ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected » designers

David Choe for Black Dynamite

Jeremy Brautman — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:00:47 +0000

Google “Black Dynamite” around the Internets. Lots of people are stoked on this upcoming blaxploitation flick. This is the story of 1970’s action legend Black Dynamite. When “The Man” murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House.

The movie is headed to Sundance, which is where David Choe, who did the art is going. The movie poster is an inspired addition to the annals of fine blaxploitation posters everywhere. David said they may release some of the posters for sale. Hipsters clear some wall space!

Uamou x El Coco Loco = Capsule Bag

Sunny Chanel — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:00:13 +0000

I may not be homeless, but I am a bag lady. I love a clutch, a hand bag, a flirty purse. So needless to say when I saw the Capsule Bag - a collaboration between Uamou and El Coco Loco - I noticed just a wee bit of drool trickling from the corner of my mouth.

This nylon and leather bag is approx. 17cm. (6.5 inches) It comes with a leather strap that can be used to convert the bag from shoulder sack to handbag (and really, who doesn’t love some versatility). The white 4cm (1 1/2 inch) Uamou figure is trapped inside the clear capsule of the bag and he can’t be removed, so don’t even think about taking him out to play with him.

The bag comes in two versions, black and the silver, and they cost about 8900 yen ($95 (USD) and is available from the Uamou webstore here.

asda

Stroller Styling With Peskimo

Jeremy Brautman — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:00:25 +0000

You know when you look back at pictures of yourself as a child and you think, man that banana-yellow Datsun my Dad drove me around in sure made me popular? You now have the power to break the cycle of embarrassment–for both you and your spawn. Since writing about Kid Kustoms’ designer strollers, my eyes have been opened to the secret of how hip and fashionable being a parent must really be. Before I saw these, I couldn’t get past the pee and puke, and now something has changed and I think that thing is Peskimo. Undoubtedly, Peskimo eased me into an increased comfortability with bodily functions via their Monster Burp figure. And now, ToyCyte’s new bud Jamie of Kid Kustoms sent an update on their latest customized stroller fenders, including the above one by Peskimo (proceeds from its sale will go to UNICEF).

Peskimo have been creating characters together since 2002. Their illustrations and animations have adorned vinyl toys, clothing, magazines and TV sets worldwide. They have a small band of monsters working for them in a grotto. Each participant (invite-only) in the Kid Kustoms stroller project is provided a set of fenders. While interchangeable on any of the Kid Kustoms Roddler strollers, the finished products will be displayed in prominent galleries worldwide, and auctioned off on a custom mounted frame, signed by the artist and with a letter of authenticity. The winners will be selected by D.A.W.S subscribers and “the readership from the esteemed magazines providing event coverage.” Each category’s winner will be auctioned off on a Roddler, with proceeds from all sales being donated to the artists’ choice of participating charitable foundations (One is Greater than None, UNICEF, Sacred Circle, Action Against Hunger and Conservation International).

Red vs. White Art Show: More From Touma

Undercover H — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:00:09 +0000

December seems to be the month for all the very awesome events and releases going on this year. FEWMANY just announced their December event: From December 1^st through December 7^th, Fewmany is happy to start the month with one of their events called “Iten”. This means that they will be showcasing one-offs by over 40 artists (including one of the hardest working men in Japan, Touma). The theme of this show will be “Red vs White,” and each artist will be submitting their own one of a kind piece in one of those colors. Here is the list of artists who are participating in this big event:

BOTCH, Chino, Chiz, Devilrobots, Hariken, Hyper Core, ikou, ico, JUNBOw, Kaijin, Karogaro, Meg-micro, Mizuka, pe:pe, Rica, Ryuku, Spooky Parade, tomomin, TOUMA, Akayuki Hime, Asakuma Toshio, Imai Anne, Imai Sayaka, Iwai Shigeyoshi, Urayama Ayumi, Kazumoto Tomomi, Gumliens, and many more!!!

So mark your calendars if you’re in Japan and don’t miss out on this event.

New Items from Charles Stephan’s Creature Cabinet

Sunny Chanel — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:48:32 +0000

Charles Stephan of Charles Creature Cabinet has some brand new accessories for your Woodling Faeries to join his store of carefully crafted dolls and new line of accompanying outfits.

The first new offering is the Woodling Faeries Cocoon designed by Charles Stephan and was produced by Linda R from Dream High Studio. This comfy cocoon was handmade specifically to hold the itsy bitsy tiny ball-jointed Charles Stephan designed doll Yoshi, the Woodling Faerie or other tiny little dolls. $29.00

Also available is the Limited Edition Dreaming Yoshi Face Plate. This closed eyed special face fits your tiny ball-jointed the 11cm Yoshi the Woodling Faerie. This piece is available for $20. And is “Asian cream coloured, magnet (this face does not include the eye lashes)”. For more info on all things cute, cuddly and Charles Creature Cabinet-ish check out the collection here.

Kid Kustoms Pimp Your Pram for Charity

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:12:17 +0000

I get some pretty good email, but beginning my week with this imagery is a stellar kick-off. Who knew that right here in San Francisco, Jamie Coblentz’ Kid Kustoms and Dads Against Wack Strollers were making these cutting edge tot transporters? And now, they’re collaborating with PPG industries, Wheaty Wheat Studios and the world’s best hot rod stripers, street artists, illustrators, air brushers, graphic designers and cartoonists to put the art back in (kid) cart.

Each participant (invite-only) is provided a set of fenders. While interchangeable on any of the Kid Kustoms Roddler strollers, the finished products will be displayed in prominent galleries worldwide, and auctioned off on a custom mounted frame, signed by the artist and with a letter of authenticity. The winners will be selected by D.A.W.S subscribers and “the readership from the esteemed magazines providing event coverage.” Each category’s winner will be auctioned off on a Roddler, with proceeds from all sales being donated to the artists’ choice of participating charitable foundations (One is Greater than None, UNICEF, Sacred Circle, Action Against Hunger and Conservation International).

“What we are doing is the first undertaking of its kind. It blurs the bounds between art mediums, the automotive world, fashion, technology and juvenile product realm. We are practicing the art of science through aesthetic appeal, functional design and thought provoking reason,” says Jamie Coblentz, president of Kid Kustoms and Pinstripe Prep.

I wonder if there is a big breeding boom around the holiday season because childless couples see cool stuff like this? You can truly customize anything these days. Bye bye boring baby Bjorn! ToyCyte readers (particularly the parents among us) will take note that the Kid Kustom artist list includes fenders by Peskimo, Squinky, Nathan Spoor, Richard Van Over (of Wheaty Wheat), Skaffs, Jim Koch, Brent Nolasco, Julie West, Pixelfillu, Triclops Studio, kaNO and a host of others. The one artist who is notably absent from this roster is Dead Presidents. Keep up with the latest news here.

Kryot: www.cancontrollers.net (charity Picked: UNICEF)

Roger Andrews: www.rand247.com (charity Picked: Sacred Circle)

Mega & Romeo: www.sons.nl (charity Picked: UNICEF)

Danny Casroc: www.casroc.com (charity Picked: UNICEF)

Follow Up Thanksgiving With a Monster Burp

Jeremy Brautman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:00:28 +0000

You probably already issued a great big monster burp after yesterday’s meal. Now, commemorate the classy (in some cultures) gesture with the matching vinyl toy from Peskimo and Crazy Label. Andy Woo sent us one to check out, and it’s great. In fact, with Monster Burp now standing next to my Pooty figure by Touma, I could probably power an imaginary car on bio-diesel. Monster Burp is a little black and blue dinosaur with a gigantic detachable translucent belch. You can kind of adjust the burp’s “arms.” He comes in a polka-dot window box (please excuse my terrible photo of the packaging) with a mini-zine and poster. The figure stands 6 inches tall and costs $29 USD, but if you order TODAY, you will save 30%. So that’s a 6-inch designer toy for just twenty bucks. CRAZY LABEL indeed. Enter coupon code “THANKS” during checkout from their online store.

ARTCOTIC Designer Shirts by Dalek and Kozik for Less than $15

Jeremy Brautman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:00:49 +0000

Everybody’s doing something for Black Friday, but here’s one sale I can endorse from personal experience: this is a freakin’ good deal. After posting about ARTCOTIC in July, I ordered one of their olive green Dalek Space Monkey tees. Paid upwards of $30 for it. Now, you can get the same shirt for $14.95. And it’s a rad shirt too. Soft feel, nice details, quality printing. The cut is slimmer and longer than your traditional Hanes Beefy. T-shirt sizing kind of spans the gamut these days, and fearing a tight Space Monkey, I sized up. I’d recommend sticking with your actual size though. “Slimfit” luckily doesn’t mean skintight fit in this case, but by ordering a large (instead of a medium), my shirt is a bit loose and long. At this price, maybe I should just order another…Shirts on sale while they last here.

ARTCOTIC shirts are made out of 180 gram 30/1 thread count and are silk washed. The garments feature contrast stitching on all seams, reversed side seam stitching, outer shirt tag, and side vents (see pic below). The current roster of artists features many names that will be familiar to toy fans, including: Dalek, Frank Kozik, Liz McGrath, Drew Millward, Koralie and Supakitch.

Deck the Walls With Posters and Toys on Sale Now

Jeremy Brautman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:00:14 +0000

Here’s a chance to get some of those Frank Kozik exclusives (Black Stalin, Purple Ludwig and Silver Ho Chi Minh) and unique art prints from the likes of Tara McPherson and Drew Millward at 15% off. PostersAndToys.net is having a sale through midnight on Monday. Until December 1st, you can get 15% off every item in the store, no minimums, no exceptions. Simply enter promo code “TURKEY” during checkout. According to Mitch, “I rarely ever do sales, so be sure to grab something if you’ve been meaning to.”

Tim Biskup Rings in the New Year Early at Bispop Party

Jeremy Brautman — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:00:03 +0000

Sorry about the bad pun in the title, but how cool are these Helper rings by Tim Biskup? I don’t wear jewelry, but this reminds me of the excellent Steven the Bat rings by Bwana Spoons a while back. Kind of neat to have an iconic character by one of your favorite designers as some fancy bling. Tim will debut his Helper Rings at this Sunday’s Bispop Xmas party from 2-5PM in Pasadena. The ring with the ruby will be limited to an edition of 25 pieces. The other edition is unlimited.

Get a Charicature by SKAFFS at Rotofugi

Jeremy Brautman — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:00:32 +0000

While many American designers (Happy Thanksgiving, fellow patriots!) are starting to place hard rules on what and where they’ll draw for you, Australia’s Luke Feldman (aka Skaffs) will actually draw you (for one night only). Wednesday, December 10th from 5-8PM, Skaffs sets up at Rotofugi in Chicago. The event will feature caricatures, live drawing and art and toy giveaways. Sounds rad. Live drawing is the new live music.

eBoy Launches Limited Edition Blockbob Eater Snow

Jeremy Brautman — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:00:01 +0000

The latest edition of eBoy’s modular Blockbob Eater figure has gone white to match your iPod, winter weather or albino uncle. Like the previous green colorway, he’s made out of Swiss maple wood and stands 8.5 inches tall. The snow edition of Blockbob is limited to just twelve pieces, only six of which are for sale. eBoy’s Kai Vermehr calls this his favorite colorway. Each figure comes signed (with what appears to be a little lanyard buddy) and will run you about $164 USD here.

Letter Pressed Ensures Vinyl Toy Artists Leave a Lasting Impression

Jeremy Brautman — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:32:56 +0000

I’ve been expounding the virtues of Letter Pressed for a while. Their Artist Series reads like a Who’s Who of the vinyl toy community: Joe Ledbetter, Jon Burgerman, Nathan Jurevicius, Bwana Spoons… In theory, every one of us should own something letterpressed. In practice, as with paint colors and Venetian blinds, you need to see a sample. I’m holding some such items. While I want my words to convey the elegance of the paper and the clean, vibrant impression of the art, you need to touch these for yourself. To that end, Letter Pressed’s Mark Begley will provide one lucky reader with a pack of hand-numbered Cool It letterpressed cards by Le Merde. To win it, leave a comment here with the name of who you think should be considered for the Artist Series next. I can’t promise it’ll actually happen, but the winner will get some of the coolest cards around–right in time for the holiday season. Check out this interview with Mark to get your ideas flowing.

ToyCyte: Pretend I am an alien from Planet Hallmark. Tell me why Letter Pressed cards are unique.

Mark Begley: Because of the artists. There has been a wide variety of featured artists from a just-as-wide range of artistic fields—comic books, gigposters, digital illustration, lowbrow art, toy design, fine art, etc. I contact artists I like (or by providence, sometimes they contact me) and hope that about 25 to 50 people like them enough to buy a card set (or print) they designed. I’m not the only one out there producing artist-designed cards, but I think the mix of artists is unique. Plus the fact that I have them sign a card for each pre-ordered pack, keep the runs limited and don’t do reprints. What many of my regular customers have told me is that I’m offering an inexpensive piece of functional art that you can send to your grandma. I guess that’s unique.

Indeed! In these days of e-cards, what made you decide to go “old-school”?

That’s the point, isn’t it? If you want to send a quick joke, you send an e-card. But when you want something special you send a card. When you really want to make an impression (pun intended) you send a letterpress card.

I guess the draw of letterpress boils down to the tactile nature of it. You can’t get that from any other form of printing, or from your printer at home. Funny thing is, if you talk to any “old-school” printer they’ll tell you that the impression every one is after now was very frowned upon back in the day. Remember, this is how most books were printed up until the 1960s or so, and you couldn’t print that way with text or it would mess up the other side of the paper.

There have been some technological advances in letterpress printing, mainly the materials used to make the plates, but it still has to be done on big ol’ clunky presses. There’s nostalgia behind it all. And again, it really boils down to holding and seeing a letterpress piece in person. You’ll find yourself running your fingers over it and looking at it from every angle. It involves the viewer.

Your artist series reads like a who’s who of ToyCyte alumni. Can you give me the whole list?

ARTIST SERIES CARDS:

#1 Ron Regé #2 Tado #3 MCA/Evil Design #4 Joe Ledbetter #5 Nathan Jurevicius #6 Bwana Spoons #7 Brian Taylor/Candykiller #8 Jermaine Rogers #9 Kathie Olivas #10 Brandt Peters #11 Brendan Monroe #12 Jon Burgerman #13 Jeremiah Ketner #14 Abe Lincoln, Jr. #15 Michael Sieben #16 Travis Lampe #17 Jeremyville #18 Sauerkids #19 Jeremy Tinder #20 Dan Goodsell—Mr. Toast #21 Le Merde

ARTIST SERIES PRINTS:

#1 Kathie Olivas #2 Jeremy Fish #3 Paul Chatem #4 Jeremy Fish #5 Jesse LeDoux #6 Dalek #7 Nathan Stapley #8 Justin Helton/Status Serigraph #9 Mark Bodnar #10 Drew Millward #11 Johnny Bergeron #12 Chris Ryniak #13 Julie West

Uh, geez, I can’t believe it’s been that many. A lot of those were produced within the last 12 months! That does not include six or seven Candykiller prints so far, two 64 Colors prints and one card, and some other miscellaneous pieces and custom jobs. And there’s a whole slew of folks who have either already sent me artwork (DGPH has sent a card, print and trading card design), or have signed on to do a card, print or trading card (Hello, Brute, Anna Chambers, Michael Slack, Jeff Lamm, Bob Dob, etc.). [Ed note: Hello, Brute print with Jeffrey figure--reviewed here and a few still available here.]

Was there a particular artist whose work was especially hard to translate to letterpress form? How about one that just blew you away?

The only one that had to be reprinted was the Tado card. It was a combination of the paper and foil that I had picked for it, and the artwork. It had some knocked-out text and reversed images, which are hard to foil stamp. It ended up turning out fine though. I have had to ask a few artists to make adjustments because letterpress does have some limitations, and foil stamping has even more. But there should be a little more freedom, as the cards will be letterpress printed from now on, unless an artist specifically asks to use a metallic foil. The prints have always been printed this way, which is why there’s been halftone and other things that wouldn’t have worked on the cards.

Pretty much all the designs have blown me away; the talent of these people is pretty amazing. Having said that, I love the pieces from Jeremy Fish, the Drew Millward print is pretty nuts, but I also really love the simplicity and nostalgic look of Mark Bodnar’s print. Don’t make me pick one, they’re all wonderful!!

Do you collect any toys? Any plans to make more toys (like Presston)?

I do collect toys. Or did. I buy maybe one toy a year now. Last one was Taxali’s Oh No! figure. Before that was Bob Dob’s Luey. I do have a lot of vinyl boxed up right now, but will hopefully get it all back out on shelves soon. I have a wide mix of early mini figures (Be@rbricks/Kubricks) designer vinyl (quite a few Critterbox pieces, Biskup and Baseman stuff) some Secret Base figures, retro stuff (Pillsbury Doughboy and Lil Sprout) and other odds and ends. I do not have a ton of disposable income, so I’m very, very picky and selective. It is how I have found out about a number of the artists I’ve worked with, even if they haven’t designed a toy, I may have heard about them on one of the message boards or something. But then it moved out from there to things like Juxtapoz, Giant Robot, Gigposters.com and the World Wide Web.

I would love to get Presston turned into a vinyl or resin piece, and was actively pursuing getting it made myself. But buying a house and having a baby took precedence over that little venture. I’d love it if some toy company picked it up; I think Presston would be very popular. And Brian [Taylor/Candykiller] did such a great job with the logo and the original 3D turnarounds for the proposed vinyl figure I feel bad it hasn’t happened yet.

Beyond giclees and goccos, I come across a lot of paper-types that are numbered. The descriptions are often like “300gm.” Can you elaborate on what these paper types mean?

It denotes the base weight of the paper. Basically what 500 sheets of the base sheet size weighs in grams per square meter. Thing is, not all paper comes in the same base sheet size, so it’s a little arbitrary. And it does not denote paper thickness as most people think. Two papers with weights of 300gm might vary in thickness by a noticeable amount. The other way paper is labeled is in pounds, so a 300gm paper may also be labeled as 110# stock or something.

Check here to see what’s still available from Letter Pressed’s Artist Series and follow Letter Pressed at their blog. Click the pictures below for an enlarged idea of what we’re talking about, and leave a comment below for a chance to win a set of cards by Le Merde!

Limited Signed Prints by Dalek Now Available

Jeremy Brautman — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:49:29 +0000

Three new prints by Dalek are now available for when you want to put some Superflat on your flat surfaces. The prints are:

Winter ‘08 Print 18×24, 6 Color Screen Print, Limited Edition of 200, Signed and Numbered by Dalek for $75 + shipping.
Pink Heads Print 18×24, 6 Color Screen Print, Limited Edition of 150, Signed and Numbered by Dalek for $50 + shipping.
Green Heads Print 18×24, 6 Color Screen Print, Limited Edition of 150, Signed and Numbered by Dalek for $50 + shipping.

Go to Dalek’s store to get one before they sell out.

Grass Hut Corp Celebrates Buy Nothing Day with a Sale!

Sunny Chanel — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:10:43 +0000

To many, November 27th is Black Friday (consumerists). To others, it is Buy Nothing Day (anti-consumerists). The Grass Hut Corp? Well, they’re having their cake and eating it to. They are celebrating with the Buy Nothing Day Sale. Yeah, counter-intuitive, but hey, a sale’s a sale! But there is one hitch. You have to buy everything from the Buy Nothing Day sale before Buy Nothing Day! The sale is currently in progress, and features items from their Secret Hidden Gems collection. It’s exclusively online and it ends on Buy Nothing Day. And to commemorate not only this occasion but also Grass Hut Corps second birthday, the door will be locked.

What is the sale? They will be offering 10% off all of their Secret Hidden Gems, items discovered in their secret den of goodies that include paintings by Tim Biskup, Andrew Brandou, Souther Salazar, and Apak among others. PLUS you get free-shipping worldwide (are you digging that Japan).

Grass Hut Corp also gave a nice recap of the “facts”:
-Buy Nothing Day Rules!!!
-10% off and free shipping on our Secret Hidden Gems collection.
-Grass Hut’s 2-year birthday.
-We voted for OBAMA also.
-We love you too!!!

Nike Air Crazy Force 1 Sneaker and Figure By Michael Lau UPDATE

Jeremy Brautman — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:30:34 +0000

Hats off to Kix-Files for a ton of clear, artistic (and watermark-free!) images of Michael Lau’s latest sneaker/figure foray. Sunny posted some puzzle pieces about the figure here, but now, as David Duchovny is probably sick of saying: the truth is out there. I’m not really a sneaker junkie, so pilfered pics are almost exclusively of the fig. I find padded walls and insane asylums…intriguing in a lunatics are taking over kind of way. Except in closeup (which is better), the kicks kind of look like something retirees in Florida wear to go on walks around their assisted living facilities. Not sure what my thoughts are on the figure yet. Visit Kix here for the full editorial. Courtesy of Kix:

Nike and its long-time collaborator, pioneering toy designer Michael Lau, teamed up again to create the Nike Air “Crazy” Force 1 sneaker, the ninth launch in the Nike 1World AF1 Project featuring a total of 18 influential style leaders in sports, music, art and design.

Nike Air “Crazy” Force 1 Exhibition
Dates : November 29 – 30, 2008
Place : Michael Gallery
11/F., Lok’s Industrial Building, 204 Tsat Tsz Mui Road, Quarry Bay
Time : 3:00pm – 8:00pm

Nike Air “Crazy” Force 1 Boxset
Location : Michael Gallery
Available : November 29, 2008 (Saturday)
Location : Nike Sportswear Store, 7 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay
Available : December 3, 2008 (Wednesday)

Lau’s Nike Air “Crazy” Force 1 is a wearable quilted tribute to sneaker-loving craziness. Special design features include:

an upper-shoe made entirely from white padded leather with white quilt-patterned stitching;

a back heel detail with a series of five x five-count scrawls in gold, to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of Air Force 1;

crafted polished shoelace tags, with “CRAZY” written on the left foot, and “SMILES” on the right, honoring Lau’s infamous “Crazy Smiles” production series;

a removable white sole insert with abstract pencil scribble art.

True to the legendary collectible style of all Michael Lau creations, the much-hyped highlight of this piece is its special packaging: a boxed set featuring a pair of Nike Air “Crazy” Force 1s and a “Crazy Michael” vinyl toy figurine.

To launch the Nike Air “Crazy” Force 1, Lau converted his MICHAEL GALLERY in Hong Kong into a voyeuristic-gallery experience. Guests can walk through a long white tunnel with quilted walls, where 25x peepholes allow them to look into “animated art pieces” created by him. “We’re all a bit crazy when it comes to sneakers,” says Lau. “This project is very special to me because the 1World AF1 Project has allowed me to honor the legacy of Nike Air Force 1 in my own crazy way.”

The set priced is priced at $2599 HKD or about $335 USD.

About 1 World AF1 Project:
Nike’s 1World AF1 Project is a partnership project between Nike Sportswear and 18 influential style makers from around the world. Each illustrious participant was invited to design his own Air Force 1. Since June 2008, the 18 shoes have been — and still will be — selectively released in limited numbers, available only in the city where the guest designer is from. The 1World AF1s released so far have been designed by Rasheed Wallace (Philadelphia), Pedro Winter (Paris), Gore Texer (Tokyo), Kaws (New York), Questlove (Philadelphia), Daisuke Matsuzaka (Tokyo), Ladainian Tomlinson (San Diego) and Hajime Tachibana (Tokyo). This month sees the launch of design by Michael Lau (Hong Kong).

Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters Signing at Cardboard Spaceship

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:59:36 +0000

Wow. This is going to be crazy. Cardboard Spaceship is a tight space and Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters have a dedicated army of fans. My guess is that there will be a line stretching down Santa Cruz’s Pacific Avenue (so prepare to be spare-changed by well-fed hippies). Kathie and Brandt will be signing for just an hour, from 7-8PM on Friday, December 12th. $20 gets you a doodled Scavenger blank (with proceeds going to Toys for Tots). It’s strictly 1 sketched item per person and no more than 2 items signed. No sketchbooks or non-toy items allowed. Cardboard Spaceship recommends you show up early and reserve a spot. ToyCyte chimes in that there are plenty of folks hanging idly on the avenue should you need a mule to hold your spot while you get a slice of pizza.

Fully Visual x Amanda Visell Apocalypt-Ephunts on Sale Now

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:04:58 +0000

Beginning with today’s release of Amanda Visell’s Apocalypt-Ephunts, Fully Visual is launching a new “tiered colorway” approach to the designer metal trade. The sets of 6 approximately 1.5-inch by 2-inch Apocalypt-Ephunts come in gold ($160, edition of 20), silver ($99, edition of 60), copper ($130, edition of 40) and black nickel (available exclusively through Amanda). The figures are on sale now here and ready to ship.

Luke Chueh and Gallery1988 Present Vivisect Playset Round 5

Jeremy Brautman — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:00:10 +0000

Gallery1988 just announced its upcoming exhibition, a tradition at the venue: “The Vivisect Playset (Round 5).” For five years now, Luke Chueh and Gallery 1988 curated and hosted The Vivisect Playset, an art show featuring artists who regularly employed animal characters in their work to illustrate the human condition. The show has illuminated the talents of several artists, helped set the foundation and direction for Gallery1988, and even conceived a series of toys, produced by STRANGEco. This year’s show features works of Angry Woebots, Anthony Ausgang, Charlie Immer, Paul Barnes, Jonathan Bergeron, Lindsay Campbell, Luke Chueh, Matt Dangler, Dia, Daniel Elson, Brendon Flynn, Mayuko Fujino, Ghostpatrol, Peter Gronquist, Walt Hall, Moira Hahn, Thomas Han, Melissa Haslam, Mari Inukai, Kamala Dolphin Kingsley, Joe Ledbetter, Lauren Moyer, Alex Pardee, Peek-a-boo, Isaac Pierro, Scott Radke, Amy Sol, Ben Strawn, Roland Tamayo, and Amanda Visell. The show opens Friday, December 5th from 7-10PM and runs through December 23rd at Gallery 1988 in San Francisco. See you there!

Ron English 8-Inch Dunny and Signing

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:32:24 +0000

Next to Huck Gee’s Hello I’m Insane production Dunnys, this upcoming “freakishly rare” 8-incher by Ron English has peeps both pumped and polarized. For some, this GID Dunny represents a return to Kidrobot collectibles for the fans who sought rarer or more urbanized vinyl in the wake of KR’s curious collaborations, QC issues and PR nightmares. For others, the bummer is the edition size, which is limited to only 400 pieces worldwide. For me, I love anatomy, GID and dark colorways, so if you encounter Internet lockjaw when this figure drops, I’ll likely be at least one of the fans tying up the line…

Ron English’s 8-inch Dunny (which caused a stir after photos were leaked, and can be seen in Hana’s post from September here) will be available exclusively at Kidrobot Miami and Kidrobot online starting December 4th. Also, talk about being in the right place at the right time, but if you happen to live in or around Miami, you can attend Art Basel (which has a “modest” website stating that “Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas.”) Ron English will be on hand to sign the exclusive Dunny Thursday, December 4th from 6-8PM.

ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected » designers

David Choe for Black Dynamite

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