DC Comics: Monster Cereal Boxes

We interrupt TMNT Week on The Holidaze for this very big, very special, Halloween news!  As a staple of the season, the General Mills' Monster Cereal characters of Frankenberry, Boo Berry, Count Chocula, Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy are thread into the fabric of The Holidaze.  I love the cereals for what they represent, but I love the characters even more.  As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate them as amazing artwork brought to us by the great people over at General Mills.  Thankfully, I'm not the only one who views them as pop-culture icons more than simple cereal mascots.  Over the years, their popularity has increased more and more, resulting in various toys, shirts, and collectibles to go along with the iconic cereals we've all grown up on.  General Mills, being the marketers they are, capitalized on this boom in 2013 by bringing back Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy from their tombs and re-releasing the legendary retro box art for all of us to collect and enjoy.  It was definitely the highlight of last year's Halloween season and, this year, General Mills is back at it again!

I first became aware of these new boxes on Instagram as the social media app is proving to be more powerful than given credit for.  Somebody was lucky enough to already receive a brand new box of Frankenberry and posted the image for fans to salivate over.  Today, General Mills confirmed that the comic illustrated boxes are in fact a reality and will be debuting this September!  But not only are they designed to look like comic heroes (or villains) but they're designed by actual DC Comics illustrators!  Now that's pretty awesome!  Once working for the Brooklyn Nets, I was there when Marvel joined forces with the team to create Nets' mascot, The Brooklyknight.  However, that was an utter disaster and complete failure.  This?  Oh no.. There's no way this will suffer the same fate.  DC Comics and their artists have done an incredible job and fans are already clamoring for these boxes on their kitchen tables!

DC illustrator, Dave Johnson, designed the new Frankenberry box and I don't think I could love it any more than I do.  I was getting tired of the most recent modern design being released over and over again.  At first, the CGI-styled design was cool, but it got stale really quick.  Besides Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy making their modern debut last year, I was over the style and, apparently, General Mills was too.  This updated box, which is more than phenomenal, gives Frankenberry a new lease on life.  He's back and better than ever in 2014.  No, no design will ever top the originals.  The retro art will always be my favorite, but this is just too cool to pass up and I love the fact that General Mills went, once again, that extra mile to make fans happy and, of course, bring in that extra profit.

Designed by Terry and Rachel Dodson, Count Chocula has been given a more realistic, human appearance.  At first, I didn't know what to think about his new image.  Part of him looks like a Halloween elf, another part looks like he came from a Harry Potter novel, and the rest of him looks like Maleficent on crack.  But, given it further thought, I do appreciate the new direction.  If Count Chocula truly existed in our world, I'd assume he'd be human.  Unlike all previous incarnations, this box features him as a man, as a vampire, who happens to love chocolate more than anything else in this world.  I think parts of him could have been altered to better fit that image, but they also couldn't stray too far away from the original design.  He still needed to look like Count Chocula and I think the DC artists found the perfect medium.  In a matter of hours, Count Chocula has really grown on me,

 

Boo Berry has maintained his classic appearance more than the other two characters and I'm happy to see that.  I don't think there's much you can do to change his image without completely changing the character himself.  He's always had those big eyes with the saggy lids, his top hat and bow tie, along with that sly smirk.  You can't remove or alter any of that because by doing so with one of those characteristics, you're losing the nostalgia.  His body is different by being just a tad bit less ghostly on top, but the bottom portion remains true to what he is.  This isn't my favorite of the three, but it's far superior to what we've been getting over the last few years.

Regardless of which box you prefer or which is your favorite, none of us can deny just how awesome these new designs are.  Personally, I'm looking for Franky first, but the other two will be coming home with me as soon as I see them.  All three will be joining the collection of Monster Cereal boxes.

 In even better news, General Mills will, once again, be re-releasing retro boxes exclusively to Target.  Now, General Mills could have re-released 2103's art, but they're too smart for that.  At my Target, those boxes sold out completely before the Halloween season came to an end.  That means many of us bought the 2013 retro boxes and have no need for another set.  Personally, I have 3 of each character and don't regret a thing.  But knowing that, General Mills will be releasing a set of new retro boxes celebrating 1979 and 1980.  In addition, each box will come with a cut-out mask of your favorite Monster Cereal characters.  Take a minute and think about how cool that is!!  These boxes have not been on store shelves since the early 80s and, in 2014, they'll be back for us to collect!  From a marketing perspective, think about how smart this is.  Use me, for example.. I'll be buying 3 DC Comics boxes, 3 retro boxes, and 3 more retro boxes to cut out those masks!  In one trip, General Mills just sold me 9 boxes of cereal.  Absolutely genius!

Here comes the bad news... Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute will not be included in this year's festivities!  Major bummer!!  I would have loved to see what DC artists could do with the Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute characters and the retro boxes would have been must-haves.  My wallet is thanking General Mills for keeping me from buying 15 boxes of cereal, but I'm not.  I truly believed they'd return this season, but I guess the 2013 campaign wasn't as successful as we thought.  It's a shame because real fans wind up missing out on incredible Halloween goodies, but General Mills needs to do smart business and, in the end, they're surely doing their part to make up for the lack of two legendary characters.

Thankfully, I have enough retro boxes stocked up to keep me happy.  They're expired and it sucks that we may never get that flavor again, but having the collectible boxes in my possession makes 2013 a success.  If you never picked up a box of Yummy Mummy or Frute Brute, I suggest you do so soon.  Once scalpers catch wind of their value, you'll end up paying 10x what those boxes were worth.

Happy Halloween!!!

Where did the time go? It feels like only yesterday that we were scouring the aisles of Target and Walgreens in search of the resurrected Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy cereals.  Now, I have 14 boxes in my kitchen (seriously!) For a season that seemed to never get here fast enough, it sure came and went in a hurry.  Believe me, It was an awesome Halloween season, but I just can't believe that the day is almost over.  Halloween and Christmas battle to become my favorite day of the year, but Christmas 2013 will have to do a lot to top this Halloween.  Granted, the last half of my holiday was spent working a new job, but that didn't really keep me from celebrating this amazing time of year.  Unfortunately, it did take a major toll on this blog that I love so much, but I literally had no time to both personally partake in the festivities and write about it.  Well, that's until now as I attempt to pack in the last few weeks in a one-off post.

Because I'm currently working in Upstate NY, I've been put up at the Holiday Inn courtesy of my employer.  It has it's pros and cons, one being that I'm away from home without any Internet, but there is a nearby Target and that was enough for me.  Most people would stock up on food to survive.  You know, food that is actually nourishing and healthy for your life.  Me?  No.  I picked up Frankenberry, Count Chocula, Halloween Oreo Cookies, a bag of Doritos, Goober Peanut Butter and Jelly, and a case of Cranberry Splash Sierra Mist.  Where are the bananas?  Where are the apples and strawberries?  I'm sure they're somewhere in the artificial ingredients and that's enough for me to justify my actions.

After a long day of work, there's really nothing better than coming back to a lonely hotel room where you find your old friend Frank waiting to cheer you up.  Monster Cereals are truly the kings of Halloween 2013 and, really, it was only right that I enjoyed the Frankenberry flavor on a cold, gloomy night in Middletown, NY.  It really made my night and, until I could get home for the weekend, kept the Halloween spirit alive.

While walking the aisles of Target, I found this Pillsbury Caramel Apple icing and immediately texted my Girlfriend.  In all seriousness, nobody makes cupcakes like Eileen.  I've been to the best bakeries in NYC and, honestly, they don't even come close.  Whatever she does to the batter makes all the difference and I knew these were a must-try.  I said "Hey, if you wanna make cupcakes this weekend, I mean, these would be great.. Just saying."  Or something like that.  Then, when I got home on Friday night...

Caramel Apple Cupcakes!  She not only used the icing, but the batter shared the same flavor.  It was such an awesome surprise and the best way to keep the season flowing.  When you're alone, about an hour away, you tend to forget about what's fun or what makes you happy and tend to just eat and go to sleep.  Every weekend, I tried to create a memory with my Girlfriend and family.  I knew it wouldn't be much, but if I could do something fun and enhance the "Holidaze," that was enough.  Caramel Apple Cupcakes with a can of Jones Candy Corn soda screamed Halloween enough for my enthusiasm to stay awake.

Continuing the weekend of 10/19, we went on a Haunted Hayride with Eileen's family in Marlboro, NJ.  To be exact, it was at C. Casola Farms and it was a great time.  We'd been there before, about 3-years ago, when we took her brother, who was 9 at the time, on his first Hayride.  This time, the acting and presentation wasn't as good, but the amount of people we had there made up for it.  Her siblings and cousins all range from 11-17 years-old, so they either lied and said they weren't scared or said they were too old to admit it.  At the end of the day, they were all screaming, shrieking, and sighing.  It was hilarious.  Yet, still, Eileen was the one who reacted most.  To the point that the actors figured out her name and truly entered the psyche.  That was pretty cool.  Since I'm not easily startled and go more for the environment, I get a huge kick out of others in terrifying fear :)

After another week of work, it was back home this past weekend for the annual Halloween party in Hoboken, NJ.  Usually, I like to make my own costume or do something original that not many take the time to do.  But, this year, I'm one of those who didn't have time and Eileen suggested that we go as zombies.  My love for The Walking Dead made me think yes, but her ideas for make-up made me SAY yes!  She did an amazing job through the use of liquid latex, tissue paper, oatmeal, zombie dirt, and fake blood.  Of course, the contacts were a must for it to all work out!

I'm so so happy that we decided to go as zombies because they were a HUGE hit!  To my surprise, there weren't any other zombies walking the streets which helped us really stand out.  We were getting shout-outs from drunks, scared a few black women who loved the AMC hit, and even won $50 from the DJ at Bahama Mamas.  Overall, it was an amazing night with even better friends and I'm happy it all worked out.

Hanging with this guy, my friend James, has become a Halloween tradition.  While I try to stand out for being something original and cool, he tries to do the same with something so outlandish that nobody would actually dress up in that costume.  Last year, he went as George Washington.  This year, he went as King Tut.  No, he's not a history buff, he's just crazy.  He received just as much attention as I did, with a few more laughs, for being a wild pharaoh.  Thanks for the shots, @Jamesapalooza!

Thankfully, the hangover on 10/27 wasn't bad and we were able to hop on the PATH train for a little bit of Halloween fun in NYC.  4-days before the big day, but everybody was already decked out in Halloween costumes.  We saw kids everywhere and their parents were so proud to show them off.  Some people might think, uh, wait for the 31st, but screw that!  Start Halloween as early as possible and make it last even longer.  These families had it right and it set us up for and even better day at Jekyll and Hyde!

I won't bore you with the details, but this is an amazing restaurant that I've overlooked for far too long.  It's filled with animatronics and props that express the true emotion of Halloween and Horror perfectly.  Each display tells a story and brings you right into their world.  Not to mention, the food was delicious.  We had an amazing time and loved interacting with the costumed characters.  Like I said, I won't get into every tiny detail, but if you're interested in reading more, check out Veggie Macabre's review and really dive into Jekyll and Hyde.

As we walked through the Village, I told Eileen "I'm having a Halloween sensory overload."  She laughed, but I was dead serious - no pun intended.  These people know how to decorate in a way that is too small for a suburban town, but just enough for a major city.  Skeletons hanging from buildings, tiny pumpkin clings on windows, monsters in store displays, and the smell of fall in the air.  We couldn't walk a single block without seeing a decoration and it made me want to visit them tonight for the Halloween Parade in the Village.  Had I gotten out of work just a few hours earlier, I would have ended my season with a bang.  But hey, a long over due Holidaze post doesn't hurt, either!

The famous Magnolia bakery went all out for Halloween, too!  But, by the time we got there, they were all sold out and we settled for regular flavors.  Eh, it was good enough.  They had these oldies in the window, but they were still cool enough for me to photograph and share with you.  While I had to go back to my hotel in NY, it gave me an idea and I knew I'd be home on the 30th and 31s, no matter how tired I'd be, to share those days with my number one Ghoul and family!

On my way home, I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a mixture of Halloween donuts.  For me, it's a tradition.  If I don't have an orange donut during October, then it wasn't really Halloween.  I had these 6 last night and I picked one up this morning before going into work.  It's mandatory and, if they're still available tomorrow, I'll extend the season into November and get another one.  They're just so much better when they're black and orange!

I got out early yesterday and was back home by 4pm.  That was a blessing because we were able to take our cupcake idea and put it into action.  Okay, it was my idea and I did nothing else after that, but Eileen did wonders with Monster Cereals, Halloween Crunch, and some icing!  Above, you see vanilla cupcake batter mixed with Count Chocula, Halloween Crunch, Yummy Mummy, and Frankenberry!

We've done this in the past, but we didn't have Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute and that meant it had to be done again!  So, to up the ante, we threw the cereal into the batter and dyed the YM and FB cupcakes orange and red, respectively!

They are absolutely delicious and, in my opinion, look just as good as they taste!!  Our only mistake was forgetting to pick up chocolate icing for Count Chocula.  So, in anybody asks, the vanilla icing is milk and the chocolate cereal represents Count Chocula in the bowl.  Yeah, we're going to get technical on Halloween!

Yeah, lots of pics...  But, let's face it, Halloween 2013 belongs to cereal and it's what truly made the season what it was!  It had to be part of my conclusion because it was the only fitting ending to what was the greatest Halloween season in a very long time!

Sure, I have a few regrets.  I wish I would have gone to more Haunted Houses, especially Terror Behind the Walls in Philly, and I wish I spent more time on The Holidaze, but I have to remember why I was held back a bit this year.  I've been blessed with a new job that will allow me to create even better memories in the future and that's enough for me to sacrifice a bit more this year for later.

To all my readers, old and new, THANK YOU!  I had more hits than ever but, more importantly, had great interaction with so many of you!  Before I started the countdown, and even back in May, I purposely deleted a bunch of fake Twitter followers and accounts in order to create better communication with people actually interested in The Holidaze.  That was the best decision I made this year because I've been able to make so many "Internet Friends" who share so many of the same interests and made this blog worth putting time and effort into.  Hey, together, we got Wes Craven to tweet about a fake box of Hi-C.  How crazy is the power of the Internet?  I couldn't have had such a wonderful Halloween experience without all of you and I really do appreciate your time, support, and friendship.  Unless I'm being Catfished, you're all amazing people.

As I write this, the commercial for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is playing, so I guess Halloween really is over, but I hate to say goodbye.  I love this day, I love this season, and I don't want to see it end.  Does it really have to?  That's up to us..  Personally, I keep things going for another week or so.  Besides Thanksgiving, November doesn't offer much to start so, hey, let's keep watching Horror movies, eat a bunch of sugary cereal, throw back some candy corn and seasonal drinks, and enjoy what's left of the spooky season!  Tonight, I'll be watching Trick R Treat with my lady and, out of tradition, we'll be going to Pizza Hut for dinner.  That goes back to a Universal Monsters promotion that stuck with me since the 90s.  It's all about creating memories and sharing experiences.  That's what we've done here, together, and will continue to do as we celebrate The Holidaze!

2013 Monster Cereal Retro Boxes

Finally, Halloween 2013's number one attraction has been found.  Since the official announcement by General Mills, I've been looking everywhere for the new Monster Cereal boxes.  As you've read, Yummy Mummy was found fairly early.  Frute Brute evaded me for a bit longer, but nothing aggravated me more than Target and their lack of Halloween supply.  Seriously, it's sad how angry I got when I walked into Target and saw those giant pencils still hanging from their ceiling.  They mockingly pointed me in the right direction, only to disappoint me with aisles of folders, notebooks, and way too many images of Justin Bieber.

But, on Friday the 13th, we ventured out to a Target in Linden, NJ because they seemed to have their stuff much more together than Jersey City.  Oh and did they ever.  Halloween galore!!  But nothing more important than the main event!

My girlfriend ran toward the boxes.  I walked rapidly in an attempt to look cool and act like it's no big deal.  It's just cereal, right?  Yeah, okay.. in my mind, I was squealing like the little girls who bought those Justin Bieber folders.  I guess these Monster Cereal characters are to me what he is to 13-year-old teenagers.  Not sure what that says about me, but I'll own it.  I was excited and couldn't hide it.  We even took pictures in front of the boxes.  Even I won't post those embarrassments, but I will say that I was caught posing with Frute Brute and Count Chocula by a man who couldn't have turned the corner any faster.  No shame.

The head honcho.  The leader of the pack.  The most legendary and well-known Monster Cereal character of 'em all - Count Chocula!  I love this box, and all the boxes, for the fact that they're so simple.  No shadows, no shading, just classic 2-D illustration and color.  I'm also very happy that they didn't slap on any "Limited Edition 2013 Box" tag on the front.  Other than the cereal bowl  and some text, this is as close to the original as we're going to get.  I just feel bad for anybody who ever spent more than $50 on an actual retro box.  Ouch, that's gotta hurt when I picked this up for $2.50.  My only complaint is that the Count was a bit bent in the lower right corner.  Unfortunately, they were all like that.

Frankenberry has always been my favorite character.  I love everything about him, but his retro version is the best incarnation of the monster.  I've seen plenty of classic images, but the color in photos pales in comparison to the color in person.  As soon as we saw them on the shelf, this guy stood out to me most.  He's a hot pink color with strawberry nails!  How can you not appreciate this guy?  In terms of flavor, he's held my top spot for years, but Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy have been giving him a run for his money.  I'll admit, it's hard to be objective when they're so fresh and new with all this hype around them, but their flavor is just as good, if not better, than my favorite monster cereal.

Boo Berry gets a bum wrap.  He was even put on the bottom shelf for nobody to see or care about.  Honestly, that's how I feel about Boo Berry at times.  He's my least favorite character and his flavor is usually the last one I go to.  But I really don't know why because, when I do pour myself some Boo, it's delicious and I ask myself why I don't have more.  Maybe it's part of the mysteriousness that comes along with being a ghost.  He's hard to find, isn't given a second thought, but strikes hard and fast when it's time to be noticed.  We'll go with that so we don't hurt his feelings, but at least he has an awesome box.  I love how the blue color pops off the box and it's 100x better than the modern General Mills version.

He's baaaaccckkk!  I have to thank General Mills for this box because, not only is it classic, but it's a quadrillion times better than the modern box.  If not for this retro return, I would have complained throughout my entire Frute Brute review because, really, he looks nothing like this on the 2013 box.  This is the way he's supposed to look!  Here, he actually looks like a wolf who's more into eating cereal than slicking his hair back for all the chicks at Arnold's (Happy Days, anyone?)

Yes! Fruity Yummy Mummy back in a retro box!!  This is awesome for so many reasons.  As I've mentioned in the past, I've always wanted to own the original monster cereal boxes, but they're way too expensive on Ebay.  The big three are reasonable for their age, but Yummy Mummy is the one I've wanted most and there was no way to justify spending over $100 on a cardboard box.  I would have had to get lucky or hope for a re-release.  Who woulda thought I'd get my wish and General Mills would re-release this unbelievable box?  Now, I finally have it and for only $2.50!  That's a steal, in my opinion, and it's only one reason why I'm happy to see this box back on shelves.  The other is the design itself.  I love everything about Yummy Mummy and this exact image is one that I modified for The Holidaze Halloween banner in 2012.  It's very cool to see him rise from the dead to make thousands of children and adults happy.  Some happier over cereal than they should be. *Raises hand*

This was the biggest story of Halloween and I'm extremely glad to see it executed by General Mills.  They truly did an amazing job on these boxes and marketed everything perfectly.  As a fan of the season and these cereal characters, I couldn't be happier with the results.

Of course, the thrill is in the hunt and that's over, so now I need to find something else to do with my free time.  I highly doubt that this will be the last time you see the Monster Cereals, because I have a few ideas in mind as we progress toward Halloween, but scouring store after store is done.  I'm just relieved that I actually found them.  There was so much hype attached to these cereals that I expected Ebayers to wipe Target out and sell them two-years from now.  That still may be the case, so make sure you get your boxes when you see them!!  We don't know if Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute will be back next year and, personally, I highly doubt the retro boxes will be released again, so let's enjoy this while it lasts!

The Return of Fruity Yummy Mummy

And here. We. Go... If you're reading this, there's no way you could have missed the re-design of The Holidaze.  I like to call it my Halloween costume because, yes, on August 26th, 2013, The Holidaze is all decked out for the Halloween season.  I was going to wait.  I told myself over and over again that it's too early.  Last year, I waited until September 1st and, even then, I thought it was too early.  But Fall is right around the corner and, this year, companies are going all out and doing their best to make this the best Halloween of all-time!  That, along with last night's find, meant I could no longer wait.  Out with Slimer and in with this year's biggest attraction.

I decided to take the two-block walk to Walgreens yesterday to see if they had their Halloween products out on shelves. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about the return of Fruity Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute.  I've been looking for them like a mad man everywhere! Lately, in terms of Halloween, they're all I've really cared about.  So, I figured - students are just about ready to go back to school and Sunday is always a good time to check for new inventory.  I walked around for a second, attempting to build up the anticipation, before walking over to their seasonal aisle.  I turned the corner and.. BOOM.. absolutely nothing!  Books, folders, pencils, and pens.  There weren't even any orange boxes on the higher shelves.  What a bust.  Now I had to walk the longest two blocks of my life, empty handed, back home.

But then I remembered that I found them on the end caps, last year.  So I searched every end cap in the store and, again, came up short.  Finally, I walked down the food aisle, looked at the cereal and BOOM.. nothing!  However, I did notice that there was a lot of empty space on the shelves and thought, maybe - just maybe - they're stocking up soon!

I figured I'd leave and come back tomorrow.  I turned the corner, and, like a rainbow after a thunderstorm, I saw Frankenberry and Boo Berry sitting in their cases just waiting to be opened and stocked.  You would have thought I struck gold.  I knew this was my chance.  I also knew I could have asked somebody to check the back, but I actually enjoyed lurking around waiting for a possible appearance from Yummy Mummy.  It was like waiting for a fashionably late rock star to finally hit the stage for his first concert in 23 years.  I creeped around like a loser, down the froze foods aisle and, BOOM.. for real!

Finding the boxes on the shelf is always a thrill, but this was much cooler.  If you've read The Holidaze in previous years, you understand how big of a role the Monster Cereals play in enhancing the Halloween experience.  Not only are they nostalgic, they're awesome characters with different personalities that relate to the season.  Their boxes also make for great art and, as a graphic designer, I always appreciate that.  So to have Fruity Yummy Mummy back for the first time since 1990 is amazing.  It was like I discovered King Tut's tomb at a Walgreens in Jersey City.  Look at him, just lying there in his coffin.  I eagerly grabbed the tiny employee, asked him if I was able to open the box (like I was going to take no for an answer?) and took two home with me.

I know many of you might have purchased more than two boxes, if not the whole case.  I get that and I almost did!  But I'm waiting for the Retro Box pictured above.  Exclusive to Target, all 5 General Mills Monsters - Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Boo Berry, Yummy Mummy, and Frute Brute - will be available in their retro packaging!!  That's just insane!  For the last two years, I've been collecting cereal box art to display, framed, in my future kitchen.  I'm stocking up and, in that time, I've searched for an affordable Yummy Mummy on Ebay every month.  Every time there's one available, it sells for well over $100.  Now, thanks to General Mills, I'll be able to find all 5 for retail price.  It's a Halloween miracle!

The back of the box features a great illustration.  The "Big Three" hear something spooky as they eat their cereal in the light of a "fruity moon." After reluctantly going to check it out, they're scared down into the dungeon where they're approached by yet another spooky creature.  First of all, I like the fact that Count, Frank, and Boo are all afraid.  It highlights the spirit of the characters.  Second, it's a great story to bring back Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute.  At the end of the day, these 5 are friends and, like Brute says, "It's been years!"  Finally, thanks to that rare fruity moon, all 5 are together for the first time ever in 2013!

On the side of the box, General Mills asks you to play some "Mega Monster Trivia."  What this tells me, along with everything else, is that the General Mills marketing team knows exactly who their target market is.  While all cereal is geared toward kids, this comeback was made for the adults and kids at heart.  I'm 26-years-old and I've never had Yummy Mummy.  Frute Brute was discontinued before I was even born, so even I'm a bit out of their range.  I just happen to be somebody who's obsessed with these characters and have been for years.  I even had the classic Yummy Mummy banner up top, last year.  I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've emailed or tweeted General Mills in an attempt to resurrect these guys.  I knew, just like all of you knew, that this would be a major hit.  So far, the hype has been unbelievable.

First, we have to talk about the way these legends look.  I don't know if they're ghosts or Pac-Man characters, but they're classic and the color is extremely vibrant.  I took photos outside in order to have the sunlight really illuminate their brightness.  It's basically a concoction of pink, red, yellow, and orange frosted cereal with purple, yellow, and lime green marshmallows.  It's beautiful.

Next, let's talk about the smell.  Usually, whenever you open up a box of General Mills Monster Cereal, you're smacked in the face by the fruity (or chocolatey) odor.  But, with Fruity Yummy Mummy, there wasn't much of a scent at all.  I think that's a testament to it's flavor - Orange Cream!  That's an interesting choice, but I was excited to see what they had in store for me!

I reallllly like the Orange Cream flavor!  Man, it's so different!  I know that the original Yummy Mummy had a different taste.  It was apparently more "fruity" rather than focusing on just one fruit, but I was too young to tell you which is better.  I don't know what the original tasted like, but I can tell you that this is awesome.  It reminds me a lot of Trix.  Imagine taking all of the yellow and orange Trix cereal, pouring them into a bowl, and eating them with marshmallows.  It's like that, but different.  It's hard to explain, but it's unlike any flavor I've ever had from a cereal.  It's a home run for GM!

I feel like Fruity Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute are the closest things we currently have to Jurassic Park.  Everybody thought these guys were extinct.  Even though we had always hoped to see some sap at General Mills bring them back, (see what I did there?) we knew it wasn't likely.  We knew it would be a long shot.  But now, here we are!  Here they are, in our presence, back in our lives to be loved and enjoyed!  It's pretty awesome and based on the amount of attention they've received in the last week, I know I'm not the only one pumped to see these pop icons back on shelves.  We just have to hope that Newman doesn't turn out the lights.  I'd hate to see what Yummy Mummy is capable of in the dark..

After snagging two boxes from the case, I asked the manager at Walgreens if he had any Frute Brute in the back.  He responded, "Froot Loops? Yeah we have that."  No no no no no... "Frute Brute! It's new.  Well, actually it's old but it's back with Yummy Mummy.  Ya know, this one?"  He looked at me, completely lost, assuming I was deranged.  Can't blame him, I'm the one asking for cereal that hasn't existed since the 80s.  He shrugged me off by saying "Uh, oh no, we didn't order that one."  From what I'm hearing, that honestly seems to be the case with most Walgreens.  What's the deal with that?  No love for Frute Brute?  He said the Halloween stuff would be out by Tuesday so to check back then.  I will and if.. no, WHEN I find Frute Brute, I'll be sure to give him his due on The Holidaze.  I can't wait.

Since it was first announced that Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute would be making their return to stores, it's been a whirlwind of excitement for nerds like me who share a love for the little things that make us happy.  It's all thanks to General Mills who, unlike most corporations, actually listened to their fans.  They realized that these legendary figures were in high demand and they supplied.  But they also went the extra mile.  While they could have just released these two in their modern 2013 boxes alone, they chose to include 5 retro boxes to truly set this Halloween apart from everything else.  That's the type of fan loyalty that leads to brand loyalty.  It's the type of business that should open the eyes of companies like Coca-Cola, who owns Minute Maid, to get Hi-C Ecto Cooler back out on shelves.  Yeah, I get that there's licensing behind that, but they could at least release the flavor, dye it green, and call it "Green Tangerine."  No excuses.  Do that and you'll be just as loved as General Mills is right now.  You'll also make a bunch of money.  Nostalgia is in!!  Adults who were kids 20-years ago want to experience that all over again and share it with their friends.  General Mills realizes that.  Who's next?

I don't know if Yummy Mummy is available in your area, but check Walgreens to see if they have it in stock.  My local manager said that the sale date was August 20th but he had to wait for school inventory to sell first.  So, they should have it in the back if it's not on display.  Even if they have no idea what you're talking about, give it a shot.  You're the smart one for knowing all about Yummy Mummy, anyway.  No sight of retro boxes yet, but when I find them, they'll be here!

Summer's not over, but like it or not, Halloween is here :)