HW Then & Now | Deora II

The Hot Wheels original Deora II has been significantly and contrasting from the original version. It’s consistently been released in multiple variations for the last twenty-five years, and it is still being produced and sold in the mainline range. Just like the original, there was an actual, real-life car version of this popular vehicle made from custom-made parts that resemble the actual toy. It’s the DNA of the original concept vehicle, and how Hot Wheels make their die-cast cars stands out among the other brands that keep them ahead of the pack. Of course, over the years, there will be significant changes to the casting due to cost-cutting and other changes to keep its production costs just like this 2024 edition of the Deora II, which is considered a fan-favourite despite the changes in the last five years!

HW Hot Trucks | Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck

There have been some interesting licensed pick-up trucks from Hot Wheels, but none of them had a unique look like the 1978 Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck. It is still being produced with a brand new deco/livery since its retool in 2019. The new look may not be noticeable, but the changes are there if you are into intricate details and do not leave the toy in its blister carded packaging. The most recent release in 2024 was part of the HW Celebration Racers, representing Valentine’s Day as that year’s vehicle, and as part of the MOPAR 5-pack in yellow with stripes. It’s probably the most decent colour to be released in the last 2-3 years, but in a multipack. For the 2025, the latest one this not disappoint either.

HW Screen Time | Snoopy

Snoopy is an iconic character that appeared in comics strips, which was created by Charles M. Schulz. His appearance was the main focus of the story for the Peanuts gang, they are consists of kids that populate their individual stories, adventures, and everyday life that relate to people. For 75 years, the Peanuts have continued to be relevant to this day, and they are being celebrated all year round in 2025. But at the heart of the comics strip is Charlie Brown, the ol’ blockhead, and his pet beagle, Snoopy, and sidekick Woodstock. There have been many merchandise produced in their image over the course of the comic strip’s existence, appearing also in various media that include animation and video games.

HW Xtreme Sports | Surf's Up

Hot Wheels has constantly reinvented itself to keep ideas fresh while maintaining its core interest in die-cast cars as its primary identity. There have been several castings that don’t solely focus on the “usual stuff” that would try to appeal to the general public, to catch them putting something that won’t appeal to their regular collectors. It’s an ongoing experiment that other brands don’t have the courage to dive into. Speaking of diving, the Hot Wheels team has produced a non-vehicle type casting that’s human-powered. It’s not even a bicycle, but it was produced before the ill-fated 2020 Tokyo Olympics that commemorate the inclusion of surfing as a sport. This is the introduction of “Surf’s Up.” It’s certainly one of the radical things from Mattel.

HW Justice League | Bully Goat

Superman is a celebrated comic book hero who is now 87 years old. Today, the character is celebrated for his first appearance in Action Comics #1 in 1938. The comic book has been published by DC Comics way past its 1000th issue, and they did celebrate that back in 2018. Fan all over the world would post their appreciation as their favourite character, and then there are some even clutching their action figures. There has been A LOT of Superman merchandise out there, but in die-cast form, you can only count a few that Corgi would produce, as they were the first to be licensed to produce DC-related characters into their vehicles, and Superman is one of them. But Hot Wheels would expand beyond what everyone knew.

HW Celebration Racers | Twin Mill Gen-E

There are seasonal things that don’t appear every single day, it might be Christmas, Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, or even to celebrate a Birthday. But Hot Wheels, a die-cast toy brand, has discovered to celebrate these seasons through their mini collections that are part of their yearly mainline releases. It’s a fun way to get them if you are not narrowly collecting only licensed car brands. With the Chinese New Year, it has been a tradition with Hot Wheels to present this year’s car that would represent the animal sign. For 2025, it is the Year of the Snake, and what more appropriate car to represent that than the Twin Mill Gen-E! An electrified version of the Hot Wheels Original, the Twin Mill!

HW Metro | 5 Alarm

Fire Trucks or Fire Engines have been around going back to the sixteenth century. It evolved from men moving a device that has a pressured tank to horse-drawn engines that have steamed powered pistons to spray water. Of course, the advancement of technology has changed the way how to put fire out with the development of these machines that are modified trucks. Specially-designed trucks that have firefighting apparatus that also transports personnel and carry an amount of water, which also carry special equipment for rescue and other emergency use. I’ve been fascinated by fire trucks at a young age and seeing one in person sparked my curiosity about these firefighting machines.

HW Metro | Propper Chopper

Hot Wheels is not just about cars, but also produces otherworldly and weird vehicles that some might not comprehend the concept that only kids would understand. In those early days of the brand’s life, they were popular with bright colours that broke the traditional way diecast cars were made similar to their real-life counterparts. To expand and continue to be on top in keeping their relevance in the toy aisle they also have to make other types of vehicles, and in the early days, one of them was not even in four wheels, but has given kids the imagination to fly. In 1990 Hot Wheels introduced the Propper Chopper, a play on words designed by the great Larry Wood. It might not have the same popularity as a Corvette or a Mustang but it took flight and had a follwoing for longtime collectors.

HW Celebration Racers | Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck

Valentine’s Day is always in the calendar as part of special day for most people, like couples and married people. It’s about love that is observed on the fourteenth of February. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions, it has also become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. In the world of Hot Wheels, it is celebrated yearly along with important dates, culminating with a special car with a Valentine’s Day-themed deco or livery. There was even a mini collection of Valentine’s Day cars in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014. But the mainline car started appearing in 2017, 2018, 2021, and now, 2024 as part of the Holiday Racers and presently as HW Celebration Racers.

HW Sweet Rides | Roller Toaster

Hot Wheels has some of the quirky out-of-the-leftfield concepts that have been part of the brand identity. In all honestly, some of the designers don’t take themselves too seriously and Mattel has given them the freedom to design something real-world car designers won’t be able to do. The ideas inspired by nothing or something hilariously funny can be turned into a Hot Wheels car. This same idea was the ingredient that late great Ryu Asada concocted back in 2016 thinking of ordinary objects that can be turned into a racing vehicle. This turns out to be the Roller Toaster, a sort of panel van inspired by a toaster with wheels turning up to compete in the 24-Hour Lemons from the imaginative mind of Asada.

HW Art Cars | Mad Manga

The Mad Manga is a Hot Wheels Original designed by Jun Imai, which debuted in the mainline back in 2012. Since then this casting has been produced in other themed series of cars as well as included in multipacks (3, 5, and 9 packs). It is considered one of the most popular unlicensed cars ever produced by Mattel due to its design.It has certainly have its charm that is straight out of a Japanese Anime or even in graphic novels also called a "Manga." It’s styled with the Japanese bōsōzoku (Japanese: 暴走族 meaning 'violent running gang') custom style, which features over-sized Fender fairings, slanted head, and tail lights, the "shark nose", huge air dam, and exaggerated exhaust pipes is definitely a hit among collectors and fans who are into anime that’s is worth taking a closer look.

HW Art Cars | 1967 Austin Mini Van

When you talk about the Mini, a few things come to mind. It’s either it reminds you Mr. Bean owns a lime green two-door hatch or if you are an old-school film nut you might have a deep recall of an old 1960s heist film titled “The Italian Job.” There are actually two versions of the movie that very few would have remembered The Mini is prominent in both its cinematic appearance. But either way, the Mini is as iconic as its brand name for a small car that was originally manufactured originally by the now-defunct British Motor Company, and later acquired the rights to spinoff as its own brand now owned by BMW. Hot Wheels, an American die-cast brand would produce variations of the car until today.

Star Wars Day | Bespin Luke is Home

Growing up there was one time that I became a Star Wars fan, but I didn’t see the movies on the big screens. I only saw them through the Betamax rental copy from a family relative who has them. I didn’t even see Star Wars in cinemas until The Phantom Menace came out and around that time it was the biggest thing ever. The toys of course are what made the franchise partly known for. I never owned the figures, vehicles, or playsets. Well, until I was old enough to buy some of them. But I did own one figure in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately, it was stolen from me in the morning of 1983. It was Luke Skywalker in Bespin outfit from the Empire Strike Back that Mum bought at the Santa Ana Market and that was it.

HW Art Cars | Hiway Hauler 2

Panel Trucks are not as popular as cars because what makes Hot Wheels known are licensed vehicles. It is either a licensed panel truck or an unlicensed original it depends on how it would appeal to everyone. Mattel’s Hot Wheels design team has the freedom to conceptualize and create their version of what a vehicle would be without the limitation of designing a licensed branded vehicle. Hot Wheels has produced fantasy and sometimes unlicensed realistic vehicles that you might mistake for the real thing. The Hiway Hauler 2 is one such design with the aesthetics of a fantasy truck, but with a future concept that could be real with its short-nosed design slope angling down looks fast yet appears to be a reliable truck.

HW Art Cars | Bread Box

Hot Wheels is a diecast toy brand produced by Mattel that is heavily featured licensed cars, but not all are based on the real world as the designers have been given free rein to create their own concepts of how it would become a real car. There have been absurdity and wildness to the designs, and that’s one of Hot Wheels’ signature identities that separates itself from the competition. The ideas and designs stand out to also distinguish itself from its sibling brand and former rival Matchbox to be brighter, splashy, and look fast even though the vehicle is unlike you never ever seen on the road. Sometimes it is the absurdity of the design that turns off adult collectors and attracts younger kids. But sometimes there’s a casting that would catch both demographic and say this could work too.

Minifigure Add-On | Crazy Armed Archer

The Minifigure by LEGO® is the most popular silhouette or character in the history of the brand since being introduced in 1979, and widely one of the most popular figures being photographed as the subject for Toy Photography in the hobby community as part of everyone’s narrative through the images they share on social media and other platforms that engage interest. But the LEGO® Minifigure is limited by its movement, and yet the contours and design of the figure are likable for its appearance. With its popularity, there are customizers and third-party designers that would add something unique to their take on the Minifigure design that keeps them relevant and interesting.

Louis Vuitton | Bricks & Fashion

When you see LEGO® bricks in places you don’t expect to be it just makes you see it in a different perspective. From an almost 65 year old plastic brick you never expect an ordinary toys would transcend cultures and break boundaries for being originally made for children. These days that’s what you see in a LEGO® brick or some random product that is similar to the famous brand. Earlier today, while passing through a well-known local mall in the CBD came across the newly renovated section of the commercial district to see Louis Vuitton to the LEGO® bricks that made up of the store’s window display. But not all of it is entirely using the famous construction brand, but it can be seen here that enhanced the display.

Behind the Lens | Art, Toys & Photography

In so many ways you can say Art, Toys, and Photography intersect to create a new content that is redefined by its perspective.I’ve been into it for so long that it has become a secondhand that the only thing I’m running out is ideas. But sometimes I find these ideas in the small things whereas a random discussion or a random thought that suddenly pops up. This is where things get challenging and at the samtime interesting. I don’t prepare for the setup comes to me by something that triggers that idea. Just like the tail end of an art event I attended last night, which sparked an idea from a conversation was something just happened.

MOTU Origins DLX | Battle Armor Skeletor

When you talk about major baddies in an animated series there’s nothing like Skeletor, the dark lord of destruction. But of course due to TV ratings and making it kid-friendly they made him a bumbling heap of comedy in the Filmation produced animation that put the Masters of the Universe franchise into the stratosphere for the general public to take notice to know more about his backastory. The characterization was for intent ‘for kids’ but there are depictions of him being this terrible baddie, and not just about calling King Randor a ‘boob’ as the toys came with mini-comics that paints Skeletor as this evil monster from another dimension. This kept those kids that are now adults excited and curious that the action figures a must have for their collection.

Temple of Darkness | Sorceress

Masters of the Universe is one of the popular 1980s franchise is currently is at its peak of its revival due to being represented in their current retro play featuring their MOTU Origins toyline that takes inspiration from the vintage 5.5 vintage action figures. Despite the mix reaction to the Netflix animation series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation the popularity of the toyline continue to entice old and new collectors to the local mass market toy isle. Recently, I acquired a major playset in Castle Grayskull from the Origins toyline that plays an important role to MOTU mythology, which also includes an exclusive action figure that is the “Temple of Darkness” Sorceress.