My Post NYCC Recap/Recovery

    The end of New York Comic Con is always bittersweet.  I'm always happy to have attended, but after a few days of fighting through crowds and surviving on convention food, I am pretty exhausted.  And even though I feel I could sleep for a few days straight, I'm kinda ready to do it all over again.  

     This year we weren't able to secure press passes like we had in years before, but I was lucky enough to have the day off from work when tickets went on sale.  Whatever you have to pay to get in it's always worth it, even if you spend your time sitting and watching the people that are there.  The costumes were pretty wild this year, and a lot of people really transformed themselves into their own walking attractions.  I was never a big fan of the cosplay thing before, but I've grown to appreciate it and even look forward to seeing what they will come up with.  It definitely adds something to the experience.  

    We did something a little different at this year's convention in that we collected autographs for the first time in I don't remember how long.  We had the chance to meet Hulk Hogan (which was mind blowing) Jimmy Hart, Mick Foley, and Sgt. Slaughter.  Yeah, we kind of had a theme going.  Sharon and I have been watching a lot of wrestling documentaries recently, so we were pretty excited to track these guys down.  

    Of course we bought a bunch of toys and tried to stop and say hi to everyone we knew and meet everyone else that we didn't.  It's hard to really stop for any period of time because the place is beyond busy and there is a literal current of human bodies that dictate where you can go.  Add to the fact that you want to see and do as much as possible in a very small window of time and it can get a bit hectic.  But I had some very interesting conversations that have opened some very interesting possibilities for the future.   

    

    I know this is kind of reading like a "what I did on my Summer vacation" essay, but it's hard to capture the experience for people that haven't been.  In a similar fashion I was trying to put into words for my wife what it meant for me to meet Hulk Hogan.  My grandfather passed away this time last year and watching wrestling together was something we did for my entire childhood.  And to shake the man's hand who was really responsible for it existing on the level it does, not to mention someone that has always been bigger than life, just left me without the ability to properly convey my feelings.  I don't get star struck very often, but I was beyond that the moment he said "what's up, big man" as I approached his table.  I hope I didn't look too ridiculous.  

    I'll be posting pictures up all this week and will have some small recaps of the stuff I saw.  A few pictures are up now on our Instagram account (TheToyViking) and all of them will be posted to our Facebook page as soon as I'm able to do so.  

More NYCC Exclusives from Clutter Magazine

    New York Comic Con just opened it's doors, and while I won't be there until tomorrow, there is plenty to see and do right this instant.  Clutter Magazine sent me an email filled with all kinds of nutty stuff you're gonna want so let's get to it shall we.

   Fact:  Bears have skulls the same shape as human beings do.  It's on the internet, so it must be true.  Luke Chueh only made 15 of these Dissected Bear Heads in Kenner prototype blue, with 5 being released each day via an 11am lottery system.  The lottery last 15 minutes, after which time the winners will be announced and then they get to buy this dude.  No lottery today, only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so you have time to plan accordingly.  

    Tim Clarke is a legend.  The day he followed me on Instagram I almost pooped my britches.  This dude not only created Boglins and Sectaurs, but he worked on The Dark Crystal with Jim Henson.  We're talking about things that defined people's childhoods.  He's got a new toy series out called Totims and he will have a bunch of those and those prints you see above.  He'll be hanging around Saturday starting at noon and if you're gonna shake anyone's hand during the show, his would be a good one.  Maybe some of the magic will rub off.  

    Ron English is obviously not as big a fan of breakfast cereal as I am.  And I love Cap'n Crunch, even though it shreds the rook of your mouth like you were chewing razor blades.  This is the latest edition of his obese faux pirate, and it will be released Saturday at 1pm and Ron will be there to sign em and tell you the dangers of high fructose corn syrup.  

    I've been in a few fights in my day.  Most of those involved dust ups in my high school cafeteria and certainly never with anyone that looked like this.  Who would fight this guy?  I don't care how bad you think you are, when you see a guy dressed like this and with such an unpleasant look on his face, you need to move along.  Restore made this glow in the dark Neo Japan in such uber limited quantities (10) that he will be sold through a lottery system on Saturday at 2pm with the drawing taking place 15 minutes later.  

    Saturday is gonna be busy for whoever is manning booth # 504, cause at 3pm Jon-Paul Kaiser and UME Toys will be present to release their Buford Mandrake figure.  He comes with two masks, though which one is more disturbing is open to debate.  Meet those fine English gents and pick up this collaboration piece that is sure to be a hit, cause I said so.

    Ok, this is pretty killer.  We've never seen Jeff Lamm's Greasebat figure so...so...cuddly.  Lana Crooks hand made five of these stunning plush toys and I hope there is one left just so I can see it in person.  

    The Flyers lost last night and I'm kinda bummed about that, but they did play pretty well.  And I love the orange and black no matter what and this lizard bro makes me thankful that there's another game tonight with which they can redeem themselves.  Chris Ryniak's Snybora has long been a favorite of mine and this paint job from Squibbles Ink and Kirby Kerr makes it even closer to my heart.  Only 25 folks can own one though, so you better be quick if you wanna play with him on the ride home.  

    Visit the Clutter folks at booth #504 for all that you see and more.  That kinda sounded like something a game show announcer would say.  I need some sleep.  

NYCC Exclusive "Blown Away" Dunny Series from Josh Mayhem

    One thing I like to do when I see custom toys that impress me is to try and figure out how they did it.  Not that I'm gonna go out and try to replicate the technique, but I have a healthy fascination with how things are created.  Luckily I didn't have to torment myself too much with these because their creator, Josh Mayhem, was very forthcoming about his methods, but that doesn't make the end results any less impressive.  This "Blown Away" series contains 6 Dunnys that look like they were caught in a wind storm before their paint was allowed to dry.  These were created as New York Comic Con exclusives for Clutter Magazine's booth # 504 beginning at noon today.  The little guy in the front is the chase version, but no matter which one you get it's gonna look impressive in your collection.   

The Bad News Dunny from Mishka x Kidrobot is a Thing of Beauty

    I could sum up how I feel about this Mishka x Kidrobot collaborative Dunny collection with one picture that I think you all know and love:

    I don't break out the "cute otter reaching for an ice cream sandwich" photo for just any toy.  No no no.  It is reserved for those special toys that make my soul ache with a longing I can barely describe.  And let me tell you, I'm jaded as hell about what I like.  I've seen it all and I'm not easily impressed, but I am loving these to no end.  Maybe it's because I spend my working life making eyeglasses and therefore feel a special connection to that organ.  Maybe it's cause I want a fuzzy bear suit.  Or maybe I just know greatness when I see it.  Now, let's get down to the particulars before you think I've gone soft on ya.  As you can see, there will be 8 inch and 3 inch versions of both color ways.  The 8 inch polar bear is a Kidrobot exclusive and only available through their website and their Las Vegas and San Francisco stores.  The 8 inch kodiak version is an exclusive to Mishka and Dunny retailers world wide. I'm guessing the 3 inch ones will be available all over because they weren't too specific about them.  They will be released on October 24th, so you have a bit of time to save some cash beforehand.  

   If you're lucky enough to be attending New York Comic Con, Mishka will also be offering limited preorders of the 8 inch kodiak and the two 3 inch Dunnys.  Hit up their booth # 110 for more info.

NYCC Exclusive Blind Bagged Resin Micro MadL's from Mad

    I am loving these Micro MadL's.  The mix of colors reminds me of when Sharon and I visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington back in June.  She developed a healthy amount of knowledge on gems and minerals due to her employment at the time and we spent hours trying to photograph everything on display.  These look like they were carved from pieces of the exhibit.  Of course, they are only resin, but the effect's Mad was able to achieve, coupled with the flat nature of the figure, make for a truly unique piece of plastic art.  The only way to get one of these is to track down Mad during New York Comic Con this weekend and hand him $20.  Which one you get will be a surprise, but I don't see how owning any one of them could be disappointing.  Might not be a bad idea to try and hunt him down as soon as you can, as there's no word on just how many he'll have with him.  

NYCC Exclusive Shub Zeroth "Evangelioth" from Metacrypt x Lulubell Toys

     Oh, dear God what have our horrid thoughts brought forth?  What have our wicked ways forced from beneath the Earth's crust, bringing with it our end?  And where, oh where I say, have I left my pants?  Seriously, I need to go buy cat food and nobody is trying to see my milky thighs.  

     Shub Zeroth! Shub Zeroth!  That's my impression of wicked villagers chanting the name of this unholy beast.  Villagers, that if the law were fair, we would have burned as witches and avoided this whole "giant blood thirsty goat demon problem" we now have.  Just kidding, I love Shub Zeroth and Metacrypt will be releasing this newest version at New York Comic Con through Lulubell Toy's booth # 408.  Christmas is coming, and your favorite toy blogger (me, obviously) accepts his gifts year round.  I'll give you one of my new stickers.  Fine, you can have two. 

NYCC Exclusive Pop! Vinyl from Funko x Fugitive Toys

    I have a bit of a problem in the fact that even when I narrow my collecting scope, I still want everything that's ever made that I can get my hands on that falls within my restrictions.  In the world of Pop! Vinyl I like a lot of them, but my main focus is Batman.  Seems reasonable right?  Until you learn that there are like 1,000 different iterations of Batman.  And who has to have every single one of them? This guy.  Thus far I have 11 of them, which isn't bad being that some of them are pretty hard to find exclusives.  But it is kinda fun tracking them all down, and I almost enjoy that part of it more than even owning the figures.  

    I have a lot of other Pop! Vinyls from Funko, including a few from the Thor movies, which makes these two versions of Frost Giant Loki pretty tempting.  Both of them as well as the Wonder Woman figures are Fugitive Toys exclusives for this weekend's New York Comic Con.  If you want any of them I would make a bee line to booth # 410 cause there's always a lot of interest in any Funko exclusives.