Spring Loaded: A Message From the Editor
"Scores!" Says He: December 2022
2022: My Pez Year That Was
Pez Poetry
So Glad To Own These Pez Zambonis

Spring Loaded: A Message from the Editor | top

Hello and Happy New Year from Pezhead Monthly! This last month of 2022, much like the entire year, was quite the whirlwind. I had a good time celebrating Christmas with my wife and family. And although I was unable to travel for other family visits, I hope make up for that down the road.

In my Pez world, I got lots of great Pez scores throughout the month, which are noted in various places across this issue of Pezhead Monthly. I also registered for the next Pez Informational Gathering, or P.I.G. This one is called PIG4ALL and will be held the weekend of April 1. Unfortunately, I had to register as absentee this year because of prior plans. I'll miss Josh and my other Pez pals, especially having attended the previous 2 years in person, but we'll meet again one sunny day. If you have not registered yet, I encourage you to do so because this is definitely a Pez convention like no other. Josh pours his heart into it and it shows. You can register through the PIG website, and also subscribe for email updates. Following PIG4ALL are a slew of other Pez conventions, from May all the way up to September, and the party continues with some gatherings in October. I frankly don't know how many of these I will be able to attend this year. But I would encourage everyone to attend at least one Pez convention in person if you can. I promise it will change the way you think about Pez collecting, especially if it's your first time going..

This issue of Pezhead Monthly brings us into 2023 with a bang, while also taking a fond look back at the year that was. We kick things off with a cover image that Pezzifies a scene from the movie "Holiday Inn" that has been Pezzified. For those wondering, "Holiday Inn" is not the origin story of the Pezamania hotel, but a classic holiday movie musical that, among other things, gave us the song "White Christmas" (which in turn brought about the Pez song parody "Some Brand New Pez"). I then break down all of the great scores I got in December. There is also a look back at my 2022 Pez experiences, scores, and more (incuding 2 new video recaps). In addition, this issue features four new Pez poems and, lastly, a song parody to celebrate one of my newest scores, the set of 6 NHL Pez Zambonis.

Thanks as always for reading Pezhead Monthly. Take care and see you soon!

Joe Durrant
Editor, Pezhead Monthly
joe@pezheadmonthly.com

P.S. Did you miss last month's issue? You can still read it here. To search the full Pezhead Monthly archives, hop on over to the archive page, where you can browse by feature, Pez Poetry Slam, or issue. There's also a Google search bar to help you search the content across the site. And hey, maybe you would like to submit some words, photos, artwork, or videos to Pezhead Monthly to be featured in an upcoming issue? That would be great! Check out the submission details here.

"Scores!" Says He: December 2022 | top

I rounded out 2022 with a cornucopia of Pez scores in December that also served as a nice microcosm of the variety of places where I found Pez over the course of the year.

Out in the wild, I picked up a Gingerbread House Kit from World Market. I did not actually make the gingerbread house, as I got this for display purposes for the box. The box notes that a "mystery dispenser" is included, but from what I hear it is one of the standard Christmas dispensers. Or is it? I'd like to think that by keeping it in the box, I am also keeping the mystery alive. Also found in the wild was the Donut, the newest addition to the treat set. I found this dude chilling out in the Walmart Valentine seasonal section. This is a great dispenser and I can see it being used again. Chocolate icing! Strawberry icing! Maple icing! I gotta say, it has a nice ring to it….

From Pez.com, I picked up 2 fun exclusives: a Happy New Year 2023 Puck and a bronze Snowman. We knew from Pez International that the puck was coming (which did not make it any less awesome when it came to the PEZ USA website), but the bronze Snowman was a nice additional surprise. I also picked up the two new Raspberry Mascot haulers from Pez.com.

From the Pez Outlaw himself, Steve Glew, I scored 2 more great pieces in his Pez Outlaw series, Cowboy and Holly Jolly. From my Pez pal Russ up in Canada, I picked up the new set of 6 NFL Zambonis. The previous set of 7 was from 2015, so these are welcome additions. (Later in this issue, I pay tribute to the new Pez Zambonis with a new song parody!)

From my Pez Pal Topher, I picked up a bunch of excellent new custom Pez, including some holiday Pez clowns, a Pez mascot with a blue winter hat, a groovy Dr. Skull, and some outstanding Batmans to add to my Batcave. Last but not least, I scored from Topher a set of custom Yodas, and let me tell you, they are out of this world. This animated GIF gives an idea of how awesome they are. Outstanding work here, Topher! I am so grateful to have these in my collection.

And finally, from my lovely wife and just hours before the end of the week, month, AND year, I scored the new European set of My Little Pony (Sunny, Izzy, and Pip). My wife, she's the best!

Here is a picture of all of my December scores. As always, you can click on it for a larger view.

2022: My Pez Year That Was | top

As I say goodbye to 2022, I cannot help but think of all the good times this year that I've had as a Pezhead. I attended more conventions and gatherings in a single year than I ever did before, I saw lots of my Pez pals from years gone by and made some new ones, and I added a whole bunch of new, vintage, and custom Pez to my collection. I also continued to express and share my love of Pez in a number of ways, including convention swag and this very publication. While a comprehensive recap of my Pez year can be found by reading through the 10 issues of Volume 17 in the archives, I wanted to share some thoughts here of the dispensers, moments, and more that especially stood out for me in 2022.

My Year in Pez Experiences

Let's start with conventions, gatherings, and other Pez experiences. In total, I attended 6 Pez conventions and gatherings in 2022, including the PIGPIGPIG in March, the Michigan Pez Convention in June, Pezamania in July, the IN Crowd Pez Gathering in October, and the two Virtual Pez Conventions (VPCs) in March and October. I had a great time at all of these events. We were all floored by the Royal Battler, FABULOUS PRIZES, and our Make-A-Pigs at the PIGPIGPIG. We bid a farewell to Rick and Sue Marlowe (and a hello to Landon Proctor and Morgan Rhinehart) as hosts of Pezamania. The VPCs continued to provide a unique convention experience by taking us inside the Pez rooms and stories of several members of the community (and, new for 2022, also their enablers!).

But as for the most memorable convention of 2022 for me, it would have to have been Michigan. This was the first new convention I've attended in a while, and wow was it a good time. I posted an extensive recap in the July issue, but the bottom line is I had more fun at this convention than I've had in quite a while at a Pez convention. Nothing against all of the others! But hosts Jim and Jody Blaine (with assistance from their family and others) went out of their way to provide a fun, welcoming, interactive experience for the Pez community, complete with a widd array of games and activities and even a group dinner.

I am also very appreciative of PIGPIGPIG host Josh Bales, and VPC hosts Landon and Morgan, for their kindness in allowing me to share some of my Pez Poetry with convention attendees. For PIGPIGPIG, it was fun to involve the group in an updated version of "The Battle Hymn of the Pezhead." For the VPC, I tried (emphasis on tried) my hand at some hip hop and read a Halloween poem while my head was superimposed on a Batman Pez dispenser, because of course I did.

I also want to note another Pez experience from 2022: a screening of the documentary
"The Pez Outlaw" at a local theater, followed by a Q&A with one of the directors, Bryan Storkel. The movie, which tells the tale of Steve Glew and his battles with the Pez corporation in the 1990s, is filled with heart, humor, fun recreations and interesting perspectives on mental health, love, and collecting. And, of course, lots of Pez and Pezzy people who either were interviewed or had brief cameos in the film. It's a story that Steve has wanted to share for quite some time and it was great to see it on the big screen. It's also on iTunes, Amazon, and other streaming services, and in just a few weeks it will make its way to Netflix. Be sure to check it out if you haven't done so already, or even if you have!

My Year in Pez Scores

At the end of this year, I counted up all of the Pez that I added to my collection. (I also put together a rough estimate of how much I spent on Pez, but let's not go there!). In total, I added about 270 new Pez dispensers to my collection in 2022, with just over half of these being custom pieces. This is in addition to various other Pez items such as t-shirts, a book, an ornament, a calendar, some CDs, and more. Most of these were discussed and shown here on the pages of Pezhead Monthly. Here is a small video that shows most of my 2022 Pez scores by month:

Direct link here

Because I picked up not only a large amount but a wide variety of scores in 2022, it's hard to pick my favorite score of the year. So I won't do that here. But I will say that in terms of vintage Pez, I got some great pieces, including Snow White and an Elephant, a Cow A, an Elephant, and two variations of the softhead Batman. In terms of new releases, I enjoyed the new Batman set (because of course I did), the new Star Wars dispensers, and many of the Pez.com exclusives such as the Mascots, Animals, and various holiday dispensers. The recently released Donut is also a very cool dispenser, and elsewhere in this issue I've written a poem in its honor.

As far as custom Pez, I added almost 150 of these to my collection in 2022, with the bulk of these being from Topher Yarrison, and most of those being custom Batmans that really added some more personality to my Batman display (aka The Batcave). From Topher, I also picked up some spectacularly well-done horror Pez customs and other great pieces such as Spider-Man and, as shown elsewhere in this issue, Yoda. Topher's work continues to get better and better and I am always looking forward to the next thing he has up his sleeve. As far as non-Topher custom scores, I have to give special props to Larry Mason and Steve Glew for their continuing work on the Pez Outlaw series (I added 15 of these in 2022, 2 of which are counted in this month's scores above), as well as Steve White's awesome Elvis in a coffin.

Some of my other favorite Pez scores of 2022 include the excellent Make-A-Pig dispenser from PIGPIGPIG (even if a few of the plastic pieces broke off when I tried to assemble it), the new giant Spider-Man, many outstanding pieces of swag received from some talented Pezheads (many of which were shown in my Pezamania recap), and some other "secret" scores that I won't detail here, but suffice it to say were simply amazing.

There were also some fun surprise scores in 2022 (or at least, surprises to me). At the start of the year, I could not believe my eyes when I found the Gold Hulk POP+Pez at Half Price Books, a used media store. There was also a set of kosher Pez trucks and 2 new Walmart-exclusive Christmas Grogus (both of which were shown in last month's scores picture), and right at the end of the year on Pez.com, a new bronze Snowman that sold out quickly and has since been retired.

One area that I felt was a bit of a disappointment in 2022 was Pez collector sets. While the already mentioned Batman box set and Star Wars tin were great (as well as the Black Panther tin and the Five Nights at Freddy's POP+Pez set), I did not think this was a banner year for collector sets. Most of these were 2-packs of dispensers that were already available individually (such as Lightyear, Office, and Care Bears), or 2-packs with one new and one unique dispenser that prompted multiple purchases (full disclosure, I purchased multiple multiples). The one 2-pack that stuck out to me (besides Batman, of course) was the ET mini set to celebrate the movie's 40th anniversary. I've mentioned it a couple of times before in this publication, but the collector set area of my Pez room is getting pretty crowded, and if more space is needed, I am thinking that many of the 2-packs will be the first to go.

My Year in Pez Imagination

In 2022, my imagination and creative side helped me to celebrate my love of Pez in different ways.

One way I did this was by making stuff for various Pez conventions, either as giveaways or as swag for trading. For the PIGPIGPIG, I put together a special print edition of Pezhead Monthly, exclusively for attendees, where I combined some stuff from the archives with some new photo parodies and poems about Pez, pigs, and/or Cincinnati. For Michigan, I put together 2 different pieces of swag, both of which were CD projects that involved native Michiganders (Bob Seger and Madonna). Each of these CDs had an album cover parody, a song parody, and a haiku about Seger or Madonna. For Pezamania, where the theme was super heroes, I made 4 different framed superhero photo parodies, including 2 new ones I made for the convention (Spider-Man was the big hit of the set). I also made a special coin with the Pez clown in a Batman mask and a haiku. And lastly, for IN Crowd 2022, I made a Pezhead Monthly mini-calendar of 2023 and a sticker that put a Pez twist on the Indiana state flag. (Also in my IN Crowd 2022 giveaway was a custom Pezhead Monthly candy wrapper that I first made for Pezamania 30 swag.)

In addition to the swag I made for conventions, I also created a few new custom pieces for my own collection. My favorite of these is this custom Batman Pez bobblehead.

And finally, there is this current publication, Pezhead Monthly. I've been the editor and chief contributor of Pezhead Monthly since 2001. This past year involved lots of recaps, mainly due to all of the Pez conventions and gatherings I attended, as well as updates to my Pez room and collection. In these recaps, I always try to go beyond just the basics of the events by offering a personal glimpse at how they affected me as a Pezhead, while at times admittedly going off on some odd tangents.

In 2022, I decided to move the rundown of my previous month's scores, previously located in the "Spring Loaded" editor's letter, into its own feature. I named this feature "Scores!" Says He, in honor of one of my favorite directors, Martin Scorsese. In this feature, I go through what I what new Pez I found, where I found it, and other thoughts I have on them. I also share a picture of the month's overall scores and occasionally other pictures or GIFs of specific scores that stand out.

In addition to the recaps and scores, I wrote 2 Pez song parodies and 23 Pez poems in 2022. The poems included 8 haikus, 6 limericks, 7 verses, and 2 acrostics. Some of these were shared before publication as part of my convention swag, as noted earlier. My two favorite poems this year were "Three Little Pigs" from the April issue and "Flippin' Pez and Takin' Names" from the October issue.

I also made numerous Pez photo parodies this past year, most of which served as cover images for the various issues. I put together a video recap of these Pezzified photos. Check it out below!

Direct link here

Looking Ahead to 2023

As shown above, my 2022 was filled with Pez conventions and scores. It's safe to say that there's not another year in my history as a Pez collector that was more busy or exciting. So how do I expect to continue this Pez momentum into 2023? The short answer is that I don't think I can! At least, not in the same way. As far as Pez conventions go, I always love them and always will. And the Pez convention calendar for 2023 is even busier than 2022. But while I'm already registered for Pezamania (and the Virtual Pez Convention is only a Zoom link away), I am not sure how many others I'll be able to attend this year, at least not in person. Instead, I may put more of a focus on better organizing of my collection, updates to my Pez room, and hopefully expanding the creative side of this publication a bit. I'd also like to get craftier with making custom Pez and maybe even investing in a Cricut, and I'd like to expand my horizons on the video editing front too, if time allows for that.

Here's to a 2023 filled with Pez experiences, scores, and memories to last a lifetime!

Pez Poetry | top

I Donut Know

I do not know about you,
But hunting Pez is hard.
Whether found in bag
Or found as mint on card.

I do not know the reason
Why new Pez are so rare,
But I will drive for hours
In hopes of Pez somewhere.

A donut, though, I found
In Walmart's Pez array,
A frosted ring of sunshine
On such a winter's day.

Let The Mystery Be

On Saturday and on a lark, I
Drove my car and did embark on
A grand journey to World Market,
Clothed in green and red.

There beside the cocoa mixes,
Giant Toblerones and Twixes,
Mouth agape, I was transfixed:
A House of Gingerbread.

A roof! A door! Four sturdy walls!
Pez candy bricks, upon it all!
I was so utterly enthralled,
A tear I almost shed.

Then on that box, my eyes did see
A Pez dispenser "Mystery"
Oh, what the Dickens could it be?
Would angels fear to tread?

With furrowed brow and words unspoken,
I first thought "Heck, I gotta open,"
For I was most truly hopin'
For Pez I had not yet.

But then I took a pregnant pause
And weighed the gain against the cost,
And thought of jolly Santa Claus
And changed my mind instead.

This box, I say, it shall stay sealed,
Its Mystery Pez unrevealed,
Its cardboard, such a mighty shield,
Its wonder, never shed.

Pez Haiku #167

Coins, houses, and lids:
While each of these can be flipped,
None can flip like Pez.

Starting Over

Turning pages, moving on,
Waking to a brand new dawn,
Pushing forward, cutting bait,
Starting over on blank slate.
Hello future, goodbye past;
What once came first can never last.
The good old days can take a bow,
For that was then and this is now.

It seems so simple, cut and dry,
And yet I have to wonder, "Why?"
What poison lies in yesterday
That makes us want to run away?
I'm not a fool, I know it's best
To long to live a life progressed
But must it come at such a cost,
That all before us will be lost?

Instead, I look at this past year
With fondness and a cup of cheer:
The tension that gave way to calm
From auctions, sales, and Pez.com,
The Pez conventions, gatherings,
The memories that Pez did bring.
On these I do not close the door,
They stay with me forevermore.

So pop the cork and pop some Pez
And wish and hope for what is next;
Around the corner you may find
The sweetest Pez score of all time.
But save a place for days gone by,
For all the joys they did provide,
And on this next trip 'round the sun,
Remember what has kept you young.

So Glad To Own These Pez Zambonis | top

One of my newest scores was the 2022 set of 6 Pez Zambonis. In honor of this, I wrote a song parody to the tune of "Mony Mony," a song originally released by Tommy James and the Shondells and later remade by the one and only Billy Idol. One afternoon I found myself in between activities with not much to do. But you know what they say, Idol hands are the devil's workshop. Come on, come on! Make me feel alright!

Pez Zambonis
To the tune of "Mony Mony" by Tommy James/Billy Idol
Copyright 2023 JoePez Publications

Here they come now, my Pez Zambonis
They're the real deal, they ain't no phonies
Got here by mail from Ontario, now
I see those six dispensers
And away I go, yeah away I go
I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

'Cause they're a hot set (Pez Zambonis)
To get (Pez Zambonis), you bet (Pez Zambonis), I said (Pez Zambonis)
So nice (Pez Zambonis) on ice (Pez Zambonis) they entice (Pez Zambonis)
They're unreal, alright!
I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

Hangin' at home with my Pez Zambonis
Watchin' "Pez Outlaw" on my brand new Sony
Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Rangers, Bruins!
Hey Blackhawks, Red Wings, baby how you doin? Said how you doin'?
I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

'Cause they're really cool (Pez Zambonis)
They rule (Pez Zambonis), no fool (Pez Zambonis)
Make me feel alright!
So nice (Pez Zambonis) on ice (Pez Zambonis) they entice (Pez Zambonis)
They're unreal, alright!
I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

So glad to own these Pez Zambonis
So glad to own these Pez Zambonis (gotta say)
So glad to own these Pez Zambonis (yeah, they slay)
So glad to own these Pez Zambonis (ev'ryday)
You are my homies, Pez Zambonis (you amaze)
You are my homies, Pez Zambonis (on display)
You are my homies, Pez Zambonis (for always)
You are my homies, Pez Zambonis
Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

Thumb on, thumb on
Thumb on, thumb on
Thumb on, thumb on
Thumb on, thumb on!
Thumb on, thumb on!
Feel alright!
I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

Had a phone call with my buddy Tony
Told him all about my Pez Zambonis
Said I was a Pezhead and I feel alright now
Can't stop thinkin 'bout Pez Zambonis
Come on now, I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

'Cause they're a hot set (Pez Zambonis)
To get (Pez Zambonis), you bet (Pez Zambonis), I said (Pez Zambonis)
So nice (Pez Zambonis) on ice (Pez Zambonis) they entice (Pez Zambonis)
They're unreal, alright!
I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)

I love my Pez Zambonis, Pez Zambonis
Pez Zambonis, come on come on (come on)
Pez Zambonis
Unreal, alright! I said Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez), Pez (Pez)