Cooey's Toy Box

54mm Star Wars Figures in Hard Plastic

2012-01-31T00:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a recent find in an obscure little toy shop -- 54mm hard plastic Star Wars figures! I managed to get 7 different figures in a hard, tan plastic. The sculpting is acceptable and the figures are free from mold lines. They are, however, studded with 2 or 3 plugs and mold holes. These can be easily cut from the figure and filled in with putty but I'm leaving them on until I decide to paint them. From top to bottom, left to right the figures are:

Han Solo in Hoth gear; X-Wing pilot Luke Skywalker; Leia in Hoth gear;
Bounty Hunters Dengar and Bossk the Trandoshan; 5D6-RA7 Imperial Espionage Droid; 21B Medical Droid

A closer look at each figure next time:)

Ooooh! My preciousssss!

2012-01-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

LEGO hits Middle-Earth! In anticipation of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit due for release this December, LEGO -- those darned purveyors of colored plastic bricks -- have come out with designs for the characters of the previous Lord of the Rings movies. Head on out to TheOneRing.net for the story and more pictures.

Picture came from this site.

4D Puzzle Mystery Dragon

2012-01-24T02:31:00.000-08:00

Here be another dragon!

A friend recently gave me this dragon to add to mycollection. It’s a multipart toy dubbed as a 4D Puzzle and manufactured by aHong Kong based company called Fame Master. More of a puzzle than a scale model kit, the dragon came in26 parts inside an egg much like the Megabloks Dragons. The pieces are madefrom a sturdy plastic and came prepainted. All the parts snapped fit into eachother quite well and I had a dragon model just a few minutes after opening theegg.

And what a model it is! First of all, the sculpt is prettyamazing with loads of deep detail work. The texture of the skin looks reallyscaly and – dare I say it – pretty much what a self-respecting dragon wouldwear to maiden raids. The rough hide is contrasted well by the differentlytextured underbelly and the smooth wing membranes. The head features a set offrills that I normally do not prefer but the design makes it work.

More important though are the paint apps. This model is proof positive that notall toys made from China have crappy painting. This dragon has a very beautifulpaint job that did away with the crappy drybrushing seen on other fantasymodels and toys but instead boasts a block-colored scheme with amazingpatterning, especially on the wing membranes. My only complaint would be the small gaps noticeable betweenthe parts but other pictures I’ve seen don’t seem to have these as noticeableas mine has. Maybe I need to tighten the way I attached them and maybesuperglue them permanently.

Overall, a great addition to my flight of dragons!

“Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you art crunchy and good with ketchup.”

MARS Heroes: Gunslinging Noncom in action

2012-01-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

While I'm waiting for some printad revisions, I whipped up a few quickies with some toy pics. Here's the two-gun toting MARS Heroes Noncom. Enjoy!

MARS Heroes NonCom and Troopers

2012-01-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

These guys are perfect NOT-SPARTAN Spartans.

I really have to get more of these guys, seven should be a good team size. Check out the Halo Spartans of Black Team and notice the similarities in look.

MARS Heroes

2012-01-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

Hello 2012! As I start sorting out the stuff I was blessed with this Christmas, let me start the 2012 entries with this little gem I found in a department store toy section. It's a line of articulated action figures made by HAP-P-KID Toy Group ( the link works but the site is still under construction) of Hong Kong.

For an action figure that costs roughly around a dollar and fifty (around PHP 80.00) this toy rocks. Each figure is built up with around 13 ball and socket parts and are interchangeable with each other. No need to unscrew parts, pop open torsos with socks and pliers, etc. Details for each are top-rate with pretty nice design considerations as well as crisp details. Paint apps are clean and neat. And the poseability rocks! They kinda remind me of the magnetic microman line or the micronauts figures. Heck, these guys look better than some of the more expensive action figures out there.

The line I saw consisted of three varieties with three types for each variety -- Marine Troopers, Martian Aliens and MegaBots. Each figure is about 3 and 3/4 to four inches tall and comes with 2 weapons each. I picked up some of the Marine Troopers first and will be definitely looking for the other figures in the series. Thumbs up for these guys!

More pics soon!

Munnyfestation featuring Noel Cruz

2011-12-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

Noel Cruz, a good friend and fellow art director, is exhibiting some of his custom Munny toys. Munny vinyl dolls are made by Kidrobot, a popular maker of designer toys. Munnies have become popular "do-it-yourself" canvasses for urban graffiti and street art expression. Noel's toys are well designed, extremely well made and whimsically imaginative. If you're in Manila this December, check out the group exhibit of custom vinyl toys.

The Goose with the Golden Egg

2011-11-23T02:59:00.000-08:00

Here are the adult and chick versions of the Goose that layed the golden egg. The toys are well-sculpted and the paint apps are very neat and tidy. The toys themselves don't do much though. The goose is a squeeze toy and the honk isn't even that loud. More like a carefully squeezed out dainty fart. The chick is mounted on the nest and a push of the button ejects her off to reveal the golden egg. Not much and pretty stqndard Happy meal toys.

Joker Mobile

2011-11-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Joker Mobile is one of the four promo toys from McDonald's Happy Meal in this set. The toy comes with stickers and just features an animated siren that pops up with a push of the Joker head.

'76 Corvette Stingray

2011-11-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

The Hot Wheels Corvette Stingray is based off of the actual Chevrolet production model. A third generation Corvette patterned after the Mako Shark II concept car, the Stingray was introduced for the 1968 model year and lasted until 1982. This model is the last Corvette to use the Stingray nameplate, ending 13 model years where the names Corvette, Sting Ray, and Stingray were synonymous.

This casting was released in 1996 in white with a small blue Hot Wheels logo on the right rear fender. The model features a blue tinted windshield and a 3 spoke wheel which was introduced in 1995 and is still currently being used.

'57 Chevy Convertible

2011-11-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

The Matchbox '57 Chevy Convertible was released in 1998 as part of the Classic Decades series being #36 in a set of 75 models. This release is in turquoise with white interiors, magenta & white graphics, 5 spoke wheels and a clear windshield.

'71 Plymouth GTX

2011-11-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

The '71 Plymouth GTX from Hotwheels is part of the Muscle Mania series. Released in 2005, the model is in enamel yellow, has black hood stripes and badges in silver & black "GTX" as well as black "440+6".

The windshield is in dark tint and is outfitted with the FTE " Faster Than Ever" wheels. Cars with this wheel had special nickel-plated axles, reducing friction and increasing the car's speed.

Always a "bronze" color. FTE Wheels are essentially the same as the OH5 but differ in color and axle.

Viking Minifigs

2011-11-08T06:59:00.002-08:00

I haven't been able to identify these toys but they came with a castle playset and a ship. I think this could be from Supreme or at least Michigan Toy Soldier labels it as such but I'm not sure. The helmets are removable and so are the weapons. They kinda remind me of cheaper Playmobil clickies. Here's the link to their sale page. The set sells for $44.99.

Bat Gyro

2011-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Another neat fast food promo toy! McDonalds Happy meal featured the 2011 BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Toys. I’m not a completist and I just picked up whatever caught my fancy. And a shiny red and black bat-gyro certainly got my attention!

The Bat-gyro – or bat-copter -- is a small single-person flying device made and used by the Golden Age Batman. In the cartoon BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD , Batman used the highly maneuverable one-seater to observe the battle between Black Manta, Gorilla Grodd, Clock King, Black Canary, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. To save them from Music Meister's marching orders, Batman ensnared them in the copter's net.

The rotors spin around and a hidden button behind the toy shoots the bathead a few inches away.

Young Humpty Dumpty

2011-11-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

Young Humpty Dumpty is a walking wind-up toy. Nothing too special but quite a neat toy. Looks like an old classmate too:)

And I just realized after reading the packaging material that for every purchase of a Puss in Boots Happy Meal, 50 centavos will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), the charity of choice of McDonald’s and its programs Bright Minds Read (BMR) and Bahay Bulilit. ‘Yun lang.

And would you imagine that unopened packs of this toy are already on sale on ebay for $9? Sheesh…

Dancing Kitty Softpaws

2011-11-08T01:57:00.000-08:00

The second version of Kitty Softpaws from the McDonald's Happy Meal Puss in Boots series features a neatly painted figure that can be attached to a moving base. When the base is rolled across a surface, the figure animates into a pirouette. The pose looks quite awkward when static but looks reasonably good when moving.

Sword-Swingin' Puss in Boots

2011-11-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

Presenting the swashbuckling feline Lothario in plastic! I managed to buy one of these before the nearest McDonald's ran out. Twist his tail and his sword arm animates. Nice, clean sculpt with a crisp, neat paint job. Nice enough to play with for a while.

Kitty Softpaws with Sword

2011-11-03T03:46:00.000-07:00

Had another happy meal and got Kitty Softpaws with sword. This feline femme fatale wields a nasty rapier which she swings around with a twist of her tail. The paint apps are quite neat and the moveable parts seem sturdy, even with my fumbling big fingers tinkering around with the toy. I can see my nephew playing with this and amusing himself with the sword swinging you get by pushing her tail.

Cute:)

Puss in Boots

2011-11-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

I've occasionally gotten Happy Meal toys but this is one of the cutest toys they've released. This kitten's eyes turn dark, big and oh so adorably round!

And here's a video of the eye action. It's sooooo cute!

2,000-foot-long Hot Wheels Track!

2011-10-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here's an amazing 2,000-foot-long Hot Wheels Track! The video is a charitable effort designed to raise money for Hope for Gabe, a charitable foundation to help fight Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Drop by the links and know more about Hope for Gabe.

Surfin' for Nerfs

2011-09-12T01:17:00.000-07:00

Because I'm excited about my new toy, I used my google fu and dug up this gem of a site about nerfs. Check out Nerf Guns: Pics and Reviews of all Toy Nerf Guns. I also discovered a subgenre of aficionados who customize their nerf blasters:

Maybe I'll buy another pair and see if I can make a mod.

The Nerf N-Strike Maverick REV-6

2011-09-12T00:41:00.000-07:00

I got a Maverick REV-6 as a gift this month. My nephew and I have been playing with a brace of Mavericks since last year but this is my first Nerf gun. Here's the wiki entry about the Maverick:

The Maverick REV-6 is a revolver-type blaster and is currently Nerf's most successful and most popular gun to date. Receiving very high praise, the Maverick is one of the most popular for its ability to be modified and for its low price. The Maverick REV-6 is capable of firing darts up to 25 feet and at an average firing rate of 60 shots per minute. The slip clutch in the Maverick's revolving barrel is known to cause jams; if this becomes a problem to the user it is possible to modify the clutch to no longer slip. Other popular modifications include the "Barrel Drop" mod, which enables the revolving barrel to drop out far enough to grant access to 4 barrels, instead of the 2 allowed in stock form.

Hot Wheels 2004 First Edition 001 Batmobile

2011-09-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

The ever-thoughtful Mr. T ( Tonie Algunas) surprised me with a birthday gift this morning at the office with a Hot Wheels 2004 First Edition 001 Batmobile! I debated for awhile whether I should open the carded diecast until the wrinkle on the lower part of the package decided it for me. Man! I wanted to get this baby into my hands:) Here's a quick walk-around of the model. It's in purple and black metal flake (Hot Wheel's term for metallic colored castings) with a black base and PR5 wheels. The PR5 series of diecast wheels were named for Phil Riehlman -- celebrated Hot Wheels designer -- who designed the wheel starting with the 2000 series. More pix when I get this baby home and under my studio lights. Enjoy!

Vikings by Supreme

2011-08-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

I picked up a bag of rather largish 54mm Vikings from a HOng Kong company called Supreme. I'm pretty sure these are recasts but of what I have no idea. The figures are horridly painted but that doesnt matter since I'll be repainting them anyway. The details on the sculpts look rather crisp and aside from the rather Basil Rathbone-ish mustaches and beards, I figure these can be nice Norsemen.

I'll be posting the painted versions soon. Enjoy!

Britains Saracen Knights

2011-08-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite toys are my toy soldier sets with plastics dominating a large portion of my collection. Featured here are plastic recasts of the Britains Saracen Knights, also billed as Storm Knights. These 54 mm figures come with removable weapons and bases. The originals are quite rare, with mint samples reaching $70 to $100. Too bad mine are only repros, bought from a department store toy section for around $3 a bag. I still enjoy fiddling around with them immensely, with some figures receiving paint jobs and being basis for conversions. I'm currently in the process of displaying these in my hobby room and I thought I'd take a few snaps. The box art shown above is not mine though. I picked it up on the net some time ago. The pictures below can be clicked for bigger versions.

Custom ARAH Duke

2011-08-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Here's another repainted Duke with some new ammo packs made in putty. This is a custom painted 1993 Battle Corps Battle Commander Duke. One of my early experiments with epoxy putty.

I have another version of this figure on the workbench so expect to see it soon here too.

Mega Bloks: Dir the Young and Rorik Redaxe

2011-08-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

Dir the Young and Rorik Redaxe leap into action! These are custom painted Norvagen warriors from Mega Blok's Dragons Fire & Ice line.

Dir the Young can't seem to grow a beard and is always mistaken for a youngster. Crafty and wily, he prefers to defeat his opponents with tricks, deception and guile rather than brute strength.

Rorik Redaxe delights in battle though! He enjoys crushing his enemies, seeing them driven before him, and hearing the lamentation of their women.

More Dragons toys soon!

Mega Bloks Dragons: Armored Combat!

2011-08-09T09:11:00.001-07:00

I've been collecting these minifigures since the Dragons line first came out and here are a few shots of some custom painted warriors.

More of these guys soon, together with the dragons!

Cute Doctor Who!

2011-08-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

OOOOH! I want these little buggers! And the playsets look awesome too!

Go check them out at Forbidden Planet! And the sets here!

Custom Duke

2011-07-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here's my first experiment in redoing the chest rigs and vests on old G.I. Joes. The volunteer this time around is Duke. I also changed the tucked in pant legs into something more modern looking since most troops nowadays dont seem to blouse their pant legs anymore. This is my chest sculpt v1. I also played around with the pose, especially the way soldiers nowadays cradle their rifles. Enjoy!

Custom ARAH Range Viper

2011-07-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a small project I managed to finish a few weeks back. It's an ARAH Range Viper in a red/gold paint scheme. Actually, only the head is a range viper and the rest of the body came from my G.I. Joe bitz box. The rifle came from the Terminator Salvation toy and the stand from the Arcane Legion army pack box. Could you identify the other parts used? This guy will be leading a squad of custom Cobra C.L.A.W.S. They're already done but I'm still looking for rifles for the squad. Their pictorial will be up soon too. Enjoy!

Puttering about with Potter

2011-07-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

A pleasant surprise greeted me as I hurried to the studio this morning. Unang Hirit, GMA's morning news and talk show, featured Hogwarts Philippines just as the last Harry Potter movie opened in cinemas last night. Hogwarts Philippines started in 2001 and bills itself as "the first and only wizarding school for the Filipino witches and wizards." The taping had just finished but I came across a setup of books, memorabilia, ephemera, statues and toys. The members of Hogwarts Philipiines were already packing up their stuff so I only managed to snap a few pix. Here are a few of the NECA figures.

NECA really does a good job in capturing the actors' likeness. And the paint job on their figures are levels above those of the regular run-of-the-mill action figures.

I really dig this toy of Robby Coltrane as Hagrid, Hogwart's gentle giant. Incredible texturing and above average painting really are hallmarks of NECA! The downside to NECA's approach though is that the likeness comes at a price -- limited pose-ability and articulation. I could see that the neck, shoulders and torso seem to be articulated but posing may result in some rather awkward poses since the figure was sculpted with a specific stance in mind. So, better to leave the figure in that pose IMHO.

Thanks to the members of Hogwarts Philippines for sharing their collections with the public. With the completion of the Harry Potter series both in books and in film, the continued support of fans will ensure that the Harry Potter franchise will live on and maybe deliver some more surprises and magic in the future! Above are the gracious ladies of Hogwarts Philippines Jovan and Danielle who accommodated my impromptu picture taking. Thanks so much!

More From TOYCON PH 10

2011-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few toys that caught my fancy. These were released by Fresh, a local toy shop specializing in hard to find vinyl toys. I'm not looking to expand my collection to this line yet but these look quite tasty.

TS118, the Philippine's 3 3/4 (1:18 scale) figure G.I. Joe/action figure club ( of which I'm a lurking member) exhibited a modular diorama entitled "Operation: Burnt Lair." The club pioneered the Dynamic Modular Diorama or DMD wherein the diorama changes display to tell a story. these DMDs are usually exhibited during toy conventions, launches, etc. Congratulations to the guys who made this awesome setup possible!

You can view more of these fab dio pics here:
http://www.hisstank.com/gi-joe-news/customs-10/ts118s-operation-burnt-lair-gi-joe-diorama-10479/

http://ts118.50.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1727&start=210

More links soon!

Kampfgruppe von Abt: Diorama Craziness in 1/6th scale!

2011-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Lovers of 1/6th scale figures will love this English club's passion. Kampfgruppe von Abt is a modelling team based in England dedicated to producing high quality photo realistic dioramas. And I mean "high quality photo realistic" -- I spent the better half of the night looking and marveling at each layout. Check out their awesome galleries here:

http://www.vonabt.co.uk/

Thanks to Tito Alvin for the link!

TOYCON PH: The Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention

2011-06-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Dropped by Day 1 of the 10th Toycon at SM Megamall this weekend.
The place was packed tight and I had a hard time going around. Didn't stay long though because I was feeling a bit under the weather with a typhoon building up outside.

Here are some pix of the booths, the merchandise and the people.

I was especially happy to see a display of Alfredo Alcala's work. I discovered his work in the old Conan comicbooks as well as in Arak, Son of Thunder. He was one of the influential illustrators I looked up to with his impressive attention to detail as well as lavishly rich linework. He's one of the illustrators whose black and white art inspired and influenced me a lot. Someone should really publish a folio of his impressive body of work.

More to come!

Thor Action Figures at Local Toys r Us

2011-04-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

Thor movie action figures are on the local Toys R Us pegs already in anticipation of the upcoming Thor movie. The 3 3/4 figures retail for Php 495.00. The figures are mostly of Thor, modeled after the likeness of Chris Helmsworth. Thor haas something like 5 figure variations, with Odin, modeled on Anthony Hopkins, and Loki, modeled on Tom Hiddleston. The figures look decent enough and the likenesses look spot on but I'm a bit iffy about the BIG extra weapons inside. Kinda reminds me of the huge pencil launchers included in the movie G.I. Joe figures. Waste of plastic if you ask me.

Also out are the Superhero Squad figures focusing on Thor and his allies and enemies. These look really nice and I'm tempted to start a new line.

And for the bargain hunters, I found these on sale. I might pick up a pack or two of the Handful of Heroes line.

April 2, 2011: Mark your calendars

2011-03-18T09:27:00.001-07:00

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. Its a day that has special significance for our family. My fantastic "pamangkin" (nephew) was diagnosed early with mild autism (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) and his parents immediately sought intervention. Early diagnosis and early intervention have done wonders for him. The various therapies that comprise his intervention are all geared to lessen the associated deficits of the disorder, reduce familial distress, and more importantly increase his quality of life and functional independence. Tomorrow, Joaquin will be graduating from kindergarten and will be joining a "bigger" school.

Supporting World Autism Awareness Day helps our world know more of the autism epidemic & allows us to share vital information and experiences regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. And, just as importantly, we celebrate the unique talents and skills of persons with autism.

Mark your calendars. April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day!

Amplify’d from www.worldautismawarenessday.org

The fourth annual World Autism Awareness Day

is April 2, 2011

Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events.
Read more at www.worldautismawarenessday.org

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bv9qb

I've caved. The hunt is on!

2011-03-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yup, now that the Pursuit of Cobra line is on the retailer pegs, I've caved and decided to try out the line. I'll be picking up a few of these soon, especially the “Jungle Assault” Jungle-Viper, the “City Strike” Cobra Shock Trooper, “Desert Battle” Dusty, “Jungle Assault” Recondo and “City Strike” Beachhead and Firefly. I might check out the “Desert Battle” Commando Snake Eyes too for my brother's collection.

Wish me luck!

Nice!

2011-03-08T02:31:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from robot6.comicbookresources.com

Wonder what Jill Thompson would do with Wonder Woman?

Cartoonist Jill Thompson has been tweeting it up in recent months, talking everything from comics to wrestling, Halloween and more. And last night she posted a unique piece of art guaranteed to get fanboys and fangirls wagging.
Read more at robot6.comicbookresources.com

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All the Best Lego Sets for 2011

2011-02-21T05:48:00.001-08:00

Amplify’d from gizmodo.com

Star Wars! Ninjas! Pirates! Aliens! Race cars! Mummies! Castles! Dragons! All made off delicious bricks. Hot off the magical Lego Factory in Billund, Denmark, here are all the Lego sets for the year 2011 in one epic roundup.

Star Wars

Kingdoms

Pharoah's Quest

Technic

Atlantis

Ninjago

Bricks and More

Creator

City

Alien Conquest

Pirates of the Caribbean

Racers

Hero Factory

Duplo
Read more at gizmodo.com

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BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: SERIES 1: BATMAN Action Figure

2011-02-19T18:44:00.001-08:00

Added to my toy hunt list.

Amplify’d from www.dccomics.com

It's a madhouse … and the lunatics are running the asylum!

After arriving on Arkham Island, Batman is greeted by Warden Sharp and security personnel. Although The Joker is securely strapped to a handcart for transfer to the deepest bowels of Arkham, he escapes nonetheless. This is going to be the worst night of Batman's life. With The Joker free, inciting unrest among the inmates, Batman faces a riot from a cadre of Gotham City's most wanted: killers and psychopaths who are screaming for vengeance and out for blood. Batman's blood. His mission? Stop The Joker – and his accomplices – at all costs.

Welcome to the asylum. Arkham Asylum.

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES are based on the game designs of the "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever."

The Batman figure stands at 6.75" high, features multiple points of articulation and includes a display base. Character-appropriate accessories are also included. 4-color clamshell blister card packaging.

On Sale February 23, 2011

Read more at www.dccomics.com

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A nearby Painting Service at last!

2011-02-18T06:44:00.001-08:00

Looks like the piles of unfinished/unmade toy soldiers in my bodega may have hope of seeing a game table soon. I'm one of those who've managed to buy more than I can paint, and the still the sets keep piling up. Having a painting service nearby ( actually, its in a nearby island) can hopefully help me get these toys ready for gaming and display.

Amplify’d from www.mmps.asia

MMPS will provide wargamers with good quality painted figures and scratchbuilding
services at very competitive rates.

We want to provide our customers with the kind of service that we want to receive
ourselves when we are customers somewhere. Good quality work, an affordable, fast
and reliable service and honest and straightforward communications.

We want nothing less than your total satisfaction when you buy from us and we will
work hard to get it.

I am Fons, also known as 'Fonzie' of Fonzie's

Scratchbuilding Service to some of
you. I am a wargamer, painter, scratch-builder and collector of over 30 years.

After a career of 30 years as a senior NCO in the Belgian Army I retired to the Philippines.
My plan was to just hang out and do as little as possible here but, my wife had
other plans for me. :-) Just kidding of course honey!

My favorite has always been the Napoleonic Wars and that’s why we start with Napoleonic's.
As time goes on we will cover almost every other, popular period in history but
let’s take it one step at the time and do a great job on the Napoleonic's first..
:-)
Read more at www.mmps.asia

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DC Direct Mass Effect Figures

2011-02-16T06:28:00.001-08:00

Note to self: you don't have to buy them all... sigh...

Amplify’d from www.dccomics.com

MASS EFFECT: SERIES 1: SHEPARD Action Figure

Collect the exciting new series of articulated action figures from the year's most anticipated game. The Shepard figure stands at 6.75" high.

On Sale April 27, 2011

Read more at www.dccomics.com

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Diablo II Revisited

2011-02-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

Reposting my Stikfas tribute to the Barbarian in Diablo II. Enjoy! ( Pix are clickable for bigger versions)

Diablo III Preview

2011-02-16T05:09:00.001-08:00

I so cannot wait for this game... Diablo 2 is the only game my wife and I both play...and that's a good thing... my setup will definitely get upgraded -- as in hardcore upgraded -- once this bad boy is on retail:)

Amplify’d from www.g4tv.com

Diablo III PvP Hands-On Preview

Back at BlizzCon 2010, there were plenty of happenings going on that filled up the days: Cataclysm wasn't far away, Diablo 3 had some major announcements, and even Starcraft 2 stole some of the show with their new and upcoming game mods. We ate everything up like a ravenous glutton, but even a glutton can inhale so much that they miss something. Sadly, by the time the dust settled, we had managed to miss playing the brief PvP demo that Blizzard had set up for Diablo III as most of our time in Diablo 3 was chewed up with the Demon Hunter. Luckily, we ventured down to the hallowed halls of Blizzard Entertainment recently to fix that oversight.
Read more at www.g4tv.com

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IGN previews movie toys at Toy Fair 2011

2011-02-14T02:52:00.001-08:00

Lookee, lookee!

Amplify’d from comics.ign.com

Captain America and Thor Movie Figures

How do the two Avengers look in toy form?

Hasbro has been hard at work on two of the biggest movies of the year -- or on the toys based on those movies anyway. And IGN got the chance to preview those toys today at Toy Fair 2011. We're, of course, talking about Captain America and Thor.

Interestingly, while the Thor line looks to include most of the supporting cast of the film (even an Anthony Hopkins Odin!), the Cap line mixes in characters from the comics and seems to, so far anyway, only feature the Star Spangled Avenger from the movie. Where's Bucky? And any other character from the film, for that matter?

Read more at comics.ign.com

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Zaranna for 2011

2011-02-13T21:24:00.001-08:00

Oh my! I just noticed the figures on top. It's Zaranna! Oooh boy! She'd look good with my Dreadnoks!

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New Toy Hunt!

2011-02-13T21:19:00.001-08:00

I'm still rounding up my ROC and POC G.I. Joe collection and along comes another line...I think I'll pass on the repaints and hunt down the new sculpts instead. The new Duke looks good but But I'm not digging Snakes Eyes. Yeah, right.

Let's see if I'll pass when I have the goods in front of me:)

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G.I. Joe: Renegades Toys

Hasbro kicks off Toy Fair 2011 with a Real American Hero.

Toy Fair has returned to New York City once again, with Hasbro offering up its fourth annual pre-show presentation of its G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Transformers and Marvel lines. All the geek stuff, basically. Let's start off with a look at the Joe line...

The company's plans for 2011 include a re-launch of the 12" "A Real American Hero" figures as well as re-imagined takes on the familiar 3.75" figures and vehicles, but perhaps of most interest to fans are the toys based on the new G.I. Joe Renegades animated series.

Check out some select shots from the showroom floor below, and click on any image to go to the full gallery of hundreds of pics we snapped today.

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The Dark Knight Tumbler and Pod

2011-02-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

Mattel's The Dark Knight Batman Stealth Launch Batmobile! This version is based on the vehicles that appeared in the Dark Knight film by Christopher Nolan.

The toy is actually two bat vehicles in one. With a press of a button, the Tumbler ( the batmobile's new a.k.a.) breaks open from battle damage and shoots out the Bat-Pod wheelie action cycle which includes an attached 5" Batman figure.

Batman Begins

2011-01-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

Presenting the ToyFare Exclusive Batman Begins Collectors Edition from Mattel. Yup, the name's a mouthful. I got this figure loose at a bargain bin and tidied him up a bit. The 5" figure comes with 13 points of articulation and a wire-poseable cape. The sculpt's pretty decent with Christian Bale's likeness down to a t, especially for a 5" figure.

The Tumbler ( that's the Batmobile's new moniker) is from the The Dark Knight movie line and features the ejectable Bat Pod. The vehicle is actually two bat vehicles in one. The battle-damaged Tumbler breaks open ( and impressively at that) from battle damage and shoots out the Bat-Pod cycle. More on this soon.

More pictorial sets to come!

Sgt. Savage!

2011-01-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

Presenting the Battle Command Sgt. Savage released in 1995 as part of the Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles toy line, also from Hasbro's G.I. Joe line. I got the 4" figure loose and without any accessory but the joints were tight and the paint job looked great.He's currently armed with a Chap Mei M-60.

The line didn't last long and had a small amount of figures and vehicles only. Here's a commercial for the toy line when it launched:

But the cool thing about the line was the box art as well as the mini-comic art -- all done by the legendary Joe Kubert!

And here's the direct-to-video Sgt Savage featurette, "Old Soldiers Never Die". Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

Whether you've been naughty or nice, one wish I would like for you and yours is to have a peaceful and joyous Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all!

And here's a sneak peek of one of my new toys:) Can you guess what it is?

TS118's Supersized 1:18 Diorama is a GO!

2010-12-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Maybe you've seen TS118's huge dioramas during toy conventions in the past...

...wait til you getta load of the next one:) Calling all toy photographers! Drop by the Legazpi Car Park, Makati on Saturday, December 11, 2010 from 7am to 12 noon and take part in our super-sized DMD featuring a heckuva lot of 1:18 toys in a desert-themed diorama! Look for Glen Antonio aka Flash.

TS118 Goes to the 5th Annual Toys and Collectibles Christmas Fair 2010

2010-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

TS118, the Philippines' only local online 1:18 community, will be participating in the 5th Christmas Toy Fair at the Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall, Ortigas on Dec 17-19, 2010. On December 19, members will be bringing old toys and books for donation to the Bantay Bata 163 Foundation. Should you want to contribute and join in the Toy Drive, just drop by on Sunday with your donations and look for any TS118 soldier with this shirt on:

The grunt will be more than happy to help you with your donations. See ya!

G.I. Joe: Pathfinder (Jungle Assault Specialist)

2010-11-09T05:04:00.000-08:00

William Ianotti, codenamed Pathfinder, learned the finer points of military reconnaissance early. With a vet as a father, he learned how to rough it out in the wild swamps of Florida as a child, enabling him to breeze through much of the Army jungle training during his adolescence. A natural when it comes to jungle survival, Pathfinder is one of the Joe Team's finest jungle assault specialists and Recon operators.

Pathfinder was first released as part of the 17th series in 2001 and later rereleased as part of the twentieth series in 2004. He was packaged with the Toys R Us exclusive VAMP (Multi-Purpose Attack Vehicle) with Twin Battle Gun. My figure is a custom using part from other joes from the Valor vs Venom line.

G.I. Joe: Grunt (Infantry Squad Leader)

2010-11-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the 2003 version of Robert "Grunt" Graves from the Valor Vs. Venom line. He was originally packaged with the Battle Blitz vehicle and came in two different colors. Another different colored version is also available in a carded two-pack with Destro. The figure was bought loose secondhand and accessories from other sets were added.

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight 2

2010-09-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

1 action figure. 2 photographers. Here's the second set taken by myself. Enjoy and please feel free to drop me a line.

Let me know whatcha think:)

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight 1

2010-09-16T07:18:00.001-07:00

Photography by Rolly Magpayo. Enjoy!

Whatcha think?

Birthday Haul

2010-08-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

Part of my birthday haul. Thanks, everyone! Mwahahahahahaha!

NTW: The 2nd Narra Grand Prix

2010-08-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Micro racing at the parents' over the weekend! Sandie, Gani, Tatin, Mark, tito Boy and Tibong burn rubber on the newly inaugurated Elias Joaquin Circuit. Aforenamed Joaquin spent the afternoon though watching cartoons:)

Click the pictures for bigger versions.

NTW: The 2nd Narra Grand Prix

2010-08-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Presenting another Narra Toy Weekend event: The 2nd Narra Q-Steer Grand Prix!

Gani, Sandie, Tats, Joeyn, Mark, Tito Boy and Tibong -- with myself included-- rev up the engines on Gani's new tabletop track amidst a veritable fiesta of food! Plus, around thirty spectators cheered the drivers on. Actually, those people were from my parents' weekend social gathering and we had to share the covered garage and the open areas. I would've wanted to take a dip in the pool but my shyness took over -- what with a veritable crowd of strangers in our backyard:)

More pix to come!

Hot Off The Press! Q-Steer Race Track at Narra!

2010-08-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

This just in! My brother-in-law's Q-Steer Race Track just got delivered today! His brother had the track made and I guess Gani's itchin' to burn rubber on it!

Get a load of this:

More to come soon!

The 1st Narra Toy Weekend: Drivers, Start Your Engines!

2010-08-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

This time around, we take a look at my brother-in-law's growing collection of Q-steer RC cars as well as the tabletop race course he made. Q-Steer is a line of remote-controlled toy cars manufactured by Takara Tomy, based on the popular Choro-Q pullback line. First released in late 2006, Q-Steer incorporates micro infrared technology as opposed to the traditional radio control used by other micro R/C brands. It also uses the 40 mm long S-Tech chassis, which is an evolution of Tomy's Bit Char-G chassis. Much like their Choro-Q contemporaries, Q-Steer cars have a slot at the rear, where users can insert a coin to change the cars' handling characteristics, such as doing a wheelie. The slot also identifies the car model and the available frequencies. The car and the remote weigh 16 grams. Each Q-Steer car can be set to one of two IR channels, which contist of A-B and C-D bands, and up to four cars can race simultaneously. The controller is white with grey buttons and features the basic six-point movement function, a turbo boost button, a channeling switch to select either the A, B, C or D band and a special grey tool used to switch the power and channel levers underneath the car, as well as to open the car's battery case.

I really dug the two Lightning McQueens. Q-Steer's infra-red remote-controlled Lightning McQueen is from the Pixar film "Cars" and Gani has both models -- one wearing the familiar red colors and the other from the dream sequence which was in blue. Loaded with features to optimize performance, these speedsters can move forward and backward and turn left or right, and features a "dash button" for extra bursts of speed! Also includes a special set of "noko-noko" tires, that give Lightning a wobbly, wavering running style. The included controller can operate up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet). Each car and controller are powered by two LR44 button cell batteries each. Maximum operation range is 1.5 meters or 5 feet.

Gani also has two Initial D inspired cars. Initial D is an anime and manga about the world of illegal Japanese street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes and rarely in cities nor urban areas, and the drift racing style is emphasized in particular. An accessory called a "Spin Tire" axle enables these micro R/Cs to drift. Most, if not all, of these cars were sourced over the internet and Gani's growing collection consists of cars based on real models, as well as cars from licensed anime, movie and video game franchises such as the two above.

The race track was built on an 8 ft by 4 ft sheet of plywood. The course was lined by a variety of accessories -- some scrounged from various toys and others came as accessories to the Q-Steers. Optimus Prime from the Transformers Animated series makes a cameo. Optimus is a promo toy from a McDonald's Happy Meal.

And here are the drivers! Mark flashes a V sign as Gani preps the cars. Let the race begin!

The race heats up! I should also mention that my brother-in-plaw has been raiding my nephew's toy chests for suitable accessories such as the ones pictured here.

And Gani FTW! Seriously, my brother-in-law trashed everyone's butt that day. And here's our high octane fuel:)

Check out Takara Tomy's Official Q-Steer site!

More races soon since Gani had a custom table modeled. Plus, I've been making some tracks for printing on tarp.

The 1st Narra Toy Weekend: Revoltech Yuki Nagato 150mm action figure

2010-08-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy going home to my parents' place in Narra, Marikina. Last weekend was especially fun because 1) we were at the tail-end of my mom's week-long 70th birthday celebration -- which meant a veritable buffet of seafood as well as my mom's and sister's specialties, 2) my sisters, brother, in-law, nephew, niece and cousins were all there and 3) we all played with toys!

Turns out, we're all collectors and aficionados of a variety of fun things. Me, with my wargaming/toy soldier/Batman collection, my brother R-Jay's G.I. Joe action figures, Mackoy's xbox and anime figures collection, Joaquin's Thomas the Tank engine collection ( his stuff is awesome!), my brother-in-law's Gundam and Q-Steer fever, my niece Justine's Pokemons, my sister Jingle's sneaker/pig/photo obsession and Jhoanna's asianovela DVD mania. From electronic gaming to action figures to RC car racing -- we did it all!

This is my niece Justine's first Revoltech figure. It's Yuki Nagato from the anime adaptation of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, a series of light novels written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. Yuki is an introverted, taciturn bibliophile but is actually an artificial human created by the Data Integration Thought Entity, a god-like alien figure, for the purposes of interacting with and observing events on Earth.

The 150mm action figure is fully articulated and designed using Revoltech's Revolver Joint design. This makes the figure extremely poseable -- and according to Justine -- very fun to play with. I've taken pictures of the basic figure without the accessories although a subsequent pictorial with everything -- robes, hat, cat and guitar -- included in the box is planned.

This is my first up-close experience with a Revoltech toy and I pretty much enjoyed playing with it. Hmm, maybe it's time to start a new collection:)

More on my family's Narra Toy Weekend soon!

Megabloks Neo Shifters Tremor Driller

2010-07-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Found this lot on sale recently and I purchased a few samples. The sample shown here is named the Tremor Driller, a NEO Shifters toy vehicle that comes in 19 pieces. Instructions are included on how to assemble the vehicle but the parts can be assembled in a variety of ways. The kit also comes with a minifig called the Phantom NEO with weapons. The figure can turn into a ball!

Here's the lowdown on the toyline ( swiped from wiki):

NĒO Shifters are a line of toys designed by MEGA Brands Inc. The novelty behind these toys is their ball shape which spreads opens into a robotic action figure(the Shifter) and releases a second miniature creature(the Neo) from its belly, resulting in a two in one toy with multiple play possibilities.

NĒO Shifters are divided into two factions.

Some NĒO Shifters, like Paladins, believe in responsible consumption of resources, that survival of the Galaxy very much depends on finding alternative methods of producing and preserving energy resources. These NĒO Shifters are prepared to defend the Galaxy from the depletion of such resources. The leader of the Paladin resistance is Magna::Rex, son of Alpha::Rex. His comrades are Atlas::Raan, Cozma::Tor, Delta::Tek and Simia::Rex.

Other NĒO Shifters, like Templars, are venturing to extrapolate and take unscrupulous advantage of vital planetary resources for purely reckless and malignant advancement. They believe the Galaxy has an unlimited supply of resources and are ultimately attracted to the power derived from controlling its consumption. Their leader, Terra<>Sfear, betrayed Alpha::Rex in the time before the wars thus giving him the opportunity to take control of the hydrax energy they so desperately seek. His generals are Scar<>Dorn, Mongra<>Tek and Blaze<>Axx.

Along with the first and second wave of NEO Shifter action figures came four vehicular NEO Shifters. The Hydrowave and Turbofly shifters belong to the Paladins, while the Quad-Pod and Duneskiff are piloted by Templars. One vehicle of each affiliation shares a similar weapon and transformation technique(Quad-Pod & Hydrowave, Turbofly & Dunekiff). Interesting Note: each vehicle shares a color scheme with a second generation character and has the same face.

New sets have been released including the Split::Shifter, Hydrax Energy Base, the Web Battlers and the third wave of NEO Shifters(a series of six instead of the previous series of four).

I guess this is much like Lego's Bionicle line where you can interchange parts from various kits to come up with new vehicles. Megabloks though has a different type of plastic and some of the locator pegs broke off after continued removal and assembly. The design is quite nice and I like the individual sculpts of some of the pieces. I'm thinking of repurposing this toy though for my wargaming hobby and I'm sure the futuristic lines of the toy would go well with one of my 28mm armies.

Here's a fast comp I did of the toy in action. Enjoy!

The Question

2010-07-24T02:08:00.000-07:00

The Question is the name used by a number of superheroes in comic books published by DC Comics. The original was created by writer-artist Steve Ditko for Charlton Comics. The character was acquired by DC Comics in the early 1980s and incorporated into the DC Universe. The original Question (Vic Sage) has been succeeded by his protege Renee Montoya.

The Question uses a special mask made from Pseudoderm and is bonded to his face by a gaseous chemical to conceal his identity. The gas also recolors his garb and hair. He is portrayed as a conspiracy theorist, a blend of Rorschach from the Watchmen comics and Fox Mulder of the popular television series The X-Files.

Some new joes

2010-07-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Some new hauls I got at the last TOYCON. The middle figure was a single packed Snake Eyes with the crossed trench knives. The two figures flanking him are Snake Eyes and Stormshadow from the 2-pack. The 2 pack was a bit of a letdown with no stands and no minicomicbook but the packaging said that one was inside. Pictures of these soon:)

TS118 at Toycon 2010: Operation Ivory Blanket

2010-07-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

The guys at TS118 wghipped out another diroama during the recently concluded Toycon 2010 at the SM Megamall in Ortigas. Here are some of the pix. Enjoy!

Sneak Peek: GI Joe Pursuit of Cobra Wave 1

2010-07-02T00:49:00.000-07:00

These are due August 2010. I wonder when they'll hit Philippine shores...

New Hunt: Shrek Forever After

2010-05-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

The fourth and last Shrek film is about to open in Metro Manila and Mcdonald's Happy Meals are offering toys based on the movie characters with its meals. Now for my confession. I really like Shrek. So, after a tentative look at the Gingy figure my sister-in-law got from a happy meal, I resolved to complete the set. I can't help it. They're so cute;)

Watch out for more of these suckers here.

G.I Joe: Rumble in the Jungle

2010-04-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here's my G.I. Joe team specializing in jungle operations. From left to right: Grunt, Pathfinder, Recondo and Roadblock. Most of these figures ( well some parts are) are from the Valor versus Venom line with some frankensteining of some body parts. I'm still mulling over the paint scheme they'll be sporting, whether they'll be in modern acupat ( if I can muster enough courage to try painting this) or Vietnam style tiger stripe, like the pattern used by LRRPs. The second camo pattern I'm quite familiar with already since I've painted a couple of LRRPS before but in 1:35 scale previously.

Grunt is a stock figure but I'm planning to gear him up with a chest rig meant for jungle ops. Plus, I'm not too happy with his head sculpt, which does not resemble the other variations of his figure. This version seems a bit pudgy and squat.

Pathfinder, a jungle assault specialist, is the team leader. This figure is a Frankenjoe, with head and torso from the Pathfinder 2001 version, arms from Cross Hair and legs from Roadblock. Jungle stuff will also be added.

Recondo is also a stock figure but he's not wearing his trademark hat. But I like this figure better because the others look like Anzacs:) and this one just looks better, especially without the handlebar moustache. Maybe a change in headgear is in order for another jungle warfare specialist.

Roadblock is actually Gung Ho's body from the VvV line with Roadblock's head from Spytroops.

These guys will soon be rumblin' in the jungle!

G.I. Joe: Wild in the West!

2010-04-07T05:14:00.000-07:00

I've been working on these figures for some time now and they're nearing completion. Here's a teaser of my first batch of toy customs.

G.I. Joe: Scarlett

2010-03-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

Here's another secondhand figure I picked up recently. Shana O'Hara aka Scarlett is G.I. Joe's Counter Intelligence Agent. Most of her past is a mystery, shared only by the equally mysterious Snake Eyes. This version of Scarlett was released as part of the twentieth series (2004) as part of the Valor vs Venom line. I got around four pieces of this toy and plan to make custom figures using a variety of heads. I'm not sure if the picture shows it but this version has an unusually small head and broad shoulders. Maybe a head switch could make the figure look better. Below's the movie version of Scarlett.

G.I. Joe: Wild Bill!

2010-03-12T04:11:00.000-08:00

GI Joe's Wild Bill packs iron! Another loose 3 3/4 " figure I bought at TAGCOM for less than a dollar. I like this version better than the 25th Anniversary reissue and the original ARAH ( A Real American Hero) version.This version originally came with the Grizzly Tank and has a removable hat, revealing a bald head. I recently read that the US 1st Cavalry in Iraq frequently wears Stetsons to commemorate special occasions. Wild Bill wears his 24/7:)

And here's a bonus wallpaper you can download. Currently, I only have wallpaper for 1024x768 resolutions. Click the picture and a new tab in photobucket will open. Click the image to download the file.

Gunslingers!

2010-03-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

What do you do when Cobra starts messing about in the West? G.I. Joe sends its gunslingers with irons ablaze! Here are a few shots of some new Joes I picked up during the last TAGCOM. I managed to buy a few dozen loose joes but mainly to cannibalize parts from These three have somehow needed no modifications except for Dart's helmet which looked too small. A quick chop and some superglue plus a resin helmet courtesy of Conundrum of TS118 fixed the problem. Wild Bill, Barrel Roll and Dart are from the Valor and Venom lines released sometime 2002 to 2004 I think. As usual, clicking the pictures below will bring up bigger pictures. Enjoy!

Barrel Roll: Sniper

Dart: Recon/Tracker

With Wild Bill: Pilot and former LRRP

Prepping for Assault

Prepping for Assault

The sniper takes the high ground: One shot, one kill

Eat full auto!

I'll let my irons do the talkin'!

More soon!

1:18 Digital Dioramas

2010-03-05T04:21:00.000-08:00

It's friday and I'm dead tired from a week of work. Tomorrow, we're hitting the beach --- Yey! In the meantime, I had an hour or two doing nothing and so I started toying around with the pics from TAGCOM -- NO serious p'shop work here -- just fast, furious, instant fanboy gratification.

Here are some digital dioramas I made using pictures from this year's TS1:18 G.I. Joe diorama at the 4th TAGCOM. You can check out the pictures of the convention here. As usual, the pictures can be clicked for bigger versions.

Here are the digital dioramas, enjoy!

VBSS!

Breach!

The Hitman Cometh!

Operation Grayia Caesar at TAGCOM 2010

2010-03-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

TS1:18 -- the group of 1:18 scale G.I. Joe enthusiasts and collectors I'm a part of -- was invited to participate and exhibit during the 4th TAGCOM Toys & Hobbies Convention last Feb 28, 2010 at the Robinsons Midtown Mall Atrium in Ermita, Manila. The guys were inspired to portray a series of dioramas chronicling the events of a fictitious Visit, board, search, and seizure or VBSS operation conducted by G.I. Joe against their nemesis Cobra.VBSS is the term for maritime boarding actions and tactics, designed to capture enemy vessels, to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections, as employed by modern navies, marine and maritime services, military and police forces. Grayia Caesar is a name for the African Water Snake.

The diorama had as its centerpiece a 3 level oil rig playset with a helipad as well as provisions to link up with Hasbro's Tactical Battle Platform playsets as well as accomodate a variety of watercraft -- running the gamut from G.I. Joe's early releases to the more recent vintage of ROC vehicles. The playset and the vehicles are complemented by a veritable army of Joes and Cobra soldiers -- from your standard stock figures, to rares and even squads of awesome custom figures. And did I mention the sharks?

Every now and then, the guys would change the vehicles and figures and advance the story. Steelbrig, our resident Doc, posted a possible scenario on how the events of Grayia Caesar may have played out:

Scene opens with an unobtrusive oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico which in reality is a fortified forward observation post for Cobra. Slipstream already made a fly by with a Conquest X-30 over the area but was not alerted to Cobra's presence. From a speed boat, a disguised Shipwreck observes the base and notes how a Moray Hydrofoil freely docks and delivers supplies to the air-sea base.

Meanwhile at the Tactical Battle Platform, Dialtone receives the intel from Shipwreck. The Joes are now alerted to Cobra's presence in the Gulf. Hawk is already briefing a handful of Joes for the mission.He dispatches an assault team led by Duke aboard the W.H.A.L.E. with a couple of S.H.A.R.C.s forming the attack group headed by Deep-Six. Wild Bill provides air support with Ghost Hawks. Back at the oil rig, the seemingly inconspicuous air-sea base hides an arsenal of anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles. Hidden within its confines is a squadron of Cobra Flight Pods ready for deployment.

Let Operation Grayia Caesar begin! Photos below are from Zhai.

And here are my pix for Day 2:

Jack Skellington

2010-02-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite films and the capsule toy here faithfully reproduces the hero Jack Skellington breaking out into a song. The toy came unassembled in a large plastic egg with the torso and head as one piece and the knees and feet with base as another. Separate arms and a clear plastic support stand for the back completed the package. Assembly was a breeze with locator holes providing adequate guides to positioning the limbs. The assembled figure was a bit wobbly though so I superglued the parts to prevent the model from falling apart.

The sculpting is quite well done and I really liked the detail on the base as well as Jack's bat tie. Overall, a very nice figure to add to my Nightmare collection.

Click the pictures for a bigger version.

Dr. Mindbender's Secret Lab Diorama

2010-01-26T23:54:00.000-08:00

Dr. Mindbender's Secret Lab WIP

2010-01-18T23:43:00.000-08:00

Construction goes on as decals and a few more odds and ends are added. More to come:)

More of Dr. Mindbender's secret lab...

2010-01-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

Managed to get a little work done for the secret lab playset. I had to cut things short when I was invited to judge a beauty pageant during the Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija's 9th charter anniversary. Mayor Nestor Alvarez is a true patron of the arts and his projects have enlivened the cultural scene in his city. After a long journey home, I took some pictures of the playset's newly painted walls and made them into a short comic strip. Enjoy! ( and pardon the profanity...am a bit out of it tonight...)

Click the pix for bigger versions:)

New Vehicles for my G.I Joes and others

2010-01-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

I'm hooked on G.I. Joe again! My younger brother who's a doctor rekindled my interest in the toyline again when he showed me his own growing collection starting with the 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe figures. Needless to say, I caught the bug again and we're helping each other out build our own respective collections. Here are a couple of pics of my xmas hauls. I've taken newer ones but lost the camera's memory disk to my dog's appetite ( see previous post.) Good thing I had these already saved on my hard drive earlier. My wife -- awesome that she is -- got me the vehicles in duplicates as well as an awesome Frank Frazetta calendar and some diecast muscle cars. More on these soon.

After the holidays, I also managed to pick up two BBI Elite Force Humvees in 1:18 scale together with the Abrams I posted earlier. One's painted for desert use and the other's in olive green, presumably for jungle use. Both trucks came with figures and accessories but they'll be deployed with my Joes. The figures are actually nice but I'm not sure if mixing them with the Joes would look nice. The BBI line is quiet hard to find here in the Philippines but I'm lucky that a friend decided to trim down his collection and offered these to me for a song and a dime.

I also picked up two single person gyrocopters from Chap Mei's Freedom Force line. The action figures that came with the vehicles looked short next to the new Joes so I ditched them instead. Maybe they'll show up somewhere else in my Joe verse. But now, the gyros would go perfectly for my Air Vipers to pilot!

Chap Mei has come up with some nice playsets but I decided to try my hand in scratch building one. I decided to start with a mad scientist's lab which would be perfect with my new Dr. Mindbender -- Cobra's resident mad scientist. I got the 7 figure pack "Defense of Cobra Island" set as a gift and picked up a couple of Battle Android Troopers (BATs) as well as a few T-800 exoskeletons and the lab would be perfect for a playset diorama for these figures. Shown below is ny cubby for my Cobra figs. The boxed set was used as a riser. Poo ole Destro toppled over when this shot was taken and I was too lazy to take another one...

Here are some WIP shots of the playset made from illustration boards, plastic odds and ends and medical paraphernalia bitz and thingies:

More on this scratchbuilt playset soon...

Aaaargh!

2010-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

Planned to upload new pics of my newly painted minis. worked in the garage and stood up to look for my card reader inside the house. My dear old Tumbling -- a long-haired Askal mongrel or native Filipino dog -- peeped at my work table and snuck off with my memory card. Lesson: memory card + dog = bad idea!

Oh well, back to the drawing board so to speak...

BBI Elite Force M1 Abrams

2010-01-06T23:43:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie today, still got a ton of work to finish. It's a BBI Elite Force 1:18 M1 Abrams MBT! A coworker decided to streamline his collection and sold me this tank and two humvees. More pics soon when I get a chance to pose them with my G.I. Joes.

'69 Mustang

2009-11-10T19:56:00.001-08:00

Giddyap!!! And the wild horses keep on coming!

There are two versions of this model in pearl white. This one is the Hot Wheels 2007 New Models #4; Pearl White with blue stripe on the sides, Chrome Malaysia Base and with OH5SP's.

Ford put a lot of effort into the 1969 Mustang. The Mustang was significantly restyled, but it was still pure Mustang. It was longer, lower, meaner and sleeker. Every dimension increased with the exception of wheel base, which remained at 108 inches. All Mustangs were lowered 0.5 inch on the suspension and the windshield rake was increased by 2.2 degrees. This translated to about a 150-175 pound weight increase, depending on the model. The biggest visual changes was the front grille opening. Larger and decidedly more aggressive, it was the only year in Mustang's history that four headlights were used. The restyle looked particularly effective on the Mustang fastback model, now called the SportsRoof. The roof line on the SportsRoof was lowered by 0.9 inch and the side sculpturing was eliminated for a cleaner, smoother look. In addition, the SprortsRoof got simulated side scoops, which looked like real scoops, and a spoilered rear, similar to the Shelby Mustang, but less pronounced. Convertibles and hardtops used a simulated rear quarter panel vent. New for 1969 were dual color keyed race type outside mirrors- these were optional on all models, but standard with the Mach 1, Boss 302/429 and Grande.

It was the Mach 1 Mustang that Ford placed emphasis on for those desiring a high performance. The Mach 1 was available only as a SportsRoof and featured a combination of options and exterior graphics that reaked of high-performance. You could option out any Mustang with the same equipment as the Mach 1, but it was the Mach 1 that had the serious street racer image. Besides the models mentioned, there were also the Boss 302 and Boss 429 Mustangs. These limited production Mustangs were built so that Ford could qualify the Mustang for racing.

1968 Shelby GT500 "Happy 85th Birthday"

2009-11-10T19:37:00.001-08:00

My wife got this for me at a recent sale. Thanks, hon!

Limited Edition 1968 Shelby GT 500 85th Birthday Chase Car in Red and White 1:64. This 1968 Shelby GT 500 85th Birthday Chase Car in Red and White Le Mans stripes is one of eight in the "Series 5" collection of 1:64 Scale Shelby Diecast Model Cars. The model has opening doors and hood. Manufactured by Shelby Collectibles.

You can click the pictures for bigger versions as Photobucket.

Hot Wheels 1971 Dodge Demon

2009-10-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

This Hot Wheels model is painted Metalflake purple, has black stripes on its sides and hood, the Demon logo on the sides, clear windows, black interiors and a chrome plastic base. The car is fitted with 5-spoke wheels front and rear.

The Dodge Demon was the short-lived Dodge variant of the Plymouth Duster, made only from 1970 to 1972. Marketed as part of the Dodge Dart family, it replaced the Dart Swinger as the high-performance Dart, but was renamed the Dart Sport in 1973 after religious groups put pressure on Chrysler to drop the name "Demon" and the stylized cartoon demon character that was used on the car.

The 1971 Dodge Demon came standard with the venerable slant six engine. Its base V-8 was the 318 two-barrel. The 340 was yanked from the Dart sedan and coupe and inserted into the new fastback to create the Demon 340. Tipping the scales at just 3165 pounds and starting at only $2721, here was a light, inexpensive performance alternative.

Its MoPar small block delivered 275 horsepower at 5000 rpm. With a 10.5:1 compression ratio, dual exhausts, hydraulic lifters, and a hot cam, the 340 churned out a healthy 340 pounds/feet of torque at 3200 rpm. A fully synchromesh three-speed manual transmission was standard; a New-Process four-speed or TorqueFlite automatic was optional. Buyers could choose from a wide range of axle ratios -- 2.94:1, 3.23:1, 3.55:1, 3.91:1, or 4.10:1 -- and a Sure-Grip differential also was available. The standard Rallye suspension included heavy-duty front torsion bars and rear springs, rear anti-sway bar, and oversize shock absorbers. The drum brakes were larger than those on other Demons and so were the E70x14 Goodyear Polyglas GT tires.

“It’s a tough little devil,” declared the Dodge performance brochure for 1971. And while Dodge promised that “the performance is a lot more than painted on,” the Demon 340 did look the part. Chromed tips decorated the dual exhaust outlets. A twin-scoop black-out hood was optional, as were handsome Rallye wheels and spoiler packages. Driven with skill, a three-speed-manual Demon 340 with one of the performance axle ratios could turn the quarter in 13.98 at 100 mph, though most ran in the high 14s at around 95 mph with their four-speeds and automatics.

Road Test tagged Demon as a car that “will change personality in an instant. When you stomp on this one, hang on and look out!”

Hot Wheels 1970 Buick GSX

2009-10-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Hot Wheels model I have is in white with a black stripe on the sides, black hood, clear windows, black interiors and a chrome base.

The Buick GSX / GSX Stage1 was the optional high performance package available on the GS 455 starting in 1970. It was only available with the standard big block 455 engine or the optional Stage1 engine the first year. It was not a very popular model and only 678 GSX'S were produced in 1970, of those 400 were ordered with the Stage1 option. GSX or any GS Stage-1 performance is comparable to that of the 'Hemi' 'Cuda with a much more luxurious car. This is partly due to the light weight of the 455 which is roughly 150 lb (68 kg) less than the Chevrolet 454. Quarter mile times in the 13.30s were reported in numerous magazines in 1970. Production dropped in 1971 to only 1, and 44 in 1972. These numbers include the available for 1972 350-4 bbl option, the standard 455, and the Stage 1 engines. The Buick 455 Big block V8 with stage one heads produces between 350-370 hp and 510 ft·lbf (690 N·m). of torque.

In 1970, the GSX option was available in only two colors, Saturn Yellow and Apollo White (in 1972 other colors were available for the GSX). All GSXs had the distinctive full body length black stripe that crossed over the rear spoiler and was outlined in red pin stripes. A large area of the hood was also black with a hood mounted tachometer (Buick engineers disliked the hood tachometer because it was a Pontiac part) and black front spoiler. Also standard equipment were black bucket seats, floor shifter, wide oval tires, quick ratio steering and anti-sway bars. Some other options were automatic transmission or four speed manual.

G.I. Joe Advanced CQB: Alpha Team

2009-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

The GI Joe Advance Close Quarters Battle Operations team is led by Alpha Team. Advanced CQB Alpha Team is primarily involved in operations against Cobra operators in urban environments around the world using weapons and equipment designed specifically for this markedly different battlefield. Extra gear such as Personal Reactive Armor with the MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment), a Computer Subsystem, a Navigation Subsystem and a Communication Network Radio Subsystem complements a new weapons subsystem. The equipment of each Joe operator is designed for increased lethality and provides full command, communications and control to each individual operator. Alpha Team also participates in Interdiction operations by delaying, disrupting and destroying Cobra forces and supplies en route to the battle area.

The current Alpha Team members are Ripcord (Ready), Heavy Duty (Fire), Breaker (Assist) and Shipwreck (Team) as Team Leader.

Shelby Collectibles Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake

2009-10-12T17:52:00.003-07:00

The 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake was a race car modified for street use. Its 800-horsepower V-8 links to a three-speed automatic transmission.

Hot Wheels Shelby Cobra 427 S/C

2009-10-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Sandie got this for me at the Collecticon 2009. The Hot Wheels blister card says " 2006 Hot Wheels Classics #20 " and identifies the model as Shelby Cobra 427 S/C. The model is in Spectraflame Blue with orange & black stripes on top and an encircled "68" on the hood & sides. The model has black interiors and an unpainted Thailand Base.

The AC Cobra was a British built and designed sports car that was produced during the 1960s. By 1963 the leaf-spring Cobra was losing its supremacy in racing. A new chassis was developed and designated Mark III.The new car was designed in cooperation with Ford in Detroit. A new chassis was built using 4" main chassis tubes (up from 3") and coil spring suspension all around. The new car also had wide fenders and a larger radiator opening. It was powered by the "side oiler" Ford 427 engine (7.0 L) rated at 425 bhp (317 kW), which provided a top speed of 163 mph (262 km/h) in the standard model and 485 bhp (362 kW) with a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h) in the competition model.

Shelby Motors built 22 427 competition roadsters. In 1965, one was selected and converted into a special model called the 427 "Cobra to End All Cobras." The first one of these (number CSX 3015) was originally part of a European promotional tour before its conversion. This conversion called for making the original racing model street legal with mufflers, a windshield and bumpers amongst other modifications. But some things were not modified, including the racing rear end, brakes and headers. The most notable modification is the addition of Twin Paxton Superchargers. This gave the car an alleged 800 brake horsepower (bhp) and 462 Ft pounds of torque at an astounding low of 3000 rpm. Officially rated at 0-to-60 at 4.5 seconds, legend and lore have it as doing that in a little over 3 seconds as one must lay off the throttle heavily just to get traction off the line.

Mulling over Day 1 of Collecticon 2009

2009-10-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the event held at Robinson's Ermita. My wife Sandie and my sister-in-law Iya went with me last Saturday morning. It was a bit far from our place and I was still woozy from a slight fever and lack of sleep from a late night video shoot. After arriving there, Sandie had to leave for a meeting at the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Centre, leaving me and Iya to go around the place. She came back at around 7pm and we went on a buying spree before heading off to Friday's for a huge dinner.

During the con, I also hooked up with the guys of Toy Soldier 1:18 -- a great bunch of talented, helpful and friendly Filipino 3 3/4 G.I. Joe collectors. I'm a recent member of the forums and I've enjoyed the many discussions that pepper the boards daily and am slowly growing my own collection. For the event, TS1:18 presented a modular diorama consisting of G.I. Joe stock figures, customs and various vehicles, accessories and playsets. The firt part of the day portrayed a G.I. Joe diorama depicting the Joe's forward operations base. during the afternoon, the setup changed to a Cobra themed diorama with the awesome vintage Terrordrome as the centerpiece. (Click here for more pictures of the TS1:18 diorama: Operation Sidewinder Verde)

I managed to pick up a few good pieces here and there with the highlight being the acquisition of 4 various Shelby Cobras, 6 vintage mustangs and an assortment of really nice muscle cars. I also picked up a few action figures for wargaming and for my custom G.I. Joe project.

As a whole the con, which is only on its second year, was a bit average with most of the vendors and exhibitors being from the secondary sales market -- yup, the usual suspects present at most local toy cons. Direct participation of the major toy brands seemed virtually nil. Hot Wheels and and the like were brought in by a toy store and not by the local distributors themselves. It would've been nice if stuff like Stikfas, designer vinyls, Bandai, Tamiya, Dragon, Trumpeter, Hot Toys, etc were present. Major retailers such as Hobbes and Landes were also missing and so were the hobby shops like Lil's, JMN Hobbies and Special Toy Center. There were some sideshow collectibles but mainly old stuff. Seems like I've been seeing the same stuff from con to con for some time now. And the programs, auction and cosplay display weren't too hot either. I did enjoy the demos, especially the painting and customizing portions. However, the event organizers should provide their guests some form of A/V system display so the audience can see what the guest is explaining/doing. ThePhilippine R/C Drifters were demoing the whole day but there really wasn't any effort or chance to have the viewing audience try out the hobby. Cool cars though. I kinda liked the displays by groups like Jan Calleja and Art Department. This kind of exhibit adds individuality to the event.

All in all, the event would hold your attention for awhile, especially if you're looking for old toys not currently being sold on the main retail market. As far as variety goes though, the event gave me some yawns. The programs were blah and even the cosplay even "Blah"nder. Personally, the highlight for me were the awesome figures & dioramas being showcased by TS1:18:) That said, I begged off from day 2 of the event and decided to stay home and rest instead. Hopefully, the event organizers would do a post-mortem and beef up the event's content and programs next year. Here's to something better and bigger next year! Check out more pictures of Collecticon 2009 here!

BBI Elite Force WW2 Weapons Sets & Red Devil

2009-10-08T18:53:00.001-07:00

I got lucky and was able to buy these from a fellow collector. The highlights from the set for me were the M3 grease gun, the BAR rifle and the Thompson submachine gun. I'll be using these for a G.I. Joe project I have going on. (click the picture for a bigger version)

Along with the weapons sets, I also got a British paratrooper. one of the famous Red Devils known for their activities at Arnhem and Monte Cassino. He comes fitted out ready to jump and has his chute, gun sack and a choice of a jump helmet or a beret. I've yet to open the blister and see if the chute rig is molded onto his Denison smock or if it's removable. I hope it is.

You can see a model of a Red Devil paratrooper assembled and painted by me here and here.

ROC Viper Commando

2009-10-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

From the movie line. The figure's a bit constricted in articulation though.

More to come!

Matchbox '69 Chevy Camaro

2009-09-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors, commonly classified as a pony car. It was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced for 1967.

The '69 Chevrolet Camaro is included in the first generation Camaros. It carried over the first generation's drivetrain and major mechanical components, but all-new body styling except for the hood and trunk lid, gave the car a heavily creased and substantially sportier look. The grille was redesigned with a heavy "V" cant and deeply inset headlights. New door skins, rear quarter panels, and rear valance panel also gave the car a much lower, wider, more aggressive look.

To increase competitiveness in the SCCA Trans Am racing series, a four wheel disc brake option, RPO JL8, was made available during the year. This system used the 4 piston brake components from the Corvette and made for a major improvement in the braking capability and was a key to winning the Trans Am championship.

A GM corporate edict forbade Chevrolet from installing engines larger than 400 cu in (6.6 L) in the Camaro. But requests from dealers (notably Yenko) who were dealer-installing 427 cu in (7 L) engines in the Camaro caused Chevrolet to use an ordering process usually used on fleet and special orders (taxis, trucks, etc) to offer 427 engines in the Camaro. Two Central Office Production Orders (COPO), numbers 9560 and 9561, were offered in the 1969 model year. The COPO 9561 option brought the solid lifter L72 big-block engine, making an underrated 425 hp (317 kW) gross. Dealer Don Yenko ordered 201 of these cars to create the now-legendary Yenko Camaro. Other dealers also became aware of the L72 engine package and ordered it. Around 1,015 Camaros were fitted with the L72 engine option.

Custom G.I. Joe: Duke

2009-09-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

'Yo Joe!

I've only recently started a G.I. Joe 1:18 collection and haven't really done much with the figures I have until now. One of the figures I really like is the Duke with the Commando Snake Eyes body but felt that the accessories were either too fantastic or too sparse in quantity to be "realistic". So, after being inspired by real-world combat vests, accessories and users, I decided to try my hand at my first G.I. Joe customization project.

It was lucky that I got a chance to hang around with the guys of Toy Soldier 1:18 because I was able to join Hailed and the others for a visit to a few toy shops selling loose figures. I picked up this specific Duke for PHP 150.00 and he soon volunteered as the first test subject. Mwahahahaha!

The first thing I wanted to get rid of were the molded-on knife scabbard and the bloused trouser legs. Pictures I've seen of soldiers and special forces operators had most of them wearing their pants loose at the cuffs. So major dremelling and puttying seemed to be in order. Then, there was the problem of a suitable combat chest rig. The original only had a web belt and my collection of Joes is still too sparse to cannibalize parts from other figures. I think I found the solution using vinyl tape, duct tape and bits and pieces of plastic card. I'm happy so far with what I've managed to come up with but am mulling about what colors to use for the figure. I really dont want to paint Duke a la ARAH ( refers to the original series " a Real American Hero") and would like to try something more modern and "real-world."

Here's my W.I.P. shots done comic-style! Click on them for bigger versions!

More to come!

Matchbox '65 Ford Mustang GT

2009-09-09T17:32:00.001-07:00

The first-generation Ford Mustang was the original pony car, manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1964 until 1973.

Several changes to the Mustang occurred at the start of the normal 1965 model year production, five months after its introduction. These cars are known as "late 65's," and were built after factory retooling in August 1964. The engine lineup was changed, with a 200 cu in (3.3 L) engine that produced 120 hp (89 kW). Production of the 260 cu in (4.3 L) engine ceased when the 1964 model year ended. It was replaced with a new 200 hp (150 kW) 289 cu in (4.7 L) engine with a two-barrel carburetor as the base V8. A 225 hp (168 kW) four-barrel carbureted version was next in line, followed by the unchanged "Hi-Po" 271 hp (202 kW) 289. The DC electrical generator was replaced by a new AC alternator on all Fords (the quickest way to distinguish a 1964½ from a 1965 is to see if the alternator light on the dash says "GEN" or "ALT").

The now-famous Mustang GT was introduced as the "GT Equipment Package" and included a V8 engine (most often the 225 hp (168 kW) 289), grille-mounted fog lamps, rocker panel stripes, and disc brakes. A four-barrel carbureted engine was now available with any body style. Additionally, reverse lights were an option added to the car in 1965.

Diecast Cars: Sometimes Lady Luck Smiles on You

2009-09-07T02:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get lucky.

I was at the mall this morning, just killing time. I wasnt hunting for anything. No toy. No shoes. No stuff. Just planned to walk around.

So I walk in Toys R Us. Checked out the G.I. Joes first. Then moved to the Lego section. Then to the boardgames. Nonchalantly walked up to the diecast cars section. Then Kaboom.

There, hanging on a peg was this. (click on the pix for a bigger version)

A Shelby Collectibles '66 Shelby GT350! I rummaged thru the other items on the pegs and found only two of these babies there. I inadvertently dropped one so I bent to pick it up. Something on the bottommost peg caught my eye. The peg was loaded with Volkswagens but there was something different at the farthest, innermost length of the peg. A Johnny Lightning '65 Ford Mustang was peeking behind an array of VDubs and Maisto Fresh Pairs!

Some one must've hid it behind some other brands, planning to come back for it. Maybe he had exceeded his budget. Maybe he was at the ATM making a withdrawal to buy this sucker. Whatever the reason, Luck smiled on me that morning. I picked it up together with the '66 Shelby and went to the Johnny Lightning display. True enough, the only Ford Mustang was the one I was already holding in my hands.

I couldn't believe my luck! And Lady Luck smiled on me a third time. I walked towards the cashier with the two models in my hands and passed by the Matchbox display. Right at my eye-level, all in its white-striped and blue glory was the Matchbox '65 Ford Mustang GT! I couldn't believe my eyes!

Since it was released, I haven't been able to buy this specific model from the Matchbox lineup. Every previous trip to the toy store searching for this specific model was a bust. Until today. And there it was right in front of me. Needless to say I snapped it up and bought all three.

Sometimes I do get lucky.

Joes on a Saturday

2009-09-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Here's my G.I. Joe fix for the day... Haul made at SM Megamall. Haven't shopped there for like ages...
Sorry for the small picture. It's raining and I didn't want to break open the camera stuff and just took this with my phone.

After a burger, dropped by Starbucks and met an amazing bunch of Joe collectors -- the guys of Toy Soldier 1:18. They were very warm, funny and extremely creative. The custom toys I saw were fantastic and oozed with personality and craftsmanship. To Fumbles, Hailed, Stormshadow, Firefly, Zombiekiller, Papabear (and missus), Conundrum & Ebonsabre -- thanks for the warm welcome!

Rise of Cobra: Scarlett

2009-09-02T03:05:00.000-07:00

Beauty may only be skin deep, but lethal is to the bone

Scarlett was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Although she is as adept with standard weapons as any of her comrades, her weapon of choice is the crossbow which fires various bolts with specialized functions. Her rank is Master Sergeant, and she serves from time to time as team leader. Her primary specialty for the team is counter intelligence and is additionally skilled in martial arts and acrobatics. Of note, her secondary military specialty remains classified in all of her file cards.

She learned her martial arts skills from her father, who trained her and her three brothers as he was an instructor. She has several black belts in various forms of martial arts. She has long red hair, which she tends to put up into a pony tail. In some of her appearances, it is shown she may speak with a southern drawl or localized Georgian accent. She also graduated summa cum laude from a prestigious university, and passed her Bar Exams to practice law before moving into the military.

I'm hoping to redo the face on this figure as the toy just does not give Rachel Nichols justice. I've seen some amazing customs from other collectors and plan to fix her face too. Soon, I'll have some new pictures ready:)