Funko Pop! Figure - Eleven from Stranger Things

Jess and I love "Stranger Things". In fact, Jess cosplayed as Barb last year at FanExpo! So, when I found Pop! figures from the series at 401 Games in Toronto, I had to pick one up. Believe it or not, the Chase version of Eleven with her blonde wig is $75! That's why the following review is only for the regular version, which has her holding her beloved Eggos.

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. More is coming, so stay tuned!

~ Mike

Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls

Happy New Year! During my first visit to Silver Snail Comics in 2017, I happened upon a case of Masters of the Universe Action Vinyls. As you know, I loved the Power Rangers Action Vinyl I got from Hot Topic last year, so I just had to pick up one of these. I hope you enjoy the impromptu review I shot using my cell phone. ^_~

Thanks for watching and stay tune for more In Box coming soon!

~ Mike

Loot Crate - November, 2014 - Battle

When I went to get the mail yesterday, I was expecting to find a bunch of bills, some flyers, maybe a few coupons, and potentially something from Amazon that I ordered. What I didn't expect to find was a Loot Crate. But, that's not the most surprising part of this story. What was more shocking to me was that the tracking information was sent to me a couple of hours after I picked up my box! But, apparently, that wasn't enough for Loot Crate. No, they had to put this on the side of their box:

It took every bit of willpower for me not to stand there in the freezing cold and rip the thing open to see what the notice was all about. I also had to stop myself from running home since dress shoes and icy sidewalks do not get along. After a slow, slippery walk back home, I finally cracked open my Loot Crate and this is what I was met with:

Yeah. I know. I drooled a little, too. Now, for those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. Here's a breakdown:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

NOVEMBER - BATTLE

When Loot Crate announced their November theme on their Facebook Page last month, I was ecstatic. "Battle", to me, had to involve "Street Fighter" in some way, and that is my favourite fighting game series of all time. I made the conscious decision to not visit their Facebook Page after the announcement because I really wanted to be surprised by what I found in my box when it arrived. So, what did I get yesterday? Here's a list:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.50 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Pirates vs. Ninjas T-Shirt ($15.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Exclusive MegaMan Mini Helmet ($12.00 CAD)

- Mega Bloks Halo Drop Pod Figure ($5.00 CAD)

- Assassin's Creed Unity Coin ($15.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Exclusive Street Fighter Headband ($10.00 CAD)

- Free Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Coupon ($20.00 CAD)

- Free MegaMan Digital Comics Coupon ($5.00 CAD)
- 50% Off Lichdom Battlemage Coupon ($22.00 CAD)

Custom Loot Crate Box and Loot Crate Mini Magazine

Once again, Loot Crate sent its subscribers a box with a custom design. But, this month, they added a little message on the outside that got me super excited. When you first open the box, it looks simple. However, as the exterior note mentions, the Mini Magazine holds the key to what makes this Crate so special. Behold!

Yes, that's right. The Loot Crate box turns into a diorama for the cardboard cutout Ryu (from "Street Fighter") and MegaMan figures included in the Mini Magazine! Whaaaaaat?! The box and magazine are a fantastic one-two punch combination that truly makes this month's Loot Crate a thing of beauty. I really appreciate the thought and effort put into designing the diorama. Absolutely fantastic! Oh, and here's the Mini Magazine's awesome cover.

Loot Crate Theme Pin

The pin design this month is colourful and fun. Plus, this is the first time that the orange ring around the pin actually matches the rest of the design. Very nice.

Pirates vs. Ninjas T-Shirt

Ah, the never-ending debate over whether Pirates or Ninjas are better finally arrives at Loot Crate with this month's spectacular T-shirt design. I love that it's not just a bunch of words making two characters, but also a Yin-Yang symbol. It's incredibly creative. In addition to this, Loot Crate took the design process one step further by including a post card with exclusive art on one side and a description of the whole Pirates vs. Ninjas thing on the other. Check it out.

Loot Crate Exclusive MegaMan Mini Helmet

This MegaMan mini helmet is one of four randomly packed in this month's Loot Crate. Subscribers could get blue, red, this green one, or black, each of which represents a different power in the game. I think it's a cool exclusive Crate item, but I personally find it to be kind of boring. Don't get me wrong. I love MegaMan, but I think a MegaMan figure would have been a better item. I do appreciate that it's different, though. You definitely wouldn't expect a MegaMan mini helmet, kind of like how you wouldn't expect a MegaMan air freshener (see August, 2014).

Mega Bloks Halo Drop Pod Figure

I'm a huge fan of Mega Bloks' series of "Halo" figures and building sets. I have a relatively impressive collection, though I've stopped adding to it for over a year now. A few months ago, I saw these Drop Pod figures start appearing at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us stores, but never bought one since the price is, in my opinion, too high for a figure with a pod. Still, I wanted one and I'm very happy to receive one in my Loot Crate. It's super cool!

Assassin's Creed Unity Coin

I have never played an "Assassin's Creed" game before, but I think this coin or medallion from their latest game, "Unity", is pretty awesome. It doesn't look very large, and it isn't, but the thing is weighty! When I checked online for pricing information on similar coins, they were selling for anywhere from $15 CAD to $40 CAD! Whoa! I love the pouch this coin comes with, too. It's a nice addition to an already great item.

Loot Crate Exclusive Street Fighter Headband

Ryu is my second favourite character from the "Street Fighter" series of games. He's so awesome that I cosplayed as him several years ago. With that said, you can probably imagine how loud I squealed when I found this Loot Crate Exclusive Headband in my box. Yep. I'll leave it at that.

Free Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Coupon

Giving us great items from a game is one thing. Giving us the actual game is something else altogether. I was blown away by this coupon card. I own "Street Fighter IV" on PS3, but now I can get it for free on Steam! This item is also great for introducing or re-introducing people to the "Street Fighter" series. Good on Loot Crate for teaming up with Capcom and Valve like this.

Free MegaMan Digital Comics Coupon

On the back of the "Street Fighter" coupon card is a promo code for 2 free digital issues of the "MegaMan" comic book series. Way to make both sides of the same card epic, Loot Crate!

50% Off Lichdom Battlemage Coupon

I'm not familiar with the game "Lichdom Battlemage", but I checked out the game page on Steam and 50% off the price brings it down to around $22 CAD, so it's definitely more affordable if I decide to buy it. I like that Loot Crate gives us these kinds of discounts. I may not buy any of the items the discounts are for, but some people definitely will, and saving people money is pretty awesome in my book.

OVERVIEW

The November Loot Crate was quite possibly the most impressive subscription box I've received. Every single item, even the mini helmet, was fantastic and the overall value of box blows the price of entry out of the water. I especially liked the incredible amount of thought that must of have been put into making this month's Crate truly unique. The box-diorama-magazine-figures combo is epic on so many levels and giving people a game to allow them to fully experience the inspiration behind current and maybe future items is plain awesome. All-in-all, this is the kind of box that keeps people coming back for more. I'm one extremely satisfied customer!

So, what's coming up next month? Christmas is fast approaching, so will Loot Crate put together something that will fill our hearts with Yuletide spirit? I don't know! Why? Because my Crate arrived so early that both the Loot Crate Web Site and Facebook Group are still talking about the November "Battle" box. Heck, right now, you still have 1 day to subscribe, and if you use the code BATTLE, you get $3 off your new subscription. Don't worry, though. When the peeps over at Loot Crate HQ finally reveal December's theme, I will be sure to update this entry. So, stay tuned!

As always, thank you so much checking out my blog. See you again soon!

~ Mike

UPDATE: The December Loot Crate's theme has still not been revealed, but there is now a new savings code! Use SAVE3 to get $3 off new subscriptions. I'll update again once more information about the December Crate becomes available. Cheers!

UPDATE 2: The peeps over at Loot Crate HQ finally announced their December theme, which is Anniversary! On their Facebook page, they mention an exclusive Marvel item that has me extremely excited. Their new code to save you $3 off a new subscription is ANNIVERSARY. Happy Holidays!

Loot Crate - August, 2014 - Heroes

Heya, peeps! Mike here, and I'm a little late with this month's Loot Crate review. It's been a loooooong month for Jess and me at work, and since I received my box this past Monday, I've been extremely anxious to tell you all about it. In fact, the photos for this entry were taken in my company's board room before a meeting! Here, check out this "Unboxing" pic:

Don't you just love the wood pattern of my company's board room table? ^_~ Now, for those of you who haven't heard of Loot Crate, it is a monthly subscription box that caters towards "nerds" and "geeks". Each month, subscribers get a themed box of 6 to 8 items. What's interesting is that Loot Crate has different subscription programs. Here's a breakdown:

1 Month Plan - $19.37 USD / $29.95 CAD per month

3 Month Plan - $55.11 USD / $84.00 CAD per 3 months 

6 Month Plan - $105.99 USD / $162.00 CAD per 6 months

AUGUST - HEROES

Last month's Villains-themed box blew me away. It had awesome items and an incredibly imaginative custom box. When I heard about this month's theme, I was really excited and hoped for the same level of quality as the Villains box. Did Loot Crate deliver? Here's a list of what I got:

- Loot Crate Mini Magazine ($2.00 CAD)

- Loot Crate Theme Pin ($0.75 CAD)

- Mega Man Air Freshener ($5.00 CAD)

- TMNT Bandana Glasses ($7.00 CAD)

- TMNT Vinyl Figure ($10.00 CAD)

- Deadpool Magnet ($3.00 CAD)

- Exclusive Groot Pop! Figure ($15.00 CAD)

- Shwings Shoe Wings ($8.00 CAD)

- Bonus Digital Loot ($10.00 CAD)

Custom Loot Crate Box

I was pleasantly surprised by last month's custom Villains box. This month, I had a huge bout of nostalgia with the custom Heroes box I received. Do you see what that is in the photo? Yep, it's the Ninja Turtles lair! When I was a kid, I had the lair playset. It was donated when I reached adulthood, but now I have something just as cool and in a more compact form factor. Yay! ^_^

Loot Crate Mini Magazine

The design of this month's mini magazine cover is pretty cool and there is some great content inside. What slightly confuses me is the inclusion of Batman on the cover. I get that he's a hero, but DC Comics doesn't really make an appearance in this month's Loot Crate except for the Alex Ross painting in the magazine's table of contents and Batman's face in one of the magazine games. Oh, well. It's Batman, so I guess it's okay. :p

Loot Crate Theme Pin

I love this month's theme pin and I'm also happy to inform you that the print is not dark! I appreciate that the pin's design is not just a copy of the mini magazine cover art. Here, Groot has been replaced with Captain America and Leonardo has been replaced with Thor's arm, hammer, cape, and leg. I wish I could see the full art piece, though.

Mega Man Air Freshener

Jess has a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar air freshener in her car. Well, now I have Mega Man in mine! This is a cool item I couldn't even imagine existing prior to getting it. Awesome!

TMNT Bandana Glasses

By far the most useless item in this month's Loot Crate for me is the TMNT Bandana Glasses. I mean, they're kind of cool, but I would never use them. My niece would probably love them, though, so into the Christmas stocking stuffer box it goes!

TMNT Vinyl Figure

Now, this Donatello vinyl by Kidrobot is definitely not going to my niece. I love the look of the figure. Plus, it apparently glows in the dark! I can't wait to get Donatello onto my shelf. :D

Deadpool Magnet

Wait, wasn't Deadpool in the Villains box? Why, yes. Yes, he was. See, Deadpool is both a villain and a hero! Thank you, Loot Crate, for recognizing that. More Deadpool equals more awesome, and this magnet is just fantastic.

Exclusive Groot Pop! Figure

I am Groot.

Translation:

"If you haven't watched "Guardians of the Galaxy", do it NOW. It's one of the best movies of 2014, and possibly the best Marvel movie to date. When I saw this exclusive Groot Pop! vinyl with glow in the dark hand in my Loot Crate, I screeched like a little girl in the 90's at a Hanson concert. I can't describe just how much I love this item. It's easily my favourite this month."

Shwings Shoe Wings

A set of shoe wings really isn't a "heroic" item, but I admit that they are super cool and I've wanted to buy a set for a long time. Well, now I have lightning bolts on my shoes. Sweet!

Bonus Digital Loot

This card has codes that get you 3 games. I'm really excited about the Doctor Who one and "Gauntlet". I've never heard of "Defense Grid" before, but I am definitely interested since I love tower defense games. The added value in this card is much appreciated.

OVERVIEW

August was an incredible month for Loot Crate. I didn't know if the Heroes box could possibly match the Villains one, but in my opinion, it did. I am absolutely torn over whether the Groot Pop! Figure or the Deadpool socks from last month is my favourite Loot Crate item so far. The fact that I like any item this much is a comforting thought for me since it means the people at Loot Crate are doing their job of not only giving me value, but a positive and memorable nerdy experience as well.

In September, the Loot Crate theme will be "Galactic". Their Facebook group has silhouettes of the Millennium Falcon, an X-Wing, the Serenity, and the Enterprise, which has got me bristling with excitement. If you're interested in learning more about Loot Crate, please check out their Web Site. If you would like to subscribe, you can get 10% off using the code GALACTIC

As a final note, I would like to once again mentioned that my sister-in-law Felicia has a fantastic food blog that I highly recommend you check out. Go to Food Hackerette. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you for visiting. See you again soon!

~ Mike

Nerd Block - October, 2013

Welcome back for another entry. Mike here and today I'm going to be talking about Nerd Block's October, 2013 box. In case you didn't know, Nerd Block is a monthly subscription box and each month, people receive all sorts of products from "nerdy" franchises. Here is some information:

NERD BLOCK

- $19.99 USD plus shipping per month

- $30 CAD total per month in Canada

- arrives around mid-month in Canada

October, 2013

In September, we were told that the October Nerd Block would be "killer". My buddy (and fellow subscriber) Ryan and I both thought they meant something along the lines of giving us horror movie products. However, when the box arrived, we were wrong. "Killer" just meant the products would be pretty good. Well, let's see if the claim turned out to be true. Here is a list of the Nerd Block contents with approximate retail prices in brackets next to each item:

- Star Wars Darth Vader T-Shirt ($15)

- Portal 2 Sentry Turret Figure ($7)

- DC Universe Mystery Minis Vinyl Figure ($7.50)

- Spawn Mini Trading Figure ($7.50)

- Adventure Time Finn-Ominoes Game ($7)

- Marvel Erasers Series 1 Spider-Man ($1.50)

- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pad ($1.50)

I absolutely LOVE the T-Shirt. The Darth Vader design is fantastic. I wore it the day I received my Nerd Block, and when I visited Ryan, he very nearly had his on, too. But, the man was smart. He knew I'd be wearing it and decided against a "Who Wore It Better" situation. :p I didn't mention this regarding last month's box, but the T-Shirts have both been very good fits for me and of good quality. I would like to emphasize the second point since I occasionally buy shirts from "Design a Day" web sites and some of them print onto shirts I can find for a buck or less in Toronto's Chinatown. So, to have a nice quality T-Shirt sent to me by Nerd Block is a huge plus.

My wife bought me a Portal Sentry Turret blind box figure last Christmas as a stocking stuffer and I found myself taking photos of it in funny situations for weeks afterwards. So, when one showed up in my Nerd Block, I was thrilled. These figures are based on the Sentry robots from the sci-fi puzzle-solving video game "Portal", which I highly recommend. Each figure has a fun design and comes in "open" or "closed" position. The figure I got has a neat orange-red design that I think will look great on the dining table this Christmas... if

Jess will let me put it there. You will, right, honey? Please?

The DC Universe mystery figure was a bit of a surprise since I never knew this series of toys existed. I was really hoping to get one of the various Batman figures, but I got the Penguin instead. I really like the figure, which is quite solid and has a good paint job. My only complaint about the Penguin is that he looks... kind of Asian. I know it's a strange thing to get hung up on, but every time I look at my figure, all I can see is Ken Jeong from "Community" in a Penguin costume... Well, he'd make an interesting Penguin. He'd certainly pull off the nasally voice. Yeah... MOVING ON!

I didn't take a photo of the Spawn figure, but I really, really didn't like the figure I got. The series has quite a few designs and the only ones I would have wanted are all of Spawn himself. But, even if I did get a Spawn, I seriously would not have been happy since I just don't like this series of figures in general. I can't give my figure to my niece since she wouldn't know what to do with it. I can't trade with Ryan since he got a figure he likes. And,

I doubt I can sell the thing since it's so darned ugly. So, I'm stuck with a... demon... knight... thing? Just look up a picture of the back of the box, look at Row B, and it's the furthest one on the right. Anyone want to give me a quick synopsis of Spawn? I've only seen the movie.

Finn-Ominoes looks like a fun little game, but I'm going to give it away as a gift to my niece or a friend who likes Adventure Time. I have only watched a couple of episodes, and although I liked them, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the show. I do know that there are a lot of hardcore Adventure Time fans out there, especially after seeing the number of people in Finn or Jake costumes this Halloween, so I think the inclusion of Finn-Ominoes was a good idea.

The Spider-Man eraser is cheap. Very, very cheap. But, I'm both a Marvel fan and a Spidey fan, so I was all smiles when I saw the eraser. My Friendly Neighbourhood Mini Spidey is now sitting on my desk ready to take on the endless hordes of the Pencil Mistakes army. :D

Finally, we have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... What on Earth is that? A coaster? One of those sticky pads you put on your dashboard to hold your phone in place? A decoration? A wrist rest for when you're using a mouse? Who in the bloody heck thought it was a good idea to include a flat piece of rubber that says "NYC Sewer" on it? Technically, there's no indication that it's even a TMNT product. But, judging from the ooze-like design and the somewhat turtle-shell-

looking design of the sewer lid, it must be from TMNT. I've been using the pad as a coaster, so I guess in the end, it was a good idea after all, right?

I felt that the October Nerd Block was definitely a weaker showing than the September box. Although I like what was included overall, I would never have bought most of the products had I seen them in stores. Actually, I wouldn't have bought any of them except the Sentry, and even then, I already had one, so I would have bought none of these items. Having received them in my Nerd Block, however, means I "did" buy them, and to be honest, I don't regret it. That is why I didn't cancel my subscription. I did, however, tell myself that if things don't improve in November, I'm done.

To find out about the November Nerd Block, please stay tuned. It's coming soon!

~ Mike Chan