My Top 10 Exclusives for This Year's New York Comic Con

    Let me tell you how prepared I am for New York Comic Con:  I went out today and got a flu shot.  I normally get one every year, and usually well before now, but there was no way I was gonna be pressed up against the sweaty, sniffling, masses without giving my immune system a chance at survival.  Plus, I'm totally out of sick days after The Great Kidney Stone of 2015 and I ain't trying to not get paid, suckas. So the only thing I have left to do is prepare my credit cards to be used and abused and to present to you my top 10 favorite exclusives I've seen for this year's convention.  

    Now this isn't one of those arbitrary lists with random numbers like Buzzfeed puts out there.  I have respect for the sanctity of the top 10 list and damn it without some sort of tradition we're just a bunch of apes rubbing sticks on the rocks to poke each other with.  I will not be poked by an uncouth monkey!  Speaking of ape-like creatures, the top dude you see there is the brand spankin new Wing Kong from Super7.  I love it.  It's a monkey, who looks pissed off, and he's got wings.  That's pretty much the total package.  Available at booth 174.  

    And speaking of horrible illness, check out this infected Dunny from Scott Wilkwoski x Kidrobot.  See, this is the type of thing that I am confident my flu shot will protect me from.  Available in purple or grey and only $60 each, you better be quick to the Clutter Magazine booth # 603 to get one.  

    If I were to ride a horse, which I'm not saying I will, I would hope that it would be a demonic hell pony with a tentacle mouth and bat wings.  Oh, what a coincidence, I happen to have one right here.  Bigshot Toyworks has these Lil Maddie figures at booth #208 just in time to rustle up your demonic cows and send them to the demonic slaughterhouse for processing into demonic burgers.  

    Is it an ice cream cone?  Is it candy corn?  Is it andy corn flavored ice cream?  Is it ice cream cosplaying as candy corn?  I don't know, but now I have a headache thinking about it.  Kozik's Monger Jerome from Rotofugi x Squibbles Ink is looking very Halloween-y in this paint job.  I need one and you do too only at booth # 603.

    Oh let me tell you how I love some marbled vinyl.  It's like the sweet patina of the plastic world.  These Cestodas from Miscreation Toys are the size of a small child without the nagging.  Mishka will have these available at booth # 110.  Bing a back brace to carry this sucker.

   I have yet to even see what the latest Shub Zeroth figure from Meta Crypt looks like, but I am so confident that it couldn't possibly suck that I'm adding it to my list.  Go pay a visit to Brian Ewing at booth # 120 for some killer art and metaphysical plastic.  

   I love snow cones, so now you can add that to the list of facts you know about me.  I hope that a snow cone never turns on me like this crazy dude from Jason Limon x Martian Toys.  Damn, this is a great figure and available at booth # 203.  

   CATS!  It's huge, it's a cat, and I need it.  Komatsu x myplasticheart have a special release of this new Daioh Negora at booth 113 and I'm gonna try and get one cause I'm that kind of pimp.  

    Another Dunny and another item I have to own.  Like, I won't die per se if I don't get one, but I wouldn't stand to close cause I may rage out.  doubleparlour killed this and it's debuting at booth # 603.

    The award for "most adorable freakin thing at comic con" goes to these Sleepytime Sea Bunnies from Peter Kato.  They are limited to 30 pieces and will be available from the Piq Products booth # 614 starting tomorrow.   

Kidrobot's Pop Up Shop for New York Comic Con

    Last year Kidrobot was nowhere to be seen at New York Comic Con and I missed them.  I missed them so much that I sat where their booth had previously been and quietly mourned their absence.  This seemed to be awkward to the other people who were set up trying to hawk their wares, and security wasn't really the most understanding group of individuals I've met, especially as they were dragging me out from under the table with what my lawyer said was not actually an excessive amount of force.  The good news is I fired that idiot and Kidrobot is back with not just a booth, but a pop up shop, which sounds way more better.  

    What is sure to be the hit of the show and a guaranteed sell out are these Infected Dunnys from Scott Wilkowski.  Available in either grey or purple (50 of each color) these suckers are gonna be $60  a piece.  

    Of course that is just one of a plethora of offerings that will be available to con goers.  You'll also be able to buy tons of toys before they're released anywhere else.  Things like J*Ryu's 8 and 20 inch Dunnys, or Amanda Vissel's Ferals mini series.  

   They'll also have the new Simpson's figures from Ron English and my personal favorite, doubleparlour's debut 3 inch Dunny, which is a must have for me:

    What other surprises will they have in store?  You'll just have to wait and see when everything begins later this week.  You can find their pop-up shop as part of Clutter Magazine's booth #603

New Figures from doubleparlour Available Today!!!!!!!

    You probably didn't know until this very moment that you needed an axe-wielding, skinned and pantsless military officer in your life.  Or you might have always known that, in which case I hope you have good health insurance cause you're gonna need to talk to someone about that.  Just kidding silly, you were probably just checking out doubleparlour's Instagram feed for news about their latest creations, which coincidentally happen to be coming out today.  You have the above mentioned dude, as well as this little scooter riding chap you see below.  The sale starts at noon pacific time over at http://doubleparlour.myshopify.com and probably won't last long, so cancel all your meeting, have someone hold all your calls, and buy yourself something nice.

New Releases from doubleparlour Happening Today!!!!!

    If you haven't found a reason to call out sick from work today may I present to you the best one I can think of.  Unless you're actually sick, in which case I'm sorry to hear that, but at least you can still be home and ready for the newest releases from doubleparlour.  And what better way to make yourself feel better than some new items to liven up your living space?  http://doubleparlour.myshopify.com/ is the place to be at noon pacific time today if you'd like to add any of these adorably spooky figures to your collection.  They're gonna go fast, so put off any responsibilities you may have had and park your butt in front of the computer.  I'll write you a note for your boss if you want.  

You Want Dunnys? Check Out All of These Available for Preorder Right Now

    My head is literally ready to explode with all of the amazing Dunnys that Kidrobot is coming out with this year.  If this is what the future of this company looks like then we are in for many years of toys I desperately need.  You've got a healthy mixture of well known vinyl artists, some that are completely new to the vinyl world, and fan favorite designs that made the jump from 3 inch figures to 8 inch.  Let's get started so you can see where your money is going this year.  

    Sket-One self-produced a pretty killer version of this Sketratcha Dunny some time back and now it's getting a proper vinyl release as a 3 inch figure.  There's gonna be a chase version as well, which I'm not gonna spoil for you in case you haven't seen it.  $14.99 will get you one.  

    I can't say enough good things about doubleparlour.  Admittedly, I was a bit late to their appreciation party, but I'm trying to make up for lost time.  I'm in love with everything they do and this Dunny is no exception.  This 3 inch toy is on my must have list and at only $14.99, I won't feel guilty about it either.  

    Ever wondered what a certain famous mouse looked like when he went home, removed his kid friendly exterior, and exposed what was really lurking underneath?  Yeah, me neither, but I have no problem believing that behind that smile lies a creature that feasts on equal parts cash and children's souls.  A balanced diet is important after all.  Ron English and his sinister friend are making the jump from the Apocalypse blind box series to a full 8 inch production figure.  For $74.99 you can have him stare at you as you plan your next trip to the happiest place on earth.

    And people think that no one listens to their pleas?  Well, when your demands aren't ridiculous, this can be the result.  Scott Tolleson's Lotus Dragon was next to impossible to get as part of the Evolved Dunny series, so thankfully its 8 inch counterpart will be much simpler to obtain.  All you need is $99.99 and a bit of patience and you could have this delivered to your door in the Fall.  Go ahead and add this to my must have list.   

    This one has a special place in my heart, because I was able to not only hold the prototype in my hand, but take a picture of it that circulated pretty quickly around the internet.  I felt like a proud father.  Not only did Junko Mizuno's design make the jump from 3 inch to 8 inch, but they added some elements to it as well.  The thing is stunning in person and I've been waiting patiently to be able to get one since I first saw it in February.  

       This is what I like to see.  Someone working their butt of painting figure after figure, honing their craft, and then getting rewarded with their own production toy.  It's happened before but I feel it's going to happen a lot more now that the stable of artists Kidrobot is pulling from is pretty much endless.  Maybe I'll get my own Dunny?  I gotta make a phone call.

     Wuzone seems inspired by everyone's favorite pathologically lying puppet, but put enough of a spin on it to make it feel fresh.  I know what you're thinking, you're thinking: "How will I possibly afford all this?"  For one, don't worry, just stop paying those annoying student loans.  Secondly, this dude is priced at only $59.99.  It's like a throwback price!!!

    Sweet mother of plastic what is this you have bestowed upon me?  J*RYU has just changed everything you thought a Dunny could be.  Not only is it not character driven, but the design, and sculpting, and the detail.  I think I just got the vapors.  And to top it all off it pretty much demands to be the centerpiece of your collection as it stands a whopping 20 inches high.  Forget buying a new shelf, you're gonna need an alter for this.  Now she ain't cheap at $449.99, but I can guarantee you it's worth every penny you have to steal.  

    Each one of these, and The 13 Dunny series from Brandt Peters that I've previously written about, are all available for preorder right now from your favorite designer toy stores.  No more sweating on release day, no more pounding the refresh key on your laptop, or frantically driving from store to store, or pacts with dark forces trying to secure the one's you need.  This is a glorious time to be a collector.  

New Releases from doubleparlour Happening Tomorrow

    The work of doubleparlour is many things.  It can in the space of a few moments be the cutest thing you ever saw to being somewhat unnerving.  I'm a bit late to the party when it comes to appreciating their figures, but what I've come to love best about them is that they're never boring.   No matter how you feel, you will feel something and that's important to me when you're talking about designer toys.  If you haven't been able to add any of their pieces to your collection you'll get an opportunity tomorrow at noon pacific time when all of these go live at http://doubleparlour.myshopify.com/.  Take a look at what they'll have to offer and bookmark the page so you don't miss out.  

Seafoam Pearl Merryners Set from Doubleparlour x Toy Art Gallery

    If you've ever been lucky enough to work retail in an area where bad winter weather happens then you have most likely experienced the phenomenon know as snow people.  While you may have never heard the term you have undoubtedly witnessed what it describes.  These are people that only come out on the worst, snowiest days in order to shop.  You will never have seen them before, they will resemble mutants, and they only make brief public appearances during storms.  You'll be leaning against the counter, complaining about how anyone with any sense would have closed their store by now and be safely at home, and in walks a gaggle of snow people.  Maybe they like to take advantage of uncrowded stores.  Maybe they like to only use their four wheel drive Mad Max vehicles under the most extreme conditions.  Maybe they all have warrants and assume the police will be busy pulling minivans out of ditches.  It's hard to say but they are real and they are giddy at the first sign of sleet.

    These Merryners figure from Doubleparlour x Toy Art Gallery look ready to slap on the snow tires and grab some bargains.  I'm not gonna lie, they kinda scare me in the same way I get twitchy if I have to wait in line at Wal Mart too long.  The longer you're there, the greater the chance you'll get bitten by some feral rat child.  I've seen it happen.

    And just like Wal Mart, I am able to look past being frightened when presented with an incredible bargain.  You could buy one of these 7 inch figures for $45, or get all four of em as a set for only $150.  That's a savings of $30 when you buy the set!  These go on sale today at noon pacific at http://shop.toyartgallery.com/.  

"Death Rides Again" featuring Mike Egan, Doubleparlour, and Lurk at Toy Art Gallery

    You may not know this, but I've been known to paint the occasional toy.  Granted, I haven't done anything in a while, but I'm trying to get more disciplined.  I could run down a prepared list of excuses that I just happen to have handy, but I'll spare you.  But seeing shows like this makes me want to get back on the creativity horse and ride that sucker into the sunset of success.  Didn't that sound like one of those motivational posters?  

   Toy Art Gallery is usually the place to be any day of the week, but it definitely is tomorrow for the opening of their Death Rides Again show.  This not only features the awesome work of Mike Egan, Doubleparlour and Lurk, but it will also feature the debut of vinyl toys from the latter two.  The opening runs from 7-10pm and Doubleparlour and Lurk will be to shake hands and kiss babies.    

http://www.toyartgallery.com/