MAN-E-NEWS// The Square Companion from Valve x threeA revealed…

With speculation regarding the recently announced Valve x 3A Toys collaboration reaching fever pitch, the 3A production blog has finally quelled any rumours with the reveal of the Square Companion. Combining Portal’s much loved cube with WWR’s Square robot, the figure is likely to make it’s debut at this year’s NYCC in October. Ashley Wood has previously mentioned that the Valve partnership is likely to spread across several IPs, so there’s still a chance that we’ll be seeing Half Life’s DØg or Left for Dead’s Smoker in the near future. Expect more news on this monumental collaboration as soon as it hits…

Featured here a couple of weeks back, 3A Toys’ latest collaboration with comic book legends 2000AD, Ro-Jaws, is finally available to pre-order exclusively from Bambaland now (March 22nd) for just $110 shipped. Anyone lucky enough to own a 3AA membership also has access to the limited ‘Blackhole’ edition (pictured). Anyone interested should head over to the store now- Ro-Jaws will only be up for 24 hours…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Green-Gold Leader Turtle Tetsujin from Peter Kato available now…

This month saw the opening of Peter Kato‘s long awaited online store, giving us, and all of Peter’s other hardcore fans the chance of finally picking up the sought after First Turtle Tetsujin alongside a host of other awesome resin minis and buttons. Unfortunately, many missed Peter’s signature figure (the little guy vanished pretty quickly!), so in response Peter has swiftly produced version 2, the beautiful Green-Gold Leader Turtle Tetsujin! Cast in clear green resin with gold-leaf metallic detailing and solid racing stripes, Leader TT sees the return of illustrated character Little Pea, the sleeping fetus that lives in and gives inspiration to the giant robot. Released exclusively through peterkatoshop.com last night (March 20th), Green-Gold Leader Turtle Tetsujin has been limited to an edition of 12 with a price tag of just $20 a piece plus shipping…

Be sure to head over to Peter’s store for a constantly updated selection of resin figures including the new Jet Black Fright Bite, Kawako, and our favourite, little Man-Nie…

 

 

MAN-E-NEWS// The new Gundam Graff Bombers from Hoakser…

Hot off the heals of last week’s drop (find out more here), UK based graffiti artist Hoakser is proud to present 2 new awesome additions to the Gundam Graff Bombers series. Slightly smaller, and a little less articulated than the previous release (pictured centre), these 2 monster robo graff artists more than make up for any shortcomings in their sheer sense of style and finesse.

Featuring towering back pieces, huge wings, and an intimidating choice of firepower, the 2 burnt and rusted bots stand at around 20cm tall from spike to base. Priced at just £59.99 each plus shipping, the Gundam Graff Bombers are available alongside their bigger brother  from Hoakser’s eBay store now. Click through to the Hoakser blog for more information…

MAN-E-NEWS// The DIY vinyl Zukie from Alison Perez coming soon…

On top of the slew of paintings, illustrations, original toys, and customs that Alison Perez (aka Miss Zukie) has dropped this year, there’s been one project that she’s kept firmly close to her chest until now, the DIY Zukie! Standing at around 4″ tall, the rotocast vinyl figure should be landing in the Zukie store sometime in May for just $9.95 plus shipping. We’re so pleased to see Alison’s creations finally make the transition to production piece, especially in vinyl- here’s hoping it’s the first of many…

“Keep your eyes open because ZUKIE ARE GOING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!”

MAN-E-NEWS// Screaming for the Sunrise ‘Pearl’ edition from Yoskay Yamamoto x Munky King…

Coinciding with Yoskay Yamamoto‘s exhibition, “Joke’s On Me”, this weekend (March 24th) at Lebasse Chinatown, Munky King are proud to present the fourth edition of the artist’s ‘Screaming for the Sunrise’ figure. Coming in a mesmerising ‘Pearl’ colourway, the 6″ tall vinyl dragon comes with a removable sheer ribbon and is packaged in a decadent gold foil box. Available exclusively through Munky King from March 26th with a price tag of $120, the ‘Pearl’ edition has been limited to just 200 pieces. Anyone interested in getting a look at the figure beforehand should head over to Yoskay’s show this weekend, where the stunning piece will be making it’s debut…

[Previews from Yoskay’s upcoming ‘Joke’s On Me’ exhibition]

MAN-E-NEWS// Askew Rangers ‘Mickey Malice’ custom from Josh Mayhem…

As mentioned here last week, Josh Mayhem will be bringing the tooled-up Askew Rangers to a number of custom shows this year, with the latest coming in the form of Malice Mickey for the upcoming Play Imaginative x Disney custom Mickey Mouse group show in Singapore. Featuring the clean lines, considered choice of colour and subtle sculpt details we’ve come to expect from the long running custom series, Malice Mickey comes with a whole host of accessories including a fully functional spring loaded rocket launcher with replaceable missiles- the perfect blend of action figure and art!

Anyone interested in purchasing one of Josh’s pieces should head over to Tenacious Toys, where there are currently 10 Askew Rangers (including the recently featured Buggz) up for grabs, priced between $75-$300 plus shipping…

With upcoming shows including the Playsam 500 custom group show at Super 7 in San Francisco and the Bellicosity custom group show at Toy Art Gallery in Los Angeles, expect to see a lot more from Josh on MAN-E-TOYS soon. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks, and be sure to head over to the Mayhem site for any custom commission requests…

MAN-E-NEWS// Warui Inu ‘Goth’ edition from Kaiju Coup x Medicom Toys…

The elusive Kaiju Coup is proud to present the latest addition in their creeped-out neo-kaiju series, Warui Inu ‘Goth’ edition. Manufactured by Medicom Toys in Japan, the 6.5″ tall vinyl figure has been cast in yellow, green and orange marbled vinyl, with metalic purple and black sprays. Coming with the obligatory concrete block and chain, the gruesome mutt has been limited to 6 pieces worldwide. As with past releases, anyone interested in snapping up Warui Inu ‘Goth’ will need to register with Kaiju Coup (e-mail details to- kaijucoup@gmail.com) before March 24th to be entered into the lottery. Anyone lucky enough to win will be offered the bagged and headed figure for just $220 plus shipping…

MAN-E-NEWS// “Vader on Vacation” resin figure from My Royal Ego…

Hot off the heels of My Royal Ego‘s ‘Vader on Board‘ release last month, Abell Octovan has once again parodied the Dark Sith Lord in his latest resin drop, ‘Vader on Vacation’. Coming once again in a strictly limited edition of 2, the black and gold 8″ figure replaces sneakers and skate deck with more laid back approach to attire, sporting a pair of flip flops and surfboard fit for the perfect holiday in the sun! Priced at just $180 plus shipping, ‘Vader on Vacation’ is available to purchase directly from Octovan ( jellyokky@yahoo.com) now…

MAN-E-NEWS// The Aurora Mixed Glow Greasebat from Jeff Lamm x Monster Workshop…

Hot off the heels of the recent Plague of Kusogon boxset drop, Monster Workshop have once again teamed up with Jeff Lamm for the latest Greasebat kaiju release, the Aurora Mixed Glow edition. Inspired by the Aurora model kits of the 60’s and 70’s, Greasebat comes with an authentic ‘kit-green’ body, glow in the dark arms and head, plus pink and black hand painted detailing. Available from the Monster Workshop store this Friday (March 23rd)) at 7 PM EDT, Aurora Mixed Glow Greasebat can be yours for just $75 plus shipping…

[info- VinylPulse]

MAN-E-NEWS// Jon Paul Kaiser x Toy2R x Yoyamart Star Wars project teased…

Jon Paul Kaiser has just revealed a tentative image from his latest project, a collaboration with Toy2R and Yoyamart. With just an image of the Death Star to go on, we can only begin to speculate what this is going to entail- judging by the lack of an official Star Wars or Lucas Film presence, we’re guessing that this will be (at least initially) a custom toy run. The date, 10.11.12, just so happens to coincide with the first day of NYCC 2012, so the money is on that whatever is planned, New York will be the place to witness it. Expect more news on this massive project as soon as it hits…

MAN-E-NEWS// UME Toys’ Bassett D Kay custom sculpture for the Candy-Coated Custom Show…

Richard Page of UME Toys is proud to reveal the return of Bassett D Kay, now more tooth-rotingly grotesque than ever! Standing at around 5″ tall, the nightmarish ode to Bertie Bassett (mascot of the British sweets, Bassett’s Liquorice Allsorts) was created for Tenacious Toys‘ first ever exhibition, The Candy-Coated Custom Show. To be held at The London Candy Company on Lexington Ave & 94th street NY on Saturday April 21 (opening party 7-9pm), the show is set to feature a huge list of the scene’s finest including Jon Malmstedt, Rsin, JC Rivera, Cris Rose and our good friend Adam Pratt. In a nod to the location, the themes of the show are candy and/or Britain, with no limitations on platform or medium (three ticks for Bassett D Kay then!). With custom toys, original sculpts, and even a Doc Martin boot in tow, expect to bare witness to an astonishing amount of variety and imagination when the LCC finally opens it’s doors next month…

“Watch your sweet cupboards as Bassett D Kay is back, munching on all the goodies you’ve stuffed away for that sweet rainy day.”

MAN-E-NEWS// Smash Tokyo Toys’ new toy line sneak peak…

After the successful launch of Seismic Ace last year, Smash Tokyo Toys set about working on a whole line of mini robot figures, the results of which have recently been (partially) revealed in the above teaser. Featuring designs from the likes of Turbopistola, the series is set to feature 4 different body sculpts and 8 different heads (5 of which can be seen here), bringing the potential number of figures up to a whopping 32! The final designs are making their way over to sculptors in Japan as we speak, so be sure to keep checking the STT blog for updates on the project over the coming weeks…

MAN-E-NEWS// ‘Heartache’ aromatherapy designer plush from Taylored Curiosities…

Plymouth based designer plush company Taylored Curiosities (find out more here) have just revealed the latest addition to therapeutic toy line ‘Feelings’ in the form of Heartache. Standing at around 4″ tall, the enchanting little creature has been made from super-soft lilac fleece, coming with wonky mismatched safety eyes and a hand stitched woolen cross where the poor little guy’s heart should be. Lovingly stuffed with an “extra squishy chubby belly” and a marjoram filling (a proven aromatic remedy to help deal with grief), Heartache is available from the Taylored Curiosities Etsy store for just £7 ($11.38) plus shipping…

“Grief and loss are feelings that we have all experienced at points in our lives. Heartache is here to help you deal with that naturally. The aromatherapy will calm and soothe you, easing the heartache and feelings of grief.”

MAN-E-NEWS// Zukie and Munko customs from Alison Perez…

Set to drop alongside the So Hungry! Zukies and Tiny Zukie World later this week comes the latest custom series from Alison Perez, Zukie & MUNKO. Created using a mixture of David Choe’s DIY MUNKO platform and Sculpey, the adorable trio have been airbrushed and hand painted to perfection. Limited to an edition of just 2 (blue MUNKO and pink MONKOSAURAUS), Zukie & Munko will be available from Alison’s store this Wednesday (March 21st) for an undisclosed price. Head over to the Zukie blog for more details…

MAN-E-NEWS// The new Gundam Graff Bomber custom from Hoakser…

UK based graffiti artist and toy customiser Hoakser is proud to present the latest addition to the Gundam Graff Bomber family. As with recent Dominant Species custom, Leatherback, Hoakser has really taken this piece to another level, featuring an authentic rust paint job, the trademark cap head, and a beautifully finished war torn base.

Standing at around 20cm from spike to toe, the Gundam kit custom comes with articulation in his shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, ankles and knees, giving any lucky collector a number of options for display. Priced at just £79.99, the Gundam Graff Bomber is available from Hoakser’s eBay store now. Click through to the Hoakser blog for more information…

MAN-E-NEWS// The 6″ PeeNut MEGA B.A.S.T.A.R.D from Triclops Studio x Unbox Industries…

Originally part of the B.A.S.T.A.R.D (Bootleg Army Stuck Together And Randomly Designed) hand cast resin series that made an appearance at SDCC 2011, Triclops‘ M.U.S.C.L.E inspired PeeNut figure is set to be released by Unbox Industries as an oversized MEGA B.A.S.T.A.R.D! Coming in 3 tasty colourways; classic M.U.S.C.L.E pink, Lagoon blue & Clops purple, the 6″ tall vinyl figure will be up for grabs from the Unbox Industries store for a ‘(nut) cracking’ price of just £28 or $45 plus shipping from the first week in April. Each figure is set to come in a baggie, and in true B.A.S.T.A.R.D.’s style, with a bootlegged header-card inspired by old skool M.U.S.C.L.E. art…

MAN-E-NEWS// VALVE x threeA Toys collaboration announced…

Briefly mentioned in last week’s 3AVOX newsletter, 3A Toys have finally revealed their latest collaborative partner as computer game giants, VALVE! Creator of the last decade’s most influential games including Half Life, Portal and Team Fortress, we can only begin to wonder what creations threeA will be working their magic on; Portal’s Atlas and P-Body? Half Life 2’s DØg? or even Left for Dead’s Smoker as an AP Zomb?! Only time will tell…

Expect more news on this jaw-dropping collaboration as soon as it hits…

MAN-E-NEWS// Rampage Toys project updates…

Gearing up for his first solo exhibition at Studio Uamou next week, Jon over at Rampage Toys has given us a sneak peak of the vast amount of original and custom creations that will be on offer. Featuring a staggering list of 80+ sofubi and 100+ other items, the show will include 15 Ugly Unicorns (2 micro runs and 5 customs), around 60 Uamous (including a run of 30 skeletal x-rays and a TON of customs), plus a whole host paintings, buttons, and screen prints!

Opening next Thursday (March 22nd), the Rampage Toys Exhibition will be running until April 3rd at Studio Uamou in Tokyo’s Akihabara…

Jon received the first batch of Manotaur figures early this week (find out more here), and as you can see, has wasted no time in giving them the full Rampage work out! Making its debut at the Emerald City Con at the end of the month (March 29th), the Imps and Monsters designed 8″ sofubi is still available to pre-order in either white or black from Justin Hillgrove’s store for just $65 a piece. Stay tuned for more custom paint reveals soon…

MAN-E-NEWS// The new 7″ Munny World and 20″ Mega Munnys from Kidrobot…

Kidrobot has just revealed their latest series that will please the custom community the world over, the 7″ Munny World series! Munny, Raffy, Foomi and Trikky will all be available in their much requested new size from April 12th at your local Kidrobot retailer. Coming packaged in a closed box with one mystery accessory, practice sticker, and “Hello My Name Is” card, the new 7″ Munny World figures have been priced at just $19.95 each…

“Scribble on TRIKKY, create SiaMUNNY twins, craft a two-headed octoped RAFFY monster, or build a FOOMI army! Or… you could get just one, cherish it, and save the rest of your money for a leopard-print jetski.”

Not content with just one new Munny release, Kidrobot have also announced the arrival of the new Mega Munny Glossy! Standing at an impressive 20″, the new polished addition will be available in either white, black or blue colourways. Hitting Kidrobot retailers alongside the 7″ Munny World figures on April 12th, Mega Munny Glossy can be yours for just $250…

“Mega MUNNY Glossy is a beacon from the future; a future where you can draw on your Mega MUNNY, wipe clean, and draw again. Mega MUNNY Glossy has all of the customizing possibilities of matte Mega MUNNY with the addition of dry erase markers – or you can keep it just as it is: clean, elegant, and super smooth.”