Albotas » Toys

The 1-Down Mushroom Would Probably Turn Mario Into a Zombie

brownkidd — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:29:25 +0000

Awesome zombified 1-up Mushroom made out of one of those little Mario candy tins by Undead Ed of DeviantArt.

Misaka Mikoto 1/8 Scale Figure Pre-orders Open

brownkidd — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:32:09 +0000

Misaka Mikoto is a character from the anime series To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, which I’ve never actually heard of before, but from the design of this character, it seems like something I’d want to check out.

You can currently pre-order her from our friends over at Otacute and she’ll ship at the end of July. The only bummer is the price: $57.50 which is a little much when compared to the $25-$35 Figmas that have been released this year. Nevermind. This totally isn’t a Figma and I’m not even sure why I posted it as such. My bad.

And here’s the opening credits of To Aru Kagaku no Railgun. Not quite sure what to make of it. Anyone know if it’s any good?

Sick PVC Statue of Momohime from Muramasa: The Demon Blade

brownkidd — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:09:47 +0000

Alter produced this crazy gorgeous 1/8 scale PVC statue of Momohime from the Wii game Muramasa: The Demon Blade that can easily be appreciated by hardcore fans of the game and people who’ve never even heard of it. It can also be set up into one of two different poses: sword being drawn, or sword already drawn going in for the kill.

This fig is set to drop at the end of July for $81.50. Pre-order yours from Otacute, who also happen to be an Albotas sponsor and the raddest import toy store around.

[Via Alafista]

Keepers of the Silhouette Tower – Handmade Custom Dunny Series by f+

brownkidd — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:28:51 +0000

Josh “f+” Pearce made this awesome set of 20 custom 3″ Dunnys that he’s selling blindboxed for a whopping $85 apiece. While the price is pretty huge considering a manufactured Dunny retails for around $8, these things look pretty freaking amazing.

If you want one of these bad boys for your collection, you can pick one up right here. As an added bonus, anyone who snags one within the next 30 days has the chance to score one of Josh’s 8″ custom Codexian figures for free.

Check out more pics over on f+’s blog.

I obviously need to get on the ball and make more customs. There’s some obvious ducats to be made.

Fresh-ass Fanart: Homemade Scott Pilgrim Statues

brownkidd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:13:57 +0000

Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley retweeted these custom statues of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers with Scott hiding in her purse, (Remember? In that one part from the comix when that thing happened? Fun times.) made by Ollie_jones.

I’m totally and completely one hundred fucking percent ready for the onslaught of Scott Pilgrim promo junk that’s most likely about to drop with the release of the movie in August. Bring it on me!

Custom 12″ Skitty Geisha by Tony Nakanari

brownkidd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:12:51 +0000

Tony Nakanari from Mai Hiro turned Tokyo Plastic’s 12″ Geisha figure into a badass Hello Kitty themed piece for a private collector. I’d totally buy a poster, sticker, or shirt with the spiky-haired Hello Kitty flipping the bird.

Custom Strike Freedom Celsius from Rotobox Vinyl Anatomica

brownkidd — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:38:43 +0000

The insane customizers over at Rotobox Vinyl Anatomica have turned their Gunmetal Celsius figure into the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom unit from the Gundam Seed anime series. This piece is for their 2nd series of Gunpla themed customs.

In the email i received about this, Rotobox’s Spencer Ong says that Gundam Seed is his favorite series so far, then adds adds “but the Gundam Unicorn is looking awesome!”

And it is! Here’s a trailer:

Here’s more pics of the custom:

Raje Toys LTD. Launches with Dr. Brain by Jim Freckingham Followed by G.N.O.M.E. from Doktor A

brownkidd — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:45:05 +0000

Raje Toys LTD. is a brand new British toy company that was just launched last November by Richard Emms, Adam Boreham, Jim Freckingham and Eddie Deighton. Their first limited edition figure, set to drop this May, is Dr. Brain by Jim Freckingham.

If Dr. Brain looks a bit familiar to you, it’s because the design is based on a custom Munny that Jim Frenckingham previously did. It was also featured on Albotas 2.0 (currently in 4.0 since the new re-design for those keeping track) on a weekly feature we used to do called Munny Monday. Sometimes I think about bringing Munny Monday back, but I’m too busy finding other stuff to post. Maybe it’ll come back one day…

The head looks pretty much the same ‘cept for the rounded top on the new version.

The Dr. Brain figure stands at 7.5″ tall and will retail for $59.95/£39.95 when it drops this May. There will be two colorways with a production run of 450 pieces for the regular version and just 50 pieces for the chase.

In June, just two months later, Raje Toys will drop their 2nd figure, G.N.O.M.E. by the one and only Doktor A. Can’t wait to see some actual production pics of this piece.

Looks like Raje Toys is coming out swinging and if they can maintain momentum once Dr. Brain is released, they could become a force to be reckoned with just so long as they keep putting out fresh designs in limited quantities at affordable prices.

Official press release with some more info after the jump.

<>
RAJE TOYS LAUNCHES WITH FLAGSHIP VINYL, DR BRAIN!
London, 19th February 2010
RAJE TOYS LTD – a brand new British-based company specialising in limited edition, urban art toys – is poised to
launch its first figure this coming May.
DR. BRAIN, a 7-inch vinyl figure, will have a limited production run of only 500 units worldwide. It is the “brain-
child” of ROBOTIC INDUSTRIES’, and RAJE partner, Jim Freckingham.
=====
Borne out of a passion for the growing urban art and designer-toy sector, RAJE have created a business model that
aims to introduce exciting, unknown talent to the market, as well as work with some of the greatest names in the
designer-toy industry.
RAJE will be showcasing the DR. BRAIN figure at a special launch party (TBA) in the UK – a signing event for
retailers and collectors alike. Retailers who would like to attend can contact RAJE TOYS via its website.
Shipping two months after DR BRAIN, in July 2010, will be the Victorian-cyber-punk-esque “G.N.O.M.E” – created
by the hugely talented, DOKTOR A; renowned for his work with Kidrobot and Mindstyle’s Mechtorians. G.N.O.M.E
will have a production run of 500 units, with a chase colour-way.
The RAJE partners comment on the buzz the company has created within just a few months of its inauguration -
“The reaction to DR BRAIN has been overwhelming to say the least. We’d all – collectively – like to thank everyone
who has provided their expertise and insight within this industry. It has helped to shape not only the way we
produce our figures but also the direction of the company and its future endeavours. It’s such a pleasure to be
working with a group of driven, creative individuals who are reading from the same page. This isn’t about mass-
produced money-making… it’s about the passion and enjoyment!”
=====
RAJE TOYS LTD was formed in November 2009 by Richard Emms, Adam Boreham, Jim Freckingham and Eddie
Deighton — a highly unique collaboration of retailers, designers and marketeers with over forty years collective
experience between them.
Richard Emms has run and managed several successful retail stores over the past three decades. He is also co-
owner of NYC-based Ardden Entertainment LLC – publishers of the new Flash Gordon and Casper the Friendly
Ghost series.
Adam Boreham is the lead designer for Reaction Visual Media, a design agency based in North Hertfordshire,
where he has worked for clients such as Red Stripe, G Casino, Gleneagles Hotel and Kelloggs amongst others. He
spends most of his spare time hurting himself on his skateboard or training in mixed martial arts.
Jim Freckingham has over 10 years modelmaking experience, most of which was gained in the toy industry.
During that time, he has worked on licensed toy lines including The Muppets, Harry Potter, Dr Who and Lord of the
Rings, to name but a few. As founder of Robotic Industries, Jim is always looking for ways to expand his toy robot
collection.
Eddie Deighton is Founder and Creative Director of successful design and advertising agency, An.x. He is also co-
owner of Com.x, one of the most prolific comic publishing companies to appear in the publishing sector over the
last ten years. He brings a wealth of creative, management, screenwriting and IP creation skills to the company.

Gallery of Custom Spawn Dunnys by fplus

brownkidd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:20:32 +0000

Josh “f+” Pearce is a toy artist who’s done quite a few Spawn Dunnys as commission pieces for collectors. He sent me a link to his blog post featuring all the Spawn Dunnys he’s done – starting with his first one ever(above) and ending with he latest one (at the end of the post) – and asked if I’d share them, so I am.

Warning: Truly sickening work lies ahead. Prepare to be jealous of this dude’s talent.

About the customs, fplus says:

So, when i first started taking commissions, I got a lot of requests for Spawns. It’s been a blast doing them, and I’ve always tried to make each one different. I imagine at some point I’ll stop doing Spawns as my original designs are becoming more and more popular, but for now, I thought it would be fun to reflect on all the pieces I have done so far…

Mr. fplus then goes on to say:

I’m a huge Spawn fan, so each one of these has been a great pleasure to do! I’ve still got a few more versions I’d like to do, gunslinger, viking, and maybe a maskless one at some point. Hopefully I can find the time to do these soon!

Man, you’d think he’d be sick of doing Spawns by now, but he said it himself, he’s totally down to do more. Which is good, because I don’t think we’ll ever get sick of looking at ‘em.

Todd McFarlane, hire this guy!

Custom 8″ Bic Buddy by Tony Nakanari

brownkidd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:43:55 +0000

Tony Nakanari just sent in pics of his first custom of 2010. His name is Akaoni (sometimes spelled Aka Oni which means “Red Devil” or “Red Demon”) and he was made using an 8″ Bic Buddy figure designed by Marka27.

About the piece, Nakanari says:

The Bic Buddy Custom Show introducing the new 8” Bic Buddy features 40+ artist customs of the big brother to the previously released mini created by Marka27. As the very first preview, here’s our Japanese legend evil barbarian-like Akaoni (Red Demon) piece. This one rocks a clean stylized ‘toon aesthetic capped off with a spiked club and necklace that complete the image. Also is origanl from my last painting

Here’s that painting he’s talking about.

This dude needs to stop with the crazy clean lines. He’s just too good.

The Bic Buddy Custom Show will take place on both coasts, starting off in Los Angeles @ Crewest (3.27, 6 to 9 PM) and then in Brooklyn @ Zakka (4.9, 6 to 9 PM).

Mailbag: Free Sample Figures from Patch Together Inc.

brownkidd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:30:43 +0000

A ginormous package from Patch Together Inc. just landed here at Albotas H.Q. and it’s full of some truly awesome stuff. Never seen some of these figures before, so it’s great to get my hands and eyeballs on some exciting new stuff. Some of the figures require assembly and gluing.. Not sure if I’ll put them together or give them away to some lucky readers.

If you’ve never heard of Patch Together, they’re a great website and resource for talented artist to get their work recognized and make some money as well. Just submit your own toy design and if it gets enough votes, they’ll make it into an actual product as soon as the pre-order quota is met.

Hrm… maybe I should submit the Albotas logo as a figure…

Just wanted to say thanks to the fine dudes and dudettes from Patch together and I plan on reviewing it all very soon. Not sure if I’ll do one big picture review, a bunch of mini picture reviews, or a few short video reviews a-la blindboxed.

I’ll definitely be giving some of these away through various contests since I feel bad keeping it all to myself. Stay tuned!

Now go check out PatchTogether.com already!

Notso Wee Ninja from Shawnimals

brownkidd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:33:15 +0000

The Ninja of the Month Project from Shawnimals continues with the 3rd Ninja of the year, Notso Wee Ninja. This not-so little guy drops March 3rd at 1pm CST for only $30 and comes with a signed/numbered hang tag, cookie & crumbs accessories, a sticker, and a button. Notso Wee Ninja is is all handmade and limited to just 100 pieces, so hurry up while supplies last!

From the tag:
More sumo than stealth, Notso can defeat Chubby Devils by literally throwing his weight around. And although his dietary habits are not part of Ol’ Master Ninja’s training regimen, Notso insists he’s following a disciplined cookie diet – he sees cookies, and he eats them!

Motto:
“Are you going to eat that?”

You can score more Ninja of the Month merch and even sign up for a subscription to each new ninja at http://shop.shawnimals.com/collections/ninja-of-the-month.

Kidrobot Exclusive: 8″ Pink Ninja Spiki from Nakanari

brownkidd — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:57:43 +0000

Kidrobot releases Nakanari’s Ninja Spiki in an exclusive pink colorway today. Only 50 of these exist and each one comes with 2 shiruken, a katana, and they have 6 points of articulation. Could do without the giant Kidrobot branding on the back, though. Kinda’ kills it.

Custom Skullcandy SK-Pro Headphones by DLi$h

brownkidd — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:55:50 +0000

DLi$h just sent it pics of his latest work: a pair of custom Skullcandy SK-Pro headphones with a custom 8″ Lilly Black figure. They look like something a DJ would wear while spinning at a rave in a steampunk post-apocalyptic future. Don’t believe me? Hit the jump for a better look.

About the headphones, DLi$h says:

s set of Custom Skullcandy SK-Pro headphones offers the ultimate in performance audio. This is Skullcandy’s top-of-the-line DJ series headphones for SERIOUS music enthusiasts.

The headphones are hand painted in acrylic to provide a distressed metal effect to them. The stitches are also hand sculpted using sculpey. It also features the badges and insignias of the US Navy’s F18 Fighter Jet.

These headphones make one ask, “should I wear them, or just leave them for desk art?” The choice is yours, but if you do decide to take them out, then don’t expect to find anyone wearing the same pair as there are only three ever made.

Each comes signed and numbered by DLi$h. Also included free Lily Black 8″ custom toy.

Can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m not entirely feeling these. Overall I think the concept is cool, but there’s something about the stitching that just seems a tad sloppy. Maybe the brownish part is overlapping the white on the stitching too much?

Anyway, you can pick these up for $279.99 from Delicious Drips. Or you can just get a cheaper uncustomized pair from Amazon.

Marvel Super Hero Capsule Toys – So Simple, So Adorable, So Awesome

brownkidd — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:59:39 +0000

Marvel just created the most amazing thing in capsule toy dispensing technology since the slap bracelet. Instead of wasting money on capsules that just get thrown away, the toy makers have decided to make each character’s head the capsule!

The character lineup consists of The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man. They’re a measly $1 each and only stand at about 2″, but their bodies come packaged inside of their heads and they’re just so freakin’ cute!

When I first saw the above image, I thought that this was some sort of retail packaging for people who don’t have any cool capsule dispensers in their area, but it’s just a display for the vending machines. I’m gonna’ have to bug my local comic shop to get these since they usually have some pretty cool capsule stuff in their machines.

If you want to bug your local shops to carry these as well, tell them they can order them in bulk from Gumball.com at this link: http://www.gumball.com/marvel-heroes-2-inch-self-vending-buildable-figures.aspx

These things look way fun to collect. Too bad there’s only six different characters.

I could totally see talented toy customizers making some sick work with these things.

[Via Geek Orthodox]