trimming and cutting. There's always something.

Every Sofubi project has something. It’s actually quite rare for your vinyl to come out just as you planned. I’ve talked with so many makers, and they all have stories about something that doesn’t fit right, or some weird angle they need to stuff a part in, at just the right softness to get it to work.

Malba is no exception. Coming in at a whopping 9 parts, there is/was a lot that could go astray, so I consider this work of art a win, with the one step I need to perform on every figure. His little hip/leg joints are small enough that the joints inside are crammed together into too tight a space. So I heat him up, pull his legs out, and trim the flanges on the bottom of the insides of his leg joints, and wallahhh. No more problem. After this he stands great, and he tells me he feels better not having his left push over his right, and vice versa. A happy Malba.

Friday The 13th

Friday The 13th. oh boy that doesn’t happen too often. I needed to bust out just one last release this year.

Prancakes designed and sculpted by Tim biskup & omake Fishstache designed by Andrew Maclean and sculpted by Beth Graves. Both pieces produced by Gravy, and painted by Bwana Spoons. Prancakes is trans blue, and Fishstache is glow base vinyl.

10am pacific here on the Gravy webshoppe.

In the next week I’ll open up 2020 Skulls memberships. Looking forward to having some returning peeps, and making some new friends. Lucky Bags… I might do my own this year. I’m definitely jazzed about the Gargamel ones coming up. FUN. Anticipation is already destroying my brain with glee.

Designer Con boof 3025 this Friday & Saturday

How time flies. It’s here, DesignerCon 2019 is this weekend from the 22nd -24th. I will only be there Friday & Saturday, and almost guaranteed I’ll need to cut out a bit early Saturday to catch my flight back home. I think Rampage, who is sharing the booth with me will also be skipping Sunday.

Here is a mostly complete menu of what I’ll have up for grabsies at the event.

Designercon 2019 Gravy & Bwana menu Booth 3025

Friday & Saturday only.

Exclusives!

$66 Hooligan’s Hideout Trans Blue Beast

$45 Fishstache Andrew Maclean x Bwana

$50 Prancakes by Tim Biskup

$15 Peanut Killer blind bag (2 per human)

$10 Jungle Goobers

$30 Terry Purple

$30 Hooligan orange

One-Offs!

$300 Krackle & Klong w/rider

$200 Hobo Killer

$200 Globby

$200 Randall

$180 Sleeping Killer

$180 Walking Killer

$120 Terry 

$120 Hooligan

$100 Prenute

$200 Marty

$225 Backpack Marty

Prints & Fun!

$50 Rainbow Adventurer print

$30 Rainbow Adventurer dice bag kit

$70 RA print and dicebag combo:)

$20 Mellow Yellow Rainbow print

$5 Fuck yeah cactus

$10 Nature Calls 6x6 print

$2 Sticker $2 or $8 for a pack

$5 Patch New Randall Patch

$10 Pin KAPPA pins are back!

$20 Tee GrassHut Randall

$5 World Beat Malba comic

$5 Bigboy Funzone Private Hooligan comic

Original Art priced on back

More Magic

Malba is at Umi Toys hawaii

Marty and more Peanut Killer are at Toy Art Gallery

Maybe something at Unbox. Can I say yet?

S.A.S. Show this Thursday!

Grass Hut Art Market

400 NW Couch st, inside Floating World

S.A.S. Three rippers from Japan.

SQD BLSTR * Apos Toys * Science Patrol

Opening reception Thursday November 7th 6-7:30pm

Cash and carry sales on everything for this one.

Online sales Friday November 8th 10am pacific on Gravytoys.com

We would love to see your beautiful faces this Thursday at Grass Hut, warm up wit ha cold beer, and check out these magnificent offerings from by buddies overseas.

We start the first meeting of the Grass Hut Drawing Club Thursday eve as well. Come draw with us. All skill levels. Really. ALL skill levels welcome here. The topic this month is Kanegon vs Raccoons. We will have pens and sketchpads on hand, but please feel free to bring your own supplies as well. If you want to play from afar just post your Kanegon & Raccoon drawings with #grasshutartmarket so we can all see them. 

Hell yes to all of this!

Your pal, Bwana.

Rampage and Friends show this Thursday

Oh boy we are so excited. Both Grumble Toy and Rampage are coming to town for this one. So much scary cute!

Maddie's awesome Steven Collection and a killer fantasy

one of Maddie’s one-off Stevens

This morning we are celebrating Maddie’s awesome steven collection. It always brings me great joy to see Maddie’s smile when I do the Southern California shows. She has a passion for toys and art, so I am very stoked to interview her.

3.5 Questions for Maddie-

Me- Is that you behind the camera lens? Those pics are quite wonderful.

Maddie- It’s all me! I got a light tent set up that I’ve been tweaking over the years. Still using the same Canon Rebel XTi. LOL

 I like taking pics and sharing my collection with other collectors. I like cataloging my toys. Someday I want to make a collector album book but I gotta be hella organized to do it and time has been hard to come by.

Me- What is your favorite Steven Sculpt?

Maddie- Favorite Steven Sculpt – I love the Gargamel sculpt. By the time I got to collecting Steven I arrived at the end of the Super7 versions and I was fortunate enough to snag one custom from that particular figure. I also heard about the fire that consumed a majority of those figures. Can’t remember if they were blanks or painted versions though.

The Gargamel sculpt was coming out and I fell in love with the compact look he had. It only had one point of articulation but that’s all it needed. How his wings were shaped and his face and fangs and ears. Everything looked perfect. I collected what releases I liked. Not sure if I have achieved completist as there are some unpainted out there but not sure which ones I am missing. I relentlessly collected that figure and tried very hard to obtain customs. Still looking out for pieces when they cross my path.

I remember this one.

Me- When did you start collecting toys, and or soft vinyl, and what makes you the most happy about it?

Maddie- Funny I still remember the first one. I still have it. It was July 2006. OG White Treeson by Bubi Au Yung produced by Crazy Label. A gift from Nate when we were still dating.  

Like many other collectors, I started with Urban Vinyl then moved onto Sofubi when the quality suffered and interest waned with designer toys. Sofubi attracted our attention because we’ve always loved everything from Japan. The quality of the vinyl was superb. No screen printed designs. All hand painted or expertly painted with masks. The personal touch was there from the artist to the product, it was hands on and Nate and I liked that. Plus the designs were awesome. I am always drawn to amazing paint jobs and awesome sculpts. You see the artist’s vision of their work and you get to be a part of that wonderful creative world. I think that’s what makes me happy the most.

Me- If you could have your own "Maddie" release of one of my, or anyones sculpts, which would it be, and what colors?

Maddie- Maddie Release – OMG. It has to be the OG Sleeping Killer. I wish bigger. Not as big as the huge ones that you’ve had although I wish got one. But kind of like the size of the Krackle and Kong but lower. Nesting like a cat. Actually sleeping with his feet curled under him. It will be the crown jewel of a killer collection. Handpaint and colorful, I love reds and yellows with designs on him and shimmering rainbow-y like an octopus or squid changing colors. That kind of Killer.  LOL

Me- Dang. Can i have one too. That would have to be a Gargamel or Beth Graves sculpt. I’m imagining something actual tiny kitten sized.

You can see more of her Steven collection and so much more awesomeness on her flickr page.

mezzmerizing

zig zagger

rootbeer. One of my favorite’s too

Vintage :) Brandon U. One-Off Stevens Collection

These beauties all from Brandon U’s personal collection. I haven’t seen these in quite some time. I think these are all before I used an airbrush. Some aspects which I love, and some rattlecan shinanigans. I used mostly Cel-vinyl for the hand/brush painted elements. I really loved that stuff, but Cartoon Color went out of business a few years ago, and I have been slowly upping my enamel Soft vinyl specific paint game. I’m nowhere near where I want to be with technique and the freedom I had with Cel-vinyl. On the flipside, with vinyl specific paint I don’t need to worry about it rubbing off, so I don’t need any clearcoat, and if I do use a clearcoat, these days I have one that works perfectly, unlike all the old stuff I was experimenting with resulpting in “evertacky” feel.

Here’s some more from Brandon U’s collection.

And now a bit of my conversation with Brandon. I’m not talking with myself, talking with with a collector with the same name as me:)

Me. That’s a pretty early one. Is that Numbered? (in ref. to one of the rainbow raindrop pieces)

Brandon U. He is numbered! Most of your early ones were. That one is number 47, I also have 45 from that run and I think one other (he’s under the bed). The “Trick” “Or” and “Treat” Stevens from a super7 Halloween event many many moons ago were not numbered, but if I remember right they fell into a logical number area and the numbering on the Steven’s kept going as if they had been numbered . At one time I (unofficially) had the largest number of custom Stevens in one place (I had 13 I think, of the 60ish you did)

Me. Oh wow. You were on it! I'll ask one of the other folks, but I think the numbering went on for even longer... maybe close to 100, but I could be getting these mixed up with Killers which went even higher than that. I wish I were better at record keeping. I always started it somewhere, and then would forget the place I started writing down what was what:)

Brandon. I’m thinking it went to the mid 60’s, I know I used to have (I might still have it) the last one and one the back it says see you later or something similar. I may still have my spread sheet on my laptop, haha. For a while I was very into tracking them and keeping tabs on who owned which ones and such. Steven was the thing that solidified my love for vinyl toys so the customs always held a very high place in my heart.

Me. Right now on this blogger. Thanks so much Brandon for sharing part of your Steven collection, and a little knowledge that was lost in my head.

If anyone else has more fun to add to this, please feel free to comment.

The Birth of Steven

No this pic isn’t upside down

And my start as an official art toy designer.

Let’s call this 2003, and please if I have this wrong, or if you have any questions or other input, please feel free to comment.

I am writing Micronaut/Microman nerd articles for Super 7 magazine. And they show me this awesome artist series of Gashapon eggs they are doing, and have also done a few toys. I tell Brian Flynn that I REALLY want to make a toy. He raps with Mark Nagata, and they say draw us some different characters. We will help you get it made, or maybe even more. I draw up maybe 15 characters from Forest island. a Few existing, and a bunch of new ones. They talk about the designs, and say we really like the bat, and we will go ahead and just make him.

This is when Super 7 production is still all in china. It’s really at the birth of Super 7 as a toy maker.

I draw up some detailed Steven drawings, and together with Brian we come up with an awesome box design.

after a year of some decent progress things really stall. I guess the relationship with the broker break down a bit, and Steven is just sitting in china half done. But I know who the broker is, Kim, at Three Zero (at this time, Kim helped most US makers get their toys made). 

I basically write Kim a love letter, I used to sell his Hot Toys 12” military figures at the toy shop in Portland I worked at before going full time artist. Kim responds well to my love letter, and Steven is back on track. It took two full years to produce, and in 2005 or 2006 we have our first Stevens at SDCC. No box yet. I think a run of 50 glow which I would hand draw on for people there. Not too long after the first official colorways arrive, all boxed and pretty with their drumsticks. My first toy!

That happy feeling.

Mighty Morphin Endorphins.

Last week was a rush, rush to get everything done (I didn’t), and then the rush I get from a project well done, peoples, and friends getting to check it out. I buzzed the whole bike ride home, wanting to get dinner with Martin, and not have the night end, but too Daffy Duck with his giant clam pearl. There were two Shogun Warriors and a bunch of tools in my basket that I didn’t want to leave at the shop. 

The next morning the rush continued getting ready for online sales. I’m finally winding down now, almost ready for my nap.

The first opening was great. It was exactly halfway between my fears and hopes and dreams. 

I thought I was going to either see 5 local toy nuts and no one else. Or a huge mob with all my old friends and everything sells out.

The five local toy gurus were there right away. Thank you so much Portland toy crew. Then a good chunk of locals rolled through and we had a good time. A great mix of humans. 

Thanks to everyone that came out. I’m really looking forward to our next monthly meetup.

Kaiju Hobo

Grass Hut Art Market

Starting in September we will start hosting semi monthly shows after a long hiatus. Wake up, it’s time to play art.

400 NW couch st. inside Floating World.

More info- @bananapoons on instagram

September 5th- 30th. Reception September 5th 6-9pm

Kaiju Hobo

New works by Bwana Spoons

original arts made from wood, paint, beach trash, sofubi, and fun.

October 3rd - 31st. Reception October 3rd 6-9pm

Rampage and Friends World Tour

Join Jon Rampage (NY), Grumble Toys (Winnipeg), and Gravy (Portland) will all have a buttload of new toys.

November 7th - 30th. Reception November 7th 6-9pm

Tokyo based artists Science Patrol, SQD BLSTR, and Apos Toys bringing the fun piles of sofubu.

December 5th-31st. Reception December 5th 6-9pm

Local legend Martin Ontiveros brings a rainbow powered deathwish of original art, and maybe even a couple toys.

Wally working on the space. We found well over 100 tees while hunting for some paint!

Shops is getting ready for a load

I have a shop drop scheduled for 10am pacific July 24th. There’s so many goodies though. I don’t think I can do everything at 10am, so I think I’ll do this in two waves. One in the morning, and one later in the evening. Anyone that orders from the first wave will have their shipping refunded if they end up doing multiple orders in the next couple days here.

And… I have a little treat shipping out with new orders while they last. Have you seen him? Terry Magnets. Just a little something awesome for my peeps. None will be for sales, just free with purchase type of thing.

And… bet you guys didn’t notice I was too lazy to change the prices on my prints, which means they are all still on sale. All that Silk screen business. So wednesday should be a pretty fantastic day:)

Summer Slime is here.

Well, almost here. It’s this Saturday! July 20th. The gate opens at 6pm. Come and hang with us, eat some tacos, and check out SD from old town. This has become my favorite event of the year, and right up there for favorite trip, and time of the year. This time used to be very fun and stressful when I was setting up inside the SDCC convention. Now this is just fun. See my old friends, make some new ones, dip my head in the ocean, maybe go on an adventure, play some lego, skateboard, eat good food, and sell some art and toys. I can’t wait to see you.

Toys and art from over 10 artists; Paulkaiju, Bwana Spoons, Rampage Toys, Uky Daydreamer and many more.

Free tickets to enter the drawing to purchase figures will be distributed starting at 6:00pm. Ticket numbers will be called via a random drawing at 7:30pm.

This is at the old Gunnzo location in oldtown SD, just up the hill from the new Gunnzo shop. 2445 Juan st.

Archive Sale D Terry & Hooligan Fun Raiser!

Here’s the whole of what is left from my archive sales plus more new goodies. Everything from the old archive sales have been discounted. Still not garage sale prices. That’s not going to happen, but solid prices. So if you were on the fence before this should help. And then new goodies? Yes! Help me raise some funs for by ongoing toy desires for new sculpts. Email me at pelicanmist at gmail.com for a current pricelist. Last note. these have all been on display at one point or another, some have small scuff.

Look at that little chanmen ooze it. There’s a fly on his head. How fartin’ perfect.

New Suns!

DIY Sharter Friday 10am pacific. Friday June 28th. New Terry and Hooligan pre-order.

Launch of the New Suns

For some time now I have been scheming to shrink My Suns Of Brodarr guys. For a long while I couldn’t decide on how much. Make the Micro? But how Micro? Maybe that’s a whole other thing. What I really wanted and want is a whole series of figures that make the perfect travel companion. 

When I was in second grade A Star Wars Snaggletooth spent an entire year living in my pocket. So that’s the size I landed on, a fat Snaggletooth size. Now I can have a travel buddy big enough to engage with all the other action critters of the world, small enough that they can go anywhere.

Terry is a wizard that lives in a broken down castle. Assle Castle. He casts spells to time travel, which ALWAYS causes a new problem that he must fix by again traveling through time. Believe it or not he’s six parts. You probably haven’t seen his wand yet that he holds in his little hand. I haven’t either.

Private Hooligan, or is it just Hooligan now? Was doing time on some bullshit charges when he was recruited to fight in the Warpits*. He managed to escape and although he would be happy in living alone in the desert, or the darkness of the jungle floor, Hooligan now rents a room in Assle Castle. Unsuccessfuly attempting to have Terry NOT do any further time travel, screwing everything up.

*See BigBoy FunZone number 2 for the full story.

Approx 3.75” tall. Yeah.

Sofy vinyl made in Japan. Yeah!

These two little beasts launch the New Suns.

Both are sculpted by the mega talented Naoya Ikeda of Gargamel and Super 7 fame. YEAH!

Timeline. The sculpts are done, now it’s time to move into wax, then metal molds, and then we are in business. With the sculpts complete, I’m ready to move into DIY Kickstarter mode, and get a batch of pre-orders going for you. You have the opportunity to get the very first colors all for your own little mitts before half the world even knows this is happening.

These boogers will be made at the Shirahama factory. Although this is the first toy of mine being pulled here. We go way back. Mr Shirahama and I been buddies for over quarter a century. Having vinyl pulled here for the first time is just another fantastic treat for you and me. Anywhoo, this could be all in our hands in as little as 4 months (unlikely:), or take up to a year before we have all these in our collections and our pockets. Thanks for getting on the earlybird bus with me.

Round 3 Archive sale

oozies, le merde, fredericks, and a teenage randall walk into a bar

killers wigglin’

Look at all those killers

details details

oh hello Stevens

oh glowy stevens

puppy killers

For an updated pricelist give me a holler at- pelicanmist at gmail.com

Round 2 Archive Sale

Misc fun bits

Gacha, Hokai and Eaton

Ojo Rojo

Marty

T9G walking Killer and walking killer

Oh Dolly

sweet Globby action

Hello Boris

I’m slimming and trimming my archives down to one or two colorways a piece. Here’s Round 2. Some of my Gargamel sculpts, and a few other fancy bits. Old sold out editions of everything. I truly love these, but out with the old and in with the new. Email me at pelicanmist at gmail dot com for a price list if you are interested in anything.

archive sale round 1.

skulls

Naoya Hedos

Naoya Hedos

Mystery Zag

Zags

Fighters

Dragamels

Standard Hedos

Earth Restroyers

Smogons

I’m slimming and trimming my archives down to one or two colorways a piece. This is it for Round 1. Which is mostly beautiful old Gargamel sculpts. Round 2 more of the same plus a lot of my own characters. Old sold out editions of everything. I truly love these, but out with the old and in with the new. Email me at pelicanmist at gmail dot com for a price list if you are interested in anything.

Let's call this one Wednesday at 10am pacific.

Blue Moon Skull and new stickers later today up on Gravy Toys.

database funs spring 2019 round 3

database funs spring 2019 round two