Banksy Does New York

One of my favorite graffiti artists, a man whom I admire for his shunning of the spotlight, the mono-cognominal Banksy will be having a solo exhibit at the Vanina Holasek Gallery in Chelsea from December 2 - December 29, 2007. This is Banksy's first exhibit in New York, although he does have some of his graffiti around the city if you are lucky enough to spot it. The opening reception will be held this Sunday, December 2 from 1-5pm. If I was in New York, I would definitely be at this event. Hopefully, when I am up there at the end of the month, I will get a chance to check out the exhibit before it comes down.

[Via Josh Spear]

Kidrobot Heats Up

I wish I could be in Miami tonight. Not just because it would be a lot warmer than it is up here in cold old North Cackalacka, but because the new Kidrobot Miami Store Grand Opening is tonight from 6-8pm. This is the largest Kidrobot store to date, featuring over 1,000 sq. ft. of designer urban toy goodness. For the opening, Kidrobot fave Huck Gee has created 305 super-limited Miamified 3" Skullhead Dunnys [pictured above]. Mr. Gee will be at the opening to sign figures for those lucky enough to get in through the maddening crowds. After the opening, there will be an after party at Miami hot-spot WISH at The Hotel (named one of the 50 Best New Restaurants in the World by Conde Naste Traveler and one of the most expensive restaurants near Kidrobot Miami) featuring contests and giveaways starting at 9pm sharp. Don't miss the madness! Kidrobot Miami is located at 638 Collins Ave. and WISH is located at 801 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach, FL.

My Waterloo

Comedy becomes reality with the release of the TwoDaLoo [pictured above] - a supertoilet meant to save rocky marriages and the planet. From those wacky folks over in China, the TwoDaLoo is a tandem toilet very similar to one featured in the Niagara Love Toilet skit on Saturday Night Live back in the late 80's, early 90's [below]. The TwoDaLoo supposedly brings couples closer together and conserves water all with one flush. The TwoDaLoo features two side-by-side toilet seats with a modest privacy wall in between. An upgraded version includes a seven inch LCD television and an iPod docking station. When Anne and I move in together, I am going to have one of these installed so that we can go with Frankenpussy to visit the poop and pee gynecologist. The suggested retail price is $1,400 and it is only available to retailers online, so for now you might just have to settle for having your spouse or loved one sit on your lap facing you on a single toilet so that you can enjoy the act of pooping together.


[Via Gizmodo]

Suck It Bitches!

Ningyoushi is busting out the new Limited Ed. Sucklord 600 vinyl figure! This badassssssssss figure is the first original vinyl figure produced by Suckadelic. The figure is 5 inches tall and comes packaged on a huuuuge 13 inch x 10 inch blister card. It features 8 points of articulation and comes with a boombox, lazersword, turntable, and cape. Only 750 of them were produced, so get yours quick. $50 each.

I'm Seeing Stars

Whitey Fresh 3000 sent me an e-mail informing me of this really cool TIWE OLED concept watch creating by Chinese designer Lv Zhongfang that was inspired by the position of stars in the night sky. It is just a concept right now and is not currently available for purchase, but hopefully it will be soon, because it is pretty sweet. The OLED watch face screen features white dots spread all over like stars, and when you touch the watch or shake it, the stars arrange themselves like magic, forming the clock hands and hour positions. Cool.

Jeans Are Expensive!

I was reading one of my daily blogs, Be Unequaled, and they had a post about denim, so I decided to look into a little Limited Ed. denim action on my own. I have been wearing jeans since I was a small child (like everyone else in the free world) and have always been an admirer of good denim. I have tried everything from Levis to Old Navy to Gap to Polo for my jeans and find that good ol' reliable Levis fit me best and look the best on me. I have never had a really expensive pair of jeans, though. I once had a pair of Polo jeans that I got from a discount Polo outlet. They lasted me for six years and were one of the most comfortable pair of jeans I have ever owned. Unfortunately, they ripped in half from the crotch out when I stepped over a short wall in college. Apparently, now, Selvage is all the rage in jeans. Selvage is the ol' skool style of making jeans that disappeared from the American market in the 1950's and only resurfaced recently. These jeans are stiffer, darker and better constructed than your regular, cheapo-brand jeans. So I went looking for Selvage and found the online jean store Context Clothing. Damn! These jeans are expensive! With prices ranging from $90 for a pair of Good Society Jeans [pictured above, left] to $129 for the cheapest (and ugliest) pair of Nudie Jeans [above, center] to $299 for a pair of Atelier LaDurance Limited Ed. Prescott Selvage jeans [above, right] it is hard to justify buying a pair of these when I can get a perfectly good pair of Levis for under $50. And I know the Levis will fit and look good, something that is not guaranteed if I buy jeans over the internet. Personally, even though the quality is supposed to be better, I think Selvage is just a bunch of hype that will either fade away like the indigo in the jeans or become common, standard fare and will be seen in retailers everywhere.

Toypunks DVD Now Available For Pre-order

After one wild ride, the Toypunks Vol 1 DVD is now available for pre-order! 17.99 plus 4.00 domestic shipping. The DVD will ship DECEMBER 1st!

Toypunks Volume 1 is an odyssey into the world of Japanese toys, fashion and punk rock. Exploring the birth of the designer vinyl explosion from its roots in character culture and punk music, Toypunks Volume 1 takes you in-depth with Japanese fashion icon, Hikaru Iwanaga, creator of the world's first designer toy. Hiddy Kinoshita of Secret Base, Frank Kozik, Balzac, Three Tides Tattoo and more are interviewed highlighting profound cross-cultural connections between today's top creative talents in toys and fashion.

Extras include:

• Uncut Bounty Hunter Interview Ecerpts!


• Hiddy Kinoshita on Sneaker Collecting!


• Frank Kozik on the Death of the Undergound!


• Live Sculpting Session with Kiyoka Ikeda of Gargamel!


• And more!

Toypunks on DVD: Retail 17.99

Shipping: 4.00

Please send payment and shipping information via paypal to sales@toypunks.com

Keep It Ninja

Shawnimals creator Shawn Smith has created a variety of new Ninjatown-inspired works for his My Plastic Heart art exhibition in December including never-before-seen fabric collages. These multi-layered wall-based felt constructions will involve the same style of imagery and illustration Shawn has become known for, except in a form somewhere between sculpture and painting, similar to relief. These new works will be accompanied by smaller painted panels, and two all-new handmade special edition plush – Pocket Zombie Ninja and Super Ninja – available in limited quantities which Shawn created alongside creative collaborator Jen Brody and the Shawnimals staff.

In addition, an exclusive Keep it Ninja exhibition t-shirt will be available and the all-new Ninjatown Micro Plush blind box series from Squibbles / Rotofugi. Other Shawnimals merchandise will be available as well, like shirts, buttons, stickers, and, of course, plush.

Holiday Gift Idea

Remember, this holiday season, Apple Gift Cards make excellent presents for the person on your list who is trying to save up for a new Mac Mini or iPod Touch. Just saying...

My Favorite Dripper

Alife got some new Krink markers and t-shirts [pictured above] in stock. I love Krink markers for their drippiness and permanency. I have marked up some dumpsters, buildings and phone booths with them myself. Just kidding, I would never besmirch my community and break the law! I really like the K-71 t-shirt [pictured top], the Choices t-shirt [middle] and the Postal long sleeve tee [bottom]. And my favorite colors are silver, green and purple. The tees are $40 each or $45 for the long sleeve tee. The markers are $10 for the EZ-Squeeze [above] and $8 for the K-71 [not pictured]. You can pick these up at any Alife store and they do accept phone orders.

How Are Ya' Hawaii?

Something Other Than Shoes And Toys

    Hey, guess what? There are other things out there in the world of importance to me other than shoes and toys (and 16GB iPod Touches for Hanukkah, hint, hint). For instance, I like art. I paint. Sometimes I will even take a picture or two. Speaking of two pictures (nice segue, thank you very much), the Chapel Hill Public Arts Committee announced today a show of photographs by two photographers, Jonathan Andrews [pictured above, left] and Gina Gibson [above, right], opening this Saturday, November 17th at the Chapel Hill Public Library from 2:30-4pm. The exhibit is free and open to the public and will be up until February 6, 2008. It sure feels weird to be writing 2008. I guess I should start getting used to it, 'cause it's only a few weeks away. Scary!

Reebok Still Isn't Cool

Yeah, I know it has been about a week since I posted anything, which is a little ridiculous now that I have internet at home, but I have been busy optimizing my home Wi-Fi network and getting my computers running at full capacity (for porn). Anyway, there was a little post over at Cool Hunting today about the new Limited Ed. Reebok Timetanium Ventilator sneakers [pictured above] that I wanted to comment on here. Apparently, these $150-a-pair kicks, that are limited to only 100 pairs available starting today (so get there quick, before they sell out, loser), have been getting a lot of attention recently. Created in association with graphic designer, computer scientist, MIT professor and author of Laws of Simplicity John Maeda, these shoes supposedly merge math, technology and nature into a wearable product. That is, of course, dependent on what you consider wearable. Maeda's handwritten computer code lines the insole of the sneaker and the graphic generated by the code is the complex design featured on the outside. I'm not sure what that has to do with time, maybe if I read Maeda's book it would make more sense, but it doesn't make for a very attractive shoe. Of course, I've never been a big fan of Reeboks. I think I had one pair when I was a kid and they were possibly the worst shoes I ever owned. I don't know if they have improved their quality in the last 20 years, but unfortunately they have not improved their aesthetic. You can watch a video of Maeda blabbing about his shoe here.

Bad Ass Bears

I got e-mail from Jason over at Bax Bear the other day letting me know about the release of their new figure. The Bax Bears will be released into the wild this Saturday, November 10th at El Kartel in Vancouver, BC. The release party will run from 9pm until midnight. There will be over 100 hand-painted 8-inch bears and 500 secret gifts available. There is also a super-limited gold-plated Bax Bear chase figure somewhere out there to lust over. These little bears remind me a lot of Qee bears, but with different ears and an articulated waist. You can find out more information about Bax Bears on their blog. Also, check out the additional pictures below.

New Chapel Hill Comics T-Shirts: Preorder For Discount!

Our very own hometown Chapel Hill Comics has new Chapel Hill Comics T-Shirts available for pre-order. If you put in your order before November 12th, you will receive a serious discount! As seen on the likes of giant nerds like Brian Posehn [pictured above, right]

Nothing But The Zooth

Good ol' Kaws has got himself a new toy. Designed in association with Neighborhood, the Kaws Zooth [pictured above] will be available in both black and white versions from www.kawsone.com today at noon Eastern time. And will sell out in about five minutes. That's about all the time you have to get a Kaws toy these days, even one that looks like something that was dug up from Michael Vick's backyard. Poor puppy.

Update: What did I say? It's sold out already!