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.

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. 

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Martin Hsu Wishes you a Happy Chinese New Year (+ wallpaper)

To celebrate Chinese New Years (1.23), Martin Hsu created a free ‘Dragon Boy Lotus Blossom’ wallpaper in four convenient sizes, perfect for your laptop, desktop or tablet.  It’s the same as the above CNY digital greeting card minus the text.  So click on through to the goods to give your desktop a nice refresh.

myplasticheart’s After Xmas Sale (12.29 – 1.9)

myplasticheart has just up their ‘After Xmas’ sale with a wide assortment of toys discounted by as much as 50%.   If you’re wondering, there’s plenty to choose from with a good mix of newer and old toys at easy on the wallet prices.  Western, eastern, blind-box, kaiju, there’s a little bit of everything.  For the name conscious: Junko Mizuno, Joe Ledbetter, Jon Paul Kaiser, David Horvath, Luke Chueh, TADO, Kaijin, Secret Base, and many more.  The holiday savings end on January 9th.

Frank Schaefer x TAG – Vinyl Rorschach 2012 Calendar

 

It’s coming… 2012.  Ready for the new year,  Frank Schaefer’s 2012 Vinyl Rorschach calendar released in conjunction with Toy Art Gallery,  brings you 13 of his humorous, stylish and meticulously executed photos of popular (and not so popular) toys, many of the designer vinyl variety.  Also, in classic Frank OCD fashion he’s filled it with the birthdays of a large number of vinyl toy folks and  countless holidays. If you’re looking for an alternative to the typical, blah calendar to keep track of the coming year,   this might be just the thing. 

There are three ways to pick up the calendar for $20 (+ $5 s/h and sales tax) – eBay (in lieu of an online store), directly from Frank by dropping him a line at frank@frank2020.com or if you want to pick one up in person, drop by TAG on Melrose in Hollywood. 

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Mari Inukai’s Sekaiseifukudan Holiday Sale Through New Year’s

If you’ve been on the fence about picking up one more of Mari Inukai’s Sekaiseifukudan vinyl figures, now is the time.  Through New Year’s, Inner Sanctum is offering 20% off each of the seven individual figures (including the awesome Akamarilla and Aomarilla, shown above ) as well as off of the bundle sets. 

Rotofugi’s ‘Giving Thanks Sale’

Focusing on the actual holiday (that would be Thanksgiving) rather than the oh-so commercial Black Friday, Rotofugi is starting a new tradition – the ‘Giving Thanks Sale’ (through 11.27)  featuring discounts on select toys including figures by Amanda Visell, Frank Kozik and more.  Plus all domestic orders of $25 or more placed during the sale will receive free shipping.

Yet More Black Friday Sales

So with word of Black Friday deals pouring into the inbox, here’s a quick rundown of yet more ways to save on toys, art objects and more.

• K.Olin tribu – 20% off all their porcelain toys with code ‘BLACK’ through Sunday 11.27.
  
• The Loyal Subjects – 25% off with coupon code ‘BF’ starting on 11.25 and running through 11.28.
  
• Vannen Watches – With checkout code ‘black40’ a whopping 40% off all items on vannenwatches.com from 12:01AM through 11:59 PM on Friday, 11.25.
  
• ToyQube – 5 Day Black Friday sale (through Monday 11.28) on select items.
  
• Ritzy Periwinkle – 10% off coupon code for ‘fans’ of her facebook page. Check out the return of her online store @ ritzyp.storenvy.com.
  
• Martin Hsu – Take 40% off selected tees + the 50 customers to take advantage of the sale will score a free original sketch as a special thank you (11.25 – 11.28)
  
• Mimobots – Black Friday Sale with 25% off everything (ends on Monday November 28th @ 11:59 PST)
  
•  Toy2R – Take 25% off any in-stock items at toy2rusa.com with coupon code ‘OCCUPYQEE’ through December 1st.
  
• Spankystokes – Black Friday sale runs through Sunday 11.27 and includes discounts on all items including The Black Obsidian Ozomahtli from Jesse Hernandez for just $60.
  

Munky King’s Black Friday Sale (11.25)

Munky King is offering two ways to get in on the savings with their one day  Black Friday Sale – in store with discounts ranging from 25 to 50% off or online with the ‘BFDEAL’ coupon good for 25% off purchases made on 11.25 (some restrictions apply).    For those out and about, definitely drop by the Melrose store to check out the deals and attend kaNO’s Dragon King signing from 2 to 4 PM.

‘Black Market’ by Bonustoyz

French brand Bonustoyz will open their ‘Black Market’ just in time for Black Friday @ 11 PM PST on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (9 AM on Black Friday in Paris)  While you might think this is just a clever name for yet another sale, it’s so much more.  In an awesome turn, Bonustoyz is unleashing a wave of all-black toys. There are several new releases including Cody by Jon Knok, Holybrikus by Mist, Kosplay by Ajee as well as rare items from the archives including black Goldorus and Orus from Mist, Black Copper, Inkhead Aro and Uninkhead by Steph Cop as well as a very small number of black Skullskins.   As a bonus, expect friendly prices which also include free worldwide shipping. 

If you’re looking to add to your ‘Black’ shelf, you’ll definitely want to check this out. 

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Toy Art Gallery’s Thanksgiving Weekend Sale (11.25 – 11.27)

Toy Art Gallery is celebrating Thanksgiving with a sale offering 10% off most items both in-store and online starting at Midnight on Black Friday through Sunday (11.27).  The sale applies to pretty much all production toys as well as apparel but does not include jewelry, custom toys, nor art show pieces.   Also, if you’re in the neighborhood, drop by their Melrose spot for special in-store specials.

De Korner’s Holiday Sale

Tis the season for saving.  De Korner has taken the wraps off their Holiday Sale featuring select toys from 3A, Kidrobot, Munky King and more at up to 50% off.  The selection includes several recent blind box releases from KR as well as a large number of 3A retail editions. The holiday sale is on now and continues through 12.24.  Happy shopping.

myplasticheart’s ‘Pre-Black Friday Sale (11.23 – 11.27)

Ah… the holidays are upon us.  Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry (no thanks!) to satisfy your stomach and plenty of Black Friday deals to satisfy your shopping gremlin.  Myplasticheart has your holiday shopping covered.  First up is its annual ‘Pre-Black Friday Sale’ (11.23 – 11.27) offering deep discounts on specially marked sale items.  If you’re in NYC, drop by the myplasticheart brick ‘n mortar for an additional 5% off on Black Friday itself as well as a buy 2 get 1 free blind-box offer (some restrictions apply).  Be sure to hit up myplasticheart.com on Wednesday to check out the deals.

But wait… that’s not all ;-) MPH is also offering several Holiday Gift packs (Bundling, for the win!) for extra savings as well as their Holiday Gift guide – which we don’t think our on-the-ball readers will need, but hey it might give you a few ideas. 

myplasticheartnyc
210 Forsyth St.
New York, New York 10002
646.290.6866

Trustocorp x Everlast -- ‘I Get By’ Music Video

It’s amazing what talent and hard work can accomplish.  Backed by heart, brains, and serious doses of talent, Trustocorp has fashioned socially conscious  and provocative street art.  The message continues to flourish this week on two fronts.  First up is Everlast’s brand new ‘I Get By’ music video featuring Trustocorp doing their thing illegally throughout including a ballsy sign installation directly in front of an NYPD station.   While Trustocorp has been featured on ABC news in the past, this new effort will be the collective’s most high profile exposure to-date.  On Thursday, Trustocorp drops their 2nd bomb to the status quo with the opening of their ‘ Life Cycle’ solo @ Opera Gallery in NYC.  Props to all involved.  Design, in the service of the people.

Sucklord to Compete on Bravo’s ‘Work of Art’ Season 2

 

So the idea of watching a reality competition show based around Art, isn’t really very appealing to me.  That’s why I never forced myself to catch an episode of Bravo’s ‘Work of Art’ Season 1…  But, in a strange but true (and awesome) way, Sucklord (yes he of the ‘bootlegs)’ has been announced as one of Season 2 Contestants.  He’s even prominently featured in the Season 2 trailer (below). With his art chops and personality, he’s a perfect fit for this.    I’ll definitely catch the Season 2 premiere on October 12th @ 9 PM/8 PM Central – you should too or set the DVR.

Ya Heard Episode 5: ‘Chub Rub’

Ritzy, Shane, Kano and Sket are back. Ya Heard Episode 5 – jokingly known as the ‘Chub Rub’ episode.  Each survived SDCC and is back to tell the tale.  In addition to the brand-new installment, Ya Heard is now on iTunes… right on.

Huck Gee and Carlos East – Custom Toy Workshop (8.28)

Looking to add to your toy customizing skill set or just looking to get started?  If you live in, around, or within driving distance of New Haven, Connecticut, you’ll want to consider attending the upcoming Custom Toy Workshop with Huck Gee and Carlos East of the Beast Brothers at Hope Gallery on Sunday August 28th @ 1 PM. 

Presented by the Switcheroo Institute for Lower Learning, the workshop will offer participants a well-rounded crash course in customizing covering History of Custom Toys, Character Design, Material Application, Priming and Finishing Techniques and Application Demonstrations.  The infamous Baroness (Nichole East) will be on hand as host and artist wrangler.  While instruction and presentations are all well and good, this workshop is also a hands-on affair.  The $100 workshop fee includes an 8” Munny and plenty of materials to make a cool custom under the tutelage of Huck and Carlos. Finally, one lucky workshop participant will win a Beast Brothers custom.

If you’re interested, go ahead and reserve your spot by buying a workshop ticket ($100).

Custom Toy Workshop w/ Huck Gee and Carlos East
Saturday, August 28th 2011 (1 PM)

Hope Gallery Tattoo
835 Woodward Ave
New Haven, CT 06512
203.467.1622

Buy Toys and Earn Discounts with ToyQube Rewards

Looking to make buying toys a little bit more affordable, ToyQube has rollowed out its ‘Rewards’ program.  For every dollar you spend with ToyQube you earn a point.  You can then  redeem your points for discounts on future purchases – 50 points = $1 discount.  Fine print?  Your accumulated points expire after 365 days.  For the full low-down, check out their Rewards info page.

Ya’ Heard! Show Episode 4

Ritzy, kaNO, Sket-One, and Shane Jessup bring to you another exciting episode of Ya’ Heard! For Episode 4, they discuss the biggest event of the year, known as San Diego Comic Con. That spoke of some of the exclusive releases and events. The Ya’ Heard! crew even gave a Happy 12th Birthday shout out to Cooper Barella aka Super Cooper. Dov Kelemer of DKE Toys also makes an appearance as their very first special guest. Enough from us. Give it a listen!

Greasers Annual Membership Now Open!

Are you a die hard fan of Jeffrey Lamm’s Greasebat figure? Do you feel the need to own every Greasebat ever made? Well one good way of making that happen is by joining the ‘Greasers’ year long subscription. This subscription runs from July 1st 2011 to July 1st of 2012for the price of $250, which is still open and available HERE.  All members from this club receive the following:

• ONE (1) BLANK GID Greasebat
• ONE (1) SDCC 2011 Exclusive Greasebat
• ONE (1) GREASERS T-shirt
• ONE (1)  Button Pack
• ONE (1)  Sticker Pack
• ONE (1)  2011-2012 Membership Card
• The opportunity to buy ONE (1) each of EVERY single GREASER release (blanks and special releases) for the 2011-2012 membership duration
• Special access to a members-only forum on Monsterworship.com
• Other suprises

Restore – The Coloring World Championship

Get your airbrushes ready! Restore is calling all of you customizers out with ‘The Coloring World Championship’. This contest will give the opportunity for one talented customizer to win a ‘Legendary Secret Item’ from Restore. The only way of obtaining this mystery item is by customizing one of his Debris Japan figures and making it stand out from all of the other entrants. Information and rules for this contest can be found after the jump!

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Panik’s Toy Box 6th anniversary Photo Contest

How is everyone enjoying their Summer so far? Well, the next time you head to the beach, amusement park, or where ever you spend your summer, don’t forget to bring along your toys! That’s because Panik’s Toy Box is currently holding their 6th Anniversary Photo Contest. All you have to do is take a photo of your favorite toy enjoying the Summer, post it to the PTB’s Wall on their Facebook, and hope to get the most likes! That will earn you a $200 spending spree on their online webstore. Contest starts now and ends on July 31st. Then the winner will be announced during the first week of August. 

Designer Toy Awards 2011 Trophy Created by Pete Fowler

As voting continues in the publicly voted categories  for the first annual Designer Toy Awards, Clutter has announced that DTA winners will receive ‘The Toy King’ trophy designed by toy veteran Pete Fowler and cast in shiny chrome resin by Julie B.  Trophys will be awarded at the official DTA awards on Thursday  July 22nd 2011 @ Bar Basic in San Diego during SDCC. 

Speaking of voting – public voting will continue through Wednesday, July 6th 2011.  As you know each person can vote for their favorite nominees once per day.  However, did you know that you can vote for as many nominees as you like in the same day?  Say for instance you wanted to vote for 5 top customizers, you could go ahead and do that, each and every day.   

As you may have noticed Vinyl Pulse is a proud member of the DTA board and also a nominee for ‘Best Blog’.  It’s been our pleasure to bring you the latest news on the designer toy scene for the past 5 and a half years.  If you’ve enjoyed reading Vinyl Pulse over the years, we’d appreciate it if you’d consider giving us your vote.

Video: Jesse Hernandez’s Live Painting @ KR’s Las Vegas Pop Up

Jesse Hernandez brought his style to the desert for a live painting session @ Kidrobot’s pop up spot at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.  He also brought along a small but sweet GoPro camera which he used to shoot this time lapse.  Enjoy.

Ya’ Heard! Show Episode 3

Ritzy, kaNO, Sket and Shane have done it again.  Episode #3 of Ya’ Heard is up for all to give a listen.  This time around, the crew goes into the origins of the show logo, and discusses recent art shows including Art Whino G40, the Resin Show @ TAG, solos by JLed, Nouar, & Leecifer.  And as is the tradition the crew focuses on upcoming shows including the Pioneer DJ Art Mix Tour Launch in NYC featuring Ritzy P, Man One, Marka27, Joe Hahn, The Crystal Method and more.