New Year 2011 Greetings / opening hours this weekend

Hey all, hard to believe but the new year is coming shortly !

wishing one and all the best for the new year 2011 - as we enter the 2nd decade of the 21st century, best of health and prosperity to you all.

Opening hours for this weekend:

Saturday - currently undecided about opening, please call or sms 91901408 to confirm;
even if open probably for not more than 3 hours say 2 to 5 pm

Sunday - business as usual (flea market in China Square Central operating as well),
from 10 am to 6 pm.

once again, thanks for your support throughout this year and may it continue in 2011!

Cheers
David Teh

9:30 pm, Friday 31st December 2010

Christmas / new year opening hours and pre-orders!

Yo everyone

apologies for lack of new posting, past weeks very busy with two off-site toy shows and year-end activities;

Here's wishing everyone the best for Christmas holidays wherever you may be;
as well as advance New Year wishes for 2011 (Rabbit year!)

thanks for all your continued support whether as customer(s) or just stopping in to keep me company :) I do appreciate it!

Please check your mail (for those on mailing list) for some new, interesting 1/6 scale pre-orders now open, including MASK! figure (remember the Jim Carey movie?)

(to get on mailing list please drop me a mail)

Stay safe everyone - Invasion! Toys will continue to open into the early evening on Christmas eve (24th - that is tomorrow!);
will be closed on 25th (Saturday) for Christmas and back on Sunday (the last Sunday flea market for the year!)

Cheers

David,

Sunday Toy Carnival at SAM, 8Q !

Yo everyone

Invasion! Toys will be setting up booth at the Singapore Art musuem (SAM), venue 8Q
this Sunday 5th December; our store at China Square Central will be closed for Sunday;

Please refer here for more details / venue / vendor layout:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hangar_news/message/3267;_ylc=X3oDMTJwaTF0Z3BoBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzIwNzUxNQRncnBzcElkAzE3MDUyMDQwNTgEbXNnSWQDMzI2NwRzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMjkxMzcxNjg4

Help spread the news! and please show your support and spend your year end bone uses! :)

And reminder - following week, 10th to 12th December, to end the year with a bang,
the biggest local Toy,Games and Comix show Suntec: STGCC, now in its 3rd year but first under Reed Exhibition management, so expect a Grand event!

Cheers all and pray for good weather

Arrivals of Hot Toys items!

Hi all,

We got in first batch of Hot Toys Platoon Chris Taylor and final batch
of the exciting War Machine!

Pre-orders for both please make arrangements to collect at earliest convenience
(your support is appreciated!) and those w/o pre-orders please contact for pricing
and availability.

Please note the shop will be closed this coming Monday and Tuesday (22nd and 23rd November) as I am in Hong Kong, back on Wednesday 24th Nov (after 12:30 pm)

Cheers and regards
David Teh
Invasion! Toys

Unboxing Day Ep6 (Hot Toys Assassin's Creed II Ezio 1:6 Figure ) 2/2

Unboxing Day Ep6 (1/6 Scale Donnie Yen as Ip Man from Enterbay ) 1/2

Hot Toys War Machine rockets into stores!!

It's finally here!

Hot Toys War Machine released island wide in Singapore.
Potentially the action figure of the year award winner, look out for an in depth review coming in this space soon.

Pre orders starts filling today so come on down and take home this sweet figure, complete with ex-wife and more!

Cheers

Unboxing Day Ep 5 (2/2 )

UNboxing Day Ep 5 1/2

In-stock Hot Toys and more

Hey you all, just a quick post the following Hot Toys items are in-stock and available:

1) Prince Dastan (Prince of Persia)
2) Ezo Assassin Creed II
3) Guardian Predator (toy show exclusive, limited)
4) Sarah Connor in T-1000 disguise (limited)
5) Iron Man MK 6 bust (toy show exclusive, limited)
6) War Machine bust
7) T-1000 (a great piece, lots of play value!)

The following Hot Toys items are offered on consignment, please enquire for pricing:

1) Batman DX02
2) Joker DX01
3) John Connor
4) Marcus Wright
5) John Connor final battle
6) Hellboy

Hope to see you this weekend at China Square, don't let the Haze keep you indoors!

Cheers
David
22-Oct-2010

New THis Week

HALO Reach figures now available!

Yo guys

the McFarlane HALO Reach figures are now available in store;
we got jorge, emil, Spartan 2packs, etc come check it out!

Also brought in a ton of new Marvel trades and HC at great prices plus offers!

cheers

7-Oct-2010

My favorite fiction writers

Hey - thought I would share a list of my must-read writers in the world of fiction;
below is a random list of my current favourite writers - I usually read horror, crime, police procedural, spy / espionage thrillers.

1) John Sandford
Former journalist (real name John Camp) famous for his "prey" novels featuring detective tough guy Lucas Davenport, Sandford is a prolific writer and usually produces at least two novels a year; with Davenport putting on years / gotten married, he spun off a recurring character called Virgil Flowers into his own series and has proven to be another best seller.

The new Virgil Flowers book called "Bad Blood" is out soon and features a cult religion.

Mr Sandford writes in an easy manner and his standout characterization of both the good guys and the bad guys that elevates his books beyond the usual police / crime thrillers.


2) Jefferey Deaver
Famous for his plot twists, Mr Deaver created the unlikely combo of multiple paraplegic Lincoln Rhyme, a forensic expert, and his protege / long term companion Amelia Sachs, rookie police woman (and daughter of slain cop father) in solving crimes a-la CSI style; the first book "The Bone Collector" was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie; there have been other works since and each is a compelling read for the author's famed plot twists and uncanny insight in crime scenes, clues and forensic science.

The new Lincoln Rhyme novel "The Burning Wire" was just released last month.


3) Stephen King
needs no introduction right ? The King of horror fiction, but this is a lazy title to bestow on this best selling author as he is capable of writing more than horror tales (remember the film Shawshank ? It was based on Stephen's short novella).

King is number 1 in his trademark understanding and usage of past and present "pop" culture / everyday scenarios and his fictional characters are rarely unforgettable and always believable - like your next door neighbour: King is a natural born story teller. His son (Joe Hill) inherited some talent and is a best selling author himself.

4) John Burdett
A recent success story, Burdett's "Bangkok" stories revolve around the Buddhist detective Sonchai Pritchaleep who is of mixed European-Thai heritage. Set in the seedy underworld of Thai underworld and deals openly with all manners of police and army corruption, vice, porn and drugs, Mr Burdett treats the reader with an inside look (warts and all) into Thailand's almost irresistable charms and hidden dangers.

I just finished his 4th book featuring Sonchai - "The Godfather of Kathmandu".


5) Greg Iles
Another prolific writer, hard to pigeon hole as he has written a mixed bag including stories set during WW2, politics, law, murders, etc; a common theme though would be his setting of Natchez, Mississippi where the author hails from.

Mr Iles does not sugar coat his fiction and has been known to go into great detail on grisly murders / crime scenes including rape, incest, extreme violence and sexual content, which makes my heart pound and a compelling page turner and I have been known to devour his latest book in a day or two!

His latest best seller (last year) was "The Devil's Punchbowl" and dealt with the illegal dog fighting and gambling; featured his recurring hero Penn Cage, a lawyer and now mayor of his home town.

Penn Cage returns early next year in new novel "Unwritten Laws". I can't wait!


If you have any recommendations for other author's works I would be most happy to hear from you.

Cheers and happy reading!

20-September-2010

PS - many of the books mentioned above can be found in our great local library!

UNBOXING DAY EP 4 2/2

UNboxing Day Ep 4

Unboxing Day Ep3 ( SDCC 2010 ) Part 3

Hot Toys Breaking news!

Hey in case you have not heard...

Arnie Kim (super gifted Korean sculptor, did Enterbay's Bruce Lee) has officially joined Hot Toys team!

and his 1st project... Christopher Reeve Superman movie (1978)!!

coming this winter - it is reported in Hot Toys Facebook

see link:
http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/sixth-scale-action-figure-news-reviews-discussion/429201-arnie-kim-joins-hot-hoys-team-reeves-superman-his-project.html

Wow~ just wow~! All the great sculptors now with Hot Toys!!

Unboxing day ep3 (SDCC 2010 ) part2

Unboxing day ep3 (Sdcc 2010 )

Back in Singapore - tons of new stuff (toys and comix)

Hey all

I am back and shop opened for business as usual...

come on down, we got tons of new stuff including SDCC exclusives from Matty/Mattel,
new comics and some old Marvel favorites in trades / Hardcover.


And... hard to believe but it's August! Where did the time go?

Cheers all

David

I am out of town for the next 8 days

Dear customers and friends

I will be away from Singapore from Wed until 28 July;
apologies as the shop will be closed during this period.

Do drop in from 28th onwards as there will be lots of new, cool stuff including hopefully some SDCC exclusives!!

Thanks for your ongoing support.

Cheers and take care

David

Watch "Inception" - genius filmaking !

Hey all, I found the perfect film to wash away the turgid feeling from watching "Predators" - Chris Nolan's "Inception": this is film making at its most creative, risk-taking bravura ! A Masterpiece - sure to be the most talked about film of the summer (which IMHO has been quite disappointing).

A dream within a dream within a dream (yes many layers) - sure it is cerebral and not a popcorn movie, but intensely watchable (helped by the cast and a generous amount of slam-bang action scenes) but mostly held by Nolan's (he of the two latest Batman Dark Knight movie)ingenious plot and script that does not sink under its weight...

Hard to say more about the details without spoiling the film but trust me, go watch this, everyone (famed critics and amateur alike) have been mostly giving this positive reviews. Plus after the crap "Predators" this is a welcome entry and kind of restores my faith that Hollywood studios still willing to bank on creative talents (Inception reportedly budgeted at $160 million).


The last shot - did he make it out of dream state or is he trapped in limbo??
Wow

Chris Nolan - is this guy good or what??


David
20-July-2010

Hey! just seen "Predators" the movie: my verdict?

It sucks big time!!
Seriously, while we should rejoice in getting another movie treatment on our favourite alien hunter, this latest incarnation is a travesty when compared to the first (and best!) release... hell, compared to any other Predator treatment be it movie, games or comix!!

My problem with it ? The Plot - there is none!!
and what little there is, is full of unexplained details, furnished with an illogical premise, set up and execution.

I know - the fanboys want to see Predators in action, so perhaps storyline is secondary, but still, we deserve better than this piece of poorly-contrived scripment coupled with cheesy dialogue and lack of a well-thought out script!

Can anyone explain to me:

1) the purpose of the character played by Lawrence (Morbius) Fishburne?
2) the entire sequence involving the Predator space ship ?

This was cinematic torture of the worst kind - a fan-favorite fictional beloved character thrown into a mish-mash of ill conceived plot; I am sorry but I think this will surely kill the Predator franchise.. maybe forever!

Still, there is one saving grace - from a toys / action figure standpoint, seeing that Hot Toys has the license to make "Predators" figures, it was cool to spot potential releases from this movie. I laughed out loud during the final climatic battle between Royce (Adrian Brody character) and the "new" Predator... Battle Damage version anyone ??!

Feedback and any contrary opinion welcome!

My Verdict: 1.5 stars out of 5. (save your $$ folks!)
RIP Predator!

David
Signing out
10 July 2010

Unboxing Day Ep2

Unboxing Day (toy review) Ep2 trailer

Unboxing Day (Sarah Connor from Hot toys) Ep 1

Upcoming HALO Reach action figures (McFarlaneToys)

Hey u all out there -

is anyone in Singapore excited about the upcoming HALO 3: Reach game coming in September? How about the action figures coming from McFarlane Toys ? seems to me the HALO figures are not as popular now as when it first came out 3 years ago (maybe pricing and availability has to do with this, with the demise of the previous McFarlane toys local distributor...)

Anyway, for those who have seen the official shots of some of the new characters for the Reach series (head to bungie.net for a wealth of HALO game information), there are some pretty cool looking figures / Spartans featuring the Noble 6 team; how I wish Hot Toys has the HALO license - they will do kick-ass 1/6 scale versions!!

Invasion! Toys will be bringing in the new HALO 3 Reach action figures from McFarlane Toys scheduled for release late Sept / early October, including the 2-packs pictured above.

Also due for release are deluxe vehicle series featuring the Warthog (finally!!)
and Ghost with Elite figure.

Stay tuned for more news / pics as when available!

Cheers
David

1st July 2010

Unboxing day - Trailer

Monthly Madness Specials - Marvel Select Juggernaut pre-orders!

Hey all

we are offering the upcoming Marvel Select Juggernaut 7inch scale figures at ridiculously low price of S$33 nett!! this oversized figure, much like the Green/Red Hulk, Abomination is heavy-weight and normally priced at $40 to $45, but as a special offering to thank all customers, we are offering TEN units of Juggernaut at special price of $33 (with $20 non-refundable, cash deposit).

Plus, those who order this can buy the variant helmet-less Juggernaut for additional
$30 only! Limited to TWO helmet-less Juggernaut!

Offer expires Sunday 27-June; expected to arrive late August / early September.

Thanks for your support!

Check out the pics above and specs:


A Diamond Select Release! Sculpted by Gentle Giant! Colors are brought to you by Eddie Wires! The ranks of the best-selling Marvel Select line expand to include one of the deadliest mutants ever — the unstoppable Juggernaut! Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios and standing a massive 7" tall, the Juggernaut is the latest release in DST’s in-scale, oversized Marvel Select figures! Charles Xavier's half-brother, Cain Marko, is ready to join Magneto in the fight against the X-Men — and anyone else that stands in their way! Featuring Marvel Select’s standard 16 points of articulation, The Juggernaut — and the sans-helmet chase variant figure — are the textbook definition of “unstoppable”!

(pics courtesy of toynewsi.com)

Recommended reading : "Chew" comix!

Hey all,

i know! this Blog hardly sees any updates (except taking new orders for toys!)
I need to improve on this, I promise!

anyways - I would like to recommend a brilliant comic called "Chew" (Image Comics) -
it is quite unlike anything out there, with well-crafted characters, witty dialog and brilliant not-too-cartoony artwork;

the main hero has a unique talent: Tony Chu, a cibopath who gleans psychic information from anything that he eats...except beets.

read more in an interview with the comic co-creator here:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=26567

The first collected trade (six issues) can be ordered (I can help! I sell comix too!);the next volume will be out sometime june or july;

Give this a shot ! is seriously fun and for those jaded with superheroes or gritty cop/crime drama, this is a fun alternative.

Cheers
David Teh

Hot Toys Black Widow (Iron Man 2) order opens!

ok, even if you are not a fan of the movie, this is a Must buy if you like female figures!

Hot Toys is proud to present the 1/6th scale Black Widow Limited Edition Collectible Figurine from the Iron Man 2 movie. The movie-accurate Black Widow collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Scarlett Johansson in the movie, highlighting the newly sculpted head, hair implantation, highly detailed costume and accessories.



The 1/6th scale Black Widow Limited Edition Collectible Figurine specially features:

Authentic and detailed fully realized likeness of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in the movie Iron Man 2

Newly sculpted head with movie-accurate facial expression and make-up
Real fabric hair implantation in brownish red long curly hair
Newly developed TrueType body highlighting her body shape
Approximately 28 cm tall
Over 28 points of articulations
Two (2) pairs of interchangeable gloved palms (one (1) pair of relaxed palms; one (1) pair for holding pistols)
One (1) extra right gloved palm for posing on waist
Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted


Costume:
One-piece tight dark blue colored jumpsuit with one (1) belt included
One (1) extra greyish black colored belt with pouches and pistol holster
One (1) pair of leather-like greyish blue colored platform boots with buckles

Weapons:
Two (2) pistols

Accessories:
One (1) pair of bracelets with multiple-bullet design
Figure base with Black Widow nameplate and the movie logo

Mailing list with ordering details issued; please email or contact me
if you are interested in ordering this "Masterpiece"! Thanks

(Official pics and specs courtesy of Falcon Hangar website)

New Bowen Marvel Statues up for orders:

Scheduled for end July / early August, Bowen studios is releasing two very nice
Marvel 12-inch statues:

1) Black Widow
A Bowen Designs Sculpt! Trained in the Soviet Union to be the world's ultimate assassin, Natasha Romanova is known by the lethal skills she displays as the Black Widow, leaving bodies in her wake. Long an ally of the Avengers, this dangerous damsel is sculpted by Tim Miller as a 12" tall statue, wearing her trademark black body suit with a gun in her hand and her red hair flowing across her shoulders.

2)Extremis armor Iron Man
A Bowen Designs Sculpt! Badly injured in battle as Iron Man, Tony Stark sought to save his life by injecting himself with a techno-organic virus to rebuild his body. As a consequence, Stark's Iron Man armor fused with his body, turning him into a cyborg of sorts; the armor could conceal itself within his bones, while his brain became able to connect to computers and other electrical devices. The newer, sleeker armor that resulted was called the Extremis Armor, and this high-tech armor is sculpted by Avinash Hegde as a 12" tall statue.


Ordering details mailing list issued, please contact me if interested;
deadline is May 25th.

Hot Toys RE5 Jill Valentine order opens!

mailing list with order information sent, of if interested please contact me
at invasiontoys@gmail.com

thanks!

Hot Toys T800 released in HongKong

Update - check out forums out there, some pics of the new release from Hot Toys T800 Arnold figure have been posted!

It looks great and I think will exceed all expectations (yes even those who like to complain!) Look at the comparison pic with last year's Predator "Dutch"...

anyone going to Hong Kong next week ?? Bring one or two back!

Square Enix MGS - Snake, Mask Rider pair Cyclone, Joker orders open!

Mailing lists with order details sent, for those not on current mail list please
e-mail me for order details, thanks!

David
24-April-2010

Battle Damage Iron Man Mk 3 in stock now!

20-April update - finally we have the Hot Toys Iron Man Battle Damage Iron Man Mk 3
in stock! Those who pre-ordered can come to collect; plus we have limited quantities for walk in buys.

Thanks

David
Invasion! Toys
Unit #02-20 China Square Central
hp 91901408

Hello, now taking pre-orders for these new items, Hot Toys "Advanced" true type male bodies - one resembles the current POTUS, Obama, the other the actor in Prison Break (elder brother; also played Dracula in the 3rd Blade movie!);

plus Sideshow Toys exclusive comic-con Lieutenant Clone Trooper;

those on my mailing list would have received my email on these pre-orders;
those not, but interested please drop me a mail at invasiontoys@gmail.com

Thanks!

19-April-2010
10 pm

updated Whiplash (Iron Man 2) Hot Toys pictures!

Holy ....! in case you have not seen the latest pics, head to the usual forum
link here:

http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/forum/sixth-scale-action-figure-news-reviews-discussion/297984-hot-toys-mms121-iron-man-2-1-6th-scale-whiplash-limited-collectible-updated.html

It is Mickey Rourke !! awesome new pictures revealed.

For those who have yet to pre-order this item, we are taking a LAST Call to add orders - please do so in the next 48 hours!

Cheers

Bowen Design War Machine Statue (1/6 scale)

Hi you all,

feelin excited about the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie yet ? can't wait for April 30th!

Take a look at this Bowen design War Machine statue above;
wonderful isn't it ? Priced at US$195 we are offering a price of $275 with $100 prepayment upfront, please contact me if interested.

Cheers!
David

United 4 Ever ! (talking football)

I have been a Man U supporter since the early 1970's...
this season which promised so much now seem to be heading for an anti-climax
ending...

OUT of Champions League(pesky Germans again!)

EPL title looks remote after last night's insipid draw at Blackburn...
we might struggle to hold off Arsenal to finish 2nd!

all we have is the Carling Cup..
more disturbing, a lot of questions as to the current squad if capable of challenging for more honours in future.. Berbatov - 31 mil worth ? need to replace the old warriors like giggs, scholes, neville, the keeper, even rio is showing signs of age, vidic will he stay or will he go ...

Man U and alex ferguson need to spend this summer, a couple of strikers to back up rooney, a good playmaker in central midfield..


should be interesting!
Trust in Sir Alex !

United 4 ever!

Part 2 transcript of conversation with Howard (Hot Toys)

(I must say the final approved transcript was not heavily edited and 90% complete; they did remove some specific questions I had posed to Howard regarding Sideshow products but otherwise the conversation was pretty complete.)

Q: Regarding your “DX” series, what criteria applies before a character gets the DX treatment? To be frank, your recent announcement for Michael Jackson “Bad” as the next DX figure took most of us by surprise.

Howard: It’s good that we can still surprise the public!

As you know we started the DX series featuring the new Parallel Eyeball Rolling System (PERS); plus we make sure we give extra details and more accessories in the whole package.

Q: Have you already decided what will be in “DX04”? Any hints, whether it is a movie character or based on a real person?

Howard: Yes, we have decided on DX04 but I can’t tell you now! No hints, sorry!
But you can expect an announcement within the next 2 months. And, I believe this time you all will like the choice of character!

Q: Howard, I must congratulate you on Hot Toys incredible success in the 1/6th scale category; you must be very proud of how far you have come – has it been 10 years since you started Hot Toys?

Howard: Yes, this year we celebrate our 10-year anniversary; and we are planning to publish a 10th anniversary bible book and considering big-bang events in Hong Kong and Japan to celebrate with our fans and industrial leaders. Please stay tuned with us for update. Thank you.

Q: So what is your vision say in the next 3 to 5 years for Hot Toys? Will you explore in other scale categories for articulated figures? How about statues?

Howard: Firstly, we want to continue to maintain our present expertise in the 1/6th scale category and continue to produce products that excites the buying public. At the same time we are aware of the cost and pricing challenges, say when we introduce new techniques like the DX series.

As for other scales, I feel personally that the 1:6 line is best suited for representation of fine details with articulation possibilities, that collectors will support and is a good scale that meets both the “play” factor and dynamic sculpting and detail features. We will continue to cater to the collector market (as opposed to the mass market for the 3 ¾ inch line like Star Wars and GI Joe).

As for other products like statues, we will continue to explore, in speaking with our dealer network and design team and our OEM partners / suppliers, we will continue to challenge ourselves in making these exciting products; we are also mindful to not entering an existing market just for the sake of doing it for example Sideshow Toys’ Premium format line of statues, we don’t want to copy this and try to compete in this directly, and we are also not sure if our dealers will necessarily want to see this offering from us.

Oh, we mentioned earlier that Hot Toys turn 10years old this year in 2010, so we are already planning something special to celebrate this event! You can look forward to some special events and activity, like what I talked about just now, I can’t say too much now but watch for it!

Q: Thank you very much for your frank answers. Finally, something about yourself? You started out as a toy collector yourself right? Do you still collect toys?

Howard: Yes, I am still a collector but I guess the difference is now I am not so die-hard and not like “die-die” must get that one particular toy! The thing is I am surrounded by toy designers and toy enthusiasts everyday in the workplace – is like 24 hours a day I am in this business! So while I am still a toy collector, I remain first of all a toy lover myself and I get more satisfaction in my team producing a first class item than in owning and collecting something for myself.

What do you think guys ? Please feel free to question or comment; I personally find Howard easy going and one thing I notice - his enthusiasm for toys and collectibles shine through; although he runs a business, in his responses I get the feeling that he cares very much for the product and not just the $$ / profit, as when I asked him for his vision for the next 3 to 5 years, his first response was centered on producing excellent products, not growing sales or sales position. If the founder and creative director of Hot Toys have this motivation, we can be assured of greater things to come from Hot Toys.

Thanks for reading.
Cheers!

A conversation with Howard Chan, President of Hot Toys - Part 1

Ok - the approval took longer than expected but finally I can produce the full transcript of my recent conversation with Howard, founder and President of Hot Toys!

It was a balmy spring afternoon when I made my way to Hot Toys HQ in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, a little before 3pm; I was quickly ushered to Howard's office by Ms Emily (head of PR) and as you can imagine I was NOT allowed to wander around their office unsupervised, and taking any pics was out of the question!!

Q: Why did Hot Toys make the decision to allow customers to cancel their orders
for the Iron Man Mark III (Battle Damaged Version) collectible figure?

Howard: We remain very proud of the final product with its many new enhancements
to the armor; unfortunately there were too many negative feedback from the “public”
in the discussion forums (which not necessarily come from the actual customers or buyers of the product) regarding the head sculpt and color scheme.

So we made the decision to allow those who feel they are not 100% satisfied to cancel their orders, in direct response to all the negative discussion in the forums. If we had not made the decision Hot Toys would have been accused of having grown “too big” or “arrogant” who does not care for the feelings of customers.

However, I stress again the final product is one that the Hot Toys team is proud of and I believe this has also been the opinion of the vast majority of the buying public as we had less than 50 actual cancellations in Hong Kong, but the truth is that we are still getting re-orders in after the final product released in the market.

Q: What is the nature of Hot Toys’ collaboration with Sideshow Toys (USA)?

Howard: We have established a close-relationship with Sideshow Toys since 2005, and we had the chance to collaborate with Sideshow at their 12 inches Clone Troopers projects. And Hot Toys also has the great opportunities to produce the T2 series and the Godfather collectible figures under our Movie Masterpiece line in partner with Sideshow Toys.

Q: Hot Toys’ last military product in the 1/6th scale was the pair of modern British soldiers. Have you abandoned this line and why? Is it due to resource constraints in having to produce the various movie licenses?

Howard: Yes and no; of course Hot Toys started in the 1/6th scale military genre and has been very successful. And yes, the nature of design, production and meeting the various demands in pursuing movie licenses is time and resource demanding.

And given the current time frame and our resources, we just feel we are better having to commit all our time and effort in doing justice to producing the very best in our movie license products; this is not to say we won’t go back to producing the military line sometime in the future; in fact we have already made many in the past that we are looking for something “exciting” before we return to this line. Also, some of the related movie licenses may have some military-related theme so that when we do produce them, we can draw on all our past experience and success.

Q: So is there anything planned in the year 2010?

Howard: This year we are bringing about the 1/6th scale newly licensed collectibles from the worldwide well-received movie Avatar, and the upcoming and long-awaited movie Iron Man 2, Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia. You may expect the collectibles of some of the characters from these great movies this year!

Q: Moving on to the Marvel license: does the current license only cover Marvel characters as released in the movies?

Howard: Yes, when we discussed this with Marvel that was the plan. Having said that we are aware of the various possibilities with Marvel characters whether they are in the movies, animation, comics or video games, and definitely Hot Toys would like to explore further the opportunities to make popular figures from the Marvel line.

But we only started with Wolverine Origins and Blade; there are still many Marvel movie characters that we can produce before we even start thinking of doing those in the comics or other properties. We are still catching up!

Q: On specific characters from movie licenses, will Hot Toys produce Commissioner Gordon (Batman), Iron Monger (Iron Man), Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)?

Howard: Yes. We have always planned to make Commissioner Gordon; initially we were informed that the actor (Gary Oldman) was not so supportive of the idea but our current understanding is that there is no such obstacle either from him or the main licensor so yes I can say that at some point we will be releasing a Gordon figure.

As for Iron Monger, it was always a case of cost issues and pricing, as you know it is a very large figure in 1/6 scale so to really do it justice and yet making it a price that will still be supported by the dealers and customers remain the greatest challenge.

Personally I want to see this made! But now given that Iron Man 2 the movie will be released soon and we are already committed to making a few characters from the new movie. We are also preparing a series of exciting promotional activities such as Iron Man exhibition in Hong Kong and Taiwan in Apr-May this year and a stream of exclusive privilege to our event participants. Therefore, from a timing standpoint we don’t know where to fit Iron Monger. But it remains in our development plans.

As for Jill Valentine, yes in speaking with our dealers and from what is discussed in the forums we know she is a very popular character so yes: I can say to her fans that you can look forward to Jill sometime in 2010!


End Part 1 - Part 2 follows

Coming soon: a conversation with the founder and President of Hot Toys Mr Howard Chan!

Hey everyone, stay tuned for a complete transcript of my recent conversation with Mr Howard Chan the boss of Hot Toys Hong Kong!

Find out as we discussed about:

~ the recent hoo-ha on the actual sculpt of Battled Damaged Iron Man Mk 3;
~ Commissioner Gordon ! Iron Monger ! hear the final word from Howard on these
in-demand figures! also... a certain heroine from Resident Evil series!
~ the future (or lack of) military figure line from Hot Toys!
~ thoughts on the Marvel license!
~ DX series - who is planned for DX04 ?? (ok we won't know...yet!)
~ collaboration with Sideshow Toys
~ his vision for the future of Hot Toys

Pending final approval from Hot Toys, I hope to have the transcript up in the next 24 to 48 hours so keep a look out at this blog site for the full frank and open discussion I had with Howard.


(the good looking guy in the photo above is Howard!)

Hot Toys DX03 Michael Jackson "Bad"

The details on the black jacket and the belt are killer!!
and the head sculpt is a more matured and better looking than the "Thriller" version, IMHO;

the suggested retail price is $230;
we have special pricing with either $50 or $100 option downpayment, please contact
me if you are not on our mailing list but would like to place order.

Release date is only stated as Q2 this year, no firm date yet.

Cheers!

Hot Toys Sarah Connor 12in Pre-orders open

Hello all, have you checked out the newly released product pictures of Hot Toys'
Sarah Connor (Terminator 2 movie) ?

Pre-orders are now open for this must have figure to accompany the previously announced
T800 (Arnold head sculpt);

Sarah is priced at $160 with a prepayment deposit of $50 to reserve your set!

Orders close March 2nd.

Thanks!

23rd Feb 2010

Gong Xi Fa Cai wishes

Dear all

Wishing all Gong Xi Fa Cai as we welcome the year of the tiger - may we find
good health, prosperity and all our dreams come true!

We are open on Saturday until 4 pm;
we will close Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and re-open Wednesday 17th February.

Finally we are expecting our monthly shipment of toys and comix at the end of next
week so do drop in.

Cheers!

13th Feb

Star Wars to upsize AT-AT this year !

So we have been hearing whispers of Hasbro re-doing the classic AT-AT walker in larger scale,
is now official and we should be seeing some pics hopefully in next week's Toy Fair;

More news from jediinsider:

STAR WARS AT-AT
(Approximate Retail Value: $99.99; Ages: 5 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
In space, size does matter, and Hasbro certainly kept that in mind when creating its all-new, highly detailed STAR WARS AT-AT. The AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) played a significant role in the Empire’s military assault in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and it will play an equally important role in every fan’s toy collection this year! Measuring more than 24 inches tall, nearly 28 inches long, and 12 inches wide, this colossal vehicle holds up to 20 STAR WARS figures – 6 of which can fit in its head alone! – and includes so many play and electronic features true to its on-screen counterpart that it’s hard to believe! From the zip-line in its body and articulated legs for superb poseability, to its LED lights and authentic movie sounds and phrases, this is the must-have addition for STAR WARS fans of all ages. Includes a 3 ¾ inch AT-AT driver action figure and a pop-out speeder bike.

This is a Must Have for all Star Wars fans!

5th Feb 2010

Bowen upcoming Marvel White Queen statues

Ms Emma Frost, co-leader of the X-men is next up in Bowen's line of Marvel statues; standing at 12 inches and scheduled for end April 2010, she is priced at S$254 with $100 downpayment (non-refundable), all orders due no later than 23rd February 2010;

there is also an exclusive version in her Diamond form, this arrives a month later (May) and priced at S$330; anyone keen to order this version please contact me for ordering and payment options.


Cheers!

"My name is Lt Aldo Raine..."

and we are here to do one thing only - Kill Nazis!"

Remember this intro line to Quentin Tarantino's WW2 epic "Inglorius Basterds"?
Now you can own Hot Toys next movie masterpiece line (a piece of Brad Pitt!)
Lt Aldo Raine in glorius 12 inch !

Orders open until Feb 3rd, $50 deposit will get you this glorius figure for a measly S$174 nett (list price is $200).

Newsflash! Kitty Pryde returns !

YES! read this early morning and got to share it with comix fans everywhere (Marvel X-men fans in particular)

Kitty Pryde last seen in Josh Whedon's Astonishing X-men final issue trapped in a gigantic bullet in outer space will return in Uncanny X-men issue #522 !

Story with trailer below:
http://marvelousnews.com/index.php?catid=23&itemid=12698

Great news and can't wait to see how they bring her back !

Incidentally, Whedon's run on the X-men is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone who loves comix / it reads like a serial TV plot; get the Omnibus edition which collects all 24 issues plus the Giant Size finale and be prepared to be "astonished". Whedon's script, plotting and handling of character dialogue is first class !

Plus the artwork from John Cassaday (who drew every page of the entire run!) is just gorgeous especially the women !! This book needs to be on every comic fan's shelf.

Cheers
13-Jan-2010

New Year,,, New unit location,,.

... same Great service !

over Friday and Saturday, with help from my friends, completed shop relocation to
new unit (just 30 steps from the old one!)

Please look for us now at Unit #02-20 (nearer the escalator).

Will post pics once the shop layout is "fit for viewing"!

My sincere thanks to Alwyn, Stanley, Desmond, Wayne for all the hard labor on Saturday
to ensure the shop is ready for business on Sunday.

Mr Alwyn, a good friend / customer also helped designed the nifty shop logo and namecard;

Will look to settle down and hopefully update this blog more frequently to bring to you more
news / reviews of the latest toys and collectibles.

Incidentally a big shipment from USA just landed - lots of comix, hardcovers, Marvel Masterworks, old and new toys in our first overseas shipment for the year, do come and see
or email with any inquiries.

Managed to secure some low quantities from USA of Hot Toys Lost Predator, Utapau clone trooper (Sideshow), Cobra Commander GI Joe; some loose Marvel legends six inch figures, Diamond Select Star Trek items, GI Joe army builder sets from the movie;

also the latest Marvel Select figure - Daredevil the man w/o fear just came in.
Plus restocks of the previous sold out DC Direct covergirls of the DC universe Zatanna
and Wonder Woman by Adam Hughes (AH!).

Finally - a reminder that the pre-order of Hot Toys T800 with Arnold headsculpt
closes on 15th January; $50 deposit now gets you the item at $195;
$100 deposit gets you the item at $190!

3rd option - pay $440 to get both the new release John Connor final battle AND
the T800! you save over $60 with this great deal!

Cheers - have a great week ahead

10th January 2010