The Singapore MINT Museum Of Toys (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys)

Almost a year ago, I showed this picture from the Singapore MINT (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys) Museum of Toys. My wife and I stumbled quite accidentally on this signage that we also featured a mere month before that read: "Whoever has the most toys when he dies wins."

We had no idea that it was in the MINT museum so it was pure coincidence that we found it.

A year later, I realized that I never featured the museum. And that would be a shame considering that visiting a toy museum may not rank that high when visiting Singapore, but as toy collectors, it is important for us to know and recognize our heritage, our history, the toys that paved the way to what we have today.

So here's a glimpse of the Singapore MINT Museum and hopefully it'll help you drop by the next time you're in the Merlion city. Excuse the photos, no flash photography is allowed in the museum

Marvel Universe: Beast

Presenting the Beast from the Marvel Universe Toyline.

Mama McCoy's Bouncing Baby Boy has been many things in his most auspicious career since his creation in the 1960s: Student; X-Man; world renown doctor of Biochemistry ; one of the 10 most brilliant men in the comic lore (According to Businessweek); creator of the cure for the Legacy virus; X-Terminator; space-faring member of S.W.O.R.D; Defender, Secret Avenger, and the first X-Man to become a full fledged Avenger.

He is one of the most beloved comic book heroes ever to come to life in the pages of Marvel comics.

But what I, and a lot of other fans love the most about him is his constant struggle to actually control "The Beast" inside. More often than once he's been provoked into bloody act of carnage, falling prey to the bestial nature of his mutation. Yet he does bounce back - suppressing his animalistic rage beneath one of the most pacifistic, sunniest and brightest personalities in the Marvel Universe.

In other words, I love him because he never loses hope.

Toy News: Toy Kingdom Toy Warehouse Sale!

The first - and probably MOST important Toy Sale of the Christmas Season here in the Philippines happens on November 2 to 4 (MY BIRTHDAY!!!), 2012 in not ONE, but TWO Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall, as Toy Kingdom holds it's 6th annual Toy Kingdom Warehouse Sale!

If you're looking for up to 70% off on branded toys, gadgets and games, then the Toy Kingdom Toy Warehouse sale is the place to be. SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!. For more information, do remember to like Toy Kingdom's Facebook page, follow their Twitter feed or call 638-TOYK (638-8695). 

AZ Powergirl Cosplay

Presenting AZ Powergirl. If Powergirl were to jump out of the comic books and become a real person, THIS is what she would look like! Operating out of Phoenix, Arizona, AZ Powergirl is really Cara Nicole,  a tough pretty blonde who is really.... gifted.

Her website azpowergirl.com, has this to say about her: "Born in Colorado, Cara Nicole developed a love for comic books, a passion for acting and talent for singing very early on. In her pursuit of her acting career she discovered the world of cosplaying in which she had instant recognition and she has become very involved in the comic book and pop culture community as an spokesperson, booth babe and prominent figure in local Cosplay and art circles. She has been involved in independent films and has a lead part in the detective’s lover slated to premier in 2012. Cara is also intellectual, humorous and a pleasure to be around despite being a TOTAL.DIVA."

Transformers Generations Springer - Asian Exclusive

Presenting the Transformers Generations Asian Exclusive Springer.

For those of you who regularly follow this blog (Really? there are people who regularly follow this blog?), you've probably noticed the drop in recent posts. That's because I've uprooted my family and moved her 20 kilometers closer to where I work where I will no longer have an excuse not to exercise because now I have to walk to and from work instead of spending four hours stuck in traffic.

So you're probably gonna notice some changes with my photos.

Anyway, this is the redeco of the Transformers Hunt for the Decepticons Tomahawk re-colored, issued a new head, given a sword and renamed as the Transformers Generations  Asian Exclusive Springer.

Transformers Gangnam Style

This was inevitable! See? Decepticons and Autobots CAN get along :D

Transformers Prime Ultra Magnus

Presenting the Mighty Ultra Magnus from the Transformers Prime toyline also known as the Powerizers Ultra Magnus.

Ultra Magnus has yet to make his appearance in the Transformers Prime cartoon, but rumor has it that he will be the Hammer Swinging Leader of the notorious Wreckers - a group of Autobots that take things to the extreme i.e. they take the battle to the Decepticons versus Optimus Prime's less aggressive "Circle the Wagons" philosophy.

The Wreckers also believe that the only good Decepticons are the dead ones.

Members of this notorious band of cannon fodder include such well loved Autobots like Bulkhead and Wheeljack.

But seriously, who wouldn't want to follow a hammer wielding giant?

Chris Weyer - I hate Jar Jar Binks

I hate Jar Jar Binks. I'm one of those people who wishes he could go back in time, hack George Lucas' brain and erase the very concept of a comic relief Gungan.

I mean seriously The Gungans sent THIS to the Galactic Senate? This is the cause of the Galactic Civil War?

I rue the day that he got into Qui-Gon Jinn's way.

So I was quite happy when I came across the works of Chris WEYER, and his Facebook page Chris WEYER courts-métrages.

Star Wars Vintage Ahsoka Tano

Presenting the Star Wars Clone Wars Vintage Edition Ahsoka Tano.

This is the first non-animated version released by Hasbro of the Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano AKA "Snips" (As she was less than affectionately named by her Master, the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker because of her fiery, upstart personality).

This version of Ahsoka actually appears older than the juvenile Padawan presented in the Clone War Series (You'll see the comparison later in this review) which I think is more befitting for not just her role as the overtly aggressive, rebellious and oftentimes disrespectful Padawan; but also for her being one of the few Jedi to have stood toe-to-toe with both General Grievous and Asajj Ventress. It just simply did not make sense that a newbie pre-pubescent not as strong in the Force as the bright boy Anakin, to hold her own against enemies that have slain Masters. It made more sense if she were a teenager which she is in this incarnation.

Transformers Prime Sergeant Kup Erratum

This is an erratum for Transformers Prime Sergeant Kup involving Kup's massive groin area that we complained about and made you all look at in the main review.

The erratum stems from my statement that "his huge groin area (the "wings" on his groin) - it almost looks like his junk is sooo big he has to walk permanently with his legs open."

Happily "Sprocketman" on Tumblr - check out Bumblr on Tumblr - pointed out that I missed a step in transforming him and had failed to lower Sergeant Kup's legs properly.

Now because the spanking new Philippine Cyberlaw we're protesting, I can actually go to jail for making the main review and stating something that apparently is false. So if I ever go off-line. You know why I was arrested.

Transformers Prime: Sergeant Kup

Presenting Sergeant Kup from the Transformers Prime toyline.

I'm not really sure why I picked him up. I'm not a big fan of redecos (He's technically Iron Hide, his ugly mug even looks like an Iron Hide.) Though to be fair, he's technically not a direct redeco. The Prime Sergeant Kup is based upon the Cyberverse Iron Hide (A red/orange and black F150) which is smaller than Sergeant Kup - Though there is an Iron Hide that includes an Arm Micro Transformer named Iro that should hit the market soon which is an exact redeco of Sergeant Kup.

I must have been bored.

Especially since Sergeant Kup has yet to appear in the Transformers Prime series - but who knows?

A tribute to Action Figure Articulation: Gangnam Style

Oppa Beachhead Style!!! 

There's a dance craze that's sweeping the world called Gangnam Style - a rather ridiculous looking dance involving horses developed by a South Korean named Psy. Psy explains that Gangnam style is his way of poking fun at a rich portion of South Korean called Gangnam. Somewhere in his explanation there's something about meeting the girl of his dreams, etc....

Bottom line, ridiculous as it may seem, it's infectious and it's hard not to get caught up in it.

Anyway, because there's a new law in the Philippines that prevents me from reviewing anything lest I be accused of libel and spend 25 years in jail, I thought that I'd pay tribute to Psy and his Gangnam Style as well as to how far action figure articulation has come over the years.

Justice League of America Batman

Presenting the DC Justice League of America Batman. This is the Pre-52 Batman as conceptualized by Brad Meltzer as he appeared prior to his "death" during the last Final Crisis (Flaspoint does not count as a crisis). Ironically, this particular incarnation of the Justice League of America (AKA Justice League of America Volume 2 ) was formed a year after the DC Infinite Crisis.

Justice League of America Volume 2 kicked off with the DC trinity (Superman, Wonderman and Batman) selecting a new team of heroes - including deciding whether or not they themselves should be on it, and the final roster consisted of the Trinity, Hal Jordan, Black Canary, Red Arrow, Black Lightning, and because they showed up when the team was being formed, Vixen and the Red Tornado.

The team disbanded following the Final Crisis and they were replaced by a next-gen heroes that included Batman (Grayson), Donna Troy, Mol-El, The Atom, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Doctor Light, Starfigre, Congorilla, the Guardian - and later Jade and Jessie Quick.

Unfortunately I would not say that this is my favorite Batman. I'll discus why later. My actual favorite is  the Batman from Hush.