February 2025 Plastic Figure Showcase Correction, I have an update on one of the figure sets I posted in my last post. Next, I will tell you about the history of word reissues in our hobby.
February 2025 Plastic Figure Showcase Correction
In my last post, I listed this set as Siberian Tiger Hunt. I got two nice emails from Anton Gorichenko, the owner of Amba. He corrected me on the set. Here is what he said. “The set from AMBA Soldiers is called “Meetings in the Taiga”. It is based on the expeditions of V. K. Arsenyev. You may know him from Akira Kurosawa’s film “Dersu Uzala”. There is no tiger hunting here. Here are those who could meet in the forests of Manchuria and the Far East at the beginning of the 20th century: the Russian military, the Chinese, and local small folk – Udegeyts, Golds. And of course, the tiger is the master of the forest and taiga.”
V.K. Arsenyev was an explorer of the Far East who wrote several books. I like how makers are looking to other subjects besides the military.
Another New Russian Set
I saw this set on Facebook. It is from Hanomak and is called Black River Horsemen. As you can see it is a mix of Cowboys and Indians. You can buy the whole set or one figure. i can’t wait for Brian’s reaction to the bases.
Reissues Vs. Recasts
Over on Facebook, I got into a discussion on the use of the word reissues. Glen Ridenour felt that we should use the word recasts instead of reissues. I made the case for using reissues as it is the word when I first brought the figures in. I had gotten word that the Marx figures were being run. My family made a trip to the West Coast to San Francisco and Los Angeles. They wanted to see Tijuana. I happen to be trading videotapes with a woman who lived on the border. Through her, I got a loan of her brother, and brother-in-law, and a van to go into Tijuana.
It was a wonderful day my relatives got purses and other leather goods to take home. All I was interested in was going to the local Woolworths. There I had the dream come true. Before me were bags of Marx and Timmee reissues. I bought $110.00 worth of items to bring home.
Once I got them home and got them ready for sale on my list I had to figure out what to call them. I decided on the word reissue, which I defined as a mold used by someone other than the original company.
The word recast came later which I believe was from Bill Murphy of Excalibur Hobbies. You can use either word. I will use reissues.
I personally think Hanomak missed the mark with their bases on the Black River Horsemen series. To be clear, I say that as a collector who has grown to love the detail on many Russian bases. Bricks, wood, grass, and even weapons beneath the feat of toy soldiers can add a tremendous sense of realism to a sculpt. Is any of this necessary? Of course not, but I always appreciate the extra effort a sculptor puts into his work. However, here is the thing with the Black River Horsemen series: it just does not look natural or grounded. The way the grass is formed and shaped here looks more like something out of an alien planet or a science fiction story, not a Western American landscape. Certainly, some pieces are more egregious than others- the Native leaping and firing an arrow behind, for example, is especially jarring. Now, to be fair to Hanomak, the grass, in concept, is absolutely essential for figure stability. Plastic Platoon and Publius use it as well for their dynamic calvary poses. Rubber plastic figures, due to their material, have a tendency to wilt and lean forward over time. In particular, this is why a couple of early Plastic Platoon figures (Winter Fallschirmjägers) struggle to stand straight under their own weight. As such, Russian bases are not only for decoration, but also strength, balance, and solidity. In a way, you can think of them as support beams in architectural design. That was the intention with Hanomak’s bases. The execution, respectfully, was not quite at the level one would hope for at this point.
Lastly, I would like to give praise to Anton Gorichenko. He is a passionate collector stepping into the role of a manufacturer for the first time. He has done a tremendous job of producing creative and unique projects for collectors around the world. I myself am a proud owner of Amba’s first set “Meetings in the Taiga”. The photos do not do it justice- the detail and individual pieces themselves are exceptional. An outstanding amount of effort has been poured into this set, and it really shows. Keep up the great work, Anton!