Ferg x Grody Shogun x Scott Wilkowski "Infected Young Gohst" Preorder

 
    Did you know the yuck that causes pink eye can live on a surface for a month?  I only know this because it's an occupational hazard where I work; one which I've been fortunate enough to avoid.  Of course, pink eye is not the worst thing you can contract from another person, but it's pretty gross.  No wants to wake up with their eye crusted shut and looking like the weeping dead.

    I don't know what would cause something like this to happen to you, but I'm sure Jenny McCarthy will tell you not to vaccinate against it.  Who would have thought some idiot television personality wasn't in fact the utmost authority when it came to infectious diseases?  Crazy.

    Ferg and Grody Shogun's Young Gohst is looking like he may need a trip to ye old apothecary to get a tube of ointment.  Anything you need a tube of ointment for just sounds like the grossest thing possible doesn't it?  I don't know what ails him, but it looks contagious.  This resin figure has been given the "infected" treatment from Scott Wilkowski and is available for preorder right now from Lulubell Toy Bodega.  You have until March 1st at 9am pacific time to secure yourself one for $70.  Maybe if you lick it you'll build up your immune system.

http://www.lulubelltoys.com/

Toy Art Gallery Presents: "Dichotomy" This Saturday

    Have you ever heard the saying " two heads are better than one"?  I can guarantee you they weren't talking about someone with an unborn calcified fetal twin.  Not that I've even met anyone that has suffered from that condition, which is probably for the best.  I don't really know how to behave myself when I find out something like that.  I would totally turn into Larry King and grill the person like they were testifying before congress.  I can't help it because medical anomalies fascinates me and I want to know everything I can find out.  And then there's the whole question of how well you have to know a person before you try to buy the thing from them. I've said too much.

    Having two heads doesn't necessarily mean you'll be undergoing a surgical procedure or relegated to a life of sideshow performances.  It could just be the main feature of a awesome toy, like Doublethink from artist Takahiro Komuro and Toy Art Gallery.  Some of the best toy customizers in the world have come together to offer their unique interpretations to this hunk of vinyl, and you can see the results tomorrow night when Dichotomy opens from 7-10pm.   Here's a list of the participating artists:

Seen at Toy Fair: The Loyal Subjects

    It's pretty nuts to see where The Loyal Subjects started and where they are today.  Their toys are all over the place and even made their way into a Super Bowl commercial.  I love visiting their booth at Toy Fair because it's like a melding of my childhood interests with my obsession with collecting toys now.  Wave 3 of their stylized Transformers line was on display, and it seems that with every incarnation they get more complex.

    Turtles fans will also have plenty of new figures to buy as the second series will be released soon.  There were also a few exclusive sets on display with different color ways of the original Turtle figures.  I believe the grey will be Hastings exclusives, while the black and the glow will be available at this year's San Diego Comic Con.  By the time I made it to their booth I was malnourished and going through withdrawal from not being able to buy anything, so I may have misheard.  Don't kill me.

    You can see more of our Toy Fair pictures by visiting www.facebook.com/TheToyViking

Metallic Blue Bad Knight from Peter Kato

    How come all the bad knights in film wear black?  It's a dead giveaway that they're up to no good.  Take the black knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  If he had been wearing any other color of armor he could have used the element of surprise to overwhelm his opponent.  Instead, he lost his limbs, bled all over the place, and was made to look a fool.  If you wanna be a black knight, you should be black in spirit and deed, not in your clothing choices.

    Peter Kato totally gets the importance of stealth because his Bad Knights are decked out in metallic  blue.  Who's gonna feel threatened by someone so sparkly?  The good guys are gonna show up, think they have the wrong castle cause these dudes can't be the jerks they were looking for, and then WHAM...the bad guys win.

    You can build your own army of unassuming evil doers when these go on sale tonight at 8pm eastern time at http://peterkatoshop.com/.  Limited to only 8 pieces, each one will cost $40.  

Help Make Javier Jimenez's Wananeko a Vinyl Toy

 

    Usually I would do my best to convince you to go and support the crowd funding campaign to get this toy made.  But in an amazing turn of events enough money was raised before I could even post about it.  That's not to say that you still can't go and support this fundraiser and get yourself some awesome plastic kitties in the process.  The best thing about plastic kitties is they won't try and claw your nipples off.  Not that anything like that happens to me on a daily basis, leading to some awkward blood stains on my work shirts, but I've heard stories.

    We've all seen Javier Jimenez's Wananeko figure before.  He's been making these things is resin for a while, but now it's making the jump to glorious Japanese soft vinyl, which is the cashmere of all plastics.  The highlight of the entire campaign might just be your ability to purchase these baby Wananeko figures which will only ever be offered here.

     Look how precious they are, and there's a bunch of them so you can become a crazy cat lady without the expense of taking any of them to the vet.  I have five real cats and let me tell you it's amazing I'm not homeless.  

     Go and get yourself some new toys by visiting this link.  

Super Crazy Blow Your Dang Mind Toy Review: Inner Child from Nerviswr3k x Suburban Vinyl

   

    I'm not a big fan of reading instructions.  It's not that I'm stubborn, I just kind of like to figure things out on my own.  That's why when I received Suburban Vinyl's first ever self-produced toy in the mail, I didn't read the box.  So let me, in all my mentally untainted glory, tell you what I think the meaning of this toy designed by Nerviswr3k could be, before I cave in and find out the real deal.

    The kid is looking kinda bummed as he peeks out from the rather dangerous looking mouth of this critter.  He could have just been eaten and is now going through a very slow period of digestion that has forced him to accept his fate all the while his extremities are dissolving and unleashing their nutritional value.  That would make anyone sad.

    He could, however, be the monster' sinner most self, whose innocence is betrayed by his outward appearance.  He just wants to pet puppies and mentor at risk youth, but people run from him in fear.  Seriously though, you gotta shave down those teeth if you want people to feel totally safe.

    Alternatively, the monster could represent the hard exterior one has to adopt in a harsh world to protect their feelings.  The monster is a suit of armor, while the true person inside has to go unseen until he feels safe.

    That's a plethora of theories I have there, so now it's time to consult the box.  It turns out that my third idea is actually correct!  I totally missed my calling as a therapist, cause if I can read a toy like this, just think about all the people I could help.  I'd probably get pretty bored though unless your life was REALLY messed up and you hooked me with your story.  I'll stick with the toys and try not to ruin any actual human beings.

See, here's the proof that I was right!

    One thing that really impresses me about this toy is how well they captured the nuances of the customs that Nerviswr3k is known for.  Many times details get lost when translated from one medium to the next, but this really has that raw feel that is a signature of his work.  It really comes through when juxtaposed with the smooth texture of the face.  The sculpt has got a ton of nooks and hidden spots that could have easily been missed or glossed over, but so much attention was paid to every detail, even the shadows under his eyes were handled with precision.

    And the thing still kinda frightens me in the same way his customs do.  I have no problem believing that they could be swimming around in my city's water supply, just praying to make it into a batch of delicious Kool-Aid and play Hungry Hungry Hippos with my cells.  But that's also part of their charm.

   Their will be three different colors of this dude: blue, green, and the red one you see here.  This red guy will be available starting February 21st at noon eastern time at your favorite toy stores.  Each color is limited to 125 pieces and will sell for $45 each.

You can actually see the article you're reading on the screen there!  If that didn't blow your mind you could almost see that I wasn't wearing pants when I took this!  

Seen at Toy Fair: Funko

   

    If Funko's display at Toy Fair gets any bigger they're gonna have to rent out an entire floor just to show off everything they bring.  You can't miss them when you walk in, mostly because of the giant fiberglass versions of their toys that tower over everyone in attendance.  They still refuse to sell me the giant Batman, which I guess is ok because my homeowner's association would probably have a fit if I set it up on the front lawn.  They don't understand my beautification vision.

    Funko has a little spin-off project called Vinyl Sugar which is taking classic characters we're all familiar with and giving them a more stylized treatment.  It seems that anything that doesn't fall within the Pop! realm is getting branded this way.  These include the more humorous Vinyl Idolz line you see above and a more exaggerated pin-up style for their Vinyl Vixens, like this Harley Quinn:

        And lets not forget the violent cuteness that their Dorbz collection brings:

    Of course Pop! Vinyl and Hikari were well represented.  I'm a bit partial to the Pop! line because they're really affordable and are a fun take on characters we all know and love.  Here's a few on my wishlist:

    Star Wars was the big deal in Hikari, and most of the figures looked really cool translated to this medium.  This line has always been hit or miss with me because I don't think everything works in this format (Transformers come to mind) by the Star Wars villains looked really cool:

    There was a ton more there but I got cats to feed and poop to scoop, so go and check out the rest of my pictures at www.facebook.com/TheToyViking