Soul: Little Golden Book Review

I've finally found the time to take a closer look at the Disney·Pixar Soul Little Golden Book—released October 20th, 2020 (a surprising two full months before the film hit Disney+)! Little Golden Books, like with many people, are a classic part of my childhood; so naturally when Pixar themed Little Golden books (based on the feature length and short films as well as some original stories) began to be published back in 2003 (Finding Nemo was the very first), I jumped right on the chance to collect them all. To this day, I still get super excited for each new release year after year. They're one of the most consistent additions to my collection—I can always count on a new Little Golden Book to coincide with the release of every new Pixar film these days and they're always so well done. This one is no exception.

Making a family animated film that explores deep themes such as death, your life's purpose and the meaning of one's existence is a big enough task on its own—as such, it must have been extremely difficult to streamline the story even further for a short children's book. The complex story of Soul was once again brilliantly adapted here by Courtney Carbone (who did another fabulous job condensing and simplifying the film's main story points for little ones; just as she did with Onward)), illustrated by the talented Nick Balian & Sophia Lin (amazing work you two), and designed by Tony Fejeran—so yah, almost the exact team as the Onward Little Golden Book. Usually they mix up the illustrators and writers with every new release, but it's really cool that these last two were done by essentially the same creators. The art is honestly the main reason I love collecting and look forward to these books and it doesn't disappoint here. I just can't help but love the vintage flair! 

The first Little Golden Books were published back in 1942, so needless to say, this collection has really stood the test of time. Hundreds of titles later and it's still going strong! I love how even the modern Little Golden Books (like this one here) tap into the nostalgia of their old time publications and are still created in a similar, [now considered] "retro", fashion.

Now let's continue your exclusive sneak peek inside... 

Illustrator Sophia Lin said in one of her recent Instagram posts, "I had the amazing opportunity last year to collaborate with the super talented Nick Balian on the Little Golden Book for the movie SOUL! Nick created all the clean layouts plus some initial color work and I got to stylize and paint the final look! l love the movie and it was such a blast to help illustrate this book!" It was fun reading some "behind the scenes" content, so thanks for sharing Sophia! 

This hardcover book is the standard Little Golden Book size of 8" tall x 6.5" wide, is 24 pages long and retails for $4.99. If you and/or your little ones at home enjoyed Soul like I did, you'll certainly want to pick this up for your collection. It's perfection—sure to be a hit at story time! I picked mine up on Amazon (direct link below), but you can also find it at Barnes & Noble or where ever Little Golden Books are sold. It's also available digitally, but I'm all about hard copies.

What are your thoughts? Shout it all out down in the comments and hopefully we can get a conversation going. I'd love to hear your review as well.

Final note: You can explore my entire Pixar Little Golden Book collection HERE! There's one for every single Pixar film so far except A Bug's Life (I know, sad but true). Hopefully we'll get that one someday!

Follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan

Mattel Disney·Pixar Luca Toys REVEALED! Here's Your "First Look"...

Here's your first look at toys from Pixar's upcoming film, Luca (premiering June 18th on Disney Plus)! These—and much more—are being released by Mattel within the next month, so stay tuned for more in-depth reviews right here soon. 

Be sure to like the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Ratatouille Postcard (Artwork by Joey Chou)

Bon appétit! From one of my favorite artists, the brilliantly talented Joey Chou, comes this Disney·Pixar Ratatouille inspired print titled, well, "Ratatouille"! This gorgeous artwork was released this past January/February at the 2021 Epcot International Festival of the Arts and follows Chou's previous eight Pixar creations which include: The Good Dinosaur (see HERE & HERE), Finding Dory, Up, Cars, The Incredibles, Coco and Monsters Inc. I would absolutely love to see every Pixar film in Chou's portfolio someday. He's well on his way at this point!

This is, per usual, the standard 4x5 postcard size I always collect (the best value for this art, retailing at only $5.99—also great if you don't have much wall space), but it's also available as a Deluxe size 14x18 matted print and a 18x24 Canvas Wrap.

 

I'll be reiterating what I said in my previous post since it honestly all applies here. Chou's style is incredibly adorable and instantly identifiable once you know it. It's a unique balance of minimal designs, bright/soft colors and simple shapes/sharp lines. I couldn't even begin to pick a favorite piece he's done, but this one is up there now for sure; especially given Ratatouille is one of my all-time favorite Pixar films! I know I basically say that every time, but he just keeps topping himself. Just WOW. It's all perfection—vibrant, masterfully composed and cute as can be. It really captures the magic, heart and charm of the film with a touch of whimsy.
 

At this point, this can most likely still be found at the Disney Springs (or Downtown Disney in CA) Wondeground Gallery shop. If you're interested in this for your collection but can't make it there, your best bet tracking it down would be checking out current eBay listings HERE (that's what I had to do—I ended up paying around $15 for it).

 

Note: I also wanted to mention that there are two Pixar limited edition Joey Chou prints (seen below) that I don't have as they were not released at Disney and were never available in this convenient postcard size—a Wall·E one and an Inside Out one. Both are absolutely brilliant and I really hope to add them to my collection one day! 

I can't wait to see what else Chou creates throughout the year. What film would you love to see him tackle next?  Whatever it might be, consider it purchased. Find out more about Joey Chou and his art on his Tumblr, blog, and Facebook page. If you like what you see, give him a follow on Instagram and Twitter as well! He's an awesome guy.

 

Be sure to let me know all your thoughts in comment section below. Stay tuned to more from my Pixar collection right here daily!

 

Follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan

Monsters Inc. Sulley "Duckz" Rubby Ducky Toy (Target Dollar Spot)

Earlier this year, Target released a really cute assortment of Disney inspired mini rubber ducky bath toys—called "Duckz"— at their signature "Dollar Spot" area for just $1. The first wave included rubber ducky versions of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pooh, Tigger and Ariel. They proved to be decently popular and always seemed to sell out quickly with each restock. More recently, within the last month or so, a second wave of these Duckz hit the Dollar Spot bins featuring Donald Duck, Sulley, Elsa and [two characters not from Disney, but DC Comics] Batman and Wonder Woman. I've included photos of both waves there at the store (wave 1 on the left; wave 2 on the right) in the photo above. 

My son Aidan loves Mickey and Sulley as characters—as well as his traditional bathtime rubber ducky— so this mashup couldn't have been more perfect for him. I picked up those two for his Easter basket and they've been a new favorite of his during bathtime ever since. Because this is a Pixar blog, I'll just be focusing in on Sulley here, but you can see the Mickey I purchased in the last pic below as well.

These measure roughly 2.5" tall, 2" wide and 2" long (again, they're mini) and do not squeak. They can take in water from the bottom and it can be squirted out, but these aren't necessarily bath squirter toys. That's really all there is to them! They're very cute, that's the main draw here. Kids will love them and some older collectors may even want to display them.

If your little one loves Disney and rubber duckies, you'll definitely want to pick a few of these up for bath time. You may still be able to find them at your local Target, so be sure to check there first. If no luck, you can check out current eBay listings HERE.

Let me know your thoughts below! Did you collect any of these?

Follow me on Instagram @danthepixarfan

Monsters Inc. Postcard (Artwork by Joey Chou)

Calling all Monsters fans—From one of my favorite artists, the brilliantly talented Joey Chou, comes this Disney·Pixar Monsters Inc. inspired print titled, well, "Monster Inc"! This gorgeous artwork was released this past January/February at the 2021 Epcot International Festival of the Arts and follows Chou's previous seven Pixar creations which include: The Good Dinosaur (see HERE & HERE), Finding Dory, Up, Cars, The Incredibles and Coco. I would absolutely love to see every Pixar film in Chou's portfolio someday. By the way, spoiler alert, I'll also be posting on his brand new 2021 Ratatouille piece soon as well.

This is, per usual, the standard 4x5 postcard size I always collect (the best value for this art, retailing at only $5.99—also great if you don't have much wall space), but it's also available as a Deluxe size 14x18 matted print and a 18x24 Canvas Wrap.

 

Chou's style is incredibly adorable and instantly identifiable once you know it. It's a unique balance of minimal designs, bright/soft colors and simple shapes/sharp lines. I couldn't even begin to pick a favorite piece he's done, but this one is up there now for sure; especially given Monsters, Inc. is in my top 3 Pixar films! I know I basically say that every time, but he just keeps topping himself. Just WOW. It's all perfection—vibrant, masterfully composed and cute as can be. It really captures the magic, heart and emotion of the film's final moments. So iconic.
 

At this point, this can most likely still be found at the Disney Springs (or Downtown Disney in CA) Wondeground Gallery shop. If you're interested in this for your collection but can't make it there, your best bet tracking it down would be checking out current eBay listings HERE (that's what I had to do—I ended up paying around $15 for it).

 

Note: I also wanted to mention that there are two Pixar limited edition Joey Chou prints (seen below) that I don't have as they were not released at Disney and were never available in this convenient postcard size—a Wall·E one and an Inside Out one. Both are absolutely brilliant and I really hope to add them to my collection one day! 

 

I can't wait to see what else Chou creates throughout the year. What film would you love to see him tackle next?  Whatever it might be, consider it purchased. Find out more about Joey Chou and his art on his Tumblr, blog, and Facebook page. If you like what you see, give him a follow on Instagram and Twitter as well! He's an awesome guy.

 

Be sure to let me know all your thoughts in comment section below. Stay tuned to more from my Pixar collection right here daily!

Toy Story 4 "Minis" Blind Bag Collection (by Mattel)—Complete Guide!

At long last! I'm very, very late here (hopefully someone still finds this helpful), but here's my much anticipated guide to all four series in Mattel's Toy Story 4 Minis collection—with blind bag codes! As you probably know if you're an avid reader of my blog, I'm a big fan of Mattel's Toy Story/Pixar "Minis". I have been since they came out back in 2016! I started collecting them right when the original Series 1 debuted way back when and have followed the line closely ever since, getting any "Minis" branded toy I could get my hands on (from blind bag figures, to multipacks, to playsets to vehicles and so on).

Before I move on here to discussing the four Toy Story 4 specifically branded blind bag series from 2019, here are links to every single one of my previous Toy Story Minis posts from over the years:

Original Toy Story Minis (2016-2018):

• Toy Story Minis Series 1 Blind Bags
• Toy Story Minis 10-Pack  
• Toy Story Minis Series 3 Blind Bags
• Toy Story Minis Vehicles  
• Toy Story Minis Playsets  
• Toy Story Minis Series 4 Blind Bags
• Toy Story Minis Series 5 Blind Bags   
• Toy Story Minis Series 6 Blind Bags

Toy Story 4 Minis (2019):

• Toy Story 4 Minis Ultimate New Friends 10-Pack
• Toy Story 4 Minis Vehicles
• Toy Story 4 Minis Terrorantulus Playset 
• Toy Story 4 Minis Buzz Lightyear's Star Adventurer Playset 
• Toy Story 4 Minis Buzz Lightyear Carnival Rescue Trackset (Mashup with Hot Wheels)
• THIS POST! Toy Story 4 Blind Bags—All 4 Series
  

  Toy Story Minis (2020 and Beyond):

• Toy Story "Andy's Toy Box" Series  
• Toy Story Pizza Planet Minis Mania Playset
• Toy Story Sarge & Helicopter Vehicle Set
• Pixar All-Star Rivals Series (includes a few Toy Story characters)
• Toy Story 2 "Al's Toy Barn" Series (haven't found yet)
  

There you go! That should help you get organized if you're trying to just get into collecting these now or if you just wanted to make sure you're not missing any as part of your collection.

Now moving to the Toy Story 4 blind bag codes guide I created for you, since I know that's probably all you're here for. In 2019, there were three officially numbered Toy Story 4 series (labeled "Series 1", "Series 2" and "Series 3") and one offshoot series without a number that was available exclusively at Kroger stores. The codes are printed on the back corner of each blind bag (I've provided examples below of where on the bag you're looking for and what they look like).

Many of the characters in each series below had already been released in past series, so I'm only documenting the NEW minis here that I haven't already documented in previous posts. For example, for Series 1, Forky and that particular version of Buzz were the only ones I didn't already have. I had already gotten Ducky, Bunny, Bo Peep, Duke Caboom, Benson and Gabby Gabby in the "Ultimate New Friends 10-Pack", the same version of Woody was also included in the RV vehicle set which I got, and Jessie, Rex and Bullseye are the same as the original versions I got back in 2016.

So yah, to clarify—if you don't see a photo below of a certain character, that doesn't mean I didn't get it. It just means I already purchased it previously.

SERIES 1

Forky

Buzz Lightyear

*based on original minis Buzz sculpt, but with a new face

SERIES 2

*I already posted on Woody, Slinky, Pricklepants, Barbie and Buttercup as they are repacks from other series.

 

An example of one of the "blind bag codes"—This is code "D"

Forky (version 2—new expression)

Bo Peep (version 2—cape, new pose)

RC

Benson (version 2—open mouth expression)

Buzz Lightyear (winking/laser-firing)

*based on original winking/laser-firing Buzz sculpt, but with a new face

Giggle McDimples

Combat Carl

SERIES 3

 *I already posted on Bo Peep, Alien and Trixie as they are repacks from other series.

 

Another  example of one of the "blind bag codes"—This is code "B"

Forky (version 3—new expression)

Giggle McDimples (version 2—sunglasses)

Duke Caboom (version 2—helmet on)

Combat Carl (version 2—volcano attack)

Ducky (version 2—green variant)

Bunny (version 2—purple variant)

Just a note because I know you're probably wondering why there's a purple Bunny and Green Ducky; it's because the scene in the film at the carnival game booth was originally going to feature lots of different colored versions of Ducky and Bunny toys—like these two. This is according to my contact at Mattel who worked on the line. That concept obviously didn't make the final cut of the film, but the toys were still produced.

Woody (with lasso)

*based on original Woody with lasso sculpt, but with a new face

 

Jessie (version 2—winking)

Buzz Lightyear (blue flame jetpack)

 *based on original blue flame jetpack Buzz sculpt, but with a new face

 

 

KROGER EXCLUSIVE SERIES 

(NO NUMBER)

*This series is mostly made up of repacks and subtle new variants. I've posted the only ones that are unique to this series below. 

 

Forky (version 4—new expression)

Astro Buzz Lightyear (glow in the dark)

*same as the TS4 Series 1 Buzz above, but with glow in the dark paint

Giggle McDimples (version 3—new expression)

Bo Peep's Sheep 

Billy, Goat & Gruff (version 2—with lost toy "stickers")

  

Bo Peep (version 3—new expression)

Though at first glance you might see this Bo Peep and think it's exactly the same as the Series 1 Bo, it's actually a *slightly* different new version with an updated facial expression! It's not quite as different as the packaging suggests, but it is certainly different enough. As you can see in my comparison shot below (Series 1 Bo on the left and this Kroger Series Bo on the right), her eyes are now rounder (and looking off to the side), her eyeliner is now brown and her eyebrows are in a slightly different position. 

This updated version of Bo has also now been released in the Pixar All-Star Rivals Series as well.

Well everyone, that's all of the 2019 Toy Story 4 Minis! I'm so glad they're finally documented here as part of my collection and I hope my guide to all the blind bag codes is still helpful to someone out there all these years later. Please let me know if you have any questions down in the comments below! Do you have a favorite Toy Story 4 mini?