Search found 60 matches for Phicen

Clothing TBLeague (formerly Phicen) seamless bodies in any scale and of any sex is always a challenge to some extent, but probably nowhere more so than with the twelfth scale male seamless bodies. Whereas there is a greater choice of female clothing and accessories in that scale, high-end twelfth scale male figures and the corresponding clothing and accessories are harder to find. Recently a few companies, most notably Mezco One:12 Collective and DAM Toys have begun to put out such product that can provide some of these parts. But they tend to be few, pricey, and often overly specific; moreover, there are consistency issues in terms of scale between products and brands.

TBLeague has thankfully made a (tiny) first step in the right direction, by reintroducing the most minimal of clothing for their female and male twelfth-scale figures (essentially equivalent to underwear or bathing suits). But unless one is making a twelfth-scale beach or bedroom scene, that is hardly going to be enough. Apart from trying to use pieces from other companies' twelfth-scale sets, there is now another, slightly more ambitious step in the right direction, by Toy Center. Toy Center produced three sets of basic athletic clothing, specifically advertised as fitting the TBLeague twelfth-scale male figures. I picked up two of these sets (which vary only in color choice), CEN-S04B and CEN-S04C. You can find them, for example, HERE.



Each set contains three items: underwear, athletic shorts, and a "wife beater" top.



The underwear is perhaps what can be described as boxers or boxer briefs, slightly more covering than the black underwear that was already provided with TBLeague's twelfth-scale male figures. Unless you are looking for that specific look, herein lies the problem... or rather missed opportunity. Since these figures already came with underwear, and since that area was going to be covered by the shorts anyway, the underwear is redundant and basically unnecessary. I think it would have been far more worthwhile to include a set of twelfth-scale athletic shoes instead, to go with the rest of the outfit. I tried looking for some online, unsuccessfully. Nothing wrong with the Toy Center underwear -- though it is as simple as one might expect it to be in this scale, and it can be somewhat difficult to fit especially on the larger TBLeague twelfth-scale body -- it is just not all that useful.



Each set comes with black athletic shorts with white stripes on the sides. These look pretty good, including the elastic waist area. The white stripes are sown only at the top and bottom, but for the most part that is not noticeable.



Finally, the "wife beater" top, which is colored to match the underwear. While it is fairly simple, it works quite well, being elastic enough to fit onto the body and then reveal the underlying musculature. I suppose that's a definite win in the world of athletics and body building.



Given the relatively light and skimpy character of the clothing sets, it should be no surprise that they do not stand in the way of the articulation. But it's still nice that they don't.



Overall, while I am not necessarily wowed by these sets, I'm pleased that they work as intended, and give us a slightly more dressed look for the TBLeague twelfth-scale males. I am also happy to report that the black shorts did not stain the body, nor did the body or the clothing sustain any damage in the process of putting it on and taking it off. I do wish they had provided shoes (perhaps instead of the redundant underwear). As for more ambitious clothing, that would be great, although I realize that this could be left to more conventional hard-plastic visible-jointed bodies. Nevertheless, there are some good news: Toy Center is coming up with another three sets, this time including jeans and shoes. See for example HERE.

Hope you found this informative, useful, and maybe amusing.

For a review of the TBLeague twelfth-scale bodies, you can check HERE and HERE.

#toycenter #clothing #male #twelfthscale #tbleague #phicen

INTRODUCTION

Since the subjects of different body types, heights, care, precautions, etc. keep coming up when it comes to TBLeague's / Phicen's super-flexible seamless bodies with steel internal skeletons, and since the information provided is scattered across a dozen topics in various states of completeness or relevance, I decided to start a thread that tries to assemble everything we need to know as a central area of reference for these bodies.

This catalog is limited to TBLeague / Phicen super-flexible seamless bodies with steel internal skeletons and TPE skin/flesh (note that while TBLeague's advertising listed the material as silicon, a company spokeswoman has confirmed it is in fact TPE -- HERE; it does appear to have slightly different properties from the TPE used in Jiaou Doll seamless action figure bodies). Information in the notes below has been updated accordingly, but keep in mind this correction when accessing other pages and information.

This page was created at a time when the company in question was officially called TBLeague. It has since resumed the name Phicen. Both names refer to the same company and the naming has not been updated in references below.

The plan is to start with a basic image guide (arranged alphabetically by model name/number), accompanied with basic information and links to reviews or other posts, then follow with some basic information as to care, clothing, etc.

I'm starting with items from my collection, but I certainly do not own every body type, so I'm inviting those of you who have versions I'm missing to submit similar images for inclusion -- of course you will be credited accordingly. Please submit such images, information, or suggestions below.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Part I: Male Bodies (Post 2 below)
Part II: Female Bodies (Post 3 below)
Part III: Skintone (Post 4 below)
Part IV: Body Type (Post 5 below)
Part V: Care and Maintenance (Post 6 below)
Part VI: Clothing (Post 7 below)
Part VII: Customizing (Post 8 below)
Part VIII: Stainless Steel Skeleton and Articulation (Post 9 below)

#phicen #tbleague #seamless #steel #body #male #female #reference

For Part II (NSFW?), see Post 12 below.
For Part III, see Post 35 below.

The experimentation continues...

For the custom figure itself, see here:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2773-star-wars-darth-maul-custom-updated-with-part-iii-photo-heavy

For the painting part, see here, post 205:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t260p164-painting-seamless-bodies-updated-april-2020#36579

Part I: Encounters in the Desert I

In recent news from Hollywood, a small set of previously unknown Star Wars scenes and corresponding portions of scripts have been leaked. The first of these appears to take place on an unidentified desert planet where Obi-Wan Kenobi has retired for a life of peaceful contemplation, until his serenity was rudely interrupted by the appearance of Darth Maul...















For Part II (NSFW?), see Post 12 below -- actually a "prequel" to this scene .
For Part III, see Post 35 below.

#starwars #darthmaul #obiwankenobi #benkenobi #satire #humor #scifi #hottoys #tbleague #phicen #seamless #custom #m30

Part I Maul 1.0
Part II in Post 15 below; Part III in Post 27 below.; Part IV (Maul 2.0) in Post 39 below; Part V (Maul 3.0) in Post 54 below

For the Further Adventures of Darth Maul, please see HERE.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm no Maul fanboy. Yes, he has a striking look, but if you think about it, it is as trite and silly as "Wolf Man" or "Devil Man" from the Mos Eisley Cantina. Yes, he was a cooler and more compelling villain than his replacement (and his even sillier name). But he seems to me almost as overrated as Boba Fett, and I haven't gotten into the animated series enough to appreciate the later additions to his story, and his appearance in Solo, while less cringe-worthy than the rest of that entire film (ok, hyperbole), didn't do much for me. Perhaps I lack imagination. Perhaps I only really like the Original Trilogy...

The point is, this one was very much one of those "can it be done?" customs. I had picked up many of the parted-out Darth Maul pieces from the HT set (it was too well done to resist), and I had long experimented with painting TBLeague seamless bodies. I was also inspired by a very cool Kotobukiya statue of Maul. And some fan art, although I've got to say, I ran across some pretty curious things out there (apparently devil boy has become a bit of a sex symbol obsession for some people... to each their own...). The current "canon" is that Maul is basically red-skinned, with black Sith or Dathomirian tattoos; I prefer thinking of them as war paint, which might account why they vary from image to image (apart from parts of this never having been shown in a licensed image -- even the Kotobukiya statue that was my main inspiration is probably less than canonical), and have treated them as such. Anyway, with most of the pieces finally here, although I realized too late some things were still missing or unfinished, here is the first set of images from this custom.



















Hope you liked it or found it amusing...

Part II in Post 15 below; Part III in Post 27 below.; Part IV (Maul 2.0) in Post 39 below; Part V (Maul 3.0) in Post 54 below

For the Further Adventures of Darth Maul, please see HERE.

#starwars #darthmaul #custom #phicen #tbleague

Introduction
TBLeague (formerly Phicen) has recently released its second 1/12 scale female seamless body (that is not part of a boxed set per se), and made it available in pale (T03A) and suntan (T03B) versions. The present review is focused on T03B, with a partial comparison to the previously released T01B. I've already reviewed the male figures HERE.



Packaging - 4/4 stars
Something I really liked about TBLeague's 1/12 figure packaging is how compact it was, in relatively small and sturdy plastic boxes with foam sheets to secure everything inside. This is still the case, except that the box is significantly larger than those that came with their previous 1/12 bodies. This is due mostly to the inclusion of additional items, most notably the base/stand, although I wonder whether a more compact package might not have been attainable. Still, the box and its several layers of foam keep everything snug and collector friendly. The instruction/warning sheet ("introduction") is located all the way at the bottom, beneath the last layer of foam.



Sculpting - 4/4 stars
T03B (and its paler counterpart T03A) stands just over 5.5 in (14 cm) tall, which is a little bit shorter than its predecessor T01B, which was about 5.75 in (15 cm) tall. T03B sports a more curvaceous body type and generally looks even better proportioned than its predecessor. The sculpting is very good and precise, something remarkably given the scale and silicone material. The same is true for the head sculpt, which looks much better than the rather bland and anime sculpt that came with T01B -- or it would, if had been professionally painted, but more on that below.



Paint - 1/4 stars
The silicone body and the harder plastic hands and feet, as well as the head sculpt, are given an even female suntan color. This is very good in itself, and as usual notably lighter than the male suntan (compare T03B to TM01A and TM02A). If there is any special coloring on the nipples and "secret woman parts," it is so subtle that I'm not sure I can really tell it is there. But what really hurts this category is the unpainted head sculpt. If they are going to include a head sculpt (and reflect that in the pricing), they ought to paint it, as they have done beautifully before for their boxed sets (I'm using one of them for the T01B body, but even the bland anime head that came with was given a nicely executed precise paint job). Paint a 1/6-scale head well is challenge enough, but doing that to a 1/12-head is almost a cruel joke. I can't claim to have done very well with it, but it gets the job done and is reversible (I didn't seal the acrylics and can easily scrape them off and start again). There are a couple of silver linings -- the basic color of the harder plastic head (and hair pieces) matches the body and the hands and feet, so you do not have to worry about matching the skin tone; and the hair pieces come off, allowing you to paint them thoroughly, and to expose the face completely so that you could paint it more easily (in relative terms).



Articulation - 3/4 stars
Like its predecessor and its male counterparts, T03B is remarkably well articulated for its size, but less well articulated than its 1/6-scale counterparts. That is not surprising in itself, but it can be disappointing, especially in relation to the apparent inability to achieve normal inwards motion with the lower arms. The instruction sheet claims otherwise, and you can get part way there by adjusting the arms from the shoulders, but it is not quite as effective. This is an issue with all TBLeague 1/12-scale bodies. Part of the answer may be provided by the diagram included in the "introduction" (instructions/warning) sheet, which shows that the body's active joints (in fact it makes me wonder whether there is a full stainless steel skeleton in there). You can see it in the photo under the "Things to watch out for" category.



Accessories - 3/4 stars
T03B comes with pairs of relaxed hands and flat feet attached, plus knife grip and pistol grip hands, as well as heel feet for swapping. Why there isn't a pair of first I don't know. There is also a stand, which constitutes a fine but pretty plain metal (?) circular base to which you can attach an adjustable bendable segmented rod with an adjustable clamp at the end. It is nice, but you can usually get the figure to stand on its own without too much trouble.



Outfit - 3/4 stars
This is a basic body and the inclusion of any outfit should be considered an option, a bonus of sorts. And so it is, but perhaps because of the greater scarcity of 1/12-scale garments that might fit, TBLeague has included at least some minimal clothing for all its 1/12-scale bodies so far. This is no exception, but whereas earlier sets included clothing made of cloth, T03B comes with clothing made of soft, stretchy plastic. This includes a two-piece bathing suit (red in this set, yellow with the pale T03A set), with matching wrist and ankle bands (which would help hide the joints between the seamless body and the removable hands and feet, but generally look a little silly). I'm not sure I'm loving this choice, but the pieces definitely look better cut and tailored than the cloth garments that came with T01B.



Fun Factor - 3/4 stars
With another female and two male seamless bodies in this scale already out there, the new release by TBLeague has natural playmates for your shelf or scene. The unpainted head sculpt and slightly restricted articulation (lower arms) are annoyances, but this is still a good figure that lends itself to customization -- you might have plans to use another head anyway. Finding clothing (especially clothing that will fit well) in this scale would be a bigger challenge than in 1/6 scale, and to some extent the same may be true for accessories and diorama pieces.



Value - 2/4 stars
Retailing at about $40 (USD), this is not a cheap base body, but then again it is seamless, very poseable, and has at least basic clothing (even if made of stretchy plastic), as well as a stand. Yet, we paid the same price for its predecessors, and although they did not come with a stand, they had finely painted head sculpts (whether we liked them or not) and actual cloth for the items of clothing. I don't know about you, but I would have preferred that over the stand.



Things to watch out for
Not a whole lot. Do heat up the hands and feet before swapping, and take care to not overstretch or twist the thinner parts of the stretchy plastic outfit. It might not snap very easily, but it might stretch out of shape and look off if you overdo it. I would also be careful when trying to achieve inward motion for the lower arms -- avoid forcing it, lest something snaps. Do check out the "introduction" (instruction/warning) leaflet at the very bottom of the box under all the foam layers.



Overall - 3/4 stars
TBLeague has produced another well articulated and attractive product in this small scale. It is not perfect and not as good as its 1/6-scale counterparts, but it is likely to take care of your seamless needs in 1/12 scale just fine -- for female figures anyway (these are more complete than the male sets). My only real disappointments here are the unpainted head sculpt (which is otherwise very nice) and the continued limited articulation of the lower arms.



Where to buy?
(NOTE: some of these are currently on Pre-Order)

Big Bad Toy Store for $40 (pale version HERE)

Cotswold Collectibles for $45 (pale version HERE)

Monkey Depot for $45

Timewalker Toys for $44 (pale version HERE)

I hope this has been helpful. What do you think?

#female #seamless #body #twelfth #scale #tbleague #phicen

Updated with M32 body in Post 9 below

The TBLeague Anubis set advertised last fall was released recently. For all the problems I had with it from a historical/cultural and artistic point of view (and these matter to me), it was still very impressive and I couldn't resist picking up several of the parted out parts. And when I say several, I suppose I really should have just bought the set...

The product -- from what I have to judge -- looks very much like the prototype photos used by the company. It has all the advantages (seamless body, glorious details) and disadvantages (overly fantastical, even when there is plenty of reality to emulate) of being made by TBLeague. The head seems slightly undersized, especially on this neck, although it is very nicely sculpted, in a manner that is at once reminiscent of Egyptian art and more realistic. He suffers from a surfeit of piercings (something markedly un-Egyptian) and the style of his accessories and clothing is streamlined enough to look more at home with Stargate than in ancient Egypt. The body is far too muscular (for an alternative, more "realistic" look see the photo in Post 9 below), and in general the look has more to do with macabre Hollywood notions of Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife (where Anubis could be seen as a tyrannical villain -- there was a sci fi C movie about this not long ago... Pyramid?) than with actual Egyptian mythology. But so far, this is all about design choices; the result is arguably more striking and "cool" than something more accurate might have been, but I wonder whether that is/should be the point -- this ends up being loosely inspired by Egypt but not Egyptian. The only real complaint about quality is the extreme looseness of the foot ball joints inside the feet. With the bulky body, poor Anubis can barely keep standing; and I suspect it is not because he's been sampling liberally from the sacrificial wine offerings...

So here are a couple of in hand photos of the part of the set I got (didn't bother with the most fantasy elements), as part of a simple vignette inspired by some of the symbolic depictions of pharaonic investiture. Ramses (reconstituted from another, less fantastical set) and Amun-Ra-King-of-the-Gods (resin? statue) co-star.







What do you think?

#anubis #egypt #fantasy #god #male #tbleague #tbl #phicen #productreview

It is a week of reviews, by the looks of it. If interested, check out my review of Peggy Carter and Michael Crawford's review of Selene from Underworld.



Introduction
Alexander the Great (Alexandros III of Macedon, 356-323 BC) is one of those iconic historical characters that everyone seems to know or name, to the point where one is tempted to take him down a notch. And there were plenty of issues with him and his character, not least his relentless ambition, competitiveness, rashness, and delusions of grandeur. He was certainly a conqueror with an unprecedented scale, speed, and rate of success, and for that he was idolized for generations of Romans and those who took their cultural cues from Rome (elsewhere he was demonized instead). From a modernist or humanitarian perspective there are sides of his character that are less often mentioned but perhaps even more commendable: most notably, although a successful Greek conqueror, he chose not to treat his conquered enemies as the subhuman beings he was taught they were by his society (and by his teacher, the philosopher Aristotle), but instead sought to pacify, unify, and merge the societies he had come to rule, on a remarkably even footing for any time. He probably would have failed even if he hadn't died prematurely at 33, but this suggests that, contrary to popular belief, he had a talent not only for conquering, but also for governing.

At any rate, this is not what this is about. TBLeague (formerly Phicen) has just released its sixth-scale figure of Alexander the Great, occasioning this review. And since Dragon did the only other high-end Alexander in this scale (that I know of), back in 2004, it is a natural point of reference. Both figures are based to a significant degree on the Oliver Stone film Alexander (2004), starring Colin Farrell. Another point of reference for the TBLeague version is a larger scale statue by ARH (HERE and HERE), as confirmed by the ARH logo on the box. Neither the film nor the figures are entirely historically correct.



Packaging
Dragon's Alexander comes in a box that opens up like a book cover to reveal the figure and its accessories through a clear plastic cover; the back side of the cover contains a shallow clear plastic trey containing the cape and the two-part spear; the figure and the rest of the accessories are contained in a clear plastic trey in the box proper.

TBLeague's Alexander comes in a typical container for TBLeague boxed sets, one where the cover and side flaps are held by magnets and can be removed and propped up like a triptych. There is a missed opportunity here, as they could have followed other companies' lead and printed an appropriate background on the back side (which is just plain black) that could have worked as a backdrop to the figure. The figure and its accessories are held in a couple of black foam plastic treys, each with its own thin black foam cover.

Everything comes safe and collector friendly in both sets.



Sculpting
Here time of production makes a difference. Standards and possibilities were very different in 2004 from what they are today. Dragon's Alexander obviously is less finely and realistically sculpted, although it is not bad at all for the time when it was made. The face does not look like Colin Farrell, and might be an attempt at the actual Alexander (if so, not very successfully) or possibly Richard Burton's Alexander (from 1956); to me it really looks like Tom Jane. The head is bald, allowing you to swap between a soft plastic hair wig and a lion-head helmet that is fairly accurate to the 2004 film, except for its sculpted plumes and crest. There is plenty of fairly fine sculpted detail on the armor, including a lion's face over the chest, the sword (especially its hilt), and the soft plastic riding boots. The head and rear spikes of the long spear are very sharply sculpted. The body's legs are covered in seamless rubbery material with appropriate sculpting, although they might be a little too skinny.

TBLeague's Alexander has a very finely sculpted head sculpt that also does not look like Colin Farrell. As far as I can tell, this is a generic pretty boy with a possibly "Eurasian" look. The head vs helmet problem has been resolved by resorting to "real" hair, which works well enough with the lion-head helmet. The helmet is a little less accurate to the film in at least some details, but its crest and plumes are more on target. Once again, there is plenty of fine detail to the armor, including a gorgon's head over the chest, sword (especially its hilt), "wrist armors" (sic!), and even more detailed soft plastic boots, and there is also a gorgeous shield carrying a sun or starburst design found on the lid of a box in what is almost certainly the tomb of Alexander's father; the design has been adopted in stylized form as the state symbol of the modern (Slavic) nation of (recently Northern) Macedonia, much to the annoyance of modern Greeks. The sculpted items are given an even more detailed treatment, making them look more weathered and worn, most notably in the case of the scratched and dented shield. The body used is the seamless M35, which has finely sculpted muscles and veins; it is, however, incomplete, missing both the feet and the genitalia.

Historicity. There are no known contemporary portraits of Alexander, but his successors legitimized themselves through him and produced plenty, which were copied in the Roman period. They are consistent in his basic appearance, with a high forehead, somewhat sunken heavy-lidded eyes, and a very Greek nose (almost no indent below the forehead). Neither set has a head sculpt that looks like this (on the other hand, I had a high school classmate named Kingsley who did). The sculpted hair in the Dragon set is more accurate to the traditional portrayals of Alexander than the longer straight locks of the TBLeague set. In both cases, the armor is based on the 2004 film, and that in turn on two sources: the famous Issus mosaic from Pompeii (agreed to be based on an earlier Greek painting) for the armor (see HERE), and the so-called "Alexander" or "Abdalonymos" sarcophagus from Sidon, now in Istanbul for the lion-headed helmet (see HERE). The mosaic shows a painted head of the gorgon Medusa over the chest; the Dragon set replaces this with a sculpted lion's face, while the TBLeague set has a gorgon head, but sculpted in relief in a rather modern, abstract style; this does seem to be based, at least loosely, on what was seen in the 2004 film. Alexander was considered to be fairly short, but both bodies used here translate as just over six feet in 1:1.



Paint
Here again we are dealing with apples and oranges, if nothing else on account of the year of production. The Dragon set has a fairly basic paint application, flat treatment to the hair (which does not help the already relatively simple sculpted locks), and the dreaded "doll dot" in the glossy eyes. The paint treatment is not extended to the remainder of the figure's body, much of which (excepting the rubbery seamless legs) is shiny and toy-like. The paint application to the rest of the sculpted items is pretty neat, though not overly so. Metallic items are given a dull silverish color, non-metallic ones are in tones of brown and beige. The overall effect is rather drab, but there isn't much, if any, actual weathering (except perhaps a little on the boots). TBLeague has done better, but then again it is doing so almost 16 years later. The eyes are glossy, the eyebrows painted seemingly with individual strokes for each hair. The painted sculpted detail is sharper, and there is more weathering (rather too much on the white plumes); in fact, it is near perfect. The TBLeague helmet's color is more accurate to the 2004 film.

Historicity. Alexander was considered to be relatively fair and ruddy, where the Dragon set makes him a bit yellowish, while the TBLeague one quite tan. Alexander's hair was light for a Greek but still something we would consider light brown, possibly auburn; both sets make him look blonde -- and even more so than the bad dye job on Colin Farrell in the film. The armor from the Issus mosaic appears to be white colored, and that is more accurately conveyed by the TBLeague set.



Articulation
The Dragon set uses a body that has very decent articulation. However, the head and neck are one piece, and if there is an ab crunch, it is rendered impossible by the armor. The seamless rubber-covered knees can bend to about 90 degrees. The TBLeague set uses M35, a very muscular but also very fully articulated body. It is only slightly hindered here, and for the most part performs very well. There is one significant drawback, shared by both sets: the one-piece sculpted boots. Although in both cases there are molded from soft plastic, that is enough to hinder ankle articulation and to make achieving sure-footed poses difficult. Dragon has the excuse of having made this in 2004, but TBLeague should have known better.



Accessories
The sets are both fairly limited in accessories. The Dragon set has the lion-headed helmet with two plumes and a crest (which you have to attach), the sword, the scabbard on its leather (or leather-like) baldric, and the long spear (you fit the two halves together), as well as the removable molded hair wig. The TBLeague set has the lion-headed helmet (crest and plumes come attached), the sword, the scabbard which buttons onto the outfit, and the shield (on which see above), as well as the extra pairs of hands, making three pairs total (relaxed, grip, and fists).

Historicity. The lion-headed helmet is an odd piece known from the Alexander Sarcophagus, which can be shown to take various liberties with reality -- Alexander fights in a long-sleeved tunic but no armor, while his troops are shown heroically nude. The lion-headed helmet is a blatant reference to Alexander's much advertised descent from Herakles (Hercules), although that does not mean he didn't have and wear such a helmet at least on occasion. More typically, we would expect Alexander to have worn a Boeotian helmet (the shape of which is derived from a sunhat, see HERE), and he is in fact portrayed wearing one in at least one statue; it was also standard for his fellow cavalrymen. The two plumes on the helmet, however, are attested in the sources. Neither sword resembles what is shown in the Issus mosaic, but the TBLeague set's sword and scabbard are accurate to what is seen in the 2004 film. However, they should have been suspended on a baldric, as in the Dragon set, instead of being buttoned to the outfit. The ARH Alexander statue also has a baldric. The TBLeague shield is gorgeous, but questionable. For one thing, the rope that goes around inside the circumference of the shield's inner side is sculpted as part of that surface. For another, it is unclear that the sun or starburst design would have been found on a shield, and if so, that it would not have been simply painted on. Alexander's father's tomb does contain a very elaborately decorated shield (probably a parade piece, as it is likely to have been impractical in battle), complete with a sculpture group in the center and geometric decoration round the edges. As a cavalryman, it is possible that Alexander did not carry a shield, strange as it is for us to imagine. On the other hand, the long spear (22 inches in 1:6 = 11 feet in 1:1) might be appropriate for a cavalryman's lance (kontos); it is perhaps too long for a standard hoplite spear (about 8 feet) and too short for a Macedonian sarissa (about 16 feet). But there is room for variation here, and all this assumes (perhaps wrongly) that the companies did their homework.



Outfit
Dragon's Alexander wears what appears to be a beige long-sleeved tunic with pleated fabric pteryges (flaps) at the waist and shoulders; there are also beige boxer shorts. TBLeague's Alexander appears to be wearing a sleeveless short tunic (khiton) which is actually a sort of muscle shirt and white briefs, with a leather skirt of pteryges on top. Dragon's cape is beige and clean; TBLeague's is white but distressed (tattered and weathered) and blood stained, in what seems to me a somewhat unrealistic fashion. The Dragon cape is better designed at the front, while the TBLeague one has too much material showing on the front and not realistically bunched tight under the fastening; it does, however, have a wire, allowing for some options in how it hangs (though it does tend to rise up in an annoying manner). TBLeague's Alexander has also been given "wrist armors" that appear to be as decorative as they are (allegedly) functional; you have to put these on the figure yourself. Both Alexanders wear riding boots, the main difference being added detail in the TBLeague set.

Historicity. In the 2004 film, Alexander wears a white long-sleeved tunic without pteryges at the shoulders, and a beige (but not very dark beige) cape; neither set gets this right, although in some scenes there is a sleeveless variant that would fit TBLeague's look. In the Issus mosaic, both the long-sleeved tunic and the cloak are a darkish color (certainly not white), but there are white leather pteryges at both shoulders and waist. The sarcophagus is not of much help, since it shows Alexander unrealistically fighting in just a long-sleeved tunic and boots; but it does confirm the long sleeves and the traces of color suggest a darkish, reddish hue. Again, neither set gets this right. The undergarments provided in both sets are for modern sensibilities -- the Greeks did have undergarments (like loin-cloths) of sorts, except they wore them instead of, rather than beneath, the other clothing. The "wrist armors" that come with the TBLeague set are pure fantasy (as so often, probably ARH's fault), although probably far more interesting and appropriate to our modern eyes than any more conventional bracelets that might have been worn as a sign of wealth and/or rank. On the plus side, neither set tried to put Alexander in pants, as some modern fantasy might imagine him. Late in his reign he made various concessions to eastern fashions in his dress (now that he was also king of Persians, etc., not just Greeks), but he drew the line at wearing pants... apparently that was considered both barbaric and effeminate!



Fun Factor
I suppose that depends on your expectations and experience. Neither Alexander really has anyone to play with, both have some difficulty standing in any action poses, and the keen-eyed historian might spot a problem or two. Yet, for fairly simple sets, these are pretty fully kitted out figures with plenty of historical or fantastical detail. They can be fun in themselves, or as a basis for more creative kitbashing.



Value
The Dragon set is almost 16 years old, so fairly difficult to find. Ebay listings have it to $90 (USD) or more, plus shipping. This is a very decent price today, although the set is both limited and has not aged particularly well. But an ambitious customizer could probably do a lot with it. The new TBLeague set can be found for as little as $145 (USD), plus shipping. This is relatively light for a high end figure today, then again the set doesn't have a ton of accessories, a stand, or a backdrop, unlike some of TBLeague's more ambitious offerings.



Things to watch out for
Not much in either set. The items are either sturdy enough or flexible enough to be reasonably safe when handling with a modicum of consideration.



Overall
I did not expect very much from either set. I knew the Dragon one was going to come with a dated body type and sculpting technique/technology, and I could see the shortcuts (pleats instead of pteryges, for example); and I could see how TBLeague's was a cross between the 2004 film version and some sort of ARH fantasy in TBLeague interpretation, falling far short of historical reality or plausibility. But partly thinking I might customize them, partly thinking of kitbashing, I got both and don't regret it. I haven't done anything to either yet, perhaps because I like them enough as is. Neither set is egregiously expensive at present, and if you like what you see, or the historical character (however mythologized), or want to customize the sets, you might find them worthwhile.



Where to buy
As always, you can look or a deal on eBay, and that will likely be the only place where you can easily find any of the Dragon set; for the TBLeague set you can also check out the following:

Big Bad Toy Store for $145
Cotswold Collectibles for $146
Monkey Depot for $145
Timewalker Toys for $146

Hope this has been useful. What do you think?

#alexander #great #macedon #historical #dragon #tbleague #phicen #male #ancient #review

Here we go again.

There was something a little off with the recent Conan head that was designed to go with Kaustic Plastik's Masterclass Warrior set (reviewed HERE). Apart from some possibly questionable choices in the paint, the most obvious problem was the sculpted hair. While it was decently (not super finely) sculpted, it looked like molded plastic (which is admittedly what it was). Mr Toys had just released their own Conan set (reviewed HERE) which, while largely based on earlier work by Kaustic Plastik, broke new ground by offering us a Conan with "real" hair. Between this and my earlier attempts to create an Arnold Schwarzenegger-as-Conan head sculpt (using one of the Hot Toys Terminator heads), and my recent modification to the Hot Toys Jason Momoa Aquaman head sculpt (replacing the sculpted hair with "real" hair -- see HERE), the next step was obvious. But this was going to be a slightly more ambitious project, because it involved not only removing the plastic hair and replacing it with "real" hair, but also filling in and repainting likely or potentially visible grooves in the head sculpt, detaching, modifying, and repainting the headgear (so it would be both screen accurate and removable, not to mention so that I could put in the hair properly), and also partly modifying, repainting, and remounting the necklace ornaments on a more sensible string that would allow the necklace to hang about right.

This time I took more photos to illustrate more of the steps, in case someone finds this helpful for modifying this or a different sculpt.

Just in case I did something horribly wrong, I managed to get myself an extra Kaustic Plastik Conan head (1). As I had noticed before, the hair was made of soft plastic, and divided into sections (two side locks and a larger back piece, separated by the headband from the crown of the head hairpiece, which last was actually part of the head sculpt), just like Hot Toys' Aquaman head. So, I heated up the head sculpt a little with a hair dryer (not much was actually needed), and gently pried off the large hair piece covering the back of the head (2).



Then I proceeded to dislodge the headband, which was (if I recall) divided at the back of the head on one end of the sculpted strings holding the two parts together. I heated and gently pried off the headband from the head, into which it was ensconced by virtue of several sections fitting into indented grooves that were parts of the head sculpt (3a-5). One of them was right in the middle of the forehead (4-5).



With the headband off, I gently pried off and removed the two side locks of hair (4-5).



With the headband and all detachable hairpieces removed, it was necessary to remove almost all of the molded hair that was an integral part of the head sculpt at the crown of the head (4a-4d). I left in place a little hair over the forehead, since that can be a challenging transition between sculpted face and "real" hair.



After a failed experiment with Vallejo acrylic putty, I filled the visible grooves in the forehead and temples with Kneadatite Blue/Yellow Epoxy Putty (the kind that comes in a tape and you mash and knead it together into a malleable green substance for sculpting and filling -- a skill I learned from members of OneSixthFigures) (5). It was my first experience with this material, but I think it worked reasonably well. Someone with greater skill and patience, would have done more in the way of sculpting bone and flesh structure and gotten the filling to sit completely flush and seamless (with filing down). Since this was going to be obscured most of the time by the headband (for the classic look), I didn't worry about it too much, though I wanted it to look ok even when exposed. Once the Kneadatite had cured overnight, I painted it with Vallejo Acrylics, trying to get as close as possible to the head's skin tone (which is perhaps not ideal itself, but I didn't want to repaint the whole thing -- which might actually have been the way to do it); I also took the opportunity to fix the hairline and darken the eyebrows. As far as painting the head, that was it (6).



Then came my "favorite" part (I'm being sarcastic), the application of the hair. I picked a warmish milk chocolate brown, because that is pretty close to Arnold's appearance on the screen during the film. Using as a basic guide the technique outlined by Morezmore (HERE), but also taking some shortcuts and utilizing superglue, I basically went in rings around the back and sides of the head, starting with a level above the edge of the head sculpt's neck and making my way upwards (7-9b).



Having gently removed as many loose strands of hair as I could, I gently rinsed it with water, gathered it backwards, and let it dry (10a-10c).



After this I cut the hair to approximate Conan's appearance in Conan the Destroyer (since that is where we see the matching outfit and accessories) -- I didn't cut as short as I should, just in case I made a mistake -- and filled up any visible "holes" (there were surprisingly few) with either more hair or acrylic marker (11). Then it was time to add the headband and the necklace and complete the modification (12).

I had shaved down the inside of the headband (especially the parts that were designed to protrude so that they could fit into the grooves in the head sculpt) to make it thinner, so that it would fit more easily around the modified head; I glued it shut at the back, and when the glue had cured, it fit the head like a charm. I had also repainted the pyramidal ornaments on the head band in brass, to match the film appearance. The ornaments on the necklace were all correct (except for the color of the "sun" or "wheel" pendant), but the necklace did not work at all. I had to remove each ornament and glue it onto a thin leather string which could hang a little more naturally (it is also malleable, if needed). I made sure to place the fangs correctly (both for appearance and so that they no longer attempted to bite into the body), and glued their now purely decorative fastenings in place. Similarly, I made sure the pendant sat ("hung") correctly, glued on a couple of pieces of string to match the screen appearance, and repainted it in brass, for the same reason (12).



Here are a couple of comparisons: with the unaltered KP head and necklace, and...



with the Mr Toys head (the necklace for that set has the wrong pendant).



I don't know if I would call it perfect, but I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. There are some additional things that can be done, for example a shampoo+conditioner treatment to create more waviness in the hair. For this shot I put the modified head, headband, and necklace on the rest of the KP set, but that would require some additional minor modifications to be completely movie accurate. I suppose it is a work in progress.



What do you think?

#custom #kitbash #modification #arnoldschwarzenegger #conan #barbarian #destroyer #film #fiction #fantasy #kausticplastik #kp #head #headsculpt #hair #male #tbleague #phicen #body

GubernatorFan wrote:Part III: additional 1:12 to 1:6 female seamless body scale comparison
(for Part I see post 1 above; for Part II see post 6 above)

In view of the above discussion, here is another scale comparison. The 1:6 scale S25B body was a petite (but not the most petite) version of TBLeague's bodies, and while its height would not correspond to that of the 1:12 body when translated to 1:1 scale, the body types seem to me closely comparable. (In 1:1, the 1:6 scale S25B body+head would stand about 5 feet 3 inches, which would be right for Scarlett Johansson; the 1:12 scale T01B body+head would stand about 5 feet 7 inches, which would be too tall. And the HT head sculpt might be a tad large for the otherwise appropriate 1:6 body.)





Hope this is useful.

#tbleague #phicen #seamless #female #body

Very neat. Glad to see I wasn't totally crazy for thinking there were some similarities.

Part III: additional 1:12 to 1:6 female seamless body scale comparison
(for Part I see post 1 above; for Part II see post 6 above)

In view of the above discussion, here is another scale comparison. The 1:6 scale S25B body was a petite (but not the most petite) version of TBLeague's bodies, and while its height would not correspond to that of the 1:12 body when translated to 1:1 scale, the body types seem to me closely comparable. (In 1:1, the 1:6 scale S25B body+head would stand about 5 feet 3 inches, which would be right for Scarlett Johansson; the 1:12 scale T01B body+head would stand about 5 feet 7 inches, which would be too tall. And the HT head sculpt might be a tad large for the otherwise appropriate 1:6 body.)





Hope this is useful.

#tbleague #phicen #seamless #female #body

Part II: 1:12 to 1:6 female seamless body scale comparison
(for Part I see post 1 above; for Part III see post 15 below)

Here is a scale comparison of the TBLeague (Phicen) 1:12 scale body T01B (new suntan) and 1:6 scale body S29B (also new suntan). These 1:12 and 1:6 bodies are not precisely each other's counterparts, but I thought the 1:6 head sculpt (Black Widow, to match the Hasbro 1:12 one I used) looked good on this particular 1:6 body. In 1:1 terms, the 1:12 body+head as set up here translates to about 5 feet 7 inches, while the 1:6 body+head translates to about 5 feet 5 inches. Scarlett Johansson is actually 5 feet 3 inches, so perhaps I should have used the S25B body instead (that would have been about right), but then there would have been greater disparity between the relative scale of that body and the 1:12 body T01B, making the two less comparable.





#tbleague #phicen #seamless #female #body

Part I: 1:12 to 1:6 male seamless body scale comparison
(for Part II see post 6 below; for Part III see post 15 below)

Since the issue occasionally comes up, I thought I would provide a couple of comparison photos of the newly released TBLeague (Phicen) seamless 1:12 scale male bodies I just reviewed (HERE) with what seem to be their 1:6 scale counterparts. It does look like they did manage to transfer quite a lot of the musculature, etc, detail onto the smaller bodies.





Hope this is useful.

#tbleague #phicen #seamless #male #body

Update: for a comparison to 1:6 figures, see HERE.

Update: for the female figures T01B and T03B, see HERE.



Introduction
I suppose it was bound to happen sometime. After it introduced us to its twelfth-scale female seamless bodies (pale T01A and suntan T01B), TBLeague (formerly Phicen) has now released two types of twelfth-scale male seamless bodies. I don't collect that much in this scale, and certainly don't have the interest and means to engage as much in customizing in it as in sixth scale, but I picked up a couple of these bodies all the same: as in the case of the female body, I was curious whether TBLeague can match the considerable degree of excellence it had achieved in sixth-scale in figures two times smaller. As before, the result is impressive but the answer is, unsurprisingly, "not quite."



Packaging: 4/4 stars
I for one appreciate compact, safe, and stackable packaging, and that is precisely what we get from TBLeague for their twelfth-scale bodies. Each comes in a clear plastic box filled with a white foam trey containing the body and its spare parts and outfit. Unlike the female figures, the top layer, in this instance needlessly obscuring the "sensitive" areas of the body, is here paper, not foam. But everything is safe and collector-friendly.



Sculpting: 3/4 stars
Sculpting refers to both the head sculpts and the molds of the soft silicone-covered stainless-steel seamless bodies. The fit but relatively slender TM01A ("little bro") stands about 15 cm (5.6 inches) tall, while the fit but bulkier TM02A ("big bro") stands about 16 cm (6.3 inches) tall. The two bodies sport similar but not identical head sculpts that are appropriately sized for their respective body. Some have compared the appearance to a young Sylvester Stallone, but the resemblance is distant enough that this could be mere coincidence. The bodies and heads are sculpted in what appears to be greater detail and realism than the female bodies (T01A and T01B) that preceded them, although the facial features are clean enough to look slightly stylized. It would be perhaps unreasonable to expect better in this scale. The same can be said for the sculpt of the body molds, where the soft material also limits the potential range of detail. Nevertheless, in addition to the various appropriate muscles, you can find plenty of finer veins, and this good level of detail carries over to the harder plastic feet and various hands. Despite all the talk of anatomical correctness, the figures not being sex toys, and prior practice (barring the unfortunate M31), TBLeague omitted to provide the pieces that actually make these bodies male. Whether they would have been particularly useful is beside the point, and their absence impacts both the completeness and the look of the set negatively. For some reason (the sculpt of the feet or is it something in the articulation?) the twelfth-scale figures do not balance as easily and as well as their sixth-scale counterparts.





Paint: 3/4 stars

We need not expect very much from this type of set, going by TBLeague's prior record, apart from consistent paint application and a close (though not always perfect) match between the colors of the silicone body and the harder plastic hands, feet, and (in these sets) head sculpts. The nipples continue to be unpainted, but you can always try to make them a bit more realistic yourself, as desired (oil pastel seems best). The one part or the set where there is anything like a more complex paint job is the head sculpt. It would be unreasonable to expect the degree of realism we find in better sixth-scale head sculpts on a piece in twelfth-scale, and TBLeague's twelfth-scale female body came with a disappointingly bland and anime-like head. With the male bodies we get a little more realism than that. The paint application seems pretty clean -- which is generally a good thing in itself, although in this instance it does not really improve the realism of the appearance. Note, for example, the patterned paint application on the eyebrows -- which is of course far less apparent (if at all) in hand. Some other companies, like Hasbro, have begun to experiment with technology which, while utilizing a less clean paint application, has resulted in some more realistic results, which might have been nice to see here.



Articulation: 3/4 stars
Despite the old assumption that seamless bodies sacrifice articulation, TBLeague's sixth-scale stainless-steel silicone-covered seamless bodies are among the best articulated action figure bodies on the market. In principle, this could and should have been carried over to the twelfth-scale, but it is not. Sixth-scale TBLeague bodies boast 28 points of articulation (which appear to be almost as many as one might possibly need); but their twelfth-scale bodies reduce the articulation to 22 points. For the most part it is not quite clear exactly what is being sacrificed, but one definite omission is the ability of the lower arms to swivel inward (or outward) independently of the upper arms/shoulders. To some degree this can be compensated for there, but it remains a limitation and annoyance that gets in the way of the experience. It might be a one-off thing, but the hip and knee joints on the larger body I received were a little looser than expected. It can still stand and pose, but it is loose enough to make me wonder.



Accessories: 3/4 stars
Technically speaking, the sets don't include any actual accessories like weapons or stands. They do include spare parts, namely three alternative pairs of hands, making a total of four pairs: fists, knife grip, gun grip, and outstretched grasping "I'm gonna get you" hands. What is conspicuous in its absence is a pair of relaxed hands, not to mention bent-toe feet. As noted above, the hands and feet are nicely sculpted and painted to match the silicone body cover very closely.



Outfit: 3/4 stars
The only outfit we get are simple black trunks. These work reasonably well, though they are quite difficult to get on the bigger of the two bodies. Technically, we don't even need that much, so perhaps this merits a better score. Not that I've ever really used them, but sixth-scale TBLeague bodies used to come with wrist and ankle covers (and their twelfth-scale female bodies did too), and that is not carried over to these sets. What makes the issue a bit more important, is that there seems to be a wide range of sizes for twelfth-scale figures, and many of the outfits you might want to put on these bodies will turn out to be too bulky or too tight to look right or to work at all. A somewhat more extensive outfit set might have gone some way to address this problem. Finding footwear that works reasonably well with the foot pegs appears to be biggest challenge in cobbling together some customs, judging by my ad hoc experiments so far.



Fun Factor: 3/4 stars
As impressive and "neat" as the recreation of their sixth-scale bodies in a scale twice as small may be, TBLeague's twelfth-scale bodies do not carry quite the same degree of fun factor. To some extent this is inherent (less articulation, less complete sets, smaller size limiting realism), to some extent it is conditioned by external factors (less in the way of accessories, bar those sourced from certain military and superhero lines of toys and/or collectibles). Some of that might change in the future, as twelfth-scale figures are becoming more and more popular, perhaps in part due to the overpricing of sixth-scale ones. Nevertheless, if you get lucky with matching and reasonably fitting head sculpts and clothes, you can probably get plenty of satisfaction from these figures.



Value: 2/4 stars
Give or take a few US dollars, these sets retail for about $40. That is not exorbitant, especially when compared to high-end Mezco One:12 Collective sets, but of course those sets depict characters from licensed franchises and are loaded with accessories and displays. And $40 is a lot more than what you would pay for other, less high-end but still well-articulated and well-accessoried sets from other licensed franchises, and all that for a base body with great seamless looks but no accessories, or clothing, and some difficulty in adopting the latter from other sets.



Things to watch out for
Not a whole lot. The heads, hands, and feet are relatively easy to attach and remove, and the articulation is generally cooperative -- just don't force anything. Also make sure you don't loose or misplace some of the tiny hands or other pieces, although the compact boxes are probably convenient enough for the purposes of storage. As noted above, these figures do not seem to be quite as stable and balanced as their sixth-scale counterparts, although they are also less likely to damaged from a fall, except perhaps from a very tall shelf on a very hard surface, if even then. On the other hand, the internal stainless steel skeleton is bound to be more delicate and fragile than the larger ones, so proceed with a modicum of caution.



Overall: 3/3 stars
Were it not for a few questionable decisions, these could have been great. As it is, they are just good, even if they benefit from novelty value. To fully capitalize on their potential, you have to get lucky with additional items that fit and work with the twelfth-scale seamless bodies, and that is not quite as easy as one might hope. I don't regret getting them, but I don't think they or any other twelfth-scale figures would replace the sixth-scale versions in possibility and quality anytime soon.



Where to buy
Apart from eBay, the following stores (among others) have them in stock or on pre-order.

Big Bad Toys Store (and for the other body HERE) for $40

Cotswold Collectibles (and for the other body HERE) for $45

Hobby Galaxy for $41

Monkey Depot for $45

Timewalker Toys (and for the other body HERE) for $45



I hope this has been useful. And, as always, what do you think?

Update: for a comparison to 1:6 figures, see HERE.

Update: for the female figures T01B and T03B, see HERE.

#tbleague #phicen #seamless #male #body #twelfth #scale #sixinch

I used to have these posted somewhere, but I can't find them so here we go again, just in case someone finds them useful or funny...

Fed up with its bad wrists and other shortcomings, I decided to experiment on one of my M31 bodies (this was back in 2017). Long story short, the stainless steel skeleton was emancipated from its rubbery silicone flesh ("skin"), with education results as to how it really works -- though I am by no means the first or last to dissect a Phicen/TBLeague body. It was remarkable how tough it was to cut through the silicone material, even on purpose with a sharp X-Acto knife.





Actually, that was not the Phicen skeleton but the Coo Model one -- just the Phicen body.
My most Dexter Morgan-like head sculpt found its way onto an M30 body to complete the dissection of the unfortunate M31:







I call this one "Denial":



And this one, "Freedom":



#phicen #tbleague #m31 #seamless #body #stainless #steel #skeleton

Part I: A New Superhero Revealed? Leaked memo from IAFOOSHA.
Fort Part II see post 47 below.

Stryker started it. Blackpool encouraged it. This is dedicated to them. I can resist the potential for things that strike me as silly/funny only so much. It was actually a surprisingly difficult custom, and then there was research and too many potential things to recreate. Photo heavy, but I kept the images light.

NSFW (?) This contains somewhat adult humor so it may or may not fit your definition of "not safe for work"; there is certainly nothing truly explicit and the intent is humor, but you've been cautioned. For other disclaimers, please see at end.

SUPERHERO FIRE-MAN









































































Hope you found it at least moderately amusing -- I realize that different things resonate with different people and there are plenty of different angles to things and issues, some of them serious, some not.
Any favorite book covers so far? Just don't expect me to write the books...

#superhero #fiction #humor #humour #parody #dating #romance #firefighter #fireman #modern #comedy #vampire #roman #hero #fire #explosion #erotica #books #covers #tbleague #phicen #m34 #kitbash #custom

You ask how did Anakin save his marriage (besides obeying his wife)? HERE is how (post 31).

Hope you enjoyed it.

#starwars #parody #humor #humour #comedy #tbleague #phicen #hottoys

Hi Friends, looks like i´m to stupid to understand the Pichen / TBL model and colour code. Can we do a List in this Thread here ?

Thanks

Eph

#phicen #tbleague #tbl #seamless #color #colour

Update: Part II here; Part III here; Part IV here; Part V here; Part VI here; Part VII here; Part VIII here; Part IX here; Part X here; Part XI here; Part XII here; Part XIII here; Part XIV here; Part XV here; Part XVI here; Part XVII here; Part XVIII here; Part XIX here; Part XX here; Part XXI here; Part XXII here; Part XXIII here; Part XXIV here; Part XXV here; Part XXVI here; Part XXVII here; Part XXVIII here; Part XXIX here; Part XXX here.



Part I: Some Shirts and Shorts

Since the subject keeps coming up and their size and texture present a specific set of little challenges, I thought I can start a clothing thread for TBLeague/Phicen or similar seamless bodies. In line with the question I was recently trying to answer in another thread, I start with a few products specifically advertised to fit the male bodies, but not produced by TBLeague itself.

XRF has produced four sets of vaguely military basic outfits for larger (M34-M35) TBLeague male seamless bodies. Be advised that the actual product differs to some extent from the promotional images, but is of decent quality and works. In fact, it works also on smaller bodies like M30 and M33 (as shown below), although you might want to futz with it so it is not too obvious it is a bit too large for them. In the photos below, M30 and M35 are wearing XRF XM01A (shirt, pants, boots), M33 is wearing XRF XM02B (shirt, pants, boots), and M34 is wearing ACE tiger stripe pants from eBay seller green-tiger (there is also a khaki version, among others) and boots from an older CM Toys set.







Then a package with a bunch of other clothing advertised to fit TBLeague seamless male bodies showed up, from eBay seller worldgoco. These include all the clothing in the photo below.



More of their "printed" t-shirts (which may be the work of Moe Toys) can be seen in the Super Gym photo story HERE and below (on M33).



Hope this is of some help, although it is obviously one small set of ideas for clothing these bodies.

#clothing #male #tbleague #phicen #kitbash

To answer a question on the old forum as to whether TBLeague M33 bodies would work well with 1/6 suits, I did some experimenting (I didn't recall actually stuffing an M33 into a whole suit before) and here are the results. Because the user asking the question intends to use this for a Tom Chandler character, I used the appropriate Eric Dane head sculpt which I had picked up together with a few other pieces of the DAM Toys set. The suit I used is the POP Toys X22-B (Men's striped suit BLUE).

As I expected, the suit is a very tight fit, although with patience and perseverance one could achieve a very decent result (I might have, had I not run out of both); the naval uniform was easier to put on, in part because it was somewhat stretchy. The tight fit on the suit gets in the way of articulation a bit, and I would have used a jointed body (like DAM's) myself, since no joints really show in either look, apart from that between the head and neck. Speaking of which, the TBLeague male suntan body is a tad darker in skin tone than the DAM Eric Dane head sculpt, although the difference is not insurmountably big. Some of the footwear with suit sets does not work with TBLeague ankle pegs/ball joints (had I first tried some Toys City shoes, unsuccessfully), but the one that came with the POP Toys set did work very well.

Hope this is of some use.













#ericdane #tomchandler #thelastship #tbleague #phicen #m33 #dam #poptoys #military #uniform #formalwear

Heya there,

A year or so I bought a Phicen/TBLeague PLMB2017-S23B body (his is the suntan "athletic" female body) and a random super duck head off aliexpress.

I didn't get any clothes at the time, and I mostly put the stuff away for a while.

Now a month or so ago I got interested again and bought one of the new smaller S25B bodies, some weapons, and this
set of clothes (FG037C).

That clothes set was pretty much what I was looking for custom character-wise.

Anywho, times passes and I get the stuffs… Aaand of course, the clothes don't fit on the S23B body. Darn! I should have seen that coming. They seem to fit alright on the S25B body… although I can't seem to get the feet into the running shoes.


So I suppose my questions are:

What body is that clothing set really designed for?

What are some clothes that will fit an S22/S23 athletic body?
How can I spot/identify clothes that do fit said body?


#phicen #tbleague #clothing

Part I - M36B

(for Part II - M36A, see post 12 below )



TBLeague (formerly Phicen) has followed up its super-muscular M35 body (see HERE) with a leaner, lankier, and much taller body that is available in two versions, one dark-colored, the other lighter-colored (the male version of "suntan"). The darker version, M36B, was released first, and is the subject of the first part of this review. It arrived a few days ago, but I'm still unpacking from a move and only managed to get enough items out for a very basic review last night. It was previewed by Ephiane on this forum (HERE).
Note: Like its immediate predecessor, M36 does not include any garments, and like all of the basic male seamless bodies by TBLeague, it comes without a head.



Packaging: 4/4 stars

M36B comes in the traditional packaging for TBLeague male seamless bodies, complete with the usual color scheme and graphics. Unlike the case with M35, there was no erroneous use of a female design scheme. The box is a little taller than usual, to accommodate the taller body. Everything is safe and collector friendly in its plastic tray and cover. Luckily, the package did not feature any scented packets, just a couple of the usual dessicant packets. You know what these boxes look like, and I have already gotten rid of mine, so no photo.



Sculpting: 4/4 stars

Perhaps because of the rubbery silicone material, the sculpt of TBLeague seamless bodies is always slightly soft, and this is no exception. However, the texture of the surface (and to some extent the protective powder) helps make the details (veins, muscles, curves, etc.) appear sufficiently realistic. M36 is a lean and lanky body characteristic for basketball players (the physique is somewhat reminiscent of M32, but much larger/taller), but rather unusual for more average fit males. By far the tallest TBLeague body (for a comparison with others, see the last photo below), M36 stands about 13.25 inches (33.5 cm) with the head I chose for the photos in this review. Despite a warning about possibly needing modification to use a Hot Toys head, I had no problem using one here.



Paint: 3/4 stars

This is TBLeague's first "black" body, and as such it has been long anticipated by collectors. Of course, as we realized, it is not going to match every relevant head sculpt, just as the physique and stature might not be appropriate for some of the possible characters. I found the Hot Toys Finn head sculpt a good match (especially in hand) and used that for this review. The paint is basic but even and consistent. As usual for the male bodies, there is no attempt to paint details like the nipples. Because of the darker skin tone, dust, lint, etc., may be easier to spot on the body, and the protective powder is more visible than with lighter-colored bodies.



Articulation: 4/4 stars

Belying the old dictum that seamless bodies prioritize look over articulation, M36 has the excellent articulation of its predecessors. In fact, the longer limbs of its lankier physique allow it to assume some iconic poses with greater ease and success than other bodies. Occasionally, a muscle group might not move quite realistically, which is the result of the loose interaction between the rubbery flesh and the internal steel skeleton, but for the most part M36 can achieve realistic poses; most of its few limitations are shared by the real human body.







Accessories: 3/4 stars

This is a base body, and any accessory would be a bonus. In this case the accessories are of the order of alternative parts. M36 comes with the usual detachable feet, two genitals in opaque plastic bags, and three pairs of hands... or rather I should say with six hands. In the package the body is equipped with a right pointing hand and a left fist. The alternative hands are right and left dribbling or basketball-grasping hands, and a right and left hand with non-identical differently-spread fingers. The dribbling hands contain a magnet, intended to work with sixth-scale basketballs which are frequently given magnets to attach to figures' hands. In case you forget, you can see a circular line on the palm of these hands marking the location of the magnets. Something not indicated in the product advertisement, the package includes what appear to be foot pieces for a specific type of not-for-feet footwear.
So why the lower score? Because the selection of hands is overly specific, uneven (no left pointing hand or right fist), and insufficient (what happened to normal relaxed hands and to grip hands?). Moreover, unlike ACI or (in an insufficient way) Jiaou, TBLeague still fails to supply bent-toes feet.



Outfit: n/a

Although TBLeague's male bodies M32, M33, and M34 came with some basic clothing items (primarily shorts), M35 and M36 have reverted to featuring no clothing at all. While disappointing, this is not technically a must for a base body. The length of the limbs and the size of the feet may present difficulties when fitting some of the available sixth-scale clothing on this body.



Fun Factor: 3/4 stars

As a base body, M36 is intended for kitbashing, so technically the sky's the limit of what you might do with it. It is ideal for basketball players, but could work for other real life or film characters, like Bombaata from Conan the Destroyer or Kareem Abdul Jabbar's character from Game of Death (see HERE). That said, the height, specific body type or proportions, and specific and uneven choice of hand sculpts are notable limitations.



Value: 3/4 stars

Retailing anywhere between $67 and $85 in most places, this base body is not a bargain, all the more so as it might be useful for a fairly small set of characters. However, in a business where the price of products has skyrocketed over just a few years, I give credit to TBLeague for remaining fairly consistent and not abusing the consumer.

Things to watch out for

Not much. The feet swap easily, the hands a little less so, and although I encountered no problem, I always recommend heating up the hands before removing or putting on (I prefer using a hairdryer for that purpose). As a tall body, M36 has a higher center of gravity and might tumble a little more readily than others, but it generally can stand well on its own.



Overall: 3.4/4 stars

TBLeague's seamless bodies remain arguably the best action figure bodies on the market, which is not to say that they fulfill all their potential. M36 is no exception to this rule. It is great overall, but there are various minor improvements (noted above) that would have made it even better. While too specific a type to work for a great many purposes, it does fill (to some extent) an important void where seamless action figures are concerned.

Where to buy
Online options include these (some of them still preorders) :

Big Bad Toy Store for $80 HERE

Monkey Depot for $80 HERE

Timewalker Toys for $78 HERE

and on eBay various prices HERE

I hope you found this review useful. What do you think? Part II (M36A) will follow presently.

#phicen #tbleague #seamless #male #body #african

Update: for the base that comes with this set, see post 30 below.



Introduction

This new release by TBLeague (formerly Phicen) arrived Stateside over the last couple of weeks. At first I thought I would pick up just the head sculpt, but later decided that I like the whole set. This is fairly unusual for me: I like fantasy and historical figures well enough, but not necessarily the combination of the two. I did not pick up, for example, TBLeague's Athena or Majestic Crusader and others, although I did buy some of the parted out pieces for kitbashing and customs. The only boxed TBLeague sets I own besides this one, are the first Arhian and the first Hercules.



The present set appears to be part of TBLeague's "Spartan" series, which included the Sparta Warrior and Captain Sparta, and possibly other products. I do not know whether any or all of these are based on any particular comic book series or artwork or just the result of TBLeague's imagination (let me know in the comments). Although I liked the Sparta Warrior (or at least the head sculpt), I missed out on that one, but this one I noticed in a timely fashion. So here it is. Before the actual review, just in case someone is laboring under misapprehension, there is no such thing as a Spartan Goddess of War in real history and mythology: there was the goddess Athena, whom all Greeks worshiped as goddess of wisdom and military skill and strategy, and there was the goddess Artemis, a chaste huntress and patroness of wildlife (and also divine representation of the moon), who served as patron goddess of Sparta together with her twin brother Apollon. But this is not really either of the above. As so often in these TBLeague releases, there is some evident confusion between Greek and Roman art and style; the shield, for example, is of an unmistakenly Roman type, as is the helmet's crest. Some features, of course, are pure fantasy, neither Greek nor Roman.

Packaging -- 4/4 stars

The Spartan Goddess of War comes in a large sturdy box typical for TBLeague's boxed sets. In this instance, it is black, with stylized weathered silverish labeling and an image of the figure's helmet. You open the box by removing the front and sides, which are held in place with magnets. Inside you find three nestled black foam trays. The top one holds the figure, the head (which does not come attached), arm and leg armor and armored belt, and the extra hands; the middle tray holds the shield and helmet; the bottom tray holds the elaborate base, the mantle, spear, and sword. Apart from the cool "lid" and the very collector-friendly use of foam trays (which I greatly appreciate and much prefer over the plastic trays we encounter so frequently), there is nothing particularly special about the packaging. But it is sturdy and dependable, which is its purpose.



Sculpting -- 4/4 stars

The quality and appearance of the sculpted items is excellent. This includes the face sculpt, which is attractive and fairly neutral while still slightly tense -- a better alternative than something overly emotive or entirely bland. Many of TBLeague's earlier releases featured rather odd-looking sculpts, and it is nice to see a more attractive and realistic one here. The hands and sandaled feet are very finely sculpted. She stands about 29 cm (11.4 in) tall, without the helmet.



The sculpted detail on the plastic armor is both sharp and worn-looking (some of this is attempted on the shield, too), even if in the somewhat sanitized and simplistic manner we have seen Greek art conveyed in 60s swords-and-sandals movies. The detail on the weapons is very crisp (and un-worn). The disparity between them and the armor is a bit disconcerting. In TBLeague tradition (but unlike most other companies out there), the base is an elaborately sculpted and fairly large piece, complete with damaged weaponry, armor, and skulls and bones.



Paint -- 3.5/4 stars

The body has a very basic TBLeague "new" suntan paint application, which matches the head sculpt, hands, and feet very well (perhaps more so in hand than in the photos).



Elsewhere the paint is also very well done throughout, but there are exceptions: note, for example, one end of the sword's hand-grip and the thin sides of the sculpted sandal thongs. As with the sculpting, there seems to be a disparity between different pieces: the paint work on the armor is intended to convey a weathered look, while other elements, like the weapons, are clean and crisp; the shield, which features some sculpted damage, is given a very pristine paint job. One of the most intricate paint jobs is on the ornate base, where dirt and weathering have been applied to the surface and the littered broken pieces of armor, weaponry, and skeletal remains.



Articulation -- 4/4 stars

Given the revealing outfit and localized armor, the figure's articulation is largely unimpeded, allowing pretty much the full range of motion of the TBLeague stainless steel super-flexible silicone bodies. This includes the ankles, knees, elbows, abdomen, and neck; only the wrists are a little bit restricted, but much of that can be overcome by forcing the vambraces a little bit farther up the arms. Overall, the body is able to replicate pretty all average human poses, and I have not attempted any photos to illustrate the full limits of flexibility.



Accessories -- 3.5/4 stars

This category is difficult to rate for several reasons -- being unfamiliar with the source material (if any), I cannot tell how much is present or missing from the provided selection; also, how does one differentiate between outfit and accessory. I will consider the molded pieces (representing metal armor and weaponry) as accessories. These include the finely sculpted helmet, neck/chest armor, vambraces (for the lower arms), an armored belt with leather pteruges (strips), greaves for the lower legs, a Roman-style shield, a Greek-style sword, and a rather fantastical spear with ornate spearhead and spear-butt. The fantasy or other source of inspiration perhaps excuses the mismatching of styles and details. While the weapons are overly pristine for my taste, I found he mirror surface of the cast-metal sword pretty cool (see sculpt photo above). One disappointment is the crest on the helmet. This is intended to represent the ostrich (or similar) crests familiar from Roman parade helmets, but it is made of a rather cheap-looking (and -feeling) material.

Except for the neck/chest armor which comes in place in the box, all armor accessories have to be placed on the figure by the owner. In the case of the belt you would have to thread the provided thread through holes in the end parts of the belt, which is almost surprisingly easy, as the ends of the thread have been stiffened. The vambraces slide up the lower arms after you remove the hands. The greaves have little leatherlike straps with tiny hooks, which are easy to hook in place on the back of the lower legs.



The figure comes with three sets of hands: pointing hands, sword-grip hands, and hands in an odd gesture (with the thumb and first two fingers extended, the rest folded in), which come on the figure in the box. The hands swap easily enough, but you can help matters by heating them up with a hair-dryer. The absence of closed fist and relaxed hands is somewhat surprising.

Finally, there is the elaborate base (it is not a stand, as there is nothing specifically holding the figure up). It is a cool, if not overly practical piece, and I have already commented on the fine sculpt and paint execution on it and the various details strewn all over it.



Outfit -- 3/4 stars

In this category I include the soft goods items that come with the figure. This includes three items. The chest wrap (not to call it a brassiere) and short skirt are made of a rough red material that is badly thorn and frayed on the edges. That is clearly intentional, though it does not necessarily look very natural (a water treatment might help) and might be considered unlikely for a goddess -- even one of war. The third piece is the cape. If the first two pieces looked overly rag-like, the cape appears to be overly pristine -- it is too perfect (except perhaps for coming out of the box somewhat neatly creased) by comparison, and features a nice brooch, some leather thongs, and a fine threaded detail running along its edges. Once again, the disparity between different pieces in the same category seems a little disturbing to me. I do appreciate the fact that the outfit does not restrict the figure's articulation.



Fun Factor -- 4/4 stars

If you have been collecting TBLeague's earlier "Sparta" releases and their Athena, this would be a natural and welcome addition to your collection. You can also display the Spartan Goddess of War well enough with other rather fantastically-recreated Ancient Greeks, like the figures from the 300 films produced by Hot Toys and Star Ace. With excellent articulation and a great (if historically and artistically unconvincing) look, the figure is bound to give the collector plenty of options when it comes to play and display.



Value -- 3/4 stars

As usual for this category, it depends on how much you pay for your figure. The basic price in the United States tends to be $155-156, although at least one retailer has listed it for $235 (discounted to $210). If you get a brand new boxed set for $155, you are getting a pretty decent deal -- while it is certainly pricey, it is actually very decent compared to the increasingly exorbitant prices demanded by other companies' products. You get a fine head, an excellent body, a non-restrictive outfit, and a cool (if fantastical) armor, shield and weapons, not to mention the elaborate (if not very practical) base. And that's not bad these days. Something worth mentioning, since it comes up frequently in discussions: the finished product looks just like the prototype featured in the promotional materials -- no surprise or disappointment here.



Things to Watch Out for

Nothing much. As I always say, heating the hands (and sometimes feet) before removing or installing might be helpful, especially if you encounter difficulties. Nothing is particularly flimsy or overly delicate in this set, but it's a good idea to be careful with the little leather straps on the cape; the ones on the greaves are simpler to use. The figure stands fine on its own, but if you live in an earthquake-prone area or are posing it in a more challenging position, you might want to employ a stand; but even if she tumbles, she seems resilient enough (which is only appropriate for a War Goddess).



Overall -- 3.5 stars

Unlike most of the action figures I have reviewed, this one is not based on a specific film, game, or work of art (that I am aware of, at any rate). That means that I am not holding it to any specific source material, and consequently it is easier to give it higher marks in several categories. That said, this is a pretty good product, featuring a good look, excellent articulation, a number of accessories, and a generally high quality of execution. Moreover, if you do not end up using the figure as designed, you might still find it useful for kitbashing and customization.



Score recap (out of 4 stars)

Packaging -- 4 stars
Sculpting -- 4 stars
Paint -- 3.5 stars
Articulation -- 4 stars
Accessories -- 3.5 stars
Fun Factor -- 4 stars
Value -- 3 stars
Overall -- 3.5 stars



Where to buy:

Big Bad Toy Store $155

Black Ops Toys $210 (reduced from $235; more discounts might apply)

Cotswold Collectibles $156

Monkey Depot $155

Timewalker Toys $156

Or look on eBay



#phicen #tbleague #sparta #goddess #female #fantasy

Update: I have posted the review and smaller selection of images in post 14 below.

Disclaimer: very photo heavy (over 70 photos).

Despite the long period of time that elapsed since their last base male body was released, TBLeague's M35 appeared so quickly after being announced, that I was a bit late to the party. And shooting photos and writing a detailed review took quite a while. You can find the review itself in post 14 below, but I took a ton of additional photos. You can see many of them below (some of them being larger and clearer versions of what was already included in the review).

Remember that M35 comes without any head sculpt, clothing, or accessories (besides the removable set of feet, three sets of hands, and two sets of genitals); everything else you see here has been added on for the photos; the body itself has been modified by painting the nipples for added realism.

SET 1: COMPARISON PHOTOS (4)

Here is the M35 body compared to its immediate predecessor, M34, and also to the previous three Phicen/TBLeague releases (M32-M34).









SET 2: JOHN CENA AT THE GYM (4)

I had repainted this John Cena head and it matched the M35 body, so I figured this would make some sense. If the head is too shiny, that's the fault of Vallejo's matte varnish, which is not matte enough -- I've since repainted it again, this time without the varnish.









SET 3: ARNIE ON THE BEACH (14)

Recreating a number of actual photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger exhibiting the results of his bodybuilding on the beach. Sand (or at least the kinetic sand I used) loves the silicone TBLeague bodies; I can't say the feeling is mutual.





















Then there are the series of photos of Arnie showing off on the beach in the company of at least three different ladies...









SET 4: ARNIE AT THE GYM (6)

Recreating actual photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger exervising at the gym.













SET 5: CONAN AND TERMINATOR (5)

Recreating a few frames from the movies. I have upgraded my custom Conan the Destroyer with the M35. Not sure how well my ambitious attempt to recreate the Terminator's arrival worked out, but the point is, the body can make the right pose. Now if it only had an additional pair of feet with bent toes... (this time I didn't substitute any from ACI).











SET 6: THOR (6)

Reconstituting my custom non-superhero Thor (still played by Chris Hemsworth) with M35.











Chris Pratt decided he had to bulk up, too... M35 works quite well with the HT Star Lord 2 head sculpt.



SET 7: THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR (6)

The non-movie-based Theseus (still played by Henry Cavill) uses an M33, while my custom Minotaur (uncredited) has been upgraded to M35. The scenes are based on ancient Greek art.













SET 8: IVAN DRAGO (3)

I repainted the Hot Toys Ivan Drago head (and I have repainted it yet again since taking these photos), but it is still a little off. Perhaps it is that Hot Toys had still not perfected realistic head sculpts at the time it made it (Blitzway/DAM's Universal Soldier Andrew Scott was a much better rendition of Dolph Lundgen). It works reasonably well on M35, although in truth the head is a bit large and was designed to be used with a taller body. And yes, I don't have the right boxing outfit (the HT booted feet were too small anyway), so just imagine him as a MMA or UFC fighter.







SET 9: DUTCH from PREDATOR (26)

Sometime ago I noticed that my Hot Toys Dutch figure had mysteriously broken at one knee. I tentatively repaired the damage, but have been thinking of finding a better permanent solution. Although M34 would probably be better both for appearance and articulation (as it will not fill up the tight clothing quite as much and therefore remain more poseable), I tried out the Arnie head, outfit and gear on M35. It worked remarkably well, although the fit is very tight, as might be expected. I suppose it helped that the camo shirt was sleeveless, although it still barely fit. The long pantlegs and sleeves of the overshirt/jacket show that it is possible to cram M35's muscles into such clothing, although it was admittedly designed for a type of muscular body to begin with. If I were going to use a TBLeague body as a permanent solution here, I will probably go with M34.

The first five photos convey an appearance only really seen in the "making of" footage, but would show off the body better.











The remaining photos are all based on actual frames from the film, in chronological order. Why did I take so many? I got carried away with research and trying to replicate what we see on the screen. Why did I post so many of them? Not quite sure; it was hard to choose between them, especially as many came out pretty well.











































I hope this has been a good overview of the potential and possibilities with the new M35 body. Let me know what you think.

For more, you can also check out Adeno's review HERE and MarkEl's photos HERE.

#phicen #tbleague #male #seamless #body #custom #kitbash #m35