I was chatting with some of the guys about taking pictures of action figures – a hobby near and dear to my heart, in case you hadn’t noticed. We got onto the subject of backgrounds. I’ve used plain dark backgrounds for dramatic lighting and plain light backgrounds to highlight the figures. And there’s guys like Sandman, who build elaborate sets for his photo shoots – see Sandman’s recent pictorial reviews for some mind-blowing shots.
There’s another type of background – the photo backdrop. A simple photo backdrop can provide the effect of a three-dimensional environment without having to build one. That’s the subject of this how-to article.
In AFP’s Border Patrol, we scour active eBay auctions for customized action figures that you won’t want to let slip by!
Marvel Legends Rhino – the auction for this Rhino ends today, so don’t miss out – check out the texture on the Rhino hide! – ends Feb 23, 2010 19:01:14 PST
Sound the trumpets, Marvel faithful! It is time for the most epic series of athletic contests, the most anticipated event of the year, the most celebrated spectacle in all the Marvel Universe–the 2010 Marvel Winter Games!
With all the activity going on at Toy Fair, we’ve missed the Marvel team’s send-up of the Olympic games. Who better to cover the games than M.O.D.O.K. and the Gremlin?
Our coverage of the 2010 Marvel Winter Games begins with the spectacular opening ceremonies, including the lighting of the torch, an introduction to the events, a look at some of the athletes and countires competing, and some hype from your happy hosts M.O.D.O.K. and Gremlin.
Watch Day 1: Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Marvel Winter Games:
The Hasbro Collector Briefing was earlier today, and in the second part of the Marvel update, I’ll be covering Marvel Universe. The mantra this year is “more figures, more fun, and more exclusives” and the team wants to keep the line “collector cool with kid appeal.” Keeping in lockstep with events in Marvel Comics, the packaging theme this year is Norman Osborne’s HAMMER Files, with packaging art by Mike Deodato.
It’s a short clip, but I’m looking forward to what the crew at Marvel comes up with next week!
Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! To Cover Winter Games!
Watch the all-new promo for upcoming Winter Games coverage premiering February 12!
As the world turns its eyes and hearts toward Vancouver for this year’s Winter Games, the question on every True Believers’ mind remains, how will Marvel’s most agile athletes fare in all of that slipping, sliding and skullduggery?
Luckily, “Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?!” has the answers! Check out the all-new Winter Games promo right here!
Then, beginning Friday, February 12 stay tuned to Marvel.com and YouTube.com/Marvel throughout the Winter Games for regular updates brought to you like only “Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?!” can!
Another timely MSH: What The–?! short from the guys at Marvel – the Hood custom looks just like the one shown at the Hasbro booth at San Diego Comic-Con last year, and I admit I would like a figure of the Iron Patriot with an interchangeable Norman Osborne head.
Check out a short but special “Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! ” SIEGE Promo featuring the Cabal!
With the weight of the past few months hanging over him, why has Norman Osborn gathered his Cabal of The Hood, Loki and Taskmaster together in Avengers Tower for an ominous meeting? We’re not sure, but we do know this Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! Siege promo has nothing to do with reality and everything to do with hilarity!
I promised you a break from all the Mattel goodness that’s going on right now. You may recall that a couple of weeks ago test shots for the 6-inch versions of Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man were on auction on eBay. Turns out that Fwoosher worldwar_hulk won a set of these test shots, and has sent along a huge number of pics. You may notice a Marvel Legends 2-pack Iron Man in one of the group shots – you can see more of that gold Iron Man repaint in worldwar_hulk’s Fwoosh customs thread.
We first saw these figures as images as part of Hasbro’s Marvel presentation at Toy Fair last year, and were crushed when Hasbro pulled them from their display booth prior to the start of San Diego Comic-Con last July. I am hopeful that since these have had tools made, we’ll eventually get them on our shelves.
As you may know, I’m part of the crew at TheFwoosh.com, and at this time of the year we like to look at the past year’s best action figures. In the Fwoosh Best Of, we usually get to pick just one figure, but this year, I got two, when Tenbones got hit with a data extraction job involving you taxpayer dollars at work on New Years Eve. Poor guy!
My two picks were the Marvel Legends Iron Man (original review), which I had horse-traded to Tenbones, and the Marvel Mighty Muggs Logan (original review). I’m pretty sure it’s not group think in action, but this year I could have picked almost any of the figures in The Fwoosh Staff Best of 2009.
Marvel Legends Iron Man
If the retail channel hadn’t been bogged down with the older, not quite as good Marvel Legends 2-packs, this may have been my pick for Best of ‘08. This classic Iron Man, sculpted by Gentle Giant, did eventually come out, and it was worth the wait.
The figure surpasses its predecessor from Marvel Legends Series 1 with its improved proportions, updated articulation, candy apple red paint job, and an interchangeable Tony Stark head that lets you pose him unmasked with his helmet held in his hand. It looks and moves like it’s channeling Bob Layton himself. Iron Man, and the rest of the figures in his assortment of 2-packs, makes me wonder how Marvel Legends would be doing if Hasbro had led with this level of quality.
Marvel Mighty Muggs Logan
Yeah, that’s right – Marvel Mighty Muggs Logan. You got a problem with that, bub? And no, this isn’t because I picked last and everyone had already picked the figures I would have picked. Let’s just say that some of the guys were whiny (you know who you are!) and I’m just a nice guy.
Not like Logan here. He’s mean through and through. He’s got the steely glint of a natural born killer in his eyes, and he’ll run you through with his adamantium claws faster than you can say “Jean Grey was a hoooooooer!” His hat is removable, and can be positioned sideways for the “I’m prospecting for gold in the Canadian Rockies” look, tilted down over his eyes for the “I’m napping here, quit buggin me Jubes” look, or just cocked a bit to the side for the “I will decapitate you for mentioning how cute I am” look.
He’s a killer who’s also cuddly and cute – and definitely the best Mighty Mugg that Hasbro has made to date.
