A look inside Nic and Norman's for the "Dead"-heads among us

Special thanks to Jason and Billy for sharing these photos from their trip earlier this month to the Nic and Norman's restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The eatery, owned by Norman Reedus of "The Walking Dead" and the show's executive producer and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, features everything from brisket nachos to crab and avocado toast to chicken pot pie to meatloaf to shrimp and grit cakes and whatever else in-between. Their chain has two other locations in Senoia, Georgia, and Lexington, Kentucky. Jason was enthralled by the former-train-station atmosphere of this Chattanooga spot, though. Looks comfy, not to mention delicious!

Here's Jason, left, and Billy, with Billy's wife, Kim. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Some glimpses of the goods from Novi toy show

It seemed like a brand-new show, at least it was one this collector had not seen before. It happened yesterday at the Suburban Showplace Collection in Novi, Michigan, home of the wildly popular Motor City Comic Con (which is in just a couple weeks, incidentally, and which I may actually make my grand return to this year after several years away). And this toy show was pretty lush -- one big convention hall with lots of tables. It wasn't well-attended -- maybe it wasn't advertised that much? Anyway, no matter. It was nice to not have hordes of people. 

So many TV-show-related goodies! There are a ton of photos to show, everything from "All in the Family" to the beloved Batman and Scooby-Doo to the ever-present "Star Trek" and so much more. Such a joy to get back to a nice-sized toy show. Maybe this one is / will be yearly and if so, it's highly recommended. Folks there were really nice to chat with.

Three views of the same thermos, featuring images from the Krofft shows of the '70s, except for "Land of the Lost," unfortunately. Very cool and priced at $50 loose without the lunchbox. 

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Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV

Copying with credit is OK; a link would be grand

Terrific non-TV Toys: Queen by Funko Pop!, 2022

Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon ... they're all here, looking good in their 1970s performance fashion, in this recent set of Funko Pops. We've had a number of Pops on the two collectibles series of BRBTV, and this set represents another foray into the musical realm. These four figures depict the band as it was just coming into its own, coming out of the UK clubs and onto the larger stages, garnering attention across the pond and around the globe. The detailing is nice. 

See the other episodes in the Terrific non-TV Toys series.

And because we've had such a diverse array of Funkos make their way through the episodes, we now have a playlist that draws them all into one convenient place for hardcore Funko fans out there: