SoftoyHobby Archives

T.M.N.T Walkabout custom from Adam Pratt…

Art toy designer/customiser Adam Pratt has just revealed to us his latest custom project, in the form of vintage T.M.N.T action figure, Walkabout. The first in a series of around 10 planned T.M.N.T customs (a selection of which should be available at this years Toy Street trade show), Walkabout is currently available to purchase for $50 through Adam’s shop here.

Adam explains a little about the project-

I really enjoy painting up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures. The sculpts on them are crisp, and there are many little details that got lost in the original paint schemes (which were garish and neon).

This guy got painted up in a very realistic paint scheme, and I added a bunch of little freehand details that really made the figure pop.

He was painted with acrylics, washes and weathering powder before being given a matte seal. He dried with a tiny amount of shine, and the paint applique looks like it was originally printed on the figure.

Thanks for the heads up Adam!

A week in toys…

Welcome to our third weekly round-up of the art toy scene! In our endeavour to search for exclusive content for the site, we regrettably miss a lot of the art toy industry’s biggest stories throughout the week. To combat this, we’ve decided to create a new weekly feature that helps sum up some of the most important developments in the scene…

This week we take a look at the soon to be released Matt Groening Simpsons x Kidrobot collaboration, MAD*L’s Mork artist proofs, J*Ryu’s ‘King of the Boards’ winning custom, and much, much more!

Niall

Tru:Teknology Files writer/editor

Simpsons x Kidrobot: Matt Groening 6″ vinyl toy

This week saw the reveal of the latest addition to the Simpsons x Kidrobot toy series, in the form of show creator, Matt Groening. Commemorating the show’s 5ooth episode (to be aired in February), the 6″ vinyl figure is set for release on February 9th at all Kidrobot authorised dealers for $50 (£40 UK).

If you were born in the last 35 years, and spent any of that time watching American television, odds are you learned a thing or two from The Simpsons. Some of us remember many more pearls of wisdom from the animated powerhouse THE SIMPSONS than from our own parents… which explains the continued success of donuts!

Created by legendary “Life is Hell” cartoonist Matt Groening, THE SIMPSONS is celebrating its 500th episode in February 2012, and Kidrobot is honoring the father of primetime animation in the only way we know how – making him into a 6-inch vinyl toy! Complete with goatee and glasses, director’s jacket, and pad and pencil accessories, it is the first EVER Simpsons Matt Groening toy. -press

UPDATE// Ron English’s Fat Tony: A ton of tiger with a short shelf life

Announced last week, the guys over at Clutter Magazine have just revealed new images of Ron English’s imminent Fat Tony vinyl toy. Gearing up to drop in the next couple of weeks, the 8″ figure will be limited to 500 in it’s original colourway, with follow up colours limited to 100 each. More news on pricing and release dates to follow…

MAD’s Artist Proof MORK and custom MORK MAD*Ls

Released on MAD’s web store yesterday, Mork ‘816’ and ‘913’ are the latest figures from the artist’s Pobber Toys company. First seen at New York Comic Con last year in extremely limited quantities, the 6.5″ tall signed and numbered artist proofs are available for only $80 each.

Coinciding with the vinyl toy release, MAD also released two one-of-a-kind 10″ Mad*L customs. Decked out in both ‘816’ and ‘913’s colours, the toys were available for $400 each, but have since sold out.

Skinner x Jay222: H.P Lovecraft “Figure-a-Month”- The Colour Out of Space

It’s been a long time in coming, but legendary artist Skinner and master sculptor Jay222‘s collaborative project is finally coming to fruition in the form of the H.P Lovecraft “Figure-a-Month” series. Limited to only 10 figures per batch, each release will feature a different creature inspired by the H.P Lovecraft universe. First up comes the 5.5″ Colour of Space figure, which will will be available Monday, January 23rd for $100 each. Anyone interested in the toy should e-mail Skinner directly via skimmerdog2003@yahoo.com, as this wont be available in any shops!

J*RYU- Kidrobot’s King of the Boards

In a relatively short amount of time, toy customiser J*Ryu has become widely regarded as one of the hottest talents the scene has to offer, so it comes with no surprise that he’s been crowned Kidrobot’s ‘King of the Boards’ for the month of January. Head over to Kidrobot’s blog for an extensive interview with the man himself, plus a chance to win the 3″ Dunny that got him crowned.

To enter you must find the secret title of this toy on J*RYU’s Twitter steam and email this Dunny’s name and where you are from to wheelbarrow@kidrobot.com by next Thursday, January 26 at 6pm EST. As an added bonus, Twitter addicts must Follow@Kidrobot & @J*RYU and Retweet the hashtagged name of the Dunny to be in the running to win a mysterious custom 3-inch Dunny. Only the lucky winner will be able to see the secret display in side the head.

Kaiju Coup’s ‘Warui Inu’ ‘Ghost Edition’ viny toy from Medicom

The elusive Kaiju Coup revealed his latest figure this week, with the ‘Warui Inu’ dog getting an official release through Medicom Toys in the form of a ‘Ghost’ edition. Limited to only 6 pieces, the 6.5″ tall vinyl figure comes with 2 motion activated led units set in color gels inside the head and body that project light effects through the clear vinyl. Available via e-mail lottery through kaijucoup@gmail.com, the figure will set the 6 lucky winners back $220 a piece.

Keithing’s ‘Black Gold’ edition Dragon Warrior

Revealed by Keithing earlier this week, his breathtaking Dragon Warrior is set to drop in it’s latest colorway- Black Gold. Hand sculpted, cast, and painted by the artist, the 10″ resin figure is likely to set you back around $165 on it’s release this Monday (January 23rd) at Toy Qube.

FatCap Series 3 Trading Parties & Case Pack Exclusives…

The long awaited Fatcap Series 3 is finally touching down this Thursday (January 26th), and to celebrate Kidrobot will be hosting trading and release parties at their numerous stores and specialty retailers across the globe (6-8pm everywhere). Amongst the crowds of FatCap collectors, many contributing artists will be in attendance at their local Kidrobot trading party, with guest appearances including Julie West at KRSF, Sket One and KaNO at KRLA, Queen Andrea at KRNY and JonPaul Kaiser at KRLDN.

Anyone attending the events will also get the chance at purchasing one of the two case pack exclusives, coming in the form of the super limited “Cover The Cap” from Sket One in Northern America, and the endangered “Almost Gone” by Scribe everywhere else.

Featuring a total of 18 designs (plus the two case exclusives), artists in the series include: Devious, Flying Fortress, Jon Paul Kaiser, Julie West, KaNO, Kronk, MCA, Montana Colors, Pez, Queen Andrea, Quisp, Scribe, Shok 1, and Sket One.

I’ll be heading down to the launch at Kidrobot LDN, so if you want to come up and say hi, look out for the lonely shaved dude in the corner (although, as Jon Paul Kaiser mentioned yesterday, that could be anyone in to toys!)

Custom hand made Baby Zukies from Alison Perez…

Hot off the heals of her recent “Mini Candii Krun-churz” custom release (pictured at the bottom of the post), Alison Perez has just revealed the latest toys based on her signature character, the Zukie. Made from a mixture of sculpey, real egg shells, and modelling grass, Baby Zukie has been limited to only three figures, coming in yellow, red, or blue. Priced at $60 each, the toys can be purchased from Alison’s shop here.

To coincide with the Baby Zukie release, Alison has also made 40 sketches available to purchase. Coming blind-packed, the 3″ X 1/2″ X 3″ 1/2 paintings are available for $5 each (free shipping in the US) through Alison’s store.

Run DMB x Jon Paul Kaiser x UME Toys: Project X revealed…

Revealed on Rich of UME Toys’ twitter feed yesterday, Project X sees three of the UK’s hottest toy artists come together to form what could be THE collaboration of 2012. Sculpted by Rich, and designed/painted by Run DMB and Jon Paul Kaiser, no information has been released on edition size, pricing, or availability, but we’ll bring you the news as soon as it hits.

Expect some more exclusive pics of the toy after the Fatcap series 3 trade party at Kidrobot LDN this week- Rich has promised that a proto of the figure will be joining him at the event, so we’ll be heading down to take a look!

At the tail end of last yeat I had a conversation about a possible sculpt/resin toy based on a concept from David Bishop (@rundmb) and Jon Paul Kaiser (@jonpaulkaiser). Here is the first prototype; he hasn’t got a name yet so we’ll call him ‘X’ for now.

Slate Stone Turtum Micci wave 2 resin figures from Erick Scarecrow…

Recently revealed on Erick Scarecrow’s blog, the Turtum Micci is set to hit in its Slate Stone colourway today (Friday, January 20th) at 11am EST in the ESC shop. Originally available at last year’s New York Comic Con in its Wave 1 incarnation (pictured below), the 3.25″ hand cast and painted resin figure is likely to retail at $19.99 plus shipping.

Head over to ESCtoy for more information…

(The long since sold out Turtum Micci Wave 1)

OSM Cosmic Creators Series: The Birkrant Edition from the Four Horsemen…

Action figure warlords, the Four Horsemen, have just revealed the final addition to the Birkrant Edition of their OSM Cosmic Creators Series in the form of Blazing Inferno. Re-imagined by the original Outer Space Men, Mel Birkrant, Blazing Inferno will be available to purchase alongside Deep Blue Astro-Nautilus, Metalmorpho and Goldiac (pictured below) on February 10th at the Four Horsemen’s Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro gallery show at TT Underground gallery (beneath Toy Tokyo) in NYC.

The four pack has been limited to an edition of 100, priced at $125 each. With no limit on single purchases, be sure to head down to the exhibition early to secure your set!

To find out more about the team behind the MOTU re-imagining, various McFarlane Toy lines including Spawn, The Flukeman, and Chucky, head over to the Four Horsemen’s site here.

WWR JDF Mighty Square by 3A Toys…

The Good Smile Company’s latest WonFes pre-order has just been revealed, coming in the form of 3A Toys’ WWR JDF Mighty Square. The third Square to join the WWR series, the latest addition is the biggest yet, standing at roughly three times the size of the Mk2.

Coming once again in the Japan Defence Force colours, the back of the chassis also carries the same ‘EMGY’ lettering of the previously announced charity product, the JDF EMGY Armstrong (pictured below).

The Mighty Square will be available to pre-order from the Good Smiles Company store between February 12th through to February 20th, at a price of ¥12,600 (approx US$160). The edition size will be made to order, so make sure you grab one within the dates if your interested.

Check the Good Smiles site for more information…

Bwana Spoons’ “Earth Restroyer’s Revenge” custom Hedorans revealed…

Psychedelic supremo Bwana Spoons has just revealed his latest custom toy project, the ERV (Earth Restroyer’s Revenge) glow-in-the-dark Hedoran from Gargamel. Limited to only ten figures, the GID Hedoran has been decked out in ‘a gabillion colors of spray and hand paint’ in true Spoons style.

The figures will be available from the Grass Hut shop this Friday (January 20th), Noon PDT, for an undisclosed price.

Johnny Cupcakes lecture and pop-up shop at Fresh Cafe x Loft in Space…

This Saturday (January 21st), 7pm, sees Johnny Cupcakes touching down in Hawaii for the latest in his lecture series, at the Fresh Cafe x Loft in Space. Alongside the lecture and q&a, Johnny will also be hosting a pop-up shop at the venue featuring his latest vinyl toys and accessories, plus the release of the exclusive Johnny Cupcakes Hawaii tee pictured below.

A wide selection of Johnny’s merchandise can be found on his store here for anyone not attending the event.

During Johnny’s lecture n Q&A, he will be telling his story of how he turned a simple idea into a multi-million dollar business using nontraditional methods. He’ll be providing tips, tricks, advice, and direction for approaching business in innovative and unconventional ways. Soon after the lecture, Johnny will be poppin’ it up with his fresh goods at his pop up shop.

The free event will be launching this Saturday at 7pm, January 21st and the Fresh Cafe x Loft in Space at 831 Queen Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.

Spanky Stokes’ Exclusive Artist Proof “Hot Pink” OMFG! “Stroll” now available…

Coinciding with the official release of October Toys’ mega-collab project, OMFG series 1, premier toy blogger Spanky Stokes has just revealed the artist proof of his contribution, the “Stroll”. Available to purchase now exclusively through his store, the 2″ PVC figure comes in a unique “Hot Pink” colourway, with a price tag of $5 each, or $22 for five.

Stay tuned for news on the other four figures’ APs (assuming they are made publicly available) as it hits…

Spanky Stokes’ Stroll army, courtesy of his twitter feed…

The Valentine Tiny Heartheads resin figures from Tesselate…

After what has seemed like an age, 2012 sees the long awaited return of Tesselate’s Valentine Tiny Hearthead resin mini figures. Each of the limited edition hand cast toys have an area for a short message on the rear of the head, and come packaged in a further customisable box (see photo)- THE ultimate gift this February 14th for the toy lover in your life!

The figures are available in red, pink, and blue sprayed editions, priced at £10 each, exclusively through Tesselate’s store. Order deadline for a guaranteed Valentines Day are as follows-

UK : 3rd February
Rest of the World : 31st January

Tesselate shop: http://tesselate.bigcartel.com/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/tesselate

Pink Lady Butterfly resin figure from Lady Aiko…

Revealed this week by Tokyo based illustrator Lady Aiko, her latest collaboration with the Tomenosuke production team is set to come in the form of the Pink Lady Butterfly. Standing at 10″ tall, the cherry blossom hued, hand cast resin figure is the third in the artist’s Lady Butterfly series. Set to drop Valentines Day exclusively through the Tomenosuke-syoten store, pricing for the toy is likely to be around the $500 mark. Check Lady Aiko’s blog here for more information…

“Destroy” custom resin Pharaoh Hound from Emily Bee…

The latest custom from artist Emily Bee comes in the form of the “Destroy” resin ‘Pharoah Hound’ by Argonaut Plastics. Entirely painted by hand, the 8″ figure will be available to purchase from Thursday, January 19th at 3pm EST on Emily’s store for $190.

Destroy‘s red heart beats full + strong regardless of the bloody remnants that drip from his chest. The idea behind ‘Destroy’ is that we all have the ability to destroy and break a connection we have with someone else, regardless if we still feel strong love and passion for them. It is easier to destroy than to create.

Now in their second series, the Pharoah Hounds are hand sculpted by Eric of Argonaut Resins. The last four (from an edition of twelve) have just been made available on their store, priced between $85-$100 each.

RealxHead x The Tarantulas x A Little Stranger GID Nibbler revealed…

Originally released on Christmas Eve in the Dune Sea II colourway, The Tarantulas’ latest Nibbler incarnation, a collaboration with UK artist A Little Stranger, is coming in the form of a GID edition. Revealed on The Tarantulas blog this morning, release for the figure has been pencilled in for the end of January.

Available exclusively through the A Little Stranger shop, a price hasn’t been confirmed but expect the figure to retail for around £50.

Marka27’s Black Buddha Minigod @ “Neo Indigenous” TT-Underground…

Hot off the heels of the Neo Indigenous solo art show (opening last Thursday, January 12th), Marka27 is gearing up for the release of his latest toy, the Black Buddha Minigod. Dropping at the TT Underground Gallery (home of Neo Indigenous) on Saturday (January 21st), the 5.5″ Toy Tokyo exclusive Minigod has been limited to 100 pieces worldwide.

Marka27 will be on hand between 4-6pm at the gallery for an artist talk, so be sure to head down with any questions regarding his latest body of work (or if your looking to get the new figure signed!).

Neo Indigenous celebrates the artist’s arrival and first solo show in Gotham. It also marks a shift in the artist’s cultural consciousness. His quest to bridge past with present illustrates his yearning to bring deeper meaning to both old and new art forms. Juxtaposing ancient elements with contemporary design aesthetics, Marka27 reveals both a connection and a disjuncture in the process. Challenging viewers to confront the existing practice of commodifying art, the exhibit leaves a lasting impression – a mark Marka27 has predicated his reputation on. -press

Flying Fortress’ latest resin Teddy Troop revealed…

Revealed on Clutter Magazine yesterday, street artists Flying Fortress are putting the final touches to the latest addition to the Teddy Troops family. Created to reflect the recent changes to their recently overhauled Teddy Troop design (see photo below), details are scarce, with edition size, availability, and pricing still to be confirmed. One interesting point of note though, is Flying Fortress’ decision to produce the toy in resin- hinting that the project may be an extremely limited, self produced affair.

We’ll bring you more news as soon as it hits, but head over to the Flying Fortress blogspot for up to date info on the toy and its progress.

MCA’s Qee-Zilla Kid 5″ Mini Qee from Toy2R…

Showing no signs of stopping their onslaught of releases this year, Toy2R’s latest collaboration with EVIL artist MCA has just been announced in the form of the Qeezilla Kid. Joining Toy2R’s extensive range of 5″ Mini Qee’s, the figure is set to come with custom sculpt tail and Zilla hood, in a selection of as-yet-unannounced colourways and editions. Pricing and release dates are still unavailable, but expect the toy to drop sometime next month. Check Toy2R’s site for further details…

A mighty roar is heard from the seemingly indestructible playground. Toy planes and trains are strewn about without a care. A reptilian tail wreaks havoc on the ankles of innocent witnesses. This incredible, unstoppable tiny titan of terror rules playtime – it’s none other than the precocious Qee-Zilla Kid!

MCA is back and his playful characters are ready to take 2012 by storm. Toy2R is proud to announce the development of this new 5 inch figure, The Qee-Zilla Kid, a new Mini Qee featuring an all new head sculpt and mini monster tail. A comical creature indeed, Toy2R has some very cool surprises in store for this release…so stay tuned for more information as playgrounds become monster battlegrounds in 2012. -Toy2R press

OMFG! flesh/pink five pack from October Toys out now…

After what has seemed an age, October Toys’ Outlandish Mini Figure Guys (OMFG!) are now officially available to buy in their original pink/flesh colourway. Each blister packed set comes with the following M.U.S.C.L.E inspired 1.5″ figures-

Multiskull designed and sculpted by Charles Marsh (aka Monsterforge) from South Carolina
Crawdad Kid designed and sculpted by Daniel Yu (aka Dory) from Singapore
Phantom Outhouse designed by Kyle Thye from Iowa and sculpted by Ralph Niese from Germany
King Castor designed and sculpted by Dominic Campisi (aka The Evil Earwig) from California
Stroll designed by John “Spanky” Stokes from California and sculpted by George Gaspar from California

This project originated from our love of classic mini figures and the fabulous group of artists, designers, and toy enthusiasts that have gathered at the October Toys/Toy Break forum (octobertoys.com/forum).

Alongside the standard flesh coloured pack, another two exclusive editions are available to purchase through Little Rubber Guys (green), and UofMuscle (yellow), whilst Rotofugi’s colourway (blue) is set to drop in the coming months (Kickstarter black and Onell’s Pheyden blue have long since sold out).

The OMFG flesh/pink five pack is available for $10 through October Toys’ store here.

KillKidds Fat Tony vinyl toy from Ron English…

Revealed through Clutter Magazine’s twitter feed last week, Fat Tony is the lastest Popaganda figure from the legendary Ron English. First appearing last October on counterfeit cereal packets English had placed around two grocery stores, the morbidly obese Tony the Tiger (Fat Tony) sat alongside a bloated Sam Toucan and drug addicted Dig-em to raise awareness of the sugar content in kids cereals.

Standing at around 9″ tall, the first edition of Fat Tony (more colourways are on the way) has been limited to 500 pieces with availability and pricing still to be confirmed. Keep an eye out on the Popaganda site over the coming weeks for further details…