GeekWok Star Wars T-Shirts by UME Toys

If, like The Blot, you’ve been digging UME Toys adorable GeekWok resin figures, then you’ll going to go crazy for these new GeekWok t-shirts! Now everyone can show their love of Wicket the Ewok’s geeky little cousin by sporting t-shirts featuring the cutest nerd this side of Endor. UME Toys is releasing two different versions of their GeekWok t-shirt, a monotone design on a sports grey t-shirt and a full color design on white. They even come in kids sizes!

Both versions of the GeekWok t-shirt are now available for pre-order at the UME Toys online store. The adult sized shirts come in sizes S-2XL and retail for £15.50, while the kiddie shirts come in multiple sizes and retail for £10.50.

Urban Testament T-Shirt Collection Series 1

Meet Urban Testament, a Dallas, Texas based streetwear brand The Blot was recently introduced to! They pride themselves on making detailed and limited edition pop culture and classic hip-hop inspired t-shirts that reflect the movements, ideals and ideologies of people that stepped away from the norm. Urban Testament clothing isn't about being different, but being yourself! Be the “Black Sheep” and just do you.

Urban Testament’s Series 1 T-Shirt Collection is a killer mix of type tees, classic logo shirts, and an urban take on some iconic graphic designs. I especially love their “Rotten Apple” and “Varsity URBN” designs. I’ve never wanted to be a black sheep before! For the launch of a new indie clothing brand this is a really well rounded first release, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this up and coming streetwear brand!

Urban Testament T-Shirt Collection Series 1 includes six t-shirts in all, each available in sizes S-XL. Pick one up today at the Urban Testament online store for just $20 each.

Toy Review: My Hero Toys DIY Female Superhero Vinyl Figure Platform

World famous cosplayer and fellow toy collector Tanya Tate has launched an exciting new Do It Yourself vinyl figure platform, and The Blot was lucky enough to get one of the first figures for a proper toy review! The My Hero Toys Customizable Female Superhero Vinyl Figure was designed to give the world its first ever female superhero DIY platform. For some odd reason female bucks and platforms are hard to come by, but not anymore!

As Tanya explains on her website, “the idea of My Hero Toy came to me when I wanted to make a custom figure and there weren’t any cool female blank figures.” The My Hero Toys blank figure is perfect for making your own video game character, superhero or anything you can imagine. I really like the idea behind this toy, and it’s at a price point ($17.99 here) that’s accessible to both accomplished customizers and kids wanting to make their own superheroes. Plus, its right hand has the old school kung-fu grip, so you can make your own accessories for her to hold!

While it stands a substantial 5” tall, the My Heroes Toys’ body, arms and legs are pretty thin. I would imagine that will make customizing the toy with intricate details more difficult. But boy does she have great hair! The head alone will make for a great canvas. I seriously can’t wait to see what artists are able to do with this toy. The Blot would love to see the My Hero Toys customs everyone’s creating, so please send in pics of your figures once you’re done!

My only real concern with this figure is that with all that luscious hair in the back, it can become a little lopsided and fall over. While this is a pretty common issue with toys these days, just be careful when setting up your My Heroes Toys display. I’m interested in hearing what customizers think of this new platform, so let me know in the comments section below.

Each My Heroes Toys Customizable Female Superhero Vinyl Figure has 3 points of articulation (arms and neck), stands approximately 5” tall and comes bagged with a header card. Currently this fun do it yourself figure is available in blank White, Brown and Flesh (Peach) exclusively at the Tanya Tate online store for $17.99.

Fan Expo Canada Exclusive White Lantern Batman DC Comics Pop! Vinyl Figures by Funko

Fugitive Toys and Funko are teaming to release two awesome new Batman Pop! vinyl figures exclusively at Fan Expo Canada 2014. Based on DC Comics’ popular 2009 storyline “Blackest Night” and 2010 storyline “Brightest Day”, comes the Fan Expo Exclusive White Lantern Batman Pop! How are we still getting Blackest Night toys five years later? But I do think Batman looks super sleek as a White Lantern. Fugitive Toys is releasing a Standard Edition and a super limited edition Glow in the Dark Variant White Lantern Batman exclusively at their Fan Expo Canada booth.

Any remaining Fan Expo Canada 2014 Exclusive White Lantern Batman Pop! vinyl figures will be available for purchase at the Fugitive Toys online store after the convention . The Standard Edition figure will retails for $16.99, while the GID Variant will retail for $24.99.

Star Bronies Resin Figures by Sucklord

After debuting at the My Little Pony Hasbro Custom Show during New York Comic Con 2011, Sucklord is finally releasing his killer Star Bronies resin figure! These My Little Pony kitbashed figures look seriously fantastic. Who knew ponies could travel in space!?! Hand painted by The Super Sucklord’s special lady friend Sam, this cute little spacefarer comes with a removable helmet and tail.

The Star Bronies Resin Figure by Sucklord stands 3 ¾” tall and is limited to just 20 pieces. Each figure comes in re-sealable clear clamshell packaging, a first for a Sucklord release, with a two sided-printed card insert. This bad boy went on sale yesterday, Wednesday, August 27th, at the Suckadelic online store for $85 and sold out almost immediately upon release. But have no fear, as the Sucklord will be releasing more Star Bronies colorways soon!

“Peace & Freedom Dove” Screen Print by Shepard Fairey

The Blot’s loving “Peace and Freedom Dove”, the screen print Obey Giant is dropping next week. It’s a great mix of Shepard Fairey’s signature art elements. Sometimes his propaganda style and red, black and cream color scheme feel like a crutch for weak designs, but it really works with “Peace and Freedom Dove”. I especially like how Fairey utilized his iconic Obey logos and fonts prominently in the design.

“Peace and Freedom Dove” by Shepard Fairey is an 18”x24” Obey Giant signed and numbered screen print. It has a limited edition run size of 450 pieces and goes on sale at a random time on Tuesday, September 2nd, at the Obey Giant online store for $45 each.

Transformers 5.5” Vinyl Figures by The Loyal Subjects - Talking Optimus Prime & Grimlock

After debuting as Hot Topic exclusives, The Loyal Subjects’ awesome 5.5” Transformers taking vinyl figures of Autobots Optimus Prime and Grimlock are now seeing a wider release. These medium sized figures feature multiple points of articulation, strong ball joint construction, and the Optimus Prime figure actually talks! Grimlock includes Tyrannosaurus Rex accessories, a sword and blaster, while Optimus Prime includes a blaster, a “try me button” and says three sayings. These 5.5” figures look seriously fantastic! Here’s hoping The Loyal Subjects continues this mid-size line with a couple of evil Decepticons.

These Optimus Prime and Grimlock Transformers 5.5” vinyl figures come packaged on a really cool retro full color blister card, and are currently available for purchase at Entertainment Earth for $29.99 each here.

Howard the Duck Guardians of the Galaxy Pop! Marvel Vinyl Figure by Funko

Is this really happening!?! Funko is releasing a Howard the Duck Pop! Marvel vinyl figure based on the character’s appearance in the Guardians of the Galaxy’s end credits scene. It baffles me that Howard the Duck joined the modern era Marvel Cinematic Universe before iconic heroes like Black Panther, Namor or Captain Marvel. If you’re a long time comic book fan then you know how crazy it is that Howard the Duck is garnering this much mainstream attention. Has everyone just forgotten the terrible live action ‘80s Howard the Duck movie!?! I just hope Howard’s reemergence shines a light on the amazing work of his creator, Steve Gerber.

Howard the Duck Guardians of the Galaxy Pop! Marvel vinyl figure stands 3.75” tall, features one point of articulation and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box. While this figure is not expected to hit store shelves until December 2014, collectors can pre-order one today from Entertainment Earth for just $9.99 here.

The Flash Teaser Television Poster

While The Blot doesn’t like care for Grant Gustin (his character on Glee was super annoying) or the Flash costume he wears on the show, I’m still very excited for The CW’s The Flash series. I’ve been a lifelong Flash fan and it co-stars Vibe, my favorite D-list super hero!!! Plus Arrow has been fantastic, so I’m giving The CW the benefit of the doubt that they know what they’re doing with their second DC Comics series. Bring on the Rouges!

The Flash series premiere airs on Tuesday, October 7th at 8/7c on The CW.

Dancing Groot Guardians of the Galaxy Pop! Marvel Vinyl Figure by Funko

Never in a million years did The Blot think Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy would be the #1 movie of the summer! I knew it would be good and people would love the Guardians of the Galaxy’s quirky cast of characters, but to be the movie of the entire summer is an incredible achievement. Just think of all of the huge summer blockbusters released over these past few months that GotG out grossed. What’s even more amazing is that the breakout star of Guardians of the Galaxy wasn’t Star-Lord, Groot, or even Rocket Raccoon…no it was baby Dancing Groot! That little dancing plant from the film’s final scene has become an internet sensation, and Funko will be the very first toy company to release an officially licensed Dancing Groot toy! Funko does not miss a beat do they?

The Dancing Groot Guardians of the Galaxy Pop! Marvel vinyl figure stands 3.75” tall, features one point of articulation and comes packaged in a full color displayable window box. While this figure is not expected to hit store shelves until December 2014, collectors can pre-order one today from Entertainment Earth for just $9.99 here.

GID Can of Worms Vinyl Figure by Andrew Bell

The newest colorway of Andrew Bell’s wacky Can of Worms vinyl figure is finally here! It’s ideal for fishing, composting, bird feeding or just sitting around displayed on your shelf. Produced by BIC Plastics, the Glow in the Dark Can of Worms features 3 articulated heads and 3 articulated tails, can be displayed with or without its can accessory and measures 8.5”x6”x4.5”.

Packaged in a full color window box, the Glow in the Dark Can of Worms vinyl figure by Andrew Bell is limited to just 250 pieces and will retail for $55 at designer toy stores worldwide.

“Classic Grey” Mickiv Vinyl Figure by Arkiv Vilmansa

Ooh, now here’s a release The Blot’s been waiting for! Arkiv Vilmansa is finally releasing his newest vinyl figure and it may be his best one yet. Check out Mickiv, a mash-up of Arkiv’s signature character Arkiv Instant and Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The Mickiv has appeared in a number of Arkiv’s paintings and now can be added to your designer art toy collection!

The first Mickiv colorway to be released is the “Classic Grey” Edition featuring a monotone color scheme of a variety of greys and white. The “Classic Grey” Mickiv vinyl figure stands 8” tall and is limited to just $100 pieces. It goes on sale at 11am EDT this Thursday, August 29th, at the Visual Ark online store for $100.

My Pet Madball Resin Figure by Motorbot

Ever wonder what awesome toys we may have gotten if only the classic ‘80s toy line Madballs had lived on past its first two series!?! Motorbot answers that question with the epic My Pet Madball! It’s a mash-up of the iconic ‘80s plush doll My Pet Monster and Madballs, which ironically both franchises were first produced by American Greetings. If I didn’t know better I’d say the My Pet Madball resin figure was an officially licensed release. It really does look like an actual Madball.

The My Pet Madball is hand cast and hand painted by Motorbot. Solid cast and roughly the size of a baseball, this awesome pop culture inspired release is available now at the Meadhead Toys online store for $45 each.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles “Streets Of Madness” T-Shirt by Loyal K.N.G.

It's pizza time at Loyal K.N.G. with their favorite mutant turtles getting a reboot on the big screen with an all new live action film! To celebrate the occasion, Loyal K.N.G. is releasing this awesome new design “Streets of Madness”, which is a mash-up of the TMNT universe with a beat-em up video game series that has also long fought to protect the civilians of New York, Streets of Rage! Can the turtle brothers alongside their bare-knuckled buddies April and Splinter take on the maniacal Shredder (a.k.a. Mr. X) and his vast army of cretin minions!?!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Streets of Rage T-Shirt “Streets of Madness” is available now in a variety of colors (Green, Black and Antique Denim) and sizes (XS-3XL) at the Loyal K.N.G. online store for $23 each.

Dero72 T-Shirt Collection by Jermaine Rogers

Jermaine Rogers has searched through his amazing archives of concert posters and art prints, and picked some of his most recognizable designs and characters for his new Dero72 T-Shirt Collection! JR definitely knows his fan base, because I pretty much want all of these tees! Sadly there are no Dero or Veil Specimen 129 designs, but how rad is that full body Aleppin Sane t-shirt!?! The Dero72 Collection also includes t-shirts of Jermaine’s super popular art prints “My Brother Was A Hero”, “Rock-N-Roll Suicide”, “Frida and Vincent”, and “Deal” (which was originally used for a 2011 Soundgarden tour print).

Each t-shirt design in Jermaine Rogers’ Dero72 Apparel Collection is available in multiple colors and comes in sizes S-XL (Aleppin Sane goes up to 2XL). All 6 shirts retail for just $20 exclusively at Jermaine Rogers’ online store.

“Skull Face” Edition Watson Leverton Hot Dog Resin Figure by UME Toys

Yesterday UME Toys released their newest resin creation, Watson Leverton! Watson is the UME hot dog who stands 3” tall and is served ready to display. This one off “Skull Face” Edition custom is all black with a white skull face and sports a glossy red sauce finish on his back. This one of a kind figure went on sale last night at the UME Toys online store for £22 and sold almost immediately upon release. The Blot’s got a serious hankering for some more Watson Leverton hot dogs, so here’s hoping this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this delicious looking little chap.

Hotline Miami 1/6 Scale Articulated Figures by Dennaton x Devolver Digital x ESC Toy

Hotline Miami is a high-octane action game overflowing with raw brutality, hard-boiled gun play and skull crushing close combat. Set in an alternative 1989 Miami, players of the video game assume the role of a mysterious antihero on a murderous rampage against the shady underworld at the behest of voices on your answering machine. Erick Scarecrow and ESC Toy have teamed up with Dennaton and Devolver Digital to launch a killer new line of Hotline Miami 1/6 Scale articulated figures, and they’ve launched an already hugely successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the production.

“Jacket” is the protagonist of Hotline Miami PC video game, and is the playable character for most of the game. The name started out as just a nickname for the character by players of the game, but since then Dennaton has referred to the protagonist as Jacket in various interviews and the name was adopted as canon. Over the course of the game, Jacket dons various animal masks under new personalities and performs a number of brutal assassinations in response to cryptic messages left on his answering machine. After another masked assassin attempts to murder Jacket in his own apartment, he spends the last few chapters of the game pursuing those he feels are responsible.

The primary Hotline Miami 12" figure comes with four removable heads: Tony (Tiger), Richard (Rooster), Aubrey (Pig), and a bloody, bandaged Jacket head. The figure also comes with interchangeable clothing including a letter jacket, t-shirt, pair of jeans, Air Vigilante sneakers and a hospital gown. Three weapons - a shotgun, baseball bat, and katana - are also included for Jacket to hold while posed using his 15 points of articulation. What’s really awesome about this Kickstarter campaign is this awesome 1/6 scale figure and all of the accessories listed here can be yours for a pledge of just $85.

There are a number of lower and higher pledge levels with their own unique rewards. My favorite of the bunch are the KS Exclusive “Midnight Miami Marauder” Edition Jacket and KS Exclusive “Soaked” Edition Jacket, both designed by Erick Scarecrow and limited to just 100 pieces. The “Midnight Miami Marauder” colorway features a classic ‘80s Miami pink and teal color scheme, while the “Soaked” colorway features a monotone color scheme with extra blood splatter. Each Kickstarter Exclusive colorway require a $200 pledge, but act fast as both are close to selling out.  Head over to the Hotline Miami 1/6 Scale Articulated Figures Kickstarter Campaign Page to find out more!

Boba Fett Star Wars Life Size Vintage Kenner Statue by Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant has announced its third Star Wars Life Size Vintage Kenner Monument, and it’s the most beloved bounty hunter in the entire galaxy, Boba Fett! Oh to be rich…if The Blot had more money than I knew what to do with I’d totally buy this 1/1 scale statue. Digitally scanned from authentic mint-condition 3.75” retro Kenner Star Wars action figures and reproduced to a staggering six feet tall, this fully articulated statue is one of the coolest “action figures” ever produced.

The Boba Fett Monument by Gentle Giant is hand painted and includes an authentic re-scaled replica blaster accessory and a certificate of authenticity. While this figure is not expected to ship until September 2015, you can pre-order it from Entertainment Earth for $2,749.99 here.

Slime Green Stegoforest Vinyl Figure by Ghost&Flower

Earlier this month Ghost&Flower dropped a surprise release, this beautiful unpainted Slime Green Stegoforest vinyl figure! The Blot can’t get enough of this slime green sofubi. I’ve seen a number of figures over the past year or two released in a similar unpainted colorway and the color always pops! I especially love how this light vibrant color shows off every figure’s sculpt.

The Unpainted Slime Green Stegoforest vinyl figure is 7” long and 4” tall, features two points of articulation (head and front left foot), and includes a 2” long Acorn Warrior sidekick. Collectors can purchase one from the Stegoforest online store now for just $55.

Con Report: The Houston Con 2014

I have to say, The Blot had a blast at The Houston Con 2014! I was only there for one day, but it was so great attending a small quant show with fans who were so excited to see the celebrities and artists in attendance. With comic conventions blowing up across the country, many of these comic-cons have lost their personality. They’ve turned into soulless moneymakers really devoid of any joy. You just see the masses walking through lines and getting their 30 seconds of face time with celebrities. This was definitely not the case at The Houston Con 2014.

To be honest, the artists I was excited to see were not able to make it to the convention, and the television shows represented at The Houston Con were not my cup of tea. But it was really cool to see fans of all ages go crazy for the stars of MTV’s Teen Wolf, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. The Teen Wolf and MMPR fans especially were out in force! I was really just floating from table to table watching the celebrities interact with fans and everyone involved seem to be having such a great time.

What I was most impressed with at The Houston Con was the amazing cosplay at the show. I had no idea there was so many talented cosplayers here in Houston. For such a small convention the costumes were incredible. I wish I had been able to take more pictures, but as you can see here there were some fantastic pop culture inspired designs. I really can’t wait to see this show grow and see it build upon the success of this year’s show. I would really love to see more comic book content incorporated into Houston’s newest comic convention.

Octomellon Custom Octopup Vinyl Figures by Jim Ford

Just in time for summer comes the Octomellon! This watermelon inspired custom Octopup by Jim Ford of Choanata Designs looks delicious. If The Blot didn’t know better I’d think these adorable little sofubi vinyl figures were actually editable. Each Octomellon Octopup stands 2” tall and is painted with acrylics and sealed for durability. Limited to just 4 pieces, you can order one of these awesome hand painted customs from the Choanata Designs online store for $25 each.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Limited Edition Watch by Tristan Eaton x FLüD

Last weekend Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the #1 film in America (unfortunately). To coincide with the film’s release, FLüD has dropped the second limited edition watch in their TMNT Watch Collection! For their newest timepiece, FLüD teamed up with acclaimed street artist Tristan Eaton for an original take on the Turtles’ archenemy, the evil Shredder. Tristan went with a very old school kabuki-styled theme for this Shredder design, which sports a red color scheme on a white case and band.

The Blot really enjoyed reading Tristan’s interview on the FLüD blog, where he touched upon his own TMNT fandom and his inspiration for this watch’s design. As Tristan explained, “From the comics illustrated by Mark Bode to the Saturday morning cartoons, TMNT have always had a prominent place in the pop culture of my youth. I've always had respect for the bad guys, so when asked to create a bespoke watch for Flüd and TMNT I immediately gravitated towards Shredder. I played up his Samurai aesthetic and created a piece inspired by ancient Japanese water color paintings.”

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Tristan Eaton x FLüD Limited Edition Watch is available now at the FLüD online store for $50.

Impundulu Resin Figure by Colus

South African artist Colus Havenga, the master of black and white art and design, has recently self funded his very first resin figure Impundulu and it is freaking awesome! Impundulu (or Lightning Bird) is a mythological vampiric bird creature from South African tribal folklore. This mythical creator can take on many forms, including a rooster like bird the size of a human. Believed to be a servant of witch doctors, Impundulu seduces woman, and can summon thunder and lightning from its wings and talons. How has there not been a designer art toy of this amazing creature before!?!

Impundulu by Colus is a 7” resin figure in glossy black and limited to just 55 pieces. Each figure comes signed and numbered by the artist, and is currently available for pre-order via the Colus online store for a very special introductory price of $140. Impundulu is scheduled for a mid-September release where the price will go up to $150.