Evergreen

Glyninja Koshiro

This one is for all the Sega Genesis fans in the System. Based on the sprites from one of my favorite video game characters, circa 1989!

Preparation

We are still on track to launch tonight at 10PM EDT, but please read the following information concerning an update to the PayPal checkout process.

In the past, you could load numerous items from the store all in a row, and now it seems you must wait until the cart refreshes with each item before adding more to your order.

Once an item is added to your cart, please wait a few extra moments before adding another. If you're ordering from a desktop browser using tabs, just wait for the title of the cart page to change from "PayPal" to "PayPal Checkout". Please also double check your cart contents before checking out.

This is a fairly minor issue compared to what we've seen in the past, but we want to make sure that you are well aware of this change, especially due to the rapid pace of how items are purchased during a launch night. We're kindly asking everyone to have extra patience tonight while shopping in our store.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for understanding. A new shopping cart system is in the works for our site, and we hope to roll it out before the end of the year.

Postponed

We hoped that we could stay on track tonight, but after a day of troubleshooting an unforeseen new Paypal issue with the shopping cart system, we are bumping the launch to tomorrow night, Thurs. Oct 20 at 10PM EDT, so we have extra time to test out the changes we've discovered.

We'll reconfirm the new date and time with an update tomorrow. With the heavy traffic we're seeing on the site today, we're not taking any chances, even if this hiccup turns out to be a minor one.

Thank you for being patient with our continued PayPal snafus. We are working towards something new that will hopefully make bumps like this a thing of the past.

Mutant Mania

Kyodai

Dress Up

We have a new wave set to rise from the sewers this Wednesday, October 19th at 9:30PM EDT.

In the classic spirit of Halloween, some of your old friends from the Glyos System will be ready to celebrate in true 1980's style, dressing up for what might be our craziest assortment since we started back in 2007.

Get your bo staffs ready!

Cruel Mountaineer

Battle Tribes: Wave 3

The Weaponlords behind Spy Monkey Creations have added some brand new variations to the growing ranks of their excellent Battle Tribes range! Featured above is my personal favorite from the latest round, the Tribal Wolfpack Hunter! You can see the rest of the assortment over in their store right now.

A truly eclectic and exciting third call to arms, SMC! Looking forward to seeing you guys at DCon next month!

Thank You!!!

The Bit Pheyden Brigade has been divided and are en route to their new homes! Thank you all once again for supporting Bit Figs and checking in at the Culture Pirates shop.

This has been a dream come true for me. Pheyden exists in so many forms, colors, and iterations, and with each release Matt and I will typically say, "this is my favorite yet." And I know we'll say it again on the next round (the Mega size in clear tint is quite a thing to behold..), but this particular shade of blue has a special place in our hearts. The color somehow changes drastically in nearly every light source, and even the 8-bit sprite version has been altered with almost every game cameo, but in a way this is a true reflection of the nature of Pheyden - existing in numerous dimensions, traveling to the farthest reaches of Glyos, and adapting to every environment. A constant that never stops changing. But at the end of the day, in my mind, when the Space Traveler settles back home, he's blue, baby.

Without sounding too much like a busted 45, thank you, thank you, thank you. Tonight I celebrate in Boston with friends and one of my all-time favorite bands, so for those interested I leave you with two great songs- Thank You and Without Love. Cheers!  -marcus

Family Values

The pic shown above was only a dream for Marcus and I not that long ago. From his very first render of "Bit Pheyden", we would discuss what a fully realized PVC version of Marc's pixels would look like, and how in the world we would ever pull it off. Well, thanks to the incredible rise of the 3D printer and some truly brilliant new specialized modelling software, the "Bit"-mension Gate finally cracked open and allowed for something really special to come into our reality.

With a fresh shot of updated vibrant light blue, Mega Bit Pheyden and Bit Pheyden are ready to join the ranks of the Glyos and Bit Fig universes, landing right in place with their SSM-born brethren across both the Ninja and Animal spectrum.

Pheyden's new cousins might be a little square, but they really bring things full circle.

We're so proud of you, Marcus.

The New Standard

A familiar face returns...

This Sunday, October 2nd, at 9pm Eastern, Mark I of Standard Bit Pheyden hits the official Bit Figs shop. This is the very first deluxe Mega Bit Pheyden set, featuring painted eyes and limbs on both 3" and 1" versions. Also available will be a matching "Pheyden Blue" exclusive 10-pack featuring both series 1 Ninjas and Animals.

This small release marks a pretty big moment for us here at Onell Design. Not only was Pheyden the first full-production Glyos figure, he was also the first character I attempted to create pixel art with. To see our flagship Traveler go from paper to PVC to video and back to PVC has been quite a unique journey. Those who've been with us for a while have seen Pheyden rebuilt, recolored, scarred, and now downgraded (in size and resolution). The full circle cliché in this case is more of a square, and personally I couldn't be any happier with how things have fallen into place. The pixel art elements of Onell remains my favorite contribution to Glyos, and continues to be an area where Matt and I really feed off each others energy and passion, even if it's more behind the scenes these days. The fact we now have a "Passcode Playset" of sorts is something we hope everyone reading this can enjoy as much as we will.

Check back Sunday night to grab a Bit of Glyos history.

October Fair 2016

This Sunday, October 2nd, Stega Clothes and The Graphic Jam will host their very first October Fair featuring local artists, printers, and more at Jesse's shop in Beverly MA. The Onell / Bit Figs booth will be setup alongside Callgrim, good friend KTRON and her awesome Monster Blankets, plus a handful of local vendors with toys, apparel, food and beverages. Selector Jbo will also be in the house spinning classic tuneage throughout the event. Show starts at 10am and runs til 4pm, if you're in the area swing by to check it out!

Synchronized Travels

Hunk O' Cheese

Last Saturday, after attending the Granite State Comicon (and pawing through bins of old toys), I rolled into our driveway to find Michelle and the kids looking at the moon through a telescope they had rented from the library. It didn't take long before I was trying to take a snap of the big cheese through the telescope's eyepiece, the clearest of the bunch being shown above.

Little did we know that a penumbral eclipse had just occurred the day before. Though it wasn't visible in our part of the world, the timing was pretty interesting.


 

Granite Con 2016

We are gearing up for a weekend outing in NH! Granite State Comicon starts this Saturday morning at the Raddison Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, and runs through Sunday evening. If you are in the area and planning to attend, swing by the Bit Booth in the main Expo room @ table D8. Visit the site for the full scoop of local artists, guests, and events.

And for the Boston area folks, the Saturday afterparty takes place at the Middle East for a night of funk & soul music with my band The Macrotones and good friends Westbound Train. We hit early at 8pm sharp.

Warning: spoilers ahead...

Thank You!!!

Thank you for making Wave 58 a great one! My apologies that this is a little late, but we did indeed encounter an all new mysterious issue with our frenemy PayPal during the night of the release. Due to this new problem, which involved a significant amount of completely missing orders and funds that then appeared in batches nearly a day after they were made, we decided to shut the store down as we thoroughly double checked everything. Even with our battle tested mathematical countermeasures, we were sideswiped by the PayPal matrix of unpredictability yet again (although at this point weird glitches perfectly lining up with our launches seem virtually guaranteed). Suffice it to say we had a couple very long nights! We really appreciate all of your patience as we worked it out.

All orders placed before the store was closed have been processed and shipped out, including international orders, so be on the lookout for invading Quallerran forces starting Monday. The speed at which everything hit the post is 100% due to the combined efforts of Michelle, Marcus, Megan and Pj. They are truly teamwork personified.

Speaking of the Quallerran, we'll be nosing a bit into their collective background as the week progresses, exploring how they are connected to the creation of Noboto as well as the lost world of Vhorren-Vy.

I'll try not to ramble too much with this post, but once again you have kept the bus rolling, and more now than ever we are humbled by your passion and dedication to this strange little after school project. Thank you for inspiring us to push our own limits and for continuing to share your talents and creativity.

Quest of the Quallerran

The new store is live!

Be sure to refresh: onelldesign.com/store

EDIT: The store is back up, thanks for your patience!

Glyarmor Andromeda

Armorvor Spectre MK II

Distant Relations

Stories Untold

Alien Ancestry

AASC GITD

We've got some new things on deck for release this coming Wednesday, September 7th at 9:30PM EDT, barring any complications caused by renegade hurricanes or cyclones (we're looking at you Hermine).

The Axis Armored Spectre Commandos shown above feature the "Skate Wars" inspired side of the new Glyan head, which can switch into Glyninja mode with just a swivel and the included scarf.

These guys must need that extra firepower to deal with something much stronger than your average pesky Protoclone...

Thank You!!!

The support from this community never ceases to amaze me. There have been dozens of posts on this blog titled "Thank You!" (with varying amounts of exclamation points), and it's still not enough to truly show how much Matt, Michelle and I appreciate the support we've received over the past 9+ years.

This wave may have marked the launch of a new site, but the heart and soul that went into everything from concept to production was an absolute team effort from Onell HQ, Paul at the Glyos factory, and our new partners at SSM Vending. But all of this effort would mean very little if it wasn't for the love and dedication from YOU, our family and friends who've helped us carve our own corner of the universe together.

Bit Figs will continue forging new territory this year, including our first dedicated booth at Granite Con, September 17 & 18 in Manchester NH. If you happen to be in the Northeast, come by to say hi and check out some sneak peeks of what's to come. We also have new online content in the works, stay tuned.

Packages begin shipping tomorrow. Cheers!  -marcus

Mega Bit Pheyden

Introducing the newest additions to the Bit Figs line:

Bit Pheyden and MEGA Bit Pheyden!

Mega Bit Pheyden is an all-new 3" articulated figure that features removable, Glyos compatible arms (3 parts total). Also included in this double set is a 1" Bit Pheyden, produced perfectly in scale with all our Ninja and Animal vending series figures. The dark metallic gold Trophy Set is the very first sample run available now in limited quantities.

The third pic above showcases Mega Bit Pheyden packing an extra punch with swing joints installed, as well as an Astro Nautilus mutation, parts courtesy of The Outer Space Men.

These new Bits, as well as Fistfuls of Ninjas, Animals, and other items are available now at the new Culture Pirates shop. This site is the official shop for Bit Figs, Music ADD Records, limited edition Glyos merchandise and more.

Mega, mega thanks to all of you for the continued support. Have fun!

Tread Lightly

Galaxxor: Monster Hunter Robo

The Space Warlord of Chicago, Ben Spencer, has just released an awesome new trio of "standard" Galaxxor characters (Galaxxor 001 and Gorgax are shown above) that showcase the very first deluxe paint jobs on his full production figure. You can find them right now, over in the Galaxxor Online Store.

Ben has a great sense of color and design, and these special versions of Galaxxor, coupled with a fun story synopsis, serve as a great jumping off point into his Monster Hunter Robo mythos.

Love the choices for this rollout, Ben!

Bit Bun

Bit Pup

Bit Kit

Bit Pig

Bit Duck

Oozarian Fiend Traveler

Circuits and Brains: 1982 + Other Stories

The great Glen Schricker (aka Circuits and Brains) has a new wave of songs for the cybernetic called 1982+Other Stories that fans of classic sci-fi soundtracks will definitely enjoy, now available for streaming and download here.

I grew up with Glen, and have been enjoying his work since we were in high school together. His latest album is now in full rotation here at headquarters, with his "Dungeon Traveler Skeleden" tune from last year's Glyosar wave leading the charge. I'm also really digging the ghostly song, "Pilots Are Missing".

We love the new stuff, Schrick!

Ku Jumble Suit

Iken Jumble Suit

Granthaxis Oozarian

Operation: Cold Slice

Toy Pizza will be activating a special Knights of the Slice division Friday (today), August 5th at a time TBD over in the Toy Pizza Shop!  Check out the latest Toy Pizza episode for more details here!

Grand Lord of the Knights, Jesse DeStasio, sent over some fun bios to share for the "Real Type" inspired selection of KOTS Wave 2 shown above:


NAME: Medic Knight
NICKNAME: Boyo, Male Knurse Knight 
SECRET IDENTITY: Daz Briton 
POWERS: Can create force fields around injured comrades for a limited time. The longer it's held for, the more strain it puts on Daz. 
WEAKNESSES: Is secretly afraid of guns. 
BIO: Daz is the first British Knight of the Slice, appointed due to his emergency medicine and first aid knowledge. Although part of the ancillary team, Daz has is no less important, having saved the day many times over. 
--------------

NAME: Orange Knight 
NICKNAME: Knightmare 
SECRET IDENTITY: Unknown
POWERS: Not yet discovered
WEAKNESSES: Uncertain 
BIO: The Orange Knight is an odd spectre that only appears in the dreams of Brick. The dreams seem to have started the first time Brick transformed into his Integer Mode. though it has not yet been determined if the Orange is a direct result. Most recently, the Orange Knight has appeared to Brick dressed in a formal tuxedo, in a setting not unlike a wedding. The significance and meaning of these visions are still a mystery. 
--------------

NAME: Combat Type 01 & 02 
NICKNAME: The Twins  
SECRET IDENTITY: Jer & Josh Pollen 
POWERS: Higher than average durability and the ability to quickly dash in a way that appears to the untrained eye to be teleportation. The dashes are only capable of being executed for a few seconds at a time and over distances no greater than a football field. 
WEAKNESSES: The twins are hot-headed adrenaline junkies,  so they can very easily dive into battle without taking the time to think about their actions. They have also been known to get into fistfights amongst themselves in the middle of a mission. 
BIO: Growing up idolizing ancient 80s action movies, the Pollen brothers joined the army as a way to finance the independent films they wanted to make. Finding their aversion to authority put them at constant odds with their commanding officer,  the twins were discharged and started working security for Fred Foods. During the night shifts they would continue to make their lo-fi films while no one else was around. Eventually, they were caught trying to swipe one of the Knights of the Slice uniforms (in order to film the climax to their story) and ended up in Fred's office. Rather than fire the twins, Fred took notice of their military backgrounds and made them official Knights of the Slice. They are currently assigned to humanitarian missions in foreign conflict zones, where they provide security for food convoys. 
--------------

NAME: Death Knight
NICKNAME: None known 
SECRET IDENTITY: Unknown 
POWERS: Death Knight can become intangible with a mere thought. His weightless is so great, he can travel great distances with the slightest gust of wind. He also seems to be able to conjure grey mists that can obfuscate.
WEAKNESSES: Bright lights, loud noises, highly saturated colors. 
BIO: Little is known of the one who calls himself the "Death Knight", though he appears to have an extreme hatred for the Knights of the Slice. It's rumored he may have been an ex-employee or a trainee who failed to make the cut into the order of the KOTS. Several times he has shown up to trap the Knights or make their missions more treacherous, although he never engages in a direct fight. While he is currently classified as a nuisance, the concern is with a little help, Death Knight could become a formidable threat.  


Seeing the Knight mold run in these particular colors pushes the core aesthetic in a different direction, and gives a great "Special Missions" vibe to this new assortment. I've been carrying around the Death Knight since the first sample arrived, marveling at the clear smoke armor's effects against the pure black body. Definitely a great combination!

Jesse D and Onell have also been working behind the scenes on a secret "tangent" project which further blurs the lines between our two plastic worlds. More on that as we crawl into the fall.

Extra large congratulations to the entire Toy Pizza crew for continuing to expand the KOTS universe!

Thank You for 9 Years!!!

Just like a stealthy clan of cyber ninjas, you guys struck with a powerful force last Wednesday night! Thank you so much for a truly exciting 9th anniversary release and for warmly welcoming Bit Figs into the fold. All the production numbers balanced out and the store operated without any major insanity or shurikens to the skull, so the mission continues!

The inspiration behind these seemingly random ninja themes dates back to the powerful influence that the early 80's ninja craze had on us when we here at Onell were kids. Even though Marcus and I are 10 years apart in age (and were raised in different states), we both still developed a lifelong love of those shadowy assassins imported from esoteric Eastern legends.

Ninjas were everywhere in those days, from movie screens, videotapes and magazine stands all the way down to the ubiquitous quarter muncher machines that peppered the walls of seemingly every grocery store and pizza joint. There was just something about the ninja concept that resonated across the country, especially with the latchkey generation.

Maybe it was the barrage of Kung Fu flicks that seemed to perpetually play on our local channel 56 (WLVI) every Saturday afternoon, but I personally went bonkers over anything ninja related. I remember wrapping an ACE bandage around my head and terrorizing the neighborhood not long after watching Enter the Ninja on video at my Uncle's house in Beverly, MA (and this weirdness took place years before playing The Revenge of Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden around the clock).

Eventually, my growing obsession graduated to a full on "child sized ninja uniform" that I had begged my mother to order for me from the amazing Ninja Magazine. Can you imagine the level of unintentional comedy that I spread running around at night as a pudgy little kid in an ill-fitting ninja outfit, punctuated by a massive set of scratched up Coke-bottle thick glasses? I even had my own ridiculous homemade katana that was fashioned in our family garage from a busted hockey stick. Of course it had an equally cruddy matching scabbard thrown together from old socks and scraps of duct tape to complete the look. Pitiful? Yes. Unforgettably fun? Absolutely.

Thinking back to those days of true childhood freedom, I'm made even more aware of how crazy lucky we've been over the last 9 years, especially with the constant shifts in an increasingly volatile market. I hope we can keep this extended trip going for some years to come, but no matter what happens, I couldn't be more thankful for everything leading right up to this very moment.

Thank you straight from the heart for making Glyos more than just the fever dream of a chubby little ninja kid.