Dino Drac's Fun Pack June Unboxing.

Among a trio of packages that arrived from jolly New England this afternoon is something we haven't talked about in quite some time, a subscription box. Obviously it's been a while since our last unboxing and I've missed the spice it can add to life, especially during these humdrum days of summer. Plus I like to get one of these things around my birthday as sort of a weird extra gift. With that in mind I turned to a service I'd been meaning to try for a very long time, Dino Drac's Fun Pack. This one's a little different than our usual mystery crates, now let's see if it's worth it.

If you don't know what Dinosaur Dracula is, then by god what are you doing here? You've been using the internet all wrong! DD is the delightful blog of Matt, formerly of X-Entertainment fame. I've been reading his work for... god, like fourteen years or something though I didn't interact in any form until three or four years ago. The guy's a huge inspiration towards the creation of this spot and has entertained so many for such a long time, growing a surprisingly decent little community along the way. If you have any interest in nerdy nostalgia, junk food, weekend trips to flea markets, basically a bunch of the stuff I do here, but it's even better there. You should really go check it out, but please do come back, I need all the hits I can get.

A few years ago, Matt created his own monthly fun pack. Instead of doing this as a business he uses it as a means of supporting his website. Think of it like a Patreon only with more old toys and trading cards. The thing you have to keep in mind is that this shouldn't be judged by the traditional cash-value standards of a mystery box as it's more of a thanks for supporting his work. In an effort to make the whole process more welcoming he also reveals nearly everything that will be included in advance. Because of that you can consider this more of a reaction than a traditional unboxing.

You might be wondering why if I'm such a fan o Matt's work, did it take me so long to subscribe to the fun pack? In general it's been a combination of finance and circumstance. Most of the time my money is dedicated elsewhere and as you all know I have to be careful about timing something extra like a mystery crate. It has almost always been the case that when Matt had stuff I really wanted in the box, I couldn't afford it. Then when I was flush with cash he'd have stuff that held zero interest for me.

There is another reason I've been more cautious towards this fun pack than others, and it's honestly because this isn't something from a faceless company. Usually it's pretty easy to judge a box if it turns out to be disappointing because you don't know the people involved. I've been a fan of Matt's work for so long, what do I do if the box experience turns sour? Hell; what if I open the box only to discover he leaves a horrible smell on everything he touches?

Thankfully the initial steps of the process have gone very smoothly. The price is a flat $25, and shipping is fast so when you subscribe to the June box, it actually arrives in June. Compare that to something like Cryptocurium where the August edition didn't arrive until late September. For those interested I believe this is the sort of service where if you wish to unsubscribe, you have to block further payments via paypal. Somebody please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. With all that preamble outta the way, let's dig in.

Starting off with some smaller items we've got stickers, one being particularly nice with the Cruel Summer art from Matt's current seasonal motif. I'll at least pop that one onto my record players dust cover, it'll look good hovering over my Cobra Verde soundtrack. There's also a sealed pack of Marvel Superhero stamp stickers I'm assuming from the nineties. We've also got a postcard photo which is a regular feature to these boxes. This month we see My Pet Monster vegging out one some hot summer night as he feasts on Planters Cheese Balls. Lastly is that baggie which contains two old Jurassic Park pins. It's been a long while since I've added anything to the lampshade and I'm rather impressed how well these have held up over the past two decades. The one with the T-Rex will have to go on the far side of the lamp. Don't need that thing staring at me when I'm trying to sleep.

Trading cards are a mainstay of these packs with some pretty weird series often included. This month is no different with themes like Ronald MacDonald, Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Weird-Ohs Baseball, Valiant Comics, and Disney's Dinosaur. For a fairly unpopular Disney flick they sure went all out on the trading cards. Matt warned us these were big I didn't expect something like this. The package is bigger than my credit card bills! I'm a little hesitant to open these packs up just yet since there's probably a whole posts worth of entertainment contained within. Look forward to that one.

No subscription box would feel complete without some toys. First up is a little plush Pilsbury Doughboy. I swear someone in my family had one of these exact plushies so it's odd to encounter it again. At least this one's still in the original packaging. The other toy is the real draw however. Each subscriber got one of two figures from the Spanish Super Monstruos line. I've been reading about these guys for years but never saw one in person until just now. They're much bigger and heavier than I imagined them to be, pretty impressive for a brand of knock-off monsters. I had my fingers crossed for the Bruja but ended with the still awesome Simio. It may not be as cool as an old-fashioned witch, but I ain't complaining. Thing's damn cool.

Wrapping up there's an exclusive newsletter and article just for these boxes and some foodstuffs. Usually my inherent germaphobia makes me wary of mystery box food but nothing keeps me from Herr's Ketchup Chips. Truly one of the finest crunches in all of North America and a rite of passage for any self-respecting foodie. Also in tap is a packet of Jamica Kool-Aid. This is apparently a regularly available flavor though I could swear it's never been in any nearby stores. While the temptation is there to turn it into one of my Kool-Aid pies, I'll do the normal thing and just drink this one. Really looking forward to mixing up a batch to pair with Saturday night horror flicks.

And that's what Dino Drac's Fun Pack is all about. It may not be some mind-blowing box full of exclusive items but it is a fine thanks for supporting a great website. All things considered there is a lot here to keep you entertained be it reading material, Spanish toys, or good old fashioned drink mix. Would I buy another one? Absolutely. Can I buy another one? Probably not for a while. Money's tight until funding for my return to college starts to roll in. My recommendation is for anyone who's never visited Dinosaur Dracula to go visit, and maybe try a box for yourself down the road.

On a far more serious note; while writing this article I heard the news about Roger Barr from I-Mockery. While not the biggest influence, he also provided some inspiration towards the creation of CosmicSparky and has provided plenty of entertainment through his yearly Halloween antics. He's going through an incredibly difficult situation so if you can spare a few minutes to read his post and share some good vibes and positive words, please do so. Lord knows he could use it.

Fright Crate September to Remember Unboxing

Frequent readers may recall that our previous unboxing didn't go so well. In fact, Cryptocurium's Parcel of Terror may have marked the only time when a mystery box left me in a state of irritated disbelief to the point that I wanted to take a break from mystery boxes. That wasn't an immediate option however as I already had another box on order from another service. After a series of delays due to hurricane season I finally have my first experience with Fright Crate. Does this service have what ti takes to wash away the disappointment of Cryptocurium? Let's find out.

Let's get the details outta the way first. Fright Crate is a horror themed monthly mystery box that in a welcome change of pace is not a subscription service. No sir, they simply make a certain number of boxes and you either buy it or you don't. Excess items are also made available on their store. The box comes in two versions, a twenty dollar 3-4 item option or the full 5-6 item thirty dollar version that I opted for. Note that price does not include shipping or the potential extra cost for larger t-shirts. When all was said and done my full crate with an XXL shirt cost $39. It's a pretty hefty price tag. It may actually be the most expensive box I've tried thus far. Lucky for them they had a couple of my favorite horror topics on offer, encouraging me to go through with a purchase.

On the matter of shipping and packaging they simply add some of their stickers with quotes from famous horror personalities (John Carpenter and Clive Barker in this case) to a USPS flat-rate box. The average mail-date is near the end of the month which means there's actually a chance of getting a box within the intended release month. Imagine that! Sadly all the hurricane activity in Florida during September lead to delays and this edition wasn't complete and mailed out until Friday October 13^th. Enough about logistics. Who wants to see what's in this thing?

First up we've got an exclusive shirt, my first in quite some time and an item type I've missed. Of all things this is based on the 2001 remake of Thirteen Ghosts which if I remember correctly was pretty terrible. People do vote for themes though, so this thing must have garnered some sort of following over the years. Shirt wise it's not so bad. A little odd, not based on a property I care about, but where else are you going to get a spooky shirt featuring the upper half of Tony Shalhoub's head? The material is a bit clingy at first though I imagine a little bit of wear will take care of that. Still curious if anyone will recognize these ghosts when I wear this out in public.

Next up is a resin bust of Deadite Ash from Evil Dead 2 made exclusively for the this box by Serial Resin Co. Once again I'm a bit surprised as this is a more dignified and series item than the usual Evil Dead fare. It's solid, well-built, and nicely painted. Beyond that it's a first for me as figures in these boxes are usually closer to a regular toy whereas this is my first ever bust. Currently it resides near my bed as the newest Halloween decoration.

Behind the bust is an art print for Night of Something Strange. Hadn't heard of the film before receiving this, apparently it's about an STD that turns folk into zombies. Sort of an over the top version of Shivers. From the trailer it doesn't look very good but ya never know. What makes this more than mere filler is that it's sighed by the writer/director Jonathan Straiton. I may not know his work but he joins the ranks of Derek Mears, the folks from that Third Day short I interviewed last year, and a seemingly legit James Garner in my small autograph collection.

Next we have an elusive pin of the new Pennywise from It. I have yet to see the new version, haven't seen something in the theater since early August actually. My point is that while I have no basis one way or another towards this clown, the pin is great. Good weight, nice sculpt, double clutch. Plus it inspires jealousy from both my sister and nephew which is always fun.

Now we move on to a crossover item. Cryptocurium created a wall plaque of the poster art for the original Fright Night. In all fairness they are playing to a weakness of mine since that movie is pure gold and it didn't take long before I hung it above my light switch. I love totally love this thing, got zero complaints about it. It's a reminder that for as poorly as I think of his subscription service, Jason Mckittrick makes some boss items. I only wish something like this could have come in his last parcel so I wouldn't have felt totally swindled by that 35 dollar magnet. Yes, I'm still bitter. Jason, you're capable of great work, let me know when you make a better service.

Since the horrid Florida weather delayed the box by weeks, an extra item was tossed in for fun. According to the inventory sheet some boxes simply received temporary tattoos, one in three however got some old school Nightmare on Elm Street stickers. I've seen many a retro bloggers write about these over the years as a prime example of a time when violent screen villains were readily marketed towards kids. Most of mine seem to originate from Freddy's Revenge, the black sheep second entry in the series though one I hold some affection due to it's unique approach to the format and awesome score by Christopher Young. The goofy thing about these stickers is that many of them serve as puzzle pieces meant to be put together within the matching sticker book. Without the matching pieces you end up with stickers of somebody's shirt or forehead. There's more entertainment on the back of each sticker where you'll find advertisements for posters, the board game, and the legendary Freddy's Greatest Hits tape.

Is Fright Crate an excellent offering in the overcrowded world of mystery boxes? Yes, yes it is. There was enough quality and such a wide spectrum of item types that I was was almost confused. With most boxes the format is between one and three cool things and then some junk to fill in the blanks. Here there was an honest attempt to make every item special. The only one that counted as traditional filler was an apology for late shipping, a phenomenon I've never encountered in this market before. Pretty much everything here will see usage. Even the heavier price point is alright since the value is immediately apparent. I'm satisfied, and those of you who read my unboxings know I'm not easily won over. I would buy another Fright Crate down the line. Almost bought the October edition as it is supposed to be bigger than usual. While I sort of regret skipping, this has been an expensive enough month that I'm happy to have saved the money.

That's a wrap for tonight, kids. This is gonna be an odd week for yours truly as I have more responsibilities than normal, basically have yet another job albeit temporally. At the same time I also have a couple nights completely cleared for me to vedge out with Boo Berry and horror flicks. If there's nothing more on here by the end of this week, then look forward to a report from the annual haunted house trip. Going back to Awaken in Leslie MI this year. If you're in the area I highly advise paying them a visit. If you're lucky you might hear me scream like a lady.

Cryptocurium Parcel of Terror August Unboxing

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity for me. A couple of folks have been outta the house which usually equates to a sort of vacation, though it also means there are less people around to deal with chores and such. Combine that with work and the yearly dig to unearth my Halloween decorations, one starts to feel the need for a reward. What luck that the first in a series of mystery boxes for our Halloween coverage arrived Tuesday. I'd like to say it was just what the doctor ordered, but...well, this one's gonna require a bit more detail than the usual subscription box review.

Cryptocurium' Parcel of Terror is a horror themed subscription service focused on handmade goods. We're talking completely unique items you can't get elsewhere which is something I appreciate in a mystery box. Usually these come in the form of magnets, wall plaques, or art prints. This homemade element also lends itself to a slightly higher price to item ratio. Turns out the the Parcel of Terror works out to being more expensive than a Funko box by a few cents. Even so; I've heard enough praise of the service especially from the patron saint of unboxings and fellow man-child, Johnny Tellez that I figured it was time to give it a try.

Before we even get to the box, I want to address the matter of timing. This box is the August, Summer of Fear edition. I ordered it in July, it didn't ship until the last day of August. It got here on the 5^th of September. Pumpkin Spice foodstuffs have flooded the markets, cool temperatures have become the norm rather than the exception, Labor Day has past, for all practical purposes Summer is finished. If this sort of timing continues, future costumers will be opening their Halloween box while they're taking down decorations, and the Christmas box will arrive after the ball drops. This isn't the only service to suffer from such lackluster timing but it's still an element of the subscription service experience that I find very tiresome.

In the month of waiting for my box to ship, I learned a few things about Cryptocurium. First off is that the main site is essentially just a fancy etsy page. With that comes a certain lack of upscale features and customer service. Case in point is the manner in which one cancels their subscription. I ended up having to do this far in advance of receiving the box because I need the cash free to include some other items in this years Halloween coverage. Thanks to past experience I'm used to either having an account manager feature or just writing the guy in charge to cancel. Seeing as the former wasn't an option and I saw an e-mail address in the description for cancellations, I instinctively followed that outlet. After days without a response I was about ready to get sassy, until I realized I was a jackass who misread the whole cancellation instructions. You have to go into your paypal account and block further transactions. It's a cumbersome way of doing business though I understand the psychology behind it. Guy's busy making the items, he doesn't have time to micromanage his customers. On that topic, to my knowledge you can only buy this service with Paypal. It's not an issue so much as a notable limitation.

Finally we reached the day of arrival. The first thing I noticed is this box was small. I mean really small. Unlike the average mystery box this one fit into my mailbox along with the usual amount of ads and bills. Opening up reveals a one page letter describing the items, I always skip these things to maintain the surprise. One part that wasn't a surprise was the magnet which had been previously revealed online. It's the biggest one the service has ever done. Quite fitting for Bruce, the great white shark of Jaws fame. The magnet is made of resin and handpainted and is downright impressive. You'd have to be a real dick to say much of anything nasty about this piece of work. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the rest of this box.

The next item on hand is a small art print, well not really. It's more like a big postcard than a proper print. Titled Cruel Summer It's a purposefully rough and sketchy looking spread of classic summertime villains like Cropsy or the Humanoids from the deep. It's an ok piece, certainly not anything I'd frame, but ok.

After that is a Splatterhouse sticker. Not only do I not see the seasonal connection here but it's a sticker. As a man in his early 30's, what the hell am I supposed to do with a unique crafted sticker?

Then there's a sucker. Yep, just a random bit of candy. And that's it.

Ya want to hear the truly insulting part of this experience? Now keep in mind that that this Parcel of Terror costs $35, then take into account that there is a smaller Packet of Terror for $20 that is supposed to include the month's magnet and sticker along with some candy. That means all ya get for an extra $15 is that mostly forgettable art card.

Honestly I'm floored. I can't follow a train of thought that arrives at the conclusion that it's alright to take this much money from people only to give them so little in return. I understand that this is a small operation, lacking the corporate power that fuels so many other services. Not to mention I feel sorta mean for tearing a box like this apart as it's personal work and not mass produced nonsense from faceless corporations. The fact remains however that this is, without a doubt, the worst mystery box to ever come into my home. And I'm not saying this to be mean as I think Jason, the main man behind the operation has an immense talent for making some of these items. Yet I can not recommend his service to anyone. This was a lousy purchase that makes you feel like you've been swindled. That's not a feeling I enjoy myself and definitely not something I would wish on my readers.

For as much of a disappointment as this box was, it failed to diminish my good cheer towards the onset of Fall. On the very same day the parcel showed up I had already been to various stores, picking up new candies, decorations, and pumpkin beers. I'm more excited than ever for this season though I still can't leave Cryptocurium completely behind me as they have a crossover item with our next mystery box, Fright Crate. Until that arrives we've got plenty of fun topics to cover, which means I'll be seeing you all again soon.

Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty May Unboxing: A New Hope 40th Anniversary

Anniversaries are a hell of a thing. They're an understandable achievement when it comes to something like marriage or the continuing existence of a business because it takes work to keep such a venture going for so long. With items like art, an anniversary doesn't seem quite as notable. I mean let's face it, the original Star Wars would still be turning 40 this year regardless of whether or not it spawned a massive franchise. Even so, May marked the four decade mark for A New Hope and Smuggler's Bounty themed itself in kind.

If luck or or decent shipping had been with me, this unboxing would have been written up last week, but alas a combination of DHL and USPS sluggishness held back delivery until a mere hour before work on Thursday afternoon. This gave me just enough time to check on what it is I spend my duckets on before heading out to deal with the world. Was I lucky enough to nab something extra special? Let's dive in and see.

I took this month's photos in front of our entertainment center to give some sense of the massive scale of this box. This thing is huge! A cardboard titan that fuels the imagination as to what treasure could be housed inside. On top of that, is the illustration of Leia, promising the potential of an item commemorating the space princess lost to us back in December. Clearly there was some real potential within this crate, so what's inside?

As always, the standard issue patch and pin come first. Usually I have very little to say on this front but there's no way I can resist pointing out how lame this patch is. It's supposed to be Luke in his X-Wing flight gear but it looks more like some derpy kid dressed up for fun. You know what I'm talking about, your neighbors cousin who would show up every couple of months and couldn't take the hint that you didn't want to entertain him. Now that your mind is swimming with awkward childhood memories, I can at least say the pin is a decent, albeit fairly standard looking Chewbacca.

As always, I tried to blindly pull items from the box in order to sustain the mystery and surprise for as long as possible. Such an attempt proved challenging this time as one giant item dominated over the others. I figured this was the Pop that had already been spoiled to me by advertisements. I'd have to forgo my usual ritual to get this thing out of the way so I flung open the box, and that's when things took a turn for the bleak.

Let's talk about that Pop first. Continuing a theme from the previous Empire Strikes Back box, we're treated to another deluxe Pop. This time it's Luke in his landspeeder. No complaints here as this is a nice item. The paint, detail, sculpt, and size make for a winning collectible. Plus it continues a potential series of deluxe items for the main characters. Most likely, I would have been more thrilled with the item had it not already been spoiled. Still an awesome exclusive all the same.

The rest of the box is where the problem lies. First up is a Pop Home item, Han Solo and Greedo salt and pepper shakers. Now I've previously defended the inclusion of Pop Home Mugs as they have a variety of potential applications be that a drinking vessel, food bowl, or pot for small plants. Salt and pepper shakers on the other hand only have one function and who in this day and age even uses these things when proper pepper grinders are readily available? These were practically designed to show up at yard sales within the next few years.

Next was a little package that I first thought might be a wallet or something similar. Nope, sweat bands......honest to god, fucking sweat bands. Talk about a gross miscalculation of what costumers want from a Funko box. People subscribe to these services because they're into collectibles that can be displayed in some form or fashion. Items like Pops and Dorbz are easy to show off, t-shirts can be kept, hung, worn and still kept moderately fresh, or even turned into a damn quilt down the line. Even those salt and pepper shakers can be showcased in some way. Sweat Bands have no worth as a collectible and they're only purpose as an article of clothing is to become smelly and disgusting before being tossed in the garbage.

So what else was on tap in this massive anniversary box? Nothing at all. What's worse is looking at the outside of the box we were teased with the potential for a Princess Leia item even though she's nowhere to be found. Every single Funko box I've received thus far always includes the character on the box, even if they're just on the shirt. So why hint at Leia, only to leave a surprising amount of empty space inside? There isn't even the usual information sheet about this months items. Just one great Pop and a some junk.

I try to give Funko a boost whenever I can. By and large I like the company and their products. I've largely enjoyed they're subscription boxes as even the weaker offerings tend to have enough quality to make up for any misgivings. I just can't give them a pass here though. This was a poor offering to begin with, made even worse by failing to live up to the potential of the theme.

On a personal note, I'd already been planing to cut off my subscription in the hope of using that money elsewhere (and saving shelf space) so I really hoped to go out on a good note. Instead I'm leaving with a bitter aftertaste. I can only hope that whenever they decide to make a Return of the Jedi box, someone will have the good sense to make a deluxe Pop of Leia on her speederbike to accompany the two guys.

That's all for this month's unboxing folks. Over the Summer I'm planing to try out a couple different services that have caught my eye. Later in the year, I'm actually thinking of trying out Funko's Disney box as there are plans for a Haunted Forest box. For now though I offer the advice to anyone interested in Funko subscriptions that Smuggler's Bounty still fails to be as solid or consistent as the Marvel and DC options. Now you'll have to excuse me, I've got about ten things to do in the three hours before work. Tah.

Star Wars Smuggler's Bounty. March: Rebels Unboxing.

I don't know about you fine folks out there but for me and mine, the month of March has been dizzying. Every day there's something else to deal with, whether it's basic shit like extra shifts at work or more outlandish events like someone developing a rash in reaction to antibiotics. Suffice to say it's a good time to treat oneself on a regular basis and it's all the better when that treat comes as something of a surprise. Such was the case yesterday when somewhere between house appraisals, mushroom Alfredo, and the aforementioned rash victim visiting urgent care, a box arrived. Yes it was time again for Smuggler's Bounty from Funko, a company with a lean on ten percent of my income.

For March, Smuggler's Bounty went with the theme of Rebels, the current animated Star Wars series set between the prequel and original trilogies. Personally I've only seen maybe five episodes of the show as I'd like to finish The Clone Wars before moving forward. Still; I generally liked what I saw. The characters and tone seemed to have a better balance than Clone Wars and I liked how the format allowed the show to focus on a tighter group of characters. Reviewing the series is a topic for another day though. What's important right now is whether Funko was able to make this box worthwhile for someone who has yet to delve into this particular subject. Let's see how they did.

Broken record time. Here's the patch and pin...they're both patchy and piny. Honestly I really do appreciate getting these two items consistently thought there's only so many ways to write about them. The Zeb patch is kinda ugly while the Sabine pin is sorta nice. That's that.

Clothing time and I'm finally lucky enough to get a shirt outta this box and a none too shabby one at that. It's the entire pop form crew in an action pose with some nicer coloration. In all fairness I'd have been stoked to get a lackluster shirt after receiving hats and socks I'll never wear so this was getting a pass anyway. Still; it's one of the better Pop Tees I've gotten thus far so a major thumbs up here.

Now for the lifeblood of each box, the toys. This box doesn't skimp on the goodies offering not one, not two, but three whole vinyl collectibles. Funko revealed one of the pops long in advance, and the other one was leaked soon after but the third item made for a nice surprise.

So what have we got? First there's the aged Captain Rex dual-wielding some blasters. While not the most impressive Pop ever there's some good detail and a nice paint job on this old boy. I've seen mentions that there's some sort of block when it comes to Clone Wars based Pops. Not sure if that's true but if so then this is probably the best Rex fans can hope for.

In the middle is Darth Maul and man does he look terrific. It's tough to tell in the picture but there is a good amount of detail to this guy, making for a vast improvement over his previous Pop. This item was my primary motivation for picking up this box. Maul was one of the few cool elements of The Phantom Menace and while his later resurrection was a bit cheap, it finally allowed the character to grow and be more than neat looking action figure.

The third figure is part of the fairly new mini-Hikari line that have so far only appeared in these subscription boxes. This time around we have Chopper, the demented astro-mech, in one of five color variations. I ended up with the red one that looks distinctly like a giant gummy candy. It's nowhere near as nice as my Skeletor Hikari but it's a great addition to the box an I am more than happy to add one of these to my Funko collection.

Smuggler's Bounty really went with what works this time around. It's just a buncha toys & a shirt and I gotta give the service mad props for that choice. Much as I like the occasional dip into oddities like mugs or Christmas ornaments, I love the refreshing nature of a box that's just good, solid, toys. I'd place this one right among some of the best boxes I've ever received. It may not have been terribly surprising but there wasn't a bad item in the bunch.

The May box is going to themed after the 40^th anniversary of A New Hope. Not sure if I want to get that one or not. On the one hand it's an opportunity to present something really amazing, yet at the same time such open themes rarely make for solid Funko boxes, remember Women of Marvel? Oh yeah, and for any of my readers who are into Disney, Funko's launching a subscription service for that next month. It's not something that really appeals to me but I like to let people know what kind of goodies are out there.

Gotta split for now folks. Have to be at work in a few hours. Like I mentioned earlier, this March is weird.

Star Wars: Smuggler's Bounty Double Unboxing

Most people like to find a balance of work and pleasure in life. After all, there's only so many chores a human can endure before needing a fine cocktail or movie night. Striking that proper balance has been a little tougher for me this past year as jobs have not only taken more personal time form me, but also provided more disposable income than I've ever had before. On the one hand it's pretty awesome since I'm able to get all kinds of goodies. At the same time, there are still dvds and video games from last Summer I haven't even touched. Recently I've been getting on top of a lot of that excess and I guess somebody must have noticed, cause along with this month's Star Wars: Smuggler's Bounty box was a free extra box from Funko.

The conspiracy center of my brain banana would love to think this is special treatment for months of blogs about Funko's subscription services, but try as I might to appease my own ego, the freebie is simply part of a promotion on Funko's part. In fact many subscribers were chosen to receive older boxes from the various services. Not everyone mind you, and some were so unlucky as to get a repeat of one they already owned. Not me though. I was lucky enough to score two Smuggler's Bounty offerings over the course of two days. So with two specimens in hand, how does this service stack up to Marvel Collector Corps? Let's find out.

The two boxes I received were the new Empire Strikes Back box, and a Jabba's Palace edition from last Summer. Just like Collector Corps, these come with the standard patches and pins. Honestly, both of the patches are a little ugly with maybe bounty hunter Lea coming out on top. When it comes to pins though it's all Empire. I mean it's Billy Dee Williams for gods sake! If I'm able to hunt down a Colt 45 pin, I'll be able to reenact my favorite malt liquor commercials on my lampshade.

Clothing is a major weak point for both of these boxes. Jabba offered up another hat. As noted in previous boxing, I'm simply not a hat guy and while I appreciate the “programmed for etiquette” statement on the design I still ain't gonna wear it.

The Empire box commits a far more egregious sin as far as apparel is concerned bu giving us socks, patterned socks at that. This isn't something I regularly mention on here but I despise socks. Like full on stomping and spitting hatred. Socks are the perfect storm of unappealing and uncomfortable which means I wear them as little as possible and I hold extra special contempt for patterned socks. I can't even comment on the quality as putting them on would be a direct violation of my core sock hating principles.

Moving on we've got the core non pop items. The offerings may look unbalanced but there's a good reason for that later on. Empire only has a wampa plush for an extra. He's actually really soft and has a good feel so I like him more than most of the stuffed Funko items I've come across.

Jabba's Palace also featured a plush in the form of Boba Fett who just isn't as well done as the wampa. More than making up for that is a Jabba the Hut Pop Mug. This is my third mug thus far from Funko yet it's the first one I have to actively defend from grabby hands. Who woulda thought drinking from a Hut held such appeal for so many people. Wonders never cease.

Here's the reason for that imbalance in the amount of extra items. As you can see, the Jabba box featured one normal size Pop while Empire has something much more magnificent to offer.

Let's get the little guy outta the way first. It's R2-D2 in his waiter guise from Return of the Jedi.....so yeah, there's that. Don't get me wrong, he's neat and all but not something to get jazzed about.

The Empire box on the other hand, contains a pop so majestic it convinced me to jump from one Funko service to another. Viewing it in the package doesn't even begin to reveal how nice this thing is. The Tauntaun itself is huge and has nice, roomy base to keep it standing. It's impressive enough on it's own you almost forget about Han Solo until you see the finer details of his arctic gear. The only issue is how much space this thing takes up. Currently I still have it in the box, sitting on a shelf and it protrudes so much I can't fully open the closet. It's a small inconvenience for something so delightful.

This double dose of goodies was a fine way to get introduced to Smuggler's Bounty. It's a pretty solid service but I do take a slight issue with the amount of items included. Marvel Collector Corps has the toys, cloths, patches, and pins, but always manages to squeeze in a comic every month. Smuggler's Bounty is missing that little extra something to make it feel complete. If they make up for it with more special Pops like the Tauntaun then the low item count could be easily remedied. We'll see how things develop as I'm at least going to stick around for the Rebels box in March.

That's all for today kiddies. I'll be back soon enough, remember I mentioned having a back log of topics. Also keep an eye out for a new article of mine over at Dread Central. Beyond that, I'm looking at some further expansion for CosmicSparky this year. And, ya know what? I'm having a hell of a time wrapping this post up so let's just leave it at that. Stay cool everybody.

Marvel Collector Corps December 2016 X-Men Unboxing

Welcome to the new year, folks. Wish I could say it's been nothing but relaxation and umbrella drinks so far but the truth is I'm in the middle of an extended work schedule. I guess on some karmic level it's probably good to begin the year so gainfully employed but wouldn't ya know it's interfering with my blogging. In fact, this post has been sitting around half-written for over a week now. Late or not, I wanted to finish it as this post marks the one year anniversary of my Marvel Collector Corps subscription and most likely my last box from this service for the foreseeable future. Don't think of that as a judgment on what's included in the box, it's actually good, we'll get to the reasons for leaving in just a bit.

Last year when I first subscribed to Marvel collector Corps, I was treated to the divisive Guardians of the Galaxy holiday box complete with ornaments. Despite how many people complained about those items, I loved it. Over the following months the Deadpool and Civil War boxes were fantastic, then the Women of Marvel and Spider-Man installments were sorta blah only to have Dr. Strange show up to improve things a little. Having arrived into December yet again I was a little hopeful for more Christmas goodies but apparently Funko retreated and just offered a regular box, albeit a solid one.

Alright; first up are the usual patch and pin that I always struggle to find ways of writing about. Better than average pin, lesser patch, make of that what you will. I understand that these items are bread and butter for subscription boxes but that doesn't make it any easier to get excited for another patch cluttering up my odds & ends drawer.

Moving on we have a t-shirt which may be my favorite from collector corps so far. It's something that stands on its own as a nerdy shirt without having a deformed pop character on it, plus the colored neck is a nice touch. This one will see plenty of wear time, especially since I often use these as undershirts at work. They're comfy and it's always nice to know I can rip off a uniform Hulk Hogan style and be fully draped in nerdery.

Next up is this month's comic, Champions #1 which despite what the cover may tell you only has Cyclops in it for a single panel. This was a seriously weird choice for the box as it has almost nothing to do with X-Men or even mutants in general. Instead the Champions is a team comprised of many of the new teenage superheroes like Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Amadeus Cho/Hulk, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. The group is fed up with the normal operations of their super elders and decides to become a social conscious group that reaches out to the populace with hashtags and the like.

Right up front I should point out I am a fan of Chris Bachalo's art. While I've seen many people complain about his odd proportions and cartoonish style I think it plays well to a book centered around teenagers. Plus it's excellent to see these kids depicted in a way where they're realistically fit while still gangly and awkward.

What concerns me however is that this book seems to be biting off way more than it can chew. There's already and odd tone that arises from a group of kids as written by a 50 some year old man. I'm not saying the Mark Waid, can't pull it off, but within this first issue there are bits that seem really artificial such as Ms. Marvel's speech or Hulk's bizarre murderous tantrum that gets sort of glossed over. More than that is how this team is supposed to handle more “real” issues. Here they end up going out to stop a sex-trafficking ring run by a clown. It's the sort of subject matter you'd expect from Punisher or Daredevil yet colorful and wacky like a cartoon which makes for some awkward reading.

The toys this month are some interesting offerings. The side item this time around is part of the Rock Candy line. The line consists of these stylized versions of popular female characters. Sort of doll like in style though shorter and thicker than what you'd expect from a barbie. I'm not a huge mystique fan though I am very pleased they went with her classic look rather than say her scaley movie version.

The big ticket item this month is the first Pop Ride to appear in any Funko box. Most people on Funko forums had guessed it would probably be Logan's motorcycle due to shipping logistics. I ain't complaining though. Predictable as it may be, the bike is still bad ass, more so with the graying Logan holding out his claws to shred anything in his path. Wish I could pop some claws while riding my moped.

While this was a nice box featuring a great shirt and cool ride it suffers like many boxes have by failing to utilize it's theme. I mean X-Men is a massive franchise with so many characters and concepts to chose from yet we get toys featuring prominent personalities, and a comic that just barely includes a mutant within it's pages.

More so I think now may be the time to jump ship when it comes to Collector Corps. Overall I've loved my year with the service but there are other boxes I want to try, such as Funko's Smuggler's Bounty box which I've already signed up for thanks to this month's deluxe pop. Likewise I'm not very interested in the theme for February's Superhero Showdowns box. Beyond that are many other boxes I'd love to try and I have to keep an eye on funds a little more as things are changing at one of my jobs. Still, it's been a fun ride with collector corps and I recommend folks give it a try if they see a theme that interests them.

I'd love to stay and chat but there's still a few more days of work to attend too. With luck and the wind at my back there could be another post this week. Until then, lemme know if there are any subscription services you'd like me to cover this year? Speaking of which, how's the year treating you all so far?

Marvel Collector Corps October Doctor Strange Unboxing.

As if October weren't jam packed with enough fun as is a mystery box arrived. The timing was rather perfect as it made up for some frustrating mail about health care. Silly as it may sound, mystery toys can almost completely make up for bullshit paperwork.

So what magical mystery box have we this time around? Well it just so happens to be the Marvel Collector Corps themed entirely around Doctor Strange. While I would have preferred a more directly frightening theme like Monsters or Tomb of Dracula, Doc Strange is still spooky enough to work for this time of year, and it doesn't hurt that I am stoked for that movie to come out. Setting aside the hype, could this installment make up for my slight disappointment in the past two boxes? Let's dig in and find out.

Starting off we've got the usual patch and pin Duo. The pin is hands down one of the best if not the best they've ever offered. The eye of agamotto perfectly illustrates that this is all about Doctor Strange while avoiding the usual floating head syndrome.

This month's patch on the other hand isn't quite as exciting. Granted I can't complain too much since I just keep all the patches stashed away. Still, this one just looks too much like the art Marvel uses for cheap kiddie products like notebooks an dinnerware.

After that baseball cap from the Spider-Man box it's a treat to receive a proper t-shirt again. Overall it's a solid design not unlike the Deadpool shirt from way back in February. Good lines, nice colors, a definite step up from the weak Spider-Gwen design. I've actually seen folks mention they won't wear these as they think they're too old or what have you. If you're one of those people I can attest that Pop-Tees are quite comfy as undershirts too. I mean it's always nice to have options and feeling confident in your nerd cred while wearing some official monkey suit is priceless.

Our comic this time around is issue #1 of the newest volume of Doctor Strange written by Robbie Thompson. Nothing really wrong with the book so much as it's just kind of basic. Outside of a nifty two page spread where Strange and Merlin walk back through time, navigating through giant versions of each other. If more of the book came across as that crazy and inventive I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Likewise the art doesn't seem quite right. It's not poor by any means so much as it seems misplaced. It's sort of a sketchy vibe to it that doesn't completely mesh with this style of story except for as noted before, that awesome two-page spread.

This month's extra marks a return to Pop Home goods with a Mug. While not as unique as the Starlord mug from last year, Funko once again made the wise decision to leave an indent in the old doctors hair for proper mouth placement. Hell, maybe they didn't do it intentionally but it works fine all the same.

Won't be surprised to see folks complain about the inclusion of another mug. Admittedly it sucks that we have to forgo more toys in order to have this but it's still a decent item that works well for those of us who enjoy large quantities of coffee.

At last the centerpiece of any Funko box. This month's pop is Stephen Strange himself meditating in his astral form. In a bizarre change of pace this pop actually stands on it's cape which leaves it a little lopsided. Generally I'm not one for keeping pops in box but this is one specimen that's gonna stay mint since I can imagine the cape weakening over time. Other than that is issue this is still a pretty righteous pop.

Overall this was a pretty solid box of mystery. Question is whether or not it's enough to keep me coming back for more. I've been feeling the pull to try out another subscription service. It's not that this is a bad service. If anything it's that the box is suffering from the law of diminished returns. Obviously there's certain items I always want to see included like the pop, pin etc, but with that expectation comes a certain level of repetition. Granted Funko tries to mix it up with fabrications, mugs, and such but they're usually in the same wheelhouse while other times they've offered something weak like the hat. It's a tough act to maintain and lord knows if they'll ever find the perfect balance of consistency and surprising extras.

That's all for tonight ladies and gents. Sorry if this seemed a bit more rushed than my usual unboxing but I've got a massive laundry list of things to wrap up this week in preparation for the big day, not to mention that Q&A session on Saturday. I plan to return with one more post before the month is out. Until then, you all keep enjoying the wonders of Halloween. See you soon.

Marvel Collector Corps June Spider-Man Unboxing

It's another disgustingly warm and sunny Summer day and I'm doing my best impersonation of a slug. Woke up feeling beat down from a combination of allergies, work, and ever so slight dehydration. Frankly it's the kind of day that is best spent with new goodies, and wouldn't you know the world provided, albeit with some issues.

Being around the time of the month that I usually receive Collector Corps boxes, I decided to check shipping info only to find it should have been here days ago. The mail carrier had chosen not to deliver under claims there was nowhere safe to leave it. My Porch is a war zone, you see. Making matters worse, they neglected to leave a note about the failed delivery so if not for the tracking info I would have been up a creek. A quick call to confirm the situation resulted in a trip to fetch my prize. Oh the trials a shut-in must endure for a box full of Spider-Man paraphernalia.

Kicking off this month's box, we've got the standard issue pin and patch. Both are in fine form this month. The pin is probably my second favorite so far, right behind the one from the Deadpool box. The patch is a cut above as well with possibly Crossbones being the only one better. Everything's good so far.

Getting to the meat of the box reveals that things are a little different this month. Most notable is the absence of a shirt. Funko took the chance at launching a new product line with their own hats. Let's get this straight, I am the furthest thing from a hat person. I find them uncomfortable at best, a war crime at worst, and just not my thing at all. On the other hand it's still a decently made lid and can actually adjust enough to accommodate my massive cranium. What worries me however is the claim that this line will only exist within the subscription boxes. Please wait a while before bringing more goddamn hats into my life will ya Funko?

This month's comic is Amazing Spider-Man #16 by Dan Slott which marks an odd return to nt inducing a number one issue with each box. What's on offer here is something of a transitional story that's busy lining up the pieces for an upcoming event. Decently written with good art, it's nothing to scuff at but if you're not a Spider-Man regular I'd imagine this book could make you crosseyed.

Time for the main event, all those nifty Funko toys we love so much. Let's talk about the Pop first as it's honestly the lesser item this time around. It's just plain old spidey in a swinging pose. Yea it's one of those posed Pops with a clear stand, otherwise it's just a fairly standard Spider-Man. We don't get one of his alternate costumes or anything. I for one was hoping for something like Superior Spider-Man or maybe even Ben Reilly, something more unique at least. I've got nothing against this figure. Hell, I probably would have bought it had it been sold in stores. My issue is that it's disappointing to see Funko not fully utilize the theme. I'll come back to that though as there is one item that made me very happy

To my knowledge this is the first Funko Fabrikation to make its way into the subscription boxes and boy am I ever glad it did. If you've never encountered one, the element that separates Fabrikations from other plush lines is the use of various textured fabrics. On Spider-Man for instance the blue portions are if a sort of a leathery vinyl while the red is more fuzzy, and even the webbing and eyes have their own unique textures. I'm more than happy to finally count one of these among my Funko collection.

Getting back to my earlier complaint it feels like Funko is getting lazy on the theme. I'm fine with getting a box of strictly Spider-Man items since he's one of my favorite characters but one can't help but feel let down that none of the villains or other spider folk got to tag along for the ride. Moreso than June's Women of Power box there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm with this offering. Combined with the fact that this box has less stuff than usual and it all seems a bit skimpy. None of this if so irritating as to drive me away just yet. The simple fact is that the first three installments of Collector Corps I received left me feeling satisfied and a little giddy. This is the second in a row to leave me feeling sort of blah. I know these folks can do better and they're gonna get at least one more chance since October's theme is Doctor Strange, and I'm very eager to get my paws on that one. Whether I continue on from there or switch up and try some other boxes remains to be seen.

Some website news for you all. I've got an event report over on Dread Central, and there's at least two more articles happening here before the month is out. I've been working on setting up some long editorials and retrospectives on a couple other sites so there's a good chance you'll be seeing a whole lot more of me soon. That almost sounds like a threat, doesn't it? That's it for now, you all stay classy.

Marvel Collector Corps June Women of Power Unboxing.

As you can probably guess from the slowed rate of updates, I'm still working my morning job at the Alzheimer home. It's only fitting that the place is driving me crazy but I soon plan to have my time there wrapped up. Yes indeed, depending on how a couple events play out I should be back to just having the shelter job somewhere between next week and the end of July. In the meantime nothing is quite as important as maintaining some image of mental health. And what better way to keep ones mood high than a big crate of mystery goodies?

As a big fan of Marvel's various super ladies I was pumped for this month's theme. With so many options for characters to use like X-23 (currently Wolverine), Silk, Spider-Woman, Captain Marvel, etc how could this be anything other than a slam dunk? Turns out avoiding spoilers this time around would be quite the ordeal as the box took longer than ever to arrive. DHL was the original carrier who sent the package all the way past Michigan to Chicago area where they handed it off to USPS who required four days to get it back here and another to get it to my porch. To put this in perspective, folks in my area use Chicago for a day trip, so what's the deal post office? Finally I got to dig into this newest offering of Funko/Marvel goodness and for the first time since subscribing, it didn't fully live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it's still a damn fine box, it just missed the mark a little for my personal tastes.

First up is the small stuff. This month's patch is current Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan and it does a fine job of capturing her likeness. I've yet to read the girl's main book though word is it's really something special. I plan on checking out the omnibus coming this fall to catch up on her adventures. Maybe then this patch will be a little more special. Pin duty goes to Spider-Woman Jessica Drew, oddly in her old outfit. I'm a big fan of Jessica and wish she'd gotten a little more attention than just the pin. Still happy to place her on the ever expanding lamp shade pin collection.

It's a little surprising to see Civil War II as our comic as I figured we'd either get a stand-alone super-heroine title or the all female A-Force. This still works for the theme given Captain Marvel's large role with support from She-Hulk and others. Does anybody else find it strange that Carol Danvers is on the exclusive Funko cover twice? Last I check girl doesn't have a clone. The book's pretty decent overall. The beginning is a little off when the writing is trying to be funny but it comes across as sort of awkward and stilted. The art's top notch and there's enough here to keep me interested in checking out the full story once it gets collected.

Next up is clothing. Gotta say these Funko shirts hold up surprisingly well. They've all been comfortable enough that I wear em pretty frequently and so far there's been no major damage of any sort. This month's shirt is a bit underwhelming when compared to the Civil War and Deadpool entries. Nothing terrible mind you just a little bland. Weirder still is that the info card shows three other concepts for the shirt that probably would've turned out better. Why they switched to such a basic design in the end is anyone's guess.

Now for the main feature of every box, toys. The side toys this month are a two piece set of mystery minis featuring Captain Marvel and She-Hulk. These are a nice improvement over the Ant-Man minis from last year which forced coalitionists to trade or shop eBay to complete the set of four. For me however, mystery minis are one of my least liked Funko product lines. They just plan lack the appeal of Pops or quality of Dorbz and Hikari. Not to mention they have a greater tendency to tip over. She-Hulk has tipped nearly once an hour since I got her. These two do have nice sculpts so at least there's that. From the looks of it, I'm guessing Funko still hasn't cleared the Marvel license for use with Rock Candy or Vinyl Vixen lines since this would have been the ideal place to premiere an item like that.

Last up is our newest exclusive Pop, Squirrel Girl. Right up front, I haven't read anything with this character other than her brief stint as Nanny for the New Avengers. As you might assume I've got almost zero connection with her. Even so, I can still admit to a top quality pop when I see one and this is really nice. The detail is already great (just look at that tail!) but when combined with her tiny squirrel friend, it makes for a pretty awesome pop.

As I said earlier, this is still a pretty good box but coming after the excellent Deadpool and Civil War editions makes this one feel a little small and lifeless in comparison. To a certain extent I blame the theme for being too big. If they had narrowed it down to just women from the spider books or members of A-Force or something along those lines it would have been easier to keep expectations in check. Instead I'm left wondering why characters who already have pops and merchandise on the way are included while one like X-23 and Silk can't even get the shirt or Dorbz treatment. The Squirrel Girl pop is absolutely the best part of this box for that very reason. She's a character that doesn't get much in the way of collectibles and they gave her the royal treatment. That's the sort of thing I want to see more from this service.

The theme for August is Spider-Man. Looking forward to it as always. With the pop they've got options such as his new glowy costume or maybe give us the Superior Spider suit from doc ock's days. If we're lucky, maybe one of our web ladies or Black Cat can sneak in on that one.

I might try out another box in July if I can afford it. Depends on when I leave this job, ya know? As I transition outta there you'll definitely see an uptake in my online activities. Got plenty of stuff to post about on here along with articles to edit and finish for Dread Central and a whole article series I want to purpose to another site. Wish me luck on that. With any luck I'll be back to living the broke, one job life soon.