It's something endearing seeing a 60-year-old's eyes still light up in the presence of a toy. Suhaimi Subandie, grandfather of the local punk scene, co-founder of the May The 4th SG and proprietor of Pop Culture Punch Collectibles, still speaks about toys with the same sort of reverence as a zealot.

With an impressive collection of over 3,000 toys, made between the 60s to the 90s, they offer a fascinating window into Suhaimi's past. There are the likes of Master of the Universe figurines; Kenner Star Wars action figures, still in their pristine packaging; still-sealed boxes of MASK vehicles fill a shelf in a display cabinet.

Then, there is Suhaimi's Japanese toy collection.

After the Second World War, Japan saw the embodiment of wakon yōsai, which applied Western learning to Japanese traditional spirituality. It was a period where science fiction became a way to explore postwar Japan through a creative medium. Companies saw a way to capitalise on the nation's fascination with sci-fi, anime and manga industries by producing lithographed tin toys.

Godzilla was popular, borne out of the fallout of nuclear devastation; mechas came about from Japan's rapid industrialisation. Kaijus; Super Robots; Super Sentais, these and more would find their way into the hands and imaginations of children in the 60s.

Suhaimi's first exposure were the anime and tokusatsu (Japanese for live-action shows with practical special effects). Mesmerised by the flashing colours and derring-dos of the heroes, his focus shifted to the toys from these Japanese shows. Suhaimi recounts that shopping malls like the defunct People's Emporium, carried "a lot of toys from Japan".

As a follower of all things UFO and cryptid, it was a time when the first instance of UFO sightings occurred around the world that further piqued Suhaimi's interest in anime.

"I love everything that's robots and monsters," Suhaimi enthused. "I was a fan of Mazinger and when they decided to do a spin-off called [UFO Robot] Grendizer, I became a fan of that as well."

Grendizer had equal spades of monsters and mecha and the anime had a hold on a young Suhaimi. "I remembered that the cartoons were either dubbed in Malay or Chinese but the visuals and sound were so good that you don't need to speak a certain language to understand the story."

The premise of Grendizer is Prince Fleed leaves his destroyed world in the UFO Robot Grendizer, a powerful war machine. He lands on Earth and fights alongside his new human friends against the enemies who were behind Prince Fleed's ruined home planet.

Watching Prince Fleed interact and attach to Spazer (the flying saucer-like support vehicle for the Grendizer), to Suhaimi it was the coolest thing he'd witnessed.

He would gather a few Grendizer toys. There's a miniature die-cast Spazer that Grendizer can fit in, a still mint 15-inch vinyl figurine from Marmit and there's even the odd 12-inch watering can. He remembered how high-quality the toys were at that time. "Their quality is unbeatable, unparalleled," Suhaimi says. "They do very detailed work; you hold the toy in your hand and you know it is quality from the weight or how it feels. This makes the play value of the toys more [enticing]."

Over time, Suhaimi would lament about the drop in quality as Japanese toy houses moved its productions out of the country. "Made in Japan toys are more expensive, yes. But that's because of the quality packaging, quality toys, quality design. How the toys are made goes beyond what normal toys are produced."

His first Japanese toy was a bootleg Ultraman blow-up doll that his grandmother bought for him when he was two. "I think I threw a tantrum when she wouldn't get it for me," Suhaimi recalls with amusement. "I was rolling about on the floor. Then, she finally gave in." Back then, that 16" high knockoff was worth SGD2, "But we were from the kampong," Suhaimi adds, "so that was quite expensive."

Plastic was a new material at the time. Prior to that, toys were made out of tin or wood but with plastic, production became affordable. A subgenre would emerge from the plastic boom: sofubi, which are vinyl toys usually handcrafted by independent toy makers or artists. Usually based on superheroes, Japanese folklore and other Japanese pop culture icons, companies like Marusan, Bullmark and MARMIT were producing sofubis in large numbers. Some of the companies were family businesses, operated by family members.

"They'd have a workshop in their homes where, maybe, the brother-in-law makes the mould, the wife is doing the packing and the mother is spray painting. That's why those companies can't produce too many in a year."

Suhaimi has a soft spot for these independent toy makers, often supporting their businesses. After all, he hailed from the punk DIY culture. He created his own t-shirts using wax paper, he built his own skate ramp from scratch.

His backing for the underdogs also extends to the shows he watches. The main programme is exciting but the inner workings of the show... ah, to Suhaimi, that is far more interesting. "You'd want to know about the unsung heroes, the people behind the scene. It's like appreciating a meal; you'd want to know who the cook is. You taste his food and then you think, this guy is such a genius; who is this guy?

"I like Godzilla," Suhaimi says. "I especially like the actors, the stuntman and the director, especially Eiji Tsuburaya [co-creator of Godzilla]. He practically started the whole monster genre even way before Ray Harryhausen." He gestures to a loose figurine of Tsuburaya, which was part of a set from Tsuburaya Productions to promote the director's 100th Birthday.

You might be surprised to know that even with such care given to his collection, Suhaimi understands that he can't take it with him when he passes on.

"A few years ago, I was sick and when you're sick, there's only one thing on your mind: to get better. So, I told my wife to sell off whatever toy I have—those that can be sold easily; the faster, the better—in order to pay for the medical expenses."

Suhaimi became better but the incident brought clarity to his attitude towards materialism. He declared that when he dies, the collection will go to his wife; his family. They have carte blanche; they can sell it, keep it, give it away. "But," Suhaimi adds, "I want half of the money to be donated.

He cites Sadaqah Jariyah, the act of ongoing benefits for future generations. You plant a seed and that seed grows into a tree and it provides shade, food and a home to animals and people. It's a gift that keeps on giving. At the end of the day, these toys are just... things. They may cost a pretty penny but it's Suhaimi's approach to giving back that is priceless.

Photography: Jaya Khidir

It takes a certain kind of person to work at LEGO. And as a Creative Director for LEGO Star Wars, Jens Kronvold Frederiksen has to remain rooted in the realm of play to conjure up inspired builds in the ever-growing LEGO universe.

Frederiksen originally started as a lithographer. Having been a scale modeller, he was contacted by LEGO for a freelance designer to make prototypes. That led to a permanent gig as LEGO's model designer in 1998 before moving on to a leadership role at the LEGO Star War department. With 20 years at LEGO, we speak with the Dane at the heels of the LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary about what keeps his creative juices going, working with Disney and... lightsaber sound effects.

ESQUIRE SINGAPORE: Walk us through your creative process when starting a new project.

JENS KRONVOLD FREDERIKSEN: The first part of the design process is to set the assortment. After that, we create the first sketch models. The model design work is now done digitally on a computer. However, very early we also built the models physically with bricks. This is important as this is the only way to ensure the models look right and meet our high-quality standards.

A big part of the design process is also to test our models with kids or adults, depending on who they are intended for. Of course, we need the physical models for that.

When designing models, we are not thinking about the technical constraints, we are more focused on the creative challenges. Even though it can be difficult to find the right solution to a design challenge, fortunately, we have a fantastic and versatile building system with so many different shaped LEGO elements making us capable of finding solutions to most of these challenges!

ESQ: Do you have a favourite Star Wars character or scene?

JKF: There are so many epic moments in the Star Wars universe, so it is hard to pick just one scene as a favourite.

In my view, many of the exciting moments and scenes happen on the Death Stars, so they are probably my favourite locations. The Death Stars have also inspired us to create several LEGO Star Wars sets over the years.  

ESQ: What about a Star Wars character?

JKF: To pick my favourite Star Wars characters is equally challenging! However, Yoda, Darth Vader R2-D2 and C-3PO are some of my favourites.

Another lesser-known character I really like is the bounty hunter Cad Bane, first seen in the animated series The Clone Wars. I was totally blown away when he surprisingly later appeared in the live-action Series The Book of Boba Fett. He is cool.

ESQ: And a LEGO Star Wars set?

JKF: To pick my number one favourite LEGO Star Wars set is simply not possible! We have created so many different sets over the last 25 years. Sets for kids and for adults, for play or for display. Every time we design a new model, I think, this must be the best set ever.

ESQ: Do fan reactions and feedback influence your work on future LEGO sets?

JKF: Absolutely. We are always excited to see reviews and feedback when new models launch. We ask for feedback when we are designing a new version of a model that has existed before in LEGO form. In that context, it is great to know what people liked on the previous model, or what they would like to see changed or improved.

ESQ: Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from collaborating with other designers or with the Star Wars franchise team?

JKF: When designing LEGO Star Wars, we are collaborating with Disney.

Some of us from the LEGO Group and Disney have worked on the franchise since the beginning of 1999. Naturally, we have a very close relationship. Something we really appreciate.

Occasionally we visit each other’s offices. Personally, I really enjoy trips to Disney’s San Francisco offices, and one of the more memorable trips was in 2019 when I was there to make a film celebrating LEGO Star Wars 20th anniversary. I met film designer and artist Doug Chiang. He is the creator of so many fantastic designs in the Star Wars universe.

ESQ: What sort of media do you consume?

JKF: I cannot mention a specific media, in the design team, we all use many different media for inspiration.

However, the Star Wars content, the TV series and movies are, of course, our most important source of inspiration. I must admit that even though I have watched the movies hundreds of times, I still watch the movies occasionally at home just for fun.

ESQ: How have you seen LEGO design and technology evolve during your tenure?

JKF: When looking at some of the first LEGO Star Wars models back from the first years, it's very clear that a lot has happened over the years.

The way we design and build the models today is far more sophisticated, and we have so many new LEGO elements, making it capable of creating far more detailed and accurate models.

ESQ: How do you handle creative blocks or design challenges when they arise?

JKF: The answer is simple: teamwork. Even though usually one designer is assigned to a specific model, we work closely together as one team, so if a designer has problems or challenges designing the model, the other designers are there to help.

ESQ: What advice would you give to young aspiring LEGO designers looking to enter the field?

JKF: First of all, build LEGO models. By building sets after the building instructions, it is possible to learn a lot about different building techniques. That is great inspiration for making own creations!

ESQ: How do you balance staying true to the essence of the original Star Wars designs while adding your unique touch to the LEGO versions?

JKF: When designing LEGO Star Wars models, we, of course, do our best to make the models as close to the originals as possible, however sometimes we must make the design a little different from the original. For example: a completely white starship will never be completely white in LEGO form. It will consist mainly of white bricks but also of grey and sand-coloured elements. This is to ensure a great building experience. If the set is just a huge pile of white bricks, it would be hard to find the right pieces and too much time would be spent just searching for the right bricks.

ESQ: How is LEGO addressing sustainability in its design and production processes?

JKF: We’re working hard to make all our products from more sustainable materials—and we're making progress. Some of our LEGO bricks and elements are already made with recycled and renewable materials. For example, from this year our transparent elements, like lightsabers, and windscreens, include advanced recycled materials from artificial marble kitchen worktops.

ESQ: Are there any upcoming projects or themes you can share with us?

JKF: The short answer here is... no; I cannot tell you anything about future projects. All I can tell you is that we are super busy working on the next exciting range of LEGO Star Wars models. You will just have to wait and see!

ESQ: Lastly, when you're playing with a lightsaber, do you make the sound effects as you swing the weapon?

JKF: We don’t have a lot of lightsabers here in the office. However, occasionally you can hear a swoosh or blaster sound when we are flying our Starships around.

Jeffrey Koh is well known in the local toy scene, maybe even in the world, for his extensive collection of toys. His Instagram account is a visual archive of the man’s seemingly endless line-up of figurines, statues and pop culture accoutrements.

Just before COVID hit, Koh had mentioned that he managed to clean up the front space at his office. “I was so happy. But during COVID, when staff couldn’t come into the office, I filled it up with boxes and stocks. It bugs the [crap] out of me every day I come into the office because I really wanted to clear that area and run, like, a little guerrilla pop-up.”

He’s not kidding. In fact, in our humble opinion, it might even be an understatement. Step into his foyer and you’re met with brown cardboard boxes, stacked floor-to-ceiling, to your right. To your left, are a hint of what he has—his toys, all black, arranged like tiny idols. You’ll have to leave your shoes at the front and enter through the narrow path into his main office where more of his toys are kept. Many of them loose from their packaging, some, still in their boxes. It’s a hoarder’s dream and a relative-of-said-hoarder-who-is-crushed-under-felled-boxes’ nightmare.

Almost every bit of nook and cranny of his office is taken up by a figurine or a pop culture artefact. So mountainous is his trove that you’d fail to notice his staff at their desk if it weren’t for the sounds of mouse and keyboard clicks.

Here’s the kicker: despite the cornucopia that we have witnessed here, he still has a storage space where more toys are stored. “I just keep running out of storage space,” Koh says. “I’m considering renting a small warehouse. Maybe about 500 square feet.”

It’s a constant struggle, he tells us. Something that many collectors will contend with. The overflow of material joy and the scarcity of space. This will be Koh’s bugbear but he has always lived for the moment; that’s why he collects.

In a way, Koh opines, collecting for him is most collectors’ raison d’etre: reliving their childhood; buying stuff that they didn’t have back then. Nostalgia: it's a hell of a drug.

“It’s never about having the biggest collection in Singapore. I’m just lucky to have a space and the means to buy these toys.”

While it feels like there’s no rhyme nor reason to his purchases, Koh boils it down to “stuff that catches his fancy”. Regret never comes into play. “It sounds a little snobbish to say but I’ve never cared about the investment value of the toys I get,” Koh says. “People ask what my favourite toy is and I’d answer that it’s the one I haven’t bought. Just buy whatever makes you happy.”

And that joy of acquisition, perhaps is collecting at its purest. He still keeps the boxes the toys come in but not because the packaging has more value if he resells his toys, rather he rotates out the toys that are displayed for the ones in the boxes. “Without the boxes, it’ll be difficult to store them.”

He adds that people, with the intention to resell the toys, often will not make much profit. “Here’s the thing with Star Wars... the toys from the ’70s or ’80s fetch a lot of money on the reseller markers as not many people bought them at the time. When Hasbro [the American toy company] released ‘The Power of the Force’ line, people started hoarding them but now they can’t sell them for five bucks.”

Koh points to a moment when he had a chance to purchase a rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype. The action figure prototype was shown at the New York Toy Fair in 1979 but it was never mass-produced due to concerns that the missile was a safety hazard to children. There was a chance to buy it for USD7,000. “But I was in my early 20s and that amount at that age was too much for me,” Koh adds, “a graded version went for USD200K.”

He puts out his own toys as well under the arm of FLABSLAB, the acronym for Muhammad Ali’s quote “Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee”. FLABSLAB isn’t about making money. No, that responsibility belongs to his creative agency Nerf Creative. FLABSLAB is a passion project, a platform for Koh to take his ideas and make them real.

The toys created through FLABSLAB are things that Koh would buy for himself. “In a way, it’s a little bit of a dictatorship,” Koh says, “of course, I’ll listen to input—it is a collaboration—but the toys produced are just stuff that I like.

“A lot of people say that I’m an artist. I feel kind of insulted on behalf of actual artists who dedicate their lives to the craft. I just have stupid ideas [and I need artists to help make it a reality].”

Koh is realistic about his toy collection when he dies. He knows that he can’t take it with him. He tells us about images that he reposted on his IG account about a toy collector who passed away two years ago. A man who had so many toys that it took his friends and relatives that long to unpack everything. “It’s a burden, a burden that’s left for the family to deal with. I don’t want that for my own family so the plan is to liquidate everything and have them split the money among themselves.”

Patience isn’t his strongest suit. He bristles at the thought of cataloguing his toys and dealing with—in his own words—”stupid” buyers. “I long for the day when someone would appear at my doorstep and just buy everything. Everything, including the office, and I’ll walk away.”

When that day comes, it’ll feel like an empire has come to an end. But to Jeffrey Koh, the enfant terrible of the toy world, maybe it might feel that he finally has the much-needed space to breathe in.

And who knows, maybe he’ll feel the need to fill it up once again.

Photography: Jaya Khidir

Those filling out their Star Wars crosswords will be delighted to hear that the answer to "another seven-letter word for Padawan" isn't just 23-Across. It's also the name of the next Disney+ series in the Star Wars universe. Titled, The Acolyte, the series will continue to tell smaller stories from the expanded canon. All that while placing popular characters (ahem, the Skywalker family) aside.

The eight-episode limited series will send fans further in the past than ever before. (Even though every Star Wars story technically takes place a long, long time ago.) Prequels are all the rage right now. Think of shows like Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, and Lucasfilm's own Andor. So why not get as prequel as Star Wars can get—and enter the era of the High Republic? With a fantastic-looking cast, an intriguing plot, and a new trailer out in the world, here's everything we know about The Acolyte.

What Is The Acolyte About?

The Acolyte will take place approximately 100 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It's entirely new territory for the Star Wars universe. Many of its shows have been set in between the established film trilogies. According to Lucasfilm, the series will be "a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era." The Acolyte will follow a former Padawan who "reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated."

In the first trailer for the series, young Jedi are training during a golden era of harmony in the galaxy. We see a bit of action from Lee Jung-jae as Jedi Master Sol. As well as the obligatory new Star Wars alien who's so cute that you'd kill anyone to defend him. "The further you go back [in Star Wars history], the better things are," Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland said in an interview with Vanity Fair. "'A long time ago' actually becomes more futuristic. So while we are creating this type of world, we're trying to carry George's concept that the further you go back, the more exciting and new and sleek and interesting things look."

Who Is in The Acolyte's Cast?

The Acolyte's lineup of talent is arguably the most exciting aspect of the series so far. Led by Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), the series will also star Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Jodie Turner-Smith (After Yang), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), and Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials). Joonas Suotamo, the former Finnish basketball player who took over the role of Chewbacca in the latest Star Wars trilogy, will also return as a Wookiee Jedi Master.

When Will The Acolyte Premiere?

The Acolyte will hit Disney+ on 5 June, 2024. The limited series will run for eight episodes. South Korean filmmaker Kogonada (After Yang) will direct. Frequent Jordan Peele collaborator Michael Abels (Us, Nope) will compose the musical score. The Acolyte is part of a new Star Wars strategy for Disney. The company is currently working on a Mandalorian film, Andor season 2, and a new trilogy starring Daisy Ridley.

Originally published on Esquire US

10-Word Review

All sound and fury but it also signifies something... familiar?

The Skinny

An intergalactic fascist empire rules the galaxy with an iron fist. Its military threatens farmers on the distant moon. A former soldier seeks out a rebel faction to make a stand against the empire. This is Star Wars- I mean, Rebel Moon.

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Here Be Spoilers...

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What we like:

Watching Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire, you might be immediately clued into director Zack Snyder's film inspiration—Star Wars. To be fair, films about the little guy going up against a group of baddies will follow a narrative thread similar to Star Wars... but then again, even Star Wars took inspiration from Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. So, yes, if we want to pick nits, Snyder took inspiration from Star Wars and Seven Samurai. There will be similarities but Snyder wanted to create something wholly original so you gotta respect the man's hustle.

It's that timeless tale of the Motherworld, who controls the galaxy. They have a military aka the Imperium, that threatens a farming colony on the moon of Veldt. Kora (played by Sofia Boutella) is an ex-Imperium soldier who was trying to get a second chance at a normal life as a farmer, now has to return to a life of violence to protect the colony. She does so by putting together a supergroup to fend off the Imperium before they return to Veldt. You've grand sets and world-building; there's lore and details. This has all the trappings of an epic; a many-chapter saga. A franchise that can spawn toys and merch; spin-offs even! The sky's the limit.

And with Snyder at the helm, you can expect gorgeous slo-mo action sequences that can make John Woo nod in approval. Like that scene with ex-military Kora first facing off with the Imperium in the farmhouse.

What we didn't like:

Everything else.

Look, no one goes out to make a bad movie. Snyder had the idea to make Rebel Moon in 1997. That's 27 years of gestation. He had plenty of time to mull over this.

But it's boring. I don't know how a US166 million dollar movie can be boring but there you go. A bulk of the humdrum stems from the characters; I don't care for them. It's a huge cast and because of the number of personalities, you don't get development or much of a backstory. They are extraneous, which is a pity because they all have potential. You've Tarak (Staz Nair), who is a royal-turned-slave. He talks to animals and looks like he has a cool backstory but no, that's never explored. There's Bae Doona's Nemesis, who is a cyborg swordsperson. That's cool, right? But we don't go in-depth about her motivation.

Maybe all of their origins will be covered in the sequel (Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver coming out on 19 April, 2024) but if I didn't know there was a second instalment, you'd lose me as a viewer on this chapter.

The protagonist Kora has a reasonable amount of history but that's told through clunky exposition. Her stoicism paints her as a reluctant hero but without an emotional anchor, she's just going through the motions. And I, as an audience member, am just going through the motions of waiting until the end credits.

What to look out for:

Anthony Hopkins voicing Jimmy, an android of the Mechanicas Miltarium. He's arguably the best character in the film. Despite not having any human features, Jimmy displays more personality than some of the other actors. It's fascinating what a little voice acting and movements can bring to a character.

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire is now out on Netflix. Watch out for Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver coming out on 19 April, 2024 to see if it can redeem itself.

When Ahsoka takes her final bow in the season finale of her solo outing, it's more of a beginning than an end. Over eight episodes, the latest Star Wars series on Disney+ spent it time boosting bad guys to new heights, forming a team of galactic Avengers, and reconnecting with the Force. If anything, Star Wars fans just watched an eight-hour-long prologue. It's funny, considering Ahsoka was initially touted as a sort of Star Wars: Rebels Season Five—a quasi-sequel that would finally bring the beloved animated series to live-action.

After spending such a long time introducing all of our new characters, there's a big "So… what now?" that hangs over our heroes' heads. Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra finally reunite, but there are still more villains than I can count roaming around the galaxy. The only one to fall in Ahsoka's finale is Morgan Elsbeth—who you can tell is nothing more than a mini-boss, because her title is "magistrate." The Nightsisters do grant her a cool sword, but it's not enough to rival the Darksaber. She meets her end in the same episode that she's promoted to Major Villain, which may be the most obvious tell that there's still plenty of Ahsoka left when the credits roll.

Speaking of credits: it was a big surprise when Ray Stevenson's Baylan Skoll survives. This move was the greatest shock for fans, because Stevenson tragically died earlier this summer. A tribute to the actor appears in the final moments of the finale. It'll be interesting to see how the show continues his story without him, especially since his ideas about the galactic power struggle are the most intriguing motivations for a Star Wars character we've seen in years. His apprentice, Shin Hati, may end up taking up a bigger role than initially planned.

Still, like many fans predicted, Ahsoka was about introducing Grand Admiral Thrawn as much as it was built to give Ahsoka her own supporting cast back. Hell, not even the addition of zombie stormtroopers in the finale could distract from Ahsoka's true aim. As much as I love Rosario Dawson and Ray Stevenson's fantastic performances, Ahsoka's main mission was clearly to introduce Thrawn as this franchise's Thanos. Will we see him in a potential Ahsoka Season Two or the Mandalorian movie? Who knows! It's an ending that promises more Ahsoka Tano—there's another major element of story that the finale leaves unanswered—but it remains unknown just how much the fans have bought into the story here.

Either way, Thrawn is ready to rule the galaxy with an iron fist. In the end, we're left with a Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker still looking over Ahsoka, as she tells her friend Sabine that it's "time to move on." But to where? When? How? I have an even more pressing question: Will audiences see it? For the fans' sake, I certainly hope so. Maybe even with Baby Yoda in a mechsuit.

Originally published on Esquire US