The Horror Movie BBQ

A week away! Yup, only a week away from Niagara Falls Comic Con and boy am I excited! I haven't been to a comic convention since New York Comic Con 2007, and things have no doubt changed since then so to experience a big show like this will be quite the treat. But what am I looking forward to the most? Well, I'm glad you asked...

5.) THE ARCADE:







Hoo boy. Check this out! A retro arcade alley! Jonesing to play Donkey Kong? Galaga? Maybe some Asteroids is what the doctor prescribed! Well, my friend, you are in luck! The convention will have all these and more for game play during the convention. Which after walking around the convention center lugging my bookbag full of merch and autographs, will be a nice change of pace. Who can't use a nice arcade game break after a busy day?

4.) THE VENDORS ROOM:

Oh yeah. You know the deal. I'm always down for a nice bargain or a rare find. Perusing the vendors room to me has more appeal than meeting celebrities at certain shows. And I…

Of all the things that I've found in flea marketing, thrifting, yard saling, whatever, this may be one of my favorites. Not just because it's a Universal Monsters item, but because it's so unusual.


This souvenir water bottle clearly came from Universal Studios during the Universal Monsters merchandising bonanza of the late 90s. At that time, everything was slapped with the Universal Monsters logo or the beautiful kissers of those crazy monsters. They even had Burger King kids meal premiums! But this is no kids meal toy. No sir. This is a piece of merchandising you can either use as a dehydration tool or take the straw out and use it as a statue on your entertainment center. Sculpted to perfection, the Bride strikes a classic pose for the win. They could've gone in any direction. She could've been sculpted in a pose with her arms up, she could've even been poseable. Wouldn't have looked as cool though. Plus, she kinda looks like Frank did something to piss h…

Today's Friday Finds could have been saved for Christmas, but eh...I like this one too much.


Remember the Rescuers? the classic Disney movie from the 1960's where the two brave mice, Bernard and Bianca, go on a rescue mission? It was essentially like the Avengers for children with mice. It was pretty fun. Then in 1990 they came back for one of Disney's few sequels at the time under the title "Rescuers Down Under". I haven't seen it since then, but I liked it as a kid. I'd probably enjoy now, especially since John Candy was involved. But the memories I have of it involved the McDonalds Ornaments.



Pretty cool, eh? Never would've expected to see this again, but hey, that's I head to these flea markets and yard sales. Box is included as well, which is even cooler! For 50 cents, I had a hard time turning it down. I saw this and immediately headed back to Christmas 1990. Or Holidays 1990, as it's said on the box.  The ornaments themselves are a holl…

I won't even start this with a snappy opening. I just want you to soak this image in for a second:


Yup. Check this out. A General Mills mailaway premium starring your favorite General Mills characters and a magician by the name of Dan Witkowski revealing the smoke and mirrors behind his mindblowing magic. Oh yes. With 2 proofs of purchase and 7 bucks, this tape was yours. Now, obviously magic is an interest of those young at heart, so if you were 5 years old in 1987, this tape was for you. Thankfully, I grew up in that decade with plenty of silliness and over the top children's programs like this, so I'm not walking into it blindly. I was pretty much expecting this to be a magician in a studio using the costumed characters as stage hands. But that was not the case. No, no, no. My lofty expectations would soon be demolished within the first frame.



This starts off innocent enough. We start with the Trix rabbit taking a brisk afternoon stroll. Well, he was until he was interc…

So, I figured since there's a brand new flea market/yard sale season coming up, I'd try to do another weekly feature here on the blog. A few years ago I attempted to do a weekly feature on the Facebook page called "Thrifty Thursday" but it just became too much to do after hitting dry spells. Plus, there's only so many times I can find the same Michael Jordan poster from 1993 and be happy. No offense to his Airness, of course.


So today, I'd like to kick off with something small. Nothing too major. I prefer to start small and build my way up. After all, flea market season runs until October and I have to believe my best finds are ahead of me. So without further adieu, I bring you the first Friday Finds:


First off, a delightful Pop Tarts alarm clock from 2005. It didn't really work and the price tag was too high at 4 bucks, but that didn't stop me from taking a photo. Any alarm clock featuring a dinosaur chasing after a Pop Tart? Gotta be good!!!




ALF!!!!…

Convention season is here. A great summer tradition for fanboys and fangirls of all walks of life are planning their trip schedule and budget accordingly. Now, I won't be hitting a lot of conventions this year, but one of the only shows I'll be hitting will be NIAGARA FALLS COMIC CON:



Yup. I'll be heading over the Rainbow Bridge(the bridge connecting NY and Canada) to meet some of my favorite entertainment guests and comic artists and writers. David Hasselhoff, Elvira, Scott Wilsom, Tom Savini, a Goonies Reunion featuring Sean Astin, Robert Davi and Joe Pantoliano, Ryan Hurst, and comic artists Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti are just some of the names you can expect to meet on June 5-7 in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Ok, I know what you're saying, "Chad, it sounds like you're just shilling this show". Well, guess what, I am. Why? Because I really want to see the little guy get a big chance. Nothing wrong with a show like Wizard World or San Diego Comic Con, …

It was 1990. The 80s ended. We were looking to a new a decade for awesome toys and cool new technology. And shortly after the turn of the decade, us wrestling fans were given just that. A brand new toy line that would live on in our hearts well into our adulthood. Surely I must be referring to the WWF Hasbro line.



These bright and shiny representations of our favorite SuperStars of the day were some of the best representations in wrestling history. I mean, look at the landscape of the business at the time: cartoony, comic booky, gimmicky characters. Hasbro and WWF were made for each other. At a time when toys weren't made for collectible value or made to be admired for their playability. And boy did we play with these. I've rarely seen a figure without scuff marks or paint missing. These things were played with HARD. I mean they were enjoyed to the fullest by WWF fans of all ages. And if you're lucky, the special action mechanisms will still work today.

Today I'd like …