Musings & Memory

I've put words about plastic on the Internet in the past, but times have changed, and so has plastic, and I think the material needs an update. Because I work quite a bit with the plastics industry, writing software that controls the manufacturing process, I've come to know something about simple consumer applications of plastic (that means toys), and I tend to get asked a basic set of questions quite a bit. Hopefully this knowledge will come to some benefit. What is Plastic The word "plastic" essentially means "pliant". It refers to things that can be shaped or formed. But when we refer to plastics in the materials sciences...

2004 is gone, and the world of Japanese toys has seen another year of innovation, evolution, and obsession with its sometimes circular fits of self-reflection. While the old relics of industry continue to hold fast their reins, pushing their envelopes in measured parcels, it was perhaps most significantly a good year for newcomers. Staples of Gokin Catering to the adult nostalgist, Bandai's Soul of Chogokin brand has taken ownership of the modern diecast robot psyche in the eye of the public. With the number of new "SOC" offerings increasing year after year since its 1997 debut...