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!

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The story of Shocker Toys is a complicated one. It begins with Geoff Beckett - a guy with an idea for a toy, and it progresses through almost six years of trials, controversy, licensing messes, and almost more than anything else, a boisterous personality.

Before any other action figure company had really started connecting with the adult collectors as they do now, Beckett began detailing every phase of the creation of his toys, from the seed of an idea, through sections in-progress sculpts, all the way through to final production. It’s been a very long process, with what promises to be their truly breakthrough toy line, ‘Indie Spotlight’, being stuck in production hell for over two years. During this long gestation period, shelf dates have arrived and passed many times, but the perseverance of Beckett… perseveres.

He’ll be the first person to leap into a prolonged internet fist fight to defend his almost-creations - an unusual role for a company CEO to play, and one that’s made him fairly controversial in the mainstream action figure world. At the core of it all still exists the same ideals that I think reside in most of us - the desire to be toymakers.

Geoff dropped me a line to show off some of his new action figure sculpts, a unique blend of plastics designed to maximize both sculpt and articulation in his upcoming Indie Spotlight series, which will feature small press darlings Shadowhawk, Scud the Disposable Assassin, Katchoo from Strangers in Paradise, David Mack’s Kabuki, and my personal favorite, Sam Kieth’s The Maxx. Each figure will come with a Pink fairy or an Isz from The Maxx, and a Mr. Gone mail-away figure isn’t too far behind that.

We sat down and talked.

ToyCyte : So, for the readers who might not be familiar with your work, who are you and what do you do?

Geoff Beckett : I am Geoff Beckett, CEO of Shocker Toys LLP, makers of the Shockini, Indie Spotlight and other collectible toy lines.

ToyCyte : How did you enter the toy-making business? What inspired you to become a producer instead of just a consumer?

GB : I was always a collector of toys and had many as a kid. I [was playing] a few games of Pokemon with my younger brother and thought I could make a card game myself based on mini robots. I set out to do a trading card game - but the market was too saturated at the time. So, I took the card game characters and decided to make a toy line. I met a regular on Raving Toy Maniac (which was a big mistake) who said he was a sculptor. I gave him a few grand and the idea for our shoulder fighting robot card game characters. Needless to say, I learned as I promoted the toys that our money was taken and I was out of luck. This made some of the media and collectors not so happy with us to say the least.

So, I decided to go it myself. I picked up some clay and sculpted the robots into small 3 1/4″ figures and came up with the name ‘Shockinis’ (Shocker Toys + Minis = Shockinis). I made casts myself, showed them off, got feedback, made them better, and found a factory. ‘I’ became ‘we’ as Lance [Buttiglieri] joined the fold and we became ‘Shocker Toys LLP’ with our first real product : the Shockinis.

ToyCyte : How did you make the original casts? Was it a factory thing, or a kitchen-table thing?

GB : It was a backroom office thing…. I used Smooth-On, [a] great company in Jersey where I was at the time, and sat down and made a bunch of copies and hand painted the robots. During feedback, a collector said we should leave them blank, as we’d shown a blank one as well, which gave birth to the customizable Shockinis. Later, we sent hand casts to the factory and they made real casts through 3-D.

ToyCyte : I’ve customized a few myself, actually, and they really lend themselves to it, even with their small dimensions. So, how do you go from customizable mini-figures to Indie comics heroes?

GB : Well, as with toys I have always been a huge comic book fan too and used to draw and design them as a kid. So when I saw that something was missing between Marvel Legends and DC Universe figures. I thought up the original idea for Indie Spotlight.

ToyCyte : Now, there were some scuffles with ToyBiz over that. since you were both going for similar licenses and lines.

GB : Yes. as I had mentioned, we came up with the original idea and gathered the original licenses. We had the licenses first, as well as the idea, and our confidential e-mail was leaked to [ToyBiz] by an artist who owns a comic company we were pitching to. Next thing we knew, our licenses that were signed under non-exclusive [terms] were with that other toy company.

ToyCyte : So, since then, ToyBiz folded, turned into Marvel Toys, released two lines of their figures, and kinda disappeared. What’s happened with your line in that time?

GB : We had to just take a time out. I called the president of [ToyBiz] and told him my thoughts, as well as the press. We picked a new line up and started on sculpting. We had a few bad runs with that and finally got a new 3-D arm of Shocker Toys in Singapore and a new factory as well. We have, however, released two Indie Spotlight products during the down time - a Scud statue and mini Maxx vinyl.

ToyCyte : And these Indie guys are going to come out in December, yes? Because if they don’t, the nerds are going to find you and remove your organs, it would seem.

GB : That is correct - the line is set to ship in December. Diamond Comics will be stocking [local comic shops], Big Bad Toy Store and Toys ‘R’ Us. Oh, and yes, we have made sure this is it - we would like to keep our organs. We could always throw them our interns.

ToyCyte : Tell me - why do you think it is that there’s so much ire over the words ‘Shocker Toys’? The phrase has even been banned from some forums.

GB : Some people can’t handle that we don’t take to trolls abusing us. I can’t exactly say - but I can say it happened after the defunct Shoulder Action Figures were promoted. We should have kept that quiet, but you learn from your mistakes. We know that this line is great and so will the true toy fans. Some people just have a serious vendetta against us and have gone so far as to make fake websites to smear us, fake Wiki accounts to remove the mention [of Shocker Toys] there, and fake accounts on our forums to hack or vandalize it. It is all a bit childish if you ask me, and news sites who have been [negative towards] our name really need to set an example. If you let trolls run free, it will cause much chaos, and as journalists they should step above that low level.

ToyCyte : It’s rare to see a to company use the idea of ‘radical transparency’ as you have, where you reveal every step of the process. Do you think that this has caused impatience and contributed to the controversy? The average action figure collector isn’t usually privy to the process as they might be with the designer toy creators.

GB : Could be, but what we get back is less backlash when releasing the product, and we learn a great deal more. Without showing The Maxx early we wouldn’t have been able to correct his look, or fix the joint layout - which is something new on Indie Spotlight. I have also noticed that since we began [this] taboo tradition many other companies have followed the lead.

ToyCyte : The new sculpts that you’ve just revealed do seem like an improvement in the joints, absolutely!

GB : Yes we wanted to do a bit different from the ol’ ball and ball [laughs]. We tried to make a new set up, and it will only improve as the series continues.

ToyCyte : Are there any licenses that you’ve secured that you can tell us about, or would that only generate trouble so early on?

GB : We have picked up Sushi Pack, Madballs, My Pet Monster and a few others - we can’t say for what though. We have a new huge toy line planned for Toy Fair 2009.

ToyCyte : What’s your favorite toy? What do you actively collect?

GB : Marvel Legends and [Mighty] Muggs - but I will be collecting Indie Spotlight now… shameless plug.

ToyCyte : These are the toys that inspire you?

GB : All my life toys have inspired me. Some were corny, some were crappy, some were great, but all were toys!

ToyCyte : How do you feel about some day creating a line of original characters, or an ‘urban vinyl’ styled customizable form?

GB : I feel that day is around the corner. As a traditional collector, I have learned to like all toys, and urban vinyl has become part of my collections. Also, we did create the Electrobytes, which are an original robot toy line and were incorporated into the Shockinis.

ToyCyte : And Gwar? People call you ‘Gwarff’ for a reason!

GB : We would like to see it in our 5″ designer vinyl line. As far as ‘Gwarff’ - there is a different story behind that. A net troll (with a family no less) decided to start following us around and sling crap every chance he could. He was told to cease with his comments. So, to get around the ramifications of calling me by my name, he used Gwarff to tip-toe around us. Others who try to cut us off at the knees have also adopted this name. Some of these people are respected news site owners, and other toy industry people. It is a real shame to see this behavior in a collector world where toys should be the focus of talk, not slinging mud into a toy company’s eyes to ruin their image. That gentleman who first called us Gwarff, by the way, was sent free Shockinis for all of his kids before he went postal on us.

ToyCyte : Action figure collectors are a fickle people, I like to think that designer toy collectors are a far more mellow, balanced people.

GB : True, but this industry could accomplish much more by kicking out the trolls and giving a company a chance and proper feedback. If you have a toy company who can make a good toy line with their ear to your floor, you tell them what you would like to see. You don’t tell them they suck.

ToyCyte : How large is your company at this point?

GB : We have The main Shocker Toys people in Jersey, and a few in New York City were we would like to open our new offices. We also have our design team in Singapore. Our GFX designers are th3rdworld.com.

ToyCyte : If NOTHING else, you’ve managed to generate a huge amount of buzz around these Indie guys. No publicity is bad publicity. Everyone is going to want to see them firsthand. People are going to inevitably criticize, no matter what. Are you going to get in there and do the ol’ Fightin’ Geoff, or are you going to let it all slide?

GB : I agree with you there - the naysayers and non-supportive toy news sites caused all of the buzz. We are just going to do what we set out to do : put out great toys, whether it be Dethklok vinyl figures, Indie Spotlight, New Shockinis, other Spotlight categories or our new 5″ vinyl line.

I have been pretty quiet as of late because I knew what was happening on the inside. And once Indie Spotlight Series One hits, I don’t think there will be any need to fight, as the fans will back up how great they are. For some of these haters, it is a sickness and I would say to them “get help”, because the figures have now been seen and they are coming out regardless of what they say. They alone cannot stop us no matter how sneaky they try to be. We will make great toys and we will make new innovative breakthroughs for the industry because it is the industry I have come to love.

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I don’t typically go for potty humor, but I’m crazy about Touma’s Pooty figure. There’s something so absurd about a skunk off-gassing a vinyl fart cloud. Every time I look at them, they make me smile. To that extent, we’re giving away three of the figures in exchange for a laugh. The funniest comment will receive the rare all-black Pooty figure signed, dated and doodled as a collab between Touma, ToyCyte and Paradise Toy Land (who donated the figure for the global good of rebuilding the ozone layer one poot at a time). Two runners up will be awarded the standard pink (with grey) and standard blue (with purple) Pooty figures, also signed and dated by Touma. All figures are 8 inches tall, produced in China by Headlock Studio and feature articulation at the poot. Each one comes in a window box with a Paradise canvas tote bag.

We’re looking for your funniest fart story. The best trouser cough will win the Paradise prize. If you are too modest to shoot the cannon publicly, just tell us a joke. We’ve got the only Pooty figures in America right now, so come on, toot your own horn and make us laugh.

During Touma’s recent solo show in Taiwan at Paradise Toy Land, Jones was kind enough to ask Touma a few questions for us.

ToyCyte: How did you get into toy design?
Touma: I left my former company as I thought I would be lost competing in the world of 2-dimensional drawings as there are many artists in this field. I thought I needed a competitive edge, and decided to become a figure artist based on the figures I had been creating as a hobby. As the artwork is 3-dimensional, the items caught the attention of manufacturers and that is how I got to release Knucklebear.

ToyCyte: How do you  manage to create so many toys so quickly?
Touma: I have endless ideas for characters. They may be ideas for parts and ideas for shapes. It varies greatly. When a request for creating a character comes, I take a look at my ideas and create the characters. Once the manufacturers like my creation, they release the products, so that is how I get to have many toys produced.

ToyCyte: Will STRANGEco be releasing a Pooty figure in the US?
Touma: Yes! I believe so.

ToyCyte: How did you get the inspiration for this farting skunk figure?
Touma: The idea for Pooty came when the owner of SPANKY and I were discussing ideas about animals in the woods. From the owl, mouse and snake, followed the skunk, so I responded to the idea and created one.
The characteristic of a skunk is its fart, and I thought there was no artist in the world that managed to turn a fart into 3-dimensional, so I though it would be fun and designed the character.

Now peep the pics below. How could you not want one of these? Lay one on us by Thursday, 11/20 at noon and we might just send you one. May the best butt blast win!

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This weekend, Toy2R made its first American appearance by taking over DBA in Brooklyn, New York. Though I wasn’t able to make it Friday night, which was when Toy2R threw a “slamming” launch party to celebrate their US invasion–I was able to make the trip on Sunday evening.

It’s quite clear from our numerous posts about Toy2R, that here at ToyCyte, we’re big fans–Jeremy being the biggest fan of us all, but I digress. Thanks to this post we knew Toy2R’s temporary pop-up in Brooklyn would be around for 10 days. Upon arriving at DBA, I was greeted by one of 3 owners–Gardy StFleur who was waiting outside the shop. It turns out I arrived to the shop while a music video was being filmed. I won’t disclose whose video, but nonetheless it was very interesting to witness the process of a music video in the making.

While we waited for the music video to wrap-up, I caught up with Gardy about how the sneakers/lifestyle shop and Toy2R, got together. He informed me that one of his other business partners, Kevin, had worked with Toy2R before. To be quite honest, after talking to Gardy about his own designer toy collection, which includes pieces from Kaws to Michael Lau, it only made sense that they would play host to Toy2R’s pop-up.

Once the music video wrapped up, I entered the shop to find rows of sneakers and toys! It was quite dangerous letting me step into such a shop, since I have a passion for both. Most of the pieces that were on display were created by Frank Kozik and included: The People’s Soldiers 8″ qees with anarchy dog companions, Dr. Bomb in various colorways, his Anarchy qees in various shapes and sizes and his newly released Merry Mini Bomb Gold and Silver Set!

Some of the other pieces that were available at the shop included some I haven’t seen sold at retail in a while, more specifically: Huck Gee’s Mama’s Boy GID qee. Other artists available for retail were: Gary Baseman’s qees, Joe Ledbetter’s Yeti Smash, Meomi’s LeSportsac qee, two Circus Punks Devil EggQ, Kid666’s piece and the newly released Olympics inspired 2.5″ qees and mini 1.5″ metallic qees.

The piece that caught my attention the most though, was a piece from Kozik, that occurred by accident. Gardy, very enthusiastically headed to the back of the shop and returned with what seemed to be another 8″ Redrum qee from Kozik. This 8″ qee had something different from all the rest though, it had a different expression. Gardy explained that there was a factory mistake and it seems it was the only GID 8″ Redrum qee that was produced that was clearly not for sale.

All in all, the trip to Brooklyn was well worth it. I made some purchases for myself, including Kozik’s Merry Mini Bomb set, and Gardy was nice enough to hook me up with some goodies. Take a look through all the photos to see the sweet setup.

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Yeah we know there was just another big MAD*L show over at LIFT, but Delicious Drips has been curating a juried 10-inch MAD*L contest for month’s and everything has lead up to tonight’s MAD*L mania at San Francisco’s D-Structure. The show kicks off at 6:30PM in the Lower Haight (right across from Upper Playground). There will be an open bar, live DJs, and maybe even a little live painting. This is a juried contest with consideration given to style, depth of thought, execution, color feel, and WOW factor. Emerging artists from all over have taken their skills to the mighty MAD*L platform. Customizers include:

Nasty Neil, Tanki, SpankyStokes, Quest1, Willow408, Danielle Scott. Illminded1, Mtags05, GallerieDeSoto, Innaki, Dli$h, Patrick Francisco, Kelly Vetner, Del730, Codedecoinc, Selph_One, LocalHero, Voidx, CoffeeKid, DX-Psycho, RebelWookie, MUCA, Gopeder111, Darkangelraine, David Rozelle, Debut75, Dustin Cantrell, Jared Cain, Kimberley Chadwick, Mark Aviles, Viet Ngo and Ryan Hungerford.

Rebelwookiee

Check out a few previews and then go see the real thing tonight.

And here’s the Delicious Drips commercial:

Delicious Drips Commercial from Lief Stoer on Vimeo.

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As a holiday that’s all about disguise and transformation, Halloween shares a natural association with the custom toy world. We toy artists essentially spend the entire year dressing up our Munnys and Think-Ups and MadLs and sending them out into the world, so the conjunction of these very actions with the day of Halloween was a smart bit of creative synergy. “I think that Halloween is a holiday that creative people really enjoy. You can feel free to just go nuts with your ideas, and I think that going nuts on some custom vinyl with a Halloween theme produced some really amazing pieces,” said contributing artist Taupe.

Kill Taupe and Beauty

The APW Arts gallery is, for now, an unassuming 2nd floor walk-up on NYC’s Chrystie St. - small enough to be intimate, but large enough to accommodate the assembled visitors comfortably. The space was scattered with traditional Halloween spiders and translucent rubber bugs, crawling across shelves and artwork alike. Whether intentional or not, they served as a subtle reminder that we were still looking at toys, and inasmuch, the viewers found themselves comfortable with picking up, turning around, and interacting with the toys, which would have made most curators gasp and drop their Murakami-designed monocles. Everything, however, went swimmingly. And there was candy. Outside, the streets were beginning to churn with the excitement and costumes of the Village’s annual Halloween Parade.

Cidenzo and Osiris Orion

The atmosphere was probably the most comfortable and positive that I’ve encountered in my art show adventures, so much credit goes to owner and artist Hans Yim for putting together a show that was both casual and classy. In attendance were OsirisOrion (aka Rob Ingellis), who came in all the way from Connecticut to see the show (and will be featured on next week’s custoMONDAY!), as well as his brother Cidenzo, Steve from Sketchbot, artists and gallery associates Kerry Lee and Patrick Francisco, and a handful of other local creative folks. Work from around the world was on display, as well as four Ouip figures which were shipped from Singapore. I’d never heard of the Ouip either, but it looks like a large format that’s begging for customs.

James Ivey

While James Ivey was unable to attend from his location in California, this was his very first customized toy. The process of working on the figure proved to be a revelatory one. “… I now am inspired to do many more. After completing this toy, I now have a 10″ MAD and a Qee I’ll be carving on for future shows, and possibly for sale on my web site. My toy was something that just popped out like the rest of my art.”

Bampop and Hefnatron

Coincidentally, Hefnatron’s process also involved a system of ‘popping’. “Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a Halloween themed custom toy. It originally started out as something completely different. It was originally going to be a kid dressed in a Ben Cooper style skeleton costume, but while I was sculpting the skull mask, the Phantom of the Opera’s ‘Mask of Red Death’ costume popped into my head. I got more excited about how that would look, so I decided to take it in that direction. I’m extremely happy with the way it turned out.” At least one attendee declared Hefnatron’s Masque figure to be their favorite.

Check out the complete gallery of works below, and drop on by the APW website for more photos, Halloween works that are currently for sale, and invitations to participate in future shows, which will surely be just as excellent.

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This past Friday, better known to the world as Halloween, ToyTokyo hosted the Osaka Popstar Benefit at The Showroom, located on the corner of 7th Street and 2nd Ave. The participants of the show were challenged to take on the Devil Dog platform and make it their own.

I will speak with complete honesty and say that whenever artists are asked to take on a different platform that isn’t the; munny, dunny or mad*l; I grow weary to the outcomes. Sometimes, there are some amazing outcomes, while other times, the outcomes are simply catastrophic. At Friday’s show, I must admit that most, if not all, participating artists really changed the figure I once recognized as a cute white or clear red dog.

The benefit– which promises to donate the net earnings to Picasso Veterinary Fund– not only played host to over 50 artists, but it also brought in a not- so-typical crowd within the designer toy world, celebrities! Some of which included Rose McGowan (Actress), Robert Rodriguez (Director) and Seth Rogen (Actor).

One of my favorite pieces was actually created by a professional toy company on behalf of both Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez. Their piece, Cherry Darling, pays homage to McGowan’s role in Rodriguez’s Planet Terror. It should be noted that dogs rule the world, but a dog with a machine gun for a leg on a rotating-display case signed by the beauty herself, you just can’t ask for more really. Believe you me, if I had $1000 available, this would’ve been one of many pieces that I’d picked up for myself.

Another favorite that got my attention was from an artist who has provided me with all of my breakfast delights in plushform, Mr. Dan Goodsell, creator of Mr. Toast and friends. His piece, features a scared Shaky Bacon being held by a doggie in blue. The bacon is worth the taking him home and if you’re interested in adding him to your Goodsell collection he’ll cost you a very affordable $100.

My third favorite, by D*Face, was located in the same case as McGowan’s and Shepard Fairey’s piece. I wish I’d had the $500 to dish out on it. The facial structure is my favorite part of it, clearly the most obvious change. I love the long slits for eyes and the dangling tongue. Though the figure is still somewhat recognizable, this artist really owned the figure with his changes.

I’ve shown you some of my very favorites from the show, but take a look at the gallery and find one that stands out to you. Most of the pieces are still available and will shortly be added to the purchasing list. These are one-of-a-kind customs and if you’re really into one, I suggest you purchase it. The prices are pretty moderate and at the end of the day, remember, your purchases are providing services and help to animals in need.

Many moons ago, when ToyCyte first kicked off, Jeremi Rimel contacted me with his Think-UP Do-It-Yourself Bust. He sent me a Think-UP, we chatted about some things and then we lost touch. In the meantime, busts got big. (Get your minds out of the gutter: I’m talking vinyl, not silicone.) Frank Kozik made a bushel of ‘em. Kaws got in on the action. Then, recently I saw Doktor A’s Think-UP creation at the Monster Art Rally, Jeremi got back in touch, and here’s the lost interview (now found), right in time for Halloween.

Think-UP is produced by Jeremi’s company, Miscreation Toys. The white vinyl busts are 8 inches tall and come in standard and “with tentacles” editions. Master monster-makers like Bob Conge have customized this unique platform. The humanoid head/creature base is ripe for the rendering. Need ideas? Check out the Miscreation Toys Think-UP Flickr community here. You can find Think-UPs at many fine toy retailers like: Tainted Visions, ToyQube and Red Hot Robot. Would be awesome to see a local show of Think-UPs (hint, hint). Now without further ado, here’s Jeremi…and Happy Halloween.

Bob Conge's Think-Up (And Other Creations)

ToyCyte: Did you have any formal art training?

JEREMI RIMEL: Come to think of it I haven’t, and thats not a very good statement to have on your sleeve when your trying to make a living in art. Growing up I’ve picked up on some customizing techniques through my brother but other than that I’ve learned on my own without any art schooling.

What made you decide to create a DIY toy?
I felt a DIY platform would be a good place to start, I love customizing toys and just wanted to share the craft with other artists.

Think-UP Creature Edition

What materials do you use when creating your own custom Think-UPs?

There’s many ways you can customize Think-UP: I use acrylic paints mixed with a little water and acrylic-enamel paints for fine details. Other materials include: exacto knife, super-glue, fine-grade sandpaper, heat-gun, doll eyes, Apoxie Sculpt by Aves (those guys should sponsor me!) Spray paints that adhere to vinyls are great too, I would suggest spray paints like Plasticote or Testors Pactra Racing Finish. I also use thinned-out acrylic enamel paints with an airbrush which works great when using frisket stencils.

Ocular Confusion by Miscreation Toys

Walk us through the process of the Think-UP’s creation, from inspiration to production.

Think-UP was inspired by the love of customizing for the most part, The skull is kind of a vinyl take on sugar skulls of Mexican tradition which are skulls that are decorated to celebrate Day of the Dead, I love the idea and appreciate it. When I decided to create my first toy, I took out my savings to fund the process, got my designs ready and approached many companies/factories until I got the right quote. Then it was just a matter of back and fourth e-mails with alterations and approvals for a couple weeks with my factory of choice. I finalized the packaging, and then it was produced and on its way to DKE Toys for distribution.

Tin Nose by Doktor A

What are the pros and cons of running your own independent toy company?

The great thing about it is the experience of creating and producing something independently from start to finish; seeing a simple idea turn into a reality was really fun for me. I also love seeing what other artists do with Think-UP; its very rewarding. The major cons have to deal with advertising and promotion, an ad in any major art magazine is a lot more than you think! Arrrgh! But everything is still pretty fun!

Think-UP Bust by Leecifer

If you could have any artist customize a Think-UP, who would you choose?

I would want the artist reading this who hasn’t ever customized an art toy before to try one out. There’s plenty of undiscovered talent out there, surprises are the best.

How did you get involved in last year’s Say Whaaat!! project?

I got an e-mail from an artist named Daniel Barojas who was responsible for putting the show together. He asked me to help sponsor, and I gladly accepted. I sent out some Think-UP busts to go along with other toys from his sponsors that were then distributed to many artists in the DC area for the 100% charity event. There needs to be more people like Daniel out there in the world because the little custom toy show he put together brought in enough money to produce about 5000 meals through “The Capital Area Food Bank” that season for families in need.

What/Who are some of your inspirations (ie. bands, movies, etc.)

Growing up I’ve always felt like an outsider, naturally an introvert. I guess I’ve had an awkward childhood and a strange outlook on life, my interests would always wander to whats weird and unusual. Horror, nightmares, and death have always been an inspiration somehow. I like Troma movies and anything Tim Burton or Clive Barker. I listen to a lot of darker music, 80’s, deathrock, I would say goth-music but I hate using the word goth! The Cure, Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Voltaire, Rasputina, and most recently I discovered bands Bella Morte and Synthetic Division out of Charlottesville. (Look them up!)

What toys do you collect?

I collect a little of everything, I’m a big fan of 80’s toys! Garbage Pail Kids, Inhumanoids, Muscle Things. if you walked around my place you might see a Mega munny by Kidrobot, some Hellraiser model kits, Tortured Souls, a life-size Gremlin, a few Autopsy Baby Dolls, Runaway Brain by Span of Sunset, Skwak by Mindstyle, and many customs including The Maxx, Faun of Pan’s Labyrinth, and odd original creations. I’m looking forward to the new He-man toyline and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) action figures.

What’s next for you?

I will have a few pieces on auction at the Chiller Theater Charity Auction in NJ on the last day of the event. I might do a horror related art wall piece cast in resin produced in small quantities before I do another vinyl toy. I’m also looking for a good venue to host a custom contest Think-Up event.

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The Backstory

Qee was my gateway toy. Unique, edgy and collectible, the 2.5-inch Qee figures matched both my budget and my bungalow. In 2002, I was chained to a cubicle, staring at a screen for hours on end. Qee was my cure, and “QeeBay” was where I got my medicine. It was through the Toy2R platform that I found out about many of the artists I follow (and blog about) today: Dalek, Joe Ledbetter, Jon Burgerman, MCA, Touma, Brothersfree…Flash forward to 2008. I still collect Qee (as well as other figures nowadays), and the various pursuits of Toy2R continue to be worth chronicling and collecting.

The Bounty

Toy2R has generously offered to give a massive prize package to two lucky ToyCyte readers. The bounty includes over $700 of Toy2R merchandise: one 16-inch Qee figure, one 8-inch Hellboy Qee, six 8-inch DIY Value Pack figures, thirty 2.5-inch Qees from various assortments (Kozik Redrum and Potamus, Rolito, Baseman, Dalek, Spiderboom, Mutafukaz, etc.), three 2.5-inch Pumpkinator Qee Bears, rare figures like the Budweiser Qee set, three Toy2R Qee t-shirts and an assortment of new figures which could include the China Artist Series, the Design-A-Qee series, the Alice Cherry Blossom series, and more!

Win All This (And More!)

The Rules

There are two ways to win:

THE EASY WAY: 2nd prize will go to someone who leaves a comment below. Tell us why you need these Qee. Are you missing some Space Monkeys? Can’t get enough Kozik? Roommate sold yours on eBay? Need more stuff to dust? It can’t be easier. Really.

THE ‘HELP US HELP YOU’ WAY: 1st prize will get the bigger chunk of Qee from the list above and some special last-minute add-ons direct from Toy2R. To win, just link to this contest on your blog, website or forum. If you post in a forum, make sure it has a unique thread so we can track it. Post the URL where you linked to us in the comments section below in order to get credit (and hey, reciprocal linking is cool). The person who helps spread the word and brings the most visitors to ToyCyte between when the contest goes live and the deadline will win first prize. Here’s a handy graphic you can use to link to this page: http://www.toycyte.com/toycyte-trick-or-qee-gigantic-giveaway

The contest is open to anyone, in any country and you can enter for 1st prize multiple times. Please try to post the link somewhere people appreciate toys and toy culture. If the link is already in a popular forum, crowding it with more links will probably only anger moderators. Entrees for 2nd prize are limited to one comment. Spammers will be disqualified. Deadline: Halloween at midnight PST. Winners will be announced November 1st.

About Toy2R

Created out of an obsession for art toys and collectibles, Hong Kong based company Toy2R continues to break down the boundaries between product design, art and graphics. Mastermind Raymond Choy founded the company in 1995 when he took his dream of a once owned toy store known as ‘Toy R’ (Short for ToyRaymond), which held countless quantities of limited edition toy collectibles, and turned it into an internationally recognized company. Toy2R was amongst the first to explore the potential of the designer toy, ultimately, instilling contemporary art into the vinyl toy market we all know and love today.

For more then 10 years, the iconic Toy2R Qee brand has been one of the most recognizable platforms in the designer toy genre. With their new US office, they will continue to work with established artists and new, creative talent to grow the artistic element of the brand. The expansion will allow for exciting promotional and licensing opportunities, including Pop-Up stores, Toy2R licensed merchandise and a regular presence at designer toy shows, conventions and trade shows. Kevin Winnik, a 15-year veteran of the toy industry, will be President and Director of Toy2R USA.

Toy2R continues to grow and influence the world while expanding the definition of art. Join the “Qeevolution” because everyone wants to collect more Qee!

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