diff --git a/examples/ASCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m b/examples/ASCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
index 00aea567dc..52046fd3fc 100644
--- a/examples/ASCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
+++ b/examples/ASCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
@@ -104,10 +104,12 @@
 #pragma mark -
 #pragma mark ASCollectionView data source.
 
-- (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
+- (ASCellNodeBlock)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeBlockForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath;
 {
   NSString *text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"[%zd.%zd] says hi", indexPath.section, indexPath.item];
-  return [[ItemNode alloc] initWithString:text];
+  return ^{
+    return [[ItemNode alloc] initWithString:text];
+  };
 }
 
 - (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForSupplementaryElementOfKind:(NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
diff --git a/examples/CatDealsCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m b/examples/CatDealsCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
index 31a1e35435..da2a271a40 100644
--- a/examples/CatDealsCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
+++ b/examples/CatDealsCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
@@ -159,10 +159,12 @@ static const CGFloat kVerticalSectionPadding = 20.0f;
 #pragma mark -
 #pragma mark ASCollectionView data source.
 
-- (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
+- (ASCellNodeBlock)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeBlockForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
   ItemViewModel *viewModel = _data[indexPath.item];
-  return [[ItemNode alloc] initWithViewModel:viewModel];
+  return ^{
+    return [[ItemNode alloc] initWithViewModel:viewModel];
+  };
 }
 
 - (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView nodeForSupplementaryElementOfKind:(nonnull NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(nonnull NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
diff --git a/examples/CollectionViewWithViewControllerCells/Sample/ViewController.m b/examples/CollectionViewWithViewControllerCells/Sample/ViewController.m
index 36f0ef5011..a9524a0d4e 100644
--- a/examples/CollectionViewWithViewControllerCells/Sample/ViewController.m
+++ b/examples/CollectionViewWithViewControllerCells/Sample/ViewController.m
@@ -90,16 +90,17 @@ static NSUInteger kNumberOfImages = 14;
 #pragma mark -
 #pragma mark ASCollectionView data source.
 
-- (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
+- (ASCellNodeBlock)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeBlockForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
-  ASCellNode *node = [[ASCellNode alloc] initWithViewControllerBlock:^UIViewController *{
-    return [[ImageViewController alloc] initWithImage:_sections[indexPath.section][indexPath.item]];
-  } didLoadBlock:nil];
-  
-  node.layer.borderWidth = 1.0;
-  node.layer.borderColor = [UIColor blackColor].CGColor;
-  
-  return node;
+  UIImage *image = _sections[indexPath.section][indexPath.item];
+  return ^{
+    return [[ASCellNode alloc] initWithViewControllerBlock:^UIViewController *{
+      return [[ImageViewController alloc] initWithImage:image];
+    } didLoadBlock:^(ASDisplayNode * _Nonnull node) {
+      node.layer.borderWidth = 1.0;
+      node.layer.borderColor = [UIColor blackColor].CGColor;
+    }];
+  };
 }
 
 - (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForSupplementaryElementOfKind:(NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
diff --git a/examples/CustomCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m b/examples/CustomCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
index f8b6071bad..9fb81a301a 100644
--- a/examples/CustomCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
+++ b/examples/CustomCollectionView/Sample/ViewController.m
@@ -90,14 +90,18 @@ static NSUInteger kNumberOfImages = 14;
 #pragma mark -
 #pragma mark ASCollectionView data source.
 
-- (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
+- (ASCellNodeBlock)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeBlockForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
-  return [[ImageCellNode alloc] initWithImage:_sections[indexPath.section][indexPath.item]];
+  UIImage *image = _sections[indexPath.section][indexPath.item];
+  return ^{
+    return [[ImageCellNode alloc] initWithImage:image];
+  };
 }
 
+
 - (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForSupplementaryElementOfKind:(NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
-  NSString *text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Section %d", (int)indexPath.section + 1];
+  NSString *text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Section %zd", indexPath.section + 1];
   return [[SupplementaryNode alloc] initWithText:text];
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/HorizontalWithinVerticalScrolling/Sample/HorizontalScrollCellNode.mm b/examples/HorizontalWithinVerticalScrolling/Sample/HorizontalScrollCellNode.mm
index 9eb2ee9b31..15b36b8402 100644
--- a/examples/HorizontalWithinVerticalScrolling/Sample/HorizontalScrollCellNode.mm
+++ b/examples/HorizontalWithinVerticalScrolling/Sample/HorizontalScrollCellNode.mm
@@ -67,11 +67,13 @@ static const CGFloat kInnerPadding = 10.0f;
   return 5;
 }
 
-- (ASCellNode *)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
+- (ASCellNodeBlock)collectionView:(ASCollectionView *)collectionView nodeBlockForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
 {
-  RandomCoreGraphicsNode *elementNode = [[RandomCoreGraphicsNode alloc] init];
-  elementNode.preferredFrameSize = _elementSize;
-  return elementNode;
+  return ^{
+    RandomCoreGraphicsNode *elementNode = [[RandomCoreGraphicsNode alloc] init];
+    elementNode.preferredFrameSize = _elementSize;
+    return elementNode;
+  };
 }
 
 - (ASLayoutSpec *)layoutSpecThatFits:(ASSizeRange)constrainedSize