Q: What's with the nickname?
P: That's the user name I go by on some of the action figure message boards. "Pistol Pete" was the nickname of the Japanese 105mm howitzers that harrassed the U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal during World War II. Oh yeah, and I like the name because, like NBA hall of famer "Pistol Pete" Maravich, I've got a mean set shot!
Q: How come you made this web site?
P: When I first started collecting Ultimate Soldier stuff, I couldn't find a really complete checklist of 21st Century Toys products. So I started compiling my own list from the information that was out there--really just scribbling notes on bits of paper lying around my computer. Later I noticed on the message boards that people were always asking questions about what products were available and what gear came with what set. Finally, one week I just taught myself some basic HTML and put up this site.
Q: What made you start collecting Ultimate Soldiers?
P: In 2000 I was walking through a KB Toys in the mall, and I saw a Japanese Infantry boxed figure on the shelf. I couldn't believe the detail on the uniform and all the cool accessories. It seemed like a return to the really well-made toys that my dad's generation played with. I had seen vintage GI Joes in collectable toy shops with prices that looked like phone numbers. I thought it was great that a company was making quality toys like those again at an affordable price.
Q: Do you have all the products listed on your web site?
P: No, I only collect the WWII and Vietnam era stuff. I've still got a few things on my want list that I'm looking for.
Q: What are your favorite sets?
P: Well, one of my grandfathers fought with Edson's First Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal and my other grandfather served as a U.S. Navy Corpsman on Iwo Jima. I'm partial to those sets. Oh, and the MB Military Vehicle is a work of art.
Q: When you come right down to it, aren't you just a grown man playing with dolls?
P: They're not dolls, man, they're action figures.