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Kathie Olivas’s Calliope Jackalope Colorway #2 due Early 2013!

Well happy early holidays to us! This past week we’ve seen a couple of sweet reveals of Kathie Olivas’s second Calliope Jackalope sofubi colorway from Tomenosuke + Circus Posterus. A soft cream and light blue mix, you’ll notice a couple of subtle changes to the little lady this round, with the addition of eye reflections and a rosiness to her nose and lips. ETA is early 2013; official specs and release details to come!

Calliope Jackalope: An Anatomy, Pt. III

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Previously on Calliope Jackalope, An Anatomy, Pt. II: Our little lady is assessed by Obitsu and it’s determined that the figure would require five molds. The wax master is sculpted, the metal molds are forged and the first Calliope test figure is born. Now: we add a splash of color.

With the test figures pulled and green-lighted by KO, it was time to bust out the Pantones and whip up a paint master for the factory to replicate. For her debut Calliope, Kathie chose a soft robin’s egg blue:

At a glance, Calliope’s paint finish seems relatively simple; buuuut … that definitely is not the case. The spray mask alone had to be applied three times more than that of Stingy Jack’s. The figure has a total of eight masks: propeller, face, broken antlers, whites of the eyes, the pupils, lips/cheeks, belly and zipper. The lips and cheeks were the most tedious as they had to be airbrushed by hand to create a realistic ‘rosiness’.

Up next, we take a look at the completed Calliope Jackalope in all her glory. Stay tuned!

 [via the Tomeno blog]

Calliope Jackalope: An Anatomy, Pt. II

Previously on Calliope Jackalope, An Anatomy: Calliope is rendered in 3D and from that a prototype is made for the factory to map out the mold process. We head there now for some mold-makin’, waxin’ action!

Like Stingy Jack, the Calliope prototype was taken to Obitsu to determine how many metal molds the figure will require. Given her complexity, she, too, would require five to cover her multiple parts: head, body, legs, hat, ears and tail.

The figure is re-cast in wax and the metal molds are made. From that, we get our first test:

And from there, the header card art is submitted by Brandt and Kathie and voila! Our first packaged Calliope!

[via the Tomeno blog]

Stingy Jack: An Anatomy, Pt. 5

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 Previously on Stingy Jack, An Anatomy 4: We get our first look at Stingy in coloured vinyl and apply new paint mods to help show off his assets. And then, the unthinkable: the unforgiving heat of New Mexico warps Stingy’s feet, causing him to shelf dive. So, we rebuild: his feet are remodeled and repositioned for better stability. He’s tested and stands. And now: the exciting conclusion!

After a year of planning and production, 120 Stingy Jacks arrive on Tomenosuke’s doorstep from Obitsu. Half will head to New Mexico for the North American release, while the remainder will stay back for international collectors. An overwhelming feeling of relief and pride spills over Tomenosuke store owner and T+CP partner, Shinji Nakako.

“Since it took a full year to complete, I think that’s all the more strong feelings towards this piece,” Shinji reflects on the experience.

“I assumed that I had acquired plenty of experience in toy making from the resin figure Lady Butterfly and the high-end prop replica Tomenosuke Blaster, but what awaited me were the challenges and excitements unique to vinyl.

“The task at hand was to create a model for mass production without sacrificing the nuance of the original sculpture, while clearing certain limitations involved with forming from metal mold,” Shinji continues. “I thought that I knew fully well of the material’s characteristic of being sensitive to heat, but due to the high temperatures in the summer, the base of the figure’s feet had deformed and could not support itself. As a result, We had to make the feet from scratch.

It’s only sofubi, but it’s still sofubi… not something that could be done in a brief period of time.”

Up next: Brandt Peters sits down and, in a rare afterword, explains Stingy’s creation, his passion for sofubi and what’s next for Tomenosuke + Circus Posterus.

[via the Tomeno blog]

Brandt Peters’ Sofubi Stingy Jack Dropping This Weekend!

The wait is finally over! Tomenosuke-syoten and Circus Posterus are excited to announce that production on Brandt Peters’ sofubi Stingy Jack is complete and will be releasing this weekend!

A run of 120 pieces, the edition will be halved between Circus Posterus and Tomenosuke-syoten (so 60 per store). They retail for $95 each (7,600 yen) and stand around 6 inches. Each comes poly-bagged with a header card signed by Mr. Brandt Peters himself.

CP will handle North American collectors only (MUST be shipped to a North American destination). The figures will be available through Stranger Factory on Sunday, Aug. 26th at 1pm PST. The release will be treated just like a gallery request, so email strangerfactorysales@gmail.com at exactly 1pm on Aug. 26th for your chance to purchase.

*** Buyers will be notified and if payment is not received by the cut-off date, the remaining Stingy Jacks will be put up on CP.com ***

Tomenosuke-syoten will handle all other international collectors (North American orders will be denied). The figures will drop at midnight Japan time on Aug. 25th (early Sunday morning) via the Tomenosuke + CP sales page.
The figures are one per household. Both retailers reserve the right to deny requests from known resellers and flippers.

Good luck!

Stingy Jack: An Anatomy, Part 4

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 Previously on Stingy Jack, An Anatomy III: The flashing is cut, the tests are assembled and the Pantones are picked. Now: troubleshooting, colour-castin’ and package graphics!

After the test-pulls were sent to New Mexico and green-lit by Brandt, Stingy Jack took another spin through Obitsu, this time for colour-casting. What you see above is not paint application — but actual coloured vinyl which is then painted. Scroll a bit and you’ll see what I mean:

This is one of the first paint tests. Two paint masks were developed for the eyes and collar, along with applications to Stingy’s hat and hands. After this first pass it was determined that another mask would be added to Stingy’s right hand as the cigar looks like a finger. The pom-poms on his belly would also be painted for added emphasis.

Read More »Stingy Jack: An Anatomy, Part 4

CP Sofubi: Stingy’s Comin’ Along …

Brandt Peters’ sofubi Stingy Jack inches ever nearer to completion from the looks of these new snaps showing off the mischief makers’ first colourway: a regal transparent purple. The figure is still undergoing some tweaks (gloves and eyes will be brighter, a fade will be added to the body), but we now have a general idea of what to look forward to. A release date will be set once these adjustments are made, which should be very soon!

 

Coming Soon: Stranger Factory’s Exclusive Greasebat!

BEWARE, ALBUQUERQUE! It’s been reported that Jeff Lamm’s infamous kaiju character, GREASEBAT, was last seen rampaging down Rt. 66 and is headed straight for you! This uncontrollable beast breeds unbridled chaos and destruction everywhere he goes and it appears he has his sights set on Stranger Factory in Nob Hill. Get out while you can!

To our fearless kaiju collectors: we plead for you to take a stand and help us wrangle this ferocious beast! He is anticipated to arrive in the next few weeks. This species of Greasebat is rare — a Stranger Factory exclusive, in fact! Sculpted by Chauskoskis and produced in Japanese vinyl by Monster Worship, this 7″ monster is cast in solid, sky blue Pantone with red, gold and silver sprays. He’s $85 and of a very limited edition. Once he’s gone, he’s extinct!

Each Greasebat comes poly-bagged and with a header card signed by Jeff Lamm. But be tactful, should you choose to hunt the creature, for the hunger of the almighty Greasebat is one that is never satiated …

Stay tuned; details on the hunt are forthcoming!

CP Sofubi: Kathie’s Calliope Jackalope Finished in Wax

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The CP x Tomenosuke sofubi vinyl project continues to blaze along with an update from Shinji that Kathie OlivasCalliope Jackalope is now finished in wax and will be moving into the molding phase!

For those unfamiliar with the process, the cone-like extremities on each of the figure’s parts is flashing, which is used help extract the figure from the mold. It’s then cut away when the figure is assembled. As you can see, the Jackalope is a more complex sofubi figure as it comes in multiple parts: head, body, legs, ears, hat and tail.

To get a sense of what’s next, check out this video from Andy of Kaiju Korner. He recently had the opportunity to visit a small sofubi production house in Tokyo. Prepare for the chemical bath, dear Calliope!

CP Sofubi: Stingy Jack Goes Into Production!

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*Sniff* *sniff* … ahhh … you smell that? That, my friends, is the scent of sweet, sweet sofubi vinyl going into production. Following his big first reveal during the Monsters & Misfits Japan tour last month, Brandt Peters’ devilish Stingy Jack (in collaboration with Tomenosuke-syoten) has since been improved in a couple of areas, making the toy thicker and better supported. Level up, baby … this little mischief maker is hitting the conveyer catwalk looking better than ever.

The first colorway is anticipated to drop at the end of June (fingers crossed). We’ll drop a sneak or two closer to the date.

In other news: Kathie Olivas’ Callipe Jackalope is just about finished in wax and is on its way to molds. We’ll keep y’all in the loop on that project as it develops as well. So much goodness in the works right now! *Asplodes*

For those new to all this awesome, Circus Posterus’ sofubi vinyl is a brand-spankin’-new collaborative project in conjunction with Japan’s Tomenosuke-syoten. Three figures in this series have been revealed thus far: Brandt’s Stingy Jack, Kathie’s Calliope Jackalope and Chris Ryniak’s Stinky Ginger. The figures are slated for release throughout 2012, with Stingy Jack making the first exit around end-June(ish). Since it’s a collab project, the editions will be shared between CP and Tomenosuke, with each party receiving half. In other words, these will be limited, there will be chaos and you’ll feel freaking INVINCIBLE when you score one after stumbling with anxious fingers and a pounding heart. Welcome to the league of F5.

Stick around, folks — things are just starting to heat up!!