I did an interview. I am producing a really nice minifigure for a movie, also. インタービューをしちゃった。ブルモンスターも発表します！

The art and toy website Art Whore Cult gave me a nice interview with lots of interesting questions. Here it is! I won't bore you with the same thing twice so read it if you feel like it :)

Also, I'm producing this hot sauce - the Bull Monster.

日本語でうまく説明できるかと知らないけど、簡単に言うと、ニューメクシコにすむネイティブアメリカンたちはナバ ホの古い話のアックション映画をつりたくて、金を黙るため、いろんなグッズを出します。あのフィギャーを粘土で僕に送って「好きに変わって、４０か５０を 作ってください」と言ったら、僕が腕を動けるため、モデルを少しかわって、プロダックションを始まった。 僕はBIGMANTOYSにとして売るわけじゃなくて、映画を買う人だけは玩具をボーナスで買える事になると思いますね。

This sculpt was sent to me by Robin Lasiloo who is involved in the production of the upcoming movie Monster Slayer Project. For ease of production and added coolness, I added articulation to the arms, which are Glyos compatible and look awesome on Glyan figs. Matt Doughty kindly gave his permission and spoke highly of Robin's sculpt!

In other 'news' the last ever Battlegaze figure sold from the Clutter gallery store. I have actually sculpted a new action figure with a knob but it's so disgusting I think if I do produce it, I might just send it to friends.

Why I work on the Mystical Warriors of the Ring comic. ＭＷＯＴＲ漫画を描く理由。

もし分けないけど、日本語ぺらぺらじゃない人なので、こんなに長いブロッグを英語と日本語を両方に書くのは無理なんですｘＣ。
簡単に説明すると僕が描くＭＷＯＴＲの漫画はＥＣＷプロレスのパロディ所が多いです。筋消し＋漫画＋リアルプロレス技＝これ！もちろん筋肉マン、日本プロレスなどの影響も強いですね。：）
ＭＷＯＴＲの消しはもう中国製なのでかっこよくて値段が低いです。消しはここに売店！
I'm in the middle of getting issue three done and I fancied a break before I repeat the process of pencil, ink, scan, and GIMP again.

On the very off off-chance that you don't know, Mystical Warriors of the Ring is a full production, original, fantasy wrestling minifigure series with its own universe and characters. Over the past year, Bigmantoys output, my art, and the MWOTR series has gone great, with all of us involved selling everything we make and with Mark Vasquez, the creator and head guy at MWOTR now getting stuff produced big scale in China.

It started off with Mark committing to a vision that most people I know well in the indy toy scene have, of creating a real, enduring minifig series. He used TheGodbeast for resin production, really in my opinion one of the people that created this whole thing before it was a thing. I remember looking at his stuff on the LittleRubberGuys forum and being hugely inspired, as many people were. This is where I saw OMFG get its first Kickstarter campaign going, and I found Zectron and Man-e-toys. Anyway, Mark found a one pager I did for the first ever HUSTLE figures and got in touch. 

The reason I think we click so well is that A: We both love wrestling, B: We both really love minifigures, and C: It's totally non-ironic and very close to our hearts. To say ECW had a huge influence on my life would be an understatement. At the time, it was the best thing going. Full stop. The 90s produced a load of shit and a lot of cool stuff and ECW brought everything I loved at that time into one place. The two commentators are my way of living in 1998 Philly the whole time I'm working on the comic. The guy with the buzz cut is Mole E. Styles.

...who is 100% based on Joey Styles! I loved Joey styles so much. SO MUCH! In WWF, JR could narrate a great story from a great match, in ECW, Joey could take an ex-con who can't wrestle versus a fat piece of shit, and MAKE it into a story. It was everything I love about being non-mainstream. Indy metal, indy wrestling, indy comics and in our case indy toys. We're the guys making it for ourselves and each other. Our means might be limited but that doesn't mean we will make excuses for poor output. Joey Styles CRIED in the ring! For real! Same as Tommy Dreamer. Mark (Vasquez - MWOTR creator) is a similarly emotionally driven person and I love it. He used to go to Philly to see ECW live. That was the only thing I wanted when I was 19 - to go the ECW arena and meet Taz, Dreamer, RVD, Sabu, Styles, and Cyrus, yes Cyrus, aka the Jackyl.

...who is parodied in MWOTR by "The Weasel". Cyrus parodied Howard Stern in the WWF and in ECW was a perfect heel. Joey knew the name to every move ever created, Cyrus didn't care. Joey was one of the people, Cyrus was one of the network's people. He smiled when the face lost, and tried to be nonchalante about amazing matches (like the WCW commentators did without trying) on purpose. He wore designer glasses, and sometimes had a hippie jewel on his head. I dunno, people don't seem to rate him but I thought he and Joey were the best, and that's why they're (kind of) in MWOTR.

Going to a town full of working class people and playing the effete corporate arse-kisser has been done 1000000 times, but for what Paul Heyman probably paid him, he was some of the best added value I have ever seen on VHS.

As you might know, I did used to wrestle, and in decent promotions with good opponents, too. Of course I miss it. This is my way of telling a story, the same way a wrestler does in the ring. I'm working with Mark's characters and stories and adding sentiment to the action, which is ultimately what wrestling is all about.
I hope over the years, we create characters where people really care what happens in the next issue, who gets the belt, etc. Mark has had an actual Arcane Wrestling Federation belt made to make it all the more real.

So for me, this has been a great wave to ride. I've been able to re-interpret Kinnikuman comics into the elements of wrestling I like, have Treegarr (my baby) included in the figure series, and literally ping-pong ideas around with the ideas getting better every time Mark and I relay to each other.

Be sure to keep an eye on mystwarriors.com to see what we're upto!

Oh yeah, in case you got one, thanks for helping make the Wo-man drop a MASSIVE success. I've had to pause the pre-orders to catch up - and I never stop working!

Right, that's my hour off. Cheers! :)

WO-MAN DROPPING HALLOWEEN. 18:00 EDT.

HERE!!

 

New 5.5 - WO-MAN! イギリスのビッグマントイズです。よろしくね！

Saved by a mysterious hero in her youth, and from that point forth committed to never again relying on the strength of others, WO-MAN!

5.5" of female warrior. Brandishing her father's modified wood-axe, she roams the planets in search of the warrior who once came to her aid to pledge allegiance to him. Already hindering her path are her evil clone Faye-Kerr, and the terrible tree monster known as Treegarr, which destroyed much of her home village.

Embedded in her axe is a gem, once given to her by an old wizard, which when at its apex of power, in times of need, allows her to self-clone, bringing forth a brilliant replica of herself to fight alongside her so long as the gem holds power.

子供の頃に助けてくれた不思議なヒーローを尊敬して、できるだけ真似する女の子、WO-MANです！

あのヒーローの名前でも知らずに四顧して死ぬかヒーローと会うまで伝説を行います。

自分でももう、エネミーがいます。田舎の村を攻めたトリーガーと言う木モンスターや、悪魔なクローンとの喧嘩はいつもあります。しかしアックスの力に自分の良いクローンも召し出せる事もできて、困った時に二人で戦う事もできる。







すぐにデビユーします！ COMING VERY SOON!

BigMan Drivers finally going up in the store.

I was lucky enough to be sent a perfect kit version of the Diaclone driver, also known as "inchman" over a year ago on the sprue by my friend Adam.

I built up a  little army of these one by one over a few months, casting alongside other things.I kind of like them too much to sell but my cat got a big vet bill this month so here they are: BIGMANTOYS STORE

They'll be for sale tomorrow at 18:00 EDT.

KESH-E-FACE x CHRONE O'FORMS DROP NXT MONDAY!

http://bigmantoys.bigcartel.com/category/clone-o-forms

DROPPING MONDAY 23rd SEPT @ 18:00 EDT!

What a seriously f'ing great year it's been for BMT! The rest of my life has been a kick in the balls in many elements - losing a few friends, getting financially stunk out by renting a stupid shared studio with a bunch of trust-fund hippies, but meeting a few kindred spirits in toys and comics, and getting to make stuff like this has given me something I can look on with a bit of pride and enthusiasm.

The "Chrome O'Forms" set includes my Micro-Keshi, Microbry's Mego Minis and Batt'l Bruiser, and Zectron's awesome Kesh-e-face, in a selection of clear and chrome combos to give him that Takara SF look!

Also been working on a bunch of stuff for a forthcoming collab with BMT soulmates GoodlegToys. In fact, the inter-company bromance has advanced to the stage of me flying to Germany next week to hang out and work with Luke and Pablo from GLT, and get some artist tips from Ralph Niese.  That's why the drop's on a monday - so i can get stuff sorted then fly to Berlin with no worries while i'm there.

Also been working on a bunch of MOTU customs. Part-resin, part vintage, part rubber. They're kind of getting bagged as I up the pics on Facebook but I'll be sure to do a proper drop of them soon for anyone interested.


Also, BMT's resin tutor and toymaking master, the elusive and modest craftsman known as Gold Dober, is releasing his 5 year anniversary figure - a BEAUUUTIFUL crystal clear Roboid!

http://micronautshomeworld.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/homeworlds-5-year-anniversary-figure.html

Get yourself over to his blog and sign up! He's a very different animal to most of us in the resin "scene" in that he really doesn't give one shit about any kind of scene at all. He's just a perfectionist who loves toys, and loves to help people. You can basically learn almost everything you'll ever need from the Micronauts Homeworld blog to get started in casting your own toys.

Clone O'Forms infiltration. Treegarr in MWOTR! My Friend The Micronaut. Cardiff Tattoo and Toycon.

Sorry it's been so long. Gotten a bit silly really.
Spent over a month molding, re-working, re-molding, casting, QCing several times, then packing and sending wave one of Clone O'Forms. Alongside Treegarr, this has been the most gratifying project personally, I've worked on. I can honestly say I would be happy to pay more than we are charging for these. MUSCLE/MIMP style minifigures influenced by Micronauts, and the wider Takara SF universe.
It was HARD. The hardest casting i've ever done. These Shapeways prints are great but merciless on the old fashioned silicone mold maker. At first I was precious about glossing, or editing the sculpts. By the 2nd (in some cases 3rd) mold I'd made on some figures, I was willing to do anything to the originals just to get a usable mold.

It all worked out in the end, and future runs should be a bit easier.

The flesh 4 packs sold out almost instantly and I smiled and groaned as pre-orders started racking up for more! Our other colorways are almost all sold out but I did learn that no one likes yellow toys like I do. Hmmm....

THE CLONE O'VERSE~!

  The Clone O'Verse is the expanse of galaxy that has been traversed by the Clones. The small, chestplate-bearing humanoids from their perspective. It also includes our Earth.
 Each area within the Clone O'Verse is significant as the color/design of every Clone O'Form can tell you something about its origin.

The Clones are a peace-loving race that originate from the Clone O'Planet. Through a space rift nearby they have been able to travel to Earth, to study the planets ecology and people. Their need to combat did not start until aliens from Visceron and Wuzzatplace also ventured to this part of the universe. These are aliens of varying intelligence, but are all dangerous, if not outright hostile.

Anomalia is a mysterious area at the distant reaches of the universe where beings of utterly superior intelligence come from, some of which have already appeared on Earth, such as the Golden Batt'l Bruiser to mediate the wars being fought between the descendant Clones living across Earth, and the hostile aliens that are invading, or already inhabiting earth as second or third generation alien descendants. This is why many of the Clones have human names and customs.

Time allowing, I plan to update this map showing the locations of each colorway and character.

MY FRIEND THE MICRONAUT.

Simply put, the coolest show BMT has ever been part of (given my personal taste). Check it out and you might understand why I love Micronauts so much. It's happening right now! http://myfriendthemicro.tumblr.com/

For this show, we introduced the Bermuda Anomaly. The oddly colored caste of Clone O'Forms that appear to have been battling within the Bermuda triangle since the 1960s. They are limited to just 3 sets! And I peronally feel it's some of the best work I've ever done. I have always loved neon orange with neon green. I had knock off Zaku puzzle when i was a kid with the Zaku in these colors and it had an impact on me.

Mystical Warriors of the Ring's Johnny "Treegarr" Stumpz!

 

You may have noticed a relationship forming between Fantastic Plastic Toys and Bigmantoys. I sent over Mark a golden Treegarr Sapling to go with his golden MWOTR figs.... they sure went well together...

Now one thing I like to think FPT and BMT have in common, is doing everything humanly possible to make it count. Whatever you do, make it count. Maybe it's the wrestling ethos Mark and I are both fans of. Having the Sapling in a new colorway was not going to suffice. Not at all! Treegarr needed a reason to be on Earth, a reason to be wrestling, and MWOTR deserved something new.
So in secret, working many many many hours, I did this!

Believe me the QC was strict on these! These are the first resin figs in this line NOT produced by Marty Hansen. That, to be honest, is a sickening level of pressure. I have a bag of ugly ducklings as a result, but here are the brightest and best, with trash-can accessory, ready to get packaged up with lush FPT packaging, artwork by no less than 3 professional artists, and a mini comic! These should be dropping this month or next and are limited to 20!!

Cardiff Tattoo and Toycon

Niall of Man-e-toys kindly offered to take me along for the shits and giggles. I spent most of the time looking at women's legs. Got to meet Rich of Umetoys again which was fun, and inspired me to do a totally unmarketable figure from a conversation we had, I manned the Unbox table and got to sell some of my stuff, I met Gabe from Leucotomy (you shall know him well) again and had a laugh with him and his lovely mates, as well as Andy Kelly, and the amazingly nice organisers of the 'con.

Never been big into tats but learned a lot of parallels between the 2 cultures. A live of Jon Kricfalusi seems to be a universal thing, as well as taking your comic book influences, and trying to advance it into something more.

Also, I sold 2 of my new toy that I'm not pimping yet until it's ready.

Right, will probably be too busy to write again for a while so... See ya soon! :)

Clone O'Forms and Aboboid dropping July 17th!

Minifigs will never be the same again! Welcome to the Clone O'Verse!

Just so much stuff...

Sorry for lack of updates. More work on at the moment than I've got time for - which is a good thing!

First off, BMT has managed to weasel their way into Fantastic Plastic Toys' Mystical Warriors of the Ring line!

Read all about it here!

And as for Clone O'forms. Yessir. Give it another week or two...

And finally, I've got Zectron's Beardfist and Kesh-e-faces sculpts to work with, so expect a release of those soon to (finally) be accompanied by an available-online Aboboid.

Clone O'Forms, wave one imminent!

Here's the other 2 sculpts that will be part of the 4 figure first series of Clone O'Forms! Battle Bruiser, digitally sculpted by MicroBry and based off of a mech form he concepted of the Battle Cruiser, and a Time Traveller MUSCLE sculpted and kitbash by yours truly as part of BMT's first ever release over a year ago!

What is Clone O'Forms?

Clone O'Forms is a new universe inspired by Micronauts of aliens and robots. They are all around 2" and are 1/1 scale. This is the actual size of the characters they are based on.

Why are you making Micronauts-inspired minifigures of all things?

It started as me liking to have everything I love in minifig format. My precious bag of MIMPs and MUSCLES as a kid was the only army I could really build once we started moving around a lot. So minis were essential. Thundercats? No, I asked for mini versions. I'd build towns out of shoeboxes and create a little world where all my guys could mingle in the same scale.

So the mini TT was something I put together as I saw it as an essential part of my collection.

After i'd been casting a while, I wanted to have an alien counterpart and asked MicroBry if he still hw could use his experience working on renders to help produce something Micronauts style but in SD mode. I wanted to do a SD Membros mini and was having a tough time kitbashing from a 3.75". Bry got right on it and both of us with massive enthusiasm have put money into and powered away on this project. I never dreamed that I'd be working with 3D prints of such advanced design and with someone who has been professionally involved with Micronauts. 

Should be good to go by next month!

Clone O'Forms - wave one imminent!

Microbry worked his knackers off on the 3D models and prints, and I've taken them and am really happy with how I've gotten them to work. Simply SO proud.
They'll be released ASAP :)

Psst... want a free full size Treegarr?

You can get one with the last BAttlegaze figure as part of Bigmantoys' Summer Clearout. Act fast, as BMT will  never be this stupidly cheap again!

https://shop.cluttermagazine.com/art-toys/battlegaze-vs-treegarr

CRITTERS - LEGEND EDITION + 32 other figures dropping tomorrow!

bigmantoys.bigcartel.com
22nd May @ 18:00 EDT!


!!!!! It's a minifigure blowout at the Bigmantoys store tomorrow. I have 8 all new minifig sculpts headed this way to start production on and needed to get all I could done before then - not to mention casting up my first kaiju - it's HUGE!

Critters, Saplings, Nuclearman, Biotron, it's been good, but it's time to say goodbye. These are all the figures I was able to bully out of the molds over the past few months. I'm dropping these now as I won't have time to for a very long time now. The Sapling's model is broken, so he will never be back in quite this form.

I've also added a nice freebie feature to the store to get the most out of your shipping ;)





Also, just for fun, I made an aluminum kinkeshiman bootleg and put it on e-bay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181143696239?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Treegarr nominated for Best Resin Toy at the DTA and a giant box of minifigs about to drop in store.

 Treegarr's been nominated for Best Resin Toy for the past year at the Designer Toy Awards. Pretty awesome, even if he doesn't win. If you have a couple of minutes you can...

VOTE HERE (IF YOU LIKE :))

Yeah, you do have to register but it doesn't take long and they don't spam you or anything.

Allllso, I've got about 50 minifigs that have slowly piled up over the months while working on other projects. Cleaning and painting them now to sell next week. Never realised there were so many. Critter fans should be really pleased :)

Where are you, Bigman?

He's sculpting like a maniac! 3 tough sculpts to work on while waiting on other people's sculpts to get casting. SO yeah, sorry it's been quiet.

Got a handful of Bigmantoys stuff for sale via other people's shops:

The LAST Mechgarr is waiting for that SOLD OUT notice to pop up anytime now at http://manormonster.storenvy.com/products/1482174-mechgarr

And while I'm waiting for Beardfist to get here so I can get casting him to fight Aboboid, there are 1-3 (I don't know) pre-release Aboboids in an exclusive cosmic colorway at: http://www.rockfordartdeli.bigcartel.com/product/big-man-toys-ababoid

Working form home again has been PARADISE! Warm house = everything works and dries quick.

Had a pretty tough time trying to put together my first proposed figure for Galvanize Creative and when I was left with no option but to start using toxic PU in my small flat with a cat in, that was the end of that. I've got a box of parts and some big molds that will get used down the line somehow. Luckily, we had a plan B which is a killer idea i've wanted to use for ages and I can't wait to sculpt and paint up each one. Believe me, the paint apps will make this one beast of a figure.

Additionally, I've been lucky enough to be included in a very special project with Unbox Industries. Can't say too much except I'm sculpting for my LIFE on this one. The other involved parties are the best in the minifig game without question.


Back to sculpting! See ya! 

Oh yeah, in case you're not a Micronauts fan, do be sure to keep an eye on Micronautshomeworld (link on the left) as he's cooking up one of the most serious production neo-vintage action figure projects of all time! ;)

MECHGARR~! PHALANX! And a lot more stuff related to what's happening at C2E2 this weekend.

I wish i could go along. Right now most of the American contingent to our worldwide 5.5 squat action figure movement are a the Chicago Comic Con with works by me and a bunch of fellow action figure artists/nerds at the Nerd City booth. The collection is known as the Phalanx, headed by Ben "Galaxxor" Spencer and it looks soooo cool. I have to say, when it comes to comics and toys, no-one does it like the Americans. I did some fun weekends of collecting in Japan but in the States now, thanks to the internet, you've got the complete back-catalogue of all cool stuff ever available it would seem.
 I've been to a few cons here, and aside from perving at Cosplay girls (does the fact that conventions are often based in hotels never make you think your chances of pulling are way higher?), the lack of scale means that you're pretty limited in what you can get.
Imagine though, walking along, seeing some hot pro-cosplay girls 7/8 naked, taking a pic with a guy dressed as Gamera, then chancing upon this!

(Pics (C) ManorMonster? studios, Fantasic Plastic Toys)

I remember in the mid 90s you'd see "garage kits" at conventions. It was something we in the UK at least, just didn't give much recognition to. I find it hard to imagine anyone who loved figures as a kid never wanting to make their own. Forgetting the coolness of the fact that these all fit into my vintage MOTU collection - these are full blown ACTION figures! What's that by MoM in the top right? It's got the same magnetic joints and is totally compatible with his figures...

It's...

MECHGARR~!

I've been planning a collab with Brandon of MoM studios for ages. I sent him a couple of blank casts. He came back with a re-engineered, re-invented version and it's awesome. It's 100% playable, and super posable.

THese are a C2E2 exclusive but i'm just so glad with what I've been able to do with Treegarr. The unbelievable help from Ben Spencer in getting it done in the first place (not to mention the support. I'm a pretty sensitive guy and if I think i'm wasting my time with something, i'll drop it like hot shit), and then getting to do the collab with him was awesome. It's this kind of stuff that keeps me on the resin when money's tight. Then Brandon makes this! This stuff for me is the payoff. It certainly isn't about the money - i'd have to me a masochist if it was.

Also at C2E2 this weekend is my contribution to the amazing first release playset for Mystical Warriors of the Ring - my first mini comic.

I'm highly self critical of my art. I don't know how it looks to other people so I'll see what feedback I get on it. I did a lot of work but everytime i say that I think of Napoleon Dynamite saying "I spent 3 hours shading the upper lip".

The box set the comic is part of is immense and unprecedented in the amount of stuff you get for an indie minifig.

Toycon and self indulgent waffle.

(NEW TOYCON EXCLUSIVES IN STORE NOW)

Toycon UK happened. Was great meeting up with my old mate Dan, and Niall and hanging out behind the table. Selling a bit of stuff.
Here's me goofing around the Unbox Table where Dan kindly let Niall (TruTek) and I  pitch our stuff as if I'm someone important. Me and Niall slept 2 - 4 hours max the night before, finally meeting up after over a year of bullshitting together online and on the phone was really cool. We were up 'til the early hours round his cutting card and spraying gloss on stuff. His toy collection is mental. Probably worth as much as everything i've ever owned all added up.

Me and Niall slept 2 - 4 hours max the night before, finally meeting up after over a year of bullshitting together online and on the phone was really cool. We were up 'til the early hours round his cutting card and spraying gloss on stuff. His toy collection is mental. Probably worth as much as everything i've ever owned all added up. And it was almost all resin/vinyl. I break even if I do well each month so my collecting is limited to production toys and the odd resin minifig. There is nothing fairweather about his passion for toys - which is why his blog rocks so much.

So yeah, 3 hours of sleep, hot as flip, HIKING SOCKS boiling me entire body and slicing course woolen fibre into my feet with brutal lack of sympathy. And I look like one of only a handful of people making "I'm a nerd" toys. And having my "display" next to "professional or die" Niall, and Unbox, who flew Jeff f'ing LAMM in for the con, I felt like the unemployed brother who couldnt afford a suit for the wedding.

UME toys. They are huge of course - everyone loves 'em. I know Niall and Rich know each other quite well but surely he won't have time to talk to me right? Wrong! He and his wife (who mimed at me from accross the hall making me piss my pants laughing despite us not even talking) were fucking awesome. A real class act and one of a few people that made my day.

 

The boys from Triclops studios were there, and seriously cool as flip. I mean really really nice and easy to talk to. The new BASTARD figures had me laughing out loud despite the slicing pain of my socks on my pulpy feet. I was concerned that us being in the UK too, they'd be like (before I knew them, mind) "This is our patch - fuck off" but actually we all got along and had a lot of appreciation for each other's stuff. We had a laugh too.

 

Final arse kiss of the entry. Chris of the Tarantulas and Ralph Niese at the Fishtank Castle booth. I committed to a full squat on my bamboo shard socks to question Chris at length about his influences. How is his appreciation of Japanese 80s aesthetic so authentic? Is he nerdy about Takara/Bandai stuff like me? I didn't have time to ask. BUt I asked a lot of stuff and he was more than willing to tell me. Cool as fuck. And he's English - I never knew! 

Then there was a European Viking with a bunch of OMFG and NerdOne stuff on his table, as well as a pretty nice looking early 90s style B+W comic, and some resin figs i'd never seen before. He was seriously cool. His knowledge of GOOD stuff  (the REAL good stuff) was superb and I got a comic off him... Glyos art... Ralph Niese... Shit! I've been talking to Ralph Niese all this time! Maybe it's the ex-wrestler in me that made me feel instant guilt that I hadn't paid appropriate respect on first introduction. He didn't care about that... he had...

 

THIS!!

GFFSHHHFFFFSSHHH! Are you kidding me? I mean... but... WHAAAA!!!? ME and Niall were freaking out. Why hadnt we seen it? Is it one of  a kind? Dare we ask the price? IT was one of a kind. Further obsessive trawling of Ralph's work this week has shown me that this is Saturday-man - made form Aves, a Kenner STNG fig, some re-cast Yugo MOTU bootleg he-man faces, and Bootleg MOTU legs. It was just fucking insane.

So that was pretty much the day. I regret not picking Jeff Lamm's brain more but he was busy with customers and also looked like he could snap my neck silently without anyone noticing if I annoyed him.

 I sold way more stuff through PMs and in my store (EXCLUSIVES IN STORE NOW! - i'll put that at the top actually).
Would have been great to go to the after party but me an Niall were dying on our feet. I nearly lost a box of Goodleg Toys' 5.5s and my 5.5s on a train at one point i was so tired.

After making a selfish prick move his bag so i could sit down on the packed train home, I thought about what a fucking great year it's been and the friends i've made. Gold Dober taught me everything I know about toymaking, and i've been able to realise visions I've had for many many years. He's too unassuming to ever say it but the way he works is deep poetry in my eyes. The perfection he demands of every joint and angle in his castings is like a Swiss watch maker.

 I've met, and now work with people I have an uncanny amount in common with, and have a huge amount of genuine respect for. It's like all these people that must have thought the same thing as me as kids grew up all over the place, and thanks to the internet, we can all hook up and do stuff. I've got a comic and 2 totally different sculpts of mine appearing at C2E2 this month. I'm not rich, but life is good.

I know they won't read this so I'll say now. That studio I was working in since the new year? Worst part of my adult life. I was trapped in a cold studio where no molds would cure, i was breathing in gallons of 2nd hand smoke, and had to put up with the sound of adults trying to impress/ fuck each other at high volume. Got out a week ago and am way happier and more productive. "Artists" who were all talk, drugs, and image. I've met people with gumption and commitment and talent that puts those charlatans to shame.
 Art's what you do when you create something you would create if no one ever got to see it but you. That's real art by my definition. I've been lucky enough to meet people I consider to be modern greats. The high points have definitely NOT been the money. Having John Santagada do the art for Treegarr, the collaborations that figure has allowed me to do, getting treated as an equal by people who I aspire to work like - that's been some of the most valuable stuff i've ever experienced. Thanks to everyone who gave me some time to help me and has bounced ideas and energies with me. I'm a cynical fuck and like lots of people, I'm learning, working my arse off, trying to make something happen. I haven't felt this kind of mutual camaraderie since wrestling in Japan.

Toys Are Us art show exclusives,Toycon UK, Galvanize Creative, Mystwarriors, and UNBOX!!!

Maybe we shouldn't blow all our beans at once but it's tough finding time to blog, so here's a big tough read!

'CON EXCLUSIVES!

Bigmantoys' grim beast of a post-apocalytpic 80s scrolling beat 'em up street-punk is debuting at two shows next weekend - An open colorway special advance drop will be happening at Toycon UK, and the day before at the Rockford Art Deli, there'll be a limited colorway of 4 acid edition Aboboids and 4 acid edition Saplings!

We've got LOADS going on for London Toycon (as part of the Disarticulators) but I'm very honored to be appearing the talent i'm such a big fan of at the Toys Are Us show.

There's the stuff for Rockford - hope it gets there!

GALVANIZE CREATIVE.

Also it looks like it's safe to drop the news on some other collabs. Galvanize Creative is getting a run of 70s sci-fi inspired 4" figs made by bigmantoys. It's been in the making for a while and only now does it looks like the winds of fate are in our favor. Cold conditions in the studio and some shit that to be honest, has created legitimate white hairs on heads have f'd with production viciously. So we've moved stuff back in house, drilled, hammered, purchased etc to the point where the home studio should suffice, and the heavy workload can start unhindered.

Here's a little teaser of the head, undomed as of yet, which is also a farm. A lifetime of DNA has gone into this fig and it's going to be good seeing it done. To really fit in with it's 70s stylings, there will be real metal parts to the finished fig. It's Micronauts, Adventure People, Silent Running, Space Playmobil, and Palitoy Action Force all rolled into one.

UNBOX!!

Don't ask how a miscreant compulsive mast... Don't ask how Bigmantoys got involved with Unbox Industries, it's just happening. I think it's a sense of fun shared and a lack of cynicism (if only regarding toys) that would be the main ingredient to this action packed vinyl broth.

Yes vinyl. VINYL!!

The Disarticulators x Unbox are working on some sick vinyl stuff! Details are limited for now but the sculpting's begun. Go mental is the basic ethos of this series (or whatever it is) so that's what's happening. For toys and fun.

Unbox Treegarrs!

As we'll be at the Unbox table at Toycon, which is every bit a showcase as it is a place to buy stuff, it seemed like a good time to get some ideas did with the Treevil One that have been fatansised about for a long time - this is the Unbox Black Metal Collection. Made while listening to the Wolves in The Throneroom discography.

DEEP!

Golden!

NUCLEARMAN's FOR SALE!

http://bigmantoys.bigcartel.com/product/nuclearman-deluxe-flesh-version

You can get him here! Still a few left... could have sword I posted about it before...

Triple drop this month! Treegarr Saplings, Aboboid, and NUCLEARMAN~!

DROP DATES AND PRICES ALL ANNOUNCED BY NEXT WEEK!

Ok, so you may be aware, on the minifigures side of things, I work in a trio with Zectron and Trutek as the collaborative group, the Disarticulators.

Here's our brand new collaborative blog!: http://disarticulators.wordpress.com/

So far, we've got out awesome Tiny Terrors From the Deep 3 pack (coming to the internet shopper soon!) and Zectron's release figure for the Break Fighters series, Beard-fist, as well as the ridiculous masterpiece, Kesh-e-face.

Working with Zectron (sculptor of the Critter and Beardfist) is obviously a daunting task. His sculpting is among the best in the indie toy (art toy, bootleg, whatever you like to call it) scene. I might never be able to sculpt as clean as him. But I can sculpt like I can draw, and I draw mean and dirty! Beard-fist needs a big boss-level bad guy to fight. He needs...

ABOBOID!!

....ABOBOID!!!

...............ABOBOID (his belt buckle is a gamepad) !!!!!

Hyper mutated kidnapping street punk boss!! He'll smack your girlfriend on the ASS!!!
And taunt you about it!! (select button)

He is a mishmash of different scrolling beat 'em up influences. I've basically taken all the elements I like out of Final Fight, Double Dragon, Rival Turf, and Streets of Rage, and given them a slightly more modern twist. Think Abobo from Double Dragon meets Blanka (not scrolling, I know) and 50 Cent and mutate them into one.


 I asked around about this and the MOhawk vs NoHawk debate raged moderately for a day on Facebook. So I decided to include a Mohawk in the pack, to give people the option of glueing it on if they want one. This also allows for some sweet mixing of colors. Look at that....
MOHAWK

 OR NO-HAWK. IT'S UP TO YOU.

I'm not a great painter so i've shipped a couple off to see what paint-pros can do with him. This is one of the ways I imagine him in full color.

COLORWAYS AND EXCLUSIVES.

I won't be the only person casting Aboboid. TruTek will be doing him too!

In the meantime, here are the EXCLUSIVE HYPER ACID HOLOGLITTER MARBLE editions you'll be able to pick up at the Rockford Art Deli's 'Toys are Us' show, put together by Killer Bootlegs man, Pete Wheatstraw goral.

They are going to appear alongside  the first of the new wave of Treegarr Saplings in the same exclusive colorway/

 

Them Saplings sold out so quick last time. And what with the HUGE turn in the evolution of Treegarr happening next month, I thought there should be many more Saplings to celebrate. These are the first of many. But only ones to ever be made in this colorway.

NUCLEARMAN~!

The first and limited deluxe edition of NUCLEARMAN will drop in about a week. He's largely inspired by alien fighting, steroid consuming, ass kicking FPS characters from the late 90s.
Let me tell you about this.

The first 10 will be flesh. There will only ever be 10 flesh, and they will all come with a deluxe, super swish crystal case with built-in diorama packaging and glittery night sky background. They house the figure beautifully and really fit the mood of the thing. The 90s brick texture, the barbed wire, the stainless steel walkway. This is a real complete package of kick ass!

These were HELL to make and I swear i'll never do it again! They took so many full evenings, I felt sick. Worth it to see it happen, but I won't want to make a habit out of it!