Stranger Things 4: The Food!

I have been a fan of Stranger Things since it debuted on Netflix in 2016, so the 3 year wait for season 4 was killing me! I loved season 3, but it left me wanting more. Luckily for us fans part 1 of season 4 dropped last week and I really enjoyed watching it with my wife and daughter. I got both of them hooked on the show and have even sucked them in to all the tie ins that have come along with the success of Stranger Things. Nothing can top the Baskin Robbins marketing from 2019 when they transformed their stores into Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream parlors, but I was excited to see this cryptic web page pop up for Domino's a few weeks ago.

I was hoping we would get a fantastic 80's themed, interactive version of Domino's pizza stores, but that was not to be. We got a fairly lame "Mind Ordering" app that doesn't even work on my phone for some compatibility reason! In my opinion the app was a bust, but at least we got...

these SWEET retro 80's Domino's Pizza boxes. The boxes hide all sorts of little Stranger Things Easter eggs. If you get one, I suggest you check every nook & cranny for some Hawkins inspired fun! The other cool thing about this promotion was the ad promoting the campaign. It features Dustin & Lucas going to their local Domino's, when all of a sudden strange things start to happen!

The app may have been a miss for me, but this promotional campaign was a sure fire home run! The next cool food tie-in for Stranger Things season 4 came to us courtesy of Doritos!

Each bag of Doritos is adorned with the creepy image of a Demogorgon getting ready to strike. I love the design of this villain. It is one of the coolest monster creations that I have seen in a long time, but just as the evil of the Upside Down has spread all over Hawkins...

the Stranger Things branding made it's way over to the Doritos 3Ds bags! I have never tried this "Spicy Ranch" flavor before, but it is fantastic! Myself and my daughter snacked on these while we watched the first few episodes of season 4 and we were not disappointed in the flavor or the excitement of the new season! You may have noticed the "FREE TICKET" graphics on each of these bags and that's the really cool thing about this crossover. On June 23rd there will be a concert "Live From The Upside Down" featuring Corey Heart, Soft Cell, The Go-Go's and for some unknown reason Charlie XCX. You get to view this streaming concert for free after you scan your bag of Doritos. You better believe I already scanned and have my passes ready for the show! Check out the add below for more deets on this concert event!

Another oddity from the rush of Stranger Things foods are these Skinny Butcher "Crazy Crispy Chick'N Nuggets". 

From what I've seen so far, there is no tie to the show. Nobody eats these nuggets, the Skinny Butcher is not a brand from the show and were "Plant Based" meat items even a thing in the 80's? Anyway, I was suckered in based on the Stranger Things logo on the box and honestly, these weren't that bad. My wife threw them in the air fryer and my kids even enjoyed them. Still scratching my head on the connection to Stranger Things though? Do they raise plant based chickens in the Upside Down?

By far, my favorite Stranger Things Season 4 food has to be these Surfer Boy frozen pizzas from Walmart. Surfer Boy Pizza is a fictional California based pizza place created specifically for the show. Jonathan's friend Argyle works at the shop and acts as the comedic relief during the gang's trip across America to find Eleven. I like his character. He has some flaws, but hey, we all do! Anyway, back to the pizza, Surfer Boy Pizza comes in 4 flavors: Pineapple Jalapeno, Pepperoni, Supreme and Multi-Meat. So far we have tried the Pineapple Jalapeno & Multi-Meat. They are not bad! If you feel like calling Surfer Boy Pizza in an attempt to order your own za, you can actually call Argyle at 805-45-PIZZA and don't forget to try before you deny!

That's it for now. I can't wait for Part 2 of Season 4 to drop on July 1st! It's gonna be AMAZING!!! Is anyone else hungry now?

Comic Book Pick 6/1/22

 The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
STRANGER THINGS: KAMCHATKA #3

(W) Michael Moreci (A) Todor Hristov (CA) Ashley Witter
As a Soviet double agent breaks his cover to help a leading scientist's two children escape from the KGB, he takes a journey into his past to make amends for his biggest regret. Meanwhile, the Demogorgon's keeper uses her "pet" to test the scientists' loyalty. Tie-in to season 3 finale of hit Netflix TV series.
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

Tomorrow is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2022!

Saturday, May 7th is Free Comic Book Day! You can go to your local comic shop and choose from a variety of great comics from publishers like Marvel, DC, Darkhorse and more! If you want more info or need to know what shops are participating, check out the Free Comic Book Day website. Every year I take my kids out and make this day an event. It's something we look forward to every year. Here are my top five comics for the 2022 FCBD:

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

(W) Tom Waltz (A/CA) Sophie Campbell

The Ninja Turtles have broken out of the locked-down neighborhood of Manhattan known as Mutant Town . . . but which Ninja Turtles? And is that... VENUS(!)... spying on them?! As all new mutants haunt and terrorize NYC, enemies and allies of the TMNT alike prepare for a confrontation greater than any that has come before . . . the Rat King's diabolical Armageddon Game! The TMNT event of 2022 starts here from Tom Waltz, Sophie Campbell, Ronda Pattison and Kevin Eastman!

SPIDER-MAN & VENOM #1

(W) Al Ewing, Ram V., Zeb Wells (A) Bryan Hitch (A/CA) John Romita

Announced last week, Spider-Man is gearing up for a brand-new era just in time for the character's 60th anniversary! Fans who pick up FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: SPIDER-MAN/VENOM #1 will see the very beginning of the major storylines writer Zeb Wells and legendary artist John Romita Jr. have planned for their run on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, including Tombstone's first steps towards becoming Spidey's most terrifying villain. FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: SPIDER-MAN/VENOM #1 will also give fans a chance to check out the thought-provoking work Al Ewing, Ram V, and Bryan Hitch are doing on VENOM! The groundbreaking changes this mastermind trio has in store for the symbiote mythos starts here!

STRANGER THINGS/RESIDENT ALIEN

(W) Michael Moreci, Peter Hogan (A) Pius Bak, Steve Parkhouse (CA) Diego Galindo

Celebrating the weird and wonderful, we present stories both strange and alien! In Stranger Things, Eleven, Will and Jonathan go to a drive-in theater for a double creature feature, but the local festivities and scary costumes bring back haunting memories. In Resident Alien, Dr. Harry and nurse Asta help an elderly patient in the sleepy, small town of Patience investigate a ghostly presence in her house!
Exclusive Original Material.

DISNEY MASTERS DONALD DUCK & CO.

(W) William Van Horn, Joe Torcivia, Dick Kinney, Bas Heymans, Pasqua Heymans (A) William Van Horn, Giorgio Cavazzano, Al Hubbard, Bas Heymans

A star bunch of Disney Masters bring us wild Disney adventures from around the world! In "Snore Losers," Uncle Scrooge has nightmares of giving Donald Duck a million bucks-and then dreamologist J. Slumberbunk Swoonsnooze insists Scrooge must do it for real! Next, in "Here Today, Gone Apollo," that mighty Mouseton madcap Super Goof faces evil Emil Eagle and Dangerous Dan McBoo in a booby-trapped castle... and in "Fall Guy," Cousin Fethry longs to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel, but only Donald repeatedly takes the plunge!

STREET FIGHTER MASTERS: BLANKA

(W) Matt Moylan (A/CA) Genzoman

It's time to go green with Blanka, the Brazilian berserker beastman! This electrically-charged icon of Street Fighter tears through the jungles of the Amazon in his first solo comic adventure!
Exclusive Original Material

Funko Pop Collection: Part #2

I am a fan of the Funko Pop figures. They are inexpensive and feature some amazing characters. if you are a fan of any show or movie, Funko has probably made a Pop of it! That being said, I really don't collect Pops, but if I do see one of a character I absolutely love, I will pick it up. My collection is not huge, but it is selective and here are a few that I would like to share with you...

Jason Voorhees from Friday The 13th

I'm gonna mention this for about the 1,000 time here, but I'm proud to say that I grew up in NJ, specifically the part of NJ where the original Friday The 13th movie was filmed. It was a great childhood and Funko Pop Jason was an absolute must have for my collection!

Rocko & Spunky from Rocko's Modern Life

Rocko's Modern Life was unquestionably my favorite Nickelodeon Cartoon back in the 90's. The cartoons were funny, witty and a little bit adult. Chokey Chicken anyone? I saw this Rocko Pop at Barnes & Noble and quickly grabbed him up. I wish they would have made the whole crew, but at least we got Rocko, Spunky and Heffer. I wonder why they never made a Filbert?

Slimer from Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is one of my all-time favorite movies. Ever since I saw it in the summer of 1985, I was hooked. As a kid I was hooked on Slimer. The ugly little spud was funny, unique and cute in a gross sort of way. He became synonymous with Ghostbusters. Anything branded Ghostbusters most likely had a picture of Slimer on it. That's how they would hook us kids and even as adults we were all clamoring for one more shot at a taste of Hi-C Ecto Cooler!   

Spider-Man from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

I know this may not be a popular take right now, but I did not care for the Amazing Spider-Man movies. I just did not feel like Andrew Garfield was Peter Parker. If you like the movies, I'm not gonna hate on you. Everyone is free to have their own opinion and this is mine. Anyway, I got this Spider-Man Pop for less than $2 on clearance at Target. The one thing I did like about the Amazing Spider-Man movies was the style of the Spider suit and this Funko Pop captures that look nicely.

Toby Armored & Gnome Chompsky from Trollhunters

Myself and my kids loved the Trollhunters series on Netflix. It became a fixture in our house on Saturday mornings. Each Saturday we would watch one episode in an attempt to recreate the magic of those 80's & 90's weekends spent watching morning cartoons. We made it through the Trollhunters series and then watched 3Below, Wizards and the finale movie Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. Guillermo del Toro created a fantastic world for these characters to play in and one of our faves was Gnome Chompsky, so my kids got me this Funko Pop for my birthday and it is amazing!

Scoops Ahoy Steve from Stranger Things

Again, I am a fan of the Stranger Things series and when Baskin Robbins joined forces with Netflix a few summer's ago it was magic. B&R pretty much turned their stores into a real life version of the Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream Shop from Stranger Things. The employees wore Scoops Ahoy uniforms, they sold Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream you could even order the U.S.S. Butterscotch sundae! As part of this alliance Baskin Robbins sold these exclusive Steve Pops at their store, so myself and the fam made a few trips and I got this Pop to commemorate this moment in pop culture. Check out a commercial for the promotion below:

Funko Pop Collection: Part #1

I am a fan of the Funko Pop figures. They are inexpensive and feature some amazing characters. if you are a fan of any show or movie, Funko has probably made a Pop of it! That being said, I really don't collect Pops, but if I do see one of a character I absolutely love, I will pick it up. My collection is not huge, but it is selective and here are a few that I would like to share with you...

Blanka from Street Fighter

Around my neighborhood, Street Fighter II was the fighting game of choice. Me and my friends would play this game for hours on our SNES during the summer of 1992 trying to perfect all the characters special moves. Of course one of the easiest to master was Blanka's electrical attack. That paired with his crazy look, made him a favorite of mine to play with.

Casey Jones from the TMNT Movie (1990)

The summer of 1990 brought my favorite Heroes In A Half-Shell to the big screen. My Dad took my brother and me to the theater to see this movie and our minds were blown! The movie was gritty & dark, but it still had the humor and action that we loved from the TMNT cartoon show. It was the perfect balance of the Mirage comics and Fred Wolf cartoon. Of course one of the highlights was the appearance of Casey Jones. He had some of the best scenes in the movie and of course I needed a Casey Jones to go along with my TMNT Funko Pops.

Doctor Octopus

Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite comic book superheroes. So much so that I have a Spider-Man tattoo and back when I was a DJ, my stage name was Spyda-Man. Those days have passed, but Spider-Man is still one of my favorites and my family got me this Doc Ock Funko Pop as a birthday gift a few years ago. He's a bad dude and still looks awesome, even as a Funko Pop!

Gremlin from Gremlins (1984)

Seeing Gremlins with my Dad and siblings in the movie theater is one of the earliest memories that I have. I don't actually remember seeing the movie, but I remember getting home from seeing the movie and the power went off in our house. Of course everyone was joking that it was the Gremlins that caused the power outage, but in fact it was a blown fuse. I didn't know that and those innocent jokes led to a few sleepless nights in my bed!

Harley Quinn from Batman: Arkham Knight

I have the Batman Arkham games collection for the WiiU and honestly, I've only played it a handful of times. I'm not a huge fan of the game itself, but I do like me some Harley Quinn. I picked this Pop up at a going out of business sale at a retro store in our mall. So for a couple of bucks Harley came home with me.

Dustin from Stranger Things (Target Exclusive)

I have been a fan of Stranger Things since the first season hit Netflix way back in 2016. Recently, my oldest daughter has watched the series with me and my wife and now she is in love with the show! For my birthday, my wife and kids got me a Target exclusive Funko Pop Dustin set. The set came with this Funko Pop of Dustin in his "Camp Know Where" outfit and a shirt with the "Roast Beef" design on it that Dustin wore in season 3 of the series. I love this shirt!

That's it for this round. Check back next week for some more random Funko Pop figures from my collection!

Comic Book Pick 12/22/21

  The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
STRANGER THINGS: THE TOMB OF YBWEN #4

(W) Greg Pak (A) Diego Galindo (CA) Adam Gorham
With the storm still raging outside, our group of adventurers have finally found the treasure inside the Tomb of Ybwen! However, when the contents of the treasure prove disappointing, Will's anger gets the better of him. Now, with Mr. Clarke's condition worsening and the gang still stuck inside the mine, Will must face the consequences for his actions and come to terms with his grief.
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

Best of Halloween 2021

Halloween is only a few days away and I have to say that the 2021 season has been a real surprise for me. Last year was fun, but COVID really put a damper on a lot of the usual festivities. This year, my family is back to doing some door to door trick or treating and we'll be decked out in some sweet costumes!

My youngest daughter and my wife will be hitting the streets as characters from the Harry Potter books. My daughter is dressing up as a student from the Ravenclaw house, while my wife has decided to be Bellatrix Lestrange. I have read the first Harry Potter book on my girls recommendation, but I am not too familiar with the character. I know she will pull something cool together in the end though.

My oldest daughter, my son and myself will be going as characters from Stranger Things. I have been a fan of this show since day 1 and my daughter just finished watching the first 3 seasons. My son, has never seen the show, but has played the games and read some of the comics. I will be going as Chief Jim Hopper, my daughter will be Eleven and my son as Dustin. Should be a lot of fun!

The candy selection this year has been fantastic! I found these Ghoul-Aid popping candies at the Dollar Tree and my kids really enjoyed them. My wife picked up the new M&M candies with glow in the dark bags and the Hershey Cookies n' Cream Fangs. Also of note but not pictured here is the Skittles Shriekers! These bags hide super sour versions of Skittles candies within. You never know if you will get a regular flavor or super sour. These are way better than the "Zombie Flesh" flavored Skittles they released a few years back. Not as fun, but definitely more palatable.

Of course the traditional General Mills Monster Cereals returned to shelves and are as tasty as ever! Boo-Berry is my favorite. This year the makers of these cereals stole my idea and introduced...

Monster Mash cereal! Which is a mix of all the monster cereals in one box. I had been doing this for years, but now it is a whole lot easier and I don't have to open 3-5 boxes of cereal to create this delicious mash-up! Also hitting grocery stores was Ghostbusters Cereal as a tie in to the new Ghostbusters Afterlife movie. It is a solid cereal filled with fruity cereal bits and marshmallows. Can't complain about that!

Usually around this time Burger King unveils a new Halloween themed menu item. Past offerings have included the Ghost Whopper, Halloween Whopper and Nightmare King. This year they released the Ghost Pepper Chicken Nuggets. I loved these! The first bite I took was a bit underwhelming, but after a minute the burn hit my mouth and it was AMAZING! These need to be a year round menu item or as had been suggested, turned into a premium sandwich! Wendy's got into the holiday spirit as well by offing "Boo Books". For $1 you got 5 coupons for free junior Frosty treats. The artwork was fantastic and gave us this little zombie Frosty character. My family used our coupons after we went to the pumpkin patch. It was a nice way to end the day.

Mountain Dew was back with VooDew 3! I know a lot of people have many different opinions on what the mystery flavor is this year, but after much consideration and consumption, I have to say it tastes like blue raspberry Airheads candy to me. What do you think it is? Another spooky addition to the Halloween treats this years was the Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights cookies. I'm not sure if I've had these before, but they seem fairly familiar to me. 

One of my favorite memories from this Halloween season was finally sitting down with my son to watch the Monster Squad! I loved this movie as a kid and I was hoping my kids would enjoy it too. Every time I mentioned watching it, I was turned down flat by those kids. Then my daughters and wife decided to watch a Harry Potter movie which my son had no interest in viewing, so I suggested Monster Squad and we both had a blast viewing this 80's scary flick offering.

Overall it has been a great Halloween season and I can't wait to see what 2022 brings. Hope you all have a great and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Comic Book Pick 9/29/21

  The comic book I am most excited to read this week is...
STRANGER THINGS: TOMB OF YBWEN #1

(W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Diego Galindo
It's January 1985 the Hawkins crew survived their battle with the mind flayer, but Will and Joyce are still reeling from the recent death of Bob Newby. Will's friends have been too busy with their girlfriends to notice how much he is struggling. After he and Mr. Clarke discover a mysterious map Bob left in a box of old nerdy memorabilia, Will rallies the crew to investigate.
SRP: $3.99
Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

Comic Book Pick 10/21/20

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

STRANGER THINGS: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1

(W) Michael Moreci (A) Todor Hristov (CA) Francesco Francavilla

It's Halloween night in Hawkins, Indiana and Will, Mike, Lucas and Dustin gather in Castle Byers to eat candy and scare each other with a spooky story, revealing the quaint town's deepest kept secret: the Child Eater of Hawkins. Comic tie-in with Netflix's hit show, Stranger Things! Takes place six days before season 1 begins!

SRP: $3.99

Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com 

40th Birthday Roundup!

This past weekend was my 40th birthday. I'm not ashamed to say that. I feel great, I have an amazing family, good job and excellent comic book collection. What else could anyone ask for in life? As usual my family spoiled me with some fabulous gifts including shirts, DVDs and collectibles. Let's take a look under the wrapping paper and see what I was given this year!

The Goldbergs: The Complete First Season

This is one of my favorite shows on TV. Me and my kids love watching it on Wednesdays on ABC, but if for some reason we miss our weekly episode we can pop in this DVD and watch Adam get smothered by his mom, Barry go on a crazy rage filled rant, Pops give us some of his wisdom and Murray take his pants off at the door. I really like how this show based in the 80s, doesn't parody the decade, but gives us a peak at how life was back in the 80s. If you haven't already, check it out!

He-Man Clip by Monogram International

This one was a surprise. I hadn't asked for these figural key chains, but I am glad my kids picked it out for me. These come in blind bags, so of course ou don't know what you were going to get. Honestly I would have been happy with any of the characters included in this set, but I ended up getting one of the chase figures, Battle Armor He-Man. I never owned his figure growing up, but I did have Battle Armor Skeletor and loved the battle damage gimmick on his chest. Now I can add this cute little fella to my Masters of the Universe collection!

The Key to One-Eyed Willie!

I have always wanted a replica of the Key to One-Eyed Willy from my favorite movie of all-time, The Goonies! My wife really came through on this one. Not only did she make me a cake that had Willy's Map on it, but she continued the these by getting me this amazing prop from the movie! It's pretty heavy duty and very well done.

Hostess & Drake's Cakes

Since I left the East Coast a while ago, I have been missing some of my favorite foods like Pork Roll, Slupees, Entemans Cakes, Herrs chips and Drakes Cakes. My parents always send me a box full of goodies from back home and this year was no different. Not pictured is the box of Drake's Funny Bones that now resides in my office desk drawer. I lost a bit of weight this year and am back to the weight I was in high school, but with these babies in my cabinet I am sure it will all come back!

Weird NJ Magazines

Again, this is another sweet gift from my parents. I loved reading these magazines back in the day and finding out some of the lore and legends from my home state. The magazine doesn't dissapoint. If you are a fan of weird stuff or the state of NJ, I recommend you pick up a few copies. BTW, I had one of my letters printed in one of these issues! Life goal achieved!!

Old Sport Card Packs

The hits from my parents keep coming! My Dad got me into card collecting back in 1987. The first set I really collected was the 1987 Topps Baseball card set. You know the one, with the classic woodgrain boarder. They sent me a bunch of '87 Topps packs, but also included were some 80s Topps Football and 90s Fleer Basketball! Nothing beats ripping open a vintage pack of cards. The smell of old mummified bubble gum really brings bak the memories! There was also a random stack of old school cards, which is where I pulled this freakin' awesome Bo Jackson '89 Topps baseball card. Thanks Dad!

Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King

My Dad is a huge Stephen King fan and growing up I knew these books were scary stuff. This book really freaked me out as a kid, but I would continuosly flip through the pages to check out the the grotesque but beautiful artwork by Bernie Wrightson. I never read the book and this has been on my reading wish list for a while now. My wife found it on Target's website on sale for $11 and grabbed it immediately. I know what I'm reading in October!!

Throw Throw Burrito Game

My kids and I really enjoy the card game Exploding Kittens. I know it sounds terrible, but it's actually a really fun game. This game, Throw Throw Burrito is from the makers of that game and does not dissapoint in the fun category. Esentially it's a card game where you have to get three of a kind. If you get three of a kind cards that reflect either Burrito War or Duel, the players have to grab the extremely squishy burritos and throw them at each other. At the end whoever has the most three of a kind card sets wins the game. My kids like throwing things at people, so this game was right up their alley!

Stranger Things "Roast Beef" shirt and Dustin Pop

It's no secret to my family that I love Stranger Things. I have been a fan since day one. My kids thought I would like the "Roast Beef" shirt that Dustin wears in Season 3 and they were right! Funko shirts are really good quality and are comfortable to wear. I actually wore my shirt out of the box that day as we hit up the mini-golf course. Now that I have this Dustin Pop and Steve from Scoops Ahoy, I need to get the rest of the crew to complete the set! Pops are so addictive!

Musical Mutagen Tour Set

I have been wanting this set for a long time and my wife spotted it at Target early in the month and set it aside for my birthday! I love the guitar picks, souvenir ticket and concert lanyard! They are so cool! The shirt on the other hand was a little bit of a disappointment. Unlike the Funko shirt form the Dustin set, this one was stif and seemed to feel almost waxy on the inside of the shirt. I wonder if this is due to the screen printing on the shirt? Has anyone else had this issue? Maybe it will be nicer after I give it a good wash? I still love that all these decades later the "Coming Out of Their Shells Tour" is finally getting some respect. If you missed it back in the day, you can view the entire special below. That's my birthday gift to you...ENJOY!!!