Halloween 2008: September
September 9 - Halloween at Target presented by...DOMO KUN?!
  This is just too weird. We hardcore nerds know all about Domo-kun (or simply Domo) but to the uninitiated, this grouchy box-shaped monster began his existence as a stop-motion mascot for a japanese broadcasting company, and would never have earned recognition in the english-speaking world if not for this doctored photograph, which promptly adopted this non sequitor caption and became the running gag of a thousand online forums. Without this bit of morbid, mildly blasphemous masturbation humor, Domo would have never caught on stateside at all, and now the little bastard has broken out of cyberspace to hock a distinctly American tradition for Wal-Mart's arch rival. It's just plain surreal.  Target's website even features an exclusive, brand new Domo animation where he gets into the Halloween spirit! So what fine products does God's angel of kitten-death bring to us on this most lovely season? My Target hadn't finished stocking its shelves, but I managed to find a couple things of interest...
-"Bunjie Battler" Eye Man-
  This simplistic but awesome-looking stuffed toy has stretchy rubber bands inside its arms and a device that makes it "scream" (actually a ghostly twitter, common to Halloween toys) when jostled hard enough. It's nice that every time you win the game, you're already the world champion. ..but that 30 point rule is just asking for trouble. Leave kids to determine what "cool" thing it did to give them bonus points and all you'll get are whiny arguments and ripped toys.

   There are four other monsters in this line, but the zombie is the only other one I might consider.
-"Fizz 'n Find" Trick-or-Treat Surprise-
  It's some of the oldest trickery in the toy marketing book...manufacture something that belongs in a 25 cent machine and package it so extravagantly that you can push it for a couple bucks or more - in this case a preposterous 5.99 - and while you're at it, keep the figure secret so the kids ask for more until they get the one they REALLY want.
  None of the four characters are really all that interesting (if they offered a mummy, I might be in trouble) but Boo is my favorite, and Treat is fairly acceptable. So who did I get in my six-dollar tablet of chalk?
  Standing only an inch and a half tall, the pricetag might have been fair for about ten of them. Course, for its size, it's a VERY well-made figure, articulated in four places, sturdy and glows brightly in the dark. This might be one of the only Frankenstein's monsters I've wound up with in a very long time (I usually find them too bland) and as far as they go, it's a pretty neat-looking design. It's no Boo, but at least it's not as crappy as Wartsy would have been.
September 9 - Family Dollar
-Light-up Ghost Stake-
  This came with a plastic stake for this tiny thing to decorate your front lawn, and apparently changes color when lit. I just got it because it's a mildly interesting little ghost figure, I like the stitched lips.
-Pipe Cleaner Mummy-
  These were labeled "Halloween Figure with Pipe Cleaner," and that's what you get. I don't know why these have a sparkly pipe cleaner glued into their heads, but they also come in Vampire and Frankenstein's Monster form. Maybe it's supposed to be their hair?
-Light-up Bug-eyed Head Figurines-
  These  monsters' heads are so big, they apparently couldn't stay on their feet! Each has a color-changing light on the inside, and their eyes protrude on short springs. Fairly neat for just a dollar.
September 9 - Party Outlet
-Organ Balls-
  A third trip to the Party Outlet reveals only one last new product; these hard, golf-ball sized brains and hearts, only 79 cents each. They're cool little objects, and not much else, as they're not even bouncing toys; the rubber is too hard.
September 13 - Carlton Cards
-Wind-up Ghouls-
  These little guys pump their arms as they march along, with looks of what appear to be ecstatically eager optimism. What I want to know is, what's the vampire doing with that giant screw?!
-Hopping Eyeball-
  These are a classic Halloween staple, but I gave all mine away last year. I picked up this one because it was half off, and the black feet are cool; theyre usually bright pink.
September 13 - Petsmart
-Tug-of-War Monsters-
  We shall never know what dispute these two are trying to settle, but it clearly isn't friendly.
September 15 - Spirit Halloween
-Ugly Finger Puppets-
  You might think that SPIRIT would sell a lot of things for me to write about, but the store is 90% costumes and 9% large, expensive props that I usually wouldn't want to spend money on. That leaves just the small rack of party favors near their front counter, which is more or less the same selection every year. These finger puppets are the only thing at Spirit this year that I've never seen before, and came in a bag of about twenty for a slightly steep five dollars. Some of these faces are extremely familiar, especially the guy in the lower left, but I can't pin down precisely how. Are these old horror actors? I think my favorite is the guy with the disgusting head-lesion in the lower right.
September 18 - Dollar Tree
-Doorknob Covers-
  Only ONE dollar to turn a filthy garage door into a filthy gateway to the netherworld? Awesome! These are the last new item Dollar Tree put out this year, and also come in a skull shape. The eyeball would look a lot better without the odd half-blue center, but all of them were like that.
September 18 - K-Mart
-"Totally GHOUL" Inflatable Ghost 3-pack-
  These were only 1.99 for a pack of three, unlike the last inflatable ghost I picked up, they look exactly like they do on the package.
September 20 - Strictly Pet Supplies (website)
-Vo-toys Tiny Eyeballs-
  Last year, I found these great little eye-guys at Petco with a rope strung through their heads, and thought how much better they would be without the giant rope-holes. As it turns out, they also come in six-packs of slightly smaller, squeak-toy models! I maintain my prior assertion that the purple one is coolest on the grounds that it actually appears to have three eyes, with the giant "central" eye protruding from what is actually the mouth.

   I appreciate these a LOT more in this format. They're colorful, happy, bubble-shaped eyeball ghosts; the perfect low-level monster to populate your spooky dungeons.
September 23 - Target
-Frankenstein's Monster Mug-
  This is the one seasonal mascot I most rarely add to my collection (I think I have about five things with Frankenstein's monster on it) but I really liked the way this mug functions without breaking up the character design. You could almost pass one of these off as a large figurine rather than a drinking utencil, though I'm not sure what sort of contrived, ridiculous situation could possibly call for such a ruse. You're probably better off telling the truth.
September 23 - CVS Pharmacy
-Mummy Plush with Treat Bag-
  I found only one of these well-hidden on a shelf of miscellaneous stuffed toys, and haven't seen them at any other local CVS. I love the wavy mouth and mis-matched eyes on this guy. The "f" on the bag is a little worn off, but it's no big concern.
September 25 - Ebay
-Springy Wind-Ups-
  For the first year ever in my Halloween hobby, I've pretty much run out of places within driving distance to find anything new. Many of my most reliable sources - most notably Wal-Mart - have an absolutely dismal selection this year. Thus, I've turned to ebay and internet stores to keep the journal going hopefully through the rest of the season.

   Anyhow, I got these two ghouls from an Ebay seller with a fairly wide selection of wind-up toys, and they're instantly two of my favorites. I love the squat, super-deformed style, the freaky eyes of the skeleton and the one-armed handicap of the mummy. They're much smaller than most wind-up characters at only around two inches tall, made from hard plastic with no dates or markings.
-Wind-Up Skeleton Warrior-
  From the same seller but clearly a different series, this is a more standard wind-up toy with a soft rubber body over its motor. While skeletons are quite common for Halloween, this little guy looks like he stepped right out of a roleplaying game with his cute little sword and shield. You gotta love the fact that he's winking, too. I wonder what he's telling us?
MUMMIES THUS FAR: TEN!
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