Tenacious Blog- covering art toys like it's our job

Legends of MIMOBOT Collection 1: Albert Einstein USB drive

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Legends of MIMOBOT Collection 1: introducing the Albert Einstein USB drive by Mimoco!

RAMPAGE x Splurrt Guardian Daemon Cadaver Kids

2012-01-27T08:10:00.003-05:00

Hello!, originally uploaded by rampage.toys.

I think these were released on Thursday night, Japan time. The Rampage Toys shop says they're sold out. I guess... you can't sleep on Rampage Toys releases. It would be beneficial for you, if you're a fan, to follow the Rampage Toys Flickr account, where WIP projects are posted prior to their release in the shop. Jon's making some seriously crazy-looking toys over there in Japan.

BadApplezInc | Doodle Buds Custom by NemO

2012-01-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

BadApplezInc | Doodle Buds Custom by NemO | Online Store Powered by Storenvy

Uhh, a 3.5" custom Doodle Budz by NEMO for only $45? That's a steal!

Devillez custom 3-inch Kidrobot Bot by Don P

2012-01-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

Don P sends us these images of a recent commission: a 3" Kidrobot Bot he calls Devillez:

I present you Devillez.....he is the devill under the bots. He likes to eat gold dipped in blood. He kills everyone that he doesn't like with his tail.

Sounds like one bad little dude. Check out Don P's shop here.

Taylored Curiosities handmade scented plushes

2012-01-27T07:45:00.001-05:00

Penny Taylor of Taylored Curiosities send us these images of her line of small, cute plush figures.

I design and hand make plush toys called Feelings. Each one has a different personality and is scented to help with various problems that may affect people on an every day basis. I have a background in Aromatherapy, Psychology and Physiological Science as well as being from a family of tailors, so combining these skills I created this line of plush, which has plenty more to come in the future. I have had a really positive response from them so far and people are coming back to me and saying that they are in fact making a difference in their lives.

If you're interested in Penny's work, you can find her Curiosities on Etsy, Facebook and her blog.

THUG Stormhammer and Thug-gy

2012-01-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

Hey look- a blog post where I don't even have to write anything descriptive, cuz the manufacturer sent a GIANT, complicated graphic in the email! THUG's new Stormhammer looks sweet.

I bet Kris Dulfer and Matty Boombatty would both like this one. They both seem to enjoy creating figures with drill heads and hands.

Below is the previous release, the Thug-gy sculpt. I guess both are available as DIYs as well. DKE is distributing so all of us retailers have access to these figures. Oddly, despite a plethora of information included in this graphic, SRP is not mentioned.

Your Dream Life: reality TV show casting call for aspiring toy designers

2012-01-26T18:12:00.000-05:00

Just got an email from a lady named Julie who's looking for possible contestants for an upcoming reality TV show called My Dream Life. The episode in question deals with people who aspire to become professional toy designers.

She emailed the right guy.

As far as I can tell, most of you reading this have either thought about becoming a toy designer, or you are actively pursuing this goal. So I'm posting this to give you a lead on a show that might help you towards that goal. Here's what she emailed to me:

Hi Tenacious Toys!!

I am currently casting a new TV show called "Your Dream Life" about helping people get a second chance at their dream career. One career in particular that we are looking at is: Toy Designer. I wanted to see if you know of any aspiring toy designers who might be interested in this opportunity - these people should not be currently making their living as toy designers.

This is a great opportunity for people who may be under-qualified for jobs at major toy companies but are still passionate about toy design.

Thanks for any help you're able to provide.

Best,
Julie Knapp

Email them if you're interested. Also visit their website to learn more. Good luck!

(Hey, listen, if Morgan Phillips can work the reality TV industry to his advantage, maybe you can too!)

Green Hell on Wheels Casket Cruiser video by Super7

2012-01-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

Dammit, how can Super7 be THIS cool? I mean, this Casket Cruiser, featuring their character Rose Vampire, is one of the coolest toys I've ever seen. Great video too. Screw you Super7 for being so cool. You were probably out behind the gym in a leather jacket, leaning up against your El Camino and smoking with the cool kids before football practice...

Kidrobot Fatcaps Series 3 arriving Jan 27th

2012-01-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

Look for Fatcap Series 3 blind boxes and sealed cases for sale in our Kidrobot section on Friday the 27th! This series features designs from: DEVIOUS, Flying Fortress, JPK, Julie West, KaNo, Kronk, MCA, MTN, Pez, Quisp, Queen Andrea, Scribe, SHOK-1 and Sket One. Calling this a super-star roster would be an understatement. The designs look killer. Stoked.

Slime Greads by Dead Hand Toys- preorders Jan 31

2012-01-26T04:42:00.001-05:00

Our friend and associate Brian Ahlbeck of Dead Hand Toys sent down these pictures of his next Gread resin release- the Slime Greads! It looks like he's using a combination of tinted and opaque resins to get the look of the figure emerging from a puddle of slime... pretty bad-ass.

Here's the info, direct from Brian:

As some of you may have already seen, I've been working on some new Gread figures. This time around, each figure will be sitting in a little pool of "slime". No paint, just resin. Pretty straight forward.

The sale, however, won't be like anything I've done before. For this particular release, the figures will be made to order. You will get to choose from at least a couple colors for the Gread, and several colors for the "slime". I have not decided on final colors yet so you will have to just come by on release day to find out what your options are. I could go with just a few colors for each, or I could get out of hand and give you way more choices than you really need.

On to sale info and pricing: preorders begin on Tuesday, Jan. 31st at noon EST. Price will be $20 each + flat $3 shipping in the US. Bagged with a header card as always.

*NOTE - Photos are of test figures only. As these will be made to order, I can't very well show finished products yet.

Click here to go to the Dead Hand Toys shop. Bookmark it!

TMNT Walkabout custom paint by Adam Pratt

2012-01-24T21:13:00.001-05:00

Adam Pratt shares with us his repaint of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Walkabout figure:

I really enjoy painting up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures. The sculpts on them are crisp, and there are many little details that got lost in the original paint schemes (which were garish and neon).

This guy got painted up in a very realistic paint scheme, and I added a bunch of little freehand details that really made the figure pop.

He was painted with acrylics, washes and weathering powder before being given a matte seal. He dried with a tiny amount of shine, and the paint applique looks like it was originally printed on the figure.

You can purchase this figure in his shop here and read more on his blog here. After seeing what this figure originally looked like, straight out of the packaging, I feel like Adam is fighting the good fight. The original colors were an abomination.

The figure was actually disgusting before Adam repainted it. Whew, what a difference!

C-3PO custom Munny by Manly Art

2012-01-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

This custom C-3PO 7" Munny by Jason Chalker (Manly Art) is for sale in our shop (lucky us!!!)

Here are the details:

Custom C-3PO KidRobot Munny with light up eyes and motion sensor.
The eyes turn off automatically and are triggered by the motion sensor in the mouth.
The on/off switch is hidden in the panel on his back.
It takes two AA batteries (included). They are behind the disc on the back of his head. The disk twists off (instructions in the packaging).

Click here to see more pics and to buy this piece.

I'm a Bad Apple Group Show

2012-01-24T16:54:00.001-05:00

Not surprisingly, my friends OsirisOrion and NEMO have pulled together an all-star roster of artists for their first online group custom show. Celebrating the launch of their new company Bad Applez, Inc., this show uses apples (plastic apples) as the platform for the customs.

The show goes live online on February 14th, so you can all attend, no matter where you live! Expect some sick customs. I've been able to see some of them already, and the ones I've seen are all incredibly impressive. Lots of effort and innovation have gone into the pieces.

In the meantime, check out the Bad Applez site to learn more about their projects.

JuJu the Witch Doctor Clown custom by JFury

2012-01-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

This bright, beautiful custom by JFury is based on the recently released 8" Jesse Hernandez Calavera Dunny. A sweet platform, to be sure, but JFury takes it in a new direction with his own psycho clown style... I love it. I was a little slow on the posting of this one- scooped by both Clutter and SpankyStokes despite having gotten Justin's email before they posted. Sorry Justin!

Go check out the JFury shop for more sweet customs and commission pricing.

He'll make a custom just for you!

Conjoined 2 in 3D: The Sequel at CoproGallery

2012-01-24T11:47:00.001-05:00

Dead Pope 16" bronze by Chet Zar

a_dead_pope_bronzes

This show caught my eye: Conjoined 2 at CoproGallery in Santa Monica, CA. Started January 21st. Click here to go to their site and see more. The above bronze piece by Chet Zar is sick.

See also: pieces by Ron English, Doktor A, Scott Musgrove, Kevin Kirkpatrick, Dave Pressler.

Wish I could attend.

We Become Monsters - Series 1 featuring Skelechub and friends (Skelefella, Footlie and Stumple)

2012-01-24T11:37:00.000-05:00

The Skelefella! Skelechub's even more flesh-challenged friend!

We Become Monsters - Series 1 featuring Skelechub and friends (Skelefella, Footlie and Stumple)

Designed, sculpted, painted and hand cast in resin and cold cast bronze by Christopher Moore ('fulci zombi' on many toy forums)

NOW ON SALE - 15% off with code 2012die through Feb 1st

www.webecomemonsters.com
webecomemonsters.storenvy.com

Prices range from $18 to $95 before shipping. Shipping in the USA is $6, International varies.

All paint schemes are unique, with the exception of the Green Hell Skelechub, which has 2 units available. DIY blanks also available in small quantities.

Footlie! This ridiculous bastard has a silly grin and huge baby feet

Stumple. No legs, useless arms. Lucky for him he's got 3 eyes, so he can see all the things he wishes he could do.

The Skelechub! A goofy little ghoul with more to love!

We're stoked to have We Become Monsters as one of our first sponsors, so please visit their site and check out all their ghoulish creations!

Rusted Halo 7 Robots of the Apocalypse custom Dunny series

2012-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

We're stoked to work with Rusted Halo again, selling some of his Dunny customs! The 7 Robots of the Apocalypse will be for sale soon at $35 apiece. These are based on the 3-inch Dunny platform.

They'll be for sale soon in our Rusted Halo section.

SNEAK PEEK: Exclusive Riker's Island Death Row Dunny Series by JCRivera

2012-01-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

So upon seeing JCRivera's last (and sold out) custom Dunny series with an inmate theme, we contacted him to see if he'd like to make us an exclusive Riker's Island series along the same lines. Riker's is where they take you when you get arrested in NYC... Here's a teaser! JC will be finished with our series next week. For now, you can check out all the sweet JCRivera customs we have in our shop by clicking here.

Yellow Rose Dunny by Nick (EECH-2K8) Sander

2012-01-23T14:42:00.002-05:00

Yellow rose dunny, originally uploaded by EECH-2K8.

Nick Sander (EECH-2K8) sends us images of some of his customs... Nick is new (to me) but I gotta say I really love his intricate detail work on these Rose Dunnys. You can see a little more of his work below and check out everything on his Flickr page.

Andrew Bell Android Series 3 Artist Roster released!

2012-01-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

We have just placed our order for Series 3 of the insanely popular 3" vinyl Android figures. Looks like the artist roster this series incorporates some old favorites, and some new homies: alongside the Series 2 artists Scott Tolleson, Gary Ham and Andrew Bell, we now have the KaNO Kid, Huck, SKET, MAD, Kronk and Kelly Denato. Pretty damn cool lineup. Release is scheduled for Q2 of 2012 (that some time between April and June). These will NOT be re-run, says the distributor. They will decide how many to make and just make that number. (Series 2 was re-run a few times to meet continued demand.) Not taking preorders yet (too early) but just keep in mind that we'll be selling full cases and individual BBs. If I have any left over, I'll pop some open. We'll see.

Opportunity LOL's Spotlight Interview: Benny Kline and Stephanie Phillips of Tenacious Toys

2012-01-23T10:36:00.000-05:00

Opportunity LOL's Spotlight Interview: Benny Kline and Stephanie Phillips of Tenacious Toys

AW177 Year of the Dragon 2012 Custom 8in Kidrobot Dunny

2012-01-22T15:17:00.004-05:00

AW177 "Year of the Dragon 2012" Custom 8" Kidrobot Dunny, originally uploaded by AWI77.

Our friend Allen (AW177) has been picked up by Kidrobot NY to display and sell customs in the custom case in their shop! He created a custom 8" Kidrobot dunny, "Year of the Dragon 2012", which celebrates Chinese New Year (January 23, 2012).

This custom dunny represents the dragon, the mightiest of all the Chinese zodiac signs, the supreme spiritual power, the most ancient mythological emblem of dominance and ambition.

The custom is displayed, and is for sale, at the Kidrobot NY store, located at:

118 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012

If you happen to visit the store, he'd love to see some pictures of the display- post the pics on his Facebook page if you go to the shop and see his pieces! Also for sale in KRNY is AW177's "Lucky" Miao & Mousubi custom set:

Definitely follow AW177 on his Flickr. His work is sick:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aw177

Tenacious Toys Newspaper Issue #1: Jan 22, 2012

2012-01-22T08:55:00.002-05:00

Don P KidApocalypse Kidrobot Mascot

2012-01-21T22:53:00.001-05:00

Don P shares with us one of his sweet Kidrobot Mascot customs- this one is KidApocalypse. Diggin the muted palette, bullet holes and brushed-metal-look on this one. As always, this Don P custom is highly detailed, with a gun accessory and a removable helmet with flip-up face shield.

Check Don P's Facebook page, shop and blog to see more!

You can still get in on Don P custom-made KR Mascot by purchasing a preorder here. You choose the theme from a long list, and Don P will customize it in your desired style.

Rampage Toys x Kikkake Bears & Elephants

2012-01-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

Jon Malmstedt of Rampage Toys sends us these colorful images of his latest custom collaboration: this time the platforms are Kikkake's Bear and Elephant figures. You can choose blank ($20) or custom-painted versions ($25) of both sculpts- go to the Rampage Toys shop to see them. Jon also has a number of other REALLY cool, colorful custom toys up for sale there, in addition to several different Ugly Unicorn vinyl toys. If you haven't been to the Rampage Toys shop lately, go there! A lot has changed- there are about two dozen different products listed there, and Jon says there will be more releases every Friday!

Also, there may be another Tenacious Toys exclusive Ugly Unicorn later on this year... stay tuned!