Cherish your life
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by toomooroo.
Toy links
Wonder Festival 2008 Summer reports.
Photos by Ken Murasame, Damien Sancho, Supa and Toybu.
Black Hole custom figures.
Kaz has photos of 1/6-scale custom figures displayed at the exhibition.
TheTransTorture’s Zombie Skids.
Eagle-eyed readers might note that this isn’t a MISB figure. (See also.)
Snake Eyes unmasked.
Nekonekokoara makes a Ray Park connection.
Big Chief, Little Chief
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by lllllT.
Toy review roundup
L reviews the Hasbro Star Wars The Legacy Collection Millennium Falcon toy. Excerpt: “It represents what the actual movie showed more closely than any other playset Hasbro has ever released.”
Khalil reviews the Hasbro Star Wars The Legacy Collection Millennium Falcon toy. Excerpt: “I don’t think I have felt better about buying a toy in a long time.”
Michael Crawford reviews the Mattel DC Infinite Heroes Crisis Series Weather Wizard, Flash, Mirror Master, and Gotham City S.W.A.T and Commissioner Gordon three-packs. Excerpt: “While these have their share of minor faults, they are actually great toys for kids. Of course, that’s if kids have any idea who they are.”
Fred Meyer reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary G.I Joe Hawk, Barbecue, Cobra B.A.T., Sgt. Bazooka, Storm Shadow (Ninja-Ku Leader version) and Snow Serpent figures. Excerpt: “Whereas figures such as Destro v2 and Bazooka showcase new levels of design improvement, Hawk represents a step backwards in terms of quality.”
yo go re reviews the Thinkway Toys WALL-E U-Repair WALL-E toy. Excerpt: “When reviewing movie figures, we always look for the plainest, most vanilla version – that’s the best representation of the character. In this case, that means the one that falls apart.” (See also.)
Michael Crawford reviews the Hasbro Indiana Jones Ark of the Convenant exclusive mail-away 1/6-scale accessory. Excerpt: “This guy is good enough to display with my Sideshow Indy figures or your Medicom Indy figures, and not feel bad about it at all.”
JimButcher reviews the Lego Star Wars 7676 Republic Attack Gunship set. Excerpt: “… a great set to have for your star wars/ clone wars collection, with some flaws.”
Retro reviews
yo go re reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Heavy Duty figure. Excerpt: “Heavy Duty may have started out as the poor man’s Roadblock, but ever since the Joe line restarted, he’s really come into his own.” (See also.)
Tom Prankerd reviews the Bandai Chogokin DX GC-30 Dancougar set. Excerpt: “… something less complicated might well have had a better look.” (See also.)
Tom Prankerd reviews the Select Convertors Defender Chopper and Tanker figures. Excerpt: “(Re: Tanker) … the kindest thing that can be said is that he’s a cheap alternative to the Takatoku original.”
Leonardo Flores reviews the Bandai Spiral Zone Optional Backpack Unit Bazooka Unit 1/12-scale accessory set. Excerpt: “… it looks great when displayed with a Spiral Zone figure.”
Fanmode faves
Fanmode presents a few hundred toy-related links every month and it’s possible a few may have slipped your attention. Here are ten of our favourites for July ’08.
Jack Walsh’s All My L’il Ninjas.
Over six minutes of ninjas. Can it get any more awesome than that? We submit that it could not. (Episode 2.)
Don Figueroa’s scratch-built mecha.
He’s better known for his Transformers art but he first came to prominence with scratch-built Transformers for his Macromasters series. This is a stunning example of his current work. (More.)
Ghosts episode 11.
Justin Bell’s G.I. Joe photocomic is remarkable on multiple levels. The story is engaging and the work he puts into creating the sets necessary for the scenes is impressive.
Onua drill tank.
A brutal-looking transforming Bionicle MOC by kawazu1120. (More.)
Best laid plans.
A Lego diorama inspired by The Far Side.
The Battle for Classic Castle Kingdom.
Incredible Lego dioramas by dabolt. (More.)
Henkei Microchange.
This Transformers Henkei Megatron fanmode by misodrill is both a clever bit of out-of-the-box thinking and a reminder of the character’s Microman origins.
“Can you break a twenty?”
The tin robot’s eyes make this Liz Page photo especially hilarious. (More from this series.)
Talent only goes so far.
You also need the right tools as this amusing photo by ricko shows. (On the other hand, in the right hands, even awkward tools can produce fantastic art.)
Big Toy Industry Panel.
“… nine of the industry’s biggest names … waxing poetic about the state of the industry, their influences and what they’re excited about in the future of toys, action figures and statues, as well as the very real challenges now facing the industry.”
Toy links
Maybe we better take off.
An excellent shot by TCM Hitchhiker of the Mezco Toyz The Warriors Baseball Furies figure.
Zaku pilot returns home after work.
A quirky diorama by Connatic.
Tin Grins.
Old school tin toys as seen though Kyle’s lens.
Sixth-scale bodies for kitbashing.
Shaun Wong runs through some blank body options available for kitbashers.
Skybuster.
This fanmode combining Transformers Henkei Skyfire and a Superlink Roadbuster Wild could form the base of a fine Bruticus kitbash. (Click on the images for a better look.)
Dinobot girls.
Don’t call her “Slag”. (Click on the image for a better look.)
Monkey … see?
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by speakeasy(X).
Japanese toy review roundup
The following reviews are in Japanese but they include a generous amount of photos so they’re well worth checking out.
(Please do not hotlink images on these sites.)
MaruH102 reviews the Bandai Soul of Chogokin (SOC) GX-07I Iron Z Mazinger Z Angels manga limited figure.
Kaz reviews the Dragon in Dream (DiD) 6th Airborne Division Red Devils Michael Taylor 1/6-scale figure.
Gamu (part 2) and G.S.R. (part 2) review the Bandai SOC GX-42 Koutetsu Shin Jeeg set. (See also.)
Sappy (part 2), Mojya, Damien Sacho (part 2, part 3) and Taoo review the Bandai Super Imaginative Chogokin (SIC) Kamen Rider Den-O Sword Form and Momotaros Imagin set.
Goe reviews the Banpresto Special Creative Model (S.C.M) Ex Ramba Ral Units Gouf and MS-06J Zaku II prize figures. (See also.)
Syuuamamori reviews the Konami Busou Shinki Espadia set as well as the Heracles combined mode. (See also.)
Syuuamamori reviews the Konami Busou Shinki MMS Naked version 2 (Type Navy Blue and Type White versions) figures. (See also.)
Shishioh reviews the Banpresto Kiba-Musha Den Real Type Figure 3 Musha Mk. 2 and Kiba Musha prize figures. (See also.)
Tettsun reviews the Bandai SOC GX-38 Irongear figure from the Xabungle series. (See also.)
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Tomy Transformers Henkei C-04 Ligier figure.
Goe reviews the Max Factory Figma Fate T. Harlaown (Barrier Jacket version) figure from the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS series.
Tom reviews the Volks A3 20 Weapon Set for Kagerou, Shiranui and Fubuki figures from the Muv-Luv Alternative series.
Nekonekokoara reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Cobra Commander with Battle Armor figure. (See also.)
Kuronuko Yamato reviews the Medicom Toy Bearbrick Pepsi Nex x Star Wars Imperial Logo figure.
Hinatatiki reviews the Takara Tomy Zoids Graphics Sea Panther kit.
Retro reviews
Kuronuko Yamato reviews the Takara Microman KiguruMicroman Series Gamera (Heisei era) figure. (See also.)
Mondo reviews the Bandai Equip and Prop volume 8 Dan and Goruba (part 2) set from Garo Special: Beast of the White Night.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Masterforce C-306 Godmaster Road King figure.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers Ligier figure from the Good Bye Convoy set.
Transformers Baka Ichidai reviews the Takara Transformers D-52 Drag Stripe figure.
Nekokami Sigma reviews the Bandai Action Liner Series 01-04 DX Denliner Gouka set from the Kamen Rider Den-O series. (See also.)
Monkey, too
A Creative Commons-licensed photo by Tom Hilton.
Toy links
Cal’s Customs giant-sized extravaganza.
Cal has been hard at work creating some phenomenal Marvel and DC custom figures. Quality and quantity.
One shall stand, one shall fall.
A fine shot by cyberouse of a Transformers-flavoured Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em set.
LaBeoufed.
A topical Transformers diorama by Decepticreep.
Figure photography. [via]
A guide by customiser Jin Saotome.
The Tinseltown toy story.
“Hasbro could have been just another toy maker groaning under a litany of economic issues and raw material cost inflation. Instead … (the) stock has gained about 75% since mid-Jan and is now trading close to an all-time high.”