Luna Kabooma, Sun Helmets and Samurai Dreams

I had the opportunity today to go to Marcel Laurin Park and it's big pile of rocks and waterfall and shoot some photos>  I brought along more figures than I have in the past; five in total though I only used four. The objective was simple:  just shoot a few photos of the figures with the latest additions their gear which is slowly trickling in, on average two months after I order it. So let's get started.

The Sola Topi or India Pattern Sun Helmet

Captain Glynnis Penny-Farthing, OBE, retired. by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

The India pattern helmets were worn by British troops in the far east from the early 20th C into the 1950's when they were declared obsolete.  The name Sola Topi comes in part from the material from which they were made, the pith of the roots of the sola or shola plant, whist "topi" is derivative of the Hindu word "Tope," which means hat.  Because of the material with which they were made, they were very light, and very comfortable. The India pattern is easily distinguished from the other major type in use by the British in this era, the "Wolsely pattern" by the flattened top of the crown and the distinctive shape of the brim. Generally, the top part British sun helmets were covered in khaki cloth, while the undersides were covered by green cloth, and I've never seen either a Wolsely or Sola Topi that didn't have a puggaree (pagri) wrapped around the base of the crown.

Captain Glynnis-Penny Farthing, OBE, Retired by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

As one can see from the photos, Captain (retired) Glynnis Penny-Farthing has also acquired herself a Thompson submachinegun someplace to replace that old, very un-British German Mauser rifle.  She will also acquire more weapons as time goes by and retain her bush has shown in a previous post on DIY hats and alternate between the bush hat and topi.

Kamiko Takahara: Her Inner Samurai

Kamiko Takahara: My Inner Samurai 1 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr


Next are a series of Kamiko wearing a kimono over Kamiko body #2.  This is my second Kamiko body #2; the first having been eventually used to create Erika von Stroheim.  I keep two bodies because it's a giant pain to undress Kamiko body #1 with it's tall boots and tight pants every time I want her in a different outfit.

What's really new here however is that Kamiko has acquired a sword, technically a WWII era Type 94 Shin Gunto, or new military sword, but since many of these were in fact katana's made in the traditional manner and equipped with a metal scabbard, I've decided that Kamiko's gunto is exactly that; a 17th century blade with a 1930's scabbard

Kamiko Takahara: My Inner Samurai 2 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

The model sword itself is a DiD Shin Gunto parted out from the Captain Sam, 77th ID set and purchased from Monkey Depot. It's all metal and has two metal scabbard rings as Shin Gunto's were required to have, though the lower one was only used for ceremonial purposes and the sword was normally hooked to the belt using only the top ring. Since this represents a captured sword, it didn't come with belt or hangers and I fashioned a hanger and brass hook to hang it from the sash on Kamiko's kimono.  

Kamiko Takahara: My Inner Samurai 3 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Though Kamiko considers herself American and much prefers firearms and doesn't usually carry a sword in combat, her inner samurai sometimes gets the better of her and in her off duty time, she often wanders off base wearing on a kimono, a sword and her Walther PPK.  She refuses to tell anyone what she does during that time, but the photographic evidence suggests she plays with her sword.

Kamiko Takahara: My Inner Samurai 4 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr


Kamiko Takahara: My Inner Samurai 5 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr


Kamiko Takahara: My Inner Samurai 6 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr


Mutant Hunter and Rocket Scientist

Next, Dr. Laura Neville, P.Eng has become a full-fledged member of "K" (Kimono) Troop, Pinup Patrol, and as such has been re-quipped with mode modern weapons than she previously had.  The flashlight equipped MP5 SMG is meant to be a modern equivalent to the improvised flashlight equipped Smith & Wesson SMG sometimes carried by Dr. Robert Neville (Charlton Heston) in The Omega Man. She's also gotten a Glock 9mm to replace her old S&W .38, not to mention a hand grenade. She is Kimono Troop's resident expert on hunting mutants, as well as their "Ms Fix It," whenever anything breaks. She is after all, an aeronautical engineer.  

Laura Neville 2 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Laura Neville 3 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Laura Neville 4 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr


Luna Kabooma

Finally, a few months ago I received an S23B body and coupled it with a Kimi Toys KT005 head and named he Cynthia because I found itreminded me a lot of the first girl I ever had a crush on, way back in elementary school. Cynthia's last name is "Luna" and she's originally from Santiago, Chile, with prior service in the Chilean military.  Because she's a heavy weapons specialist, her barracks mates have nickname her "Luna Kabooma."

Luna Kabooma 1 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

The bazooka is a ZACCA model of an M20A1 3.5" rocket launcher or "Super Bazooka" first used by US troops in the Korean War.  Overall, the model is not bad for the $4.99 I paid for it at Monkey Depot, but for some reason, the Japanese manufacturers thought it would look better with black plugs firmly glued at each end of the barrel than open as it should be. I don't now what they were thinking.  Not satisfied with this, I drilled holes into the plugs with progressively larger drill bits, though my largest bit was still smaller than the bore of the weapon and I had to ream out the excess with sharp knife. It's isn't visible in the photos, but I now have to sand the inside of the bore with some sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges left by the reaming.

Luna Kabooma 2 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Luna Kabooma 3 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

As you can see from the photos, the Bazooka is quite large, quite true to the original.  This, and it's diameter caused a lot of problems for posing with a female figure as the females are smaller than the males. To boot, the figure's  firm silicone breasts tended to interfere with the weapon's shoulder rest.  I'm not sorry i bought it; I like the obsolete retro look of the thing, but had I known the problems with posing, I would have gotten an RPG-7 instead. It does break down into two pieces, just like the original and the real one, properly used could penetrate 11" of steel armor, so it could knock out any tank of the 1950's and most 1960's tanks as well. They were used in combat by Argentina as late as the Falklands War.

Luna Kabooma 4 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Luna Kabooma 5 by Gary  Menten, on Flickr

Well, that's all for now. I plan to head out again to Marcel Laurin Park and my favorite pile of rocks either later this week or next (I'm on holiday and have nothing better to do) so more photos to follow. As always, please feel free to comment, critique or ask questions.

Nice additions and finds. And good choice of body for Cynthia Luna, considering she has to handle such large weaponry. With her pretty but no-nonsense look she's my favorite so far.

GubernatorFan wrote:Nice additions and finds. And good choice of body for Cynthia Luna, considering she has to handle such large weaponry. With her pretty but no-nonsense look she's my favorite so far.

I like the S22/23 bodies a lot. They seem to have improved them lately, by making the buttocks a little fuller than before. The muscular legs also seem right in a setting where few vehicles are still working and people have to walk a lot more than before. I have four 22/23's so far and will probably get more.

Love these pics! You showed these figures off well with the great poses and excellent photography. Your line-up is definitely shaping up to have its own distinctive style and aesthetic, and it’s very cool to see.

Luna Kabooma, great xD
I think she could use some headphones, maybe a helicopter pilot helmet?

Sunglasses would also be interesting. I have only two sunglasses, but there is so much fun trying them in on multiple figures.

Ovy wrote:Luna Kabooma, great xD
I think she could use some headphones, maybe a helicopter pilot helmet?

Sunglasses would also be interesting. I have only two sunglasses, but there is so much fun trying them in on multiple figures.

Alas, a pilot's helmet would interfere with the posing and aiming of the bazooka. I do like the idea of sunglasses though.

Nice upgrades. Really like the muzzle flash effects.

Side note: I was willed a Shin Gunto by the Japanese man who immigrated with his wife to the US long after WWII; he fought for the Japanese Army during the war, and when I was a kid he taught me, and a friend of mine, martial arts. He passed 38 years ago, and I still have that kitana.

Stryker2011 wrote:Nice upgrades. Really like the muzzle flash effects.

Side note: I was willed a Shin Gunto by the Japanese man who immigrated with his wife to the US long after WWII; he fought for the Japanese Army during the war, and when I was a kid he taught me, and a friend of mine, martial arts. He passed 38 years ago, and I still have that kitana.

Very interesting. I would have kept it also.  Have you had it checked out? Most Shin Gunto's had mass produced blades which were not of the same quality as traditionally made blades, however it seems that officers who could afford them, bought the oldest and best swords they could get and put them into Shin Gunto scabbards. There is a huge difference in the value of a mass produced Shin Gunto and one with a traditional folded steel blade  

An interesting story: Fuchida Mitsuo, the Japanese pilot who led the actual attack on Pearl Harbor, became an Evangelical Christian after the war and eventually a U.S. resident, though not a citizen.

PS.  The muzzel flash effects are fairly easily created using Photoshop.  I find it adds to the photo sometimes.

skywalkersaga wrote:Love these pics! You showed these figures off well with the great poses and excellent photography. Your line-up is definitely shaping up to have its own distinctive style and aesthetic, and it’s very cool to see.

I'm glad you like them. I do have a certain retro bent to my aesthetic. Nothing much good ever came of fashion or music much after 1969 or 70.

He was a high-ranking officer, and assassin it turned out, and his is one of the quality blades, you can even see the hammer marks in the blade — unlike the cast versions so frequently sold to “collectors”, which are perfectly smooth. It’s a beautiful weapon, and I was shocked when his widow told me he had left it to me — he trained my buddy and I how to use all sorts of weapons, and the SG was one of them. My buddy was killed when he was 20, and as far as I know, he and I were the only ones he had ever taught here in the States; his only son died in Vietnam, fighting for the US, so I guess he didn’t really have anyone else, aside from his wife, who could appreciate such a thing. I haven’t had it appraised, as it’s never been my intent to sell it, but I probably should for my wife’s sake, so she knows the value of it after I’m gone.

Stryker2011 wrote:He was a high-ranking officer, and assassin it turned out, and his is one of the quality blades, you can even see the hammer marks in the blade — unlike the cast versions so frequently sold to “collectors”, which are perfectly smooth. It’s a beautiful weapon, and I was shocked when his widow told me he had left it to me — he trained my buddy and I how to use all sorts of weapons, and the SG was one of them. My buddy was killed when he was 20, and as far as I know, he and I were the only ones he had ever taught here in the States; his only son died in Vietnam, fighting for the US, so I guess he didn’t really have anyone else, aside from his wife, who could appreciate such a thing. I haven’t had it appraised, as it’s never been my intent to sell it, but I probably should for my wife’s sake, so she knows the value of it after I’m gone.

I think you should have it appraised, even if only for the insurance value. Did he give you any idea of how old it is?

If he did, I don’t recall. I saw a photograph of him in his uniform, taken somewhere in China, and the Shin Gunto is attached to his belt. I’m guessing it’s pre ‘35, but I don’t know for sure. It has some interesting features, like the shark skin “Same” (the wrap under the handle braid), which definitely makes it one of the more expensive katanas from the time period. It’s missing one of its bamboo pegs in the handle, which bums me out, but that’s how it was when I was a kid, so there isn’t much I can do about that.

Stryker2011 wrote:If he did, I don’t recall. I saw a photograph of him in his uniform, taken somewhere in China, and the Shin Gunto is attached to his belt. I’m guessing it’s pre ‘35, but I don’t know for sure. It has some interesting features, like the shark skin “Same” (the wrap under the handle braid), which definitely makes it one of the more expensive katanas from the time period. It’s missing one of its bamboo pegs in the handle, which bums me out, but that’s how it was when I was a kid, so there isn’t much I can do about that.

I doubt it's before 1935 because it was only in 1935 that the Japanese military started to revert to wearing swords based on the katana with the type 94. Prior to that, they wore swords patterned on European types with D-guard hilts. I'm also sure the bamboo peg can be replaced by anyone capable of evaluating the worth of the sword. I'm not an expert here of course and should not be taken as one.  

I'm also amused that your real-life story about acquiring your sword is very similar to the one I made up for Kamiko.  Kamiko was born in San Francisco but sent to live in Japan with cousins so she could attend high school there. While in high school she came to the attention of her martial arts instructor, who as it happens was also a recruiter for JSDF military intelligence, into which she is recruited and serves with during the Chinese invasion that happens when the world goes to hell. Kamiko serves with great distinction during this episode and once the invasion is finally repelled, she is released from the service so she can return home to America where she is needed. Upon her release, her sensei and mentor presents her with a SG which is in fact a 17th C katana in a type 94 scabbard.  The Sensei tells her the sword is one of several is that's been in her family for centuries, but that Kamiko has earned it.