Gotta Burn Em All Resin Figure from Italiux

    I've never ridden a horse.  I'm not opposed to doing so, but facing a lack of trains worth robbing or sleepy mining towns to stroll into, the opportunity just hasn't arisen.  Sharon and I want to take the horseback riding tour through the battlefield in Gettysburg, which I'm sure will be both beautiful and a great source of material to post about once the restless spirit of a Civil War soldier spooks my horse and lands me in the hospital.  I don't know if expecting to end up in the emergency room means we have the best dates together or my threshold for bad ideas has gotten so thin that holes have started to form.

    Now after seeing this figure from Italiux, I shall be sure that when choosing a horse for riding that he is not engulfed in flames.  I was completely unaware of the existence of arson ponies until now, so the head's up before I made a terrible mistake is well appreciated.  Now my wife is telling me that this is based on Pokemon, to which I promptly point at her and yelled "NERD" and now I am now forced to scavenge for my own dinner tonight.  Impulse control Chris; work on your impulse control.

     Standing eight inches high (that's pretty tall) and retailing for $79 each, these figures are available right now by checking out http://italiuxshop.bigcartel.com.  

   

Forest Friend Fox Kickstarter Campaign from Natural Pop

     I like this little fox dude because he reminds me of a meme that my wife and I send each other whenever we're up against a challenge for the day.  Whether it be a job interview, or just trying to stay off of the FBI's most wanted list because people will just not stop working your last nerve, this little picture always seems to do the trick:

    Don't you feel beyond inspired now?  This is what they should hang in every therapist office instead of those inspirational quote posters that make you want to gag with their generic sentiment and stock imagery.  Whoever made this I sincerely hope you are rich now.

   Speaking of money, you should direct your attention to Kickstarter and the Forest Friend Fox plush that you can help make reality.  Then whenever you need a bit of inspiration just look at this little dude and know that he has your back.

    As of this writing there are 18 days left to make it happen and plenty of cool rewards left that could be yours.  Check it out at this link.

Two Fully Funded Kickstarter Campaigns For You To Get In On

    Life is full of uncertainty and no one wants to add any without good reason.  There's uncertainty throughout our jobs, and politics, and I'm fairly uncertain on my days off whether or not I'll put pants on before my wife comes home from work.  Unfortunately for any delivery people that may stop by, probably not.  So in this world where nothing is guaranteed, how about a couple of Kickstarter campaigns that have already reached their funding goals and taken the guess work out of wondering whether or not the toys will actually be produced.  

   First up is Lucky Cat, who despite his upbeat name doesn't appear to have the luck of the Irish or anyone else on his side.  He is the brain child of one Vincent Scala, who you may remember from his previously successful campaign for his Mickey Monster figure.  You can check out all the reward tiers that are still available at this link.  

     To go two for two on cat themed toys I present to you Rato Kim's DIY Box Cat.  This 5 inch vinyl art platform from Discordia Merchandising is a huge canvass for your creativity.  You can paint it. bedazzle it, or just leave it as is until a good idea comes to you.  Our cat Jorah sits in the bathtub sometimes and we believe that the shape of the tub itself is conducive to him gathering his thoughts from the universe.  My best ideas are usually born in some portion of the bathroom, so it's not that far fetched.  You can see all the cool still available at this link.  

Vinyl Bunnywith Figure from Alex Pardee x Mighty Jaxx

   Bunnywith is an inspiration to us all.  How many of us have sat around, watching Jerry Springer reruns and eating pork rinds by the pound rather than getting out there and living our dreams?  And yet here is a fictional rabbit, without the benefit of arms, that is making it happen everyday despite such obvious challenges.  In these dark times it is so important to recognize the good in the world and this bun bun is someone we can all look to for guidance.

 Bunnywith has shown up in hundreds of incarnations courtesy of its creator Alex Pardee, and now Mighty Jaxx is turning him into vinyl.  Available for a mere 24 hours starting on Saturday, December 9th at 9:59am eastern time.  The final edition size will be determined by the amount ordered, and stuff.  Buy one for yourself at www.mightyjaxx.rocks.

The 2017 MF Toy Show and Krampus Art Show

     Do you think there's a place somewhere that is populated by goat people like Krampus?  Chewbacca came from an entire planet of Wookies, so it's not out of the question to think some unchartered northern island is loaded with Krampus families.  There's mommas, and daddys, and wee babies whose favorite game is beating little human dolls with sticks.  Krampus himself is like their Beyoncé, as he's their most successful citizen.  But he's better than Beyoncé because his widely popular albums are actually listenable.  Take that.

    If you're a fan of Santa's evil little friend then you should check out the MF Toy Show and Krampus Art Show (that's a mouthful) in Brooklyn this weekend.  Curated by Mike "Nemo" Mendez and Moses Jaen, tons of your favorite toy customizers and artists will be represented with their take on Santa's more sinister half.  All of the info you need to go are listed in the picture above, so check it out and then spend a nice Saturday night in Brooklyn at MF Gallery.

It's Review Time Bay-Bay: She Headless Horse from Boon Velvet x Lulubell Toys

   

     I've quietly admired this toy from afar since I first saw it.  The creation of artist Boon Velvet stands tall amid other sofubi releases not only in a literal sense (at almost nine and a half inches), but in that its inspiration is drawn from well beyond the confines of Tokyo monster films.  So when I was asked if I was interested in reviewing one I was all about it.  The figure was provided courtesy of Lulubell Toys, and after spending a few days with it here are my thoughts.

    To sum up this staggering figure into a neat soundbite, I would present it as a southern gothic tale brought to life in Japanese vinyl.  The story itself is so good I wish each figure came with a page or two retelling it (or even just a link to the story online), as to learn her origins I had to scroll through Instagram postings of the artist until I could piece it together.  Of course just a mere glance at it lets you know this is not your average toy, as it seems to pay homage to nothing that's come before it.  I see so many figures where the reference is obvious but here you instantly know that it hacked and trampled a path traveled by no one else.

    The paint job from Obsessed Panda echoes the ghostly feel of the horse and it's internal passenger. Light sprays of silver and blue accentuate the ethereal quality of the body without overpowering it, while the clear head reveals a female figure that is hidden just enough to force you to get closer to be sure what you're seeing.  Honestly, this is the most time I've spent really examining a figure and taking it apart like I was studying it.  Not just because I knew I was going to review it, but because it almost demands your attention in that way.  I collect vintage Steiff animals and that would be the closest I've come to experiencing so much story contained within an object.  With those you can see visible signs of wear and know that at one time someone loved it more than anything else and a part of that seems to be transferred to the piece.  In regards to this figure I pick up a sense that the artist wants it to haunt you everytime you look at it.  That even though it's story is one of fiction it is so deeply embedded in the plastic that it relays it as being truth.

   The woman herself is cast in marbled vinyl, which accentuates sculpted detail unlike anything else.  There is also a marbled plug that can be used in place of the female that details the point of severance.  Combined with the removable head you have three different ways of displaying it, as detailed on the header card.  My favorite is the third way, in which the gore of the decapitation is left out of the equation.  To me it's the most interesting to look at.

    This toy isn't something that's put on the shelf and forgotten about; it's something experienced.  It will leave you thinking about it long after you've put it down, which is all any great art can ever hope to accomplish.  I think it's one of those figures that is ahead of it's time and that in the future people will seriously regret not picking up when they had the chance.  Lucky for you this Aki No Kumo edition is still available from the fine folks at Lulubell Toys for a lot less than you would probably expect for a sofubi toy this size.  Seriously, it's actually on sale for only $150 and the conversation it sparked between my wife and I about everything from toy production, to art, to the longing for more releases like this, would be worth the price alone. 

Skel-On-Wheels from ZenZen Toys

   I never realized how hard it was to sell a damn car.  I've put ads on Craigslist and Facebook, put a sign in the back window of the car, and asked and even offered up a finder's fee to everyone I know.  And by complaining about it here I'm trying a new way of advertising which is pretty cutting edge and makes me the Don Draper of toy blogs.  Put that on an enamel pin and send me my royalties.

    If I had this sweet ride from ZenZen Toys I wouldn't need to worry about selling it, because I would be driving it to work every day.  And I would want it in these exact proportions, so I tower over it like a beast with that monster sized shifter hanging out of the side. Maybe make the car a little bigger just so I have plenty of leg room and access to the radio.   But that's beside the point, the real reason you're all here is to check out Skeletor's new mode of transportation.  The figure itself is resin and he sits upon a die cast car, the color of which will be a surprise because "life would be boring without em", so says the proctologist as he snaps his rubber glove.

     Get yourself one at http://zenzentoys.bigcartel.com.