Dammit this is brilliant: DIY Bob Ross Funko POP

Spotted at Toy Tokyo, a shop with the inside track on Funko POPs due to their strong relationship with MINDstyle. Gotta give props where it's due... this is a brilliant concept. You can preorder the DIY Bob Ross here.

Toy Tokyo NYCC 2015 Exclusives Line-up Press Release

Its that time of year again, New York Comic Con, and Toy Tokyo has an exciting line-up of exclusives laid out for our fans at booth 101, October 8th through to the 11th at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.

Top of the list...this is a big one...two Godzilla Funko Pop! Toy Tokyo Exclusives. Two versions, the 1954 Black and Gray Godzilla, and a Glow In the Dark Ghost version. Each will be $30.

Godzilla Pop! Vinyls...

But, that ain’t it! On top of the Godzilla Pop! Vinyls (which are a super-sized 6 inch figure) and other exclusive Toy Tokyo Funko products, Toy Tokyo is proudly sponsoring 3 of the original Godzilla costume actors at NYCC 2015 to sign autographs. Haruo Nakajima is among the three suit actors, the original 1954 Godzilla. It will be truly an amazing event and honor for us at Toy Tokyo, as well as the fans.

Godzilla Actor Signings...

Also on hand signing autographs will be Kenpachiro Satsuma, who donned the Godzilla costume first in 1984, all the way through to 1995.

And wrapping up the Godzilla suit-actor timeline, Tsutomu Kitagawa will be the third actor present for the signings. Kitagawa first portrayed to coveted role of Godzilla in 1998, all the way through to 2003...probably when CG started taking over.

Autographs by the actors will be available at discount pricing with the purchase of the Toy Tokyo Godzilla Pop! Vinyl exclusives throughout the show. The exclusives are of the original 1954 Godzilla (which according to many experts, the design has “nailed it!”).

If a fan purchases a single Godzilla Pop! and wants it signed by Nakajima, the cost of the signature will be $15 as opposed to $25.

With the purchase of both Godzilla Toy Tokyo Exclusives, a single signature on both will cost only $25, half off of the regular price of $50 for the signing of two pieces.

With a purchase of one Godzilla Toy Tokyo Exclusive, the autographs of all three actors, the cost will be $50 as opposed to $75. A $25 savings on the autographs.

And lastly, the two piece set of the Toy Tokyo Godzilla Exclusives being signed by all three actors will cost only $60 as opposed to $75.

All three of the actors will also be present to sign any Godzilla memorabilia for the price of $25 for each autograph...that could be posters, photos, other toys...whatever the fan chooses to bring.

Millennium Godzilla...

And in other Godzilla news, Toy Tokyo will also be presenting a very limited Marmit Millennium Godzilla Exclusive produced by Medicom Toy Japan. This piece has been produced in honor of Toy Tokyo’s 15 year anniversary!

Ron English Signing...

On Thursday, October 8 Master Popagandist Ron English will be signing three amazing exclusives! One of the pieces is a very recognizable video game star with the distinct Ron English twist (Mario Grin), and the Mushroom Grin. Along with a trio of Star Skulls.

The signing will take place between 2pm and 3pm at the Toy Tokyo booth 101.

Pop! Asia…

Toy Tokyo will also be proudly presenting a selection of very cool Pop! Asia pieces. All available, of course, in very limited numbers.

The other Toy Tokyo Funko Exclusives for NYCC 2015 are as follows:

• Topping the list is Freddy Funko in celebration of Toy Tokyo’s 15 year anniversary

• Then there is an old school Battlestar Galactica Lt. Starbuck in a white uniform

• Partnered with Starbuck is Captain Apollo, also in a Toy Tokyo Exclusive white uniform

• C-3P0 Hikari, in the Toy Tokyo Exclusive Dirty Penny edition

• And finally, a Dorbz Ridez Batmobile with Batman

Pricing for the exclusives is currently not available for the balance Toy Tokyo Exclusives, aside from the two Godzilla Pop! Vinyl pieces.

The Toy Tokyo team is very excited about this year’s New York Comic Con, and look forward to seeing all of our loyal fans that have supported us over the years, as well as all of the new supporters we have gained in more recent years.

The Loyal Subjects Transformers Optimus Prime Custom Show at Toy Tokyo

Custom toy show at Toy Tokyo featuring The Loyal Subjects' 8-in DIY Optimus Prime platform.

Click here to view the gallery.

The Loyal Subjects Transformers Custom Show at Toy Tokyo February 15

TLS is bracing for the year that is Transformers...

What better way to kick Toy Fair off with a Party and Art Show at the legendary Toy Tokyo in NYC.  The Art Show will feature some of today's best Illustrators, Customizers and Artists as they take their hand at Transforming the TLS DIY Optimus Prime. 

Each artist will have an Original Art piece accompany their Prime.  Each piece will be available for purchase from the Gallery.  We also will be featuring some Exclusive Slag T-Shirts, a Soundwave Hoodie, the 2 Pack Cybertron Set and the 3 Pack Rainmaker set as well as the first time debut of the Ultra Magnus figure (pictured below).  Refreshments, Beverages and Snacks will be on hand.  Come enjoy yourself, soak in the talent and let's cheers to 2014 in NYC style!

The Toy Mafia Takeover this Thurs at Toy Tokyo

Join the Toy Mafia crew as they takeover the Toy Tokyo Underground spot on Thursday, September 19th, 2013 from 7PM until 10PM.

Featuring exclusive Designer Toy releases fromGreen Plastic Tunnels, Mechavirus, Ministry of Kongz, and Rampage Toys. There will also be a new version of the ultra-popular Toy Mafia t-shirt that will have you glowing from ear to ear. First dibs on all these releases (and more!) are for those that attend the event, where the drinks will be free, the partying will be hard, and the fun will be flowing!

The 2nd Avenue Trading Card Convention

February 16th, 2013
7pm to 11pm
at Toy Tokyo Underground
(91 Second Avenue, NYC)

This second annual event will feature trading cards galore,
including the just-released The Art Hustle Series 3, Buff Monster's Melty Misfits,
Suckadelic Suckpax, Sidekick's My Father's Record Collection and Curiosity on Mars,
as well as many other oddities, rarities and cardboard delights!

There will be beer courtesy of Beerlao!
There will be beats courtesy of The Crystal Pharoah!
There will be a sketch card table with event exclusive sketch cards!

Special appearances by The Sucklord, Buff Monster and L'amour Supreme
and who knows who else may show up!

Sidekick Lab will be in full effect, live printing and personally stamping cards with an exclusive
gold stamp commemorating the event (one card per pack purchased, buyers choice!)

**Don't sleep on this. It will be a trading card bacchanal!**

Hot Rod Zukie custom by Benny Kline for Zukie vs the World

 Well, I went and did it. I made my first custom toy!
Alison Perez invited me to be a part of her upcoming Zukie vs the World custom show (opening at Toy Tokyo Underground, July 27th from 6-10pm) and I of course accepted! I've been knee-deep in custom toys for a few years now, watching artists rise up through the ranks and get famous. It's rad. I love seeing all the artists gain success, notoriety and sometimes, when they are SUPER lucky, they get to make their artwork a full-time pursuit! But...

 I've never made a custom toy myself. At least not a designer toy. When I was young I used to make static models a lot. Mostly cars, but sometimes planes or tanks or the Space Shuttle... later I graduated to R/C cars, still painting the Lexan bodies myself.... but I've never created a custom toy before.
So... to start myself off, I went back to what I know best: static models. I bought a dragster kit which had a nice-sized supercharged V8 engine, and built the engine. Some of you might have followed along on Instagram when I did that (if ya wanna follow me, I'm "tenacioustoys" on Instagram).

 After I had the engine built, I got in touch with Monster Kolor and picked up some paint. I invited Kris Dulfer over to hang on my roof and show me what's what... and when he got here I hacked up this Zukie's head and built a mount for the motor.

Then I got to spraying: Monster Kolor aerosols the whole way: base coat of silver, on top of that I layered C-Thru Red, and to finish it off, several coats of Gloss (aka clear coat). I've never used the paint before, and I have to say it worked perfectly. The Gloss top coat dried perfectly. Not sticky in the slightest! I highly recommend Monster Kolor aerosol, and in fact you can buy it from my shop here. Actually, you can buy Zukies in my shop as well.

It's really not the most complex custom toy I've ever seen, but it was damn fun making it and I'm proud of my first attempt! I feel a little better now that I'm part of the customizing community, as opposed to some outsider just writing about the customs and selling them. Most of my friends would probably consider me an insider already, but to be a real insider, you need to take part. Now I'm in! And I'll see you at Toy Tokyo on Friday!

Huge thanks to Alison Perez for inviting me to be in this show, to Matt Walker for providing Monster Kolor paint, and to Kris Dulfer for showing me how to do the chopping, sanding and painting!

For more images of my Hot Rod Zukie custom, click here.

Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro - The Four Horsemen Toy Tokyo Feb 10

Beginning February 10th 2012 at 7pm EST, Four Horsemen Toy Design and TT Underground Gallery in New York City presents Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro - The Four Horsemen's  second gallery show!

The Opening reception of the show begins on Friday night Feb. 10th from 7pm until 10pm.

Saturday Feb. 11th through Wednesday Feb. 15th: 2pm until 7pm.

Featuring special items from the past, present and future of Four Horsemen Toy Design, Futuretro will be celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Outer Space Men acton figure line with a special edition extremely limited set of Outer Space Men figures re-vamped by the original Outer Space Men creator himself, Mel Birnkrant!

 The Outer Space Men Cosmic Creators series - The Birnkrant Edition figures consists of alternate versions of four of Mel Birnkrant's most famous creations. The set featuring Metalmorpho, Deep Blue Astro-Nautilus, Goldiac and Blazing Inferno will be signed not only by Mr. Birnkrant himself, but also each of the Four Horsemen. Each set of figures will also come with a special edition Outer Space Men print by fan favorite illustrator and frequent Four Horsemen collaborator, Nathan (Baena) Baertsch! Each set is $125.00 at the Futuretro gallery show.

Toy Tokyo Underground
91 Second Avenue, Lower Level
New York, NY 10003

Props to my man Toygodd for letting me know about this show. 

Will probably view this show with him after we hit Toy Fair together.

NYC Art/Toy Mob rollin deep

What's a typical night like in NYC for people like us? Here ya go: a big mob of toy artists, creators, designers, traditional artists, sculptors, toy retailers on the way to Art Battles from the Marka27 solo show. Good times.

Get some Orbitz coupon codes and join us next time.

Getting Big: 36-inch custom Sharky Show May 20th

Opening Reception: May 20; 7pm-11pm @ Toy Tokyo Underground, 91 Second Ave

ToyQube custom 36" Sharky featuring: Frank Kozik, Jason Freeny, KaNO, Keithing, Luke Chueh, Ron English & Tristan Eaton. All pieces will be for sale.

Smaller DIY Sharky figures will be on sale during the event. Take home your own Sharky to make a one of kind custom!

For more info:  

www.toyqube.com

and

www.theshowroomnyc.com

First Annual 2nd Avenue Trading Card Convention and Swap Meet/brothel

The other night we went down to Toy Tokyo Underground in downtown NYC to the 1st Annual 2nd Ave Trading Card Convention, which was basically a chance for all of us artists, card nerds and toy store owners to get together, party, trade cards, drink beer, draw naughty things in inappropriate places, and generally revel in all that is good and right with the world. It was crazy fun!

Check the video. You'll see Tom of Sidekick Labs (they made the Art Hustle cards), Simeon (the gigantic dude who came up with the Art Hustle concept and brought it to reality), the Sucklord, Phetus and a whole motley crew of NYC crazies, including NEMO, Mr. Den, Rolo, Lowell, Kid Lew, King Abnon and Tony Depew.

Simeon dropped the bomb on us that Tenacious Toys would have a card in Art Hustle Series 3. Made our whole month! I picked up some of the Suckadelic SuckPax Series 2 cards, traded some of our NYCC Travis Louie cards, and met Jared, a super fan (and a customer) who flew in from Texas! A great night. I took a million pictures and I haven't even uploaded them yet because we've been dealing with a tsunami of ThreeA orders this week.

THE 1ST ANNUAL SECOND AVE TRADING CARD CONVENTION & SWAP MEET

 NOVEMBER 5 AT TOY TOKYO UNDERGROUND

SUCKPAX: Action Art Cards Series 2 is about to Drop!

On November 5, 2010, the long-awaited follow up to the ground-breaking indie Trading Card Series from SUCKADELIC hits the streets.

TOY TOKYO UNDERGROUND
91 Second Avenue NYC
7-11 PM

 

Conceived and Designed by the SUPER SUCKLORD, Suckpax takes the
art of the simple trading cards and flips it on it's head, stuffing each
box with irony, challenge, and incredible underground art. Engineered and
produced by Sidekick Lab, Suckpax features the Old-School wax wrappers of
yore as well as that shitty card stock we all grew up on before trading
cards got slick. Featuring original one-of-kind sketch cards and multiple
high-concept special inserts, Suckpax is truly Modern art in Vintage
packaging.

Series two takes it to the next level with special features such as:

• Original Sketch Card art by some of the Toy Scene's hottest losers
• Secret-messages readable only with the special Mail-away decoder card
• Lenticular Cards featuring awesome animated Suck-Action
• Costume cards featuring real material from one of the Suckadelic
Supervillain Girl's actual costume!

•"Real" fake Gum

Plus many more Surprise bonus features for you to discover

Available Nov 5 at Suckadelic.comor Sidekick Lab (see below for full
stats)

Join us for an exciting release party Friday November 5 in New York City!

Suckpax 2 will release at the FIRST ANNUAL SECOND AVENUE TRADING CARD
CONVENTION And SWAP MEET at TOY TOKYO UNDERGROUND.

The Second Avenue Trading Card convention is a new yearly event
showcasing the ongoing releases from the new urban art trading card
scene. In addition to the fabled Suckpax 2 drop, this year's convention
will feature an exclusive card giveaway from the seminal artist cards
series THE ART HUSTLE as well as a show and Auction of TOPPS STAR WARS
GALAXY 5 die cut sketch cards and large scale artworks.

The ART HUSTLE is a boutique set of artist and art-based trading cards
exhibiting an international group of 75 artists working in street art, toy
art, kaiju, sketch, illustration, painting, aerosol art, poster art,
tattoo art, digital art, collage, sculpture, photography and more.*

STAR WARS GALAXY 5 is the latest installment of the venerable TOPPS
trading card company's take on official Star Wars art. This show features
sketch card work by some of today's illest underground artists, curated by
the Super-Sucklord. Featured on these offbeat custom cut cards are
luminaries such as Buff Monster, TOUMA, and Plasticgod. (see below for
full list)
Artists' cards will be showcased, as well as select Large-Scale works based on the series. 

It's a must-see show for any Star Wars fan.

Join us on November 5, 2010 at
TOY TOKYO UNDERGROUND
91 Second Avenue NYC
7-11 PM
Beer Provided by Beerlao