RICK AND MORTY SEASON 4 ON BLURAY AND DVD

WARNER BROS HOME ENTERTAINMENT SPONSORED THIS POST

The most recent season of high-flying antics by that crazy scientist Rick whose science experiments and inventions always seem to get his grandson Morty in a pickle is now available to add to your home entertainment video library. RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4 is out on Blu-ray and DVD. All 10 episodes that originally aired on Cartoon Network's mature audience late night programming block Adult Swim are included in the home video release as well as bonus material including an "Inside the Episode" featurette for every episode.

Admit it ... we all have days being the KING OF S#!T. Thanks to Warner Bros Home Entertainment for sending me this Funko Pop! of Rick on this throne to promote the release of Season 4 on Blu-ray and DVD. Hey this vinyl figure even has sound effects! Rick gets himself and Morty into a lot of doo-doo in Season 4. This cord cutter who missed out on seeing the season on cable is geeked to catch up on the newest intergalactic misadventures of Rick and Morty.

I'm going to have to mix up some pickle slushes for a binge watching snack! 

The Blu-ray and DVD of RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4 contain ten commercial free 22 minute episodes. If you are a fan of Colonial Vipers and Cylons you'll especially get a kick out of the episode "Rattlestar Ricklactica." Of course this sci-fi themed cartoon also makes sure to include plenty of Star Wars references in its shows too!

You can purchase RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4 on DVD and BLU-RAY from Best Buy. They even have an exclusive SteelBook edition. If you buy the 10-episode collection using a Geek Daddy affiliate link this dad blogger will receive a small commission at no additional cost to your bill. Your support of ageekdaddy.com is appreciated!

Despicable Me 3 Giveaway

You'll go BANANAS just like a Minion for this great Despicable Me 3 prize pack! The third installment of Despicable Me is a must-see animated movie for a family outing to the movie theater this summer.  My family are huge fans of this movie franchise and to share our anticipation for the theatrical release of Despicable Me 3 I've partnered with The Hopping Bloggers to put together an awesome prize pack we're giving away! One lucky, randomly selected entrant will win over $100 in Despicable Me swag that includes:

• 3 Movie Collection on Blu-Ray: Minions, Despicable Me, & Despicable Me 2
• Despicable Me 3 Learn to Read Book
• Despicable Me 3 Mega Construx Building Set
• Despicable Me 3 Mystery Plush
• Despicable Me 3 Operation
• Despicable Me 3 Fluffy Funko Pop
• Despicable Me 3 Spy Gru Funko Pop

Synopsis Gru (Steve Carell) and his wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) must stop former '80s child star Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) from achieving world domination.

Despicable Me comes to theaters June 30th!

Connect with Despicable Me

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | #DespicableMe3

Enter to win this Despicable Me 3 Prize Pack using the form below.
GOOD LUCK!

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Fun Fathers Day Gifts for the HBO Fan

 ** I partnered with HBO for this post but the following selections and opinions are my own **

Winter is coming ... in July!  HBO's Game of Thrones' seventh season begins July 16, 2017 and lots of dads like myself will be tuning in to what promises to be the most epic season yet of the popular television show.  Falling just a few weeks before the show's return, Fathers Day marks the perfect opportunity to give Games of Thrones merchandise from the HBO Shop to a dad who is eager to learn the fate of Westeros.

Every guy I know would be thrilled to possess a real life sword of Valyrian steel and rush into combat against the dreaded White Walkers and their zombie hoards.  While that obviously isn't going to happen, you can provide dad with a Long Claw (one of the mighty swords from the show) letter opener that will allow him to slice open his mail while imagining he is on a Game of Thrones battlefield.  This replica of the famed sword from the House of Mormont of Bear Island has a die-cast metal handle and stainless steel blade.

Admit it all dads roll their eyes at the though of getting the trademark Fathers Day gifts of ties, underwear and socks.  This year though you can actually put a smile on dad's face by giving him socks with the Game of Thrones Sigil Knit Box Set.  These three pairs of socks in blue, black and grey featuring the banners of the three major houses of Westros are subtle and classy enough to wear with a suit; yet are also comfortable to go with a casual look.  Game of Thrones fan can feel like a knight of Westeros as they walk about wearing a grey direwolf of House Stark, the three headed dragon of House Targaryen, or the gold lion of House Lannister.

For the active dad on the go pick out a Game of Thrones Sigel Swell Bottle to help him stay hydrated when he is out and about.  This reusable drinkware will highlight to people that he is a Game of Thrones fan as it features each of the banners for the houses of Lannister, Targaryen and Stark.

Want to give dad a home-made present for Fathers Day?  Make some Game of Thrones cookies for him that he can enjoy while watching the show.  The HBO Shop has cookie cutters so you can bake him a special treat shaped like the banners of all the major players in the Game of Thrones.

Show dad he is the king of the house by bestowing on him a replica of the crown of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros for Fathers Day.  This replica of the one from the TV series was made from a direct casting of the original screen-used prop to provide the utmost accuracy to it.  It is crafted from actual metal to provide it with heft, embedded with reproduction gemstones, and finished with a lustrous gold effect.  It comes with a specially designed iron sword motif display stand which allows you to rest the crown on the hilts of 4 swords.

Another popular show on HBO for sci-fi / fantasy fans is Westworld.  It revolves around a technologically advanced theme park staffed by lifelike robotic hosts who engage in Wild West type adventures interacting with the wealthy guests who visit.  What happens though when these robots stop following their programming and start thinking for themselves?

Pick up a Westworld logo hoodie that looks like something you'd pick up from an amusement park gift shop for the father who is a fan of the show.

Get pops a Pop! The HBO Shop has the popular Funko Pop! vinyl figures in a variety of the Westworld characters.  These are always a fun way to let dad personalize his work space on the job or decorate his desk in a home office.  Funko Pop! have really taken off as collectors items and you're seeing them displayed more and more in game rooms, theater spaces, and man caves in people's houses.

Let dad show off his caring fatherly side and his humorous bad boy side at the same time with this Oscar the Grouch shirt.  HBO is proud to be the new home of Sesame Street and has a variety of branded items available in their online store.

Speaking of shirts, every dad likes to have a comfortable, cool looking shirt to workout in.  The HBO Shop has a number of shirts that will make a guy feel like he has entered the world of one of his favorite shows.  Two of my favorites are the Pied Piper start-up shirt from the series Silicon Valley and the high school gym shirt from Vice Principals.  These cool shirts promote aspects of these comedic shows instead of the titles and main characters.  Other fans will get the meaning of wearing these shirts but it will be an inside joke that people who haven't been watching HBO won't catch on to.

Pub glasses are always a nice way to personalize a kitchen or bar.  The HBO Shop has a nice selection ranging from ones that feature the banners of the houses from Game of Thrones to others that look they were were souvenirs from a visit to the city where the show True Blood was set.  My favorite though is from the Prohibitionist era themed show Boardwalk Empire sporting a gangster motif on it.  "You can't be half a gangster!"

Check out these Fathers Day gift ideas plus numerous other selections to choose from at store.hbo.com --> Use code DAD at checkout to save 20% off purchases made before 6/8/2017 from items in the online store's Fathers Day Boutique.

Game of Thrones FUNKO Pop!

Winter is coming and so are a new batch of the popular FUNKO Pop! figures representing popular Game of Thrones® characters.  As the hit HBO® series returns for Season 7 in July three fan-favorite characters from the show are getting new figures with updated looks and three characters are making their FUNKO Pop! debuts.  

Not only has Jon Snow returned from the dead but he has returned to the FUNKO Pop! lineup ready for battle with sword in hand.  Tyrion also makes a return this time poised with a chalice of wine in hand.  Cersei has made a comeback not just on the show but also with a new look featuring her depicted donning her coronation gown and royal headpiece. 

First time additions to the FUNKO Pop! Game of Thrones collection coming out this summer include Bran Stark, Tormund Giantsbane and one of my favorites from the TV show Wun Wun. After having been missing from the show for an extended time, Bran Stark looks to be one of the key players in the Game of Thrones for Season 7.  Wielding his trusty sword is the renowned leader of the Free Folk from North of the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane.  Showing that arrows can't take him down is Wun Wun the Giant. 

Also coming this July is a new Jon Snow Pop! Keychain that Game of Thrones fan can take along with them as a lucky charm wherever they go. 

All these items will be available at the HBO Shop and a variety of retailers nationwide just in time for the start of the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.  White Walkers with a zombie army, barbarians with dragons, and feudal knights all heading towards a major battle royal are sure to make Season 7 of HBO's Game of Thrones the most explosive one yet!

Kong: Skull Island Prize Pack Giveaway

The King is back! King Kong is returning as the focus of a motion picture next week in Kong: Skull Island which hits theaters everywhere March 10, 2017.  I so want to go see this movie! How about you?

To share my excitement for this movie I've teamed up with The Hopping Bloggers to give one lucky winner an awesome prize pack worth over $60! Included in this package is:

• King Kong Blu-ray
• The Art of Kong: Skull Island
• King Kong Super Sized Funko Pop

About Kong: Skull Island

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' "Kong: Skull Island" reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts ("The Kings of Summer"). In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific - as beautiful as it is treacherous - unaware that they're crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong. "Kong: Skull Island" stars Tom Hiddleston ("The Avengers," "Thor: The Dark World"), Samuel L. Jackson ("The Hateful Eight," "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), Oscar winner Brie Larson ("Room," "Trainwreck"), John Goodman ("Transformers: Age of Extinction," "Argo") and John C. Reilly ("Guardians of the Galaxy," "Step Brothers").

The legendary Kong is being brought to life at a whole new scale by Industrial Light & Magic, with two-time Oscar winner Stephen Rosenbaum ("Avatar," "Forrest Gump") serving as visual effects supervisor. To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and his cast and filmmaking team are filming across three continents over six months, capturing its primordial landscapes on Oahu, Hawaii - where filming commenced on October 2015 - on Australia's Gold Coast, and finally in Vietnam, where filming will take place across multiple locations, some of which have never before been seen on film.

Connect with Kong: Skull Island

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Enter to win this Kong: Skull Island Prize Pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!

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DOCTOR STRANGE GIVEAWAY

Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. To celebrate its release, I've partnered with a group of bloggers from The Hopping Bloggers to create a prize pack worth $120! This amazing prize pack includes:

• Mug
• Funko Pop Figure (Movie Version)
• Funko Pop Figure (Comic Version)
• Eye of Agamotto Necklace
• Bleacher Creature
• Graphic Novel

Marvel's Doctor Strange hits theaters everywhere on November 4th, 2016!

About Doctor Strange

From Marvel Studios comes “Doctor Strange,” the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place—a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange—armed with newly acquired magical powers—is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

“Doctor Strange” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt and Scott Adkins, with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton. Scott Derrickson is directing with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Stephen Broussard, Victoria Alonso, Charles Newirth and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. Jon Spaihts and Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill wrote the screenplay. Join Strange on his dangerous, mystifying and totally mind-bending journey when Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange” opens in U.S. theaters on November 4, 2016.

Follow DOCTOR STRANGE on Twitter: twitter.com/DrStrange 

Follow Marvel on Instagram: instagram.com/marvel/  

Visit the official DOCTOR STRANGE website here: marvel.com/doctorstrange

Enter to win the Doctor Strange Prize Pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!

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Are you a blogger looking to connect with brands? Join The Hopping Bloggers database and get started today! Are you a brand looking to connect with a network of over 1,000 professional bloggers? Click here to see all that we have to offer and get your personalized quote!

Disney & Funko Join Forces For New Subscription Box: Star Wars Smugglers Bounty

Subscription mystery boxes where people sign-up to receive periodic shipments through the mail that are filled with goodies that fit into some sort of theme are a hot new fad right now.  Services like Loot Crate, Nerd Block, and Hero Box surprise their subscribers with specially selected  t-shirts, toys, comic books, and other collectible, often times exclusive, items that provide a thrill to recipients when opening a new package each time one arrives because they don't specifically know what they are getting in advance.  Will the contents be awesome, will they be a disappointment, are they useful, or will they just be more clutter around the house?  You won't know til you rip open the box!

Disney partnered with Funko, the maker of trendy collectible vinyl figurines that portray pop culture characters with funky proportions and big round black eyes, earlier this year to create their own mystery box subscription service tied to the Avengers and other Marvel Entertainment comic book, television, and movie characters called Marvel Collector Corps.  Based upon the success of Marvel Collector Corps, Disney recently announced they are expanding their partnership with Funko to create a similar Star Wars themed mystery box subscription service called Star Wars: Smuggler's Bounty.

Disney, which owns the Star Wars brand, is promoting Smuggler's Bounty as the only "official" Star Wars subscription box which means that while other similar company's may have Star Wars items included in their product this will be the only one that provides products that are "exclusive" and can't be found anywhere else. The subscription sign-up promises $50 in value of "exclusive, high-quality collectible products including but not limited to apparel, accessories, toys and memorabilia." These mystery boxes will be sent out every other month beginning in November 2015 and cost $25 per box plus shipping and applicable sales tax.  So the first box will arrive just in time for the theatrical movie release of The Force Awakens.

There are two subscription packages to choose from.  A BOSS membership bills you once annually or a PIRATE membership bills you every other month just before the mystery boxes ship out.  You can cancel at any time but it is important to note that you will continuously automatically billed for this service until you initiate a cancellation.  Orders for the first mystery box close on November 11, 2015 - after that you are out of luck unless they put some extra inventory up for sale on their web site after their deliveries have all been delivered.

I have never subscribed to any of these subscription box services before, but I have to admit to honestly considering trying this one out.  For more information, visit www.smugglersbounty.com

$50 in value of exclusive, high-quality collectible products including but not limited to apparel, accessories, toys and memorabilia. No fluff, no filler! - See more at: https://www.smugglersbounty.com/#sthash.jvkFpVzq.dpuf

Marvel & Funko Join the Subscription Mystery Box Mailers Craze

Subscription mystery boxes where people sign-up to receive periodic shipments through the mail that are filled with goodies that fit into some sort of theme has become a hot new fad.  Services like Loot Crate, Nerd Block, and Hero Box surprise their subscribers with specially selected  t-shirts, toys, comic books, and other collectible, often times exclusive, items that provide a thrill to recipients when opening a new package each time one arrives because they don't specifically know what they are getting in advance.  Will the contents be awesome, will they be a disappointment, are they useful, or will they just be more clutter around the house?  You won't know til you rip open the box!

Now Marvel and Funko, who up to now had been supplying items for other mystery box services, are joining this trend themselves with the creation of the Marvel Collector Corps.  Starting in April 2015, people can subscribe to get a box delivered to them every other month that will have a theme based upon a Marvel Entertainment property.  Each mystery box will contain a t-shirt randomly selected from 4 choices in your designated size, a Funko stylized vinyl figurine, and 2 premium accessories that tie into the package's theme.  Marvel promises that for the $25 per box charge that subscribers will receive exclusive items that are exclusive to the Marvel Collector Corps.

To help promote this new service, Marvel Collector Corps is letting people know at least one item that will be in the first mystery box - an Iron Man Hulkbuster Funko vinyl figure!  Plus they have released the themes for the first two mystery boxes which tie into upcoming Marvel superhero movies: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON for April and ANT-MAN in June.

Subscriptions for Marvel Collector Corps can be purchased for specific individual months or annually (6 boxes).  For more information, visit www.collectorcorps.com

NFL ADDS SOME POP WITH NEW LINE OF FUNKO FIGURINES

 

The popular Funko vinyl toys that mimic pop culture entertainment figures is adding the NFL to its ranks this fall.  Debuting just in time for the kickoff of the National Football League's 2014 season is a new line of Funko Pop! figurines that depict some of football's greatest athletes.  Funko's Pop! Viynl toys are modeled in Japanese chibi style which portrays an exaggerated caricature that is small and chubby with stuffy limbs and over-sized heads giving characters the resemblance of small children.  The NFL joins a wide array of licenses that Funko already holds for a variety of entertainment properties including DC Super Heroes, Disney, Star Wars and The Walking Dead among others.

Funko will be releasing toys of 26 players from 19 NFL teams ranging from Detroit's Calvin "Megatron" Johnson to Washington DC's Reggie Griffin III.  Each figure will be 3.75" and come with a removable helmet.  Each figure will also capture a unique feature of a player in his chibi caricature.  For example, Calvin Johnson will have on eye black, Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews  have long locks of hair, Andrew Luck will be sporting his lucky beard, a bandage adorns JJ Watts nose and RGIII will be wearing a beanie.  The lineup of represented players ranges from SuperBowl Champs to ProBowl super stars to some of the top rookies picked up in this year's draft.  Yes Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney made the cut.

Each player is also assigned a number on Funko's 2014 roster of NFL figures:

01 Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
02 Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
03 Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
04 Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
05 Tom Brady, New England Patriots
06 Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
07 DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos
08 Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
09 J.J. Watt, Houston Texans
10 Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
11 Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
12 Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
13 Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins

14 Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
15 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
16 Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
17 Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
18 Eli Manning, New York Giants
19 Victor Cruz, New York Giants
20 Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
21 Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
22 Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
23 Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
24 Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans
25 Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns
26 Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars

This isn't Funko's first foray into mocking up sports figures, but will be its first effort with the NFL.  They have also featured NBA players and WWE wrestlers in the past, plus captured Major League Baseball's mascots in vinyl in the past.

Players are sold separately and suggested retail price is $9.99.  Keep an eye out at stores for your favorite players this fall.  Also note that once a wave of Funko toys is released they normally aren't reproduced again which makes them collectibles that are often grabbed up; so if you see a player you want at a store pick him up because you may not be able to find the toy again once it is sold out unless you go to ebay and pay a huge markup.

For more info, visit www.funko.com

Spend the Holidays with Li'l Gothem

We've spent some of this holiday break the kids have from school reading DC COMIC's Batman: Li'l Gothem which is set in a FUNKOish stylized world with the publisher's iconic characters illustrated with big heads and squishy bodies similar to those funky vinyl toys.  There are two things that set these comics apart from the mainstream DC universe which makes me happy to give them a plug.

FIRST, the series is scripted to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.  DC COMICS books, television shows, video games and movies have become increasingly dark and violent which is edgy entertainment for a 40 year old dad like myself to enjoy but also media that I am hesitant to let me children have access to.  I don't want my 5 year old twins seeing Superman kill his adversary or Lois Lane being killed by the Joker.  Batman: Li'l Gothem though has limited violence and no gore in it making it more like 1960's Batman the tv show with Adam West compared to the more recent Dark Knight movies with Christian Bale.  These are fun light-hearted stories and very appropriate for kids to enjoy.  

SECOND, the artwork is done in water colors with sketchy drawings giving Batman: Li'l Gotham a whimsical feel similar to the illustrated books you see for young readers at the library.  The FUNKOized characters combined with the bright tones of the coloring make the comic enticing to young eyes and a fun change of pace for adult comic book readers.  I'd encourage you to check out the Li'l Gotham comics just for the fun of seeing its visual adaptations of the DC Universe.

I've been reading BATMAN: LI'L GOTHAM VOLUME 1 with my kids at bedtime the last few nights. This is a paperwork collection of stories from DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11, BATMAN ANNUAL #27, and BATMAN: LI'L GOTHAM ISSUES 1 - 11.  What is nice about these stories is they also revolve around the holidays.  So this would be a nice book to pull off the shelf throughout the year to enjoy with your children during the various holidays.  Batman: Li'l Gotham Volume 1 has a stories with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter, Mothers Day & Fathers Day.

For example in the Thanksgiving Day story, the Penguin attacks the Gotham parade in a bid to set all the turkeys free and save them from a fate of ending up on that evening's dinner plates throughout the City.  A cute and fun tromp through Gotham's city streets that includes parade floats and balloons in on the action.  Batman & Robin go trick or treating in the Halloween story and on accident walk in on a dinner gathering of all the City's super villains.  The Christmas story involves Dr. Freeze kidnapping some orphans who are on their way to sing carols at Gotham's tree lighting ceremony.  It has a touch ending you wouldn't expect.

The only downside to the publication is Robin is a real BRAT compared to the adaptations you may be familiar with but on the flip side of the coin that also presents some of the parenting challenges that Batman confronts and stories revolve around in the comic providing some good story lines and messages for young children.

BATMAN: LI'L GOTHAM VOLUME 1 goes on sale February 25th, 2014.  For more information, visit http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Lil-Gotham-Vol-1.

DISCLAIMER:  I received a complimentary digital pdf advance copy of Batman: Lil Gotham Volume 1 from the publisher to review.  The views and opinions in this post are my own.