Up Next for Sofubi
Looks like we know what the next Tomenosuke x Circus Posterus Sofubi is, the Red Glitter Frost Jack!
Look at the sparkly goodness in that red body! Ready to fire this winter with details coming soon!!!
Tomenosuke+Circus Posterus
Destination Designer Con: Glow in the Dark Sofubi
For the first time ever, the glow in the dark sofubi we saw at Monsters and Misfits III is coming to the US!
This luminescent group of misfits are charged and ready for their debut at Designer Con! Here, you will see Calliope Jackalope by Kathie Olivas, Stinky Ginger by Chris Ryniak, Stingy Jack by Brandt Peters, and the brand new Heathen Snake Skelve.
This limited group will be available in a bundle pack including all 4, as well as a very small amount sold individually. After the success of all the other Tomenosuke + Circus Posterus sofubi, these will not last long. You can find them at the Circus Posterus booth #400 at DesignerCon this weekend!
Who is Stingy Jack?
We all know Brandt Peters’ interpretation of Stingy Jack, but have you ever wondered where this amazing character came from?
Even though Brandt is a genius, he didn’t come up with the tale of the ill-fated Stingy Jack all his own because the history of this man dates back to the early days of Halloween itself. Being Halloween is a mere two weeks away, we thought we would rediscover the history of Stingy Jack, and sit down with Brandt Peters on why this character is dear to him.
As the story goes, several centuries ago amongst the myriad of towns and villages in Ireland, there lived a drunkard known as “Stingy Jack”. Jack was known throughout the land as a deceiver, manipulator and otherwise dreg of society. On a fateful night, the devil overheard the tale of Jack’s evil deeds and silver tongue. Unconvinced (and envious) of the rumors, the devil went to find out for himself whether or not Jack lived up to his vile reputation.
(source: wikipedia)
Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
(source: history.com)
Now that we know the history of Stingy Jack, we wanted to see what drew in Brandt to bring this story to life in his art. Brandt was kind enough to take time out of his very busy day so we could pick his brain on this amazing character.
CP: What drew you in to the lore of Stingy Jack?
Brandt Peters: I have always been a story teller… I just happen to use toys, paintings and media of all types to tell my tales. I have a fascination with myth and folk tales from around the globe. An ongoing idea that I continually explore is to re-tell or even concoct “new” American myth.
Stingy Jack is one of the folk tales that I am in the process of retelling and re-developing internally at Circus Posterus and it fit perfectly into my world of antique heroes and old-world scoundrels.
I am not sure how much you know of the tale… The Devil and Stingy Jack are locked in a perpetual battle of who is the most evil. The very idea of their relationship was so fantastic and absurd. The humor alone in this notion seems historic to me. As a huge fan of the tale, I felt compelled to fill in the blanks, the ongoing adventure of the two most envious and vile characters in the universe trying to outwit each other infinitely.
I love the simple basis behind the lore of Stingy Jack and his curse, and personally felt it was always incomplete. I wanted more!
Click MORE for the rest of our interview with Brandt Peters on his love of Stingy Jack.
Kathie Olivas’ new Calliope!
We’re just dropping a whole lot of new things on you this week, and we haven’t even fully recovered from the madness of Comic-Con.
Kathie Olivas’ Calliope Jackalope is out in a new colourway, “Wicked”, from our collaboration with Tomenosuke, this time inspired by old timey vintage Halloween! For the first time, her body is a clear vinyl, and her painted bits are as lovely as ever.
Toy: Calliope Jackalope
Artist: Kathie Olivas (Header Card comes signed by artist)
Colorway: “Wicked” edition
Edition size: 80
Price: $95
For North American collectors, these will go on sale at the Circus Posterus store on Saturday, July 27th, in small allotments starting at around 11am!
International collectors can pick her up at Tomenosuke, on July 27th, 11am JST,
Leecifer’s Stingy Jack Colourway!
Hey, remember this awesome Stingy Jack that Leecifer customized for his show in February, LONG DOGS? We liked it so much, we decided to make a sofubi Stingy Jack colourway based off it. Check out that gorgeous fade on the face, and that wonderful little nose!
Toy: Stingy Jack
Artist(s): Leecifer X Brandt Peters (Header Card comes signed by both artists)
Colorway: “Blu” edition
Edition size: 30
Price $95
* This is a production toy by Leecifer – not a hand paint!
For North American collectors, these will go on sale at the Circus Posterus store on Saturday, July 27th, in small allotments starting at around 11am! This is one of the smallest Stingy Jack editions to date, so don’t miss out!
International collectors can pick Leecifer’s Stingy Jack up at Tomenosuke, on July 27th, 11am JST.
Meanwhile, we’ve long sold out of Lee’s Stingy Jack customs, but we still have his wonderful Big Sal custom, as well as a Jack and Lucky custom in stock!
Kathie Olivas’s Calliope Jackalope Sofubi #2 (Ivory) Release
We saw the original colorway of Calliope last November at DesignerCon, and now it is time for one of her alter egos to come forth! On sale Wednesday January 23, 2013 from the Tomenosuke + CP Sofubi line is the long-awaited release of Kathie Olivas’ Calliope Jackalope Sofubi #2 “Ivory”.
Starting that Wednesday, Calliope # 2 will be randomly listed in the Circus Posterus Store here for $95, and stocked at random times throughout the week. If you receive a “Sold Out” message – keep checking back because they will be back in stock in varying increments. The “Ivory” edition is limited to 120 pieces with CP and Tomenosuke each getting 60 of the edition. Each header card is signed and numbered by Kathie.
Remember to keep checking the Circus Posterus web store starting Wednesday January 23!
Kathie Olivas’s Calliope Jackalope Sofubi is Coming to DesignerCon!
In and among the myriad of exciting new Tomenosuke + CP sofubi releases emerging at this year’s DesignerCon is Kathie Olivas’s long-awaited Calliope Jackalope #1. First seen as a prototype at Monsters & Misfits II last April, this beautiful little lady will debut in a robin’s egg blue colorway and is limited to just 120 pieces at $95ish a pop. Similar to Brandt’s Toxic Marshmallow Stingy Jack, which is also releasing at the Con, roughly half of the edition will be available and the remainder will then be divvied up between Tomenosuke-syoten and Stranger Factory for online sales later on. CP forum members, watch the boards for a lottery announcement!
Circus Posterus will have an entire booth dedicated to the Tomenosuke+CP line of sofubi at this year’s DesignerCon (#500), so be sure to stop by and check out the goods for yourself if you’ve yet to get your paws on some vinyl goodness. We have more exciting announcements in the pipeline, so don’t wander too far!
[via the Tomeno blog]
Stingy Jack Sofubi Colorway #2 to Debut @ DCon 2012!
Following the insane success of Brandt Peters’s first sofubi Stingy Jack in August, the pumpkin-headed trickster is back for another spin with the Circus. Hot out of the molds from Obitsu, the second colorway just wrapped up and is slated to debut at DesignerCon 2012!
Inspired by Brandt’s “Toxic Marshmallow” resin custom from Monsters & Misfits II, this next colorway from Tomenosuke + Circus Posterus packs a heck of palette that’s guaranteed to stand-out from the rest of the collection. Just check out the fade on his noggin!
The Toxic Marshmallow colorway is an edition of 120 pieces. Roughly half of the run will be available at the CP booths (#500) during DCon and the rest will then be split between Tomenosuke -syoten and Stranger Factory. These will be sold shortly after the Con (date TBA). Price is $95 per figure. CP board members, stay tuned for a lottery announcement on the forums.
Hang on to your hats, my friends — things are about to get crazy!
[via the Tomeno blog]
Stingy Jack: An Anatomy, Pt. 5
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]
