SpartanNerd Blog...Blog Photos the way they Should Be!

I have a few really nice figures, and am always reviewing them on this blog....

But up until now, I have only used my kitchen table....Or maybe the "Protector of the Keep" playmate for Magic cards or comics.

But not anymore!

The SpartanWife got me an early Valentines present...And I was completely surprised and blown away by it.

A LIGHTBOX!

Now I can take really good pictures, and edit them like a pro!

Here is a sample!

D Arts MegaMan!

i switched out the armor on Snout Spout last week.
I like my elephant warriors to be more savage!

Teela has proven to be the hardest to photograph.
I think her face is a bit too shiny for the spotlight.  Here I gave here a cooler treatment,
with mystical blue lighting.

Here is Marvel Select Thor, with a black background and a filter.  I wanted an antique look.
I am especially fond of how the hammer turned out.

Skeletor is an interesting one to photograph.  So much detail!  This black and white filter really makes the trio of Panthor, Havoc Staff, and Skeletor feel like they came from a horror story.

A good pic of the details on Panthor's face.  The Sepia filter makes it feel bronze, or clay even.

One thing, Skeletor's eyes can hypnotize you if you stare too long at them.
There was masterful design and execution on the face sculpt and painting of Skeletor.

I think this is my favorite picture I have taken with the new equipment.  Nothing too fancy.  But it feels like the cover of a Conan the Barbarian comic book.  I tried to have Vikor hold Teela over his shoulder, but their facial expressions are too calm for that pose to work.  Still, Red is the perfect color to go behind Vikor.

I tried to get a "Catalogue" feel on He-Man and Battlecat here.  

And here he/they are.  Two Bad looks like he leapt off of the comic pages as well.

I have a lot to learn about taking pictures for reviews, and editing them as well with iPhoto or other software.  But I am off to a good start.  The lightbox is a 3X3X3 cube with two spotlights and four background colors.  I have found that sometimes the light reflects on faces a little too much, as in the case of Teela, Mega-Man, and Two-Bad above, but I was able to recover most of the time with editing.  I need to spend more time previewing before shooting, I think.  And also maybe moving the lights back or something.  I also took a few pics right before my iPhone battery died, and I believe that caused them to be a little blurrier. (I took some Pokemon pics that were unusable.)

There are also size limitations.  He-Man and Skeletor barely fit on their cats in the pics.  I cropped down what you see.  But the Griffin is way too big for the lightbox treatment.  And so is Megator, really.

Still, it is a great start and I am having a blast.  Comment on the photos!

(Also check out my recent blurb about Born of the Gods, where I also used the white reflecting material as the background for the cards.)

Oh yeah.  My rating.  The Polaroid Lightbox gets a 5/5!

It folds up for easy transport and storage into a little baggy with pouches for the lights.  It also came with a camera stand that I will have to try out when I use a real camera sometime instead of an iPhone.  I won't fault it on it's size.  Really it is perfect for most action figures, and I am a beginner.

UNBOXING.....MOTUC Snout Spout

Snout Spout was one of those oddball characters that I had when I was a kid.  As a child, I had 80% of the Masters of the Universe figures, and probably 60% of the vehicles.  (When I I say "I had," I mean "We had."  I grew up with two brothers.)  My memories of Snout Spout include squirting acid all over Skeletor, putting out fire in Castle Greyskull, watering plants, etc.  Because, he was basically an elephant shaped spray bottle.  (One of my brothers would take him into the bathtub) :(

There were other figures that sprayed water also....Cobra Khan, and Dragon Blaster Skeletor.  But I don't ever remember having a war between these three.....My Mom was kind of tight in controlling us making potential messes.

So here is the modern Snout Spout.

I found Snout Spout in the BIG LOTS sale.  He wasn't at the first BIG LOTS I went to...but he was the only different figure they had at the alternate location.  Oddly, they had him behind the glass case up front, with the "highly desirable" items.  The other BIG LOTS did not have their MOTUC figures on display that way.

Here he is, in package.

I'm not ashamed of the price tag!

First thing we all notice, THE TRUNK IS HUGE!

His design is reminiscent of the Four Horsemen Seventh Kingdom elephants, which I have none of :(

This figure has the softer look of the vintage figure, compromised with the more fierce look of the 200X design.  (That was a statue only, if I recall.)

Here's the back of the box.

And a close-up of the BIO

I don't collect the BIOS.  And I throw away the packages.  I'd rather use the room I have to display more nerd stuff.

In general, I like the MOTUC BIOs.  Lots of people don't.  I can understand that.  But I always feel that I am at the mercy of what entertainment provides.  I might not always be a fan, but I will stick with it through thick and thin.  Snout Spout was never on the fimation He-Man cartoon, but he WAS on She-Ra, if I am not mistaken, but he was called Hose Nose.  He shares his origin with Dragstor and Extendar, in that Hordak made him into the monster that he is.

And JAXTON is a cool name.

Upon opening the box, here's what I saw.

From this view, you can see his axe/ trunk prop, and the jaws of life, which also have an elephantine design.  (The Horsemen said it was supposed to.)

I have heard numerous stories of the trunk being fragile.  SO...I took extra precautions when removing this figure.  When I removed the figure from the blister, his backpack remained stuck.  I had given no thought to his backpack.  It comes off easily....maybe a little too easily.

Here he is standing up, fully equipped.

And a look at that backpack.  It has a faux "button" reminiscent of the vintage one.  As a kid, backpacks were one of my favorite accessories for a figure.  Especially Rio Blasts backpack, and the backpacks that came with GI Joes.

Snout Spout has sturdy ankles and other joints.  I have not noticed any "cracking" underneath the trunk.  For the record, I also have access to King Hiss.  He isn't cracking either.

So how would I rank Snout Spout?  He's cool and all, but he's no Skeletor, or Vikor.  He isn't you know, as AWESOME as they are.  The figure's fine.  He's just not that cool.  So I give him a 3/5.

What's your rating?  Am I too rough on Jaxton?  Let me know!

MOTUC AT BIG LOTS

                 As I tirelessly remind anyone who reads this blog.  I'M A CHEAPSKATE.  Mostly out of responsibility and guilt, needing to spare luxuries sometimes to make the ends meet.  So what news caught this Tri-Clops' eye?

                  So I made my way to the Big Box discount store.  And LOADED UP!  MOTUC figures for $10 a piece.  Even the giant figures!

I got....

Orko/ Prince Adam
Megator
Icarius (Flipshot)
Count Marzo
Snout Spout.

I passed up on Faceless One (already have one), Molar/Skeletor (I have two Skeletors already and hate Molar.)

For $50.  YEAH.  AND it is TAX FREE WEEKEND!

This score seems exceptionally huge because of two things.  (1) At the MonsterCon, I bought a MOTUC Spikor for $40, reminding me of the huge aftermarket prices of these figures.  I TRIED to buy a FlipShot and a Marzo from someone, who backed out of the deal not wanting to take my debit card.  (Pleeeze.  This is the 1990's.  Duh!) (2) ToyGuru and Company are trying to get me to subscribe.  AND I wish I could.  But I can't commit.  Oh how I want a Modulok.  But I can't commit.  I just can't do it.  That is paying more than $500 for mostly sight unseen product.  And I buy a ton of Magic Cards and Comic books.  And these things are mostly for MY entertainment.  I have mentioned before that my boys don't really play with them.  (Well they are now, now that I scored a few figs, but the newness will soon wear off.)

I wished I could find some female characters.  No luck :(  Some folks on the internet say that they found Moss Man, King Grayskull, and Grizzlor.  I had no luck here either.

Lots of reviews on the way, including my first ever UNBOXING Reviews!

"Forever is a long time, Skeletor!"