Dave Pressler & Luke Chueh at SDCC 2010

It's so crazy just walking around the isles during comic con, you never know who your going to bump into or see along the way, this was the case when I stopped by the Munky King booth and both Dave Pressler and Luke Chueh were working very diligently on sketches for fans. This was one of the many times I bumped into these guys, and had some great talks with Dave, unfortunately the crowd swallowed up Luke before I could say hello! Big thanks to Jeremy Brautman for the picture, as my camera busted on Saturday :-(

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Jermaine Rogers at SDCC 2010

Jermaine Rogers came out to SDCC 2010 in full force this year just like he always does, displaying and showcasing some awesome new works of art along with his very coveted designer vinyl figures! Jermaine actually had his Dero, Veil, B.U.D.'s, Circus Punks and Squire figures for sale along with copious amounts of artwork, and just like the majority of the artists, if asked Jermaine was more than happy to sign and sketch. Rumor has it that Jermaine is looking to get some more designer figures produced, so after somewhat of a toy hiatus we can look forward to something fresh and new in the vinyl scene!

Photos courtesy of Jeremy Brautman.

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DrilOne & Leecifer signing at SDCC 2010

Artist DrilOne and Leecifer were both in attendance and they absolutely wowed their fans and onlookers with their signing at Dragatomi's booth on Saturday during SDCC! Most people were more familiar with the traditional signing, where artists used pencils and pens, but Dril And Lee had their own stencils, paint cans, and heat guns on hand to really go all out for the people who came to the signing! It's always such a blast to hang out with these two, and this signing really brought great attention to the booth, and to all the amazing customs it contained. Thanks to Jeremy Brautman for snapping these photos for our use!

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SDCC map of the "Toy Cultyard" and signing event schedule survival guide!

(Click to make LARGE and then print out)

So have been wondering where booths are at SDCC 2010 and who is occupying them, well your not alone, as I am right there with ya, but Jeremy Brautman of Neon Monster took matters into his own hands and created a map of the "Toy Cultyard" where everything is smack dab right in front of your two eyes making it super easy to find... and if that's not enough you have got to HIT THE JUMP for a full schedule and list of events put together by Brad Smith aka Halfapparation, rock on! So you have your map, and you have your list... now it's time to GOGOGO, and see you there!

PREVIEW NIGHT WEDNESDAY JULY 21

@ Kidrobot booth 4529.
6” Lard Lad (Simpsons) Pre-release 150 available, $45
3” DJ Lance Dunny of Yo Gabba Gabba Pre-release $11, (signing on Sunday).
3” Super Special Dunny Pre-Release.

@ Hifructose booth 4939 – rare HF back issues available.

@ Grass Hut booth 4739 – Bwana Spoons has Mooneater and friends customs.

THURSDAY JULY 22

Anytime before NOON – Find John”Spanky”Stokes who was tasked with the honor by Matty of Smash Tokyo Toys to hand out his resin Seismic Centurian magnets. Say to Spanky the magic word abracadabra and you will get one of the lucky 18. Also give him a huge hug too.

10am – 11am David Horvath will be signing and having his Uglycorn Plush available @ toytokyo booth 5437.

11am – Bwana Spoons’ Blind box madness- this will be a mostly pocket killers, mostly painted, a few customs, blanks, globby, tiny paintings, prints, candy, sprinkes, magic dust. Price TBA- More expensive than a standard release cheaper than a custom. These will include the cream and yellow base killers, and a few other suprises.@ Grass Hut booth 4739.

11am-12pm – Ron English signing Kidrobot Exclusive Figment Bust 20 pieces, $200 @ Kidrobot booth 4529.

11am – The Sucklord will be signing and releasing his Gay Empire piece limited to 50 and $60 @ DKE booth 4732.

11am-2pm – Max Toy Company x Dead Presidents present artists Mark Nagata & Matt Walker. customs, inluding several Giant EYEZON Fiberglass figures and more! Matt will also be doing a very cool toy pin striping demonstration at the booth. @ Strangeco booth 4629.

11am – Steve Talkowski a.k.a Sketchbot signing @ Dragatomi booth 3848.

12pm -2pm – David Choe will be signing his blind-box mini series featuring his signature whale Munko character. The set contains twelve designs in all (display case = full set) with 3 different sculpts – one with legs, one without, and a girl Munko with a bow. @ Giant Robot’s booth 1729.

1-2pm – Ron English will be signing and releasing his Mindstyle Propaganda series. We all thought this series was a myth. No Sketching! @ ToyTokyo booth 5437

1-3 PM – Shawnimals signing Ninjatown vinyl minis $9 and KR exclusive Yeti Ninja Plush 50 pieces, $45. @ Kidrobot booth 4529.

2pm-? Brandt Peters, Kathie Olivas, Chris Ryniak, and Travis Louie will be at the Super 7 booth signing and releasing some amazing CircusPosterus awesomeness! Available will be Brandt Peter’s White Shadow Skelve $150, Kathie Olivas’ Masao Skelve $200, Indigo Fade Jack & Lucky (collab piece by Brandt and Kathie) $95 Chris Ryniak’s Abyss & Dune Freyja $100, and TBA piece by Travis Louie. @ Super 7 booth 4729.

2pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

2 – 3:30pm – Luke Chueh signing and release of Black in White @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

2-4pm – Greg Croala Simkins signing Exclusive Dinola Wood Print limited to 50 pcs. @ Hifructose booth 4939.

3pm- Ritzy Periwinkle signing @ Dragatomi booth 3848.

3pm – Buffmonster will be in the buff (not really) to sign and release his SDCC exclusive Plush limited to 200 $20 @ DKE booth 4732.

4pm – Brian McCarty Signing his new Book Art-Toys @ Hifructose booth 4939.

4pm – Attaboy will be releasing his New Brine Queen Watch with giclee print by Vannen limited to 40 pieces. One of the nicest dudes around too! @ Hifructose booth 4939.

5pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

4pm – 5:30pm Omi Artists signing and Omi SDCC release? (Luke Chueh, Kozik, Yoskay, Ferg and more) @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

9pm-2am – Omi Unmasked party (sponsored by Munky King, Silent Stage, Vannen, BubblePunch and Vinyl Pulse. Guests can view live paintings by Yoskay Yamamoto, Joe Ledbetter, Angry Woebots, and David Flores throughout the night, and cut a rug with DJs Colby and R- Rated. @ Bar Basic 410 Tenth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101.

FRIDAY JULY 23

10am – Noon – Max Toy Company wil be rockin the goods @ Rotofugi booth 4836.

11am – Bwana Spoons will release jelly factory and Graves and Spoons sloth n moth. Two new jelly factory sculpts- baby mountaintop, and Bumps in the night walking killer. @ Grass Hut booth 4739.

11am – Le Merde, David Horvath, and Paul Kaiju will be signing and customizing there Power Mister, Le Turd, and Party Ball figures the 3 pack of figures featuring your favorite Monster Family figures. @ Super 7 booth 4729.

11am – Jeff Soto will be signing Seeker Exclusive & HF vol.16 @ Hifructose booth 4939.

11-12pm – Ron English will be signing and releasing his Mindstyle Propaganda series. We all thought this series was a myth. No Sketching! @ ToyTokyo booth 5437.

11:30 -1pm – Yoskay Yamamoto signing @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

11:30 – Mr. Spray silver edition of 100 by Shepard Fairey. Strangeco will be passing out 58 numbered and sequential tickets beginning at 9:45 am on Friday morning. Only 48 of Mr. Spray is on hand at SDCC. @ STRANGEco booth 4629.

12pm – Travis Louie with surprise (hopefully) @ Hifructose booth 4939.

12pm – Shawnimals Trees of Doom! Battle Pack SDCC Exclusive. Edition of 100 sets at $35 a pack @ DKE booth 4732.

12pm -2pm – David Choe will be signing his blind-box mini series featuring his signature whale Munko character. The set contains twelve designs in all (display case = full set) with 3 different sculpts – one with legs, one without, and a girl Munko with a bow. @ Giant Robot’s booth 1729.

1-3pm – Paul Budnitz Signing I Am Plastic Too book pre-release 50 avail, $50. Come by and say hello to Paul and get an amazing book @ Kidrobot booth 4529.

1pm – Ron English signing HF Vol.16 @ Hifructose booth 4939.

1pm – Angry Woebots signing @ Silent Stage booth 4929.

1pm – Shane Geil (Hello Maggot) will have Bunny Pajamas plus on hand signing and so on @Dragatomi booth 3848.

2pm – PodgyPanda customs, signings, and more @ Dragatomi booth 3848.

2pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

2 – 3:30pm – Luke Chueh signing and release of Black in White @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

2-4pm – Voltaire will be releasing and signing his Stitch. Get him to tell you funny stories too. @ ToyTokyo booth 5437.

3pm – Jeff Soto will have his Seeker Exclusive & HF vol.16 @ Hifructose booth 4939.

3pm – Jesse Hernandez signing and will have on hand Ozomahtli Original Edition @Dragatomi booth 3848.

3pm – Jamungo X Scott Wilkowski BUDcat SDCC Exclusive. Hand poured resin. Available in 2colors editions of 50. $45 @ DKE booth 4732.

4pm - Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

2 – 3:30pm – Luke Chueh signing and release of Black in White @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

4pm – Jeremy Whiteaker, Arbito, and Josh Herbolsheimer will be signing and customizing their Fire Robo, Patty Power, and Rose Vampire figures 3 pack of figures featuring your favorite Monster Family figures. @ Super 7 booth 4729.

5pm – Bob Dobb with Custom Tattoo Louies exclusive (10 Tattoo Louies) @ Hifructose booth 4939.

5pm – Brandi Milne with 5 new Drawings/Plus a Milne/Dobb collab Louie figure custom and drawing. @ Hifructose booth 4939.

5:55pm-7:40pm – The Vinyl Frontier viewing of the film and possibly a panel to follow.
@ Marriott Hall 1 & 2, Marriott Hotel and Marina.

SATURDAY JULY 24

11am – Steve Talkowski a.k.a Sketchbot signing and sketchbots on hand!@ Dragatomi booth 3848.

11am – Jeff Soto will have his Seeker Exclusive & HF vol.16 @ Hifructose booth 4939.

11am – Bwana Spoons, Itokin Park, Brandt Peters, and Kathie Olivas will be signing for their Steven The Bat, Garuru, and Big Sal figures. Each of these three packs will run you $65 each and only available at signing, I hear. @ Super 7 booth 4729.

11am – 12:00pm – David Horvath, artist and co-creator of Uglydoll indie plush toys, will be signing hand-painted custom figures. @ Giant Robot booth 1729.

11:00 -12:30pm – Yoskay Yamamoto signing @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

11-12pm – Ron English will be signing and releasing his Mindstyle Propaganda series. We all thought this series was a myth. No Sketching! @ ToyTokyo booth 5437.

1pm – Ron English’s Tellegrinnies release. These are limited to only 24 sets of 2 at SDCC for $175 @ Dragatomi booth 3848.

1pm – Buffmonster will be in the buff (not really) to sign and release his SDCC Exclusive Plush limited to 200 $20 @ DKE booth 4732.

1-2:30pm – Voltaire will be releasing and signing his Stitch. Get him to tell you funny stories too. @ toytokyo booth 5437.

1-3pm – Huck Gee Signing mystery SDCC Exclusive release that you can make an educated guess on. @ Kidrobot booth 4529.

1-3 pm – Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas signing of mini Black Skelve Exclusive release 50 pieces @ Hifructose booth 4939.

2pm – Drilone and Leecifer signing and reveal of their custom colllaboration and more @Dragatomi booth 3848.

2pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

2 – 3:30pm – Luke Chueh signing and release of Decapitated Bunny head in black @MunkyKing booth 4539.

3pm – Jamungo X Scott Wilkowski BUDcat SDCC Exclusive. Hand poured resin. Available in 2 colors editions of 50. $45 @ DKE booth 4732.

3 – 4:00pm – Nathan Hamill will be signing his brand new tyrannoCECILrex pieces @ StrangeKiss booth 4637.

4pm – Jeremiah Ketner (small and Round) reveals his custom-toy line-up @ Dragatomi booth 3848.

4pm – Jeff Soto will have his Seeker Exclusive & HF vol.16 @ Hifructose booth 4939.

4pm – Brian Flynn will be signing his SD Resin Doku Duo $65 and Katope will be signing his Light Unpainted Green Drunk Seijin $22. @ Super 7 booth 4729.

4:00pm – 5:30pm Omi artists signing and Omi SDCC release? (Luke Chueh, Kozik, Yoskay, Ferg and more) @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

4:30-?pm – Tokidoki will be signing and releasing his Fighter Bearbrick. @ ToyTokyo booth 5437.

5pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

SUNDAY JULY 25

11am – Sucklord will be signing his Gay Empire piece limited to 50 and $60. He might have sold all these by then. @ DKE booth 4732.

11am – 12:30pm – Vannen Watches release (Travis Lampe, Brian Ewing, Chris Ryniak, Alex Pardee) @ MunkyKing booth 4539.

12Noon- Attaboy will be on hand to sign and sketch and if still available the release of new Brine Queen Watch with giclee print by Vannen (limited to 40 pieces). If you have never met Atta, then you have yet to meet one of the nicest dudes ever. @ Hifructose booth 4939.

12Noon – Brian MccArty Signing his new Book Art-Toys @ Hifructose booth 4939.

12-2pm – Yo Gabba Gabba’s DJ Lance Rock will be on hand to sign his pre-release of his 3-inch DJ Lance Dunny $11 @ Kidrobot booth 4529.

1pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

1pm – 2pm - KOZYNDAN signing and release of the GID Uprisings edition of 100
@ MunkyKing booth 4539.

1-2:30pm – Voltaire will be signing his Stitch. Get him to tell you funny stories too. @ToyTokyo booth 5437.

4pm – Tara McPherson signing anything she feels like it @ Tara McPherson booth 4922.

ALL DAYS OR INFO AS OF YET NOT AVAILABLE

@ Action figure Express booth 4045

Outer Space Men by the Four Horsemen. OSM Alpha Phase Wave 1 will consist of translucent purple Astro-Nautilus – the Man from Neptune figure (with a clear yellow trident), and glow-in-the-dark Metamorpho – the Man from Alpha Centauri (with glow-in-the-dark accessories) and will sell as a two figure set for $20.00 OSM Alpha Phase Wave 2 contains a translucent red Inferno, the Flame Man of Mercury (with translucent red accessories), and a translucent orange Xodiac, the Man from Saturn (with clear yellow helmet and accessories), and will also sell as a set for $20.00.

@ Brothers Washburn booth 5569.

On hand the eighth volume of Color Ink Book, with 5 SDCC exclusive covers all of which are very limited and have covers done by: Alex Pardee (75 issues), Andrew Bell (50 issues), Femke Hiemstra, (50 issues) Travis Lampe (50 issues) and Workhorse (50 issues).

Also keep the eyeballs open for artist and designer LilJapan as he will be carrying around a briefcase that will contain a new item for sale everyday! His first item will be a limited edition of
50 screen printed prints titled Battle Cry. So keep looking and bugging him.

@ Cardboard Spaceship booth 4534.

Alisa Ross – SDCC Exclusive Plush found on Alisa Ross’ facebook were a few of the plush pieces she plans on bringing with her to SDCC 2010.

Brent Nolasco – will also offer new resin customs.

WeKillYou - with newest creation, Hickory Bitternut Sprout. The Summer Edition will debut at the Cardboard Spaceship. Limited to only 10 pieces.

Scribe - the Resound Field Guide blindboxed mini series will debut for the masses along with many customs (like the Wyger) and more.

Rsin – Rumpus one of the custom pieces created to commemorate release of Scribe’s new
mini series, the Resound Field Guide.

Betso – Betso Bunnys which will be available in an edition 10 pieces.

@ DKE booth 4732.

Erick Scarecrow’s Blazing Mama Sama limited only 30 pieces and will retail for $150.00!
This stands 6.5″ tall comes with removable Mama’s Friend spear accessory, and is signed,
numbered and packaged in the Scarecrow box by artist.

Neccessaries Toys SDCC Exclusive Film Noir Fafi Black. This new edition of the previous released figure is limited to a whopping 50 pieces and will be sale for $100 each.

Buff Monster takes his creation to plush.. Available in a light blue with heart dimples, this piece
is limited to 200 pieces and will run you $20 each.

Jamungo, will have BUDcat which is made from hand poured resin. The BUDcat was designed
by Scott Wilkowski and will be available in 2 colors and limited to 50 pieces each and for $45
each.

Noferin has exclusive J.I.B. couples set. Limited to just 25 sets, the Jibibuts in Black sets
feature hand-painted, signed and dated male and female figures as well as a signed and dated
limited-edition print. $50 will get you both figures + print.

Crazy Label and Bubi Au Yeung have Baby Treesons Exclusive to this years SDCC. In order to get the whole set, you would have to attend the Con each day. There will be one colorway available each day, with each colorway being limited to only 100 pieces. They will retail for $16 each.

Mr. Clement’s SDCC Exclusive Petit Astrolapin. This Petit Astrolapin is limited to only 40
pieces and will run you $40 a piece.

Amanda Spayd will have her exclusive Foxglove piece. Limited to only 25 pieces, the Foxglove measures to 9.5” tall with the ears down. Each plush is hand-sewn with hand- aged fabric and stuffed with hardwood sawdust and cotton. All the faces are cast in resin and handpanted. They will also come with a 4”x 5” hand finished portrait.

Shawnimals has Trees of Doom! Battle Pack featuring pocket-sized plushes of the Flying
Devil and the Anti-Ninja and limited to 100 sets and will be available for $35.

Suckadelic will be bringing along his Gay Empire figure, which are limited to only 50 pieces.
They will be available for only $60. Take that Rebels!

@ Dragatomi booth 3848.

Jouwe figure. This piece is limited to 150 pieces. It Glows in the Dark!

Argonaut Resins will be making 6 new pieces of their Orange Edition Tuttz cats.

Dril One will have all of the following customs:
20” Dunny Custom – U.S. GD21 WarHammer Customized 20” Kidrobot Dunny w/ operational Gatling gun.
8” Dunny Custom – U.S. MMD32 Death Hare Customized 8” Kidrobot Dunny.
8” Dunny Custom – U.S. MMD33 Jackrabbit Customized 8” Kidrobot Dunny.
8” Dunny Custom – Soviet T-34 Iron Ushanka Customized 8” Kidrobot Dunny.
8” Dunny Custom – German Panzer VII Hase Customized 8” Kidrobot Dunny.
Sharky – U.S. UW90V Bullshark with metal box Customized Toyqube Shark
Sharky – U.S. UW70V Deathshark Customized Toyqube Sharky.
Big Sal – TSP002 Shull Reaper Customized Kathie Olivas & Brandt Peters Big Sal.
Rose Vampire – RV04M Customized Joshua H. Rose Vampire with box & Dogtags.
Rose Vampire – Vintage Rose Vampire Customized Joshua H. Rose Vampire with a coffin.
I.W.G. – Luke Bearwalker Stormtrooper Customized Rocketworld I.W.G. bear. Luke Skywalker version.
I.W.G. – Han Bearolo Stormtrooper Customized Rocketworld I.W.G. bear. Han Solo version.
Fatima – U.S. FIM06 – Iron Maiden Customized Sam Flores Fatima w/ box & Dogtags.
Usagi-Gon – Oxidizer Customized Frank Kozik Usagi-gon
Android – U.S. APS-10 Customized Andrew Bell Android figure.
Mad*L – Disguised Customized MadL by DrilOne & Jeremiah Ketner.

Brent Nolasco’s ‘A Fond Farewell is just that … his last fusion sculpt featuring custom
toys. From this point on his 3D art work will be an extension of his original 2D art work
featuring both his resins and original sculptures.

SpankyStokes will be releasing 10 of his hand-made rotocast resin bootleg Borracho De Los Muertos "Azul" San Diego Comic Con Exclusive figures!

Kel Wilson of Keliens fame is at Dragatomi too!!! He has been working his butt off and will
have four custom Gnar Rep-Kelien figures, approximately 4-inches tall. each is hand cast, painted and customized. Packaged in special wooden boxes $55 each. Seven styles of DIY Keliens Prices $9-$14. Black Market Pets will have eight, 4-inch hand-cast and hand-painted smiling pets available. Sculpts based on the doodles of Doodle Zook/ Shawn White. $35 each DIY versions will also be available for 15$ each

Ron English’s Telegrinnies which were by made by Monsters! This is the sequal to the previously released Charlie Grin. These are going to be releasing as a 2 part set. These are limited to only 24 sets at SDCC, and they will retail for $175

Lysol has two new colorways of his resin Gread figure, clear with blue eyes, and a Zombie
Gread. $25 each, and only 5 of each colorway.

Motorbot has on hand his hand-cast and hand-painted LOUTS and TREATURES of
kalidescopic-colors.

@ Frank Kozik booth 4736.

The Orange Dead Ché Bust is just one of a list of his exclusives. They will retail at $200 each.
Frank will also have 10-inch Cubano Labbit, Anarchy hammerhead Sharky, current Kidrobot products, Dead Ché t shirts, new Labbit themed silkscreen print set, OG drawings, old toys, and will take pre-orders for the very limited ( 80 pieces) flocked Beethoven with small print signed by Malcolm McDowell and Kozik.

@ Gary Ham/Scott Tolleson booth 4834.

Cirque Du Siamese HUGO & BRUTO BASSEN! The Siamese Twin Masters of Circusdom, a new wood toy from Gary Ham. Only 12 were made and meticulously hand painted by Gary and this set stands 9″ from the base to the top of the tallest hat for $200. First come first serve! Scott will debut Otis and Otto (2-pack), the first figures in his new Stolle’s Neighborhood
series, Limited to 200 pieces.

@ Giant Robot booth 1729.

Giant Robot’s Big Boss Robot blind-box minis from Good Smile will debut!!! Featuring their official mascot. There are a dozen designs in all – eleven solid colors + the camouflage edition. If you buy a full set at SDCC, you’ll also receive a bonus limited-edition printed gift bag.

@ Global Figure Symposium booth 4937.

Paul Kaiju – straight from sculpt to Japanese vinyl, Boss Carrion. This Zombified Elephant debuts at SDCC.

RealxHead at SDCC. The Millennial Monster Mutant Chaos features a black rub with red and silver and will be $50 each.

@ Grass Hut booth 4739.

Bwana Spoons will have his totally awesome beard there along with Le Paper Project Killer’s tee-pee. New Randal print. Good Morning Sloth print, Mooneater and a few other customs, Two new jelly factory sculpts- baby mountaintop, and Bumps in the night walking killer, OG paintings and even more fun things you will drool over.

@ Hifructose booth 4939.

3 New Hi-Fructose Tees from Saur Kids!
Plus: a special showcase of prints from the Pressure Printing Archives! Featuring prints from: Glenn Barr, Jeff Soto, Attaboy, Scott Musgrove, Tony Millionaire, James Jean, Jim Woodring. Todd Schorr and Mark Mothersbaugh that need to be seen to believed.

@ Jose Reynoso just walking around the Con Jose Reynoso’s Gumpy figure will be on Jose himself. So if you see this nice bloke, stop him and you may just end up with a Gumpy yourself

@ Kat Brunnegraff just walking around the con too and maybe enjoying a soda. Her SDCC exclusive release, called Moon Babies and they’re 5-inch tall and they’re FREE! She is going to have a limited amount of these available so if you see her around say cheeseburgers and bam!

@ OctoberToys booth 4838.

Kel Wilson of Keliens fame has been working his butt off and will have four custom Gnar
Rep-Kelien figures, approximately 4-inches tall. each is hand cast, painted and customized. Packagedin special wooden boxes $55 each.

Seven styles of DIY Keliens Prices $9-$14. Black Market Pets will have eight, 4-inch hand-cast and hand-painted smiling pets available. Sculpts based on the doodles of Doodle Zook/ Shawn White. $35 each DIY versions will also be available for 15$ each

@ Onell Design booth 4937.

Ayako Takagi (Uamou) will be at SDCC again this year in the. She’ll be bringing plenty of figures of Uamou and Boo Variants (solid colors, flocked, clear filled with pom-pom + more). She also will be bringing new clear Fortune Uamou figures.

@ Ragnar booth 523.

Ragnar’s first original figure PEPPER produced by 3D Retro, will debut! Limited to 90 pieces, the top-hat lovin’ Pepper stands 5-inch tall (with the removable base/’podium’) and comes with a removable Talisman and the aforementioned removable Top-Hat.

@ Rocket World booth 4633.

Lana Crooks has only one of its kind, 16-inch giant plush Sun Tzu panda bear,(and it is eco-
friendly) along with a handmade dead human skull will be available via silent auction with all the
proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund! Sun Tzu will be on display at the Rocket World booth
during the duration of the auction at the Con and the winner will be contacted on Sunday July 25.

A very special IWG Edition, based on the science fiction classic, Star Trek TOS. Each of the
IWG characters have been re-imagined as members of Starfleet. A very limited edition of only
300 pieces per character, each complete with detailed and accurately reproduced Federation
Issue accessories. They will also have an assortment of t-shirts and their new Creature Hoodie.

@ Rotofugi booth 4836.

Coarse Toys – False Friends SDCC Colorway. Check back for times.

Chris Ryniak should have some goodness on hand with some swamp monsters.

@Silent Stage booth 4929.

Panda King Nightmare edition (80) resin hand-painted by Angry Woebots. Only 40 on hand at SDCC and The Panda King Nightmare will retail for $250.

@ STRANGEco booth 4629.

Products by TokiDoki, Shepard Fairey, FriendsWithYou, James Jarvis, Brian McCarty and others.

@ Super 7 booth 4729.

Available all weekend at S7 new colorways of: Rose Vampire $30, Bullmark Hedo Colorway Mummy Boy $50, Pocket Mummy Boys $25, Pocket Mummy Gators $25, Burger Buns $65, Hood Zombie $50, Power Mister $30, Big Sal $30, Garuru $30, Mongolion $65, Stomp $50, Fire Robo $30, Partyball $30, Zagarad $30, Steven The Bat $30, Frankenfighter $65, and Ghost Troopers $65. And if you have the stones, try talking hardcore and punk with the S7 guys! The exclusives with signings are on individual pages of the release time.

@ ToyTokyo booth 5437.

ToyTokyo will have a plethora of goodies never seen before including: Limited Edition Domokun 2-inch Qee Blue, Limited Edition Domokun 2-inch Qee White, Tokyoplastic Geisha Girl keychain blind assortment. , T9G TTF Medium Rangeas, Voltair Stitch , Tokidoki Fighter Be@rbrick, Ron English’s Barney and Teletubby Grins, Horney Girl by Eric So, and the yet to be seen MINDstyle Popaganda Mini Figures. And for exclusives they have: Tokyoplastic Geisha Girl 4-inch blind assortment (Red, White, and Black), ThreeA Armstrong ToyTokyo Exclusive and Uglydolls Uglycorn Plush.

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Mathias Bax's "Resin Hamster" contest followup

Not to long ago we hosted a contest on our site, where artist Mathias Bax gave away not only his fantastic resin figures, but he put up his time and customized two of these for the winners of the contest who entered by merely suggesting what they wanted to see customized! So the crosshatch-panda suggested by Claudia Ng and the rusty robot suggested by Daniel Yu, have been completed, and look fantastic, and are heading to their new homes as we speak! Thanks once again to Mathias for such an awesome figure and for a great contest, and congrats to the winners who have some sweet customs soon to be added to their collections!

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Toy Architects Presents a Resin Hamster Contest

As a kid growing up in an allergic family, I had my share of hamsters. So when I got an international email concerning resin hamsters, my interest was immediately piqued. My wife even took a sudden liking to this new DIY toy as it gave her the opportunity to practice her German. Is this a heartwarming story or a tale of toy hamsters? Both! And it's a CONTEST too! CLICK THROUGH to read about how to enter this contest as well as an awesome story about the artist...

***WINNERS ANNOUNCED***

After many days of trying to figure out which entry Mathias liked best... he came to the conclusion that he could not pick just one. Mathias said "For the contest I chose ClaudiaJNg for the Panda idea. I think it has big range in projecting the idea on these little guys and I really like the black and white contrast. It Just fits the Hamster and it would also be funny picking the good/evil-idea maybe for an inverse-colorway, too. I also pick Daniel, for the fully rusted out robot Hamster, so we have two winners :)"

Mathias wants to thank everyone who participated in this contest and he really enjoyed reading all of the comments and suggestions, and I would like to thank you all for participating... your all rock solid!

Mathias Bax lives in a small village called Edermunde in the middle of Germany. He works as an architect and a designer. He has always liked drawing, and in his younger days, he did some graffiti. Drawing and comics were his biggest hobbies, and through comics, he found toys. Star Wars were his favorites, but expensive as a kid. (Just last year, he bought the 70cm Millennium Falcon!) It was through trips to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore that Mathias discovered urban vinyl.

Mathias wanted to fuse the spirit of urban vinyl and DIY toys with architectural simplicity and have the result also be appropriate for his young son. To that extent, he created two versions of the hamsters: one with articulated arms and one with fixed arms (no small parts for kids to eat). And so it was, that after getting home from work, Mathias spent time with his girlfriend, put his son to bed, and then went to work again--this time in his toy lab.

"Casting resin was not hard to do, but very expensive by trial and error learning," he said. "The Hamster form needed to be simple and flexible so it can be made into something wholly new...perhaps a Stormtrooper, Hellboy or an Easter Egg. As a result, the Hamster has no eyes: the mind of the Hamster is therefore neutral. But the idea of artificial teeth make him laugh..."

The question on everybody's minds: WHY HAMSTERS?

"The idea of creating a hamster goes back to my early school days when we read about caring for a hamster as a pet. I wanted one, and tried to get one from my parents, bu unfortunately we had cats throughout my whole childhood. I do like cats very much, but finally found my way to hamsters around age 14. Flash forward to about a year ago, I sketched a picture of a comic hamster for my girlfriend's sister. She has hamsters, and my son also loves them. All of this fit together finally."

And what about "Cavy," the hamster's name?

"The name Cavy was a result of being undecided about the Hamster's name. It was around midnight and I wanted to make sure that the word, "hamster" is the same in English and German. The German word for guinea pig ("Meerschweinchen") lead me to "Cavy," and I liked it immediately. It's possible that hamsters may also live in caves..."

Mathias has been customizing the hamsters for friends. A red cross hamster went to Switzerland. A green hamster made his way to a toy writer in California. Maybe the next hamster will be yours? Since real hamsters have a habit of multiplying quite quickly, Mathias will attempt to replicate that in resin and keep a supply of the toys in his shop at http://www.urbanhamster.bigcartel.com. Not all the hamsters are urban: he currently has a selection in pastel pinks and blues ready for Easter. You can tell he's having a good time with this. DIY Hamsters are $10 USD, and special editions cost a few bucks more. (Each hamster comes in a bag with nesting material.) Mathias knows that international shipping can be expensive, so all orders will ship for the same price. Don't let your hamster be lonely: stock up!

*****THE CONTEST*****

Want to win a hamster customized by Mathias Bax? Leave a comment on this site suggesting a customization or colorway. For instance: "green stripes" or "Vancouver Olympics" or "blood-spattered." Mathias will choose his favorite response (from anyone, anywhere in the world) and create it. He will send the winner the custom hamster AND a DIY hamster, too. The contest starts NOW and ends Sunday, March 7th 2010.

Are you on Twitter? So is Mathias: http://twitter.com/Toyarchitects Want to increase your chances of winning? Welcome him to Twitter with a follow and the hashtag #resinhamsters. At the end of the week, 2 random winners who are following Mathias will each receive a DIY hamster.

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*Preview* NREAZON's Against The Grain at Dragatomi

NREAZON kicks off her Against the Grain solo show in Sacramento tomorrow night, but SpankyStokes has an exclusive preview for all you folks right now on commercial break from The Olympics. We first told you about it last week, but here's a few sneak peeks and some words from NREAZON herself. Check out paintings on wood, Kokeshi dolls and customized Munnys Saturday, February 13th through March 6th at Dragatomi!

Tell us about your show this weekend at Dragatomi – “Against the Grain.”
I’ve been very excited for this show for a really long time. Just by the title “Against the Grain” there are a lot of wood pieces and I have some of my older iconic characters like the grenade and the ice cream skullys. Those will be in the show also. But, there’s a new story and characters that I felt I needed to introduce: Ninja Boy and Ninja Girl.

Ninja Girl is in love with Ninja Boy. They’ve trained together and they’ve kinda built this life together and he rips her heart out by stabbing her which is the ultimate love betrayal. And Ninja Girl feels lost and falls to her death and then is saved by this Samurai that shows her how to love again and to not close herself off. There are a lot of paintings that have to do with Ninja Boy and Ninja Girl and you’ll see that in the show.

What's the 'scene' like in Dallas?
Dallas has always been more corporate than in the art world. I’ve never really heard of people doing vinyl art, and I felt really lonely. However not until recently, when Kidrobot opened did all the vinyl collectors come out. Now Dallas has an art scene.

How is it being a female artist in the vinyl scene?
It’s definitely more male driven, and I think that maybe my approach to it is a little bit different. Being a girl on the scene doing my own thing, not just on vinyl toys, but also merchandise, and doing paintings as well. I think that’s what makes me stand out and be a little bit different from everyone. I try to inspire other women to show off their artistic side. And… I just want to be able to keep up with the boys.


What are your thoughts on love for Valentine’s day?
I think that Valentine’s day should be more sentimental. Being with who you like or love or who you have strong feelings for. Just spending time together and letting them know how special they are to you. But I’m not one to go out to fancy dinners or possession things. I’m not a possessions person at all. For me it’s the quality time and not the material things.

So go spend some quality time with NREAZON, Joanne, Ray and the Dragatomi crew in Sacto this weekend! If you can't make the scene, peep some more photos on Flickr.

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Neon Monster reveals their first designer plush figure... say hello to Mitch!

Neon Monster continues to solidify its place as San Francisco's premiere destination for art toys with its own line of exclusive character figures. On January 25th, Neon Monster will unleash Mitch in 100% recycled fleece plush. Mitch is a depressive aesthete dreamed up by co-founders Isaac and Jacob Pritzker. “He’s a tough cyclops with a soft side,” said Isaac. “We made him out of plush so people can bask in his gruff hugability at a price point easy on the wallet and from materials easy on the planet.”

Supporting the San Francisco art scene is a priority for Neon Monster, who tapped the talents of local artists, Reuben Rude and Lauren Venell to bring Mitch to life. In addition to exhibiting his own art, Reuben has worked as a product designer for STRANGEco and a colorist on over 100 issues of Savage Dragon and early Spawn comics. "Reuben has been a remarkable asset in the production of the visual aspects of the Neon Monster brand. His combined experience in the designer art and illustration community has made him a wonderful resource for our company," said Jacob. Neon Monster also worked closely with Lauren to develop the three-dimensional pattern and plush prototype from Reuben’s design. Lauren is the founder of sweet-meats.com, whose humorous hambone plushes can be seen in shops around the world. She is recognized for combining a unique knowledge of product development with a highly skilled ability to sew and create complex patterns. Co-founder Kristy Klinck referred to working with Reuben and Lauren as "the perfect collaboration," saying: "Bringing Mitch to life has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Everyone involved in the process has really worked hard to give Mitch a unique personality...

Mitch is a giant misfit, rather anachronistic in his taste, and with a tendency to slide into psychotic episodes. His full story, and those of his fellow characters, will be progressively revealed on Neon Monster's dedicated microsite, The Bestiary. The Mitch toy measures 14 inches when standing and can sit due to his bean-bag bottom. He is available in two limited edition colorways: albino-pink and grey. The plush is made of 100% recycled fleece and meets environmental and kids' safety standards. Each plush comes packed in a signature kaiju-style reusable plastic bag. For further details and ordering information, please see: www.neonmonster.com. Grey Mitch is now available HERE for $39.95 and Albino-pink Mitch is available HERE for $49.95.

Founded in 2007 by four collectors who wanted to share their love for limited edition collectibles, Neon Monster features a hand-picked selection of art toys, comics, records and apparel. In December, Neon Monster was invited to participate in Design Miami’s Limited Edition Experiences retail environment held in conjunction with Art Basel. Their Cave of Wonders installation, which featured a life-size “candy-coated” high-density foam sculpture of Mitch, was well-received by high art and high fashion shoppers. Upon returning from Miami, Neon Monster was voted Best Amalgamation of Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Toys, Records etc. by SF Station. "The move to launch our own brand has been part of the Neon Monster plan since the beginning," said Kristy. Stay tuned for more!

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Woodgrain Warrior by Motorbot

I was just going to post this via Twitter, but I thought, hey, why not hijack Spanky's blog and share it up with the world? Several months back, I saw some amazing fight figures on Motorbot's Society6 page. The armor was terrific, but it was the woodgrain that really caught my eye. It's important to recall that Motorbot has been hand-painting the subtle nuances of wood since well before 2009 (when woodgrain became the in-vogue "colorway"). The artist, also known as Kevin Olson, agreed to a semi-complex trade involving my inaccurate understanding of timezones and a Jamungo Squadt drop. The figure you see here was once a blank DIY 8-inch Qee. That woodgrain is not one of the recent Toy2R production figures; it was hand-painted. And no, you're not looking at metal: that's styrene.

Talent runs in the family. I saw a couple Munnys by mini-Motorbots, Elliot and Aidan, at the recent Art for Wishes show. Is this the year of the Tiger? Maybe, but it's also the year of the Motorbot. He's already got a couple shows on the books for 2010. You might want to grab up some of his reasonably priced figures before everybody catches wind of his work. Great piece and thanks, Kevin!

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An open letter to Kidrobot... by Jeremy Brautman

Dear Kidrobot,

It's been a while since we've spoken. How've you been? Not so great? Yeah, I know. A lot of us have been wondering basically what the hell happened to you since we met.

In January 2004, Wired ran an article called "The New Cubicle Commandos" that really resonated with me. You were mentioned in the story, which led me to visit you on Haight Street in San Francisco. Six years ago, the tiny Kidrobot shop was a cool place to go. Back then, you sold Qees, and I'd pick them up regularly. You had these glass cases in the middle of the shop, and the contents were like a mini museum. I chatted with Frank Kozik as he signed his first range of Labbits that year. He was grouchy. It was cramped. But it felt like something was happening. Something interesting...

I went to Kidrobot just once in 2009 as a favor for a friend. As I stood in line, catching whiffs of piss and patchouli, I felt embarrassed and out of place. I found one adult among the queue of kids, and he turned out to be a cool guy named Nate. He cracked me up with a comment about how he'd given away an all-over print Kidrobot shirt to a newly stylin' homeless dude. We were processed through an assembly line to meet the artist. Afterward, I told my friend, "You owe me."

How did this happen to you, Kidrobot? When did you become a punchline and a punching bag? If toy collecting was punk rock, you were Good Charlotte. On one particular forum, "Dunny" became a filtered swear word.

I guess our paths diverged in 2007 with Sketbots, and by 2008's Zoomies, we had gone our separate ways. Your toys--and there were a ton of them--looked like kids' toys with designer toy price tags. It wasn't until later that I learned you had been making these toys for children. Happy Meal toys effectively replaced Cubicle Commandos. But you didn't communicate this new direction to your fans. We all just assumed you had gone soft and were making crappy, commercial "collectible" toys.

You had an interesting 2008. There were high-end handbags and questionable clothing and overpriced jewelry. Though I could never help you with Peecols or your terrible case ratios, I did my best to defend the other stuff. I even proposed to my girlfriend with one of your Kozik rings. At the start of 2009, you were riding high with a Cartoon Network makeover, endorsements from Rosie O'Donnell and Martha Stewart and rumors of new stores. But things were already slipping. A warehouse error (where a fan received an entire case of Huck Gee AP's GTs worth enough to buy a car) was mishandled into a nice-sized scandal. Fans were threatened and banned from your forums; entire threads were summarily deleted. There was a growing sense that insidious maneuvers were being made behind-the-scenes by people who didn't know what they were doing.

2009 was a rough year for you. You seemed to entirely forget about media relations and the niche who'd had your back. Instead, you showed off photos of celebrities in your shirts and namechecked hype blogs who'd given you cursory write-ups. You seemed to taunt us with the discrepancy between your "core contingency" and your new fame. Who were you, Kidrobot? We didn't know you anymore. There was that debacle with Taco Bell, but some folks thought maybe the "face off" was arranged. Afterall, Kidrobot is part of Wildbrain which is part of Disney which is partners with Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell...

Next came a series of affronts to the retailers in our communities. As you evolved from local toy store to global brand, new neighborhood toy shops had entered the picture. You sold them your merchandise, but there were strings attached. There were different rules and varying stock for online and brick-and-mortar shops, and you made the selling of open boxes contractually forbidden. Rumors of acquisitions and monopolization began to circulate. Your own stores became distinctly unfriendly places, with inexperienced staff and apparently no ceiling on prices. Things had gone from bad to worse.

And yet, throughout all of this, you did occasionally release a good product. I've got all of the pieces you made with Jon Burgerman, and I was charmed when your #16 mascot picked up real punk records. When I spoke with artists, there was not so much as a single negative commentary about their working relationship with you. And that's more than I can say for many other toy companies. (I'm talking to you WheatyWheat and MINDstyle.)

Kidrobot, I know you're in a tough spot right now. Lots of people have lost their patience with you, and the scene is collectively waiting for you to do something, anything, to mitigate this public relations nightmare in which you appear to be firmly entrenched. Word around the watercooler says you're pushing the Return to Main Menu --> Restart Game button. Fingers are pointing to the mountains, with founder-turned-shareholder Paul Budnitz reassuming the reigns. Everybody deserves a second chance, even you Kidrobot. With all due empathy for the team you're leaving behind in New York, and full acknowledgment of past transgressions, I'm actually sort of rooting for you. This time, please remember the fans who buy your toys, the stores who sell them and the bloggers who write about them. And also: please bring the "art" back to art toys. Goodbye Kidrobot. Hope to see you rise again in 2010.

[Jeremy Brautman is a Bay Area-based writer and PR guy with a passion for pop culture and art toys. He has recently been called a "toy maven," a "truth talker," and a "bad ass." He lives with his wife, two cats and too many toys. You can find him on twitter. If you enjoyed this article, do him the favor of voting for him in the Shorty Awards as a Twitter Journalist. It would be a great honor, and if he happened to win, he wouldn't even have to wear elevator shoes to the Shorty ceremony.]


--
Jeremy Brautman
Toy Maven

http://www.twitter.com/jeremyriad
http://www.jeremyriad.com

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*On Site* Art For Wishes at Dragatomi

Dragatomi opened their first art show of 2010 (stay tuned for a calendar packed with awesomeness) on a charitable tip with the Art For Wishes custom art toy show. The show featured the talented tots of toy artists with all profits going to the Make a Wish Foundation. I really loved this concept, and it was just what I needed to lure my wife with sushi and go pay a long overdue visit to Sacramento's best art toy (and now spraypaint) shop.

Every 2nd Saturday, downtown Sacramento transforms into a diverse spectrum of art. For instance, an ice rink had been installed, and I can only describe what I saw as the local highschool drama club ice-krunking and doing the Time Warp (better than it sounds, maybe). With Dragatomi occupying some nice real estate on J Street, a consistent crowd browsed the toys all night long. It's kind of refreshing to see what kids do with DIY toys. Adults are subject to the influences of everything and everyone around us. Kids tend to paint with pure imagination and heart. Each of the kids in the show painted a blank Kidrobot Munny and a small 2D canvas. All of the art was priced to sell at $50.

Jesse Hernandez was on hand, but only to support his budding artist daughter, Eliana. I recently saw the Hernandez family at the 3D Canvas show in Oakland. Cheers to them for always supporting the art scene. And big ups to Ray and Joanne (plus Chris and Perez) of Dragatomi for a cool show idea. You should go visit them. While we all debated what kind of group portrait to take, Greta, perhaps inspired by the Miao and Mousubi toys and our recent trip to Japan, came up with the new iconic picture pose of 2010. So go to Sacto and ask Dragatomi to show you how to throw the Lucky Cat. Peace sign? So 2009. Be sure to CLICK THROUGH to see all the fantastic pieces that were in this show!

If you can see the numbers on the pictures below, you're looking at art toys by:

1. Isobel and Chloe (Drilone)
2. Eliana (Jesse Hernandez)
3. Vanessa (Jesse Hernandez)
4. Elliot (Motorbot)
5. Aidan (Motorbot)
6. Alexa (Grimsheep)
7. Kayla (Dragatomi)
8. Ryan (Dragatomi)
9. Akira (Smallandround)
10. Arata (Smallandround)
11. Isia & Izik (Haseone)
12. Jonah (Scribe)
13. Elijah (Scribe)

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*On Site* Buff Monster Book Signing @ Giant Robot in San Francisco

Buff Monster stopped by Giant Robot in San Francisco tonight to sign his first book (and proudest accomplishment), Life is Sweet. The book is great, and just like Joanne Dragatomi (top)and Jay222 (bottom) you should pick one up. Since it's almost midnight, and nobody probably cares about reading right this minute, I want to quickly mention that prior to the event, I ran into Buff at Amoeba Records and got schooled in the subtle (or overt) distinctions between black metal, death metal and viking metal. (It's all in the vocals and the makeup.) Tonight's signing also brought out some interesting ephemera for autographing. On one side of the unusualness spectrum, we have a tie. On the distant end, a large black and white photograph of two ladies making out. Buff seemed in good cheer and signed it all. Nice guy, that Buff Monster.

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*On Site* Multiversal Group Art Show

This past weekend, as part of Miami's Art Basel, Mike Franco of Wizard Sleeve Toys and friends hijacked an American Legion building and turned it into a colossal art event. The show was called Multiversal, and that it was: Not counting hallways, entryways and corridors, the event featured 4 rooms. I barely moved from the first room where toy art by Sket-One, Mike Slobot, Bob Conge, Jeremiah Ketner, Rsin, Ian Ziobrowski, Lana Crooks, Josh F+ Pearce, Jon Burgerman x Felt Mistress and our own SpankyStokes dominated the scene. An entire wall of the room was covered inch by inch with art, like 2D pieces by kaNO, 3D work by Nakanari and inspiring canvasses by emerging artists we're likely to see grace the pages of Hi-Fructose...

The second room was a bit of a blur. I'm pretty sure I saw a couple cool pieces by local Helena Garcia among some of the graff canvases and figurative illustrations. Room 3 featured a full bar and the live painting duet of Sket-One and kaNO. If you stopped to watch the artists do their thing, your eyes might have been distracted by the transparent wall into Room 4 where a handful of topless women and men were having their bodies adorned with paint...

Multiversal featured the full work of the Feminality show, plus a whole bunch more. There was a lot going on here. You could look at it on the whole as being a tad over the top (girls were dancing with silks in the entryway) or exactly the kind of atmosphere that was needed to contrast the precise and precious pretentiousness of some of the other Art Basel affairs. Precious, this was not. For better or for worse, emerging and established artists shared space on table-cloth covered card tables, and canvases competed for eyes with black and white portraits of American Legion heroes. Most people felt this was a nice antidote to the art scenesters they'd been encountering throughout the day. I even witnessed Mr. Franco drop the price of a piece so substantially as to entirely negate his commission when a fan couldn't afford the asking amount. When's the last time you saw that happen in a proper gallery?

Unfortunately, the huge undertaking had to be taken down Sunday, so all that exists of the awesome feat are pictures, memories and no doubt A TON of sweat equity. Multiversal 2? Be sure to CLICK THROUGH for a full photo slide show from the whole event!

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