Weston Gunfighters

Hey All!! TSSD has some new pictures (scroll down just a bit) up of the Weston Gunfighter set. Shows em' in pretty good detail. Some really good poses, but I have a question on one of them. There is one that is holding something in his right hand... what is that? Is that a bottle? is it a pistol? I can't quite tell. If you know, post it in the comments. Looks like they will be selling for $20 bucks a bag, and two other sets are in the works to be released later this year. Rock on. I'm looking forward to the peasant set. When I first read that awhile back, I misread it as a "village pheasant" set. I was like, "Pheasants??!!" Well, I guess every village needs some crazy pheasants running around.

Highway 38 Yardsales

After lunch today, Stephanie and I are heading east to hit the annual Highway 38 Yardsales. Yardsales and garage sales always seem to be better luck for me than Antique malls. Always cheaper, more stuff, cooler knick-knacks, and fun to talk to the people. I'll let ya know if I find anything. Before we leave I have to mow the lawn. Man, I hate mowing the lawn. And this year, we fertilized it!!! I have to mow it like every four days now!!! GAHHHH!!!!

Zizzle Me Timbers

I couldn't resist anymore and I got myself some of the Zizzle Pirates of the Caribbean figures. Not only did I get the four pack, but I also got the Zizzlingers... or whatever they're called. They're the ones that come in the stuff that boils to reveal the figures. Blah, I just tore em out of the pack and made a big mess in the process. Powder stuff everywhere! Anyway, I snapped some pictures...

The above are the four you get in a pack, much like the Star Wars Unleashed Battle Packs that are available. I really like the Jack Sparrow pose, and the guy in the blue vest. The parrot guy is pretty good too. As far as useful in an actual setup, the little guy with the crazy gun is kind of worthless, and I can't tell what his base is supposed to be. But I'm sure kids would love them, and since that's who they are made for, I won't throw too many stones.

The next picture is a comparison of one of the above figures, one of the stellar Barzso pirates, and one of the better figures I got in the "boil em" set. The "boil em" sets are sold as mystery sets. You get 2-3 figures in each set, and the object is to collect all of them. I believe they are no longer being made, so if you're interested and you see them, better buy now. Anyway, here is the picture.

As you can see, the Zizzle Pirate on the left of the picture might be a little tall for 54mm, but not enough to really get all bent out of shape over. The Zizzle pirate on the right ("boil em" figure) is obviously a bit smaller, has no action, and has a crumby paint job. The paint job won't be an issue after I paint him a solid color to match the rest of my guys, and since he is a regal looking fellow, it's appropriate he isn't lunging or jumping, so in my opinion, this guy actually works. I've seen all the figures in the set, and there are some I would really like to get.

I was inspired to get me some of these zizzle figures after reading about them in the latest Plastic Warrior Magazine. Great read all the way through. Highly Suggested if you're into such things and can read.

Almost forgot what today was...

Bet you didn't know that right before the Battle of Hoth, Darth Vader pwned some Germans stationed on the other side of the planet....

I Feel An Order Coming On....

I'm just not sure what I want the most. There are so many cool things out right now, or coming soon. WHAT DO I GET? Definitley getting me some of the new TSSD figures. No question there. TSSD has gone above and beyond in their sculpting, pose selection, and quality. And that applies to ALL their sets.

But then I get sort of stuck. I really want to get the new Gunfighter set, but my collection suffers from a lack of Cowboys... so it would be like starting a whole new area of collecting. But being the first set of figures from a company, these are, from a collector's point of view, "Must-haves". Plus the church piece they have done with it looks awesome. If I don't get all the other pieces, I'll definitley get the church.

Italeri... A favorite of the hobby store. You walk into a model shop, you know you won't find Conte, CTS, AIP, ect., but you will almost always find Italeri. And that's a good thing for the Toy Soldier market. But the last few sets they have done, while cool, feel a tad expensive to me. $22 for the new German and Russian sets... ouch. And from reviews I've read elsewhere, these won't be the greatest sets. Sure, a few good poses, but for the most part, fairly static. Plus the plastic color is awful!

And then there are the new 21st Century and FoV sets. I'll probably break down and buy these at some point, assuming they don't disappear from Wal-mart and Target too quickly. I really like the new FoV set with the captured Germans. Fun fun. A good coat of green and gray paint, and they'll fit right in with my running battles in my room.

It's actually strange... there has been a LOT of new product coming out lately. It's a good time to be a collector.

Fox, you're breaking my heart

I discovered my new "favorite show", only to find out that it had already been cancelled... after 9 days. The show was so good, I'll still suggest seeing it, even if you already know that it ends without an ending, never to be picked back up. The show is called Drive, and it played on FOX. It's about cars. Fast cars, slow cars, and rockin' cars. It has Nathan Fillion from Firefly/Serenity in it, and I can't say enough good things about the 4 episodes that are available. You can watch them for free (and legal) here. The final two episodes filmed will air later this summer according the official FOX website.

Reisler of Denmark

Here are a few shots of the Reisler figures. You can tell they are old style figures, but I think several of the poses mix in perfectly with other brands, including the newer stuff. And it's always nice to have more medical poses.

Hollywood vs. History

I got an Osprey Publishing Newsletter today. In it was a link to a great article by Dr. Kaveh Farrokh about the movie 300 and how it differs from actual history. I'll be the first to admit, I liked the movie, and yes, I know it was way off base historically speaking, but it is nice to hear an academic talk about the faults. A lot of insight into the armies of Iran, their culture, and their point of view on the invasion of Greece. Very good good reading. It's a .pdf file so you'll need Adobe Reader.

Quick Barzso Link

I noticed that Ron Barzso has his new Hacienda Pieces up on his website. I can't stress enough how nice these are. Very Rockin' stuff.

BGLAH!!!

Ok, so, I know it's been awhile. BUT IT'S BEEN FOR GOOD REASON!!! you know, video games, tv, and rockin' out every saturday night. all good reasons. But here I am again, and I do have some things to talk about. First off, I saw that the new Italeri Germans and Russians are available from a few vendors (maybe all of them by now). I'm going to get me some... soon. Also, next time you're in wal-mart, or the like, look for the 54-60mm pirates. They are very much like the Star Wars Unleashed battlepacks. 4 plastic figures all painted up. Slap a coat of paint on them and hopefully they'll blend in with the rest of my pirates. And dude, new Forces of Valor sets. Not my favorite figures, but the new poses are unique, and they are sculpted a tad differently. Haven't seen em' up close and personal yet, so can't give many details.

I also, just the other day, had a friend send me some items including a set of the Reisler WWII figures. Not real familiar with their history, but neat little poses. My wife found the nurse pose and asked for it for her sewing room. My friend also sent me a Marx Navarone Mountain along with the box. Most of the pieces were all there, which is pretty cool. I've got plans for it...

So, assuming I can pull myself away from the video games and the tv (Thank goodness the Sopranos is only on once a week!!), I should be able to jump back into the toy soldiers. Rock on.