The Blank in Porcelain from Huck Gee x K Olin Tribu

    I took a ceramics class in high school and for whatever reason I sucked at it.  It might have had something to do with the fact that I tried to make everything with my hands and not use any actual tools while sculpting.  So my toilet ashtray looked more dookie than Duchamp, though I did have one success on the wheel and was able to churn out a bowl that was probably safer to keep your spare change in that eat cereal from.  One thing I thought was really bogus is if someone had a piece in the kiln with a huge air bubble that sucker would not only explode but send shrapnel through everything else in there as well.  I swear if that hippie kid's "flower vase" had wrecked my bowl there would have been an issue.  He swore the art teacher had no idea what it was actually used for, even though I'm pretty sure his love for the devil's lettuce is how he ended up teaching a bunch of degenerates in the first place.

    I bet the folks from K. Olin Tribu tried a lot harder in art class than I did.  The proof is in every porcelain piece they create, like this Skullhead Blank from Huck Gee.  This thing is smoother than Billie Dee Williams and a great rendition of such a popular figure.  Owning one couldn't be easier, cause all you have to do is click that logo you see on the right there and follow the directions.  Now once you get him I would look for the most secure place in your house that isn't a proving grounds for your cats and their theories on gravity.

The Return of Young Gohst from Ferg x Grody Shogun

    Sharon and I once stayed at a haunted bed and breakfast in Gettysburg and were completely ready for the Civil War ghost experience.  By completely ready I mean I barely slept either night as I was waiting for an ethereal being to scare the living crap out of me.  I seriously couldn't relax knowing that any moment I may feel a rush of cold air and see a deceased soldier standing by the bed.  Even in the shower I was constantly peeking around the curtain looking for any sign of being visited from beyond the grave.  Ultimately we heard a lot of weird noises we couldn't figure out and I swore I heard foot steps walking across the room early one morning but I never saw anything to accompany it.   For relaxation purposes, staying where people see ghosts all the time is not the best idea.  

    I would love it if ghosts didn't look like people at all, but instead were just like this dude from Ferg and Grody Shogun.  Instead of some guy that took a minie ball to the face you'd have these little cuties with their tongues hanging out just stopping by to say what's up.  The three eye thing might be a little freaky, but I often wake up with the business end of a cat near my face so I'm sure I could get used to it.  

     Each one of these figures is cast in luxurious Japanese sofubi and adorned with crazy color changing paint.  Available today, October 14th at noon pacific time, each one is sold blind bagged style and may feature a different shaped tongue than the one you see.  Not many will be available so be quick when they go up at www.lulubelltoys.com.  

Flesh Edition Fossil Pods from James Groman x Toy Art Gallery

    Flesh colored vinyl always reminds me of those Sphinx cats that are like little bald people.  I went in a pet store once and they had one of them that I think was the assistant manager and I had never actually pet one before so I was curious how it would feel.  I go over to her (it was a her because she had her nails painted pink) and she leapt up on my shoulder and started nuzzling my face.  She felt like she had peach fuzz all over, so hairless is pretty misleading and should be changed to "shaved yesterday" when describing them.  Also, she only had one eye, which has no bearing on how fuzzy she was, but I'd like you to have the completest picture of this kitty while you're reading this on the toilet or wherever you may happen to be.  Let's be real though, you're totally on the toilet.

    These Fossil Pods from James Groman and Toy Art Gallery are cute yet ferocious dinosaur/insect mashups and for only $60 you get an instant collection in one shot.  This set of five will be available today, October 13th, at noon pacific time from www.toyartgallery.com.

Mini 'Mees Pocket Daruma from Gary Ham x Flat Bonnie

    Sharon and I recently checked out Craters of The Moon National Park in Idaho and aside from being the closest thing I'll ever get to walking on a different planet, they also have bat caves you can explore.  I was all about that so we got our permit from the visitor center and set off looking for the trails leading to these caves.  We were excited until we actually found one and was informed that it was a two mile walk to get to it.  Now that wouldn't have been a big deal had we not already spent three days in Yellowstone walking miles upon miles on terrain that only seemed to go up hill and rarely down.  Add the altitude in there and my nickname could have easily been Weezy.  So as much as I wanted to see the bats, I also wanted to be able to make it back to the car without the assistance of a rescue chopper.  

    Flat Bonnie and Gary Ham have saved the day with this Pocket Daruma.  Now I can see a bat whenever I want without being the subject matter of some park ranger's hilarious tale.  This little dude is as cute as they come and is ready to hang anywhere you can imagine for maximum enjoyment.  There will only be twenty of these vinyl plushies ever made and you can preorder one for yourself this Friday, October the 13th and noon pacific time.  Each nearly four inch piece will be $31 and will only be available from www.flatbonnie.com.  I'm thinking some little viking bunnies would be pretty dang cute, what do you guys think?

     

Alternate Reality Blister from Nathan Jurevicius x Gums Productions

    I haven't know what to do with my hair for years.  I used to have long hair that hung past my shoulders and that was easy because I would just part it down the middle and be done with it.  Now that it's short it just kind of lays their like a squirrel skin rug and I don't know if I'm allowing it to live up to it's full potential.  Once it starts getting longer it feathers like a 1980's NHL referee and that is not good, so I just get it cut shorter again.  I feel stuck in a vicious cycle.

    These dudes are confident in their coifs and have even accentuated their manes with jaunty little hats.  Nathan Jurevicius toys are always the epitome of effortless style and the Alternate Reality Blisters from Gums Productions are no exception.  Made of beautifully painted soft vinyl, there are two different color schemes for these members of class cephalopoda and both are available for preorder right now at https://shop.gumsproductions.com.  

Black Drove Leftovers from NYCC Online Now

    The Black Drove booth that was part of the Tenacious Toys Collective at New York Comic Con was like a great mixtape made for you by your high school sweetheart.  By far the most diverse offerings to be found at The Block, those of you that missed it now have your chance to get your mitts on what remains of their exclusives by checking out http://blackdrove.bigcartel.com.  

New York Comic Con 2017 Wrap Up

    New York Comic Con 2017 was a weird one for me.  Just three days prior Sharon and I had returned from a week in Yellowstone and vicinity so we were still pretty worn out by the time we boarded the train to New York.  Day one was spent partly in frustration in a sea of people, while day two certainly made up for it.  Here are my thoughts on this annual pilgrimage of nerd-dom and sweaty folks:

- The Javitts Center was on lock down all weekend, with metal detectors at every entrance and the SWAT team roaming around with heavy weaponry.   The level of security was due to the craziness in Las Vegas and I was glad to see that they took everyone's safety so seriously, so kudos to the organizers.

-  The best cosplay I've ever seen involved a mother and father with two very tiny twins in a double stroller.  They had all dressed like characters from The Shining and it was awesome.

-  The Block, which is the area that features designer toys and is what I'm personally most interested in, was pushed from their normal spacious area to a small corner in the back by the loading docks.  This made visiting with people I wanted to a near impossibility as the tide of the crowd funneled through such small aisles would move you whichever way they were going.  I'm not terribly claustrophobic, but I was starting to feel it.


-  We randomly ran into former WWE wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts by an escalator on day one. He was extremely nice and we talked for a bit about what he was up to and how he was doing after his documentary.  In case you haven't seen it a camera crew followed him around as Diamond Dallas Page tried to help him get his life back together while battling serious addiction.  He even asked us if we'd like to take a picture with him, which we were happy to do.  On day two when we saw him again it was clear that the happy ending of his film wasn't as black and white as he had made it seem.  He hit on my wife in a manner that would have been offensive had it not been so utterly hilarious and pathetic.  It reminded me of some internet troll hiding in the safety of his mother's basement and anonymously behind a computer screen as he harassed young girls without the benefit of a filter on his thoughts.  Actually, I would have been offended had I not felt sorry for the guy knowing the reality that he would have to live with long after the convention floor had closed and the adulation of his fans had once again disappeared.

-  We randomly bumped into Michael Ian Black in one of the aisles on day two.  He did not sexually harass my wife.

-  I spent the least amount of money I ever had at the convention as the releases were much fewer this year.  I don't know whether Five Points affected this or the event that was simultaneously going on in Taiwan, or whether so much focus has just been shifted to Designer Con.  Either way it felt different than the past incarnations of comic con, as if this convention has become more of an afterthought for the world of designer toys.

- We saw some really inspiring stuff in the artist's alley this year.  Lots of original work that was more fine art rather than just another version of Harley Quinn.

-  There were some cool prototypes for toys that I'd be happy to own.  Here's some photos so you can start planning your finances:

The Tenacious Toys mascot is going from resin to vinyl in the near future.  Looked to be around five inches tall, so it's gonna be a pretty hefty chunk of plastic.

Super7 is releasing these amazing Misfits Reaction figures soon.  Available in red or black, I'm gonna need both of these pretty badly.  And I heard that there's gonna be a King Diamond figure too!!!!

Tara McPherson's Skullflower prototype was on display from Toy Qube.  Loved the smaller version and being that I have almost every other toy she's released this one is a must.  

-  Sharon was most excited to meet Swatch, the shop dog from Mood fabric stores.  That's where all of the contestants shop for their materials on Project Runway and that little pup is always there being buds with Tim Gunn.  We now have pictures with two famous animals as they were sleeping, with Grumpy Cat being the other.  Hobbies keep you out of jail.

-  The thing that keeps me coming back every year despite any negative things I may have pointed out are the intangibles that go beyond buying an item or meeting a celebrity.  One of my favorite things is to grab lunch and sit on the floor in one of the big halls and just people watch. We'll sit for an hour or so and look at the costumes and listen to the camaraderie that forms between two people from merely being a fan of the same franchise.  When you buy a ticket in you're buying an experience and as long as I remember that I always enjoy myself.

-  I saw a guy on the train make his girlfriend stand so he could use the seat next to him to eat his dinner.  He would literally sit him hamburger on the unprotected cushion rather than the wrapper that it came in.  I'm sure he was either murdered by his girlfriend later that not after she processed this indignity or the special strain of New Jersey Transit bacteria ravaged his guts and brought him to an unceremonious end.  Either way, he is no longer with us.

    Well, that about does it.  There was sweat, thankfully no blood, and certainly no tears.  Except for that dude on the train, who probably cried a lot when he made it to the nearest bathroom.

Check out www.facebook.com/thetoyviking for all of the pictures.