Real Name: Jonathan Sibulo
AFHub Handle: thesibster
Year of Birth: 1980
Location: Quezon City

It’s been a while since I last profiled one of our AFHub members here. I realize it’s something many of you have come to expect on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, my time has mostly been preoccupied with less fun stuff lately so I am unable to commit to a weekly release. Hopefully, that’ll change sometime soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this week’s featured collector – Jonathan “Sib” Sibulo.

Anyone who watches local television has got to know The Sibster. You may have caught him hosting his very own show on JackTV. He is wacky on the boob tube but he’s dead serious about his toy collection. And though my personal interaction with Sib has been limited to just exchanges of online messages, he has struck me as more real than most I’ve already met in the flesh. So why don’t we probe a little deeper into The Sibster’s collector persona.

The Q & A…

This is a cliche opener, but please tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Jonathan Sibulo, though more popularly known as Sib to my friends, or ‘Sib Show’ to people who recognize me from T. V. I turn 27 this year though I don’t look it. I took up philosophy in college at the ADMU and I’m still studying there (whenever I can) taking up my masters in communication. I’m pesca-vegetarian.

You seem to be a big fan of Bruce Timm’s DCAU characters – can you confirm this and give us a background how you got hooked?

I’ve been a huge Bruce Timm fan from way back when I used to collect comic books. He makes great pin-up girls. But it was really his work in animation starting with Batman: TAS, this whole Timm-verse, that really got me hooked.

When did you start collecting?

Well, my brother and I always had great toys. We were completists in a way when we were growing up; always getting the most comic book or T.V. accurate toy incarnations, sometimes buying figures just for accompanying accessories. We went through G.I. Joe, He-Man, Thundercats, Silverhawks, Ghostbusters, a little bit of Tiger Sharks, TMNT, a lot of the Kenner Batman lines (Dark Knight Collection, B:TAS, Legend of the Dark Knight), most early 4-5 inch toybiz lines (marvel superheroes, x-men series, iron man, hulk, fantastic 4, etc.) – we had a shitload of action figures, vehicles and playsets. It was insane.

Most of these old toys though have fallen apart from being smashed into one another, some of them are in storage god-knows-where. My recent collection started about 3 years back when my brother brought me home a Marvel Legends Elektra and Punisher from his trip to the U.S. From then on I picked-up MLs of characters I loved from being a fanboy. That same year I got my brother JL Mission Vision Wonder Woman for Christmas since we were kinda hooked on the animated series. I got myself a Green Arrow; he got an Ultra Humanite, then it got really bad after that.

What toy lines do you collect? And why? (please give a short reason for each toy line)

Right now I’ve kinda put my ML on hold (mainly because I wasn’t able to get the Giantman series Thor to go with the recent Loki figure; still planning on getting Luke Cage to go with my Iron Fist though) I love the way Marvel Legends gave us super-articulated action figures of our favorite (and not so favorite) Marvel characters. If these toys came out in the 90’s, I would’ve bought every single one of them. These toys are amazing.

For the past year and a half though I’ve concentrated my efforts in completing my Timm-verse and Bandai Teen Titans collection; always getting the most show accurate versions toys, at times getting variants just for accessories. It was the strength of the television shows that really got me into these two lines.

I’m excited for the LOSH toys coming out this year.

What was it that brought you to collecting? And what is it that keeps you going?

I don’t think it’s something I can explain to some one who’s never collected anything. Collecting is a weird hobby. It’s not a sport, nor do you really build anything. It’s a compulsion to gather a lot of a certain thing whether it be stamps, coins, bottle caps, or toys. You just have to have it, and it feels good having it.

What’s the first thing people tell you when they see your collection?

People are more often surprised to find out that I collect toys. The initial reaction is always a “Wow.” followed by a “Why?” My parents do wonder why at this age I’ve started buying toys again.

Which item in your collection would you say is your absolute favorite and why?

Hmmm… it’s pretty tough to pick one though it would probably be a figure which took a lot of effort to put together, like my caped Aquaman with trident (made up of different purchases – long story), or my Catwoman w/ bullwhip and Isis (had to dig up my old B:TAS toys), or my custom Batman Beyond (expertly executed by GrundY), or my Jack-in-the-Box Supergirl and Static (both of which I got at a bargain on Ebay), or my Telepizza Spellbinder (which I thought didn’t exist since no actual pictures of it were on the net, and neither could I find it on Ebay, got it for 75 bucks in Metrowalk!)

Been thinking of getting a blue caped wonder woman to fit a sword and lasso on. That’s going to be hot!

Is there an item that you are still looking for but has been quite elusive, a Holy Grail, so to speak?

Well, aside from Holiday Hal (ahem…), there’s this Telepizza Batman Beyond Shriek figure which I’ve been searching for online to no avail. At this point I don’t even think it exists (though I did find Spellbinder, right?)

There’s also the Teen Titans command center 5 & 6 to complete my titans tower. It was never release and the only way to get it is to order for it directly from Bandai in California, which I got my aunt to do though I haven’t heard from her

How do you decide which items to open and which ones to keep mint-in-package?

I’ve always been an opener though I do keep some figures in their package mainly because a) I got bigger plans for the toy and I’m just biding my time until everything is complete (like waiting for a blue caped Wonder Woman) or b) I don’t have enough space or don’t know yet how to properly display it (like my black variant Superman)

Others were left unopened mainly because I got them in sets (as with Hawkgirls paired up with Batman variants in Greenhills) and have no particular interest in harvesting their accessories.

What do you think of the toys available today versus the toys you had as a kid?

Toys today are amazing. Everything looks so good. From these NECA figures, SOTAs, MLs, McFarlane toys, it is a golden age in toy production. I had a couple DC superpowers figures growing up but it’s nothing compared to today’s JLU line (IMHO).

I would have to say that the Marvel Legends have got to be the most perfect action figures to date. Great sculpts with great articulation.

Funny though how we didn’t mind the crappy sculpts and the basic-5 points of articulation when we were kids. I still remember though when Toybiz started using ball-joints. That was huge.

What prompts you to purchase a particular toy?

Well, I have to have a particular interest in the lore behind the toys, as with toys based on comics and cartoons. Which is why I don’t think I will ever buy ‘The Batman’ line; the cartoon just doesn’t appeal to me.

Then there are things that you just gotta have… because they’re pretty.

Where do you do most of your toy purchases? Do you shop online? how about eBay?

As much as possible I would like to buy everything locally and at retail price like in mall department stores. If that doesn’t work out or say I’m backtracking, I try going to specialty stores in Greenhills and Alabang (I’ve never been to Druid’s Keep though). When all else fails there’s always Ebay.

Is toy collecting just a phase in your life or is this something you think you’ll be doing for a long time?

I don’t think I’ll ever really get over my fascination with comic books and cartoons, and toys for me are just the perfect comic book and cartoon related collectibles. There will always be new comics and new cartoons, and newer toys to spend your money on.

Do you think you can plug AFHub.com on one of your TV appearances? OK, that was a trick question.

Back when I was working on the old show I really wanted to cover last year’s Toycon in Megamall. If and when I do get chance to cover anything toy related in the future, expect a casual mention here and there.

What’s keeping you busy these days?

Nowadays I get projects here and there for live hosting for various functions and events (thank god for prom season), and I am a hired TV host for ShopTV (also under the Solar Entertainment Corp.)… praying that I make the cut for the MTV VJ hunt in April. My rock band keeps me busy too.

Photos of some of Sib’s stuff…

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