View allAll Photos Tagged mightyatom
A floral tribute to Operation Manna air crews outside Lincoln Cathedral during the Spark Engineering Festival in 2015. In Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
A World War Two air crew veterans helped unveil a floral tribute marking the food drops which saved Dutch people from starvation.
Veterans from across Lincolnshire and further afield have met with Dutch nationals at Lincoln Cathedral to commemorate Operation Manna.
The mission saw Lancaster air crews fly low across the West of Holland to drop food parcels to nearly a million starving Dutch people, from April 29, 1945.
Bomber Command aircraft from RAF bases including East Kirkby, Ingham, Scampton and Faldingworth near Lincoln helped drop the food.
The thrilling conclusion! Say, Astro seems to have adopted his cute little hatchling... but his robo-friend seems to have given up on existence...
Visit The Hatchery!
A 3-metre high plaster copy of 鉄腕アトム (Mighty Atom), a character in a very popular Japanese comic book series from the early 1950s until the 1980s. The robot boy was renamed Astro Boy for the American version of the comics.
Shot using a Yashica Mat 124G camera on Fuji 160 negative film.
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
1932 Foden 4nhp steam Tractor No. 14078 "Mighty Atom" - Reg No. MJ 369 - On the NTET 60th anniversary road run.
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
A Flickr Exclusive!!! The only photo (at this time!) of the final resting place in Barry, Wales, of The Mighty Atom - Jimmy Wilde on this website. A very understated stone for a great great man.
Jimmy Wilde is a legend. 'The Ghost With A Hammer In His Hand' was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1959; he was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. In a 13 year career he lost only 4 of 149 fights (99 wins by knock out and remained unbeaten for 101 fights!). He is, without doubt, the greatest flyweight of all time. Answers to the question, 'Who is the greatest fighter of all time?' will provide many differing opinions but there is no doubt that Jimmy Wilde is certainly one of the greatest, quite possibly THE GREATEST.
Jimmy Wilde was born 15th May, 1892 in Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil. At the age of twelve his family moved to Tylorstown, Rhondda where Jimmy began his working life in the coal mines there. At the age of 16 Jimmy began fighting in boxing booths. It is estimated that he fought anywhere in the region of between 500 - 1000 fights when including the bouts he engaged in during these boxing booth days. The booth fights would hone Jimmy's skills and begin his legendary status. For he fought hundreds of opponents, mostly all of which were several stones (1 stone = 14lbs) heavier than himself, and indeed fought as many as 25 opponents in one day!! For a day in the boxing booths Jimmy could earn the equivalent to a weeks wages in the coal mines.
After building a fantastic reputation for himself in the boxing booths of Wales, Jimmy had his first professional contest against Les Williams in a three round no decision. He then embarked on a series of wins that would later establish him as a legend of the fight game. Wilde remained unbeaten for four years and a total of 101 fights (or depending on what book you read -103, including no decisions). They came, they saw and in the vast majority of cases they were knocked out. During the run of 19 wins Jimmy had met and beaten Joe Symonds, for the second time, by way of a 12th round K.O. At the time, 1916, Symonds was regarded in Britain as the World Flyweight Champion. Another claimant to the World flyweight title was Johnny Rosner, but he too succumbed to the power of the 'Mighty Atom' as he was defeated in eleven rounds. However, Jimmy was still not universally recognised as World Champion until later that same year. Jimmy Wilde's destiny was fulfilled when on 18th December 1916 he became the first officially recognised World Flyweight Champion by defeating Young Zulu Kid, of America. Zulu Kid was 3 inches shorter than Wilde and could not match his speed and power, resulting in a battering for the 11 rounds the contest lasted.
But the story of one of Wales' true sporting greats has a tragic end.
He was mugged on a Cardiff railway platform in 1965 (the same year as his wife's death) and spent his last four years in Whitchurch (mental health) Hospital, dying at the age of 76.
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Who here has heard of Osamu Tezuka?
By all accounts, Tezuka San pioneered many styles and techniques, earning him such honorary titles as "the Father of Manga". His work influencing generations after him, he passed away February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. I'm no scholar in these matters, and am in no position to really discuss what exactly he did and how influential he was. I do know that even as a complete outsider in this world, even I know of his work due to one little tiny property that you might have heard of - The Might Atom, otherwise known to us in the West as Astro Boy.
As you can imagine, while Astro Boy was a very popular property, it wasn't the only one Tezuka worked on. While Astro Boy was more family oriented, he did work on more adult oriented series, such as one called Black Jack.
Before doing a bit of research, I always figured Black Jack was some sort of gambling related series. Nope.. turns out it's more like a crazier anime adaptation of House than one who is a Master of the Cards. The series follows the protagonist, Kurō Hazam, from childhood accident that left him disfigured, to his exploits as an unlicensed but brilliant Master Surgeon, while at the same time being an adventurer of sorts.
Why am I mentioning all this? Because Black Jack is where Pinoko, the character behind this figure, comes from.
Pinoko has a rather interesting back story. She effectively lives for 18 years as a sentient tumor of sorts in her twin sister, developing a consciousness, vital organs, and limbs of sorts. Through the awesome power of exposition and Master Surgery, Black Jack is able to remove this tumor, and give her a body made of her own tissue and some synthetic parts, and is named after Pinocchio. Due to physical limitations, she physically has the body of a two year but has the mental capacity of an 18 year old girl.
At some point in time, a Hong Kong based company, ZC World, obtained the license to produce 1/6 scale figures either of the Black Jack line, or of Pinoko herself. Manufactured in 2013 and retailing for $90 USD, this particular sample clearly went through some rough handling before finally being purchased by me at KimiKon for $15 CAD.
How's that for an origin story?
Pinoko is played off as a childish, comic relief character, so I guess if a company were going to go all Malibu Stacey on a character from the Black Jack line, well, this would be it. Based off the verbiage on the box, I have entry 01 - Basic, which says to me there are probably more Deluxe oriented sets out there. The set comes with the basics, namely the articulated figure, a pair of open palm hands, a backpack, and a rain poncho. Sadly not stand, which is unfortunate given the obviously top heavy nature of this figure. It's a cute looking figure, and features a predominately cloth outfit. I'm no expert,but to my eyes it seems that tailoring is done properly, without too much slack anywhere on the body. Materials used aren't exactly going to blow anyones mind, but seem to be the same cotton blend you'd get for your run of the mill t-shirt. The vinyl used for the ran poncho is different that the material used for the backpack, and both of these feature some great stitching that not only helps them resemble their "real world" counterparts, but help to keep the fabrics in their appropriate forms. You'll also find some functional buttons/belts and so on, with Velcro strips handling the bulk of the heavy lifting, as it were.
Yes, she's small. Your eyes do not deceive you - Pinoko is standing next to Nat, a Figuarts release. Also, yes, I know she resembles an Anime Coraline with the poncho on.
The base body seems to be quite adequate for this figure. Being effectively an Anime child, I wouldn't expect Pinoko to have 70 points of articulation and be able to replicate every single subtle position a human being can. She features ball jointed ankles, ratcheting knee joints, thigh twist, rotating hips, rotating waist, rotating shoulders, bicep swivel, racheting elbows, wrists, and rotating head at the base. No quite Figma/Figuarts level, but it does the job. The overall build of the body isn't too shabby. It's not quite as solid as a Hot Toys release, but it's nowhere as flimsy as a Medicom body is, and can handle some rough housing. Limbs can pop off if excessive force is applied, and while it is a pain, they can be reconnected, good as new. The only real questionable assembly would be that it seems the hair on mine isn't as tight as possible, as it has a little jiggle. Maybe it's meant to come off? I have no manual, so it's merely a guess on my part.
There isn't really any paint work to discuss on this figure. The vast majority of the figure features single coloured plastics glued together, with the exception of the bows on her head (painted separately and glue on), the eye decals, the red line for her mouth, and the shoes, which feature some masking due to the painting of the socks. This figure isn't exactly going to blow your mind when it comes the paint work, but again, given the nature of the source material, it works just fine. if there was one thing I'd like to have seen, is maybe some paint for the actual flesh areas, which would reduce some of the sheen. At the same time, accidental as it may be, this lack of paint does give the figure a rather vintage look to it, akin to the toys that were in my world when I grew up.
From an accuracy perspective, I'd have to say that the body is about right. The head has the right shape but is too narrow, the browns are too dark on both her hair and her eyes, and it appears the eyes are too close together, and quite honestly resembles a Monchichi more than Pinoko.
There you have it. Something different, to say the least, and a good example of why in general I prefer the fight of a Rummage Sale versus the orderly chaos of shopping at a modern place. I can't exactly say I'd recommend this for everyone because it's not exactly a super popular property, nor is it a style that some of the more "mature oriented" collectors would go for. But, as a collector of Action Figures in general, and one who is old enough to remember this old school aesthetic, it's a neat buy, especially if you find it for $15 CAD.
Till next time, readers!
Bücherregal / Collection MTP
> Walt Diisney / Die Panzerknacker
> Sid Fleischman / Der Geist in der Mittagssonne
> Osamu Tezuka / Astro Boy (www.comics.org/issue/290662/)
> Edgar Rice Burroughs / Tarzan
> Bill Hoest / The Lockhorns
1932 Foden 4nhp steam Tractor No. 14078 "Mighty Atom", Reg No. MJ 369 on the EATES diamond jubilee road run.
One of my all-time favorite characters, Astro Boy (The Mighty Atom). The series is iconic in Japan. Despite running from 1952-68, there have been numerous reincarnations of the popular character. I like to think of Astro Boy as the Japanese equivalent to Mickey Mouse. He was the creation of Osamu Tezuka, who was a Disney fan, and was offered a job by Walt Disney when they met in 1964.
Shibuya, Tokyo.
Astro Boy himself patrols the treasure trove inside Atomic City, a so-cool store situated in an old house in the university area of Austin, Texas. Old toys and new, shoes and hipster clothes, and such a crazy array of collectibles and stuff create their own world--a unique & fun place to visit and help Keep Austin Weird!
Astro Boy welcomes visitors to Singapore's Mint Museum of Toys. Many more in my photostream right alongside this shot.
It's actually an advertisement on train for the engineering faculty of a university in Japan. The robot in the photo is a Japanese cartoon heroic character Astroboy / 鉄腕アトム / Tetsuwan Atomu, which is operated by atomic power.
其實只是日本一所大學工程學系在火車箱中的廣告. 廣告中的機械人是一日本動畫英雄人物 (原子小金剛 / 小飛俠 / 阿童木). 他是由原子能發動的.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroboy
zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%e9%93%81%e8%87%82%e9%98%bf%e7%ab%a...
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%e9%89%84%e8%85%95%e3%82%a2%e3%83%8...
Mighty Atom a Wellington Tractor made by William Foster and Co. in Minster's Yard outside Lincoln Cathedral during the Spark Engineering Festival. In Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
Becoming established as Lincolnshire’s premier engineering event, the Spark Engineering Festival aims to engage, excite, stimulate, and inform each and every visitor in the inspiring surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral, itself a remarkable achievement of medieval engineering
With hands-on activities for all ages, displays of the latest in local technology, access to experienced engineering professionals from local businesses, along with exhibits and tours of our rich engineering heritage, visitors will gain a practical appreciation of the role of engineering in society and business, how science and technology is impacting our lives.
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