Death Berry Blast Ultrus Bog from Skinner x Lulubell Toys

    Oh my goodness I looooooooove marbled vinyl, and this beautiful Ultrus Bog has got me drooling.  Not nearly as bad as when I had my dental work the other day, cause that was embarrassing.  I got a filling done and then was scheduled for a cleaning immediately afterward so I can look good for my dozens of fans.  I can't feel the entire left side of my face and I get handed a cup of mouthwash to use before we start.  One swish and it's cascading down my shirt in a waterfall of minty freshness.  The hygienist looks over and says "uh oh, still a little numb from the anaesthetic?"  April is out here solving mysteries, people!  Bring your cold cases Monday through Friday and all your questions will be answered.  She needs to be quicker with the paper towels and less so with the detective skills.

    Death Berry Blast sounds like a hardcore Slurpee flavor,  it is instead sofubi bliss courtesy of Skinner and Lulubell Toys.  This is the first time this figure has ever had the marbled treatment and it is long overdue.  Look at the way those swirled colors fill every detail in the sculpt.  Go ahead, look at it.  "Majestic" may not be the word you were looking for, but it really should have been.

    You can score yourself one of these beauties when they go on sale today, Friday May 18th, at noon pacific time exclusively from www.lulubelltoys.com.  They will be $95 each plus shipping to wherever you happen to live.

Skull Gold B from Noon x K Olin Tribu

   I just got back from getting a filling at the dentist and I'm not even upset about it.  That's because my dentist has this head scanner that takes a 3D image of your skull.  I was beyond excited to see what my brain case looked like but no one offered to show me.  We're getting down to the end of things and I bring up the fact that I really really want to see my skull before I leave.  The hygentist's eyes lit up and told me that no one has ever asked to see it before.  I found that hard to believe but wasn't about to argue.  She pulls it up on the computer and there, in as much detail as if you had peeled my face off and taken a look inside, are all the nooks and crannies of my head.  I really want to find a way to have it 3D printed, so if anyone has any ideas please let me know.  I think it would make a great candy dish.

   You can't go wrong with having a few skulls laying around the house, especially when they won't implicate you in any criminal proceedings.  Now make that sucka porcelain with a distressed gold finish and you've got yourself a work of art ready for MTV's Cribs.  Noon and K. Olin Tribu have released a number of skulls in the past but this one is by far my favorite.  I love that "freshly discovered" look of items that were long buried and are just seeing the light of day for the first time in many years.

     If you're as in love with this as I am you better get moving because only 50 of them exist in the entire world.  You can secure one now by visiting www.artandtoys.com.

Garuma from Gorgoloid x Unusual Creation Club

   While the traditional Japanese Daruma doll is considered to be good luck, this particular version might bring folly rather than fortune.  It's hard to tell with the creations of Gorgoloid, because they don't always look like they have our best intentions in mind.  These little guys produced by Unusual Creation Club are pretty cool though, so I'd take the risk and just order a pair anyway.  Plus, how great is the name Unusual Creation Club?  I don't know if they offer memberships or have a secret handshake, but I'm ready to join.

   If you want to add one or both of these guys to your collection, here's what you have to do:

Email to UnusualCreationClub@gmail.com 

with your info as followings: 

1. Email Title: Garuma Classic Color version

2. Your Full Name

3. Your Shipping Address / Phone Number

4. Your Paypal Address

5. Your Order (red/green/a pair)

    

Bai Lan the Unyielding from Otto Bjornik x Stranger Factory

    When I was younger vampires would have never been a concern of mine because we kept the same hours.  No blood sucking pasty dude was a threat because I'd be wide awake and able to defend myself against any attack.  Now I'm vulnerable due to the fact that the only way I'm conscious at midnight is because I woke up and had to pee. My safety from those pointy fangs hinges on the hope that they can't enter my house unless they are invited in.  I am relying heavily on this tidbit of folklore and my highly trained battle kitten army who freak out any time someone new comes in the house and could raise the dead with the commotion they make.  So far the ability to retreat is their favorite of all the military tactics I've taught them.

    This little lady from Otto Bjornik may be tiny, but she is our best defense against the hordes of undead, or more specifically her childhood sweetheart, the previously released tiny vampire, Bai Chu.  You can take your chances with garlic and holy  water, or you can pick up this resin figure when she goes on sale this Friday, May 18th, exclusively from Stranger Factory.  Limited to only 30 pieces, each 5 inch toy comes signed and numbered from the artist and can be obtained by visiting www.strangerfactory.com.    

Superplastic's Kickstarter Campaign is Now Live

     I hope that Paul Budnitz of Superplastic will be at Five Points in June, because I need to learn the guy's secret.  Not only did he strike gold in the art toy world as the founder of Kidrobot, but he has returned to the exact same spot and found a giant oil reserve.  The Superplastic Kickstarter went up today in an effort to fund their new Janky blind box series and assorted other figures and it has already blown away its goal.  There's still 30 days left to go and it's already a guarantee that these figures will be produced and will be in the hands of collectors around the world.  It certainly takes a bit of the stress out of the whole process for people that backed it.  Now after you've selected the tier that your comfortable pledging all you have to do is sit back and wait for your figures to arrive in the mail.  Or if you're forgetful like I am you will be pleasantly surprised as you return home from a hard day's work and find a random box on your porch filled with things you forgot you ordered.  To me it ups the excitement level, or at least I tell my wife that in an attempt to stop her from making fun of me.

    There's still an entire month for you to get in on these limited edition figures, featuring art from Huck Gee, Junko Mizuno, Dalek, and many more.  Just visit this link here, select a price range that feels like it matches your baller status, and be a part of the birth of an entirely new toy company.

Stranger Than Fiction Kaiju Show at Mothership Gallery

    I thought I'd see the return of the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia before anyone ever put on a custom kaiju show, but alas Mothership Gallery made it happen with their event, Stranger Than Fiction.  As per usual I was working the night of the opening, but I went the day after and took a literal butt ton of pictures for you to peruse at your leisure.  Head over to www.facebook.com/TheToyViking to see them all and pick up what's still available for purchase at www.martiantoys.com.

I Pity the Dolls: The World's Largest Mr. T Collection book from Greg Mishka

     I love looking at people's collections especially when they've made a point to collect every possible item in their range of interest.  Recently I went to Cooter's Garage in Luray, VA, which sounds like a place that could easily be surrounded with crime scene tape most of the year.  It's owned by the guy that played Cooter on the Dukes of Hazzard and beyond just being a replica of the set it boasts a huge memorabilia collection from the show.  That's the kind of insanity I'm into when it comes to collecting and that's exactly what Greg Mishka has done with his hero, Mr. T.  While his hoard doesn't occupy a large building in the Shenandoah Valley, or offer $5 photos inside the General Lee (which I happily paid, even though they wouldn't let me slide across the hood) it will grace the pages of the book he's trying to put together.  The collection, not the picture.  I'm stingy with licensing my image.  

Kinda bummed that the doors weren't welded shut.  Also kinda thankful that my dad body didn't have to try and fit through the window.

      I say "trying"because right now he's got a Kickstarter campaign which aims to fund publication.  It will feature what has been confirmed the largest Mr. T collection in the world, including over 200 handmade Mrs. Martha's Orginal plush dolls.  Seeing them all together kinda freaks me out a little, and I hope Greg has a well tested padlock on the door to that room.  I'm not saying they might come to life all zombie like and snack on your intestines, but I'm not saying they won't either.  

    There's tons of rewards to be had, including exclusive Mishka gear only available as part of this campaign and even vintage collectables from his secret stash.  If you've been looking for ways to feel like Oprah you too can now be a part of a literary success story by visiting the Kickstarter campaign to pay for this, sucka.  Check out the link here.