UP! with Summer Solstice

I see the sourpusses are out in force again, complaining about the latest Web Special Summer Solstice. So predictable.

Sourpussing isn't unique to our little hobby, you know. It's endemic to most tightly knit, mildly obsessive online communities. Here's an extremely topical one: I've always been a big animation fan, and one of my regular Internet bookmarks is the site Cartoon Research, run by Jerry Beck, a cartoon historian of some note. His blog is frequented by a lot of professional animators and people who are really, really into cartoons.

www.cartoonresearch.com

The comment threads there are infuriating, hilarious and eerily familar. The consensus there is that Pixar's glory days are in the past: they haven't made a “good” film since, oh, Toy Story 2. Ratatouille was a bore, and Wall-E a total failure. The general consensus on UP! so far is fairly positive, but there are already a few naysayers trying to suck out all of the joy. (And they'll probably succeed, since the same thing happened to Ratatouille and Wall-E.)

No, really. I'm not joking. Go check it out for yourself and see. (Cartoon Brew is the blog section.) Some of the most successful films of the past decade, written off as less-than-worthy by the “experts.” Seeing the same kind of nonsense going on in other communities sort of puts it in perspective – and explains why I can't muster more than an eyeroll and “whatever” combo anymore whenever the negativity gets rolling anywhere in the online model horse community. Criticism is one thing: balloon popping is quite another.

I wouldn't mind buying a Summer Solstice – I've been jonesing for Breyer to do a dapple black special or regular run item for a while now. It's a hard color to photograph decently, though, so I'll wait and see what they look like before I commit the money to it. I still have a lot of bills to pay, in spite of the recent influx of cash, and I'm just being cautious.

He has that whole mullet thing going on too, though his new tail is decently modeled at least. But I do love my spotless DZ Weedo, and I think Reverend Happy would like a pasture buddy. The price I paid for my Weedo versus the Summer Solstice isn't that different, and I suspect the piece counts aren't that different either, so the combination of price and quantity seems okay to me. (There's quite a funny story about the Reverend's name, but I'm not feeling particularly funny today. Another day, another day.)


The fact that they used the same blanket and spot pattern isn't a turn off, either – they all used to do it all the time, back in the day. Those pattern templates don't come cheap – even the new and improved ones. I find it refreshingly “retro.” (I know, I know, mullets are also retro, but not in a good way.)

And I haven't gotten a new something – a new anything, really – in quite a while, except for things I've needed for work (food, clothing, gasoline.) I was quite literally asleep when the Music Cities went on – and then off – sale. I logged off the Internet, went to bed for a couple of hours, woke up, logged back on, and discovered what I missed.

I know the economy is in the toilet and all that, but the crazy speculation going on with those Zippos has pretty much caused me to write off ever getting one, at least in the near future. I counted 25 Music Cities on MH$P at one point, which is insane when you consider that (a) that's out of 200 pieces, (b) that's not counting the private sales, presales, and the sales yet to be when Reeves finally ships the rest of them out, and (c) it's a mold that is allegedly not all that popular.

Whatever. Another day, another horse to complain about.