GOLDFISH STAR WARS MANDALORIAN CRACKERS

We've found the perfect snack to enjoy while watching new episodes of Star Wars' The Book of Boba Fett streaming on Disney Plus → GOLDFISH from Pepperidge Farm. My kids have been snacking on these crackers since they were toddlers. So, we were geeked to discover Goldfish packaging with a Mandalorian theme featuring "Baby Yoda"! With the character's re-emergence in recent episodes of The Book of Boba Fett had to pick up some of these Star Wars themed Goldfish packages when we spotted them at the grocery store.

It is not just the packaging though with a Star Wars tie-in. In addition to the traditional goldfish shapes, these Pepperidge Farm crackers also come in the form of Baby Yoda (aka Grogu), stormtroopers, and Din Djarin (aka The Madalorian). Sweet! Now just need to pour some blue milk to go along with these crackers.

Stormtrooper Goldfish

Baby Yoda in Pram

The Mandalorian Goldfish

BOBA FETT EE-3 NERF BLASTER

With a renewed focus on the Star Wars universe's most notorious bounty hunter due to the Disney Plus show THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, Hasbro has created a Nerf blaster that I'd be so geeked to get my hands on. Modeled after Boba Fett's EE-3 weapon it is meticulously detailed to capture the look of the blaster as it is seen on the Disney Plus live-action Star Wars series. The only difference is this Nerf version fires foam darts instead of plasma bolts. 

The Star Wars Boba Fett EE-3 Nerf Blaster includes 3 drums, each with 4-dart capacity, so you can switch them out to reload Nerf Elite darts. This 30-inch Nerf blaster also has an electronic scope with an illuminated lens and makes series-accurate blaster sound effects. It comes fully assembled in premium packaging that is designed for displaying. 

To fire a dart, load a drum, prime, and pull the trigger. Simple as that! This will be so fun to play around with, especially if you are donning a Star Wars Black Series Mandalorian helmet while hunting your prey.

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HALLOWEEN COMICS FEST

Don't miss out on swinging by a comic book shop for some Halloween fun. Saturday, October 26, 2019 is Halloween ComicFest. Participating retailers will be giving away a variety of free comic books for the occasion.

There will be 19 full comic books and 9 mini comics available for visiting trick or treaters to pick up for FREE. Many of these free Halloween ComicFest edition comic books will have a Halloween theme to them. There will be something for the whole family to enjoy as some of these comic books will be for young readers, others for teens and some focused for adult only audiences too.

YOUNG READERS

Full sized comics suitable for all ages include House of Fear (Dark Horse Comics), Junior High Horrors: Halloween Special (keenspot), The Adventures of Cthulhu Jr. & Dastardly Dirk (Source Point Press), Swamp Kid (DC) and Doodleville Aster (Random House Children's Books).

There are also 9 mini-comics being handed out that are mostly for kids: Spook House, Usagi Yojimbo, Loud House, Under Dog, Archie's Mad House Magic, Blastosaurus, Super Hero Girls, Pokémon, and R.L. Stine's Just Beyond. In addition to these being handed out on an individual basis for free during Halloween ComicsFest, you can also purchase a 25-pack of these mini-comics for $4.99 to give out yourself to trick or treaters that stop by your house.

This dad blogger's kids have food allergies that really limits the candy they can eat so understanding there are other trick or treaters out there struggling with this same medical condition my wife and I are always on the look out for safe treats that anyone would enjoy to hand out at our doorstep. These mini-comics are a great non-food item to give out on Halloween that trick or treaters are sure to appreciate whether or not they have a food allergy. Supplies may be limited of packs you can purchase on Halloween ComicFest so I'd encourage you contact your local comic shop in advance to inquire about making mini-comic pack purchases.

TEENS

Marvel has Ghost Rider, Iron Man and Spider-Man comic books rated for Teen readers that are being given out at Halloween Comic Fest. DC is also giving out a scary DCEASED story about super heroes dealing with a scary end of the world apocalypse. There is also a Battlecats issue from Mad Cave Studios that has some impressive artwork to check out.

ADULTS

Dark Red from Aftershock Comics has a MATURE rating meaning it is only meant to be read by those over 18 years old. Lady Mechanika provides some spooky wild west action. Plus Marvel is also providing a one-shot story of my favorite Star Wars character, Boba Fett, for Halloween ComicsFest that many dads and moms will appreciate reading just as much as their kids will.

For more information about this event, go to halloweencomicsfest.com 

Fifth Sun T-Shirt Review & Giveaway

 ** This post was made possible by Fifth Sun.  I was provided the featured products for free but all opinions expressed are honest and my own **

When the weather heats up and my kids are out of school, I want to be casual and comfortable so a few good t-shirts are a mainstay of my summer wardrobe.  With two young children at home, I want to make sure I'm donning clothes that can weather outdoor adventures and childhood messes with a sense of geek chic.  Being a dad doesn't mean you have to lose all your sense of style. So I always have my eyes out for a good comfy & stylish t-shirts that I can sport during the summer months while doing outdoor chores, playing with my kids or working out.

Fifth Sun, a leading supplier of graphic apparel for the retail industry for the retail clothing industry, generously provided my son and I some samples of the t-shirts that can be purchased from their web site www.fifthsun.com.  They design and produces unique t-shirts for well-recognized brands including Angry Birds, Star Wars, and Nintendo. Of course they caught my attention when I found out about the large selection of Star Wars gear they have available. You can find Fifth Sun apparel in over 3,500 independent stores, retail clothing chains such as Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters, and Old Navy, in addition to most major national chains such as Target, JCPenney, Kohl’s, and Walmart.  Understanding that many consumers appreciate the convenience of shopping online, Fifth Sun is selling some its most popular retail designs in addition to exclusive t-shirts unique to its website through www.fifthsun.com.

You have to admit it is a thrill to get a fun package in the mail.  The t-shirts we ordered from fifthsun.com were delivered very quickly and nicely packaged.  My son picked out shirts featuring Batman, the Justice League, and his favorite video game character Sonic the Hedgehog.  I'm always nervous about ordering clothes online because you don't want to get them and they don't fit, but all his t-shirts were a good fit...and they didn't shrink in the wash!

Growing up in the Motor City of course I have an appreciation for classic cars and auto racing, so it was impressive to see the automotive related apparel that Fifth Sun has to offer. I picked out one of their Shelby Cobra t-shirts to race around in while chasing after my kids.  They also have a large selection of designs featuring my father-in-law's favorite television show, Gas Monkey Garage.  For those of you who haven't seen the show, which I actually watch a lot myself too, they take neglected classic cars and fix them up into super charged hot rods.  If you have an appreciation for hot rods, than you'll also want to check out Fifth Sun's selection of officially licensed NHRA drag racing gear. Plus they have some cool Chevy stuff too!

Of course, I also picked out for myself a few t-shirts from their extensive Star Wars collection.  I like having a retro flair to my t-shirts so these Boba Fett and Star Wars Fan Club selections were perfect for me.  Like my son's shirts the ones I received were a comfortable fit and didn't shrink in the wash.

I can vouch from from all the boo boos that I've cleaned up over the years that yes like this t-shirt says my son does do his own stunts.  What kid doesn't attempt a wide variety of stunts while playing super heroes with their friends on the playground? So this obviously was his favorite t-shirt from www.fifthsun.com. What's yours?

A Geek Daddy Blog will be allowing one lucky reader to choose his or her favorite t-shirt (up to $26 in price) from Fifth Sun and get it for FREE.  For your chance to win just follow the instructions below to submit up to 2 entries before 11:50pm EST on Sunday, June  7, 2015.  You must be over 18 years old and a United States resident to participate.

Congrats to Jerry from Detroit who selected a Gas Monkey Garage t-shirt from Fifth Sun as his winning entry.

 EMAIL (1 ENTRY) - Email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com with your full name, mailing address, t-shirt size, name of the t-shirt you would like to win, and the url of the page for your favorite shirt that you would like to receive from www.fifthsun.com with the subject line SUNNY SUMMER TSHIRTS.

BONUS ENTRY (1 ENTRY) - Include in your email the name of the Star Wars creature that was featured on A Geek Daddy's Facebook page's Mothers Day post for a bonus entry.

Disclaimer & Rules:

A Geek Daddy Blog will select a random winner on  Monday, June 8, 2015 ( 1 winner will be selected from a random draw of all eligible entries - each submitted entry will be assigned a number and a random number will be drawn to select a winner based upon total entries ).  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers.  Information for this post was provided by Fifth Sun.  A Geek Daddy Blog did receive items and services of value in exchange for writing this blog post and review.  A positive review was not required of this blog and the views and opinions expressed are my own. Fifth Sun is responsible for the delivery of the prize in this promotion.

Star Wars Joins the Marvel Mashers Toy Line

My son spends hours playing with his Marvel Super Hero Mashers toys from Hasbro.  These action figures let kids take their favorite super heroes and mix and match body parts and accessories to create their own unique characters.  Create Spider Hulk wielding the power of Mjölnir, Iron Wolvernine carrying Captain America's shield or a variety of other mash-ups based upon the action figures you collect.

Based upon the popularity of these toys, Hasbro is adding Star Wars to its lineup of Mashers toys in the Fall of 2015.  The Star Wars Mashers will include characters from the original and prequel movies like Anakin Skywalker, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, and General Grevious plus a few from the new animated television show Rebels such as Kanan and Zeb.  Just think of the possible variations:  an android General Fett wielding a variety of light sabers, a Zeb trooper wearing imperial battle armor, or dare I say it Darth Jar Jar. 

I have a feeling that my son is going to be finding some Star Wars Mashers under the Christmas Tree this year.

Aspiring Athletic Wear Designer Creates Stellar Star Wars Themed Soccer Uniforms

The indoor soccer team I play on thought we were sporting some great jerseys when we selected the stormtrooper themed shirt pictured above to wear during games for our most recent season.  We were put to shame though by an aspiring clothing designer named Nerea Palacios who has showcased a line of Star Wars themed soccer kits (what serious players and fans call uniforms) on her website that are pretty fantastic.  Hoping to garner the attention of Nike or another sporting attire brand to hire her to professionally design soccer kits, Palacios created a number of outfits tied to specific Star Wars characters to demonstrate her talents and gain some attention.

The soccer kit themes include Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Obi-wan Kenobi, R2-D2, C-3P0, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Stormtrooper.  All of them are impressive, most impressive ... though my favorites out of the bunch are the the droids R2-D2 and C-3P0.

To check out the full gallery of her Star Wars soccer kits visit www.behance.net/nereapalcacios.  Good luck with your job hunt and fashion designing career Nerea - May the Force be with You!

Walgreens Looks to be a Player in the Toy Arena

When I think of WALGREENS what comes to minds is filling my children's food allergy epi-pen prescriptions or picking up some cold medicine.  I'd never really though of the pharmacy as a place to go toy shopping, but Walgreen's is working to change that impression as it becomes more of a player in the growing arena of market challengers to Toys-R-Us.  This fall, Walgreens will be enticing toy shoppers to their stores with 2 exclusive action figures from the Star Wars and Marvel brands.

A Boba Fett action figure from Hasbro's popular 6" Black series collection will be sold exclusively in Walgreen's toy aisle.  This isn't just a generic action figure based upon a popular Star Wars character though, this toy is designed based upon the original Ralph McQuarrie concept art for Boba Fett that has the bounty hunter clad all in white, rather stormtrooperesque I would say, that was big enough news to warrant an announcement and rather detailed post on the official STAR WARS website.

Looking at this promo pic of the upcoming Ralph McQuarrie concept art Boba Fett action figure, I have to say "impressive, most impressive."  The actual price and launch dates for this Walgreen's Hasbro 6" Black Series exclusive haven't been announced yet but expect it to be around $20 and out around mid-September / October like the other toys in this lineup.  This will absolutely be a popular pickup for both children and adult collectors so keep your eyes peeled for it if you are interested in it as they will probably sell out quickly.

Joining Boba Fett this Fall on Walgreen's store shelves will be Marvel's Agent Venom which will be an exclusive action figure from Hasbro's Marvel Legends Infinite Series.  This is another 6" line of action figures from Hasbro based upon Marvel's comic book and movie superheroes.  Agent Venom is the bad guy alien symbiote that attached itself and took over control of Spider-Man's body for awhile in the comics and movies.  Venom has been taken over by a special agent for the U.S. government named Flash Thompson who is trying to use the symbiote as a tool for special ops missions.  This looks like a pretty cool toy too!

These six inch action figures are becoming more popular because the size allows for increased articulation, details, and durability compared to the three inch sized figures that most people associate with action figures but aren't as lanky and awkward as Barbie styled dolls (and the original GI Joes from the 60s & 70s)...plus they can command a higher price point at the cash register.  Walgreen's partnership follows recent exclusive offers from Todd MacFarlane Toys that included action figures from the Assassin's Creed & Halo video games and The Walking Dead television show.  So now that Walgreen's is drawing in consumers with "action figures" will they start branching out to other types of exclusive toy offerings? Will we see an increased toy area at stores?  Like these upcoming Star Wars and Marvel toys we'll just have to wait and see.

 DISCLAIMER:  My son bought me a Hasbro 6" Black Series Stormtrooper for Father's Day that I keep displayed on my desk...and I think it is pretty cool!

The Ultimate Trophy for a Man Cave of Home Theater

Admit it, a big part of the allure of having a man cave or home theater room is to have the bragging rights to having the coolest room among your friends and family.  Big screens televisions, surround sound stereo, wet bars, sports memorabilia, foosball, pinball and video arcade games.  If you really want to have the coolest room on the block, I don't know if anyone else could trump this...a life-size Han Solo in Carbonite display. Yes you can now purchase Jabba's most sought after trophy for your own trophy shelf...just as if it had been transported off the movie screen from Empire Strikes Back.  How cool is that?!

Sideshow Collectibles is celebrating its 20th Anniversary by showing the quality that has made it a leader in movie memorabilia collectibles and toys in debuting this 7 foot replica of the movie prop from Empire Strikes Back.  The display is made from figerglass and other high quality materials for authenticity and sturdy construction.  It also features film-accurate light effects in the base, side panels and rear power canisters to provide a wow factor when people see it.  From the pictures it really gives the impression that you'll feel like you are looking at Han Solo in his carbonite prison.  It appears the rear power canisters also provide a sturdy base of support similar to the frames that hold up a big screen TV to make sure your prizes possession doesn't come tumbling down.

If you are interested in purchasing a life-size Carbonited Han Solo, Sideshow Collectibles is taking pre-orders now.  This item will only only set you back $6,999.00, which you can pay in a monthly payment plan of $629.90 installments.  Hey isn't having the coolest party room ever worth the price?!  The only thing more cool than this would be to have Darth Vader and Boba Fett flanking it observing their handy work....oh looks like Sideshow's can hook you up with that too!

For more information about the life-size Han Solo in Carbonite display from Sideshow Collectibles, visit: www.sideshowtoy.com/characters/han-solo

Zen Studios launches new Star Wars Video Pin Ball Game

 I lost a lot of laundry money in college throwing quarters into the Star Wars pinball machine on campus but it was well worth occassionally wearing some dirty clothes an extra week for the blast I had playing that game.  Zen Studios is launching a brand new video game this week that will give you unlimited play of a cool Star Wars themed pin ball table for under $3. Wow! I used to spend that much in an afternoon playing on the mechanical maching in the student lounge. This game should be even better than that older game providing you the fun of playing a mechanical machine combined with great special effects that can only be incorporated into a digital environment. 

Star Wars video pin ball will feature 3 themed tables: Empire Strikes Back, Clone Wars & Boba Fett. It appears you can buy them individually or as a combined package. Additional tables will be introduced later that can be purchased as add-ons at an additional cost. I'm really revved up to purchase this new  pin ball game myself after seeing this promo video for the Boba Fett table:

 

 

As you can see from the Boba Fett trailer, by reaching certain scores or hitting various patterns on the table you can trigger 3D special effects and video segments during the game.  You can tell that Zen Studios didn't just throw this game together to make some money using the Star Wars name from this trailer as it really appears some great production work went into this game.  The Empire Strikes Back pin ball table appears to even have more 3D sequences that include a Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader lightsaber duel and the AT-AT invasion of the rebel base on Hoth. 

 

 

 

I'm not a big fan of the 3 prequel movies and the Clone Wars tv show - those battle droids are just so annoying and we won't go into Jar Jar Binks but I have to admit from looking at the trailer for that pin ball table I'm pretty impressed by the artwork and special effects in that game.  It looks really fun to play which is what is nice about these video pin ball games is that they appear to be designed so that you don't have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy them but if you are a fan you'll probably love it!

 

 

Zen Studios' has posted the following about the release of Star Wars Pin Ball on their website:

 

It will be available on Tuesday February 26 on the PlayStation Network for download to PlayStation 3 & Playstation Vita for $9.99 for a package with all three tables.

 

It will be available on Wednesday February 27 to download on XboxLive for the Xbox360 through the Pinball FX2 game for 800 MSPs.

 

You can download the tables individually through the IOS-based Zen Pinball game for your iPad, iPhone or iTouch for $1.99 per table as of February 27.

 

You can download the tables individually for Mac App store through Zen Pinball 2 game for your  for $2.99 per table as of February 27.

 

Will be available on February 27 for $1.99 per table through Zen Pinball HD Google Play.

 

It also appears that you can purchase the Star Wars tables as a stand alone pinball game called Star Wars Pinball  on Apple App Store and through Google Play from the Zen Studios posted information. 

 

Check out www.starwarspinball.com for more information about the game, its pricing and to see some neat screen shot previews.