SDCC 2013 Photos pt1 – Cosplay Action!

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Knives

Alright. So you’re probably thinking, “What is this? It’s been forever since San Diego Comic Con 2013. Heck, the opportunity to grab passes for THIS years SDCC has already come and gone! Why are you living in the past, man?”

Well, I sort of blew it last year with RtR’s intended “epic coverage” of SDCC 2013, I feel bad about it so I wanted to write a little on the topic. “Awww, I’m sorry to hear that, little buddy. What happened?” you, my imaginary friend, asks.

If you sit a spell then I’ll tell ya.. or if you could care less and just want to see the goods.. skip to the end of this article to portal you directly to our Flickr page and you’ll be rewarded by hundreds of newly uploaded SDCC 2013 Cosplay photos.

Day one in San Diego, I hit the conference floor with a brand new camera, a couple of new lenses and a plethora of large, empty memory cards. My goal last year was to not just do MORE coverage of SDCC 2013 than I did in 2012 but to obliterate it with the most picture heavy, video oozing coverage anyone’s ever seen in.. ever.

Well, as it happens when you’re filled with spit and vinegar, shooting from the hip as it were, I found that I overestimated my abilities and overstepped personal physical bounds. Upon returning to my humble abode here in Hawaii, I loaded up the memory cards and their ga-millions of images and videos onto my computer, looked upon it’s grandeur.. and just froze.

In front of me was literally days worth of video footage along with far more images than I can count. All of which would have to be gone through, organized and edited before usable. I didn’t know what to do with it all. WHAT to do with it all. For the first few weeks following the con, I ended up doing what I’ve done before when faced with overwhelmingly impossibly odds…

nothing.

“Tomorrow.. yes, tomorrow I’ll knock this stuff out.” That tomorrow never came.

Like the year before, it was such a joyful buzz to roam the conference floor, snapping pics of everything and everyone, chatting it up with superheroes and cartoon characters to my hearts content. There’s always something going on or someone walking by that seems worth the flick of a shutter. But now with it all in front of me, squeezed onto my computer, I realized putting this thing together was going to require my full-time and attention to actually get it out in any reasonable time frame… and that’s with only a very sub-standard level of spit-shine.. like with just the spit and none of the shine.

Like a lot you out there, I have a full-time job as well as freelance work that eats up the larger portion of my day. So I started to stress out because I had so much content and had planned to do so much with it. Instead of being able to do that, I was suddenly handed the sickening reality that it simply wasn’t feasible for me to do. I’d bitten off more than I could chew and captured more content than I had the hours to do anything with. After struggling to work through it on and off over some passing months, I finally decided I needed to shelf it and move on.

Fast forward to now when SDCC 2013 is old news and everyone’s steeling themselves for SDCC 2014 and it almost seems pointless to bring it up again. But, even with my free time more askew than ever before, I’d put a lot of time and work in.. and it’s grated on me to know that all this content is just sitting on my computer growing old and moldy. Rad Toy Review’s epic SDCC 2013 coverage may be a bygone promise well past it’s prime, but by golly, in the hash-tagged spirit of throw back Thursday, I’m going to give you whatever I have to give anyway!

While my epic SDCC video project sits in limbo, I did manage to edit and pair down a fair amount of the photos. You guys deserve to see something and there’s no time like the present! This first part of our SDCC 2013 Photo coverage is all the Cosplay stuff I could get through . There’s more hidden away on my drive, but I think the ones on our Flickr page are the best of the lot. I’ll get the toy pics finished up in a follow up post, which will go up soonly… maybe next Thursday if the spirit moves me.

For this coming year’s SDCC, I’ll make no grand promises of epic coverage. No pie-in-the-sky boasts of videos streaming into your retina’s just days after the footage is captured. Yes, we will be there and yes, we will probably take an obnoxious amount of photos and video. You WILL get your coverage. Exactly what form that coverage takes, remains to be seen. Maybe video will work out this year, maybe not.. either way, I can promise there will be lots of things worth checking out here on Rad Toy Review. We’ll make no promises other than doing the best we can.

Think of these photos of SDCC 2013 as the precursor, a beginning of our SDCC 2014 coverage.

NOT an end.

Alright, without further ado.. please check out RtR’s photos from last years San Diego Comic Con!

It’s been a bit! SDCC and other stuff.

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Knives

Hey gang!
As we gear up for San Diego Comic Con, I wanted to drop a quick note to check in and let everyone know that we’re still working hard on updating RtR with the latest and greatest. In fact, we have three reviews written, recorded and photographed. However thanks to our crazy “real world” work schedules, haven’t had a moment to edit them all for posting. That’s not an excuse… It’s just a fact. We’re a tiny family of toy enthusiast with real jobs and families and this site, as important as it is to us, doesn’t make us a dime. So sometimes, things have to be put on hold.
But we’re not going anywhere. RtR has always been about fun and sharing with the community our passion for wonderful toys that we find fascinating and inspiring.
As for the reviews, they’re coming back soon. We hope, though we’re not promising anything, to get the ones on the back burner up before SDCC hits in a couple weeks.

Speaking of which, we’re super excited for the San Diego Comic Con! Once again, we will be making the trek from our beautiful beaches here in Hawaii, to the most exciting and bustling mega event of the year.
Last year was our maiden voyage to the con and we shot a ton photos to give our readers a glimpse at the sometimes overwhelming spectacle.
This year, we’re stepping up our game. We will be covering the convention extensively with photos and HD video of artist interviews, tons of cosplay, panels and of course, toys.

To stay the most updated during the con, you should most definitely follow us on Facebook, Twitter and or new, hardly used Instagram feed at #radtoyreview. We’ll be posting steadily and heavily there during comic con a bunch of stuff that won’t necessarily make it over here to the main site. It’ll definitely be the quickest way to stay updated if you want to see practically everything we see, WHEN we see it, on the convention floor..

That’s it! That’s my sales pitch! We want to thank everyone so much for all the love and support you give our site. RtR has grown so incredibly much in the past two years its hard to believe. We wouldn’t be able to invest the time and energies to do it without ya!

See you in San Diego!

Review 3A’s WWR NOM the 4th and NOM Disciple 27

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Knives

INTRO

Occasionally we’ll throw the switch and review something that came out a few months back. Today is one of those days as we’re tackling both 3A’s Nom 4th and Nom Disciple 27. We somehow let them slip by when they first dropped on our doorstep but still feel that they’re interesting enough to warrant a few mumblings. In fact, if you read our “Top Toys of 2012” post, you already know a little bit how we feel about them!

It was back at SDCC 2012 that I first peeked both NOMs. Nom 4th, Ashley Wood’s revamped take on his iconic Nom De Plume was one of the most exciting items I saw on display at 3A’s booth… heck SDCC! If you like, check out some of the shots we snapped in our beastly Comic Con 2012 coverage article.

The month prior to SDCC, ordering both NOMs was one of the most hesitation-free toy purchases I’d made. After seeing them at SDCC, I was confident that once in hand, these guys would be the jewels of my collection.

Whelp, as it happens..

PACKAGING

Both NOM boxes look great. Ash’s paintings, depicting each character individually, are splashed on two panels of each packs surface which is perfect for displaying if you’re the kind of guy/lady/lady-man-lady who enjoys doing that. It’s the kind of box art I enjoy the most from 3A/A. Wood.. minimalist design over some fantastic art.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Both NOMs come with two twin silver pistols, a baton and a spare pistol holding hand. Each figure have a full sized poster featuring the box art packed inside as well.

THE BREAKDOWN

As it was NOM 4th who first caught my eye at SDCC, he was the first I unboxed. I cut open the wrap and flipped open the lid. Ahhhh man, he looked great. The iconic NOM De Plume single red sleeve, the red lenses in the gas mask, even with all the new additions, it’s unmistakable NOM.

The new hoses are nice and flexible. I wouldn’t necessarily call them “soft”, but they’ll most likely adjust to where you need them to. Like them or not they definitely change his look enough to clearly identify him as a separate and unique character. 4th isn’t a quick and easy color swapped NOM. He’s not the same old toy with a new toy’s price. In fact, everything on him is brand spanking new.

Built on a completely new 3A body type, 4th has all new mask and glove sculpts that look really nice. The paint, weathering and tailoring on him looks top notch all around as well. Weapon-wise, gone is the old school De Plume pistol. It’s been replaced with a larger and much shinier new piece, of which you get two. NOM also comes with a riot baton that looks pretty swanky in it’s very own sheath.

I’m really loving the new boots that both 4th and 27th come with. They have actual laces, a first for a 3A toy and are made of a synthetic leather like material. On top of that, they’re soft enough to not impede any poses you might want to toss NOM into, yet feel sturdy enough to hold up well to bending them around. A definite positive notch for well made durability here.

The weird thing is, 4th comes by default with two relaxed hands installed and a single spare capable of holding a pistol of which, again.. he has two. So the other is for what.. balance, symmetry, personal feng shui? Not including a second pistol holding hand is one of those odd toy manufacturer decisions that you’d swear was simply a case of miscommunication between the floor manager and the guy packing up the pieces to ship out.

Someone did no get the memo.

Other than the inability to hold both guns at once, there’s a couple other things design-wise, that seem like oversights with this guy. The hands are made of a very soft rubber. Despite them being supposedly sculpted (and beautifully so) to the specifics of the newly designed hand canons, (or vice versa) the hand’s grip just isn’t firm enough to hold the weapon very well. It can and will, but it’ll fall out just as easily.

Another sadly overlooked thing, remember that cool baton we mentioned a minute ago? Neither hand is really appropriate for holding it. You can sorta wedge it in, where it probably works/looks best in the neutral hand. In practice however, it’s a very loose fit and nothing looks natural about it. It’s odd to have these kind of things in a brand new figure built from the ground up. If anything, this is the sort of stuff that should have been dead-on perfect!

Back to the good stuff! Just look at him! He looks so very cool. Like Tomorrow Kings, A. Wood nailed it when he designed the De Plume. There’s something so very dynamic and appealing about them. It’s difficult to put 4th in a pose that doesn’t flow with character. I literally spent a good hour posing and playing around with him the first day I had him.

Much of what I said about 4th can carry over to 27. The slightly too soft rubber hands, new boots, shiny guns, wicked little baton, multiple hoses and all new sculpts top to bottom. Where the real difference between the two comes in (other than Disciple’s dark complexion) is the hooded shirt.

Characters sporting hoodies are nothing new to 3A, particularly in the Adventure Kartel universe, but this is a first for World War Robot. Some bemoaned the addition as an unrealistic article for someone to wear in battle.

Pssh… I love it!

There’s something so very, I don’t know.. Evil Jedi about the way he looks with all the hoses pouring out from under his shroud. He looks menacing. More a ruthless assassin than a student or disciple. I need to hunt down a spare WWR Caesar knife or TK sword to give him. That seems fitting.

Just like all the NOMS before him, 27 is a mono-sleeved guy. The difference here is that his is tailored in such a cool and unique way. The end flap covers the top of his hands and are hemmed up at a sharp “V” angle to allow for him to hold a weapon unencumbered. It’s a nice look. It kind of reminds me of that goth kid I went to school with that always had his sleeves pulled down over his hands. But you know, way, WAY better.

He may just call back to my love of ninjas, Darth Vader, and Snake Eyes, but even if that’s so, is that a bad thing?

When I ordered him, I only did so because he looked a little different than 4th. I wasn’t really expecting much to get excited about. Even after seeing him first hand (behind glass) at SDCC, I thought for sure that 4th was the hero of the show and Disciple was a sort of bland, dark afterthought. Nay, nay. This guy is all kinds of awesome. While he shares all of the same short comings NOM 4th has, to my surprise, NOM Disciple has become one of my favorite 1/6 figures.

Back to the topic of shared characteristics, there are a couple other things in the negative column I feel need mentioning. One opinion, one fact.

I don’t love the new guns. They’re bigger, which.. OK fine, but they look like something Dirty Harry would’ve carried. That in itself isn’t a bad thing, but the original NOM pistol is so iconic! It’s the De Plume gun! The new gun just looks a bit more cookie cutter. The shine is pretty off-putting (not to mention a pain to photograph) as well. I guess they’re supposed to look as though they have some sort of brushed silver plating. But in truth, the effect isn’t very believable and they just look like little silver spray painted plastic toy guns.

The most wide spread complaint I’ve heard about these guys has to do with incredibly loose wrist joints. I hate to say it, but mine both bear the same affliction. I’ve never had joints on a 3A figure this loose. My 4th’s is, for whatever reason, worse than 27.. but both flop around like they’re trying to fly away. When I inspect the joints you can see they have a large gap in between them, when they should be tight. I’ve also heard a few people saying that one or more of their wrist pegs have broken apart right out the box. One has to wonder if the regular wrist peg guy at 3A was on vacation during the production of these figures?

“Ahh, let’s just have Jimmy from custodian services handle this one, it’ll be fine.”

Fogetaboutit!
The good news is, it’s just a wrist peg and a wrist peg is easily swapped out with another. The bad news is, ironically, no spares come packed in. I think every 1/6 figure I’ve gotten from 3A in the last year have come with spares. Of all the figures for 3A not to include extras with.

A wee DIY pro-tip: If you don’t have a spare wrist joint or two on hand, you can try dabbing a little super glue or clear nail polish on the peg itself (remove it from the hand and body first). Make sure to keep the joint moving while the adhesive sets in, otherwise you’ll have a stuck joint. Add as needed and after a bit, a thin layer will build up and stiffen the joint to a more workable level. Easy peasy.

THE FINAL WORD

With NOM the 4th and NOM Disciple 27, you’re getting completely newly fabricated figures, head to toe. While some of the newness isn’t necessarily an upgrade, I think you’d agree that the highs do outweigh the lows.

NOM the 4th is that iconic figure we missed out on years ago, that most of us could not afford today. He truly stands out on even the most crowded shelf and harkens back to the day many of you started collecting 3A. His colors pop and the impact his very presence brings to a toy collector’s shelf is undeniable.

I thought I’d share a notion I had about Nom 4th that isn’t either negative or positive, but moreso something a bit of late night writing coughed up. An observation about the growing and changing goings on with WWR.

When I finally had 4th unboxed and out in front of me, I found myself saying, “Hmmm, no one would ever wear that to battle.”

That’s when it occurred to me, I’m not so sure that 4th naturally fits in with the direction 3A and Ashley Wood have taken the WWR line. Over the years things have grown grimier, grittier and honestly, a bit more drab. The last De Plume’s, Fantome and Barguest were grungy ghost white and murky death black respectively. You could see them trading fire on the battle field and slipping behind their foes, relieving them of the burden of breath. All of the WWR Grunts are dusted in murky, muted tones and are sporting attire fairly appropriate for a war. Same could be said for the bot snipers.. not to mention the bots themselves. NOM the 4th is a little dirtier than NOM De Plume was, a little less art toy and maybe a few shades more action figure.. but to me, he feels like more of a symbol of an important 3A icon than part of the current, ever expanding, World War Robot universe.

The NOM Disciple, with his Jedi good looks, has become one of my favorite 1/6 figures. When I ordered him, I really only did so because he looked a little different than 4th and my other De Plumes. I wasn’t really expecting much to get excited about. 4th was supposed to be the hero of the show, right? Maybe to some, but to me, the NOM Disciple takes it by a knife’s edge and is all kinds of awesome.

I think the reason I can forgive such glaring QC issues is that despite their mutual shortcomings, you still feel like you’re getting something of quality. From the box art and poster to the stitching on the new laced up boots, these NOMs feel special.

These two figures really are some of the nicer pieces out of 3A in the past year and can still be had for a song or two on the aftermarket. If I had to choose one, I’d probably go with NOM 4th despite digging on 27 a good deal more. Mainly because as a 3AA 2013 member, we’ll be getting NOM Blanc, who’s essentially a grey/dirty white version of NOM 27, as part of the package. Even if you didn’t snag 3AA this year, NOM the 4th is “the last” of his kind.. or so they say. If that holds to be true, he’s your last chance to grab a classic style De Plume. In the end, either one would be a great choice that I think you’ll be more than happy to have on your shelf.

PROS:

These are some fine looking gentlemen with great weathering, paint and tailoring
The De Plume redesigns are a solid step forward and feature all new parts, ceiling to floor
The new boots are really well done and look fantastic
NOM 27’s hoodie adds so much menace and mystery to the character.. it’s truly awesome sauce
Love the baton and sheath
Your chance to own a classic 3A icon. (sort of.)

CONS:

Weak, limp wrist pegs that you’ll want to patch or replace right out the box
Only includes one pistol holding hand (but comes with two guns) and no baton holding hand
The pistol holding hand is very soft and doesn’t firmly hold NOM’s gun
The new gun design, while not necessarily bad looking, is a bit more generic than the original and iconic De Plume pistols