FANARTI STUDIOS FANTASTIC PORTRAITS

The talented Matt Farra created a customized portrait for this Geek Daddy to demonstrate the impressive works available through his Fanarti Studios online store on Etsy.com. Ever imagined what you would look like as a Star Wars Jedi, Star Trek Captain or student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry? Submit a photograph of yourself, a family member or friend to Fanarti Studios and Matt will customize a hand drawn illustration with the face from your submitted picture incorporated into one of a number of templates you can choose from. What a great way to immerse yourself in your fanship of Harry Potter, Star Wars or Star Trek.

I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I choose a Star Wars template depicting the prequal era Obi-Wan Kenobi for my Fanarti Studios portrait that shows me as a Jedi. Attempting to do my best to replicate the look on the face of Obi-Wan, my wife snapped a picture of me to send over to Matt. He then replaced Kenobi's face with a hand drawn sketch of my own. 

Voila! I have a nice piece of artwork depicting me as one of the last Jedi preparing to take on the villainous Darth Vader in an effort to save the Galaxy from the Sith. I was so geeked for the opportunity to be portrayed as a Jedi in a quality piece of artwork!

You can purchase just a digital image to be sent to your or pay a bit extra to have Matt send you the image printed on High Quality Lustre Paper. Framing isn't included so you'll need to pick out one on your own. If you are interested in seeing yourself as a Jedi, head over to Fanarti Studios on Etsy and use code JEDI30 to get a 30% discount off your order. Let Matt know you saw his artwork on ageekdaddy.com! 

Templates you can choose from include a Star Wars Jedi like in my portrait or a Luke Skywalker inspired Rebel pilot suit; Harry Potter inspired images including Hogwarts' school uniforms and quiddich robes; and a variety of Star Trek scenes depicting the Captain's Chair on a number of different starships. Which of these custom portraits would you like to see yourself in? There is also the option to have Star Trek or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter personalized caricatures drafted up. There is even an option to have a cartoon of your pet sketched into a caricature with you. 

With so many impressive options to choose from it may be hard to select just one. With the reasonable pricing for this artwork it is reasonable and affordable to order a number of customized personal caricatures and portraits from Fanarti Studios. I'm thinking of getting portraits done of myself as a Star Trek Captain and my daughter as a Hogwarts student as well as a caricature of my son as Harry Potter. So many awesome templates to choose from!

Matt Farra has absolutely earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval for the hands on approach to catering to his cliental, excellent customer service and impressive art. Head over to Etsy and check out his portfolio for yourself. His work is FAN-tastic!

Legendary Yoda from Spin Master Toys Trains Padawans on the Ways of the Force

**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

Learn the ways of the Force with Spin Master's LEGENDARY YODA interactive animatronic toy.  Experience being a padawan training to be a Jedi knight under the guidance of Master Yoda with this 16 inch high toy that is one of the most realistic Star Wars toys A Geek Daddy has ever seen.  Our family has enjoyed hours of fun playing with Legendary Yoda as he demonstrates light saber dueling skills, imparts Jedi wisdom and teaches you how to use the Force.



We've enjoyed practicing handling a light saber on our back deck with Legendary Yoda on multiple occasions and the toy has worked really well though the instructions very clearly state "not for outdoor use."  I believe this warning is primarily for two reasons.  First, the toy is powered by 7 motors that provide for it to operate with an incredible 360 degree level of motion and there is the risk that water, dust and other outdoor elements could damage these mechanics.  Secondly, sunlight hinders your ability to see Yoda's light saber illuminate which takes away from the play experience when using the toy outdoors.  Though I do have to say it is still fun to play with outside!



As you can see indoors, Legendary Yoda's light saber is clearly visible as he engages into Warrior Mode.  Equipped with his signature green light saber, Legendary Yoda will share with you advanced techniques any Jedi will need to know in order to defeat an evil Sith opponent.  He also shares some of his Jedi Master humor with padawans.  Don't despair from Yoda's mocking as with continued patience and practice he will provide you with the wisdom of a Jedi.



Legendary Yoda's Wisdom Mode provides voice recognition to six key phrases allowing any Jedi want-to-be to converse with the toy and trigger a variety of mechanical actions.  In Wisdom Mode, Yoda will utilize the Force to answer any Yes or No Question you may pose to him.  Yoda is programmed with more than 100 phrases to keep his banter from being too repetitious during continuous use.  Just like Santa Claus knows if you have been bad or good so does Yoda with his built-in Dark Side sensor that becomes activated during Wisdom Mode.  Spin Master has also included a walking stick accessory that can be switched out with Yoda's light saber to provide a scholarly appearance for the Jedi Master while engaging in Wisdom Mode.



Once you've experienced Warrior Mode and Wisdom Mode, utilize the toy's Force Mode to use this mystical power for yourself.  Legendary Yoda really moves when you use the Force to control pushing him back across a room.  Who hasn't wanted to mimic using the Force from a Star Wars movie scene in real life?! Legendary Yoda gives you that chance, but beware if you see his hand light up because he may respond against you with his own glowing "force blast."

The toy requires 6 C batteries to operate and doesn't utilize its own rechargeable plug-in battery which is a bit of a drawback as I hate buying and replacing batteries for toys; but it does provide a lengthy amount of play time with the 6 C batteries as our family has played with the toy for several days without having to replace them.  Just be prepared to have to buy batteries for this toy as they are not included. Legendary Yoda's motion works well on flat surfaces such as cement, tile and hardwood floors and thin carpet but avoid shaggy rugs which will hinder its wheels not allowing it to move or spin.

Legendary Yoda has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval because it is a dynamic toy that has provided our family with a tremendous amount of enjoyment playing with it.  The interactivity, iconic phrases, and mechanical motions that are incorporated together to bring Yoda to life truly makes this a wonderful toy to play with.  Any Star Wars fan, no matter if they are young or old, will enjoy playing with Legendary Yoda from Spin Master Toys.  Are you ready for Legendary Yoda to teach you in the ways of the Force?

Legendary Yoda is available from Toys R Us and can also be purchased directly from Spin Master Toys.  Legendary Yoda is recommended for Jedi 6 years old and up.

The Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

My kids explored what it is like to be a Jedi on May the Fourth as we had some Star Wars Day fun with Uncle Milton's THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience. Who hasn't watched a Star Wars movie and dreamed of being able to move physical objects through the power of concentration? Utilizing a tablet, special Bluetooth headset, and a holographic display, The Force Trainer from Uncle Milton provides users the feeling of using the Force by allowing you to move holograms with the power of your mind. The Force Trainer II creates holographic images that are impressive to observe then enhances the fun to another level of awesomeness by allowing these holograms to be controlled through the power of your mind mimicking a Jedi's use of the force. This really is impressive, most impressive!

These holograms are created by downloading a free app that works with most current iPads (iPad 2 and newer)and Android tablets (Samsung Tablet 10.1 recommended)onto a device which is placed on top of an included theatrical display and projects images upon special panels to create a three dimensional illusion. My kids were really delighted by these holograms with my daughter yelling out in excitement when she saw her first image "it looks just like the pictures R2-D2 shows in Star Wars!"

While simply viewing these holograms is thrilling in itself, amazingly The Force Trainer also allows you to move them with your mind. Instructions from Master Yoda will guide you through a variety of Jedi Challenges ranging from constructing a light saber to knocking down battle droids. Both my son and daughter agreed that their favorite challenge was recreating the scene from Empire Strikes Back where you raise an X-wing space ship out of a Dagobah swamp.

The Force Trainer harnesses the power of your mind through the included headset which uses advanced dry neural sensor technology that monitors your brainwaves. As people concentrate they generate Beta brainwaves. The headset can detect these Beta brainwaves and send a measurement of their intensity via Bluetooth to the tablet which controls the holograms movement based upon your level of concentration. The higher the level of concentration the quicker you will complete a challenge. There are 10 levels to conquer to move up the Jedi ranks from Padawan to Master. Each level requires an escalating intensity of Beta brainwaves to complete challenges and continue moving on. Can you demonstrate to Yoda the concentration needed to obtain the rank of Jedi Master? Do or do not. There is no try!

The entertainment value of the Jedi Challenges combined with the educational insights that can be gained from its scientific elements earns THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience a nod of approval from A Geek Daddy.  Incorporating music and sound effects from the Star Wars movies with real life holograms that look like they jumped right out of a sci-fi film is a great way to combine learning with having fun.  Parents can jump right in and compete with their children to see who can earn the rank of Jedi Master first making this a great experience for the whole family to enjoy together.  It also comes with a science learning poster to reinforce the educational aspects of this game. This really is worth checking out!



THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience is recommend for ages 8+.  It does require a compatible iPad or Android tablet (not included), Internet access to download an app (though not needed to operate the app), and 1 AAA battery to power the neural sensor technology.  It is important to achieve a good fit with the adjustable headset because if the sensors don't maintain a good connection the game will be interrupted and paused because the game needs to be detecting Beta brainwaves for the challenge modes to function. The sensors must be flush against a person's skin on his or her forehead and behind each ear. Be aware it may take some adjustments and trial and error before a good connection is established but once you get it working the headset works very well when it comes to interacting with the holograms.  The Force was awakened in our house with this great product from Uncle Milton as my children really had a blast pretending to be Jedi and interacting with the Star Wars holograms.

CLICK HERE for more information about THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience from Uncle Milton.

Star Wars Command: The Battle of Hoth

Just before the first snow storm of this winter hit our town, A Geek Daddy Blog received a surprise box of goodies from our friends at Hasbro filled with the company's newest line of toys called Star Wars Command for us to play with and test out.  These Star Wars Command toys are like the little green plastic army men of my youth but instead of pretending to fight in World War II you are transported to the Star Wars Universe to play out  your favorite scenes from the franchise's movies or television episodes.  They have themed toy sets ranging from the brand new animated series Star Wars: Rebels (which is my son's favorite tv show) to Empire Strikes Back (which is my favorite movie).

So as the snow started coming down you know my five year old son and I couldn't resist going out in the backyard and recreating the Battle of Hoth.  My son's rebel troopers put up a valiant fight led by Chewbacca and Han Solo but they just were no match against Dad's powerful legion of AT-ATs and snow troopers.  In the end though a mysterious snow ball from outer space knocked out the approaching Geek Daddy armada allowing the rebels to slip away to battle another day.

My son had a blast playing with these toys and I was whisked back to acting like a kid myself for a few moments while we enjoyed playing Star Wars in the snow.  Then it was time for dinner and a return to the real world; but as we were packing up I took a moment to appreciate this moment of father-son fun and bonding that we often don't get enough time for in the everyday hustle and bustle of life.  Next I realized it probably wasn't the best move to play with white colored toys in the snow...we'll be finding a few of these figures after the snow melts.  Fortunately, a number of the rebels including Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2D2 were made of blue, brown and orange colored plastic and easily stood out in the frozen tundra of our patio.

For being small injected plastic molded figurines these Star Wars Command toys have some nice sculpts and detail to them.  Recommended age for these micro-figure battle sets are for children 4 years old and up.

#CommandtheForce with the Star Wars Command battle packs. They come in a variety of sizes ranging in price from $4.99 for a play set that includes 9 figures to $59.99 for the Star Destroyer set that includes a gigantic vehicle that shoots out energy blast balls to devastate your opponent's army.

While we had a great time playing out the Battle of Hoth together, the toy set that my son really wants to get his hands on is the Star Wars: Rebels - Jedi Duel battle pack.  This includes all his favorite characters from the tv show: Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Sabine Wren, Zeb Orrelios, and C1-1OP "Chopper" plus bad guy The Inquisitor and a few stormtroopers to boot.  Plus it has two vehicles included the PHANTOM space ship and an AT-DP armored walker.  We've decided to hold this battle pack aside for a little while though because it is just too valuable to use as a reward, or bribe, when the need may arise.  My son doesn't know we have this in hand so he'll be thrilled when we eventually give it to him.

For more information about the Star Wars Command toys visit starwars.hasbro.com

DISCLAIMER:  Hasbro provided A GEEK DADDY Blog with complimentary Star Wars Command toys with an approximate retail value of $50.  These toys were provided with no obligation to provide a positive review regarding them.  The views and opinions in this post are my own.

Pay Whatever You Like to Receive A Huge Bundle of DarkHorse Star Wars Comics on Humble

Don't miss out on this great deal! The Humble Star Wars Comics Bundle lets you pay whatever you like to download a huge selection of digital comic books published by Dark Horse that includes Star Wars Omnibus Volume 1 (the first 26 issues of the Star Wars comics printed by Marvel alongside the movie in 1977), the first four issues of the Star Wars: Empire series, and the Star Wars: Jedi, Crimson Empire, Darth Maul - Death Sentence, and Blood Ties: Jango & Boba Fett mini-series.  Pay $1, $5, $10, $25 whatever you are comfortable with and can afford to purchase these great comics that are provided DRM-free and accessible in multiple formats (CBZ, EPUB, PDF).

To encourage people to spend a little more than a dollar or two there are some incentives for spending a little bit extra.  First of all you can designate some of the money that you spend to be donated in support of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF).  The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of comic book artists, consumers, retailers, and publishers. Since 1986, the CBLDF has managed and paid for the legal defense of individuals whose First Amendment rights are threatened for making, selling or even reading comic books.  One of CBLDF's more recent projects was successfully defending Ryan Matheson, an American citizen who was unlawfully arrested at Canadian Customs and wrongfully charged with importing child pornography for having digital comic books on his laptop computer which contained innocuous manga images.  Ryan's case cost the CBLDF $75,000 to defend.

Secondly, if you spend the average people are paying for the Humble Bundle (which is currently around $10) you will be provided an additional five selections which includes Knights of the Old Republic Volume 1 Blood of the Empire (11 issues),  Knights of the Old Republic Volume 1 Commencement (7 issues), the first six issues of the Star Wars Legacy series, the first five issues of the Dark Times series and the Darth Vader and the Lost Command (5 issues).  Plus if you spend more than $15 dollars total the first six issues of Brian Wood's "STAR WARS" series are included in your bundle.  So if you spend at least $15 dollars you will get a bundle of 89 Star Wars comic book issues with a combined value of $190 if you were to purchase them individually on the Dark Horse digital marketplace website.  The Brian Wood's Star Wars issues provided in the Humble Bundle for example would cost you $10.99 and the Star Wars Omnibus Volume 1 is priced $9.99 if you were to buy them directly from Dark Horse's website today.

I can testify that these are some great selections in the Humble Star Wars Bundle because I already own most of the issues included in this package.  So while unfortunately this deal isn't that great for me, I can say it really is an exceptional opportunity for anyone who would enjoy reading Star Wars comics and hasn't already collected these editions.

Don't wait to take advantage of this opportunity though as it ends on Wednesday, October 29th @ 11 am PT.  For more information, visit: www.humblebundle.com/books

Note if you are planning to view these comics via a tablet, e-reader or smart phone there are a few things you need to do to access your downloaded comics.  CLICK HERE for all the details.