Collecting 12 inch toys

NERF Long Strike CS-6

2011-06-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

Guess there's nothing much to write about the Nerf guns as there are plenty of blogs on it. Just that I find the details and construction very nice. This is the Nerf Long Strike CS-6, given to my son by a friendly guy at the neighbourhood provision shop. According to him, he has 3 different models at home and decided it's time to clear out his storage space. Thus, in my son's hand lies his first Nerf gun. Infact, this LS CS-6 is about his height! Thus you can see that he has problems cocking the rifle.
Well, most of the time, I'm the one doing it for him but while I'm trying it out, it does feel good holding onto one. Brought back memories. Used to hold one of these in the Unit. Maybe because it's a toy gun, the range' not that far. No matter since I also don't want my son to shoot at his sister!
I did some research on the internet and found some real sites that showcases Nerf owners modding their guns beyond recoginition. Some looks like the real stuff while others have that futuristic look. Well, all this got me excited. Should I get one for myself? humm........

Battle Force 5 Mobi-Com

2011-02-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Finally! Battle Force 5 has arrived!

2010-09-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Finally, the show has started showing on Cartoon Network Asia! And my son is all hooked! Day and night, he's always pestering me to get him the cars. "I want Hotwheels!" that's all he knows. BTW, he's only 4 years old. :P

Went around searching for it, I even went to China Square on Sundays, trying to score one. But the trip always ends up fruitless (but I did managed to use this as an excuse to score for my own stuff without my wife nagging me! ) Then it hits me. It's not sold in Singapore. WTH! So, I tried Ebay and guess what? The freaking freight charges are cut throat. Way too ridiculous to get it over. However, when I check the official site, the price for one piece cost only USD$1.90!
Well, to cut the story short, lucky for me, my friend happened to be coming back from the States. I decided to ask him to help me hand carry back some.

Tank Buster and Fangore. Comes with launcher.

Fangore. This one particular toy that I have doubts on the 'safety standards'. The pointed tip of Fangore's carriage can cause some serious pain when it is directed at certain parts of the body.

Tank Buster....this is one of my son's favourite. The top can be raised, just like in the cartoon.

Vintage 'Blue-Box' truck/car wash

2010-05-26T01:27:00.000-07:00

My son's a great fan of HotWheels toys and I've also collected some vintage Matchbox toy cars when I was a kid. So, when I was at my usual hangout recently, I saw this box lying in one corner of the stall. Asked the boss how much he's willing to let go. I was expecting to pay atleast $50 for such a vintage but I guessed 'lady-luck' was on my side and I got it rather 'cheap'.

Operating Instructions....

Check out the date and place of manufacture...

BatMoblie, Shift Attack Sports Coupe

2010-03-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Bought this BatMobile Shift Attack Sports Coupe over the weekend at a warehouse sale. Rock bottom price I should say. What attracted me to this particular vehicle is that it's transformerable. Comes with 2 action figures.

When the spoiler is pull back, it transform the Sports Coupe into a mean fighting machine!

Have you notice that seated behind Batman is actually Bruce Wayne?

When the Batmobile transform back to the Sports Coupe, Bruce Wayne 'slides' forward.

Speed Racer....

2010-03-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

Went to a toys warehouse sale recently and scored this 'Delux' Speed Racer @ a unbelievable price. Make a guess. So damn cheap that I bought not 1 but 2 sets! hahaa...Orginally selling for SGD$99, now it's only SGD$15! How cheap can it go???

Anyway, I bought it for my son. But I do hope he can keep the car intact for time to come so that I can show case it. The wonderful thing about this particular model is that it comes with this neat pull back activation mode. Once you pull back the spoiler, Lo and Behold!! All the guns, missles, what-have-you, all spring into action. Cool...

2 missle launcher can be found on the sides, one just behind the driver and last one in front, like a harpoon. The car comes equipped with sounds of missles being fired and screeching sounds. Another button when activated, gives out several phases like, "Meet you at the finish line..."

The figure is also quite posable.

Lastly, I guess this is one Good Deal. Cheap and fun to play with. And given it's size, tip to tip 15 inches, the size is appropriate.

Random close up pixs...

2010-02-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I last updated this blog. Blame it on work or new distraction. Well, whatever. I've been all tied up with a new found hobby, that's classic/ vintage bicycles. Thus I'm taking a break from collection of toys. But once in a while, I still get the urged to snap a few pictures of them. They'll always have a spot in my life. Toys, you see, has this special touch that nothing can replace. Everyone of us have played with toys in our childhood. It's part of growing up and also helps us to imagine. Imagination is a powerful tool which I think if one lacks is rather pityful. It's good to escape from reality once in awhile. To destress....

Using my faithful Lumix DMC-TZ15, I'm able to capture these close up images. I tried to keep my hands as stable as possible. I've also eliminated the use of flash as I think using flash produces a harsh image. I loved the natural look and feel of my pictures...

Whatz UP??

2009-05-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

Independence Day 4

My 1st transformer! Had it since 8 years old...I think it's one of those Microman series..

Darth Vader....

Bikes galore.....

Shadow's in town...

Read on....

For latest reviews on other 1/6 figures, custom work and kitbashing projects, please follow this link. I'll try my best to update them as often as possible.
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The Aliens have LANDED!!!

2009-05-17T02:05:00.000-07:00

ID4, or Independence Day 4, is one of those shows that will be iconic in the sci-fi world. The plot is simple but yet filled with visual stimulation. Will Smith was the hero of the day, but, I personally think it's the human spirit that wins that day. When this figure was first released, it way too expensive for me to buy and collect. So, few years back, I was lucky to get hold of this "Supreme Commander", still with the box. The box is on good condition. Except for the standard shelf wear. What's missing is the floppy disc that comes with it.

It's motion sensor activated and the head opens up to reveal another alien, which is actually controlling the body. This was evident too in the show, when Will Smith tried to destroy the mother craft and this alien stared right at him and it opens up...

The arms are flexible and can be bend to form various poses...

Nice details...

The hole contains the sensor..

RRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...................

Transformer!! Porsche 928 S

2009-03-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

I got this vintage transformer ( not sure of it's maker ) back when I was only 8 years old. My eldest sis bought for me at a warehouse sale. Since then, I've always been facinated at how a car can transform itself into a car. I even dreamed that one day, Japan will come out with an actual version, given the advancement in technology....

Transform!!

Darth Vader Hemelt with voice changer!

2009-01-31T22:22:00.000-08:00

I got this Darth Vader Helmet with Voice Changer during the "Great OG Sale". Going for really cheap as compared to pre-sale. I have been longing to own one of this since the movie first came out. You can imagine the thrill of now owning one....

I had a great time trying out the movie phrases...and forgetting my own impersonation voice over! haha..I remember there was once a clip circulating round the internet. It's a Hokkien version of Darth Vader speaking to Luke during the duel whereby Luke lost his hands to Vader....funny how it sounds like when spoken in Hokkien.

Imagine some clowns decided to use this as a motocycle helmet..

My nephew trying it out!

My collection to date..

2009-01-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

I'm currently running out of space and my wife is making 'some' noise about my collection taking up too much space....haiz...

This doll, which I have no idea what's her name, is a rather unique one. I'm not referring to Jenny but the one next to her. What is so special about this particular one is that her face can have mulitple expression, eg. angry, happy, shock,sad or combination of all by just pressing some buttons located on her back. I'll talk more about her later.

" FALL IN" Guys!

Gossip time!

Batmobile

2008-12-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

Went to the 'Great Metro Sale' at Expo and got this Batmobile for my son. I don't normally buy DC stuff but since this Batmobile is going for just SGD$15, why not?

When you press a button at the back, the 2 side 'car' springs out, accompanying it with some cool action sound plus lights. The 2 'side car' can also fire a projective each, but I've since removed it because I find it dangerous to be played by a 2 year old kid. Don't get me wrong. It's stated on the box that it's meant for 4 years +, but, what if it's owned by a 4 year old kid and played by his 2 year old brother? hum....The projectile fires quite far and can feel the force when it hits you. So, parents, pls be cautious when you're purchasing toys..

The fins are made of soft material which is pretty safe for a kid to handle and not get poked.

The canopy opens up to fit any 43/4 inch figures. There is also a red button ontop of the car's bonet that when pressed, gives off 3 different sound and lights. BEWARE: Don't let you kid play this with the light off. The blue light can be pretty strong in a dark environment and can cause temporary blindness, which happens to me....damn super bright LED!

Iron Man

2008-12-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

Went down to CSC and as I was looking around for cheap finds, saw this Iron Monger from the Iron Man Movie (2008) going for a mere SGD$10! Grab it on the spot. I particullary like the arms movement when you 'squeeze' it's legs. And not to forget the details and the rather flexible material used. My 2 years old son loves playing with it!

Notice the packaging. The glowing chest thingy is supposed to be red but infact, on the actual toy, it's blue.

How I wish I could own a 12 inch version. If not, custom make one..hehe...

GI JOE!

2008-11-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

This is one of the 12 inch GI JOE figure that I really like as compared the rest. Reason is simple. It's nicely sculpted and poportionate. Comes with great accessories and articulation wise, not bad.

"Watch my back cos Cobra Commander gonna kick you BUTT!"

"You want a piece of me??"

S.I.C Masked Rider with bike

2008-10-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was kinda free so decided to pay CS a visit. Havn't been there for some time already. The place pretty quiet. Not many shops open for biz. U-Toys closed, as usual...haiz..but there are several still opened. So walk around aimlessly, money in pocket but don't know what to buy. Infact, I actually wanted to go and get myself a head for my 12 inch figure but after asking around, not 1 shop got what I wanted. Then I spoted this....

According to the owner, he said that this figure quite old already, maybe several years back. At one time, this item is hot. Now his selling away, 2 for the price of 1. I saw this when I was in HK last year but did not buy cos thought I already got one already ( pls see my previous posting )..

This figure comes together with a female companion and a side car. One box contains the blue fig with bike while the other box contains a female fig with the side car. Combine both, "Shazam!" Complete collection for $18...not a bad deal to me.

I luv this particular kind of figures because they're very detailed and I think they are sparyed/painted individually? Up close shot looks great. Fine details.

Trying my hands on using my PC Tablet to do some 'editing'...

WWII HD Shovel Head GI Joe Series

2008-10-01T01:33:00.000-07:00

Got this fabulously detailed 1:6 WWII Harley Davidson Shovel Head Hardtail from Yahoo Auction. I've always been mesmerised by bikes in war paint. It got that mystical feel to it. I once had a CD 185T, which had it painted in army green. Turns plenty of heads while riding down Orchard Road~ :P
How I wished that some of the parts are die casted. Atleast it would have that 'plastic' look..
The saddle bags are PVC leather, nice for a change. Would definitely loved to 'rough' it up with some air bushing to make it look more realistic...
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the makers can incorporate a LED into the head lamp?
GI Joe looking at his 'best'...more like a dummy...

Next review will be a HD Police Bike, under the GI Joe series...stay tuned for more pics and reviews!

Honda CBR900RR Fireblade!

2008-09-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

This is the wildly popular, street legal racing bike, CBR 900RR, Fireblade. Although I got a Class 2 license, which means I'm qualified to ride any bike, irregardless of it's capacity. But sad to say, I can only admire this 'beast' from a far as it cost a bomb to own one. However, I can consider myself lucky to be a proud owner of a model unit, which I got it for quite cheap, SGD$60 (I think so..) Looks detailed enough from far but still lacking in some areas....

How can a great looking bike be without a kawaii looking chick,right? I present to you, Momiko! My very own customized Jap figure made up of various parts from different dolls. Reason is that the Momoko range is way off my budget and the Dragons, not that articulated. So, off I went to my 2 favourite haunt, Sungei Rd and ChinaSquare to look for 'spare parts'....

Next review will be a Harley Davidson WWII Shovel Head.....

Bikes Galore!

2008-09-16T00:58:00.000-07:00

I would like to dedicate this section to everything about bikes. Whether those that fits 1/8 or Gashapon. As long they're 2 wheelers, I think they deserved some write ups. Myself have been riding bikes for more than 10 years and have developed a kinda special relationship with 2 wheelers. They're different from 4 wheelers. Let's not talk about safety though. Of course the car win hands down. But, if you've ridden a bike down the highway on a cool evening, you'll know what I mean. The feelings kinda of medidative and yet serene once you've hit the cruising speed. Man & Machine as One.
Thus I think a 12 inch or any action figure, should never be without a trusted 'side-kick', that is a 2 wheeler. That's why they're called 'Action figure', perhaps?

So lets start with this cool looking bike..... This bike belongs to one of the S.I.C figure( I've yet to find out the character's name ) which I bought while on my trip to HK last year. Never had any Gashapon character before but what made me buy this one is that it comes with this bike. Not just any bike. Very detailed.

Next review, Honda CBR 900 RR Fireblade, HD WWII Shovel Head GI Joe Series, S.I.C Masked Rider With Bike..

King Kong! It's Alive!!!

2008-09-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

It's been raining cats and dogs for several hours now. Wonder when it'll stop.... Last Saturday, went to a toys warehouse sale and got myself a Kong. I mean King Kong. Got it dirt cheap. Although the box was beyond recognition, the 'goods' is still in excellent condition. Took the box and ripped Kong out of it's confines. What better way to showcase the mighty beast then to set it free from it's confines. It's a pretty large toy. Best thing is that it walks, roars and thrump his chest!
I've always been facinated by King Kong when I was a kid. My father would bring me to one of my uncle's studio (he does movie poster drawings hug outside cinema back then) and I'd always been amazed at the gigantic prop of KK in his garage. Too bad didn't take a picture of it..
There will be a screening of the movie remake, Kong King on TV this Sunday. Didn't get the chance to see on the big screen but I'll definitely not miss it this time.

Singapore's 1st Toy & Comic Convention Coverage!

2008-06-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

Singapore's 1st ever Toy & Comic Convention! Finally, somebody's taking notice of the growing potential of holding one in Singapore. Well, below's my personal coverage of the event and if my comments on certain things offends anyone who comes across my blog, SO BE IT. It's my personal experience and account of what happened when I was there.
The event started on a Friday, 27th Jun for trade visitor only. So, I went straight on the 28th, which was open to the public, FOC. Very crowded. Guess every toy collecter has long anticipated for such event long enough. I had a few hundred bucks in my wallet, ever ready to go in spend every single cent on the much touted 'latest, innovative' toys available during this convention.
Before I actually entered the convention, I was hoping to see plenty of 'action', especially when the Event's Guide said that there will be a Cosplay Competition. Well, I've heard alot about Cosplay but have yet to see one in person. Guess this is the right place,right?
Kinda disappointed at 1st sight! Is that all? So much publicity, even the STB was involved and this is all they can do??? I was hoping to see crowds of 'kawaii' gals in cute Sailor Moon costume or those dressed like Sayaka Yumi...but guess this is Singapore and people are pretty conservative. Look at the pic above; Need length skirt and those stockings..do you think this will bring in the crowds? humm...guess the organisers still have alot to learn.

The entire place's not well organised. There's plenty of space at the side of the convention center and yet they have to cramp all the booth together and people were seen jostling to squeeze through the narrow walkway. I was pretty turned off. I had my eyes set on some 12 inch but because I was carrying my 2 year old son, I couldn't get to the booth as it was too crowded. The organisers should have arranged those selling to one side and those doing displays the other. That way, everyone can have an opportunity to visit all the stalls. Guess, they were worried that the initial responds might not be that good, so in order to 'create' the crowd, all the stalls are cramped together! How I wish the layout's more like those at the Robinson/
Metro/ John Little Sale at the Expo.
More pics and commentary to follow....

Toys and accessories for SALE!!

2008-05-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

Recently I have problem posting my items online in Yahoo! Auction. Highlighted this to technical support but still, that's approx. 4 days already, they've not solved the problem. Anyway, these are the items that I'm letting go. Email to me if you find anything you like. Thanks..

1:6 scale single seater chair letting go for SGD$65. Figure not included.

Venom Shape-shifter. WYSIWYG. No missing/damaged parts. Letting go for SGD$10.

Ryu from Street Fighter. Letting go for SGD$12.

CY Girl Gothic dress. Letting go for SGD$15.

Spawn figure comes with magazine attached. Letting go for SGD$10.

Final Fantast, The Spirits Within, 3 piece for the price of SGD$20.

CY Girl 100% cotton overall plus PVC leather sling bag. SGD$15. Figure not included.

Chris Jerico, letting go for SGD$15.

Japanese manga from Hong Kong. Text in Chinese. Letting go for SGD$12.

Final Count, Drop Kick. Letting go for SGD$20.

Shadow's in town!!

2008-05-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

Just got her fresh from Yahoo Auction. As like all the older CY Girls, this one was no exception. The shiny material used for her clothing had started to turn sticky and moldy. Maybe that's why the previous owner is giving her up. Well, lucky for me, I've been trying to get my hands on one..

Funny thing about this fig, as compared to the rest, the left arm seems to be a little 'springy'. As if there is some tension when you pull back the arms. Very different from the rest...hum...
The wrist is kinda of loose given that it's 'supposed' to be MIB.. No matter, the packaging comes with the standard accessories, like shot gun, pisto, base...etc...how I wished they have included a 'nan-cha-ku' or some ninja stuff weaponry instead of just the sword. That's the only disappointment I have with this fig.
Check out the writing on the sword sheath. Translated loosely in to English: " New Movie Endurance Sword" Whatever that means! haha
more poses...
One thing about Shadow is her hair...very soft and life like..wonder if it's real! Finally, I have a dark haired girl in my collection of CY Girls! Ma, check out my newly plucked eyebrows! dun they look fierce...yucky!
This is all there is on her...BBI should have given her some body armour/mask/shield. That'll definitely up the 'wow' factor.
Nicely contoured figure..
Hope more should have been done to make the joints more flexible..

Cute anime characters

2008-05-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

When I was shopping along Chinatown one day, I stumbled upon this 2 figures displayed on the shelve of a toy shop. I was somewhat attracted by the way it can pose. Then I noticed that the knees are thriple jointed, meaning greated flexibility. I immediately went in and asked the lady boss whether she got any new stocks. To my disappointment, her responds was that these are all she had left and it's meant for display purpose. I haggered with her for awhile, finally, she relented and sold me her remainding 2. YES!

Tired my hands at digital editing. Guess I still need alot of practice...

Below are pics taken of the female version. Her costume's not that bad. Given that the material has 'melted' like the rest from the CY Girls series. These rubber suits can get pretty sticky after some time in our humid environment.

Notice her flexibility.....

This is the part that I wanted to share with everyone: the make-up of this figure. Notice the joints. They look kinda familiar, like those on CY Girls, Ver 2.0. I have to remove her hair to show you the inside.

The wrist and arms still need some improvment to achieve greater posability...

Hunt For Mad Selamat!

2008-05-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

too be continued.....

Reviews,custom works and kitbashing!

2008-05-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Here you'll find the links to my collection of toys hunting reviews, kitbash and custom job.

Kitbash
Custom Hellboy, AVP2, Halo Master Chief and Ninja Gaiden
Toys shopping trip to Hong Kong
Reviews on 1/6 fully articulated figures
-Onimusha Kaeda
-Star Trek, Lt Commander Wolf
-BBI Jackie Chan
-Marvel Legends Icons Action figure
-Jenny
-CY Girls
-Cute anime characters
-Comic strip, Maestro Vs Sakura!!
-Sota Street Fighter figure, Sakura
-Final Fantasy, "The Spirits Within", Ryan Whitaker
-Microman
-S.I.C Masked Rider
-Cobra Commander
-Pirates of the Carribean 1/6 action figures
-Max Steel
-The Transformers
-Action figures from Dragon, BBI
-Miscellenous figures
-Batmobile
Latest!! Reviews and pics on all sorts of bikes for your action figure!

Onimusha Kaeda action figure review

2008-04-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is a Kaede Onimusha Warlord Female 12-inch Figure - Dragon 1/6 scale Female Onimusha Warlord. Central to the first three major chapters of the Onimusha franchise (and to a lesser extent, the fourth chapter) is what is known as the Oni Gauntlet. This is the Gauntlet that was given to Samanosuke in Onimusha: Warlords and was created by the power of the council of the twelve Oni Gods. It absorbs souls (see Nature of Souls), gives power to Samanosuke's weapons and changes the color of the orb in its center to match with that of the corresponding weapon, allows him to achieve an Oni Awakening, and is capable of functioning with other Oni items such as the Oni Army OrbFrom Dragon Models Ltd.
Kaede features highly flexible 1/6 scale (12 inch) body, authentic cloth uniform featuring fully detailed decorations. Jointed arms and legs allow the figure to perform difficult poses. Each piece of equipment is accurately reproduced in 1/6 scale.
However, given that the figure is made entirely covered with rubber, I personally don't think it's worth collecting as;
1) If you intend to pose it, after sometime, creases or cracks will begin to show on the joints.
2) With Singapore's humid weather, in no time the figure will become 'sticky'.

Iron Man, 12 inch Marvel Legends series..

2008-04-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been searching for this particular 12 inch Marvel Legends Iron Man in Singapore but in vain. Guess luck was on my side when I saw it was on sale during my Hong Kong trip. Although it doesn't come with the original packaging and 2 pieces of plastic flames, no matter. Just glad I could lay my hands on one is good enough.

Customized Galactus...a W.I P

2008-04-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

Got the Galactus upper body from one of the BAF series. If I'm not wrong, comes with a lame looking 'wolfverine-thingy-looking-girl' figure. Forgive me, I'm not a fan of Marvel Legends or any comic characters but just that the recent release of ML figures with all the super posable joints, I just have to get myself one...hehe

As you can see, my Galactus is without the lower half of the body. I got the Sentinel right arm while I was shopping at CSC. With both items lying around the house, I decided to combine both. Turns out I find the combination not bad. Now I'm in the process of sourcing for other BAF parts to mod on to this figure...wonder how long will I have to wait before I can complete this daunting task as I find these parts sometimes don't come cheap....well, W.I.P will NOT be R.I.P, that's for sure. No matter how long it takes, I'm telling myself I got to complete this custom Galactus by year end...Wish me luck!

More kitbashing....

2008-03-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

I bought this figure during last weeks trip to CSC. Got it naked and as such, have to tailor made my own clothes. Decided to give him a 'under-cover' look...more like Miami Vice sunset bay setup..

Review on 1/6 Dragon figure

2008-03-05T01:08:00.000-08:00

I've always been on the look out for a 1/6 figure that's really articulated. Bought this Dragon figure online and tried to maximize it's 'potential'. Kinda of disappointed by the limited poses it can do. Still can't do the full sqart or knee-touch-elbow position. The head tilt is also disappointing as it can't do the 'lie-flat-head-look up' position. Maybe Shaun bro can recommend or even sell me one of his spares??
Monday went down to Yellowbox at Golden Mile Plaza for the 1st time and was kinda....erm...ok.
Stuff sold there not that cheap. Saw the 1/6 scale tool box and plenty of army stuff suitable for kitbashing. However, I did bought a 1/6 figure (without head and hands). Looks slightly taller than your average 1/6 but the joints are pretty articulated. Ask the guy at the counter what brand this figure belongs to and his face drew a blank. Not very helpful given that he's doing this for a living. I expected him to provide me with more details....Will be posting pics of this new figure and hopefully, Shaun bro can help me out by identifying it and provide some clue where I can get his hands and a decent head.

Is this considered 'Kitbashing'?

2008-03-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia, 'Kitbashing' is a practice in which a new scale model is created by combining elements from existing, commercially-available model kits; these elements may be added to an existing base, or to each other.

So, my question here is, "Does changing the clothing, adding accessories to an existing figure considered kitbashing? Like what I've done here using an unknown figure (atleast to me it's unknown...maybe bros out there can tell me his name?), gave him some new clothings and added some accessories to my liking.

Got this snowboard from a fren. Looks kinda of cool, right?

This is a fireman's outfit I got from Salvation Army. Fit nicely.

Some John Woo's action moves...flying in mid air and doing stuffs all at once...

Hong Kong SDU...

2008-02-29T06:42:00.000-08:00

Star Trek Insurrection, Lt Commander Worf

2008-02-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Who is Lt. Commander Worf? What is his role in the Starfleet?
According to (Startrek.com) , these are his details:
Last Starfleet Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Current position: Federation Ambassador to Qo'noS; previously, strategic operations officer, Deep Space Nine and first officer, U.S.S. Defiant
Full Name: Worf
Date of birth: Earth equivalent: Dec. 9, 2340
Place of birth:Qo'noS,Klingon EmpireParents: Son of Mogh; foster parents Sergey and Helena
RozhenkoEducation: Starfleet Academy, 2357-61
Marital status: Widowed: married to Jadzia Dax, 51247.5 (died 2374)
Children: One son, Alexander, born 43rd day of Maktag (Earth equivalent 2366)Quarters: Currently relocating to Qo'noS from residence at DS9; formerly, Enterprise Deck 7, Sect. 25B
As for me, I'm only interested in the action figure! hahaha...Well, among the range of action figure released following the movie "Star Trek Insurrection", Lt Commander Worf is the only one that stands out from thre rest. Reason is the likeness of this figure as compared to the real person in the movie. That's enough reason to buy it. But....upon close inspection, hum....
Nice facial expression. Detailed for this price range of toys. Plus the uniform is fabric.

Not much room for articulation. Kinda of stiff.
That's the max the arms and legs can bend. You can't even twist the fore arm. The head's good for rotation but not tilting. The ankles are stiff, maybe because of the boots, I guess. Didn't take out the boots as I'm worried I might accidentally break them, feet and all.
As you can see from this picture, the skin tone and contour is great but the choice of material is pretty hard. Looks and feel like phenolics. Guess the material can last till my great-grand children and it'll still be as hard!
Verdict?? Good to keep as a reminder of the 'good o days of action figure'. Stiff and not so articulated. Well, that's what we call evolution, right??

Jackie Chan, My Story

2008-02-20T03:13:00.000-08:00

Jackie Chan, a true asian chinese actor whose a real idol to all. He really shows the true spirit of hardwork and preseverance with countless action movies under his belt. Most, if not all of his stunts are performed by himself and I heard that he's very demanding not only to himself but also a perfectionist. True action hero! That's why when I first saw this action figure on the shelf, I told myself I have to get it at all cost. As a momento piece or keepsake. This piece is DEFINITELY not for SALE. Fortunately I got it at a rather 'reasonable' price...hehe...

12 inch Henshin Cyborg Reviews!

2008-02-08T00:03:00.000-08:00

Takara released the first Henshin Cyborg, Cyborg-1, in late 1972, two years prior to the debut of Microman. Henshin Cyborg figure, interestingly, was based on the popular 12" (1/6) Combat Joe body (licensed GI Joe). The toy featured clear Combat Joe figure with visible "cyborg" and "atomic engine" machinery innards. Takara also released several accessories and villain figure (King Walder) for the series, most notably were the fabric costumes for the cyborg The costumes were from the popular early 1970's live TV shows such as the Ultraman and Kamen Rider series.......( If you wish to know more, this info was actually taken off from another website, microfever.com )
As for me, I got this 2 figures while visiting my fav haunt, Sungei Road. The 'ah pek' actually let me have it for quite a 'reasonable' price. I guess to him, this is just another old toy but to me, this is TREASURE!! Can you believe that these 2 figures still comes with the original box (not very good condition, though) and some accessories example claws-like hands, boots,body armour...etc. This is going to be a good start to a New Year of the Rat!! Yummmmmm Sheng~!

More new furnitures!

2008-02-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

This 3 seater is just one of the furnitures I got from my friend who gave it to me as a gift. It's made entirely of PVC leather and as you can see from the pics, looks good to use as a prop for photo shoots....

Optimus Prime!

2008-01-31T01:10:00.000-08:00

Finally, after weeks of searching, I've managed to find Optimus Prime Nike Free 7.0 'chiong' version in a mamak shop in Little India! As always, only 1 left! Grab it and paid the tambi promptly and walked off gleaming with a silly grin..
This time, I managed to transform it from robot to shoe effortlessly.( expeienced already..heheh) All the parts are working fine and as you can see, it poses great too...I havn't got the chance to see the real Macoy but I guess for now, this 2 'chiong' version will sit pretty nicely among my collection of toys...
"I'll kill you Optimus..." "haha, Megatron! You can't even tie your own shoe lace, let alone finish me off! "

Review of Ryan Whitaker from 'Final Fantasy;The Spirits Within'

2008-01-23T02:37:00.000-08:00

Ryan Whitaker, from the CG animated movie "Final Fantasy; The Spirits Within" , is a rather forgettable figure. You can try searching on the internet for his character description and you'll probably had a hard time looking. Then, one wonders, "Why make this figure in the first place!?" I'm sure there are other more interesting and asthetically interesting characters around in the movie.....anyway, the movie sucks! It's plot is worth forgetting and the DVD's not worth collecting...Then why buy this figure? haha...reason is simple. I got it during the annual Taka Toy Sale. Tonnes of it lying on the floor. Guess nobody's interested in getting it for keeps. As usual, being the type that goes for things that no one wants, I parted some cash and got myself 2 pcs.

At 1st look, the toy's kindda disappointing. Can't really move much. So I decided to take off his uniform and as I was cutting some of the strings attached to the body armour, I discovered that the figure is rather flexible. It's 'stiffness' is actually caused by all the stitchings. After all the threads were removed, you can see from the pics that Ryan is no longer 'stiff-joint'.

Sometimes, I get carried away during photo shoots and decided to spice up the scene by adding a prop or 2. Guess the Gothic CY Girl comes in handy at times.....haha....grrrr.....

New furnitures!!

2008-01-20T01:06:00.000-08:00

My friend just came back from the States and got me this piece of furniture. It's suitable for 12 inch figures and I think my girl looks great posing on it.. :P

S.I.C miniature( sori dun know he's name) stiffy with bike

2008-01-14T01:05:00.000-08:00

This is the 1st 'stiffy' I bought from HK. I was at 1st hesitant in buying one, reasons becos:

Never owned one before.

Not 12 inches..

Can't really pose.

Stiffy

But it turns out, I was kinda wrong. I luv the fine details and especially the bike. Wow! The more I look at it, the more I fell in love with it. I was hoping that someday, there'll be a upsize version for 12 inches...hehe

DEcepticon...robots in disguise!

2008-01-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday went for my hair cut and as I walked pass an old provision shop, something caught my eye. A transformer! Well, there are alot of knock-offs in the market but this one is different. I took it and read the instructions. Hum.....looks pretty complicated. The product finishing is not bad, given that it's a copy. So, I parted $6 and happily brought it home. Tried following the instructions but, like I said earlier, complicated. Got kind of frustrated trying to transform it. Alas, after countless attempts, I succeeded in transforming it from shoe to robot. Phew!

Medival times...

2008-01-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

This is a CG Girl, Perfect body figure, that I bought recently. As she came only with a singlet and shorts, I decided to give her a make over. Stuff that I D.I.Y; the skirt, sword and shield. Got the armoured shoulder pad from a G.I Joe figure. The sword is made of aluminium (the other sword is taken from Garo) and the shield ,balsa wood. Done some carving on the shield to give it a medival look.

Cheong-sam, anyone?

2008-01-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how CG Girls look like in a figure hugging cheong-sam? Well, I just got the answer! Got this cheong-sam from only one my China doll, Sai-ya (that'll be another story,with pics to show.) Fits her nicely.

Review of S.I.C Masked Rider 3

2008-01-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

I'm now officially a new owner of a Super Imaginative Chogokin Masked Rider G3 & G4! Got it rather cheap as compared to what shops are offering. Heard alot about it but the price set me back time and again. Finally, flush from the recent pay increase and X'mas shopping spirit, I finally dump some hard earned cash into getting one as keep sake. I couldn't resist taking both of them out to play as the name S.I.C ( Super Imaginative Chogokin ) brings about a whole new meaning to articulated toys. "They must be super posable", I told myself at the back of my head as I slowly removed all the wires that secured the toys to it's packaging.

On close examination, the details are great. Figure is pretty heavy for it's size and it comes with plently of add-ons. Took out my digicam and started taking pics of it in various poses.

As you can see from the pics, the figure is infact not that articulated. There's still room for improvement. Example would be:

the hip joint. Can't do a 180 degrees split.
the lower leg. Can't bend all the way to the thighs.
the waist can only tilt to a certain limited angle.

These are just some of the limitations that put me off as I'm being restricted as to only a handful of poses possible. So, Super Imaginative....maybe to some. As for me, I'm still trying to imagine...hard. Below you can see the figure being taken apart for close examination.

Self tailored sexy fashion clothes...

2008-01-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Bored with the limited range of clothes available, I decided to make them myself. Through trials and errors, I finally managed to come up with some decent wearable clothes for my glamour puss....

More pics of CY Girls, Gothic theme

2007-12-31T02:40:00.000-08:00

Continue my Ninja Gaiden Custom....

2007-12-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

This morning I had some free time to spare, so I decided to spray paint my Ninja Gaiden's mask. While doing this custom, I personally find that it's more harder then the rest that I've made so far. The figure looks simple but because of it's simplicity, that makes it harder to do. But that doesn't stop me. No sir. That's a challenge that I'll have to take it head on. Alot of customizers out there simply takes some figure that shares similar outlook and just by adding 'abit here,abit there', and 'VOILA'! You have a new cusotmize figure. I'm not saying that's a 'cheap' way of doing things but...wouldn't it be a challenge to do the entire figure from scratch? Hopefully, my final result will be satifactory....

Can you spot the difference??

2007-12-30T06:08:00.000-08:00

Can you spot the difference between these models? If you compared it with the original figure, you'll know what I mean. Out of curiousity and boredom, I took my fren's Jap figurine (sori I dun know her name) and gave her a photo shooting session. Also tried my hands at digital pic editing too.

Bye-bye 2007? Finale for Sakura Vs Maestro!

2007-12-30T05:53:00.000-08:00

What better way to wrap up 2007 then to deliver to you the final chapter of 'Sakura Vs Maestr0'! As promised, this is the final chapter that I've been working hard on this few days...

Before I really end this comic strip, I would like to share my personal review, with regards to the construction of Maestro. As you can see from the pics below, this particular model wasn't built to last. Maestro broke into half just as I was trying to give him a pose that requires forward bending . The body just 'SNAPPED'! Sh*T! I tired fixing it back but it proves too tricky. There was this little washer that broke (see pic). So my advice to all who bothered to read this thread, careful with this particular figure.

Mx 9 N-Tek Cycle Review

2007-12-30T01:58:00.000-08:00

Bought this bike way back. Guess at least 5 years? Got it during one of those year end sale for quite a song. It's a Mx 9, N-Tek Cycle from the Max Steel range of toys. Only yesterday I finally got the chance and time to free the bike from it's confines. Great bike I should say. Comes with flashing lights, firing missiles and when you turn the ignition button located on the tank, it produces a 'real' engine cranking sound. When you pushes the bike, the back wheel generates a 'vroom' sound. Cool...Should have bought several of this at one go and sell it on line..hehe...too late now.
What's the point of just taking pics of the bike if there are no models? Well, as usual, I took out my gorgeous CY Girls, this time added Ryan Whittaker (from Final Fantasy, The Spirits Within) for a change. He looks kinda out of place,right?

Sneak preview of CY Girls, Gothic themed.

2007-12-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Last night, with all the Christmas stuffings and what-nots still rolling about in my stomach, I decided to take out my 2 CY Girls Gothic for a photo-shoot. As I was happily snapping away, I discovered that these 'ladies' are really designed to thrill the senses...their extremely posable bodies allows your mind to flow free and put all the desired pose onto film. No restriction. No hold barrs..Suddenly, I can feel myself like a professional photographer, dictating his 'models' move/pose. Cool. What I need to do now is to sharpen my phototaking skills and hopefully, find more props to better equipped my 'studio'.

Ninja Gaiden's helmet and mask..

2007-12-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

Just another day and Christmas just zoomed by us so ever quickly...back to work..haiz...the taste of turkey and roast ham still lingers in my mouth. This morning, got up and told myself, "You must get the head of Ninja Gaiden ready by noon!" Time is moving fast especially if you're enjoying yourself. On the eve of X'mas, I managed to sneak some time into my busy schedule and got myself some toys. Went to CSC and spent some hard earned $$ and bought myself 3 figurine; 2 Gothic themed CY Girls ( rare find! ) and a Pullip ( even rarer find! ). I was grinning from ear to ear. Just like a little kid. No joke. This 2 characters, CY Girls and Pullip are indeed a rare find, given that BBI have long stopped producing CY Girls and Pullip BJD is very EXPENSIVE to own. These dolls or should I say 'articulated' ladies, are indeed super posable and they are very well endowed (only the CY Girls, not Pullip). Not your typical Barbie dolls....
Ok, sorry for side tracking. Back to my sculpting of Ninja Gaiden....

Finally, inspiration!! Let's CUSTOMIZE!

2007-12-23T03:12:00.000-08:00

Finally, after so many days dozing in and out of limbo land, trying to gather some inspiration for my next custom, an idea struck me. Why not do Ninja Gaiden? Looks pretty simple to me. I had some stuff lying around. All I need to do is some simple sewing of the costume and make the swords...WRONG! On closer look, I noticed that there is a layer of carbon fiber texture beneath the leather/PVC/lycra piece that he's wearing. HOw on earth am I going to get that type of material? Too late. I've already started to sculpt his head...

Can Sakura outwit-outfight Maestro??

2007-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Continuing from the previous encoutners, Sakura managed to give Maestro a sudden surprise. However, after the end of the reactive wars that wrecked or killed most superheroes, Hulk, now calling himself Maestro, have evolved further. His body is now able to absorb the most deadly radiation and thus increased his super human powers 100x! Can Sakura defeat this behemoth crazy maniac? Or will she end up like the rest of the ex-super heroes? ...

Is this the end for Sakura??

2007-12-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

2007-12-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

Continue from the previous posting...more to come...

Sakura Vs Maestro!!

2007-12-20T16:53:00.001-08:00

Finally, got some time to do a min-comic strip. Someone suggested putting ML characters vs SF..sounds interesting. So here goes, our lovely Sakura Vs the mighty Maestro! Enjoy!

2 days, still not inspiration....

2007-12-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

Haiz..it's been 2 days already and I'm still suffering for 'customizer's block'. What to do? Maybe the weather's been crazy lately and that affected me. Anyway, as usual, not wanting to waste time sitting around wandering what to do next, I decided to take out Jenny for a photo shoot. This is her first appearance ( hopefully not the last ) since being 'boxed' up for who-knows-how-long. Even the sticker on the box had turned yellow...
Well, as always, I took her out, 'played' with her alittle and this was what I discovered:
1) The figure is not that articulated. So, quite limited to only a handful of poses.
2) Figure's not that well endowed. So, again, didn't turn out what I had expected during the photo shoot.
But overall, she's a pretty doll with cute Japanese anime features. Luv those eyes. Kinda sparkle. Very different from Barbie. Maybe, I'll try to source for a real 12 inch fully articulated female figure. Or maybe I already owned one, somewhere hidden in my ever growing collection of 12 inch figures! That'll be interesting....

More pics of Sakura!!

2007-12-18T01:23:00.000-08:00

More pics of Sakura! Just couldn't get enough of her! How I really wish SOTA can make some 12 inches... I'm now looking for Chunli and Cammy..guess that will complete the SOTA SF Pin-up Girls collection! hehehe...

New hobby??

2007-12-16T19:00:00.001-08:00

I've dedicated my blog to 12 inch toys but of late, I've been on a purchasing spree for less than 12 inches..Reason is because I'm fast running out of storage space and I'm currently kinda stuck: Something like writer's block but I call it customizer's block. I'm still thinking whether to do a 'Bionic Commando' or a AVP 2 offspring. I have several 12 inch figures now staring at me everyday, waiting for me to transform them into something of my desire...haiz..but, still life has to gone on, right? So, I decided to take up a new hobby, just to kill time and also trying to gather some inspiration. Yesterday I just bought my 1st SOTA toys. Guile and Sakura. Guile's meant for my nephew's Christmas present and Sakura's for me to 'explore'. After taking her out of the packaging, I tried to loosen her joints (kinda stiff, maybe bcos of the paint) I accidentally broke her wrist!! OMG! This stuff's flimsy! Maybe because of the materials used nowadays, kinda rubbery.. same thing happened to my 12 inch ML Icon Spidey. I too broke his wrist while trying to loosen the joints. Man, what luck!

This morning, I tried fixing Sakura's wrist and fortunately, Lady Luck's on my side. Managed to removed the broken stud stuck in her wrist and super-glued it back to the hand. While waiting for the glue to cure, I decided to give Sakura a photo shoot. As the designers make her skirt abit too short, her panties got exposed most of the time. As this blog is seen by many & I dun want any authorities/ irate parents come knocking at my 'doors' for 'indecent' exposure, I've decided to block out any 'unfavourable' exposures.... enjoy the pics!

TGIF!!! And it's raining cats and dogs..again

2007-12-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a week!Finally it's coming to another end of a slobbering and slogging week. The weather's been rather erratic lately. Rain. Stop. Rain. Stop. Then sunny. Stop. More rain. What has the world become? Maybe the world leaders, now at Bali for the Kyoto Convention, shld speed up the process of reducing greenhouse effect on our troubled Earth. Heard on the news this morning that Al Gore publicly critises US of A. Well done! US is one of the MAJOR contributor to the ozone being depleted at such an alarming rate with all the SUVs zooming arnd. Enough politics blanter..now for the real stuff. Stuff my blog is dedicated to. Today kind of bored, so I decided to take out my 12 inch Cpt America and Wolverine for some photo shoot. As I was going thru the pics, it turns out that I can do a mini comic strip out of it! hahaha...enough said, enjoy what I have complied..

It's Completed! Halo 3 Master Chief!!!

2007-12-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

Finally, my very own Master Chief from Halo 3! hahahaha....Took me several weeks, actually, not that long, to complete this customization. The base is from some unknown action figure ( but posable ). I had to build Master Chief from bottom up. No joke. Use up alot of my Apoxy. Also, as I'm not a fan of Xbox games, I had to spend time on the internet searching for suitable pics of Master Chief. Not to forget investing abit of $$ on buying Xbox 360 mag for pictures to use as reference. As you can see, my Master Chief is slightly different from the original design. Reason is because I was too anxious to get the project started and I only had some vague pics of Master Chief taken from the internet. The rest of it I had to imagine. I only noticed the difference when I bought the mag, which, by then I have nearly completed 80% of the customization. Anyway, hope the result turns out well.....enjoy the pics...

My 1st set of 'stiffies'..

2007-12-10T01:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not a fan of 'stiffies', toys that can't pose, but I was some what won over when I bought this set of Masked Rider series toys when I was in Hong Kong. Although they can't really pose, the designers managed to give them that special 'it' factor. You can see from my pics (even though not professionally taken..hehe) that they can strike some pretty nice poses...
The best thing is that they don't take up much display space, which I'm fast running out of. Currently I'm concentrating on making my customized Halo 3 Master Chief. Hope can showcase it soon....for now, it's stiffies...haha...maybe after Master Chief, I might consider making on of these Masked Riders..:P

Latest Accquisition...

2007-12-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

My latest collection of 12 inch Marvel Legends Icon, Captain America and Wolverine Unmasked. Took them out of the box and started to play with it. Loosen the joints abit. Reason is that if the figurine is kept in it's confines for too long, deformation is bound to set in. My Captain American is one good example. The legs are slightly bent in a rather awkward position. I only noticed it when I took it out of the box. So is Wolverine's steel claws. Not very straight. Anyway, doesn't matter to me though. Soon, I'll be customizing them...hehe... Still contemplating which figure to make...*ponder-ponder
There are 2 option; Use Wolverine as a base for the Halo 3 Master Chief or Capt America as base for some Mask Rider figure.
Thinking of this 2 issue had me twisting and turning in my bed for hours...what do you (visitors to my blog) thinks? Any recommendations? Suggestions? In the meantime, enjoy the pics.

I Want! I Want!!!

2007-12-02T23:32:00.001-08:00

After spending 1 whole evening at CTMA Centre look-see-look-see, I decided to call it a night. I'm totally spent. My legs have done more than what I had done during my NS road marches....but happy about it. I was somewhere in cloud nine. But something's still amiss. What have I not done? Did I miss out any place? Went back to the hotel and look through my 'research' notes.."Ah-ha!" There's still ONE more place I missed out. It's call 'In's Point'. This is another toys paradise...this has got to be the last destination in my itinerary because I'll be leaving HK the next day. Went to bed with a silly brim, thinking what will I discover tomorrow...zzzz

The next morning, went to the nearby shops and had dim sum. Do you know that HK's food not that fantastic? I find them kinda salty...anyway, with stomach full and some time to spare ( as most shops only start biz after 10am), I went to Snoopy Land (in Sha tin) with my family.

11 am, humm....with family settled, now's my time to shop. MY TIME....hahaha! Rush straight to In's Point. Guess what? Most shops still CLOSED! AHHHHHHH! Checked with the security guard and he says most toys shops in In's Point opens at 4 pm. 4PM! The tour agency coming to pick us up at 4:40pm. Guess I dun have much time to waste. Run through all the shops and you'll be amazed at all the toys in this place. It's 10X much better then CTMA Centre! All sorts of toys and they're priced quite reasonable. (Reminder: No photo taking allowed. That's why no pics to show,haiz...) Spotted an action figure selling for SGD $50+..but shop's closed and lights still on. Saw an uncle outside unpacking some stuff, approached him, "Uncle, I want to buy that toy but shop's closed. Do you know the boss?" Uncle says" Boss inside. You want what?"

Now this is the moment, boss came out, looked at me and says, "Today closed for stock check. Come back later." COME BACK LATER???? No way! I immediately told the boss that I'll be leaving HK in an hours' time. Can't I just buy the figure? PLease??? He then relented..phew...and these are the things I bought. Man, I nearly climaxed...nearly...haha....

WoooWeeee! I'm Back from my HK shopping trip!

2007-12-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a long week! I just spent 6 days in Hong Kong and I must say, the trip was well SPENT! Before I left for HK, I told myself that this trip MUST not be wasted. No way. It's not just going to be another sight-seeing tour but I have a mission: To locate the mall that so many toys collectors recommended. Yes...and I didn't go unprepared. I did my homework. And from the pics, you'll know that I've done my research well.....*pat-pat...
Enough 'blah-blah', now to the REAL stuff. Found CTMA Centre in Kowloon. It's located in Woman's Nite Market, along Dundas Street. If you're able to locate this street, you're in Toy Haven...There's actually 2 malls in this area selling toys. CTMA Centre & another opposite it. Shop name is (animate). It sells mostly Jap toys eg. Gundam,microman,anime...and some 12 inch action figure. Not that cheap, but good to look at. Can get pretty crowded and squeezy as the area isn't that big....

After checking out (animate), I proceeded to CTMA Center. There's around 3 floors selling toys. Not sure whether can take pics or not but I still take them, discreetly..cos after taking all these pics, while trying to take another one, I was spotted by the security guard and he stopped me. I just acted blur and spoke to him in English...he looked at me and just walked off. Good thing that not many Hong Kongers knows how to speak English...hehe..

Hellboy, boxed and carded...as if.

2007-11-24T02:16:00.001-08:00

Due to the lack of storage space for my ever growing collection, as you can see from the pic on the right, I decided to put Hellboy in one of the empty ML ICons box. This is to:
1) Prevent dust.
2) Prevent accidental damages to the delicate paint work.
3) Lastly, also to 'show-off'!
Can you believe it, after putting it in to the box, I just can't take my eyes of it! Looks like I just bought it from some toys store! hahha...guess I'm just trying to kid myself.
One look and you'll know that it's done by a novice customizer...

"Can't take my eyes off you, you feel like heaven to touch. I want to hold you so much...." hahahaa...some old classic corny song..but it best describes my feelings right now. Did I ever write why I wanted to make Hellboy?
Reasons:
1) 12 inch ones are TOO EXPENSIVE!
2) The original Hellboy not that articulated, even if so, VERY EXPENSIVE!
3) I wanted to own one, but find them TOO EXPENSIVE!
There you have my 3 main reasons why I wanted to make a Hellboy figurine..

Finally, Project 'Hellboy, Customized' completed!

2007-11-23T01:20:00.000-08:00

Hope you'll enjoy the pose....feel free to comment/compliment/critise but no vulgarities....thanks..hehe..

More sewing....sew..sew...

2007-11-23T01:03:00.001-08:00

This had got to be my toughest time making Hellboy! I have to crack my brain to think of a solution to fit the right sleeve onto his 'Hand of Doom'. Luckily, not ONE single pinky was injured in the process...PHEW!
After completing the right sleeve, I decided to add a collar and a leather belt plus buckle. Looks pretty authentic though...
Reason why I'm rushing this project is that I'll be going on holiday next week! YEH!!!! Guess where I'm going? HONG KONG! The land of toys! I've done some checking and snooping arnd and found several shopping malls specializes in selling all sorts of toys. I tell myself that this had got to be it...I'm gonna get myself some fantastic toys( much be cheap too..) before coming back to SG. No toys, no SG. Serious. Unless, my money runs out before I even get my hands on them. But then again, I can still take pictures. I'll try to capture 'strategic shots' of shops selling toys so that whoever visit this blog of mine can use it as a reference guide. Anyway, that 's all I'm gonna write for today, got to pack and prepare for the 1 week trip...ciao and adios-amigoes! Enjoy the pic of Hellboy!

It's Sewing time!

2007-11-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

Today, I managed to get myself a decent manual sewing machine from Yahoo Auction. Why do I need one? Why, I want to sew my own costume from Hellboy, that's why!

One your right is the WIP trench coat and leather pants, all sewn in ONE DAY! Can you believe it? Wow! Sometimes, I amazed myself....

Guess all those years of fiddling with my mon's sewing machine really pays off. The coat's made of cotton and it comes with a hood (see later pic). Actually, I wanted to make a leather coat, infact, I did made one but it's too stiff. Doesn't have that 'drop-down' effect.

Why I say WIP? Well, I'm still missing a sleeve and collar. That's a bit of a tricky part which I'll do it after a good nite sleep. VEry tiring, you know! I've never sewn such small items before. Need alot of 'eye-power'.

On the right is the antique sewing machine I bought online. Guess it still works! hehee..
This hobby is costing my $$...but loving it every minute of it! More pics to follow...

The Right Hand of Doom....

2007-11-20T22:26:00.001-08:00

Well, this morning, the weather's fine and cooling. So I decided to carry on with my Hellboy mod. As I still have some epoxie left, I decided to proceed with making the 'Right hand of Doom' and finish the eyes. One thing I find hard to do are the eyes. Hellboy's eyes are very expressive..it got that kind of 'moody' stare. Making the hand was easy. But to achieve the effect, why, that have to wait till it's cured. After making the hand, I still have some spare epoxie, so I decided to bulk up his neck muscles. This is the tricky part. I must prevent the neck from sticking to the neck muscles or I'll have a Hellboy with stiff neck! haha...
SpideyWeb from SGcollect ask me these questions:
Q) What type of expoxies or putty I used?
A) 2 Part Epoxie, bought from Fix It shop. Cost arnd $7+. As for putty, I havn't tried one yet.

Q) Compressor model and airbrush accessories...
A) Got all of them at Artfren, Bras Basah.

Q) Type of paint..
A) Acrylic. The type normally used for airbrushing. Can also be bought from Artfren.
I'm not so much of an expert in such things. Just used them as I go along. Some experts are very particular about certain paint brands. Well, if I ever reached that stage, I'll let you know my preference..hehe..for now, anything goes.

The Rise of HellBoy!

2007-11-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

Yoyo...wah! After completing my AVP look-alike, that's what one member of the SGcollect forum calls it, I've decided to embark on my next ambitious project; custom build Hellboy.

Why I say custom build? 'cos I took a completely simple 12 inch figure, those you can get it from the mama shop and transform it into Hellboy. Not possible? Me cazy? Well, I call it a challenge. Anyway, I still have some of the 2 Part Epoxie thingy lying arnd, so why not give it a try. I decided not to waste any time and proceeded to bisect my mama shop action fig.

You know what, I was lucky enough to discover Jinsaotome's site. He is a true Master and a selfless one. Got this tip from him about making movable joints. So I decided to take pics of my WIP and share with any bros interested in making his own joints movable. But first, you need a Dremel set. This bugger is really heaven sent. It's a customizers dream come true. Without it, I don't think I would have dared ventured this far.

After making all the limbs movable or shld I say more flexible/posable, I decided to work on the face. I downloaded some pics from the internet and started work straight away. I also got some tip from Harian from SGcollect. He uses tal powder to prevent epoxie from sticking to the fingers. Well, it works! Thanks man.

The face is still WIP. The eyes, I might some problem making them..you see, Hellboy's eyes are very expressive. They're also rather small. So I decided to make the face 1st, let it cure overnight and tomorrow then work on the eyes, neck, shoulder and chest.

WoooWeeee! Finally 100% Completion!

2007-11-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

WooWeee.....finally, I have completed my 1st customized 12 inch action figure! What an achievement! Didn't know that I would get this far. This morning, after the 2 Part Epoxie thingy had cured, I went on straight to paint the glasses. I decided to choose dark blue and the tiny slit luminous green. Wanted something like a NVG. Proceed to take some pics of it. Sometimes, I look back and I'm pretty amazed at what I can do.. :P
So, with this 'self-encouragment', I have decided on what figure I want to do for my next mod; Hellboy. That will be some challenge as I need to make quite a few stuff, eg. clothes and his oh-so-big gun. Now in the process of gathering pictures. Wish me luck and I'll try not to disappoint!

90% to completion!

2007-11-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

Wow! Finally, after some good pointers and direction from Spideyweb ( guy from SGcollect.com forum), I finally managed to get the right PSI out of my compressor. All this while, I've been using the wrong pressure ( 6 Bar as compared to the correct pressure, approx 2 bar ) No wonder I keep getting sputtering whenever I tried to spray...
Well, with the 'problem' behind me for now, I can concentrate on completing my mod.

Today, I did some fine air brushing on the figure and added some details to it eg. veins, scars....
Oh..not to forget, the all important hairdo!

Now, doesn't he look familiar to you?? I'm trying to create that 'Predator' look...hehe..maybe my next mod will be to use another ML body to mod a Predator...

Tried looking for the right eyeballs for him but couldn't find any suitable ones...so, I decided to make him a pair of eyewear. I borrowed the design from Cyclops as I find them rather cool...

I used some 2 Part Epoxies to make them. Now waiting for it to cure and tomorrow, I'll finish off the glasses with some silver or yellow paint...maybe yellow's not the right colour. He's supposed to be some fierce jungle fighter..imagine wearing a pair of yellow glasses...humm....not right.

Still, I'm not satisfied with the result. Something's still missing. Ah-ha! Clothes. Fine clothes maketh a Man..

So, searching around, I found some spare pieces of synthetic leather and decided to make a loin cloth for him, so that he'll have that tribal-jungle look...

It's spraying time, Part 2...

2007-11-15T07:00:00.001-08:00

What do you think of the colour? To me, now Spidey looks more like Doc Croc, variant version. As I did not sand away the lines on Spidey's original body work, after the spray paint job, the line now resembles scales..
With the hump at the back and scale like feature, I think I now have a deviant version of Spidey...
Suddenly, I got an inspiration to write a story on this new Spidey-mod-deviant-version...
The time could set to the distant future, whereby after the Great Battle with Galactus, most of the superheros have either died or are badly injured. With Earth now badly toxicated and nuked, the surviving human population have burrowed deep under ground. With now contact to the surface and away from sunlight, most have evolved into hideous creatures.....

It's spraying time! Part 1..

2007-11-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to spray paint the body. Still haven't got the hang of using an air brush. Look at the paint job, ugly right? Well, I have to be honest to myself. If the paint job sucks, then it sucks. There's no two way out of this mess...
First, I decided to spray paint his legs with Candy Blue tone. Try to match Spidey's original colour. Then I proceeded to airbrush the upper torso with some mixture of black and lime green. The outcome of this combination is like, gold and somewhat, kaki...more like 'rojak'.
The gun and canon was spray painted seperately. The colour tone is Olive green. I'm trying to creat a 'Swamp Thing' kind of look. Come to think of it, the blue colour looks kind of 'gay-ish'...

Added more stuff to Spidey..

2007-11-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

Today's weather is great for some serious work. Took out Spidey and check on the 2-Part-Epoxie thingy and it's completed hardened. Good. Give it some sanding down to remove any rough surfaces. Something is still lacking...Spidey still looks plain. What to add onto his body? After much serious thought, I decided to give him some veins. Reason is because the part that attaches the fore arm to all the weaponry looks plain and un-interesting. Maybe some veins would do the trick. Guess from the pic it looks cool with the veins, right?

Well the veins don't stop there. I decided to add some onto other parts too. Like the groin area. Oh, yup, I also added Spidey a pair of nicely contoured nipples. Have you ever wondered why most toys don't have nipples? Humm.....come to think of it, don't think they ever had any! haha...Well, I decided to do the 'right' thing, putting stuff where it's supposed to be. Now Spidey looked more anatomy correct, less his erm..pee-pee. Guess I just have to do things one at a time.

More veins were added to his thighs, legs and back. The overall effect now looks better. Spidey now looks more cynical and fierce...more veiny.

After doing all the adding of parts and final touch up, I decided to prime it and give Spidey an undercoat paint. This paint is slightly thicker in viscousity. This enables it to seal any flaws or inperfection that I've missed. But I still have one BIG worry; will the paint adhere to the body? Well, I'll only have to wait till tomorow to find out. Looking at the 70% complete Spidey, I suddenly felt a sense of satifaction. Will this be my 1st and last mod? Humm....

Continue my customizing project...

2007-11-13T01:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is today's work. I tried the 2-Part-Epoxie thingy and I think it's not that good to work with. Gets kind of sticky and doesn't have that firm texture to work with. But it does stick to the body. I've decided to add a blade to his right fore arm and an additional canon( it can fire a missle) to the machine gun, so as to beef up the left fore arm.

Now I'm kind of at a cross road; Should I carry on adding more stuff to Spidey or should I just leave it as it is? Too much can before 'over-kill'. Too little is like, 'might as well don't do' kind of feeling. So how? Well, while I ponder about the future of Spidey and also to let the epoxie dry, I decided to check out the net for more deals and tips from expert customizers. Also carry on my 'hunt' for more 12 inch ML figures going for a song. Wish me luck as these stuff are kind of getting rare and becoming collectors items..Maybe I should switch to 6"? Humm....if there is a shortage, or if I'm desperate enough, I might consider this last option. But then again, I can't call myself "12 inch toys collector" again,right? haiz.............

Today's accquisition..

2007-11-13T00:41:00.000-08:00

Before I continue writing about my 'mod' sessions, I would like to show you my latest accquisition of 2 outstandingly detailed 6", fully articulated Marvel Legends toys. Got them from the Yahoo Auction site. Great deal. This is the 1st time I'm owning one and 'wow', was I blown away by the fine detail and articulation found in these series of toys! No wonder ML managed to win over so many fans worldwide. I got myself a Juggernaut(loose) and a Maestro(MSIB) for a start. The Juggernaut was kind of stiff at some joints. So I plied it and with a little 'force' (nearly ripped it off!) I managed to get the sturborn joints to move freely. Now I can give it al kinds of pose. Woowee..can they really pose! Love it. Should have gotten one earlier.

The next one is Maestro. He's MSIB so I don't get any chance of 'exploring' him but can only admire the details..(T.T) unless I want to free him from the confines of his 'prison', that's the packaging. I will do that later, if I'm bored and fingers itching..hehe

Customization of ML Spidey Icon,con't....

2007-11-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Today, I decided to dismantle my Gundam to be used as spare parts for my mod project. Anyway, the Gundam is a 'chiong' version, that is a boot leg one. So, not much hard feelings. Found out that there are actually many parts I can use. Anyway, I added the machine gun bcos I accidentally damaged Spidey's wrist..oops..anyway, take it as a lesson learnt. Will be adding more parts to it to make the whole figure more 'sophisticated'. Actually, I'm beginning to get addicted to modding or customizing.

This evening, I went to Compass Point and got myself some 2-Part-Epoxy-Resin mixture thingy. Thought of using it as a substitute for the Sculpey III that I'm using.

As for price comparison, both comes to about the same, but, I've yet to try it out and see whether it's easy to work on as Sculpey. Only diff is that the 2-Part Epoxy is air cured while Sculpey needs to be baked. Tomorrow, I'll know the answer...Stay tuned...

My 1st foray into customization...

2007-11-10T01:08:00.000-08:00

Hi ppl.

This is a sneak preview of my very 1st maiden journey into the world of customizing toys. On the right is a Work-In -Progress of my 1st mod, done on a 12 inch Marvel Legends Spiderman.

It took me quite some time to convince myself to travel down this road of customizing my beloved collection. For the uninitiated, alot of toys collectors, like myself, simply buy these excellently sculptured works of art and kept them on the display shelf. None of my collection ever left the box, unless for inspection. Some of them are infact,'virgins'. Never, ever left their 'home', which is the packaging.
So, I gathered much courage to 'go where only expert customizers go', that is to take the 1st step of 'butchering' my beloved collection..... T.T

Review of Pirates of the Carribbean action figurine

2007-03-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

"Sao Feng is tall and has a moustache that is about a foot long. His head is shaven. Extensive scars cover him, especially his scalp. He wears black clothing and speaks English proficiently, but with a slight Chinese accent. Chinese character adorn his robes; it is unclear what they specifically are, but appear to match his name. He is also heard reciting a few lines of a Chinese poem in Cantonese. His weapon of choice is a dao. Personality-wise, Feng is depicted as an unscrupulous and honour-less coward who will do anything to join with the winning side (which he considers to be "just good business"), even if it means betraying his best friends."

"Will is a competent swordsman, although he lacks actual combat experience compared to duelists like Jack. Although mild-mannered, Will is extremely brave, as seen when he faces Captain Jack Sparrow, a notorious pirate, in a sword fight, and by his response to Barbossa's attack on Port Royal. He is fiercely loyal to those he cares about and would risk everything to protect them, especially Elizabeth. At his best, Will is clever, heroic, and courageous and never shirks responsibility or leaves an obligation unfulfilled..."

My bro knew that I loved collecting 12 inch figures and got this for me as a Christmas gift. I have seen this figure on sale many times but wasn't sure how articulated it was until last night...
After taking pics of my 2 lovely Gothic themed CY Girls, I decided to 'free' Will from it's 'imprisonment'. At closer look, he's expression is pretty life like. Loves the costume too. Detailed for toys from this range. However, one weird thing I discovered was that the body can only rotate in ONE direction. Why is this so? Is there an reason for making it as such? humm....had me scratching my head for an answer. Otherwise, this is a commendable figure. Pretty posable too.