Nickelodeon is bringing three decades’ worth of iconic characters to life at this year’s SDCC, with retail items that celebrate memorable ‘90s shows like Hey Arnold!, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Ren & Stimpy Show and Rugrats, and fan-favorite properties including SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Loud House, Avatar and Danny Phantom.
The Nickelodeon Nick Box is back with a Summer Block Party theme. Each Nick Box comes packed with one-of-a-kind collectibles, apparel, accessories and more featuring all your favorite classic Nickelodeon shows. The Nick Box is a quarterly, subscription service that brings your most memorable Nickelodeon experiences right to your front door, but the Summer Block Party Nick Box at SDCC features a SDCC exclusive. This installment features these items and much more:
- Arnold Bobble Head – Your favorite football-headed dreamer is now here to cheer you on as you chase YOUR dreams.
- TMNT Vinyl – Don’t worry — unlike your childhood nightmares, these gumballs will stay in place. Oh, and also… try not to eat it.
- T-shirt – Good news! You no longer have to cram yourself and your friends into a TV box and stroll down a random street singing to be cool. Just wear this tee instead!
- Mickey Kaline Card – Did Mom throw out your prized baseball cards? It’s okay–now is the perfect time to restart your collection with a SDCC exclusive Mickey Kaline trading card!
SRP: $50.00
Playmates Exclusive Samurai Rabbit Usagi Yojimbo Figure
In Nickelodeon’s 2017 Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the samurai rabbit Usagi Yojimbo will reunite with the Ninja Turtles once again for a three-part story arc that begins airing July 23. The San Diego Comic-Con exclusive of the 2017 Usagi Yojimbo new character design action figure comes in a limited edition of 350.
This item features the newly designed Usagi Yojimbo action figure in a 5” scale, dressed in his classic blue robe, and comes with his traditional Samurai swords. Also included are two additional exclusive, interchangeable Usagi heads, his pet Tokage lizard, and a flag with Usagi’s signature emblem. All this is presented in a collector edition 5th panel storybook package, with a rerun of the 1987 Comic Book “Leonardo Meets Usagi Yojimbo in Turtle Soup and Rabbit Stew,” and the 1989 Comic Book “The Treaty.”
SRP: $30.00
Just Play Hey Arnold! Bean Plush Friends
Hey Arnold! is back! The collectibles fans have been waiting for since the ’90s are finally here with the Hey Arnold! Bean Plush friends. Now you can bring home Arnold, Gerald and Helga, the coolest kids from P.S. 118, and introduce them to your own cool kid. Each of these 8″ plush characters is made with super-soft fabrics and is great for taking on the go and displaying for all to see. Perfect for both kids and collectors alike. Each plush sold separately. $10/each, ages 3+
SRP: $30.00
Kidrobot Exclusive Powdered Toast Man “Wheat”
Who is this stranger from another land? Why does he walk among mortal men? What is his mission? Where can we get a pair of undershorts like his? Who is this man of toast?! Nickelodeon and Kidrobot team up to present the Powdered Toast Man Medium Figure. From the ‘90s hit The Ren & Stimpy Show and standing 8” tall, this figure is chalked full of tenacious butt clinging action. Collect yours today because he’s toast-a-ric!
SRP: $50.00
Zwyer Exclusive Avatar Aang Chibified Character
Following several years of SDCC tradition and Nickelodeon’s Avatar series, this Chibi Avatar Aang figure will come in a convention exclusive color variant. Available only at Nickelodeon’s booth, Avatar Aang is finished in a sepia color tone, paying homage to past exclusive Avatar prints at San Diego Comic-Con.
SRP: $25.00
Nickelodeon Customized T-Shirt Station
Set against a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New York cityscape, fans can purchase a t-shirt from the retail shop and customize it on the spot with characters and art from their choice of seven fan-favorite Nick shows:SpongeBob SquarePants, TMNT, Hey Arnold!, Rocko’s Modern Life, The Loud House, Rugrats and Danny Phantom.
SRP: $20.00

Movie
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters

If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Events
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023


Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm