New Minions Sets from Paul Kaiju x Skinner x Lulubell Toy Bodega

    I had this dream last night where I laid down to go to bed and for some reason there was this recessed part of the ceiling directly above my pillow.  Inside that space were the biggest, most grotesque insects I had ever seen.  Giant spiders, beetles, and all kinds of other crazy bugs were moving all around and threatening to fall on my face.  In the dream I jumped out of bed and this one flying critter flew over to me and started speaking english, all wanting to be my friend and hang out  with his razor-sharp talons and blood-soaked teeth.  He spoke like he had done really well in school, but that didn't stop me from beating the living hell out of him.  I splattered his bug blood everywhere, all while trying to keep an eye out for his little buddies.  I felt kind of bad about it, but I figured he was a dirty liar who would probably bore a hole through my ear drum and suck out my brain.  This dream can really mean only two things:  either I need to start getting more sleep or I need to stop looking at toys like this before bed.

    Skinner and Paul Kaiju are set to release this brand new series of Minions on an unsuspecting world this week, and Mr. Kaiju himself hand painted these creepers.  They will be sold blind bagged and you will get one of the two sets you see featured above.  They go on sale this Saturday, February 15th, at 12:01 Pacific time only from Lulubell Toy Bodega.  

My New Favorite Thing: Super Models with Designer Toys

    Now this is more like it.  This is how I would forever like to think of designer toys.  Not the standing in lines waiting for a new release, not the sweaty people at comic cons who always find a way to offend the senses with their unique odors, and certainly not the flippers who buy up everything and sell it for ten times the original price.  Nope, I want to think that super models would flock to pose with the toys I love so much.  And here is a picture that is bringing that dream to life.  It just so happens to be my favorite super model Coco Rocha (what, you don't have one?) greatly enhancing Kidrobot and Samsung's new MiWe character during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.  All of you customizers might as well retire, because you can't make this figure look any better than it does right now.   

Akashi 5YL Exclusive from Dave Bondi x Mintyfresh

    It's that time again, where every two years I am fascinated by the Olympics and I can't watch anything else.  The Winter Olympics have always been my favorite because every sport seems like it was created by someone who lived where it snowed a lot and was extremely bored.  I lived down south for most of my life and when you run out of things to do (which happens pretty fast) you start to remember how easy it is to buy ammunition and fireworks.  We passed the time by shooting things, blowing them up, and sometimes doing both.  If we had access to huge mountains and piles of snow we probably would have spent that time doing the crazy stuff that is now celebrated in competition.  We could have been athletes rather than juvenile delinquents.  

    As you've probably figured out by now (if you've ever been to this website before) the above paragraph has nothing to do with this toy.  But it was about current events, so that brings me a little closer to being like the legitimate news.  You've undoubtedly seen this dude from Dave Bondi before, but you've never seen him like this.  This colorway is exclusive to Mintyfresh and is available to buy right this moment!!  There's only 50 in the whole wide world, which is about the same amount of people that can actually explain the rules of curling.  

http://www.mintyfresh.eu/

Smokin' Valentine's Day Poos from Frank Kozik "Release" Today!!!

    The test of any great relationship is whether or not you are comfortable talking about each others bowel movements.  For us men this is not a concern, as poop has been our go to topic of hilarious conversation since the dawn of time.  But when you're a woman you'd like us to believe that there is no part of your meals that goes to waste.  That somehow your digestive system is the equivalent of the American Indians and their favorite prey, the buffalo.  Any unused portions of your food mysteriously are woven into fine linens and trinkets.  Sure, we allow such mythology to exist mostly for our own comfort, but the true test of our bond comes in that singular moment when you look us in the eyes and with four simple words refute any ideas we may have had about why you were taking especially long to get ready this morning:  "I had to poop."

    Finally, we can commemorate this beautiful moment of love's affirmation with this Valentine's Poo set from Frank Kozik.  Each set it handcrafted (gross) in resin (not so gross) and will cost $40 when they go on sale today, February 7th, at 2pm Pacific time.  Only 20 sets were made and they are exclusively available from www.frankkozik.net.  

Brain Bug Boogie Man from Cure x James Groman x Lulubell Toy Bodega

    I love a good descriptive title.  Brain Bug Boogie Man doesn't really leave a lot of room for interpretation does it?  Every component is there, as you can clearly see.  And the picture itself has all the info you need as a consumer to make a wise purchasing decision.  Go on, take a moment to peruse it, I'll wait.

    Oh, but wait.  The picture doesn't tell you where to buy it from.  See, I'm not completely expendable.  Though you could have Googled the name and found it easily on your own, I'm glad you stuck around here and waited for me to tell you.  That's why we're such good friends.  

http://www.lulubelltoys.com/

Political Nightmare Figures from We Become Monsters

    There are few things more universally hated than a politician.  I would bet money that intestinal worms are more popular than anyone running for office.  I hate em, you hate em, their mothers hate em.  We Become Monsters is obviously no fan of those dirtbags either, because look how he portrayed them in this new resin figure.  Looks fitting to me.  Starting tomorrow, February 7th at noon Pacific time, you can pick either a left wing or right wing blind bag for $30.  And if you happen to be in the Las Vegas area you can check out the flyer posted below for a little shindig that's going on where you can buy one in person.  For everyone else, get em at http://webecomemonsters.storenvy.com/.

Nosferatu Resin Figure from Super7 x Kirk Hammet

    I haven't been to a horror convention in quite awhile because to be honest, they can get a bit stale.  You see the same vendors, the same actors, blah blah blah. But what's this you say?  Kirk Hammet from Metallica has put together his own convention that not only features horror movie stars, but bands such as Carcass, Orchid, and Death Angel playing?  Now you've got my attention.  The game has been upped when it comes to Kirk von Hammet's Fear Festevil that takes place this weekend in San Francisco.  He also got local toy makers Super7 in on it with this Nosferatu resin figure.  This was designed to resemble the old Monster Soakies that were filled with bubble bath way back when.  While this dude won't help you clean away your man funk, he will look pretty cool sitting on your shelf.  This prototype edition of the figure is limited to 50 pieces, comes in a gift box, and Kirk will be available at the event to sign them for you.  If you're in the San Francisco area check out the event at http://www.fearfestevil.com/.

Ghost Butler from Peter Kato

    I've been thinking recently that my wife and I should strive to make our house more like Downton Abbey.  Specifically I wanted a cook in the basement that would keep me well fed without me having to make my own meals, but we could probably use a butler too.  Not that we entertain a lot of guests, but it would be nice to have someone at home to sign for our packages and shoo away the door to door sales people.  But it would be weird having someone stand in our living room, waiting for something to do as we're trying to watch tv, so this idea of a ghost butler would work out well.  He'd still be there, but we wouldn't have to feel awkward about it.

    Ghost Butler is the newest resin figure from Peter Kato and will be available for the first time tomorrow, February 6th.  He made 12 of the white ones and 12 violet ones especially for Valentine's Day and they each will be $50.  Help your home more closely resemble an English manor by visiting http://peterkatoshop.com/. 

Penelope McStompsalot 8 Inch Dunny from Huck Gee x Kidrobot

    Oh snap son, look at this thing!  By now you may have already seen this new and impressive 8 inch Dunny from Huck Gee and Kidrobot, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna put my two cents worth in.  I don't like to write about stuff the moment news is released about it.  I like to let the toy marinate in my head a little bit, and not succumb to any knee-jerk reactions I may feel upon the initial reveal.  Not that my feelings changed about this sucker one bit, because I am in love with it.  I have a soft spot for platform toys because I like to see what an artist will create while working within a set of parameters, such as the actual structure of the figure.  That's why I've always been a Dunny fan.  Of course not every design blows me away to the point that I must own it, but this is pretty spectacular.  And as if the giant mecha Dunny wasn't enough, it even comes with it's own little 3 inch driver.

    Crazy right?  And it comes in two different color schemes:  the black is a Kidrobot store and online exclusive, while the green will be available at retailers.  Now something this intense won't come cheap. It's gonna retail for $199.99, which isn't anything to sneeze at, but think about it like this:  you'd pay more for a tattoo on some random place on your body that you can't see without a setup of strategically placed mirrors, so why not for something that you will also own forever but can stare at on your shelf as much as you want?  That being said, I would love to borrow $200 from someone out there that is willing to quickly forget they loaned it to me.  Don't worry, you can think about it a little bit, as this isn't  going to be released until February 13th.  

Pink Lemonade Octopup from Nathan Hamill

    Yes, I watched the Super Bowl, and yes I was pleased by the thorough beating Seattle put on Denver.  My other thoughts on the big game:

1.)  There were no monkeys in any commercials as this was the year of the bear.  I noticed 3 commercials with bears, 0 with monkeys, which I was kind of disappointed with at first, because there is not much I enjoy more than monkeys doing people stuff.  But overall I did like the commercials and would tell you my favorite ones but I have the memory of a goldfish.  I was told I liked them though, so we'll go with that.

2.)  Bruno Mars didn't suck it up as bad as I thought he would.  You should save that last sentence to use against me at a later date, because I will deny I ever said it.  I still think his music is in direct relation to what is sitting at the bottom of your septic tank, but the showmanship was there.  And the Red Hot Chili Peppers weren't around long enough for me to want to puncture my ear drums with ice picks, so that was a plus.

3.)  Did you see Prince on New Girl directly afterwards?  I never pegged him for having a sense of humor, but he even referenced the Chappelle's Show skit about him making everyone pancakes.  Though I would have lost my mind if he had said "game...blouses"after he beat Zoe Deschanel at ping pong.

Ok, back to business.  Nathan Hamill is releasing these Pink Lemonade Octopups tomorrow (Tuesday, February 4th) for $25 each.  He only hand painted 7 of these canine/cephalopod hybrids and you can get one at noon Pacific time only from http://nathanhamill.bigcartel.com/.

Super Series Sunday from Tenacious Toys featuring MegaSeth

    This is the greatest resin toy of all time.  There, I said it, cause someone had to.  This makes me think of summers spent going to Ozzfest and seeing my favorite bands.  Then coming home dehydrated and with a wicked sunburn and wondering what the hell was wrong with me for thinking it was a good idea to go to a show with 30 different acts playing in 100 degree heat.  Then a year later I forget all about the suffering and go again only to repeat the cycle.  I'm pretty sure it was still worth it though.

    I haven't been to a giant spectacle of a show in forever but every time I see this toy I wanna go see Iron Maiden.  That's why this is the greatest resin toy ever, because it evokes so many memories for me of days gone by.  Lisa Rae Hansen captured my youth perfectly (without intending to) in this MegaSeth figure and now you can get one for yourself as part of Super Series Sunday from Tenacious Toys.   Only 8 pieces were created for this release and feature Tenacious owner Benny's pitbull Love Monster emblazoned on the tshirt.  Each one will be $60 and they each come with a mini print and a button.  They will be on sale tomorrow, February 2nd, at 6pm Eastern time only through www.tenacioustoys.com.

Glow in the Dark Marty and Killer from Bwana Spoons x Toy Art Gallery

    I didn't realize they were making Miley Cyrus toys now?  Just kidding, these aren't nearly as gross as that twerking hillbilly, even if they do fancy having their tongues hang out of their mouths.  Bwana Spoons and Toy Art Gallery are releasing a very limited number of these glow in the dark Marty and Killer toys today, January 31st, at noon Pacific time at www.toyartgallery.com.  Each hand painted figure will retail for $90.  

Kookie No Good from Scott Tolleson x DeKorner Releases Today!

    You'd look kinda bummed too if people wanted to crack your head open for a little piece of paper with a fortune on it.  But cheer up little guy, because it's Chinese New Year and people want to celebrate with you.  Scott Tolleson and DeKorner teamed up for this exclusive sofubi figure.  Limited to only 20 pieces, this edition will be on sale today, January 31st, at 10am Pacific time for $35.  Pick one up for yourself at http://dekorner.bigcartel.com/.  

Skull Butterfly by NooN x K. Olin Tribu

    You know what I never get tired of?  Skulls.  I could fill my house with skulls and be a happy camper.  Real skulls, plastic skulls, art skulls, your skull.  I want all the skulls!  So I am always excited to see what K. Olin Tribu is gonna do next with NooN's porcelain skull.  Well, now I know, cause this time they have adorned his brain case with butterflies.  This thing is beyond cool and I want one pretty badly.  They're limited to 50 pieces and available right now at http://www.artandtoys.com/.

Carded Labbits from Frank Kozik x Kidrobot Out Today

    Guess what day it is?  Guess what day it is?  It's Labbit Thursday!!!!!!  Sort of the same principle as taco Tuesday except you'll still be hungry after buying these.  These crazy bunnies from Frank Kozik x Kidrobot are the perfect gift for Valentine's Day or any other gift giving holiday that you feel like buying me stuff for.  And they're the bigger 2.5 inch ones just like the Marvel series and each one is only $9.99.  The question is not whether I will buy them all, but whether or not I will open them.  Frank will also have complete sets of these and his Lore of the Labbit mini series on his website tomorrow, January 31st.  

www.frankkozik.net 

    

Two New Sofubi Figures from Buff Monster Release Tomorrow

    I bet you all were wondering where I was today.  It was no big deal, just had to shovel some more snow like the manly man I am.  Then I had to go to work, where I don't have computer access, so my posts are a bit delayed today.  I hope you didn't miss me so much that you did anything drastic, like shave off your eyebrows or listen to a Justin Bieber song.  

   But here I am now, to tell you about these awesome little dudes that Buff Monster is releasing tomorrow (January 30th).  You could get yourself the hand painted Mister Melty bro on the left for $35 or the unpainted Zombie Mister Melty on the right for $30.  Or get them both because trying to pick just one is too hard.  They go on sale at 10am Eastern time at http://buffmonster.com/.

   

The Brewmaster Resin Kit from DuBose Art

    This sucker is pretty killer.  Used as the mascot for the Homebrew line of paints and resin dyes, The Brewmaster has been brought to life thanks to a 3D printer and a whole mess of resin.  This sucker weighs in at a full 2lbs, which doesn't seem like a lot, but is pretty solid for a toy.  DuBose Art is running a special preorder right now on unassembled kits of this nearly 8 inch tall figure.  For $50 you'll get all the pieces you need and even instructions on how to assemble him.  Then you can paint him up, or leave him like he is, which is what I would do.  The amount of detail is really impressive and makes me think the future of designer toys really does rest in the hands of the independent artists and not the big companies (there's an ongoing debate about that on Facebook as we speak).  Reinforce your shelving and then get one for yourself at http://duboseartanddesign.com/.

Rocky and Bullwinkle Pop! Vinyl from Funko

    What, no Boris and Natasha figures?  You're killing me Funko, but I'll let it slide.  At the rate that they make these Pop! Vinyl figures, I have calculated that I will have one in my likeness within the next 15 years.  It's bound to be a best seller, cause I'm sure my mom would buy them all.  But while you're waiting for my action figure in the first series of the "Heroes of Toy Blogging" line, allow these Rocky and Bullwinkle toys to keep you company.  They will be unleashed upon the world in March, sans their Russian adversaries.  

Lore of the Labbit Mini Series from Frank Kozik x Kidrobot

    I don't think there is a room in my house that doesn't contain at least one Labbit figure.  These things are seriously everywhere.  I think my wife just puts them in random places to see if I'll notice, or she could be trying to drive me insane for her own amusement.  They're in the kitchen, the living room, there's one on top of the bathroom mirror, in the pockets of my work pants.   I found one in a package of ham once.  They're kinda like roaches where in if you see one your house is probably infested.  

    But I do love these little bunnies from Frank Kozik and Kidrobot, and this may be my favorite series yet.  Based on myths and urban legends and other weird stuff that only seems to happen to hillbillies, these guys are ready to be strewn about your abode on January 30th.  Sold blind box for $4.99 each from wherever it is you prefer to buy your fancy toys.  

New Year Misfortune Cat from Ferg Releasing Today!

    One of our new kittens has a strange obsession with receipts.  He likes to carry them around the house before putting them in his food and water bowls.  He never chews them, though he will smack them around on the floor a bit.  Now whenever I've been to the store I'll just hand it to him when I come back and he runs away with it to put it in his collection.  I have a feeling that one day I'll come home from work and the house will be cleaned out because he's returned everything I own and bought himself a go kart.  No, I don't think that's an irrational fear at all thank you very much.

    This is the first toy I've seen all year that I REALLY REALLY want.  It's a big ol Misfortune Cat from Ferg.  This kitty is limited to only 150 pieces and goes on sale today, January 27th, at noon Central time for $85 (which includes shipping worldwide).  Try your luck at getting one by visiting http://playge.net/ cause these will sell out quick.  

Unpainted Cadaver Twins Lotto from Splurrt

    You know what my wife bought me for my birthday?  A mummified fetal pig.  You're jealous, I can sense it.  We're weirdos I guess and have lots of strange stuff laying about the house.  The year before she bought me an antique electric shock machine, which she soon regretted when I made plans to get it into working order to help her on days she feels sad.  I have since signed a document that legally binds me to never zap her with it or she would leave my lunch meat outside while I was at work.  Love is crazy right?

    Splurrt is tapping into all my nightmares about having kids with his Cadaver Twins toys.  Well, not the nightmare about them touching and breaking all my stuff, but the ones about them being born as little demons.  I don't know what I did in my past lives, but I would speculate that it was probably bad and this is the kind of retribution I can expect.  Where would you even buy clothes for a kid like this?  

     If you're ready to welcome this plastic bundle of joy into your life, then you will have to enter his lottery when it goes live this Saturday (January 25th) at 3pm Eastern time.  You have your choice of unpainted black or glow in the dark blue.  Get all the details and enter for a chance to buy one at http://www.splurrt.com/. 

    

Milk Plus Edition Ludwig Van Resin Bust from Frank Kozik

    This figure just begs to be spattered with blood and sealed in an evidence bag after having been used as a murder weapon.

"It was Colonial Mustard in the study with the Clockwork Orange bust."

    This is the latest edition of Frank Kozik's Ludwig Van bust, this time in opaque white resin.  Don't go smacking the maid in the head with it though, unless she really leaves you no alternative.  You did tell her to stop tucking the blankets under the mattress more than once.  How hard is it really to do less work.  It's like when you go to get a hamburger and you tell them you don't want pickles and they load that sucker up with so many pickles there can't possibly be any left for the next guy.  They went out of their way to be irritating by doing extra work and they deserve swift punishment!  

   These are available now at www.frankkozik.net.

Mood Palmer from Superdeux

    Finally, a designer toy that I can reasonably hit someone in the face with.  Maybe that's not in fact what he was intended for, but there's something satisfying to me about taking a toy shaped like a fist and pummeling someone with it.  And since it's so shiny and smooth I'm sure the blood would wipe right off.  That's a bonus.  

   Ok Ok, Superdeux never intended anyone to be beaten with Mood Palmer, but how often to you follow a product's intended use to the letter?  My creativity can not be controlled by such parameters.  This is probably why I never went to law school.  These are available in blue or magenta (100 of each produced) for $49 each or you can get one of 100 hand painted versions for $79.  Get em now at http://www.deux.me/.

The Wandering Misfits Pre Release Happening Today from Kathie Olivas x Brandt Peters x Cardboard Spaceship

    Blind boxed toys drive me absolutely insane.  I had pretty much sworn off of them as part of my twelve step program to curb my impulsiveness when buying toys.  I had been doing so well, going through all the meetings, making amends with my creditors who I had blown off in favor of secret-filled boxes of figures.  And then I see this, and not only have I fallen off the wagon, but I hit my head really hard on the curb and have lost all ability to be reasonable.  

    Husband and wife team Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas hooked up with Cardboard Spaceship to bring some of their most popular characters to life in this series.  What's nice about it is that to own one of their resin pieces would set you back a step financially, but you can own their plastic counterparts for a mere fraction of that and retain the ability to have cable television.  Today (January 22nd) at noon Pacific time, both Cardboard Spaceship and Circus Posterus will be holding pre release sales on full cases of these figures.  As a bonus, each site has a different exclusive toy that will come signed by the artists.   So it really comes down to which exclusive you want the most.  Or if you're bad at decision making you can get them both and increase your chances of completing the set.  

New Toys Dropping Today from Skinner

    I just came inside after shoveling snow and I am seriously aware of my mortality.  I'm out of breath, there is snot frozen to my face, and my arms feel as though they have been ripped from the sockets and put back into place with scotch tape.  Ladies, try to control yourselves. 

    You know who doesn't have to shovel snow?  Skinner doesn't, cause he is smart enough to live in California where crap like that doesn't happen.  That frees him up from the trappings of weather-initiated manual labor and gives him more time to make cool stuff like this.  Like those sweet Baby Huey figures you see up there.  Limited to only 5 pieces, they will be $200 each.  But you want to know what the sweetest deal you'll ever be able to get is?  Look down below at these Minion sets.  You get two hand painted figures for only $75.  And these things aren't small and weak like my muscles either.  And they're shiny, which will keep your cats mesmerized for hours.  All of these otherworldly toys go on sale today (January 22nd) at noon Pacific time from http://theartofskinner.com/.

Darth Vader Son and Daughter Maquettes from Gentle Giant

    Hey, I have a soft side just like everyone else.  It's not all skulls and black metal for me.  I have a few heartstrings that get tugged on every now and again and this is one of those times.  Just look how precious these are!!  These maquettes from Gentle Giant are based on the popular children's books written by Jeffrey Brown.  Both are available for preorder now with a special edition of their respective books.  Hopefully your dad was around more than Darth Vader was, cause that dude probably caused those kids to go through some serious counseling.  

Grimlock vs. Soundwave Two Pack from The Loyal Subjects

    Every time I see a Transformer I can hear in my head that weird sound that they make when they transform.  You know what it is, from the cartoon series.  I can't actually type what it sounds like, but I used to make it as a kid when I would change them back and forth from vehicles to robots.  It starts to make you light headed if you get one of those hard Transformers and you can't change him before you run out of breath.  Then you pass out and wake up face first on a pile of robots, which let me tell you is almost as bad as stepping on Legos barefoot.  

    The Loyal Subjects don't want you to worry about such nonsense, so their toys don't transform at all, but they don't really need to, because they're cool enough just as they are.  And look how fancy Soundwave and Grimlock look in black.  Do Transformers have their own version of GQ magazine, cause they would be on the cover.  This two pack will be available starting next Tuesday, January 21st and is an edition of 500 sets.  Pick one up from www.theloyalsubjects.com/.

Charcoal Grey Dead Kozik Bust from Kevin Gosselin

    Every home needs a Dead Kozik.  Think about the possibilities that his rotten plastic head offers.  Put it on your coffee table to let burglars know that they should turn around and run screaming!  Put a hidden camera in his nose to obtain blackmail material on your kids!  Use it to hold the lid down on your trash can and keep pesky raccoons out!  Put him in the passenger seat of your car to qualify for the car pool lane!  Lay him on the pillow next to you while you sleep for those times that you just want to cuddle!  The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

    This charcoal grey version of Frank Kozik's zombie face was created by Kevin Gosselin and is available wherever you prefer to buy your toys.  And if it's not you can ask em to stop being lazy and order one for you.  

Neapolitan Boss Carrion from Paul Kaiju

    I wish they had elephants that looked like this at the zoo.  I like the normal elephants, but it wouldn't hurt to spice things up a bit.  Most of the time when I'm at the zoo they aren't doing a whole lot, which I suppose is normal for them.  But you get something like this there, and all kinds of craziness is bound to happen.  And even if it doesn't, people would stop and stare for hours just waiting in case it did.  It would probably be expensive to feed though, because you can't buy the souls of orphans wholesale.  

   Paul Kaiju is releasing this newest edition of his Boss Carrion figure through lottery beginning this Sunday, January 19th, at noon Pacific time.  The lottery will close on January 20th at the same time and then he will notify those lucky folks if they won a chance to purchase one.  View all the pertinent details by going to http://paulkaiju.com/.