As mentioned earlier I’ve done some quick reviews of some other recent retro releases on the vlog so be sure to check them out here.That platform has admittedly become my focus these days but I appreciate any and all who still come here to the blog for the occasional read. It keeps me going in all forms of coverage any time that I hear someone say that they’ve enjoyed any of my content. As always…thank you! And as I also always like to think, the best is yet to come!
On Twitter (or whatever it is now) all I could think of to write, initially, was the hashtag #TheWeekThe80sDied. A beloved television actor best known for an ‘80s character that many of us grew up with in Malcolm-Jamal Warner. A rocker who tore up stages for decades but had much success, fame and controversy in Ozzy Osbourne. And, of course, The Hulkster.
I also illustrated in the vlog tribute how, in the ‘80s, absolutely everyone knew Hulk Hogan. The same simply cannot be said for any other wrestling star or icon that I can think of, and I, like many of you, am aware of them all. There just isn’t that one who captivated absolutely everyone around the globe. It was an undeniable charisma, a true magic that, even then, detractors wanted to deny.
In recent years did the man, Terry Bollea, earn some of those detractors? Certainly. He was human and he made mistakes. I will reiterate another statement that I made in the vlog: if you want to show me a single human being without a shred of “complicated legacy” then you’d best be showing me a picture of the late Fred Rogers. Everyone else has one. Some are simply targeted more than others. It’s an unfair fact of modern life. The social justice warriors, virtue signalers and white knights WILL pounce on anything to make themselves feel better. It’s an ugly part of the current world.
I choose to remember Hulk Hogan, the man or character that I met. The man you’ve seen standing with me in the main picture of this blog for over a decade. The one who, because of that photo, a clownish wrestling “journalist” tried to use to have me “cancelled” by his followers because I dared question who he was. The perfect example of the aforementioned virtue signalers mentioned above. This idiot failed then and he continues to fail. Funnily enough, he’s another victim of Hulkamania. That’s gotta hurt.
Thank you, Terry Bollea, for bringing Hulk Hogan to life. Thank you, not for “saving” professional wrestling but for transforming it into something that it had not been previously and bringing many new eyes to it. Thank you for, in any interaction that I personally witnessed, treating everyone equally and with respect. I’m sorry that your last years were marred with controversy. You brought that on yourself just as we all cause ourselves issues at one point or another. The ones who think that they’re perfect and incapable of such things…they’ll learn someday.
Thank you for making Hulkamania, indeed, immortal.
Much Love,
JW
This one isn’t about memorabilia. It has a wrestling connection but I wouldn’t call it a wrestling post. It’s something a bit different and, probably, a tad controversial. I don’t do “trigger warnings” but if a little truth about an issue that’s gotten some traction on the net in the past week or so isn’t your thing, you may want to skip this one. I believe it’s a worthwhile read considering many of you collectors who would be reading this are into conventions and meet and greets.
This tale involves a Pittsburgh area convention known as Steel City Con. The show itself is not in the city of Pittsburgh but the nearby suburb of Monroeville. The show began in the late ‘80s as “The Pittsburgh Toy Show” so it’s always associated itself with the city even though it’s never technically been held there. To be fair, many residents of the surrounding suburbs will respond “Pittsburgh” when asked from where they come from, myself included. The town where I spent the majority of my childhood was even a tad further away from the city yet our mailing address was Pittsburgh. It’s one of those things that some find strange and others realize is no big deal.
I started attending the show, as the toy show, about twenty years ago. In fact up until about five or so years ago I referred to it strictly as “toy show” and everyone knew what I was talking about. The “Steel City Con” name came about around 15 years ago or so. I really don’t recall the exact time for the name change. As I just said it took me years and years before I ever personally called it that. For a few shows those in charge tried to float it as “Steel City Comic Con.” This created confusion as there weren’t too many tables with comics, but many of us realized what they were attempting to do. They were trying to become a Pittsburgh version of the famous San Diego Comic Con. Around that time is when the tone of the show really began to change.
When it was Pittsburgh Toy Show that’s exactly what it was: a very large toy show. Deals were insane if you went at the right times. For those of you who want a little wrestling memorabilia thrown in I’ll give you the best deal I ever found (and they were endless): an LJN Warlord figure for 75 cents. Of course there were the dealers who knew what their stuff was worth or wanted more than any educated consumer would pay for their wares, but just as I do at shows today I ignored those tables. Always go for the box UNDER the table. In fact, very, very few of the dealers at this particular show had a clue about wrestling items. While they had their vintage Star Wars and GI Joe items at full price, they’d often bring wrestling stuff along just to get rid of. It was a paradise.
At least as far back as I’d been going there were a few celebrity guest appearances added. I’m not sure exactly when it started but when I first attended we were still in the days of a $20 “combo.” Heck, Bruno Sammartino was standing there telling folks not to pay and that he’d sign for free outside. That’s our Bruno. But you also had names such as Dirk Benedict, Verne Troyer, Tiffany and Kenny “R2-D2” Baker. It was before meeting celebrities became the overpriced mess that it is now. As the show switched buildings and names, more celebrities began to be added. This is also when cosplay came into the picture.
The cosplayers, though I have nothing personally against the concept, were a major part of my personal detachment from the show. They weren’t supporting the toy vendors. Overpriced root beer and homemade soap? Sure. But cosplayers and myself had very different wants and interests. Because the show wanted to be San Diego Comic Con it was the cosplayers who were catered to. Every show I heard more and more displeasure from the toy vendors and then, suddenly, loads of them began disappearing. Suddenly I also no longer felt compelled to attend every show despite living nearby. Unless a certain celebrity that I really wanted to meet was attending I didn’t really feel the need to go. That was exacerbated with the outrageous costs being asked for autographs and photos. Even if there was a celebrity that I enjoyed it truly had to be an event for me or else I had little interest in spending the time and money.
Here’s where we do a bit of a time jump. We’ll get back to my own experiences after addressing the current state of the show and the controversy that spurned these remembrances to begin with. Around ten years ago (again, the time frame could be off a few years) the ownership of the show changed. The original founder, who always had a reputation of being difficult, sold to new owners who obviously had a huge vision. The guests became even bigger in name, cosplay became a featured event complete with contests and the toy finds became even fewer and far between. Suddenly “VIP Passes” were purchasable so that fans could “skip the lines” for certain guests. In short, the show became more of a cash grab than ever before. To the owners credit, I’m sure that more cash than ever was going into their pockets and that’s their one and only goal.
This past weekend was the latest edition of the show which has always been held three times a year. As with all shows run by any promoter you’re going to announce your appearing names well in advance. Even if they end up cancelling, which many do for various reasons, you’re going to promote the Hell out of them every chance that you get. Again, it’s called promotion. Some of the Con’s most ardent supporters decided “never again” when, hours before the show, Steel City Con announced that actor Kevin Spacey would be attending on Sunday. If you don’t know why this is controversial I don’t need to repeat it here. A quick Google will do you. This made some convention goers feel “unsafe” and, traditionally, the show does not offer refunds at all. It was either attend or lose all of your money.
Personally I would not have cared either way as far as the appearance itself was concerned. Looking at the list of attending celebrities I’m going to single out Henry Winkler and Jimmy Hart. Why those two? Of the dozens who appeared those are just about the only two who I think may not have a single odious skeleton in their closet that would make someone not want to meet them. This is Hollywood. These are stars. I’ve said it so many times over the years. While I’m just as guilty as the next guy for wanting to meet many whose work I’ve admired, things go on among the famous that we simply need to put out of our heads in order to enjoy their work. It’s just how it is. It’s why I have a problem with certain wrestlers being singled out for things while others are ignored. It’s a popularity contest. Would anyone have scoffed at Kirk Douglas making a convention appearance? Of course not. If you’re asking what this means, maybe it’s better that you don’t know. If you do want to know, Google a certain child star who was married to Robert Wagner. Wagner who, for the record, did in fact appear at Steel City Con several years ago.
By all accounts the Spacey appearance went smoothly but controversy still reigned. The Con courageously disabled comments on social media, taking the blame as they always do. That’s sarcasm, of course. They’re masters of victim blaming. That leads us to what you’ve all been waiting for, my own story. I’m hardly calling myself a victim of an action but rather of the response.
I did not attend this latest show. It’s been a year since I’ve spent my time and money there. The last time was in order to meet a lifelong crush who passed just a few months later, Shannen Doherty. That meeting was great though I could tell that the show itself was descending more and more into what drove me away to begin with. But what truly soured me on the show happened several years earlier at one of the first ones held after the COVID virus. That’s a key factor here. I can’t remember who all I was attending for, but this story involves meeting John Bradshaw Layfield. Though he’d appeared at several events I’d attended over the years I had never taken the opportunity to meet him. This time I decided to do it and let me say in advance that my interaction with him was perfectly fine.
The line was a couple of people at best. I was with friends who I frequently attend shows with and as far as meeting people we have it down to a science. We should after decades of this stuff. If one is around they’ll snap your picture if you’re getting one. If two or more in the group are getting pictures we’ll often advise the attendee. That way we can rotate phones/cameras and the celebrity can stay standing and/or in “picture mode” and doesn’t have to switch between posing and signing. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the amount of celebrities and attendees who’ve appreciated this over the years. We don’t waste their time or energy. We make it easy. Honestly, we give them the time back to work with the overexcited fans who need to tell their life story. It happens and there is nothing wrong with it.
As I paid my fee and had in hand what I was getting signed, I handed my phone to a friend who was behind me. The attendee began to randomly look upset and I didn’t even have a chance to explain the system that I just outlined in the paragraph above. Why didn’t I have the chance? She grabbed my arm, dug into it, and forcefully pushed me to the side. Physical touch right as the show is coming back from a pandemic.Was I hurt? Not at all. I’m roughly six foot. The reason that she could move me is that I’m not going to fight an older woman much smaller than me. Putting her hands on me? That’s a bit of a different story but she did it so fast that I had zero time to react. She blindsided me for no particular reason. I met with JBL, got my stuff done and left the area.
Remember that it wasn’t the action. I’m not pretending to be the victim of some massive physical assault. It was the fact that it was inappropriate, uncalled for, unprovoked and humiliating. Not to mention that it was unbelievably ill timed for anyone to be touching anyone else without permission considering the world climate at the time. But it gets worse.
My cohorts, all witnesses as shocked as I was, advised me to talk to someone in charge about it. Who was around to hear me out? No one. More volunteers. Unpaid folks just as this woman was. This woman has a reputation of being a celebrity obsessed hanger-on who only volunteers to be “close” to the stars. Others are there because they enjoy helping keep order. This woman had zero skills for that, as was obvious. In a twist of irony I’ll give you one guess as to who appeared in photos as the attendee with Kevin Spacey. Food for thought? This woman, likely with zero life outside of this, felt the opportunity for a power trip.
I eventually took to their social media. We know that in this day and age most companies cringe at any sort of bad review on most social media platforms. To their credit someone involved with Steel City Con responded…and promptly blamed me. They said that they asked the volunteer and had other witnesses who backed her up. I was apparently causing an issue. She’s going to risk losing her time with the stars and admit that she was wrong? The witnesses with me didn’t count? I didn’t want money, I wanted an apology. I did get lots of sympathy from others who had, and I quote, been “gaslighted” by the Con in similar situations. I still have those messages in case they’re ever needed.
That was that. Again, just I’ve said twice, the action wasn’t the true crime, it was the response. Am I the fool for even going back a few times after that? Maybe. But that’s why that, even though I have no opinion either way about Kevin Spacey being a guest at the show, I’m enjoying every last bit of bad publicity that the show will get from it. Will it ultimately hurt them? No. The public is fickle. A large amount of loyal, cult-like followers regularly attack anyone who has anything but absolute praise for the show and its organizers. As I’ve shown here they’ve gotten away with similar injustices in the past and won’t ever give it up. Too much money to be made. It’s rich on all levels that they advertise respect and safety and tolerance and all of those lies, but would you expect any less? At least now there’s a public record of just one of the horrible ways that they’ve treated a paying customer over the years.
And one that they can’t shove under the rug nor erase.
The increasingly laughable brain trust at Mattel have done something to remedy that and made an unusual set of wise moves in doing so. In their WWE Superstars line, a homage to that forty-year-old Remco collection, The American Dream has finally made his debut. Packed alongside his son Cody, The Dream debuts in the first two-pack for this particular line. Mattel, in a nearly unheard of move, also made it painless to get these figures. While the normal WWE Superstars line is a complete nightmare to locate due to being exclusive to Walmart, Mattel released this two-pack on their Mattel Creations website. A few button clicks and no anger or worries. It’s a great thing and Mattel would be wise to just throw every exclusive onto the site. I’m sure that they’ve lost many collector dollars with their constant need to frustrate loyal customers.
I truly thought that the aforementioned Remco PowerTown line would be among the first reviews here on the blog in 2025, but perhaps that was some very wishful thinking. I’m still hoping to do an entry on those, too, but as you can see with this type of figure there isn’t all that much to review. While I’m personally all but done with giving Mattel and most of these other manufacturers my frustration, this time they did a good thing. It’s a set that I recommend for most any collection and, once again, one that’s easily accessible.
The definition of “The American Dream” has meant a lot of things to a lot of people. In the sense of the American people, in 2025 “The American Dream” is being sick of rich people, sick of money-grubbing companies and (most importantly?) sick of wrestling toy manufacturers, wannabe manufacturers and their absolutely piss poor treatment of the hard-working consumer. At least this set, in some small way, helped ease up that last one a bit.
Until my next pre-order gets cancelled, that is.
