MAN-E-NEWS// “The Misfits” custom series from Plaseebo: Nightgamer Misfit…

Bob Conge aka Plaseebo kindly shares details of his latest on-going custom series, the ultra limited “Misfits”… Utilising a brand new body sculpt that has been hand cast in resin (which appears to have the chubby hands of a certain marshmallow man!), Plaseebo plans to release 6 of the 9” figures over the next 12 months, each coming in a unique hand paint and featuring a different head from the artist’s extensive back catalog. Taking his love of electronic and moving parts to the next level, Plaseebo has surpassed all earlier efforts with the inclusion of a see-thru body chamber which has been filled with a “magical mix” of slow moving gel colors and shapes, then illuminated from the back by a switched colour changing LED unit that also lights the interior of the head! The first in the series comes in the form of the pictured “Night Gamer” edition… no news on exact pricing for the figure, but Plaseebo informs us that he will be taking him along to his latest one-man show this month at the Phillips Gallery in Rochester N Y… More news as soon as we get it!

UPDATE// Here’s a sneak peek of the next Misfit we just found on the Plaseebo blog

Backstory//

“A familiar face at the Avon flea market every Sunday since the 60’s, Walter would spend the cooler mornings in search of the maimed and abandoned toys of children no longer. He rarely paid more than ten or fifteen cents a piece for the ravaged figures as most were missing limbs or heads. The collection being assembled was not about condition, resale or profit. 

These were much more than idols made of plastic and vinyl, for Walter could feel the spirits and hear the distant laughter of the many children who had once worshiped these love-worn toys. To him, these toys were markers in lives unfolding, indelibly printed with the character of those who had played with them so many years ago. Holding each one in his now aging hand, he would listen to its story and wonder what had become of the child later in life. Walter enjoyed many comfortable evenings with the collection in the old farm house nestled in the rolling hills of upstate New York. He had retired here after a lifetime of inventing and designing useful things for various companies and then spent the next twenty some years assembling the collection that now filled not only all three floors of the house, but his barn as well. 
 
This past winter Walter began working on his Geppetto project. He hoped to design a system to capture the psychic energy he felt being released from the old toys and use it to power the robot toy he was building. 
 
It was now late fall and the the robot body, complete with arms and legs, sat on the work bench awaiting its head and power source. It was one of those unusually warm and sun filled days that are so rare this time of year, perhaps the last one before the snow would again cocoon Walter with his collection for another winter. Drawn by the cunning day, he found himself walking through the Naples yellow fields beyond the barn. Feeling the liability of his eighty plus years, he sat down beneath the comfort of the large and singular Maple in the middle of the fields warmth and fell asleep.
 
Walter was awakened by the voices of children to find he was covered by what looked like a soft blanket of diamonds glistening in the moonlight. He stood up wondering why he did not feel the cold of this night. The answer came as he looked down to his snow covered body still lying beneath the tree. 
 
Long before this ground became tillable it was the now long forgotten cemetery for the Crowhaven orphanage, who’s stone foundations still shown through the grass here and there at the edge of the woods. The field has been home these many years to those unknown children for whom no one came, save the reaper. Moving like curious cats, the children slowly floated over to Walter wherein he invited them to come to the house to see his toys.
 
As they entered the house, there on the workbench sat the headless robot with its power source window glowing in an array of changing colors like a miniature aurora borealis. The rest of that winter and many since found Walter building other robot bodies and the children selecting various heads from the collection to sit atop them. Misfits one and all.”  

MAN-E-NEWS// The Hyper Hobby exclusive “Aurora” Kingdom Mind from RESTORE…

Up and coming resin/sofubi house RESTORE has revealed details on the latest painted version of their debut vinyl figure, the “Aurora” Kingdom Mind. An exclusive to major Japanese toy magazine Hyper Hobby, the stunning 9.5″ piece comes cast in a black soft vinyl, hand-sprayed in a variety of “Northern Lights” (Aurora Borealis) inspired metallic greens, blues and reds… Featuring the all important removable key staff and cathedral styled crown, the piece should be available through (or at least featured in) the October issue of Hyper Hobby for just 8,400yen (around $110).

[info- Spanky Stokes]

MAN-E-NEWS// The resin “Critters inspired” mini figure restock at Bigmantoys…

Hot off the heels of our very own “Critters inspired” mini figure restock just yesterday, Lee over at Bigmantoys is proud to announce a return of the resin variants as well! Due to be touching down in the Bigmantoys store tomorrow evening (Sunday, September 2nd), Lee has created a huge selection of figures in a wide variety of finishes including multi-coloured glitter, glow in the dark, one-off hand paints and of course, the all important fleshies! Priced at just $13 plus shipping, each Critter comes packed with a hand drawn header from original sculptor Zectron, plus an extra special “safety manual” insert. Stay tuned for further a further update on the exact drop time soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// Carl the Grump and Dookie Ed resin figures from Hungry Imp…

Travis McIntosh aka Hungry Imp (creator of the Biohazard Zombie we featured a while back), has just revealed plans for his next resin release, Carl the Grump and Dookie Ed… Currently awaiting feedback on the gruesome looking pair before going in to production, Travis has stated that if he can get enough support, the hand cast and painted figures will be made available for $15 a piece, or just $25 for the set. If you fancy owning either of these rather awesome looking minis, then head over to the Hungry Imp instagram feed now and register your interest…

MAN-E-NEWS// The WIP Venom sculpt from UME Toys…

Following the breathtaking custom Soundwave from last month, Rich over at UME Toys has resurrected another childhood favourite in his unmistakable “spindly” style… Spiderman’s arch nemesis, Venom! Based on a highly popular illustration Rich did of the alien symbiote a few years back (of which a copy hangs proudly on our studio wall!), the sculpt is very much staying true to the original design, keeping the same simple shapes and distorted scale that made the original drawing so perfect… Stay tuned for a full reveal soon, and as for availability? We’re guessing this guy will be rightfully heading to NYCC next month, so if you’re interested, you better seek Rich out!

MAN-E-NEWS// Jeff Lamm’s Mecha Greasebat sofubi announced…

In an unusual reveal through his latest print release, Jeff Lamm has announced an all-new rendition of popular sofubi Greasebat… this time in Mecha form! Featuring the illustration that will be used for the figure’s header art, the print gives us some indication of what to expect, including an awesome mechanised body design and missile firing “Punch fist”… here’s keeping our fingers crossed for full working parts! Unfortunately, information on the project is still scarce (we’re still not even sure if this will be sculpted/produced by original duo Chauskoskis and Monster Workshop), so be sure to stay tuned over the coming months for further developments…

MAN-E-NEWS// New stock in the Man-E-Toys store today!

As if you guys haven’t already gathered, we’re preparing to launch a shed-load of new stock on the Man-E-Toys store later tonight! Joining the various Nama x Nilla figures that we’ve been revealing over the past week (check them all out here), we will also be adding more marbled, neon and flesh “Critters inspired” mini figures, plus a very limited run of “Something’s OFF” customs… Created using the many different discarded colour tests we’ve acquired (all perfectly cast, may I add!), each “SO” Crite has been given a new lease of life with the aid of a stunning black acrylic rub from Tru:Tek. Limited to just 10 pieces in a variety of different base colours including pink, white and green, each comes with the same hand drawn header and insert card as the standard release for just $15 plus shipping… Touching down in-store at 9pm tonight (London time), be sure to set your watch if anything’s caught your eye… all figures have been produced in EXTREMELY limited quantities!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Illusion of Depressing Love from Fool’s Fantasy…

Avant garde resin heavyweights Fool’s Paradise have teamed up with ZCWO for the first release under their joint “Fool’s Fantasy” brand… the absolutely breathtaking “Illusion of Depressing Love”. Standing at a humungous 55cm tall and 59cm wide (1:4 scale), the beautiful figure once again see FP paying a loving tribute to Star Wars, featuring a slain Keiko Trooper in the arms of a pumped-up “Da Lowfool” styled Darth Vader. Quite simply the most stunning resin figure we’ve ever witnessed, “Illusion of Depressing Love” is set to come fully articulated with a whole host of accessories including broken canister, helmet and light sabre. Due to drop as a pre-order sometime in October, Fool’s Fantasy are still keeping tight-lipped with regards to the price, but we’re guessing it’ll be something in the ball-park of around $800-$1000 based on previous releases… Stay tuned for more news as soon as we get it!

NOTE// Fool’s Fantasy will be previewing the pictured proto-type at STGCC this weekend, head over to their blog here for more details…

MAN-E-REVEAL// The Man-E-Toys exclusive Half Baked Vs. Meatgrinder and Chibi Meatgrinder from Nama x Nilla…

 

The fourth and final reveal before our Nama x Nilla exclusives hit the store tomorrow, we’re proud to present Half Baked Ham Vs. Meatgrinder 2-pack, plus the ever-so-cute Meatgrinder Chibi! Kit-bashed and re-sculpted from a variety of different M.U.S.C.L.E figures, the meaty creations have been hand cast in an authentic keshi style rubber by Eric Nilla… Once again coming in a Man-E-Faces themed Blue with Purple chase variant, the 2-pack will be available for $22, whilst the Chibi has been priced at $10. Dropping on the store tomorrow at 9pm, these guys will be joined by the previously featured figures, plus the much requested “Critters inspired” mini figure restock…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Night Terror resin from Matt A*…

After months in development and production, Matt A*‘s jaw-dropping Night Terror is finally available to pre-order! Hand cast and meticulously finished in an oily colour changing paint, the steampunk infused owl comes in at an impressive 16″ tall, with a monstrous 24″ wing span. Featuring a clear acrylic stand and fully rotating base, Matt A* will also be including the pictured custom skull cast, which fits snuggly in the creature’s claw. Limited to an initial 10 pre-order slots at the reduced price of just $200 (standard price $300), shipping on the figure will commence sometime in December 2012. Head over to the shop here to secure yours, and be sure to stay tuned for the bird’s public debut at NYCC in October…

MAN-E-REVEAL// The Man-E-Toys exclusive Manzilla 2 from Nama x Nilla…

Now at day 3 in our week of Nama x Nilla “Man-E-Toys Exclusive” reveals, we’re proud to present our favourite figure of the bunch… the awesome Manzilla 2! Making an appearance several times on our blog over the last couple of months, the ingenious custom M.U.S.C.L.E has been re-sculpted and kit-bashed using a vintage Godzilla miniature by Nama-Niku’s Tyler, with production duties handed over to Eric Nilla. Once again, our version has been cast in a Man-E-Faces inspired Blue (with Purple chase!) urethane rubber, each coming bagged with a micro dragon head unique to the second edition. Priced at just $16 plus shipping, Manzilla 2 will be joined by the other 4 Man-E-Toys exclusives in our store this Friday at 9pm London time…

MAN-E-NEWS// The resin Lulu magnet from Elmos Empire…

Following our look at the debut castings from UME Toys’ youngest member Elmos Empire just yesterday, we’re proud to present the first fully sculpted and cast figure from the promising teen… the absolutely adorable Lulu magnet! Based on a recent custom piece, the cute little piggy has been painted in a mixture of flesh and black, finished with subtle pink detailing. Measuring around 6cm wide, the magnet will be touching down in the newly opened Elmos Empire store this Friday (August 31st) for just £7.50 plus shipping… each coming with the now standard Elmos Empire header and hand cut sticker!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Monster Embryos from Taylored Curiosities out now…

Previously revealed over the weekend (find out more here), Penny over at Taylored Curiosities is proud to present the Monster Embryos in all their finished glory, and the best news is… they’re available to buy now! The first fully sculpted designer toy from the highly talented artist, the Monster Embryos have been cast in a stunning “brilliant blue” resin, coming complete with hand painted eyes and custom made umbilical cords. Limited to just 10 pieces this time around, the 1.2″ tall mini figures are available through the new Taylored Curiosities Big Cartel store here for just £10 a piece…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Crusty” Creeper custom from Eeks…

It’s been a little while since we last featured the Grim Creepers from Tim Stephson, so it came with great pleasure today to find Eeks‘ first custom of the figure in our inbox today… Entitled “Crusty”, the underwater dwelling Creeper has been given a suitably aqua-inspired paint job, featuring a mixture of vivid blues, greens and yellows. Priced at just $50 plus shipping, the hand cast resin figure even comes with not one, but two exclusive Creeper mini prints (one pictured above)… Head over to the Eeks store now if you’re interested- we can’t see this little fella being around for long! Want to know more about the Grim Creeper? Then check out our previous posts here.

MAN-E-NEWS// The Green Series from Dead Hand Toys…

Joining both Motorbot and UME, Brian Ahlbeck of Dead Hand Toys is the latest artist from the Kings of Resin series to produce a limited run of his featured figure, and boy are we in for a treat! Entitled the “Green Series” Brian has decided to stick with just the one colourway, instead opting for a whole host of different finishes including neons, clears, pearlescents, and solid resins- all in various shades of… you guessed it, green! Dropping on the Dead Hand store tomorrow (August 30th) at 12pm EST, the stunning little creatures will set you back $25 plus postage, coming in a limited edition of just 25 pieces. Head over to the store here for a full preview of what will be on offer…

MAN-E-REVEAL// The Man-E-Toys exclusive SD Splatterhouse Rick from Eric Nilla…

Following on from our look at the Super Rare M.U.S.C.L.E Can yesterday, we bring you day two in our week of Nama x Nilla Man-E-Toys exclusives, this time around showcasing the mighty SD Splatterhouse Rick… The only figure from the group of 5 that has been solely sculpted and produced by Eric Nilla, the beautifully realised “Super Deformed” style character pays homage to one of the late 80’s gaming greats, Splatterhouse. Featuring the iconic hockey mask, ripped jeans and detachable cleaver, the 2″ tall figure has been cast in a “Man-E-Faces” blue (with rare purple chase!), using an authentic keshi-style rubber. Priced at $15 plus shipping, SD Splatterhouse Rick will be joining the other 4 figures in the Man-E-Toys store this Friday at 9pm London time…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Fletcher and the resin Hugo magnets from Elmos Empire x UME Toys…

It appears that Rich over at UME Toys has finally realised the benefits of child labour(!)… as the proud dad reveals the first resin castings from youngest UME clan member, Elmos Empire! Pictured to the left is a very special edition of  Rich’s popular Hugo magnet… each lovingly hand cast and painted by Elmo herself (is it just me, or do they look better than the originals?)! Coming packaged with a unique header design plus oinktastic sticker, these unfortunately (for us!) went on to sell out in a matter of minutes- here’s hoping for a second batch soon! Joining the Hugo magnets, Elmo has also been working with Rich on the moulding and casting of the latest UME addition, Fletcher the cat… as you can see from the pic the figure is well on the way to completion, so expect custom paints from the pair to be revealed soon!

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Everyone Loves the 80’s” Gusto from Blurble…

The mighty Blurble returns with yet another must-have Gusto edition… this time in the gnarly “Everyone Loves the 80’s” colourway! Standing at around 4.5″ tall, Gusto has been cast in a clear blue resin (similar to the “Kool Aid” variant), coming complete with a mixture of 80’s inspired pink, yellow and green neon paint splatters. Limited to just 2 unique pieces, both have been packaged with a hand made 80’s art card for just $40 a piece… Head over to the Toxic Vinyl store here to secure yours.

MAN-E-NEWS// The Lofy vinyl figure from Creo Design x D’Creativeaholic…

One of the art toy scene’s hottest collaborators right now, Chris ‘Creo’ Alexander is proud to present yet another team-up, this time on D’Creativeaholic’s ever-so-cute Lofing… Part of a series of 7 characters from the artist’s fictional world, “Minimizer Dreamland”, the vinyl figure has finally gone into prototyping after a year on the drawing board. Pictured here as a fully and unpainted test pull, the 6″ tall figure comes with 4 points of articulation and removable mushroom accessory (Lofing’s prize possession!). Making an appearance at the D’Creativeaholic STGCC booth (Artist’s Ally #G23) this weekend (September 1st and 2nd), Lofing should be heading into production soon… expect more news on this intriguing figure as soon as we get it!

Minimizer Dreamland

“In a magical kingdom of parasites,
there are a group of vibrant elves which act as guardians of the realm.
These guardians are full of vitality,
bringing life and colour to this mystical kingdom.

They use their heart and patience in creating the country of their dreams.
Even though the country has changed and been dominated by parasites,
they are still filled with optimism as they try to adapt to their new surroundings.
Their positive energies come from their smiles as they unite to defend their dream home.

Let’s join them on their enchanted journey as they protect their beloved lands with all their hearts!”

MAN-E-NEWS// The Raar Noir resin/plush from DMS x Neese…

Partners in crime, DMS and Neese team up once again for their latest resin/plush masterpiece, Raar Noir! Standing at a lofty 12″ tall, the all black figure comes cast in resin by DMS, with a beautiful faux fur trim from Neese… Limited to just 10 pieces this time around, Raar Noir will be touching down in the DMS store this Friday (August 31st) at 6pm BST (gmt+1) with a price tag of $50 plus shipping. Those interested better act quick, the original batch of Raars sold out in a matter of minutes!