August 2015 Haul #2: Hot Toys 1/6 Commando, Batman, Catwoman, Ultraman and Firefighter

August is almost coming to an end but not before I post my second haul of toys / action figures I managed to grab hold of before the month ends :) This simply translates to more fun stuff to post and more action figures to review on my toy blog. Among the stuff I got are: Hot Toys MMS276 1/6th scale John Matrix Collectible Figure from the 1985 American action thriller movie Commando starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (preview pictures posted HERE), DC Collectibles Batman action figure from The New Batman Adventures animated series, Bandai Ultra-Act X S.H.Figuarts Ultraman action figure and the Playmobil 5367 City Action Special Forces Firefighter figure.

Commando was a box office success grossing over $57.5 million against a $10 million budget. The film debuted at number one on October 6, 1985 in the United States and spent three consecutive weeks at the top position. The original concept was for an Israeli special forces–Mossad agent who, sick of the continual death and destruction in the Middle East, emigrates from Israel to the United States, where he is forced out of his self-imposed retirement after his daughter is kidnapped. This was modified and further adapted when Schwarzenegger was cast; some of the original dialogue can be heard in the deleted scenes when Matrix says he regrets his past actions. Arnold Schwarzenegger portrays Col. John Matrix, a retired Delta Force operator who returns to battle to rescue his daughter who has been kidnapped.

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End November 2014 Haul: Gangsters, Western, Kroenen, KP Conan and JB 007 Lotus Esprit

It's fast coming to the end of the year. It's going to be another year, another milestone. It's quite amazing how fast time flies when you are having FUN! These are some of the stuff I managed to get for the second half of November 2014. I already posted an entry of my early November 2014 haul HERE. These are things that came after the earlier haul. So I'm posting these here on my toy blog as an archive of the stuff I got and when I got them. The picture you see below doesn't show all of it. I took the picture before other stuff was added so there are more than meets the eye. Scroll down to see what else is not shown. (HINT: There's a certain Barbarian and a famous spy involved)

The picture above shows the latest released DAM Toys Gangsters Kingdom 1/6 scale Diamond 3 figure and the MC TOYS 1/6 scale Dark Climbing Kroenen Set plus Playmobil Western 5249 Horse-drawn Carriage with Cavalry Riders. What is not shown but covered in this post later on are the Kaustic Plastik XXL Project Set 1 - 1/6 scale The Fantasy Warrior fabric costume and accessories for 12-inch figures, Kaustic Plastik KP02XXL Heroik Muscle Body XXL Limited Edition 12-inch figure body and The 007 James Bond Car Collection Lotus Esprit from "The Spy Who Loved Me" film.

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April Haul – Roman Legionary, SAS (1987-2000), Belet head, Street Fighter and Sweeney Todd

These are my April haul so far: Hot Toys Sweeney Todd 1/6 scale collectible figure, ACI Total Rome 1/6 scale Roman Legionary, MC Toys SAS (Special Air Service) CRW (Counter Revolutionary Warfare) circa 1987 - 2000 12-inch figure, Playmobil Western 5248 Covered Wagon with Raiders set, Belet 005 1/6 scale Jason Statham head sculpt and Udon Entertainment SF20: The Art of Street Fighter book.

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No Western Fort is complete without the Red Indians. Ever wonder why they are called that?

continued from previous post...

Wild West forts weren't built to withstand sieges, simply because the Natives had no opportunity to use artillery or even massed assaults (except for very rare situations). The Army had no need to prepare for any sort of large scale battle, and instead needed to construct something that could at least keep the Natives out as well as to secure an area and give a location that soldiers and civilians could retreat to if necessary.

Besides the fort itself and soldiers, Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave set also came with two Native Americans and their horse, plus weapons. The horse is different from that of the United States Cavalry and both American Indians are not identical.

Indigenous peoples of the United States are commonly known as Native Americans or American Indians, and Alaskan Natives. The European colonization of the Americas forever changed the lives and cultures of the peoples of the continents. Although the exact pre-contact population of the Americas is unknown, scholars estimate that Native American populations diminished by between 80 and 90% within the first centuries of contact with Europeans. Native Americans suffered high mortality rates due to their lack of prior exposure to these diseases. The loss of lives was exacerbated by violence on the part of colonists who frequently perpetrated massacres on the indigenous groups and enslaved them. (source: wiki)

"Welcome to the Wild West!" Review of Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave – Call for the Cavalry!

As a kid growing up in the 70s, Westerns were the stable on television at the time with TV shows like "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin", "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke", "Have Gun – Will Travel", "Kung Fu", "The Lone Ranger", "The Wild Wild West" and "Zorro". So it was no surprise that I had a thing for cowboys and indians and it formed a part of my childhood. The Western Fort was something I was always into because they were built like the medieval castles, as a stronghold with high walls to protect those within and keep out intruders.

I got a huge surprise the other day when my wonderful wife decided to get me the Playmobil 5245 Western: Fort Brave set out of the blue, no occasion called for it. She knew I was into Playmobil because in some way, they were the mini-mes to the 1/6 scale figures I collect. One of the earliest Playmobil figures I got was the Playmobil 3949 Deep Sea Diver (reviewed HERE) which was a miniaturised version of the GI Joe 1/6 scale 12 inch Deep Sea Diver (posted HERE). Since then, I've always been on a look out for similar Playmobil figures and the collection has grown.

But I have never bought any play sets because they were huge and would need a large display area. Knowing my liking for this particular Playmobil Western Fort Brave set, my dear wife decided to splurge and got me this fortress which I was obviously not going to decline :) This is the biggest Playmobil set I've ever owned and will probably be the only fort set I'll ever have.

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Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit

This is the Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit which consists of 3 Playmobil Police Officers fully dressed in riot gear including Riot Shield and a Police Dog. I've always liked Playmobil while growing up and my first Playmobil figure I got as an adult was the Playmobil 3949 Deep Sea Diver (see the pictures in my toy blog post HERE). I was attracted to it because the mini figure was identical to the Action Man 1/6 scale Deep Sea Diver (check out the pictures HERE) which I thought was rather cool. It's like a "Mini-Me" (Mini-Me is a character played by Verne Troyer in the second and third Austin Powers movies: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember. Before Dr. Evil was sent back in time to 1969, his minions made him a clone. The clone was identical in every way, but he was "one-eighth his size". Upon being introduced to his clone, Dr. Evil immediately declared, "Breathtaking. I shall call him... Mini-Me")

Since then, I've been picking up Playmobil figures on and off, only when I really liked what I saw and when I felt they would belong as part of my toy collection :) Not obsessive, just selective haha. Lately Playmobil has been coming out with more themes and offering a greater range of products which suit me just fine. This set was one I could not resist since I'm into 1/6 scale S.W.A.T. figures as well - check out my recent post of "1/6 scale S.W.A.T. 12-inch Action Figures" HERE. They really look impressive when assembled together. This Playmobil 5186 Police Special Forces Unit just look so cool with helmets that have the full face shield, gas mask and full body shield as well.

Playmobil 5118 Custom Motorcycle with Rider

How about a break from 1/6 for a day?

I always liked bikes and Playmobil bikes are no different :) This custom motorcycle with rider is from Playmobil 5118 and among the six bikes in this particular series, this is my favorite. That's because he's "wearing" urban camouflage (not fabric / cloth outfit but painted to look like it) and the bike looks to be the classic type of bike built for rough handling and dirt riding ;p

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Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day with Playmobil Set 4890 Santa Claus and Snowman

Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts from their superiors or employers, known as a "Christmas box". Today, Boxing Day is better known as a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some other Commonwealth nations.

In South Africa, Boxing Day was renamed to Day of Goodwill in 1994. In Ireland it is recognised as St. Stephen's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Stiofáin) or the Day of the Wren (Irish: Lá an Dreoilín). In some European countries, notably Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Scandinavia and the Netherlands, 26 December is celebrated as the Second Christmas Day. [source: wiki]

I had already posted on Christmas (see previous post) but hey, Christmas is more than a day. Some people even celebrate Christmas over 12 days, as the lyrics of a popular song goes. This is the Playmobil set no. 4890 which consists of a 7.5 cm (2.95 inches) tall Playmobil Santa Claus mini figure and a Snowman mini figure. I much prefer Playmobil figures to Lego figures because Playmobil figures are bigger and cheaper, hence more value-for-money than Lego figures which are smaller and while the attire of most Lego figures is mostly painted on, Playmobil figures have costumes that are layered which makes it more interesting :) Scroll down to see more pictures

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 female mini figure looks a lot like Charlize Theron as Aeon Flux

From one female assassin (see previous post) to another...

Æon Flux is a 2005 science fiction film directed by Karyn Kusama and it is a loose adaptation of the animated science fiction television series of the same name. The movie stars Charlize Theron as Æon Flux. Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin working for the Monicans, a group of rebels trying to overthrow the government. When she is a sent on a mission to kill the Chairman, a whole new mystery is found.

Æon Flux was originally an avant-garde science fiction animated television series that aired on MTV in various forms throughout the 1990s, with film, comic book, and video game adaptations following thereafter. Æon Flux is set in a bizarre, dystopian future world. The title character is a tall, leather-clad secret agent from the nation of Monica, skilled in assassination and acrobatics.

One of the female figures from Playmobil's new line that is Playmobil Fi?ures Series 3 just happen to look a lot like Aeon Flux from the movie because of the way she is "dressed" / designed. The Playmobil figure has the same looking outfit as Charlize Theron in Æon Flux. Playmobil does not outrightly say that this is a Aeon Flux mini-figure but the resemblance is all too obvious.

Happy Halloween from The Scarecrow mini figure, part of Playmobil Figures Series 3

Halloween or Hallowe'en, also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Others maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has Christian roots. [source: wiki]

Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

The third series of crazy playing and collecting fun with PLAYMOBIL Figures (or Fi?ures) is already here! PLAYMOBIL launched 24 new fun characters for boys and girls (12 for boys and 12 for girls), adding to the creative line-up of figures from its mystery bag. The figures come unassembled with various interchangeable parts and accessories. They can be combined and assembled to the heart’s content.

Playmobil Figures Series 3 "Statue of Liberty" mini figure (La Liberté éclairant le monde)

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

The Statue of Liberty is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.

Custom Hand-made Playmobil Hellboy Figures by Jakob Westman - This is ART and one-of-a-kind

Jakob Westman is an artist / professional from Sweden who made these Playmobil customs of his all-time favourite comic character Hellboy (check out his deviantart profile HERE). He used regular Playmobil Police Officers which he then reworked completely into this cartoony version of Hellboy. And these Hellboy Playmobil customs really will blow your mind. They are simply awesome and very well made. All these pictures belong to Jakob Westman and I just wanted to share his stunning artwork with all fans of Playmobil and Hellboy as well as anyone who can appreciate GREAT ART

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How FANTASTIC are they? After Jakob made the first three figures, the entire set was commissioned by the Mignolas and the only ones there are are now with them. That is something to tell your kids and grandkids right?

Happy National Day to all Singaporeans

Singapore turns 47 today and even though she is a young country, she has shown much progress and I am most proud to call Singapore my home. Whenever I take short breaks overseas for holidays, it always feels good to be home :) Every National Day the family will watch the National Day Parade on television together as Singapore celebrates her independence from Malaysia in 1965.

On National Day, most spectators who watch the National Day Parade live at the Marina Bay Floating Platform will dress in the national colors of Red and White. This same dress code is maintained by all students throughout the country as all the schools celebrate National Day as well and it's quite a sight when you see almost everyone dressed in national colors with such pride.

Under the Sea and all that jazz - 1/6th scale divers, sharks and other creatures in the ocean

Was cleaning up the display cabinet the other day and decided to take some pictures as I put things back in place :) This particular display cabinet has the "Under the Sea" theme as this is where I put everything that I have that is water-based / ocean-based i.e. anything to do with the sea.

Sharks! I've always been fascinated with sharks and NOT because of shark's fin soup. In shark fin soup, the fins themselves are virtually tasteless. The taste comes from the soup, while the fins are valued for their texture. The delicacy was coveted by emperors because it was rare, delicious, and required elaborate preparation. Holding both culinary and symbolic significance, the dish is popular at important occasions such as weddings, banquets, and important business deals. I am all for taking shark fin soup off the menu entirely as well as the ban of shark finning because it is a very cruel thing to do when fishermen cut off the sharks' fins and then throw the often still-living sharks back into the sea to make room for more of the valuable fins. In the ocean, the sharks either die from suffocation or are eaten because they are unable to move normally. So when we stop eating the fins, demand will drop and that will force fisherman to stop shark finning.

The term "shark" has also been used for extinct members of the suborder Elasmobranchii outside the Selachimorpha, such as Cladoselache and Xenacanthus. Under this broader definition, the earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago. [source: wiki]

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.

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.

The Force is strong with this one – Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2 Alien, inspired by Darth Vader

This is the alien figure from Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2. This is probably as close as you can get to a Playmobil Darth Vader action figure ;p Darth Vader (born Anakin Skywalker) is the central character of the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists of the original trilogy and as the main protagonist of the prequel trilogy.

Darth Vader's iconic status has made the character a synonym for evil in popular culture and Vader has gained much positive reception as a classic film villain. His all black ensemble / outfit with flowing cape has become instantly recognizable so it comes as no surprise that many Star Wars fans has called this Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2 alien figure the Darth Vader figure.

Except Darth Vader didn't have green skin or a ray / laser gun. It would have been ideal if Playmobil had given this figure a fully concealed helmet but I guess copyright issues prevented them from doing that, although that didn't stop Playmobil from releasing a ZORRO figure (see my post HERE), or Lara Croft (pictures HERE) and ELVIS (Playmobil King of Rock posted HERE)

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2 Skateboarder Figure

This is the Skateboarder figure from Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2. Playmobil Fi?ures all come polybagged with no name or distinguishable feature to tell you what figure is inside each bag. It's as if you have to pick a bag and hope for the best. The best way to know what you are getting is by squeezing or feeling the bag for any part or accessory that is unique to that figure. That is, if the store people will let you do that. Even better when the girls in the store help you out ;p That's how nice my experience went haha

Some nice things I like about this Playmobil Skateboarder figure - the hair is much improved from the earlier versions (its more stylish with wave) and the company was able to make this figure look layered (he has what looks like a lime green hoodie - also called a hooded sweatshirt or hoody - and blue vest over brown cargo pants). Plus he comes with two faces - the standard smiling face which has been there since the brand started in 1975 and a more playful cheeky version (scroll down to see the other face ;p). And he has his skateboard

Elvis Presley The King of Rock and Roll is now a Playmobil Fi?ure - some squeezing required

2012 marks the 35th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's death since 1977 when the King of Rock was found to be unresponsive on his bathroom floor. The world mourned his death then, but it's ready to party now.

Graceland will kick off a year-long celebration with a slew of special events, including tribute concerts, according to release from Elvis Presley Enterprises. The King may have left the building, but he has not left the branding. Elvis Presley would have turned 77 on January 8 and maybe he's not with us anymore but he now lives again as a Playmobil action figure ;p

This PLaymobil ELVIS figure is from the Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2 for boys which I had blogged about on my toy blog recently (see my post HERE). Playmobil does not outrightly say that this is an ELVIS figure (nor did they say that they had released a Lara Croft figure either but they did ;p) but it is just obvious to everyone :) The reason is Playmobil's philosophy: Playmobil figures do not have names, thus allowing children to invent their own characters. But we all know this figure needs no inventing - he's who he's supposed to be: ELVIS the KING!

Playmobil Fi?ures Series 2 Figures - lots of FUN and nice surprises too. Take your pick of the best

I only got one Playmobil figure from their Fi?ure Series 1 (that's ZORRO, posted HERE) but ended up with five figures from Series 2 because they are just so much FUN haha

I first got hold of Playmobil Fi?ures Lara Croft from their Series 2 Female action figure series (check out the pictures HERE) and then went back to the store to get some more, this time zooming in on the Male Fi?ures. Here's the lot of them, all mixed up together. That's the fun part about this particular Playmobil Fi?ures theme. They all come polybagged with no name or distinguishable feature to tell you what figure is inside each bag. The Playmobil fi?ure comes unassembled in loose parts so that you can mix and match various bags and customize your own figure if you so desire. I think this is the first time ever that the basic figure comes unassembled since it began selling in 1975.

So what did I get from the assortment of parts? If you think you can guess what they are, scroll down to see if you got it right. And if you have no clue whatsoever, scroll down anyway ;p You're in for a treat haha