Funko Holidaze Pop! - Carrie

Today's Holidaze Pop! figure is inspired by a film that I don't necessarily care for in terms of story, but have always loved for it's imagery and the idea of revenge.  In my opinion, the recently released Carrie far surpassed Stephen King's original, but I admit I'm probably in the minority.  Truth is, I never liked horror movies that feature supernatural abilities like being able to move things telepathically.  I can accept Michael Myers being immortal and Jason Voorhees constantly coming back to life, but the plot behind Carrie simply loses my interest.  However, I do think that the scene in which pig's blood is dropped on Carrie's head is one of the most iconic in Horror history and deserves to be released in Pop! form.  Here's my crack at it!

In addition to the Pop! itself, I'm digging the box art even more!  Not to toot my own horn, but I think this is something Funko would and should release.  It would probably be a hell of a lot better than what I have to offer, but I'd take it nonetheless.  The Horror genre deserves to be immortalized in as many ways, and through as many characters, as possible!

Now I'm going to tweet this to Chloe Grace Moretz and hope she RT's it.  She'd make it a hit, girl!

Funko Holidaze Pop! - Frute Brute

Yesterday, I brought you the Yummy Mummy Holidaze Pop! design inspired by Funko.  Today, the Monster Cereals wouldn't be complete without his partner in crime and resurrections - Frute Brute.  When Brute returned last year, I was thrilled!  I couldn't believe General Mills was giving us such an awesome return after years and years of hoping and waiting.  I'll admit, Yummy Mummy took the prize in terms of flavor and appearance, but Frute Brute wasn't too far behind and may have very well knocked off Frankenberry.  Believe me - around here, that isn't easy to do.  In fact, I love Frankenberry so much I just put myself in the mood for a bowl and the only negative I can find is that it isn't Frute Brute.  Oh well.. Maybe next year!

Frute Brute was a lot of fun to design and I'm personally loving the way both graphics turned out.  It's a shame that we'll never see Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute in stores, but at least we can imagine what they would have looked like.  Maybe the images I've posted will catch the eyes of Funko designers and entice them to bring these Monsters to fruition.  Of course, you reposting them wouldn't hurt, either!  Get the word out and maybe we'll be seeing our beloved Monster Cereals finally united!

Funko Holidaze Pop! - Ghostface (Stab Exclusive)

Tonight, I conclude the "Scream" collection with a character that is not only unique but, in my opinion, the best of the bunch.  I think it stands out above the rest because of the fact that it could actually get produced and be a seller.  Whether I want to admit it or not, I know the other Scream characters will never see the light of day.  They're fun to design, they're cool to look at but, even though they deserve a release, we all know we'll never get a Tatum Riley Pop! figure from Funko.  But tonight, I'm taking Ghostface himself and going the "exclusive" route because, really, that's the only way we'd ever get this one.  Imagine Hot Topic unveiling Ghostface as their next hit exclusive!  With the traditional Ghostface finally being shipped, how awesome would it be to have the "Stab" version, based on the fictional movie poster, to go with it?

Within the "Scream" franchise, another franchise exists fictionally in the world of those characters.  "Stab" is a movie based on the true story of Sidney Prescott and the Woodsboro Murders.  In our real-lives, we have "Scream."  In theirs, they have "Stab" and the artwork for that movie is even more awesome than the ones we get in reality.  The logo and green colors have always stood out to me and I've really taken advantage of that with this concept.  I did something similar with the "Green Scream" Hi-C Horror Box last year and Wes Craven himself Retweeted it to his followers.  In this case, I'm taking the traditional Ghostface Pop! and changing the colors to make the "Stab" version I'd love to see!

Funko Holidaze Pop! - Sidney Prescott

Day 2 in our Holidaze Pop! Marathon and, as mentioned, we're continuing with our "Scream" characters.  In my opinion, there's no horror franchise with more well-known, consistently featured, characters.  Usually, there are one or two who make a recurring appearance, but are often times forgotten.  With "Scream," there's longevity in character development and I think that's why I love the franchise so much.  It also allows us the opportunity to broaden the range of Holidaze Pop! character designs and feature a few of the most popular characters, especially in the first installment!

Today's design focuses on the heroine, the scream queen, the final girl..Sidney Prescott!

 

"Hello Sidney!"

Decked out in her final scene denim attire from the first Scream, Sidney would be a great addition to the Funko Pop! collection.  Neve Campbell did an incredible job playing Sidney Prescott and made her one of the most famous females in Horror history.  Personally, Sidney only falls behind one woman within the Horror genre and that's Laurie Strode, from Halloween, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.  I'm sure Neve Campbell would agree that ain't a bad comparison!

Perhaps the character of Sidney wouldn't be the most highly-sought after Funko Pop! figure, it certainly is a valued addition to the Holidaze Pop! line inspired by Funko.  As a fan of "Scream," I would absolutely love to see this created and released down the line.

"What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?"

TMNT Crush: April O'Neil Pineapple

Yesterday in my post about Raphael Strawberry Crush, I mentioned that it would be the last turtle Crush we'd be talking about.  I wasn't lying!  You may not even be aware, but Crush actually released a 5th flavor during their TMNT promotion!  It's been laying low, flew under the radar, and is extremely difficult to find.  Personally, I haven't seen this flavor in stores at all and had to resort to paying $10 on one individual can, but it was worth it to have in the collection.  This was a variety and design that I was hoping they'd include in the set, but never actually thought they would.  Then, Crush posted a photo proving that an April O'Neil Pineapple flavor was the real deal!

As I've done in the past, I was going to design my own April O'Neil can to share with all of you.  I figured Crush would stop at all four turtles and call it a day.  Who would blame them?  They're the true stars of the film and stand out to kids much more than their link to the outside world, April.  Regardless of how much I cool I thought an April can would be, I never thought Crush would agree and I would have bet money against them.  Thankfully, they proved me wrong and proved to be a hell of a lot smarter than I gave them credit for.  This is an obvious move, in my opinion.  The originally animated April was known for her yellow jumpsuit and, in the incarnations to follow, the character always wore some yellow in some type of way.  Whether it was a yellow raincoat or, in 2014, a leather yellow jacket, it's come to represent April just as much as the colored eye bands represent the four turtles.  So, of course, Pineapple soda was the logical choice for April and Crush absolutely knocked this one out of the park!

Not only did they design an awesome can of green and yellow, amazingly popping off of one another, but they included an image of the new April O'Neil played by Megan Fox in the 2014 film.  This is an added bonus because now all 5 cans feature the images of the character each can represents.  I view these cans as works of art and I appreciate the time and effort each designer put into these works of art.  You can tell a great deal of thought went behind each one and they aimed to personalize the cans to the character, rather than simply changing the color and name.  I love stuff like that!  Plus, a can with Megan Fox on it appeals to TMNT fans, women who look up to her, and weird men who just want to look at her.  I swear I only fall in the first category.  Really.

Since I only purchased one can, I wasn't going to crack it open just to pour out $10 worth of soda.  The full can is going to sit on my shelf until it's expired contents explode all over my other collectibles.  But I was able to find a 2-liter of Pineapple Crush that wasn't TMNT themed and used that for my images and taste test.  To be honest, I can't remember if I've ever tried Pineapple Soda.  My gut and memory are telling yes, but I can't be sure.  Despite that, this is certainly taste-test approved and I think, besides it's color, Pineapple soda is the perfect flavor to represent April.  It's sweet, it reminds me of a warm Spring day, and welcomes me to throw in some vodka after a long day at work.  Let's face it, April may be a helping hand to the Turtles but after countless hours at Channel 6 news and coming home to a disgruntled Casey Jones, April surely must have thrown back a few cocktails to take the edge off.  I mean, really, how many times does Shredder need to kidnap you before you become an all-out alcoholic?  So unlike the Turtle flavors, this one is much fruitier, more girlie, and represents April to a tee.

 

I wish I could tell you where to find April O'Neil Pineapple Crush, but it has alluded me on shelves for just over a month.  Much like in the cartoon and movies, the TMNT are doing a good job of protecting her from the weirdos at Wal-Mart.  I'm sure Megan Fox, as she climbed the ladder of success and became an international sex symbol, never thought she'd be on a can of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle soda, but it's official and nearly impossible to find.  I had to resort to eBay and throw down the cash.  If it weren't for me being a huge Turtle Nerd, I would have simply reviewed the 2-liter Pineapple Crush and used stock images for The Holidaze post, but that wouldn't have been the same.  I had to go all-out for this final can and, luckily, it arrived today just in the nick of time!

If you can't find Pineapple Crush in stores, I recommend shopping online.  If you can find Pineapple Crush in stores, I recommend throwing that bad girl on eBay so the people who can't end up paying you much more than it's worth.  The circle of commerce!

WWE Ice Cream Bars

I'm taking a quick break from the Halloween Countdown because my friend James (give him a follow!) gave me a cool idea and I couldn't wait to get cracking.  If you've read The Holidaze, you know how big of a wrestling fan I am.  Growing up, it was always my dream to design for the company and work for the greatest entertainment organization in the world.  After all, it was the WWE that inspired me to start designing in the first place.  So, after seeing my Hi-C juice boxes, my friend said I should make modern versions of the classic "WWF" Ice Cream bars.  Remember those?  The cookie, vanilla, and chocolate ice cream bar was always my first choice whenever Mr. Softee stopped by the block.  They were awesome and even C.M. Punk has been waiting for them to make a comeback.  They may not be returning any time soon, but just like those juice boxes, we can all take a look at what they would look like if they were a reality.

Using an old ad from WWF Magazine as base, here are some current WWE Superstars in retro form!

Of course, the original "WWF" logo and mentions have all been edited for today's use.

 

I think they're pretty cool and look like the ones you'd actually find when you ripped one open, rather than the drawing on the box.

If you're not a wrestling fan, don't care about these, or think they're garbage -- no worries.  It's back to Halloween!!

Halloween Paintings

My Mom is one of the major reasons behind my love for Halloween.  Ever since I was a child, she always did whatever she could to make Halloween, and the month leading up to it, as exciting as it could be.  What I remember most are her paintings.  In particular, I'll never forget the Ernie and Bert pumpkins she painted one year.  They were perfect.  I know most people prefer carving pumpkins, and that's great, but thanks to her, I'd much rather paint them.  She's always been crafty, and just about every year, she makes little things here and there to add to her collection and, more importantly, my memory bank. 

It's very early for Halloween related art, but when she heard I was making a blog that nobody reads, she knocked out two quick paintings for your viewing pleasure.  I love them.

She painted this Pumpkin Patch in a matter of hours using nothing but her mind and Folk Art Acrylic Paint.  She's never been one to create nasty, gory images.  I'm actually happy she doesn't because I think it would be weird to have a mom that's into flesh-eating zombies and blood.  I love my Mom's paintings so much because they're innocent.  Far too often, Halloween is portrayed as an rated-R horror movie and, while that is fine at times, it doesn't always have to be.  Halloween can be fun.  Halloween can be cute and, even for a 24-year-old man, Halloween can be girly.  That's what my Mom brings to the table with her paintings and I like that it can appeal to everybody.  Even if you hate Halloween, you'd still love her art.

For me, the classic monsters are the epitome of Halloween.  I remember, when I was about 7, I went to Pizza Hut with my Dad and they had the Universal Monsters plastered on everything.  Their snarling faces provided so much to the ambiance of that time and, because of that one day, Pizza Hut has become a Halloween tradition.  Sadly, they don't get into the Halloween spirit like they used to, but the memories remain and I'll still do anything to grasp at nostalgia.

In this painting, my Mom portrays the monsters in her own way and, once again, it's innocent.  I doubt I need to do this, but from left to right, we have the Mummy, Frankenstein, The Witch, Dracula, Ghost and The Wolfman.  The Pumpkin gets an honorable mention.  They're all smiling and the blood on Dracula's chin is about as gory as my Mom can get.  Again, I like it that way.  However, I like to pretend that these monsters aren't really monsters at all.  No, I think they're really just kids dressed up on Halloween.  They've been Trick-or-Treating all night and now, just as the sky is ominously turning purple, they're posing for one last photo before they dump out all of their candy and begin their sugar rush.  That's the type of innocence I derive from her paintings.

My Mom is already working on more Halloween art.  She loves creating new things and I always enjoy seeing what she'll come up with next.  Whether it be a Halloween painting or a Christmas stocking, she always impresses me with her talent and ability to tell a story through art.  As somebody who attempts to create my own, I can appreciate the time and energy spent in each new piece.

As she creates more and puts the finishing touches on works already in process, I'll be sure to post them here.  Even if nobody reads these blog posts, I like knowing her art is out there to be seen.