Angry Birds Bento Box
Why just waste those angry birds by throwing them at pigs when you can make lunch out of them? If you want to recreate this clever bento box recipe you can find a guide at food.insing.com. Read more…
Hot Toys’ Bruce Wayne; Bat-voice Not Included
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Aug 17, 2011 in Comic Books, Hobbies and Collections
Every time I stare at one of these Hot Toys figures, I get chills. Everything from the photo realistic faces to the detailed accessories they include with each figure shouts quality. Of course, they also happen to be among the most expensive toys on the market. Hot Toys offered up this special edition Bruce Wayne in Batsuit 12 inch collectible as a toy fair exclusive earlier this year, but will also be making it available via Sideshow Collectibles this October. The figure features the visage of Christian Bale and comes modeled after his appearance in Nolan’s Batman Begins, however the head comes with an interchangeable cowl along with several different mouths to swap out. There’s also a ton of accessories included such as bombs, boots, gauntlets, interchangeable hands, and batarangs among others. Sideshow is asking $225 for pre-orders, and the supply is limited so its only one per customer. Too expensive? Bruce Wayne could afford it.
Star Wars in the 25th Century
He’s done it again. Check out one of the latest sets of Star Wars customs from Sillof’s Workshop. This time the theme’s centered around 1940s pulp sci-fi. He does a fantastic job of capturing that retro aesthetic made popular by serials like Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon. Come to think of it, I’m sure if Star Wars had been filmed in the late ’30s or early ’40s, Buster Crabbe would have been cast as a dashing and slightly cut Luke Skywalker. I’m not sure I’d want to sit through a trilogy of him dressed in tanned tights, but I suppose it wouldn’t look as gaudy if it were in black and white. Any way, check out the rest of these fantastic figures at Sillof’s official website. I just wish he’d strike a deal with Lucas Arts to manufacture them. Who wouldn’t totally buy these?
Kotobukiya’s Liara T’Soni Bishoujo Figure’s Adorable
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 21, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames
While wandering San Diego Comic-Con’s exhibit hall during their preview night, a friend of mine passed along this preview sketch for Kotobukiya’s Liara T’Soni Bishoujo figure. I know that when I had dealt with Kotobukiya in the past, they had asked me, along with several of my colleagues, which games they should look at licensing. Pretty much everything we listed had been developed in Japan and would have easily lent itself to Shunya Yamashita’s bishoujo treatment. I was half-expecting to see them give us a license like Bayonetta, Persona 4 or Cathrine, but I would have never guessed that they’d manage to give us something from Mass Effect. Consider my mind officially blown. I really do love these bishoujo figures, but at $65 a pop, it’s hard to keep up. In fact, I was having trouble keeping up with it when they were just doing Marvel figures. By the time they decided to start doing DC Comics I pretty much gave up all hope of collecting them all. One thing I do know for certain is that I will gladly spill my wallet for Liara here. Now, if only they’ll make Miranda. I suppose time will tell. Also, if you’re visiting SDCC, stop by their booth and let them know what you think. Believe it or not, Kotobukiya listens to its customers, even international ones.
Want Your Very Own Life-Sized Kyubei?
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 20, 2011 in Animation, Hobbies and Collections
I’m still a little sad that I haven’t had a chance to catch an episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Last season, the show managed to garner quite the following and it wasn’t long before Aniplex decided to license the series for international distribution. On top of that, I had to deal with all my friends talking my ear off about the series despite the fact that they were totally spoiling it for me. Nevertheless, I’m still hoping to squeeze it in before the end of the summer and it helps that the show’s not-so-lovable mascot of sorts happens to be absolutely adorable. I’ve been seeing that wish-granting Kyubei all over the place since the series aired, but nothing I’ve come across looks as awesome as this giant vinyl replica — in fact, it’s made to scale. Japan’s largest figure trade show Wonfes is right around the corner, and lucky attendees will be able to pick one up while they’re there, but if you can’t make it, you might be able to score one online by following the instructions of Good Smile’s official website. From what I gather, it’ll retail for roughly $125 before shipping. It’s a bit pricey, but I think in this case, the ends justify the means.
Lego Battleship Yamato
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 14, 2011 in Animation, Hobbies and Collections
It’s not too often that I’ll come across a Lego sculpture so jaw-droppingly detailed that I absolutely have to write about it. Mark Rodrigues’ stunning rendition of the space battleship Yamato is no exception. While I’m more of a Robotech fanatic, I do have fond memories of Starblazers. I think it could safely be argued that perhaps the biggest star of the show was the ship itself. Whether you knew it as the Argo, or the Yamato, we all have to admit the design is particularly memorable and quite beautiful at that. Mark did a fantastic job of capturing its beauty with his 1/250th scale model that features rotating turrets and posable wings. Check out Mark’s official MOC blog entry for more photos and details on how he went about constructing the ship.
Have a Cookie, It’s Only Logical
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 14, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Trek
Feast your eyes on the coolest cookie jar since the talking TARDIS. He might not transfer your cookies through time and space, but why would you ever need to when it’s perfectly logical to keep them in one place. ThinkGeek knows this, and that’s why they’ve given us this officially licensed Star Trek Mr.Spock cookie jar. Bearing the likeness of everyone’s favorite Vulcan — a tad more Nimoy than Quinto — this nifty ceramic bust is perfect for stashing your baked goods. Personally, I love it but I think I’d rather have one that looks like the late Jimmy Doohan — now, that man sure looked like he enjoyed a good cookie or two. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty sweet collectible to have laying around your office or kitchen. If you’re curious, the jar retails for only $49.99. Order yours today.
Origami USA: A Paper Folding Paradise
Posted by Linda Yau on Jul 4, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections
Toward the last weekend in the month of June in New York City, the annual Origami USA convention took place. Occurring since 1962, Origami USA is a convention for paper folders and enthusiasts alike. This year’s guest of honor was Toshikazu Kawasaki who is world famous among paper folders for creating what is known as the Kawasaki Rose, a particular life like rose formed from a grid and a series of turns. The image above is from Herng Yi Cheung, a folder from Singapore while the image below is an example from Mr. Kawasaki himself. Read more…
Night of the Living Doorstops
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 22, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections
Our friends at Neatorama have launched their very own line of zombie themed goodies! Their first offerings include two very clever zombie doorstops (one of which is shown above) and there’s also a set of zombie refrigerator magnets: Read more…
Who Needs Kirk? Here’s a Twilight Zone Shatner Action Figure!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 20, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Television
To me the coolest thing about this William Shatner Twilight Zone action figure is that it was actually approved by William Shatner himself! I still find myself upset that Shat didn’t get any love in the last Star Trek film, so it’s nice to see him getting some attention for his Twilight Zone work — even if its in the small scale form of an 8″ tall action figure. Read more…
San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive Iron Man Mark IV
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 15, 2011 in Comic Books, Hobbies and Collections
With San Diego Comic-Con just over a month away, Sideshow Collectibles has been gearing up with a short list of exclusive pre-orders for attendees and non-attendees alike. The other day, they unveiled their latest addition to the list, Hot Toys’ Iron Man Mark IV “Secret Project” collectible figure. This 1:6th scale figure stands at 12 inches tall and comes with all the bells and whistles we’ve come to expect from Hot Toys — battery powered LED lights, interchangeable parts, articulated joints and armor flaps, you name it. If you’re attending and want to get your hands on one, you’ll need to sign up for the Sideshow Collectibles newsletter, then pre-order on June 16th between the hours of 10 AM to 12 PM PST. If you’re not attending Comic-Con but still want one, you’ll have to wait until the 17th. It’ll retail for just $209, and any figures left over will be sold to the general public, but that’s probably not going to happen. For more photos, visit the Sideshow Collectibles production blog. For info on how to pre-order, head over to their con exclusives sub-site.
Miyazaki Gets Some Lego Love
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 9, 2011 in Animation, Hobbies and Collections
Feast your eyes on these awesome Miyazaki-inspired Lego models. They’re not quite as epic as the Minecraft maps we showed you last month, but designer Iain Heath did a fantastic job recreating a bit of Ghibli’s magic. They were originally displayed at last year’s BrickCon Exhibition in Seattle. Personally, I love his Totoro, and I really dig the little Japanese garden he built for the exhibit. For more images, check out his full gallery on Flickr.
Dragonball Collectable Canned Coffees for Caffeinated Otaku
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 6, 2011 in Animation, Hobbies and Collections
Starting on june 6th if you’re luck enough to live in Japan you can get your hands on dozens of different Dragonball canned coffees by Pokka. The “black line” of coffee series has no sugar and thus isn’t for kids — but the original line will make those of us who haven’t grown up who have a sweet tooth happy: Read more…
The Perfect Gift for an Executive Hutt
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 2, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars
As Jabba would tell you, nothing says you’re the boss like your very own smuggler frozen in carbonite. Sure, you could just mount him on the wall of your pleasure palace, but why not find a more practical use for it? The guys at Tom Spina Designs did when they created their own custom Han Solo carbonite desk. It’s truly an amazing piece of functional fanboy art, I just wonder how much they’d charge us for one of our own. I wasn’t able to find a price quote on their official site, but they do have plenty of other great props, and furniture you can browse. After all, why wouldn’t you want your own galactic throne.
A Pony Fan Is Born
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this question asked in recent months, be it on Facebook, Twitter, or in real life: “what is the deal with all my friends getting into My Little Pony all of a sudden?!” So I thought I’d save you fan-persons a bit of trouble and trot out an explanation (get it?). I’ve split it into two sections: first, how adults come to the new animated series from Hasbro, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and second, why they tend to fall in love with it. Read more…
Star Trek TNG Collectible Card Game Returns
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 24, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Trek
Back in 1994 Decipher published their first edition of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Customizable Card Game. For the most part, I’ve avoided collectible card games over the years, but I remember having given the game a shot. Unfortunately for a collectible card game, it was incredibly complex with as many as 17 different card types to keep track of. Decipher no longer holds the license for the franchise, and it’s been years since their last set hit the market. Bandai has taken this opportunity to step to the plate with their upcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation Deck Building Game — for all intents and purposes, it’s safe to assume that means it’s just another collectible card game. TrekMovie.com has given us the first look at some of the upcoming cards that will be featured in this summers release.
Darth Vader Goes Feudal
Posted by Tim Sheehy on May 17, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars
Feast your eyes on this extremely limited edition “Musha” Darth Vader. Yoshitoku, a long-standing Japanese art and craft house, has decided to design this exclusive figure to commemorate their 300th year in business. At just over a food and a half tall, this aluminum and resin sculpt How limited, exactly? They’ll only be producing 30 pieces total and each figure will sell for around 136,500 yen — that’s nearly $1,675. They’re incredibly detailed but I can’t imagine wanting to pay that much for one. Assuming you can afford it, and know enough Japanese to surf Yoshitoku’s official website, pre-orders are open through June 10th.
An Ardent Anime Anthropologist: Our Interview with Charles Dunbar
Posted by Linda Yau on May 9, 2011 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections
Recently I was at Anime Boston, and met an interesting cosplayer with a rich in potassium banana. I also definitely attended panels hosted by this person of interest. Meet Charles Dunbar aka Anime Antropologiest of Study of Anime. From the time I have met him to now, his panels at conventions will pack rooms. This is a scholar that has made my appreciation toward anime more interesting and academic in a sense that is away from the college environment. I hope to see more of this man speak, so I happened to be able to conduct an email interview with him. Read more…
A Fascination for Anime Figurines: An Interview with Otaku Dan
Posted by Linda Yau on Apr 25, 2011 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections
There are a lot of people that can call themselves an otaku, but branding, up to designing a personal mascot is definitely something that can be done if a person is quite serious about this niche hobby. Meet Otaku Dan, a blogger who I know who has one cool mascot, and interesting blog entries to share. Here are some of his opinions, and thoughts from an email interview. Read more…
Sideshow’s 2011 Comic-Con Exclusives
With San Diego Comic-Con is right around the corner, plenty of retailers are starting to ready their exclusives for this years show. Last week, Sideshow Collectibles unveiled their exclusives for the event, some of which look mighty fine. There’s a G.I Joe 12 inch Cobra Ninja Viper figure, AvP Predator replica mask set featuring three three separate sculpts from the series, a Star Wars Clone Commander 12 inch figure, and finally an Iron Man 2 bust set that feature replicas of the helmets used in the recent film.
Dress Yourself Up in the Scents of D&D
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 17, 2011 in Fandom, Hobbies and Collections
Wait! Don’t go! I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t want to smell like Cheetos and Mountain Dew and body odor!” But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab’s RPG perfume oil collection. There’s a selection of race-, class-, and alignment-themed scents. Shroud yourself in mystic spices and exotic incense with the Mage scent, or exude holy calm with the Paladin scent’s warm vanilla and frankincense. You can even forewarn your love interest that today’s not the day with the Evil scent. I’ve bought from Black Phoenix before, and the scents really are top-notch, and a bottle lasts for a good long time. They even change a little depending on your skin chemistry. Plus it helps you roll for initiative at the bar. Read more…
Hot Toys’ Jack Sparrow Looks as Savvy as Ever
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Apr 12, 2011 in Cinema, Hobbies and Collections
As some of you may be aware, Hot Toys is known for their stunningly detailed collectibles. True to form, their upcoming 1/6th scale Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow is no exception. The figure is the latest addition to the Movie Masterpiece Deluxe line — each one bearing a striking resemblance to the actors that portray the characters they’re based on. As you can see here, they’ve done an amazing job of capturing Johnny Depp’s visage.
Yamato x Luis Royo’s Ritual PVC is a Thing of Beauty
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Apr 6, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections
When it comes to PVC figurines, Yamato Co. is among Japan’s best. It’s no wonder that famed-artist Luis Royo trusts them to produce these stunning PVC recreations based on his art. Many of you may recognize Royo’s work from the covers of the 90’s Pocket Books Star Trek novels, Ultra X-Men, Heavy Metal magazine and more. In order to accurately capture the unique aspects of his dark, wonderous, and often exotic creations, few studios would be able to produce a sculpt with such detail, and Yamato certainly fits that bill.
Bradbury’s Advice to Pretty Much Everybody
Posted by Michael Sacco on Apr 2, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections
William Stanhope, a schoolteacher, wrote venerable sci-fi author Ray Bradbury in 1991 asking him to describe an obstacle he had faced in his lifetime and how he overcame it. Bradbury eventually replied, and his response is recorded in this letter now being auctioned by RR Auction. Bradbury describes the moment when he destroyed his Buck Rogers comic strips after a classmate made fun of him, and his realization that his interests helped enrich his life. His resolution? Collect more Buck Rogers, of course! His advice, “love what YOU love,” is great for just about anybody, not just schoolkids or sci-fi fans. Me, I’d do pretty much anything Ray Bradbury told me to do. As long as it wasn’t burning books. Read more…