SoftoyHobby Archives

MAN-E-NEWS// The new B.A.S.T.A.R.D store, Bullet Belt blanks and more from Triclops Studio…

Hot off the heals of the recent OG Bullet Belt debut, the Triclops duo have just revealed a ton of new projects in the works… arguably the biggest coming in the form of the long awaited B.A.S.T.A.R.D store! Set to become the number one online location for all your shonky-tonk toy needs, the shop is set to feature a whole slew of old and new B.A.S.T.A.R.D releases, kicking things off with the previously posted Venice Bastard Beach Twin Pack (check our earlier coverage here). Details on the exact whens and wheres are still to be finalised, so we suggest keeping a close eye on the new Triclops twitter feed for more details soon…

As if news of the impending store opening wasn’t enough, the guys have also revealed that the Bullet Belt blanks will be making an appearance sometime soon! Available in either white, black or flesh, expect to see these guys up for pre-order through Unbox Industries over the coming weeks… we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for some exclusive customs runs at some point too! Last, but by no means least, Triclops have also dropped a WIP of the latest B.A.S.T.A.R.D, their entry for Super Cooper/TAG’s latest group show, Music To My Ears. Just about ready for it’s silicone bath, we’ll be bringing you the full lowdown on the little guy later in the week… Head over to TAG’s event page here to find out a little more about the event!

MAN-E-NEWS// UME Toys’ Mini-Merc resin figure available now…

“If he doesn’t kill you with a kick to the ankle, his cuteness will surely knock you out!”

Revealed here over the weekend, Rich over at UME Toys is proud to reveal that Mini-Merc is now up for grabs! Based on Marvel’s mentally unstable mercenary, Deadpool, the adorable super-deformed sculpt stands at around 3″ tall, coming hand cast in resin and painted in-house. Fitted with super strong magnets in the neck that allow for posing of the little guy’s oversized noggin, Rich has kindly posted a short video here showing them in action- fingers crossed it’s the first figure of many to utilise them! Limited to a soft release of 10 (with more planned in the near future), Mini-Merc can be found on the UME Toys store right here for just £35 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// “Time Passes” custom Migora trifecta from Small Angry Monster…

Joining the previously posted Jellybot Mechs, Adam Pratt aka Small Angry Monster has been hard at work on yet another custom project in between duties at Argonaut Resins… presenting the “Time Passes” Migora trifecta! Utilising Max Toy’s micro Negora sofubi, the trio have been meticulously painted in gradual states of wear, ranging from a “brand new” polished, shiny metallic, right through to a heavily rusted, meticulously weathered relic. Up for grabs in the Small Angry Monster store right here, the trio have been priced at a very reasonable $100 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Stage 6 Wars Gon from Elegab…

As one of our favourite kaiju sculpts of the past year, it came with great pleasure over the weekend to find that Wars Gon is set to receive it’s 6th Stage variation as part of Elegab‘s August lottery! To be cast in an as yet unrevealed black colourway (Stage 4 from the Man-E-Toys collection can be found here), the incredible piece stands at a whopping 9″ tall, features 5 points of articulation, and, more importantly, comes with fighter planes for hands, a crotch mounted turret and a tank for a head! Pure genius… Up for grabs alongside another fave, the Monster Island Gon (Phase 3) plus a GID set of Destroyers, Wars Gon Stage 6 has been priced at 8,400yen (approx. $84) plus shipping. Interested parties can head over to the Elegab site here for full details on how to enter the lottery…

MAN-E-NEWS// UME Toys’ Back to School Sale revealed…

As if prepping for the imminent release of both Scamwave and Mini Merc wasn’t enough, Rich over at UME Toys has been busy readying a HUGE “Back to School” sale too! Similar to the recent batch of Skully customs (check them here), the whole of the UME back catalog are due to receive a geek-over, each coming with a pair of laser cut glasses, with the odd hand-sculpted accessory thrown in for good measure! Limited to just one of each piece, the adorable little guys will be invading the UME Toys store next Friday, August 23rd. Keep track of the UME blog here for more reveals soon!

MAN-E-NEWS// The custom Mecha Godzillas from Buildbots x Monster Kolor…

Will Long aka Buildbots has teamed up with Monster Kolor for an awesome painted run of Mecha Godzillas! Limited to 4 one-off pieces, the massive 9″ tall soft vinyl figures have been adorned with several layers of Monster Kolor spray, coming complete with beautiful contrasting shading and the tight weathered finish that Long had quickly become known for. Priced at just $125 each, the custom Buildbot Mecha Godzillas can be found on the Monster Kolor Gallery store right here…

MAN-E-NEWS// Mixed part custom Megaras from ButcherBrand…

Butch Adams over at ButcherBrand is happy to reveal that the latest batch of custom Megara sofubis have just landed in-store! Cast by Velocitron in both clear and opaque soft vinyl, the mixed part figures are said to all be one-of-a-kind, coming hand painted, dyed and rubbed in a huge variety of colours and finishes. Priced at just $50 plus shipping, Butch has stated that these guys could be removed from the store at anytime- so we suggest heading over right now to avoid any disappointment!

MAN-E-NEWS// Mystical Warriors of the Ring’s Johnny “Treegar” Stumpz from Fantastic Plastic x Bigmantoys…

It’s been a while since we last featured anything from Fantastic Plastic’s awesome Mystical Warriors of the Ring, so it came with great pleasure today to find that Bigmantoys‘ collaborative figure, Johnny “Treegar” Stumps, is finally gearing up for release! A retooled version of of the original Treegar Sappling mini figure, the little guy comes complete with newly sculpted headband, studded knee/elbow pads and a 2″ scaled trash can accessory! Hand cast in resin, Stumps will be available in 3 super-limited colourways; clear green, metallic blue and gold, each packaged with a corresponding custom backer, 2-3 art cards, plus a comic panel created by Bigmantoys’ Lee Burbridge. Due to be touching down in the Fantastic Plastic store Friday, August 30th, pricing and edition size are still to be confirmed…

MAN-E-NEWS// Mockpilot and Chib Jinx test shots from Paul Kaiju…

Whilst we still eagerly await the first painted run of King Jinx, the mighty Paul Kaiju is proud to present yet another 2 new figures that’ll be entering the fray in the near future… Mockbat’s Mockpilot and a chibi version of the aforementioned Jinx! Pictured here in an unpainted test shot green, the soft vinyl figures should hopefully see the light of day in some form or another before the summer is out. Keep track of the Paul Kaiju blog and IG feed for more details soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// ManOrMonster? Studios’ Mini Clawbber WIP revealed…

Revealed as an early digital sculpt on Instagram last night, it would appear that ManOrMonster? Studios will be entering the mini figure ring with a chibi-style version of Clawbber! An actual release is still to be confirmed, but we’re dying to see how a Warlord’s of Wor mini series would pan out- a Bog-Nar/Clawbber 2 pack certainly makes for an interesting prospect! We’ll be keeping a close eye on the project over the coming months, but to get your regular fill of MoM?, be sure to stay locked on the dedicated IG feed right here…

[Clawbber image courtesy of DoomKick]

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Mini Merc” resin figure from UME Toys…

In between prepping the huge “Back 2 School” sale (more news tomorrow) and the release of Scamwave, Rich over at UME Toys has been hard at work on yet another must-have resin… the Mini Merc! Based on everyone’s favourite fourth wall shattering anti-hero Deadpool, the adorable little mite is due to come cast up in resin for a limited batch soon. Rich tells us that the figure will be the first of the UME family to feature neo-mag articulation (in the neck this time around)- here’s hoping it’s not the last! Keep track of the UME blog here for release details in the coming weeks…

MAN-E-NEWS// Zollmen’s Mini Zofbie 2 preorder open now…

To all those that missed out on the first run of Zofbie minis, you’re in luck… As Zollmen are proud to reveal that they’re already rolling out a second batch! Judging by the teaser above, the latest instalment is to feature 6 all-new designs (plus an unrevealed chase if the first wave are to go by!), each cast in a multitude of different coloured soft vinyl. Available via preorder right here for just $8 each plus shipping, Zollmen have stated that there’ll be no order limits within reason- so head on over and get your army of undead ordered right now! Preorders will be open until Friday, August 19th…

MAN-E-NEWS// The custom Jellybot Mechs from Small Angry Monster revealed…

Judging by recent Instagram posts, it appears that the Jelly Empire‘s Selina Briggs has teamed up with fellow Argonaut Resins creative, Small Angry Monster, for the latest run of custom Jellybots! Retooled in SAM’s unmistakable style, the batch of 4 resin minis are set to come with their own unique mix of ‘bashed kit parts, subtle re-sculpting and direct to figure carving. Painted in various different one-off colourways (electric blue and army green revealed so far), the meticulously weathered bots should hopefully be up for grabs soon. Keep track of project via SAM’s IG feed here, and stay tuned for the full lowdown as soon as we hear anything!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Murks rubber micro figures from Ironhaus…

Jimmy Rommel over at Ironhaus Productions is proud to present his latest self-produced mini series… the Murks! A hilarious take on those blue-faced, white hat wearing little people we all love to hate, the rather more evil looking Murks have been sculpted by Jimmy in the standard 1″ micro scale, coming cast in a variety of different coloured rubbers. Up for grabs now in the Ironhaus store, the first 2 designs come packed together blind-bagged for a very reasonable $10.99 plus shipping… Look out for the next in the series very soon!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Swamp Girl sofubi mashups from Hints and Spices…

Shane Haddy over at Hints and Spices is proud to present his latest batch of custom sofubi minis, the adorable Swamp Girls! An ingenious mash-up of Haddy’s own Suity-Chan and Kowailla figures, the edition of 5 have been cast in a beautiful green glitter soft vinyl (with a GID chase!), sprayed in a mix of gold, yellow, blue and green with red detailing. Created for Adelaide-based bar Four Doors Plus One‘s opening exhibition, Asterism*, this evening, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for more Suity/Kowailla customs in the future. Check out the Hints and Spices IG feed here for a closer look at the figures…

MAN-E-NEWS// Splurrt’s Cadaver Twins test pull revealed…

Originally revealed here as a prototype back in April, Splurrt‘s latest monstrosity, the Cadaver Twins, have just received their first successful test pull! Pictured here in a green soft vinyl, the beast stands at around 6.5″ tall, coming with an impressive 7 points of articulation. News on a release are still pretty thin on the ground at the moment, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that an initial unpainted run will be offered up via preorder on a similar basis to the Apex Diggler soon. Keep track of the Splurrt blog here for more pics and info over the coming weeks!

MAN-E-NEWS// New Battling Bastard “Mixtape” from Scraped Resin…

Robert Roudriguez over at Scraped Resin kindly shares details on the latest addition to the ever growing Battling Bastards line, lucha DJ, Mixtape! Once again kit-bashed from a mix of vintage action figures and Mexican luchador toys, the first edition has been limited to 10 figures, each coming hand cast and painted in 1 of 4 standard colours plus chase. Running at $65 a piece, Mixtape is due to come packed with a full colour cardback, featuring a resealable blister bubble so that the figure can be displayed carded or loose! To be sold blind-bagged, look out for Mixtape in the Scraped Resin store starting Wednesday, August 14th at 5pm PST…

The Mystery of Mixtape//

While Mixtape’s enigmatic lucha mask shrouds his face in shadows, it’s nothing compared to the mystery of his past. Rumors of growing up in Brooklyn, or possibly Tokyo, have never been confirmed, but he first appeared in Tijuana in the late nineties with a crate full of records and clothesline that could almost take a man’s head off.

Adding to the mystery is the fact that nobody has ever heard the bastard speak since he showed up on the scene. Typically behind his trusty turntables, he communicates strictly through record scratches and audio samples, generally able to get his point across effectively.

While a widely feared rudo in the ring, his DJ service’s Yelp review is currently only 2 and a half stars due to a tendency to only play Wu-Tang regards regardless of the clients requests. As Ultimate Carlos began assembling his army of lucha thugs, he needed a giant bruiser and someone to coordinate entrance theme music. In Mixtape he had found both.

MAN-E-NEWS// The Mr Double Barrel set from Omiso Factory…

Originally debuting at Wonder Festival a couple of weeks back, Omiso Factory‘s latest custom action figure, Mr Double Barrel, has finally seen an official western release courtesy of Lulubell Toys! A follow up to the highly sought after Mr Abnormal released earlier in the year, Double Barrel again stands at around 6″ tall, this time around coming with an unbelievable 14 points of articulation, a number of accessories, plus fully interchangeable Transformers/Deadpool inspired upper-bodies. Hand painted in a lime green and purple colourway for this edition, the Mr Double Barrel set is currently up for preorder through Lulubell right here for just $95 each…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Super7 exclusive Ilu Ilu Tokio Supernova sofubi…

The elusive Ilu Ilu and Super7 have teamed up once again for an exclusive version of the Tokio Supernova sofubi! The 6″ tall masterpiece of modern vinyl has been cast in clear soft vinyl with white and metallic silver paint, featuring an unpainted torso revealing an awesome paper-innards insert. Coming packed inside a transparent tube with iridescent graphics, each figure includes a removable vinyl space-mask and snap-on vinyl cape. Touching down in the Super7 store next Thursday, August 15th at 12 Noon PST, the super-limited Ilu Ilu Tokio Supernova has been priced at just $120 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// Plaseebo’s DC Lobbyist for FOE’s “Creatures” show…

Joining the swathe of one-off customs we’ve been posting over the past week for FOE’s upcoming “Creatures” show, Bob Conge aka Plaseebo comes with yet another incredible resin cast monstrosity, the DC Lobbyist! The first in a new series by Plaseebo entitled “Great American Kaiju inspired by real monsters”, the towering beast is a mash-up of the previously released Great White and GNAW the Obese, coming hand cast and sprayed with an internal motion activated color changing LED unit. To be joined by a number of other pieces from Conge, plus works from BLObPUS, Yamomark, GUUMON and Hanawa, the DC Lobbyist will be up for grabs at the show’s opening next Friday, August 9th from 6pm onwards…

Backstory//

It is my opinion that the influence peddling lobbyists hired by special interest groups have hijacked our government. In fact America is no longer a democracy, it has become a daily auction of our principals and assets going to the highest bidder ! “We the people” are no longer represented by our congressmen and senators.

Profuse daily distractions of forever war in some foreign land, forest fires in the west, politicians caught with their pants down, the IRS cheating, periodic threats of the next pandemic that never quite seems to get here, on and on, keep our attention fractured and so oblivious to the theft right under our nose.

The lobbyists lurk just below the surface like greedy sharks overfeeding in a frenzy on the unsuspecting public as we swim in circles of illusion. If America is to return to a democracy, “we the people” must demand an end to this lobbyists system of unequal representation NOW !

It seems ironic that the solution is also part of the problem. Our most powerful tool for equal representation is the potential of the internet for mass communication and organization. Yet with all devices we carry with us so faithfully, we keep them focused on meaningless trivia.

We need to refocus on the bigger picture and rid Washington of these parasites…