Custom Selogo Crater Base

Paying tribute to the classic crater base sets. Made with Plaster of Paris, plexi, clear gorilla tape and loads of paint.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you the best from the whole Onell clan!

I also wanted to send a special thank you out to Cady for the awesome figures shown above (Space Ninja and "Nona")! You even captured my receding hairline and eternal shorts, Bubba!

Spaced Out Design: Mecha Treeborgs

Extended family member and 3D printing machine, Pj Bartlett of Spaced Out Design, will have a brand new round of homegrown figures available tonight, March 12th, at 9PM EST.

The amount of work that Pj pours into each one of these 3D printed figures is pretty crazy. Just about every time we talk he's busy either printing, cleaning, vapor bathing or painting one of his mechanical marvels. Based on what I've seen, the work that goes into creating just one fully poseable 3D printed figure is far beyond the tortures that can come with silicone mold making and resin casting (speaking from direct experience). The end results are absolutely worth it though, as you can actually play with the final piece and even fully customize it (which I got to do with the figure shown above). The resolution is still coming together with the available tech, but I would challenge any action figure collector not to crack a smile when handling one of these little guys.

Between the work Pj, Sanjeev, Ben and David are all doing with 3D printing, the future is looking better than ever for homegrown projects. These guys are all moving in incredible directions.

Well done on another excellent assortment, Pj! It's been a privilege watching you push your limits and seeing you build so many unique figures over the years. This is one of your best runs yet.

Uamodoc

This special version of the Armodoc was put together by the incredible Ayako Takagi, true design genius and mother of all things Uamou.

A small assortment of these were available during the recent NYCC in October, and Ayako and I intend on releasing a similarly themed follow up at some point in 2014.

The paintwork on each custom Ayako created is absolutely out of this world well done.

Whenever I want to see the magic of true talent combined with superhuman determination, I just cast a glance over at our friends in Japan. They are inspiring on every level.

Thank you Ayako!

BCC I

 

A triple team of talent have worked their magic on a very special release over at Banimon.com!

From the Banimon blog:

Tonight, Friday August 30th at 9.30pm EST, the Banimon Custom Corps One will be going on sale at our store. Figures will be $30 each, however we will have a small batch of deluxe beefed up figures for $40 (those have roughly double the parts, and also ship with a collectable poster of the new map of Planet Banimon. The quantities are limited, and we are asking that folks keep their orders to no more then two regular CC figures and one deluxe figure per customer so that everyone can get a chance to snag one. After the first 24 hours we will lift the limits on whatever is left. More details to come this afternoon, and hope to see you all tonight!!

Marking a milestone for the series, the first ever Banimon Custom Corps is the result of Banimon's creator, Boris Savic, combining creative forces with Pj Bartlett (Spaced Out Design) and Seth Longmire (Orbitdyne) to bring into existence a wild new array of mercenaries and madmen.

With Boris in charge of the story and artwork, Seth tackling the sculpting of some brand new parts and Pj handling all the casting, building, painting and photography (shown above) of the entire lineup, you know that something incredibly unique was destined to come together.

Congratulations to all three artists for completing this fantastic project. Larger custom runs are always a blend of pleasure and pain for many reasons, and when everything finally comes together it's truly an occasion to celebrate.

Enjoy tonight's release and we hope to see more from this trio in the near future!

Cavey's 3rd Birthday

Cavey is turning 3 years old!

Holly Stanway, creator of Cavey and all around multi-talented artistic powerhouse, has steadily been building a plush - and now plastic - empire over the past 3 years. When she invited me to customize her new vinyl Cavey (shown in the top pic) for Cavey's 3rd Birthday Show, I was excited to get to work!

Continuing the crossover aesthetic that was started on our last custom collaboration (shown in the drawing above), I wanted to push the sculptural aspect of the piece, covering almost all the surface area, save for a few small spots. The goal was to stay true to the form and vibe of Cavey, but add some "Glyos" lines and design.

The little guy weighs a fair bit due to the amount of epoxy applied, and is covered in about 20 coats of paint!

It was an honor to participate in Cavey's 3rd Birthday celebration, and we wish him many more!

Thank you Holly!


Here are the show details from Cavey's mum:

Vinyl Cavey Custom Show
May 31st 2013. 8 – IIpm, Fleet River Bakery, WC2A 3JF, London.

Featuring delicious customs by: A Little Stranger, Chaukoskis, Cris Rose, DMS, Doktor A, DrilOne, Jay222, Jon Paul Kaiser, J*Ryu, Gary Ham, George Gaspar, Haus of Boz, Jake Waldron, Jeremiah Ketner, Kerry Dyer, Lady Lauren Loves, Leecifer, Lisa Rae Hansen, Luke Chueh, Lunabee, Matt Jones, Map Map, Mike Strick, Mister Lister, Okkle, Onell Design, Onorio Depiro, Peskimo, Phil Corbett, Planet Domu, Podgy Panda, RunDMB, Scott Tolleson, Scott Wilkowski, Sergey Safonov, Stitches and Glue, The Sucklord, The Tarantulas, Squink, Triclops.

To purchase items from the show contact holly@alittlestranger for current availability list.

Microshow Nanobots

The little "Nanobots" shown above are another few refugees from the old Microshow booklet. The size on these two is extra tiny, with joints raided from the forgotten Robo Wheels line by Mattel (with designs by PLEX). Their bodies are sculpted from plumbers compound and the backpack on Nanobot Korec (the brown one) is made from cut and glued fake leather.

Having "companion" mini robots running around is a classic concept, so naturally I could not resist slipping the idea into the jumble-rama that was the Microshow.

This pair spent a ton of time in my pocket (they were built in 2004), yet somehow managed to survive all the travel. Seeing them next to the Glyan up there is kind of a trip, as they look like some kind of mini mecha munchkins.

Another Time, Another Team

During the making of the old Microshow booklet back in 2004, lots of  Micro themed customs were born. Initially everything was kit bashed with additional sculpting done using plumber's compound, but as things progressed certain characters were completely sculpted, with Stikfas joints chopped and used for connection points.

Above are a few shots detailing some of the fully sculpted figures, with only the joints made from Stikfas (a combo of the softer weapons plastic and the classic black plastic). The black straps are from hair bands and the leather is fake stuff that was cut and glued from discarded fabric sample swatches.

The guy with the helmet, Microsoldier Ingram, is based specifically on the pilot from Takara's Biosuit kit from back in the mid 80's. I love that old kit and its pilot represents the Real Type design principle perfectly to me. Making his helmet removable drove me crazy, as well as building his gun.

The female, Microsoldier Kira, is an original design and so is Microdroid Ranic, a character who eventually made its way over into Glyos to become the foundation for Buildman.

Also, if you've never been (or haven't been in a bit), check out perhaps the best Microman site out there, Microforever.com.

When the hell is Microman going to come back, anyway?!

Halftron

Here's a really odd one from the lost files -a scratch built, wire frame Biotron with magnets imbedded in its limbs.

This guy was to be included in Microshow II, but was never finished and has been buried in a toy pile since 2004. I had wanted to create attachments that would utilize the larger magnets for connection points but other projects knocked this one aside.

The idea of having a super bendy version of this Micronauts character is still appealing to me. Maybe one day Takara or Hasbro will make one a reality, but for now I have this junky bot to play around with.

Looking at this Biotron now, I'm reminded a little of the Easter Island Moai statues.

Man, I didn't even give the poor thing its claws!

Custom Micronauts Huntarr

The Micronauts will forever be a massive influence on my creative endeavors (ha!), sneaking into the DNA of just about every project that comes out of this house.

The custom version of the living bio-weapon known as Huntarr (from the original Micronauts comic) shown above was sculpted back in 2000 and tinkered with for a few years after that, eventually landing in the original Microshow booklet we did in 2004.

I was, and still am, crazy about this character. Huntarr was sort of boring in some ways, looking like a lumpy orange alien with gray boots (why he needed those boots is anybody's guess) and no real distinctive details. He could shift his shape to deal with different situations and for some reason just seemed awesome to me. Later in the story, Huntarr transformed into a very Alien inspired form, which I tried to capture by having a removable outer head that could plop onto the first form's noggin.

The actual 3 3/4" custom is sculpted with Oatey Plumbers Compound over a twist tie armature that was wrapped in layers of electrical tape. The eyes are melted "stained glass" plastic pellets and the paint is Tamiya and auto finish.

I played with this figure for years, eventually snapping most of the wires inside due to excessively rough play. Huntarr saw some serious action and has lived to tell about it, now resting with the rest of the Microshow cast, exchanging tales of being abused by some giant bearded geek.

The cruddy drawing was done today, and is a little extra dedication to one of my favorite Micronauts characters of all time.

Big Brother

After crossing over some extremely rough terrain, the trio finally catch up to what they've been tracking for the past few weeks:  The Heavy Caliber MCT. 

Thought to have been destroyed since vanishing on its last mission, the massive machine slowly begins to let its guard down upon recognizing the smaller prototype MCT.

This larger build was one of the first things I made with a production Block in combination with some Conversion Kits. The paint job has a brighter finish on one side and a darker finish on the other, so that each mode has a slightly different feel. These customs were fun to beat up on the rocks of Gloucester.

Test Type Trio

Some shots of Hades, Klace and the Mobile Conversion Tank. I imagine that Klace has teamed up with Hades, having been selected to join the mysterious Classified Division, where only the darkest missions are assigned. Looks like they might be tracking something in this sequence.

I don't know why I like having the Travelers crouch on this thing so much, but it just seems to always end up that way! Maybe I should change the tank's name to the Continuous Crouching Platform.

Mobile Conversion Tank

Some more detailed shots of the Mobile Conversion Tank, which is made up completely of Conversion Kits with holes cut in specific spots for the connection points. The proportions are paying homage to all the beefy little compact tanks that starred in so many old school video games. Having the ability to twist into a few configurations adds some spice to the mix and makes the toy more fun to play with, especially outside (where I've been spending more time than usual lately).

I'm working on another tank, one that will serve as the final prototype for what I want to build with the upcoming Real Type wave, which is due this month. A functioning cockpit should work its way into the next design, as this current version is more like a Test Type, seeing lots of action on its missions to gain more technical data.

Custom Imperium Xodiac

Here are a few pics of the custom "Imperium" Xodiac I put together for the recent Futuretro show. The intention was to give a slightly more armored look (big surprise) but not get too beefy by sculpting up a few new bits. As if a member of Xodiac's race found a Flexion Suit while visiting Glyos and popped it on, resulting in the state above. The cosmic "beard" is a direct homage to Mel's Goldiac paint job.

I was working on this right up until we left for NYC last Friday morning, touching up the paint as the sun came up. These shots were taken between closing up the barn and loading up the car.

Man, I love being able to customize OSM figures. I still can't believe these guys are back.

Futuretro!

This Friday, February 10th at 7PM EST, the Four Horsemen and Toy Tokyo will open the doors at the Toy Tokyo Underground Gallery to unveil Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro, a celebration of 45 years of The Outer Space Men and a rare look inside the creative powerhouse known as Four Horsemen Studios.

From the Horsemen:

"Their second annual show at the TT Underground showroom in New York City will feature many all-new, never before seen items and even some fan favorites and toy industry classics from the Four Horsemen's past, present and future! Get an up close and personal look at action figure work that's seldom (if ever) been seen outside the Four Horsemen's own studio.


Toypocalypse 2: Futuretro will begin with a special opening night for friends and fans at TT Underground Friday night - February 10th 2012, and will run through most of the following week.
 
And if you're a fan of the Four Horsemen's licensed action figure line, The Outer Space Men, then you're NOT going to want to miss this show! There's going to be a specially featured Outer Space Men display that will most likely never be seen in this form again, as well as some special events surrounding the 45th anniversary of The Outer Space Men!

Last, don't forget about the AMAZING set of super limited Outer Space Men figures redesigned by Mel Birnkrant himself specifically for Futuretro! This extra special set of figures will be signed by Mel AND The Four Horsemen, and will also come with an exclusive Outer Space Men print by fan favorite illustrator and frequent Four Horsemen collaborator, Nathan Baertsch! All of that for only $125.00! What a steal! If you want a sneak peek into Mel's brain as he created this new variation on his old classics, check out the "Custom Colors" section of his "Sketchbook" website HERE.

The show's absolutely free, so come on by, chill out with us and some amazing toy industry dignitaries for a couple hours, have a free brewsky on us, and say 'hey' at Futuretro!"

-4H  (clipped from the 4H blog)


Click over to the Horsemen Blog to catch up on all the details that surround this crazy show!

One particularly special part of the festivities is that the creator of the original OSM, Mel Birnkrant, will be in attendance on Friday night -this aspect alone is worth the trip! Between the Horsemen and Mel, you will be in the company of the best in the toy business, all in one spot.

There is also an open call OSM custom show on top of everything else (and fresh off his domination of cable TV, an appearance by the notorious Sucklord himself).

Marc, Jesse and I (the booby prizes) will also be coming down for the show on Friday night and possibly unveiling a thing or two in the gallery. We hope to see some of you guys and maybe go for an East Village Food Crawl later that evening. Crif Dogs is calling us!

All in all, a great time on the horizon!

9:30 PM EST Tonight

We are on track for a 9:30 PM EST launch tonight! An extra half hour gives us a little bit to finalize a couple things that we think will be worth the wait.

In the meantime, I will post a few of the more out there builds I have been working on since the Blocks came stacking and chopping their way into our house!

First up: Heavy Armored Block Trooper-Cane's Custom Version!

This meatball was created by lots of cutting and fitting, but using no adhesives. Everything was measured and installed using a knife and heat gun. Temperature manipulation makes things 100% easier when customizing with vinyl (and the regular PVC parts for that matter).
This figure is comprised of Armodoc parts, Rig parts, Block parts and Runner parts. I'll have an exploded view up in the next few days. The Phase Cannons can slide off, revealing Armodoc arms. The Phase Blockers can be removed, as well as the Block "skirt" -which rests over an Armodoc inner pelvis assembly. The "head" is made from the back of the Runner (WARP Bike) and was originally conceived to be used for things like this. You can actually see a trace of a mechanical looking Pheyden face on this small piece, right down to the three "teeth".
Makes sense that the front of a Warp Bike has the tough face of Callgrim and the bum is based on Pheyden's bulbous noggin!

Zoanoid Inspired Pheyaos Customs

When I was working on the Pheyaos customs a few received Zoanoid/Guyver inspired paint jobs.

Guyver's creator,Yoshiki Takaya, has created so many incredible and iconic designs that they seem to creep into everything I do -since all the way back to 1985! I can't believe Guyver is that old!

My childhood bedroom used to have xeroxed pages of Guyver taped to the walls that I would copy from old Japanese magazines. Guyver, Fist of the North Star, Grey, and Dragon Ball Z drove me crazy back in the 80's.

Oh yeah, I also loved Baoh!

Spectre is Gonzo

Well, I continue to be a fool with hitting the right numbers on these things. I'll let Mori know you guys still like these little creatures and get the next round moving!

What do you all think about the unpainted styles? Are you more interested in CC type releases or direct paint jobs from Japan? Are you in the mood for Pheyden minis or more Pheyaos? I really enjoyed painting these figures and I definitely want to do it again.

Thanks for coming out for this mini drop!

Sneak Release!

We don't normally do surprise releases, but we wanted to end 2011 with something special from our ongoing collaboration with RealXHead Japan.

Tonight at 9PM EST we will have a GITD Pheyaos "Spectre Edition" available through a link in our upcoming 9PM blog post. The only paint on this sucker is his right eye, otherwise he is 100% pure Japanese glow vinyl (and he glows bright). Mori sent over a decent amount of figures so they should stick around for a bit. The price is $30 USD before shipping.

We will also have a small custom run of painted Pheyaos figures I did in the store as well. I couldn't resist the urge to paint a few of these guys, as the pure form just seems to scream for tinkering to occur. This will serve as the only real Custom Corps thing I have personally done in 2011. They will be sold blind bagged and run $40 USD.

We hope you guys have fun with this and it adds a little spice to the year end festivities!