{"id":9268,"date":"2010-09-08T04:03:39","date_gmt":"2010-09-08T09:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=9268"},"modified":"2011-12-05T02:49:19","modified_gmt":"2011-12-05T08:49:19","slug":"itsalltrue-review-spy-monkey-creations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=9268","title":{"rendered":"ItsAllTrue Review:
Spy Monkey Creations"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>While customization has always been a part of toy collecting, the ‘Do it yourself’ population seems to get larger by the day. And some of those DIYers have started up small businesses to sell their wares. One such company, Spy Monkey Creations, is at the forefront and making some great 6-7″ scale weapons.<\/p>\n

As is the case with accessory reviews<\/a>, there’s often more to show than say. And while SMC’s original creations are scaled to fit with most 6-7″ figures, they work especially well with Masters of the Universe Classics. As such, I think it’s time to revisit ye Olde Weapons Shop…<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

I first ‘met’ Jeremy Sung, the President & Head Designer of Spy Monkey Creations<\/a>, online about a year ago. He was getting started and had produced the Master Blade of the Empyrean<\/strong>; offering some casts to other collectors through his blog at AFI<\/a>. I greedily purchased two – one in the red color shown on his blog and a second in black.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

When I purchased the two swords from Spy, I was in need of a weapon for a simple custom of mine, Zadoc<\/a> (that’s him on the right). I knew the swords had the right look and I figured they would be decent accessories that should blend in well enough. When they arrived, I was floored by their quality. There wasn’t just detail, but precision detail – sharp, straight edges and a symmetrical sculpt. They didn’t just blend in okay – they fit in perfectly, easily passing for the real deal.<\/p>\n

When Spy teamed up with two other talented dudes to form Spy Monkey Creations, the Master Blade was the first item available – in the black and red shown above as well as in red with a translucent blue blade.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Even though I enjoyed my first two weapons, life has a tendency to get in the way and I quickly found myself behind on picking up SMC’s subsequent offerings. One such accessory was the Blade of the Demon King<\/strong>. Luckily, SMC has an open stock policy and their items are made-to-order, so I didn’t miss a chance at owning one. This blade is available in three versions: bloodlust (red blade\/black), blue venom (blue blade\/purple), and ghoul’s aura (GITD blade\/green). I opted for the Ghoul’s Aura version because I love anything that glows in the dark. Again, I was surprised by how handsomely crafted it was, but what really got me was the GITD feature. When I first charged it up, it was giving off a green glow in a lit room. That was awesome.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Some fans may not like silly in their MOTUverse, but I’m all for it. I had to have this AFI\/Spymonkey exclusive<\/a> as soon as I saw it. The Toast-Orr Shield<\/strong> is the most textured of all the weapons so far, with a rough surface to bring the toast theme home. A large handle is affixed to the reverse side for the figures to grip – it feels pretty sturdy back there and, of course, looks great with Wun-Dar. I didn’t remember it for the picture, but I have a toy loaf of Wonder Bread (bag and all) for Wun-Dar to use as bludgeoning weapon and along with this shield, he’s a favorite on my shelves. Nothing more dangerous than a guy who loves his bread. I would’ve liked my shield to be a little more burnt, but the lighter brown works just as well. When I eat toast, I prefer it lightly toasted anyway. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

I’m cheating a bit here. This shield is surely available as a special order, but it’s not currently available on the site as is. For SDCC, SMC created unique colorways available only at the con and in limited, blind-bagged quantities online. I found the idea of picking up randomly colored weapon appealing and took the plunge. About a week later, I received this shield in the mail. Like the Toast-Orr shield, it’s got some nice details and the gem is a nice touch. It’s been in my accessories bin because I haven’t found a good home for it yet, but having it in-hand has convinced me to pick up the Shield of Deliverance\/Destruction<\/strong> in a couple of the five different colorways offered on the SMC site. <\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

This is another long-available piece that I picked up only recently. On the SMC website, you’ll find this weapon called the Witching Axe of Ruination<\/strong> and is available in orange or purple. This black version, the Dread Axe of Horrors<\/strong>, is exclusive to Poe Ghostal’s<\/a> site. I received this piece from Poe just a few weeks back and the first thing that struck me was the size. I knew the swords I already owned were a little over 5″ and I’d seen the pictures of the axe around the net, but I wasn’t prepared for the size of the axe. It’s massive – I almost thought it would be too big when I pulled it out of the box, but as you can see in the pictures, it fits perfectly with the figures. It’s a fantastic addition to the lineup and I like it best in this color scheme.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

For a detailed look at the Dark Arsenal of the Space Pirate<\/strong>, we have to go home with Trap Jaw… Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/center>
\n
\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

Okay, I know I started the review off saying that there was more to show than say and I’ve been talking your ear off. That won’t be the case with Dark Arsenal of the Space Pirate<\/strong>. While I’ve got some things to talk about, the number of combinations available necessitated a whole page of pictures unto itself.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Arsenal includes five pieces – a Photon Crossblaster, a Scimitar Blade, a ‘Pest Pulverizer’, a pistol, and a hilt.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

While you can see that these weapons are perfect as attachments for the Evil and Armed for Combat Master, the true genius here is the hilt and the pistol. Each item is interchangeable, so you not only have a scimitar blade attachment, but also a scimitar sword itself.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

The pistol works the same way, acting as its own unique piece or being able to combine with the others to make a handheld crossblaster for any character or… even a swordgun.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

The swordgun combination is a bit loose, but all the other combinations are snug while poping on and off easily. And even though it didn’t occur to me to get a picture of it, the three attachment pieces all include hooks so that they can be affixed to the belt.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

All of the Dark Arsenal pieces are nicely sculpted and feature level of detail (check out the grid on that flyswatter) I’ve come to expect from SMC. This particular accessory kit is also available as the Tools of the Master Strategist<\/strong>, cast in silver.<\/p>\n

<\/center><\/p>\n

The Dark Arsenal will set you back $15, while the other swords, axes, and shields are $10 each. The prices might sound high, but you have to keep in mind that each item is hand-crafted and made to order. You\u2019re also sure to receive weapons that are sturdy in your hands and feel like they’ll hold up to play. I’ve been getting my share of flimsy gummy weapons in mass market releases from Hasbro and Mattel lately, but I know that I can expect top notch weapons from Spy Monkey Creations. The prices might keep you from buying each and every colorway, but if you’ve got some fantasy figures and are looking to spice up your collection\/display, then the SMC weapons should be right up your alley. <\/p>\n

Most of the weapons featured here are available at the SMC Store<\/a> while the Dread Axe of Horrors is available at Poe Ghostal’s Points of Acquisition<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While customization has always been a part of toy collecting, the ‘Do it yourself’ population seems to get larger and larger by the day. And some of those DIYers have started up small businesses to sell their wares. One such company, Spy Monkey Creations, is at the forefront and making some great 6-7″ scale weapons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":9269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[1279,34,10],"tags":[684,683],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/spyTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-2pu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16626,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16626","url_meta":{"origin":9268,"position":0},"title":"Spy Monkey Creations Armory Series One Review Roundup","date":"February 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In case you\u2019ve been living under a rock (or don\u2019t frequent some of the greatest toy sites on the net), there\u2019s a plethora of positive talk about Spy Monkey Creation Series One! We\u2019ve rounded up links to the reviews \u2013 and just in time too because the weapons drop this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18685,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=18685","url_meta":{"origin":9268,"position":1},"title":"New Visual Checklist: Spy Monkey Creations Armory Series!","date":"May 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Strictly speaking, this particular checklist went live with the new website, but I wasn\u2019t quite done with it! Now that I have all the pages ready to go, it\u2019s time for a formal introduction. Plus, if you\u2019re a fan of Spy Monkey Creations work, one of the pages needs your\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17987,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=17987","url_meta":{"origin":9268,"position":2},"title":"Spy Monkey Armory Series 1.5 Review (& Drop Details)","date":"April 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This week has been so crazy that I lost track what day it was! I did remember to mark the calendar today though! Spy Monkey Creations is dropping three new colorways this afternoon at 12pm PST. I\u2019ve got a quick review, links to better reviews, and all the info right\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12951,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=12951","url_meta":{"origin":9268,"position":3},"title":"Spy Monkey Creations Review Sword of Ages Variants","date":"June 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, Spy Monkey Creations unveiled their latest offering: four different variants of last year's Poe Ghostal exclusive Sword of Ages - one closely matching the original, and three all-new decos. This week, I've got a quick look at those four swords courtesy of the fine folks over at SMC.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16272,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16272","url_meta":{"origin":9268,"position":4},"title":"Spy Monkey Creations Armory Series 1 Review","date":"January 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the weekend, Spy Monkey Creations officially unveiled their all-new weapons lineup for 2012 featuring Glyos compatibility. While the new swag won\u2019t be on sale until February 3rd, the gang over at Spy Monkey Creations was kind enough to send a set of SMC Armory Series 1 our way for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15853,"url":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=15853","url_meta":{"origin":9268,"position":5},"title":"Spy Monkey Creations 2012 Teaser #3 added to Virtual Builder","date":"December 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Updated 12\/13! Last summer, the folks over at Spy Monkey Creations put their storefront on hold while they made plans to retool their product line and expand their operation for 2012. As the New Year draws nearer, some teases for 2012 are starting to pop on the Spy Monkey Blog...\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7th Market"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9268"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9268"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15756,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9268\/revisions\/15756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}