MAN-E-NEWS// America Depress from Ron English x Kidrobot Black…

Teased a couple of weeks back, Ron English‘s collaboration with Kidrobot’s Black off-shoot, “America Depress” has finally been revealed in all its glory. Based on a painting English did way back at the beginning of the financial crisis (check our original post for a look), the monumental 12″ vinyl figure has been limited to just 200 worldwide, carrying a price tag of $400 a piece. Featuring a rather bloated Mickey Mouse crucified on a faux ABS American Express (Depress) card, the figure comes in a rather more extravagant paint scheme than previous Black releases, coming in gloss black vinyl with gold and white accents. Set to drop May 29th at Kidrobot stores and Black.Kidrobot.com, be sure to head down to the NY store if your in the area for a special signing with English between 6-8pm…

“Pop iconoclast Ron English presents the ultimate black vinyl fetish item – American Depress. A three dimensional depiction of America’s Bloated Billionaire Mouse Messiah is crucified upon the mousetrap status symbol of American capitalism: the Black Card. The over-stuffed mouse is splayed on a 12-inch tall sheet of black ABS, embellished with gold printing. The card numbers reference the beginning of the royal rodent’s reign, and, a very short time after, the darkest hour in the history of the American economy. From there both iconic rodent and consumer grow to obesity until the card’s expiration date – the day of the foretold apocalypse. Fitted with an indent on the back, this modern relic is built to be hung over all we devour.” – Kidrobot Black press

MAN-E-NEWS// The “Skworm Hunter” Glyos head WIP from MAN-E-TOYS…

Aside from the DDLM skulls that we will drop now and then on the MAN-E-TOYS store, our main focus with our resin output in the near future will be on developing the Skworm universe that was created for the upcoming ‘Ed Skworm vs. Min-E-Face custom M.U.S.C.L.E release. On top of an original Skworm resin that is planned to follow the duo shortly (expect a reveal soon!), we’ve also been working on some digital head sculpts for a series of “Skworm Hunter” Glyos compatible heads and keyrings. With a detailed backstory to follow, the Skworm Hunters will essentially form part of a legion of allies that will sit alongside our main character, Min-E-Face, in his fight against the many different types of disgusting Skworm…

The above sculpt (apologies for the low-res render!) is currently on it’s way to the 3D printers, so be sure to stay tuned at the beginning of next week for the results! As previously mentioned, our intention is to produce this guy as a Glyos head and keyring… hopefully in a variety of different resin tints, and maybe even with a few select artist customs…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Lost “Dia de los Muertos” Resin Skull street drops begin!

First off, we’d like to give a massive thanks to everyone who bought and supported the Lost “Dia de los Muertos” Resin Skulls release last week. As our first handmade resin figure, we were kind of nervous as to what you guys would think, so it’s been great to of had such a positive response. As mentioned in our previous posts, only 25 of the 50 skulls made it to the shop, whilst the others were held back for random “street art” style drops over the next couple of weeks… with the first batch of 8 descending upon London this afternoon! Dropped at various cultural hotspots around Covent Garden and Carnaby Street, all bar 2 (that found homes at both Kidrobot LDN and Playlounge!) were revealed through both our Instagram and Twitter feeds at various points in the day. Below are the 6 that got placed, can you guess where they are? (hints on @trutek Instagram!)

We still have another 17 skulls left to drop, so be sure to stay tuned for the whereabouts of our next location! Don’t fancy your chances? Then head over to the MAN-E-TOYS store, where we still have a couple left in stock for just $14 shipped!! We also have a super-limited run in the works (brains and colour changing resin anyone?!), so expect more news soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// The “We Eat Friends” Dude custom from JC Rivera…

Chicago based artist JC Rivera is never one to rest on his laurels, once again presenting yet another stunning piece, the “We Eat Friends” custom Dude! One of the first we’ve seen since the deluge of pieces created for Dudebox‘s launch party, “We Eat Friends” has to rank as one of the best yet on the newly established platform. Featuring an unlucky critter being consumed by a huge Bearlee-like monster, the custom bears all the great hallmarks of a great Rivera piece; the unique sculpt style, unmistakable muted paint scheme, and of course, the trademark crown all making excellent use of the Dude’s rounded shape. No news as to whether this guy is available to purchase, so your best bet his to hit Rivera up through his site here

Expect more news on the UK’s hottest new designer toy company, Dudebox, to follow soon… we made our first (rather belated!) purchase today, and we must say, the quality of these guys’ work is up there with the best! Head over to our Twitter feed to have a look…

MAN-E-NEWS// (UPDATED) Bonjour Bots teaser from Lunabee x Cris Rose…

It looks like we wont be waiting long for the next awesome Lunabee x Cris Rose collaboration, with the first image for the provisionally named “Bonjour Bots” surfacing on the internet today. Whilst the above image reveals very little, it appears that Cris will be painting up a series of French influenced Sprogs, whilst Lunabee is on hand creating various accessories including some rather appetising French sticks and bree! No news on when these guys are going to drop, but guessing by previous releases, expect them on the Lunabee store soon. Stay tuned for more info as soon as it hits…

UPDATE//

The pair of French robots have since been revealed as the beret wearing Ruckuses, Garçon and Camembert! Cast by Cris Rose and hand painted by Lunabee, the pair of robots feature platted loaves, french sticks and cheese that have been sculpted by Lunabee. Priced at $160  each plus shipping, the duo are available to purchase on Cris Rose’s store now…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Veggie Burger Bunny from JLED x The Loyal Subjects x Kidrobot…

Previewed a couple of weeks back, Kidrobot have finally unveiled their exclusive edition of Joe Ledbetter‘s Burger Bunny, and this time it’s vegetarian! Produced by The Loyal Subjects, the 10″ stacking wooden toy comes complete with “all your favorite fixins”, including two savoury garden patties, mustard, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Swiss cheese all on a whole wheat bun. Set for general release exclusively at Kidrobot stores and Kidrobot.com on Thursday, June 7th, Veggie Burger Bunny has been limited to just 40 pieces and comes with a price tag of $300. To celebrate, KidrobotLA, along with Ledbetter, will be hosting a signing on June 1st from 6-8pm. Along with an exclusive look at the upcoming figure, JLed will also have a limited supply of his “Nice Buns” print, which will be retailing at $50 a piece…

MAN-E-NEWS// Gabriel Carpio’s King Katch customs for the Freak Store…

The Freak Store proudly present the latest custom pieces from Gabriel Carpio, the KK Brothers! With the stunning 8.5″ King Katch as the platform of choice, Gabriel has created 2 pieces with very contrasting styles that manage to sit side by side with ease. Both drawing heavily from traditional Japanese art, one takes a simplistic route, using bold tribal lines and shapes, whilst the other adheres to the intricate aesthetic of Japanese painting, featuring meticulous brush work, kanji and Gouki style beads. Set to land on the Freak Store this Friday at 12am Central, expect to pay $160 for one of these beauties, or $300 for the pair…

MAN-E-NEWS// The AshuraShine custom M.U.S.C.L.E from Brownnoize Productions…

As we continue to delve into the vast world of M.U.S.C.L.E and Kinnikuman in preparation for next month’s ‘Ed Skworm vs. Min-E-Face release (find out more here), we’ve decided to bring to you another awesome custom piece that’s been doing the rounds recently… the AshuraShine from Brownnoize Productions. Taking 2 of the most well known characters in the M.U.S.C.L.E universe, the 6 armed Ashuraman and Sunshine robot, Brownnoize recreated the figure a while back in CAD, with a limited clear run coming 3D printed by the guys over at Shapeways.

Going unnoticed until a chance Google search by Tyler over at Nama-Niku last year, the figure has since headed into production by the help of a thread on the Little Rubber Guys forum. Due to be coming in 3 colourways; an authentic flesh-tone, glow in the dark and clear purple, the stunning custom piece will be cast in a flexible rubber. Anyone interested in grabbing the figure should head over to the thread now to register interest- the pre-order que is already becoming quite impressive, and we’re not sure how long it will be up for!

Head over to the Brownnoize Production blog for the latest news on the release…

MAN-E-NEWS// “Toy Lords of Chinatown” figures on the new Super Sucklord store…

Following the massive success of the “Toy Lords of Chinatown” episode 3 screening last Saturday, the Sucklord has finally put the featured figures up on the newly opened Super Sucklord store. Including the classic style Sucktrooper bootleg that we featured last week, the latest version of the SUCKLORD 600 is also available in an edition of just 125 pieces worldwide. Coming in a silver cast vinyl with clear blue lightsaber, the figure has been cooling in a warehouse since 200, so we’re ecstatic that he’s finally seeing the light of day (mainly because we missed him the first time around!). Priced at just $75 and $65 respectively, the figures, along with a whole host of other Suckadelic merchandise can be purchased right here

MAN-E-NEWS// Earthman 06 update plus the new Keiko from Fool’s Paradise…

Following the teaser we posted last week, Fool’s Paradise are proud to officially reveal the next figure in the Handmade series, #6 Earthman. Standing at 12″ tall, the futuristic character has been decked out in a sleek red suit, fluorescent green tie, heavy duty boots and shades, the hand cast resin figure comes complete with the previously revealed rabbit-shaped helmet. No news on availability or pricing as of yet, so be sure to head over to the Fool’s Paradise site and sign up to their newsletter for the latest info…

Fool’s Paradise’s signature avant-garde figure, the beautiful Keiko is also set to make a return soon… this time with an awesome Star Wars inspired aesthetic! Previous sketches and WIP sculpts have revealed that Keiko’s distinctive oversized head would be turned into a pseudo Stormtrooper helmet, whilst the latest teaser (pictured above) reveals that the iconic design (including back canister and side pockets) will have a strong hold on the piece as a whole. We personally can’t wait to see more of this intriguing figure, the marriage of one of our favourite resins and films is almost too much to bear! Expect more news as soon as it hits…

MAN-E-NEWS// The porcelain “Bayloom” figure from Sergey Safonov…

Known for his elegant work in resin, Russian based Sergey Safonov has just revealed his first foray into the world of porcelain with the release of Bayloom! A little dweller from Sergey’s fictional Gooma universe, the adorable tear-drop shaped figure stands at 3″ tall, coming 100% hand crafted by the artist. Produced in a glossy all-white finish, the charming character is now available in limited quantities on Sergey’s web store for just $25 plus shipping. A great choice of medium for Sergey’s minimal aesthetic, here’s hoping this little guy is the first of many…

MAN-E-NEWS// We Become Monsters’ one-off Skelechubs for Toy Invaderz…

Chris Moore over at We Become Monsters proudly presents 3 out of the 5 one-off Skelechubs that will be featuring at the upcoming Toy Invaderz show. Cast in a mixture of clear and opaque resins including solid gold and smoke, our favourite so far has to be the above creation… the flow of bloody red tint that seemingly runs from the 3″ figures mouth offers a stunning (if slightly horrific!) contrast to the crystal clear resin. No news as of yet with regards to availability, so be sure to stay tuned as we get closer to the event’s June 30th opening for more details, including the reveal of the final 2 Skelechubs…

UPDATE// Chris has stated that these guys are actually 1.5″ tall rather than the previously mention 3″. More will be heading to the We Become Monsters store soon, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. The remaining 3″ Skelechubs in-store are the last Chris will be making in that size, so if your interested, head over there quick before they’re gone forever…

Toy Invaderz
RGB Lounge 1420 N. Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL 60622
Saturday June 30th. 2012   6pm to 11pm

MAN-E-NEWS// The Toxic GID Mini MAD*L from MAD…

Swiftly following the surprise Red Edition drop a couple of weeks back, MAD presents the fifth instalment in the Mini MAD*L series, the glow-in-the-dark “Toxic”! As with previous releases, the astonishingly bright figure will be limited to 20 hand cast and meticulously polished 3″ minis. Set to land on the MAD Toy store at some point this week (we’re guessing Friday), be sure to keep track of both MAD‘s and the MAD*L twitter feeds for up to the minute info. No news on pricing, but if the other releases are to go by, expect to pay $50 plus shipping…

Laser Etched Mini MAD*L’s

MAD has also revealed a very special Mini MAD*L in the works that should be available soon. Coming laser etched in a meticulous tree/plant inspired design, the black resin figure is a truly stunning work of art. Our bet is that these will be produced in even more limited numbers, with a price tag that reflects the inordinate amount of work that has gone into each one. Stay tuned for more info on this intriguing release as soon as it hits…

MAN-E-NEWS// The FuzzyMartin flocked resin figure from UME Toys…

As previously mentioned a couple of days back (read more here), Richard Page of UME Toys has been hard at work preparing a special edition of his Martin Longbottom release… which we can now reveal as the beautiful flocked FuzzyMartins! Coming in either red, yellow, purple or blue one-off designs, the figures should be available directly through umetoys@googlemail.com soon. We can’t wait to see these guys in person, Martin’s minimal design is the perfect fit for the effect… and with Rich learning the process himself, we can hopefully expect to see a lot more in the future! No news on pricing as of yet, but we’re guessing these stunning 4″ figures will be retailing upwards of £65 shipped…

MAN-E-NEWS// Personal Trimensional Viewer: Turquiose Rotund Mk2 from Cris Rose…

“patiently awaiting attention at the repair centre…”

As previously revealed last week, the first round of Cris Rose‘s Personal Trimensional Viewer’s, the Turquiose Rotund Mk2, are set to land in his store tonight (May 21st).  Using the miniature Sprog platform “Bits and Bytes”, Rose has created intricate hand cast mini-dioramas that house the expertly painted figures in an acrylic dome. Priced at $65 plus shipping (the same as a Sprog), the turquoise beauties have been limited to just 5 pieces. Head over to the store at 6pm (London time) sharp, because these little fellas wont be around for long! Expect more limited runs of 3 or 5 in the near future…

Backstory//

“Not long after the phone, television and internet services merged, a single Holographic system, the Trimensional Reception, Interaction and Broadcast Endevour became the universal method of communication. Whether it was to chat with your Gran or watch the latest sports event on the other side of the world, Trimensional was the only way to do it. Being such a mouthful, most referred to it as TRIBE and most devices, as Trimensional Viewers, or TVs for short.

The Personal Trimensional Viewer was an extension of TRIBE, a small encapsulated unit that would sit on your desk and show you a live, photo realistic, 3D Hologram of a chosen loved one, 24 hours a day. It didn’t matter where they were or what they were doing, they’d be doing it in the little glass dome next to your mug of coffee.

The concept was purely innocent and technically perfect… but it soon became apparent that there was a serious social flaw in it – namely every time your mother went to the toilet or had a shower… It was a disaster. One of the fastest selling products in history became one of the fastest failures – no one wanted them and they were returned in their tens of thousands.”

Personal Trimentional Viewer (ThreeA Bertie one-offs)

Coinciding with the release of the Turquiose Rotund Mk2’s, Cris Rose will also be dropping two one-off Personal Trimentoinal Viewer custom Berties! Priced at $90 each, the run has been limited to just two one-off designs that will never be repeated again. Expect these in the store alongside the Turquiose Rotund Mk2’s at 6pm (London time) tonight…

MAN-E-NEWS// Yum Yum London’s winning character set…

After nearly 2 years in the making, Beth and Jonny of Yum Yum London are proud to reveal the five figures that will be making up there first toy release! Originally asking readers of the Yum Yum blog to decide which characters were to be chosen back in 2010, Zombie, Cactus, Hotdog, Popcorn and Granny have since gone on to be produced as 12cm tall figures. Featuring a very English aesthetic akin to the likes of James Jarvis, the beautifully realised designs are now available to pre-order directly from Yum Yum for an incredible price of just £60 for the whole set (due to go up to £75 at retail). No news on the material chosen for the figures, but we’re guessing for that price it’s likely to be vinyl over resin… Head over to the Yum Yum blog for more info on the release, plus a look at the animated series on which the characters are based.

MAN-E-NEWS// “From The Silent Tree” custom Jibibuts series from Squink…

Fresh from the recent release of his artist proofs, Squink brings his first custom Jibibut series, the stellar “From The Silent Tree”. Featuring one of each of the newly released Jibibut designs, the meticulously hand painted wooden figures are set to come blind-boxed, packaged with a certificate (card) of authenticity. Dropping on the Squink store tomorrow at 9pm London time, Kooki, Mr Full Stop, Pop Whisper, Stellar Trio, Sushin and Glistening Wookoo can be yours for just £45 each plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Axeface resin figures from Monstrehero…

The infamous Monstrehero is back once more with the release of Axeface later this month! Inspired by the iconic MOTU action figures, the beautifully hand sculpt and cast resins, as with previous Monstrehero toys, will be dropping in a number of different one-off colourways- including the recently announced “Noir” (pictured above) and the unpainted 80’s inspired green/pink variants that were initially revealed in April. No news as of yet with regards to pricing or an exact release date, so be sure to stay locked on the Monstrehero blog, where more details, alongside a detailed backstory will be up soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// The exclusive Minty Fresh Uamou from Ayako Takagi…

Taking a quick look over at Minty Fresh this morning, we found an awesome exclusive that had gone under our radar… the Minty Fresh Uamous from Ayako Takagi! Standing at 3″ tall, the clear rotocast vinyl piece comes filled with fake mint leaves and is available in either Regular and Happy editions. Priced at just €27,50 plus shipping, these guys have been limited to just 25 pieces each. Be sure to head over to the store to grab yours now, and whilst your at it, check out Ayako’s custom Uamous that have been created to coincide with the launch!

MAN-E-NEWS// Beep the Hopbot and a peak at the first Martin Longbottom custom from UME Toys (UPDATED)…

Never a weekend goes by without the reveal of yet more awesome work from Rich over at UME Toys, and this one’s no different! Beep the Hopbot is another beautiful one-off sculpt, taking the iconic 80’s hip hop aesthetic and mixing it up with Rich’s instantly recognisable style. Standing at a sizeable 4″ tall, the adorable tracksuited bot has been lovingly painted in Rich’s signature palette of vivid blues, offering a great contrast to the subtle weathering that we’ve been seeing in his work recently. No news on whether this stunning piece is available to purchase, so our best bet is to hit Rich up directly at umetoys@googlemail.com with any enquiries…

Rich has also been busy a work in the UME resin lab for the past week, preparing for the imminent release of a certain Martin Longbottom! With more info to follow next week (including the reveal of an extra special edition!), we thought we’d share with you a shot of the very first Longbottom custom. As you can see, he’s still an early work-in-progress, but is already bearing the hallmarks of a great UME piece! Stay tuned for an update next week…

UPDATE//

It appears that just moments after posting the above WIP shot, Rich revealed the finished piece! Coming in the official Martin Longbottom green/purple colour scheme seen in earlier sculpts, this custom will unfortunately not be for sale- he’s already made a home at the UME studio with his bigger brother! Stay tuned for more news next week on the planned DIY Longbottoms, painted Martins and some awesome trick finishes…