Glow In The Dark Budfoot Preorder from Wonder Goblin

   New Jersey is on the verge of legalizing recreational marijuana and the ads for jobs in that industry have already popped up online.  They're looking for people that have a history with growing the stuff, which last time I checked is a skill that can land you in jail until it can't.  Who in their right mind is going to put on paper that they've got a degree from Cheech and Chong University when that could be used against them in a court of law?  Then again, the Gratefull Dead were considered quality entertainment by stoners for many years, so clear lines of thinking and massive weed consumption might be mutually exclusive.  The kicker is those jobs pay a lot and I wish I had been more of a deviant when I was younger so I was qualified.  My egg plants are doing really well, though.

   This is Buddfoot, and in this incarnation he glows as green as his favorite substance on Earth.     Wonder Goblin's 12 inch tall super sofubi figure has six points of articulation and comes with an extra special accessory that he doesn't want to get pulled over with in the Garden State just yet.   Those days are coming, good buddy, and soon the we won't just be famous for growing award winning tomatoes.  The state is famous for it, not me.  My tomatoes always end up with worms.

   For $125 those midnight trips to the bathroom can get a whole lot more interesting.  Snag one when they drop this Sunday, July 1st at 11am, only from https://www.wondergoblin.com.

BurgerCat Sofubi from Nathan Hamill x Science Patrol

    Have you heard about the tick that carries an illness that makes you allergic to red meat?  I'm freaking out about it because now the damn things have been found in New Jersey.  I swear to anyone that's listening if one of those things bites me I will make it my life's mission to cry myself to sleep every night because I miss hamburgers.  For real, this is a legit concern as my diet consists of 80% red meat, 10% generic honey and nut cereal from Target, and 10% Pepsi.  I am not capable of making a change that big in my life, least of all when it comes to food.  Here's a view into my desperation here:  I have a large garden and grow lots of edible things, not to eat mind you, but because I really really love looking at tiny baby vegetables.  Every morning I go outside and check to see if tiny baby vegetables sprouted.  That makes me happy and keeps me from punching strangers.  Ps: I love red meat.

   Let's make it perfectly clear that this is a cat that is shaped like a hamburger, and not some sicko's idea of lunch.  Nathan Hamill's latest creation has been brought to life using luxurious Japanese sofubi by Science Patrol and is making it's full color debut this Friday (June 29th).  A mere $25 will get you one and they are available exclusively at http://sciencepatrol.storenvy.com.




   

Mini Draculobsters from Draculazer x Gums Productions

 

     Did you think Draculobsters just popped out of their egg sacs and were all of a sudden fully grown?  That's silly, cause like you they also have to experience the pitfalls of child hood.  They have to go to evil crustacean mutant school, they have to learn not top drag their victim's remains all over the just vacuumed carpet, and they have to experience the painful awkwardness that sea monster puberty brings with it.  Love is not always pretty, my friends, as anyone who has come upon one of these things while it is in the throes of hormonal confusion can attest to.

    I myself am a fan of this little guy, which is why I already bought the green one from Draculazer himself.  Now is your chance to get one or al of them courtesy of the folks that produced em at Gums Productions.  You can pick from one or you can buy the whole set, which is the only way you can get the ultra stealth clear edition.  It's on the very right hand side of the picture in case his camouflage was throwing off your cones and rods.  Get an instant collection of trouble makers by visiting https://shop.gumsproductions.com/.

2018 Summer Convention Exclusives from FYE

    One of the most peculiar sights during Five Points Festival didn't involve the typical weird stuff you see in New York any time you do a bit of walking around the city.  It wasn't the lady who tried to stab the guy with a pair of scissors, or the stacked up Easter bunny blow mold figures that were an apparent work of art along the street.  Nope, it was that FYE was exhibiting during the convention.  Yes, as in FYE the mall store that is known for selling cds and dvds.  I know they've been pretty heavy in the Pop! Vinyl game for a while, but I was very curious what they would have to offer to the more discerning designer toy crowd.  I'll have to admit I was pretty shocked, as not only were they selling the stuff we know and love but they even held a signing with Ron English.  Getting a large retailer like FYE involved in our rather niche market is a pretty big deal.  Toy R Us had dabbled a little before going under, so this could not only fill that void but it could expose the toys we all love to an entirely new customer base, which is never a bad thing.  More interest equals more opportunities for artists to produce even more product.

   Which brings me around to the point of this post, which is that FYE have teamed up with Jason Freeny and Andrew Bell to create a fresh batch of Summer Convention exclusives.  And the best part is you don't have to be an attendee of San Diego Comic Con to get your hands on these, as all of them are available right now for everyone to preorder.  You can stay home in your underwear and have them all delivered right to your door.  You should put some pants on when the delivery guys shows up though, just cause not everyone is prepared for the special type of magic you bring to the table.

    Let's take a closer look now at what's available and some practical info about each:

    First up, Jason Freeny is playing the nostalgia game hard with his dissected take on some Nickelodeon favorites.  There's an 8 inch Reptar figure as well as a 4 inch blind boxed series from Spongebob Squarepants. The great thing about it is if you're a completist like I am, you have the option of buying the entire set that comes with every regular figure, all of the chase versions, and a set only exclusive glow in the dark Spongebob figure as a bonus.  Only 200 of the complete collector's set are available.

 

    You can't have comic con without something from an actual comic, and they have that with this Superman Steel Edition.  You wanna see what makes the Man of Steel so tough?  Just peek inside at his inner workings and realize he's not so different from all of us.  Does that mean that we are all secretly Superman and it's just a state of mind that separates us from greatness?  Getting a little deep there.

    Finally we have Andrew Bell's Kill Kat, which looks like it can't wait to nibble on your intestines.  How come in America we only get one flavor of that delicious candy bar this is based on when in other parts of the world they have a ton of different ones?  I feel like I'm being punished for something I don't remember doing.  How am I supposed to learn an actual lesson from the withholding of delicious treats?

    Get em all now before someone else does at www.fye.com.

Marbled Resin Gordos from Brent Nolasco

    Marbling isn't just for kitchen counter tops or quality cuts of meat; it is also the pinnacle of luxury in toy production.  Oat of the time I'm fawning over a release that features multiple colors of swirled vinyl, but the same effect can be achieved in resin by talented artists.  Brent Nolasco has put his creation Gordo into the hands of resin commander Task One and the results are beyond spectacular.  Each one looks as though it was found in a cave, polished up to a nice shine, and ready for display in the Smithsonian.  Instead, these works of plastic can reside with you and your guests will think you've recently come into money to be able to afford such stunning pieces.  Your secret is safe with me.

    These are available now by visiting https://brentnolasco.bigcartel.com.

New Star Wars Bootleg Figures from Dead Greedy

   What a time to be alive!  In case you don't understand my excitement I'll give you two words that will explain it all:  Space Force!  That's right, our moron in chief has announced that a sixth branch of the military is about to be created known as Space Force.  No word yet whether we will get to pew pew aliens with laser guns, or why we actually need to create the redneck version of Star Fleet (come on, like it's not going to be the most hillbilly nonsense you've ever seen) or really what any of the details are, but it sounds like it has potential.  For what I don't know and I wish that it was up to people smarter than me but I don't think those kind of folks exist in our government.

   Dead Greedy has had his work appear on national television but is now getting ready for intergalactic shenanigans with two more of his ever popular Star Wars bootleg figures.  There's Big League Chewy in all new Galactic Grape flavor, or Knock Noggin, who I'm sure will have his own spin off film eventually at the rate they're churning those things out.  Prepare yourself to combat all that space crime by visiting www.deadgreedy.com

First Edition Sum Lottery from Plaseebo x Planet X

    Living in New Jersey for as long as I have I am shocked that I've never run across a creature like this.  There are a handful of superfund sights near where I live whose chemical makeup could easily transform an other wise mild mannered turtle into a garbage infused killing machine.  And speaking of garbage and where I live, my home owner's association went to the trouble of creating and hanging flyers telling people to not leave broken televisions at our trash collection site.  The very next day there were five of them lined up where the bulk trash goes.  They weren't flat screens either, they were those ridiculously heavy behemoths that came before them.  I'd like to think they all belonged to one person who had been hoarding them and was so incensed at being told he wasn't allowed to throw them out that he did so just cause.  It's the most punk rock thing I've seen since that dude peed in the Wal Mart parking lot last week, blissfully ignoring the fact that there were ample bathrooms available for him to use inside.  Sometimes you just gotta be yourself no matter what.

    A few weeks ago I had the privilege of seeing this figure in person and it was everything I had hoped it would be.  It's big, it's loaded with LED lights, and the sculpt by its creator Plaseebo is insane.  So many little details really bring this thing to life, details which you can see in person by entering the lottery to own this first edition.  If you want the shot at it just follow these directions (by the way, you only have until June 20th at11:59 Hong Kong time to enter):

To enter lottery, please send the followings to info@planetx.asia :

1.  Name

2.  Shipping Address 

3.  Country

4.  Telephone Number

5.  Paypal Email Address

6.  Instagram / Facebook ID

Lottery winners will receive notification emails by June 22, 2018. Winners are reminded to settle payment accordingly before deadline as stated in notification emails. Item will be shipped in Aug, 2018. 

Arc of Time Resin Sculpture from Brent Nolasco

    Brent Nolaso is one of the most imaginative figure artists out there today.  His work never feels derivative of anything else I've seen and he paves roads with his creatures that most people aren't capable of driving on.  His latest release is entitled Arc of Time and if anything it pushes his work even further than he's ever taken it.  Made of five separate pieces of resin, each figure comes with a base and acrylic rod to suspend it (which is removable).  Sculpted by Brent and cast by resin wizard Task One, you can order one of these 11 inch tall figures now at brentnolasco.bigcartel.com.  They retail for $350 each.

The Blob Resin Figure from Creature Feature

     Here's a few tidbits for you trivia fans:  The movie The Blob was filmed in the Philadelphia area and is the feature film debut of one Steve Mcqueen.  That's all I've got.  What I like about The Blob is that it is an entity that can't be reasoned with.  You can't talk yourself out of getting devoured and it in no way shares what drives it's insatiable hunger.  It's just a big pile of goo that engulfs everything in its path and somehow digests it, which is the method of choice of American politics.  I suppose even the most evil of men need role models.  

     Creature Feature has taken that classic movie monster, given it some personality, and upped the technicolor anti with her figure, aptly titled, The Blob.  This resin figure has obviously rolled over a batch of Electric Kool Aid (rip Tom Wolfe) and is ready to bring his psychedelic sass to your collection.  Standing about 4 and a half inches tall and 3 and a half wide and weighing nearly a pound, he can be yours when he goes on sale tonight (Wednesday June 13th) at 8pm eastern time only at creaturefeature.bigcartel.com.

Ahwroo from Gary Baseman x Apportfolio

   A Florida man strikes again!!  Did you see the video of the guy from Florida getting arrested while a monkey wearing a diaper clings to him?  All of the best news stories begin with the words "a Florida man" because for some reason people in that state seem hell bent on doing the craziest stuff.  Nowhere else in the country comes even close to the antics of Florida, which I have developed a theory about.  I blame it solely on humidity.  Those of you that live in a place without it may be blissfully unaware of how disgusting you feel when the air is hot and damp at the same time.  It messes with your mind and can make stealing a car with a monkey coconspirator seem like the best idea you have going for you.  It's probably not that at all and that Florida has been cursed since existence.   I was just trying to be polite.

    This is not the same monkey from that viral arrest video as he is currently awaiting trial for his part in the automobile theft, this is Ahwroo created by Gary Baseman.  There's something sweet/mildly unnerving about the gleam in his eye as he gazes up his little skull friend.   Did he harvest that little bone helmet himself, or did he happen upon it in a field as it lay there waiting to be discovered?  Ask him yourself when this primate goes on sale tonight at 10pm eastern time from APPortfolio.  Made of polystone, this limited edition figure can be found exclusively at http://garybaseman.com.

Five Points Fest Recap

    The second annual Five Points Festival has come and gone and it was an amazing time.  I spent lots of money, saw a lot of old friends, and made a lot of new ones.  An event like this is so important to not only bring collectors and creators together, but to offer so much inspiration under one roof.  While my wallet might not be looking forward to next year already, I certainly am.  Here's my random thoughts from this year's show:

- The venue change from Manhattan to Brooklyn made getting to there a little more difficult, but the walk offered a lot of spectacular views.  Sharon and I got to see a lot of different street art and you couldn't beat the view of Manhattan.

- There seemed to be way more designer toy vendors this year, which I was happy to see.  Artists that rarely make it to the east coast had tables full of items I've never been able to see in person. It was overwhelming in the best possible way.

- The venue itself was nice but could have used a serious upgrade in the air conditioning department. I apologize to everyone who thought I was going into diabetic shock, but me and the heat don't get along to well.  Granted it was in the 90's all day, which combined with a city setting is not unlike being cremated.

-  When heading back to Penn Station we saw a lady try to stab a guy with a pair of scissors.  I yelled "Worldstar" but couldn't get my phone out quickly enough, so you'll just have to use your imagination like the old days.

- It was great to see so many artists who are independently producing their work and that are able to have it presented on such a large platform.  Every person I spoke with had such an inspiring story to tell not only about their creations buy the journey towards making them a reality.  It makes me want to work harder with what I do and with what I want to do.  

-    On the ride home we were sitting next to a couple who was obviously on their honeymoon.  He reached into a bag and pulled out two cans of Diet Coke.  She reached into her purse and pulled out personalized koozies from their wedding.  As I watched them load up their drink holders to prepare for sweet liquid refreshment I couldn't help to think what would have happened had Kelly dropped the ball and left them back at the hotel.

Tom: "Alright babe, prepare to have your thirst quenched because I got us matching Diet Cokes.  All we need now are our personalized wedding koozies so that our hands stay dry and warm while our beverage of choice maintains its coolness."

Kelly:  Exploring the contents of her purse:  "Oh drat, honey bug.  It seems that I've left our personalized wedding koozies back at the hotel.  Now what will we do?"  

Tom:  "Oh, well I guess I should have listened to my mother when she said you weren't wife material."  He the forcefully slams the Diet Cokes into the trash, unaware that the tariffs on aluminum imports will soon make those cans a luxury he can no longer afford.  

New Jersey Transit never disappoints when it comes to great theater.  I don't even know why people bother paying so much to go to Broadway when you could ride the train all day and be way more enthralled.


That was my experience at this year's event.  If you've never been you need to make it a priority to make it out for next time.  This is the east coast version of DesignerCon and I expect it will continue to grow even bigger.  If you want to check out all my pictures I took you can see them not at www.facebook.com/TheToyViking.