Ron English at Delay No Mall, Hong Kong

I have just relocated to Hong Kong and the first store I checked out was Delay No Mall in Causeway Bay. Was thrilled to find out that Ron English is having a signing on the evening of 10 Jan 2009. Made it a point to attend since I have always like Ron's colourful but yet political paintings.



Left the office and rushed to the store. Ron English was signing at the store where a number of his tees, toys, merchandise (cups, wallets, bags) were on display. The main centrepiece was the collection of Abraham Obama vinyl busts in the middle of the room. Ron is a soft-spoken guy and he did not say much. He was signing toy figures, the Obama busts and the Obama prints.



Ron spent an hour and a half to paint on a live model as well. While it was great for me to see him painting live, this did not bear well with the crowd and most of them left halfway through. Although the room was packed, I had the feeling majority of the people had no idea who he is or what he had achieved. I guessed the organiser felt the same way, because he had to tell Ron to cut short the live painting since there were still some fans waiting around for him to sign their toys.




I left the store with 2 of his mini-figures, a Abraham Obama vintage bronze bust and a signed print. I did not even say a word to him as I was awestruck to be in the presence of a legend. I am just happy I had the chance to shake his hands and posed for a pic. That pic will be kept forever.

Buff Monster Toys

Buff Monster Web Exclusive figure dropped recently and when I saw the image of the new toy, I knew that I would have to pick it up (Me love gold or silvery stuff). I realised that I have never mentioned about the Buff Monster toys in my blog, even though I became a Mindstyle ATS member, all for the sake of the Buff Monster toys. (ATS members get first offers to purchase Mindstyle's new launches or limited editions).

(By the way, the Buff Monster Web Exclusive was not offered to ATS member. Boo...)

Anyway, I had to stay up late at night for the chance to purchase the exclusive via Buff Monster's website and I managed to get it (the figure sold out in an hour, methink) So the cool web exclusive figure is now on the way to Singapore.

I am not a big fan of Buff Monster's arts, though I appreciate his some of his paintings (especially those with tons of gold glitter and pink... funky!) But the first time I laid eyes on his Mindstyle figures, I knew that I would have to collect them. The quality of the vinyl is excellent and the toys just look so weirdly cute. The only complaint is the price (US$30 for a 3inch toy!)

Series 2 of the toys have just been launched and the designs are kinda kaiju influenced (which I find pretty cool) and I like the dual-faced aspect of his latest series.





Some pics of my Buff Monster figures. Can't wait to add the web exclusive to the family :-)

Kaws JPP toy in the house!

At last, my Kaws JPP has arrived from kawsone! I have been waiting for this toy for the longest time!

If anyone read my previous mail, they might noticed the tee I was wearing when I took the photo with Touma.

Yup, I was wearing my favourite Originalfake tee, the JPP. It was my first ever Kaws tee and it is still my favourite OF tee even though I have bought a couple since then.

I have loved the Kaws JPP design ever I realised that Kaws was putting his XX design on the Tokyo police mascot that I always saw whenever I was in Japan. So when I knew that the JPPs were launching, I was on kawsone.com waiting for them to drop.

I read as well from Kaws blog that he will appear in an article in ANPQuarterly magazine. Check out the photo of the 4 feet Kaws Companion. I saw one in the OriginalFake shop when I was there and I wish I had the dough to bring one back (It's not for sale anyway and my wife will kill me if I did bring one back).

It's a good time to be a Kaws toy collector. :-)

Touma, Devilrobot and Kaijin toys

Okay, I think I have overdone it when I was in Tokyo. I bought a Devilrobot Smery, a Touma Tudo and a Kaijin Steel Fairies toys as well as bought online a GID Touma Gaburin. I guess I am crazy about Touma toys but I have so many I have no place to display them any more...

Who am I kidding, give me MORE!!! :-D

My Touma-mania at STCC

The first Singapore Toys & Comics Convention was held on 28-29 June and I had to beg my wife to let me go. :P

Ever since my baby is borned, I do not have much time for toys, to be honest, but the STCC flyer was advertising about Devilrobots and Tokidoki appreances so I wanna go have a look (I'm a Tofu fan). Amazingly it was super packed where 140,000 people showed up. I did not know Singaporeans are into toys, comics and games (video & card).

While stumbling past the girls-swarmed Tokidoki's booth and the families-packed Nintendo Wii stand, I chanced upon a booth with the signboard "Toumart". To my delight, Mr Touma was here in STCC in person!!!

I am a big fan of Touma, owning at least a hundred of his toys (yes yes yes, in numerous colourways) so you can imagine me geeking out when I saw him with his assistant Yuki in this convention.





I basically went berserk, buying all the Touma toys I could get my hands on in the convention that I do not own, just so I can get Touma to sign and scribble on them. Since he would only sign and draw 3 pieces each time, I think I had queued 10 times to get him to sign and draw 20 toys!

All in all, I bought 2 Grabbits (Red + Rust), a PeeGee, a Squeezel, a Bongo and a Slither, and he signed and scribbled on all of them. Not only that, on the second day of the convention, I brought along some of his old toys and he was kind enough to sign and scribble on all of them! Those included a Giant Skuttle (people thought I am crazy hugging that monster around in the packed convention hall), a Skuttle, a Skuttle-X, a Boo, a Baboo, a Boobie, a Toolie, a Zugan, another PeeGee, a Talon, a Goon, a Gaburin, a Fangwolf and an Aniballoon.

20 toys together, and he drew on my convention brochure and on my Touma calendar too. Sweet!



Yuki-san is Toumart Art Producer and since Touma does not speak much English, Yuki was kind enough to share some information about upcoming toys that Touma is launching (Ultraman Touma toys???) and he was translating for Touma when Touma asked some questions concerning where I bought my Touma toys (One-Up & Fewmany shops in Tokyo, sir) and whether he should have STCC exclusive toys if he returns next year (OH YEAH PLEASE, SIR!!!)
Very friendly and nice people, Touma and Yuki, though I think Touma was a bit camera shy without his Knuckle Bear mask on.



I really did have a blast meeting one of my favourite artist and toy designer in person. Hopefully Touma will consider coming again next year for the STCC and I will buy more of his toys from now till then!

Fun weekend indeed!

P.S. Will try to post pics of all the toys he drawn on in a future blog post.
P.P.S. I forgot all about Devilrobots when I was geeking out over Touma. Did not get them to sign my Tofu toy. Heheheh.

I met Nekonoko in Tokyo!

I was shopping in Fewmany store in Tokyo over the weekend and bought a couple of Kaiju For Grown Ups and Touma toys.

While paying for the stuff, I spied a couple of custom Nekonoko toys on display. There were 2 girls at the Fewmany counter and I told them I wanted to buy one of the customs.

I had no idea why the girls started giggling and conversing in Japanese. I asked them what is so funny and one of the girls pointed at the other and said "She's Nekonoko."

I was delighted and told her that her toys are cute. I bought 2 more of her toys and asked her whether she could sign them. Not only did she signed them, she scribbled some drawings on them as well.

Nekonoko is a very nice person (shy though). I asked for a photo and she obliged. After that she even gave me one of her prints for free.

Now I am a big fan of Nekonoko :D

"Visually Impaired" MAD*L toy by Benjamin

Saw this "Visually Impaired" MAD*L toy on the Kidrobot forum board and I was lauging my arse off. This funny custom has been created by a forum member Benjamin (who I assumed is an Englishman, since his forum location is London).

Funny little custom. I love it!

My Messy Desktop

Nothing much to update as I am slowly moving away from toys to prints and paintings. I have made a decision that in 2007, I will concentrate on MAD and Kaws toys as well as custom pieces unless there are awesome toys that may tickle my fancy (perhaps the Kozik Lenin bust?)
It has reached a stage where I am burnt out by the toy stuff that has been produced recently. I have not seen a new sculpt that makes me go "wow" for quite a while.

Plus the fact that I am running out of space to display my toys, I think that it is time to decorate my walls instead. If only I can get my arse out of my chair to frame some of the prints that I got.

Updated all my MAD*L collection

Managed to add all the photos of my MAD*L toys collection onto my "Collection" page.

Please feel free to browse through them :)

MAD*L is a toy designed by the very talented MAD and it is one of my favourite toy for customization.

Shown here is my Kathie Olivas custom MAD*L.

The Dungeon of Secret Base

I am currently visiting Tokyo for business meetings and took the opportunity to check out OriginalFake and Secret Base stores.

OriginalFake shop is small and I personally find the clothing there expensive. Not feeling the tee designs in the shop and they do not have the black Dissected tee that I am looking for.

They have the Black Kaws Dissected print on display. It looks nicer than the original and monotone prints. Too bad it is on sale only 2 weeks later.

I finally see the Kaws GID Kun. It is beautiful! I wanted to buy it but the shop staff said that it is not for sale and all the GID kun toys have been sold out. Dammit!

Secret Base shop is small and dark. I love the caged display they have that housed all the Secret Base toys ever produced. Unfortunately none of them is for sale. I am quite disappointed that they do not have any Secret Base toy available for purchases and I was praying for it to rain so that they can bring out some rainy day toys. No dice.

I do not like the tee that they have. Too "goth" for me.

Basically it has been a waste of time for me in terms of shopping, I did not buy any toy or tees. However it is cool to finally see the two shops themselves. Secret Base shop (with the caged display) is very impressive.

Big Money MAD*L

I love the Big Money designs by Jeremy Madl (MAD from Madtoydesign).

Somehow the symbol and concept of "Big Money" recprociate my own personal ambitions and goal for myself in corporate life.

Money is not the most important thng in the world, but unfortunately I need it to buy more toys (whch is the most important thing in the world).

Big Money, where art thou?

My MAD*L collection

Phew... after collecting for months I am happy that I have compiled all the photos of my mad*ls. Just posted the photos on the kidrobot forum. The story I posted is as followed:

"Greetings all, it's me again

With my kaws, Touma & kaiju photos out of the way, I will like to share with you my favourite toy collection: the MAD*Ls.

History: I started out with 2 hobbies: MTG and WOW. (if you do not know what these are, you don't wanna know) All my spare time was spent on them and I have never thought of having a new hobby. It was one fateful day that I was so bored in the airport, awaiting for my flight to London, that I bought a newly launched local magazine called PlayTimes from the airport bookshop.

My life changed from there on and I have given up MTG and WOW.

My first ever vinyl toy is the Tower Records MAD*L and it is that figure that started my hobby of collecting vinyl toys. To me, the shape of a MAD*L is simple but yet beautiful. And the toy's canvas head has opened up opportunities for all sorts of design possibilities.

Without further ado, my proudest collection."

"I wanna thank all the artists who are willing to listen to my suggestions for their creations as well as those who are sick of my pestering for a piece of their beautiful art and wanna shoo me off by doing a custom to shut me up. Thank you!

P.S. Dok A, rc44 and motorbot (gingerbread?), where art thou? "

When time permits, I will update the photos of my collection in my own Collection page :)

Kaws x BXH Glow In the Dark Kun

Ahhh... should I or should I not hunt down one of these fanciful Glow in the Dark Kaws Kun?

I have promised myself to stop buying more kaws toys. It is time for me to take a break.

However I am still in the process of getting the green kun (I have get it to complement my red kaws kun toy, no?) and I have difficulties getting this GID beauty because the total run is less than 100 pieces.

Will be crossing my fingers and hope I can get it in the future... but with less than 100 pieces existing and with the kaws name linked to it, I think I have no chance :(

Goodbye, the glowing kun.

The Black Kaws Dissected Companion

My mate from GoKitsch (Yo Carl) was kind enough to secure a Black Kaws Dissected Companion for me. I was reluctant to get this toy in the first place because my finance is tight. Now I have no regrets but tons of bills to pay. lol

The Black version is my favourite Dissected at the moment. The contrast between the black outer body and the neon coloured interiors is very distinctive. I am fortunate to get a piece with no glue marks or broken legs. I have read that some of the Dissecteds were very badly produced.

The line that started my kaws craze (The Dissected) is at last complete. I doubt I will go for a GID version if one comes out (same reason why I am not going for the GID Kaws kun).

Life is good. Time for me to relax and enjoy the beauty of my collection that Kaws has produced.

Kaws makes me broke. The new Black Dissected Companion drops in.

From kawsone's mail:

"Hello & Happy New Year,

We will release the OriginalFake Companion: Black Version,
this Thursday January 4th, 2007. Available for sale starting 2pm EST.
Limited purchase to one piece per customer.

KAWS STUDIO"

Oh my Buddha! Having the Original and Grey Dissected Companions, there is no way I am not getting this Black beauty. Dammit, time to extend my credit with the bank. Really love the neon coloured interior. Wish me luck in the middle-of-night-clickathon.

My Kaws Collection at Christmas 2006

Hiya, trying out blogger for my site to pass info about my toy collection. Sure beat trying to program my news on my main site every time.

Anyway, got my Kaws Christmas kun, Kaws Monotone Dissected Companion and the Medicom Kaws Wood bearbrick during the Christmas period. Good times for me but I think I can stop collecting kaws for a while. I am broke... at last.

You can see my collection here.