Let's Review the Pants Off the New Joker Labbit from Frank Kozik x Kidrobot

   We are knee deep in Labbit Appreciation Week and so far it's going splendidly.  Have to been appreciating your Labbits?  Don't lie to me if you didn't, cause like Santa Claus and the NSA, I see you when you're sleeping.  Ok, that's kind of a stretch, but I'm taking your word for it that you're getting your appreciation on and I don't want to be made to look the fool.  And why wouldn't you be appreciating these iconic little bunnies?  Let's keep the festivities rolling with our second review of the week, this time featuring The Joker Labbit.

    What is it about sociopaths in popular culture that are so appealing?  Ok, spoiler alert, if you're watching The Following and you missed last week's episode don't say I didn't warn you.

    But that moment Joe Carrol finally met his demise at the business end of a lethal injection cocktail I was completely bummed.  And it wasn't just me; everyone I know who watches the show felt the same way.  The dude was a pretty filthy human being, with all the murder and whatnot,  but he was also the most compelling character on TV in recent memory.  Let's face it: the bad guys are always the most interesting and there loss can be tough to take sometimes.   Which is good that Batman has that whole "no kill" policy, otherwise we might have long ago been deprived of the madness of the Joker.

    The Joker has been involved in a lot of controversy as of late, with that comic book cover featuring Batgirl that wasn't released to the fact that Jared Leto is playing him in the Suicide Squad movie.  People are passionate because he's one of the greatest villains of all time, and as many incarnations as we may be used to seeing him, we've never seen him like this.

   I've been waiting nearly two years for this guy to come out and I was starting to worry it wasn't gonna happen.  I had only seen the box art at Toy Fair, which certainly doesn't do this figure justice.  What I like most about the toy is how minimal the design really is.  It would be easy to go completely over kill and fill every space you can, but his face is composed mostly of a rather unnerving grin and little else.  His blacked out eyes let you know that this is one clown who's probably hiding more than handkerchiefs up his sleeve.  But even as crazy as he may be, he has opted to forgo the traditional cigarette that most of his brethren prefer, and has instead planted a deadly squirting flower between his teeth.  Much less deadly for him, much more deadly for everyone else.

    I don't usually advocate for allowing criminals in your house, even when they are in the form of woodland creatures, but there's always exceptions to every rule right?  Besides, it's not like The Joker is known for eating all your food and ordering pay per view that you'd be embarrassed to have on your cable bill.

Photograph me like one of those Kardashian girls.

 

    The clown prince of crime is available right now at www.kidrobot.com and anywhere designer toys are sold.  

Super Shogun Review Time: Personal Happiness Labbit Series from Frank Kozik x Kidrobot

    Here's the deal folks:  This week is officially Labbit Appreciation Week.  It's official in so much as I called it official and not by government decree or anything, because the White House never responded to my petition.

    The other day I received a giant box from Kidrobot filled with all things Labbit and I'm gonna share them with you each day this week.  We'll laugh, we'll hopefully not cry, and we'll do a hell of a lot of talking about plastic and plush bunnies.  Basically it's what any other grown man you know is up to on a typical day.

    We're gonna kick off this week by checking out the brand new Personal Happiness mini series.  There's no better feeling than sitting in the floor with an entire case of figures and tearing into each one.  I wonder if there's a career path in opening up blind boxes, because I can't think of a job I'm better suited for.  I love mindless tasks, I love toys, and I like throwing trash all over the place.  I assume if I had this job that there would be another person responsible for cleaning up the boxes and foil innards.   Maybe I should bring that up during the interview process.

I'm gonna need my assistant to take care of this.  

    Sharon and I parked ourselves in front of the TV and one by one opened each and every box.  The first thing we noticed is how damn cute this series is.  Not that any previous Labbits haven't been cute per se, but these guys have given up smoking and seem more adorable for it.  The designs are fun: from a bowl of punch, to a magician, to a few mustached and polka dotted gifts.  They make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, which I'm sure we could all use more of.  Not me, cause I'm already too evil to be helped in any way, but they still made me crack a smile. A dark, evil smile.

     The second thing we noticed is that on the little fold out checklist that comes with each figure there is absolutely no mention of ratios or silhouetted mystery designs.  Now I don't know if this is something that will continue, if it's going to to translate to other types of Kidrobot product, or it's just a test to see what people think, but I for one like it.  There's no feeling of dread that you won't get the figures you want; no discouragement that you're rotten luck will prevent you from enjoying the toys you love.  After all, collecting plastic rabbits should be fun and not involve complicated math usually reserved for cheating at blackjack.

    A full case of these contains 25 blind boxes, and out of those we were only 2 figures short of a full set (we're looking for the piñata one and the Labbit in the hat if you have them to trade).  It's by far the best results we've ever had opening a case of any type.

    I feel that I have presented a compelling case for you to immediately stop what you are doing and obtain some of these delightful little critters.  Buy them by the handfuls and fill your pockets with them to remind you that no matter how bad your day gets, you still have Labbits stuffed in your pants.  I think I just started a self-help revolution!  

     These little dudes are available now at www.kidrobot.com and wherever else designer toys are sold.
    

Help Monsterfoot Creations Bring Skull Boy to Life

    If there's one thing I'm about it's helping people make their dreams come true.  And deli ham, I am really all about deli ham.  Seriously, I'm thinking about just forgoing this post and going to get some lunch meat.  Ahhh nevermind, cause I'm also all about not leaving the house more than once per day and I've already hit my quota in that department.  Let's get back to business.

    A lot of people these days dream of being toy designers and Kickstarter is a great resource for it.  Crowd funding has made so many awesome projects happen by putting the money and means in the hands of creative folk, and now it's time to help Monsterfoot Creations bring his vision into plastic reality.

    Skull Boy is ready to make the trip to Japan, get molds made of all his pieces, and then be cast in luxurious sofubi and shipped to collectors around the world.  The only thing holding him back is a little bit of cash, which is where you come in.  By now everyone knows how Kickstater works, so check out this link, help this toy get made, and get some awesome rewards in the process.  Then pick yourself up  some cold cuts, cause why wouldn't you?

New and Improved Robo Top from Kevin Nam x myplasticheart Available Today!

    Most of the time when I get a new toy the greatest feeling is actually acquiring the item.  I'll sit with it for a while, admire its craftsmanship, rejoice in the fact that I now own it, then it's off to wherever I can find room for it.  After that it lives out the remainder of its days either behind glass or on one of my many shelves.  It's kinds sad when you think about it, but I am an American and we do like to imprison any and everything we can, whether it's people, or animals, or inanimate objects.  I think it's some mutated gene from all the beef hormones we ingest.

    But what's this?  A toy that will never collect dust because you're too busy spinning it in some advanced game of rock, paper, scissors?  Kevin Nam from inami toyland  has released these before, but since then he's gone on to make improvements in design.  These will be available today from myplasticheart in either red or blue and are limited to 10 pieces of each.  Buy em in pairs and make a friend the old fashioned way: by beating them at games of chance and never letting them forget it.  Maybe that's why I don't have any friends.  

Violet Trickster Skelve from Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas

    I would have no way of knowing if I had Tricksters living in my house.  Between the cats taking anything that isn't nailed down and me forgetting where I put everything, the poor Tricksters would never get any credit for their misdeeds.  They'd probably feel neglected and turn to substance abuse.  So any evil little elves that were planning to take up residence here just keep it moving and find a household where talents can really be appreciated.  I want you to be happy.

      These guys are cute and evil looking at the same time, which basically describes how I feel about small children.   Limited to only 10 pieces, this little purple dude even comes with his own antique block to sit on, as he is very particular of where he rests his bum.  The Trickster Skelve was of course created by the amazing husband and wife duo of Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas.

Get yourself one by clicking here.  

Lifesize SludgeDemon DX from Mutant Vinyl Hardcore x Toy Art Gallery

 

 
        There's a liquor store near where I live that for some reason has lined their sidewalk with life size figures of the most random things.  There's Batman, Marilyn Monroe, an oddly colored Humphrey Bogart, a pirate lady, a cow that is also a bench, C3PO, one of The Blues Brothers, Elvis missing his guitar, and a scantily clad tattooed lady with a chalkboard sign.  It reminds me of those bad posters of the random dead celebrities hanging out at a bar, except rather than drinking and having a good time these statues are part of some really bizarre police lineup.  I'd love to see that episode of COPS.

     I love the idea of giant toys, but I have absolutely no desire to have fat Elvis standing behind my kitchen table.  What I would like is one of these fiberglass SludgeDemon DX's from Mutant Vinyl Hardcore and Toy Ary Gallery.  I have a half dozen places I can already picture him in, but I just gotta come up with the the cash. At $1,500 he's not an impulse buy and I have owned cars that didn't cost that much.  He's definitely on my lottery-winning dream list though.  And for an extra $500 you can get a Sam Heinous head, you know, for when you wanna mix it up a bit.  Gotta keep your decorating options open.  

More Star Wars Pop! Vinyl Coming Soon from Funko

    Scientists predict that there will never be a time from now until the end of the human race that there will not be new Star Wars stuff to buy.  And it will probably continue beyond that as a superior race of beings from somewhere in space discovers our once vibrant planet, covered in sand and ruins and near mint packaged action figures.  They will fall in love with them so much that they will start bootlegging them on their home world, to be sold in whatever passes for a Chinatown there.  It's exactly what the "Circle of Life" song in The Lion King was talking about.

    Funko is continuing it's quest to make every character from every thing you can think of into a Pop! Vinyl figure with the latest series from Star Wars.  They will be available in July and I'm gonna need the Darth Vader one, but I'm holding out on anymore until they make one of the guy who ran catering on set.  It'll happen.


    

Kidrobot to Produce Toys from the Hit Game Best Fiends

       I swore to myself that I wouldn't play any more downloadable games.  Sharon and I will be watching tv at night and half the time I have to ask her what's going on because I'm knee deep in one on our iPad.  I was just going to finish up the one I've been playing and move on to a life where I didn't have to have her recap what I was supposed to be paying attention to.  Then I get an email about Kidrobot making toys for some game called Best Fiends.  Being a man filled with intrigue and wanting to provide the best information for you my reader, I went ahead and checked it out.  Let's just say I'm expecting the camera crew from Intervention to come knocking on my door any moment now.  

     San Diego Comic Con in July will see the debut of some vinyl slug figures (bad evil slugs), with a bunch more plastic and plush versions of different characters to follow later in the year.  And once you download the game you'll have plenty to do while you wait in those long convention lines, making them far more bearable than ever before.  

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.  

Bid on a Limited Edition Hip Hop Trooper Figure to Benefit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

    As toy collectors, our mentality is usually focused on acquiring as many cool things as we can fit into our living spaces.  And we spend a lot of money in the pursuit of those must-have pieces.  It's easy to get caught up in the process and lose sight of just how lucky each and every one of us is to be able to direct a portion of our lives towards our passion.  But as we all know there are much bigger issues in life than waiting for the mailman to deliver our newest figure.  Some people are waiting for a cure to be discovered before its too late.  

    Tenacious Toys has set aside a few of their Hip Hop Trooper exclusives from last New York Comic Con as a way to help fund research into various terminal illnesses.  Now you have the chance to own one of these limited toys with all the proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  There is an eBay auction happening not until Tuesday April 28th that you can bid on at this link.  Build your collection while helping donate to research that is so desperately needed.  Special thanks should also go to all the artists involved in creating this toy:  Kid Ink Industries, Jason Chalker, Small Angry Monster, and Sidekick Labs.  

Ghost Edition Iron Man from 3A Available Now

    There are very few movies that make me want to shell out the cash to see in the theatre.  And it's not really the money per se, as much as it is the other people that happen to be there and preventing us from enjoying what we pay for.  My frustrations are begging to be let out in violent ways, so we have a few requirements of a film before we watch it in public.  The first is that it has to be a huge fanboy movie, i.e. The Avengers.  Those are the best behaved audiences and provide the most pleasant experience for the viewer.  Everyone there is completely invested in what's happening on screen and wouldn't dare upset the nerd balance by acting a fool.  The second is that we only go during a weekday to avoid kids that have no interest in the movie and are just looking to socialize.  Teenagers are annoying to begin with and are begging to be dropped off in the woods somewhere, so it doesn't take much provocation to snap on one.  Follow our simple rules and always have a pleasant movie-going experience. And bring your own food, that stuff is criminally expensive.


    Oh, did I mention The Avengers?  Yeah, that movie is gonna be freakin amazing and what's even better is all the cool stuff that's being released to coincide.  You've seen 3A's Iron Man before, but never like this.  I don't think Tony Stark could wear this suit in combat, because just looking at white clothing funny will stain it, but then again he could definitely afford the dry cleaning bill.

    As with anything 3A makes, this dude looks killer.  I love their take on classic characters and you can love him too by ordering him right this second over at http://www.bambalandstore.com/.

You Like Deals? Tenacious Toys Is Running a Sale!

    Times are tough and when you collect stuff the first place you look to save money is by not growing your obsession.  It's soooooo painful looking at all the neat stuff that comes out and not being able to get everything you want.  But fear not, because Tenacious Toys is having a 30% off sale on just about everything on their website.  You'll need one of those fancy promo codes, which can easily be obtained by signing up for their email list.  Do it now and buy some cool stuff without the guilt.

www.tenacioustoys.com

New Teaser from Amanda Visell x Kidrobot

    I'm not one to post teaser shots as I prefer to tell you about stuff that is ready for purchase, but this one has a special place in my heart.  You see, back in February, my wife and I made a pilgrimage to an unholy frozen tundra known as New York, nearly losing our unmentionables to the frigid temperatures.  There we had a vision, one in which Amanda Visell and Kidrobot would release an entire series of her work on various Munnyworld platforms.  No longer would those animal shapes be reserved for the customizer, nay, they would be available to the world's best artists to bring their visions to life as production pieces.  I told you of this prophecy upon my return (and the thawing of my typing fingers) and was called a heretic, a blasphemer, and yet here we sit with another piece of the mystery before us.  The first sign was this:

    Oh, woe unto you non believers, for it has been foretold and it is now coming to fruition.  And once my first vision is complete and available for you to covet I shall promptly apply for tax exempt status and move The Toy Viking headquarters to a secure compound in the midwest, where I may continue to deliver toy prophecy and hide my assets from the IRS.  Feel free to start your donations any time now.  

"Gnosis" featuring Deathcattoys and More Opens Saturday at Toy Art Gallery

    West coasters:  did you read my last post and get a little misty that there was no art show for you to go to?  Fear not, because Toy Art Gallery always has something going on and this weekend is no exception.  The highlight, I feel, will be the new sofubi line from Deathcattoys.  They'll be making their debut this weekend with a bunch of different painted versions.   Here is a sampling of what you will see when the show opens tomorrow night:

        

Arsenal of Artists Group Art Show at Suburban Vinyl Tomorrow

    Are you in the New Jersey area?  Do you like art?  Then you meet all of the qualifications to check out the Arsenal of Artists group show at Suburban Vinyl tomorrow night.  And that little graphic you see up there has all the information you could possibly need to attend.  Now all you need to do is scratch together some funds for dinner and you've got yourself a nice night out with your significant other.  Don't have a significant other to spend a lovely evening with?  Check out Craigslist; I hear it's a great place to meet people and/or get murdered.  Probably more of the latter.  

Sludge Kraken DX Lottery from Paul Kaiju x Mutant Vinyl Hardcore

    I totally get why everyone is so interested in space.  It's infinite vastness is beyond mind blowing to comprehend and I don't know anyone that wouldn't poop themselves at the discovery of alien life.  But we have some important loose ends to tie up here on Earth, like whatever is lurking at the bottom of the ocean.  Since the dawn of time we've had fantastic notions of what could be swimming around down there and no one has yet to prove that we're not on the verge of some serious aquatic warfare.  Right now creatures could be holding planning sessions on what do with our yucky corpses once they take over the planet.  That whole melting of the polar icecaps is probably there way of accessing currently unreachable places that would be the key to their overall world domination.  While we're staring up at the sky contemplating the stars, they are going to rise from the depths and attack.  

    Paul Kaiju and Mutant Vinyl Hardcore have glimpsed our future and captured it perfectly via this Sludge Kraken DX.  You'll get a shot at welcoming our fishy-smelling overlords into your home and praying for their mercy when the lottery to purchase one opens this Sunday, April 19th, at noon pacific time.  You have exactly one day to enter for your chance to buy one, after which your bag of bones is on its own during the uprising.  

Enter at http://paulkaiju.com/

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Posters Have Leaked!!!!!

    Oh sweet Jesus look what I found!!!!!!  In a move that I'm sure is purely coincidental (wink wink) the advertising for the new Star Wars film The Force Awakens has leaked just as Star Wars Celebration kicks off in California.  Now we get our first proper look at the newest bad dude on the Sith block, who's looking to crush the now victorious rebellion and restore an evil reign of terror to the galaxy.  I'm totally having a nerd seizure of excitement looking at these.  Is it December yet?  

Bedtime Bunny Danglers and More from Peter Kato

      Yesterday I was driving, well inching my way forward, in Philadelphia traffic and could have really used one.  To start with, the main highways in and around the city are very narrow and in a state of such disrepair that you would think auto mechanics had a hand in keeping them that way to drum up business.  Secondly, everyone is already angry for some reason and when you put them in traffic with merging cars and people attempting to make an exit from four lanes away it doesn't do anything to stop that.  The city is due for a new mayor yet none of the campaign commercials have addressed this at all. They harp on making neighborhoods safer and raising money for schools and tons of other issues, but i think everything can be solved with making people just a little happier.  That's why if I was elected mayor (which I don't know why I wouldn't be) I would by one of these Bedtime Bunny Danglers for everyone in the city to hang from their rearview mirrors.  Picture it now:  your level of anger is about to go from slow simmer to power boil cause you just knocked your cars alignment out of whack on a pot hole and some guy in a Mercedes who was talking on his cell phone just cut you off without so much as a courtesy signal.  You're about to go full nuclear when you notice one of Peter Kato's pastel rabbits swinging back and forth with a face so cute it could melt iron.  I just lowered the homicide rate single handedly with the help of some resin bunnies.  

    I think at $15 each, those danglers are a bargain that you can't pass up, especially when you're talking about saving lives.  But that's not all he'll have going up in his shop tonight at 8pm eastern time, as there will also be 10 Sleepytime Bunnies for $12 each.  Each one is hand made and totes adorbs (that's for the kids out there.  I am so not out of touch).

http://peterkatoshop.com/

    

A New "Keep Watch" Mummy Boy from Mishka x Super7

    Could you imagine how impractical it would be if our entire heads were just one big eyeball?  We'd never have any of those good fighting videos on Youtube because as soon as someone got poked it would be over.  Giant monocles would probably be really expensive for people that needed vision correction, not to mention putting eye drops in would be a two man job.  And pink eye would probably be fatal.  Thus concludes my argument for us to maintain the two little eyes we have and not wish for a big, all encompassing one.  Stop your wishing!

    The Keep Watch Mummy Boy from Mishka and Super7 is however a pro at keeping his neighborhood safe.  Nothing gets passed him, unless it occurs when he's making one of his very slow, energy draining blinks.  Then you could pretty much clean a house out and have half of the merchandise sold on Craigslist before he knew what happened.  You can get this unintentional peeping tom for your home tomorrow when he goes on sale at www.super7store.com.  

"Acidic Orange" Alien Figure from Super7

    This guy is doing a terrible job of not reminding about the Flyers not making the playoffs.  He's decked out in the team's colors, looking ready to hoist the Stanley Cup above his head.  But alas, it is not to be this season, or any of the past 30 plus seasons.  I wonder what the suicide rate among Philadelphia sports fans is.  I bet it's high.  Don't worry though, cause I'm too full of myself to dare deprive you of my presence.  No need to thank me.  

    Have you gotten one of these sofubi Alien dudes from Super7 yet?  They're not easy to come by, but you'll have a chance to snag this "Acidic Orange" version when it goes on sale this Thursday, April 16th at noon pacific time.  Fifty bucks and a lot of luck is all you need. 

www.super7store.com

    

Naomi Knaff's Insane Resin Creations for ToyCon UK

    How crazy are these figures?  They're like some technicolor Lovecraftian nightmare and I love them.  These are the spawn of artist Naomi Knaff and they will all be available at next week's ToyCon UK at booth number 27.   I wouldn't be surprised if each one contained the soul of some ancient monster that roamed the earth long before we did, in which case you shouldn't put it somewhere that your cat could knock it over and unleash what is probably a very pissed off spirit.  Cats are always doing that stuff.  

"King of Mischief" Sylvan from Jon-Paul Kaiser x Gary Ham x Pobber Toys

    When you don't live in the city you have experiences that people from a more urban area would have a hard time imagining.  Before you get jealous, most of them aren't what you would call pleasant.  Like the other day when the wife and I were out for a drive and we stop at a light by a large field.  Not far from the roadway we see a dead dear, which is not the most uncommon thing, but then it started moving.  It's dead body shook and jumped all over like a little project from Dr. Frankenstein.  Just before we thought the roadkill zombie apocalypse was upon us a little beagle backed it's way out of the deer's enlarged rear end and grinned at us like he had found an endless supply of beef jerky.  His little tail wagged a mile a minute as he pondered over his great discovery, before diving back in for seconds.  I'll admit, I was much less horrified by the fact that this puppy had gone head first into the rotting butt of a woodland creature than the idea of it being let back into the house and loved on by an unsuspecting family.  Filthy, filthy puppy dog kisses.

    Now this dude is more of what I would expect to find nibbling at the old Roadkill Cafe.  Hell, I don't think he's the kind of guy that would wait for a station wagon to provide his meals for him;  I bet he's more proactive in procuring his dead things.  Jon-Paul Kaiser has added a touch of evil to Gary Ham's Sylvan figure, and he will be making his debut at next weekend's Toy Con UK at The Hang Gang's booth.  Limited to 100 pieces worldwide, Pobber Toys will be giving the rest of us a chance at snagging one soon after.

   

Help Kickstart Luke Chueh's Dissected with Clutter Magazine x Unbox Industries

    All these years I bet you thought that Bears had special bear-shaped skeletons underneath all that fur.  I bet you wish you paid better attention in biology class cause bears are made with human skeletons inside of them.  I thought everyone knew that but apparently the public education system has once again failed us.  Thankfully Luke Chueh has enlisted the help of Clutter Magazine and Unbox Industries to help spread some learning around the world that is so desperately needed.  This figure is on Kickstarter right now and SURPRISE it's already been funded!!!!  That means that you won't be disappointed when you pledge your cash now cause its guaranteed to happen!  Now the stretch goals are starting to become unlocked, giving you even more cool stuff to go along with your severed head.  Check it out at this link.  

Tongueless Gohst S001 [Fort Burnout - JNGL] from Ferg

    The best wars are the ones you know you can win and in which you will not come out maimed physically or mentally.  I've never been in a real war with like, guns and stuff, but I have gotten quite good at waging psychological warfare at work.  You pick the weakest person, break them down to flex your superiority, then hope that the example is noticed by anyone else who may get in your way. Look, I'm trying to work out my problems but you can't expect change over night.  Or over many years.  I take things slowly.

    If I was going to invade another country for real I'd love to have a couple thousand of these little guys on my side.  At 6 inches tall there would be no issue when it came to infiltrating the enemy, and that face looks pretty ruthless.  We're not taking prisoners here people, this is an annihilation!  I just felt like Patton there for a moment.  I think a trip to the Army surplus store is in my future.

    Ferg is the master of plastic warfare and is unleashing his newest creation this Monday at noon central time.  Build up your army when they go on sale at http://store.projectsquadt.com.