Learn How Sofubi is Made Courtesy of Candie Bolton and Sharla in Japan

    Have you ever wondered how Japanese sofubi toys were made?   It seems like a closely guarded secret and that knowing the answer puts you in league with the Illuminati.  And lots of people who are newly exposed to this form of collectible are always shocked by how much they can cost, which is easy to understand when you aren't in the know about the work it takes to produce one.  They see four foot tall Star Wars figures in stores for less and that probably confuses the hell out of folks.  But not only is there an artist behind a sofubi toy's design, the production itself is an art form.  Candie Bolton's friend Sharla recently toured a factory where they are producing one of her toys and she filmed the process of it transforming from a melted glob of plastic into a figure.  Check it out below.


 

    And how jealous are you of her tour of the RealxHead shop with all of those cat figures!!!!!!   I would have to declare bankruptcy after visiting there.

Masked Uamous from Toy Art Gallery

    When the aliens finally do invade our planet and makes us all their slaves, I hope they're at least this cute.  It will take some of the sting out of our sudden fall from the top of the food chain.  Uamou has taken her little horned guy and added a copper mask to him, hiding whatever bad intentions he may have.  They will come in two sizes: the 4 inch one will be $50 while the 7 inch one (that features a body crafted by RealxHead) will be $200.  Get one for yourself on Friday, August 9th, at noon Pacific time from Toy Art Gallery.  

http://shop.toyartgallery.com/

Rock 'n' Roll Uamou at Toy Art Gallery

    I would gladly trade all of the casinos near my house for a ton of folks that were into toys and a place like Toy Art Gallery to put them on display.  You can have all the elderly women in their sequined sweaters that guard rows of slot machines like a pit bull in a junk yard while they chain smoke and gamble away inheritances.  You can have the barrage of prostitutes and drug dealers that peddle their wares with a tenacity of a used car salesman.  You can't have the Ripleys Believe It or Not Museum though, that place is worth keeping.  But you can take the bootleg t-shirt shops and the guys whose hair gel weighs more than all of the books in their house.  Let me know when you're ready to deal.

    I am envious of anyone who is lucky enough to live near Toy Art Gallery, and I remind you of that every time I write about them.  Tomorrow they will be opening their new show, Rock 'n" Roll Uamou with special guests RealxHead and Skull Toys.  I love those Nirvana inspired toys pictured below featuring a body clad in the best thrift store fashion and a face with that iconic smiley face logo.  I really started to get into music in the '90's, so the grunge era will always hold a special place in my heart.  They always post the remaining pieces from their shows in the days following the opening, so maybe I'll get a chance to snag one.  Keep the dream of the '90's alive!