Jul 24, 2005
What's in the Future?
There were so many toys at SDCC, some for sale but there were also a handful of exciting prototypes teasing us with what the future holds for toy collectors. When asked when we are expecting to see these toys for sale on the market, we got a shoulder shrug and "I hope soon" answer. Well, I have selected a few of my favorites and am praying hard and long that they will be here SOON!!! Pray with me?
Hana by PhalanX
Mellow by Chris Lee
Pain Killer by Thomas Han
Stitches by MAD
Artists and etc...
Seeing the artists with their creations makes the toy collecting hobby a bit more personal, so here are most of our pictures of artists signing at SDCC. Taking photos of artists while they are signing is a whole new ball game from taking photos of toys. I usually take a quick shot while trying to stay out of people's way, so some of the pics may have come out a bit blurry. Nonetheless, here they are..enjoy!!!
Kozik
Mad Barbarians
Baseman
Biskup
Jul 23, 2005
What is a SO WHAT?
The So What toys by PhalanX was represented by Gnome International at SDCC. Initially, I found the several variants with an assortment of attractive designs to be overwhelming. Closer examination revealed that clever paint application resulted in the appearances of 6 different toys, when in reality there seems to be only 2 distinct shapes. I really dig the crossover paint designs that make the toy go from looking like a misbehaving boy to a mischievous monkey. Another creative thing about the So What toys is the unusual triangular packing box they come in. The box is even equipped with a stencil that you can use to create your personalized art. How innovative!
Jul 21, 2005
The Neth Creatures are coming!!!
One great thing about an event like SDCC is that you always discover new things, like the Neth Creatures. They are the creations of Jay and Anna who were super friendly at the convention. They spent some time introducing the creatures to me, even when there were hordes of people crowded around their booth. Due to the shape, the arms and the plastic top, at first glance they reminded me of coffee mugs. But with a closer look, their different personalities start to take form within their unquie designs.
There are 9 creatures in series 1, 3 Natural, 3 Brushed and 3 Flora. The most interesting part of these toys is that the tops all come off and are interchangeable, making the possibilities of “creatures” endless. Expect more great things from Neth Creatures.
Baseman and Touma @ SDCC
As many of you know, we just returned from the event of the century, well maybe not THE event of the century but pretty close. SDCC was an amazing experience in many aspects, but the overwhelming concentration of toys and the people behind them in one same place, was what blew me away. There are so many stories to share and toys to show, I don’t even know where to begin. However, I thought I start off with something quite personal to me.
On the busiest day of SDCC, as I was waiting for the crowd to thin out around Kidrobot’s booth so I can say hi to Paul, I noticed Touma and Baseman exchanging conversation. I swiftly approached them and noticed they were drawing a sketch for each other. What an awesome sight, 2 great artists in their own right from 2 parts of the world, standing a few feet from each other, exchanging creative ideas. Using their medium of choice (Baseman: color pencils, Touma: A blue felt pen), they meticulously drew their characters. Within a few minutes, the blank white pieces of paper were filled with their signature drawings. They were also very gracious of my presence snapping away with my camera. Touma doesn’t speak any English and Baseman with no Japanese, were able to communicate through their art. That was quite an enlightening moment for me. They say love is the common language, I say art is. And pictures are worth a thousand words, so here they are.
Jul 16, 2005
SDCC Pics - Third Day
Hey all. Here's another update from the 3rd day (Friday) of Comic-Con. We've got pics of most of the Chop-Shop entries -- these look great, many are downright incredible. There's also quite a few pics of artists doing their thing at signings and such. Finally, there are pics of most of Critterbox's upcoming projects showcased in their booth. Good stuff!
Jul 15, 2005
SDCC Pics - Day 2
Ok, here's the second batch of pics taken on Thursday (7/14). There's some nice picture of signings and overview pics of many booths. Almost all of these are thanks to Francine :-) Enjoy. Look for big-time chop shop coverage tomorrow (with any luck!)
Jul 14, 2005
Request for SDCC
So, last night we uploaded a batch of preview pictures from SDCC but the coverage doesn't stop there. Every night we will update with more pictures of the event. If you have any particular interest in a specific toy/booth, let us know, we will try our best to get some pics for you. Leave your request with a comment. Happy hunting!!
SDCC Pics
Here are the first batch of rough pics take from the exhibition hall of SDCC on preview night (wednesday, 7/13). I've put these up in the intrest of sharing pics ASAP -- they lack captions, are a little out of order (not quite booth by booth), some are a tad blurry, and well you get the idea. But I figure it's all good, since you get to see 'em now! Check it out the day 1 (or is that day zero?) photo gallery. Watch Vinyl Pulse for future updates (hopefully more organized and edited).
Jul 12, 2005
Jeff Soto @ SDCC
Jeff Soto has some fantastic stuff in store for his fans and toy collectors alike for comic-con at the Critterbox Booth (#4529). First up is his brand new book, "Potato Stamp Dreams - The Art of Jeff Soto". The 148 page hard-cover volume features graffiti, photography, drawing and art installations as well as 200 full-color paintings. The book is available online directly from the publisher, Mark Murphy Design, for $41 with the added bonus of a free 48-page mini-zine. Plus, the first 100 online orders will receive a signed copy of the book.
Second and certainly not least, he will be showing a prototype of his forthcoming Walker toy based on his popular "Gumivore Love" painting. Jeff posted the first shots of the prototype today... and I'm almost speechless. It's just too good! The overall feel is impressive, towering, yet decidedly friendly and cheerful -- love that smile. Detail? Whoa boy -- tons! The dashboard is incredibly intricate. This toy is expected to be a whopping 13 inches high! Without a doubt this is on the top of my "must buy" list. Do you get the feeling that I like this toy ?!?! It's a way's off yet as Jeff and Critter Box want to get it just right. It's going to be sweet torture waiting for this toy to come along to release.
Toy Qube at SDCC
Toy Qube, a new NY designer toy + urban clothing store, will have some cool exclusives for comic-con (booth #4606) The big news is clearly the four exclusive CI Boys (250 each) sporting what appears to be a Toy Qube logo camoflauge pattern. They will also have a limited GID version of Devil B (250 pieces) plus a Toy Qube X NYC Lase T-shirt. This is the first I've heard of Toy Qube but looks like they're set to make a big splash this summer!
Jul 10, 2005
Wheaty Wheat at SDCC
Wheaty Wheat will have a packed booth at Comic-Con (#4437) with signings from each of their artists, custom Mad*l's, prototypes of upcoming toys, and more. Based on their official press release, here are the sweet highlights:
- Signings by MAD, Thomas Han, Christopher Lee, Sket One, Joe
Ledbetter and Andrew Bell. Check the booth for the complete schedule.
- MAD and WW will be offering a rare opportunity for collectors -- a chance to purchase one of 10 custom Mad*l's for the very reasonable price of $150. Here's how this will work -- 2 or 3 specific customs will be made available for sale at the start of each day of the 'con ( 6pm on preview night and 10am for the rest of the show). Because of their exclusivity, these Mad*l customs will be limited to one per person for the duration of the 'con. So be sure to get there early if you want a chance to take one of these home!
- Sket One will have several limited items for sale, including hot pink Eggsters, a limited edition silver and gold Dae Dae Dunny print, a DeLuxe Fiery print, and a set of 3-buttons (Eggster, Dae Dae, and Bob's Big Boy). Purchasers of the button set will qualify to win a signed Dae Dae chase Dunny. Check this previous VP entry for pics.
- Every purchase of one of Thomas Han's Cosmic Quiglys will qualify for a special raffle.
- The booth will also feature prototypes of several upcoming exciting toys including Christopher Lee's colorful Urbanites, the first vinyl toy from a line of Thomas Han characters and a guest debut of prototypes of British
comic book artist/creator Chronic Fatigues’ Joe and Mixy from the popular comic
book series “Our World”.
- In addition, Phase 1 and Phase 2 Mad*l's will be available for sale. Last but not least, Wheaty Wheat studios shirts and posters individually designed by their artists!
So be sure to drop by the Wheaty Wheat booth (#4437) to soak it all in and buy some great toys and merchandise!
Jul 07, 2005
Thomas Han at SDCC
For every Cosmic Quigley, T-shirt or print purchased at Wheaty Wheat's Comic-Con booth (#4437) you will receive one raffle ticket for a chance to win this framed Thomas Han original. Sweet! Thomas' art is really cool -- curious to see the shirts.
Guardians by MAD
The Guardians are here! MAD's new solo project makes its debut in a very limited art bundle (edition of 100) that includes a signed and numbered print, T-Shirt and Skate Deck for $150. MAD will have 15 of these bundles for sale at Comic-Con. Or you can buy one directly right now by dropping him a line. Go out and get yourself a bundle!
These guys are ready for some serious divine intervention -- tough to the core and ready for battle. Cherubs? Hardly :-) The black/red color scheme is slick and fits in nicely to the overall vibe. Revenue from the bundles will go to funding the production of the Guardians toys which from what I hear will be nothing short of amazing. This is MAD's first big solo project on his own -- his company, his money... Exciting stuff!
Jul 06, 2005
Sket One Goodness at SDCC
Amped about all the great toys and other stuff available at Comic-Con this year? Wait till you hear what Sket One has for you at the Wheaty Wheat booth (#4437) :-)
- First, up is the eggster. In addition to the regular purple ($40), limited green ($55), Sket will be selling his brand-new uber limited (30 pieces total) hot pink eggster ($75) complete with a green vinyl Sket tag on the side.
- Next up, is an 11 x 17 DeLuxe fiery print (edition of 100) for just $10.
- Speaking of prints, there's also a gorgeous silver and gold Dae Dae silkscreen print (edition of 100) for $35.
- More? Yup! There will also be a 3-pack of buttons (Dae Dae, Bob's Big Boy, and Eggster) for $2. Buy a pack and get a chance to win a signed Sket Dae Dae chase dunny (1 of 100 packs).
- Finally, a GID Eggster skateboard produced by MonkeyBiz.
Toy Tokyo at SDCC
Toy Tokyo just posted their signing schedule and exclusives that will be available at their comic-con booth (# 5329). There's some amazing stuff in there, including the chance to get a tofu-head wobbler customized on-the-spot by the Devilrobots. Plus, custom Nosferatus painted by Futura. And, "Opera Dude" by Tokyo Plastic... Can't wait to see what he looks like.
Jul 02, 2005
Toy2r at SDCC
Raymond sent exciting news about Toy2r at Comic-Con: For every $30 spent at the Toy2r booth (#4729), customers will be given one mystery qee (wrapped in foil). These mystery qees will include designs from series 1 through four as well as ultra-rare sample qees and prototypes. Sounds like lots of fun! Plus, Dalek's Spacebot 01 is revealed in the price list! Also, as previously mentioned, prices for many items have been reduced -- most of the 8-inch qees are now $80 rather than $100. $80 for a Gary Baseman Qee ? Sold! I pulled this from three poster sized images detailing Toy2r's SDCC offerings (item list, price list, and signing schedule) and of course VP brings 'em to you in glorious high-res!
SDCC Item List
SDCC Price List
SDCC Signing Schedule
Jun 29, 2005
Motug Trexi Black Variant
Thanks to Zak at Playtimes Magazine for these nice shots of the black SDCC version of the Motug Trexi designed by NYC Lase in collaboration with Toytokyo and Play Imaginative. 300 of these will be available at the 'con limited to 75 for each of the four days.
Jun 27, 2005
Toy2r SDCC Signing Schedule
Raymond sent along the tentative signing schedule for the joint Toy2r and Tower Records booth (#4729). As a tentative schedule, times and artists are both subject to change. The schedule's pretty impressive, most of the artists will be signing across multiple days should make it much easier for fans to plan things out.
7/14, Thursday
11:00 12:00 David Horvath
14:00 15:00 Anna Puchalski
15:00 16:00 Mad Barbarians
Touma
17:00 18:00 Kozik
7/15, Friday
11:00 12:00 David Horvath
13:00 14:00 Gary Baseman
14:00 15:00 Anna Puchalski
Voltaire
15:00 16:00 Mad Barbarians
Tom Hazelmyer
Touma
17:00 18:00 Kozik
MCA
7/16, Saturday
11:00 12:00 Gary Baseman
Tim Buskup
14:00 15:00 Anna Puchalski
Voltaire
15:00 16:00 Tom Hazelmyer
17:00 18:00 Kozik
MCA
19:00 David Horvath
7/17, Sunday
14:00 Voltaire
Jun 22, 2005
Super 7 Exclusives available at Comic-Con
Are you a fan of Japanese Kaiju-style monsters? Boy, are you in luck! Super7 will be offering an amazing array of kaiju-inspired comic-con exclusives at their booth (#4629). Here's the low-down (based on the Super7 press release).
- First up is the debut of a set of nine 11x14 Neo Kaiju gicleé prints featuring brand new hand-signed art from Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Seonna Hong, Kathy Staico-Schorr and Todd Schorr. The set is based on the characters from the Neo Kaiju toy line and will come in a custom-designed cloth box. The print sets will be limited to 300 sets with only 50 sets released each day of the 'con. Also, there will be a special group signing of the print sets! It's nice to see companies allocating availability of exclusives across the four days to allow equal opportunity for people who can only attend on certain days.
- On to the toys! The Super7 Ghostfigher is a custom collaboration with the masters of the undead, Secret Base of Japan. This toy is made of transparent clear vinyl with silver
and black paint and skeleton hands. It is limited to 150 pieces and is an SDCC exclusive. I really love the translucent look on this piece.
- The Kittyfire, based on a cult-classic monster from an old-school Japanese super-hero show, is a collaboration between Super7 and Tsuburaya. This beast stands an impressive 15-inches tall! This is another SDCC exclusive and is limited to 100 pieces. As you can tell by the teaser image, the paint job is still under wraps!
- Steven the Bat is a new vinyl toy from art madman and Super7 columnist Bwana Spoons.
Steven is just one creature from Bwana’s burgeoning universe of characters called My Peeples. The glow-in-the-dark pre-release version stands 5-inches tall and is a comic-con exclusive limited to just 100 pieces. Get him before he's gone for ever! Definitely a must-have for GID Kaiju fans!
- The Super7 exclusive giant-size CCP Hedorah is made of transparent
green vinyl with a crazy combination of red, black and silver spray. This exclusive version of the smog monster with light-up eyes stands 15-inches tall and is limited to 100 pieces. So if you want, get to Super7's booth early!
- The Marusan giant-size Godzilla figure towers over the original 9-inch figure at a whopping 15-inches tall. This Super7 Issue 9 exclusive version is made of glow-in-the-dark vinyl and painted to resemble the rare Hawaii Godzilla paint variant. This figure is limited to an amazingly small edition of just 50 pieces!
Jun 18, 2005
SDCC: Spacebot 01 by Dalek
More goodness from Toy2r!
Here's some teaser info on the brand new 8" Spacebot 01 toy by Dalek. This toy will debut at SDCC for $40 and be limited to 500 pieces (24 available at the 'con). From the shape on the poster, it looks like a large "block" style figure. Can't wait to see the painted version. Also, from the "01" perhaps this is the start of a new series.
Kid So What SDCC Exclusive
Gnome International has announced this SDCC exclusive version of PhalanX's Kid So What toy. These will be available for $20 from the Gnome International booth (#4435) at the 'con. Also, Mike from Gnome was kind enough to send us shots of additional Kid So What which will be at their booth as display items. I hadn't seen these before yesterday, but they are pretty fresh. The figure has almost a totem like face with its very deep features. Additionally, it exudes style right down to the funky shoes! The SDCC version has a nice paint job and is unusual in that it has the 'con logo on its head.
Robot and Hoodo Versions
Dlobala Version
Nike Brazil Exclusive
Jun 16, 2005
STRANGEco Booth at SDCC
Wow, so much goodness from Strangeco in Booth 4537. Some key highlights from the huge list of toys/happenings below: signings by Mars-1, James Jarvis and Nathan Jurevicius PLUS lots of comic-con exclusive toys! Ok, here's the full list that StrangeCo was kind enough to send us:
NEW PRODUCTS, PREMIERES AND COMIC CON EDITIONS
::: MARS-1 :::
* Invisible Plan - SDCC 05 edition
* Observer vinyl figure - special color editions
* Artist MARS-1 will around the booth all show- ask us if you'd like
something signed. *
::: NATHAN JUREVICIUS :::
* Mini Bunniguru - Special Editions in Silver, Gold and White
* Mini Scarygirl - Monotone Edition 12-figure box sets
* Plus, a special announcement at the show!
* Artist Nathan Jurevicius will be signing on Saturday 7/16, noon-1:30
pm *
::: JAMES JARVIS :::
* King Ken 3 in Black and Brown - Premiering
* Artist James Jarvis will be signing at the STRANGEco booth, Friday
7/15, noon-1:30 pm *
::: FRIENDS WITH YOU :::
* The Good Wood Gang modular wood toys
* Friends With You apparel
::: SCOTT MUSGROVE AND WOOTINI :::
* Booted Glamour Cat - special color editions
::: TOUMA :::
* Snout - Strangeco special editions in Gunmetal and Silver
::: THE SUPERFUN COMPANY :::
* The Ramones Toxic Teddies - Premiering
::: TOKIDOKI :::
* Tokidoki apparel and merchandise
::: OTHER PRODUCTS :::
* 6-inch Circus Punks - Premiering
* The Neo Kaiju Project
* Friends With You plush dolls
* In-Crowd by James Jarvis
* Clutter Magazine
Mini Bunniguru Comic-Con Exclusive Variants
At Comic-Con, STRANGEco will be offering three variants of Nathan Jurevicius' Mini Bunniguru figure: gold, silver, and white. Peep the gold one to the left! The silver and gold variants are made available at special events including SDCC (20 of each). The white one (40 pieces) is exclusive to SDCC.These pretty much speak for themselves! So many toys... so little time... so little money!
MARS-1 Invisible Plan SDCC Exclusive Version
StRANGEco will have an SDCC exclusive version of MARS-1's Invisible Plan toys. Not sure if these are actually mono grey (note the disclaimer on the picture), but I assume so. Update: This IS the SDCC colorway. These figures are mini-figs (350 pieces each) with the tallest being 4-inches high and the little one eventually sporting a bubble dome over his head(dome not shown). Also, towards the end of the year the full Invisible Plan line will debut with six additional figures! I'm digging these -- very original and enigmatic designs as we've come to expect from this gifted artist.