Julys (Bonus) Interview - Dom34

As we are celebrating our first month here at A.M.M.O. Her is a bonus Interview


"Thanks for the great questions and I really enjoyed the opportunity to think them through"
Dom34


Name? -
Online I just go by Dom, and my screen name is Dom34


Location? -
I live in the American Midwest, central U.S.., surrounded by cornfields, Industrial-scale hog farms, and not much else. Thank goodness for Ebay and the post office, or I would never have the chance to pursue this hobby !.


First Vam?G.I.Joe/Mam or 1/6 figure? -
I received my first G.I.Joe as a hand-me-down from my mothers friends, who thought her son had outgrown such things.(how I pty the poor blighter now; just imagine how many times he must haved rued the day his mother took his Joe away!) It was 1970 and the Joe was an early hard hands blond painted head joe in a wooden footlocker packed full of almost every single action man item. What a treasure chest! Unfortunately I lost most of it in foolish trades with other kids over the next few years, but I still have a few of the original bits including the footlocker.


Favourite Figure now? -
That's easy, she is the mysterious, dangerous and beautiful Miss Fear, based on the Golden Age comic book character (for more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Fear ). I must tell you she is a little like my 1.1 wife; they both know how to crack the whip!


Most desired item? -
I dream of the vintage 1966 Hasbro Action Girl Nurse, who is extremely rare and is highly unlikely to find her way into my collection.


What will you do with your collection as you get older? -
Ummm, make it bigger? and keep playing with it and taking more pictures? Sadly my son has little interest in such things, but my best friend's boy is currently a 1/6 enthusiast, so perhaps I will eventually bequeath it to him.


Do you set yourself a budget? -
Oh dear, I hope my wife doesn't see this interview. No I do not have any specific budget, although I really ought to !. At present I am fortunate enough wiggle room in the monthly finances to indulge the occasional whim.


Worst Vam/G.I.Joe?Mam or 1/6 figure? -
This is an interesting question, I would have to say the worst one currently still in my possession is the "Eva" female figure made by Triad Toys. It was much ballyhooed many months in advance , touted as the ultimate female action figure with astounding articulation and interchangeable parts, etc. Predictably it was over priced, but what I did not expect was that the limbs simply would not stay attached !!; every time I have tried to dress and pose it, the hips or shoulders fall apart. Imagine sending for an expensive mail order bride and receiving a dismembered corpse


Views on 40th reproductions? -
I hope this won't get me banished from osam ! but I love them!. I realize that many of the 40th items are distinctly inferior to the originals in quality, but they still provide a newcomer like me a great opportunity to acquire more items in fresh condition with nearly equal play value. I never even knew of Action Man until just a few years ago, after I resumed 1/6 collecting in 2004. I may as well confess I still do not own any true figures, although I do have a few genuine Palitoy vehicles along with some Cherilea , etc, So, obviously I am not a purist in any sense; but I do admire the genuine articles greatly.


Worst item of the Vam/G.I.Joe/Mam or 1/6 range? -
In the late 70's I had the worst 1/6 figure Hasbro ever made, called "The Defender" which was even less articulated than Ken. Honestly, It was utter trash. Even as a kid at the time, I sensed from this that the whole G.I.Joe era was slouching to an end.


Best thing about collecting Vam/G.I.Joe?Mam or 1/6? -
In a word kitbashing !! I like the open- endedness of it. By contrast, the little 3.75 inch figures have their clothes and identities moulded onto their bodies; but our 1/6 Action Man,G.I.Joe & Janes can be anyone we want them to be, anyone we can imagine.


Do you think your collection will be collectible in the future? -
I actually don't think much about this aspect, because I cannot ever imagine ever wanting to sell almost any bit of it; I am too much a pack-rat. I do try to keep it all in the best condition possible, but not at the expense of playtime !


If you didn't collect Vam/G.I.Joe/Mam or 1/6 what would you collect? -
Do you mean to imply that we can only collect one thing? Ha! I also have a lot of comic books, although I have not brought any since 1993. I also have collected some plastic Naval miniatures from the "Axis & Allies" series and a lot of role playing games books from the "Hero System". I don't know what else I might be doing or acquiring in place of action figures; perhaps just drinking more !


Why do you like ammo ? -
It's good of you to save another easy question for last. I like the freewheeling - anything goes atmosphere, the chance to learn about a whole new world of Action Man which is still new to me, and the opportunity to get to know so many fun and friendly gents with interests similar to mine. When I was a kid in the mid 1970's, living in a small town with just a handful of Joes and no friends who had any or cared about them anymore, my 1/6 interest dwindled; but meanwhile my interest in Military history was growing, along with a serious case of Anglophilia. Action Man was precisely what I wanted, but it's just as well I didn't know he existed, or I would have gone mad with frustration at having no way of getting any. In that context, perhaps you can see that my situation now, having such fun with all of you and your respective 1/6 items, is really a dream come true .

wow Dom, what an interesting read mate, great interview