MAN-E-NEWS// The Killer Bootlegs Artist Series: “Blackbook” Edition Art-Too…

Originally released to huge fan fare last month (find out more here), the awesome Art-Too figure from Killer Bootlegs and UK graffiti artist Hoakser has returned… this time sporting it’s very own Artist Series! Created to coincide with Black Friday this week, KB’s Peter Wheatstraw Goral enlisted the talents of some of the low-brow art scene’s finest, including graffiti writers, stencil/street artists, tattoo artists, and screen printers, each creating unique one-off backing cards for the vintage R2D2/fatcap resin mash-up. Taking inspiration from graffiti, hip-hop and of course, Star Wars, the 16 different designs were sprayed, painted, sketched and stenciled using standard KB cardbacks screen printed by Pirate Ninja. Due to touch down exclusively in the Tenacious Toys store this Friday (November 23rd), each one-of-a-kind piece will set you back $75 plus shipping…

The huge artist line-up is as follows… Cash Cannon, Corey Hagburg , Dan Moorman, Eddie Fajardo, Emmanuel L White Eagle, James Ford, Jarrod Hennis, John Santagada, Joseph Goral, Laurence Barr, Manny Tang, Michael Lara, Ryan Lape, and Nasty Neil of Wasted Talent.

Original package designer Hoakser has also created an additional 2 cardback designs, but due to international shipping issues these will be available at a later date…

MAN-E-NEWS// The ToysREvil exclusive “Black Friday” Dinos from Rampage Toys…

As part of ToysREvil‘s massive Black Friday sale event, Jon over at Rampage Toys has produced a very special run of awesome Cyclops Dino sofubis… in a sleek jet black vinyl! Coming with hand painted eyes and teeth, the trio of mini figures (Ankylo-Clops, Bronto-Clops and the mighty T-Clops) will be available in strictly limited numbers through the ToysREvil store this Friday (November 23rd). No news on pricing or an exact drop time as of yet, so be sure to stay locked on the blog for more info soon…

MAN-E-XCLUSIVE// H.U.S.T.L.E Artist Series 1 update…

Following the first announcement a couple of weeks back (check it out here), we’re pleased to reveal that our H.U.S.T.L.E Artist Series has been moving along at lightening pace, and whilst we have a whole lot of details that unfortunately have to remain secret at the moment, we’re more than happy to share the latest round of work in progress shots… Pictured above, Mekamess is the first of 2 customs the mighty Nama-Niku will be contributing to the series. A follow up to the hugely popular Manzilla (check him out here), the incredible piece features the head/back of Mecha Godzilla this time around, coming with a suitably MOTU styled barbarian body and kit-bashed sword. Currently winging his way to the Man-E-Toys studio as we speak, expect test shots by the end of next week…

Originally featuring in our initial reveal, Hungry Imp‘s aptly titled Ray Skull has had a full makeover since we last saw him, ditching the rather scrawny appearance for a more M.U.S.C.L.E inspired stance and body shape. Whilst we do miss the realistic approach, this new iteration is far more in-keeping with the original 80’s minifigure aesthetic, and looks damn awesome to boot! Yet another figure we’re dying to let loose upon in the studio…

Yet another design that featured in our first reveal, Brutherford Industries‘ Hordak inspired bat figure has now been finalised, with a selection of 3D prints currently on their way to the UK. Now coming with the awesome title “Hungry Hungry Hordak”, the rotund beast has got to be one of our favourite entries yet… again, expect test shots soon! Last but by no means least, we bring you one of our most anticipated figure designs, the Seedling Warrior from Taylored Curiosities… Featuring TC’s signature micro resin character (with what appears to be the eyes of a Monster Embryo!), the custom is due to come with the obligatory Seedling sprout and leaves- although it’s still undecided as to whether these will come in felt or rubber… A rubber mini/plush mash-up would definitely be a first!

Stay tuned for more info, WIP pics and test shots over the coming weeks… Can’t wait for your H.U.S.T.L.E fix? Then be sure to keep track of the dedicated Tumblr blog for the latest developments…

MAN-E-NEWS// The LRG exclusive OMFG Series 2 sets…

As promised in our OMFG Series 2 update last week, we bring you details of a very special set of exclusives that have been lined up for premium minifigure site Little Rubber Guys… This time around securing not 1 but a whopping 4 different colourways, LRG’s exclusives will be coming in the standard neon green, a Glyos inspired metallic green and purple, plus the original ‘test shot’ plum which will also see a rerelease of OMFG Series 1 as well… All these choices would be more than enough for even the most hardcore of OMFG collectors, but LRG have something else up their sleeve to truly secure the deal- authentic trash can style packaging with shrink wrapped printed sleeves! Offering up a different design for each of the 4 choices (plus the plum OMFG 1), the Eric Nilla illustrated cans will ONLY be available to purchasers of the LRG sets, so be sure to get in quick before they all disappear! Currently available to pre-order through the LRG store here, all 5 piece sets have been priced at just $15 plus shipping… Anyone looking to grab all 5 cans will be glad to know that they’ll also secure you the chance of winning 1 of 5 custom OMFG figures- what more incentive do you need?! Stay tuned for more OMFG exclusive reveals soon.

MAN-E-NEWS// The NNWA “Top Rope” wrestling ring Namakeshi from Nama-Niku…

Ahead of a full reveal of Nama-Niku‘s H.U.S.T.L.E ‘Artist Series’ entry later this week, we bring you the latest figure in his ever growing line of Namakeshis… the NNWA “Top Rope” wrestling ring! As with all of Nama-Niku’s custom output recently, the level of creativity and professionalism here is truly outstanding, once again leaving us wondering- why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?! Featuring a meticulously sculpted wrestling ring torso with signature NN branding, the 1.5″ tall figure is due to come cast in a high quality flexible rubber complete with mini rubber band ropes… Set to become a Rampage Toys shop exclusive in the near future (more on that little venture soon!), expect more news on “Top Rope” as soon as we get it.

MAN-E-NEWS// Mi Empire Loca Ese bootleg resin figures from 2BitHack…

Originally debuting at Designer Con at the beginning of the month, 2BitHack‘s Mi Empire Loca Ese resin figures are now available to purchase online! Consisting of 3 bootleg vintage Star Wars kit-bashes; Vato Trooper, Prisoner #c3po and Homie Chewie, each hispanic themed figure comes hand cast and painted by 2BitHack, packaged with an exclusive blister design exclusive to this first run. Limited to just 10 pieces each, the Mi Empire Loca Ese’s can be found alongside the new “Ghost Edition” Banksy Bootlegs in the 2BitHack store for just $45 a pop…

MAN-E-NEWS// The BLObPUS [RAOH] kaiju pre-order…

The mighty BLObPUS is set to release his lastest monstrosity into the wild this month, with the pre-order announcement of [RAOH]… Standing at a lofty 26cm tall and 20cm wide, the stunning soft vinyl cast figure is available in 3 separate ‘pricing plans’; the single painted Green [RAOH] coming in at 11,550yen (approx. $142), the Green/Red unpainted set at 18,000yen ($222) and the premium Green/Red fully painted set for 23,000yen ($283). Unlike previous releases, [RAOH] is NOT going to be offered up through a lottery, so the total orders made by the November 25th deadline will determine the overall edition size. Anyone interested in bagging the figures should hit BLObPUS up through his blog here…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Nicolas Caesar X Imperfecz Spider pre-order…

Hot off the heals of the recent M.I.S.T.E.R.S Lobokeshi release, Luke over at Imperfecz Toys announces yet another awesome collaborative release, the Imperfecz x Nicolas Ceasar “Spider” minifigure! Based on one of the central characters in Ceasar’s (almost!) daily “Mosquito and Spider” online comic series, the beautifully sculpted Spider has been cast in resin by Luke coming complete with a black wash… making the unique looking figure appear as if it has been lifted straight from Ceasar’s sketches! Available to pre-order from the Imperfecz store for a wallet friendly $15 plus shipping, Spider will be ready for shipping in late December…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Sucklord convention exclusives now online…

After some minor set backs, The Sucklord is proud to announce that all leftover figure exclusives from both NYCC and Designer Con are now finally available to purchase online! Now unfortunately whilst all of the various booth exclusives are now long since sold out, an extremely limited supply of the Designer Toy Awards’ Sucklord Host figure can be found on the Clutter Magazine store for just $85… Joining the Host, The Sucklord and DKE Toys’ Super Suck-Up customs are also still available in limited supplies for $100 a piece unless otherwise stated. So far only Luke Chueh’s Sad… Alone… Broken… and Scott Wilkowski’s  Infected have sold out, so if you’re looking for a particular figure, now is the time to act! Available directly through DKE Toys, be sure to e-mail them at dkeblog@gmail.com with any enquiries…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Shubler mash-up custom from Rampage Toys…

Jon over at Rampage Toys kindly shares with us his latest custom commission, the breathtaking Shubler mash-up! Combining 2 of our most highly desired sofubis, the recent Shub Zeroth and Splurrt’s Diggler, the beautiful piece has been hand finished in Jon’s signature mix of vivid gouache brush work and meticulous black rubs… leaving us all shades of green! Unfortunately due to the extremely limited nature of both Shub and Diggler, it’s unlikely that we’ll see anything like the Shubler again, but if you do happen to be lucky enough to come across the pair (or any other sofubi for that matter!) and are looking for the Rampage treatment, be sure to hit Jon up through the blog here with any enquiries…

MAN-E-NEWS// OMFG Series 2 packaged sample revealed…

After months of production updates and test shot reveals, George Gaspar over at October Toys is proud to present the very first OMFG Series 2 packaged sample… the wait is nearly over! Coming packed on a new and improved blister card, the initial Kickstarter flesh and black colourways will be heading to pledgees in a matter of weeks, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for address requests surveys sometime soon. Stay tuned for a full reveal of Series 2 exclusives soon, including the awesome shrink wrapped OMFG trash can from Little Rubber Guys! (pictured below)

MAN-E-NEWS// Monster Boogie from Max Toy Company…

Mark Nagata of Max Toy Co has just revealed details of brand new sister company, Monster Boogie. Working alongside Yo Miyamoto (concepts) and Yoshihiko Makino (designer & sculptor) in Japan, Mark has created Monster Boogie to explore new toys and collaborations that wouldn’t necessarily fit into the Max Toy brand- the first coming in the form of the awesome micro-kaiju set pictured above. Featuring a slew of new 2″ sculpts including Nise and Mecha Nekoron, Psychobee, and our favourite, Touma’s dog kaiju Poodra, the series is also set to include a full line of to-scale micro buildings, gas tanks and more… No news on an exact release date, so be sure to stay locked on the Max’s Brain blog for further developments.

MAN-E-NEWS// The custom Hare Armorvor head from Zectron…

In between a stack of upcoming projects with our very own Tru:Tek and Bigmantoys (look out for previews soon!), our partner in crime “The Amazing Zectron” has managed to squeeze in a rather awesome looking personal project… the custom ‘Hare’ Armorvor head! Inspired by his love for the original Rabbit Battle Beast (of which Armorvor is based upon), the head and custom armour has been sculpted in the artist’s unmistakably tight style, making for one of THE hottest custom Armorvors yet… we’d even go as far to say it rivals Jason Frailey’s original designs! With production duties heading to the more than capable hands of Tru:Tek, expect to see the head, plus some undisclosed accessories (!) available soon. The casts will be made to order, so if any of you guys are interested, be sure to leave a comment below…

MAN-E-NEWS// New Rivet Wars protos from Ted Terranova…

After months of agonising waiting, it would appear that the next batch of Rivet Wars figures are nearly ready to go as Ted Terranova reveals 3 new sculpts! Joining the MonoWheel we posted a while back, Ted has been concentrating on the vehicular side of the series with the introduction of the “Walker” and an all-new steam powered boat/tank alongside the highly anticipated  “Rocket Bike”. Blowing even the highly detailed Quad Stug out of the water in terms of complexity, it’ll be interesting to see how Ted tackles the casting on these guys… we’re guessing it’ll involve a hell of a lot of assembly and post production! News on release dates and proposed editions are still forthcoming (although our money is on a certain Small Angry Monster getting involved on custom duties at some point!), so be sure to stay tuned over the coming weeks for further developments.

Thanks to SpankyStokes for the heads up…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Eagles of the Elements” Lazer Beast customs from Plastic Playhouse…

It’s been a while since we last featured the amazing talent of Plastic Playhouse here at Man-E-Toys, so without further ado we bring you his latest custom series, the “Eagles of the Elements” Laser Beasts! Created as a commission for a private collector, PP was tasked with painting the classic 80’s minifigures in the different colours of the elements; wind, earth, fire, lightening, wood, water, time and space (ok, 4 have been stretched to 8, but when they look this good, who cares?!), each coming with a stunning customised chest plate… As mentioned before, these little guys are already winging their way to one lucky collector, so if you’re interested in grabbing a similar set, your best bet is to hit PP up at his dedicated LRG page right here with any enquiries.

MAN-E-XCLUSIVE// The “Bootlegs of the Universe” Kickstarter campaign revealed…

As promised in our post on Wednesday, we can now exclusively reveal details of the very first “Bootlegs of the Universe” project! Currently in the early stages of planning, BOTU founders John Santagada (formerly of DC Direct and Mezco) and Hex Evo (KO-Messiah) are set to release a large, high quality hardcover coffee table photo art book to celebrate the entire world of MOTU bootleg, encompassing Vintage to New Adventures to 200X AND every country of manufacture; all will be included in depth, letting their natural poorly made charm take center stage through topnotch professional photography and notation! As well as taking a look at past MOTU bootlegs, the book will also be featuring a staggering list of artist profiles from every corner of the neo-vintage scene, including; COTU, RoBco, Galaxxor, ManOrMonster? Studios, Giant Japanese Monster Bad, Killer Bootlegs, Eric Nilla Customs, BigMan Toys, From the Styx Toys, Goodleg Toys, 5.5 Customs, Working Class Villains, MonsterForge, Battle Babies, RadioactiveUppercut and our very own Tru:Tek! Due to be posted up on Kickstarter in January 2013, be sure to stay locked on the Bootlegs of the Universe Facebook page here for further developments… Believe us when we say, this project is going to be HUGE!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Krawluss preorder from Mutant Vinyl Hardcore…

We’ve been waiting with baited breath since seeing the first digital sculpts a while back, so it came with great pleasure yesterday to find Mutant Vinyl Hardcore‘s stunning Krawluss finally up for preorder! Co-designed with Skinner (each taking one half) and realised by Shinbone Creative, the impressive 8″ tall figure is due to come cast in a glow in the dark Japanese vinyl infused with gold pearl for the initial release. Priced at $150, or $275 for the “Battle Set” that includes arch nemesis Ollie, Krawluss will be available through the MVH store until December 1st. Early orderers will also be in with a chance of bagging either a fully painted Krawluss or Ollie, so if you’re interested, be sure to get in there quick!

MAN-E-NEWS// The NIBBLERS Custom Project from The Tarantulas…

After months of delays and set backs, The Tarantulas’ long awaited NIBBLERS Custom Project will finally be upon us! Featuring 10 one-off custom NIBBLER sofubis from some of the Japanese vinyl scene’s finest including Real x Head, Uamou, BLObPUS, Frenzy Bros, Paul Kaiju, NERD ONE, Atom A and Skull Toys, the Fig-Lab produced figures will be touching down on The Tarantulas store on Friday, November 30th… No news as to pricing or an exact drop time, but The Tarantulas have stated that proceeds will be donated to help children and families evacuated in Japan after March 11th 2011. Stay tuned for more reveals and release info, including details of the final 2 artists over the next few days…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Monster Magnets Series 2 from Argonaut Resins…

Taking a brief hiatus from Tuttz and the Pharaoh Hounds, Eric over at Argonaut Resins shares details of his latest resin release, the Monster Magnets Series 2! Featuring 6 all-new designs; Vampyr, FrankenHulk, Wolf Dude, Warlock, Phantom and Demon, the 2″ figures have been hand sculpt and cast by Eric in a grey resin- perfect for a spot of DIY customisation! As well as the grey blanks, Eric will also be offering up a series of custom sets, the first coming from our good friend Adam Pratt aka Small Angry Monster (pictured below). With the first wave hitting the Argonaut Resins store this Friday (November 16th) at 12 Noon EST, expect to pay just $40 a piece (custom prices TBC). Stay tuned for more info on future waves, plus more custom reveals, over the next few weeks…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Blue Sky Edition Death Gnome resin from Menace Inc Studios…

As if preparations for the upcoming 7 Seals resin series weren’t enough (find out more here), Jeff Beck over at Menace Inc Studios has been hard at work on the latest batch of Death Gnomes as well! Cast in a stunning “Blue Sky” clear resin, the impressive 5.5″ tall figures have been limited to just 5 pieces this time around, with just 2 left after initial Instagram reservations. Priced at $35 each, the Blue Sky Death Gnomes are available to purchase through the Menace Inc store right here… Joining the blue little guys, Jeff has also cast up 6 “Redrum” editions in preparation for the Land of Misfits show on December the 7th at the Center for Visual Artists. Can’t make it to the event? Then you’ll be glad to know that a super limited run of just 4 “Black Death” editions will be available through the gallery’s web store on the day of the exhibition… Stay tuned for more info on Jeff’s upcoming 7 Seals project this Friday!