Toy-Review: Tankopula - Minty Fresh Edition

TOY-STORY: "Tankopula" is a three-way collaboration between U.S.-based resin-slinger Jesse DeStasio, The Tarantulas and Triclops Studio - both from the U.K. The resin cast figure has been made available predominantly in three main colorways: "Toilet Fresh" (Purple), "Aqua Fresh"(blue) and "Minty Fresh" - of which this particular edition was made available during Toy Street (in New York, circa April 2011), and which this toy-review is based on.


Bagged and tagged with self-printed header card, the figure was gifted to me by the ever awesome Rob Losito (@smack6102) and received in the state as shown above-left = unassembled. And while I have no particular love for the color-hue, the sculptwork is utterly amazing. And as well clean and crisp, especially for a figure this size! From the defined "tank-head" (a hallmark of Jesse's), to the tentacled arms (Triclops signature) to the visually recognizable Nibbler of the chest-piece (from The Tarantulas) - this is indeed a sweet piece to be had!


Unfortunately my particular piece did not fit together as expected. Sure, the joints fit effortless into the parts they were supposed to, but they were extremely loose and coupled not stay within for an periods of time (Or perhaps I should not have removed the blue-plastic bits at the edge of the pegs, which instead could have helped in a tigher-fit of the joints?).

UPDATED: Jesse DeStasio confirms my suspicion (via the comments section) - mentioning: "...yes, the blue pieces hold the parts together better. You can mimic them with a piece of masking tape. The peg holes are a little larger so they can accommodate Glyos parts."

The figure "held together" for these snaps simply because I cupped them gently when the pics were taken. But you know what? Tis nothing a little super-glue can't fix - as long as I decide on a swell pose for it! And truth be told, this design would be better served if it was produced in a size of a 8 or 10 incher - in full-on vinyl - presented with no fuss, like a bootlegged toy from China! Now THAT, would have rocked immensely!

Someone go make that happen!

LINKABLES
- Jesse Destasio www / twitter
- Triclops Studio www / blog
- The Tarantulas www / blog / twitter

Post-SDCC Q&A with Kirkland Jue of Toybot Studios

TOYSREVIL: How was SDCC this year for you? Compared to last year's? [Interviewed]

KIRKLAND JUE: SDCC this year was amazing.  We had a blast. Tried to be more focused this year. Not stress out as much. Hung out with old and new friends and just enjoyed the show.  I think last year, I tried too hard to be everywhere and was always stressing that I was missing something.


TOYSREVIL: What was your favorite part of SDCC this year? And your least favorite?

KIRKLAND JUE: The favorite part of the show was hanging out with all the toy geeks that have become good friends over the years. Outside of the Bay Area, we don't get to see each other all that much so it was good to re-connect.  The least favorite part was that there were several friends that couldn't make it down to SDCC this year so we missed them.


TOYSREVIL: As a toy-blogger, what do you think of the diversity and spread this year?

KIRKLAND JUE: Since I focus on Japanese toys, it was unfortunate that many of our favorite toy designers could not make the trip from Japan. It's been a very difficult year for them so our well wishes go out to them and their families and we hope that they can return to SDCC next year. 
 
Several US toy designers and artists really blossomed this year with an incredible diversity of offerings including PUSHEAD, Paul Kaiju, Monster Worship and SKINNER just to name a few.


TOYSREVIL: As a toy-fan and collector, has this year's offerings met your expectations?

KIRKLAND JUE: Absolutely.  Even more so. I tried to focus this year on toys that I really, really wanted. Showcase pieces which were mainly customs as opposed to just buying whatever was in front of me.


TOYSREVIL: What were you there for? As a fan-first or a blogger-first?

KIRKLAND JUE: First and foremost, I'm a collector just like everyone else. Blogging, toy photography, customizing, etc. is all secondary.

FYI: All images posted here are from Kirkland's Top Ten Toy Haul (NOT posted on order of preference = for that you have to read Kirkland's list). Kirkland's coverage of SDCC 2011 on Toybot Studios.

Video Coverage of ZAKU by Ashley Wood x Bandai @ ACGHK 2011

Missed my blog-coverage of ZAKU by Ashley Wood of 3A Toys x Bandai @ ACGHK 2011 over the weekend? No worries, here's three-minutes worth of moving visuals of this prototype for you to view, courtesy of 2Old4Toys (and you need to check out his youtube-channel for Gundam videos).

Instinctoy BE@RBRICK @ Medicom Toy 15th Anniversary Exhibition

Yay! Instinctoy scores a BE@RBRICK with Medicom Toy - featuring their beloved LIQUID creation - now seen on a BE@RBRICK-form at the Medicom Toy 15th Anniversary exhibition [tagged] looking splendid in tinted-clear, and with a "peaky" to boot! And the backing-card looks quite a winner too! *Congrats, Instinctoy!*


Ya know, I've always wanted a TOYSREVIL x BE@RBRICK to call my own (more for fanboy-coolness than ego tho, I insist) but have since laughed it off as a figment of my own abundance of imagination and wishfulfilment ... well. a guy can 'dream', can't he? LOL … Images via Instinctoy-blog.

Star Wars @ Medicom Toy 15th Anniversary Exhibition

Courtesy of the Instinctoy-blog we get a glimpse at what Star Wars products are to be available from Medicom Toy at their 15th Anniversary Exhibition [tagged] including a very retro-funky-looking Han Solo RAH (gotta dig his'do, but in all the wrong ways! LOL). As well there are a slew of SW-themed toy-releases for the event, including Boba Fett and Storm Trooper KUBRICKS (shown above - amidst all the other event exclusives = *drool*). I can drool about them, but I have no way to get at them, so I save my tissues for another day… heh.


[5 x images in slideshow above / Full-screen viewing]
What I really like about their SW-releases so far, are that they have been concentrating on the first three movies (New Hope, ESB and ROTJ) and with only their Kubrick-releases including their subsequent "prequels" - and while I may not know the exact business agreements/ins-n-outs, I kinda like that premise - if indeed Medicom "chooses" what they want to release, ya know? Heh.

Sqalone & Rangeas Kubricks @ Medicom Toy 15th Anniversary Exhibition

Seen at Medicom Toy's 15th Anniversary Exhibition [tagged] are a couple of products from Japanese creator T9G - which bears a look at - featuring a new sculpt dubbed SQALONE (an evolved Rangreas from InTheYellow?) and Rangeas KUBRICK! And there'sTWO of them? (Need clearer pics, most def!)



If the online-translators do me right, the post on T9G's blog mentions the prototype (above-left - wax proto-shown) will be sold via T9G/MUSEUM and would be different from the one shown at Medicom's exhibition.

- Kubrick pic via Instinctoy-blog
- Sqalone pic via Kaiju Korner

Sofubi @ Medicom Toy 15th Anniversary Exhibition

I knew Andy of Kaiju Korner would pull thru with his coverage of sofubi figures from Medicom Toy at their 15th Anniversary Exhibition [tagged! While shown below are line-up pics, do check out this Kaiju Korner post for close-ups and individual focus. (All pics via).


[6 x images in slideshow above / Full-screen viewing]
Spotted in the display include a look at Max Toy Co's Kaiju Dualos, Josh Herbolsheimer's Earth Wolf, Kaiju Coup's Waru Inu, a pair of dangerous kitties from Real Headand even a new sculpt from T96 with "Sqalone". Good times for sofubi and the embrace of original creator concepts by Medicom Toy is pretty impressive, I have to say! *Two-Thumbs-Up*

Product-Review: 2011 - 3AA Membership Package from 3A Toys

Received my 3AA Membership Package earlier this morning (for I was lucky enough to receive it from the postman, in lieu of it being delayed when I am supped to be at rehab this morning and would have missed it completely). I reckon this must be the most well-spent US$150 I have ever had to part with, for a package like this from 3A Toys. Let's take a look inside, shall we?


THE BOX: What can I say? Simplistically lush - compared to the swishes of previous two releases [2009 / 2010] but a hefty thickness that only serves to tease and taunt you with the contents within - and oh what a treat they turned out to be!



INSIDE THE BOX: The flap-open cover (held together by magnets) opens up to a swell graphic image of a Ashley Wood-skull and the top-tray of the box visible. The Action Portable already excites the eyes, I must say. BUT remember to NOT PULL the entire butter-paper out YET! (There is a simple reason WHY - which I will explain later-soon).



ACTION PORTABLE: The Action Portable-scaled "Oya" Tomorrow King is immaculately awesome, and it's no wonder why fans have been clamoring for these 1/12th-scaled 6" figures. Fully articulated and with fabric-tailored clothes, these are figures worth having in ANY action figure collection. I've always had admiration for the works of threezero and the quality of this continues to amaze me still. The WWRp Nom De Plume really blew me away, and I have no doubt this Oya will too.




AK PRIMER COMICBOOK: Surprisingly one of my favorite component of this package, turned out to be the large format AK PRIMER comicbook! Printed on slightly thicker-cardstock (than flimsy comicbooks) the contents have the characters from Adventure Kartel, as rendered and painted by artist Ashley Wood. I have yet to read the book in full, and will find an opportune time to do so at my leisure.

Oh, and remember when I mentioned above NOT to pull out the butter-paper too soon! Well, I did and found out I had a hell of a time trying to pull this comic OUT from the tray! The size of the book FITS PERFECTLY into the tray, and I had to pry aside the box to use my fingernails to claw at the cover, to lift the book out. That newly made fold-crease now at the bottom of the comicbook cover? Now that's pretty distressing, lemme tell you! But I'll get over it soon enough...

To be frank, I'd imagined later that the butter paper was what would be used to lift the comic out - but of that I am not 100% certain it does, beyond protecting the blister-cover of the Action Portable Oya. Would have been nice just to have a slip of paper that actually says "Pull TO Remove Comicbook" or sumsuch facility for numbnuts like me. Yep.


BOTTOM-SURPRISE: Yes, the bottom tray pulls out. Pretty lush in a modern-metro-sexual-man with needs to contain coolness in his wardrobe. Read into it as you will, I just love the aspect of the push-up-pull-open "surprise" element of discovery of this package!



Your membership card, a 3A-lanyard, a toy catalog and a hood lay within the bottom tray. And here I have my "TOYSREVIL" membership card to shout out about, and a lanyard to wear at occasions that might demand it (Pretty "smart" promo item here, I must admit).



3A-CATALOG: The 3A Toys Catalog is one of the most relevant form of self-promotion I have seen in this age of toy releases. And while I cannot ascertain the "successfulness" of it's being and reach, the fact that "ThreeA Toys" and "who" they are - are constantly reminded to folks beyond a physical-toy, is impressive. Imagine catalogs given out to friends to introduce them top the toys, or even to flip-thru and gawk at the toys - without the need to remove them from the display shelves or packaging box to view?


3AA-HOODIE: The apparel aspect of this package that completes the "lifestyle" that 3A Toys does not overtly promote about. Why "lifestyle"? You COLLECT the toy, you PLAY with the toy, you READ the comics and catalog, and now you WEAR their items. What would a geekoloid want for more? I'm down with it!

Ironically, I dare not open the hoodie jacket to show - as frankly all the previous tee-shirts I have had from 3A do not fit me. Yes, I was ignorant enough to think I could still fit a Large - so in any case, I went for an XL for this round. Man, I do so hate to be "wrong" again - it would definitely gut me more than I ever expect LOL



UPDATED: I opened the hoodie-package, wore it and took snaps of myself wearing it with a timer. I might loo hideous in these images but the hoodie feels AWESOME Set against the sweltering heat of Singapore (bolstered somewhat by the sudden rainfall when these pics were snapped) - the apparel felt extremely comfortable, and is actually extremely thick! Folks in winter-climates will absolutely love this gear, I dare say! Kudos, 3A!


So how was YOUR 3AA-Package for YOU?

Risk and COOZ: "That Was Then, This Is Now" @ LeBasse Projects (Aug 20-Sept 3)

LeBasse Projects presents: Risk and COOZ: "That Was Then, This Is Now" - the first major collaborative exhibition by Kelly Graval and Nathan Ota, aka Risk and COOZ. Launching August 20th (Opening reception 7-10pm) ­and exhibiting thru September 3rd, 2011. This is the partial writeup for the event:

"That Was Then, This Is Now" is the traveling exhibition (that) reunites these artists whose friendship began before they would respectfully become graffiti legends in the streets and revered artists in galleries and museums internationally.

Risk and Nathan Ota collaborated together over 25 years ago when they were classmates in high school. After high school, they went their separate ways but reconnected once again through their mutual friends in the artist community. Two friends with similar beginnings have taken two very different paths are now back together again with new skill, understanding and maturity as artists.

The artists' collaborations were initially revived when Nathan Ota invited RISK to join him as part of an exhibition with apparel brand Hurley at their corporate offices. The success of that show led to the commitment from both to continue their work together and launched the first stop of this traveling exhibit at San Francisco¹s 11 Minna ­ a stalwart of the City's arts scene."