Merch Spotlight: Kanamit's Cookbook Set (SDCC Exclusive)

The annual San Diego Comic Con brings many exclusive collectibles, and 2012 was no different. It's the Kanamit's Cookbook Set, an interesting all-in-one collection of three Kanamit-themed items, two of which are available separately, and one that's exclusive to this set.

 14+?  Why, exactly?

First the good news.  If you don’t yet own the Kanamit Tin Tote and/or the Kanamit Cookbook Journal, they're identical to those included here, so you can skip them if you have this set.  The only thing unique about this limited edition set is the variant Kanamit action figure, which is cloaked in black instead of white.  So if you’re collecting all the action figures, you’re gonna have to buy this set to stay current.

The Kanamit figure itself appears identical to the regular version, but the three-piece outfit is all black  Oh, and the "To Serve Man" cookbook is the same (as it should be).

The variant Kanamit does look pretty cool… unfortunately, mine is severely fucked up.  Have a look (or several):

I’m not privy to the ins and outs of action figure making, so I have no idea how this could’ve happened, but obviously some of the black from the clothing rubbed off onto the figure.  I haven’t tried cleaning it off: since I don’t know what the cloak is made of, I have no idea what I should use.  My fear is that I’ll somehow damage the figure if I use the wrong cleaning agent.  So I don’t know what to do.  In all fairness, most of the damage is hidden beneath the robes, but there are still visible black marks on the head and hands.  So yeah, I’m kinda pissed.  I thought about asking for a replacement or a refund, but I probably missed the deadline for that (I received the items in the fall, and just now got around to opening them).

Dude, you really ought to see your dermatologist.

Your mileage may vary, of course.  I’m not telling you not to buy this… I’m just saying check your Kanamit carefully, and maybe contact Entertainment Earth if you’re unhappy with what you get.  They've been very good in the past about replacing damaged items (I've had three bobbleheads arrive broken over the years, which I’ll be talking about when I review the Henry Bemis bobble head), so I can vouch for their customer service. The set is still available, as of this writing, in both the regular $34.99 version and a more expensive version, signed by actor Richard Kiel, for $49.99.

Merch Spotlight: Kanamit Tin Tote

Vintage metal lunch boxes are highly collectible, so it comes as no surprise that we’d be seeing new ones popping up in the vintage style with modern branding. They’re now called tin totes, apparently; I guess most people aren’t using them as lunch boxes, which is probably why they aren’t packing matching plastic thermoses inside.  BifBang Pow! jumps into the tin tote fray with the Kanamit Tin Tote ($12.99 plus shipping), available now.

Back (same as front, unfortunately).

Left side.

 Right side.

 Top.

 Bottom.

Not a whole lot to say about it either way:  it’s a metal lunchbox, so if you grew up in the seventies or earlier, you probably had a few (I remember having a Marvel Super Heroes one, and maybe a Star Wars one too).  It seems a bit small, but I guess my hands are much bigger than they were in the second grade (I have the same problem with Hostess products… well, had, now that they've vanished from the earth).

If I have a complaint (and you know I do; don’t I always?), it’s about the graphic design choice.  It’s frankly a bit loud and obnoxious, nearly identical to the 2013 TZ Calendar that I blasted a couple of months back (perhaps the same person designed it? I dunno).  I get a graffiti vibe from it, which isn't a compliment.  I can think of so many classy, elegant, mega-cool designs for this. For starters, how about a black and white background (say a starry night sky), with the Kanamit on the front, the Kanamit space ship on the back, and the Kanamit language blurb (“To Serve Man”) on the sides?  Bif Bang Pow! has been great about respecting the black and white nature of The Twilight Zone on so many other items… it’s puzzling why they splashed so much blue onto this.

The upcoming Doorway to The Twilight Zone Tin Tote, meanwhile, looks mostly monochromatic (and elegantly classy), so I’ll definitely be ordering it (it’s due sometime in March).