The Mixed Match

Pictured above is a Phase Defender in a mixed color scheme. The big guy is accompanied by Operator Cane, who is sporting some Black Hole inspired jumbo blasters. 

Still on track for 9:30 tonight!

Swing Joint Mechanical

Hey guys, here is the actual mechanical that Matt and I sent to our factory overseas. Hopefully this clarifies some of the questions you've had! I always enjoy making these mechanicals, until we decide to post them on the blog, and then reanalyze every single anchor point... -Marc

The torture test of capturing all the tiny angles can drive a person a little insane, but the results are always worth it. That being said, the process may have taken at least a few years off of Marc's life. -Matt

Small Crawlers

A few more Contained Builds, with a mini-mech insectoid theme this time! Each build seen above is contained and made up from mixes between Axis Joints, Phase Arms, Gobon Blasters, Hub Sets and even a few with the new Swing Joints.

These builds were inspired by Megabug Gladiatiors, Sectaurs and of course, Shirow's Tachikoma.

I imagine these critters being sent out by the Reydurran Forces to collect information and explore the Deep Ruins on Planet Reydurra itself. They can also function as personal guardians for when things get dangerous.

Swing Joint diagrams coming up next!

Combo Suits

The "Combo Suits" above are Contained Builds, each one completely utilizing the following:

-2 Hub Sets
-2 Phase Arms
-2 Gobon Blasters
-1 Axis Joint Set
-1 Swing Joint Set

The design is a variation of the Quick Suit, with the new Swing Joints mixed in. The backpacks are connected at two points, to increase the stability and bring a tighter feel to the figure. The use of the Swing Joints here is very straight forward, but allows for some expanded poseability and just feels kind of neat in hand.

Building complete, functioning figures from just the accessory sets has been a definite obsession over here!

"Small Crawlers" up next!

Mission Details

After yesterday's events I feel a little uncomfortable about the timing of posting this list, but it's also important to stay focused and on track, no matter what the darker forces out there throw at us.


On to the details:


The following items are scheduled to be in the store on Friday, April 19th 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)


The Reydurran Divide


Glyan -Reydurran Engineer Corps (Warm Grey with Black visor and White tampo) $8
Glyan -Reydurran Science Division (Red with Black visor and White tampo) $8
Glyan -Reydurran Operations Unit -Operator Cane (Black with Red visors and White tampo) $8

Deep Space Glyan -Reydurran Science Division (Red with Black visor and White tampo) $12
NOTE- Each Deep Space Glyan is made up of one Glyan and one painted Hub Set.

REC Commander Sannuric Sarvos (Warm Grey/Black with Red eyes and Black spray masks) $8
ROU Traveler Ollereyn Pheyden (Black/Warm Grey with Red eye and Black scarf) $8
Neo Aves Exellis (Red with White eyes and Red scarf) $8
????

Crayboth -RSD (Red with no paint) $3

Armorvor -Reydurran Mimic (Black with Red visors) $8


Swing Joint Set -Warm Grey $4
Swing Joint Set -Red $4
Swing Joint Set -Black $3 -Special Price
 
Hub Set -Reydurran Engineer Corps (Warm Grey with Black Visor and White tampo) $4
Hub Set -Reydurran Science Division (Red with Black Visor and White tampo) $4
Hub Set -Reydurran Operations Unit (Black with Red Visor and White tampo) $4
NOTE- Each Hub Set is sold in a specific Drone configuration.

Axis Joint Set -Warm Grey $4
Axis Joint Set -Red $4
Axis Joint Set -Black $4

Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Warm Grey with Black accent $2
Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Red with Black accent $2
Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Black with Red accent $2

Mini Blocker Rig -Reydurran Operations Unit (Black/painted Warm Grey with Red accents and multiple Red/White tampos) $20

Syclodoc -Reydurran Infiltrator (Warm Grey/Dark Warm Grey with Red accents, Black Visor and white tampo- also features some additional chest paint) -$25



There will be a surprise or two on Friday night, just to keep things interesting!

This release will feature the debut of our new Swing Joint Sets, available in three colors. The black will be offered at a special price of $3 USD to help get the ball rolling. Pics of some new Contained Builds incorporating the Swing Joints will be posted up tomorrow.

This Warm Grey color has now taken the number one spot for me as far as greys go. The Cool Grey hues were always my favorite, but after playing and building with the Warm Grey I started to really appreciate the look that using this color delivers. Sort of like the old Lego warmish grey blocks from when we were younger (well most of us), not to mention a ton of other references from toys to movies. I particularly love this grey when mixed with the white from the last drop. Some very Ralph McQuarrie/Joe Johnston Concept Boba looking builds spring from the Warm Grey and White mix.

The bright red pays homage to everything from Fisher Price to the spacesuits in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and of course that old Sincroid we call Aves.


Hope you guys have fun with this round, and see something that makes you smile, especially after yesterday.

Thoughts Go Out

We wanted to address the tragedy that occurred in Boston today, and hope that those affected by this latest act of violence recover swiftly.

The fact that these things are becoming more commonplace as we get older really makes you hold your family that much closer to heart.

Sending our best to all those hurting. This time just around the corner and not a world away.

Hand Out

I swear that the list is almost done! Just a few more details to finalize.

Exercising the Possibilities

Adding two Swing Joint Sets to a Glyan allows for a few new dance moves! The height and dimensions remain almost the same, just a tiny bit beefier. I imagine that in the story, the Swing Joints act as an upgrade for the Glyans, to help take on bigger challenges, and maybe even a Rogue Traveler or two.

The pics above show the most basic application, the crazier stuff happens when you start taking the joints apart.

There are 6 main parts and 6 Switch Pins per Swing Joint Set., for a total of 12 individual pieces.
A full breakdown and more details coming shortly.

Also, the complete list for the upcoming release is very close to being done, aiming to post it tomorrow night!

Outside the Lines

Swing of Things

Old concept, new application. 

After many years of playing around with the prototypes, a new item we call the Swing Joint Set is prepared to enter the mix.

Pics of the parts in action coming shortly.

Also, the list for the new April Wave is almost done and will be up at the end of this week.

We're excited to get back to it!

Microshow Nanobots

The little "Nanobots" shown above are another few refugees from the old Microshow booklet. The size on these two is extra tiny, with joints raided from the forgotten Robo Wheels line by Mattel (with designs by PLEX). Their bodies are sculpted from plumbers compound and the backpack on Nanobot Korec (the brown one) is made from cut and glued fake leather.

Having "companion" mini robots running around is a classic concept, so naturally I could not resist slipping the idea into the jumble-rama that was the Microshow.

This pair spent a ton of time in my pocket (they were built in 2004), yet somehow managed to survive all the travel. Seeing them next to the Glyan up there is kind of a trip, as they look like some kind of mini mecha munchkins.

Happy Easter!

We've been busy taking all the feedback in from the last post to put together a special order that will hopefully make everybody happy!

After review,  the PVC choice is Clear Colorless. Standard Pheyden with detail lines and swapped parts (but no Reverse Pheyden for now) will also go into full production, and if things work out well, other characters in their "Standard" colors will follow.

The tentative release date for our next wave, which is wrapping up final production, is looking to land in late April. Sneak peeks will begin this week.

Outside of getting things in order here at Onell for the rest of 2013, we've also been working on multiple projects with our partner companies that should surface throughout this year. Each project has been a lot of fun, and should result in more independently produced stuff to play with!

Thanks again for all the thorough and insightful comments regarding the new Buildstation proposal. Your individual emails, calls and communications in general have been beyond helpful, and mean more than words can convey.

We love you guys!

Inspiration On the Shelves

Things behind the scenes here have been extra busy since 2013 started and the poor old blog has been pretty quiet. I hope when some of these new projects finally roll out over the next few months, you guys will enjoy them!

The next wave of stuff is still on track for the beginning of April, with an assortment about the same size as the last release, but hopefully with something brand new added to the mix.

We've been discussing something new we wanted to do in the store that we wanted to ask you all about. If you're familiar with this blog, then you most likely know the system we currently use to get new figures out every other month, an event that we call a "launch", where a bunch of items are released at one time. The plan is to continue using this method, but to also start stocking something akin to our old Buildstation selection, but with "Standard" versions of our characters. What would you guys think about seeing a fully detailed standard colored Pheyden (light blue-grey), or Standard Argen (metallic silver) in stock at all times? Or would you prefer straight all black or clear colorless, unlimited runs of everything, available year round?

We would love to get your feedback on these potential additions to the store. What would you like to see?

In the interim, I wanted to share a few pics from a shelf up in our attic. This is where all our new sculpts have to be measured, to make sure a true toy feeling is deeply encoded in each figure's DNA.

Plus, I just like staring at it all. This particular shelf gets checked out every single day.

EDIT  You guys are the best! Thank you so much for all the feedback. We're looking at the comments and factoring the information and each of your requests into the new store development. Both a small standard character selection and a solid Buildstation offering year round feels like the right way to go. Gears are already in motion.

Black or clear to start with in the new Buildstation? Or something else? 
 

Shop Works

While working at the shop last week I uncovered this old prototype for a Renegade Gobon that never made it into full production. The core design was meant to mimic the plated surface that covered the Capture Rigs (and everything else) from Rechlen and Aves. I guess this could be considered another one for the Lost Projects File!

Another Time, Another Team

During the making of the old Microshow booklet back in 2004, lots of  Micro themed customs were born. Initially everything was kit bashed with additional sculpting done using plumber's compound, but as things progressed certain characters were completely sculpted, with Stikfas joints chopped and used for connection points.

Above are a few shots detailing some of the fully sculpted figures, with only the joints made from Stikfas (a combo of the softer weapons plastic and the classic black plastic). The black straps are from hair bands and the leather is fake stuff that was cut and glued from discarded fabric sample swatches.

The guy with the helmet, Microsoldier Ingram, is based specifically on the pilot from Takara's Biosuit kit from back in the mid 80's. I love that old kit and its pilot represents the Real Type design principle perfectly to me. Making his helmet removable drove me crazy, as well as building his gun.

The female, Microsoldier Kira, is an original design and so is Microdroid Ranic, a character who eventually made its way over into Glyos to become the foundation for Buildman.

Also, if you've never been (or haven't been in a bit), check out perhaps the best Microman site out there, Microforever.com.

When the hell is Microman going to come back, anyway?!

Halftron

Here's a really odd one from the lost files -a scratch built, wire frame Biotron with magnets imbedded in its limbs.

This guy was to be included in Microshow II, but was never finished and has been buried in a toy pile since 2004. I had wanted to create attachments that would utilize the larger magnets for connection points but other projects knocked this one aside.

The idea of having a super bendy version of this Micronauts character is still appealing to me. Maybe one day Takara or Hasbro will make one a reality, but for now I have this junky bot to play around with.

Looking at this Biotron now, I'm reminded a little of the Easter Island Moai statues.

Man, I didn't even give the poor thing its claws!

Custom Micronauts Huntarr

The Micronauts will forever be a massive influence on my creative endeavors (ha!), sneaking into the DNA of just about every project that comes out of this house.

The custom version of the living bio-weapon known as Huntarr (from the original Micronauts comic) shown above was sculpted back in 2000 and tinkered with for a few years after that, eventually landing in the original Microshow booklet we did in 2004.

I was, and still am, crazy about this character. Huntarr was sort of boring in some ways, looking like a lumpy orange alien with gray boots (why he needed those boots is anybody's guess) and no real distinctive details. He could shift his shape to deal with different situations and for some reason just seemed awesome to me. Later in the story, Huntarr transformed into a very Alien inspired form, which I tried to capture by having a removable outer head that could plop onto the first form's noggin.

The actual 3 3/4" custom is sculpted with Oatey Plumbers Compound over a twist tie armature that was wrapped in layers of electrical tape. The eyes are melted "stained glass" plastic pellets and the paint is Tamiya and auto finish.

I played with this figure for years, eventually snapping most of the wires inside due to excessively rough play. Huntarr saw some serious action and has lived to tell about it, now resting with the rest of the Microshow cast, exchanging tales of being abused by some giant bearded geek.

The cruddy drawing was done today, and is a little extra dedication to one of my favorite Micronauts characters of all time.

The Kind of Old Days

Man, that was a spell! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind over here. Lots of production related challenges had to get wrangled, as well as a general mopey vibe in the air that was kind of bringing everybody in our little circle down. Maybe the winter blues were to blame, or maybe just regular old stress. Whatever gremlin was messing with the works seems to have taken a break from causing trouble, at least for now (though we did lose one of of our chickens to a raccoon last night).
 
To unwind, I've been going through old project boxes and drawing files, remembering the days when I was really custom building crazy. Being a Microman (Takara) and Micronauts (Mego) nut, many hours were spent building various representations of characters from those worlds, as well as branching off into fan fiction stuff, like the Microshow. Takara still remains one of my all time favorite companies, right up there with Fisher Price.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to put up some images and scans of those old customs and drawings, Micro related and beyond. I warn you that some of the stuff is pretty rough, and at times downright cruddy, but it may at least make you laugh!

In production news, a new wave is planned for the first or second week of April, and if luck is on our side, something new will be in store (and in the store) when everything goes live. The mystery item has been worked on for quite some time, but may not be what you're expecting. Multiple steel tools are currently in the process of being cut, one of them being a complete figure with all new parts. Should be fun to customize with!

I hope you guys are feeling good and staying creative during these winter months!

Melting

Now that the snow is under control, we can finally get back to our regular programming.

Ralph delivers once again with the latest round of pages from Operation: Sonesidar!

Cannonball

Never thought I'd cannonball off my back steps...