Sorry, folks: yet another wall of text for you guys since I can't seem to get my junk together enough to post more frequently! :P Well, let me start off with some pretty major house-keeping news: It looks like 2013 might just be the year I transition my blog from this site to...the dreaded, horrible FACEBOOK!!! Mwahahaahaha!!
If you know me at all, you know I've always been dead-set against MySpace, facebook, or any other crap like that. I've got plenty of friends as it is. Really, an overwhelming number, in fact. I can barely keep up with socializing in meatspace. Flip the script--I have MOAR than enough online diversions...between the several toy websites I frequent and contribute to, and the several e-mail accounts I maintain to manage my social and business endeavors, taking on yet another internet-based responsibility seems about as sensible as trying to nail jello to a tree.
And yet, here we are! Half my boys can't stand facebook...and I have to listen to them complain about it all the time. So I can't help imagining their disappointment to learn that the last pillar of resistance(!) in their community is buckling before the might of social media. Heh...but there's a reason for the treason: see, my bread-n-butter has always been ToyboxDX. Started by Alen Yen in the late 90's, it's where many of us toy-geeks got our start, y'knowmsayin? It's where we met, exchanged stories of how we got into this weird hobby, shared the joys of our toy-scores and the pains of our lost auctions...and ultimately built a little community around a shared passion.
Well, the traditional BBS is rapidly going the way of the dodo. The board doesn't get much traffic these days...and in fact, Alen has recently created a TBDX facebook group. And that joint is BUMPIN'! So...I guess if I wanna continue interacting with my people, I'ma have to suck it up and sell my soul to the devil! And I guess if I'm going down, this blog's going with it! :P I'm not trying to maintain multiple online presences, so if I can get my BBS fix and rock a blog--all via one "social media" website--well, I guess I can get behind that.
What's kinda funny to me about this potential transition is that this blog has been around since 2010, and it's original purpose was to herald the "Foe Gokin" Gin Gin figure--a goal we've yet to realize! Well, 2013 may see the end of this site...but I'm pleased to report that we may see Gin Gin first! Shockingly, all the issues I complained about in my last blog post (yes, over two months ago!) have pretty much been resolved. My partner-in-crime, Matt Walker, recently sent me some *actual* work-in-progress shots of him painting up a Gin Gin body in his lab:
Could this project be FINALLY coming together!? I just couldn't help but post these shots. I'm ready to drive down to wherever he's painting these things and...I dunno...stick one in my mouth? Well...I dunno what I'd do. I just know I'm excited, damn it!
The parts are being painted with genuine Monster Kolor brushable paints, and even though you can see the strokes, Matt assures me that once it dries and gets top-coated, it'll look nice and tight!
Matt's getting over the flu now, but work is going to start back up again soon. The stickers should be finalized shortly as well. Very cool! And, of course, I'm in charge of packaging and all that's good to go (finally).
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Anyway, I wanna switch over to the keshigomu tip for a minute. Some good news and some bad news. The bad is that production of Spinning Head Sunshine has ceased indefinitely. The mold for the suit portion of the figure is extremely difficult to create...and it involves VERY careful cutting with a VERY sharp knife. And even though Alec, the wizard behind MUSCLEThings.com, managed to rock that first mold, the second mold attempt nearly cost him a finger. Yikes!
So those few folks out there lucky enough to score one from the first mold may end up having the only SHS figures ever! Crazy. Well, the nice thing is that this actually gives Alec the opportunity to focus on his own amazing creations. And who knows--we may go back and revisit this mold again in the future. Either way, y'all ain't heard the last from us! There will most definitely be more collabs between us in the future...
Oh, and that good keshi news I was referring to before? Well, this is mostly still under wraps, so I can't divulge too much at this time, but I've got yet another collaboration in the works right now to produce a toy that should *ROCK* fans of a particular 80's scifi property...both here in the US and in Japan! Much, much more to come...
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And finally, I wanna post a little something about a special project I've been working on for the past couple months with my boys. It's not quite ready yet, so this is just another teaser...but perhaps a bit more appetizing than just typing it out, how about a picture???
Strictly for the Diaclone/Pre-TF fans!! ;) Been a minute since I showed them heads some love! Again, stay tuned for more...and thanks for the continuing support, folks!
