A Look at DesignerCon 2018 Keshi Exclusives!

Courtesy of Isumark of MWOTR (Instagram)

Welcome back to U&R!  We were just speaking of DesignerCon 2018, so let's keep that topic going with some more talk before the big designer toy event of the year rocks the west coast.  Here are just a few exclusives that caught my eye, but I know there are even more eluding me.  Let's take a look!

The first is from none other that Mystical Warriors of the Ring.  They have been quietly working on something as of late, and this announcement of this limited run of Tatsuya resins in blue and green hope to make it worth the wait.  And from the teaser picture, it appears there will be clear and metallic version available as well, but there is no way of actually knowing unless you visit them personally at Booth 2528.

The next feature comes from Robo Toy Fest, who hosts a convention of their own under the same name.  They seem free next week, so along with their attendance, they are bringing some hot robot action.  Hot pink robot action to be exact.   The RTF Robo Keshi is touching down at Booth 305 and this guy could be the sleeper sell-out of the weekend.  Only the second variant of this particular model, the dark green one that came prior instantly sold-out, so there is some indication this might follow suit.  I personally love this guy and will be hoping to mule this one home.  Hot pink.  Robots.  Exclusive and rare.  Gimme gimme gimme, and I sadly lost out on the green one, so this is my redemption song.

Courtesy of Nama,Niku (Instagram)

Our next comes from independent artists Eric Nilla and Nama Niku.  This collaboration is a beautiful kit-bashed bootleg deathmatch set, including two familiar kaiju monsters, now with some nicely oiled abs and thighs, and a ring to contain all their violent break-outs.  If you love the odd, strange, inventive, and independent, dropping by Booth 2325 might be something on your convention agenda.

Courtesy of PlanetXAsia (Instagram)

This final colorful look comes the far off distant world of Planet-X.  These rubber rainbow variants will be blind bagged in a set of five, with other figures not pictured here, with the whole mystery set only costing you twenty clams.  That's quite the steal for variants that could very well be looking at one-of-a-kind status.  Luckily Planet-X isn't as far away as first thought, you can visit Booth 1243 to get your very own.

Alright everyone, that's the batch for this update, but if I find more, expect me to come back and share what I find out!  Thank you and I'll see you guys next time!

http://www.designercon.com/

Double G Toys Releases OTMFG Sets!

With Designer Con 2018 just around the bend, hitting Anaheim California November 16-18, it's almost a bit too fitting to bring up some interesting updates regarding one of the former members of October Toys.

Since it's dissolution in 2016, fans have been on the ready to see what was next out of the pair, now on individual adventures.  They have remained mainstays in the designer toy scene, but have largely remained absent from toy production with a brand of their own.  I'm sure I can't be the only one who believes it's just a matter of time before something in the vein October Toys returns.

Recently, George, one of the owners of October Toys, currently under Double G Toys re-released an array of classic OTMFG figures.  These figures were once released monthly, and only a couple at a time.  Over the course of a couple years, fans were amassing quite the collection, but now you can accomplish the same effect with a single mouse click.  But maybe not.  These sets are an amazing buy and a great way to pick up some awesome minifigures you may have missed years ago, but not all of these are master sets.  For example, there are gold and silver variants of the Dcon Vincent for sale on the Designer Con website, but I'm not insinuating these were ever meant to be master sets.  It's just easy to get excited and imagine they were.

These are perfect for those who missed the entire October Toy experience and want to get into what made them so special and popular with fans and collectors.  If you're starting out, this is the way to go, but it's not a bad idea for diehards to pick up some of the remaining stock as well, for extra trade and resale value.

The question remains - is this the sign of a return of October Toys?  I wouldn't quite jump to that conclusion quite yet, but I think this is an interesting move by Double G.  If you want me to gaze into my crystal ball, I would suggest this is a liquidation of sorts.  Whether these were leftovers from the webstore or remained in a personal collection, I would say these might be the last OTMFG minifigures October Toys has left to sell.  And maybe this is a liquidation to reduce unwanted clutter or inventory from storage, but maybe it's the rustling of something more.  I think, whether you feel this is one thing or the other, if these sets fly off the shelves, per se, George will take notice. Instant huge sales could dictate whether or not this was a necessary move for new product or a one-time buying bonanza.  This falling in line with a convention next week has my interest perked for the future, but who knows!

https://doublegtoys.storenvy.com/

Rambling! Did Shopkins Start An Epic Minifigure Trend?

Welcome back, everyone, to U&R, and sit back first the first bit of high-octane rambling since the rebranding.  Today I'm tackling and proposing something a bit adjacent, but still semi-related, to keshi minifigures.  It's Walmart, some of the biggest minifigure brands out there, and a demographic you'd wouldn't suspect - roll out!

Since I've been publishing entries to this blog, I've been talking about a resurgence of keshi minifigure production and collecting.  It's what captured my interest from just nostalgia of an old 80's toy line to a present day hobby, if not obsession.  I've used this phrase with, I admit, some ignorance.  I remember classic minifigures from the 80's and 90's, but fell off the wagon of little rubber things, until a few years ago, where I learned that a community had formed to collect, trade, and share info for a number of years prior.  Maybe in that gap, between the 90's and what I presumed to be the resurgence, there was other activity.  If there was, that certainly makes the comeback not that significant, but instead, interesting that it never fully left.  This complete history is something I lack, but maybe should pull together for a future article.

I bring this all up, because although it was a term I had used in the past, correctly or not, about keshi minifigures, it stands in awe of a tidal wave from multiple minifigure toy lines.  It's something I never would have guessed, but very happy and intrigued is happening.

Shopkins has only been around since 2014, but the concept has been in production a lot longer.  Manufacturer, Moose Toys, has built their company on retired successes like Trash Pack and Fistful of Power, but have evolved their brands and toy lines through the years.  We've seen the Trash Pack turn into the Grossery Gang.  We've seen the their homage to Kinnikuman with Mutant Mania come and go.  And we've seen their model of selling blind bags of gross and weird minifigures, re-imaged for girls and those with less interest in the stinkier things in life.  That is Shopkins, and like no other toy line previously produced, Moose Toys struck gold with it.

Shopkins' success could be attributed to many different factors, like those circle graphs that show a perfect storm of sales in the center for these little cookie characters.  Maybe little girls truly enjoy minifigures than boys?  I'm not sure that's completely true, but the Japanese kawaii culture of tiny cute things could have some influence across the pond.  I feel it's themes of cuter and happier food characters and fashion cast a wider net than booger figures do.  A broader appeal creates more sales over a larger crowd of children and parents, and overall, this is only amazing news.  So much so other companies are taking notice and producing their own collectible minifigures, altering the formula slightly to hope for a slight edge over competition.

I've recently visited Walmart and took these two pictures, although I could have taken a few more, just to show off the scale of this avalanche.  Not every display is of a minifigure line, but I only wish keshi had quantities like this on shelves.

Granted, I'll say this - most of these brands don't have me that interested in collecting a master set.  They fall victim to the same song and dance of Moose Toys.  They are slight smaller than the scale I prefer.  They have paint applications, if not absolutely doused in paint.  Some are made of a softer rubber that I'm really not much a fan of, that makes you wonder why I ever liked Trash Pack, but the gross theme was always interesting to me.

Although I may never dive into any of these, I think it's absolutely awesome this generation of young ones are getting into minifigures, even if it's not particularly the 80's stuff that I love.  It gets them into collecting the sets, wondering what else is out there, and possibly searching the history books for the classics.  It's not all spun with this selfish root to keshi either, but interest towards the future, wondering what this new wave of interest will cause in the future-adults looking back to capture their favorite toys they collected as kids.

We speak of Kinkeshi as if it should be on Mount Rushmore.  I feel Shopkins, in time, will receive the same.

Boo! Ironhaus Pro Releases Trick or Treat Gorewads!

Welcome, everyone, to the first official update under the Unarticulated & Rubbery name.  I'm really excited to get back into this, and hopefully more often than I have been this last year and so.

There's always something about the fall time of year that always brings keshi minifigures back to the front of my mind, and it's hard not to wonder if that mystery something is candy and strange, spooky, party favors.  When you're talking about independent artists with a mutant, horror-theme, to their product, Ironhaus has to be at the top of that list, so it's with no surprise they are quick to release some new Gorewad Monsters just in time to get your spookiness on.

Appropriately named Trick or Treat Gorewads, this new set has a mixture of new, old, and weaponized sugar, just to cover all your Halloween necessities.  Including three brand new Gorewad characters, the set also includes a few previously retired miniatures from their Larvapocalypse line and your mandatory ration of candy, rounding off treat portion of the sets namesake.

So where's the trick?  Aside from the criminally low production quantities, I'm not really sure there is one.  Within my collection of keshi minifigures lines a good bunch of Gorewads, so I've always been satisfied and impressed across the board on detail, design, and materials used.  If you're a fan of Grossery Gang and things like that, but have a couple gripes about this or that, I find Gorewads makes up where they miss, aside from the scarcity.  This puts interested collectors counting down to the exact moment releases like these drop, with trigger-happy mouse buttons, but none of that is all that out of the ordinary anymore.

However, as of the time I am writing this, they were release a couple days ago with a few sets still available, so the sad story of snoozing the exact moment of the drop and missing out on some figs eludes us this time, thankfully!  But how much longer?  I don't know, but as Halloween approaches just around corner, these guys will all be terrorizing the public long before the first skeleton knocks on your door for chocolate.  To avoid missing out, click on the link below!

https://ironhauspro.bigcartel.com/

Rebranding Announcement and Rambling!

Oh no!  What is even happening?!?!?!

Hello former-Keshi Droppers, welcome back to the blog!  As I am sure everyone will notice, things look a bit different around here, none of which will come to any surprise to some of you, but hopefully its nothing too too shocking for everyone else.  It's certainly something that's been in the works for a while now, and now seemed like a great time to do it.

I started this blog a few years ago, thanks because of a move.  I was stuck with my girlfriend in the upstairs guestroom of her mother's place, with space at a premium to say the least.  I had found a vending machine at a local grocery store offering tiny plastic wrestlers, and because they were both very cheap and very small, they stood beside me along the desk during the do-nothing nights at the in-laws surfing the web.  It's around then I found the designer toy scene and the resurgence of  what I would learn to be keshi minifigures.  A year or so later, I would start this blog, just as a private place to jot down my thoughts and opinions, where I thought they were a bit too fringe and stupid to share on a public forum.  It didn't take long to find my private place to be pretty public too, but in time, I accepted it and enjoy sharing this space with everyone that drops by.

I bring this up because I am amidst another move.  How annoying!  But that's the life you live until you buy your own house and lay down the roots, I suppose.  A spider can dream.  The situation has definitely changed, with Spider Baby joining us for this new adventure, but my thoughts are brought back to the small, the unarticulated, and the rubbery once again.

So why not turn the page now, right?  I think, or rather hope, I remembered bringing this up once to twice before in previous posts, hopefully more than a passing mention, but if I know my mind, I'm sure it swirled around my head enough that it convinced me it reached my keyboard.  I apologize if it never did.  Regardless, here is my reasoning, if it's required.  The name Keshi Drop or The Keshi Drop is dumb and barely makes no sense, even if you're in the know of the keshi collecting scene.  It's largely inspired by the moment something becomes available like a new album or toy, which cool kids call drops.  After learning these minifigures I really enjoy were once made from a Japanese eraser material called keshigomu or keshi for sort, for some otherworldly reason those two interesting words joined together, sounded neat at the time, and I ran with it for a few years.  I've never been called out on it either.  No one has ever said that the name was dumb and made no sense.  Bizarre, but that goes to show how nice and accepting people are in this toy collecting community.

The new name, 'Unarticulated & Rubbery', is a mouthful, but perfect to my sensibilities at this moment.  Everyone that clicks on knows what they are getting into from the very second the page loads up.  No barfing spider.  No crazy colors.  Stripped down and easy to get into for anyone, new or old, to whatever the hell we do here.

Also, I want to make this mention as well.  As perfect as 'Unarticulated & Rubbery' is, it is not mine.  I was going through my Instagram feed, as one does, and a picture of the recently reviewed Imaginext Muscle Men caught my eye.  "I didn’t expect to like these, but I love them - unarticulated and rubbery!"  I agreed with the caption, but the last bit stuck with me, and stuck with me, until I knew I had to reach out and ask for permission to rip him the hell off.  So, thank you, General Veers with University of Muscle, for lending me your charming phrase for this new phase and rebranding of my blog.  Please find his website's link below and show some support!

On top of that, I also want to thank my friend Jim who re-imagined some stills I had sent him of some Kinnikuman figures.  Again, with the rebranding, I didn't want to muddy up any imagery, so MUSCLE and Kinniuman was most definitely going to be at the top of the page this time, and he did a stellar job bringing all that to life.  He's a promising artist that would love to do stuff like this full-time, so please visit his site as well and give him love!

Alright, everyone, I think that's it for this time.  I don't think the site has fully changed over to it's new-new look quite yet, but it's certainly different enough now to let everyone know what's happening.  That will happen eventually with some new posts, but in the meanwhile thank you for popping in for this announcement.

http://uofmuscle.com/

https://www.deviantart.com/epicsaveroom

Imaginext Series 11 Muscle Men Review! Bonus SpiderBaby!

If you're ever doubting just how much of an American staple MUSCLE were in the 80's, of course you can make note of it's present day reassurance for vintage and new products with collectors, but also, it's homages within bootlegs and production.

One such finds themselves within the blind bags of Imaginext Series 11.  Standing to scale with the rest of their Imaginext brethren, the duo of Muscle Men stands quite a bit taller, and overall larger, than their classic counterparts, but nothing about it feels wrong.  I've been stricter in the past, railing some mini-figures for size, materials used, or anything else not adhering to the keshi code, but holding them in my hand, I am a lost of venom and harsher critique.

I sit and wonder what could have loosened my grip from winging these two into the ocean, like I virtually did in my last review, and I think I have a conclusion.  What I've reasoned is that these are not MUSCLES or keshi figures produced by a different company.  This is Fisher-Price paying respects to a grand classic by taking one of their action figures and giving it the Kinkeshi twist.  It's the muscle-flesh tone, the rubbery flexibility, almost complete lack of paint or sticker application, and inarticulation, despite what the sculpt may perceive, that really stand out as important factors and details when considering keshi.

Did Fisher-Price make a perfect keshi figure?  No, but I don't think they attempted to.  Fisher-Price, however, knows exactly what a keshi figure is, and I think that's worth a few bonus points.

Coming close to the end of this calendar year, I might just be claiming these two from Imaginext might be the best you can do for your buck this year.  Don't miss these!  Provided its a lucky pull in a blind bag, this set is only five clams and an absolute steal, even if you pay double that or more otherwise in auction or on forums.

As a bonus, and maybe something that contributed to my glowing praise a bit, is my son's review of these Muscle Men.  Within moments, Spiderbaby the bucket monster was clashing, gnawing, and tossing these guys around.  The are both likely lost and only he knows of their mysterious location now.

Super 7's MUSCLE Mega Man Vs Shadow Devil Set Review!

With a little extra cash in my pocket, I took to forums, social media, and auction sites to find some goodies I had missed.  Sadly, what I found was the best stuff and the hottest stuff had instantly sold out when it dropped, and the inconvenience of having some spending dough now not then had me looking for things with big production numbers.  Who really in the west has that in spades than Super 7 right now?

I do a little search here and there, come across their new She-Ra Keshi Surprise stuff and I fall instantly in love.  That's going to be some stuff I cover very soon, but I also find that there was a Loot Crate exclusive Mega Man MUSCLE product too, so I figure for the sake of limited edition-ness, I should check that out first.

The product I find is a two figure set called Mega Man vs. Shadow Devil, and I'm really interested.  It seemed it should be affordable enough to patronize my interest, but also be a pretty solidly-themed product for those just getting into Mega Man MUSCLE.  From the pictures alone, I loved the hulking size of the Shadow Devil compared to the blue bomber, and it was only a matter of time before I scored my own through auction.

I recently received it, shredded the packaging regardless of limited edition, and got my hands on my very first Mega Man MUSCLE's from Super 7.

Out of the gate, I loved the colors, but something really didn't feel right with Mega Man.  Actually, to be frank, there wasn't a whole right with the main man and namesake of this series.  The color was nice, but the sculpt was really flat, only looking nice in the packaging it came in.  Pulling it out and checking it out from different angles did it no justice, as if the 2D nature of the game was something they were actively trying to preserve.  To make matters worse, my Mega Man couldn't even stand up, as his feet were bent in a way that made his already lack of depth even harder to balance.  Take a look at these images on the side.  It's hard not to be disappointed when it's staring you right in the face.  The shadow devil was pretty cool, however not really as flexible as I had imagined, but that wasn't the biggest of flaws here.

I've been singing Super 7's praises for some time now, but admittedly, all from a distance.  I certainly can't appreciate it enough that they have produced so much keshi-inspired products in the last few years to keep interests high, here in the west, but quality can't be this low, can it?

I'm not going to let one mini-figure sink the whole ship here, but maybe I can see why this was shipped to Loot Crate and packaged the way it was.  Certainly not the finest of their work, as I'm guessing their better sculpts are reserved for their sets closer to their store's vest.  Further investigation is needed.

Catching Back Up With Bandai's Kinkeshi! Premium Vol. 7+8!

In the last blog update, in some tongue-in-cheek fashion, I dunked on a particular hobby for sharing customer space with keshi mini-figures, despite their presence having no impact on sales or popularity.  If someone told me keshi was out of fashion and on the decline, I would be hard-pressed to believe them.  At this moment, there are two enormous pillars of keshi power standing, spanning across the world, undaunted by opinion and sales trends.  In the west, you have Super 7, as well as an endless selection of talented independent artists.  In the east, and today's topic, there is Bandai and their revitalization of Kinkeshi.

It's almost been two years since I first covered Bandai's new project with the classic Kinnikuman Kinkeshi franchise, and who could have ever guessed it would continue this far so strongly?  At a time where things were caught in neutral gear for a bit, when keshi was concerned, westerners looked to the east just at the right time to see Bandai's announcement of re-sculpting classic 80's Kinkeshi mini-figures with a few new additions sprinkled here and there.  These premium sets instantly became the must-have items, with sales number something Super 7 must have looked at once or twice before they considered relaunching their versions of video game and movie MUSCLE.

Currently, Bandai is taking preorders in September for the 8th Premium set, which is a staggering number, even when you don't consider the number of new gatchapon sets that have released along side the celebrated volumes.  On one hand, who could have guessed Kinkeshi would be back in the driver's seat again, but when you look at the quality of the work within each set, it's not in the least bit surprising why it was so popular when it first debuted.

Despite my busy schedule off the blog, I am taking a look at Volume 7 and 8 now, and I have to say how much I regret not returning any sooner.  Volume 7 looks unbelievable, with maybe the most unique and bizarre line-up yet, with the newest set having a ton of favorites that I recognize from earliest keshi memories.

Absolutely knocking it out, still, years beyond their first announcement.  If you're interested in preordering a set for yourself, follow the link below.

http://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000127785/

All Collectible Enamel Pins Are Trash and I Hate Them!

courtesy of kidrobot

Here's a thought that's been in my head for a while now, and I haven't really done a straight-up straight-shootin' opinion piece in a while, so here goes.  Ruined by the title, as soon as you visited the website, here are my thoughts on collectible enamel pins and why I think they are garbage.  Actually, those are my thoughts.  Here is my elaboration.

I am rather sure I was not in on the ground level for the great keshi resurgence some years ago.  I know this from reading forums and other blogs, telling almost the exact event or a couple that domino'ed the keshi format back into everyone's consciousness and wallets, years before it's growing tendrils drew me back in through a net of nostalgia.  Maybe there has always been some keshi interest from collectors and fans, dawning back to their creation in the 80's, but maybe it's nothing more than powerful toy trend now, rekindling everyone's fondness of childhood toys.  It certainly blew up a few years ago, that's for sure, especially when it comes from independent artists and bootleggers.  A couple years into the bursting reemergence of keshi figures, another trinket of 80s nostalgia began finding interest among the same crowd.

Although I was there to bare witness it's birth, in some sense, my absolute lack of interest leaves me clueless what festering chasm enamel pins were squirted from.  All I remember, is that pins started to be freebie items included with your main purchase, like a sticker pack at the bottom of a cereal box.  As time grew, people seemed more and more interested in them, sharing opinions of quality and design, while I couldn't be bothered to give a single crap.

Maybe it was Loot Crate.  They eventually replaced their monthly button pins with equally uninteresting enamel ones, and people loved it, or so the legend is told to my deaf ears.

Like keshi, I am sure, enamel pins were hitting a demographic that enjoyed them when they were much younger.  I just never had that experience or enjoyed it, I suppose.  Pins!  Great!  I can... pin them... to my clothes or other fabrics... or accidentally puncture my flesh with them!  Great times!  Yeah, I can't pull a single exciting memory out of my head about enamel pins.  I can't find a particular function now for myself now, unless this toy blogging gig stirs up the ladies into a spider-loving frenzy, wild enough I'll have to implore some enamel repellent.

Pins are dumb.  It's two dimensional art you hang up so others can gawk at, instead of yourself, unless you're the type to constantly look at your cool jean jacket from above for reasons.  Also, there are parts that can fall off, get lost, or just straight-up get mauled in the washing machine and dryer.

Pins are also dumb because they had the audacity to ride keshi's growing popularity like parasite and share it's admiration and spotlight from collectors.  That's probably what cheeses my taco the most.  Is keshi any less popular?  No, but they are unwelcome and should go bug sofubi or something.

Go home, enamel pins, nobody likes garbage like you.

Kaiju Big Battel Kickstarts Kaikeshi!

I've been a huge fan of Kaiju Big Battel.  I remember years and years ago, back when I still lived with my parents, I would visit their forum and website almost daily to keep up to date with story lines and events.  At one point, I had almost won the dismembered arm of Mota Naru through an essay contest.  I was disqualified due to the exceedingly long length, a result that surprised no one.  Since then, I've dropped back in here and there, always surprised to see where and when it pops back up, whether it was the Xbox 360 Hanger Event or the Twitch Takeover last year, and now it's rearing close to it's 25th Anniversary.  It seems almost unreal.

To celebrate this monumental achievement, Kaiju Big Battel is creating MUSCLE/Kinkeshi inspired keshi mini-figures of their own absurd wrestlers.  It's named Kaikeshi, and it couldn't have been a more no-brainer for the brand to do.  The Kaiju Big Battel already heavily borrows from popular Japanese culture, from anime to video games to, of course, giant monster battles.  Taking it to one, if not the largest, if not the only, pro wrestling anime franchises in Japan is the most logical stomp for Kaiju Big Battel's marketing, one that first realized 15 years ago.

With the help of Onell, Kaiju Big Battel now has the hook-up for production.  It's just a matter of ponying up the clams to get the machines steaming and grinding.  That's where Kickstarter and our support comes in.

Currently at the time of this article, there is still time to make this a reality.  20 days are left, and if you're one to claim you're a Kaiju Big Battel enthusiast, now is a good time to get some one-of-a-kind items, as well as Kickstarter exclusives.  But equally interesting, I feel, is that everyone with the slightest interest can support this project and still leave with product.  As low as two bucks, you can get a random mini-figure cranked out the giant mechanical vending machine and shot into your mailbox.  You don't see that on Kickstarter.  It's usually thank you's until you're committed to buy the whole set.  For those who like Kaiju Big Battel, but maybe not the idea of eleven figures bopping around their desk, this is their alternative.  Cheapskates!  Collectors!  Completionists!  Hobo with a couple spare wrinkled dollars!  Literally anyone with a mailbox can find their own level of support!  Currently, it's two-thirds of the way to their 15k goal, but every dollar or pair of, counts, so follow the link below and bring some monster mayhem into your home.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1531565172/kaikeshi-kaiju-big-battel-mini-figures/description

From the Grave! New OMFG Ooze Colorway! ...What?!?

Courtesy of 1 Shot Toys on Instagram

It's been a good 18 months since we've had to say our good-byes to October Toys.  That's almost as long as my last blog post, am I right?!  And since it's demise, George and Ayleen still have been a presence in the toy world.  George did a great deal of episodes of the YouTube show Toy Geeks Behind the Counter, and re-branded his work into Double G Toys, while Ayleen transitioned to Lego and toy brick coverage and conventions.  Despite the split and the subjects abandoned in the middle of it, mainly OMFG and anything similar to it, I often wondered when one of them would go back to doing something with keshi-inspired mini-figures.  And hard pressed for an answer, I personally thought it wasn't a matter of 'if', but 'when', as the brand's legacy still has an ocean of supporters over social media, even now, and for good reason.  I'll tell you, although it wasn't always the smoothest ship, what October Toys did with artist submissions for OMFG and released monthly with OTMFG was magical.

Now that I've set that up completely in the wrong fashion, let me try to salvage this somehow and get down to business.  October Toys, at least as it stands right now, is still deader than dead, and neither George or Ayleen have officially threw their hat back into the mini-figure circle, but for surpassing an Instagram goal, The Minifigure Militia is releasing this never before released OMFG set with a figure never before released with OMFG.

The Minifigure Militia, for those who don't know, is an Instagram account run by Berserker Studios.  They do a great job sharing daily images of stuff brand new, much loved, and anywhere in between.  They also were the minds behind the Pugnacious mini-figure that made it into OMFG Series 3.  So despite their out-of-the-blue mention here, you can now understand how it all makes sense now.  Well, almost, and I'll get to that very soon.

On Sunday, August 5th at 9PM EST, The Minifigure Militia will be releasing their exclusive Series 3 Oozarian Set of OMFG figures, along with a never included before Zombie Pheyden from the OTMFG monthly release line.  The price is 12 American clams plus the price of a box and a mailman to drive it to your house.  You can find the link to the web-store below.  It's a storm of all sorts of first-time-evers and first-in-a-long-whiles, that I almost forgot my Zombie Pheyden collection just became incomplete.  Hmmmpf!

This is great news and an absolutely shocking announcement, with a knockout product that I am sure has a lot of October Toys fans mouths watering, but how?  How does this set even exist?  Was it hanging around when the company disbanded?  Were they privately purchased in bulk, hidden away for a couple years, and now seeing the light of day?  Were they produced recently for this colorway alone?  And which one gave the thumbs up, if not both, and does this mean MFM is doing more post-October Toys stuff or is October Toys crawling out of the grave in some regard.  I have so many questions, and absolutely zero answers!  I'm dying here!  But I'll tell you this, if this set sells out instantly, people will take notice.  Whether it's their original creators or someone looking to relaunch the series, if there is still demand, they just might make a comeback in some regard.

http://theminifiguremilitia.storenvy.com

Violence Toy Unleashes Monitorr the Gorekeeper Set!

I'm apologizing once more, for being such a ghost around these parts.  I hope again, I don't repeat this line so many times, it spawns into a meme or something.  Trust me, when I say, it's tough to watch so many great reveals and releases span across social media and not rush to the computer to share my opinions.  With so many great products, I wonder if the reason I stall out sometimes with certain new articles is that I wouldn't have much to add besides 'Hey, this is great!'  Maybe I need to feel I'm bringing something new or different to the discussion to really compel the keyboard into my hands, and what I saw today is certainly doing that.

Violence Toy, purveyors of the brutal battle-mutants, The Gorelords, just released something rather interesting:  the keeper of the lords!

As a purist of keshi goodness, I have certainly snubbed my nose to every toy format not adhering to strict and holy guidelines of keshi purity (if this string of words makes even the slightest of sense to you, seek help), be that vinyl, sofubi, plush, or even keshi stretching out of the two-inch range or slug mold casting.   Tons of great toys of many types have found great scorn by yours truly, and honestly, in a different context, this one should too, but Violence Toy innovates just enough to fool a moronic toy collector.

Although not made from traditional keshi materials, Violence Toys' latest release, Monitorr the Gorekeeper, is presented as a vessel and carrying container for a set of Gorelords that come packaged with this disgusting skull.  Twist a hidden compartment on the bottom off, and it's hollow insides are exposed to pack in the rest of your mini uglies.  And it's this little extra bit of consideration, matched with the included set of Muscle flesh tone mini-figures, that has me with a thumbs up.

Storage may not be as integral of an aspect to keshi as other collectibles, where they are rather small and pretty durable to everything, with some exceptions.  I'm sure many use shoe boxes, dusty shelves, two hundred gallon fish tanks, or whatever is necessary to get the job done, but storage, at a small scale has always been an iconic image and theme with the mini-figures.  MUSCLE had their trash cans.  Trash Pack and Grossery Gang mini-figures have their variety of gross vessels.  Pokemon have their balls.  Monster Rancher has their yellow cream cheese containers, but maybe I'm the only one that remembers them.  And let's not forget every gachapon and vending machine toy out there rattling within a plastic capsule.  Now, The Gorelords have their own, and that's an awesome thing.

The first twenty sets of a series of one hundred are released today on the Violence Toy website.  Asking for forty shells plus shipping seems like a pretty nice bargain too, with that price broken across thirteen pieces.  Take a look, within a book, trademarked slogan and all that.

https://violencetoy.com

Sleaze Set To Drop With Relaunch And Shrinkage!

On the heels of their latest sell-out of their nuclear green colorway, Sleaze is taking it all the way back to what made their trash so hot to begin with, but with a little extra love on the side.

At this point, frequent Droppers to the blog might be thinking this love affair between Keshi Drop and Sleaze is getting less and less subtle by the week.  Just who will take who's last name, is certainly a question some might have, if only we could find a priest morally-questionable enough for this unholiest of unions.  Although I really should do a better job casting my net a bit wider than it has lately, just so I can have more different flavors for everyone out there, a reality where I work more closely with Sleaze, on their brand exclusively, almost came to be.  It certainly would have been an exciting project, with this exciting brand.

Besides all that however, those who have missed out on the sold-out nuclear greens can now find solace in the relaunch of the good old classic Glow in the Dark Bukkake coming out of retirement.  This time, he's well-fitted in an attractive limited edition marked packaging, letting you know just how many other dragon balls exist around the world.  Paired with a shrunken down clone, named Precum, this guy might just steal all the attention from Big B this release.

A brilliant move to reel in those who already have a Glowing Bukkake, weird set of words, is a new mini-figure of the same character.  Closer to scale to play well with other keshi, this affordable version is a no-brainer for high alert, and how could it not be?  Less of a centerpiece or an intimating force, Precum is the practical mini-figure version that interacts with Kinkeshi and Grossery Gang trash bins, Mystical Warriors of the Ring wrestling mats, or rattling inside your very own capsule.  And for those who love the chase, but maybe can't always afford the game, this is a perfect alternative.

Both will drop together, Monday, March 26 at 8pm German time (2pm EST) on Sleaze's Instagram account (@sleazeism).  Quantities are so low and selling out quick enough, they are bothering with web-store stuff when necessary.

Space-Themed Bit Figs Invade Pockets This Spring!

Long time fictional bogeymen of the blog and independent toy pioneers, Onell Design, have not missed a beat when it comes to keeping things new and interesting with their Bit Figs mini-figure line.  Animals have reached a Series 3 and a good number of limited edition one-offs remain available for those who are looking to extend their Glyos-compatible collections.  In the coming days, they are looking to expand once more.

Returning to their roots, Onell is introducing their Space Big Figs, inspired from original characters from their Glyos figure line.  This is certainly an interesting and a celebratory time for Onell, Bit Figs, and their collectors.  Not only have these figs seen a revitalization in the vending machine market, but now is the moment the training wheels come off.  This set, at least the three teased to be a part of the set, are original designs, not chibi ninjas or animals that any kid can immediately relate to, and I'm excited to see where this path leads for them.  And it doesn't just go one way either.  Glyos collectors will now have their bridge into Bit Figs and mini-figures, as a whole, so it seems everyone wins.

Since my time in the independent toy scene, Glyos stuff and myself have always had a weird connection.  It felt close to something I would have liked, but because they were multi-parted figures, intended to be swapped and customized, even though made from the same general material modern keshi-style mini-figures were being produced with, I kept my distance.  That was until Bit Figs came around and I bought up a good deal.  I had ordered the bronze sets of animals and ninja, and found a vending machine locally to sacrifice my pocket change to, however neither set really sunk their teeth into me.  Maybe now it can.  Maybe rekindling that interest I had when I first discovered Glyos, with those times I was back and forth to whether or not I was going to dive in.  Maybe now I can confidently say I'm interested in Glyos now.

If you're interested as well, the five piece set of Space Bit Figs will be up for grabs, Sunday, March 25th at 9:30 PM ET on the Culture Pirates web-store.

https://shop.culturepirates.com

http://onelldesign.blogspot.com

Sleaze Drops Russel Taysom Nuclear Green Bukkake!

God damn, it's seriously March already?  I mean, from the arctic nightmare world I live in, I suppose I would be less surprised to see my calendar still reading December 2017.  In fact, it probably still is, but for a different reason.

What I meant to say instead is 'Holy crap, has time flew by!' and a couple important drops and events and updates and cool news things and everything else because I'm such a loser.  Mystical Warriors of the Ring are filling the seas with their new shark mini-figure.  Super7 is still convention king, but really more like convention emperor or demigod, at this point, as they revealed even more keshi series and sets in the last couple months.  Alien Robot Monster even came out with a super hype terminator mini figure I was ready as hell to cover, but it all just fell through my fingers like these last few months.

Maybe that was a tad over-dramatic, as my time has been spent with my new son who...  Oh, yeah, who can almost walk now!  Oh, that's the missing link right there!  Sure, laziness and exhaustion took their toll on my mind and fingers away from the blog, but chasing this little perpetual motion machine down, night and day, might just be a bigger culprit.  But damn, do I love him, and he's just too happy and too smart.  Way smarter than his ol' pop!

I'll spare you the wallet of baby pictures and cut to the real reason we're all here right now.  Announced and tantalized about, earlier this year, Sleaze's Bukkake has finally found it's way to pollute the fresh fair of the cool March spring.  If this is your first time here reading about this mini-figure, I would suggest you take a moment to read some previous posts about this piece and it's brand.   In fact, one of my more favorite recent articles was written about the ball of slime, so please check it out, if you haven't already.  If you did, or have some knowledge about these guys, you know they are super limited and quite hard to collect.  Colorways are small sets, popping up only for a short time, and then vanishing forever before you can click on your Paypal App, so I am very concerned I am not speedy enough for the update.  If you're interested, it's absolutely worth the effort to check the availability as soon as you can.

Although this also could change, it appears sales of this colorway look to be restricted to Sleaze's Instagram page (@sleazeism).  Web-store malfunctions seem to have befallen them, so it appears you'll have to reach out to them through social media.  Not the biggest issue ever, and where the set is only limited to ten pieces, putting that sort of mild inconvenience up for some collectors might be what the doctor ordered for us late bloomers.

Alright guys, that's me for now!  I do apologize for being away for a couple months there, and I certainly never intend on that.  Things will get better and more frequent, I just need more time and patience with it all still.  Thanks and until next time!

Shadow Mordles Drop! Mystical Warriors of the Ring Leak!

What's going on, everyone?  First off, thanks a ton for all the positive feedback on my previous post.  It always means a lot to me that people are reading my work and are entertained by it.  By some cosmic miracle of unknown science, I somehow didn't fall face-first into any controversy with it.  I certainly didn't expect my writing to be as clear and precise about things, but I suppose major points were covered clear enough.  Although I could have handled whatever that came my way, it's a relief not having to do the extra work.  Instead I can move forward to new updates like today's pair of keshi news.

The first part of today's update come from our friends at Mystical Warriors of the Ring.  They have been a little silent this winter, but it didn't take them too long after the new year to make their presence known with their plans for anthropomorphic professional wrestling.  Last year, they shared news and some design images of their new massive shark character, but out of the gate, we're seeing what this new heavyweight looks like ripping itself from it's mold.  Maybe this glittery blue resin plays perfectly to this type of character, but you can't help but get excited about this new addition to the roster, and you can't help but mention what an awesome piece he's turning out to be in what looks like a single mold.  Menacing shoulders, clenched fists, and an expression to do some real harm, this guy is what it means to take the classic keshi fundamentals found in series like Kinnikuman and give them life in 2018.

Expect more Mystical Warriors of the Ring news and updates as it happens, but of course, visit their main website for extra information and the web-store to start wrestling now.

http://mystwarriors.com/blog/

Following up that comeback story, we have another one not taking their time with the new year.  From the people at Toyfinity, they've announced a long-awaited drop for new releases of both their Mordles and Glyos figures.

Dropping tonight at 9 pm EST, two new colorway sets are going to be available to be added to your collection.  First, there is the army-green sort called the Guardian Darkness Soldiers and there is the glittery smoke Shadow Warriors, both of which will fill the ranks of your evil regiment just fine.  Like other Mordles, these will around the 1'' to 1.5'', so they will work well with Trash Pack and Grossery Gang figures or a swarm of mini nuisances for other toys on your shelf.

http://toyfinity.blogspot.com

Sleaze's Bukkake: A Re-Release and Retrospective!

The joke I've made a million times already is that I used my sweet and accommodating girlfriend as a model for my Bukkake review, an oversight that led to the birth of my son nine months later, give or take a few months and dramatic re-imaging.

It's safe to say, Sleaze's Bukkake piece is an important one, for me personally and professionally, as it's not just a bookmark in the Keshi Drop's pages, but also a symbolic harbinger of friendship with it's designer many time-zones away.

Flirting aside, with Sleaze emerging from it's cocoon and starting their new rebranding campaign, pairing the release of Nuclear Green Bukkake with the good ol' classic Glow In The Dark White is as solid of a business plan as I've ever heard.  The wad of love has seen a few renditions since it's first contact with the public.  It's seen flesh, phrasing, glittery customs, orange, purple, yellow, and the ever attractive flesh-white swirl, exclusive to Japanese retail joints.  And long before the last colorways hit shelves, the original white had long sold out, so its good to see it come back again, maybe a year or so later after it's initial release.

When this second wave of original Glow in the Dark whites drop I am not absolutely sure, but like Nuclear Green, I think it's within this month or next, so keep checking with them on social media or back here, where I'll certainly update this information when I have the fresh details.

It's been some time since the original voyage, and it's gained a lot more attention than just from here.  I guess the question now is, right now, how do I feel about this piece, now with some mileage under it's belt?

At the core of this commentary are two factors.  The first being a portion of my first impression and review.  I had praised it's boldness to captivate an audience, even essentially against their own will.

"It captures your attention, your imagination, and instills certain feels, albeit uncomfortable (pronouncing that how you wish) in the audience.  Whether that's a glowing happy place or some sort of repulsion or anything in between, a two inch rubber mini-figure did that, and that sort of powerful witchcraft is pretty much reserved to art and powerful ex-girlfriend witchcraft."

That's what I said last June and it still very much stands and represents the core of my thoughts on this piece, however this dust-ball of a thought has gathered more in size and complexity, at least I'd like to suggest it has.

courtesy of toy break and october toys

Paired with that is a short clip in an episode of Toy Break, Episode #139 to be exact.  Here's the link if you wish it view it yourself.  Up until last fall, Toy Break was a pretty enjoyable YouTube series that covered all kinds of designer toys, big and small.  Their company, October Toys, released many mini-figures that I loved very much, but as of last fall, production of the show and their mini-figures reached it's end, an event that really settled with me pretty poorly.

I bring this all up as preface, because, at first, I felt their review on Bukkake was pretty unfair.  Ayleen looked physically uncomfortable near it, and couldn't personally pinpoint a reason to buy it, until the obvious was stated for her.  George gave it a slightly positive overview, with Brandon seeming uninterested.  This obviously didn't mirror my sentiments, and my knee jerk reactions were shouting at the screen,"It's just a toy!"  Producing their own mini-figures, they must of obviously known the material used in the piece.  In no way is the piece made of actual ejaculate.  How could anyone treat it like it could have been?  Simple disagreements swirled my head, wanting to correct them, mentally through my computer screen.  "They just did it wrong", I felt for a while.  "They should go back and try it again, but this time, actually try to get it."  However, after the wave of brat-like indignity washed over me, I had something of an epiphany.  I was wrong about them, as I usually am in situations, and wrong with their reaction to the piece.  In fact, their reaction was a beam or a crutch that was supporting my own.

This gets two fold, so I apologize for the rabbit hole and the unnecessarily boring trip down it, but I have to explain two things at this point.  Generally, Bukkake should get to main reactions.  The first being some sort of positive thumbs-up or excitement, maybe even to the point of reveling into it's brash lewdness.  The other is disgust, rejection, apprehension, and a desire to distance oneself away, physically and mentally.  The short explanation is that our two reviews fell on those two general fields, to varying degrees.  A statement more obvious than pointing and witnessing the sun as it's rising in the sky, I enjoy gross things that gross people out, most of the time to very extremes, and these were people who were grossed out.  The standard and definition of this niche appeal hinges on the disgust of other unnamed, unknown, people, likely bored, overprotective, stay-at-home mothers, but not the Toy Break crew.  For a moment, I think my admiration for them clouded my ability to let them assume the role of the disgusted people I had always felt had nothing in common with me.  Clearly, the revolted and the distanced were a lot more similar to me and weren't these super-sensitive straw men I had created for this purpose.  So I mentally raised the "I'm sorry! I'm stupid!" flag, however from years upon years of use, it had grown worn out and torn.  I put it back and just make a mental note.  From then on, I embraced their reaction as something symbiotic to mine and got over it.  At least I tried to, until I found the rabbit hole went deeper.

Here's the second part of my comprehensive nonsense.  I just covered the general feelings I assumed people would fall into when meeting a piece like Bukkake.  One group would embrace it and one would not be so keen to.  The layer underneath asks why.  What causes those reactions and what is rooted in our minds that trigger those impulses?  Is one right and one wrong?  I feel this second layer gets pretty close to the center of this metaphorically world, a nebulous zone of emptiness and weightlessness, where opinion and perspective reigns over fact, so I'm going to speak a bit more suggestively and leave ideas for you to think about on your own than try to explain how or what to think or feel.

Bukkake, as stated before, is a rubber mini-figure and nothing more, but assuming the role of a dripping monster of human goo.  Is the line of acceptance and rejection the ability to acknowledge and separate fact from imagination?  I would suggest not, because what if it was.  Even growing up as a gross-loving child, there is a huge difference of throwing some quarters in a machine for a capsule of neon green slime to mash into the carpet when we got home and actually just finding something faintly similar in a used condom on the sidewalk.  I can't imagine the demographic of people who are actually into that, although I assume there are some, in not a few, but certainly distinctively smaller than the group of people who just like slime and Garbage Pail Kids.

artwork by giuseppe cristiano

So the hinge of that is why?  There can be little said about why people are grossed out to the idea of gross things.  Normal, reasonable, minds would keep their lives free of unnecessary germs, illness, harm, and general mess as natural self-defense mechanism.   Those without that trigger have some explaining to do.  For me personally, I've seen the worst side of germs and harm.  I've been bitten by poison spiders, lost skin and toenails in skateboard crashes, and found myself in the hospital twice for crazy strange muscle or skin infections, but, the way I see it, I'm still here.  I haven't been ejected from the surface of the planet yet, so no matter how gross things are or could be, it's not enough to trigger my self defense.  I am no longer afraid of spiders or doctors or exam rooms or the human body slowly mending itself, but I wouldn't be interested in some more gross things found on the sidewalk.  So there is a distinction.

artwork by giuseppe cristiano

Harmless gross toys could hit or miss your natural trigger to defend your health, but I would suggest there is also a different social element to it as well.  The term Bukkake just doesn't imply what the monster is made of, but how.  There is a certain way to make something like that.  Certain chefs of certain sorts have to know how this recipe works, because it's not just ingredients.  Close to this nebulous area of opinion, we can discuss if the act of baking this cake is toeing the line or firmly pressed into moral and social repugnance, so be warned, we're going there.  What does this act say about a man as an individual, men as a group, a woman as an individual, and a single woman with a group of men?  We swirl now within the center of this mass of opinion, as I now feel a bit cowardly to not confront any of it, as I pass the responsibility onto you.  Within this act, are there people or objects?  What is the goal, if there is one?  Is it the final result or the performance?  Is it not just a fog of complex desires, pulling at different extremes?  At least we can hope so, if we're to assume it's all fun and games and everyone leaves pleased with their work, although I think it's naive to think that happens absolutely every time.  Maybe some people at sometimes want to have a bad time.  That subject might be best left for a different time and a different place.

The final tangent of barely coherent ramble is the string of logic that excludes or does not exclude Bukkake from being as potentially repugnant as it's source of inspiration.  Let it also show, to maybe no true value, that I am male and Ayleen is female.  Lost to me at first, but there are distinct emotions attached or possibly attached by being of a certain gender.  Bukkake could very well mean and represent something different, hold a different perspective, carry a different weight, from person to person, but also what gender you identify as.  The action of creating such a monster would ask of different things from different people of different genders, and dependent of the desires of the individual, they all might not be the fairest of proposition.

Now, nearly a year later, I ask what is it that allows Bukkake to be exciting to some?  Is it the fact that it's brings us close to the fire, but doesn't allow you to burn?  Or is it the deadening thud of an otherwise thunderous clap?  Is it something small, simple, and harmless, derivative of something quite possibly opposite in every way?  Why must we as a people humanize everything?  Does every thought and act require a walking, speaking, representation?  Would we understand it less if not?  Or would it just fade back into our minds, away from our daily worry and concern?  Does it need a body away from our own?  Is it not a part of it's charm that it says something about itself in such a manner we could never?  Maybe we are maybe voyeurs to Bukkake's world, happily able to check out when it's most convenient?  I think you get the gist.

Bukkake is a monster, in concept and in form.  He's a massively large and thick keshi representation of something even more unwieldy.  The only difference is that he comes in a variety of attractive colors, blinding us to the task of responsibility, with a veil of collectibility.  Wherever you fall within this scope between disgust and excitement, I have to suggest, if nothing else, it's a remarkable feat to even drag us this far with mere rubber casting and design alone.

If you made it this far, from the bottom of my heart- thank you!  I hope there wasn't a tremendous amount of loose ends and screwed-up sentences up there, and the general feeling of it all makes some sense.  I look forward to doing more pieces like this, as well as more news and reviews, so please make it back.  Until next time!

Kinkeshi Avalanche! Gacha Series 4+5! Premium 5+6! Noir!

Happy New Years, everyone!

I do want to apologize again for being largely ghost-like in 2017, and I hope posting like this is a good sign for things to come for 2018.  Honestly, although I think I brought this point up briefly in a previous post, I feel I could have done a little better last year, especially near the tail-end of it all.  The fact of the matter is: I could have, but being so absent from the scene for so long, it was increasingly harder to find the perfect spot to jump back in, although a hundred of hundred people will tell you there is no perfect spot, just jump in whenever.  Be that as it may, missing a laundry list of convention news and releases, from all the new products coming from Super 7, down to all the independent work I wanted to cover, it added the problem of coming back with now the extra question of why.  What could possibly shake me out of this hiatus if the stuff that just whizzed by my head couldn't?  That was the question that circled in my head, although I figure now it's a silly one to really consider a moment of thought.  That's the stupid thing about stupid thoughts.  You can throw some bad food in the trash or a bad drink down the drain and that's that, but a poisonous thought can keep coming back, haunting you with its broken logic and unreasonable demands, breaking down your common sense until you finally give in.  Assuredly, that's something of a over-dramatic look at it all, but I'll tell you one project that isn't missing one step: Bandai and Kinkeshi.  And what they are doing, just might be the boot to the ass I was looking for.

Last April, I covered Bandai's Premium Kinkeshi Volume 3 Set, but since then, they have exploded in new products, for both serious collectors and newbies with just a few coins in the pockets.  Missing the news and release of their new Gachapon series, which appear to be a micro set of new sculpts, exclusively found in Japanese vending machines, they have expanded that, or at least working on expanding, to Series 4 and 5, that look to hearken back to the wrestling move posed heroes and villains.  There appear to be some added surprises in there as well, so keep your coins close.

But if you're the sort that has a little more than loose change, you might be more interested in the Premium sets releasing sometime in the near-distant future.  Sadly, Series 4 came, went, and was shipped to happy customers, without so much of a mention from me, so for that, I'll have to go back and check out what I missed.

Moving forward, however, Bandai released some images showing off a few new series to the ever-expanding awesome resurgence of Kinnikuman and Kinkeshi.  For one made and released just for someone like me, the "Noir: The Best" set seems to be a re-release of some of the favorites from previous sets, just for those who have been hiding under a rock, but now in a cool dark-grey colorway.  Pretty awesome stuff for us clueless collectors, as well as completionists who now have a new colorway to add to their collections.


But I wouldn't be calling this a Kinkeshi Avalanche if it was really just that.  As partially-spoiled above, Bandai is also working on the release of both Premium Volumes 5 and 6.  Aiming to come out during this winter, and possibly the next couple months, these guys are home-runs after home-runs.  It's absolutely amazing to see how well these guys are looking and how thriving their comeback has been.

Keep an eye on the link below for more information on release time and price, as well as any more surprise releases, because of this is just the first of the year.  What else does Kinkeshi have planned for 2018?

http://p-bandai.jp