Day 82: OBEY Giant

The OBEY Giant is a street art icon created by the artist Shepard Fairey. It started out as a street art campaign called "Andre the Giant Has a Posse", based on an image of the wrestler Andre the Giant the artist created in 1986. Over time the artwork has been reused in a number of ways and has become a worldwide movement, and stylistically and semantically evolved into the OBEY Giant.

Download the free PDF file here and make your own OBEY Giant toy!

DC Universe Classics - Rex Mason

Finally getting around to finishing off the review for Mattel's DC Universe Classics wave one set. The last action figure is Rex Mason aka The Element Man, formerly known as Metamorpho. Check out the "Blog Archive" or the Checklist links on the left menu if you've missed any of the other reviews.

As you probably know if you collect this toy line, Rex Mason is the Collect and Connect figure from wave one. Rex is rather simple to connect. The arms stay in pretty good but his legs seem to pop back out easier than I'd like. It only happens when I try to swing the hip joints back and forth.

This really is a pretty cool figure, although Rex Mason was not a character I was really looking to add to my collection. The design work on the figure is quite good to no surprise. Each element part of his body has a different texture. My favorite is his left leg that goes from metal to clear ice. Click on any of the pictures to enlarge them for a closer view. He is the shortest C&C figure out of the first 4 waves, standing at about 6 1/4 inches much like the regular figures from the set.

The paint job is pretty good. The body has a large variety of colors almost free of errors. The most noticeable blotch is around the silver "M" on his belt. Up close it look a little sloppy but really, I'm being very picky here, its really not all that bad. Rex's head is one shade of grey. He has black eyes with white pupils which is painted on cleanly. The lava part of his chest and arm is a bit too bright orange for my liking and I feel it this area of his body could use some shading but that is just my personal preference.

Rex comes with some really cool accessories that compliment the character quite well. His giant lava rock hand is the coolest of the three. Then he has a giant hammer for the other hand and a big mud pile stand that attaches to his right leg. The hand accessories pop right on to his fists and stay on nice and snug. The leg accessories is a little tough to pop on but its manageable.

Rex is as articulate as any figure we've seen in this series. He has all the standard joints as most of the other toys. Mattel has got the articulation right with this toy line, giving us just enough joints without ruining the great sculpt work. Rex has joints in the neck, shoulder, biceps, elbows, wrists, waist, abdominal, hips, thighs, knees and ankles.

Overall, Rex Mason is a great toy, even though, he not the most popular character in the DC Comics world. The worst part about this Collect and Connect figure is the issue I'm having with his legs popping out. The joint may be stuck and I'll have to take a closer look at it but for now, that knocks down his "Fun" rating. Other than that, Rex has some cool, unique features that make him an interesting action figure which looks great on the shelf with the other DC toys.

Sculpt/Design - 8, Paint - 8.5, Accessories - 10, Articulation - 9, Fun - 6

Rex Mason's Overall Score - 8/10

The easiest way to get this Rex Mason action figure is to simply buy the set as a lump purchase. eBay auctions for this figure can go from $40-$60. You get more value in buying all 5 figures for 60-70 bucks and putting Rex together yourself.

To search for Mattel's DC Universe Classics action figures on eBay, click here.

That concludes my review of Mattel's DCUC action figures waves 1 through 4. If you've missed any of the other reviews, check out the "Blog Archive" on the left hand portion of the screen. Or, I've linked all the reviews to the Checklist link page, also located to the left.

I am currently still hunting for a reasonable price on DCUC series 5 and I've also got my eye out for the 2 packs. In the mean time, I'll be going over some of Mattel's DC Superheroes toy line. I've got a couple of requests which I hope to be getting to shortly.

Thanks for visiting Action Toy Review. You're number 1 stop for news, previews, reviews and information on Mattel's DC Superheroes and DC Universe Classics.

Day 81: Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (1940 – 1973) was an American-born martial artist, philosopher, instructor, martial arts actor and the founder of the Jeet Kune Do combat form. He was widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the twentieth century and a cultural icon. He was also the father of actor Brandon Lee and of actress Shannon Lee.

Lee was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Hong Kong. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, and sparked the first major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West.

Dowload the free PDF file here and make your own Bruce Lee toy!

DC Universe Classics - Orion

I've finally come around to finishing up my review of the Mattel's DC Universe Classics series 1 action figures. I've already reviewed Batman, Penguin, Red Tornado and Etrigan. Only 2 more to go so today I'll go over Orion. Check out the "Blog Archive" for reviews on figures from wave 2, 3 and 4.

This is not the variant of Orion that comes in the 2 pack and has a removable helmet. It is from the first DCUC wave. Packaging is your typical cardboard back with cool graphics and plastic bubble.

Orion's body sculpt is very similar to some other DCUC characters we've seen. There are some differences like the design of his boots, his belt and the collar around his neck and cuff around his wrists. There really isn't much texture in his costume. As far as height goes, Orion stands just over the 6 inch mark and fits in fine with other DC Superheroes as well as DCUC figures.

Orion's head sculpt is decent. The helmet has a red design on the front but for the most part its just a big silver bucket with ears. Its not bad but it certainly doesn't blow me away. It does look very much like the character which is what counts.

There are some very noticeable areas of painting over the lines on this figure. Like around from Orion's boots to his uniform. Same thing around the wrists and neck. The body has some shading in the middle of the chest, abdominal, back, biceps and thighs which sort of makes up for the lake of detail in the costume. The head is reasonable well done. There is no red overlapping on to the silver and the outline of the eyes on the helmet are clean.

Orion comes with Metamorpho's right leg and his harness. Where the costume lacks in detail, the harness certainly makes up for it. There is some great sculpting work here and its painted very well.

There are no surprises with the articulation. Orion has joints in the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. The helmet does not interfere with the neck joint at all which is a plus. Once you place Orion in his harness however, his movement is much more limited and I also found it a little more difficult to make him stand. Out of the box, the joints were not overly tight but good enough that he wasn't flopping over.

Overall, DCUC Orion is a good toy. He looks his best in the harness which shows off the most detailed parts of this action figure. Standing him up while in his harness may be a bit tricky at times however. He looks good next to Big Daddy Darkseid too.

Sculpt/Design - 7.5, Paint - 7.5, Accessories - 8, Articulation 9, Fun 7.5

Orion's Overal Score - 7.5/10

Orion is quite easy to find and you may even find a good deal for him (depending on shipping costs). I was able to pick Orion up on ebay for less a fairly cheap cost. I think the seller was just trying to get rid of him from their inventory.

If you're looking to purchase Orion, the question is, which one do you buy. The series 1 version or the 2 pack version with the removable helmet. If you want Lightray as well, buy the 2 pack when it comes out (Nov/Dec 2008). The removable helmet is a nice idea.

You can always find the Rex Mason piece by itself on eBay if you want to complete Rex too but you'll probably end up paying $10.00 it on its own. Also expect the 2 pack to cost $25 US in stores...more online as it is a Toys R Us exclusive. If you don't care about Lightray then you can find the series 1 version of Orion at a very reasonable cost. Check out my DCUC 2 pack preview post which i wrote just yesterday if you haven't already seen it.

To search for Mattel's DC Universe Orion on eBay, click here

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review where I am currently focusing on Mattel's DC Universe Classics toy line as well as Mattel's previous DC Superheroes action figures. If you're a DC comics toy collector, you should really check these figures out.

Ann Wood and Dean Lucker

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Dean Lucker and Ann Woods private studio during a St. Paul open studio tour. I have been an admirer for a couple of years now and it was a thrill to view their new work of mechanical sculptures, pictures and dexterity games. Both artists use a complimentary soft color palette and visit themes of nature and whimsy. Their work is truly a marriage of art. I'm hoping they start a new collection of work and have it available on Etsy. I'm sure the Etsy crowd will love their work as much as the fine art world!

www.woodlucker.com

Bill Baird Marionettes

"High on a hill lived a lonely goatherd, Lay-ee ode lay-ee ode lay-hee hoo." Whenever the Sound of Music was on TV when I was a kid I had to sit through all that singing just to watch the best part of the movie ... the marionette show. The actual puppets made by Bill Baird are on exhibit at the Charles H. Macnider Museum in Mason City Iowa. The museum has an awesome collection of his work including Winne the Pooh and the Wizard of Oz. This is just a small sample of his work. If you're in the area its a must see just so you can say, "I saw those!" when the Sound of Music comes on during the holidays.

Christopher Robin and friends.

Follow the yellow brick road.

My DREAM job!

Every year during the holidays Macy's Mpls. puts on a spectacular Christmas show. Its the closest thing our city has to a Disneyland attraction. Many artists and designers combine their talents creating an animated walk through depicting illustrations from classic children's stories. This years show was an original story, "A Day in the Life of an Elf". My favorite scene was the toyshop and candy factory. Some day I hope to work with this group of people. Macys if your reading this I'm available!

DC Universe Classics - 2 Pack preview

I'm not sure why Mattel has decided to go exclusively with certain stores on some of their products. First the DC Universe Classics wave 5 becomes a Walmart exclusive and then they announce that their DCUC 2 packs will be Toys R Us exclusive. This just makes it even harder to find these action figures.

Anyway, according to Mattycollector.com, these two packs are now available so go check out your local Toys R Us stores. I have yet to see a trace of them myself but I'll be keeping an eye out for them up here in the Great White North. I have a feeling that I'll have to resort to eBay for these as well.


Lets take a look at these new packs in no particular order. (all pictures are from the Mattycollector website) :

The first pack is the Batman figure pack which includes a couple of re-released figures from the DC Superheroes line, Batgirl and Azrael.

Back in 2006, this Batgirl action figure was only available via the Batman/Batgirl two pack. From what I've read, there is no difference between the original figure and this new one. Azrael was part of the DC Superheroes series 3 set and was and still is one of the hardest figures to find from this toy line. I for one am glad to see the Azrael re-release as it gives collectors a 2nd chance at getting this figure at a reasonable cost.

The next set is the Super Enemies Figure pack and also consists of re-released action figures of the DC Superheroes toy line.

First we have Cyborg Superman from DCSH series 6 which is probably the #1 most wanted toy from this series. There were so few Cyborg Supes available during it original release that it was next to impossible for people to find this action figure. eBay prices for this action figure go for between $50-$100 so hopefully with the release of this two pack, collectors can get this figure at retail cost. The second figure is also from DCSH series 6, Mongul. This figure did not have the same distribution issues as Cyborg Superman and the current asking price on eBay for this figure alone is in the $10-$15 range.

The third set is the New Gods Figure Pack and includes a brand new character that we have not seen before in this toy line.

The first figure is a variant of Orion from the DC Universe Classics series 1 set. The difference between this figure and the series 1 version is that Orion's helmet is removable. The other difference is that you do not get the Collect and Connect piece of Rex Mason in this 2 pack. The new figure is Lightray. He appears to have the same body sculpt as Orion with a new different head and paint job.

The final Toys R Us exclusive pack is the Green Lantern figure pack which again includes a variant of a previous released figure and a new character.

First, we have a variant of Hal Jordon from DCUC series 3. This sculpt is exactly the same as the previous version but the uniform is painted slightly different. There is no green on his shoulders on this new version and you do not get the Collect & Connect piece of Solomon Grundy. The second figure is Abin Sur and appears to be the exact same body sculpt as Hal with a new head sculpt. Included in the pack appears to be only one Lantern, which is of course, green.

Mattycollector.com is also releasing a separate two pack with all new characters and can only be ordered online from their store for $25.00 plus shipping.

This Mattycollector.com exclusive is called the Space Heroes 2 pack and consists of Adam Strange and Starfire. Unfortunately this pack will not be available until sometime in December. A hard date has not be set yet. I believe that Mattel has also promised to release an online exclusive 2 pack once a month in 2009 but don't quote me on that.

Some might also be interested in the DC Universe Classics stands available. For $12 you can get a pack of 25 of these stands if you feel you need them. I for one find that my DCUC figures stand well enough on their own so, to me, they're not all that necessary. Depending on how you display your figures, they may prove to be useful. One negative in my opinion though is that they are blue. Why not make them colorless???

I'll definitely be getting the packs with Cyborg Superman and Azrael since they are missing from my collection. I'll see what I can get my hands on and of course post a review.

Thanks for checking out Action Toy Review currently featuring action figures from Mattel's DC Universe Classics and DC Superheroes toy lines. Be sure to check back for more news, reviews and information.

Day 80: Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo (1907 – 1954) was a Mexican painter, who has achieved great international popularity. She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as by European influences that include Realism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. Many of her works are self-portraits that symbolically express her own pain and sexuality. In 1929 Kahlo married the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Her "Blue" house in Coyoacán, Mexico City is a museum, donated by Diego Rivera upon his death in 1957.

Download the free PDF file here and make your own Frida toy!

DC Universe Classics - Despero

Bringing my review of Mattel's DC Universe Classics series 4 to an end, today I'll go over the final action figure which is the "Collect & Connect" figure, Despero. If you've missed any of my previous reviews on this series or any other DCUC wave, check out my blog archive or the DCUC and DCSH checklists or even the Labels menu all posted along the right hand side of the screen.

The first thing you'll notice about Despero is his size. He stands at about 8 1/4 inches tall. Not the biggest Collect and Connect (C&C) figure but he does tower over the other figures from this set.

The body sculpt uses similar parts as the SDCC exclusive Lobo action figure. The armor is made of a softer plastic and when you first look at it, you would think its removable but it is not. It is attached to his back. His armor around his neck seems a bit big as you can tell by the back picture above. Other than that, the armor has some pretty cool detail work on it. There is something about his legs below the knees that I can't put my finger on.

Despero's face is mean and nasty looking. He's pissed at something. Click on the picture below to enlarge it for a better look. Its a great head sculpt and really the best part of the figure. Great work by the Four Horsemen.

The paint job on most of these bigger C&C figures so far has been pretty good and Despero is no different. For the most part, Despero has got a clean paint job with not much to complain about. The body has a pretty simple color scheme and doesnt have many areas where it could be messed up. The armor and belt are a bit more detailed with a few more colors but its all basically within the lines with no slop spots. One note is that he does have a red wash over his teeth and mouth which looks okay on his purple skin color.

The previous 2 C&C figures (Gorilla Grodd & Solomon Grundy) did not come with any accessories which I was fine with seeing as how the C&C parts are basically an accessory on their own. Despero actually comes with a big laser gun and a smaller hand gun. They both look really good and fit nicely in either hand. The giant laser gun can be popped on to his back and there is a holster on his left leg for gun.

Despero's articulation is as good as any other Mattel DC action figures and one good thing is that his armor does not obstruct any of their movements. Despero's joints include your typical neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, abdominal, waist, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. Some of the joints in the legs were a little loose for my liking but even for such a big and heavy figure, there is no trouble standing him up in a good variety of positions.

Overall, Despero was not a figure I was really looking forward to but after putting him together, he really is a great looking toy and a respectable runner up to Ares for best of the set. If you're looking for a great looking villain action figure, Mattel's DCUC Despero will not disappoint.

Sculpt/Design - 8.5, Paint - 9, Accessories - 9, Articulation - 9, Fun - 9.5

Despero's Overall Score - 9/10

Since Despero is a connect and collect action figure. He cannot be bought by himself at your local toy stores, unless of course they open all 5 packs and put him together themselves. Some sellers on eBay will do just that but you'll probably pay anywhere from $35 to $60 for him which means you're probably better off buying the complete set.

To search for DCUC Despero on eBay, click here

To search for the entire Mattel DC Universe Classics wave 4 set on eBay, click here

That concludes my review of series 4. DCUC series 5 is out in what seems to be selected Walmarts across the USA but not in my area (Canada). I've been looking on eBay and because its so new and still a bit rare, the entire set is selling for anywhere from $180 to over $200 US plus shipping which is not even close to what I'm willing to pay. So, I may have to wait it out until the hype dies down a bit......unless some kind person out there in Internet land can hook me up with a set. Maybe Mattel will be kind enough to send me a set so I can review it (I'm not holding my breath). Anyway, I am most looking forward to the Metallo C&C figure and then the Riddler to add to my Batman Rogue gallery. The rest of the set consists of Atom, Amazo, Black Lightning and Eradicator.

So in the meantime, I've still got to finish going though DCUC series 1 so expect an Orion review and a Rex Mason review in the near future. I'll also continue going over the DC Superheroes action figures from Mattel's previous toy line.

If you have any questions, comments or wish to get in touch with me about Action Toy Review for any reason, you can leave a comment on this blog or email me at Actiontoyreview@rogers.com