Jul 15, 2007
Bwana Spoons @ SDCC '07
Bwana Spoons will dazzle collectors, fans, and curious onlookers with several new exclusives at the Pu-Pu Bros. Booth (#5036) alongside Justin Scrappers Morrison, Le Merde, and Martin Ontiveros .
First up is the debut of Bwana's new Globby project with Gargamel. Some of these will be available as necklaces and others as "fat mini minis". Next there will be new editions of two of Bwana's original figures -- Brown Metal Steven the Bat (also @ Super7's booth) and the Polka Spot Edward the Gator (also @ Max Toy Co.'s booth). Also, check out the booth on Friday, July 27th for one or two possible Bwana x Gargamel SDCC surprises. Customs? Oh yeah, Bwana's got a coloful army ready for SDCC : fifteen custom Edward the Gators (10 glow?) and four custom Killers.
Finally, while sometimes we think the world revolves around vinyl (wait -- it doesn't ?!?!) -- Bwana will also debut his first shoes with Dekline including SDCC exclusive Edward the Gator slip-ons (only 30 pairs). Go in style...
Jul 13, 2007
STRANGEco @ SDCC '07
STRANGEco has announced several SDCC exclusives, limited-edition releases and mystery releases (teases!). First up there are two SDCC exclusives -- a grayscale version of Bob Dob's Luey (100 pcs) and special edition Minitreehouse Toddlers from Nathan Jurevicius. The Toddlers are a special SDCC release of the mini-figure that will ship with the upcoming Arkski Minitreehouse vinyl. There are five blind-packed colors -- pull the Platinum to win a special prize. Next up are two special limited-editions that will debut at SDCC -- GID Shikito by Superdeux ( 50 pcs) and a grayscale Mr. Bumper from Jim Woodring (100 pcs).
Next up are four mystery figures. The first is apparently a special edition of tokidoki's recently released Adios and Ciao Ciao figures. The third has been ID'd by various sources is the debut special edition release of James Jarvis's enigmatic YOD figure (36 pieces out of a run of 140). The yodzine will also drop at SDCC (only 30 copies available) [Source: Amos Blog]. The third is clearly a mystery edition of Dean Bradley's upcoming Mainframe toy. The fourth and final mystery toy is rumored to be a special figure from the upcoming Vivisect Playset mini-fig series -- that just might be a collab piece. Click through to the full post for all the silhouettes ;-) There's also a tantalizing illustration done by Rueben Rude -- hmm foreshadowing a new project to be displayed at the booth (pure guess) ?
All of this will go down in the triple-wide STRANGEco booth (# 4729) at SDCC.
Neth Creatures - Woodland Collection Resins @ SDCC 07
Neth Creatures are gearing up for SDCC with the announcement of their Woodland Collection. From the teaser image, the collection will feature at least two limited-edition resin Neth Creatures and prints. Apparently there are a few more exclusives in the works. Not much definitive but they've got our attention. It's nice to see them using resin to create more intricate creatures and do so in small runs. Be sure to check out Neth Creatures @ SDCC (#5037).
Jul 12, 2007
Tokyoplastic TT Geisha Octopus
Update: New pics and some new info (italics).
Hailing from Tokyoplastic's genius flash animation, the Geisha figure has proven to be quite popular. The super-sized Geisha Octopus edition is the newest addition to Toy Tokyo's SDCC line up. The octopus graphic on the rear of the figure (in detail in the new photos) was done in-house by Tokyoplastic. Big toys are all the rage these days. We believe this one is the same size as the 12" proto shown at NYCC which seemed almost too big (if that's even possible !?!?). The Geisha Octopus will drop at the TT SDCC booth #5335 (60 at the show - 15 per day starting on Thursday, July 26th) for $74.99. At this point it's not clear if the 60 figures available at SDCC are the entire production run. There are other editions in the works -- solid red one for you (shown at NYCC) -- more info when it surfaces.
Amanda Visell - The WHAT DID I EAT? - EPHUNT
You've seen the teaser images... Here's the 411 on Amanda Visell's the WHAT DID I EAT? - EPHUNT limited-edition hand-painted wood sculpture and print sets to be released at Munky King's SDCC booth (#4639). Each set (limited to 25) features an ephunt wood sculpture (~ 7.5 x 5 x 4") , print (~ 7.5 x 5.5"), and a a bonus wood baby 'phunt. This set is a real treat for collectors -- Amanda's outdone herself this time. First she hand-painted each and every wood sculpture for this series. It gets even better. The larger ephunts are all different -- each has ingested a different snack. That's 25 different ephunts. The sets are blind-boxed so it'll be a pleasant surprise. Oh.. be on the lookout for Amanda's new art book -- Popping through Pictures from Baby Tattoo - also available at SDCC.
Jul 10, 2007
Toytokyo @ SDCC 2007
San Diego Comic Con
madness is just beginning. So many must haves, so little time and $$$.
Adding to this madness is the signing lineup and toy releases Toytokyo
has in store for collectors. Check it out!!
MINDstyle's Conehead by Germs + Giveaway
MINDstyle's upcoming Conehead is a standout art toy by LA artist Germs. Germs's self-labeled "Lowbrown" art combines Chicano culture and imagery with a Low Brow aesthetic. Conehead mixes cultural references with a luchador mask decorated in a stars and stripes motif. Beyond the striking art, Conehead innovates in the area of painting technique.
MINDstyle took the unusual and innovative step of hand-painting nearly the entire figure so as to best translate the nuances of Germs's work to vinyl. The results are stunning -- Conehead simply does not look like a vinyl figure because of its subtle gradients and textures. In fact, assuming the production sample results translate to the production pieces, veteran collectors are likely to have the same "no.... really?!?" moment as I did. Standard printing techniques used for vinyl (spray masks and pad printing) are best suited for application of flat colors. These production techniques constrain how art is translated to a figure and also and perhaps more importantly they limit the types of art that can be reasonably represented in vinyl form. Hand-painting relaxes these constraints and thus potentially makes vinyl figures a realistic possibility for a much wider selection of artists. This approach has the potential to grow the art toy industry by broadening the artist base and collector base considerably.
With its striking hand-painted figures including Conehead by Germs, the hightly detailed Brom and The Dark Crystal figures, MINDstyle is leading the way with next level art toys. MINDstyle's visionary co-founder Matt Young, creative team and top calibre artists are pushing technical, artistic and genre boundaries to produce some of the most highly sought after and collectible limited-edition vinyl art toys. Let the countdown to San Diego Comic Con begin.
Before MINDstyle's Conehead drops at SDCC, you can try your luck in our Conehead giveaway. Simply write a comment to this post for your chance to win. Be sure to provide your real email address when prompted to do so. The deadline to enter is Monday, July 16th @ 8 PM PDT.
Giveaway Rules
1. To enter write a comment to this post.
2. Deadline to enter is Monday, July 16th, 2007 @ 8 PM PDT
3. Duplicate entries will result in disqualification.
4. One randomly chosen winner will receive a MINDstyle Conehead figure by Germs.
5. Winner must respond to our notification within 72 hours.
Jul 06, 2007
STRANGEco SDCC Exclusive Luey
At STRANGEco's SDCC booth this year, you will find this extremely limited grayscale colorway of Bob Dob's toy Luey. This is a SDCC exclusive, and you folks know what that means!!!! When? How? ...just stay tuned!!
Jul 05, 2007
Super7 SDCC'07 Exclusive (Part 1)
Here's a peek at what's in store for you from Super7 at SDCC. First up is Bawana Spoons' Steven the Bat. This brown creature will be a SDCC exclusive for Super7. If it is anything like last year's release, this toy will fly off the shelves like hot cakes. Next up is STOMP, the first Super7 Fight Figure which the prototype was revealed not too long ago. STOMP will debut at SDCC with a few more colorways in the pipeline. Both toys will be available only at Super7's SDCC booth. Stay tuned for more information as they become available.
Jul 04, 2007
Mark Nagata's Eyezon from Max Toy Co.
Awhile back we posted pics of the unpainted sculpt of Mark Nagata's upcoming Eyezon kaiju figure. Here's a look at the painted Eyezon (note: colors may change slightly for the production edition). So what's the story behind Eyezon? Mark explains, "Kaiju Eyezon born from a mutant potato, now evil ally of villain Alien
Xam. Both sworn enemies of Captain Maxx. Can Captain Maxx defeat these two powerful monsters ?" While the sculpt is quite detailed, the colors really "pop" adding considerably to the figure. Eyezon is expected to drop at SDCC along with a possible GID edition (fingers crossed) in the Max Toy Co. x Gargamel booth (#4837).
Jul 03, 2007
MINDstyle's Stickmen by Brom + Giveaway
Brom gives wondrous form to the dark, mysterious and just plain strange creatures that fill his seemingly limitless imagination. Through his illustrations and paintings he has been involved in a dizzying number of creative mediums including his noted work for role playing games (TSR, White Wolf, FASA, WOTC), comics (DC, Chaos, Dark Horse), novels (Michael Moorcock, Terry Brooks, R.A.Salvatore, E.R. Burroughs), video games (Doom2, Diablo2, Heretic), and film (Tim Burton, Galaxy Quest, Ghosts of Mars, Scooby Doo, Van Helsing). Chances are you've seen Brom's work and admired it even if his name isn't yet familiar to you. He recently published his first illustrated novel, The Plucker.
Drawing from this new illustrated novel, Brom has worked with MINDstyle to produce his first art toys - Stickmen. Hand-painted and highly-detailed MINDstyle's Stickmen bring a fresh perspective, Brom's Gothic-Fetishism, to vinyl art toys. MINDstyle's Stickmen are set to bring innovation for art toys in terms of aesthetics and production quality. Brom's self-described Gothic-Fetishism style adds a unique and refreshing vision to the world of vinyl art toys. The Stickmen figures have an impressive presence with the two larger figures towering at over 12" tall. On the production side, MINDstyle has raised the bar by hand-painting the figures in order to faithfully translate and realize Brom's work. For the finishing touches, the Stickmen figure come with individually numbered collectors key chains and ship in swanky packaging.
MINDstyle will release Stickmen Series A and Series B -- each with two figures, so four in total -- at SDCC. That's just under a month away, but why wait when you can win 'em before you can buy 'em ? Just enter a comment to this post for a chance to win four Stickmen figures (Series A & B). Be sure to enter your email address when prompted to do so. The deadline to enter is Monday, July 9th @ 8 PM PDT. Thank you for your continued support and readership -- it's greatly appreciated.
Rules
1. To enter write a comment to this post.
2. Deadline to enter is Monday, July 9th, 2007 @ 8 PM Pacific Time
3. Duplicate entries will result in disqualification.
4. One randomly chosen winner will receive all four of MINDstyle's Stickmen Series A & B figures.
5. Winner must respond to our notification within 72 hours.
Jun 29, 2007
Jermaine Rogers - Life-Sized Squire
Ahhhh.....summer's fun is just beginning for collectors. A while ago we showed sneak peeks of Jermaine Rogers's life-sized Squire. Here's more info about this 2' x 2' giant. The NOWhere Limited edition featuring an entirely new sculpt will be limited to only 30 piece world wide. Preorders for this creature will begin sometime in July. I know...I know...most of you must be dying to know about the blocked out Squire!!! Well, the word on the street is that it is an extremely rare variant which will only be available at Jermaine's SDCC booth. So stay tuned!!!
Jun 27, 2007
Brian Flynn's Stomp from Super7
Designed by Brian Flynn, the appropriately named Stomp is the first figure in Super7's new original series of fight monsters. This brawler was sculpted by Cosmo Liquid, the man behind a slew of sweet figures including the amazing Pushead x KAWS Companion. Standing 5.5" tall (SB scale) and made of 100% Japanese vinyl, this stalwart paciderm is ready to take on all comers. Stomp will debut @ SDCC '07. More info on colorways will follow -- but until now enjoy this unpainted proto.
Jun 24, 2007
Patrick Ma - I.W.G Combat Mod Squad SDCC Exclusives
Patrick Ma (OtterX) has taken the lid off his newest addition to his I.W.G. line -- the Combat Mod Squad dropping this summer from Rocketworld. The Insurgents Wilderness Gruppo has now procured vintage scooters making its warriors mobile, increasingly deadly, and hip. The Combat Mod Squad will debut with two SDCC exclusives -- Septimius 2.0 and Taharka 2.0, both in stealth black with the new scooter accessories. Both exclusives are limited to a limited run of 100 pieces each which should enhance collectability. Judging by the comparison pic along side an iPod Nano -- these are a good size at say 5" tall or so. Combat Mod Squad continues to deliver I.W.G. goodness by extending the line's humorous and edgy vibe with its blend of lovable characters and highly detailed accessories.
Jun 21, 2007
Andrew Bell - Lotus Artist Edition Kansers
We love Summer -- SDCC frenzy. Every day is like Christmas during the middle of the year. This one put a huge grin on our face, and maybe just a bit of drool (ewww...). We're stoked to unveil Andrew Bell's Lotus Artist Edition Kansers coming at SDCC from ToyQube. These twistedly mystic designs fuse Andrew's gift for conjuring sick and twisted beasties with his recent focus on eastern culture. Soon to be available in Grey and Black editions, these two figures are the first releases in the Artist Series of Keith Poon's Kanser figure. Beyond the excellentfigures, check out the beautiful spot-UV box.
Here's the lowdown. The Grey Lotus Kanser, limited to a run of 400 numbered pieces, will be available in limited-quantities at SDCC directly from ToyQube (booth 4937) for an estimated price of roughly $45. The figure will be available from ToyQube and select retailers a few weeks after SDCC.
The Black Lotus Kanser is even more reclusive than its Grey counterpart with a total species count of just 200 numbered pieces. This one is a Dead Zebra Inc. exclusive with the first 50 figures available at Dumbrella's SDCC booths (1335 & 1337) for an estimated price of approximately $55. The remainder will be available online in mid-August directly from the Dead Zebra Inc. Webshop.
David Horvath - UMA: Newborn Types
David Horvath has unveiled the first info and pictures of his new UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animals) characters with their comic story to follow. The concept and story grew out of David and Sun-Min's profound experience of viewing their first sonogram and the realization their child was just 9 months away from release. Running with their theme "Looks like Candy, makes you nuts", the characters are envisioned roughly as the children of David's previous Kaiju characters -- Mothman and Flatwoods Monster. And Chupacabra? To the claims that's not what Chupacabras look like, David and Sun-Min say... "Of course it is! That's how they look when they are infants!"
The Flatwoods Monster, Mothman and Chupacabra UMA characters are featured in the first UMA mini-figure vinyl series, UMA: Newborn Types, from Wonderwall. The UMA figures are an extension of David's Kaiju creations rather than a proper part of the Kaiju for Growups (KFGU) line. Roughly 3.5 inches high, the first three will be released at SDCC at the Giant Robot booth roughly coinciding with the birth of their first child (give or take a bit). Price and edition size are to be determined.
This new line looks to be a very strong addition to the Horvaths' Kaiju clan. Dare we say they may even eclipse the popularity of their ummm... "parents" ? We'll see ;-) Pictures courtesy of David Horvath.
Bwana Spoons x Gargamel - Globby @ SDCC
Here's a first look at Globby, an intriguing collabo project from Bwana Spoons and Gargamel. From the teaser shot, Globby looks really nice -- a warm design that retains a sense of mystery. Speaking of mysteries -- we're left wondering how big, are the arms articulated, are there more colorways. It's the sweet season -- enjoy ;-) Look for this one at SDCC in Bwana's booth along with more surprises to be revealed as the days roll on.
Jun 19, 2007
McDonkey II - Redemption
Offering a two-faced interpretation of the fast food giant's famous mascot, JIP's McDonkey vinyl was released at SDCC '06. Fast-forward a year later, and JIP is back with McDonkey II - Redemption from ToyQube. This second jail themed design offers a new twist to the good/evil dichotomy central to the character. Both McDonkey II colorways - neon orange (300 pcs) and black (GID - 150 pcs @ SDCC) - are flocked, feature prison jumpsuits, and come with handcuffs and prison chain ball accessories. This second edition offers a stripped down look compared to the more intricate original version -- perhaps closer in visual appearance to the original commercial icon. The black flocked + GID edition will be available at ToyQube's SDCC booth (#4937).
Jun 18, 2007
Proto Monday >> Bob Dob's Luey
Today we have the first public look at Bob Dob's first original toy, Luey, coming shortly from STRANGEco. Bob Dob has steadily made a name for himself both locally in Los Angeles and throughout the country with the exhibition of his paintings focusing on several themes including the rough and tumble journeys of bad boy musicians and everyday alien life. He will have his first solo show at La Luz de Jesus in October. The lure and power of his work lies in the rendering of his characters' faces -- from the frequent use of roughly cube-shaped heads to their exaggerated features. Appearing in several of his paintings, Luey is one of Bob Dob's most recognizable characters -- a devilish creature with decidedly alien cues. It turns out there are in fact a whole army of Lueys sent to earth by Satan to do his dirty work. In their down-time, they relax by getting intoxicated on a creamy white elixir -- milk.
These unpainted proto pictures of the Luey vinyls show off the intricate sculpts. The facial details are impressive, from the curl of the lips to the furrowed eyebrows. The Luey vinyl figure will be available in three different versions -- Smoking, Drinking and Raging. While the most notable difference between the various incarnations are the objects in Luey's hands, you'll also see that the highly detailed facial sculpts are actually distinct for each edition. Luey stands about 5.5" inches tall and is expected to retail for approximately $20 per figure. Luey will have a special premiere at STRANGEco's SDCC booth (#4729) and a wider general release in September.
Jun 16, 2007
Keith Poon - Sharky from ToyQube
Summer... Just when your mind was turning to thoughts of the warm beach and the cool ocean. ToyQube has announced the first editions of Keith Poon's next figure, Sharky. First shown at NYCC, Sharky is the second in Keith's sea creature themed series following the first figure, Kanser. Sculpted by NYC artist NEMO (many of Seen's toys), Sharky Stands 8" tall and each edition comes with an accessory that fits in the mouth. The versatile figure design works both standing up and prone in attack mode.
So far two editions (w/ 2 colorways each) have been announced --the original from Keith Poon complete with a poor swimmer's severed leg and Huck Gee's Mitsubishi's Zero inspired design complete with a bomb accessory. Keith's design will be available in a black exclusive edition (150 pcs) @ SDCC and a gray colorway (250 pcs). Huck's Mitsubishi Zero edition (light olive green w/headband) limited to 150 pcs will be released @ SDCC and there will also be a Flying Tiger edition (350 pcs).
If you're going to be heading to toy paradise - SDCC -- drop by ToyQube's booth (#4397) to pick up both Keith's black edition and Huck's Mistubishi Zero Edition. Keith and Huck will be signing at the booth.
Jun 12, 2007
MAD - Bentworld Vandals
MAD's Bentworld Vandals Series 1 mini-figs from Kidrobot feature 10 tools of the trade -- drawing and painting implements. Each character is 'Bent' with an angled posture and perhaps an equally crooked personality ? Each marker, brush, roller, comes in two versions -- a 'new' (as it would appear fresh from the hardware megamart) and 'used' (after a hard day beautifying the city). So that's 20 standard figures + 2 chase -- 'used' has Big Money and Throwie (not pictured) is part of the 'new' faction. There's a nice variety of sculpts offered -- including the expected - ubiquitous 'S' permanent markers and spray cans to the unexpected -- good 'ol fashion paint rollers and a few brush characters.
The series has several nice touches that might not be obvious from pictures. The caps of the marker and spray can characters are removable. Ala the Fat Caps, the liquid paint-based characters make the tell-tale metallic rattle noise when shaken. And yes, the paint roller spins. There's also a little 'extra' in each blind-box. While both 'used' and 'new' versions of the BWV characters are cool -- the 'used' ones have extra helpings of personality from well-placed splats to sweet doodles on the caps.
Bentworld Vandals Series 1 drops in July, so keep your eyes peeled for these splat and doodle loving rebels.
Jun 11, 2007
Proto Monday >> UNKL's Ulligus
UNKL introduced the SUG,a lumbering yet appealing medic from the future, at SDCC '05. Two years later, UNKL is readying Ulligus, a canine-like assistant for the SUG, for a release at this year's SDCC. For today's Proto Monday, we're proud to feature the Ulligus sculpt. As you can see, Ulligus shares many design cues from the SUG including the grooved surface, "floating" head, pack style and build. On Friday, July 27th @ SDCC, Ulligus will be released in two editions along with matching SUGs-- Urban Recovery (40 of each) and Search and Rescue (250 of each). Keep reading Vinyl Pulse for the latest on Ulligus as it breaks.
Jun 04, 2007
Marka27 - Minigods Knocking at the Door
The first of Marka27's minigods figures -- MG Brazil -- is in the home stretch. Here's a Vinyl Pulse exclusive look at production protos for four editions of MG Brazil -- Brazil (300 pieces), Midnight (300 pieces), Gold Grillz (100 pieces) and Platinum Grillz (100 pieces). These studio shots were taken by Shawn Mclaughlin. Each MG Brazil figure stands a towering 16" tall and features a working speaker embedded in the torso. The figure ships ready to play music complete with an included mini-jack cable and a 9-volt battery. Playing music from an iPod, CD Player or most other music devices is a simple matter of plugging the cable into MG Brazil and the music player. The pictured figures are production protos, the final production colors may vary slightly.
The unpainted proto shown at last year's SDCC turned heads with its strong indigenous urban vinyl crossover design and sheer size. The production editions are set to deliver a compelling combination -- awesome to look at and useful as a desktop speaker. Toy Tokyo will release the Gold Grillz MG Brazil as an SDDC exclusive. Marka27 will be at SDCC to sign figures and meet collectors. The other three colorways will be released shortly after SDCC (distribution: DKE Toys). Be sure to click through to the full gallery featuring each colorway. Props to Marka27 on his first original vinyl figure.
Proto Monday >> Dink by Miss Mindy
Proto Monday is back with a double header featuring two figures created by the Artist Sisters -- Miss Mindy and C.J. Metzger -- for Kaching Brands. Kenneth Appel of Kaching Brands explains, "The Artist Sisters reaches an important segment in collectible figures -- the women fans. As the market continues to grow, Miss Mindy and CJ Metzger collectively bring a style and aproach that translates tremendously well in different mediums. With books, an animation and other licensed merchandise, limited edition vinyl art toys are the perfect extention of their property."
Free-spirited Miss Mindy specializes in whimsical mixed-media art and paintings as well as her own thriving commercial illustration career. Dink, a cake loving pixie, is Miss Mindy's first vinyl art toy. The dainty clothes disguise Dink's considerable mischevious side. Two paint masters of the 8" Dink figure are shown above, the color edition and the mono edition. Dink will also be available in a secret edition. The LA art scene was recently treated to the creativity and style of Miss Mindy at The Secret Lives of Dolls show which also featured work from her sister, C.J. Metzger. With Dink's release at SDCC, the art toy community will be introduced to her captivating art and animated personality.
Proto Monday >> Mischievous Maeve by CJ Metzger
LA artist C.J. Metzger's mixed media art and paintings are full of colorful life and whimsy. Along with her sister Miss Mindy, the two artist sisters' recent joint show @ Gallery Revisted was extremely well-received by a packed gallery of collectors and fans. Her first vinyl art toy, Mischievous Maeve, from Kaching Brands has a cute yet sad feel. In addition to the Color and Mono versions shown above (paint masters), there will also be a secret colorway. Standing 8" tall with a skull accessory, Mischievous Maeve will be released at SDCC. The Artist Sisters are making a splash on all fronts -- fine art, books, illustration and now the ever-expanding world of art toys.