Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 2, 2011 in
Cinema,
Hobbies and Collections 
I have to say that I still find myself letdown on a number of levels with the Tron sequel: The fanboy in me feels that it just wasn’t as good as it could have been, yet I know the reality is that perhaps Hollywood couldn’t do anything more clever than to rip off the Matrix. But the bright side of all of my disappointments is that there is a wealth of cool Tron goodies that have been released onto the market. And on one such case are these cool sets of Tron Kubricks from Japan — if you can just forget the sequel you can relive your childhood. Read more…
Tags: Kubrick, Tron, Tron Legacy, Urban Toys, Vinyl Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 7, 2010 in
Animation,
Hobbies and Collections 
I don’t want to brag but back in the day before all the new kids (who are no longer kids) discovered Ranma ½ I already knew who Rumiko Takahashi was because I had already fallen in love with Urusei Yatsura — which by the way I always felt was a much more humorous series. So when I set my eyes on this amazing sculpture of Lum needless to say I was quite smitten. I’m also impressed with the fact that this model comes in one version with green hair and another with magenta hair. This collectable figurine of Lum is designed by the ever so talented Bome who is a Japanese sculptor whose primary focus is the ladies of anime. Read more…
Tags: Anime, figurine, Japan, Urban Toys, Urusei Yatsura
Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 21, 2010 in
Comic Books,
Hobbies and Collections 
The Blammoids! seem to be catching on quickly — the first set is due out this month and features Batman, the Joker and some other well known DC characters. Shown here is a preview of the fourth series which is due out in December and will feature Flash, Etrigan the Demon, Brainiac, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and Reverse-Flash: Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Mar 4, 2010 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Star Wars 
As a Star Wars fanboy I’m quite impressed with the level of detail in this Kubrick Star Wars DX Series 1 which is based on Return of the Jedi. Featured in the set are Luke Skywalker as a Jedi Knight, C-3PO & Salacious B. Crumb, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Amanaman the bounty hunter, Bib Fortuna and extra parts to build a Jabba the Hutt! These goodies will be shipping around the end of June however pre-orders are already being accepted. Read more…
Tags: C-3PO, Chewbacca, Jabba the Hutt, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Return of the Jedi, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 15, 2010 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Star Trek 
So much of the toy fair is really aimed at kids, and while there are fanboy friendly booths here and there Diamond is always a pleasure to visit with the variety of cool goodies that they have. Shown above is a Qee Bear Spock — and below you can see a wide range of toys from Alice in Wonderland to Mickey Mouse: Read more…
Tags: Alice in Wonderland, Disney, Mickey Mouse, Peanuts, Qee, Ren and Stimpy, Spock, Toy Fair 2010, Urban Toys, Where the Wild Things Are
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 14, 2010 in
Hobbies and Collections 
Ugly Dolls had an even larger presence at this years Toy Fair — not only were the dolls back, but the line has expanded into clothing and books! But best of all they haven’t lost all the little touches that has made this band so good, just look at the amount of detail on these t-shirts: Read more…
Tags: Toy Fair 2010, Ugly Dolls, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 3, 2010 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Tech 
I’ve seen tons of iPod themed goodies on Etsy but as far as I can tell Google has beaten Apple to the punch in the urban toys market with this set of Android Mini Collectibles Series 01. Frankly the thing that find heart warming about the Android logo is that it’s so darn cute which makes it an ideal collectable, and mind you that this is something that Tux the penguin logo for Linux could never pull off (it was the far body and eyes that made it look so doofy). This set was designed by the artist Andrew Bell and there are a dozen different designs each of which stands at three inches tall and features a rotating head: Read more…
Tags: Google, Robots, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 5, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
O-No! Sushi by Andrew Bell is an urban toy reaction from a vegetarian to sushi. I like the effect of the cartoony octopus looking on at horror at the presentation before him. Bell also has a similarly themed print up for sale at his website as well: Read more…
Tags: Japan, Sushi, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 21, 2009 in
Cinema,
Hobbies and Collections 
The first toys for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland film are starting to be announced: Shown above is a Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Doll for Johnny Depp fans — although at $200 you’ll have to be a hardcore fan. More to my own aesthetic and financial liking are the Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat Kubricks below which are $19 for the pair. Sadly these goodies won’t be out for Christmas, but you can pre-order them for April 2010. Read more…
Tags: Action Figures, Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 7, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Horror 
This is no ordinary cute Cthulhu! This release of My Little Cthulhu actually glows in the dark. This limited edition 8-inch vinyl figure designed by John Kovalic won’t be out until March of 2010, but you can pre-order now. Can’t wait for your cutie? The original My Little Cthulhu Dark Edition Vinyl Statue is available now: Read more…
Tags: H. P. Lovecraft, Urban Toys, Vinyl Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 2, 2009 in
Cinema,
Hobbies and Collections 
The great thing about zombies being so in style is that you can write about then after Halloween without feeling guilty! So it’s with pleasure that I can share this Night Of The Living Kev Inaction Figure which captures director Kevin Smith who is sporting the Monroeville Zombies t-shirt as worn by Seth Rogan in Kevin’s film Zack & Miri Make a Porno: Read more…
Tags: Kevin Smith, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Oct 18, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
What better way to celebrate a hipster film version of Where the Wild Things Are than with a cool Kubrick figure? This Where the Wild Things Are Max 400 Percent Kubrick Figure won’t be available until December but it looks worth the wait. This figurine is somewhat unusual in that it’s 8 inches tall which is about four times the size of the usual Kubrick creations. Of course being a collectable Max is priced at about $150, but if you’re on a budget for Christmas (or want to start shopping sooner you can get the Where The Wild Things Are Kubricks Figures 6-Pack which should be coming out this month: Read more…
Tags: Maurice Sendak, Spike Jonze, Toys, Urban Toys, Where the Wild Things Are
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 24, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
This fall Dark Horse will be bringing out a line of toys based on the 1997 Tim Burton book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories. Shown above is Toxic Boy and below is Oyster Boy, these two go on sale on December 9th and better yet the original sculptures for these figures will go on display at Museum of Modern Art in New York City come November! Read more…
Tags: Tim Burton, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 8, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
Hello Kitty is catching the urban vinyl toy trend with this latest Hello Kitty Urban Vinyl Mini Figure 2-Packs Wave 1 Set which is due to come out this month. Featured in this set are Duckies Mimmy, Soap Kitty, Piano Kitty, Flower Power Mimmy, Peace & Love Kitty and Boom Box Mimmy. I guess you’ll have to wait for set two to see if they do a Walkman Mimmy or a VHS Kitty…
Tags: Hello Kitty, Urban Toys
Posted by Guest Author on Jul 31, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
Before the San Diego Comic-Con 2009 fades into memory we present these highlights from the show — presented by the talented artist and toymaker David Foox: Read more…
Tags: Batman, Mobile Suit Gundam, Robotech, Urban Toys
Posted by Guest Author on Jul 28, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
The dust has settled on the San Diego Comic-Con 2009, but lost in all of the Hollywood movie coverage was a con packed with all sorts of other goodies like designer toys! This photo essay by artist and toymaker David Foox gives you a first hand view of the convention: Read more…
Tags: Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 23, 2009 in
Animation,
Hobbies and Collections 
When I first spotted this limited edition Junko Mizuno Designer My Little Pony my first thoughts were “This looks like My Little Pony on LSD!” By adding the baroque flourishes to a sugar coated 80s cartoon icons the result reminds me a great deal of psychedelic inspired artwork from the late 60s — which in my book is a good thing (or an entertaining thing at the very least). By the way if you’re into the art toy treatment there’s also the My Little Pony Collector Art Pony Wave 1 Set although it looks a little bit more hipster like in its inspiration: Read more…
Tags: Junko Mizuno, My Little Pony, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 7, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
As I’m lucky to love what I do for a living I don’t often get a chance to cut out of work early, but yesterday I was feeling pretty dead so I made an early exit from my studio. I’m also lucky as my office is just a few blocks north of SoHo here in NYC, so taking advantage of the daylight I made a stop at Kidrobot which is located at 118 Prince Street to have a look around. On the off chance you don’t know it Kidrobot is THE store in NYC to see urban toys, it’s a small shop but what it lacks in scale it makes up for in spirit (in fact i always feel inspired after visiting the place). Here’s a glimpse of this designer toy oasis: Read more…
Tags: kidrobot, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Mar 2, 2009 in
Animation,
Hobbies and Collections 
From a quick glance I wasn’t too impressed with the mecha design of this Transformers Disney Label Mickey Mouse — the problem was that it just wasn’t cute enough! But of course the devil is in the details: If you look closely at the top you’ll see the classic Mickey Mouse enjoying being at the controls of his very own giant robot.
Tags: Disney, Mickey Mouse, Transformers, Urban Toys
Posted by Guest Author on Feb 25, 2009 in
Design,
Hobbies and Collections 
Editor’s Note: As a creative person I’ve been watching the urban toys scene in awe — and the first question that pops into my head is always “What’s the process of making these cool art objects into reality?” Long time artist David Foox has just introduced a line of toys called Organ Donors, so I asked him as a favor to write up an article giving his start-to-finish experience as a first time creative tackling the world of designer toys.
Step #1 Concept
The most important aspect of any custom vinyl toy is CONCEPT. “If your concept is solid, your toy is a success.” – Erick Scarecrow, friend. While this is the first step of the project, it is actually the most important step – and the one that is most often neglected. People are typically in a hurry to get to the other steps and fail to adequately delve into the concept that is being developed. In order to best develop a concept, I would advise people to first create an inhabitable environment, world, universe, or cause. Read more…
Tags: Urban Toys, Vinyl Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 23, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections,
Star Wars 
Kubrick has put put out a collection of toys based upon everybody’s favorite bounty hunter. The collection includes six versions of Boba Fett including a vintage toy and holiday special look! Read more…
Tags: Boba Fett, Kubrick, Star Wars, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 18, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
Hidden in the basement of the Javits Center the Toy2R was a wonderful oasis of urban toys in an ocean of rainbow colored plush at the Toy Fair. The first goodies that caught my eye were the Reservoir Dogs Qee Series shown above and below.
Sadly I’ve grown jaded now that Domo has gone mainstream, but I wouldn’t be ashamed to have these colorful variations hanging out near my computer:
Read more…
Tags: Hellboy, Qee, Reservoir Dogs, Toy2R, Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Feb 9, 2009 in
Hobbies and Collections 
This weekend at New York Comic Con I heard the line “if you add a zombie to anything it will get better!”; And these skateboarding zombies by Tsuchiya Shobu are proof of that concept. These beautiful (but undead) vinyl figures are 8″ to 10″ tall and have a wonderful amount of detail in them: Read more…
Tags: Urban Toys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 27, 2009 in
Animation,
Hobbies and Collections 
One of the fun things about urban toys is when they give you a fresh take on a familiar character, and that’s the case with these Modern Pets Friend: Mickey and Minnie figurines. In fact looking at these toys I almost wish that Disney would think of doing some feature length animation with a set of reinvented characters done right (of course while trying to avoid over doing it ala Muppet Babies).
Found via shopncsx.com.
Tags: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Urban Toys
