Anime Festival Asia (AFA09) held a press conference last Thursday November 5th with a key focus on the Animation Asia Conference (AAC'09) vis-à-vis "The Business of Japanese Pop Culture", and additional presentation/announcements of Regional Cosplay Championship finalists (Read more here), AFA'09 exclusives. The event wrapped with a demonstration and introduction of the Moe Moe Kyun Maid

PRESS: Mimoco, the Boston-based maker of MIMOBOT® designer USB flash drives, is partnering with Los Angeles retailer Munky King to create the worlds first MIMOBOT Pop-Up Shop which will run from November 1st through November 29th, 2009.The Opening Party was held Nov 5th [previously blogged / Facebook] as well as a re-release of the MIMOBOT Ginchy Series ~ for which there is also a contest

Currently in the pharmacy picking some cleaning stuff. One of my responsibilities is cleaning the office toilets - the skid marks and splashes around the rim and on the floor left by everybody who uses and visits the office. When I'm done with my business, I usually wipe up afterwards. Many he-men may boast about being a good aim but completely fail to think about the splashing from inside of the bowl. If you are visiting our offices and need a leek, please wipe up after ^^; MIRAI株式会社でトイレ掃除を担当しています。いろんな人がうちのトイレを使っていますが、飛んだおしっこを拭く人はあんまりいない^^; ちゃんと拭いとけよ！^^;

This is a Tokyo Live Blogger post posted from the iPhone. You can read more by this and other live bloggers or follow them via RSS.

Munky King officially kicked off the opening of the 1st ever Mimobot Pop-Up store on Thursday evening. The rear portion of Munky King is now a one stop shop for everything Mimobot. Hello Kitty drives? Yup. Star Wars? Yup. Tokidoki… you get the idea. Filling in for his ill brother,... Jack Shows http://www.vinylpulse.com/2009/11/seen-mimobot-pop-up-opening-party-munky-king.html

Another late FF in the day, but do we have a nice roster for you. These twitters are from all over the place and may obtain some vital information when it comes to toys or art shows. The only way to seek that information is by following them and us... Kristoffer twitter http://www.vinylpulse.com/2009/11/follow-friday-on-twitterpulse.html

A couple of Japanese commercials picked up from YouTube. The first one is a 2 min extended one by Panasonic.
Two sisters were due to follow a career on the catwalk but one ends up in hospital while the eldest sister goes to New York. The younger sister sends a video of herself to sis which is played on a Panasonic display.

The next CM is a more recent one currently airing on TV now. Its from the layer firm MIRAIO. We see a business man go though his day while taking a battering from a typhoon. The message is that one will always go through rough spots (typhoon) in life but the important thing is what happens after the typhoon.

This page at MIRAIO lists the categories that they help with including fraud, sexual harassment, housing trouble, debt, divorce, damage to property, privacy, medical accidents and what have you.
So far I've been fortunate enough not to require the services of a lawyer although I did really want to sue my landlord a few years back - the apartment walls were made of paper.
Have you had the need to use the services of a lawyer?

Peaugh#039;s got his hands on the new orange repaint of Scout Class Dirt Boss and shows us all that it is in fact a blatant homage to the Go-Bot Spoons.

Is $69.99 a low enough price to warrant buying a CONSTRUCTICON DEVASTATOR? If you like it, Costco is selling them for just $69.99 and it even says amp;quot;shipping amp;amp; handling includedamp;quot; that#039;s a pretty sweet deal that is hard to beat now at CostCo.com.

Hasbro Studios Names Kathy Samuels as Executive Producer Credits Include Rachel Ray, Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood PAWTUCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2009-- Kathy Samuels ndash; an industry veteran with a proven track record of success during stints at both CBS Television Distribution Group (CTDG) and NBC ndash; has been named Executive Producer at the newly-formed, Los Angeles-based Hasbro Studios. In this new role, Samuels will be responsible for overseeing production on a number of th

iGear has updated their site with news and images for to super awesome cool fan project redux of City Commander upgrade: TF-001 Wreckers Leader Upgrade. Taking a queue from the Animated cartoon series this Magnus upgrade comes with a new head that looks much more G1esque. He#039;s got a BIG hammer weapon ala Animated Magnus that breaks apart into two smaller one-sided hammers. A big ol#039; fusion type cannon in clear blue plastic. There#039;s also a sword and load of missiles to take down the most ardent foe.

KO Toys does it again with new images of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Starscream action figure out of the box. If you thought the colors were bright in the box, you#039;re gonna be in for a bit of jolt. They are even more garish out of the packaging. See the KMart exclusive in robot and jet modes as well as in comparison with the stock Voyager Starsceam model. This is definately an interesting offering and its not only silly, but kind of hilarious that Transforming robot would have ta

Woot! This is so awesome that describing it almost seems besides the point. But then again, that’s what I get paid the big bucks for ;-) You're looking at Amanda Visell's Trojan Pegaphunt metal sculpture produced by the wizards at Fully Visual. The Trojan Pegaphunt is a sturdy chunk of... Jack Incoming http://www.vinylpulse.com/2009/11/amanda-visell-trojan-pegaphunt.html

Shotaro Ishinomori created Kamen Rider, Cyborg 009, Harmagedon, The Skull Man

McFarlane Toys NHL Canadian Exclusive Series

Now these are nice. FERG just pulled the back curtain on Jamungo’s upcoming BUDs Series 3 with four really nice teaser shots on the Collect and Destroy boards. We decided to be greedy and ask for a few exclusive shots so you could see even more of the series including... Jack Incoming http://www.vinylpulse.com/2009/11/buds-series-3-preview.html

Line: Marvel * Manufacturer: Hasbro * Year: 2009 * Ages: 4+

“Fed up with being hunted and hounded by every criminal and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in New York, Spider-Man goes on the offensive. Putting on his old, black costume is a signal that he’s through messing around. Any crook that wants to mess with his family is going to get put down, and put down hard.”
– from the back of the card

I reviewed the basic Spider-Man back in March (review here), and passed over the Black Costume Spider-Man several times, figuring that one Spider-Man in my 3.75-inch Marvel Universe action figure collection was enough. And it was, up until ToysRUs held a 2 for $10 sale on this series (mentioned here), at which point I broke down and grabbed this guy. He’s almost a good figure, but a few issues prevent him from breaking out of the “okay” category.

Sculpt

I first looked at this sculpt in my review of the Marvel Universe Secret Wars #1, Captain America & Klaw comic pack (review here), where the body was reused for the villain, Klaw. Where the sculpt worked very well for Klaw, it’s only partially good for Spider-Man, primarily because this action figure is significantly taller than the basic Spider-Man Marvel Universe action figure. As in the Black Costume Spider-Man is a good 1/4-inch taller.

This series has had problems with scale, with “normal” figures all over the map, but this is one of the worst scale problems I’ve encountered so far. For all of their experience with G.I. Joe and Star Wars action figures I expect more out of Hasbro. This height issue is unforgivable and easily my biggest complaint with the Black Costume Spider-Man.

Paint

Even though other reviews of this action figure disliked the paint apps (both the Articulated Discussion review and the review at Figure Realm point to the paint apps as a negative) I’ve gotta say that I like the black and blue paint on the toy.

The figure is primarily a dull, near-black in color (which appears to be the plastic, and not paint) with near-random sprays of a blue/grey color splattered across the figure’s front and back. White paint, for the eyes and spider symbols on the chest and back, was then applied over the black/blue base body; the effect is remarkable, with the blue/black mix creating a near-shadow effect on Spider-Man’s entire body. The white detailing is crisp and, overall, I’m pretty happy with the paint apps. I appear to be in the minority, though, so I understand if you disagree with me when it comes to Spider-Man’s paint quality.

Accessories

Black Costume Spider-Man comes with the same web accessory as the basic Spider-Man, though this time it’s a black and gray color instead of a clear piece. I still dislike this webbing accessory; it just looks stupid and I’d happily trade it for a stand.

Other than that, the only other accessories are the pieces of paper packed inside the “top secret” envelope, including the Fury Files password. I’m telling you guys, this Fury Files site is great, but it really makes it tough to ignore holes in my collection; just what does the Bullseye entry on the website say? I have no idea.

Articulation

The entire Marvel Universe series has pretty good articulation, but Black Costume Spider-Man has one major articulation flaw that (along with the scale problem) firmly keeps this toy in the “okay” slot. He can’t put his arms down to his sides. At all. The first photo of the figure (scroll back up) shows Black Costume Spider-Man with his arms as far down as they’ll go. This is ridiculous, Hasbro, because I know you guys can do a better job than this.

Not quite as fatal a flaw, but a flaw all the same, is the ball-jointed head. The range of movement side-to-side works fine, but the up-and-down motion is so minimal that it may as well not exist. Overall, between the height and these articulation problems, it almost feels as if Black Costume Spider-Man was rushed. I’m hoping the version of this character in the Secret Wars comic pack doesn’t have these same problems . . .

Closing Thoughts

I’ve really been loving this series, and still rank is as the best new 3.75-inch scale series of 2009, but Black Costume Spider-Man is one of the weaker entries in the line. Which is sad, since I really love the paint apps on the figure and the Secret Wars version doesn’t have the blue spray effects on the body.

Unless you’re trying to collect a complete set of figures in this line I say pass on this guy. I see him on pegs everywhere, so there’s a good chance these will wind up on clearance after Christmas. At the $5 I paid for him he was an okay deal, but he’s definitely not worth the $8 or $9 that these usually sell for.

For another look at the Black Costume Spider-Man action figure see this post at the Past Generation Toys blog and this Photo Archive at Cool Toy Review.

Search for Marvel Universe toys at Amazon.com!

Order Marvel Universe Action Figures from Entertainment Earth!

Philip Reed feels sorry for this action figure. Poor thing, someone really didn’t give you the love that you deserved.

MOTUC Princess of Power Adora Figure

Spencer and Steven Ong of Rotobox have just unleashed the third series of custom Ganmetall Celsius figures which pay homage to Ryu Hayabusa, the bad ass from Ninja Gaiden. Limited to just 5 pieces, the Ryu Hayabusa Celsius customs are beautifully done, capturing the essence of the character. The facial... Jack Customs http://www.vinylpulse.com/2009/11/rotobox----ganmetall-celsius-tribute-3-ryu-hayabusa.html

One of our favorite toy spots in Taipei, Paradise Toyland, will host Yukinori Dehara’s Crazy Farm Village exhibition on November 13th (7 PM). Wildly creative and energetic, Dehara’s original figures are small awesome artworks to be treasured. If you’re in Taiwan, this is not to be missed. Paradise will start... Jack Shows http://www.vinylpulse.com/2009/11/yukinori-dehara-crazy-farm-village-1113.html