while trimming the sidewalk edges.”
It left me with the realization that many of the G.I. Joe weapons and vehicles I found to be so cool as a child were actually idiotic Kamikaze machines and I would never want to take into actual combat as an adult!
Here are Geeky Daddy’s Top Ten G.I. Joe Vehicles & Weapons You Don’t Want To Take Into Combat!
Disclaimer: I am only pulling from the 1982 series I to 1991 series X. Series XI started the Eco Warriors, Drug Enforcement, neon colored weapons and other nonsense of whose existence I refuse to acknowledge.
The Havoc
If you go out with two buddies on a Saturday night and you’re the one that gets stuck in the back seat, it’s safe to assume you’re the least popular person in your crew.
The same rule applies to G.I. Joe’s HAVOC. If you’re riding into armored vehicle combat and your two buddies get to ride indoors (granted their only protection is glass?) and you are forced to ride on top of the vehicle completely exposed to enemy fire, the elements and the concussive force from your own canons, you are by far, the least popular person in the crew.
Even if you are one of the “cool” crew members that enjoys the comforts of being indoors, you still had to wonder what the design engineers were smoking. Had they never heard of ergonomics? The drivers lay on their stomach and utilize joysticks above their shoulders? I strained my neck just looking at them.
“Do you have any idea what we are supposed to be shooting at?”
And seriously, the best armor they could come up with for the crew compartment was glass? At that point, the only worse idea might be to just dip the whole darn thing in chrome and make it an easier target for enemy to spot on the battlefield…which they later did for the Sky Patrol edition of the HAVOC.
“Still haven’t hit anything? Me either.”
The General
On paper, the General isn’t all that bad. It has a heavy main gun, strategically placed smaller arms around the vehicle for protection from infantry attack, an accompanying helicopter for scouting and protection and an armored cabin for the driver and commander. This is a tough, big vehicle.
Emphasis on “big”. As in way too big and heavy to fit across a bridge or maneuver through urban, rocky or forested terrain “big”. So unless you are advancing on your enemy over a vast open tundra, the General is basically a huge, un-maneuverable land barge of a target for enemy aircraft or artillery.
But hey, at least the designers didn’t make it out of chrome.
Cobra Bugg
What the heck is going on with this thing and where do we start?
We have already established that for some asinine reason, G.I. Joe combat engineers view glass as being effective armor, which makes this one of the safest combat vehicles in the Cobra motor pool I guess.
If you think this is “one stupid looking vehicle”, you are mistaken. The Bugg is actually “multiple stupid looking vehicles” in one!
The sphere in front detaches to form an underwater vehicle that looks like it floated right out of a Roger Moore era James Bond film. The Bugg also comes with two, what I am going to go ahead and label as “Tactical jet ski hovercraft type things”.
From the designers of the Pope-mobile
Also, as mentioned earlier with the HAVOC, if you are the crew member forced to go into combat completely exposed outside the vehicle, you are not as well liked as you thought you were. With that in mind, if you are the Bugg crew member who is assigned to lay down outside the tank next to a missile (whose blast exhaust would barbecue you), you may want to start asking yourself why nobody likes you…
Cobra F.A.N.G.
Remember earlier we mentioned something about leaving crew members exposed to enemy fire and the elements?
Enter Cobra’s F.A.N.G. helicopter! This poor pilot is seated practically outside the helicopter with only like 12 inches of clearance between his head and the propeller.
I don’t see any ear protection, eye protection or even a seat belt. Not even any stupid glass for protection. I’m guessing that OSHA or the NTSB never approved these plans.
The Fridge’s Weapon
Apparently, William Perry did a ton of body sculpting after his NFL playing career.
This left Hasbro scrambling and quickly signed William “The Refrigerator” Perry, who had just gained worldwide recognition for his part in the Chicago Bears 1986 Super Bowl win.
That is fine. What isn’t fine is the weapon somebody decided to send him into combat with: A football attached to a stick. That’s it. Nothing else. Not even a Gatorade bottle to replenish lost electrolites.
It is a ball! And he can’t even throw it at enemy combatants to cover a teammate because it is attached to a stick!
“Tactical Football”
Destro’s Iron Grenadiers D.E.M.O.N.
This tank actually looks pretty cool. Nice color scheme, it has canons, missiles and only a limited amount of what I am now referring to as ‘transparent armor’ (i.e. glass).
According to the packaging, D.E.M.O.N. stands for Dual Elevating Multi-Ordinance Neutralizer. That sounds pretty…wait a second…”Elevating”? As in vertically stand up taller?
Why would you want to take a huge target and turn it into a taller, less stable and more vulnerable huge target?
And, for that matter, how is this even supposed to work? Tank treads don’t spin 90 degrees or slide horizontally. If technology exists to create hydraulics that powerful, maybe they can produce transparent armor?
Sgt. Slaughter’s Triple T
Couple major issues with the poorly named ‘Tag Team Terminator’. Nice wrestling cliche though.
First off, does anybody actually ride inside tanks in the G.I. Joe universe? I know Sgt. Slaughter is tough, but wouldn’t this tank be more effective if he were concealed behind some type of armor, even the transparent kind (glass)? Are those rock hard pecs supposed to stop enemy bullets? At least give the guy a coat in case it rains.
My second issue with this ‘Terminator’ is its complete lack of any purpose whatsoever. It is a tank armed with only 2 little small caliber guns and two little missiles (whose exhaust back blast would kill any ride alongs it takes into battle anyway).
So it is a treaded vehicle with virtually no firepower, can only carry two soldiers and its pilot can be taken out with a slingshot (or even the Fridge’s tactical football).
Please give my contact info to the procurement office that placed the order for this vehicle. I have a solar powered flashlight and a patent on a black hi-lighter to sell them.
Cobra Imp or G.I. Joe R.V.P.
Speaking of deadly friendly fire via missile exhaust backlash, let me introduce you to the G.I. Joe R.P.V. and Cobra IMP.
First, in the case of the Remote Piloted Vehicle ( or R.P.V.), if a dude needs to sit in a pilot seat on the vehicle, it is not “remote piloted”.
Second, do the engineers simply have no clue how rocket propulsion actually works or do they simply not like their own soldiers?
Rocket blasts are hot and I don’t mean “sexy” hot, I am talking about the “Ouch, that friggin’ burns to the touch!” hot.
How are you going to fire these missiles literally inches from peoples heads and not expect them to come back showing off their best Uncle Owen from Star Wars impression?
“Did my missile hit anything?”
Iron Grenadiers Razorback
The Razorback is probably best described as an amalgam of bad ideas wrapped into one unique bad idea. Let’s run through the list:
Protecting the crew against enemy fire with nothing but a piece of glass? check!
Elevates to make itself an easier target for enemy gunners? Check!
Rather than being camouflaged or olive green colored to blend into surroundings, the Razorback painted a vibrant color enemy bombers could spot miles away? Check! (I mean if this color were on a Sherwin Williams paint deck, it’d be called “Center Of The Sun Yellow”)
At least nobody is riding on the outside of this death trap, I guess.
Rock & Roll II’s 4 mini-guns
“I’m hunting wabbit. wa ha ha ha”
Mini-guns are awesome…and heavy.
They are awesome and heavy because they fire a lot of bullets very, very quickly. Like up to 6,000 rounds a minute quickly.
Now, granted Rock & Roll has biceps that are proportionally bigger than my thighs, but I still gotta believe that these guns would be a little heavy to carry into combat empty, much less loaded with tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition!
I am no math savant, but I did a little multiplication here.
Most mini-guns fire 7.62 MM ammo.
30 rounds of 7.62 MM ammo weighs about .5 Kilos (1.1 lbs).
The second edition Rock & Roll action figure had 4 of these mini-guns (which fire approx 6,000 rounds per minute each) which he would fire simultaneously.
This means that in order for Rock & Roll to sustain 30 seconds of continuous fire, he would need 12,000 rounds of ammo (otherwise known as a $#!T-ton). We are talking around 400 lbs of ammo alone! No wonder he hit the gym so hard between 1982 and 1989, or began taking the same supplements that Barry Bonds did.
Plus, how could he possibly have any control or aim when unloading that much heat? He might start off aimed at a particular target, but after the first nano-second of recoil, he would basically be reduced to firing blind anti aircraft fire. Ventura could barely control one mini-gun in Predator and yet this dude is simultaneously blasting 4 of them! Anything within the same zip code would be fair game.
Cobra Pogo
Are the duel guns on the bottom shooting at it’s own legs?
You know how sometimes you say something incredibly stupid as a joke or just to see if somebody is paying attention? Or maybe do something dumb on a drunken dare?
Well, even if that was not the case with the Cobra Pogo Ballistic Battle Ball, that is the story Hasbro should roll with when people ask about this monstrosity.
Like a Pogo stick, this vehicle bounces literally straight up and down repeatedly, which has got to have some negative impact on the pilot’s aim, not to mention his spine. I assume, unlike the F.A.N.G. helicopter, that the pilot is seat belted in so he doesn’t go flying through the (you guessed it) glass canopy.
The Pogo is also armed with a pair of missiles…that fire directly into the sky. So unless you are directly under your enemies bomber and, you know, they haven’t already bombed you, I guess you could shoot them down.
What are your thoughts?
Are there any mid to lat 80’s G.i. Joe vehicles I missed that you would hate to ride into combat in?
A few of my buddies have been trying to convince me to get involved in building Legos. I keep hearing it is “a relaxing way to mentally decompress” after work and the kids.
So this weekend, the Geeky Family met up with my high school buddy Elon (Lego enthusiast and advocate) and his daughters for the Lego Brickworld show at the Surburban Collection Showcase Center in Novi Michigan.
Lil’ G-Man makes friends everywhere he goes
I was floored at the creativity and skill levels they had on display! (We left our mark on the graffiti wall!)
Geeky Daddy was here.
The world of Legos is so much more vast and complex than the basic solid color blocks I remember it as a kid.
Here is just a taste of what we saw. (Please keep in mind that pictures and videos can only do these sets so much justice)
Walking in the door, the first thing you see is a gigantic recreation of the U.S.S. Missouri battleship.
This ship was made famous in 1945 when representatives of the Japanese Empire officially surrendered on its deck, ending World War II.
I could not tell if MacArthur had his classic corn cob pipe.
But enough with the history lessons.
How about some “Geeky” stuff!
Like a space mining colony!
The work with the LED lights was amazing
One vendor had an amazing set up (over a hundred linear feet) of motorized Lego factory sets linked in unison. Utilizing computers and timing software, they were able to create an assembly line that moved tiny soccer balls along the entire circuit!
Or a little more classic Star Wars like the Moon of Endor and the second Death Star from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi!
The Lego sets were not just limited to good Star Wars movies either. There was also a gigantic set depicting a scene from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. (Sorry for the video being horizontal, not sure what happened there)
There was lots of local flair as well as the Detroit area was well represented by the Lego creators!
General Motors Renaissance Center
Lego General Motors Renaissance Center
Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater
Lego Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater
Detroit’s Griswold Building
Lego Detroit’s Griswold Building
Detroit’s Dime Building/ Chrysler House
Lego Detroit’s Dime Building/ Chrysler House
Detroit’s Guardian Building
Lego Detroit’s Guardian Building
The Wayne County Building
Lego The Wayne County Building
The Renaissance Faire!
Lego The Renaissance Fair
Even the Grand Hotel on Machinac Island complete with horse poop (thankfully, Legos are not scratch ‘n’ sniff)
But the show wasn’t just for the adults, there were plenty play areas for the kids to do their thing.
Which, for Lil’ G-Man, meant crawling around aimlessly and tossing things on the floor. Just like home.
It was a lot of fun, we met some great people and are looking forward to the next Brickworld event! Thanks Elon!
My friend Elon, his daughter Scarlet, Lil’ G-Man and myself
My wallet is fortunate enough that Lil’ G-Man is still to young for this, but those days are ending soon…
Tomorrow (Saturday 23rd) is Batman Day and Build-A-Bear is joining in the fun with new characters from DC Comics. Included are a online exclusive Harley Quinn (celebrating her 25th anniversary) and Joker bears, as well as sneak peaks at the new Justice League characters that will be released mid October to coincide with the movie.
The classic Harley Quinn, not the Margot Robbie oneWant me to make a pencil disappear?
Currently, Build-A-Bear has Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman costumes available for your bears, but these will be complete kits.
If you were wondering how awesome a Lego Millennium Falcon would be if it were nearly 3 feet in diameter, wonder no more!
“What a hunk of junk!”
Lego unveiled it’s new Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon and it is the largest kit in Lego’s history! Strategically interlocking 7,541 Lego pieces will be required to assemble this Corellian YT-1300f light freighter.
“Never tell me the odds!”
The detail of Han Solo’s famous ship is incredible and can be adapted to fit anywhere in the cinematic universe’s timeline thanks to an included Mynock creature (Empire Strikes Back) and several Pogs (upcoming The Last Jedi). The kit even includes both the original radar dish that the Millennium Falcon lost attacking the 2nd Death Star (Return of the Jedi) and the replacement dish seen in the current trilogy.
“This is no cave!”
Figures included are Han Solo (Both young and old), Chewbacca, Leia, Finn, Rey, BB-8 & C3-PO.
The previous record holder for most Lego Parts was the Taj Mahal which measured in at a mere 5,922 pieces (and was completely incapable of completing the Kesel Run).
That’s a big box.
The Lego Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon has a release date of October 1st and will launch with an MSRP of $799.99
Now I know what you are thinking…What the heck is Force Friday II?
Force Friday is the annual event where Disney puts their merchandising mastery into the launch of new Star Wars toys, games, apparel and other products. Most famously including the new Toys ‘R’ Us Exclusive Radio Flyer Land Speeder that was the big hit of the San Diego Comic-Con this year!
Off to Tosche Station for more power converters!
This year will see a huge influx of merchandise for the new film Star Wars: The Last Jedi, due in theaters in December.
Both ‘brick and mortar’ and online retailers will take part this year with various promotions, sales, giveaways and a special “Find the Force Treasure Hunt” where you can unlock Star Wars: The Last Jedi characters with the Star Wars app.
Some retailers will have exclusive items such as the Radio Flyer Land Speeder at Toys ‘R’ Us, a six inch Black Series First Order Executioner at Target or various Funko Pop exclusives at Walmart.
Amazon.com will have a number of promotions, sales and discounts beginning Sept 1st and running throughout the month. Make sure to check Amazon regularly for new promotions! (And make sure to tell them Geeky Daddy sent ya by clicking on our link)
Outer Rim News did a great job putting together a list of new merchandise available so rather than re-hash it, you can view their list here.
To commemorate Force Friday II, ALL Disney Store locations throughout North America will open their door on September 1, revealing the first toys, collectibles, books, apparel, and more inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Fans will be able to tap into the Force to help with the opening ceremony and enjoy limited-time Find the Force.
Disney Store locations in New York City’s Times Square, on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, and on San Francisco’s Stockton Street will participate in Force Friday II midnight madness! Doors will open at 12:01 a.m. local time on September 1, where attending fans can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win exclusive Star Wars products!
Other activities at select locations on Force Friday II include:
FREE Star Wars mini poster set for the first 100 guests who make a Disney Store purchase
Ways of the Force activity
Star Wars Story Time
Art of Drawing: R2-D2
Epic Star Wars theming that pays homage to both the dark side and the light side
Additional details about Disney Store’s activities surrounding Force Friday II are available at DisneyStore.com!
“Be Jedi Ready” with Walmart stores during Force Friday ll weekend! Starting on September 1, Walmart stores will be giving fans their first opportunity to see and purchase toys, collectibles, apparel, and more from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Select Walmart stores will host a Force Friday II weekend parking lot event with “Be Jedi Ready” games and activities. There will also be FREE giveaways including Topps’ Galactic Connexions Trading Discs and EA Star WarsBattlefront II video game posters while supplies last. In-store fans can become inventors at the tech demonstration.
The six-foot-tall model of Luke Skywalker from Star Wars: The Force Awakens made out of 36,743 LEGO bricks will be unveiled at our Orlando, FL, store (11250 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32817). The creation was first unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con and has been on a six-city nationwide Walmart store tour. Don’t miss your chance to see it in person at its final location!
In ALL Walmart store locations customers can participate in Find the Force.
Visit Walmart.com to find even more great Star Wars products and information about events coming to your local store.
In celebration of this year’s Force Friday II event, Toys”R”Us and Toysrus.com roll out the red carpet for Star Wars fans as Destination: Star Wars—Gateway to the Galaxy!
On Friday, September 1, Toys”R”Us will host a Force Friday II Midnight Opening Event at its stores all across the country, which will give fans their first opportunity to shop the brand-new toys from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Force Friday II attendees will receive a FREE Funko POP! Star Wars T-shirt AND a FREE collectible Star Wars: The Last Jedi poster (while supplies last)—it’s the first in a series of FREE poster giveaways, with a new one each month leading up to the theatrical release of the movie.
Fans will not want to miss the debut of Find the Force! Fans can access augmented reality characters EACH DAY from September 1-3in all stores*! It’s a GREAT time to be a Star Wars fan, and the celebration starts at Toys”R”Us, your Gateway to the Galaxy!
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. (local time) on Friday, September 1, 2017, Toys“R”Us will host five special midnight openings across Canada, giving fans the chance to be among the first to take home the new Star Wars products, like the Toys“R”Us exclusive Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder from Radio Flyer. The first 100 fans in line at each store will also receive exclusive giveaways, including a collectible Star Wars: The Last Jedi poster and Funko POP! T-shirt: Star Wars: The Last Jedi– Rey and Friends**.
Force Friday II is coming to Target at midnight, September 1. Shop hundreds of Star Wars: The Last Jedi products, including several Target exclusives. Participate in Find the Force. You could even win the raffle prize: a Star Wars: The Last Jedi plush, only at Target. Visit Target.com to find out which store near you will be opening at midnight. Don’t forget to Bring Your Rey Game.
On Force Friday II weekend, visit PotteryBarn.com to play Find the Force online and watch imaginations take flight with the Pottery Barn Kids Star Wars Collection of bedding, backpacks, furniture, and décor.
The new Star Wars Collection from PBteen was made for the ultimate fan. On Force Friday II weekend, visit pbteen.com to play Find the Force online and be the first to check out the new collection of bedding, furniture and décor.
Celebrate Star Wars Force Friday II, at more than 230 Meijer stores on Friday, September 1! Starting at 12:01 a.m., you can check out the newest Star Wars: The Last Jedi products across the store and participate in Find the Force. See Meijer.com for more details.
The Force of Family continues at all Kohl’s stores this Force Friday II with new and exclusive Star Wars: The Last Jedi gear. Participate in Find the Force at any Kohl’s store.
Join us at JCPenney as we celebrate Force Friday II. Shop the latest toys, tees for the family, and more, including our exclusive collection of men’s tees from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Plus, get a $10 bonus reward when you spend $50 or more on Star Wars merchandise. Feel the Force with Find the Force in every store across America, and be sure to have your Star Wars app ready. Visit jcp.com to find a store near you.
All Hot Topic stores and hottopic.com are participating in Find the Force. Stop by your local Hot Topic store, or hottopic.com to unlock your AR experience and shop Star Wars merchandise. Force Friday II weekend only!
All Star Wars tees, $12
*Funko POPs! 2 for $18
*Restrictions apply. See store or visit hottopic.com for details.
Visit your local GameStop on Force Friday II weekend, September 1-3, to take part in the Force Friday II festivities! All GameStop stores are offering brand new Star Wars toys, games and gear, along with special offers on must-have Star Wars collectibles.
Select GameStop stores will also be participating Find the Force featuring characters from the Star Wars universe.
Star WarsBattlefront II is also available for preorder on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and you can save when you trade! Get an extra 20% on trade-ins when applied toward your pre-order of Star WarsBattlefront II—available November 14.
Check out GameStop’s selection of new Star Wars collectibles, recommended video games and game accessories at GameStop.com.
We’re excited about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and we can’t wait for Force Friday II and the entire range of new Star Wars product on September 1.
Join us and celebrate the event on September 1 in one of our stores for fun, Star Wars trivia, a bit of cosplay, and unique ThinkGeek Star Wars products. You definitely won’t want to miss Find the Force in all ThinkGeek stores!
FYE will have an exclusive Star Wars: The Last Jedi Funko POP! figure in addition to a variety of new Star Wars merchandise in stores and online at fye.com.
Fye.com will be hosting a sweepstakes to win Star Wars Funko POP! figures.
You can participate Find the Force at all FYE stores as well as online at fye.com.
Enjoy thrilling adventures in the Star Wars universe with games like X-Wing, Armada, Imperial Assault, and Star Wars: Destiny and get ready for new Star Wars games available September 1!
Check with your favorite local comic book and specialty stores for hosted Fantasy Flight Star Wars gaming events with your friends and family. Visit fantasyflightgames.com for more details!
Build-A-Bear Workshop is celebrating Force Friday II with their biggest Star Warsevent ever! All weekend long, Guests can go on the ultimate space journey by making a brand new furry friend and taking part in exciting events and special offers.
Build-A-Bear Workshop is launching an out-of-this-world Force Friday II offer for Star Wars fans! All Star Wars furry friends are BUY ONE, GET ONE 50% OFF! This highly-anticipated Star Wars offer is valid in stores and online during the Force Friday II Weekend only!
Find the Force at Build-A-Bear Workshop! Visit participating Build-A-Bear Workshop stores to experience Find the Force. Blast into your Build-A-Bear Workshop store for new experiences each day from September 1-3.
Stop by a Brookstone store on Friday, September 1! We’ve brought the coolest Star Wars gadgets and Find the Force from a galaxy far, far away to our 200+ locations for fans to experience in-person. Find your nearest store at brookstone.com!
Come celebrate Force Friday II with Books-A-Million during our kickoff event Friday, September 1, from 4-6 p.m., featuring Star Wars activities, cosplay, new Star Wars product launches, and more! Check out Find the Force all weekend long in Books-A-Million stores across the country.
Best Buy your destination for tech forward Star Wars products. Visit Best Buy on September 1-3 to shop new and exclusive Star Wars products, unlock new Star Wars: The Last Jedi characters with Find the Force, and visit demos in select stores to see the latest Star Wars tech in action.
On Friday, September 1, Best Buy Canada locations in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto be hosting an exciting galactic Force Friday II celebration, giving fans the first opportunity to experience and purchase the newest Star Wars tech toys. The event begins from store opening until 2pm local time, and will include demonstrations of new tech toys. Fans can also engage in Find the Force. Last but not least, come dressed as your best Star Wars character for a chance to win some exclusive Star Wars prizes! Learn more at BestBuy.ca.
*All 191 Best Buy locations including Best Buy Mobile stores will be participating in the celebration of Force Friday II weekend by being a stop Find the Force. Use the Best Buy Canada Store Locator to find a store near you.
Apple stores around the world are joining in on Force Friday II on September 1 and through the weekend with new and exclusive Star Wars Today at Apple sessions, a new lineup of third-party Star Wars app-enabled toys.
Today at Apple
Join Star Wars-inspired, hands-on sessions at Apple stores around the world. Kids will learn how to code droids in an exclusive Kids Hour session. Star Warsfans of all ages can uncover the magic of creating a Star Wars trailer. And the Star Wars makers and creators from Industrial Light & Magic will showcase their craft over Force Friday II weekend at Apple Union Square, Apple Regent Street, and Apple Orchard Road. Sign up for Today at Apple sessions now at apple.com.
All Apple stores starting September 1:
Check apple.com for the schedule of events at your local Apple Store!
Kids Hour: Coding the Droids from Star Wars
Join an exciting Kids Hour starring the galaxy’s favorite droids. Using the same code developers use every day, kids will bring Star Wars droids to life by programming simple movements, loops, and more. Then they’ll design a maze and navigate their droids through the obstacles. Kids can bring their own iPad and Sphero robot, or we’ll provide them. Recommended for ages 6 to 12.
How To: Build A Star Wars Trailer
Explore how to create a Star Wars trailer with authentic footage from the films. You’ll discover signature Star Wars trailer-making techniques in an exclusive video from The Last Jedi director, Rian Johnson. Then you’ll create a trailer complete with titles, transitions, sound effects, and official Star Wars music your local Apple store.
Come celebrate Force Friday II with 2nd and Charles! Kickoff event begins on Friday, September 1 from 4-6 p.m. with Star Wars cosplay, games, activities, and a special surprise for fans! The party continues all weekend long with the Find the Force and activities on Saturday, September 2, from 2-4 p.m. and Sunday, September 3, from 2-4 p.m. Visit 2ndandcharles.com for more information.
We are all familiar with the increasingly diverse line of the popular Funko Pops toys.
“I hate my dad”
Funko has released officially licensed characters with pretty much every major motion picture over the past five years or so.
In a recent episode of the podcast Steele Wars, a Funko employee listed actress Lupita Nyong’o as being part of the cast for the new Star Wars Han Solo movie.
Intergalactic ‘Golden Girl’ Maz Kanata
He spoke of his excitement about the Han Solo prequel due to the likes of “Emilia Clarke, Lupita Nyong’o, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover…”.
Since I am sure Funko would need months in lead time so they can design, mold, build and distribute their toys to coincide with a movie’s launch, it makes sense that they would have character information prior to a movie’s release.
Side note: Did anybody see a resemblance between Maz Kanata and Estelle Getty’s Sophia Petrillo on Golden Girls or was it just me? Will she thank Han “for being a friend”?
While this technically could be viewed as a “spoiler”, it really shouldn’t be surprising either. With our first introduction to Maz’s character in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it is made obvious through her dialogue with Han that they have a long history together.
Of course it is always possible that the Funko employee was mistaken about Lupita Nyong’o (IMDB still list her as “rumored” on the Han Solo movie) or that she will be playing a different character altogether. But that is also way movie speculation is so fun!
“Works every time”
Maybe we will even Han lose the Millennium Falcon to Lando in a game of Sabacc at Maz’s bar?
