This weekend saw the opening of a custom toy show based around the imagery of Japanese toys. It Came From Skullbrain profiled the talent (much of it local) from the Skullbrain forum, an off-shoot of San Francisco's Super7, which hosted the event. The night was already off to a great start when a good old Japantown-style fight broke out in front of Super7 shortly before doors. But to truly appreciate your toy art in the most surreal way possible, you need four guys in full KISS regalia.
Continue reading...Thursday, April 2, 2009
LA’s Munky King just put up the fantastic results of their DIY Pushers Show, based on the popular ‘Pusher’ figure by Thomas Han, released in a blank DIY form back in August. The show included custom Pushers by Joe Shea, Nathan Spoor, Elizabeth Ito, Marka27, Kii Arens, Racecar13, Axis, Brandt Peters, Dave Pressler, Paintmonster, Luke [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Comments Off
Bic Plastics is becoming the go-to company for huge and hefty toys. Case in point: Last year’s pieces by Marka27, MAD and David Flores. Now the Bic team (who we’d been speculating has some minis up their sleeves) joins up with Jesse Hernandez for a giant slice of culture. The prototype shown here [all pics and [...]
Continue reading...Friday, March 20, 2009
LA’s Munky King will be presenting its first group show of 2009 with their DIY Pushers Show, based on the popular ‘Pusher’ figure by Thomas Han, released in a blank DIY form back in August. The show is scheduled to include a huge array of top-notch artists, including (but not limited to) Joe Shea, Nathan [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, March 19, 2009
Comments Off
At VTN, Jesse Hernandez showed me a trailer for Vinyl Addiction via his iPhone. Now, Episode 1 has hit the airwaves, and Jesse represents for the media (in a Bay Area T-shirt) when he interviews Marka27 about toys, culture, influences and collabos. Jesse spent over a year working on the show for MYXtv (“The only music [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Thanks to good sleuthing by SpankyStokes, we know a few more details about the upcoming BICS project from Bic Plastics. While the big picture is still a mystery, some awesome affiliated artists have been named: MAD, Marka27, Brandt Peters, Kathie Olivas, Cope2, kaNO, Jesse Hernandez, Scribe, Andrew Bell, Sket, Indie84 and Angry Woebots. Will more [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, March 5, 2009
Comments Off
I have to observe that the actual, three-dimensional Jesse Hernandez Jaguar Warrior 8” Dunny looks even better than the sketches that we were teased with back in mid-January, and Kidrobot is making a big deal out of the release with a tour and a signing that crosses the US in only 4 insane days. Thankfully, [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Nutshack is coming back to Wondercon. Jesse Hernandez blogs that they’re bringing some great stuff, including Nutshack shirts, a chance to win a mixed-media original piece by Oakland artist DASH, and a Nutshack vs. Justene Jaro poster. Justene, who can claim previous appearances in Penthouse and car shows, will also be live on the [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Gino Joukar, a Los Angeles-based pop surrealism and urban art collector, is curating Movers & Shakers, a group show with an amazing roster. For a Valentine’s Day date that seeks to go beyond dinner and a movie, POVevolving Gallery is the locale. There are over 80 artists involved, and a sampling reads like a who’s [...]
Continue reading...Friday, January 23, 2009
Comments Off
Artwork from the recent kaNO x Jesse Hernandez Street Tribe show at MPH is currently available here. Check it out for custom toys and paintings on wood and canvas. You can also see some live painting and bundled up New Yorker’s at the event on MPH’s Flickr set.
Continue reading...Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Comments Off
A couple of our favorite artists are hooking up for an art event this Friday. myplasticheart presents: Street Tribe featuring kaNO x Jesse Hernandez. East Coast meets West Coast as NYC-based kaNO and San Francisco-based Jesse Hernandez battle it out in the streets of New York City. Bringing fresh new takes to each others’ signature [...]
Continue reading...Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jesse Hernandez has been carefully painting his Aztec-influenced designs across Munnys and Dunnys and Moneygrips and you-name-its for years now, and honestly, they’re awesome. Subtle, clean, angular colors always bring to mind the heavy Aztec influences of Jack Kirby and his crazy New Gods – so, I’m a fan, and it’s great to see a [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, January 1, 2009
There were a lot of disgusting headlines in 2008, and one of the many gripping stories of “Bad Newz” was the case of former Atlanta Falcon, Michael Vick’s, animal cruelty. Vick, who had been operating a dog-fighting ring, is now serving almost a 2-year prison sentence for his crimes. As for the dogs, 22 [...]
Continue reading...Monday, December 8, 2008
Vinyl Toy Network Winter 2008 was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to chat with artists, toy companies, shops, fans and collectors. People were lined up hours in advance to get a crack at exclusive art toys by Joe Ledbetter, Kathie Olivas, Frank Kozik, Gary Ham, Doktor A, MAD, Marka27 and others. Customized [...]
Continue reading...Monday, December 8, 2008
Comments Off
Jesse Hernandez was happy to mug for a photo mimicking his pose for the promo on his upcoming Vinyl Addiction series. Jesse is stoked on hosting the show about custom vinyl toys, and the excitement is pretty contageous. He’s got a sweet opening sequence on his cell phone. If you see him, ask to see [...]
Continue reading...Friday, November 14, 2008
Comments Off
Here’s a really good excuse to go get some an injection of culture and make your way to a museum. On December 6th at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, there will be an opening reception for this star-studded custom vinyl show called Dreams to Dreams. The reception will be from 1-4 and the show [...]
Continue reading...Saturday, October 25, 2008
Comments Off
Master-customizer (who is soon to release some original toys), Phu!, is sending in the troops to tonight’s custom Mad*L show at LIFT. As usual, Phu! combines debris into details: The 10-inch platform figure was enhanced with cardboard, cable ties, brass rivets, broken toy parts, disposable plastic spoons, hose clamps, felt, googles, plastic beads, bottle [...]
Continue reading...Monday, October 13, 2008
This was one of the most "pure fun" art shows I've seen in a while. It must be pretty hard to hang plush in a gallery setting, but they pulled it off with good lighting and a cool backdrop. Credit to Katie and G1988 for an awesome show and inviting me in early to take pictures. Art toys abounded, but no one was taking themselves too seriously between the spooky muzak and Kaiju Big Battel's psychedelic presence. It's also always great to see (in person) art by international designers I write about (like Tim Tsui, the inimitable Doktor A and DGPH to name a few), and it's also nice to watch local artists like Leecifer and Anna Chambers have their pieces snatched up quickly. For those who couldn't make it (the show runs through November 1st), enjoy a virtual tour below.
Continue reading...Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Custom plush and vinyl monsters are coming to G1988 in San Francisco TONIGHT. There will be an opening reception from 7-10PM with at least a handful of artists present. The furry frightfest is a global gallery from Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Germany, Australia and beyond. Monsters were created by Brandt Peters, Leecifer, Dan Goodsell, Tim Tsui, Kathie Olivas, kaNO, Jesse Hernandez...BE THERE!
Continue reading...Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Comments Off
Check out the nearly 60 Sharky customs including art by Brent Nolasco, Duncan Poon, KaNo, Banana Virus, Jeremiah Ketner, DrilOne, NEMO, Mr. Shane Jessup, Touma, MCA, Phu!, Heidi Kenney, Marka27, Jesse Hernandez, Shawnimals, Huck Gee, Annie Owens, Betso...
Continue reading...Thursday, August 7, 2008
Comments Off
Damn, this is a really rad custom Mad*l by MAD. I would love to give this to my Mom, who I respect, and who reads all my articles and occasionally asks me, “So what is a Munny again?” This custom is for the Eye Candy show at the Crewest Gallery in downtown LA. The [...]
Continue reading...Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Comments Off
Cardboard Spaceship held out to issue its SDCC 08 info, and you could say they subscribe to the old adage of saving the best for last. First up, there’s the eagerly anticipated Payday figure from N8 Van Dyke [blogged]. Then they have the first U.S. release of Crazy Label’s 8-inch Treeson [blogged]. Sure to sell [...]
Continue reading...Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Comments Off
The Rotofugi Plushform exhibit and launch party is just over a week away and I’ve been waiting for the leaks and peeks. On Monday, KaNO showed his custom Plushform, blogging that “plush is kind of hard to paint on, but once you get cracking it gets easier.” Taking a cue from KaNO, Sketchbot posted [...]
Continue reading...Thursday, June 5, 2008
Where do you hope to be on June 27th? I know where I will wish I was going to be, in Chicago Illinois at the Rotofugi Designer Toy Store and Gallery. Starting at six pm Rotofugi will go custom crazy with the much anticipated launch of the Plushform, the “totally customizable Designer Stuffed Toy” created [...]
Continue reading...Friday, May 2, 2008
Just got back from the Derailed Custom Train show. It’s so great to see art locally (and local artists) after all the NYCC hype (and drooling). Santa Cruz is kind of a collision of students, skaters, punks and hippies, and although every block of downtown has a self-styled musician in need of a bath, [...]
Continue reading...
Monday, April 20, 2009
11 Comments