Kronk x Kidrobot 6 Inch FatCap

    Kronk is having one hell of a year with his toys. Every time I turn my computer on it seems like he has something else coming out, which is great for collectors because one thing we will never complain about is having more stuff to try and get. The lack of free space in my house may say otherwise, but my wife is pretty creative at figuring out where new stuff can go, so I'll leave that problem in her capable hands. I'm merely the modern day hunter/ gather.

    This 6 inch FatCap from my man Kronk and Kidrobot is just the latest in his onslaught of releases this year. Only 900 of these guys were made and you can get one on May 10th for $75.

Shoggoth Slave from Skinner x Jay222

    Skinner and Jay222 are doing it again with this sick figure inspired by the myths of H.P. Lovecraft. If you've ever read any of his work, you know that ole H.P. had some pretty twisted visions of things that were lurking in the world and this series of figures has captured that and then some. This guy is a Shaggoth Slave, the whipping boy of The Elder Things. Need someone to to pick up your laundry or commit mass murder? Here's your man. This guy is huge too, measuring 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide. You can pick him up this Monday, April 30th, for $125.

Custom Toy of the Week: Lisa Rae Hansen

      Ok, this might be my favorite custom toy of all time. This amazing work is courtesy of Lisa Rae Hansen and was part of the Heavy Metal Qee Project. The nesting doll/iron maiden started off as a Qee figure and the little metal head that is inside is all an original sculpt. I would love to see a series of figures based on Mega Seth, so someone should step up and make that happen. If I had the cash I'd make it happen, but alas all my money goes to cat litter and weird smelling fish treats. Check out more from Lisa at http://www.ibreaktoys.com/ and if you want to buy this dude you can click here and he can be yours. Also, the proceeds are going to charity, which is cool.

Ferg x Grody Shogun Young Gohst Subscriptions

I'm gonna go ahead and say it. These are the best mini figures of the year. Go ahead and try to top them, you can't. It would take a heavy dose of wizardry to make anything cooler, and the best part is you can ensure that you get every single one of them. No buying blind box after blind box and hoping you get 'em all. You pay one flat fee and then get a couple of figures mailed to you every month. It's better than the Sausage of the Month Club I'll tell you that.

These genius little guys are the creation of Ferg and Grody Shogun. Each 3 inch figure comes with a brain that you can mix and match how you see fit. For $285 you get a total of 13 figures over 6 months and that includes shipping. These subscriptions go on sale April 30th so get your affairs in order and get these figures.

Make This Toy a Reality

 

Tenacious Toys are soooooooooooooo close to making this Mini Qee a reality. We're talking less than $200 away from having their Kickstarter fully funded and this Scott Tolleson toy in production. For only $30 you get one of these awesome figures shipped to your house. These retail for $28 alone, so paying an extra $2 for shipping is the best deal you'll ever find. There are other amounts you can pledge as well and you get some cool rewards to go with them: stickers, t-shirts, even original art. Click here and brag to your friends that you're an international toy mogul, making things happen in plastic.

 

The Expendables Minimates

Ok, I'll admit it: I've never seen this movie. Never even wanted to really, despite the fact that it has every cheesy action star ever is in it and it looked like no expense was sparred as far as bullet blanks go. But does that mean I can't appreciate toys based on this movie for which dialogue was most likely not the highest of priorities? Of course not! In fact, it makes playing with them that much easier cause you can put your imagination on auto pilot and get to the killing!

These Minimates will be available soon in two different four packs. the ones pictured above will be available in Toys R Us stores, while the ones below will be at your favorite comic/specialty retailers. Each pack will come with tons of lethal accessories to keep things interesting.

 

Mishka 100% Bearbrick

    Yeah, this toy doesn't suck. It's a killer Bearbrick from the folks at Mishka, who make awesome toys and clothes and probably other stuff that I don't know about but would be tempted to buy. Designed by Lamour Supreme, this insane cyclops will be available May 12th for an undetermined price. Or maybe it was determined but they know you want it so bad that you'll pay whatever you have to in order to add this sucker to your collection. Or maybe they just forgot to tell us. They're probably busy folks.

Introducing Keg O'Boom from South Africa

 

This is Keg O'Boom, the first ever designer resin figure made and produced in South Africa. He was created by artist The Given and is limited to only 50 pieces, with 1 out of every 5 being a glow-in-the-dark variant. You can get your own little powder keg dude right now by going to http://www.thegiven.co.za/kegoboom/.

 

Kingdom Mind from Restore at Lulubell Toy Bodega

    Ummm no one has ever asked me to vote for the pope (cause for some reason it's not a democratic system) but this guy would be at the top of my list.  Imagine, the first pope that can recite Iron Maiden lyrics.  This is the new Kingdom Mind figure from Restore and is available now from our pals at Lulubell Toy Bodega.  For $165 you get this insanely detailed, 10 inch tall slab of not-so-cute vinyl.  It's not often I get to use the word "sinister" much to describe a toy, so it's nice to see someone willing to push things a little and allow me to use my vocabulary words that have gotten dusty.  I want one.  

Pink and Blue Clear Labbits from Kozik and Kidrobot

    It seems like every time I go online that a new Labbit is being released. Not that that's a bad thing mind you, as it seems to have become my life's goal to have nothing but Labbits in my house. Soon I'll have to start getting rid of furniture to make room for them all.

    Kozik and Kidrobot are trying to force my couch outside now as they are releasing not 1 but 2 new nicotine addicted bunnies. These are made with fancy clear pink and blue vinyl, so you can shine a flashlight through it, or drill a hole into one and make a lamp out of it. Or just look at it the way it is and be impressed with your good taste. Pick 'em up May 10th for $60 each.

Candy Coated Custom Show Tomorrow Night in NYC

    Tenacious Toys is presenting a pretty awesome custom show tomorrow night at The London Candy Company. All of the customs are either based on sweets or England so the mix of designs is interesting. If you can't make it to New York tomorrow to see it in person you can go to www.tenacioustoys.com to see and purchase them online. Just so you know, most seem to be sold, but there are some amazing pieces still to be had.

Remember the Cherry Blossoms from Peter Kato

    Peter Kato makes really cool, really affordable resin figures in Brooklyn, NY.  This is his latest series of toys, entitled "Remember the Cherry Blossoms."  Each figure is hand cast in pink resin range in price from $5 to $25.  I love it when people take the initiative to produce their work on their own.  Many people dream of big companies coming along and paying them tons of money to recreate their designs.  But there's something special about a handmade toy that gets lost in the giant factories.  Check out his website and support independent toy makers.

Custom Toy Show of the Week: Playsam 500

This has to be one of the best collections of talent I've ever seen assembled for a toy show.  I mean, it's almost disturbing how many good pieces will be included in this show.  This show is utilizing the Playsam Streamliner Car as its platform and is a must see if you live in the San Francisco area.  It will be held at Super7 next Saturday, April 28th at 7pm and will probably be a good chance to meet some of these artists, as quite a few are from this area.  

New Stuff from Erick Scarecrow Drops Tomorrow

 

 

Ooooooooh check out all this goodness that can be yours courtesy of Erick Scarecrow tomorrow. First up is thee 3rd series of his Turtle Micci figures. There are 7 different colors including the mystery denim figure. Each one is 3 and 1/2 inches tall and hand painted.

You could also try and score this Icy Yarn Shroom, of which there are only 20 of in the world. They each come signed and numbered and will freak you out if you stare at it too long. It's like a visual representation of your conscious, looking back at you, begging to share the secrets of the universe. You probably shouldn't listen to Pink Floyd or eat special brownies in its presence.

All of these can be yours tomorrow morning at 11 am EST by going to http://esctoy.limitedpressing.com/.

 

Ultrus Bog from Skinner and Lulubell Toy Bodega

    Is there a toy more metal than this? The answer was no, because if there was a toy more metal it would melt your face off. This one definitely gives my jowls a tingle though. This is Ultrus Bog, a crazy awesome toy from Skinner and Lulubell Toy Bodega. He stands a massive 10 inches tall and is covered in bat wings and skulls, which as I may have mentioned, is pretty metal. Even looking at this guy all I can think about are guitar solos and battle axes. You ca preorder this sucker right now for $85 (which is a bargain you sissy) by going to http://www.lulubelltoys.com/. Get one. Now. For me.

Kozik x Kidrobot Bondage Labbit Review

    Ok, so I know a lot of sites offer toy reviews, but in all honesty I don't know how interesting that is for anyone.  "Hey look, I got this toy, you already know I think its cool cause I paid a billion dollars for it, but check me out anyway."  I don't wanna be lame, but I also want to share with you a bit of my life through these piles of plastic I have laying all about the house.  My first step, was to take a very hipster-ish picture with Instagram and as you can see from the above example, I did a bang up job.  My second step is to develop a list of criteria to see how this toy stacks up.  Today we will be harshly judging the Bondage Labbit from Kozik and Kidrobot.  I hope I don't make you wish you were dead.

1.)  Could you kill a man with it? 


It's pretty big, and with enough force you could definitely catch someone unawares and give them a concussion.  Once there down just repeat until desired level of deadness is reached.

2.)  Could you use it as a make shift security system?


Ahhh a good question indeed.  The look of this cheeky monkey will probably be enough to scare any burglar away, leaving you time to do things other than beat him about the head.  Like buy more toys.

3.) What does this toy say about me?


Other than I'm rich?  Well, I think it says I'm a man who likes adventure, who faces challenges head on, and whose years of therapy have failed him in dramatic fashion (sorry mom).

4.)  Do the cats like it?


The cats are so over my nonsense that it's hard to tell what they think about things anymore.  Snuggle time has not been depleted though, so it has had no negative impact on their level of respect for me.

Well there you have it.  That, my friends, is how you review a toy.

Voltaire x Toy2r Exclusive Sleezter Deady

     This bunny is freaking me out a bit. It looks like if you got within 5 feet of it it would tear your face off and wear it as a Halloween mask. But it is fun sized! This is Sleezter Deady, the twisted creation of Voltaire and Toy2r. This evil looking carrot chomper is exclusive to Voltaire's online store and can be yours, shipping and all (in the U.S.) for $35. You can't get a creepier toy at a better price!

More Resin Madl*s from MAD

    I bet it will take me longer to type this than it will for the next round of MAD's resin Madl*s to sell out. The past 2 editions of these little guys have sold in record time, so I'm sure collectors will be just as crazy for this blue version. Keep an eye on all of MAD's social media accounts to learn when these go on sale and hope you're fast enough to get one.

The Return of Battle Beasts****Update*****

   Ok, so here's an update.  Evidently these Battle Beasts have nothing to do with the Battle Beasts of yore.  They just happen to be animals that fight each other and have a collectible figure line with the same name.  So there is no return, these are new.  

 I loooooooooooooooooved Battle Beasts when I was a kid.  What could be better than a bunch of heavily armed, anthropomorphic creatures that wanted to whoop each others behinds?  Then you add in their holograms that had a rock-paper-scissor effect on the outcome of their fights and it was everything a kid could ask for.  And a nightmare for parents because there were tons of these things and you had to get them all or you were a loser.  Thank God someone finally wised up and is resurrecting this toy line. The folks at Diamond Select Toys are making some pretty killer updates to this classic franchise.  The toys are now much more articulate, as they are built as Minimates, and they look a lot tougher. There's even going to be a comic book from IDW to go along with these new figures.

 They gave away this awesome clear red ram dude at C2E2 this past weekend and I'm sure he's going to be heavily sought after.  Actually, I know this for a fact because people are already trying to get $100 for one on eBay.  There was also a solid grey version as well that is commanding some big bucks.  

DC Direct Announcements at C2E2

    The C2E2 convention was held in Chicago this past weekend, and while I didn't personally attend, I have found out some fun things through the magic of the internet.  I showed you these figures from The New 52 line of comics already, but DC has announced that you can purchase them all at one in a special 7 pack and part of the proceeds will go to We Can Be Heroes, which has been established to help fight hunger in the Horn of Africa.  Oh, and if that isn't enough to get you to buy them you also get the Superman figure before he's released anywhere else.  See, everyone wins.  

    They also showed everyone this Dr. Manhattan statue that will be part of their Before Watchmen collectibles line.  Most people have already deemed this prequel to the legendary Watchmen as an act of heresy, but we have to look past that and be appreciative that they were nice enough to cover his ding-a-ling on this toy.  The movie was amazing but all anyone could talk about was his Smurf all out and about.  Penises are distracting and nothing can be taken seriously once one has been spotted.  Not that his Speedo is a vast improvement, but at least I feel like I can have a conversation while this thing is in the room and not feel the need to point. 

Custom Toy Event of the Week: My Little Pony Project

   
    If my wife was in charge of putting together a toy show, this is the one she would have dreamed about. The My Little Pony Project opens May 5th at Toy Art Gallery in Los Angeles and features some pretty amazing artists putting their spin on this classic toy.  64 Colors, Julie West, Sket One, and Touma are some of the artists I'm most excited to see, as I think their style will translate well onto this platform.  The last time they did a My Little Pony custom show, Hasbro actually produced Junko Mizuno's design so hopefully one or more of the customs will actually be released on a mass scale.  

Lovebirds from Kronk x Kidrobot

    Check these little guys out.  Kronk and Kidrobot are proud to present their newest collaboration, Love Birds.  Each bird is sold individually and has little heart shaped feet that are ready to connect to those of the one it loves.  Kronk continues to amaze me with just how unpredictable his designs are.  The last toy I got from him was a mutant flying dog with some serious fire power strapped to his back.  This is definitely not where I expected him to go next, but that is not a bad thing at all; it keeps things interesting.  You can pick up your Love Birds on April 26th for $19.95 each.  

Jason Limon x Kidrobot 8 Inch Dunny

    Ok, let me calm my nerves for just a second, cause this might be one of the most amazing Dunny figures I've ever seen.  This beautiful piece of plastic is the work of artist Jason Limon.  I'd like to think I'd have something clever to say about this, but I think the pictures speak for themselves.  This will be available for $70 on April 26th from the folks at Kidrobot.  Only 1000 were made and I can guarantee you they won't last through the day.  

Huck Gee x The Beast Brothers Skullendario Royal Guard

    You know what time it is? It's time to spend all that tax money you just got back from the government. Forget buying your kids a new bike, or fixing that leaking roof. Those things are for suckers, and you my friend, are no sucker. Instead, buy this beautiful work of art from Huck Gee and The Beast Brothers. This Royal Guard figure is the second in their Skullendario collaborative series, which blends the best of their talents into a disturbing typhoon of awesome. This swanky toy is hand made, detailed with real Swarovski crystals, and comes packaged in a laser engraved wooden box. Just like last time, this guy will go one sale for a 24 hour period for $475 and they will only make the amount that is ordered. If you want to get one your window opens April 20th at 1pm. Don't be a wussy, just get one and apologize to your landlord later for that lack of rent payment. He'll understand.

Harley Quinn Kotobukiya Figure Update

    I showed you the drawing that was the inspiration for this toy and now you can see what these wizards of plastic have crafted from that very picture. Kotobukiya have added Harley Quinn to their amazing lineup of Boshoujo statues. Ms. Quinn stands 10 inches tall and will be available in September. Just in time for Christmas. For me.

Maqet x Volkswagen Want Your Design Skills

    That video is pretty amazing huh? That my friends is the technology of 3D printing at work, a technology that the folks at Maqet have down pat. They make pretty awesome toys using methods similar to what you've seen above and now they've teamed up with Volkswagen to give you the chance to design a new VW Polo. You can go right now to http://thepoloprinciple.com/index_eng.php and design your own car. Forty of the best designs will then be printed using that wizard magic in the video and they will be shown in Copenhagen in May. And if you're one of the forty lucky folks, you also get to keep your little car after the show. One really lucky person will have their design plastered on the side of a real VW Polo and get to drive it around during the summer. Get to work.

April Preorders from Gentle Giant

    Ooooooooooooooh. These are some of the new thingys that Gentle Giant have made available for us to preorder in April. My favorite is this killer Death Trooper statue. As you can see he's got a touch of that zombie bug that's going around, which normally I'd say I'm sick of, but since it involves Star Wars, I'll let it slide. Plus it's cool. And $225.

    You remember what you used to always say when you were little? "Boy, I sure do wish they'd make a big ole Snaggletooth figure for me to play with". Well consider all of your prayers answered because here he is in all his awkward glory. For $70 he can loom large over your toy collection and creep out your mother.

    Continuing with the space theme I have found myself to be obsessed with, it's a Mars Attacks Christmas ornament. Once the aliens do land the first thing on their agenda is to steal all of your nicest things, so if you have their likeness hanging on your tree, they just might spare the socks your Aunt Linda got you. For three years in a row. Ridiculous woman.

DC Begins New 52 Figure Ads

    All you come c book readers have probably already seen this as DC Comics has been placing their ads for the New 52 figure line in its recent releases. All of the toys have that new, modern design that was part of the DC relaunches. Overall I like the looks of the figures, but Wonder Woman is a little intimidating. I mean look at those arms! She looks like she hangs out at biker bars and arm wrestles ex convicts for pocket money. That's a scary woman. Kudos to Aquaman for looking a bit tougher than we're used to, though he still could be a Sears underwear model. But one that could maybe defend himself from your taunts if he was with a school of obedient fish buddies. Maybe.

Kidrobot Exclusive Black Gipper Bust from Kozik

    So we're finally getting to see the color way of Kozik's Gipper Bust that will be exclusive to Kidrobot. This all black Darth Reagan is the most unnerving of them all.  It's like he's been sculpted out of pure evil, or oil.  Yeah, it's probably oil.  There are only 50 blackest of the black versions available and guess what?  Kidrobot is sold out of them online.  So if you live near one of their stores you better go and see what they have left.  Or head over to eBay and pay somebody who bought the toy just to resell it and be a complete jerk to collectors.  Not that I'm angry about that sort of thing or that I have threatened to stab people for cutting in front of me in line at events, who then proceeded to discuss how much money they were going to make off of selling whatever I was waiting patiently for.  Those people are called "flippers" and it is because all of their children will be born with flippers like a dolphin rather than arms and legs, a quite fitting punishment for their crimes against decency.  Look it up.  

Headless Apes from MonstreHero

    Ok, as per usual I'm a bit late to the party as a few of these zany primates have sold out since they went on sale a few days ago. I can't tell you what I was doing, or where I was. We'll just have to leave it at that until the statute of limitations run out.

    So being that some of these Headless Apes from MonstreHero have sold out and you probably want to get yourself one, I'm gonna get right to the point. Each color has both a male and female version, each one is $75, and they can be purchased by going to http://monstrehero.bigcartel.com/. Go and get yo monkey with the ghost head now!

The Unbox Industries Store is Open for Business

    Unbox Industries has just loaded their webstore with tons of killer toys I've been telling you about for months and you can now finally purchase. There are 5 different versions of Jeffrey Lamm's SpikeWad figure, including the "Black Hole" edition pictured above. And you can also score one of the new PeeNut figure from Triclops Studio. This nasty nut comes in 3 different colors and is ready to knock your teeth out for looking at him funny. Or talking bad about Mötley Crüe. He loves Mötley Crüe. Both figures are $45 and are ready to be shipped to your door today. Get 'em now at http://unboxindustries.bigcartel.com/.

Super7 Pink Casket Cruiser Video

More toys should have their own promo videos.  This one is courtesy of Super7.

Custom Toys of the Week: Valerie Gudell

    Since the Easter holiday is upon us, wht not feature some cool custom toys that would look right at home in a basket full of plastic grass and chocolate eggs. These guys were made by Valerie Gudell aka Cultured Critter Collective. What I like about these guys is that they're freakin cute and I'm man enough to say it! I also love that they're not over designed, which sometimes happens and can take away from a figure's overall look. So much can be said with subtlety and these guys are doing just that.

     If you'd like to pick up one of them or both of them or a whole host of creations from Valerie then you need to check out http://culturedcritter.storenvy.com/.

Jon-Paul Kaiser x Toy2r Pandaimyo Mini Qee

  

    I will take 14 of these please. Jon-Paul Kaiser just keeps killing it with his Mini Qee designs. This one is called Pandaimyo and he's not gonna take any crap from you. This is the baddest samurai panda on the planet and you can take him home this summer to guard your valuables. There will be variant versions as well, so I would expect to see some special releases for the major comic cons this year. Good job on this one Toy2r.

Easter Pocket Pork Dumplings from Shawnimals

     There are a plethora of festive releases this week in celebration of the Easter holiday, so if you got suckered into this being a gift giving occasion by someone close to you I'm happy I could bail you out.

     Shawnimals has som new brightly colored Pork Dumplings that are looking for homes. There are 6 different versions as you can see, and they are blind boxed at $11.99 each and available starting today from myplasticheart. Don't buy your loved one a rabbit and have it chew through all your electrical cords and leave little nuggets of joy all over the carpet. Buy them a Pocket Pork Dumpling instead!