02/25/14
It’s been another very productive day. I’m telling you gang, templates and daily journal type blogs help you stay focused and on track. Plus the brainstorming that comes is amazing.
Pop culture notes
The new Godzilla is looking to be a big win! Judging by the trailer the thing that really excites me is that they put the effort in to write a GOOD STORY along with keeping with the traditional Godzilla’s look and SOUND! Thanks to Den of Geek for the heads up!
New to the Toy Box
Got a lovely email from the folks at Entertainment Earth. Thanks to you guys and gals the Toy Box was one of the top affiliates of the past week. Thank you all so much!
Pre-Order Reminder
Can’t stress these enough. The Bluntman and Chronic figures from Bif Bang Pow and EMCE Toys are simply too sweet not to get. I can’t get enough of the bright, brilliant colors! And while I can’t say for sure but I’d almost be willing to bet that if sales are strong enough we could see more View Askew figures in the future. Cockknocker for sure but even more importantly I would L-O-V-E to see 8 inch versions of the Clerks animated series.
Thrift store flipping
Been so busy I haven’t been able to get out on the hunt for Round 3. However here’s one update that I’m very glad to share. My visit to Christ’s Food Pantry and Thrift Store led one it’s directors to be on a community outreach program on TKO 8 Television in Harrison, AR called “Connection” where Patsy Dean was able to share the purpose and mission of the outreach they do. Patsy comes in the second part of the show @15:48… but there are some neat thigns happening a the Boone County library too 😉
S-Type body giveaway contest
Got some great entry’s coming in!
Trappy has already put the S-Type body to great use with a custom Lone Ranger… I can only imagine the other things he could do with another new body to play with…
Ray offered up an entry that made me giggle and I admit snort… Direct quote on this one “Hi Jim! If I win the new body,…I plan to replace a “junky pee-stancing, cheap type, foot breaking, wrist cracking, hand splitting” body that my boxed CTV Robin Hood figure has…”
So what about you? What you got in mind? Email me at jimsmegos@yahoo.com … contest ends Sunday March 8th at 11;59 PM
On the horizon
Julie Adams interview and review of her book The Lucky Southern Star
The Story of the real Toy Box that was made possible by my fantastic friend Gar Ghoul
Lot’s of Scott Schiaffo goodness
A new animated cartoon (still rehearsing the script) 😉
Phases Updates
Phase 1 – re Launching – As always it’s a work in progress and steady growth. As part of this social media, cyber super highway we’re all plugged into I do want to reach out to more folks who may find the Toy Box interesting but boy oh boy do I not want to be a spammer (or be spammed for that matter). Hmmmmmmmmm…. How about this… if you know of or are someone that fits into the aforementioned categories drop me an email and let’s chat and grow together. jimsmegos@yahoo.com
Phase 2 – More Than Toys – Getting all my ducks in a row on reviews of books and films I have in the box. This is some really good stuff from folks such as Julie Adams, Scott Schiaffo, Dave LePage, Sandy Collora, K.D. McCrite… I look forward to introducing you all to all of these creations that you may have missed.
Phase 3 – Television Show – One big point of the process is the dreaded word: Budget… hmmmmmmm…. This part is a bit of new territory for me. For most of my career I have produced things without really thinking about a budget. I just do it and roll on. I never think about paying myself when it comes to the things I’ve created. It’s art. BUT the utility company’s and the mortgage holder on my house could care less about my “art”. And to be quite frank, traditional sponsorship doesn’t work like it used to for the advertiser or the show. So you know what? Unless some company wants to pony up some SERIOUS cash (I’m talking seven figures) I’m not interested. It’s not a matter of not wanting to sell out, it’s a matter of not jeopardizing my integrity ever again.
In the past if I couldn’t afford someone to do the work I just learned how to do it myself and go for it as best I could. This time though I want to attack that better. I know there are crowd funding platforms out there but for now I do not really want to go that route. I appreciate the opportunities that are possible through that method but I enjoy spreading the word and supporting those who use those services. They have fantastic ideas and projects and do indeed need the help. For me though and at this particular juncture I’m no where near where I feel confident in going in that direction. So for now it’s going to be all about earning the money on my own through various side gigs and selling as much cool stuff through Entertainment Earth as possible! But then again…
Thinking about the funding sources of this project (which is tied into everything in these phases actually) is the potential for future merchandise tie ins. I don’t want to give it all away right now but I will say I’ve had an idea in my head for a very long time that, like the Toy Box, incorporates a lot of the elements you see here in one neat little clamshell. Oops, may have said too much. But what I think I will do is set up a program that if any of you folks would like to kick in and be a part of this project you can.
Along those lines I may also look into doing some branded merchandise though a print / publish on demand service. If something catches your eye please, feel free to make it yours. Otherwise it’s all good. I guess it’s the 80’s kid in me that loves merchandise tie in’s and why I like offering things like that. To this day I’m still a sucker for radio station t-shirts and coffee mugs. I just like ‘em.
One thing that I have done in being more proactive is setting up a cup to collect my budget money’s into. No really a real honest to goodness Styrofoam cup. May seem juvenile to some but I assure you it’s encouraging to me. The cash in that cup is coming from little odd jobs that seem to fall out of the sky lately. And since they’re calling out of the sky it only seems appropriate for them to be caught in a cup. Metaphorical perhaps but then again I am a master (or addict) of metaphors.
I’ve also been putting more thought into the TV shows format and content. The show itself is intended for my local broadcast television audience; the folks who may have never heard of me or the Toy Box or the contents within, unlike you my dear, cool reader. So a lot of the material is going to be re-purposed blog posts and videos that you see on here already with some local / interest stuff mixed in. I used to worry about the redundancy factor but honestly it really is apples to oranges when it comes to the audience. Plus I think it will be a huge service to those folks in my area that otherwise never knew or hear anything about the topics discussed here. Case and point; most folks in this region have never heard of a Mego WGSH toy or incredibly talented folks such as Jay Piscopo. So why that may be seem to be a deal breaker in mass appeal I actually think its going to offer a fresh type of show and subject matter that could be seen as refreshingly entertaining and informative. And of course I love telling the stories.
As you can see from this post alone, I’ve been putting a lot of thought into this one today. I really want this to be the best show I’ve ever done.
Phase 4 – Live Internet Broadcast – Working out what it should be format wise I’m still developing it. I’m pretty sure it will be a weekly thing. Perhaps a Weekly Update from the Toy Box of sorts.
Phase 5 – The Studio Store – A real business plan. Man that’s kind of tough. But this is a long term goal and no need to rush it. I want this right and I think at the end of the day you all will appreciate it too. Plus in a year or two from now you and I dear reader may have a very interesting journey and success story that we have shared. Time will tell.
This is something that I truly want to see become a reality. But I want to do it right. The Studio Store in my mind will have a lot of really interesting aspects to it. It IS the store and eatery I want to see and perhaps others will too. Obviously there will be a gift shop retail area that offers up a lot of neat stuff that you see on the site that would make for great loitering. But that doesn’t exactly pay the rent. With that in mind I would like to have it also include a lunch counter set up and dining area. Nothing fancy but slick in its presentation and good in its food execution plus it would be a nice way to generate more reliable revenue. Plus I love to feed folks.
And since this is a dream project I would really like it to house my work and production projects. Years ago I sat down and mapped out what this would look like. Basically the front of the building would include the gift shop and restaurant area whereas the back of the facility would feature my production studios and offices. To the side of all of this would be a fantastic spot for a theater / stage area. Hey, if you’re gonna dream, dream big.
At the moment I don’t believe my current city of residence could maintain such a venue but who knows what the future may hold. While I give myself a bit of grief at being 40, Lord willing I’ve still got a few more decades left in me and I am most certainly assured that the passion that fuels the Toy Box is never going to go away.
Good golly that’s a lot of brain droppings for one setting. So now I will hop off the keyboard and go do some video tests of the set for the show. I may even share some of that with you tomorrow. I actually combed my hair today.
Now, Go Play!
Jim 02/25/2014
Weather was nice in Arkansas today. A little cool but more normal for an Ozarks winter. The doom and gloom forecasters are wanting to throw a chink in the day but it I’m hoping for the best.
The Story behind the trunk that became the Toy Box thanks to my super pal 
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