March 2014

Wandering Misfits Release 3.14.2014

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DCON misfits

 

pullcartTime for a triple threat Wandering Misfits release this coming Friday, March 14 in the Circus Posterus store.

We held back a few of the Designer Con exclusive blue Ash and Inkslinger so those not attending might get a shot – and their day has finally come.! That isn’t all, misfit collectors, because we have a few of the black Pull Cart Skelve available too! This little guy rolling around on his cart is a Stranger Factory exclusive color-way that was previously only available with case purchases, but we held a few back for this special sale.

All three go live in the CP store tomorrow, so get ready!

 

Early images from Andrew Bell

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8db9d0f6a97111e3a2680a84b508c472_8We are getting some early early images in from Andrew Bell for his show coming to Stranger Factory this April.

We can see that Andrew is in his Beast Mode of sculpting. The combination of giant pants and what might be hooves, makes us wonder what manner of monster will inhabit them.

We also have a small hat (below) which in my head I think belongs to a Doozer from Fraggle Rock, but I doubt Andrew is doing that.

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More updates soon!
andrewbell

These exhibits run April 4th – May 4th, with an opening reception on Friday, April 4th from 6 – 9 PM.
Stranger Factory
109 Carlisle Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

 

Toy Life: The Playmates Years.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – man, I love being a toy nerd!

As I write this, I am in the middle of my 28th year on this planet. With all the stuff I’ve seen, I still find myself coming back to the things I had when I was six. I played in a world full of monster heroes, clever detectives and mutant ninjas. For all of that, I have Playmates to thank .

Playmates formed my childhood. They ruled early ’90s toy shelves and managed to control a time when GI Joe and Transformers were in a weird transition. During that time period, three toy lines specifically helped not only form a big hunk of my identity but also take up a lot of space in my toy box.

image from tomopop.com

image from tomopop.com

In 1990, Playmates released the Dick Tracy toy line. While some of you may remember the movie and cringe, that toy line was pretty remarkable – a 14 figure toy line consisting almost entirely of bad guys!. Better yet, a bunch of deformed gangsters that are too busy racketeering to try and get there face game fixed up. The Dick Tracy line single handedly gave me a universal rogues gallery. Let’s be honest, in our youth, most of us did not have parents we could justify buying the exact same toy twice to. So, while I may never have gotten my army of foot clan ninjas, I did manage to get a good amount of ridiculous looking thugs. Add to that the great accessories these characters came with and the universal appeal of cops and robbers, and you had a recipe made for success.

On the opposite side of the spectrum came one of the funnest toy lines of all time. 1991 gave us the gift of Toxic Crusaders. Someone working at a big agency must have watched The Toxic Avenger and said:

“ I can totally make that into a marketable property for kids! All I have to do is tone down the gore, take out the needless nudity and play up the cheesy concept!”

(This comment is not recorded fact. Also while it may not have been said if it was its damn wrong. All those things make Toxie better.)

image from dorkdimension.com

image from dorkdimension.com

With a cartoon, came toys and those toys are one of the milestones of my life. The Toxic Crusaders toy line is the apex of Playmates for me. They implemented the same bit pieces system they had used on previous lines like Dick Tracy. Add to that the weird obsession with Day Glo colors and surreal character designs and you have perfection. I still own most of these figures and find myself playing with Headbanger whenever I look at him on the shelf.

Both of these toy lines alone would be awesome achievements for me to sit around and praise Playmates about but there is still the toy line that allowed both of those to happen. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the perfect toy line. The evolution of sculpt and ideas in those figures is just incredible. I remember when the shell storage turtles came out and I just about lost it. They could hide their weapons in their shells!!! Not only was that an awesome idea for those figures, but also allowed for one to see the inner workings of how a toy gets put together. That may actually have been my first experience with toy engineering.

On top of the fun quirky ideas they used to keep life in the Turtles, they also had an amazing cast of non-turtle characters on the roster. Characters like Mutagen Man, Ray Filet, and the almighty Casey Jones are some of the coolest character designs ever. There’s just something about a guy in a hockey mask holding a cricket bat  and ready to wreck some ninjas that makes the universe make more sense to me.

Casey Jones, from the new Playmates TMNT line.

Casey Jones, from the new Playmates TMNT line.

Currently, the Turtles toy line has seen a  triumphant return and I couldn’t be happier. These current turtles are my favorite versions since the original Playmates figures. The joints and posability is a dream, the new designs on classic characters have been really fun, and the new color schemes work incredibly well. It’s nice to be two decades older and wiser and still have a guy in a hockey mask make me smile as much as he did back then. Well, even if they forgot the Cricket Bat.

April at Stranger Factory: Andrew Bell, Martin Ontiveros and Bwana Spoons

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Stranger Factory is pleased to announce a new solo exhibit by Andrew Bell in our main gallery this April! Also showing in the Project Room will be new works by Martin Ontiveros and Bwana Spoons. These exhibits run April 4th – May 4th, with an opening reception on Friday, April 4th from 6 – 9 PM.

Andrew Bell

Andrew Bell

Andrew Bell’s singular and engaging character design has earned him a legion of fans worldwide. From hapless fish realizing they’re about to be served with wasabi to a plaintive stare on a robot made of found objects, Bell’s work is typified by a universal longing for things to just be OK. His creations alternate between the larger-than-life personality of golden age Warner Bros. cartoons, and a timid sigh made by a creature you can only see in the corner of your eye. With this tremendous range in his work, it’s no wonder that Andrew is a favorite here at Stranger Factory!

Martin Ontiveros

Martin Ontiveros

 

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Martin Ontiveros provides the world with nuanced nightmares born to us on the backs of heavy metal anthems. If that sounds like too much hyperbole, you’ve never seen his work. Ontiveros’ creature designs are straight out of a black light poster’s nightmares, with all manner of ghouls and demons screaming to life in colors that must be see in person to be believed.

Bwana Spoons

Bwana Spoons

Bwana Spoons is a master of modern folk art. His paintings, custom vinyl figures, and hand-painted resin statues are explosions of color, leaving you with the impression that you’ve just been mugged by the universe. Generally sticking with animals as his main subjects, it’s not uncommon to see Bwana bring to life a whale going for a walk or a sloth enjoying a Big Gulp.

These exhibits run April 4th – May 4th, with an opening reception on Friday, April 4th from 6 – 9 PM.
Stranger Factory
109 Carlisle Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

Brandt never stops sketching

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1621775_282394958581707_213650330_nWe all know what Brandt Peters is capable of with his trusty sketchbook, since it was obvious with the masterful work of Muse 1. With that release, we got to see the thought processes behind his creations, all in a simple book packed full of his sketches!

Brandt has started publicly posting more of his sketches, which we are all rejoicing over. He’s been revisiting some of  his favourite themes lately – this time, “Creatures of the Night.” So, you may see all those monsters, creatures, and some oddballs that may keep you up at night shivering-  or just revive some of that campy gore you love.

He posts them up daily on his facebook page here, but we also picked some of our favorites for you to check out below.

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Picture 1 of 7

If you are interested in Brandt’s sketches, check out some of the collected pieces in Muse 1 available right here.

 

Tim Lee Follow-Up for Deadeyes

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With the opening of Deadeyes tonight, we couldn’t leave you hanging on a few of our Tim Lee posts from earlier.

We teased you with one side of “Get a Grip” and now we can fully reveal the other side, and it is just as brilliant as we wanted it to be! I love both sides but the darker side is a strong contrast, and it has an octopus!

Get-a-gripWEBWe also get the full reveal of Caritas and its counterpart piece, Calumina. These pieces are oil on wood royalty at an astounding 14″ x 30″ each.

CaritasWEB

CalumniaWEB

 

Deadeyes, by Robert Hoggard, Tim Lee and Joe Scarano, runs March 7th – 30th, with an opening reception on Tonight Friday, March 7th from 6 – 9 PM.

For purchase instructions, please refer to the online preview.

Robert Hoggard’s 1080P

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RHAnother quick preview from Deadeyes before the actual preview comes out, and this time by robot alchemist Robert Hoggard.

This creation is known as “1080P”, and looks like it is on a mission. That cold stare is ready for the robot uprising! …well, probably not, since it has a turn key on its head to get him going. He is also equipped with a 95 mm x 55mm LCD screen, and tons of lights in his head.

I can’t get enough of these robots! Who doesn’t love robots?

Deadeyes runs March 7th – 30th, with an opening reception on Friday, March 7th from 6 – 9 PM.

 

Joe Scarano’s Grimley is ready for Stranger Factory

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Keeping my promise from yesterday, I’ll show you a few of Joe Scarano’s “Grimley” plaques that are making their way to Deadeyes at Stranger Factory.

Joe has about 10 plaques ready to go in various colors and schemes, and we know these won’t last long! This character is simply astounding(and adorable!).

If you didn’t know –
Grimley lives in the trees, he lives in the walls, the ground, the clouds… he appears like smoke to lead you astray. You had planned on walking through the woods to get to Granny’s house, but he has other plans for you. You will happily follow him anywhere he leads you.

Now, for a little preview:
Grimley_2a Grimley_4 Grimley_5a Grimley_9Deadeyes runs March 7th – 30th, with an opening reception on Friday, March 7th from 6 – 9 PM.

Sofubi Madness!!!

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Were you on vacation last week? Did you hear about the major sofubi release in the CP Store?

Well, here’s a reminder!

Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters continued their Circus Posterus x Tomenosuke sofubi collection with red glitter versions of Heathen Snake Skelve, Calliope, and Stingy Jack for the masses! That isn’t all, because there is a little secret with these three that makes them even more epic! Want to know what it is? Well…you can swap out all the heads and bodies!!!! You can create a Heathen Jack, Calliope Snake, and more! it works out perfectly too, with the color way being the same across the board!

We don’t have many of these left. Calliope and the Heathen Snake Skelve are limited to 100 while Stingy Jack is far fewer, and the only way you can get Ol’ Stingy Jack is by buying the sofubi three pack.

Calliope
Call-WEB

Heathen Snake Skelve
Heathen-WEBBBThree pack with Stingy Jack
sofubi-3-WEBPick them all up right here.