Hot Toys Superman - UPDATE

I found this image perusing the ultimate Superman Blog Supermania. SuperFan Sebastian Columbo created this side by side with the use of the original HT press shot and a Photoshop touch up. As you can see some small tweaks to the eyes, jawline, curl and width of the neck would make this release perfect. Lets hope the folks at Hot Toys are listening.

Inside Kung Fu Spiderman Cover

 

Via Big Glee

The Death Ray

Finally my prayers have been answered and someone decided to make a Death Ray toy! From Press POP, the Japanese company behind the Enid Fashon Doll from years back as well as many other cool toys based on the works of Clowes, Bagge, Woodring, Pruett and Ware. This 12'' Doll will be limited to only 200(!) pieces and goes on sale tomorrow for $105 USD. Assumed to tie in with the upcoming hardcover D+Q re release of the celebrated 23rd issue of Eightball originally published in 2004.

And I was just thinking of trying to make a Mego custom from a Spiderman beater I had...this is really a dream come true...hope I get one! More information at the official Press POP site here.

The Death Ray Hardcover is expected in stores Fall 2011.

Toy Shelves

I woke this morning and had a look outside to see what the weather was like and as I glanced to my right, I noticed how good the top shelf of one of my more neglected toy cabinets was looking. Neglected only because it's in a front room I spend very little time in but I've managed to keep adding pieces here and there as I endlessly shuffle my other display cabinets contents. This top shelf represents a good cross section of pretty much all of my toy interests, you have some vintage American and Japanese 70's pieces (Mego Iron Man, Lone Ranger, Micronauts and Spiderman) as well as some of the vintage vinyl (Kamen Rider, Ultraman), newer Japanese vinyl and die cast robots, as well as some 80's curios...I really like variety and organized clutter, not a fan of sets and grouping. I've always made my display philosophy more like that of a random crazy persons toy store I'd wander into on vacation and spend hours there deciding what one piece I'd buy...enjoy.

Ohtsuka Kikau 1/10 Tiger Joe

Part Medicom RAH and part Mego, the Ohtsuka Kikau Hyper Hero 1/10 scale Real Action Doll Collection is an interesting anomaly in the world of Japanese toy collecting. I know very little about the line and any knowledge is based on the tiny bits of information I've culled over the years. It does not appear to be the most popular of lines for collectors, as I've yet to meet anyone outside of JohnnyBoy who actually knows what they are and owns a few. They appear a bit pricey in the aftermarket from the prices I've seen them going for on Yahoo Japan. Generally selling from 3,000 to over 100,000 ¥ depending on the character. I have to assume they had lower runs of some characters or offered them as Magazine or contest exclusives. Their licenses run the gamut of usual Japanese properties, with Kamen Rider dominating their output, Fist of the Northstar and Kinnikuman, Saint Saya and Mazinger and then an odd selection of various Toei Tokusatsu shows like Gavan and a few based on various Ultraman incarnations. But the mystery gets stranger, I've recently come across images of a terribly expensive Dynamite Gokin Darth Vader with die cast armor of all things! Wow!!

Image via Figures.com poster onetoy

Personally I have three, Kikaider, Yellow Gao Ranger and the recently acquired Tiger Joe from the Lion Maru TV series. I picked him up fairly cheap, in the 4,000 ¥ range, mint and never removed from the box.

And what a beautiful and unusual piece he is! Like Lion Maru, he's the usual anthropomorphic bipedal magical cat Samurai. As I have never had the pleasure of seeing more than the opening and closing sequences of the show, the box art dictates he's perhaps an adversary. Once opened, the box contains the base 1/10th scale body, body suit which is made from an almost terry cloth material head, cape, scarf, sword and the usual assortment of hands, including one for use with Lion Maru, if you are so lucky to own him. JohnnyBoy told me horror stories about how much difficulty he had piecing together his Ninja Arashi. or the uninitiated, these 'toys' are sort of a hybrid model kit, I have to assume born of the garage kit generation of 1980's Japan or maybe a simple cost cutting measure, so it's not unusual to have to use a knife to trim off excess plastic or glue some parts together. Tiger Joe requires a bit of trimming, the boots and a small portion just below the head.
Otherwise everything else goes together fairly easily.

The only other kit like assembly detail was the use of two faced tape (provided) to secure the chest plate to the front of the costume. Some incredible details highlight the beautifully sculpted boots and gloves. The Belt actually has a working buckle, not just Velcro. The sword is some sort of galvanized plastic with weight to give the impression of metal. No detail is spared and it's glaringly obvious that again, the Japanese just cannot be beat when it comes to making toys, in any scale. The details are so fine on this piece that it is hard to image they are even in the same scale as Mego's, appearing even smaller because they actually get the physical proportions right.

These minute details should make any fan of those terrible DC Direct 12" dolls weep and gasp, they are almost the equivalent of Hot Toys for this scale. A bold statement indeed. It appears the company no longer exists with an attempt to log onto their website redirecting me to a generic server page and all item listings on HLJ are labeled as discontinued. Based on the character output it appears the line died in the early 2000's. Research tells me they've actually been around since the 1970's with a very familiar logo, usually associated with die cast. In any case, if you've ever considered it, I can only give these pieces high marks, especially if they can be found inexpensively, but be prepared to do a little assembly work. Don't think I want a complete collection but I'd definitely live to pepper my cases with a few more pieces.

Hot Toys Superman

Finally, after a tease earlier this week Hot Toys have released some official publicity shots of their 1/6 Superman based on the likeness of Christopher Reeve. One of the most requested and awaited 12'' figures of all time, and so far HT did not disappoint. Sure it's a hair off, the eyes and as some have mentioned the thickness of the neck, but there is no doubt that the artisans at Hot Toys will strive for their usual level of perfection and make a few tweaks before he arrives in late 2011.

The Sideshow exclusive comes with the Kryptonite necklace Lex Luthor placed around his neck when he was trapped in the pool of the villain's underground lair, before he was freed by a good-hearted and definitely sexy, Miss Tessmacher. Here's hoping they treat this property as more of a line and less of a one off.

I'd love to see, more than a Zod, Lex or Clark, a version of the eveil alter ego hard drinkin' Superman from the terribly flawed Superman III (SDCC Exclusive?) Preorder now folks, this is going to sell faster than any previous HT offering guaranteed.

RIP - 'Macho Man' Randy Savage - Nov 15, 1952 - May 20, 2011

RIP friend, thanks for all the good times...