The Corps of the Pontifical Swiss Guard is a small force responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace and access to the entrances to the Vatican City. It serves as the de facto military of the Vatican City. The Swiss Guard has served the popes since the 1500s. "Twisting Toyz focuses its attention on those World War II soldiers not produced by other 1:6 scale toy manufacturers. Since the company is based in Italy, their primary focus has been on the WWII-era Italian Soldier, but have plans to expand into other less-known soldiers of that time," Gregory Brown, director of marketing for distributor Cotswold Collectibles Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2008.