Monday, July 31, 2023

120 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

 We've 4 months until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom - and very few tickets left! If you're interested in joining us in NYC on November 27th - grab your tickets today... https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-unlikely-fandom-documentary-screening-tickets-645356517717



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Sunday, July 30, 2023

121 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

121 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom!

This is my 50th post reminiscing and musing about Thomas the Tank Engine. So, in last night's post, I was trying to figure out the what and when of a vaguely remembered Thomas event from years gone by, and with the help of Ken & Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia - I'm now in the possession of the facts my memory failed to retain. 

The event was called "Thomas & Friends On The Big Screen" and was in select theaters on September 8th, 2007.

For the Thomas fans, the episodes screened were five of the eleventh season, which was just about to premiere on television. The episodes: "Don't Be Silly, Billy", "Thomas And The Runaway Car", "Emily's Rubbish", "Thomas Sets Sail" and "Smoke And Mirrors" - which were the episodes I thought I'd seen, but sixteen years is a long time to remember!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Saturday, July 29, 2023

122 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

122 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom! 

So, as you can imagine, I've been having a lot of fun reminiscing about my childhood and Thomas the Tank Engine... unfortunately a lot has happened between then and now and I can't remember everything. 😅

I do recall a special screening of Thomas & Friends episodes in 2007 in movie theaters - I have a few ideas of which episodes they were, but that is an aspect of which I'm uncertain. I'm currently trawling the Thomas Wiki to find out when it was exactly and which episodes they were. If I can't find out on Thomas Wiki, I'll find someone who does know and we'll add it to the wiki. :P 

I'll let ya'll know if/when I find out.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

New Thomas content coming soon to my YouTube. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Friday, July 28, 2023

123 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

When I was a kid, the two most popular Thomas toys were the ERTL die-cast models of the characters and the Wooden Railway toys - both discontinued now, but really fantastic in their heyday. The ERTL ones were discontinued sometime around 2003, and Wooden Railway ended sometime in the past 5 years or so, but I don't remember exactly. There are hundreds of items in each line of toys, and hopefully someday I can get them all, because even though they're still relatively common on resale sites, they'll become harder to find soon enough.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Thursday, July 27, 2023

124 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Working on growing the Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia's social media! 

More on that in a future post. 

124 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Wednesday, July 26, 2023

125 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

There are very few tickets left, but if you're able to attend the premiere in NYC on November 27th - it is gonna be a great night!

Also be sure to check out the absolutely brilliant website,  put together by the director - Carty. One of the coolest websites I've ever seen! www.unlikelyfandom.com 

Then there's this awesome poster, I don't think I've shared it yet!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Tuesday, July 25, 2023

126 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

When I was a kid and still in school, math wasn't my strong suit and I had a hard time getting through it - Mom & Dad would occasionally motivate me by adding to my ERTL die-cast collection. That's how I got Splatter and Dodge and several other characters. 

(Pics found online)


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Monday, July 24, 2023

127 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

 One of the reasons I love Thomas is because of the beautiful models and scenery and the amazing amount of talent and skill that went into all the practical effects that brought the classic series to life.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Sunday, July 23, 2023

128 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

When I was a kid, there was a brief period in which I believed (or at least wanted to believe) around six years old, that the Island of Sodor was a real place and there were talking engines out there in some part of the world. I was smart enough to realize it couldn't be real, but I still pestered my mom about whether there was a real Island of Sodor and talking trains.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Saturday, July 22, 2023

129 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

A fun behind the scenes fact from Thomas and Friends! The crew of the show had to keep track of all the faces for the characters to know at a glance what they needed for production - so they had these nifty books made up, with sheets like this one, to show all the faces available for a given character.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 




Friday, July 21, 2023

130 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Like Season 5 a few years earlier and Season 10 later, Season 7 of Thomas & Friends introduced a lot of new characters and even made a VHS release around those episodes - which incidentally was one of my favorites as a kid.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Thursday, July 20, 2023

131 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Thomas is one of those properties that is difficult to translate into a feature film for general audiences - the leap from bedtime story to 5 minute episodic television is one thing, but an hour+ of a story about talking locomotives seems to be a difficult sell to the execs that make these calls (call me Mattel, I know the source material and have thoughts).

A feature film was attempted just over two decades ago,  by the beloved creator of the television show, Britt Allcroft, and met mixed reactions from fans and the general public. It's plot largely revolved around the magical portals between Thomas' world and the real world, something which was never addressed before or after the movie in any other media. But despite the mixed feelings towards this movie, Thomas fans have hoped another attempt would be made. For years a new film has been promised, being stuck in early development, it has long been teased to be another story of two generations reconnecting over a visit to Thomas' world, possibly amid WWII. 

Though the film has apparently been DOA for years, Mattel has promised to look at developing it if their first project out of their new film initiative is financially successful... that new film being "Barbie."

Now, while Barbie is a fascinating, humorous and surprisingly deep movie rife with social commentary and a plot about adults projecting their feelings and problems onto children's toys, it does hint at the possibility that it is possible to make a movie about a popular toy for an older audience. (I would hope that they would find a different tone and themes for a Thomas film, but you see what I mean about it being possible. Call me, Mattel; seriously.)

So we'll wait and see if the company makes any decisions about Thomas going forward! 


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

132 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

So, for anyone who's missed my earliest posts in this countdown - An Unlikely Fandom is a documentary about how Thomas the Tank Engine, the world's #1 preschool brand, found an unlikely audience in adult fans and who these fans are. Directed by one of our own, it sheds light into what makes Thomas popular and why we still love him after all these years.

I'm an executive producer on the film, my first credit as such, but hopefully the first of many, (I'll have to tell you about the sci-fi film I was an associate producer on another time) and I hope to get as many people to see this as possible. We're having a premiere in NYC (hence my countdown) and we only have a few tickets left. If you're interested in being one of the first to see this film with us and participate in a Q&A with the crew... tickets are few, grab yours today!

Hope to see you there!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 



Tuesday, July 18, 2023

133 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

I still remember the first edit I made on the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki all those years ago (July 2nd, 2008 - there was a missed opportunity to mark the 15th anniversary with a post on the 2nd) and it was on the page about Rosie, who was one of my favorite characters while we were going through some difficult times and living with my grandparents. Her debut episode was one of the ones I watched when it premiered on PBS Kids in 2006.

This is a screenshot of that article now, over 15 years after my first edit, the character even looks different, having had a redesign a few years back.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 




Monday, July 17, 2023

134 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

I want to give a shout-out to some fans who have worked tirelessly to preserve some amazing pieces of our childhoods - these guys have purchased and displayed several of the characters from the show and they made this truly awesome discovery - behind the scenes tapes from the filming of season 5.

I've not had the chance to sit down and watch them in their entirety, but what I have seen is absolutely fascinating. A lot of work went into the stop motion animation of the early series of Thomas and Friends. 

If you find that interesting, check out ThomasTankMerch's YouTube for the behind the scenes videos, here: https://youtube.com/@thomastankmerch2474

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Sunday, July 16, 2023

135 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

So, as a Thomas superfan, ya'll already know that I know all kinds of random stuff about the books and show, but one of my favorite facts is that the TV show changed the color of several engines to be more distinct and recognizable for the kids watching the show. As you can see in the picture, all the engines on the Skarloey Railway were red but in the TV series, they are a variety of colors. I was very surprised to find this out when I first discovered the books when I was about 10 years old.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Saturday, July 15, 2023

136 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

 Another favorite VHS tape from when I was a kid, and also the first Series 5 release and the first with this style packaging - when I was a kid these tapes were my favorite, with the large photo of a character in the background and a small scene from an episode in the foreground.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Friday, July 14, 2023

137 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

A little late due to the lack of internet. 

A favorite VHS release and favorite episode on it, I was completely obsessed with Toby and the Flood, a story about a locomotive who is swept away on a wooden bridge when a dam breaks in a flood (I'm not even sure if that's physically possible) 

Was definitely my favorite episode for a little while and probably still one of my favorites from Season 5.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Thursday, July 13, 2023

138 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

 So, no internet access for me today, so I'm a little late making this post. Just a tease tonight, of a longer future post, but...

Fun fact about me, I actually quit watching Thomas for awhile when I was 7 years old because I disliked some of the episodes on this VHS so much. 

It was also this VHS release that helped inspire me to become a writer and director, something I'm actively working on pursuing now and that I have evidence of me working on as a child.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 




Wednesday, July 12, 2023

139 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

I've been digging through old photos and memories trying to find a few I wanted to share, but I've not found them yet...

In the meanwhile, I found this meme on my old Facebook account from 4 or 5 years ago. In the old days of Thomas & Friends with the face masks on the model engines, sometimes there would be shots in which the engine is wearing the wrong expression and we Thomas fans always have some fun with that. Someone made a meme out of this and I shared it, because if breaking down and still smiling isn't me, I don't know what is. 


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 






Tuesday, July 11, 2023

140 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Not much time to post today, but 140 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom! 

For today's post, here are 2 of my favorite/ most important VHS tapes in my Thomas the Tank Engine collection.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Monday, July 10, 2023

141 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Today, storytime!
Remember when eBay was still a novel idea, really fun and all sorts of stuff was being auctioned at reasonable prices?
I was just a teenager, but sometimes Dad would let me bid on stuff through his eBay account.
I found a few Thomas and Star Wars items on there and I would wait to bid right in the final minutes of the auction to try to get it for the best price, without the bidding taking it out of my price range...
Only thing is, I got cocky on one of the coolest finds ever and I've never seen one again... a vintage Thomas the Tank Engine stationary set.
I'd gotten so good at bidding late in the auction, I'd started waiting until the final 5 seconds, 3 seconds, 1 second... eventually I had mastered (heh) the 0 second bid.
I guess I am a bit of a gambler, even if I say I'm not, because I bid on this really cool vintage stationary, but I insisted on trying for the legendary 0 second bid again and in doing so, I lost.
The internet slowed and seeing as the margin of error was a fraction of a second - I missed my window.
As I said before, I've never seen stationary like that again and I can't entirely remember what it looked like either. It had the old logo and maybe characters? Percy maybe? Would love to find it someday. Must be very hard to find being from the 80's or 90's.
The closest thing I've found, (no idea if it matches the stationary or not as it's been 16 or 17 years), are these pencils.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Sunday, July 9, 2023

142 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

142 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom!

It's a bit late tonight, so I don't have time to write anything lengthy, but I was taking a look back through some photo albums of mine and found these gems from those occasions where I got to see props and models from the show in person, always a wonderful time!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Saturday, July 8, 2023

143 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

143 days until the premiere of An Unlikely Fandom! 

I've been thinking a lot while writing these countdown posts, and trawling through my Thomas memories, what is my favorite episode of the show? 

I still don't know. 

I've always had a hard time choosing favorites. That being said, a strong contender for favorite special emerges - 2008's The Great Discovery. 

One of only 2 specials created during the model era of the show, it was the final production /not/ to utilize CGI. Everything after this was either partially or fully CGI.

This is the only release with Pierce Brosnan as the narrator, it's got top tier model railway work and it's got an overall warm aesthetic and nostalgic charm that has always appealed to me. 

It also released in the early months of my work on the Thomas Wiki, so that probably adds to the nostalgia factor. 

I definitely recommend it!

P.S. I love the outro song in this one, "Thomas, You're the Leader" corny as all get out, but the perfect end of an era.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 

Friday, July 7, 2023

144 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

Today happens to be the birthday of the legendary Ringo Starr, who was the first person to narrate the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends TV series.

When searching for the perfect voice for Thomas and his friends, the people behind the show thought of Ringo, with his popularity in both the US and the UK as one of the Beatles.

He narrated the first season of the show in both regions. Happy Birthday Ringo!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion. 


Thursday, July 6, 2023

145 Days: Countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom Premiere

I'm not feeling particularly wordy tonight (I've been working on writing and organizing all day, it tends to wear one out.)

But here's a few pictures of a few of my favorite items from my Thomas the Tank Engine collection...

I used to have an even bigger collection, but even now, it's an extensive collection.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you're interested in attending the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

For more about An Unlikely Fandom visit: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram 

I'm blogging the countdown to the An Unlikely Fandom premiere, 

I recently started a vlog about Thomas on my YouTube as well. 

You can visit the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki by clicking here.

Also be sure to check out the Sodor Island Fansite and Sodor Island Forums
if you're looking for more great Thomas the Tank Engine content and discussion.