Big Time Awesome Toy Review Featuring Dalek’s Space Monkey Tenacious Toys Exclusive from 3DRetro

 

Jorah made a friend.

    Dalek's Space Monkey is designer toy royalty. It's on the same level as that rabbit with a nicotine problem, or those squarish bear figures that all the rappers love. There have been countless iterations of this guy because he's exactly what a good art toy should be: he's fun, a little creepy, sorta cute, and has a love for dangerous objects. That sounds like a dating profile, which I've never needed because I've been married since the Victorian era. One time when I was in a store buying a gift for someone they tried to get me to sign up for a rewards thing and I told them no thanks but they persisted and said "why not give it to your girlfriend" and I said I couldn't because my wife won't let me have a girlfriend and then my wife hit me because she was standing right next to me and boy was that something. I never miss an opportunity to prove why I deserve a Netflix special. 

Why did I pose him in my refrigerator in front of the orange juice? What are you, a cop?

    This particular Space Monkey was produced by Bigshot Toyworks for 3DRetro who then made this exclusive colorway for Tenacious Toys. I hope you got all that because there will be a test later. He's bright yellow with little green shorts that would make even the most confident man blush a little, but thankfully he is so unhinged he is not at all bothered showing off those thighs. I'm fact, he might be insulted if you didn't take a look and admire what his momma gave him. Go on, I’ll wait.

Thirst trap.

    Speaking of his physical attributes, this dude’s proportions are as aesthetically pleasing as designer toys come. He’s a cutely balanced physical specimen and standing at six and a half inches tall is that perfectly sized medium figure to fill those gaps on your shelf between your giant toys and your wee bitty ones. There are four points of articulation: one at each shoulder, one at the waist, and ball joint in his neck so you can spin his head like he needs an exorcism or cock it to one side like dogs do when you talk to them.  

   Good lord that’s unnerving. 

     He does come with two super sketchy accessories; a big knife and a mallet. Now having just watched that horror movie Smile, anyone with a grin like that and a weapon near by is not to be trusted. And this dude’s stretches almost to his brain stem. Add that to his crazy eyes and you’ve got something in front of you that has to be a little looney, right? Speaking of smiles, do you know what the hardest thing for me has been since I stopped wearing masks everywhere I go in public? Not making the same facial expressions I had such freedom with when they were hidden. I also developed a habit when I’m working on something and totally lost in the activity that my mouth kinda falls open and I stick my tongue out like I may have burnt through my last few brain cells. Those masks are really good at hiding the bit of drool that inevitably falls out and snaps me back to reality with a healthy dose of shame. 

    So now we have reached the inevitable conclusion of what has been, according to my mother, the greatest toy review in the entire world. The next logical step is for you to give into the obvious desire you have to own this figure and make it happen. You can do so by clicking this link. Now remember, this is a Tenacious Toys exclusive and is limited to only 100 pieces in the entire world, with only 80 of those actually available to purchase. That means you need to stop waiting around and grab yours today! 

Tenacious Toys Exclusives for New York Comic Con

     Booth number 780 is the place to be during this year's New York Comic Con.  You can actually just forget about every booth but the one run by Tenacious Toys because they will have everything you need in order to have a good time.  I may be a little biased because that's where you can find my Permafrost Edition Nordic Lucky Cat.  It's 4 inches tall, made of solid blue and white marbled resin, and limited to only 10 hand numbered pieces.  And at only $40 each you'll still have plenty of money to take your significant other out to dinner and explain to them how you are now part of the great heathen army and we sail at dawn to raid England.  How many other toys can claim to make your life more exciting just by owning it?  I'm gonna go ahead and say none.

   Of course that's not all that Tenacious Toys will have available for your collecting need.  I put most of them here for convenient perusal.  All the info you can possibly need is in the photos to help you gear up for this year's convention.  

     

Tiny Guardian Shi-Shi Sofubi Kickstarter from Bigshot Toyworks

    As of this writing, the latest creation from Bigshot Toyworks has far surpassed their Kickstarter goal and tons of these little cats will be making their way to homes around the world when it ends.  They don't need me to help them along, so instead of feeling completely useless I'd like to talk about the internet's plan to storm Area 51.  It started as people just wanting to force the government to show us the aliens they are sure are being housed there and (as most things on the internet tend to do) has degraded into some folks wanting to make sweet love to an extraterrestrial.  While I hope people don't actually get themselves killed bum rushing a secret government facility armed only with cases of Monster Energy Drink and their ability to do the Naruto run, I would love to see them actually go.  Can you imagine 300,000 people showing up and just having a good time in the desert while the military is forced to keep them at gun point?  They'd probably get one of those historic plaques along the side of the road detailing their exploits, and maybe the president would visit to lay a wreath every year for those that get too hype and have to be put down by a sniper after attempting to scale the fence.  We honor your future sacrifice.

      As bad as I would like to go to Area 51 and release the aliens I don't really do well in the heat and would just be a sweaty mess.  Instead I offer my moral support to those brave souls, no matter what their true motivation is for taking part.   Speaking of taking part in something, if you want to add an adorable sofubi kitten to you repertoire of toys, then you need to check out this link.  Tons of rewards abound at special prices and includes figures that can only be had as part of this campaign.  There's blind boxed teeny tiny ones and big ol resin versions  and of course the luxurious Japanese sofubi ones.  Start your week off right by filling your home with wittle bay bays.

Black Friday Sales Part 1

Naomi Knaff

Black Friday sale 15% off! One week only code BLACK15

Kidrobot

15% OFF Orders of $99 or more with promo code: BLACKFRIDAY15OFF

20% OFF Orders of $199 or more with promo code: BLACKFRIDAY20OFF

25% OFF Orders of $299 or more with promo code: BLACKFRIDAY25OFF

Bigshot Toyworks

Frazetta Girls

Taylored Curiosities

Horror and Sci-Fi Madballs from James Groman x Kidrobot

    This one is going in the "straight outta nowhere" file as Best Buy stores around the country have released these horror and sci-fi themed Madballs from Kidrobot.  These foam balls are so much like the originals that they even got the creator of Madballs, James Groman, to design these (along with the fine folks at Bigshot Toyworks).  There's six different ones to choose from if you're one of those people that has impulse control and can somehow resist buying all of them.  If you are, I don't understand your life.

   On a side note, I am all about Best Buy carrying more stuff like this.  I've got one of their credit cards for whenever our appliances die, as our microwave did not so long ago.  The one I wanted didn't get me to the no interest financing deal, so I had to add to my sale.  I ended up buying iTunes gift cards, but I could have gotten something like this instead.  Now if car dealers would carry other stuff that I could trade my 2002 Mustang towards, I'd be in business.  Like a hot dog stand.  Or one of those sky diving simulators.  Or an in ground pool for my basement.

Half Ray Dunny from Jason Freeny x Kidrobot

    Uggh, my guts feel like the great heathen army has made landfall and is systematically destroying all they come across.  What god I have angered I have no idea, but I would happily produce a written statement apologizing for my misdeed.  I won't print it though, because I need to buy more ink and that stuff is expensive.  I've been milking this last cartridge down to fumes.

    There's something to be said for having most of your guts outside of your body and making it easy to diagnose all that ails you.  That something would most likely sound like "gross" or "yuck" from everyone that comes across you, but they're probably just jealous cause you are so unique.  Having your guts on the inside is so 2016.  

   

     Set the trend with Jason Freeny's new Half Ray Dunny from Kidrobot.  This anatomical wonder stands 5 inches tall and was bio engineered by the folks at Bigshot Toyworks.  He (or she I suppose) will come in both white and the Kidrobot.com exclusive black edition with glow in the dark innards.  Both will be available tomorrow, Friday, June 9th, to add a bit of modern art to your cabinets of curiosity.  

Eight Inch Anatomical Dunny from Jason Freeny x Kidrobot

 

    Let me tell you something.  I've had this toy in my hands for a few days now and it is the greatest Dunny ever made.  There, I've said it and if I had a rock tablet, a hammer, and a chisel I'd preserve that opinion for future generations to come.  I remember seeing Jason Freeny's original artwork depicting this guy and thought how cool it would be if they could actually make it.  Then Kidrobot enlisted the amazing production services of Bigshot Toyworks and the result is beyond my expectations.  Now I am a sucker for anything medical to begin with, as you can see right here with my new Dunny posing lovingly with an antique instrument used to explore your darkest of secrets (your butt):
 

    Look how awesome he looks!  Not that he would need much exploration because all of his bones and guts are on full display.  Could you imagine if people all of a sudden looked like this?  Like one morning we all woke up with transparent skin that exposed all of our insides to anyone who wanted to see them?  I feel like there could be some heavy social commentary there.

    This guy goes on sale this Friday (March 17th) and there are two different versions for you to collect:  the regular edition that I have and also a special glow in the dark version that is exclusive to www.kidrobot.com and uber limited at only 200 pieces.  Don't sleep on this one because I'm predicting it's going to be insanely popular and you will seriously regret not having one when you out of the blue decide that collecting human skulls is gonna be your new thing.

Southern Fried Gentleman from Bigshot Toyworks

    Well I do declare, if it isn't everyone's favorite chicken man reimagined by Bigshot Toyworks.  No fried chicken lover should be without one of these figures paying homage to the ultimate poultry baron.  And just like everyone has their favorite recipe, there are different versions of this jolly fry daddy to meet your specific tastes.  You've got your regular, which is limited to 100 pieces and your uber rare old timey and golden crispy versions which are limited to 20 pieces each.  All three are available right now from https://bigshottoyshop.com.  

Black Friday Sales Extravaganza Part 1

    You've eaten yourself to the point of nausea, you've watched football until it almost made sense, and you punched a stranger in the face to get a new tv that you didn't really need but the price was suuuuuuuper right and now it's time to really celebrate the season with Black Friday deals from your favorite retailers.  Check em out below and bask in the savings:

Tenacious Toys

Bigshot Toyworks

Strange Cat Toys

Mishka

Death Dealer Labbit from Frank Frazetta x Frank Kozik x Kidrobot

   This is the most metal designer toy to ever exist.  Not like basic girls giving the metal horns because pumpkin spice is back in season; I'm talking men in an ancient world battling the onslaught of demons as they spill forth from a great chasm in the Earth.  I'm talking about reading Lord of the Rings and wishing that it was real life and how much better it would be to raise an army against evil rather than stocking another damn shelf at the Wal Mart only to have people not control their little heathens as they tear the place apart.  Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.  You've already got the power chord heavy soundtrack playing in your mind and the thunder in your heart and you're ready to set a fire, roast a mythological creature, and feast at a table made from the bones of your enemies.  I just got myself way too hyped.  I always do that, then I have to go about my day pretending I'm not thinking about cleaving punks in half with a broad sword.  My therapist is gonna have fun with this one.

    Worship at the feet of Frank Kozik's interpretation of Frank Frazetta's legendary Death Dealer.  He is mounted on his mighty Labbit steed and is ready to send any and everyone on a nasty trip to the afterlife.  Open your home to the darkness when this beauty is released on Friday, September 30th from Kidrobot.  We are not worthy.

Produced by Bigshot Toyworks.  

Bigshot Toyworks Exclusives for NYCC

 

     Bigshot Toyworks never fails to deliver a diverse offering of items when they make an appearance at New York Comic Con, but this year they've got everything from a half dissected black metal gnome, to a familiar looking fried chicken baron, to a jacked up unicorn that's more pit fighter than Lisa Frank notebook cover.  Check out some photos of what will be available and pay them a visit at booth #309 during the convention.

Preorders Available Now for Ragnar The Metal Gnome from Jason Freeny X Bigshot Toyworks

 

    I just posted about this a few days ago and the gods have shown their favor towards you as preorders have now started for this killer figure.  The world's of Jason Freeny and Bigshot Toyworks collide in the most metal creature to ever stand guard over your vegetable patch...RAGNAR!!!!  Only 200 pieces exist of this beautifully dissected bro in this colorway and he's only $65, which is a steal for something this brutal.  Seriously, he's more brutal than what your mom's meatloaf does to my digestive track whenever I visit.  Woman needs to learn about take out.

   Secure him for your collection by visiting this link.  

Limited Edition Dissected Gnome from Bigshot Toyworks X Jason Freeny

    I was reading that the other day in Iceland a road crew had to go out and unearth a boulder they accidentally covered up because it pissed off the elves and they were taking their frustrations out on anyone who got close.  Not only did they dig it back up but they also pressure washed it to restore it to its former glory.  That would never happen in America because first we would have people fighting on Facebook as to whether the elves existed or not.  Then some idiot bureaucrat would figure out how much they owed the country in back taxes and send them a bill. Congress would probably pass legislation about which bathrooms they would be allowed to use, and people would have hunted them and made elf taxidermy earrings to sell on Etsy and none of this would have really been an issue to begin with because we would have taken their elven lands and put a strip mall there a long time ago.  I think I was meant to live in Iceland.

    I love the elves and their gnome kinfolk.  And I love black metal.  And I love anatomical gross stuff.  Has Bigshot Toyworks been camping out in my mind in an effort to create the perfect hybrid toy featuring all of my interests?  If somehow they could have worked cats and cable tv in I would have straight died of shock.  Not only is this metal loving gnome dude finally becoming a reality, but Jason Freeny has hacked off a section of him to let us all see his inner self.  This is the type of brutality that anyone starting a black metal band should aspire to, as setting fires and wearing corpse paint just isn't gonna cut it after seeing this.

    Only 200 pieces of  this dude will exist in the world and they will be up for preorder very very soon and also available at New York Comic Con and Designer Con it seems.  Keep up to date by checking out www.gnome.world.

Complete Your Horrible Adorables Figure Collection from Kidrobot

   Friday June 24th is gonna be a great day. Mostly because I get paid then, but also because Horrible Adorables and Kidrobot are releasing the last three figures as part of their collaboration.  I have all the other ones, just sitting on my bookcase as they wait for their brothers and sisters to join them.  They remind me of Pokemon in the fact that I have to have them all, but not in the fact that I'm an awkward teenager who thinks that skills in a Japanese card game will win me the attention of the fairer sex.  Spoiler alert, it doesn't, cause everyone knows chicks dig Dungeons & Dragons.

    They're some of my favorite releases this year and Bigshot Toyworks nailed the production on them, bringing felt creatures into plastic reality.  Finish, or maybe start, your collection at www.kidrobot.com or wherever you prefer to buy toys.

Embrace the Cute with Horrible Adorables X Kidrobot

    Sharon and I recently started feeding the birds in the front yard and word has spread quickly through our corner of the animal kingdom.  All types of different ones have shown up to taste our cuisine, and someone told the squirrels too, who swing around on our feeder like it was an extreme sport.  We buy the seed without any shells because if you don't the birds will leave behind the inedible portions and they will rot and stink.  That stuff ain't cheap but those squirrels throw half of it on the ground with their acrobatics.  I was getting kind of pissed until I noticed that the little chipmunk that lives under our porch was going out there and stuffing his cheeks full of the seeds that fell on the ground.  He's a little rodent vacuum cleaner and obviously understand how hard we work to provide those premium noms.

    Critters are the best thing in the world and you should surround yourself with them at all times.  Sometimes it's not always practical to bring the wilderness into your home, which makes these vinyl toys from Horrible Adorables and Kidrobot the perfect alternative.  They have been amazingly interpreted from felt into plastic by Bigshot Toyworks and they will never require emergency trips to the pet store when they run low on food.  Or pricey trips to the vet when they decide that shirt sleeves look appetizing and they'll just go ahead and eat one to test that theory and then realize that while tasty they don't actually digest so they're gonna need xrays and a tube of grease to get that wad of fabric moving and now you have to keep your clothes locked away in a room where they can't get to them when you're not looking for fear that they're not the best at learning valuable lessons the first time around and put you further into crippling debt.  Not that I've experienced that one, Icarus!

    The first two of the series will be available May 6th on www.kidrobot.com or wherever you buy your designer toys.

Uncle Scam from Ron English x Kidrobot

    By the look of his waistline, it seems that the majority of my tax dollars have gone directly into the government's cheeseburger fund.  Leave it to Ron English to perfectly capture how most Americans must feel this time every year, as we send in those dreaded forms to the IRS.  I know taxes are a must, but they could make it hurt a little less.  Maybe have a fun animal mascot, or have that party patrol from Publisher's Clearing House deliver our refund checks.

    Kidrobot wants to ease your pain this April 15th by releasing the very timely Uncle Scam figure, which heavily resembles my governor in New Jersey Chris Christie.  I can just picture this as his campaign poster if he actually had a chance at winning the nomination, which the rest of the US has no idea how lucky they are that would never happen.  Unless Trump wins the nomination and announces him as his running mate, which would undoubtedly be the coming of the antichrist and the end of days for mankind.  Kinda makes George Orwell's visions look like Dr. Seuss in comparison.  But fear not, because we have you covered on that front as well with this black and white version:

    Is it a chase piece?  Is it a Kidrobot.com exclusive?  I don't know, but either way it's horrifying.  This pieces was brought to reality by the folks at Bigshot Toyworks.    

    

Jeremyville Vinyl Banks from Kidrobot

    Storing money under your mattress is way safer than investing in stocks.  Of course it won't grow that way, but you won't lose any of it either.  Not unless someone steals it of course, but the police actually arrest those types of criminals, not the ones who steal your mishandled investments.

    Now if you have enough coinage to make your mattress all uneven you might want to think about a different place to store your riches.  Well, would you look at that, I just happen to have to viable alternatives right here courtesy of Jeremyville and Kidrobot.  Each of these banks stands 10 inches tall and will retail for $100 each when they go on sale this Friday, March 4th at www.kidrobot.com.

    By the way, these were expertly produced by the folks at Bigshot Toyworks.  Give them a buzz when you're ready to make your own figures. 

Seen at Toy Fair: Kidrobot

    Toy Fair is a weird experience for a website such as ours.  Most of it is filled with stuff for kids and doesn't really cater to the adult collector.  In the days leading up to it we get bombarded with emails from different companies wanting to show us the latest in technology for entertaining toddlers, which if they'd ever seen what we write about they wouldn't want us anywhere near them.  But Toy Fair can still be insightful and a good time for those of us that collect designer toys and my favorite booth to visit every year is the one manned by Kidrobot.

    Unlike past years where everything was a surprise when I got there, I had some ideas about what they would be showcasing because of the various teasers that have popped up on Instagram.  Lest you think that diminished my excitement level at all, because two toys in particular had planted their images in my head and I just had to see them in person.  

    Gaze upon the glory that is the collaboration between Franks: Kozik x Frazetta.  I feel like these two vinyl titans should come with their own fog machine and Norwegian black metal band.  These were the prototypes on display and we should be expecting at least one of them to be available this Summer.  I already have a space ready.

   Now for something a bit more on the precious side.  These vinyl renditions of Horrible Adorables felt sculptures are going to be must-own figures for me.  Not only will they look great in any toy collection, but they look like they could be used as accent pieces in some fancy home decor magazine shoot.  

   I believe these will be sold in window boxes so you can pick the ones you want, which is obviously all of them.  

    Jason Freeny is a man of curiosity, which is mainly focused on the inner workings of some of the world's most beloved characters.  Soon you'll be able to own this anatomical representation of Bugs Bunny and marvel at all the bits and pieces that make him tick.  I've got a cabinet of curiosities just begging for a bit of humor, and this would look lovely next to the electro shock machine.

(By the way, all of these toys were expertly produced by Klim and his team at Bigshot Toyworks, who are on point when it comes to making cool stuff.)

    Ok, if you don't own a really nice table top display case yet, let me give you a great excuse to buy one.  This Dunny Chess set from Otto Bjornik is truly a work of art and when you're not busy owning your friends in the classic game you're going to want to make sure it has a place of distinction in your house.  You will be able to buy the pieces in packs of two or you could just skip all that and get an entire set.  Either way, the figures come with squares that form the game board and buying them will probably impress your mom with how much culture you have.  

   Of course these are not all the new things Kidrobot had on display, these just happen to be my favorites.  There's new stuff coming from The Simpsons, Street Fighter, TMNT and more Labbits and Dunnys than you can shake a stick at.  Have you actually ever seen anyone shake a stick at a group of things?  That whole saying would be way more effective if you saw people doing that.  

    See more pictures at www.facebook.com/TheToyViking