Iron Man Mark III and Mark V miniature figures

HBO Asia finally premiered the movie "Iron Man 2" a couple of days ago and it was just as awesome as ever! Aside from the fact that Tony Stark gets to whoop Whiplash's ass, the movie also featured the debut of James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes' badass alter-ego, War Machine! I was so drawn to that movie that I even got to watch one of its scheduled reruns yesterday. Though I've got to admit that my liking for Iron Man isn't as huge and "hardcore" as my adoration for my childhood comic book hero Ghost Rider, but there is something about this superhero that really kicks butt... maybe it's the cool suits or Tony Stark's attitude and flair for rock and punk music, kinda hard to say... but altogether, personally, Iron Man is a-OK!

Iron Man Mark V

Iron Man Mark III

It was recently that I got to buy my very first Iron Man Mark VI miniature figure which was on sale at Toys R' Us in Trinoma, the entire collection from Hasbro consists of five figures, three Iron Man suit versions, the Tactical Assault Drone and War Machine. But it seems that the Drone and War Machine figures are nowhere to be found for unexplained reasons, so I decided to finally complete the entire Iron Man suits by purchasing earlier this afternoon the Mark III and Mark V figs which are still available at Toy Kingdom The Block (SM North EDSA).


I'm still keeping my hopes high that someday, somehow, somewhere I might be able to find the two missing figures from the collection, but for now I'm just going to enjoy these ones first...

Toys and Creative Lighting

Earlier today (or make that yesterday) I decided to spend a little more time in having a little "trial and error" moment with my camera as I was bent on learning the tricks of the trade when it comes to applying creative lighting principles to my toy photography. Having to photograph your toys in low-light situations posed as a big challenge for me since I have tried it over a dozen times yet failed to capture that perfect mood over and over again. Whenever I get too lazy to take out my DSLR, my next best option would be using my trusty ol' point and shooter... but it made me realize later on that some of these compact digital cameras have their limit, and attempting to do low-light photography with a digital point and shoot camera resulted in poor, disappointing photo quality, oftentimes getting grainy pictures with a lot of noise going on. So it was high time to take out the big guns and let 'em do all the work for you.


After spending a good number of hours inside my room trying all the different shooting modes that you can find on the dial, I personally find the Shutter Priority mode to be the appropriate one for me since the camera captures only the details that you wanted to see on your subject while it gets enveloped in a background of total blackness. Using a mini LED flashlight and a gashapon figure of Rei Ayanami from the anime Evangelion as my subject, I was somehow making progress with my trial and error with creative lighting though I know I still have a long way to go in perfecting that skill. But as I look back and compare the previous photos with the ones I took earlier, I can humbly say that everything looks more better now than it used to be. Here are some samples of the test shots I did:

Rei Ayanami test shot 1

Rei Ayanami test shot 2

Rei Ayanami test shot 3

Great buys: Iron Man 2 3-inch action figure from Hasbro

For the longest time I wasn't able to get myself a new toy for my collection since I have been stuck inside the house, most of the time doing nothing for some unexplained reason... maybe I was just too lazy to go out or I might be just too conscious to spend my money on cab fare since getting a taxi nowadays is gold, so to speak. It was only last July 16 (Saturday) that I got the chance to buy me a toy when I visited the Toys R' Us branch in Trinoma while waiting for my other buddies to appear for our 15th anniversary celebration at Yakimix. After getting my sister the Moxie Girlz Alice in Wonderland edition, I headed towards the action figures section where luckily I still found a number of Iron Man 2 3-inch toy figures being sold on sale for only Php 100 each.

Iron Man 2 Mark VI edition from Hasbro

These Iron Man 2 miniatures have been selling at Toy Kingdom and Toys R' Us for quite a while now and since they are still in circulation, I never hesitated to get myself one or else I might regret it later if they decide to take it off the shelves one of these days! Looking at the back of the packaging, the line-up consists of 5 action figures which comprises the Iron Man Mark III, Mark V, Mark VI, the Tactical Assault Drone and of course War Machine. So far only the three Iron Man versions are available in both stores but the Tactical Assault Drone and War Machine figures are rather elusive and nowhere to be found! It really sucks big time since I've been constantly searching for the War Machine figure in every shop or stall that I went to but to no avail. I'm pretty sure that sooner or later I'll be able to complete all three Iron Man figures, but I won't rest until I get myself that elusive War Machine fig to finally complete my collection.

Discovering a world of toys at CSCentrl.com...

I was Makati-bound last July 02 to drop by my friend’s place and help him work on the light box I have promised, and since he still lacks a couple of things needed to make one, we went straight to Greenbelt One and bought most of the stuff at National Bookstore. As soon as we were done with our task, we decided to hang out for a while since I rarely go to Makati and leaving Greenbelt that soon would be such a waste of opportunity. Of course one of the things listed on my agenda is to check out the toy shops there and since my pal Adi knows the place by heart, he led the way and it wasn’t for long that we stumbled upon Great Toys… there were a lot of goodies in store but unfortunately I wasn’t able to find anything that was affordable enough to fit my budget and all I did was drool at all the figures and collectibles on display. On our next stop Adi showed me this other toy shop called CSCentrl.com and as soon as we entered the store, I immediately got this groovy feeling that I’m into something good… and I even told Adi that I’m pretty sure I might be able to take home some lovelies for my toy collection, and so I wasted no time in switching on my radar and do some serious toy hunting inside this new-found toy oasis!

CSCentrl.com's awesome line of toys for sale

Gashapons and anime figures galore

As soon as you enter CSCentrl.com you’ll be greeted with a tower-like glass display on the left loaded with anime figures and other toys, but once you get inside, there’s this even bigger glass display behind the shop’s counter stuffed with literally a sea of gashapon figures, and the neat thing about it is that you can get to buy the figs individually… Olleh! Since I’m a random toy collector and buying toy figures in sets was never really my cup of tea, it was a good thing this awesome shop sells some, if not all of their anime figures by the piece! Adi was eyeing on several items there while I on the other hand have spotted a couple of possible candidates to be added to my growing collection of toys. The owner, Raymond (Sorry folks, I was too overwhelmed with the toys on display that I forgot to ask for his surname), was there at that time and he was so friendly and accommodating that he treats his walk-in customers like his buddies, a plus factor for me since shop owners with good and commendable customer-relation skills can make or break one’s impression as a first-time customer walking into their respective stores. I left CSCentrl.com with two gashapons on hand and went back to Adi’s place and worked on his light box the rest of the evening. Though I may not be able to visit the place regularly since I live in Quezon City but I will definitely drop by that cool toy shop as soon as I get the chance to visit Adi’s place once more… or if by fate that I strangely find myself wandering within the Makati area.


CSCentrl.com is located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt One, Ayala Commercial Center, Makati City or you can visit their official website at cscentrl.com

10th Philippine Toy Convention 2011: Mission Accomplished!

My mission to attend my very first ToyCon event has been accomplished! It was truly an experience and somehow I have managed to make it through a mad crowd of enthusiastic toy collectors and cosplay lovers who came in droves and filled the entire three Megatrade Halls at the 5th Level of the SM Megamall even on its second and last day (June 19/Sunday), it was wild, crazy and very much tiring!... borrowing a quote from Resident Evil 3's Jill Valentine "... Somehow, I'm still alive..." According to ToyCon's Cholo Mallillin, the second day of the event summed up an attendance of 20,000 strong and no wonder this annual event is considered to be Asia's biggest toy convention to date.


The mere thought of having to escape the hustle and bustle of a huge crowd by going there on the second day wasn't really much of a good idea since it was literally filled to the rafters and it caused a huge frenzy even outside the premises of the event, and the mall's security personnel were having a bit of a hard time reminding the crowd of cosplayers and curious onlookers through their megaphones to clear the designated aisles for the other mall shoppers later that day. Having to arrive there shortly before lunch, the people inside were still manageable and not that crowded so I took the opportunity to take some photos for my blog and for my Facebook page and at the same time did a little toy hunting and shopping as well. Though it was a pity that I never got to purchase more stuff than what I had in my stash since the people started coming in and gradually we became like packed sardines in a can, and jumping from one booth to another was a struggle and you can't fully focus on the goods on display as well since people would bump into you from behind and you have to be mindful about your belongings... most especially your wallets! But nonetheless I still went home with a few souvenirs in tow to celebrate this first-timer's triumphant journey to the annual ToyCon event.


Despite having two sore legs and almost on the verge of collapsing from all the walking I did inside the venue, I can say it was truly worth it! Maybe I've learned a lesson or two from my first encounter with this recent convention and by the next ToyCon in 2012, I'm more prepared and I know now what to do next time so I can carefully map out my strategy in dividing my time for business and leisure. By the way guys, here are some of the photos I took during the event:


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)

Bearbricks, Munnys, Dunnys and designer toys galore at the Secret Fresh booth

Should I stay or should I go to Megamall for the 2011 ToyCon?

The Philippine ToyCon (Toy Convention) is one of the most anticipated annual events for all toy and cosplay enthusiasts who would want to get their hands on the greatest deals and rarest steals from a sea of toys to choose from while cosplayers strut their stuff and tease your senses with their best rendition of their favorite anime or cartoon characters through elaborate self-made costumes and whatnots. It was a pity for me since I used to work before at a company that is located very near SM Megamall and for all the almost three-years that I've worked there, not even once did I made an attempt to visit the annual ToyCon held at the Megatrade Hall on the 5th floor, maybe because I was just too tired from all the day's work and I would rather go home and get some rest... but in recent times as I look back at all the wasted opportunity, I kinda had that guilty feeling that I should have gone there even once while I had the chance to be near the venue. As they all say "Nasa huli ang pagsisisi" (Regrets are felt when it's just too late.)


Now that the 2011 Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention is fast approaching (approximately in 2-weeks time) and now I have to decide for myself if I'm ready and willing to take that bold step in going to SM Megamall and brave the humongous crowd of hungry enthusiasts ready to rock and roll inside the Megatrade Hall, I was thinking of this funny scenario that it may look like finding myself lost and alone in a sea of Orcs deployed for battle rushing towards Helm's Deep from LOTR! It may sound exaggerated, but now that I'm nearing my late-30's, I easily get irked and agitated when I'm in a very crowded and packed place that squeezing myself through a maze of people just to where I wanted to go is enough to unleash my dark side, so to speak. But thinking about it, since this will be my first time (I hope) to conquer the ToyCon event, I'm willing to keep my Mr. Hyde alter ego at bay and see for how long I can keep up with the maddening crowd... Maybe finding myself some nice and affordable toys to purchase would keep me pacified, but this is yet to be discovered.


It would be nice to be able to attend this year's ToyCon and I'm hoping that there wouldn't be any setbacks or hassles on my part since I'm now kinda bent on going there no matter what, all for the sake of experiencing the thrills and the chills of being there in the flesh during a big annual event like the Philippine ToyCon. Keeping my fingers crossed and hope to see you guys there soon!

My surviving original Star Wars figures...

I guess I can say that I was lucky to have seen and witnessed the birth of one of the biggest Sci-Fi motion picture series that ever came out in movie history, and though I was a toddler then when the first Star Wars film was shown in 1977, everyone flocked to the movie houses braving the long, winding lines of people eager to watch this phenomenal brain child of George Lucas, and from that moment on, Sci-Fi Movies will never be the same again.


Even young kids like me then easily knew the main characters of Star Wars , starting with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Han Solo, R2-D2, C-3PO. And along with these legendary Star Wars characters came also their fabulous merchandising that included of course the numerous line of action figures that was a sure hit for both young and old alike, I for one did my best to try and get hold of all the Star Wars action figures but as far as I can remember, I only had three of them and these are Chewbacca, R2-D2 and a Stormtrooper figure... No Luke Skywalker, no Darth Vader, No Han Solo nor Princess Leia. Just those three and that's all.

My original Chewbacca and Stormtrooper figures from Star Wars (circa late 70's-early 80's)

Of the three Star Wars figures I have, only two remained as you can see on the photo that I took sometime last year, The last time I saw my R2-D2 figure it was lacking some of its essential sticker decals and both of its legs are badly loose, until I eventually lost him and couldn't find him anywhere. But nonetheless, a small part of my fond childhood memories stays with me thanks to these two.

My next project: Plastic toy soldiers diorama

Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated with anything related to World War 2, and with it are the scale model kits like Hasegawa and Tamiya that became so popular with hobby enthusiasts back in the 1980's. But what attracted me most to these scale model kits are the ones that were already assembled, painted and displayed in all its intricate glory... most especially if they were placed in dioramas that depicted battle scenarios. But as a kid, the closest thing that I came to enjoying my scale model kits were assembling them with plastic cement... period. Never had the chance to buy myself enamel paints, paint brushes plus other stuff needed for this hobby, for one thing even back in the 80's, they were already very expensive, and second, I'm still a kid who's mindset was all scale model kits were toys though they were intended to be displayed and appreciated, nothing more, nothing less.


Looking back at the numerous scale model kits that I had (and lost as well due to reckless handling as a kid), there is this little feeling of regret and how I wished I never opened the kits and instead waited a few years (or more) before I can get to assemble and paint them with precision and care. Now that I'm nearing my late-30's, scale model kits are still very much around yet they are still, as always, pricey! As they all say "some things never change," and getting into this hobby of amateur toy photography only rekindled my lost enthusiasm for scale models and dioramas altogether. But this time, there are no detailed, intricately painted scale model figures involved nor pricey scale model sandbags, walls, barb wires, lamp posts or destroyed buildings that you commonly see in dioramas. All I need is my camera, a good corner somewhere in the house, good lighting and a bag full of these plastic toy soldiers you can buy for less than a hundred Pesos.


I started to take some photos of these plastic toy soldiers in "diorama" action earlier this evening as practice shots, and the set of photos you see below are just some of them. These are just samples and I'll be tweaking this setup a little bit more to make it more interesting and all I need is a couple of days to work on things before I finally get this project in full swing.


(*Click on the images for larger view and more photos inside)