Cross Click: Marvel Hulk Edition Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Tapping into a well-known entertainment franchise and doing so in a tasteful way that appeals to fans is always a solid bet, and that's exactly what Cross have done with the Marvel editions of the Click ballpoint pen. The Hulk edition that I've had the pleasure of using over the past few weeks has led me into a slippery slope of branded writing instruments that may end up costing me more than I anticipated.

The Cross Click is a standard offering in their ballpoint lineup, and it's a great pen overall. Let's focus on the standard pen and how it performs.

The Click is a slim body pen with a click mechanism for retracting/extending the refill. The click is a bit noisy, but it feels solid and the noise plays into the namesake of the pen. It has a nice feel, and it adds to the "premium" experience. The clip is petite, but it's hella strong — it fits in nicely with the Hulk (and Marvel) background well.

As far as slim body pens go, the Click is still pretty comfortable to use. I've used this for long note-taking sessions and haven't had any issues with comfort. There's a texture on the body that adds a bit of grip as well.

One downside is that the refill rattles around inside the pen when it's in a retracted state. It takes a good bit of movement to make the rattle manifest, but it's noticeable and detracts from the overall premium feel of the pen.

The Marvel branding is subtle, which is exactly why I love it. There's some nice green graphics on the body, but my favorite part is the Hulk fist jewel on the top part of the clip.

The standard refill is black and performs well. I've used several Cross ballpoints in the past, and I've always enjoyed it. As far as ballpoints go, this is a great option. There are other color options, as well as some gel rollerball refills that look interesting. Like most Cross pens, these refills are proprietary, so good luck finding a suitable replacement outside of the Cross lineup.

The Cross Click Marvel edition pens are fun, nicely done, and affordable. It's a perfect combination of factors that make this pen a no-brainer for Marvel fans. They're currently on sale at Goldspot Pens, so don't miss out!

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Guest Appearance on the Productivity in Tech Podcast

I joined my friend Jay Miller on his podcast Productivity in Tech this weeks to discuss my background, how my passion became my full-time job, and how the pen community has grown online over the years. It was a fun conversation, which you can listen to here. Thanks for having me Jay!

The Pen Addict forms a content partnership with Mainichi Bunbougu of Japan

I became aware of the Japanese stationery web magazine Mai-Bun in the past year thanks to my friend Bruce Eimon. I fell quickly in love with their content, and, thanks to Bruce, I am now able to announce a content sharing partnership with one of the leading stationery web magazines in Japan.

The below announcement was written by Bruce Eimon, who grew up in Japan and now operates his firm, Think on Paper .Co, out of the San Francisco Bay Area. You can find more from Bruce at Think on Paper .Co and Twitter.

The Pen Addict has gained a powerful ally in Japan by forming a content partnership with a prominent Japanese stationery web-magazine, Mainichi Bunbougu (a.k.a. Mai-Bun) . Through this partnership, the Pen Addict gains access to a steady stream of Japanese content, which it will translate and re-post on the Pen Addict blog. We will start with one article a month, with the option to increase the frequency based on audience demand.

Announcement of the partnership on 9/12 at the 22nd Stationery Festival in Tokyo

Who/what is Mainichi Bunbougu?

Mainichi Bunbougu (Mai-Bun for short), translates to "Everyday Stationery", with a tag-line of "No Stationery, No Life." Mai-Bun was started by Takuya Takahashi in 2014, who specifically calls it a web-magazine, and not a blog, in an effort to emphasize that it is an independent media platform that features the kind of stationery that people can use to enrich their daily lives.

Mai-Bun's mission is to share the appeal of high quality, practical stationery which brings joy to people's daily lives, whether at the workplace, at home, or in our social interactions.

The writers at Mai-Bun only write about products they have actually used, so instead of breaking news, its articles focus on products that have been out on the market for some time. Their love of stationery extends to their support for brick and mortar retailers, in that they refuse to have any affiliate links, encouraging people to patronize their local stationery stores (a luxury that still exists in Japan :)

Aside from publishing articles, they collaborate with major Japanese retail stores to curate their stationery selections, and host events in conjunction with major manufacturers, like the nation-wide SARASA Color Election that they organized with Zebra this spring.

We are excited to have a new partner in the world's capital of cool stationery. With access to their extensive network in the Japanese stationery world and their multi-channel activity experience, we hope this partnership will lead to collaborations beyond simple article translations (hint, hint... #PenAddictLiveAtBudokan!)

Stay tuned to the first article coming in the next few weeks, and let us know what you would like to see come out of this partnership!