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Court of the Dead

Oct 13, 2014

Intergalactic Hammerhead figures by Forces of Dorkness

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I hope you saved some money after your trip to NYCC, because Scott Kinnebrew has goodies pouring out of every orifice.   Like his new Intergalactic Hammerhead resin figures. Bootlegged from a MotU figure with a custom head sculpt, they come in nine different colors ranging from opaque purple  to translucent green.

They'll be available in his store later today.  And while you're there why not pick up a custom Storm Trooper helmet or a lucky wookie paw keychain?


-The Highest Fever

NYCC Thank-You

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Before I get started on the long process of getting my shop back in order post-NYCC, I wanted to give thanks to the HUGE group of people who made this show happen.

Several years ago, we started out in NYCC with one small, dark booth tucked in a back corner. Steph and I mostly set it up alone, with a few friends helping out where they could. That first one (second one?) might have been a joint effort between Kevin Winnik and ourselves, so he was always a huge help at the beginning, with lots of con experience to impart. But aside from a few local friends, we did everything ourselves, fumbled through the con and just did the best we could. I'd like to pay tribute to my friend Ezra who took me under his wing and showed me the importance of presentation, lighting and also packing your stuff back up very carefully and labeling it... when he wasn't setting up the Marvel booth at NYCC. Ezra even brought in a friend of his to my booth during breakdown to help me pack up. That friend was and still is an executive at Marvel. RIP Ezra, you started me on a long and wonderful journey and I so wish you could see where we've gone. something in my eye, hang on....

Fast forward to 2014, and Steph and I are running a 6-booth block in The Block, in the center of all that is cool at NYCC. The Block has always been the coolest place in NYCC (even before it was called "The Block") since we've started exhibiting, but this year it was abundantly clear that ReedPOP was REALLY pushing the concept. Walk into the south end of the Javits and you see multiple 40-foot-high signs with The Block logo and a detailed explanation of the types of products and artists you'd find in there. The Block has grown physically and the art / toy / lowbrow / self-produced / indy toy scene has exploded at NYCC.

That means our efforts have also grown more laborious, more planning involved, bigger show. More stuff, more people, more artists, more exclusives, MUCH more promotion. So this year there were even more people involved in making our booth happen:

- The ReedPOP team (Jenny, Kyle, Erin, my buddy Mike Armstrong and many more) for making this whole thing happen. THANK YOU for all of your online efforts and printed Block materials which support our booth!
- My giant Thomas helped me load up my van and also worked the booth when I wasn't there. A natural salesman.
- Stephen Donaldson and Danny (Chip Soup) came in to the Javits early to help us set up and keep things under control
- Jackie came in every single day with food, water, Gatorade, coffee, supplies and watched the booth half the show as I walked around and chatted, and in general made sure I was physically able to continue working the show, and without her I would have probably passed out on Thursday afternoon
- My friend and partner Kris Dulfer brought in half the booth fixtures, planned nearly everything with me going back 12 months, and even stayed the absolute longest with me, finishing at 1AM last night helping me load Detolfs back into my warehouse
- Justin Hates You helped manage our table, run things when Kris and I weren't around, and took part in building one of our most sought-after exclusives... and I've never met him before. Great guy.
- Adam Pratt, Kris, Sidekick, Jason Chalker and Justin all worked REALLY hard to help create the Hip Hop Trooper action figure exactly as I envisioned it, right down to the accessories. And big ups to the Hip Hop Trooper for overnighting signature cards to us to make it super official.
- Chip Soup orchestrated an entire custom blind box series called the Cenobots
- Beau from Credenda Studios made a beautiful custom action figure series of my cousin Sam and then proceeded to ALSO work the booth after his signing... during which he didn't hesitate to sell my OTHER exclusives.
- Brendan McGuiness showed up without warning and helped run the booth, which was awesome
- Thomas and Luna helped us pack up our precious exclusives so that you will have a shot at grabbing what's left when I put them online this week
- Klim Kozinevich brought in his work (Four Horsies, Monkey with a Gun, and the upcoming FUnicorn) and played the meet & greet part for nearly the entire show, when he wasn't off talking business with will directly and positively affect me personally....
- 123KLAN kindly designed the artwork and branding for the entire booth, making it a much more cohesive total package and (I hope) indicating to everyone that this was very much a collaborative effort among friends, rather than a random hodge-podge of people jammed into one booth.
- Rebelution Ink (Randy) screen printed some damn fine 123KLAN booth mascot shirts for us.
- Josh and Miranda of Clutter got us on stage both on Twitch.tv for an interview alongside Amy of Lulubell, and also at the Designer Toy Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom, which is an experience neither I nor Steph will forget. And I know Nick Curtis played a fundamentally important role in that whole operation
- Jason Freeny, Beau Greener and Jacob JAMS for signing at our booth
- my beautiful wife Stephanie made me look like a rock star, kept watch over me to make sure I was taken care of, and in general charmed the pants off of everyone. That's the Phillips Charm! Baby I could never do this without you, it would be utterly pointless. I'd never want to. We walked into the toy world together one day in 2004 in FAO Schwartz and began our journey. I think FAO must be our toy church...
- Matt and Jacob JAMS helped run my booth and also stayed SUPER LATE helping me pack toys and Detolfs up so that (thanks Ezra) everything will be straight for next year. They both stayed HOURS after 99% of the vendors left. Big ups.
- and I gotta shout out to my Collective: Rob & Rob, Kristina, Brian & Katie, Task, JC Rivera, Lou P,  Jeremiah Ketner, Alvin & Cheri Ong, and Nerviswrek all making the Suburban Vinyl booth happen. Eric & Ian Ziobrowski, plus Jordan Ahern, Zach and Nasty Neil running the corner store. Jason Chalker representing our Texas contingent, Jon Malmstedt who flew in from Japan, Niall (Tru:Tek) who flew in from the UK, 123KLAN who drove down from Canada, Playful Gorilla who drove in from Philly, Cash from exotic Westchester and Kris from NJ... I am very, very VERY proud to call each of these people my friends and associates. A HUGE bunch of awesome, supportive, generous people with impeccable artistic tastes and talents, and a keen interest in toy art. What a fucking AWESOME collection of people. I am so proud to have each of you in our booth.
- final shout again to Kris Dulfer who facilitated the whole show. Most of you know I'm not set up in Manhattan to keep or transport stuff, I have no car, and my back is weak. Kris Dulfer has never hesitated for one second in helping plan or execute any part of this show. The booth presented and ran the way it did because of his help, assistance, planning, support and logistics. I am very thankful to have him be a part of the Tenacious Toys team.


I probably missed some people who pitched in an helped, so I'm sorry for any omissions.

My point was, Booth 208 was a huge group effort. We're a big team, and I'm proud.

See y'all next year!
- Benny

NYCC Exclusives will be up online here later this week.

Oct 11, 2014

Meet Jacob JAMS today at 2PM at NYCC Booth 208

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Come to NYCC Booth 208 today (Saturday) at 2PM to meet Jacob JAMS, the youngest Tenacious toy artist! Jacob has made two exclusives for us this year: the NYCC Exclusive Burgermeister figure, and the Tenacious Exclusive blue Burgermeister. Both pieces are $15 each and made in editions of 10 pieces. Meet Jacob and pick up your Burgermeister today at 2PM at Booth 208. Maybe Jacob will tell you what it feels like to be the coolest kid in Junior High. In 10 years, he'll be able to tell you what it feels like to run your own toy factory in China. And in 10 years, I'll tell you what it feels like to work for Jacob Siegelbaum.




Oct 10, 2014

Steampunk Raccoon by Steamy Chums

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On October 13, Steamy Chums is going to release the next character in the Steamy Chums world, Raccoon. After a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign, Steamy Chums has been working full steam ahead, creating rewards and continuing to create and expand the world of Steamy Chums. Created using 3D modeling and a 3D printer, Raccoon features the same steampunk design aesthetic as the initial characters Sloth and Fox.

From Steamy Chums:
It is created by the survivors living in Camp Prema, who specialized in recreating woodland creatures, after everything was lost in the apocalyptic disaster that wiped away almost all Life.

This little creature has a mischievous character, smart, and with lots of energy. In order to render such a character, we designed him alcohol powered. You can see the tiny barrel full of its fuel in the maze of gears and pipes.

With this third figure, Steamy Chums brings on its message of love for all living beings and faith in humanity. Our provocative story is meant to raise awareness towards the risks of losing wildlife.

Standing at 12cm (or just under 4 3/4 inches), Raccoon will be priced at 58 Euros (~$74). Limited to just 50 pieces, these resin Raccoons will become available on Monday October 13th at 11am PST. After this initial release, Raccoon will also be released in other series called pop, quartz and DIY. For all those interested, be sure to sign up for the Steamy Chums' newsletter to stay up to date with this and all future releases.

Travis Cain Fun Gus Kickstarter

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Travis Cain, designer of the KidRobot bff’s, and 2009’s uber-rare wooden Dunnys has launched a Kickstarter project to fund the production of his new limited-edition toy, FUN GUS. 



He is a FUN GUY (ha!) and a pretty cool mushroom - easy going, rockin' some sweet shell toes and just doing his own thing. Fun Gus will make a great platform toy for both DIY customizers and artist editions. Speaking of artist editions - 3 great artists have made awesome versions of FUN GUS for launch: Buff Monster, Frank Kozik, and Jeremyville! Rewards range from DIY versions of Fun Gus all the way up to a trip to New York with ultra rare signed colorways. 

Travis will be at New York Comic Con this weekend talking about FUN GUS, showing prototypes and giving stuff away if you plan on being there  stop by. Booth #208 at 5pm Saturday and Booth #113 at 1pm on Sunday.

Photos of the various versions after the cut.

Hip Hop Trooper figures available TODAY at Booth 208

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First customer: #1/100
Each 3.75" figure is hand-painted by Small Angry Monster, with blister-packed accessories by KiD iNK iNDUSTRiES (Def Star Blaster & gold chain). Includes 2-sides full color card with artwork by Manly Art and printed by Sidekick Lab
Each of the 100 Hip Hop Trooper action figures were blessed by Hip Hop Trooper himself by way of his signature on cards that he also hand-numbered: 1/100 through 100/100. Hip Hop Trooper figures are $65 each, find them at the Tenacious Collective. Look for me (Benny). 
If you can't make it to NYCC to grab one in person, we will be auctioning 3 on eBay after NYCC with 100% of sales of those pieces going to a cancer charity, so there is a shot at getting one starting in a week or so.
Stacks of Hip Hop Troopers
Stryder the Hip Hop Trooper signing the cards that are included with each figure

Jason Freeny Signing at 1PM today at NYCC Booth 208

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Today at 1PM we are welcoming the anatomical toy master Jason Freeny into our booth for a signing! Come to NYCC Booth 208 in The Block to meet him! We have set aside two dozen of Jason's Red Gummi Anatomy figures for this signing- grab one and get it signed, all at our booth, today only!


Hulk Smash Can collab between Cash Cannon & Mike NEMO Mendez at NYCC Booth 208

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Come find Cash Cannon at his table right next to the Kid Ink table near the corner of Booth 208 in The Block to buy these awesome Hulk Smash Can pieces cast by Cash Cannon and painted by elusive legend Mike NEMO Mendez. Who knows, you might even spot NEMO at NYCC today...

Oct 9, 2014

TEASER: Alarment Pieces for CenoBot Series 2.1 Revealed!

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Come to NYCC Booth 208 to grab the newest horror-inducing blind box series to hit the market! The Cenobot Series 2.1 is an artist-designed, artist-run blind box series using the Kidrobot 'Bot 3.5" figures as a platform for characters based on the Hellraiser movies. There are approximately 25 pieces in this series by many talented custom toy artists. Above graphic shows the submissions by Alarment, which are alarmingly detailed for 3.5" figures! How... does he do that? Stop by our Booth 208 to grab a blind box for $75! We will have a few open box figures on display so you can swap/trade with us after your purchase.

The packaging for these figures is bananas too, and we will be posting pics of that ASAP. With artwork by Crux Delgado and printing services by Renone, they boxes will look tight! So stoked for these.

Beau Greener of Credenda Studios Signing Sam Raimi figures at 4PM today

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Come to booth 208 today at 4PM and find the KiD iNK table for the Beau Greener signing. Beau runs Credenda Studios, and he will be releasing his Sam Raimi figures today at the signing! With only 50 pieces made, these will go fast.

(For those of you who do not have Thursday badges, we will be holding back 10-20 figures for people coming in for the first time on Friday.)

Beau is heavily into horror, and makes awesome carded action figures based on characters from horror flicks. Benny's cousin Sam just happens to make movies that have spawned some of the most memorable characters in the horror genre, so why not honor him with his own action figure? The Credenda Studios Sam Raimi figure has had one of his hands removed, and a Super 8 camera fitted to the stump!

The Sam Raimi figures are $65 each and we are going to limit them to one per person. Available only at NYCC Booth 208 at the Tenacious Collective, starting at 4PM on Thursday.


NYCC Exclusive Fink Warriors available at Booth 208 today

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Today is the day! Come to booth 208 at NYCC to grab your Fink Warrior from Benny at Tenacious Toys! These awesome little figures are designed by Scott Bellwood and produced by Michael Reilly in Tenacious Blue especially for NYCC! $15 per blind box- 20 pieces, with 16 Blue blank figures and 4 hand painted customs!

Oct 8, 2014

Last Gasp Books Fall Publishing Kickstarter

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For 45 years, San Francisco based Last Gasp Publishing has been publishing books, as well as distributing books from small and independent publishers to a network of booksellers worldwide. With book publishing changing dramatically with the increase of technology and online resources, it has become difficult to publish books. In order to continue with the fall publishing season, Last Gasp has launched a Kickstarter to take care of the up front costs. Last Gasp has produced books for some amazing people over the last four decades.
From the Last Gasp Kickstarter page:
From our early years publishing underground comix to more recent art books, we've tried to publish unusual artists whose artwork moves us on a visceral level. In more than four decades we have published books with artists such as Robert Crumb, Mark Ryden,Camille Rose Garcia,Gary Baseman, Robert Williams, Junko Mizuno,Trina Robbins, S. Clay Wilson, Justin Green, Spain Rodriguez, Keiji Nakazawa, Suehiro Maruo, Elizabeth McGrath, Timothy Leary, Todd Schorr, Ron English, Laurie Lipton, Diane DiPrima, and countless others.
With about a week left to go and over 50% more funding to be pledged, Last Gasp needs everyone's support to reach the $75K funding goal. Posting, tweeting, Instagramming, and all other forms of social media can help spread the word. Choosing an awesome reward and pledging any amount to the Last Gasp Kickstarter will help keep publishing alive, even if just for a little while longer.

FUnicorn Gold revealed- an award for your favorite Zero Fucks Hero

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Behold, the FUnicorn! Available in both full-color (white with a rainbow tail) and Medal colors! This here is the Gold medal winning #1 best Zero Fucks Hero colorway! For that person in your life who does not, and has never, given a fuck about anything! These 8" resin figures will drop in the Bigshot Toyshop on October 17. Check out the prototype at NYCC Booth 208 in The Block!
BB-8 Star Wars Premium Format(TM) Figure
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