A while ago I had talked about visiting a little mom & pop candy store in a tourist town where I found Whatchamacallit candy bars, well we returned to the same town for some more family fun and while there I saw another candy bar that had been off my radar since the 90s...5th Avenue!
I immediately thought of this commercial from 1992 and kept singing the lyrics, "5th Avenue. Big Peanut Butter Crunch!" in my head until I finally got the chance to chow down on this chocolate bar from years past. I really enjoy this commercial. It is crazy and has a mix of different styles, but in my opinion it's still a notch below the Whatchamacallit campaign.
I did some research online and found that according to 5th Avenue's official Wikipedia page, the 5th Avenue candy bar was created in 1936 by William H. Luden (the cough drop guy). The Luden's brand was bought by Hershey in 1986 and they continue to make the bar, but in limited quantities.
I never really was a huge fan of the bar and never really sought it out as a kid. When there are options like Snickers, Kit Kats and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups out there, it's hard to compete. From my limited taste experiences with 5th Avenue, I recalled that it tasted a little like a Butterfinger Bar.
After taking my first bites, I was kind of right. It's consistency is definitely like a Butterfinger with it's flaky peanut butter layers covered in chocolate, but to me the taste of peanut butter was subtle and not very strong. The taste of the chocolate was what really took over my tastes buds. Was it good? Yes. Would I buy it again? Maybe, I'll have to check my options on the shelf first.
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is... FLASH #21
"THE BUTTON" part two! The cataclysmic events of DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH #1 continue here! The Dark Knight and The Fastest Man Alive, the two greatest detectives on any world, unite to explore the mystery behind a certain blood-stained smiley button embedded in the Batcave wall. What starts as a simple investigation turns deadly when the secrets of the button prove irresistible to an unwelcome third party-and it's not who anyone suspects! It's a mystery woven through time, and the ticking clock starts here! (W) Joshua Williamson (A) Howard Porter (CA) Jason Fabok SRP: $3.99
If you were a sports fan back in the early 90s there were 3 names that were on the tip of every kids tongue...Ken Griffey Jr., Michael Jordan and BO JACKSON!
From the start of Bo's career in Kansas City in 1986, I was a fan. He was larger than life and like nothing I had ever seen before on the baseball diamond. He was built like a tank, fast as a cheetah and had an arm like a cannon. As a card collector, I had to have anything and everything with Bo on it! But my favorite card I own of his has to be the 1991 Fleer "ProVision" card #5.
It isn't worth a heck of a lot (you can find them on eBay for around $1), but this is how I envisioned Bo when I was a kid. He was more than human, he was an icon who pulled off such great feats that he had to be robotic! I loved this card so much that for my 10th birthday I asked for a t-shirt with this image on it! My dad went to a screen printer at the local mall and my birthday wish came true! I wore the shirt maybe twice because I didn't want it to get dirty, but it hung on my wall for years!
Then in 1987 Jackson was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders! Now Bo was building his legacy on the gridiron by running over giants, scoring touchdowns and embarrassing defenses in his spare time away from Baseball.
Then during an NFL Playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 13, 1991 the impossible happened. My sports hero was taken down. His hip was dislocated and fractured ending his NFL career and leading the KC Royals to drop him from their roster. 10 year old me was crushed to see this happen.
Then an amazing thing occurred, BO PLANNED TO RETURN TO BASEBALL WITH AN ARTIFICIAL HIP! He was back in the gym rehabbing for his come back and as Dennis Leary once said "It Ain't over till a hip socket sings."
Bo came back and in his first at bat since his hip surgery in true Herculean fashion he smashed a home-run. It was glorious! Bo played until 1994 ending his career with the California Angels. It was only an 8 year career, but damn was it spectacular! I will always remember him as "Bionic Bo". If you haven't seen the ESPN 30 for 30 film "You Don't Know Bo: The Legend of Bo Jackson", you need to check it out. It goes beyond the sports he played and shows how he became the American Icon he was in the late 80s & early 90s. You can view a preview below.
I received this Bigfoot Handheld Game as a gift recently and the memories came flooding back! Bigfoot was huge back in the day! He was in everything from trading card sets, to toys to starring in the "Power Team" Cartoon with Johnny Arcade! I remember seeing the Monster Truck "Winter Nationals" commercials on our local channels. I wanted to go, just to see Bigfoot. I never did get to see him though. I'll have to add this to my bucket list.
This game was released by Akklaim in 1989 and man does it suck! All you do is drive Bigfoot around the same LCD screen track in an attempt to avoid other Monster Trucks! There is no end, you just keep driving. These type of games were almost always given as gifts to kids who asked for a Gameboy. They were cheap and used licensed characters that were in at the time like Batman, The Simpsons and the Terminator. The one great thing that came from these games were the ads!
I mean look at these babies! Who wouldn't want to be the crazy, lunatic, cool kid floating through space on a surf board with video games flying around you? The one with the professor, that guy's mind was blown from the new Akklaim Super Play Plus Series! Although most of these games were based on Akklaim games that were released for the NES, the gameplay was much different. Obviously the limitations of an LCD video game were what caused this. Even though the NES games were an upgrade, Akklaim just could not make the most of their licensed properties. Take a look at the Bigfoot NES game below and judge for yourself.
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is... BATMAN #21
"THE BUTTON" part one! The cataclysmic events of DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH #1 continue here! The Dark Knight and The Fastest Man Alive, the two greatest detectives on any world, unite to explore the mystery behind a certain blood-stained smiley button embedded in the Batcave wall. What starts as a simple investigation turns deadly when the secrets of the button prove irresistible to an unwelcome third party-and it's not who anyone suspects! It's a mystery woven through time, and the ticking clock starts here!
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please note that this issue's lenticular cover edition is available only in the US and Canada.
Whenever I go to the Dollar Tree I always buy a pack of their sports cards. More often than not it is the Ultimate Super Jumbo Pack. You get 30 mixed sport trading cards for only $1. Most of the time you get some decent cards that range from the 80s to today. I usually tear open the pack and throw away the wrapper. Except this time I turned the pack over and discovered an offer for a FREE Autographed Trading Card. In exchange for 4 wrappers and $3.99 shipping and handling I could receive an authentic autographed trading card! I was in!
I waited my 4 to 6 weeks and finally received this foil package in the mail! Who would it be? What sport would the player be from? So many questions! So much ANTICIPATION! I opened up the pack carefully and got....
Rolando Gomez. I had no idea who he was, so as anyone would do I Googled him. Through this advanced mystery solving technique I found out that Rolando Gomez was not a very good player. According to his MiLB page, Rolando was drafted in the 11th round in 2008 and was out of baseball by 2014. In this time he played for 6 teams and never made it to the bigs. Well the redemption offer gamble was worth a shot, probably won't do it again. Thanks for the thrills Cardsone! You can watch his prospect video below.
A few weekends ago I took my kids to our local Toys R Us for a FREE Mega Construx build! We had time to kill, so we looked at all the awesome toys at the store. I was surprised to see so many toy lines from my childhood still available on the shelves. Here's part 2 of a few of the cool things I found:
Ultimate Electronic Voltron ($39.99)
I loved Voltron as a kid! It was such an awesome premise for a kids show. Five robot lions come together and form one giant robot that uses a blazing sword to protect the universe from giant monsters. I was sold! With the success of the latest DreamWorks revival of Voltron on Netflix came a new line of toys. This "Ultimate" version has lights, sounds and the Green Lion can shoot out a laser projectile!
Star Wars Millennium Falcon iHome & Alarm Clock ($49.99)
Star Wars has been around for a long time and it's great to see that the franchise is still as popular as ever! My 5 year old son had one wish for his last birthday...a Millennium Falcon Alarm Clock! His wish was granted and every morning at 7am he is awoken by the sweet sounds of the Falcon taking off into space. He also uses the clock to listen to the radio while he is playing in his room.
Ninja Turtles Mega Bloks sets ($1.99 - $99.99)
These kind of caught me by surprise. Yes, I had known that Mega Bloks was making these sets but I didn't know they were being put on clearance at such great prices. You can pick up the individual mini-figs for under $2 each and the Krang set was only $16.95! I bought a few for future gift giving holidays and birthdays. Also, that Raph in human disguise is amazing!
Smurfs: The Lost Village Figures ($3.99 - $5.99)
Another Smurfs movie and another toy line by Jakks. The Smurfs were one of the first things I really remember loving as a kid. I had all the figurines and when I was 3 my mom made me a Smurf blankey that I carried everywhere with me. When I moved I made sure that blankey came with me. It served me well for decades and when my daughter started having nightmares, I passed it on to her to keep her safe at night.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2-packs ($9.99)
I was always a Nintendo kid, but as an adult I can respect what Sega had done with Sonic back in the 90s. The games were simple, fast and fun. Even though Mario was my choice for platformers back in the day, I did read a Sonic comic or two. Each of these 2-packs includes one of those original comics from Archie publishing. 2 figures and a comic for $9.99, not bad! Did you know that Sonic comic is still being published today?
Legos ($4.99 - $150)
Every kid has had Legos at some point in there life and mine are no exception. Lego has put out some really great sets in the last few years, but the Superhero lines are the ones that have stood out most to me. This Clay Face set from the Lego Batman Movie is on the top of my boy's wish list this year!
Now try to get that song from the Lego Batman Movie out of your head! Thanks for reading!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is... WEAPON X #1
Decades ago, the Weapon X program produced the deadliest mutant killers on the planet. Now, with more research, more funding and more Adamantium at its disposal, the Weapon X program is creating new killers for old targets: Old Man Logan. Sabretooth. Lady Deathstrike. Weapon X isn't just experimenting on mutants anymore...it's eradicating them. All of them.
Plus: Deadlier and more shadowy than ever, you won't believe who's taken the job as Director of Weapon X! Reuniting X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong creative team GREG PAK (World War Hulk) and GREG LAND (Uncanny X-Men)!
This past weekend I took my kids to our local Toys R Us for a FREE Mega Construx build! These free events happen about twice a month at Toys R Us and allow kids to come in and get stuff for free! In the past we have done free builds for Lego Nexo Knights, Lego Batman Movie, Pokémon cards, Pokémon Figures and a birthday party with Geoffrey himself!
This time around my boy got to build a ship from the HALO series and my girls built a beach set from the American Girls line. Of course since we were already there, we had to look at all the awesome toys at the store. It's like that's what Toys R Us had in mind from the start? Those crafty bastards! I was surprised to see so many toy lines from my childhood still available on the shelves. Here's a few of the cool things I found:
Masters of the Universe: Mega Bloks Kubros ($14.99)
These things are brilliant. It's almost like you get to build your own action figure. I always look at these on the shelf and want to buy them, but I am a cheap man with 3 kids and always wait for a sale. The He-Man version of Kubros was on sale for $8.98 when we went. Maybe I'll grab it next pay day?
Transformers Fortress Maximus ($149.99)
WOW!!! I never thought I would ever see a Fortress Maximus in stores again! This thing was massive and a total status symbols for kids growing up in the 80s! If you had this, you were the man! For $150 though...I'll let someone else be the man.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Action Figures ($16.99)
My little brother was huge into Power Rangers. He had all the toys, collected the cards, played the games and of course watched every episode of the show. These brought back memories of watching this show with him and having epic battles in the living room as his Ninja Mega Zord would conquer my bad guys led by Goldar. If they had the White Ranger in stock, I may have to grab it for him as a gift. That was the elusive toy he never got. You might say the White Ranger is his White Whale! I know...terrible :(
Pokémon Cards ($3.99 - $17.99)
I know these cards have been around forever, but isn't it reassuring that in 2017 Pokémon is still a popular brand? When these cards were at their crazy peak, I worked at a mom & pop toy store in Jersey. Kids would come in every day with their allowance money to buy the latest series packs. Eventually when I would get bored and to pass the time, they taught me how to play the game and we would have matches in the store. It was fun and now as my kids are getting into Pokémon, I can pass that knowledge onto them. See Mom, it wasn't a complete waste of my time!
I absolutely LOVE THESE! So much nostalgia is rushing through my head. I have picked up the original 4 Turtles, Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang and April in this line. I never had Super Mikey or Super Donatello as a kid. I will be adding these to my birthday wish list!
Madballs ($2.99 - $9.99)
I saved what is in my opinion, the best for last...MADBALLS!!! Months ago I had heard that Just Play Toys and Kid Robot were going to be putting out several different lines of Madballs. My sons favorite is Oculus Orbus and I was going nuts looking to find him one for Christmas. Well, maybe the Easter Bunny can drop one of these guys in his basket? I really like how there are different sets for different audiences. They have the classic versions based off the 80s toys. New revamped/updated versions, which my kids prefer and the Madballs Mini blind bags which are a cheaper way to get your nostalgia at $2.99 a pack.
Such a great commercial! That's it for now. Stay tuned for part 2 next week!
This week the comic book I am most excited to read is... HARLEY QUINN #17
"Deadly Sin" part one! The twisted Harley Sinn's been released from prison, and she's looking to hurt Harley in a whole new way...by going after somebody she loved and lost! And to make this issue extra-unmissable, a brand-new backup story begins, set in Harley's earliest days with the Joker-and co-written by one of Harley's original creators, Paul Dini! "Harley Loves Joker" kicks off as Harley makes the biggest mistake of her burgeoning criminal career...accidentally revealing the location of Mistah J's hideout!
(W) Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Paul Dini (A) John Timms, Bret Blevins (CA) Amanda Conner
This week I have the privilege of selecting the Round Robin Social Media Challenge topic! There have been some great topics covered over the last few weeks and I wanted to choose something different, then I began to search for some of my favorite childhood memories. A lot of these memories came back to riding our bikes to the local corner store to grab snacks, drinks and other fun items so me and my friends could get energized before we hit the blacktop. So this weeks topic is...
When you were a kid, what would you use your hard earned allowance money to buy at the corner store? To get this thing started I'll let you know what my top picks were and why!
Trading Cards!
This was back in the day when every movie or character that was even remotely appealing to kids had it's own trading card set. I do remember grabbing packs of the above properties, but I also remember picking up Adams Family, Dinosaurs Attack and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cards.
Gatorade
In the early 90s we were all under the grip of the cultural icon known as Michael Jordan. He was the spokesperson for everything from Wheaties to Nike to his own SNES game! We all wanted to be "Like Mike". So for us streetball hoopers drinking Gatorade was a must! My favorite flavor was Citrus Cooler. Not only because it was labeled as "Mike's Favorite Flavor", but because it was delicious! The flavor has been in and out of the rotation over the years, so whenever I see it on shelves it's time to stock up! Why don't they produce Gatorade in glass bottles anymore?
Gatorgum
Sticking with the Gatorade family, we move on to Gatorgum. This product only came in 2 flavors that I remember being Lemon/Lime and Orange. I favored the orange as my gum of choice. According to my research Gatorgum was discontinued in the early 2000s. I'm surprised to hear that it was around that long! The closest thing available to Gator Gum today is Quench Gum.
Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream chips
I remember when these came out and thinking they would be nasty. After first bite, they became a staple in my corner store trips. These are so amazing! It's like a creamy cheddar taste wrapping all the goodness of a salty Ruffles chip. They are still available today in any grocery store. If you haven't tried these, I suggest picking some up today!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics
Every time I went into the corner store, I had to peruse the comic/magazine rack. They were always littered with any new X-Men comics that were out and the Archie produced Ninja TurtlesAdventures comics. These were my introduction to the world of Turtles comics. Kind of a gateway to the more adult Mirage produced comics. I still love reading these today. For the most part the art was great and the stories were well written. IDW has been collecting these stories in TPB form over the last few years for those who missed them in the 90s.
Well, that's it for my early 90s trip to the corner store. What were your favorite items to pick up? Write your own blog entry on this topic and don't forget to leave a link to your page in my comments section! I hope we get a lot of entries. Have fun, I can't wait to see what other goodies are out there!
The Toy Box takes us on a trip to the corner stores of Allentown & Oregon!
The Toy Break drinkin quarter water. Gotta be the best!
