Familiars and Foes Board Game Kickstarter from Horrible Adorables

 

    I haven't played a game in years before last Christmas when my niece got one that forced you to find out which person in the group was a werewolf. Everyone involved, besides her, were a little skeptical that it was gonna be corny but we reluctantly agreed to play anyway. It started off slow for a few rounds as we got a basic understanding of the rules, but by the 20th or so time we were full-on investigating people for lycanthropy like we were detectives solving a murder. Accusations were thrown about haphazardly, things from the past were brought up when weighing who had a history of stretching the truth in real life, and I got so caught up deflecting suspicion away from me that I erred by trying to cast doubt on my mother in law, who is as close to sainthood as you can get without the Pope saying so. I'm surprised I haven't been excommunicated for my error and forced to live alone in the woods. 

     Judging by the look of this new project from Horrible Adorables, the likelihood of this game erupting into a full blown family crisis seems unlikely. Familiar and Foes is a board game that takes the work of the husband and wife art duo into realms beyond your walls or shelves. Here is a rundown of the game from the creators themselves:

    Familiars and Foes is a 1 to 5 player cooperative style game. You take the role of a young spell slinging Familiar trying to rescue your witches and wizards from a horde of evil Foes. Your character begins as a base elemental Familiar (Earth, Air, Water, Fire, or Aether) and you must work to fully evolve your Familiar by completing a series of training tasks. The game is played in four waves that progressively increase in difficulty. New sets of Foes are revealed with each wave of battle that must be defeated to save your coven. The game is won when all the Foes have been defeated, all the witches and wizards have been rescued, and at least one Familiar is still standing.

   Sounds preeeetty cool, right? But, it's only cool if it becomes a reality, and that's where you come in. The project is live now on Kickstarter and is actually fairly close to being funded. That means with just an extra little push you and your friends could soon have a brand new obsession for game night. Check out this link and see all the cool rewards that are available, which include everything from the game itself, to toys, and their famous felt sculptures. 

The Sad and Horrible Show at Rotofugi

    

    Damn, even for 2020 the name of this show is kinda rough.  That is until you realise it's a combination of Sad Salesman and Horrible Adorables, who are sending this year back to the hell it belongs on a wave of cuteness.  Opening this Saturday (December 19th) at Rotofugi in Chicago, there will be plenty of felt and resin abound for you to cash and carry some great art Toys for yourself or as gifts.  There is no opening reception because of Covid, so if there's something you want and you don't live in Chicago I suggest visiting previews.rotofugi.com to get a heads up on what will be available.  The piece de resistance might just be this super sick tag team figure that is completely drool worthy:

    The other day I was at work and wearing my mask like the good citizen I am and I was concentrating on repairing something and a little drool made its escape. Had my tongue sticking out and everything like I used to as a kid when I colored, so thankfully the mask spared me the embarrassment of someone seeing that.  

STRASZNY ČUDOVIT Solo Show from Horrible Adorables at Sally Centigrade

 

    When I'm not watching Karen freak out videos my other preferred method of online entertainment is without a doubt Babushka memes.  I've never owned an Adidas track suit and don't have any relatives from there, but the nuances of Slavic life resonate deep in my soul.  For those unfamiliar, here are two of my recent favorites:

   Genius, right?  Maybe they resonate with me because I grew up down south and there really isn't much difference.  So imagine how peaked my interest was when I heard Horrible Adorables based an entire art show off of Slavic fairy tales.  And as you can see from the first photo they made tiny little Babushkas, who just like my southern grandma are known for ensuring you eat constantly any time you are visiting.  I have never once been to her house where she didn't say I looked too skinny and immeadiately produced a five course meal.  Afterwards I could be laying on the ground, stomach near to bursting and she would put desert on the floor next to me.  She's nearly 100 years old, so she must be on to something there.  

   The show is on display now at Sally Centigrade in Colorado and the remaining pieces can be had by visiting their website at https://www.sallycentigrade.com.

Horrible Adorables' Familiar Friends Custom Toy Show at Woot Bear

     I can't tell you the last time I went anywhere that wasn't work or the grocery store.  Actually, I can, as it was in March just before the pandemic hit hard.  My wife and I went to the art museum and thinking back on it now it's one of the things I miss doing the most.  I miss being inspired by what's in front of me and I miss seeing the possibilities of the creative mind other than on the internet. If you happen to be in the San Francisco area you can experience art again in person courtesy of Horrible Adorables and a ton of great custom figures.

   This Saturday August 1st, Woot Bear will be hosting the Familiar Friends custom show.  Utilizing the figure of the same name, tons of your favorite toy artists have lent their talents to reinterpret this magical vinyl toy.  You'll see work from Adrienne Slane, Andrea Kang, Angela Oster, Beanie Bat, Big C, The Bots,  Brett Manning, Ciou, Defectivepudding,  droolwool, Eimi Takano,  Elisabeth Holmes,  Erin Lagace, Frank Montano,  Owlberry Lane, Igor Ventura, Jellykoe, Jeremiah Ketner, JFO,  Joe Somers,  Johnny Draco, Jon-Paul Kaiser,  Kyle Kirwan,  Lana Crooks,  MJ Hsu,  Muju World,  Mumbot, OddFauna, PlushPlay,  Sad Salesman,  Small Thicket,  Theresa Hawkins, Tripper Dungan, valleyDweller, Vanessa Ramirez, and Victoria Rose.  And this will also be the first chance you have to purchase Jinxie the Fire Familiar and take super cute Instagram photos before anyone else.

    The show opens Saturday from 5-8pm, so pick out your nicest face mask and head to Woot Bear.  If you can't make it in person you can check out https://wootbear.com right now to preview all of the pieces from the show.

Win Horrible Adorables Latest Figure and Help Your Favorite Toy Stores

    I'm sure a lot of you are sitting at home right now feeling kinda helpless in the face of this pandemic.  And while some of you may be occupying your time trying to figure out whether that tiger lady killed her husband or not, others may be feeling kinda lost.  Horrible Adorables have come up with a really cool way that you can help small business owners from the comfort and safety of your own home while being the first to obtain their latest Fuzzy Friends figure.

   I cant imagine the stress that small business owners are under right now, especially if their means of support is something non essential.  Toy retailers are being hit very hard right now but there's a cool way you can get involved while getting some new toys to brighten your day in the process.  Horrible Adorables will be giving away 8 of their new Podgy the Hedgehog figures when you support your favorite toy stores.  The first store up is Rotofugi, and all you have to do is spend at least $20 online with them, dm your proof of purchase to Horrible Adorables on Instagram (winner will be drawn on 04/01 at 9pm eastern time) and you could win.  There will be 8 different stores in total, so the next chance to win will involve a completely different retailer.  Keep your eyes peeled at this link so you can see which store is up next!

My Vintage Valentine Fuzzy Friends from Horrible Adorables

    My wife and I decided many moons ago that every year for Valentine's Day we would go and do something together rather than buy each other gifts. It was a few moments after that decision that we picked our first ever outing to celebrate the holiday...a monster truck rally. Neither of us had ever been before and it sounded ridiculous enough that it would be impossible to not have a good time. The people watching alone would have been worth every penny, but the actual event was really cool as well. And I almost got into a fight with a drunk guy whose kids kept jumping out of their seats and landing on us, which is just about as miserable as it sounds. He was about 5'5" and maybe 120 lbs., so his decision to mouth off when I asked him to control his children was kind of surprising. I'm usually a very calm guy but the idea of knocking out a few of his sporadically placed teeth was kind of appealing. Thankfully his sober friend got the kids to settle down and we all watched the show without further incident. Except that my wife called his something really funny, which I wish I could remember because it stunned that poor woman so hard I thought she got a concussion. All other Valentine's Days have been kind of boring by comparison.

    I'm not sure how the husband and wife duo behind Horrible Adorables will choose to celebrate the upcoming holiday, but I do know that they want to help you feel a bit more festive. Tomorrow, Thursday January 30th at 8pm they will release a limited amount of My Vintage Valentine Fuzzy Friends. Each one is flocked (hence the fuzzy part of their name) and has coloring that is reminiscent of those chalky candy hearts that i always think I like but only eat two of before feeling like "blek". Buy one for your significant other, keep it for yourself, or buy two so you dont have to make such ridiculous choices.  

   These will only be available by visiting this link.  

"Dynamos and Whirligigs" Solo Show from Horrible Adorables at PIQ Hudson Yards

    There are many ways you can open a brand new store.  You could have a local radio station stand out front blaring pop music and giving away concert tickets to performers I would have to Google search to identify. You could give away a year's worth of chicken sandwiches, or dress someone up like Pikachu and give them a sign to spin while dancing dangerously close to traffic.  Any of those things are sure to get you a fair amount of attention, but if you're opening up a designer toy and collectibles store you gotta try a bit harder than a new place to buy mattresses would.

     PIQ is set to open their new location at Hudson Yards in New York City and they are going big with husband and wife art duo Horrible Adorables.  They are hosting a show entitled "Dynamos and Whirligigs", featuring all new whimsical creations.  This is also the first time, I believe, that they will debut their brand new 3D sculpted and printed figure that you can see going for a balloon ride in the photo above.  Unlike myself, they are obviously not terrified of heights and thus able to enjoy their felt dirigible without working themselves into a bowel twisting panic.  I feel I've said too much.

    The show opens 5-7pm this Friday, March 15th on the 4th floor of the Shops at Hudson Yards ( 33rd & 10th, NYC).

Croconana Fundraiser from Sorbet Jungle x Horrible Adorables

     This past week our cable company decided to tempt us by offering a preview of this new movie channel.  There were a few films we had wanted to see and were not willing to pay for so we hunkered down and power watched a few.  This is the exchange between my wife and I during our second movie:

Sharon: You must be in a Jennifer Lawrence mood tonight.

Me:  What's that supposed to mean?  She wasn't in the last movie.

Sharon:  Yeah, she was.

Me:  That was definitely not her.

    Now imagine this lasting for about another half hour only to be settled with the help of the Internet.  Skip ahead some and she looks over as I'm scrolling through suggested posts I might like on Instagram.

Me:  **shows wife picture of adorable black kitten**

Sharon:  Oh, that's Hawkeye.

Me: **confused** You mean to tell me you are on a first name basis with a random black kitten online but have no idea what one of the most famous actresses in the world looks like?

   We love critters in this household and that's why I love what Horrible Adorables and Sorbet Jungle are doing with this awesome fundraiser.  They've set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for The Wildlife Conservation Network and for every five dollars you donate you'll get an entry to win this Croconana figure.  He is a completely hand made toy that is a foot long and six inches tall and features the signature felt scale work that Horrible Adorables is known for.  And speaking of critters and bananas, my cat Jorah loves to lick banana peels before they are discarded.  He will race from the other side of the house the moment he knows your done and treats it like its the best thing going.  I don't know how he'd feel about a banana shaped crocodile, but I'm sure he'd like to find out.

   Check out the link at https://www.gofundme.com/croconana, donate, and be entered to win!

"Petite Tales" Solo Show from Horrible Adorables at Art Star Philadelphia

    I love the work of Horrible Adorables.  How can you not when you look at their animal creations, what with their big eyes and felt layered like dragon scales.  In fact their critters are so cool that they've kinda made other animals look like they've dropped the evolutionary ball.   As if making squirrels look like they're not even trying to be cute anymore wasn't enough, now their creatures are going on epic adventures.

   Petite Tales (or Tiny Tales for those of you who treated French class as a way to meet girls and not a cultural experience) is their latest show on view right now at Art Star in Philadelphia and features their whimsical creatures living life to the fullest.  Whether meeting mermaids while on a Viking raid, or communicating with the dead in the gosh dang cutest seance you've ever seen, each display is packed full of their signature designs doing all the cool stuff you wish you could right now.  Fear not though, as you don't have to quit your job to go out and have all the fun they are, because you can bring that fun right into your own home.  All of the pieces from the show are available right now at www.artstarphilly.com and if you find yourself in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area you should really go and see them in person.  If not, you can check out some of the pictures I took and live vicariously through the wonderment of photography.

More photos can be found at www.facebook.com/thetoyviking

Horrible Adorables Exclusives for Designer Con

    Horrible Adorables are bringing their whimsical road show to Pasadena, California this weekend to be a part of Designer Con and they're not coming alone.  Their car will not be getting optimal gas mileage because it will be loaded down with tons of soft critters ready to be adopted to collectors.   And speaking of soft do you see those squishy little dudes up there?  I've been seeing stuff like this in stores and I think they're supposed to help you release stress in a constructive way that keeps the cops from getting involved.  Just watching this GIF has made me feel more relaxed already, so this is some powerful stuff they have going here.  I wouldn't use one of these while operating heavy machinery.

 Take a gander at what else they'll have to offer and if you happen to be at Designer Con swing by booth #809 to say hello and buy one of everything:

Horrible Adorables Releases for New York Comic Con

    I just got back from visiting Yellowstone National Park and if you ever have the chance to go you better take it.  The scenery is breathtaking and there's critters everywhere.  I saw my first ever bear in the wild, along with a host of elk, pronghorns, mule deer, and buffalo.  And I hand fed a raven one of those Nature Valley granola bars.  He was working the parking lot trying to pick up scraps when he bounced over to my car.  I gave him a couple of pieces and with each one I got him closer and closer until finally I just held my hand out.  He would fill his beak, take his bounty to somewhere I couldn't see, then fly back and continue to peck at my hand.  I know they tell you not to feed the animals but I was pretty sure that a) he couldn't hurt me that badly and b) take me to forest jail if you must because it was too tempting to resist.  Will forest jail accept your bail money in pine cones?

    I did not see any critters of the Horrible Adorables variety while I was there, but I will see some in a few days at New York Comic Con, more specifically at the PIQ! booth #745.  Gaze upon these wondrous beasts and bring home some animal friendly taxidermy to spruce up your living space.

    

Horrible Adorables Solo Show "Matriarchy" at Stranger Factory

    I bought Sharon her first Horrible Adorables original for her birthday this year and the thing about them is that once you own one, you want and entire wall full of them.  Think about how amazing that would look in your living room:  you're just sitting there watching tv with a hundred heads of whimsical felt creatures staring back at you.  Don't be surprised if they break into song from The Muppets catalog of hits.

    This Friday, July 7th,  at Stranger Factory you can witness their latest solo show entitled "Matriarchy."  The theme centers around females in the animal kingdom who are boss ladies and the lives that revolve around them.  If you're close to Albuquerque you can check it out during the opening reception from 6-9pm, while the show itself will run until the 30th.  

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.

The Next Two Horrible Adorables Figures From Kidrobot Have Arrived

        Critter story of the week:  Sharon and I return from grocery shopping to find two chipmunks eating bird seed from below our feeder.  One was a baby and decided that it's best course of action upon seeing us would be to bunny hop each step on our porch and explore.  It was cute as hell but we were both loaded down with groceries cause we'll be damned if we'll make two trips to the car, so we kind of needed him to speed up his adventuring so he didn't really freak out and try to jump from the porch to the ground.  The bags got heavier as gravity pulled them closer to the ground and this little dude was just having the best time.  Finally we just gave up and waited till the fun ran out and he came down on his own.  I didn't say it was an epic critter story.

     Horrible Adorables and Kidrobot have released the latest two figures in their collaboration.  Expertly produced by the folks at Bigshot Toyworks, they are ready to find their forever home with you.  And all you have to do is dust them every once in a while, which is way less work than any real life pets require.  Get em now at www.kidrobot.com or wherever you prefer to buy your 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.

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