Finding Nemo: Funko POP

For Valentine's Day yesterday, my wife Brita got me a couple very thoughtful Pixar presents...one of them being the newly released Crush Funko POP vinyl figure! You get it? Because I'm her biggest "crush." ; )

I'm a big fan of the ever so popular trend of stylized vinyl products out there right now. From Vinylmation to Mighty Muggs to Funkos, I love them all! 

When I saw a couple months ago that Funko was making four Finding Nemo POP vinyls, I couldn't wait. I love the designs of these guys, especially Crush! It's so fun how they designed him to stand up (with perfect balance, I might add) on his fins. I love the chill "chill surfer dude" expression they went for as well. 

 

This is my first of the four Nemo Funkos released. I can't wait for the rest! The other three include Nemo, Dory and Bruce...look for those right here coming soon!

If you see these, especially if you're a Finding Nemo fan, you have to pick them up! You will love them, for play or display.

A BIG thanks to my wife Brita for this; what a fun surprise! Look for more of my Valentine's Day surprises here on the blog over the next few days.

UPDATE- 3/21/14

For St. Patrick's Day presents a few days ago, my awesome and thoughtful wife Brita hooked me up with the last three Finding Nemo Funko POP vinyl figures that I needed to finish off the collection! Normally, the requirement for a St. Patrick's day gift is that it has to have some kind of green in but I justified that these are great for the holiday since Marlin was very "lucky" to have found Nemo.

As usual, these are great designs and look great on display. Nemo's "lucky fin" is a great detail and I especially like the way they did Dory. These are really fun pieces that I recommend for any Pixar, Disney, or Finding Nemo Fan!

 Here they are all together-

 

Like mentioned these really are fun for kids and adults alike so definitely pick these up if you haven't already. You can find them on Amazon (Crush, Nemo, Bruce, and Dory) or on eBay below:

 Finding Nemo: Funko POP vinyls

Again, a big thanks to Brita for these great presents. My Pixar Funko collection is just about complete! 

Toy Story: Toy Story Midway Mania 9" Vinylmation

Image courtesy of Disney

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

I was thrilled to wake up this morning to a care package from my parents with some Valentine's Day Pixar love in it! Ever since I was little, my parents always got us some presents for V-day...but the rule was they had to have red or pink in them somewhere!
 

I couldn't believe it when I opened this one. Such an awesome surprise! This is a Vinylmation I didn't even know was out there until just a couple weeks ago. It's a 9" Park series 9 edition based off the very classy Toy Story Midway Mania ride found both at Disney World's Hollywood Studios and California Adventure. It takes the same basic design of the ride's vehicle (as seen in the image above) and even comes with a 3" vinyl designed after the carnival style game targets also as featured in the ride!

This is a limited edition of only 1000 made. 

 

  On the sides of the head, you can see Woody and Bullseye. Again, this just like on the ride's vehicle. Great touch! 

 

 And here it is out of the box in all its glory! This is gonna make a phenomenal display piece.

Toy Story Mania has always been one of my absolute favorite rides at the Disney parks since it opened back in 2008. After all these years, it still proves to be one of the most popular attractions with almost a consistent wait time of an hour or more! I can see why though...it's just an absolute blast and a really fun time. We try to get on at least three times when we're there if we can! I'm glad I now have the fun of the ride represented as a collectible. 

 

 

 If you interested in picking one of these up yourself, you can find it on eBay here:

Toy Story Mania 9" Vinylmation

Thanks SO much to my awesome parents as usual. More posts to come so stay tuned!

In addition, here's another reminder to get festive today and vote for your favorite Pixar couple over at The Pixar Post Forum! If you haven't registered, it only takes a moment. I can't recommend it enough!

Up: The Insider's (Essential) Guide

 Since I was little, I always liked the DK publishing's "Essential Guide" books to all my favorite movies...Pixar films are of course no exception! These books always chock-full of lots of fun info about characters, plot points, props, fun trivia ("Did you know?" facts), quotes, stats and much more! They are definitely geared more to a younger crowed, but I still say they're great for learning so many simple things about the films that you might not get from just watching them. I especially like this one since I really don't have very many items from Up.

Here's an example of a couple of the fun pages you can expect:

 

  You can still get this book on Amazon new for really cheap! Or if you're more of an eBay person, check it out here.

 You can find an "Essential Guide" for every Pixar film except A Bug's Life.

Check out my "Books" label to the right the explore my growing collection of Pixar books and see more of the Essential Guides that I own. More to come!

Cars 2: Magen Carrar

One of the brand new cars just released this year. here is Magen Carrar from Cars 2! This is a 1:55 scale diecast car from Mattel.

Magen is part of the new 2014 sub-line called "Allinol Blowout" and is a "chase" edition car (meaning much less of these were made and are much harder to find).

 In the film (screen shot above), she can be seen during the end of the Porto Corsa race scene when the cars are being blown out by the lemons. She and a few other cars off to the sidelines get upset over allinol while kicking cans and knocking down signs. Magan and others drive on the allinol sign out of frustration.

What's cool about this car is the extra accessory she comes with! Included in the package is the allinol sign (that is knocked over in the film) with skid marks all over it. I think that accessories like this are fun and think that they should be included with cars more often!

A big thanks to some good friends of mine who were able to track this down and pick it up for me. I love it! 

If you're a fan of Pixar Cars, you'll be happy to know in the next few weeks there will be almost nothing but the cars from my collection being posted...so stay tuned!

Thanks so much for dropping by and be sure to check back daily to see more items from my Pixar collection.

Monsters University: Disney Store Lithogragh Set

Disney/Pixar released two sets of lithographs in 2013 with the release of the DVD and Blu-ray in the fall. There was a set of four concept art prints from Disney Movie Rewards that was available to order when you purchased a copy of the film (seen here) and this one, which you received free by pre-ordering the film through the Disney Store!

For those wondering, a lithograph is defined as "a type of printing process during which original works of art can be printed and reproduced; the final product is also known as a lithograph, which is an authorized copy of an original work created by an artist."

These lithographs are movie stills printed on a high quality, glossy paper material and come in the beautiful slip cover seen above and below. The size of each print is 10"X 14".

 

 Each print has the "Disney Store Authentic" logo confirming each lithograph is genuine. 

 

I love the selection of stills here. They're all so well printed with extremely vivid and vibrant colors. They really capture the heart and feel of the film.

 

I look forward to being able to matte and frame these prints to display in my future Pixar office. I know they'll look fantastic!

A giant thanks to my friend Brian Hughes who was kind enough to send me over this extra set he had since he had per-ordered the movie twice! You're the man, I really appreciate it!

If you're interested, you can find this on eBay below!

Monsters University Disney Store Lithograph Set

Pixar Collection: Little Golden Books PAGE UPDATE-Mater and the Ghost Light

Today's post is a page update to my collection of Little Golden Books...Mater and the Ghost Light! Visit the original post here and scroll down to see the update. 

As usual, thanks for visiting! Be sure to check back daily as many more items from my Pixar collection will be added soon.

Pixar Collection: Pixar Series 2 Vinylmation PAGE UPDATE- Mr. Pricklepants

Today's post is yet another (and FINAL!) page update my Pixar Series 2 post. Mr. Pricklepants here, everyone's favorite thespian "German Beaver", was the very last one I needed to wrap this series up. Visit the original post here and scroll down to see the update!

Finding Nemo: The Essential Guide

Since I was little, I always liked the DK publishing's "Essential Guide" books to all my favorite movies...Pixar films are of course no exception! These books always chock-full of lots of fun info about characters, plot points, props, fun trivia ("Did you know?" facts), quotes, stats and much more! They are definitely geared more to a younger crowed, but I still say they're great for learning so many simple things about the films that you might not get from just watching them.

Here's an example of a couple of the fun pages you can expect:

 

You can still get this book on Amazon new for about $15. Or if you're more of an eBay person, check it out here!

 You can find an "Essential Guide" for every Pixar film except A Bug's Life.

Check out my "Books" label to the right the explore my growing collection of Pixar books and see more of the Essential Guides that I own. More to come!

Monsters University: Sweatshirt

Here's another great item that was released as part of the Monsters University marketing campaign! About eight months before the film's release (and before we knew hardly anything about the film), Pixar created a "school website"  that acted as though MU was a real school. This sweatshirt/hoodie was available at the "MU Store" section of the site where you could find lots of typical college store type items such as shirts, pennants, mugs, hats, etc. 

This was then also available at the DisneyStore.com a little bit later. It has since sold out at the Disney Store but the MU Store seems to still have it in stock...and on sale! Definitely head on over there if you're interested.

If you're a fan of MU and want to show off your "school pride", this is for you! As always, it's really well made and comfortable. No complaints about the quality here! I love the simple design and I'm so happy I finally had a chance to get this. A big thanks to my Grandad since this was a Christmas present from him! I really appreciate it.

Have any questions? Just let me know! Shoot them off in the comments below or send me an email.

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to check back daily for more items from my Pixar collection!

Toy Story: Disney Store Buzz Lightyear

So around Christmas time, this Disney Store version of Buzz was on sale for a steal of a deal. Even though I already have the definitive Toy Story Collection (TSC) Buzz, I just had to grab this one for three words: Karate Chop Action. I don't usually ever get two of the same character (in a case like this) but I couldn't help myself with this one.

As much as I love the TSC version, I was a little disappointed that they didn't add the classic "Karate Chop Action" as seen in the movie as well as the helmet "swoosh thing." 

This Buzz has basically everything the TSC version has (opening wrist communicator, light up pop out wings, laser, glow in the dark paint and the voice simulator) but adds the "Karate Chop Action" and, for lack of a better term, a half "swoosh thing" (meaning the button on the side of his helmet does make the helmet go up, but only half way. In the movie, it goes all the way back. I guess a half swoosh is better than no swoosh :). 

Now, I'm not saying that this one is better than the TSC one (as I know this one is of a much less quality make and sells for only $25), but it was cool enough to get (and worth the small price tag) for the additional features.

NOTE: Just so my TSC Buzz doesn't feel bad (since I think he reads this blog ;), I need to clarify that he has not been replaced. I like both for different reasons and this Buzz will be a great starter Buzz to give to my kids someday before they get old enough for the higher quality TSC one.

 

 The two main complaints I hear about this Buzz is:

 1.) that the sound of the laser is not the same sound heard in the film (which I would agree) 

 2.) That he breaks easily (this I can't confirm since I don't play rough with him like a little kid would. He seems pretty well made to me for only $25).

Overall for me personally, I'm actually really happy with this Buzz! He stands easily without falling, has "an impressive wingspan" and has a pretty movie accurate facial expression. 

 

Below is a video of his features in action (sorry for the quality, it's just recorded on my little point and shoot camera and it was hard to show all the features with just one hand). 

 

As always, a big thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate the support I've been getting and hope you visit back here again soon. Check back daily for even more items from my Pixar collection!

Monsters University: Roll a Scare Monsters PAGE UPDATE-Dean Hardscrabble

Today's post is a page update to the ever so classic Monsters University "Roll a Scare monsters" line...Dean Hardscrabble! Visit the original post (wow, my very first one back on June 30th, last year! I was much less detailed then :) to see the update and much more on this awesome little toy.

Pixar Collection: Mug Set Part 2

Following my previous posts on this fantastic Disney/Pixar line of collectibles (see also the first mug set, a note card set, a notebook, an iPhone case, a Sticky Note Set, stickers and a pencil/eraser set, here is part two of the two mug sets available! These were available first as a D23 convention exclusive last August and then made their way to the Disney Store's website (thankfully). These have since sold out but can be found on eBay for about $40. 

This particular set of four includes Buzz, Dash, Wall-E and Flik ceramic mugs (dishwasher safe). I've loved the designs of these things ever since I saw them online last year at the convention coverage! I'm so happy I was able to get these for Christmas from my in-laws (thank you so much!).

The insides of the mugs match the color of the handle of the corresponding mug. I love how vibrant the colors are in all the Pixar films and these mugs really exemplify that. These pictures don't do these mugs justice! They are even cooler in person.

The packaging for these things is also great..love the nod to their iconic Luxo Jr and ball on the bottom!

All in all, another amazing product from Disney and Pixar. Everything here is really well made and a lot larger than I expected! I can't wait to have a place to display these (no, they won't be used for drinking from) along side the other set that was also released. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to come back daily if you're interested in seeing more from my Pixar collection. Stay tuned! 

Ratatouille: Art of Book

Here we have yet another phenomenal "Art of" book by Karen Paik and Chronicle Publishing...The Art of Ratatouille!

Ratatouille is an absolute beautiful film, from the all aspects of the animation to the story to the musical score, everything is just about perfection in my eyes. 

Director Brad Bird and his creative team did an outstanding job at bringing the simple (and at first, maybe a bit odd) premise of "a rat wants to become a chef" to the screen. It's truly an inspiring film with a beautiful message and tremendous heart.

It's a great experience reading through this book as you really feel the love and dedication that went into it. The art (like the film) is a real treat to look at and, as always, it's fun to see concept art of abandoned ideas and designs. 

 

 This well made, hardcover, 160 page book goes in depth into the making and art of the film. From the very beginning concepts to deciding on one of the many logos created for the film's release. It also includes a foreword by John Lasseter and an introduction by Brad Bird that you won't want to skip by.

 

 Ratatouille will forever be an instant classic and a favorite amongst Disney/Pixar fans. If you love this film as much as I do, go ahead and pick this up on Amazon for $30.00. I haven't read through the entire book yet, but I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. Please, if you have any questions or comments, shoot them off below. For other ways to contact me, use the "Contact Me/Social Media" page above. 

 If you're interested in other Pixar books that I own, click the "Books" label to your right.

As always, thank you very much for visiting this blog. I really appreciate the support!  Feel free to come back daily as you won't want to miss the many more items coming soon!

Pixar Collection: Pixar Series 2 Vinylmation PAGE UPDATE -Mrs. Incredible

Today's post is yet another update to my Pixar Series 2 Vinylmation page...Mrs. Incredible! Visit the original post here and scroll down for the update. Thanks for visiting!

Monsters University: Rolling Luggage

In honor of Monster University at the Annie Awards tonight, here is another surprise item that my parents got me for this past Christmas...the Disney Store exclusive Monsters University Rolling Luggage! 

You're probably thinking, "wait a second... wait a second, I know you collect toys, but aren't you a little old to be wheeling around Pixar luggage like this?" Yes I am, you're absolutely right.

I actually got this to save to give to my kids someday. Being a fan of MU, I'm so happy I got this since it won't be around for much longer. It definitely won't be around by the time my kids are old enough to use it! 

 

I really love the design of this and all the details all over...including the decorative horns and the feet that stick out off the luggage! The outer material is a soft, shiny, vinyl-type plastic material. The handle is of course retractable, features rolling wheels and includes a top carry strap. Inside there are two interior sections divided by zippered lining. In case you're wondering how big this thing is, the luggage itself (not counting the handle) is 14" high and 18" wide.

 

Additionally, like most luggage, there is a window pocket/ID tag just in case this luggage needs to be tracked down.

 

If you have a little MU/ Pixar fan at home and are interested in getting this for them for your next family vacation, now would be the time to get it before it's gone! It is marked down on the DisneyStore.com for only $14.99.

What was also SO cool was what was inside this when I opened it for Christmas. There was Pixar in Concert tickets (which we attended at the beginning of January, you can read my full write up of that here) and a little toddler size MU Oozma shirt (which I will post about soon). I was so excited! A big thanks to my parents for this thoughtful present! I'm really happy I have it.

If you're interested in more of my collection, come back daily! In the mean time, you can explore my previous posts by using the organized labels to the right. Thank you so much for visiting and please comment if you have any questions!

Good luck to Dan Scanlon and the entire incredible team tonight! I really hope you take the award home...no other animated film deserves it more!

Update: One final note—On the amazing Pixar Post Forums (over at Pixarpost.com), if you haven't registered there, definitely get involved!), there is a new post from my wife Brita who would like YOU to vote for your "Favorite Pixar Couple"in celebration of Valentine's Day coming up! Get festive this February and vote here.