SoftoyHobby Archives

MAN-E-NEWS// The 2nd Edition “Melvin” and more from Double Parlour…

Double Parlour have revealed that they’ll be unleashing a whole bunch of new figures in their store this Saturday, February 22nd at 11am Pacific time! As always, we’ll be left in the dark about exactly what will be featuring until later in the week, but alongside the recently revealed 2nd edition Melvins, you can guarantee that there’ll be a ton of one-off sculpts, resin multiples and a few figures sitting precariously in between the two… Interested parties can keep track of the Double Parlour IG feed right here for reveals throughout the week!

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Confession” Keiko set from Fool’s Paradise…

The guys over at high-end resin toy studio Fool’s Paradise are proud to present their latest controversial piece, the “Confession” Keiko set! Whilst the subject matter may be a little questionable (Big boobs, Star Wars and the Resurrection, really?!!), and the message that the piece is trying to convey pretty unclear, there’s no denying that the set is one of the most technically accomplished pieces from the studio so far, with the super-dynamic sculpting, casting and paint work far surpassing any release that’s gone before- just take a look at Darkside Keiko’s embedded light sabre and cutaway section, simply incredible! Currently up for grabs through the Fool’s Paradise blog on a made to order basis, the humungous 43cm tall “Confession” can be yours for a wallet busting $498 shipped worldwide…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Tarantulas x Rampage Toys ToyCon exclusive Nibbler mash-ups revealed…

The Tarantulas have just revealed that they will be teaming up with Rampage Toys for a run of custom Nibbler mash-ups! Whilst information is still pretty scarce at the moment, it would appear that both parties have been working on a number of one-off figures that utilise parts from the RealxHead Nibbler as well as a whole bunch of Rampage produced toys (and maybe a few third party!), including the Gachapon Goblins, Cyclops Dinos, and of course, the Ugly Unicorn. Due to debut exclusively at ToyCon UK in April, be sure to stay tuned for a look at the full, painted line up as we get closer to the event…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “War All The Time” Sewer Creep micro run from Drilone x Coma21…

“Ian has been feelin rough. His skin doesn’t have its usually gooey feeling to it. Maybe he’s just dehydrated. I mean most people binge on soda for a couple of weeks and their eyes dry out right? Plus this gaping hole in his mid section can’t be all that serious if he can still skateboard. But maybe that’s the cure for all of this, nothing like some post apocalyptic skate boarding to make a creep feel young again…”

Coma21 has called upon the aid of respected toy customiser Drilone for the release of the latest Ian the Sewer Creep micro run, the “War All The Time” edition! Produced in a Japanese soft vinyl, the 7″ tall figure has been given Dril’s signature weathered paint job on an olive green base, coming complete with gouged out eyes and a hole in his chest that reveals a set of resin cast ribs. Once again limited to a batch of 10, the rather rusty Ian will be touching down in the ToysAreSanity store today (2/20) at 5pm PST for just $100 each plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Lazer Saur resin action figures from Goodleg Toys x Kaiju Lab…

“Shortly before a devastating meteor impact on Planet Prehis, a team of soldiers and scientists of the Dino-Men were sent into Space to find a place that was told to be the source of life: The so called “Forbidden Zone”, palladium of the “Prima Materia”, protected by an ancient ape civilization known as the Holo Apes. The crew’s hope was to gather the essence of life, return to Planet Prehis, and to save it from the fate the elders have foreseen. They were called the LAZER SAURS, and the future of Prehis lay in their hands…”

The guys over at Goodleg Toys have teamed up with toy blog Kaiju Lab for the release of their latest custom bootleg action figures, the Lazer Saurs! Created as a companion piece to the ever growing line of War on Prehis, the fully articulated 5.5″ figure has been kit-bashed from a variety of vintage toys, coming cast in a deep red resin with laser gun, chest plate, and mech-arm accessories in contrasting 90’s techno-inspired colours. Packed with an exclusive header card from none other than Ralph Niese, the Lazer Saurs have been limited to just 5 pieces for this first outing, coming in at $70 each plus shipping. Touching down in the Goodleg Toys store last night, only a couple remain, so be sure to head over quick to avoid disappointment!

MAN-E-NEWS// Monkey 3000’s Ummikko sofubi revealed…

Whilst we still wait with baited breath for the release of Monkey 3000‘s Madball inspired “Conjoined Ape” resin, the up and coming artist has just revealed something even better… his debut sofubi, Ummikko! Sticking with the primate theme, the wonderfully realised figure appears to draw from a number of different influences, including vintage sofubi, Hirota Saigansho’s Gorilla Ju and TTToys’ Bigfoot, albeit in Monkey’s instantly recognisable style. Pictured in both flesh and vintage green soft vinyl so far, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for the first release sometime soon. Keep an eye on the Monkey 3000 IG feed here for the full lowdown!

MAN-E-NEWS// Awesome Toy’s FAKE BARON test paint and wax proto revealed…

Unfortunately dropping under our radar amongst the hoards of toys at Wonderfestival last week, Awesome Toy‘s FAKE BARON made it’s first public appearance at the Medicom Toy booth! Heavily inspired by a collection of Pachi (bootleg) Red Baron menko cards from the 70′s, the stunning figure was on display as a finished test paint, coming with minimal yellow and silver highlights on an authentic primary red base. Having recently been unveiled as a finished wax proto (pictured right), we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that the incredible piece will be available soon- and presumably through Medicom too!

MAN-E-NEWS// Cojica Toy’s Chirabo wax proto revealed…

Hot off the heals of their debut sofubi “Monoclon” just a couple of months back, Cojica Toy have just revealed that their second has already hit the wax! Entitled Chirabo (TBC), the towering 9″ tall beast is due to become the latest addition to the Kyoryuju series, an ongoing line featuring a number of different dinosaurs sculpted in an adorable vintage inspired style. Judging by the finished wax proto, we should hopefully be seeing the figure in soft vinyl over the next couple of months, so be sure to keep a close eye on the Cojica Toy (Hiramoto Kaiju) IG feed here for more details soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Galactic Jerkbag exclusive “Clear Pink” S.U.C.K.L.E Series 1 set…

Suckadelic fanclub Galactic Jerkbags are happy to announce the release of their exclusive set of S.U.C.K.L.E. (Simply Unimportant Collectible Kitchy Little Eyesores) mini figures! Featuring all 10 of the original Series 1 line-up, including; Sucklord 17, Sucklord 66, Vectar, Sucklord 43, Necromancer, Another Bitch, Galactic Jerkbag, Gay Empire, Ira Tyranusberg and Ass Wipe, the M.U.S.C.L.E inspired figures have been produced in a clear purple injection moulded PVC for the release, coming packed in a shrink wrapped plastic tube similar to the recent LRG edition. Limited to just 80 sets this time around, the figures are currently up for grabs in the Galactic Jerkbags store for just $19.99 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// Kenth Toy Works’ 3.75″ Nadsat Boy action figure revealed…

It appears that Kenth Toy Works‘ signature character “Nadsat Boy” will be turning full circle, with a return to resin in the classic 3.75″ action figure format! Already seeing releases as both a static resin piece and as a full sized soft vinyl figure, this new interpretation of the Clockwork Orange inspired toy draws from the classic action figures of the 70’s and 80’s, featuring a parred back, chunky sculpt style, a total of 5 points of articulation, plus the obligatory “Droog” cane accessory. No word on when the figure will be heading into production as of yet, so be sure to keep a close eye on the Kent IG feed here for more news soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// The custom painted “Camo” Kaiju Eyezon from Mark Nagata…

Mark Nagata has just revealed his latest one-off custom to hit the Max Toy Co store, a breathtaking “Camo” Kaiju Eyezon! Painted up in the same painstaking style as the recent Camo Negora Tanks from a few weeks back, the impressive 10″ figure has been cast in a white soft vinyl complete with “Artic” blue and black Monster Kolor sprays. Coming signed and dated on the foot, the “Camo” kaiju Eyezon is currently up for grabs in the store right here for $300 plus shipping. As previously mentioned, the piece is a one off, so be sure to head over ASAP if you’re interested in picking it up!

MAN-E-REPORT// Mandarake Microkan store visit…

Whilst Cosmo Knight Alpha may be on the bucket list of any self respecting kaiju collector, to keshi nuts it has to be the Mandarake Microkan, so what better way to round off our Japan recap than with a little look at the legendary store… One part of the numerous Mandarake spaces found in Nakano Broadway, the modest size shop boasts one of the most incredible “for sale” collections in the world, with numerous SR kinkeshi, some of the most hilarious (and creative!) pachi keshi we’ve laid eyes on, numerous rare lines (including the pictured Ma-Ba gacha set we snagged below), plus a ton of super cheap grab bags and 100yen bins- as you can see from the main pic, our writer Tru:Tek was left in awe for quite some time! As if visiting the store wasn’t enough, through the aid of Jon at Rampage Toys we also got to meet the Microkan keshi master himself, Miyakoshi-san. Director of the store and editor of the famous Mandarake Keshi magazine, コンプREX, it was amazing to be able to hand over our latest figure “Atomic Uchuujin” in person, and even more of an honour to receive a copy of his latest publication too! All round a pretty unbelievable trip that anyone with even the smallest interest in keshi has got to make at one point in their lives…

ABOVE// Tru:Tek mesmerised by one of the numerous Microkan cabinets – Miyakoshi-san with a copy of his latest publication and an Alien Uchuujin – A small section of the rare pachi kinkeshi, including H.U.S.T.L.E’s Mekamess!

BELOW// Miyakoshi-san’s latest keshi publication (title unknown) – A full set of gacha Ma-Ba Zombies

MAN-E-XCLUSIVE// The Disarticulators’ 3D printed “base” ball revealed…

One of the many problems we (The Disarticulators) have encountered since working on both the MoD and Oozeballs over the past 6 months has been the heavy reliance of both magnets and glue- both are very difficult to work with alongside rubber urethane, and with the extensive post-production work needed on both designs, we have often been reduced to binning figures after a niggling fault on the final step. With a number of different nostalgia-tinged balls planned for release over the next year, we really wanted to put in place a standardised “base” design that would eliminate the need for both materials, whist also improving on the original MoD mechanic- thus the ball you see above was born! Designed by our very own Tru:Tek and realised in 3D by none other than Hauke Scheer, the ball features a new lipped approach which will provide some much needed registration for any solid ball releases, and a tight opening/closing mechanic for our more adventurous pieces. Measuring around 2.25″ in diameter (MoD size) even before any additional sculpting, this is going to mean that the next wave of balls will be considerably bigger than the previous releases- which can only be a good thing, right?! We’ll be keeping you guys in the loop about any future developments, so be sure to stay tuned to be the first to find out what’s coming…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Green Death and Succubus resin figures from Scott Wilkowski…

Scott Wilkowski is proud to reveal 2 new figures for his resin hungry fans! Marking the return of Green Death, the retooled 3″ figure features an oversized version of the original GD head, coming cast in bright green and black resin. Joining the mini, Scottt has also unveiled the latest figure in the ongoing “Infected” series. Entitled Succubus, the beautiful skeletal form has been cast in a similar green resin, coming in at around 5″ tall with mounted display stand. Currently up for grabs through the Scott Wilkowski site right here, both figures have been priced at just $30 each plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Little Rubber Guy exclusive “White” S.U.C.K.L.E Series 1 can pack…

Little Rubber Guys are the first out of the blocks with their S.U.C.K.L.E Series 1 exclusives, proudly presenting the “White” can pack! Produced by the Sucklord and DKE Toys, the set includes all 10 of the original line-up of mini figures, this time around packed in LRG’s signature clear M.U.S.C.L.E style trash can with authentic shrink wrapped packaging. Limited to an edition of 200 packs, the LRG S.U.C.K.L.E cans can be found in-store right here for just $19.99 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “PK Version” Minions set at Lulubell Toys…

Lulubell Toys have just revealed the latest batch of Minions to hit the store, a blind bagged micro run painted by none other than Paul Kaiju! Conceived by Skinner, sculpted by PK and produced by Grody Shogun, the 5″ tall figures have been cast in a mix of orange and black soft vinyl this time around, paired with contrasting metallic sprays and hand painted detailing. Up for grabs in the Lulubell store right here, the 2 piece set has been priced at just $100 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Crazies’ Trixie Soldier resin action figure from Retroband…

Retroband takes on George Romero’s cult 1973 classic The Crazies for his latest slice of custom bootleg genius, the Trixie Soldier! A perfect reinterpretation of film’s fateful military agents in 3.75″ form, the kit-bashed and re-sculpted figure comes complete with white biohazard suit, gas mask and flamethrower accessory. Hand cast in resin and given a super-tight factory-style paint job courtesy of Retroband’s Aaron Moreno, each Trixie Soldier comes blister packed on an authentic backer card. Limited to an edition of 55 this time around, the Trixie Soldier will be up for grabs in the Retroband store this Sunday, February 16th for $75 a piece…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Gory Bomb resin action figure from Daniel Yu…

Master sculptor Daniel Yu is set to enter the custom bootleg ring for his latest resin figure, the incredible Gory Bomb! Using what appears to be a vinatge Hasbro wrestling figure as a base platform, the stunning 5.5 has been intensely resculpted, coming complete with a Trap-Jaw styled mouth, gorilla head piece, intense scarring and battle damage, plus two huge fists ready for action. Due for release on Daniel’s store at some point in the near future, expect limited runs of Gory Bomb in both blank and hand painted form. Keep a close eye on Daniel’s IG feed here for more details soon!

MAN-E-REPORT// Velocitron Wonderfestival booth recap…

Securing yet another one day license at Wonderfestival to produce official Hino Hideshi inspired sofubi, it was no wonder that Ricky Wilson aka Velocitron‘s booth was one of the first on our agenda last Sunday! Seeing the re-issue of Hell Girl, the poor child was joined by fellow Hell Baby character Gaki, alongside one of our favourite Hino creations, Guts Baby from Beserk. Hand sculpt, produced, painted, and, for the first time, jointed by Ricky himself, the latest additions more than lived up to the strong first release… Joined by a whole slew of other Velocitron figures including blue glow Nilborgs, Harbingers and Warlords, plus the unveiling of an all-new Cthulhu sculpt (of which we’re told to expect more of at FOE next month), the booth certainly ended up being one of our favourites of the day…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Elegab February lottery sales…

Elegab‘s February lottery sales are now live! Once again, a total of 3 figures are up for grabs this month; the goofy looking Dancheera in a gorgeous pink soft vinyl with neon/metallic sprays for just 8,400yen ($81), the awesome Monster Patrol Car, cast in a “biscuit” coloured vinyl with metallic and pearlescent sprays, and also priced at 8,400yen ($81), plus a Mr X, coming in a vintage orange vinyl with Elegab’s signature blue and green metallic highlights, again priced at 8,400yen ($81). Entry deadline for all 3 lotteries is Sunday, February 16th, so be sure to head over to the Elegab site ASAP for details on how to enter…