I was scrolling through YouTube and paused on a random thumbnail to which the personality on screen said the above statement. I was like “Woah! Man is that good!” So I made a meme. And then got to pondering that thought deeper. Maybe too deep.
My name is Jim Bumgardner, life long learner and storyteller. It is in that truth that I open myself up to you in this “brave new world” not for self aggrandizing but instead to allow you to get to know the person on the other side of your screen who is working diligently and with intent to share with you the skills and talents that I have acquired during my journey that I have no doubt can and will add value to both your and my life.
As of this writing, I am 49 years old and have lived in Harrison, Arkansas since 2008. I have been married to Alicia for 15 years and am the father of Kaitlynn, who is now 13. I am originally from Little Rock, Arkansas where I began my professional career in radio broadcasting in 1990 while I was still in high school. Prior to radio I had served for a time as a correspondence writer for both the Arkansas Democrat and Arkansas Gazette as part of the schools journalism program where I also served as features editor for the school paper for all three years of my time there. During that time I was also in a band with some friends playing a weird mix of covers and original songs that had a 90’s acoustic rock vibe.
Following graduation in 1992, I began taking my radio career seriously and went on to work in the industry through 1997 at radio stations in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. I served as an on air talent as well as program director during those years. I stepped away from the business in 1997 and went to work for a major movie theater chain as a General Manager through 2001. It was at that time, the broadcasting bug returned but more importantly the movie making bug had also settled in.
As it would go, the desires of making moving pictures overtook the limitations of what a changing radio broadcasting industry had become. I then set my sights on producing films and television programs up until 2006 when I felt I needed a break from it all and settled down for two years in Branson, Missouri. It was in this time that I retreated back to the “safety and security” of a regular retail job lifestyle that wasn’t really “regular’. During that period I was working two full time positions and 2 part time. The two full time were diametrically different niche’s. One being selling dishes and other table top dining accessories and the other being toys at one of the major retail toy companies. The two part time jobs involved casual clothing and shoe sales and the other , professional and formal wear for men.
The reasons for all of the work was less about the money as it was about helping out some friends I had made a long the way. There simply wasn’t enough people to fill the slots and my personality made me a great salesman and my organization skills made me very handy in the warehouse and on the floor. To note, I was also single at the time and had no desire to settle down. The work ethic that evolved during my “previous careers” made me a very reliable, go to guy. The reason for this, that those around me never could put their fingers on was that more than anything, I appreciated time and efficiency more than most. There is no industry like broadcasting (as it was back in those days especially) to really shore up one’s appreciation for every second on the clock. It was that ingrained training that kept me punctual and respectful of the commitments I would make to my fellow workers. Those principles remain my driving force and barometer to this day and surely on through to my last day.
It was in 2008 that all of that came to a halt as the time for change had been forced on me as the primary job was shuttered and the others were cutting back. Plus, an opportunity in radio threw itself at me and I was highly compelled to take the job. It was far from something I was actively pursuing but that soft voice that commands attention whispered in my ear and told me that was the direction I needed to go. I am so very grateful and thankful that I did. It was in this new chapter that Alicia and I met, married, had Kaitlynn and have shared quite a lot of awesome adventures together and as a trio.
It was in this whirlwind that I transitioned from radio to television to freelance video productions and then online content creation. Summarizing that very broad term, I began blogging, live streaming, creating targeted campaigns specifically for the online and social platforms and so on. It was a fantastic run through 2018 but then it was time to again step away, take a breath and a break and do something a little different. It wasn’t really all that different as I retreated once again to full time retail management all the while offering limited video production services to select clients. Then along came 2020.
It was during the period of 2020 thru 2023 that I stepped away from everything. Not in retreat as much as in reflection. I explored and participated in the “gig economy” for a couple of years, made a lot of observations along the way and then decided to reenter the “safety zone” that is full time retail management employment. As my cycle goes however, the need to throw caution to the wind and embrace my better nature as a content creator and service provider / consult and coach, I am now happily returning into that space with a fresh and clear understanding of where my skills, talents and abilities better suit those that I am fortunate enough to cross paths with on this journey of life. I’ll explain:
The principles, lessons, purposes and responsibilities of broadcasting will never leave me. Specifically speaking to my internal need to inform and entertain, to serve and to share. It is with that framework in mind that I make this promise to you: Rather you are a customer or highly respected audience member, I pledge the best form of myself as a creator, entertainer, and most importantly teacher. That last label is the one in which I truly strive to excel at because it is in that effort, I can add value to your and my life and in that there is no higher calling.
Now, Go Play!
Jim 04/09/2023
P.S. Happy Easter!
Highly recommend this one. “Conspiracy theorist” or not, you would be well served in adding this one to your book shelf. https://amzn.to/40O2pkM
All around me I have surrounded myself with the plastic doppelgangers of my childhood. It’s at this moment I realize why: It was a time where we children of the children of the Baby Boom were granted an amazing opportunity to believe in something: The American Dream. From the Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields Dolls to the Super Hero action figures (celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Mego Corporation) to so many other memory triggers that I myself didn’t realize were so ingrained in my subconscious and personality thanks to these flashy totems. Each one for me serve as silent reminders of this for sure and it all came into focus after finishing up Michael Malice’s “The White Pill” audio book.
In this book Malice has weaved together an incredible telling of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. From it’s shiny birth under Lenin to it’s gritty reality under Stalin, to it’s almost cartoon-ish evolution through Khrushchev and to it’s final demise under Gorbachev, “The White Pill” is one hell of an adventure story so full of tragedy and triumph that it is riveting from start to finish. I can not recommend it nearly enough. And not only for its impressive documentation of the for Soviet Union’s rise and fall but for me the importance of how that former “super power” shaped all of our Gen X lives. While there are plenty of things that happened that were very much sugar and candy coated for us growing up in the 70’s and 80’s and into adulthood in the 90’s, with the conclusion of the book, I can’t say I’ve ever felt as grateful to have been a child of the American Dream as I do now. We really had it incredibly good. Hell, even better than good.
It was in that decade of decadence that the 80’s are so famously recalled, that while there are some of those illusions that did bite us in the ass (hello large portions and diabetes and the belief in a retirement at 65 that would allow for a well earned break into our “golden years”, syke!) there are so many other things that we had and took for granted that the generations following us have been stripped of. Diluted and degraded with each new one. It’s in this that I do feel horrible for the Gen Y’s, Z’s, Millennial’s and whatever classification we’re up to now. From my perspective they really have been robbed. But ten again also tempered to see past a lot of the bullshit that we believed in and many still do. However. Not all of that bullshit was bad and it’s importance should be revered and remembered. I’m speaking now to that belief that while we all had responsibilities and obligations to be a good American (go to school, do your homework, get a job, and “do the right thing”) we were rewarded with some fantastic treats that I fear so many of aforementioned generations missed out on and will never get an opportunity to truly appreciate as we did.
Capitalism appeared to be working then. Not only that but winning. For the most part at least. It was certainly better than the lives lived by the communist counterparts that shared the timeline with us. Listening to Michael’s book did an amazing job of reminding me of that reality. Of course we as children were fed tons of rah rah and propaganda by the news and entertainment industries along with our sugary sweet cereals and Happy Meals which served as bookends between Saturday morning cartoons and trips to the malls, amusement parks, movie theaters, arena rock shows and of course the toy store. We really did have it good and have it all. And to think we weren’t even connected by way of a world wide web but instead prime time television, top 40 radio, movie theaters, video rental stores and “The Weekly World News”. Hell, for the first half of my childhood I didn’t even have cable television. More importantly however is that without that web, we still had a luxury that is most certainly a crime to have taken away from our children and grandchildren; a culture that kept us in real, organic communication and interactions with commonalities to talk about.
*** It’s at this point I am reflecting on how good a book “The White Pill” truly is as it has inspired these reflections and writing. For me that is the sign of a sincerely great piece of literature as it inspires critical thinking, reflection and a strong desire to collect all of those thoughts in a tangible and worthwhile manner. All the while I have a 3D model of a Mego Joker head printing behind me. Talk about taking stock in the blessings we have experienced in a mere 50 years!
Still, the main takeaway I want to emphasize in this write and recommendation, do seriously consider giving “The White Pill” a read or listen. I myself have become a big fan of audio books as they allow me to take it in and do other things since I’ve been programmed to multi task. Can’t say that’s good or bad but it is the way that works for me. Well worth the little over 9 hours time it takes to get a great recap of a truly dark and HORRIBLE system that was heartless, brutal and frankly, evil to those that its dictates and ideology was imposed upon. I will also go so far as to say that regardless of the label you ascribe to in this post pandemic world, know that the promises of socialism and communism that are being wrapped in packages of “equity and inclusion” are eerily and in some instances shockingly direct copies of the ideologies that led to that most horrific of societal systems.
The secondary takeaway is that I know for me the conclusion of that book has led to me rethinking a lot about aspects of my life as an American. While I can reflect on both the good and the bad, with the completion of that book, I can honestly say that I have never been more thankful and grateful to have been born in these 50 states. I hope and pray that you will experience the same or similar reaction and not take even one more moment for granted or be so dyed in the wool to your own perspective that may or may not be entirely your own.
Now, Go Play,
Jim 04/02/2023
A story of self control and making connections 🙂 https://jimstoybox.com/2023/03/29/you-can-pick-one/ #MakeMineMego #walmartfinds #dccomics #greenlantern #aquaman #Shazam #TheFlash #Mego #jimbumgardner #jimstoybox
Collecting nostalgia in a nostalgic way (and it’s as tough now as it was then).
Act 1 – The Challenge
If you were like me back in the golden age of going to the store with your Mom and Dad, I know you faced this challenge while standing in front of them with an armload of toys; “You have to pick one.” They delivered it in a way that made it sound so easy. Of course it wasn’t but you had to do what you had to do or be a brat about and loose the negotiation completely. Nobody wanted that.
It’s with that perspective and memory, I challenged myself as a parent now, to treat my collector habits like they did then. I could only pick one. Considering the choices it was just as tough now as it was then. Even though it was MY money! Still, it was a fun idea and would be a practice in self control. “What could warrant such a highly dramatic approach to buying a toy, Jim?” Four letters that followers of my online exploits know very well:
M E G O
Having went a little crazy on picking up the first series of 50th anniversary Worlds Greatest Superhero’s (Superman, Batman and Robin), the second series arrived at my local Walmart and I promised myself (and wife and daughter) that I would be a little more restrained in my impulses. But come on! There were now faithful reproductions of Aquaman and Shazam joined by new offerings (as if Mego made them back in the days of disco) of The Flash and Green Lantern to add to my block o’ nostalgia and collectors dream come true. It’s with that in mind that the challenge was born. And today was the day that I had to face the challenge.
Act 2 – What are the factors?
With the self imposed restrictions of my purchasing power agreed to, I walked into the Walmart here with a bunch of determining factors to consider:
So which one do I go with? What will the final decision be based on?
A. A faithful reproduction? Aquaman or Shazam
B. The new and exciting? The Flash or Green Lantern
C. The short packed? This was interesting too as it was a split between one of each classic vs new (2each Aquaman and The Flash’s and 4 each of Shazam and Green Lantern)
It was a serious dilemma I was facing but I was determined to make a logical (by my definition of logic that is) decision as to which one it was. One factor that was starting to come to the forefront of my selection process was to make it easier on myself by going chronologically. To go with which came first in the old days: Aquaman or Shazam. The newbies could wait. And as I was looking at them all and reverting back to my 6 year old self in 1979, something happened that was completely unprecedented in my neck of the woods:
John showed up.
Before I get to who John turned out to be, I must share the background and why his appearance had to be of some sort of dimensional enigma wrapped in a quagmire. You see dear reader, I am pretty much if not the only dyed in the wool, hardcore Mego fan in this neck of the world. I can prove this by point you back to earlier on this article of how I went a wee bit overboard with the series 1 assortment. I literally bought them all. Not at one time though. I spread the purchases out over several weeks as to not be one of “those guys” who hoards things. Sure it may look like it if you don’t know the story, but I don’t care. Those were fair shipping terms as far as I’m concerned. Plus, literally no one else was buying them here. Not one. To me that was a disrespectful shame and not an Afro t to the things I love to be allowed for too long. Hence my surprise when John walked up and politely asked me if I had grabbed the ones I wanted.
“What is happening here?” was the first question that popped into my head. “I’ve never seen this guy before. Is he a reseller? Is he looking to snatch away my precious plastic memories? What was this guys deal?!?” My rational journalistic mind snapped back into play and decided to just ask him. His answer was one for me that was of a serendipitous and maybe even divine intervention.
He was a fan.
Not only that but he was also a really good dude. I told him about my challenge and asked him if it was cool that I interview him for this most monumental encounter. He agreed and not at all awkward. You see, dear uninitiated to the collector world, we fanboys and fangirls share a kinship that knows no labels or limitations. It’s a wonderful thing.
Along with sharing his story of being from out of town but making it a point to pop into Walmarts along the way in search of these little prizes, he also shared so much about his connection to the toys and his hopes for kids to discover them as well. So many times his answers sounded like my own thoughts, words and deeds. I’m telling ya, gang, it was a fantastic exchange. That is until he posed the question back to me that I had started this journey off with; “So, which one are you going to pick?”
I had to pause due to this new x-factor which came in the form of John and the figures in his hands. I shared with him my points of consideration to which he completely understood. He also understood how the scale was now tipped with his selections. I’m not aging this was like a scene in a movie where the camera cuts into an extreme close up of the heroes eyes and we see the one bead of sweat appear and slide down his eyes… but it was close.
Scarcity. That would be my determining factor! But… it is MY money and this challenge is dumb and I might miss out on the one if I pick the other… damn it! So I grabbed them both. There was no shaming glance from John as it appeared my will power fell through and I put both Aquaman and The Flash into my handcart and we both headed toward the registers.
Before we made it all the way up though, I did need to touch base with my wife to see if there was anything else I did need to pick up before I left. Perhaps it was in this moment of responsibility, I made the internal judgement call to put one back. And I did.
*To note, John saw his three selections all the way to the end.
Act 3 The decision
So what did I do?
Who did I choose?
Why did I choose this one?
What is the moral of the story?
As I walked away from the collectibles section having returned The Flash to his spot amongst the remaining Shazam’s and Green Lantern’s, I looked down at the Aquaman in my hand basket and smiled. I had practiced self control and used (once again) my own form of collectors logic and justification in making this choice. I decided to proceed forward by staying chronological in my selection. Way back when, Aquaman was one of the original four including Superman, Batman and Robin so that made sense and also set the order of operations for my next pick ups in the coming days or weeks. I still want to give other fans a shot at them although, jumping ahead of the four Shazam’s to get to the now one lonely The Flash will be a chore I’m sure.
So the moral? Self control is still possible in an on demand, I want it now and not only that, it’s incredibly satisfying to know that in the most unexpected ways and at the most unexpected times, we all have opportunities to connect with like minded folks and share stories and moments so long as we’re willing to accept a challenge.
Now, Go Play!
Jim 03/28/2023
If you liked this article, I’d truly appreciate it if you would take the couple seconds to time to like, comment, subscribe and share it far and wide. It would also be swell if you are in the market for Mego toys to stop by your local Walmart and pick one up there. I can’t speak from a position of authority in this but I do believe the more that sell at retail the longer the line will go on. But of course, supporting your favorite online retailer is a great thing to do too as they are truly committed to helping folks bring the magic literally home via the various shipping services available. Yet if all that fails or those avenues are out of stock, I would ask you to consider buying a Mego their official store on Amazon where I do get a piece of as an Amazon affiliate. And if you want to learn more about all things Mego consider joining the official Mego Ambassador group on Facebook for the latest news and informs straight from the source.
A story of self control and making connections 🙂 https://jimstoybox.com/2023/03/29/you-can-pick-one/ #MakeMineMego #walmartfinds #dccomics #greenlantern #aquaman #Shazam #TheFlash #Mego #jimbumgardner #jimstoybox
How do you define “being authentic”? For me it is a matter of being as open an honest with yourself and your friends but also with your goals and ambitions. For Alicia, Kaitlynn and I those are being summed up under our http://conventiontraveler.com website, magazine and travel guides dedicated to what we see as some of the happiest places on Earth: Comic and Specialty Conventions. In working “backstage” on the site, I came across this report I did way back in 2017 that was (unknowingly at the time) preparing us for the future that is now.
We do invite you all to connect with us via the website that will be chock full of info, tips, tricks, articles and interviews that can help you make the most of your convention going experience. This adventure of ours is one that we hope will encourage you to also consider living a life that makes the most of it that it can possibly be, collecting moments and memories just like the ones we did in this clip.
I hope you all have found or are seeking to find that type of path for yourselves sooner rather than later.
Taking a “Mego Moment” break… I sincerely love these toys. Unapologetically. The only thing I do wish I could put my finger on is “Why so much?” But then again do I really need to be so analytical in my thoughts? No. (I’m finally learning how to say that to myself btw).
Sitting at the home office and staring around at these little articulated anchors of inspiration just makes me smile. Its in those moments that I like to reflect a bit on them. Observe them. Embrace and enjoy the bliss they bring and the memories that they float back to the top of my mind.
Todays stand outs are such an unlikely paring but a perfect one for me nonetheless. Side by side and in front of me is the 50th anniversary Superman and his predecessor, a vintage Type 2 Supes with a split boot, frayed cape and long gone emblem. It’s easy enough to restore him but I choose not to because I genuinely love the colors and essence that he exudes in this natural state. It also reminds me of the incredible detail that went into the 50th. This feat is one that is truly awe inspiring. And then I turn to my right and see my latest pick up that I can now be considered “neo-vintage Mego” IMO… Tootie.
Back in 2018, I must admit I thought it was nuts to do produce that figure and her counterparts. I still bought her though and made a silly little commercial featuring her, Drac and Action Jackson, so there was some magic happening from Ms. Ramsey’s appearance on the pegs. I parted with that original one years ago just because it’s my collector habit of moving things in and out of the hoard. Didn’t think much about it until the 50th were announced and Doc’s words in a post came back to me; “We’re starting with the C team and getting to the A-team,” (or something close to that effect). The man obviously knew and knows what he’s talking about. it is in that appreciation I had to snatch Tootie back up when I saw her in the wild a week or so ago. I can honestly say she truly means something to me in the way that so many other MegO’s of old have for decades now who would have thunk it?
The final observation I was taking a mental note on came from the behind me position where Geppeto, Pinocchio and the Cricket never cease to amaze me with the exceptional display quality of the total package. When I first discovered it at a Walmart, I didn’t know it was coming but that big Mego logo on the front snatched my attention right up. Candidly I must admit that dropping $50 on a toy that day was not part of my plan at all. I was actually in super saving mode for other things in life… but… I couldn’t not bring this set home. It was just too damn good. The colors, the look, and the concept hit me on every level. Mind you I didn’t have a clue about the flick even being a thing at that point. This purchase was 100% about the Mego toy. Why? Because to me the idea of Geppeto and his little wooden boy is perhaps the most Mego like toy that could be made by what has become a personal obsession for my own 50th anniversary.
Have a good day, gang.
Today is a good day. Everyday is really. But then there are those days you have to knuckle down a little harder and push forward.
And I am.
Although it would be great if it was.
The toughest thing about entrepreneurship and authenticity that I’ve come to understand for myself in this leg of the journey? Breaking the old “programming” that I adhered to for the better part of three decades. The relief however is that I can identify it now.
Explaining myself a bit better, it’s not that the broadcast industry is geared to lying so much as “fluffing the truth”. So what does that mean? Simply put: in traditional lexicon nothing ever sucks if the client signed a check and even better, a twelve month contract. And it is to that truth that I was always conflicted. Why? Because I was an on air and production talent. Sales and sales people were something that were the necessary evil to allow for my career of screaming my lungs out for money.
Of course I came to respect “both sides of the building” as my career grew but in that I could never totally buy into many of the concessions I witnessed far too many acquiesce too. I myself am coming face to face with my own levels of acquiescence that I had thought I hadn’t done. Boy was I wrong… but I’m getting better. One Roman road at a time.
Consistent, far reaching content creation as easy as 1-2-3…
Having seen so many changes in the information and entertainment space over the past 30 years of my professional life, I’ve had the opportunity to become a dinosaur of sorts. Well, that is bad I allowed myself to go “extinct”. Instead, it was always a priority of mine to take the bill by the horns and learn and appreciate the pros and cons of all of the latest tools, techs and tactics that had come to improve or replace the last. It’s in this that I’ve come to understand that one thing is a constant throughout them all: the need for consistent content.
It’s in this that I have been wrangling for years with developing a method that would help those I had helped for decades in the broadcast space with content creation. Until the last ten years, commercial and non commercial copywriting, audio and video production and distribution especially where ruled by the gatekeepers of the transmitters. Those days are certainly long gone thanks in one part to the internet and the other 99 parts to social media platforms. There in lies a double edged sword for both myself and my former clients.
Recollecting the time way back in 2010 when Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube were still in their infancy (of sorts), I was thrilled at the possibilities. At the time, I was working at a small, sub market television station that even by then, was struggling for viewership. Shortsighted as I was, I saw the social landscape as a way to grow the audience by reaching more people. That was true of course but it was also like picking your own switch as we would say in the old redneck south (that’s a living term btw).
What I mean by that is that in pushing the social media platforms I was in effect poisoning my own waters. As my social media engagement grew, the demands and limitations of “must see TV” time commitments on viewers was becoming far more of a burden then before. I was fortunate in that I got to have one more “big broadcast hoorah” with an American Idol piggy back I put together. Just like the big guys version, folks could vote on that weeks talent roster following the airing of the program. I made it as simple as possible for them to do so by allowing folks to call, email, snail mail and even fax in their votes. The response was fantastic. Especially with the mail in option. I got stacks of letters in every day satisfying my feelings of success for the program and adding quite a few bucks into the USPS’s coffers for postage. Dopamine hits for likes are great and all but for me nothing can replace the feelings that came when the mail came to the office everyday. Digital encouragement can never compare to the physical for me. But I digress
Keep in mind you this was 2009 so even the smartphone was in its infancy among the masses in my region. But then came 2010 and things started moving at a warp speed as the smartphone quickly and rightfully so, made television and radios all the more irrelevant in instant information, this is where I get back on point with the need to evolve with the tools and tech. And why I at the time saw the benefits of social media outweighing the negative impacts it would have in an even shorter amount of time. Boy was that switch I picked far bigger and full of more thorns than I could have ever realized.
The positives however were really good at the outset. The social landscape actually helped sales for the station as the clients could then take the commercials produced and share them on their personal streams and they did… but… they then discovered that their customers were telling them how they saw their commercial on Facebook and not the broadcast airwaves. Uh oh. Oops. However, the opportunity still remained in producing the videos for the clients. That is until people really embraced that the selfie could be used for more than just duck lips. Welcome to the world the beginnings of the influencer. Oops and oops again.
The next few years continued to where we are today with all of the micro messaging hitting you from all sides. Now everybody everywhere is an influencer. The tech has allowed for anyone with a message to DIY the production and distribution processes. I won’t say if that’s any more good or bad because the outcome is in general, the same. Except of course for those who still remain scared of the modern tech. On some cases that even includes the most basic of websites.
As I write in free flow here, and the reflections of the past 14 years slamming into my mind like a hurricane season from hell, I must stop myself from recollecting too many details and getting back to the reason I invited y’all here today: the 1-2-3 Content Creation Method I’m now offering as a service or course. It stems from talking to many businesses around the state (Arkansas) that have the fears I mentioned. They also shared numerous horror stories of how they were taken by those who sold them web and content creation services over the decade that left them either cold or ripped off. In many cases those experiences left them as seeing only one option: just don’t do it. Period. That I feel and know is a mistake just as much as cutting advertising budgets during lean economic times. It’s in all of that I took to creating this stream lined and organized method that anyone can do and learn. Proof? It all starts with a story and I’ll guarantee that you have a million to tell about your business, civic organization or charity.
I truly loved telling those stories. Not just for commercial sake but more so for the human interest side of them. The good news if you will. It was and is great to learn about and taste test the offerings of the new BBQ joint on the corner but even more satisfying and flavorful for me was learning the story of how the place came to be. That’s where this modern era of information and entertainment distribution brings me lots of happiness: people are sharing those stories every day all day and available on demand. Sadly though there are those that I mentioned before gave up on this highway. Well, this is my way of helping them shake the nerves and embrace what they too can benefit from todays methods and tech if only they believed they could. I for one know they can. But I also know a little help is in order. In that is where I also know I can help.
To be continued…
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