Tenacious Toys Exclusive "Alien Nation" print collab between NEMO & Janice Terao

Introducing another Exclusive for our NYCC booth: the 12" x 12" "Alien Nation" print is a collaborative project that Mike NEMO Mendez is launching with painter Janice Terao. This will be the first of many paintings representing sculptural work by NEMO. The Alien Nation piece shows NEMO's Pilot of Prometheus 5" Mini Qee which he made for one of our custom toy shows. The custom Qee will make an appearance at NYCC alongside these prints.

Info on the prints:
Edition of 50, hand signed and numbered. 12 by 12 inch moab entrada and breathing color, both are 300gsm rag, comes with cardboard and plastic sleeve. $20 each.

These prints available starting on Friday. Find us at Booth 208 at New York Comic Con!

40% off Voltaire Sleezter Bunee 5-inch Mini Qee with Adventure Quest code with code 40pctoff

Cute and cuddly on the outside… twisted and demented on the inside! There is no better companion than Voltaire’s own extraterrestrial monster teddy bear, and now he comes disguised as a bunny! Standing 5 inches tall and made from 50% Vinyl and 50% Evil, these toys are ready to become best friends with you! As always, there is a very limited number of these toys available! Each toy also comes with a special code that unlocks items in AQ Worlds: The Deady Bunee & Sleezter Bunee codes open the same shop with SIX new pets! The pets are small in-game versions of the color and black and white toys.

Typically this piece sells for $28, but for a limited time you can pick on up for just $16.80 when you use the code 40pctoff at the Tenacious Toys online store.

~Mr. N. Visible

40% off Tenacious Toys Exclusive Uncle Argh Noir Mini Qee by Scott Tolleson with code 40pctoff

Today's 40% off product is a Tenacious Toys exclusive, the Uncle Argh Noir Mini Qee by Scott Tolleson. This is the second colorway of this piece and availble only at the Tenacious Toys online store.  The vinyl piece stands 5 inches tall, is limited to only 500 pieces and was produced by Toy2R.

Scott Tolleson called Benny of Tenacious Toys one day and asked if he wanted to have the Argh Noir colorway as a Tenacious Toys exclusive. Of course, Benny did, but he didn't have the money to fund the run of 500 Mini Qees. So Benny turned to Kickstarter, the crowd-funding platform, and put together his first Kickstarter project. After a nail-biting 2 months, the Argh Noir Kickstarter was fully funded and the money was sent to Toy2R to begin production! We are now selling the Årgh Noirs as we would any other product on our website since all Argh Noir Mini Qee rewards have been shipped to the backers of the project.

Typically the figure sells for $28, but for a limited time you can pick one up for only $16.80 at the Tenacious Toys online store by using the code 40pctoff.

~Mr. N. Visible

40% off NYCC Exclusive Jon-Paul Kaiser Pandaimyo Royal Guard Mini Qee with code 40pctoff

This Jon-Paul Kaiser Pandaimyo Blue Mini Qee is a Tenacious Toys NYCC Exclusive. The vinyl  figure stands 5 inches tall and is limited to 300 pieces. The piece is produced by Toy2R and designed by Jon-Paul Kaiser. Typically the figure sells for $28, but for a limited time you can pick one up for only $16.80 at the Tenacious Toys online store by using the code 40pctoff.

~Mr. N. Visible

Uncle Argh Noirs released to public on Sep 19th

Missed out on backing our Kickstarter to fund the Uncle Argh Noir Exclusive Mini Qee? Well, fear not: the remaining stock of Argh Noirs will be available for purchase on our website on Wednesday, September 19th at 9AM EST.

I don't have a direct link yet, but I will put up the item on our homepage so you can just go to TenaciousToys.com and click right thru.

I wanted to wait till my international backers have received their Argh Noirs... last week I saw that backers in Europe had begun to receive theirs (thanks Instagram), so I thought this week was a good week to get them up for sale.

I also sent a really hella lame formal press release out to the bloggers to they could post about it as well. Spanky Stokes was complaining on Twitter that we always wait to send press releases too late... so I was like "Well, I better send a press release to make Spanky happy..." I think he was referring to NYCC-related press releases, but it's a good practice anyway so I sent it.

It'll be hilarious. Can't wait to see who posts the PR. Why do I feel like that is an old-skool way of releasing info?

The graphic in this post will be one side of our NYCC postcard, by the way. Oh, and if you wanna follow us, we are @tenacioustoys on both Twitter and Instagram.

Uncle Argh NOIR Kickstarter update

Today we've added more high-level rewards ($175 and $500) to our Kickstarter campaign to fund our exclusive Scott Tolleson Uncle Argh NOIR Mini Qee. We're now about 66% funded, and with only a month left, we need YOUR support to make this project a reality. 

If the high-level rewards aren't your thing, we also have a $30 reward that gets you the Uncle Argh NOIR shipped to your door, no matter where you live. That's a bargain by any measure.

Click here to read more about this Kickstarter campaign, and to donate! No money is charged to your CC until May 1st. Join the Argyle Association today!

Kickstarter to fund Tenacious Toys Exclusive Scott Tolleson Uncle Argh NOIR

We are incredibly excited to announce our first Kickstarter project, which is intended to fund our first full run of an exclusive toy: the Uncle Argh NOIR figure is the second colorway of Scott Tolleson's popular 5" Toy2R Mini Qee. Scott is super stoked about this colorway and we are incredibly fortunate and thankful to him for allowing us to take this colorway and run with it. 

The Kickstarter campaign ends on May 1st. Our goal is to raise just enough money to fund the entire 500-piece run of toys, plus the fees associated with Kickstarter campaigns, and the shipping. To that end, we have made this Kickstarter an easy one to fund: a $30 pledge gets you the Uncle Argh NOIR figure ($30 flat, including shipping, no matter where you live!). Lesser pledges get you a sticker pack or a Tolleson print. Higher pledges get you orginal Scott Tolleson sketches, paintings, or even a custom Mini Qee which Scott will make specifically for you using the Mini Qee platform of your choice!

Once May 1st hits, assuming we reach 100% funding, the money is charged to your credit card. Then it goes thru Kickstarter to us, and we send it along to Toy2R to get production started. After that, it takes about 2 months for the figures to be produced and shipped to the US. So we are looking at an arrival in July/August.

As I type this, we've already scored our first $100 pledge! I'm so excited I think I'm going to pass out.

Please click here to donate to this Kickstarter project! And please share the project online whether you donate or not. I've spent 2 years pounding this keyboard, helping promote up & coming artists, startup companies and even OTHER toy shops, so I know very well how incredibly important it is for all of us to share information on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Please help us get this project funded!

Urkor Malravenous Mini Qee available at Voltaire.net

The Urkor Mni Qee figure from Toy2R is now available exclusively on Voltaire's website. Scroll down and it's about halfway down- there's a Paypal "Buy Now" button and it's $35 shipped. Toy2R only made 500 of them, and Voltaire has 250 to sell. The other 250 figures were sold by Adventure Quest Worlds' online store (Heromart.com), and Heromart is now sold out. 

AQW was selling these because the figure includes a special code that will unlock a shop in the game with 2 exclusive AQWorlds pets: the Necrosian Walker and the Necrosian Skullbat. There are two versions of each pet (normal pet, and also a member-only Battle Pet version which is Necromancer compatible).

I don't play AQW but I love this Qee so much that I think I might have to hit Voltaire up for one of them...

Here's the story behind the Urkor character:

There is no better companion than Voltaire’s own extraterrestrial monster teddy bear, Deady. However, Deady’s true form and name… Urkor Malravenenus was revealed during an AQW Friday the 13th special online event. This terrifying collectible 5″ Mini Qee unleashes Deady’s true nature – a cute little teddy bear that has become possessed by the greatest evil this galaxy of ours has to offer: Urkor Malravenus from planet Necronus, who, stranded on Earth in the disguise of this cute little teddy, decides to wreak havoc on mankind.

Scott Tolleson Uncle Argh Mini Qee now in stock

Click here to buy the Scott Tolleson Uncle Argh Mini Qee!

JonPaul Kaiser Mini Qees here in time for NYCC; get yours signed!

We now have in-box images of the upcoming Jon-Paul Kaiser Mini Qees by Toy2R!

First Mate Nathaniel Vigo 5" Mini Qee Mon - The second figure in the "Tales of the Whispering Corsair" saga, this little man practically runs the day to day operations onboard the Corsair. A perfect pairing with the 8" Zombie Pirate (Olaf the Mute) Qee Bear released last year. As the First Mate hits shores, its all in anticipation of the arrival of Captain Sturnbrau, landing in October.

Limited to only 500 pieces- we're accepting preorders now.

 

The Forgotten 5" Mini Qee Bunee - The first in a new series of characters with a misfit toys mythos. Jon-Paul captures true emotion in this release and it is not to be missed as we prepare for additional figures in this line for 2012.

Also limited to 500 pieces - The Forgotten is a perfect fall release and should satisfy JPK fans and collectors of designer art toys alike. Preorder now!

Make sure to stop by the Tenacious Toys and Toy2R booth at NYCC- we're teaming up this year with celebrate vinyl toy manufacturer Toy2R to slam you in the face with amazing toys.   
Jon-Paul Kaiser WILL be on hand for a signing at our booth:

Booth 876 in the Cultyard

Voltaire's Adventure Quest Deady Big in Japan Mini Qees in stock now

The 5-inch Deady "Big in Japan" Mini Qees by Voltaire and Toy2R are now here, and there are 3 different variants! Only $28, buy yours here. Each comes with an Adventure Quest code so you can play AQ alongside Deady.

Jon Paul Kaiser 8-inch Olaf the Mute Qee

At right is the Toy2R 8" Olaf the Mute Qee designed by Jon-Paul Kaiser. I just saw this image for the first time in Kevin Winnik's Google Plus stream. Olaf is pictured next to the upcoming First Mate Nathaniel Vigo 5-inch Mini Qee. Nathaniel Vigo will be making his first public appearance at SDCC. Both pirates are crew members on the Whispering Corsair. There's a sweet Captain Sturnbrau figure coming as well, with a pirate hat, hook and pegleg. 

This Whispering Corsair series is shaping up to be AWESOME! 

Will be selling ALL of these JPK Qees so you'll know where to find 'em... Tenacious Toys!

Bryan A. Collins Qee to the Moon Mini Qee custom

We have this sweet 5" custom Mini Qee Bear by Bryan A. Collins titled "Qee to the Moon"- see more pics and purchase the piece here. 

We've also got a full, thematic custom series coming soon from Bryan- he's working on it right now! Look for more news on that here on this blog. You can follow Bryan on his website, Twitter and  Facebook, and you can purchase his book here.

Kris Dulfer custom Mecha Tanks for sale now

The M3CH4 TANK custom Qees from Kris Dulfer's solo show at White Star are now up for sale on Tenacious Toys in our Kris Dulfer section. Each 6" tall piece is unique, featuring a 5" Mini Qee, a 2.5" Qee driver and various parts and accessories molded and poured by Kris. 

You can follow Kris on his Tumblr where he posts up much of his work.

The Kitty and The Mouse custom Mini Qee by Southerndrawl

This is your last opportunity to buy Southerndrawl's beautiful Toy2R Mini Qee x ThreeA mashup custom titled "The Kitty and the Mouse." If it doesn't sell this week, we are shipping it back to him and who knows what'll happen to it after that! Probably going to the scrap heap to be reworked into something new (seriously).

SD put a lot of work into this one: at 9 inches tall, it was by far the largest Mini Qee custom at the NYC Loves Qee event at Yoyamart in February. For sale here.

5 inch DIY Mini Qees by Toy2R in stock

5-inch Mini Qee DIY platforms are in stock now! At only $15, these figures are direct competition to the Kidrobot offerings (Kidrobot's 7-inch Munnys are more expensive at $24.99, and their 4-inch Munnyworld figures like Foomi are smaller and cost $9.95). 7 styles of Mini Qee available: Bear, Toyer, Cat, Mon, Pig, Sprayee and Bunny. 

Click here to see them all! 

Click here to see all of the DIY figures we have in stock.

Scott Tolleson Uncle Argh Mini Qee

Scott Tolleson's Uncle Argh 5-inch Mini Qee is available for preorder now here. Slated to arrive in June, this production version of Tolleson's well-received "Cousin Argh" custom is priced at $28. Soon we'll also be stocking Tolleson's Otis and Otto 2-piece sets which employ a similar argyle pattern.

Half Off Matt Anderson Commissions, Today Only!

"Onikuma," a custom Mini Qee made by Matt Anderson for Tenacious Toys

It's Matt Anderson's birthday today, and he's giving YOU a present: book a commission with him today for a mini figure (Mini Qee, Mini Munny, etc) and get it for half off! That's a very generous offer from a talented artist. 

Above is a picture of the type of work that Matt does: steampunk-esque with a healthy shot of electronics and mixed media. The figure above will be for sale at Tenacious Toys as a part of Matt's "Anar-Qee" custom series. When he finishes the last piece, the entire series will be for sale (at full price of course) on our website. 

If you want you very OWN Matt*A commission, however, today is a good time to contact him. 

You can find Matt on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

NYC Loves Qee Party and Mini Qee Custom Show recap

On Monday February 14th, we teamed up with Toy2R and Yoyamart to help launch Toy2R's new products in 2011. On display were the Kaiju Bossy Bear figures, the new 2-inch Domo Series, and the protos for Skelanimals Series 2... but the big draw was the launch of Toy2R's new low-priced 5-inch DIY platform, the Mini Qee! With seven different head shapes, the $15 Mini Qees are sure to be favorites with artists and toy customizers of all stripes.

To help promote the new Mini Qee platforms, Toy2R asked me to help curate a custom Mini Qee show which would be a one-night-only event happening at Yoyamart during Toy Fair 2011. Yoyamart has had a VERY long relationship with Toy2R, even longer than Tenacious Toys, so it was only natural that the wonderful, bright and open Yoyamart shop at 15 Gansevoort Street would be chosen for the event. (The event was dubbed "NYC Loves Qee" and from these pics you can definitely see that we do indeed love our Qees here in NYC!)

I picked 19 of the best artists I knew to customize the Bear shape of the Mini Qees- these Mini Qees, in fact, were some of the very first to come into the US. (Currently Yoyamart is the ONLY US shop to have ANY Mini Qees at all, so definitely hit them up if you are looking to get your hands on the platform. Most of the artists who attended walked out with their arms full of the new Mini Qees to work on at home!)

The artists we called upon were: NEMO, Mr. Munk, Ian Ziobrowski, Zam, Mr. Den, Nerviswr3k, Rsin, Matt Anderson, Bryan Allen Collins, LYS0L, Phetus, Jon Malmstedt of Rampage Toys, J*RYU, NREAZON, Grimsheep, Foox, Tony Depew, Dinky Cow and Southerndrawl. The custom work submitted to this show was nothing short of spectacular, and I'm not just saying that because we helped curate. Each piece was expertly executed, and on a short timeline to boot. Each of the artists mentioned above worked hard and created something wonderful, so my most heartfelt congratulations and gratitude is in order to each an every one of those ladies and gentlemen. (It should be noted that the Custom Toy Union curated some Mini Qee pieces, and Kevin Winnik curated even more pieces for this show.)

The party was a great success, thanks in no small part to Stephane, the perenially positive owner of Yoyamart; Kevin Winnik, head of Toy2RUSA; Matt Siegelbaum of Strongtree Images who shot all the pics in this post and many more; and of course all the artists who contributed work to this show to make it as strong as it was. We had dozens of artists show up; collectors, industry reps, the heads of companies, celebrities (see if you can spot any in the online gallery!)... champagne was enjoyed by all and it was a blast from start to finish!

Many retailers have already ordered the Mini Qees, and they will be showing up in other US shops eventually. For now, if you want one, you need to head to Yoyamart.
There are many more amazing pictures of this show: pics of the customs as well as people shots. I urge you to go check out the public gallery on Strongtree Images- you can share your favorite pics on Facebook, embed them into your blogs, tweet them... go nuts!
I'd like to thank Kevin Winnik for asking me to help curate; this was a really fun project and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm looking forward to curating more toy shows in the future. The 20 custom Qees that I curated will be up in a special page in the Customs section of Tenacious Toys, and all the pieces that did not sell right there at the show, will be for sale on that page of TenaciousToys.com. In the near future, look for MANY Tenacious Toys artist collaborations featuring the artists in this show. I have already lined up projects with a bunch of them.

NYC Loves Qee: Toy2R Toy Fair Preview Party Feb 14th in NYC

Toy2R invites you to experience the next generation of fun during our Toy Fair Preview Party being held at Yoyamart on February 14th. Come out and take a peek at their 2011 projects and join us in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Qee. Yoyamart will play host to our NYC Loves QEE Show and the unveiling of:

• 5inch Mini Qee DIY Collection – Our the newest 5″ scale Qee opens the genre to new artists and new possibilities. With a SRP of $15 each – DIY customizing doesn’t have to break the bank – just the rules!
• In addition, there will be more than 40 original customized 5inch Mini Qees to illustrate the realm of possibilities using Qee! Customs by Jason Freeny, Jon Paul Kaiser, ViseOne, Scott Tolleson, Voltaire, MCA, Pocket Wookie, Atypical, A Little Stranger, NEMO, Mr. Den, Ian Ziobrowski, ZAM, Mr. Munk, Dinky Cow, NREAZON, Grimsheep, Foox, J*RYU, Rampage Toys, Phetus, LYSOL, Bryan Allen Collins, Matt Anderson, RSIN, Nerviswr3k, Kim Mayhew, Southerndrawl, Tony DePew and more!
• First public preview of Toy2R’s collaboration with CTU for 2011!
• Plus it will be your very first chance to pick up a 5inch Mini Qee DIY before anyone else in the world!
• 5inch Kaiju Bossy Bear by David Horvath – the evolution of the classic character created by the mind behind the Uglydoll phenom, continues to explore new variations. Come see what Bossy Bear has been up to and how he has transformed into the biggest thing since….well, him!
• 2.5inch Skelanimal Qees Series 2 – Cooler than the Dead, Toy2R breaks loose with the follow-up to the best selling Skelanimal Qee Assortment from last year. WIth new designs by Voltaire, Lunabee, Pocket Wookie, Nick Z, Albert Art and PO! – Qee takes the Skelanimal theme on another journey through art and imagination!
• New Qee-Shells – Gotta see them to get them!
• Domo Qees – Courtesy of Dark Horse – the newly released 7inch Domo Qees will be displayed as well as a sneak peek at SERIES 3 of Domo Qees – taking over the world is the definition of Domonation! Come out to see why!

Plus surprises, custom Qees of all sizes, special guests and more – all awaiting to be your date on the 14th! Come out and celebrate with Toy2R and see why Qee continues to be a best selling platform for the past ten years!

YOYAMART
15 GANSEVOORT ST
NEW YORK, NY
212-242-5511

Join the Qeevolution and experience the next generation of fun….it’s Qee!