11.25.2025 THE MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2025!!! With KEVIN SMITH!

Written By Stephanie Morgan

MONSTER PARTY SAYS, “PUT DOWN THAT TURKEY LEG AND GO SHOPPING!”

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD once again put together the ultimate yuletide wishlist. What better way is there to prepare for a seasonal shopping spree than with… THE MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2025?!!!

Having trouble finding the perfect holiday gift for that obsessive, persnickety genre geek? Well, fear not, bewildered buyers, for MONSTER PARTY has a collection of holiday presents that will challenge even the most talented of Santa’s elves.

This year, we present a 2025 sleighful of out-of-the-ordinary ornaments, must-read classic sci-fi, kaiju-sized coffee table books, shocking monster action figures, tried-and-true travel packages, creature candy dispensers, one-of-a-kind wonders, rock n’ roll trick or treaters, conjoined twin treasures, record relics, Blu-ray bonanzas, heartfelt hand-me-downs, the stuff of 3-D printed dreams, and more! And by more, we mean PBR.

Joining us for this stocking full of fun is a return guest who is the glue that holds THE MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE together. He’s an extremely talented artist/sculptor/toy designer/librarian who has worked with such sofubi legends as MAD WORLD TOYS, OCTEEL, and SPIRAL TOY. If you collect his collectibles, you’ll know him as the artist, SLUGBAT, but we’ll always think of him as the smooth young intern who won our hearts. Please welcome back the forever jolly… KEVIN SMITH!

MERRY MERCHANDISE MONSTER PARTIERS!

Guest(s)

Kevin Smith:

Follow Kevin: Slugbat (@artofslugbat) • Instagram profile

Key Topics Discussed

  • The hosts welcome back returning guest Kevin Smith, a professional toy sculptor and librarian, to catch up on his recent work for companies like Spiral Toy and reminisce about the group's past trip to Japan.

  • Toy and collectible recommendations include a life-sized Basket Case replica, NECA's 50th-anniversary Jaws game, Super 7 Godzilla figures, custom Pez dispensers, and a "must-have" Varon figure.

  • The group suggests various media gifts, ranging from Godzilla 70th-anniversary books and Skybound's Universal Monsters comics to boutique Blu-rays like Mac and Me and a portable record player for vintage vinyls.

  • Lifestyle and apparel gift ideas include collecting movie-themed popcorn buckets, Godzilla-branded Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, Vampire Vineyards wine, and slip-on shoes from Midnight Monster Society.

  • The episode concludes with updates on the podcast's new TeePublic merchandise store and Patreon perks, along with shout-outs to listener projects like a horror comic anthology and a Kickstarter for Lincoln Mini Monsters.

Timestamps

  • 00:00:19 — The hosts introduce the "Monster Party Holiday Gift Guide 2025" edition of the show.

  • 00:04:17 — Introduction of guest Kevin Smith, a librarian and professional toy sculptor

  • 00:08:54 — Kevin kicks off the gift guide by recommending collectible movie theater popcorn buckets (e.g., Dune, Jaws, Godzilla).

  • 00:13:08 — Larry suggests a "Meal and a Movie" gift featuring Pabst Blue Ribbon beer with Godzilla artwork by Attack Peter.

  • 00:18:40 — Shawn recommends a life-sized Basket Case Belial replica from Monstarz.

  • 00:25:40 — Matt suggests gifting a portable record player accompanied by vintage vinyls and Sonosheets.

  • 00:29:45 — Kevin recommends Skybound Comics’ Universal Monsters line, including Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives and Dracula.

  • 00:33:14 — Larry suggests unique, hand-crafted Pez dispensers from Crypt of Toys on eBay/Etsy.

  • 00:37:34 — Sean recommends the Vinegar Syndrome 4K release of the 1966 film Castle of Evil.

  • 00:39:43 — James discusses NECA’s 50th Anniversary Jaws game and Tom Atkins action figures.

  • 00:44:20 — Matt enthuses over the Ben Cooper-style KISS costume figures released by NECA.

  • 00:51:54 — Kevin highlights Super 7’s vintage-style Godzilla figures and tin toys.

  • 00:56:40 — Larry recommends Hallmark’s "Let the Wookiee Win" Star Wars ornament.

  • 00:59:26 — Sean suggests limited edition Blade Runner and Alien art prints by the artist Shag.

  • 01:03:46 — James details exclusives from the Godzilla Store, including the Giant Condor vinyl figure.

  • 01:09:10 — Matt passionately argues for gifting the Varon (or Varan) figure.

  • 01:12:53 — Kevin offers a practical solution for hard-to-shop-for collectors: an eBay gift card.

  • 01:16:19 — Larry recommends slip-on monster shoes from Midnight Monster Society.

  • 01:20:34 — Sean highlights the retro-style Shock Monster figure from Trick or Treat Studios.

  • 01:22:22 — James suggests the "Creepy Teddy" (the bear from The Shining) by Asylum Zone.

  • 01:24:04 — Matt encourages re-gifting items from personal collections to friends who will appreciate them.

  • 01:28:38 — The "Lightning Round" begins, featuring recommendations for apparel, books, and Mac and Me on Blu-ray.

  • 01:46:10 — Matt proposes the ultimate investment gift: funding a trip to Japan.

  • 01:52:32 — Listener shout-outs, including a mention of the "Horror, Not Hate" comic anthology project.

  • 02:01:25 — Announcement of the new Monster Party TeePublic store for official merchandise.

Resources/Links Mentioned

See our blog post for an official shopping guide!

Films

  • Dune: Kevin mentions the popcorn bucket for this film as an example of the current trend in theater collectibles.

  • Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro): Kevin notes that this upcoming film already has a popcorn bucket released.

  • Superman: Kevin mentions this film has a popcorn bucket available.

  • Jaws: Kevin mentions the 50th-anniversary popcorn bucket; James discusses the NECA 50th-anniversary board game; James recommends the book The Jaws Companion.

  • Godzilla (franchise): Kevin discusses the Alamo Drafthouse popcorn bucket; James discusses 70th-anniversary books; Matt recommends Godzilla-themed Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

  • The Fantastic Four: Kevin praises the Galactus popcorn bucket, though the group debates the quality of the film associated with it.

  • Blue Velvet: Larry references the character Frank Booth from this film to explain his introduction to Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

  • It’s Alive: Sean mentions the "It's Alive Baby" doll released by Monstars.

  • Basket Case: Sean recommends the life-sized replica of Belial released by Monstars.

  • Godzilla Minus One: James mentions this film is included in the Japanese book The Sumptuous Collection of Godzilla.

  • Gamera (franchise): James mentions a new "Photo Archive of the Showa Years" book dedicated to this monster.

  • Creature from the Black Lagoon: Kevin recommends the Skybound comic sequel Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives; Larry recommends Pez dispensers and slip-on shoes.

  • Dracula: Kevin recommends the Skybound comic retelling of the Bela Lugosi story.

  • Frankenstein: Kevin recommends the Skybound graphic novel run.

  • The Mummy: Kevin notes that Skybound recently concluded their graphic novel series on this title.

  • The Invisible Man: Kevin mentions Skybound is currently working on a graphic novel for this title.

  • Castle of Evil: Sean recommends the new 4K scan Blu-ray release from Vinegar Syndrome.

  • Night of the Creeps: James mentions the Tom Atkins figure from this movie and its new "Dream Sequence" variant.

  • Can't Stop the Music: Matt jokes that if you buy the Village People costumes, you can watch this movie on Blu-ray.

  • Halloween: Larry mentions a NECA fantasy costume figure of Michael Myers.

  • It: Larry mentions a NECA fantasy costume figure of Pennywise.

  • Rodan: Kevin mentions a Shogun Warrior figure of Rodan released by Super 7.

  • Star Wars: A New Hope: Larry recommends a Hallmark ornament titled "Let the Wookiee Win" depicting the chess scene.

  • Blade Runner: Sean recommends a "Tears in the Rain" art print by Shag.

  • Alien: Sean recommends a "Here Kitty Kitty" art print by Shag; James mentions a desktop lamp; Matt mentions 3D printed figures.

  • Godzilla vs. Ebirah: James recommends the Giant Condor vinyl figure from this film found at the Godzilla Store.

  • Apocalypse Now: Matt compares the Mechagodzilla figure playing music to a scene in this movie.

  • Destroy All Monsters: Matt mentions the monster Varon appearing in the back of the group in this film; Kevin later mentions sculpting a Godzilla based on this movie.

  • Ghostbusters: Larry lists this as a design available for the Midnight Monster Society shoes.

  • The Shining: James recommends a "Creepy Teddy" based on the bear-suit man from the film.

  • The Baby: Sean mentions that Matt gave him a DVD of this movie, which he then re-gifted.

  • Incubus: Recommendation of the book Incubus, Inside, Leslie Stevens about this William Shatner film.

  • Zardoz: Mention of a ceramic sculpture of the flying head available from artist Jim Moore.

  • Scared to Death: Recommendation for the Synginor action figure from Trick or Treat Studios based on this film.

  • The Howling: Discussion about competing werewolf action figures from Syndicate Collectibles and NECA.

  • Mac and Me: Sean recommends the new Vinegar Syndrome deluxe Blu-ray release.

  • Superman: Listed as a property licensed by Roosevelt for their apparel.

  • Trog: James recommends a We Belong Dead coffee table book titled Trog: The Ultimate Tribute.

  • The Vengeance of She: Matt lists this as a past recommendation from Film Masters.

  • The Alligator People: Matt lists this as a past recommendation from Film Masters.

  • The Old Dark House: Matt lists this as a past recommendation from Film Masters.

  • The Exorcist: Shout out to listener Angela McNichols' comments regarding even more common liquid in the Exorcist - Coffee.

Television

  • Ultraman: Story about finding a vintage album in Japan featuring themes from this show. Matt mentions receiving an "Ultra 7" die-cast figure from Larry and owning a pair of Converse shoes featuring the character, which he has never worn. Matt also mentions owning Gashapon toys of the characters that link together and move.

  • Astro Boy: James mentions a box set of records he purchased in Japan that included themes from this show.

  • The Outer Limits: Larry mentions that the seller "Crypt of Toys" makes Pez dispensers featuring characters from this show. Matt mentions owning great prints of this show.

  • Garfield: Larry discusses buying a NECA Ben Cooper costume figure of Garfield to complete a set.

  • Alf: The character Alf came in a figure that was purchased (along with PeeWee Herman) along with a discussion about the creator's strict rules about the puppet.

  • Sesame Street: Praise for the company Super 7 for the amazing products they have released for this franchise.

  • Star Trek: This show listed as one of the licenses held by the apparel company Roosevelt for their button-up shirts.

  • Batman: Listed as a property licensed by Roosevelt for their apparel.

  • The Muppets: Listed as a property licensed by Roosevelt for their apparel.

  • Peanuts: Listed as a property licensed by Roosevelt for their apparel.

  • Hanna-Barbera Cartoons: Listed as a property licensed by Roosevelt to produce shirts featuring characters from this animation studio.

  • Creature Features: Larry recommends the book The Career That Dripped With Horror by John Stanley, the host of this classic horror show.

  • The Boys: James mentions that while NECA stopped making figures for this show, the Japanese company Mafex is continuing the line with figures for Soldier Boy, The Deep, and Queen Maeve.

  • Speed Racer: Matt mentions owning great prints from this animated series.

Books, Albums & Other Media:

  • Godzilla: The First 70 Years by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski

  • Japan's Favorite Mon-Star by Steve Ryfle

  • Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! (Skybound Comics)

  • Universal Monsters: Dracula (Skybound Comics)

  • Universal Monsters: Frankenstein (Skybound Comics)

  • Universal Monsters: The Mummy (Skybound Comics)

  • Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man (Skybound Comics)

  • The Legend of Charlie Fish by Josh Rountree

  • The Unkillable Frank Lightning by Josh Rountree

  • Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

  • Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion by Pat Jankiewicz

  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: A TV Companion by Pat Jankiewicz

  • The Greatest American Hero: A TV Companion by Pat Jankiewicz

  • Incubus: Inside Leslie Stevens Lost Horror Classic by David J. Skal

  • The Career That Dripped With Horror by John Stanley

  • Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide by John Stanley

  • John Williams: A Composer's Life by Tim Greiving

  • Hitchcock and Herrmann: The Friendship and Film Scores That Changed Cinema by Steven C. Smith

  • A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann by Steven C. Smith

  • Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

  • Xenogenesis Trilogy (including Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago) by Octavia E. Butler

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Stephanie Morgan
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