The Blot Says...

New 52 Batman: Black and White by Jim Lee

2012-01-27T10:30:00.012-06:00

The newest statue in DC Direct’s popular “Batman: Black and White” line is the New 52 Batman by legendary artist Jim Lee. What’s interesting about this release is that it marks the first statue to feature a character’s new redesigned look from DC Comics’ recent reboot. While fans are sure to go crazy over this statue because it’s by Lee, The Blot is extremely unimpressed. In fact, I’d say this statue makes me like Batman’s “New 52” reboot look even less. What’s up with all those unneeded lines on Batman’s chest? I’ve always heard it explained that Batman has a reason and a use for every detail of his costume, so what’s the rationale for this one? I guess if it rains he’s got built-in gutters!

The New 52 Batman: Black and White statue by Jim Lee measures 5.5" high x 6" wide x 5" deep, and matches the previous figures in this series with its moody, monochromatic color scheme. Collectors can purchase one of these for $80 beginning May 22, 2012.

“The Bat” Venture Bros. Screen Print by Olly Moss

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

After debuting at Gallery1988’s [adult swim] show earlier this month, Olly Moss’ awesome Venture Bros. screen print “The Bat” will finally be going on sale to the general public at a random time today, Friday, January 27th at Postersandtoys.com. Based on Frank Miller’s iconic cover to The Dark Knight Returns #1, and features Hank Venture as The Bat!

“The Bat” by Olly Moss is a 16”x24” screen prints with a limited edition run size of 100 prints. These prints will retail for $60 but good luck getting one. Like all Moss releases it is sure to sell out in a number of seconds.

Slime Gread Resin Figures by Lysol

2012-01-26T13:30:00.000-06:00

Lysol’s been hard at work the past few weeks on the next evolution of his popular Gread resin figure. This time around, each figure will be sitting in a little pool of resin "slime"! No paint is involved here, just hand cast resin in a variety of different colors. For this particular release, each figure will be made to order, and you will actually get to pick your Gread and Slime color combination. Like with Burger King, at the Dead Hand online store you will truly get to have it your way!

Collectors will get to choose from at least a couple of different Gread colors and match that up with several different colors of slime. The exact color options have not been finalized yet, so be sure check out Lysol’s twitter feed, blog and online store to find out more info! These awesome Slime Greads will go on sale at the Dead Hand online store this Tuesday, January 31st, at noon EST. Each figure comes bagged with a head card and will retail for $20 each.

The Simpsons x Kidrobot Matt Groening Vinyl Figure

2012-01-26T12:00:00.014-06:00

If you were born in the last 35 years, and spent any of that time watching American television, odds are you learned a thing or two from The Simpsons. Created by legendary “Life is Hell” cartoonist Matt Groening, The Simpsons is celebrating its 500th episode in February 2012, and Kidrobot is honoring the father of primetime animation in the only way they know how…by making him into a 6 inch vinyl toy!

Let me just start by saying The Blot has not been a fan of Kidrobot’s licensed releases over the past few years. While I love cartoons (and especially The Simpsons), I haven’t bought a single Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Street Fighter or Futurama blind box and don’t plan to any time soon. I thought they were uninspired and hated seeing Kidrobot relying on such established properties. But all that changed when I found out about this Matt Groening vinyl figure! Not only is this the first ever Simpsons Matt Groening toy, but…well…it’s Matt f’n Groening!

Groening is seriously a living legend, who has done more for animation and television than I can even put into words. I seriously can’t wait for this figure to be released! The Simpsons x Kidrobot Matt Groening 6” vinyl figure comes wearing his signature goatee, glasses and a Simpsons director’s jacket, and includes pad and pencil accessories. Mr. Groening is set to retail for $50 each and will go on sale February 9th at Kidrobot stores, Kidrobot.com and select retailers worldwide.

Chinese New Year 2012 3 Gods Android Set

2012-01-26T10:30:00.001-06:00

If you liked last year's Chinese New Year God of Wealth Android, then you’re really going to love Andrew Bell’s latest creations! For 2012’s Chinese New Year release, the New York artist has created a limited edition 3 God set featuring the God of Fortune (祿), the God of Blessing (福) and the God of Longevity (壽). While this is primarily an edition for Dyzplastic’s partners in Asia, Bell kept a few sets to sell in the US at his Dead Zebra online store. That’s the good news. The bad news is these went on sale yesterday for $29 per 3 figure set, and sole out instantly. Hopefully the Gods smiled upon you and you were able to score this awesome set of Android Mini Figures.

Mondo x Sideshow Collectibles Planet of the Apes Screen Print Series

2012-01-26T09:00:00.025-06:00

Tomorrow (for some odd reason), Mondo is releasing its entire Planet of the Apes Screen Print Series in one fell swoop as a gigantic 6 print set. Seems like over kill to me, but all you diehard Apes fans will definitely want to check this series out!

For its Planet of the Apes series Mondo has once again teamed with Sideshow Collectibles to produce a screen print for each of the original five Planet of the Apes movies: Planet of the Apes by Martin Ansin, Beneath the Planet of the Apes by Ken Taylor, Escape from the Planet of the Apes by Rich Kelly, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes by Phantom City Creative and Battle for the Planet of the Apes by Florian Bertmer. Plus, if you purchase the set tomorrow, you’ll also receive the “GO APE!” poster by Jason Edmiston.

Each Planet of the Apes screen print measures 24”x36”, comes hand numbered and has a limited edition run size of between 320 and 415. The full Planet of the Apes Screen Print Series set goes on sale at a random time today, Thursday, January 26th, at the Mondo online store. Then on Friday, January 27th, head back to the Mondo online store where the remaining prints will go on sale individually at a random time as well. Happy hunting!

The Avengers Movie Wacky Wobbler Bobble Heads by Funko

2012-01-25T13:30:00.020-06:00

Pictures have finally leaked out onto the web of Funko’s upcoming line of The Avengers Wacky Wobbler Bobble Heads based on each character’s look in this summer’s live action movie. From the photo above, it can finally be confirmed that Hawkeye will be included in this release! The Blot’s just hoping this means we’ll also be getting a Hawkeye Pop! vinyl figure as well. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure why every company’s Hawkeye movie toys have been kept so top secret. We’ve already seen the character in the movie’s official trailer, movie posters and in Marvel comic books where Clint Barton has assumed the same look as his movie counterpart.

The Avengers Movie Bobble Heads by Funko include Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye and The Hulk. Each 7” tall Wacky Wobbler comes packaged in a full color displayable window box and are scheduled to hit store shelves in April 2012! Pre-order yours today from EntertainmentEarth.com here for just $11.99 each.

The Avengers is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 4, 2012 and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and Mark Ruffalo as the Incredible Hulk.

Green Hell Rose Vampire Casket Cruiser by Super7 x Josh Herbolsheimer

2012-01-25T12:00:00.010-06:00

Josh Herbolsheimer’s Green Hell Rose Vampire Casket Cruiser is finally here!!! The Blot has been anxiously awaiting the release of this one since Super7 first debuted the Rose Vampire Casket Cruiser last summer at San Diego Comic-Con. As you know, The Blot’s a diehard RV fan so you know I’ll be F5'ing the Super7 online store this Thursday, January 26th, at noon PST to ensure I get to add one of these Green Hell on Wheels Casket Cruisers to my collection.

Smashing petal to the metal and burning rubber, Rose Vampire is back in a brand new ride. If you see this Green Hell on Wheels Casket Cruiser in your rearview mirror, better move over and let him pass because he's nothing but trouble. Josh Herbolsheimer's Casket Cruiser is cast in black vinyl with red, green, metallic green, light green, silver and yellow details and can be yours for $65 each.

Bane & Catwoman The Dark Knight Rises Mez-Itz Vinyl Figures

2012-01-25T10:30:00.027-06:00

Here’s your first look at Mezco’s new Bane and Catwoman Mez-Itz vinyl figures based on DC Comics' soon to be summer blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises! The Blot’s been scouring the internet looking for photos of Mezco Toyz’ new The Dark Knight Mez-Itz and Mini Mez-Itz vinyl figures ever since I first found out about the figures last week. Then out of nowhere a little birdie dropped some in my lap! Win-Win for all of us don’t you think?

These Batman villains will actually be released as both full sized 6” Mez-Itz and as 2” Mini Mez-Itz vinyl figures. The 6” figures will be packaged individually, while each 2” figure will come packaged with a matching Batman Mini Mez-Itz. Mezco will also be releasing two The Dark Knight Rises Vehicle Sets: a Bane Mini Mez-Itz with Tumbler and a Catwoman Mini Mez-Itz with Bat-Pod. Basically, Mezco is making sure there’s a little something for everyone this summer!

The Dark Knight 6” Mez-Itz Series 3 featuring Bane and Catwoman will retail for $30 per set, while The Dark Knight 2” Mini Mez-Itz 2 packs featuring Bane and Batman, and Catwoman and Batman will retail for $24 per 2 pack. The Bat-Pod Vehicle Set with Catwoman will retail for $21, and the Tumbler Vehicle Set with Bane will retail for $25. All of The Dark Knight Rises toys seen here are scheduled to hit stores this summer 2012.

FatCap Series 3 Case Incentive Exclusives by Sket One & Scribe

2012-01-25T09:00:00.011-06:00

We’re just one day away from the official release of Kidrobot’s FatCap Series 3, and to celebrate the release of this exciting new artist series stores across the globe will be holding official trading parties (click here for a list of participating stores). At these parties, collectors can score one of two rare and regional case incentive exclusives by purchasing a case of FatCap Series 3! North American locations will have a very limited amount of Sket One’s Case Exclusive Gold “Cover The Cap” FatCap, while everywhere else will have Scribe’s Case Exclusive Endangered “Almost Gone” FatCap.

The Blot’s really torn on this one. While I think case incentive exclusives are a great idea, I absolutely hate that there’s regional exclusives. It makes it almost impossible for collectors to complete a series without shelling out a ton of for the other regional case incentive exclusive. And where’s the fun in that!?! So in conclusion: case incentive exclusives = good; regional variants of case incentive exclusives = bad.

Fatcap Series 3 will retail for $9.95 per blind box, and goes on sale this Thursday, January 26th at Kidrobot stores, Kidrobot.com and select retailers worldwide.

R5-D4 7” Jumbo Vintage Kenner Star Wars Action Figure by Gentle Giant

2012-01-24T12:00:00.002-06:00

Just like they were when you were a kid, only BIGGER! The next jumbo vintage Star Wars action figure reproduction to be released by Gentle Giant was announced last week, and it’s R5-D4, the little red droid who couldn’t! Digitally scanned from mint Kenner originals and reproduced to a substantial 7" tall, this Jumbo Vintage Kenner Star Wars R5-D4 action figure by Gentle Giant is an exact replica of the classic ‘70s toy.

Injection molded and made of durable plastics, this jumbo figure is fully articulated with “clicking” head rotation and comes packaged on a 1977 style Star Wars inspired blister card with a plastic outer clam shell to help protect and display this awesome action figure. The Star Wars 7 inch Jumbo Vintage Kenner R5-D4 action figure by Gentle Giant will retail for around $80 each, and is expected to be released sometime in July, August or September of 2012.

Prisoner 816 & Prisoner 913 MORK Custom 10" Mad'ls by MAD

2012-01-24T10:30:00.001-06:00

The Blot’s a huge Mad’l fan, so of course I was really stoked to find out MAD was working on two new custom 10 inchers. It’s been a while since MAD’s had a custom release, but the Kansas City artist definitely did not disappoint with this sick two figure Mork set! Based on two of NYCC 2011’s hottest exclusives (Prisoner 913 and Prisoner 816 Mork vinyl figures produced by Pobber), these custom Prisoner Morks are sporting some series ink! Not only did MAD blow up these two criminals into 10 inch custom Mad’ls, but he faithfully recreated every detail of the original vinyl figures, including their hair, scars, tattoos and clothing.

Hand painted with spray paint, acrylics, and markers each figure is a true one of a kind custom. Originally sold individually for $400 each, both sold quickly after being posted on MAD’s online store over the weekend. The custom Mork Mad’l I got from MAD a few years ago is one of my favorite figures in my collection. The craftsmanship is top notch, so I can only imagine what these two look like in person. Who ever scored these two will definitely not be disappointed!

Online Exclusive Johnny Cupcakes Pinball T-Shirt

2012-01-24T09:00:00.006-06:00

As most long time Johnny Cupcakes fans know, Johnny is not only a huge fan of pinball, but actually owns a number of pinball machines. It’s been years since The Blot’s played pinball, but I can still remember playing as a kid. There’s just something about the sound of the ball whizzing around the machine and those unique sounds only a pinball machine can make that transports you to a simpler time. Sadly, pinball machines are a dying breed. Because of this, Johnny wanted to pay tribute to one of his favorite pastimes by producing a fun Pinball themed t-shirt!

This Online Exclusive Johnny Cupcakes Pinball t-shirt has a limited edition run size of just 400 pieces and retails for $49.99. Available now at the Johnny Cupcakes online store, the shirt is available in both men’s and women’s styles sizes S-3XL. But keep in mind, these types of JC limited edition tees typically sell out quickly, and some sizes are already gone forever.

Android Mini Figure Series 3 Artist Line Up!

2012-01-23T13:30:00.009-06:00

Today Andrew Bell and Dyzplastic announced there will soon be a third blind box series of their immensely popular collaboration with Google, and they are definitely pulling out all the stops for this one!!! Android Mini Figure Series 3 has an incredible line-up of some of the biggest names in the toy scene, and includes designs by Google, Andrew Bell, Gary Ham, Huck Gee, kaNO, MAD, Kronk, Kelly Denato, Scott Tolleson and Sket One! Is that insane or what!?! The Blot seriously can’t wait to see and get my hands on all of these (and I don’t even collect Android mini figures).

One new twist to this release is that unlike Android Series 1 and 2, there will only be one production run of Series 3. Not only that, but this will be the only full artists Android series released in 2012. What does all this mean for us collectors? You’d better make sure you get your hands on some Android Series 3 blind boxes early and often, as this release will end up being a lot harder to get long term and rarer in general. Android Series 3 blind boxes will retail for $8 and go on sale sometime in April, May or June of this year.

Jon Paul Kaiser x UME Toys x David Bishop “X” Resin Figure Prototype Teaser Images

2012-01-23T12:00:00.013-06:00

There is nothing better than finding out there are awesome projects like this one in the works!!! At the tail end of last year [rich] of UME Toys had a conversation about a possible sculpt/resin toy based on a concept from David Bishop and Jon Paul Kaiser. That little conversation has since blossomed into a full fledged prototype, and The Blot is itching to see more. Until then, here are three teaser images of the mysterious resin figure know only as “X” (for now at least). For all you collectors in the UK dying to see more, rumor has it [rich] will be traveling to London for the Kidrobot Fatcap Series 3 event on Thursday with “X” in tow. Hopefully someone at KRLN can snap some pics for all of us fans stuck here in the States!

Kidrobot Fatcap Series 3 Checklist & Ratios

2012-01-23T10:30:00.003-06:00

The Blot is getting seriously excited for this Thursday’s release of Kidrobot’s Fatcap Series 3! Every design I see from this series is better than the last. It also helps that Kidrobot finally included some top tier talent like kaNO, Scribe and Jon Paul Kaiser, who have never designed a Fatcup or Dunny for KR before. I’m especially loving Sket One’s killer “Cover the Cap” design with its tipped over paint bucket and purple and gold Lakers color scheme. Check out all but three of the series’ 18 designs and the ratios for each figure in the official Kidrobot Fatcap Series 3 checklist above.

Fatcap Series 3 will retail for $9.95 per blind box, and goes on sale this Thursday, January 26th at Kidrobot stores, Kidrobot.com and select retailers worldwide. Fatcap Series 3 includes designs by Devious, Flying Fortress, Jon Paul Kaiser, Julie West, kaNO, Kronk, MCA, Montana Colors, Pez, Queen Andrea, Quisp, Scribe, Shok 1 and Sket One.

Peanuts Valentine’s Day Prints by Laurent Durieux

2012-01-23T09:00:00.007-06:00

Dark Hall Mansion continues its killer line of Peanuts prints this week with two special Valentine’s Day releases featuring Snoopy by the very talented Laurent Durieux, “Snoopy Just Married” and “Snoopy LOVE”. The Blot wasn’t familiar with the Belgium artist’s work before this release but can this guy draw buildings or what!?! I just love all the texture Durieux adds to both Snoopy and the city landscapes.

Each Print has a Standard Edition with a limited edition run size of 275 pieces, and a super rare variant with a limited edition run size of 50 pieces. The Standard Editions will retail for $65, while the variants Winter Edition “Snoopy Just Married” and My Blue Valentine Edition “Snoopy LOVE” will retail for $100 each. All four prints go on sale this Tuesday, January 24th, at a random time at Dark Hall Mansion online store.

DC Comics Unveils Its New Logo

2012-01-20T13:30:00.001-06:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty disappointed in DC Comics’ new logo. I think Paul Montgomery (Twitter) summed it up best, the “new DC logo looks tailor made for the OSX dock. It's pretty fun as a graphic, but I only get that it stands for "DC" because I already knew.” From what I’ve seen of the pictures, this logo is going to be a sick graphic! I can already see it morphing on my computer, iPhone and iPad, or introducing us to the newest episode of our favorite DC cartoon or television show. And you know they had to have this ready before The Dark Knight Rises premiers next summer. But what about the other 85% of the time!?!

I can’t fault DC for trying and taking risks. When everyone else said they were nuts for rebooting their entire comic universe, DC forged on and did what they thought was best. It seems to have worked out for the best, and they’ve even quieted some of their strongest critics. And while this logo seems destined to usher in the company’s new digital age, I can’t help but wonder how the comics in DC Comics fit into all this?

As Paul said, no one gets “DC” out of this new logo. It’s practically indecipherable. But what really bothers The Blot is how DC Entertainment’s amazing graphic looks horrible as a static logo for DC Comics. Isn’t that how DC will be primarily using the logo? For every movie, TV show, app and digital comic, there are even more printed comics, toys, collectibles, clothing and accessories to be sold with this horrible logo. While DC’s trying to live in the far off future, it’s forgetting all the great things it has to offer here and now. Clearly “comics” are not the primary focus of DC Entertainment anymore.

SpankyStokes.com Exclusive Hot Pink Stroll OMFG! Mini Figure

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

As a toy blogger, there is nothing cooler than seeing fellow toy blogs get their own figures produced! I’m not all that artistic, but I’d love to see a TheBlotSays.com colorway produced one day. First there was the ToysREvil.net Yoka (which I own!), and now October Toys has included SpankyStokes.com’s mascot Stroll in its OMFG! (Outlandish Mini Figure Guys) Series 1. These MUSCLE sized figures are awesome, and I’m proud to say I’ve already amassed good sized army of Stroll mini figures in 4 different colors (as you can see below).

This Hot Pink color is the mysterious 7th OMFG! colorway; one you can’t purchase as a set. October Toys gave each artist that had a character included in Series 1 a small number of their specific figure in this “Artist Proof” Exclusive Hot Pink colorway as a thank you. So the only way to get a complete five figure set of these Hot Pink OMFG! figures is to purchase one from each of the series’ creators. To purchase one of these awesome Hot Pink Strolls head over to the SpankyStokes.com online store. They’re just $5 each and will definitely sell out quickly.

Johnny Cupcakes Hawaii One Night Only Pop-Up Shop This Saturday

2012-01-20T10:30:00.009-06:00

This Saturday, for one night only, Johnny Cupcakes will be in Honolulu, Hawaii for a very special event! From 7-10pm Johnny will be at the Fresh Café x Loft In Space for a lecture and Q&A, which will lead into the opening of the first ever Johnny Cupcakes Pop-Up Shop in Hawaii (from 10pm-12am). If you’ve been following Johnny Cupcakes for any period of time then you know his Pop-Up Shops are always stocked full of exclusive t-shirts, buttons, hats and more, so this is one event you definitely do not want to miss!

Be sure to get there early to ensure your seat for the lecture and then stick around afterwards to score this gnarly Hawaii themed Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt and meet Mr. Johnny Cupcakes! The Johnny Cupcakes Lecture and Pop-Up Shop takes place this Saturday, January 21st, from 7pm-12am at Fresh Cafe x Loft In Space at 831 Queen St., Honolulu, HI 96813.

Mad Men Season 5 Teaser Poster

2012-01-20T09:00:00.002-06:00

It’s crazy to think that Aly and I bought Mad Men Seasons 1-4 on Black Friday two Thanksgivings ago for $10 a season. We had never watched Mad Men before, but had heard so many good reviews we wanted to try it out. Our goal was to watch all four seasons before Season 5 started…little did we know that one and a half years later Mad Man Season 5 would still be missing from AMC’s schedule. What was everyone thinking? How do you keep one of the best shows on television off the air for 16 months? It’s insane right?

Well, the long Mad Men drought is finally over! Season 5 is scheduled to begin airing on Sunday, March 25th, on AMC at 9/8c. In the meantime, check out this incredibly minimalistic Mad Men Season 5 teaser television poster based on the show’s opening credits.

Iron Man Custom Figure by UME Toys

2012-01-19T12:00:00.004-06:00

While The Blot loves me some toys, my first love will always be comic books. So when I see a merging of those two worlds, like with this incredible handmade Iron Man figure by [rich] of UME Toys, I get pretty freaking excited! Every aspect of this 8” figure was handmade by [rich] out of clay, wood and metal, including the crazy looking base holding drunken Tony Stark up. I love this figure because it does an incredible job showcasing [rich]’s unique style while still staying unbelievably true to Marvel’s Armored Avenger. At one time I know this custom figure was available for purchase, but I’m not sure if it ever sold. If you’re interested, shoot [rich] an email…it might just be worth your wild if you do!

The Huck Gee Project: The Seven Samurai Custom Munnys

2012-01-19T10:30:00.002-06:00

The fourth and final set of figures in The Huck Gee Project was unveiled and it’s freaking insane!!! The Seven Samurai Custom Munnys by Huck Gee is based on director Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece The Seven Samurai. I could go on and on about how awesome this movie is, but hopefully you already know this so I’ll spare you my ramblings. Huck went to great lengths to make each figure accurate and you can really tell how meticulous he was on all seven Samurai’s garb. Each kimono was hand painted with the original patterns and mon (heraldic symbols that denoted a samurai's family or clan) portrayed onscreen, each samurai's katana and weapon was cast in stainless steel, and the identifying characteristics of each character’s look from the film was captured perfectly in Huck’s signature minimalist style.

One interesting tidbit I learned from Huck’s visit to Houston is that because the movie is in black and white, it allowed him a little artistic freedom to choose each character’s color scheme. In case you aren’t familiar with the Seven Samurai, here’s a quick recap of each character by the private collector who owns this amazing set: 1) Kikuchiyo, the brash, emotionally turbulent, yet ultimately brave aspiring samurai who came from humble farmer origins; 2) Gorobei, a man of cheery disposition, but intelligent in the ways of war; 3) Heihachi, who had resorted to chopping wood so that he could eat; 4) Shichiroji, an old friend of the leader's and a veteran of many battles; 5) Kyuzu, the master swordsman; 6) Katshushiro, the eager, but young and inexperienced samurai from a noble family; and 7) Kanbei, the wise, kind and battle-weary leader of the Seven Samurai.

The Huck Gee Project: A private collector recently commissioned Huck Gee to create an entire series of one of a kind custom figures, which combined would make up a larger project entitled, appropriately enough, the Huck Gee Project. While the project has since been put on hold, the collector has decided to share photos of the completed pieces with the world, since these are such incredible custom Munnys. This is definitely some of Huck’s best work, and I am so glad these photos are seeing the light of day!

TRON & TRON: Legacy Screen Print Set by Martin Ansin

2012-01-19T09:00:00.005-06:00

Mondo and Sideshow Collectibles have teamed up once again with Disney to release a new TRON two print set by Martin Ansin. Both movies are glow in the dark and will be sold only as a set. I love how these two TRON prints look in conjunction with the other, but I question why they’re being released now. I can understand its release two summers ago, but now? It’s not like TRON: Legacy did that well. But regardless, Ansin knocked this one out of the park!

"TRON" and “TRON: Legacy” by Martin Ansin are 24”x36” hand numbered screen prints with limited edition run sizes of 390. Each 2 poster set will retail for $90, and will go on sale at the Mondo online store today, Thursday, November 19th, at a random time.

OMFG! Mini Figures Series 1 On Sale Now!

2012-01-18T12:00:00.006-06:00

The Blot’s been meaning to write about October Toys’ official release of its OMFG! (Outlandish Mini Figure Guys) Series 1 for a while, but I wanted to wait until I received my Kickstarter sets so I could give a true review. And let me just say, these are awesome!!! Everyone involved with these MUSCLE-esque series did a fantastic job, and each figure is way more detailed than I ever expected. This is definitely one of those times where the pictures don’t do the figures justice. I like them so much, I’ve already started a collection of SpankyStokes.com’s mascot Stroll (but more on that later).

As previously reported, there were 6 different colorways of OMFG! Series 1 created. The Kickstarter Exclusive Black and the Onell Design Exclusive Pheyden Blue are already sold out, but the other four can be purchased now for $10-15 per set. The Standard Flesh/Pink Edition can be purchased directly from October Toys here, the Little Rubber Guys Exclusive Green colorway can be purchased here, the Rotofugi Exclusive Blue (312c) colorway can be purchased here and the UofMuscle Exclusive Yellow colorway can be purchased here. Rumor has it a super rare 7th Hot Pink colorway will be released by each figure’s creator but no details have emerged on that one yet. Bet you can’t just get one!

The Blot’s Booster Gold Sketchbook - Page 1 Kevin Maguire

2012-01-18T10:30:00.003-06:00

For years now The Blot’s been wanting to start a sketchbook of my all time favorite superhero, Booster Gold. Something I could take with me to conventions and have my favorite artists draw a Booster Gold sketch or commission in. There was only one thing holding me back…I had decided long ago that if I was going to do a Booster Gold sketchbook the first commission had to be by my favorite artist, Kevin Maguire. Of course as luck would have it, even after going to comic book conventions for almost 25 years Kevin and I have never been at the same show! Thankfully that changed last November.

When I heard Kevin Maguire was going to be at Wizard World’s Austin Comic-Con at the end of last year, I knew I had to be there. The convention was great, and I was lucky enough to finally be able to start my Booster Gold sketchbook after all these years with a sick Kevin Maguire commission (which you can see in the photo above). Now I’ve got an entire Moleskin sketchbook to fill up! So while this won’t be a regular feature on The Blot Says…, you can expect updates periodically throughout the year whenever I have the opportunity to add to this exciting project.

Crazy Color Edition Pop! Vinyl Figure Prototypes by Funko

2012-01-18T09:00:00.011-06:00

For the past two weeks, Funko has been holding a super cool giveaway of these awesome “Crazy Color” Pop! vinyl figures on the Funko Funatic forums. Funko’s Brian Mariotti picked six of his favorite Pop! vinyl figures (Batman, The Joker, The Penguin, Franken Berry, Count Chocula and Boo Berry) and created 12 unpainted protos of each one in wacky, crazy colors. Each figure comes signed and numbered by Brian, and the only way to win one is through the giveaway contest at FunkoFunatic.com. The giveaway was thought to be over, but rumor has it there will be one more day of giveaways sometime soon. So if you’re interested in winning one of these rare, blind bagged toys head over to Funko’s official forums to find out more!

The Blot was lucky enough to actually win one of these fun figures on the first day of the giveaway. I was super pumped to open my package last week to discover I had won the Crazy Color Batman Pop! proto you see above! I was secretly hoping for a Batman, and am pretty excited to have it as the centerpiece of my DC Universe Pop! Heroes collection. Thanks so much to Brian and the entire Funko family for holding this contest and my prize!

8 Bit Apparel NFL T-Shirt Collection

2012-01-17T13:30:00.011-06:00

The Blot loves indie clothing brands, and I’m always on the lookout for the next cool t-shirt to add to my closet. When I saw these retro NFL inspired designs by 8 Bit Apparel I knew I had to have one! While I’m a sucker for all 8-bit designs (they take me back to my childhood spent mashing the A and B buttons on my Nintendo controller), I especially love these t-shirts by 8 Bit Apparel. Why? Because they pay tribute to the greatest sports game on the NES, Tecmo Super Bowl!

Anyone who has ever played Tecmo Super Bowl knows the best player in the game was the unstoppable Bo Jackson. My group of friends had to eventually outlaw playing with the Oakland Raiders because anyone who played with Bo Jackson was always going to win. You can now honor Bo’s dominance in Tecmo Super Bowl with this killer “Can’t Stop 34” t-shirt from 8 Bit Apparel! Along with the Bo Jackson design, 8 Bit Apparel also has a cool “I [Ran] ________” t-shirt featuring different cities and their franchise’s most prolific running backs, and these sweet 8-bit NFL helmet logo tees in a variety of teams and colors.

This Columbus, Ohio based clothing brand has done a really great job giving retro graphics a modern feel with these 8-bit designs, and I’ve got a feeling lots of NFL and Nintendo fans are going to want to snag one of these 8 Bit Apparel t-shirts. You can pick up all of the designs you see here and more from the 8 Bit Apparel online store for $27 each. And don’t worry, if you don’t see your favorite team represented in the collection, new designs are being added all the time!

The Walking Dead Season 2, Part II Teaser Television Poster

2012-01-17T12:00:00.004-06:00

AMC just likes torturing us don’t they!?! Not only do they make us wait at least a full year between seasons of their popular television shows, but now they drag those seasons out with 3 month hiatuses. For instance, The Walking Dead Season 2, Part I ended in November, 2011, and Part II is not scheduled until late February, 2012. But what can we do? The show’s fantastic and we’ll wait for it like the good puppy dogs we are! At least they’re airing Part II over the winter…there’s just something about the cold of fall and winter that sets the mood for this desolate series.

The Walking Dead Season 2, Part II is scheduled to premiere on Sunday, February 12th, at 9/8c on AMC.

Hot Coccoa Custom 5" Labbit by Motorbot

2012-01-17T10:30:00.001-06:00

The follow up to Motorbot’s hugely popular "I Like to Eat" custom Labbit show is scheduled for February 2013, and to get himself in the food making mood (as well as help promote the show) the Dallas based artist has decided to release a new custom Labbit each month for the next year. Each design will be extremely limited and only available for that one month.

January's Labbit release is the Hot Cocoa Labbit, and what better way to stay warm when it’s cold outside than with a hot cup of cocoa! Or, if you’re a coffee lover Motorbot can transform the Hot Coccoa Labbit into a cup of cappuccino with a heart foam. So really this is two releases in one! Each Hot Coccoa custom is a 5” Labbit vinyl figure and is available now until January 31st. Each Labbit is made to order and can be purchased from the Deadbear Studios online store for $110 each.

Super7 Abominable Leroy C. & Hues of Blues DokuDuo Vinyl Figures

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Super7 wasn’t joking when they said January 2012 would be crazy! For the second week in a row, Super7 will be dropping not one but two awesome Monster Family vinyl figures! First up is the Abominable Leroy C! Stomping around in the snow during the wintertime is a favorite activity of the Abominable Leroy C. His toothy smile is a testament to that. Invisible Creature's Leroy C. is cast in white vinyl with blue, yellow and silver sprays.

Next up is Brian Flynn’s DokuDuo, which is cast in pale green with blue, green, white and silver sprays. The Hues of Blues DokuDuo is a little totem from the ghostly beyond who can't help but smile as he knows a little secret worth sharing. Both figures will retail for $35 each and go on sale this Thursday, January 19th, at noon PST at the Super7 online store.

October Ch'Orb Resin Figures by ValleyDweller

2012-01-16T13:30:00.011-06:00

Last weekend Toy Break held its now annual “Day with Toy Break”, a 24 hour marathon show held to raise funds to help produce the weekly internet show. Artists from around the globe donated art and toys to help raise funds for this awesome show. One such artist was Jeremy Dale aka JerO aka ValleyDweller, who created a set of 10 awesome October Ch’Orb resin figures during the marathon and offered to donate half of the sale price of each figure that sold during the marathon to Toy Break.

Jeremy created the original October Ch’Orb as a gift to October Toys, but after figure was featured on Toy Break he received so many requests to purchase one he decided to make an entire set. The Blot was lucky enough to pick up the October Ch’Orb you see above during a Day with Toy Break, and I love it! There are still a few left, and Jeremy is currently selling them blind bagged via his online store for $20 each. What’s even better is that as of right now half of the sale price is still being donated to Toy Break, so you can get an awesome hand painted resin figure and donate to a good cause all at the same time!

J.J. Abrams' Alcatraz Premieres Tonight!

2012-01-16T12:00:00.011-06:00

As a diehard LOST fan, The Blot has been ready to start watching Alcatraz ever since it got the green light from FOX last year. Produced by J.J. Abrams, directed by Jack Bender and starring Jorge Garcia, everything about this show says “Must See TV” to me. As FOX explains, Alcatraz is a “thrilling new series that follows a unique trio investigating the mystifying reappearance of 302 of Alcatraz’s most notorious prisoners and guards 50 years after they vanished.” Admit it, that one sentence synopsis sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Some thought ABC’s Once Upon A Time would be LOST’s heir apparent, but to me Alcatraz has always held that title. I just can’t figure out why FOX kept this awesome television show on hold until mid-season!

Catch the 2 hour series premiere of Alcatraz tonight, Monday, January 16th, at 8/7c on FOX! Alcatraz stars Sarah Jones as Det. Rebecca Madsen, Jorge Garcia as Dr. Diego Soto, Sam Neill as Emerson Hauser, Parminder Nagra (of ER!) as Lucy Banerjee; Robert Forster as Ray Archer, Santiago Cabrera as Jimmy Dickens, Jonny Coyne as Warden Edwin James and Jason Butler Harner as Deputy Warden E.B. Tiller. You can also listen to the new Diego’s Soule Patch: An Alcatraz Podcast by Jorge Garcia and Bethany Shady on iTunes (I know I will be)!

Alcatraz Official Synopsis: When San Francisco Police Department Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a seemingly impossible suspect: Jack Sylvane (guest star Jeffrey Pierce), an Alcatraz inmate who died over 30 years ago. Given her family history – both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, Ray Archer (Robert Forster), were guards at the prison – Madsen’s interest is immediately piqued. When the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) tries to impede her investigation, she becomes doggedly committed to it.

Madsen finds herself working with an unlikely partner, Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast Dr. Diego “Doc” Soto (Jorge Garcia), to help piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The two discover that Sylvane is not only alive, but he’s loose on the streets of San Francisco, exacting decades-old revenge and leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn’t aged a day since 1963, when Alcatraz was ruled by the iron-fisted Warden Edwin James (Jonny Coyne) and the sadistic Associate Warden E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner).

Detective Madsen and Soto must team with Hauser and his associate, Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra), to stop Sylvane’s vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca’s own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. Because even though he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won’t be the last to reappear from Alcatraz.

Little Spiker O.G. by Erick Scarecrow

2012-01-16T10:30:00.005-06:00

This week marks the release of ESC Toy’s first all new figure of 2012: the Little Spiker! The Blot’s really digging this new figure by Erick Scarecrow, from her cute blue hoodie to her deadly spiked club. Available now for pre-order from the ESC Toy online store for $150 each, the Little Spiker O.G. is the second figure in Erick’s Little Axe series. This “Original” colorway is limited to only 20 pieces, and each 6" hand painted resin figure comes with a 3" spiked bat accessory that is signed and numbered by artist.

Little Spiker’s Official Story: When news reaches Sama Village about the disappearance of her friend, Little Spiker spends everything she has for some weapons to go and search for Little Axe. Upon leaving her home, she visits a Wood Hermit's shop and purchases a custom made wolf's paw and a spike bat. The wolf's paw is magical because it acts like a compass pulling her toward the direction of her missing friend. While her spike bat, although chunky in size, has a unique scent similar to a massive piece of candy. This aroma constantly lures all sorts of creatures good and bad…especially Stone Turtum Miccis.

Three Bears Mono Custom Vinyl Figures by Angry Woebots

2012-01-16T09:00:00.010-06:00

After returning from his amazing trip to the Thai/Burma border with J★RYU and Ritzy Periwinkle as part of the Little Lotus Project 2011 (where the artists worked with refugee and migrant children who have fled from the instability of Burma), Angry Woebots must have been itching to get back into the studio. How else can you explain these awesome new monochromatic custom vinyl figures he whipped up over the weekend! Just check out these beautiful Veil: Specimen 129 ($450), Gloomy Bear ($700) and Reach Bear ($220) vinyl figures customized by Woe as black, grey and white pandas. Rad is really the only way to describe them! All three figures are currently for sale at Angry Woebots' online store.

Recap: Huck Gee Book Signing in Houston

2012-01-13T12:00:00.005-06:00

Last night the biggest event in Houston’s fledgling designer art toy scene took place…a signing with Huck Gee! Huck is currently on tour supporting his new book, The Art of Huck Gee, and yesterday he could be found signing copies at Houston’s Domy Books. Over the past year Domy has hosted Houston’s first custom toy show, Cast in Plastic, and now a signing with one of the biggest artists in the industry. To say The Blot was looking forward to last night would be an understatement, and let me just tell you The Blot totally geeked out over meeting Huck (what can I say I’m a fanboy)!

I’d like to think I bring a really unique perspective as a toy blogger living in Texas. While most US based bloggers are based on the east or west coast and are able to get to conventions, shows and signings on a regular basis, The Blot’s stuck here in the Lone Star State away from the action. Don’t get me wrong, over the years I’ve been lucky enough to meet and talk with so many talented creators via the internet, but I’ve only gotten to meet a select handful in person. Because of that, a signing like this caries even greater significance. I know that sounds like a lot of pressure to put on a books signing, but in my opinion the event lived up to the hype!

It was a thrill meeting Huck and seeing the long line of people eager to have their books signed and Munnys doodled. The highlight was definitely talking with Huck afterwards with a few fellow collectors and picking his brain on a variety of different topics, including the creation of his amazing customs. Huck was so gracious with all of his fans and I for one could have not have had a better time. Hopefully Houston’s small but dedicated designer toy community can build upon this event to grow our little corner of the art world.

So what’s the moral of this story!?! If you live in Mesa, LA, Sacramento or San Francisco make sure you attend Huck’s last four book signings over the next few days! You’ll be really glad you did and you’ll have an opportunity to purchase the tour exclusive white covered The Art of Huck Gee book (if you can’t make it to a tour stop don’t worry, the red covered standard edition will be in stores soon). I haven’t had a chance to read it cover to cover yet, but just from a quick flip through this is one slick book! The embossed cover is awesome and I loved getting a look at some of Huck’s unused Dunny designs. This pictorial of Huck’s career serves as a great walk down memory lane for any long time fan and an excellent way for new collectors to find out more about Huck’s work.

Thanks again to Domy Books and Huck Gee for a killer time!

Choice Cuts 10" Labbit by Frank Kozik

2012-01-13T10:30:00.005-06:00

While some prefer beef, Kidrobot just love Labbit. It’s what’s for dinner tonight! The Blot is not really a big fan of Frank Kozik’s Labbits, but this one has me pretty excited. The Choice Cuts Labbit is so simple, yet so awesome!!! Choice Cuts is a 10 inch guide to how to chop, slice, and dice your Labbit into the tastiest pieces possible. He even comes with a matte white bone perfect for grandma’s Labbit stock recipe! The USLA has labeled this hog a perfect F for Fantastic – the best grade a Labbit could get.

The Choice Cuts 10” Labbit by Frank Kozik goes on sale February 9th and will retail for $80 each. Pick one up at all Kidrobot retail locations, Kidrobot.com and select retailers worldwide.

“Finn + Fionna” Adventure Time Screen Print Set by Tiny Kitten Teeth

2012-01-13T09:00:00.018-06:00

Get excited! Not only is it Friday the 13th, but Mondo will also be releasing sometime today the second and third print in its Adventure Time Screen Print Series with Cartoon Network. The posters were designed by Tiny Kitten Teeth, and feature Fionna with Lord Monochromicorn and Cake in one poster and Finn with Lady Rainicorn and Jake in the other. These are pretty freaking cute prints, and are probably some must haves for any diehard Adventure Time fans. Sadly, I still know absolutely nothing about this TV show!

The Mondo x Cartoon Network “Finn + Fionna” Adventure Time screen prints by Tiny Kitten Teeth will only be sold as a two poster set, and have a limited edition run size of 185. These two 18”x24” screen prints will retail for $75 per set, and go on sale at a random time today, January 13th, at the Mondo online store.

Super7 Early Morning Garuru & Sunburnt Yellow Prick Vinyl Figures

2012-01-12T10:30:00.003-06:00

To celebrate the new year, Super7 will be rolling out a number of new Monster Family figures throughout the month of January. That means it’s going to be a very busy next three weeks for S7! The theme for this week’s releases…yellow! Early Morning Garuru by Itokin Park and Sunburnt Yellow Prick by Brian Flynn go on sale today, Thursday, January 12th, at noon PST at the Super7 online store for $35 each.

Still half asleep, Early Morning Garuru stumbles about trying to get his day started. Maybe a nice cup of coffee will help. Itokin Park's Garuru is cast in yellow vinyl with gold, orange, brown and silver sprays. Sunburnt Little Prick regrets his decision of standing around in the hot desert sun with nothing but his skivvies. Brian Flynn's Little Prick is cast in yellow vinyl with red, orange and white sprays.

“Cinderella” Once Upon A Time Screen Print by Kevin Tong

2012-01-12T09:00:00.012-06:00

The Blot’s sad to say today marks the release of the final print in Mondo’s Once Upon A Time Screen Print Series by Kevin Tong. This week’s sixth and final print is based on the Grimm’s Fairy Tale “Cinderella.” This has been a really exciting series and I know fans of ABC’s Once Upon A Time have been eating them up! All in all this series hasn’t wowed me, but I do love Tong’s use of composition and white space. I’m really interested in finding out if the images for this series are the same ones they used in the corresponding Once book.

Each Once Upon A Time 18"x24" hand numbered screen print by Kevin Tong will have a Standard Edition with metallic ink and a limited edition run size of 225 prints, plus 95 metallic Gold Variants. The Standard Edition “Cinderella” screen print will retail for $40, while the Gold Variant will retail for $65. These posters will go on sale at a random time today, Thursday, January 12th, at the Mondo online store.

Star Wars Mimomicro Designer USB Card Reader & Drive by Mimoco

2012-01-11T13:30:00.002-06:00

Honestly, these new Star Wars Mimomicro USB card readers and drives by Mimoco are so cool I had to give them their own post! Along with its DC Comics Collection, Mimoco will also be releasing a Star Wars Mimomicro Collection that includes Darth Vader, Yoda, C-3PO, Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon I absolutely love that Mimoco has started creating vehicle USB drives, and I can’t wait to see what they come out with next. I’m hoping for a Batmobile and X-Wing for sure.

Starting in March, Mimoco will be releasing a new line of Mimomicros, smaller, more versatile device that can be used as a USB flash drive with removable microSD memory cards, which also functions as a microSD card reader to transport data between mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, and mp3 players to your computer. It’s basically everything your favorite Mimobot is and so much more!

Mimomicro boasts three dimensional sculpted characters and as well as a series of vehicles. a first for Mimoco! Mimomicro’s cap-free design with flip-out USB plug also includes a built-in keychain and LED indicator light. Measuring a mere 1.6”x1.0” in its compact form factor, Mimomicro really lives up to its name. Pick one up this March when Mimoco rolls out these new USB flash drives at select retailers worldwide and at Mimoco.com.

DC Comics Mimomicro Designer USB Card Reader & Drive by Mimoco

2012-01-11T12:00:00.017-06:00

According to reports out of CES 2012, it is shaping up to be a huge year for our friends at Mimoco! The creator of the Mimobot designer USB flash drive, the first character-based memory stick, has just unveiled a brand new product line of fashionable personal data storage devices called Mimomicro. This is a smaller, more versatile device that can be used as a USB flash drive with removable microSD memory cards, which also functions as a microSD card reader to transport data between mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, and mp3 players to your computer. It’s basically everything your favorite Mimobot is and so much more!

But what has The Blot really excited about Mimomicros are the characters Mimoco is using to roll out its newest product: DC Comics and Star Wars! Along with Batman, Mimoco will be releasing Superman and Wonder Woman Mimomicros, two characters that Mimoco has never used before!

NUKED! Resin Mini Figures by oOMoSOo

2012-01-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

After a brief hiatus, oOMoSOo has returned to his popular line of FOEZ! resin figures. The Blot was super impressed with his original TMNT scaled line of figures, which included Skekiltor the mace of Hades and Podiagon, and now he’s bringing Skekitor back with some new friends as 2” mini-figures. The first batch of NUKED! resin mini figures will be sold in 3 figure sets that include Skekitor, Oculus Viri and Clawgrugg. There will be three awesome colorways: GID Violet, GID Green and Black...but that’s not all! To give these NUKED! min figs a truly nuclear look oOMoSOo included a little UV glow additive to the two glow in the dark sets so they would really light up under blacklight.

For this first release, oOMoSOo has whipped up ten 3 figure NUKED! sets in each colorway. Each set retails for $20 each, comes signed and numbered by oOMoSOo, and will come bagged with a header card. Plus, if you buy all three sets oOMoSOo will throw in free shipping in the US. So be sure to head over to oOMoSOo’s online store this Friday, January 13th, at 4pm PST and pick yourself up some NUKED! monsters.

The History of the NUKED! Universe: The world is in turmoil…after years of war, the planet erupts into a nuclear hellfire. Earth is a barren inhospitable wasteland with few civilizations dotting the once fruitful plains. Man is virtually no more as mutation takes hold accelerating the course of man’s adaption to this new and harsh environment. Although life may still exist on this foul planet, war and hatred still tears it asunder. Oculus Viri along with a small band of what is left of the United States still hold up within the ruins of the former White House. Imperator Lacertus, the disgustingly cruel leader of the FOEZ, Skekiltor, his right hand, and Clawgrugg the general, will stop at nothing to crush the only thing standing in his way: Oculus and his gang of rag tag mutants. Oculus Viri, the leader, Sam Atom the brute, and Noctu the mind, are working to amass an army of their own in order to protect the freedoms of their people. Who will win the war for control of this post-apocalyptic civilization? This is now YOUR charge! Choose a side amass an army of your own and battle your friends to determine the fate of this new world!

Alien Prequel “Prometheus” Trailer & One Sheet Movie Poster

2012-01-11T09:00:00.004-06:00

I don’t know about you, but The Blot is beyond excited for Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien universe!!! There has been so much speculation and misdirection about Ridley’s new film Prometheus I don’t even know what’s true and what’s not true. The director even went so far as to deny any correlation between his newest film and his 1979 classic, Alien. But then he released this amazing trailer for next summer’s Prometheus and all was made clear (sort of). While no one knows exactly what the movie will be about, any Alien fan worth their weight in facehuggers can tell by watching the trailer that Prometheus is without a doubt a prequel to Ridley’s sci-fi classic. And that knowledge alone has The Blot so ready to head back into space.

Prometheus, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Guy Pearce and Idris Elba, is scheduled to premiere in theaters worldwide on June 8, 2012.

"Dragon Boy" a solo exhibit featuring the works of Martin Hsu

2012-01-10T13:30:00.003-06:00

This Saturday, January 14th, opens a solo exhibit at Dragatomi that I know a lot of art fans have been anxiously waiting for! “Dragon Boy” features a series of paintings by San Francisco artist Martin Hsu depicting the adventures of a boy in dragon suit on his way to find his roots in a foreign land. With Blackie, his kirin dog, by his side, they travel between reality and fantasy. They fly over the tallest of mountains and dive into the deepest of rivers while making new friends with magical creatures of all kinds. Dragon Boy aims to remind everyone to never forget the joy of being a kid, flying high, and smiling big!

The show sounds amazing, but what has The Blot super excited is news that Martin will be debuting a prototype of his upcoming "Dragon Boy" designer toy at the show! "Dragon Boy" opens this Saturday, January 14th, from 7 - 10 pm and will continue to be on display until February 4th, 2012 at Sacramento’s Dragatomi (2317 J Street; Sacramento, CA 95816).

Doctor Who x Wu-Tang Clan T-Shirt “Doctor Wu” by Alex Pardee

2012-01-10T12:00:00.008-06:00

As you know, The Blot’s always on the lookout for cool pop culture t-shirts and this one is especially dope. Not only is it a killer mash-up of Doctor Who and the Wu-Tang Clan, but “Doctor Wu” is by one of my favorite artists, Alex Pardee! That makes it a triple mash-up of sorts. Plus, the title of the t-shirt is especially awesome.

Digitally printed on white American Apparel unisex tees, “Doctor Wu” by Alex Pardee can be purchased at the Zero Friends online store for $20 each.

Uglydoll Blox Vinyl Figures by Funko

2012-01-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

Funko’s third wave of Blox vinyl figures has been announced, and it features 6 of David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim’s adorable Uglydoll characters! The Blot really digs Funko’s Blox toy line because of how unique it is. Each figure may be flat, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have tons of details and personality. Collect all 6 of these cute blocky versions of Ice-Bat, Ox, Ugly Charlie, Ninja Batty Shogun, Big Toe and Wage when they go on sale April 12, 2012. Each Uglydoll Blox vinyl figure stands 7” tall, is 2” thick and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box.

Doppleganger Print by OsiRisORion

2012-01-10T09:00:00.001-06:00

OsiRisORion is kicking of 2012 with a bang! Just check out this vibrant, almost psychedelic monster print entitled “Doppleganger.” Disturbingly awesome, isn’t it!?! Each 8.5”x11” print comes hand signed and numbered by the artist (on the back of the print), has a limited edition run size of just 50 pieces, and comes printed on high quality photo glossy paper. Best of all, OsiRisORion wanted to make this as affordable as possible, so each “Doppleganger” is only $15 with free shipping in the US!!! It doesn’t get better than that. Pick one up today from OsiRisORion’s online store while supplies last.

The Huck Gee Project: The Rhino Poacher Custom Figures

2012-01-09T13:30:00.017-06:00

The third set of figures from The Huck Gee Project has been unveiled, and it is entitled The Rhino Poacher! The rhino being ridden appears to be an all new and original sculpt by Huck Gee, while the actual Rhino Poacher should look familiar to long time Huck Gee and Kidrobot fans. As the private collector who commissioned these pieces explained on the KR forums, there is a little bit of social commentary taking place here. As you can see, the Rhino Poacher is a rhino himself…taking advantage and hunting his own kind for material gain. The lowest of the low if you ask me (but a pretty awesome figure nevertheless)!

Hip-Hop Urban Vinyl Figures by Funko

2012-01-09T12:00:00.014-06:00

Funko is taking hip-hop to a new level of flyness with its new line of truly Urban Vinyl figures. This super stylized toy line features some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Tupac, Notorious BIG, Public Enemy (Chuck D and Flavor Flav) and Run DMC. Each hip-hop legend stands 6” tall, has 2 points of articulation (except Run DMC) and comes packaged in a full color window box. Funko’s Urban Vinyl invades stores on April 5th, but you can pre-order these fun figures here from EntertainmentEarth.com for $10.99 each.

Elephantos Resin Mini Figures by Turbopistola

2012-01-09T10:30:00.006-06:00

While The Blot usually tries to stay abreast of new releases and hot new artists, I totally missed not one but two of Daniel Smith’s (a.k.a. Turbopistola) releases of his new Elephantos resin mini figures. These 2” elephants come ready to rumble and continue the trend of M.U.S.C.L.E. scaled figures. So far there have been two waves of Elephantos min figures, the Defender of Leisure set and a set of Hypercolor-esque color changing Elephantos. They’re all pretty awesome, but I think my favorite so far are either Wsave 1’s 80s hip-hop era inspired “Break-Beat” Elephantos or Wave 2’s TRON inspired “Icy Purple Kush.”

While Turbopistola’s online store is all sold out of Elephantos figures, Wave 1 retailed for $20 while Wave 2 retailed for $25. However, there are three Elephantos: Island Defense Edition figures available through Rusted Nail Gallery’s online shop for $25 each, so you can head over there to pick one of these bad boys up! Hopefully there will be even more of these Elephantos mini-figures coming out sometime soon!

Sherbert Swirl Ooze Bat Vinyl Figure by Chanmen & Super7

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-06:00

Formed from one part evil and one part madness, the Snakes of Infinity monster Ooze Bat returns to haunt your nightmares and your collection. Chanmen's Sherbert Swirl Ooze Bat is cast in marbled pink and lime green vinyl with purple, yellow and black sprays. The Blot’s not much of an Ooze Bat fan, but Super7 absolutely killed it with this colorway. The Sherbert Swirl Ooze Bat literally looks like melting sorbet…pretty delicious don’t you think? I don't know what's spurred Super7's decision to start producing marbled (aka swirled) vinyl figures, but I am so glad they did!

The Sherbert Swirl Ooze Bat is currently on sale at the Super7 Store online store for $55 each.

The Art of Huck Gee Book Tour Houston Tour Stop at Domy Books!

2012-01-06T12:00:00.009-06:00

We’re less than a week away from Huck Gee’s visit to Houston and The Blot is pumped! I’ve heard from a number of fellow collectors from Southeast Texas and it sounds like everyone is planning to attend Huck’s book signing next Thursday, January 12th, at Domy Books. If you live in Houston or any of the surrounding areas (heck, if you live in Texas), then I highly recommend coming down to Domy for this exciting event. It should be a blast!!! And if you’re at the event be sure to come up and say hi to The Blot.

The Art of Huck Gee Book Tour rolls into Houston on Thursday, January 12th, at Domy Books from 6-8pm. The line will start at 5pm, so be sure to get there early! Attendees will be able to purchase a special limited edition white cover copy of the book, which will retail for around $30-40. This white covered version of the book will only be available during the book tour, and is limited to only 800 worldwide. To find out more about The Art of Huck Gee Book Tour click here.

“Hell Hath No Fury” Wonder Woman Screen Print by LifeVersa

2012-01-06T10:30:00.001-06:00

On Wednesday, January 2nd, artist LifeVersa released his first original screen print entitled “Hell Hath No Fury,” which features a certain Amazonian Princess. Is it just me, or does the print look like it has a JLU style Wonder Woman in the background!?! The Blot’s seen LifeVersa’s name pop up a lot lately, but I really took notice after this awesome poster. It even inspired me to visit his website, where you can see even more of his great designs work. I’m looking forward to see what this up and coming comes up with next!

This cool Wonder Woman 18”x24” screen print comes in three color editions (purple, green and black) and features metallic gold ink. Each color edition has a limited edition run size of 15 prints (that’s a run size of 45 prints in total) and every print comes signed and numbered by the artist. Pick one up today at LifeVersa’s online store for $65.

Barneyism of the Week - Puzzles

2012-01-06T09:00:00.012-06:00

“A bar where no one’s overcharged,
where everyone feels valued, respected.” - Ted

A bar where we get chicks drunk and bang them.

“We’re opening Puzzles tonight!” - Ted

Of course we’re opening Puzzles tonight!

“I’ve always envisioned Puzzles as a literary salon,
where Gotham’s intelligentsia hold court on art, philosophy and literature.” - Ted

Great, and while you’re distracting the nerds and fatties
I’ll be in the VIP room getting it in.

Puzzles Theme Song:

“Puzzles is a place where people go to feel like they belong.” - Ted

Gonna take advantage of dumb drunk girls.

“No we’re not.” - Ted

Bro!

“That would be wrong.

A place where wit and wisdom bloom.” - Ted

A place to bang chicks in Ted’s room.

“Not going to happen.” - Ted

We’ll talk about it.

At Puzzles we all fit together.

“And I’m the bartender!” - Kevin

At Puzzles we all fit together.
On sunny days or stormy weather.
So pull up a chair and sit for a spell.
With laughter to share and stories to tell
Puzzles is a place where everyone feels at home

And we bang chicks in Ted’s roooooom.

- Barney Stinson

"Tailgate"

How I Met Your Mother

Hawk & Dove DC Universe Classics Wave 20 Action Figures

2012-01-05T12:00:00.004-06:00

The 20th and final wave of Mattel’s popular DC Universe Classics toy line recently started showing up on store shelves and The Blot is pretty excited about picking up these Hawk and Dove action figures. I’ve always been partial to B and C-List DC Comics super heroes, and Hawk and Dove are two of my favorites! Whether it’s Hank and Don (the original Hawk and Dove) or Hank and Dawn (the modern version of the duo), I’m always excited when they show up for a cameo in a comic book or get their own mini-series or ongoing title.

With Hawk and Dove it really is feast or famine. After years of non-use, Hawk and Dove played a huge role in DC Comics’ mega events Blackest Night and Brightest Day and were even given their own ongoing title as part of the companywide New 52 reboot. They even brought in Rob Liefeld, a fan favorite who got his start on Hawk and Dove back in the 90s, to be the artist (and now writer) of the series. Then we got Hawk and Dove action figures and min-busts from DC Direct and now this! Like I said, feast or famine, but I can’t complain. I’m just glad to see Hank and Dawn relevant again in the DC Universe.

Mattel’s Hawk and Dove DC Universe Classics action figures can be purchase individually for $16.99 here at EntertainmentEarth.com or you can purchase a case of DC Universe Classics Series 20, which includes hooded Green Arrow, White Lantern Flash, Reverse Flash, Hawk, Dove, Red Arrow, Sinestro Corps Sinestro and metallic Green Lantern Hal Jordan (with Collect and Connect pieces of Nekron) for $139.99 here.

Ninja Star: Wars Series 2 Art Prints by Steve Bialik

2012-01-05T10:30:00.003-06:00

The Blot was shocked to find out Spoke Art had released a second set of Ninja Star: Wars art prints by Steve Bialik recently! As you may remember, Ninja Star: Wars pairs together the most beloved Star Wars characters with traditional Japanese ukiyo-e inspired imagery, and The Blot loves them! Illustrator Steve Bialik has created a captivating alternate universe which reinterprets notable Star Wars characters as if they existed in feudal Japan.

The print set is comprised of four prints, and features Luke Skywalker in “Spacewalker,” Darth Vader in “Akuma,” the Ewoks in “Iwoks” and Princess Leia in “Invasion of the Death Palace.” To see the six prints that comprise Ninja Star: Wars Series 1 click here.

Each Ninja Star: Wars offset lithograph measures 11”x27”, is individually hand numbered, and has a limited edition run size of 450 prints per image. Prints can be purchased from the Spoke Art online store individually for $10 or as a complete six print set for $30.

“Rumpelstiltskin” Once Upon A Time Screen Print by Kevin Tong

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

It’s Thursday (again!), so you know what that means… time for a new release in Mondo’s Once Upon A Time Screen Print Series by Kevin Tong. This week’s print is based on the Grimm’s Fairy Tale “Rumpelstiltskin.” Not my personal favorite, but Kevin did a really nice job on all that straw!

Each Once Upon A Time 18"x24" hand numbered screen print by Kevin Tong will have a Standard Edition with metallic ink and a limited edition run size of 225 prints, plus 95 metallic Gold Variants. The Standard Edition “Rumpelstiltskin” screen print will retail for $40, while the Gold Variant will retail for $65. These posters will go on sale at a random time today, Thursday, January 5th, at the Mondo online store.

Tomenosuke Exclusive Leprechaun Humphrey Mooncalf by Doktor A

2012-01-04T12:00:00.007-06:00

Is it The Blot, or is Tomenosuke bringing the heat with some killer exclusive colorways lately!?! For their newest exclusive, the Japanese toy store has teamed up with Pobber to release the Leprechaun Humphrey Mooncalf vinyl figure by Doktor A. This green colorway has a limited edition run size of 70 pieces, includes a removable brain, and will be go on sale next Sunday, January 8th, at the Tomenosuke online store. Catch one…if you dare!

Craw Custom Munnys by Motorbot

2012-01-04T10:30:00.005-06:00

Motorbot is in the process of cleaning out his studio by customizing the many toys he has laying around. His cleaning is our gain, as he is creating some seriously awesome new figures! The Blot’s favorite of the bunch are these three custom Craws. Each 4” Craw is a customized mini munny, comes in three colors (green, yellow and grey) and is made with resin, fur and doll eyes. These are some seriously creepy looking monsters! Pick one up today at the Deadbear Studios online store for $75 each.

ESC Toy x Monster Kolor OSK Bloody Dizign Vinyl Figure

2012-01-04T09:00:00.004-06:00

Back for bloody revenge, Dizign returns in a special limited colorway by ESC Toy and Monster Kolor! Bloody Dizign has a limited edition run size of 12 pieces and includes an exclusive 8”x10” giclee print by manga artist Yajima (with art direction by ESC Toy). Each OSK 10" vinyl figure comes signed and numbered by Erick Scarecrow, and packaged in a window box with blister tray. How about those piercing blue eyes of the Bloody Dizign!?! The Blot loves how Erick utilized all that beautiful metallic red and silver Monster Kolor paint on his Dizign sculpt. This is definitely one striking colorway!

The ESC Toy x Monster Kolor OSK Bloody Dizign vinyl figure will go up for pre-sale at 10am EST tomorrow, Thursday, December 5th, at the ESC online store for $150 each.

Tomenosuke Exclusive Green Hornet Dragon King by kaNO

2012-01-03T13:00:00.001-06:00

Kuso Vinyl and kaNO have teamed up with Tomenosuke to release a very special Dragon King variant! The Green Hornet Dragon King is Tomenosuke exclusive and pays homage to Bruce Lee’s role as Kato in the original The Green Hornet television series. No word yet if this figure will only be available in Japan or if Tomenosuke will ship worldwide, but how great is this colorway!?! The Blot loves color schemes inspired by superheroes, and the Green Hornet and Kato are definitely underutilized characters. I blame the horrible Seth Rogen live action movie, but come on…how many other heroes can say they were actually in the 1960s era Batman TV show?

The Green Hornet Dragon King has a limited edition run size of just 75 figures and will retail for $70 each. You can try to order this great new designer vinyl figure from the Tomenosuke online store.