The Chicago Whirlwind

The trip out to C2E2 was a lot of fun, and it was great to spend some time meeting up with friends, both old and new. The combination of going to C2E2 and then attending the Chicago Toy Show in Kane County made for a wicked double header of plastic insanity! In all my years of collecting and checking out shows, I've never seen anything quite like the Chicago Toy Show. If you ever get the chance to go, do not hesitate.

Above are a few of the spoils from the breakneck table exploration. Make sure to check out Phil Reed's great Battlegrip post about the classic LJN Official AD&D toy line for multiple resources on one of the best series from the early 1980's!

Enormous thanks once again to all of the Chicago crew for their true hospitality, it really made the short time in the Windy City something to remember.

Action Figures Not included

Our great friend and multitasking genius, Phil Reed, is in the final hours of his latest Kickstarter book project Action Figures Not Included, which serves as the companion piece to his recent Each Sold Separately.

Phil's latest endeavors are extremely relevant to the current position of the toy industry, and delve into the core concepts that resulted in our present state of plastic affairs.

Perhaps in a rare moment of insanity, Phil has asked me to write the foreword to his new book, so maybe just squint your eyes when you read that part.

Thank you Phil!

Axorvor

This build is contained, using all the parts of one Armorvor figure and two complete Axis Joint Sets. I imagine some serious berserker action is in order when an Armorvor steals a double shot of Axis Power!

Make sure to head over to Battlegrip.com to check out Phil Reed's awesome illustration of this beast!

Phil has been running an entire week dedicated to Glyos on his site, featuring loads of reviews, articles and just general Mr. Reed excellence! He has even created coloring and activity book pages!

Thanks for everything you do, Phil! You're the real beast!

Mission Details!

Almost time for our first release of 2013! To mix it up, the focus of this wave is concentrated on select figures, as the Gendrones are taking a little break from the action after protecting the Council.

A special "Mini" Blocker Rig marks the return of some vinyl outside of the Syclodoc/Armodoc mold. This Blocker configuration dates all the way back to last year, when I was first building with the Block. Maybe it's the compact look of the parts all tightly packed together, but for some reason I really like the idea of smaller Mini Rigs.

As mentioned before, the old Adventure People line is the main inspiration for this assortment. The simple color schemes, durable figures and fantastic vehicles (like the Firestar 1) have influenced many toy lines over the years, particularly the one we have here.

I could go on about it forever and bore you all to tears, so let's get to the list!

The following are scheduled to be in the store on Friday, February 1st at 9:30PM EST.

There will be purchasing limits on select items: 

-Armorvor (2 limit per customer) 

-Travelers (3 of each style per customer)  

-Syclodoc (2 limit per customer)


Also, due to the particularly unique hue of the yellowish orange parts, they get the nickname Yellorange, because typing creamsicle too many times makes me hungry.



Operation: Sonesidar



Glyan -Sonesidar Rescue Unit (White/Yellorange with Green Visors and Yellorange tampo) $8
Glyan -Sonesidar Excavation Division (Yellorange/White with Green Visors and White tampo) $8
Glyan -Sonesidar Defense Force (Gray with Green Visors and White tampo) $8

Deep Space Glyan -Sonesidar Rescue Unit (White/Yellorange with Green Visors and Yellorange tampos) $12
Deep Space Glyan -Sonesidar Excavation Division (Yellorange/White with Green Visors and White tampos) $12
NOTE- Each Deep Space Glyan is made up of one Glyan and one specially painted Hub Set.

SRU Commander Arclurran Sarvos (White/Yellorange with Green eyes and Yellorange spray masks) $8
SED Commander Lorsailus Pheyden (Yellorange/White with Green eyes and Yellorange scarf) $8
Neo Phase Pheyden MK II (Clear Neon Green with Green eyes) $8
Discovery Exellis (Gray with Green eyes and Gray scarf) $8

Crayboth -Neo Phase (Clear Neon Green with no paint) $3

Armorvor -Sonesidar Mimic (Yellorange/White with Green Visors) $8

Hub Set -Sonesidar Rescue Unit (White with Green Visors and Yellorange tampo) $4
Hub Set -Sonesidar Excavation Division (Yellorange with Green Visors and White tampo) $4
Hub Set -Sonesidar Defense Force (Gray with Green Visors and White tampo) $4
NOTE- Each Hub Set is sold in a specific Drone configuration.

Axis Joint Set  -White $4
Axis Joint Set -Yellorange $4
Axis Joint Set -Gray-$4

Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -White with Green accent $2
Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Yellorange with Green accent $2
Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Gray with Green accent $2

Mini Blocker Rig -Sonesidar Defense Force (Gray/painted White with Green accents and multiple Green/White tampos) $20

Syclodoc -????? -$25

Of note is the Neo Phase Pheyden MK II's specific tint. Much like the neon pink from the last wave, this plastic behaves in odd ways depending on the light source it's viewed under. It can look super clear like in the pictures above, or almost frosted by the light of the computer monitor. It also packs that extra neon punch which you really have to see in hand to fully appreciate.

The gray PVC is a bit lighter and a different hue than the grays we have done before. Yet another color that can shift pretty drastically based on the lighting. Personally, I think it may be my favorite gray tone yet.

The new Syclodoc will be revealed over at the great Phil Reed's Battlegrip.com this coming week, as he inspired its color combo!

Thanks for reading yet another text pile up, and we hope you find something you like in those pics up there.


PS -Michelle refers to Exellis with the reversed scarf on (a nod to Aves) as "Lips Exellis", which I now cannot unsee. Thanks lady!

Phase Defender

This contained build was designed to take advantage of the new paint application to the top part of the old Phase Arm. For years I would make customs using the Phase Arm top piece as a head, developing a small team of "Phase Hunters" that I imagined as a kind of offshoot Gendrone creation that would shadow the Travelers. I usually had some form of a Phase Hunter floating around my little games since we first could use the production parts.

With the introduction of the Hub Set some brand new twists and turns have been added to the equation, allowing for more options in the contained build department. When these new colors were put in for production, they seemed like a fun point to get the new painted Phase Arms into the mix.

Based on the data after many different releases over the years, I've noticed that lots of you buy the accessory sets in pairs. Many orders will come in on a drop night that have 2 of each Phase Arm Sets, 2 Axis Joint Sets and 2 Hub Sets in matching colors. I figured it might be easier to be able to grab all of these in one shot and cut down on the torture of button clicking when everything is going live. It also gives a chance for some contained builds to be available for those out there that are not completely into the act of building but are interested in the end result. Not to mention it consolidates things on the production management side, from shipping to database entry. Hopefully this approach makes some sense!

The Phase Defender is pretty simple, and versions of it have been laying around here for a while, but having the actual newly painted parts helped tighten the final combination that you see above. I really wanted to nail a convincing configuration that could be assembled from only our "accessory" sets, right out of the factory.The longer proportions were incorporated because I was also thinking about using this as a Delphi base body at one point (it can be converted to an even taller design with a few tweaks).

The full build is made from 2 complete Phase Arms, 2 complete Gobon Blasters, 2 complete Hub Sets and 2 complete Axis Joint Sets. Originally I had the back collar armor across the chest, which gave it a pretty interesting look but hindered the movement too much. I also had turned a scarf upside down and put it over the Phase Arm top head turned sideways, which looked kind of spaceknight-ish. I ended up going with the most basic mechanical choices which I think make this little guy more fun to actually play around with. It has a solid feel in hand and holds together well in the pocket. Expect to see this configuration show up again in the not too distant future.


Developed by Traveler Ullexono to act as personal bodyguards for the clandestine Council of Travelers, the Phase Defenders have been outfitted with an experimental Advanced Integration Intelligence , giving them the ability to reconfigure at much greater speeds with heightened precision. They are capable of independent thought and have been described as superior to the Buildman Gendrone for combat purposes. 


Shoot over to our buddy Phil Reed's Battlegrip.com to check out some great illustrations of the Phase Defender and Syclodoc he whipped up over the past few days. Thanks Phil!

The Trio

We have a couple little surprises left to wrap up our 5th anniversary launch, starting with the second half of Ralph's primitive comic that we debuted on the night of the drop.

It was really fun teaming up with Ralph again for this odd little tale. We wanted to explore a little more of Volkria, back before things got... "complicated". Ralph brought everything together with his rhythmic pacing, and was very patient in dealing with my nitpicking ways.

This launch generated more artwork across our ranks than any previous drop in our 5 year history. I must have drawn at least 70 drawings alone of conceptual junk. Thankfully Ralph, Jesse, Phil, Pappy and good old Marcus turned those demented scribblings into a stack of finely crafted content, thanks 100% to their individual talents. Thank you guys, for making these strange stories come to life.

Without further ado, let's go Far Away....

Stage 3: After Action

The inimitable Phil Reed joins in the mayhem with his awesome comic, After Action! Phil's unique style seems to get better with each project that he lends his talent to. We are so psyched the he put this together for our 5th anniversary. Thanks for making our characters look cool, Phil!

PS- We can't believe you actually drew the Galactic Breadbox.

Battlegripped Blocks!

On one of our great friend Phil Reed's many trips out this way he showed me a very cool technique that he created in which he can render just about anything in a cool geometric 2-D design style. This approach gives an almost cel-shaded look to whatever he puts his Battlegrip on!

Over the past few days Phil has been posting some awesome renditions of the Block builds that I have been shooting back and forth with him, over on his Battlegrip.com site. These visuals have really done wonders to help "illustrate" (ha!) the Block's potential for those that think I've lost my mind with this project (which I no doubt have).

Thank you Phil for taking the time to create these excellent works of art. They truly add a much needed dimension to understanding what the Block is -even for the goon that made the thing in the first place!

Electrocution Solution

Phil Reed (in town for a whirlwind visit), Marcus and I checked out the somewhat local Pinball Wizard Arcade in Pelham, NH last night.

Anyone who is in the Northeast who digs classic arcade machines needs to hit this spot. With a super clean look, tons of vintage and rare cabinets and lots of room, we all had a great time playing old school games. Phil had to bring the torture though, by challenging the electro-shock Adam's Family game. Phil Reed is a limitless animal and he coerced me into melting my hands.

If you guys get the chance, spend some time at this pretty new spot, just stay away from Uncle Fester.

PS- Cyber Lip!

NYCC Image Dump 3

Battlegripped!

The unstoppable work machine known as Phil Reed has struck again! Now he has gone and run the risk of low readership over at his Battlegrip.com site by dedicating an entire week to our weirdo stuff. Thankfully, he has managed to make what we do look half interesting by adding his own special creative spice to each entry he has posted this week.

My favorite has to be the Choose Your Own Adventure post. Phil has mixed some very clever Transformers homages into a fun throwback story that features his own take on a few familiar faces.

As usual, Mr. Reed brings his sharp perspective and trademark honesty to everything he does, his Glyos Week being no exception. Thanks a million Phil, you are way, way to good to us.

Rig Wings and Mr. Reed

The Rig has received an all new attachment!

Simply called the Rig Wing, this Armored Mechachunk gives the standard Rig a different look and feel. This first addition is due out at the end of this month (August) and is operated by the Relgost Division of the Glyan Forces.

I also wanted to take a moment to share a little background on this new version of the Rig. Months ago when our old friend Phil Reed was in town for a visit, I showed him some sketches of what would inevitably lead to this new Wing part. These scribbles were the result of multiple conversations with Phil about what kind of expansions we would like to see for the Rig in general. Since we both had a love for inverted wing designs, an actual wing became the primary focus for the next step in development. After analyzing tons of reference material from 8-Bit Shooter artwork to the crazy Peacemaker UAV from the old movie Deal of the Century, I landed on, of course, a very Real Type looking armored wing.

Some time at the shop with Ron and then a round at my desk yielded an all new master to send to our crew in China. As I kept Phil updated on what had become a point of interest in our discussions, we both became more anxious to see the final product. So much so, that Phil became a benefactor for the project, contributing funds to the actual tooling process which helped to expedite the process of the full production. Now the new Rigs have finally landed and we could not have done it without Phil's inspiration and generosity. Phil, I can't thank you enough for the endless support you have always shown for what we do over here. This new Rig is dedicated to you my friend.