Mikie Graham x Dragatomi - "This is your brain" custom Jumping Brain series for SDCC 2012

Last week Mikie Graham aka Zombiemonkie teased the toy world with a very cryptic photoshop image... and now he reveals exactly what he has been working on for Comic Con, a run of custom mini figures he is calling "This Is Your Brain." As you can see, Mikie has crafted a miniature recreation of the 80's anti-drug scare ad "Your brain on drugs" using Emelio Garcia's mini jumping brain figures! Playing with the shape of the mini figure, Mikie used clear resin and a little hand painted detail to make the vinyl figures resemble a sunny-side up egg. Finishing off the scale illusion, Mikie found miniature cast iron frying pans that perfectly fit his mini fried eggs!

Each egg comes compete with customized packaging- a black cardboard box with removable photo print mounted to its lid. Both the figure and the print come hand signed and numbered. Mikie will have 10 of his creations for sale at Dragatomi's booth #4935 starting on Preview night for only $45. While you're there make sure to check out the "Dragatomi Hug" resin figures that Mikie painted for Blamo Toys also available starting preview night for only $25! Can't make Comic Con but love this retro resin creation? Mikie hints that a few might make their way to his website once he finds time to update it in August, until then keep an eye on Mikie's Twitter feed @zombiemonkie.

Source[Zombiemonkie Press]

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Frank Kozik x K.Olin Tribu - "LUDWIG VAN" 2.0

After the first version of Koziks' - now sold out - "Ludwig Van" porcelain bust which we posted up HERE, from K.Olin Tribu was such a hit, they decided to team up with Frank once again to create the second version of "Ludwig Van"! This unique piece, standing 12.5" tall and limited to 15 numbered pieces, is partly enameled in certain areas, playing off the gloss/dull appeal... and features his eye lash in gold sparkles... sweet! The presale of this piece is scheduled for June 27th via the K. Olin Tribu site HERE... expect to spend some serious cash on these though, seeing as they are all hand-made and porcelain!

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Wheelbarrow's [O8STACLES] droids for Dragtomi's SDCC 2012 custom Android series

We just got a really cool email from Ryan the Wheelbarrow as he is sharing with us his submission for the AWESOME Dragatomi blind boxed Android customs series that is set to release at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). Previously posted HERE as WIP's, Ryan went and polished these droids up in his signature style utilizing screen printed acrylic on vinyl stickers on vinyl... and the end result is the beautiful [O8STACLES] droids that you see above! Dragatomi's blind boxed custom Android series will cost $80 per box and only 62 customs will be in the series. They will be available at SDCC Booth #4935, starting preview night!

Along with Ryan, contributors to this series are (links take you to the most recent post on their customs for this series): Ardabus Rubber, Betso, DrilOne, Emily B, Igor Ventura, Jay222, JC Rivera, Jeremiah Ketner, JFury, John "Spanky" Stokes, J★RYU, Leecifer, Mike Die, Mr. Munk, Nebulon 5, PodgyPanda, Ritzy P, Ryan the Wheelbarrow, Scott Tolleson, Sergio Mancini, Shawn Wigs, Skinner, Task One, UnCle, and ValleyDweller..

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The full lineup of 'Vandal Vans' TYO Toys

So check this out... and I had no idea that TYO Toys had released this many awesome "Vandal Vans"... it just goes to show there are a ton of hidden gems out there to be snagged up by all of you collectors... and for those of you who are unfamiliar with these collectible vehicles, they are 1:64 scale Matchbox vans that feature artwork from artist on the sides... a really cool homage to graffiti and street art! TYO teamed up with Duel One NYC, Indie 184, The Camo Project, Chris Robots Will Kill, and MQ... who knows who they have their sights on next!!! Rumor has it, there may be a FREE GOODIE FRIDAY featuring these in the near future on this site... so keep a watch out for that!

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Kuso Vinyl x Doktor A. - SDCC 2012 Exclusive Chester Runcorn "Absinthe" edition

Kuso Vinyl is stoked to be announcing yet another one of their exclusive releases for SDCC 2012 this year, and this go-around, Doktor A. is involved with another rad colorway of his Chester Runcorn figure... and how cool does that "Absinthe" edition look?!?!? Featuring a really great looking green to white gradient along with droopy eyes, this edition is limited to only 100 pieces, and will be available at the Kuso Vinyl booth #4937 for $65 each! The figure itself is a great Doktor A. piece and seeing as though this is a SDCC release, it will most likely be a hot ticket item... so pick one up early in case it does sell out.

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Giant Robot Podcast: Luke Rook x Grody Shogun... the Apprentice Toy Maker!!!

This has been out for sometime now... but has just been brought to my attention, so I figured I would share it with you all as well. The folks over at Giant Robot took some time to sit down and interview Luke Rook... co-owner of Lulubell Toys and the man behind Grody Shogun. This is a really cool conversation, and for those of you who are interested in the manufacturing side of Japanese vinyl and just designer toys in general... listening to this is a must! You can check out the full article from GR HERE, or you can just click the play button in the embedded player above... enjoy!

Source [Giant Robot]

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Scott Wilkowski's "...Of All Ages" series of custom releases at SDCC!

Your favorite designer toys reveal their frighteningly real skeletal structures, thanks to the help of artist Scott Wilkowski. Wilkowski burst onto the scene last year, immediately capturing the public's attention with his hand-crafted vinyl toy skeletal structures that are imbedded within a resin cast of notable platforms (always done with the original designer's approval, of course). And for this year's San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Wilkowski has a new array of figures for you to lust after…

The collection, entitled "…Of All Ages," will premiere as an art show on July 11th at the DKE Toys's SDCC booth #4728. Each design will be limited to 50 copies, split evenly between two colorways):

• Ferg's Misfortune Cat ($125 ea.)
• David Horvath's Flatwoods ($125 ea.)
• Frank Kozik x Kidrobot's 5" Labbit ($150 ea.)
• Ron English's Mousemask Murphy ($250 ea.)
• Brandt Peters' Skelve ($300 ea.)
• Kathie Olivas' Two Faced Hazel ($300 ea.)

A fantastic line-up and most of the above artists will be in attendance at SDCC, with arranged signings at the DKE Booth to coincide with Wilkowski's show.

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LozBoz's absolutely adorable axolotl-inspired custom Labbit!

LozBoz's Haus of Boz has a new inhabitant arriving soon: the über-adorable Puffkins. This 5" custom Labbit features beautifully hand-sculpted features — like those axolotl-esqe rami (external gill stalks) —and the whole piece is delicately detailed in acrylic paints. But why should I drone on when Puffkins comes with a wonderful description:

He’s been eating loads of soap in preparation for the Big Bubble Blowing Bonanza he’s holding in his bowl. He’s been studying all the best techniques to get the roundest shape, and the floatiest pop. Why don’t you join him? He was going to send out invites, but he got them all wet and the postman got mad, so instead he’ll just blow a bubble your way!

The one-and-only Puffkins will be available on Thursday, June 28th at 12 Noon PST in LozBoz's online shop for £79.95 (approx. $125).

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Martin Hsu's "Crakens Botanica" art show at fabric8!

Fabulous painter Martin Hsu, known for his adorably awkward looking creations, recently opened his Crakens-centric art show at the fabric8 Gallery, entitled "Crakens Botanica." Above are all eight of the paintings Hsu displayed for the show, five of which sold out during the opening night. But what are Crakens? was the most commonly asked question Hsu received, to which the answer is "lovable hybrid monsters out to change the world one claw-hug at a time."

"Crakens Botanica" will remain available for viewing until July 16th at the fabric8 Gallery, 3318 22nd Street @ Valencia, San Francisco, CA 94110. Information on these pieces (including how to order them) can be found HERE.

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Joseph Ayala's Custom 7" Skeleton Munny Astounds!

Relative newcomer Joseph Ayala is making a big splash on the custom toy scene with his simply fantastic looking 7-inch-tall Skeleton Munny. Created using an assortment of paint techniques, precision cutting, and immaculate sculpting, this has become the prototype figure in a series of 10 customs Ayala has just begun work on.

If note on the head the stylized zero, that will be replaced with the limitation numbering (1 to 10) for the final release series. Someone had commented to Ayala that this resembles some of the work of DrilOne — which I can vaguely see in regards to the ribcage element and cut out skull — which caused Ayala to go into a panic, contacting DrilOne to make sure he wasn't 'stepping on any toes.' And, of course, DrilOne gave his blessing, mentioning that it was only a passing resemblance.

Not to send Ayala into another panic attack, but this actually makes me think of the cut-out work of Gregory Lee (aka Greg Loves Toast) much more than DrilOne. But fret not, Ayala, for I think your design is still unique enough that you have no reason to worry.

Ayala is not taking preorders on this series, but rather will release them via a Big Cartel Store when all are completed. Interested parties should give him a follow on Twitter to keep updated on this design.

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Hoakser's custom "Sloblife2" Munny is a tattooed TV addict revisited!

UK artist Hoakser has revisited one of his most popular designs: Sloblife. This custom Trikky Munny body with a Simpsons TV set head is just a wee bit less disgustingly dirty than the original version and does come with a horde of new interchangeable TV screen transparencies. But, what's best is that this version has an articulated head, meaning it is fully moveable itself! "Sloblife2" will be available soon in Hoakser's online shop for £65 (approx. $102).

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Squink's brand new "Sienna" custom Dunny in his Gold Ribbon series!

Amazing artist Squink is set to release another custom 3" Dunny in his Gold Ribbon series, this one entitled "Sienna." Continually proving his fantastic skill as a sculptor and painter, Squink has beautifully remade the vinyl toy to have a proper face… and everything, absolutely everything about it screams perfection. Made using polymer clay and acrylic paints, this piece comes packaged in signed and titled ribbon tied gift box which can double as a display stand. "Sienna" will be made available in Squink's online store tomorrow, Wednesday, June 27th at 12 Noon PST for £70 (approx. $102). Based on his previous releases, this will literally be a race to see who can buy it first.

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The Most Wanted Series 3 Blind Box Custom Dunnys Ratios Revealed!

With less than a week before the main release of Most Wanted Series 3 — on Saturday, June 30th, 2012 in their online store — we thought it was a good time to quickly recap the series and reveal the ratios! Yes, we used all our powers of persuasion to convince the normally tight-lipped MWCrew to share those numbers with us… Now I should be clear, the above picture is not official; I cobbled it together for use in this post, but the information on it is all correct.

Left-hand side:
Top Row (L-R): Ryan the Wheelbarrow (3/56), MAp-MAp (1/56), and MAp-MAp (1/56).
Middle Row (L-R): Luihz Unreal (3/56), Gomi (1/14), and NEVERCREW (1/14).
Bottom Row (L-R): Kevin Gosselin (3/56), Igor Ventura (3/56), and Tim Munz (3/56).

Right-hand side:
Top Row (L-R): Grimsheep (1/14), Sergio Mancini (3/56), and Matucha (1/14).
Middle Row (L-R): Frank Mysterio (1/28), RunDMB (3/56), and Chauskoskis (1/14).
Bottom Row (L-R): Dr. Befa (1/14), Eric Pause / Pause Designs (1/14), and Nikejerk (1/14).

First of all: Yes, there are not one but two MAp-MAp designs and they are both mysteries; though I have a feeling they'll be similar, only variations of each other. And those ratios look good, right? Except for the fact that — assuming some of our assumptions about quantity of pieces have been right — there are only going to be 112 blind boxes in this series?!? Damn…

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Designer Toys 101: Why would an artist want to make a Designer Toy?

If you are new to this column, it is truly meant to be read from the beginning to the most recent.
Please start with the first installment, "What are Designer Toys?"

So a reader asked me a valid question: Why would an artist want to make Designer Toys? I don't believe this was intended as a slight towards the industry, but rather a pertinent query regarding the nature of these 'collectibles.' And, quite possibly, what is art? Designer Toys — to me — are the logical progression of the reaction against the classical institution of art… Think about Pop Art, specifically the work of Andy Warhol: to understand his work, you didn't need to have studied art theory for half your life or read some dissertation on his intent, you merely had to know what a Campbell's Soup Can was. Art for the masses, art that every average Joe could comprehend... hit the jump for the full explanation!

No one questions whether Andy Warhol's works are art; they might question the validity of that art, but it's commonly accepted that he was an artist who created art. So why would Designer Toys be regarded any differently? They are a format that keys into a childhood nostalgia that almost everyone shares (having toys) while elevating the design to something far more artistic and inspired.

Above we have a multitude of versions of Ron English's "Mc Supersized" design, which you might be familiar with from English's original painting that was featured in the film Supersize Me. The top row show the figure cast in traditional sculpture mediums (Porcelain, Bronze, and Copper) while the bottom reveals three version of the exact same design in Vinyl. So why would some be considered art and others not?

In fact, for this design the vinyl format almost seems more appropriate, allowing for a bright colorful rendition that — in feel — harkens back to the Happy Meal toys of old. And while it's wonderful that high-end materials can be used to produce the same design, English has crafted a cultural commentary that almost begs to be owned by the common man… who might not be able to afford the Porcelain, Bronze, or Copper versions but can surely splurge on the Vinyl format if he so desired.

As I said, this was a reader requested answer and I hope I did it justice. If there's something specific you'd like me to discuss in this column, please feel free to ask in the below comments section.

Next Week: What is a Dunny?

Designer toys used in the example set are (L-R):
"Mc Supersized - Porcelain" designed by Ron English and manufactured by K.olin Tribu
"Mc Supersized - Bronze" designed and manufactured by Ron English
"Mc Supersized - Copper" designed and manufactured by Ron English<
"Mc Supersized Full - Vintage" designed by Ron English and manufactured by Secret Base
"Mc Supersized - 1st X-Ray Edition" designed by Ron English and manufactured by Secret Base
"Mc Supersized - Devil (X-Ray with Hamburgers) Edition" designed by Ron English and manufactured by Secret Base

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Artmymind's "Higitsune" & Buddy custom Trikky Munnys!

During the heart of Kidrobot's Munnyworld Contest, we posted about Artmymind custom 4-inch Trikky entitled "Higitsune" (which was an entry in Munnyworld and winner for Best Trikky). After receiving numerous requests to sell this winning piece, the artistic duo decided — in all fairness — to announce a release date & time for placing it in their online store. But not satisfied with simply doing that, they've crafted a companion piece for "Higitsune."

While it's name is unknown, this is work-in-progress picture reveals what is certainly going to be another kitsune (Japanese fox) based 4" Trikky Munny custom. The pair of pieces will be released into the Artmymind online store tomorrow, Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 at 8PM PST for $300.

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Anyoldion Toys... wait, who?!?!

Wait... what do we have here, news from Anyoldion Toys... wait who?!?! Okay so Matty of Smash Tokyo Toys put that venture to rest and has started a new company that is here to focus on the toy form... and he is coming out of the chutes swinging with his first, very ambitious design. He tells us that above is the first shot of the huge new toyline he is doing in Japan with Siccaluna and Velocitron. It involves 8 heads, 4 bodies, 2 legs, 4 sets of weapon arms... interchangeable, mixed and blindbagged... making for over 800+ combinations... AWESOME!!! Above is the "SEISMIC KING" head on the OG body with reg legs and reg arms. I can't wait to see more... and more we will see very soon!

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Sea No Evil Limited Edition SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Artist Headphones by Gary Baseman & Hydro74

In preparation for their upcoming Sea No Evil charity art show, the folks behind the amazing origination have just announced and revealed a really cool SOL REPUBLIC limited-edition Tracks headphone collection by artists Gary Baseman and Hydro74.

There are going to be 10 pairs of these headphones exclusively available for silent auction during the event that takes place on Saturday, June 30, 2012 at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. The best part... All proceeds go to benefit the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea No Evil's SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones include three interchangeable artist rendered headbands... a seriously cool collectible that benefits a great charity! I assume the rest of these will be up for grabs at a later date... so if you can't make the event, just hold tight.

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Josh Marlar's "Necronombox" custom Lil'G

We posted HERE a few weeks back in preperation for our Lil'g custom boombox show, which by the way is still up online with tons of great customs to purchase, just like the amazing "Necronombox" designed by Josh Marlar! Creator of the Lil'g, Jasin Dollin, got together with Josh and shot a little video to showcase this custom a little bit more... and above is the result... awesomely gruesome result that is! Josh did an amazing job on this piece, and like mentioned above, it's up for grabs right HERE now... so go and snag it up!

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Kidrobot LA Dunny 2012 release party recap!!!!

Speaking of Dunny's... the latest series from Kidrobot just released and as part of the celebration, they flew out artists from all over who were part of this series to their retail shops around the globe, and for Los Angeles... artists Jeremiah Ketner and Nakanari were on hand to sign and release thier figures for this series. Los Angeles local video/photographer Jordan Ahern was on had at the event and he sent along the above video showcasing the event... and as you can see it was a pretty awesome release with a on of atmosphere. Enjoy the video above... it's seriously cool to watch.

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