Monthly Archives: June 2022

Five hundred years prior to the Spanish conquest of America, Vikings were already exploring the New World. Viking Sagas mention encounters with local peoples called the Skrælings. Those enigmatic folks are now appearing in the Conquest of America collection by John Jenkins. With the release of the JJ-SK-01 - Beothuk Warrior and beginning of a new sub-collection, it might be nice to look at who those mysterious Skrælings were.

Being able to sculpt a figure’s head at 1/30 scale is quite a challenge. Trying to reproduce a real person adds an extra layer of difficulty. Luckily, some people have facial features who make this job a bit easier. Such is the case with the new CW139 - Brigadier General Strong Vincent by King and Country. With his epic mutton chops, Grecian nose and piercing eyes, it is quite easy to recognize this historical figure… as long as you know the real person!

When I do have the chance, I like to ask my fellow collectors which piece is their favorite in their collection. After all, most of the collectors, if not all of them, have a favorite piece. The reasons why this piece is the favorite one vary a lot from one person to the other, but are always fun to hear and are also a good way to learn more about your friends. In my case, my favorite piece is the now retired JJ-MADCAM-01 - Beja Warrior Charging on Camel. Here is why I like it so much as a bit of details of how I started collecting pieces from the Mahdist War.

For Hong Kong, June is an important month. It was on June 9th 1898 that the Hong Kong territory was leased to the British for 99 years. As agreed,it was later given back to China on June 30th 1997. During those years, many toy soldier makers installed themselves on this territory. Such was the case for King and Country and, although it was not the plan at first, this eventually had an impact on the collections produced as we will see here..

Most of the toy soldiers have a name. This is usually a very descriptive name combined with a unique code like “ROM015 - Fighting w/Sword” or “NAP0250 - General Dorsenne”. Like the purpose of the name is only to help collectors, manufacturers and dealers to trade, there is no need to be over creative. But in some cases, there is a name that is going beyond that purely functional naming and it’s good when this happens. This month, King and Country released the very poetic HK304 - Watching The World Go By #2.