"The Art of Toys" Exhibition at the Museum of Art and History Opens This Weekend

    I love museums.  There is very little I'd rather do then spend the day exploring a museum I've never been to.  The great thing about living in New Jersey is that I'm close to Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. so my wife and I have been able to check out places regularly that many people center entire vacations around.  The bad thing about living where we do is that we're gonna completely miss what promises to be an awesome exhibition in California opening at the end of this week.

   The Art of Toys focuses on those folks on the West coast who have been instrumental in shaping what we know as the world of designer toys.  Curated by Julie B. of Pretty in Plastic and Heidi Johnson of Hijinx PR, this is going to be like visiting the toy store of your dreams.  It's taking place at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, California and proceeds from the show will fund art programs throughout the city.  Plus there are pinball machines you can play and limited edition stuff you can buy.  More details can be had by clicking here.  

    Check out the list of artists that will be participating:  

Attaboy, Anthony Ausgang, Gary Baseman, Beast Brothers, BIGFOOT, Dave Bondi, Ryan (RYCA) Callanan, Brian Castleforte, Buff Monster, Luke Chueh, Bob Dob, FERG, Paul Frank, David Flores, Dan Goodsell, Gary Ham, Nathan Hamill, Dave Horvath (Uglydoll), Jay222, Eric Joyner, Kano, Frank Kozik, Kozyndan, Mike Leavitt, Joe Ledbetter, Simone Legno (TokiDoki), Aaron "Woes" Martin (Angry Woebots), Elizabeth McGrath, Tony Millionaire, Junko Mizuno, Kathie Olivas, Nathan Ota, Brandt Peters, Dave Pressler, Mark Ryden, Greg (CRAOLA) Simkins, Sket One, Skinner, Jeff Soto, Bwana Spoons, Scott Tolleson, Mark Dean Veca, Yoskay Yamamoto, and many more.

Seen at SDCC: Star Wars Episode VII Behind the Scenes Trailer

    December can't come fast enough.  

Not at Comic Con? Neither is Skinner and He Has New Stuff For You

    I know what you've been doing.  You've been looking at all your social media sites, living vicariously through everyone you know that's going broke in San Diego.  I've caught myself doing it too; being transfixed by all the toys you wish you could buy but instead were bought by jerks looking to flip em on eBay and make some money off of your hopes and dreams.  I get it, because as I sit 3,000 miles away from comic con, I'm wishing for nothing more than to stand in line for hours on end and for sweaty people to constantly brush up against me and transfer their inhuman funk to my person.  See what we're missing out on?

   Skinner isn't at comic con either and is instead having his own party on his website starting today at noon pacific.  He's gonna have t-shirts and prints and lord knows what else, but for me the highlight of the whole shindig is this massive Abominox figure.

    This will easily make you forget all about not being in California, meeting celebrities and whatnot. Plus, you can't go to comic con in your underwear (well, technically you can if you're dressed as some recognizable character) but Skinner doesn't care if you're stark naked when you buy this dude.  In fact, I think he prefers it.  

     This chilly looking giant bro is limited to only 20 pieces and will be $150 each when they go on sale at the previously mentioned time today.  And if you're wondering just how big they are, here is a life-sized Skinner barely able to hold two of them up.  

Freakin huge.

www.theartofskinner.com

My Top Ten Favorite SDCC Exclusive Thingys

    Yeah, sure, that's a tad bit dramatic, but seeing everyone's pictures from San Diego Comic Con makes me REEEEEEAAALLLLLLLLYYYYYYY wish I was there.  Thankfully New York Comic Con is coming up soon or else I would be losing it for real.  In the spirit of my depression let's take a look at my top 10 favorite exclusive things that are available to convention goers as we speak.  

    Despite our best efforts, Sharon and I still have space left on our walls at home.  We've determined that we hang our pictures "salon style" which they used to do back in the day, and it is a much better term than "a visual representation of mental illness style", which we had been using prior.  These three prints from Kidrobot and artists Brandt Peters, Frank Kozik, and Scott Tolleson would indeed take a place or prominence amongst our collection.  Pick em up during each artist's signings at Kidrobot's booth #5645.  

     That beauty to the right is the comic con exclusive Berry Chocolate Lady Dunny from Junko Mizuno x Kidrobot.  What words could I use to express my desire to have one?  Just look at it.  

    Thakfully, Frank Kozik's ice cream dude Jerome is merely debuting at comic con and will make its way online at some point afterwards from Rotofugi x Squibbles Ink, otherwise I might have had to hire myself a toy mule to procure one.  If you're there, get one at booth # 5248.  If you're not, practice the difficult art of being patient.  Trust me, I need all the practice I can get.  

    Shub Zeroth Misfortune Bags courtesy of Metacrypt and Brian Ewing's booth # 4503 should be on everyone's must-have lists.  Not only do you get a sweet sofubi monster toy, you get a bag to carry it in.  That's a convention blessing.  

    Super7 is straight killing it this year with their Skeletor's Lair pop up shop located in their San Diego retail store.  You can't go wrong with nostalgia presented in a fresh way, like this Chia Pet Moss Man.  Genius!  

    A soft vinyl Skeletor collaboration with Gargamel?  Sign me up, son.  I can't wait to see painted and marbled versions of this, which are gonna blow my mind/bank account wide open.  

     You know its true love when you find an amazing toy at a bargain of a price and that's exactly what Headspace from Luke Chueh and Munky King is.  And the best part is that there will be some available on their website at a later date, so stay the hell away from eBay cause all hope is not lost.  

    JJ Abrams did such a good job with the new Star Trek movies that I'm confident Star Wars is gonna be awesome.  I'm so confident, I would totally by this Black Series Storm Trooper without thinking twice.  

    I'll be more than happy to welcome this 20 inch hologram Darth Vader into my life.  

    Anything from Weta Workshop.  Seriously, have you seen pictures of their booth?  It's an event by itself.  Everything they do make me weep tears of joy.  

Available Now: New Lamorrttt! One-Offs from Naomi Knaff

    Does it ever weird you out that we're still discovering new species of animals?  You would think by now that all the drones and Google whatever technology would have scoured every inch of the Earth and documented everything in brilliant high definition by now.  Even though cameras are always there if a celebrity has her naughty bits exposed, there are creatures that have made a career out of hiding and waiting to be stumbled upon.  And it's not always bacteria either; we're talking full blown mammals just chillin in a tree, eating fruit and not concerned about a damn thing.  The world is strange.

    So it's entirely plausible, nay, probable, that something like the critters that Naomi Knaff comes up with are just hanging out under a rock, waiting to take a selfie with you.  Her work is straight out of a technicolor Lovecraftian nightmare and I love it.  If you want to own some of it for yourself she has just loaded up her online store with some one-offs of her Lamorrttt! figure.  Check em out and all of her other wares over at http://www.naomiknaff.com. 

Metacrypt's Shub Zeroth Misfortune Bags for SDCC

    I could use a good bag.  I've always got papers laying around and I find myself looking for something to put them in.  It used to be my important documents wok, until one of my cats peed in it and made doing my taxes that year really awkward for my accountant lady. Now it just consists of a plastic Wal-Mart bag that once held my Cap'n Crunch, then I toss it down the steps of my basement and forget where I put everything.  You think being so self aware of my problem that I could put a stop to it, maybe even develop a system to put away those papers I didn't really know what to do with, like the deed to the house and my medical bills that I can't seem to throw out or pay either.  But I say nay,  my "pack things in bags and throw them down the basement steps" filing method is still very valid because I still have a lot of basement left.  Maybe the real problem is I don't really have a nice enough bag for my important papers that would elevate them to a more, dare I say, important status.

    Problem solved!!!  The folks at Metacrypt are releasing a killer Misfortune Bag at San Diego Comic Con filled with all kinds of goodness.  And this ain't no brown paper lunch sack either suckas, it's a full on canvas bag featuring that graphic you see above there, which is perfect for all those birthday cards your mee maw and paw paw send you.  But gaze inside and things get even better, as each bag contains a  random big ol Shub Zeroth figure and two companion dudes and other goodness that's a surprise.  The bags are limited and at $150 are probably cheaper than a cab ride to the show.  Or not, I've never even been to California so who am I to riff on the particulars of public transit.

 
     Ok, I know not all of us are the most adventurous of folks and like to pick the exact figures we want.  Some people would say that's the sign of being a control freak, but hey, I'm not here to judge you to your face.  Artist Candie Bolton did five Blacklight Rainbow version of Shub, each being $130, or snag yourself one of the most amazing marbled versions for only $100.  Marbled Japanese vinyl is THE BEST.  Seriously, it's like something only rich people should be able to have, but there it is, available to us all.  It's a gift.  Random Drudes for $20 each will also be available,  ready and willing to worship your entire toy collection.

    Plus...oh yeah, there's a plus....there will be t-shirts and patches and lots of other stuff.  And I'm told there will be Brian Ewing, being that this is all at his booth and stuff, and he's half of the Metacrypt team (the other half being Rocket Society/Hateball, FYI).  It's all happening at booth # 4503.  

Frank Kozik x Rotofugi x Squibbles Ink Exclusive "Jerome" for SDCC

    I'm probably going to get hit for telling this story, but it makes me laugh every time I think of it, so a black eye might be worth it.  Don't say I've never bled for my art.

    We live a short drive from Wildwood, NJ , which is somewhat akin to purgatory by the sea.  See, people with kids a who are really afraid of germs go to Ocean City, while those of us that like to people watch and aren't concerned about catching a criminal record go to Wildwood.  Obviously the wife and I gravitate towards the latter, so every summer we get excited to almost get run over by the tram car and watch silly tourists have their food stolen by seagulls the size of golden retrievers.  Once while walking down the boardwalk my wife grabs me by the arm and has a concerned look plastered across her face.  I thought maybe she lost her wallet, or left her phone in the car, but I never could have expected what she told me:

"My mole fell off."

    After taking a moment to process what I just heard, she showed me a mark on her shoulder that had once housed the now absconded mole.  Evidently the strap of her purse had acted like a makeshift saw, cutting that sucker at the root and separating it from the rest of her body.  I knew I couldn't miss an opportunity this, as how many times will skin imperfections find themselves flying off my wife's epidermis?  I told her that I saw something drop from her shoulder but just thought it was a piece of lint from her tank top and it landed in a woman's ice cream as she passed by us.  

   The look on her face was a mix of horror and hilarity as I tried my best to convince her that some stranger was ingesting and oddly shaped and textured sprinkle even as we spoke.  I even pointed out the lady that was turning into an unwilling canibal courtesy of her frozen treat.  "I wonder if she's going to wake up tomorrow with a craving she can't explain to ingest every blemish she see." Sharon wasn't buying it and I ended up with a bruised arm for nothing but even now it still makes me laugh.  

    I don't think there are any moles hidden in Jerome's swirly little head, but he does like to smoke so you may find a stray ash or two.  Frank Kozik's ice cream bro will be making his debut at San Diego Comic Con courtesy of the folks that produced him, Rotofugi and Squibbles Ink.  But fear not those of you who crave nicotine-addicted dairy products, for there will be an online release to follow shortly after for those of us not at the convention.