Jem Collection - Craig Phillips

Independent world traveler and professional drummer of Britain's all-male Rock band, the Blue Bloods, Craig Phillips takes pride in his work, keeping real busy with back to back international tour dates, endless interviews and thousands of meet-and-greet sessions with his dedicated fans! When he's not globetrotting around the world, he regularly enjoys the spoils of his success with a great deal of rock-climbing, whitewater rafting, surfing, rugby and motor sports. Although he's based in Europe, Craig always finds the time to visit America, making his sister, Mary “Stormer” Phillips, and longtime girlfriend, Aja Leith, number one on his priority list, when he arrives. This hunky specimen adores both women and does not mind roughing up a goon or two in their honor. In fact, he broke an all-time record in a**-kickin' 101 during his first visit to California, when he annihilated Eric Raymond and the Misfits over the course of two weeks! It was a bright and sunny morning, in September of 1987, when Aja walked into the local percussion shop to drop off a few fliers for Jem and the Holograms' talent search. The band had just lost Shana as their star drummer, so the search for a new percussionist was very much needed! Store owner Barry welcomed her in and they sparked up a quick conversation. Suddenly, Aja heard a rapid beat of drumming in succession from the storage room and inquired to know of its origins. Barry mentioned that the drummer had just arrived from Europe and offered to introduce her to him. As she approached the doorway of the back room and pulled the curtain open, she got a peek at the mystery man banging away on the drums and couldn't believe what she was hearing. So Barry walked over and formally introduced both musicians to each other. An excited Aja greeted Craig and complimented him on his drumming and, in record time, the talented bachelor gained control of the conversation by insisting that it was his pleasure to meet her, and quickly returned the compliment regarding the pronunciation of her name. Hoping that he'd answer to her liking, she asked immediately if he was looking for work, but Craig answered that he wasn't really interested, and that he was only in town to visit his sister. Taken aback by his admission, Aja apologized for taking up his time and asked Barry to keep her posted on any leads, then made her way for the exit. Unwilling to watch her walk out of his life so soon, Craig ran after her and confessed that he would actually love to work with her—at the same time, quickly ditching his hard-to-get routine—and requested that they discuss the details over dinner. With a smug grin, Aja turned to the stud and said that she only wanted serious musicians and, in a playful tone, she wished for him to enjoy his visit. Loaded and ready to sound off with criticism, Barry passed the flier over to Craig while congratulating him sarcastically on his come-on technique. As he scanned over the advertisement, he noticed that she was a member of the Holograms, and vowed to show her just how serious he could be at keeping his word! The next day, during the talent tryouts, Craig eased over to Aja and slipped his resumé atop a few that she was already holding, catching her off guard and surprising her at the same time. After a brief exchange of words, he promised that he could really get down on the drums with backup, and then he escorted her on stage to prove it during a few notes of “I've Got My Eye on You!” The two instrumentalists played in close proximity of each other, which allowed Craig to show off his strength and talent, and provided Aja a front row seat to the entire show. It was electric, and the mood was felt by everyone in the room! Day three rolled around and the band held a meet-and-greet event out back of Starlight Mansion by the pool with a few contestants. Lin-Z showed up with her equipment and made sure to get in a quick interview with Jem before the others arrived. Rio was dressed in his best duds for the event, and had a great time assisting the Starlight girls with food and refreshments. And Raya stood by the pool and observed the scene while unintentionally provoking a jealous contestant who berated the drummer on her work experience. The wild fuss caught the attention of Kimber and Aja who were both watching from a distance and didn't care to deal with such an ingrate, so they grabbed her by the arms and removed her from the premises! Just as Lin-Z was wrapping up her segment on Jem, Aja came floating in on the arm of Craig and proclaimed that personal chemistry was just as important as talent in a musical group. Then, in the spirit of friendly sportsmanship, Raya supplied the Starlight girls with a piñata that she made the night before the contest, and loaded the inside with assorted treats for the kids to enjoy. Jem, Kimber, Aja and Craig gathered around to monitor the fun while each girl took their turn at-bat. And, after a few hits, young Banee cracked it open and released 3 pounds of scrumptious sweets, ending the evening's event with success. Now four days into the contest, at a press conference, Jem reported the particulars on the Starlight Talent Search. She further explained that both semifinalists would compete in a live concert the following day at Starlight Auditorium, and that the audience would have full participation in casting their ballots for their favorite drummer. Craig was the first name she called, and Raya was announced soon after. Across the way, at Misfits headquarters, Eric and his rockin' rebels caught on fast to the event and were hell-bent on doing everything in their power to upstage Jem and her talent search. Eric considered Raya's win as the perfect opportunity to con her into revealing Jem's true identity, so he hatched a plan to invite her to a secret dinner for two at an upscale Chinese restaurant where he could pump her of any information she may have had. While eating her cuisine, Raya asked why it meant so much for him to uncover the truth about the elusive superstar. With a pack of lies at his disposal, Eric told her flat out that Jem would only choose her competitor in the end, and he anchored with his proposal of a recording contract in return for solid proof of Jem. A while later, high above at Misfits Music, the cunning businessman marched back and forth trying to figure out where he went wrong with his failed attempt to bribe Raya. Pizzazz stood nearby and suggested that he probe the other contestant. She then grabbed the latest issue of Pop Scene Magazine and held it in her hands while concentrating on the last name...“Phillips.” Just as she approached a breakthrough, Stormer walked in with Craig and introduced him as her brother! All four jaws hit the floor simultaneously when she made her announcement, and it took no more than a second for Roxy and Jetta to slink over to the heartthrob and comment that he was working for the wrong team. Craig admitted that he wasn't aware of their rivalry with Jem until Stormer explained the situation to him. The wheels rotated loosely in Eric's mind as he decided, yet again, to seize the moment as another opportunity to deep-six the sweethearts of Pop music by plodding over to Craig and offering a generous lump sum of cold hard cash if he assisted him in destroying Jem! But Craig was unfazed by his offer. Opinions were formed from all areas of the room, including from Pizzazz who, while kicking back at the desk applying pink lipstick in her compact mirror, mentioned that, “What's good for Jem is bad for the Misfits, and what's bad for Jem is good for the Misfits”...then alluded to Stormer's position in the band. With double barrels blazing, Eric hit him high and low with a promise to triple the amount of money involved, as well as instant status and fame. Yet again, Craig was not impressed and, while flexing his muscular pecks, warned him to back off, but Eric just wouldn't let it lie. Off to the side, with Roxy and Jetta edging her on, Pizzazz demanded Stormer to fix the situation or that she would send her packing from the Misfits! Desperate to remain as one-fourth of the band, the famous keytarist rushed over and reminded her brother of his promise to help her whenever she needed it. In that moment, Craig was totally thrown off as he stood before his sister in disbelief. He couldn't understand why she would involve herself in such theatrics and questioned her request for assistance. Even though he spoke with truth and logic, Stormer still pleaded to her eldest brother for his help. And, after a minute of clarity, he decided to go through with it, anyway, for the sake of her career. Later that evening, Craig implemented his plan on Aja during their power jog through the park. Just as the two reached the top of a small bridge, the star drummer began panting deeply for breath as he prepared to confess his real reason for entering the talent search. Then he took a swipe at the golden prize by asking her about Jem's identity. Switching quickly on the defensive, Aja exclaimed that she couldn't reveal such information, leaving Craig to doubt her feelings for him. She elaborated that Jem had her reasons for secrecy, and that no matter how she felt about him, she would never betray her sister's trust! As she began to sprint ahead, Craig ran after her and swore that he would never ask her about it again, and sealed his promise with a romantic kiss. Minutes later, things began shakin', rattlin' and rollin' over at Misfits Music as Craig kicked through the office door and jumped in Eric's face to break the news of Aja's refusal to expose her good friend, and spoke highly of her integrity and loyalty. Then Eric counterattacked by mentioning what Miss. Leith would think if she knew his sister was a Misfit! Now ready to detonate, Craig warned Eric to STFU and stop playing games, and then he stomped out the door to get ready for the talent competition! The auditorium walls vibrated from the collective roar of the crowd as Jem danced around on stage and announced the final playoff of the talent search to a snippet of “Believe in Yourself.” By this time, the drum dual was in full effect! About a few seconds after Jem's vocal presentation, the oversized spotlights lowered down on both contestants, and the neon laser beams rotated wildly to the bass-filled tune of “Beat This!” Craig was simply magnificent during his performance! His stamina was endless, and the overall power displayed during his performance was a true sight to see. Raya showed poise and confidence with every beat as she enjoyed twisting and flipping her drumsticks around with fancy finger technique, and banging out sharp drumming at rapid speed! It was clear to see that both contestants were shoo-ins to win. At the closing of the show, Jem reminded the fans to cast their vote for their favorite drummer as they exited the auditorium. After the hype of the playoff dissipated, Craig took in an evening of quality time with his sister at her apartment. While there, Stormer spared no time for pleasantries, and decided instead to mention the favor she had asked of him in sabotaging Jem. Craig assured her that she was better than that, and even stated that she was too good for the Misfits, but she couldn't think past the thought of going on in life without her extended family, so she revealed to him that if he didn't help, then Pizzazz would kick her out of the group. For a moment, the compassionate keytarist started to regret her decision to ask her brother for help after witnessing his veins protruding out of his arms, shooting up through his neck, and pulsating on both sides of his head at the temples! She knew she had hit a brick wall with him and that there was no going back this time. With his fists clenched, Craig turned away and darted out the door and into his car to pay one last visit to Misfits Music to settle not one, but two scores! When he arrived, he quietly stalked the halls and made his way to Eric's office, this time with the intent of getting into a scrap with the two-bit son of a b***h! In a stealthy fashion, Craig approached the office door just as Raya snatched Jetta by her hair and tossed her aside in the arms of Pizzazz! He listened in on the remainder of the argument and waited patiently outside the office until she finished up with the group, and then he barreled in and gravitated to Eric's collar, crinkling and ripping the fine fabric by lifting him up in the air with his fists, walking him over to the chair, and crashing him down on the seat with a demand for the slug to make a unanimous donation to Raya's father for the damage caused to his nursery. But Eric, in shock and great pain, wouldn't give in so easily, claiming that he was not scared of Craig and that he didn't take kindly to threats. So Craig turnt up on him by grabbing his desk lamp and twisting the steel bar around his neck! At that moment, Eric started second-guessing his safety, and he let out a nervous laugh as he reached for his briefcase and opened it up to pull out a stack of one hundred dollar bills for Raya's father lol. The man of the hour then clomped on over to the Misfits and threatened that if they so much as caused Stormer to frown, then they would have to answer to him! After leaving the office, the elevator door opened and out ran his dear sister pleading to know the outcome of his visit. Craig promised her that everything from that point on would be fine, and then turned to the doorway of the office where Eric and the Misfits stood shoulder to shoulder as he reconfirmed that all was well...and all five jackals agreed in unison! Confident that his young sister had discovered her own self-worth, Craig urged her to take good care of herself and kissed her goodbye. At the final press conference for Starlight Music's Talent Search, an army of news reporters and paparazzi hovered like pigeons in the auditorium, waiting for Jem to step from behind the curtain to announce the results of the contest. During that time, backstage, Craig confessed to Aja that he was in fact withdrawing from the contest, and needed to leave town to sort out some personal business. Heartbroken by the sudden news of his departure, Aja voiced her concern regarding his destination, and Craig calmly informed her that he would be returning back to Europe, and promised to explain the entire situation to her someday soon. In her last plea to her guy, Aja placed her designer scarf around his neck as a souvenir for him to remember her by, and Craig pulled his sweetie into his arms and planted one last kiss on her lips. Raya wasn't keen on accepting any handouts, so she mentioned that a premature withdrawal would cause her to win by default. Craig clarified that the ballots were already tallied, and then he turned to her and expressed how genuinely happy he was for her victory, and commented that she was right where she belonged, with Jem and the Holograms. The two-week event had finally come to an end. Jem achieved another successful social event, Shana was back as partner guitarist, Raya remained on drums, and Aja had seen Craig off on his travels across the cosmos and back!

 

Mr. Phillips returned to the series during the life-changing events of “Britrock”, and experienced his second encounter with the love of his life. The destination was England and Jem and the Holograms were on their way over to play in a benefit show at the opening of Sir Hugh Ridley's new nightclub, in London. The five superstars were a wee bit jet lag, when they arrived at Gatwick Airport, but that didn't affect their desire to absorb every aspect of their surroundings, particularly Raya who strutted through the airport in amazement. As soon as they stepped through the automatic sliding doors, Hugh expressed his wish to go straight to their principal destination, and Jem agreed. Minutes later, they all arrived at the Unicorn Club and heard loud music booming from inside. Hugh said that the band was in the middle of practice and cordially invited the five women inside to meet the famous Englishmen of Rock 'n' Roll. Sir Ridley went down the line, beginning with the introduction of Blue Bloods frontman, Mason Hawthorne, then keyboardist, Allen, and their guitarist, James, along with their only American...Craig Phillips! Aja nearly jumped out of her designer heels when she recognized her beau who emerged just after crouching down on his knees to tighten the adjustable bolts on his drum set. Nothing or no one could stop her from embracing her sweetheart, and she didn't mind showing a strong display of affection as she ran at full speed and jumped into his arms! With his muscles bulging, Craig swept her up and held her tight while swinging her around like a merry-go-round. The charming musician told the group that he didn't mention being there at the club because he couldn't resist surprising them. Then Mason suggested that they all hit the town to celebrate both his birthday and Craig's reunion with a lovely dinner, and the girls graciously accepted his offer. The British guitarist got along well with the glamorous ladies of Pop music, but he purposely omitted a vital piece of information relating to him turning 21, and decided to save the important facts for another time. The next day at high noon, Jem and the Holograms retired under an outdoor bistro table across the street from the club for a few minutes to enjoy a cup of tea. Over in the distance, two strange men, one wrapped up in maintenance gear, and the other wearing fan-club attire, were seen unloading Jem's equipment from her tour van and lugging in a personalized toolbox, but no one assumed anything out of the ordinary. Hugh informed Jem that the men were right on schedule with setting up her instruments inside for their performance. So, after they finished their tea, the band agreed that a warm-up routine would be beneficial to prepare them for their nighttime performance, and they headed inside to get started. Then Craig walked over to Aja and disclosed that he had something important to show her before she entered the club. Once inside, Jem and the Holograms immediately spotted Stormer Phillips standing in front of the stage with Hugh and Mason, impelling Kimber to ponder her reason for being there. Stormer was visibly nervous and said that she was just leaving, but Kimber affirmed that she was welcome to stay and hang out. Uncertain about the outcome if she remained there, Stormer turned down Kimber's friendly gesture and insisted that she really had to leave. During their exchange, one of the two strange deliverymen stood on stage undetected while the other slipped a stack of dynamite inside Craig's kick drum with the intent to blow the roof off the nightclub and kill Mason Hawthorne! As the countdown on the timer began, Kimber and Stormer continued going in circles about her visit. Then Craig and Aja joined the group and he quickly interrupted the banter to introduce his lady to his sister, but he couldn't find the exact words to use and not nearly as fast enough as was needed, leading Aja to assume that he and Stormer were an item! Hugh knew that things were about to take an ugly turn, and decided to remove himself from the equation, along with Mason, Allen and James who were quick to follow his lead and rushed outside for a breather. Craig started by mentioning his last name to Aja, and proceeded to compare his name to Stormer's, but by that time, Aja had formed her own version of what was true, and she hauled off and slapped him across the face and bolted out the front door of the nightclub, screaming and demanding that he never speak to her again! The ticker on the stack of explosives was now set to blow at any minute and no one had the slightest clue as to what level of fear and turmoil they were about to face. At the height of the altercation, Jem knew that she had to mediate the matter, so she ran after Aja and hollered for her to slow down and think rationally. Kimber, however, wasn't interested in giving some rousing pep talk, and decided to let loose on both siblings, reprimanding Craig for not being honest about his marriage, and damning Stormer for going along with it! That's when Stormer spoke up, declaring that they weren't married, and Craig chimed in and admitted that she was his sister! Gasping in disbelief, Kimber raced out the club and across the street to inform Aja of what she heard. Back inside, Mason advised Craig to go after her, but he refused, stating that she was the one who assumed the worst and that she would have to apologize first. Across the street, Aja reached the curb right before Jem tugged her by the arm and tried to calm her down. Jumping head first into the messy drama, Raya sprinted over with news of the truth as Kimber trailed by an inch. But it was Kimber who relayed that they were brother and sister, not husband and wife! Before his final exit from the club, Mason volunteered to run across the street to set the record straight for Craig while Stormer reminded him of how much Aja really cared for him, and recommended that he make amends with her at once. Reality soon kicked in and he eventually decided to take their advice and apologize to her after all. The timer had reached two seconds when Aja made her way back inside to reconcile, but right before reaching the front steps of the club, the stack of dynamite exploded, blowing smoke and debris straight out the doorway and throwing her backwards, like Charlie's Angels! The ruckus was catastrophic. Glass and splinters of wood were scattered everywhere! The smog grew thicker and darker as each second rolled on. And the heat from the fire grew beyond its extent and scorched everything out front, including Jem's brand new tour van! Everybody stumbled around in confusion as to what happened and why. In a state of disarray, Hugh, Mason and James scattered over to help Aja as she laid under a pile of smokey wood. As they stood in front of the club engrossed in the sight of the destruction, they began to panic at the thought of Craig and Stormer who were both still trapped inside under several wooden beams, and surrounded by an inferno! In the midst of the wreckage, the four musicians sifted further through while wiping the smog from their eyes to see Stormer laying with her head towards the floor injured, but very much alive. Craig, on the other hand, was laying on his stomach spread out across the floor under a large case of wood unconscious! So they broke out into pairs with Aja and Mason going for Craig, and Hugh teamed with James who scooped Stormer up in his arms and headed for the hills. Crowds of onlookers hurried over to take a gander at the accident, as well as the injuries that Craig sustained. About a foot away sat Stormer who was shocked out of her mind by the blast, and reached out wearily for a cold glass of water from James to cool her down. The atmosphere was misty and somber, and with Jem by his side, Hugh gave one last bow to his nightclub, which was now reduced to rubble. Enervated from the eruption, Mason walked over and communicated that the accident was all his fault, and was brought on by his up-and-coming 21st birthday. Curious to know more, Jem questioned why his 21st meant so much, and Mason replied that the answers were all in Wessex. So, Sir Hugh, Jem, Kimber and Raya followed Mason to Wessex while Aja stayed behind to nurse the wounds of her man who was respiring intensely in her arms on the ground! In a crouching position on the pavement, she took a second to ask for his forgiveness regarding her part in the fight, but the blue-haired suitor had every intention on sharing the responsibility and admitted to his numero uno that he should have been honest right from the beginning. He then implored her to forget it and suggested that they work together in starting all over again. Thirty minutes passed and Mason finally arrived to his estate, rolling through the entranceway three parties deep with his boys, the Holograms, and a stern signal to his pet fox, Ulysses, to fetch the legal documents from Pizzazz. In response, the furry carnivore leapt ferociously and attacked the green-haired Rock star and rescued the papers from her grasp. Then, with a nice, firm grip, the Englishman held the title in his hand and claimed his right as Lord Hawthorne, Earl of Wessex! While there, he made sure to take out the trash, disposing of the Misfits, and Jetta who orchestrated the entire scam and, quite frankly, dodged a brutal beating from Pizzazz and Roxy for her involvement! Jem was baffled by his revelation and questioned why he chose to hide the truth. Without pause, Mason began to tell the story about how his uncle had complete control of the estate until he turned 21, and how the old man would have done damn near anything to keep it that way. He felt comfortable enough to lower his guard and admit the hope he had for Jem to appreciate him as an individual, and not be intimidated by some special title. Now, with his biggest secret out in the open, Mason set off with his newfound inheritance, but he still had to deal with the catastrophic destruction to the Unicorn Nightclub, and he couldn't figure out how to pay the bills that he incurred from the estate if he couldn't go through with Jem's benefit concert. The feeling of failure settled into the Earl's bleak thoughts until Jem brought forth her idea to continue on with the concert, in Wessex. And what a concert it was! Mason's courtyard held about a thousand people, give or take a few thousand, all chatting, eating and enjoying the lively musicality of Jem and the Holograms' new hit, “What We Feel is What We Feel!” Jem looked especially cheery and refreshed on stage in her adorable purple/silver/pink poofy dress and teased-out pink bouffant, while swaying her body to the rhythm and fist-pumping to the crowd. She had the entire courtyard under her spell, above all, the Earl of Wessex who became starry-eyed, and was left in a state of complete enchantment! Right next to Mason stood a mildly-battered Craig who had a smile that stretched from ear to ear as he tapped both feet

to the music while establishing eye contact with Aja, for they both considered the song to be a personal love note to their budding romance. Throughout their ups and downs, in England, the two lovebirds developed true feelings for each other, and eventually discovered that they were destined to be soulmates!

 

Europe's sexy import has the whole package—a tremendous amount of on-stage aggression, ocean blue rock star locks, and magnetism for miles! Throw in ultra masculine, well-built and self-reliant and you've got Superman! Quite fitting description, if I may say so myself. Though I'm excited about the appearance of my heroic jock, my infatuation extends beyond him being a fashion doll. The man is a winner with a heart of gold, and that's more attractive than anything else! Craig represents the ruggedness and masculinity of the male species in the collection, and yet he's more conspicuous than the others who surround him. No doubt his colors and clothing separate him from the group, and that's not meant to be a negative critique at all. The reality is that no one can f**k with Craig! He's the most striking male doll in the bunch, secured and protected inside his own little orb—doin' his own thing on his own time—and that's just the way it is! What I love most is how great he looks when he's placed next to his sister, Stormer! They each share a family resemblance that compliments the other beautifully. Craig's hair is, of course, much shorter, but he definitely has the same dark blue hue as Lil' Rain! He's also got blue, neatly-shaped eyebrows, same color as kid sis, but with a lighter shade of blue. I suppose it illustrates the slight age gap between the two lol. And big brother has basic blue eyes with a speck of sky blue in the lower left corner of the irises. The “Riot” head sculpt doesn't bother me that much, although I wonder what he'd look like with his own personal features. I was more concerned with his outfit than anything else, and it's nice to know that I didn't have a reason to worry because he's standing here on his doll stand broadly, and all decked out in his princely finery! His chiseled physique is covered with a dark, hot pink Polo teeshirt that looks faded red, in my opinion. Early on, I assumed the fabric was loose and thin, but now that he's here, I have a better understanding as to how durable and stylish it is. It fits real nice! The collar is the best feature—not too big or small—and is anything but flimsy. Goodness, I remember feeling iffy about his white belt when Integrity release his prototype pictures a few years ago, and I couldn't stop stressing over whether he would have the same thin material as Sean Harrison's belt. Um, well, it looks fabulous...on the front part anyway. For some reason, the area around the buckle is the only area protected by transparent vinyl, leaving the sides and back section connected with only ribbon-like material! If I had to guess why, I'd say that the belt itself was crafted to grip and/or wear against the white fabric of his pants. Hmm, but even if it were all vinyl, it still wouldn't harm the white material. I guess that's one for the theologians. In spite of what's holding his pants around his waist, Craig is wearing what I consider the fanciest pair of designer trousers among his peers, purchased directly from the Hawaii Five-O collection, and created with a denim-like exterior that classifies as a pair of jeans rather than a casual pair of slacks. Another difference from the show is his white low-top canvas shoes that he picked up while touring in Honolulu. The tan outsoles pinpoint his purchase somewhere in the high regions of the Tropics lol. Thankfully, Integrity chose a different route with his footwear because I can't imagine a pair of gray, low-top dress shoes in contrast to his red and white outfit! C-Philli is not accustomed to being played like that lol! After spending every waking minute cramped up in his practice room working up a sweat, trying to master the right beat for new music, Craig has decided to pack his legendary drum kit and fly it in, from Britain! The equipment is similar to his friend, Raya, with the exception of the color and the Blue Bloods band logo, and includes his drum throne, both cymbal stands, crash cymbal, ride cymbal, snare drums, and the two memorable drumsticks he used during that first fateful meeting with Aja, in California!

 

Craig “Styxx” Phillips is an artist who shares his soul with his audiences and leaves nothing to hide. The heart-pounding sounds of the percussion era would never have been the same without him, and anyone who saw him bang out Prince's “Computer Blue” live would probably attest! But now, after traveling the world two times over, Craig has retired his legendary drum kit for good and joined up with Jem and the Holograms as their new suave bongo player. Now all's truly right with the world! 🔹💙🔹

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