MAN-E-NEWS// The Gusto resin figure from Blurble…

Courtesy of Cliff at Monstreuses Studios, Blurble‘s highly anticipated 3D debut has finally made it’s way to resin! Based on Blurble’s recurring “Gusto” character, the figure was entrusted to the more than capable hands of Jon over at Rampage Toys for sculpting and prepping duties. Cast in both clear green and white resin, this initial run has been limited to just 5 one-off hand painted designs with a bonus blank thrown in for good measure. Be sure to head over to the Toxic Kaiju store this Saturday (April 28th) at 11am PST to be in with a chance of securing yours…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Sweet Teuth resin figures now available at Tenacious Toys…

Following our recent preview of “Sweet Teuth” for the Candy Coated Custom Show (read more here), Brian over at Dead Hand Toys is proud to reveal that the other 5 figures from the series are now available to purchase exclusively through Tenacious Toys. Standing at a monstrous 7″ tall, each hand-cast clear resin figure has been filled with a unique themed selection of candies! Priced at just $100 each plus shipping, be sure to head over to the store quick as they won’t be around for long…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Keg O’ Boom resin figure from The Given…

Proudly heralded as the first locally produced and manufactured designer toy from South Africa, the Keg O’ Boom resin figure is the debut release from Cape Town artist, “The Given“. Standing at around 10cm tall, the “brilliant white” hand cast barrel has been limited to just 50 pieces, with 1 in 4 coming in GID colourway. There’s also word of a super-rare hand painted variant, we’ll bring you more news as soon as it hits…

Anyone interested in grabbing the figure will be glad to know that it is currently available to pre-order (for 1 month only) through the Keg O’ Boom site for just R150 (around $20/£13) plus shipping. Unfortunately, The Given are only taking orders through direct money transfer, which is likely to put most people off- a crying shame as the figure is worth $20 of any toy collectors money! Check out the site here for more info…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Mr Toast iOS game from Dan Goodsell…

Already featuring in a variety of successful books, comics and designer toys, Dan Goodsell‘s Mr Toast has finally gone and gotten his own iOS game! Based on the popular endless-runner genre, fans of the adorable breakfast favourite are given the chance to steer him on his merry way, avoiding over 14 different obstacle types whilst keeping a close eye on the clock. Featuring 2 play styles, Levels and Infinity, across several different environments (including Shaky Bacon and Joe the Egg bonus levels!), Mr Toast iOS is the perfect time waster for fans both young and old. With hand drawn art from Dan, the game really encapsulates the Mr Toast aesthetic, and for just $0.99 (69p) it’s an absolute steal! Check the game on the App Store here…

MAN-E-NEWS// Snybora “Mud Puddle” edition from Chris Ryniak x Rotofugi x Squibbles Ink…

“April showers may mean May flowers, but to us the real joy of April is the chance to stomp and splash in the inevitable mud puddles…that’s where the real fun is!”

Swiftly following last month’s “Year of the Dragon” colourway, Chris Ryniak has once again teamed up with Rotofugi for the latest Snybora release, the aptly named “Mud Puddle” edition. Produced by Squibbles Ink, the 4″ tall figure has been cast in tan coloured vinyl, coming with a burnt sienna rub, dark brown sprays, and glossy black eyes. Available exclusively from the Rotofugi store from Friday, April 27th at 11am, Mud Puddle Snybora can be yours for just $35 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// Rampage Toys at Superfestival 59…

Fresh from his recent debut show at Studio Uamou, Jon over at Rampage Toys has been readying yet another ginormous batch of customs for next week’s Superfestival! Featuring the first official painted run of Manotaur (replete with Ugly Unicorn sidekick!), Jon will also be dropping several collaborations, with Ilanena’s “Penguin Metrobayakan”, Chima Group’s “Neon Metallic” Amedasu, Peter Kato’s Rainbow Ninja Cats and Uamou’s X-Ray figures all lovingly hand painted by Jon. Anyone interested in picking up any of these beautiful figures but can’t make the event will be glad to know that Jon will be offering up any remaining customs (along with any surplus Design Fiesta pieces) to subscribers of his newsletter on May 14th. Head over to the Rampage Toys blog and sign up now to avoid disappointment!

MAN-E-NEWS// Box-O-Zombies customs from Adam Pratt…

With the utterly brilliant “Box-O-Zombies” touching down a few weeks back, our good friend Adam Pratt wasted no time in getting to work on them, with his first batch getting a full reveal last week. Consisting of 6 pvc “green soldier” style mounted figures, the Box-O-Zombies’ high level of realism and adherence to scale over the likes of S.L.U.G and OMFG has given Adam the leeway to produce some of the most jaw-dropping customs we’ve seen from the artist to date. Unfortunately, these guys have already found a home in one lucky person’s collection, but if you’re interested in bagging a set, head over to his site now to make an enquiry…

Box-O-Zombies press//

“Box O Zombies is owned by Immersive Realms, Inc. founded and operated by Shawn Recinto. The figures and artwork are created by a few Chicago artists who have a passion for zombies, figures, and just making things awesome. 

Box O Zombies was initially inspired by Shawn’s kids. Whenever he saw his sons play with their toys i.e. little green army men, they usually ended up pretending zombies were attacking their soldiers as they would try to protect/defend an area in their sister’s dollhouse. So Shawn looked online for some zombie figures similar to the little green army men and discovered that there were not many options. The options that were out there didn’t have that scary zombie look the toy soldiers would fear, so he pitched the idea to a local artist and thus Box O Zombies were born. 

Since December of 2010, our small group at Box O Zombies have been working hard to make this possible. We are proud to announce the beginning of a fun and creative company.”

MAN-E-NEWS// The Jelly Empire at MoCCA Fest 2012…

Jellybot Empress, Selina Briggs, kindly shares with us a promo for the upcoming Jellybot 2.0 release. Set to make its debut at this weekend’s MoCCA Fest (28th/29th April), the newly refined design (now including head articulation!) will be available alongside a whole host of other customs and crossovers, including the Jellactic Troops in both red and black/gold, the return of Jelly x Argonaut Resins crossover Bat-tuttz and Jelly Wonder, plus the 11″ x 17″ limited edition “Hail to the King” print! Stay tuned over the coming week, as both Selina and Eric of Argonaut Resins reveal they rest of the pieces that will be on offer at their must-see MoCCA booth…

Digging the music in the promo? Good friends with Selina, UK artist JDevious from the ‘W.A.T Brighton?’ Crew was responsible for the awesome track. Head over to his Soundcloud and Facebook pages if your interested in hearing more…

MAN-E-NEWS// JC Rivera’s customs for the Most Wanted: Behind The Hype show…

The ever busy JC Rivera (yes, this is the third post he’s featured in this week!) is proud to reveal his entry for 1AM‘s Most Wanted show, not one, but five amazing customs! Featuring a seven eared 8″ and 3″ Dunny, a horned 7″ and 5″ Munny, and a 3″ Dunny, Rivera’s trademark skull motif has been beautifully realised, featuring the ultra-tight sculpting and brush work we’ve come to expect from the prolific artist. No news on availability or pricing on these, so stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks as we lead up to the show…

Opening on May 11th at the 1AM Gallery, 1000 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94103, the “Most Wanted Show: Behind The Hype” is set to feature custom works from Carson Catlin, Dr. Befa, Sergio Mancini, Art My Mind, Tim Munz, Nikejerk, RunDMB, MuffinMan, PAUSE, and of course, JC Rivera…

MAN-E-NEWS// Smorkin’ Labbit Clear Pink and Blue Editions from Kozik x Kidrobot…

“See the light where the sun don’t shine! Introducing 10-inches of absurdly luminous vinyl, complete with solid matte cigarette and butthole. So radiant and soft, Labbit looks angelic – even when smorkin’.”

The Labbit train shows no sign of slowing this year as Frank Kozik and Kidrobot reveal yet another stunning edition, the 10″ Clear Smorkin’ Labbit. Shining bright in 2 lambent shades, Pink and Blue, the clear cast vinyl figure will be available from May 10th at Kidrobot stores, Kidrobot.com and select retailers worldwide for just $60 each…

MAN-E-NEWS// eeKs’ “Screamer” resin bust now available…

Hot off the heels of his recent “NomNoms” collaboration with JC Rivera, eeKs is proud to reveal that the highly anticipated “Screamer” bust is finally available to purchase. With an initial run in white resin, the 4.5″ x 4.25″ monstrosity comes ready for customising, or if you prefer, can be hand painted by eeKs on request. Priced at just $30 (unpainted) plus shipping, make your way over to the eeKs Art store to bag yours now. Stay tuned for info on forthcoming colourways/editions in the coming weeks…

After working with JC Rivera on the NomNoms project, eeKs couldn’t resist commissioning a one-of-a-kind Screamer bust from the artist, and as you can see below, he didn’t disappoint! Rivera’s unique brush work has really helped to highlight the beautiful detail of eeKs’ sculpt, elevating an already awesome piece to a whole new (and gruesome!) level. Unfortunately this guy is for eeKs’ personal collection and wont be for sale- that’s not to say you can’t try hitting them both up with a request!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Krink NYC vs. Monster Kolor Paint Battle at Kidrobot NY…

Next month sees Kidrobot NYC play host to the first ever Krink NYC vs. Monster Kolor Paint Battle! With Auks One and Mr Munk fighting in the Krink corner, Matt Walker’s calling on the talents of Lamour Supreme and the Sucklord to throw down some paint for the MK team. Featuring a plethora of live painting, custom toys and freebies, be sure to head down to KRNY on May 3rd at 6pm for what could be the battle of the century!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Heavy Metal Qee closing party (and custom sale at Fugi.me)…

Following our visit to the HMQ (Heavy Metal Qee) custom show earlier in the week (here), we couldn’t resist popping down again on Thursday night to catch up with a few of the show’s featured artists. Whilst we weren’t able to stay for long, one man we did manage to speak to was custom legend, Jon Paul Kaiser. Letting slip that he’s currently planning a full time leap into toys soon, we can only imagine what this is going to mean for his already steady output of production and custom pieces- world domination?!! His entry, “Untitled”, was inspired by Nottingham based sludgecore metal group Iron Monkey, featuring the same engaging mix of hand drawn detailing and meticulous brush work that we’ve come to expect from JPK’s unique b/w style- a truly stand out piece that stayed true to the Qee design…

[Jon Paul Kaiser & Myself]

One of our favourite “how did they do that?!” pieces from the show (believe me, there was a few!) was Mark Treharne‘s “Brainstorm”, so it came with great pleasure to get a chance to speak with the man himself about the custom’s creation. Funnily enough, the intricate grey dome head piece was originally a rubber dog toy before Mark added LED lit tubes, a Toyer incrusted pod and VR visor! Mounted on a smooth grey platform with a sparkling blue inlay, Mark’s minimal choice of colours really help to bring the custom’s production qualities to the forefront. A Design Technology teacher by day, Mark mentioned that he is also currently working on a custom toy after-school club for his pupils (boy, I wish he had been at my school!).

[Mark Treharne and his “Brainstorm” custom, middle, 2nd shelf]

Creator of the beautifully sculpted “Acetone to the Bone” (the red, 3 eyed satanic dog creature!), P J Constable was the youngest entrant to the HMQ show at only 15. Anyone interested in seeing more of his work will be interested to know that he will be exhibiting a piece at the upcoming Flatties “Dragon” show on Saturday, August 18th at 6pm at The Sho Gallery in Cardiff. Check his site here for more details…

[15 year old toy customiser P J Constable]

Head over to our earlier post for a more comprehensive selection of HMQ photos…

HMQ customs now available at Fugi.me…

[Lunartik’s “Waves” Knucklebear custom]

Whilst the show sadly closed on Thursday night, anyone interested in grabbing their favourite piece will be glad to know that the 30 heavy metal infused customs are available from the Fugi.me store now. With prices starting at £30 for Fordybo’s “Mortimer”, and going all the way up to £1,400 for Lunartik‘s monumental “Waves” Knucklebear custom (pictured above), there’s a piece suitable for all budgets. Anyone interested should head over to the store quick, as many of the customs are finding new homes already…

MAN-E-NEWS// Custom Quad Stug Box Set [Update] from Adam Pratt x Rivet Wars…

Featured here last week, Ted Terranova and Adam Pratt‘s custom “Blighter Quad Stug” box set will finally be touching down in the Rivet Wars store next week- replete with a whole host of unexpected treats! Featuring 5 custom Quad Stugs from our good friend Adam, each lucky collector who manages to snag one will also receive the following-

Watercolor (1 of 5) – original painted by Ted Terranova on 90 lbs. cold press
Keg of Rumple Minze Schnapps – toy barrel for keeping up morale
Stug Stats Card
Combat orders in a wax sealed envelope
Production tag for each unique set
Unique Print of the Rivet Wars Rocket Cycle box cover art
Custom foam lined case

Easily the most feature packed and comprehensive Rivet Wars release to date, the Quad Stug box set will be retailing for just $85 plus shipping. Anyone interested in picking up this fine package is going to need to head over to the Rivet Wars store on Thursday, April 26th at 9pm EST prompt- we give them 2 minutes before they’re all gone!

NOTE// Check out our earlier post for a better selection of finished Stug pics…

MAN-E-NEWS// Custom metallic “Ice Scream Man” from Brown Magic Paint Co. x Brutherford Industries…

Bryan over at Brutherford Industries is proud to reveal the first custom “Ice Scream Man” series from the Brown Magic Paint Co. Known for their decadent custom pieces ranging from iPhone cases to vintage luggage, BMP Co have given the highly popular vinyl figure a stunning metallic makeover that stays true to the already brilliant original. Available in 2 colourways, “Stainless Steel Strawberry” and “Heavy Metal Mint”, the pair have been limited to just 5 pieces, each coming signed and numbered with their own BMP customised box. Available on the Brutherford Industires store now, the metallic Ice Scream Man can be yours for just $125 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// The custom “Sai Kang Warriors” from Daniel Yu…

Daniel Yu aka Dory (creator of the awesome Crawdad Kid OMFG figure) kindly shares with us his latest project, the “Sai Kang Warriors”. Celebrating the often overlooked labourers that keep our environment safe and clean, the 5 heavily modified Playmobil figures have been expertly sculpted with epoxy clay and hand painted with acrylics. Truly some of the most beautiful customs we’ve ever laid eyes on, the 3″ figures’ level of detail is truly astonishing; from the rat perched on Collector of Garbage 2’s shoulder, to the gloves and straps on Worker of Construction’s safety vest, the unique sculpting style draws on everything that made Crawdad Kid such a success.

Here Daniel explains a little about the thinking behind the project-

“The term “sai kang”, translated from chinese dialect, refers to an unpleasant and undesirable task; or in more literal terms, a shit job. This series seeks to place emphasis on the everyday blue collar worker. The blank, vacant look on each one is reflective of how society views such labourers – without an identity. I wanted to create a sense of individuality for each of the characters, a reminder that the people behind these jobs are integral towards the functioning of our social structure.”

Unfortunately the “Sai Kang Warriors” aren’t for sale at the moment, but if they do ever become available you can be sure to read about it here first! Check out the Doryphunk blog for a closer look at Daniel’s work…

MAN-E-NEWS// The custom “Vandalised Graffiti Truck” from Hoakser…

Since opening his newly designed site, UK based graffiti artist Hoakser has once again been hitting the customs hard, with his first reveal coming in the form of the breathtaking “Vandalised Graffiti Truck”! Hand painted with acrylics, and weathered to the high standard we’ve come to expect from the artist, the transformed old toy truck has been adorned with 2 chrome, white and black pieces, reading “Addicted to GRAFFITI” and, of course, “HOAKSER”. Up for auction on the Hoakser eBay store as of yesterday, the reserve on this stunning piece has been set at just 99p plus shipping, with bidding closing on April 26th at 3.46pm BST…

MAN-E-NEWS// The new “Tokoji Seijen” from Cometdebris…

After almost a 2 year hiatus, the loveable kaiju “Tokoji Seijen” is back in a brand new colourway! Designed by Cometdebris and produced by Gargamel, the stunning figure has been cast in red vinyl with metallic green and gold sprays, a detailed two color shell, and bright yellow eyes. Dropping exclusively on the Cometdebris shop tomorrow (April 21st) at 8pm PDT for an undisclosed price, anyone interested in bagging the beast is going to need to be prompt- he wont be hanging around for long!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Mini Mecha DIY resin figure from DMS…

Swiftly following the first painted test pull of the ‘Mini Mecha’ (featured here), UK based artist DMS is proud to reveal that it will be making its debut on the DMS store today (April 20th) in Blank/DIY form! Standing at 2.75″ tall, the untreated (slight sanding/flash removal required) hand-cast figure has been designed for toy customisers and lovers of raw resin! Coming in an open edition, expect the Mini Mecha to drop on the store at 6pm GMT, priced at a unbelievable $10 shipped worldwide (going to have to stop myself from buying an army of these guys!).

But that’s not all! DMS will also be giving away prizes for the best customs! Simply send a photograph of your customised Mini Mecha to the following address: minimecha@dms-one.net. Close date and prizes will be revealed shortly…

MAN-E-NEWS// Turtum Micci series 3 and “Icy” Yarn Shroom resin figures from ESC Toy…

Previewed a couple of weeks back (here), Erick Scarecrow of ESC Toy is proud to present the latest additions to the popular Turtum Micci line, Series 3! Featuring 6 stunning new colourways; Shiro, Jelly Shot, Pink Lemonade, Lapiz, Limon and Mystery Denim, the hand cast resin figures are set to come in a mixture of clear and opaque resin designs. Launching as an open edition, the 3.25″ tall figures are packaged in a reveal-window box with a price tag of just $20 each plus shipping. Be sure to hit the ESC Toy store tomorrow (Friday, 2oth April), at 11am EST to secure yours…

Releasing alongside Turtum Micci tomorrow comes the latest original resin figure from Erick, the Yarn Shroom “Icy” colourway. Coming with a beautiful purple to red hand-sprayed fade, the 3.25″ tall clear resin figure has been limited to just 20 pieces worldwide. Priced at $45 plus shipping, these signed, numbered and hand packed figures wont be around for long (direct link here)…