3DRetro Exclusive Releases for the Life is Beautiful Festival

   I've never been to Las Vegas, but I live about 15 minutes from Atlantic City so I feel I've gotten the Cliffs Notes version of it.  Casinos are a disorienting carnival of free drinks, flashing lights, and forgetting momentarily that the money you're feeding that slot machine is proportionate to the amount you have to bargain with the electric company to not cut your power off.  I can see the appeal, don't get me wrong, especially as easily distracted as I am by shiny things. And I don't know anyone who doesn't have a dream about being independently wealthy.  I had a dream last night that I lived in this massive house that kept getting bigger the more I explored it and I never had to leave because it had a grocery store and a doctor's office.

    The casinos are pretty much all Atlantic City has going for it so I am extremely jealous of events such as this that are absent from our little seaside den of sin.  The Life is Beautiful Festival promises attendees a weekend of music and art, and while most of the bands aren't my cup of tea, the art alone is worth the trip.  M Modern Gallery has a lineup for their Crime on Canvas exhibit that is beyond drool worthy, and 3DRetro will be there selling some exclusive vinyl toys.  There will be new releases from personal favorites Gary Baseman and Shag, as well as a glow in the dark edition of KRK Ryden's Moe Hawk figure.  Check out the pictures and if you're in the Las Vegas area this weekend and an art fan, you have no excuse not to be a part of this.

Bullet Edition Crimson Ghost from The Misfits x Super7

    The Misfits are one of my all time favorite bands and I was finally able to see them with Danzig when they played in New Jersey this past May.  Of course I had to catch a stomach bug the day of the show, so the drive to Newark involved more than one pit stop and a lot of praying in between each.  Had it been any other show I might have turned around to be sick in the comfort of my own home, but there was no guarantee they would ever play together again after this one.  I manned up harder than I ever had before and made it through.  As I'm rereading this it sounds like one of those "how I spent my summer vacation" essays they make you write in school.  Deal with it.

    Super7 continues their awesome collaboration with The Misfits with the Bullet edition of their Crimson Ghost mascot.  He comes blood spattered to mimic what I'm sure was a controversial cover at the time and what most likely will be when people see this (it's actually already started on a post made to Super7's Instagram). Last time I checked we as human being had much more important things to worry about, but why bother solving bigger issues when we can be outraged on the internet about things that don't really matter?  We are so easily distracted.

    Releasing next Wednesday, September 19th, you can add this to your collection by visiting www.super7.com.

Danger Dog Vinyl Figure from Tenacious Toys

    All work places should have dogs.  That is legislation that could really impact everyone's lives in a positive fashion.  Whenever someone brings a dog in where I work it instantly downgrades what is usually a fecal hurricane into a mild tropical storm.  Dealing with the public is not the unicorns and rainbows anyone would make it out to be, but a visit form a little doggie makes it so much better.

    The blue dog in the Tenacious Toys logo is like the Colonial Sanders of the designer toy world, minus the fancy white suit and all the chicken parts.  What I'm trying to say is he's instantly recognizable and just like I did with my Colonial Sanders plastic bank from the 1970's, you can add him to your ever growing collection.  Available in a painted edition, or as a blank in either blue or white, pick em up now at www.tenacioustoys.com.  Sculpted by Mike Nemo Mendez based on the art of Playful Gorilla.

Hyper Orange Semi Korosiya from Cop A Squat Toys x Science Patrols

    Good lord is that not the brightest orange you have ever seen?  No amount of adjusting your computer's display will bring that sucker into focus.  The Semi Korosiya figure from Cop A Squat Toys was thought to be a thing of the past, as the molds were seemingly "lost" and forced this dude into an early retirement.  Enter Science Patrols, who retrieved the original iron needed to make these suckers and subsequently produced the orangiest orange I have ever seen.  I feel like I should be looking at this thing through those eclipse glasses to protect my retinas.  

    You'll be able to snag one of these blank figures tomorrow from http://sciencepatrol.storenvy.com when they go on sale at 12:00 pm jst.  There will also be an orange version of Husk, which is the cute little cicada pictured below.  I'm actually assuming it's a cicada based on it's name as they leave those little husks of their former selves attached to trees, but I could be wrong.  

The Diver Resin Figure from Pocket Watch Toys

    The octopus is smarter than most of the people you work with.  They're great problem solvers unlike some people we know who surprise us every day that their lungs continue to inhale and exhale without you having to assist and who skate by oblivious to the fact that every day feels like their first day to fellow employees.  Not that I speak from such experience, but if any aquarium is interested in loaning me an octopus to test a theory, please shoot me an email.  

    Until I am able to replace a few people with cephalopods, I will continue to dream about what awesome coworkers they would make.  Check this one out from Pocket Watch Toys,  who has found himself a cool diving helmet to up his selfie game on Instagram.  This dude is limited to 15 pieces, features a removable helmet, and can be obtained right now at http://pocketwatchtoys.co.uk/shop/.

Royals 2.0 Tuttz Mini from Argonaut Resins

    When I was in kindergarten I wanted nothing more than to be an archaeologist.  Between my obsession with dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt I was ready at five years old to pack my bags and dig up some old corpses in the middle of the desert.  Honestly, that still sounds like a perfect day out so if anyone is ever going to do that I'm down for an invite.  I can't remember why that career goal didn't stick with me through the years,  maybe once I discovered rock music and wasn't willing to admit my guitar playing was a mess.  Or maybe someone told me that Indiana Jones was not the typical scenario and it was going to be more sweeping dirt than punching bad guys in the face.  That movie should have had a disclaimer.

    I imagine that if I unearthed a burial chamber along the banks of the Nile that treasures like these Tuttz from Argonaut Resins would be front and center.  Look at how absolutely regal these look, which is fitting being that they are named Royals.  Standing 3 and 1/2 inches tall and clad in a black and gold combo or completely in a luxurious reflective gold, these resin kitties are available now by visiting https://argonautresins.bigcartel.com.

The Deadly Spawn Vinyl Figure Kickstarter from Justin Ishmael

    No, this is not one of the parasites from the next season of Monsters Inside Me, though if a doctor were to ever find something like this growing within someone I hope he has the presence of mine to put them down.  Tapeworms are horrifying enough, especially when they decide they need some air fresher than that of your inner colon and venture forth from your backside.  There's nothing out here for you little buddy, so you just stay inside where I can be blissfully unaware of your presence.  Editors note: I do not actually have a tapeworm.

   While this may look like the result of eating undercooked pork, it is actually the star of the cult classic horror film The Deadly Spawn.  Justin Ishmael decided to bring him to frightening life by turning him into an officially licensed vinyl toy, which is now on Kickstarter to raise money for production.  As of this writing he has received 83% of his goal in just under two days, so I think it's safe to say this nine inch tall monstrosity and his larvae are well on their way to becoming reality.  Both of these figures were sculpted by toy industry legend James Groman, who you may know from such famous lines as Madballs or his own crazy Kaiju figures that defy logic in size and detail.  Check out the link here to get in on this campaign and score these figures in their various iterations.

B.F.M. Sum Lottery from Plaseebo x Planet Asia

   I'll let you use your imagination to figure out what B.F.M. stands for, but suffice to say when you're dealing with this much blood it's exactly what you'll find yourself in.  Whether from a cleaning or legal standpoint, the M absolutely stands for "mess" and Plaseebo's Sum figure is covered in it.  This monster snapping turtle produced in collaboration with Planet Asia is living out his tale of revenge to the fullest, having gone so far as to snatch the head of the redneck that caused his untimely demise.  I'm thinking he decorates his lair with it somehow, maybe turning it into a nice light fixture for the bathroom.

    Only two of these blood soaked customs were created by the man himself, and if you want to own one you've got to enter the lottery, which just so happens to end today.  Here's what you have to do:

To enter lottery, please send the following to:   bob@plaseebo.net

1.  Name

2.  Shipping Address

3.  Country

4.  Telephone Number

5.  PayPal Email Address

6.  Instagram / Facebook ID

    If you are selected each figure will be $375 plus shipping.  

Cold Gloom Garglmon from Blurble One x Dski One x Lulubell Toys

    

    I have no problem believing that dudes that look like this are out there in the vast expanse of space.  I also have no problem believing that while they may have been interested at one time in coming to visit us, not even the sideshow carnival charm of Earth can entice them anymore.  For the sake of money, or feeling like our shrimps are more prawn-like than popcorn, we continue to wreck our planet and everyone on it.  It depresses me to feel like a helpless passenger in this flaming dumpster that has been pushed down hill, so I try to remember the good things we have that we can control.  That's why art is so important, maybe now more so than ever, because to me it is the greatest example that our humanity is not completely lost.  In spite of everything, or maybe because of it, we still create things to express ourselves and draw out expression from others.  So while the news is mostly depressing (except for yesterday, in which a few bad people got what they deserved) go and look at a painting, or in this case a toy, and realize that there is still hope for us yet.  

   Now that I've waxed philosophical while sitting in my underwear, lets talk toys.  This Garglmon from Blurble One and Dski One is releasing today at 3pm pacific time.  Cast in luxurious Japanese sofubi infused with glitter, then enhanced with a nice minimal paint job, he can be yours for a mere $80 exclusively from Lulubell Toys.  Each one is seven inches tall and features random eye colors to add a little bit of mystery into your life.  Pick one up for yourself by visiting www.lulubelltoys.com.  

Dreamsnake Resin Mini Figure from Retroband x Deadly Delivery

   I often have dreams in which snakes are present and no matter what they were up to or where they are in relation to the dream they will inevitably bite me.  I could be minding my own business in some crazy scenario my brain has concocted and the moment a snake enters the scene his fangs end up buried in my skin.  I don't know what I did to you snakes, but I'm gonna need to stop harassing me in my sleep cause your nonsense is getting old.  Don't bother trying to psychoanalyze any of this, because my health insurance is gonna deny the claim.

   This mini resin serpent man is the creation of Retroband and part of the Deadly Delivery collective of artists.  If you're more trustworthy of fanged creatures than I am, you can invite this little dude into your home when he goes on sale Saturday, August 18th, at 12 pm central time from https://deadlydelivery.bigcartel.com.

Stone Edition Trayjus Resin Figure from Scott Tolleson

   I'm beyond disgusted with my home owners association and I am devising ways to express said disgust in a creative manner.  I won't get into the numerous reasons I would like to cage fight them all, mostly because as I typed them all out I felt really petty and then hastily deleted them.  But seriously, how are you gonna not fix the street lights and force me to come home in pitch blackness when there are vampires and crack heads around?  A bite from either one will completely wreck your life/immune system.

   One of my ideas involves buying a concrete statue of Poseidon to put in my flower bed.  You know, the real tacky ones that people who think they're fancy have at their house cause in their minds it somehow transforms their rancher into the Palace of Versailles.  Ok, I'll be honest, I kind of want one anyway, but now I feel would be the perfect time and this is the perfect excuse to finally own one.  Unless someone wants to make me a fountain featuring a giant spitting cobra because I would actually prefer that.

    Scott Tolleson got me thinking about all of this nonsense when I saw the above photo for his statue inspired Trayjus.  He'd have to do some serious upscaling for this to fit into my war of attrition, but he'd still be pretty cool just chillin on a book shelf.  Only 12 of these resin figures exist and will retail for $70 each when they go on sale this Friday, August 17th, at 9am pacific time.  The only place to find them will be http://www.stolleart.com.

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!

Custom LaMorrtt Release from Nate the Milkman x Naomi Knaff

    I love seeing main stream toy releases that have the audacity to put a sticker on their box touting them as limited edition followed by a number that's in the tens of thousands.  Proudly they shine with metallic luster proclaiming that only you and 25,000 of your closest friends could possibly be the lucky owners of this figure.  Most stadiums can't hold that many people at one time so the idea of being hard to find is kind of laughable.  You wanna know limited?  How about three, as in only three people that are currently alive or that will be born before the release date can ever own one of these.  Those are numbers that inspire fights and a lifetime of envy from anyone who misses out.

    Nate the Milkman is not an actual milk man as far as I know, but he is delivering the goods (see what I did there) when it comes to these custom LaMorrtts.  He painted up three of Naomi Knaff's vinyl babies and if offering them for sale via his website today, August 10th, at 5pm pacific time.  They will be $120 each and can only be found at natethemilkman.bigcartel.com.

Holographic Tauro from Splurrt x Lulubell Toys

     I don't get the appeal of mazes.  Why is it that ever fall people are so damn excited to pay to get lost in a corn field for hours?  I love to take a walk in the woods every now and then but that's more of an adventure.  Who knows what abandoned structures or wildlife or dead bodies you may come across.  But a corn maze is just a bunch of dried up stalks cut in a pattern meant to confuse you and cause arguments with your significant other who will trash your navigational skills and whose father would have never given you permission to marry his daughter if he had even the hint of your lack of leadership abilities under duress.  And there's not even a minotaur at the end that you have to battle, just some kid making minimum wage that directs you back to the parking lot.  They should have a counselor there to repair all of the emotional damage this "fun" tradition inflicts on relationships.  

    I don't know where you would go to hire a minotaur for a corn maze, but if you really cared about your guests you would go the extra mile and find out.  Can you imagine how great that would be?  Especially for the first people to go through it, imagining that the monster at the end is just some guy from the haunted hayride in a suit, when in fact it is a living, stinking, bull monster who likes to crack skulls for fun.  I can and I am delighted.  This monstrosity from Splurrt would be the perfect anchor to any maze, though he'd need to be a tad bit bigger to inspire any real fear.  At ten inches tall he is an impressive toy though and you can add one to your collection this Friday (August 10th) when he goes on sale from Lulubell Toys.  Extremely limited and featuring crazy holographic paint, and retailing for $135, get one when they go on sale at noon pacific time from https://www.lulubelltoys.com.

Beastie Droids Enamel Pins from Dead Greedy

    When I was a boy I had a killer denim hat with a panther enamel pin lodged in the front.  Then I had to go and get a wicked case of head lice and my mom chucked that thing in the trash because she swore it was harboring little fugitives.  She wouldn't let me get my sweet panther pin, even though there was no way scientifically speaking that anything was living on that.  I could have put it on my matching jean jacket, or I could have saved it in my treasure box until I was older to prove how tough I am so I wouldn't have to tell everyone like I have to do now.  Parents need to think about this stuff before they over react about a little infestation.

    I know I've told that story before and it's cool because it's the only enamel pin experience I have.  Oh, it's true, after my panther was ripped from my life I never bought another one, so every time I write about pins I'm gonna recycle that trauma.  Dead Greedy is trying hard to melt my hardened heart with these wearable versions of his Beastie Droids figures.  They've been featured on a hit television comedy and have a place in collections around the world and now they can adorn your wardrobe.  You get all three pins for $25 packaged up to look just like the bootlegs that inspired them.  Order yours at http://www.deadgreedy.com.

Melted Crayon Editions from Miscreation Toys x Lulubell Toys

    Is this one of those posts that's going to come back and haunt me later in life?  By writing about undead babies am I setting myself up to be fired from a sweet gig later on?  All of their trouble people find themselves in by people digging into old Tweets and whatnot has made me think about my own internet history.  I try to be humorous and in doing so have joked about drugs, serial killers, mental illness, a plethora of criminal activity, dismemberment, republicans, bodily fluids, reptilian overlords, and a few other things that have become the victim of memory loss.  Screw it, let's talk about some zombie kids.

    My sister had one of those crayon melting machines when she was little, in which you load broken pieces onto a heated plate and create new ones with all the colors mixed together.  The results are not unlike the look of these two little heathens from Miscreation Toys.  Whether you have your eye on the very descriptively named Autopsy Zombie Staple Baby (as seen above) or the subtly named Gergle (as seen below) your journey into plastic parenthood will be more colorful than you could have ever imagined.  Available not through Lulubell Toys as an open preorder until August 11th, you can start or add to your brood by visiting https://www.lulubelltoys.com.

Monster Beach Party Custom Show At Mothership in Philadelphia

    In New Jersey a tourist was recently impaled in the ankle by a flying beach umbrella.  Strong winds lifted it from it's place in the sand and planted it firmly through her awaiting flesh.  Umbrellas are not at all sword like so the force behind that sucker must have been impressive.  I've witnessed something similar, though impalement was not at all involved.  Where I work the orientation of the buildings causes a wind tunnel effect whenever the weather is bad and someone thought that would be the perfect place to put picnic tables.  In the middle of each one is a large umbrella that no matter what the weather is like is never tethered down or removed.  We had some pretty bad winds one day and one of these umbrellas kept getting blown out into the parking lot.  I would go and retrieve it and put it back until after the second time when the problem was taken care of by nature.  A gust of wind came along, lifted the umbrella straight into the air, and flung it onto our roof.  The thing shot up like a rocket over 20 feet high before flipping upside down with a thud.  No impalement though, sorry.

   The beach is a dangerous place, though I doubt being run through by someone's shady respite wasn't tops on your fears list.  So the beach is the perfect place for monsters to gather and enjoy the summer.  Mothership Gallery has taken that idea and based an entire toy show around it, appropriately titled Monster Beach Party.  This show is no holds barred, so you may see customs, originals, who the hell knows what else.  As with any Mothership show there will be a ton of artists involved, all of which you can see in the poster.  The show opens Saturday, July 28th at 6pm and online sales of the pieces (for those who can't make it to Philadelphia) will start at 7pm at www.martiantoys.com.  

El Cuco Lottery from Wonder Goblin x Grizlli Atom

    Mysteries are what make the world interesting to me and there are some I hope no one ever solves. Whether it involves famous monsters like the Jersey Devil or Bigfoot, or human monsters like Jack the Ripper, in this age where everyone and everything is way over exposed, a little bit of mystery goes a long way.   How many great folk tales will spring forth from our culture not that everyone and almost everything is being documented in some fashion at all times?  Would anyone care about the pyramids if the ancient Egyptians had taken selfies during their construction?

"Yo, this is ya boy Khufu, just hanging at my future crib." #blessed 

    Nope, we need the unexplained which is why I am glad that Wonder Goblin and Grizlli Atom have started a new venture in which they celebrate the world's boogeymen.  The first in this series in a dude from South America named El Cuoco, who parents have used to keep their children in line for many years.  I believe that the best behaved kids are the ones who have a crippling fear of being devoured by monsters, but for some reason most parenting books neglect to include that chapter.  He seems way more effective at his job than Elf on the Shelf, as that little nerd could have never gotten me to stop acting up.  

    Standing at twelve inches tall and featuring eight point of articulation, this soft vinyl figure can be yours via lottery beginning on Sunday, July 29th.  Here is how to enter:

    This will be sold via lottery on 7/29/18 at 11 AM EST - $300 + Shipping (USA is close to $14. International is between $40 and $50 depending on country).
To enter the free raffle, click the "LOTTERY OPEN" ticket during the above date and time at the top of the Wonder Goblin home page and complete the online form. 12 hour lottery closes 7/29/18 at 11:00 PM EST. The winners will be drawn randomly from all entries and notified via their email with a private shop link. Lottery entries not chosen will not be notified.
    If chosen, payment must be paid within 24 hours of notification. After 24 hours, winner's link will expire and be passed on to the next random winner in line. Any winner refusing to pay by set deadline will be excluded from all future lotteries. Thank you for understanding!

   Enter to own one exclusively from https://www.wondergoblin.com.  

Blank Black Gorazon Lottery from Jxntoys

    This, my friends, is a toy design I can get behind.  He's an anatomical heart/skull/evil minion looking bro that speaks to my interests.  Seriously this sucker is unhinged and is one of the coolest figures I've seen in a while.  I'm kind of jealous I didn't come up with it if I'm being honest, and I like there to be trust between us so I'm always honest with you.  And yes, that probably wasn't the right shirt choice for your kid's parent/teacher day, but I support the bold thought process that led to you putting on that Cannibal Corpse tee.  See, always honest.

     Though this did not spring from my weary mind, I still love it just the same.  His name is Gorazon and he is the brain child of one Jxntoys.  This guy is cast in the blackest black vinyl to be had and can  only be had via a lottery this weekend.  You have until July 23 at 12am pacific time to enter by following these instructions:

To enter, please send your information to jxntoys@gmail.com

1. Full name

2. Shipping address

3. Telephone number

4. PayPal email

5. Instagram

    Easy enough.  If you win he will set you back $140 plus shipping.  

 

SDCC Exclusive Key Lime Burgercat from Nathan Hamill x Science Patrol

   My sister and I are 18 years apart and I spent a lot of time babysitting when she was young.  There was one incident while I was watching her that I was sure was going to get me kicked out of the house permanently.   She was about four at the time and we were building with Legos when she bolted upright and ran through the kitchen and into the bathroom, laughing the entire way.  I thought it was strange so I got up to check on her and on the floor I noticed a randomly discarded package of food coloring.  All of the tubes were in the box except for the green one. Fearing the worst I banged on the bathroom door, eliciting an eruption of laughter from the other side.  I turned the knob and it was locked, so I yelled for her to get into the bathtub.  At the sound of her climbing inside I backed up and threw my shoulder into the door, less concerned about explaining the carpentry work that I would have to do than about what the hell she was up to.  The door gave way and standing in the bathtub, as proud as I've ever seen her, was my sister showing off her newly dyed green skin.  Thankfully she was less Incredible Hulk and more Jackson Pollock with her application, but it didn't negate the fact that it was a week before she started preschool and half her face looked like bad zombie makeup.  I couldn't even be mad because I was so panic stricken and she was laughing so hard and I was kind of nauseous as I tried scrubbing her back to her unblemished self.  Spoiler alert:  food coloring doesn't give a damn about a soap filled wash cloth or the fact that you may get murdered for not stopping your kid sister from giving herself an abstract facial tattoo.

    Some things were meant to be green, like string beans, American currency, and this Key Lime BurgerCat from Nathan Hamill and Science Patrol.  Is he a cat that looks like a hamburger or a hamburger that looks like a cat?  Who cares, because this kitty is made of luxurious Japanese vinyl and is down right adorable.  This edition is an exclusive to San Diego Comic Con and can only be had by visiting War Machine Marketing's booth #1415.  Nathan will be signing them as well on Saturday and all the info you need to meet him and score a BurgerCat are in the photo at the top.

Mixed Parts Suckfly from Cure x Lulubell Toys

   Bats are awesome.  They're like little puppy birds that just want your love.  Sometimes they even seek you out for that love, which is really interesting when they do so by hanging on the curtains in your kitchen.  I lived in an old farm house in Virginia and the bats we didn't know were living in the attic decided that they wanted to check out the rest of the house.  So one day while attempting to get breakfast we found them taking a nap right above the window.  It nearly scared my mom to death but I thought they were cool (like any weird teenage boy would) and rather than disturb them we just left them alone and they moved on to more exciting pastures.  Which was most likely the house next door, which had no electricity and whose residents once forced us to evacuate after building a bomb on their porch with a propane tank.  A small thing like a bat infestation would probably go unnoticed there.

    After many moons the Suckfly from Cure has returned in mixed parts form. You don't get to choose your color combo, but how could you be upset by any version of these you get?  The answer is you can't, so stop worrying and start buying when these go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday July 11th, at noon pacific time from Lulubell Toys.

    

The Witch Black Phillip Figure from Readful Things

   Black Phillip! Black Phillip!  Oh, the fun songs that little heathens make up.  I just saw The Witch a few weeks ago and here are my thoughts on the film.  For one I was really thankful for closed captioning because I could not understand anything anyone was saying.  Secondly, you should never go anywhere near a house that is all by itself in the woods because it is either filled with witches or rural crackheads, neither of whom you want biting you.  And lastly, the devil didn't really have to spend much for souls back in the day.  All he did was mention butter and she couldn't wait to sign her life away.  Now he has to at least shell out for an iPhone or a Maserratti before he can convince anyone that eternal damnation sounds like a worthy trade.  Inflation truly hits everyone.

   I am thankful for the bootleggers out there who are working hard creating the action figures that regular toy companies are neglecting, and this Black Phillip toy from Readful Things is genius.  You can own everyone's favorite bad idea goat when he goes on sale this Friday, July 6th, at https://www.etsy.com/shop/readfulthings.  

Electro Cyclops - X Lottery from Plaseebo

    Millions of Americans will celebrate the Fourth of July today, as they highlight the good parts of our country and try to briefly forget about the crap storm we are going through right now.  They will drink and they will light explosives which will also mean trips to the emergency room and doctors trying to reattach fingers that have been stored in sandwich bags of ice.  If there's one thing we as Americans know how to do, it's bodily harm in the name of being festive.  Avoid the need for expensive reconstructive surgery for a thrill that lasts a few seconds and instead invest in a piece of art that will glow and change colors as long as you keep the batteries fresh.  

   Plaseebo doesn't want you to make meat mittens, which is why he has offered up this killer Electro Cyclops - X lottery do distract you from your explosive misdeeds.  There are four of these 8 and 1/2 inch figures up for grabs and your chance at buying one hinges on you following these directions:

To enter lottery, please send the following to:   bob@plaseebo.net 

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 July 7, 2018. Figures will ship upon receipt of payment due by July 10th.

You only have until Thursday, July 5th, to enter.  

LaMorrttt More Dead Than Death Itself Edition from Naomi Knaff

   Black coffee.  Black metal. Black t-shirts.  I have no use for the first one, but the other two are delightful.  Now you can add LaMorrttt to that list as he has shed all color and become the epitome of darkness.  Gaze into the void and allow yourself to be swallowed by the abyss!!!  Or you could just put him on your shelf and admire him from a good safe distance.  I'd say ten feet is probably a nice start to not be drawn into oblivion, but there's really no trusted authority that I know of with any published literature on the subject.  You should consult your local library to be sure.

  Naomi Knaff's vinyl creation was brought to life by Planet X and is only available via www.naomiknaff.com for $70 each.

   

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.