Toysday: Archers Icons

     I learned that I had a taste for the art of archery early on, before the age of 10: My brother had a small recurve bow (in Creamsicle orange fiberglass color) and some arrows and he taught me how to shoot in the back yard. I continued on through High school with a recurve bought at a thrift store with a crack through the riser that no sane archer would shoot with. My first Bow bought as an adult was an old Ben Pearson 45# target bow with brown fiberglass. What I shoot now is a Green Mountain Longbow at 65# draw that I have had for 25 years or so. I Alternate that with an Appalachian archery recurve at 64# draw that is just beautiful. I have a compound bow, but to be honest, it's no fun to me. Not my style of archery.

The old Pearson recurve- she may be older than I am, but still shoots great

My Appalachian recurve. Black locust limbs...

Cocobolo riser. such a beautiful bow

My longbow. Maple riser...

Elm limbs

     What's it got to do with toys??? Well, I have always loved the toys I could find of my icons, and of those things that are a part of me.

     Oliver Queen...Clint Barton...Legolas, Prince of the woodland realm...Robin of Sherwood...Katniss Everdeen...All of them using archery as their primary skill-all of them inspiring some fan to pick up a bow. Real world icons like Fred Bear...Howard Hill...even Ted Nugent, though he has managed to fall far for me with his politics.

     I Love toys with bows. To me Archery has always been more of a draw to me than guns. I know each has it's own high level of skill involved. But to me, the bow has always been the thing...

My name is Oliver Queen. After five years in hell, I returned home with only one goal: to save my city. But my old approach wasn't enough. I had to become someone else. I had to become something else. I had to become the Green Arrow.

Hey, look at me. It's your fault, it's everyone's fault, who cares. Are you up for this? Are you? Look, I just need to know cause the city is flying. Ok, look, the city is flying, we're fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes sense. But I'm going back out there cause it's my job. Ok, and I can't do my job and babysit. Doesn't matter what you did, or what you were. If you go out there, you fight and you fight to kill. Stay in here, you're good. I'll send your brother to come find you. But if you step out that door, you are an Avenger. All right, good chat. 

Mastermind Creations Elita-1 with a short Energon bow

Rodimus got his Energon bow in his brief stint in the Animated show-
 this is Masterminds version of him,
and I LOVE THIS TOY

Medicom Toys Miracle action figure Reideen. Bought him years ago at a comic shop that is now no more...

     Oh... Side note- if I ever see anyone make a huge technical mistake with a bow in a movie, or in an illustration, it fouls it up for me... big time. So if you are going to shoot it, shoot it right!