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Action Figures: My Top Five Wishlist
We’re heading into the holidays, and you know what that means: It’s action figure wishlist time!
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Let’s face it: we’re basically adult children. We still hate getting clothes at the holidays, but are totally okay with getting heavily-articulated pieces of plastic crack! Of course, we call them action figures because most people don’t wanna give illegal narcotics for Christmas.
But I’m not talking about what I’m hoping to get from friends and family at the holidays. I’ve resigned myself to having clothes, candy, and a whole lotta stuff I’ll end up wanting to get rid of, but feeling bad about doing so, under the tree. No sirs and sirettes, I’m talking about what I want from our toy overlords themselves! I’m talking about Hasbro, McFarlane Toys, Jazwares, Mezco, Mattel, Neca, Mafex, and all the rest.
And now, without further goofy and way off-topic meandering, I present to you the the top five figures I want our toy overlords to make! Because I have money. And I wanna spend it.
A readily-available GI Joe Classified Target Exclusive Cobra Trooper action figure (Hasbro)
Hasbro, I love you. Your action figure lines helped raise me into the troublesome adult you see today, but you’ve gotta make the good stuff easier to get. The Target Exclusive Cobra Trooper is a thing of beauty, but I never had a chance. The regular line release looks fine, but you nailed it outta the gate, and the new one feels second rate.
Check out the GI Joe Classified Photo Gallery
Jim Lee action figure version of Wonder Woman (Mafex)
Not gonna lie: I love Mafex. All I have is the Hush Batman, and I want more. I want all of DC done in the same style, but this is a list of only five – plus Mafex figures are pretty pricy – so I figured (heh heh) I’d just choose one. And that one is everyone’s favorite princess of Themyscira, Wonder Woman! They did a killer job, looks-wise, on the DCEU version, and I can’t wait to see what they’d do with a comics one.
Check out the DC Action Figures Photo Gallery
A Star Wars Black Series Ahsoka Tano action figure from The Mandalorian (Hasbro)
As I’m typing this, the second season of The Mandalorian has just started, and already I know I want this action figure. Let me rephrase that: I need this figure. I got hosed out of my Walmart preorder (and live in an area that’s void of Walmarts), and there’s something not quite there for me with the Rebels version. So let me reiterate: I NEED this figure.
Check out the Star Wars Black Series Photo Gallery
A redone Star Wars Black Series Han Solo action figure from A New Hope (Hasbro)
There’s no doubt The Black Series has done and redone figures ad nauseam. On one hand, it can drive completists crazy. On the other hand, those of us who aren’t completists simply want one absolutely perfect version of our favorite characters in the looks they had in our favorite movies. I ask you, fellow toy collectors, is that so wrong? And hey, it looks like Hasbro finally nailed Harrison Ford’s look, so they should probably just go ahead and remake all the subpar Han Solos out there. What?
Marvel Legends Outback Era Psylocke (Hasbro)
We’re getting HoX / PoX / DoX versions of some of our favorite mutants coming next year, and I’m overjoyed! I loved Hickman’s take on the X-Men, at least until I could no longer keep up with all the books. But we still need to finish out the Outback Era. We need Outback versions of Colossus, Rogue, Longshot, Havok, and Psylocke (and maybe a Gateway or Bonebreaker BAF). Rogue, Longshot, and Havok should be easy repaints, and Colossus just needs a new torso, but Betsy needs a new mold from head to toe. And my friends, that would be rad! Because ‘80s.
Check out the Marvel Legends Photo Gallery
Thoughts? Comments? Hilarious Jokes?
So there’s my admittedly Hasbro-heavy list of the top five figures I wanna see. But I’m sure it doesn’t match yours. So hey, let me know who you want to see in the comments.
Have fun, and happy snapping!
-Photo Dave
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Mafex Batman: Hush – My First Mafex
When it comes to all-time favorite heroes, it’s safe to say Batman ranks in a whole lotta top five lists. He’s just that gosh-darned awesome. If he doesn’t make your top five, you at least know who he is. And so does your Grandma, which means the Bat has some serious staying power! Oh, and I’m pretty sure the Mafex Batman will also make your top five.
Fun fact: I have a friend who, in college, used to get drunk and disappear into the night. Obviously, his nickname was Batman. Though he wasn’t quite as good at a roundhouse.
My Batman Action Figure History
Yours truly’s first nerd franchise was Star Wars. My first toy love was Transformers. The first time I decided I was going to complete a toy collection was with Batman: The Dark Knight Collection. Man, what a ridiculous collection that was. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Super Powers Batman mold (and even recognized it as such back then), and dug the black color scheme of the movie, as well as the blue and gray Batman like the comics one I grew up with, but there was a whole lotta ridiculousness in that line. Gold Batmans, purple Batmans, camo Batmans; some overkill definitely existed, and as far as I knew, there wasn’t any comic correlation to any of them.
I loved that collection, but it made me detest useless repaints.
The years went on and DC Direct showed up, Total Justice came and went, then Mattel popped in with their comprehensive DC Superheroes line. None of those scratched that Batman (or any other DC action figure) itch. I’d become a six-inch figure collector and continued to hope Mattel would right the ship, but they never pulled it off to my satisfaction.
Last year, McFarlane Toys (who are making very cool DC figures, by the way) got the DC license. Oh man, with the success of their Fortnite figures, I was chomping at the bit to finally get some decent six-inch DC figures! That hope was dashed when it was announced his figures would be seven inch. Would I ever get a Batman, or any other great 1/12-scale figure for my collection?
Hush Batman, by Mafex, was announced last year. And I was in plastic love.
Note to self: Don’t make “Plastic Love” the title of your fake upcoming album.
Mafex Batman Hush May Just Be THE Batman for My Collection
After years of waiting for the perfect Batman, MY Batman, it looks like he’s finally arrived. He was far too expensive, but after decades of waiting and wishing for a great 1/12-scale Batman, I had to jump on this one.
Bats can go toe to toe with your Marvel Legends, which was a huge selling point for me. He’s also ridiculously articulated (even more than your Legends), and can get into a killer punching pose. And those accessories, man, those accessories. The Mafex Batman Hush figure comes with three heads (including one Bruce Wayne head), four batarangs, one grapnel gun attachment, and a veritable guano ton of hands! So yeah, this Batman’s definitely expensive, but considering import fees, the articulation, all those accessories, and his status as the perfect Batman – at least for yours truly – he’s hugely worth it.
Mafex Batman Hush: Bam! Pow! Zowee! Final Thoughts!
Let’s face it: ya gotta be a little nuts to spend $100 on an action figure. But if you’re like me, and have been waiting for the perfect Batman to pit against your Marvel Legends figures, or even to lead your old DC Superheroes / DC Multiverse figures into battle, then this is the Batman you’ve been waiting for.
I got my Mafex Batman Hush action figure from Big Bad Toy Store, at this link. And I think you probably should, too, because if the past few decades are any indication, he’ll be the best 1/12-scale Batman figure for a long time to come.
Unless you like him in black instead of blue.
Have fun, and happy snapping!
Photo Dave
GI Joe: Classified – Toy Photography Thoughts
G.I. Joe is the codename for America’s daring, highly-trained special mission force…
Okay, maybe it isn’t now, but it was then. And yes, I remembered that without having to look it up. Because I’m sick in the head. And because YouTube.
GI Joe Classified: The Elephant in the Room
I’m a big fan of focusing on the positive, but I’d think of myself as a naive ignoramus if I didn’t bring up Classified’s launch.
GI Joe: Classified’s launch has been a mess. For example, I still don’t have any Target exclusive Cobra Troopers. And really, mine’s the only example that matters (heh heh). Truly, the main mess has been the miscommunication between Hasbro and Target about the Cobra Island exclusives. And it doesn’t help that the GI Joe social media pages aren’t addressing the Target exclusives. At all. But, I truly believe there’s hope!
Other lines, such as Marvel Legends, are making past exclusives more available through fan channels. For instance (as of this writing), you can get the Stepford Cuckoos, a former Walgreens exclusive, at Dorkside Toys.
So hey, here’s hoping Hasbro’s able to go that route with the Cobra Island exclusives and everyone gets their Roadblocks, Baronesses, Beach Heads, and insane Cobra Trooper armies they’ve been clamoring for.
And now on to cheerier stuff!
GI Joe: Classified – Character Updates
When rumors were flying about a new 6” GI Joe line, I had one criterion: I wanted to be able to recognize the characters from my childhood. They didn’t need to be faithful recreations because, as a designer, I’d be bored as hell if someone told me to simply upscale a nearly-40-year-old toy. Plus, GI Joe’s look has always evolved, even within the A Real American Hero line itself.
That said, I’ll buy the crap out of any ARAH looks they wanna throw our way.
But I digest. For my money, and using my own criterion, Hasbro nailed it! When I saw Snake Eyes, I knew it was Snake Eyes. When I saw Duke, I knew it was Duke. When I saw Destro…well, you get the idea.
As of this writing, every figure that’s been announced has looked like the character it represents, and I couldn’t be happier.
Unless maybe they came with live monkeys. But that’s a topic for another day.
GI Joe: Classified – Toy Photography
Now this is the fun part!
With all due respect to the teams that work on the Marvel Legends and Star Wars: The Black Series lines, GI Joe: Classified has become my favorite line to shoot. And I love Legends and Black Series, so this isn’t to besmirch those lines, but rather to express just how excellent I think Classified is.
I don’t think I’m typing this because the line’s new or because of nostalgia, but rather because the figures just move so darn well. Thanks to the ball-jointed waists, the drop-down hips, and the insanely-engineered necks, I can hit poses with every figure that I can’t hit with most of the other two lines’ figures. Plus, a lot of dio makers create realistic-looking sets, and all the current Classified figures fit perfectly in those.
The only part that’s tough, when it comes to photography, is the inconsistency with paint. I’d like to see all the weapons get the same love Duke’s weapons got, so there’s more of a consistent look when you put multiple characters in the same shot.
Other than that, when it comes to photos, this line blows me away.
YO JOE!!!
So hey, if you were wondering what I think of GI Joe: Classified, now you know. And knowing is half the battle!
C’mon, you know that had to be done.
Have fun, and happy snapping!
-Photo Dave
Toy Collecting: What Are Your Rules?
I always dig the answers to this question because the rationales used can be so different, and so similar at the same time. I’m a obviously a toy / photo nerd, and I need rules to keep me in check. And the reason I need rules: cash. The moneez. The benjamins. The greenbacks. The bread. Pretty sure you get the idea.
So, without further ado and in no real order, here are my rules for collecting these articulated pieces of plastic crack.
Note: Toypixx is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
1. I Collect 1/12 Scale
Sticking to one scale can be a huge pain, especially when companies like McFarlane Toys and NECA are making such incredible-looking figures for their DC Multiverse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lines! But alas, with a wallet on life support and a place that’s not made to be a toy museum, it’s a necessary evil.
That doesn’t mean I won’t fudge in a figure to fit in with my other lines here and there. That’s right, I’m looking at you, Hellbat!
2. I Collect Figures from the Type of Media They First Appeared In
This means that, if it’s a character that first appeared in comic books, I only get comic book versions of that character. So as nice as the new Hugh Jackman Marvel Legends Wolverine figures are, I’m only going to get Wolvies based on his looks from Marvel Comics. Now, there are exceptions to the rule, specifically with Star Wars: The Black Series, but I’ll talk about that in a bit.
This one’s more a space-saving rule than a money one. I mean, I dig a Christian Bale Batman, a Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man, and a Scarlett Johansson Black Widow as much as the next guy, but egad man! There’s only so much space! And I need to fill that space with other things. Like places to keep food. What are those places called again? Oh, that’s right: kitchens.
They’re called kitchens.
3. I Sell Figures I Don’t Want
We’ve all been there: a few years ago, we bought a killer version of our favorite character, and thought to ourselves, “There’s no way a better version than this will ever get made! Now, where did I put that donut? This year, it’s happening to a lot of us with the Marvel Legends Retro Spider-Man. Not the donut part.
That doesn’t mean my old Spideys are bad figures. They’re actually pretty great. To me, they’re just not as great as the latest one. So, I might put it on eBay with a bunch of other figures I don’t want and sell them as a lot. I could try selling it on its own, but we collectors are a savvy lot and know what’s coming up, so the amount I’d make wouldn’t be worth the time it would take to list him.
Then there’s the occasional double (that aren’t army builders) and the needing to make more space.
Again, kitchen. Because food.
4. I Only Get Imports if There’s Not a Decent Domestic Alternative
I have a Mafex Hush Batman on the way. And the reason’s simple: I’ve never been happy with the 1/12 scale options from U.S. companies. It’s gonna cost me a pretty penny to import, of course, but it’s Batman! What self-respecting toy collector / old-school comic book fan doesn’t have a Batman in his collection!?!
#ahem* Thus far, this guy.
When it comes to Marvel figures, Marvel Legends crushes it. Some of the imports may be objectively better, but Legends satisfies me just fine when it comes to my nerdy toy photography needs. Star Wars: The Black Series does for the most part, as well.
So really, I’m just getting the imports for my DC fix. And yeah, Superman’s up next! *insert Travolta emoji here*
5. Somtimes I “Need” to Make an Exception
In my second collecting rule, I brought up how I need to make an exception from time to time, specifically for Star Wars figures. Well, here’s why.
You see kids, waaayy back in the last century, the first Star Wars move (A New Hope) came out. It was a live-action flick, with characters you began to care about and videography tricks that, up until that time, had never been used. But I digress.
The point is it was a live-action movie, so according to my second rule, I should only collect figures from live-action movies. But Clone Wars is a thing, with some of the most well-developed characters in franchise history. Rebels is a thing, and a decent continuation of Clone Wars. And The Mandalorian’s a thing, with a certain Child whom everyone seems to dig. Myself included. Clone Wars and Rebels are animated and The Mandalorian can be found streaming on Disney+. In theory, my rules should make it so I “can’t” get any of these figures. But man, the animated figures look as life-like as the real-life ones, and The Mandalorian’s The Mandalorian. They must be mine.
Also, I needed Worthy Cap.
All that to say, yeah, there are some exceptions to the rule. And now I need to ice my fingers.
In Conclusion
You know you’re a bit messed up when you need rules for something that’s a lotta fun! It’s kinda like exercise. I actually dig exercise, but too much, and my body’ll break down until I can’t click “Place Order.” But the rules exist to keep the kitchen from being overrun and the wallet from welcoming a slow, painful death from me clicking “Place Order” too much.
How about you? What are your collecting rules? Let the internet know by leaving a comment.
And until next time, have fun, and happy snapping!
-Photo Dave
5 Toypixx Essentials for Toy Photography
So ya dig toy photography? You like setting up articulated pieces of plastic and making them look like they’re alive. You enjoy doing insane things like pitting Captain America against Peter Venkman. P.S. I’m sure they’d become friends, though Cap may try to walk away before Venkman starts singing.
Anywho, if you’re that kinda person, you’re definitely in the right place. Because this is the place I’m going to chat about the essential items I use whenever I bust out a camera to do my own nutty crossover. Or a more normal-ish shot…ya know, as normal as taking pics of plastic crack can be.
Oh, and uhh, this list assumes you or someone you know has action figures or other toys. Because otherwise, why would you be here?
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
A Camera
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I have to think that comes as no surprise to anyone. Whether you use a new-fangled digital camera, your fancy new cell phone, or that old tablet your crazy Aunt carries around, you need something to capture your action figures in all their glorious…uhh…action.
A Tripod or Two (or Three)
Let’s face it: Tripods make photography a whole lot easier. Without one, it’s a lot tougher to get one of those nice, clean, crisp shots we all envy. As for why I say “or Two,” well, I have a regular-sized tripod, but you know those cool ground-level shots you see when you search #toyphotography on Insta? I can’t shoot those, because I need to add a smaller tripod to my figure photo supplies.
If you use a cell phone, you might want to try a cell phone stand, but I can’t vouch for their effectiveness. Because frankly, if I were to use a cell phone, I’d just stick it on a smaller tripod with putty, which brings me to the third thing I always have on-hand for toy photography.
Putty
If you want something good and cheap that’ll help you in a huge way, you need putty! Without a camera, you don’t get pictures. Without a tripod, you don’t get clear pictures. Without putty, you often can’t make your figures do what you want them to do to get COOL pictures! I’ve also used putty to help me set the camera on a weird angle when I can’t use my tripod for the shot I want.
Lights
Any photographer, amateur through professional, will tell you ya need lights. For a while now, I’ve used simple GE Reveal bulbs. They’re relatively cheap, easy to come by, and provide a decent light source. But I don’t use them so much anymore (more on that below). For my outdoor shots, I usually just use sunlight, so you’re set if you live in a sunny area and only take outdoor shots, you’re good to go.
A lot of people in toy photography use Lume Cube(s) for lighting. I’ve personally never used them, but they’re next on my “try to take really cool pics” purchase list.
I mentioned that I don’t use the Reveal bulbs much anymore. That’s because of apps (yay, technology)! I have an iPhone and an iPad, and grabbed lighting apps for each of those, which effectively turn them into light sources. For the iPhone I got screen-light, which creates a nice, clean, white light. For the iPod, I got an app called Best Night Light, which allows you to light your action figures with any color you’d like.
There are a whole lot of lighting options, and I’m sure a bunch I don’t know about. So, if you have something you wanna try, go for it. You might be surprised!
Background
The last thing you absolutely 100% need is a background. Backgrounds can be whatever you like. My only thought is you probably don’t want them to be whatever’s on the table behind your figures. I learned this the hard way, as I’ve shot the cat a few more times than I’d like to admit.
If you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with some poster board. When I started having fun with figure photos, I grabbed a bunch of different colors of the stuff, and I still use it from time to time. If you’re ready to take the next step, but don’t wanna destroy your wallet, Extreme-Sets makes cardboard dios that are a great option. I’ve had the Asylum Pop-Up Diorama for quite a while. And finally, if you’re ready to go nuts, you can find all kinds of diorama artists on Instagram, eBay, Etsy, pretty much all over the internet. I recently got my first artist-created dio on Etsy, from BeardedWolffe.
Conclusion
We could all go nuts getting things to add to our photos, and I’m working on ways to do just that. But if we’re talking about the things I find absolutely essential for action figure photography, this is a pretty comprehensive list.
Can you think of anything else you find absolutely necessary for your toy photography? Well hey, don’t be shy! Let us know about them in the comments.
As always, have fun, and happy snapping!
-Photo Dave
It’s Happy Toypixx Website Time!
There’s no sugarcoating it: I’m a nerd.
And if this were a 12-step program, now would be about the time where I’d say, “I’m Photo Dave, and I’m an action figure photo nerd. But it’s a not a 12-step program. It’s a website.
What can I say? I really enjoy shooting these things. Coming up with new angles and editing tricks, using practical effects and dios from some of the toy community’s amazing artists, and just letting my inner six-year-old out to play, is a good old-fashioned good time.
Note: Yes parents, there is a toy community, and I hope you check out all the cool stuff they can do so your kids have even more fun with their own toys!
Marvel and Star Wars and G.I. Joe, Oh My!
Let’s talk figures.
Note: Toypixx is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
As a punk kid, I was big into comics. The X-Men, Wolverine, and Batman were definite favorites, but I read a ton. And while I’m not the comics guy I used to be, they created a genuine appreciation for the characters that the MCU brought back in a big way. As for DC characters, don’t worry – I’ll be adding them to the collection soon enough.
Star Wars will always hold a special place in my nerdy heart because it was the first franchise I was really into. And with Hasbro’s photo real tech, the figures look more like the actors who played them than ever before.
As for G.I. Joe, the 3 3/4″ line from the ’80s is arguably the greatest toyline of all time, so why wouldn’t I be grabbing the new Classified figures? Now, if they just get to Flint sooner rather than later.
So Marvel Legends, Star Wars: the Black Series, and G.I. Joe: Classified make up the the bulk of what I’ll be shooting. Aaannd let’s be honest: a whole lot more kinds of figures will end up making it into the collection, and then the pics.
Toypixx, Ahoy!
There ya have it. That’s me. So what’s this website gonna evolve into? I have no idea, just yet. But I do know it’ll all be based on figures, photos, and fun.
With a somewhat warped sense of humor thrown in for flavor.
Have fun, and happy snapping!