You are in the 2011 Toy Art time capsule. Click here to escape to the present.
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December 2011 Headlines
- Yosiell Lorenzo releases the hibernating Sicklings.
- I have a hardcore interview with Felt Mistress.
- SKWAK is commissioned by Le Centre Pompidou in France.
- Jeremy Fish gets an app.
- A superfan recreates Super7 toys with Legos.
- Now even cubicle commandos can go dumpster diving.
- I review recent toys by Gary Baseman and Kidrobot.
- Banksy gives us a Christmas present.
- Bigfoot opens his solo show and premier of his resin at Dragatomi.
- Ron English collaborates with Chris Brown on a toy, and nobody understands why.
- MAQET reveals its holiday 2011 collection.
- There is a lamp that looks just like Amy Winehouse.
- Damien Hirst and Flea paint bass guitars for charity.
- I review the Blamo Toys custom Swampy show.
- MAQET makes sexy sculptures for Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock.
- Takashi Murakami unveils a giant plush at Art Basel.
- Super7 releases a tiny ice cream trilogy.
Click here for the full December 2011 archive.
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November 2011 Headlines
- Art history is explained in snow globes.
- There’s a holiday for supporting bloggers; yay!
- I interview Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters .
- Complex posts a list of the Top 50 Designer Toys, and I have some comments.
- SKWAK gets an app.
- Ron English and Jason Freeny independently collaborate.
- Frank Kozik designs some Pumas.
- David Cranner synthesizes a Van Orlax.
- Gary Ham makes a wood homage to The Sucklord.
- Classic toys get turned into slick lamps.
- SUCKtalk interview with The Sucklord (episode 4, 5 and 6).
- I checked out the ThreeA custom toy show in San Francisco.
- The Sucklord gets voted off the island.
- Mars-1 opens a solo show in San Francisco.
- Loyal Subjects releases a 5-foot Kid Dragon by Sam Flores.
- Toy Talk with Tado!
- The DesignerCon 2011 recap.
- Yosiell Lorenzo releases his first resin Sicklings.
- SUCKtalk interview with The Sucklord (episode 3).
- Frank Kozik releases his Ludwig Van bust in porcelain.
- I fabricate a fake fight primarily for my own amusement.
- New hand-painted resin mutant bunnies from Joe Ledbetter.
Click here for the full November 2011 archive.
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October 2011 Headlines
- Francesco de Molfetta opens Pop Fiction at Toy Art Gallery.
- Jeremy Fish releases a set of dominoes.
- Dragatomi is voted best toy store in Sacramento.
- SUCKtalk interview with The Sucklord (episode 2).
- Kidrobot releases balloon animals that aren’t by Jeff Koons.
- KAWS x Snoopy: Good Grief!
- Practically impractical Japanese T-shirts.
- SUCKtalk interview with The Sucklord (episode 1).
- Fitness for kaiju collectors.
- Ryan Roberts takes playing with toys to the next level.
- Johnny Cupcakes releases its mascot as a vinyl toy.
- MAQET releases three new 3D-printed collectibles by Scott Tolleson.
- SUCKtalk interview with The Sucklord (episode 0).
- Kidrobot announces a new Gary Baseman mini series, a new president and a ‘pre-call’ for defective product.
- Extended Playz announces a vinyl toy by Jon Knox.
- Have a look inside Tim Biskup’s digs.
- Barbie gets all tatted up with tokidoki.
- Circus Posterus holds its Halloween show.
- Travis Louie’s Uncle Six Eyes finally gets released.
- Highlights from the Alternative Press Expo.
- Olaf Breuning turns mortals into art stars with body paint.
Click here for the full October 2011 archive.
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September 2011 Headlines
- Michael Lau releases the king of all designer toys.
- Terry Richardson makes a great toy.
- The Sucklord graces the cover of The Village Voice.
- Felt Mistress opens The Beetle Boutique.
- Instinctoy has an Inc Bear custom toy show.
- Spoke Art presents a benefit for the sharks.
- Dominic Wilcox puts miniature worlds inside of watches.
- A new issue of Design Bureau comes out with my K. Olin Tribu interview.
- I finally write up a comprehensive Comic-Con 2011 pictorial.
- Two tough girls beat up Spongebob Squarepants in LA.
- I have a fantastic time playing with toys and interviewing Junko Mizuno.
- Toy Art Gallery opens a retail showroom on Melrose.
- Toy Karma has its third show in Chicago.
- KAWS has his second show in LA.
- Dril One has his first solo show in Sacramento.
- MAQET releases the Japanese Schoolgirls 5-way co-creation.
- Mike Leavitt shares his Art Army Royalty sketches and then the actual figures!
- A bunch of fashion designers customize scissors.
- Superdeux has a solo show at The Summit.
- I give a l’il lesson on the history of Mickey Mouse and gas masks.
- Circus Posterus takes over DragonCon.
Click here for the full September 2011 archive.
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August 2011 Headlines
- THE SUCKLORD is revealed as a contestant on Bravo’s Work of Art Season 2!
- A new trend this month? Inflatables.
- The culmination of long term research: 100 Toy Art Tattoos.
- Research tells me that Junko Mizuno fans love to get her art as tattoos.
- I interview Ron Hollatz, who is covering his body with toy art tattoos.
- I get the first look at Bigfoot’s new toy, sculpted by Brin Berliner.
- Colin Christian makes a trio of beautiful girls, but I love riot girl the best.
- Joe Ledbetter releases vinyl piggybanks with Play Imaginative.
- Loyal Subjects hits Fab.com with Joe Ledbetter, Buff Monster and Alex Pardee.
- Ron English releases a signature Montana spraypaint can.
- I adore Tiny Fuppets.
- Knowing what you like doesn’t mean only liking what you know.
- Ronnie Pirovino shows off his epic KAWS collection.
- I get all existential over designer gas masks.
- San Francisco toy and comic shop, Neon Monster, closes its doors.
- Frank Kozik goes bananas on Fab.com.
- MAQET releases Yosiell Lorenzo’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
- Skinner opens his “mellower” show at The Shooting Gallery. As always, he rules.
- I gif the shit out of TADO’s collaboration with GOLA, which, by the way, is awesome.
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Or something.
- Turns out that marshmallows make great canvases.
- I dig in to Australia’s Perks & Mini.
- Some ants in India trip the hell out.
- Jason Mecier makes a portrait of Amy Winehouse out of pills. Too soon?
- I suddenly have a better understanding of Winnie the Pooh.
- Cherry Vinyl makes a big announcement, and I’m very excited for them!
- I uncover Frank Kozik’s first ever resin Labbit.
- English puppets teach me that green is not a creative colour.
- Toy2R finally shows pictures of Jason Freeny’s Visible Qee.
- MAQET releases Patchwork Dankeschoen by Shin & Nao.
- Anpanman gets banned in the Middle East during Ramadan.
- The Beastie Boys release $750 action figures.
Click here for the full August 2011 archive.
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July 2011 Headlines
- The Designer Toy Awards: best remembered in pictures.
- San Diego Comic-Con is epic. This is a tag archive for all related posts.
- MEET MAQET!
- I find out that Ferg and I share a favorite color (among other things).
- I talk to Daniel Zana about The Vinyl Frontier.
- These crazy kiwis unbox 600 Dunnys.
- Doodlesplatter shows up in a documentary about stickers!
- Grody Shogun debuts a make-your-own Monster.
- Brian McCarty uses toys as therapy.
- China bootlegs the shit out of KAWS.
- I chat it up with Greg “Craola” Simkins.
- Imaginary Menagerie looks to be the best art show I can’t get to see in recent months.
- I have the most amazing friends.
- Noferin partners with Tynies on a set of small glass Pecanpals.
- People who watch Twin Peaks also write graffiti.
- You can find the biggest plush pancakes in Vegas.
- Mike Leavitt makes bath towels out of suicidal celebrities.
- Camilla D’errico shows off her first vinyl.
- Roomba vacuums make good art. So do skateboards and cars.
- Convergences with James Cauty blow my mind.
- It turns out that factory errors look a lot like art.
- Brandi Milne makes an art toy. An actual, honest-to-goodness art toy. In 2011!
- Cunicode uses 3D printing to make really clever coffeecups.
- Comic-Con 2011 previews [tagged] start gearing up…
Click here for the full July 2011 archive.
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June 2011 Headlines
- Kathie Olivas’ sculptures for her solo show look amazing and sell out accordingly.
- I finally post pictures from Glenn Barr’s Faces.
- I discover Poppin. My desk will never be the same.
- Jon Knox releases his first vinyl toy through with Lulubell. Congrats!
- High fashion means women can dress up like urinals.
- I fall in love with The Color Bringer by Bjorn Calleja.
- A Russian ad agency makes iconic ice cream.
- Takashi Murakami reveals a revealing 10-foot girl.
- A bunch of cool artists customize urban death machines.
- Luke Rook announces Grody Shogun, his new vinyl company.
- Idolz Toys releases an artist series, but nobody seems to care, especially the artists.
- Public voting opens in the Designer Toy Awards. This blog and LOVE MOVEMENT are both nominated.
- These perfect resin Ungummy Bears from Germany were the antidote to the malaise I felt after TAG’s resin show (see three bullet points down).
- Jason Freeny auctions his first ever custom toy, but it surprisingly ends at just $285 with 19 bids.
- Wilfrid Wood turns David Choe and Harry Kim into toys.
- I drive to LA for Toy Art Gallery’s “Juried Resin Toy Show” only to conclude that the resin community is definitely not ready to be judged.
- Kidrobot Black’s “most magnificent creation” goes on sale.
- Naturally, Anthony Weiner has an action figure.
- Toy art by Travis Louie?
- Mike Leavitt makes his first porcelain piece.
- BROMANCE gets cancelled as Artifact Gallery’s owner chooses a “career change”.
- Artists and judges get ready for TAG’s Juried Resin Toy Show.
- FriendsWithYou AND KAWS hit the High Line in NYC.
- Scott Musgrove sells some original, affordable work online.
- Parra and Toykyo release more great porcelain multiples.
- Oakland, CA has a toy company???
- Frank Kozik inflates a 20-foot Smorkin’ Labbit in Argentina.
- Stranger Factory, the store/gallery owned by Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters, opens in Albuquerque.
- BROMANCE is announced.
- French company taps graffiti artists to customize prosthetic limbs.
Click here for the full June 2011 archive.
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May 2011 Headlines
- FERG adds articulation to next generation of Squadts.
- Figuras Pubicas make me laugh with recycled toys.
- Funded by Kickstarter, Sergey Safonov travels to Hong Kong to sign Luno the Moon Rover at Crazy Label!
- KAWS releases a 12-inch wood Companion for $3K.
- Now you can visualize brands as toys.
- I say mostly very nice things about the Vinyl Roots custom toy art show.
- My first and last post about Japanese designer underwear?
- Olek yarnbombs her way into my heart.
- Super7 celebrates 10 years in existence.
- Anna makes me the most flattering sandwich ever.
- Josh Keyes sells everything he hung at FFDG before doors even open.
- Inner Sanctum releases Mari Inukai’s new toys, which are nice, but will become available wholesale when IS realizes they can’t sell them all online themselves.
- Gary Baseman goes to Israel for an unconventional fashion show.
- Jason Siu returns to vinyl, but it seems like nobody really cares.
- Instinctoy releases more GID & flocked vinyl goodness.
- Gabriels’ Toys for Melancholics opens at TAG.
- Judgement day is closer than you think.
- Playtimes magazine publishes a story I wrote about Monster Party.
- Godmachine and I discuss cats and coffee.
- I talk to Mark Landwehr of Coarse Toys.
- I finally understand how pottery can be cool.
Click here for the full May 2011 archive.
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April 2011 Headlines
- Max Toy Co celebrates 5 years of making toys.
- Conan O’Brien receives an original Jason Freeny anatomy sculpt for his birthday.
- Bratz beats Barbie.
- It becomes public knowledge that these people have the coolest house ever.
- I get deep on how we spend our time.
- Ian Ziobrowski creates the best 420-themed custom ever.
- Giant Robot announces they will close their San Francisco store.
- James Jarvis designs Coke cans and water bottles.
- Luno the Moon Rover Kickstarter project is successfully (125%) funded! (April 12th, 2011)
- Monsters & Misfits begins in Japan.
- Super7 releases their first bronze figure.
- Julie West sketches for fans at Kidrobot SF.
- Joe Ledbetter announces an edition of 4-foot fiberglass Mr. Bunny figures.
- Sort of inexplicably, Kidrobot hands me a Follow Friday.
- Inner Sanctum shows off Camilla D’Errico’s first vinyl toy.
- Rise Japan raised $15K to donate to Japan relief efforts by selling awesome art.
- Artifact made its debut with Burlesque.
- I checked out Last Gasp’s 41st Anniversary art show.
- I spent Friday and Saturday at Wondercon in San Francisco.
- The new Artist in Residence column debuted with Okedoki.
Click here for the full April 2011 archive.
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March 2011 Headlines
- We all have a conversation about Kickstarter.
- I visit Yosiell Lorenzo’s studio.
- Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami join Mike Leavitt’s Art Army.
- Ron English makes a bad decision.
- All LOVE MOVEMENT art now with 40-100% donated to Japan relief!
- Luno the Moon Rover Kickstarter project begins! (March 23nd, 2011)
- DEVO rocked San Francisco.
- A Chinese company rips off a number of urban vinyl artists.
- Four years in the making, Jonathan Edwards’ Inspector Cumulus gets its release.
- I announce a project I’ve begun working on with The Jailbreak and Jason Freeny.
- Gary Baseman and Brandt Peters say how they feel about fans bringing toys to fine art openings.
- A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami causes unparalleled disaster in Japan. As of March 21st, The Japanese National Police Agency has officially confirmed 9,301 deaths,2,722 injured,and 13,786 people.
- A DIY vinyl sneaker toy project raises $20K in funding on Kickstarter.
- Alex Pardee teaches us that art + pop culture = winning.
- I cast some resin dinosaurs with Dustin Cantrell.
Click here for the full March 2011 archive.
February 2011 Headlines
- Brandt Peters x Ferg’s Trouble Boys #23 Squadt collab sells out (300 pieces in 2 minutes).
- Tabasco sauce comes after Sket One over 10 custom toys, and I have something to say about it.
- Kidrobot seems to begin liquidating toys and apparel on third party sites.
- 3D printing makes a little headway toward being accepted in the art world.
- Mimoco debuts the first ever blind boxed USB drives (with Friends With You).
- Uglydoll ceramics captures my heart.
- I interview Luke Chueh for Vannen here.
- I geek out on toys in public.
- Greta and I appear on the local news.
- The East Bay Express publishes my story on Leecifer.
- Chairs designed by artists catch my attention.
- Dril One causes some controversy in the custom toy world.
- Toy Art Gallery released their first bronze statue.
- Design Bureau publishes my column on Coarse Toys.
Click here for the full February 2011 archive.
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