AA/ DST Spotlight- Commander Spock (DST Reissue)

Figure Name: Commander/ Mr. Spock
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



DST reissued the original Art Asylum Spock as a single-carded release and...



...in a 2-pack with Scotty.



The Rundown: Time to take another look at one of the DST crew reissues- Spock! Both the single-carded and 2-pack versions of Spock are pretty close in appearance, but are they different enough from the first release (spotlighted here) to warrant a purchase? Take a look!



The reissue Spock uses the same body as the original, so you're looking at the same great likeness and articulation here. Yeah, he's still got a rubbery shirt. I REALLY wish DST had given the reissues solid torso sculpts instead, but what can you do.



Spock has been given a lighter skin tone on the reissue than he had on his original release. I can't really decide which one I prefer and I really don't feel one stands out as being better than the other, so I'm going to leave this one up to your own personal preference.

While taking the pics I noticed that this reissue Spock (which is actually the single-carded version) had some "puppy dog eyes" going on. When I looked at the 2-pack version, I realized the eyes looked a bit better on him. Not sure if it's that way on all the releases, but it may be something to watch out for.



Okay, here's where the improvements really start adding up. The reissue Spock's tunic is molded in a slightly more vibrant blue than the original. It's tough to see it in the pictures, but you can notice it easily in person. I don't know if it's a slightly different material or if it's due to how new it is, but I also noticed that my original AA figures have black marks on their necks from reacting to the black collars on the shirts. I haven't noticed anything like that on my reissues. And as I've mentioned before, the gold paint that DST uses is much nicer than the original. You can see it in the delta shields up there...



...and in the rank braids. It's a really big improvement over the original, which now has a greenish hue.



Accessories: The single-carded Spock includes a tricorder, communicator, phaser, and 2 interchangeable hands. The 2-pack version includes the same equipment but lacks the interchangeable hands. Unfortunately, he's sporting the "live long and prosper" hand in the 2-pack, making his left hand pretty much useless.



So there ya go. The improvements to the gold and maybe the shirt material are the real selling points here, as I can't really say that the skin tone is any better or worse. I personally would call it an upgrade to your original, but I guess it depends on how bad the paint on your AA Spock has turned. Of course if you don't have the AA version, this release is a no-brainer. You MUST own Spock. I'd go with the 2-pack version, since you also get a superior Scotty, but you're going to need to crib an extra hand somewhere to get rid of the "LL&P" salute...

-James

Star Trek 'Potpourri' Spotlight- Nodniks!

Item Name: Star Trek Nodniks
Manufacturer: Funko



Funko released these little guys in carded pairs: Kirk & the Gorn and...



...Spock and a Klingon.

The Rundown: Bobble bobble! I mentioned in a previous bobbly spotlight that I'm not a huge fan of bobble-heads, but if you are and you prefer something a little on the smaller side...well Funko has just the product for you! Nodniks are Funko's brand of smaller bobble-heads. They stand right around 4" tall, have articulated arms and feature non-descript bodies with painted on detailing.



The Trek releases come in pairs (in fact all the different licensed Nodniks I've seen have been packaged in pairs). Captain Kirk comes packaged with his "Arena" nemesis, the vile Gorn captain...



...while Spock and "Klingon" fill the other slot. I'm fairly certain this Klingon is Kor and I'm not really sure why they didn't label him as such. Much like minimates, the likenesses are painted on caricatures of their screen counterparts. I don't really feel Funko did quite as nice of a job as AA/ DST does on the 'mates line though. The faces just look odd to me for some reason. Maybe they tried a little too hard to make them realistic when they should have 'tooned them up a bit more.



So should you get them? If you're a bobble-head fan, of course. But if you aren't (like me), the only real selling point is the price. I paid $7 per pack, making each character only cost a measly $3.50. That's just the right price for an oddity on my desk.

-James

AA/ DST Spotlight- Phaser Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Item Name: Phaser (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)



Diamond Select Toys released this phaser in the "universal" Star Trek packaging. This TMP version is an Entertainment Earth exclusive. Here's the back of the box featuring some of DST's other products and a little more on the TMP phaser-



The Rundown: The TWOK phaser from DST was one of my favorite Trek toy purchases in years (you can read my original post on it here). The electronic features and sleek design are top notch and easily elevate the piece from a mere toy into the "prop replica" range. So when DST announced they'd be using the mold to do a TMP version, needless to say I couldn't get my credit card out fast enough to place my pre-order. Mine arrived shortly before Christmas... How does it stack up against the TWOK version? Let's look!



Both phasers feature the same great electronic features, so the only real differences in the two are in appearance. The TWOK style phaser features a shiny metallic silver finish while this new TMP version is molded in a flat gray color.

Oh! Before I forget... I didn't notice when I reviewed the TWOK version, but the handle actually has "pinky indents" just like the real prop! They are easy to miss (obviously), so it's pretty cool that DST took the time to include them.



The next difference is in the trigger. The new TMP style phaser features a flat trigger that lays flush with the handle while the original TWOK version has a raised circle in the middle.



Here's the biggest difference of the bunch, and the true selling point in buying another version. The buttons of the TMP version are a different mold than the TWOK version and are cast in translucent plastic. Instead of the plain white lights of the original, the new TMP version features multi-colored lights indicating the different power levels! Here's a quick video so you can see what I mean-



Pretty sweet! Had DST just left the lights the same, I'd have a hard time pushing an additional purchase on this... but with the addition of the different colors, I have no problem giving this one my recommendation. It was a great piece the first time, and it may be just a bit better on this go round!

You can pick up the phaser for $29.99 right here from the fine folks at Entertainment Earth!

-James

Star Trek The Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition Extras- "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

All the extras from the Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition of "What Are Little Girls Made Of?". Great insights from Sherry Jackson and (of course) Majel...



-James

Star Trek The Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition Extras- "Dagger Of The Mind"

All the extras from the Sci-Fi Channel Special Edition of "Dagger Of the Mind". Good stuff with Grace Lee Whitney towards the end...



-James

AA/ DST Spotlight- Lt. Uhura (DST Reissue)

Figure Name: Lt. Uhura
Manufacturer: Diamond Select Toys



This Lt. Uhura reissue was offered by Diamond Select in a 2-pack with Captain Kirk.



The Rundown: DST has recently been bringing back the original AA-sculpted crew figures for those folks who may have gotten into the game a little late. Uhura here hasn't gotten the single-carded reissue treatment yet, but she is currently available in a 2-pack with a yellow-shirted Kirk. Is she worth snagging? Read on!



The sculpt here is identical to the AA release. Since we already looked at the original Uhura (which you can go back and check out here), today we'll just take a look at what's different on this version.



The head is painted pretty closely to the original. The eyes are a shade darker on the reissue, and the skin tone is maybe just a hint darker as well. The most noticeable change on the head is a much more vibrant gold paint on the earrings.



Uhura's uniform is the biggest update from the original. She gets that same superior gold paint treatment on her delta symbol and rank stripes. Uhura's skirt is made of a stiffer rubber than the original, but not quite as hard as the stuff used on the "Tribbleations" Dax. The red plastic used on the uniform is much brighter here, and there's less of the dark paint wash that the original had. That change is the biggest plus on the reissue:



Since Scotty also just got a reissue, the reds of both uniforms now match a bit closer than they did on the original AA releases. Aww, look how cute the are togethere in their matching uniforms! Shades of their romance in Star Trek V...



Accessories: Since it's a 2 pack, it's tough to say which accessories are meant for which figure. The tricorder, communicator, and padd were closest to Uhura, so I'm assuming those are her items.



Like most of DST's reissues, I prefer this release of Uhura to her AA version. The red of the uniform and the gold paint are huge improvements and the fact that she can now stand next to Scotty without looking odd is a major bonus. The only drawback is that she's only in a 2-pack as of now...

The whole set of of 2-packs is currently on sale over at Big Bad Toystore for a measly $65 and some change (that works out to about $11 per figure... which is a bargain nowadays).

-James

Star Trek 'Potpourri' Spotlight- Custom Playmates Zefram Cochrane (From "Metamorphosis")

Figure Name: Zefram Cochrane
Made by customizer Matthew Hackley



The Rundown: Did ya miss me? Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Got sidetracked by a couple of other projects, free time became a premium, and the blog postings had to take a backseat. I'm still not ready to return to daily spotlights, but hopefully I can at least squeeze in a couple per week... But enough about me- It's Zefram time!



Before I start talking about the custom, I should probably address a Cochranian issue: Star Trek First Contact. I like First Contact, I really do- It's the finest of the TNG films for sure. The Borg are fun, Data has some choice moments, and Picard gets to be a "BA" on the holodeck. There is one major issue I have with the film though-



I don't know who James Cromwell was portraying in the movie, but to me it ain't Zefram Cochrane. Glenn Corbett IS Zefram Cochrane. Zefram Cochrane isn't a boozing, bumbling buffoon who did it all for the money. That's not how I choose to look at Cochrane's early years (read the pre-First Contact novel "Federation" for a better understanding of who "my" Cochrane is). To me, Cromwell's Cochrane is the slip and Corbett's Cochrane is the canon version.

Sorry to get on a soapbox there...



So anyways... Zefram is another fine entry in the "What if Playmates had kept the TOS line going?" assortment from the talented hands of Matthew Hackley! Hackley captured the look of Cochrane from "Metamorphosis" in a style reminiscent of Playmates' Warp Factor figures.



Matt had to do some extensive head sculpting here to get Corbett's likeness just right. I feel like he really nailed it. The look on his face reminds me of when Zefram spied the shuttlecraft for the first time.



I didn't really notice when I watched the episode, but Zefram has a neat little decoration on his shirt that looks like 2 ships flying away from each other. Matt noticed it though, and that little detail really helps his otherwise simple uniform really pop. Kudos Matt!



So there ya go... The REAL Zefram, as Playmates might have done him.

-James