I think I have followed since 08. I know for sure since at least 09, because somehow i managed to hang onto the Spooktacular Readiness Kit boxes that Sideshow used to sell. And those were in 2009 and 2010. They were awesome! Coffee mugs, aprons, masks, and even an amazing hoodie jacket that I have hanging by the door right now. (No other piece of Sideshow apparel has been as well designed. Ever.) And each kit was around $50.
It's sad to see what it has become. The scavenger hunts were great, where you actually had to work and hunt for prizes; checking product descriptions for code words and donning the decoder glasses to see clues. Then there was Criswell the psychic (does anyone know who that guy was?), Mort, Mistress of the Web and lots of other little side shows to be entertained with. I didn't realize how cool Sideshow had been at the time until earlier this month when I sat down to watch Plan 9 from Outer Space. The introduction to the movie is a premonition from a medium named Criswell, in the same attire as the man who's noggin used to float around Sideshows site during Spook. It was a sudden mixture of excitement and remorse.
Just like the previous fella speculated, I've long wondered if they went through a change of management, because now there's a significant disconnect between them and their customers. I've invested next to no time in Spook this year, and I feel it's the same for Sideshow. Each year has been a decline, and this year is by far the worst. I at least slept on the couch last Spook so I wouldn't miss anything, this go round I don't care. There's been no incentive.
