Build City | Stores with Toys

Build City, at Level 4 of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, is all about building and construction kits.  

So besides the classic and perfunctory LEGO blocks, Build City carries toys by PLAYMOBIL (those miniature plastic figures you can detach from head to foot), SCHLEICH (realistically-painted animal plastic figures), imported from Germany.  At Build City, they've color-coded the price for the SCHLEICH figures: PhP 149 is the cheapest and the prices understandably go up as the models become more bigger and intricate.  

At that rate, a simple menagerie of barn animals will cost you thousands.  But then, some people apparently dig that.  Schleich also makes the Smurf figures, which is good now that those 80's blue-skinned folks are back with a movie of their own.

There's also HERPA (miniature toy vehicles), D-TORSO (those 3D cardboard jigsaw models, you turn into a horse or a whale or even a human skeleton), and many more.  

There's even a free play area for kids, with loads of Lego blocks lying there, just waiting for tiny hands to snap them into place.  

Build City is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/buildcity

Comic Con. Baguio. July 16, 2011.

Gerry Alanguilan,of Wasted fame.

WHAT:

COMIC CON

WHEN: JULY 16, 2011
WHERE: BAGUIO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, BAGUIO



If we're lucky, veteran comic artist and inker Gerry Alanguilan (in photo above) will grace the Comic Con event on July 16 which will be held at the Baguio City National High School. 

Laguna-born Mr. Alanguilan is the man responsible for such nifty works as Wasted, ELMER, Johnny Balbona, and Humanis Rex!  As well as for inking several issues of X-Men, Wolverine, Fantastic Four, Superman, Wetworks, etc.  Alanguilan's short horror comics entitled "Sim" also appears in the graphic collection Underpass. 

Along with Whilce Portacio (co-creator of  Bishop in the Marvel universe), Gerry Alanguilan is one of the few Pinoys who have carved a name for themselves in the comic book industry.

This is the first time the Comic Con is convening in the city of Pines. 

It's only a one day event but the activities are packed.  Expect the usual comic book sales, plus workshops, live model sketching and comic strip drawings, and even an create-your-own-original-character contest.  Even better, meet and greet with your favorite illustrators. 

Damn Gravity | Optical Illusion

This won 1st place in the 7th Annual Best Illusion Contest last year.  

Check out the other winners and finalists here:  

Best Optical Illusions of 2010


P.S. I like the soundtrack to this one.

Cosplay Mania '11 Goes to Baguio!

  

 ...and nationwide too, but Baguio is the First Leg.

What: TOrCH Preliminaries Leg 1

When: July 2, 2011 | 1 PM to 6 PM

Where: SM City Baguio Event Center

Where else can you catch Cosplay Mania '11:

Leg 2. July 16 – SM City Cagayan de Oro (Event Center)
Leg 3. July 30 – SM City Bacolod (Event Center)
Leg 4. August 6 - SM City Davao (Event Center)
Leg 5. August 13 – SM City Cebu (Event Center)
Leg 6. August 27 - SM City North Edsa (Annex)
Leg 7. September 4 – SM Southmall (Event Center)
Leg 8. September 24 – SM Manila (Cyberzone Event Center) 

More details at their Facebook event page: http://es-es.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157901430941843

Goodbye, Spidey

Blame it on alternate universe.  Blame it on murderous writers Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar.  Blame it on costume change.  

In Issue 160 of the Ultimate Spider-Man Series: Death of Spider-Man, Peter Parker finally meets his end as he succumbs to his long-time foe, the Green Goblin.  Needless to say, this is a momentous, point-of-no-return event in the Ultimate Comics universe, known for pushing the envelope in story telling, and for making sure the dead stays dead.

Of course, this being an alternate universe apart from the Marvel universe, Peter Parker (at least the adult version) is well and alive in the other sagas.  A new Spider-Man will of course replace Peter Parker, as well as his classic red-and-blue costume we've been used to for so long.

Wait, they're killing off Spidey just to update his costume?   Not really, of course. 
If anything, Ultimate Comics treated Spider-Man's death with special care, making it a meaningful and noble death as only superheroes should have.  

 Though of course, fuck meaning and nobility.  Fans can't wait to see if a resurrection (however implausible it is or uncharacteristic of Ultimate Comics) is in the offing.

* * *

From http://www.comicvine.com/

"How can Marvel kill off the lead character in their biggest Ultimate Comics title? We know a new Spider-Man will surface. After Superman died, we had the Reign of the Supermen and saw four new characters. I don't think we will be getting four Spider-Mans (or should I say Spider-Men?). We've seen the Ultimate Universe of the Clone Saga and Marvel will most likely stay away from clones.

Superman was able to return from the dead because of his Kryptonian physiology. Spider-Man doesn't have that luxury. This just may be the actual death of Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe. I may not have loved the final moments but I did enjoy the entire arc. It would be difficult to bring Spider-Man back from the dead and if they did come up with an acceptable solution, there are other repercussions such as Peter's entire neighborhood knowing his identity

Ultimate Spider-Man dealt with a teenage boy that was doing everything he could to be a hero. This arc showed how far he was willing to go. Despite being seriously wounded, he never gave up. Superman was accepted as a hero before he died and didn't really need to prove to anyone that he was one. Spider-Man went above and beyond what his duties were. It was a noble death.."

Cosplayers, Attack!

Say what you will about cosplayer and their not having anything better to do, and you'll get a mouthful from its devotees.  

And why not a kick too?




After all, so much other foolish things are happening, like countries waging wars with each other.  

On the other hand, the combats these costumed and well-armed anime-wannabes undertake are all bloodless and harm-free, fun on the contrary, and all in the good name of solidarity.  Yey!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Game

For sheer effect, Michael Bay should have had Transformers: Dark of the Moon shown last June 15, when there was actually and literally a dark of the moon owing to a lunar eclipse.  At least his movie would have gotten one thing right.

But then again, there's already Green Lantern and X-Men: First Class at the cinemas.  Three action superhero movies showing simultaneously is much too much.

* * *

Movie-goers (assuming they are gamers too) might be better off spending their precious moolah on the new tie-in video game (of the same title as the film) by High Moon Studios which released War for Cybertron last year to a generally favorable reception.  

So far, the reviews for the new Transformers game, Dark of the Moon are mixed.  The good: outstanding gritty graphics, versatile shooting capabilities, and a neat multi-player mode.  The bad: unremarkable soundtrack and an essentially unsatisfying shortness in the whole gameplay (18 missions all in all).  

Don't worry good ol' Peter Cullen still lends his voice to the franchise.






 

So Many Green Lanterns, So Little Time

You gotta love China. 

They already have Green Lantern action figures in the likeness of Ryan Reynolds

(see photo below) sold in Divisoria.  (Thankfully, the store owners allow picture-taking of the goods, unlike in upscale Shangri-La with that pesky lady guard.)

Ryan Reynolds flanked by his Green Lantern friends

This particular stall in 186 mall (I'm not sure why they name malls in Divisoria after numbers, there's 168, 999.  Lucky numbers in Chinese?)--anyway, this particular stall in 186 mall sells lotsa action figures.  There's even two versions of Wolverine--him clad in his classic yellow, black and blue, and the updated version looking uncannily like Hugh Jackman himself.   The prices, said the nice lady, range from PhP 150 to PhP 300.  Not bad. 

Back to Green Lantern. 

Until recently I thought the Green Lantern was supposed to be the African-American Jon Stewart of Justice League.  As it turns out, there is more than one Green Lantern.  Apparently, Green Lantern is a corps of superheroes all sporting the same power ring.

Which is why when the Green Lantern movie came out with the not-quite-African-American Ryan Reynolds, confusion set in.  Truth be told, I do not know my DC. 

So that's why the trailer shows several other green-clad heroes.

I still equate Green Lantern with Jon Stewart though, so every time the trailer came on, I keep looking for a black guy.

You'll notice I say trailer, not movie.  See, I have no urgent impluse to watch Green Lantern as I'm not particularly a fan of him and his band.  And also, not when there's X-Men.

Elementary, my Dear Rizal.

The

Detective Rizal game

developed by AccidentalRebelGames, in commemoration of the hero's 150th birthday.

Hobbes and Landes | Stores with Toys, Part 1

The next time you're at Shangri-La Plaza Mall, stop by at Hobbes & Landes and Build City at the 4th floor, and be a kid for a while.  Or take your kid there, if you have one.  

 
Hobbes & Landes (no relation to the comic strip, but who knows...) is a specialty store that I suspect carries the kind of toys that Toy Kingdom doesn't.  No, not adult toys.  Kids' toys.  Baby toys, educational toys, construction kits, collectibles.

This being Shangri-La though, the items are uber-expensive.  The only toy under PhP 500 that I could find was portable gameboards by Hasbro--Monopoly, Life, Mastermind, etc.  The Cluedo version has suspect tokens made of plastic, not die-cast metal of miniature people, so I put it back.  But anyway. 

The flagship store is in Fort Bonifacio Global City, and the one they have at Shangri-La is a mere space right beside the escalator, but even so, you immediately become aware that the prices of all the items combined in that tiny floor space cost scads.  I mean, the Perplexus alone costs PhP2,500+, while a regular kailedoscope costs a migraine-inducing PhP 595.  

Still, Hobbes & Landes packs a diverse collection of awesome toys both for kids and the kid and you.  Check out award-winning educational games and puzzles by Smart Games as well as construction kits by Lego and its Japanese-version Nano Block.

Collector items include Domo merchandise, Momo bears, Momiji dolls, Mimobots, designer USB flash drives, various trading cards, even books, binoculars and microscopes, etc.


And should you feel hungry from all that toy-browsing, there's a yogurt store right inside the store.

6/14 Best Selling Push Pull Toys & Walker Wagons

Best Selling Push Pull Toys & Walker Wagons         #9: Yookidoo Crawl N' Go Snail June 14, 2011 at 2:14 AM   Yookidoo Crawl N' Go Snail by International Playthings (43) Buy new: $29.99 $22.99 26 used & new from $18.95 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #8: Fisher-Price Toddlerz Chatter Telephone June 13, 2011 at 11:57 PM   Fisher-Price Toddlerz Chatter Telephone by Fisher Price (45) Buy new: $10.99 $8.30 69 used & new from $2.70 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #10: Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower June 13, 2011 at 11:57 PM   Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower by Little Tikes (23) Buy new: $29.53 16 used & new from $24.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #9: Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug, Bug, Small June 13, 2011 at 11:57 PM   Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug, Bug, Small by Prince Lionheart (146) Buy new: $70.00 $54.51 25 used & new from $53.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #6: Plan Toys Dancing Alligator June 13, 2011 at 11:57 PM   Plan Toys Dancing Alligator by Plan Toys (36) Buy new: $20.99 $15.94 32 used & new from $15.25 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #10: Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug, Bug, Small June 13, 2011 at 9:39 PM   Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug, Bug, Small by Prince Lionheart (146) Buy new: $70.00 $54.51 25 used & new from $53.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #7: Plan Toys Dancing Alligator June 13, 2011 at 9:39 PM   Plan Toys Dancing Alligator by Plan Toys (36) Buy new: $20.99 $15.95 33 used & new from $15.25 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #6: Melissa & Doug Stacking Train June 13, 2011 at 9:39 PM   Melissa & Doug Stacking Train by Melissa and Doug (69) Buy new: $16.99 $13.49 119 used & new from $5.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #8: Yookidoo Crawl N' Go Snail June 13, 2011 at 9:39 PM   Yookidoo Crawl N' Go Snail by International Playthings (43) Buy new: $29.99 $22.99 26 used & new from $18.95 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #5: Kidoozie Press N Go Inchworm June 13, 2011 at 9:39 PM   Kidoozie Press N Go Inchworm by International Playthings (28) Buy new: $24.95 $13.43 22 used & new from $11.88 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #8: Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower by Little Tikes (23) Buy new: $29.53 16 used & new from $24.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #4: Green Toys Eco-Friendly Firetruck June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Green Toys Eco-Friendly Firetruck by Green Toys (19) Buy new: $17.26 48 used & new from $16.89 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #9: Fisher-Price Toddlerz Chatter Telephone June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Fisher-Price Toddlerz Chatter Telephone by Fisher Price (45) Buy new: $10.99 $8.30 69 used & new from $2.70 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #6: Kidoozie Press N Go Inchworm June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Kidoozie Press N Go Inchworm by International Playthings (28) Buy new: $24.95 $13.43 21 used & new from $11.88 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #2: Sassy Pop N Push Car June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Sassy Pop N Push Car by Sassy (58) Buy new: $7.39 10 used & new from $5.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #7: Melissa & Doug Stacking Train June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Melissa & Doug Stacking Train by Melissa and Doug (69) Buy new: $16.99 $13.49 118 used & new from $5.99 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #1: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper Push Toy June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Corn Popper Push Toy by Fisher Price (181) Buy new: $15.99 20 used & new from $9.85 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #10: Yookidoo Crawl N' Go Snail June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Yookidoo Crawl N' Go Snail by International Playthings (43) Buy new: $29.99 $22.99 26 used & new from $18.95 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #3: Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy by Melissa & Doug (105) Buy new: $49.99 $36.68 66 used & new from $31.23 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)         #5: Plan Toys Dancing Alligator June 13, 2011 at 7:23 PM   Plan Toys Dancing Alligator by Plan Toys (36) Buy new: $20.99 $15.95 33 used & new from $15.25 (Visit the Bestsellers in Push & Pull Toys list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)