Spring Loaded: A Message from the Editor
"Scores!" Says He: March 2025
Pez Poetry
Rediscovering Pez Collector's News
Remembering Rich Geary

Spring Loaded: A Message from the Editor | top

Hello out there, and happy April from Pezhead Monthly! The year feels like it’s moving right along, although sometimes it seems like it could be going a lot faster.

At the time of this writing, we’re just a couple of days away from the 2025 Austin Pez gathering. It sounds like it will be a great time and I hope everyone who goes has a great time.

I’d like to take a moment here to recognize fellow Pezhead Adam Bourne, who in my opinion is the March 2025 MVP (Most Valuable Pezhead). You see, Adam lives near Disney World, which was the place to be in March for Pezheads (as well as Disney Land), because multiple new Pez dispensers exclusive to Disney Parks were unexpectedly released. The first wave of these dispensers came out in 2021, and in March of this year people found 7 new dispensers, along with 2 new colors of the monorail Pez holders. (I talk about the dispensers in more detail elsewhere in this issue.) Adam not only provided a map of the 4 places to find the new Pez, but also offered to be the personal shopper to anyone who could not make it there in person. The end result was that I and many other Pezheads received a reasonably priced, well packed, and quickly delivered package from Adam. I am very appreciative of the time and effort he took and how he looked out for his fellow Pezheads.

Here is a picture of Adam’s map, if you happen to be down in Disney Parks and are looking for these Pez. You can click on it for a larger view. Thanks again, Adam! You rock!

In sad news, reknowned Pez artist Eddie Santiago announced in late March that due to health reasons, he is stepping away from creating his Pez artwork. For years, Eddie has captived the Pez community with his marvelous artistic creations and has contributed to convention artwork and charity auctions. On top of that, he's a cool guy that many of us have come to know and love. Thank you, Eddie, for all that you've done for us Pezheads, included a few of your pieces that I am proud to have in my own collection. I hope you take care of yourself and are able to overcome your health problems, and I hope to see you at a Pez convention again down the road someday.

As an update on my Pez collection, it’s always growing, of course, but this year has been off to a bit of a slow start. By the end of March 2024, I had scored 68 new Pez dispensers and custom pieces. At the end of March 2025, I have only scored 47. I’m not sure what is the cause for the decline this year, because I feel like I’m still getting new Pez on a pretty regular basis. (And I don’t think my wife would disagree!) Whatever the case, I clearly need to step up my game, whether that’s at a Pez convention or just spread out over the course of the year on places like the Facebook Pez groups.

I’ve also been busy organizing my Pez room, but I still have a little way to go before it is ready for an in-person or virtual tour. I’ve updated some shelves on my main display (so for example the brides/grooms and presenter girls are now all displayed together), moved some customs to be on better display in my Detolf cabinets, and a few other things here and there. I’m still trying to decide what to do with a few shelves and how to make use of some empty wall spaces for Pez art or other displays. I’ve also made a bit of progress in Pez crafting/customizing by using acetone to remove plastic from Pez cards, and in continuing working on Batman Pez customs. I have a lot of ideas on this and look forward to making some of them into reality in the coming months.

This month’s Pezhead Monthly cover image is a Pez photo parody of a poster for the TV show “Severance,” which is on the streaming service Apple TV+. I’m a big fan of this show, and it just wrapped up its second season so I wanted to pay Pez tribute to it. I had a lot of fun putting the photo parody together and thought I’d share some details about the choices I made for the dispensers. First off, I scoured my Pez collection for dispensers that bore at least a passing resemblance to the 4 main characters. I landed on Anakin Skywalker (from Star Wars Clone Wars) for Mark S, Strawberry Shortcake for Helly R, Maui (from Moana) for Dylan, and Gru (from Despicable Me) for Irving. (I acknowledge that I did Irving dirty with this choice, but I could not find a better one in my collection.) Also, since goats play a part in the show, I added the 4 custom goat Pez dispensers that I made for the April 2024 Virtual Pez Convention performance of my Pez poem “The GOAT." Lastly, since Christopher Walken stars on “Severance,” I grabbed my custom Christopher Walken Pez dispenser and (digitally) turned his hair gray to match his character’s hair. As Mr. Walken himself would say, "Wow!"

Also in this issue of Pezhead Monthly, I talk a bit about resubscribing to Pez Collector’s News. I also remember one of the legends of the Pez community, Rich Geary, who sadly passed away in March. In addition, I provide a rundown of my many March scores. And lastly, if there is a world without Pez poetry, I don’t want to live in it.

Finally, there are a couple of scores that I did not mention in my March score rundown. This is because they were not for me, but instead gifts for my lovely wife for her birthday! These came from the amazing folk artist Steve White, and included 2 custom Pez dispensers with the astrological signs Aries (for my wife) and Capricorn (for me). These were a big hit and will look great on my wife’s Pez shelf, which I may show in a future issue. Thanks again for your awesome work, Steve!

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: March 2025 | top

My March Pez scores were a-plenty and came from many different places.

In this month’s “Spring Loaded” editor letter, I mentioned fellow Pezhead Adam Bourne going above and beyond to help out his fellow Pezheads with the new Disney Parks Pez dispensers. I received these from Adam in March and they included Sorcerer Mickey, Minnie with a pink bow, Woody and Buzz Lightyear (from Toy Story), Cinderella, Figment (mascot of the Imagination pavilion at Epcot Center), and the Hatbox Ghost from the Haunted Mansion ride. All of these have “Disney Parks” on their stems, but the standouts are Cinderella, who has a crystal dress and translucent stem to celebrate the 75th anniversary, and the Hatbox Ghost, which is not only very detailed but also glows in the dark! People are going crazy over these, myself included. I am so happy to have them in my collection.

From Pez.com, I picked up a plethora of new Pez. Starting things out were the new Sam Wilson Captain America and Red Hulk; Red Hulk in particular looks great. I also scored 2 new Minecraft dispensers: Zombie, which will also be coming out in stores soon, and the Pez.com exclusive Steve, from the upcoming Minecraft movie (and not to be confused with the earlier Minecraft release of Steve from the video game). Movie Steve is by far the most detailed dispenser in the set. It’s no coincidence that Steve bears a close resemblance to actor Jack Black, who plays the character in the upcoming Minecraft movie. I also picked up (some of) the new Hello Kitty releases, including Kuromi, My Melody, and two new Hello Kitty 2-packs. My Melody is technically not new, as it was one of the first Hello Kitty Pez released way back in 2005, but the eyes and mouth are a bit smaller, and different enough for me to consider the new dispenser a variation. (I held off on the other new Hello Kitty release, with a purple printed stem, as I picked it up as part of the new European set, which includes 2 other dispensers and should be arriving at my house in April.)

I scored one other dispenser from Pez.com in March, and it’s one that had mixed reactions from the community. The dispenser is a St. Patrick’s Day Pez.com exclusive and is called “Mr. St. Patrick.” It is presumably of St. Patrick himself and not a leprechaun. But here’s the twist: Pez re-used the mold for the Christmas Nutcracker dispenser for Mr. St. Patrick. It looks a little… strange, and for me, it’s hard to disassociate it from the Nutcracker dispenser. Pez has re-used molds in the past (a lot, actually), but I think recently did it better with the Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie dispenser, which was a re-use of the Pizza Treat dispenser. Regardless, Mr. St. Patrick sold out in record time. I am glad I got an extra, which will hopefully come in handy for a trade.

Out in the wild, I found some of the newest licensed Pez stuff at Five Below, just weeks after getting some other licensed Pez stuff at Five Below in February. This time around I got a package of 8 lip balms, a pair of Pez Hamburger and Cupcake bubble wands, and also Pez body spray. You read that right, Pez body spray. Move over, Bath and Body Works! To be fair, I have not actually tested the body spray and I am not in a rush to do so, especially since others have reported that it smells like children’s cough syrup.

From the talented artist Mike Herz, I picked up the first in Series 3 of his Classic Monsters custom series, Freddy Krueger from the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series. This is another awesome job by Mike, complete with Freddy’s trademark gloved hand coming out of the front of the stem! This also brought to mind a Pez limerick I wrote a couple of years ago:

Freddy

There once was a Pezhead named Freddy,
Runnin' down dreams like Tom Petty.
In his red and green sweater,
He found nothing better
Than popping out Pez like confetti.

From one of the Facebook Pez groups, I picked up the May 2024 issue of Reason magazine. What’s so special about this particular issue? It just so happens to have a vintage Uncle Sam Pez dispenser on the cover (along with another Uncle Sam Pez picture inside the magazine). This is also a score that I’ve been trying to get for quite some time now. I lost track of how many times I scoured Barnes and Noble for it when it first came out, being denied again and again. Up until June or July, they still had the January 2024 issue of the magazine out! Then at Pezamania last year, I came very close to winning it in a silent auction but was outbid with minutes left to go. So when I saw this for sale on Facebook for a “Reason”able price, I jumped right on it. I am very glad to finally have it in my collection! (This magazine is also mentioned elsewhere in this issue.)

Speaking of Pez in print form, I also received the first 2 issues of Pez Collector’s News, Volume 31. I had subscribed to Pez Collector’s News a while back, but let my subscription lapse for a very long time. In March, I decided to start subscribing again. I talk more about Pez Collector’s News elsewhere in this issue.

On the homemade front, I continue to make new custom Pez creations revolving around Batman Pez. First I took the Batman Bunnies that I picked up from my Pez pal Topher in December and placed them in a couple of the Easter tubes that are currently out in stores. This did not involve that much work, but I like the presentation a lot (and it also frees up room in my Batcave for some more loose custom Batman Pez down the road.

The bigger homemade project was Princess Peach Batman: For this one, I first did a quick stem swap using a Batman head and a Princess Peach stem (the stem with “Princess Peach” written on it). Then, using my recently learned technique of safely removing the plastic from Pez cards using acetone, I partially removed the plastic and then added Princess Peach Batman into the card. I posted this in the Pez Facebook groups and noted “I’ll tell you what, these factory errors are getting out of control.” (Props are due to the Pezhead who picked up on my “King of the Hill” reference.)

Here is a picture of all of my March scores. You can click on it for a larger view.

Pez Poetry | top

Pez Haiku #188

Spring is in the air
And in the Pez dispenser,
Lifting life upward.

Just Give Me A Reason

About a year ago,
Around the Easter season,
I heard about a magazine
By the name of Reason.

And right there on the cover,
As sure as toast and jam,
A picture of a vintage Pez,
The stately Uncle Sam.

The story didn't matter,
The cover, though, was pleasin’.
And so began my epic quest
To find myself a Reason.

I traveled far and wide,
So often was I mobile.
I lost track of how many times
I went to Barnes and Noble.

It soon began to seem
The gods were only teasin’,
And no one seemed to understand
How much I needed Reason.

I almost gave up hope,
Then at a Pez convention
I saw it in a silent auction
And bid with such intention.

But then I was outbid,
This chase, it was unceasin’.
So close and yet so far away
It was without a Reason.

I felt like Melville’s Ahab
Pursuing my white whale,
But then I saw a Facebook post-
That magazine’s for sale!

So let it be declared:
Our days are made for seizin’.
Just take it from a guy who has
At long last found his Reason.

April

There once was a Pezhead named April
Whose dispensers could never quite stay full
Her thumb, it was gripping,
Those heads, they were flipping,
For sharing Pez when she was able.

Rediscovering Pez Collector's News | top

In March, I resumed my subscription of Pez Collector’s News (PCN), a great and long-running print newsletter that is published by Richie Belyski. PCN is now celebrating its 30th year and it includes discussions of new Pez and Pez sightings, letters from subscribers, dealer advertisements, a quite thorough checklist, and other various stories and notes on Pez from Richie. Another cool thing about PCN is that each subscriber is entitled to a free 75-word ad in the newsletter, space and content permitting. This doesn’t need to be from a dealer. It could just be a collector looking to buy, sell, or trade Pez. I think this is a nice way to get the Pez community involved.

In the latest issue, Richie looks back at the start of PCN and reflects on how far it’s come along. He also tells the story of “Super Orangeman” and shares the sad news that he does not see another Northeast Pez Convention in the future because of challenges finding a reasonable hotel. I’ll never forget the 2 times that I went to this convention in 2011 and 2012. The 2012 convention was extra special because it included a trip to the Pez Visitor Center!

PCN is one of the earliest and still most widely regarded sources of Pez information, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s the only one still active in paper form (not counting Pez price guides and Pez books like this one from Shawn Peterson). Yes, there’s lots of helpful and interesting Pez information online, such as Nenad Ghosty Markov’s Pez Palz blog, Chris Jordan’s Pez Collector Store newsletter, and Brian Trauman’s and Erin Panda’s YouTube channels. The Pez Facebook groups also provide lots of Pez information and pictures (along with a more personal element and some laughs), and of course Pez conventions include a wealth of Pez info. But there’s something about getting a newsletter right in your mailbox and holding it in your hands, and I think that’s a big part of the appeal of PCN.

I’d also point out that the publication you’re currently reading, Pezhead Monthly, is technically another source of Pez information that's been around for over 20 years. But from the start, I’ve hesitated to call Pezhead Monthly a “newsletter” (even though it’s a quick way to describe it to my lovely wife, who hears a LOT about me putting it together). Any “news” about Pez in Pezhead Monthly is really only through the lens of my own experiences, whether it’s my monthly scores, convention recaps, pictures of my Pez display, or other Pez (or Pez-adjacent) adventures I’ve had along the way, such as my wedding or my visit to the Burlingame Museum of Pez. I may also share some of my thoughts on things currently going on in the hobby. But none of this really compares to the more in-depth coverage or the level of community interactivity of PCN or the breaking news of the Pez Palz blog. Instead, I’ve tried to set Pezhead Monthly apart by “thinking outside the dispenser” with different and creative things like Pez poetry, song and photo parodies, videos, and more. (I also sometimes spotlight creative endeavors by others in the Pez community, and submissions are always welcome.) There’s more of this side of Pezhead Monthly in some issues than in others, but I always try to include some of it. Lately I’ve also been kicking around the idea of putting together a book of my Pez poetry that’s been featured on this website, but I’m not sure if this will be happening anytime soon.

Anyway, getting back to my PCN subscription, I had let this lapse for quite a long while. I won’t say exactly how long, except to say that it was far too long. But I am glad to be subscribing again and I hope to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. PCN really provides a lot of insight into the hobby’s past, present, and future, and if you consider yourself a Pez collector I think you owe it to yourself to subscribe. You can subscribe to PCN here.

Here is a poem I wrote about my first issue of PCN back in 2006.

My First Pez Collector's News

I must retell, if you would please excuse,
The tale of my first Pez Collector's News.

It was late August, on a Tuesday night.
I shuffled home from work to check the mail.
And there, amid the bills and coupons bright,
I knew at last I finally prevailed.

I was surprised and instantly enthused,
The day I got the Pez Collector's News.

I took the stairs by two or maybe more,
I got inside and ripped the plastic seal.
I shuffled through my latest great Pez score
And rapidly succumbed to its appeal.

I read it to the end, Page Thirty-Two,
The day I got the Pez Collector's News.

There were so many features found inside:
Some letters and a recap of some shows,
A checklist and a slew of classifieds,
The very latest Pezhead news exposed.

A must for any Pez collector true:
This sums up the Pez Collector's News

I thought I'd long before achieved Pez Zen,
Conventions, eBay- lo, what else remained?
But now that I subscribe to PCN,
I know I've made it to a higher plane.

No longer shall you starve, my dear Pez muse,
For now I have the Pez Collector's News.

Remembering Rich Geary | top

And lastly, in March 2025 the Pez community lost a legend. His name was Rich Geary and he was one of the first well-known Pez collectors. Rich started a Pez convention in Ohio in 1990, and that eventually turned into the largest gathering of Pez collectors in the world, also known today as Pezamania. He also put out a couple of great Pez pictorial books that showed a lot of Pez, including some very rare and unique ones. I have his second and third editions in my collection.

WhileI recognize, respect, and greatly appreciate the impact that Rich had on Pez collecting, and I’ve read lots of accounts from people in the hobby who knew him well and testify to how nice of a guy he was, I regret that I never had the chance to meet Rich in person. I don’t have any stories to share of my time spent with this man. However, believe it or not, Rich did make an appearance in Pezhead Monthly! Way back in May 2004, I wrote a poem inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” called “The Raven Pez,” which also happens ot be, by far, the longest Pez poem that I've ever written. As it turns out, one of Rich’s books played a pivotal role in the poem. So as my way of remembering Rich, below is that poem again in its entirety.

Rest in peace, Rich Geary! You will be missed.

The Raven Pez

Once while in the town of Erie, on a day so bright and cheery,
I saw a book by Richard Geary at the local used bookstore.
There on Page the Forty-Second, something to me starkly beckoned,
With such power that I reckoned that I couldn't dare ignore.
''Tis a silly thing,' I whispered, closed the book, walked on, ignored.
And with that, I left the store.

Ah, how I recall the dream from which I woke with such a scream, so
Clear and vivid did it seem, it shook me to my very core:
It was in the Seventies, a summer day, a gentle breeze,
And the local pharmacy had no Pez, alas, no more.
Though I looked so ardently, Pez was not there, alas no more.
I ran out crying from that store.

I'm not one who's good at gleaning from my dreams their hidden meanings,
But it was so clearly seeming that I'd had this one before.
Yes, it happened after stopping at that bookstore for some shopping,
And that picture which was hopping off the page with such galore
Oh, that picture, it was hopping off the page with such galore!
Oh, to take it in once more.

Two long hours I had driven, so that I could be forgiven
For the woeful, pained misgiving that I had at that bookstore.
Yes, it took more than a while, but I had a growing smile
As I headed down that aisle, towards the book that I came for
Yes, I headed down that aisle, towards the book that I came for.
Towards that picture I adored.

At that place my journey ended, but not how I had intended,
For the Geary book so splendid wasn't there, not anymore.
In that dark, forever moment, I was hit with pangs of torment,
For my dreams had tried to warn me that this pain would be in store.
O, I should have seen it coming that this pain would be in store,
But instead I had ignored.

Months went by since that occasion; time had hid the devastation
Of the woeful situation I was in at that bookstore.
I moved past the deep regretting, past those dreams I found upsetting,
Till I nearly was forgetting what was once but was no more.
Yes, I almost had forgotten what was once but was no more,
Almost swept it out the door.

But there's no way of erasing that one image, so embracing,
That somehow I have been chasing ever since that day of yore.
And my trite defense, so brittle, was just like a flower petal,
Destined for a harsh submittal to the whims of the downpour.
I could not escape relenting to the whims of that downpour.
Relenting once, forevermore.

Still, how could I have expected I again would be subjected
To the brilliance that affected me right to my very core?
But when came that auction listing, there was no point in resisting
That my passion, still existing, turned from whisper into roar.
At that moment something in me turned from whisper into roar,
No longer to be ignored.

Like a moth drawn to the fire, I was blindingly inspired,
So determined to acquire what that picture showed before.
In my way there did stand nothing, so I clicked that magic button,
But soon after, in a sudden, I was in a bidding war.
It went on for hours long, this awful, brutal bidding war.
And I did not make that score.

"Cursed piece of plastic! How could you deny me, even now, when
I did all within my power to invite you to my shore?
Am I doomed to days of trying to obtain you, only finding
That my quest would be denied as it has been so done before?
Must this be my endless fate, to repeat pains I felt before?"
Something whispered, "Nevermore."

"Cursed piece of plastic! Who could ever hope to get to you, when
Time and time again you ruin any visage of rapport?
Am I better off assuming never will the day be looming
When I find you there, illuminating in that way of yours?
Will I always play the victim to that cruel way of yours?"
And again, "No, nevermore."

On the verge of outright weeping, I heard that familiar beeping,
E-mail, always towards me creeping, can't escape it anymore.
This one came from my good pal, a college friend from Palo Alto,
Who could boost my low morale whenever it was on the floor.
Oh, how I could use that boost, for I was nearly on the floor!
Nearly lost forevermore.

Reading his quite lively stories always brought to mind the glory
Of that college dormitory and those times from long before.
But this time his sole intention was to pass along the mention
That he heard a Pez convention was to be in Baltimore.
What was this? A Pez convention to be held in Baltimore?
This, I thought, I should explore.

When it came, the day was sunny, as I packed my clothes and money,
Hopping like a little bunny, heading towards my front door.
But when I hopped in my Saturn, I recalled the tragic pattern
That had left me bruised and battered time and time again before.
Would this be a rerun of the episodes that played before?
One last time, "No, nevermore."

Morning broke and doors did open, as I stood there, waiting, hoping
That my days of constant moping would soon be just mere folklore.
As I wandered through that ballroom, in a state of pure enthrallment,
There was Pez from wall to wall, but would there be what I came for?
Would I be denied the only single one I came here for?
Not today, not anymore.

In between the Cow and Panda was where I had seen it standing-
Somehow it looked even grander than the picture could afford.
Stem of blue and beak of yellow, eyes at once alive and mellow,
I leaned down and whispered "hello," not a victim anymore.
Oh, how my heart was so lifted, not a victim anymore!
Yea, I needed nothing more.

On my desk there stands a Raven, once a distant, formless craving,
Now a constant source of haven and a true ambassador.
When my days are dark and dreary, Raven Pez takes me to Erie
To that book by Richard Geary I once saw at that bookstore,
To the day I wandered to the aisle of that used bookstore.
I wander there forevermore.

There's a dream I'm oft retelling, so serene and so compelling,
Set exactly where that hellish one was set so long before.
In that pharmacy, a man does stock the racks full of Pez candy,
And when I look in my hand, yes, there it is, what I came for,
In my hand, this Raven Pez, this treasure that I came in for,
In my hand, forevermore!