Urban Vinyl

[Bill_the_Pony]

A new interest o' mine. :p


Actually, no...I've always like vinyl kaiju toys from Japan, but the last decade and especially the last few years has seen an explosion in them. Here's a good primer on Urban Vinyl, hosted by the always over-the-top cool Jonathan Ross. :cool:

Ru_TB6HOySI


I'm going to Comic Con for one day this year, with a friend that is in this business. I did a ton o' graphics for him several years back when he had a store called Roboculture, and now he's a wholesale business to dealers.

I'll post a few pics of the few that I have, but to look at them and know how they're made and by who....very irresistable stuff. :D I'll also post some links to the artists themselves. This is awesome stuff.

[Graymatter]

Get yourself a copy of Full Vinyl (http://www.amazon.com/Full-Vinyl-Subversive-Designer-Toys/dp/0060893389), probably the most definitive of any book on the subject. It has some fantastic essays in it, and features on many different artists whose work has mutated into vinyl. My personal favorite is Junko Mizuno. Enjoy C-C!

[KingVoyeur]

Love it! Tres expensive though. :(

Just for you Bill!

http://www.myplasticheart.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/cthulu.jpg

[Bill_the_Pony]

Cthulhu! http://a443.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/22/m_f3d2182b08ada66aa8880b272475de22.gif

I feel all warm and fuzzy inside! :)

[Bill_the_Pony]

So, I'm back from my one day at San Diego Comic Con, the first time I've been to an event like this in 28 years.

They sure got big and overcrowded...:eek:

Completely sold out, 125,000 over a four day period, from what I recall hearing...

The last time a one-day event like this wore me out were the all night rave massives I went to in the 90's :o

My experience there was limited to the dealers' room, following my friend Dave (a toy wholesaler, robots and cool sci-fi things from Japan, mostly)......it's not so much a convention as it is a Mega Trade Show, even though I know there was other stuff going on, but the crowds inside and outside were immense!

McKracken and I pencilled in meeting up to say hi and possible coordinate a dual call-in on Chaotic Radio, but it just didn't happen, the atmosphere was completely hectic and the crowds were the sort that it became easy to get separated from whoever you were with, if one of you got distracted and turned away for even a second.

I did my best to put aside my not-so-fond feelings for crowds, traffic, and the human race in general and have a good time, and I did. I bought a few things, mostly book and art related, but indulged in a few vinyl toys, and talked to reps from some of the companies to find out what's up, saw a TON of cool things on display, for sale, or for preview), and saw a few famous people, got to talk to James Duval (Frank the Bunny from Donnie Darko, Randy Quade's son from Independence Day) , and resisted most of the goofy freebies. Carrying what I bought was a chore enough.....

It got to be very wearying by late afternoon, so with our shtuff, we headed out and took a relaxing trip back....I'm sorry I missed McKracken and this week's Chaotic Radio.... :(

SO, here's what I got today. One toy floored me when I saw it in its completely wacky madcap rudeness, so I had to get it....

By a comic artist named Fr@nk Ch0....

http://a419.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/88/l_a6d875b928cf82f13cc4ae8d9c2405fa.jpg

http://a201.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/30/l_77d955888aed414ee95e8bc70c3093f8.jpg

http://a853.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/93/l_1c8c9240f76a64b46b9aa857c78c4394.jpg

I just got in, and am decompressing, and had to share that bit of silliness. Anyways, not too much to post, just a fun, sometimes-annoying, energetic and exhausting day.

[mckracken]

sweet... yes i forgot so much on thursday, friday and saturday, i was doing the special Unknown Comic fan from 2pm to 3pm in the small press area, i couldnt call into Kaeos radio show because from 7pm to 9pm we were either driving or eating at TGI Fridays after the convention.

i totally forgot to call bill on saturday and do the hookup ARRRGG!! but Why didnt you call my cell? i met with Daniel Nauenberg (artist for The Ranter) and was constantly checking in with my two buddies that came to the show with me.... the photos are now up at my mySpace page Bill.
the show floor always gets me into a frenzy, i never know what to buy, where to go, what to do, what lines are worth waiting 2 hours in and i get completly inundated in the goings on that I forget the important stuff... then when i get home and decompress, i realize that i'd missed some cool shit while being stupid.

also about the Cow's artist Frank Cho... when i was at supercon tlaking to jorge Garcia from lost, he distracted me by telling me that frank cho was standing behind me in line so we got frank on our youtube Supercon clip show.

[Jakester]

That, Bill, is fantastic!

[Bill_the_Pony]

Do you think it should go on top of the fridge, or somewhere overhead in the kitchen?

:confused:

[mckracken]

how about putting it on top of the TV so you can watch it while you watch TV and it can watch you while you watch TV.

[Graymatter]

I'd put it near the window.

[Captain Obvious]

It would receive more light there!

[Bill_the_Pony]

:mad:



Anyway, the resin master for the Mad Cow is on the auction block at eBay.... Starting bid, 750 bucks. (http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/6-FRANK-CHO-24-Cow-Resin-Paint-Master-Generousl_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ28247QQihZ018 QQitemZ280259844355QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW) :eek:

That's for the master , not a vinyl copy...I see some differences in it, but I guess that's bound to happen.... The thing must weigh a ton!

http://photos.liveauctioneers.com/houses/mindstylelifestyle/16796/0006_1_lg.jpg

[Bill_the_Pony]

Look what I got!

http://a15.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/16/l_153d82b2f570758701329dcccb26fb0e.jpg

It's Happy Beaver, by Jeff Pidgeon! :D

Here's the box the Beaver comes in! :)

http://a208.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/52/l_975195bd7d053f718eba686eebaadd87.jpg

[Kaeos]

this is one haaaaaapy beaver there Bill! :D

[KingVoyeur]

Bill, I can't imagine you ever having anything to do with a beaver's happiness. :headscratch:

[Bill_the_Pony]

:eek:

Well, if they made "Lonely Beaver" I'm not sure I would get one.



:headscratch:















:confused:

[Bill_the_Pony]

Whilst searching at ebay this morning for a DVD for Hitchcock's "The Birds", I stumbled across this Special Edition Barbie released this year:

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/2/l_26acab19cc7a4831a4baf34f34c0d7fa.jpg

Though it's NOT urban vinyl, it's baffling that Mattel would actually do something as outrageously cool as this. :eek:


Now, they need to do a Norman Bates with Ken. :rolleyes: