You packed yet?

Cause I'm not!

Oh I've got it mostly organized, just a few last minute items to acquire for comfort (Damn pinched nerve!). But come hell or high-tides, Toygodd will be on my doorstep at O-Dark-Hundred to begin the dark trek to the San Diego Connvention Center.

Two And I hope to see as many of you there as possible!

Don't forget that Thursday, AFT will have its annual panel at 5:30pm in Room 3. Our panel includes the likes of Mattel, Four Horsemen, and Diamond Select Toys. Ask those questions you've always wanted to know the answers to... PLUS-we have a variety of giveaways to please all who attend!

But as I'm about to go, Sideshow has announced a few great surprises for the coming months.

YOU WANTED ARMORED STAR WARS FIGURES?!

YOU GOT'EM!

And those figures ARE in scale to each other! Vader TOWERS over his minion and is supposed to have a number of accessories including up to six hands! Two different version Stormtroopers will be offered, with different weapons. BUT you be able to purchase up to SIX of them, allowing you to build a nice squad. Prices is rumored to be around $80

That ain't all as a THIRD figure was announced: The Rebel Blockade Trooper! This older version (looking like a cross between Steve McQueen and Will Ferrell) will make a fine addition to your Darth Vader and Stormtrooper!

Also shown for the first time as SDCC is the second GI Joe 12"Figure: COBRA COMMANDER!

The figure features not only his "classic" look but several updates from the comic series including the MP7 Machine Pistol and Black Trenchcoat. This will be available in both a regular and exclusive editions.

And more members of "The Dead" have been declassified: Subject 138: The Street Prophet and Subject 1206: Mall Santa!

Sideshow...you all are SOOOO wrong! I LOVE IT!

Well that's all for now.

Myself, TG and ??? Man (among others) are pulling ourselves together and will be on our way.

If you see any of us at the panel or during the con, please come up and introduce yourselves. We are always happy to meet our readers!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pull some bail money. Just in case.

See you under the WATCHMEN Owl Ship!

RANDY

I have since the first of the Nerf "weapons" was released: The Nerf Bow WAYYY back in 1990.

Since that time, I have more Nerf weapons that I should, stocked with hundreds, if not thousands of rounds of ammo for the many and varied creations. I’ve even had Nerf wars break out with my friends after Thanksgiving dinners many times.

But I have NEVER, EVER seen THIS MUCH NERF in one place.
And I am jealous. I should have made this film!

So I have to share with you-“The Great Office War” from www.runawaybox.com:

There are more Recons, Mavericks and Dart Tag guns in that office than I’ve ever seen in one place!

But after watching this fun film, I realized something.

If you go back starting time index 1:47, you’ll see a crew-serviced, belt-fed, tripoded Nerf weapon.

That’s the Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25 Blaster … and it’s not due for sale until Fall 2008.

This could SERIOUSLY tip the balance in the Nerf Conflicts of the world! This could spark a retaliation that likes of which no one has seen! It might even bring in the Geneva Convention-banned Mattel Ultimators!

What have you done, Runawaybox.com-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?

But I’ll get to the bottom of this… somehow.

I’ve already got the word out to both Runawaybox.com and Hasbro so the answers should soon be mine!

The most important of which is… why don’t I have the Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25 Blaster in MY POSSESSION RIGHT NOW?!

Stay tuned…

RANDY

Editing and writing Action Figure Times for so many years now, I’ve been fortunate enough meet a lot of varied and different people. From porn stars to playmates, artists of all types that work in pen & ink to clay & foam to mouse & computer, I’ve met many amazing people. But you don’t meet many Academy-Award winners and you sure don’t forget a four-time Academy Award winner.

I was lucky to meet Stan and talk with him a couple of times in the early millennium, mostly involving his work with Stan Winston Toys. Some at comic shops, Comic Con or even at his studio. What many others who have worked with him have said about him is true. He was affable, always upbeat and treated everyone as if they were old friends come to visit. But his influence came to me more from the "house" he built more rather than anything else.

When I first moved to California in the early 90’s, I was working minimum wage for a toy store (you know-the one with the dyslexic letter in its name!) in the San Fernando Valley and without a car. During my time there walking the aisles, I noted guys coming in checking on toys wearing a cool Stan Winston FX t-shirt. Over time, I found out that his effects house was only one street over! After helping one of the guys get a much needed Christmas toy for his son, he asked if I wanted something for my trouble.

"Yeah, a job a Stan's," I responded. He chucked and said "How ‘bout a t-shirt and a tour of the place?" Score! It was another few months before he made good but it was worth the wait.

So on a hot afternoon in July, I got to visit a non-descript, set of industrial buildings. But there on the ground was a reserved parking sign… for Stan Winston. After going through a very paranoid receptionist and signing my life away, I got into the place proper. This when they were working on Congo as well as doing work trying to win a gig for a BIG monster film (I STILL can’t say it but A)they didn’t do the film and B)I’m sure the Japanese are quite happy that he didn’t!). The place was packed with people working hard and making some incredible stuff.

But what I remember most is the Meeting Room. If you ever saw his special effects show on AMC during the 90’s or read his book, "The Winston Effect", you know what room I’m talking about. But for me that first time in, I’ve always thought of it as the "Holy S—t!" Room! That’s all I could think because the walls were jammed with Winston’s work. The stuff of legend.

A T-800 Endoskeleton. Damaged Arnold Terminator. Predator. Pumpkinhead. A full-size Velociraptor. A full-size Queen Alien Head. Edward Scissorhands. A full-size T-Rex Head. The monsters of MONSTER SQUAD.

True Icons of Film. These were representative of some of my most influential movies, the ones that made me want to be a part of film-making, to write scripts, to go to film school, to move three thousand miles to California. And they were there, stilled life waiting for the call of "Action!"

The Dream of Film in physical form.

If you don’t get inspired by all that creativity in one room, then you shouldn’t be film fan. But I felt that inspiration, that energy... and I’m sure Stan knew that effect would be there.

So after many years, I’m still out here chasing the Dream of Film. Why?
Because the Dream of Film can be real.
People like Stan Winston brought it to life.

You left us too soon, Stan. You still had more people to inspire.
See you on the other side.

Randy of AFTimes
aka Andrew Gaughen

Many of you know how much of a fan of 1/6 military I am. (If you didn’t, now you do and can decide if you want to keep reading.) I’m a child of the late “Cold War”, growing up during the Soviets Invasion of Afghanistan. And one of the things I became obsessed with during that time was the Soviet’s premier gunship, the Mil Mi-24 D, NATO Designation “Hind”. Introduced in 1972, this helicopter and it’s variants (Yes, I even still remember which variants are which) remain in use all over the world.

I still don’t know why but I love the look of the thing and just how nasty & alien it appeared. Saw some “Hollywood-ized” versions of the Hind in Red Dawn and Rambo III (Mostly A-versions, though). And before the internet, finding pictures of the damn thing was quite difficult, though my local library had a subscription to Aviation Week and Space Technology, which helped.

And now after twenty plus years, someone has made the leap into a 1/6 version of the beast, known to some as “the crocodile”. Now take a look at it in action!

1/6 scale Hind D Helicopter R/C (German “Forest” paint):

1/6 scale Hind D Helicopter R/C (Russian “Desert” paint):

DAMN!

That’s some fine-looking birds there! Couple of those shots even looked 1/1!

I have no room for one but I WANT IT! Oh well, maybe I’ll get some classic 80’s SPETZNAZ figures from some company released! Wouldn’t THAT be nice?

Thanks for indulging another one of my obsessions! And thanks to longtime Ask Randy reader PAPA-ALPHA-CHARLIE for letting me know about this.

RANDY

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