Chris Ryniak and Amanda Louise Spayd's Gemnibbler Exclusive from Umi Toys Hawaii

    Happy New Year, ya filthy animals!  The best way to start your next 365 days off right is to treat yourself to some retail therapy.  I started the New Year with a sinus infection; mouth breathing my way home from work last night while R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It" filled the interior of my Hyundai.  Kind of an ominous start to 2019, but if life were easy I certainly wouldn't recognize it if it was standing next to me and tapping my shoulder.  So while I could bore you with top 10 lists or other nonsense that people usually do this time of year, my cold medicine is insisting we throw that idea in the trash and instead tell you about something new.  Brace yourselves, for I am at its mercy.

   There's nothing worse that being a collector of anything and not being able to get each and every thing associated with it.  Do you want to know how many sets of figures I have where I'm only missing one and that one that eludes me is priced at a level that would keep me up at night?  I'd tell you, but lets not dwell on the negative.  Umi Toys is ensuring that every collector of the Thimblestump Hollow series 2 figures from Chris Ryniak and Amanda Louise Spayd will be able to complete their sets by offering up this exclusive Canyon edition Gemnibbler.  This enemy of precious jewels is limited to only 85 pieces, retails for $15, and can only be had by visiting www.umitoyshawaii.com.  One of these will also be included if you are purchasing one of their Fukubukuro lucky bags.

   These figures are produced by the fine folks of Cardboard Spaceship, who have yet to convince NASA that corrugated paper is the best material for use when constructing the shuttle.  

Kazans Sofubi Series from Gary Baseman x APPortfolio

   I love the work of Gary Baseman because he has managed to create things that are instantly recognizable as his without ever feeling stale.  I love it for other reasons as well, but what I mentioned above is no easy task.  So when I saw these posted on Facebook there was no doubt as to who created them, but they in equal measures felt like sometime completely new.  And how can you not be happy when looking at these?  They're the perfect cure for the nasty seasonal depression many of us are going through, though you probably shouldn't rush out and cancel your doctor's appointments just yet.  These critters have yet to be evaluated by the Food and Drig Administration for their therapeutic properties.

   These sofubi figures have been produced by APPortfolio and are available now.  They come in sets of two and will retail for $204 per set.  You can see how they are paired up in the pictures below and you can purchase them by visiting https://apportfolio.shoplineapp.com.

Tenacious Toys Exclusive Sprayed Away Series 1 from Josh Mayhem

   Last summer here at the Jersey Shore a tourist was sitting on the beach when a large gust of wind picked up an umbrella, launched it towards her, and impaled her leg like a javelin.  All this time we had this irrational fear of sharks because of Jaws, when the silent killer was lulling us into complacency with the promise of respite from a brutal sun.  Shade comes at a price, my friends, and that price could very well be your life!  This has been a public service announcement from The Council For Impalement Awareness.

   Josh Mayhem has made what is quite possibly his most appropriate Blown Away series to date.  Utilizing the SprayeeQ Qee platform from Toy2R, he has adequately captured what a popular song and dad jokes have told us for years: you never spray into the wind.  Whether it be paint or more organic substances, the results will always be the same.  Though the embarrassment levels might vary greatly.  

   This exclusive series for Tenacious Toys features 12 hand customized figures with one random glow in the dark chase.  Each piece stands 5 inches tall, will retail for $150, and will be available starting at 3pm today (Wednesday, December 19th) only from www.tenacioustoys.com.  

Spoke Art Exclusive Calico Kittypillar from Casey Weldon x 3A

    The only new cats that will be entering my home any time soon will be of the plastic variety, because I've got a kitty turf war on my hands as we speak.  Two of the five have decided that our house isn't big enough for the both of them, so the black one rolls up on the tiny one like a school yard bully, and the tiny one responds by trying to make force fields out of urine all over the place.  There's nothing quite like laying your head down in anticipation of a good night's sleep and having the serenity broken by a jet stream of pee against the wall.  That girl has some pressure built up and it has ballooned my paper towel budget to absurd levels.  If you find yourself in the same situation, Target sells a product called Urine Destroyer, which sounds metal as hell and really does a good job... and I now realize that this is the most elderly post I've ever written and I am only slightly ashamed.


    While the idea of having a real life Kittypillar sounds pretty awesome, the science behind their creation is a slippery slope I'm not prepared to slide down.  So until kitties on some remote island in the South Pacific evolve naturally into this, we're going to have to dream about it vicariously through the work of Casey Weldon and 3A.  His latest version has a beautiful calico coat , stands eight inches tall, and has enough articulation to push all of your knick knacks straight off of the mantle.  This version is an exclusive to Spoke Art and is limited to only 100 pieces, so if you want one I would stop your procrastinating and get to adopting.  Get yours by visiting https://spoke-art.com.

Lovecraft Inspired "Mythos In My Pocket" Figures from HH Toys

    I can assure you I have neither monsters nor Mythos in my pockets.  I have a Wal-Mart receipt or two, which I will inevitably forget is in there, throw my pants in the wash, and discover later as an unidentifiable wad of football shaped paper.  Now if we were to examine my jacket we would discover all of the various Chap Sticks I've had since owning said garment.  I use them during the winter, forget them come spring, and buy a new one once the weather gets cold.  I can testify in a court of law that I have no idea what the interior of a tube of Chap Stick looks like once the product is completely used.  And they always end up with flecks of unknown debris stuck to it, like some dirt monster is moisturizing his lips when I'm not watching.  This is indeed the biggest trouble I am facing right now, so I take solace in that fact, but it is still a mystery none the less.

   The tales of H.P. Lovecraft have inspired more art than possibly any other stories in recent history and HH Toys are joining that list with their new figure line Mythos In My Pocket.  They've taken prominent characters and even the man himself, shrunken them down, and created a series that will scratch the literary itch of any toy collector.  The best way to get every figure and a few killer bonuses is by getting in on the early bird edition, which will feature a complete set of flesh colored toys, a bonus glow in the dark version, a bonus Cthulhu idol, print, and sticker for just $65 (plus shipping).  Only 100 of those sets will be available beginning Thursday, December 13th, at 5pm eastern time.   The general release will happen on Saturday, December 15th for those of you that can't handle all those extras and just need to keep things simply to the business of the figures.  Whichever way you go, the only way to get them will be through https://mythosinmypocket.com.   

 

CMY Edition of Luke Chueh's Possessed from Munky King

    In my list of things in life that are scams, printer ink is at least top twenty.  No matter how new,  they seem to evaporate as quickly as the money I spent on them.  And how come I can buy a bag full of ink pens for next to nothing but throw it in a computer and suddenly it's worth it's weight in gold?  Those evil little cartridges are right up there with Ticketmaster fees, extended warranties, movie prequels, Columbus Day, premium gasoline, name brand cereal, the health care industry, and a bunch of other stuff that I can't think of right now but the moment someone brings them up I'll be sure to yell "SCAM" in their general direction.

    I'm going to put my tumultuous relationship with the ink industry aside and bask in the beauty of thes CMY edition of Luke Chueh's Possessed figure.  Each of these vinyl toys from Munky King is highlighting a shade used in the color printing process and they are exclusive to three different retailers.

  I Am Retro will have the Cyan version:

Munky King will have the Magenta version:

And MSX Art Gallery will be the only place to buy the yellow version:

    Now as anyone that has ever had to make an emergency run to the store when you needed to print something really important knows, black ink is the key to the whole operation.  So Munky King is giving you a chance to win the Kickstarter exclusive all black colorway.   If you purchase all three of these and post a picture of them on Instagram, utilize the hashtag #CMYPossessedContest, and follow @munkykingtoys, @i.am.retro, and @lukechueh you will be entered to win.  Easy enough, right?

    Each will be released tomorrow, December 7th, at noon pacific time through the retailers listed above.  

    

DLX Bumblebee Preorder from 3A

    That new Bumblebee movie looks pretty cool, but it also makes me nervous.  You see, I look at Bumblebee as the small puppy of the Transformers so I swear if something bad happens to him during the movie I will not be able to handle it.  I will lose my mind and I will have to find out who is responsible so I can put them in the Camel Clutch.  Obviously dude isn't going to die, because it's a prequel to the other films, but even if someone hurts his feelings I'm gonna be mad.  It's why I can't watch those Disney movies involving animals because while the film may be good, something is gonna happen to bum me out and I do not need to cry in a movie theater and ruin my street cred.

    Allow me to blow your mind with how great this figure looks from 3A.  I love the way this looks because this is so close to how I remember Bumblebee from when I was a kid, but with a modern update.  What's really going to blow your mind is the fact that this masterpiece features 55 points of articulation.  I don't think there's anything that doesn't move.   And there's LED lights in the eyes, stands 8 inches tall, and features die cast metal parts, interchangeable hands, and anything else you can possibly think of to make this the greatest Transformers toy you will ever own.  For $145, which seems very reasonable to me, you also get free world wide shipping.  Preorder yours today by visiting www.worldof3a.com.

Orange Rage Deathcat from Deathcat Toys x Toy Art Gallery

     Taking care of a herd of cats is not for the faint of heart.  They each have their own unique personalities and quirks that at most times is endearing but sometimes can surprise you in unexpected ways.  Take for instance a few nights ago as I lay down in bed for a much looked forward to night of sleep.  I place my head on the pillow, pull my blanket up to keep out the cold, and roll over on my side for maximum comfort.  And that's when the acrid smell of feline urine fully assaults my nasal cavities. Though dry, my pillow had indeed been pee'd on.  One of our cats is much smaller than the others so she is often on the losing end of their wrestling matches.  What she lacks in size she makes up for by hosing down all of the other cat's favorite places to be.  Her nemesis likes to sleep in between my wife's and I's pillows, so hence my midnight surprise.  Of course I didn't have a spare so I ended up using one of the throw pillows from my couch, which seems to have realigned my neck in a less than optimal configuration.  She is damn cute though, so I can't even be that mad.


     After what has seemed like forever, the Deathcat has finally made the jump from resin figure to soft vinyl.  Toy Art Gallery is releasing the first edition of the namesake design from Deathcat Toys this Friday, November 30 at noon pacific time.  This four and a half inch tall sofubi figure will be $55 and for sale only from www.toyartgallery.com.  Guaranteed to not produce unwanted puddles anywhere in your home.


    

Jurassic Park Designer Vinyl Figure Collection from 3DRetro

    I'm not much for theme parks, mainly because I'm not a ride kind of dude.  I'm terrified of heights so anything that stays close to the ground is ok, but that leaves out most of the fun stuff.  The few roller coasters I have somehow been convinced to ride didn't have any loops and the "fun" I had involved staring at my feet and praying for the whole thing to be over.  My favorite of those was the Scooby Doo coaster at Kings Dominion outside of Richmond, Virginia and that was only because I was rewarded for my bravery with a blue cupcake and slushie from the mushroom shaped stand in Smurf Village.  Being nauseous only put a slight damper on my victory.

   If someone would get on with making Jurassic Park a reality they could sell me a season pass right now.  We've all been waiting for it to happen since the first movie came out, but all these scientists are too worried about "ethics" and "liability" to give us the real life dinosaur experience we deserve.  We don't need robots landing on Mars, people, we need a Jurassic Park.  Preferably located in Florida so when things go bad no one will notice.

   Until we are given what we so justly deserve, we will have to use our imaginations in tandem with these vinyl figures from 3DRetro.  They have three different toys from three very different artists to interest even the most discerning of collectors.  The half dissected T-Rex you see above there as created by mural maker extraordinaire Nychos, the frilled spitty lizard as reimagined by Joe Ledbetter:

    And this cute little dinosaur cosplay of Juan Muniz's signature character, Filipe:

     These will be available starting today (November 28th) at noon pacific time only at www.3dretro.com.  

The Rock-afire Explosion's Billy Bob in Vinyl from Justin Ishmael

     This one is bringing back some crazy memories for me and the love I have for anthropomorphic automatons and the pizza that came along with them.  I was all about Showbiz Pizza as a kid and was beyond mesmerized by the Rock-afire Explosion.  Their music wasn't great, but I loved watching as the robotic band wearing the skins of friendly wooden creatures came to some form of life unlike my own.  Looking back I'm sure you could trace a healthy amount of children's nightmares back to this group and their rodent successor Chuck E. Cheese.  But at the time who could have ever foreseen the possibility of the hulking mechanical behemoths being anything but wholesome as their dead eyes blinked audibly when they sprang to life in a restaurant that could serve not only an Italian staple but as the actual waiting room to Hell?  I could swear to you I had the best time there and somewhere I have the pictures to prove it.

    All kidding aside, this vinyl rendition of band leader Billy Bob captures a time in many of our lives that was filled with wonderment; where our biggest concern was the possibility of running out of golden tokens.  Relive it all thanks to the hard work of Justin Ishmael as he offers this officially licensed figure for preorder.  There are two versions available to collectors: the standard which includes the 11 inch tall toy, or the deluxe which comes with an exposed animatronic head and Birthday Bird.  There's also pint glasses and t-shirts so you can make Showbiz Pizza an entire lifestyle choice, which honestly should happen way more often than it does.

Everything can be found by visiting https://www.justinishmael.com.  

Flat Bonnie DesignerCon Exclusives

    I love the creations of Flat Bonnie, because not only does she create the cutest hand sewn critters in existence but she also raises money and awareness for real life animals.  So I was beyond excited to see that two of her designs will be featured as part of the DesignerCon Dunny series from Kidrobot.  One of her designs has the distinction of being the first ever plush 3 inch Dunny while the other one continues her fight for our Earth's creatures by speaking out against shark fin harvesting.

     Of course she will have her own booth as well, filled with the 2 dimensional creatures she's known for.  Check out all the exclusives that you can find later this week a booth number 802:

Dobichan - Monochrome Edition

DesignerCon 2018 Exclusive - $50 each

9" tall - Limited Edition Plush

Special DesignerCon tag and numbered sewn in label.

Made of vinyl pleather (Animal friendly materials).

Flat Knuckle Bear - collaboration with Touma

DesignerCon 2018 Exclusive - $60 each

11" tall - Limited Edition Plush

Special DesignerCon tag and numbered sewn in label.

Made of vinyl pleather (Animal friendly materials).

Flat MAOCAT - collaboration with Touma

DesignerCon 2018 Exclusive - $40 each

7" tall - Limited Edition Plush

Special DesignerCon tag and numbered sewn in label.

Made of vinyl pleather (Animal friendly materials).

Momo the Anxious Axolotl (Holiday Ornament/Charm)

Designercon 2018 Exclusive - $20 each

5" wide x 3.25" tall - Limited Edition

Special DesignerCon tag and numbered sewn in label.

Made of vinyl pleather (Animal friendly materials)

Wonder Goblin DesignerCon Exclusives

    The psychedelic nightmare creatures of Wonder Goblin are some of the most interesting figures you're going to see at DesignerCon this week.  Each one is a visual over load of color and detail that may or may not forever imprint themselves on your retina, casting a monstrous shadow in your line of sight forever the way that looking at an eclipse without filtered glasses will.  These toys won't LITERALLY burn their image into yours soft tissue, it's more figurative than that.  But will you see them when you close your eyes at night, taunting you as slow heavy metal music plays in the background?  Probably not either.  You're taking this way too seriously.

   Let's take a look at some of the craziness you can take home with you:

    * 2 Budfoot releases - "Yeti" and "Yeti Kush" one is painted and the other is flocked. $300 for Yeti. $350 for Yeti Kush. 12 inches tall. Each run is limited to 7 pieces. (se above picture)

 

* Windigo "Night Tripper" release limited to 8 pieces, 3 of which will have special dread hair       attached. $350 with hair. $300 without hair. 13 inches tall. Painted in black light reactive vinyl paint. Windigo is part of the Boogey Boys toy series with Grizlli Atom. 

* Hagopuss Family - Queen + Defender + Baby. All 3 figures are sold as a set, and limited to 7 sets. Each set includes a 20 x 14 inch signed and numbered giclée print of the Hagopuss Family Portrait oil painting, printed with archival inks on cold press paper. The figures are painted in vinyl paints to match the fine art print! $450 for the whole set.

* Fungoid Man "Marbled Watermelon" release limited to 24 pieces. This will be the first soft vinyl Fungoid Man sold within the USA! Collaboration with Skinner and produced by Science Patrol! $150 each.

Get all this and more by visiting booth # 1251. 

DesignerCon Exclusive Sofubi Strolls from Spanky Stokes x Toy Art Gallery

   Well look at what we have here!  It's been a long time since we've seen Spanky Stokes Stroll mascot in vinyl form, and it was starting to seem like I had maybe dreamt the previous ones.  You ever have those dreams where you're arguing with someone and then you wake up and are legit pissed at them?  My wife once dreamt that I let a tiger eat her and she didn't speak to me the entire next day.   For one, you don't "let" a tiger do anything.  Have you ever tried reasoning with a house cat?  Now imagine it weighs 400 lbs and could devour you.  And secondly...there's no secondly because seriously you cannot stop a cat from doing what it wants.  So there.

    Toy Art Gallery has prepared not one but two new versions of this figure for release at DesignerCon next week.  There's the tropical fruit juiciness of the glow in the dark Boogie Beach version, or for those of you that don't like flavor on your chicken, a plain glow in the dark edition.

   Either way, you can't go wrong with the world famous mascot of the designer toy blog that inspired countless others.  These will be available at the convention from booth # 543.

Tiger Guts Taylor Resin Figure from Rultron

   I love me some wrasslin, and just thinking about it gets me all hype.  Not hype enough to actually wrestle, because I learned yesterday that I have arthritis in my right knee.  My knee cap is as crooked as our country's administration, and it's been grinding away.  I only went to the orthopedist because it became difficult to walk up the stairs without being mistaken for an extra on the Walking Dead, so a couple of X-rays later I had my diagnosis.  Oh, and I got a cortisone shot, which is its own special brand of interesting.  The doctor first found the space in between bone and tendon, sprayed it with a numbing agent, and STUCK THE ENTIRETY OF A FOUR INCH HYPODERMIC NEEDLE INTO MY KNEE.  I'm talking this sucker was buried to the hilt, which I was not warned about ahead of time, so I'm sure I made one of my famous WTF faces.  Truth be told I didn't feel much of anything, and I guess a heads up about what he was going to do would make most people get up and leave, but it was still a bit of a shock to see the whole thing disappear into my body.  I hope that is the last time I ever have cause to write that sentence.

    I will have to live my Wrestlemania dreams vicariously through Tiger Guts Taylor, a resin figure from artist Rultron.  This dude is 20 cm of suplexing fury that is out there wrestling intergalactic punks in space so that he can earn his passage home, which sounds like a way better plot than the last Star Wars film.  He was produced by Dead Hand Toys and can only be obtained by emailing rultron@gmail.com.

Designer Con Exclusive Resin Shard Dunnys from Scott Tolleson

    These beautiful resin three inch Shard Dunnys from Scott Tolleson are known as the Pain edition because that's what you'll feel deep in your guts if you don't get one.  You'll probably have a few leading up to their release at Designer Con as you fear having to live the rest of your life without one.  That's right, these are candy slick and exclusive to Scott's booth at the upcoming super sized edition of Designer Con in California next month.  As much as I would love to be there I am unable to make it, and seeing these has kind of brought that reality home.  Great, now I'm in a spiral of depression.

    Just kidding, I came to terms with it a while back, but if you're one of those lucky folks that IS going and who I'm still mildly jealous of, then you better high tail it to booth # 2005.  Scott only made 100 of these and at $60 each they won't last long.


    But wait...there's more.

    There's also this insane looking five inch Shard Dunny!!!!   This one is known as the Panic edition, because that's what people will feel as the doors open to the convention and they have to run likes it's a high school gym class to get to them.  I only run if someone is chasing me, and even then they better be armed with a weapon or a warrant, but I would make an exception for one of these.  They are limited to 80 pieces and will cost ya $150.  Make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes and don't mind being seen panting heavily in the company of others.  

Self Conscious: The Confidence Boosting Plush Kickstarter from Taylored Curiosities

    Is there a more unique designer toy creator out there than Taylored Curiosities?  Not only does she release some of the most original plush and resin designs you will see, but she genuinely cares about all of our well being.  That's a big change for me, because most of the people I meet in the course of my work day seem hell bent on cremating any good feelings I have left.  When you work with the public it will erode you worse than a beach during hurricane season. Especially when it involves money, because then people are much quicker to go from zero to crazy. But Taylored Curiosities is here to repair the daily damage that can occur to your emotional barricade through my favorite medium: collectibles.  More people should follow her example and should bring some of that to New Jersey.  Maybe once they decriminalize marijuana use it will calm a lot of these folks right down.

    There is a Kickstarter campaign running right now to help bring this plush to life.  Check it out at this link and through your donation you can be part of the process of spreading something positive in the world.  God knows we can all use it.  

Undead Greasebat Set from Jeff Lamm x Monster Worship

  Are you prepared to not only have an instant Jeff Lamm collection but to have all of your Halloween decorating needs met?  Of course you are, because everyone loves a bundle deal.  Remember when you used to buy CDs or DVDs and they would come with something cool like a figure or a t-shirt but only certain places would have them and you got so excited on release day that you were first in line at the store to make sure you didn't miss out?  Sadly, those days are mostly behind us, but this set from Monster Worship is helping me relive them a bit.

   Each set contains a mini Grease Bat, a micro Grease Bat, and a killer paper jointed decoration of a Grease Bat Skeleton.  They are extremely limited and at only $70 they probably won't last long.  If you just want the decoration there will be a few of those available for only $10 each, which again means they probably won't last long.  Get em all this Friday, October 19th from www.monsterworship.com.

The Nordic Lucky Cat Has Been Unleashed!

    The time has come.  The gates of Asgard have opened and the felines are running amok all through Midgard.  Wrangle one now at thetoyviking.bigcartel.com.  

The Nordic Lucky Cat Debuts Tomorrow!!

  The day is nearly here, as in tomorrow, when the first horde of Nordic Lucky Cats becomes available.  I've wanted for a long time to make this a reality and can barely believe myself that soon you will be able to add these to your collections.  The figure itself was inspired by the two cats from Norse mythology that pulled Freyja's chariot through the nine worlds.  Not much is mentioned about them in the Sagas, so I took it upon myself to expand upon their story.  It's easy to be inspired by cats when you have five of them roaming around your house.

   Each figure stands 4 inches tall, is made of solid resin, and is presented in DIY White, which is perfect for anyone that wishes to paint them (or leave them as is, for they shine as bright as a fresh Norweigian snow fall).  This is an open edition release, meaning that periodically I will make these available for anyone who wants them.  Super limited editions in a host of styles will follow, all produced by resin wizard Renone.

Retailing for $40 plus shipping, they can only be found at thetoyviking.bigcartel.com.  

Halloween Witch Cat Lulu from Cat Magic Toys

    Halloween has the coolest ties ins of any holiday and that's not really up for debate.  Christmas themed products? Blah.  St. Patrick's Day? Don't need any of that crap.  Give me orange and black and skulls and ghosts all day long on anything and everything.  I just got these outstanding pumpkin cookies from Wal Mart and I know that as soon as November 1st comes they're gonna change the shape to something dumb and it's gonna ruin them for me.  Yeah, they'll probably taste the same, but eating something turkey shaped doesn't give me that tingly feeling that an orange sprinkled pumpkin does.  I'll suffer through, but I'll still suffer.

   Cat Magic Toys speaks my language with this brand new Halloween Cat Lulu release.  First, they satisfy my need for seasonal products.  Secondly, they're cats but not only are are they cats they're also witches, which is like turning the whole mythology on its head.  What if the women we thought were the witches weren't at all and were just around so they could open the tins of cat food for the actual witch kitties?   I'm blowing my own mind with this one.

   If you want one of these magic sofubi felines they'll be on sale today (Saturday, October 13th) at 6pm pacific time only from https://cat-magic-toys.myshopify.com.

   

Samhain Sets from Taylored Curiosities

    Fall is my favorite time of year for a multitude of reasons.  The sun stops trying to roast me like a chicken, all the tourists go back home (which is really a bonus because none of them understand that left turns in New Jersey usually involve a jug handle), and the woods are free to walk in as the ticks have died off and the venomous snakes have begun their hibernation until spring.  The tourist thing is especially awesome though, as leaving the house stops resembling an episode of Jersey Shore.  That show is horrible in its accuracy.

     Autumn also ushers in Halloween season, which I'm told some people have to actually decorate their house for.  My house stays spooky year round.  Of course our celebration of Halloween is predated by the harvest festival of Samhain and to commemorate the occasion, Taylored Curiosities has created a special resin figure set.  Each one comes with everything you need to have a successful new begining after the spirits of your ancestors come to visit you on the 31st.  Should I buy like a cheese platter or wash extra towels?  I never know what to do when I have company, let alone dead relatives I've yet to meet.

    Only 20 sets are available for preorder and they can be had by visiting https://tayloredcuriosities.bigcartel.com

Belfry Kickstarter from Motley Miscreations

    I know it seems like as of late I only write about Kickstarter campaigns that are fully funded, but I swear it's not on purpose.  While it is great to hitch your wagon to a sure thing, it is merely just a coincidence because I've been so busy.  And I love this figure design from Motley Miscreations so much there was no way I was gonna let this campaign pass me by without helping spread the word on it.  So without further ado meet Belfry, a soft vinyl figure that when produced will stand nearly 9 inches tall.  He features five points of articulation and comes with two weapons for maximum shenanigans.  As it stands this guy is fully funded, so there's no questions about whether or not he will be produced, it's just a matter of what reward levels are left for you to take advantage of.  Check out this link to get in on it.

Autumn Algonac Mini from Chris Ryniak x Squibbles Ink x Rotofugi

      Anyone that makes any type of product that is set to release this time of year should always have the words "pumpkin spice" in the title.  I don't care what it is or whether it relates to what you're selling or not, those two words cause a feeding frenzy.  I hear Harley Davidson is having trouble attracting new customers, but not after they release the Pumpkin Spice Edition Sportster.  Don't mind me, I'm just out here saving us from the decisions of that failed business man that's ruining our country.

    Chris Ryniak's Algonac mini figure looks like he's taken my advice to heart, color wise anyway, as he is the perfect shade for Fall.  This stylized 2.25 inch vinyl turtle is produced by Squibbles Ink and Rotofugi and is limited to 150 pieces in this edition.  You can own one right now by visiting www.rotofugi.com.  They retail for the ridiculously low price of $17.95 each.  

Skullhead Black Porcelain from Huck Gee x K Olin Tribu

   I have one experience with porcelain in my life and it involved high school ceramics class and a bad attitude.  We got to make whatever we wanted as long as there was no chance we could smoke something out of it.  The teacher had grown up in Philadelphia so he was wise to whenever some hillbilly kid thought they were being really slick.  I wasn't interested in smoking devices, but I was interested in being a weirdo so the first things I made were a set of loose teeth.  Having not fully filled my potential, nor having an adequate idea as to what I was going to do with them, I then turned my attention towards fashioning a toilet.  My methods were crude, so this was more abstract than the found and functional art of Duchamp, but it had character.  I decided it was an ash tray for the outlaw biker father I never had and a small drip of pride settled in at the bottom of my heart.  It was actually the second ash tray I had made in my life, the first being a rendition of Monstar's head from Silverhawks when I was in first grade.  The stranger thing about that is that no one I was related to ever smoke, so I have no idea why I decided everything had to be an ash tray.  Weird.

    You cannot as a matter of fact use this Skullhead figure as an ash tray because that would be dumb.  Huck Gee and K. Olin Tribu present their latest edition of this porcelain figure in all black, which is quite menacing looking.  Limited to an edition of only 50, and presented with a signed COA from the artist in a wooden box, you can order one of these now by visiting https://www.artandtoys.com/en/.

Tuxedo Kittypillar from Casey Weldon x 3A

    I used to be a serious germaphobe and would wash my hands after touching anything I thought could make me sick.  Even being in close proximity to something contaminated would make me feel like I was covered in sure fire death.  Living with five cats has all but cured me of the germ nightmare that I was trapped in.  Case in point: the other night I went to bed and I'm laying there a few minutes before I decide that a blanket is the way to go.  So I reach over and in the handful of microfiber luxury was a hairball.  It wasn't fresh, so the outside thankfully lacked that coating of slime that is their trademark, but not unlike a Twinkie, the inside was still filled with a gooey surprise.  Now old me would have happily thrown that blanket in a pile to be washed, gotten another one, and scrubbed my hand until the first layer of skin had been adequetly punished.  New me carefully walked to the bathroom, removed the rest of the hairball from the blanket WITH MY BARE HAND, washed my hands like it was no big deal, and returned to bed with said blanket.  I did flip it around so the filthy end was at my feet, but other than that I took no special action.

   Casey Weldon is one of my favorite artists, so much so that I have one of his prints hanging next to my tv, which is considered sacred space in my house.  3A has brought one of his most famous images to toy life with this outstanding rendition of Kittypillar.  I am thankful cats are limited to only four paws in real life, because they manage to transfer plenty of litter bits with their toes as it is.  Any more methods of carrying it and my floors would transform into the Atlantic City beach front of the late '90's.  Gross.

   This tuxedo version of the mighty Kittypillar stands 8 inches tall and is available for preorder right now at http://www.bambalandstore.com for $89.  The price includes shipping, which is scheduled to commence in November.