Uberbot Munny Show, FL
Reported by MrLostMan on 5th September 2006
The robot invasion was in full swing Saturday night, as people started pouring into UberBot, the largest designer toy store in the Southeast US, long before the announced start time of 7:00 PM. The Munnies had been on display all day, and people were getting there early to get a good look at everything before it got too crowded.
And it did. At the peak of the night, around 8:30, the store was packed shoulder to shoulder with people. Some had been at the show all evening, soaking in the atmosphere, talking to artists about their entries, and listening to the excellent music. Others had stumbled upon the store, which is located in a popular shopping district, and were in for a great surprise.
Towards the beginning of the show, a decently sized group of kids no older than 14 came into the store and marveled at the 140 or so Munnies on display. To see them actually enjoying the show and taking a real interest in it was exciting. With interest brewing in them at their age, it will only be a matter of time before one of them becomes the next big thing.
The pieces on display were certainly nothing to scoff at. Excellent paint jobs, innovative customization, and even use of internal electronics were all present in full force. Munny-fied comic book and movie characters, such as Say Anything’s Lloyd Dobson and Watchmen’s Rorschach were crowd favorites.
Ultimately, however, first prize went to Tony Golden, a local furniture designer/metalworker, for his “Mad Munny” design. His use of real metal armor, including a totally removable helmet, took the show by storm. Second prize went to Gary Brickel’s “Wally the Wal-Mart Greeter,” an exquisitely detailed piece inspired by the artist’s career in customer service. Lea Sheler’s elaborately sculpted “Grimbold” took third.
The remaining two prizes to be awarded, Best Paint and Most Creative, were chosen by a panel of celebrity judges. UberBot owner Steve Lewis, toy designer Nakanari, and comic artist Phil Noto were on hand and decided to award these titles to “5 Angels of Oki” by Bagger 43 and “The Benz” by Dave Quiles, respectively. All entries submitted can be viewed at UberBot’s website
The excitement finally wound down well after 10 o’clock, and as people slowly began leaving the store, it was obvious that the show had been a fantastic success. With stores like UberBot around, it will hopefully only be a matter of time before the designer toy scene really explodes in the area. May all future UberBot events be as successful as this one!
