Vinyl Abuse | Vinyl Abuse

KidRobot Releases Kozik Redrum Dunny

by Unsung Zero on Oct 31, 2006 • 31 Comments

KidRobot released the bloody new Kozik-designed Redrum Dunny with a not-so-spooky signing event at their New York store. Besides coming out to buy the new dunny, around 100 Kozik fans brought every conceivable Kozik toy with them to the signing: series 1 3″ dunnies, labbits, Kozik Tequilas and El Pandas, and everything you can think of with a cigarette hanging from its mouth.

No doubt Kozik continues to be one of the most prolific artists in the business. The release is limited to 2000, with 1 in every 12 being a chase version inspired by The Shining. Very few chases were spotted at the release event, so consider yourself lucky if you manage to get one!

Happy Halloween!

Artist / Exhibition

Artoyz, Skwak n Koa present…

by Unsung Zero on Oct 31, 2006 • No Comments

The World of SK arrives at Artoyz on Thursday 2nd November and runs through to the 3rd December. The duo, with their first joint show, present new works and an assortment of crazed thoughts at the Artoyz Gallery, Paris. They will showcase brand new paintings, digital prints, toy prototypes, customs and murals.

New Release / Store Exclusive / Vinyl Toys

Artoyz + Secret Base

by Unsung Zero on Oct 31, 2006 • 6 Comments

Artoyz have released their very first collaboration with Secret Base. First up is the SKULL BEE ARTOYZ (Golden Artoyz head included) limited to 100 pieces and priced at 55â‚¬. Then there is OBAKE GHOST ARTOYZ, limited to 100 pieces and priced at 45â‚¬. Packaging designed by KOA.

A few pieces will be available @ SUPER7 (in a couple of weeks on www.super7magazine.com)

The figures from Secret Base are looking amazing, staying true to their roots and taking Kaiju to a whole new level.

Film / Vinyl Toys

Vinyl&Co – Japan Trailer

by Unsung Zero on Oct 31, 2006 • No Comments

The Vinyl & Co boys were in Berlin at Pictoplasma adding extras to their ongoing documentary project about the World of vinyl. By World we mean the whole darn thing. They have recently put together the Japan stage of the teaser trailers. Click here to view the trailer.

The Japan leg of their world tour took in the sites of Devil Robots, Mori Chack, Mad Barbarians, Wonderful Design Works, Touma and so much more. Keep an eye on the Vinyl&Co blog for future updates. Next stop London!

Customs / Show / Vinyl Toys

Banana Lab’s – Urban Art Experiments

by Unsung Zero on Oct 31, 2006 • Comments Closed

In 1997, Michael Lau a Hong Kong artist, brought an urban designed G.I Joe action figure to a toy show in Hong Kong. From there Lau brought custom designed vinyl toys to international fame and the craze has exploded in New York and Los Angeles, with more and more limited edition toys being manufactured and sold worldwide. This international fame has fueled the vinyl toys to become rare sought after art pieces.

Now, Chris Ramos (owner of The Banana Lab) is bringing the craze to Detroit. The Banana Labâ€™s first exhibition will be held at 2000 Brooklyn, Detroitâ€™s well-known art collective. The Banana Lab will be exhibiting Vol.1 of its â€œUrban Art Experimentsâ€, featuring some of Detroit leading artists customizing 9â€ blank vinyl toy figures known as NADEs and B.U.D.s.

Thanks to Ramos of The Banana Lab who has enlisted Tom Thewes, Ron Zakrin, Gilda Snowden, and Shades, to name a few, Detroit is invited to not only enjoy some of Detroitâ€™s leading artistâ€™s work, but learn about and indulge in the world of Designer Vinyl Toys.

The show will be held on Nov 18th at 2000 Brooklyn in Detroit from 7pm -10pm, with complimentary drinks and food.

All artists in show: Glen Barr, Adam Battestilli, Christina Gibbs, Mark Heggie, Dennis Jones, Nicole MacDonald, Dave Roberts, Shades, Scotty Agee, Jason Shram, Gilda Snowden, Tom Thewes, Ron Zakrin, and Ziam.

New Release

Ayako Takagi’s Uamou & Boo

by Unsung Zero on Oct 31, 2006 • No Comments

From the perfectly formed comic books of Ayako Takagi’s Uamou from Another Planet series comes the new Uamou figure, this time accompanied by the little ghost Boo.

The worldwide edition of just 300 will be available from mid-November from fine retailers including TokyoCube.

Character Design / New Release / News / Vinyl Toys

RINGO BEAR! ..it’s coming (’07)

by Unsung Zero on Oct 28, 2006 • No Comments

Wheaty Wheat Studios is proud to announce that the production for the long awaited Ringo Bear has finally begun

“There will also be 5 different color variants for Ringo Bear instead of the 3 color variants for Mr. Bunny and 2 color variants for Fire Cat. The standard Orange Ringo Bear will be limited to 600 figures. The Polar Bear edition will be 210 figures and Brown Ringo Bear (European exclusive) will be limited to 300 figures. The mystery, 3D Retro exclusive color variant will be limited to 100 figures and the super exclusive, mystery, 5 & A Dime variant will be limited to only 60 figures.”

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Wheaty Wheat Studios is working hard and closely with its factory to get Ringo Bear released for late Spring 2007

So, jot the date down in your diary and get saving those pennies because this one will DEFINATELY sell out… and without further adom feast your eyes on this vinyl abusingly, mouth watering sweet turnaround:

Artist / Events / News / Vinyl Toys

TOUMA at Mixi-Bang

by Unsung Zero on Oct 28, 2006 • No Comments

Not much info yet regarding the show, there’ll no doubt be some cool exclusive vinyl and art on display aswell as an artist signing. Expect an update on this real soon.. in the meantime, check out the sweet flyer

click for other side

Graffiti / Street Art / New Release / Vinyl Toys

Shikito cometh!

by Unsung Zero on Oct 28, 2006 • No Comments

Lauda Shikito Salvatorem – all praise Shikito the savior!

Shikito is the mascot for Superdeux’s new B*Shit line.

The Shikito figure has been a long time coming (constipation?) but is soon to be released from STRANGEco. Shikito is 4″ tall and will be available in two standard colorways, Brown, and black (“The Real Bad”).

There will also be several exclusive colorways from Superdeux, Rotofugi, Toy Tokyo and Lunohod.

Sure to have many grubby hands wanting to get hold of these when they’re released in November.

Graffiti / Street Art / Plush

HAZMATE plush

by Unsung Zero on Oct 28, 2006 • No Comments

Hazmate (a red warning sign) is patterned after a character, first created as a streetart sticker by Bytedust.
This handmade 6″ plush (with free stickers) is limited in numbers and is available @ the HAZCHEM website.

you may have also seen Hazmate(s) on one of our forum banners Cheers Bytedust

Competition / Magazine / Book / New Release / VA Announcement

Dot Dot Dash – review / competition

by Unsung Zero on Oct 27, 2006 • No Comments

Back in 2004 IdN published Vinyl Will Kill, about toy designers by toy designers. It was packed with information and resources. It has played an integral part in the Designer Toy phenomenon. It has inevitably become the benchmark upon which all other books on vinyl will be judged.

Dot Dot Dash is a visual encyclopedia – presented in the style of Pictoplasma like pages of startling image after startling image of toys and customs. The sheer size of the book at first seems overwhleming, but it is also an important part of the books ethos. A collection of the stand out pieces of designer work by designer toy fans for designer toy fans. Everyone is represented here – from the established to the custom toy artist who has taken a dip into the pool of DIY designer toys.

And it is that honesty that makes this book stand aside from other publications that tend to bombard us with imagery – what are the images for and why are they here. Simply Dot Dot Dash is just a point in the toy world’s heritage. The introductory texts and frequent essays ensure it’s not just a book of pictures. The essay are short yet insightful, easy to read pieces of information to support the thinking behind how the toy world has advanced and developed. The essays act like chapter introductions before a new wave of visual treats is offered up. These chapters give the book much needed structure. Intertwined around the sections are glorious photos from McCarty Photoworks!

Like Vinyl Will Kill, Dot Dot Dash starts with words from vinyl pioneers Jim Crawford and Greg Bloom of StangeCo. They give us an up to date on the why’s and how’s of their operation. We then get led through the origins of the designer toy scene in Japan, through Hong Kong and splintering around the globe. The visuals start with the biggies – both size and stature. Coarse Toys and their giant Surf figures kick off proceedings and we are quickly lead to TimTsui’s Da Team Bronx and amazing Da Ape series and one offs. Through Paul Leung and Jason Siu to relative new comer (as presented to the toy world via Gee Whizz) Wilfrid Wood. It’s here that you realise that their is a shared democratic freedom to the contents of the book. It doesn’t set out to tell you the complete biblical outlook that the scene is set on a destiny, but rather it flows across styles, where artists aren’t confined to one look or theme, where hand made is as good as mass production, cute can sit with grotesque, unknowns share pages with well-knowns and previously unseen objects look out over icons of our favour. From plastic to perfomrance to plush to cardboard to just about any material you can use to bring your characters from the page/screeen into the real world.

VA is represented by our visitors, friends and resident artists, with a host of work from our show Gee Whizz – Kenn Munk’s Skullhead Dunny, Huck’s Neenja duo, NVC Crew’s Samurai, Riot68′s Gun-wielding Samurai Dunny and Wilfrid Wood’s Dirty Biker. Plus there is a chance to do a “got, got need” quick read every now and again to reinvigorate a lasting desire to own some more of this stuff. It’s rare to think that the custom toy you bought would have a legacy past your toy display. Customs have been tagged as “Character Art” which sets a good precedent for anyone wondering whether a cut and slice approach to sculpture has any lasting appeal. Also, it gives stimulation to collectors to invest more in new talent.

This publication supports our scene, we call it ours as we like to think we have some influence and notoriety within the scene, but also because we are passionate about helping to nurture and support it as it grows and changes. Due to the way it is set out – with thoughtful liberty – Dot Dot Dash is a great resource for inspiration. Most of all it gives reassurance that this often peculiar and fluctuating world we have focussed so much of our time on is a worthwhile cause. Of course it is, or you wouldn’t be here on this website reading this review!

Competition Time

Sadly, Vinyl Abuse was omitted from the With Thanks credits of Dot Dot Dash… but we won’t hold that against them… and to prove it we’re offering you the chance to own your very own copy of Dot Dot Dash for absolutely nothing at all!!! We have 2 copies of the book to give away. All you need to do is post in the comments section below a few words explaining why we should give you a copy of the book. Tell us, how much of a toy fan are you? How desperate are you to own a copy? What would you do to be picked by VA to be one of the lucky ones?

We’re giving you just 1 week to get your brain frying statements written down! Closing date 3rd November 2006.

Dot Dot Dash is published by Die Gestalten and is available in bookstores now!

Shops

TokyoCube stock up on goodies

by Unsung Zero on Oct 26, 2006 • 40 Comments

Our friends over at TC have been stocking up on plenty of top quality Japanese vinyl.

Their latest acquisitions for you to indulge in include the Dissected KAWS Companion, KAWS + Pushead Companion, KAWS Companion Silkscreen, Jack Skellington Kubrick, Runaway Brain Mickey and the Ika-Gilas M-Glow Edition.

Of course Ã¼ber rare comes at a commodity rate, so if you’ve been saving your pennies for a rainy day start praying for rain!!!

NB: Prices have been updated – reductions made!

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KidRobot Releases Kozik Redrum Dunny

Artoyz, Skwak n Koa present…

Artoyz + Secret Base

Vinyl&Co – Japan Trailer

Banana Lab’s – Urban Art Experiments

Ayako Takagi’s Uamou & Boo

RINGO BEAR! ..it’s coming (’07)

TOUMA at Mixi-Bang

Shikito cometh!

HAZMATE plush

Dot Dot Dash – review / competition

TokyoCube stock up on goodies

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