Top Ad 728x90

Court of the Dead

Jun 10, 2014

WIN a Jumbo Stormtrooper in the Hazari Scavenger Hunt!

by
The HAZARAI Internet Scavenger Hunt is officially on! This week’s Grand Prize Winner gets a jumbo Star Wars Collector Series Stormtrooper action figure:
  • 12" collectors series figure
  • Fully posable
  • Authentically styled outfit and accessories.

Want in?  Here’s how to play:


BONUS: Hazarai is also giving out Editor’s Choice prizes for those showing the most creativity, style, and other types of awesomeness, so even if you’re not first to complete, there are definitely other ways to win cool stuff!

Ready to Rack?  Here's the link to the list of items ya gotta find out on the net and add to your Rack. 

See you at the finish line and May the Best FAN Win.-  HAZARAI

Need a refresher on HAZARAI?  Here's a link to their sweet 60-second YouTube video with all the details.

NEW REWARD: Clear Spirit Maddie limited to 200 pieces

by
Announcing a new Little Maddie colorway! The clear "Spirit Maddie" colorway will be limited to 200 pieces and is available in two pledge levels: the SPIRIT WORLD COMBO for $115 (original Maddie, clear Spirit Maddie, stickers and digital wallpapers) and the SUPERNOVA SPIRIT WORLD COMBO for $230.

The Supernova Spirit World Combo is essentially our "get it all" pledge level and the only pledge level where all 3 Maddie colorways are available. It includes the following:
  • Four Horsies digital assets
  • Mondays are Maddness mug
  • (5) sticker sheets
  • Maddie head keychain
  • Maddie t-shirt in your size
  • original colorway Maddie figure 
  • GID Maddie figure (KS excl, limited to 300 pcs)
  • new clear Spirit Maddie figure (limited to 200 pcs)
Any current backers wishing to add the Spirit Maddie to their rewards can choose one of the two new reward levels. 

CLICK HERE TO PREORDER THESE AMAZING FIGURES VIA KICKSTARTER!

Jun 9, 2014

Steve Jackson Games Exclusive October Toys' OMFG Series 2

by

Fans of the Munchkin game series, G.U.R.P.S., Illuminati, and Cthulhu Dice know exactly who Steve Jackson is.  Today, October Toys revealed a Steve Jackson Games exclusive orange edition of the OMFG series 2 gang.  The set includes a Munchkin bookmark featuring Puke Knight, a member of  "The Overpowered Munchkin-Fighting Gentleman".  Head over to Warehouse 23 to get your set.


Loot Crate's TRANSFORM Month

by

Loot Crate is pretty awesome in general.  But this month they've cranked it up to 11.  June's crate is packed full of robotic goodness.  There's still time to pick one up and at under $20 shipped, you can't afford NOT to buy it.  Or something like that.

+The Highest Fever

EXCLUSIVE: Suckadelic Studio Visit

by
It's not every day that you get a call from the Super Sucklord, inviting you to his workshop.

When he calls, you show up. One thing I've learned from my years of knowing Morgan is that you gotta show up with beer. This time he had his own (and he was disgusted by the cheap swill I brought) so I got to drink both the beer I brought for myself, as well as the beer I brought for him. Win.

Turns out the Sucklord's current digs are on the same floor as Buff Monster's studio, which I also got to tour... without my camera, at Buff's request. Sorry everyone!

When I walked in, this is exactly what was happening: the Sucklord and the Crystal Pharaoh were at a table, going through 70s-era men's magazines, looking for amusing and aesthetically interesting pages. In case you don't follow the Super Sucklord, his Suckadelic brand was founded on the concept of the bootleg toy. His iterations of Star Wars bootleg-style toys get spun with his own bawdy concepts and impure thoughts, and packaged into well-executed custom action figure blister cards which, in my opinion, elevates the concept from straight bootlegging into an artform.

You see, I've had this conversation many times before with all kinds of different people: what is art? What defines the concept of "art"? My brother the lawyer has his own interpretation- some things I consider art, he does not. And, to each his own, of course. The Super Sucklord and I differ in our opinions as well. I ALREADY think that the consistently well-executed bootleg figures he got famous for making are, in fact, a niche form of pop art. The Suckadelic bootleg pieces draw upon imagery which is built into our psyche, as 30-40 somethings growing up in the Star Wars era.

But the Sucklord will be the first to tell you that Star Wars-related bootleg figures have been overdone. It's not like the Sucklord did it first, it's just that he did it early, and the most, and in the most public way. Dressing up in the custom Boba Fett helmet and making dozens (hundreds?) of public appearances in character as the Super Sucklord pretty much solidified his place at the top. And possibly netted him the reality-show screen time he enjoyed recently. He just doesn't consider bootleg figures to be "art."

So what now? Everyone's doing Star Wars rips. There are about 20 to 50 people actively creating bootleg-style toys in small multiples of 10 or 20 or 50. Morgan knows the artform he is famous for isn't so unique anymore. So when I walked in, he and the Crystal Pharaoh were poring over a stack of Playboys, looking for interesting pages to use in the new Suckadelic Suck Panels. Suck-Panels are, in my opinion, the natural progression of the Suckadelic bootleg-style multiple: they are all one of a kind pieces of art. Still referencing the same era (late 70s) but moving into new themes.

I personally think these new pieces are awesome... the Suckadelic keystone product has shifted from purposefully-crappy bootleg figures to one-off pieces of mixed-media pop art. The fact that Suck-Panels have some sort of plastic toy (or in some cases, random object) encased in a blister becomes simply a nod to the evolution of the Suckadelic brand- the plastic figure is part of the piece, but not all of it.

More importantly, he's having fun again. You can see Morgan is excited about creating the Suck-Panels, and really as an artist, that's what's important. I wish that for every artist I know- I wish for them to be perennially excited to create their art. When you lose that drive and that interest, it's time to mix things up and head in a new direction. That's what I see happening with Suckadelic.

There will be a few gripes about any new direction an artist takes. There was a post on the Galactic Jerkbags forum that lamented the fact that all the recent Suckadelic releases were one-offs: "as much as I love the Sucklord's work, my enthusiasm wanes a bit with each new piece that I'll more than likely never see in person."

Hate to break it to ya, Captain Completist, but that's the deal with most art: there's only one of each piece. It's up to you to do what you gotta do to acquire that piece.

Other Sucklord fans were more enthusiastic: "I used to love making collages and assemblages so this is really inspiring to see old stuff turned new."

And I think that's exactly the point: Suckadelic is mixing it up while still retaining the 70s vibe, and at the same time the Sucklord is reinvigorating the exclusivity that his earlier, smaller-run pieces had. If you want to snag some Suckadelic bootleg action figures made in multiples, you can always head to the Suck Store.

But if you wanna add the new Suck-Panels to your pop art collection, you're going to have to follow @sucklord on Instagram. As he puts it here: "if you really want one, you'll find a way to get it."

Plaseebo for the "All Out Destruction" Show at FOE

by


Bob Conge aka Plaseebo proudly presents Kong Tank, one of the many customson display at the Max Toy “All Out Destruction” group show next week. Using Max Toy Co’s  Monster Boogie Kaiju Tank as the base, Plaseebo has replaced the turret with a clear dome housing an ape's head inside.  Opening it’s doors at the FOE Gallery this coming Friday, June 13th, expect remaining pieces from “All Out Destruction” show online the following week.



Jun 8, 2014

KMNDZ's One of One June 14 Is Taking shape

by


KMNDZ's first curatorial project, One of One: World's Greatest Custom Toy Show is taking shape for its June 14th opening at DA Center for the Arts. Some WIP's and completed pieces are popping up over social media and press release info facilitated by the fantastic Paris Woodward.

DrilOne


ONE OF ONE: World’s Greatest Custom Toy Show50 Artists. 1 Amazing Gallery. 1 Incredible Show.

ONE OF ONE is artist KMNDZ’s first curated show, featuring a variety of artists all sharing their interpretation of what a toy is. The vinyl platform has been gaining rapid popularity and is what inspired KMNDZ's toy theme, however participating artists will be showcasing their talents in whatever medium and scale they want.
Jill Ricci

"I don’t see a difference between painting a DIY vinyl versus painting on a canvas. In my mind the medium carries just as much weight as a traditional painting. My expression is the same regardless, as is the amount of love and care I pour into a piece. It wasn’t until last summer that I started to explore painting vinyl toys. Needless to say it’s addictive and it’s been teaching me more about light and shadow. It’s even influencing the way I think about painting on canvas. 
For ONE OF ONE I’ve brought together 50 killer people from different walks of art. Graffiti artists, vinyl artists, fine artists, and graphic artists. I wanted my first curating experience to be memorable; a show that would lend itself to being loud and fun, even including the food (if you haven’t had The Reuben Truck’s pastrami yet, you’re in for a treat).  There will be a three-piece jazz band from Guam playing some reggae music. And if all goes to plan, every wall in the dA will get some big mural love from some of the participating artists. Ultimately the thanks goes to Bunny Gunner for believing in me and approaching me with the concept. It makes sense and I didn’t see it until it was placed in front of me. The dA Center for the Arts makes for a killer venue being in a neighborhood that supports the arts, and the high ceilings will give us breathing room to flex the talent in the show.

I look forward to this exhibition, and as with all my projects, I’ll be sure to leave nothing for the swim home."
- KMNDZ

N.C. Winters

Mari Inukai
The exhibition opens June 14 at DA Center for the Arts, in Pomona CA. If you're in the area, definitely mark your calendars. Artists will be in attendance, with many amazing works to view!

April "MaloApril" Elliott

Mike Maxwell

Tasha Zimich



by

Hugh Rose has crafted a beautiful collection of world travelers, who have navigated the high seas and airways from London, to Australia, and back again. These 4" Munny have been sculpted on to extend their arms and legs, and stand approximately 5"tall.



These handsome pieces are available for £100 ea by emailing hello@hughrose.co.uk to determine shipping cost.





Jun 6, 2014

Custom 8" Hazardous Taste Dunny - Sket One x Huck Gee

by
 
For the second time in their 10 year careers, Sket-One and Huck Gee have come together to bring you their latest creation, Hazardous Taste, a custom 8" Dunny. Okay, this is actually the second time in a few months that these two artists have teamed up and it's likely(depending on how the sales go for these) that there may be another version in the future.
  
This GID Custom Dunny features the Skullhead work of Huck Gee and combines that with the signature Dunny bottle design work of Sket-One. The outcome is one nuclear 8" Custom Dunny, which is only going to be available to purchase during a 24 hour window. Retailing for $475 plus shipping, Hazardous Taste will go live and be available to purchase from Midnight on Friday the 13th of June 2014 to Midnight 24 hours later, Pacific Time. A fitting date, considering the overall theme of the custom is quite deadly. Keep in mind that each custom will come signed by both artists, and should include(unconfirmed) the clear nuclear waste Barrel, Gloves and custom Hang tag. This should be a nice addition to any GID collection shelf.

Will there be another version? Who will either artist team up with next? Can everyone's bank account take so much awesomeness in such a short period of time??? Only time will tell. In the meantime, for those who are so inclined, be sure to set that reminder to make a purchase because once the time is up, no more orders will be taken. We all know what the costly alternative is when one sleeps on a release.

Steamgirl Kato Figure by Ahren Gauthier and Steamgirl Kato

by

Ahren Gauthier, from Improbable Cast, recently revealed a wonderful 1/7 scale figure (~10") aptly titled Kato. This fully licensed sculpture has been in the making for some time now and is based on an original design called "The White Buck", which is a SteampunkCouture.com collection piece from 2011, designed by the artist Kato(artist and designer from Steamgirl). Licensed figures and sculptures is something that needs to occur more in the Designer Toy world, especially with the ever increasing shift towards DIY resin. Often times, artists take liberties and produce whatever he/she wants. For the Kato/White Buck sculpture, Ahren received a license from Kato to produce a sculpture based on Kato's work. This project was a true collaborative effort in that the design is by Kato, Ahren provided the art direction, while the actual sculpting was a collaborative effort completed by Barsom Manashian and Sue Beatrice.
The White Buck - Kato of Steamgirl.com

Sue Beatrice has an album on her Facebook page, linked here, dedicated to the sculpting process for the Kato Sculpture. When it's all said and done, this prototype piece turned out amazing. Ahren's plan is to release different versions of this sculpture. There will be a version with a sculpted skirt, as seen in the pictures, as well as a version without the skirt with bare legs which will come with fabric to construct it. Tentative pricing for an unpainted version of Kato will be around $120, while a painted version will go for $175, plus shipping (pricing depends on location).

For those interested in how to purchase one of these sculptures, here is the ordering From Ahren:
Email ahren@improbablecast.com for full info and to be added to the mailing list to be notified of the launch. Production will commence very soon and a preorder system will be made available.
Thanks to everyone involved with this project, I could not be more pleased with how this project came out!
 
 
 
 

Be sure to follow all of the amazing people involved in this project, as they are awesome:
Design - Kato
Art Direction - Ahren Gauthier
Sculptor - Barsom Manashian
Sculptor - Sue Beatrice

MOMMY'S BOY by KiD iNK iNDUSTRiES & Big Kev's Geek Stuff

by
MOMMY'S BOY: Bag Head edition by KiD iNK iNDUSTRiES
The Late 1970’s and the early 1980’s … so many good things came out of them. One of them was an unstoppable fear inspiring monster of the time, an unkillable killer, who wore a hockey mask and cut up naughty morally weak camp counselors like tender filet mignons …
Paying homage to Friday the 13th series of 80’s slasher films, this release focuses particularly on the second installment where we see our anti-hero developing his persona, before he donned his iconic hockey mask and machete. Back in the early days as he stalked the woods around the camp he wore a filthy sack on his head, and used an axe, this was quite effective as a start. The only way to go from there, was up, and out of the grave at least 10 more times … Kudos to Mommys Boy, congratulations on over achieving - all the way to outer space and beyond. 
MOMMY'S BOY is a collaborative release between KiD iNK iNDUSTRiES and Big Kev's Geek Stuff.  Each figure comes with a hand sewn bag to cover up that ugly mug and the weapon of choice, a bloody ax, all in a VHS-styled box and includes an authenticity card and prints for $45 each.  Thirteen MOMMY'S BOY figures will be available on Friday, June 13th at 12 noon EST at Big Kev's store.  As a bonus, there will be two chase piece claim tickets inserted randomly.  One ticket will be redeemable for a gold edition MOMMY'S BOY and the other for a glow-in-the-dark chase.  Check out Big Kev's Geek Stuff podcast for all the info and lots of geeky toy, movie and comic news!

A face only a decapitated mother could love.

+The Highest Fever




Jun 5, 2014

Custom Nike SB Dunks by Jon-Paul Kaiser

by

What??? Customized Nike SBs on the Tenacious Toys Blog?? Why not, we blog about everything that tickles our fancy. These mostly black and white Customized Nike SBs happen to be created by UK based artist Jon-Paul Kaiser. Last year, Jon-Paul Kaiser was fortunate enough to take a little vacation and visit the US during SDCC. During that time, Jon-Paul and his wife traveled California taking in the sites, eventually making his way to KR San Francisco for a signing. During his stint, Jon-Paul made some friends, one of whom sent him a pair of White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro's to customize. Not a typical medium often seen in the Designer Toy world, but also not too far off. Many artists started out customizing shoes and eventually transitioning into other medium, while some still create custom shoes regularly.


Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree
Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree
With these Nike SBs, Jon-Paul and his client decided to use the shoes as a canvas, rather than a typical character seen on Designer Toys. Each shoe has complimenting scenes going all around it and is nicely detailed, while being colored mostly black and white. The white from the shoes and the black coming from Jon-Paul's extremely steady hand. Some Greys create nice shading, while a small amount of red has been added, creating a nice sudden pop of contrast. These shoes should be a nice addition to the client's collection. A big question remains however, Will they be shellacked and worn or just displayed??
Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree
Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree
Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree

Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree

Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree

Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree

Custom White Nike SB Dunk Low Pro by Jon-Paul Kaiser, Photo by Justin Allfree
Photos were taken by Justin Allfree, a photographer who has taken many photos of Jon-Paul Kaiser's customs. Be sure to check out Jon-Paul Kaiser's other endeavor Rhyme Square.
BB-8 Star Wars Premium Format(TM) Figure
Court of the Dead The Chronicle of the Underworld Court of the Dead Book