Brutherford Industries – Ice Scream Man Available Now

Ice Cream and Skulls, not a likely match, but it Brutherford Industries made it work! Introducing the Ice Scream Man, available in two deadly flavors, Spiteful Strawberry and Villainous Vanilla. The Strawberry colorway is the first of 3 future colorways and is limited to 125 pieces worldwide and available for $75, while the Vanilla Colorway is an open edition and can be yours for $50. To go with these figures, they also have available a print by Tamara Petrosino, which depicts his vision of Ice Scream Man. They measure 12”x15'” for $30 each.

Tomenosuke x Aiko – Lady Butterfly Cherry Edition (2.14)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Tomenosuke is gearing up to release the Lady Butterfly Cherry edition resin figures from Japanese street artist Aiko.  The new figure is painted in a light pink similar to the color of Japan’s Cherry Blossoms, hence the name.  While the figure itself was painted at a production facility, Aiko  herself hand-painted the figure’s translucent wings.

Dai Tran – Bitsumo Lunar New Year Edition

Dai Tran has just released the Bitsumo Lunar New Year Edition under his Rawrs brand.  The newest edition of his sumo wrestler resin figure celebrates the year of the dragon with a solid red design completed with hand-tied Mawashi made from  Japanese ribbon. The bright red contrasted with the gray Mawashi works well, making it the most desirable version to-date. As with the other Bitsumos this one stands 4.5” tall and features 7 points of articulation.   It’s available for pre-order now via the RAWRS web shop for $65.  The figures are estimated to ship the week of February 20th.

Round 5 x MAD – Bruce Lee’s Temple of Kung Fu Series 1

Round 5 has just announced and partially revealed their upcoming Bruce Lee’s Temple of Kung Fu line of 3” mini-figs designed by none other than MAD.  The officially licensed series features 28 designs built on the new platform MAD designed for this project. In addition to various incarnations of Bruce, the series will also feature assorted Kung Fu characters including a Monkey King, as well as several wise old masters.  The worst part of the announcement? The release date of August 2012.  In the meantime be sure to check out Round 5’s new video – part MAD bio and part design brief on the new toys.  After the jump, check out a few select video caps since the video has the best toy imagery so far.

Huck Gee x The Beast Brothers – Skullendario Azteca (2.18)

The previously teased and eagerly awaited Skullendario Azteca super collab from Huck Gee and The Beast Brothers is almost at hand (2.18). The apparently completely custom, hand-crafted 8” figure blends the Calendario Azteca concept from The Beast Brothers with Huck’s iconic Skullhead. 

Details make all the difference in our book and that’s the case here.  Huck’s Skullhead has been nicely integrated into the overall Aztec design from the stylized tongue to the sculpted Shi (death) symbol.  The finishing touches include Red Swaroski crystals, custom flag,  and a laser-engraved wood crate package.

As with several previous Beast Brothers’ drops, Skullendario Azteca will offered as a timed edition. Starting on  Saturday Feburary 18th 2012  @ 10 AM PST, orders will be accepted over at The Beast Brothers’ web shop ($475 + shipping) for a full 24 hours.   The edition size will be determined by the # of orders received within this window. 

Joe Ledbetter’s One-of-a-Kind Mutant Bunnies Round 3

JLed dropped a double dose of Mutant Bunny madness on Monday. In addition to closing out his Mutant Bunny Print Series 2011 with print #12, he also revealed Round 3 of his One-of-a-Kind Mutant Bunny resins with five new pieces (#11 - #15).  In case that last sentence didn’t quite register, Joe is taking a special run of 40 11” resin Bunnies and hand-painting each with a different, unique design.

This time around there’s Leopard Bunny, Pirate Bunny, Yosupsup Bunny, Zombie Bunny, and Space Mutant Bunny. Thanks to Jordan23 for these candid shots of the Round 3 crew chillin’ in Joe’s studio. As of this post, both Yosupsup Bunny and Space Mutant Bunny are still available for adoption for $1500 each.  Those looking for a specific species of Mutant Bunny should contact Joe about commissions.  In fact, Pirate Bunny and Zombie Bunny were both commissioned. 

Otto Björnik - ‘The Battle of Napaeae Forest’ Wood Elf Custom 3” Dunnys (02.08)

We last some of Otto Björnik’s mesmerizing work when we posted about his Custom Dunny and Totem Chess Set HERE. He will soon be releasing some more of his fantastic customs this Wednesday, February 8th at 9PM EST. Take a look at his latest series,‘The Battle of Napaeae Forest’, which features two battling tribes of wood elves, the Wildfire and the Kaingin. They will be available HERE for $100 per 3” Dunny.

I have a question for you to ponder on. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?;) But I don't want to engage you in philosophical banter because the truth is, I really don't know. Assuming it does, it would be the sound of clashing axes, grating chainsaws and crackling ember followed by long screams and a loud thud.

I'm actually talking about the ongoing war between the two tribes of wood elves: Wildfire and Kaingin.  It all started when one elf from the latter named Cannabis forgot to prepare for fall and was stripped naked in front of the neighboring Wildfire.  To save face, Cannabis made up stories that started the rift between the tribes. And now both camps are ready for the face-off. Pick your bets and see who ends up as firewood.

Joe Ledbetter’s Mutant Bunny # 12 – Dragon Bunny

To close out his second Mutant Bunny Print Series, JLed ushers in the new Lunar Year with the ‘Dragon Bunny’ print.   This is one of my favorite pieces in this series – the blend of the two creatures works quite well. As with the other  Mutant Bunny prints, this one measures 5” x 7”, is limited to 99 s/n pieces, and is available for $40. 

Ya Heard! EP 9

The fearsome four are back -- Ritzy Periwinkle, Shane Jessup, kaNO, and Sket,  with the first Ya’ Heard! of 2012.  EP 9 brings you their views on the awesomeness that is Art Basel Miami, Ritzy’s experiences on the memorable AOS x Little Lotus Asia Tour, and more including a look back at recent  toy drops form the crew including the Tomenosuke exclusive Dragon King and Fatcap S3.  Load it up on your iPhone, iPad or Android device and enjoy the wild and informative ride on the go.

FOE Presents: Garamaniacal (02.10)

 

FOE and Michael Nordstrom of Garamania are working together to bring you a fantastic show, titled Garamaniacal. This art show features all things Garamon and Pygmon, an homage to these classic Japanese monsters. The show will take place on Friday, February 10th from 6-9PM. This show features a huge array of artists from all around the world, bringing to you custom toys and artwork.

Artist Line-Up: Astromonster/Alex Wald, Bill Nordstrom, PLASEEBO/Bob Conge,  Bob Eggleton, CUPCO/Luke Temby, Dave Dopko, Gargamel, Greasebat/Jeff Lamm, Grody Shogun/Luke Rook, hellopike/Phil Staszkiw, Isabel Samaras, Jason Edmiston, Jim Groman, Josh Herbolsheimer,Cometdebris/Koji Harmon, hi guys!/Lauren Stutzman, Leecifer/Lee Gadja, Mark Dabelstein, Mark Nagata, Matt Sesow, Miles Nielsen,Monster Worship, Mutant Vinyl Hardcore/Rich Montanari Jr. , Paddy Charles, Paul Kaiju, Jacquelyn Heloise, Prometheum5/Ben Mininberg,Ralph Cosentino, Robert DeCastro, Steve Seeley, Gorilla Mouth/Troy Stith, zapatoloco/Benoit Robitaille, Brian Mahony/Guumon, Walter Parenton, Toybot Studios/Kirkland Jue, Michael Skattum, Rob Kimmel, Chauskoskis/Walter Jacott, Ramiro Davaro-Comas, Street Grapes,Michael Tonn, Mike Ridge and more.

Take a look at just a few of the submissions for the show after the jump. Be sure to check out the contest they’ve got going to win some awesome Garamon toys. You can find all the info you need HERE.

Foe Store & Gallery
28 Pleasant Street 
Northampton, MA 01060

David Flores – 5 Foot Deathead!

David Flores goes big, and by big, we mean BIG! Seen via his Facebook, David posted this WIP shot of an upcoming 5 Foot Tall Deathead. This ginourmous sculpture will soon be made of fiberglass and one hopeful day of visiting my collection. One can dream… We cannot wait to see the final product, as well as more information on a release.

Dragatomi Presents: Year Of The Dragon (02.11)

It is now the Year of the Dragon and to celebrate, Dragatomi has put together a group show, which follows that theme. This show will display a ton of talent from all around, with artists that include: Jared Konopitski, Carson Catlin, Daniel Fleres, Gatchabert, KingQuan, Jeremiah Ketner, Chris Ryniak, Spanky Stokes, Jay222, DrilOne, Leecifer, Jackie Gallagher, Helena Garcia, Betso, Chauskoskis, LilJapan, Podgy Panda, Skinner, Philip Lumbang, Ritzy Periwinkle, J*RYU and Valleydweller. The opening reception of ‘Year Of The Dragon’ will take place on Saturday, February 11th from 7-11PM. Take a look at some of the pieces for the show after the jump!

Kidrobot – KidRoyale & KidNeutron (02.23)

Kidrobot is out to release their new mascot figures, KidRoyale and KidNeutron. Both of these Kidrobot figures will drop on Thursday, February 23rd at all Kidrobot Stores, KR Online and select retailers for a very affordable price of $30 each. The KidRoyale is sporting an all black look, with cyan kicks, and graffiti accessory. KidNeutron features black, white and cyan vinyl with a Ray Gun accessory.

Seen: Grody Shogun & Velocitron -- 'Karoshi' @ TAG

Toy Art Gallery opened 'Karoshi' on Friday evening, featuring the wild, inventive, and refreshingly askew sofubi stylings of two gaijin, Grody Shogun and Velocitron, making their toy dreams a thriving reality. The pair have been working overtime risking Karoshi --Japanese for death by overworking, on a large number of pieces including original creations from both artists and collaborative mashups. The mashups juxtapose Velocitron's visceral aesthetic with its spine tingling intensity and Grody's easy-going, happy go lucky characters.

The show includes numerous custom painted one-off pieces as well as small-run editions, a few of which sold-out before I took these shots. There's plenty of goodness left including a few of Grody's yellow TAG edition Monsters, one of which I couldn't resist. Plus, word is that the boys are cranking on follow-on editions of the sold-out figures. While neither artist was able to make the trip from Japan, they did the next best -- a live video Skype connection. In addition to chatting with collectors, the partners in crime also made customs on the spot with suggestions from the audience. Very cool.

 

Teaser: Joe Ledbetter’s Mutant Bunnies in Resin Round 3

Looky what we have here.. It looks as though Joe Ledbetter is ready to unleash his next wave of 12” Resin Mutant Bunnies. Take a look as we get a teaser of the backsides of the 5 new releases, expected to release in the next few days. Do I spy a pirate?

I Heart Guts Valentine Pop-Up Shop @ Munky King (2.1 – 2.14)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day shopping, Munky King  brings you the ‘I Heart Guts’ Pop-Up shop at their Melrose location through February 14th.  Celebrating inner beauty, MK’s latest popup is stocked with a  wide-array of I Heart Guts product including their quirky and cute organ plushes (heart, spleen, uterus and more) as well as Tees, pins, stickers and posters.  As a heart warming bonus, 10% of the pop-up sales will be donated to the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinc so that all of us may have healthy guts.  If you can’t make it out to Munky King, check out the popup’s online stock. 

Spongebob x UNKL – Full Lineup in the Works

We first brought you news about UNKL’s Spongebob Squarepants figures based on their UniPo platform from the floor of last summer’s SDCC.  The SDCC protos offered up an appealing interpretation of the pervasive cartoon character with a definite designer toy look, thanks in part to the blocky UniPo body.  So UNKL’s recent reveal of a full line of  Spongebob UniPos (Toynami)  featuring five characters from the show is a welcome surprise.

Crossover pop culture vinyl is often a mixed bag. The best examples offer stylish, artistic takes on iconic characters while others rely on straightforward and some would say uninspired me-too iterations.  Character interpretation is not a one approach fits all endeavor.  Some projects feature artists’ wildly imaginative reinterpretations while others seek to recast the iconic through subtler stylistic choices.  In our opinion, UNKL’s upcoming Spongebob figures successfully walk the uneasy tightrope of balancing stylistic interpretation with instant character recognition and broad appeal.  

Doktor A x Kuso Vinyl – Chester Runcorn Wax Proto

 

We first brought you pics of Doktor A’s tripedal ‘Chester Runcorn’ figure in production from Kuso Vinyl as part of our DesignerCon 2011 coverage.   Now, Kuso has posted a behind-the-scenes look at the wax proto used to create the toy’s production molds.  Look for Mr. Runcorn shortly.

Flying Fortress – Teddy Trooper Keychains

Flying Fortress’ iconic Teddy Trooper is back in a new simpler yet fun form. The Teddy Trooper Keychain features a hand molded, casted and painted resin figure created by MUFFINMAN from Fakehouse.  The good news is that these have an undeniable simple appeal amp’d by the charm of hand-done production. The bad news?  The Edition #1 (gray, 30 pcs) sold out in just an hour.  We’ll definitely keep an eye on their web shop for the next drop.

TAG Presents: Grody Shogun & Velocitron in Karoshi *Update & Teasers* (02.03)

We last brushed on the upcoming “Karoshi” Show at Toy Art Gallery HERE. This show features the artworks and collaborations of Grody Shogun and Velocitron. We’ve got a little update for those of you who are attending Fridays show.

Line-up tickets will be handed out at 12 Noon. It is one ticket per person and you will need to be back in line by 6:30 PM for the 7PM opening. While we’re at it, feel free and take a look at some teasers from the show, thanks to Connell.

Toy Art Gallery
7571 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046