Singer, lyricist beats writer's block with action figures

WHEN singer and lyricist Zuan Ishmael (pix) gets the writer's block, he often turns to his collection of action figures for inspiration.
"Sometimes, when I have no idea how to create a song, I spend some time with these games that can reduce stress and, suddenly, the idea comes," the vocalist of the two music groups Starmark and Soul Company told Bernama.
Zuan, who is also a multimedia graphic designer, has over 500 models of Transformers characters and other cartoon animations like StarWars, estimated to be worth over RM100,000.
In each case, each game model has its own features, and it also has its own story that can serve as an example for everyday life.
"In my childhood, the cartoon characters I watched had a strong character and personality. As kids, we will be attracted to them and will endear ourselves to them (by collecting them)," said Zuan who started collecting the games even as a child.
He said he bought the games through various channels, including at shopping malls and also online.
Zuan intends to create a mini studio to showcase his personal collection at his new home in Selayang.
"I'm not going to stop collecting more robots and, when the time comes, I will pass these on to my children," said the father of a three-year-old boy.
Zuan often uploads photographs of himself with his collections on his social sites, especially on Facebook and Instagram.