M is for Monsters vs. Military

Another box-ticker, and another intermediate set of 40-mil odd's, these being Monsters vs. Military from Blip Toys LLC, and while my Halloween posts can veer toward the fantasy or medieval, they can also veer toward the sci-fi, and that's rather the case with these!

How they arrived; they had been undercoated with an aerosol spray-paint which was the devil to get off, I don't know what it was, but suspect something like Crylon or even Rustoleum, it was a three-dip job in the end, over two days, and some finishing with a toothpick to get two sets clean!

We get a right old mix here, which from the left are: an Eagle-man, an Alien knock-off Xenomorph, a Shark-man, something equating to Dr. Frankenstein's [cartoon] Monster, a real alien-alien (sort of eye-head cyclopean) and a bog standard Zombie with the prerequisite own severed-limb being waved about! And it's only the three (Eagle, C19th Monster and Zombie) out of twelve sculpts which got them in/on the list today!

The 'Space-Marines' lean equally heavily on both the Alien and Halo franchises, I think, although the prone MG-gunner could pass for a current GI! As would both the kneeling and - otherwise unarmed - grenade throwing chaps; with a bit of paint, the other three have pretty obvious 'space' weapons.

My favorite is actually the shark-man, who would go really well with the similar 40mm shark-man figure from Papo's homage to the Pirates of the Caribbean. He's even in simple shorts and riggers boots, so would look quite at home on a pirate-ship's deck!

The Frankenstein's Monster pose is very cartoony, and with his arms raised in a threatening 'lurch', has covered the 'Hollywood' bolts in his neck, so they put one in his elbow, so we'd not fail to work out who he's supposed to be!

H is for Halo

I think I mentioned these in a Friday date's 'H is for...' and further added that we'd look at them separately, well, in the event I got four more and then another three, with only 12 in the line, I'm over half-way there . . . but they have now been fully 'cleared' so I think three-quarter's-Halo will be it! [Famous last words - Since writing this post another has come in and been seen in a Friday date's 'H is for...', so I only need one, I now have eleven (of twelve), and if I can find the commander, we'll return to them briefly as a group]

The first two purchased; a standard 'Space Marine' (from my limited knowledge of the game, mostly garnered from the sides of Mega-Bloks boxes!) [MS2 - Master Chief] and a feisty, blue, robo-babe [MS9 - Cortana] who may be enemy, but balanced what was originally intended to be a small sample . . . of two.

I think these are two 'good guys' above (yes, there are two Master Chiefs; if you game Halo I guess that'll make perfect sense!) and two bad-guys below, but I haven't the faintest idea really! I got four more, because as - you may have gathered from past posts - I really like these little Jada die-casts, and, as I know so little about Halo; I bag each separately with the little name tag they're standing on!

Three more, not sure of the allegiances of any of these, but the Hunchback-of-Halo-World [MS11 - Grunt Minor] has to be an evil-beevil? he's sports a purple fist . . . that's gotta' be bad! The chap in the middle [MS10 - Atriox] looks a bit Marvel'esque, while the guy on the far left [MS3 - Emile-239] looks like a space marine but could still be a baddie, or mercenary?

I think this got left-off any one of several previous posts on these, courtesy of Brian B who shelfied Harry in the US, we have seen the line in a report from the Toy Fair. With Marvel, DC, Disney, Harry and Halo; there's something for everyone with Jada's Nano Metalfigs!

I have not been paid for this message - I just love 'em!

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events; Saturday 29th June - Friday 5th July 2019

I'm pleased to say Putin is wrong, had he made his speech a few months ago, I would have agreed with him, but in fact Netanyahu, Erdogan, and the minor player's in Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria are on the slide, and while in Britain and American 'post-war Liberalism' is still in trouble, elsewhere they are starting to pull back from the divisive popularism driven by Moscow's twitfaceplant algorithms!

Even where the 'Right' (wrong!) did well in the recent Euro-elections, they have silently dropped calls for Frexit, Dexit, Italexit etc . . . and decided to work with the EU! Here, however we are about to let nought-point-nought-something of the population elect a blustering serial liar, resigner and runner-away as our next PM, while in the US they appear to be legalising gerrymandering, while kids drown! You can't make this shit up!

The two bodies in the Rio Grande are no different from the boy on a Mediterranean beach a few years ago, from the thousands who have drowned in the same sea, from the burnt cadavers in the charred ruins of Rwandan Churches, Tamil bungalows or Burmese huts; the beheaded of Iraq and Syria; the mass-graves outside Goražde; the kids barrel-bombed in Alepo, or those sunken-eyed skeletal children pressed against the wire in Belsen.

And behind the never-ending list of the pink-monkey's awfulness, are people like Mr Putin.

Seems to be a good week for railway fans . . . get out and buy yourself a toy - you deserve it, everybody deserves a toy, and remember old-toy buying is 'recycling'; very green!

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Toy Fairs

Saturday 29th June 2019

Ditton (Kent, not Thames-) - SRP Toyfairs

Ditton Community Centre, Kiln Barn Road, Ditton, Kent, ME20 6AH

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

New Date - New Venue

Nelson Treharris - Martyn Parry - Model Railway Exhibition

Llancaiach Fawr Manor, Nelson Treharris, Wales, CF46 6ER

eMail - m.parry387@btinternet.com

Tel. - 01443 837 646

Mob. - 07990 752 102

10:00-16:00hrs

Admission £3.00, under-16's free

Free parking, disabled access, refreshments

Exhibision layouts and trade stands

Oswestry - Chris Dyer Fairs

The Pavillion, Owestry Showgrownd, Park Hall, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4AS

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

London (Chalk Farm) - Guideline Publications - London Toy Soldier Show

Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm, London, NW3 2BQ

Web. - www.toysoldiershow.co.uk

eMail - kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk

Tel. - 01908 274 433

10:30 - 16:00hrs

Admission £6, early bird (from 09:30hrs) £10, late hares £4 - after 14:00hrs

Parking £5 (reasonable for London!)

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Sunday 30th June 2019

Catterick Garison - Jim Corr - Toy, Train & Sci-fi Fair

Catterick Garrison Leisure Centre, Gough Road, Catterick DL9 3EL

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission £3, child/seniors £2, early bird £5

Free Parking, café

Exhibition layouts

Colwyn Bay - Chris Dyer fairs

Colwyn Bay Lesuire Centre, Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, Conway, Wales, LL29 7SP

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

Eastleigh - Steven Clements Fairs

Barton Peveril Sixth Form Collage, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5ZA

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Newton Abbot - Ray Heard Train & Toy Fairs

Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon, TQ12 3AF

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01823 480 097

10:00 - 15:30hrs

Admission £2.00

Free parking, refreshments

Orpington - SRP Toyfairs

Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Spalding - J&J Fairs (J&J Webb)

Springfields Events & Conference Centre, Camelgate, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 6ET

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission - Adult £2.50p, seniors £2, 1st child £1.50p

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Wednesday 3rd July 2019

Hertford - Joe Lock Fairs (Evening Fair)

Richard Hale School, Hale Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8EN

Internet presence unknown

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Auctions

Tuesday 2nd July 2019

Tunbridge Wells - C&T Auctioneers

The York Suite, The Spa Hotel, Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8XJ (Venue)

Unit 4, High House Business Park, Kenardington, Near Ashford, Kent, TN26 2LF (Auction House)

Web. - www.candtauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk

Valuations - jamesopie@yahoo.co.uk

Tel. - 44 1233 510 050 (from abroad)

Tel. - 01233 510 050 (within the UK)

Viewing from 08:30hrs, sale starts 10:00hrs

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Other Events

From Now until Monday 9th September 2019

Cardiff - Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

St. David's Shopping Centre, 7 Bridge Street, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 2EF

Web. - https://www.avengersstation.co.uk/home/cardiff

Interactive superhero 'event' running through the holidays

Previously announced here as London (Victoria Dock), that ended in May I think?

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

From Now until Friday 30th August 2019

Various Locations - Scotland - DC Thompson Media - Oor Wullie's Big Bucket Challenge

A variation of the Nutcracker/Giant Animal trails held locally and reported here at Small Scale World passim, there is a statue trail through Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, featuring the old comic-book character

Web. - www.oorwullie.com

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Saturday 29th June 2019

Plymouth - City Council/Babcock Engineering - Armed Forces Day

The Hoe, Plymouth, Devon

Web. - plymoutharmedforcesday.co.uk

Live music (military bands and the Military Wives Choir), military and flying displays

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th June 2019

Perth - Perth & District Model Railway Group (PMRC) - Celebration of Model Railways

Dewars Centre, Glover Street, Perth, Scotland, PH2 0TH

Web. - http://smet.org.uk/show-pmrc (club page)

Web. - https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/142112-perth-model-railway-exhibition-29-and-30-jun-2019/ (hobby page)

10:00-17:30hrs (Saturday June 29th)

10:00-17:00hrs (Sunday June 30th)

Admission £9.00 adults, £4.00 chirldren.'family ticket' (2 adults + 2 children) £20.00

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Overseas Events

Sunday 30th June 2019

Gujan-Mestras (France) - L'association Starlux Generation Beffara - Une Bourse aux Figurines, Miniatures et Trains (A market for figures, miniatures and model trains)

Maison des Arts, Rue Edmond Daubric (face à la gare - facing the station), 33470 Gujan-Mestres, Gironde, France

Web. - http://www.tvba.fr/agenda/bourse-aux-figurines-miniatures-trains-2/ (third party site)

eMail - starlux.association@gmail.com

09:00 - 18:00hrs

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th June 2019

Deshler (USA) - Spring Creek Model Trains - Train Show & Open House

Spring Creek Model Trains, 304 East Bryson Avenue, Deshler, NE 68340, Nebraska, USA

Web. - https://www.springcreekmodeltrains.com/train-show/

eMail - customerservice@springcreekmodeltrains.com

Tel. - 4023 657 628

Times and admission details unknown

Stuttgart (Germany) - Eventbrite/Panini - Comic Con. Germany - 'CCON'

Messe Stuttgart, Messepiazza 1, 70629 Stuttgart, Germany

Web. - https://www.eventbrite.de/e/ccon-comic-con-germany-stuttgart-2019-tickets-50587266877?aff=ebdssbcitybrowse

The Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/comiccon.germany/

09:00-18:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

News

More on Hornby

Several cutting have thrown a little more light on what's been going on at the home of Airfix/Corgi/Scalextric recently with Lyndon Davis of Hornby claiming the previous senior management didn't understand the business and that the company had been in chaos. Blaming the previous management for what was known throughout the toy industry to be supply-chain problems from a Chinese supplier (who's no longer in the frame), seems a bit harsh though?

Safety

The British Toy & Hobbycraft Association (BTHA) have blind purchased 200 toys from eBay, Amazon and AliExpress (retail arm/platform of Ali Baba) and found 22% of them to have failed UK (currently still also EU-) safety standards. Now obviously there's bias involved as they actually represent UK retailers/manufacturers rather than the consumers they are trying to scare with subsequent tales of 'risk of death and serious injury', however the most worrying thing they found was a superhero dressing-up costume with illegal levels of lead? Something to think about when looking for generic bargains on off-shore platforms!

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Toys in the Media

Three today;

More Preiser/Noch types; when they're not being used by artists (check this post out at Jan's) they are being used by advertisers! And there's a second (non-toy) recurring trope in there with the piles of small-denomination coinage, it's only piggy-banks missing for a full-house . . . and I think there are some in the queue!

This would appear to be the old, slightly cartoonish 'toob' figures from Safari? Helping to sell a drug-trial and because it's for Charity and may even appeal to some of you (not us fifty-something youngsters!); I've not obliterated the copy. I have the catapult somewhere and a couple of the knights . . . somewhere else!

Yeah! It's a Teddy Bear; apparently if you smoke over them they can get kapok-cancer or something . . . plush-pulmonary disease, even-glassier-eye? In the case of the above chap/chap'ess - it seems to be a chronic case of fatalistic-frown syndrome? Fee Fi Fo Fum; I smell the blood of Photoshop!

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

H is for How They Come In

I think this is 11 of 12, but I'm not sure, and the post I thought I'd done on them is still in the queue, bar another, previous 'H is for . . . '-post, so I'll have to re-shoot it and do a better job at some point . . . but; still appearing in The Works are Jada's die-cast Nano Metalfigs 'Halo' clearance, and I picked up another this week, they also have HP, HP II and Amazing Beasts, or whatever HP VIII is called?!

This was interesting; Charity shop in Farnborough had five bags of 'gift aid'ed figures, three were the usual pile of Airfix Para's, Commandos and US Infantry (which I left), but two bags were Germans, mostly Airfix (DAK and Infantry), but a few vintage and what were 'modern' about 15/20-years ago, so I grabbed them for the gap-fillers,

Weirdly there are no less than five officers in the lot, yet no Airfix 'Rommel's' and while there were plenty of the Revell prone shooters (and the running guy) along with the officer, all the poses not seen on the right were missing, so I'm guessing these bags contain the unwanted's from an army-building exercise?

There were also a bunch of Deetail in a glass cabinet, individually priced, but I only took the two 1990's re-issue examples as I have the 'inherited' lot of the originals Also a bit strange, the two charity shops in Farnborough are next door to each other, and the other shop also had Deetail Germans in a glass cabinet, but they weren’t 'gift aid' and were scruffier, so it appears that they are having charity-shop wars, down the line there!

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦

Links

The rules of 'being a toy' explained!

While the Philstar Global's trying to kill them off!

More Prieser, but this was all her own 'unique' idea, she has no knowledge of the fifteen artists who came before and are already on the wibbly wobbly way!

♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ♦