Exclusive Artist Custom MegaSeths for ToyConUK

Lisa Rae Hansen's MegaSeth is hugely popular and even spawned a Tenacious Toys exclusive "Love Monster" edition.  Recently she sent unpainted figures to four of her favorite artists and they returned them as the amazing pieces you see below.  These custom MegaSeths from artists Jon Paul Kaiser, RunDMB, DMS and Mr. Lister will be available at Lisa's I Break Toy's booth (#39) at ToyConUK.  In case you can't make it over the pond to pick one up, Lisa will have any not sold at ToyConUK will be available at her site.  Lisa will also be debuting the first 10 DIY MegaSeths at her booth as well.

-The Highest Fever

@thehighestfever

We Become Monsters launches Crypt Creepers resin series

Crypt Creepers resin figures by We Become Monsters

Chris Moore, the madman behind the nightmarish creations at We Become Monsters, has just announced that his Crypt Creeper resin series is now available for purchase.  The series is a run of 25 hand cast and hand painted 4" tall resin figures in a variety of colors.  Each is polybagged and comes with a header art card.  

Crypt Creepers

-The Highest Fever

@thehighestfever

Emirati Mo Abedin Announces First Middle Eastern Anime and Manga Title Raiiken

Our friend and cohort in the Middle East, Mo Abedin, is incredibly industrious and ambitious. I've been following him, and chatting with him, through the development of his Foo Dog brand, his MEGA DIY figures and the Mercury sculpture pictured below.

Mo Abedin's Mercury sculpture, available on our Super Series Sundays page

But Mo cannot be easily compartmentalized into just the "toy maker" category... he recently made the rounds at the impressively large and well-attended Middle East Film and Comic Con (which I hope to attend one day) promoting his upcoming project Raiiken, which will be a manga and anime export which he intends to release in Japan. Below is a great video interview detailing the Raiiken concept and Mo's long history with imported Japanese anime properties:






I have a great respect for Mo, who seems to be gracefully defying the American perception of Middle Eastern youth culture... if you listen to Mo speak about his childhood, you realize that our perception of the Middle East might be, shall we say, skewed.

I blame the American media, and I feel it's only fitting that Mo is pursuing the development of a new media property which will turn our ill-conceived perceptions upside-down.

He's held huge toy show in malls, produced his own lines of toys and is obviously well-connected. I've seen pictures of him talking art with sheikhs! And here I struggle to get third-tier journalists at our free daily papers to mention my shop...


If you want to follow Mo, his Facebook page is here and his Twitter is here. Big things coming from this guy. Watch him.

 - Benny Kline

Tasha Zimich x UVD Interview & Dunny Release

I want to share a couple new pieces I worked on for Urban Vinyl Daily, "Oops" and "Oww" custom 3" dunny. We published an interview on UVD here where I share some thoughts on my processes and artmaking. Alongside the interview, these 2 dunnys released on their eStore here.

"Oww"'s had a rough day! I'm positive his sister had a hand in it, she's looking either embarassed & apologetic, or cheekily remorseless. "Oww" is currently up for adoption here.

-Tasha Zimich

Kevin Derksen for Some Assembly Required Exhibition Hope Gallery

Holy shooting skulls, Batman! Kevin Derksen's contributions for "Some Assembly Required" custom toy show at Hope Gallery, New Haven CT are out of this world. The piece pictured here, "Death Head Krote" is a 3D printed Skull on the legs of a Maschinen Krieger Krote (1/20 scale).

This show will feature artists from around the country, Grimm Vinn, Scotty Munster, Jesso, ZAM,Jamie Henderson, SKET ONE, Monster Kolor, Emil Edge, Oddity Tattoo, Kevin Derken, DJ Tambe, Hope Galleries, Eric Merrill, Julio Rodriguez, Tim Harris, Phil Young, Christian Perez, Ralph Giordano, 

Some Assembly Required opens April 12th at 7pm, serving drinks and refreshments, so get in early to see and acquire gorgeous pieces like this Death Head Krote.

-Tasha Zimich

Announcing the Tenacious Toys® My Rewards Program

We are very excited to announce the new Tenacious Toys® My Rewards Program! This is a program which AUTOMATICALLY assigns rewards points to you for each purchase you make at Tenacious Toys. Redeem your points for discounts on purchases of ANY item!

Basically this system is set up to give to 10% back on every purchase. Spend $100, get points worth $10. Spend $500, get points worth $50.

Here's how it works:

1. Once your order has shipped, your My Rewards Points will be redeemable the next day. You will know your order has shipped when you receive an email from us with tracking info. It is the act of us marking your item shipped (by adding the tracking number to your order and marking the order "Complete") that triggers the system to add the points to your account.


2. To view your My Rewards points, simply click on MyRewards in the My Account section or Rewards in the nav menu.


3. Enter the total amount (in points) you'd like to redeem (10 My Rewards points = $1). Minimum redemption is 100 points (worth $10).


4. You're now ready to save on your next purchase. Upon placing your order, your redeemed My Rewards points will automatically be deducted from the total purchase amount. You do not need to redeem all of your points at once, but you do need to redeem a minimum of 100 points (which is a $10 discount off your next order).

The best part is, this program was activated in early 2014. I wanted to test it out and make sure it was working right before I made the announcement. So, if you've completed a purchase in 2014 (and it was an in-stock item that has already shipped to you) go ahead and log into our site to check how many points you have accrued!

How to locate your My Rewards points balance:
Log in to Tenacious Toys. Click on My Account (if you're not already there). At the bottom of the My Account dashboard is the link to the My Rewards Program page.

Plaseebo Dead Ben for Monster Kolor

"DEAD BEN"
                                                                                                       Copyright Bob Conge 2010

While a gravesite in the burial grounds of Philadelphia's Christ Church is marked "Benjamin Franklin 1790", he does not lie beneath that soil or any other for that matter.

This great American founding father, author, political theorist, statesman, and inventor was a fine scientist as well.
It was Franklin's research of lightning and electrical fluid in combination with his experiments in refrigeration and heat conductivity that led to his quest for immortality.

In 1773, when Franklin's work had moved from printing to science and politics, he corresponded with a French scientist on the subject of preserving the dead for later revival by more advanced scientific methods, writing: "I should prefer to an ordinary death, being immersed with a few friends in a cask of Madeira, until that time, then to be recalled to life by the solar warmth of my dear country."

He had arranged with the astronomer David Rittenhouse for certain instructions to be carried out in secret upon his death. Ben's body was to be exhumed  from the grave on the very night of his burial and taken to his laboratory where he had prepared months earlier for the event. The gruesome task before his friend would require the skills of an experienced surgeon who he had arranged to meet at midnight. Yellow fingers of candle light moved across the black walls as Ben's head was relieved of the burden of his heavy and lifeless body. The skull was then sealed like a glass jar and filled with alcohol to preserve and float the pinkish grey asset Ben wished to send beyond death into an unknown future. His head was then installed in an mechanical devise Ben had constructed to hide in plain sight, a marvelous clockwork automaton in his own likeness. Ben had built the automaton some five years earlier and it had become a fixture in his home that entertained all visitors with its ability to write "A penny saved is a penny earned" on a sheet of paper and then sign Ben's name to it. The better part of Ben continued to reside unnoticed inside the automaton as it preformed for many years before its gears froze up and refused to write another word.

Some time in the mid nineteenth century a picker purchased the now somewhat tattered automaton along with some old furniture and silverware from the attic of a decedent of Ben.

The whereabouts of the automaton remained unknown for the next one and a half centuries. In 2004 Matt Walker stumbled across the machine in a cold storage sub-basement of an estate sale on the Old Kings Highway in East Sandwich Mass. Matt was intrigued and purchased the dusty old thing.

Back in his studio, looking over the mechanism inside the automaton, Matt realized it would require a specialist to give his find a much needed facelift. The next day he shipped the piece to Plaseebo Custom in Springwater New York for evaluation.

Bob opened the box at Plaseebo with great anticipation, he loves creepy. But what was found inside the automaton was beyond imagination, a hand written letter signed by Benjamin Franklin, explaining the two hundred year old secret. Indeed, beneath the faded clay face lie the skull of Ben with his brain still floating inside. Totally freaked and enthralled Bob flaked off the cracked clay revealing the skull beneath to verify the seemingly impossible story. He immediately set to work on completing Ben's long unfulfilled plan to cheat death.
The rebuilding and reanimation progressed at breakneck speed over the next two months of sleepless nights. Utilizing all the technological advances that were mere figments of creative wishful thinking in Ben's time, enabled the Plaseebo team to not only jump start the brain but connect its processing to an onboard computer with software that enabled Ben's thoughts to be interpolated with a voice program. BEN WAS BACK ! The team added  power and cooling systems, audio and video input capability and built a mobility unit to mount the twenty first century automaton on. Then affectionately named him "Dead Ben”.
                                                                   
When returned to Matt Walker, Dead Ben became the creative driving force that inspired Matt to found his new company in 2007 and even suggested Matt name it "Dead Presidents Designs" in honor of his being the President of Pennsylvania from 1785 thru 1788.

Here is a preview of my custom painted finished figure with a switched color changing LED unit mounted in the tank base that illuminates the red glass eyes.  

 Plaseebo and Dead Presidents Design, aka Monster Kolor, are pleased to announce the debut of the DEAD BEN hand cast resin figure on April 12th at the opening of the MONSTER BRAWL show at the Monster Kolor Gallery in Middleboro Ma. The show will feature custom versions of the Dead Ben figure by Miscreation, Jay222 and Plaseebo.   

INSANE ToyConUK Exclusive Glyos-Compatible Tankopula Keshi Monstrosity!

Joining the slew of exclusive kaiju, sofubi and keshi that’ll be up for grabs at the Rampage Toys x Disarticulators ToyCon UK booth next Saturday, April 12th, Tru:Tek is proud to reveal the resurrection of one of the craziest ever resin figures in keshi form… the mighty Tanklopula!

The brainchild of Triclops, Jesse Destasio and The Tarantulas, the Rampage-sculpted mini figure features signature elements from all 3 artists, including tentacles, a Nibbler chest piece and Tankhead turret- all coming fitted with fully interchangeable, 100% Glyos compatible joints.

Originally making a very limited appearance back in 2011, the latest (and most likely final) run has been produced in a urethane rubber courtesy of Tru:Tek, with the batch of 15 each coming in a special one-off colorway inspired by a wide variety of 80s, 90s and 00s pop culture.

Touching down exclusively at the Rampage/DA booth (#16) come opening time at 9am, Tanklopula has been priced at £35 a piece. Stay tuned for details of online sales, plus AP releases from both Destasio and Triclops soon!

Probably the craziest keshi-style piece I've ever seen. What a dream team of collaborators! Anyone who picks one up for me at ToyConUK gets free stuff. Will make it worth your while.

- Benny Kline

CCAD Art of Illustration Show at Rivet Gallery Opens Today

Today Rivet Gallery in Columbus, OH is hosting a show featuring the work of students at the Columbus College of Art & Design.

Rivet is proud to be the host of CCAD's 17th Annual Art Of Illustration Show.

Columbus College of Art and Design annually host a school-wide art competition called the Art of Illustration. The AOI competition is held in January and juried thereafter by a panel of professional local illustrators. There is a student committee who organizes and manages this show.

This year's exhibition of 45 chosen works will be on display at Rivet for the month of April with a reception and awards ceremony held on Saturday, April 5 beginning at 7pm. Awards and refreshments have been provided graciously by community businesses.

Art of Illustration show Facebook event page  - Rivet Gallery Facebook page

- Benny Kline

Adventure Time Art Show at Gallery 1988

Click here to view and buy the pieces from Gallery 1988's Adventure Time art show!

- Benny Kline

Stars and Strips and all things Captain America

The Winter Soldier has just been released with great reviews, some even saying the best Marcel film to date!

There was no way that Hot Toys was not going to releasing the Stealth S.T.R.I.K.E. suit version, fans already was demanding this version long before it was announced, so I think many are happy that demands has been answered!

So Hot Toys is going all out with this Marvel Superhero steam train, some say a little too much, as many lines left unfinished and talked about non Marvel releases has yet to materialise.

Anyway.... what a set this is…. Captain America AND Steve Rogers, the Steve Rogers head sculpt is amazing

The Stealth S.T.R.I.K.E. suit version is available on its own, if your not wanting civilian Steve Rogers!

For full spec check out HotToys official page

For preorder  - SideShowToys OneSixthBruce + from Hong Kong Official Toy Hunters and Hot Toys Secret Base

Thanks for reading

WaiMan

www.onesixthbruce.co.uk

Amendment........

Forgot to add, Falcon on its way too!!! (pics courtesy of William Lau)

DamToys - Gangsters Kingdom - Juárez

I’ve been a fan of the DamToys Gangster Kingdom line from the very beginning, I first thought it was loosely based on British gangster flick actors, but past few releases steered away from that....

Most recent announcement from DamToys is this GK006 - The Gangsters Kingdom - Diamond 3 Juárez!!! 

Now I think you will know who the character is based on!!

This by far is the meanest looking release of the line, think a lot has to do with the bloody weapons!!

Almost all of the early releases have been sold out, besides the normal auction sites, you will be had pressed to find an early one at your local figure vendor.

With this release, DamToys have made an additioal 100 chase/hidden versions that will be randomly placed in with the regular, so if you strike lucky, below is what you will get - Good Luck.

Even as a stand alone piece this has got to be the one to have, so search out Juárez, before he finds you…….!

If you want to see the full range of the Gangsters Kingdom line, please click here DamToys will shoot you to the official DamToys page.

Now we have seen this announcement, I have noticed in various social media that people want El Mariachi next!!

Anyway we shall see!!

Thanks for reading

WaiMan

www.onesixthbruce.co.uk

Mundam Wing Redux - Custom 7" Munny by Josh Mayhem

 This piece was originally “The Mundam Wing” – a 7″ Munny created for the 2013 Art Without Borders show at Art Whino Gallery in Washington D.C. Josh writes:

The piece arrived at the gallery with a few pieces that had fallen off during shipping, which luckily they were able to repair before the show. The piece sold online to a collector and when it arrived after being shipped again it was in pretty bad shape mainly due to the fact that the pieces simply weren’t reinforced correctly. That combined with the fact that there were a few of my own minor imperfections in the paint the piece was then sent back to me to repair, but by the time it arrived, the entire thing needed to be completed disassembled, repainted, and rebuilt in order to fully restore it. 

I really didn’t feel very inspired to recreate the same exact toy again (honestly I don’t know how many of the popular customizers out there do multiple versions of the same toy without going crazy) but luckily the collector was okay with me changing the color scheme and design. After a long while the new and improved version ended up being a lot cooler and more refined then the original. 

This incident forced me to start reinforcing nearly every piece on all of my following toys by drilling a hole in both the piece, and the toy, then placing a small metal bar to connect the two. This is a very time consuming process but it has proven to be absolutely necessary. Also this forced me to step up my packaging process using double boxing and other methods to ensure a safe arrival. It actually turned out to be a great learning experience.

Make sure to check out my recent feature on www.geekexchange.com if you’d like to get an inside look at what inspires me artistically, my design process, and my toy collection:

http://www.geekexchange.com/josh-mayhem-makes-awesome-custom-toys-with-old-gundam-kits-108977.html

- Benny Kline

Back the March of Robots Art Book Kickstarter by Dacosta!

Dacosta! is an incredibly talented graphic artist with a strong interest in robots as a subject matter. He has really inspired a bunch of our contemporary artists and illustrators to share their robot artwork, sketches and digital pieces online via his "March of Robots" social media campaign. I know my friends Steve Talkowski and Klim Kozinevich have participated by sharing and tagging their own robot pieces. You can look at all the insanely cool artwork contributed to Dacosta's March of Robots campaign here.

Dacosta is now taking his own robot artwork and compiling it into possibly the most exhilarating and colorful art book I've ever seen- all robots, all the time, front front cover to back!

I have backed this project, the artwork is just TOO COOL to pass up. I want to introduce my kids to art and illustration via books like these. And I can say I know the artist who created it- talk about Cool Dad factor.

CLICK HERE TO BACK THE MARCH OF ROBOTS BOOK ON KICKSTARTER

The book is the main reward on this Kickstarter, of course, and you can preorder your signed copy for just $30. There are tons of other cool robot-related rewards as well.

There's only 11 days to go, so make sure to act quickly to get Dacosta up to his funding goal! So close!

 

Resin Cosmic Jellybots and Jellybot Plush by The Jelly Empire at MoCCA

Our friend Selina (The Jelly Empire) will be selling these awesome, OOAK resin Cosmic Jellybots at MoCCA Arts Fest in NYC on April 5 & 6, along with a few different Jellybot plushes!

Meet the Jellybots that accidentally swallowed up stars and nebulas on their way to Earth!  Now they are filled with little cosmic power ready to take over! 10 pieces in total.

I will also have more plush for event and it also includes a special edition to go along with some regular ones.  It's all about the moustache. 

Any leftovers will be uploaded into my online shop after this weekend at www.thejellyempire.storenvy.com

MoCCA Arts Fest

128 East 63rd Street, NYC

April 5 & 6

11am - 6pm

- Benny Kline

Two RESTORE Debris Japan Exclusives at Mintyfresh Booth at ToyConUK

If you're a fan of the Debris Japan figures by RESTORE, you gotta see this: TWO (2!!!) different exclusive Debris figures at the Mintyfresh booth at ToyConUK. Apparently, if these don't sell out at ToyConUK (yeah right!) you'll be able to take a crack at them via this lottery.

Pricing and info:

Debris Japan SFB Glaciation Edition exclusive by RESTORE for Toycon UK, available at the Mintyfresh Stand, for £90 GBP (incl. TAX) 
Edition size > EXTREMELY SMALL (they don't want me to tell but it's less then 25)

Debris Japan SFB Blue Edition exclusive by RESTORE for Toycon UK, available at the Mintyfresh Stand, for £45 GBP (incl. TAX) 
Edition size > SMALL (Less then 35 Restore might offer this in the near future)

There's also a third exclusive at Mintyfresh:

The INC Dropleaf exclusive by Instinctoy for Toycon UK,

will be available at the Mintyfresh Stand, for £95 GBP (incl. TAX)

Edition size: 50

Flocked version for toycon and 50 GID versions for online sales (flocked and GID are the Nose, Mouth and Claws)

- Benny Kline