Hasbro’s Star Wars Collection: The Mandalorian 1:1 scale The Child Animatronic Edition

Pre-order The Mandalorian The Child Animatronic Edition from BBTS (link HERE)

From Hasbro’s Star Wars Collection: The Child Animatronic Edition with sounds and motorized sequences!

He may look like “Baby Yoda,” but this lovable creature is called The Child and now you can become his protector with this animatronic toy from Star Wars. Touching the top of The Child Animatronic Edition’s head activates over 25 sound and motion combinations, including happy and excited sounds, giggles, babbles, and more, all while the figure’s head moves up and down, ears move back and forth, and eyes open and close.

Product Features: Made of plastic | Ages 4 and up | Over 25 Sound and Motion Combinations | Touch the top of The Child Animatronic Edition’s head to activate sound effects | Features motorized movements, including a head that moves up and down, ears that move back and forth, eyes that open and close, and more | Pretending to channel the Force takes a whole lot of energy and requires a lot of rest. Lay The Child toy down and it will close its eyes and take a “Force nap” | 2 AAA Batteries requited (Batteries are included)

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Win a LIMITED EDITION Hasbro x Marvel Exclusive Autographed Marvel "Spider-Man: Homecoming" Spider-Man 6-inch Action Figure

Sony’s Spider-Man: Homecoming has earned $208 million in its first ten days of domestic release. As such, barring a fluke in either direction, it’s looking like a final domestic gross of around $265m to $285m. In North America, that is good enough to be the third or fourth highest-grossing movie of the summer, depending on how high Despicable Me 3 climbs. If it gets above $263m, it will also be Sony’s fifth-biggest domestic grosser ever behind Sam Raimi’s first three Spider-Man movies than Skyfall ($304m in 2008 and in 2D).

With all the excitement around the launch of the Spider-man: Homecoming movie, Hasbro / Marvel would like to give fans a chance to win one of these 40 autographed figures with a mini contest that will put their creativity to the test by letting them complete their own comic strip. Four scenes have been designed using Spiderman and Iron Man figures with empty speech bubbles for contestants to fill out and the most creative answers will be selected at the end of every week.

Fans get to participate in the #hasbrosg #hasbromarvel contest by taking the following steps:

1. Like the Hasbro Singapore Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HasbroSingapore/

2. Join the Facebook competition: https://www.facebook.com/HasbroSingapore/photos/a.362092297177209.89659.354793571240415/1363860723667023/?type=3

3. Comment with a picture of any character from the Spiderman Homecoming range that they have purchased and their most creative answers to the comic strip

4. Five (5) lucky winners will be selected each week over the contest period from 19 July to 08 August.

So go to Hasbro Singapore Facebook page now and take part in the contest for a chance to win a LIMITED EDITION Hasbro x Marvel Exclusive Autographed Marvel "Spider-Man: Homecoming" Spider-Man 6-inch Action Figure

R.I.P. Stan Weston - G.I. Joe action figurines entertained generations / Scramble Pilot Review

This article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 13, 2017, with the headline 'G.I. Joe action figurines entertained generations'.

NEW YORK • Stan Weston, whose concept for a military action figurine became the heroic G.I. Joe, one of the most popular toys produced, died on May 1 at his home in Santa Monica, California. He was 84.

His daughter, Ms Cindy Winebaum, said the cause was complications from surgery.

In 1963, Weston was a successful licensing agent. When he approached the Hasbro toy company, he believed he might be able to replicate the success of the Barbie doll, the plastic fashionista that had been introduced by Mattel in 1959 and was followed two years later by her boyfriend, Ken. From Mr Elliott Handler, a founder of Mattel, he had learnt that a popular product could spawn a big, continuous business, such as Barbie's outfits and accessories.

After trolling Encyclopaedia Britannica for a subject that might yield Barbie-esque success, he alighted on the men of the United States military, who wore many uniforms, wielded numerous weapons and drove various vehicles (read: accessories). For his pitch to Hasbro, he mounted paraphernalia from military branches and flags on yellow cardboard, according to a 2012 article by his brother, Jay, in The Huffington Post.

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Pre-order Prime 1 Studio "Beast Wars: Transformers" Optimus Primal 25" tall Statue

Pre-order

"In the spark of an enemy, there will be salvation. And in the darkest hour, there will be a light."

Sideshow and Prime 1 Studio are proud to present Optimus Primal from Beast Wars: Transformers. Optimus Primal is one of the most prominent and well-recognized Maximals in Transformers history. Young and untested, Optimus Primal was a mere captain of an exploration ship when he and his crew were diverted off-course to pursue a stolen Predacon ship under the leadership of Megatron. To Commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Beast Wars, we have crafted Optimus Primal with great attention to detail and the true original design of the character. The base on which it stands features a defeated waspinator among a jungle environment. The statue of Optimus features LED light-up eyes.

This is the ultimate Optimus Primal piece for all Beast Wars: Transformers fans. The Prime 1 Studio "Beast Wars: Transformers" Optimus Primal Statue specially features: Approximately 25 inches tall, LED light-up function on head, One (1) switchable normal head, One (1) switchable angry head. Sideshow Exclusive: one (1) switchable battle mask head. Product Size: 24.80" H (629.92mm) x 15.75" W (400.05mm) x 18.11" L (459.99mm)

Pre-order

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1:6 scale Sir Christopher Lee as Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus in Star Wars - Rest In Peace

Sir Christopher Lee, the veteran actor and star of many of the world's biggest film franchises, has died aged 93. With a career spanning nearly 70 years, Lee initially portrayed villains and became best known for his role as Count Dracula in a sequence of Hammer Horror films. His other film roles include Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014), and Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus in the final two films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002 and 2005) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).

This is the Hasbro released 1:6 scale Christopher Lee as Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus 12-inch figure from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. In the film, Lee is former Jedi Master who falls to the dark side of the Force and becomes Darth Sidious's second apprentice, the founder of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the instigator of the Clone Wars. Lee did most of the swordplay himself, though a double was required for the long shots with more vigorous footwork.

Introduced in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku) appears as the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a federation of planetary systems rebelling against the Galactic Republic due to his anger by its bureaucracy as well as the apparent unwillingness of the Jedi Council to aid oppressed galactic systems.

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Rare Hasbro GI Joe Classic Collection 12" Tom Hanks Saving Private Ryan Figure US$11,999.99

Produced in 1999, this rare Hasbro 12" Tom Hanks Saving Private Ryan GI Joe was pulled from production after Dreamworks decided that a for sale collectible was not in tune with the seriousness of their movie Saving Private Ryan. About a dozen Tom Hanks GI Joe Prototypes In Boxes were sent to Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks. Only a couple hundred more were handed out as a special gift during a private screening of Saving Private Ryan to guests in 1999. That's it. All others were destroyed. This Tom Hanks GI Joe was never available retail. Item comes with Hasbro Original Certificate of Authenticity.

This Rare Hasbro GI Joe Classic Collection 12" Tom Hanks Saving Private Ryan Figure is now going for US$11,999.99 on ebay right now! You can check on the link HERE

I think that's a crazy price to ask for a rather modern G.I. Joe figure. I actually have this figure which I bought years ago from the flea market as a loose naked figure. I then dressed him up with the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Limited Edition Second World War Normandy Ranger uniform and accessories. You can check out my toy blog post titled "G.I. Joe Saving Private Ryan Tom Hanks Figure" HERE. I only don't have the box. So does that make me US$11,999 richer? Haha

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ZCWO Mens Hommes MH Vol. 10 1/6 U.S. Air Force Officer Service Dress Uniform Review II

continued from previous post...

The previous post could also have been titled "1/6 scale Terrence Howard as Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes from Iron Man movie" because let's face it, the ZC World ZCWO Mens Hommes MH Vol. 10 1/6 scale U.S. Air Force Officer Service Dress Uniform set for 12-inch figures is really intended for only one particular character in mind and that's Tony Stark's good buddy, Lt. Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes.

The ZC World ZCWO Mens Hommes MH Vol. 10 1/6 scale U.S. Air Force Officer Service Dress Uniform set comes with a lot of nice items and clothing, including the U.S. Air Force Topcoat and / or All-Weather Coat for cold weather as well as the United States Air Force Garrison Cap.

I didn't want to put the USAF Blue Overcoat over the U.S. Air Force Service Dress Uniform 1/6 scale Rhodey is already wearing and cover all the nice details including the ribbons and badges (see previous post) so I decided to put the overcoat or topcoat (aka all-weather coat) and USAF Garrison Cap on a classic G.I. Joe 12-inch figure in 1/6 scale Air Force Dress Uniform instead. Scroll down to see more pictures :)

Happy Chinese New Year to one and all in the year of the snake from Night Viper Transformer

It's the Chinese New Year today and this is also the Year of the Snake so what a better way to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year than with a post on snakes about snakes or a snake toy since this is a toy blog after all

This is the Hasbro Transformers Beast Machines Heroic Maximal Night Viper Cobra toy action figure that was released in the year 2000. Night Viper is a Maximal from the Beast Machines portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Night Viper is a Recon Specialist and according to the description on the card which he came in, Night Viper is the stealthiest Maximal. His tail acts as a repulsor rocket, providing supersonic speed. Internal radar scramblers allow him to move virtually unseen in both robot and beast mode. His robot mode features frictionless surface, increasing his speed and making him an extremely hard target. Armor alloys deflect most energy pulses. Recycles enemy fire into plasma venom blasts that short circuit Vehicon circuitry.

Preview Hot Toys G.I. Joe Retaliation: 1/6th scale Snake Eyes 12-inch Collectible Figure

Finally: Ending the year with a bang! Hot Toys actually plans to release something NEW instead of releasing or re-releasing something from the overdone (done to death) lines like Batman, Iron Man, Predators and Terminator

In view of the popularity of the G.I. Joe series and the launch of the G.I. Joe Retaliation movie in early 2013, Hot Toys is proud to present the Snake Eyes Collectible Figure from the G.I. Joe Retaliation movie as the first collaboration with Hasbro. The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Snake Eyes in his black “military ninja” bodysuit in the movie, highlighting the character’s image, highly detailed costume and weapons.

Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series MMS192 G.I. Joe Retaliation: 1/6th scale Snake Eyes Collectible Figure specially features: Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Snake Eyes in his black “military ninja” bodysuit in the movie; Is Approximately 30 cm tall; TrueType body with over 30 points of articulations; Five (5) pairs of interchangeable gloved palms including: One (1) pair of fists, One (1) pair of palms for holding gun, One (1) pair of palms for holding swords, Two (2) pairs of relaxed palms

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.

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.

Lim lau peh or "Who's your daddy?" i.e. Happy Father's Day to all toy collectors who are dads

This toy blog post / entry was published earlier on June 21, 2009 but is just as appropriate today as it was three years ago :) Wishing Happy Father's Day to all fathers and fellow collectors. As long as fathers are not shy to play with toys, we'll always stay young at heart and connected to our children. It doesn't mean that when you become a dad, you have to stop playing with toys. In fact, it was when I became a father that my passion for toys was rekindled and that happened in 1994 ;p

First posted on June 21, 2009:
Today being Father's Day, I thought this post would be most appropriate. It is dedicated to fathers everywhere, me being a dad to two rascals, Jared who is 15 and Javon who will be 12 in December. The joy of fatherhood cannot be explained or understood unless you become a father yourself and experience the joys of bringing up your very own.

"Lim lau peh" is hokkien for "your old man/father" just as the popular phrase "lim peh ka li kong" means "let your father tell you" or "listen to your father" - a phrase meant to put you in your place, used even when the speaker is not actually the addressee's father. (source: the Coxford Singlish Dictionary - a good read, "sure damn funny one!")

We all remember the following scene from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" where Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) is captured together with his father Professor Henry Jones Sr (played by Sean Connery) after being betrayed by Elsa when Indy goes to rescue Jones Sr at a castle on the Austrian-German border.

[Indiana and Henry are tied up]
Indiana Jones: Come on, dad. Help me get us out of here. We have to get to Marcus before the Nazis do.
Professor Henry Jones: But you said he had a two day head start. That he would blend in, disappear.
Indiana Jones: Are you kidding? I made all that up. You know Marcus. He once got lost in his own museum.

Review II: Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Ninja Commando Snake Eyes Action Figure

continued from previous post....

More Sigma 6 Snake Eyes goodness :) Here's Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Ninja Commando Snake Eyes Action Figure wearing the "visual data system with telescopic headgear" which I'd mentioned previously that it looks very much like the 'trifocal goggles' Sam Fisher wears in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. All you need to do is paint the middle lens a florescent green instead of black.

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Back in 2005, Hasbro released a line of G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 toys based the "Sigma 6" animated series. Although similar in concept to the earlier G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, the Sigma 6 action figures were 8" in height rather than the smaller 3¾" scale figures of the A Real American Hero line.

Hasbro was "rebooting" the franchise with younger versions of the cast - similar but different to their 1980s namesakes - rendered in the popular anime style. Snake Eyes comes with three different masks so that you can gear up Snake Eyes for each different mission.

Review 1: Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Ninja Commando Snake Eyes Action Figure

Remember how I mentioned that the world is just fascinated with ninjas (see earlier post) and how ninjas are on TV, in books and comics, and have even made it onto the big screen? There are even super ninjas and one of them belongs to the special team known as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero!

"A Real American Hero" was brought about as a revival of the original 12 in (30 cm) G.I. Joe brand of the 1960s and '70s. After the 12" figure had been absent from toy shelves for a few years, G.I. Joe was re-introduced in a 3 3/4-inch (9.53 cm) action figure format following the success of the Star Wars and Micronauts 3 3/4" scale toylines.

This is Snake Eyes from the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The Sigma 6 toy line allowed Hasbro to depart from the classic 3 ¾-inch format of the A Real American Hero series of the 1980s; most Sigma 6 action figures stand at approximately 8 inches (200 mm) and have more articulation.

Review II: Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Storm Shadow COBRA Ninja Master Action Figure

continued from previous post...

Here are more pictures of the Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Storm Shadow COBRA Ninja Master Action Figure, now without his pants ;p In the first review posted previously, this Storm Shadow action figure comes with maroon pants with a COBRA symbol / insignia printed on it. I wanted to know what he wears under the cloth / fabric pants so now we know. Storm Shadow stays true to his character by wearing the all white ninja outfit he is famous for and known by, except with this 8-inch 200mm tall version, his ninja attire is made of molded plastic.

Like I mentioned previously, I really like the anime style used for this particular action figure series. G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. It was based on the 2005 released G.I. Joe animated series also called "Sigma 6", which was the code name for a new group of G.I. Joe operatives with highly specialized capabilities, which they use to protect the world from the Cobra Commander and his evil forces.

Hasbro G.I. Joe Sigma 6 Storm Shadow COBRA Ninja Master Action Figure Review 1

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

The Sigma 6 toy line served several purposes for Hasbro. First, it allowed them to depart from the classic 3 ¾-inch format of the A Real American Hero series of the 1980s; most Sigma 6 action figures stand at approximately 8 inches (200 mm) and have more articulation. Second, the new series offered them the chance to streamline the story and characters, stripping away old continuity and "rebooting" the franchise with younger versions of the cast - similar but different to their 1980s namesakes - rendered in the popular anime style. [source: wiki]

In 2005, G.I. Joe returned to television with "Sigma 6", the code name for a new group of G.I. Joe operatives with highly specialized capabilities, which they use to protect the world from the Cobra Commander and his evil forces. Sigma 6 featured many of the most popular and well-known G.I. Joe characters, such as Duke, Snake-Eyes, Heavy Duty, Scarlett and Tunnel Rat, as well as a new hero, Long Range. The action figures made the jump to a larger scale (approximately 8 inch), replacing both 3 ¾ inch action figures and 12-inch (300 mm) action figures in retail stores.

Random Pic: Star Wars 1/6 scale Bounty Hunters

These are the 1/6 scale Bounty Hunters from a galaxy far far away...

The Star Wars universe is filled with these mercenaries for hire who tracked down and captured or killed anyone with a price on their head, although they were also known for doing nearly anything for the right price including the protection of clients. In all the Star Wars films, there has always been an intergalactic bounty hunter, starting with Greedo in "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)".

These are some of the Star Wars 12-inch Bounty Hunters I've collected over the years :) Hasbro is the only company that has released almost all of the Star Wars intergalactic bounty hunters in 1/6 scale.

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In "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)", Darth Vader enlists the bounty hunters Boba Fett, Dengar, IG-88, Bossk, 4-LOM and Zuckuss to find the Millennium Falcon for a "substantial reward" aboard the Star Destroyer Executor. Scroll down to see the recreated scene in 1/6 scale :)

Part 3: Seen @ Penang Toy Museum: Star Wars

A toy museum is not complete without Star Wars toys. In a revolutionary approach to Hollywood film-making and merchandising, George Lucas had wisely accepted only $175,000 as his writer's / director's fee in return for the much more lucrative forty percent of merchandising rights for his Star Wars Corporation. The first six "Star Wars" films grossed about $1.9 billion (domestic) and about $4.2 billion (worldwide) at the box office, while taking in at least double that amount from merchandise sales. Merchandising associated with the films encouraged an entire marketing industry of Star Wars-related items (i.e. toys, video games, novelty items at fast food restaurants, etc.)

With the success of the Star Wars films and its merchandising efforts, Star Wars toys have made a huge impact on the toy scene and many toy collectors have amassed lots of Star Wars movie merchandise over the years. The Penang Toy Museum, billed as the "World's Largest Toy Museum" was no exception. There were shelves upon shelves upon shelves of Star Wars toys and I've decided to post the pictures here so that you don't have to visit the museum to see what's there. I'm bringing the museum to you and this is my third part coverage of what's to see at the Penang Toy Museum and this post is dedicated entirely to Star Wars, of which I'm a big fan as well :) So sit back, relax and scroll down to see the pictures (there are almost 40 pictures in all!)

Check out the Yoda statue as he was seen in Star Wars Episodes I to III, when he was still young and active. Small but dynamite, like chilli padi :) From the picture above, you can tell how the racks at the Penang Toy Museum are constructed. Very basic structures and not really museum style displays. The front of the racks are covered by a large one-piece acrylic / perspex which is held to the shelves via screws at the sides. It doesn't really seal properly and dust (lots of it) has gathered over the years and marred what would have been a rather pleasant display.

Penang Toy Museum "World's Largest Toy Museum" Part II – 1/6 Figures and Larger than Life Statues

Continued from previous post...

This is the second part review of my visit to the "World's Largest Toy Museum" – the Penang Toy Museum which houses over 100,000 toys, dolls and others fun collectibles. This museum does not have any tin toys (which I'm happy about since tin toys are something I don't have a liking for) but a whole lot of plastic action figures. What's a toy museum without 1/6 figures right? There are 12-inch Barbie dolls and military figures and larger than life models. Scroll down to see them if you like :)

For a start, here are some pictures of the 1/6 scale 12-inch military figures displayed in this museum. Not a whole lot but some, and rather old ones too. They are mostly Dragon Models and Hasbro 12-inch military figures from way back then (late 1990s and before year 2000, I think).

The Ultimate Soldier 1/6 scale M5 Light Tank and AH-6 Little Bird looks impressive together, along with the 1/6 scale modern era M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It's a mix of vehicles both old and new and a whole clone army of Dragon Models Limited (DML) Lt. Colonel Hal Moore 12-inch figures manning the guns, talking on the radio and what have you. Everything's off in terms of time period of vehicles and figures but does look impressive to a visitor who has no knowledge of what's going on.

REVIEW II: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Class Optimus Prime

Continuing from where I left off in the previous post, this is the 2008 released Hasbro Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Class Optimus Prime CLEAR version in robot mode as we had already seen him in vehicle / truck mode in the previous post.

In robot mode, Voyager Class Optimus Prime is proportionally more accurate to his CGI design than the Leader Class toy and has a more accurate headsculpt.