Around The BLOCKhead

By: Erich Arendall

Episode 12: Die Cast Hard!

Poor minifigs. In a world where they're sold invidually, and rarely come with anything more than some basic props, most of them have no way to get around. Unless you've got a Speed Racer Minimate or something from the C3 Minimate line, it's likely that there are no vehicles for your block figure collection. Sure, you could probably make something by hand out of clay, wood or maybe even LEGO, but if you're like me, you're lazy. And clumsy. I hope you're not like me.

What do the lazy do? Well, if you've got a wallet--and you're already spending your cash on toys, so I'd imagine you do--then you go shopping. There are plenty of toylines with somewhat compatible vehicles. If you want some really good looking transport for your block figures then it's time to do some hunting for die cast cars. Finding a car that goes along with your block figure line of choice can be pretty easy (unless you're hunting down "Battlestar Galactica" Raptors), as there are a number of movie, comic and classic cars available.

Block figures present a difficulty when it comes to vehicles, due to their scale. Most block figures range from 1:20 to about 1:22. Most die cast cars, doll houses, et cetera tend to settle in at either 1:18 or 1:24 for the closest scales, meaning the cars tend to look a little too big or a little too small. However, if the concern is primarily for display, then it's not as big of a problem. It's when you want to play with the toys that this becomes a problem.


"I hope we're not too late
to catch the midnight show!"
When the "Back to the Future" line of Minimates came out, I knew I wanted to at least get a DeLorean to display the toys with. Not knowing exactly what scale would be best, I picked up both a 1:18 scale BttF DeLorean (made by Welly, using the design from the 2nd film) and a 1:24 scale BttF DeLorean (made by Sun Star, using the original movie's design). Minimates aside, these were both well-made cars, but the 1:24 Sun Star car had so much detail and care put into it that I fell in love. It almost made me want to go out and buy all the 1:24 Sun Star "Back to the Future" cars, but that would dip too heavily into my porn and booze fund, so I set the desire aside.


"Doc, you built the car too big!"
"Great Scott!"
Because Minimates are on the smaller side of block figures, the 1:24 scale car, gorgeous though it was, loomed giant over the figures. And, as a display, didn't work out well. The 1:18 scale car by Welly fit the bill nicely--and don't get me wrong, it's still a good looking car, just not as sleek as the Sun Star car.

I also featured the DeLorean in a few episodes of Attercap.Net (I'll get you to read this comic, yet!). Here, as always when mixxing toys, the scale got really tricky. The PALz figures, standing nearly a head taller than the Minimates were too tall for the 1:18 scale car. However, the 1:24 scale car was still too large for them. The 1:24 DeLorean stood as tall as the figures, which really didn't work. Because I wanted to do interior shots, the 1:24 scale still looked better, though, and with some creative camera angles, the car didn't seem too giant.


"Now this is what I call a land speeder!"
When shopping for "Back to the Future" die cast cars, I picked up the 1:24 scale "Smokey and the Bandit" Trans Am by Ertl. I specifically chose the car because it was, essentially, a convertable. This meant that I was able to easily place my figures inside the car and see how they looked cruising the town--ostensibly, they were either looking for chicks or planning another beer run. Like the DeLorean, Minimate figures were like children in the the 1:24 scale car. However, it was quite passible for PALz and Kubricks figures.


"All I'm missing is a CB and a 'stache."
Depending on the line of block figures you're interested in and if you're interested in display or play, die cast cars could be the way to go. I've seen them range in price from the low $20's to the hundreds, based on age, detail and manufacture. If you're craftier, model kits are also often available in 1:18 or 1:24 scale, offering plenty of science fiction models. However, I never learned the patience to paint properly.

Now, if they'd only make some decent "007" block figures, I could start blowing all my money on die cast Aston Martins and classic cars.

-erich

Erich tries to plug his webcomic, Attercap.Net, once an article. This time he's done it twice! Has he gone too far? E-mail him to let him know, or to tell him where to find cheap 1:18 scale "Battlestar Galactica" Raptors.

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Copyright © 2008 Erich Arendall