It certainly is a weird time to be a creative user of YouTube, as robotic programs troll user data in search of copyright materials, putting the users who submit it at risk of being banned or silenced. But over the course of nearly two years, Michael Agrusso has steadily picked up a die-hard geek following making videos that use his voice, action figures and nearly every bit of Apple software known to the world. He moves beyond pandering to fans with lame comic jokes, and instead plays up to inside jokes and broader commentary on the state of films and how comics have taken so long to break into that market.
Perhaps you know him better by his alter ego: It’sJustSomeRandomGuy. The series started with I’m A Marvel/I’m A DC, a creative response to the news that DC Comics had canceled their proposed plans of Wonder Woman and The Flash live-action films on the same day. Agrusso continued the parody ads between a Spider-Man and Superman action figure with Batman, Iron Man and even the Hulk. As he wrote the words, his partner and girlfriend Brianna Li (neé It’sJustSomeRandomGal) would wrangle figures and provide the ever-important ‘motion.’ Beyond the ads, the spin-off series After Hours and Happy Hour would emerge, drawing on fan reactions to recently released comic book films while remaining true to developments in the actual comics themselves–for example, Captain America visiting Superman as a ghost, or playing up the aspect that no one remembers Spider-Man was married after the controversial One More Day storyline.
More endearing than Robot Chicken’s take on “action figure comedy,” it’s been a geeky word-of-mouth phenomena, resonating with fans of both the comics and their film adaptations (even Jon Favreau adores Agrusso’s work). Recently, Agrusso has even been discussing the idea of “fan donations” for toys–the Spider-Hulk figure used in his NYCC promo was donated by a fan–-and may soon establish a means for fans to send him their figures. After Agrusso premiered the two-part Happy Hour season finale at a panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday, he took the time to chat about returning to NYCC, concerns about YouTube’s recent crack down on original content based on copyright material, and whether or not he’s yet a “web celebrity.”
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When I found this manga-style Playboy bunny figure on the convention floor at Comic-Con, I had to ask myself, who would actually buy it? Then I realized the answer is someone not all that different than the type of person who would take a picture of it, i.e., me.
I’m not a toy collector, or at least I haven’t been for the past 15 years. So while I have no interest in spending inordinate amounts of money on toys you’re not supposed to play with, there is still something very intriguing about them. I think it might have something to do with the glass case. It’s like those plastic sleeves old comics come in, but times ten. And they’re always really well lit. And, I’ll admit, they’re just sexy.
More toys after the jump:
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We will shortly have a bunch of photos from tonight’s Comic-Con show floor preview on our Flickr stream. Stay tuned for a number of detailed posts on various things (Toy porn! Star Wars porn! Lego porn! Vintage poster porn! Postal service porn! Hentai! A couple of things that aren’t porn at all!) that especially turned us on. Above: in a pretty typical example of Comic-Con commerce, a smart man finds a way to milk money from a stupid joke.
Death sells. Movies. Apartments. You name it. So, it isn’t too surprising to learn that toys from the upcoming film The Dark Knight are flying off the shelves. According to the New York Post, action figures of The Joker, which are somewhat modeled after late actor Heath Ledger (I don’t see the resemblance, even in the more detailed figure) have sold out completely in New York City after debuting in stores a week ago. An employee of Toys “R” Us claimed the warehouse is all out, too, though a company spokesperson says stock of the figures will continue to be replenished.
Considering Mattel isn’t likely trying to cash in on Ledger’s death, there’s no reason to think the toys are in limited supply. So why are people buying them in bulk (one guy apparently bought 30 at one time) and/or selling them on eBay for marked-up prices? Even if there is an extreme demand for the figures now, there won’t be much interest in the future. Especially if Mattel’s entire run is enough to supply all the toy stores in the U.S. (not to mention the rest of the globe). Collector’s item it may be, but not in terms of financial investment. It just won’t be enough of a rarity in the long run.
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It’s been all-but-confirmed for awhile, but 
