Metallica's Kirk Hammet Bringing Exclusive Toys to SDCC

   

     Kirk Hammet is living the life you wish you had. He's the lead guitarist in the biggest metal band in the world, he surrounds himself with every iconic horror movie prop he can get his hands on, and...and...what other proof do you need?  Oh, he has his own horror convention and his own toy company, which will feature some exclusive releases at San Diego Comic Con.  Not only will you get a sweet figure out of the deal, but buying one of them will give you the opportunity to meet the man himself.  If you're real nice he may help you figure out why you just can't quite nail the opening to "Master of Puppets."  But probably not, though.  

    Take a look at this graphic for more info on the people he's sharing a booth with including Nuclear Blast Records, Stern Pinball, and JSR Merchandising.  I want those Metallica and WWE pinball machines.  And that GWAR shirt.  And the toys.  I just want everything!

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Kamakiri (Mantis) Ningen from Blobpus x Dream Rocket

    I get that doing lotteries for popular toys is a decently fair way of selling a limited product while being able to weed out known flippers, but like any gamble it sucks when you don't win.  Which is why I limit my gambling to crane machines and skee-ball.  None of that casino nonsense for me, I'll stick to my carney games where the stakes are low but the prizes are much better than mere cash.  You can always make more money, but you can't always get another giant stuffed banana dressed as a Rastafarian.  Every time you see that beauty sitting in the corner you'll be filled with a renewed sense of pride, while everyone else who sees it will wonder why you brought that thing home instead of leaving it at a rest stop where it "obviously belongs."  Playa haters.

    Blobpus is forgoing his usual lottery sales for this release and instead ensuring that everyone who wants one of these crazy Mantis figures from Dream Rocket can get one.  You have until July 6th to order one, at which point he will paint them all up and ship them out in December.  Get complete details by visiting http://blobpus.blogspot.jp/.  

Mr. TMNT by Dead Greedy x DKE for SDCC

     We are all lucky enough to live in a time when if you're not happy with anything about yourself you can just go ahead and change it.  Through the miracles of modern medicine and sometimes just through sheer willpower/not telling the truth, we can transcend just about anything we see as an obstacle.  

    Who knew that deep down Mr. T had always identified as being a Ninja Turtle?  There's got to be a Diane Sawyer special any day now so we can hear his side of the story.  But until then we'll have to speculate that as a child he had an almost unnatural attraction to opening manhole covers, speaking like a surfer from Venice Beach, and craving only pizza for every meal.  The other kids thought he was nuts when he carried a little rat friend around, telling them all that he was his martial arts teacher.  But now Mr. T can live out his life the way he was always meant to, and to commemorate this occasion you can own one of these figures by Dead Greedy.  They will be available at DKE's booth at San Diego Comic Con for $55 each and are limited to just 25 pieces.    

Super7's Truckload of Exclusives for SDCC

    A visit to Super7's booth at San Diego Comic Con could drastically change the landscape of your collection/ability to retire one day.  But fear not, because if you start right now you may have just enough time to get a few new credit cards in the mail so you don't have to worry about picking and choosing the toys you want.  You max those babies out, then get another credit card with a sweet no interest balance transfer deal and you are practically making money as you shop!  Not really, but it does take the sting away when you think of it like that.  Behold all that could be yours:

    

Kaiju Rhaal One-Off's from Gorgoloid Dropping Tomorrow Night

    Man these dudes are frightening!!  Is this some mad science experience gone wrong?  A genetic mutation?  What all those supplements from GNC will eventually do to people?  The questions are endless, but the supply of one-off Kaiju Rhaals from Gorgoloid is anything but.  The magic number for these spectacular brutes is 6 and coincidentally enough they go on sale tomorrow (Friday, August 26th) at 6pm pacific time only at http://www.gorgoloid.com/.  Pictured are two of my favorites.  

Kidrobot Returns To Conquer SDCC

   Last year, Kidrobot decided to skip San Diego Comic Con.  Maybe someone ate some bad takeout, or maybe they just couldn't find anywhere to park (I've heard that's a nightmare) but it doesn't really matter what the reason is, because this year they're storming the place like Ragnar and company stormed Paris.  Probably with more showers and less bleeding, but who can say for sure.  So hang onto your britches while I give you the rundown of everything I know about what's they have planned.  

   You see those prints up there?  Of course you do, it was one of those rhetorical questions and you actually didn't have to answer out loud, though I appreciate your enthusiasm/willingness to have your family think you're nuts.  The release of these three prints will coincide with Brandt Peters, Frank Kozik, and Scott Tolleson making appearances to hang out with you lucky convention goers.  There are less than 200 of each print, and they will be $25 each.  That is unless you're super dedicated and one of the first 50 people in line for each artist's signing, then you'll get one absolutely free.  That will leave some funds for you to get exactly two bottles of water from one of the food carts.  You know what, screw that, use it to buy toys.  You can always drink from one of the bathroom sinks.  

    If you're a Junko Mizuno fan and you haven't found a mule to get you that pretty little lady on the right, I would start calling friends ASAP.  Anyone and everyone will have the opportunity to own the original colorway of this 8 inch Dunny (on the left, sucka) but if you wanna taste of that Berry Chocolate flavor, you're gonna need to be at the convention or have a stand in willing to help you out.  She's a thing of beauty and from what I understand very limited.  $100 will get you one and trust me, that's a bargain when you see one for yourself in person.

    What time is it?  Well, it's quarter after three, I don't know why kids are always asking that.  You know you got a phone you little brat, so peel your eyelids off of Instagram for a second to check.  Oh, they're talking about the cartoon?  That's way less weird.  Finn and Jake want to do some adventuring all up in your house with these two exclusive releases.  Sure, you might already have these in their original color schemes, but I know the completest in you is ready to pull your very soul out of your ears to add these to your collection.  I feel you, I'm getting a little twitchy myself just by thinking of all the new Dunny releases, and I just want you to know I'm never gonna not encourage your obsessions.  toy obsessions anyway, not those one's involving Betty White ya freak.  Each figure is gonna sell for $49.99.

    I've already told you about these Mega Man exclusives but I'll be damned to be called anything other than thorough with this post.  They will be $49.99 each.  

    There's two things my wife is terrified of: slugs and ticks.  One time when we were digging for fossils in a creek (you didn't know I was so interesting did you?) I found a leech on a piece of wood.  I'd never actually seen a leech in person, so in my excitement I wanted to share it with the person I love.  After a few vague threats I chose to forget, she informed me how a leech was nothing more than a slug/tick hybrid and what on earth would make me think she wanted to see it.  It was a long drive to the Cheesecake Factory let me tell you.  

    If all slugs looked like the ones from Best Fiends I bet she'd be more receptive to their company.  The great thing about these too is that they will release online at Amazon and shop.bestfiends.com at the same time the release at comic con, so nobody will miss out.  If you're at the convention you will have a chance to win some prizes and meet the lead character artist for the game, Miguel Francisco.  This will happen on Saturday, July 11th from 9am-noon and this fancy screen print is one of the things you could walk away with:

    Those in attendance will also be able to take advantage of pre-releases for upcoming toys, including Frank Kozik's Baby Huey and Wuzone's debut 8 inch Dunny.  Here is the signing schedule for Kidrobot's booth # 5645, that way you can be the most prepared and stuff.

Thursday, July 9th

Junko Mizuno 1pm-3pm

Scott Tolleson 4pm-6pm

Friday, July 10th

Junko Mizuno 1pm-3pm

Frank Kozik 4pm-6pm

Saturday, July 11th

Brandt Peters 1pm-3pm

Chris 51 4pm-6pm

   

     

Star Warhol by Killer Bootlegs x DKE for SDCC

    Oh man, I love when I unconsciously stumble upon a theme.  Let's see, we got Star Wars presented in an unexpected way, a DKE exclusive for San Diego Comic Con, and......ok, that's about it I guess, but a theme it is indeed that runs through both of my posts today.  Now let me tell you about my drive  home from work last night.

    Just as I'm leaving to come home (which is the only time bad weather seems to happen) the sky turned black and began to rain.  Then I got a notice on my phone about a tornado watch.  No big deal I thought, I'll just take off now and hopefully out run the bad stuff.   That is not at all what happened. The wind picked up tremendously, pushing my small car all over the road, as pieces of tree branches and road signs fell into the road.  I get stopped at what turns out to be the last working set of traffic lights and as I'm sitting there a group of power lines start shooting sparks into the air.  The rest of my hour and a half drive consisted of crossing a mud-filled median to the opposite side of a highway and thus around a group of fallen trees, and trying my best to avoid numerous power lines as they danced like electric eels on the blacktop.

    The moral of the story is I could have used an R2 unit to help me navigate the treacherous conditions.  All I had was an IPod, Amon Amarth's "Twilight of the Thunder God" (which seemed appropriate) and the will to not die.  I don't know if Killer Bootleg's Star Wars/Andy Warhol mashup could have helped, but the most intelligent soup can in the galaxy probably would have had a few helpful tips. Or he would have just beeped at me and smelled like tomatoes.  DKE will be offering 50 of these for sale at their booth during San Diego Comic Con and at only $75 each, they probably won't last long.  

Django Uncloned Heirloom Edition from Robin Van Valkenburgh x Good For You Toys x DKE for SDCC

     I think that is longest title I've ever written for a post.  I seriously got winded by the end of it and blacked out a little.  I gotta work on my cardio if I'm gonna tackle a title of that magnitude again, cause I'm not trying to embarrass myself in front of you folks.  TMZ ain't getting a picture of me drooling on my keyboard and shakin like Courtney Love in church.

    I bet you never thought you'd want to collect ceramics as bad as you do right now.  It's cool, life is weird like that.  And Robin Van Valkenburgh ain't exactly reproducing those creepy clowns that filled your grandma's house.  Nope, we're talking crazy stuff, like this Django Uncloned figure in collaboration with Good For You Toys.  Only 20 of these space cowboys will be available from DKE's booth #5045 at San Diego Comic Con for $110 each.  Get yourself one and blow a stranger's mind when they're perusing your estate sale.  

Trouble Trouble from Dabs Myla x Munky King at SDCC

    Did you watch the MTV Movie Awards?  Yeah, me neither.  I would much rather remove one of my eyes with a spoon than watch just about anything on that channel.  Ok, I do get a kick out of True Life, and for some reason I can still be suckered into watching the Real World for some reason, even if it's just in hopes that the house catches fire with all of them in it.  So let me revise my previous statement:  I would rather remove one of my eyes with a spoon than watch MOST of the programming on MTV.  Sometimes you just gotta slum it.   Then I found out Dabs Myla designed the set for the Movie Awards and I was mildly tempted to watch it, but then I also realized that still photography is a thing and I could enjoy their work without having to risk hearing a Kanye West song.

   The couple create artwork that practically begs to be made into toys, yet this is surprisingly their first foray into the vinyl world.  Munky King will be debuting this delightful stick of dynamite and his stressed out match friend at this year's San Diego Comic Con.  If you can't make it to the show because you're busy auditioning for Teen Mom 8 don't worry, they're gonna be available later on at https://www.munkyking.com/.  

Preorders for "Cestoda" from Miscreation Toys x Toy Art Gallery Happening Now!

 
    Did you watch True Detective last night?  I liked last season but good Lord have mercy I am loving this new one.  Last year my wife and I coined the term "Haunted Bayou" which we determined was our favorite genre.  This year we have invented "California Noir", which we now think may be our newest favorite genre of television.  We had another term involving the Appalacians but I can't remember it right now so it probably wasn't nearly as impressive.  We've just realized we prefer stories that are set in certain parts of the world, and our country is so drastically different that particular areas lend themselves to better story telling than others.

    Cestoda from Miscreation Toys x Toy Art Gallery demands a setting in which he can cause the most destruction, so you can't tell a story about this guy in Oklahoma.  He's gotta have some huge body of water to rise up from and a packed city with lots of people to eat and structures to destroy.  Could you imagine him just stomping around in a barren field, bored out of his mind and forced to hear about high school football?  Nobody wants to watch that movie.

    You could make this behemoth the story of your own home movies as he is available for preorder right now.  You could get a red one, a grey one, or buy em both and start your own giant monster wrasslin league.  They're $175 each and available only from www.toyartgallery.com through July 2nd.

New Releases from doubleparlour Happening Today!!!!!

    If you haven't found a reason to call out sick from work today may I present to you the best one I can think of.  Unless you're actually sick, in which case I'm sorry to hear that, but at least you can still be home and ready for the newest releases from doubleparlour.  And what better way to make yourself feel better than some new items to liven up your living space?  http://doubleparlour.myshopify.com/ is the place to be at noon pacific time today if you'd like to add any of these adorably spooky figures to your collection.  They're gonna go fast, so put off any responsibilities you may have had and park your butt in front of the computer.  I'll write you a note for your boss if you want.  

Peter Kato's Newest Apprentice To Debut Her "Satyr" Figure Tonight

    Peter Kato is making his ability as a teacher look really good, as his second apprentice Seulgie is set to release her very first resin figure tonight.  She came to him with zero experience in sculpting or mold making and in seven short months has produced this Satyr figure.  Each of these 4 and 1/2 inch resin figures are completely made by hand and will be available for $85 starting at 8pm tonight only from http://peterkatoshop.com/.  She also hand painted some Sleepytime Bunnies and Bedtime Danglers that will be priced at $12 and $15 respectively.  

You Want Dunnys? Check Out All of These Available for Preorder Right Now

    My head is literally ready to explode with all of the amazing Dunnys that Kidrobot is coming out with this year.  If this is what the future of this company looks like then we are in for many years of toys I desperately need.  You've got a healthy mixture of well known vinyl artists, some that are completely new to the vinyl world, and fan favorite designs that made the jump from 3 inch figures to 8 inch.  Let's get started so you can see where your money is going this year.  

    Sket-One self-produced a pretty killer version of this Sketratcha Dunny some time back and now it's getting a proper vinyl release as a 3 inch figure.  There's gonna be a chase version as well, which I'm not gonna spoil for you in case you haven't seen it.  $14.99 will get you one.  

    I can't say enough good things about doubleparlour.  Admittedly, I was a bit late to their appreciation party, but I'm trying to make up for lost time.  I'm in love with everything they do and this Dunny is no exception.  This 3 inch toy is on my must have list and at only $14.99, I won't feel guilty about it either.  

    Ever wondered what a certain famous mouse looked like when he went home, removed his kid friendly exterior, and exposed what was really lurking underneath?  Yeah, me neither, but I have no problem believing that behind that smile lies a creature that feasts on equal parts cash and children's souls.  A balanced diet is important after all.  Ron English and his sinister friend are making the jump from the Apocalypse blind box series to a full 8 inch production figure.  For $74.99 you can have him stare at you as you plan your next trip to the happiest place on earth.

    And people think that no one listens to their pleas?  Well, when your demands aren't ridiculous, this can be the result.  Scott Tolleson's Lotus Dragon was next to impossible to get as part of the Evolved Dunny series, so thankfully its 8 inch counterpart will be much simpler to obtain.  All you need is $99.99 and a bit of patience and you could have this delivered to your door in the Fall.  Go ahead and add this to my must have list.   

    This one has a special place in my heart, because I was able to not only hold the prototype in my hand, but take a picture of it that circulated pretty quickly around the internet.  I felt like a proud father.  Not only did Junko Mizuno's design make the jump from 3 inch to 8 inch, but they added some elements to it as well.  The thing is stunning in person and I've been waiting patiently to be able to get one since I first saw it in February.  

       This is what I like to see.  Someone working their butt of painting figure after figure, honing their craft, and then getting rewarded with their own production toy.  It's happened before but I feel it's going to happen a lot more now that the stable of artists Kidrobot is pulling from is pretty much endless.  Maybe I'll get my own Dunny?  I gotta make a phone call.

     Wuzone seems inspired by everyone's favorite pathologically lying puppet, but put enough of a spin on it to make it feel fresh.  I know what you're thinking, you're thinking: "How will I possibly afford all this?"  For one, don't worry, just stop paying those annoying student loans.  Secondly, this dude is priced at only $59.99.  It's like a throwback price!!!

    Sweet mother of plastic what is this you have bestowed upon me?  J*RYU has just changed everything you thought a Dunny could be.  Not only is it not character driven, but the design, and sculpting, and the detail.  I think I just got the vapors.  And to top it all off it pretty much demands to be the centerpiece of your collection as it stands a whopping 20 inches high.  Forget buying a new shelf, you're gonna need an alter for this.  Now she ain't cheap at $449.99, but I can guarantee you it's worth every penny you have to steal.  

    Each one of these, and The 13 Dunny series from Brandt Peters that I've previously written about, are all available for preorder right now from your favorite designer toy stores.  No more sweating on release day, no more pounding the refresh key on your laptop, or frantically driving from store to store, or pacts with dark forces trying to secure the one's you need.  This is a glorious time to be a collector.  

Lacking A Green Thumb? Then You Need Taylored Curiosities' Curious Lithops

     When Sharon and I bought our house I distinctly remember the garden in front looking impressive.  This was a few years ago and my memory is not always the best, but it seems that the simple act of us moving in has caused the thing to deteriorate.  My neighbor's is really impressive, and being that they're right next to one another, makes ours look even worse.  The other day I tried to go out and pull some weeds up, but they started flowering which made me doubt whether I should pull them or whether they we even weeds at all.  They have obviously been paying attention to humans and realized that as long as you're pretty you can get away with anything.  So after being punked by a bunch of rogue plants I decided the only course of action was to go eat lunch and just deal with the nasty looks we get from the people we live near.  

   

    I'm sure I would fare much better with these Curious Lithops from Taylored Curiosities.  For one, they're always gonna look like this, so the maintenance after putting them in the flower bed would be zero.  And two, they'll look good year round as they have transcended the idea of death by being made of clay/resin/other stuff that I have no idea about.  You can pick the one's you want or you can take a gamble and buy them blind boxed.  Spruce up your living space at http://tayloredcuriosities.bigcartel.com/.

    

**UPDATE**Vinyl Pulse's 10 Year Anniversary Astronaut from Itokin Park

    **UPDATE**  There's also going to be a cammo version available.  Now, camo ain't easy to paint.  You can't just wish it on there, so as a result this guy will be $45 to reflect the hard work.  But look at those results; they're totally worth it.  All the other release info is the same.  

    I met Buzz Aldrin once.  He's the only astronaut I've ever shook hands with, and that's the only astronaut story I have.  He seemed nice, and I'm pretty sure I could have whooped him.  Is it weird that I thought about whether I could win a fight against an 80 year old man, or awesome that I am willing to take on a space traveler and moon adventurer?  When you put it like that it makes me seem kind of heroic.

    Vinyl Pulse is celebrating their 10th year of writing about designer toys, which is a pretty long time when you think about it.  Some cars don't even last that long, so you gotta celebrate a milestone that big with something special, like this exclusive Astronaut from Itokin Park.  He's decked out in colors from the website and will go on sale this Friday, June 19th, at 7am pacific time from www.vinylpulse.com.  Each 3 and 1/2 inch figure will be $35 and guaranteed cute as hell.