Ice Scream Man Minis from Brutherford Industries

    Ok, I need about 40 different colors of these.  It's an Ice Scream Man mini from Brutherford Industries. Ol' Ryan Rutherford is putting New Jersey on the art toy map with his bigger versions and now these cute little ones are gonna ensure we're known for more than our bad attitudes and toll roads.  This is just a prototype but he says they could be out pretty soon.  I'm lactose intolerant so this is the only time in my life I've ever been excited about ice cream.  

Star Wars Tees from Super7

    My wife says I can't spend all of our money on toys, which is kinda lame.  I'm an adult, I can eat cookies for dinner if I want to (and I have) so I should be able to buy what I want.  But in the interest of common decency I do at times have to buy new clothes, so compromises are needed.  So what better way to feel like I'm doing what I want yet still being a somewhat responsible adult than to buy my clothes from a toy company?  Step up and meet the genius folks.  

   Super7 has announced a new line of Star Wars tees that will be available this year beginning March 1st with the the 3 designs you see here.  And they're only $25 each, which isn't bad considering how jealous all your nerdy friends will be.  

MAD x Round5 Bruce Lee Figures

    Our friend MAD has made some cool toys in the past, but when you're talking about creating a line of figures based on Bruce Lee, that's another level entirely.  These mini figures are being produced by Round5 and will feature 28 different designs all together when they're released in August.  That's a lot of Kung Fu!

Jason Freeny Gummi Bears Are Coming!

     I posted about this awhile ago when it looked like this project was doomed to never see the light of day.  But something has obviously changed since then and now these anatomical gummi bears will finally be available for purchase in July.  These are the creation of Jason Freeny, who is well known for his anatomy sculptures using popular toys.  These skeletal bits of candy will be produced by Fame Master, who make some pretty sick models.  Expect these to be available around July of this year.  Hopefully the price will be reasonable because I want all of them.

Frank Kozik x Ronald Reagan Gipper Busts

    I was, shall we say, youngish when old Ronnie Raygun was our president, so I don't remember much about him other than he seemed kinda silly.  Oh, and he kept going on and on about our "Star Wars" defense program which I swore meant we were gonna build a death star and blow up people who looked at us funny cause that's kinda our thing here in America.  Sadly we never got that death star, or even any cool stormtrooper armor for our military which has always disappointed me a bit.  

   But in the spirit of what could have been, Frank Kozik has given us this amazing bust of the man who would have been the Emperor of our Galactic Empire (does that make George Bush Sr. Darth Vader?)  Sculpted by the uber talented Brin Berliner, you have your choice of colors for $200 each.  There are only 50 of each so if you want a particular one you have to act fast.  The red one is available at Rotofugi, the silver one from Frank Kozik himself, the gold one from 3DRetro, and the copper one from Munky King.  

JK5 x Kidrobot Basketball Toy Thingees

    If R2-D2 had been built in the hood this would have been the result.  Artist JK5 has teamed up with Kidrobot (get it, teamed, like basketball team, oh why have I not been hired by 30 Rock yet?) to bring you this Star Wars/Sportscenter mashup.  Personally, I'm a hockey fan.  I like a sport where the chance of career ending injury is present in every second of play.  Basketball is kinda like if baseball were a bit less lazy and took place in a rap video.  Not my cup of tea.   But I like Star Wars.  Probably a bit too much actually, but not enough to counteract my hatred for basketball.  Which is kinda shocking.  

    Now for the stats:  These stand 8 and 1/2 inches tall and there are 327 of each design.  They are $100 each and release March 8th.  Maybe these are made for lawyers who want to spice up their desks at work; bring a little edge to the office.  Maybe.

Custom Toy of the Week: Tony Gil

    I received an email about these guys a few days ago and instantly fell in love with their look.  These are called the Diamond Ninja War Machines and are the creation of Tony Gil.  Not only will these guys wreck you with their sick martial arts skills, but they'll also do a bit of urban design work while they're at it.

    These started out as Munny figures from Kidrobot and evolved beyond that platform.  I love the outstretched arms that each hold a repurposed Bent World Spray Can toy.  You can tell these took a lot of work, but the design is so clean and simple that it's almost deceptive.   Check out more of Tony's ninja figures (including an upside down hanging ninja that will blow your mind) at his website below.

http://www.giltstudios.com/GilTstudios/GilTstudios/GilTstudios.html

Kiwi Fruit Spike from Jeffrey Lamm

 
    This is made by Jeffrey Lamm and Unbox Industries.  This is coming soon.   This will sell out really fast.  This is how you get on the mailing list to find out more:

http://www.unboxindustries.info/home/

This is all I know.

Chester Runcorn from Doktor A and Kuso Vinyl

     Doktor A is a toy wizard.  He creates some of the most memorable objects on such a consistent basis that there has to be some time of magic involved.  His latest toy is this three legged gentleman by the name of Chester Runcorn.  He was produced by Kuso Vinyl and the picture you see above is of the Port Edition, which means many other colors will certainly follow.  You'll be able to pick him up first by going  to Wondercon in Anaheim, California.  But fear not, there are 300 of these available and only a few will be available to attendees of the convention.  The rest will be up for grabs for us regular folks at $65 each.

New Toy Thursday from Super7

     This is Steven the Bat.  This color scheme is known as the Twilight Skies.  This has nothing to do with another thing called Twilight that is dumb and will rot your brain cells with its stupidity.  Steven the Bat is a collaboration between Bwana Spoons and Super7 that you can add to your collection today at noon Pacific time for $35.  You should probably do it, because it sounds like this figure may be hitting the retirement home after this release.  

Star Wars Weekends at Disney Exclusive Merch

   
     From May 18th - June 10 Walt Disney World will be holding it's annual Star Wars Weekend Celebrations and if there's anything both Disney and Star Wars are pros at, it's merchandising.  These are a few of the items that will be available at the park (and I'm sure eBay soon after).  While they aren't showing us any figures yet, there will most likely be some toy tie ins as well.  But for now, you'll just have to check this stuff out and then wait until more of their exclusives are announced.

Frank Kozik on Facebook

    If you don't follow Frank Kozik on Facebook then you are missing out on the plethora of information this man has to share with the world.  You'll learn about cars, music, cats and all sorts of other things that you can use throughout your daily life.  What you'll also find out about are toys.  Look at this Kim Jong Il/Elvis mash up.  It's a shame North Korea hates us so much, cause this would have made an excellent head stone for the deceased dictator.

    Next we have this amazingly intricate Mecha Labbit.  evidently the reason why we have never seen this produced before is that everyone is whining about how expensive it would be to make.  Less excuses, more Mecha Labbit building.

 
     Finally, we have this Qee design called "The Nervous Cosmonaut". We've seen a different incarnation of this released before that was extremely limited and only available at a few locations.  Does this mean there will soon be a release for us poor folks who were unable to get the first one? Only Frank Kozik has the answer to this and many more of our most burning questions.  You should subscribe to him on Facebook before you miss out and feel dumb.

https://www.facebook.com/frankkozik

https://www.facebook.com/fkozik

Zombuddiez Koki Plush from Ohiya

    Ohiya had this guy on display at New York Comic Con last year and everyone was trying to buy one.  Then he was only in the prototype phase, but now this Zombuddiez Koki plush can finally be yours.  He's 10 inches tall and is only $19.95, which is cheaper than most stuffed animals you'll find in any store, let alone ones of undead kittens.  Add this guy to your collection right now by clicking here.

New Yummy Plush from Heidi Kenney x Kidrobot

    I have a problem and it all centers around dessert.  I'm not really a big food guy, though I enjoy watching Top Chef and The Food Network, it's just that food doesn't do it for me in person.  Except for desserts.  I could eat cake for every meal.  Donuts?  Yeah, I'll take a dozen.  When my wife and I went to Montreal for our honeymoon we ate a total of two dozen Tim Hortons maple glazed donuts in five days.  Not even kidding.  That was our breakfast every morning and a nice snack before bed.  I'm surprised we didn't become diabetic from that trip.  If only Tim Hortons would FedEx me some of those delicious donuts I could try a lot harder to have an issue with my blood sugar.

    Enough about my neurosis, now it's time for plushies.  Kidrobot and Heidi Kenney have created more of those inedible stuffed animals we all love so much.  This go round you can choose from a black and white cookie, blueberry pie, 2 different donuts, and a lemon or lime.  Each toy is 12 inches of goodness and will retail for $24.95.  These can be yours on March 8th.

Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc from DC Direct

    Arkham City, I just can't quit you!   I've gotten almost every Riddler Trophy, beat the story mode, and when I think I can move on with my life this happens.  It's the new Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc figures from the game.  Gasp!

   I first saw these at New York Comic Con and I was pretty impressed by the size of them.  Mr. Freeze stand at just over 7 inches tall and his reptile bro tops out at 9 and 1/2 inches.  It doesn't sound big but when you see them next to the regular figures you'll realize how impressive they are.  Both of these guys will be available June 6th.

Exclusive Toys Available Now at Kidrobot

   Kidrobot has some cool, exclusive versions of a few toys that you should know about.

    First up, The Beast Brothers have created this blue and grey version of their Calaverita Skull.  There are only 50 of these hand painted, fiberglass sculptures and they are $100 each.

    What's this?  A new Frankenmonkey?  Created by Atomic Monkey, this orange and black primate has only 300 brothers and sisters and costs $45.  This is one of the first every toys I bought from the Kidrobot store in New York, so this new version is very tempting for me.  Maybe I'll have to add a third one to my collection.

Gary Baseman x The Loyal Subjects: The Buckingham Warrior

    This might be the most bizarre toy I have ever seen in my life.  Gary Baseman and his frequent partners in crime The Loyal Subjects bring you The Buckingham Warrior.  Standing at a massive (for a toy) 12 inches tall, the first edition of this figure is known as The Wolyner Forest Warrior.  There are points of articulation to spare and he comes with a sword and severed head.  You can never go wrong with a little decapitation as far as I'm concerned.  This big chunk of plastic will cost $115, which is pretty cheap when you think of the manufacturing work that went into this, and will be available for preorder February 22nd at noon PST from The Loyal Subjects.  Only 400 of them exist, so make sure you're ready to go if you want to add what is sure to be a great conversation piece to your collection.

Lego Minecraft Sets Available for Preorder

     There was no way this wouldn't happen.  I mean come on, it was practically begging to turn out this way.  Lego has announced it's new set of Minecraft playsets and they are available right now to preorder. Now you can be addicted to the game in the three dimensional real world.  Head over to Jinx right now and secure your Lego Minecraft Micro World for only $34.99.  

Custom Toy of the Week: Rsin

    Anybody that collects vinyl toys most likely knows who Rsin is.  This guy creates some of the most amazing customs you will ever see and has a style that is instantly recognizable.  He's been talking about contracts and design submissions a bit over on his Facebook page, so hopefully he'll get a production toy that is long overdue.

    What's great about him is that he's not afraid to take risks with rare and expensive toys and always manages to enhance them beyond their original design.  Just look at the limited Huck Gee Skull Head Dunny.  He's done a few different things with this figure in the past, but this is the newest version.  It's hard to improve on the work of one of the true legends of vinyl, but he manages to do it every time.

   I'm also really diggin this Misfortune Cat.  Again, it is a great figure to begin with and is only enhanced by Rsin's talents. 

   

Check out his websites and order one of his toys before he has to charge a lot more for them.  Believe me, you'll be kicking yourself if you don't.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsinart

http://www.rsin-art.blogspot.com/

Good Luck Trolls Are Back

    It was only a matter of time.  Everything old will indeed be new again, and it's time for Good Luck Trolls to make their return to the collecting world.  Dark Horse will be releasing a ton of new troll designs for you to collect, but they will have a distinctly modern twist: they will be blind boxed!  I have a feeling the craze is about to start up all over again.  I actually think these are kinda cool, I just pray that no one tried to bring Beanie Babies back.  You can't walk into any second hand store without tripping over tubs filled with those stupid things.  

DC Comics Mr. Potato Heads

    You can't hate Mr. Potato Head.  This guy has seamlessly transformed himself into every character imaginable and you know you've wanted every one.  I have all the Star Wars Potato Heads because I couldn't resist that special charm of a vegetable with interchangeable parts.  That, and I'm kind of a Star Wars hoarder, but that's another issue entirely.

    Superman and Batman are the latest to get the 'tato treatment.  I'm digging that the Batman figure is based on the costume from the movie and not just his classic get up.  Though that does open the door for them to do other incarnations of the Dark Knight.  There is also a Wonder Woman version coming out as well, I just couldn't find any pictures of the finished product.  Look for these later on this year.

Lucius Resin Figure from Tara McPherson

   Well hello there Miss Tara McPherson.  Check out the size of that toy she's holding.  That is her resin figure Luscius, who stands a whooping 13 inches tall and comes with a few little mountain buddies.  There are only 35 of them in the world and they are selling for $450 each through Vinyl on Vinyl.  If you've got that kinda cash to drop on a toy 1.) I'm coming to rob you and 2.) contact Vinyl on Vinyl to secure your giant treasure.  

    

Transformers Toys for 2012

    Unfortunately I was unable to make it to this year's Toy Fair in New York, but lucky for me all of the major toy companies have been posting their newest stuff online for everyone to see.  For instance, these new Transformers Prime toys.  Based on the cartoon series that airs on The Hub, these figures will be released sometime this year.  

    Hasbro has also given us a look at the Combaticons figures from the new Fall of Cybertron video game.  And of course when you put them all together they form the giant Bruticus!  This is the perfect reason to take your toys out of the package.

No Ordinary Love Statue from Camilla D'errico

        I guess the best way to describe this would be "wow".  Artist Camilla D'errico's "No Ordinary Love" painting comes to life as a limited edition statue by Dark Horse.  Standing at 8 inches tall this exquisite creation is limited to only 950 pieces and is slated to release this June.  There's no word on price yet, but if you're a fan of her work I'm sure you'll ensure this ends up in your home.  I'd love to see it in person as the detail in the picture is pretty amazing, so I may just have to splurge and pick one up for myself.  

Remember that Tokidoki Bunny? Get One Now!

   I told you about this guy a few days ago and now you can order him!  His name is Truffle and he's the newest character from the Tokidoki family.  He stands 3 and 1/2 inches tall and is only $9.95.  Click here to order yours now.

Toxic Ooze Le Turd from Super7

     Since tomorrow is Thursday it stands to reason that Super7 would have something cool for you to buy.  Ta-Da!  It's the Toxic Ooze Le Turd from Le Merde.  For $35 you can add this chill bro to your collection.  He's living the laid back life we all wish we could.  He's the Matthew McConaughey of toys.

Spawn 20th Anniversary Resin Statue

    It's hard to believe that Spawn has been around for 20 years.  Seems like only yesterday I was harassing the employees of KB Toys  to dig through their newest shipment of figures from McFarlane Toys.  To celebrate this milestone, you can be the proud owner of one of these limited edition resin statues.  They stand nearly 14 inches tall and will come hand signed by Todd McFarlane himself.  Only 600 will be made and the preorder for them is going on right now, so you better scrounge up $185 and then click here to get yours.