Win Original Art by Noferin in Mono Pecanpals Giveaway

PRESS: To celebrate the release of the latest series of Pecanpal wooden figures, Noferin and myplasticheart is running a cool giveaway. Purchase any monotone wooden Pecanpals at myplasticheart between May 5th and May 31st for your chance to win one of three great prizes from Noferin. Prize packs include 1 original brush drawing and 1 limited edition signed and numbered giclee print.

CLICK THRU to find out what the prizes are, or check out the giveaway microsite here for further details.


Noferin monotone wooden pecanpals prizes:
1st prize
- Original brush drawing 9.5 x 5.5 inches
- Giclee Print (Signed and numbered) 8.3 x 11.7 inches

2nd prize
- Original brush drawing 7.5 x 4 inches
- Giclee Print (Signed and numbered) 5.8 x 8.3 inches

3rd prize
- Original brush drawing 6 x 4 inches
- Giclee Print (Signed and numbered) 5.8 x 8.3 inches



[Pecanpals Details here]

Baggies by Shin Tanaka (New Downloadable Paper Toy Series)

Shin Tanaka shares with us his new series of papertoys dubbed "BAGGIES" ~ which essentially describes what thy are: "bags" of differing shapes and sizes, with blank templates all ready for downloads to create your own faux-fashion branded-skins! PDF Templates for all 5 styles shown above downloadable here, while there's also an additional online gallery for you to showcase your designs (Just follow the instructions of submission, and you'll do just fine).

Bacon MadL by Sket-One x MAD x Wizard Sleeve Toys

A three-way combo-roastup between designers Sket-One & MAD in conjunction with Wizard Sleeve Toys gets ready to serve up a yummilicious toy with the BACON MADL vinyl figure!

Served medium-rare and standing 5.5" tall, the Bacon MadL is limited to 300 pcs, and will see a launch beginning with a signing tour in NYC (estimated starting date: August 2010) taking place from Kidrobot NYC to Crewest Gallery LA. *More info as I get'em*

Toy-Teaser: 5 inch Sharky by Keith Poon

Keith Poon from ToyQube shares with us some snaps of the unpainted prototype of his next character release, a 5" tall SHARKY! The rotund and chibi-chubby, Sharky's going in for the kawaii-kill, yeh? Over-feasting on tuna much? ~ Oh heck, you had me with the stubbish-fins, Keith! LOL ~ CLICK THRU for more peeks and stay tuned for color sample pics next!

Godot by Sergey Safonov Revealed

After the previously posted protot-sculpt teaser-sneak, Sergey Safonov reveals in full the fedora-wearing GODOT! Standing 4.5 inches (12cm) tall, the figure is slated for a late-May 2010 release as a limited edition resin figure, and includes a "little comic and a guide how to wear your fedora properly."

Never failing to surprise, Sergey's creations thread a decidedly different path than most toys in the market (right now / CLICKETH) and teeters within the realms of fantasy faint with the promise of a story yet told, both whimsical and heartwarming. And this is a very interesting interpretation of Godot, IMHO. As we await further drop-details, CLICK THRU to find out more about Godot :)


WHO: The name Godot is pronounced in Britain and Ireland with the emphasis on the first syllable, /ˈɠɒdoʊ/; in North America it is usually pronounced with an emphasis on the second syllable, /ɠəˈdoʊ/.

The figure is named after a character of Samuel Beckett’s play "Waiting for Godot", in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for someone named Godot who never shows in and who's identity remains a mystery.

WHAT: The toy prototype is made with help of Crazy Label prototype and development office and will be produced as limited edition resin figure in Sergey's home studio.

TTF2010 Exclusive 3" Baby Treeson by Crazy Label (Taipei Toy Festival)

For this year's Taipei Toy Festival, Crazy Label has prepared a lil treat for fans of Bubi Au Yeung's Treeson, with this adorably bespectacled 500-pc limited TTF 2010 Exclusive 3" Baby Treeson!

[CLICK THRU for single-image of Baby Treeson and it's fabric pack-bag] ... While neither price nor availability of the product is revealed at this time, the other question is: "WHEN is TTF2010?" :p UPDATED: TTF2010 happens between July 8t-11th [blogged].



Source: Rotocasted / Additional images via Bubi's flickr via Treeson's Flickr-pool

The Singapore Premiere of Handmade Nation @ Screening Room, The Arts House (May 29)

May 29th 2010 will see the Singapore Premiere of Faythe Levine's Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design [www] @ Screening Room, The Arts House. Tickets are priced at SGD$8 per person, with 5 screening times scheduled on May 29th. CLICK THRU for more show and availability details.

Do note that the film is rated "NC16" [some nudity].


I saw (and snapped) this poster up at Basheer's earlier this week, for the Singapore Premiere of "Handmade Nation" [www] ~ a documentary film by director Faythe Levine (who blogs about this film and her next film about sign-painters here). Deffo interested to attend ~ anyone wants to come with?

ABOUT: Handmade Nation documents the new wave of art, craft and design that is capturing the attention of America. It is the feature film debut of director, author, artist and curator Faythe Levine. Levine travelled to 15 cities and covered more than 19,000 miles to interview artists, crafters, makers, curators and community members.

Today’s craft world has emerged as a synthesis of historical technique, punk culture, and the DIY ethos, also influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art.

Singapore also has a crafting culture that is still in its infancy. This documentary would make an interesting comparison for the general public while also be an inspiration for the aspiring local crafters.

[More information via www.pauseability.com.sg ~ which includes a promo offer of FREE TIX along with the purchase of a "Handmade Nation" Book priced at $39.90]


Tickets may be purchased in the following ways:

OVER THE COUNTER
The Arts House Box office
1 Old Parliament Lane
Singapore 179429

[www.theartshouse.com.sg]

BY PHONE: The Arts House Ticket Hotline: (+65) 6332 6919

BY FAX: Fill in your details and fax completed form to (+65) 6339 9695.

VIA EMAIL: Fill in your details and email completed form to tickets@toph.com.sg

OPENING HOURS:
Monday to Friday: 10am – 8pm
Saturdays: 11am - 8pm
Sundays: Closed


WHEN: 29th May 2010 (Saturday)
WHERE: Screening Room @ The Arts House
HOW-MUCH: SGD$8
SCREENING-TIMES: 10:30am / 1pm / 3pm / 5pm / 8pm

First Thor Reveal (And My Impressions On The After End-Credit Sequence of Iron Man 2)

The first image of THOR from the live-action comicbook-adaptation feature film (above-right / with Chris Hemsworth as the Asgardian Lord of Thunder) has been released online via Yahoo!Movies, featuring a costume/armor based on the Thor comicbook series written by J. Michael Straczynski (shown above-right is artwork by Olivier Coipel), which frankly (and thankfully) is a "smarter" variation of the 6-disced blue+yellow comicbook costume from before, IMHO [First blogged about in 2007].

CLICK THRU for more random snaps of Thor's godly duds from the comicbook, if you so please (including "massive" SPOILERS from the Iron Man 2 movie ~ so be warned!)



***WARNING: IRON MAN 2 SPOILER AHEAD***
Folks who had bothered (or known) enough to sit thru til the end of credits for the IRON MAN 2 movie, would have been treated to a sequence that leads to a split-second reveal of "Mjolnir", the name of Thor's hammer, which sat within the center of a huge crater in the ground, in the middle of New Mexico.

***IRON MAN 2 SPOILER END***
The significance of said hammer-in-ground ~ in plain-speak (for non-comicbook reading folks):

Without looking at the synopsis of the movie actual, the significance of Mjolnir in such a state, seems to be based on the story in the comicbooks, when after the events of "Ragnarok" (the death of gods etc, oh, you know these world-ender stories, yeh? :p), Thor had disappeared (when in fact he had entered into godly hibernation), and his hammer subsequently found on Earth, in said crater-in-ground ~ whereby different folks had then tried to lift up the hammer, to no avail, save a single person, Dr Donald Blake ~ who was the human persona Thor took up in the comics. From then, Thor returned to "life"... [For more comicbook Thor, check out his wiki]

Without a doubt, the end-credit sequence of IM2 is a direct a tie-in to The Avengers movie (which of course Iron Man is a part of, be it as a full-fledged member, or "consultant", as is the status in IM2), for which fans of both Thor and Iron Man, as well as Avengers can be jazzed about, but for the masses, might befuddle folks a tad.

My personal issue (which actually bugged me to bits) was that the hammer shown was unimpressive, and frankly, pretty tacky. The handle looked thin, and slightly longish (unlike the chubby stubby seen in the comicbooks), as well as possessing a candy-cane stripped style, which made it quite frilly and pretty! (Which to me, as a bad thing). And the hammer-head itself looked more "hi-tech" than Norse battle-weary, IMHO.

All of which, frankly, does not endear me to the live-action movie. Or perhaps I have gotten used to Coipel's 2007-depiction of the chunky-godbod, as compared to this single image-reveal of a grunge-rock-star in costume Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the movie (but of course I am being unfair based on a single image-reveal).

But I remain hopeful to be entertained, Forsooth**!



In the 2007 comic-series, Thor battles Iron Man in the aftermath of Civil War, where Thor returns to Earth (having missed out on the war) and found out that Tony Stark (Iron Man) had created a cloned Thor based on the real Thor's tissues which Tony swiped. Thor kicked IM's iron-ass so hard in the comic, I would really love to see that in live-action, on the silver-screens LOL!

(**I don't exactly know what "FORSOOTH" means, but it has been exclaimed a lot in Thor's comics LOL)

Toy-Teaser: 10 inch Copperhead-18 Trexi by Kenny Wong x Play Imaginative

Spotted at Play Imaginative's storefront in Iluma, Singapore, is the brand new 10 inch tall COPPERHEAD-18 TREXI from Kenny Wong, along with it's tin container! As swell as the tin container is, the main focus is the Trexi form itself, with this incarnation being a full vinyl figure (as opposed to it's earlier ABS-plastic make), as well as the newly developed articulated leg [first blogged about in 2007], which now allows the figure to "sit". CLICK THRU for a closer TOYSREVIL-First-Peek, including a blank version of the 10 inch Trexi!

Currently in the pre-order stage (for retailers), be on an eagle-eyed lookout for a "special variant" amongst the "8-tins-to-a-carton" mix (*Hint: you will only find what "it" is when you open the tins*) ~ I'm not going to fully spoil the surprise for you folks (not until I grab some snaps of it, of course ;p).







[Posted below is the "original" ad for the Copperhead-18 Trexi figure]

[Also seen on display at Iluma was a blank 10-inch Trexi (not too sure if it is GID or plain vinyl tho...)]

Truth be told, I've never been known to be a huge fan of the TREXI-form, but with the added articulation, it somehow elevates the attractiveness of the figure, not least because it is a Kenny-Wong-designed Copperhead-18, but for the sheer notion of a DIY-version of it, and the possibilities that may come with customizing an articulated figure, IMHO. You decide for yourselves.

TRE02: Destroyer @ Ozzo Collection, Singapore

I'm not known to be a toy-customizer (beyond my own personal-passion and humble participation in a small handful of group shows), and I have not had the experience of being in shows for too long a time (to feel jaded or otherwise haha), but there is something about sending off a custom for a show and not expecting to ever see it back, in your hands or otherwise (of course hoping it will get sold to someone who appreciates it), especially when you like the job you did on the toy. One such figure was my custom-Destroyer TRE02 [tagged] ~ completed for a online charity event organized by O_Negative (to benefit Operation Smile).

CLICK THRU for more peeks, or drop by Ozzo Collection in Chinatown Point (#03-21) where it is currently on display, and sale. The proceeds of which (I am told) will again benefit Operation Smile (via the new owner's initiative). Bringing the lurve forward. *Coolness*


[The resin DESTROYER is designed by O_Negative, sculpted by Eric Nocella Diaz and produced by Argonaut Resins]