ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected » plastic

Empir3 Partners with Toy2R for US Distribution

Jeremy Brautman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:42 +0000

What do Qee and rollerblades have in common? As of now, a distributor. And bonus: it’s in San Francisco. That ought to make it so that I don’t have to wait til months after Halloween to get a dang Pumpkinator Qee!

It’s Official! Empir3 Distribution will now be handling the US distribution for Toy2r. What this translates to is more Toy2r product selection in a much more accessible location. Vendors will now enjoy being able to sell Toy2r product without having to ship product overseas. This should help the lead times on getting Toy2r product.

Empir3 Distribution has a background in the action sports community with its core demographic being involved in in-line skate, freestyle skiing, and graffiti art. Toy2r saw this opportunity to partner with Empire to provide the vinyl toy world with even more exposure to an entirely new community while also making Toy2r distribution more convenient than ever.

Empir3 Distribution is located in the heart of San Francisco in the famous Lower Haight St. You can visit their retail floor (D-Structure) at 520 Haight St., San Francisco, CA, 94117.

For more information and wholesale inquires, please visit www.empir3.com

Qee 4 All indeed!

Toy2R Brings Copious Kozik to VTN

Jeremy Brautman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:44 +0000

The winners of the Toy2R x ToyCyte Halloween contest started getting their loot last week, and I’ve been vicariously enjoying (OK, envying) their new acquisitions. It’s been a while since I’ve entered a space that was chock full of Qee, so I’m eagerly looking forward to the Toy2R booth at VTN. Here’s a selection of the exclusives and advance items:

JOE LEDBETTER’S 7″ SMASH FIGURE - MONO EDITION (150 PCS) - $150.00 each **Available exclusively at the VTN event.
MOLLY QEE - ICE VARIANT (15 pcs) - $10.00 each **Advance Release
MOLLY QEE - MUSIC VARIANT (15 pcs) - $10.00 each **Advance Release
8″ QEE 2008 XMAS BEAR - CLASSIC GREEN EDITION (12 pcs) - $60.00 each **Limited to 130 pcs worldwide
8″ QEE 2008 XMAS BEAR - ICY BLUE EDITION (24 pcs) - $60.00 each **Limited to 130 pcs worldwide
8″ Frank Kozik’s Dr. Hairy Bomb (Flocked) Figure (12 pcs) - $50.00 each **Advance Release

Other items:

Frank Kozik 2.5″ REDRUM QEE SERIES
Frank Kozik Mini Potamus Series
Frank Kozik Xmas Merry Mini Bomb Set - Gold / Silver Edition
Frank Kozik 1.5″ Mini Bomb Series

Toy2R has promised a few more surprises by the time they get down there. Look for me to be overstaying my welcome at their table.

Hold Onto Your Cheesesteaks: Toy2R Pops Up in Philly

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:00:01 +0000

Toy2R just announced their second pop-up store–this time in Philadephia in conjunction with the group exhibit: GIVE LESS FRUITCAKE, BUY MORE ART! opening at T&P Fine Art on December 5th at 7PM. The exhibit will include artwork by:

Andy B. Clarkson, Angry Woebots, Benjamin Soto, Bob Dob, Brandon Friend, Brian M. Viveros, Chris Clark, Crazy Jake, Damion Silver, Dan May, Daniel Elson, Dave Pressler, Deborah Brackenbury, Ephameron, Food One, GALO, Isaac Pierro, Joe Grady, Joka, Kate Westerholt, Kevin Knight, Mad One, Matthew Ryan Sharp, Mark Bodnar, Misha, Morning Breath, Nathan Stapley, Parker Jacobs, Peter Chan, Rob Schwager, Sarah Folkman, Scott Musgrove, Steven Cerio, and Urban Medium

While the exhibit carries on – T & P will also feature Toy2R products by Frank Kozik and others. Figures will be on sale and display from December 5th through the 28th! This pop-up features last month’s successful Brooklyn premiere. Time to ring in the holidays with great art and some cool figures.

T & P FINE ART can be found at 1143 South 9th St. Philadelphia, PA 17147. Hours of operation: WED through SUN 3-9PM.

Le Zee Designer Series Is This Year’s Mother’s Little Helper

Jeremy Brautman — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:00:34 +0000

Who needs Valium when you’ve got Characterstation’s Le Zee figures? Designer Series 001 follows Zee Series 001, created by Swiss artist PIX for URFabulous, which saw the pill-headed characters in an assemblage of solid colors reminiscent of traditional capsule meds. I just want to take a moment to commend URFabulous on some of the most lofty justification to produce/collect vinyl toys I’ve ever read. Their website briefly chronicles the historical relevance of figures from the Tolita-Tumaco culture, who lived on the southwestern coast of Colombia and on the northwestern coast of the Equator between the years 600 BC and 400 AD to 2007 when Urfabulous, a Swiss outfit based in Geneva, “renewed the genre by breathing new life into the world of urban vinyl, mixing high-end production techniques with ancestral beliefs, thus returning to the very essence of figure creation using a spiritual approach in accordance with the fundamental magic principles of figure representation.”

Of Le Zee, they say specifically:

Mirroring the know-how and specialization of Swiss pharma R&D, Zee figures turn art into remedy by addressing motivational and well-being issues through combinations of colors and energies. Going beyond personalities to develop specific effects, Zee figures act like beneficial designer drugs that fine-tune their owner’s attitude and state of mind, while restoring balance to their energetic flow…

So basically, the gist is quit your Prozac and buy some Zee! You can still find Zee Series 001 and the 10-inch DIY Zee figures scattered around online, but the latest development is the new 2.5-inch designer series. Designers include: Flying Förtress, Denis Hérisson, Gruko, Nathalie Oswald, Federico Massa (CRUZ), Geoffrey Baumbach, Sady and a secret figure by PIX. Each of the standard figures have a 1:9 ratio and the entire series is limited to 1111 pieces. The series boasts great authentic pharmaceutical packaging. If you find the secret figure, you can get an ultra-rare 10-inch Zee figure by PIX. Check out the dedicated mini-site to view figures like Femdom from all angles.

I am living on Channel Zee…

LOST Kubricks Meet Creator

Jeremy Brautman — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:00:22 +0000

In the battle between Northern and Southern California, I’d like to point out that Medicom’s LOST Kubricks hit the San Francisco scene first (see LOST Kubricks Wash Ashore in San Francisco). However, Los Angeles does know how to throw a star-studded party, and that’s exactly what they did last week at Hollywood’s Meltdown Comics. JJ Abrams made the event, along with series producers and writers, lots of fans in Dharma gear and several cases of Kubricks. The entire crew signed a 1000% Be@rbrick to be auctioned for the Children’s Defense Fund, although it may be the case that the woman in the picture below made off with it.

The occasion also led into the debut of a smaller, but similar LOST 100% Be@rbrick ($15 here). L.A., not being able to miss a publicity stunt, filmed the whole thing for possible use on LOST’s season 5 DVD. Check out the LA Weekly’s coverage here.

Here Are More Be@rbrick Figures for Your Xmas List

Sunny Chanel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:08 +0000

Be@rbricks are hear to spread love, joy and yuletide cheer this holiday season. Yup, that’s how they role. This December Medicom will be releasing even more Be@rbricks for you to hope and wish for and to have them appear in your Xmas stocking. Here are some of the highlights of the upcoming releases:

The Merry Green Christmas Be@rbrick: This one is green for a reason, a part of the proceeds will go to an environmental organization. They’ll be out in Japan on December 5^th
The Libertine Be@rbrick: This festively illustrated figure is a Isetan Exclusive and will be released on December 3^rd.
Colette – My First Be@rbrick Baby 400% is a clear figure that holds little itsy bitsy balls. It will be released on December 6^th and will be limited to 800 pieces. In collaboration with the super cool Paris store of the same name.
Futura G-Shock is the multi-colored limbed Be@rbrick. It’ll be out mid December and will come with a combo with a G-Shock watch.
Also available will be Zoomin & Charmin of a Japanese show, Lost figure with Dharma logo, Tokyo Tower tribute, Artyz, Misia, and a BooBo Xmas version.

Now put ALL that on your list to Santa.

Be@rbrick Series 17 Coming Soon

Sunny Chanel — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:30:32 +0000

December brings many things. Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years Eve, and rolled right up there with all that awesomeness is the new Be@rbricks Series 17 by Medicom. There will be ten new figures from an eclectic mix of influences and collaborations, and features a guest appearance of none-other than the ultra famous and endlessly branded Mickey Mouse.
Here is a breakdown of what will be included in Series 17:

Basic – a yellow honey hued matte bear
Jellybean – A clear deep honey colored bear
Patapon by Rolito – A colorful piece with retro artwork
Russian Flag – White, Blue and Red bold colored
K-20 - A character from the movie K-20
SF – Transformer looking graphics (to be honest, I don’t know…do you?)
‘Cute’ – As if a five year old attacked it with their crayolas
Mickey Mouse. Yup, the Disney character is everywhere. You can not stop him.
Artist – The World of the Golden Egg – yellow and red magic
Artist – Alexander Girard – A pink and red tribute to the stunning modern art of Girard

custoMONDAY: Win a Yolkel by Jason Freeny

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:00:37 +0000

About Jason Freeny

Armed with a youthful, overactive imagination, Jason Freeny creates smart, intricate illustrations that tickle the deviant intellect through a hard graphic, pop iconography and wit. Jason has worked with LEGO, MTV and Nickelodeon and has been featured in the pages of Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz and Heavy Metal. His anatomy illustrations have circulated the Web from BoingBoing to Nerdcore. You can pick up one of his print pieces here, some wearable art here, and convenient exoskeletons for all your gadgets here. He has, on the horizon, several magazine pieces, a couple top secret product projects and a collaboration with the United Arab Emirates. Every once in a while, Jason returns to 3D form and busts out a choice custom piece. Which brings us to…

The Contest

You are playing for a customized 3.5-inch Baby Egg Qee based on the platform by Toy2R. The Yolkel is part of a dozen hand-made Qee figures by Jason Freeny. There are no figures like these in production. If you want to score one, leave a comment telling us your best guess as to what Jason eats for breakfast every morning. Closest answer wins the Yolkel!

The Interview

Q: Tell us about the process of creating this Yolkel (from concept to cutting to kid-testing)?

A: It is very rare that I design a custom. I need to have a smart and solid idea before I’m willing to totally lay waste to my office space for a few weeks. I dont like creating customs just for the sake of creating customs. I always like to create designs that both explore the insides as well as the outsides of the 3D form. I had come up with the eyes and mouth as a negative space some time ago for an illustration. It was meant to be shapes floating in the sky acting as a hole with an alternate universe on the other side. The tongue was a device to illustrate this concept by punching through. To this day I have yet to execute this illustration but the face idea was always floating around in my head. I first used this idea on a Dunny (both small and large) and was very happy with the results. A simple idea is at times the most successful, and the soft defined curves with a goofy hole and tongue exposing the dark space within just worked so well. I was getting request upon request from people to make more of the Dunnys for purchase. Unfortunately Kidrobot doesn’t offer DIY Dunnys, and the design didn’t look as well on their blank Munnys (whose shape is less dynamic). So I basically went on a mission to find the ideal form that I could use to produce a small run that wouldn’t end up costing people an arm and a leg. The Egg Qee [by Toy2R] was perfect.

My process was simple: create a stencil of the face and trace and cut with a very sharp x-acto knife. Then sand the openings till smooth. The tongues were sculpted from a mixture of magenta and white sculpy, baked and given a shiny clear coat via krylon. I always incorporate my 5-year old son in the process when I can; he loves to play with whatever I am working on. He was kept at bay during the cutting process but helped “organize” during the sanding. But mostly he just played with the Qees I wasn’t sanding at the time. Once all the pieces were ready, I glued in the tongues with a little drop of 5-minute epoxy.

Q: I’m imagining your work area as half design studio and half science lab? How off am I?

A: When we used to live in Manhattan, I had an actual “Design Studio” that was ultimately sacrificed as a baby nursery when my son was born. This event alone was the driving force in my decision to go digital. I was a 100% traditional artist before this time. Everything was drawn, hand painted, airbrushed and sculpted. While the transition from “raw art” to “digital art” was a painful one, I have no regrets and fully embrace what it is I do now. I do still, from time to time, pull out my sketch book and doodle. Now that we live in a house, my wife and I share an office space. It is pretty much strictly a computer room, but at times, like with the egg Qee, I treat myself to some good old handy work.

There is no science lab but I do love anatomy and toys and there is a small collection of both surrounding my desk. When I find an item that encorporates both toy and anatomy, I get very excited. I really want one of those Kaws half-anatomy [Dissected] figures but they have moved out of my price range… Maybe one day…

Q: What caused you to first explore the innards of a gummy bear?

A: My first anatomy Illustration was an illustration I did while a freelance illustrator for Penthouse called “Incubus”. It, of course, was adult-oriented and never used, but it did strike an interest in both anatomy and schematic diagrams. The Balloon dog “Pneumatic Anatomica” was the real beginning of what it is that I am doing now. The response to this piece was overwhelming. I started looking at anatomy in just about everything… The Gummi Bear was the next victim.

Q: Who/what are some of your artistic inspirations?

A: I find inspiration in just about everything and it is usually completely unexpected. I’ve always found inspiration in the works of masters like Dali and Escher as well as George Petty, Sorayama, Warhol and Robert Williams, to name a few.

Q: What programs/tools do you use in your digital designs?

A: I work on MacPro using Maya, Illustrator and Photoshop

Q: What materials do you use in your sculptures?

A: I sculpt using sculpy and anything else that suits the situation (metal rods, washers, wood etc…)

Q: Do you ever run into people who have your designs as skins on their iPods/laptops/cell phones?

A: Haven’t seen any of my skins/shirts in the wild yet, but I’ll probably be tickled when I actually do. I have had friends spot them though…

Q: Do you have any advice for readers who are looking to license their art?

A: Licensing is a great thing. You are getting paid for something you already did. So my advice is, “yes, license.” The hard part is pricing the license fees. I am still pretty new at this and am getting more knowlegable as it comes. I go to the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines all the time to get a good idea of what a reasonable fee would be. If you do this kind of work, it’s a must have book…

Q: I know you like Toy2R’s Qees and IWG by Rocketworld. What other figures do you collect?

A: I am not a “completist” by any means. I only collect toys, characters and designs I like. When I started, this was like a candy store, but now they seem to be harder and harder to find. there is so much stuff out there that just doesn’t inspire any more. The relative affordability of putting out a limited edition toy is becoming a double edged sword. On one hand, all these small establishments can afford to get their ideas out, on the other side, all these small establishments can afford to get their ideas out.

I am usually a sucker for anything decorated by Tim Biskup.

Q: What’s next for Jason Freeny?

A: I have plenty of anatomy schematic ideas in my head ready to be liberated, this includes some illustrations that will keep in the same “humor” but not be a direct anatomy diagram, similar to my “Immaculate Confection” piece. All of these are on hold in the short term due to the influx of projects that are landing on my doorstep recently. I’ve been bombarded with magazine featurettes, ten-plus in the next month alone. I have some product projects in the works but cant really talk about them due to non-disclosure forms, but I am EXTREMELY excited about them to say the least. There is a Harper Collins publication coming out soon showcasing 100 international illustrators for which I was asked to participate. And I am in the process of producing a series of custom posters of my anatomy works to hang on display in the Jumeira Brainobrain youth school system in Dubai UAE.

Listen Up: The Dolbee Compact Characters Arrive at ToyToyko

Sunny Chanel — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:00:07 +0000

If you spied images of the Dolbee Compact Characters that were floating around a while back, like Jeremy’s write-up, Dolbee Makes Me Nostalic for My Walkman, and you wanted, nay needed, one, well here’s your chance. Originally the items were only available in the United Kingdom with tie-ins in conjunction with the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival and Don’t Look Back concerts. There was the Portishead design by Mad*L (365 made), Kathie Olivas for the Pitchfork Media Festival (366 made) and Michael Motorcycle’s Jive Turkey piece for the an event in Minehead, UK (366 made). All were produced by MAD’s toy/design company.

But now, you, in the comfort of your own home, without jumping on a British Airways flight, can get your own Dolbee directly from New York based Toytokyo. The five-inch cassette tape shaped Dolbee comes in an old school boom box shaped box. For $39.99 you’ll be tuned in.

Tengu Toy Makes Long Hours at the Computer Less Isolating

Jeremy Brautman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:08:29 +0000

Long hours in front of the computer and the relative somnambulism of my cat make for the need to call in reinforcements. I just found out about the Tengu USB toy, which has a cult-like YouTube following (see one of my favorite videos below). Tengu is a USB-powered character that lights up and lip syncs to music, or your voice, or whatever noise happens to be around at the time. Tengu has different facial expressions that you can match to different music. When there’s no sound he’ll simply fall asleep. As soon as he detects some noise he’ll wake up again. Tengu is a stand-alone device that does not require any additional software on the host computer. It was created by London-based designer Crispin Jones for Solid Alliance (see great graphics here). The plastic chanteuses measure 2.75h x 1.5w x .5″d and can be purchased for either $35 from Uncommon Goods or $50 from MOMA (if you need to pay more to prove it’s a piece of art). I’m gonna put one of these on my wishlist and see what it does with some Coil or my new T.W.E.R.P. Mad*L.

Toy2R’s Qees Take Over Hot Topic

Sunny Chanel — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:00:57 +0000

Yeah, Toy2R and their cute Qees are plotting, scheming and setting an agenda to take over our country. How do they plan to do that? Through the hearts and minds of our youth. Toy2R USA will soon be distributing the Qee brand in oodles of Hot Topic stores in malls everywhere (and online). Yup, the place you can buy your Twilight T-shirts, Vans, and Guns and Roses onesies for the baby will soon carry some choice Qee-ness in their teen and tweener-filled aisles.

This, I take it, is phase two of their take over plan. Phase one was their pop up shop that opened up in Brooklyn, New York. What will Hot Topic be carrying? There will be some Mini Qees Zipper Metallic Pulls, Frank Kozik’s Redrum Qee Bears, DIY Blank Qees (for the arty kids), as well as the Spider-Boon mini figure series by the Ugly Dolls’ David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim.

OMG, It’s an OC Be@rbrick!

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:00:53 +0000

In America, if you buy a Pepsi, you get a free download at some esoteric MP3 website that requires registration. In Japan, you can get a Be@rbrick. Via ToyBeast:

Suntory Limited is going to give away a 70% Warner Brothers Be@rbrick with every bottle of Pepsi Nex this December. There are a total of 12 designs of Warner Brothers Be@rbricks including: Superman Returns, The Matrix Reloaded, Artificial Intelligence: AI, The Dark Knight, 300, V For Vendetta, Happy Feet, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Enter The Dragon & The O.C.

I am digging the V for Vendetta Be@rbrick, but I’d pick up the OC one for kitch factor. The show doesn’t seem to have lasted long enough to merit a Be@rbrick (What’s next? The Hills Be@rbrick?), although it certainly helped geeky guys with music savvy get more dates. You could pose this Be@rbrick next to your Frank Kozik A Clockwork Orange Qee set and see what kind of Ultraviolence happens when the lights go out.

Futura Brooklyn Be@rbricks and Clothing Range

Jeremy Brautman — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:53:42 +0000

I’m heading to Brooklyn for the holidays, and maybe I ought to pick up some of this new Futura gear for the trip. For Spring/Summer 2009, Futura Laboratories pays tribute to Brooklyn with a range of warez inspired by the city. The collection includes various t-shirts, fitted New Era caps and paint-splattered selvedge denim jeans. Each piece of the line will be accompanied by a new 100% Be@rbrick. The collection is now available for pre-order at Stless in Japan and will be released officially on November 17. [via Guillotine]

Toy2R Pops Up in Brooklyn With Frank Kozik Premieres

Erika Sequeira — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:09:28 +0000

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.

The Dark Apearance of Demon’s Chronicle XII

Collin David — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:00:32 +0000

Following along in the theme of ‘Things That I Love But Completely Don’t Understand’ comes the twelfth installment of Yanonman’s Demon’s Chronicle gashapon, titled ‘Exercitus Caelestis’. After exploring the zodiac, Egypitian mythologies, and plenty of naked-chick-spirit-animals, this newest series drives a theme of ‘demon sidekicks’ to assemble a series of eleven amazingly crafted miniature figures. As a hardcore collector of these who has come no closer to understanding them, I can personally maintain that these are artful and unusual enough to warrant a place in any collection.

As with most gashapon, they’re blind-boxed and available almost exclusively overseas. Will you get the brass-playing cat (Byleth’s Cat), the baby-demon riding the two-headed dragon (Varak’s cherubim), the goose lion (servant of Ipos), or the (present in almost every series) bare-chested harpy? Each figure also comes in two versions - painted, and a statuesque beige. The eleventh figure remains unlisted and mysterious, but if history is any judge, it’ll be far stranger than any of these here - like, a praying mantis in a derby eating a small naked man out of a skull or something.

Droid Birds Are Ready to Fly the Coop

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:00:28 +0000

Hooray for toys I like and thought might have fallen by the wayside only to find out they’ve been resurrected! I first blogged about Boids by 2 Petal Rose back in June, and you can see by comparison they’ve gone through an evolution where a bit of the cute-factor was cut. I think the brothers Ben and Liam got the mix just right, and you know what, maybe it’s the roundness, but they’re still kind of cute. The Boids are made of plastic and measure 3 inches in all directions. They are available in gold, silver, bronze and black blanks. Boids come disassembled with decals and a little easy instruction booklet included in the box, so you get to make them however you want. The Boids will be available in the 2 Petal Rose shop on November 17th at the affordable rate of £12 (~ $18 USD) for the painted versions and £8 (~ $13 USD) for the blanks. Edition size TBD. Liam said the shipping to the US should be pretty low on account of the lightness of the figures. I’d also like to put out there that my girlfriend liked the initial sculpt of this, which means it has a fighting chance of making it out of the cramped quarters of my office space and into the rest of the house where it might join the similarly approved GAMA-GO Deathbots. Fly little Boid!

Toy2R Releases Two 8-inch Christmas Qee Bears

Jeremy Brautman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:00:09 +0000

Toy2R is bringing some holiday cheer to collectors with the release of two 8-inch Holiday Qee Bears for 2008. This release includes the Traditional Green Bear and a Wintery Blue Bear. Each is limited to only 130 pieces with an SRP of $70 each. Toy2R says the “better than a sweater” gifts will be delivered in time for the holidays, but I’m waiting to confirm where these can be ordered. On a related note, I’m considering running some sort of Holiday Qee Draw Drive where people are encouraged to submit designs for other winter holidays besides Christmas (there are a couple). You can download templates for all the Qee characters here. Feel free to link to your designs in the comments and/or send them to me. I’ll try to get them to the right people for you, as Toy2R did express interest in representing Chanukah, for instance. Anyway, a few of these Christmas Qees will be available at today’s pop-up store event and a few more at VTN in Pasadena in December.

LEGO’s Brickmaster Club Visits the Dark Side

Collin David — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:00:28 +0000

I usually test out potential paramours by informing them that I’m a member of the LEGO Brickmaster club. If they stick around, I just assume that it was either destiny or because I intentionally broke off the lock on my passenger side door.

Okay, I kid, but every two months, I shake the mail and listen intently. If it sounds like something was horribly mangled into a thousand pieces, that usually means that my bi-monthly LEGO rations have arrived. This month’s Brickmaster package is just arriving into subscribers’ mailboxes, and this time around, it’s a 64-piece Star Wars clone tank, which is unavailable in stores. Past offerings have included Indiana Jones scenes, robots, and an odd vehicle or two, but if you’re a LEGO fanatic, you’ve already dissected the suggested constructions and made something far more wicked awesome out of the wreckage. My 12″ tall Iron Monger agrees. Star Wars nerds, subscribe NOW, because LEGO has quietly promised another Star Wars set for their December / January kit.

These exclusive toy offerings tend to spike on the secondary market, especially if they deal with a popular property. Here’s a tip for hesitant Brickmaster subscribers who haven’t yet taken the plunge : purchase the subscription and sell the Legoland ticket that’s included in the membership. You’ll almost definitely get your full investment back, as well as a year’s worth of free LEGO. I get pretty sneaky when it comes to LEGO.

Kim SongHe Be@rbrick Contains Objects Inside

Jeremy Brautman — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:00:20 +0000

Medicom Toy collaborated with Kim SongHe on a special Be@rbrick containing objects in the Be@rbrick itself. (This reminds me of some of the recent Runcible figures by Cris Rose.) The pair of 100% & 400% Be@rbricks will be available on November 18th at Project 1/6 in Tokyo, Japan at ¥1575 (~$16 USD) for 100% and ¥7140 (~$72 USD) for 400%.

Kim Songhe is a Korean national born in Tokyo on January 8th, 1982. After her graduation from Oda Design Institute in Tokyo, she got inspired to create art sculptures by using what some people may consider garbage or junk. Currently, her main work consists of designing shop window displays as well as her creation of original made-to-order chandeliers. Most of her work is crafted by hand with natural materials and reusable wastes. She says that she wants to bring new life to objects that were almost dying. The mood and style of her work is very conceptual, chic, and romantic. [via ToyBeast]

It’s A Trap!

Collin David — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:37:31 +0000

While I haven’t been officially diagnosed, I have a serious thing goin’ on for cephalopods. Not like a ‘disturbing internet video’ thing - I’m just inexplicably drawn to all things aquatic and betentacled. So, it’s not much surprise that I’m all tingly with the news that the Previews Exclusive Admiral Ackbar Mighty Mugg has finally been released and is fast on the way to local comic shops.

Hasbro’s sudden foray into the designer toy world has found a surprising amount of cross-genre success, with adorable Muggs spanning the Marvel, Star Wars and Indiana Jones universes. While the blank, customizable Muggs remain completely oblivious about what a customizable figure is (give us a surface that doesn’t repel paint or require a high-intensity laser to penetrate, Hasbro!), it’s a neat way to introduce the artful side of toys to your everyday artless nerd. Ackbar is only available from locations that order through the Previews catalog - so that excludes most large chain toy shops.

It’s also worth nothing that Hasbro has also recently released an exclusive Red Skull Mighty Mugg figure. While not a suitable character for your local Wal-Mart (surprisingly), I remain uneasy with the idea of interpreting a violent Nazi, however fictional he may be, into an ultra cute, displayable format.

Royale Fam Be@rbrick and Tee Set Drops Friday

Jeremy Brautman — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:00:28 +0000

This Be@rbrick from Singapore-based sneaker designer SBTG/Royale Fam has generated plenty of hype on its own (just Google it; might be one of the most blogged Be@rbricks in recent times), but our friend Phu! forwarded this flyer, and it’s a good time for grassroots campaigns. Writes Phu!:”I got some fresh info regarding my bro Mark aka SBTG. He’s launching his Medicom Bearbrick set (400% & 100%) this week 7th online and 8th selected stores worldwide.” There you have it.

And the Winners Are…

Jeremy Brautman — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:58:09 +0000

Thanks to EVERYONE who entered. Your comments came in from all over and were amusing, entertaining and occasionally frightening–exactly how Halloween should be. We had so many great comments; it was hard to pick just one. So we didn’t: Toy2R was kind enough to extend prize packages to three honorable mentions. Congrats everyone! And there are no losers. Toy2R will be bringing the party to your neighborhood starting this week in Brooklyn. ToyCyte will have plenty of contests to keep you busy in the meantime, like a little something from Touma coming your way. Check out today’s custoMONDAY to win some figures, too. And hold tight for December, when we’ll be running another big Toy2R x ToyCyte giveaway for the holidays.

And the winners are…

1st place: Mike Slobot! His link on Notcot caught art-minded peoples’ attentions in droves. Welcome to all the new peeps who came over. Hope you find something you like and stick around.

Writes Mike: “the slobot factory is under strict orders… make room for incoming new recruits. slobot production to be stepped up to meet the expected increased demand, and no lackadaisical attitudes will be tolerated.”

2nd place: Joe from Hawaii. His comment reminded us of our own klepto childhoods and neighbor-envy. The winning comment: “I need these Qees because my mom never bought me toys when I was a kid. My next door neighbor was a brat who was always the first kid on the block to get the newest stuff. I had to get toys my own way. I was a little klepto for G.I. Joes. Yes, I admit it! I stole from my neighbor (hope he’s not reading). But when I grew out of it, I eventually sold all my G.I. Joes to him for a great price. I’m a good boy now. True story! Let me be the envy of my neighborhood for once lol! Gimme free Qees pleez! Have a great weekend.”

Writes Joe: “Thanks ToyCyte for having an awesome contest! Thanks to you, I’ll be less inclined to revert to my evil childhood ways. Great timing too! Now I get to show off my new Qees when I go home for Thanksgiving. I’ll be sure to stop by my neighbor’s place and say, ”check out my new Qees….jealous??” Haha!”

Honorable Mention: Karrah from New York. She charmed us with her vinyl-on-vinyl spin. Writes Karrah: “Can’t wait for the little guys to get here. My band is going on tour in a few months, and I’m sure that more than one of them will end up stuck to the dashboard of the van, to help us navigate.”

Honorable Mention: Louie from South Carolina. He posted about the contest all over the place and gets props for his dedication to the vinyl toy scene. Writes Louie: “I guess I just want to thank you for adding a great new site to the vinyl toy community and for doing your best to get the love spread around. And a giant thanks to Toy2R for being so generous with their awesome product.”

Honorable Mention: Ben from Southgate, UK. He penned a lovely little poem for us. Writes Ben: “Its great to win this award, my poetry teacher would be so proud. This may mark a turning point in my life, and I think I will have to give up the rude limericks forever now… Thank you ToyCyte, you’ve made my year!”

Giant Lego Man Discovered on Brighton Beach

Sunny Chanel — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:41:26 +0000

On Brighton Beach in England, some kids were doing their thing, playing, running, goofing off. And then they found him: The giant Lego Man. The six-foot tall plastic red, yellow and green Lego Man’s origin is a mystery. Some think he could have fallen from a passing cargo ship or maybe from some place across the Channel but so far, there are no clues to where he calls home.

This is the thirtieth anniversary of the Lego man. He was first made as a policeman in 1978 and has had countless incarnations since, including an astronaut, cowboy, and pirate. This one was just man. But one very very big man. In August, another seafaring Lego Man was discovered on the banks of Denmark, and since this one has some Dutch writing on it, there is the thought that the Dutch were ‘returning the favor.’

For now, until Lego Man’s family or friends come forward, he’ll be calling Brighton Beach home. The kids, they love him.

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