A is for Aquaman

There has been many retelling of the Aquaman story / origin. This Aquaman is the one who appeared in the Justice League animated series titled "The Enemy Below" which first aired on December 3, 2001.

When a nuclear submarine is attacked in the Atlantic, the Justice League comes face-to-face with Aquaman and his Atlantean army. Aquaman goes to Metropolis to take his problems up with the various governments of the world. When a mercenary Deadshot attacks Aquaman, the League steps in. Aquaman discovers that Lord Orm, his own brother, was behind the attack. Orm takes Aquaman and his infant son and places them on a cliff over a vein of molten lava, leaving them to die. In order to save his son, Aquaman must make the terrible sacrifice of severing his own hand. "Ouch!"

Hot Toys MMS DX-06 POTC OST Captain Jack Sparrow Preview

The highly anticipated 3D adventure fantasy "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" movie presented by Walt Disney Pictures will be globally launched in May this year.

To keep in line with the movie launch, Hot Toys is proud to present the 1/6th scale Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" movie from their DX series, highlighting the highly detailed head sculpt with two interchangeable faces with different gestures, sophisticated costume and the movie-accurate rudder as accessory.

Restrepo: One Platoon, One Valley, One Year

RESTREPO is a 2010 feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military.

The film explores the year that American journalist Sebastian Junger and British photojournalist Tim Hetherington spent in Afghanistan on assignment for Vanity Fair, embedded with the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the Korengal valley. The 2nd Platoon is depicted defending an outpost (OP) named OP Restrepo, for PFC Juan Sebastián Restrepo, a Colombian-born naturalized U.S. citizen platoon medic who was killed earlier in the campaign.

New from Toyscity: USAF PARARESCUE JUMPER 12-inch Figure

Coming soon from Toys City: a 1/6 scale USAF PARARESCUEMEN JUMPER 12-inch military figure. Their motto? "That Others May Live".

Pararescuemen (AFSC 1T2X1) are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operatives tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. They are the only members of the DoD (Department of Defense) specifically organized, trained and equipped to conduct personnel recovery operations in hostile or denied areas as a primary mission. Also known as "PJs" (Pararescue Jumpers), these special operations units are also used to support NASA missions and have been used to recover astronauts after water landings. They are attached to other SOF teams from all branches to conduct other operations as appropriate. Of the 22 enlisted Air Force Cross recipients, 12 have been awarded to Pararescuemen. [source: wiki]

Officially Licensed 1966 BATMOBILE® Replica

Came across this site and just had to share it here: No words can describe the jaw dropping AWESOME-ness that is the Batmobile!

Here is your chance to own a gorgeous and authentic replica of the most famous car in the world. Fiberglass Freaks' Officially Licensed 1966 BATMOBILE™ replicas have all the great features including the double bubble windshields, those loooong fins, a working flame thrower out the rear, the highly-polished aluminum roll-top dashboard, the flashing red beacon light, and many more.

Just as it says on the website: "Is the car just a prop? Absolutely not! Our cars have working headlights, turn signals, park lamps, and brake lights. With the power of a brand new GM 350 crate engine or a rebuilt 460 Ford, your car will have plenty of get up and go." Batman and Robin not included haha

Mattel Retro-Action Green Arrow 8" Figure REVIEW

The first action figure from the Mattel "Retro-Action: DC Super Heroes" line debuted as an exclusive on the Mattycollector website. Mattel launched the '70s mego style 8" cloth-type DC superhero figures with Green Arrow on December 15, 2009. You could say Green Arrow is part of wave 1 but he actually came before wave 1. He led the charge as it were.

It is most interesting that Mattel launched the "Retro-Action: DC Super Heroes" line with Green Arrow, of all the superheroes in the DC Universe. Green Arrow isn't even one of the more popular figures in the comics, at least not in my book. Perhaps it all goes back to the past.

In the mid 1970's, when Mego's "World's Greatest Superheroes" were popular, so was the character of Green Arrow in the comics. As a result of Green Arrow's popularity, Mego decided to add him to the Mego toy line. He was also the last 8-inch DC superhero that Mego produced and many fans and collectors contend that the 1975 Green Arrow figure was Mego's best figure in the entire line.

Fast forward to the year 2009 (that's a span of 34 years) - Mattel decided to take on the World's Greatest Superheroes (only the DC versions) and Green Arrow became the first figure of this revived line.

Mattel Retro-Action Green Lantern 8" Figure REVIEW

In brightest day, in blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight.

Let those who worship evil's might,

Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!

This is the Mattel Retro-Action DC Super Heroes Green Lantern 8-inch figure done in the style of the Mego 8-inch (200 mm) tall action figures of the 1970s. Green Lantern was one of the four figures that made up Wave 1, the others being Superman, Lex Luthor and Sinestro. Mattel did a retro thing here by keeping the 70's style comic book art for the characters pictured on the front and back of the card. It's pretty neat and brings back lots of memories.

The original Mego "World's Greatest Super Heroes!" were offered for an entire decade from 1972 until 1983. Green Lantern wasn't featured in the original line up of figures so I'm glad that I've finally landed my hands on my one and only Hal Jordan Green Lantern figure :)

Which came first? The chicken or the EGG?

Remember I was sharing about how blogging has its privileges and the many people I've come to know through my toy blog and my blog posts? Well, just this week, while blogging about 1:6 scale 12-inch Firefighters (see my post HERE), I got a comment from Ted Menten.

Ted Menten was involved with action figures all the way back to the early days of G.I. JOE and had worked as a toy designer with Hasbro. Later he became partners with Don Levine (the “father of G.I. JOE) who headed up the G.I. JOE team at Hasbro and they created toy concepts together for several years. He had been (and I quote) enjoying my blog for several months (I'm deeply flattered) and shed some light of his own about 1:6 scale firefighters. When I blogged about the Playmobil firefighters, Ted chipped in with his own smaller version of firefighters that he had designed and created.

In his own words: "Since you added slightly smaller versions of Firefighters to your blog I thought I'd share my version. I created "The Good Eggs" toy line for a British toy company called PEDIGREE - the largest toy company in the UK. The line was a huge success and ran for a couple of years before the company went out of business. I have attached a couple of pages from their catalog. The line was full of Egg puns such as "FireEggine" and "Eggbulance."

Is our Army made (maid) of these? Tsk Tsk

This photo of a Full Time National Serviceman (NSF) making his maid carry his backpack has been making its rounds online and stoked a heated response from many netizens. The NSF was photographed SMSing away, while his maid walked behind him carrying his field pack.

Most were critical of the soldier, calling him “lazy” and “spoilt”. Some even said he “tarnished the image of Singapore”. Another commented: “It’s hard to believe that a grown man who is supposed to be serving the nation is making his female domestic help carry his backpack. He’s a disgrace to the army and makes Singaporean men look bad.”

I have my own words to add but I'm afraid they cannot be published; after all, this is still a kid-friendly blog / website and I won't let my emotions get the better of me. Having done my part for the Nation's Defense in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) - served six years from 1983 till 1990 and then another 12 years (1991 to 2003) as an Operationally-Ready National Serviceman (NSman) (the equivalent of other militaries' reservists),  I can only say that this disgusting act is an utter disgrace to the uniform of the SAF!

A Ministry of Defence spokesman has also spoken out: “The SAF takes a serious view of the conduct of its servicemen in public.” She added that the SAF is looking into the matter and will take appropriate action. I hope that means they'll hang him out to dry / fry -  even better if they publish his profile shot so that everyone will know who the lazy spoilt child is!

And in today's papers: apparently someone tried to rescue the situation by claiming that the picture was fake and another picture was produced showing the said sorry excuse for an NSF carrying his own field pack.

But it turns out that the original picture is the real deal and the other one was doctored (photoshopped).

I am just thankful that this is more of an isolated incident than the norm and that our soldiers are made of sterner stuff than that!

Playmobil #4675 Firefighter

And this is the latest firefighter to join the bunch (shown in the earlier post) - Playmobil 4675 Firefighter (another one of the SPECIALs). While the previous three wore ash gray firefighter's turnout gear, this one spots a blue turnout instead although he still has the reflective tape detailing.

As mentioned, this is also one of the Playmobil Specials and the fourth Playmobil Firefighter to join the Home team. The Home Team is a term coined by the Singapore Government's Ministry of Home Affairs where all the departments and statutory board under the Ministry come under a single manner for a single purpose - Homeland defense. The Fire Department comes under the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) which is a part of the Home Team.

Playmobil Firefighters

We've seen the 1:6 scale 12-inch tall Firefighters in the previous post, so now let's turn our attention to these minuscule firefighters from Playmobil.

PLAYMOBIL (pronounced play-mo-beel) has been a favorite among adult collectors even though it was designed for children and has been around for more than three decades. The cornerstone of all PLAYMOBIL activities is the 2.95 inch (7.5 cm) tall figure (i.e. 1:22.5 scale) which can bend, sit, stand, turn its head, and move its arms. The hands, which can grasp, rotate and carry accessories, are what make "realistic" play possible.

This was a 2002 released Limited Edition PLAYMOBIL® #3354 Special Commemorative Pack FDNY Firefighter figure that was created to commemorate the FDNY (Fire Department, city of New York) Fire Fighters who sacrificed so much during the 9/11 attacks.

Where there's smoke, there's FIRE! Presenting 1:6 scale 12-inch Firefighter figures :)

These are some of the 1:6 scale 12-inch Firefighters that I've collected over the years. Firefighters (historically, firemen) are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations.

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the English word "firefighter" has been used since at least 1903. In recent decades it has become the preferred term, replacing the older "fireman", since many women serve as firefighters, and also because the term "fireman" can have other meanings, including someone who sets or stokes fires - exactly the opposite of the firefighting role. [source: wiki]

First up is the Hot Toys released Modern Firefighter in 2002 and IMHO, the most detailed 1/6 firefighter ever produced. Hot Toys would go on to release two more firefighters much later and they came with the likeness of John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix from the movie "Ladder 49 (2004)" and these would be the version 2 firefighters.

Meet Marcos Minuchin, Photographer (The Secret Life Of Toys)

Blogging connects us all to the world and makes me realize that the world isn't as big as it seems and the internet has become one of the greatest innovations because everything you can imagine can be obtained from the world-wide web (well, almost everything).

I started my toy blog as a means to catalog my toy collection. I wanted to take pictures of my toys and put the images on my blog to know what I have collected over the years. Little did I know then that "Toy Haven" would connect with so many like-minded kindred spirits all over the world. For that, I have to thank all my visitors for your continued support and feedback (via email and putting comments on my posts); it has been most encouraging :)

"You Made Me Ink"

One of the many privileges of blogging is meeting new people and making new friends, most of whom I've never met in person but have had a connection with immediately because of our common interest - TOYS!

Marcos Minuchin is one such person. He is a self-taught photographer and avid toy collector, who one day decided to buy a camera, read its manual 5 times over and start taking pictures. The result: The Secret lIfe Of Toys.

"What a Trooper"

"BATs All, Folks" - Mego style Batman Gallery

Continued from the previous post (The Crook, the Bat and the Ugly)...

These are some of the smaller scaled Batman figures in my toy collection. By smaller scale I meant that they are shorter than 12 inches which is the height for 1/6 scale figures. These are all cloth costumed Batman figures too, meaning that they are all wearing a fabric costume over an articulated body as well as cowl, cape, belt and boots, unlike the smaller plastic molded Batman figures which I also collect and have shown in my previous posts (click on the BATMAN label on the left side-bar to view my humble Batman-themed collection). Of course Batman is not complete without his Boy Wonder sidekick Robin, the pair making up the Dynamic Duo, also known as the Caped Crusaders.

The Crook, The Bat and The Ugly

I just love me some group shots of figures posed together (even if it means they're just standing; there's something about strength in numbers) and these Mego styled and Retro-Action DC Super Heroes and Villains are no exception :) This blog post is aptly named "The Crook, The Bat and The Ugly".

The Crook would be The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot), one of Batman's oldest foes, and an eccentric criminal mastermind, known as much for his love of ornithology and trick umbrellas as for his already shady business dealings. In most incarnations, the Penguin is a short, chubby man who wears a tuxedo, top hat, monocle, white gloves and spats. The vintage Mego Penguin 8" figure stays true to this incarnation.

New from Triad Toys: Triad Legends - Jason 12-inch figure

"Jason and the Argonauts" is a 1963 Columbia Pictures fantasy feature film starring Todd Armstrong as the titular mythical Greek hero in a story about his quest for the Golden Fleece. Directed by Don Chaffey in collaboration with stop motion animation expert Ray Harryhausen, the film is noted for its stop-motion monsters.

The picture below is one of the scenes I remembered when I watched "Jason and the Argonauts" many many many years ago. Jason and his men battle armed skeletons in a famous four minute stop motion sequence that took special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen four and a half months to produce.

Shiver me timbers, it's Hot Toys POTC4 Jack Sparrow DX Figure

Hot Toys "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" DX (DeluXe) Jack Sparrow 12-inch collectible figure sneak peeks

New from Art-figures: Navy Seal Special OR Lt A K Waters (Bruce Willis) 12-inch Figure

"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.

And now coming from Art-figures will be this 1/6 scale Navy Seal Special Forces 12-inch figure that bears a strong resemblance to Bruce Willis as Lieutenant A.K. Waters as he appeared in the film, including the attire he wore i.e. Woodlands camouflage outfit plus gear and accessories.

Mattel Retro-Action Two-Face 8" Figure REVIEW

From one Two-Face (see my earlier post) to another...

Harvey Dent was Gotham City's district-attorney and one of Batman's strongest allies until Sal "Boss" Maroni threw acid in his face, hideously scarring him. It also fractured his mental state, causing him to become Two-Face, a schizoid criminal-mastermind obsessed with the number two.

This is the Mattel Retro-Action DC Super Heroes Two-Face 8" figure from wave 2 and this post follows after my earlier post on the Batman figure with removable cowl and cape (reviewed HERE and HERE)

Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 General Hawk 12-inch Figure PREVIEW

Code Name: HAWK [ MISSILE COMMANDER ]

When the G.I.JOE team was being formed, Brigadier General Clayton Abernathy became the team's first field commander under the code name HAWK. After leading the G.I.JOE team on several successful missions, HAWK received his first general star.

For most generals, this new-found responsibility would require them to stay well protected away from battle so as to properly command their teams. HAWK chose not to follow this path. He earns his experience on the battlefield like the rest of his team, and he makes absolutely certain that he doesn't dole out orders and assign missions that he wouldn't be willing to carry out himself. It's that kind of attitude that inspires his troops, knowing that the one in charge is still one of them. YO JOE!

Kitbash USMC Staff Sergeant Nantz from "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles"

This is my attempt at kitbashing a 1/6 scale Aaron Eckhart as USMC Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz 12-inch figure from the current movie showing at the cinema theatres here and in the United States, "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles".

This is one of the great things I really like about this hobby of collecting 1/6 scale figures. You can customize figures and make them your own by switching heads, uniform / outfits, gear and accessories plus weapons. This isn't possible with statutes or plastic molded figures because they come as they are and it takes a lot more work to change the look. Not so for 12-inch figures because everything is removable and replaceable. That's the beauty of 1/6; the endless possibilities.

New from Phicen: LAURA (inspired by Lara Croft)

Coming soon from Phicen: a 1/6 Scale Deluxe Collector Figure "LAURA" with Large Breast Seamless Body and 33 Points of Articulation, height: 29.50cm. LAURA is obviously inspired by Lara Croft from the 1996 video game "Tomb Raider" and portrayed in two feature films by Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in 2001 and "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" in 2003.

Playmobil #4693 SWAT Police Officer Figure

Came across this Playmobil figure the other day and just couldn't resist not getting it. This is one of those Playmobil Specials that start at a very good price point. The boxed sets are a different thing altogether and can set you back an arm and a leg if you really were to go down that road. As for me, I'm just happy to get my hands on this.

The interesting thing is, this Playmobil #4693 SWAT Police Officer Figure is pretty much a stand-alone figure i.e. there are no box sets or other figure like it. All the other SWAT figures in the series are "dressed" differently from this particular figure.

New from Wild Work: 1/6 Darkness Cop Figure

"Edge of Darkness" is a 2010 film adaptation of the 1985 BBC television series of the same name. The film stars Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone, and is directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Michael Wearing, who also directed and produced the series respectively. This film is Mel Gibson's first screen lead since "Signs" which was released eight years earlier in 2002.

"Edge of Darkness" follows a detective (Gibson) investigating the murder of his activist daughter (Bojana Novakovic), while uncovering political conspiracies and cover-ups in the process.

New from Zy Toys: Sniper Uniform Set

The Zy Toys: Sniper Uniform set includes a short barrel Barrett M82A1 Sniper Rifle, modified RAID style desert fatigues, modified DCU camo sniper boonie hat, DCU camo Army field cap, tactical belt, "leftie" drop down holster with pistol, range finder, and hand held GPS. The coolest items are the Practical Tactical/HSGI PT-03 Mesa Vest (with an assortment of various pouches) and the Tactical Concealment Viper Sniper Hood.

FoxBox Studio "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Figure PREVIEW

A new company called FoxBox Studio is coming up with a new concept 12-inch figure: the "God Complex: Hermes" 1/6 Scale Collectible Figure (Limited to 100 pieces worldwide).

In Greek mythology, HERMES is the god of travel, messengers, trade, thievery, cunning wiles, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry. He is the messenger of the gods, and the son of Zeus and Maia. His attributes include the herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap. The Golden Age Flash (Jay Garrick) costume is most likely inspired by Hermes.

Captain Action Captain America & Spider-Man Costume Sets SOON

Captain Action costume sets of Spider-Man and Captain America will debut in the fall of 2011 at Toys ’R’ Us and other specialty retailers (in the US) for the first time in over 40 years since the original Captain Action line was launched.

The original 1/6 scale Captain Action Figure, created by G.I. Joe designer Stan Weston, was released in 1966 and had uniforms for a variety of licensed characters that allowed Captain Action to become Batman, Captain America, Spider-Man, the Lone Ranger and a host of other characters.

The pictures released are actually computer generated mock-ups to give us an idea of how the final product will look like. I guess they don't have the final prototype pictures yet.

Two buddies having drinks - 8 cans, 2 bottles & 2 cases (ALL 1:6)!

Here's a picture of two buddies having drinks at the table after a hard day's work. What are they discussing about? Your guess is as good as mine. Buddy 1 (on the left) is Toymaster 1/6 scale War Journalist 2.0 [Battlefield Hero] - previewed earlier HERE and buddy number 2 is Dr Figures CIA Field Operator (previewed HERE). More on these two 12-inch figures later. This post is about the stuff on the table - mainly drinks.

The two of them could be catching up on the latest gossip. You may have seen or heard some of the funny Charlie Sheen quotes that have come from his most recent publicity. One of them is "Can't is the cancer of Happen" - what?!