As a kid, Ivan Ho was enamoured with the 1985 toy and cartoon line, M.A.S.K. and watched all the cartoons around a group of task force take on a criminal organisation known as V.E.N.O.M.

The Mobile Armored Strike Kommand or M.A.S.K. team utilised special helmets with unique technological capabilities, alongside normal, everyday vehicles that could transform into a combat vehicle equipped with advanced weaponry. A staple of 1980s cartoons, the series and massive toyline stood toe to toe against the likes of other 80s toy giants, including Transformers and G.I. Joe, but Ivan never owned any of the toys.

And as an adult and LEGO Ambassador, as well as a founding member of Singapore’s Titans Creations that prides itself in using the bricks to build massive dioramas, Ivan took it upon himself to recreate the classic toys in LEGO form, complete with the second vehicle mode that the M.A.S.K. one were famous for.

“I’m particularly in love with series one [of the toyline]. The Rhino is my favourite toy and the first one that I built. It motivated me to get started, and finish everything,” recalls Ivan Ho, who spent several years building the toys and refining them as new bricks get released, to improved on the transformation, as well as to scale the vehicles to the minifigs, so that the figurines would match the dimensions of the vehicles.

These include Thunderhawk, Switchblade, Condor, Jackhammer as well as the massive Boulder Hill playset, which serves as the base of operations for the M.A.S.K. team.

And yes, since he has never owned any of the toys, his reference and sources were M.A.S.K. fantasies and photos of the classic toys. When he posted a video of Rhino, he received positive comments and support from M.A.S.K. fans, who enjoyed seeing their favourite toys adopt a LEGO approach.

He then took it upon himself to complete the first wave of vehicles, and used his experience as a LEGO MOC, or My Own Creation, which refers to LEGO creators who use the classic bricks to build their own unofficial sets to start his journey. He also tapped his experience building LEGO mechas, or robots, and adapted some of the mechanisms to his M.A.S.K. creations, to transform the two modes unique to each vehicle.

The good news for LEGO and M.A.S.K. fans is that Ivan is open to sharing his creations with the wider community, as step-by-step instructions are available on M.O.C Central, a YouTube channel that focuses on his personal MOC creations.

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

HSALS

Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who’s got time for those?

The post Certified Geek: M.A.S.K. Crusaders Ride Again As LEGO Creations appeared first on Geek Culture.

How do you tell a real Star Wars fan from a casual one? Actually, you can’t as there are fans of different types and degrees, and the community embraces all of them, from the ones who can quote the films, to those who read the comics, books and watch the animated shows, to the ones who can actually tell you how many organic limbs, including heads, have been lobbed off in all nine Star Wars films.

Then there is Jasper Tan – what do you call an individual who creates his own set of uniquely crafted Star Wars memorabilia, sprouting from his passion for the franchise? 

That’s right. While most fans are happy to indulge in Star Wars games, toys, video games and even costumes from a galaxy far, far away, Jasper, who is an HR Director of an agri-food firm, has allowed his love for Star Wars to evolve into ways where the mere moniker of “collector” simply does not cut it – he makes replicas of his own.

A helmet from a pilot? He has dozens. The weapons of a Stormtroopers or bounty hunter? They are hanging from a weapons display in his three-storey home. A life-size Darth Vader costume? It’s standing tall among his other Star Wars collection in his living room. Oh, that R2-D2 replica? It was hand-made, not store-bought.

Since owning his first set of Star Wars merchandise back when he was six years old, the 47-year-old has since journeyed to an ever-growing devotion to the franchise. Like many of the folks who we have profiled for Certified Geek, he taps on to his talents and skills to showcase his passion.

Instead of buying items that cost hundreds of dollars and have the possibility of being a disappointment, Jasper has literally taken matters into his own hands. With the use of technology, such as 3D printing, and his crafting skills, his house in the northeastern part of Singapore is testimony to the meticulous hard work that he has laboured with since day one.

Part of loving Star Wars is the process of creating the final product, which is his primary motivation to continue what he does.

The endless need to create does not come without cost. Over the years, Jasper reckons he has made over 100 pieces of his own Star Wars items and has had to curate his collection throughout the years to make room for his newer projects. Despite that, his collection of over 200 items is still a spectacle to behold, even after streamlining it and choosing to focus on crafting 1:1 scale items. 

Stepping into his house, guests are greeted by a glass wall that displays a 1:1 scale of the helmets and masks found in various movies and series in the Star Wars franchise. Taking a closer look, the details that the superfan has included in the items are immaculate and they are so realistic, friends and fans have offered to buy over his pieces, though it’s never about the money.

According to the father of one, the value of his crafts is beyond monetary seeing as each item is made with his very own blood, sweat and tears. The measure for which item is up for grabs depends on what the propmaker went through making it and with whom, although, there might be some exceptions to that. 

Tan recently sold off an item that meant quite a lot to him – a 3D printed bust of villain, General Grievous. Due to its complex design nature, Tan has had a tough time acquiring resources that would help him build the head of the feared Jedi hunter, and when he finally did, after 2 months of labour, it became a build that he cherished deeply. However, the collector decided to give it up after someone from the United States contacted him about purchasing the bust for his son’s birthday. It was a tough decision to make but as a father himself, he understands the buyer’s intent and gladly sold the item for an undisclosed sum.

While preferring to create his collection from scratch, Jasper does not shy away from displaying posters up around his house as well, specifically on the third floor, and up the walls to the fourth. Upon reaching the third landing of the house, guests are faced with a wall filled with Star Wars movie posters arranged according to its release. The surrounding walls are poster-filled as well, some even having signatures from the actors of the franchise written on them.

Jasper’s love for Star Wars not only shows through the items he has created but even with how highly he speaks of it. Just mention Star Wars and his crafts could easily light up Jasper’s eyes. This is probably one of the driving factors as to how he has managed to win his wife and son to share his interest.

With such a supportive family to back him up and impressive skillsets to develop masterpieces, the force truly is with Jasper.

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Yna Z.

Yna prefers being at home in company of fictional characters from different cinematic universes. Everything supernatural and magical is the way to her heart.

The post Certified Geek: Singapore’s Biggest D.I.Y. Star Wars Superfan appeared first on Geek Culture.

If you’ve collected action figures in your lifetime, but had to shelve them or sell them away because life has moved on, but you still want to relive those childhood moments, then perhaps you need to meet Neil Munas. 

The 45-year-old Singaporean has been collecting superhero action figures, statues and busts for over 30 years, and has managed to display his collection in spectacular fashion in what he fondly calls his “superhero man-cave”.

His collection comprises mainly of DC and Marvel 6-inch scale figures, and collects mainly from Hasbro, Marvel Select, DC Direct, Mattel. For statues, his go-to is Bowen Designs. His choices are such because not only because of how detailed they are, but also due to how well they can stand the test of time due to the materials used.

Collecting every single figure is no doubt a daunting task, but if you’ve the nose and determination (and of course some cash in your pocket) like Neil has, then it’s not impossible to do so. But of course, even he, who has collected almost every wave of figures released, has missed out on some ultra-rare ones, mainly due to geographical reasons. It only serves to motivate him to collect more.

Though it’s only a rough estimate, Neil’s collection is worth at least US$150,000. Money well-spent in our books.

And like many collectors, Neil has taken the painstaking time and effort to display as many of his figures and statues as possible. When all the space on the various shelves and cabinets has been depleted, he even took to building several catwalks that are suspended from the ceiling to get even more of his action figures out. 

And the best part? He almost never uses Blu-Tack to secure his figures, and just places them ever so carefully. Of course, that would mean one single bump would cause that part of the collection to drop, but Neil takes those moments as simply an opportunity to rearrange the poses of his figures.

Now that’s dedication.

Want to win some Marvel Legends figures of your own?

We’re having a giveaway courtesy of Hasbro Singapore in conjunction with our latest episode. The giveaway ends on 3 May 2020 so don’t miss out. JOIN NOW!

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Marion Frayna

Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.

The post Certified Geek: Singapore’s Superhero Superfan Shows Off His Massive Action Figure Collection appeared first on Geek Culture.

“Toys are for kids”, so the oft-used dismissal of collecting colourful plastic figurines as mere child’s play to discourage or humiliate anyone past childhood who still collects them.

Not for the likes of Simon Sim (@00simons00), who has dedicated an entire room in his 4-room HDB apartment to put up his various plastic figures of iconic pop culture characters from Japanese animation and TV.

The 49-year-old professional photographer has been collecting since he was 26, and shows no signs of stopping. The crème de la crème of his collection is the authentic kaiju sofubi (soft vinyl) figures by Hirota Saigansho. His collectibles are by no means a simple walk to the store to purchase them. For most of these items, he’s had to either order them online, or duke it out with other potential buyers via an auction.

Bids on these items, especially the Hirota Saigansho ones, can range from US$200 to easily over US$1,000. And there are dozens of these on his shelf, so you can imagine just how much he’s had to shell out to amass such a collection.

For Sim, though, it’s not so much about the toys, but the art that goes into this craft. What separates Hirota Saigansho’s figures from imitations is that these ones are made entirely in vinyl, which degrades much, much slower than regular plastic or rubber. It makes them easy to clean as well, as Sim only needs to do so twice every year.

These vinyl figures are also made in very limited batches of about 20 – 40, which is another reason why they are really quite valued and hotly contested among collectors across the globe.

For Simon Sim, if he were to ever stop collecting, his kaiju collection certainly is one to marvel at, looking back.

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Marion Frayna

Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.

The post Certified Geek: Meet The King Of Kaiju Collectibles In Tiny Singapore appeared first on Geek Culture.

Anything that bears the Disney brand is typically associated with children, and being a child. However, it doesn’t mean adults, who most likely grew up with the likes of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs can’t appreciate it still.

It certainly didn’t stop Dave Hillman (@davdaf on Instagram). A graphic designer by trade, he combined his effervescent love for all things Disney with his eye for detail, and managed to source out, renovate and fully decorate his place, turning it into his own House of Mouse.

Stepping into Dave’s home certainly evokes a similar feeling of stepping into Disneyland.

From the TV console constantly playing his favourite Disney Animated movies, surrounded by oodles of figurines of all sizes, to rows and rows and stacks and stacks of limited-edition figures, Funko Pops, to a memorabilia of Walt Disney himself, there is very little reason to doubt Dave’s devotion to the man’s timeless work.

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Marion Frayna

Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.

The post Certified Geek: Singapore’s Biggest Disney Fan Built His Own Magic Kingdom appeared first on Geek Culture.

“New gaming sucks; There’s a reason why gamers are going back to retro gaming.”

That is certainly a strong statement to make, but 58-year-old Philip Lee, who has been in the gaming business since the 1990s, says it with strong conviction and with his wallet.

Philip is the owner of Retronutz, arguably the largest collector and retailer of retro games and accessories in Singapore, selling classic consoles such as the SNK Neo Geo and the Nintendo Gamecube, and even gems such as Nintendo Game & Watch, the great granddaddy of the Nintendo Switch. There is also a plethora of slightly more modern gaming devices, such as Gameboys, PlayStation Portables, and Nintendo DS devices.

His collecting journey began when he started working at a gaming shop in the 90s. Whenever he saw something that caught his eye, he would keep it for himself. (And you wondered why you could not find a copy of an old game. Ha!) And as he got deeper into the gaming business, his collection grew along with it.

For those who are not privy to the world of retro gaming, it all might just seem like nostalgia and a reminiscence of a lost childhood, but for those who know their stuff, there are certain items in the collection that are really outstanding.

The most expensive piece in Philip’s collection is a game for the SNK Neo Geo system, worth up to US$25,000. Watch this episode of Certified Geek to find out what it is, and much more!

Visit him at his retro gaming store on the 3rd floor of Sim Lim Square, strike a conversation with the man, and walk away more knowledgeable about the world of vintage retro gaming.

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Certified Geek: The Ultimate Vintage Video Game Librarian appeared first on Geek Culture.

We all know that toy collectors come in all shapes and sizes, and 38-year-old Evan Chang certainly is part of that rich tapestry of collective individuals who make up our realm.

After stepping into his thoughtfully designed home for the first time, it is apparent that Chang has a passion for two things: Interior design and LEGO.

As a professional interior designer, Chang’s 4-bedroom apartment is immaculately furnished, housing his massive toy collection, in an almost surgical fashion as one might expect from an individual of his trade.

With LEGO pieces forming the largest bulk of his toy collection, and Chang estimates that he has spent an amount of at least six-figures (that’s five zeros right there) on his haul. And, it’s still growing.

The highlight of his collection is a diorama built into his living room coffee table. It consists of a moving train set, an animated amusement park ride, and in timely fashion for Jurassic World, a T-Rex enclosure. The hollow glass coffee table was custom built by a carpenter to be able to house the diorama. The entire set took three weeks to build – a tedious process of trial and error, with his wife also getting involved in its construction. It simply echoes the values of LEGO as the components allow his family to come and spend quality time with each other, as they build all the creations together.

Chang’s collection also boasts a huge army of 800 Stormtrooper mini-figures, and is aiming to surpass the 1000-figures mark. It is a notable feat, considering that the set in which the Stormtroopers come from, is already discontinued.

Watch the latest episode of Certified Geek to get a further look at Evan’s impressive Lego collection, as well as the story of how it all came about!

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Certified Geek: How To Build The Most Massive LEGO House, Brick-by-Brick appeared first on Geek Culture.

If you’ve watched Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us, Geek Culture’s new series, Certified Geek, will be right up your alley.

A new video series produced by Geek Culture, it features passionate geeks with their collection of pride and joy. Featuring from a range of collectors who dabble in statues, Lego, action figures, video games and more, the series delves into the minds of avid collectors, as they reveal their journey, from humble beginnings, to that of dominating their life and into something they can be proud of.

We also talk about how their hobby has been intertwined with their daily lives, and seek to explain the reasons behind what some may call an obsession.

In our debut episode, we sit down with Terence Tee, a 37-year-old real estate agent.

Terence possibly owns Singapore’s largest collection of Iron Man figures. And we’re not talking small posable plastic ones, but Hot Toys. He estimates that he has spent more than S$60,000 on his collection, which he stores in neat displays in his home office, or man-cave as he calls it.

Terence believes in displaying and playing with his figures, instead of keeping them sealed in boxes. He has a total of 105 different figures on display, with all versions of the Iron Man armor from Mark 1, to the Mark 50 as seen in Avengers: Infinity War.

Because Hot Toys does not produce figures for all versions of Tony Stark’s armour, Terence takes it upon himself to customise certain suits, using an Iron Man Manual movie guide that he owns. During our discussion, he talks about the effort and money it takes to customise one Iron Man figure; from dismantling them to air-spraying and fitting them back together.

Terence is fortunate enough to have a family which supports him in his conquest of Iron Man figures. As a married man with two kids, his wife and children also share his enthusiasm in collecting the figures.

You can follow Terence on Instagram at @Ironman_Sg to see his latest purchases and the rest of his collection.

Stay tuned to June 15th for Episode #2!

About Certified Geek

Certified Geek will run as a video series on YouTube, so do subscribe to our channel for the latest updates if you have not already done so! Do you have a collection worthy to be featured? Or perhaps you know someone who does? Give us a ping!

Timothy Er

Timothy is a freelance photographer and fellow geek. His professional work spans many genres and he shoots on film for leisure.

The post Certified Geek: Meet The Man With The Largest Iron Man Collection In Singapore appeared first on Geek Culture.