Every year, toy manufacturers ply the nostalgia-loving, disposable-income-having hordes that attend the San Diego Comic-Con with exclusive merchandise. In the past, companies have offered some hard-to-pass-up stuff—like this gorgeous metal Pac-Man from 2013, or this figure of beloved Gungan Jar Jar Binks, frozen in carbonite, from 2012—but Mattel may have surpassed them all this year. The Hot Wheels producer has released a die-cast recreation of the only car ever designed with multiple bubble domes, shag carpeting, and enough horns that even the angriest of hands can find one when “La Cucaracha” needs to be unleashed.
Yes, it’s “The Homer,” the eponymous creation of Springfield’s favorite son, from the classic second season Simpsons episode, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”. It’s hard to tell from the pictures whether the car has the huge cup holders the design specs call for, but the giant fins, lime-green exterior, and burning contempt for good design principles are all on display. It’s a triumph—powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball, and easily the stand-out from this year’s bushel of con-exclusive toys.
The runner-up? Probably this amazing Alien Egg Chamber playset from Super7, perfect for the kid who needs more yonic imagery and creeping fear of the biological forcibly inserted into their playtime.