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 February ’09.
Hunger.
Another awesome digirama by J. Thomas Tantiangco.
Astral Armour Professor X.
A nice custom by glennwebman69.
Hard Rock Bike.
A very cool Assemble Borg fanmode consisting of two Barrels Speeder sets supplemented with parts from Revoltech GR-2, Revoltech Black Ox and Gazelle the Peacemaker figures. (Click on the image for a better look.)
Assemble Brachiosaurus.
Mr. P is making a name for himself with some creative Assemble Borg fanmodes. Be sure to see his Assemble Borg versions of Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus as well. (Click on the images for a better look.)
Neo retro Microman M13x.
Another fine set of updates by ankoku sousatsu tsurugi inspired by classic Microman designs. (Click on the image for a better look.)
Sheer Heart Attack.
The best manga-inspired Lego MOC named after a Queen song you’ll ever see … at least until someone comes up with the inevitable Fat Bottomed Girls Lego MOC.
Apex.
Figures with translucent plastic parts don’t photograph well. This is a striking exception.
Homemade playsets.
“The play sets are modular and can be built in many different ways, they can also be stored in fairly small spaces as the larger walls and backdrops fold and are reversible so can be used for different sets and scenarios.” (Instructions and decal sheets.)
The History of Action Force.
A fine article by David Tree. Fanmode would like to see more toy retrospectives of this sort.
Never give up, never surrender!
“With the dreaded skeleton people closing in on him and the carpet suddenly turning into red-hot lava before his very eyes, local action figure Huntarr the Warrior vowed to fight on Thursday despite the loss of his cherished dragon sword.”
Toy links
Grifter.
An Arez custom inspired by the Wildstorm Universe character.
Ho!
A custom by Rafaelo customs.
Transformers Batman (version 2).
Justin Manny used a Transformers Animated Blurr figure for this neat custom.
“I casts the spells that makes the peoples fall down!”
A Lego MOC by M-Project. (More game sprite MOCs.)
Society’s debt to Toy Nation.
“… though we have an important impact on people’s lives, our artists get little or no recognition. Isn’t it time that that changes?”
Reducing wrap rage.
“The dreaded ‘clamshell’ packaging that imprisons toys behind hard plastic is on the way out.” (Related.)
Never too old to play.
“… the Experian Simmons study discovered that close to 25 percent of consumers purchase toys and games for either themselves or another adult.”
Toy review roundup
Michael Crawford reviews the Mezco Toyz Cinema of Fear 3¾ Inch Jason Voorhees (Exclusive Preview Figure with glow in the dark mask) Toy Fair and online exclusive figure from Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Excerpt: “I want Mezco to make all my 3 3/4" figures. Please.”
Doug Turner reviews the Diamond Select Toys Battlestar Galactica: Razor Cylon Warrior Toyrocket.com exclusive figure. Excerpt: “Fans old and new alike will find a lot to like …”
Jeff Parker reviews the Hot Toys M Icon James Dean (Red Jacket Version) 1/6-scale figure from Rebel Without a Cause. Excerpt: “If you’ve ever wanted a good 1/6th representation of Dean then this is the best so far …”
Monkey Boy reviews the Hasbro Star Wars The Legacy Collection Spacetrooper figure from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Excerpt: “… aside from his novelty at being so mega-obscure, this figure also provides another chance at getting a purely vanilla Stormtrooper figure.”
yo go re reviews the FansProject Transformers Classics TFX-01 City Commander Ultra Magnus upgrade kit. Excerpt: “You’ll be hard-pressed to believe that this isn’t an official part of the toy, but just some fan’s work.” (See also.)
Corey Tincher reviews the Hasbro Transformers Universe Deluxe class Generation 1 series Smokescreen figure. Excerpt: “… there is a lot of fun on display here, meaning he’ll last you for much longer than a number of other toys.” (See also.)
Corey Tincher reviews the Hasbro Transformers Universe Deluxe class Beast Wars series Dinobot figure. Excerpt: “… this isn’t a terrible action figure, it’s just an okay one that could’ve been much more.” (See also.)
yo go re reviews the Hasbro Marvel Legends Ares Series Guardian Wal-Mart exclusive figure. Excerpt: “… this figure also repeats one of ToyBiz’s major flaws: ridiculous blue shadows as a way to put detail in the white.” (See also.)
Philip Reed reviews the Hasbro Marvel Universe Spider-man figure. Excerpt: “… the price isn’t high enough to keep me from buying more releases in this series but it is high enough that I’ll be a little selective.” (See also.)
Thomas Wheeler reviews the Hasbro G.I. Joe S.W.A.T. three-pack (Shockblast, Low-light, Long Arm), S.W.A.T. R.T.V. with Bullhorn set, Hotwire with B.A.T. Mech set, Sky B.A.T. and Headhunter Driver 2008 International G.I. Joe Convention exclusives. Excerpt: “… they all most definitely have my highest and most enthusiastic recommendation!” (See also.)
Artemis reviews the Lego Bionicle Agori 8972 Atakus, 8973 Raanu, 8974 Tarduk, 8975 Berix, 8976 Metus, 8977 Zesk sets. Excerpt: “… the various positive design innovations outweigh the slight minus of the less versatile hands.”
Dave Van Domelen reviews the Hasbro Transformers Animated Bumper Battlers Soundwave figure. Excerpt: “… it’s a ‘Grandparent Gift,’ the sort of noisemaker you don’t buy for your own kids if you value your sanity …”
Retro reviews
EVA Unit 4A reviews the Bandai Macross Hi-Metal VF-1S Super Valkyrie 1/55-scale figure. Excerpt: “… a solid example of quality Japanese toy engineering.” (See also.)
Darren Cilenti reviews the Hasbro Transformers Beast Wars Mutant Beast Soundwave figure. Excerpt: “One of the most notable aspects of this Soundwave is what he’s not …” (See also.)
Toy links
Why so envious?
A photocomic by Shaun Wong. (Scroll down.)
Calvin.
“‘The Hammer’, a violent, brutal, Frank-Miller-esque Noir yarn about a two-fisted, hammer-wielding pink rabbit … I managed to put together a Calvin custom to help promote the comic at NYCC.”
Codename: Snow Job. [via]
A sixth-scale G.I. Joe custom by Xander Martin.
Lipson Robotics’ Illy.
“Made from a discarded espresso tin.”
That stupid man suit.
A fine portrait by nosajmunson.
Who will Seibu now?
A digirama by dedbeats.
Clip and save.
A photocomic by Niktom.
Tetsujin 28-go to the rescue.
“Yubari, Hokkaido, the city that effectively went bankrupt in 2007, raised ¥1.3 million Wednesday by selling 32 toys — including a 2.3-meter-high model of a robot — in an Internet auction to help rebuild municipal finances.”