Comic Book Pick 12/14/22

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN/SPAWN #1

(A) Greg Capullo (W) Todd McFarlane
Two dark heroes, cursed by tragedy, find their paths again crossing…but not by choice! What sinister foe is at work, pitting the Dark Knight against the Hellspawn? From the shadows of Gotham City to New York City, this epic event is the blockbuster you’ve been waiting almost two decades for! DC will partner with CGC to include a Certificate of Authenticity with each signed copy of Batman/Spawn #1. CGC will witness and authenticate that the Batman/Spawn #1 copies were signed by Todd McFarlane and/or Greg Capullo. These will be eligible for CGC Signature Series if submitted by the submission deadline.
SRP: $6.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 10/26/22

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
PUNCHLINE: THE GOTHAM GAME #1

(A) Gleb Melnikov (W) Blake M. Howard & Tini Howard
THE NEW QUEEN OF CRIME! Punchline is out of jail and back on the streets of Gotham City. She’s not coming back for some of what Gotham has to offer, she’s coming back for all of it. She wants to be the queen of crime, and with the help of her Royal Flush Gang, no one will stand in her way. But Punchline created a lot of angry enemies in Gotham before she was incarcerated, and they all want payback. Presenting a miniseries that will redefine the criminal landscape of Gotham City from the superstar creative team of Tini Howard (Catwoman, Knights of X), Blake Howard (Batman: Urban Legends), and Gleb Melnikov (Robin, Wonder Woman)!
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 7/6/22

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN #125

(A) Jorge Jimenez (W) Chip Zdarsky
Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky joins legendary artist Jorge Jimenez to define a new era in Batman! Bruce Wayne is at a turning point, haunted by dreams of a dark future, while Gotham City billionaires are being gruesomely murdered. With the discovery of an archenemy's involvement and a tragedy unfolding, the Dark Knight's nightmares are just beginning. And in the backup, there's chaos in Gotham as the underworld fights over one of its crown jewels…and Selina Kyle is caught in the middle. Can she stop the bloodshed and maybe even make a little money in the process?
SRP: $4.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Another Weekend Antique Excursion!: Part II!

A few weeks ago I met up with a friend as we went on the hunt for retro treasure at one of our local antique malls. I enjoy going to these kinds of stores, because you'll never know what you're going to find. Most of the time the cool stuff that I like is way over priced, but it's cool to know it's out there if I really want it. There were a ton of booths to go through. Some of them did have some great stuff, but nothing that I really collected. Below are some of the items we found this time around...AGAIN!

Marvel Comics Wolverine #75: $2

This issue was a big one back in 1993! Wolverine's Adamantium was ripped out of his body by Magneto and the X-Men were trying to save him. Things turned out well for the Canadian mutant and he had "Bone" claws for a while, but in true comic book fashion, he got his Adamantium back a few issues later and all was right in the world. This book written by G.I. Joe legend, Larry Hama and drawn by Adam Kubert sported an amazing cover that was made all the more better by the inclusion of a freakin' hologram! Take a closer look at this one and you'll notice the hologram is upside down! You better believe this came home with me! At $2 how could it not?

Matchbox Pee-Wee Herman Talking Doll: $25

This doll was released by Matchbox in 1987 and I have some pretty vivid memories of it. I had a friend named George who owned this doll and after the whole "Adult Theater" event happened in 1991, he came to despise the character. One day while at his house, he decided to give the doll a burial at sea and launched Pee-Wee directly into the retention pond behind his housing complex. I never owned this doll or any Pee-Wee merchandise, but I must say that I did enjoy the Pee-Wee's Playhouse show from time to time on Saturday mornings. 

Spuds MacKenzie Plush Toy: $20

Everybody loved Spuds MacKenzie back in the 80's (1987-1989)! He was the lovable "Original Party Animal" who promoted beer. That's where things went wrong. When people started to realize that kids were loving this character as much as the alcohol drinking adults, Budweiser pulled the plug on Spuds after a ton of pushback by parent groups and senators. I can't go to any antique mall without spotting at least one Spuds item. From old beer signs, to plush stuffed animals to t-shirts, Spuds was everywhere. His life as a marketing icon was short, but damn was it successful!

Playmates TMNT Leatherhead Action Figure: $75

This figure was released in 1989 as part of the extremely successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line of toys by Playmates. My brother got this toy when it came out and it was one of our favorites. Who wouldn't love an evil mutant alligator? Leatherhead has been a part of the TMNT universe since his first comic book appearance in the Mirage published "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6". Although his appearance and origins have varied from series to series, Leatherhead has always been a staple in TMNT lore.

Kellog's Corn Flakes Batman Box: $20

Who doesn't love gimmicky cereal boxes? This one has it all. The lenticular photo of Batman transitioning to Bruce Wayne is worth the price alone. This box that was found still includes the original Corn Flakes! I honestly don't remember seeing this on the cereal isle shelves back in 1997, but I wish I had!  

Pepsi Jacksons World Tour '84 Can: $10

I love this can! I should have picked it up. I was all of 4 years old back in 1984, but I already knew what a big deal Michael Jackson was. My sister's played Michael's "Thriller" album non-stop on their record players during that time and every track was a classic. This tour brought Michael back into the mix with his brothers after his massive solo success. Many believe Michael did this to help his brothers out financially. The tour itself was a smash success, but tensions between the brothers led the cancellation of the European and Australian parts of the tour in 1985. This was the only time all 6 Jackson brothers performed together and it was also the last. The hype for the tour was big and the names connected to it were as impressive, featuring Paula Abdul as choreographer and Don King as the promoter. This can symbolizes that brief moment in time where the entire Jackson family was back on top of the world. Like I said, it was brief, but it gave us this kick-ass Pepsi commercial that shows off the dancing skills of a young Alfonso Ribeiro! ENJOY!!!

Comic Book Pick 5/18/22

  The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN '89 #6

(W) Sam Hamm
It’s a battle between former friends for the heart of Gotham as Batman faces down Harvey Dent. Can Bruce save his friend before he goes too far, and what does this mean for the future of Gotham City?
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 4/13/22

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
Batman '89 #5

(W) Sam Hamm
Harvey Dent enacts his plans for Gotham! He’ll overthrow the Batman and assume his rightful place as its guardian. As Batman works to stop his friend Harvey, he finds himself vastly outnumbered by the forces at Harvey’s disposal. He’ll need to turn to some unlikely allies if he’s going to turn the tide in his favor to protect his city and save his friend!
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 12/15/21

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATGIRLS #1

(W) Michael Conrad, Becky Cloonan (A) Jorge Corona
Um, hello—you didn’t actually think we’d keep you waiting this entire year without giving you the Batgirls series we’ve all been wanting for forever, right? No way, we love you too much—just like Batgirls Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, who are only able to navigate the dark, gritty and oftentimes scary city of Gotham by leaning on the bright light that is their best-friendship. Mentored by Oracle, the Batgirls move to the other side of town where Barbara Gordon can keep a better eye on them while the hacker Seer is still invading their lives. Steph may be too rash sometimes, and Cass doesn’t speak much—but what they lack in similarities, they make up for with their mutual respect and love for each other…and what makes them stronger together as Batgirls! And they may be good at kicking ass, but they are just trying their best to be normal teenagers—who’ll borrow the keys to a muscle car that belonged to a bad guy and perhaps give it a joyride around town without a driver’s license, then race to get back home to Oracle by curfew! Splashing the pages with bright colors against a dark backdrop of Gotham, Batgirls is the pizza slumber party of the year you don’t want to miss!
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 11/3/21

The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN #116

(W) Michael Conrad & Becky Cloonan (A) Jorge Corona & Jorge Jimenez

The only thing standing between an insane, heavily armed Peacekeeper-01 and a high body count in Gotham City is Batman. Their first bout didn’t go well for the Dark Knight, but the city is on the line and he can’t let the Scarecrow’s master plan come to fruition…and whose side is Miracle Molly truly on? The penultimate chapter of “Fear State”! Backup: With the Bat comms unreliable, Oracle has instructed the Batgirls to stay in the Clock Tower while she and Nightwing investigate who’s behind the Oracle Network hacks. But with the Magistrate’s forces instructed to attack the Clock Tower, will the Batgirls make it out before it’s too late?
SRP: $4.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 9/22/21

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...

BATMAN SECRET FILES: MIRACLE MOLLY #1

(A) Dani Strips
Since Miracle Molly’s explosive first appearance in the pages of Batman, people have been clamoring to know more about the colorful transhumanist vigilante! Now the wait is over-the history of Gotham’s latest breakout star is revealed! It’s a story so secret even Miracle Molly doesn’t remember it! Discover what led a regular Gothamite to reject their past, name, and humanity to embrace the promise of a blank slate-the promise of the Unsanity Collective! Batman series writer James Tynion IV teams up with rising superstar artist Dani to bring you all the way back to the beginning of Miracle Molly in this exciting and integral Fear State special.
SRP: $4.99
Synopsis provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 9/15/21

    The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN '89 #2

(W) Sam Hamm
A showdown in Burnside leaves both Batman and the Gotham borough reeling. As the community rallies together behind Harvey Dent, can Bruce find a way forward for both Batman and the city?
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 9/1/21

  The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN: FEAR STATE ALPHA #1

(A) Riccardo Federicci
The event over a year in the making begins Fear State settles upon Gotham City, and no one is safe! Overwhelmed by the dual threat of the Scarecrow and Peacekeeper-01, Batman and his allies have been one step behind since the events of Infinite Frontier #0 and with the arrival of a mysterious anti-Oracle and the return of Poison Ivy, Batman might have more than he can handle!
SRP: $4.99
Synopsis provided By: DCcomics.com

Comic Book Pick 8/11/21

   The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
BATMAN '89 #1

(W) Sam Hamm (A) Joe Quinones
Step back into the Gotham of Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies! Batman ’89 brings in screenwriter Sam Hamm (Batman, Batman Returns) and artist Joe Quinones (Dial H for Hero) to pull on a number of threads left dangling by the prolific director. Gotham becomes torn in two as citizens dressed as Batman and The Joker duke it out in the streets. As D.A. Harvey Dent tries to keep the city together, he targets the one problem tearing it apart: BATMAN! And he’ll get Bruce Wayne’s help in taking down the Dark Knight!
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: DCcomics.com

Return to the Antique Store: Part I

It has been a while since myself, my wife and kids have been out and about at our local downtown shops, but a few weeks ago we decided to go to one of the antique stores. We found some incredible items there. Of course the majority of it was way over priced, but I did manage to score some solid deals on a few items. After our trip through time the kids were feeling exhausted, so we took them to grab some ice cream. It was a beautiful day outside, but I would like to share with you some of the "antiques" that we saw inside the antique store. I didn't pick any of these up, but I thought they were worthy of a post.

Assorted Smurf Figures

As far back as I can remember, I have loved the Smurfs. My Mom said I used to sit in my height chair and dunk my Smurf figures into my milk and then suck the milk off of them. Pretty gross, but hey I was like 2 years old! Anytime I see these figures at a store or garage sale, I take the time to check them out. These were a bit over my comfort price at $30 for the "Jungle", "Trick or Treat" and "Zombie" Smurf. The others were around $10 each. I did pick a few up for cheaper, but I'll show those in a future post.

Old Metal Batmobile

I don't know much about this toy. It was behind glass, so I couldn't find a manufacturer or production date on it. I tried searching Google and found a few from the 60's that look similar, but not exactly the same. Those were going for around $400, so I assume the $185 price tag on this awesome looking Batmobile is a fair price?

Baxter Stockman & Bendy Captain America

The Baxter Stockman figure was around $10 and was in pretty good condition. I thought about picking him up, but I already have one in my collection, so I left him for another collector to add to their TMNT collection. I thought these Lifesavers promotional Bendy Captain America's were pretty neat, but at $10 I didn't pull the trigger. These look like they were from the early 90's but I can't seem to find any info on them or the promotional giveaway campaign. There were a ton of them at one booth, so maybe next time I stop by Cap will be coming home with me!

Fisher Price Queen Buzzy Bee Toy

My family had one of these pull toys when I was a kid! I'm sure it was a hand me down from one of my older sisters, but I thought it was pretty cool and would pull it around the house while watching the wings spin and antennae bobble around. The one in the picture above was from the 60's and I found that Fisher Price still makes a version of this toy for it's "Classics" toy line! 

Flintstones Movie Action Figures
These Mattel produced figures were released alongside the theatrical release of the Flintstones movie in 1994. I remember seeing this movie in the theater and being sort of disappointed. I never had any of these figures as I was starting to reach my teen years at this time, but seeing these takes me back to some of the hype surrounding the film. I thought John Goodman did a solid job as Fred, but that wasn't enough to make me want to take him home with me. A few booths later I found a figure of Cliff Vandercave as played by Kyle MacLachlan! The resemblance was uncanny!

Character Glasses

I'm pretty sure 50% of the booths at this antique store had old character glasses from the 70's & 80's. I already have quite a few Peanuts, Smurfs and Garfield glasses in my collection so I passed on this group. They were about $10 each on average at the antique store. The glasses I am currently seeking out have our favorite pellet muncher on them...Pac-Man!

Pulsar Action Figure

Pulsar was released in 1976 by Mattel to try and capitalize on the success of Kenner's Six Million Dollar Man toy line. This figure had a pumping organs feature that was able to be seen through Pulsar's clear plastic torso. The line was not very popular and only produced 2 figures, Pulsar & Hypnos (The Bad Guy), and one lone playset called "The Life Systems Center". The seller was asking $50 for this figure which is fair based on going rates on the internet. I vaguely remember hearing of this toy, I never had him, have no memories of him, so he stayed on the shelf.

Snoopy Phone!
This awesome phone was released by Telecom in the 70's and the one at the store looked fantastic! This was one item that I was really second guessing, but my wife gave me that "really" look when I told her how much it was. At $75 that seems to be fair as I've seen these go for anywhere between $50 - $150 online. There is a rotary version of this phone that seems to be more sought after which makes those prices fairly high. I can't say that I'm not a little sad that I left Snoopy behind, but I guess we don't even have a landline at home that I could have hooked this bad boy up to anyway.

Vintage Lunch Boxes & Thermos

I saw this cool Pac-Man Thermos for $12 and there were also some sweet looking metal lunch boxes at a few of the booths. I saw a Muppets, Dukes of Hazzard and Mr. Merlin lunch boxes. These were priced between $30-$40 without the Thermos. Does anyone remember Mr. Merlin? I don't, but a quick search on Wikipedia tells me this show ran for one season in 1981-1982 and was about a boy named Zac who pulls a crowbar from a bucket of cement. Of course this crowbar was actually King Arthur's sword Excalibur and now Merlin disguised as a mechanic in San Francisco must train Zac in the magical arts. Sounds pretty crazy right! Well, you can view some of this insanity below by watching an episode of this lost piece of television history!

Comic Book Pick 10/14/20

 This week, the comic book I am most excited to read is...

DETECTIVE COMICS #1028

written by PETER J. TOMASI art by NICOLA SCOTT cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT card stock variant cover by LEE BERMEJO

Spinning out of the events of “The Joker War” and Detective Comics #1027 comes a tale of the beginning of the end for Gotham City’s status quo. With tensions flaring and a new mayoral candidate making his anti-hero agenda known to the city, Batman and his allies are stretched thin to keep the peace. But just as things couldn’t look any worse, a string of gruesome murders has left a trail of the most corrupt in Gotham City losing their heads...literally. If Batman doesn’t quickly find the killer—the Dark Knight will be next.

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: Comic Book Resources

Comic Book Pick 8/26/20

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

Batman: Three Jokers #1

written by GEOFF JOHNS art by JASON FABOK cover by JASON FABOK variant cover by JASON FABOK

Thirty years after Batman: The Killing Joke changed comics forever, Three Jokers reexamines the myth of who, or what, The Joker is and what is at the heart of his eternal battle with Batman. New York Times bestselling writer Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok, the writer/artist team that waged the “Darkseid War” in the pages of Justice League, reunite to tell the ultimate story of Batman and The Joker! After years of anticipation starting in DC Universe: Rebirth #1, the epic miniseries you’ve been waiting for is here: find out why there are three Jokers, and what that means for the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime. It’s a mystery unlike any Batman has ever faced!

SRP: $6.99

Synopsis Provided By: CBR

Comic Book Pick 6/10/20

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

BATMAN: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE #1

(W) Paul Dini, Alan Burnett (A) Ty Templeton (CA) Dave Johnson 

From the visionary producers of Batman: The Animated Series come all-new stories in this seminal animated world. In this opening chapter, Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City is attacked by a giant robot that steals an entire room from the laboratory. Who's controlling the robot? How will Batman stop the mechanized menace? And what does it all have to do with Lex Luthor's sudden appearance in Gotham?

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

Comic Book Pick 4/29/20

This week the comic book I am most excited to read is...

BATMAN

 

 By now I sound like a broken record, but once again there are no new releases hitting local comic shops this week due to Covid-19, so I decided this would be a great time to catch up on some books I have not read yet. This week I am going to pull back the pages of DC Comic's Batman. I must admit that I got suckered into buying these issues because of the introduction of the Joker's new right hand woman, Punchline. Prices for these issues have gone up quite a bit, so I am glad I got them when I did. Now it's time to read up and find out what all the hub-bub is about! That's why I am excited to read these issues! Have you read this title yet? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below. If not, what are you reading now?

It Came From The Attic: Part I

The Real Ghostbusters: ECTO-PLAZM

 Well, here we go again! Staying with my Mom at my childhood home for a few weeks brought back a ton of memories and nostalgia, but looking through all the totes of stuff I own that have been stored in her attic really kicked those feelings into high gear. Today I will share a few of these items I have saved for decades with you. First is this partially full can of The Real Ghostbusters ECTO-PLAZM! This can came with our Firehouse playset and was super sticky. It would stick to our figures and be a real pain in the butt to clean off after we slimed them through the grate on the roof. I can't quite remember why the wrapper is so torn up, but let me tell you, old ECTO-PLAZM smells horrible!

 Batman Returns: McDonalds Fry Box

Yes, I collected McDonalds French Fry boxes back in the day. I still have a bunch of unused Dream Team ones somewhere. This one was used and after the delicious fries were eaten, it was added to my ever growing early 90s Batman collection. I loved this movie and would save anything and everything that had the caped crusader or his foes on it. Not sure where the rest of this stuff went, but at least I still have this box to remind me of the Bat-Mania of 1992.

 Ninja Turtles Fair Prize

This cheap but AWESOME prize came from the New Jersey State Fair in the early 90s. Sure it's a cheap piece of particle board with a paper frame, but it's got an AMAZING picture of my favorite boys in green, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it and I earned it by popping a bunch of balloons with darts. Such an wonderful award for such an astounding achievement.

Ghostbusters II: Slime Time Button

I loved this button! I used to pin it to any hat that I had. Most notably my hot pink surfing Ninja Turtles hat and my checkered Simpsons Bartman cap. It's a fashion statement that can mix with any licensed character clothing item.

Farley's Ninja Turtles Fruit Snacks Package

Holy CRAP! I am so glad that I kept this. We had fruit snacks in our lunches almost every day. Super Mario, Zelda, Shark Bites and even Michael Jordan, but nothing could top the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Sure, they still make TMNT themed fruit snacks today, but they just don't seem to taste as good as they did back when I was 11 years old!

Kellogg's C-3PO's Cereal box

I really don't remember ever eating this cereal as a kid, but I am glad to own this sweet piece of Star Wars memorabilia. I used to work at a mom & pop toy store in Ledgewood, NJ on Route 10 and one day the owners purchased a large Star Wars collection. They picked out the items they wanted to keep for sale and then let me scrounge through and pick out what I wanted from the left overs. I grabbed a parachuting Darth Vader, a Darth Vader eraser, Star Wars PEZ display with dispensers and this box of C-3PO's.

Sealed Commodore 64 Games

Never owned a Commodore 64, but once again I was given these sealed games from a former employer. I used to work for Clear Channel Radio and we had to clean out old offices before we moved into our new building. We found some cool old stuff that I am sure were supposed to be used for giveaway prizes at some point. These games were among those items. Since I love retro video games, they gave these to me as a gift.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look back at some items from my Mom's attic and I hope you are all staying safe and well. Check back next week for part 2! There may be more Turtles items, Freddy Krueger and Keith Hernandez!

Retro movies to watch with the kids!

Myself and my wife got word from our school district on Monday that school will be closed for the next 2 weeks due to the Coronavirus. We have been brainstorming ideas on how to keep these kids busy and free from bickering and fighting. One idea I had was to immerse and educate the kids on some of the great movies from decades past. I searched through our options of streaming services, VHS tapes, DVDs & Blu-ray disks and so far this is what I have come up with.

The Karate Kid: Part III (1989)

Yes, I know this is probably the most hated of all the Karate Kid movies, but we have watched the first 2 so it only makes sense to finish the original trilogy. I'm sure my kids will love Daniel's slow turn to the dark side and the crazy overacting of Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver.

Batman (1989)

My family just recently wrapped up watching all of the Spider-Man movies including the original trilogy, Amazing Spider-Man movies, Homecoming and Far From Home. It only makes sense to now move on to a marathon of Batman movies starting with the classic 1989 film starring Michael Keaton & Jack Nicholson.

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

My kids are just starting to become interested in movies that are not animated and that opens them up to all sorts of possibilities. I really believe they will enjoy the action and adventure in this movie. I know I did when I was their age. 

Willow (1988)

Once again, like the NeverEnding Story this movie is filled with fun, adventure and action. Last week my kids and wife watched "The Lord of the Rings" and they really liked it. I think this movie will have the same effect on them, plus it's been a while since I have seen it and I can't wait to revisit the world of Willow Ufgood!

The Black Cauldron (1985)

I have never seen this movie! This is something I wish to rectify while we have the time at home. From what I have seen in the trailers, I may be more excited to watch this than the kids!

Well, those are the movies on the list for now. I am sure it will expand as we continue this lockdown from school. If you have any suggestions for a father of three kids under 10 years old, please shoot me a message or make a comment below. In the meantime, enjoy some movies and stay healthy!

Wax Pack Revolution #5

A recent obsession of mine has been collecting old wax & foil packs of trading cards from the 80s & 90s. Sure, I have a ton of these non-sport cards from when I was a kid, but the artwork and design of the packaging is something I missed. When you would buy one of these packs you would tear it open and throw away the wrapper. Never giving it a second thought. Seeing these again brings back memories of feeling the slick paper in your hands, seeing the simple artwork and the smell of bubble gum. Let's dive into a few of these packs that I have on display...AGAIN!

 Batman Forever Movie Photo Stickers (Topps, 1995)

Despite the appearance of the now infamous "Bat-Nipples", I always had a liking for the movie Batman Forever. I think Val Kilmer did a decent job as the Dark Knight and the addition of Robin was pretty cool. Jim Carrey was at his peak as a comedic actor, but the casting of Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face always bothered me. After seeing Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent in the 1989 Batman movie, I wanted to see his take on the evil villain. Unfortunately Billy Dee was passed over in favor of Jones. Anyway, these sticker books were pretty commonplace back in the day for any hit movie, but these stickers were not the small Panini versions, these were full card sized stickers! Only something this big could hold in all of the action from the film that was Batman Forever.

Street Fighter: The Movie (Upper Deck, 1995)

Once again this is a movie that was hated by almost everyone who saw it, but I liked it. This movie brought my favorite video game characters to the big screen and the soundtrack was pretty bangin' too! What other album would have a duet between MC Hammer and Deion Sanders? This set produced by Upper Deck consisted of 90 base cards and had some randomly inserted F/X & LE cards. I have never seen these, but I know just like Raul Julia's award worthy performance as Bison, they were probably magnificent.

Star Wars: Journey To The Force Awakens (Topps, 2015)

I absolutely love this set of cards from Topps! I bought a couple boxes of these cards so me and my kids could open the packs in the hopes of completing a full set. I believe we opened 3 boxes and didn't get a full set of 110 cards, but we had a lot of fun while trying. This set from Topps also had some cool subsets & bonus cards including cloth stickers, silhouette foils & patch cards. Collecting this set was a cool way to teach my kids about the movies that led up to The Force Awakens.

X-Files Season Two (Topps, 1996)

My Dad was a huge X-Files fan and in turn I saw almost every episode of the show. I enjoyed it, but the later seasons when Mulder disappeared were not very good and my interest waned. These trading cards from Topps feature stills from some of the classic early episodes along with art cards from the Topps produced comic books. This set had a total of 72 cards and featured some pretty inserts with their Etched Foil & Hologram chase cards.