While I didn't care too much for the Frankenstein Motionette, I think his Bride makes up for any of his shortcomings.

While I didn't care too much for the Frankenstein Motionette, I think his Bride makes up for any of his shortcomings. Much like the Wolf Man, the Bride Of Frankenstein captures more of the essence of the character than the actual look. And frankly, I'm surprised at how much I like the look of this one. It has a sort of faux gothic punk, "I got this at 'Hot Topics'" sort of vibe working. And yet, I like it anyway.

The Bride of Frankenstein was added for the second series of 17" Motionettes along with the Mummy and so far as I've been able to tell, these seem like the two rarest of the set. While Frankenstein looks sad and weak, The Bride looks completely maniacal. She looks like she could kill you with one look of those wide, bloodshot eyes.

Telco could have easily taken the easy way out with her costume and just had one long cloth draped over her, but she does have a sort of gauze shirt on underneath that adds just that extra layer of depth. The hands have molded bandages on them and the left index finger is painted red at the tip. I'm not sure if this is supposed to depict blood or what, but it adds just the right drop of color to the otherwise all white ensemble.

Same gimmicks as the other Motionettes; moving arms and head, light up eyes and sound effects.

Another Telco Halloween decoration, the Wolf Man is the closest thing in my collection to a Muppet!

Even though it's a far cry from looking anything like he does in the movie, I really like the look of this figure. Although the sculpt of the face is somewhat simple, it does have an elegance and personality to it that is appealing to me. I love that they added so much hair to this thing. It's got a really wild look on the one hand, but it also sort of reminds me of a Muppet, too!

Although some might consider it excessive, the hair protruding from his sleeves and pant legs is another nice touch. But honestly, it sort of makes me wish I had a nice, creepy looking scarecrow one. Telco did release a scarecrow in one of their earlier batches of Motionettes, but it's more cute looking than scary.

This Wolf Man figure has much more poseability in the arms than the Creature did. You can actually bend the arms to whatever pose you want basically, as beyond the vinyl hands the arms are just a flexible wire armature.

You know what else is great about this one? That bright yellow shirt! It's a welcome change in a genre dominated by gloomy blacks and greys. It's the closest thing to sunshine that the Wolf Man will ever get anyway...

You get the same features here as on the other Motionettes...light up eyes, moving arms/head and sound effects. The sound is much more appropriate to the character this time around, too. 17" tall to the top of the head, it actually looks more like 18" with all that hair standing up. The Wolf Man was included in both series' of 17" licensed Universal Monster Motionettes, but I don't think there's any significant difference between the two. My favorite part of this thing? I got it for a measly $5 on Ebay! When the last time you bought a Japanese robot for $5?* ;)

Yup, the brotha's at it again...another custom glowie!

Hey, all! Sanjeev here, back again with another custom glowie by yours truly! Some of you may remember my first custom glowie, the Marmit Vinyl Paradise Garamon/Garadama piggy bank that I finished in glow spraypaint a while back. Well, when the opportunity to pick up a cheap M1 Giant Sized Garamon in unpainted glow vinyl came up, I hopped right on it knowing it would look great along with the Marmit!

Now, I got the inspiration for this figure from Nekrodave, who picked up the blue spray version of this figure some time ago. And y'know something? He was damn right: this is one creepy figure. The babydoll eyes are just weird! I LOVE IT!!

So, just as before, I grabbed my trusty glow spraypaints from ReadySetGlo and my Parafilm-M (for masking), and went to town!

The results are pretty killer, if I do say so myself! ;)

My creativity was a tad hampered by my previous efforts since I wanted this figure to match the piggy bank in terms of color scheme. If I hadn't painted up the Marmit previously, I would have tried a more daring color scheme (maybe blue or pink and yellow). As it is, however, I still dig it. It came out well, I think, and any experience with these tricksy paints is valuable (you may recall, my only other endeavor with glow spraypaint was Daimajin). The stuff's real tough to work with...

So, sticking with the red color scheme begun with the piggy bank, I tried something I learned with Daimajin: I sprayed down from above with red spraypaint after spraying up from below with purple (this sorta complements the red I used on Garamon and the purple I used on Garadama for the piggy bank).

The overall effect is pretty cool! If you notice, I also masked off the middle of his chest with torn masking tape to make an interesting pattern. Over the gap, I blended in orange glow spraypaint, again to match the piggy bank.

As you can tell, I touched up his nostrils with black acrylic--he kinda didn't look right at this scale without it. And finally, I masked around the face, hands, and feet, and sprayed his lips, toes, and tops of his hands orange.

One of the last steps, of course, was sealing the paint job. As before, I used Minwax Polycrylic: three quick coats and some light brushing to remove excess dust, and I was pretty much done. The only thing I had to be careful about was the eyes. I had to cover just around the eyes with a good seal to protect the mechanisms from getting gummed up with the varnish. Worked out great, see!?

Aiight, aiight...I know what you're saying: enough yappin', let's get to the glowie shots!

Done:

Not a bad effect at all, huh? When fully charged, the red glow color glows just as long and intensely as the bare glow vinyl. The orange and purple, however, last a little bit longer. The effect over time is pretty cool: the green glow vinyl and the red dim a bit after a while, but the orange stays a bit brighter...and the purple undertones on the down-facing surfaces glow a bit brighter blue.

My spray coats were a bit thicker than I would've liked, but it creates a stronger, more contrasting look under normal light. Even a little too thick, the glow effect of the paint matches well against his face and other exposed bits.

Finally, I'll leave you with a group shot! From left to right, we have the Popy/B-Club reissue of the original Bullmark mold, the giant M1, and the Marmit piggy bank:

One of the great things about owning a toy review website is that I occasionally get the opportunity to review toys that are otherwise out of my collecting scope.

One of the great things about owning a toy review website is that I occasionally get the opportunity to review toys that are otherwise out of my collecting scope. While I don't mind the odd 1/6 scale figure, I almost never get into Military toys. I completely support our troops, but I never felt like collecting them.

With any review of a toy I am not familiar with, the first step is always research. The internet is a wealth of knowledge, and anyone can become an expert on almost anything if they know how to search properly. Well, within a few minutes of searching for information about Elite Force's Rosanna Jones figure, I realized I was in way over my head. I stumbled across a few 1/6 figure forums and realized that these guys are serious about these figures - they know the name of each and every piece of equipment the figure carries, and whether or not it is accurate to the actual piece of hardware used in the field. I'm not going to pretend that I know what all of the parts are called - if you are into these figures then you probably know already, and it has been covered elsewhere. I am going to tackle this review from the standpoint of someone who does not collect 1/6 scale or military figures. Special thanks to UniToyzone for providing this figure for review.

California Army Nation Guard 40th Infantry Division "Rosanna Jones" is a new figure from BBI (a sub copany of Blue Box Toys). It is part of the Elite Force line of figures, and this particular figure is sold exclusively by Merit International. Rosanna Jones is, as far as i can tell, one of the first 1/6 scale military action figures from BBI. BBI previously did female figures under their "Cool Girl" line.

The selling point of the Elite Force line appears to be their realistic styling and accessories. Each figure comes with an authentic uniform and in-scale weapons. The uniform here features the army’s newer digital camouflage pattern. The jacket is made out of cloth and is secured in the front by a strip of Velcro. The pants are also cloth and each of the pockets open with Velcro flaps. There is also a vest that has a pocket in it that you can insert a piece of body armor!

The underlying figure is incredibly articulated, with multiple points of articulation at each joint. Articulation is definitely not an issue here. Unfortunately, these figures are meant to be displayed and not played with, so articulation is a moot point.

The real selling point here is the accessories. This figure as a ton of accessories and weapons - so many that I found it hard to outfit the figure with all of them at once. Another drawback here is that you only have the photos on the box as reference - there is no instruction sheet telling you what each part is or where it is supposed to be located on the soldier. This is a major inconvenience for the novice figure collector. It makes the figure less accessible to the first-time buyer.

First off is the helmet - the helmet is hard plastic covered by a cloth coating. The straps on the helmet really adjust and I had a hard time getting the straps to go in the right place at first, but through trial and error I figured out. The helmet has a black clip in the front center but I could not figure out what is supposed to clip on there. The figure also comes with a set of clear protective goggles that rest at this point on the helmet, so perhaps that is its purpose.

The vest features all these tiny pockets that allow the add-on packs to be attached to. Each pack has a clear plastic tab that looks like an upside-down letter U that slides into the pockets. You can arrange the packs in any method you choose. Each pack opens, and is stuffed with paper from the factory. One pack is larger so it can fit the radio unit in it.

The radio unit is a complicated little part. It consists of a headset that fits under the helmet, a hand held unit, and a small part that looks like a microphone. These are all connected by flexible wires that can be attached to the hand held unit.

In terms of armament, the figure comes with a large rifle that could have a whole review just to itself. It features moveable parts such as an extending stock, removable ammunition clips and what looks to be a grenade launcher under the barrel. The top part of the barrel also features 2 removable panels that can be replaced with slightly different looking panels. I'm sure the gun experts know what all this is, but due to the lack of documentation, I am clueless. At the top of the rifle is a connection point at which you can connect a variety of attachments, including a scope. The scope is tiny, but still features opening front and rear lens covers. The rifle also features an adjustable cloth strap.

Also included is a pistol with three clips, as well as a holster that is secured to the leg.

In addition to the above accessories, the figure includes sunglasses, boots, and two items with antennas that I cannot identify. They look like they might attach to the rifle, but I am not sure. Needless to say, the figure is not lacking in accessories.

The packaging is pretty nice, with a fold out cover secured with Velcro. Inside the front cover is a plastic panel with a majority of the accessories. The panel has to be cut open to get to the accessories, thus keeping you from being able to keep the package intact. The figure itself rests inside a plastic tray along with the rest of the accessories.

All in all this is not a bad figure but Ithink it could be made more accessible to the first-time buyer by the inclusion of an instruction sheet or manual. You can find this figure exclusively by Merit International.

The outfit is a decadent mix of lace and fabric. The multi-layered dress evokes the spirit of a Victorian maid - if that maid listened to Cradle of Filth.

Angel is the second release as part of BBI’s Dark Desires series of 1/6 scale dolls. These dolls are exclusively from distributor Merit International, and available through retailers such as UniToyZone.

Each Dark Desires doll has its own back story and personality. The back of the package tells a little about Angel:

“Angel lives in the shadows and has chosen a lifestyle that is individual and diverse. Those who celebrate the dark recesses of the human psyche do so un-ashamedly and revel in their own subculture, with their own graphic art, literature, music and fashion. Angel lives among them as a free thinker with a deep interest in magic mysticism and numerous other topics that are often considered taboo. Angel longs to live in a world with no prejudices… her Dark Desire is that, with help from others, she will find it.”

Now, I am not a Goth, and I can’t speak for them, but this description sounds very… encyclopedic. It is as if someone was writing about a culture long after it was gone. There are many different kinds of “Goth”, and the kind you find hanging out in front of Hot Topic at the mall is very different than the kind you find hanging out over a bridge in Harajuku. Angel seems to be somewhere in between….

The figure has the usual exquisite attention to detail. There is more articulation than you will know what to do with – double jointed knees and elbows, multiple joints in the torso, and even swivel joints on the upper thighs.

The outfit is a decadent mix of lace and fabric. The multi-layered dress evokes the spirit of a Victorian maid - if that maid listened to Cradle of Filth. Angel sports chains around her body, a neck choker, rings on her fingers, and bows in strategic locations. She has cloth sleeves, and fishnet stockings. The shoes are one solid piece; you can’t take them off the feet.

Angel’s face is as white as a blizzard, but the rest of her exposed skin is normal tone. Her eyes are two different colors, and her hair is perfectly blond – she seems very…. Scandinavian? The way she is packaged is not flattering, with a clear band compressing her hair. Once you break her out though, she begins to shine.

One of the more interesting touches to this doll is the choice of hand positions. Her left hand has a neutral pose, but her right hand is making the V symbol. In Japan, people tend to make the V sign when they get their pictures taken, especially the Goths in Harajuku. It’s a nice touch, and shows that BBI / Merit know the subject matter they are covering (if it was in fact intentional).

Harajuku Gothic Geish giving the V sign

Also included in the package is a small tray featuring various accessories including a headpiece, staff, amulets, and necklaces. I couldn’t find a use for most of them, so I left them in the package. The headpiece adds a lot to the look of the figure, but there is no visible way to attach it to the head. No elastic, Velcro or snaps. Am I supposed to tie it? After a few frustrating minutes trying to tie the hat on my doll, I just decided to let it just rest on the head. Sure, I could have called one of my daughters in to help, but I don’t know if I would have ever lived that one down.

While the doll is really great, I have a few small criticisms.

1. The packaged accessories are kind of useless. The staff can’t be held, and the small amulets are impossible to attach. No instructions are given for their usage. Are they supposed to be attached to the figure, or to you?
2. Twistie ties. There were 12 ties that you have to cut to remove this figure from the backing card. That’s a bit much.
3. The text on the packaging may discourage actual goths who may want to buy this product. As individuals, they would probably hate to be categorized and quantified in this way.

Angel is a quality doll – with great attention to detail and fantastic articulation – she is sure to please any 1/6 scale collector, doll collector, or fans of gothic culture.

UniToyZone has Angel in stock and ready to ship – why not check it out?

A frightening toy of a character from the lost film of the silent era!

MGM's "London After Midnight" is probably the most famous of all "lost" movies. The last print known to exist was destroyed in a warehouse fire in 1967. (Turner Classic Movies released a reconstruction of the film using still photos in 2002. It is available on the Lon Chaney Collection dvd set.) The film was originally released in 1927 and featured the silent era's greatest star, Lon Chaney. Though many who saw the film on it's initial run remember it as a mediocre film at best, images captured from remaining stills have turned it into a "classic" in the minds of romanticising horror fans worldwide. This can be partly attributed to more great makeup work from "the man of a thousand faces". It's been said that the false teeth Chaney wore for this film were so painful that he would only wear them for minutes at a time.

The toy features 21 points of articulation on it's standard 12" doll frame. It is highly poseable as a result but is inhibited some by the clothing it wears. The hat is permanently fixed on but the shoes are removable. It would seem that the hands, head and clothes are the only original parts on the toy, with Sideshow choosing to recycle the inner frame from the others in the series. I should say that this is not a knock on it at all. It makes perfect sense. The main body is flesh colored, but you do not see it at all underneath the clothing.

There are not many accessories included with this one, just a stone base and a lantern. The base is pretty lame, imo. It's just a flat piece with a "U" molded onto the top that you place the dolls foot into. This really doesn't help stand the toy up much at all and I'd recommend you buy a 12" doll stand if you are displaying this on anything but the most stable of surfaces. Otherwise, it will likely fall down. Sideshow did release such stands with labels for each genre, but the monster ones are long sold out.

Despite this minor flaw, this is a great toy. Previous to this, there was few, if any, toy renditions of this character and the sculpt by Mat Falls ensured that this would be a good one. The version shown here is the Black and White Silver Screen Edition, but Sideshow did release a regular color version as well.

A buzzing, crawling, creeping nightmare of terror!!

Among all the 12" classic horror offerings released in the last few years, mostly by Sideshow Collectibles, one piece tends to get a bit overlooked. Majestic Studios released their Return Of The Fly action figure in 2003 and it's a very nice addition to have in your monster lineup. It's based on the movie of the same name released in 1959 and starring Vincent Price, who appeared in the original version "The Fly" as well in the previous year. Price played the character of Francois Delambre (not the monster) in both movies, but did not appear in the trilogy's final entry, 1965's "Curse of the Fly", as by this time he was under contract to another studio.

This is a really neat figure. I bought it mostly because I got a good deal on it, (it retailed for about $40, but I got it on clearance for $15) but I'm reallly glad I did. While most of my 12" figures are in storage due to space limitations, this is one of only three that still gets displayed. I really like the big fly head with the shiny green eyes and the claw hand and foot add a nice touch of menace. The neck and upper chest have hair on them, but besides these things the rest of the toy is just a regular guy in a suit. You can unbutton the jacket, shirt and pants, but it doesn't appear that you can unbuckle the belt.

There are 15 points of articulation (ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders, waist, chest and neck) allowing for great poseability. Though it's generally referred to as a 12" figure, in reality it is more like 13.5" tall. 14"+ if you measure from the botoom of the included base. Speaking of which, this is a really neat add-in that you don't get with the Sideshow releases. The base is about 7"x6" with a "Return Of The Fly" plaque on the front. Also included is a tipped over jug of red liquid, presumably blood although I don't remember that from the movie. Of course, it's been a few years since I've seen it, though. Rounding out the presentation is of course a fly with a human head. Unlike the David Cronenberg remake of the 1980's in which Jeff Goldblum gradually becomes a fly, in the originals the main character actually has his head, arm and foot SWAPPED with a fly after his teleportation experiment goes wrong. So if you have a big human toy with a fly head, you need a little fly toy with a human head.

Title Plaque

Overturned Jar O'Blood

I must say that the guy doesn't seem to be too bothered by having his head on a fly's body!

My biggest, and really only, gripe with this toy is the box it came in. Unlike the Sideshow 12" figures, and even the later Dr. Phibes one from Majestic Studios, this does not come in a sleek box with the movie artwork on front. Instead it's a much bulkier box with a cellophane window on the front. It's one of those boxes that really doesn't lend itself to collectability. Mine was destroyed and thrown away. And if you know how obsessive I am about boxes, then you know how much of a hassle the thing was to deal with. This is why I can't provide a picture of it for you.

But I definitely recommend this to monster fans, especially if you can find a good deal on it like I did.

And if you were wondering, yes, The Misfits song "Return of the Fly" is indeed about this movie.

Alaqua is part of a new line of gothic-style dolls by BBI (a sub-company of Blue Box Toys), distributed by Merit International. The line is called Dark Desires, and it aims to capture the spirit of the gothic subculture. You can find Alaqua and other 1/6 scale figures at UniToyZone.

The back of the box has a bit of text that describes their interpretation of Goth:

Dark Desires exists for those that are today’s true Goths…. So what are Goths? Some dictionaries describe “Goth” as members of a Germanic tribe from the 3rd to 5th century, a style of rock music, or a member of a sub-culture favouring black clothing and white painted faces with black make-up.

While each of these definitions may be somewhat correct, they are not the real essence of today’s Goth movement, and those that live and support it remain largely misunderstood.

Goth is more than a fashion statement; it is a way of life. One that takes things on its own terms, regardless of the opinion of others. Those that enjoy Goth are just like other people, they go to the movies, to dinner, to parties…. They just express themselves differently by making choices about their appearance and interests.

Dark Desires stands as an example of such choices, and its members display their own individuality and their need not to conform, and these are their “Desires”. The “Dark” is a reference to their preference towards the darker tones of black, purple and scarlet.

Their names are chosen from those they feel a bond with and so we present Shadow, Angel, Vlad, Chaos and Alaqa… Each an individual. Their choice of fashion is full of opposites such as leather and lace, but to them there are no contradictions, only choices including silver, leather, lace, chain and use of dark tones.  Dark Desires is a group where the “misunderstood” can communicate and be accepted for their individuality, needs and desires.

This group will flourish in time and will be……..

I don’t know if I agree with their definition of Goth. Around here, Goth is synonymous to 16 year-old overweight kids hanging out in the mall wearing baggy pants, eyeliner, and holding a Slipknot lunchbox. But at the other end of the spectrum, you have the Japanese Gothic Lolita look, which is closer in spirit to what we have here.

Alaqua is a fully articulated 1/6 scale figure. She has a wide range of poseability, and she is actually stable. Alaqua can stand on her own without the need for a doll stand.

The head is cast in soft vinyl and uses soft blue hair. The hair tends to get a bit messy, but I’m sure you could brush it out. The facial details are crisp and clean with sufficiently light skin tone for that “afraid of the sun” Goth look. The rest of the body is hard plastic, and features more articulation than you would expect. This is great for posing, but with this doll, I think the extra articulation actually detracts a bit. Where this doll has exposed shoulders, you can see the double shoulder joints, and it distracts from the overall appearance.

Alaqua’s outfit is made out of a combination of lace and what I think is vinyl. The outfit is several different pieces and can open in the back. The black hands are cast in plastic, as are the boots (which are not removable).

Included with the doll is an assortment of Jewelry. First there are several small plastic charms on a black string loop. I initially thought it was a necklace, but I couldn’t get it over the head. Then there is a metal chain necklace and several larger charms. The metal chain has a piece of metal that dangles from the center, to which you can attach any one of the charms. Unfortunately, this connection point is just a ring – no latch at all. I had to get a pair of needle-nose pliers to bend the ring open, add a charm, and close it. I ASSUME that the charms are supposed to go on here, but there are no instructions that say what you are to do.

Minor gripes aside, this is a really beautiful doll. It looks so alive and seductive in any pose you put it in. Sure, it is a glamorized version of Goths, but if they all looked this way, maybe I wouldn’t laugh at them so much when I see them at the mall waiting for their parents to pick them up.

Alaqua is available from UniToy Zone.

The Giant Garamon (ジャイアントガラモン) checks in at just over 14" tall and is a commanding presence on any vinyl kaiju shelf.

Usually the paint on M1go (M１号) vinyls is top notch, but there is a bit of overspray on this one. The paint from the lips can also be seen a bit on the chin underneath. No doubt the person painting it was distracted by those eyes, so I'll let it slide this time.

There are six points of articulation at the hips, arms, neck and tail, but you won't move anything but the head in all likelihood. The toy was sold in a bag with a header card. The version I have came with a round wooden base with a gold foil label on it. I can't read the Japanese but it seems this one may have been sold at a fuction of some kind on June 11, 2006. I can't find anything about it being a show exclusive so I'm not sure what it signifies. If you know, feel free to clue me in.

The great thing about these toys is that they are actually "life-size".

The original Outer Limits was one of my all-time favorite TV shows and while it's nearly impossible to pick a single favorite amongst it's numerous offerings, the episode which ran on December 30, 1963 ranks right up there. That episode was entitled "The Zanti Misfits" and featured a race of alien beings with the bodies of ants with human-like faces. The plot involves this race sending it's criminals to Earth to be incarcerated here. The Zantis were brought to life using stop-motion animation and while the effect was not always convincing, the creatures themselves remained impressive because.....well, they're bugs with human faces and that's just creepy.

In 2002, Sideshow Collectibles released both designs that were used in the show, limited to 5,000 pieces each. Both toys feature the same scuplt on the body, with a slightly different paint scheme, and have similar but slightly modified heads. The Zanti Prisoner has a lighter brown body than the Zanti Regent and his mouth is open wider. There is white hair above the eyes and all along the both sides of his head, so he tends to look older than the Regent. The Zanti Prisoner didn't appear in the episode very much, only showing up near the end in a crowd of other Zantis.

The body of each is 8" long, 9" if you measure to the very tip of the antennae. There are 8 points of articulation, at the base of each leg as well as in-between each body segment.

The great thing about these toys is that they are actually "life-size", or at least the same size at the props from the show.

The packaging is pretty cool. It's an approximately 9"x9" box, with a fold out lid that you can lift to reveal the toy stored beneath a cellophane window. The underside of the flaps fetures a synopsis of the episode along with episode credits and information. The lid is held in place by velcro when closed. The box for each toy is the same, except that each has it's name on the side.

The Zanti Misfits were sold individually, but in my opinion, you just can't buy one without buying the other.