SoftoyHobby Archives

MAN-E-NEWS// The Wonderfestival Summer ’15 exclusive “Monster” and “Gama and Ryu” sofubi sets at Lulubell Toys…

The guys over at Lulubell Toys are proud to reveal that they secured 2 huge exclusives from last weekend’s Wonderfestival Summer ’15 for their loyal customers in the West! First up, we have the GID “B-Movie Monster” set from Siccaluna Koubou. Featuring all 4 figures from the series – Frank, Kong, Mummy and Gillman – each 9″ figure has been cast in a classic glow-in-the-dark soft vinyl,coming complete with subtle contrasting rubs and hand painted detailing. Up for grabs right here via preorder whilst in-transit supplies last, the set has been priced at $280 plus shipping…

Next up, we have the “Gama & Ryu” set, also from Siccaluna Koubou. Taken from a classic Kairyu-Daikessen episode, the pair have been expertly painted up in colors inspired by artwork from the show, coming packed in a matching deluxe box with a bonus omake spider. Standing at a lofty 7.5″ and 11.5″ tall respectively, the jaw-dropping pair can be found in the Lulubell store right here for just $150 a set…

MAN-E-NEWS// Kearjun x Secret Demon Services’ “Pinky Punky” YouZha micro-run revealed…

Hot on the heals of Krotpong’s offering last week (check it here if you haven’t already), Secret Demon Services is the latest artist to reveal his YouZha micro-run, proudly presenting the “Pinky Punky” edition! Sculpted and produced by China-based toy artist Kearjun, the loving homage to Fulci’s cult horror flick Zombi stands at around 8″ tall, coming with articulation in the head, arms and legs. As with Krotpong’s run, the figure has been cast in a flesh-toned vinyl for this release, featuring a number of pink and black sprays, rubs and hand painted details. Coming complete with metal nose-to-ear chains, the limited run of just 4 figures will be touching down in the Secret Demon Services store soon. Keep track of SDS Instagram feed for the full lowdown – plus more details of his next sofubi, Dani the Sub-Human Girl – over the next few days…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Monster School” sofubi finger puppets from Shikamark…

Sofubi producer Shikamark are proud to introduce their latest sofubi, the “Monster School” finger puppets! Inspired by the silverscreen’s classic monsters as well as Mattel and Bandai’s cult Ma-Ba Zombie toys, the series features a total of 4 figures sculpted with a school-infused theme -“Franken teacher”, plus pupils “Cyclops-kun”, “Medusa-chan” and “Salamander-kun” – each standing at around 3″ tall and featuring a simple uncapped, open base. Making their debut (and quickly selling out!) at Wonderfestival Summer ’15 last weekend, the unpainted black colorway you see above came in at just 2,000yen ($16)… Here’s hoping an overseas release is in the pipeline soon!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Toy Tokyo exclusive “Army Green” Tetsujin 28 sofubi from Siccaluna Koubou…

The guys over at Toy Tokyo are proud to present their latest sofubi exclusive, the “Army Green” Tetsujin 28 from Siccaluna Koubou! Taken from Mitsuteru Yokoyama‘s iconic “Iron Man” manga of the same name, the officially licensed figure stands at just 3.5″ tall, coming complete with articulation in the arms and legs. Produced in an exclusive “Army Green” colored soft vinyl, the little guy comes packed with a header inspired by Yokoyama’s original art for just $24.99 plus shipping. Check him out in the Toy Tokyo store right here…

MAN-E-NEWS// The one-off “Ian the Sewer Creep” micro-run from Coma21 x Hellopike…

It’s been a long time since we last saw poor old Ian the Sewer Creep, so it came with great pleasure this week to find that creator Mikee Riggs aka Coma21 has teamed up with none other than Hellopike for a brand new one-off micro run! Standing at around 7″ of Japanese soft vinyl, the tentacled freak has been treated to a number of unique paint apps courtesy of Hellopike, including various sprays, washes, rubs and hand painted detailing. Up for grabs via e-mail lottery until Thursday, July 30th, interested parties are going to need to fire over their details to toysaresanity@yahoo.com to both enter and find out details on pricing and edition size… Good luck to all that take part!

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Shibuya” NekoFukurou sofubi from Jeff Soto x BlackBook Toy…

Seeing its last release way back in September last year, the NekoFukurou sofubi from Jeff Soto and BlackBook Toy have finally returned in a special “Shibuya” colorway! Featuring an ingenious stackable design, the stunning 2-faced head sculpt stands at around 6″ tall- an impressive 24″ stack when displayed with the previous “Pink”, “Blue” and “Thunderstorm” editions. Produced by BlackBook in misted clear soft vinyl with black, brown and pink sprays for the release, the figure will be up for grabs through the BB store via preorder from Noon Japan time this Friday, July 31st, the “Shibuya” NekoFukurou will set you back just 8,100yen ($65) plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Mystery Code” series from Uamou x Minoru Takagi…

“Between the gaps of the universe a hidden code flows mysteriously, connecting space and time. Its entirety cannot be grasped by mere mortals but every once in a while parts of the code find a way to leave an imprint on the elements… These are the unfortunate Uamou that have been struck by this mysterious force. Carrying the mark of the universe their masks hide a deeper meaning that will take an eternity for us to uncover, nonetheless it is important to remember that we should never lose the courage in understanding the ultimate truth…”

Uamou have once again teamed up with master jeweller Minoru Takagi for the release of their latest round copper-masked sofubi, the “Mystery Code” Uamou! Standing at around 3″ tall, the sand-filled, clear cast vinyl figure have each been given a unique, hand embellished mask from the artist, coming complete with beautiful splashes of silver along with expertly set sapphire and ruby stones. Limited to an edition of 40 pieces priced at just 8,000yen ($65) each plus shipping, the “Mystery Code” Uamous can be found in their dedicated online store right here….

MAN-E-NEWS// New sofubi from Science Patrol available now…

Japan-based artist Science Patrol has just unleashed a whole swathe of new soft vinyl goodness in his store! For all those with a weakness for yokai, kawaii and minis, we bring you a quick rundown of what you guys should be picking up now…

Trunkie “Pom’s Night Out”// One of many all-new creations from Science Patrol, the adorable Pomeranian stands at just under 3″ tall, coming complete with articulation in the neck. Showcasing in a special “Pom’s Night Out” colorway, the little guys have been cast in an electric blue soft vinyl with simple metallic purple sprays for just $13 a piece.

Melon Pan Monsters “Frost” and “War Bread”// Science Patrol’s bread guys return for 2 all new releases, “Frost” and “War Bread”! Produced in a blue and yellow soft vinyl respectively, both have been treated to simple sprays and come fitted with dolls eye inserts. Available in both “Kraken” and “Seijin” sculpt variations, these little guys also come in at just $13 each.

The Slime Adjudicator// Another figure to debut as part of Science Patrol’s latest sale, the D&D inspired piece has been produced in your choice of “slime green”, “grey ooze”, “ochre jelly”, “black pudding” or “frost” colored soft vinyl, each come complete with masked silver sprays and a dolls eye insert for $25 each.

The Elemental Archmage// Last, but by no means least, we have the debut of the Neclos Fortress inspired Elemental Archmage. Available in a huge selection of colorways, including “Frost”, “Kamen Rider Ghost Ore” and the one-off “Elementals”, these awesome 2-part figures have been priced between $23-$25 each.

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Black” Awesome TV sofubi from Awesome Toy…

Hot on the heals of our exclusive announcement last week, the guys over at Awesome Toy are proud to reveal that their “Awesome TV” is now up for grabs online! Inspired by the Indie Toy scene’s extensive selection of “platform” toys – figures that can be customised – the vintage-styled soft vinyl TV has been fitted with a removable front “screen” panel, meaning that not only can the outer shell be painted, re-sculpted or mashed-up with other figures – a TV head instantly springs to mind! – but it can also be used to display prints, drawings, photos or even various items inside- the possibilities for different “programs” and “channels” are limitless! Produced in a black vinyl for this first outing, the piece comes complete with 1 of 10 randomly assorted card inserts including the static and “They Live” themed versions you see above. Priced at just $15 each, the “Black” Awesome TV’s can be found in the Toy Underground store via preorder for a limited time…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Freaky Monster Village Series” from Rockin’ Jelly Bean x Blackdots…

Rockin’ Jelly Bean have teamed up with up and coming sofubi producer Blackdots for the release of their latest line of toys, the Freaky Monster Village Series! Featuring a total of 3 mid-szied figures from some of the Japanese indie toy scene’s finest – “Twin Head Skull Bro” from Monster Farm’s Chop, the “Mummy Man” from Motor Kenz and “Mr Death” from RESTORE’s Abe Junnokai – the trio, whilst sadly not directly inspired by RJB’s erotic art, still have their roots set firm in the rockabilly scene that inspired the early indy sofubi of the mid-late 90’s. Revealed in prototype form at Wonderfestival Summer ’15 over the weekend, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for the first round of Freaky Monsters over the coming months…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Fancy Fluffy” keshi from Chihiro Takigawa…

Japanese artist Chihiro Takigawa is proud to reveal that his “Fancy Fluffy” keshi series will be making its debut at Wonderfestival Summer ’15 this weekend! Featuring 3 sheep characters alongside what appears to be a shepherd, the wonderfully stylised figures come in at around 1″-2″ each. Produced in a mix of blue, green and orange soft resin for this first release, the Fancy Fluffy keshi will be up for grabs at Takigawa’s booth this Sunday, July 26th, each coming packed with matching Bikkuriman-style stickers for an undisclosed sum… Here’s hoping the little guys get some sort of overseas release soon!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Wonderfestival exclusive “Assaji” Buddha sofubi from Yutani Shouten x Tezuka…

Joining the previously posted “Gamuratsuisuto” keshi (check him here if you haven’t already), Yutani Shouten has just revealed yet another figure he’ll be bringing along to Wonderfestival Summer ’15 this weekend, the officially licensed “Assaji” sofubi! Taken from the seminal Osamu Tezuka Manga “Buddha”, the snot nosed youth has been beautifully realised as a 2.75″ tall finger puppet-style figure, cast in a flesh tone vinyl and treated to brown, black and white sprays. Going on sale at Shouten’s WF booth this Sunday, July 26th, little Assaji has been priced at just 2,500yen ($20)…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Multi-Face “Da Ma Fukuwarain” Killer Ball from Oriha Kat…

Japan-based toy artist Oriha Kat will be debuting several new toys at Wonderfestival Summer ’15 this weekend, but it was one in particular that caught our eye… the “Da Ma Fukuwarain” Killer Ball! Jumping on the current resurgence of Madball-style figures and gross-out toys, the hand sculpted ball features an authentic multi-faced design similar to Shigeru’s Nagball, coming cast in a squishy foam and hand painted in a green colorway for its first release. Packed in a hand made blister inspired by the Japanese Madball Head Popper release, the “Da Ma Fukuwarian” Killer Ball will be up for grabs at Kat’s WF booth alongside a whole host of other goodies – including the U.S.A.P rice snack-style keshi below – this Sunday, July 26th, coming in at just 2,000yen ($16) a piece. No word of overseas sales as of yet, but you can be sure that the second we have any details, you guys will be the first in the know…

MAN-E-NEWS// Mutant Vinyl Hardcore x GEEK! “Jyujin”, “Jyugin Omega” and the “Requiemer of Sun and Death” at Wonderfestival Summer 15’…

Teased here last month, we can now reveal that Mutant Vinyl Hardcore has teamed up with GEEK! for painted runs of not just the “Requiemer of Sun and Death”, but both “Jyujin” and “Jyujin Omega” too! Each coming painted up by MVH’s Rich Montanari Jr in stunning metallic sprays on black vinyl, the trio of 11″+ figures will be making their debut at GEEK’s Wonderfestival Summer ’15 booth via lottery this Sunday, July 26th, coming in at 25,000yen ($202) each. Those unable to attend the event – which, if we’re honest, is going to be most of us! – will be glad to know that Rich has held a few back of each figure for sale in the MVH store in a couple of weeks time. Look out for release details on those soon!

As if the MVH painted runs weren’t enough, GEEK! will also be offering up a special “Jade” version of the Requiemer of Sun and Death too! Produced in what appears to be the same black vinyl as previous releases, the 12″ tall figure has been treated to dark and light jade, gold and purple sprays. Again, available at the GEEK! WF booth this Sunday, July 26th via lottery, the piece has been priced at a slightly cheaper 20,000yen ($162).

MAN-E-UPDATE// The “Mad Wrestlers” keshi from Monster Island x Disart ToyLabs…

Originally announced right here last month, we can now reveal the Mad Wrestlers from Monster Island x Disart ToyLabs in their final packaging! Heavily inspired by the Weirdballs mini figure off-shoots, these ingenious little guys feature recast and reduced Madball heads that have been kit-bashed with a number of different M.U.S.C.L.E bodies. Featuring a total of 6 different designs from Monster Island’s Paul Bass – 3 more than the original release – the group have all been recast by our very own Tru:Tek in a flexible, UV resistant rubber. Coming packed on authentic, hand cut “Madballs Vs. M.U.S.C.L.E” cardbacks featuring art from AshMadeThis, these limited edition blistered versions will be up for grabs through Monster Island and ourselves soon. Look out for the full lowdown over the next couple of weeks!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Magi Maleficarum “Sorceror Supreme” resin set from Martinhead Rocks…

Martinhead Rocks has just unleashed a new “Sorceror Supreme” run of his beautiful Magi Maleficarum resin figures in his online store! Designed by Martin and produced in resin by Toy Art Gallery, the set of 3 figures stand at around 4″ tall each, coming hand brushed by the artist in a mesmerising purple, bronze, black and blue paint app. Currently available through Martin’s online store right here, the “Sorceror Supreme” Magi Maleficarum have been priced at $200 plus shipping… Not feeling the whole set? Then you’ll be glad to know that a “solo” Hieronymous the Conjuror (pictured left) is also available, coming packed with a matching 10″x13″ print for $140…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Wonderfestival exclusive “F***ing Four Fingers from Terrible Whore…

Terrible Whore has just revealed that his highly sought after F***king Four Fingers sofubi is set to receive its third colorway just in time for Wonderfestival Summer ’15 this weekend! Produced in a glossy red soft vinyl, the towering 10″ tall figure – a twisted homage to Kinnikuman’s Snegator Claw – has been treated to a mix of macabre ivory, yellow and metallic blue sprays, coming packed in a beautiful custom silkscreened drawstring bag. Going on sale at Terrible Whore’s WF booth (4-03-02) this Sunday, July 26th for an undisclosed sum, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that – as with previous releases – a few have been held back for an online lottery next week…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Darts” Jungle Fever sofubi from Pop Soda x Restore…

With the original “FOG” Jungle Fever figure going on to become one of the hottest toys of last year, it came with great pleasure today to find that a follow-up – Dart “The Sabre Tiger” – will be making its debut at Wonderfestival Summer ’15 this weekend! Designed by PopSoda and sculpted by RESTORE’s Abe Junnokai, the beautifully realised beast stands upright at just under 8″, coming complete with 12 separate parts and 8 points of articulation. Produced in a stunning orange vinyl for this first release, the figure has been treated to a mix of metallic blue, silver and gold sprays courtesy of the legendary HxS (TBC). Up for grabs at “Paralyzing Toyz” WF booth this Sunday, July 26th, Dart has been priced at just 8,000yen… Unable to attend the event? Then you’ll be glad to hear that overseas sales are running simultaneously with the release. Head over to the Pop Soda blog here to find out how to bag yours!

MAN-E-NEWS// Mirock Toy at Wonderfestival Summer ’15…

Mirock Toy‘s Kaneko Yowohei has just unveiled a ton of new figures he’ll be bringing along to Wonderfestival Summer ’15 this weekend! Featuring a number of Dr Mirock mash-ups including the jaw-dropping Massive Attack you see above, these have been joined by the debut of Mirock’s new 1-part “Idol” figures (check them here if you haven’t already) in a blue vinyl with aqua fades, plus our personal favourite, the beautifully weathered OG-AT/Dr Mirock tank. Whilst unfortunately securing any of these outside of the event is going to be as easy as pulling teeth from a chicken, we can at least rest easy in the knowledge that all these new figures are bound to see some sort of overseas release soon… We hope!

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Baby Inc x LIQUID BOX” set from Instinct Toy…

Sofubi innovators Instinct Toy have just introduced the latest figure in their ongoing line-up of “Liquid” toys, the rather curious Liquid Box! Standing at around 7″ tall and 4.5″ wide, it appears that the piece has been created as a companion to “Baby Inc”, featuring a removable cap bottom that can be used to either display the figure or store him inside. Debuting in the pictured “Black” colorway as part of a set with the aforementioned drippy bear, the Liquid Box is currently being offered up via preorder through Instinct until Sunday, July 26th. Coming in at 12,000yen ($97) with Baby Inc, the figure can be purchased separately for 6,500yen ($52)…