Mezco Toyz 2007 Comic Con Exclusive Abe Sapien 7-inch Action Figure by Mike Mignola

This is the 2007 Comic Con (SDCC) exclusive Abe Sapien 7-inch action figure from the Hellboy comic series created by Mike Mignola. The packaging art was also designed by the great Mike Mignola himself which I've stashed somewhere (not throwing that one away ;p). As I have already mentioned earlier, Mignola is one my most favourite comic artists and his unique illustration style has been making waves in the comic industry ever since he first emerged onto the scene.

Abraham "Abe" Sapien is a paranormal investigator. He is often an ally of Hellboy. Abe is a humanoid amphibious creature. He has a pair of gills on his neck, allowing him to breathe underwater, but also has a set of normal human lungs allowing him to stay above and out of water for long periods. However, he does need to regularly “get wet” to keep him from becoming too weak.

Abe possesses webbed hands and feet, and has large, bright eyes that help to see in murky, thick water. He has distinctive black/blue stripes vertically overlapping his forehead in a shape reminiscent of a “V”, and easily ranks as an Olympic-level swimmer, if not actually surpassing that measure, thanks to his highly athletic physique.

Abe was formerly Langdon Everett Caul, a powerful married businessman involved with a strange cult in the Victorian Era. At a secret meeting, witnessed by the future Abe in spirit form after being killed with a spear, Caul and other gentlemen perform an arcane ritual that accidentally releases a strange jellyfish-like deity.

Abe's spirit merges with his former self and the two become one, transforming Caul into an Ichthyo sapien. Ironically, Abe’s spirit bonded with his past incarnation to become the modern Abraham Sapien, demonstrating a pre-destination paradox.

Abe's water casket was discovered by a group of plumbers within an ancient long-lost chamber beneath the St. Trinian’s Hospital. The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) quickly intercepted the hibernating creature, and named it “Abraham Sapien,” in reference to the old message written on his casket: April 14th 1865; the date of President Abraham Lincoln’s death.

This Mezco Toyz 2007 Comic Con Exclusive Abe Sapien 7-inch Action Figure by Mike Mignola comes with his BPRD vest with emblem / logo on the back and a metal spear

Here's Abe with his buddies, Liz Sherman and Hellboy. It's funny how Mezco Toyz released two sets of figures from the Hellboy comic line / series but Abe Sapien was not one of the figures released. So this SDCC exclusive Abe Sapien figure is the only one to complete the group.

NEXT: Liz Sherman - she's the HOT one ;p

Mezco Toyz 2005 released highly accurate Mike Mignola comic book Hellboy action figure

I really like Mike Mignola's ART :)

My recent toy blog post of Jakob Westman's custom hand-made Playmobil Hellboy figures (check out the post HERE) made me go back and revisit the Mezco Toyz Hellboy action figures I had bought some time back. Being quite the fan of Mike Mignola's art and the comics he did (Rocket Raccoon, Phantom Stranger, Gotham by Gaslight, Cosmic Odyssey, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, Ironwolf, Coppola's Dracula, Aliens: Salvation, Batman: Legends - Sanctum, all before Hellboy which first appeared in 1993), I wanted to see Mike's 2-D art get translated / interpreted into 3-D form and these Mezco Toyz Hellboy 7-inch action figures were among the best there was out there. The sculpting of the figures were made to replicate Mignola's signature drawing style.

Hellboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers. The character has been adapted into two live-action feature films in 2004 and 2008 that starred Ron Perlman in the title role, and two straight-to-DVD animated films, as well as two video games – Asylum Seeker and The Science of Evil.

This is Hellboy as he is seen in the comics - a very close and true interpretation of Mike Mignola's art of Hellboy and I LIKE it!

Mike Mignola created the demonic, cigar-chomping paranormal investigator Hellboy in 1993, and the character quickly became a hit in the comic-book world. A lot of that had to do with Mignola's angular, shadowy art, a style Alan Moore once called "German Expressionism meets Jack Kirby."

A well-meaning demon whose true name is Anung Un Rama (Beast of the Apocalypse), Hellboy was summoned from Hell to Earth as an infant on December 23, 1944 (given as his birth date by Mike Mignola) by Nazi occultists (spawning his hatred for them). He was discovered by the Allied Forces; amongst them, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who formed the United States Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD).

In time Hellboy grew to be a large, red-skinned demon with a tail, horns (which he files off, leaving behind the signature circular stumps on his forehead), cloven hooves for feet, and an oversized right hand made of stone.

Hellboy carries a variety of items in his utility belt and jacket that can be used against various supernatural forces. He has been known to carry holy relics, horseshoes, various herbs, and hand grenades. Though he commonly carries an oversized revolver, Hellboy freely admits to being a lousy shot and often fights hand-to-hand, preferring to use short-ranged physical weapons like swords, spears, and his massive stone fist over firearms.

Hellboy does not fight evil alone. The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (the B.P.R.D. or BPRD) maintains the services of several supernatural persons, including Hellboy. There's also Liz Sherman, a pyrokinetic and Abraham "Abe" Sapien, an amphibious man (sometimes also called a fishman or merman). They often work together as a team.

NEXT: Mezco Toyz Abraham "Abe" Sapien action figure. The "Abe" Sapien figure, with packaging designed for Mezco Toyz by Mike Mignola, was a Comic Con exclusive in 2007. Mezco Toyz Hellboy Comic Series One figures included this particular Hellboy figure, Lobster Johnson, Mecha Ape with jarred Von Klempt head, and Liz Sherman.

SEE also Liz Sherman - she's the HOT one ;p

Girls just wanna have FUN :) Phicen 1/6th scale Female Seamless Body 12-inch Figure ooh-la-la

These are the latest 12-inch offerings by Phicen. It is their latest 1:6 scale Female Seamless Body - pale skin with mid-size breast version (Item No. PLMB2012-02). Their 12-inch female figures without visible joint lines are improving with each new batch and these actually look much nicer than their previous releases (my fondness for redheads notwithstanding).

These Phicen 1/6th scale Female Seamless Body 12-inch Figures will come with 33 points of articulation with a height of approximately 28CM and weigh 0.208kg. On the basis of the old products of theirs, the necks of these mid-sized breast figures can rotate 360 degrees for the purpose of improving the simulation of the figure. Phicen has also added a metal piece inside the elbow joint which prevents the arm from breaking easily. It also looks more natural when the elbow is bent backwards.

Phicen 1/6th scale Female Seamless Body 12-inch Figure PARTS LIST: Body 1 PC, Head sculpt 1 PC, Hands 3 PAIRS / 6 PC, Bare feet 1 PAIR, Bikini 1 SET. Scroll down to see more pictures as well as the other offering of the tan skinned mid-sized breast version with the blond hair ;p

So do we call these dolls or female action figures? Whatever the name doesn't really matter as long as you enjoy what you are collecting, right? The thing is, we won't call a 12-inch male figure a doll or dollie but when it comes to a female figure, the line is not very clear at all.

Be as it may, this latest release by Phicen certainly got my attention :)

Someone on the 1:6 forums actually did a count and concluded that this is a fifth generation Phicen female body. Gen 1 - TBLeague / original; Gen 2 - 1st Phicen, new tack-free skin; Gen 3 - 1st small-busted/next release large-busted; Gen 4 - 2nd small-busted (had new ankle cups, and minor changes to the skeleton, apparently) AND Gen 5 - This medium bust (also with reinforced elbow, new neck joint)

Three simple rules to follow when posing with your Phicen 12-inch doll / female action figure: 1. Work slow and be patient (just like with your partner ;p); 2. Use 2 hands to move a joint all the time; 3. If you encounter resistance, it does not mean you need to push harder, it means you're moving the joint the wrong way. This is because you cannot see the joints and therefore am unable to know if you are bending the joint in the opposite direction from where it is supposed to be going.

The new neck peg looks like it will work whether the head you choose has a round socket for a Hot Toys body or a small hole meant to clip over a cone-shaped connector.

Phicen has certainly improved on the female head sculpts

And here are the pictures of the Phicen 1/6th scale Female Seamless Body 12-inch Figure (blond hair, tan skinned mid-sized bust version). Someone also noted that the bikinis are also getting smaller and smaller haha

SHIPPING DATE: NOV 2012

Related: An older "Girls just wanna have FUN!" post HERE with other 1:6 scale female action figures :)

Proof that Hot Toys Iron Monger is NOT 1/6th scale no matter what they try to say otherwise

Now that Hot Toys is finally going to release their Iron Monger limited edition collectible figure (slated for October 2012 it seems) from the Iron Man film - see previous post, there's something that everyone should know sooner rather than later - i.e. The Hot Toys Iron Monger is NOT 1/6th scale. Hot Toys repeatedly mentioning so doesn't make it so. At best, the Hot Toys Iron Monger is 1/7th scale. Why do I say so? Check out the pictures below and see for yourself :)

Here's a screen grab of Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane admiring the Iron Monger from outside before he climbs into the armor suit and causes lots of chaos and mayhem. Note the size / height of the Iron Monger armor suit next to Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).


And this is how Hot Toys' Iron Monger limited edition collectible figure looks with the 1/6th scale Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) head sculpt. From this picture alone, you begin to wonder if there's a full 1/6 scale 12-inch figure body under that armor suit. The way Hot Toys stuck the head in like that just isn't realistic at all. It looks very fake to me how the head just sticks out as it doesn't look like a man in control of the Iron Monger armor suit but more like a man trapped in a man-hole and can't get out.

Here's a look at how Hot Toys should have done it. This Iron Monger is not 1/6th scale but at least they got the proportions right. The Obadiah Stane figure looks to be strapped in and in full control of the Iron Monger armor suit instead of being trapped in it.

And here are some scans from the book "Iron Man: The Art of Iron Man, the Movie" which offers the reader an exclusive, insider's look into the blockbuster Iron Man movie. See how the man inside the machine is supposed to look i.e. Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) inside the Iron Monger armor suit

click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

The arms are supposed to go into the arms of the armor suit so that when the operator moves his arm, the robot arm moves as well in sync. Hot Toys Obadiah Stane is positioned way too low inside the Iron Monger armor suit, thus not allowing his arms to fit into the robot's arms at all :( Obadiah's head should be where the Iron Monger's head is as he sees through the robot's eyes. Hot Toys definitely got it wrong for this product.

click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

Hot Toys may have produced the most detailed and best looking Iron Monger collectible figure but it is just a 1/7th scale Iron Monger. Sticking the 1/6th scale head of Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) into the armor doesn't make it 1/6th! That's just not right.

Hot Toys Hawkeye, DX Luke Skywalker, DX T-800, Iron Monger and Bat-pod coming soon

From Hot Toys:
Dear fans, we know that some of you may have been waiting for your pre-ordered items from us. Thanks very much for the wait!

We are here to share the news that -
The product of Hawkeye from The Avengers, DX Luke Skywalker (Bespin Outfit) from Star Wars, DX T-800 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Iron Monger from Iron Man and Bat-pod from The Dark Knight Rises are coming very soon!

click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

Please be prepared to put them into your collection. Thanks for your patience and support as always!

NEXT: Proof that Hot Toys Iron Monger is NOT 1/6th scale no matter what they try to say otherwise (sad but true)

Custom Hand-made Playmobil Hellboy Figures by Jakob Westman - This is ART and one-of-a-kind

Jakob Westman is an artist / professional from Sweden who made these Playmobil customs of his all-time favourite comic character Hellboy (check out his deviantart profile HERE). He used regular Playmobil Police Officers which he then reworked completely into this cartoony version of Hellboy. And these Hellboy Playmobil customs really will blow your mind. They are simply awesome and very well made. All these pictures belong to Jakob Westman and I just wanted to share his stunning artwork with all fans of Playmobil and Hellboy as well as anyone who can appreciate GREAT ART

click the picture to have a bigger and better view

How FANTASTIC are they? After Jakob made the first three figures, the entire set was commissioned by the Mignolas and the only ones there are are now with them. That is something to tell your kids and grandkids right?


Jakob used regular Playmobil Police Officers which he reworked completely into his cartoony version of Ilsa, Rasputin, Kroenen and Leopold.

click the picture to have a bigger and better view

Some of the Police station furniture worked really well as a BPRD headquarter.

click the picture to have a bigger and better view

Here is Hellboy as Anung Un Rama, with horns and the crown of the apocalypse.

As Jakob puts it: "Here's an attempt to do a more dramatic image with the sinister Dr Karl Ruprecht Kroenen."

And here are the other Hellboy characters done with Playmobil figures. Starting with Hellboy himself

Abe Sapien

Liz Sherman

Roger, an homunculus, a being made of herbs and blood

Johann Kraus, whose body was destroyed during a séance and the B.P.R.D. developed a suit which allowed him to regain control of his form.

Jakob Westman even made a box to keep them in. And this is what they look like in the box.

click the picture to have a bigger and better view

Sideshow 1/6 scale Shock Trooper, Commander Bacara, Cody, Bly & 501st Legion Clone trooper

The Great Jedi Purge, or Order 66 or Operation: Knightfall, is a major event in the Star Wars storyline. It is officially documented as a plot element in the 2005 film "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith", and is further referenced in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

In the film, the Jedi are nearly exterminated by the order of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, with only Obi-Wan Kenobi, Quinlan Vos, Shaak Ti, General Rahm Kota, Kazdan Peratus, A'Sharad Hett, K'Kruhk, T'ra Saa, Tholme, Jax Pavan, Corwin Shelvay, Kai Hudorra, Dass Jennir, Na Noirrah, Yoda, and Kai Justiss are known to survive. The first person to be issued this order was Clone Commander Cody, who was under the command of Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, who survived.

The Purge begins shortly before the end of the Clone Wars, which had been conceived as part of a scheme by Chancellor Palpatine to eliminate the Jedi and establish himself as the Emperor of the galaxy.

These are the Sideshow Collectibles 1/6th scale Imperial Shock Trooper, Clone Commander Bacara, Clone Commander Cody, Clone Commander Bly and the 501st Legion: Vader's Fist Clone trooper 12-inch figures that have been released over the years. They are part of the clone army I'm building :)

I don't collect the clone troopers with the Phase I helmets (also known as shark fin helmet) because I just don't fancy them at all (too long in shape and looks too much like an overturned bucket) and I have only collected the figures that I like, and not all the clone troopers that have been released.

CC-2224, nicknamed "Cody," was a clone marshal commander assigned to High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Grand Army of the Republic throughout the Clone Wars. When he received Order 66, Cody ordered one of his AT-TEs to fire at Kenobi and his varactyl mount, Boga, causing the two to plummet to the bottom of a sinkhole during the Battle of Utapau.

The blue clone troopers led into the Jedi Temple by Anakin Skywalker in "Revenge of the Sith" were officially designated as the 501st Legion, with the nickname "Vader's Fist".

A shot of the backs of Sideshow Collectibles 1/6th scale 501st Legion Clone Trooper, Clone Commander Bly, Cody, Bacara and Shock Trooper 12-inch figures to show some of the differences in their design.

Click on the picture for a bigger and better view :)

While the 501st Legion Clone Trooper and Clone Commander Bly share the same looking armor,

Clone Commander Cody (center) and Clone Commander Bacara (right) back armor is different from the rest

Here are the Sideshow Collectibles 1/6 scale clone troopers and clone commanders from another angle. These 12-inch figures look nice when they are positioned together.

The red-marked soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic were quartered on Coruscant and tasked with the protection of the Senate and other governmental facilities, as well as serving as guards and escorts for diplomatic envoys.

When Palpatine contacted Clone Commander Bacara personally and executed Order 66, Bacara carried out the command without question. He and his fellow Galactic Marines opened fire on Ki-Adi-Mundi, killing their general.

Clone Commander Cody willingly carried out the command to open fire on his former friend General Kenobi without hesitation due to his complete loyalty to the Republic.