March 9, 2007. The roar of an angry king shouting “This is SPARTA” rocked cinemas everywhere. Zack Snyder’s 300 had arrived — on IMAX and conventional screens — and nothing was quite the same after that.
Every boy all of a sudden wanted to be a warrior. That included me.
There was always something about that film that hit differently for me. I had this thing — I still do — where I saw my kitchen brigade as my 300 Spartans. Every chef, every cook on the line, every person who showed up and gave everything during a brutal service. Warriors of the kitchen. Outnumbered, under pressure, holding the line. That is what a good brigade feels like. And Leonidas was the kind of leader you wanted to be.
A Train, a Walk, and a Toy Store
My friend Kasin invited me to visit him in Geelong. I did not feel like driving so I took the train. Got off at the station, started walking down the street — no particular destination in mind — and then I saw it. A toy store called Pop Culture.
I walked in. And there he was. Among all the other figures and statues and memorabilia lining the shelves — Leonidas. 12 inches tall, spear in hand, red cape, Spartan helmet, battle-worn and bloody. A push-button sound figure.
I did not hesitate. Some figures you find. Some figures find you. This one felt like the second kind.
Then I saw the price tag. $150.00.
I took a step back. This was not a car boot bargain. Not a dusty shelf find from a secondhand collector. This was a brand new, crisp-from-the-shelf NECA figure and he was going to cost me accordingly.
I took a deep breath. And tapped the debit card.
Leonidas went into the bag and walked out of Pop Culture with me that day. My very first brand new figure. Not hunted down at a swap meet, not rescued from someone’s clear-out. Bought new, full price, no regrets. He was worth every single cent.
He was the first of many. That tap of the debit card opened a door I have never looked back from.
Every time I look at him on my shelf now, two things come back to me at once. The greatness of that film — and my time in the kitchen. The heat, the noise, the pressure, and the people standing beside me through all of it. The chefs I call my Spartan Brothers. Leonidas reminds me that a great leader is nothing without the warriors at his side. I was lucky enough to have mine.
Sharing my piece of Neverland…
Figure This Out 