04/21/2005: Pac-Man Lotto & The Great Growing Creature Experiment.
Strolled on down to Midtown Comics today to pick up eighty copies of the ToyFare mag I did the Family Guy thing for, and the feature looks, pun alert, freakin’ sweet. I’m exaggerating on the eighty copies bit, but not by much, and I’m surprised the guy working the register didn’t bat an eye at a customer buying so many copies of the same magazine. There I was, begging, pleading, DARING him to ask “WHY” so I could tell him of my glories…but nope, nada, nothing. He just cashed my thousand dollar bill and threw me down the stairs.
In more exciting news, there’s a new scratch-off Lotto ticket in town, and it’s called “Pac-Man Mania.” They haven’t done much to beef it up with anything too Pac-ish, though the usual instant-win coins have been replaced with ol’ yeller himself. Sadly not available in NY yet as far as I can tell, the idea of winning money from Pac-Man is bitchin’ enough for a Jersey drive. As for the rest of the states in this fair country…I have absolutely no idea. Hit a deli and look for Pac-Man. Hell, you’ve done it before.
Oh, so I had this big stash of things that grow 600% bigger in water — you know the drill. They’ve just been scattered about collecting dust for the past year or so. I’ve decided to perform an experiment. What you see above is a sampling of the growing monsters I’ve collected (I took the pics prematurely…actually found a few more), covering everything from SpongeBob to Halloween monsters to big red hearts that promise to only get bigger. Instead of going the usual route, we’re gonna plop ‘em all in one big bowl to find out what kind of unearthly demon God will create.
Again, I added a few more after taking these pics, so the end results will be even more absurd than you’re predicting. I’ll keep you updated. Maybe.
Discussion Thread: 51 comments
YESSSSSS!

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Lucien @ 04/21/2005 8:45 PM EDT
Sorry about being so excited to have the first post. Pretty crappy week so far. Matt your experiment reminds of an experiment I did for my 8th grade science class to find out if cold or hot water froze faster. Kind of. I only got a B+ because I couldn’t figure out why the hot water froze faster.

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Lucien @ 04/21/2005 8:53 PM EDT
Whoa! Close to 1st!
Hey Matt, the other day I found A-Team party hats and napkins, 1983 mint in sealed package. It’s my first little piece of the 80s, I am one happy man.

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KTK @ 04/21/2005 9:03 PM EDT
Those things remind me of the "pills" that grow into spongey shapes in water (Matt has reviewed them a couple of times). Which brings to mind the question my brother and I always hypothesized (but never field tested): If you swallow those sponge capsules will you, ahem, poop out sponges? Sorry to be gross, just a lingering mystery I’ve pondered since I was a wee lass.

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Jillybeann @ 04/21/2005 9:03 PM EDT
Hey, I live in New Jersey. Maybe I’ll head out to the nearest place that sells lottery tickets and see if Pac Man will make me feel lucky.

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starwenn @ 04/21/2005 9:04 PM EDT
I also wonder that about the sponges. I’ve been saying I’ll eat one next time I get them, but I haven’t had any for at least 2 years, so that day has yet to come. I wonder if something similar would happen if you swallowed Spongebob up there? I would eat him if given the promise of sponge crapping.

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Mara @ 04/21/2005 9:15 PM EDT
The newsstand guy actually accepted a thousand dollar bill? Or is that another exaggeration? I thought, for their own safety, they don’t generally like to have more than $100 on them at a time.
Do you suppose that an expanded sponge shaped like Dracula would function as an effective contraceptive? Only one way to find out, I guess…

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The Yeti @ 04/21/2005 10:09 PM EDT
If you swallow those sponge capsules, you go to the emergency room. It happened to a friend of a friend a couple months back; when she told me about it, my immediate response was "So did he poop out dinosaurs?!?" Alas, he did not. Don’t eat sponge capsules.
Am I the only one really *excited* to see how Matt’s experiment turns out? And does that make me really lame?

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Jeffster @ 04/21/2005 10:36 PM EDT
Okay, I just have to gloat. I’m going to Green Day/My Chemical Romance tomorrow and its probably gonna be the second best day of my life.
"I’m the son of rage and love" =)

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Knegative @ 04/21/2005 11:11 PM EDT
Im excited i cant wait i love those lil things that go in water and grow imma buy some this weekend and put like 5 in a coke bottle and see what happens and is that a nude sponge bob?

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JAM @ 04/21/2005 11:18 PM EDT
I’m going to pretend that the mummy sponge expansion thing is not a mummy but. . .bum bum bum! White Tiger Spooky Man! to the maxx!

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Ant @ 04/21/2005 11:32 PM EDT
hahaha! UH OH, thats gonna be a beast!

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Eddie Lightning Frog @ 04/21/2005 11:43 PM EDT
My bet is one the zebra print mummy to be the biggest of all!
They do that at Science and Supply Warehouse in Chicago.
Spoiler Elert
They have had the same grow things in a big jar in the front of the store for years. They just get as big as they get and thats it. Sorry to ruin it. I like brains that grow in a jar like from the Haunted Garage song Brain in a jar from the movie Nightmare Sisters with Linnea Quigley and Brink Stevens. Matt you should review those movies. Since you brought up pacman lottery I’m gonna bring up the article that had the pacman noodle soup again. I gotta get some of that stuff…

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Pat @ 04/22/2005 2:29 AM EDT
I don’t know why, but I’m also a little excited to see how this turns out. Even though I somehow know it’ll probably be just one big sponge in the shape of the bowl.

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Well @ 04/22/2005 2:48 AM EDT
Man, I love those sponge things.
And, I have a confession….I only watched a whole episode of SpongeBob for the first time yesterday. *hangs head in shame* I like it much better than most of the shows Nick has on right now, though. At 2AM here in Korea, that old game show, "Legends of the Hidden Temple" comes on- sweet!

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Muppet Baby @ 04/22/2005 4:36 AM EDT
Maybe? MAYBE?!?! I better be seeing some pictures of giant grow things, or so help me I’ll…um, I’ll…I tell you what I’ll do I’ll write a post in the next thread that’s so angry you’ll…um, well, probably just remove it. But that will take at least a few minutes of your time so there! HA!

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jhnnywalkr @ 04/22/2005 9:41 AM EDT
I can’t be the only person who fails to understand why spongebob appeals to older people. I’ve watched a few episodes and I’d rather be watching invader Zim. I like all types of stupid, lowbrow or bad movies and shows, but I just don’t see this as funny.

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RAS @ 04/22/2005 10:12 AM EDT
Why is one of the spongebobs naked?

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T-Dot @ 04/22/2005 10:47 AM EDT
More EP3 on Star Wars Trivial Pursuit DVD

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ME @ 04/22/2005 10:57 AM EDT
That Dracula one SUCKS! It’s awful! Seriously, it maybe grew to 1.5 it’s original size.
I almost cried.

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Bryan @ 04/22/2005 11:12 AM EDT
I don’t get Spongebob’s adult appeal either. I can see stoners liking it, I guess, but it’s no Ren & Stimpy.

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Jeffster @ 04/22/2005 12:14 PM EDT
Pretty sweet that u r updating almost everyday man. I have to say you have a cool life.

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Mike @ 04/22/2005 12:36 PM EDT
Growing these in a jar is cool, especially if you get the internal organs. Even better? Growing them in a bowl, then when they’re nice and big, throw ‘em at someone. Shplatt!

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kingklash @ 04/22/2005 1:24 PM EDT
I have to agree with RAS and Jeffster…I don’t get the appeal of Spongebob.
We put 3 or 4 of those expandable creatures in a water bottle here at work. 2 Lizards, a frog, and a turtle. Added the water, and PRESTO!!! Within a few days the suckers were all mashed together inside. FUN!!!

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bad karma @ 04/22/2005 1:30 PM EDT
This has nothing to do with anything, but Matt are you aware that both He-Man AND Thundercats is coming to DVD in the very near future?? I have the Power…HOOOOO

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Melissa Y. @ 04/22/2005 1:34 PM EDT
Yeah, I don’t understand Spongebob either. I really hate it. Which is occasionally an issue when you work at Universal a couple monthes out the year. These things sell like mad >.< I used to love those growy things. I still buy them once and a while. They’re kinda fun for a bit. Pac-Man lotto…well, maybe I’d play then 

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Derek @ 04/22/2005 1:34 PM EDT
I’ve got to give it up for Ren and Stimpy, especially the "Lost in Space" episode and the banned hanging Wild West episode where they sing the song about hanging and "that’s why the Lord gave us necks".
Pax!

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Soj @ 04/22/2005 1:56 PM EDT
And in even BIGGER DVD news for you Matt. GET A LIFE is coming to DVD!! Don’t know when I just work for the photo archive that provides shots for the DVD artwork to the studios releasing them..

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Melissa Y @ 04/22/2005 2:04 PM EDT
Soj, isn’t the Lost in Space episode the one with the "Shiny, red, candy-like button" that erases time? I love that one…and any Ren & Stimpy that involved Gritty Kitty Cat Litter, or any product from BLAMMO!!! (It’s lo-og, lo-og! It’s big. It’s heavy. It’s wood. It’s lo-og, lo-og. It’s better than bad, it’s good!)

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bad karma @ 04/22/2005 2:55 PM EDT
They have always shown that banned hanging Ren & Stimpy episode in Canada, I laughed my ass off the first time I watched that. Another great episode was the one where Stimpy lost his fart.

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T-Dot @ 04/22/2005 3:39 PM EDT
Superman was revealed today, and found the other comparison images in the AICN talkback: New Old
New adjusted to look like Old

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ME @ 04/22/2005 3:44 PM EDT
Hey Matt, the Pac-Man lottery tickets are also avaiable in Indiana as well. Aside the money you can win, you could also win Mrs Pac-Man arcade machine.

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Rirse @ 04/22/2005 3:44 PM EDT
This just in….that crappy dracula looks like he should be hanging out with ICP

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T-Dot @ 04/22/2005 3:45 PM EDT
Damn, the link to the article about the New Superman photo: http://chud.com/news/2607

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ME @ 04/22/2005 3:47 PM EDT
If you look closely at naked Spongebob… (…god, that would be SO bad taken out of context) you’ll see that he isn’t naked. It’s just that his clothes aren’t painted.

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Silkenray @ 04/22/2005 3:58 PM EDT
The ep with the Button is called "Space Madness," and it also has a great rant by Ren about his Ice Cream Bar.

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kingklash @ 04/22/2005 4:25 PM EDT
I gotta say that those are THE most retarded looking Spongebobs I have ever seen.
With that said, I’m curious about what they’ll look like when they’re giant water-saturated beast.

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Nate @ 04/22/2005 9:03 PM EDT
I can say I have closely looked to see if something was naked many times. Naked things rock!!!……well most things do…..well a few things….YEAH naked girls rock….well hot ones

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T-Dot @ 04/23/2005 1:13 AM EDT
Does every state have new Star Wars lotto tix? Last gas station I went into had the big display, but no tickets! I can’t wait to pick some up. I’ll scan them if it turns out to be strictly a California thing.
I try to limit my Spongebob merchandise to those little finger puppet things they sell in the quarter machines (I’m amassing a pretty sizable battalion), or any time he’s dressed as a pirate. I originally liked Spongebob because it did remind me of Ren and Stimp in some ways, but now it’s really just about the Clancy. Yes, the show is sometimes shrill and can grate on your nerves, but we’re talking about the Kurgan here.

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squee4242 @ 04/23/2005 2:20 AM EDT
Heh…heh…heh…they think I’m CRAZY. But I know better. It is not *I* who am crazy. It is not *I* who am MAD! Didn’tcha hear ‘em? Didn’tcha see the CROWDS?
(Ren holds up bar of soap) Oh my beloved ice cream bar…how I love to lick your creamy center! HOOOWWWWWW…(bites soap)…and your oh-so-nutty chocolate covering! You’re not like the others…you like the same things I do! Waxed paper…boiled football leather…dog breath…We’re not hitchhiking anymore! We’re RIDING!

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Teddypig @ 04/23/2005 12:04 PM EDT
How many times in your life can you say you looked closely at anything to find out if it was naked?

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RAS @ 04/23/2005 12:06 PM EDT
The jolly, candy-like button.

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kingklash, he's flesh and blood, not wax. @ 04/23/2005 3:06 PM EDT
I know no ones cares, but I do! So, I have to say GD/MCR owned!!! Especially MCR. Wish they had done more from …Bullets… but, hey, they played Cemetary Drive, so who am I to complain =)

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Knegative @ 04/23/2005 3:17 PM EDT
Hey Matt, just got the new issue of Entertainment Weekly and inside is a small interview with Corey Haim talking about the DVD release of License to Drive. Just thought you’d like to know.

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JLAJRC @ 04/23/2005 3:51 PM EDT
As curious as I am about the combination, I feel sorry certain members of this expandable cast won’t go on to be featured in a Halloween post. Poor undead kids, I betcha they thought they’d make it til late September when they’d be plunged in a glass of Ghoul-aid. Instead they find themselves entwined with the mid-April love of big red hearts and SpongeBob. No way did they see that coming.
As a sidenote, I really hope there’s a 2005 X-E Halloween countdown.

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Carri @ 04/23/2005 4:01 PM EDT
The only real complaint about the Superman photos is the boots. The cuff design is supposed to suggest a very subtle ‘M’ to go with the ‘S’ shield. Or so I have read.

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kingklash, for Truth, Justice, and year-round Hallowe'en! @ 04/23/2005 6:52 PM EDT
Personally, my favorite Commander Hoek & Cadet Stimpy episode was Black Hole, but that’s just me.
so:
Sponge thing experiment + Chia Plot = ??????

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Invader Norbert @ 04/24/2005 2:43 AM EDT
It makes me remember that, many years ago, little dinosaurs came with some chocolate bars. They grow bigger if you put them into water too!

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Yelinna @ 04/24/2005 1:05 PM EDT
The shield needs to be bigger on the Superman suit, it looks like a homemade Hallowe’en suit with the shield that small.

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SuperStar @ 04/24/2005 1:49 PM EDT
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