Of course, when we are talking about Neon Genesis Evangelion, the term Angel takes on new connotations.

Shamsel is an angel. Not just any angel, but a giant, super-powered monster angel.

Of course, when we are talking about Neon Genesis Evangelion, the term Angel takes on new connotations.

The Angels are the bad guys of the series, sent to the earth to steal panties from Japanese school girls. No, wait.. that's not right. But it would make more sense if it was.

Shamshel is the Fourth Angel (Fifth if we are talking Rebuild of Evangelion) and is one of many Angels that attack earth, more specifically, NerV headquarters.

Shamsel attacks Eva Unit 01, and the battle is fierce. Unit 01's power supply is severed in the attack and manages to kill Shamsel seconds before his power runs out.

If you haven't seen NGE, then this may be lost on you. Shame on you.

While there have been tons of toys of the EVA units, there have been very few of the Angels, and mostly we get Satchiel or something. But with Bandai's Soul of Sofubi line, they started to make vinyl toys of the Angels. Unfortunately, they stopped after only a few releases.

Shamshel is the last release in the line.

As a vinyl toy, it's not bad, but doesn't do much. Shamshel stands 22cm tall, and features two clear energy whips and a clear core. There's no articulation.

Shamshel comes loose on a hang tag with a card, and the energy whips are packaged in a plastic case. You need to attach the whips, and they are keyed to go in a specific way.

Because Shamshel is not bagged or anything, he's often found scuffed or damaged.

There you go - Shamshel. It exists.

Creators' Labo #021 Emaretta-chan (Shunya Yamashita) [Figure] by Yamato

Revoltech No.075 Neo Getter 1 [Action Figure] by Kaiyodo

Revoltech No.074 Getter Dragon [Action Figure] by Kaiyodo

Tokidoki: Mozzarella the Moofia Vinyl [Figure] by Strangeco

Tokidoki Cactus Friends: Bruttino & Carina 2-Pack [Figure] by Strangeco

Tokidoki Cactus Friends: Bastardino & Polpettina Vinyl 2-Pack [Figure] by Strangeco

Mazinkaiser: Max Alloy Mazinkaiser (Mazinger Z) [Action Figure] by Max Factory

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Zatanna [Figure] by DC Direct

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Wonder Woman [Figure] by DC Direct

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Power Girl [Figure] by DC Direct

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Harley Quinn [Figure] by DC Direct

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Catwoman [Figure] by DC Direct

Cover Girls of the DC Universe: Black Canary [Figure] by DC Direct

Marvel Select: Iron Man [Action Figure] by Diamond Select

Marvel Select: Incredible Hulk [Action Figure] by Diamond Select

Naruto: Sasuke Ultimate Chidori Statue [Figure] by Toynami

Naruto Shippuden Series 1: Naruto & Deidara Set of 2 [Action Figure] by Toynami

The shadow warrior. Calm, mysterious and a puzzle even to his team members. He's the only one to have "subordinates", animal robots stored in the form of cards.

A very brief description of Shadow Dagwon from Wikipedia:

The shadow warrior. Calm, mysterious and a puzzle even to his team members. He's the only one to have "subordinates", animal robots stored in the form of cards.

Today's review will be centered around the re-issue of Shadow Dagwon manufactured by Sonokong/Takara. This toy can be purchased from ebay using the links provided below the review.

Shadow Dagwon DX comes to you in a beautifully illustrated, heavy corrugated cardboard box shown below. Once again, I have to say that I am a fan of the packaging used on these Sonokong re-issues so far.

I decided to do this review in the order of Robot mode, Beast mode then finally the combined mode. The first photo is the group shot so that you can see all the players on the Shadow Dagwon team in Robot mode. As you can see, the team is made up of Shadow Dag (Purple robot), Guard Hawk (Blue Robot), Guard Wolf (Green Robot), and finally Guard Lion (Yellow Robot).

Lets start off with the big guy, known as Shadow Dag. Shadow Dag comes with a sword, sheath that becomes a ninja star launcher and 6 yellow ninja stars (shown below). The figure stands approximately 6" tall and is mainly comprised of quality plastics. Articulation is limited to the shoulders and elbows. Shadow Dag is the main robot that becomes the chest of Shadow Dagwon.

Shadow Dag in robot mode

Shadow Dag is the only figure in the bunch that actually can transform into 3 modes. This second mode is called Shadow Jet.

Shadow Dag in Shadow Jet mode

Shadow Dags final mode is Shadow Dragon. Shadow Dragon it the fierce looking robotic Dragon shown below. Articulation can be found it Shadow Dragons front legs and the wings.

Shadow Dag in Shadow Dragon Beast mode

Now on to the 3 Shadow Guards, Wolf and Lion are up first in robot mode. Wolf and Lion are basically the same robot with slightly different molds as well as the obvious green and yellow color difference. Both figure include a hand gun as well as a back mounted cannon that can fire one of the 12 included missiles (6 yellow and 6 green). Both figures are able to transform from robot into beast forms. In robot form articulation is very limited. Only the elbows are really movable. You can move the shoulders but this will make the backpack cannon fall of easily. When in Beast mode, both figure can move all four legs and the cannon can be raised or lowered. Also note that the hand guns from robot mode can be attached to the side of the cannon mount, Guard Wolf and Guard Lion become the arms as well as the feet of Shadow Dagwon

Guard Wolf and Tiger in robot mode.

Guard Wolf in Beast mode

Guard Lion in Beast mode

Now, the last part of the puzzle is Guard Hawk. Guard Hawk utilizes a three bladed star like weapon that also becomes its tail feathers when in Beast mode. Guard Hawks wings can be opened or closed as well as move up and down. Articulation is limited to the shoulders in robot mode and wings in Beast mode. Guard Hawk becomes the head and winged backpack of Shadow Dagwon.

Guard Hawk in Robot mode

Guard Hawk in Beast Mode

Here is the whole team together in Beast mode.

Now on to Shadow Dagwon! Below in a picture of Shadow Dagwon from the anime and the transformation sequence from the TV show.

Shadow Dagwon is very impressive at nearly 10" tall. When all the figures are combined into Shadow Dagwon, they are extremely sturdy. Articulation is limited to the shoulders, elbows and wings. In this mode all of the weapons can be utilized or stored. Note the Sword sheath mounted to Shadow Dagwon's back and the hand guns mounted to the top of what was Guard Hawks talon's. Very cool looking indeed! The back almost reminds me of the Soul of Chogokin GX-13 Dancouga.

To sum it up, I really like this toy. It is a quality item that has a ton of play value. I love all the firing gimmicks and the fact that it is relatively easy to transform into the different modes. I also like the way the weapons all seem to have a place in all modes. In my opinion it is a very well thought out toy.

This is exciting news! Toynami is bringing Bandai's Tamashii Nation Apollo 11 chogokin to the USA!

This is exciting news! Toynami is bringing Bandai's Tamashii Nation Apollo 11 chogokin to the USA!

This awe-inspiring set includes:
* Apollo 11 and Saturn V rockets (S-IC 1st stage, S-II 2nd stage, S-IVB 3rd stage, S-II Aft Interstage, S-IVB Aft Interstage, Spacecraft Lunar Module Adaptor, Command Module, Service Module, Launch Escape Subsystem and Boost Protective Cover, and Support Ship Antenna)
* Lunar Module Descent Stage (fixed legs and moveable legs)
* Lunar Module Ascent Stage
* 2 Astronauts
* U.S. Flag
* Stand for Vertical Display (Lunar Surface Plate, Display Parts, Nameplate)
* Stand for Horizontal Display
* Display Stand for Lunar Module/Command Module
* Commentary Booklet.

SRP $552.00
Availability MARCH 2010

"With infinite complacence people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of their dominion over this small spinning fragment of solar driftwood, which by chance or design man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space. Yet across an immense ethereal gulf, minds that to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us......."

The H.G. Wells science fiction novel "The War Of The Worlds" was brought to the big screen for the first time in 1953.

This 1/48 scale model kit is based on the invading saucer from that film and was produced earlier this year by Pegasus Hobbies. The kit could be purchased either unbuilt for $24.99, or in a completed form for $34.99. I'll be reviewing the completed version.

The completed kit comes packaged in a beautiful cardboard box with a clear window allowing you to see the product inside. The box measures approximately 13" x 11" x 8" and inside the ship rests in a clear vacuform tray and held in place by twisty ties. This fact is the only problem that I have with the entire production. The outer shell of the ship has a beautiful reflective gold chrome plating and the plastic ties had a tendency to scuff the surface. It's slight, but with such a beautiful, shiny outer hull, you really want to preserve the pristine condition as much as possible.

Beneath the ship itself rests a base representing the top of the planet Earth with a "The War Of The Worlds" logo. A curved plastic stand elevates the ship above the planet and makes for a great looking display.

As you can see in the pics above, they also went the extra mile and decorated the interior of the box with burning buildings and rubble. The ship looks great against such a backdrop.

At 1/48th scale, the Martian War Machine is about 10.5" across from wingtip to wingtip. The antenna on the top of the ship can be turned. The tip of the antenna has a clear plastic end. The nose of the ship, the wing tips and 3 circles on the bottom have clear green plastic. You should be able to insert some small lights into these areas to create a great effect. I haven't done so as yet, but I'm not sure why. It looks like it would be pretty easy. If you remove the ship from the stand, there is a screw in the hole where the stand attaches. It appears that all you'd have to do is unscrew it and you'd have easy access to the interior of the kit. I really should look into adding lights to this thing.

Of course, as a model kit, other than the rotating antenna, this doesn't do anything other than look really nice. But it succeeds at that admirably. Perhaps the best thing about it is the price. Between the packaging, the base and the completed kit, you really get a lot of bang for your buck.

Of course, this being Halloween time, although I'm reviewing a collectible based on the movie, I feel like I need to work in the infamous Halloween 1938 radio broadcast by the Mercury Theater somehow. So I'll just say that I'm a big fan of old time radio and if you haven't listened to the show, you owe it to yourself to do so now. It may sound a little dated now, but it's historical significance can't be denied. For you younger readers who may be unfamiliar with it, the show caused a panic as some listeners tuned in late and believed the show to be an actual news report of a martian attack, due to the show's news broadcast format. Enjoy! And remember...

It's only a radio show....

...only a radio show....

...only a radio show....

(If the above embedded player won't play, the mp3 is HERE.)

Happy Halloween! My contribution to this fine holiday is a review of a decidedly creepy pair of designer vinyls...

Okay, I know it's not usual for us to review two toys at once, but in the world of designer kaiju, exceptions ARE the rule!

On this fine Halloween, I present two toys I've been dying to talk about for a while now: Velocitron's Bechigon and Larvagon in the "Emperor" colorway. These are two genuine Japanese slush-molded vinyl figures. These designer (non-character) toys are clearly horror-inspired--more specifically, a bit of a refinement on H.R. Giger's designs from the Alien films.

First up, we have Bechigon, Ricky "Velocitron" Wilson's first toy sculpt. They run around $35 each, and while each colorway is pretty short in terms of run size, there are lots of 'em and they ALL look great! Just check out the various pics in Velocitron's flickr.

Header card.

Bechigon is very reminiscent of the face-hugger pods from Alien, but it seems more like closed fangs at the top rather than an opening for something to hatch. Also, the added tentacles are fantastic. I picked up this particular colorway of Bechigon when it first came out because it was one of the first shot in glow vinyl and because it just looks so cool. The black spray and the spiral masking on the tentacles is brilliantly executed. Also, the gloss red handpaints are a striking accent. This thing looks sick!

I mean, just check out how cool the tentacles look when they're glowing!

Bechigon's tagline was "Egg of the Apocalypse". So what gives? Why would a budding designer vinyl maker start off with an egg...rather than a full-size (ostensibly adult) monster?? Well, Ricky has said that he wanted to create a sort of progression with this toy line. So, start with an egg...then move on to a larva (hint, hint)...and then...

I sorta compare it to the different vinyl makers who release Hedorah toys depicting his different life-cycle forms (larva/tadpole, crawling, flying, adult, etc.). Anyway, clearly, these toys are designed to complement each other when displayed on a shelf. So, I assume that the next in the series will be an adolescent or young adult monster...but I'm getting ahead of myself...

After Bechigon, Ricky released the much-anticipated Larvagon. They retail for around $55. I think of Larvagon as a cross between Giger's face-hugger and the chest-burster designs. Only giant! Well, they're Japanese, so I imagine them being giant! :P

Header card.

Now this damn thing is metal as all hell! I mean, it's grotesquely detailed and monstrous...but it's still just a silly glow kaiju toy. For some reason, I feel like blasting Dethklok while playing with it! ;)

I love how Ricky carried over the Emperor theme into Larvagon. The striped black look has been preserved, and the black paint rub over much of the body accentuates the detail of the sculpt perfectly. [By the way, I have no idea what "Emperor" is supposed to indicate. That's just the name of this colorway. Maybe there is a whole race of these monsters...and this is their leader!]

There are a few neat things about this sculpt. Well, first, it features a whopping two points of articulation! Yep, just those red-clawed tentacles can move. Hey, works for me! Also, there's a sweet removable carapace shot in clear vinyl that fits on top of the head. This is TOTALLY reminiscent of some notable Alien xenomorph toys like the classic 18" Kenner Alien, which had a glow skull underneath a smoky clear cap. Larvagon's carapace has two tusks with a groovy black chain connecting them.

Yo, what's up with the red wad that looks like a mashed strawberry on the left side of his head!? :P

Anyway, not much else to say about these guys. Their beauty--or lack thereof!--speaks for itself. While I think these toys are absolutely great, I can definitely see how your mileage may vary. Designer vinyl, in and of itself, is an acquired taste. I, for one, am looking forward to future releases in this line and completing an Emperor set!

If you're interested in picking some of these toys up, go to skullbrain.org and do search for "Bechigon" or "Larvagon"...you'll find info on how to get in touch with Ricky, get on his mailing list, and see what's in stock...not to mention finding TONS of great pics of other colorways of these toys!

A long review just in time for Halloween of some scary figures: the various mutations of Chaos, the most popular and iconic Real x Head character, and the last of my Mutant Zone I reviews.

Real X Head is a small Japanese vinyl company started and run by Mori Katsura in 2003. Mori’s first figure was the Oni-Head, but he saw much more success with his second figure, the Mutant Head, the start of the iconic Mutant Zone series. The Mutant Head sculpt was borne out of Mori’s love of classic 80’s toys, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Taken from the Super 7 Mook, the Mutants are an invisible race that lives in the forests and mountains in natural harmony, existing outside the realm of human perception. Led by the militaristic Akro-Kaiser, the Mutants dislike humanity because of the damage we do to their natural habitats, and so the Mutants cause accidents and natural disasters to punish us. During an engagement, Mutant Head is injured and loses his ability to stay invisible. Mutant Head is found by a young boy and nursed back to health, showing Head that not all humans are evil. When Mutant Head returns to confront Akro-Kaiser about their aggression towards humanity, a schism erupts within the Mutant world over how to deal with humans, leading to what amounts to a civil war among the Mutants, with the human-defending Mutants being lead by Mutant Head.

Mutant Chaos debuted as the fourth and final hero Mutant in the Mutant Zone I series, and has become the flagship character in the Real x Head line. I am pretty comfortable in believing that more Real x Head figures have come out with a Chaos head on them than any other design… I make the Chaos head distinction for a reason. Mutant Chaos is described as a shapeshifter, and is capable of taking on a variety of forms. In the name of conciseness, and in the spirit of Halloween, I am going to try something different in this review and discuss Chaos in all of his forms that use the original Mutant Zone parts (and one that uses a Mutant Zone II part, but we’ll get to that). I will leave the two more recent all-new Chaos sculpts for separate reviews. So, let’s get started as we look at the direct Chaos ‘family’.

First off we have the figure that started it all, Mutant Chaos. Unlike the first three Mutant Zone figures (Head, Evil, and Bigaro), Chaos was 100% new parts. Mutant Chaos is a shapeshifter, and in his default form he appears to be in something of a permanent flux state. Mutant Chaos still has the characteristic three fingers and toes of the Mutants, but he also has some bits that look like armor, and the prominent weapon hand, as well as the distinctive eye, which is actually a plastic doll eye. Mutant Chaos’s body is a mess of different textures and shapes, but it does not feel random and thoughtless… the mess flows around regular body features, and it looks like Chaos has deliberately morphed smooth legs and feet as well as a hand so he can function alongside the rest of the Mutants. The great Roger Harkavy, a lover of vinyl toys, has always emphasized the tactile experience of hand-sculpted vinyl figures, and Mutant Chaos really brings this idea home for me. There is just so much detail to take in, from the big smooth armored-looking piece on the chest, to the wrinkly and pod segments on the head and the little tail out the back covered in scales. The left arm looks like a weapon, but is described as Chaos’s probe hand, which he uses to sample new forms so he can take those shapes. I like to think it still functions as a weapon of some sort as well. Mutant Chaos is articulated at the regular RXH neck and shoulders, but also features a cut around the ‘elbow’ on the probe arm. The might seem like a mostly useless joint, but it actually enables you to angle the probe different ways and get Mutant Chaos into some cool poses, especially if you like to pretend he can also use the probe as a ray gun or some such.

This particular Mutant Chaos is the Frankenruge variant, a tribute scheme to Frankenruge, a villain kaijin (humanoid monster) from the 1972 tokusatsu show Barom-1. Frankenruge is one of the most popular villains from this much scarier show than the usual Ultraman-style tokusatsu fair, and an extremely hard to find vintage kaijin vinyl figure. This was an early Chaos release, and the unsymmetrical paint scheme from Frank translates well onto the Chaos canvas.

Now we get into the Chaos mutations, made possible by the brilliant interchangeability of the Real x Head figure parts. I am going to cover the next two quickly, as we’ve now seen all the parts that make them up previously.

The Chaosfighter form combines the Mutant Chaos head and arms with the regular Mutant body. The smooth and clean Mutant body contrasts nicely with the complex Chaos head and arms. I think I have more Chaosfighters than Mutant Chaoses in my collection and this is one of my favorites. This guy is molded in black vinyl with an overall metallic tone added and really luscious metallic sprays over top. He is really glossy and full of luster, and I like how the darker colors and tighter sprays bring together the dissimilar body and limbs.

The Chaosman form combines the Mutant Chaos head with the regular Mutant arms and body. The Chaosman combination seems like it functions much better as Chaos’s everyday form working alongside his fellow Mutants. The Chaosman design works really well with either contrasting spray styles on the head and body, or unified with one paint scheme across the whole figure like seen here. This particular Chaosman is from the Junkspot shop in Japan released as a store exclusive from an event a few years back. We also see here the bandanna that has become common (but not definitive) on Real x Head Mutant releases. On the Chasoman design, the bandanna does a great job of hiding the neck joint and bringing the pieces together even better. You can even pull the bandanna up over the face for a ‘bandito’ look to your figure!

The last figure we’ll cover today is the Armored Chaos, a Chaosman wearing an armored vest featured first on the Mutant Zone II Akro-kaizer, a figure I have not covered yet. The armor is another mix-and-match-able piece, slipping over the regular Mutant body. The armor spreads the arms out a little bit, but does not actually hinder articulation of the arms (the vinyl is soft enough that you can push the arms past the armor to do a ‘YMCA’ pose). The armor DOES actually hinder head movement a little, due to the shape of the Chaos head on the right side, but this is minor. This guy is a tribute to Beetleman, a tokusatsu character that I do not actually know anything about (I believe he is pretty obscure). The Armored Chaos is neat for two reasons: first, the body and arms are molder in orange vinyl, while the head and armor are molded in grey, something unusual for Real x Head releases, and second, this is the only production Armored Chaos release, and surprisingly easy to find even though he is really quite cool.

That’s it for the original Mutant Zone I/II Chaos mutations, but not all of the Chaos figures, or all of the figures using Chaos parts. I will continue through the series, covering Mutant Zone II next, and then moving to the new Mutant Zone III releases and Chaos Adult figure, where the story gets really interesting!

As I draw closer to having almost every Raideen toy ever made, I continue to discover new and unusual bootlegs of the character. This one really blew my mind.

As I draw closer to having almost every Raideen toy ever made, I continue to discover new and unusual bootlegs of the character. This one really blew my mind.

The toy comes bagged and carded, with the card reading "Kaiju Set" in Japanese, although I doubt the set is Japanese in origin. Inside the bag is a backing card with a nice full color illustration of a generic Japanese monster.

Inside you have two toys. Raideen, and a Jet that looks a bit like Mazinger's Brain Condor.

Raideen is Polyethylene - the same material as jumbo machinders, although much thinner and flimsier. It stands about 7 inches tall, and is articulated at the waist and arms.

The sculpt is very homely, clearly done by someone with a vague sense of what Raideen looks like. The rivets molded into the figure are reminiscent of the old Popy vinyls, suggesting perhaps one of those was used for reference.

Paint application is both sprayed on and applied by hand. visible brush strokes can be seen on the shoulders and other parts.

One hand has a closed fist with the shield, but the other hand is pointing out into the distance. With real Raideen toys, this pointed hand is usually accompanied by a clip-on bow, but perhaps the bootleggers were using a loose figure for reference?

The back of the figure has a grooved tab molded into it.

The ship is also blow molded in Polyethylene and this time in two distinct colors. The nose is cast in black, and the body in red.

The molding on this one is rough, possibly an original creation. The ship is reminiscent of the Getter Machines (Eagle and Jaguar) or the Brain Condor.

This piece has a curious protrusion on the bottom of the ship... Hmm what can that be for?

You guessed it, the ship "docks" to the back of Raideen!

The figure cannot stand with the ship docked on the back, but still, it looks damn cool. I love the ability of bootleggers to improvise when they lack crucial information.

This is yet another curious specimen from the world of bootleg toys. Before this one, I had never seen one before, and I haven't seen one since. Good luck finding one.

This Soul of Chogokin was an exclusive release for the Autumn 2009 Tamashii Nations Expo.

Video Review Included!

This Soul of Chogokin was an exclusive release for the Autumn 2009 Tamashii Nations Expo.

If you are looking for Tamashii nations exclusives, check out Anime-Export.com

It shares the same body as the GX-45 Mazinger Z, so I am not going to go over again how great it is. If you don't have one, pick it up. it's great.

But if you do have one, and you want another, slightly more evil version, this is the one for you.

Released in limited numbers at the Autumn 2009 Tamashii Expo, the GX-45A Mazinger Z Atami Night version is a darker take on the classic hero.

I have not yet seen the new Mazinger TV series, and I should be flogged for it. I have no idea if this version of Mazinger appears in the show or not.

The box is rather bland and nondescript. Thus is the nature of these "night" versions. It does the job, and it makes it less toy-lke.

The deal with this one is that you have a completely different finish than the other version. This time you get a metallic black finish with shiny chrome limbs.

Maz's head is darker, with red eyes and red highlighting on the grill. The Hover Pilder is the same, aside from a darker red metallic coloring. It still fits loosely on the head.

This version comes with an alternate head, one that is half Mazinger, Half Koji Kabuto. I can see this emulating one of those anime split-screen effects, but like I said, I haven't seen it yet.

The only other difference is the translucent chest plates. These are really spectacular.

The other accessories included are the standard set of open and closed hands, arm launching attachments and launching arms.

Not included with this set is the scrander wing.

The stand is the same as the GX-45.

It's a really great looking figure, and I think a repaint that you should pursue. However, being a convention exclusive makes it hard to come by. Fortunately Anime-Export.com seems to get their hands on Tamashii Nations exclusives in record time. Yes you will have to pay a premium for them, but in this case, I think it is worth having.

Announcing the first ever Japanese toy auction at Morphy's Auction House in Denver, PA on November 13-14.

Hold onto your hats, gang, and get ready for the Japanese toy event of the century! For the first time ever, an entire collection is being auctioned off at one time. And what a collection it is! If you don't know the name Mark Solondz right now, fear not. You soon will and you won't forget it. No matter what type of toy you like, I'm sure it'll be represented in his massive collection. Here's just a small sample of the goods that will be available.

Look at all that gokin!

Is vinyl your thing? You're covered! The image below is just a tiny sampling of the vinyl that will be on hand.

Sanjeev was there to catalog it all and it was all he could do to prevent his head from exploding!

The tin collection that will be presented is also just out of this world. I'm no expert on that stuff, but Mr. C10 himself, Josh Fraser, says that some of the best pieces in the world will be up for grabs.

This whole shebang was presided over by our good friends at ToyboxDX.com. Check out the brog posts on the subject, with behind the scenes, drool-inducing pictures here.

Now, the details. This auction will take place on the weekend of November 13-14 at Morphy's Auction House in Denver, PA. The event is open to the public and the goods are already set up and ready for previewing. There will also be a gathering of robot collectors that Friday night. Check out the TBDX brog for details, and also see the Morphy's website for more details, rules and a look at each lot. Online bidding is available now and will run until that weekend, if you can't make the event in person. But attendance is highly encouraged, if possible. It promises to be a great time and who knows, you just may walk away with some great scores!

Good news, everyone! We’ve been able to negotiate a better deal from our vendor on the Starship Troopers Marauder die-cast action figure, and passing along the savings. Now, the SRP is only $48! Would you like to know more?

Good news, everyone! We’ve been able to negotiate a better deal from our vendor on the Starship Troopers Marauder die-cast action figure, and passing along the savings. Now, the SRP is only $48! Would you like to know more?

Federal Network Bulletin: The United Citizen Federation to deploy M11 Marauder Armored Bipedal Vehicle in the war against the Bug. The latest in Mobile Infantry Power Armor features replaceable arm mounts for 15.6 mm 5-barrel "Morita Cross" Heavy Machine Gun, 15.5 mm M64B Vulcan III Rotary Canon, 155 mm M779 Ultra-Lightweight Auto Howitzer, 41 mm Mk .32 mod.5 Grenade Machine Gun, and M2A5-2 Flamethrower. Featuring the RR FX-230 Fusion Drive, the M11 Marauder can achieve rate of 12.87 km/h speed walking and 70.04 km/h running over an operational range of 1,026.76 km. ``Would you like to know more?'' Check out the 6.00" fully-poseable action figure featuring die-cast and PVC parts from Yamato USA!

While clearly an effort is being put forward here to have a stronger influence of Japanese culture and history involved in “Shinkenger”, this set just doesn’t do it for me.

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 Sanuz 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 Sanuz 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”, Takeru gives his four vassals a Shodou Phone on the condition that they fight to the end, or leave immediately. With it, they can use the Phone Mode to keep in touch with each other, or fold it length-wise to transform it into Brush Mode. In this second form is where the Shinkenger control their power of mojikara- allowing them to create calligraphy (the art of East Asian writing) in the air, and then make it real. As with any language- particularly-so with mojikara- the correct length and sequence of the brush strokes is just as essential as what word to use to get the results they want. While the Shodou Phone is a powerful tool and henshin device, it can also work in concert with the Secret Discs under the right circumstances, such as activating an Origami’s attack power and initiating a samurai gattai (combination).

Phone Mode

The clock along the outside, set to 24-hr format, reads 20:09 (aka 8:09pm), with the joke being repeating inside above the ‘battery status’ icon in the decal display, implies the year that “Shinkenger” aired: 2009.

The clock along the outside, set to 24-hr format, reads 20:09 (aka 8:09pm), with the joke being repeating inside above the ‘battery status’ icon in the decal display, implies the year that “Shinkenger” aired: 2009.

On the keypad, only the Connect, Power, 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 0, and * keys are functional. The Disconnect, 3, 6, 9, and # keys are molded in as part of the plastic and cannot move (having been painted white with the black lettering printed on).

These are the keys’ individual sound effects when pressed:

• green Connect - ringtone (x3) in Phone Mode, activates henshin sequence in Brush Mode
• white 1, 4, 7, * - generic keypad tones (all the same)
• red PWR - Shishi Origami grows big and roars
• red 2 - Ryuu Origami grows big and roars
• red 5 - Kuma Origami grows big and roars
• red 8 - Saru Origami grows big and roars
• red 0 - Kame Origami grows big and roars

The Shodou Phone folds down the center of the Phone Mode. When this happens, an ABS brush tip will spring out of the top end. Once Brush Mode is completely formed, the henshin sequence effects will automatically activate. The green Connect button can be pushed to end this early, or it will finish off on its own after 12 seconds of waiting. After the toy is quiet once more, the Connect button can restart the henshin sequence again, though it is shorter that when it is first changed to Brush Mode. However, while holding down the Connect Button will keep the brush-stroke sound going, when released it will not continue the henshin sequence again.

Brush Mode

For convenience, the five colors above the red keys remind you which sound belongs to which Origami.

The brush tip can be pushed back in this mode, but will not lock back in place until the toy returns to Phone Mode.

I am going to be honest here: I did not care much for this toy even before I got it. So then why did I get it? Why, only so that I could demonstrate for you on CollectionDX how mojikara is used when I cover the DX-sized Origami sets, of course! (In other words, I took one for the team… You’re welcome.)

Aside from how it folds, there is no great or inspiring gimmick here. I was stunned when I found that not only did four of the keys have the exact same sound, but five out of the 15 keys weren’t even functional! One of the bigger problems, really, is that this is now the fifth regular-use cell phone changer we’ve had since they came out with the Henshin Keitai G-Phone in 2001’s “Hyakujuu Sentai GaoRanger”! Bandai, Toei, PLEX- it’s getting really old now. I mean- the arm bracelet used to be the standard Super Sentai Series henshin device, and those are being used sparingly at best now! (The earliest changers were simply LCD watches with a sound effect-or-two and a decal!) A cell phone can be an interesting henshin device because you can use the multiple keys to create variable codes and unique sound effects- which was done to amazing effect with both the Mahou Keitai MagiPhone from 2005’s “Mahou Sentai MagiRanger”, and Bouken Keitai Accellular from 2006’s 30th-Anniversary series “Gougou Sentai Boukenger”; and they both also had an extra physical feature in addition to all those codes ‘n such. (I have both of those toys, by the way, and I love 'em to death!) But here, it’s just… dead. I think of the cell phone changers as extra soundboards to be used with the purchase of other toys. Bandai could easily have incorporated a few more sounds into the four white keys rather than have them all spout the same crap. What also irks me is the continuity- if the Shinkenger were around hundreds of years ago, would they have had cell phones back then as well…? I don’t think so either. Calligraphy has been used before [as a weapon] with the Wing Pentact from 2003’s “Bakuryuu Sentai AbaRanger”, but it looked more like a feathered quill pen. While clearly an effort is being put forward here to have a stronger influence of Japanese culture and history involved in “Shinkenger” (so much so that for the first time in 18 years, there will not be a new Power Rangers adaptation in 2010), the Henshin Keitai Shodou Phone just doesn’t do it for me. Recommended for no more than the youngest crowd and completists-only.

The Shodou Phone can be stored inside of the Shodou Phone Holder (sold separately), which is a fabric & Velcro fold-over pouch that can attach to a real belt or the Hidden Disc Buckle set (sold separately).

(I will not be covering either of those toys, so I cannot demonstrate this.)

We're here to discuss the sculpt, but the figure is also one of my first Real x Head customs, in tribute to Tetsujin 28! The third of the original Mutant Zone characters.

Real x Head is a small Japanese vinyl company started and run by Mori Katsura in 2003. Mori’s first figure was the Oni-Head, but he saw much more success with his second figure, the Mutant Head, the start of the iconic Mutant Zone series. The Mutant Head sculpt was borne out of Mori’s love of classic 80’s toys, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Taken from the Super 7 Mook, the Mutants are an invisible race that lives in the forests and mountains in natural harmony, existing outside the realm of human perception. Led by the militaristic Akro-Kaiser, the Mutants dislike humanity because of the damage we do to their natural habitats, and so the Mutants cause accidents and natural disasters to punish us. During an engagement, Mutant Head is injured and loses his ability to stay invisible. Mutant Head is found by a young boy and nursed back to health, showing Head that not all humans are evil. When Mutant Head returns to confront Akro-Kaiser about their aggression towards humanity, a schism erupts within the Mutant world over how to deal with humans, leading to what amounts to a civil war among the Mutants, with the human-defending Mutants being lead by Mutant Head.

Mutant Bigaro is the third Real x Head to use the Mutant head body as a base, as well as the third friendly character in the Mutant Zone Series. Bigaro looks to be a bit of a brute when compared to the previous Mutants, with a stockier look and single eye in a large cavity, similar to a Zaku mono-eye from the Gundam series. Bigaro has visible cracks in his skin, suggesting a thick and rugged hide, to me, as well as a cape on his back. The actual physical design of the figure in making a new character is unlike any other figure in the line (except for one specific case that we’ll get to later), but the idea of creating add-on parts for the Mutant body to create different characters over a single base body is something integral to the Real x Head style and business plan. Instead of using the neck joints already on the Mutant body, the Bigaro head-piece is a cowl that fits over the shoulders and neck of the Mutant body, using a piece of foam in the front and back to keep it safely in place. This is both a blessing and a curse, and I have somewhat mixed feelings about the Bigaro head-piece. Because the head-piece does not actually clip onto any specific mounting point, it has a large range of movement on its shoulder perch, and can be very expressive. At the same time, however, I do not like how the head-piece flops around in your hands while you handle the figure, making the figure feel almost incomplete. As such, I typically relegate my few Bigaros to shelf-duty and leave them alone. Even with this problem, Bigaro is a popular character with many different colorways, and I am a big fan of the design even if I do not care for its actual execution.

The particular figure pictured here is a custom of mine. The stocky and round appearance of Bigaro gave me a classic Gigantor (Tetsujin-28) feel. I painted the cape to look like flames from Tetsujin’s jetpack, and took advantage of a piece of advice Sanjeev gave me on how to give the blue a metallic finish without using a metallic blue paint by over-spraying the blue coat with a thinned down coat of silver. I painted over a beige ‘flesh’ blank, just like the Mutant Evil I reviewed, as can be seen through a number of spots on this figure where the paint has rubbed off… I did not do a good enough job of sealing this figure, and the paint is not well enough protected, especially around where the head-piece rests on the shoulders.

Whether battling rogue robots or fighting off evil aliens, Bandai America has the action-packed gifts for boys that stretch the dollars of value conscious shoppers this holiday season. The dynamic lineup of Power Ranger and Ben 10 role-play, vehicle and play-set offerings will inspire kids to create their own out of this world adventures well into the new year.

Whether battling rogue robots or fighting off evil aliens, Bandai America has the action-packed gifts for boys that stretch the dollars of value conscious shoppers this holiday season. The dynamic lineup of Power Ranger and Ben 10 role-play, vehicle and play-set offerings will inspire kids to create their own out of this world adventures well into the new year.

Rev up your merry collection of morphers and get ready for Morphin’ time with the hottest multi-hued heroes and toys from the Power Rangers RPM series:

· Deluxe Formula Megazords - $24.99 - By combining the three deluxe RPM Zords included in each set, kids can create the turbo-charged Megazords as seen on the TV show. Collect and combine all four Spring and Fall Formula Megazords (sold separately) to create an exclusive RPM Ultrazord!

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‘Tis the season to give an out of this world gift with toys from Ben 10 Alien Force :

· Alien Creation Challenge $24.99 - Kids can test their alien design skills with the Alien Creation Challenge play set. Kids race against a timer as they piece together alien torsos and limbs to recreate figures based on alien combo cards. If time runs out, the tray pops up along with all the alien pieces. Keep the challenge going by adding additional figures to the play set and creating additional alien combo cards online. The play set includes three alien figures and 10 alien combo cards, as well as a special key to unlock figures.

· Alien Creation Chamber Figures $6.99 - This award nominated line lets fans mix and match their favorite aliens to create over a million unique alien creatures. There are over 20+ characters to collect!

· Ultimate Omnitrix $19.99 - Use the mini translucent figure to unlock alien sounds. The Omnitrix comes with an alien card and has lights.

· Alien Creation Transporter $14.99 - Lets kids create thousands of unique alien figures with a slide of the shell .