Last week I featured a toy from Galoob that flew under the controversy radar and highlighted some of the most shocking moments from the classic sci-fi/horror film Alien. Toy history has had countless scenarios of recalls based on safety issues ranging from a baby doll that could "eat" but wound up eating a little girls hair-- nearly scalping her in the process, to an infamous Cylon Raider toy which fired tiny plastic missiles and nearly blinded a young boy, or even the lead-based paint controversy of recent years. It's much "easier" for a toy to find itself immersed in controversy based on safety concerns. Much more rare are the examples of toys that made headlines because they embody questionable subject matter. Generally toys like this need to be targeted buy an individual or organization that carries enough weight to get the public to vote with their wallets. In the case of the Freddy Krueger doll that I mentioned last week, a Christian advocacy group known as the National Federation for decency had parents boycotting toy stores which ultimately lead to the toys discontinuation in a surprising one week time span.
In the mid 90's toy maker Galoob boldly flew in the face of previous controversies and produced a handful of toys based on the 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien This week I continue featuring these toys with a really nice model of the space craft Narcissus. In the movie a commercial space towing vessel called the Nostromo landed on a remote planet after receiving a radio transmission. Their efforts to investigate the transmission ultimately results in nearly the entire crew of the Nostromo being exterminated by a hostile parasitic alien organism. Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley is the sole survivor-- but not before engaging in a final showdown with the alien in the Nostromo's escape craft-- a small vessel named the Narcissus.
I have to hand it to the toy designers at Galoob. This toy thoughtfully recreates the classic final showdown between Ripley and the alien down to some very small details. For example Ripley's cat "Jones" is finely rendered in a small carrier inside the detailed interior of this toy. Jones the cat was the only other survivor of the alien attack and went on to be featured in the sequel.
There are many other details to enjoy so please investigate the Alien Action Fleet Narcissus in the Vehicles Gallery of the Cabinet of Curious Frivolities.
Full steam ahead...
Director Jim Cameron drove the art direction in the film to create a believable world. The military hardware in the film looks modern but still reflects the style of Vietnam war era technology. Fitting for a movie where a well equipped squad of marines is essentially wiped out but a primitive foe. The weapon and vehicle designs set a new standard for the science fiction genre and the designs are so pleasing that they remain the favorites of sci-fi geeks nearly a quarter of a century later.
Historically batman drives a dragster like car that, while fast and powerful, actually makes very little sense for a vigilante crime fighter. A military vehicle is a much more reasonable choice. Batman Begins' production designer Nathan Crowley designed the Tumbler through an organic process of clay models and plastic model bashing. The actual movie car is quite impressive. It is capable of speeds over 100 mph. and was jumped 30 feet as part of the production.
Sometimes the best toys are the ones you make yourself-- and I'm not talking about paper airplanes here. Nine years ago I entered the live-steam hobby and it helped me cultivate an interest in toys that are nothing less than miniature working replicas of real machines. In the past nine years I have amassed a pretty respectable collection of miniature machinery. Many of these pieces are rare models that I purchased-- much like the 
While most people on the streets of modern Japan simply keep to themselves, this group is boisterous and vivacious-- they smoke, they swear, and they approach random tourists to offer directions-- they are schoolgirls. It could be claimed that schoolgirls should be a national symbol of Japan. Any search online will yield thousands of results that sexualize Japanese schoolgirls, seeking to make money off of pedophiles and perverts around the world, however Japanese schoolgirls often fetishize themselves by rolling up their skirts at the waist. This not only makes the skirts often absurdly short, but it makes the iconic pleated skirts flair outward. The rest of the uniform has become iconic as well; from the sailor top and knee high socks to the tiny backpacks. 
They are cute but prickly, meek yet menacing . Italian artist Simone Legno has created a world of cute and creepy characters. His characters are the equivalent of an adorable puppy bearing it's teeth and growling at you; you instinctively have the reaction "awwww, he's trying to be mean and scary". With different series of characters ranging from the sharp and prickly "Cactus Friends" to the bullet brandishing bovines of the "Moofia" and the cuddly but morbid, skeletal characters of "Til Death do us Part", Simone calls his world Tokidoki. A mysterious but sexy tattoo clad woman is often portrayed interacting with the world of cute characters. Tokidoki has become somewhat of a phenomenon, showing up on clothing, toys and designer hand bags. His work is popular enough that counterfeit products now appear in Asian street markets.
