Behind the scenes at Supanova Pop Culture Expo

I was lucky enough recently to get some behind-the-scenes access to the exhibitors section at the Supanova Pop Culture Expo here in Adelaide, South Australia.

All the exhibitors were still setting up their displays, but I managed to grab a few that were OK with me taking some photos and videos of their stalls.

Check out the videos below! :)

Here's a look at the Popcultcha Supastore display - looks pretty amazing even when nowhere near complete!

And here's the setup from local Adelaide retailer J2OZtoys. Great stuff out of Japan!

Here's a taste of the photos I took as well.

For all the photos from the Preview Night, check out the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page behind the scenes album at the link :)

Supanova is heading to Brisbane after Adelaide, so definitely check it out if you're there! You won't regret it :)

Kotobukiya Horror Bishoujo Nightmare on Elm St Freddy Krueger

Kotobukiya continue to push the boundaries with their statues, and diversify their characters into material they haven't traditionally dealt with. When I first saw the teaser artwork for their versions of the classic horror movies in Nightmare on Elm St and Friday the 13th, I knew I had to have them!

And the final result is even better than I expected! They have released an incredibly gorgeous statue that has little details that elevate it above most in this price range.

For my full video review, check out the video link below at the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on this gorgeous killer of a statue ;) Read on below for more of my thoughts and photos.

As soon as you take this out of the box, you're immediately amazed at all the little details, from the sculpting to the paint app to the use of different materials!

First up, the base is different to other Bishoujos in that this time Kotobukiya have opted for a magnetic base. This is similar to the technique they use with their ArtFX+ statues, but usually they use pegs for Bishoujos. This time the base is a nice pool of blood with a metal strip underneath, which allows the magnets in the feet to hold to the base quite firmly.

The face sculpt and skin tone is perfect, and fits in with the rest of the Bishoujo look of these statues. I particularly love the paint used for the eyes and lips that give her a really sexy look. The hair is made from a transluscent plastic similar to that used for the Mara Jade statue, but of course blonde this time. The sulpting of the hair flows beautifully and gives great dynamism to the sculpt.

The gloved claws and right forearm are a softer material and can be moved slightly. But the leather look on the glove and metallic sheen on the claws is nicely done, and look great in that playful gesture.

The tattered shirt is also nicely sculpted, with tears and folds in all the right places. Of course being a Bishoujo there's the obligatory fan service with the revealing bra that suits the playful and sexy look of the character.

Perhaps the best part of the statue for me, which was a surprise, is the fishnet stocking on the left leg. I thought it would be a painted application, but is actually real fabric material fitted over the leg! It's such a nice touch and really makes this statue shine against others in this price range.

The right leg stocking is still molded though, but fits in nicely with the sculpted boots. Together, the look is very nice indeed!

Of course the fan service then extends to her shorts that don't leave much to the imagination! The molded denim is really nicely painted and sculpted. Previously I thought the Mara Jade statue had the best backside in the galaxy, but I think this Freddy here definitely has her beat! :)

The extra details in the scratches and blood streaks add a nice touch along her shoulder and thigh. The red is sharply applied with no real smearing at all, which is why Kotobukiya are known for such great paint application.

Together with the upcoming Jason statue from Friday the 13th, these two will make for an awesome display piece in any collection. If you're a fan of the horror movies, these will definitely make for a unique interpretation of the characters. A mix of horror, sexiness, and Japanese anime fan service combine to make one gorgeous statue that I highly recommend :)

Star Wars 6" Black Series Imperial Shadow Squadron

The Imperial Shadow Squadron set in the 6" Black Series line was released in the USA as a Target exclusive. But I was lucky enough to have a fellow collector purchase a whole case of these, and was then willing to sell them onto other collectors as retail price!

A great example of a collector looking out for other collectors so that people didn't have to pay ridiculous scalper prices on ebay. And I'm definitely glad I was able to get my hands on this set cos the figures are pretty awesome with this black colour scheme.

Here's a link to my full video review of the set. Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on the Empire's finest :)

Star Wars Imperial Handbook - A Commander's Guide

Picked this fourth release in the Star Wars line of deluxe books starting with The Jedi Path. Overall a pretty good read, but unfortunately doesn't have as many removeable accessories as its predecessors. Still, with another cool opening feature on the electronic case, it's a must-have for those with the previous three books.

Here's a link to my video review with all the details, including a look back at the other three books too. Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on these great books :)

Hot Toys MMS238 Battle Damaged Terminator

After picking up the Hot Toys DX10 and DX13 Terminator figures, you'd probably think that there'd be no need to get another Terminator figure, especially one based on Arnold Schwarzenegger. But when Hot Toys announced in February that they were releasing a Battle Damaged version from James Cameron's classic first movie, I just couldn't resist!

And with its  release now about 8 months later, I am definitely glad I made that order because it is one of the best Terminator figure ever made!

Check out my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel at the link below! Remember to subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on this bad boy :)

If you like having a read as well, and seeing more pics, read on further below!

Packaging:
The cover art is based off the iconic movie poster with Arnie in his sunnies, and it's awesome just because of that! I love the battle damage theme also going through the packaging with the bullet holes in the cover and the cardboard slip. It all gives off a cool 80s vibe that I really love. Inside is the usual clamshell plastic coffin housing the figure and the great accessories.

Accessories:
The standout feature of the accessories is of course the two incredible head sculpts. One is only slightly battle damaged to represent the scene where he performs some impromptu eye surgery on himself. The other is more battle damaged to represent the scenes later in the movie after his encounters with Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese.

Both sculpts have very accurate likenesses to how Arnold appeared in the movie, and the paint application detail is amazing to see up close. Furthermore, both have LED light up features for the exposed eye, with a button that switches on the light and stays on for about 30 seconds before auto switching off. It's a great feature and just adds the realism in a great way.

The iconic sunglasses are also included, and are so accurate that they even have a slight orange translucent hue to them. When placed over the eyes, the LED eye can even be seen through them for an awesome look, as you can see in the photo below.

The figure also comes with a multitude of hands for lots of pose options. The weapons that are included are also up the usual high Hot Toys standards in terms of weathering and detail. You get a Smith & Wesson revolver, the iconic .45 long slide, and then the shotgun and machine gun that he used in the police station shootout scene. All are plastic but have extremely clean and detailed paint apps that are exceptional.

The last awesome accessory is the figure base itself. Bases like this are normally reserved for their DX figures, but this time they've gone all out with this base. It has a great bitumen texture with bloody spatter, bullet casings, and the pipe bomb used in the movie complete with string fuse! It all adds to the amazing realism of this figure set.

Figure:
The figure itself and its outfit is just superb, with all sorts of mixed media used throughout. The jacket is a really nice faux-leather material that is thin, but really nicely textured to resemble leather very accurately. It's not so tight that you can't move it over the body, but it still hugs the body contours really well.

The only slight inaccuracy with the jacket is that in the movie the collar was pulled up more, but this can be easily fixed with a minor modification. The jacket itself also has a working zip at the front, but I did find it rather tight to try and zip it up. It is possible, but since I wanted to replicate the police shootout scene, I'll leave the jacket open like it is in that movie scene.

The inner t-shirt comes out of the box looking a little too short, but is made of a nice material that can be pulled down and stretched to make it come down to around the bottom of the jacket. After doing that it looks a lot better. The battle damage bloody stains and holes to the exposed body underneath is also beautifully done with the blood flowing seamlessly through the holes to the endoskeleton below.

The pants are a nice brown/grey khaki type material that is also not overly tight but just right. They fold into the lengthy boots, so a bit of futzing to get them sitting properly into the boots might be needed.

And the boots themselves are a beautifully molded and painted soft plastic that allows for some articulation too. The articulation in the body is pretty great overall, with double jointed elbows that really allow for some nice poses with the weapons. The overall looks is just like he stepped straight out of the movie into your hands!

Summary:
Together with the other recent Hot Toys Terminator figures, I'd have to say this is definitely a better figure than the DX10. The DX10 figure has a head sculpt that looks near perfect with the sunglasses on, but still appears a little off and too young without the glasses.

But the DX13 Battle Damaged Terminator from T2 is still the best, with this new MMS238 coming pretty close in both sculpts. Either way, no matter which figure you have, you'll have an incredible Terminator figure for your collection. If you're a fan of the first movie, you'll definitely want to pick this up - this figure comes with my highest recommendation!

If you're looking to pick up this awesome figure for yourself, just click the link  head on over to Sideshow Collectibles for more pics and all the order details :)

2014 Quarter 3 Collection Update

It was nearing the end of October 2014, so I figured I better do my regular quarterly collection update video. So here it is :)

Hope you can check it out! Remember to subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on my collection! Feel free to post photos of your own collection on the Kool Kollectibles Facebook page too :)

Kotobukiya Street Fighter Bishoujo Cammy

Kool Kollectibles Review – Kotobukiya Bishoujo Cammy statue

Kotobukiya have been releasing some amazing statues recently, covering a large range of source material from DC and Marvel comics, to Star Wars and anime, and also gaming with Tekken and Street Fighter. I reviewed their first Street Fighter Bishoujo statue in Chun-Li a few issues back, and now they have released an equally amazing statue in Cammy.

Click the link below to head on over to the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel and check out my full video review of this gorgeous statue! Make sure to give us a like and subscribe to the channel :)

If you want to see some more pics and read about my thoughts, keep on reading below :)

As always with Kotobukiya, the sculpting and paint application on the statue is outstanding, and up close really brings out the detail in the character. The pose is dynamic and for the most part faithfully captures the Bishoujo artwork by renowned artist Shunya Yamashita.

The standout feature is definitely the musculature, that really captures the strength and beauty of Cammy. Many statues have only one or two directions in which the it looks best on display. But with such a dynamic pose, this Cammy can be placed in many directions with all looking equally awesome.

Front on shows her strong fighting pose with her fist close to her beautifully rendered face, and her outstretched arm flashing out in attack. While from behind, the statue really brings the focus to her hair, legs, and of course iconic leotard.





The leotard itself is nicely molded and painted, with no bleed through onto the skin texture. It even has great molded lines and black wash to bring out the realistic nature of the costume.

And as always with Kotobukiya statues, it's the little details too that bring the statue up a level. The molded detail on the boots with the laces, to the shiny metallic red finish on her gauntlets, to the painted details on her fingernails and eyes, all sum up to make for a statue with incredible presence on display.

When paired up with Chun-Li, these two perfectly complement each other, almost as if they are sparring. I was so impressed with Chun-Li previously, but I think this new Cammy statue out does it on almost every level.

If you’re a fan of Street Fighter, or anime, or just the Bishoujo line of statues in general, I would highly recommend the new Cammy statue.

Kotobukiya have already teased the upcoming statues in the line with Juri, Sakura, and Poison confirmed to be next in the Street Fighter series. I can’t wait to get those as well! J

I get all my Kotobukiya statues from Big Bad Toy Store. Just click the link to head on over and check out all their amazing stock!

Revoltech Teenage Ninja Turtle awesomeness!!

These are my first foray into Revoltech figures, and I gotta say they are AWESOME!! The joints certainly take a bit of getting used to, but once you do, there are endless possibilities with poses!

Here are some quick pics of mine, with links to the full video review of each Turtle too! Hope you can check out the vids, subscribe, like, and comment with your thoughts on these amazing figures! :)

LEONARDO:

RAPHAEL:

MICHELANGELO:

DONATELLO:

These really are incredible figures, from their cartoon accuracy, to the awesome articulation of the Revoltech joints, to the fun accessories, and to the excellent paint app! They certainly are expensive, but well worth the money in my opinion!

Definitely order them if you can. They're still available at Big Bad Toy Store, so click the link if you still want to pick these guys up - you certainly won't regret it!

Revoltech Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at BBTS

Love the poseability! :)

Teaser pic of upcoming Sideshow Collectibles figures!!! WOW!!!

Here's a teaser pic posted by Sideshow Collectibles 1/6th scale Project Manager Kevin Ellis! Just look at all the amazing stuff that will be coming out from them! Cannot wait!!

Just look at that Pilot Luke with two head sculpts and a separate helmet! And that awesome weathered Threepio!!

And what about that incredible Tychus figure from Starcraft at the back there? And the fact that Deadpool will include comic styled speech bubbles!!

Everything in this pic is simply amazing!!!

Finally some Enterbay NBA figures!!

When Enterbay first announced that they were releasing 1/6th scale Michael Jordan figures, I was so excited! I've been a Jordan fan for many years now, and watched the Bulls throughout the 1990s. But once the figures were released, there were many QC issues reported, and that scared me off for over a year on these figures.

But then recently they announced that they were also releasing Dennis Rodman, with a teaser for Scottie Pippen too! So the chance to own figures of my favourite NBA trio of all time was finally too much for me to resist.

So looking at their latest figures, I found that Enterbay had only just released the Michael Jordan "The Last Shot" version (quite a few other versions had come before it), which tied in nicely with the Dennis Rodman release in terms of box design and also NBA finals singlets. So I ordered both and overall, and pretty impressed with Enterbay's effort in these figures!

For a few photos, continue reading down the article. For video reviews, follow the links below!

Click the link below to see my full review of the Michael Jordan "The Last Shot" figure!

Click the link below to see my full review of the Dennis Rodman figure!

The packaging art for these two are actually really nice. Simple, yet elegant and classy. The Jordan box actually has an almost leather/rubber feel to it, with faux leather numbering of the "23". The Rodman box instead has a smooth glossier finish, but with a furry texture to the "91" numbering.

Either way, the general look is consistent, and I love the signatures and overall collector grade classiness of them.

The box layout design is also the same for both, with one side being the clamshell holding the accessories and the other being the foam casing holding the figure itself.

The best accessory in the Jordan set goes to the replica championship ring, which has a nice heft and shine to it.

The Rodman accessories are all pretty standard stuff, but the addition of the alternate white jersey is nice if you manage to get a second body.

One thing though. The foam cutout for the figure is I believe the same as the Jordan figure. However, the figure itself is slightly taller since Rodman is indeed taller than Jordan. But since the foam cutout is Jordan's size, the packing of Rodman was a little creative in the ankles area.

So creative in fact I thought the ankles were actually broken when I first looked at it! Thankfully the shoes were just rotated at an awkward angle and there was no breakage!

One thing Enterbay has mostly had great reviews about is in their head sculpts. I've heard quite a few bad things about the bodies that they make, but the head sculpts and facial paint apps are almost universally admired.

And after seeing the Jordan and Rodman head sculpts up close, I'd have to agree! They are definitely very close to Hot Toys quality, and certainly better than the sculpting and paint application on many Sideshow figures I've seen.

It's a shame the Jordan set only comes with the open mouth look and not the normal stoic face from previous releases. So I've already ordered one of the previous figures that was on sale at BBTS that has the regular head sculpt.

Luckily the Rodman figure comes with two head sculpts, one almost mean-looking and the other smirking. I haven't quite decided which one to use yet, but may actually go with the smirking head sculpt because Rodman was always a little weird :)

So overall, I'm pretty happy with the figures. Check out the video reviews linked at the top of the article for all my detailed thoughts. There's a closer look at the figures and some of the issues that I had too, so definitely have a look :)

For now, I'm definitely looking forward to getting Pippen and completing this legendary basketball trio.

FINALLY!!! Sideshow opens preorder for Biker Scout and Speeder Bike!

There's nothing I love more than the release of an awesome classic original Star Wars trilogy figure. We've waited a long time for Sideshow to release another classic trooper from the trilogy, and the Biker Scout was always high on the list.

And today Sideshow has made the wait well worth it with the opening of preorders for the new Biker Scout and Speeder Bike 1/6th scale collectibles (click the links to head over to Sideshow and order)!

I still miss a classic Stormtrooper in my collection, but have the previous Sandtrooper Deluxe and Snowtrooper Exclusive figures. So the Biker Scout was definitely one that I needed in the collection to get some more OT trooper goodness in my display room! And just look how awesome the Biker Scout turned out!

Absolutely love the fabric detailing in the torso area here. This area has always looked a little off in the smaller 3.75" scale, but now in this 1/6th scale, it just looks incredible!

Speaking of detail, just love the weathering in the boots. If they can maintain that level of realism in the final production paint app, I'll be well pleased! Also loving the articulation on the figure too, where it can manage the kneeling position and also ride the Speeder Bike of course.

Sideshow appears to have announced a new concept with their figures stands in this "Scene Stealer" base accessory. I always wanted them to add some feature to the base, similar to the sand and snow texture they used for the Sandtrooper and Snowtrooper. I initially just thought they'd go with some basic grass/foliage cover for the base of the Scout Trooper, but what they have here in the little bits of rock and tree trunk etc looks fantastic!

As with most Sideshow figures these days, the Biker Scout also comes with an exclusive version accessory. This time it's an additional long rifle, much like how they included a long rifle for the Snowtrooper. Always a nice touch these little extras :)

Of course the Biker Scout would not be complete without a trusty Speeder Bike, and Sideshow delivers on that too! As with the trooper, the bike also comes with an exclusive version accessory in the plaque that has details of the bike design. Another nice little touch to go with the bike.

The detail from all angles of the bike look pretty damn awesome as well. The weathering doesn't seem overly applied, and in fact could do with a bit more, but overall it looks nicely worn in.

Loving the detailing in the console and handle bars too. Hopefully these handle bars don't suffer the same ridiculous bending of soft plastic like its smaller Hasbro brethren.

The pistons and connection components all look really nicely designed and detailed. Looks to be nicely applied weathering where appropriate too on most surfaces and edges, so hopefully that carries through to the final production version.

I especially love the mechanical details on the underside of the bike. It all just looks beautiful and will make for the perfect companion piece to the Biker Scout.

So with this announcement, I'm hoping it won't be too much longer until Sideshow open up the preorders for the other classic trilogy characters that they teased at this year's San Diego Comic Con. These include the TIE Pilot, Pilot Luke, and Threepio. I'll definitely be adding all of them to my collection.

It's just a shame there's such a long wait until actual release in July 2015 for the Biker Scout and Speeder Bike set, but I'm sure the wait will be worth it. If you're looking at getting both, make sure to click the option on the Sideshow website to order the bundle, which will give you a $25 discount. My preorder is in already :)