AFB will be attending the Non-Canonical Podcast 75th Episode Live Recording!

AFB is very excited to be taking a small part in the upcoming live recording of the 75th episode of the Non-Canonical Podcast!

Non-Canonical is a weekly talkshow based out of Melbourne discussing the latest comic news and releases. It has a global audience and is relevant to anyone who loves the comic book industry and discussing the latest news and releases. Oh, and profanity - it helps if you are a fan of that too!

Non-Canonical is the first stop for me each week in my podcast listening. I don’t always get through the episodes of some of the podcasts I subscribe to terribly quickly, but I never delay in listening to the latest Non-Canonical episode. Hosts Joe, Josh, Larry and Kane always make the discussion entertaining to listen to!

On Saturday 17th September, two of my favourite Melbourne things are coming together - the Non-Canonical team and my amazing LCS, All Star Comics. Mitch and Troy from All Star will be hosting the live recording of the 75th Non-Canonical podcast at their shop at 410 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne’s CBD, and AFB will be there both as an audience member and to donate a great prize that the Non-Canonical team will give away during the recording!

If you aren’t already listening to Non-Canonical, and you call yourself a comic book fan, you need to start! You can find them on iTunes and check out their website. If you’re a Melbournian, you might consider attending the live recording - the Facebook event page is here.

AFB is delighted to be playing a small part in this great event!

AFB Presents Starman's Toys I Grew Up With: WEB DIVER!

AFB was sick and busy last month, and in the madness I didn't get around to posting some of our regular monthly features, including another edition of Starman's fantastic Toys I Grew Up With.


Stars is back this month and has done his magic again with an exploration of another Toy Line I'd never heard of: Web Diver! 


Over to Stars to give us the rundown:


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Takara took a brief break from the Transformers brand around 2000, coming out with the video-game based transforming Web Diver series. This was followed by another game-related line that did pretty poorly called Dai Gander, so they went back to Transformers.  


The gimmick is that the main figure, Gradion, is a console video game that can hook up to your TV.  Now in reality, he was a train that transformed into a robot. In robot mode he could hook up to your TV and there was a game built into the toy that would then activate. Most of the smaller figures can interact with Gradion as weapons that attach to Gradion's robot mode.  Whichever weapon was hooked up to Gradion would then appear in the game.  The game kinda sucks and I can't read Japanese, so the instructions are usless.


There were LARGE figures, mid-sized and what we would call deluxe-sized figures in this line. There were also small PVC's, rotocast figures, a playset, a kid-sized transforming sword and a mid-sized non-transforming figure with limited transformation add-on weapons.


I should note that almost all the figures (besides Gradion) had a weapon mode, a vehicle mode and a robot mode. One even had a Headmaster!!! Oh and almost all of them (except the PVC's and the rotocast figures) had light-ups


I will name the figures in the photos and give a brief description.


Here we have: Jagua-on, Shark-on and Griffi-on. Each of these had 3 modes. I do not show the weapon modes here, but you can see them on the lower corner of the boxes.

Here are their respective vehicles.

And here are their robot modes. 6-inches tall.

Here are Phoenic-on and Cerberion.

Standard modes: Please note that Cerberion and Orthrion are Quad-changers in that they each have: a beast mode, a vehicle mode a merged mode and a weapon mode. :o

Here are the vehicle modes for Cerberion and Orthrion.

And here are the robot modes. Note that Cerberion and Orthrion combine to form Golem-on. There are actually 2 different heads for Golem-on but I was too lazy to take another picture! Golem-on is 7 inches tall at the head.

Robot mode: BAD-ASS!!!   A pirate ship!!!   From a dragon?!?!?   COOL!!!

Here is Drag-on. He carries Gradion in vehicle mode. He does not offer any weapons in the game. He has a vehicle mode, robot mode and 2 weapon platform modes. He has a 31.5 inch wingspan. 2 and a half feet of wings!!!. He takes up ALOT of space!!!

Next up is another big guy...Daedalion.


He also does not produce a weapon in game mode. Anyway, this guy is a real treat! He has a MASSIVE robot mode and a cool vehicle mode. He also has a Headmaster!!! He mainly interacts with the next 2 figures I will be showing, as he can cobime with either of them to create new heads, new arms or landing gear for his vehicle mode!!! Oh, and his engine block transforms into a HUGE battle axe!!! :o He is 11 inches tall at his head. A bit more when you include the wings on his back.

Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of Toys I Grew Up With. Maybe you found a new line to search out, and if not I hope you at least learned something. You can see even more detail on Web Diver here at the AFB Forum. You can also click here for a link to more in-depth reviews of the line. 


Also, I’m missing 2 Web Diver toys: Wyverion and the battle station. Sorry I couldn’t  give you a COMPLETE listing but I do try!


Stars


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Don't forget that you can comment on this post to enter the AFB August Comment of the Month Contest - but be quick! Time's running out!


Until next time!

Marvel Select adds Gambit to the X-Men!

If you hang around the AFB Forum at all, you may have picked up that one of our running gags is bagging on the X-Men’s Gambit. I really can’t remember how it started, and I don’t know that any of us seriously have anything against Marvel’s Ragin’ Cajun, but we always get a good humoured rise out of our friend Engineernerd from TV & Film Toys whenever we do - which just encourages the joking! All of that is to say that I’m sure the comments at the Forum on my review of the Marvel Select Gambit Figure will be fun to read!

Gambit started his X-Men career just after I gave up comics for an extended period, and was all over the place when I came back to it. I’ve read many stories which featured Gambit, but I can’t say I’ve ever read a great one. Despite that, he’s a visually striking character and a very significant character in the life of one of my favourite X-Men, Rogue, so I have always been a bit interested in him. I’m seriously regretting not buying the Sideshow Premium Format Gambit now that we know Rogue is coming!

Marvel Select has been producing a good range of X-related characters of late, allowing collectors to do a bit of team building which is a bit unusual for the MS range. We’ve recently had Cyclops, Juggernaut and Magneto, and Colossus is on the way. Gambit is one of the most interesting inclusions yet and gives hope to see some other non A-list characters down the line.

Marvel Select excels at over-sized characters like Abomination and Juggernaut, but sometimes leaves me cold with their regular-sized figures due to a couple of issues with their structure. In particular, the standard-issue ball-jointed hips have been a sticking point with me, as they can make a character’s trunk look too big, as happened with the Captain America (Bucky Barnes) figure. Thankfully, Gambit’s trenchcoat covers some of these sins, and this is assisted by what appears to be a more slender buck with chest articulation to create a look that isn’t overly bulky.

The headsculpt on this figure is really outstanding. It’s very comic accurate and has some brilliant detail. Gambit’s costume is also very nicely sculpted, with nice touches like the edges on his outfit and ridges on his boots being sculpted detail instead of just painted on.

Gambit’s trenchcoat is beautifully sculpted and detailed. It has a lilt in it as though it is flowing in the breeze and some beautiful detail. Part of this detail is achieved by a paint wash to add depth, but there is also a fair bit of customised sculpting in both the wrinkles in the jacket and its trim. It’s an impressive effort. Despite it’s size, the trenchcoat doesn’t keep the figure from standing up and being posed.

If you like accessories, they are present in this pack with great abundance. I sometimes struggle with the normal sized characters being value for money in this line, but Gambit comes with enough different gear that I don’t mind the price.

Weapons-wise, he comes with his staff and several variations of his trademark “charged-up” deck cards - a small set that sits in his hand, and then two “blast” sets that can be used to set up a more dynamic look. The figure also comes with two sets of hands to give more flexibility in creating these different poses.

Gambit comes with a display base which can join together with Cyclops’ base to form a Danger Room backdrop which will grow as further characters are released. This is a great idea and more useful to me than some of the larger bases that are great in theory but impossible for me to use because of the space involved.

It’s great to see the Marvel Select line continue to go from strength to strength, and I’m particularly pleased to see some team building happening in this line at long last. I’m looking forward to Colossus joining the team, and very hopeful to see the likes of Storm, Nightcrawler and others sooner rather than later!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

One week left to win the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man at AFB!

This is just a reminder that there is one week left to enter the "Sing a Song for Stay Puft" Competition!

All the details on how to win our biggest prize yet are here.

Remember - this is NOT a musical competition - any creative entry will do - you just need to tell us why you should be the one to take Mattel's amazing Ghostbusters piece home!

Get creative - and you might be the one to get Stay Puft!

Time is running out! Give Club Infinite Earths a chance!

This is just a final plug to encourage fans of DC Comics characters and related toys to consider signing up for the Club Infinite Earths DC Universe Classic Subscription and save the DCUC line! 


There are many valid reservations and criticisms of the approach Mattel has taken to this project. I've read them all and I understand them. Could the  selection of figures currently announced be better, especially for classic comics fans? Yes. Is it a big ask to sign up without knowing what direction the line is going to take? Yes. Could the whole thing have been handled better? Certainly.


For me, though, it comes down to this: I love the DC Universe. I love the glimpses that Mattel has given us into toy versions of the classic DC Universe, and Mattel has made it clear that if we want that to continue, Club Infinite Earths is the way to do it. Obviously this would be an easier pill to swallow if we knew that characters to complete the Doom Patrol and Metal Man were on the way, but we have been told that if we want these characters, this is the only way we'll see them. 


I am prepared to put some faith in the Four Horseman and take a punt on this line. Masters of the Universe fans will know the nooks and crannies of the MOTU Universe that Club Eternia has allowed Mattel to explore, and the DCU is such a bigger world - the possibilities are endless! 


One of the silliest arguments I have heard against the sub is along the lines of "DCUC won't go away forever. There will always be DC Action Figure lines." Sure, but if DCUC dies, do we really expect to see characters like Mento or Platinum in the first waves of whatever ultimately takes it's place? I don't think so. DCUC remains the best chance to see these characters come to life and finally complete these teams. 


There are plenty of great articles out there with examples of what we could see and why the sub needs to go ahead - click here for a great article from VeeBee at the Fwoosh as an example. 


The sign up closes very soon depending on your time zone. Click here to buy your subscription and give Mattel and the Four Horsemen a chance to run wild with the DC Universe!


Have you signed up? Have something to say? Comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!


Until next time!

Kotobukiya adds Colossus to the Danger Room Statue Series

Colossus of the X-Men is a favourite character of mine, and one for whom I’m prepared to break my normal limits per character for statues and the like. I am enjoying the Kotobukiya X-Men Danger Room Statue Series, and when I saw that Colossus was having his turn, it was an easy decision to place an order!

I own the Bowen Museum Pose Colossus statue, which is a brilliant piece which sits very well amongst the other classic Bowen X-Men pieces. The reason that this statue appealed to me was the fantastic action pose. Colossus is shown here with his fists raised in the air, ready to smash something to bits. It’s a very dynamic look and the kind of piece that Kotobukiya seems to be able to produce for a more reasonable price than some of its competitors.

One of the things that Kotobukiya does quite well is swap-out heads with different expressions, and the choices here are both great. It's something that I'd love to see become more of a standard in pieces from other companies as it gives the collector options and also recognises the significant investment we make in pieces like this.

Both of Colossus' expressions are serious with furrowed brows, but one is a determined expression with a closed mouth while the other has Colossus gritting his teeth and looking fierce. I’ve gone with the fierce expression just because it’s something different in my display.

The base is a pile of smashed Sentinel parts which sit atop a round silver disc that matches the other pieces in the line. Unlike the Psylocke Statue which I reviewed here, this base doesn’t have any light up features. It’s a compact base which suits the rather large statue it supports.

I really only have one criticism of this piece, and that’s the way that Colossus’ mutant metal plating is depicted. The ridges between the plates are actually sculpted, but for some reason they look painted on. I think there is some black edging involved that creates the painted look. The other factor may be that the lines are a bit close together, especially around the ribs.

That’s a minor niggle for what really is a very enjoyable statue. The very nature of the pose makes it something different for the collection, and the swap out heads are a real bonus. The reasonable price point compared to similarly sized and posed statues from other producers makes this a piece worth considering.

This series is developing in fits in starts, with a few releases but also cancellations of some announced pieces like Rogue and Sabretooth. I hope that we eventually get a decent team set to fill the Danger Room, because this is a very enjoyable series that deserves it!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

Mattycollector Update: All 2012 Subs ship together!

In a pretty clear an attempt to try to get Club Infinite Earths over the line, Mattel has announced that from Feb 2012 all subs will ship together, which means that you can add Club Infinite Earths *or* any other sub now and get combined shipping. 


While it seems like this would have been common sense practice anyway, it's definitely good news! I had to make two separate orders due to a website glitch when the subscriptions first opened and exchanged several futile emails with Digital River trying to get them combined. While it would have been nice to have been saved all of that frustration, it's great to see a good outcome come about. 


Here's the full text of Mattel's announcement, and you can check out all the details here at Mattycollector.com


The time's never been better to get on board Club Infinite Earths and save DC Universe Classics!


"Toy Fans,

We heard your requests loud and clear, and we have BIG news! We've just confirmed that all 2012 subscriptions will ship together, regardless of when they were ordered, as long as they are for the same customer ID number and going to the same address!

There is one important caveat: the first month that any of your subscription orders ship, subscriptions not purchased together will not ship together (estimated January for Club Eternia®, March for Club Ecto-1 and Club Lion Force, and April for DC Universe Club Infinite Earths*). The second time your subscription ships (essentially the monthly renewal), all of your subscriptions will ship together to the same address (estimated February for Club Eternia, April for Club Ecto-1, May for Club Lion Force and DC Universe Club Infinite Earths). This only applies to subscriptions that were not purchased together. All subscriptions that are purchased in the same transaction will ship together the first month as promised.

Even better, if we go forward with the add-on subscription for MOTUC 30th anniversary figures we’ve previously mentioned, the combined shipping will apply to that as well! That means any club subscriptions you order at any time before 8/22 will ship together and if you purchase the possible MOTUC 30th anniversary subscription, those figures will ship right along with your club subscriptions. We should be able to confirm this subscription at Power-Con™ next month!

So where does that leave us for 2012? Let's see… MOTUC Club Eternia® has Shadow Weaver, our very first Filmation character, and we're celebrating the 30th anniversary all year long. Ghostbusters™ Club Ecto-1 has the first-ever, fan-demanded Dana. With Voltron® Club Lion Force, you get the 5 lions you need to build the epic-scale 23" Voltron. AndDC Universe Club Infinite Earths features true collector figures you won't find at retail and, for the first time, we're letting fans choose the club-exclusive figure -- which, by the way, will be oversized!

With truly amazing lineups for every club and combined shipping for all subscriptions no matter when they're ordered, the 2012 subscriptions will deliver everything serious collectors could ask for and more. So don't wait – the sale ends Monday, August 22nd at 11:59 p.m. PT so click here to order today!

—Matty"

NEWS: Voltron / Club Lion Update from Mattel

AFB has been contacted by the Brand Manager of the Voltron line for Mattel with some added information in response to our question about Club Lion in yesterday's Ask Matty Q & A


She says:


"Thanks for your interest in the Voltron line!


I wanted to send in an update to the Voltron question that was posted for Aug 15th:


Q) The new Club Lion subscription is exciting, but $15 for the 3 3/4" pilot figures seems a bit steep. What's the rationale behind this pricing?


A) Also, don't forget you're getting more than just the 3 3/4" pilot figure.  Each pilot figure comes with:

• the extra helmet head (so you can switch the pilots  between their “helmet” looks and their “hair” looks)
• the key that opens the cockpits of the lions and also acts as a display base for the pilot figure
• a piece of the Collect-and-Connect Ultra Blazing Sword so that when you collect all five pilot figures (Keith, Allura, Lance, Pidge, Hunk), you also get all the pieces to create the Ultra Blazing Sword

Thanks for the support!"


We're very appreciative of this update, which does make the cost of the individual pilot figures much easier to understand. It's going to be an exciting year for Club Lion!


You can discuss this in the AFB Matty Q&A Thread at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!


Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for August 15 2011!

AFB is very excited to have joined Mattel’s “Ask Matty” program. We now have our first set of answers! These questions cover DCUC, JLU, WWE, Voltron and some Digital River issues. Read on and enjoy!
____________________________________________________________________________

Q:    As the single figures from the Club Infinite Earths subscription won't include a Connect and Collect piece, will there be scope to include an increased range of accessories in order to justify the cost of the individual toys?


A: When a figure calls for it, accessories will be added. One of the reasons for the higher cost of figures online is due to the much lower production run. But it is still our best way of getting more obscure collector friendly figures out to hard core fans!


Q: Some international Mattycollector shoppers have been disappointed by the use of the new padded mailer bags for shipping MOTUC toys. These bags don't hold up to international shipping and items have arrived dented and creased. Is there any plan to review the use of the padded mailer bags?


A: This was a test run and we actually stopped using these bags due to customer disinterest.
 

Q: The new Club Lion subscription is exciting, but $15 for the 3 3/4" pilot figures seems a bit steep. What's the rationale behind this pricing?


A: Low production runs result in higher prices. When we do a small production run (matching the subscription number plus a small extra amount for day of sales) we are charged a high premium by our vendor. This cost is then passed along to the customer. Most items offered on Mattycollector.com are well below Mattel’s company min order quota (MOQ) which is why they cost more to produce and therefore more to buy. But it is still the best option for getting collector requested figure to market.  


Q: The JLU 7 pack that was announced in SDCC looks awesome, yet, we were told that this seven pack will complete all members of the Justice League. Johnny Thunder, Thunderbolt and Dr. Mid-Nite are all great figures, but these characters are more related to the JSA than the JLA. Figures like Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) and Guy Gardner were not shown Since these two core characters were missing and we were promised a complete Justice League by the end of the line, are we going to ever be able to finish the JLA members (and more specifically JLI)?


A: The JLU pack is intended to finish off the “in show” members of the JLU, not the comic book version of the teams. (and it does just that!)


Q: WWE - Are there plans to release accessories, like a steel cage, for the Elite Scale Ring as a Matty Collector exclusive?  I'm sure there are enough owners of the ESR to justify a small production run.  And yes, the people who constantly ask for stuff like this know we'd be paying a premium for it.


A: This is indeed something we are always looking into but nothing to announce quite yet. We know there is a lot of fan demand!


Discuss these answers here at the AFB Forum!


You can also add questions for future “Ask Matty” round here.


Enjoy, and of course you can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!


Until next time!

Win the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in AFB's amazing new Contest!

I often explain the excitement that surrounds the San Diego Comic-Con for those of use who engage in the various forms of geekery celebrated there by saying “It’s one of my people’s religious festivals.” It’s a time of great excitement, and for we toy collectors it’s also a time of great avarice as we drool over newly announced collectibles and scrabble for the various exclusive pieces on offer.

As has become a tradition here at AFB, I like to use this time as a time to give something back, and this year we’re offering the biggest prize we’ve ever had - the Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! Stay Puft comes in at a whopping 20 inches tall, and the winner of this competition will receive him in his carry case which converts to a diorama for display. It’s a great prize!!

I’m sure everyone will understand that a prize as big as this one will require some effort to win, and we are looking forward to some great entries in what we’re calling “Sing a Song for Stay Puft”. Basically, we’re looking for the person who can explain why they want to win Stay Puft in most creative and entertaining way.

Your “song” for Stay Puft doesn’t have to be musical - I just chose that title because it was allterative. You could present your entry as:

• a comic / comic strip
• a video
• an animation
• something else entirely different

Whatever it is, it needs to communicate exactly why you want Stay Puft and why you should be the winner. It also needs to be kept moderately safe for work - we aim to be a family friendly site, after all!

The winner will be judged by the Admins of the AFB Forum - fishmilkshake, dozymuppet and FB. There *may* also be some smaller prizes on offer for honourable mentions if the standard is good enough!

The prize or prizes will be sent to the winner from Australia. If the prize is going overseas, it will be sent by first class international mail. The winner may choose to add their own funds for express shipping and or insurance if desired.

Entries will be submitted via the AFB Forum - new members are very welcome to register and enter, but we do ask that you have a minimum post count of 10 by the time the competition closes.

Since we’re expecting big things, we’re going to give a decent time frame for people to prepare their entries. The competition will be open for three weeks and will close at 11:59PM GMT+10 on Sunday 4th September 2011.

You can discuss the competition in the Sing a Song for Stay Puft discussion thread at the AFB Forum.

You can submit your entries at the Sing a Song for Stay Puft Official Entry Thread at the AFB Forum.

The winning entries will be announced and featured here at the blog.

Let’s get creative! Looking forward to your entries!

New MOTUC Figures send AFB to the search engines!

The Masters of the Universe Classics releases I’m looking at tonight are a bit of a mixed bag. The Faceless One and Battleground Teela are both fine additions to the MOTUC line, and they have two things in common apart from being released in the same month: 1) They both made me do some research and 2) Neither are likely to find their way to the front of my display.

The Faceless One is one of those MOTUC characters that I had to do some research on, as I hadn’t heard of him before. I don’t mind this aspect of the MOTUC subscription – it’s fun to discover new aspects of the MOTU Universe, be they aspects of the original Masters world, or clever additions from Mattel. In this instance, the revelation (to me) that The Faceless one is actually the father of Evil-Lyn was pretty cool, and put aside any thoughts I might have had about not keeping this particular subscription figure.

From the solicit photos, I thought this was going to be a rather plain looking figure. While The Faceless One’s headsculpt unsurprisingly lacks detail, there is still a fair bit happening here - most prominently his very detailed cape, which incorporates a hood, two tones of colour and shoulder pads that would make Joan Collins green with envy. It’s a removable piece which allows you to appreciate the detail underneath.

The Faceless one comes with a staff, called “The Havoc Staff” and a gem called “The Ram Stone”. These are notable accessories simply because they’re unique to the line. The amount of effort that has gone in to this figure certainly helps justify this character’s place in the line. He’ll be in the back row of one of my MOTUC shelves, but I do feel like he’s earned his space in the collection.

Battleground Teela is another character that led me to research. I’ve learned enough about the way Mattel is managing this line to know that you can usually count on there being a story behind the releases that seem odd, and this one certainly did for a few reasons. Teela, of course, is a major character in the MOTUC Universe, and this is a reasonable variant which will match others in the pipeline, such as a Battleground Evil-Lyn figure which has been previewed.

The particular issue that led me to the Google Machine was trying to work out why Teela has blonde hair in this incarnation. I was pretty stumped as to why she wasn’t sporting her trademark red locks. Thanks to my friend Daniel at It’s All True, I found this great article on “Blonde Bikini Teela”, and found that this look has its origins in a 1982 DC Comics series that showed some different designs for the He-Man characters. Some of the elements of this comic were adapted for the Filmation animated series, but this look for Teela remains unique to those particular comics.

Even though this bit of MOTU history doesn’t resonate with me personally, I loved finding this out, and it really makes this figure make sense. I love the little “nods” that Mattel makes to the history of these characters through toys like this. I also like the bio that Mattel has created for this version. It doesn’t however, make the blonde hair make sense. I think Mattel could have paid an homage to the legend of this early Teela version without using the blonde hair, and thus integrated this figure a bit better into the new MOTUC legend.

Hair colour aside, the main issue I have with this version of Teela is her facial expression. When I hear “Battleground”, I’m expecting something a bit savage or intense, but what end up with is a stock standard neutral visage. It looks fine, but lacks the edge that I’d like to have seen to really make this figure stand out.

Apart from that issue, this is a very nicely sculpted figure. Teela also has two accessories which include a ray gun that adds a slightly different element to the array of MOTUC ascessories, especially for the ladies. There are some great poses that can be done both with her gun and sword - I just wish that she had a facial expression to back it up.

All up, there are two figures which, while they may not make it to the front of the display, certainly add depth to the MOTUC collection. If nothing else,I definitely enjoyed learning more about the Masters of the Universe legend while researching this post!

You can see more pics at Facebook, discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

Welcome our new Australian sponsor: Popcultcha SupaStore!

AFB is proud to welcome Popcultcha SupaStore as a new sponsor!

I love the global aspect  of our collecting community, but having made Australia my home means I have special place in my heart for the Land Down Under, and this new AFB sponsor announcement is something special for AFB’s Aussie readers and our New Zealand friends.

www.popcultcha.com is Australia's largest on-line Action Figure and Collectables store servicing the Australian and New Zealand territories. If you’re a fan of products from Hot Toys, Sideshow, NECA, McFarlane, Square Enix, Mezco, Funko, KidRobot and many, many more, Popcultcha has your number!

I discovered Popcultcha earlier this year when I was trying to hunt down a local source for the Sideshow Silver Surfer Comiquette. It’s a piece I’ve really coveted, but it also comes in a box big enough to house the average family, so there is no way I’d entertain trying to pay international shipping for it! I found it on the Popcultcha website, AND discovered something just as exciting, and that’s Popcultcha’s shipping policy.

Popcultcha’s on-line store services Australia with free shipping on all orders over $100 and a capped flat shipping fee of $6 for all orders under $100.

Needless to say, I placed my order! I’m lucky to live a pleasant drive away from Popcultcha’s shopfront in Geelong, Victoria, and so I decided that I needed to pick up my Silver Surfer in person just to see the place, and I am so glad I visited. I’ve never seen more Sideshow and Hot Toys pieces on display in once place in Australia! It really is an amazing place if you ever get the chance to visit.

It’s great to be in a position to add sponsors to the site, but I am only interested in supporting retailers that I have had positive personal experience with. Since purchasing my Silver Surfer, Popcultcha has been helping me develop the beginnings of my Hot Toys collection without breaking the bank. The opportunity to not only avoid international shipping costs, but receive free shipping on these items (any order over $100) means that I’ve come out well ahead of what I would through an overseas purchase.

If you live in Australia or New Zealand and collect anything from the list above, you need to have a look at Popcultcha’s online store. You can also follow their news feed at their Facebook page.

I’ll also be bringing you occasional updates of new products in stock at Popcultcha. Here’s their latest Hot Toys arrivals!

Odin http://www.popcultcha.com.au/thor-inch-odin-toys-figure-2011-movie-p-7093.html

Thor http://www.popcultcha.com.au/thor-inch-thor-toys-action-figure-2011-movie-p-6790.html

Kevin Flynn http://www.popcultcha.com.au/tron-legacy-kevin-flynn-inch-toys-figure-p-7106.html

Bruce Lee 70's Business Suit http://www.popcultcha.com.au/bruce-7039s-business-suit-action-figure-toys-p-7092.html

Please give Popcultcha a hearty AFB welcome!