REVIEW: Plastik Surgery Resin Casting Handbook by Matt Lunartik Jones

I had the distinct pleasure today of reading the 20-page "Level One" Plastik Surgery handbook compiled by Matt "Lunartik" Jones. This fun, illustrated guide to beginning resin casting is available for just £12.00 ($18) on the Lunartik site here.

I'm sure Matt knew that I am a great person to review this book. I have a bit of technical knowledge and I've been selling resin toys for several years now, so I deal with the artists that cast the resin on a near-daily basis.

However, I have never actually cast any resin figures myself so some of the details are fuzzy to me, or were, till today.

Most of the artists I work with have all of this book's knowledge, plus more, in their heads, so the book might not offer many new insights to such veteran toymakers.

However, ALL resin toymakers have interested friends, kids, cousins, neighbors' kids, or colleagues who probably want to know more about what is involved in resin casting. This right here is a perfect introductory guide to the process and well worth the small amount of money. Makes a great gift for a budding artist!

The entire handbook is illustrated in Matt's clear, colorful and fun style, with handwritten text that makes it feel almost like an old-school zine, albeit a slick and well-crafted one.

I'm not going to photograph and post up every page of the entire handbook as that would defeat the purpose of this post.

However, I will go through a few key points that I liked about it:

Plastik Surgery goes through the entire process of resin toymaking from inception to delivery of the pieces to the customer, and even a bit after delivery. It's incredibly thorough for only having 20 pages. Just the right combination of text and images on each page- keeps kids and ADHD adults interested, fully describes and illustrates all the points Matt is trying to make.

Here you see all the different sections in the book:

1. Overview
2. Concept Design
3. Model Making
4. Silicone Tool Making
5. Resin Casting
6. Painting and Signing
7. Packing and Selling
8. Supplies and Notes

All of the concepts are explained carefully, even a little bit about color variants and the psychology of collecting, the importance of presentation, and several other key concepts which were surprisingly high-level, and sort of snuck in there without me noticing that they were fairly expert explanations of abstract concepts in toy making and selling.

I think one of my favorite things about this handbook is how frequently Matt suggests you stop for a nice cuppa tea. He's right- you can't rush this stuff and you might as well slow down and enjoy it.

I highly recommend this book. I learned a bunch, and I am excited that this is the "Level One" handbook because it means Matt is planning on producing a "Level Two" follow-up to cover more advanced concepts in toy production.

If you are an artist and you don't really know how to start creating resin pieces, this is definitely the right book for you. One of the most frequent emails I get goes something like this:

"Hey Benny, I'm an artist just starting out and I have this great idea and I want to turn it into a toy. Can you help me?"

Now I have a link to give to these inquiries! Pick up your own copy of Plastik Surgery here. Really, I can't think of a better vehicle to deliver this knowledge to someone. You can even get Matt to customize it with a doodle for an extra 3 quid.

- Benny Kline

AVAILABLE NOW: Frank Kozik William, Henry & Reginald - Bungle in the Jungle Edition by Arts Unknown

The last of Frank Kozik's William, Henry & Reginald - Bungle in the Jungle Edition sets by Arts Unknown are up for sale on our website here on our Arts Unknown page. When AU closed up shop, we purchased the rest of these figures. The price for this figure is $39.95 each. We have 4 color variants of William/Henry/Reginald - Classic (white), Heart of Darkness (black), Bungle in the Jungle (green) and Blue Sunshine (orange), and we have very limited quantities of each color variant! All Arts Unknown figures will begin shipping to customers from our warehouse on Wednesday May 6th.

Michael Keaton Batman and Bruce Wayne Set by Hot Toys

 I'm not gonna lie to you, I am partial to the Christian Bale Batman movies. I like the stories and the villains and the action... the way Bale speaks as Batman irritates the shit out of me, but I can deal with it because that's not a whole lot of the movies.

But a close second is the 1989 Michael Keaton Batman. Jack Nicholson as Joker might be fucking perfect casting. Anyway, Hot Toys obviously agrees that the Keaton Batman is worth producing, because here we have a 1:6-scale, two figure set of Bruce Wayne in his tux, as well as the Batman. The likeness of the head sculpt is pretty dead-on in my opinion. This set is available for $344.99 here at Sideshow, and they even offer a payment plan.

 

 

AVAILABLE NOW: Frank Kozik William, Henry & Reginald - Heart of Darkness Edition by Arts Unknown

The last of Frank Kozik's William, Henry & Reginald - Heart of Darkness Edition sets by Arts Unknown are up for sale on our website here on our Arts Unknown page. When AU closed up shop, we purchased the rest of these figures. The price for this figure is $49.95 each and we only have 3 of them! We have 4 color variants of William/Henry/Reginald - Classic (white), Heart of Darkness (black), Bungle in the Jungle (green) and Blue Sunshine (orange). All Arts Unknown figures will begin shipping to customers from our warehouse on Wednesday May 6th.

Preorders now available for Playge GASSED S005 FORT BURNOUT - JNGL edition

Click here to preorder GASSED S005 [FORT BURNOUT - JNGL] - arriving in 3 weeks!

KiD iNK iNDUSTRiES' "May the Fourth" Sumo Trooper Micro Run.

Kris Dulfer has released a new wave of his Sumo Trooper resin figures.  Celebrating Star Wars Day, May the Fourth, a rainbow of new colors are available on his site including a blue GID colorway endorsed by Benny Kline himself!  These are single run colors so grab them while you can!  I personally have several of his previously released Sumo Troopers in various colors and I can tell you that these are high quality resin pieces you'll be proud to have in your collection.

+The Highest Fever 

Why I Re-Established Our Relationship with Kidrobot

In June of 2013 I pretty much gave up on Kidrobot, and I wrote a long blog post about why I no longer wished to stock their art toys. I'm not even going to delete that post, I still stand behind everything I griped about there.

In a nutshell, here's what I was bitching about (copied directly from old post):

1. Wholesale accounts could not sell Kidrobot products on eBay.
2. Wholesale accounts could not sell the Kidrobot blind-boxed items as open-box.
3. Online retailers only got access to certain designated items. No 8" Dunnys to online-only retailers.
4. Brick and mortar retailers granted a free "case exclusive" Dunny to give to buyers of Dunny cases as a reward for their purchase. 

Since I wrote that post, a LOT has changed for Kidrobot:

They closed up a bunch of their famous brick & mortar locations (not sure about the other shops, but I know for a fact that the NYC flagship store was unsustainably expensive to rent each month). This, I'm sure, put them in a better position in terms of cash flow.

A natural result of those closings is that they cut down on their staff/employees. Sad, but another money saver.

They did a number of clearance sales, eliminating much of their overstock and dead stock by selling it at super discounts to both customers and retailers.

They slowed down their new releases temporarily (as far as I can tell).

Most importantly, they were acquired by a company called NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association). The NECA acquisition allowed Kidrobot to stop struggling so hard to pay bills and instead focus on refreshing and revamping of their product lines. From the investors' standpoint, the previous venture capitalists that were backing Kidrobot were able to cash out and exit.

So, Kidrobot went from a company whose direction was almost certainly dictated by non-art-toy-related people (VCs), to a company whose direction is dictated group of people whose sole focus is the creation of awesome collectibles (NECA). Appointing Frank Kozik as Creative Director ensured that the Kidrobot culture/aesthetic would remain firmly within the bounds of what we all expect from them.

That's a lot of changes.

With all those changes, the Kidrobot "illuminati" were able to re-shape the way the company works with retailers. No more will online retailers be considered second-class partners. I had a lengthy conversation with a long-time Kidrobot employee a few months ago which showed me that they were serious about creating a more positive relationship with online retailers like Tenacious Toys. I was thrilled to have that conversation. I am not a person who burns bridges. I always do my best to maintain positive relationships whenever possible, whether it's in my personal life or in business. That's why I chose my words carefully in that blog post in 2013. I wanted to complain loudly so that they heard me, while still remaining as constructive as possible, and I think it paid off.

My recent conversation with the Kidrobot employee revealed that I am now able to purchase ANY Kidrobot product, without limitations. That means we can now stock the cornerstone 8-inch Kidrobot Dunnys once more! Just for reference, the last one they allowed me to buy was the Kozik Redrum 8-inch Dunny in 2006 (so long ago, I had to consult Trampt to figure out what year that was). I can also now stock their "Premium" items like the Kidrobot Black line of figures and other items previously reserved for brick & mortar locations. I am not entirely sure if this is true for ALL other online-only shops. I haven't really asked around (there aren't that many of us left anymore).

To that end, I have placed my first order with Kidrobot in a long, long time: the upcoming Junko Mizuno Violet Soda Lady 8-inch Dunny. I love Junko and this piece looks phenomenal from the randomly leaked images I've seen. I have unhidden our Kidrobot page and added KR back into our Manufacturers menu in preparation.

There were a couple other issues I dealt with in my 2013 blog post that have since become irrelevant: I am no longer ordering blind box toys and low-ticket items from any manufacturer. I looked long and hard at our numbers and decided that it no longer makes financial sense for Tenacious Toys to sell items priced under $40 or $50.


Because of this shift, I no longer care about selling any blind box toys, or opened-blind-box toys. I am not sure whether KR will continue their old practice of providing "free" case exclusive Dunnys to shops that buy cartons of their 3" Dunny series, but it hardly matters to me since I'm not stocking those items.


Furthermore, I no longer wish to give eBay a percentage out of my sales of art toys, so selling Kidrobot toys on eBay is now a moot point for me. I'm slowly dialing back inventory in our eBay shop and removing toy items from it.


Basically, with all the changes that both Kidrobot and Tenacious Toys have gone through in the last 2 years, all my previous concerns and gripes about buying wholesale from Kidrobot have either been addressed to my satisfaction, or been eliminated.


So, onwards and upwards, happy tra-la-la frolicking, hand-in-hand with Kidrobot! Expect us to stock most, if not all, of the 8-inch Kidrobot Dunny releases in the future, plus anything else priced above $40 retail that I think might sell.


There are a TON of really interesting pieces coming down the pipe from Kidrobot. I hear whispers. Get ready!

- Benny Kline

ThreeA Metal Gear Rex "Half-Size Edition"

Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear Rex Metal Gear Solid Collectible Figure
One of the issues I have with ThreeA is the sheer size of some of the items they offer to me... I run a fairly small operation, so receiving, storing and then shipping giant ThreeA high-end pieces is kinda difficult for us at Tenacious Toys. Not to mention the fact that items prices over $300 tend to scare the art toy crowd away... I guess ThreeA realized that they better offer a smaller/cheaper option of some of those items.

Behold: the Metal Gear Rex "Half-Size Edition." Tons of articulation, just like the big version, but at a height of just 8.35" (20cm). The rail gun is about 11.5" long. Great size for a collector! Click here to check out more pics and read a bit more. Apparently this month (May) they will also be releasing the Metal Gear Ray, which I think I actually like more than the Rex!

AVAILABLE NOW: Frank Kozik William, Henry & Reginald - Classic Edition by Arts Unknown

The last of Frank Kozik's William, Henry & Reginald - Classic Edition sets by Arts Unknown are up for sale on our website here on our Arts Unknown page. When AU closed up shop, we purchased the rest of these figures. The price for this figure is $39.95 each and we have very limited quantities of each color variant! We have 4 color variants of William/Henry/Reginald - Classic (white), Heart of Darkness (black), Bungle in the Jungle (green) and Blue Sunshine (orange). All Arts Unknown figures will begin shipping to customers from our warehouse on Wednesday May 6th.

More Boba from Luke Chueh x Flabslab

Star Wars day' is upon us and to celebrate May 4th, Luke Chueh and Flabslab is going to release another batch of Boba busts. Priced at $300 plus shipping, this latest batch is going to be limited to just 30 pieces. The viewfinder is detachable to make shipping easier and since this piece is coming from Singapore, shipping can take anywhere from 10-20 days, depending on location. For those who are interested, these are going to be going up for sale at 7 am PDT on the Flabslab online store. These should go fast, so good luck and May the Fourth be with you!

- Mark-Anthony

Google+

AVAILABLE NOW: Doktor A Bella Delamere - The Faded Daguerreotype by Arts Unknown

The last of the Doktor A Bella Delamere - The Faded Daguerreotype figures by Arts Unknown are up for sale on our website here on our Arts Unknown page. When AU closed up shop, we purchased the rest of these figures. Special price on this color variant only: $34.95 each. The other 3 colors are $39.95 each. We have 4 color variants of Bella Delamere - A Midnight Tryst (blue), Dead of Night (black w blood spatter), The Dinner Party (red dress) and Faded Daguerreotype (mono). We have very limited quantities of each color variant! All Arts Unknown figures will begin shipping to customers from our warehouse on Wednesday May 6th.

War Machine Quarter Scale Maquette From Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron now available at Sideshow

NO SPOILERS, I promise. Just a head's-up that Sideshow is now offering this ridiculously bad-ass quarter-scale War Machine maquette here on their site! Pretty damn bad ass. It's a running joke in our house that if I'm left alone, one Marvel movie or another will end up on the TV. That's just the way it is... Love those goddamn movies! Anyway, see more pics of War Machine here. Kinda expensive, but then again this thing is 22 inches tall. Pretty epic.

AVAILABLE NOW: Doktor A Bella Delamere - The Dinner Party by Arts Unknown

 

The last of the Doktor A Bella Delamere - The Dinner Party figures by Arts Unknown are up for sale on our website here on our Arts Unknown page. When AU closed up shop, we purchased the rest of these figures. The price for this figure is $39.95 each and we have very limited quantities of each color variant! We have 4 color variants of Bella Delamere - A Midnight Tryst (blue), Dead of Night (black w blood spatter), The Dinner Party (red dress) and Faded Daguerreotype (mono). All Arts Unknown figures will begin shipping to customers from our warehouse on Wednesday May 6th. 

Nature Bites Back Custom Mega Munny by David Stevenson

At ToyConUK 2015, David Stevenson debuted 'Nature Bites Back', a custom mega munny. Nature Bites Back features a bunch of colorful creatures, poking through a monstrous tree creature. Painted wood and leaves detail make the colorful creatures really stand out. This piece will be for sale and on exhibit at the Blackheath Gallery in London, for the 40th Anniversary Exhibition. David will also have 3 faux taxidermy stag heads in the pop art exhibition, which will also feature works from Peter Blake. The Exhibition opens on May 2nd in London.

 

Follow David on social media:

www.facebook.com/davidstevensonart

instagram: @davidstevensonart

twitter: @stevensonmsi 

- Mark-Anthony

Google+

 

Nohwitz by Rocketboy x Bold Machines

Not too long ago, Rocketboy, aka Ryan McClure, got one of his designs chosen by Bold Machines to be a part of their 2015 program. Bold Machines is The Innovation Workshop at Stratasys, an industry leader in 3D Printing technology. Most people are familiar with the name MakerBot, which produces a more affordable 3D Printer. MakerBot is a subsidiary of Stratasys, since 2013. Back to toys, Nohwitz is a cubicle creature, Rocketboy's latest design, which was chosen by Bold Machines to go from design to production. Using 3D printing technology, Rocketboy has been working with Bold Machines to develop, design and produce Nohwitz  into a designer figure. Nohwitz is now ready to be released to the public, so Rocketboy has painted up 10 of these 7" tall Nohwitz figures to be released on May 8th. 5 pieces will have a black tie and will be sold through Rotofugi, while the other 5 will have a red painted tie and be sold through Tenacious Toys. To celebrate this launch, these 10 pieces will be priced at $45 plus shipping.

To accompany the release of the painted Nohwitz figures, a bagged DIY version of Nohwitz will also be available to purchase on May8th through Rotofugi and Tenacious Toys. Limited to 25 pieces, each 3D printed figure will include 1-pair of hands and 1-pair of teeth, as well as a Nohwitz sticker. There are 3 different variations of hands: hands, tentacles, or hooves, and also 3 different variations of teeth: Fangs, tusks, or molars. Each figure will come with a random pair to attach to the base.

 

In addition to the initial release of the Nohwitz figures, Rotofugi will have a group show titled: Nohwitz All, featuring 24 different artists: 64 Colors, Betso, Davemarkart, DrilOne, Frank Montano, Infinite Rabbits, James Fuller, JC Rivera, Jeremiah Ketner, JFury, kOmega, Malo April, Malo One, Max Bare, Mike Die, Nugglife, One-Eyed Girl, Patrick Wong, Rocketboy, Rsin, Tasha Zimich, TaskOne, Travis Lampe and Veggiesomething. Opening reception will happen on May 8th from 7-10pm at Rotofugi, while first availability to purchase will occur when the gallery opens at 11am on May 8th. Rotofugi Gallery Preview email subscribers will be able to make purchases at 2pm on May 8th via email. Here are a few teasers of finished pieces from a few participating artists. The exhibit will run until June 7th, 2015.

Custom Nohwitz by 64 Colors

Custom Nohwitz by DrilOne

Freakazoid, Custom Nohwitz by Fuller

Runs Hot and Cold, Custom Nohwitz by Tasha Zimich

- Mark-Anthony

Google+

Josh Mayhem's "Transcendence" for the Lil Buddha Custom Show

This Saturday, May 2nd, Josh Mayhem will be presenting this stunning piece as part of the Lil Buddha Custom Show at Woot Bear.  Josh adds his creative touch to Missy M Toys' figure including translucent water effects and whirling flames atop, creating attention-grabbing motion and color in this moment of transcendence.

Follow Josh on Facebook or visit his new site for of his works.

+The Highest Fever

The "Little Green Men" Show

The tagline alone should be enough to get you over to the show.  "In space no one can hear you fart."  Leecifer and SubUrban Vinyl present The "Little Green Men" Show!

Saturday May 16th 2015 (6pm-9pm) the invasion commences over Waldwick, NJ as all manner of PickleBaby descend to land at SubUrban Vinyl Designer Toy & Art Gallery! A list of earthly conspirators practicing a wide variety of artistic disciplines has been revealed  to include (in no particular order) – 

JC Rivera • Josh Herbolsheimer • Betso • Daniel Talone • Paul Kaiju • Jason Limon • Carson Catlin • Brent Nolasco • John Grayson • PJ Constable • Scott Tolleson • Jay222 • Bwana Spoons • Tim Lee • Mechavirus • Scott Wilkowski • Yosiell Lorenzo • Flat Bonnie • Bob Conge • Lou Pimentel • Josh Kimberg • Matt Walker • Nathan Hamill • Joe Scarano • Task One • Spanky Stokes • Southerndrawl • valleyDweller • Blazon Brikhaus • Bleeding Edges • Nemo • Mikie Graham • Furry Feline Creatives • Dead Hand Toys • George Gaspar • Jacob Jams • Candie Bolton • Eric Broers • Daniel Fleres • Stacia Murphy • Pon • Cash Cannon • Soko Cat • Nebulon5 • DrilOne • Leecifer & more! 

Time to gather up your magnetometer, Ronco pocket radar, panoptic digitally assisted video recorder and fellow UFO nut… hunters for a PickleBaby encounter of the 5th kind (partying w/ the aliens) at 4 Frederick Street Waldwick, NJ, 07463. Just don’t park on the crop circle!!! Sightings will continue through June 13th.

 +The Highest Fever

AVAILABLE AT NOON TODAY: Doktor A Bella Delamere - Dead of Night by Arts Unknown

 The last of the Doktor A Bella Delamere - Dead of Night figures by Arts Unknown will go up for sale on our website at noon today here on our Arts Unknown page. When AU closed up shop, we purchased the rest of these figures. The price for this figure is $39.95 each and we have very limited quantities of each color variant! We have 4 color variants of Bella Delamere - A Midnight Tryst (blue), Dead of Night (black w blood spatter), The Dinner Party (red dress) and Faded Daguerreotype (mono). All Arts Unknown figures will begin shipping to customers from our warehouse on Wednesday May 6th.