New Pics of S.H.MonsterArts King Kong

December 26, 2012 | Poe

SHM ______ 05

Bluefin Distribution has sent along some photos of S.H.MonsterArts King Kong. He’s due out around April, and will cost 5,775 yen ($67.44).

I have mixed feelings about this figure. I wasn’t a big fan of the Peter Jackson version this figure is based on, but my reasons for not liking it had nothing to do with the creature designs – those were great. The film was just way too long, overwrought, and in scenes like the disgusting ravine attack by the giant insects and worms, overindulgent.

Nonetheless, the Kong design was great and this figure is a must-buy for me. You can read more about the figure here. Pics after the jump! (more…)

S.H.MonsterArts Destoroyah Hi-Res Pics

November 8, 2012 | Poe

In 1995, Godzilla died. As Toho anticipated handing off their Godzilla franchise to America as a brand-new blockbuster franchise (and yeah, we all know how that turned out), they decided to bid farewell to their beloved radioactive dinosaur by giving him a going-away party called Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The film included many references to the original film, including the origin of its villain, Destoroyah – a demonic creature formed by prehistoric crustaceans mutated by the weapon that killed the original Godzilla, the Oxygen Destroyer.

With Burning Godzilla already on the way, it was only a matter of time before Tamashii unveiled the S.H.MonsterArts Destoroyah. He’s absolutely massive – the largest SHMA figure to date – and will cost around $150 (suddenly I’m collecting something getting up into the Hot Toys range…I basically have no non-MOTUC, non-SHMA toy budget at this point). (more…)

S.H.MonsterArts King Ghidorah Now Available

November 6, 2012 | Poe

S.H.MonsterArts King Ghidorah is now available at Amazon and Entertainment Earth, and should be available any day now at BBTS. I’ve opened mine and hope to get to a review eventually, but in the meantime I can tell you that it’s an amazing action figure but be very careful with the wings. They’re not really designed to “flap” from right to left, but rather, they’re designed to move up and down a bit. The special hinge at the base of the wings was reportedly designed to prevent the wings from putting excess weight on the joint, causing the joint to become brittle and break over time. Ironically, this design makes the joint weak when yanked around in other directions, so it’s prone to breaking. Whether or not that risk is worth the price is entirely up to you (though the good news is you can probably return the figure if you order through a U.S. retailer – I didn’t). Being someone who would have sacrificed his entire Transformers collection as a kid for super-articulated Godzilla toys, the risk was worth it to me, but I’m a complete mark for this line.

Odds ‘n Ends n’ Weekend Discussion Thread

October 27, 2012 | Poe

That’s right – Odds ‘n Ends is back! I’ve just got too much stuff to write about and don’t want to spam your RSS reader with a slew of Sightings posts, so instead I present the return of O&E.

Also, because I eliminated the discussion board, I thought I’d try creating a “weekend discussion thread” and see if it appealed to anyone. So feel free to post about any (toy-related) topic you want in the comments below.

Anyway, on the odds and ends.

S.H.MonsterArts King Kong Revealed

October 11, 2012 | Poe

…and Tamashii takes even more of my money.

I’m fine with this being the 2005 version, because even though I’m not a fan of the movie (way too long, way too much slo-mo, completely overwrought), I do think it’s arguably the best Kong design.

Sightings > S.H.MonsterArts Burning Godzilla

July 30, 2012 | Poe

S.H.MonsterArts Burning Godzilla
Due 11/12 for 7,140 yen (U.S. price to be determined)

This figure, based on the Big G’s appearance in Godzilla vs. Destroyah, features an entirely a mostly brand-new sculpt and translucent orange parts (corrected because a few small parts like the claws may be re-used).

 

Odds ‘n Ends > Poe Subscribes & Why, Digital River Mini-Rant, & More

July 24, 2012 | Poe
Megacon 2012

Megacon 2012 by ArmoredFoe, on Flickr

  • I finally subscribed to 2013 Club Eternia, for two primary reasons. The first is I found out that those vehicle-themed chestplates on the Fighting Foe Men can be removed – I wasn’t aware of this fact, and I really disliked those. I just thought they were too cheesy. Without them, the figures look much better. The second reason is that I’ve found my MOTUC reviews are one of the main sources of traffic I get here on PGPoA; and especially since so many of you may not be subscribing this year, I’ll be providing more of an actual service by reviewing them so you can decide whether they’re worth tracking down on the secondary market.
  • Speaking of Club Eternia, NoisyDvL5 over at IAT has written an editorial on the topic. It’s the kind of editorial I might have written four years ago before I got so old and jaded and lazy.
  • Speaking of lazy, it never even occurred to me to get an interview with the creator of Castle Grayskullman like Pixel Dan did. I do have some other interviews coming, though.
  • I’ve been wondering whether S.H.MonsterArts would continue past King Ghidorah. The answer appears to be yes; Godzilla Jr. and Burning Godzilla (both from Godzilla vs. Destroyah) are coming. The Burning Godzilla appears to be a new mold, or at least have some newly-molded parts.
  • I will be reviewing The Dark Knight Rises eventually. Hopefully this week, if I can carve out the time.
  • Because I forgot to change my address on my specific Club Infinite Earths order that I made last year, my CIE order for this month was sent back undelivered. This despite the fact that I did change my address on the main Mattycollector site – which, as we all know, does not change your address for existing orders, only future orders. To change the address for existing orders, a feature found on almost every modern retail website, is apparently far beyond the capabilities of Digital River. How I loathe that company. Why, why would you go with a company best known for delivering digital product fulfillment rather than physical? I’m guessing the answer is contained in two words: lowest bidder. You get what you pay for. Anyway, theoretically I’ll be refunded for my two CIE items and I don’t plan on fighting to get them back. I’d rather have the money.
  • Notable reviews: Fox Sports Baseball Robot (Dayraven), Spikor (Michael Crawford), 3.75″ Brock Samson (Michael Crawford), Funko Exclusive Batman Vinyl Invader (Battlegrip), Fall of Cybertron Jazz (OAFE)