12.31.2013

Night Phase

Big year end thanks go out to Chris, Don, Jon and Mori for sending the latest Nibbler over here to play.

I'll always love this little bugger!


Parking and Driving

He made me wait until his food had digested to go back to the house, but not before posing numerous times on the dashboard.


Nibbling Around

The Nibbler clearly has his preferences...


Auld Chompy Ends the Year

Just in time to bring 2013 to a close, the Nibbler phases back from his latest adventure beyond reality.

Some information culled directly from the blog of the mysterious Tarantulas:


Seen here stalking the battlements of Fishtank Castle, Teleport Fade edition, will be released on New Years Eve, along with unpainted clear and a Fishtank Castle Annual 1983.5 (Digital Edition). My thanks as always to my legendary collaborators Matt, Mori-san, and Don the toy whisperer.
 
Inspired by a technique I remember Mori bringing to SDCC in 2010, I wanted to re-create the original colour scheme with the addition of a skull-like white head AND that vertical fade to clear. We weren't sure how creating this fade with masked spray operations was going to work out - but Jon M at Rampage took the challenge and nailed it. The effect is pretty amazing as you can see! Thanks again Jon :)


Don't forget!  'Auld Chompy' returns to Fishtank Castle to toast the New Year at 7pm UK / 2pm EST today..

Real x Nibbler -Teleport Fade is limited to one per customer and will be £35 
Unpainted #5 is limited to two per and will be £25
PDF Annual £5

Any probs with the digital download (or anything else) please get in touch..

See you at Fishtank Castle & Happy New Year!!

 'Auld Chompy' actually appeared in my kitchen earlier today, and decided to accompany me (I had no choice) to the grocery store. Apparently he wanted to pick up some American treats after all that Phasing around...


Join the Rebellion

A theme running in the background across all the Glyos related lines is crossover. Because all of the creators are fans of each other, the notion of finding doorways that bridge the different worlds is very appealing and employed more often than you might think. 2014 will see some cameos from a few familiar characters popping up in some unexpected places.

The version of Maxx Zero shown above is meant to explore the possibility that perhaps some members of the Robo Force may have ventured into the Glyos System at some point. Or, maybe some Gendrone tech was stolen by an unknown agent of Nazgar, on a mission to gather new potential weaponry to be used in multidimensional conquests.

Wherever your imagination takes you, that's the place to be...


12.30.2013

Acromaxx

2013 has been filled with some really fun projects, which helped to balance out the various curveballs that were thrown throughout the year. One such project was Toyfinity's resurrection of Robo Force.

Working on the Robo Force relaunch ended up taking a bit longer than I had originally anticipated, with many weeks spent up at the shop working with the always amazing Ron Daley. By the time we finished the prototype I had taken around 500 pics of the process, attempting to catalog the various alternate builds that we tried to hide within the parts as well as the actual progress. John, Mike and Charlie over at Toyfinity were always encouraging and trusting and made for great partners in the development of their new Maxx Zero.

Once we finally got Maxx into production, John and I spent a lot of time talking about how to roll the new series out, and the best possible way to coordinate the releases with the story John wanted to tell. As we had been shooting ideas back and forth for the greater part of a year, the decision to have some shared colors across our respective lines seemed to make the most sense, for potential building as well as for crossover story purposes.

The recent blue hues from the Ecroyex wave were selected to pay homage to Takara's Giant Acroyear and Mecha Acroyear (thanks Microforever!), two true classic toy designs from Japan. As strange as this may sound, as a child I would always dream of seeing characters from one series color swapped with characters from another series. Something about that idea still sticks with me to this day, so when the chance came up to possibly see Maxx sporting the colors of a Giant Acroyear, we had to go for it.

It's been a true privilege having the opportunity to work on bringing Maxx and the Robo Force back to life with the Toyfinity team, and I'm really looking forward to watching the line expand in 2014.


The Beverly Base

2013 was a quiet year of transition for Callgrim, as Jesse spent the vast majority of his time working like crazy on bringing his newly expanded print shop to life.

Having known Jesse for 20 years, I can easily say that running a printing operation like this is something he's talked about forever, just as much as making toys and drawing comics. Truly a magnitude 10 endeavor.

As Jesse's workload at his new shop continues to remain heavy (business is good!), some alternative plans have been discussed for new Callgrim releases in 2014, potentially revolving around quarterly special releases and an available stock of some new standard versions (similar to our Buildstation). Of course, the gigantic Jumbo Callgrim is on deck to play a central role in all this potential action!

I believe that once Jesse masters his new Millennium Falcon, we'll all be treated to a whole new level of creativity from our favorite Beard Under the Mountain.



Uamodoc

This special version of the Armodoc was put together by the incredible Ayako Takagi, true design genius and mother of all things Uamou.

A small assortment of these were available during the recent NYCC in October, and Ayako and I intend on releasing a similarly themed follow up at some point in 2014.

The paintwork on each custom Ayako created is absolutely out of this world well done.

Whenever I want to see the magic of true talent combined with superhuman determination, I just cast a glance over at our friends in Japan. They are inspiring on every level.

Thank you Ayako!


12.29.2013

Protokeeper

I imagine that once Viyer cracked Noboto's source code, many a strange creation was introduced into the Glyos System.

This particular Protoclone has been tasked with discovering new potential candidates for use in Viyer's endless experiments. 

Through a combination of Dimension Gate technology and genetic manipulation, individually controlled travel into the Zorennor Rift is now more stable, allowing for an unlimited spectrum of lifeforms to be tracked and captured by Viyer's specialized Gatekeeper Protoclones.

This build configuration has since been modified into a beefier metallic red version, which will pop up in a later post.


Image Barrage

As the year comes to a close, I figured it might be a good time to post up a round of pics, some new and some unseen from earlier releases.

Image barrage activate!


12.27.2013

The Case of the Head

Thanks to all of you who commented and communicated your opinions about the possibility of letting a small assortment of the human head 2.0 out the door. After looking over the combined feedback, it looks like releasing a small round might be fun sometime in early 2014.

The human head will most likely continue to drive me crazy for the foreseeable future, and I really appreciate being able to share the process of trying to solve this riddle of a sculpt with you. My desire to make Contra style combinations simply will not die!

Maybe he just needs a beard...


Happy Holidays!

 
We hope you guys are all having a great round of holidays! The girls had a fun Christmas, and are still running around playing with their new stuff. Cirie has already played a few "concerts" for us with her new guitar, which had Michelle and I in stitches.

Instead of our regular Annual Cookie Showdown, we had an Italian Food Challenge, which ended up producing a freaking mountain of Parmesan Cheese, very reminiscent of a scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. My stomach still hurts from the combined super sauce assault!

Our whole family thanks you for all the support this year. We'll do our best to make 2014 something extra special.

12.20.2013

New Robo Force Rollout

Our friends over at Toyfinity have a brand new Robo Force release on track for tonight, 9:30PM EST!

From the Toyfinity blog:


Hello Zetonian Fans!

The next release of ROBO FORCE product will be this Friday, December 20th, at 9:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.
 

It has been a blast coming up with new colors for the Robo Force. The colorways in this release match the recent Onell Gendrone Rebellion/Ecroyex Initiative colors exactly, so you can upgrade your Robo Force with Glyos pieces (or vice versa)!

Product details are as follows:
 

- Robo Force Reforged HUN-DRED THE CONQUEROR Edition
Kit includes the standard 41 piece complement of Glyos compatible parts -now with over fifty paint applications and one secret faction symbol! -allowing you to build either Maxx Zero, Sentinel the Protector, Enemy the Dictator, Hun-Dred or your own robotic creation. 

$18 per kit, limit of four per customer.
 

- Robo Force Origin ENEMY THE DICTATOR Edition
Kit includes the standard 41 piece complement of Glyos compatible parts and an additional 12 pieces for maximum customization possibilities! With over 50 paint applications and one secret faction symbol, kit can be used to build any of the four main Robo Force
characters. 
$20 per kit, limit of four per customer.
 

Additionally, there will be a limited quantity of Robo Force shirts in the store - only $15 each.
 

Toyfinity is also proud to offer, for the first time, an assortment of Zibits! Zibits are fantastic mini R/C robots with lights and zounds! Six different characters will be available in limited quantities.
 

All items will ship directly after the Christmas holiday.
 

After your purchase your new Force members this Friday, be sure to check out the Comics section for a new Robo Force page!


The close up pics shown above feature the new kits in their Maxx-X configurations, revealing some familiar symbols from around these parts...

More pics and some thoughts about the color selection process in a bit!



12.19.2013

A Head Case

Speaking of Micronauts, this guy has been doing time in the pocket for a while, only just getting a break since the Ecroyex crew rolled into town.

Even though this head has its little issues, I've come to accept him as a part of this whole weirdo project.
The little scarf from the new Ex/LSA/Dark mold was designed specifically to be used with this now defunct humanoid head. The new belt was also sized to be used as a Glyan belt, as well as deep collar/scarf thingy (pics later).

The mold for the above head has indeed been destroyed at this point, and there was even a third head (also not destined for the ranks) that was run a few times. So far there have been three separate PVC attempts at nailing just the right human head, this one being the second round (and I think the most acceptable of the trio).

Even though the human head steel mold cavity has been re-purposed (for a special project debuting in early 2014) , we did run a batch of the above head, just to have in the archive.

Would you guys be interested if we released them at some point?



Silver and Chrome

Lots of activity in the month of December from our plastic slinging brothers!

The Four Horsemen have posted some sneak peeks of their special Outer Space Men Holiday Edition Silver Chrome armor accessories, which come with the brand new 2013 OSM Holiday Editions. These newly decorated versions also just happen to be beautifully painted up by the previously mentioned Ni!

As I  reviewed the parts (hence the pics), the whole assortment started to look like a Micronauts inspired fever dream! We now finally have the option of outfitting the latest wave of OSM with chromed parts!

Seeing Gamma X in clear colorless PVC sporting silver chromed armor and blasters is something directly from my "Nerd Book of Things I Wish Would Happen"!

The silver completely turns Jack Asteroid into an OSM/Adventure People/Micronauts super fusion astronaut!

Of course, then there is Colossus Rex, now made even more fearsome with a shield so reflective, you can see your doom all the clearer when he approaches.

I freaking love the OSM!

Always have, always will.



Splitlanders

Last Friday, Ni released an all new assortment of Outlanders over in his 481 Universe Store.

Featuring a selection of GITD green, translucent purple and ivory plastic (which matches the Ivorinium PVC we ran earlier this year), the new color combinations really lend themselves to the Outlander's spacey form. Some Ivory Swing Joints even made it into the mix!

Be sure to check out the latest animated Astrolog tale as well! Some strange things are afoot on that lonely moon...

Congratulations to Ni on his first year running full production Outlanders! We're looking forward to the new 481 Universe adventures he and his partner in crime Carolyn have on tap for 2014!



12.17.2013

Chaotic Compression

After doing so many record covers, I've been applying the Album Artifact treatment to various other things like characters, logos and burgers. Naturally, my favorite Space Traveler was amongst the first to be downsized. A few of the bits above are dedicated to Mori of RealXHead, who recently sent us a package that would make any of Santa's elves gasp. Check out this RealxRock Man!

For whatever weird reason, the 12x12 format has really struck a chord with me. The limited canvas presents a fun and (sometimes) quick challenge, and is a great exercise in color placement. It takes the "every bit counts" approach to another level- minimal, but in a way, complex. I think Matt's contained builds have mutated my brain.

12.12.2013

Velstryker Formation

In keeping with the spirit of the Takara inspired colors from the new Ecroyex wave, this configuration of Argen (which I've been calling the Velstryker Formation) is meant to pay homage to the iconic head design and flight gear of the classic Acroyears.

Stacking the scarves and belts can result in some interesting shapes, and the look of the new Dark Traveler scarf as a visor kind of gives Argen a pretty alien look. I started messing around with scarf/visor mixes a lot during the Buildstation wave back in June, and ended up incorporating a lot of those building sessions into the final  Dark Traveler scarf/belt dimensions, as well as actual sculpting decisions.

I imagine that when in this configuration, Argen is capable of operating at incredible speeds, flying with a precision and velocity difficult for even the most experienced Gendrone Hunters to keep up with. This more compact battle mode is now favored by Argen for most combat missions, due to him spending a great amount of time training and evolving under Phanost's guidance.


12.05.2013

Nobotorian

Shipping is underway! The first batch of orders should hit the post later today, and continue going out into the weekend.

The above pic of the Gliporian Noboto shows a little bit of the Neon Pearlescent finish that is mixed in with the clear orange. Yet another PVC that is tough to completely and accurately capture with the camera.

This hue behaves in a similar way to the recent Mordireus Neon Clear Pink, almost changing color when viewed under different lighting. One moment the surface can look totally nuclear powered, and then suddenly the plastic turns almost frosted as you simply walk into a different room. It's a pretty neat effect. We've been internally referring to these types of production runs as FX Editions.

Noboto and Gobon sometimes use their own Gliporian entity when on Capture Missions, in a very similar way to Rechlen and Aves, when that duo would trap strange creatures.

On occasion, Noboto and his Gliporian will bond, covering Noboto in a powerful bio shell for increased protection, speed and strength. Very much like a living Flexion Suit.




12.02.2013

Thank You!!!

Thank you for an excellent end of the year turnout last night! The store managed to operate without Paypal issues (so far) and the general vibe was that our order numbers are meeting their mark, with just about everyone securing the stuff that they were after. The old Syclodoc had a solid performance, and it was fun to have the old Armodoc head come back into the mix as well, as a little holiday surprise. The return of the Gendrones seemed to find a good rhythm, and I hope you guys have fun with Argen's gang of Red Metal Rebels when they land in your hands. Shipping is scheduled to begin on Thursday morning and continue through the weekend.

This final wave of stuff wraps up a year of subtle changes in the way we do things over here, from focusing more on small spray applications and less detail lines on the basic figures to all new characters being introduced into the mix, with certain older molds taking some time off. We continue to learn (or at least we're trying to learn!) a lot about the changing times and what does and doesn't  necessarily work with each release. With the growing number of Glyos compatible lines rolling out (which we love!), our tiny team deeply appreciates that you each continue to play in our corner of the universe.

Plans for 2014 have been in motion for some time, and I personally hope that the directions we go in strike your collective interests, and keep the creativity vital and alive.

It's your support and interest that truly inspire us to keep pushing the limits, and fuels the fire to keep exploring what we can do together.

Thank you once again for everything. For last night and for the entire year.

Paypocalypse and all.