I stumbled across Black Ops Toys not too long after Hondo Wallace and I started Breach-Bang-Clear back in the day. Back when it was on Blogspot, before the Mad Duo began writing for Military.com, even. In fact, I think our only social media presence back then was MySpace. We knew what 1/6 scale figures were, but not how big a thing they were becoming, and I’d damn sure never heard the word kitbashing.

Happily for my creative side (less so for my wallet), that’s since changed. I’ve spent way too much time and money on this site.

Sorry not sorry.

Note: SMEAC, in military parlance, stands for Situation, Mission, Execution, Admin & Logistics, and Command & Signal. We have modified that to use as a mnemonic template for short articles about small businesses: Small Manufacturers, Entrepreneurs, Artists, and Craftsmen. These are not paid features. In fact, in most cases we don’t even know these folks. hey’re just people and places we like, and believe you will like too. Learn more in our OPORD article.

Black Ops Toys

SITUATION (The Origin)

Really good businesses, at least by my definition, are rarely born in a boardroom. They’re usually born by accident, out of chaos, unlikely inspiration, or an improbable idea that combines all three. That’s the case with Brian “Sully” Sullivan. He’s one-half of the Headshed at BOT.

The chaos I’m referring to involved a hospital stay in 2004. Bored and evidently bedridden, he started customizing action figures to kill time. What began as a way to kill time, then to feed his burgeoning collecting addiction, soon turned into an eBay hustle called “beclipsehobbies,” funded by the money he made working with the “Nerd Herd,” (aka Best Buy Geek Squad). We have no idea if Chuck Bartowski was involved, but it definitely seems possible.

Grunts: burgeoning.

Fast forward to 2008. Sully and his wife, Jennifer O’Brien, took that side hustle and turned it into Black Ops Toys. This not only started their badass entrepreneurial journey but also helped counter the negative cosmic imbalance created by the launch of the Twilight movies and the appearance of Taylor Swift.

Based in Hillsboro, Oregon, they survived the crash of ’08, layoffs, and six years of working back-to-back in a shared office to create an extraordinary global logistics hub for 1/6 scale figures. Now they’re one of the top suppliers of gear for collectors, history nerds, operational 1/6 scale doorkickers like the Duo, and anyone looking for realistic military action figures.

MISSION (The Objective)

Black Ops Toys isn’t selling dolls. GTFOOH. First off, they sell action figures. Secondly, their primary mission is to fuel the art of Kitbashing.

• What is Kitbashing? In simplest terms, it’s the practice of going mixy-matchy with action figure accessories from different models. Take a head sculpt from this guy, put him in a battle rattle from another, and a rifle build from a third, and you’ve built a Kitbashed, completely unique custom figure.
• The Philosophy: Sully describes it as, “…Build-a-Bear for grown men.” BOT supplies the materials necessary for you to create a screen-accurate John Wick, a Gunny Highway homage, or your own idealized post-apocalyptic survivor.

EXECUTION (The Method)

How they manage to precision engineer the operation at BOT is beyond me. I’d never be able to be that organized…though to be fair, I’d never have the patience to even try. They take mint boxed sets from manufacturers, strip them down, and part them out. These aren’t the GI Joes you might remember from back when they were a foot tall. The level of detail in these parts will blow your mind the first time you see them. They’re awesome. And not something you want youngsters to get hold of for a living room battle while you’re out back grilling meat.

Ask me how I know.

ADMIN/LOGISTICS (The Details)

• Target: 1/6 collectors, kitbashers, and real-life foot-tall operators
• The Goods: Full-box figures, loose bodies, head sculpts, little versions of high-end gear, and guns for action figures.
• Pricing: Variable. Spend a couple bucks on a mag shingle or a couple hundred on a complete loadout.

COMMAND/SIGNAL (The Verdict)

The website you’re reading owes all its success to 1/6 scale violence and opinioneering. If you’ve followed the Mad Duo (Richard “Swingin’ Dick” Kilgore and Jake “Slim” Call), you already know this. They’ve literally deployed all over the world, including to combat zones, and have the replacement bodies to prove it. Black Ops Toys is one of their go-to places for gear.

Or so I’m told.

Black Ops Toys Comms Plan

Primary: www.blackopstoys.com

Alternate: www.blackopstoystory.com/

Contingency: www.youtube.com/@blackopstoys/

Emergency: www.blackopstoys.com/pages/contact-us

Data and Operational Continuity: www.facebook.com/BlackOpsToys/ or www.instagram.com/blackopstoys