Action Features: 2017

Friday, December 22, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 128:
The One Where We Put A Lump Of Coal In Your Star Wars Stocking
12/22/2017

One last Action Features Episode for 2017! In this installment, James & Mike share their thoughts on Alien Covenant, Brock Lesnar's brush with stardom, live action Punishers, Stranger Things Season 1, and the Disney/ 20th Century Fox deal. Sounds pretty jam-packed, huh? Oh yeah... they also talk about that new Star Wars film. So get plugged in... Time for Action Features!

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

Friday, December 1, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 127:
The One Where You Should Always Hide Your Copy Of Bogus Journey
12/1/2017

After a holiday hiatus.... Action Features is back! In this installment, James & Mike catch up on the pop culture happenings of the past 4 weeks- Justice League's box office, another Star Wars trilogy, the surprise of Thor Ragnarok, RoboCop's awesomeness, changes at Marvel, Hot Toys' newest licenses, the Avengers trailer, a Remo Williams action figure, the cancellation of a controversial comic, and much more! Phew. I am out of breath. Get plugged in. Time for Action Features.

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Help Save The Photo Content At This Site!

This is James Sawyer... I run a few pop-culture websites/blogs online. Some of the more popular ones are:

1989Batman.com
MOTUMovie.com
APieceOfTheAction.net
ActionFeatures.net
TMNTFilm.com
MOTUCFigures.com

For years, I have ran all of these sites out of my own pocket- Registration fees, hosting fees, content fees- I have covered them all without resorting to ads or fundraising. I want the sites to be a fully engaging experience, free from pop-ups and the feeling that I am profiting from your enjoyment in some way.

Photobucket is seeking to change this. I started with Photobucket years ago when it was the "big" photo hosting site. I needed a place to host all of the photo content for the different blogs, and at the time Photobucket was the best option for this. Still, I have never been a freeloader account- I have paid them a monthly fee for years in order to handle the bandwith for all my sites (the biggest one being 1989Batman.com). With over 15000 photos stored there, a paid account was the right thing to do.

...But yesterday they sent me an e-mail letting me know my plan was going away, and the only option that now works for me is paying $400 for another year of service. Or I have 30 days to go elsewhere (but of course they won't let me just download the photos I have stored there).

That leaves me with 3 options. 1.) Find all my original files, re-upload them somewhere else, then update every single post at multiple sites in 30 days. 2.) Just throw in the towel and shut all the sites down. 3.) Pay the $400 and buy myself a year to do option 1.

None of those are great. None are what I want to do. I honestly am not sure what I am going to do at this point. I highly doubt I would have the time to devote to doing such a huge task of transferring services in the next 30 days, so I would be looking at downtime for the sites until I have time to do this work... and I have a feeling once they are down, the motivation for me to get them back up will slack off (life has a way of keeping you busy). I guess the $400 option is the best one for the life of the sites, as a year is probably enough time to get them all updated seamlessly. But man... $400 a month before Christmas hurts. A lot.

So I posted this message at a few of my Facebook fan pages... and some folks suggested I look toward crowdfunding to offset the cost.

Now I really dislike doing this... but with the only option being major downtime for the sites, I am asking that anyone who has enjoyed the sites and has the extra funds that they wish to donate, please do so. If you don't, that is fine too. I won't just let the sites die regardless. It may just be that they have to go away for awhile.

The goal I am setting for this is enough to cover the photobucket fee to keep the sites as-is for a year (plus a little extra to hopefully cover all the fees GoFundMe will take). This will hopefully buy me enough time to get through the arduous task of migrating all the photos (if photobucket frees them up) to a new hosting site and updating all the posts. If for some reason that does not work... Well, at least this will buy one more year of life for all that exisitng content.

Thanks to anyone who read all this. Even if you don't donate, I appreciate that... and I would appreciate it if you shared this. Not so much to get more backers- But to spread the word on what Photobucket is doing to its paying customers. :(

Donate or use the links to share the GoFundME here: Paying Photobucket To Preserve Picture Content

Friday, November 3, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 126:
The One Where Mike Should Have Used The Restroom Before Watching Blade Runner 2049
11/3/2017

Hey all... Feels like forever since we had a good ol' fashioned free-for-all episode of Action Features, doesn't it? Well, the wait is over- because that is what this installment is! In this episode, James & Mike tackle topics like the new retro Marvel Legends, Blade Runner 2049, a GOOD Marvel Legacy comic, live action Punishers, Disney's empire, the Justice League soundtrack, Luke possibly turning to the Dark Side, & much more! Oh, and you know there is another letter to Mattel in there too... So get plugged in. Time for Action Features.

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

Friday, October 20, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 125:
The One Where We Talk With John Fleskes From Flesk Publications!
10/20/2017

In this special interview episode of Action Features, Mike & James get to chat with John Fleskes of Flesk Publications! We get to hear how John got started in the publishing biz, how it is working with masters of the comic art industry, what the future holds for Flesk Publications, and much more! So get plugged in... Time for Action Features!

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

To check out all the awesome product Flesk has to offer, head here: Flesk Publications

...or you can find them on Facebook here- Flesk on Facebook

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 124:
The One Where We Aren't Too Excited About A Space Corolla
9/27/2017

Wait a second... An early episode!?! That's right- James & Mike are both busy Thursday, so you get this one just a wee bit early! In this installment, James & Mike discuss various pop culture topics, such as Star Wars Episode 9 news, the first issue of Marvel Legacy, the new Spider-Man cartoon, and an obscure film related to Conan. Oh and there's also another letter to Mattel, but sadly nobody here from Mattel this time to listen to it. Oh well... time for Action Features.

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

Friday, September 15, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 123:
The One Where We Talk Power Lords With Cornboy From Four Horsemen Studios!
9/15/2017

Hey all! In this special episode of Action Features, H Eric "Cornboy" Mayse from Four Horsemen Studios stops by to talk with James & Mike about the new wave of Power Lords action figures currently available for preorder at StoreHorsemen.com! We find out how the line got started, Cornboy's most wanted character, easter eggs on the current wave, possibilities for the future, and much more! Things get a little crazy with one of the "Letters to Mattel" segments.... And then the show wraps up with a top 5 list- "The Top Five Toylines The Four Horsemen Should Bring Back Next!" So get plugged in... Time for Action Features!

...or if you prefer, here is the YouTube version-

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

The Power Lords preorder runs through October 6, 2017! If you want these guys made, head here and place a preoder- StoreHorsemen.com

Be sure to check out PowerLordsReturn.com for Power Lords product news and other great content!

Friday, September 1, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 122:
The One Where We Should Have Taken The Blue Pill
9/1/2017

Hey all... New Action Features for ya! In this episode, James & Mike discuss the Lord of the Flies reboot, Force Friday offerings, Terminator 2 3-D, and a very special episode of Small Wonder. The they wrap things up with a discussion on the Matrix films! So grab your dark sunglasses and leather trench coat... Time for Action Features.

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

Friday, August 18, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 121:
The One Where Nobody Would Admit To Watching Bonkers
8/18/2017

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder... Well, you should all be super-fond of this eisode then since it is a week late. Slackers. Anyways... In this installment of Action Features, James & Mike tackle a few current pop culture happenings like Han Solo movie tidbits, the return of Wizard magazine, Star Wars toy sales, and kickstarter-funded toy lines. They then finish things up with a discussion the recently debuted Ducktales reboot and a related Top 5 list- Their Top Five Disney Afternoon Cartoons! Bet you cant guess their number one! Here's a hint- It is Ducktales. So get plugged in. Time for Action Features.

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!

Friday, July 28, 2017

Action Features Podcast Episode 120:
The One Where James Cameron Should Just Stay In An Avatar World
7/28/2017

Hey folks! Time for the annual post-SDCC episode of Action Features! In this installment, Mike & James discuss all of the recent pop culture happenings from Comic-Con... Movie trailers & film news, changes in the comic industry, and gobs of toy reveals! Want to hear what they thought of it all? Well go ahead and hit that play button... Time for Action Features.

Also available on iTunes here (though it may take a little longer to show up)- Action Features on iTunes!