MAN-E-NEWS// ToyCon UK 2013 confirmed…

Designer toy collectors Jonjo Glynn, Ben Hart and Barry Darnell have finally answered the prayers of thousands here in the UK, with the official reveal of the country’s very first art toy convention! Dubbed ToyCon UK, the event is set to take place on Saturday, April 6th 2012 (364 days and counting!) at the Baden Powell House in Kensington, London. With most of the UK’s premier talent already confirmed including A Little Stranger, Cris Rose, Doktor A, Fugi.me, Hang Gang, Lunabee , Jon-Paul Kaiser, Matt “Lunartik” Jones, Mintyfresh, TADO, Triclops, The Tarantulas, Squink, Ume Toys, and Unbox Industries, ToyCon UK is already looking to compete with it’s bigger US counterparts, offering the best in vinyl, resin, and plush that our little island has to offer. Expect more news on this awesome project soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Bearycalm vinyl figure from Bubi Au Yeung and Camilo Bejarano…

“This asymmetrical work of art was born from the friction of lead, paper, and two creative minds that live 8,917 miles away from each other. But beware, Bearycalm has some side effects which may include trouble getting angry or sad, lowering stress, and reducing the amount of white hairs.Please consult your doctor before pledging for Bearycalm.“

Bearycalm is the first creation from artist duo Bubi Au Yeung (designer of Treeson) and Camilo Bejarano, and with your help the pair are hoping to get the adorable 5″ character produced in vinyl! With a Kickstarter campaign already underway, Bubi and Camilo are offering a number of different tiers, with pledges for the figure starting as low as $45 for the standard white edition and just $55 if you want to go with Mint Fresh green. Be sure to head over to the project page to make your contribution before closing on Saturday, May 19th at 12.27am EDT…

MAN-E-NEWS// ‘Zone 6’ figure from Erick Scarecrow x Eno…

Erick Scarecrow reveals yet another incoming project, the ‘Zone 6’ collaboration with Japan artist Eno of Tomenosuke. Set to drop at the tail end of 2012, details on pricing and availability are scarce, but from what we can tell from the above image, this Eastern inspired piece is set to become one of ESC Toy’s most sought after resin releases yet. We’ll bring you more news on the project as soon as it hits, and in the mean time, head over to Erick’s blog for up to date info on all of ESC Toy’s forthcoming releases…

MAN-E-NEWS// Chubbs resin figure from We Kill You x Chubby Boob Nerd Crew…

Hot off the heels of his first show in LA (A Cry For Help In A World Gone Mad), Justin P aka We Kill You is proud to present his first collaboration with CBNC (Chubby Boob Nerd Crew), the Chubbs resin figure. Hand cast and painted in a variety of vivid colours, each one-off custom comes with it’s own CBNC logo mask and skateboard. Set to drop alongside a whole host of other customs, t shirts and artwork leftover from the show, Chubbs will be available exclusively from the We Kill You store today (April 5th) from 12pm PST…

MAN-E-NEWS// ‘InstaCharacter’ Instagram figure from JC Rivera…

Social media, pop culture and art toys collide in the latest concept sculpt from JC Rivera, the ‘InstaCharacter’. Taking the logo from everybody’s  favourite photo sharing app, Instagram, Rivera originally designed the figure way back last year, resting dormant until now… Recently receiving full backing from the app’s owners, Rivera has since gone on to make a clay prototype which has then been digitally re-sculpted by Scott Wetterschneider. The only problem with the project thus far is that Rivera is still to find a company  that will fund a production run of these awesome little guys. It’s hard to understand why anyone wouldn’t jump at the chance at producing these potentially lucrative figures, so we’re guessing it’ll be just a matter of time. Stay tuned in the coming months for more info, and in the mean time, head over to the JC Rivera site to check out his amazing custom and original work…

MAN-E-NEWS// Easter custom Sprogs from Lunabee x Cris Rose…

The unlikely marriage of industrious robots and whimsical painting is upon us once more… as Lunabee proudly presents her latest collaboration with Cris Rose, the Easter Sprog custom series! Featuring 5 original Sprogs (including 2 Renolds and a Rigel) plus 2 Robobees, the hand painted one-off resin figures will be available exclusively on the Lunabee shop from 7pm today (April 5th) for just $80 each plus shipping. Anyone interested in picking up one of these awesome customs should act quick- the last batch of Robobees vanished in a matter of seconds!

MAN-E-NEWS// The Glyos Granthan Armorvor head sculpt from The Godbeast…

Recently revealed over on the TGB blog, Marty “The Godbeast” Hansen is proud to present his latest Glyos head sculpt, the Granthan. Created for the popular Armorvor figure, originally designed by Onell‘s Matt Doughty, sculpted by Jason Frailey, and cast by Marty himself, the Granthan lizard ranks alongside the recent Cobra head (find out more here) as one of our favourite sculpts from The Godbeast yet. It’s still not clear as to whether this guy will be getting an official release, so be sure to keep checking the Glyos/TGB blogs in the coming weeks for more info on the project…

MAN-E-NEWS// Adam Pratt’s ‘Thomas the Rage Engine’ for the Candy-Coated Custom Show…

Stepping up his custom game once again, Adam Pratt shares with us his entry for the upcoming Candy-Coated Custom Show (find out more here)- the awe-inspiring ‘Thomas the Rage Engine’! Featuring the iconic British steam train kit-bashed with a Dust Walker amongst a host of other pieces, the beautifully finished figure comes with a stunning paint job faithful to both sources; marrying the primary blues and reds of Thomas with the gritty, weathered aesthetic of DUST. Available to purchase at the Tenacious Toys x London Candy Co. show (opening April 21st) for an undisclosed price, the Fat Conductor’s worst nightmare will be making an appearance alongside works from the likes of  Jon Malmstedt, Rsin, JC Rivera, Cris Rose and Richard Page. Be sure to head over to the Tenacious Toys blog for up to date information on the event in the coming weeks…

[Thomas the Rage Engine by Adam Pratt- Check out the tiny Union Jack on his right hip!]

MAN-E-NEWS// The Pandaimyo 5″ Mini Qee from Jon Paul Kaiser…

Following the success of a number of 5″ Mini Qees over the past year including the stunning Captain Sturnbrau, Jon Paul Kaiser and Toy2R have once again teamed up for the release of Pandaimyo! Originally featuring as a one-off custom Dunny in April of last year, the samurai panda warrior appears to be making a smooth transition to the familiar 5″ format, if anything appearing more detailed and better suited to the new platform. No solid news on pricing or availability, but our guess is that these guys will be making an appearance sometime this summer for around $28 each…

MAN-E-NEWS// Patient No.6 ‘White and Red’ resin series…

Ukrainian resin artist Patient No.6 has just revealed his latest batch of weird and wonderful creations, the White and Red series. Currently looking for funding through Indiegogo (a Kickstarter-esque backer site), Patient No.6 hopes to release 6 5″ resin figures, featuring a mixture of both new and well known faces including Patient No.6 in Car, Gagarin in Rocket and the Doctor. With donation tiers starting from as little as $6 ($41 will get you a choice of 1 figure), be sure to head over to the project page and make your pledge before closing on Tuesday, May 8th…

[info- spankystokes]

MAN-E-TOYS// The Tenebrae: Droffus from Patricio Oliver x Unbox Industries…

Last month Patricio Oliver turned to his fans to help decide which Tenebrae inhabitant should be realised as a toy next. With voting on the 4 available characters closing at the beginning of the month, Oliver has finally revealed the winner to be Droffus, with a discernable 47% of the vote. Set to be produced by premier UK art toy house Unbox Industries in the near future, be sure to keep checking both Oliver‘s and the Unbox Industries Facebook pages for up to date info…

MAN-E-NEWS// Easter Pocket Pork Dumplings from Shawnimals x myplasticheart x Squibbles Ink…

“Grab the kids, it’s time for a good old fashioned Easter egg hunt Pocket Pork style!”

myplasticheart are proud to present their latest collaboration with Shawnimals, the Easter Pocket Pork Dumplings! Produced by Squibbles Ink, each Pork Dumpling has been hand painted in a variety of Easter themed pastel hues, coming with either open or closed eyes. Featuring 6 different variations, the blind boxed series will be hitting the myplasticheart store tomorrow (April 5th) for just $11.99 plus shipping.

Anyone attending this year’s C2E2 in Chicago later this month will be glad to know that Shawnimals will be releasing a Con exclusive dumpling, the Pork & Bean edition. Head over to their booth (#650) to be in with a chance of picking this little fella up…

MAN-E-NEWS// New custom Cosmic Squadrons from Todd Robertson x Dead Presidents Designs…

Matt Walker of Monster Kolor/Dead Presidents is proud to present the latest round of Cosmic Squadron customs from Todd Robertson. Featuring a series of 3 plus a one of creation, the 4 articulated vinyl figures have been expertly painted in a number of vivid metalic Monster Kolor sprays. Priced at just $300 a piece, Todd’s Cosmic Squadrons are available exclusively from the Cosmic Squadron online store now.

Anyone interested in picking up the DIY version of the classically styled spaceman will be glad to know that the FOE Gallery shop still has a few available for $50 each plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// JellyBot 2.0 from Selina Briggs x Argonaut Resins…

The Jelly Empire’s Selina Briggs has just sent over a teaser for her latest project with Eric of Argonaut Resins, the JellyBot 2.0! Set to debut at the  MOCCA Festival in New York on April 28th and 29th, the pair have promised to reveal more about the project closer to the time. For now though, I guess we can only speculate from the above image what to expect- our money’s on a revised cube shaped body! Expect more info as soon as it hits…

MAN-E-NEWS// Turtum Micci Series 3 from ESC Toy…

Never one to rest on his laurels, Erick Scarecrow of ESC Toy is back with yet another limited resin release, Turtum Micci Series 3. Swiftly following February’s ‘Slate’ edition, Series 3 appears to be cast in clear resin with a multi-coloured (Monster Kolor?) paint job. News on pricing and availability are still thin on the ground, so be sure to keep checking the ESC Toy blog for further updates…

MAN-E-NEWS// Josh Mayhem’s custom Playsam Streamliner for the Playsam 500…

Josh Mayhem has sent over a work in progress shot of his entry for Super7’s upcoming Playsam 500 custom show. Following a similar aesthetic to Josh’s popular Askew Rangers custom series (albiet with a slightly more appropriate racing green colour scheme), the Streamliner is set to feature a plethora of mounted guns, working spring loaded rockets, and a custom cat Qee at the controls. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks for a final reveal…

Taking place at Super7’s San Francisco at the end of this month (April 28th), the Playsam 500 charity show is set to feature 59 different artists from 5 different nations, using the iconic Playsam Streamliner Car as a platform for their creations. Head over to the Playsam 500 Facebook page for more details…

[Standard Playsam Streamliner Car]

MAN-E-NEWS// The Tea Feelings from Taylored Curiosities…

Penny Taylor over at Taylored Curiosities has been kind enough to share with us her latest project, the Tea Feelings. Inspired by her love of a cuppa, Penny has fused her adorable plush creatures with resin, vintage tea cups, and her extensive knowledge of aromatherapy to create the perfect homage to Britain’s favourite beverage.

Penny explains a little about the project-

“I am combining plush, resin and vintage teacups to create these little creatures, bathing in tea, that have similar scents to their full plush counterparts.  Each ‘tea’ is a mixture of clear resin, layered with natural additives like rose petals, orange slices or lavender buds and then depending on the size of the teacup, one, two or maybe even three little creatures sit inside.  

These are different from my usual work as they are collectibles and each one will be one of a kind as I treasure hunt for reject teacups that no longer belong to full sets. The idea is that each type of ‘tea’ approaches a different aspect of life i.e. Tired tea has an orange scent which can help you feel more energetic and Love tea has a rose scent which makes you feel uplifted (the same as my Aromaterapy Plush).  What do you do when you have a problem? Pop the kettle on and chat it out.  These are based on a similar idea.

Those who follow my work, know how much of an over qualified tea drinker I am and these combine all the aspects that make my work ‘me’.  I have attached some photos of various angles to show the tea and the Feelings in it.  These will be something I am going to produce a lot more of in the future, working on each one like a small piece of art.”

With details on pricing and release dates for these beautiful creations still scarce, be sure to keep checking the Taylored Curiosities blog and Twitter feed for updates over the coming weeks…

MAN-E-NEWS// The new ‘Gray’ Healeymade x MPH resin series…

Hot off the heals of last month’s sellout ‘Purple’ IG-Baba and Wilde figures, myplasticheart is proud to present the latest batch of Healeymade figures in a brand new exclusive ‘Gray’ colourway! This time expect to see the intricately cast, multi-pieced Wilde in 2 alternating gray and clear colourways, whilst the ‘Imperial’ editions of both Jin Baba and IG-Baba feature a new technique, mixing a splash of opaque white in a clear and gray resin. With prices set at $64.99 for the 2 Wilde variants, and $39.99 for Jin Baba and IG-Baba, expect these resin masterpieces to vanish soon after their release this Thursday (April 5th) on the myplasticheart store…

MAN-E-NEWS// Zukie in a Bottle Part 2 from Alison Perez…

With the original ‘Zukie in a Bottle’ selling out in a matter of hours, Alison Perez (aka Miss Zukie) has bowed to the pressure from fans, with a second round set to drop later this week. Featuring a new and improved design, Alison has scrapped the original ‘thought scrolls’ in favour of painting the Zukie’s musings directly onto the inside of the glass. Created using a mixture of sculpey, hobby grass, clear resin, ink and a glass corked bottle, the latest (and sadly final) run of ‘Zukie in a Bottle’ has been limited to just 13 pieces. Priced at $35 each plus shipping, expect to see these hit the Zukie store this Friday, April 6th at Noon EST…

MAN-E-NEWS// Ramsay and Podgonauts resin figures from Cris Rose x Podgy Panda…

Teased here last week in unpainted form, Cris Rose and Podgy Panda‘s much talked about collaboration has finally been revealed in all its glory. Featuring head designs by Podgy Panda coupled with Rose’s instantly recognisable Sprog style sculpt, the pair are set to release to separate variations of the resin figure; Podgy Panda’s cute cartoon-like Podgonauts and Rose’s weathered robot panda chef, Ramsay.

Featuring a jumpsuit orange paint job, removable dome, and articulated head, both Podgonauts and Ramsey will be available exclusively from the artist’s stores (Podgy/Rose) from April 5th, limited to just 5 pieces each in this run (Edition A). Priced at $130 and $160 respectively, expect to see a very limited run of 3 “Dark Chocolatier” variants from Rose ($190), plus a whole host of one-off customs from Podgy (price undisclosed).

Also worth mentioning is the chase Monkey Mechanic that will be making it’s way to one lucky Podgonauts buyer. Coming in matching colours with a weathered rust finish from Rose, we’re hoping this isn’t the last we see of the space panda’s cute companion.

Podgy Panda is set to release a whole host of Podgonauts prints to coincide with the release, so keep checking his store here for further updates…