Review Herocross Hybrid Metal Figuration – Michelangelo

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Knives

INTRO
This is our first review of a HeroCross Hybrid Metal Figuration.. uh.. figure. (Try saying that five times real fast)

The good folks at HeroCross were kind enough to reach out to us and ask if we’d be interested in reviewing some of their figures. I always really enjoyed checking out their displays at SDCC in past years but hadn’t had any personal experience with them so, I jumped at the opportunity.

They gave us a a pretty wide range of figures to choose from… Predator/Alien.. Star Wars.. Batman… etc.. etc… After a little back and forth, I mentioned how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles really caught my eye. So they sent me Michelangelo.

Now, I’m not complaining, but I admit, when I was told we’d be getting the turtles to review, I was thinking they’d send all FOUR of them.. since you know, they’re a team of turtles and it’s hard to have turtles plural, with only one turtle… but that’s probably just me being greedy for more cool stuff to play with.

That said, Mikey is looking a little lonely up there on the shelf all by his lonesome so let me bust him out and get on with the review!

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SDCC 2016 Cosplay Edition

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Knives

Better late than never?

So it’s been a few months since SDCC and despite our best efforts, we had to wait all this time to actually go through and process/edit the hundreds of photos we took over the course of the event.

I could regale you with a long story about professional life/family life/LIFE life getting in the way of getting it done in a more timely manner.. but that’d probably bore you, if I haven’t already.

As always, the cosplayers really brought their A-game to SDCC this year. Walking the floor snapping shots of them are one of my favorite pastimes during the con. I’m astonished by the talent as well as the cajones often on display. Between SDCC and walking the beaches in Hawaii.. I’m constantly reminded that I need to put the donut down and hit the gym.

One day, I just might.

So! On to the shots. These are just a few of my favorites while the rest will be holed up in a massive album over on our Facebook page, so head over there to get the full run.

Follow this link to check out our ENTIRE SDCC 2016 Cosplay album on our FB page!

REVIEW ThreeA – DOTM Optimus Prime

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Knives

INTRO

We’re spoiled.

Every one of us. Spoiled rotten.
That was the 1st thing I thought of when I removed Optimus Prime from the sleek ThreeA packaging. I pulled Optimus from the safety of his cut foam coffin and was surprised when I felt an almost passive reaction to him.

Not in an unimpressed or poorly received way.. just a “Yup, it’s another ThreeA toy”
Which translates to, “Yup, it’s another highly articulated, insanely detailed, fantastically painted and weathered giant robot toy from ThreeA”

Sigh.

Let me explain. Think back to the kind of toys we had growing up (unless you’re still growing up, in which case.. get off my lawn!!”) Simple toys, unrealistic, cheap plastics, sloppy paints, limited articulation…. Back in our day, there wasn’t anything like the collectors market for action figures and pop culture collectibles like there is today. We were happy and impressed by the simplest Transformers Hasbro, Mattel or Kenner pumped on the local toy aisle. I mean, those are all still awesome in their own way.. a lot of the classics are absolutely beautiful to me.. but considering where toys are now.. particularly in articulation and engineering, it’s really hard to compare.

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REVIEW 1000Toys – Anticarb (SDCC 2015 EXCLUSIVE)

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Knives

Intro

I’m going to go out on a limb here… albeit a very large, sturdy limb… and say that over the past couple years, 1000toys has become one of the most talked about and watched toy companies around. Despite being a very small studio with only a few figures under their belt so far, each of their releases have been highly anticipated and sell out in minutes. The result is usually a bunch of flippers holding them ransom on the aftermarket for some 2 to 3 times retail… leaving some unlucky “true” fans to smash their piggy banks while swearing under their breath.
Fan’s willingness to pay said ransom, is testament enough to 1000toys growing popularity.

It may surprise you to learn that 1000toys, based out of Japan, is made up of only 3 people. They work closely with various factories in both China and Japan to make it all come together but really it’s all due to their collective vision in that they felt they could push 1/6th toy design further than anything currently available on the market. Speaking with one of the founders, Uchibayashi Takashi about their process I learned that one of the key factors in the formation of 1000toys was simply “to make the things I wanted for myself.”

Previous 1000toys figures have been pretty bare-bones, accessories-wise. You get the figure, which has no clothing or weapons and MAYBE a 2nd set of hands.. that’s it. All for roughly $150+ retail. That may seem a little steep, until you actually get one in hand. That’s when you realize that the hype 1000toys has been getting isn’t undeserved. Their figures are easily among the most well engineered and finessed out there. You can check out our previous reviews of Synthetic Human and CaRB for more info… but like, do that after you read this one!

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