Death...But She's Got A Hat!!!

The Sandman's sister was at Z's Toys and More yesterday: Death of the Endless. I've been trying to track one down for a while, and Tom was able to get me one that is an actual variant to the one seen above: instead of an umbrella, however, she has a black hat. The picture above was the only one on the card. Perhaps when I finally get a camera I can have a line-up of the Sandman figures I have: the Sandman, Death, and Daniel, who takes Dream's place when he is destroyed at the end of the comic. I had an opportunity to get a Death some years ago, but since I hadn't read any of the comic and didn't know her character, I passed it by. I understand these toys are very popular with Goths, which may explain some of the difficulty of finding one.

From the card: "Death. Neither malevolent or merciful, a final visitor to all yet a friend to none, Death does her job in a fashion that is both comforting and matter-of-fact. It's a job she has done since the first living thing came into existence, and only when the last living thing has died will her work be complete. Until that distant day arrives, she will be there. Waiting. Includes ankh and umbrella."

Who can identify the quotation alluded to in the title of this post?

The Sandman

I got an e-mail from my friend Tom over at Z's Toys and More saying that the Sandman he had ordered for me was in. It was a great deal at $10 (and that included shipping!); I believe that was the original price when it came out.

The Sandman is of course from the legendary comic book series written by fantasy novelist Neil Gaiman. I can't think of any other comic that references writers such as James Branch Cabell and G. K. Chesterton. The Sandman is one of seven brothers and sisters, less than gods but more than human. He is Dream, and his siblings are Destruction, Desire, Despair, Delerium (once called Delight), Destiny, and Death.

From the card: "The Sandman. He is known by many names: Dream of the Endless, Morpheus, The Sandman. At once an ephemeral figure and one of great might, he is perceived by the waking world only in fleeting glimpses. Of all the Endless, it may be he who takes his responsibilities to humanity most seriously. And in his own kingdom of the Dreaming, his power is supreme. Includes a removable cloth cloak and an attachable figure of Matthew the Raven."

Sora

Here is Sora, the main protagonist of Kingdom Hearts. Of the figures on the left, I have Kairi and Roxas. Apparently figure No. 4, Axel, is the one that really took off from this set, and is now hard to find for anything less than exorbitant sums. I never really bothered with him because in the game I found him to be something of an axe-hole.

If Square-Enix is listening, the next series of this line should include Riku, Namine, and Diz. I would say Donald, Goofy, and Mickey, but I think they are concentrating on the more human game figures, and ones that won't involve complicated copyright deals.

"Imperious Leader"

Today would have been the 46th birthday of my older brother, our "Imperious Leader" in many of our early playing and adventures. In honor of this day I offer this poem, quoted in Joseph Pearce's Literary Converts.

"My Body Is A Broken Toy"

My body is a broken toy
Which nobody can mend
Unfit for either play or ploy
My body is a broken toy;
But all things end.
The seige of Troy
Came one day to an end.
My body is a broken toy
Which nobody can mend.

My soul is an immortal toy
Which nobody can mar,
An instrument of praise and joy;
My soul is an immortal toy;
Though rusted from the world's alloy
It glitters like a star;
My soul is an immortal toy
Which nobody can mar.

Maurice Baring, 1937

Mixed Bag

Here is a list of the miscellaneous action figures Yen sent along with the LOTR haul. Descriptions are applied where I don't know their exact names.

Captain Kirk (Original Series, Playmates)
William Ryker (Damaged, Playmates)
Geordie LaForge (Playmates)
Deanna Troi (Playmates)
Lt. Worf (Playmates)
Quark (Playmates)
Beldar Conehead
Prymatt Conehaed
John Belushi as Samurai Baker
The Flash (Justice League Unlimited)
2 Batmans
Killer Kroc
Dr. Evil
Austin Powers
Earthworm Jim
Beaked Kangaroo Alien from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Goombah from Super Mario Brothers
2 Jurassic Park Humans
Jack the Ripper from The Last Action Hero
Main Villain from The Last Action Hero
Louis Tully from Ghostbusters
Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves
Tall Gargoyle from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Main Villain from Seaquest DSV
2 Ladies from The Masters of the Universe

And then there are three mystery figures, that I don't know the names of or even what series they came from. One has a yellow suit, red breastplate, and a rather lion-like head with red hair. One is a kind of goat-man with blue-gray skin and an eyepatch. And one is a small 3&3/4" figure of a bald man with pointed ears and ebony-black skin. If anybody has any ideas on who they are, I'd like to know. But they're going in the collection.

There were also four figures from the Narnia series: the White Witch, a Centaur, Peter, and a Dwarf. This reminded me of a dwarf I hadn't mentioned in my previous post on Dwarf action figures: I had a Narnian dwarf archer. This one was the Narnian dwarf halbardier from a set I hadn't been able to get, so I was very pleased with that as well.

The Coneheads he sent are the ones in the black Remulak uniforms shown above. I also have the other figures.

Let Us Gaze Into...The Future!

Taking the hint from Narniaweb, I took a look at the Entertainment Earth website (www.entertainmentearth.com) and saw new Narnia action figures from Prince Caspian. These figures are due out next month! Included in Series 1 are Peter, Edmund, Miraz, Caspian, Reepicheep, Glenstorm, a Faun, a Bull-Headed Man, and a Werewolf. These figures are described as 3 and 3/4 inch tall.

Nosing around I saw new figures from the classic Indiana Jones. Indy, Belloq, Cairo Swordsman, Monkey Man, and others, due out in a few months. Also two new figures from Labyrinth, another Jareth and a Hoggle.

None of these are out yet, but keep your eyes open. Go over to Entertainment Earth and dream of things yet to come!

Staggerment

My brother Yen in Florida has had do to a lot of refurbishing and redecorating of his house, and as part of the general neatening-up decided to send me his collection of The Lord of the Rings action figures. He did this because 1) he knows I love them and 2) he knows I'll never sell or throw them away so if he ever wants to see them again, here they are.

I knew there'd be a lot of them, but wow. Yesterday the Fed-Ex man drove up and started unloading boxes on the front porch. The first three were out and I thought, "Okay, that should be about it." Then another was hauled out. Then another. And another. In all six boxes, each 30"x13"x16", were piled up on the top step. The Fed-Ex man asked me what was in them, and I told him.

"Are you opening a store?" he asked.

I had a ready answer.

"No, we just play with them."

I spent most of the evening sorting them out, assissted by my enthusiastic niece. All together there were 193 LOTR action figures. I collect LOTR action figures, but there are at least 30 figures here that I didn't have before. A quart and a gallon Ziploc baggies hold all their accessories.

The figures break down into these categories: 55 Hobbits, 29 Orcs, 18 Aragorns, 14 Legolases, 14 other Elves, 14 Nazgul, 13 Men of Gondor, 13 Men of Rohan, 11 Gandalfs, 6 Evil Men, 5 Gimlis, 4 Gollums, 3 Dead Men, 2 Sarumans, 2 Ents, 1 Shelob, 1 War Troll, and 1 Eye of Sauron.

All of these could probably be packed into three boxes as described; after all they are all loose figures. But there was more. Lord of the Rings premiums from Burger King. Lord of the Rings miniatures from The Armies of Middle-Earth, with playsets. LOTR chess pieces. LOTR Legos. And that wasn't all.

There was the new Castle Greyskull and about 15 figures from The Masters of the Universe. There were stray Star Wars pieces that were part of a collection to be sent to my other brother and my nephew. There are 40 or 50 miscellaneous action figures of all kinds and makes, and accessories galore. Some will be distributed among nephews and neices, others will go into my collection.

So I've been very busy and happy. I swim around in my toys like a porpoise; I burrow through them like a gopher; and sometimes I toss them up and let them hit me on the head, all the while chortling with merry glee.