"Figured Out" Toys, Junk and Goodies

Star Wars: Clubhouse, episode 1

2012-01-20T05:49:00.000+14:00

Figured Out is proud to present the new toy serial "Star Wars: Clubhouse" . Be sure to check here for new episodes and join the Facebook page .

Ever made a cardboard base for your figures? Clubhouse is basically that concept taken to a different level. This web-serial features toy versions of best loved Star Wars characters in a whole new canon scenario. Its all done for fun and game for a laugh. Happy viewing!

Figure Review: Spider-Man 2099 (Spider-Man Classics)

2011-12-29T21:53:00.000-10:00

In the year 2001, Toy Biz launched its Spider-Man Classics line, which lasted for two waves. These figures would pave the way for Toy Biz's Marvel Legends line in terms of attention to detail and articulation. With that in mind, when I got the figure -- which was a KB Toys exclusive -- a couple years ago, I was impressed with the figure's articulation, which I will talk about some more. I was used to the Spider-Man and X-Men figures that were based off the cartoons and didn't have as much poseability, so the Spidey 2099 figure made a wonderful addition to my collection. Plus, every Spider-Man Classics figure came with a comic book and a display base, which to me meant that Toy Biz gave more than was expected, which carried over into its Marvel Legends line.

For those who are not familiar with Spider-Man 2099, basically the story goes that a geneticist named Miguel O'Hara tried to recreate the abilities of the original Spider-Man in others. What ends up happening, however, is that in the process of recreating the original Spider-Man's abilities, an accident occurs and causes O'Hara's DNA to be re-written with a spider's genetic code. Anyway, onto the review...

Sculpting - 9/10

Spider-Man 2099 is a great sculpt. Toy Biz made the figure as comic accurate as possible without overdoing it. I like how the details -- such as the muscle folds on the back -- aren't just drawn on. In fact, it looks like they have a bit of depth. For the most part, the sculpt is simple but effective.

Paint - 8/10

The paint on this figure looks pretty good and I like the fact that there's dark paint utilized, such as the above picture shows. That gives the figure more of a gritty look and without that paint, the figure would've looked bland. My only gripe is that in some areas, the paint looks like it either got chipped off or a different kind of blue was utilized to cover up a mistake. Either way, it looks inconsistent and out of place.

Articulation - 9/10

From what I gather, the figure has thirty points of articulation...

hinged toes
hinged ankles
rotating calves
double jointed knees
rotating thighs just below the hips
ball jointed legs
rotating waist
mid-torso joint
ball jointed arms
double jointed elbows
rotating wrists
hinged wrists
hinged fingers
rotating neck
rotating head

Taking into account what Toy Biz was able to do in terms of articulation, since Toy Biz had its limits, I think the articulation is still pretty good by today's standards. I imagine I could up with a few poses for the figure if I really took my time. I can see how indivdually jointed fingers would have worked, for example, but for the sake of the figure being a Spider-Man figure, I don't mind the fact that only the two middle fingers are artciulated because I pretty much have the figure looking like he's about to shoot out some web anyway.

Accessories - 8/10

The figure comes with a display base and a reprint of Spider-Man 2099 #1. The display base is a portion of a brick wall with graffiti on it that reads "Spidey was here." Aside from that, the display base has a lot of nice detail, most notably the cracks in the bricks. There is also an optional waist clip which can be attached to the base for the purpose of mounting the figure to a wall. The waist clip allows for the figure to be positioned either up or down, left or right, or diagonally. On the back of the base, there is a peg hole so the figure can be mounted to a wall, which is what I'll probably do.

Overall - 9/10

This is a figure that I would highly recommend, especially if you're into Spider-Man and are looking to up a figure or two from the Classics line. The figure can be found on either Amazon or eBay, but if you prefer to look elsewhere, check your local comics shop or any toy show or comic conventions in your area. From what I gather, the online stores seem to be the most expensive.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #12

2011-12-23T21:06:00.005-10:00

Merry Christmas!
Insert your Caption.

The 2011 R2D2 Christmas Spectacular

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-10:00

This little piece of low-res frolics & fun was introduced last Christmas and is now back with some extras and new clips inserted in.

Also, keep a look out for a teaser preview included of something new I am unveiling in 2012. Enjoy the video and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tat Rundown # 4 - Disney Princess Christmas Stocking

2011-12-17T10:45:00.000-10:00

Had to show off my daughter Blaise’s first Christmas Stocking (rrp £6.99, Toys R US) as it’s a girly item and I don’t showcase many of those.

First off, it’s a stocking! It’s also pink and features an illustration of the Disney Princess collective. Best of all - this is a tough and sturdy fireplace hanger that should last for a few years to come. I wanted to get something that Blaise could grow up with and look forward to seeing every December, unlike the run of the mill felt stockings that fall apart after so long (I’ve been through many!).

Now all I have to do is fill it up with goodies!

Santa's Workshop (1933)

2011-12-11T21:26:00.000-10:00

A little gem of a cartoon featuring the antics of Santa and co getting ready for Christmas Eve.

Good old-fashioned festive fun. Will be posting more cartoon shorts in the future.

MOTU Headgear 1984

2011-12-10T10:06:00.000-10:00

Me around Christmas 1984 trying to wear a Man E Faces figure on my head. My mum is looking onward and isn't too impressed.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #11

2011-12-10T06:49:00.001-10:00

A must have stop for any Tardis owner. Insert Your Caption.

Christmas Tat Rundown # 3 - Hero Turtles Ornaments

2011-12-08T13:51:00.004-10:00

A great e-bay acquisition if I ever came across one. Original 1990 edition UK Teenage Mutant ‘Hero’ Turtles Christmas ornaments!

These are painted and wooden and in my opinion have aged well. I never knew about these when they were out, so I’m glad that 21 years later I managed to own a set. The decorations individually feature one of the awesome foursome doing something a little festive. Here is the rundown…

RAPHAEL

A mixture of switching to de-caf and the holiday spirit has mellowed Raphael out. The usually bad tempered turtle has taken to hanging up baubles rather than whackbags.

LEONARDO

Ice-skating is Leo’s thing, only the glitter effect of the ice makes it look like someone has sabotaged the rink surface with salt. Surely the Foot Clan are behind this!

MICHAELANGELO

Like his renaissance namesake, Mikey has taken to sculpting. So far he’s managed to sculpt a snowman of pal Leonardo.

DONATELLO

Donnie hits the slopes with a set of non-jetpowered skis..

These are recommended to anyone who's a TMNT fan and lover of Christmas tat alike. Free these items from their plastic tombs and display them with pride.

Christmas Tat Rundown # 2 - Snoopy 60th Anniversary Blocks

2011-12-03T11:33:00.003-10:00

2010 marked the 60^th Anniversary of Charles Shultz’s Charlie Brown & Snoopy characters. I grabbed these through the American site of Amazon last year and used a pals address as a halfway house just to get these (thanks Wes).

So here’s Christmas 2011 and I finally get to display the Snoopy goodness. Charlie Brown, Linus (sans blanket) and Snoopy are here amongst the lovable Christmas branch and some baubles to spell out the word ‘Christmas’ for all to read.

This is especially a must-have set for those who enjoyed the still widely-celebrated 1965 classic A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Christmas Tat Rundown # 1 - Playmobil Santa & pals

2011-11-30T06:02:00.001-10:00

I came across this small set of Christmas Playmobil figures in Toys R Us and impulse bought them. As you can see from the photos they have a certain charm about them. This small set is one of many for the current Playmobil Christmas promotion (including Nativity sets and so forth), and I have to say it blows this years lack of seasonal Lego offerings out of the frosty water.

Pack Includes: ‘Skinny’ Santa w/Moses staff, bag of toys (football, doll and bear) and Snowman pal w/broom.

Santa is thin! Perhaps he’s a villager dressed up as the jolly man ready to do a grotto. Santa’s also brought his Snowman pal complete with a broom, branch-like arms and a saucepan hat. Snowman’s carrot nose is also bendy and adds extra amusement. In short both main figures are great!

The accessories are also great! I’ve no idea why this Slimline St Nick is equipped with a Moses staff, but it seems to work. The toy sack does what its meant to do and helps keep the smaller toy accessories in one place. The teddy bear can stand alone and almost acts like a bonus 3rd figure, unlike the doll. The doll however bears a slight resemblance to Buck Rodgers character – Twiki, giving it some credential at least. The football rather than being round is designed cleverly with many flat surfaces giving it the means to stay still instead of rolling away.

For £5.99 the cost is spread out across two really cool figures and some amusing accessories. The set could be described as a mini-grotto of sorts, with the rest left to the imagination of the kid owning it. I can see this integrating easily into an already existing collection of Playmobil toys. Best 6 pounds you’ll ever spend whether its Christmas or not.

Doctor Who Everyday

2011-11-22T22:18:00.000-10:00

Not only is it the 48th Anniversary of Dr Who, it is also the 1st birthday of Doctor Who Everyday - a dedicated, daily analytical blog showcasing episodes.

The blog started this day last year with a look at 'Unearthly Child' 47 years from its original broadcast and has dedicated itself to Dr Who eps that day forth.

Today, Phil Ayres looks at 'Death to the Daleks' part 1. Feel free to check it out.

Pinkie-Pie Takes a Stroll

2011-11-08T04:26:00.000-10:00

Here I wanted to take a slight trip out of the comfort-zone and produce something a little different than my usual offerings of digi-decoupage.

Before anyone comments, the G3 Pinkie-Pie belongs to my daughter J. However, if I owned a few ‘Bronies’ I’d be open about it. The new animated serial is great by the way! Props to Lauren Faust.

The background courtesy of an MLP Birthday card, and various props are from veryicon and brainsplat .com. Credit to those guys!

Making this was actually therapeutic and a lot of fun as most of my other images are dark and involve conflict of some kind. Maybe I need to do more cute and cuddly things in the future J . More bright colours in my portfolio can’t go amiss.

Dedicated to: my daughter Blaise, Bronies, Hasbro, and lots of others.

My Little Pony is copyright and property of Hasbro 2011 ©

The Ultimate Staredown

2011-10-19T21:15:00.000-10:00

Something I did last week to humor this much talked about topic in Doctor Who fandom. What if a Weeping Angel and a Silent had a staredown? (Only those in the know with Doctor Who will understand). I am guessing that Steve Moffat may one day have that question answered in a future Doctor Who episode. Could be good.

As you can see, I am having a real blast with the Doctor Who Micro Figures! Cheap, cheerful but also addictive if you like Army building and chase figures.

3rd Doctor VS The Mutatoes

2011-10-12T22:54:00.002-10:00

Click to enlarge

OK, I’ll confess. The ‘alien’ plantlife in this shot is actually a pile of potatoes I forgot about from the summer. Instead of turning to vodka they rather ‘mutated’ over the months of neglect – hence the name ‘Mutatoes’.

This probably would have worked better with the 4^th Doctor, but I wanted to use the 3^rd Doctor and a high-depth backdrop that wasn’t concrete this time around.

Had a lot of fun with this shoot and will eventually pick out a colour version I’d like to use.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #10

2011-09-24T13:27:00.002-10:00

Summer blockbuster action as The Green Lantern takes it to the bad guys. Insert your Caption.

He-Man VS Skeletor

2011-09-21T12:34:00.001-11:00

More artwork from me...

Cybermen Rampage!

2011-09-17T12:26:00.000-11:00

More Doctor Who photography, this time featuring the 8th Doctor going toe to toe with the dreaded Cybermen!

Fort Max Charity Auction

2011-09-11T22:05:00.003-11:00

Behold! The American released Holy Grail of all Transformers toys - The behemoth known as Fortress Maximus. The chance to own one is here courtesy of Toy-Fu.

All proceeds from the auction will go to Mary's Meals/Scottish Relief

As I type this, the auction stands at £375 as the top bid with a target of £550. I predict the end result will go beyond this with more than just the happy face of the new owner, but the many others this auction will benefit.

PC Pond

2011-09-02T23:39:00.002-11:00

click to enlarge

Grabbed my first packet from Doctor Who Character Building (Series 2) yesterday and hit the chase figure jackpot.

Amy Pond in police uniform is allegedly limited to one figure per case, as is River Song who is otherwise available with the expensive Tardis control set.

August Acquisition Continued...

2011-08-31T09:25:00.000-11:00

Still having fun with my small-scaled collection of the 11 incarnations of The Doctor. Recommended for all toy collecting Whovians.

August Acquisition

2011-08-27T11:56:00.002-11:00

My personal toy purchasing has taken a slowdown, now that I'm pacing the interest a little differently.

I am enjoying right now the newly released Doctor Who: Character Building 11 Doctors set. All 11 regenerations to date in brickform and presented in a neat display box. Managed to break the 6th and 7th Doctors free today, but they ran into a spot of bother... Click picture to Enlarge

CLEAN

2011-07-22T08:55:00.003-11:00

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions what I thought of the third Transformers movie (Dark of the Moon) after I went to go watch it a fortnight ago.

For me, it was the crushing blow. The Michael Bay interpretation of Transformers has given me a headache I will never forget. Dark of the Moon (2011) was an impressive, yet busy ‘more than meets the eye’ fighting robot experience; but once again full of irrelevant and random silliness that was an unwelcome ingredient of the previous two films. And that was just the start.

To its credit, the Bay Trilogy has made Hasbro a lot of money and delivered commercial success again to the Transformers brand. The Bay Trilogy had also imagined skilfully what Transformers might look like if they were real beyond fiction. The ‘ugly’ designs actually grew on me a bit. However, the bad really outweighs the good in the case of this movie trio.

This structured portrayal of Transformers is so wrong on many accounts. In a nutshell; the attitude, characters, storylines and general execution are all just done badly. What I feel should have been a family series of films has turned out to be something unnecessarily smutty, sinister, air-headed and masochistic. Since when was the heroic Optimus Prime a merciless cold-blooded killer?

I feel that many have accepted this version of Transformers because it is simply there and there is no silver screen alternative (yet). In short, I think many have just ‘made do’ and made the best of what has been offered. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?

I cannot endorse this version of Transformers, especially to children. These films are easily 15+ affairs, but the merchandise based on it is aimed at a younger market. It makes me wonder what the suits were thinking in regards to target audience. The trilogy feels like a big mess, and I am not just talking from a moral standpoint. It certainly feels like a lot of wrong choices were made in the process.

I am certainly done with this era of 'tainted' Transformers history. Here is hoping the Bayverse is a stepping stone into something better. I gave the 3 films a chance, but I feel now is the time to dismiss them. I am sure there are fans of this Transformers medium and everyone in the fandom likes what they like (and are entitled to), but I won’t own the DVDs or view any future features if they continue in its direction. I am happily washed of it all.

Hasbro and Paramount seriously should consider a clean slate. No pun intended.

Now, Transformers: Prime! A medium with so many praises to be sung from a long term changing bot fan such as me. Stay tuned readers!

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #9

2011-07-22T08:25:00.010-11:00

Saturday Strike-plane Silliness.

The turbulent trio of the Decepticons are set to tear up the skies, but Skywarp doesn't seem himself today. Insert your Caption

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #8

2011-07-15T21:54:00.000-11:00

Toy Story soldiers on an outing... Are they stranded or perhaps heading somewhere? Insert your caption via the comment area.

eBay Wednesdays: Mysterycolor TMNT

2011-07-13T08:22:00.010-11:00

Every once in a while we'll be highlighting various ebay hotspots and venues

Mysterycolor is a great e-bay site for bidding on vintage TMNT items. The store has a regular flux of figures, vehicles and accessories to keep things interesting.

Recommended for fans of the retro TMMNT action figures, especially for anyone looking to complete missing peices of thier cowabunga collection or maybe reacquiring what was previously owned.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #7

2011-07-08T22:55:00.001-11:00

The crazy captions are back!

Luke Skywalker seems concerned for a gloomy looking C3P0 with a hand missing. Decide the discourse and insert a caption by adding a comment. Let the fun commence....

Masters of the Universe listings on eBay

2011-07-08T12:12:00.001-11:00

Hey all. I've listed some classic Masters of the Universe items on my ebay page with more items gradually being added every day.

Check out the Transformers listings too.

Wuggle Pets

2011-07-05T23:22:00.003-11:00

A great way for kids to customise a plushie and create its own identity has surfaced in the form of Wugglepets!

Wugglepets can be 'brought to life' courtesy of a play-doh factory style stuffer machine they are packaged with. Also included are: emblem tags, some 'magic dust', a birth certificate and an optional voice box for recording custom phrases.

The stuffed toy range provides an activity aspect for kids (especially in groups) and is something parents can also join in with. These pets also have a clip so that children can take them on the move as companions.

Wugglepets are currentley available in two different package deals; a Starter Pack featuring 2 pets, or a Party Pack with 8 pets. Either can be purchased through the official Wugglepets website.

Wugglepets are sold within the US/Canada region, but could go Worldwide soon.

WHO

2011-07-04T11:24:00.003-11:00

Who's YOUR Doctor Who?

I've watched Doctor Who material featuring all 11 regenerations. From Hartnell to Smith, Doctor Who is a show I enjoy whoever is driving the TARDIS.

If I had to pick a favourite, the 4th Doctor (Tom Baker) would easily be that choice.

Why: The 4th Doctor has been visually the longest serving on the show and in my view cemented as the most iconic of the bunch. This Doctor also been accompanied by some of the most memorable travelling companions. Like with the other Doctors the dress sense only this time featuring a long overcoat and a stupendously long scarf.

Highlighted adventures/moments include:
Genesis of the Daleks, The Key to Time saga, Brain of Morbius and Robot.

Fancy a Jelly Baby? :D

Hamleys Announce: Top Toys For Christmas!

2011-06-29T10:03:00.003-11:00

As part of thier Christmas in June promotion, Hamleys have announced thier Top Toys For Christmas and have also included a Free Prize-Draw!

The page is a mini-catlougue of products featuring stuff for kids and collectors of all ages. Pudding the Bear will take you on a tour of what's on the horizon as snowflakes tumble down your screen

Some of the fun stuff on the way include: a remote control shark, a Disney Princess ULTIMATE castle, Cars II Lego and a ride-in Dalek!

It is never too early to think about Christmas... Be sure to check the site out and see what may take your fancy. Some of the unique items on show are quite costly, so perhaps this halfway point of the year is a good time to start saving for cool pressies.

Blaise meets Iron Man

2011-06-27T12:46:00.000-11:00

As if Blaise did'nt have enough of her own toys to play with... :)

My dear daughter found herself a Marvel Universe Iron-Man and took a liking to the figure as the video shows.

Perhaps, this is the beginning of a new interest :)

Dark of the Moon, MechTech

2011-06-27T10:51:00.004-11:00

Here’s a blogged a shout-out to the Mech-Tech weapon gimmick (and concept from the new movie) introduced to Transformers fans by the Dark of the Moon range.

Most Transformer toys are usually equipped with a static accessory, so this time round with MechTech - the included weapon can also transform!

A firearm can now alternatively become a claw, a saw, a sword and other arsenal at the press of a switch.

For the kids out there who like to clash and bash their bots on the carpet, MechTech has introduced newer dimensions of play. The weapons can be used for close range ‘rock em, sock em’ combat or attached to alt-form for vehicular versus action.

MechTech takes the artillery beyond just guns and rifles and gives them an individual edge. It is kind of like an extra topping on a cheese & tomato pizza!

Be sure to check out in stores what Ironhide, Bumblebee, Starscream and whole cast of toy-form movie characters are now packing. The battle just got better!

REVIEW: Starscream, (Deluxe Class), Transformers DOTM

2011-06-05T12:02:00.010-11:00

From: Hasbro

Retail: £12.99

Accessories: MechTech Armblade and Cannon, Combined 2-way Bayonet.

For the record, I’ve never properly owned the previous larger Starscream toys from the past two movie toylines. The Wal-Mart Skywarp retool is as close as I have got.

Now, movie Starscream has become available in the deluxe size class assortment of Transformers figures and it is a first. Still resembling that of a possible lovechild between Waspinator and Blot of Transformers lore, this Starscream is differently proportioned and narrower than previous offerings. Plus, he’s got all-new Mech Tech power at his disposal. It is indeed Mighty!

The most striking first-impression feature about Starscream is the packaged F22 Raptor altmode tattooed all over in cyberglyphics. This concept certainly adds more depth to look at and makes the toy look interesting.

The F22 Raptor jet is stable and appears solid. Everything holds together suitably too. Transforming from jet to robot is not a complicated transition, with a few things folding out here and there in the right areas. Kids should find this a doddle!

The transformation is also tidy, with pieces tucking in and supporting the robot mode without hassle. There is a possibility the designers of this toy took some reference or ideas from the Classics/Generations Starscream toy and used them structurally. This is the vibe I get from it anyway.

The robot mode stands firm, even though Starscream retains the chicken-legs look from the past two movie designs. The returning gangly arms are also very sturdy, and oddly enough the hands each have two thumbs moulded in. This might have been a design idea I’ve missed before. Starscream is well articulated and stands up satisfactorily with no topple down trouble at all.

My continued criticism of Movie-based Transformers toy having badly painted robot modes is less harsh with this figure. The headsculpt could do with a bit more colour, but the rest of the figure gets by, unlike the previously reviewed Roadbuster. Starscream doesn’t suffer from being one solid colour in most areas, and even with a limited palette the shades of brown, beige and grey are tactfully spread out.

The MechTech weapon for Starscream is like a duel-bladed bayonet and is almost a nod to the weapon/s carried by the Energon incarnation of the character. The bayonet is made up of two separate weapons that can be handled on either of Starscream’s forearms or tucked under the wings of his jet-mode. One half is an arm gauntlet blade and the other is a cannon with the second blade concealed. The second blade springs out for action when both arm weapons are joined together. The combined weapon appears mighty and makes Screamer look the business and ready for combat! Best yet, the Mechtech weapon does not require continuous pressing down on the trigger to stay transformed.

If Deluxe-class Transformers are in your price-range this is certainly one to pick up, especially if you also have an acquired taste for Starscream’s 'Bayformer' design.

Raphael UK Birthday Card 1990

2011-05-30T13:03:00.003-11:00

I recentley uncovered an old TMNT (or should that be TM'H'T) card from my 13th birthday back in 1990. This card was also a wall plaque of sorts in my bedroom. I was thrilled to have found it on a recent clearout.

Click on image to enlarge.

REVIEW: Roadbuster, Transformers DOTM

2011-05-19T03:58:00.012-11:00

From: Hasbro

Retail: £12.99

Accessories: MechTech Chainsaw/Blaster.

On a recent trip to Toys R Us with my daughter I stumbled upon a small display with some of the new Dark of the Moon Transformers line (there was either a few in stock or they were selling rapidly!). The main Transformers aisle at this point was still shelf and peg warming figures from Revenge of the Fallen (which is kind of embarrassing).

The first toy I picked up was Roadbuster, a namesake from the Wreckers group of Marvel G1 comic lore who also appears in the new Dark of the Moon Transformers film incidentally as a Wrecker! This new Roadbuster moonlights as a primarily dark green Chevrolet NASCAR stock racer decorated in sponsor labels from Amp Energy/National Guard and obviously draws no resemblance from the G1 toy.

The overall impressions of the alt mode shows that Roadbuster is culturally a very Americanised figure, which is what you’d expect from a Michael Bay driven Transformers product. The car itself is based on the actual #88 racer driven by Dale Earnhardt Jnr.

Of course, Roadbuster (joined by Topspin and Leadfoot) is one of a trio of these stock racers that also double up as mini-tanks (a fantasy idea from director Michael Bay perhaps?). Each of the Wreckers in Dark of the Moon has the capacity to mount a weapon on the roof or hood of their alt-mode for some Wacky Races action.

Roadbuster very cleverly has a push-down peghole to attach his Mech-Tech weapon into. In fact he has three of these with two located on each door panel and the third on the roof. This means that the attachable Mech-Tech weapon – a blaster that can transform into a chainsaw can be used in six different ways with three in each mode.

Since the door-panels on Roadbuster also become his arms, the chainsaw/blaster has ambidextrous usage. The roof of the stock racer becomes the back of the robot mode which means the weapon can be stored.

The chainsaw/blaster is terrific and I think it’s the first time a Transformer in the plastic has wielded a chainsaw of somekind. The only gripe I have is that the illustration on the back of the card deceptively shows that the chainsaw stays on its own. The chainsaw only stays as a chainsaw if the trigger is continually pressed down; otherwise it flips back into a gun again. There is no clip or anything that makes the chainsaw stay on its own despite what the packaging shows.

Roadbuster also has foldout static missile launchers over his robot mode shoulders, very similar to the fold out speakers featured on Reveal The Shield Jazz. A novel additional feature to the design.

Transforming Roadbuster from vehicle to robot is not very fiddly at all. In fact the robot folds out quite easily and is good for those who don’t want a Rubik’s cube level figure to change between modes all the time. Another plus-point for me is that Roadbuster can stand properly. I found a lot of the figures from the previous Movie-based Transformers series had standing issues (Sideways, Sideswipe, Dead-End, Wheelie etc) and I am hoping that issues is fixed for all the toys from Dark of the Moon.

The robot mode stands great although like with most Movie Transformers this is where the weak side of the paintjob shows. Lots of dull grey in a lot of areas that could do with a touch of silver Warhammer paint and other crooked features, but that’s a Bayformer for you!

Interestingly, the headsculpt gives an impression that Roadbuster has some sort of a truckers cap on and what looks like a flow of metallic stripped hair coming down the back. If you can think back to the geriatric Jetfire’s beard from the previous Transformers flick you’ll see what I mean. Whilst the concept of Transformers having hair of somekind is novel, it should stay that vague. Any further with the hair idea and things could delve deeper into My Little Pony territory. Can’t have that now! :D

I currently have no basis for comparison since Roadbuster is the first Dark of the Moon based figure I have in hand, but I can certainly say if you like Deluxe assortment sized Transformers Roadbuster is a good toy to start out with. Since he is one of a trio it does make me want to see what his comrades Leadfoot and Topspin are like. This toy is a great effort from Hasbro despite the misleading packaging error with the primary weapon. Also a great figure for racing enthusiasts and anyone that just loves American culture. Wreck and Rule!

ROCK LORDS: MAGMAR

2011-05-16T03:52:00.005-11:00

The latest digi-decoupage from yours truly.

I always wanted to do something with the Rock Lords, so I acquired a Magmar figure through eBay and got to work.

As I was shooting Magmar in various modes, angles and poses I realised his rock mode in the light looked a little less rock-like. In fact Magmars mud-cube changeform resembled that of a peice of cake...

I changed the contrast on Magmar in places to reduce his chocolately tone and make him more mud like.

So, here's Magmar on his homeworld of Quartex enjoying an afternoon stretch. Enjoy.

Also posted HERE on my DeviantArt page.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #6

2011-04-29T09:16:00.000-11:00

He-Man travelling in style. Captions welcome.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #5

2011-04-23T09:13:00.002-11:00

Its Easter time and Transformers: Beast Wars legend Stampy is having some trouble stashing his eggs. Perhaps you could make sense of it by adding a caption.

Rainbow Dash and Blaise

2011-03-22T13:34:00.015-10:00

As I took Blaise around the town in her pram today, I stopped by The Entertainer and bought her another My Little Pony toy to display in her room.

This will be Blaise's 4th Pony

Blaise watches Youtube uploads of the colourful Friendship is Magic TV show on Saturdays. She reacts happily to it and waves about. I recognised the Rainbow Dash character (as seen in the show) on the shelf and showed it to her before purchasing. She was happy to see it (even if MISB) when we got home.

Given that Blaise is only just 3 months old, it will be a while before she can properly play with this kind of stuff, but as you can see from the photos - she can't wait already!

Shredder VS Chromedome

2011-03-21T14:33:00.003-10:00

One of my latest peices of toy art consists of TMNT characters and not a single Turtle in sight. This homage is based on the popular 1994 Konami title TMNT: Tournament Fighters (SNES version).

The Shredder picture is a custom built figure by Wes of Scary Crayon, a figure that is familiar with most TMNT fan communities. Wes produced most of the photography whilst I stuck down and glued together the rest. The end result being a real corker!

Battle Cat and Cringer

2011-03-20T04:13:00.003-10:00

How cool is Battle Cat? The green and yellow tiger companion of He-Man.
Or on the flipside - Cringer the cowardly green and yellow pet of Prince Adam.

By chance I caught up with the original Filmation He Man episode 'Battlecat' to have a sneaky peak at Battle Cat/Cringer's origin story. A great tale of friendship, an ingredient I feel that a lot of todays shows and cartoons greatly lack.

I owned the original Mattel toy back in 1984 and even though it was a limited representation of the big-bad kitty it was still a cool toy to display all the same. It completed owning a He-Man figure.

Battle Cat was awesome to watch on screen whether he was baddie bashing as the big cat or scared of his own shadow as the kitten. I must admit that I liked the non-talking 2002 take on the character a bit better.

I've always wondered how much of a disguise Battle Cat is to Cringer. Surely green and yellow tigers on Eternia are not that common. Even with the cool saddle and mask, Battle Cat still looks like a roided up version of his other identity. They certainly are two different personalities in a Jekyll and Hyde kind of way. Hopefully if a newer He-Man series arises there will be more exploration regarding He-Man's colour-clashing steed.

Tony, Tigger and Raja have nothing on this king of the Tigers. He's Grrrreaat!

Gozo Tat 2005

2011-03-13T12:41:00.004-10:00

6 years ago I went away to the island of Gozo for a week. Gozo is a very hot island offshoot from Malta that has lots of lizards, stray dogs and statues of Mary.

One of the best things about going abroad is exploring the shops for whatever tat may be around.

A souvenir I recently uncovered was a small but amusing item of obscurity. In fact this item was a product range. Sold in packets of double attached sachets was the Pop Rocks Surprise!

Pop Rocks Surprise, the “Action Candy” was plain and simple. One sachet was filled with Pop Rocks and the other had a small surprise toy or trinket.

I bought a few of these and received an Alien Keychain, Some Tattoos with ‘Sexy’, ‘Heartbreaker’ and an eyeball amongst the designs and most notably of all a keychain of a ladies bottom in jeans.

Judging by the packet illustration, the ‘bum’ keyring had another design variant. Also amongst the advertised surprise toys appeared to be an Ultraman bootleg and a robotic Brontosaurus looking like a fruity pebble version of Dinobots Sludge.

It is strange to see a children’s candy toy item range presented this way. It goes to show what Newsagents on opposite sides of the globe can cheekily get away with. No pun intended .

Click on the pictures to see up close.

Super Change Robots

2011-02-20T07:36:00.005-10:00

More knockoff toys copied from the moulds of certain robots in disguise have surfaced in the Pound Shops.

This particular range of Discount Diabolicals are called the Super Change Robots.

For your spend quid, you gain a pack of two Transforming robots paired off together. The robots are direct watered-down copies from either Spychangers, Minicons, Micromasters and Combaticons.

The front illustration I beleive is an alteration of the boxart from the G1 character Brawl. The rest of the toys are pictured on the back and include bootlegs of some Terrorcons (I am yet to see these in the plastic).

Bizarre? Wait till you see the Beasty Converters. Those will have to be shown another time. Stay tuned.

(click to enlarge)

TMNT: SWAT Mini Mutants

2011-02-19T16:02:00.003-10:00

Thanks to my hombre Bogatan I recentley have come into a set of SWAT TMNT (Stealth Whack Attack Turtles!).

This wave of TMNT Mini Mutants was never released stateside, but they have surfaced in UK poundshops and in Australia.

The motif with this wave is simply TMNT dressed up in SWAT gear (Black Jumpsuit, Extreme Sports and Paleo Patrol all previously done). These SWAT TMNT are paired up against translucent jello repaints of previously released villain figures - Shredder, Rat King, Foot Tech Ninja and Hun.

For now I have posted a scan of the card packaging. More on these again in a later blog entry...

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #4

2011-02-19T03:06:00.003-10:00

The latest spot of Caption Fun. This time TMNT Power rules the roost and Michaelangelo brings a different meaning to the concept of NUNchucks.

What's your take? Captions away people.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #3

2011-02-12T01:32:00.000-10:00

When news broke out about an Ark playset for the Transformers 3 toyline - I could not resist this little number...

Dark of the Moon, Sentinel Prime & Megatron

2011-02-11T13:02:00.004-10:00

I've had my sights set on this Megatron for a while since a few early pictures of this figure leaked out on Facebook. After the grey Grinch from the first movie and the flying tank from the second this new military truck incarnation could be the best yet of Movie Megatron.

That confirms it. The offline robot seen in the early Dark of the Moon trailer was indeed Sentinel Prime. The Autobots look to have some hard hitting cavalry for the third movie. A facelift would make this design complete.

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #2

2011-02-05T07:52:00.002-10:00

Today's caption fun consists of an encounter between Yoda and a group of Lego Zombies.

Let your imagination do the rest...

SATURDAY CAPTION FUN #1

2011-01-29T01:01:00.000-10:00

A new feature to this blog to encourage a little more interaction. I post in a toy pic (or maybe a reader could send one in) and will open it up for creative caption fun.

Today's entry features Transformers characters Windcharger, Ravage and a pile of giant cutlery...

REVIEW: Star Wars, 'The Clone Wars', Yoda

2011-01-20T17:29:00.005-10:00

From: Hasbro

Retail: around £4 - £7.99

Accessories: Walking Stick, Green Lightsaber

I came across Yoda on my travels and just had to get this figure. The £4 reduction sticker also lured me in. I must admit that I have not watched much of the CG Clone Wars TV series, but I have enjoyed what I have seen.

I have not owned a Yoda figure (aside from the ‘static’ Galactic Heroes version) since the mid-80’s and even that was a second hand acquisition. What attracted me to buying this Yoda was the amazing detail for such a small figure. This toy kind of reminds me of the original only more polished up and with equipped with a lightsaber. (And brand new!)

Clone Wars Yoda wears a nifty little Jedi cloak. The cloak in itself looks proportioned correctly as if tailor made for the figure itself. Clothes on action-figures are normally a big no-no because they tread into dolls territory, but the accessory of a cape, cloak or weapons belt are an exception. Usually some garments on toys look out of place and disproportioned, but the cloak on this figure works well and a good fit.

The cloak hood also fits over Yoda’s head optionally.

Expression-wise Yoda isn’t the mellow little hermit of the Dagobah swamps, he is the serious spring-to-action Jedi General Yoda of the Star Wars prequels. The determined and serious expression on this figures design captures that character well and is a good example of how important a head sculpt has to be. Yoda’s hands are also well sculpted and can wield both the walking stick and lightsaber with adequacy. The claws are also a nice little detail too.

As far as articulation goes, Yoda does not require so many points of it being a little guy. However, there is a lot of poseability there with the hands, feet, legs and waist all able to move. All of this is quite impressive for a figure this small in design. Asking for the ears to move would be too much.

I feel almost obligated to buy a sparring partner for this awesome little fellow. Time to search the bargain bins for a Count Dooku I think…

Christmas Fun with Big Trak

2011-01-19T07:27:00.006-10:00

Some toys are just meant to be played with... Big Trak is no exception. Despite being quite a busy guy this holiday season, I found a good hour or two to tear up the living-room with my Big Trak.

My dad owned a Big Trak when it first came out and I played with it all the time. When news broke out that the Big Trak was being reissued through Hawkins Bazaar, I just had to add it to the top of my letter to Father Christmas.

Werewolf Sighting

2011-01-14T10:25:00.004-10:00

I recentley came across another cool item at the pre-school. This time a 1989 Ghostbusters figure!

I've posted an article about it on our sister-blog Ghostbusting.net.

Custom Figure Tree

2011-01-04T17:01:00.003-10:00

Every Christmas I have a custom Christmas tree boasting several characters from various things.

Throughout the year I gather stuff to make newer and more interesting decorations.

R2D2 Christmas Spectacular

2010-12-24T01:27:00.001-10:00

Join R2D2 and many other plastic toy chums on this festive visual treat.

Christmas is a great time for lots of things and toys is but one of these elements. Click on PLAY and join the celebration.

Merry Christmas 'n' Happy Holidays from FIGURED OUT.

The 'Premiere'

2010-12-20T13:27:00.004-10:00

"Allow me to introduce myself...

2010-12-20T04:21:00.003-10:00

They call me Professor Coldheart!"

Cringer the Battle Cat

2010-12-07T13:32:00.005-10:00

Whilst at work today, I discovered amongst the kindergarten toy clutter an old 1984 Cringer toy (well Battle Cat minus his red armour anyway!).

The children were unimpressed that this toy had no articulation and were confused to why a large tiger animal would be green! They found my tales of He-Man more interesting though.

I had a Battle Cat back in the days when He-Man was the Ben 10 of my generation. It completed having a He-Man toy by having his feline steed to ride.

Money In The Bank

2010-12-04T12:39:00.006-10:00

I picked up this nifty cover 'gift' on the recent issue of WWE Kids Magazine (issue 31, December) - a pretty awesome roleplay Money In The Bank briefcase.

Inside there's absolutley nothing, but it can be used as a container for school supplies or toys or whatnot, or... maybe a world championship match contract to cash in on...

Wrestling spectators will know the relevence of this item - For this is no oridinary case. The current reigning world champion recentley won the gold by winning this buy-in item earlier in the year.

Don't Try This At Home!

- WWE Mag Screenshot courtesy of Capt Ben Sisko

Strong To The Finish...

2010-12-01T04:52:00.007-10:00

Popeye on a whomping spree after dousing up on Tescos Spinach. Unfortunatley the for the Foot Clan, they just happened to have gotten in the sailor man's way with disasterous results. On top of that, Popeye's gotten some Christmas shopping sorted in the form of a handbag for Olive and some new boots for his papi!

Touch Ups #1: Transformers Universe Prowl

2010-11-27T18:12:00.005-10:00

I like to think a little extra paint on some figures can go a long way or just repainting some minor details.

I used a Tamiya Silver Paint Marker for my Universe Prowl toy and coloured in his bland black/white weapons to make them more 80's G1-like and outstanding. I found the original scheme clashy to the actual figure paintjob.

Here's Prowl on duty...

Hasbro respond to public concern over Transformer name

2010-11-17T05:05:00.004-10:00

Transformers communities all over the web went loud with mixed opinions and outcry in regards to the naming of an upcoming toy.

Hasbro have recentley broke thier silence and made a response through Seibertron.com to address and respond to the many fan mails recieved.

"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and for the opportunity to respond. The TRANSFORMERS brand intended no offense by use of the name 'SPASTIC' for one of its products which has not and will not be available via traditional retail channels in Europe, including the UK. Thank you once again for notifying us about your concern. As a marketer of children’s products, input from parents, families and fans regarding their experiences with our brands is extremely important to us. Our goal is to have all families who enjoy our brands feel good about their purchases and experiences."

On a side note. UK Press - The Daily Record have also picked up on the story. HERE

Driller VS Zombies

2010-11-16T04:04:00.003-10:00

More building-brick banter in today's blog. I messed around this morning with some Lego zombies I dug out from sorting through a pile of stuff.

This unsuspecting drller is from the knock-off 'click bricks' toyline. He obviosuly cant't hear the vastly approaching undead brickmen.

Captions please... :)

Swop Em's Continued...

2010-11-13T06:54:00.004-10:00

I got round to opening the 'Swop Em's' packet this afternoon.

Surprisingly enough, these are actually packs of 2 minifigures instead of 1. The figures are also a lot less dis-assembled than the real deal Lego men. At £1, this is a pretty good deal.

The leaflet (pictured) either side shows the run-down of collectables and assembley instructions. As these toys are compatable with Lego, they make potential 'army builders'.

Click Bricks Swop 'Ems

2010-11-13T00:39:00.005-10:00

I found these in The Entertainer recentley. A direct bootleg of the popular Lego Minifigures. Click Bricks appears to be a copycat Lego brand with simular products and seem to mainly based around The UK.

These are half the price of the Lego figures at £1 a pop. Unlike the Lego series, these go by one set character theme.

I haven't opened this pack yet, but I am hoping I get the bank robber as he is probably the most characteristic of the lineup.

Unlike the Lego Brand, there isn't a second barcode to tell which 'mystery' figure is hidden in the packet.

Transformers Name Controversy

2010-11-11T00:57:00.009-10:00

As if the revelation about the streaking Lego Santa was'nt enough of an eye-opener, I was brought to the attention yesterday of a very questionably named Transformers product.

That's not a 'photoshop', it's the packaging of an upcoming Stunticons homage figure.

Of course slang words in the US/UK differ from one another. I beleive the said name on the box is also offensive Stateside too. You have to question how much research the department at Hasbro put into thier Transformers names. I beleive they still own the copyrights to 'Menasor', 'Dead End' and 'Drag Strip'.

This is probably the most controversial name on a Transformer since the 80's when a certain fire-breathing triceratops hit the UK toy shelves. There have been other questionable Transformers names since, but never on this level. Let's hope Hasbro sorts it out.

REVIEW: Toy Story 3, Twitch, basic asst

2010-11-07T01:03:00.010-10:00

From: Mattel

Retail: around $7.99/£5.99

Accessories: None

First toy review in a long time… And this time round it’s not a Transformer! 

Toy Story 3 – the awesome threequel to the movie series introduced some very cool and well researched characters. The newer characters mainly consisted of Lotso-Huggin’ Bears gang. Even though they were the ‘baddies’ they had their individual charm and connotations that teased the viewer, (especially if they were a kid of the 80’s).

Twitch the insectoid warrior was the toy I wanted to rush out and buy after seeing the film. What did it for me was the cheesy Masters of the Universe homage and the fact that I actually owned a Buzz-Off toy back in 1984. Of course, the insectoid warrior theme has echoed in other toys I have owned – TMNT’s Baxter Stockman (1991) and Transformers’ Waspinator (2000). Pixar chose a good theme for a villain character in this.
What Mattel have done is genius, by making a movie accurate figure and within budget. The large and authentic-like Buzz Lightyear, Lotso, Woody, Rex etc are quite costly, but Twitch is only under 10 pounds sterling. Like a Blink Angel from Dr Who this toy only has to just stand there and look good. No gimmicks necessary!

I am aware of the other and more expensive versions of Twitch, but this basic toy suffices. A toy like this doesn’t need any more fancy detail than it already has. I think the basic figure itself based on a ‘basic figure’ in a film is satisfactory.

The first flaw that isn’t much of a throwback with me is the exclusion of the staff accessory. I can see that being an issue possibly, considering the staff is clearly illustrated on the box bubble illustration. It is like bad advertising and owning a 90% complete figure. Imagine He-Man without a sword or Popeye without a can ‘o spinach… The staff can easily be substituted for a twig or paintbrush maybe … . Still, a figure isn’t a bad figure because of a missing accessory..

The second flaw is the stiffness of the joints and lack of articulation. Again for me not a big deal as it takes me back 1984 when my Masters of the Universe figures were not exactly super-posable and a little stiff on the arms and legs. For me, this downer actually adds to the homage and makes this 80’s child quite happy. 2010 standards may not approve...

Twitch is a good all-round ‘accurate’ toy of the character represented in the movie Toy Story 3. He is tough, sturdy and lasting enough to survive the Caterpillar room of any Daycare centre. The stiff joints and omission of a staff weapon are a letdown, but not major flaws. Twitch does a good job of standing still and looking hard, just as he did in the movie. For us older collectors he is also a great desk ornament and workspace guardian.

There’s no messin’ with this musclebound mantis. Twitch RULES!

Power Rangers Samurai

2010-11-06T08:16:00.005-10:00

Back in 2009 there was this amazingly ambient, artistic and explosive show called Sentai Samurai Shinkenger. The Sentai team of that year and into early 2010 were given a Samurai theme with a ton of Japanese cultural overtones.

Everything about that Sentai show was bliss and right; the gattai, the designs, the characters and stories etc. And best of all it was so quintessentially Japanese it was untouchable by western translation. (Or so I thought...)

An announcement came Summer of this year that Power Rangers was making a comeback in 2011 as 'Power Rangers: Samurai'. Oh dear...

Recentley Bandai unveiled pictures of the toys based on the show, and like the western dubs - these were lost in translation too. Non-show accurate toys for anything had just about got by in the 80's, but these days its inexcusable.

Again Bandai have laughably exaggerated the builds of the characters (the girls too) and made them look 'roided'.

I have not seen the cast for 'Samurai' yet, but I am guessing a few ex-Neighbours and Home & Away actors may be in the line-up. Still worth a chuckle on a rainy day.

Ta to Paul 'Logan Blaze' Anderson for the heads up.

Buttercup: Pegwarmin' Pony

2010-11-03T21:00:00.008-10:00

It's probably me, but I've seen multiples of these from the basic figure assortment pegwarming everywhere.

Buttercup - the Moomin / Unicorn fusion is either unpopular, over produced or just unlucky to find owners. What do you expect from a lesser established character from the Toy Story-verse?

I've seen multiples of these at ASDA, Toys R Us, and Tescos. I may personally pick one up, especially if these end up reduced in Bargain-bin Pergatory. The Moomin homage is definitley a plus side.

Have a heart, give this Moomincorn a home.

Transformers: Universe Mystery Packs

2010-10-30T08:27:00.005-10:00

‘Blind bags’ are becoming quite a toy trend. The hugely successful Lego Minifigures are now in their 2nd series (with a 3rd on the way), Halo has an assortment, Crazy Bones have been around a while - and now Transformers are getting in on the act!

Transformers: Universe blind packs have been spotted in The Entertainer, featuring a series of 12 Minicons to collect. On top of that, the packs also have sweets (or Energon Fizzy Jellies as stated on the packet).

These Minicons themselves have been on the toy shelves before as a 12 pack set exclusive to Woolworths (and later on in Poundstretcher). The 12 bots have now been split up and re-released in ‘blindbags’.

For those who missed out the first time, the mystery 12 includes; (Autobots) Backstop, Heavytread, Bodyblock, Makeshift, Flatfoot and Knockdown, (Decepticons) Supressor, Cloudraker, Boltflash (pictured), Brimstome, Skyhammer and Blight. An included collector leaflet shows the collection (pictured). As you can also see, the minicon 12 on either faction side are christened with some very amusing names.

So what are the ‘Energon Fizzy Jellies’ like? They are basically a couple of cola bottles and fizzy rings (that’s it). They must be very cunningly disguised to look less Energon-like. Still, it is an extra value inclusion, even if they are penny chews. They are as always delicious!

Like with most mystery pack toys, these are a pocket money assortment at £2 a go. They are also potentially great stocking fillers with Christmas just around the corner.

Hopefully there could be another series of these, but preferably original releases. If you missed out on the Woolworths 12 pack these tiny Transformers would be worth hunting down.

Lego Advent Calendar 2010

2010-10-25T13:10:00.011-10:00

On my local high-street travels I normally pop into the local Entertainer to see whats in and whether the same old Transformers stuff is still shelf warming. Monday, I did just that… And I saw – It!

In the front display was the 2010 Lego Advent Calendar (City ver). I was pleased to see it, especially as I bought the previous 2009 edition.

What came to a letdown was the price hike from £20 to £28. The majority of 30 pounds sterling for an advent calendar is ridiculous! £20 was expensive enough.

I went home wondering if I could get a more affordable Calendar from somewhere else online. Amazon came up with the goods at £21 and they had pictures of the toys hidden behind the doors.

For a start, there are 6 mini-figures (instead of 9 like last year) and some of the toys are ‘toys’ of toys if that makes sense.

The theme this year is predominantly an internal Christmas scene where everything is indoors (cept for the snowman of course). There’s a Fireplace, Instruments, Pets, scaled down Lego vehicles as ‘toys’ and other weird objects. The indoor skateboard ramp is a pretty cool touch and maybe something Bam Margera would approve of.

Compared to the line-up from last year, this selection is a little watered down in comparison.

Of course, I also stumbled upon something in the set which has been on the lips of Lego collectors for the last few months, the obscurity that is - ‘Naked Santa!’.

I could not believe my eyes at the discovery! - Complete with a shower unit (minus the curtain) and what looks to be a ‘thong’ wearing Father Christmas. Why!?

The point behind this or the play-value it adds to a child’s Lego collection is anybody’s guess (?). This is actually one of two Santas in the set, as there is a fully clothed variant too which is illustrated on the box riding the indoor ‘train’ set.

The plot has been lost somewhere, but 'streaker' Santa could end up a very collectable figure. Is that also enough to justify £28 for an advent calendar? - You decide and have a chuckle!

Monster Mash

2010-10-25T06:35:00.001-10:00

I managed to get a toy of the US Godzilla from a charity shop over the week gone by. My Gojira needed a sparring partner, and his American counterpart was a fair enough size to take the fight outside (the backyard)

The Force is with me.

2010-09-01T22:19:00.005-11:00

Here's me in 1980 with my Christmas Day acquisition of The Millenium Falcon from the old school Kenner Star Wars range.

Before any of my Transformers and MOTU hauls I spent many an afternoon with this awesome craft (I did get a Darth Vader, Han Solo and Luke to ride in it). I remember being allowed to sit up in bed with this before naptime. The gadgets were so cool such as the chess table, the pilot seat and the hidden floor panel. Certainly a toy before its time.

===HERO

Skeletor VS Mo-Larr

2010-08-29T23:04:00.005-11:00

After paying a ransom fee to the CUTA people for holding my parcel hostage I came home on Saturday morning with this long awaited arrival.

My SDCC Exclusive Mo-Larr VS Skeletor is finally here in all its 'I must keep sealed in packaging' glory!

For those not in the know, this 2 pack is based on the Robot Chicken season 2 comedy skit about an Eternian dentist with no allegiance for good nor evil but a life long mission to defeat cavities.

I've not cared much for the Masters of the Universe Classics stuff, but this was definitley a must have. Best kept sealed however.

Robot Plane Corps

2010-08-28T08:14:00.007-11:00

As if the offerings of Keynsham's local Poundshop was'nt enough bootleg japery for this week, I end up finding these sized up Minicons at Poundland in Broadmead. For £1 you can buy a larger scale Minicon with firing missiles and flying mode action. May I present the Robot Plane Corps!

There are two different bots, but Poundland only had the red and black copter. The other bot - a plane was'nt present. The packaging itself even has what could be original 'Animated' inspired artwork featuring the Plane Corp duo looking happy and cheerful.

For knockoffs, this guy isn't bad. No pop off parts, a working rotor blade and firing missiles. If you have a guilty pleasure for Transformable knockoff tat and... Minicons this is certainly worth a look.

---HERO

(Click to Enlarge Image)

ALIEN TERMINATORS Return! O_o

2010-08-25T07:33:00.003-11:00

They're back... The Poundshop down my neck of the globe has in a newer range of the Alien Terminators.

I'm not sure what Transformers toys these are knockoffs from, but they do seem to be a bit better and bulkier for £1 worth of tat.

Anyone stateside after these, drop me a reply.

Heinlad

2009-10-14T10:03:00.003-11:00

I figured for the sake of it I'd take a few shots of one my favourite Transformers toys of all time. Heinlad is one of the most unusual toys from my personal collection and is culturally unique to the Japanese market he was released unto.

Poor Laslo

2009-07-08T04:20:00.003-11:00

Not much love for Laslo the pigman here. Although any fans of the character have a good army building oppurtunity with this Toys R Us bargain bin offer.

Another Man's Junk(ers)!

2009-07-05T20:52:00.005-11:00

Broken toys can have a new lease of life by donation of parts towards the restoration of other figures.

A broken figure can also contribute towards a custom project and creativity.

If you have broken toys. Don't throw them away. For these 'junkers' could prove useful to another.

REVIEW: Breakaway, (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

2009-06-30T03:57:00.003-11:00

Joining the Autobots from the skies is Top-Gun flyboy Breakaway. Breakaway is part of the first wave of movie sequel toys and appears as a playable character in Activision’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game. The character name was also used for a chocolate biscuit brand in the 80’s, which I often had in my packed lunch for school.

Back on topic…

Breakaway moonlights as a desert camo-coloured military jet with cybergliphics marked on the wings and tail. The jet looks sleek, and compact; and it holds together well. The jet can also be folded out into a Veritech style gerwalk mode, but it is not an official conversion.

Breakaway is easily comparable with different generations of jet-based transformers toys in the way this figure is designed and how it transforms. The robot form however is a slightly different take on a ‘jetformer’, although different concepts from past moulds are given a nod to, almost like a bricolage as it were.

In robot mode Breakaway most notably has his robot head exposed from within the cockpit of the jet. The window hatch can be lifted up to reveal the robot face or can remain down like a protective screen. The robot face itself is almost like a mixture of flying goggles and an oxygen mask both adding to the jetfighter theme of this figure. As an extra feature, Breakaway has a narrow Gatling gun over his forearm, much like a G1 seeker weapon. The Gatling gun can rotate via the Mech Alive gimmick but isn’t anything special. On the walking side of things Breakaway’s feet boast a set of 4 toes on each. Rather than the ‘norm’ of having square or triangular feet, Breakaway shows that Transformers can have toes too, especially since they have had fingers in most designs.

Like with other past jetformers, the craft wings also double up for use in robot mode. For Breakaway, his wings and tail make up a small hang-glider like formation on his back.

A slight downside on this toy for me is the colour scheme. The primary desert storm shade is fine but the chav blue and wasabi green in places don’t blend in at all. In fact, they insultingly clash towards a well designed toy mould. This toy did not adopt a G2 Aerialbot scheme, but this is still unforgiveable.

On the brighter side, there is said to be a darker variant of the toy available as well as upcoming Thrust and Dirge repaints. If like me you don’t like the Breakaway mould with wasabi on the side, there are other fruity flavours on the horizon.

Overall, Breakaway is a decent figure with a different innovative approach to a robot mode. Got to love those toes! The choices of secondary and tertiary colours are indeed bad, but they don’t entirely ruin what is a fun and novel figure.

REVIEW: Rampage, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-28T10:32:00.006-11:00

One of the outstanding disguise themes the Revenge of the Fallen movie and toyline both offer is that of the Constructicons. Or rather construction vehicle themed Transformers under the Bayformer design. These so-called Constructicon toys are packaged as normal Decepticons without the additional fanfare to say they are a special unit.

Alongside Demolishor, the other construction vehicle to crop up in the first wave of movie sequel toys is Rampage.

Rampage in toy form is a warm-yellow bulldozer and somewhat flung from his coloured red movie appearance. Resemblance good or not, Rampage is actually very cool. Much like his unicycle-like comrade Demolishor this Transformer has a different take on a robot mode.

Escaping from the traditional norms of a humanoid robot form for a Transformer, Rampage has four legs. With this approach and proportion, Rampage could possibly be some kind of centaur or maybe an Andelite (ref: Animorphs). What also stands out on Rampage are his bulldozer treads which drape down each arm like extra-long coat sleeves. These ‘coat sleeves’ both mark for a pair of deadly whip like combat weapons. The toy based on Rampage’s Beast Wars namesake also has a rubber treads from claws feature, but was never used like this. It would seem that with the Revenge of the Fallen toyline most weapons are already attached to the Transformer robot (i.e Sideswipe, Breakaway etc) and Rampage with his ambidextrous tread whips is no exception.

The bulldozer mode is tough and sturdy the way it should be. This vehicle form is also detailed and moulded well to attention. There’s nothing more to comment on apart from this mode doing its job looking like a bulldozer and a well made one at that. The bulldozer parts all play their part in making up the deadly robot mode when folded out into robot form.

Rampage with his four legs can be difficult to stand. This is because the legs are thin and hoof like. Sometimes either of the two front legs don’t stay stood up properly making this figure feel slightly table like. This is one of the traits of this toy that requires a bit of patience.

So what, this version of Rampage isn’t a gestalt limb? This building site badboy also has a third mode in his arsenal. This additional mode is a jackhammer drill and possibly scale wise useable with bigger figures to handle, since it won’t stand alone. Unlike the bulldozer form, the jackhammer looks less like an Earth-based power tool and more like a Vehicon hover mode. Having both alien and Earth based alt modes, is something that hasn’t been done before with the Triple Changers concept as far as I am aware.

In conclusion, Rampage may not be movie accurate in appearance but is a decent enough construction vehicle Transformer with a little extra wow factor and originality. Rampage’s different quirks make him quite novel and outstanding compared to most deluxe sized figures. All round this is a fun toy to own if you can tolerate its occasional baby deer like standing problems. One figure not to be missed.

REVIEW: Autobot Wheelie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-23T00:19:00.009-11:00

A renowned name in Transformers lore, Wheelie was originally depicted as an attention seeking Dennis Mitchell type character of the later Generation 1 era. In the new live action backdrop Wheelie’s namesake is a small little blue Minicon like robot. Wheelie is a spy because of his obvious size and with that objective his Earth alt mode is a remote control Monster Truck, ideal for hiding in garages and households. This new version of Wheelie seeks acceptance whether it is with the right or wrong crowd, but it makes for an interesting story arc where the little guy proves how useful he can be.

In unique irony this toy has the vehicle mode of a toy. Alongside the Ice-Cream van twins and Ejector the toaster from Revenge of the Fallen, this is probably another first for Transformers disguises.

As a robot, Wheelie resembles something from Robotix crossed with bits of Wall-E and Short Circuit’s Johnny 5. The wheeled legs, big eyes and rectangular head make for an amusing design that isn’t taken too seriously. I guess the concept with Wheelies design was to draw themes from Johnny 5 and Wall E and size him down as an underdog or potential runt of the litter.

Like with the toy rendition of Scorponok, Wheelie is represented in a scale compared to other figures much larger than he should be. In a good way it means that the quality of the toy can have more attention paid to it. Given the fragile issues with some Scout-class toys (ref: my reviews of Scalpel and Dead End) Wheelie is definitely best off as a Deluxe figure.

In packaging, Wheelie is already in robot form. The robot mode is supported by what I could best describe as dual kickstands based around the inner ankles. These kickstands help Wheelie with standing as both his robot feet are basically Bigfoot truck tyres. Wheelies arms are both thin and lengthy like that of Johnny Five with two long articulated fingers and a thumb. This is a nice touch to a Transformers toy considering a majority of figures possess the traditional square hands design with a peghole. Wheelie has freedom of movement with his hands which can be used to grip around other objects, and it kind of makes up for the omission of a weapon.

Probably, the only gripe I have about Wheelie is the weak colour scheme. The blue shades are fine, but I think the grey parts the arms, neck and other pieces are coloured in could have been more chrome like to give this toy more depth. Apart from the eyes and insignias, Wheelie has a basic palette of three colours and that’s it! Limited colour shades don’t do Bayformer-based designs enough justice in my opinion. Perhaps a possible later premium edition of this toy will rectify this.

The most outstanding gimmick on Wheelie is the changeable insignia on his chest, which puts across his character as a bit of a double agent depending which way the wind blows. Both the Autobot and Decepticon insignias are coloured in traditional red and purple rather than grey or black. The gimmick is a workable change from Mech Alive or leg humping action (see movie).

Another distinctive feature is the movable eye plates that make up the shape of Wheelie’s head. These plates can pose either up or down to make the toy look all the more expressive, much like the character in the film.

Wheelie in truck mode is just plain cute. The arms and everything else tuck in tidily and snap into place to make up a compact playable toy truck. The truck doesn’t do anything else except for be a toy truck of a toy truck (no missiles, gimmicks etc) and it serves purpose just being that.

In conclusion: Wheelie is a character toy that will likely go down well with younger Transfans, anyone with toolbox space or in general those who found his movie appearance funny. Like with Skids and Mudflap, Wheelie seems to be an acquired character taste. The limited colour palette is but a small gripe, but design wise this movie character has adapted to toy form quite well. This toy could have been a whole lot worse, but it scrapes by into OK territory just fine.

Black Firearm Repaints

2009-06-16T21:40:00.003-11:00

I bought some toy guns from a local car-boot sale. These were intended as props for an upcoming independant (well a Son of Rambow quality) film production.

I had some Chaos Black Warhammer spray left and gave these a going over.

REVIEW: Scalpel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-05T10:09:00.004-11:00

The Decepticons have never had a proper equivalent to Ratchet in Transformers lore. Sure, there have been some brainy and creative Decepticons but never an individual character that suits the theme of a surgeon. Tarantulas maybe?

Along comes this new character Scalpel, a character from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which has filled this gap.

Unlike Ratchet, this evil medic changes into a surgeon microscope rather than a themed vehicle. This marks for some interesting appeal in toy form, as there are a low ratio of appliance based Transformers. Real Gear is back! (sort of).

What also adds to Scalpel’s originality is his robot form – A 6 legged bug like creature with the posture of the Modulok toy from Masters of the Universe. Revenge of the Fallen has not only introduced newer alt-mode concepts but a different approach to robot modes too. Scalpel is a good example of this.

With his bug-like appearance, Scalpel is probably the smallest in toy form and on-screen of the Decepticons.

Scalpel’s character: He’s a clever little robot who collects data and lots of it! Easily a 10 for Intelligence on the Tech Specs scale, although lacking in re-assembling skills. Scalpel is known to take things apart and put them back together with a few things missing. “Decepticons prefer to suffer in silence rather than allow Scalpel to work on them”.

At first, Scalpel will greet the consumer in robot mode as that is how all the scout class figures are packaged. This unfortunately meets with the primary problem with this figure early on as all 6 insect-like legs are very brittle and can snap easily. Not only are the legs very fragile, they also prevent Scalpel from standing properly in the way the illustration shows on the back of the packaging. That also introduces a bit of a trading standards issue if I cared enough. The flaw with the legs lets this figure down a great deal as transforming into alt-mode requires very careful handling.

Scalpels other features in robot mode are not so bad. The robot head and face are quite amusing with its goggle-eyes and a cute antenna. The robot arms are very tiny and equally thin as the upper legs, but a lot tougher! The upper torso on Scalpel has some cool purple coloured circuit-board markings that add a bit of depth into the design.

On the plus-side, Scalpel’s alt mode is amusing and more compact. Fold up the legs inside as well as the tiny arms etc and you have an amusing microscope. Of course you have to guess how this toy transforms as the scout-class figures are not equipped with instructions. (That’s part of the fun though). The microscope is articulated well and is kind of like the iconic Pixar desk lamp. Escaping from the unstable robot mode is rewarding.

Doctor Scalpel is a fun, gimmicky and original concept to a Transformers design. Sadly the toy has majorly tripped up and stumbled by its fragile parts. Definitely a purchase for collectors rather than kids, and one for displaying only!

REVIEW: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Dead End

2009-03-21T10:15:00.011-11:00

This Decepticon looks Fast as a car and Furious as a robot. Altogether - an all-round nasty Stunticon namesake for the Autobots to contend with.

Dead End here is part of a new scout class of movie style Transformers featuring what looks to be characters that may not appear in the motion picture. Going by past Movie toys, Dead End could be suggestively connected with the film like other non-cast member toys before him.

Transformation from car to robot and vice versa requires careful handling and patience as there are small parts that can break off easily (such as the front bonnet). Like a lot of smaller Transformer toys before, this figure has a lever like hinge on its back which pulls the roof or equivalent over the head in alt mode. This feature is like the G2 Cyberjets and small wave 1 Beast Wars, but Dead End is no way a ‘Shellformer’ like these are since other parts on him are less static and need further transforming.

The street racing car alt mode is a solid red & black, curvaceous sports car - much like the old early-90s Aquaspeeder toy Deluge. The car pushes along nicely as it should, and the doors each have a decorative orange tribal flame to make Dead End look more like a bad-boy racer. The hub caps also have tribal like markings too. Road rage could indeed take to the living room carpet in style.

What is most striking about the robot mode is the amount of movement in the joints. Even the robot head which looks ‘Thanagarian’ has a moveable beak like mouth and a bottom set of sharp teeth. The legs on Dead End have 6 articulation points, whilst the arms are ball jointed on the shoulders, elbows and wrists. The robot hands are each sculpted as an open set of clawing fingers (although a little fragile) rather than a set of block fists. There is a peg-hole in each palm maybe for an optional weapon, even though Dead End is unarmed.

This is a fantastic figure with attention to detail and lots of articulation for a Transformer its size. However, Dead End is let down by being a little fragile in places and needs delicacy when transforming. This toy is more for displaying rather than playing, especially where the robot mode is concerned. A Scout-sized spectacle!

- Hero Ken Flatt

LITTLE RED SPORTS CAR

2009-03-05T14:12:00.004-11:00

This neat little item arrived Thursday morning.

A further report coming soon.

Cerebros Bootleg 1997

2009-02-25T06:31:00.003-11:00

Another Knockoff showcase for today. This is a bootlegged Cerebros my missus picked up at Botcon 1997. Not sure if the rest of the Fort Max set was made into a knockoff though. All that's here is just the Cerebros head.

DR WHO: Time Squad, Out in the UK

2009-02-24T00:08:00.004-11:00

Heya. I just picked up some of the newly released Dr Who: Time Squad on a shopping trip to ASDA. I grabbed the 2-packs of Sontaran VS The Doctor and Slitheen & Weeping Angel. So far, I've only opened one of these packs.

These Mini figures are great!

Here's some photos:

REVIEW: TMNT 25th Anniversary, Reissues Wave 1

2009-02-17T11:01:00.006-11:00

The old TMNT figures are back! Has the novelty of 20+ years ago returned or should these toys be recalled back to the 80’s, or early 90’s perhaps?

I’m remembering back to the year 1990 when TMNT toys had hit British stores, and during the later run-up to Christmas these figures were like gold-dust. People would queue up outside Toys R Us and wait for opening time (much like when the Wii and PS3 consoles were in high demand). Our local Toys R Us in Bristol had rationed 2 toys per customer and it took my mum a long while to make a full-set acquisition for me, and to this day I still thank her for this! So 18 years later I find myself owning a full set of these toys again via newer means of purchasing goods. No more cold mornings outside Toys R US, but the advantage of contacts in the states and the internet have made this possible.

The TMNT toys of the past took on a design far flung from the cartoon of that era and presented individuality beyond coloured bandanas. These Turtles were given different skin tones and slightly different attire to further define each other. These Turtles were less TV show accurate with the exclusion of pupils and toothless smiles, making them lean towards their original Mirage comic book designs. Yet, these toys were still popular with help from the cartoon, with a supporting cast and whacky vehicles making things all the more interesting.

Whilst these toys had their faults (which I will go into later), I have to praise that these have been commercially available in stores again (well USA Target and Toys R Us anyway), rather than the online exclusive route that Mattel are seemingly taking with their commemorative Masters of the Universe and Ghostbusters products. Playmates have shamelessly rereleased these old toys without any big mould updates or re-colouring via present day toy production. Whilst updating these figures would be nice, the authentic approach is sometimes the best way to pay a compliment.

Wave 1 of the TMNT reissues are quite simply the four brothers themselves: Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Donatello, packaged each with a DVD. Each of the DVDs features an episode of the 1987 cartoon series, with the first 4 episodes of season 1. As before, each figure also has a weapons rack with break off weapons including each turtles’ signature arsenal. The weapons are normally easy to break away from the rack, although assistance with a penknife is a lot tidier. Get a grown-up for assistance, kids!

Leonardo returns still with the same worried expression of before. The expression itself has always been a part of the figure I wasn’t sure about. Surely the ‘star pupil’ of Splinter would at least have his eyeline either: narrowed, determined or aggressive like the toy of his less conformist brother Raphael. As before, Leonardo has his behind dual sword hilt for katana keeping as well as the usual belt buckle bearing his beginning initial letter. Leo looks great when displayed with katana if you overlook the expression.

Raphael is spot on! - Great posture, no-nonsense facials, stands up easily and is all round the best of the four brothers represented in this line. Raphael is simply the best figure of this set, if I had to choose one! Raphael is the easiest figure to keep standing up because the base of his feet are flat, unlike the other three turtles that have one foot with the heel raised up.

Michaelangelo is the same as the old toy, but with a slightly different left hand mould. The holding gap in-between the thumb and fingers is a lot wider than the previous toy making for Nunchaku holding a bit difficult. Aside from this, another issue is the fragile plastic wire between the Nunchaku (The Nunchaku look like scaled down skipping ropes) that requires careful handling. This Michaelangelo looks mean and the aqua shade of green skin tone suits him for some reason, maybe it goes well with his orange garb.

Donatello looking more on the brown side than his greener brothers has a hilt in his back for staff keeping and also has a spare. There isn’t really much more I can say in regards to this figure that has already been covered. The best thing about the old Donatello toy is that he certainly looks the business when posed with his staff in both hands.

With these reissues, it’s a simple matter of what you see is what you get. The extra DVD is an extra novelty, but probably nothing special to some. The same colourful, attractive packaging from the original release is retained aside from a 25th Anniversary logo and other trimmings added. This is about as good as a trip down memory sewer as it will get.

If you owned these figures years ago and want to retire or replace your older (and possibly battered) models, these are a great purchase to snap up. Newer and younger consumers of the 2K3 era will have the chance to experience these toys for the first time too. Reissuing these in my opinion is a complimentary nod to the 25 years plus legacy of the TMNT, and a nostalgic incentive to both retro and newer fans alike.

REVIEW: Hound w/Ravage (Transformers Henkei)

2009-02-05T05:31:00.005-11:00

Here I have on my desk a recent acquisition of Hound from the Japanese Transformers: Henkei range.

For those who don’t know, Henkei is the Japanese version of Transformers: Universe - a toy-line of old Transformer toys updated into newer (and some improved) renditions. Takara’s take with this line is a bit different from Hasbro’s approach by boasting cartoon accurate colours, chrome parts and bundling a collector card with a mini comic to boot.

The original Hound toy from 1984 was a good quality figure with detail and die-cast parts. Here, this homage of the toy has stepped up from its predecessor by having a more posable robot mode, and bigger size scale (since the original was small for its size-class).

Hound’s Jeep mode is solid and holds together well; on top of that - it’s a proper disguise! (Just ignore the Autobot insignia on the hood). Looking under the jeep itself, any possible revealing robot parts are hidden away, which isn’t a common occurrence on car based Transformers toys. Henkei Hound could near-enough pass off as a regular toy jeep to those not TF literate.

The shade of green Hound is coloured in is the same dark military tone from the G1 cartoon, whereas the US Universe version is a lighter mushy peas-like contrast. This Japanese interpretation also sports more decoration such as military stars and a golden stripe to make good effect.

Hound’s transition to robot form folds out quite nicely. The transformation follows some similar dimensions as the original 80’s toy in the front bonnet folding down (obviously!), windshield folding behind, and the back cargo area folding out into legs (complete with blocky robot feet). The robot mode itself is very posable and just looks great! Hound’s robot head, robot face and baby blue optics are all just spot on and add to expression.

The end result of this Hound remake is a well executed fusion of cartoon and Generation toy homage rolled into one. To really look at the work of this design you really have to compare this figure in person with the old toy (which I have referred to 50 times now) and stills from the series.

Of course, Hound isn’t alone in this Henkei offering, as he is also accompanied by a new version of the Decepticon spy – Ravage!

Ravage is presented not as a tape, but more or less a black slab (probably a large suitcase) that can attach to the back of Hound’s jeep mode. As a bonus, Ravage’s tape/suitcase mode can also fit inside the chest compartment of Generation 1 Soundwave in true spy minion fashion. What stops this new Ravage being defined as a tape is that there isn’t any tape markings like the Generation 1 toy, and in comparison the alt mode is a ‘black folded up thing’.

Now, Ravage’s Jaguar mode is magic! This toy resembles the dog-like black cat from his appearance in the 80’s cartoon series well. The cat mode is obviously the more important aspect and this is executed brilliantly. - A lot less 2 dimensional than the G1 original in terms of being ‘Ravage’.

Henkei Hound with the addition of Ravage is like a pseudo VS set. Both toys are either something that can be displayed opposing each another or burying the hatchet in each alt mode, with the option to attach Ravage onto Hound’s jeep mode to grab a ride. The play or display value of this package deal is certainly a winning combination and a highly recommended purchase for kids and collectors alike.

FAILED VIDEO ATTEMPT

2009-01-29T06:26:00.002-11:00

I was put up to doing this little skit on the Transmasters UK Hub (see links) to have a stab at doing a video toy review. Needless to say, things went pear-shaped and the whole thing was a car crash (literally!). I thought I'd put it here for you Figured Out readers to have some laughs at. Dig my accent!

HERO'S DESK CLUTTER

2009-01-24T13:21:00.007-11:00

This is the corner display on my desk area which changes now and again. The current setup features a whole cast of characters.

See who you can recognise ^_^.

===HERO

Click on a pic to view.

MY CHRISTMAS WITH ANIMATED SHOCKWAVE

2009-01-05T14:06:00.003-11:00

So much to write about in regards to the recent festive season, and of the figure acquisitions I've made through friends, family, santa and myself saving boxed figures throughout October and November.

Sadly this entry is regarding hiccup with the rather excellent Shockwave toy from the Transformers: Animated line.

As I opened this figure and to my dismay, I found the lower legs which were folded in tank mode had both been snapped at the shin.

Judging from the breakage marks in the plastic, it seemed brittle to start with and this would'nt have been the first time a TF:A toy has gone 'Santa Claus: The Movie' on the general public. The usual isses with the animated line have been with loose parts and poor ball joints but this... is a nasty thing to find and I hope no kid who got this toy for Christmas did'nt receive a dud like this.

Aside from the problem, Shockwave seems like a great toy. I guess I can sell the remains on to someone who likes kitbashing and wants parts.

Still, the purple version of this toy is due for release later in 2009, so hopefully if I get this as a replacement it won't be a brittle nightmare.

MIRACLE

2008-12-21T12:48:00.002-11:00

A couple of days ago I had started to unpack the nativity set in my living room and was thinking about another Christmas season of using the broken one armed Jesus ornament as the centrepiece.

As I was unwrapping the individual figurines (I bubblewrap my nativity stuff) I unwrapped what I thought was just one of the smaller models, maybe one of the sheep but it wasn’t.

There it was, a brand new unbroken baby Jesus!

For the last couple of Christmases I have griped about how stores don’t sell individual nativity pieces (and nobody on ebay seems to either) and asked around everywhere to get a replacement. No such joy, until this recent comeuppance.

I won’t question how this mystery replacement model found its way into a sealed up cardboard stable and twisted itself in bubblewrap at the bottom of a large decorations box…

Fact is, if I actually bought a replacement Jesus or had one given to me I would have remembered something like that. There also is no way anyone would have gone to so much trouble to plant this on me either considering how I store my decorations very tightly.

To me, this is an unexpected Christmas blessing and miracle. I feel this is certainly a small happy event I have to share with all I know.

God has a great and generous sense of humour

TMNT: FESTIVE FURY

2008-12-19T03:41:00.005-11:00

I had the idea last Christmas to make up some custom TMNT decorations through the Mini Mutants line and maybe attempt to army build some trooper characters along the way.

I think in the end the decoration idea took a different turn and became a multi-purpose figurine idea that I could share out with local friends and family. (Although I want to next Christmas possibly do this again and expand a bit a more.)

I’m not sure how far I can class these TMNT as customs or if I can class them at all, but custom is an easier word to use than modification =).

I dubbed the name Festive Fury because it soulds almost like Fist of Fury (say it fast) and also because... its 'Festive' :)

The project itself was easy going and non cost-effective with using pound shop props (the tinsel tape, the black/white snowflakes, copper wire, keychain loops, and packaging bags) and all in all not so time-consuming either.

This is a small fans project I enjoyed throwing together. I hope it certainly cracks a few smiles anyway.

MEGATRON CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

2008-12-16T13:25:00.003-11:00

Megatron arrived this Sunday gone in true Christmas post fashion. This is one decent ornament indeed, and recommended to those who have a big Christmas tree to hang him as Megs is a little hefty. The design itself looks like it is based on the excellent Revoltech Megatron figure. Thanks to Rose at Ninja Pizza for grabbing this one for me.

Click to enlarge image

ASSEMBLED

2008-11-19T10:15:00.003-11:00

I got round to assembling those Brave Knockoffs into thier giant gestault form. Not bad... Shame about the clash of colours but still something that stands high, dominant and mighty like all gestaults should :D

Click on Image for fullview.

BRAVE SERIES KNOCKOFFS

2008-11-04T02:08:00.008-11:00

Click pics to see full image

These rather splendid Brave Series knockoffs arrived in the post yesterday. For those who don’t know, Brave has been described as the spiritual successor to Transformers in Japan during the 90s. Anyone who liked the overall design of Transformers will like definitely like Brave.

These great counterfeit figures were found in Staples (yes the stationary store) by my good pal Phil Ayres (you can read his many TF reviews HERE). This knockoff is that of the character God Max. There is a combined form of all three of these toys for which I currently have no instructions for, however I’ll cover that in another entry.

Individually these are not bad. Each has a handheld weapon and the transformation is easy. Out of the three, the jet (Jet Max) is the least interesting and most generic looking, but he does play a part in this trio as a gestalt piece and flyboy. The other two, one (Dush Max) being a cool red sports car and the other (Drill Max) a drill tank (looking very like Killbaison and Drillhorn of Transformers: Victory, and possibly a homage) have an interesting chest weapon gimmick that is activated by a small lever on the hip area.

From this link HERE you can see the original toys and their combined form, the weapons also combine too make a double bladed sword.

There could be more Brave Knockoffs doing the rounds, and these 3 are probably the start.

HANNIBAL SMITH

2008-10-27T01:40:00.004-11:00

Whilst packing up after the church Kids Fashion Show last weekend I made this interesting little discovery amongst the playschool toy-pile. None other than a loose and good condition Hannibal Smith action figure from Galoob’s A-Team toy-line of 1983.

Amazingly enough these sell for around £15 loose on eBay or around £60 still on the card. It is highly unlikely that the 00’s generation of kids are even aware of such a diamond in the rough of duplo bricks, brio traintracks and Fisher Price cars. It is amazing what some older people too discard as just simple toy junk. Of course The A-Team will be more culturally aware to the public in 2009 with the release of the reboot movie.

I remember first owning the Hannibal figure nearly 25 years ago along with the other A-Team members. Not a bad toyline either even though the guns were bendy and weedy but the backpacks were decent (I think they had walkie talkies too). I had the command center playset too, but for what its worth it was made badly and broke easily, heck I may as well made one from a cardboard box. Murdoch’s gyrocopter was one best vehicle toys ever, with its push button activated rotor-blades. I never owned BA’s Van or Face’s vette sadly.

I am in negotiations with the Playschool leaders of either a trade or just offering a good home with my BA Baracus and other 80’s memorabilia. I took the time out to take some shots of the lonely Hannibal on location at Treasure Island Pre-School (located at the top floor of the church).

It would be amusing to imagine and think of what the A Team would come up with (through typical show cliché) if they were locked in a Playschool building and had an hour to build a custom assault vehicle of sorts. The potential is there.

POWER RANGER DESTRUCTION

2008-10-26T12:22:00.005-11:00

I came across this old archive of shots from a Transmasters UK fan-meet I ran back in 1998. It was a tradition that Transfans would take a Power Rangers toy to a meet and that toy would be the sacrifical lamb at the gathering. This old mid-90's action figure of the Red Zeo Ranger went through a series of horrific torture methods. See the link for the whole show "FATE OF THE POWER RANGER"