Alen Yen's ToyboxDX

	11.26.00-- 12.1.00


RUMBLE INDEX

12.1.00: Karma Power Up!

Tis the season people! While making plans for the coming Christmas season, I was struck by the need to do something. A big something. A grand something. A kind and fantastic something that would take Toy Karma as we know it to new levels of wonder and touch a group of people most of us don't even bother to acknowledge.

Those people are the homeless children of Los Angeles. That grand something is Toy Karma 2000.

Internet born and raised, Toy Karma 2000 is designed for the toy collecting community. And here is why...

We spend hundreds of dollars on toys. We even pony up the extra cash for massive overseas shipping charges. We search high and low looking for that movie exclusive Godzilla, that Daitetsujin that transforms on its own, or that gleaming M-1 that glows in the dark. A fraction of that money and effort can bring real joy to someone. And that someone is a small child who lives in a homeless shelter.

There are 77 children on the list at the Cardinal Manning Homeless Shelter between the ages of 2 months to 15 years old. All of them depend on the kindness of others for their most basic needs. Play is usually left out of the picture.

For more information on how you can help Toy Karma 2000 bring much needed smiles to the 77 faces that will be in residence at the shelter this season, click here.

You have the ability to spread your joy to others. Do you remember your first contact with vinyl or die cast? They will.

Merry Christmas.

-- Felicia "Flea" Friesema

12.1.00: Excluzilla

It's amazing what ends up in your mailbox before 9 every morning. Straight from Japan, here are pictures of the new Godzilla and Megagiras theater exclusive figures. Special thanks go to Tadayuki Osumi for supplying these!

-- Roger

12.1.00: Gall-Darnit!

Matt: Here's the scoop on Bandai's soon-to-be-released Walker Machine in Action Galliar. It'll come with a missile launcher, 30mm rifle, Bazooka, the wacky "Boomerang Idiom" weapon... wait a minute... this isn't a Jumbo Machinder. Why am I wasting time writing about this? Cripes. Anyway, it also seperates into the "Galli Hover" and "Galli Wheel" vehicles.

Darren: Oh my god! It Gattais! A combining "in Action" figure! The shock! The wonder! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Squeeeaaaal!!!

-- Matt & Darren

12.1.00: Get your FIX!

As could be expected from a toy series created by the undisputed master of "real robot" art, Katoki Hajime, Bandai's new Gundam Fix series is a total masterpiece of robot design. Standing tall at five inches (1:144 scale) in height, the PVC toys are fully posable and feature a stunningly realistic set of removable hard-plastic armor. No word yet as to the build-quality on these bad boys yet, of course, 'cause they're not slated for release until next year -- end of January 2001 for Full-Armor Gundam, and end of March for Mr. Perfect.

Undoubtedly created in the wake of the smashing success of the MSIA series, the Gundam Fix toys seem to be targeting the same "realism"-crazed older demographic. The first two designs are from the old-school otaku-fave Mobile Suit Variation series, which was an early-80's run of plastic kits based on alternative Mobile Suit designs. (Let's hope this means we'll see figures of Psycho-Zaku or GM Sniper next....)

-- Matt

11.30.00: Meet Mark II

Japanese toy enthusiast D.Kei shines again with pictures of the BEAUTIFUL MSiA Gundam Mark II. Toymaker Bandai continues to deliver the goods with the Mobile Suit in Action line, offering great, poseable figures at a tiny price on a frequent schedule.

Could the MSiA line be the killer product of the year 2000? Is it strong enough to win the ToyboxDX Toy of the Year award? Or, will MSiA's running mate Afro Dog say something embarrasing and scuttle the campaign? You decide. We count. (But only once.)

-- Darren

11.30.00: Schedule Updates

Unifive's Cho Shin Gokin Zubakka will be cruising our way January 26 with a handful of gimmicks including an extendable jet engine, rotating fan blades and retractable wing. The price is 5,800 yen.

The Cho Shin Gokin Time Gaikottsu is on track for late February, and will sell for 6,800 yen. The upper hatch of the vehicle may be removed for limited access to the cockpit, or the entire windshield visor may be removed for fun-in-the-sun convertible action.

Some Bandai pricing notes: upcoming MSiA Hyaku Shiki and Char's Gelgoog are priced at 1,200 yen each, MSiA Guntank and WMiA Walker Galliar at 1,500 yen each.

-- Darren

11.30.00: YF-21: Cleared For Landing

The YF-21 fully-transforming diecast toy is on schedule for a pre-christmas release, according to the folks at Yamato Toys. The release date hasn't been firmed up yet, but barring any serious mishaps, Pilot S. Claus will be bringing 'er in for a landing before the 25th.

-- Matt

11.30.00: Build up!

Yujin's SR SP Kotetsu Jeeg is now shipping. As reported here in the Rumble, the toy set features a 12cm-tall Jeeg, Panzeriod, and over 18 snap-on parts to insure your Jeeg is always well accessorized for battling evil monsters or clubbing. The set comes in either a Toei Production version or a Dynamic Production version, the latter featuring a more orange hue in the yellow parts. 4,980 yen.

In Bandai news, the 10th SIC series figure, Robot Detective K, is also shipping today for 3,500 yen.

-- Darren

11.27.00: Kadou Craziness!

The next entry in everyone's favorite Chogokin Kadou Senshi series is... drumroll please... ZETA GUNDAM!!! A fully transformable one to boot! Die-cast Waverider... ooooohhhh... We'll see it sometime in 2001. More details to come.

-- Yappy

11.27.00: Home of the Brave

The retro-craze shifts into overdrive. 70's gokin-fans, it's all over. 80's mecha-heads, pack your bags. The retro-90's are in full swing as Takara resurrects its secret cash cow-- the Yuusha/Brave series.

For those who missed them the first time (most of you), here's a quick recap: the Brave series were eight marginally connected (think sentai) Sunrise TV shows that aired after the end of the Japanese Transformers series. Each show featured numerous combining and transforming robots, which were ultimately rendered into plastic toy form by Takara. That's right, there are fifty-odd robots forgotten/ignored by today's collectors... but no longer!

Jump on the Brave bandwagon with the reissue of the first very Brave robot, King Exkaiser, released way back in that ancient era called "1990." King Exkaiser's the gattai of car/robot Exkaiser, and King Roader, a flatbed truck. If all goes well, expect a re-release of jet/robot Dragon Kaiser, which combines with King Exkaiser to form Great Exkaiser. Go Retro Go!

-- Yappy & Darren

11.27.00: I got the hook-up!

Well pics are filtering in of the World Character Convention exclusive Kubrick. Interesting that they went with a kind of laminate/convention pass vibe....

-- Joseph Ku-Buck

11.27.00: SixShop!

In their usual copy-cat-ness, the jerks over at Jumboland have put up an online store selling t-shirts and coffee mugs. Unfortunately the XXX-1 Vibrating Jumbo arm attachment has been indefinitely delayed. Check it out...

-- TBDX Rumble Crew

11.27.00: Cutting-edge Technology

Hoping to ape the success (at least in Japan) of their cross-over toy-model lines like B-Daman/Bomberman, Takara introduces BeiBlade, a line of transforming... um... buzzsaw-dragons. Zinrai (black), Raideen (purple), and Hayate (white) currently retail for Y780 apop. The trio should fit in nicely amongst some Micromen.

For more snap-tite toyeticity, check out the transforming, disc-shooting Battle Medarot Arc Beetle Dash from Takara's Medarot line. A strange mix of Pokemon and Gundam, Medarot features bug-like robots with interchangeable parts; unfortunately, it's barely made a dent in the Western fan market. Arc Beetle goes for Y980.

-- Yappy

11.26.00: Fearless Leader Speaks

Someone by the name of Alen Yen finally updates his Ramble. A few words about a little site called ToyboxDX.com and some banter about Nekosaur... Go ahead, why don't you give it a quick peek...

-- TBDX Rumble Crew

11.26.00: Funship!

Wing Club's just released a monster 1/24 Gunship desktop model from Hayao Miyazaki's epic manga/anime "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind." Model-kit-phobes, don't fret-- the Gunship's a completed wood, resin, aluminium, and acrylic beast with a "ridiculously detailed" canopy and moving flaps. With a whopping wingspan of 73.7cm, this is simply the most magnificient morsel of Miyazaki merchandising available. Put one on your office desk for only Y39000!

-- Yappy

11.26.00: Soul of Ningyou

Bandai finally enters the 12" action figure market with the start of its Bandai Character Toy division. BCT's first release will be a 12" Ultraman Tiga that's been touted as the ultimate Ultraman toy. Not only does it have an amazingly detailed vinyl costume, but it also has electronic light-up eyes and color timer. Old school Ultra-fans take note, BCT also plans to release the original Ultraman in 2001. Tiga will be available in December for Y12800.

Prefer human sized tokusatsu? BCT will release Kamen Rider Kuuga in January. Kuuga will also have light-up eyes and 'Belt-Arcle.' Unfortunately, Mighty Form, Pegasus Form, Dragon Form, and Titan Form will be sold seperately, which means Y51200 for an entire set.

Medicom? Medicom who?

-- Yappy

11.26.00: Fists of Kubrick

Medicom and Figure-Oh magazine will co-produce a special limited three-pack of Bruce Lee Kubricks. The final product will sport different weapons and costumes for each "mini-Little-Dragon". Release date and price are still up in the air.

-- Yappy

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