I finally broke down and picked up the Gourd Horde figure from the
Stranger Things: Tales from '85 animated series line.
I haven't watched the show yet but it's kind of hard to pass up a weird,
pumpkin-headed creature.I'm kind of on the fence about the show. Of course, I'd love more Stranger stories and this looks like a fun 80s Saturday morning show. On the other hand, it introduces at least one new kid to the gang so unless they die, it''s kind of odd they never get mentioned in the main show.
Getting it out of the package was a bit of work. It's got way
too many of those elastic-y things holding it in the plastic. Once I got it
out, I was surprised at how much articulation they packed into this thing for a $10 3.75" figure!
I was just expecting a basic 5 POA, but no! The head has a good range of
up/down motion and it's got articulation at the shoulders, elbows, wrists,
hips, knees and ankles. And a bonus action feature: if you press down on the
stem, you can make the jaws chomp.
Granted, because this is designed to be a creature that lopes on
all fours, you can't really use that articulation to do as much as you could
with a bipedal figure but it's still cool to have options. The vines on the
back kind of give it a Carnage/Venom vibe. There's also "hidden" paint that
can be seen under a special flashlight (black light) that comes with one of
the other toys.
These guys would make good pets or a hunting pack of minions for 6" scale figures.
Or downright terrors when facing off against LEGO minifigs.
If you're looking to start your own Gourd Horde, I believe this line is a Target exclusive as that's the only place I've come across them so far.
Recently, Super 7 had a big clearance blowout and had this series of blind boxes for 50% off! Unless it's a character I really, really like, I have a hard time spending $20 (or I guess they're now $25?!) for a carded, 3.75" 5 POA figure. But for $7.50 a pop on blind boxes? I'll take my chances.
Especially with a can't miss wave like this: Bert, Ernie, Guy Smiley, and Oscar. Three of the main stars plus Guy, who's also a favorite. Everyone has their favorites, but to be honest, I couldn't be upset at getting any of the Sesame Street cast.
First pull was Bert who comes with a pigeon, naturally! Everyone knows Bert, from the iconic pointed head to the striped shirt, but have you ever really looked at his outfit? Take it all in. Is he wearing a long sleeved turtle neck under the stripes? I have to give him props for sticking with those shoes throughout the decades.
Here's a closer look at the pigeon, which fits right in his hand. It's a good place to keep it. It tends to fall over a lot when standing on its own.
Next up was Oscar and a teeny, tiny Slimey who comes in a plastic bag because he's very easy to lose! I love the design on this one. There's a vertical slider on the back so Oscar can go into the can (closing the lid) or be popped up. The lid does go straight up which I didn't notice until after I took the photo.
It wasn't hard to tell this was Oscar when I felt the black plastic bag so I was a little bummed at first when I opened the last one and felt another Oscar, until I opened it...
and found that it was the glitter chase version of Oscar! Even Slimey has a metallic finish. It's hard to capture but Oscar is also glittery. I bet he would HATE that!
There's enough difference in their coloration that they could be different characters. Maybe the glitter one is a cousin that lives in rich people's trash of Beverly Hills?
This past weekend, I swung by the LEGO store to see if they had the new series of blind boxed minifigs and got a little bonus!
In my local store, there's usually a little table setup by the entrance to greet customers or show off a recent set. I wasn't really paying attention because I knew what I was there for. One of the employees said "Hey, do you want a free mini-build of the Mandalorian's N-1 ship?" Of course I said, "Heck yeah!"
They also had Grogu ears but I wasn't quite feeling those.
On to the minifigs!
I can't believe they're up to series 29 with these! As usual, they had a full set on display but I didn't see the packs so I asked if they had them in store. The cashier said they're keeping them behind the counter and then pulled out a list to show me what they have in stock. Apparently a lot of people are hunting for the Bionicle figure (#3). One site that's selling individual figures has him for $15, 3x the MSRP!
Unfortunately for me, the Trash Monster (#6) is also quite popular due to his new parts and was sold out already, so I'll have to keep looking for him. But they did have the other ones I was looking for: Monster Hunter (#4) and Cute Witch (#10). I try to keep my minifig collecting in the monster/Halloween area.
Initially, I wasn't going to get this figure but seeing it in person convinced me. She's got a very Van Helsing vibe going on. Short of being an actual monster, you can't get much closer to a monster themed figure than a monster hunter! There is so much detail packed on this one! In addition to the incredible detail of her clothing, there's an assortment of vials on her right shoulder and back.
She's also got a double portrait: one smiling and one with a smirk. I love how they gave her a duster with the mini-cape. The gun is pretty cool too with a big knife slung under for the fighting gets up close and personal.
Next is Cute Witch and her cat. I've lost count of the number of witch minifigs I have! She's quite different from most of the others though with her bright colors and kitty...socks? Boots? I'm guessing they're boots. The skirt piece is a reuse of the one they had for last year's build-a-minifig witch.
She's also got two portraits: winking smile and big, happy smile. I stole the cauldron from the D&D Tasha minifig and ended up counting all my witches and this one makes number seven!
You can get a full rundown on every figure in this series at Jay's Brick Blog.
Not much to say at the top here, so let's jump right in!
Gatchaman Progress
Only watched 2, most of the time I would have been watching this went to the new Darth Maul mini-series. Now up to: 77
Streaming
Malcolm in the Middle (2026, Hulu)
Bringing back a beloved show seems to be the "it" thing to do recently.
Surprisingly, the ones I've watched have been good and do a great job of
picking up the story decades later. If you're
a Malcolm fan, this 4 episode mini-series is absolutely
worth the watch.
Movies
The Mortuary Assistant (2026, Shudder)
I didn't watch the trailer so I had no idea this was based on a video game
until I was reading up on it after watching. All I can say is, I hope the
movie is more enjoyable to people that have played the game. It does start
off pretty good but then takes a turn into "been there, done that" horror
tropes.
Speaking of video game movies that I sat through...Again, hopefully game
fans got more out of this than I did. The Marionette is a great design and
gives the creepiest moments in the movie but we don't see it all that much.
Between the plot, the good and bad animatronics, and it being two years
since I saw the first one, I was a little confused as to what was going on.
But at least we get Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich in a movie again...even
if they don't have scenes together?
Rating: 4/10
Moving on to things I actually liked this month...
Hive (2026, Tubi)
This one took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be one kind of movie
and then it turns into this weird concept that's kind of silly but also
unsettling. It's definitely not something I've seen in a horror movie
before. The kid actors, especially the main little girl, are all fantastic
and creepy when they need to be.
Rating: 7/10
Deathstalker (2025, Shudder)
After seeing Manborg and Psycho Goreman, I will watch anything
that Steven Kostanski has a hand in. He makes B-movies with the full
awareness of what he's doing and winks at the audience while doing it. This
is so much fun! It's over the top with plenty of practical effects. As soon as the killer fantasy metal soundtrack kicks in, you know you're in for a wild ride! It's less Conan and bit more He-Man (complete with bumbling mini-magician) which gives it a different feel than the 80s sword and sorcery films it's paying tribute to.
Rating: 7.5/10
Red Sonja (2025, Tubi)
This fantasy flick is a bit of a mixed bag. It does a good job of making up for it's low budget with decent effects but it does occasionally get slowed down by some clunky dialog scenes. I will say, they do a good job of her origin story and evolving her into the badass warrior she should be by the end. For a movie, it's okay. If this was a TV pilot, I'd be tuning in every week.
Did you sing the show theme when you read the post title? Then you remember
the PBS science show
3-2-1 Contact. It's kind of funny how you can trace my growth as a human through the PBS
shows I watched growing up. Contact was an instant favorite as they explored
science principles in fun ways and also introduced The Bloodhound Gang, a
group of teen detectives that solved crimes using science.
I could probably go on about the show but, as the title says, I'm talking
about the accompanying magazine. I recently discovered there's about
90 issues uploaded to the Internet Archive. Being a fan of the show, I did get the occasional magazine and it's crazy
how many covers I recognize. Me being me, I keyed in on the cover of the
October 1982 issue which mashes up two of my favorite things: computers and
Halloween. I was thrilled to see this "Special Computer Issue" has a story
about Tron.
Tron had just come out in July, which was probably bad news for any kid just
finding out about the movie in October! The article spends time with Larry
Elin, one of the computer graphic artists that worked on the movie. He worked
at MAGI (Mathematical Applications Group, Inc) one of the first 3D computer
animation companies.
Not only was he an animator, but also the VP in charge of hiring some of
the other folks that worked on the movie. He worked on the iconic vehicle
sequences in the movie including the Lightcycles, Tanks, and Recognizers.
MAGI was located in NY and this page mentions how Disney execs in CA wanted to
see how the effects scenes were progressing every day. They had a "computer
link" to share the scenes coast to coast. I'm curious what that involved in
the early 80s!
The last page of the article shows someone programming a Grid Tank
into the computer. Another article in this issue features a young girl named Cori Grimm
that makes computer graphics for some
educational games. If you want to browse the full magazine, you can find it here.
I'll leave you off with the theme here but there's also plenty of full episodes up on YouTube if you want to dive down a nostalgia rabbit hole.
For an April 1st post, there's not a lot of stinkers this month!
As usual, linked titles will take you to a trailer.
Gatchaman Progress
Only watched 2. Now up to: 75
Streaming Series
Wonder Man (Disney+)
The MCU TV series can really shine when they take a chance and do something
different. This isn't a "superhero" show. It's a show about a guy making his
way through life that happens to have super powers. I love how they made
"Wonder Man" an 80s sci-fi movie icon and that they brought back Trevor. who
has no trouble stealing the scenes he's in. Looking forward to season 2!
Ted (S2, Peacock)
Simultaneously more crass than last season (hilariously so) but also balanced
with an equal amount of heart. MacFarlane has said this is the last season due
to the cost of the show which is really too bad because it's just so damn
funny.
Movies
Project Hail Mary (2025, IMAX)
I've only really seen Gosling in Barbie and the Fall Guy and he does a phenomenal job here. His co-star is no slouch either and will likely be one for the record books. There was a lot more comedy that I was expecting which is kind of ironic as Lord and Miller were booted off Solo: A Star Wars Story for trying to make it more comedic. If you're on the fence about seeing this in a theater, do it! The little kid in me that used to stare at the moon through a telescope and wonder what was out there is glad he did.
Rating: 9/10
The Last Video Store (2023, Shudder)
The Videonomicon, a strange video tape, traps two people in a video store and
forces them to face off against movie characters. I often rip on low budget
horror but then there's ones like this that have something special that I
thoroughly enjoy. Just about everything hits for me: the synth score, the meta
movie tropes, and the knockoff fictional stereotypes of famous movie
characters. Horror kids that grew up renting everything and anything in the
80s, this one's for you!
Solid action movie with a social commentary that's a little too close to home
these days. It's one of those movies where some things don't make sense if you
stop and think about it, but it's also not that kind of movie and before long
there's another action set piece to keep things moving.
Speaking of movies that don't make sense... I mentioned with the first one of these how
crazy it was that Someone constructed these elaborate escape rooms which must
cost into the billions and that's even more true here. Not only that but it
feels like things happen because that's the way they have to in order for the
plot to progress. Even just the way the main characters are forced together
must have taken an improbable amount of planning. Still, kind of a fun watch
for the traps.
Rating: 6/10
Alligator (1980, Prime)
This is one of those movies that was always at my periphery of horror. It was
always on the rental shelf, frequently saw it popup on TV but for some reason
never watched despite it being one of my favorite sub genres: giant animal on
the loose. It may be a B movie Jaws knockoff but they pull it off! I was
surprisingly entertained for the whole thing
Rating: 7/10, not really but it was a fun watch
Alligator 2: The Mutation (1991, Prime and
YouTube)
As much fun as the first one was, this direct-to-video bomb needs an MST3k
treatment to get to the same level of fun. It's a poor retread of the original
and everything about it is worse. The plot, the acting, the effects, you name
it. At one point, the alligator is making its way through a fair and it's
clear they're just shooting the snout from the side while it's on a dolly,
rolling it through the crowd.
Have you ever watched a movie that you've never seen but parts of it felt
familiar? That was my experience here, very odd. Anyway, it's a pretty wild
ride and if it's possible seven years later, best to go in blind. The plot
becomes apparent to the audience almost immediately but the build up to the
main character being let in on it and the roller coaster that follows is
wonderful and the dark humor woven in is chef's kiss.
Rating: 8/10
Relaxer (2018, Shudder)
I feel secure promising you, you've never seen and will never see, another movie like this in your life. The basic plot is about a guy trying to get to the Pac-Man kill screen on New Year's Eve 1999. The whole movie takes place in his living room with the occasional visit from oddball characters. And there's some extra weird layered on top of all this. It's something you have to see for yourself because I sure as hell can't explain it! While I kind of get what they were doing and the performance of the main character was fantastic, it's just a little too out there for me...and I love Rubber!
It's still pretty early in the year but I think I can safely say Thundarr the Barbarian from Dynamite is my most anticipated comic of the year!
As far as Saturday morning cartoons go, Thundarr is at the top of my
list and was likely a factor in my picking up the D&D Basic rule set
at that age. If, for some reason, Thundarr isn't known to you, check out the show's intro. A post-apocalyptic world combining sci-fi and fanatasy? Doesn't get much better than that!
Like many comics these days, Thundarr has multiple cover variants. The above one is my favorite since Jack Kirby himself worked on the show's production design including most of the villains, which are all memorable in their own way. Not only is in done in a very Kirdy-esque style but there's a not so subtle Kirby tribute on the cover.
The comic hooked me from the first few pages. Obviously, I'm an easy mark but even in the opening scene, they bring back a few of the bad guys Thundarr crossed paths with in the show. Being an 80s Saturday morning show, Thundarr was pretty episodic and usually dealt with a new threat each week. To see some of them pop up from the get go, told me these folks are really paying attention to the source.
If you watched the intro, you might recognize the guy on the left that appears for maybe 2 seconds.
The comic tells two stories simultaneously: The main story takes place in the present of 3994 and has Thundarr going under cover to break up a human trafficking/slavery ring. The other story is told through flashback and follows Thundarr's life as a gladiator slave leading up to him meeting Ookla and Ariel.
Despite how much I was looking forward to this, the first issue snuck by me and I only found the second issue just released a few weeks ago. This issue spends a little more time in the flashback, you get to see how Ariel ties into things, and Thundarr faces his toughest arena fight yet: Ookla the Mok!
Meanwhile,
in the present day, the gang confront the Council of Wizards who are
involved in the human slave trade. In classic comic tradition, these
wizards have all been bested by Thundarr over the show's run and are now
gathered together to bring him down! One of them activates a time
portal and sends our heroes back to 1994 just moments before the runaway
planet passes between the Earth and the moon, kick starting the global apocalypse from the intro!
Another thing I love about the series so far is they perfectly capture the characters, including Ariel's commentary on Thundarr's recklessness.
If you're a fan of sci-fi/fantasy that's just being introduced to Thundarr from this post, you'd probably enjoy the comic. But if you're someone that's been craving more Thundarr adventures since the 80s, I think you'll absolutely love this and find it a worthy successor to the show.
The country (world?) may be going to hell in a hand basket but I'm still
here to bring the Monthly Media Recap! As usual, linked titles will take you
to a trailer.
Two estranged spouses — one a detective, the other a news reporter — vie to
solve a murder in which each believes the other is a prime suspect. Excellent
murder mystery! And you can't go wrong with Jon Bernthal and Tessa Thompson as
the leads, great performances.
The Muppet Show (2026, Disney+)
If this doesn't get a series order, people should be rioting! Not only did the
reproduce the original Muppet theater but they also captured the essence of
the original show. I think more than ever, the world needs the Muppet Show!
Part of Hulu's holiday horror series Into the Dark. This one has a bunch of
teens playing a haunted board game on Halloween night. There's some drama
among the friend group but I didn't really care. I didn't like any of them and
was pretty much waiting for the body count to rise. The kills aren't anything
memorable but they're okay.
Rating: 5/10
The Jester 2 (2025, Shudder)
I'm torn on this series so far. On one hand, they have some creative kills
inspired by magic tricks. On the other, they keep doing something to make me
not like it as much as I want. In this one, they redesigned the Jester's look
(probably to get away from Art the Clown) and it just looks like a mask on a
mask. At least the plot in this one is more straightforward and it falls an oddly specific sub-genre that I enjoy: kids getting roped into working with the evil.
Another entry in the Halloween horror anthology series. I went back to see
what I thought of the rest and found I've only seen the first! Of the four
stories, the first, Ejectdead, is my favorite. Imagine The Ring but instead of
Samara, you get a Jason like slasher. There's one other tale that's memorable even if the way they carried it out didn't make a lot of sense. Overall, not bad for an indie anthology.
This feels like it could be in the Fast & Furious-verse: it's loud, dumb, about family, has lots of action and for some reason I really enjoyed it.
Bautista and Momoa play off each other really well, milking the "at odds buddy
cop" trope for all it's worth. My two biggest issues were some sequences with
painfully obvious blue screen and the unbelievable civilian collateral
casualties they cause with no mention.
Some people won't like this because a Predator is the main character and it
removes some of the mystery around them. Me? I've been waiting for this movie
since the original AvP comics came out. Having a young Predator protagonist
allows you to see there's more to them as a species. Elle Fanning is great and
has a lot of lifting to do as she's the only "human" in most of the movie.
Between this, Prey, and Killer of Killers, we've been blessed with some of the
best Predator content since the original.
Rating: 8/10
Mrs Dex found the Six Million Dollar Man on Peacock and we're doing a series
watch. I can't really call it a rewatch because there's no way I caught a lot of these when they aired. Being Gen X kids, we both have nostalgia for the show so it's
interesting to go back and watch it now, especially with the gratuitous use of stock footage. Prior to the show proper, there were three
made for TV movies to get Col. Austin off the ground.
The Six Million Dollar Man (1973)
I've read this is a good adaptation of the original novel Cyborg by Martin
Caidin. I haven't read the book but I'm not sure how anyone saw this and said
"Yes, we need more!" Steve has mental trauma from his accident and replacement
parts which is understandable and is a great theme for a book. But here he's
very dour and the show just isn't that much fun. The fan-made season one
trailer above gives a little peek at how serious the pilot can be.
I'm lumping these together as there's not a lot to differentiate them. They
basically turned Austin into James Bond with bionics. He's got a sense of
humor and even drops a couple double entendre! They're dated, as anything from
the 70s will be, but they're a lot more fun to watch than the pilot. They
haven't got around to using the iconic sound effects yet so it's a little
weird seeing him in action without them.
Mrs. Dex got me a couple of these with my Valentine's goodies.
Some people hate the whole blind package thing but we love it
here. I don't usually try to go for complete sets so picking up a few rarely
results in duplicates.
But sometimes you do get ones you're not as excited for. I don't remember much about the Bigfoot & Wildboy show other than it existed. I actually thought this might be Chaka from Land of the Lost when I pulled him out. Bigfoot was huge in the 70s but I'm guessing when you talk about him and TV most people are going to think of when he was on The Six Million Dollar Man.
On the other hand, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl was probably my second favorite of the Krofft shows (just behind Land of the Lost naturally). Live action superheroes on Saturday morning weren't a rarity but unlike the other shows, EW & DG were usually squaring off against costumed villains. Plus they had those cool Electracomp bracelets and a flying car.
Other shows represented in this series are Land of the Lost (gotta get that Sleestak!), Wonder Bug, Lidsville, The Bugaloos, The Lost Saucer, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (which got a whole other series of these).
I'm hoping there's a series two to give us Fi (Ruth Buzzi) from The Lost Saucer and maybe a Doctor Shrinker.
Back in 2018/2019 I did a few posts under the title Quarter Bin to talk about random old comics. That title never really clicked with me (even though I decided on it!) so I'm rebranding to Lost in the Longbox...and I'll probably post another one in 2033.
Today's deep pull (maybe that would be a better title?) is Tales of Sword and Sorcery Featuring Dagar the Invincible. Or just Dagar the Invincible to his friends.
Dagar was published by Gold Key from October 1972 to December 1976 for a total of 18 quarterly issues. I think I was just getting into Superfriends comics when Dagar ended so I missed out. If he'd come along a few years later when I picked up my first D&D box set and Thundarr was on TV, I'm sure I would have checked it out. I mean, look at that cover!
Issue 2 was reformatted and packaged as a give-away with bubble gum. Bazooka Joe, he ain't! I know packing a comic book with bubble gum sounds weird but if you're wondering what it would look like, here you go.
Issue 1, Page 1. That saber-tooth tiger is looking for lunch!
Dagar was written by Donald F Glut who Star Wars kids will no doubt recognize as the author of the Empire Strikes Back novelization. He was also a screenwriter for Saturday morning heavy hitters like Land of the Lost, Transformers, G.I. Joe, DuckTales, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and also created characters and lore for Masters of the Universe. How's that for a resume?
Covers and interior art was done by Dagar co-creator Jesse Santos who is best known for this book and Tragg and the Sky Gods, another Gold Key book written by Glut. Tragg, as you might guess by the name, is a prehistoric caveman. The Sky Gods are humanoid aliens so this book has a little more sci-fi to it than Dagar. Santos would go on to work in advertising to work with properties like Blackstar, Jem, and Tiny Toon Adventures.
Dagar was a typical brawn over brains adventurer type contending with magic and monsters in a fantasy world. But Glut's writing is what keeps him from being a Conan knock-off. Thanks to the Wayback Machine, you can read an interview with Glut about his work on Dagar.
If you'd like to enjoy some Tales of Sword and Sorcery, head back to that first cover and give it a click.
Before I jump into anything, I want to take a minute and dedicate this
post to Will West. If you read this blog, you probably know who he is and that
he had a stroke last week. I don't know him personally but he's one of the
bloggers that inspires me. He's got such a great voice online and has a lot to
say. I know a lot of us in the blog-o-sphere are pulling for him and hope he
recovers soon. There's a GoFundMe out there
to help out his wife and two girls and they're getting close to their $40k
goal. More than anything, I think he's going to be pissed
at having to break his weekly blogging streak.
Gatchaman Progress
Not only did I forget to log this last month, but I've only watched 5 eps
since November.
Current ep: 70
Streaming
Stranger Things (S1-5, Netflix)
Usually, when a show comes back after a break, I'll find a 30 minute YouTube
recap video but I know how much I loved this show and with it being the final
season, I re-watched the first four seasons and am so glad I did! Not only did it make the overall story more cohesive but I got to meet the gang again and be reminded of their interpersonal dynamics. I feel like
I need a whole post just to talk about the series but I'm lazy. The first
couple eps of season 5 didn't quite click but once it did, I was all in. They
managed to stick the landing for me. It was satisfying and emotional. I'm
going to miss the Hawkins gang so I'll be diving into some of the books this
year.
History of the World Part II (Hulu)
At it's best, it was okay. It probably would have been better as a movie
instead of a comedy sketch type show. Does not fill me with hope for
Spaceballs 2.
I see why a lot of people didn't like this. I enjoyed the first one but this
is is more like a whole new operating system than an upgrade. It's got a more
campy tone, is more violent than I remember the first one being and also somehow feels like a superhero movie? If I saw
this by itself, I'd probably like the 90s direct to video feel but as a
sequel, it doesn't quite deliver what you liked about the original.
Rating: 5/10
Igniting the Spark - The Story of Magic: The Gathering (2025, Prime)
I was there at GenCon 1993 when MtG debuted and like everyone else, was
instantly hooked. At least for a few years and then I got out. Anyway, this
doc starts of with the founding of Wizards of the Coast and then how MtG came
to be. If you've ever been into the game, I highly recommend checking this
out. If you've never played but are a gamer at heart, I still think its
interesting to see how a whole new genre of game was developed.
How many freakin islands are there?! Despite the very video game plot (they
need to get DNA from a water dino, an air dino, and a land dino), this was a
pretty solid monster movie. There's no legacy characters to bog it down and I
like the assembled by circumstance adventuring group. It may not really do
anything new (other than introduce contractually obligated new dinos) but it's
a fun ride that stands on its own.
Rating: 7/10
Killing Mary Sue (2025, Prime)
An action comedy that doesn't quite deliver on either premise. I'm guessing
they spent most of the budget on the cast because it sure wasn't on the
gunfire effects. This movie wants to be cooler than it really is and that's
too bad because it could be fun if handled the right way. I'd recommend Becky and The Wrath of Becky instead of this.
File this under unexpected sequels I didn't know I needed! But didn't The
Grabber die in the first one? Yes, yes he did. Horror fans will not doubt draw
comparisons to Freddy here but it all works for me. The psychic dream
sequences have a fantastic otherworldly creepiness to them (as they should!)
and I really liked how they tied it together with the first one.
Rating: 7/10
Marshmallow (2025, Shudder)
This is one of those where you should go in as blind as possible as it keeps you guessing. The kid actors are pretty good and the counselors play their slasher movie stereotypes well. This should be a good gateway horror flick for young teens that want to dip a toe in the pool...or summer camp lake.
I got this a little while back and keep forgetting to show it off. Boom Studios did a Kickstarter for this hard cover collecting their eight issue adaptation from 2024. The cool thing about it is that it adapts the movie novelization which was written while the movie was still in production so there are a couple things here and there different from the final film.
I shelled out a little extra to get the version with the slipcase which is styled after Sarah's Labyrinth book from the movie. Boom Studios was also offering hard cover collections of their two (yes two!) Labyrinth sequel comics. I already have those and didn't feel the need to drop the extra cash to upgrade to hard covers. Of course, I also already have the comics collected here but this is THE story.
This Kickstarter version has an exclusive variant cover that won't be reprinted again. The pages are gold gilded which just adds to how it looks on a table. I like when they do stuff like this so you feel like you're really getting something special when you support them.
Speaking of something special...one of the stretch goals was this fantastic art print.
And this enamel pin was unlocked for people that backed on day one (that's me!). The campaign hit its initial $25k goal in 15 minutes! I guess there's a lot of us weirdos out there that love this movie.
I instantly fell in love with the art style. I like that it's sort of cartoony. Disney's been all about live action remakes of animated movies. I think this would be a great candidate for an animated remake of a live action movie! I'd just use the film audio and animate it.
At the back of the book are 16 pages featuring different cover art used for the individual comics.
The last six pages have character designs. There's two pages each for Sarah and Jareth and the last two have a bunch of the characters Sarah meets, including Alph and Ralph the two dog-like door guardians that pose the logic puzzle to Sarah. Bet you didn't know they had names!
I'm really happy with this one and it's going to be a great addition to my growing Labyrinth library.
This used to be an annual tradition but it looks like I haven't done one since 2022. At any rate, here's a look at some of the goodies left under my holiday tree by various supernatural beings.
We'll start off with these awesome gift tags that Mrs Dex found. Perfect for me!
Sadly, this art print from Spooky Cat Press isn't a full comic magazine!
Speaking of Krampus, here's a weird plush from the Pinhead Monsters line.
Throwing this in here because it's on theme. This was a gift to myself after we saw the author, Jeff Belanger, do his "The Fright Before Christmas" show. It's just him and some slides talking about the origin of Christmas as a holiday in addition to all the weird dark folklore from different countries. Can't recommend this enough if you want to dive into the darker side of winter traditions.
A great set of figures from Disney's Haunted Mansion. All the most popular characters are here and I found it interesting that they picked the mummy to round out the set.
And to go with them, a Disney Racers Haunted Mansion Hot Rod! Love the details on this: Mdme. Leota's headstone on the front and the pipe organ in the back.
The Indy Temple Trekker is sporting the famous hat and whip. The vehicle is based on the design used for the ride vehicle from the Disneyland attraction.
While we're talking Disney, Mrs Dex got me this very cool Tron: Ares light up popcorn...bucket? container? It's pretty sizeable at just over a foot tall!
I was very excited to unwrap this Funko of one of my favorite Muppets: Pepe the King Prawn. There's not enough Pepe merch out there! And he's flocked!
Rounding things out with a pair of Star Wars card games. This Solo Solitaire game comes in a tin that looks like Han in carbonite. It's basic "Patience" solitaire with a themed deck of cards. There's a Jedi Master mode where you add two additional cards: Carbon Freeze which "freezes" the lane when it reveals, preventing you from playing or moving cards there, until you play Save Solo on it to remove it.
Finally is the Stay on Target card game, which I really wanted because it comes in that cool Death Star! Each player takes a squadron color and battles their way through Imperial defenses to take a shot at that exhaust port to score victory points.
