Fans of the web cartoon Space King have found elevated lead levels in the golden metal drinking cups from the limited-edition 'No Girls Allowed' Relic Box. Creators Tom Hinchliffe and Don Greger issued a warning to dispose of the cups and stated an investigation is underway. The box, a parody-themed collectible bundle, contains other items like a figurine and condoms.
The 'No Girls Allowed' Relic Box is a limited-edition collectible for fans of Space King, a YouTube web cartoon that parodies Warhammer 40k with ultraviolent space marines in a death-worshipping cosmos. Released as merchandise, the box includes a metal figurine, a Zippo lighter case, a golden metal drinking cup described as copper, a pack of condoms labeled 'Chastity Seals,' and comes in a collectible lunchbox. A strip of paper inside warns that the condoms are novelty items not intended for use.
Over the past week, multiple posts on the Space King's subreddit revealed high lead levels in the drinking cups, with fans sharing photos from test kits. This discovery prompted a response from the cartoon's creators, Tom Hinchliffe and Don Greger. In a tweet, they stated: “We recently learned that the collectible copper cups included in the Relic Box contain elevated levels of lead and should be disposed of. 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 creators explained that testing was conducted before shipping, but production was inconsistent with earlier factory reports. They assured fans that an investigation is in progress and that none of the other items contain lead. Lead is sometimes added to copper alloys to improve malleability, particularly in cheaper metal goods, but commercial imports to the United States must meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, which can be expensive for small-run products.
Space King debuted on YouTube two years ago, accumulating tens of millions of views. The series riffs on Warhammer 40k's themes of battlefield machismo and a fascistic space empire aesthetic, with some elements reflecting an earnest dislike of women. Meanwhile, the Warhammer fandom has faced growing pains as Games Workshop introduces new fans, alters lore, and adds figurines like Custodes, which has irritated some longtime enthusiasts.
