Spring Loaded: A Message from the Editor top of page | cover page

Happy New Year from Pezhead Monthly!

2002 was a great year for the newsletter and for Pez in general. It is hard to remember a year when so many new dispensers were released. Between the new Halloween set, the new Christmas set, and the new Sourz set, everywhere you turned there seemed to be more Pez. This was a great thing, and from what I hear 2003 looks to be more of the same. On a personal note, 2002 was also the year in which I finally got the Elvis Pez dispenser I had always been hoping for, along with some other great finds such as Zorro Pez and three of the Pez bobbleheads. The year ended on a great note for me, as one of the presents under the Christmas tree was the Giant Santa Pez dispenser.

Although this issue is slightly delayed and a bit light on content (for which I sincerely apologize), I think it's a great way to usher in 2003. For starters, we offer a Pez-flavored retrospective of the year that was 2002. It is amazing to consider how big a part Pez played in the past year. Moving on, this month's Five Questions may ruffle some feathers, as it is the first ever interview that Pezhead Monthly has done with a Fantasy Pez dispenser (SpongeBob SquarePants Pez). I believe that SpongeBob Pez puts forth a valiant attempt to bring some credibility to fantasy dispensers, even if I was a believer in them ever since Elvis Pez. Rounding out the issue is, of course, some Pez Poetry and the Pez Almost-Quote.

Best wishes to all for a happy, safe, and Pez-filled 2003. Take care and see you next month!

Joe Durrant
Editor, Pezhead Monthly
joe@pezheadmonthly.com

2002: The Year In Pez top of page | cover page

With 2002 behind us, it is indeed time to once again look back at a year of hope, a year of despair, and most importantly a year of Pez.

January 1, 2002: The Euro is officially adopted by 12 European countries as a form of currency. Another way to pay for Pez is always a good thing.

January 24, 2002: Record label EMI releases Mariah Carey from her recording contract, paying her $28 million. She now has almost enough money to buy all the Pez in the world. Perhaps this was her plan all along.

February 14, 2002: Millions of cases of true love simultaneously occur when people are given their first Pez dispensers.

March 27, 2002: Britney Spears announces that she is single, no longer attached to fellow pop star Justin Timberlake. It turns out to be the classic tragic story: Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl drops boy like a hot potato after learning of his lifelong hatred of Pez.

April 5, 2002: Oprah Winfrey announces the end of her wildly popular "Oprah's Book Club." Industry insiders unanimously consider this to be a premature end, as Shawn Peterson's "Collectors Guide to PEZ" had yet to receive the honor of Book of the Month.

May 19, 2002: The hit TV show "X-Files" airs its series finale. After 9 seasons, you'd think that Scully and Mulder would realize that the truth isn't out there, but rather in a Pez dispenser. Unfortunately they were still chasing aliens as the series concluded.

June 11, 2002: Paul McCartney marries Heather Mills. She loves him yeah, yeah, yeah, but the smart money has it that she loves Pez dispensers even more.

July 27, 2002: All trapped miners are rescued from a Pennsylvania mine. A nation rejoices, much like when a Pez candy is rescued from its chamber, albeit on a larger scale.

August 4, 2002: The Anna Nicole show debuts on television. Classless? Yes. Tasteless? Yes? Painful to watch? Yes. Anything at all like a Pez dispenser? Heck no.

September 4, 2002: Kelly Clarkson is crowned American Idol. In a rare moment of decency and civility, lead judge Simon Cowell praises Clarkson for her "style and grace", her "professional demeanor," her "beautiful singing voice," and her "impressive Pez collection."

October 7, 2002: The world's funniest joke is revealed. Oddly enough, it did not start off with "Two Pez dispensers walk into a bar."

November 5, 2002: The Republicans won a landslide victory over the Democrats in United States congressional elections. There were several proposed reasons for this historic victory, but the most likely one is when Democrat Senator Hillary Clinton accidentally said "I can't stand the Pezident." One "r" never made so much of a difference.

December 26, 2002: Across the nation, millions of Christmas presents are returned to stores. When will people ever learn? If you don't give the gift of Pez, there's bound to be disappointment.