September 28, 2015

SUCKLE Series Two Suburban Vinyl + LRG Colorways!

Hey everyone!  Welcome back to the old ramblings on Keshi Drop!  Real quick, I just wanted to mention that Keshi Drop is officially one year and a couple days old!  You know it's a meaningful moment when even I miss it by a couple days.  Also, we are coming very,very, close to ten thousand eyeball views.  Granted, yes, maybe to everyone else in the world neither things are very important, but I do want to make mention of them, because I don't take anything on this site for granted and appreciate it all.  Thank you guys all very much!


Moving on from all that stuff, though, I just wanted to pop in with some more awesome news about SUCKLE Series Two.  As you guys may know, I really enjoyed this set.  It's hilarious and absurd, and certainly one to hunt down.  So far there are sets in flesh, clear, and glow in the dark.  Actually, with this bit of news you can add two more.

Suburban Vinyl has locked down the transparent green set and LittleRubberGuys has the solid white.  Both have their uses for sure!  If you're a transparent bright color nut, like me, the green set has you covered, but if you want to do your own Sucklord bashing, you'll want the solid white for all your customization needs.

If they are not there yet, keep checking in to their respective websites soon!

http://www.suburbanvinyl.com/

http://littlerubberguys.storenvy.com/

September 23, 2015

Disintegrator CD + Muscle Wolf Keshi Drop!

First off, I want to thank a reader of the blog for bringing this awesome news find to my attention so I can share to everyone here!  Thanks a lot!  I'm only one guy, so I miss a lot of awesome stuff I'm sure, so feel free to send me an email or leave me a comment about something you want me to read up on or cover!

Long-time readers may remember my coverage of the Despair minifigure that was included in Adam Quesnell's comedy album.  It was certainly an impressive little keshi figure to follow, as it went on it's voyage outside the keshi community, and today we have something of the same vein.

Today, let's look at Muscle Wolf in these various colorways, made for the release of Australia's metal band, Disintegrator, and their next album. Slated for an early 2016 drop, Muscle Wolf will be taking a page from Despair's book and will be released alongside their latest heavy metal effort, in many colorways and two different variants (regular and battle-damaged).

If Muscle Wolf interests you, you'll want to act fast.  Even though the album won't be released for another couple months, Muscle Wolf is only going to be included as a preorder bonus.  As far as it stands right now, when these guys are gone, they are gone, and could possibly not see an independent release.  

September 21, 2015

Lets Look At Some Future Onion Fights Releases!


Ultimately, I feel this really should be renamed to 'SpiderEarth really needs to learn Japanese' because I feel I have virtually nothing to add to cool finds like these.  Even still, I will try my best and add my thoughts.

Onion Fights is probably one of the coolest and hottest toy lines in the modern age of keshi minifigure collecting.  Taking inspiration from classic Kikkikuman and building it into their own universe of space wrestlers, Onion Fights have climbed in popularity in not just Japan but in America as well.  Their professionally-sculpted figures have unique portions and burst with character and appeal.  It's a shame they are so limited and it's so difficult to get State-side.  Even now, I have yet to own a single one, and I'm sure I am not the only collector with the same plight.

 Despite that, I still very much enjoy seeing their releases, and it looks like they have quite the selection coming out pretty soon.  I have yet to find the information about when and where, but I have found these images on their Twitter and Instagram accounts, showing two new Onion Fight wrestlers called Doraneko Mask and Tacos & Nachos, and possibly a collaboration or a crossover with a horror-themed manga I am unfamiliar with.

All three of these figures look amazing!  And when there are any further news about the releases of these guys, I will certainly share it with you all.  Lets hope that some if not all of them will have an international release, maybe off their website, so more can cross the sea.

http://www.onion-fights.com/





September 18, 2015

S.U.C.K.L.E. Series Two Review!

It's great day to be checking out keshi minifigures, that's for sure!  Today I just received my Kickstarter fulfillment in the mail from DKE Toys and the Revenge of the SUCKLE (Series Two) sets.

What a massive haul!  

For long time readers, you might remember all the project coverage earlier this year, and how incredible all the support was.  It seemed like every stretch goal they created was busted wide open, and whole project was looking to bank those who backed it a ton of minifigures.  At one point at the end, it was looking like people were going to virtually get a minifigure for each dollar they spent.  It was just such a crazy good bargain, especially for something brand new and basically looking for preorders.

Bargain aside, this set is all sorts of fun.  Sculpted by George Gaspar, of October Toys, Series Two has all the twisted characters in the Suckadelic world you wished was in the first set.  There's Crystal Pharaoh and Mary Paper$, from Toylords of Chinatown, but now also miniature keshi versions of Sucklord bootlegs like Bionic Carrot, Wrecked Souls, and Gay Energon.  Really though, last but not least, there is a keshi version of the Sucklord himself, maybe a little outside his bootlegging persona, from the reality show he starred on Work of Art.

Series Two is a giant grab bag of Sucklord randomness and insanity, and if you're a fan, you're going love every little inside joke and jab each of these minifigures pack.  From Transformers to GI Joe to Dungeons and Dragons to Fisher-Price's Little People, this is a wild set you just have to check out to believe.  My only gripe is I now have to wait for a pink/silver splatter variant.

September 17, 2015

Free Minifigures from Healey Made!

Do you like keshi minifigures?  Do you like keshi minifigures from talented independent artists?  Do you also like keshi minifigures from talented independent artists that are free?  Who doesn't?!?

Whiles supplies last, Healey Made is giving away awesome little kitbash minifigures  for free with every purchase!  No matter how big or small one of these little flesh tone dudes will be showing up as well.

You can't say no to that!  Follow the link below and check out all the cool things Healey Made offers!

September 14, 2015

Day Of The Slug Wave Three Drop!

BigManToys is back with another wave of slimy minifigures from his Day Of The Slug series.

Collaborating this time with Jimmy Rommel of Ironhaus Production, Wave Three sees a set of four gruesomely gross slugs, all jammed-packed with Boglin-inspired attitude and character.

When purchasing, you'll only be pleased to find a set of trading cards have slithered their way into this wave of slugs.

Wave 3 is currently available now while supplies last, so head over to BigManToys web-store and get them while they last!

September 13, 2015

Lend Nemo's Factory A Hand!

Independent toy designer and producer, Nemo of Nemo's Factory, recently lost his home to a fire.  Not only was this his place where he rested his head, but also produced and sold his Glyos-Compatible AV Robot minifigure, and now he is forced, without warning, to start all over again.

Thankfully, people around the world, inside and outside of the toy community, are doing what they can to support Nemo's Factory through this tough time, and you can too!

A GoFundMe relief page was created to aid people who want to do what they can do support Nemo's Factory and help make him recover and bounce back easier and more quickly.  The link to the relief page is right here below.  Thanks everyone!

http://www.gofundme.com/7n3tfyvk

September 10, 2015

October Toys Forum Shutting Down!

In what I feel is pretty terrible news, October Toys announced on their latest episode of Toy Break last Wednesday that they will be shutting down their forum as of October 1st 2015.

Let me first specify, this closing is only happening to their forum, nothing else.  I know a lot of people will have selective hearing with this stuff and leap to many conclusions when companies and closings are mentioned in the same sentence, but let me be double, triple, mega-quadruple clear, only the forum is going away.  October Toys is still in business.  Toy Break is still in business.  Everything is still okay.  October Toys just specified that there are some behind the scenes stuff that doesn't look all that salvageable, and the only real remedy would be a completely new forum, if that possibility ever rises.  Think you got it?

This is a particular bummer to me, because I owe these guys a lot of credit for getting me back into collecting keshi minifigures, maybe eighteen months ago now.   When transitioning between moves, I spend an afternoon reminiscing about old Monster In My Pocket and MUSCLE figures.  Being twenty-plus year old toy franchises, stuff to find on them was a little hard, if you didn't know where to look, but what popped up was October Toys and OMFG.    Discovering this unknown community of collectors and this renaissance of keshi toy making, I fell back into the hobby like it was a bottomless pit and I haven't seen the light of day since.

I cut my teeth on the October Toys forum.  I started small, learning this and that, piece by piece, and soon found I could handle the everything the worldwide web could offer in keshi.  My first experiences with trading and buying keshi from other forum members was done here, even my first mule.

Overall experiences and opinions will vary from mine, but I feel regardless, it's never good to see something like this go in what is already a small niche community.  Sure, in this age of social media people are more connected and can get their information virtually instantaneously, I don't feel forums are completely obsolete.  Years and years of backlogged information, discussion, drama, and expression will eventually be lost, and that's something you can't discover through a tweet.

The OT Forum will always be remembered as that awesome launching pad for this crazy obsession, and really, without it, this blog may never have come to exist.  That's so crazy, when I think about it like that, but such is the way of things.  Here's hoping the stars align and see we see a new OT Forum very soon.

September 7, 2015

WWE Micro Maulers Series One Drop!

Some may remember we took some early looks at the WWE Royal Rumble Minfigure Set that was shown at the New York Toy Fair earlier this year.  Here is a link of my coverage if you missed it the first time.

Link to the first look!

It promised to be a cool, inexpensive way for fans of wrestlers and minifigures to score a nice lot for rather cheap.  Ten dollars was the expected price back in February, and, if that stuck, it was a really nice deal.

It's been nearly seven months since our first look, and as things often do, they see revisions and edits.  One thing to cover immediately was is the exclusion of Hulk Hogan, both from the packaging material and from the set.  Some could have speculated that this set was doomed from even being released from the fiasco he created for himself some time ago.  It is nice to see WWE going through the effort of changing it and not just trash-binning the whole project.

The exclusion however, doesn't come without a negative point or three.  The prototype set was slated to have thirty figures, now it's down to twenty-seven.  I suppose it doesn't matter a whole lot, but it would have been nice to see them keep that number.  Also, the colors of plastic have been reduced dramatically to just red and blue.  From the first look, there was many different colors, from purple, brown, and yellow, but that sometimes is the issue with prototyping.  More often than not, they use what materials are left over and easily available.  Color really isn't a factor of consideration.

Another piece of re-visioning is the new name of the set.  It was plainly called WWE Royal Rumble Minifigures at the convention back in February, but since then it's been changed to Micro Maulers.  I gotta' say I really enjoy the name, if for no other reason, that it implies it's not a one-off set.  At this point, they have interest in making more, and that's rarely a bad thing, and this even more apparent when this Royal Rumble set is also called Series One.

The final bit of changing is the price.  It's now been bump up to $12.99 from $10, which is a slight bummer, when you're considering the loss of three figures, but even still, if we were told it was $13 from the start, we would still feel it was a great deal for twenty seven figures and a ring.

And it wouldn't be a drop without some release information!  You can pre-order the set now from Ringside Collectibles and not worry about chasing these guys around the toy stores mid-October.

http://www.ringsidecollectibles.com/wwe-royal-rumble-mini-figure-bucket-wct-0039.html

September 4, 2015

Ironhaus Productions Necrolossus Drop!

If I haven't been covering updates on it's development, this one surely has fallen through the cracks in my keyboard, because I certainly have been keeping close tabs.

Called the Necrolossus, this great skeletal beast was sculpted by Ironhaus and produced by Unbox Industries and is part of the Strange Monsters Collection along with other great independent artists.

Set up tentatively for a September 18th, at the LittleRubberGuys web-store, you really can't miss this guy, and for a mere $12, this huge thing is a steal.  Not only is this mammoth minifigure a wrecking ball of keshi goodness, Ironhaus is proving to be one of the underground artists to keep an eye on.  Stuff like the Nercolossus may just be his break-out and destroy everything nearby piece.  Be there on the 18th, because this green is very limited and supplies will not last!

http://ironhauspro.blogspot.com/

http://littlerubberguys.storenvy.com/

September 2, 2015

Purist Ramblings: Revenge of the Boy/Girl Toy Discussion!

It's likely old news by now.  I know I've touched on it slightly before, knowing the can of worms a discussion of this sort could unleashed, but it seems like everyone has made their opinions known.  Crazy Uncle SpiderEarth hasn't really spit his venom about it, and this topic really needs a take-no-prisoners approach to it already.

The catalyst to this hot topic was the news that big box store Target would be removing the gender signs and tags to some, most, if not all of their departments in their stores.  If you could imagine it, this would leave areas in the store to just Kitchen, Electronics, Outdoor, Clothes, and Toys.  Wow, what an insane world.

If you couldn't sense the dripping sarcasm in that, well, strap yourself in.  We're flying down Sarcasm Street, one-hundred and fifty miles per hour, and smashing head-first into the Learning Tree.  Why so crazy, you ask?  Isn't there a better way to make a point?  Yes, but I'm crazy because someone has to be.

Those for these changes and those against those changes have riled each other up to a point that I'm sure no logic can be found, but that's not the point.  There is some merit for those who take neutral or passive approaches, allowing stores to operate how they please or customers to shop in whatever isles they want.  However, not every choice in life can be handled in a "well, we agree to disagree" approach.  I mean, as brutally extreme as basic human rights and common decency, I can't simply suggest "if you don't share my thoughts about shipping old people to the moon, then we simply agree to disagree".  I can't say "if you don't like dog fighting, just look away".  Some extreme examples are points where, no, neutrality doesn't work.

When thinking about how to open this can of worms, I wonder if this discussion warrants the delicate tools anymore.  Do people really listen to those who wait their turn and use manners?  Most of the time, it takes something pretty horrible for people to actually start paying attention to the facts of a conversation.  It takes the sky falling for people to stop thinking of how it only effects themselves.  So, in honor of those who can't be bothered, I open this can of worms by smashing it on the floor.

People say it's stupid and a wasted effort for Target, or any other store to take down gender-specific signage, for any number of reasons.  Sometimes it falls into tradition, as if store signage was some sort of keystone to modern civilization, and other times people rattle off that it's pointless when the world is full of starving kids and homeless cats.  Listen, it's about perspective, and Target's perspective is their store.  If you feel, firstly, connected to how a store looks or laid out in a traditionally way, as if to equate it to how a Thanksgiving Dinner may look, you have to take a look in the mirror.  To the other point, Target, as well as other companies, likely have charity projects in place to battle whatever ridiculous 'do this instead' mad-lib you manifested for your case.  There are frankly a ton of reasons people wish Target kept their boy toy isle blue and their girl toy pink, and there isn't a single, logical, decent one around - even from those within the toy making world.

I always like to give examples in ironic extremes.  I find, no matter the discussion, you'll find logic in any gauge, whether that be in a passive neutral stance or a loud extreme.  I often say to those who stand for tradition, really just for tradition sake, "What's wrong with throwing virgins into volcanoes?  If it was good for our ancestors, then it's good for us!"  People then say, "Shut up, SpiderEarth, you're insane!" and they would be right, but that's the point.  This logical fallacy of keeping tradition for the sake of tradition is stupid, or at the very least, how I feel about it.

Just as our ancestors wondered, maybe sacrificing people is a dumb idea, we too have to evaluate and reevaluate our steps through history.  I feel it's our duty to question what we do, whether it does our civilization any benefit or harm.  Does it enlighten us?  Does it hinder us?  I feel as a modern society, it's our responsibility to look at our time on this planet like that.  We should look at ourselves in the whole and not the individual.

The can of worms are crawling everywhere, and I haven't even made a single point.  I know, I know, but I warned you.  This is a crazy, complex, topic, one I fear a lot of people don't particularly grasp, but if you made it this far, I'm sure you don't mind.

Let me speak of a different ridiculous extreme, but something closer to Target.  Why aren't their divisions in the Garden or Outdoor sections?  I mean, let's be honest and put on our smarty hats, only girls plant flowers and boys hunt and fish.  Even if there are studies done and numerical evidence shown that, yes indeed, the orange vests in the hunting isle are generally sold to men, the isle doesn't have a giant 'Men Only' sign.  Is it because such a giant margin of men shop that area than women that putting the sign up is redundant?  If that's the case, then it gets a bit more complicated with the Garden section.  Men certainly will plant vegetables and trees.  Maybe not those sissy flowers, with their bright colors and fragile bodies, but maybe a nice hops garden over some fencing maybe.  If this can be said, then why can we not divide the kingdom of plant life into specific gender stereotypes and sign those sections accordingly?  Because that's the dumbest idea you've ever heard, you say?  Okay, glad you said that, let's transition to the toy isle.

From the avenues that I listen to, a lot is being said about removing the blue boy signage and the pink girl signage, but really a lot of it can be referred to points above.  For similar reasons having pumpkin seeds in a blue isle just for one gender is as stupid as having the lilacs in a different, the same can be said about plastic dolls and play sets.  Keep in mind, I didn't say action figure or princess dress-up kit, and I won't.  I've left it just as plastic dolls and play sets intentionally, because if you don't know what different plastic toys appeal to you, by standing in front of them and looking at them, you have bigger issues that need help than a pink or blue sign to let you know you're standing in a place designed for you to like.  Walk around, see what this particular purveyor of goods has for sale.  I'll be honest and stop you before you begin - most of what you'll find won't likely appeal to your wallet until you find that right thing for the right price, but a lot of people enjoy to wander around, hunt about, and look all the same.  I suppose that's part of the fun to it.  So, look, wander around.  Go down this isle and down that isle.  See the toys that look like people and the toys that look like vehicles.  See the toys that look like monsters and aliens from out of space.  If any of them appealed to you, and you have the money to spend, by all means take it to the counter and make your purchase.

It's really not that hard, and really no harder than shopping in any other isle.  You'll find this style of shopping through most of Target outside the clothes and toys.  You'll go through the dry foods and never once will you stop and look around, surrounded by chocolate, wondering if you are in the female comfort food isle and if other men are pointing and laughing at you.

The fact of the matter remains, the stupid act of taking down gender specific signage is stupid, only because it was stupid to put up the stupid signs in the first place.  We can make a judgement call on every other isle, whether it be eggplant seeds or fishing gear or towels or millions of other products, but somehow when it comes to lumps of assembled plastic, we pause and second guess ourselves.  Was it such a confusing and taxing chore for parents to shop for their daughters in four or five toy isles, so they picketed until it was reduced to a single pink one?  Were toy distributors kept up all hours of the night, worried over their poor sales, because the toy stores they kept their products had them displayed as a whole and not divided?  I have a hard time believing any of these scenarios hold much water.  Much like throwing virgins into volcanoes, it was a habit, and a dumb one, to solve a problem we had no other better solution.  I feel we have better options now.

We live in a time in history of utmost transparency, one never before seen.  We live in a time so radically different, yet similar to the past.  Times before us would not be prepared to live in our modern age, yet sometimes we wish it would at least try.  We live in a time of wireless networking, social media, and anonymous virtual interaction.  We are all connected, creatively and consciously, but nothing compared to the marvels in store in the future.  We can only assume what the future holds, yet we likely have no way to fathom how vast of a difference it'll be.  New challenges will present themselves, and solutions will be created, only using our time as mere reference.  They will likely not do as we do now.

One of the many challenges our modern age as acquired through our connectivity is how different we all are.  We are vastly more unique than we have ever considered.  Simply one label of interest isn't enough to categorize anything, and things once thought as clear as day, like gender and sexual-orientation, has stepped out to reveal it's far more akin to a set of paint than a set of chess.  As we've grown more connected to each other, we've understood each other more.  Ethnicity has their subcategories, just as faiths, and/or most casual hobbies.  Just as a silly stupid example,  Keshi Drop is a blog about one particular subcategory of toy, or at least it was before this post.  Although we can all agree it's just a blog about toys, or a human being that likes super heroes, or a machine that makes a peace of a musical instrument, we wouldn't be even begin touching the surface by leaving it there.  There is more to say, more to understand, and it's not always they way we think.  Habits change, because they are sometimes place-holders for a time ignorant to what we understand know.  We are always learning and growing,the more we stay connected and understand each other.

It merely says more not having these signs up, than having the suggestion there at all.  If we have the freedom to shop where we want, blue or pink, what good does it provide?  If it's a matter of convenience or ease to those who don't understand what appeals to them or confused by their choices, I feel they have the most to benefit and learn.  People don't need the justification to know what they like is what people expected they'd like.  People just need things they like regardless.

So, we stand at the edge, doing something clearly stupid, and ask "why are we doing this again?"

September 1, 2015

Brownnoize Production Spinning Head Sunshine Bodies!

I occasionally cover bootlegs and kit-bashed mini-figures. In my opinion, I feel there are only select situations where it's inappropriate.  I feel most of the times, much like the sketchy downloading of music, everything eventually routes back to the trademark owner's wallet.  Of course, not every case, but generally, in the long run, you will profit from interested fans of your product.

And that's just the most unimaginative of bootlegging and kit-bashing.  This is saying nothing of those who wander into trademarked territory with absolutely ingenious ideas, never done by it's original owners, for those who remain faithful of the product.  That's more or less what I wanted to speak of today.

Brownnoize Production's 3D printed Spinning Head Sunshine Bodies are just that - ingenious.  Designed and created to hold a beloved mini-figure like Spinning Head Sunshine from Mattel MUSCLE/ Kinnikuman in Japan, this keshi mini-figure would have no other way of standing.  Made to resemble a top, these figures would sit on shelves on it's side, upside down, or ever roll off altogether.  Now, creative minds like Brownnoize Productions gives him legs.

I love this sort of stuff!  And when I think of the flack amazing artists get for working in the grey areas of trademark stuff, I can't help but take their sides.  These guys are giving the fans what they are looking for, all the while producing things missed by the original creators.  If you too are amazed by Brownnoize Productions stuff, check out his web-store through the link below!

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize