Rocky Pop! Vinyl from Funko

    My wife and I are huge hockey fans and are obviously bummed about this stupid NHL lockout nonsense, mainly because it is preventing us from going to any games.  We try to see the Philadelphia Flyers as much as we can and after every home game there is a guy outside playing the theme from Rocky on a trumpet.  Doesn't matter if they win or lose or how terrible the weather is, this guy is sitting outside playing it over and over again.  I don't even think he knows the whole song as it just seems like the famous part over and over again.  But he's dedicated and I'm sure there's some great life lesson we could all learn from it, but it escapes me.  

    Speaking of Rocky, here's some Pop! Vinyl figures from Funko that feature all the best characters from the films.   You can get these in February to add to your shelf of things that get you pumped up.  Next to your ceramic cats.  

He-Man Pop! Vinyl from Funko

    I showed these to my wife the other day and she threatened to kill me if I didn't buy her the She-Ra figure.  So in case my body turns up in a ditch you all will be able to solve the mystery of how it got there.  Yes, we do take our toys a bit seriously in this household.

    Scientists have determined that at the current rate, everything you've ever loved will have a Funko Pop! Vinyl toy by the year 2016.  I wonder what's taking them so long because I love these things.  I love that I can walk into a plethora of different stores and find an affordable toy that makes me smile.  If you're having a crappy day, spend $10 and get yourself a new toy because that always makes you feel better.  And in some cases prevents you from being murdered by a loved one.  

    These He-Man Pop! Vinyl toys do not suck.  Buy them all and regret nothing.

Pocket Wookie x Outsmart Originals Limited T-Shirt

    Now that Star Wars is owned by Disney I feel like it is time to make one of my dreams happen.  So people from the Magic Kingdom lend me your ears and lets make this happen.  I want to remake Sanford and Son, but with Jawas.  How great would it be.  And by remake I mean reshoot the show, but with little folks dressed up like everyones favorite intergalactic junk dealers.  But overdub it with the voices of the original cast,  cause that's what would make it hilarious.  This has been my dream since I thought it up in the shower a few minutes ago, so get to it Disney.

    Pocket Wookie and Outsmart Originals obviously support this idea and have come out with a new t-shirt that celebrates these little scavenging monks.  This awesome shirt is only available to order until November 20th so get one and wear it when you watch my new show.  

http://www.outsmartoriginals.com/

Cris Rose Lunar Sprogs "Choose Your Own Ratio"

    If you're into designer toys at all then you know all about the ratio of certain figures in a set.  Everyone wants the rarest figure they can possibly get, like maybe one of only 5 in existence.  It's why Dunny prices are so ridiculously high on eBay.  They less they make of something, the more desirable it is cause then someone else can't have it and you can be a jerk to them about it.  Well, I'd like to introduce you to the first time I've ever seen any toy maker offer you the ability to dictate how rare or prevalent a figure is.

    Cris Rose is taking 20 orders for the figures you see above there.  Each person that orders gets to choose which figure he wants and that's the one that Mr. Rose will make.  So let's say all 20 folks want the guy on the upper left.  That means the other figures will never be produced in this color.  Or if only one person wants the one on the bottom right, then he's gonna have the only one in the world.  Yes, I know math is painful, and it made my head hurt a bit to, but it's a neat concept.  They go one sale today only at http://crisrose.bigcartel.com/.

Joe Ledbetter x The Loyal Subjects Chaos Bunny #2

    Well this was unexpected.  Having just released a Lava Edition at Designer Con, Joe Ledbetter and The Loyal Subjects turn around and drop another one of these beasts right in our toy-loving laps.  Wednesday at noon Pacific Time you could get your filthy mitts on one of theses 10 inch tall Mr. Bunny vinyl figures.  Only 500 were produced and they will be selling for $125 each, which is not a bad price at all considering the size.  And they will ship before Christmas so your gift for me will arrive in time.  Just sayin.  

Jack the Ripper Premium Format Figure from Sideshow Collectibles

    This would have been a bit more timely if I could have posted it up in time for Halloween, but what can you do?   But it could be fitting for Thanksgiving I think, carving the turkey/carving the prostitutes, same thing. 

    As no one knows what Jack the Ripper actually looks like, this rendition could be as accurate as any of the man famous for giving impromptu anatomy lessons on the streets of London's White Chapel district.  And this figure is as detailed and graphic as his crimes.  It stands 25 inches tall and is made from a host of materials including polystone and leather.  Inviting this maniac into your home won't cost you your life, but it will set your bank account back $399.  But don't worry, cause Sideshow Collectibles has payment plans that don't involve any or your internal organs as collateral.   

H.U.S.T.L.E. Artist Series Figures

     This could possibly be the smallest artist series of toys ever.  Our friends Brutherford Industries and Peter Kato are among the talented toy makers who will be lending their styles to these H.U.S.T.L.E. figures.  These little wrestling dudes will come blind packaged and there will be a butt ton of different figures to collect and some that even change color.  These will be available starting next month in preview editions while the main set will release in January.  You can get em by going to the Man-E-Toys webstore.  

Custom Toy of the Week: FrankenFactory

    You know something is awesome when you can see a picture of it that isn't even in color and you know you want it anyway.  These are WolfGirls from FrankenFactory (or Shea Brittain, but she may have warrants so I'm not trying to get her busted or anything).  All 12 of these original creations will be on display at Stranger Factory during their Subterrane group art show from November 9th - December 3rd.  You know, Christmas is coming so if you want to buy me a present for keeping you well informed and entertained this would be a great place to start.  

The Killing Joke Artfx Statue from Kotobukiya

    Every great villain has a great origin story and The Killing Joke served as the essential background material for one of the most famous bad guys of all time, the Joker.  I always found the cover art to be rather disturbing for some reason, and the folks at Kotobukiya have captured it brilliantly in this statue.  It stands over 11 inches tall and features a working LED spotlight and camera shutter sound (just for added creepiness).   It won't be available until May and will retail for $129.99.  Can I get one without the gross little baby guy?  

Rsin x Outsmart Originals: New Tee Available Now

    Sure this is a website devoted to toys, but we can branch out a tab bit can't we? And we all need to wear shirts, so why not get some cool shirts actually designed by well known toy artists? Brilliant!

    Outsmart Originals and Rsin have come together to create this new tee and if you want one you gotta get it now cause the window for ordering is slowly closing. You only have until November 12th to get one of these limited shirts so go to http://www.outsmartoriginals.com/ right now and your wardrobe could more closely resemble your toy collection.

Mark James x Unbox Industries Dalston Fried Chicken

    How will I ever eat chicken again.  This is almost as bad as that lady who found the chicken head in her box of McDonalds McNugget thingys.  But now you're telling me pieces of chicken are individual little people who even have their own theme song?  Ahhh, who cares, they're still delicious.  I don't care if they can speak French and quote Shakespeare.  Eat all the chicken!

    This chicken dude is named Dalston and he was created by Mark James and Unbox Industries.  Only two hundred of these 6 inch vinyl drumsticks were made (which is more than I could eat in a week) and he even come with a little record featuring a song from The Cherrystones.

New Lunar Sprogs from Cris Rose

    If Cris Rose has his way, the world will be taken over by robots.  Thankfully for us, the robots he creates are only looking to take over you toy shelves and not harvest us for use as batteries.  These are Lunar Sprogs and stand almost 4 inches tall and come with a removable dome.  Of course that's not everything about them, as any good toy has a good story to back them up, so I'll do my best to tell you the tale.

    Ok, so about 2 million of us people folk are living on the moon.  Probably because of global warming and the terrible lack of polar bears.  But anyway, lots of activity takes place outside of the biodomes we have created as our habitat.  I mean, you can't just cover the entire moon in a glass shell, especially not with union wages being what they are.  So you need helpers that can go out onto the moon's surface and help you out when you're in a pickle.  Say, your car breaks down, or your cat gets loose.  Well, someone has to go out there and take care of these things.

    Each one of these guys also has a personality as distinct as his looks.  Pick up your favorite handmade Lunar Sprog  for only $75 when they are officially released.  Keep an eye or two on http://crisrose.tumblr.com/ for more info.

Super Awesome Fun Time Product Review: Mimobot

    It's been awhile since I've done a review so I thought today would be the perfect day to get back to it.  This time around I got my hands on this Uglydolls x Mimobot flash drive.  This dudes name is Ox and he may be missing an eye, but he's still got tons of cash.  Maybe from an insurance settlement?  Factory work is pretty dangerous and an easy way to lose one of your peepers.  Who knows, but I do know that this cashed-up cyclops can remove the top of his skull and allow you to put all your secret files in his brain.  

    I plugged him into my computer and immediately this little light in his butt started blinking, letting me know he was hard at work having a conversation with my hard drive.  A little icon popped up on my desktop and was ready to store all of the documents that I have been instructed to be destroyed upon my death.  But to my surprise he also came with a bunch of stuff for me to check out.  I thought being that he had such a huge wad of cash that maybe there would be some counterfeiting blueprints (there weren't) but he did come loaded with avatars and wallpapers.  Maybe I just didn't look hard enough for the fake money diagrams.  

    So we know that this guy looks cool, and he works great, but how durable is he?  If you're house is anything like mine, it's filled with four-legged critters and chaos.  My cats already assume that everything belongs to them, so it's not really surprising to see one running around with my major credit cards or pieces from my gun collection.  So I needed to call in an expert to see if this little Mimo bro could withstand the inevitable trials and tribulations that awaited him.  Behold the Icarus test:

    Yes, I know my stairs need to be vacuumed but that is completely not the point.  The point, my friend, is that even when doubling as a cat toy, the Mimobot kept my files safe, stylish, and saliva free

   You can get your own in a variety of designs from Star Wars, Adventure Time, DC Comics, and of course Uglydoll.  

Halo 4 Statue from McFarlane Toys

     So I just learned that this sucker sold out.  But let's be realistic:  a ton of those sales went to jerks who are going to sell them on eBay, or to people whose wives are going to make them get rid of it because she thinks it's tacky and it doesn't go with their "fantasy unicorns" decorating theme that they both agreed upon when they got married.  So just be patient and you're time will come to get one of these.  

    Master Chief is about to ruin this guy's day.  It's kind of his thing.  McFarlane Toys made 500 of these 14 inch statues for the new Halo 4 game and they sold out quickly at $225 each.  But if you read this far you know not to worry, cause 500 pieces is actually a lot in the collectible toy world and they will hit the secondary market as soon as they ship out.  So you may have to pay a bit more, or it may be stained with the tears of a disobedient husband, but you'll be able to get one if you really want it.  In the meantime disregard your responsibilities and enjoy the game.  

Halo 4 Cortana Statue from Sideshow Collectibles

    In celebration of the release newest thing that will waste my time and prevent me from adequately cleaning the bathroom,  today we will focus on Halo 4 toys!  This teaser was posted by Sideshow Collectibles last night of a new Cortana statue they will soon have available.  Who knows how much it will cost, but their stuff is always expensive so the number will probably scare you.  But they do offer payment plans, which could be a dangerous thing if your idea of saving money involves a mason jar and a strategic hole in your backyard.  But why focus on that when we can marvel about how I just complained that everyone ignored Cortana in product releases and now you are being blessed with what promises to be a mind-blowing statue.  You're welcome.  

Mustache Seedlings from Taylored Curiosities

    Not everyone can grow their own mustache.  I've had one since I was 7, so don't worry about me.  But some people just don't have the ability to sprout that little push broom above their lips.  Sometimes it's genetics.  Sometimes it's because they're women (though if you watch that Honey Boo Boo show that theory is completely thrown out the window).  For those of you that are yearn to have a mustache as legendary as that as Burt Reynolds fear not, because Taylored Curiosities has created away to make you the most manly you can be.

    These Seedlings are growing the greatest crop of all:  mustaches!  Mustaches are the backbone of any great civilization and without the diligence of mustache farmers around the world,  many nations would have never had their chance to flourish.  Only 10 of these are available and they will cost you £10.00 each.  But it is a small price to pay for greatness.

Kidrobot Christmas Mascot

  

    Well, it doesn't look as though Kidrobot will be making a Christmas Dunny this year. As much as I'd like to mope and complain about that, the new Apocalypse series is so fantastic I can't bring myself to be upset. That's not so say that they've turned their back on the season of giving though, it's just being commemorated in a different form.

    This year Kidrobot's famous mascot is getting all dolled up for the holidays. This 3 inch bot will be available November 15th for $11.95 and you have a 1 in 10 chance of getting the limited naughty version.

Castle Grayskull Pre Order

    The days of going to a toy store and picking up your favorite items seems to be dwindling away.  Mattel is doing a bit of pre order fundraising to produce a new version of their Castle Grayskull playset for collectors.  I'm down with preordering something to guarantee you'll be able to get it, but this preorder must hit a certain collective dollar amount for this to even be made.  It's kinda like they're doing a homemade Kickstarter campaign.  And it's not cheap.  Each one will be $250 and they said there will be some for sale afterwards (if they get made) but they will be much more expensive.   The revamped He-Man line has been on the verge of death because of a lack of people subscribing to their figure-a-month deal so it's no surprise their not rushing this to a factory.  But how do you feel about essentially loaning a company money to produce its products?  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Raar!s from Dynamite Rex

     Ok, normally I would want to go outside, find a sturdy tree, and fall from the top of it at the announcement of a new platform toy.  But this little guy may make me change how I feel about that.  Just look how adorable these are.  Could this be the next Dunny?  It's a cool shape with lots of space for design and interpretation.  These are Raaar!s and they are made by Dynamite Rex.  You can see them in person at Designer Con as they showcase prototypes from their first series of figures that feature the artwork of Scott Tolleson, Gary Ham, Squink!, Jerome Lu, Martin Hsu, etc.  They will have stuff to buy and you can place preorders as well for (I'm guessing) the first series.  Check 'em out at booth #313.  

Kammu: Gun Metal Edition from Nathan Hamill

    Do you still doubt my powers internet world?  I said a month or so ago that Nathan Hamill should make more toys and **POOF** it magically happens.  Does this cement my status as a toy warlock?  A toy wizard?  Whatever you want to call it, be thankful I have not turned to evil yet, cause things could get out of hand real quick.

    This Gun Metal Edition of Nathan Hamill's Kammu is a 3DRetro exclusive and will be available at Designer Con.  Only 30 of them exist in the whole world, which is not a lot.  

Artoyz x Bunka Present Chaos Kong

    That's one bad lookin monkey.  Artoyz and Bunka have created this wicked-sideburned primate known as Chaos Kong and will be having a special release event November 8th.  If you happen to be in or around Paris, they will have tons of artwork on display featuring different interpretations of the Chaos characters.  But the most important thing is this awesome toy that looks ready to rough you up.

Mimobot Halloween Sale

20% off Mimobots!!!!!!!  It ends tomorrow so go and buy them nooooooooooowwww!!!!!!!!  Just click the picture!!!!!!!!

Toy Art Gallery at DesignerCon

  

  Toy Art Gallery will be holding down the fort at DesignerCon this weekend at booth #400 and they're bringing lots of exclusive stuff with them.  We already told you about the Strife and Sire figure from Nathan Hamill yesterday (while we were in the midst of a hurricane mind you.  we're like CNN, reporting live from the heart of the storm.) But they'll also have the metallic Uamous you see above, crazy work from Paul Kaiju, and the uber white edition Deathshead from David Flores.  They'll also have in tow some of their life-size toys that I would smack a baby to own.  I don't even know where I would put a 4 foot tall toy, but I can guarantee you that is a problem I would love to have.

Nathan Hamill's Strife and Sire Dead of Night Edition at DesignerCon

    I got to see the original version of this figure while I was creeping around New York Comic Con and it is pretty cool in person.  Things often look good on the internet, only to disappoint you in real life.  Kinda like Facebook pictures.  Girls you know in real life will add you on Facebook and confuse the hell out of you because they use all these weird angles and soft lighting (and Photoshop) and if you didn't actually know their last names you would have no idea who it was that sent you the friend request in the first place.  I'll never understand how anyone can date people they don't know from the internet, because how do you recognize them when you meet them at Applebee's to share the 2 for $20 deal?  You might be sitting with someone who was lonely and wanted a free meal and was scamming you.  Do you think that's a thing?  People just hanging out in restaurants, waiting for people to look like they're meeting someone they haven't met in real life yet, and then pretending to be that person?  I may never pay for meals again now that I've invented this.

    This is Strife and Sire from Nathan Hamill and this black in red colorway is an exclusive for Toy Art  Gallery in Los Angeles.  It will also be available at DesignerCon if you happen to be lucky enough to be going.  Get it at booth #400 for $50.  Only 100 of these were made.

Dunny Apocalypse Series Releases November 8th

    Not only is November 8th the release date for the new Dunny Apocalypse series, but it's also my wedding anniversary.  How did Kidrobot know?  Looks like I'll have to make a quick pit stop at my local toy store before I take my wife out for dinner.  Do you think she'd mind?  

New Monster Embryos from Taylored Curiosities

    Well, so far Hurricane Sandy has still allowed me to have electricity, so I'm trying to take advantage of it and do some posting.  All morning the news has depressed me with their horrible predictions, so it's nice to focus on something a little more positive and that doesn't involve sea water creeping into my house.

    If you still have power and internet access tonight you should order one of these Monster Embryos from Taylored Curiosities.  This time she cast them in black resin and made their eyes and umbilical cords glow in the dark.  That's kinda creepy.  Only 8 of these little in utero dudes exist and they will be on sale tonight at 9pm GMT time for £12.  Snatch one up by going to http://tayloredcuriosities.bigcartel.com.

Halloween Toys from Peter Kato

    My wife and I work so much that holidays come and go without much notice.  We walked into Target yesterday and the realization that Halloween is next week kinda smacked me in the face.  Maybe I'm just getting older and I'm consumed with other things, but I kinda miss getting into Halloween.  When you think about it, it's the perfect holiday.  You get to dress up like a mental patient and go to all of your neighbors and legally rob them.  No wonder so many people turn to a life of crime, they just want it to be Halloween forever with a payoff bigger than Tootsie Rolls.  

    Peter Kato has gotten himself into the spirit of ye olde pagan holiday and created some toys to celebrate the season.  Check out those Tako-Cubes dressed up as Skeletor.  I have one of his Tako-Cubes that he was gracious enough to give me and these little guys are tiny and awesome.  They only stand 2 and a 1/2 inches tall but once you have one you'll want an army of them.  These are $15 each.

    He's also got these Ninja-Robo Pumpkin Slashers.  The great thing about resin toys is they look edible. The bad thing about resin toys is when you try to eat one and realize they're not orange flavored.  These 3 inch figures are not for snacking and cost $25 each.

    You can also pick up two new versions of his popular Frightbite characters: a Candy Orange and Slimy Green version.  These guys are only $10

These guys are my favorite of the whole group.  They are Tako-Cube Pumpkins!  I'm overcome with the adorableness.  They are $15 each and you can get these and all of the other figures you've seen starting today by going to www.peterkatoshop.com.

Jon-Paul Kaiser x Outsmart Originals Tee Available Now!

    My wife decided that yesterday was a good time to debut her sweet Jon-Paul Kaiser x Outsmart Originals shirt.  Everywhere we went afterwards people kept asking where they could get one.  I'm not even kidding.  We couldn't go anywhere without someone stopping us to comment on her angry panda tee.  The best comment we received though, was when we went to see the classic American novelist Tom Wolfe at the Free Library in Philadelphia last night.  Yeah, in addition to collecting toys we're also uber book nerds too.  In fact, books may be the only thing we have more of.  So she gets up to the table to have one of our books signed and he studies the shirt for a minute before saying "I never thought about pandas having teeth, but of course they do."  This is the man that wrote The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Bonfire of the Vanities waxing philosophical about the chompers of an endangered species.

    Now I can't guarantee you'll look as fetching as my wife or that world renowned literary figures will be struck by a grand epiphany, but I can guarantee you only have until October 29th to order one of these before they're retired.  Go right now to http://www.outsmartoriginals.com/ and get one before it's too late.