The saga of Saint Seiya continues and Bandai has new Saint Cloth Myth to show for it. I take a look at the first release from Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas. It's Pegasus Tenma.

Review sample provided by HobbyLink Japan.

Saint Seiya has a long and rich history and the main story is still not finished. While fans wait, for the stories of Heaven and Chronos to be told a prologue story was created under the supervision of the original creator Masami Kurumada and written and illustrated by Shiori Teshirogi.

The Lost Canvas takes place 250 years before the original Saint Seiya saga and tells the story of three orphans that grew up as children only to assume their roles in this cosmic battle of good and evil. It touches upon plot points and themes from the original series while chronicling the previous Holy War between Athena and Hades.

First up in Bandai's line of Saint Cloth Mythology line for The Lost Canvas is Pegasus Tenma, the series's main character and this generations Pegasus Saint. With the series being written and illustrated by a different artist the anime adapts this new look and Bandai took and ran with it. Creating a striking new look for the Saint Cloth Mythology line.

The packaging continues the look of previous Saint Cloth Myth, a book style package that opens to reveal the figure and all the armor parts and pieces neatly arranged.

The Tenma figure features an all new body type and a new “style” to the look of the head sculpt. I love how it captures the look of the new series yet fits in with previous SCM releases.

The body features over 40 points of articulation as well as interchangeable faces (for different expressions) as well as 8 interchangeable hands.

Also included is the flower bracelet Sasha (Athena) made for Tenma, Alone and her as children to signify their bond as children.

Each warrior wears an armor in the series. Athena's warriors wear “clothes” and are all named and designed after constellations in the night sky. So when the Cloth is not being worn be our heroes they form a statue or “Object” to be more accurate. Tenma's armor being the Pegasus saint turns into a Pegasus statue.

You may notice that the figures themselves are fairly spindly and thin but all that changes when you put the parts on for the armor. Everything sits and looks properly in proportion once on and looks stunning on the shelf.

Most of this release is die-cast metal with only the skirt plating and head-piece being made of plastic. There's not a lot for armor on the figure as this is how it appears early in the show before it's first repair/evolution.

Not a lot of surprises with this release. Saint Cloth Mythology has been a top quality line from Bandai for many years now and Pegasus Tenma is an excellent start to The Lost Canvas line of figures and a good place to start if you;ve ever wanted to check one of these sharp looking figures. You can get yours at HobbyLink Japan.

On a side note, I have finally had a chance to see the 6 first episodes of the series, fan subbed. It's really well done and a bit more mature in tone that early Saint Seiya. It is an excellent place to start if you have ever been interested in the Saint Seiya Mythology but have been overwhelmed at the rich and long history of the series. It's an excellent beginning point without knowing a thing about the history.

Exciting upcoming products from Kotobukiya! Iron Man, Armored Core & More!

THE KOTOBUKIYA COLLECTION – MARVEL STUDIOS

IRON MAN MARK II FINE ART BUST

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! With the recent release of the first Iron Man film on DVD and Blu-ray and excitement building for the sequel coming next year, Kotobukiya is ready to satisfy your need for the “Armored Avenger” with the next in its series of Marvel Studios Fine Art Busts, the IRON MAN MARK II. After Tony Stark escaped his imprisonment at the hands of terrorists, he set about refining his rudimentary powered armor designs. His first creation was the powerful silver Iron Man Mark II suit, a pre-cursor to the red and gold Mark III.

Iron Man is posed to do battle, with his right arm outstretched and Repulsor Ray at the ready. The gleaming metal armored suit is recreated with painstaking attention to detail, covered in individual plates, rivets, and screws. The Mark II suit’s overall silver is broken up only by the bright blue of its eye holes, Repulsor generators, and chest plate. Best of all, Iron Man’s right palm Repulsor Ray is illuminated via an LED light! This is the definitive bust version of the Mark II armor from the blockbuster Iron Man film!

The Iron Man Mark II stands approximately 9” tall (in 1/6 scale with all of the other Marvel Studios Fine Art Busts) and rests atop a deluxe base with light up “Iron Man” logo movie marquee! A limited edition, the Mark II is individually numbered on an engraved metal plate.

SRP $79.99

Available in April 2010

Iron Man, the Movie © 2010 MVL Film Finance LLC. Marvel, Iron Man, all character names and their distinctive likenesses: TM & © 2008 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All rights reserve

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BORDER BREAK COUGAR TYPE-I FINE SCALE MODEL KIT

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Fighting giant robot fans, get ready. Border Break: Sega Network Robot Wars is an upcoming action arcade game and the first title to run on Sega's new RingEdge arcade board. Kotobukiya is the first to bring the amazing fighting mecha of this new game to life with a brand new series of Fine Scale Model Kits from the revolutionary high-speed team battle arcade game. The first in the new lineup is the ultra mobile Assault Blast Runner, COUGAR TYPE-I.

While it may be fast, the Cougar Assault Blast Runner is also armed to the teeth, fully equipped with its powerful Duel Sword, twin Sub Machineguns, TYPE 38 Hand Grenade, and Assault Charger to smash anything that gets in its way. Not only can you outfit your Cougar with any combination of weapons, but the hip boosters open up and by swapping out the parts you can shrink or extend their nozzles! Just like in the game, the robot’s sword can be mounted on its back for storage.

Each robot in the Border Break series is built on the universal core “Cross Frame” outfitted with additional armor, weapons, and accessories. The robots are fully articulated and poseable, and you can combine and interchange parts from different units to create your own original Blast Runner! Standing over 6 inches tall, the Cougar is comprised of approximately 200 parts and has an outstanding 30 points of articulation.

SRP $34.99

Available in MARCH 2010

©SEGA

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SUPER ROBOT TAISEN: FAIRYLION TYPE-G FINE SCALE MODEL KIT

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! At the request of crown princess Shine Hausen, the Tesla Leicht Institute set out to build two mecha created for ceremonial purposes. Following the release of the Type-S version is the alternate FAIRYLION TYPE-G mecha. Differentiated by a distinct paint scheme, the Type-G is just as tough and battle-ready as its counterpart with a miniaturized Tesla Drive, missile jamming system, and energy field, as well as a unique MMI (Man-Machine-Interface) system!

Assembly of the Fairylion Type-G Fine Scale Model Kit is easy, with parts cast in different colors and included pictorial instructions. The robot stands 5 inches tall (1/144 scale) and features approximately 20 points of articulation. The Fairylion bristles with weaponry including four Roll Cannons, Tesla Drive, Sonic Cutter and the mighty Assault Blade! You can position the Type-G according to your tastes with the included flying display stand, and with the Fairylion Type-S you can even recreate the Royal Heartbreaker Formation!

SRP $29.99

Available in APRIL 2010

© SRWOG PROJECT

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SUPER ROBOT TAISEN: GRANZON MODEL FINE SCALE MODEL KIT

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Appearing in many Super Robot Taisen games as both an enemy and playable mecha, the mighty GRANZON always makes a big impression. Designed by Shu Shirakawa of the Divine Crusaders, the powerful robot runs on an antimatter annihilation engine and wields immensely destructive weapon systems. Burly and covered in bladed armor plates, the Granzon and its Black Hole Cluster are often the last things its enemies ever see.

With snap-fit assembly (no glue required) and pictorial instructions, readying your Super Robot Taisen unit for combat has never been easier! The Granzon is composed of approximately 400 pieces cast in different colors, eliminating the need for painting, and has 30 points of articulation. Standing over 6 1/4 inches tall, the mighty robot is so big it’s scaled down to be balanced against the equally massive Cybaster. The Granzon comes equipped with two swords, and best of all its chest panels swing open to recreate the Black Hole Cluster!

SRP $59.99

Available in FEBRUARY 2010

© SRWOG PROJECT

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CYBER TROOPERS VIRTUAL-ON MBV-04-10/80 SPECIAL FINE SCALE MODEL KIT

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! The giant robot Fine Scale Model Kits from the classic video game series Virtual-On continue with yet another variant and upgrade to the classic Temjin player’s model. The MBV-04-10/80 SPECIAL further increases the Temjin’s already high maneuverability and melee combat capability. Though the robot itself is a newer model, the Special continues to use the popular dual purpose beam rifle/sword!

Comprised of approximately 400 parts, the MBV-04-10/80 Special has 30 points of articulation including advanced shoulder joints designed specifically for maximum poseability. The sleek combat mecha stands 6 inches tall and is in 1/100 scale (the same as the other Virtual-On model kits). Construction of your Special is literally a snap with snap-fit assembly, and you can customize it with the included extra decals and optional parts. This model is the truest representation of the mecha thanks to computer graphic data provided by Sega!

SRP $49.99

Available in MARCH 2010

© SEGA, 1998, 1999?CHARACTERS © SEGA/AUTOMUSS CHARACTER DESIGN: KATOKI HAJIME

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ARMORED CORE WICTORIA FINE SCALE MODEL KIT

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Build! Pose! Customize! The Armored Core kits, now with over 40 different models now available, require easy snap fit assembly (made simple by included pictorial instructions), and do not need to be painted, although you may choose to customize or detail the weapons as you see fit. All of the kits in the Infinity Series feature interchangeable weapons, bodies, and heads for the ultimate in customization!

Appearing in Japan’s Dengeki Hobby Magazine’s novel “Armored Core Brave New World,” the WICTORIA is piloted by the main character Koki. The formidable fighting robot is lean and tall, outfitted in stylized armor decorated with fins and intricate mechanical details. Bright white, the Victoria is accented in gleaming gold and red. This special novel version includes a head design not seen in the games at all, as well as special tampo-printed emblems. Like all of the other Armored Core units, the Victoria comes armed with multiple accessories and weapons, including its signature WL 14LB-ELF2 Laser Blade. Standing 8 ½ inches tall, the exclusive robot is comprised of approximately 500 parts and when fully assembled it has 20 points of articulation for extreme poseability!

SRP $49.99

Available in APRIL 2010

© 1997-2009 FromSoftware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water....Dun, Dun....Dun, Dun....Dun, Dun......

From Wikipedia

The Brave of Gold Goldran is a Japanese anime television series series begun in 1995, created by Sunrise under the direction of Shinji Takamatsu, and was the sixth in the Yuusha meta-series funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise. Goldran follows the adventures of three young boys who are tasked with finding alien robot fighters, or Braves, that are sleeping in the form of crystals. Their major antagonist is the flamboyant and thoroughly incompetent Walter, and the villains that follow him are often similarly humorous. The entire show is extremely focused on comedy and silliness almost to the exclusion of much in the way of storytelling, although the series does develop some running plot lines towards its end. In terms of television ratings, Goldran was the peak of the Brave series' popularity.

Today I will be reviewing the Captain Shark DX re-issue, made by Sonokong/Takara. The sample for review can be purchased rather cheaply from our friends over at Big Bad Toy Store, Please check them out or just click on the Ebay links at the bottom of the page for links to help find any live auctions for the item reviewed today.

Captain Shark is hails from the anime The Brave of Gold Goldran. Captain Shark is basically a space pirate/battleship in the familiar shape of a shark, hence the name. He has an excitable demeanor with a keen mind and will often play the straight man. His right eye is hidden under an eye-patch until it is used as a targeting scope for the HYPER GALACTIC BURST MODE ATTACK.

Captain Shark is a very formidable adversary, his weapons include:

Shoulder Cannon
Captain Sword
Spiral Launcher
Spring Shot
Shark Cannon
Hook
Harpoon

To start off with, Captain Shark comes to you in the now familiar, beautifully illustrated, heavy corrugated cardboard box shown below.

I wanted to show you a close up of Captain Shark's head. Notice the pirate hat and eye-patch. Its an unusual design to say the least. Even though it is unique, who doesn't like pirates and giant robots? They go together like chocolate and peanut butter!

Captain Shark stands approximately 11.5 inches tall in robot mode and made of quality heavy plastic. He weighs in at a stout 1 1/4 lbs. Articulation is limited to the elbows and upper shoulders.

Heck, who needs articulation when you have some much firepower? This guy is heavily armed! His giant shoulder mounted cannon can fire 16 of the 48 included red missiles by a simple twist of the back of the cannon. But wait, the eye poking goodness doesn't end there! He is also equipped with a wrist mounted firing harpoon and hook. Also, lets not forget his 4 rotating cannons mounted on both shoulders and his swashbuckling sword.

Here is a feature that I really like about the Brave toy line so far, Every accessory has a place to hide. The sword attaches to a clip located on the Captains backside, hook, harpoon and extra missiles store in a shoulder compartments, even the cannon mount can be concealed away neatly. The designers really thought of everything.

If you don't wish to store the sword on the back of the figure, you can always put it clenched in the Shark's teeth.

I know this is showing my age, but you older Saturday Night Live fans might get a kick out of my "Land Shark" mode LOL!

OK, enough fooling around and lets get onto the Space Battleship mode of Captain Shark. In this mode he actually has two different configurations, Spaceship and what I would call a Shark Tank.

In Space Battleship mode, Captain Shark kinda reminds me of something you might see in a Captain Harlock anime. It really looks cool from all angles. I especially like all the guns mounted atop its Shark body.

Moving along to the land based, Shark tank mode. You can see that the cannon mounts atop the body and it now has caterpillar treads that fold out from underneath.

Here is a close up of the caterpillar treads, unfortunately they do not move. However, it does have wheels on the bottom. I really wish that they put rolling treads on this toy.

Here is a close up of the bridge area. I think this could have been alot cooler if they included stickers for the windows. I have been seriously considering doing some custom work to add these.

Finally we have the last few pictures. In these pictures you can see that the shoulder cannon can also be mounted underneath the shark body. You would think that the round shape of the cannon would make this very unstable. Surprisingly, it actually turns out to be very stable due to the fins on the sides of the cannon.

In conclusion, I really enjoy this toy for its design and play value. It is very sturdy and displays really well with my other Brave figures. Furthermore, I think the price of $29.99 at Big Bad Toy Store really makes this toy a steal, so pick one up already!

Kotobukiya is proud to announce the official international launch of OTACOOL: WORLD WIDE OTAKU ROOMS at Anime Festival Asia 2009. World famous OTAKU blogger and enthusiast Danny Choo and South-East Asia’s renowned cosplayer and this years Regional Cosplay Championship finalist Alodia Gosiengfiao will be our special guests in commemorating this exciting new launch. The book will be on sale at the AFA shop and those who purchase it at this event will be able to get it autographed by Danny and Alodia.

Kotobukiya is proud to announce the official international launch of OTACOOL: WORLD WIDE OTAKU ROOMS at Anime Festival Asia 2009. World famous OTAKU blogger and enthusiast Danny Choo and South-East Asia’s renowned cosplayer and this years Regional Cosplay Championship finalist Alodia Gosiengfiao will be our special guests in commemorating this exciting new launch. The book will be on sale at the AFA shop and those who purchase it at this event will be able to get it autographed by Danny and Alodia.

OTACOOL: WORLD WIDE OTAKU ROOMS is Kotobukiya’s first English/Japanese language book that introduces readers to over 108 cool and stylish Otaku rooms worldwide. Capturing the Otaku culture from a totally new angle, OTACOOL presents a diverse range of incredible Otaku rooms, all classified by country of origin with spotlights on special guests, including Danny and Alodia.

Kotobukiya and Anime Festival Asia welcomes everyone to drop by this event held on

November 22nd from 15:30?16:00 at booth D01. Fans can purchase the book at

AFA Shop booth at D02 or SGD29

For further information on OTACOOL please visit:

http://www.figure.fm/feature/en/otacool/

Kotobukiya official website: http://www.kotous.com/

Anime Festival 2009 official website: http://www.afa09.com/

Danny Choo’s official website: http://www.dannychoo.com/

Alodia Gosiengfiao’s official website: http://www.alodiagosiengfiao.com/

DKE Toys and adFunture present the Custom Yoka Show

Premiere exhibition Saturday, November 21, 2009

Designer Con, Pasadena, CA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: adFunture provided their 3" blank Yoka bear vinyl figures and DKE Toys co-founders Dov Kelemer and Sarah Jo Marks found over 200 artists to participate in the Custom Yoka Show. Featuring work from 19 countries the show turns the quirky little panda into everything from a dirty thug to a sweet snail in this tremendous exhibition. Each original piece ranges from $25 to $600 and will be available for purchase at the start of the show Saturday morning.

Show features: Anthony Ausgang, Miss Mindy, Buff Monster, Jophen Stein, Heidi Kenney, Steven Daily, Snaggs, Arbito, Le Merde, Chris Ryniak, olive47, Dacosta!, Chino and literally hundreds more.

The Custom Yoka Show is meant to coincide with the release of Yoka Series One, a blind boxed collectible figurine set that will be in stores for the holidays!

Starting at noon all children will be invited to play the Yoka scavenger hunt. Participants will search the exhibition for the answers to 10 clues and the first 100 players to complete the hunt will win a brand new unreleased Yoka from the upcoming series 1.

Designer Con: Designer Con (formerly Vinyl Toy Network) is a pop culture event showcasing everything in the world of design including collectible toys, custom figures, original art, and designer apparel! Join vendors, artists, manufacturers, and designers on Saturday November 21, 2009 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, CA from 10 am to 5 pm for a day of fun including Dr. Sketchy's life drawing sessions, live painting, body painting, a custom Yoka show, and much more! Admission is $5 (kids 12 and under are free!). Keep an eye on DesignerCon.com for the latest show info, exclusives, artists, and vendors!

Almost nothing about toys in this one, but plenty of dumbasses in a van.

The next day we awoke from our auction induced comas. Most people weren’t returning for the tin auctions the next day, but there were a few pieces Sanjeev wanted to bid on, and I needed to get a lot of pick-up shots. We arrived a bit late due to us having to pick up Diceone and his friend but we didn’t miss any of the auctions we wanted to see.

The world of tin collecting is a mystery to me. While I appreciate that they are the ancestors of what I collect now, I just don’t get into the aesthetics of them. Sure, I like the Japanese character tins, but it’s a collecting road I just can’t go down.

That being said, tin collectors are insane. You think the vintage diecast can get expensive? Think again. Some of the pieces that went sold for over 10k. Where the action on some of the diecast was slow, the tin was HOT. This is probably due to a larger, more established (and recognized) collector base. What WE think of in regards of vintage Japanese toys goes back to the 60s, for them, its another 20 years earlier.

I dropped Sanjeev off at the auction, and not wanting another Mennonite sandwich, made my way to the Dunkin Donuts across the street. I know in different parts of the country they have slightly different regional menus – but this was insane. Peanut Butter and Jelly Donut? Crushed Peanut Donut? Cherry Topped? WHAT? And most importantly – NO CHOCOLATE STICK!

Another reason to hate on Pennsylvania.

Back at Morphys, people who were bidding on tin were doing so, and others returned to claim their loot. Half the fun was seeing what everyone won, and even doing some on-the-spot trades.

Early in the afternoon, after our gang had got all their stuff together, we decided to check out a comic store in Lancaster called simply “the Comic Store”. The store is decent by the way, if you want to check it out. Decent for being in the middle of nowhere anyway.

Dave and I both bought comics (I am a recovering comic nerd) and from there we decided to go to another comic store nearby called Captain Blue Hen Comics. The six of us piled in the mini-van and made our way through downtown Lancaster, which for being in the heart of Amish country, has a lot of porn shops.

We found the comic store, only to find it closed. It’s in the basement of an old church… super creepy. I’ve since found out it closed last year.

From there Diecone talked us into going to a 99c store where we found some bootlegs, and the worst halloween costumes ever.

From there, we just decided to head home, as Jerilock needed to split.

The ride back was fun. We were tired, we taped it. You can watch it below.

After that we went to Hooters and loaded up on wings. All of the Hooters near me have closed, so this was a treat. It was there that we hatched a plan – I needed beer. Not just any beer – Yuengling. You can’t get Yuengling in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, so anytime someone comes back from PA, I have them get me a case. Well it was decided that I was going to get my own case. Jason called his sister, who lives in PA, to give us the lowdown with PA beer laws. Apparently, You can only buy beer from one kind of store, and wine and spirits from another. And you can buy before noon on Sunday. Well, our plans had us on the road before noon, so tonight we were off in search of beer.

I asked the hooters waitress if she knew where I could get any beer. She gave us vague directions – three miles down that road, a place called Michaels near Bed bath and Beyond.

Of course, there was no store there. Stupid me. We stop at a gas station, and Sanjeev gets out to get directions from some Pennsylvanian. Ok, we were close, just back down the road, turn at the Exxon, and we are right there. So back down the road we go, turn at the Exxon and then…. Nothing. We find a beer distributor, but they are closed. So onward we go.

Our next stop is at a convenience store, with a proprietor who is not from here, and knows little English. Once he finally understands what I am looking for, he says he doesn’t know where, and I leave. However as I pull out, he runs out to give me directions to another place he THINKS it might be.

Off we go again. I don’t know if it was his directions or fate, but we found the place. This was so hard – around here there is a packie around every corner.

This place that we find, it's a weird mish-mash of convenience store, deli and restaurant. It is here that I learn the next two quirks of the PA beer laws.

It has something to do with the quantity of beer sold. If you want to get beer by the case, you can only buy it at a beer distributor. If you want to get it as a 6-pack, you can get it at a bar. Well, technically, It is any establishment that serves booth food and beer – they can sell you a 6 pack.

I decide on 1 12-pack and 2 6-packs. I bring them up to the counter and the grizzly old man behind the counter tells me nicely that I can buy these, but I have to do it in two purchases. Once I make my purchase, I may take one 12-pack outside, leave it on the sidewalk, and then I can come back in and take the 2 six packs.

“Seriously” I ask?

People behind me in line giggle. Apparently there is some archaic beer law in PA that says you can only purchase only 2 packages of beer at one time. I comply, I carry my one 12-pack outside, come back in, and grab the other two. Surreal.

Beer in hand, we get back to the hotel room. We are tired. We just want to go to sleep.

I hit the bed like a dead man. Sanjeev is checking mail on the laptop. Dave is in the bathroom dropping the kids off at the pool. The room is dead quiet, and I am just about asleep when I hear moaning through the wall. But not the good kind of moaning.

“mwooooohhhhhhhhh”

I tell Sanjeev to be quiet and listen. We put our ears up to the wall and hear a muffled crying. At first it is just crying. Then we make out “Oh God..” “Oh God please help me...”

Now Sanjeev and I are being dead quiet, trying to listen to the moaning guy when dave drops a loud bomb in the bathroom. Sanjeev and I explode with laughter. The timing was just so perfect, the room so quiet. Dave's comedic timing is amazing.

Sanjeev and I go to the front office and talk to the lady, who tells me that guy has been having problems, something about his mother having a stroke. Anyway, she says she will take care of it.

The rest of the night is uneventful, with a few more moans, but I couldn't tell if that was Dave or not.

Our adventure is almost over. Sleep becomes us.

The next morning, we check out and hit the road. Dave and I torture Sanjeev with two straight hours of ween from my ipod. He sleeps through a lot of it, but one can only hope it warps his subconscious mind.

It was a long, strange trip. It was full of good friends, some that I have known forever but never met. The weather sucked, but that didn't dampen anyone's spirits. I spent too much money, but now the buyers regret is gone. All I have is good memories, and a box full of toys.

Thanks to Sanjeev, Dave and Jerilock, I couldn't ask for better traveling companions. I didn't want to kill any of you once.

7-Year-Old Named Winner of National Sweepstakes Shopping Spree One Week Before His Birthday; Loads Up On Action Figures, Aliens and More to Share with Local Charity

7-Year-Old Named Winner of National Sweepstakes Shopping Spree One Week Before His Birthday; Loads Up On Action Figures, Aliens and More to Share with Local Charity

Seven-year old Michael Mize of Angier, NC will celebrate his birthday early with a dream gift come true – a shopping spree at Toys“R”Us Cary – after winning first prize in the Ben 10 Alien Creation Sweepstakes from Bandai America Incorporated.

Not only will Michael enjoy this out of this world shopping spree – but so will members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County. Bandai America Incorporated will donate $500 in Ben 10 Alien Force toys as an early holiday surprise to the members of the local center. Valeska Wittek from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County will be on-site to accept.

Michael is one of more than 5,000 kids who have already invaded www.bandai.com since the start of the Ben 10 Alien Creation Sweepstakes on October 19. Great prizes are still up for grabs, including video games, toys, and a Grand Prize trip to New York to be Bandai’s Kid Reporter at Toy Fair 2010. Kids ages 6-14 can visit www.bandai.com until December 1, 2009 to enter the sweepstakes and receive a coupon for $2.50 off Ben 10: Alien Force toys, or download a mail-in offer for an exclusive Ben 10 action figure with a $20 purchase of Ben 10 products. The Grand Prize winner will be drawn on December 15, 2009.

New episodes from the Ben 10 Alien Force television show debut on Cartoon Network on Friday nights at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

The bidding begins... with HD VIDEO!

I woke up to the sound of rain.

I was the first one up, so I took advantage of the time to get my act together. Today was a big day. The first day of the auctions. Auctions started at 10, so we wanted to be there for at least 9am.

Fat chance of that. The GPS we had in the van sucked, so we ended up going the wrong way a bit, but soon got back on course. The auction house was 45 minutes away, so we had time to make our game plan.

Once at the auction we found most of the regulars there, but there were quite a few faces I didn’t recognize. One guy flew in from Italy. Another, an elderly German couple.

Seats were empty as auction personnel looked around nervously. Would they come?

Absent was the man who is responsible for this collection – Mark Solondz. But who is he? And what is his story? From what I understand, Mark is a real estate developer from New Jersey who has been collecting for years. He was most notably a contributor at Alphadrome, a tin website, but he had a passion for all kinds of Japanese toys. His collection was legendary. Three years ago however, all that changed. I’m not going to say what the event was and respect his privacy, but circumstances required him to liquidate his collection. He was not able to organize and sell it, hence Morphys involvement.

Teams swept in to the location and piled boxes high right off of the shelf. Nothing was matched or organized. Morphys then contacted experts in the respective fields to come down and help with the organization, cataloging, and valuation of the collection. It was an epic event. The diecast collection was organized over three days, by a crack team of Toybox DX (and CollectionDX) regulars. you can read the saga of that event here

All of that work culminated in this day. An epic undertaking, for sure, but would it be all worth it?

As the time approached, people began to settle in. In the back of the auction house, a local parents organization had set up a food stand. This auction was running six hours straight with no break for lunch. I got an egg and cheese sandwich from a nice mennonite lady and I took my seat.

Bidding works like this: Bidders in the crowd are assigned a number under 1,000 – bidders on the phone start with 3,000, bidders online start with 6,000. Of course, that was the idea, but there were exceptions to the rule. I was bidder 29.

The lots are called in order, starting at lot 1. Bid increments depend on the starting bid but are usually in $25 amounts. They average about 100 lots an hour, so bidding is fast and furious. The auctioneers were true auctioneers with their rapid fire auctioneer-speak. It seemed like we were bidding on cattle instead of toys. Sometimes they would throw in little jokes or quips, and we even think we heard one say “nerd” in their rambling.

The first lots up were for vinyl. I wasn’t there to bid on any of that, but it was interesting to see. Most lots were going for under their expected value, with most being absolute steals. Maybe the vinyl crowd just wasn’t up that early? Also the sheer volume of product being offered so early I think had people holding back their bids for later in the day. Few pieces met expectations, and a few bidders scored most of the lots. I think one buyer was from a certain retail store in New York City.

I think it was around noontime when the diecast started to hit. People scored insane deals on things. Seriously some things were going for ¼ of the current prices. People audibly gasped when things went so low, and cheered loudly when someone we knew got something they were after. It helped that we were all friends, and had consulted with each other about their desires the night before. Lack of in-room competition meant some people only had to bid against people on-line or on the phone. It was madness.

Some key sales – a $600 Godaikin Tetsujin T-28, a $450 Takatoku Super Ostritch Valkyrie, a $800 black Raideen. But some things went higher than expected.

Josh Fraser had his eye on the GA-50 Daikyu Maru set and bid ferociously, eventually winning it at over 5 grand.

Photo by Roger Harkavy

It got on the electronic LED sign outside. Another shocker was a lot of Japanese Machine Robo (aka GOBOTS) going for $1400 when the crowd thought it would reach a few hundred at best.

As the day went on, people got tired. You could see their exhaustion, and their regret for wearing suits. The modern toys toward the end of the auction were practically given away. If you liked SOC, you could have gotten them for next to nothing. People began to meander over to the cash registers to pay for their goods when the first sign of buyers remorse sets in.

If you win an item, you have to pay a buyers premium. 17% for credit or debit, 15% for cash. Then, you have to add PA sales tax on top of that, which is another 6%. Most of us ended up paying an additional 23% on top of our winning bids. I feel bad for the bidders who did not attend who have to pay that PLUS shipping! (although, to be fair, the trip cost me over $400 in hotel and gas)

As you paid they went over and retrieved your winnings for you and placed them on a cart. This was an awesome time, with people delirious from what just happened. I know my legs were shaking, and I could hardly believe the deals I got.

Photo by Jim M

Morphys graciously sponsored an after-party at a tavern down the street with free drinks and appetizers. We had some awesome chicken fingers and fries, and some great beer by a company called Stoudts.

However, the place was just too crowded, and I was tired, so we decided to leave. The gang was heading back to Mark’s place, so I handed Sanjeev the keys and slept on the ride over. I don’t think I quite woke up, as the evening is a blur, but I remember Dave throwing on a gay vampire movie and Roger showing us this insane 8-bit animation.

Kings of Power 4 Billion % from Zarradeth on Vimeo.

People started to fracture – some went downstairs to smoke cigars, some went upstairs to look at toys. I just wanted to call it a night. There was more auction tomorrow…

It is not a bad toy per se, but it doesn’t excel beyond merely bringing back an old-school animation technique.

Video review included!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Thirteen generations ago, special ancient samurai warriors called the Shinkenger were authorized by the Japanese Emperor to defend their country against the Gedoushuu monsters from the mythical Sanzu River. The Shinkenger succeeded, and the Gedoushuu were defeated. Hundreds of years later in 2009, the Gedoushuu have slowly rebuilt themselves and they are slipping through all dark crevasses once more to collect human screams to flood the Sanzu River into the world for their return. Takeru Shiba, the current samurai lord of the Shiba Clan, now summons four vassal samurai from different clans, and arms them with the magical scripture power known as mojikara to become the new Samurai Sentai Shinkenger!

In Act 1- “The Gallant Appearance of the Five Samurai”, the newest generation of Shinkenger assemble together to fight the renewed threat of the demonic Gedoushuu. The Secret Playback-katana ShinkenMaru is the standard-use sidearm for the Shinkenger. While a resilient katana on its own, it is also designed to accept Secret Discs. When a Secret Disc is attached to it, and then infused with a Shinkenger’s mojikara, the associated Disc’s power will be unlocked. Most of the Secret Discs’ powers include special one-on-one attacks, and summoning & controlling busou Origami. Each Shinkenger can also morph their ShinkenMaru at will into their personal-style weapons- Rekka Daizantou, Water Arrow, Wood Spear, Land Slicer, & Heaven Fan- depending on the Secret Disc they each have.

The speaker and On/Off switch are on the right side. The front of the grip has a red trigger that, when depressed, activates one of two sword-swinging sounds. A red LED on the left side also blinks accordingly.

Ordinarily, the ShinkenMaru is utilized with a standard Common Disc (included with the Secret Disc Belt set, sold separately). However, the toy comes with Shinken Red’s personal Secret Disc- the Shishi Disc. When attached to the katana, it allows him to perform his Kaen no Mai (“Fiery Dance”) sword technique/attack. But it also gives Shinken Red authorization to control the giant-sized Shishi Origami when he is inside of it, and the Disc-equipped ShinkenMaru is place into the cockpit’s control pedestal.

. . .

The ShinkenMaru uses a very old motion picture technique for its special gimmick, called a praxinoscope. Used before film cameras were developed in the late-1800s, a series of similar images is placed around a collection of rotating mirrors. Then, when both the images and mirrors are spun at the same speed, it creates the illusion of movement because the human eye is unable to keep track of the movements of the original images (which naturally blur as they spin), but can register the specific angle of only the reflected images. (This is similar to how the centuries-older zoetrope worked, but does not depend on the images being hidden from view altogether. The praxinoscope is considered the direct successor to the zoetrope.)

The Secret Discs are designed around being used for the praxinoscope on the ShinkenMaru. A series of eight slightly-differing ‘cels’ of animation are placed on each Secret Disc, and there are eight corresponding reflective surfaces above the handle. When the Secret Disc is slipped over the handle, it at-first appears as nothing but a hand guard. But, when you spin the rim of the Secret Disc manually, the praxinoscope activates and the cels on the guard become animated on the chrome-plated plastic above!

In the case of the Shishi Disc, the left-reflected profile of the Shishi Origami is seen running & roaring alongside flames in the background.

The ShinkenMaru has an intentionally-hidden tab above the praxinoscope to register its movement. (You can easily hear it clicking loudly when it turns!) The toy can detect two different speeds- ‘normal’ and ‘fast’- and this is tied into how the Shinkenger inject mojikara into the Secret Disc(s).

• Spinning a Secret Disc at ‘normal’ speed, and then squeezing the trigger, activates an extended sword-swinging effect.
• Spinning a Secret Disc at the ‘fast’ speed, and then squeezing the trigger, produces five different sound effects, each coinciding with the Shinkenger’s personal Origami Disc. Each sound effect is pre-programmed into the toy rather than reading it off of the Secret Disc that is attached to it. So regardless of which Disc you have on it, they will each play once in random order.
  • Kaen no Mai / “Fiery Dance” (Shishi Disc, used by Shinken Red)
  • Suiryu no Mai / “Current’s Dance” (Ryuu Disc, used by Shinken Blue)
  • Tenku no Mai / “Heavenly Dance” (Kame Disc, used by Shinken Pink)
  • Kogarashi no Mai / “Winter Winds Dance” (Kuma Disc, used by Shinken Green)
  • Tsuchikemuri no Mai / “Dust Cloud Dance” (Saru Disc, used by Shinken Yellow)

The back of the ShinkenMaru can allow it to be stored into a holder provided on the separately-sold Secret Disc Belt (not shown).

I got this toy under a false pretense. I assumed that, like past card/chip/item-reading toys, this one would be able to read whatever Secret Disc was put onto it, and then provide unique sound effects only when that one Secret Disc was attached. I was wrong. And now I am frustrated because it should have easily been able to do so! Instead, when I put the Shishi Disc on it, I can just as likely get the sound of the Saru or Ryuu Origami screeching, which is wrong according to what is seen in the series. While use of the praxinoscope was cleaver and original (as well as how you activate it, by hand rather than a motor), the entire toy is built upon this one gimmick (as perhaps it should be). Additionally, I thought that having it being able to register a change in speeds was also good. (The clicking of the sensor is annoying and loud, and thus they increased the volume of the speaker to compensate… which makes my ears rattle and ring painfully at the same time!) Really, the only reason I got this toy so that I could plug other Secret Discs from other sets I bought into it to see the animation(s) of each, rather than because it was a role-playing weapon. (I usually don’t collect the weapons and devices used in Super Sentai for personal taste-reasons, so that was a strike against it in my book as well.) The Hiden Saiseitou ShinkenMaru is merely a toy sword with some average sound effects and a single LED (why even bother!?) built into it, and then has a gimmick that only meets your expectations half-way. It is not a bad toy per se, but it doesn’t excel beyond merely bringing back an old-school animation technique.

"I love GOLD!!!!!"

-Goldmember
from Austin Powers

From Wikipedia

The Brave of Gold Goldran is a Japanese anime television series series begun in 1995, created by Sunrise under the direction of Shinji Takamatsu, and was the sixth in the Yuusha meta-series funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise. Goldran follows the adventures of three young boys who are tasked with finding alien robot fighters, or Braves, that are sleeping in the form of crystals. Their major antagonist is the flamboyant and thoroughly incompetent Walter, and the villains that follow him are often similarly humorous. The entire show is extremely focused on comedy and silliness almost to the exclusion of much in the way of storytelling, although the series does develop some running plot lines towards its end. In terms of television ratings, Goldran was the peak of the Brave series' popularity.

Today I will be reviewing the Goldran DX re-issue, made by Sonokong/Takara. The sample for today's review was provided graciously by our friend Jeff Stein over at High End Transformers. Please check them out or just click on the Ebay links at the bottom of the page for a direct link to the item reviewed today.

Goldran is the main mecha character from the anime "The Brave of Gold Goldran" He is essentially a two component robot. One component being a robot that can turn into a car (Dran) that becomes the chest of Goldran. The other being a Mecha Godzilla like robot (Golgon) that turns into Goldran when combined with the first.

To start off with, Goldran comes to you in a beautifully illustrated, heavy corrugated cardboard box shown below.

In the photo below we have Golgon and Dran together in their alternate modes. These are the two mecha that I mentioned above that become Goldran

First up is Dran. Dran's robot mode stand about 5" tall is made out mostly gold chrome plated platic. The Gold Chrome plating looks really sharp and has no visible flaws that I could see. Articulation for Dran is limited to the elbows, so he is basically a "static pose" figure. Dran comes with a sword that can be held in either hand via a peg molded onto the sword. Drans robot mode is rather boring and is pretty underwhelming when compared with the other figure in this set.

Dran's alternate car mode isn't much better than the robot mode. As you can see below, The car has an elongated chassis, giving it awkward looking proportions. However, the car is very solid and its wheels roll freely.

Onto Golgon! Golgon is the Mecha Godzilla looking robot you see below. Golgon stands about 10" and sports a beautiful golden chrome finish like Dran above. This figure has articulation in its arms and jaw, that's about it. Golgon is a pretty impressive figure but sufferers from a few odd proportions due to its design. As you can see, the chest area is rather large, rendering his tiny arms useless. Also, his legs just look odd because of having no visible knee joint. These issues are only minor and I can live with them.

Here is where the real fun begins! Goldran!

Goldran is a truly stunning figure, standing at nearly 12" tall also makes him pretty large. As you can see in the photo below, Goldran includes a sword and sheath. the sheath holds securely to his side and gives Goldran that old Samurai look, very cool indeed!

After examining the five photos above, you can clearly see that Goldran looks great from any angle. Heck, he even looks menacing close up! Proportionally, Goldran is awesome in this mode. I would say he is one of the better looking mecha characters from all the Brave Series.

Goldran doesn't just have good looks.....He also has fire power and tons of it! He has 12 launching mechanisms for plenty of that "you'll shoot your eye out goodness"! Don't worry if you loose a few projectiles testing it out on the family pet or wife, because he includes a total of 48 red missiles!

Shoulder mounted Gatling style launchers that are activated by turning a knob on the backside of the shoulder.

Wrist cuff launchers, just in case the shoulders weren't enough to take out the enemy.

Finally, shin mounted launchers that are almost a concealed weapons at first glance.

Yup, Goldran is alot of fun, but let me show you a few more tricks he has. In the photo below, you can see that it is quite possible to play with Goldran without Dran figure mounted to his chest. I know that this is not in the anime, but its still a cool feature whether it was made this way intentionally or not

In the next photo below we have Goldran with his buddy Sorokage mounted to his back. Sorakage is used a a flight pack giving Goldran the ability to fly. Don't you just love wings on a giant robots? Below that pic we have Goldran's ultimate form, Great Goldran! By the way, don't despair, I will be reviewing Sorokage and the Great Goldran in future reviews

Even with the odd proportions of it's alternate mode, Goldran is a wonderful, quality made toy and should be part of your collection if you love giant transforming robots. And really, who doesn't?

Chronicling the adventures of JoshB, Sanjeev, Nekrodave and Jerilock!

Includes HD video!

Sanjeev, Nekrodave and I took a road trip down to Denver PA for the November 13-14 auction of the Mark Solondz Collection.

Organized by ToyboxDX, the auction contained thousands of toys in hundreds of lots.

With our hardcover catalogs in hand, we set out early Thursday morning. The ride down was uneventful, despite numerous traffic Jams. Before heading out to the hotel to check in we decided to go straight to Morphy's to check out the goods.

Morphy's Auction House is in Denver PA, just outside of Amish country. An unlikely location for such an auction. The building is a nondescript red and tan warehouse with a fancy digital sign indicating the location. We enter and immediately run into Ed Sanford (Robot-Japan) and Warren Schwartz.

The auction house is a cavernous building, with rows of glass display cases on either side. There are all kinds of items on display, with two rows reserved for this auction.

Immediately it is clear that there is a hierarchy here, based on the perceived value.

On the right there is the tin. Each tin is meticulously displayed and labeled, both toy and box standing tall and proud.

On the left is the diecast.

The aisle of diecast is both glorious and disheartening. Each lot is in a bin or on a cardboard tray. The pieces are not in their boxes, they are loose in the bins, with parts laying around freely. In some cases, toys are just piled onto one another. Others, like the Big Scale Yamato, are just resting on their sides in cardboard boxes. These are clearly seen as not as valuable of the tins.

Lastly, against the wall is a series of rooms with glass doors. Inside these rooms is the vinyl, just piled into shopping bags with a lot number on them. The vinyl gets no respect here.

I take this opportunity to ask a woman at the desk to open a cabinet, as I want to inspect one of the items I am thinking on bidding on – the DX Dairugger XV. In the catalog it is listed as missing antenna, but upon closer inspection, they are actually there. However, one problem is apparent – one of the fists is broken, and the broken off part is missing. So all is not as it seems with these items, another benefit of coming in person.

We did our time at the auction house, and then went back to the hotel to check in. We decided to stay in King of Prussia, close to Machinesoldier’s house at a budget hotel which is actually not that bad.

Tired, we soldier on, and make our way to our next engagement. Mark (aka Machinesoldier) has graciously volunteered to host all of the visiting dignitaries at his place for a party. The place was full of all-stars.

Alen Yen
Matt Alt
Robert Duban
Erik Sjoen
Chris Hill
Jim Maitland
Joshua Fraser
Mark Gradwell
Sanjeev Selvaraj
Warren Schwartz
Dave Keymont
Mason Fitch
Jason Jakubowski

Also some new faces were present, like diecone who traveled in from NYC.

Pizza and beer were had, and some old friends met for the first time. It’s amazing how a community can make you feel like you’ve known someone for years and never have met. While this was going on, there was an anticipation in the room.

Alen brought goodies.

First off, he unveiled his Nekobot USB robot. This little guy is made out of hard rubber, screen printed, and separates at the chest. Inside is a 2gb USB stick that when plugged in, makes the heart logo light up. These will be on sale soon.

Next – vinyl. Alen had the guys from Gargamel make a Nekosaur vinyl! The thing is so cool – he had both clear and flesh colored test shots to show – I can’t wait for these to drop.

Finally – the crowning achievement – the Nekosaur Chogokin. This was just a resin prototype, but it looked fantastic. Firing fists, foot weapons, firing head, detachable scrander,missiles… it just looked awesome, and will fit right in with your chogokin collection. Release date is TBD.

As much fun as we were having, we all knew we all had to be up early the next day for the Auction. We all signed each other’s books like they were Highschool Yearbooks, and we went off our separate ways until tomorrow….

Having already reviewed Fire Dagwon, Power Dagwon, Lian and Gunkid from Sonokong re-issue of Brave Command Dagwon series toys. I figured I would give you a short, mostly pictorial review of what all the figures together transform into..... Get ready for Super Fire Dagwon!

Having already reviewed all the figures in the picture below, Fire Dagwon, Power Dagwon, Lian and Gunkid from Sonokong re-issue of Brave Command Dagwon series toys. I figured I would give you a short, mostly pictorial review of what all the figures together transform into..... Get ready for Super Fire Dagwon!

Please check out the video below. The actual toy transformation is very close to the video.

Here is the impressively huge Super Fire Dagwon standing nearly 15" tall! Not only is the figure tall, it is very heavy, at a little over 3 lbs of quality plastic.

You may recognize Super Fire Dagwons headpiece as the chest piece from Power Dagwon. This is an example of what I really like about the design of Brave Series toys, almost all parts have a place and purpose when transforming.

Articulation of this figure is very good considering its blocky design. Articulation can be found in the shoulders, elbows and the hands can rotate, Oh and lets not forget the articulation in the massive crane arm. Even though this figure does have decent movement, for the most part it is what I would consider a "static pose" figure, due to its size and weight.

The final combination of Super Fire Dagwon with Lian and Gunkid is really "busy" as you can see below. I don't think that he would be able to battle too well in this mode...LOL. He is very overloaded in this mode and weighs in at a staggering 5.5 lbs!

I feel that Super Fire Dagwon is possibly one of the best of all the combined Brave Series Robots. Well, maybe the second best.... I really like Great Goldran but I'll cover that later. If you dig this figure as much as I do, please check out Big Bad Toy Store to get your own!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like LEGO At Toys“R”Us Stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com

With the Christmas shopping season nearly upon us, Toys“R”Us and LEGO are celebrating the holidays by offering an incredible value to customers visiting Toys“R”Us stores nationwide – a collectible LEGO minifigure keychain that embodies the Christmas spirit. On Sunday, November 15 and Saturday, November 21, customers visiting any Toys“R”Us store will receive a complimentary LEGO version of the jolliest of holiday souls, Santa Claus, to help bring in the yuletide cheer, while supplies last.

Additionally, those who visit Toys“R”Us online at Toysrus.com will also have a chance to receive their complimentary LEGO Santa minifigure keychain with the purchase of select items. With nearly 13,000 eligible items to choose from, customers will find Santa riding along in enough packages to make it around the world and back.

And, since Santa always gives gifts to all the good boys and girls, he has a special surprise in his sack – a coupon worth $5 off any LEGO purchase of $20 or more (excluding LEGO video games).