To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Mindstyle have just released their latest collaboration with Disney and CLOT, the 7″ ‘Silk’ Mickey Mouse. Available to purchase directly from the Mindstyle store, the vinyl figure has been priced at $120 plus shipping. The second of CLOT’s Mickey Mouse toys (3 eyed Mickey dropped last year, below), ‘Silk’ Mickey will be one of many coming from the artist this year- stay tuned for more news as it comes…
Coinciding with the celebration of Mad Magazine’s 60th Anniversary comes the return of legendary deadly duo, Spy vs Spy. First seen at the Spy vs Spy group custom show last year, the 9″ tall vinyl figures are available to purchase through DC Direct now, priced at $49.95 plus shipping for the pair.
The monochromatic mayhem these two terrifically sculpted 9″ figures will cause is augmented by the deadly array of weapons included. It’s like the Cold War never ended!
Sitting alongside the Spy vs Spy release, the highly anticipated vinyl editions of the Just-Us League of Stupid Heroes are also set to drop soon. Initially released as action figures a while back, the original Alfred E. Neuman styled characters return along with a few new additions including Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the series’ first villian, the Joker. Each figure is set to come blister packed, and whilst release dates and pricing are still to be confirmed, expect these guys to hit in the next few weeks…
Spotted during last weekend’s Mummy Boy Mania show, ‘Pocket Baseball Boy’ is the latest Mummy Boy creation from Super7’s Brian Flynn. Standing at around 3″ tall, the vinyl figure is set to drop soon in un-painted form, with more (as yet unconfirmed) colourways to follow.
Check our custom round-up this Thursday for a full reveal of Super7’s Mummy Boy Mania show…
After what has seemed like an age, Max Toy Co are finally releasing Lady Darkness upon the general public. Originally made available to Max Toy Club members, the remaining figures were put online in the Max Toy shop today (Tuesday Jan 31st @ 10 AM WC). With only 6 of the masked edition up for grabs (the face edition has long since sold out), competition’s going to be tight for what is arguably one of Max Toy Co’s strongest toy designs to date.
Coinciding with Lady Darkness’ arrival, Max Nagata will also be releasing a vibrant new colourway of infamous kaiju kitty, Kaiju Negora. Also originally available to MTC members, Kaiju Negora will once again be limited to just 6 pieces. For more information, check out the Max Toy site here.
Featured in our toy round-up a couple of weeks back, Rich over at UME Toys has just revealed images of Pembleton Stranglefoot’s first test pull- and it looks amazing! No news as of yet on edition size or pricing for the 4″ resin octopi, but stay tuned for an interview in the coming weeks where we’ll be probing Rich on the project, the future of UME Toys, and, of course, the recently announced JPK x Run DMB x UME collaboration.
(THAT JPK x Run DMB x UME Toys collaboration: Project X, more news soon!)
The eternally busy Huck Gee has just put the finishing touches to yet another custom project, this time in the form of the 8″ Kitsune Dunny. Limited to a run of ten, each figure has been signed, numbered and comes with all shown accessories. Priced at $750 each, anyone interested should e-mail Huck directly at sales@huckgee.com to arrange payment and shipping- the figures will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, so be sure to get in touch today!
Kitsune, the Seven Tailed Geisha. The Masked Beauty, the lover, the mirrored trickster. Protected by Kabuki, the Masked Ronin, her reflection of anger and retribution incarnate.
Originally available to purchase exclusively at Superfestival 58, limited quantities of Monster Worship’s ‘Grape Edition’ vinyl figures can now be picked up through their store here. Coming un-painted, the four toys available are as follows-
At the time of writing only Greasebat has sold out, so make sure you head over to the store before the rest vanish too…
Recently revealed on Toy2R’s Facebook page comes the third addition to the Love Bear Mini Qee series, Love Pink. Releasing in time for Valentines day, the 5″ fluffy vinyl bear is set to retail at $28, with reservations being taken at the Toy2R store now. No news as to edition size, so be sure to register your interest soon to secure yours for February 14th…
Love is in the air as Toy2R plans to release the third flocked 5″ Mini Qee Bear in the “Qee Loves” series. Introducing the Qee Loves Pink Mini Qee Bear. Following in the Qee-Steps as last year’s winter edition (Qee Loves White) and the classic spring edition (Qee Loves Green) Toy2R continues the cuteness with this pink edition.
Spike, the latest 5″ DIY Mini Qee platform, was also teased this week on the Toy2R site. No news yet as to which Mini Qees will be getting the ‘Spike’ treatment (the Bear and Toyer have been revealed so far), but we’ll bring you more news as soon as it hits. Can’t wait to see what the custom community can come up with on this one!
Hot off the heels of the Valentines Tetsujin Turtle release, Peter Kato is gearing up for another couple of releases this February in the form of Man-Nie and Fright Bite ‘Jet Black’. Whilst information is still scarce regarding the latest Fright Bite edition, Peter has confirmed that Man-Nie will be going on sale in his shop shortly after Valentines day at $10 each. Revealed at last year’s NYCC, Man-Nie went on to sell out within a matter of moments, so we’re stoked to see him make a return…
(A batch shot of Man-Nies made for NYCC 2011)
Peter has kindly given us a little background on the figure-
As a kid watching He-Man, that episode staring Man-E-Face, I always wondered, “What the heck does he look like under that helmet?” With that inspiration I started sculpting him. I imagined he would need to be represented as a youth before getting all buffed-out( which seemed to be a Eternian requirement), and I imagined him as a country bumpkin , classic farm-boy strong & kind-hearted who had dreams of being a great actor in the ” big city.” I also thought this was a tough time for him because he seemed so strange with three faces & each face having something to say made him a bit of an indecisive youth.
(Man-Nie Side by side with some M.U.S.C.L.E.S.)
When it came to actually casting out the figures at first I imagined I would hand-paint the details for the whole figure. I started with a fleshy base color since he was mostly naked ( I chose pinky-flesh versus the tan-color skin he has as an adult because I imagined that look came when he started working out & stuff). But as I looked at the fleshy figure I realized it had that perfect M.U.S.C.L.E.S (Kinnikuman) look to it & I decided to keep them as is.
An interesting point in the sculpt : the left hand is an open hand with fingers spread wide. I didn’t think about it at the time that as i made the mold for the finger that that would make the molding process difficult, so as simple as the figure is the left hand makes it a bit of a molding/casting nightmare. But I’m glad I did it because I imagined him to be a lefty, like me.
Early sculpting shots, this must have been around September of 2011. All started with hand sculpted wax/clay mixture. This figure took me about a week & a half to build up & finish. I usually work on two things at once to break up any monotony ( early FrightBite sculpt on the left).
Fondly remembered as the manager of Toy Tokyo during the art toy boom at the beginning of the 00’s, artist Peter Kato has quickly become recognised as one-to-watch in the contemporary indie toy scene. Developing and releasing several successful self-made toys, collaborating with industry veterans Ayako Takagi ( Uamou ) & Goto-San, plus holding down a place at the prestigious Cortes Studio, meant that 2011 quickly became one of Peter’s busiest years yet, and with the array of projects lined up in the near future, including the re-release of the awesome Man-Nie figure (featured below), 2012 is guaranteed to follow suit…
We were lucky to get some time with the man himself to discuss his influences, the challenges of the indie toy scene, and the future of Tetsujin Turtle-
What got you into the art toy scene, and toys in general? Your Man-Nie figure pays a loving tribute to Man-E-Faces, did MOTU play a big part in your childhood?
Being a child of the 80’s not only did MOTU but cartoons, comics & toys from this era played a huge role in my childhood. I’ve loved toys all my life, from the first Kenner Star Wars figures, GI Joe, Ninja Turtles to the current kubriks & kaiju vinyls I have to say I’ve always & happily been a toy nerd & so I’m not sure if my childhood ( in reference to toys) ever ended.
For how I got involved with toys, well I used to be a manager at Toy Tokyo ( East Village toystore NYC) for like 7 years starting somewhere around late 2000. So I guess I was always an admirer of the scene ever since I could remember it starting. All those years I wanted to participate in the toy scene anyway I could, at the time I was only able to squeeze my way into custom toy/art shows (DIY types). I had a background as an independent comic book illustrator & all the while waited for someone to “discover me” & make my toy ideas. That never happened.
It was in 2009 when I was introduced to professional artist/ toy sculptor Dave Cortes(cortesstudio.com) that changed all that. He literally brokedown the physics of sculpting by hand/ making silicone molds/ resin casting for me. With his generous guidance I was allowed inside a world I thought was out of my reach, making your own toys. So after years of being on the sidelines, followed by a few years of training I’m happy to be an “active” participant in toys now, so in the scene as a toy-maker I’m a newbie.
What artists have inspired your work? Are there any particular people/collectives that you’re following at the moment?
As of artists who have inspired me? My answer is in two parts ( professional artists in the scene currently & upcoming indie artists I feel are my colleagues).
The minute I saw the Onell Design Group ( this was way~ before I knew anything about making toys) I thought Wow! I want to be like them! With that I didn’t necessarily mean I wanted to make awesome jointed articulated figures but their attitude & nature in the industry. They make what they want & have a blast doing it.They have the best fans & friends surrounding them because their stuff is always fun & original, they are also so friendly & approachable.
Through them I met my other inspirations Ayako Takagi ( Uamou ) & Mori Katsura ( Real x Head ). With Mori-san I’ve really studied his figures paint schemes and tried to apply a bit of it into my work. His range of variety is endless, presentation always full of energy. And Ayako, I feel has her stuff together. Her focus on achieving goals in the industry are really noticeable. Her character designs are simple & perfect (its actually harder I feel to come up with a “simple” sculpture that works than a muti-complex piece with a hundred features). She has a very popular studio-shop(Studio Uamou) in Tokyo connected to an awesome Cafe( Cafe Boo run by her brother) & has dozens of projects that keep her fan base’s attention active. I read in an interview with her a long time ago where her advice to artists interested in getting out there was: believe, act & persevere. That motto helped me get my act together last year for SDCC then NYCC & then my own exhibition at Studio Uamou this past December.
(Kato x Uamou x Real x Head Turtle Tetsujins)
I also look up to artists like Lamour Supreme & Sucklord( who’s really really nice actually) for their constant drive & dedication to making the scene fun & memorable.
Then there are the following artists (which I used to work with in Toy Tokyo , have been at this longer than I have & currently are making big steps!). Artists Angel Tan (Plushplay) who’s an amazing felted plush dutchess, Justin Alan Volpe (Popprolific) a modern day Geppeto whose recently got to design the Toy Tokyo Bearbrick for the Parco Bearbrick show this past December in Tokyo. And David Healey (HealeyMade) a master mathematician of toy hybrids, who is one of Mishka’s current rising stars.
The way I talk about them using colorful descriptions make them sound like characters from MOTU doesn’t it?
(Fright Bite, various editions, Peter Kato)
What challenges do you face as an independent toy designer/creator? How important to you is it to have full control over the processes involved?
As an indie toy maker you have tons of challenges.
Time is the first thing you have to be willing to sacrifice, or better said ” invest “. You can have all of the greatest ideas in the world , but if you don’t sit down & start making it, nothing will happen. I used to be the most socially active person back in the day, now everyday after my day job & all weekend I’m at my studio working on toys. I love it, just miss my friends sometimes…
Having full control at this stage is very important, with it your creative freedom is plenty. Knowing as much as you can about the industry you want to be involved with is priceless to me…
(Turtle Tetsujin Valentine version, Peter Kato)
Turtle Tetsujin went on to become one if our favourite toys of 2011. How did the idea come about? Are there any other variants in the pipeline?
Thank you! Turtle Tetsujin was this robotic-hero I’ve always wanted to make, he’s that Gigantor T-28/ Gamera / Frankenstein Jr “Big Guy” that is loved by & fights for children. I used a snapping turtle design as the characters charm point hence his powerful jaw. This Tetsujin is the first variant , sort of the proto-type. Like a Mazinger-Z there will be a Great Manzinger version of TT. Many different types planned for the future. His design does have some deeper meanings that I’m hoping to reveal …maybe as a mini-comic?
What can we expect from you in the future? Are there plans for any new additions to the He-Homies line?
I’m excited to be working on a few collaborations with new artists, there will be some brand new figures this year as well as new versions of existing characters ( Turtle Tetsujin, FrightBite, Karate Kat)
Any final words?
I believe in the 80’s , love utility belts, natto on rice & Fringe.
Featured extensively on our old site (interview, feature), the wonderful world of Rivet Wars is finally back- and this time Mr Terranova has made it bigger and better than ever before! Standing at around 5″ x 6″ the Quad Stug Aus F is the largest vehicle in the Rivet Wars universe yet, and after what has seemed like an age since the first 3D print outs were revealed, the toy is finally going in to production.
No news as of yet regarding edition size, pricing, or release dates, but we’ll keep you updated in the coming weeks on Ted’s progress. For more information on Rivet Wars, head over to the site here.
The Maybach plants are cranking up their production of the Quad Stug Aus F. They hope to start shipping finished units to the blighter front in 2 weeks. There have been delays with the Porsche suspension and quality control issues but a Blighter Motor Works plant has been retooled to assist with the pneumatic control systems which should help avoid further delays.
Next Friday (February 3rd) at 9PM EST sees the launch of the second OMFG! artist proof (Spankey Stokes’ Stroll has come and gone), in the form of Monsterforge’s ‘Pretty in Pink’ Multiskull. The figures will be available to purchase through Monsterforge’s blog here for $3 a piece plus shipping. Buying limit has been capped at 3, and with an undisclosed edition size, these figures are going to fly- Monsterforge has even made some new header tags exclusively for the drop…
No news as to which AP will drop next, but our money’s on Crawdad from Daniel Yu aka Dory. Revealed on his blog recently, a release date has been tentatively set at ‘in a few weeks’, check here for more info…
The beginning of the week brings yet another awesome toy reveal from Jon over at Rampage Toys, this time in the form of the ‘Dark Side of the Ugly’ rainbow GID edition of the popular Ugly Unicorn toy. Standing at 5″ tall, the soft vinyl figure will be available for open pre-order on the Rampage shop from Friday, February 2nd.
Alongside the ‘Dark Side of Ugly’ edition, Jon will also be putting blank DIY GID Ugly Unicorns on the store for your customising pleasure. Check the Rampage Toys blog for further details…
Friday, February 10th sees the legendary Four Horsemen return to New York’s TT Underground gallery for the sequel of their hit 2011 exhibition, Toypocalypse. Featuring an appearance from the original Outer Space Men creator, Mel Birnkrant, the Four Horsemen’s free show will be showcasing their latest work alongside custom OSM toys from the series’ fans.
Anyone who heads along on opening night will also be in with a chance of grabbing one of the super-limited OSM-Birnkrant Edition sets that were exclusively redesigned by Birnkrant for the event (revealed on Man-E-Toys here). Priced at $125 each, there has been no purchase limit set on the four pack, so head down early to guarantee yours…
Toy customiser Adam Pratt recently revealed his submission to the OSM custom show at Toypocalypse in the form of Fungron: The Man from Ceres (pictured below). Adam explains a little about the project-
My entry for the Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro show coming up in NY on Feb 10th… The Four Horsemen are throwing the bash, and I decided to send down a custom OuterSpace Man of my own. I sculpted the head from two part epoxy, scratch built the accessories from different kit parts, and gave him some paint. All in all I really like the way he came out…
Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro by The Four Horsemen
TT Underground, NYC
Briefly mentioned in our weekly toy round-up yesterday, ESC Toy’s latest Tomenosuke exclusive has finally been revealed as the beautiful Chap Lynn Warhol 7″ vinyl figure. Sculpted by ESC’s Erick Scarecrow, the toy has been limited to just 13 pieces worldwide in this initial colourway. Anyone interested in making the purchase should head over to the Tomesyoten blog tomorrow (January 31st) at Midnight JST, where they will be going on sale at $300 each.
Straight out of the fictional land of Planet 44 comes the latest custom series from DMS– the ‘Lunartik Mini’ Tea Pod. Taking his signature Star Wars infused design to the next level, the Landspeeder inspired vehicle is the first of 4 ‘pod’ systems for land, air, space & sea. Limited to an edition of 15, each Mini Tea custom comes with it’s own sculpted base and clear acrylic display rod. Priced at $79 plus shipping, the Tea Pod is available to purchase over at the DMS store now.
Also available to pre-order on the DMS store this week is the first toy project from Neese- DMS’ other half. The handmade plush/resin Ice Blue Raar! comes in two sizes, 6″ and 12″, priced at $18.99 and $29.99 respectively.
Raar pretends to be scary and loves raaring all the time, but he has a soft lovable and cuddly side in secret! Ice Blue winter edition.
Welcome to the first instalment of our weekly art toy round-up as MAN-E-TOYS.com! We’ve missed a heap of important stories whilst working on the new site, so without further ado, we bring you the hottest news in the world of toys from the past week.
In this issue we take a look at the latest releases from Papagrim Toys, The Tarantulas’ and A Little Stranger’s forthcoming Nibbler, Jeff Lamm’s Spikewad reveal, plus much, much more…
Hope you enjoy!
Niall
Editor/Writer
MAN-E-TOYS.com
Resin News:
New Releases from Papagrim Toys
Hot off the heals of the recent NUKED! 3 pack drop a couple of weeks back, Papagrim Toys’ owner, Steve Patt, revealed a number of projects that he’s been working on this week. First off, Wednesday saw the release of Steve’s third iteration of the Snot Beast resin figure. Available in five different colours (with only Black Rub and You Struck Oil still available), the 3″ toys are available to purchase through the Papagrim store for $15 each.
Also up on the store (sadly not pictured) is a freshly sprayed Podaigon figure. Long since sold out, the 5″ tall resin figure has been sprayed with an expert orange and purple scheme, and is still available to purchase over on the store for $65 plus shipping.
The big news for Papagrim this week though was Friday’s announcement of the Human Slayers, a collaboration with artist Michael Skattum. Available now to pre-order, the hand painted green resin character is set to come with 3 points of articulation, including a removable head with a “surprise inside!”. Head over to the Papagrim site for more information…
Vishnu Paramata resin figure from We Kill You
We Kill You announced the latest addition to their extensive range of resin this week in the form of Vishnu Paramata. Based on WKY’s The Boss figure (released in 2009), the mini figure stands at 3″ tall, with the initial ‘Mystical Time Zone’ edition limited to just 20 hand cast pieces. Set to drop January 31st, 2012 at 12pm PST via the WKY online store here, each of the 20 figures come with a different concealed weapon (knife, ninja star, bat)!
Nibiru Prototype X resin toy from Nerviswr3k x Motorbot
After what has seemed like an age, the long awaited collaboration from Nerviswr3k and Motorbot finally saw the light of day this week in the form of the Nibiru Prototype X. Sculpted and hand-painted by Nerviswr3k and cast by Motorbot of Deadbear Studios, these hand-cast resin figures come bagged with a hand drawn Motorbot header card. Limited to only 6, the toys are retailing at $45 each through Nerviswr3k.
Galaxxor: Monster Hunter 009 from Ben Spencer and the God Beast
Released last Friday (January 27th), Galaxxor 009 is the latest resin action figure to drop from the Monster Hunter universe. Standing at 5.5″ tall, the action figure, sculpted by Ben Spencer and cast by God Beast, comes in a beautiful aluminium pellet infused resin that gives the toy a stunning semi-transparent look. Limited to an edition of only 5, the toy can be purchased through the Galaxxor store for $120 each plus shipping.
Vinyl News:
Niblette: GID Nibbler from The Tarantulas x A Little Stranger
Revealed a couple of weeks back, the Niblette GID Nibbler from The Tarantulas and A Little Stranger has finally had it’s release date confirmed as February 1st at 8pm GMT. Available exclusively through the A Little Stranger shop, the vinyl figure has been priced at £50 each.
A Little Stranger explains-
A Little Stranger / The Tarantulas / Real x Head / Onell Design presents: Niblette. Ok, so he’s a GID Nibbler in a hot pink hoodie, but as the pretty counterpart to the SDCC release i thought he needed a pretty name 😉 These Nibblers are really, REALLY, GID and glow like crazy in the dark or under blacklight.
Each GID Nibbler comes with a hot pink hood and specially designed header cards. Vinyl Made in Japan by Real x Head. Cloak Made in UK by A Little Stranger.
Spike Wad figure from Jeff Lamm
Whilst this week’s London Toy Fair was sadly lacking on the art toy front, we did manage to find a glimmer of redemption in the form of Jeff Lamm’s latest vinyl toy release, the four armed Spike Wad. Produced by Unbox, Spike Wad comes with detachable limbs (which can be interchanged with the previous ‘M5 BRAVO’ & ‘STEE-GAR’ figures. Pricing and edition size is still to be confirmed, but watch this space for further details.
Spike Wad is a fairly new large mutant spider. It’s origins are unknown, some say it first appeared in the area of the Large Hadron Collider on the border of France and Switzerland. It was given the military nomenclature “Spider Quad” which was shortened to “Spi-Quad” and finally “Spike Wad”
‘Tomenosuke x ESC Toy exclusive’ toy teaser
Erick Scarecrow over at ESC Toy has been busy preparing yet another exclusive collaboration, this time with Japanese lifestyle store, Tomenosuke. Information on the toy is still tightly under wraps, but expect to see a release some time in the very near future. Head over to the ESC Toy blog for more information…
Android mini figures from DKE Toys
Alongside the recently launched Chinese New Year 2012 edition Android mini figures, DKE Toys also sneakily announced the third series of popular blind-boxed Androids this week. Featuring the biggest collection of artists yet, including Google, Andrew Bell, Gary Ham, Huck Gee, KaNO, MAD, KRONK, Kelly Denato, Scott Tollesonand Sket One, the series is now available to pre-order through DKE Toys’ store here at $8 each. This will be the first ‘closed edition’ series, so make sure you grab them before they disappear!
Plush News:
Dumpling Ninja NOTM from Shawnimals
As always, the beginning of a new month sees the release of yet another Ninja of the Month from Shawnimals, with February’s flavour coming in the form of Dumpling Ninja. Available to purchase through the Shawnimals store from Wednesday, February 1st, the 7″ x 7″ felt toy will be priced at a wallet friendly $30 plus shipping. Check Shawnimals site for more details…
Love Heart Cavey from A Little Stranger
Also set to drop this week is the latest hand made Cavey plush from A Little Stranger. Released in time for Valentines Day, the 4″ hand made Love Heart edition is inspired by the dreamy pastel colours of the like-named British sweet (of which a mini packet is included with every order). Love Heart Cavey has been limited to an edition of 75, which will be made available exclusively through the Cavey store this Thursday (February 2nd) at £16 each.
Come back tomorrow for the official launch of MAN-E-TOYS, where we’ll be featuring an exclusive interview with Tetsujin Turtle creator, Peter Kato, plus much, much more!
Ok, one last post whilst we gear up for the switch on Monday!
Polkadot is the latest custom graffiti figure to drop from UK artist Hoakser’s Dominant Species range (originally posted here). Joining both Union Jack and Why Not? into the fray, the heavily customised wrestling figure stands at around 16cm tall, coming with a whopping 9 points of articulation.
Available to purchase now for £64.99 plus shipping at the Hoakser shop, Polkadot will wing his way to one lucky collector with a personalised Hoakser sketch and certificate of authenticity. Anyone interested should hit the store now, Polkadot wont be around for long!
Thanks to Hoakser for the heads up!
We mentioned a couple of weeks back that we’ve been planning some major changes to the site since our shift in focus towards the art toy scene, and today we can finally reveal what those are going to be…
Unfortunately we won’t be posting much over the next few days, but expect us back on Monday with some seriously hot exclusives, huge interviews with some of the industry’s finest (including the mighty Peter Kato and JPK), plus a gargantuan update of all the latest news from the past few days!
Thanks to all our readers, see you on the other side!
Niall
Editor/Writer/Designer Tru:Teknology Files MAN-E-TOYS.com
Last week Richard Page over at UME Toys revealed teasers of his latest collaboration with Run DMB and Jon Paul Kaiser in the form of the tentatively titled Project X. Mentioning on his twitter feed that he’d be heading down to last night’s Fatcap series 3 launch with said prototype in hand, I took the opportunity to hunt the ‘toy messiah’ down and find out a little more about the project.
As you can see from the rather blurry photos (stupid iPhone camera…), Project X had a little trouble in transit, but Rich was still kind enough to let us in on a few details on the upcoming release. Standing at around 5″ tall, the beautifully tactile figure is set to come with 3 points of articulation (arms and neck) and a refined head sculpt (Rich hinted that the creature will come with a pointier chin).
No news yet as to colourways, edition size, or pricing, but we’ll bring you more info as soon as it hits…
Thanks Rich!
shingangu.com 