The May 2025 ToyMan Show Made sure the, "Fourth," Was With Us!

I missed the last ToyMan show due to various obligations, but I was able to attend today and had a fantastic time! A number of vendors had special sales on, "Star Wars," items to tie in with today being May 4th--an unofficial-to-now-relatively-official, "Star Wars," Day. I spotted a lot of cool toys from the franchise with notable sales, and one table had half-off all, "Stars Wars," comics too. Besides that, there was the usual gigantic assortment of goodies for sale. I saw a ton of die-cast cars, Funko Pops, trading cards, comics, assorted vintage toys, new toys, and had so much fun exploring all the neat items. I started the show off chatting with Tim Metzger at his table and checking out the stuff John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles had brought. I purchased some fun comics from him, which you can see pictured right below:

My friend Spike Forester of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles was present with awesome wares, and Tom Milster had a bunch of neat stuff for sale as well nearby. Brian Lan had his table and was kind enough to give me a copy of an interesting movie titled, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler," which features the talented Anna Paquin, and I look forward to watching it! Tatertots Comics and Collectibles had some neat toys for sale. I proceeded upstairs, where I ran into my friend Jessica Mathews, who had a fun new book, "Roar Some More," that I bought, and Lindsay Hornsby, who was selling a fun Princess Pups comic I purchased to read with my kiddos. Here is a picture of both cool books:

Having this ToyMan show overlap with, "Star Wars," Day was a really fun addition to the usual great time I have visiting the show. There is always something that is bound to appeal to your fandom/collecting niche, so if you're able to attend the next ToyMan on July 13th, I suggest you make sure and go!

The ToyMan Show Yesterday Was a Hoot!

Yesterday, July 14th, I had the chance to attend the latest ToyMan Show. It was great fun, as always, and so many cool vendors and creators were there. There was the usual assortment of vintage toys, comics, Funko Pops, Lego, Barbie, Hot Wheels, VHS tapes, original art, and more. I started the show by visiting with my friend, Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles. I then chatted with Joh from the awesome store Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles. Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics was selling great books, as was my chum Tim Metzger. I picked up some cool comics for cheap from my friends Dustin and Tammy too:

I also enjoyed catching up with Bruce Reynolds and Vince of VK Toys on the main show floor while shopping. Tom from Alliance Comics, Toys, & Games was at ToyMan too! Here is a cool picture of the show floor from the morning while things were being set up:

In the upstairs area, I had fun talking with my friend Jack AKA Storyboardlad who had his usual cool art prints for sale. I also saw my buddies who are authors, Jessica Mathews and Lindsay Hornsby. Lindsay had an awesome new coloring book I bought for Clarkson to enjoy of the Princess Pups:

This ToyMan show was incredibly fun just like every ToyMan show is. I always get so excited anytime its the day for ToyMan and now eagerly await August 25th for the next one!

Today's Toyman Show Was Full of Fun!

Anytime there is a ToyMan show I try to attend as it is guaranteed I will find a ton of stuff and see a bunch of great folks! ToyMan shows are packed to the gills with toys, Lego, die-cast cars, Funko Pops, movies, games, comics, and more. Anytime I go I find something cool I wanted, and that happened today too with a variety of neat stuff! I kicked off the show as I often do, by saying hello to my friend John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles. I saw my chum, Tim Metzger, as well while he was selling stuff. I ran into Tom from Alliance Comics, Toys, and Games too. Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles had stepped away from his booth, but I was impressed with the cool stuff he had when I was browsing. Larry from Bug's Comics and Games was selling a ton of cool stuff as well. I saw Vince of VK Toys and we were able to cut a deal on a great copy of, "She-Hulk," #1 that I was enthusiastic to get. Here's a picture of it:

Konnor Tate of Tatertot Comics & Collectibles was at the show and we discussed how I'm excited for the rapidly-approaching grand opening of his store--expect an article on that as July 30th nears. I chatted with my friend Brian Lan too, who was selling wares and at other shows is often there representing the Hero Initiative! I went upstairs and saw my friend Jessica Mathews had her latest book for sale! Titled, "Roar," I got a copy for Clarkson to read and he eagerly flipped through it once I brought it home:

I continued to walk about in the upstairs area, chatting with Lonnie of Heroes for Kids Perryville. They have their show coming up this Saturday the 16th. I am excited to go and write about it! I also saw Lindsay Hornsby of Mega Giganto comics. She had her latest book available which was a, "Princess Pups," coloring and activity book. I bought it as we've loved her previous, "Princess Pups," works! Check it out:

ToyMan was a ton of fun today--just as it is anytime I visit the show! Between all the goods for sale, the lovely vendors, and the general positive energy every show has, I love going to ToyMan anytime it occurs. The next one will be on August 28th, so visit the site and plan your visit!

The Last Toyman Show of 2021 Was a Blast!

I attended the final Toyman show of 2021 today, and it was so much fun! I got there earlier this time and had to head out a little earlier, but still saw plenty of folks and got some awesome comics! Before doing anything I sold some Spider-Man comics to my friend, John, of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles. I then talked with my friend Tim and saw Dustin at his booth. Dustin had an assortment of cool comics and I was especially excited to get a copy of, "Daredevil," #10, the first cover appearance of Maya Lopez/Echo. Give it a look:

I then saw my buddy Tom of Alliance Comics, Toys, and Games. We talked about the app Whatnot and how I've been enjoying it--he'll be selling on it himself soon! I saw my buddy Brian Lan as well and we grabbed about how life has been. My friends from Perryville's Heroes for Kids were present and we discussed how excited I was for when their next show happens. I also saw Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles who was kind enough to sell me an awesome pin used to promote Dick Tracy comics decades ago. I have a small collection of interesting pins and I'm pleased to add this to it:

In the upstairs area I was happy to see such awesome friends as Jessica Mathews and Jennifer Stolzer. We talked about how they had a new book that should be out by the Springtime of 2022 as long as the printers are fully on time. Lindsay Hornsby of Princess Pups/Mega Giganto comics was there with some awesome stuff as well. I also ran into my buddy Vince of VK Toys. We were able to make a trade where I acquired this awesome issue of, "Batman," with art by Todd McFarlane. It is issue #423, and it is gorgeous! Here it is:

This Toyman show was a lovely way to close out the year. I always need to thank Chris, "Toyman," McQuillen for having such a fantastic show. I would encourage everyone to check out the website for the Toyman show and note how the next one is on January 9th of 2022. It'll be where it always is, the Machinist Hall at 12365 Saint Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton. I'll try and be there and suggest you go too!

I Had a Fantastic Time at the ToyMan Show Today!

One of my favorite shows to go to whenever it happens is ToyMan. Run by Chris, "ToyMan," McQuillen, it is always loaded with so many vendors and creators it can make your head spin. I saw a lot of my old friends and met some people who were new to me today. I also found some stupendous comics during my browsing of all the stupendous stuff on sale. 

I kicked off my time at the show talking with Tim of Tim's Toys and Comics, LTD. His knowledge of comics and the great stuff he sells makes him always a delight to interact with. I then chatted with Dustin who had some awesome comics he was kind enough to sell me for a great price:

I then was able to run into a bunch of my friends I always am happy to see. Brian Lan was selling wares, Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles was packing a ton of goodies. I also met The Perler Mom AKA Bethany Leisure. She was making all kinds of awesome creations for sale. 

After a bit, I saw my friend Mark who was attending the show (we actually met at ToyMan before, so I have it to thank for a friend), and we talked for a bit. I walked around some more and ran into Tom from Alliance Comics, Toys, and Games who was kind enough to sell me this issue of, "Secret Invasion," the first! Check it out:

I went upstairs where I was able to visit with a bunch of my favorite authors! I saw Jessica Mathews and Jennifer Stolzer, then I ran into Heroes for Kids who were fundraising for their nonprofit with all kinds of awesome stuff.

As I explored the show I ran into my friend Lindsay Hornsby. Blog readers may recall I met her some years ago at the Saint Louis Mini Comic-Con and had the pleasure of reading her, "Princess Pups," comics. I bought a book collecting all her, "Princess Pups," work and was ecstatic to get more great comics from her! Here's a pic:

I proceeded to meet two new folks who were great to talk with. I saw Justin of Justin's 3D Prints. He had all kinds of neat 3D printer items for sale. I introduced myself to Trash Panda Studios and admired their magnets while I heard about their podcast.

"Bug," as he is known was at ToyMan selling comics too and had a flyer with exciting news. He is going to be opening a physical location with comics (new & old), toys, games, and all kinds of collectibles. I can't wait! Here is the flyer:

Before I left a bit later in the day I saw my chum Phil of the Comic Grind bus. He's always a joy to speak with and I would encourage you to book his bus for an event where a vehicle loaded with comics would be enjoyable (so anything)! Clearly, this latest ToyMan was an extra-great show with a ton of my favorite vendors and creators present. I had lovely conversations, got awesome comics, and would encourage anyone who is able to attend the next ToyMan show on November 14th! 

"Princess Pups" Comics are a Stellar Read!

Puppies + Royalty = Some Great Reading!

I've mentioned comic-creators Lindsay Hornsby and her husband James Hornsby before on the blog, having met them before at one of the Project Comic-Cons and most recently running into them at the 2nd Annual Mini-Con held by the City of Saint Louis Library System. At the mini-con I picked-up two mini-comics (no pun-intended) under Mrs. Hornsby's, "Princess Pups," line and greatly enjoyed them! I read both the 1st issue of, "Princess Pups Minis," which contains various short strips about the puppies and a longer-form story, "Princess Pups In Spaaace!" I greatly enjoyed reading both all-ages comics and found they each had their own unique charms! Shall we review them? Yes, we shall!

"Princess Pups Minis #1" and "Princess Pups In Spaaace!"

This mini-comic about the Princess Pups features shorter stories that range from anywhere between longer 5-ish pagers to 1-page joke-strips. Many of the strips feature the pups eating delicious snacks or putting-up with the shenanigans of cats who live nearby and often will try to either steal the pups' food or otherwise cause difficulties for the young dogs. Thankfully, the Chihuahua pup has a magical scepter of sorts that often resolves any difficulties caused by the cats or other annoyances. In one of my favorite stories that is a short 1-page piece, all of the puppies are watching a horror movie but one is quite unnerved by it. Thankfully, the Chihuahua pup uses her scepter to morph the movie into a less distressing feature and resolves the fear.

If only I could change the outcome of many lame movies!

I liked this strip a lot because I could relate to how often I'll be watching a movie and thinking to myself, "It would be so much better if *this* happened..." and to think a magical scepter could fix some of the idiotic choices characters make in horror movies, or could correct the horrendous twist ending of, "Now You See Me," would be a power I'd be eager to weld. Also, Mrs. Hornsby's artwork is stellar, bright and energetic, giving the comic a perfect happy and cute vibe; often your more independent/small-press comics will have great storytelling but mediocre-to-poor artwork, but Mrs. Hornsby absolutely slays it with her adorable illustrations.

Were I to have a complaint about this issue of the, "Princess Pups," it would be that some of the stories feel like they could be even better if they went longer and were allowed to, "Breathe," so-to-speak. Some of the 1-page gags feel like they could be even more hilarious if extended, but I understand that as this is a, "Mini," collection and that the stories need to be shorter. That said, my desire for a longer-form story with the puppies was met in the also great book, "Princess Pups in Spaaace!"

Within the mini-comic, "Princess Pups in Spaaace!" we get a stellar story where the Princesses are invited to join the Space-Pups on another planet for a party. An exact reason for the party is never given, but do you really need an excuse to have a fun party? Answer: No; you do not ever need an excuse. The Princess Pups prepare a rocket ship and join the Space Pups at a swanky base on the other planet where cookies and cakes are enjoyed. Mrs. Hornsby's aforementioned adorable artwork makes everything look quite fun as well! However, then something interesting happens that really sold me on this comic--stuff gets ugly.

I earlier described how Mrs. Hornsby expertly illustrates the cute puppies and their adventures, but in this comic she shows off how her art-skills are not just limited to adorable pictures, impressing me even further. You see, there are some space-bugs at the station who help with the up-keep, but as many signs declare, they are not to be fed the pastries. One of the Princess Pups in an effort to be nice ignores this rule and gives the small little space-bug a cookie. At this point the artwork goes from cutesy to something that made me think of the scene in, "Akira," where the teenager turns into a hideous blob monster. The space-bug grows to immense size and looks just absolutely disgusting--and a bit terrifying too! The comic of course is geared towards all-ages so there isn't blood and guts or anything, but it is just an awesome surprise for Mrs. Hornsby to take the artwork in a direction a bit less, "Saturday-Morning Cartoon," and more-so something reminiscent of John Carpenter's, "The Thing."

The space-bug transformation is quite scary.

Thankfully the Space Pups are prepared for this sort of emergency and feed the space-bug an antidote before too much mayhem can be wreaked. Still, it is a fascinating twist in the story when the nightmarish transformation happens and made this comic even more enjoyable with its sudden swerve in art-style. Considering how almost all of each comic is without dialogue (the Puppies never speak in anything but growls and barks) other than the written invitation from the Space Pups in the space-themed piece, the comic relies heavily on the artwork to get across the story, and as my compliments about Mrs. Hornsby's artistry illustrates, it fulfills the task of telling us an entertaining yarn without any problem!  I loved both comics, but enjoyed, "Princess Pups in Spaaace!" just a smidgen more thanks to the story feeling like it had more time to develop as a full-length tale, and also due to the fascinating monstrous-mutation of the space-bug in the book.
Princess Pups Minis #1--4.5 out of 5 stars.
Princess Pups in Spaace!--5 out of 5 stars.

Great All-Ages Fun!

Mrs. Hornsby's Twitter Avatar

As someone who enjoys good comics, great artwork, and fun storytelling I can say without a doubt that the, "Princess Pups," comics by Lindsay Hornsby are a great read for all ages and genders! It always makes me happy to find awesome local comic-makers here in Saint Louis and I would recommend for sure you check out Mrs. Hornsby's work, much of which she links to via her Twitter account here. The adventures of these Princess Pups make for stellar entertainment and I'll bet if you pick them up you'll enjoy them too!