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Something Fun For Your Monday
Monster Factory, those wacky Toronto-based plush and character designers have created Ponymath, a dedicated website for their so-called “sketchy” videos. If you’ve already had your fill of YouTube vids with people falling and kittens playing theremins, I urge you to give this a shot at a smile on a Monday. In the first video, Pickley explains the Internets, including riffs on popular memes like LOLcats. Along the way, Pickley coins some of his own catchphrases that could lead to memes of their own, like “sending information hither and thither,” “Digg it up! Digg it down” and “”Cause everybody loves steampunk!” In the second video, Pickley weighs in on the Olympics: “All I can do is head math and distance reading and freestyle destruction. I guess those are more life skills than Olympic skills.” I was almost ROFL. OMG! If you dig Pickley, check out his plush pals at the Monster Factory store.
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Continue reading...More Mountain Dew Artist Series 2
15. August 2008
Sunny blogged about how Mountain Dew collaborated with kaiju artist Mike Sutfin, and now here’s the rest of the Green Label Artists Series 2 bottles. Series 2 includes aluminum bottle designs by Billy the Artist, Mark Smith, Mike Sutfin, PJ Richardson, Stephan “Maze” Georges and Troy Denning (who also did the Dew with Pete Wollaeger in Series 1). Watch a video of the artists below. And check out the Green Label Artists website which has a bunch more info on the artists, plus a tool for designing your own bottle. Mountain Dew is my exclusive beverage of choice for blogging on hot days when I crave cold caffeine. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this, but if you need even more energy, do the Diet Dew. I could run marathons on a couple cans of that.
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Continue reading...Collab-o-Masks Videos
15. August 2008
Hey remember this story on Pete Wollaeger’s Luchador Collab-o-Masks? Pete just became ToyCyte’s MySpace friend (you can too) and sent us a couple videos of the masked mayhem. First up, you can catch a glimpse of the masks in ToyCyte’s hometown of San Francisco where folks were getting wacky last March in the Tenderloin, sponsored by Mountain Dew’s Green Label Art (for whom Pete was a series 1 artist). Following that, check out a vid of the recent showing of the the Luchador Collab-o-Masks at Per Square Metre in Melbourne.
San Francisco
Melbourne
Continue reading...Kitoy French DIY Figure
14. August 2008
Just saw this on Tomopop where they, too, dig international DIY toys. The Kitoy is a spare-no details platform toy from French designer Tan Ki whose name translates to Old Celtic Fire Warrior. Following sold-out Kitoys from 2006 and 2007, he now has the 2008 version for sale worldwide for $30 + shipping. The Kitoy includes a 3-inch white resin DIY figure, handmade box, signed and numbered (out of 100) authentication card, stickers and sandpaper. The figure is a bit like if you ran over a tokidoki Cactus Pup, which should lend itself to some cool customizations. Get your Kitoy here. [via Tomopop]
Continue reading...Munny Legends Series 1 by Stor Dubiné: The Videos
12. August 2008
Remember my post on Munny Legends Series 1 by Stor Dubiné? Turns out it was one of our most heavily-hit stories. Of course I want to say, “I told you so,” because the Legends of the 70s series is such a well-executed and inspired project. As I wrote the post I internally wondered, do people still know who Nina Hagen is (and do they realize she put on quite a Dennis Kucinich stump-fest on her wacky Nina-esque website)? Well it turned out not only do people know who Nina Hagen, Grace Jones and Elton John are, but they all said “I Feel Love” for Donna Summer. I asked Stor Dubiné when we’ll get a glimpse of the 5th figure in the series and he said it should be finished next week. No pronouns were mentioned, so the next Legend is entirely a mystery. In the meantime, check out cool videos of the four figures so far.
Check out this video: Munny-HAGEN created by Stor Dubiné 2008
Check out this video: Munny SUMMER - created by Stor Dubiné
Check out this video: Munny - JONES created by Stor Dubiné 2008
Check out this video: Munny Ton John - created by Stor Dubiné
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Continue reading...Blank Suburbs Present SKAFFS
4. August 2008
Luke Feldman (SKAFFS) had a solo exhibition titled “Perpetual Kagemi” in April ‘08. Blank Suburbs taped the installation and show, and Feldman shared the video on his blog. It’s not the same as being there, but the video is really cool. I wish I knew which music they picked for the background. It’s really nice. UPDATE: I got a note from Luke Feldman, and he said he wrote all the music in the video. I envy multi-talented people!
Feldman’s work was recently featured in SF Station, and you can read about it here.
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Continue reading...Check Out Alex Pardee’s CHADAM Trailer
1. August 2008
I can’t remember the time I’ve been as psyched to embed a video as this one. After its debut at SDCC 08, now neither time nor space are an obstacle for you to view the trailer to Alex Pardee’s CHADAM [blogged]. The 2:12 minute teaser is just that: it’ll leave you wanting more. Alex promises to release “a lot more exclusive images and secrets and stuff” on CHADAM’s MySpace page, so friend him up. Leave a comment there too. If I have to read one more idiotic post proclaiming “First!” or “woot,” heads are gonna Rickroll. Or maybe I have to join MySpace MySelf? Don’t tempt me ’cause I’ll do it.
A refresher course in CHADAM:
Chadam lives as the “chosen one” in the hyper-stylized and exaggerated metropolitan island city of Vulture. His power of imagination is strong enough to physically change his environment and, therefore, his world … to save it from evil. The series will find Chadam in a place of refuge where he and others have retreated to plan their attack against a serial killer known as Viceroy.
A dark, emotional action-horror-adventure fantasy story filled with self-discovery, Chadam will come to full 3D animated life via the magic of the Unreal Engine 3, the leading technology and development framework that powers cutting-edge games such as Gears of War and BioShock on today’s popular platforms, including PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Internet series will serve as an incubator for future expansion of the Chadam universe, from additional online episodes to television, film, videogames and more.
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Continue reading...James Jarvis Interview
28. July 2008
James Jarvis from Ika Zcha on Vimeo.
It’s Interview Monday. Following this morning’s video interview with Simone Legno, here’s a twelve minute insight into the mind and sketchbook of James Jarvis. James was interviewed by Alex Gould, a student at Liverpool, and the video was posted today on the Amos Blog. The video shows a great time lapse sketch, as well as insight into the “process” and how James’ drawings translate to toys, shirts and more. All perfectionists and OCD-types will want to hear James talk about accepting errors, the naturalness of drawing and leaving in unconscious (non-calculated) marks. He goes on to discuss the issue of how he is always “yo-yoing between the purity of minimal line and maximum cross-hatching,” as well as adapting to whatever opportunities come your way to make a living as an artist. Good stuff. Check it out!
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Continue reading...Radioactive GID Seamour Sheep from Crazy Label
25. July 2008
Crazy Label and Sevensheaven have turned out the lights to drop the the Seamour Sheep Radioactive Edition. You know that coworker/relative/frenemy you have who has all the USB gadgets? Now you can get him/her/you a Seamour Sheep figure that doubles as a limited edition USB-powered lamp. Seamour Sheep Radioactive Edition features atmospheric green LED lighting, a radioactivity warning sign on his side, a black pair of goggles sure to make the Steampunks swoon and a motion sensor controlled power switch. The motion sensor detects when you turn Seamour on his side and switches off Seamour’s light. To turn on the light again, simply put Seamour back on his feet. Makes a great nightlight, especially if you sleep with your laptop, like some bloggers I know. All this Radioactivity for a mere $69 here. Keep tabs on Seamour at the Seamour Sheep website.
Click through for more pics.
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Continue reading...Shepard Fairey x Billy Idol Idolize Yourself Interviews
10. July 2008
This is one of the most fun collabs that’s crossed my desk, and it’s not just because I’m a child of the 80s. As previously blogged here, Shepard Fairey did the package design and a screen-printed poster for Billy Idol’s new Idolize Yourself collection. Now the men behind two enduringly iconic faces (Shepard’s Andre the Giant, Billy’s own), go tete-a-tete on a series of 18 videos introducing tracks on the album. Idolize Yourself contains 31 tracks, including the classics, a couple live tracks, a pair of previously unreleased cuts and two new exclusive songs. First to debut on the promotional website, is an explanation of “Dancing With Myself” (inspired by Tokyo 1979). I’m hoping over the next 18 days, they touch on “Eyes Without a Face.” Check it out. (Oh, P.S. If you’re tired of hearing the mainstream media refer to Shepard amidst the flurry of Obama press as a “CEO in Pumas,” might I suggest “CEO in Sex Pistols shirt”?)
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Continue reading...The Vinyl Frontier Spotlight: Jamungo
9. July 2008
Daniel Zana is back with another volumen of The Vinyl Frontier Spotlight. In Volume 9, he speaks with Clay “Ferg” Ferguson and Trevor “VanBeater” Van Meter, co-founders of Jamungo. Ferg and VanBeater talk about the history of Jamuno, the Sqube, and Buds vs. Nades. They briefly discuss making rare toys, and I thought that part was fascinating. There is a lot of information packed into a 2+ minute clip. The Vinyl Frontier will be out in 2009, so stay tuned for more updates.
To see the previous Vinyl Frontier Spotlights, check Zana’s Youtube channel. The movie’s official website can be found here.
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Continue reading...PQ Kewpie Dolls Recall Kaws, Creep You Out
4. July 2008
This is some really wack bring-out-the-gimp Yo Gabba Gabba on crack kind of shit. I saw these PQ Kewpie Dolls on the Triclops Blog yesterday, but had to save it for closing time Friday because if something was ever NSFW, it’s certainly this. The twisted minds at Japan’s Build Up have quite royally debased the puritanity of the kewpie doll. Not that there wasn’t always something that creeped me out about kewpies, but well, this is different. At first I wondered if maybe I just thought this was bizarre because I don’t speak/read Japanese, but then there’s the dude getting a kewpie doll up the bum and it’s like, oh, well OK, some messages really do transcend the language barrier.
I’m sure it’s just coincidence, but don’t the last three recall a Kaws Dissected Companion, Warm Regards print and Bendy, respectively? The bottom row of Kewpies (Buff Q, Gross Q, Crap Q and Nyoro Q) are the newest in the series of cell-phone straps ($6.29 USD here), while the top row (Fat Q, Grandpa Q, Skinny Q and Melting Q) are the originals.
Build Up has produced short videos for 7 out of 8 of the Kewpies so far. I’d venture to say that the only vid safe in mixed company is Buff Q, which is just kind of a kaleidoscopic rendering of a Kewpie on ‘roids to techno. Gross Q incorporates a gun, box cutter, naked puppetry and exploding guts into a vignette that does make me wish I had a clue on the language tip. Fat Q gets cooked in a bowl of ramen. I have absolutely no idea what is happening in the Nyoro vid, but it involves possibly ear cleaning and romance gone awry. Skinny Q is a diet pill commercial that may in fact be endorsed by the Olsen twins. M. Night Shyamalan watched Grandpa Q and said to himself, “Damn, I wish I’d thought of this first.” And well, Crap Q, you’re just going to have to check that one out yourself. Zed’s dead baby…
PQ Kewpies can be procured at Strapya-World, the kind folks who make it possible for you to view these videos after the jump…Enjoy!
Continue reading...Project Colorize Video with Ron English and Tara McPherson
4. July 2008
The first of the 5 billboards for Ray-Ban x Project Colorize went live in NYC with the unveiling of Ron English’s piece. The launch included the presence of actors dressed in black wearing the signature sunglasses in the middle of Manhattan. The public art show literally stopped traffic, which echoes Ron English’s philosophy in the video below that “If you want to get hit by a car, go stand in the street.” Ron’s billboard blends the fashion trends of modernism and organic plant life to create a “fashion from another planet” look. The video also includes brief interviews with Tara McPherson (”What could be better than girls flying bunnies?”) and Toofly. Check out a photo gallery of the launch here. [Via Slam X Hype]
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Continue reading...10 Deep and Thunderdog’s Patriot Murko
1. July 2008
America can’t really seem to get enough bad PR these days, but what’s that phrase my mother used to say? You make your bed, you sleep in it. I wonder if Barbara Bush ever said that because certainly the presidential suite must resemble a cow pasture. And that’s kind of the point made by this new Murko figure with “Patriot” colorway. Murko is a collaboration between Thunderdog Studios and streetwear label, 10 Deep. Last year, they debuted the 5-inch tall, articulated, injection-molded PVC figure in standard and midnight glow colorways. Just in time for Fourth of July festivities, Murko is back with his brass-knuckle noggin and shit-eating grin, only now he’s got copious star power. His facial expression is rendered all the more appropriate by a t-shirt emblazoned with “Freedom Fries Taste Like Shit.” Well, they kind of do, don’t they? Patriot Murko becomes available today (right in time for your illegal fireworks!) wherever 10 Deep products are sold. View the video below for some guaranteed American glamorshots. [via Freshness]
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Continue reading...Kaws Video on i-D Magazine
30. June 2008
“You could be a kid from Connecticut…you could come to New York and smash it. You could have the presence to project to people, and then they meet you and you’re like a skinny blonde kid from Connecticut.”
So says Kaws in this new video by Jake and Kate Sumner for i-D Magazine. This is actually an interview with Brian Donnelly, the guy born in 1974 who would eventually go on to do his “illegal” art under the Kaws moniker. Like me, Kaws grew up in New Jersey watching The Smurfs and The Simpsons. Unlike me, he sells one Companion and earns what I make in a month…
Perhaps recognizing the fact that most folks can’t afford a Kaws piece, he talks about how he did the recent i-D magazine to reach a lot of people and give them something they can keep. He goes into the process of how the issue came to be and talks about the taboos of making product within street culture. Kaws comes off as a nice, quiet guy in contrast to his in-your-face work and it’s always cool to catch him in an interview. Click here to watch it.
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Continue reading...CANS (film) Festival
26. June 2008
London’s Cans Festival [tagged] occurred at the beginning of May and people are still talking about it. Compare that to the dying-out buzz over L.A’s Mr. Brainwash show, which is starting to turn negative amidst accusations of appropriation. If you missed The Cans Festival, and want to see some of the artists from whom MB cobbled together his own style, witness the work of Banksy, Blek Le Rat and Faile in this time-lapse video of the mayhem. [via Supertouch]
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Continue reading...Dalek Overweight Video from Irvine Contemporary
25. June 2008
With all that’s been going on recently in the L.A. art scene and the Tokyo toy scene, James Marshall (aka Dalek)’s Overweight art show at the Irvine Contemporary Gallery in Washington, DC managed to elude those not nearby. Though the exhibition may have ended a few days ago, the Internet grants eternal life. In this video, collectors talk about Dalek’s “energy” and the Murakami-esque direction his work has taken. Mark Irvine interviews Dalek about DC, his methods and what’s next. Click here to watch the video and here to see a slideshow of all the work. From the press release:
After many years of thinking about American culture, high and low, James Marshall has developed what he considers his most ambitious series of new works. His new body of work revels in a profusion and hyper-abundance of color and planes of space: the familiar lines and iconic “Space Monkey” references that defined his earlier work are only a starting point for a new series of meditations on the push and pull of forces he sees in contemporary life.
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Continue reading...Super-Bastard Box Art Characters From Undoboy
24. June 2008
Just saw this on JoshSpear, and now I’m thinking that this is one of the first papertoys to get me excited since Cardboy. Super-Bastard is a new Box Art Character toy designed and created by Undoboy. Undoboy is a graphic designer originally from Malaysia and now residing in Portland, OR.
Super-Bastard Box Art Characters consists of 16 toys in one set, with 4 unique characters on each face of the box. The toys are designed so that you can detach the head or the pants and interchange them. The philosophy behind the project begs the question: Can a George W. Bush head go with a Saddam Hussein commander suit? Each blind-boxed toy measures 4” (h) 2″ (w) x 2″ (w), or 101mm (h) x 50mm (w) x 50mm (w) and is made out of heavy cardstock with matte laminate. Each piece has a removable top (head) and bottom (legs) so that it can be mixed and matched across figures and rotated to form new mash-up characters. The character art incorporates all kinds of iconic images and pop culture references from presidents to bad guys to pop stars to apes to mummies. Super-Bastard Box Art Characters were produced in a run of 1000 pieces. Once they’re sold out, that’s it.
As with the many options for interchanging your Super-Bastard Box Art Characters, there are a bunch of ways you can purchase them:
- single character (blind box) for $5.95
- set of four (blind boxes) for $20.95
- set of eight (blind boxes) for $39.95
- set of twelve (blind boxes) for $59.95
- set of sixteen (complete set) for $99.95
Shipping is $5.95 for purchases up to $49.99 and $9.95 for purchases up to $9.95. In addition to the Super-Bastard Box Art Characters, Undoboy’s new web store includes wall decals (suddenly seems like everyone’s doing decals) and Mimobots. Stay tuned to Undoboy’s blog for more “design that brings happiness.”
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Continue reading...Dirty Hands Debuts in LA and Special Giveaway from Upper Playground
20. June 2008
If you’re in L.A. this weekend and you have a philosophical issue with Mr. Brainwash’s shindig, check out the new documentary Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe (previously blogged by Hana). The film documents Choe, a street artist who devises numerous criminal schemes that allow him to hitchhike across the globe. Interestingly, the following press release on Choe who says “it’s about destroying public property” and this video from reverse graffiti artist Moose who “makes pictures by cleaning” both arrived in my inbox this morning. I guess it’s Opposite Sketch Friday.
The world premiere of the Choe film will be at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Saturday, June 21st at 9:45 pm at The Majestic Crest Theatre. Get your tickets now as they’re selling quickly!
As an added bonus, Upper Playground created an exclusive t-shirt for the premiere on Saturday. You can get yours at the L.A. Film Festival this weekend.
But wait, there’s more! UP is giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner. Send an email to upperplaygroundblog@gmail.com with your name (and mention you saw this on ToyCyte) by 11:59 pm tonight. Upper Playground will randomly select a winner who will be notified via email tomorrow by 9 am PT. P.S. The tickets are just for the film fest. They won’t fly you in from NY or anything, sorry.
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Continue reading...Munky King Media
13. June 2008
The Munky King Media section is now online. I’ve noticed the Media page for a while, and I’ve been curious about it. The section is still new, but it already has a nice selection of videos and podcasts. One of the animations is “The Monkey King” by Nathan Jurevicius. The short piece shows the inspiration for the eventual Monkey King figure.
The podcasts are for the music junkies. At every release party or artist reception, Munky King’s resident DJ’s spin music ranging from electro to old school hip hop. The podcast sessions include the “Plasticgod Presents Icon” event [podcasts 1 and 2]. I remember that particular event because Plasticgod had a special contest. He had about 200 or so of his celebrity heads and icons, and you had to identify each one. I told my boyfriend to enter it because he is a huge fan of Plasticgod. Our combined effort was enough to win the contest: free tickets to see Digitalism and a custom portrait. It was one of those memorable experiences, and I’m glad they included the podcast from that event.
18. August 2008
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