21st Century 1st Air Cavalry Division Tunnel Rat (released 2002) - Another five dollars buy :)

This was another recent purchase I made for SGD5 (that's 5 Singapore dollars). See my previous post to see what else I had bought for only 5 dollars :) This was the 21st Century Toys Ultimate Soldier 1/6 scale 1st Air Cavalry Division "Tunnel Rat" (Vietnam) 12-inch figure boxed set that was released way back in 2002 before DiD and Soldier Story came on the scene. Although the quality and details are not like what it is today, it was good for its day and still worth getting even now (for 5 dollars, I can't complain right?)

I like the molded mask which is one-of-a-kind. It is a 1969 Riot Control Gas Mask issued to troops in Vietnam. The Vietnam Gas mask was issued as a ONE TIME USE gas mask but the mask had the capabilities of being used more than once due to the high quality and high grade products used in making these masks. I had actually bought the basic nude 12-inch figure body with molded mask from China Square Central and kitbashed my own 1:6 version of a Vietnam Tunnel Rat earlier (see my post HERE)

21st Century Toys 12-inch Ultimate Soldier figures were popular back in the late 90s because there just wasn't any other 1:6 offerings then but as the collectors' market grew, more and more 1/6 companies got on board and offered better quality stuff than what 21st Century Toys were producing and so demand dwindled and soon supply slowed until 21st Century Toys stopped producing 1/6 scale figures altogether.

21st Century Villains: Auz and Tazz Mantrackers All for just five dollars - cheap cheap :)

21st Century Toys first released 1/6 scale "The Ultimate Soldier" 12-inch figures way back in the late 1990s, starting with Vietnam and Modern Era gear. World War II figures soon followed and to make things interesting, they also released a line of 21st Century "Villains". Prices for these figures then were much lower than what we are paying today i.e. the cost of a Hot Toys TrueType 12-inch body (nude) could pay for a complete boxed 21st Century figure with outfit / uniform, gear and accessories plus weapons. You could still have some change back. Those were the days.

This was the 2001 / 2002 released 21st Century "Villains" Auz and Tazz Mantrackers which I got recently for SGD5 (5 Singapore dollars = 3.98724 U.S. dollars). To me, that's a pretty good deal and although the quality may not be the same as Hot Toys or Soldier Story, I really like the variety this set offers in terms of 1/6 gear, equipment and weapon :) And for 5 bucks, I think this is alright.

21st Century "Villains" Auz and Tazz Mantrackers comes in the pretty standard 21st Century window box packaging with velcro secured book-style flap. Nothing fancy with the cardboard boxes containing these 12-inch figures. You just throw them away after taking everything out. No worries about keeping the box unlike Hot Toys packaging which are all very fancy and nice but after taking the figure out, you find it a pain to throw the box away (because obviously we all paid good money for the box design and packaging since the price we pay for the product includes the box as well - Hot Toys won't make it for free!). If you decide to keep the box, it takes up storage space or even shelf space which is prime space in land scarce countries like Singapore. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

The Dark Knight Rises Catwoman (see & pre-order Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle in tights)

We always catch glimpses of what people wear on film but you never really get the real picture until you see it in pictures or better yet, in 3-D i.e. three dimensional form. This is even more so for superheroes on the big screen. Growing up with comics, it was a dream come true when movie producers started making films of the superheroes you read so much about as a kid. Even better yet, movie audiences were lapping it all up and that made superhero movies even more popular so now we have a staple diet of superhero movies released every year.

Comic book fans will always want to see how the comic book hero or villain gets interpreted onto the big screen and the best way to see that is to get hold of the fully realized movie accurate action figure. Here are some pictures released of The Dark Knight Rises Catwoman as portrayed by Anne Hathaway in the upcoming Batman film by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, The Dark Knight Rises film will be the third installment in Nolan's Batman film series, and is a sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008).

The Dark Knight Rises is intended to be the conclusion of the series. It stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as Commissioner James Gordon, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. The film will take place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and will introduce the characters of Selina Kyle and Bane—portrayed by Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy, respectively—two villains from the Batman mythology.

Raid In Somalia: US Navy SEALs Free Hostages Held Since October

DEVGRU (i.e. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru aka SEAL Team Six) is at it again :) This was reported in the Huffington Post on January 25, 2012 (FULL article HERE):

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia under cover of darkness early Wednesday and crept up to an outdoor camp where an American woman and Danish man were being held hostage. Soon, nine kidnappers were dead and both hostages were freed.

President Barack Obama authorized the mission by SEAL Team 6 two days earlier, deploying the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden last year. Minutes after the president gave his State of the Union address to Congress he was on the phone with the American's father to tell him his daughter was safe.

Inflames 1/6 scale Metal Boss Battle Armor Version 12-inch Collectible Figure Preview

New Soul has now become Inflames (strange name for a company, to be calling yourself "In Flames"). Having shown us their first batch of preview pictures almost a year ago (see my post HERE), these are new preview pictures of the upcoming Inflames release of their 1/6 scale Metal Boss Limited Edition 12-inch Collectible Figure (Battle Armor version). For those who are in the know, Metal Boss looks very much like Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid video games.

For those of us who are not familiar, Solid Snake (ソリッド・スネーク, Soriddo Sunēku) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Konami's Metal Gear series of stealth video games. Solid Snake is a combination spy, special operations agent and mercenary of FOXHOUND, a fictional black operations and espionage unit. He is repeatedly tasked with disarming and destroying the latest incarnation of Metal Gear, a bipedal nuclear weapon-armed mecha.

The Inflames Metal Boss Battle Armor version 1/6 scale Limited Edition 12-inch Collectible Figure will come with 1/6 scale Zombie Snake head sculpt, alternate normal Snake head sculpt, full face visor, NB01 12-inch body type, three extra hands (total five hands for posing and holding weapons)...

Review II: Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 Star Wars CC-5052 Clone Commander Bly 12-inch figure

This is Sideshow Collectibles STAR WARS Military Series 1/6 scale Clone Commander Bly 12-inch Figure wearing Phase II helmet with flip-up polarized macro-binoculars which is the additional Clone Commander helmet included with the box set. I much prefer this Phase II helmet over the Phase I helmet (see my earlier post of Clone Commander BLY wearing Phase I helmet HERE) and all the clone troopers and commanders I collect wear only the Phase II helmets. The Phase I helmet looked to me like a upturned bucket with a "shark's fin" affixed on the top of the head. The helmet is too long for my liking and makes the clone troopers look like camels and unless you want your troopers looking like that, you'll switch out the helmets like me ;p

According to wookipedia, Phase II clone trooper armor was an enhanced version of the Phase I clone trooper armor. It incorporated all of its predecessor's systems in addition to polarized lenses, padding, and stronger, lighter armor plates.

Happy Chinese New Year (AGAIN) from TOY HAVEN and Revoltech Finding Nemo & Dory

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as "Spring Festival," the literal translation of the Chinese name 春節 (Pinyin: Chūnjié), since the spring season in Chinese calendar starts with lichun, the first solar term in a Chinese calendar year. Chinese New Year is also the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar.

One of the traditional Chinese phrase during Chinese New Year is "may there be surpluses every year" or "Have abundance every year" (simplified Chinese: 年年有余; traditional Chinese: 年年有餘; pinyin: niánnián yǒu yú) which also sounds the same as "may there be fish every year." Hence the phrase "Year Year have Fish / Year Year got Fish" is used so who better to wish everyone Happy Chinese New Year than Nemo and Dory from Disney Pixar's animated movie "Finding Nemo" ;p

We had celebrated the first day of Chinese New Year with the Bandai Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Deluxe Red Dragon Thunderzord (posted HERE) since this is the Year of the Dragon. Now we celebrate Chinese New Year with Nemo and Dory from Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar Figure Collection 001 Nemo & Dory figures to reinforce the saying "Year Year got Fish" and to wish everyone abundance in everything GOOD ;)

Bandai Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Red Dragon Thunderzord in Warrior mode

continued from previous post...

The Red Dragon Thunderzord was the second Zord of the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger (Jason Lee Scott and Rocky DeSantos) and the successor to the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord. It first appeared in The Mutiny, after Lord Zedd's monster Pirantishead managed to take control of the Tyrannosaurus and the Dragonzord. After freeing the Tyrannosaurus from Pirantishead's control, the Power Rangers used the "power of thunder" to upgrade the Dinozords into the Thunderzords. [source: power rangers wiki]

The Thunderzords are the second set of Zords for the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. They succeed the Dinozords and were larger than their previous counterparts, with much greater strength.

The Red Dragon was the first Zord in the series to possess two battle modes: Dragon and Warrior. In Dragon mode (as seen in the previous post), it could breathe flame and attack with its claws mid-flight.

Happy Chinese New Year from TOY HAVEN and Bandai Power Rangers Red Dragon Thunderzord

According to the Chinese calendar, this Chinese New Year is the Year of the Dragon and so the dragon does feature prominently in all Chinese New Year decorations everywhere, in the malls, in Chinatown etc. Hence I thought it would be timely to wish all readers / viewers / visitors to my TOY HAVEN toy blog a very Happy Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year (also can) with this post on the Red Dragon Thunderzord, a blast from the past!

According to folklore, to create the most powerful creature, the Chinese combined the horns of a deer, the head of a camel, eyes of a rabbit (have you seen the blood RED eyes of white rabbit?), ears of an ox, neck of a lizard, belly of a turtle, scales of a fish, paws of a tiger and claws of an eagle. The dragon is the only creature in the Chinese zodiac that is not a natural animal i.e. it is a legendary figure compared to the rest of the other animals, making it superior to the other 11 zodiac signs.

Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale Indiana Jones and Professor Henry Jones Sr 12-inch figures

Today is Chinese New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year's Eve is a day where Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, known as Chú Xī (除夕) or "Eve of the Passing Year." So I guess it's appropriate to have a family reunion of the 1/6 scale kind ;p

One of the best father and son team from the movies was Indiana Jones and Professor Henry Jones Sr from the 1989 movie "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade". It was certainly a family reunion when Indy (Harrison Ford) goes looking for his missing father (Sean Connery) and ends up being tied up together instead (ties that bind and what not). This is the Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale Indiana Jones and Professor Henry Jones Sr 12-inch figures released some time ago.

I'm always taking the 12-inch action figures out from the display cabinets and marveling at the craftsmanship and attention to details these 1/6 scale manufacturers and sculptors put into their craft. Most of these 1/6 scale figures are art in 3-D and these two are just a sampling of what I like about 1/6 scale 12-inch figures and why I collect them :)

Incoming: DID World War I 1/6 scale British Infantry "Albert Brown" 12-inch Figure

World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (centred around the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy).

DID has really gone off the beaten path (of sure-to-sell special forces figures like SEALs etc and WWII German figures - don't know why but there seems to be a LOT of Germans around) with Albert Brown, who is supposed to be a typical WWI British Infantryman from 1914 to 1918. World War I is an era not too many 1/6 scale manufacturers explore because not many collectors are into WWI, not even among military figure collectors.

Thinkway Toys 2008 Transforming WALL∙E robot figure

With mankind having abandoned the planet, WALL•E (short for Waste Allocation Lifter Earth-Class) has spent hundreds of lonely years doing what he was built for - tidying up the Earth! Then he discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE and follows her on an amazing journey across the universe.

The last robot on Earth, WALL•E transforms himself into a cube when he goes to sleep each night, then turns himself back into a robot every morning. This is Thinkway Toys Disney Pixar Transforming WALL•E robot toy figure (released in 2008) and my second Wall•E in as many months. See the first WALL•E robot toy I posted at the beginning of the year HERE, made by Kaiyodo Revoltech. This Thinkway WALL•E can transform from cube to fully functioning WALL•E robot in three simple steps, as easy as 1-2-3.

Hot Toys The Dark Knight 1/6 scale Batmobile Collectible aka The Tumbler Preview

This is it! Hot Toys MMS69 (Movie Masterpiece Series) The Dark Knight: 1/6th scale Batmobile Collectible. The Batmobile depicted in the Christopher Nolan directed films "Batman Begins (2005)" and "The Dark Knight (2008)" owes more to the tank-like vehicle from Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and has a much more 'workhorse' appearance than the sleek automobiles seen in previous incarnations. The vehicle does not have a front axle, a design that was influenced by the spinners featured in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.

In the 2005 movie, Bruce Wayne modifies a prototype military vehicle called "the Tumbler" that was designed by Lucius Fox as a bridging vehicle for the military. It includes features like weaponry, and the ability to boost into a rampless jump. In the Nolan films the vehicle is never referred to as the "Batmobile".

Review 1: Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6 scale Commander Bly 12-inch figure

Bred on Kamino, CC-5052 was among the first generation of clone marshal commanders to be trained by the Advanced Recon Commando Alpha-17, who gave him the designation "Bly." A clone of Jango Fett, Bly was trained as an Advanced Recon Commando himself, giving him a more independent mindset and allowing him to think "outside the manual" when it came to the shifting of tactical situations. [source: wookiepedia]

As a clone commander, it was Bly's job to act as an intermediary between the Jedi Generals and the regular clone troopers, although he was bred to be loyal to the Republic above all others. Bly was assigned to the 327th Star Corps, which fell under the 2nd Sector Army.

Hot Toys Batman Returns 1/6 Figures & Dark Knight Batmobile / Tumbler coming soon!

BATS what I'm talking about :) Hot Toys announces "Batman Returns" 1/6 scale & 1/4 scale Figures! "Batman Returns", another great superhero movie directed by Tim Burton! We are proud to present this movie license to our fans! The 1/6th and 1/4th scale Collectible Figures will be launched in late 2012. Please stay tuned!

Also appearing in Hong Kong Milk magazine, the relaunch of the DARK KNIGHT Batmobile / Tumbler! So for those who missed it the first time, here's your chance to get it again.

Incoming: ZCWO 1/6 "Jack" LAPD Police Officer 12-inch Figure

Tiger has a partner and his name is "Jack". Besides the 12-inch African American LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) officer figure named "Tiger" (who names their child after an animal anyway?) - see the previous post, ZCWO will also be releasing a Caucasian 1/6 scale LAPD Police Officer 12-inch Figure named "Jack". LAPD officer Jack will be equipped with almost everything Tiger has except for one or two variations in the accessories. Jack will be right-handed as opposed to Tiger which will come with a left-hand side holster.

Like all police officers, Jack will come with LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) hat, shades / sunglasses, LAPD Police uniform consisting of long sleeve shirt with tie, police badge and name tag, wrist watch, duty belt with pistol magazine pouch, radio and pouch, flashlight, handcuffs, baton, pistol with holster and Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas and capsicum spray.

Incoming: ZCWO 1/6 Tiger Woods as LAPD Police Officer 12-inch Figure

ZCWO will be releasing a 1/6 scale LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) Police Officer 12-inch Collectible Action Figure called "Tiger" and we all know that there's only one person in the world famous enough with that name: Tiger Woods! Tiger Woods as a 12-inch cop? More of a cop-out after the 2009 fiasco ;p He hasn't been the same ever since and remains winless on the PGA Tour since September 2009. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The Los Angeles Police Department has a long history dating all the way back to 1853 when it was first founded, according to wikipedia.

Some people have commented that the uniform and accessories look dated (as in 1990s) but the truth is: LAPD uniforms and gear haven't changed much in the last 20 to 30 years and LAPD officers tend to wear short sleeves and no tie, but it isn't uncommon to see them wear ties and long sleeves as well. They usually don't wear hats except at ceremonies. With the higher security threats after 9/11, LAPD patrolman have taken to wearing soft body armor which they wear under their shirts for added protection.

DID says "iQuit!" Steve Jobs 12-inch Figure a No-Go! Product Withdrawn, Apple Wins

Straight from the horse's mouth:

Dear Sir or Madam:

We regret to inform you that we have to stop the sale of Steve Jobs figurine because In Icons decided to withdraw the product from the market and the decision was made after careful consideration. We were told that all outstanding orders should not be fulfilled and new orders should not be taken for the product. Thus, sorry to say that we can’t accept your order for this Steve Jobs figurine. We understand this will bring extra work and inconvenience to your business. Here, we sincerely apologize for the trouble caused and regret that the situation is beyond our control.

Included below is an extract of the communication issued by inicons.com:
“Due to the recent pressures that we are under, especially from Apple and Steve Job’s family lawyers… we acknowledge the truth of the situation that Apple is the world’s largest company, with unlimited coffers and now they have given us warnings through their lawyer, they also threatened to issue legal letters from different countries in order to stop all the sales of this figurines. Even though we still believe that we haven’t overstepped any legal boundaries, our preference is to settle the matter and avoid wasting unnecessary time and money in legal issue. We have decided to meet their request and to completely stop sale and production of the Steve Jobs figurine. Albeit the figurine was produced out of admiration for Steve Jobs, as his family is against the figurine we have decided to respect their wishes.

How the Marines video made the Afghan war even tougher by USMC Captain Timothy Kudo

The post below by Timothy Kudo, a Marine captain who served in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011 and a senior membership associate with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America appeared in THE WASHINGTON POST, 13/01/12:

In March I returned from Afghanistan’s Helmand province after handing about 12 square miles of villages and farmlands to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, the unit that is allegedly responsible for recording a video of Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban insurgents. The actions of these few Marines have rightfully garnered widespread disdain, but for me the affront is personal. In a 42-second video, these Marines undid everything that my unit spent seven months working to accomplish.

Many civilians I’ve talked to about the incident act like it’s no surprise. Hollywood and media depictions have convinced them that war is filled with atrocities such as this one and that, but for lack of coverage, they’d hear more about them. But those of us who have worn the uniform don’t excuse these acts by saying, “War is hell.” There’s right and wrong in war, and we probably know that better than anyone else, because we’ve seen the life-or-death consequences of our decisions.

Kitbash 1/6 scale Will Smith as Robert Neville from "I am Legend"

"I Am Legend" is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction action film that stars Will Smith as an Army doctor who struggles to find a cure to the virus that has affected nearly the entire population of the world. Will Smith plays virologist Robert Neville, who is immune to a man-made virus originally created to cure cancer. He works to create a remedy while defending himself against the mutated creatures created by the virus. [source: wiki]

It is 2009. A genetically-engineered variant of the measles virus meant as a cure for cancer has mutated into a lethal strain. It spreads throughout the world, killing 90% of humanity.

By September 2012, Neville is the last healthy human in New York City; the rest of the plague's survivors have degenerated into predatory, cannibalistic beings referred to as "Darkseekers" who hunt the immune humans as prey. The Darkseekers are so named for hiding during daylight due to a painful intolerance of UV radiation.

"No Women, No Kids" 1/6 scale Léon: The Professional 12-inch Figure

This is my updated 1/6 scale Léon: The Professional 12-inch figure using HeadPlay's Jean Reno head sculpt and Heroic's outfit. I had posted pictures of Léon without his long wool coat and vest just relaxing at his table taking care of his plant in an earlier post HERE if you haven't seen that. This is just Léon doing what he does best - cleaning!

In the 1994 French thriller film "Léon: The Professional" written and directed by Luc Besson, Leone "Léon" Montana (Jean Reno) is a professional hitman (or "cleaner," as he refers to himself) living a solitary life in New York City's Little Italy. His work comes from a mafioso named Tony (Danny Aiello), who operates from the "Supreme Macaroni Company" restaurant.

Léon is one of the best at what he does and his choice of weapon is the Beretta 92FS fitted with AL-GI-MEC compensator and suppressor. Certainly a unique choice of weapon.

Hot Toys 1/6 Iron Man Mark I (2.0) Limited Edition Collectible Figure PREVIEW

These are the just released images / pictures of Hot Toys 1/6th scale Iron Man Mark I Armor Suit (version 2.0) Limited Edition Collectible Figurine. Hot Toys had made the announcement late last year that they would re-release the Mark I amor which will come with more movie-accurate and newly developed head sculpt with their latest and improved sculpting and painting technique, as well as more value-added accessories. Well, now here it is. ENJOY!

Hot Toys 1/6th scale Iron Man Mark I (version 2.0) Limited Edition Collectible Figure will come with flames that appear to shoot out from the arms flame thrower style which looks pretty cool ;p Iron Man Mark I (version 2.0) will also come with a improved 1/6 scale head sculpt of Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark as seen from the first "Iron Man" movie. Scroll down to see the outstanding head sculpt, much improved from the 2009 version.

Subway 24 Hours Hero 12-inch figure PREVIEW or another 1/6 scale Jack Bauer figure

Jack Bauer is the main protagonist of the American television series "24". His character has worked in various capacities on the show, often as a member of the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) based in Los Angeles, and working with the FBI in Washington, D.C. during season 7. Within the 24 storyline, Bauer is a key member of CTU and is often portrayed as their most capable agent. Bauer's job usually involves helping prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilian lives and government administrations. On many occasions Jack does so at great personal expense, as those he thwarts subsequently target him and his loved ones.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland (full name Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland ;p no kidding, it's listed as such on wiki) portrays Jack Bauer in the television show and video game. The television series ended on May 24, 2010 after 8 successful seasons. As the protagonist and central figure of 24, Jack Bauer is the only character to have appeared in all episodes of the series. Kiefer Sutherland has won an Emmy Award (receiving 5 other nominations), a Golden Globe award (receiving 4 other nominations), two Screen Actors Guild Awards (receiving 3 other nominations) and two Satellite Awards.

XD04 1:6 Custom Hand Made Figure "Mr Han" Enter the Han's Island

After seeing Enterbay's 1/6 scale RM-5 12-inch Figure Body with Shek Kin head sculpt (see previous post), I remembered seeing another Mr Han 12-inch figure somewhere before this. After some internet surfing, I found what I was looking for :) so now I present to you XD04 1:6 scale Custom Hand Made "Mr Han" Enter the Han's Island 12-inch Figure. Enter the Han's Island doesn't sound as mysterious or as exciting as Enter the Dragon.

Shek Wing-cheung, better known as Shih Kien OR Shek Kin is most noted for playing the roles of antagonists in several early Hong Kong Wuxia and martial arts films that dated back to the black-and-white period, and best known to Western audiences for his portrayal of the primary villain, Han, in Bruce Lee's 1973 martial arts epic "Enter the Dragon".

Incoming Enterbay 1/6 scale RM-5 12-inch Figure Body is Han from Enter the Dragon

This Enterbay 1/6 scale RM-5 12-inch Figure Body will be released January 14, 2012. The 1/6 scale head sculpt on this RM-5 Body is based on the likeness of Shek Wing-cheung (1 January 1913 – 3 June 2009), better known as Shih Kien OR Shek Kin (Cantonese pronunciation). Shek Kin is most noted for playing the roles of antagonists in several early Hong Kong Wuxia and martial arts films that dated back to the black-and-white period, and best known to Western audiences for his portrayal of the primary villain, Han, in Bruce Lee's 1973 martial arts epic "Enter the Dragon".

After releasing so many Bruce Lee figures for years, Enterbay has finally decided to release Bruce Lee's enemy from "Enter the Dragon". The film's most memorable sequence is the fight scene between Lee and Han in the hall of mirrors. Ultimately "Enter the Dragon" is one of the best marital arts films ever made and Han was the first "wolverine" ever with his claw hands in the epic battle.

Incoming: Soldier Story 1/6 SEAL Team VI - Operation Neptune's Spear 12-inch figure

Osama bin Laden was killed on May 1, 2011. The operation that was carried out is now revealed to be Operation Neptune Spear, and the elite Navy SEAL team responsible for the absolute success was the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru aka SEAL Team Six). DevGru was ferried into Pakistan by the US Army’s 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment (SOAR) in a group of helicopters that appear to have included advanced BlackHawk variants and Chinooks.

This post is about the upcoming Soldier Story 1/6 SEAL Team VI - Operation Neptune's Spear 12-inch figure and it's about as near to the real thing as you are going to get. The loadout and gear is awesome (to say the least) and the accuracy and attention to details are mind boggling. This has to be the most modern and up-to-date Special Forces trooper currently operating in the real world, and I'm liking all of it :)

Incoming: LoadingToys 1/6 scale Asia head sculpt - Faris aka Chow Yun-Fat

This will be the next head sculpt to be released by Loading Toys and the 1/6 scale Asia head sculpt "Faris" is none other than that of Chow Yun-fat, a Hong Kong actor best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The head sculpt looks stunningly realistic and has an amazing resemblance to Chow Yun-fat with a almost perfect likeness of the actor. Scroll down to see other 1:6 scale versions of Chow Yun-fat that have been released.

Toysheadquarters Vol:003 1/6 Fighter with causal wear PREVIEW

This will be Vol:003 1/6 scale Fighter with causal wear 12-inch figure by Toysheadquarters, scheduled for January 2012 release (that's any day now). Product will include: 1/6 scale head, Red Jacket, black vest / tank-top, blue Jeans and black shoes / sneakers (non boot-feet type). NOTE: The 12-inch figure Body will NOT be included!

The 12-inch figure is based on Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, a soap salesman who befriended Edward Norton in the 1999 American film "Fight Club" based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The Narrator finds that bare-knuckle brawling makes him feel more alive than he has in years, and soon the two become friends and roommates, meeting informally to fight once a week. As more men join in, the "fight club" becomes an underground sensation, even though it's a closely guarded secret among the participants.

Steve Jobs 12-inch action figure makes the news!

When a 12-inch figure makes the news, it is good for 1:6 scale collectors :) Making it into the news all around the world this week has been the buzz about the 1/6 scale Steve Jobs 12-inch figure that is slated to be released in February 2012. It will retail for $99.99 and go on sale in February - Apple's lawyers permitting.

Besides being on our local news channel and newspapers, the buzz has been heard all across the globe with newscasters marveling at the amazing likeness and realistic skin tones. I feel like telling them that 12-inch Steve Jobs is NOT the first ultra-realistic figure that has popped up. All the ultra-realistic 1:6 figures released by the likes of Hot Toys, Art-Figures, DiD, Soldier Story and many other 1/6 manufacturers have been just as good. The news just didn't catch on. For all the marketing done by Hot Toys, none of their figures got any news treatment. DiD seems to have done one better because now their product is in the spotlight ;p

Click on the picture to read the article :)

Apple is said to be taking legal action to sue the company that is making the ultra-realistic foot-tall (12-inch) scale model of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs. Apple laywers have reportedly sent a letter to Chinese company InIcons demanding the company cease trading. Tandy Cheung, Inicon boss, said before the alleged letter, "Apple can do anything they like. I will not stop." Cheung says that Steve Jobs was not subject to the rules around likenesses of screen stars, "Steve Jobs is not an actor, he’s just a celebrity… There is no copyright protection for a normal person. Steve Jobs is not a product… so I don’t think Apple has the copyright of him." [source: dailymail]

The DID X InIcons 1/6 scale Apple STEVE JOBS 12-inch Action Figure will come with: One Authentic and detailed realistic hand sculpt, One highly articulated body, Three pairs of Interchangeable palms, One black turtleneck, One pair of blue jeans, One black leather belt, One pair of black socks, A pair of sporting shoes, A pair of glasses. Two apples (One with a bite), One barstool (wood and metal), One piece of ring, One piece of "One More Thing" hard backdrop.

You can view more pictures in my earlier post HERE :)

ThreeA x Bandai Exclusive ZAKU Inspiration model figure Preview

This will be the Ashley Wood / ThreeA and Bandai exclusive Zaku prototype figure, which is slated to stand in somewhere around 16 inches tall. This is Ashley Wood's interpretation of the famous anime / manga giant robot (mobile suit) from the "Mobile Suit Gundam" metaverse. Due to its role as the most common antagonist mobile suit in Mobile Suit Gundam, the Zaku II is one of the most recognizable "mecha" designs in anime.

The Zaku II has seen various redesigns and variants for hundreds of pieces of merchandise, and the Japanese post office has two stamps with Zaku IIs on them. So this take by Ashley Wood on this mobile suit is a rather nice touch.

The ThreeA x Bandai Exclusive ZAKU Inspiration robot model figure will come with its Ashley Wood-style weapons of the gun and axe, and will stand 16 inches tall with full articulation. This will look pretty impressive on anyone's table / desk / display but at USD330 a pop, it's beyond me :(

Hot Toys 1/6 Red Skull 12-inch figure from "Captain America: The First Avenger" Preview

Hot Toys is proud to present the collectible figurine of another character from the well-received "Captain America: The First Avenger" movie – the Red Skull Limited Edition Collectible Figurine. The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Hugo Weaving as Red Skull/ Johann Schmidt in the movie, highlighting the newly developed head sculpts, highly detailed costume, weapon and accessories.

The Hot Toys MMS167 Movie Masterpiece 1/6th scale Red Skull 12-inch Collectible Figure specially features: Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Hugo Weaving as Red Skull/ Johann Schmidt in the Captain America: The First Avenger movie; is Approximately 30 cm tall with TrueType body that has over 30 points of articulations; Movie-accurate facial expression with detailed wrinkles and skin texture, Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted; Six (6) pieces of interchangeable gloved palms including: One (1) pair of relaxed palms, One (1) pair of fists, One (1) right palm for holding pistol AND One (1) right palm for holding the Tesseract (Cosmic Cube).

Pre-order BBICN and ThreeA Exclusive: World War Robot (WWR) Bot Sniper Punter

You can now pre-order the ThreeA and BBICN Exclusive World War Robot (WWR) Bot Sniper Punter figure at TFH (link HERE) The figure does look interesting especially with the bigA$$ sniper rifle he is carrying.How does one even walk around with that? I don't think he could even get out of his bunk with the weapon strapped across his back like that (scroll down to see the next picture). Imagine if he is trying to find a place in the jungle to snipe from; he's going to be banging into a lot of trees XD so much for stealth.

Me thinks this is a case where design did not meet functionality. How does one even move around with that HUGE "martha fighting" gun? So anyway, you can pre-order if you dig this :) Just thought I'll share.

Hot Toys Robocop Project 2012 will include 1/6 scale Robo Cain

Straight from the horse's mouth, I mean latest Hot Toys announcement: "In 2006, we have launched our first RoboCop which is very much liked by our fans. Over these years, we have accumulated some experience in developing mechanically-related figures such as the Iron Man series. As we have heard from fans that they are still longing for the Robocop series, here we are happy to announce that we have put our efforts again in the Robocop series, this time bringing to fans with the RoboCop with our most updated technology, as well as the 1/6th scale Cain collectible from the second episode. This year is going to be a fruitful year for all of us! Please stay tuned for more updates ahead!"

Looks like 2012 will be an exciting year for 1/6 scale collectors and RoboCop fans :) Scroll down to see the earlier released Hot Toys RoboCop figures

VeryHot: 1/6 scale USMC Rifleman Outfit set for 12-inch Figure - Preview

Besides the Black Action Sniper (see earlier post), VeryHot will also be releasing a 1/6 scale USMC Rifleman outfit set for 12-inch figures. As with all of VeryHot releases since day one when they came on the scene, this United States Marine Corps uniform set will NOT include a 12-inch figure body nor a 1/6 scale head sculpt. And since the U.S. has exited Iraq, it's safe to say that this modern USMC figure looks to be based on the marines operating in Afghanistan right now.

EXCEPT I think the US Marines in Afghanistan would be wearing the Desert variant of MARPAT (MARine PATtern - a digital camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, introduced with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform or MCCUU, which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform) instead of this Digital Woodland Camo. And why is he wearing desert MARPAT helmet cover when everything else is in green? I also think that the rifle magazine should have been black instead of silver. That just looks wrong :(

The problem with this set is that it can be easily bashed by combining parts from the PlayHouse and Soldier Story Marine figures and even then, PlayHouse and Soldier Story have better quality parts. That's why I never really go for VeryHot military outfit sets because they are lacking the good stuff which Soldier Story and Playhouse are already producing. This is not bad for a budget set, but unfortunately it is generally inferior to existing offerings already available.

REVIEW Dr Figures 1/6 scale CIA Field Operator 12-inch Figure with Will Smith head sculpt

This is Dr Figures 1/6 scale CIA Field Operator 12-inch figure released some time ago but I didn't have time to take it out until now. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers through means of covert psychological, cyber, and social warfare to carry out these intelligence-gathering operations using non-military commissioned civilian intelligence agents, many of whom are trained to avoid tactical situations. [source: wiki]

The CIA also oversees and sometimes engages in tactical and covert activities at the request of the President of the United States. Often, when such field operations are organized, the US military or other warfare tacticians carry these tactical operations out on behalf of the agency while the CIA oversees them.

In the 1/6 scale figure world, so long as it looks covert and clandestine, it can qualify as CIA. Any reason to manufacture a 12-inch figure and generate sales is a good enough incentive for the many 1/6 scale toy manufacturers and they are sprouting up so fast that 12-inch figure collectors (especially military figure collectors) have been swarmed by the many offerings.

Incoming: VeryHot 1/6 scale Black Action Sniper 12-inch Figure

I don't know what a Black Action sniper is. I can only think that perhaps VeryHot wanted to name their newest soon-to-be-released 1/6 scale sniper figure a Black Ops Sniper but it got translated as Black Action Sniper instead. If you were to tell someone in the 'hood that you wanted some Black Action, I think you'll end up in a lot of pain so I wouldn't want to use the term "Black Action" loosely if I were you LOLZ

Anyway it seems that 2011 was the year of snipers for VeryHot as this will be their SEVENth Sniper figure previewed in 2011. Although it is now 2012, these pictures were released at the end of December 2011. If you were to click on the "Snipers" label at the bottom of this post, you can see all the various Very Hot 12-inch sniper figures that have been previewed thus far, this one being the latest.

Incoming: 1/6 scale Steve Jobs 12-inch Figure by DID

This has to be the BEST 1/6 scale Steve Jobs head sculpt ever produced. The man may have passed on (see my post RIP Steve Jobs where I attempted to kitbash a 12-inch Steve Jobs figure) but it seems 1/6 manufacturers see his passing as an opportunity to cash in and make some money out of this iCon. Whether people will bite is hard to say but I'm sure there'll be fans and collectors who won't mind forking up some moolah for this figure, just as they did for the iPhone 4S "forSteve" ;p

Everything looks great except for the awful looking wrist joints. What's up with that? Couldn't they hide that weird looking ball joint inside the arms or make it much smaller and less ugly and obvious? They really ruin an otherwise perfect figure but for the joints :(

Scroll down to see more prototype preview pictures and different angles of this awesome 1/6 scale Steve Jobs head sculpt by DID. A unlicensed product no less judging by how a new company is supposedly created to market this product. If anything happens in the legal department, they just close the company like it never happened.

Happy New Year from TOY HAVEN and Kaiyodo Revoltech Pixar WALL•E robot figure

Happy New Year 2012 to all visitors, readers and followers of my toy blog, TOY HAVEN :) and THANKS for all the support you have all given. Based on the StatCounter's data collected, in 2011 TOY HAVEN had a total of 2,600,251 page loads with 1,333,029 unique visits, 1,000,977 first time visits and 332,052 returning visits. That's not too bad ;p It's been increasing every year since 2008 (It was just 354,011 page loads with 222,645 unique visits in the first year) and it's all THANKS to all of YOU so I am very grateful and deeply appreciative of all the support I've been getting.

So I think it's most appropriate to start the new year with a post on WALL•E. Why a robot from Pixar Animation Studios? It's because WALL•E is a very touching story of a trash compactor robot called "WALL-E" (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth Class) that discovers a seedling plant amid all the trash covering the Earth and this leads to a chain of events which result in humans and robots uniting together to restore Earth's environment.

And since this is the first day of the new year, let's all start afresh and work together to make the world a better place to live in, for us, for our children and for our children's children :)