Cars 3: Robert Jamjones

Hey Disney·Pixar Cars fans! Over the last month or so I've found a bunch of new Mattel 1:55 scale diecasts and have gotten behind sharing them here on the blog—so this week I'm gonna try and catch up! Tonight I'm taking a look at such a cool and unique diecast, Robert Jamjones as seen in Cars 3. Robert was released over a month ago (I found him April 6th at Target) as is part of 2021 singles case F. He is a BRAND NEW never-before-released character.

As shown in the screen shot above, Robert is a forklift musician that can be spotted playing the guitar in the band "Sweet Tea and the Legends" at the Thomasville Cotter Pin bar. He preforms next to Sweet Tea (who was previously released—seen HERE), Pam Wheeldarrow (the drummer; just released in the latest case) and Rich Hurry (releasing this summer; Amazon listing HERE). It'll be awesome to have the whole band! What a fantastic run of releases. I absolutely love all the included accessories to recreate the scene. 

No complaints here. This is perfection! If you'd like to add this diecast to your collection, but can't find it at the store at this point, no worries! You can snag it on eBay HERE or Amazon soon I'm sure (no listing is currently up as of this post).

Have fun on the hunt and be sure to let me know if you have any questions! 

Disney·Pixar Luca Merch NOW AVAILABLE on ShopDisney!

In addition to Mattel's fantastic line of Pixar Luca toys coming July 1st (see my videos HERE & HERE) the Disney Store's exclusive line of Luca merch (plush, figurines, shirts, swim and more) is available NOW to purchase in-store and online on ShopDisney.com! Check it all out HERE. 

By the way, how amazing is that minimal art featured on the tote and a lot of the clothes? So incredibly well done—it's totally my style and I'd love to know who the artist is. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! What are your must-have items?

Disney·Pixar Maps: A Magical Atlas Of The Movies We Know And Love— A LOOK INSIDE!

Released late last summer, tonight I'm taking a look at this must-have book for Disney fans young and old —Disney Maps: A Magical Atlas of the Movies we Know and Love! I received this for this Christmas from my parents and have wanting to share it with you here ever since. Many of you I'm sure already either know about it or own in at this point, but if not, here you go and you're welcome! ;) You won't wanna miss it. 

I've always been pretty intrigued by maps and I especially enjoy maps of fictitious worlds. Even as a young kid, I would create my own maps sometimes when I would make my home movies; I essentially wanted to map out where all the action was taking place within the story/made-up world to help put things in perspective in my mind. This book combines that idea with Disney/Pixar worlds, so needless to say it was right up my alley! It does not disappoint and is worth the price for the AMAZING art alone.

Love that Pete Docter (one of my favorite Pixar directors) had the opportunity to write the book's Foreword! It's so well-written, definitely don't skip it as it's a great introduction.

Here are all the films represented/maps included in chronological order! Of course not every single Disney/Pixar animated film is featured here, but a solid 24 are. And who knows! Maybe we could see a Volume 2 with more.

Here's what you can expect to see inside; starting with the film that started all of this, Snow White!

The second half of the book is mostly made up of Pixar maps, which I was all about! Here I'll be focused on primarily showing many of those starting with Toy Story below. Enjoy your exclusive look inside!

Each film/map also has pages like these as well featuring a description of the movie, "moments to remember", fun facts and characters to look out for (almost like a "look & find" style book).

 

 

 And here's the back of the book...

Well there you go everyone! That should be enough to give you an idea whether you'd like to pick this up for your collection or not. Like I said, I highly suggest it (it truly is magical), but I can understand if it's not for you if some of your fave Disney/Pixar films aren't included here. If a second volume was made, which films would you like to see? Let me know down in the comments and stay tuned right here each week for more from my personal collection. 

Pick up Disney Maps using the affiliate link below on sale currently for just $18.49 (regular retail price is $24.99).

Toy Story Glow in the Dark Buzz Lightyear— Mattel's 7" Scale Action Figure Collection

 

Welcome back to the blog everyone! For tonight's post, I'm taking a quick look at yet another brand new release from Mattel as part of their ongoing Toy Story 7" scale action figure collection—Glow in the Dark Buzz Lightyear! While technically this isn't a new NEW figure (it was first available as an exclusive pack-in with the 2019 Star Command Spaceship Playset), it's new to me as I didn't pick that playset up for various reasons (mostly since I'm not as interested in toys that aren't canon to the films). This is the first time the figure has been released on its own on a single card and I'm very glad it was.

 

This Buzz is in the same new hard-to-find wave that also includes Combat Carl (which I reviewed HERE) and Bo Peep with Giggle McDimples (a 2021 single carded release of the 2019 Amazon exclusive Bo with Giggle). As mentioned in my post on Combat Carl, this wave is currently incredibly hard to find and has only been spotted at random stores like Nordstrom Rack, certain grocery store chains (like Meijer) and some local toy stores. I ended up finding this Glow in the Dark Buzz on eBay for around $15 (+$10 shipping, so just over $25 total which isn't too bad).

 

As far as the figure, it's literally just the standard Mattel 7" scale Buzz (the same sculpt that has been released countless times in various sets), but with the added glow in the dark paint on the main chest plate and base of the helmet area. There are no changes to the figure's facial expression or anything else. 

Though this is a subtle variant, it was a must-have for me for sure! I love the glow-in-the-dark feature. Sure, Mattel could have changed Buzz up a little more than they did, but this figure is good enough for me and I appreciate the added gimmick. It works very well as seen in my pic below! Just charge it near a bright light for about 30 seconds and then go somewhere nice and dark.

This figure has 14 points of articulation and stands at exactly 7" tall. Retail price is $9.99, but will vary slightly by location. 

Let me know your thoughts or any questions you might have below! Were you able to find this figure in stores, and if so, where? Be sure to stay tuned right here for more from my personal Pixar collection weekly. 

UPDATE: Glow in the Dark Buzz Lightyear IS in fact on Amazon, just in the Amazon exclusive box packaging. Just a heads up though, the product photo in the listing actually shows a Utility Belt Buzz, but according to the description and product reviews, it is in fact this Glow in the Dark Buzz for just $9.99. Get ordering!

Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley Hanna Anderson Organic Cotton Long John PJs

In late August of just this past year, Hanna Anderson (known for their hand-me-down quality children's clothing) released an incredibly cute line of Disney·Pixar organic cotton pajamas for little ones. Included in the collection are designs inspired by literally all my top favorite Pixar films—it's like it was made with me and my little Pixar trainee in mind! Toy Story, Monsters. Inc. (seen here in this post), Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars and Coco are all represented, with the addition of one pattern featuring a whole bunch of colorful, adorably stylized characters from across all of Pixar's golden age films. We seriously loved them all and couldn't choose which ones to get, so my parents were generous enough to buy us each design and we couldn't be more thrilled!

Each pair of pajamas originally came in many sizes, ranging from 3-6 months all the way up to size 12. Retail price for this particular pair, I believe, was $42. This is size 18-24 months and they fit my 17 month year old son perfectly right now. How amazing is this Monsters Inc. inspired design featuring Mike and Sulley? I seriously love the art so much.

Here's our son Aidan rocking the PJs!

 

And below are all the official details from Hanna's website:

 

"Our legendary organic pajamas are combed for extra softness, and finished with smooth seaming to surround them in comfort all night (and all day!). Hand-me-down quality means that 50 washes from now they'll come from the dryer bright and happy as ever."

• Organic combed cotton rib knit
• Super-smooth flatlock seams
• Encased stretch waist
• Ready-to-grow cuffs keep the fit
• STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® | 03.U.9375 HOHENSTEIN HTTI | Tested for Harmful Substances | www.oeko-tex.com/standard100
• Prewashed
• Wear snug fitting; not flame resistant.

Care:

• Machine wash warm inside out with like colors only 
• Non-Chlorine bleach when needed
• Tumble dry low
• Cool Iron on reverse side minimal

This line has unfortunately since sold out, but you may be able to find them through third party sellers if you do a little searching online. These are high quality, super cozy jammies that I can't recommend enough if you're able to get your hands on them. I'm looking forward to sharing the others we got as soon as well! What do you think? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more from my Pixar collection right here soon.

Toy Story of Terror Combat Carl— Mattel's 7" Action Figure Collection—REVIEW

Brand new from Mattel as part of their award winning Toy Story 7" action figure collection, here we have Combat Carl straight from the classic Halloween TV special, Toy Story of Terror! I've been SO excited for this release ever since I saw it revealed a few months back and I'm thrilled to have finally tracked it down with the help of some friends. 

I feel like with each new Mattel 7" release lately, they get harder and harder to find (some have yet to even come to the US and have hit the UK, Mexico and Canada first). This one currently can't be found at really any mainstream store (not at Target, Walmart or Amazon as of this posting) and has only been found by collectors at very random stores like Nordstrom Rack, Meijer Groceries and even some local toy shops. So here's how I got it [!]: My friend Today I Grew Up (you might know him from YouTube) was kind enough to give me a heads up that, through some investigating and searching hashtags on Instagram, he was able to find a locally/family owned toy store in Pennsylvania (called Big Smile Toys) that had a couple of these Combat Carls in stock! I messaged the shop on Instagram and they kindly got back to me right away letting me know they had one left available. I called to pay over the phone and Big Smile Toys sent it right to my house for a very generous price ($14.99 + around $8 shipping). This thing is selling for over $100 on eBay right now—Crazy! So needless to say, I'm super grateful to both Today I Grew Up and Big Smile Toys. A big thanks to both of them once again!

This is an excellent figure. It's sturdy/well-made, has great molded details/paint application, has a spot on likeness to the character, can stand up well on its own and has loads of articulation (14 points). What more can you want in an action figure? I also love that Mattel once again has included the removable hand feature, just as they did in 2014 with their original 4" scale Combat Carl from the Toy Story of Terror Gift Pack. Such a fantastic little movie-accurate touch—the hand pops out and snaps back in with ease. Retail price is $9.99, but price will vary slightly depending on where he's sold.

Just as a reminder, this figure isn't meant to be a full-sized 12" scale movie accurate replica, so don't expect that. This Combat Carl stands at around 8.5" tall and is purposely designed to be a part of and in scale with the rest of Mattel's 7" collection.

 

 Take a closer look at him out of the packaging! Solid.

 

Lastly, here's a comparison shot of this new 7" scale Combat Carl standing next to Mattel's original 4" scale Combat Carl from the 2014 Toy Story of Terror Gift Pack (left) and the two 7" Scale Combat Carl Jr. figures from Mattel's 2019 Antique Shop Adventure Pack (right). Be sure to check out my reviews and let me know your preferred Combat Carl figure in the comment section below!

 

 

I think that just about covers it, everyone! This figure certainly gets five out of five stars from me. I love when Mattel releases figures of the "not as obvious choices", like side and background characters. I really hope to see more of those in this line—especially from the shorts and TV specials! Who would you love to see made in Mattel's signature 7" figure collection? Shout it out down in the comments.

I'll update this post as soon as this figure becomes more widely available, but right now your best bet finding him is at Meijer, Nordtrom Rack or eBay using this direct link to current listings.

Also check out my detailed video review on my YouTube channel and be sure to like and subscribe for more content like this! 

Toy Story Buddy Packs Pull & Go Vehicles Assortment—PAGE UPDATE!

I've finally added the Toy Story 3 Pull & Go Train with exclusive lasso Woody—as part of Mattel's classic "Buddy Pack" line—to my collection! Check out my original post from 2013 HERE; now updated to reflect this new addition.

Coco: Virtual Wondrous Con 2021 Miguel Funko Soda Vinyl Figure—CHASE!

On Friday April 23rd, FunkoShop.com released this limited edition Virtual WonderCon Exclusive Disney·Pixar Coco Funko Soda Miguel vinyl figure and I was able to snag one before it sold out! Out of the 10,000 of these made, 8,400 out there are the common design and only 1,600 are the CHASE edition (hooded skeleton Miguel). Now here's the thing, I purchased this without any intent of getting the chase—it wasn't even a consideration in my mind. I've never pulled a chase in all my years of collecting and wasn't about to get my hopes up for this one only to be disappointed. Well believe it or not (I still can't believe it), I received a chase!! I was, and kinda still am, completely stunned. 

This is the first Pixar themed Funko Soda release and I couldn't not jump on the hype train! Edna Mode is next, so I'll be excited to get her when she's available soon as well. The figure comes in neat tin soda can packaging, is 4" tall and retailed for $12 (total after tax and shipping was $20.15).

Miguel looks SO awesome! You know I love stylized vinyl figures and the Funko Sodas are especially cute—count me in as a fan! I can tell already that they're a lot of fun with some great theming and can't wait to see more.

Another cool little touch is that the figures come with a small cardboard disc/pog telling you what you got (whether standard or chase) and the LE number. I really dig the art of Miguel on the back and definitely wonder who the artist is!

Well, I guess off to eBay I go now to track down the standard/common design. I certainly wasn't expecting I'd have to do that, but at least I'll be able to easily find that one at a decent price. If you're looking to add this Funko Soda to your collection, be sure to check out current eBay listing right HERE.

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What are you thoughts!? Which edition did you pull? Which Pixar character would you like to see as a Funko Soda figure? Let me know down in the comments and don't forget to check out my YouTube unboxing below. Please like the video and subscribe to my channel for more content!

Check out these CANCELED Mattel Toy Story Minis!

 

My latest YouTube video is live—Check it out for my detailed thoughts on all the CANCELED Mattel Toy Story Minis! Be sure to like and subscribe to my channel for more content like this.

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!

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