Just some 1/6th scale 12-inch fighting Marines from the United States Marine Corps (USMC)

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States. The Marine Corps has served in every American armed conflict and attained prominence in the 20th century when its theories and practices of amphibious warfare proved prescient and ultimately formed the cornerstone of the Pacific campaign of World War II. By the mid-20th century, the Marine Corps had become the dominant theorist and practitioner of amphibious warfare. Its ability to rapidly respond on short notice to expeditionary crises gives it a strong role in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy.

As of 2010 the United States Marine Corps included just under 203,000 active duty Marines and just under 40,000 reserve Marines. The Marine Corps is larger than the armed forces of many significant military powers, being larger than the active duty Israel Defense Forces and the active duty British Army. [source: wiki]

The Marine Corps has the most stable and most recognizable uniforms in the American military; the Blue Dress dates back to the early 19th century and the service uniform to the early 20th century. Marines have three main uniforms: Dress, Service, and Utility. The Utility Uniform, currently the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform, is a camouflage uniform intended for wear in the field or for dirty work in garrison, though it has now been standardized for regular duty. It is rendered in a distinctive MARPAT pixelated camouflage (sometimes referred to as digitals or digies) that breaks up the wearer's shape, and serves to distinguish Marine uniforms from those of other services.

DAM Stands For Action Figure (3 versions) - DAM if you do and DAM if you don't (haha)

I actually laughed when I saw these ;p These are DAM (the company that has been releasing the Operation Gothic Serpent / Black Hawk Down 12-inch figures) Figure Display Stands for action figures (3 versions are available - black, white and sand / khaki) . I found it funny that figure display stands should take centre stage over 1/6th scale figures. DAM actually bothered to take studio shots of these stands as if they were an action figure :) I always felt that the 12-inch figure should be self standing as far as possible for realism and if the stand was to be used, it should NOT be too obvious.

These DAM 'Y' stands for figures are designed to go up between the legs of the 12-inch figure to hold them up. To me, that's not a great way to display any figure because when you look at the figure being displayed, you see the figures as having three legs instead of two :(

If I have to, I much prefer to use the waist held figure stands as these go around the waist and can be hidden by the fabric clothes so that the figure still appears to be standing on his own two feet and NOT propped up by a foreign object going up and into his / her crotch.

Here's an example of a figure with the waist held stand. This DiD (Dragon in Dream) 1/6th scale Samurai Date Masamune 12-inch figure's samurai armor plates are all made of die-cast metal and joined together piece by piece which makes the figure rather top heavy. Without the display stand, the figure will just topple over under its own weight. Check out my post HERE for more pictures and how I try to conceal the stand from view ;p

Kitbash 1/6th scale Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt Figure

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a 2011 American action spy film. It is the fourth installment in the Mission: Impossible series. It stars Tom Cruise, who reprises his role of IMF Agent Ethan Hunt, and is director Brad Bird's first live-action film. Upon release, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol became a critical and commercial success. It grossed over $693 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Mission: Impossible film, the 5th highest-grossing film of 2011 and the highest-grossing film starring Tom Cruise, eclipsing War of the Worlds from the top spot.

Ethan Matthew Hunt, portrayed by Tom Cruise, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Mission: Impossible film series. In "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol", Ethan Hunt (having just escaped from prison) and his IMF team are blamed for an attack that destroys the Kremlin, and disavowed.

Soldier Story USMC Francis Hummel - 2012 BBICN JCSH (Shanghai) Exhibition Exclusive

In the 1996 action film "The Rock" which primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ed Harris was disenchanted USMC Force Recon Brigadier General Francis X. (Frank) Hummel, who led a group of rogue Force Recon Marines in seizing a stockpile of deadly VX gas–armed rockets from a heavily guarded military bunker. They then seize control of Alcatraz during a guided tour and take 81 tourists hostage in the prison cells. Hummel threatens to launch the stolen rockets against the population of San Francisco unless the government pays ransom and reparations to the families of Recon Marines who died on illegal, clandestine missions under his command and whose deaths were not honored.

This is the Soldier Story 1/6th scale USMC Francis Hummel - 2012 BBICN JCSH (Shanghai) Exhibition Exclusive 12-inch military Figure. It is of a USMC Rifleman (I had just posted about the Very Hot USMC Rifleman uniform set in the previous post) in digital Woodlands MARPAT (MARine PATtern) camouflage uniform with similar gear as the Very Hot version, including the M16A4 rifle and the M72 LAW. But unlike VeryHot's version, this Soldier Story 1/6th scale USMC is a top notch figure and the M72 LAW is one-of-a-kind with much improved features (scroll down to see the step-by-step "arming" process). Too bad it's an exhibition exclusive which means limited quantities.

Review: Very Hot 1/6th scale USMC Rifleman Uniform Set - Semper Fi (Always Faithful)

This is the Very Hot 1/6th scale USMC (United States Marine Corps) Rifleman Uniform Set (Note: NO 12-inch figure is included!). It is supposedly based on a US Marine Infantryman stationed in Afghanistan. Infantry is the central component of Marine ground forces. Infantrymen are trained to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy's assault by fire and close combat. Riflemen serve as the primary scouts, assault troops and close combat forces within each infantry unit. The USMC Rifleman is trained in close combat, operating either the M16A4 rifle, M203 grenade launcher or the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

When I first saw preview pictures of this VeryHot 1/6th scale USMC Rifleman Outfit set for 12-inch Figures, I was wondering why the Marine was wearing the Digital Woodland camouflage uniform instead of the Digital Desert Camo but have found out since that this is what the US Marines are currently wearing in Afghanistan.

The description on the box packaging cover reads:
"U.S. Marine Corps is the oldest elite force with about 194,000 men and women. It is even bigger than most countries' armed forces. U.S. Marine Corps is the major U.S. combat force of Rapid reaction force which has a long and remarkable history."

The Next BIG thing from Hot Toys: The Dark Knight Rises 1/6th scale Batwing (teaser)

Hot Toys announcement:
We are developing the largest scale project ever in the Hot Toys history…
Check out what we are assembling at the office! Guess what it is?

Pre-order Figure Club 1/6 Mad Cop aka Gary Oldman as Norman Stansfield 12-inch figure

Before Gary Oldman became good cop Police Commissioner James Gordon, he was once bad cop and mad cop Norman Stansfield.

Norman Stansfield, billed as Stansfield, is a fictional character, portrayed by Gary Oldman in Luc Besson's 1994 film Léon (also known as The Professional and Léon: The Professional). He is the primary antagonist of the film. Stansfield is a corrupt DEA agent who employs a holder (Michael Badalucco) to store cocaine in his residence. When Stansfield learns that the holder has been stealing some of the drugs for himself, he guns down the man's entire family, with the exception of 12-year old Mathilda (Natalie Portman), who is able to find refuge with neighbor, and professional hitman, Léon (Jean Reno).

1/6th scale company Figure Club will be releasing this 1/6th scale "Mad Cop" 12-inch figure which will come with: 1/6th scale Real-like Head Sculpt (Gary Oldman as Stansfield), 12-inch Male base body, Realistic and Detailed Suit, Hands, Brown Belt, Socks, Brown Shoes, Long-sleeved Shirt, Walkie Talkie, Shotgun (with flash light), Revolver, Lighter, Cigarette

UA Zhe er ENTERBAY 1/6th scale MIB3 Agent J & Agent K 12-inch figures + Frank the pug

First Dragon gave us a glimpse at their upcoming Men In Black (MIB3) figures (see my post HERE) based on the latest Men In Black movie coming out real soon.

Now UA Zhe er and Enterbay are taking pre-orders for the Enterbay 1/6th scale Men In Black (MIB3) Agent J and Agent K 12-inch figures in Hong Kong. When customers pre-order the 12-inch "museum quality" Men in Black figurines at Zhu er stores in Hong Kong, they can redeem Frank the pug at UA Zhe er Lifestyle concept store on a first-come-first-served, while stocks last promotion.

Agent J is described as a "museum quality Will Smith with authentic likeness head sculpt, newly developed RM-6 body, movie-accurate costume (it's a black suit with white shirt and black tie) and accessories."

Medicom Toys RAH (Real Action Heroes) 1/6th scale The Amazing Spider-Man - Why bother?

Hot on the heels of Hot Toys announcement of a 1/6th scale The Amazing Spider-Man 12-inch figure (see previous post) comes this Medicom Toys RAH - Real Action Heroes - 1/6th scale The Amazing Spider-Man figure as well. This will be released come June 30, 2012 and Medicom says it will be 300mm i.e. 12-inch. At ￥19,740 or USD248.23, I think you'll be better off getting the Hot Toys version. I wonder why Medicom Toys even bother? Most probably because there are Japanese collectors who are fiercely loyal to the Japanese brand and will scoop up everything Medicom Toys has to offer, even if it's not value for money. Well, as one learns in Economics, as long as there is demand, there will always be supply.

For the rest of us, there is Hot Toys, although their prices are also going UP and UP! You would think that with the growing number of collectors who are buying all Hot Toys stuff, they would maintain their old prices and earn from the sheer volume of sales they have been getting but noooo, Hot Toys also increases their prices so that they reap double from increased price and increased quantities. SIGH, that is the real world, people and we are caught in the thick of it all, at the sheer mercy of the dictator! Some of us can stop buying as a sign of protest but it's not going to make much of a difference because there are just too many collectors / investors out there who will continue to take what Hot Toys dishes out.

Scroll down to see more pictures of this soon-to-be-released Medicom Toys RAH - Real Action Heroes - 1/6th scale The Amazing Spider-Man 12-inch figure. If anything, they are good comparison pictures for when Hot Toys The Amazing Spider-Man comes out.

Hot Toys announces 1/6th scale The Amazing Spider-Man 12-inch Ltd Edition Collectible Figure

Hot Toys Announcement:
The Amazing Spider-Man will be swinging into theatres in 3D next month! This will mark a new chapter of Spider-Man in his long-established legacy! Celebrating the launch of this summer blockbuster, we are proud to present this Amazing Spider-Man collectible figurine with finely made and newly developed costume, as well as the Peter Parker’s head sculpt!

Click to get a LARGER view - it's HUGE ;p

Fans may already know that we have solid experience in developing the detailed costume for Spider-Man and we apply a similar technique to this new costume which will have the most movie-accurate cutting that fans have been expecting for long! More amazing photos will be unveiled soon! Stay tuned!

Asmus Toys Devil May Cry 4 1/6th scale Nero Limited Edition 12-inch Collectible Figure

Devil May Cry is a series of video games set in the modern day, developed by Capcom, created by Hideki Kamiya, and produced by Shinji Mikami. Originally intended to be a sequel in Capcom's Resident Evil series, Devil May Cry has been cited as the beginning of a sub-genre of action games called "Extreme Combat", which concentrate on powerful heroes fighting hordes of foes with a focus on stylized action. The success of the video game series has led to the creation of comic books, novelizations, an anime series, guides, collectibles, and a variety of action figures. As of 2011 there are four games in the series.

Nero is the main protagonist in the fourth installment of the Devil May Cry series. Little about him is known, except that he was raised in the city of Fortuna as an orphan and taken in by Kyrie's and Credo's family since childhood, growing into young adulthood together. Nero is a Holy Knight in the Order of the Sword, a religious order that worships Sparda and fights to protect the world from demons.

Asmus Toys will be releasing this Devil May Cry 4 1/6th scale Nero Limited Edition 12-inch Collectible Figure soon. The 1/6th scale NERO Limited Edition Collectible Figurine specially features: Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Nero from the classic video game. Stands approximately 35 cm tall. Fully poseable 12-inch figure body with over 30 points of articulation with facial expression including detailed wrinkles and skin texture. Accessories: One sword holding hand, One gun trigger hand, One demonic fist, One demonic palm. Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted.

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars Commander Ganch Celebration VI Exclusive 12-inch Figure

This will be a upcoming release from Sideshow Collectibles for the Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, Florida come August 2012: An Exclusive Star Wars Militaries Series Clone Commander Ganch 1/6th Scale Figure.

A no-nonsense, by-the-manual commanding officer of the 612th Attack Battalion will be marching into Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, FL from August 23rd – 26th, 2012! If you’ll be attending this ‘Star Wars’ weekend, be sure to visit the Celebration store to capture Sideshow Collectibles’ Celebration VI Exclusive Commander Ganch Sixth Scale Figure for yourself! Based on the Star Wars: Clone Wars comic series illustrated by Tom Hodges, this solider is packed with accessories and is a not-to-be-missed clone for shelves in a galaxy close or far, far away!

Not attending the ‘Star Wars’ weekend extravaganza in August? Limited quantities of this trooper will be available for order through SideshowCollectibles.com shortly after Celebration VI is over!

"Ganch" was the nickname of a clone trooper commander who served in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. He was assigned to Jedi Master Bolla Ropal, and worked closely with the Jedi Master's Padawan learner, Tyzen Xebec. While overseeing construction of the Temple of Eedit, a Galactic Republic base on Devaron, Ganch and Xebec were caught up in an assault launched by agents of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Incoming: Mivi 1/6 The Outsiders 12" Figure

This is another 1/6th scale 12-inch figure that will be released by Mivi. Earlier Mivi had given us a preview of their "Due Date" 12-inch figure of Ethan and his 1/6th scale dog Sonny (see the preview pictures HERE) and this latest figure is called "The Outsiders".

If you google "The Outsiders", you'll discover that "The Outsiders" was a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The film was released in March 1983. The film is noted for its cast of up-and-coming stars, including C. Thomas Howell (who garnered a Young Artist Award), Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane. The film helped spark the Brat Pack genre of the 1980s.

But unfortunately, Mivi's 1/6th scale 12-inch figure "The Outsiders" has got nothing to do with Patrick Swayze or any of the brat pack :(

Mivi 1/6th The Outsiders 12-inch Figure (300mm tall) will come with 1/6th scale Head sculpt, 12-inch Figure body, High school uniform (consisting of shirt + pants), leather jacket, Black T-shirt, Jeans, and Cloth (canvas) shoes. Accessories will include a diorama base with stand / pole for a boxing sandbag (punching bag), boxing gloves and necklace. Scroll down to see more pictures ;p

L is also for The Lizard from The Spectacular Spider-Man animated TV series 2008

By now you have probably seen the upcoming Marvel Studios "The Amazing Spider-Man" 4-minute super preview trailer for the new film starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man. So you'll also know that the trailer features Spider-Man's newest enemy / super villain The Lizard rampaging across the city, creating havoc and causing chaos. Then this isn't a spoiler in any way ;p

The top genetics expert at Empire State University, Dr Curt Connors thought he had the means and scientific know-how to regrow his missing arm. Connors combined his own DNA with a self-created reptilian formula and inadvertently transformed himself into a vicious monster! With his brilliant intellect clouded by primal instincts, Curt Connors has become The Lizard - a cold-blooded foe for his former student, The Spectacular Spider-Man!

The stylized version of the Lizard as seen in the Spectacular Spider-Man animated TV series was released as an action figure by Hasbro in late 2008. I thought the Lizard in the new Spider-Man film looked less like The Lizard from the comics and more like Killer Croc, a former crocodile wrestler (Waylon Jones) turned into a criminal deformed by a birth defect. Problem is: Killer Croc's from DC Comics ;p

ACI Toys 1/6th scale Warriors III Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius 12-inch Figure

Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when the Emperor's ambitious son, Commodus, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the murder of his family and his Emperor.

Released in the United States on May 5, 2000, Gladiator was a box office success, receiving positive reviews, and was credited with briefly reviving the historical epic. The film was nominated for and won multiple awards, particularly five Academy Awards in the 73rd Academy Awards including Best Picture.

This ACI Toys 1/6th scale Warriors III ACI08 Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius 12-inch figure is definitely worth the 12-year wait. Since the movie came out, a lot of 1/6th collectors have been eager to get their hands on a Russell Crowe as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius 12-inch figure but none in the market has met the standards required for such a fine figure. Well, that is no longer the case :)

ACI Toys Anniversary Product for 2012 will be this 1/6th scale Warriors III ACI08 Russell Crowe as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius 12-inch figure as seen in the 2000 epic movie "Gladiator". Russell Crowe was cool as s gladiator for most of the film but as a Roman General, his uniform / outfit and all the gear was pretty AWESOME too and he strikes quite a pose in the Roman General's attire :)

B is also for Batman: The Brave and the Bold / Stealth Strike "Gear Up" BATMAN by Mattel

When it comes to Mattel DC toy action figures in Singapore, it is practically non-existent :( You will be hard pressed to find the Mattel DC Justice League and Justice League Unlimited figures, or Mattel's The Batman action figures or even Batman: The Brave and the Bold action figures. Singapore is the world's most barren and desolate place as far as Mattel DC action figures are concerned. Toy stores in Singapore carry Ben 10 toy figures by the truck loads, along with Power Rangers, Star Wars, Transformers as well as Disney and Marvel action figures (Toy Story, Cars, Avengers and whatever new film that comes out in the cinemas) but DC action figures based on the animated television series cannot be found anywhere!

So imagine my surprise when I came across a few of these Mattel "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" toy action figures recently in Toys R Us. However, these have been repackaged as "Batman Stealth Strike" action figures although clearly these action figures carry on the design used on the original Mattel "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" toy action figures with the distinctive hexagonal holes on the back, shoulders, elbows and lower legs. The holes are used to attach the accessories to the character's body for more play value. It is obvious that Mattel is trying to sell these off under a new line since the show's cancellation.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain. As the title suggests, the cartoon focuses on Batman's regular "team-ups" with various heroes similar to the most well-known version of the original comic book series. The series premiered on November 14, 2008 on Cartoon Network in the United States, and ended on November 18, 2011. [source: wiki]

PREVIEW Hot Toys The Avengers: 1/6th scale Loki 12-inch Limited Edition Collectible Figure

Marvel's The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures1, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is the sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is scripted and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Dr Bruce Banner / Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. In The Avengers, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor's adoptive brother Loki from enslaving the human race.

Hot Toys MMS176 (Movie Masterpiece Series) The Avengers: 1/6th scale Loki Limited Edition Collectible Figure specially features: Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Tom Hiddleston as Loki in The Avengers movie, stands approximately 32 cm tall, TrueType body with over 30 points of articulations, Black hair sculpture, Movie-accurate facial expression with detailed wrinkles and skin texture. Nine (9) pieces of interchangeable palms including: Two (2) pairs of relaxed palms, One (1) pair of fists, One (1) pair for holding dagger, One (1) left open palm. Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume: One (1) green-colored cape, One (1) black long vest with leather-like materials and bronze-colored armor, One (1) long-sleeve leather-like black shirt with bronze-colored armor and strap, One (1) leather-like pants with patterns, One (1) pair of black boots

Batman Icon's Mutation – 70-year Evolution of the BATMAN logo from 1941 till current 2012

The Batman logo has undergone quite a lot of mutations and changes over the years while still maintaining the appearance of the BAT. I came across this series of Batman logos and it was certainly interesting for me as I tried to recollect the many logos from the past and there were some I had no recollection of until I googled for references ;p Anyway, here are most of them. ENJOY :) [source: businessinsider]

These BATMAN logos are different from the Batman Bat-suits I posted on earlier this week, on Monday (you can see the full post / entry HERE where it covers almost all the bat-suits that have been created since 1939 up till 2012). In most of the entries, the logo does not appear on the bat-suit.

1941 BATMAN Logo in Detective Comics: In the early years, the Batman logo had a face.

1965 Logo: The symbol became narrow and less personalized (see below). Scroll down to see all 21 Batman logos that have appeared so far ;p

Pre-order Kotobukiya 1/6th scale The Dark Knight Rises Batman ArtFX 15-inch Statue

Now that Marvel's The Avengers are out and showing in the cinemas, everyone is looking forward to the last Christopher Nolan / Christian Bale Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises". And every toy company is out in force marketing and selling all their Batman movie-related merchandise, hoping to cash in while it's still hot! Kotobukiya is also jumping on the bandwagon and they are offering this The Dark Knight Rises Batman ArtFX Statue.

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! The Dark Knight is back! Kotobukiya is proud to present a new ARTFX Statue based on the upcoming film The Dark Knight Rises. The third part of a trilogy by Christopher Nolan, this summer’s “DKR” pits Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne against both Bane and Catwoman. To celebrate that release you can get the newest incarnation of the big screen hero for your shelf with BATMAN -THE DARK KNIGHT RISES-!

The Bat was reinvented with 2005’s Batman Begins, and its two sequels have further evolved the Dark Knight. Featuring a beautifully detailed sculpt recreating Batman’s specific appearance in the new film, this new version of the character faithfully recreates the hero’s intricate armored bat-suit with cape and cowl. Standing ready for action, the world’s greatest detective oversees Gotham City from the top of a rocky landscape. Staring down his enemies with his trademark scowl, Batman holds his flowing cape in front of him with his left hand while his right wields one of his wonderful toys; with interchangeable parts you can display him with either a grapple gun or his EMP rifle (see picture below)!

Brother Production Presents 1/6th scale Custom Hand Made Robert De Niro THIEF Action Figure

Heat is a 1995 American crime film written and directed by Michael Mann. It stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer. De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief, while Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, veteran LAPD homicide detective tracking down McCauley's crew. The central conflict was based on the experiences of former Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson and his pursuit in the 1960s of a criminal named McCauley, after whom De Niro's character is named.

The film is technically a remake of L.A. Takedown, a 1989 made-for-television film which was also written and directed by Mann; the director had been trying to get Heat made for over a decade, and created L.A Takedown as a simplified version after his efforts were unsuccessful. Heat was a critical and commercial success, grossing $67 million in the United States and $187 million worldwide. [source: wiki]

This is the soon-to-be-released Brother Production Presents 1/6th scale Custom Hand Made Robert De Niro THIEF 12-inch Action Figure. Product Description: Normal 1/6th scale Head of Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, alternate 1/6th scale Head with real-like Sweat, Over 35 Moving Joints 12-inch Base Body, Realistic and Detailed Stripped Suit, Long Sleeve White Shirt, Tie, Magazine Carrying Vest, Belt, Socks, M4 Rifle, M4 Magazine x 8, Flash Bang x 4, SIG P226 Pistol, US Dollar Notes, Duffle Bag, Gloved Hands, Black shoes, watch cap / hood / balaclava, Sunglass and Watch. Limited Edition run of 200 pcs

Dragon Models Ltd "Saving Private Ryan" 1/6th scale World War II 12-inch Figures Preview

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American epic war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Noted for its graphic and realistic portrayal of war, the film is especially notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944. Afterwards, it follows Tom Hanks as U.S. Army RANGERS Captain John H. Miller and seven other men (Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Adam Goldberg, and Jeremy Davies) as they search for a paratrooper, Private First Class James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), who is the last-surviving brother of four servicemen.

No one company has ever managed to produce and release all members of Captain John Miller's squad. There have been three Millers already (one by Hasbro, one by Dragon and one by DiD - pictures HERE) but the rest of the squad have not really been dealt with. That is about to change. It looks like Dragon Models Limited intends to release all the members of the "Saving Private Ryan" squad. Well, almost all anyway. So far six 12-inch figures have been previewed (some have already been released) but there's still no sight of the rest of the squad.

The cast of "Saving Private Ryan": Tom Hanks as Captain John H. Miller

Incoming: Dam 1/6th scale US Navy SEAL Recon Team Pointman 12-inch Figure

DAM is good :) After completing the Black Hawk Down / Operation Gothic Serpent Task Force Ranger set of six figures (DAM has released four figures so far with two more already in the works / on the way), it seems like the 1/6th scale manufacturer intends to take on the US Navy SEALs from the "Tears of the Sun" movie. DAM has released prototype / preview pictures of their incoming 1/6th scale US Navy SEAL Recon Team Pointman 海豹特种部队-侦察队-尖兵 12-inch Figure and it looks DAMN promising ;p

Tears of the Sun is a 2003 American war film depicting a United States Navy SEAL team rescue mission amidst a civil war in the West African country of Nigeria. Lt. A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis) commands the team sent to rescue U.S. citizen Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) from the civil war en route to her jungle hospital. The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Johnny Messner stars as GMC Kelly Lake: Lead Scout / Rifleman for Bruce Willis' SEAL team. Lake (Johnny Messner) carries both a Remington 870 and a M4A1. The shotgun is equipped with an extended magazine tube, a side saddle shell holder, and a flash hider. DAM's Navy SEAL Recon Team Pointman 12-inch Figure appears to be fashioned after Johnny Messner.

Batman Infographic: Every (Significant) Bat-Suit Ever Created - How many are there? Read on :)

I found this amazingly drawn Batman Infographic on every (significant) Bat-suit ever drawn / designed / made for the comics, for television and for the movies on screenrant.com done by Benjamin Andrew Moore and felt compelled to share it here with everyone and anyone who might be interested :) All rights and copyright to these beautiful illustrations belong to creator Benjamin Andrew Moore for which all we Batman fans owe a BIG thanks!

As Ben Moore rightly puts it:
Unlike Superman, who has more or less been wearing the same blue and red strongman since Action Comics #1 in 1938, Batman just keeps changing his appearance every few years to keep up with the times. Basically, he’s the Madonna of superheroes.

Comic book writer Grant Morrison said it best: “[Every bat-suit is] completely different” – sometimes insanely different – “but they’re all instantly recognizable as [the-bat-suit].”

Click for BIGGER view © Ben Moore

Benjamin Andrew Moore from screenrant.com created this Batman infographic — to keep track of every single “significant” bat-suit across all mediums (which excludes a grand majority of the bat-suits featured in non-canonical comic books, in case you were wondering).

Review: Soldier Story 1/6th scale CIA Special Activities Divison (SAD) Night Ops 12-inch Figure

This is another one of those posts that deserve a mention :) This particular toy blog post / entry has garnered 173,755 visits / hits since I first posted on November 17, 2008. That sounds like a lot of numbers to me haha I'm just glad that since I posted about this Soldier Story 1/6th scale CIA Special Activities Divison (SAD) Night Ops 12-inch Figure, there have been so many visitors that have come on board to view the pictures / review. I am just glad to be able to share my toy collecting passion through my toy blog posts and all visitors are welcome ;p

First posted on Monday, November 17, 2008:
The Special Activities Division (SAD) is a division of the Central Intelligence Agency's former Directorate of Operations, now the National Clandestine Service, responsible for covert paramilitary operations, effected when the US Government does not wish to be overtly associated with such activities. As such, members of the unit, when on missions, normally do not carry any objects or clothing that would associate them with the United States. SAD has been changed to Special Services Office in recent years. In short - Black Ops!!


This is Soldier Story's CIA Special Activities Divison (SAD) Night Ops and there's nothing sad about it. It comes loaded with tons of stuff and they are all good!! Hey Tony, this is for you :) Enjoy!!

Review: Dragon Models Limited (DML) 1/6th Man Yeung 萬陽 (Nicholas Tse) 12-inch figure

The Viral Factor (逆戰) is a 2012 Hong Kong-Chinese action movie directed by Dante Lam. Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse star as two long-lost brothers, on opposites sides of the law, who reunite to stop a group of criminals from releasing a deadly strain of smallpox.

Dragon Models Limited (DML) has released two 12-inch figures (one of Jay Chou as Jon Man / Wan Fei 萬飛 and this one of Nicholas Tse as Man Yeung 萬陽) in a movie tie-up during the release of the film in Hong Kong. I've already reviewed the Dragon Models (DML) 1/6th scale Jay Chou as Wan Fei (萬飛) 12-inch action figure HERE and HERE so now it's time to take a look at the DML Nicholas Tse as Man Yeung (萬陽) 12-inch figure.

Nicholas Tse (aka Tse Ting-fung, Chinese: 謝霆鋒, born 29 August 1980) is a Hong Kong singer and songwriter, musician, Young Entrepreneurs and actor. He originally learned martial arts for the screen and television, which he continues to practice. Nicholas Tse's most notable action films are Dragon Tiger Gate, Gen-X Cops, Young and Dangerous: The Prequel, and Invisible Target. He also collaborated with Jackie Chan in New Police Story.

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 1 "Uncle Sam" - He's not your relative, he's the American government!

Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is a common national personification of the American government that according to legend came into use during the War of 1812 and was supposedly named for Samuel Wilson.

Sam Wilson (1766-1854), who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812, stamped the barrels with "U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's." The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government. [source: www.history.com]

Perhaps the most famous image of Uncle Sam (see picture below) was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). In Flagg's version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the words "I Want You For The U.S. Army" was used as a recruiting poster. Flagg's image also was used extensively during World War II during which America was codenamed 'Samland' by the German intelligence agency Abwehr.

Review II: Round 2 1/6th scale Captain Action Deluxe Spider-Man Costume Set - Action Poses!

Here are some pictures of the Captain Action Enterprises and Round 2 Captain Action 1/6th scale Deluxe Spider-Man Costume Set on a Hot Toys True Type 12-inch figure in some action poses :)

After reviewing the package and contents in the previous post, it's time to have some FUN with this action figure. And because this set isn't expensive nor cost an arm and a leg like a Hot Toys, EnterBay or Medicom 12-inch figure, caution can be thrown into the wind as we get down to some posing. I decided to put the web slinger in one of his trademark web shooting and swinging pose which required the assistance of a figure display stand (NOT included). Anyway, as mentioned before, this 12-inch figure cannot stand on its own without the figure stand.

This is obviously not the latest movie version of Spider-Man's costume but a vintage / retro / comic version with the underarm webbing. See my post HERE of the various film versions of the Spider-Man costume, with the 1977 "The Amazing Spider-Man" TV series coming closest to this look. Having grown up reading comics, this Spider-Man costume is something I can identify with and I'm just glad a 1/6th scale version is available ;p

Fashion Heroes - The Costume is a Superhero's Most Defining Characteristic and Stuck for Life

This was an article in the newspapers yesterday (The Straits Times life! section). It was a full page dedicated to the current superheroes and their evolved costumes. The article starts by saying "Next to their abilities, the costume is a superhero's most defining characteristic. And with the release of The Avengers last week and the upcoming comic-book blockbusters - The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises - Matthew Wee dives into the world of crime-fighting fashion to explore the evolution of superhero costumes through the ages." [source: The Straits Times]

I thought this was rather timely since I just did a review of the Captain Action Spider-Man costume set as well (see my previous post) Click on the pictures to read the articles in full about the various Superhero costumes evolution and how it has changed ever so slightly over the years while still maintaining the basic designs that have been established.

Clothes maketh the man but costumes maketh the superhero ;p

Before the latest Spider-Man reboot, there was "The Amazing Spider-Man", the first live-action TV series based on the popular comic book The Amazing Spider-Man, shown in the USA between 1977-1979.

Review 1: Round 2 Captain Action 1/6th scale Deluxe Spider-Man Costume Set - Great FUN!

If you grew up reading comics like I did, then you will appreciate these Captain Action Marvel Superheroes costume sets :) Not wanting to compete with Hot Toys for the movie-accurate Spider-Man and Captain America 12-inch action figures or any of the Marvel superheroes that have been realized on the big screen (a very wise decision I might add), Round 2 has gone the nostalgic route and released a set of 1/6th scale costume sets of the Marvel superheroes as they were seen in the comics. And for comic book fans like me, this is a most refreshing direction from all the ultra realistic figures we have been seeing of late. I like both the comic book and movie versions so it's nice to be able to get them both in 1/6th scale as well.

This is the third time around for these 12-inch Captain Action action figures. The first line was produced by Ideal way back in 1966 and Captain Action was Ideal Toy Company's answer to Hasbros' GI Joe. Captain Action came with separate costumes that allowed him to change into Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, The Phantom, The Lone Ranger, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Sgt. Fury, Steve Canyon and the Green Hornet. Unfortunately, Captain Action only lasted two and a half years but the costume sets were in much demand thereafter.

The line was revived in 1998 by retro toy company Playing Mantis (see my earlier post - Captain Action, Going Retro). This also lasted only two years but new and never-before done characters like Kato (pictures HERE) and Kabai Singh (pictures HERE) were produced and released.

This latest incarnation is by Captain Action Enterprises and Round 2 (first previewed HERE back in November 2010), and one can see that a great deal of passion has been put into these new sets. The first two costume sets released are the Captain Action Marvel Comics Spider-Man and Captain America costume sets. The packaging (pictured below) is rather attractive in itself and I almost didn't want to take the costume out of its package... almost.

Review II: Dragon Models (DML) 1/6th scale Jay Chou as Wan Fei (萬飛) 12-inch action figure

Part 2 of a two-part review of the recently released Dragon Models Limited (DML) The Viral Factor (逆戰) 1/6th scale Jay Chou as Jon Man / Wan Fei (萬飛) 12-inch action figure (part 1 posted earlier HERE)

After having shown the box packaging and contents in the earlier post, here's the fully kitted out 1/6th scale Jay Chou as Jon Man / Wan Fei (萬飛) 12-inch action figure with a customized Mk 18 Mod 1 as seen in "The Viral Factor (逆戰)", a 2012 Hong Kong-Chinese action movie directed by Dante Lam. The rifle has a long railed handguard coupled with a short barrel and a Vltor Modstock, Aimpoint sight, a laser aiming module and fitted XM16E1-style lower receiver.

Dragon Models Limited (DML) The Viral Factor (逆戰) 12-inch Wan Fei (萬飛) / Jay Chou wears a black round neck tee under his black leather-like jacket over his green pants which comes with belt, boots and knee pads. On top of the black leather jacket is the assault vest with magazine pouches, an additional utility pouch and radio pouch with radio and throat mic plus ear piece.

Sideshow Collectibles Star Wars 1/6th scale 12-inch OOM-9 Battle Droid Commander Figure

Unlike traditional Battle Droids, regarded as mindless, mechanized soldiers, OOM-9 received specific programming to serve as a Command Droid for the Trade Federation. When Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray aligned himself with the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious, an invasion on Naboo was imminent, and OOM-9 would organize and lead the Trade Federation forces. In early battles, the Federations armies achieved significant success, garnering victory at the First Battle of Spinnaker, followed by the capture of the capital city, Theed. OOM-9 and his army went on to engage the Gungan Grand Army, rallied by the Naboo Queen, Padme Amidala in the Battle of the Grassy Plains. While his forces made progress on the ground, the Naboo Space Battle raged in the skies. In spite of OOM-9s efficient leadership, the destruction of the Trade Federations droid control ship brought an abrupt and definite end to his seemingly successful campaign.

Sideshow Collectibles is proud to present the OOM-9 Battle Droid Commander Sixth Scale Figure. The OOM-9 Battle Droid Commander Sixth Scale Figure features: Fully Articulated Battle Droid body with over 20 points of articulation, One (1) E-5 Blaster Rifle, Macro Binocular

According to wookieepedia: OOM-9 was a B1 battle droid created by Baktoid Combat Automata prior to the invasion of the planet Naboo in 32 BBY. OOM-9 was selected to serve as a command battle droid for the invasion, leading Trade Federation forces into battle and achieving great success during the early stages of the campaign. Under OOM-9, Trade Federation troops defeated the forces of the Naboo at the First Battle of Harte Secur and the First Battle of Spinnaker, before capturing the capital city of Theed.

Avengers Assemble with Hasbro The Avengers Movie Mini Muggs. Sadly, Black Widow's M.I.A.

Mini Muggs are smaller versions of Mighty Muggs, a vinyl–plastic collectible toy series made by Hasbro. The toys resemble super deformed versions of characters from the following franchises: Star Wars, Marvel Comics, Indiana Jones, G.I. Joe, and Transformers.

I had bought the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2011 exclusive: The Avengers Mini Muggs 5-pack: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Giant Man (Giant Man is in the traditional Mighty Muggs size) - that was released in 2011 because they were just too cute and brought a smile to everybody's face when I brought the pack home (see my reviews HERE and HERE).

The Avengers movie was released in Singapore just this week on May 1, 2012 and needless to say, it's the movie everyone's talking about, tweeting and facebooking so I won't reveal anything about the movie here except to say that I've watched it twice already ;p and everyone should watch it at least once for its sheer entertainment value.

Incoming: Hot Toys "The Avengers" 1/6th scale Thor Limited Edition 12.5-inch Collectible Figure

Hot Toys is proud to present the collectible figure of another superhero from Marvel Studios - the 1/6th scale Thor Limited Edition Collectible Figurine from The Avengers movie. The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the movie, highlighting the newly developed head sculpt, muscular body, highly detailed costume, accessories and weapon. The Thor collectible stands approximately 32 cm tall, which is closer to the 1/6th scale of the movie character.

Hot Toys MMS175 (MOvie Masterpiece Series) The Avengers: 1/6th scale Thor Limited Edition Collectible Figure specially features: Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Chris Hemsworth as Thor in The Avengers movie, Approximately 32 cm tall, Muscular body with over 30 points of articulations, Golden hair sculpture, Movie-accurate facial expression with detailed wrinkles, skin texture and beard. Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted. Seven (7) pieces of interchangeable palms including: One (1) pair of fists, One (1) pair of relaxed palms, One (1) pair for holding mjolnir, One (1) left palm for holding Tesseract container.

Costume: One (1) red-colored cape, One (1) dark blue-colored with red stripes garment and silver-colored patterned long sleeves, One (1) upper body armor with silver-colored circle plates, One (1) pair of dark blue-colored pants with red stripes, One (1) pair of black, dark blue and silver colored boots, One (1) pair of forearm pads

Preview World Box Lakor 1/6th scale Bat Baby 6-inch Figure - What will they think of next?

Creepy Joker Baby doll figure (I wouldn't call it an action figure) actually make enough money for the company (Lakor) that they are releasing a second baby doll figure – and this time its Bat Baby. This is not a joke. The Dark Knight has become the Bat-Mite, well almost. Bat-Mite is an Imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Appearing as a small child-like man in an ill-fitting costume, Bat-Mite possesses what appears to be near-infinite magical power, but in reality is highly-advanced technology from the fifth dimension that cannot be understood by our limited three-dimensional views.

Lakor Bat Baby 002 (manufactured by World Box) stands at about 6 inches tall (150 mm height) but costs as much as a standard 12-inch figure (US$89). No wonder the company made money with the Lakor Baby Joker (preview pictures can be seen HERE). People pay double the price for half the size ;p now that's an idea haha. Seems like the 1/6th scale market is growing by leaps and bounds, with so many new entrants offering so many options.

The World Box Lakor 1/6th scale Bat Baby 6-inch figure Features baby head sculpt, 5-inch tall body (150mm), Dark Knight uniform, helmet, shoulder armor x 2 pcs, elbow armor x 2 pcs, knee armor x 2 pcs, gloves, boots, boomerang (batarang) x 2, tactical belt, nursing bottle, bottle cover and skate scooter

Oh How Hot Toys Teases Us > The Avengers 1/6 scale HULK coming soon to a store near you

The Avengers has smashed box office records in all 39 markets just few days after its launch! We believe that many fans have been surprised by the superhuman creature Hulk in the movie! Here we are proud to present our making of his muscular body!

Hulk, one of the Earth’s mightiest heroes, is coming soon in his 1/6th proper scale! Avengers fans, please stay tuned! (source: HT FB)

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 1 "Headsman" i.e. Playmobil also has their very own aX-MAN

I had such FUN with these and it seemed like I just couldn't get enough of Playmobil Fi?ures so I went out and bought some more :) Having gotten only one Playmobil figure from the Playmobil Fi?ures Series 1 (for boys) - click HERE to see who I got ;p - I actually went back to look for a few more and this is one of those I felt for (felt and not fell because you have to "feel" the package for the figure otherwise you might end up with doubles or triples of the same).

Playmobil calls this figure the "Headsman" which is defined as "one that beheads i.e. executioner" with its first known use in 1600. I would like to call this figure the aX-MAN because it has a nice ring to it haha besides sounding a lot like one of my favorite mutant teams from the comics which I read a lot of while still in school. I grew up with comics and it was because of the love of the comic characters that drew me into toy collecting because the toy action figures were three-dimensional (3-D) renditions of my favorite heroes.

As you probably know by now, Playmobil Fi?ures consist of polybagged figures in two different assortments (one set for boys and one set for girls) and you never know what you are going to get unless you get a feel for it because then you can more or less decipher what is hidden from view inside the package. If your guess is right, then you have what you are looking for. If not, put it aside and try again.

Review 1: Dragon Models (DML) 1/6th scale Jay Chou as Wan Fei (萬飛) 12-inch action figure

The Viral Factor (逆戰) is a 2012 Hong Kong-Chinese action movie directed by Dante Lam. Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse star as two long-lost brothers, on opposites sides of the law, who reunite to stop a group of criminals from releasing a deadly strain of smallpox.

This is the recently released Dragon Models Limited (DML) 1/6th scale The Viral Factor (逆戰) Jay Chou as Jon Man / Wan Fei (萬飛) 12-inch action figure. Back in early 2000 Dragon Models did quite a lot of movie tie-ins in Hong Kong where limited editions of 12-inch scale figures were produced and released in conjunction with the film's release, such as Bad Boys II (2003), Windtalkers (2002), We Were Soldiers (2002) and Black Hawk Down (2001). Looks like Dragon Models is going back to familiar territory

Jay Chou (born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor and director. He has sold more than 28 million albums worldwide up to 2010. He debuted his acting career in Initial D (2005), for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006).

There's going to be a new 12-inch guy in town – it's the DID 1:6th scale All-Era Action Body

Looks like there's going to be a new guy in town i.e. a 12-inch guy in the 1/6th "town". DID (Dragon in Dreams) is finally joining the improved 12-inch figure bandwagon and offering collectors their version of the improved 12-inch figure. DID's new All-Era Action Body will come with over 38 points of articulation and will be used in selected new products. That means no nude figure for sale (which is a bit of a downer) but just packaged with their new products. DID never mentioned which new product either.

But if I am not mistaken, that looks like a pretty decent 1/6th scale Zac Efron head sculpt, he of the "Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical" fame before moving on to the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical "Hairspray" followed by starring roles in the following films: "17 Again", "Me and Orson Welles", "Charlie St Cloud", "New Year's Eve" and most recently, "The Lucky One" where he put on the pounds and muscles to play U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault.

Guess we'll have to wait a while before we see this figure in the 1/6th scale market. In the meantime, scroll down to see how this figure looks ;p Rather promising actually.