Playhouse Toys D-BOY Battle of Mogadishu ( Somalia ) 1993 Operation Spy in Bakara Market

Howdy figure fans, today we are going to take a look at Playhouse Toys D-BOY Battle of Mogadishu ( Somalia ) 1993 Operation Spy in Bakara Market figure. And that is one very long name for a figure.

Box…

Normally I don’t discuss the packaging. I figure a box is a box is a box. But in this case Playhouse has given us something a little different. By now we are all most likely familiar with the typical packaging layout used for boxed sixth scale figures – a box with a velcro fastened lid, plastic windows and plastic trays, and the occasional twist tie shackle to hold the figure in place. I have always thought of this twist tie measure as a means with which to thwart thieves from snatching the figure out of the packaging. Of course that would only be necessary if the figure was displayed out in the open in a brick and mortar store. Strangely, when I see a figure that doesn’t have the twisties, I tend to think of it as more of a “boutique” type of item. And in the case of the Playhouse D-BOY, we are certainly given what could be described as a boutique style of box.

It is made from a heavier card stock than we usually see, with a magnetically fastened wrap around gate fold flap. The box differs further with a slightly larger outer profile which encases the smaller inner profile of the box ( giving the box the look of a hard bound book ). You may have to look at the pics to really get a sense of what I am trying to describe. The inner portion of the box feature a fold out flap, decorated with a breakdown blurb of the figure and it’s parts. The hollow into which the figure is packed, is outfitted with a black foam block tray as opposed to a clear plastic tray. This is another nice appointment which further enhances the boutiquey presentation. There are cut outs in the foam block tray, into which the various accessories are nestled. This is certainly a much nicer packaging presentation that we are typically given, and it allows for the figure and accessories to be repacked or replaced without compromising any taped down flaps or trays. Plus, no twisities.

After messing around with box for a while I began to wonder what the cost difference must be between what I have dubbed the “boutique box” and what I might call the “box store box”. The materials are more less similar in composition, but who knows what else might come into play when determining price. So why do we see a different presentation with the Playhouse D-Boy? I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with the smaller number of accessories that the figure comes with. They might have looked a little too spread out and sparse, had they been packaged in the usual clear plastic tray. Whatever the reason, I have to give a nod to Playhouse for dressing up the box – even if ( cynically speaking ) it might be a means with which to distract us from the spartan nature of the set.

So how would I score it? Well, I personally like the idea of being able to place a figure back in the box for storage, or in case I end up being strapped for cash and need to sell it. And that is all the more easy if you can remove and replace the contents without destroying the packaging. Remember the old BBI boxes? The lid tray in particular was near to impossible to open without peeling apart the cardboard to get at the tray. It was pretty laminated in there… So I am happy when I get what I will call a “User Friendly” box. That, added with finishing and materials, makes me feel that a full five out of five stars in order.

Head-sculpt and base body…

I suppose that it goes without saying that we are looking at a likeness of Eric Bana here. Which of course correlates to his role in the film Black Hawk Down. I can remember the first wave of BHD inspired kit bashes and customs that appeared on OSW. They were brilliant, and happily we still see them even to this day. They just never go out of style… Which I feel is a testament to the material and the connection people feel to the events and individuals the film is based on. Back then, there were no half cut Protec’s or actor likenesses to help construct a decent BHD character, so folks got creative. I can still remember the first “Hoot” likeness that I saw at the annual G.I. Joe show in Sacramento at St. Mary’s church. It was a custom job that either Nan or Tung from Echobase had had made. And they had it as a display only piece. In fact, it was handled with a kind of reverence that again speaks to it’s inspiration.

The base body is the S.1 body, which in this case, has a set of muscled bendy arms. Muscled bendy arms can be a mess, as they don’t always look right when you try to pose them, and can sort of unbend themselves after a bit. In this case, both the range of motion and the stiffness are pretty decent. The detail is also nice, with anatomically accurate musculature, and a whole testosterone tangle of jacked veins. My only complain is that the figure’s arms are not exactly the same color as it;’s face. I thought long and hard about how I might correct this, and I even tried to use a little bronze colored pastel to see if it would help, but alas, no dice. Given the decent range of motion in the bendy muscle arms, and the not too shabby Bana likeness head-sculpt, I feel that a score of four and a half out of five stars. The only reason I am not awarding the full five out of five, is the discrepancy in color between the head and the body.

Uniform…

It was 1993, so plaid muscle pants were in style in a big way. Funny way to start off the category, but hey. I have to say that I never really noticed what the Hoot character was wearing in the Bakara Market scene when I first saw the film. I suppose it was the tension of the scene that sort of drowned out the wardrobe. I have gone back and looked at the film a few times since, and this outfit does seem to be film accurate. I am not sure about the “Somali Savage” tee-shirt – I don’t Think that Hoot had one of these in the film. Anyway, The figure also comes with a nifty photographer style vest, some Timberland style boots, a pair of white socks, a brown leather belt, a pair of Oakley Juliet sunglasses ( with a Croakie style retention lanyard ), a nicely detailed watch, and a pair of padded underwear ( I went over the Playhouse padded underwear in my GSG9 Low Profile review ). This outfit makes him look like he would be right at home at an Audubon meeting, or working at the Safaris R Us store. All of these elements are well constructed and finished, so I feel that a score of four and half out of five starts is in order.

Gear and weapon…

Normally this would be broken down into three categories, but in this case I can condense it into one. The standout piece here is the Billingham 445 camera bag. It is so well appointed and constructed that I can easily imagine taking it on a photo shoot should I ever be reduced to 12 inches tall by a mad scientist with a shrink ray. The zippers are micro scale, the ribbon and materials are scale appropriate, and the interior is packed with detail – including a pair of removable padded lens holders ( cells ). Playhouse seems to be really good at making the inside of bags and packs almost too detailed. I am a big fan of the bag, even it does look like it would be the favored unit for overnighters by Higgins from magnum P.I.

We also get a crisply detailed Leica M6 camera with the set – so nice… Often times 1/6 scale cameras seem to fall short on some level or another. Usually the detail is a little soft, or the paint is a little sloppy. Many of the examples out there seem to be one piece molds made from some sort of resin. In some cases the detail is so soft, and the right angles and flat surfaces so warped and puckered, that the camera looks like it’s melting. So it is nice to see a 1/6 scale camera that has some legs. Kudos also on the paint applications, and markings – crisp, detailed, and good enough to get you sued by Leica.

Finally, we get a book and a pistol… The book is titled “Battle of Mogadishu” – a sort of scientific space time continuum impossibility in that Hoot wouldn’t likely be carrying around a book outlining an even that has not yet taken place. Despite this, the book is well detailed, and is actually made up of dozens of little paper pages ( as opposed to being a one piece mold, or dummy/prop book like you see on the shelves in lawyer’s offices ). The pistol is the venerable M9 Beretta, and Playhouse does as decent job detail wise with their Beretta’s. Would have been nice to see Hoot’s camouflaged M4 as well so that we could recreate the “Aerial Target Practice” scene. But of course you would need a 1/6 scale Black Hawk helicopter and warthog to complete it.

Despite the fact that we get little in the way of gear, and only one weapon, I have to give a decent score. Reason being, what we do get is so well made and detailed. Therefore, I feel that a five out of five starts in order.

Things to consider…

I wasn’t too sure about this one when I first saw the pre-release pics over at OSW, but after some close in hand scrutiny, it has grown on me. There are some issues, but that is almost always the case with figures – especially since we have all become connoisseurs to some degree or another. I would look for a good deal on this one as it seems to be one of those figures that ends up at a reduced price after it’s release. But if you really want to lay hand on one be aware that supplies can run short without warning. I need to add a things to watch out for provision – the little bits of shrink tube that hold the Croakie style lanyard to the temple pieces of the sunglasses can come loose very easily when you are sliding the sunglasses onto the figure’s head. I ended up losing one these confounded shrinky tube thingamajigs, and had to go back and make my own out black electrical tape. Another last minute observation that bears mentioning is that while refolding the “Somali Savage” tee-shirt before placing it back into the box, I noticed a screen print on the back side of the shirt that reads: “Playhouse Toys 2006″… Interesting. I am now wondering if this figure was originally slated for an earlier release. I am also surprised to see the 2006 date on the shirt as I thought that the company launched in 2007 or 2008. Weird.

Score recap…

Box: 5 out of 5 stars

Head-sculpt and base body: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Uniform: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Gear and weapon: 5 out of 5 stars

Grand total: 4.75 out of 5 stars

What I changed and added…

I went with my usual weathering of the uniform and gear using the film-look as a guide. I also did a moderate repaint to the head-sculpt, again using the film-look as a guide ( gotta love DVD freeze frame ). I had a custom M4 that I made a few years back for a BHD inspired bash that I added to give Hoot the aerial target practice look. “Hey, who’s hungry ?” – I love that part… It would be nice to be able to make a period accurate hard-tail mountain bike for him as well, but that’s for another time… I should mention before I forget, that I accidentally erased my before paint pics of the head. Sorry about that. Also, the close-up shots of the head taken against the blue background are all post repaint shots.