Alen Yen's ToyboxDX

October 1998

November 1998 | Ramble Index | September 1998

[AVI] 10/28/98: Cinema Popy!

Pilder-boy Roger Seto spent hours this week converting my Popy Commercials tape to AVIs. The end result? Check the Info Library! If you haven't seen these, you're in for a surprise. We'll have a few more by the end of the week and are working towards a complete set...

Man-o-words Roger Harkavy uploaded the biggest pile of .ZIP files I've seen in awhile. Check out his new article and checklist covering Machine Soldier Dorvack, also in the Info Library. As always, send in your contributions!

Eau Master Alt scoops:
"American company Diamond Comics has announced that they will be selling several pieces from Marmit's 20-inch soft vinyl Super Robot Collection directly to consumers and comic-shops in the USA. The first three to come out will be Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, and Grandizer -- all in the $100 range. Interestingly, these differ slightly from the originals in both paint job and in the design of the Pilder/Condor head-ships of the Mazingers, and will also be sold in Japan as "Foreign Release Versions." Isn't this a little early for a re-issue, guys?"

10/22/98: Shelf and Stuff

Morning at the Casa Yen, where I've just installed undershelf lighting on my current Fetish Display Solutions [aka "shelves".] The Zen of Dusting continues to astound me: lovingly gripping each slender metal figure while squeeking it clean with a soft cloth fills me with warmth and calm. At this moment, I could toss a 2B pencil into a straw target at 50 yards.

There's been a massive amount of activity on the BBS -- more than the current crappy system can visually handle. ToyboxDX Secret Investigator Professor Big Science is testing potential evolutions to the BBS section, and we hope to have something in place rather soon. In the meanwhile, I'll be doing some fairly regular nukes of older content to keep messages around the 300 count...

Meanwhile: this whole reissue fever is great, innit? Louis sent in some nice and juicy scans of the Kikaider chogokin bike reissue. It's like the early seventies all over again! Click on the thumbs to see stuff big...

10/20/98: Updates

New England collector Marc Spraragen shot down to the Garden State and fired back pics of the Chateau Agin. Mark writes:

"Steve Agin is a major collector and reseller who lives in the oddly named town of Delaware, NJ (though there are odder names to be found in the area). He doesn't personally sell over the net, but his number is listed on Budget Diecast. I can only describe his setup as an enormous stockpile of toys that somebody decided to build a house around... Also, he really does live one exit from Buttzville."

Meanwhile, I got a great letter and pic from collector Eric De Leon who checks in from the Philippines. Jump to the World Collector Gallery to see his new entry...

Also: Sean Bonner sent in some pictures of his super cool 20" Getta Robo vinyl toy some time ago. Check out the beautiful detail...

Finally, here's a banner and a good word for dealer Felix Liu at Fantasia. Click to jump to his site...

10/19/98: Eau de Alt

Cunning Linguist Matt Alt froths pithy prose! His perverse and demented nature is revealed in the new anti-rambling Eau de Alt! To commemorate the Minister of Informacion's new patch of web, the section launches with a translation of an interview from THE Chogokin with Go Nagai, and Matt's demented Eau De Spew Chogokin Appreciation 101...

Also: check Matt's Addendum to Roger's High-Complete Model List...

10/11/98: Read Yer Books

[Old Popy Ad]

Thanks to Marc, Vincent, and TomV for sending in updates to the Robot Literature Bookshelf in the info Library. New entries and ISBN's include [finally] the infamous little Saito Books and the recently BBS-hyped Mazinger Goods 849. Thanks to Matt as well for writing our first book review. If you've got more books or reviews, send them in and look for some new additions to the Library this week...

Roger Harkavy, weilder of the SOG [Sock of Gansta] sends in this "Nyquil-enhanced" ramble: Magnapocalypse Now
------------------ "Most folks know me as an 80's mecha kind of guy. That's the time I got into this hobby, those are the toys I favor. However, those from the 70's hero robot camp have warned me that I was going to drift into their waters soon enough."
"I think it's happened sooner than anyone expected."
'This past Saturday I did the monthly pilgrimage to Outer Limits. While hob-nobbing with Steve, he directed me to one of the glass cases holding the reissued Takara Jeeg. 'Ah, not my thing, but thanks.' I told him. I paid for my Hobby Japan, a Gundam Marker, and a comic and headed for home."
"Four days later I'm reading the Toybox Ramble about the new Jeeg, checking out the scans of the box, the toy, the missiles... something was happening to me. Something was burning this toy into my psyche. The image of the Jeeg hovered in front of my eyes as I went to sleep, and remained when I awoke the next morning."
"Twelve hours later I was deep in the throes of Jeeg Fever. Completely jonesing for the toy, I skipped lunch in the hopes of getting someone to hold it for me. But what if someone bought it? The panicked calls were made. By 2:00, success! By the Sock of Gangsta Chogokin, I was going to have this toy!'
"Skipping out of work early, I sped over to liberate the little 'bot from the glass case. Unwilling to wait until I got home, I hustled into the car to unpack it, the rain drumming an incessant tattoo against the roof."
"As I unpacked it, it hit me like a diamond. Like a diamond gut missile. The weight of the toy, the vivid colors, the extra hands! And the magnetic action is an excellent gimmick, just keep it away from your floppies. My only complaint: no styrofoam coffin! The clear cryo-tube packaging arrangement more than makes up for this, though."
"I believe I've found the 'pure love' that Alen was talking about a couple of weeks ago..." -- R.H.

[New Geeg] 10/7/98: New Geeg

My good friend Roger Seto has floored me with his generosity. This afternoon, he handed me a bag containing one of the most exciting items of the year: Takara's reissued Geeg.

The toy is inherently cool. The idea that Takara would reissue it in such a faithful way is even cooler. Check the Collection Narrative for a new entry with some huge scans. Then whip out your typewriter and write Takara...

Today was a double-helping: I also picked up my Black SOC Mazinger from Day-Old and am beyond pleased. The attention given to the new paint job elevates this toy well beyond the stature of just a "repaint." The cool matte finish is breathtaking -- like a sexy camera part, or covert weapon. The rich gold accents are...well; I'll save this for the entry I'll post tommorow...

Also: Matt checks in:

"Have you picked up the latest issue of Hobby Japan yet? This is a shot of the new "Super Imaginative Chogokin" series Kikaider Double-Zero. Apparently "super imaginative" means "lack of any play value" in Japanese, as this series, despite the chogokin name, is nothing more than static statuary. This is the final prototype; the production piece will be in full color, have many clear-plastic parts, and come with a base. As you can see, the figure features an admirable amount of detail, but it's a cryin' shame that it can't move at all. Release date is December '98, with an estimated retail price of about 3000 yen (a little over twenty bucks.) The initial wave will include the Kikaider 00 (shown), Kikaider 01, and Bijinder -- all depicted as they appear in the comic-book version of the Kikaider story. Assuming the line is successful, future releases include Hakaider, Inazuman, and Sky and Ground Zero..."

10/5/98: Chat Tonight!

Chih Wah Louis Law sent in some kick-ass catalogs and ads which I'll be uploading to the Info Library. He sez:

"the first one is from an VERY old ad on popy toys published in a children's magazine...these are from my friend james "jim" maruyama..."

Check out the Popy one [left above] for now. Then check your pulse. (If you feel nothing, you may have too many toys.)

Next: Matt Alt just got his XX-13 Drill Missle shooters and is glib and saucy from the hunt. I've added a Collection Narrative entry for him in the Gallery of Love. Here's an excerpt to whett your appetite:

"But let me say this: if I ever find the bitch-ass trick at Mattel who insisted on switching the right arms of most of the American releases with that wussy-boy three-missile-shooter, I'm going to make them..." [Click for more!]

Here's a self-plug: if you haven't seen the listings yet, check out my ebay auctions: I'm hocking my loose Godaikin Combattra and an excellent MIB Popy Sky Ace . [More cash for the ToyboxDX overhead!]

And finally, Cafe Chogokin chat tonight! Got Ramble? Good! send it. And check back tommorow for more good stuff...!

10/1/98: October Spanking Ramble!

[G4 BOx]

It's the day after the Day of Atonement and while I didn't fast, I did think long and hard about my transgressions over the last year. If there's an act that requires expiation, it's the dumb trade I did in which I sacrificed my Takatoku Valkyrie GBP Armour. I'm a fool, and having asked forgiveness from myself for such reckless and evil stupidity, I will try to dutifuly move on.

In the meanwhile, I've dropped some pics of my new trade acquisition, Jumbo Grip Gatchaman G4 in the Collection Narrative Gallery...!

On the webfront: Mechahead Roger Harkavy's new article on Votoms is live on CJT! Roger sent in this pic of the original issue 1/24 "Dual Model" Red Shoulder toy by Takara, rendered by artist Kunio Okawara (father of the Scopedog, Zaku, and Gun-EZ) and scanned, processed and remounted by Matt LaRusso.

Check out more of Roger's stuff on his SD VOTOMS page!

John Eaton of "Where the Wild Toys Are" writes:

"I've recently started a new e-mail list for collectors of Shogun Warriors and anime. I figure it would be a good place to advertise extras for sale/trade and to discuss "rarities" and the like. Anyone interested can join here..."

And no, you're not on crack: Matt's GA01 reissue entry has morphed, thanks to some last minute updated info. So read it again. You can't remember all this stuff anyway!

November 1998 | Ramble Index | September 1998