Action Force 30th Anniversary Commemorative Special (bloodforthebaron.com)

While the internet is a wonderful tool and an amazing resource, there’s something about holding a book in one’s hands that can’t be fully replicate online. As a toy collector, I like to flip through pages and gaze at printed photos as much as I like to swipe and scroll on a screen. As such, I like to have toy reference and history books on hand.

The Action Force 30th Anniversary Commemorative Special is a complete retrospective of both the Action Force franchise and the Blood for the Baron story. The book boils down information from the site, while adding many special features. It’s a valuable resource covering the Action Force mythos as well as the fandom surrounding it. For a US guy like me, it was a great introduction to a unique toy line and gave me an appreciation for the fan contributions from art to custom figures to comics.

The history of the toys and comics are presented, as well as a bit of backstory on the Baron himself. Memories from the UK’s Roll Out convention, along with the amazing exclusive Baron Ironblood (wish I had one!) is here as well. My favorite bit of history is the extensive coverage of the mystery figure that came to be known as Bombardier. All in all, it’s a great celebration of the line and its history. I highly recommend picking it up. Speaking of which…

Bloodthebaron.com’s Action Force 30th Anniversary Commemorative Special is available again via Kickstarter, along with the recent Palitoy Collectors’ Guide. First produced in 2012 with a very limited print run, this new edition is printed on a different paper stock and has received a digital overhaul. If you missed out on the original opportunity for the Palitoy Guide, this is your second chance to pick it up as well. I can’t say enough about it as the definitive resource for Action Force fans/collectors. Check out the Kickstarter here. It’s currently a little over halfway to its goal, and you have until June 8th to get onboard.