The “No Girls Allowed” Relic Box, a limited-edition bundle of collectibles for fans of the web cartoon Space King, contains a metal figurine, a zippo lighter case, a drinking cup and a pack of condoms all nestled inside a collectable lunchbox. Within the box is a strip of paper warning that the “Chastity Seals” are a novelty item and are not intended for use. Some fans have discovered that the rubbers are not the only collectable that deserves cautionary advice.
Multiple posts throughout Space King’s subreddit over the last week revealed that the golden metal drinking cups were rife with lead, complete with photos of recipients using test kits to display high levels of the toxic metal. It didn’t generate horror among fans as much as enthusiasm for brain poisoning, but it nonetheless prompted a response from Space King creators Tom Hinchliffe and Don Greger, warning fans not to drink from their chalice.
“We recently learned that the collectible copper cups included in the Relic Box contain elevated levels of lead and should be disposed of,” the duo tweeted. “We are extremely frustrated that this happened. We take our merch incredibly seriously and would never intentionally sell something we didn’t believe was 100% legit.”
The statement says testing was conducted ahead of shipping the box sets out, but that “production (was) inconsistent with the earlier reports provided by the factory.” They assure that an investigation is underway and that none of the other items are as poisonous.
Lead can be mixed into copper alloys to make it more malleable, which is why some might check to see if it’s present in cheaper metal goods before drinking Mr. Pibb out of it. Commercial goods imported into the States, even direct business-to-consumer, require safety testing to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, which can be costly for small-run items.
The Space King cartoons debuted on YouTube two years ago, racking up tens of millions of views. A parody of Warhammer 40k, the series follows an army of ultraviolent space marines blasting across a death-worshipping cosmos. Not unlike with the source material’s riffing on battlefield machismo and a fascistic space empire aesthetic, it often feels like the dislike of women is coming from an earnest place.
Like a lot of dork circles, Warhammer fandom has experienced growing pains as Games Workshop entices new fans, changes the tabletop series’ lore in ways that have far-reaching implications, and mixes in new figurines for Custodes, chafing those who consider themselves the old guard.
