“I had the strangest dream, as if I’d posted about POGs on my weblog for an entire week.”
So I get an email from Joe, and Joe sez to me, he sez: “there’s a new Swamp Thing toy out” and I sez “okay, well, off I go then, as there’s a Major Toy Store Chain along the path from my home to my place of employment at the Ventura Comic and Cardfight Vanguard Shop and Video Deli and I shall make a stop during my journey to work, oh yes.”
And what is this toy, you dare ask? Well, there are these things called “Squinkies,” it seems, which are little squishy rubbery toys that are indeed very very tiny and perfectly sized for fitting one or four into each nostril, not that I’ve ever done that, nor have I taken pictures of it, but there is a line of DC Comics Squinkies, and you can see Joe’s pics of his own purchases right here.
The deal here is that each package of twelve “Squinkies” includes three that are “blind-packaged,” so you can’t see what they are. Swamp Thing is one of those “blind-packaged” ones, apparently to avoid riots at toy stores as people rushed in and mobbed the aisles trying to get their hands on the latest Swampy item. The blind-packaged Squinkies not randomly packed, and if you were to pick up the package marked “Series 2,” you too could have a wee elemental that looks a little something…like this:
Here’s the little guy next to somethin’ to give you a sense of scale:
The other two “blind” Squinkies in the Series 2 package are Kamandi and Sinestro, the latter of which actually looks a little like a bee from the back, or maybe a member of Stryper, what with the yellow and black costume he’s wearing.
I almost, almost bought Series 1, since there was a little squishy Darkseid in that package, but, you know, it’s already problematic as it is that I purchased the one set.
So anyway, if you’re a Swamp Thing collector and you need one of these, look for the package with a picture of Green Lantern on the backer card in the lower right hand corner…also, note that a couple of other Squinkies in the package are Batman and Aquaman, to help you identify that you’ve got the right set. And when you’re buying your Squinkies, tell ’em Mike sent you…I mean, chances are pretty good they know a Mike, they’ll just assume you mean him.
I used to enjoy reading Progressive Ruin, before it turned into a pog blog.
Oddly enough, I WOULD buy a Stryper action figure!
If I ever see a Swamp Thing Bearbrick* over here in Japan, you’ll be the first to know.
*or anything else Swampy for that matter.
Pog-gressive Ruin
Thanks Mike! Off I go!
I like his outstretched hands, as if to say “I finally make it back into the DCU, and the toy aisle, and THIS is what I get?”
Those Squinkies certainly are odd ducks.
They’re dangerously small and enticingly look like gummy bears, so that the choking hazard (or at least ingestion hazard) should be off the charts.
I had to get one not too long ago: DORMAMMU (he of DOCTOR STRANGE fame).
No. They didn’t make a DOCTOR STRANGE squinky, but gave one to his arch nemesis. No justice in the world, I tells ya.
The chances of there EVER being a MAN-THING squinkie is so remote that now SWAMPY has proven his superiority in all things…er…swampy.
Damn.
(and seriously, Mikester, if you come across Ghost Rider Hero Cap SKULL PACKS, I call dibs. Need a few to complete my GR pog collection. Hey, Lots of Doctor Strange goodness in those. Don’t judge me!…please, don’t judge… *sob*)
~P~
That Swamp Thing Squinkie looks…how do I put this?…not normal.
that’s kinda the point
I JUDGE YOU!