Skip to main content

Review - Psi Corps Replica Pin

I am overdue for a review. I got a little Babylon 5 gem in the mail, so here’s the scoop!

This is my in-depth look at the Psi Corps replica badge you see floating around places like Ebay and Amazon. You can view Amazon’s listing here: Babylon 5 PSI CORPS Replica

Don’t be fooled by the crappy product photo. At first glance, it looks like a cheap, plastic replica not worth your time. I’m happy to say that I scoured the Internet for reviews to confirm that the badge is metal (not that cheap Halloween-bend it-break it metal either).

Imagine the way my heart sank when I pulled this out of the packaging. I was fully prepared for a broken badge.

Phew! A perfect badge.

My thoughts:
1. As I said before, it’s made of a decent metal and has a good weight to it which makes it feel like a proper badge. Sign me up for the Psi Corps right now!
2. The clasps in the back are just as the descriptions say: military style.

3. The size is perfect. It appears to be as large as the ones seen on the show. I couldn’t be happier with that aspect of it.
4. The casting/mold has dents in it to give the badge a realistic worn feel, but not to the point of being ugly and unwearable (see the large image above). 
5, There is a slight deviation from the badges on the show (I can see why this would anger people, but the product image–as crappy as it is–shows you this). The psi symbol in this badge is curvy, whereas the ones seen on the show are blocky. 
The difference between psi symbols got me curious (hey, I *am* a huge fan, after all!) Where did the curvy version come from? Take a look at the collage of screencaps I gathered below and click on the image to enlarge it:
I looked in my Babylon 5 Images folder to see if I could spot anything obvious. There was one possible deviation from the blocky version (circled in bright green). It’s hard to tell if the badge in that picture is an instance of the curvy psi, or if just looks that way due to the angle. If it is the latter, where did they pick up the curvy version from?
There it is. 
So why did they mass produce the curvy version instead of the show’s more prominent blocky version? I can only speculate…It could be that phantom badge I circled in green, an early prototype that was nixed in favor of the blocky version, but was somehow sent to the manufacturer instead, or maybe Alfred Bester didn’t like the idea of exact replicas being mass produced for Mundanes…I don’t know!
If there are any Babylon 5 fans who know the answer to this, I am all ears! 
There you have it! More than you ever wanted to know about the Psi Corps replica pin!
Conclusion
4/5 Teeps – The only reason it gets docked a point is because it is not an exact replica of the ones in the show.
Would I recommend this to a friend?
Unless you are a stickler for something that is 100% true to the original, then yes. If you are a fan of Babylon 5, it is a fun replica to have and a nice little addition to any collections you own. Get on Ebay, Amazon, or what have you and purchase one right now! 
*Tosses in more photos just for fun*

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SGS: Creativity!

Looking at Heather’s wonderful prompts, I just realized that April is almost over. Is it really the last Sunday of the month already!? How did that happen? Even with quarantine it feels like it just zipped by!  This week’s Seriously Geeky Sundays theme hits close to home, and I am super excited about it. As you all know, I’m an artist who loves to draw, paint, write, and sew!  26th April – Creativity What does creativity in fandoms/geeky interests mean to you? EVERYTHING. Just look at Club High Castle!  High Castle is the one fandom where I’ve felt like I’ve been allowed to flourish. The countless hours and dedication I’ve put into the things I’ve created has been appreciated by both fans and the cast and crew. I have never experienced anything like it, and it has genuinely made me happy over the years.  I’ve been in other fandoms where art and things just slipped by unnoticed–not that I’m seeking attention, but knowing that there are people out there who enjoy my...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: PKD’s Unfinished Sequel to TMITHC

I finally had a chance to read the two mysterious chapters of a scrubbed sequel to PKD’s The Man in the High Castle. I finished them a few days weeks ago, but their mark has yet to fade from the recesses of my mind. While I understand why he never finished it, I wish there was more.  The chapters were accompanied by an essay and a fictional blurb about Hawthorn Abendsen. Naziism and The High Castle (1964) is an eye opener into the mind of PKD. He asks pointed questions about human nature and discusses Nationalism— no one is immune from falling into it. The essay reminds me of a quote ages ago when Season 2 of High Castle had just aired: I think we have is to humanize Nazis. If you indulge the fantasy that they were not human, then nothing is learned. This is human beings that did this. It is only humans that are capable of inhumanity. Rufus Sewell on portraying his character, John Smith (2016).  Reading it (and the subsequent chapters) made certain aspects of the show much more clea...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cosplay Everyday!

It’s time for another Seriously Geeky Sunday brought to you by the creative Heather at geeking-by.net! It’s cosplay everyday here in Club High Castle Cosplay is very near and dear to my heart. You should see the left half of my closet! Hanging there is an assortment of medieval dresses, Star Trek uniforms, and other odes to my favorite fandoms that I’ve collected over the years. The oldest thing I have in there is probably from the 90s.  23rd August – Cosplay It’s international Cosplay Day this weekend and we’re joining in the celebrations by chatting about all things cosplay! Have you cosplayed before? If yes, which character was your favourite? If no, which character would you like to cosplay as? You have no idea, Grasshopper 😉 You just opened an entire world about me. I was the QUEEN of cosplay in the early 2000s, and I loved every last second of it. As for my favorite character, that one is a tough one because every time I put on a costume, I’m having the time of my life, h...
Post a Comment
Read more