Marvel Doorables Series 3

 I remember a while back seeing the first series of Marvel Doorables and thought it was cool they were starting to do those after Star Wars. And then recently I saw series 3. Not only did I not ever see series 2 but there were two waves for that series! I'm kind of annoyed at that now that I know they exist, some of my favorite characters were in series 2!

 

But anyway, on to series 3...

 

 I immediately recognized the outer ring on the packaging as one of Dr. Strange's portals. Series 2 had similar packaging but again...never saw them. Back when the Star Wars ones debuted, I started keeping this list of codes bookmarked on my phone. It's not the best to work with on a phone screen but it's definitely helped me zero in on the ones I want. Mrs Dex calls it cheating because it removes the surprise. I like to think of it as avoiding having duplicates and getting my favorite characters.

 

Speaking of codes...

 

  

They haven't gotten rid of them but they're certainly making them harder to see by using black printing on a black background. I had to use my phone's flashlight to help make them easier to read.

 

Let's see who I got (spoiler alert: I already knew).

 

 First we've got Elektra and Moon Knight. MK is the main reason I picked up this one. He's got a pair of crescent darts and Elektra's got her itty bitty sai.

 

 Next is Jubilee and a "special edition" Vibranium Miles Morales.They did an awesome job on Jubilee not only with her powers in full effect but blowing a gum bubble. Classic! Miles is obviously a chase figure being somewhat translucent, similar to the Star Wars hologram figures.

 

 One of my favorite things about Doorables is the package is usually some sort of display for the figures. Let me tell you, between the tiny space and curved walls, it's not easy standing them up in there! It's hard to see but there's a removable cardboard background with a helicarrier on it. Looking at more series 2 pics online, it looks like there's different backgrounds you can get.

 

If you want to see who all is in Series 3, check out the Doorables Wiki. As you might guess from the name, they also have every other Doorable series cataloged there too! 

Stranger Things 85 - Gourd Horde Figure

 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. 

Super 7 Sesame Street Blind Box Series 3

 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?

LEGO Minifigs - Series 29

 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. 

Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - Diesel Duty

 We've come to the finish line for the Hot Wheels of Halloween 2025. Call shotgun one last time as we hop into Diesel Duty.

 

 This one is certainly an eyeful, ain't it? Ol' DD has been around since 2011 and this is only the 10th release for it. I don't know why it's got a sort of shark fin on it but it's cool. This is the only Halloween 2025 vehicle with glow in the dark tires.

 

 The bed has got some interesting detail in it. I'm not going to pretend like I know what any of it is supposed to be but there's a couple of big gears and a horseshoe hitch.

 

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Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - CUL8R

 We're coming up on the finish line with the next to last Halloween Hot Wheels of 2025.

It's CUL8R, get it?

 

 CUL8R was first released in 2004 and this is the 25th version. Back in 2010 it was part of the Holiday Hot Rods series with two different decos.

 

 

The winter holiday ain't got nothin' on this spider-ific design! The orange highlights and webbing really make the blue spider, and its prey, pop.

 It may be difficult to see but there are two little recesses on each side that make me think of spider eyes. And the fender design looks like fangs! All versions of the car have these same features but I probably wouldn't have noticed them as much without the spider graphics.

  

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Castle Dracula Fun House Colorforms Set (1976)

 I stumbled on this Colorforms set while browsing Pinterest and thought it'd make for a fun post. I'm guessing that a lot of people don't know it exists unless they had it. I wasn't quite yet in my monster phase when this released in 1976 so I don't think it would have appealed to me.

 

 

And I certainly wasn't aware of the Universal Monsters at this time so the variety of characters would have been lost on me. 

 

 Here's the inhabitants of the castle. In red we've got the Phantom and a gorilla wearing pajama pants for some reason. Pink has the Woflman and Frankenstein's Monster. Green has the Creature who looks like he has a swimsuit on (I guess pantless monsters weren't allowed?) and Drac. White has the Mummy and a terrified guest. Yellow features another guest and a silly looking spider. Finally orange has some props including the Phantom's organ and a pay phone dripping with blood that says Room Service.

 

I thought it was a fun thing they did splitting some characters into top and bottom halves to give you a little more room to come up with your own ideas. 

 

 

 

The background has three floors with different scenes. The top is Frankenstein's lab complete with slab and random electricity gadgets. If you look close at the control panel, there's a pie baking in it! Second floor has a sarcophagus and a mysterious trail of green liquid that goes behind the bookcase (more on that below). The basement houses Drac's coffin and hints of a couple other monsters. Even the boiler has a face and feet! 

 

You may have noticed some areas have a little tab next to them...  

 

I didn't find this next bit out until I started searching for more info and photos. The backdrop sits on this board and the little tabs allow you to open parts of the background to see what's behind them. You can put the Mummy and Dracula in their resting places and have the Creature taking a bath.

 

Universal Monsters, secret doors, and a little weird humor make this a really fun set. I checked eBay and could only find one recently sold set that was complete. It went for $80 which for a monster toy that's almost 50 years old, seems like a good deal to me!

 

 

I found this catalog page at Mel Birnkrant's site which has articles on all sorts of toys, including his huge Mickey Mouse collection. He's got a whole section devoted to Coloforms covering 1971-1986 from when he worked on the toy line! If you were a kid during this time frame, it's sure to trigger some nostalgia. If you're reading this Mel, this 70s kid says "Thank you!"

 

 Be sure to check out all the Countdown bloggers by clicking the link below.

 

Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - Night Shifter

 Zooming up to the halfway mark, we've got the aptly named Night Shifter.

 

 This is my favorite in the 2025 line up. It's got a great profile and I really like the goofy reaper graphic. Night Shifter has been around since 2016 and coincidentally, this is the 16th version to be released. It's appeared in the 2017 Star Wars Master/Apprentice series and in 2018's Avengers series.

 

From the card back:

Is it a car? Is it a plane? Well, It's got the best of both! Inspired by the raw, mechanical aspects of high-performing race cars and legendary military planes. Night Shifter features twin turbo-chargers as well as two fuel tanks fabricated from military aircraft.  

 

 The best thing about this one is the little circular design up by the window. Inside the orange circle is a reaper head over crossed scythes with the number 31. It would be a cool design for a shirt or hat. I also just noticed the big reaper on this side has two eyes and only one on the other side!

 

I don't know a lot about cars but having those pipes run into the windshield doesn't seem like a good design choice. 

 

Be sure to check out all the Countdown bloggers by clicking the link below.

 

Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - Haul-o-Gram

 The second entry in the 2025 Halloween Hot Wheels line-up is certainly something interesting. It's Haul-o-Gram!

 

Haul-o-Gram rolled off the line in 2019 and this is only its fourth release.

 

From the 2019 card back:

With an adjustable front spoiler for rocketing through loops, a V16 twin-turbo engine, and a wind-cheating aero cab, this futuristic truck is as fast as just about any race car!

 

The vehicle itself is an odd design. You wouldn't think something with a high profile wouldn't be good for racing, but I don't know "racing physics". What I do know is this bat graphic is fang-tastic!

  

 Here's a view of the back. Again, I don't get the design or why it has the weird foils on the back. I do applaud them for using a primary Halloween color (orange) with a secondary (green).

 

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Halloween 2025 Lego Minifigs

 Another of my favorite traditions is picking up the Halloween LEGO minifigs. If you're lucky enough to have a LEGO store nearby, they have a build a minifig station with all kinds of parts. For $10 you can make three figures. Of course, you don't have to build them the "official" way but I use it as a starting point to make sure I get the right pieces.

 

 This is also why I like getting the building block sets like in yesterday's post, so my minifigs have a place to hang out. This year brings us a ghost, a kid witch, and a mummy.

 

Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - Hollowback

 Starting off the 2025 Countdown at high speed with the first of this year's Halloween Hot Wheels. I'm thrilled to say we've got an all killer, no filler line-up! I have to give a shout out to Diecast Garage where I ordered these from.They went above and beyond with packing the cars. They used painters tape around each of the card bubbles to protect them. I've never seen that done before.

 

Before we get rolling, let's take a look at the 2025 card art.

 

 I'd love to see a collection of the "naked" Halloween card art original designs without the printing or logo.

 

Starting us off the line, we've got Hollowback. Insert "Hollaback Girl" joke here.

  

Hollowback debuted in 2005 and this is the 17th release. In 2021, it was part of a 5-pack called HW City vs Toxic Creatures. When the car was being conceptualized, it went by the name Knightmare. And that was before it got a creepy paint job!

 

 

This car just looks like it's going to eat you if you try to pass it. It's a pretty wild design. I think it's some kind of demon/devil head because there are horns coming off the top.

 

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Star Wars "Stained Glass" Hammerhead Custom Figure

 I only just found out about Plastic Vomit Customs after seeing this post on Instagram from GI Jigsaw. And them I immediately went to PVC's Instagram and order one of these bad boys because it's just something I need in my life.

 

 Way back when there were only 20 Star Wars figures, Hammerhead joined the line up. Like a lot of Gen X, I was the perfect age when Star Wars hit theaters and was instantly obsessed. While I had to have every figure (it was much easier then!), my play adventures didn't stop with the main heroes. I was really into the droids and aliens.

 

 In 1978, we had one sequel novel and about a year of Marvel comics to carry on the story. The galaxy was wide open for making up your own stories, especially if you were a seven year old kid. Hammerhead usually teamed up with the other cantina aliens to form a bounty hunter gang. When you've only got Darth Vader, a "Death Squad" Commander, and a couple Stormtroopers for baddies, you gotta shake things up once in awhile.

 

Out of the initial 20, my favorites were Hammerhead (still my all-time favorite Kenner figure), R5-D4, Power Droid, Death Star Droid, and Snaggletooth. See? There's a pattern! I distinctly remember taking Hammerhead and R5 with me whenever I could. I don't know what it is about Hammerhead that made me glom on to him so much. Maybe it's the weird head, maybe it's the soothing aqua bodysuit.

 

 And that's what brings us to this Root Beer candy looking fella here: Plastic Vomit Customs Stained Glass Hammerhead. He was 3D printed using transparent resin and is gorgeous! He looks so much better in person, but maybe I'm biased.

 

 

Plastic Vomit Customs has a lot of other amazing vintage style 3.75" figures, and not just Star Wars inspired! My next purchse is probably going to be a Sleestak figure! 

 

You can check them out on Instagram. There are links there to their Facebook and eBay pages as well. (Pro tip: stuff is cheaper on IG and FB.) Some of the IG posts are for limited run figures and some can be ordered on demand from their post.