Léon the hitman meets Norman Stansfield in 1:6 scale, the yin-yang of "The Professional" movie

Yes, they have to be paired: 1/6 scale Gary Oldman as corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield and Jean Reno as mob hitman / "cleaner" Leone "Léon" Montana 12-inch figures as seen in 1994 English-language French thriller film "Léon: The Professional" written and directed by Luc Besson. It has been that many years before these two finally meet in 1/6 scale ;p

Jean Reno's 1/6 scale head sculpts have surfaced many times over the years (I count at least eight toy blog posts I've done on Léon alone) but Gary Oldman's Norman Stansfield head sculpt is much harder to come by until recently.

A little trivia: According to Patrice Ledoux, Luc Besson planned Léon as filler. At the time, he had already started working on "The Fifth Element", but production was delayed due to Bruce Willis's schedule. Rather than dismiss the production team and lose his creative momentum, Besson wrote "Léon". It took him only 30 days to write the script, and the shoot lasted only 90 days. Ironically, "Léon" is now generally considered to be a far superior film to "The Fifth Element".

Time to dress up Tony Stark in his trademark 1/6 scale civilian outfit as seen in "The Avengers"

Marvel's The Avengers (classified as Marvel Avengers Assemble in the UK and Ireland) or simply The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The film is scripted and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark / Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers / Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Dr Bruce Banner / HULK), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton / Hawkeye), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Stellan Skarsgård (Dr Erik Selvig) and Samuel L. Jackson (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 subjugating Earth.

When not in his armor suit, Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark dressed in his very distinctive civilian attire of Black Sabbath T-shirt over a long sleeve tee and dark gray pants. And 1/6 scale manufacturers (not one but TWO companies) have managed to cash in on this particular outfit and are offering it in 1/6 scale to collectors.

From MC Toys comes this 1/6 scale Black Sabbath T-shirt Set. ITEM: MCF-017, Product name: Black Sabbath T-shirt Set will come with Black Sabbath Short Sleeve silk-screen printed Tee, Dark Grey Long Sleeve Tee, Men's dark gray jeans / pants and Pampa Boots. Scroll down to see Asmus Toys Avengers' Tony Costume set.

Mivi 1/6 scale Teddy bear looks a lot like "Ted"

From MIVI in China comes this approximately 8 cm high "Teddy" 1/6 scale bear figure which will come with 2 head sculpts, one "furry" looking teddy bear body and a cloth apron. This is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2013.

"Ted" (stylized as ted) is a 2012 American comedy film, directed, co-produced and co-written by Seth MacFarlane, starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane in leading roles. The supporting cast includes Joel McHale and Giovanni Ribisi. Ted has received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising Seth MacFarlane's comic performance, as well as Mark Wahlberg's portrayal of John Bennett.

Ted is a teddy bear / buddy film that you cannot bring your children to watch because it is rated R (due to the use of inappropriate content and language) so the kids will have to grow up before they are allowed to watch a movie about a teddy bear. Now isn't that weird? But not to worry, the movie is actually a hoot and quite enjoyable for adults so you can bring your partner for this one and maybe you can wish upon a falling star for magic to happen to you too ;p

1/6 scale Bad Cop Norman Stansfield and Good Cop Jim Gordon, both Gary Oldman 12" figures

One of the memorable quotes from the 1994 English-language French thriller film "Léon: The Professional" written and directed by Luc Besson and starring Jean Reno as the titular mob hitman Léon, Gary Oldman as corrupt DEA agent Stansfield; a young Natalie Portman, in her feature film debut, as Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl who is taken in by the hitman after her family is murdered.

Norman Stansfield: Bring me everyone.
3rd Stansfield man: What do you mean "everyone"?
Norman Stansfield: EVERYONE!

The cops have their backs pushed to the wall. They cannot handle one lone hitman (Léon) hiding in his own apartment. They call in the entire S.W.A.T. team. To reiterate, SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) teams are elite tactical units formed in various law enforcement agencies. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers. SWAT team members' duties include: performing hostage rescues and counter-terrorism operations; serving high risk arrest and search warrants; subduing barricaded suspects; and engaging heavily-armed criminals.

Review III: Foxbox Studio "God Complex: Hades" 1/6 scale Limited Edition 12-inch Action Figure

continued from earlier post...

This is my third part review of the exceptional Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale "God Complex: Hades" Limited Edition 12" Collectible Figure :) What can I say? There are just too many pictures to post. You have already seen the box and contents in the earlier post HERE followed by pictures of the fully dressed figure with his weapons (gun and staff) HERE so now we discover that the staff is NOT just a staff but it also hides a concealed edged "flaming" weapon.

The pictures also show another way to display the Foxbox Studio "God Complex: Hades" figure with his "helmet" up. The helmet can be set to cover his "eyes" (sockets) as seen the earlier post or positioned a little higher to show Hades' skull face.

Preview ZC World ZCWO Mens Hommes Vol. 009 1/6 scale Handtools Set 2.0 for 12" Figures

ZC World (ZCWO) is not slowing down at all. Since announcing their collaboration with Iminime to produce the 1/6 scale "A Better Tomorrow" Mark Lee 12-inch Figure (see my earlier post HERE) and ZCWO Mens Hommes Vol. 008 Men's Fashion (for Jim Gordon) - see my post HERE, ZCWO has just released pictures of their next Mens Hommes 1/6 scale outfit and accessories set i.e MH Vol. 009 1/6 scale Handtools Set 2.0

ZC World had already released the ZCWO Mens Hommes Vol.004 1/6 Construction Crew Tools and Accessories set earlier this year (see my REVIEW here) so this is a Handtools Set version 2.0 with some repeat items but lots of new items as well so it's certainly worth taking a look ;p Scroll down to see more pictures...

Incoming: DAM 1/6 scale WWII German Waffen-SS Panzer Commander Kurt Adolph Wilhelm Meyer 12-inch military action figure

Kurt Meyer, nicknamed "Panzermeyer", (23 December 1910 – 23 December 1961) served as an officer in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. He saw action in many major battles, including the Invasion of France, Operation Barbarossa, and the Battle of Normandy.

Meyer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Upon promotion on 16 June 1944 at the age of 33 years, 5 months and 25 days Meyer became one of the youngest divisional commanders in the German Army during the Second World War.

Meyer's nickname, "Panzermeyer", has nothing to do with armoured warfare. While in training in the Police Academy at Schwerin, Meyer decided to play a prank on a fellow student. His plan was to throw a pail of water on his classmate from the roof of a two story building, but Meyer slipped and fell. He landed on his feet, but suffered over 20 fractures. He was expected to die, but he recovered to full health. After this, Meyer's classmates christened him "Panzer" because he was as tough as a battle tank.

Preview ZY Toys 1/6 scale ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) for 12-inch Action Figures

An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a quad, quad bike, three-wheeler, or four-wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control. As the name implies, it is designed to handle a wider variety of terrain than most other vehicles.

Because of the ATV's versatility, military forces the world over has adopted them for use in various tasks, including attaching them with trailers for ammunition replenishment and casevac. So it only makes sense for a 1/6 scale manufacturing company to produce an ATV for 12-inch figures :)

This is the ZY Toys 1/6 scale ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) for 12-inch figures. These are the first batch of preview pictures and at the moment, no other information is available other than showing us that there are three versions: Green, Desert and Black. Scroll down to see more pictures

Incoming: WorldBox Lakor Baby 003 1/6 scale Iron Baby 6-inch action figure - Baby Avengers?

WorldBox has released preview /prototype pictures of their LAKOR BABY (Item Number: 003) 1/6 scale Iron Baby action figure. After their Baby Joker (see my post HERE) and Bat Baby (pictures HERE) figures, it looks like they might be venturing into Marvel's The Avengers. Actually they aren't so much babies - toddlers would have been a more correct term but either way, I just don't get it ;p

WorldBox LAKOR BABY 1/6 scale Iron Baby 6-inch (150 mm or 15 cm) action figure features: Baby head, body(150mm / 6-inch), gloved hands x 2, boots x 1 pair, transparent pacifier and dog. According to them, the Eyes and Chest will shine in the dark environment. I'm thinking they meant glow-in-the-dark and not light-up.

Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex Hades Limited Edition 12" Collectible Figure Review II

continued from previous post...

This is the completed look for the Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale "God Complex: Hades" Limited Edition 12-inch Collectible Figure which I had done a part one review in my last post. Having shown pictures of the packaging and contents previously, here's how Hades looks with his helmet, pistol and staff.

In Greek mythology, Hades is the brother of Zeus. After the overthow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon, another brother, for shares of the world. He had the worst draw and was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increase the number of dead are seen favorably. He is the King of the dead but, death itself is another god, Thanatos.

In The "God Complex" universe created by Bryan Lie of Foxbox Studio, Hades is the figurehead of the largest criminal organization in Hellenic Republic, Tartarus. While he is not exactly malevolent, Hades along with trusted gun, Cerberus II, strike mortal fear into people's hearts because Hades is not bound by any laws. Neither the Rulers' nor humans' rules meant anything to him. He judges based on his own creed and justice. Check out their site HERE for more information.

Review 1: Foxbox Studio 1/6 scale God Complex Hades Limited Edition 12-inch Collectible Figure

This just came in the mail yesterday and I had to put aside and interrupt my regular scheduled toy posts to blog about this because this particular product deserves that much attention :) I haven't been so excited about a figure for a while.

Once in a while (in fact: not very often), a company comes along and puts forth a wonderfully original concept with equally breathtaking designs for a 1/6 scale series of 12-inch figures. You see the designs and great ideas they have put in place and you want to wish that company all the very best because you so want to see them succeed in order that they can roll out all their planned releases as what they offer surely is a breath of fresh air and something the 1/6 world needs and wants. That company is Foxbox Studio and their product is God Complex!

Bryan Lie of Foxbox Studio (check out their site HERE and facebook page HERE) designed most of the products himself (they are beautiful designs) and to see the same designs translated into 3-D form is really something special! You can check out the God Complex site HERE. This is their second 1/6 scale figure to be released after their earlier offering of Hermes (reviewed HERE and HERE) and it is none other than Hades! Scroll down to see more pictures ;p

Kitbash 1/6 scale Gary Oldman as Norman Stansfield 12-inch Figure from "The Professional"

Having already gotten the Figure Club 1/6 scale Mad Cop 12-inch action figure (see my posts HERE and HERE), I wanted to see how the Head Play Gary version 1/6 head sculpt would look on this figure. I thought that it would be rather easy to just switch heads but that was not possible. The Figure Club Mad Cop head is pretty much attached to the 12-inch base body and not so easily removable.

So I put the Head Play Gary version 1/6 head on another 12-inch male figure body and proceeded to dress the figure with the clothes from Figure Club's Mad Cop. On a side note, the Figure Club 12-inch base body has rather loose joints and cannot really stand properly, let alone hold any dramatic pose. The hands pop out too easily from the pegs and it was quite a challenge to get the Mad Cop figure to hold onto the shotgun as seen in the earlier post.

Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) keeps a Smith & Wesson Model 629 revolver with a 3" barrel and unfluted cylinder as his duty sidearm. Figure Club Mad Cop 12-inch figure also comes with a walkie-talkie. Scroll down to see more pictures of this Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) kitbash figure

Incoming: Caltek 1/6 scale Medal of Honor Warfighter Tom "Preacher" 12-inch figure

Medal of Honor (MoH) is a series of first-person shooter video games. The first game was developed by DreamWorks Interactive (now known as Danger Close) and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation game console in 1999. Medal of Honor spawned a series of follow-up games including multiple expansions spanning various console platforms and the PC and Mac. The first twelve installments take place during World War II, while the more recent games focus on modern warfare.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter, the upcoming fourteenth installment in the series and the direct sequel to the 2010 game, is scheduled to be released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on October 23, 2012. In the video game, Tom "Preacher" is an American sailor and Navy SEAL and the Rifleman of AFO team Neptune. Preacher is a hardened DEVGRU Operator in AFO Neptune.

Caltek has managed to secure the license from Electronic Arts and will be releasing the Caltek 1/6 scale Medal of Honor Warfighter "Preacher" Set very soon. The Caltek 1/6 scale Medal of Honor Warfighter Tom "Preacher" 12-inch figure will come with Crye Precision Combat Shirt & Pants (AOR1 Camo), LBT-0612F Medium Riggers Belt (AOR1 Camo), Merrell Refuge Core Mid, Black Watch Cap, Mechanix Original Gloves, American Flag patch, Task Force MAKO patch, Kaenon Hard Kore Sun Glasses, Tan Shemagh...

Latest: PIRP Toys 1/6 scale Inspector Outfit Set with Bonus 1/6 head sculpt and 12" figure body

Just when you thought you have already seen what 1/6 scale civilian outfit you want to put on for Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (see previous post), out pops another Inspector outfit from another 1/6 scale manufacturer / company with bonus head sculpt and 12-inch figure body - all these in two days (I only just saw this!)

PIRP Toys 1/6 scale Inspector Outfit Set also comes with Bonus 1/6 Head Sculpt & 12-inch Figure Body and is expected to arrive November 2012.

The PIRP Toys 1/6 scale Inspector Outfit Set includes: Glasses, Gray Raincoat, Gray long sleeve V-neck Sweater, Tie x 2 (crimson dotted and dark brown), Pants, Gray Wool Scarf, Dress Shirt x 2 (blue gray + striped), Belt, Socks, Shoes, Police Badge, Pistol, Holster and Cigarette. BONUS: Figure and Head Sculpt included free with purchase of this set. Scroll down to see more pictures and the link to pre-order this Police Inspector outfit set

Pre-order ZC World ZCWO Mens Hommes MH Vol.08 1/6 scale Men's Fashion for Jim Gordon

This is ZC World (ZCWO) Mens Hommes Vol. 008 Men's Collection 1/6 Scale Action Figure Fashion and it looks like the outfit is specifically tailored and made for one particular individual and that is 1/6 scale Gotham City Police Department Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon.

Since Hot Toys release of the Toy Fairs Exclusive "The Dark Knight" 1/6 scale Lt. Jim Gordon 12-inch Limited Edition Collectible Figure (S.W.A.T. Suit Version) - first reviewed HERE and HERE - everyone has been hunting and looking for the appropriate attire for a GCPD detective Gordon figure. Let's face it - Jim Gordon doesn't look as nice in the Gotham City Police Department S.W.A.T. outift (the helmet doesn't even fit on his head!). The Hot Toys set is better off as a direct generic GCPD S.W.A.T. team member with the switch of the head sculpt (see my post HERE for pictures). That way, the Jim Gordon head sculpt can be used for a 1/6 scale Police Commissioner kitbash / custom figure.

I have already used the Hot Toys 1:6 scale Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon's head sculpt to kitbash a regular plain clothes police officer / detective 12-inch figure - see the pictures HERE but this ZC World (ZCWO) Mens Hommes Vol. 008 Men's Collection 1/6 Scale Action Figure Fashion is certainly a welcome addition. After all, unlike superhero costumes, civilian cops can always have more than one set of clothes in their wardrobe ;p

Pre-order 3R x Fewture collaboration 1/6 scale Golgo13 Duke Togo 12" Assassin For Hire Figure

Golgo 13 is a manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine since January 1969. In 1975, the manga won the 21st Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga. The series follows the titular character, a professional assassin for hire, Mr Duke Togo.

Golgo 13 is the longest running manga still in publication, and its tank?bon edition has the third highest number of volumes. It has sold over 200 million copies in various formats, including compilation books. It has been adapted into two live-action feature films, two animated films, a television series and five video games.

2013 will be GOLGO's year if we make it past Decemebr 20, 2012 - a date the Mayans say is the end of the world Hahaha. Because of the 45th anniversary of BIG COMIC magazine's publishing and the 40th anniversary of REED Comic's publishing, 3R in collaboration with Fewture will be releasing this 1/6 scale Golgo 13 Duke Togo 12-inch Assassin For Hire action figure.

Preview Art Figures AF-010 1/6 scale Soldiers of Fortune 12-inch action figure "The Expendables"

In the 2010 action film "The Expendables" and the follow-up film / sequel "The Expendables 2" directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, former SAS soldier Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) is Barney Ross's (Sylvester Stallone) worthy right hand man. Lee is a martial arts expert, very adept at hand-to-hand combat and close quarters knife combat and is especially good at knife throwing.

This up and coming soon-to-be-released Art Figures 12-inch Soldiers of Fortune figure certainly looks to be inspired by Jason Statham's character from "The Expendables" movies and a very nice addition too :)

Scroll down to see more pictures of Art Figures AF-010 1/6 scale Soldiers of Fortune 12-inch action figure inspired by Jason Statham's lee Christmas character in "The Expendables"

Preview: POP Toys 1/6 scale Women's Leather Windbreaker sets A & B - White or Black

There has never been more female apparel being made and sold than these past few years ;p Aside from Barbie clothes meant for dollies and girls, action figures have always been male dominated i.e. male figures for boys and men who refuse to grow up haha

Not anymore it seems. Hot Toys have been producing and releasing quite a number of fine female forms of late and collectors, both male and female alike, have been snapping them up with much enthusiasm. The fine line of dolls vs action figures has become almost non-distinct, especially with the release of Zack Snyder's 2011 "Sucker Punch" movie with female cast that have names like Baby Doll, Sweet Peas, Rocket, Amber and Blondie fighting with machine guns and swords while wearing rather sexy girl clothes.

Japanese manga and anime have been putting female characters as leads for some time. Studio Ghibli, best known for 2001’s Oscar-winning "Spirited Away", has been rolling out a dynasty of strong, intelligent, independent-minded girl characters since 1984. Girl heroes are the stars of Japan’s animation industry but anywhere else, it’s hard to think of any leading women characters in this cinematic genre.

Scroll down to see more of POP Toys 1/6 scale Women's Leather Windbreaker sets A & B

Review II: Figure Club 1/6 Mad Cop 12" figure is Stansfield from "Léon: The Professional"?

continued from previous post...

If you already own a 1/6 scale Jean Reno as Léon: The Professional 12-inch hitman figure like me - check out my post HERE, you would be looking out for a Gary Oldman as corrupt DEA agent Stansfield figure to partner Léon on the display shelf / cabinet :) Well, Figure Club has just recently released a Mad Cop 12-inch figure which must have been inspired by Gary Oldman's Stansfield character in the movie.

In the beginning of the film, Mathilda's (Natalie Portman's debut role) father (Michael Badalucco) attracts the ire of corrupt DEA agents, who have been paying him to store cocaine in his residence, after they discover that he has been stealing some of the drugs for himself. They give him a chance to come clean. He doesn't. The next day, they storm the building and kill everyone inside the apartment!

Stansfield (Gary Oldman): I like these calm little moments before the storm. It reminds me of Beethoven. Can you hear it? It's like when you put your head to the grass and you can hear the growin' and you can hear the insects. Do you like Beethoven?
Malky: I couldn't really say.

Review 1: Figure Club 1/6 Mad Cop 12" action figure from "Léon: The Professional (1994)"

Norman Stansfield (billed as Stansfield) is a fictional character, portrayed by Gary Oldman, who is the primary antagonist of Luc Besson's 1994 film "Léon: The Professional". Oldman's performance has been recognized as influential and the character described as one of cinema's greatest villains.

Stansfield is a corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration (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 and his henchmen gun 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).

Figure Club Mad Cop figure comes with 1/6 scale real-like head sculpt, 12-inch male base body, realistic and detailed beige / cream color suit, white long sleeve shirt, brown leather belt with metal buckle, black socks, brown shoes, walkie-talkie, shotgun with flashlight attached, revolver, lighter, cigarette and miniature pill container. Scroll down to see the pictures :)

Pre-order Kids Logic Egg Attack Iron Man Mark IV armor suit from Marvel Studios "Iron Man 2"

You can now pre-order the Kids Logic Egg Attack Iron Man Mark IV from "Iron Man 2" from The Falcon's Hangar. Comes with metallic paint, LED light-up eyes, chest and left-hand repulsor. LED light-up base, magnetised feet and base. Constructed with ABS and PVC materials. 3 x LR44 and 3 x AAA batteries required (NOT included).

I guess Kids Logic missed the boat on getting the movie license for the first Marvel Studios Iron Man movie because the Egg Attack Iron Man debuts with the Mark VI armor suit, missing out on the Mark I, Mark II and Mark III armor suits. These are non-articulated figures and therefore would fall under the STATUES category which are not my cup of tea but worth taking a look at anyway ;p

I had covered all four upcoming Kids Logic Egg Attack Iron Man 2 armor suits when I posted on the products previewed at the 2012 Singapore Toy Game & Comic Convention (STGCC 2012 from September 1 & 2) - see my post HERE. Besides the Mark VI, there will also be the Iron Man Mark V, Mark VI and War Machine released as well. Scroll down to see more pictures (turnaround views).

October 7 – The Day the War in Afghanistan Began with U.S. Special Forces leading the way

continued from earlier post "Remembering 9/11"...

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, many U.S. citizens held the view that the attacks had "changed the world forever." The Bush administration announced a war on terrorism, with the goal of bringing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks. These goals would be accomplished by means including economic and military sanctions against states perceived as harboring terrorists and increasing global surveillance and intelligence sharing.

On October 7, 2001, the War in Afghanistan began when U.S and British forces initiated aerial bombing campaigns in Afghanistan targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda camps, then later invaded Afghanistan with ground troops of the Special Forces. This was the second-largest operation of the U.S. Global War on Terrorism outside of the United States, and the largest directly connected to terrorism, resulting in the overthrow of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, by a U.S.-led coalition.

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front (Northern Alliance) launched Operation Enduring Freedom. The primary driver of the invasion was the September 11 attacks on the United States, with the stated goal of dismantling the al-Qaeda terrorist organization and ending its use of Afghanistan as a base. The United States also said that it would remove the Taliban regime from power and create a viable democratic state. More than a decade into the war, NATO forces continue to battle a widespread Taliban insurgency, and the war has expanded into the tribal area of neighboring Pakistan. The War in Afghanistan is also the United States' longest running war.

1/6th scale World War II Allied Forces Pilots and Air Crewman 12-inch action figures gathered

G.I. Joe wasn't just named 20th Century's Top Toy (see my earlier post HERE) for no reason. G.I. Joe is the Father of all 1/6th scale 12-inch figures and subsequent action figures as well.

While toy company Mattel could barely keep up with demand for its Barbie dolls in the early 1960s, its competitor, Hasbro, realized the market had no equivalent for boys. In 1963, Hasbro began development on a military-themed line of dolls that, like Barbie, could be accessorized with different outfits and equipment. Boys wouldn't want to be seen playing with dolls, so the word "doll" was never used by Hasbro or anyone involved in the development or marketing of G.I. Joe. "Action figure" was the only acceptable term, and has since become the generic description for any poseable doll intended for boys. "America's movable fighting man" is a registered trademark of Hasbro, and was prominently displayed on every boxed figure package.

Because of the success of Hasbro's G.I. Joe line, there began a new breed of buyers who bought the toys not to play with them but to collect and pose them and these 12-inch figures became 1/6th scale collectibles. Fueled by the demand for collectibles, companies began manufacturing and releasing 1/6th scale outfits and figures for the collector market, no longer targeting boys but grown men who were keen and eager for more detailed uniforms and accessories.

Preview DAM 1/6 US Navy SEAL Riverine Ops Rifleman (Desert Camo version) 12-inch Figure

DAM Toys has released pictures of their next upcoming figure and it is going to be a U.S. Navy SEALs special forces Riverine Ops Rifleman (desert camouflage version). This 1/6 company is coming out with some DAM fine 12-inch military figures and this latest one is no exception! They are beginning to give Soldier Story a run for their money.

Riverine Operations are conducted by forces organized to cope with and exploit the unique characteristics of a riverine area, to locate and destroy hostile forces, and / or to achieve or maintain control of the riverine area. Joint riverine operations combine land, naval, and air operations, as appropriate, and are suited to the nature of the specific riverine area in which operations are to be conducted.

In the 1997 American action film "GI Jane" directed by Ridley Scott, the United States Navy SEALs were equipped similarly for the end scene battle in Libya. The gear from the movie looked to be LBVs, LC2 with CAR15s and also M16A2s.

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.

G.I. Joe named 20th Century's Top Toy! Beating Transformers, Lego, Barbie and Monopoly

As reported on Fox News:
G.I. Joe vanquished Legos and Transformers, Barbie and the View-Master to be named the top toy of the 20th Century in a recent survey.

The battle-hardened Hasbro action figure, which first hit toy shelves in 1964 as the Vietnam War ratcheted up, was picked by visitors to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis' website as the top choice. The original 12-inch soldier, relaunched as a smaller action figure in the 1980s, has captured the imaginations of young children for years. The museum picked their top 100 toys of the last century and put them up for a vote that 24,000 people participated in.

G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe, fighting man from head to toe...

"Toys are a powerful tool for exploration and imagination as we learn and grow," said Jeffrey Patchen, the museum's president & CEO. Transformers and Legos came in second and third place, respectively. Other toys that fared well in the voting included Etch-a-Sketch, Play-Doh, Monopoly, Hot Wheels, Lincoln Logs, Mr. Potato Head, Cabbage Patch Kids, Crayons, Spirograph and Raggedy Ann.

Mezco Toyz 2005 released highly accurate Liz Sherman figure from Mike Mignola Hellboy comic

Elizabeth "Liz" Sherman is a pyrokinetic female human, and part-time Agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Her parents died when she accidentally set fire to the neighborhood as a child. After the incident, Sherman became a street thief for 10 years. Frustrated by her life, Elizabeth eventually joined the B.P.R.D.. Though she has left the Bureau numerous times, she always returns because it is the closest thing she has to a home or a family.

This is the Liz Sherman 7-inch action figure from the Mezco Toyz Hellboy series of figures that were released in 2005. IMHO the sculptors managed to capture the essence of Mike Mignola's signature drawing style very well and these ranks as one of my favorites even now :)

Mezco Toyz Hellboy Comic Series One figures included this particular Liz Sherman figure, Lobster Johnson, Mecha Ape with Herman Von Klempt head, and Hellboy (earlier posted HERE). The "Abe" Sapien figure, with packaging designed for Mezco Toyz by Mike Mignola, was released as a Comic Con exclusive in 2007 (see my previous post for pictures of Abe).

Mezco Toyz 2007 Comic Con Exclusive Abe Sapien 7-inch Action Figure by Mike Mignola

This is the 2007 Comic Con (SDCC) exclusive Abe Sapien 7-inch action figure from the Hellboy comic series created by Mike Mignola. The packaging art was also designed by the great Mike Mignola himself which I've stashed somewhere (not throwing that one away ;p). As I have already mentioned earlier, Mignola is one my most favourite comic artists and his unique illustration style has been making waves in the comic industry ever since he first emerged onto the scene.

Abraham "Abe" Sapien is a paranormal investigator. He is often an ally of Hellboy. Abe is a humanoid amphibious creature. He has a pair of gills on his neck, allowing him to breathe underwater, but also has a set of normal human lungs allowing him to stay above and out of water for long periods. However, he does need to regularly “get wet” to keep him from becoming too weak.

Abe possesses webbed hands and feet, and has large, bright eyes that help to see in murky, thick water. He has distinctive black/blue stripes vertically overlapping his forehead in a shape reminiscent of a “V”, and easily ranks as an Olympic-level swimmer, if not actually surpassing that measure, thanks to his highly athletic physique.