Action Man Freeze Force

Who likes Action Men? I do. I have been wanting to expand my collection (of one) and my wish has been answered. I got this Action Man Freeze Force among the presents I received for Christmas, from my wife and my son. And what better time to receive an action figure using ski and meant to operate in a wintery environment than Christmas? 'Tis the season to be playing, especially in the bleak midwinter. I love everything about it: the look, the equipment and the gaming possibilities.

Where are the Action Men gone?

A bit of sad news which I did not have time to mention here: we discovered about a week ago that the fancy clothes shop that used to have Action Men on display once a year, around this time of year (March and April) has closed down. I saw one lying down on an empty shelf and it made me very sad. Action Men are the action figures I wish I had known when I was a child. They are the quintessential British toy in my opinion. I have one Action Man myself, which I hope will be the subject of many adventures played by my son and I together. Still, I am sad that they will no longer on display in the window of that clothes shop.

I want more Action Men

It struck me a few days ago, when we walked by the fancy clothes shop that used to have Action Men or an imitation of them in their window as marketing tool. I need more of them. On my birthday, I received one Action Man as a present. It is still in its box, on display in the dining room. Don't know if I'll ever take it off the box to play with it like an overgrown nostalgic child. Unboxing it might devalue this British icon. be that as it may, I want more Action Men, whether it is to have them on display like this as a collection, or to play with Wolfie. I find them far cooler than GI Joes and other action figures.

Action Men on duty

I blogged before about the Action Man bookends which I bought at a bargain price (£5.00) last year. Well, it turns out that I finally put them to good use. This is not perfect, but here they are, actually holding books, and looking super cool by the window. The choice of books is not perfect yet, I will need to select more titles that are action and adventure oriented, but that is a start. In any case, and unlike my Action Man who is still in his box, these soldiers are on duty.

Whatever happened to the Action Men?

I blogged a few times before about the local fancy British (very British) clothes shop that every year used to have on display Action Men as window dressing. I was wondering when they would show up. I either missed them, or they never did this year, in which case I am sorely disappointed. Oh well, at least I have my very own this year, who has yet to be taken out of his box. Still, I wonder what happened to the ones of the shop. As I am starting a collection (for my son of course), I might see if I can buy some second hand.

My first Action Man

Well, I was hoping for it, but I was not expecting it so early: today, I received as a birthday gift my first ever Action Man. Not just any Action Man: he is a brand new one, still in his packaging. He is the Action Soldier and comes with his uniform, beret, tag and... scar. Of course, he needs that scar. A present from my wife, but I suspect it is also for little Wolfie, when he will be three years old (as it is not recommended before) and when he will be interested about something else than cars, trucks and other means of transport. Anyway, apparently I am not the only person who is fond of this old British icon: there is a whole business built on nostalgia, which is why this one is brand new: they are making more. This Action Man is the first in a collection of many, at least I hope so. For me, but also and especially for Wolfie.

Waiting for the Action Men

I blogged a few times before about this local fancy men's wear shop that at some point in the year uses Action Men figures in their window to advertise (and, in the meantime, be patriotic). They usually show up around April, but last time we walked by they were not there. I hope I haven't missed them. For many reasons, listed in this post, I have developed a sort of obsession about the action figures. They channel some kind of nostalgia in me, who is easily nostalgic. I hope to get my hands on some of them one day. For little Wolfie of course. We saw my brother-in-law this weekend, and I stupidly forgot to ask him if he had kept any from his childhood collection. He completely adores Wolfie (I will blog about this in more details), so I am sure that he would happily give him his Action Men, if he has any left. Until then, I hope they show up in the shop windows soon.

Books for the Action Man bookends

I have blogged before about these Action Man bookends which I had at a bargan price (£5). After almost a month they are still in their box, to my great shame. Because I have plenty of books, but they hold very well by themselves and there is no need to the support of bookends. All the same, I want them on display somewhere. They represent a British cultural icon and are the epitome of nostalgia for one, and then it would really give some style to the bookshelves. What I really want to find is books that would fit the nature and look of the bookends. Like adventure novels, for instance, or war stories. I want a whole section of books in between them that is about men of action. Come to think of it, maybe I need to buy new books.

Action Man Bookends!

One of the local shops, which sells mainly trinkets, is closing down. It is very sad, as it always is when a local shop is closing down, especially since this one has been here for at least eleven years. It was here when we moved to this town. That said, one can find true bargains in closing sales. Such as these Action Man bookends. You know I have been obsessed about the action figures which are to me the epitome of British boyhood games. I have been unable to find any action figure to buy, but at least I am now the proud owner of two bookends, which feature one rifleman and one grenadier respectively. It cost me £5, a true bargain I tell you. And now my bookshelves will look far more virile with a dash of British military class. Let me speak bluntly: these bookends are absolutely cool.

It's the scar

Some sad bit of news to start this post: I saw last weekend that the Action Men displayed in the window of the fancy clothes shop are gone. Already! I did not have time to take more snapshots. Now I must consider my next move carefully: to buy (and if so at what price? and where?) or not to buy these antiques of British childhood entertainment? In the meantime, I thought a lot about it and I think I know what I really like about them and make them stand out: it's the scar some of the Action Men sport on their cheek. It gives them this edge, this extra veneer of menace and mystery. Good guy or villain, a scar means business, especially if it is on his face. They know what danger is, they have faced it in the past, it nearly ended up badly and they have the scar to prove it. The scar is what makes the Action Man on this picture uber cool. It means he has a history.

Action Men Mania

My wife went downtown yesterday and she told me that apparently the Action Men that are still on the window at the local luxury menswear shop, but they have been displayed differently. I hope they don't take away just yet. In fact, I like them so much that I am seriously considering buying some for myself, errr.... I mean, for Wolfie, when he is old enough. Not sure why I find them so cool. I think it's partially because unlike say G.I. Joe, they don't come with their preexisting detailed history. These figures are basically blank canvasses and you can invent their background, biography and personality yourself, creating true characters. So Action Men can stimulate the imagination a lot. It stimulates my imagination anyway. I wish they were available when and where I was growing up.

The Action Men are back!

I blogged before about this local fancy clothes shop which used in its window to advertise Action Men, a classic brand of action figures, the British equivalent of GI Joe, very popular here (my brother-in-law apparently was quite fond of them as a child). After a couple of weeks in the window, they were gone, which saddened me, as I had gone quite fond of these small models, with their military demeanor, their scar and their overall coolness. I guess is triggered the child in me, there is something about them that reminds me of my old make belief games and the dangerous adventures I dreamed about. And they are British, so they are also classy and somehow different from what you would u.

And today, as we were walking in town, I noticed that they were back! Some of them holding banners proclaiming "100% Made In Britain". It makes sense that Action Men advertise
old-fashioned, posh British clothes. We had lots of things to do, but I took a few moments to take a few snapshots. Not very good ones, but still. I really find them uber cool and wish they could keep them on display all year long, displayed differently depending of the time of year. I wonder why they show up now. In any case, I will take a look at them again. One day, when he is old enough, I might buy some for Wolfie.

The Action Men are gone

I blogged before, twice in fact, about the Action Men used on one of the local clothes shop window for advertisement.Well, they are now gone. I wonder why. Maybe because they were wearing clothes far too warm for the months to come. Maybe because these clothes looked nothing like the clothes sold in the shop. Or maybe they just didn't work as advertisement. A shame, I liked them, they had character, especially the ones with the scar on their cheek. It's the kind of toys I wish I had as a child. I might actually buy some for my son, when he is old enough for Action Men. Or let my brother-in-law buy them as presents, as he loved Action Man when he was a child.

Action Men

I blogged last Tuesday about a local shop for menswear that used in its window some figures that looked somewhat gay to promote their 100% British made clothes. They had strangely warm clothes that seemed to advertise  an autumn collection and that could be found nowhere in the shop. It did make me long for autumn. But anyway, I was wondering what they were. My wife could tell straight away: they are Action Men. A brand of action figures very popular here apparently, a sort of British G.I. Joe and Barbie doll for boys. Apparently my brother-in-law was quite found of them when he was a kid. That is something I would have loved too, if I had grown up in England. So the shop owners channeled childhood nostalgia when they created this display. It is rather clever. I know I'd fall for it. But what I want to buy now are action figures... and that military green jumper that does not even exist! (if you don't understand the last part, see my previous post on the subject).