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Today, 6:00pm. I won't be getting one because I just spent $500 to have the brakes fixed on my car. But in a few months...

No more news today, I am just going to sit here and drool.

Made For You And Me

Liberty, She Is Blue

I got a press release last night from Erick Scarecrow that his toy company, Esc-Toy Ltd., is proud to announce the release of the Limited Ed. Liquis Series Liberty "True Blue" surprise colorway. The symbol of artistic freedom is a 12" figure signed by artist/creator Erick Scarecrow and is limited to 100 pieces. It will run ya' about eighty bucks and is available for pre-order from www.esctoy.com.

Neckface Sold Out!

There's a new Limited Ed. aNYthing x Neckface cap [pictured above] available at Sold Out! Seems appropriate, n'est pas? Anyway, this cap features Neckface's interpretation of the aNYthing logo on the foam front and what appears to be woven zig-zag pattern material on the back, trucker style.

Now, I live in North Carolina, where people don't wear trucker caps for their ironic sensibilities, but instead because they really are truckers! So it has always seemed a little strange to me to see people wear trucker caps who live in Williamsburg or LA (Ashton Kutcher). I never really understood the appeal. Who wants to be a disgusting, dirty, fat, all-day-ass-sitting, hitchhiker-molesting, Republican-loving truck driver?

I don't wear hats, but if I did, they wouldn't be trucker caps. How about making something fashionable like the fedora popular again? How about going back to the days when men wore suits and flashy hats and looked good like film noir stars instead of dressing like homeless people? Maybe if you weren't covered in ugly-ass tattoos up to your neck and dressed like a homeless person normal people wouldn't spit on you so much, you hipster asshole! I'm sorry about that, you know I love you. And I do like the colors of the cap, they match my blog!

Death From Above!

I'm not a huge Gargamel fan (the Japanese toy company, not the villain from the Smurfs), but I do like this Gargamel x Napalm Death x Ningyoushi Limited Ed. Gargadeath figure [pictured above] that will be available starting at 11am PST today from Ningyoushi. It is red, black and white, to represent the colors of the Ningyoushi website (and my blog, for that matter). No other info just yet, but click on the picture above closer to 11am PST and there should be a link to purchase the figure. At least until it sells out, which should not take too much time.

Update: There are still some Gargadeath figures available for $65 a piece over at Ningyoushi! Only one per customer, though. Better get there quick!

Another Update: Apparently, the Gargadeath is now sold out!

Too Many Toys!

Alright, I am going to make this one short and sweet because it will contain so much information. First off, Secret Base has a couple of important new news items. They will apparently be releasing some shiny new silver mini-figures soon. No release date, just a price, ¥5040, and pictures [below].Secret Base has also announced some other new mini-figures, although they aren't on their website, they are on Toybot Studios. Below is the flier that TBS has on their website. Apparently, they will be out in early July for $30 for a case of 12 and supposedly if you collect all of the different variations you will be given the opportunity to purchase 12" Skullbee.Next up, Kidrobot has finally put the new Huck Gee Geisha and Shogun Dunnys [pictured below, left to right] up on their website. They aren't available just yet, but they are super cool to drool over.

   
And lastly, but not leastly, Ningyoushi has the new Hot Toys Star Wars chubby figures, which were inspired by Russian matryoshka nesting dolls. The first series includes six figures which depict Darth Vader, Obi-wan Kenobi, C-3PO, SITH, General Grevious, and Wookiees [pictured below].

Rainy Storm 2: Thunderstruck

Here's the new teaser trailer for Rainy Storm 2: Thunderstruck!

Out Of Mind

Flixster Picks

Visit my Flixster page and you will understand.

Firefly!

No, not the ill-fated-but-much-loved, very original, Joss Whedon sci-fi Western creation. No, a shoe store in Raleigh, North Carolina. I had completely forgotten about Firefly (which I had been to for a gallery opening a couple of years ago) until I saw them mentioned as the Best Place for Kick-Ass Shoes in the Independent Weekly's Best of the Triangle issue. This is definitely one of the best places for cool shoes in the triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) and on the web, because now they have a web store with some of their selection online. My personal favorites are the John Fluevogs, especially the Supervog [pictured above]. That's a special Limited Ed. colorway only available from Firefly. I'm a big fan of the brown and green color combination, and with water, acid, alkalai, fatigue and Satan-resistant soles, you can't go wrong. Sweet!

New Sneaker Site

I got e-mail from Sneakeralley.com letting me know that they have a new authentic sneaker site. It doesn't appear to be fully functional yet. They have several AF1's available, but it doesn't look like the rest of their site is working yet. I'm sure it will be cool and another good sneaker resource when it is up and running, so I figure I'd help them out by giving them some links. Good luck Sneaker Alley!

Mini Munny Mobile Design Contest

In honor of the release of their new toy, Kidrobot is holding a contest to design the hottest DIY Mini Munny Mobile around. The grand prize is a $500 Kidrobot gift certificate. Entries will be judged in seven categories: hottest hot rod, classiest classic, best detail, best concept, best driver, best in show, and judges choice. Now here's a design contest that is right up my alley! Anyone who knows me knows I love cars. Especially hot rods and muscle cars. I'm not wealthy or fortunate enough to own one, but that doesn't mean I can't draw and design them (or watch endless shows about them on The Learning Channel). Just check out the '32 Ford Model A Rat Rod that I drew for this film festival poster. Unfortunately, I am also not wealthy enough to buy one of the Mini Munny Mobiles to participate in the design contest. However, I am willing to make this offer to the three people who actually read my website: if you buy me the Mini Munny Mobile and I win one of the contest categories, I will split the prize with you and I will give the winning entry design to you. Even if I don't win and you like the design that I create, I will give it to you. That's right, you will own an actual piece of art created by yours truly, Limited Ed. a.k.a. Alec Grossman. Come on, I know someone out there is willing to donate $39.95 to help me make my dream of being an automotive toy designer come true. Entry deadline is July 20th, so get started everybody!

Zipface

About a week ago (maybe more, I can't keep track of time) Secret Base posted a mysterious image of a new Secret Base x Take-Shit collaboration titled Zipface. There wasn't a lot of information in English, and I don't read Japanese, so I was puzzled and intrigued. Well, today Secret Base has revealed pictures of this new project. The Secret Base x Take-Shit Zipface figure is a new take on Secret Base's Obake Dog figure with a Take-Shit designed partially decomposed skull-face. The figure appears to be wearing a straitjacket and comes with what looks like a white body bag with a Take-Shit button on it. I'm not a huge fan of Secret Base's Obake Dog figures, I prefer Skull Brains and Skull Wings, really anything with a skull on it, which is probably why I actually like the Zipface figure. It has an Obake Dog body, but a skull face, which is always cool in my book (the manual, the police manual!). Zipface will run ya' ¥6300 when it hits stores and I will let y'all know as soon as it does on this side of the ocean.

The Call Of Cthulhu

   When I was in high school (like, fifteen years ago, sheesh), H.P. Lovecraft was one of my favorite authors. My tastes have matured a lot since then, but I still can't help falling for this adorable, Limited Ed. My Little Cthulhu from Kidrobot. John Kovalic, the artist behind this creature, was actually able to make Cthulhu into something cute instead of the giant, indescribable, human-munching monster that is portrayed in the horror-fiction of Mr. Lovecraft. The figure stands at approximately 8-inches tall and comes with two little victims to keep Cthulhu busy and not eating the rest of your toys. This little feller will run ya' about forty bucks, but who can put a price on the horror that is Cthulhu?!

Hey Mr. DJ

Put a record on, I want to dance with my baby. And now I can tap out on my watch how many beats per minute the song I'm dancing to contains. Or at least I could if I had the new Limited Ed. Equalizer BPM DJ watch from Tokyoflash. The BPM watch has quite a few features built into it. It displays both the date and time, has a mini-torch built in (a flashlight for us folks here in the states) and of course the "Beats Per Minute" feature with scrolling messages (such as "The roof is on fire!" and "They're working up a sweat!") to get you in the mood for your next mix. To use the BPM function, press the central D button for a moment and then tap the button to the rhythm of the beat. You only need to tap five times for the BPM meter to work. The only downside to this watch is it is too easy to read. Unlike all of the other watches available at Tokyoflash, this watch shows the time in a basic numerical format. No binary, crazy LED's or special codes to decipher in order to determine the time. I mean, what fun is that. Oh yeah, and if you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic there. I really like this watch. And at only $65, it is pretty darn affordable, too. Seems cool to me.

Hillbilly Alcoholic Poetry Slam Extraordinaire

Damn, that is one handsome hillbilly!

A Little Bit Of Hoop Da' Hoop

And a little bit of who of what. Wootini, my favorite local Limited Ed. toy store and gallery, will be hosting the Little Friends of Printmaking's latest exhibit, Little Who of What, starting today, June 8th, and running through July 8th. The opening reception will be held tonight starting at 7pm. There will be refreshments and "Family" will be on hand to lay down some laid-back tracks.

The Little Friends of Printmaking are J W & Melissa Buchanan, a husband-and-wife team of artists & designers based out of Milwaukee, WI. Originally trained as fine art printmakers, their dalliance in silkscreened concert posters quickly turned into a design career. In 2006, they received the Young Guns award from the Art Directors' Club, honoring the world's finest emerging creatives under 30. Their work has been exhibited internationally, and they have been published in the recent books New Masters of Poster Design [Rockport], Two-Faced: The Changing Face of Portaiture [iDN], and Beasts! [Fantagraphics].

Sherpa Sherpa

Sherpa Sherpa Sherpa. Say the word a few times and it starts to lose its meaning. Kinda' like elbow or truncheon. They just become marbles in your mouth. What is a truncheon, anyway? Alright, now that I'm done with my etymology lesson for the day, I got e-mail from Pink Ghost today (actually, last night) letting me know that Chris Lee will be in the house to sign his Limited Ed. flocked "Sherpa" Mellow on Saturday, June 30th beginning at 8pm. The first 25 people to show up and purchase a Sherpa Mellow will receive a free signed and numbered mini art print. Only 180 Sherpa Mellows were produced and they will run ya' about ninety bucks. There will be music, a raffle and free coffee and cupcakes available at the signing, so even if you don't get a Sherpa Mellow, there will be plenty of other stuff to enjoy. If only I lived in Florida, I would attend this event (actually, I would probably kill myself. I hate Florida).

Transformers... More Than Meets The Foot?!

Nike and Takara Tomy have teamed up in honor of the new Transformers movie and have released what is one of the worst Transformers toys I have ever seen. Not that the rest of the crappy-looking-but-much-anticipated Transformers movie merchandise looks any better. But come on?! A shoe that transforms into a robot? What's next, a door knob that transforms into a capuchin helper monkey? I don't care how cool the robot is, who wants to play with a shoe? Actually, I know a couple of dogs who would really like it. It comes in an authentic Nike shoe box and is available from Ningyoushi. Now, you're probably thinking I would think this thing is cool because it combines my love of toys with my love of kicks, but I have to give this toy a rating of "Why bother?" and "Oh gah".

Secret Cola Flava'

Secret Base has just unveiled a new product-themed Skull Brain figure, this one based on the Coca-Cola logo. I don't have availability info yet, but it looks like it is going to run ¥6300. It comes with a Coca-Cola themed Secret Base bandana. Looks pretty cool.

Update: C-Brain is now available here at Super 7 and here at Toy Tokyo for seventy bucks.