tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56380012526611482612024-03-12T19:19:04.108-04:00Brownnoize Productions"<i>Brownnoize</i>"...a tongue-in-cheek reference for <i>potty mouths</i> with a <i>fecal</i> sense of humor. But also an <i>indy toy label</i> mining for old-school robot and monster funk.Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-6922741971563400362019-12-31T22:00:00.003-05:002019-12-31T22:00:52.564-05:00Introducing #brownnoize5point5<p>Just in time for 2020...Sanjeev, Teh Jerk, returns from the dead!</p>
<p>And he's bringing action figures! :D That's right folks, I'm back from a very extended toy-production/social media hiatus to share a very special project I've been working on for the past couple years. Now, some of y'all may be aware that just over 25 months ago, I somehow managed to create a <b>Mini-Me</b>. Noisy. Cranky. Pooping everywhere. All in all, a fine representation of the original. But in a world becoming more and more unraveled by the day, things were hard. And having moved to a different part of the country (twice), we didn't have much of a community to lean on for support. For a time, I didn't know if I'd ever return to my creative pursuits.</p>
<p>But against all odds, our little <i>kaiju</i> evolves more and more everyday towards her <b>ultimate form</b>. And subsequently, I find myself feeling less and less isolated from the rest of humanity. I know this is true. I can tell because the drive to design toys has never left me...in fact, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR-MbF9hXT8">the hunger</a> has only grown in more recent months, commensurate with my mental bandwidth.</p>
<p>So an hour here...an hour there. I managed to steal more and more time wherever I could to devote to CAD-modeling. And now that we're living in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6RpDEYgJxm/">home with enough room to set up my equipment properly</a>, I suddenly find myself at <b>full productive capacity</b>! And what I have to reveal tonight are the fruits of that off-and-on labor from the past two years.</p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, toy-widows and toy-widowers, I am very pleased to introduce <b>#brownnoize5point5</b>:</p>
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<p>Now, this shouldn't come as too much of a shock to those who've been following my toy-shenanigans over the years. As much as I still love Japanese robot and monster toys, the challenge of designing the more organic shapes inherent in humanoid action figures has proven irresistible. As has the chance to design the sort of cosmic-level superheroes from my favorite comic books! At first, I started on this <b>5.5 journey</b> by designing armor and accessories for <a href="https://doomkick.com/">Rampageo Industries</a> and <a href="https://underworldfigures.com/">Zoloworld</a>, but that soon expanded to arms, legs, and even heads. Yes, <i>my own characters!</i></p>
<p>Keep in mind that <i>just that</i> alone--3D-printed limbs for Zoloworld bodies--requires some pretty tricky engineering. Sure, the sculptural aesthetics of the arms and legs needed to look right for a He-Man/Remco-style barbarian "fight figure". But arguably more important is the ability for these parts to interchange seamlessly with their factory-produced counterparts <i>and</i> for the designs to be robust enough to be repeatable every time...from any printer. As you can see from my previous posts below about my character, <b>Quazarec</b>, I think I pulled that off! ;)</p>
<p>But now, we enter the <b>final phase</b> of this quest: a 100% 3D-printable figure buck! Rather than cannibalizing Zoloworld figures for their torsos, we are now able to produce all the major components of these figures <i>in-house</i>. To complete the digital buck, I started modeling the torso and pelvis, and set two familiar goals for myself. First, I wanted the chest sculpt to be styled after the <a href="https://www.figurerealm.com/actionfigure?action=seriesitemlist&id=921">classic Remco body</a>; itself, the inspiration for Zoloworld's human torso. I know it may seem odd not to start with the <b>OG</b>...after all, without He-Man, there would be no Remco 5.5 or any other knock-off lines. But to be completely honest, of all the vintage 5.5" fight figure lines--MotU or KO--I simply prefer the Remco sculpt. The second goal, of course, is to maintain complete compatibility with *both* 3D-printed <i>and</i> factory-produced Zoloworld limbs and heads.</p>
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<p>Here's the problem with being a bit of a perfectionist: once I got the torso completed, I immediately started hating the arms! :P See, I actually "sculpted" the original arms to be more reminiscent of the MotU buck. Just scroll down to pics of the earlier versions of Quazarec--the arms definitely resemble He-Man more than a Remco figure. And when I put those arms onto my new torso, they just didn't look quite right. So back to the drawing board! This gave me a chance to model the arms using more advanced CAD techniques learned while designing the torso. The results are far closer to the Remco sculpt, as you can see, and they also have that <b>charming asymmetry</b> that's so pleasing about the original figures.</p>
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<p>But enough about the sculpt! Let's talk about the features. Again, none of this should be too surprising for those who've been following along, but for any new folks, let's start with the hands. First off, rather than having the <b>traditional open left palm</b>, we have <i>another gripping fist!</i> Dual-wielding weapons? Oh yes, please! The grip on these hands is 5mm, so not only will the weapons we design fit just fine in these hands, but other 5mm-compatible toy lines' accessories will work too (think Transformers!). The hands have a sort of clamp design that allows a 5mm post to be snapped in from the side, as well as threaded through the hole from the top. [Oh yeah, and 5mm accessories fit great in Remco/Zoloworld figures' hands!]</p>
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<p>Of course, the hands are pinned into the forearms, so that actually provides us with another couple points of articulation! I've always been a proponent of <b>vintage articulation</b>, but being able to rotate the wrists really adds a lot of character to these figures. But that's not all: the pins, themselves, are 5mm...<i>and removable</i>. That means you can replace these figures' hands with future accessories! A mini-gun, a Mega Man-style buster, a <b><a href="https://glyos.fandom.com/wiki/Phase_Arm">Glyos phase arm</a></b>...endless possibilities!</p>
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<p>Speaking of 5mm-compatibility and modular junk, I also designed the waist joint to be a 5mm connection. This, of course, allows the figures to rotate at the waist--just like the original Remco's and Zoloworld figures. But it also lets us mess around with some weird options in the future! Imagine a gorgon or a merman...with a snake or fishy lower body! Or, hell, how about a dude with a tank for a butt like the <a href="https://www.figurerealm.com/actionfigure?action=seriesitemlist&id=174&ssid=1">Power Lords <i>Beast Machines</i></a>? C'mon, who <i>wouldn't</i> want that??? :P</p>
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<p>Okay, so we've talked about how the 3D-designed joints have been optimized for full Zoloworld compatibility and for durability/robustness when printed. Here's a look at some of that hardware:</p>
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<p>Pretty innovative geometry...but we're not here to bow before my <b>mechanical engineering skills</b>! We want to see that Zoloworld compatibility in action.</p>
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<p>Like I said: seamless.</p>
<p>And as I mentioned before, this buck is a complete <i>system</i>...meaning that the *armor* developed for the body can also be used with most Zoloworld figures. That applies to the classic shoulder pads, the more recent two-piece chest armor, and the waist/skirt armor. Behold!</p>
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<p>Well, that's about it, folks. This #brownnoize5point5 action figure buck--minus the dummy Quazarec head featured in the pics above--will be used in a variety of upcoming projects of my own, Doc Rampageo, and maybe even some <b>collabs with the Z</b>. Quazarec, himself, will definitely need an upgrade to the latest parts. He could also use some buddies. Maybe an arch nemesis. Perhaps even an <b>official toy line</b>.
<a href="https://zolocon.com/">Zolocon 2020</a> is just over a month away...and there's still plenty of time for more announcements. ;)</p>
<p>Hope you've enjoyed this peek into what's going on in my corner of the multiverse! Happy New Year...and let's try not to blow ourselves up in 2020!</p>
<p>Peace, peace</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-11105760647453186472018-02-22T01:17:00.001-05:002018-02-22T01:17:52.812-05:00The Return of Quazarec<p>[<i>What up doe?! Been a minute, huh? ;) Well, I wanna jump right into the good stuff this time around. Here's the next installment in the escalating drama taking place on <a href="https://doomkick.com/tewoj/"><b>The Exciting World of Jalldoon</b></a>...which also marks the second guest appearance of my cosmic character, <b>Quazarec</b>! After the story, we'll catch up with what's going on with <i>Brownnoize</i>. See ya after the story. Enjoy!</i>]</p>
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<p>Several delicate instruments on his workbench suddenly became airborne as the heavy wooden door to Toron's laboratory burst open without warning. The old slime had just installed that lock, which now lay in pieces on the floor. He sighed, then turned slowly to see an out-of-breath Slime Knight standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Lieutenant Globar. What can I do for you?", Toron fumed. "Toron...we have a...I mean, there's a...well, you better come outside!" The slimes wound their way through the halls of Hawkstorm Keep and out to the courtyard where there seemed to be a commotion. As his eyes adjusted to the daylight, Toron's face lit up upon hearing a familiar voice. This reaction didn't last, however, as he immediately sensed something wrong.</p>
<p>A group of Slime Knights were engaged in a melee off in the distance, and more were joining the fracas from other areas of the Keep all the time. At the center of it all, the folk hero "god of Bakurados Bay", Quazarec, stood like a living bronze statue. "Bring me Toron!!", the helmet-less space-android bellowed at one of the young Knights he had hoisted into the air. The other soldiers were trying their best not to harm their cosmic ally, so no weapons were drawn. As they struggled to pull Quazarec off of their fellow Knight, Toron hurried over at last. Taking in the situation, Toron froze when he noticed that Quazarec's eyes were glowing with a sickly greenish light that he'd only seen once before during the ferocious battle between the android and Prince Algor. During that desperate conflict, Quazarec had deactivated his Control Orb and allowed the psychic rage of his homeworld to consume him. But in addition to the robot's eyes, Toron now also noticed other changes in the Quazarec's appearance. Most concerning was that his midnight-blue cosmic armor was gored, burned, pitted, and scarred all across its once-glittering surfaces.</p>
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<p>"Ho, Quazarec! What's the meaning of all this!?" Almost immediately, the light in Quazarec's eyes diminished, as he slowly released the Slime Knight from his formidable grip. The soldiers were in awe of the way their elder defused the situation; they'd only heard stories about the arrival of the immensely powerful android, who had nearly bested their Prince in combat. As everyone in the courtyard began to collect themselves, Quazarec suddenly collapsed to his knees, exhausted. Toron looked over the android as the Knights struggled to carry his massive form into the Keep. Gaping wounds across the warrior's body troubled the veteran slime, but not as much as the fact that they didn't seem to be regenerating, as his hand had when Algor lopped it off back in Bakurados Bay.</p>
<p>Toron suddenly stopped in his tracks as his men brought Quazarec's half-conscious form into the Keep's laboratory. "The Orb!!", he gasped. Globar snapped to attention, then hurried over to Toron, producing the sphere that had once adorned the head of Quazarec's mighty staff. Now, however, the Orb was completely black, like obsidian. "H-He dropped this in the courtyard when all the shouting began," Globar explained as the others gently laid Quazarec's prone form on a dusty bench covered in old manuscripts.</p>
<p>The android's eyes opened and upon scanning the room, a look of relief appeared on his face when he found the elder slime. "Sir Toron, it has been some time." Toron smiled and nudged Globar, standing next to him. "Heh...no one's called me 'sir' since I was in the service!" A few of the Knights chuckled at their doting mentor. Quazarec continued, "I require your assistance." "Sounds about right, given the look of ya. Quazarec, where've you been for the past year? And...why aren't your wounds healing? Does it have something to do with the Orb?" Toron replied, holding up the glossy black sphere. "I can access neither my regenerative capabilities, nor my telepathic/telekinetic powers in my current state. I will answer all your questions, my friend. But before I continue, I must make you aware that my body now harbors the essence of a malevolent reality-warping supernatural entity...I believe what your people would refer to as a 'Greater Daemon'."</p>
<p>The shocked silence was finally broken by Globar. "WUT!?"</p>
<p>For the next several hours, Toron had all the Knights garrisoned at Hawkstorm Keep setting up equipment in his laboratory, rushing texts back and forth from the Keep's extensive library, or sending word out to any and all magic-adepts they could trust across the southwestern region of the continent. Quazarec explained to a wide-eyed Toron that the past year had been spent on a grim quest. After the events of Bakurados Bay and the defeat of the Children of the Beetle, the android was deeply troubled at how easily his unearthly abilities were thwarted on this strange new world. After leaving the Bay in the capable hands of the child-army that had liberated it from the cult, Quazarec traveled throughout the land in search of a way to combat sorcery in all its forms. He became consumed with the idea of vanquishing the magical entity that lured him to this universe and trapped him on Jalldoon.</p>
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<p>Toron was no master of the mystical arts, but as a scholarly semi-pro tinkerer, he knew it was up to him to make damn sure the daemon hiding inside Quazarec's advanced telepathic AI stayed there, locked up good and tight. If something that ancient and sinister got control of the android space traveler's body, there'd be no telling what would happen. The Keep's ancient library was home to an extensive collection of magic and science texts from throughout other universes' timelines. As Toron pored over these other-worldly books, he mused about other weird things he'd seen come through the dimensional rifts. Things like synthetic humans with ridiculous powers. Quazarec suddenly tensed up and began writhing in pain while his eyes began glowing with the same light as before. Toron took a swig of his flask as he watched Quazarec with a sharp eye. His hand tightened around a large wooden pestle. It wouldn't be the first time the wily old slime used such an object to pacify the android. Fortunately, the seizure passed quickly and Quazarec regained full control. He continued his story.</p>
<p>In time, Quazarec had learned to blend in with the humanoid populations of Jalldoon. With his cosmic armor dematerialized, he wore plain robes and traveled from town to town without attracting undue attention. He had altered the glassy, iridescent surface of his body to appear less metallic and more like human flesh. And though they lacked irises, the newly-added whites of his eyes were a nice touch--especially once he'd taught himself to blink.</p>
<p>As on many worlds he had visited in his extensive travels throughout his native reality, Quazarec began his journey on Jalldoon by seeking out the deities worshiped by the populace. Naturally in most cases, these "gods" simply turned out to be little more than mythology. But in others, extra-dimensional entities indeed existed, and in one fashion or another, intersected with local spacetime, often affecting the lives of the inhabitants in some way. Some of these beings were even quite pleasant, in Quazarec's experience. Jalldoon had, of course, quite a colorful pantheon of vastly-powerful cosmic entities whose influence was obvious. A star that orbits a planet? What puzzled the android, however, was that he was unable to make any sort of astral contact with any of them.</p>
<p>Unexpectedly, the android went silent for a moment, then his eyes suddenly burned with the same greenish-white light from before and his body floated into the air. The Knights in the lab dropped the books they were carrying and immediately drew their swords. Toron watched in wonder at the spectacle. And took another swig. After a moment, Quazarec's distant voice wafted into Toron's mind. In his head, the old slime heard the android say, "...can use my telepathy only for a moment while this creature's power flows through me. Toron, it is called..." And the next thing Toron perceived in his mind was simultaneously a visual symbol, a sound, and an emotion of pure dread. There was no rational way to translate the daemon's name into any language Toron was aware of. But then it hit him. The slime grabbed a book from a tall pile and threw it open to a particular page. He knew he'd seen that symbol before! In the tome, he found all the details he needed about the daemon...including how to seal it. As Toron read further, Quazarec returned to normal. "What news, Sir Toron?" "Not good," he replied. "This book will be written by one ridiculously advanced race someday! In order to maintain the seal, an astronomical amount of power is needed. It would burn out a fusion cell the size of a Hogashin freighter in a day." The shape-shifter and the space robot then looked at each other for a moment. Both then turned slowly towards the inert black ball sitting on the workbench.</p>
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<p>Quazarec began his story once more. Upon failing to locate the planet's deities, the telepathic construct began listening to the minds of the local lifeforms on Jalldoon. From the most primal fears of the mortals, he was able to learn of a particular being located deep within Barrwood Forest, who was said to be wise enough to answer any question put to her. Quazarec set out immediately to track down this ancient creature, and upon finding her home within the inexplicably disorienting forest, he explained to her the gravity of his situation. She laughed. "Yes...I wonder. Have the gods truly forsaken all of Jalldoon...?" Quazarec posed his question. "How can I fight and defeat magic-based enemies?" She laughed again. "YOU cannot!" She then went on to say that Quazarec's form was built only to be a conduit for pure psionic energy. Alone, he would be forever susceptible to sorcery. But he needn't be alone. Daemons, as old as the gods themselves, were deathless and could never be destroyed by the cosmic traveler. But with his Control Orb, he could imprison one, bond it to himself, and use its power--sparingly--only when absolutely needed. The ancient woman told the android the name of a daemon that had shed its corporeal form altogether centuries earlier, and now existed as pure malevolent thought, terrorizing the people of Barrwood with floods and earthquakes. She also told him how to defeat it.</p>
<p>"And you believed her???" Toron pleaded, completely incredulous. "Both our minds were powerful enough to detect any subterfuge on either's part. And she had no reason to lie: while listening to her words, I processed her less-guarded memories. You see, she was the very first victim of the daemon, in ages past, when the creature had razed her village and slaughtered her people. Her existence was little more than a psionic echo. A ghost." Toron took another swig. "I dunno...after all this recent 'possession' nonsense with Algor, I'm not sure th--" Globar abruptly appeared in the doorway, interrupting Toron's train of thought. "Word's come back from Syndicate College!"</p>
<p>Toron's contact in Karnok had come through for them. A professor of strategy at the college, the old human battlemage had befriended Toron decades ago. In a letter delivered by magic, he explained that a complex spell could be used to "trade time" between two objects. They couldn't hope to fix the Control Orb with the technology on Jalldoon...but they could pull it backwards through its own timeline. Make it younger. Another object would have to be aged a commensurate amount, however. "What's done is done," Toron thought, as he put all doubt aside and set about preparing the spell.</p>
<p>The fierce battle with the daemon occurred on the astral plane, while Quazarec's body sat in meditation at the old woman's abode. The android's astral projection appeared pure white, devoid of any color except for the glowing sphere at the end of his staff. In realspace, the furious energy unleashed by the fight caused lightning storms and raging winds to sweep through the forest. Upon realizing that Quazarec's power was in fact finite, the daemon laughed and began toying with its synthetic adversary. Quazarec knew his time was running out. A focused psionic assault--represented in this mindscape by a plasma blast from his astral projection's chest emitter--tore into the daemon's ever-changing form. The enraged entity rushed directly at Quazarec and responded with a brutal blow that nearly cracked through his torso armor. In the real world, the actual plasma cannon on the telepathic android's chest exploded as he struggled to retain his focus on the desperate war within their linked minds. The daemon's counterattack was actually what Quazarec was waiting for: the creature was now close enough for him to invert the gravity lens of the black hole powering his Control Orb to pull the mind-creature into his own body. As the being was dragged into Quazarec's white astral form, it writhed and shrieked in a language that pierced multiple dimensions. "YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!!", Quazarec cried in response through the savage psychic storm, as his staff shattered and the Orb burned itself out.</p>
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<p>Toron rubbed his hands together, eager to try his latest "experiment". The markings he made on the floor encircled both the black Orb and a large pot of dirt. With two Slime Knights awkwardly assisting, Toron recited a few passages communicated to him by his friend from Karnok. The symbols on the floor began to glow and soon flashed so brightly, the slimes had to shield their eyes. When the light dissipated, the markings had vanished altogether. But the Control Orb appeared crystal-clear except for the characteristic sparks of light twinkling within it, each representing an individual sentient mind from Quazarec's homeworld. The source of the android's power. "We did it!", Toron shouted, as he rushed over to embrace...the pot--which now had a single healthy grape vine protruding from the soil. Globar stared blankly at his elder. "Enchanted Gatonian grapes, my boy. I'm gonna make the best damn wine in all of Jalldoon!"</p>
<p>When Quazarec came to after his battle with the daemon, he found himself on the forest floor, with no sign of the ancient woman or her home. He had been nearly overwhelmed during the frenzied fight on the astral plane, and now, that trauma was reflected in the real world. The android's armor was wrecked, and his own body was covered in wounds. The blackened Control Orb lay beside him, next to shards of his staff. The psychic connection to his people--the very source of his might--was gone. All he could sense was the turbulent, boundless force of the daemon coursing through his body, causing subsonic tremors around him. He had achieved his goal...but at what cost? With the ghost satisfied and thus departed from this plane of reality, Quazarec would have to look for answers elsewhere. At this point, he knew there was only one person on Jalldoon he could go to for aid.</p>
<p>Toron sipped nervously from his flask as he watched his assistants strap the massive harness around Quazarec's chest like a gigantic clamshell. By the use of complex inscriptions laid out in the future text, Toron was able to enchant the armor's plates with spells to keep the daemon locked within the synthetic warrior's form. At least that was the idea. Just as probable was that it could all blow up in his face, and an ageless monster possessing the body of a space god could be unleashed on Jalldoon.</p>
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<p>The veteran slime took one last swig as he carefully placed the Control Orb into its prominent housing in the center of the armor. Once the last rivet was driven into place, the alien artifact immediately sizzled with flickering light from within as the connection between Quazarec's people and their android avatar was restored. The wounds on Quazarec's body spontaneously started healing, and his armor began to metamorphose into a new form to accommodate Toron's modifications. Even with the Orb now powering the incantations that would seal away the daemon, Toron still seemed uneasy. "How do you feel? I mean, are you still sure about all of this? Again, with everything Al is going through..." The android replied, "Be at ease, Sir Toron. The Prince is strong-willed, but remember: I am legion." That last sentence was delivered in the simultaneous voices of Quazarec's people, and was punctuated by a flare of the light in his eyes. "In the fragment of the astral plane found within the Control Orb, the collective telepathic minds of my homeworld will now watch over the daemon trapped there for eternity, listening to its rage and only letting its destructive power manifest when I will it."</p>
<p>"Well, a daemon prison strapped to your chest is certainly a new one...but let's just hope this new armor will do ya right on Jalldoon, buddy. But tell me: have you put any thought into a replacement for your staff?", Toron asked. Quazarec's eyes flashed with daemonic light for a split-second. He hadn't put much thought towards the lost weapon that had served him so well for hundreds of years. His silence was all the answer Toron needed. "Wait right here!" Toron said before rushing off to another part of his laboratory. The old slime returned with a large, futuristic axe. Given the armored cable and angular design, the handle was clearly patterned after tech the old slime had gleaned from studying the android's staff after the climactic battle in Bakurados Bay. However, instead of Quazarec's Control Orb, it housed a curious translucent crystalline blade. "When we took up residence in Hawkstorm Keep a while back, I ran across some of these crystals in the reliquary upstairs. They're extremely rare, and to my knowledge grow only on Jalldoon." Toron waved about the heavy weapon. "Pretty dangerous in anyone's hands...but these crystals...see, they're known to channel, focus, and amplify telekinetic force. So I decided to build this thing a few months ago, y'know, just in case our paths crossed again."</p>
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<p>Quazarec spent some time examining his new weapon. As he directed his telekinetic strength along the axe, as though it were an extension of his own body, his eyes and the sparkling blade began to glow in concert with ethereal light. Runic symbols similar in appearance to the written name of the daemon he now harbored danced in tight geometric patterns along on the crystalline surfaces. The android turned toward the old slime and allowed a rare smile to appear in the corner of his mouth. Toron glanced up from the repair job he was just finishing up on the laboratory door that Globar had broken earlier that morning. "Okay, that's creepy. I'm chalking that one up to the daemon's influence."</p>
<p>Pleased with his work and the door's new hardware, Toron was just as relieved to know the fate of Jalldoon didn't rest upon this latest fix of his. As he put his tools away, the old slime walked over to Quazarec. "Where will you go now?" The android mounted his new weapon to the lug on the back of his harness and measured his words thoughtfully. "Vanity set me on a path away from honorable beings such as yourself, Sir Toron. My single-minded quest for power almost destroyed me." He paused before continuing, "Too many lives on Jalldoon hang in the balance to risk over pride. We face our common enemy together." Toron smiled and clapped the synthetic human on the shoulder. Quazarec looked around the laboratory. "Plus, you need someone to spruce up this place."</p>
<p>Just then, without warning, the door burst open. Prince Algor--in what appeared to be a spacesuit--stood in the doorway. The mangled new door latch skittered across the floor.</p>
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<p>[<i>So what did you guys think? Hope you had as much fun with the story as I had writing it. This time around, the writing duty was all mine, as <a href="https://doomkick.com/">Dr. Rampageo</a> is simultaneously working on a separate parallel story that will be dropping very soon (Algor...<i>in a <b>spacesuit</b>!?</i>). The goal here was to reintroduce Quazarec to the <i>TEWOJ</i> landscape, and of course, to provide a light and enjoyable story to explain the cosmic android's new duds. ;)</p>
<p>And speaking of his <b>fresh new gear</b>, the four <i>Daemon Armor Quazarec</i> figures you see in the photos above were meant to debut at this year's <a href="http://www.zolocon.com/">Zolocon</a> in Bucks County, PA...but due to last-minute logistical issues, I was unable to make it to the show. The struggle is real though--had my first kid this winter, moved to Philly last month, and my girl just started a new gig in Jersey! ;) Anyway, this new edition of Quazarec features many advances I've been working on in the last year or so. First and foremost is the <b>Brownnoize clamshell armor</b>, designed to fit the human/barbarian <a href="http://www.underworldfigures.com/">Zoloworld</a> torso at the core of these figures. This was an exceptionally fun <b>CAD-modeling challenge</b> for me: how to design a 3D-printed removable armor accessory for an existing action figure. I think you'll dig the surprisingly-simple and rugged results once you see them in-hand.</p>
<img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4614/25541236667_9816684e6e_o.jpg" width="575" alt="clamshell armor instructions">
<p>Heh...^^this set of instructions^^ will accompany all upcoming figures using some variation of the armor, and just like the glowie <b>animated gifs</b> bookending the story above, it was an absolute blast learning how to make!</p>
<p>And speaking of <i>glowie</i>, Quazarec's new look also incorporates a wild blend of <b>glow-in-the-dark</b> features: GID-painted eyes, a glow marble (originally from <i>Cosmic Armor Quazarec</i>'s staff) mounted in his armor, and a new weapon that has a GID vinyl insert sandwiched between two pieces of translucent 3D-printed plastic. Wow! And rounding out the latest advances are the use of soft goods (the tabard/loincloth) and matte spray to make the plastic's normally <b>glossy surfaces</b> look much more like traditional action figure material.</p>
<p>Aiight, bet. Where can I cop a Daemon Armor Quazarec?? Well, since our attendance at Zolocon was cancelled, we had intended to sell these guys through the <a href="http://doomkickstore.bigcartel.com/">Doomkick store</a>. They didn't make it that far though--each one was snatched up by members of the <b>Jalldoon League of Explorers</b>. Hey, membership has its privileges. ;) But don't trip: we're definitely planning a larger run in the near future. Y'know. As soon as my daughter starts letting me sleep at night. :P</p>
<p>There's definitely more exciting <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/310896679034852/?ref=bookmarks">5-1/2" fight figure</a> action brewing at Brownnoize HQ in the coming months, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, I haven't forgotten my <b>vintage Japanese toy roots</b>! <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2017/02/full-circle.html"><i>Chakradhar Robo</i></a> still hasn't seen a proper release. I am still weighing a bunch of different packaging options right now, and believe me when I say, the wait will be worth it. I've never done as deep a dive as this into packaging development. In the past, I've always sorta viewed <b>custom toy packaging</b> as an annoyance--a low-priority thing diverting resources from producing the actual toy. But as y'all probably realize, Chakradhar's VERY special to me and I want the presentation to have as much of an impact as the figure itself.</p>
<p>And in addition to Chakradhar, more of my "Shogun Voyager" tributes to the super robots of the 70's are in the works. <b>Stellar Armor Genzon</b>'s core design is getting a significant overhaul, and will likely see a <i>deluxe</i> release similar to Chakradhar Robo at some point down the road. And as y'all have probably noticed, my minifig plans have had plenty of fits and starts over the years. Unfortunately, they continue to do so. :/ I have several ideas in mind, but 1) I'm in love with each of these concepts to the point where committing to one feels impossible...and 2) there are only so many hours in the day! With all my resources devoted to 5-1/2" figures and the higher-end robot stuff, I'm honestly not sure I'll ever be able to tackle the <b>cheap toy</b> subgenre and leave my mark the way I envision. There's always <i>collaborations</i> though...</p>
<p>Well, that's it for now, people. Thank you ALL for all the kind words sent privately regarding the <b>new addition to my family</b>...and of course for all the support for my toy-making endeavors. Y'all keep me going. Stick with me and let's see where all this takes us! ;)</i>]</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-1100651795289241862017-04-06T12:52:00.000-04:002017-04-06T13:10:12.841-04:00The Bronze God of Bakurados (part 2)<p>[<i>Note: <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-bronze-god-of-bakurados-part-1.html">Part 1 of this story can be found here</a>. And for those not already familiar with the continuing adventures of Algor and company on </i>The Exciting World of Jalldoon<i>, I <b>strongly</b> recommend at least familiarizing yourself with the <a href="http://doomkick.com/coming-soon-to-the-doomkick-store-the-exciting-world-of-jalldoonslimes/">original toy line and characters</a> on DoomKick.com. The launch of the current major story arc has also been compiled for your convenience with <a href="http://doomkick.com/the-story-so-farthe-search-for-algor/">The Search for Algor</a>. And lastly, you can catch more of the story and join in on the discussion on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/711643252317400/">Citizens of Jalldoon</a> facebook group. If not, well, the story below won't make much sense! You've been warned! ;)</i> ]</p>
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<p>She knew it wasn't considered "polite", but the little girl continued to stare up at the motionless being for what seemed like ages. Levitating several feet above the ground, the creature in turn stared silently at the one tree that grew near the cliff edge. They were about a mile from shore, along a tall ridge away from the fishing villages on the outskirts of Bakurados Bay. The ancient, twisted tree stood on the tallest outcropping, and the little girl would sometimes come there alone to play. A large, purple-armored man hovering in front of the tree was not something she was expecting. "Mister, what are you doing?" she asked innocently. After a moment, the being spoke. "This tree is the oldest living thing on your planet." He turned to face the little girl before continuing, "For two of your days, I have been communicating with it on a low psionic level in order to determine where I am...and why I have been trapped in this realm." The girl kicked around a rock on the ground, "oh...you're new here."</p>
<p>The massive warrior slowly descended to the ground before landing with an awkward thud. The girl rushed over to help steady him as he fell to one knee. Close up, she noticed all the chips, holes, and burn marks on his armor and bronze-colored skin. Mounted to his back was a curious black staff capped what appeared to be a sparkling glass sphere housed in a heavy, blade-like structure. The creature steadied himself before rising to his full height. He looked down at the girl and asked, "Are you a representative of this planet's leadership?" The girl replied, "no...I'm Janisa. And you're on planet Jalldoon." The gleaming man said, "I am Quazarec." He looked back at the tree before continuing, "Janisa, the tree tells me that your world is in great peril...and that the growing crisis revolves around the only intelligent race indigenous to this planet: Slimes." The little girl looked down at the ground, as if deep in thought. She suddenly looked up at Quazarec, "I can take you to the crisis...but you have to come back home with me!"</p>
<p>Sensing no malice from the young human, Quazarec accepted the invitation, and the pair made their way slowly back to her village. Quazarec stumbled a couple times along the way. "How did you get here, kway-...kway--..." "Quazarec," he corrected. "I was lured to this reality when I sensed a malevolence I had never felt before through a spacetime rift of origin...no science I'm aware of can explain." The sunlight glinted off the gold nano-circuitry embedded in his skin as Quazarec continued to recall the events of the past few days. In the coldness of interstellar space, an inexplicable tear in reality beckoned him with terrible visions of hatred and subjugation. The billions of telepathic minds collected in his own consciousness knew that such a potentially destructive force could not go unchallenged, even if it meant the loss of their warrior-avatar. In the skies above the South Seas of Jalldoon, the opposite end of the portal burst open with a wild eruption of energy. Quazarec was flung through and crashed into the surface of the water with such force that the massive wave resulting from the impact nearly wrecked the freighter, The Pride of Gato, miles away. Nearly a day later, the android had recovered enough to walk back to shore along the bottom of the ocean. Emerging from the water, his cosmic senses could detect no trace of the portal. He was trapped. With this realization, the orb at the end of his staff sizzled with dancing flecks of light as Quazarec swore to find whoever dared do this.</p>
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<p>As the pair entered the village, Quazarec noticed two curious things. One was the fascinating mixture of ancient tools and hyper-advanced technology. Local rifts in spacetime were clearly not uncommon on this world. But more troubling, there seemed to be very few adults in the village other than some elderly vagrants and homeless people. Upon arriving at her home, Janisa raced ahead and disappeared through the door. Quazarec followed, but then paused abruptly before the entrance. "Please, that won't be necessary." A moment later, a young adult woman sheepishly stepped into the entrance from the side, wielding a heavy tree branch. The little girl just laughed, "you don't need to test him, sis! I found a real tough one for ya!" Embarrassed, the older sibling introduced herself as Anika and began her story. She mentioned a squabble involving local cartels in the Bay city leaving the fishing industry decimated and the village nearly destitute. But what made matters worse--much worse--was the rise of a violent cult that had begun kidnapping people and driving out the few families left in town. Many young people were left with nowhere to go and nothing but each other...so Anika had decided that the only way they could fight back and have a chance was to hire a strong fighter to help them destroy the cult. And the only way to be sure she was hiring the right person was to "test" their skills. With a club upside the head. At this, Quazarec looked down at the little girl. "THIS is the crisis that threatens your world??" Janisa just smiled back up at the space traveler. Just then, Quazarec suddenly looked up, as though hearing something in the distance. The orb atop his staff began to glow again.</p>
<p>Later that night, the older sister built a fire and gathered all the young people of the village who refused to leave. Quazarec listened to their stories. Stories of families broken up. Stories of poverty. Stories of being terrorized. Once all the children had had their say, Quazarec spoke. "I sense that your intent is just. And I believe our goals may, in fact, be related." He went on to explain that he is an android, built by a highly advanced, telepathic race to be a vessel for their collective consciousness. His powers were techno-psionic in nature, but because of the dimensional barriers separating the realities, his connection to his people--and thus, his powers--were extremely limited. Some of the younger kids started fidgeting, confused by Quazarec's exposition. Janisa stood up suddenly and addressed the gathering in the firelight. "Look, Quazarec is a star god...come to help us...but he's weak right now. He needs time to heal. He needs us!" Anika rose alongside her sister, "It's gotta be the Children of the Beetle! Quazarec can sense an evil presence on the move in Bakurados Bay. We've spent months organizing with the kids from the other villages. The time to act is now!" The rest of the night, Anika began organizing the older kids into teams to make contact with groups from other villages. The message was simple: begin preparations to take on the cult. Meanwhile, Quazarec watched the younger children making music and dancing around the fire. The space traveler smiled. "These beings are more evolved than I had realized."</p>
<p>The golden nano-scale machines permeating the android's body continued to repair his superstructure and armor throughout the next day. Quazarec knew the process that would take days on Jalldoon would have been completed in mere moments in his native reality. Still, the children singing songs of freedom, youthful bravado, and revolution as they fished for their meals generated an empathic resonance that accelerated his healing. Quazarec hadn't felt this at peace in quite some time. He touched one of his green bracers and the glittering points of light embedded in his purple armor began to shine brighter and brighter until all of his high-tech cladding became bathed in light. An instant later, the armor vanished completely, leaving only his boots, bracers, sleeveless black bodysuit, and the ever-present orb staff levitating at his side.</p>
<p>Without his great, horned helmet, Quazarec's head was exposed to the sun for the first time since being lured to Jalldoon. He had no hair and his featureless eyes were the same bronze color as his glossy synthetic skin. The android began telepathically probing Bakurados Bay for any sign of cult activity or evil in general. Nothing. Impossible. He soon realized that the Bay was heavily shrouded in powerful magic--a force against which Quazarec was weak. Suddenly, the cosmic traveler fell to his knees as a powerful psionic vision overtook him. He saw a terrifying warrior--a shape-shifter in humanoid form--wielding a broadsword with great precision. And great cruelty. A Slime...who at that very moment was traveling towards Bakurados Bay. "Why's your ball glowing?" Quazarec was suddenly broken out of his vision by Janisa's question. They both looked over at his staff, at the top of which, the sphere seethed with an awful light. "That is my Control Orb. Dark matter is used to contain a forced quantum singularity that..." It didn't take a telepath to read the expression on the little girl's face. "Very well," Quazarec continued. "Because of our link, my people see what I see and I feel what they feel. While my people's thoughts and determination empower me, their collective emotions--rage, grief, fear--can potentially overwhelm me and cause...malfunction. This device helps temper those emotions." Their conversation was cut short by kids arriving with reports on the cultists' activity.</p>
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<p>As night fell, Anika and the other older kids assessed the potential strongholds of the cult they had identified. Quazarec was impressed with their committment as well as their progress, though he did warn them not to engage the cult directly. While the discussion of resistance strategies continued, Quazarec began practicing using his staff as a melee weapon--something he hasn't had to do in centuries. He wasn't yet fully healed, but he felt the evil force that had trapped him on this planet was drawing closer. As he practiced by the fire, an impulse of pure terror lanced through the mystical fog that was clouding Quazarec's empathy. He knew an innocent life was in immediate danger...and the sensation came from a location very close to one of the cultist bases in the Bay.</p>
<p>In the near-abandoned fishing sector of Bakurados Bay, a fully-armored Quazarec swept through the streets, ignoring the few terrified homeless people and drunks here and there. His Control Orb began to glow with anticipation as the android prepared himself to deliver the ultimate sanction. The magic obscuring his senses was even more potent here in the Bay, but he knew he was close.</p>
<p>The four Children of the Beetle could not understand why the woman was resisting them. Did she not comprehend the great honor they were about to bestow upon her?? They had explained the glory of being selected as a sacrifice to the Great Scarab, but still she fought them. Perhaps she was too drunk to understand? One cultist tried in vain to cover her mouth as she began shouting--as much cries for help as blasphemous epithets about the cultists. There was no one to hear her though...not in this part of the city. As they approached their hideout, a sudden blast of energy tore through the front of building from within. Quazarec stepped through the burning wreckage, the plasma emitter in the middle of his chest still glowing hot from the discharge. The five humans stared dumbfounded for a moment as the moonlight glinting off his glittery armor and firelight picked out the gold shimmering just beneath his artificial skin. The moment did not last long. As the human female dropped to the ground, Quazarec silently went to task, whirling his staff in wide arcs as the cultists were systematically slaughtered. The glow very quickly left his Control Orb, and as he helped the disoriented woman to her feet, he muttered, "this is NOT the evil I seek..."</p>
<p>For the next couple days, Quazarec focused on training the kids to fight. They had already accumulated an impressive stash of stolen and makeshift weapons, and Anika and the leaders from other villages had begun planning indirect raids against cult strongholds. Quazarec was troubled by his first encounter with the cultists. He could tell they were tainted with ugly magics, but they were still only humans. Not a shape-shifter among them. There was perhaps the possibility that the object of their devotion was a Slime...but Quazarec didn't get that impression from their chaotic emotions.</p>
<p>Janisa woke up on her sleeping mat to see Quazarec, as usual, staring out the window, "scanning for threats," as he would say. As she got up in the dim early morning light, Quazarec revealed to her that he had been having visions of a Slime tyrant of unimaginable power and evil. His most recent vision told him that the being he sought was now actually in Bakurados Bay. Quazarec instructed her to get her sister and gather all the resistance leaders immediately. The little girl usually had a clever retort for his orders, but this time, she sensed Quazarec's grim urgency and obeyed without question. After explaining the visions to Anika and the others, the kids seemed confused. Anika asked what a Slime had to do with a seemingly human cult. The android confessed he didn't have an answer to her question, but made his next command crystal clear: they were to make contact as soon as possible with the kids from the other villages and instruct them NOT to pursue any leads whatsoever involving Slimes. The young warriors had to proceed carefully as the shape-shifter Quazarec sought represented a potentially cosmic-level threat. The gathering soon broke up and the kids went their separate ways to execute their mission. Oddly, Quazarec couldn't find Janisa anywhere afterwards.</p>
<p>While the kids followed their instructions the next day and steered well clear of anything in Bakurados Bay involving Slimes, their raids against the cult became more daring. Their tactics had shifted from gathering intelligence to disrupting supply chains. Vendors, couriers, and other businesses that had been supplying the cult for months were now being robbed, vandalized, or otherwise put out of commission. Meanwhile, back in Janisa's village, Quazarec continued to prepare for the final confrontation. He would take the fight directly to the cult and lay siege to what the kids had identified as their main stronghold: the former office of Bakurados' Fish Master in the abandoned fishing district. With any luck, he would learn how the human cowards were connected to the Slime threat.</p>
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<p>As night fell, a now-fully-recovered Quazarec was once again practicing with his bladed staff when Janisa finally returned. She told Quazarec that she knew where he could find a mighty Slime prince. All the kids from the city were apparently talking about some newcomer to the Pit--an unstoppable Slime warrior. Just as Quazarec was about to scold the little girl for ignoring his orders, yet another vision penetrated the mystical shroud hanging over the Bay. The same Slime tyrant from his previous visions appeared in some sort of arena, massacring local fighters as the onlookers chanted over and over. Quazarec now had a name for the beast. ALGOR!</p>
<p>Above the near-dawn, empty streets over Bakurados Bay's fishing sector, a sphere of coruscating light flew overhead in geometrically-precise search patterns. Inside the levitation bubble, the android warrior's Control Orb flared with the prospect of combat. Despite the mystical interference, the evil he detected was too strong to obscure completely. But Quazarec could vaguely sense that the enemy was on the move again--heading deeper into the abandoned neighborhoods. "Away from innocents..." Quazarec thought to himself. In the early light, his quarry finally came into sight. As Quazarec landed behind Algor, the energy sphere dissipated and he could immediately smell the death and gore on the shape-shifter. The Slime prince was not alone, however. He seemed to be dragging along a female human--apparently a common practice among the magic-wielding despots of this realm. Despite sensing no fear from the woman, Quazarec wasted no time and began powering up his chest emitter. The blast tore through the darkness and slammed into Algor's back, sending him flying several meters. The woman screamed and ran off with no hesitation. The last thing she heard was the daemon's voice growling something about "oblivion".</p>
<p>As she sped back to town--away from the sounds of battle--the woman nearly collided with a curious bright orange metal can with arms and legs bounding along a side street in her direction. Before the odd sight even registered to her, she blurted out, "He's killing the Slime!!" Toron's mech suit began running even faster...</p>
<p>Instantly sobered-up from the excruciating pain, Algor stood up and pointed his sword at his attacker. "I don't know who--or what--you are...but no worlds are burning tonight, buddy. Just you." The two warriors charged at each other and as their weapons struck one another, a terrible burst of energy threw them both back a few paces. Bright plasma discharge coursed along Quazarec's staff, while a mysterious black electricity rippled across Algor's skin and along his sword. "Your words deny your nature and your intent, but it's clear you threaten all life on Jalldoon." Preoccupied with the strange, dark power emanating from his body, Algor hesitated. Seeing an opening, Quazarec charged and once again, the two titans traded blows.</p>
<p>At this point, Toron was frantic. He knew he should have stopped the woman to get some sense of where to find Algor. As he rushed through side streets and alleyways, he started hearing the din of battle in the distance, echoing among the derelict buildings. The old Slime headed in the direction of the chaos. Energy blasts, metal clashing against metal, and the roar of two distinct combatants told him that the Magi were not exaggerating about the peril the Prince faced. His grip on the cultist's sword tightened as he ran.</p>
<p>With his staff floating nearby, Quazarec began quietly chanting in an alien language while moving his hands in an elaborate, flowing manner. The device on the center of his chest armor began to glow, and Algor braced for what he knew was coming. A torrent of plasma erupted from his attacker and engulfed the Slime. Algor knew he couldn't endure another blast, and yet, he felt no fear. Holding his sword before him, black smoke suddenly began billowing from every inch of his skin. Horrified, the prince nonetheless held his ground as the enchanted smoke seemed to render the alien's destructive energy harmless. Quazarec seemed drained by the discharge, but was even more shocked that the mortal had survived. "All talk," Algor muttered to himself as the bloodlust reasserted itself. The prince counterattacked with the unfettered instinct of a predator. Quazarec, comparatively slower, could do little to defend against the Slime's precise strokes and thrusts. Each movement of Algor's sword reminded the android of flowing water...of poetry. Quazarec knew what was at stake should he lose this duel, but that tireless determination couldn't change the fact that he was losing ground.</p>
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<p>As Algor pressed his attack, he suddenly became aware that he was grinning. He felt as though he was losing control of his own body and he could only watch as this terrible instinct took over. Fear crept into his mind as more of the sorcerous black electricity pulsed through his body. Despite being physically exhausted, his movements seemed to accelerate, and Algor felt his mind--his very self--giving in to the joy of violence. Here, on the edge of death, he reveled in the combat and with unnatural speed, the prince deftly created an opening in Quazarec's guard and plunged his sword deep into the beam emitter on the android's chest armor, destroying the weapon completely.</p>
<p>But Algor was not alone in noticing the awful metamorphosis taking place. Quazarec knew his plasma beam and ancient melee combat arts wouldn't be enough to stop with this devil. Only by unleashing the power of his Control Orb could he hope to save untold lives...even if it meant succumbing to the telepathic torrent of emotion from his creators. Resolved in his decision, chaotic bolts of greenish-white energy began pouring from the sphere, finally bringing the shape-shifter to his knees. The noxious fumes once again issued from Algor's skin, but this time, the gusts of smoke were completely overwhelmed by the freed psionic potential. For a moment, Quazarec thought he saw the shape of a garish black skull forming in the mystical miasma over Algor's head, crying out in agony.</p>
<p>Or was it laughing?</p>
<p>Toron knew he was close. Putting all doubt out of his mind, he prepared himself to do whatever it took to protect his long-time friend. The veteran Slime rounded a corner, then skidded to an abrupt halt. Still holding the bloody cultist sword, he suddenly now faced a gathering of human children. Completely stunned, Toron was speechless. At the head of the group stood a single little girl with her hands on her hips, wearing a stern expression. "Well...this is unexpected..." was all Toron could manage to utter.</p>
<p>Despite being nearly dead, with many ugly, charred gashes along his slimy body, Algor's body would simply not fall. It in fact lunged forward with unearthly speed. In one blinding stroke, the prince's sword rocketed upward, taking Quazarec's hand--and staff--with it before turning around in a high arc and slamming into the opposite side of Quazarec's head. The staff, hand, and now-dark Control Orb, skittered across the ground...and one of his horns had completely shattered as the android's helmet was smashed off his head. Algor, barely conscious of his own actions at this point, walked over to Quazarec's prone form and raised his sword one final time.</p>
<p>Without warning, Quazarec's intact hand shot out with blinding ferocity and grabbed Algor by the throat. The savagery of the attack took Algor--and that which possessed him--completely off guard. The prince immediately dropped his sword as the shock briefly cleared the evil presence from his consciousness. As Quazarec rose to his full height, he lifted Algor into the air by his neck. His normally featureless eyes were suddenly aflame with ghastly power, and when he spoke, the sound of a billion disembodied voices issued from his mouth. "Miserable wretch. You dare imprison me in this dimension? I will enjoy squeezing the life out of you..."</p>
<p>Algor, choking and sputtering, could barely put up a struggle against the monstrous grip around his throat. His Orb no longer capable of abating the collective rage of his homeworld, Quazarec was beyond reason. As his hold tightened, he suddenly paused. The strangulated gasps from the shape-shifter had changed. Laughter. Quazarec sneered with the impossibility of what he was hearing. The myriad voices spat in unison, "even now, at the precipice of death, you laugh? You have LOST!" Algor's asphyxiated laughter continued, "I...don't need...to beat you, pal!"</p>
<p>In an instant, Quazarec's glowing eyes grew wide as he realized the enormity of his folly. He turned his head just in time to glimpse the diminutive orange construct swinging a heavy, wooden log directly towards his head...</p>
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<p>The darkness was interrupted by maddeningly complex bios matrices scrolling across his vision as Quazarec regained consciousness. Laying on his back, he looked up to see the old tree from the cliffs near Janisa's village. As he sat up, unarmored, he saw Janisa, the strange orange mechanical being, and what appeared to be the Slime Prince's head resting near the tree, gazing off towards the sea. His staff, which had recouperated enough charge to temper his telepathic link once more, lay on the grass next to him. Janisa immediately ran over and threw her arms around the android. Surprised, all Quazarec could do was return the embrace. "You have a lot to thank this one for," said the orange creature, motioning towards the human girl. Quazarec's reply was simple and devoid of irony. "I know."</p>
<p>As Toron, Janisa, and Quazarec reconciled the events of the previous days, Algor continued to brood silently by the cliff edge, still not recovered enough to assume his heroic form. The sullen prince was deeply troubled by the revelation that he was somehow "infected" by forces beyond his control. Where did his own thoughts and feelings end, and where did this evil possession begin? And how long would it be until he lost control again? The Prince swore to himself that he would do whatever it took to get answers...</p>
<p>"Look, we need heroes like you for the storm that's coming to Jalldoon," Toron said to Quazarec after a time. Examining his regenerating hand, Quazarec replied, "I am no hero." The skeletal techno-organic hand flexed into a fist. "I am no more than a reflection of the power that surrounds me." The cosmic traveler looked down at Janisa as she smiled back up at him. Toron nodded. "Well, the Children of the Beetle have been mostly wiped out along with their leadership, so I think Bakurados Bay can rest easy for the time being. Will you return with us to Hawkstorm Keep?" the old slime asked. Quazarec reached down to take Janisa's hand. "The sorcery interfering with my telepathy has also disappeared without a trace, but no, Sir Toron. I need to go back and say goodbye to some people first," Quazarec replied as the pair began walking towards the village. Sparkles of light appeared around the android's body like an aura as his armor rematerialized. He paused, turning back to the Slimes, "But you WILL see me again. We have a common foe. And my wrath is not yet satisfied." With this, Quazarec's Control Orb once again crackled with power as the adventurers parted ways. For the moment.</p>
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<p>[<i>There it is, folks! I'm eager to hear what you guys think of Quazarec and his introduction into </i>The Exciting World of Jalldoon<i>. Like I said before, <a href="http://doomkick.com/">Doc Rampageo</a> and I worked hard to put this tale together, so I hope y'all enjoyed it! And of course, big ups to <a href="http://www.underworldfigures.com/">Zoloworld</a> for making the Quazarec action figure a reality. For more on the Toron and Quazarec figures, <a href="http://doomkick.com/quazarec-and-mech-suit-toron-pre-orders-open-thursday/">check out this post on DoomKick.com</a>, and if you're interested in picking either one up, <a href="http://doomkickstore.bigcartel.com/">head on over to the shop!</a> One.</i>]Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-5418893187316002332017-04-04T15:38:00.000-04:002018-02-22T01:39:09.241-05:00The Bronze God of Bakurados (part 1)<p>[<i>Note: for those not already familiar with the continuing adventures of Algor and company on </i>The Exciting World of Jalldoon<i>, I <b>strongly</b> recommend at least familiarizing yourself with the <a href="http://doomkick.com/coming-soon-to-the-doomkick-store-the-exciting-world-of-jalldoonslimes/">original toy line and characters</a> on DoomKick.com. The launch of the current major story arc has also been compiled for your convenience with <a href="http://doomkick.com/the-story-so-farthe-search-for-algor/">The Search for Algor</a>. And lastly, you can catch more of the story and join in on the discussion on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/711643252317400/">Citizens of Jalldoon</a> facebook group. If not, well, the story below won't make much sense! You've been warned! ;)</i> ]</p>
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<p>The carriage wheels squeaked on the dirt road as Toron looked out the window. He could see the large gates of Bakurados Bay in front of them as the ride pulled to a stop. Algor hopped out and started grabbing their packs from the back as he looked up at the massive wall surrounding the city before them. Finishing the last of his ale, Toron joined his companion as they marveled at the spires reaching towards the sky just beyond. The two Slimes had come to the Bay city to accept a shipment of weapons coming from Gato. With the threat of Master Boshak and Baron Drackholme's combined forces threatening Jalldoon, the heroes would need the best weapons...and no weapon on the planet could compare to the nigh-unbreakable Gatonian Steel usually reserved exclusively for the catlike people of Gato. Fortunately for our heroes, Grar had pulled a few strings back home to secure an arsenal for the forces of good. Algor looked at Toron. "I've always loved Bakurados Bay, Tor" he said. ”Ever since my mother took me here years ago before Ikari was born. The pointed spires, the tropical plants...the lawlessness of the pirates and scoundrels--how could a young Slime NOT go wild with adventure!?" Algor's mind wandered to his long-lost mother for a moment before being broken out of his reverie by Toron. "Your mother and her archaeological digs exposed you to a lot didn't they, Al?" Now bereft of ale, the old Slime pulled out his personal flask and shook it before adding, "I sure hope there is some wine on that boat because my flask is nearly empty...and you know the only wine I drink is Gatonian!" With this Toron smiled and took a long swig.</p>
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<p>The large gates creaked open to reveal a skinny human and two guards. Through a long, curled mustache, the man spoke, "Ahhh Prince Algor...His Majesty, Captain Zarharra, King of the Pirates, sends his apologies for not being here himself to greet you. One of his many wives is giving birth to his sixteenth child this morning, so you will understand his absence". The man absentmindedly twirled his mustache around his finger as he spoke. Algor nodded, "The birth of a child is always cause for celebration, and for this we will excuse the Pirate King's indiscretion in the face of the ancient laws of the Covenant of Crowns," the Slime said with only a hint of sarcasm. "Yes, great Slime Prince, I have been authorized to give you whatever you need during your stay here in Bakurados Bay. I am the Royal Vizier, and I am at your disposal," the man said as he led them into the city. As they made their way through the city towards the docks, they passed through the great bazaar and the smells of spices from the farthest reaches of Jalldoon assaulted the Slime's. Fabrics, food items, and creatures not native to the Southwest region of the planet were everywhere, and among the stalls, you could find almost anything you wanted or needed. As they walked by one vendor, they could see him shooing some kids away, and as they looked around they could see other children speaking to merchants at other stalls in the bazaar. The Vizier turned to the Slimes, "As you can see, we have a growing problem with the poor here in Bakurados Bay ever since the fishing sector was closed down due to the indiscretions of the Fish Master.”</p>
<p>As they approached the docks, they saw the Hogashin Dock Master leaning on a barrel, smoking a pipe, and as they approached his snout recoiled at the Slimes. "Please, my friends, keep your distance. I never could stand the smell of Slimes" he said. Algor laughed. "Well please direct us to the ship from Gato, and our stink will bother you no more, sir" he said, stepping back from the Dock Master a few inches. At this, the Hogashin shook his head and frowned. "Conflicting reports are coming in about a terrible lightning storm or some sort of tidal wave at sea that has likely pushed your boat back by a few days, but we've heard nothing from the ship itself. There really is no way to know," he said with a grunt. Algor looked at Toron, "I guess we've got a few days to kill in Bakurados Bay, eh bud?" he asked with a smile.</p>
<p>The Vizier set them up at one of the best inns in the city at no cost while they awaited their shipment's arrival. Algor dropped his pack on the cushy bed. "Well Tor, I'm going to try my luck at the Pit, I think," he said, grabbing his sword. Toron frowned, "Al, you've been doing an awful lot of...trying your luck...recently. Maybe we should use this time to take a break from killing?" the elder Slime suggested. Algor laughed, "come on Toron, we've got to stay fighting fit if we're going to save the planet right? What's a little bit of arena fighting gonna hurt?" he said as he walked out the door. Toron was concerned for his friend; since he'd returned from the Underworld, he had become increasingly violent and seemed to revel in death...both traits the prince hadn't had before. He thought about the mission the Magi had sent him on to retrieve the artifacts that would somehow help remove this evil infecting the Prince, but for the moment, there wasn't much the old Slime could do. So why not hit the taverns to sample the tastes of Bakurados Bay?</p>
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<p>Toron was not disappointed in the delights of the Bay. At the first tavern he went to, he drained two flagons of fermented Crystal Cat Milk (an extremely rare treat, considering the ferocity of its source), as well as a snifter of Glowberry Brandy. Feeling the warm embrace of a nice buzz coming on, he decided to check out the next tavern in the plaza. As he made his way through the bustling streets of the city, he cut through a dark alley only to be surprised by the glowing specter of one of the Slime Elder Magi in his path. Toron hopped back. "By gods, you scared the Slime out of me," he said to the shimmering projection of the Magi. The apparition replied, "My apologies, Sir Toron, but since you're already alone in Bakurados Bay, we thought the moment opportune for you to secure another artifact that resides here in the city." As the Magi spoke, a glowing map of the city appeared in before Toron. Close to the northern edge of the city, a large spire jutted above most of the buildings near it. The Magi spoke again, "here you will find an amulet, which has become the focus of a local human cult. This amulet will, in conjunction with the other artifacts, help us pull this evil infecting Prince Algor out of his body." As he said this, the map twinkled out of existence leaving behind a faint glow in the air before dissipating fully. Toron looked at the Magi for a second, "Well...I may have imbibed a bit too much to retrieve anything from anyone tonight," he said as he wobbled a bit from side to side. The Magi suggested he go home and get some rest, but the night was young. So under the guise of investigation, Toron decided to check a few more of the local taverns before heading back to the inn. Several taverns later, Toron had become quite a bit more drunk than he had been previously, but he hadn’t been able to learn anything new about these cultists or their operation here in Bakurados Bay. The old Slime decided he had the fortitude for one more drink before heading back to the Inn for the night.</p>
<p>Toron entered a tavern called Holly Hox's Heaping Hopshack, and hopped up onto an empty stool at the bar. As the barkeep approached, Toron asked the large man what the specialty of the house was. "Well my friend," the barkeep began, stroking his pointed goatee, "that would be the Para Bomb: we take a fermented Paraparadon egg, and we crack it into a flagon of Grogglin Ale. If I must say, it really hits the spot, sir." With this, he winked his one eye. Toron smiled. "I'll take two pal," he said as he plunked a stack of gold down on the well-worn bar. As he sipped his brew, Toron looked around the busy tavern. Moments later, his dulled senses picked up on the word "cultists" from two talking fishermen at a table nearby. Toron smiled. He looked at the barkeep, "another round for those two on me," he said plinking a few more gold coins down before heading over to the table. Pulling up a nearby chair, Toron greeted the fishermen. "Gentlemen, I couldn't help overhearing a bit of your conversation. Next round's on me if you wouldn't mind sharing with an old, curious Slime," he said as the waitress placed three ales on the table. One of the fishermen looked at Toron. "Buddy, if you're buying rounds, I'll tell you stories all night," he chuckled, taking a sip from his new glass. Toron raised his drink to the men, "then please tell me about these cultists!" The fisherman started his story from the beginning.</p>
<p>"You see, I was in the old fishing sector. And ever since that drunken fool Fish Master crossed the Mad Butcher at the Festival of Lights last year--and paid for it with his life--we all been out of work! So I'm forced to scavenge the derelict buildings for scrap to sell.....anyways I'm in there, and I'd just gotten a pretty nice rod from under some debris when I hear a commotion. Wouldn't you know it, I saw some of them Children of the Beetle cult members dragging a woman into the abandoned neighborhood. Now naturally, my friend, I'm not one to get involved in a fight with a bunch of those cult wackos, but the girl looked a lot like this local bar-rat you always see at the Parrot's Beak over by the bazaar. Anyways, these hooded goons are dragging this poor girl to do only gods know what to her, and I'm cowering behind a crate, just hoping they don't spot me...when suddenly this...this...daemon with huge horns bursts right through an old building with a blinding flash and terrible sound. This thing was huge...and it ripped those cultists apart with ease. I don't know what happened after that as I took off and never looked back, but I saw that old drunk wobbling around the city the next day, so she must have escaped being devoured by that thing. Now...if you'd like to buy another round, I can tell you all about the time I ate boiled bomb bats?" Grinning, the fisherman winked at Toron after sipping the last of his ale. Toron waved over the barkeep and turned back to the fisherman, "my friend, I appreciate the offer, but I must be on my way...however here's some gold. Buy as many rounds as you like, and may your luck change soon." Toron hopped down from his chair and started making his way in the direction of the Parrot's Beak Pub. If the old Slime had been just a bit less drunk, he may have noticed the two children sitting near the roaring fire of the tavern, listening intently to the story he had just heard himself.</p>
<p>Swaying his way through the streets that had gotten a bit less crowded with the advancing hour of the night, Toron found the Parrot's Beak Pub and made his way inside. He sauntered his way up to the bar, made eye contact with the barkeep, and asked her if she knew of a regular who had recently spoken of cultists or some sort of great daemon. Before the barkeep could even answer, an obviously very-drunk woman approached the Slime. She looked at Toron with lusty, hooded eyes. "Cultists, you say? Cultists...yeah, I know all about those sons of bitches...but as for 'daemons', I got nothing for you, hun." She ran her fingers through her long, dark hair before adding, "unless of course you mean the bronze god...clad in armor made of stars..." The woman trailed off as Toron smiled at his luck. "Please, madam, would you care to elaborate on what happened to you? I'll buy you another round," the Slime asked. The woman smiled back. "Hun, how about you come back to my place and we can talk about it on the way? I haven't been too keen on walking around alone at night as of late" she said. Toron took her up on her offer and walked her out of the pub as she began her story.</p>
<p>"Well hun, I was making my way home late the night before last, and from a dark alley, four of those Children of the Ladybug or whatever they call themselves grabbed me. Now, love, I can normally take care of myself, you see, but four-on-one is a pretty tough match up for anyone...let alone when they've had a drinky-pooh or two. So these cult jerks start dragging me into the abandoned fishing sector despite my kicking and screaming the whole way. My head was spinning and before I knew it, I couldn't see the lights of city anymore. I fought back, but these animals just kept trying to...reassure me. They told me what an honor it would be to be sacrificed to their gem or whatever. But the next thing I saw, hun, I will never forget as long as I live. Just as they dragged me towards some rundown building, the wall bursts out in a bright explosion, and standing there is this gleaming man with bronze skin and armor that twinkled like stars in the night sky. It felt like the light and heat of a sun burned from his chest. How could such a magnificent being NOT be a god!? I dropped to the ground and my head felt like it was swimming...but all I heard was the awful screams of those cultists. The next thing I knew, the god offered me his hand. I think I heard him say something about not being evil as he helped me up. He got no argument from me! But I was so shaken, I just hurried back to town, locked myself in my flat, and cried myself dry for the next day. I should have at least asked his name..." Toron chuckled. "Well hun, this is my place, if you'd like to come up for a nightcap," she said, fishing her key out from inside her dress. Toron thought for a long moment, but decided better of following her upstairs. "No, madam, it would be dishonorable to take advantage of you in the state we're both in, but please have a wonderful evening," he said, kissing her hand.</p>
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<p>The sun was almost up and Toron would need some rest before attempting to break into the cult's base the next night, so he headed back to the inn. When he arrived, he discovered Algor asleep on his bed with two lovely lasses, a giant sack of gold on the night table, and the Prince's sword coated in dried blood resting against the wall. Toron shook his head. "Well, he may be infected with evil, but at least Al is enjoying himself," he said to no one in particular as he hopped up onto his own bed. As he lay there thinking, Toron wondered if this being he'd heard about was a terrible daemon, a star god, or something else entirely...but there were far more important things to worry about as far as he was concerned. That night, Toron's sleep was fitful. The disturbing image of a towering man with great horns, reaching out to choke Toron, bothered him throughout the night.</p>
<p>The next morning Toron woke with his head pounding and his slime dry--an all too familiar feeling for the old Slime. "Only one cure: 'hair of the dog,'” Toron said to himself as he looked around the room. Algor and the girls from last night had already left, and Toron was all alone as he limped out of bed. He made his way to the closest tavern and ordered up a Bloody Morgel to soothe the pain coursing through him. After a couple more drinks, he made his way back to the inn to get some more sleep. The sun had already set by the time he woke up, but there was still time to kill before he thought it was safe enough to sneak into the cultist's stronghold, so he went out to get some dinner and enjoy the bazaar. A few hours later, when it was just after midnight, Toron left the jubilant city in the direction of the fishing sector. As he passed the Pit, he could hear the crowd chanting, "Algor! Algor! Algor!" Toron surmised that the evening's contests were drawing to a close and that Al would once again have himself a successful night. As he crossed over into the abandoned part of the city, Toron wondered to himself what the Fish Master had done to anger the King of the Pirates...but knowing Abdul Zarharra like he did after years serving the Slime Kingdom, he knew it likely wasn't anything that warranted the man’s death. The veteran Slime took care to be as stealthy as possible crossing through the fishing sector in case he ran afoul of this dangerous god or daemon he had heard tales of. As he approached the tower that had once been the Fish Master's office, he saw two hooded figures guarding the door with spears. Not wanting to alert the cultists, Toron made his way to the rear of the tower. As he studied the outer wall, he pulled his suit in its small black box out of his pack. As he pushed the button on his remote, the suit flipped out of itself. Orange-colored metal glistening in the moonlight, and Toron took a moment to admire the new coat of paint he had applied to his pride and joy. Toron squished his way inside the suit, and finding a good grip, he started scaling the large sandstone tower.</p>
<p>The suit made climbing the tower a breeze, and soon, Toron was slipping over the railing of the balcony adorning the tower like a crown. As he snuck inside, he found himself in a large office that took up the top floor of the building. Toron was stunned for a moment when he saw a rough-hewn stone carving of a human skeleton just like the ones they had found at Hawkstorm Keep and in the tomb. An amulet dangled from this particular gruesome effigy's hand. Toron was troubled by what he saw--the Magi had sent him after such artifacts, but had consistently failed to mention the skeleton idols three times in a row now. That was a question for later, however. He walked over to the statue, but as he reached for the amulet, all the torches in the room suddenly ignited at once and he heard the shuffling of cloaks behind him. He turned to see a group of armed cultists glaring at him as one stepped forward. "Infidel, you have chosen the wrong place to steal from this day...but have no fear, as your death will feed the divine scarab and your soul will forever live on in the belly of our god!" The leader rushed toward Toron, sword raised in the air. Toron's considerable combat experience made his attacker look silly, as a blow crashed into the human’s face. Toron grabbed the leader's sword as he crumpled to the floor. More cultists began pouring into the room. The brightly-armored Slime fought fiercely, but the horde seemed endless. On the edge of being overwhelmed, a sudden flash of light stunned Toron as the press of the attack immediately ceased. Only beginning to take in what had just happened, Toron was shocked to see the burned corpse of every cultist littering about the floor. The magic shockwave had dissipated and he looked up to see all three of the Slime Elder Magi concluding a terrible chant that sounded awful to Toron's ears. Wasting no time, the center Magi began, "Toron, the Prince is in mortal danger. As we speak, he is stalked by a daemon. You must save Algor and secure the beast's weapon, as it will be crucial in saving the Prince from the evil that infects him." Toron gestured towards the incinerated bodies strewn about the room, "what abou--?" "The solids are not of your concern" the Magi on the left interjected. "Your responsibility is to the Prince. We will see to the artifact. Now, go." Toron picked up the sword he'd been using and looked up at the Magi once more. "Okay...but later, we need to talk. I want answers before I continue running your errands,” he said before jumping over the edge of the balcony. As the Magi formed a circle around the skeleton idol, the gem embedded in the amulet began to glow from within. “Brothers, it would appear that the spells are working, and the items we seek are falling into our grasp, one by one." As he spoke, the amulet began to float into the air before them. Another Magi continued, "and it even appears that the android trapped within this realm will come to serve our purposes." "Aye, brother," the last Magi responded, "Jalldoon will once again be safe.” In unison, the three Slime Elder Magi began chanting once more.</p>
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<p>Toron landed on the ground with a dull thud as the suit easily absorbed the shock of the fall. As Toron stormed off in the direction of the docks, two small forms huddled near the base of the tower crept from the shadows. The pair looked up to see a third child appear on the roof of another derelict office across the street. A small object tossed from the top of the building landed on the ground near the two, and they immediately scurried over to examine it. One child picked up the stone--a piece of sea glass. "Green. That's the signal!" The other seemed nervous and hesitated, "But we're disobeying orders as it is." The first remained resolute and shook his head. "We HAVE to tell her." And with that, the pair sped off into the darkness of the fishing sector.</p>
<p>Toron was desperate to find any sign of Algor...or of battle. As he ran, his mind swam with distracting thoughts. Did Toron hear one of the Magi refer to the humans as "solids"?? He vaguely recalled the ugly, centuries-old slur for non-Slimes from a collection of the earliest records of dimensional rifts on Jalldoon. But more to the point, if the Magi were powerful enough to wipe out a whole room full of enemies, why weren't they searching for the magical items themselves? And what about these skeleton idols and why do they keep showing up? Toron and Algor had accepted the existence of the legendary Magi; to them, the Magi were paragons of wisdom and justice. But something didn't feel right. Toron resolved that once they were back at the Keep, he would begin researching these idols and magical items for himself...but for now, he needed to focus and locate Algor before anything terrible befell the prince. It was just after dawn, and as he rushed through the empty streets of the fishing sector, Toron almost ran into a human woman sprinting back towards town. As she sped by, she blurted out, "he's killing the Slime...the beast is killing him! Run for your life!" Filled with as much dread as relief, Toron charged in the direction she had come from, as the sounds of combat in the distance grew louder...</p>
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<p>Face down on the ground, Algor struggled to turn himself over as smoke rose from a vicious wound on the Slime Prince's back. He dragged his sword towards him and tried to look back at whatever it was that had attacked him. In the blazing dawn light, all Algor could make out was the black silhouette of a staff-wielding humanoid with great horns. As the shadowy creature started to walk towards where he lay, its chest and the orb atop its staff began to glow as brightly as the sun behind it. "For the millions of innocent lives your evil has consumed...for the worlds you have yet to burn...NO MORE. Prepare for oblivion." The mysterious warrior raised its staff, ready to deal the final blow...</p>
<img src="http://doomkick.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/bb8.jpg" width="575">
<p><a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-bronze-god-of-bakurados-part-2.html">To be continued in part 2...</a></p>
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<p>[<i>As if the big reveal of Chakradhar Robo a couple months ago wasn't enough...THIS is the </i>other<i> major announcement for Q1 2017. Brownnoize is teaming up with <a href="http://doomkick.com/">Rampageo Industries</a> and <a href="http://www.underworldfigures.com/">Zoloworld</a> to bring a new type of 5-1/2" fight figure to your scifi/fantasy collections. Details will be revealed later this week, but for now, please enjoy the story Doc Rampageo and I lovingly crafted for you!</i>]</p>
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<p><b>22 February 2018...Quick update:</b> sorry for the broken images above, guys! <a href="https://doomkick.com/">Doomkick.com</a> is undergoing some major site-wide updates, and most of the older images were taken down. You can see some brand new artwork in the reposted Bakurados Bay story here: <a href="https://doomkick.com/2018/02/14/the-bronze-god-of-bakurados-part-1/">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://doomkick.com/2018/02/14/the-bronze-god-of-bakurados-part-2/">Part 2</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, you can always see plenty more Quazarec pics by searching that tag on <a href="https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=94880697%40N08&sort=date-taken-desc&text=quazarec&view_all=1">Flickr</a>. There's some fun stuff there...like this:</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2376/32899882721_3c2884bcfb_o.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_0353">Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-78690022202738572512017-02-03T22:13:00.001-05:002017-02-03T22:13:15.414-05:00Full Circle<p>Y'know, I started this blog almost seven years ago now. In all that time as a budding toy maker, I've had a number of successes, a number of failures, and countless learning experiences. I've had the <b>honor</b> of forging friendships with some amazingly talented folks. And I might've made some enemies along the way too. But the one dream that I let guide my <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=13">initial foray into this madness</a> was the seemingly absurd goal of creating a homemade <i>chogokin</i> figure of Saucer Animal Gin Gin, a villain robot from my favorite cartoon growing up, <i>UFO Robo Grendizer</i>. If you're reading this, you're probably already well-aware of my fascination with this character. So few of the bad guys from these shows got a proper <b>toy treatment</b>. But this wasn't just *any* baddie! This was the machine that led the charge in subjugating the homeworld of our hero, Duke Freed. And upon returning from Duke's tragic past, Gin Gin's terrifying superiority was evident in how easily Gorman, his pilot, defeated Duke. Gorman would have killed Duke, too--just as he killed Duke's parents during the war that drove him to take refuge on Earth. But just as he was about to finish off Grendizer, Gorman was <b>shot in the back</b>, betrayed by his own subordinates! Such drama! Ya just don't get stories like that in your average monster-of-the-week show anymore! ;)</p>
<p>Now, if you've been following this blog, you know that the "Foe-Gokin" (or <i>faux-gokin</i> if you like!) Gin Gin project never truly came to fruition. Sure, I sold a few <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2010/12/yojimbo-gin-gin.html">antiqued ones made of pewter</a> and a few plated in various metals like copper and nickel...but the intended final production item--a metal and plastic figure, painted and stickered to <b>match the animation</b>--was never released. Just too many outside resources to wrangle, and ultimately too much labor to complete a single piece. I went deeper into the <b>post-mortem</b> in my <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2013/12/2013-wrap-up.html">2013 wrap-up</a>.</p>
<p>The Foe-Gokin project was perhaps ludicrously ambitious for someone just starting out making toys. But then again, if you're NOT full of <b>piss and vinegar</b> when getting into this game, then you might as well quit before you get your damn feelings hurt.</p>
<p>Fail or no, Foe-Gokin Gin Gin paved the way for a future toy project. See, I learned how hard painting is. I learned how hard cutting and applying--all by hand--stickers is. I learned how much <b>entropy</b> is generated by relying on multiple outside sources for parts, materials, and labor. The <b>sea-change</b> from the early Foe-Gokin Gin Gin years to today's all-3D-printed plastic fabrication has been nothing short of profound. Production may be relatively slow and extremely labor-intensive now, but almost EVERY aspect of the process is in-house. The <b>perfectionist</b> in me is constantly overjoyed at the fact that I get to micro-manage the complete lifecycle of each of my projects...from prototyping to production to variants.</p>
<p>And that <i>future toy project</i> has finally arrived! I'm proud to announce the first Shogun Voyager DX figure, <b>Chakradhar Robo</b>:</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/559/31875695703_20cc0bd2cb_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Look familiar? ;)</p>
<p>True, Chakradhar (pronounced <i>chuck-rah-DAR</i>) Robo is clearly inspired by Saucer Animal Gin Gin. I wanted to make the character my own, however, so I decided to recreate Gin Gin within my own little fictional universe that serves as the <b>backdrop</b> for my ever-evolving "Shogun Voyager" toy line.</p>
<p>This figure stands a little over 10" (25cm), so he's in perfect scale with many vintage and modern super robot <i>sofubi</i>. In fact, that was entirely <b>by design</b>. Whereas Foe-Gokin Gin Gin was an interpretation of that character in the style of the original Popy diecast figures of the 70's, Chakradhar Robo was designed from the ground up to emulate Bandai's <b>missile-firing vinyls</b> of the same era!</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/773/32308871780_4597d810a1_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>The toy is almost entirely 3D-printed in ABS plastic then bathed in acetone vapor, meaning the toy is extremely durable and quite hefty. There isn't an ounce of paint on this figure--all the coloration was achieved simply by carving up the design and printing each separate part in its own color.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/510/32308876360_be561f11d4_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/626/32647172486_760b73ab55_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>If you're sharp, you noticed the "wound" on his back! The aesthetic of this toy fits in with <b>Go Nagai's</b> classic designs, but I obviously changed the details (and name!) to make this homage to Gin Gin my own. That said, I *had* to keep the blasted armor on his back--it's just TOO important a reference to the original character to leave out!</p>
<p>Okay, so what's with the name? Well, I haven't written up the fluff for the character yet (as he appears in my <i>Shogun Voyagers</i> universe), but the name comes directly from the robot's design and from my <i>South Asian</i> heritage. See, much like Gin Gin, the shields integrated into Chakradhar Robo's arms have built-in circular saw blades--blades somewhat akin to the ancient Indian throwing weapon, the <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakram">chakram</a></i>, meaning ring...or <i>circle</i>. The word, "<i>chakradhaari</i>", means "one who wields the chakram" [see also Xena: Warrior Princess :P ]...so you can see where the robot gets his name! In fact, there are other references to India in the design and story for this character, but I'll leave those details for a future post...</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/611/32308870410_72ee5a5dd9_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>As for gimmicks, you know I gotchu covered, baby.</p>
<p>The blades in the arm-shields spin freely, as you'd imagine. But that's only the beginning. ;) The shoulders rotate forwards and backwards by way of a tough <b>ratchet joint</b>. It's the same ratchet joint used in the <i>Powered Bio Suit</i> shoulders, and has VERY strong detents--all achieved through 3D-printed parts! Okay, so maybe a <b>point of articulation</b> isn't REALLY a gimmick...but I'm proud of the design, dammit! But while we're on the subject, the arms can splay out to the sides, the fists can rotate at the wrists, and the head can rotate at the neck. Look, this toy isn't looking to break any records for poseability here! Remember--this guy was meant to match the aesthetic of vinyl robot toys, paragons of immobility and derpy proportions!</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/586/32687845485_5abcf8ed94_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Now we're getting warmer. When I mentioned this toy was designed to emulate the Bandai missile-fire vinyls of the 70's, I didn't mean <i>just in appearance</i>! This guy <b>packs heat</b> like you don't even know! Two fully-functional missile launchers integrated into the chest...plus two additional missiles stored in his thigh clips. Be careful--or you WILL shoot your eye out!</p>
<p>Not enough? Okay, how about some <b>rocket punch</b> to go along with your missile-fire???</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/678/32535218772_4744a5a326_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/480/32687835045_60039fdb13_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Ferocious.</p>
<p>But y'know...the shooty features aren't even my favorite gimmick of all! If you know me--and my history with <a href="http://toyboxdx.com/brog/?p=2259">GID sofubi</a>--then you KNOW I can't drop a fancy toy without it having some kind of <b>glow-in-the-dark</b> feature.</p>
<p>And Chakradhar Robo does not disappoint.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/368/32687833315_691f2a7e63_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/340/32687826685_0eaf4de6c1_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>That's not photoshop, kids. That's <b>straight legit</b> blue- and traditional green-glow plastic! Like I said: this toy project has brought me <i>full circle</i>.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/445/32687822305_d2e3fc9902_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/369/32647196026_d304015878_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>GID missiles? Oh yes.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/357/32647184106_324597541a_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And incidentally, those are Getter 1's vintage missiles above, just for comparison. Which means it's about time to wrap things up with some comparison shots!</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/502/32687876895_2d31e88010_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Here's the aforementioned Getter 1, along with the very first prototype of Chakradhar Robo to feature the chest launchers. See, when first conceived, Chakradhar was meant to have the vinyl-style launchers you see above. When CAD-modeling the toy, however, I found that the original <b>launching mechanism</b> that I'd developed for the forearms could not be integrated into the chest...so I dropped the feature altogether for the first few iterations of the design. But once I had my <b>proof-of-concept</b> that this large-scale, print-in-color methodology could actually succeed where the Foe-Gokin project had failed, I decided to design all-new launchers for the chest. Unfortunately, that means the chest missiles cannot be fired from the forearms (which was what I had originally wanted).</p>
<p>I know--probably way more information than you needed, but hey...I enjoy sharing my thought process!</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/505/32687870175_649cc4c70f_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And above is the original version of Chakradhar, as y'all can see, without the chest launchers. Different color scheme, too.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/599/32647188256_bc9856c381_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Mean muggin' that 70's Bandai missile-fire Grendizer!</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/560/32647191506_ddde217ee5_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And here's what I call the "anime colors" version of Chakradhar Robo, along with Medicom's recent <b>Grendizer Giga</b> figure. Damn, he's tall.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/530/32565820401_a0e8125780_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>More modern comparisons! This time, Chakradhar goes back to his <b>roots as a villain</b>, alongside these excellent Medicom Mazinger Z villains, Kingdan X10 and Doublas M2. A trio of shelf-hogs.</p>
<p>And finally, one last glow shot, featuring Chakradhar and Medicom's Getter Dragon in <b>Shine Spark</b> mode! Like I said--no photoshop here. These images give you a good idea of how much glow power the toy really has. Getter Dragon happens to glow *really* damn bright for a sofubi, so it's a conservative comparison:</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/466/32687825455_95055d4bae_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/635/32565784441_62e4ba6372_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Well, that's it for now, guys. Or rather...that's all I'm letting you in on for now! ;) I've got some other things in the works that I alluded to before, including the next incarnation of the <b>Shogun Voyager minifigs</b>. But I'll save that for another post!</p>
<p>Before I bounce, I have one last big announcement to make: I'll be at <b><a href="http://zolocon.com/">Zolocon</a></b> in Bucks County, PA later this month! I'll have the four Chakradhar Robo figures featured throughout this blog post for sale, as well as some other surprises. If you're in the area, come check me out--I'll be right in the center of things, sharing table space with my homie, Dr. Rampageo of <a href="http://doomkick.com/">Doomkick.com</a>, along with some other friends of ours.</p>
<p>Sounds <b>unusually cryptic</b> for me? Most definitely! I've got something in the works coming VERY soon that isn't patterned after Japanese robots or monsters at all. Something big...and muscly. Stay tuned!</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-87889357213353581992016-09-23T18:17:00.000-04:002016-09-23T18:17:34.861-04:00Format Shift<p>Welcome to 2016…even though we’re already closing in on 2017! Pretty much par for the course around here. But then again, y’all probably know by now that the less I post on my blog, the more stuff that’s going on <b>behind the scenes</b>. ;) And that’s a pretty accurate assessment. I’ve got some pretty fun stuff coming real soon as I promised in my last post wrapping up 2015…and I finally get to tell you about it in the coming weeks! But first, a couple quick pics from this past August’s <b>East Coast Chogokin Summit</b>…</p>
<img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5105/29250308823_e329c23160_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5075/29841929656_ecc563fe5a_k.jpg" width="575">
<p>2016 has been great for me so far, as a collector and as a maker. The 3D-printing homies, <a href="https://prometheusrising.net/">Ben</a>, <a href="http://mechazone.storenvy.com/">David</a>, and <a href="http://spaced-out-design.blogspot.com/">PJ</a>, have been killing it throughout the year, and in this game, I couldn’t ask for better <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TGCqheN2n0">P.N.C.</a>’s. And while the designer vinyl scene has taken a bit of a step backwards*, appreciation of cheap toys continues to thrive. When it comes to the resin/rubber-slinging arena, I haven’t thrown down for too many <b>custom keshi</b> as of late, but I’d love to do another collaboration with the <a href="http://ericnilla.blogspot.com/">Eric Nilla</a>’s and the <a href="http://www.thelastzectron.com/">Zectron</a>’s of the world. Oh, and while we’re on the subject, big up to my homie, Marcus of <a href="http://onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Onell Design</a>, for his successful launch of his new vending machine line, <a href="http://bitfigs.tumblr.com/">Bit Figs</a>!</p>
<p><i>* PLEASE, no more of the two-headed monsters, the rocky-textured horror/poop monsters, the eyeball/gorilla/cyclops/cat themes, the innumerable generic cutesy minis, the Garbage Pail Kids/Madballs/Ooze-It rip-offs, the pachi drawing adaptations, the bootlegs of bootlegs, etc…</i></p>
<img src="https://67.media.tumblr.com/67230939fe064e83190d08539d6751bc/tumblr_odq5l4BP6t1ttbvrho2_1280.png" width="575">
<p>Okay, let’s dive right into today's main topic. I wanna talk about a big decision that’s bound to ruffle a few feathers. There’s a pretty major format shift on the horizon for the <b>MicroClone</b> line. See, at the end of last year, I had talked about doing another big wave of MicroClones consisting of the standard figures, the augmented troops I teased about earlier, and the Mk II Powered Bio Suits. Lots of folks have asked me over the months when this release was coming…and at this point, the answer is likely <i>never</i>. That doesn’t mean that these toys won’t be available ever again—so don’t trip! But I felt bad being forced to tell everyone that other projects/collabs had priority. The real nail in the coffin, however, came with some pretty…<i>shocking</i>…mainstream Micro/<b>Takara SF Land</b> (Henshin Cyborg, Microman, Diaclone, etc.) releases that few people—myself included—saw coming.</p>
<img src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8214/29881717645_a0c8b76527_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>First, US-based Hasbro and IDW Publishing have brought back the <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/product-category/micronauts/">Micronauts</a>! If you’re reading this blog, then you very likely know how EPIC this news is. In fact, the return of the Micronauts—not to mention the return of <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/product-category/rom/">Rom</a> to the comic book landscape—is part of IDW’s <a href="http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/revolution-prelude/">Revolution</a> initiative. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Hasbro is developing a <b>shared fictional universe</b> consisting of some of their most popular toy properties of the 80’s, including GI Joe, Transformers, M.A.S.K., Action Man, and the aforementioned Rom and Micronauts.</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>This is a real thing.</p>
<p>And if you didn’t know about it before reading this, I sincerely hope I’ve given you at least a <b>mild heart attack</b>. A shared cinematic universe—akin to what Marvel Studios is doing with the MCU and Warner Bros is doing with the DCEU—is being developed, but it all begins with the foundation laid down in these comics published by IDW. And to kick off the hype, Hasbro released a <a href="http://micromanclub.tumblr.com/post/146264926869/breaking-micronauts-toys-return-from-hasbro">set of four new Micronauts figures</a> at this past SDCC, featuring brand new box art by the legendary <b>Ken Kelly</b>. Expect this story to continue to accelerate in the coming year…</p>
<img src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8091/29881716765_ed8a554406_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And second, <a href="http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/diaclone/">TakaraTomy</a>, original Japanese producers of the Microman and Diaclone toy lines, have released the <a href="https://tfsource.com/blog/diabattles/">DA-01 Dia-Battles V2</a>, the first in a new line of high-end “reboots” of the <b>original Diaclone line</b>. On one hand, the sheer audacity and utter absurdity that TT would resurrect such an obscure, failed toy line of the 80’s—cult following notwithstanding—is <i>already</i> mind-blowing. I mean, seriously. I’m part of that “cult”...and <i>my</i> head is STILL spinning from this news. *But then*…you go and add the fact that this new Dia-Battles toy might be one of the greatest Japanese robot toys ever conceived…and it’s <i>game over, man</i>. And I ain’t fronting: this toy, my friends, will leave you speechless. I’m pretty sure in all my years in the toy hobby, I’ve never handled such a brilliantly-engineered and flawlessly-QC’ed adult collectible. And again, NOBODY saw it coming. Besides their nice MP Transformers line and the mainstream Hasbro Transformers line, TakaraTomy had been pretty quiet on their “hobby” (<b>vintage-themed</b>) front for years. When the return of Diaclone—really a sequel more than a reboot—was announced last year, I was floored. But there it was: a completely re-engineered Dia Battles toy that sets a whole new standard for <b>complex modularity</b> and play value. I can’t say enough about this toy. And given the popularity of this initial release, TT has already announced Big Powered GV and updated Powered Suits (yes, the <b>beloved ancestors</b> of my Powered Bio Suits!).</p>
<img src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8665/29768151572_2b2250f9a2_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8541/29768152862_31718bb32e_o.png" width="575">
<p>So what does this all mean for the future of the MicroClone line?</p>
<p>Well, there are suddenly a number of new and exciting releases competing for Takara SF Land fans’ dollars (or yen). See, when I first developed the Powered Bio Suit and later MicroClone figures, my intent was to <b>serve a community</b> I was part of that didn’t really have any new content/product being generated for it. Microman and Micronauts fans certainly had vintage toys to keep them busy, but there just wasn’t anything new on the horizon. These toys were my small way of helping <b>revitalize the fandom</b>…and to push my engineering and 3D-printing skills, of course!</p>
<img src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7306/28116446492_a9b1afa0d3_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>But now that Micronauts/Takara SF Land fans have multiple comic books to look forward to on a monthly basis, new Micronauts toys undoubtedly being developed, and an ultra-high-end line of Diaclone reboots to smash their wallets, where does my <b>high-priced bootleg</b> (read: <i>homage!</i>) toy line fit in??? Even without my toys being a part of the conversation, I’ve heard plenty of grumbling about how there’s all this new legit/mainstream stuff to pick up. I wouldn’t quite call it “overload”, given how diverse all this new content is, but it’s still a financial strain for those who want to stay up-to-date with these franchises.</p>
<img src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/672/20674593469_5f32d98b84_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>So here’s what I propose: rather than doing formal releases, where I kill myself making a huge stockpile of toys to put on sale at a particular date and time, I am going to produce them to-order, on a commission basis. Essentially, everything will be a “custom”—meaning colors can be selected, rather than forcing folks to buy into the colors I’ve already manufactured. Every now and then, I’ll post images on social media reminding folks that <i>these toys exist</i> and are available for custom-ordering…but my day-to-day focus will remain on my <b>Shogun Voyager toy line</b> and the various collaborations I have in the works.</p>
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5688/23426939083_132029e280_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>I think that’ll be the best for everyone. The <b>hardcore fans</b> out there (you know who you are! THANK YOU ALWAYS!!) will be able to order the figures they want—in the color schemes they want—and I won’t have to drop everything I’m doing to spend several weeks cranking out toys <i>en masse</i>. I know this will annoy some casual fans who are accustomed to easily-accessible products that they can click-and-buy instantly. I get it—I hate having to jump through hoops myself. But I think this is the right move for me. Plus, I like the idea of a “sale” actually being a <b>conversation</b>. I don’t like being a <i>vendor</i> who has <i>customers</i>. I look at everyone else in the hobby as my peer, a fellow fan. And to work with someone to make the “perfect” toy for them in the exact color scheme they’re looking for will be a <b>breath of fresh air</b>!</p>
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5488/10528199153_0255dc9dda_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And onto a lesser-known aspect of my Takara SF Land homage series: the Powered Suit Fake Type! Yeah, remember those? LOL</p>
<p>Okay, so it’s been an <b>eternity</b> since I’ve even brought up these all-<a href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize">Shapeways</a>-produced minifigs. For those who may not know, I designed these toys when I first got into the 3D printing game (and before I had my own FFF printer!). There are a few reasons why I’ve sorta abandoned these lil guys. First, they’re damn expensive. That’s just the nature of Shapeways—it’s an online service that has access to some pretty exotic 3D printing materials and technologies. If it weren’t for those high-resolution processes, I never would’ve been able to make these <b>Diaclone-scaled</b> suits on my own. But on top of cost, if you wanted the steel “DX” version suit, you’d have to purchase separately the exact magnets used to articulate the shoulders. Who wants to do that?? And lastly, Shapeways is unfortunately infamous for screwing up orders involving <b>complex assemblies</b> of components produced in different materials. :/ There have been a number of reports from folks I know saying that they ordered, for example, a Type A suit, but it came with Type B fists…or some ridiculous thing like that. That’s <i>unacceptable</i>.</p>
<p>So my solution here is that I will be offering these figures for sale *myself*. The idea is that when someone contacts me to buy a <b>Fake Type suit</b>, I’ll order the parts myself to make sure there are no <b>Shapeways shenanigans</b>. I’ll then assemble the figure (adding magnets where needed), and ship the completed item to the customer. I’ll likely leave the components in my public Shapeways store, but I’ll continue to urge people to contact me directly if they want to order a suit.</p>
<img src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7430/10527961365_6440ef1684_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And y’know, I’ve considered abandoning the Fake Type suits altogether, given the cost and annoyance involved in dealing with Shapeways…but here's a pretty compelling argument that pushes me to keep hope alive for these <b>shorties</b>:</p>
<img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8331/29797971831_b9ff4baff1_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Yowza! (that closing price—for the <i>most common</i> Powered Suit type and color—is $405USD, in case it's hard to read)</p>
<p>Okay guys, that’s it for now on the Takara SF Land front. Please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts on this shift in format. Meanwhile, in the coming weeks, I’ll be (finally!) revealing the future of the Shogun Voyager line. And, oh, it’s a BRIGHT future. ;) Also, I’ve got a wild collaboration in the works with a big name and local homie of mine…that’s of a more <b>barbaric nature</b>. As always, stay tuned, my people!</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-15504979955837036162015-12-29T20:32:00.002-05:002015-12-29T20:32:51.643-05:00My philosophy<p>What's really good, everybody? Time again for Sanjeev's big <b>year-end round up</b>! This is my way of talking a little bit about what kinda <i>ish</i> I got cooking on the toy-production front, how techniques and technologies have evolved, and also to document this creative process for posterity. I suspect I'm gonna get a kick outta reading some of this stuff in years to come. ;) Anyway, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brownnoize/">instagram</a>'s still the best way to follow my day-to-day <b>toy rambles</b>...but at the same time, I don't really like to post too much of my own toy-development progress there. Sure, I'll post announcements of new releases and whatnot on ig, but I use it primarily to talk about what I love about toys <i>in general</i>. From a <b>collector's perspective</b>, feel me? This blog, however, still serves as my personal playground focusing on the toy-<i>making</i> side of this hobby.</p>
<p>So let's get it popping!</p>
<p>First off, I had actually planned to post after last summer's East Coast Chogokin Summit in August. The event was held in East Boston and was "closed" (invite-only) this year, given the limited space we had. That's unfortunate because it's always fun to meet new people and grow the <b>community</b>. But it is what it is...and while I had some pretty cool things to show off at the Summit, nothing was really production-ready (hence why I held off on making posting at the time). So what were those reveals? Heh, well, I'm gonna hold onto those secrets for just a bit longer still! 2015 was a solid year of learning and growing. And <i>2016</i> is already shaping up to be a year where we'll be able to enjoy the <b>fruits of that labor</b>!</p>
<img src="http://spacedoutdesign.com/blueprints/Blueprint-Vyvocree-WEB.png" width="575">
<p>Before I get into the <b>philosophical stuff</b>, I got a quick announcement I'm real excited about! There's a new member of the fam. But don't get it twisted--this is NO rookie by any means. This dude's been <b>slinging resin</b> for a ill minute, and he's apprenticed under none other than the great Ron Daley and <a href="http://onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Matt Doughty</a> for even longer than Onell's been around. And now with the recent boom in 3D printing, he's thrown his lot in with dangerous individuals like myself, <a href="http://www.mechazone.com/blog/">David</a>, and <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben</a>. He is <b>PJ Bartlett</b> of <b><a href="http://spaced-out-design.blogspot.com/">Spaced Out Design</a></b>! If you get a chance, please check him out. He's been rocking some amazing Glyos-compatible 3D-printed figures that are blowing up the spot.</p>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzAVX8pS4pJljPiMlsRhGVDoyxlsz_lu_st0xK1jXLYrQkACn9H6HyPZTJoeWPSATL7JuJRocra-LXOiJqHmmOk3cOxc8qHEsOZgLr10x_7pRrQR97s6SYVov8Pl8T6Bf1U7ElUrmPCs/s1600/acronaut4.png" width="575">
<p>So probably the most interesting challenge I've pondered this past year is the concept of scale. See, just like with any sort of manufacturing process, there are strengths and weaknesses associated with using common <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fused_filament_fabrication">FFF</a> technology to produce toys directly. For example, if the resolution on these machines were better, it would be a snap to produce <b>MUSCLE</b>-style figures that you could sell for peanuts. Or if they printed MUCH faster (and if the parts required a fraction of the cleanup work), you could sell a Transformers-style toy for about how much you could expect to pay for a mass-produced one at retail.</p>
<p>Now, as it turns out, producing runs of smaller toys like the MicroClones is actually surprisingly <b>labor-intensive</b>. The parts come off the printer much faster than with a larger toy, so you're constantly having to keep track of all the tiny parts and stay on top of the post-print cleanup workload. And just because those parts are smaller, that doesn't mean the cleanup's all that much easier! So in a lot of ways, a MUCH bigger toy like the Powered Bio Suit ends up being <i>easier</i> overall to produce! It seems counter-intuitive, but the reality is that the bigger, <b>chunkier PBS parts</b> are ultimately easier to clean up...and because those parts take so much longer to print, there's a lot more time available between print jobs to do that work. Sure, it still takes 3 days to make a single PBS (while I could do half a dozen MicroClones in that time), but you can imagine how less taxing it can be to produce larger toys that sell for over $100 than it is to produce smaller toys that sell for a lot less.</p>
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5447/17714614588_8a74dc7d8d_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>The <b>philosophy of scale</b>, therefore, boils down to the question of whether or not I want to sustain the toil required to keep on churning out cheaper offerings, or switch over to producing exclusively high-end items at a more leisurely pace. On paper, the high-end approach looks more amenable to my lifestyle. But there's an <b>undeniable allure</b> to producing cheap toys: your offerings become more accessible to a larger number of folks...plus you gain the ability to give away large numbers of your toys. That last bit may sound a bit odd, but trust me--after having given away dozens of dozens of Glyos figures over the years to kids I know, nothing beats that feeling. NOTHING.</p>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7461/15813078560_4e1fe70d04_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>So for now, I'm gonna stick to doing what I'm doing. The response to the "Wave 0" MicroClones (see last post) was intense. The couple dozen or so figures I offered on <a href="http://www.monsterkolorstore.com/brownnoize/">Monster Kolor</a> <b>sold out</b> in just over half an hour! Clearly heads are feeling them...and unlike the first generation Shogun Voyagers (yeah, remember those??), they don't break my back to produce! I'm still working out details for a sub-$10 Shogun Voyager mini that will fill that <i>cheap toy</i> role...but I don't think it will expand into a whole line. We'll see how things progress into the next year as I grapple more with this question...</p>
<img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/672/20674593469_5f32d98b84_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And speaking of the MicroClones, the <b>intrepid forces</b> of Earth and their allies from <i>Micro Earth</i> [or the <i>Microverse</i>, if you prefer! ;) ] are getting some upgrades to their gear in the coming New Year! Yup, the standard MicroClone explorers will be joined by two new troop types for when the action calls for more <b>specialized roles</b>.</p>
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5688/23426939083_132029e280_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>The Powered Bio Suit is what I'm <i>really</i> excited about for next year, though. Now, keep in mind that the PBS was the *very* first toy I ever tried to develop when I first got my own 3D printer. That was one helluva learning experience! Over the years, you guys have seen quite a few iterations of the toy on this blog. Each and ever piece I produced sold (THANK YOU!!), but clearly it's taken me some to get it <i>perfect</i>. And, yes, being a <b>perfectionist</b> is part of being a toy-maker! Well, after a recent few months of design tweaks, I've finally got it right. At least, as far as <i>I'm</i> concerned--your mileage may vary. ;) I've <i>completely</i> overhauled the packaging design, hardened several joints and connection ports, upgraded some aesthetics, and added some new gimmicks. And probably the most significant change is that I'm folding the toy into the overarching "MicroClone" brand. Of course, the MicroClone line didn't exist when I first started developing the PBS, but now that the MicroClones are an <b>established thing</b>, the move just makes sense. And to commemorate this ultimate iteration, I'm calling it the "<b>Mark II</b>" PBS:</p>
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5633/24054206075_533130295f_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>I don't have a set date for when the next MicroClone wave will drop, but it will certainly include the original figures, the two new <b>augmented</b> soldier types, and at least a few MkII Powered Bio Suits. A little something for everyone! Of course, all the details will be revealed here and I'll be making the announcement on ig and on the usual facebook groups.</p>
<p>There's more coming in 2016, of course...including a Shogun Voyager release that's bound to <b>snap necks</b> and <b>cash checks</b>. As I'm often fond of saying, stay tuned. ;) Oh, and more keshigomu collaborations are on the way. If I can somehow carve out the time to do it, I'd <i>love</i> to do another <b>Spiral Zone</b> keshi vehicle with my homeboy, <a href="http://ericnilla.blogspot.com/">Eric Nilla</a>. So, yeah, LOTS going on!</p>
<p>Stay sucka free in 2016, y'all! Now go listen to some KRS-One!</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-38354237166643168412015-05-20T17:32:00.000-04:002015-05-20T17:32:27.056-04:00MicroClone<p>What up, people? Happy First Post of 2015...and as usual, I'm here to announce a <b>quantum leap</b> here at Brownnoize HQ! It's been several months in the works, but now I'm finally ready to reveal the big (<i>micro?</i>) project I've been cranking on. See, the response to the Powered Bio Suits (see previous posts!) has been crazy. <b>And humbling</b>. But I knew from the get that these things would be only realistically accessible to a small segment of the Micro-collecting community. When it takes around four days of blood, sweat, and tears just to make *one* toy, you have little choice but to charge a lot. I have no regrets, though, because the whole point of the PBS was to push the limits of what home-grown 3D printing could accomplish...and I'd like to think I made an impression in that regard! ;)</p>
<p>On the strength, the Powered Bio Suit was a ill learning experience for me. On one hand, it was a crash course in design-for-manufacture: not just CAD-modeling what you want the final toy to look like, but reconciling that with what geometries are optimal for printing, clean-up, assembly, etc. But on the other hand, it also forced me to get serious about package design, social media (peep my <a href="https://instagram.com/brownnoize/">instagram feed</a>!), gallery shows, and other stuff beyond the <b>physical objects</b> I was producing. Those lessons were <i>vital</i> to this whole game.</p>
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7769/17281943803_4fa77488de_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>But it's time to take it back! This one is for the people. Now that I've had a chance to <b>sharpen my swords</b>, I can take bigger risks and continue testing the boundaries of what a consumer-grade FDM printer can do. And the result is something that I'm excited to be able to share with fellow collectors. I'm happy to present: the <b>MicroClone</b>!</p>
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5466/17279927844_6cd98e9d91_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5348/17902447565_f85c4916e0_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>It's kinda funny how this project came about...not to mention what it evolved into. See, I was sorta expecting *just* Diaclone and Microman fans to take notice of the PBS when it first dropped. But I was getting hit up by folks into "art" toys, 3D printing, or DIY jams in general. At gallery shows, it was getting kinda awkward to have to explain over and over why the toy was "empty"! LOL To be fair, the whole "Suit" thing isn't automatically obvious outside of <b>Takara SF Land</b> fans. So it dawned on me: why not develop a cheapie 3-3/4" action figure that I can just stuff into these suits for shows or other displays? And from there--since the PBS is a bootleg of the Diaclone Powered Suit--it was a no-brainer to design my figure around the <b>"type 2" Diaclone driver</b> that was originally sold with the vintage Powered Suits!</p>
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5443/17714867260_bd872ed24b_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Well, you know it goes. At first, I said, okay: five points of articulation. I'll just use the 5mm ball-and-socket joints I'd been developing for the <b>Shogun Voyager minis</b> and call it a day. But then I kept poking and prodding--mostly at the behest of <a href="http://onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Matt Doughty</a> and <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben Mininberg</a> (see? this is why we <b>peer review</b>, folks). I quickly found that with a little massaging, I could work those ball joints into more areas of the figure. Yeah: a chance to design a *legit* 1/18 scale action figure with articulation that can rival a vintage Micro. No custom toy-maker would pass that up! So at the risk of potentially <i>doubling</i> my original target pricepoint, I decided once again to push the boundaries and see how far I could take this thing. And I'm happy to report that the result far exceeds a mere <b>accessory for the PBS</b>. It's a durable, nicely-poseable 10cm action figure that can interact with existing Microman/Micronaut figures and vehicles. And it can stand alone as a fully-fledged product.</p>
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5447/17714614588_8a74dc7d8d_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>The MicroClone now features 14 points of articulation, 10 of which are ball-joints. The head is on a 5mm peg for some <b>Acroyer</b> head-swapping fun! The waist is a 5mm swivel joint as well, and the wrists can rotate on a peg compatible with original Micro figures (more on that later!). The shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles are all ball-joints with a wide range of motion. In <b>play-testing</b>, I'm happy to report that these joints remain tight even after a considerable amount of abuse. Unlike your typical ABS plastic toys (which are completely solid and can actually "polish out" and become loose after excessive joint use), these 3D-printed parts are actually semi-hollow. That gives printed joint mechanisms a bit of springiness that's perfect for play! Still, after some destructive testing, I found that the old <b>nail polish trick</b> works perfectly: if a joint gets loose, simply pop apart the pieces and apply a thin layer of clear nail polish to one of the surfaces...wait 24 hours, reassemble, and you should be good.</p>
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7690/17899448102_4c31f96713_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And while you *can* disassemble the ball-joints, it's not really recommended as part of the <b>play experience</b>. It can be done, but I noticed after snapping them in and out a dozen times or so, they <i>will</i> eventually start to get loose. So if want to create a unique color combination for your figure, go right ahead--it should be fine. But don't get in the habit of doing it a ton. These aren't Glyos guys! ;)</p>
<p>Bits connected via 5mm pegs can be swapped all day, of course. The head, for instance, is actually available in four styles, representing different "modes" of the <b>mechanical helmet</b>. There's the <a href="https://flic.kr/p/th2i1F">open face</a> helmet, which is it's default configuration. The <a href="https://flic.kr/p/sZnSVo">visor</a> mode features a shield that I like to imagine slides down from under the forehead shield to provide enhanced optics. Similarly, I imagine the armor bits for the <a href="https://flic.kr/p/teDoPW">mouth plate</a> mode slide into place from the sides and lock into the chin strap to help with breathing in harsh environments. And finally, the <a href="https://flic.kr/p/tgHd5q">full armor</a> mode incorporates both the visor and mouth plate for <b>combat missions</b> in your sandbox. Each basic MicroClone figure will come with a single head, so when you click on the page of the color scheme you want, just select the desired head from the drop-down list at the bottom of the page.</p>
<p>But the 5mm-compatibility doesn't end there! There's a 5mm port (hole) on the back just like a classic Micro. There are additional ports on the thighs for mounting accessories, as well as ports on the bottom of the feet for connecting to display stands or for perching a figure on a vehicle. And speaking of the feet, they also have neodymium magnets. <b>Because Diaclone</b>. ;)</p>
<img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5339/17282027373_8d9004fae4_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Each basic MicroClone figure also comes with a Pulse Pistol accessory, which incorporates a 5mm peg into the design for attaching to the figure when not in use. The handle of the pistol is roughly 2.5mm to match existing <b>Microman weapons</b>. Yes, that means that it can be used by <a href="https://flic.kr/p/teDDAu">stock Micro's</a>, and vintage figures' weapons fit just fine in <a href="https://flic.kr/p/th2CYM">MicroClone hands</a>. But y'all know me--I had to take it a step further! Remember when I mentioned that the wrists swivel on a Micro-compatible peg? Well that means <b>hand-swapping</b>! If you don't like the stock MicroClone hands, you can always give him <a href="https://flic.kr/p/teDCqd">an upgrade</a>. Or if you need replacement hands for a vintage figure, it's <a href="https://flic.kr/p/sk9RYn">no sweat</a>.</p>
<p>One last note about these figures is the color schemes. I'll obviously be making them in a variety of colors, but there are two main "styles" available. The <b>Microman-style</b> figures will feature color separation reminiscent of the original Microman/Micronaut figures: the chest, arms, and thighs are the primary color of the figure, while the pelvis and lower legs are the figure's secondary color. Alternatively, the <b>Diaclone-style</b> figures will be separated like the original Diaclone drivers: the chest and pelvis are the primary color, while the full arms and legs will be the secondary color. Both styles will have black feet and Pulse Pistol, and <b>glow-in-the-dark</b> head and chest piece (though I may switch up these colors in the future for fun!). The hands of the Microman-style figures will be GID as well.</p>
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8899/17876027446_5445863bfb_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>As for the <b>fluff</b>, I like to imagine that these guys come from an alternate dimension where the Microman and Diaclone universes are truly one and the same! After having protected Earth time and time again from the Acroyer invasion, the Microman race has formed an alliance with humanity in exchange for their continued hospitality. In order to respond to extra-dimensional (as well as extra-terrestrial) threats, the Diaclone Corps were developed using a hybrid of Earth and <b>Micro Earth</b> technology. The standard "Diamond Cyclone" armor suit (the MicroClone) is powered by the Phase Driver (the figure's glow chest piece), and allows the human wearer to shrink down to Micro-size (roughly 10cm) and even withstand the rigors of inter-dimensional travel. Their continuing adventures are up to you! ;)</p>
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7735/17902921861_4ea69d5fa3_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7690/17899359462_0912c8e731_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Much like the Powered Bio Suits, these toys will be sold exclusively through <a href="http://www.monsterkolorstore.com/microclone/">Monster Kolor</a>. The <b>initial run</b> of these guys will be a limited "wave 0" release at 8PM EDT, Saturday night, May 30th. Rather than delaying their release even further, I wanted to do this sort of pre-production run of the figures. These older-generation figures have stable, fully-functional joints and work fine overall as action figures, but their hands don't have 100% compatibility with original Micro's. The full hand-swapping functionality described above won't be available until the official "wave 1" release later this summer. Also, existing Micro weapons don't fit as snugly as I'd like in the hands of these older figures. I know these are very minor nit-picks...but if I weren't a <b>damn perfectionist</b>, you wouldn't be getting figures of this quality in the first place! ;) May 30th's "wave 0" release will be discounted to $18 (from the regular retail price of $20) to make up for the hand-compatibility issue.</p>
<p>I really hope you guys like these figures! It definitely stung hearing from fellow Micro collectors who dug the Powered Bio Suit but couldn't afford them. My hope is that these guys will make up for that and allow more folks to get into the game and appreciate how far home-printing has come. Please spread the word and always feel free to let me know what you think! Peace, peace.</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-37560313410862917582014-12-31T23:48:00.002-05:002014-12-31T23:48:31.995-05:00Never look back<p>I don't live by a motto or anything like that. I don't even like using clichés! I like to stay on my toes and take each new situation as it comes. BUT...if someone asked me to sum up my <i>modus operandi</i>--at least when it comes to toy-making--it would probably be "<b>never look back</b>". Every new discovery...every lesson learned...prompts me to throw away *anything* I'd previously held onto that's now invalid or out-dated. It's pretty much automatic with me, in fact. I'll completely bury old paradigms or nonchalantly step over their corpses in the name of progress. I guess that sounds pretty artsy-fartsy--especially for me! But it's accurate. And it drives people nuts!</p>
<p>I can't count the number of times Matt Doughty has yelled at me for straight up throwing out failed prototypes, primitive versions of designs, even preliminary sketches! Visiting <a href="http://onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Onell HQ</a> is an <b>amazing privilege</b>, but it becomes immediately apparent how different Matt and I are! His place is like a museum for all the amazing toys he's made himself or produced for others. My place? A trash bin full of <i>yesterday's</i> models...and the latest-and-greatest standing, alone, on my work bench. Don't get it twisted--I'm definitely the nostalgic type. Hell, I even have a few <i>Foe Gokin Gin Gin</i> prototypes hanging out somewhere in my mother's house! But ever since the home-3D-printing thing got established with me, the <b>breakneck speed</b> of development has made it so that even passing whims can be actualized in minutes on my computer and hours on my printer. That leaves little room to <b>archive milestones</b> on the way to "<i>production level</i>" toy designs.</p>
<p>The other funny thing I've noticed in this regard is how little resource I want to spend <i>manufacturing</i> production designs once they get to that level...when I could be spending those resources <b>teasing the <i>next</i> big thing into actuality</b>. See, there's no waiting for a mold-maker. There's no waiting for test shots to come back from a factory. This medium of toy-production is almost entirely DIY...and at first, that may sound a bit daunting. The reality, however, is quite different. And a bit shocking. <b>Toy design is becoming a drug</b> for me. In quiet spaces, my mind fills up with different geometries I want to experiment with. I see objects in the real world, and my brain instinctively resolves their shapes into individual CAD features. I'm a perfectionist and as I work through the engineering flaws in my latest prints, my mind burns with the thought of getting back to my printer so that I can test out new solutions. It's all so...fast and easy. It's perhaps then not too far-fetched to conceive of toy-design as an <b>addiction</b>. At least the 3D printing side of things!</p>
<img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8665/15683144900_50347d5e4e_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Of course, this isn't ideal because while I share most of the stuff I'm working on, I eventually turn into the <b>biggest slacker</b> when it actually comes to <i>making</i> these toys to sell! The perfect example of this is the Powered Bio Suit. Just scroll down to my last post: PBS' right around the corner, huh? Well, I've been sitting on these finished toys since around that time...but haven't gotten around to listing them for sale! I know. I suck. Life happens. :P Folks have been <b>politely urging</b> (HAR!) me to get off my ass and share these cool toys with them. I assure everyone reading this, it'll happen soon!</p>
<p>In fact, here's a quick teaser I posted on <a href="http://instagram.com/brownnoize">instagram</a> a while back:</p>
<img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8683/15683148360_141fc1ab92_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>But in the meantime, while I continue organizing the release of these guys, lemme give you another great example of how the slightest whim can rapidly be <b>spun into reality</b>. A couple weeks ago, big homie <a href="http://www.monsterkolorhub.com/">Matt Walker</a> hosted an <i>epic</i> gallery show at Monster Kolor Studios HQ called "There Goes The Neighborhood". I was one of over forty artists contributing to the event, and rather than simply cook up another PBS in off-model colors (like the Reverse Jungle version I did for UGLY Gallery), I wanted to spice things up a bit further. I decided to make a Type A suit in <b>eye-melting Constructicon colors</b>, but with a slightly modified hatch to pay homage to the characteristic purple chest piece Devastator has! Peep this:</p>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7472/16000324625_f93f9f59e5_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Sure, I'd prefer if the purple was a bit less violet-y and a bit more indigo-y...but the colors give it more of a fun bootleg feel this way. And I wouldn't have it any other way! ;) For real, as impossible as it may sound, the colors on this toy are even more <b>harsh on the eyes</b> than they seem in these pics. The star of the show, however, is that additional chest piece I added to the Type A main hatch. I modeled that piece to attach seamlessly to the normal hatch, and while it's not exactly a game-changer, it illustrates just how easy it is to produce a slick one-off for special events such as these.</p>
<p>Oh, and now that the gallery show is over, this particular beast is <b><a href="http://www.monsterkolorstore.com/powered-bio-suit-type-a-devastator-custom/">now available on the Monster Kolor website</a></b> along with other amazing pieces from the show!</p>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7509/15814327879_1d81f50712_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>So what do we have to look forward to in the new year?</p>
<p>Well, besides the Powered Bio Suit becoming available <i>outside</i> of art shows (and in normal model colors!), there are a few other projects I'm working on. Naturally, they're all <b>top secret</b>. :P Nah, lemme try to be a bit less vague than usual and at least give some hints about what's in store. First off, not everyone on earth can afford a PBS. That's real talk. Each one takes several days to make, and there's just no realistic way to get the price down--and it burns me to no end to see fellow <b>Takara SF Land</b> lovers talk about how much they dig the design...but not be able to pick one up, y'knowmsayin? So to do right by my homies, I'm currently wrapping up a very closely-related project that's 100% <i>for the people</i>. And given the reactions from a few members of the <b>inner circle</b> who've been critiquing the project, I have a feeling it's gonna blow up the spot. Stay tuned...it should be dropping soon!</p>
<p>What else? Well, it's hard to ignore the stalled-out <b>Shogun Voyager</b> brand. The minis were fairly successful, but only really within the mini/LRG collecting communities. They never truly caught on among the vintage Japanese robot toy crowd...y'know...the <i>intended audience</i>. The "standard sized" ones met a similar fate: much like the minis, they proved to be an amazing learning experience (that <b>rocket punch</b> is BOMB, yo), but the toys just felt...unfinished. The two-tone color schemes just weren't working. Sure, I could've worked in more color-separation, but that would have added substantially to the cost per figure (remember: the vast majority of the cost associated with all of these home-grown 3D-printed toys is time/labor)...and the final product still likely wouldn't have looked THAT good--especially standing next to a <b>vintage chogokin</b> on your shelf! But I believe I have an answer now. Every production method has its limitations, right? You won't find many <b>resin/rubber slingers</b> out there trying to cast standard-sized kaiju figures. Nah, instead, they do keshigomu/LRGs, 3-3/4" guys with limited articulation, and occasionally 5-1/2" fight figures (He-Man-style dudes). The same thing's true with 3D printing. It seems like home FDM printers really excel at big stuff, right? Well, if I'm trying to design an homage to vintage Japanese robot toys, it may make sense to aim higher. MUCH higher. ;)</p>
<p>And speaking of resin/rubber slingers, watch out for more <b>keshi-collabs</b>! Just a few weeks ago, I *finally* completed my vintage Bandai <b><a href="http://www.geocities.jp/sdjadou/gallary_SZ_Top.html">Spiral Zone</a></b> set. Took a few years to do it, but I've now got at least one of every sculpt (though not a "master set", which is one of every sculpt <i>in every color</i>). Fans of the Japanese "real-type" aesthetic, or near-future scifi military stuff will dig these keshigomu...and hopefully, I'll be designing more supplements to this line, like Eric Nilla and my <a href="http://ericnilla.storenvy.com/collections/272314-ericnilla-customs/products/8237289-spiral-zone-monoseed-ii-rimfire-keshi">Monoseed II "Rimfire Cannon"</a> from this past year.</p>
<img src="http://dpegb9ebondhq.cloudfront.net/product_photos/19176867/IMG_20140707_015326_original.jpg" width="575">
<p>I've also got some other cheap toys in the works. No, not keshi...home 3D-printed stuff. But definitely friendly pricing! More on that next time...</p>
<p>Okay, so what about events? Well, it looks like the <b>Future Factory</b> boys are at it again! In the next month or so, <a href="http://mechazone.com/">Mechazone</a>, <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Prometheum5</a>, and I should be wrapping up planning on our second 3D-printed toy-making class hosted by Matt Walker at Monster Kolor HQ. With what we learned from the last year's class, this one should be dope. We sold out of the limited slots in the class in under six hours last time, but we've since figured out how to streamline things and accommodate more folks. Good times ahead!</p>
<p>And lastly, <a href="http://www.collectiondx.com/srgm">SRGM2</a> planning is going on as I type this! I'm not sure what capacity I'll be involved this year, but make no mistake: I'ma be there repping for the <b>MA$$ toy community</b>!</p>
<p><i>*PHEW*</i>...aiight, I think that's it for now! Yeah, yeah...if I just updated this blog more often, I wouldn't have to drop such massive TL;DR walls of text on y'all! :P But it's all gravy. Last year, I predicted that 2014 would be big for me...and it was. I've learned so much in terms of 3D-printed toy design, and I should finally be able to share the <b>fruits of that labor</b> in a BIG way in 2015! So, <b>Happy New Year</b>, y'all!</p>
<p>Peace, peace. And smoke that jibba-jabba.</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-20317073268807465802014-09-30T14:26:00.001-04:002014-09-30T14:26:41.899-04:00PBS: right around the corner<p>How y'all doing, guys?? Hopefully, this'll be a quick update...but you know how wordy I get! ;) There've been a couple cool events that I've sorta neglected to cover. First off, we had the East Coast Chogokin Summit last month, and as usual, it was hot! Now, just a few words about it--mainly because a LOT of folks have been asking about the <b>nature of the event</b> and why there weren't any public announcements (or much post-event coverage, for that matter). Well, I mentioned this a bit before with <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2014/03/incoming-super-robots-giant-monsters.html">Super Robots Giant Monsters</a>, but we essentially wanted to split the Summit into two distinct things. With all the public fanfare, the Summit was quickly becoming unwieldy and just not appropriate for hosting at an individual's home...so SRGM would function as the big, public "con", where <i>everybody</i> was invited. The Summit would then be free to go back to being what it was originally intended for: a smaller get-together of locals and other <b>long-time pillars of the toy community</b>, hosted in someone's home in order to <b><i>share</i> their toy collection</b>. I think we really accomplished that goal. As far as I'm aware, there was no "announcement" of the Summit on facebook or any other social media outlets, so the crowd was much more intimate this year. But that's a great thing because we actually had time to <i>get to know</i> newer members of the community and pull in other locals and not leave 'em out to dry. Now, the big question, of course, is whether or not there'll be a <b>second SRGM</b>! I haven't heard anything...but my fingers are crossed!</p>
<p>Another local event that may have flown under folks' radar was another paint class at <a href="http://www.monsterkolorhub.com/">Monster Kolor Studios</a> in Middleboro, MA. This time around, our kaiju pal, <a href="https://www.maxtoyco.com/">Mark Nagata</a>'s latest <b>standard-sized kaiju Eyezon</b> was the canvas for these painters' imagination! As usual, I was there just to <s>heckle</s>--er, <i>hang out</i>--but participating were toy-makers, toy-collectors, robot fans, kaiju fans, packaging designers, and tattoo artists. Some new faces, some old friends...all positive folks looking for a fun, creative, static-free event.</p>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3877/15389139871_b7492f08c4_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Yo, for real, don't sleep on <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/events">classes at Monster Kolor</a>! You don't often get the opportunity in the <b>toy game</b> to meet up with good people in person and actually <i>enjoy yourself</i>. We all know how online <i>social</i> media are anything but that [Yes, I've broken down and taken over the "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sanjeev.tehjerk">Sanjeev Teh Jerk</a>" joke account Fray-Fray created for me. But don't think for a moment I'm accepting your friend request!! :P I'm in this crap only for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/toyboxdx/">groups</a>!]. And cons have become an utter nightmare of <b>narcissistic cosplayers</b> and big-media coverage pushing out independent comic, toy, art, and video dealers. The writing's on the wall: times are changing and <b>the hobby's in decline</b>. But as the larger corporate aspects of "geek" pop culture start to eat themselves, local events like these classes--or even small-scale cons like SRGM--are an oasis for heads still in the game for right reasons. If you're down, if you have the love, I encourage you to support local events like these. If not, it's all good--we're gonna keep moving forward regardless.</p>
<p>Which brings me to the main point of this post! To kick off an <b>actual production run</b> of Powered Bio Suits (tentatively scheduled for Halloween), I have a <i>one-off</i> for sale at <a href="http://uglygallery.com/">UGLY Gallery</a> in New Bedford, MA! This show is being put on by local artist and <i>long-time</i> toy-maker, <a href="http://www.evildesign.com/">MCA</a>, and Dead Presidents/Monster Kolor, himself, Matt Walker...and from what I understand, this is the first toy-related show for the guys at UGLY! They're psyched about it, the venue is flavor, should be a live one, yo. So come check us out at the reception on October 25th.</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15208666910_b3d7f163f7_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>The one-off PBS (type C) I'm entering into the show has been done up in "<b>reverse jungle</b>" colors--an homage to the original Nitto model kit series, which offered the Diaclone Powered Suit in a number of killer <b>real-type</b> color schemes--and it's likely going to be the ONLY one I'll ever do like this:</p>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3926/15208826287_1e6b54f118_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Sorry--the Micronaut in the suit actually belongs to Walker, and is not for sale with the suit. We just stuffed him in there for these pics.</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2942/15392149391_43056d61cb_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>And finally, production packaging will be available with this guy!</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15392156651_862c25d480_o.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/15208663590_49d07e3903_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Not feeling the real-type steez? It's cool--very soon after the end of the Evil Ugly Monster Show, I'll be making a handful of <b>traditionally-colored</b> Powered Bio Suits available. They'll have the standard grey bodies, with red and blue armor parts. Stay tuned to my <a href="http://instagram.com/brownnoize">instagram</a> or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MicroFans/">MicroFans</a> fb group for the most up-to-date announcements. Who knows--I may even update this blog in time for the drop! ;)</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-87045928440294198702014-07-07T03:26:00.000-04:002014-07-07T03:26:01.985-04:00LOOK 4<p>What's shaking, kids? I figured another update was long overdue, so here I am with my usual flurry of announcements! First, y'all feeling the new look?? My main man, Larry of <a href="http://www.minutiastudios.com/index.html">Minutia Studios</a> helped a brotha out with the new logo design and overall <b>visual philosophy</b>. For a while now, I've been wanting to "downsize" the look of Brownnoize. And I think we pulled it off!</p>
<p>Anyway, let's get down to business! Local events seem to be a running theme around here, so let's kick things off with that. First up, a quick report-back from <b>Super Robots Giant Monsters</b>. We blew the doors off the hinges! For real, I forget the exact tally, but we had some 700 visitors for the event...and that apparently shattered records for the venue! I keep telling heads: us Massholes know how to throw down. ;) Not surprisingly, I didn't eat a crumb throughout the day--I was constantly bouncing back and forth between the vintage toy gallery I curated and the vendor table I was sharing with <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Prometheum5</a> and his Mini-Me, Mark. I barely even got to see the rest of the <b>vendors' wares</b> or the (2D) art gallery! Other highlights included seeing old buddies like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RGAkamatsu">Frankie B. Washington</a> and <a href="http://www.onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Matt Doughty</a>. All in all, it was a great time...and given the event's enormous popularity, I can't imagine there not being a <b>sequel in the works</b>! ;)</p>
<p>Naturally, as more of a social butterfly than a hard-hitting journalist, I leave event coverage to the pros! Check out DoomKick's round-up of the vendor tables <a href="http://doomkick.com/super-robots-giant-monsters-the-round-up/">here</a> and his coverage of the vintage toy gallery <a href="http://doomkick.com/srgm-coverage-the-room-of-insanity-103-pics/">here</a>.</p>
<img src="http://doomkick.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/BrownNoize-1.jpg" width="575">
<p>Okay, now for some <i>upcoming</i> event news! This Friday night, July 11th, you can catch me at <a href="http://blog.shopfoe.com/events/2014/01/24/look-4/">FOE in Northampton, MA</a> for the opening reception of the "<b>LOOK 4</b>" show. It should be pretty live...lots of locals will be coming through to show support and just to hang out. Many of us haven't connected since SRGM(!), so it'll be good to chill.</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2938/14614010813_9ddae6736d.jpg" width="575">
<p>LOOK 4 isn't meant to be a dedicated toy show--more of a general showcase of several local artists--so it was a bit <b>daunting</b> to me at first to have been invited. To have my toys on display among all these talented artists' work is no joke! But Jim and Nicole at FOE have been great and are experts at encouraging artists and fostering the creative community. How could I refuse??</p>
<p>So what goodies am I bringing?</p>
<p>Well, first up, I'm gonna have over a dozen <b>Shogun Voyager</b> minis of the characters, "Scorpia" and "Gorgen". Ah, but these are NOT the same as the prototype figures I had at SRGM! These "2.0" versions feature two-color construction and much more stylized designs. These are NOT to be missed, as the format of this toy line is going to be radically changed later this summer. This may actually be folks' very last chance to grab Shogun Voyager minis with this <b>articulation format</b>...</p>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/14542506316_da4754fe11.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/14379004389_b4d6d2e338.jpg" width="575">
<p>Next, for the first time ever, I'm going to have the prototype versions of my Shogun Voyager ST "Gorgen" figures available! Yup, these are slightly tweaked versions of the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/13801412544/">test shot</a> I had on hand at SRGM. Each of these "standard" sized (5-1/4") figures features durable ABS plastic construction, spinning shield blades, and of course, firing fists! In my opinion, among all my offerings at LOOK 4, these will be the <b>stars of the show</b>!</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/14379030429_d4960e5e41.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14379177357_91ee7a8743.jpg" width="575">
<p>And lastly, I can't forget to mention the big boy, a Type B <b>Powered Bio Suit</b>, complete with a Microman pilot figure!</p>
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3858/14542462986_b1210d5e46.jpg" width="575">
<p>Before I hop on outta here, I gotta send a shout-out to Jesse of <a href="http://doomkick.com/">DoomKick.com</a>. Stay tuned to his site for <b>#RampagingRobots</b>, a sick collab between me, <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Prometheum5</a>, <a href="http://mechazone.com/">Mechazone</a>, and Jesse himself! I know that barely qualifies as a teaser, but don't sweat it--when the time comes, there'll be plenty of info!</p>
<p>Oh, and lastly, this year's East Coast Chogokin Summit is August 9th. Look for it on facebook. And be there! ;)</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-580441754354962272014-03-24T18:07:00.000-04:002014-03-24T18:07:35.073-04:00Incoming: Super Robots Giant Monsters!<p>I know it's been ages since my last blog post, but things have been moving at a breakneck pace since <b>Future Factory</b>! The class went amazingly well--tons of local folks involved with the hobby or just interested in 3D printing in general came through to check out what we were doing. <b>All eyes on us!</b> And why not? What we're doing is kind of ground-breaking, after all. As far as I'm aware (and believe me--I've been searching!), there really aren't any other folks directly 3D printing complex toys and hand-finishing them in their own homes. I'm sure in a few years, this medium for custom toys will become as commonplace as resin/rubber casting...but it's kind of an amazing experience to be among its <b>pioneers</b>. And, of course, having all of you folks along for the ride to give us feedback and support is what makes it all worth it. So <b>Thank You</b> for letting us do our thing as independent artists/DIYers!</p>
<p>But like I said, we ain't <b>resting on our laurels</b>. Here's some big last-minute news, folks!</p>
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/11860187263_bb4303532a_z.jpg" width="575">
<p>If you're actually reading this blog, I'm sure you've already heard about <a href="http://collectiondx.com/srgm">Super Robots Giant Monsters</a> by now (via <a href="http://web.stagram.com/n/brownnoize/">my crankin' instagram feed</a> or via the other various social media outlets talking about such toys and events)...but I just wanted to make a quick post to talk about it a little more. I'm actually going to be involved on TWO different levels. First off, I'm sharing a <b>vendor table</b> with none other than the inimitable <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben "Prometheum5" Mininberg</a>! Together, we'll be selling <i>armies</i> of 3D printed toys. Remember those 3D-printed super robot minifigs I teased about in my last blog post? Well, if you haven't been following my instagram feed, they're called the <b>Shogun Voyagers</b>...a rather obvious homage! ;) These micro figures debuted at Future Factory and every figure I produced for the class sold out before the end of the day! Well, these production-level, fully-packaged figures will finally be available to the public!</p>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/13385888273_47a984e43c_z.jpg" width="575">
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2853/13366705574_66f38c202c_z.jpg" width="575">
<p>Also available for the first time publicly will be the mighty Powered Bio Suits! It's been a long time coming, but the production versions of these toys are finally ready for prime time. <b>Go big or go home</b>, Micro-fans! ;) I'll only have a few available at Super Robots Giant Monsters (since they're so time-consuming to manufacture), but I'm just looking forward to getting some in fans' hands after all this time.</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2824/12241741505_2db1512501_z.jpg" width="575">
<p>These guys are enjoyable to mess around with, they're durable, reasonably well-articulated (given the source material), and they come with nice packaging and accessories. As I've mentioned before, I'm transitioning away from copying existing designs and doing more original stuff (like the Shogun Voyagers)...but damn if these aren't cool figures! I think they're a fun way to <b>enhance your Microman/Micronaut</b> action figures, and they simply make for excellent, high-end 3D printed offerings.</p>
<p>Oh, and lastly, I'll be debuting one more class of offerings at <b>SRGM</b>. I've only just barely teased about it on instagram, but something VERY dope is in the works...</p>
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2545/13118631625_f115fdc9c2_z.jpg" width="575">
<p>But, yo, I mentioned I was involved with SRGM on TWO levels, right? Well, let's take a quick step back: Super Robots Giant Monsters is the first of, hopefully, a yearly sequence of small toy-collector conventions that focuses tightly on--you guessed it!--<b>vintage Japanese robot and monster toys</b>. We'd been talking about doing something like this for the past couple years...especially with how big the <a href="http://www.collectiondx.com/articles/summit">East Coast Chogokin Summits</a> have been getting.</p>
<p>SRGM just seemed like the next logical step.</p>
<p>There are tons of folks who grew up watching the same cartoons and movies we did in the 70's and 80's--folks who have the same reverence we have for those classic Japanese characters and toys that were brought here during those years. But not everyone is connected to the organized collecting community. So JoshB of CollectionDX took it upon himself to organize this first-of-its-kind show to open up the hobby to more folks. And I'm saying, yo, it's gonna be EPIC!! A lot of the locals, of course, are involved, including <a href="http://www.onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Matt Doughty and the extended Glyos fam</a> and <a href="http://incubot.com/">Alen Yen, the Godfather, and his Incubot label</a>. But they're not the only ones bringing the heat...</p>
<p>See, one of the focal events at SRGM is gonna be the <b>vintage Japanese toy gallery</b>...that <i>yours truly</i> is curating! That's right: I've been put in charge of melting people's eyeballs at this event. And TRUST: eyeballs *will* melt! We decided that we're gonna kick off this hopefully-yearly con with a bang. "Bring serious fire" was the mandate we set. So to that end, on display will be toys from my own personal collection, and those of Josh Fraser and Warren Schwartz. If you're familiar with those names, then you <b>understand the gravity</b> of what I'm explaining. If you don't...oh hell...if you don't, <i>you will</i>...</p>
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/13384251334_85ded848be_z.jpg" width="575">
<p>You.</p>
<p>Will.</p>
<p>So that's it for now, but I'll leave you with just one more little tidbit: stay tuned for a <b>major site makeover</b> coming soon! ;)</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-43320702913399304282013-12-23T17:23:00.001-05:002013-12-23T17:23:27.484-05:002013 Wrap-up<p>Wow. What a year.</p>
<p>First off, I gotta apologize to folks trying to follow my progress who're <i>not</i> on Instagram! I've been kinda AWOL on my own blog...but you know how it goes with <b>constantly-evolving social media</b>. IG has been a great space to share not only my day-to-day exploits in the world of custom toy-making, but also a little more about myself through pictures of the many amazing Japanese robot and monster toys I've accumulated over the years. And even a little hip hop music here and there. ;) It's <i>so damn simple</i> to post something fresh every day or two. Makes this blog seem clunky in comparison!</p>
<p>But on the strength, this blog is still my <b>secret base of operations</b> for whenever I need to dump a massive wall of text (like this one!) or mad pics that wouldn't be appropriate elsewhere. I can announce stuff on IG, but I'll always refer back to this blog for more info, contacting me, or buying something.</p>
<p>I just want it to be clear that even though my blog posts are sporadic as hell, that's definitely NOT an indication that my toy-making adventures are slowing down in any way! Word. Life. In fact, it's now been about eight months since I followed <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben</a>'s lead and bought an <a href="http://www.octave.com/3D-Printers-&-Accessories-Afinia-3D-Printer/c123457122_123457123/index.html">Afinia H-series</a> 3D printer. And to call it a "game-changer" would be an <b>understatement bordering on absurdity</b>.</p>
<p>See, lemme explain something. I don't give a crap about 3D printing. I don't give a crap about CAD modeling. What I care about is <b>making toys</b>, y'knowmsayin? That's it. As it turns out, I happen to be kinda nice with CAD...given that I've been working deep in the CAD software industry for over a decade. And I've been collecting and dreaming about Japanese toys for FAR longer. But while collecting these things has hooked me up with a great group of people, once my creative side started to assert itself over my consumeristic nature, I knew I had to make at least <i>some</i> of the craziness dancing in my head real.</p>
<p>But I just never got into resin- or rubber-casting. You can make some dope <b>little rubber guys</b>...but the process is very slow and labor-intensive. $15-20 for a 2" non-articulated minifig that you have to wait in line for is a far cry from buckets of MUSCLE dudes available on eBay for a buck or two. No hate, of course--I <i>love</i> what cats like <a href="http://musclethings.com/">MUSCLEThings.com</a>, <a href="http://ericnilla.blogspot.com/">Eric Nilla</a>, and <a href="http://man-e-toys.com/">Tru:Tek/Zectron</a> are doing. But that's not my path.</p>
<p>I don't wanna do vinyl either. There are some amazingly-beautiful Japanese slush-cast vinyl figures being produced by today's hottest artists, for sure. These are made using the same gloriously out-dated, inefficient techniques used in making the original <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10469009086/">Bullmark</a> (and others) kaiju toys of the 60's and 70's. It's amazing to me that they're keeping this tradition of slush-casting alive--it's a small <b>historical and pop-cultural treasure</b> of Japan's, if you ask me. But this isn't the route I wanna take either. Spending $5k on a mold for a single figure isn't what I really want--especially when that means I'll have to request tiny batches of these figures to be cast in a million different colors, have them painted by...someone...and then sell them over and over to the same group of 50 people for $100+ a whack. That's fine for many others...but not me.</p>
<p>And mass production? Well, there's rotocast vinyl or injection-molded PVC in China...both viable options, as seen by what <a href="http://www.onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Onell Design</a> has accomplished over the last <b>six years</b>. But again, extremely high start-up costs lock an artist into just a handful of designs that they're forced to push <i>hard</i> just to recover the initial investment. I want to be more dynamic. Keep releasing new material...never bogged down in marketing or politics.</p>
<p>Which brings me to 3D printing. It's kind of amazing to have had this brand new medium just fall into my lap. And THAT is what it really is to me: a <b>medium for making custom toys</b>. This is where I differ from so many folks I've met over the past six months in the 3D printing game: I don't care about 3D printing, in and of itself. Whether you wanna call me an "artist" or a "toy-maker"...it doesn't really matter to me. The point is that my passion is the toys--not the method used to make them. I get that 3D printing is this new, emerging technology, and that playing with a consumer-grade home printer is a fun hobby...but that ain't what this is.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>2014 will be a big year for me. I can already tell. Seeds planted almost a year ago now are getting VERY close to sprouting! But before I get into that, I have some kinda somber news to announce: <b>I'm officially pulling the plug on Foe-Gokin Gin Gin</b>. I started this blog about three and a half years ago as a way to track the development of a locally-manufactured, Popy chogokin-style toy of Saucer Animal Gin Gin, my favorite villain from the 70's super robot anime, <i>UFO Robo Grendizer</i>. Those 3+ years saw a LOT of overhauled strategies, a lot of setbacks, a lot triumphs, and most importantly, a lot of learning. All in all, it was a great project to <b>cut my teeth on</b>, and even though I only made a couple official releases, I feel satisfied with everything this effort has taught me.</p>
<p>So why pull the plug? Well, it mostly comes down to economics. I won't go into the details of the manufacturing process, but suffice it to say that the resources necessary for a fully-painted release would have *forced* the price up to somewhere around $200. And while the end result would have been nice, it wouldn't have <b>good enough for me</b>. The heft of all that pewter content was fantastic, but without more articulation and gimmickery, it would have felt more like a painted statue or bust than a <b>fully-realized chogokin toy</b>. So the bottom line is pretty simple: <i>if I were a consumer, I would NOT have bought one for that kinda money</i>.</p>
<p>Oh, there's one more reason to abandon this project: HL Pro/High Dream has now made a <a href="http://metaltechfactory.com/metaltech-04/4578475424"><i>fully-licensed</i> Gin Gin toy</a> of their own! Sure, it's not quite the format/style I would have wanted in a Gin Gin figure, but the whole idea of my "Foe Gokin" line was to create toys of our favorite hero robots' enemies--characters who previously were never made into toys. But now that there's a high-quality Gin Gin toy on the market, well, that <b>itch has now been scratched</b>!</p>
<p>But all that having been said, stick around. You may just see another <b>shield-wielding super robot</b> emerge from Gin Gin's ashes... ;)
<p>Aiiyo, but before I finally send Foe Gokin Gin Gin beyond the veil, I just want to say one more thing. <b>Homemade chogokin CAN be done</b>. If the last three years have taught me anything, it's that this sort of custom toy *can* be realistically made. I've proven it. I already talked about why pursuing this project doesn't make sense for me...but I want to make it clear that <i>if ANYONE out there wants to pursue making a custom chogokin toy, please don't hesitate to drop me a line.</i> In all that time, I've learned a TON about this process, and I would personally *love* to see someone design and produce the equivalent of a homegrown "diecast" toy (well, a <i>pewter</i> toy cast in a vulcanized rubber mold). It would greatly honor the efforts of the past three years for me to help in any way I can.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Okay, now for the good stuff!</p>
<p>Looking ahead at 2014, there's going to be a LOT more direct 3D-printed toys coming from myself, <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben "Prometheum5" Mininberg</a>, and <a href="http://www.mechazone.com/">David "Mechazone" White</a>. We're forming a bit of a Getter team when it comes to spearheading this medium. And obviously, <b>I'm Ryoma</b>. David and Ben can brawl to figure out <b>who's Benkei</b>. ;)</p>
<p>But yo, check this out: this announcement may be a bit late, but I'm actually <b>teaching a 3D printing class</b> next month at <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/events/future-factory">Monster Kolor Studios</a>.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/11295887183/" title="FutureFactory_web by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/11295887183_58b5c3b203.jpg" width="575" alt="FutureFactory_web"></a>
<p>Ben and David will be assisting in this epic, <b>first-of-its-kind</b> event. We'll be talking a little about ourselves and how we got into this mess...but the meat of the class will be a *complete* breakdown of all the steps necessary for manufacturing a robot toy using a home/consumer-grade FDM (fused deposition modeling) printer. We'll cover the actual printing process, cleaning up the parts directly from the machine, and treating them with acetone vapor. And like the flyer above says, you make it, you take it! Yes, every student gets to select a robot toy design from one of us, and over the course of the class, prints it, cleans it up, and AVBs it (acetone vapor bathes it). And you take home the toy you just made. That's kinda hot!</p>
<p>Like I said, the announcement's a bit late because, well, the class sold out about <i>six hours after announcing it!</i> So *clearly*, there's some interest in this stuff! For now, we're telling folks to come on down even if they missed out--even if you're not a paying student with space on a printer, you get to watch the whole process and participate like anyone else. And we're most definitely planning on doing MOAR Future Factory classes and other events like it as time goes by. Our goal is twofold. We want to <b>demystify CAD modeling and 3D printing</b>, and ultimately, to get more folks involved in this medium for custom toy-making. But we're also trying to bridge the gap between the designer/custom toy people (usually resin/rubber or vinyl collectors who prefer the artistry and communal aspects of these toys) and the mass-marketed robot toy-collecting people (usually TF or vintage chogokin collectors who enjoy the accessibility and depth of the fandom).</p>
<p>2014 will also be the year of the Powered Bio Suit! Development of this toy has been frighteningly fast and relatively painless. Not to mention surprisingly inexpensive! The stickers are done. The packaging is about 99% done. The toys, themselves are pretty much ready to go. The production versions of these suits might just make their <b>debut at the Future Factory class</b>... Stay tuned!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/11516771053/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3701/11516771053_7d852f1a37.jpg" width="575" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>And lastly, here's a bit of a <b>teaser for a new toy line</b> I'll be producing next year (again, debuting at Future Factory):</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/11516773023/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/11516773023_ef5f8b5035.jpg" width="575" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>In fact, students of the class will be able to pick from among these characters to print--or <b>mix and match</b> body parts!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/11516686344/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7417/11516686344_f70a4abfef.jpg" width="575" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>That's it for now. Have a great New Year's celebration, enjoy the weather, and keep it gully. <b>See you in '14!</b></p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-342333578894824852013-10-28T19:04:00.000-04:002013-10-28T19:04:31.119-04:00Powered Suit Fake Type<p>At long last, it's time to unveil the <b>Powered Suit Fake Type</b> replica kits I'm offering through <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize">Shapeways</a>! I had been planning on releasing the Type C suit last month, but because the Types A and B were so close to production, I just decided to delay the whole thing until all three suit geometries were ready. And to make things even MORE confusing, I'm offering these three Types at <b>two different pricepoints</b>. So read on...and pay attention! ;)</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10527963445/" title="IMG_1237 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5542/10527963445_82c3f4946c_b.jpg" width="575" height="871" alt="IMG_1237"></a>
<p>When you first <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize">go to my Shapeways store</a>, it can seem pretty daunting at first. There are TEN lots of parts for these figures...and the lead images are all in black & white (so everything looks the same!)...and all the names are kinda confusing. Trust me--even *my* brain turns to clay while staring at this stuff. But it ain't like filing your taxes, so don't get scrrd! This blog post is meant to walk you through the purchasing process.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10527961365/" title="IMG_1257 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7430/10527961365_7ca3d6b289_b.jpg" width="575" height="752" alt="IMG_1257"></a>
<p>The first thing is to decide how much you wanna spend. See, there are two types of these kits: <b>Standard ("ST")</b> and <b>Deluxe ("DX")</b>, each with certain advantages and certain disadvantages. But before we get into those, it's important to point out that the ST kits will run you around $30, while the DX ones are around $85. Yikes!</p>
<p><u>Let's start with the ST kits.</u></p>
<p>Fortunately, these guys are pretty straightforward. They're 3D printed in a material called polyamide, in a process called <b>selective laser sintering</b> (SLS). Basically, thin layers of fine nylon powder is fused <b>via laser</b>, one at a time, to form a light, but super-tough solid object. This stuff's pretty great from a TOY standpoint. Very durable...and as you can tell from the blue and white Type C suit above, it's available dyed in different colors! Further, once you receive the sets necessary to build an ST suit, they're real easy to assemble. You just squeeze the parts together (though you may want a drop of superglue here and there), and you're ready to smash some Waruders. So super-durable, easy to assemble, and available immediately in different colors...at only $30-$35 (depending if you want a matching "<a href="https://www.shapeways.com/model/1238733/inch-lady.html?li=shop-results&materialId=61">Inch Lady</a>" driver). What's not to love???</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10528197233/" title="IMG_1270 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/10528197233_2e49111123_b.jpg" width="575" height="768" alt="IMG_1270"></a>
<p>Cue the bad news. Well, if you <i>really</i> scrutinize these pics, you can kinda tell the parts look a little...doughy. And grainy. See, that's the problem with polyamide: it's cheap, light, and strong...but the resolution is pretty crappy. Sharp edges are a bit softened and micro-scale details are almost lost entirely. Just look at the Inch Lady's face in polyamide:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10528018484/" title="IMG_1280 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/10528018484_8097ff1e39_b.jpg" width="497" height="1024" alt="IMG_1280"></a>
<p>But here's the real caveat: tolerances. These models have essentially been *done* for that past several months. So why has it taken so long to release them to the public? Because 3D printing assemblies of several components--even simple ones like these--is asking a lot of the printing tech that's available today. There's a little tab that secures the feet to the bottom of the legs, right? I broke one foot last night taking these damn pics because the hole at the bottom of the leg printed too narrow! It happens. So after *months* of tweaking, I think I've got a nice balance of tolerances in my current CAD designs. And I have a <b>graveyard</b> of failed suits to prove it!</p>
<p>So when you order an ST PSFT (yup, start getting used to the acronyms! it'll make ordering from the website a MUCH more sane experience), dry fit all the parts <i>as soon as they arrive</i>. You want to check for any misprints as soon as possible. <i>Trust</i>--I get botched parts fairly often...so be comfortable with the possibility that you may have to log a complaint with Shapeways. I have <i>three</i> pending complaints in with them as I type this. No lie.</p>
<p>If all the parts check out, you still may need to file down some of the pegs or use a drop of glue to secure some bits. Don't trip--that's normal (especially with the feet and getting the black upper arms anchored into those shoulder pauldrons). Obviously DON'T glue the shoulder pegs, the wrists, or the main hatch...unless you seriously don't want those parts to move! You shouldn't have to...but if you find those connections too loose (or so impossibly tight that you actually *break* the pieces trying to assemble them), log that complaint. Shapeways makes mistakes often, but they're also VERY quick and friendly to deal with. They'll take care of you.</p>
<p><u>Now let's take a look at the DX kits.</u></p>
<p>What's special about these ones that makes 'em almost three times more expensive?? <b>Steel.</b> Cold, hard, magnetic stainless steel. This is <b>baller territory</b>, y'all. The original Diaclone Powered Suits had diecast metal (zinc-aluminum alloy) bodies. That made them pretty damn cool: <i>chogokin</i> power armor? Hell yes, I'll take three. And now...we have the technology to PRINT IN STAINLESS STEEL! Somewhat similar to the SLS process for polyamide, a simple organic glue is deposited on a thin layer of powdered steel. Another layer is spread, and more glue is deposited. Once the basic structure is done, they take the delicate, glued-together piece out of the vat of steel powder, and they toss it in a crucible. There, it's exposed to liquid brass, which soaks into the structure, while burning away the glue. The result is a stainless steel formula that's heavy on brass, but definitely responsive to a magnetic field.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10527979756/" title="IMG_1264 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7300/10527979756_fb65544260_b.jpg" width="575" height="831" alt="IMG_1264"></a>
<p>The other aspect that makes the DX PSFTs superior is the plastic that's used. This translucent stuff is a much more expensive photopolymer made by 3D Systems. These parts are made in the classic <b>stereolithography</b> process, where thin layers of liquid photopolymer are cured (solidified) using a UV laser. The result is a VASTLY higher-resolution print than is achievable through SLS with polyamide powder. Details are sharp and the plastic is still fairly tough (I'd compare it to model kit styrene: maybe not as flexible, but it can take some stress). Here's a quick side-by-side comparison between a DX (left) and ST (right) PSFT-A:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10527962495/" title="IMG_1248 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3833/10527962495_5a495f04ef_o.jpg" width="575" height="471" alt="IMG_1248"></a>
<p>But the best way to convince you of how nice 3D Systems' photopolymer is, take a look at a painted Inch Lady, along with an unpainted one...</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9647942204/" title="IMG_1147 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7436/9647942204_1e3ec0aedd_o.jpg" width="575"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10528018984/" title="IMG_1278 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3743/10528018984_384518e97c_o.jpg" width="575" height="1261" alt="IMG_1278"></a>
<p>The upper arms and shoulder cannon mount of the DX PSFT are done in black polyamide because of its flexibility/durability.</p>
<p>But here's the most important note about the DX PSFT: <b>YOU NEED MAGNETS TO MAKE THE SHOULDERS WORK</b>. Yup, I use tiny neodymium (rare earth) magnets to hold the pauldrons onto the body. I get them <a href="http://www.fridgedoor.com/madid0xt010.html">directly from Fridgedoor.com</a> nearby in Quincy, MA. Now, you're welcome to buy a whole 100-pack from them...but that might be overkill if you're <i>just</i> using them for these toys! Instead, if you order a DX PSFT from Shapeways, <a href="http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/1dM7nxQ463N0Uf4cXufC"><b>contact me</b></a> via the link near the top, right of your screen. You Paypal me a buck ($1USD), include your address, and I mail you two magnets. Pretty simple...let's hope this system works out.</p>
<p>I just KNOW someone's gonna order a DX without reading these instructions...and then he's gonna complain to me about his arms falling off the damn body! :P</p>
<p>And the only other caveat with the DX PSFTs is that the 3D Systems photopolymer has a tendency to be a bit slimy when it arrives. It's not a big deal--just something to be aware of--so don't go spraying primer before you give these parts a thorough wash-down with hot, soapy water to remove that waxy slime. As you can tell from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9644710007/in/set-72157633622368977">Mason's Gundam-themed DX PSFT-C from the Summit</a>, this plastic paints up *quite* nicely!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10528201553/" title="IMG_1231 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/10528201553_697798e31f_o.jpg" width="575" height="271" alt="IMG_1231"></a>
<p>Probably the biggest factor in determining which format of suit you want--ST or DX--is not just about the money. It's also about <b>what sort of collector you are</b>. If you're looking for something very "toyetic" (i.e., something simple, durable, and doesn't require paint or too much glue...<i>or magnets purchased separately!</i>), the ST is probably the best way to go. The ST is <i>damn close</i> to a plug-n-play kit. On several of these that I've ordered, I've only ever had to file down a foot tab (and in another case, I just glued the feet on because the tabs were <i>too loose!</i>).</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10528198523/" title="IMG_1260 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/10528198523_ec926d5da4_o.jpg" width="575" height="256" alt="IMG_1260"></a>
<p>The DX, on the other hand, simply feels GLORIOUS. Cold, hard, heavy, indestructible steel. And <b>magnetic shoulder joints</b> are just friggin' cool. There's no debate. Now, the translucent plastic looks a bit boring to me--though I've had folks mention that it's reminiscent of classic <b>Henshin Cyborg</b>! Your mileage may vary...but I prefer to paint these things. Again, check my last blog post for Mason's Gundam-style paint job! So if you're not as interested in hand-candy, but are looking for something that's going to look like a precious gem on your shelf--with the prestige of a solid metal design--you may wanna throw down for a DX.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/10527981526/" title="IMG_1249 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3781/10527981526_a486f5dd51_o.jpg" width="575" height="297" alt="IMG_1249"></a>
<p>So just hustle over to <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize">the store</a>, pick the suit Type you like (A, B, or C) and the format you want (ST or DX), then order the THREE lots you'll need to complete your suit of choice. So for example, if I want an ST PSFT-C, I'll need <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/model/1399009/st-psft-c-1-of-3.html?li=shop-results&materialId=76">this</a>, <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/model/1399014/st-psft-c-2-of-3.html?li=shop-results&materialId=62">this</a>, and <a href="https://www.shapeways.com/model/1399003/st-psft-a-b-or-c-3-of-3.html?li=shop-results&materialId=25">this</a>. Or if I want a DX PSFT-B, I'll need <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/model/1398810/dx-psft-b-1-of-3.html?li=shop-results&materialId=61">this</a>, <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/model/1344664/dx-psft-a-b-or-c-2-of-3.html?li=shop-results&materialId=23">this</a>, and <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/model/1344665/dx-psft-a-b-or-c-3-of-3.html?li=shop-results&materialId=25">this</a>...<i>PLUS I'll need those magnets!</i> Just pay attention to the names of each lot (especially the suit Type letter and that bit about "(# of 3)"). The item's description on each page should help too.</p>
<p>I apologize for the wall of text, but please don't tl;dr me! ;) I wanted to explain this complicated (but necessary) ordering process...as well as set everyone's expectations of Shapeways' lack of consistency. Because of all this half-assery with magnets, glue, and Shapeways' quality control, you may decide this whole venture may not be for you. I respect that. But seeing as how these original Diaclone toys can easily break $200USD--IF you can find them--there are clearly a lot of collectors interested in these guys. So this is an opportunity to order as many as you like...and whenever you want them. They'll always be in my shop, ready to be made to order. And I ain't going nowhere!</p>
<p>Okay, that's about it for now. Feel free to hit me up with ANY questions you may have about these kits, the ordering process, or how to resolve issues with Shapeways. Next time...more Microman-scaled "Powered Bio Suit"! ;)</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-26178199455568971002013-09-02T18:31:00.000-04:002013-09-02T18:31:36.394-04:00Whirlwind Summit<p>The <b>East Coast Chogokin Summit</b> 2013 is now behind us...and I'm *still* trying to catch my breath. As is typical for the Summit, I failed to take <i>a single photograph!</i> Yeah, I kinda suck like that. But if you make it to one of these events, you know how non-stop it is! There's a WHOLE lotta toy geeking going on; it's typical to get pulled in multiple directions at once because there are just so many great conversations going on that you wanna engage in. Thankfully, this year's incredible host, <a href="http://www.collectiondx.com/article/summit_2013_wrapup">JoshB of CollectionDX</a> has plenty of great coverage. In fact, there's an impromptu interview with yours truly early on in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0ihGaA15PA">the Summit video</a>! ;)</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9594165095/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/9594165095_b834f7bb67_o.jpg" width="570" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>There were plenty of new faces, as well as some long-time Summit-goers who'd missed the last year or two. And what was especially cool was to have so many folks who were <b>actively making toys</b> on hand. This bizarre hobby continues to promote creativity and camaraderie in impressive ways. There was even a rare public appearance of <a href="http://www.onelldesign.blogspot.com/">Matt Doughty of Onell Design</a>, plus Grillo and <a href="http://callgrim.com/">Jesse Moore</a>. It seriously doesn't get better than that!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9596956114/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/9596956114_483a0b2ca1_o.jpg" width="570" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>So earlier last month, we saw at least a sneak-peak of the <b>Powered Bio Suit</b> at MicroBry's and Bwana Spoons' <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/micronaut-toys/powered-bio-suit/">My Friend the Micronaut</a> show in Oregon (there are <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/">TONS of amazing toys still available from the show</a>, by the way!). Well, since folks at Grass Hut were treated to the first ever assembled prototype of the PBS, Summit-goers were able to check out the <i>very latest</i> advanced prototype! The design was about 90% done and in fact was a full-color mock-up. See, the production toy will be <b>printed in color</b>, but I usually print my prototypes monochrome to save time. I knew I was bringing the latest and greatest to the Summit for people to mess around with, so I just couldn't abide it looking shabby--especially next to prototypes from my comrades-in-arms, <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben Mininberg</a> and <a href="http://www.mechazone.com/">David White</a>! Gotta bring the heat when those cats are coming to town, y'knowmsayin?</p>
<p>So...y'know...the night before the Summit, I busted out the <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/">Monster Kolor</a> rattle cans and spray painted my plain white prototype PBS! After that gloss clear coat, I was feeling the look:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9596954764/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/9596954764_3fdf66b84e_o.jpg" width="570" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>Like I said in my post last month, the PBS project is all on me. I designed the toy (well, the mechanics, if not the aesthetics! ;) ) and I manufacture it in my own home. Sure, I certainly have backup--my homie, <a href="http://www.minutiastudios.com/index.html">Larry of Minutia Studios</a>, is helping design the stickers and packaging--but because this is the <b>least collaborative</b> toy development project I've ever engaged in, I'm actually free to reveal whatever I want...whenever I want. No secrets, no passwords, no need to <i>be down</i> to hear the latest gossip. Just real talk.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9594161163/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/9594161163_3e4ee0ca11_o.jpg" width="570" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>So with that, I can say that the toy is roughly 99% done! I'm hoping to receive my <b>color ABS filament</b> by the end of the week so that I can start doing in-color prints to show off. The packaging and stickers will be next, but I won't be able to get to that stuff until later this month. Either way, I'm loving every minute of this process. Unlike the Foe Gokin Gin Gin project I started <i>years</i> ago (which may be comatose, but still breathes, by the way!), there are no external forces to get in the way of making this happen!</p>
<p>Unless, of course, Takara-Tomy swoops in and sues my ass off for bootlegging their Diaclone toy. ;)</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9607355893/" title="IMG_1133 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/9607355893_a2c688d1b1_o.jpg" width="570" alt="IMG_1133"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9607356635/" title="IMG_1132 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5467/9607356635_d4906a5b21_o.jpg" width="570" alt="IMG_1132"></a>
<p>And speaking of bootlegs, I wanna switch gears real quick and talk about something real special. In honor of the Summit last week, my homeboy, Mason Fitch--painter of "<a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/micronaut-toys/the-foreman/">The Foreman</a>" Powered Suit Fake Type--dropped yet another <b>one-of-a-kind masterpiece</b>. This one is simply entitled, "<b>Gundam</b>":</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9647945854/" title="IMG_1140 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9647945854_152e8751f7_o.jpg" width="570" alt="IMG_1140"></a>
<p>His work is absolutely stunning. The color scheme comes from the RX-78-2 Gundam prototype Mobile Suit from one of the first "real robot" or mecha franchises, <i>Mobile Suit Gundam</i>. A true <b>classic of science fiction</b>. Mason even painted up the Inch Lady faux-Diaclone driver to resemble Amuro Ray, the show's self-discovering hero and pilot of the eponymous mecha.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9644710453/" title="IMG_1144 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/9644710453_e8522cb86d_o.jpg" width="570" alt="IMG_1144"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9644709133/" title="IMG_1146 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5515/9644709133_efffa4c821_o.jpg" width="570" alt="IMG_1146"></a>
<p>And dig that sick Beam Rifle-colored Type C cannon! ;)</p>
<p>As usual, this "<b>Powered Suit Fake Type</b>" custom figure features 100% 3D-printed construction, a stainless steel body and shoulders, magnetically jointed arms, and a removable Type C main gun on the back. And to commemorate Labor Day, a day where we observe and honor the often-thankless sacrifices working class people in the US have made to make this country run since it's inception, we are putting this figure up for sale!</p>
<p>The price will be $125 plus shipping. Please hit up <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9647945854/in/set-72157633622368977">my Flickr for TONS of hi-res pics</a> of this tiny gem. This will be the ONLY Powered Suit Fake Type custom-painted by us in this Gundam-inspired color scheme. This is a one-of-a-kind piece...and seeing as how the normal unpainted kits will cost about $90 from Shapeways (going live hopefully by the end of the month), it's not a bad deal for such fine paint work! :)</p>
<p>So if you're interested, please <a href="http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/1dM7nxQ463N0Uf4cXufC">zap me a note</a> using the contact form on the right! Support my buddy's art, all local artists, and even if you don't buy this figure, please take some time today to think about and appreciate some aspect of your life that would be a lot harder if not for the efforts of working class people everywhere!</p>
<p>And before I sign off, it just wouldn't be right if I didn't <b>drop a teaser</b>...</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9659576836/" title="PSFT-A_01 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7409/9659576836_b763ec249e_o.jpg" width="570" alt="PSFT-A_01"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9659576890/" title="PSFT-A_02 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2854/9659576890_e5ab973558_o.jpg" width="570" alt="PSFT-A_02"></a>
<p>Diaclone Powered Suit type A. Coming soon! ;)</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-9204120130807603342013-08-10T23:44:00.001-04:002013-08-10T23:44:10.410-04:00I suppose I should start talking...<p>Now, chances are if you're following my blog, you're also following the blog of the Rhodey to my Stark, <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben Mininberg</a> (hmm...that analogy didn't quite work the way I wanted it to...). Anyway, if so, then you probably have some idea of the grandeur that was the 2013 edition of Bwana Spoons' and Microbry's <b>My Friend the Micronaut</b> show at <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/">Grass Hut</a> in Portland, OR! Ben's always been ahead of the curve when it comes to social media (at least when compared to a dinosaur like me!), so his coverage of our small corner of the show has been invaluable. For real, if you haven't checked his site lately, you NEED to peep his <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/2013/07/29/allaround-buffalo-squad-for-my-friend-the-micronaut-2013/">Buffalo Squad</a> Allarounds and the epic, jaw-dropping <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/2013/08/02/union-fighter-blockman-cd-1-l-118-micro-scale-prhi-3d-printed-figure-debuts-at-grasshut/">Microman-scale Blockman</a>. All 3D-printed in his own home!</p>
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/9480983605_de82b82ee3_b.jpg" width="575" height="770" alt="image">
<p>Last month, I mentioned that the PSFT (Powered Suit Fake Type), my tribute to the <b>Diaclone Powered Suit Type C</b>, was going to be debuting at the show...with special thanks to Mason Fitch, Lisa Fitch, and <a href="http://dylangould.blogspot.com/">Dylan Gould</a>. These three amazing miniature painters absolutely killed the figures I ordered from Shapeways specially for MFTM. Well, not only can these figures finally be seen online, but they're actually available for purchase!</p>
<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/29c80163c10d0b782e18a67eb143e205/tumblr_mr3by5mm5B1sazyvuo8_1280.jpg" width="575" alt="image">
<p>First up is Mason's figure, "<a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/micronaut-toys/the-foreman/">The Foreman</a>". Pretty obvious where the name comes from if you're a G1 Transformers fan! <b>Devastator-style</b> suit; Spike-style driver:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9484034446/" title="IMG_20130717_132441_294 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/9484034446_5aa81e2720_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130717_132441_294"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9481241865/" title="IMG_20130717_132359_291 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/9481241865_78f60c1d96_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130717_132359_291"></a>
<p>Next, sticking with the Microman theme, Lisa's <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/micronaut-toys/biotron/">Biotron-tribute</a> suit is piloted by a driver painted like a yellow <b>Micronaut Time Traveler</b>:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9484034042/" title="IMG_20130717_133126_633 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3798/9484034042_1cea6c708c_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130717_133126_633"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9484033660/" title="IMG_20130717_133210_073 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/9484033660_5c1156d919_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130717_133210_073"></a>
<p>And finally, we have Dylan's <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/micronaut-toys/real-type/">Real Type</a> take on my Fake Type suit:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9484034928/" title="IMG_20130717_132703_615 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2844/9484034928_19ae12e929_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130717_132703_615"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9481241257/" title="IMG_20130717_132732_131 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3807/9481241257_ab7429f5b8_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130717_132732_131"></a>
<p>These figures are truly works of art...but they're also fully-functioning toys. As I've covered in previous posts about the PSFTs, they feature magnetically-jointed shoulders, a shoulder mount for the cannon, and a bunch of other little upgrades over their <b>vintage counterparts</b>. Unpainted versions of these figures will be sold as kits through my <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize">Shapeways store</a> towards the end of the month (the price will likely be about $90).</p>
<p>But the biggest surprise of all has been a project just a handful of people have been privy to. See, back in March, I picked up my very own 3D printer! The <b><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/3d-printers/afinia-h-series-h479/4505-33809_7-35618555.html">Afinia H-series</a></b> has been the driving force behind the majority of my toy development for the past several months. It's been an amazing ride...the product of which is something I'm really proud of.</p>
<p>Behold. The <b>Powered Bio Suit</b>!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9484049096/" title="IMG_20130709_160127_125 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5505/9484049096_a17daf30ce_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130709_160127_125"></a>
<p>This 100% 3D-printed titan comes from...well...<i>downstairs.</i> As you can probably gather, it's an ABS-plastic Diaclone Powered Suit C. But the real feat of this toy is that it's actually <b>Microman-scaled</b>! Yes, roughly three times the size of the original toy, this larger version is roughly six inches tall and has a peg inside the cockpit so that *any* Microman/Micronaut figure with a 5mm port on his or her back can be mounted inside!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9484049316/" title="IMG_20130628_104756_404 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/9484049316_261672abdb_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130628_104756_404"></a>
<p>The variety of features include <b>glow-in-the-dark</b> cockpit panels, a clear plastic face shield, ratcheting shoulder joints with <b>gloriously-strong detents</b>, and full 5mm peg compatibility. <i>Like any good Microman toy.</i> ;)</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9481256507/" title="IMG_20130709_162403_305 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/9481256507_abb126ebbd_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130709_162403_305"></a>
<p>My hope is that the first production editions of this toy will be available at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/431838036913118/">East Coast Chogokin Summit</a> held this year in Dracut, MA. From here on out, though, I'll be posting pics of these toys as their development progresses. The <b>cat is out of the bag</b>, after all! For those who can't wait for the first production run of this toy, you can always head over to Grass Hut's store to pick up <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/blog/products-page/micronaut-toys/powered-bio-suit/"><i>THE very first ever fully-assembled prototype</i></a> of this toy!</p>
<p>Oh, and 'cause I just can't help it, I had to post this adorable picture of <a href="http://www.onelldesign.blogspot.com/2013/04/shipping-zone.html">CC of Onell Design</a> stuffing keshigomu into a later iteration of the suit at Glyos HQ a little while back!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9481256097/" title="IMG_20130716_193000_010 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/9481256097_b8f0b7c6dd_c.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130716_193000_010"></a>
<p>Kid tested. Doughty approved.</p>
<p>;)</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-24284782282471027612013-07-15T18:05:00.000-04:002013-07-15T18:05:29.385-04:00Public debut of the Powered Suit Fake Type<p>Okay folks, I can finally start spilling the beans about something I'm real excited about--something that's been taking up most of my time for the past few months...but that I haven't been able to breathe a word about. <b>Until now.</b></p>
<p>Starting August 1st, our buddy and esteemed <b>Takara SF</b> super-fan, <a href="http://bryanwilkinson.rockettubes.net/">MicroBry</a>, is joining forces with designer vinyl/custom toy magnate, <a href="http://grasshutcorp.com/bwana/">Bwana Spoons</a>, for a Microman/Micronauts-themed art show at Grass Hut in Portland, OR. This show is called <b><a href="http://myfriendthemicro.tumblr.com/">My Friend the Micronaut 2013</a></b>, and will feature Micro-themed artwork and toys from over a dozen DIY toy makers...<b>including yours truly!</b></p>
<p>Yup--my first art show...<i>that I'm not just crashing!</i> :P</p>
<p>But I won't be repping Brownnoize by dolo. Oh no. For a show like this, I've enlisted some <b>local talent</b> in order to come up with some VERY special offerings. First off, Mason, our bacony-good cohort and host for many <b>East Coast Chogokin Summits</b> in years past, has organized a team to hand-paint a trio of <i>Powered Suit Fake Types</i>--my Diaclone Powered Suit replicas--exclusively for the event. Yes, these are the Shapeways-printed offerings I've been blogging about for a while now. Stainless steel bodies, magnetic shoulder joints, 3D printed "Inch Lady" female Diaclone driver...and all 100% compatible with the original toys!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9293233037/" title="20130713_175323 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5547/9293233037_aba793e7c8_o.jpg" width="575" height="802" alt="20130713_175323"></a>
<p>But most definitely *unlike* the photos of Shapeways prints I've shown before, each of <i>these</i> figures will feature a unique hand-painted color scheme in keeping with the show's theme! Mason is an experienced <b>wargaming miniature painter</b> and he and his team will be lovingly transforming these toys into true one-of-a-kind works of art. I haven't even seen them yet--other than the teaser pic above--but I'm just honored to have such an established painter painstakingly work his magic on my humble replicas!</p>
<p>Oh, and like the post title says...this is also a big deal: these will be the <b>first Powered Suit Fake Types available to the public</b>!</p>
<p>And on a related note, I did get a chance to take a photo of one of the Inch Lady female pilots, primed and ready for paint. Finally we get to see a decent shot of her!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9295678292/" title="IMG_20130712_114252_848 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7305/9295678292_af0d9edd90_o.jpg" width="575" alt="IMG_20130712_114252_848"></a>
<p>Because of the <b>translucent plastic</b> she's made of, matte primer is pretty much the only way to see the detail on the print--even looking at the figure in person. So Mason showing me the primed figure was the first time even *I* got a sense for the print resolution. It's pretty wild! Even primed, to the naked eye, those print lines are all but invisible on such a <b>microscopic figure</b>. But now, of course, I'm <i>dying</i> to see her all painted up!</p>
<p>Next up, we have some 2D artwork that is sure to <b>melt some eyeballs!</b> Once again, Larry from <a href="http://www.minutiastudios.com/index.html">Minutia Studios</a> comes to the rescue with his absolutely mind-boggling skills! If I'm nice with 3D CAD, Larry is <b>godlike</b> with 2D software. Whether vector or raster, I've never seen anyone work like him!</p>
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/9266863672_1d05911f4d_o.jpg" width="575">
<p>Larry took my 3D CAD model for the Powered Suit Fake Type, developed a pose, photorendered it, mapped stickers to the surfaces, and got it all gussied up...before my very eyes. And the result? Brilliant.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9295679108/" title="PBS_art_sample by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3745/9295679108_52c4d22378_o.png" width="575"></a>
<p>I can say that this magnificent artwork *will* be available at the show in one form or another...but I can't give away ALL my secrets just yet! There's one more homegrown surprise in store that I think will go over well. Stay tuned. ;) In the meantime, y'all should check out <a href="http://myfriendthemicro.tumblr.com/">Bry's Tumblr page for the show</a> and peep the previews for some of the truly AMAZING toys and artwork that will be on display at Grass Hut!</p>
<p>Til next time, I'm out!</p>
Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-35708153679030441472013-06-20T16:25:00.002-04:002013-06-20T16:25:46.701-04:00Spinning Head Sunshine update!<p>What's shaking, folks?</p>
<p>I just wanted to post a quick update <i>mostly</i> regarding <b>Spinning Head Sunshine</b>. Well, my <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoize">Shapeways store</a> is up and running and it's ready to take your monies. :P Seriously, I did what I could to keep the prices down--you shoulda heard the swearing as I tried to hollow out the <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/model/1149924/spinning-head-sunshine-hollow.html?li=productBox-search">3D Systems</a> version...but what can ya do? They charge--a LOT--by volume. :/</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9093241687/" title="IMG_20130620_114050_981 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/9093241687_162f7ef4f5_z.jpg" width="500" alt="IMG_20130620_114050_981"></a>
<p>Still, there is good news! As it turns out, the <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/model/1149748/spinning-head-sunshine-solid.html?li=shop-inventory">SLS polyamide</a> version is not only affordable (from the perspective of a <b>custom MUSCLE-style minifig</b> anyway!), but they actually look killer in the different colors available! Peep this:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9095460162/" title="IMG_20130620_113551_892 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7446/9095460162_fe18910165_z.jpg" width="500" alt="IMG_20130620_113551_892"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9095462390/" title="IMG_20130620_113910_838 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/sj/2824/9095462390_25ac3d7f6b_z.jpg" width="500" alt="IMG_20130620_113910_838"></a>
<p>I was honestly SHOCKED to see how well these came out. I just assumed with the <b>polishing</b>, all the detail would be lost. Sure, the surface still has a very fine grainy texture, but you can still clearly make out the <b>ridges between the "bricks"</b>. Even my logo on the bottom of the feet is easy to see!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9093239239/" title="IMG_20130620_134716_058 by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2819/9093239239_d8bf7307d3_z.jpg" width="500" alt="IMG_20130620_134716_058"></a>
<p>So, naturally, I've been plastering this stuff all over <a href="http://instagram.com/brownnoize">my instagram</a>...and I definitely recommend following me to keep up with my <b>misadventures</b>! You'll get WAY more timely instagram updates than the usual walls of text over here. :P I won't be abandoning my blog anytime soon, though, because it's critical for posting details that just aren't appropriate for a <b>quick photo caption</b>...</p>
<p>And before I jet, here's a couple pics I already instagrammed. ;)</p>
<p>A couple weeks ago, I was up at <a href="http://www.minutiastudios.com/index.html">Minutia Studios</a> HQ, purveyors of dope <b>skateboard decks and apparel</b> designed by my buddy, Larry. Well, Larry has joined the <b>Brownnoize family</b> to help a brotha out with Gin Gin stickers and other graphics-related stuff.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9048336754/" title="At @minutia HQ working on stickers for #gingin. Larry's a master at Illustrator and can fabricate just about anything! #Brownnoize #diy #diy4life #arttoy #arttoys #customtoy #customtoys #Japanesetoys #3dprinting #Grendizer #Goldorak #goldrake #Grandizer # by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://l6.yimg.com/so/7299/9048336754_62567212a5_z.jpg" width="500" alt="At @minutia HQ working on stickers for #gingin. Larry's a master at Illustrator and can fabricate just about anything! #Brownnoize #diy #diy4life #arttoy #arttoys #customtoy #customtoys #Japanesetoys #3dprinting #Grendizer #Goldorak #goldrake #Grandizer #"></a>
<p>Well, let's just say for now that with <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/">Walker</a> in charge of paint and Larry in charge of stickers, Gin Gin is firing on all cylinders!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/9051256590/" title="@Minutia HQ part 2. Progress! Flexible vinyl decal on a conic surface. Not a simple task to predict the distortion of the graphics...so LOTS of test fitting... #Grendizer #Goldorak #goldrake #Grandizer #forcefive #uforobogrendizer #shogunwarriors #Brownn by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/9051256590_cfdb28c137_z.jpg" width="500" alt="@Minutia HQ part 2. Progress! Flexible vinyl decal on a conic surface. Not a simple task to predict the distortion of the graphics...so LOTS of test fitting... #Grendizer #Goldorak #goldrake #Grandizer #forcefive #uforobogrendizer #shogunwarriors #Brownn"></a>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-74614041264046220312013-06-09T19:13:00.001-04:002013-06-09T19:13:53.744-04:00DIY twerp<p>Heh...that's the term I used to <a href="http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,181837,250154#msg-250154">describe myself on TBDX</a> the other day. A bit of <b>self-deprecating</b> humor, to be sure--and certainly NO disrespect meant to other independent artist, toy-makers, and DIYers--but it was simply a statement comparing myself to <a href="http://www.collectiondx.com/manufacturer/yamato">Yamato</a> (now known as <a href="http://www.macrossworld.com/4283/farewell-yamato-hello-arcadia-of-my-youth/">Arcadia</a>), purveyors of rather controversial Valkyrie toys from <i>Super Dimensional Fortress Macross</i>. The point I was making in that thread was that there are myriad in's and out's when it comes to bringing something from product idea through resource allocation, licensing, design, iteration, approval, packaging, distribution, etc.--things that we, as fans, are often 100% oblivious to.</p>
<p>I wasn't trying to "apologize" for the flaws in Yamato's VF-1 Valkyrie or make excuses for their numerous <b>bunk releases</b> leading up to the current iteration. I was just offering possible <i>explanations</i> for the junk they've pulled. Sure, they may have done some unsavory things from a fan's perspective...but my point was simply that it's likely that other factors we can't possibly know about were the cause of these questionable practices--NOT that they're bad or lazy engineers. Clearly, that's not the case. They're making <b>licensed goods</b>, so they have extremely tight schedules to meet licensor and retailer agreements...</p>
<p>Which brings us back to me, the <b>DIY twerp</b>! The stuff I'm making does NOT require expensive tooling. The stuff I'm making does NOT require licensor approval (<i>*ducks!*</i>). I don't have to worry about deadlines and whatnot. I have the luxury of taking my sweet-ass time with everything I do. Sure, I still have to iterate the hell outta designs even as simple as my Foe-Gokin Gin Gin--and you lucky kids get to hear me complain about it all right here!--but ultimately, I can afford to take all the time necessary to make my baby "just right" before releasing it.</p>
<p>^^Those are just some thoughts that've been on my mind as of late.</p>
<p>Anyway, what the hell happened to May??? Yeah, I went two months without a blog post. Not good. But what can ya do? I spent a <b>week in Costa Rica</b> with my girlfriend and some new buddies...good times, but that didn't exactly help with my crazy schedule. And speaking of crazy, who'da thunk...but I've actually up and <a href="http://instagram.com/brownnoize">registered my ass on Instagram!</a> Yup, I've pretty much bypassed facebook, and I'm going <b>straight for the jugular</b> with this significant upgrade to my onlineness. Oh, I'm still gonna maintain my blog--it's the only way for me to post more detailed updates. But now, I'll be able to post a LOT more teasers a LOT more often via Instagram. I've only been on for a couple days, but I've already seen some incredible stuff. Most definitely recommended for the DIY crowd...</p>
<p>Okay, you want more crazy announcements? Well, I think June will make up for May's doldrums. How's this grab ya?</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8999874298/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5456/8999874298_1b46b5bde4.jpg" width="500" height="282" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>Wednesday night, I finally got a chance to head down to Dead Pre$idents Designs new Monster Kolor shop down in Middleboro, MA. That's a LOT of room...for toys, artwork, events--you name it. With FOE Gallery in Northampton, <b>Murda Mass</b> is becoming the spot. Of course, *we* always knew that...and we're used to waiting on the rest of the world to recognize. ;)</p>
<p>But back to the topic at hand, Walker's got a couple events coming up quick that I wanted to put on blast. First up, on Saturday, June 22nd, head over to the shop to <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/events/paint-your-own-tripus">Paint Your Own Tripus</a>. For the price of admission, you get one of Mark Nagata's <a href="http://www.collectiondx.com/toy_review/tripus_glow">Tripus</a> kaiju toys, some genuine Monster Kolor paint, and <b>hands-on instruction</b> from the Man himself on how to liquefy people's eyeballs with your custom-painted creature! On the strength, it's a pretty amazing deal.<p>
<img src="http://api.ning.com/files/iFakCrEkllHev*gW9XuyBUM9ODDGEvl3-6WdYj6ZA1OsH2k7-CZj9jHbVCzc1FI7GVArpSCOyWL8Ua2I4D6-DXgyf7icgUGh/tripusclass_1.jpg" width="500">
<p>Next, on Saturday, June 29th, Walker will be hosting his <b>first gallery event</b> at the shop: <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/events/locals-only">Locals Only</a>, featuring Brian Mahony (Guumon), Todd Robertson (Mechavirus), and Will Long. All awesome dudes...and all will be there in person. I'm most likely gonna miss the Tripus class, but I definitely want to be there for Locals Only. Should be a killer event!</p>
<img src="http://api.ning.com/files/iFakCrEkllGU6jMMp5HVAm7enKdb64ZTDZkFVwiwwVonMQ5zDw-*aXVtam2Y5Os*L6A2fY6JZQNfitwKTmSz*kTyCjcrYqDI/MKLocalsonly.jpg" width="500">
<p>Okay, I have some more event announcements, but they're for later this summer. I'll hold off until my next post (maybe that'll force me to be a little more timely, y'knowmsayin?)...</p>
<p>I think that brings us to our usual <b>progress reports</b>! SOOOO much good stuff cooking. Don't worry--I wasn't <i>sleeping</i> last month! Pretty soon (hopefully), I'll be unveiling a new source for Foe-Gokin Gin Gin plastics. I'm in the process of testing things and playing around with options, but if this pans out, it could amount to one of the <b>most significant developments</b> in the years-long process that has been this toy project! It could potentially be higher quality and vastly cheaper than printing parts out via Shapeways or some other online 3D print shop. As this vetting process continues, I'll be sure to update you guys, but for now, here are some pics I took today:</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8999835872/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8420/8999835872_13db68dd74.jpg" width="500" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>Yeah, I know he's missing the <b>middle horn</b>. Working on that... :P</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8998654035/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/8998654035_c5ef592617_b.jpg" width="500" alt="Untitled"></a>
<p>Looks pretty damn good so far though, if I do say so myself!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8999842076/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3675/8999842076_b9c3080929_b.jpg" width="500"></a>
<p>Meanwhile, I have a <b>new sticker source</b> who is extremely unlikely to screw me over. I know where he lives. ;) And with Walker having the paint mixed and ready to roll, we're almost set to make these things happen. Finally!</p>
<p>And now, the most exciting news of the month...remember my second <b>keshigomu collaboration</b> with Alec at MUSCLEThings.com, <a href="http://musclethings.com/showthread.php?52-Spinning-Head-Sunshine-X-Spinshine">Spinning Head Sunshine</a>? Well, if you were following along, Alec was able to make just a few of these figures before the first mold collapsed...and unfortunately, the geometry was just too complex to re-mold the suit portion without causing him some serious injury. It's a miracle he was able to mold it the first time without losing a fingertip to the X-Acto gods!</p>
<p>Well, peep this!</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8999851366/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3706/8999851366_5fc7907bdc_b.jpg" width="500"></a>
<p>Alec has been diligently casting up *just* the <b>Spinshine tops</b> that he'll be selling directly through <a href="http://musclethings.myshopify.com/">his site</a>. Yup, genuine hand-cast rubber from one of the true masters in the hobby! But remember: this figure was born out of 3D printing and my "digital sculpting". Well, with this offering, we're bringing it full circle.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8999855718/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/8999855718_227505eae6_b.jpg" width="500"></a>
<p>At some point this week, I'll be posting a <b>3D printed</b> SHS suit in <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/shops/brownnoizef">my Shapeways store</a>! The suit will be offered in 3D Systems (Shapeways' so-called "Frosted Ultra Detail") because it has the best resolution while still maintaining a nice, sturdy figure. That's the <i>strongly recommended</i> material, anyway. Unfortunately, it's also the *most expensive*! While the original hand-cast rubber suit from Alec was $20, this Shapeways version will likely be about $40.</p>
<p>It sure looks pretty, though...</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8998668479/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/8998668479_934acbe988_b.jpg" width="500"></a>
<p>Anyway, I'll also offer it in different colors of polyamide ("Strong and Flexible") for those who want one but can't deal with Shapeways' steep <b>middle-man markup</b>, but I fear the low resolution may make the polyamide version kinda suck. Choose it at your own risk.</p>
<p>Flip the script entirely, I may also offer the suit in the different <b>stainless steel</b> finishes. That's for the true ballers out there! Hey, there was demand--albeit not that much--for AshuraShine in steel...so why not the SHS suit???</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8999861358/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5450/8999861358_de6e63869d_b.jpg" width="500"></a>
<p>You've probably noticed by now that this new Spinning Head Sunshine suit is different from the one Alec originally cast in rubber. Well, since we're not planning on molding or casting this version, I could alter the design in ways that would make it even less feasible for molding (but that 3D printing could easily handle). Hence the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8803453369/ff">gada</a>, a traditional Indian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gada_(weapon)">mace</a>! I wanted to add something that would differentiate it slightly from the original. Now, even if you already have Alec's original rubber version, you can also get this Shapeways figure for some <b>dome-cracking</b> fun!</p>
<p>Of course, 3D printed materials are usually rigid, so I had to get a little creative with the design. See, Alec's rubber version was simple: you just flexed the shoulders on Spinning Head Sunshine (the suit) apart, and pop in either your Spinshine (top) or the original #195 <a href="http://nathansmuscleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/muscle-195-sunshine-f.html">Sunshine F</a> top...and you were off and running. Can't do that anymore. So this time, I just chopped a wide opening in the back of the suit so that you can press either top figure in! Pretty slick.</p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjeev666/8998673369/" title="Untitled by sanjeev666, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/8998673369_2db585a6f1_b.jpg" width="500"></a>
<p>Anyway, I'll post again once I've got the figure finalized and available in my Shapeways store. I'm looking forward to seeing how folks feel about this offering. If there's enough interest, we might arrange the same sort of thing for #107 <a href="http://nathansmuscleblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/muscle-107-sunshine-e.html">Sunshine E</a> at some point in the future.</p>
<p>Well, I think that's enough for now. I have a couple more things brewing, but they're either super-secret collaborations or just way too early in the <b>conceptualization phase</b>. All part of the game when you're a DIY twerp! ;)</a>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-61575891732984835092013-04-08T17:49:00.000-04:002013-04-08T17:49:20.800-04:00Did I say 'Next Week'?<p>Okay, a little later than I had originally planned. But, yo, things are moving really quick at the moment. It's kind of exciting! Before I get into the <b>usual updates</b>, I just want to mention that this is shaping up to be a big year for Brownnoize Productions. And this ain't the usual <b>vaporware</b> either! LOL</p>
<p>The collaborations on tap are gonna be off the hook. The in-house toys produced by yours truly are gonna be off the hook. Not much of a <b>teaser trailer</b>, I know, but I just wanted to express my gratitude to those cats who've stuck around and supported my diverse and weird efforts at making stuff people like over the past few years. <b>You will be rewarded.</b> But enough about that...let's get it poppin'.</p>
<p>I know a lot of folks are anxious to hear the latest about the "<b>Throne of Chaos</b>" Unicron stands, so we'll start with a quick update. The order with our fabricator was placed last week, so the first wave of stands should be touching down very soon! The support for these things has been pretty amazing...and I know the price is a bit steep for them, but once you have your Unicron sitting atop one of these stands, I think you'll agree it was <b>well worth it!</b> If you have any questions or are interested in ordering, please e-mail us at <i>unicronstands at gmail dot com</i>.</p>
<p>How about some Gin Gin news? Well, there isn't much I can show off at the moment, but I can say that everything at the moment is riding on finding a reliable sticker guy. We're looking far and wide for the right person, but I know it'll happen soon enough. Ha...y'all been waiting long enough, huh? :P Well, there's another closely-related update to go along with Gin Gin's progress: Monster Kolor now has a brick-n-mortar shop! Located in Middleboro, MA, <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/events/pinstriping-class"><i>Monster Kolor Studios</i></a> will bring the funk...as well as serve as a <b>US-based factory</b> for a whole lot of dangerous projects planned for the future. Stay tuned...and in fact, swing by for a visit and see the mighty <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/">Dead Presidents</a> in person and in action!</p>
<p>As for LRGs, there's not a ton to report at the moment. My part in my the latest collaboration is over and now the project has moved into the <b>mold-making phase</b>. Masters are being meticulously sanded, glossed, and generally babied as we speak! More to come...</p>
<p>Okay, now for the hottest news (<i>in my opinion!</i>). Diaclone Powered Suits...ACTIVATE!! First up, though, some background on my <b>custom Diaclone driver</b>. In the tradition of the <a href="http://www.microforever.com/M18X.htm">M18x Lady Command</a> Microman figures, I whipped up a <i>female</i> Diaclone driver!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/01_zps407484a5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/01_zps407484a5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 01_zps407484a5.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/03_zps2189bf6b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/03_zps2189bf6b.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 03_zps2189bf6b.jpg"/></a>
<p>I am Micro Woman. <b>Hear me roar!!</b></p>
<p>Her design was originally inspired by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samus_Aran">Samus Aran</a> of Metroid fame, but I had to ditch her iconic ponytail because it extended too far back in the Powered Suit cockpit. What's a gal to do, right? Instead, I opted for more of a 60's Mary Tyler Moore-esque "flip" haircut. Much easier on the headrest inside the suit...</p>
<p>Anyway, hair notwithstanding, this is all pretty awesome in theory. But as it turns out, the actual printed figure is so fine that most of her details get lost in the translucent plastic! Still, I'd love to see one of these figures painted up by someone with <b>wargaming-miniature-painting skills</b>. Time to make some calls...</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_151945_055_zps1f469e93.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_151945_055_zps1f469e93.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_151945_055_zps1f469e93.jpg"/></a>
<p>And now, onto the suit, itself!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_152949_943_zpsa54b905f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_152949_943_zpsa54b905f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_152949_943_zpsa54b905f.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_152825_572_zps2de7ebf1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_152825_572_zps2de7ebf1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_152825_572_zps2de7ebf1.jpg"/></a>
<p>Please forgive the wobbly look of the upper arms--I didn't have any glue on hand to fix them into the shoulder pauldrons. But I gotta say, the suit's looking <b>freshly dipped</b>. The shoulder joints are straight *money*. The teeny magnets work perfectly. They can't support much weight, but they don't really have to. And because they're magnets, you know they'll never wear out like friction-based joints.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153229_024_zps334fad26.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153229_024_zps334fad26.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_153229_024_zps334fad26.jpg"/></a>
<p>And as you can tell, the other nice upgrade over the original--the <b>aligned viewport</b>--is now just about perfect!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153113_761_zps84c23a4a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153113_761_zps84c23a4a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_153113_761_zps84c23a4a.jpg"/></a>
<p>And finally, the <b>shoulder mount</b> for the weapon works pretty much without a hitch. I didn't take any pics, but the projectile just slides in and out...<i>and</i> fires perfectly from a stock <b>type c</b> weapon.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153659_167_zpsdc9f02fa.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153659_167_zpsdc9f02fa.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_153659_167_zpsdc9f02fa.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153622_085_zpsa3d9d752.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_20130405_153622_085_zpsa3d9d752.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20130405_153622_085_zpsa3d9d752.jpg"/></a>
<p>So I think I'm gonna do just one more run of all the parts just to be 100% sure of the fit and finish on everything. Once I'm completely satisfied with the design, I'll post it publicly with purchasing instructions (buy in <b>kit form</b> from Shapeways, then hit me up for the magnets). Hotter than sauce...</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-31392089962512131022013-03-21T17:14:00.000-04:002013-03-21T17:14:47.943-04:00Unicron Stand Redux!<p>Guys, I'm putting together a bigger post with the usual progress pics (and <b>tales of woe!</b>) for next week, but I wanted to post some exciting and immediate news. Due to popular demand, I'm pleased to announce the <b>Return of the <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2011/01/throne-of-chaos.html">Throne of Chaos</a></b>! Yup, Brownnoize Productions' very first TF accessory is going to be available again for at least a limited time.</p>
<p>Need a refresher on this thing? Check out EmGo's killer youtube review:</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E4WS_eTSq4Y?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>Ever since BBTS sold out of these Unicron display stands, I've been getting a fairly steady stream of requests from folks for them. Of course, with a day job, my other toy design projects, a girlfriend...y'know--<i>a life!</i>...I simply lacked the resources to offer them anymore. So with a heavy heart, I had to turn away these fellow <b>Chaos cultists</b>! Well, I've been talking it over with my <b>kingpin, Dave</b>, and when we asked our acrylic fabricator if he'd be willing to go back to producing the small batches we were doing before, he said he was all in! WU-TANG!</p>
<p>So things are going to work pretty much the same as before. At first, just to feel things out, we're gonna do a <b>preorder</b> for the initial wave. All ordering and other correspondence will be going through Dave @ <a href="mailto:unicronstands@gmail.com"><b>unicronstands at gmail.com</b></a>, but as usual, feel free to hit me up with any questions using the **Contact Brownnoize** link to the right. Depending on how things go, we may offer them perpetually, but for now, we're just focused on hooking up the folks who've been anxious to get these things for ages.</p>
<p>That's pretty much all there is to it--just holla at Dave and he'll guide you through Paypal-ing the money, and once we have a critical mass of preorders, it's off to our fabricator! The response so far has been pretty wild...so THANKS, EVERYONE!!</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-50477862022071896912013-02-22T16:08:00.002-05:002013-02-24T17:32:50.157-05:00Design evolution<p>That's the concept on my mind as of late--"<b>design evolution</b>". Why? Well, a couple of the projects I'm working on right now have mutated considerably over the last couple months. The realities of toy manufacturing can sure poop all over the <b>ideal vacuum</b> of CAD modeling. That's just the nature of the beast, I guess!</p>
<p>Actually, one decision that has been going through some evolution has been this whole facebook thing (see <a href="http://brownnoize.blogspot.com/2013/01/big-changes-on-tap-for-13.html">last month's post</a>). I'm sure you're all riveted to hear if and when I'm finally gonna give in and join the <b>Borg collective</b>. Heh. Well, that little adventure might just be on hiatus...again. See, some of my buddies have been reporting to me that facebook groups (including the TBDX one) kinda suck. It appears that there's no real perpetuity. I guess there's a search function...and even though commenting on an old post will bump it back to the top of the list, no one really uses the group that way. The net result is a bunch of disjointed one- or two-post "conversations", where someone will post a picture of a toy, and a couple people will say "cool"...and that's it. Completely inane, and hardly the basis of a fandom or community.</p>
<p>Ugh.</p>
<p>Thanks, internet. But we'll see...</p>
<p>I'm probably going back to my original plan: join once Foe Gokin Gin Gin is <b>actually done</b>. And speaking of that project, not a ton to report. The recent blizzard New England was smacked with a couple weeks ago has driven a wedge into our recent progress...but things are slowly thawing and getting back on pace.</p>
<p>Anyway, speaking of TBDX and evolution, our very own <a href="http://www.incubot.com/index.html">Alen Yen of Incubot</a> is bringing mo' funk with a <b>fully-licensed</b> <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/incubot/anime-super-robot-grendizer-usb-flash-drive-with-s?ref=live">Grendizer USB drive</a> live on Kickstarter <u>RIGHT NOW</u>! Go there and pledge your support. The Godfather needs us.</p>
<p>Moving on to little rubber guys, things are going pretty well. And of course, as you've come to expect, I can't tell y'all a <b>damn thing</b>! :P I mentioned "good news" last month regarding a collaborative project I'm working on--well, it's still in development so I can't say much, but it's really becoming a little <b>slice of awesome</b>. In my opinion, it blows away the MUSCLEs I've designed thus far, and I'm hoping that by next month, I'll actually be able to share some of my excitement with you guys.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/misc/?action=view&current=8447999948_fd50149727_o_zps42286c67.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/misc/8447999948_fd50149727_o_zps42286c67.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Now, before I break some of my cooler news of the month, I wanna send a <b>mecha-sized shout out</b> to Nicole and Jim Shea of <a href="http://www.shopfoe.com/">FOE Gallery</a> in Northampton, MA for hosting the "Rise of the Robots" art exhibition at the gallery last weekend. "Art openings" aren't my scene at all (I know--<i>you're shocked!</i> :P ), but I've gotten to know Nicole and Jim, and they're cool peoples. They're passionate and they're doing what they do for the right reasons. Gods bless 'em...'cause that's more that can be said for a lot of folks out there trying to hustle.</p>
<p>Anyway, with a title like that, the exhibition was all about toys and artwork based on ROBUTTS! The aforementioned blizzard delayed the opening eight days, but the turnout was impressive and I was even able to meet some very cool locals, including <i>Transformers: Robots in Disguise</i> cover artist, <a href="http://tformers.com/transformers-interview-cover-artist-casey-coller/17639/news.html">Casey Coller</a>. Talented and humble.</p>
<p>Catching up with old buddies was also great, of course. I had a feeling he'd show up, but I wasn't sure...so it was nice to bump into <a href="https://twitter.com/mechavirus">Todd "Mecha Virus" Robertson</a>. Solid dude. Just a couple train stops away, we always promise we'll hang out in town!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-16_18-00-44_360_zps8f1df38a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-16_18-00-44_360_zps8f1df38a.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">^^One of Todd's "Amonaito" resin figures painted in Monster Kolor</a>
<p>And, of course, our pal <a href="http://www.mechazone.com/">David White</a> was there to dazzle us with his amazing <b>left-handed</b> artwork...and tell horrifyingly dirty jokes. Yeah. We get along great.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-16_18-06-19_131_zps35a32463.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-16_18-06-19_131_zps35a32463.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-16_18-06-51_536_zps7e25fcf2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-16_18-06-51_536_zps7e25fcf2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And, of course, can't forget our lil brother, <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/">Ben Mininberg</a>. Ben really showed and proved at the show, and I'm proud of the lad. He was reppin' hardcore with his very own line of <i>ridiculously</i> well-painted <b>3D-printed</b> power armor figures. Conceived, designed, and manufactured *from scratch* in his lab, these were the closest to <b>actual toys</b> in the whole show. Peep his blog to learn more about his process and see more pics. Oh, and I happened to snag one of his figures:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-16_18-05-01_622_zpsb9c3a66e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-16_18-05-01_622_zpsb9c3a66e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And before I forget, my girl snagged a killer piece of artwork (not sure what to call it 'cause it's not really a <i>painting</i>) from <a href="http://society6.com/artist/JamesBiggie">James Biggie</a>. That name sound familiar to you? Well it ought to! Partnered with Frankie B. Washington, he makes up half the creative team behind <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RGAkamatsu">Robot God Akamatsu</a>. We first met them a couple years ago at the <a href="http://www.collectiondx.com/article/2011_east_coast_chogokin_summit_wrapup">2011 East Coast Chogokin Summit</a> (damn, I miss my 'fro!).</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the artwork. She picked it out this particular piece...and I gotta say, I couldn't've made a better choice:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-16_18-01-08_633_zps26c27616.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-16_18-01-08_633_zps26c27616.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Okay, so I've given y'all updates on the current collaborations I'm working on, I mentioned Alen's Kickstarter, and I talked about last week's art opening at FOE. Now it's time to reveal that solo project I teased about at the end of last month's post! If your eyes are good--and you're well-versed in <b>Transformers lore</b>--you probably already know what's going down. I'm working on a reproduction (read: <i>bootleg!</i> har) of the Diaclone Powered Suit!</p>
<p>Diaclone was a hard scifi toy line by Takara in the early 80's that evolved from their Henshin Cyborg (yes, the <b>descendants of GI Joe</b>, by way of Japan's "Combat Joe") and Microman lines. No discussion of Japanese robot toys could ever hope to be complete without thorough consideration of these toys--they were marvelously detailed and never failed to spark youngsters' imaginations with their outrageous design aesthetic. I mean, forget how <i>Transformers</i> evolved from this toy line. Taken on their own, they're simply amazing from a design perspective.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-01-17_09-00-04_371_zpse32fb462.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-01-17_09-00-04_371_zpse32fb462.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>^^Okay, but what *are* these things, exactly? Well, most folks aware of the Transformers' <b>Diaclone roots</b>, are familiar with <a href="http://www.diaclone.net/orid/figure/index.html">Diaclone drivers</a>, the ubiquitous 3cm-tall dudes who piloted and populated the bigger toys in the series. Some USers will remember the "Diakron" and "Kronoform" lines' wild scifi robots and ships with these driver figures. And of course the Diaclone Car Robots that were eventually brought to here--sans drivers--as the early G1 Transformers toys.</p>
<p>The "Powered Suit" was a sort of accessory to enhance these lil guys. A cheap Diaclone fix for kids. As the name implies, they were very small mecha that the driver figures could fit inside ([nerd]I shy away from calling them true "<b>power armor</b>" because the driver's limbs don't actually control the mecha's limbs via natural, analog movement...[/nerd]). They were available in three different sculpts and two colors; tiny, fragile, and intricate. And while they were dirt cheap when the first came out, they easily command in the neighborhood of $200 a pop these days. Yikes!</p>
<p>Anyway, fast-forward from the early 80's to several months ago. A conversation between me and my <b>bacon-loving cohort</b>, Mason. Why not CAD-up some of our own Powered Suits?? We'd seen online some amazing efforts at repro'ing these toys, but the projects seemed unfinished...and the products--if any--unavailable. Well, some recent experiments with <b>stainless steel printing</b> sparked the idea in my head: the silver body of the suits is unpainted diecast metal on the original toys, right? Then why not make the body of our toy printed steel, and the rest in 3D-printed plastics?</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=01_zpsb9e3e2cb.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/01_zpsb9e3e2cb.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And the evolution just took off from there. My intention was never to make a *precise* replica of the original toy, but I wanted something that looked legit and performed well functionally. And that means that besides looking good, 1) <b>a stock Diaclone driver</b> had to be able to fit inside it, 2) a stock weapon and my repro weapon (including the projectiles) had to be fully-interchangeable and compatible with stock and repro suits, and 3) my suit had to be able to fit inside Big Powered (an even BIGGER robot that the suit fits inside...like a crazy <b>matryoshka doll</b>!). I think I've nailed the look of the Type C suit--the most common variant--and I'm proud to say that a driver figure (which are relatively easy to find) fits nice and snug inside. I haven't tried to fit the repro in a Big Powered yet, but I don't expect any difficulties.</p>
<p>But wait--there's more! Besides those basic requirements, I wanted to add some <b>enhancements</b> to the original design. See, as much as I dig the original toys, certain aspects always irked me. The biggest kick in the groin was the complete lack of <b>shoulder articulation</b>! That's got FAIL written all over it. The original toy's main body and the shoulders are just one big solid hunk of diecast metal. These guys are great at standing at attention...but pretty crummy at chop-socky. :/ Well, until *I* came along, that is! It didn't take me long to discover that 3D printed stainless steel is ferromagnetic...and you know what that means! <b>Magnetic shoulders!</b></p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=04-_zps16c634fa.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/04-_zps16c634fa.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Next, more of an <b>aesthetic gripe</b>: even though there's a nice <b>view port</b> where the face is on the suit's main hatch, you <i>can't actually see the driver's face</i> through the damn opening! Here's an early prototype that didn't account for this...annoyance:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-19_09-58-54_885_zpsf7ecfae2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-19_09-58-54_885_zpsf7ecfae2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-19_09-58-17_425_zps0a124b92.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-19_09-58-17_425_zps0a124b92.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>I've since been tweaking the <b>inner dimensions</b> of the suit to prop up our hapless driver a bit. Y'know...so he can actually <i>see where he's going!</i> :P</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2013-02-19_10-49-20_833_zps4ad5c212.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2013-02-19_10-49-20_833_zps4ad5c212.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>It's coming along nicely and my <b>next prototype</b> should have him propped up another half-millimeter or so.</p>
<p>And finally, I originally wanted to devise some way to mount the weapon on his arm so that he could be posed aiming it (putting those new fancy articulated shoulders to use!), but then I realized that the <b>Type C weapon</b> is just WAY too huge. Next best thing? A <b>shoulder mount</b>!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=03_zps41541f21.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/03_zps41541f21.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>It's just a <b>simple adapter</b> that plugs into the normal hole on the back of the suit for the weapon. It can accommodate all three weapon types...and it doesn't look half-bad! ;)</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=02_zps2579c515.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/02_zps2579c515.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Anyway, this particular project has been a wild ride. I know you've heard me say that before in regard to other toy designs--it seems to be a <b>common utterance</b> in this absurd hobby! But this "not-Diaclone Powered Suit" has presented me with a pretty unique challenge: getting multiple solids printed in different media to play nice. See, if this were all injection-molded ABS plastic, designing would be a snap because of ABS's dimensional stability. But because 3D printed materials have such <b>wildly-varying</b> properties, producing even a <b>simple mechanism</b> comprising parts of different materials can take dozens and dozens of iterations to nail the right dimensions in CAD or select the material with just the right balance of resolution and toughness. Very time-consuming...but hopefully worth it in the end!</p>
<p>I'm getting close to having the design tweaked to account for all the tolerances. Once it's complete, I'll just add it to my Shapeways store, announce it to the TF community, and await feedback. Good times ahead!</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-41208100311422204352013-01-15T17:03:00.000-05:002013-01-15T17:06:03.333-05:00Big changes on tap for '13!<p>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 <b>house-keeping</b> news: It looks like 2013 might just be the year I transition my blog from this site to...<i>the dreaded, horrible <b>FACEBOOK</b>!!!</i> Mwahahaahaha!!</p>
<p>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 <i>overwhelming</i> number, in fact. I can barely keep up with socializing in <b>meatspace</b>. 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 <b>nail jello to a tree</b>.</p>
<p>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 <b>pillar of resistance</b>(!) in their community is buckling before the might of social media. Heh...but there's a reason for the treason: see, my <i>bread-n-butter</i> has always been ToyboxDX. Started by <a href="http://incubot.com/">Alen Yen</a> 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.</p>
<p>Well, the <a href="http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/index.php">traditional BBS</a> is rapidly going the <b>way of the dodo</b>. The board doesn't get much traffic these days...and in fact, Alen has recently created a TBDX facebook group. And <i>that</i> joint is BUMPIN'! So...I guess if I wanna continue interacting with my people, I'ma have to suck it up and <b>sell my soul to the devil</b>! 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 <i>and</i> rock a blog--all via <i>one</i> "social media" website--well, I guess I can get behind that.</p>
<p>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 <b>we may see Gin Gin <i>first!</i></b> 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:</p>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_22-03-36_695_zps6cc4fd53.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_22-03-36_695_zps6cc4fd53.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_23-14-28_580_zps6a3740b2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_23-14-28_580_zps6a3740b2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_23-13-30_849_zps9feec5e5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_23-13-30_849_zps9feec5e5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<p>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...<b>stick one in my mouth?</b> Well...I dunno what I'd do. I just know I'm excited, damn it!</p>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_23-29-48_517_zpse14ee965.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-12-19_23-29-48_517_zpse14ee965.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/2012-12-20_00-00-15_911_zps683bbe9e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-12-20_00-00-15_911_zps683bbe9e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<p>The parts are being painted with genuine <b>Monster Kolor</b> <a href="http://www.monsterkolorstore.com/products/Brushable--Colors-.html">brushable</a> 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!</p>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/2012-12-20_00-01-08_665_zps24b10a6f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-12-20_00-01-08_665_zps24b10a6f.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<p>Matt's <b>getting over the flu</b> 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).</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Anyway, I wanna switch over to the <b>keshigomu</b> tip for a minute. Some good news and some bad news. The bad is that production of Spinning Head Sunshine has <i>ceased indefinitely</i>. 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 <a href="http://musclethings.com/forum.php">Alec, the wizard behind MUSCLEThings.com</a>, managed to rock that first mold, the second mold attempt nearly <b>cost him a finger</b>. Yikes!</p>
<p>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 <b>amazing creations</b>. 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...</p>
<p>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 <b>particular 80's scifi property</b>...both here in the US <i>and</i> in Japan! Much, much more to come...</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>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 <b>bit more appetizing</b> than just <i>typing</i> it out, how about a picture???</p>
<a href="http://s127.beta.photobucket.com/user/sanjeev666/media/Brownnoize/001-4_zpsc91fdf14.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/001-4_zpsc91fdf14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a>
<p>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!</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-8216803232801396292012-11-07T20:18:00.000-05:002012-11-07T20:18:19.624-05:00Nothing serious<p>First snowfall of the season today in Waltham, MA...and thankfully no more gods damned <b>political commercials</b> to ruin my Celtics games! ;)</p>
<p>In celebration, I'm just gonna post a bunch of random stuff I've been messing around with lately. For the past month or two, things have been mostly quiet as far as toy production goes. It's not a bad thing: I've had more time to spend with my girl, my friends, and go on trips and see new things.</p>
<p>At the risk of starting off on a sour note, though, it's looking less and less likely that Foe Gokin Gin Gin is gonna come out before the end of the year. I know that it's been almost two years of <b>developmental hell</b>...but the delays seem to be piling up all of a sudden. The box printers--despite their promises--have failed to follow through. The latest body masters from Shapeways (for pewter casting) have had weird surface distortions. I can't quite seem to get the shield design "just right". And the <b>god of paint</b>, Dead Presidents, is too busy with other projects to come through these days... :/</p>
<p>Hate to sound pessimistic--especially after all this time sounding <i>optimistic</i>--but that's where we're at. But on the strength, I'ma still keep crashing the boards to get this project done. <b>Failure is not an option.</b></p>
<p>But enough moping. I've got tons of mini-projects going on...and they're funner'n hell!</p>
<p>First, peep this madness... gold-plated <b>stainless steel AshuraShine</b>!!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2012-11-07_17-05-44_803.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-11-07_17-05-44_803.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2012-11-07_17-08-02_727.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-11-07_17-08-02_727.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>This thing is straight up and down nuts! It's the same exact dimensions as the rubber ones <a href="http://musclethings.com/forum.php">MUSCLEThings</a> is casting for everyone...only it's just a gold-finished stainless steel print from Shapeways (see my last blog post for some more info on the stainless steel printing process).</p>
<p>As you can see, the detail is a little muddied and weird. Like, the <b>partition lines between the bricks</b> are barely visible because of the lower print resolution...plus the highly visible print layers interfere in a really wild sorta way. But it's Sunshine, damnit. And he's <b>GOLD</b>...like he's supposed to be! When I was showing it to a coworker this morning, I dropped it...and the <i>wang</i> off his desk could be heard all around the office. Not a damn scratch on the figure, but it sure left a welt on his veneer! ;)</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2012-11-07_17-07-00_946.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-11-07_17-07-00_946.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=2012-11-07_17-06-38_741.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/2012-11-07_17-06-38_741.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>I'm not even sure what I'ma do with this thing. I kinda made it with that "because I can" mentality, y'knowmsayin? The figure costs a little over $80, so I might just offer it to the LRG folks to see if anyone would be interested. Could be cool, right? If anyone's actually interested, I'll probably tweak the model a bit to <b>optimize</b> the print (increase the depth/size of the brick partition lines, and enhance other details to prevent them from getting lost). We'll see how heads respond to it...</p>
<p>The next cool thing I've been playing with these days is <a href="http://i.materialise.com/materials/brass">brass from i.materialise</a>. This is a little pricier of an option, but it's something that my <b>young ward</b>, Ben, from <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/2012/09/28/bounce-tortoise-in-brass/">Prometheus Rising Studios</a> put me on to a while back. It's actually kind of a fascinating process: these cats actually print your object in a sort of wax or wax-like substance (don't know anything about the specific print process/technology), then they actually use the age-old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_wax_casting">lost-wax casting</a> process to make a pretty damn sharp brass piece from the print! Pretty slick, if you ask me.</p>
<p>And the results are killer. Click on that Prometheus link above for Ben's <b>Bounce Tortoise</b> power armor done up in brass. And here's some shots of a brass MUSCLE Gin Gin next to one done up in Shapeways' stainless steel:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0786.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0786.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0793.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0793.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>I love what I'm seeing with this brass, yo. The details are <i>almost</i> as tight as they are with the stainless. And there's a tiny, tiny bit of geometric distortion with the brass. But at the end of the day, the surface finish <b>utterly dominates</b> the stainless prints.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0788.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0788.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0789.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0789.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Just looking at the shields above, you can sorta tell that the stainless is a little sharper. The fidelity of those details is just a bit nicer than on the brass casting.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0791.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0791.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And that ain't no sloppy posing: both Gin Gin figures are equidistant from the camera. The brass one IS, in fact, shorter by a small amount--I guess you lose a little bit of size with the lost-wax method. Will have to remember to factor that in...</p>
<p>But if you look SUPER close, you can kinda see that the silhouette of the back of Gin Gin's head is a little flatter on the brass piece than it is on the stainless one. The stainless head is perfect, but somehow, the brass casting got flattened out a bit. That's kinda what I meant by "geometric distortion". You can see the same type of thing <a href="http://prometheusrising.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/bt_brass_01.jpg">here in a pic Ben took comparing his Bounce Tortoises</a>. If your eyes are sharp, you can see that the top, flat surfaces of those vents above each shoulder are perfectly level on the polyamide and stainless steel prints. On the brass casting in the middle, however, those surfaces <b>dip inwards</b> just a little bit.</p>
<p>But remember: besides resolution and distortion, there's also <b>surface finish</b> to consider. Since my last blog post, I've been gushing about the surprisingly high resolution on those stainless steel prints. True indeed, I was and still am impressed given the tiny size of these figures. And in terms of distortion, there simply is none with stainless. I think the brass castings from i.materialise come in a close second in both of these categories. Even though they cost <b>twice as much</b> as stainless from Shapeways.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0795.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0795.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0794.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0794.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>But that third category...oh damn. I think it's pretty safe to say that the surface finish on the brass piece <b>kills it</b>. I mean, as far as metal-printing options go today, brass is optimal. But what about that price?? This little brass MUSCLE Gin Gin cost me about $100. In my opinion, that's just too much for an end product. So here's my plan: do more minifigs...print them in brass...use the brass pieces as <b>mold masters</b> for local pewter casting. <i>BLAO!</i></p>
<p>Oh yeah...production has already begun...</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=cooking.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/cooking.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Oh, one more quick thing before we get off the MUSCLE Gin Gin tip. My <b>CAD-cohort</b>, Ben, also just copped himself an <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/2012/11/05/up-mini-3d-printer-arrives/">UP! Mini 3D printer</a>. I've never been a huge fan of FDM machines in the past, but they've been getting a lot of positive press lately because their prices have always been lower than SLA or SLS...and now, they're finally starting to offer <b>competitive resolution</b> and smart break-away support material. Anyway, he tried his hand at printing a couple MUSCLE Gin Gins:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=upmini-gingin-test-01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/upmini-gingin-test-01.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>It's a good experience for him to learn about print orientation, how to partition models, etc...and once he's <b>optimized these prints</b>, he's gonna start painting them up just for the hell of it. It's always fun to see Ben's stuff evolve. Even if he can't figure out how to use a damn calendar... ;)</p>
<p>Anyway...what else is cooking? Oh--some folks may remember that I CAD-modeled a late version <b>Popy GA-01 Mazinger Z</b>. Well, along with offering a gold-plated stainless steel AshuraShine print, I decided to print up a MUSCLE-ized version of that GA-01 for the hell of it. A couple folks have expressed interest in getting one...so hit me up if you're looking. Unfortunately, they're about $50 a whack...and I'm guessing around $100 in brass from i.m. They're pretty tight though...</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0798.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0798.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>As for my MUSCLE collabs with MT, I promise to get on the ball this weekend! I'm back from vacation this week and my priority has been getting this blog out there...and doing laundry. Oh man. Anyway, check it: <b>Spinning Head Sunshine</b> sets ARE IN. Unfortunately, I've just been gone for so damn long, I only got around to ordering the header cards this week. They should be in soon, so I'll start taking official orders this weekend so that I'm ready to go when the cards arrive.</p>
<p>AshuraShine sales keep coming in from <b>every angle</b>. Alec hit me up with a bunch of those in his latest shipment as well. I'ma offer the traditional MUSCLE-pink ones to the tail-enders on the LRG list...then it's a free-for-all. Anyone who hits me up for one get a choice of whatever's in stock. Then I finally might be able to offer these things to folks on other damn boards! ;)</p>
<p>And last but not least, meet <b>Lou</b>:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/misc/?action=view&current=IMG_0780.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/misc/IMG_0780.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>I first saw him on the wall a couple weeks before I left for vacation...and I just sorta left him alone 'cause he was so big and cool-looking. Then, when I got back this weekend, there he was. Flossin'. Standing in his b-boy stance. So I had to take a pic. And name him Lou. Just 'cause.</p>
<p>Aiight, I'm out.</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5638001252661148261.post-49064937497656652762012-09-26T17:21:00.000-04:002012-09-26T17:21:41.602-04:00Spinning Head Sunshine cometh...<p>Happy autumn, everybody! My favorite season, and certainly the most <b>picturesque</b> in New England. Well, there's all types of good stuff going on, and the past month has been pretty busy. Quiet...but busy. So let's get to it.</p>
<p>First off, the big news is that test-shots for Spinning Head Sunshine (the armor) and Spinshine (the core/top) are in! And DAMN if Alec hasn't outdone himself yet again. So most of y'all have seen two sets of pictures so far, right? First were the <a href="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/shs0114.jpg">original CAD drawings</a>, then there were the <a href="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0606.jpg">3D prints</a> last time (of Spinshine, anyway). Now, we've got <b>final rubber castings</b>...and I gotta tell ya--it never ceases to amaze me how spot-on they are to the original CAD models. Check this out!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0733.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0733.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Alec is a master of his craft. It's simple as that. Look how dope these guys look! Well, first off, all three faces on Spinshine are super-crisp. <b>Ashuraman would be proud.</b></p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0741.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0741.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And more importantly, Spinshine fits in the Spinning Head Sunshine (SHS) armor perfectly. Alec's rubber flexes nicely to accommodate the top, and the connection is nice and snug. I mean, that's not terribly impressive given that both toys were <b>designed concurrently</b> in CAD...but the big draw is obviously <a href="http://nathansmuscleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/muscle-195-sunshine-f.html">MUSCLE #195</a>--also known as Sunshine F or "Spinning Top Sunshine"--being able to fit in the SHS armor.</p>
<p>Well, it works, damnit! It's not as seamless a fit as Spinshine, but that's because Sunshine F was <b>sculpted by hand thirty years ago</b>! Spinshine's geometrically perfect, with its precisely revolved geometry. When popped into the SHS armor, Sunshine F can feel a little awkward--it can vary from nice and snug to kinda loose and rattly just due to the inconsistent nature of the original sculpt. Still, it's not problematic because he's never in danger of being too fiddly...let alone falling out. The bottom line is that it works, and even if the seams are a bit more pronounced than on the Spinshine x SHS fit function, it still looks HOT!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0746.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0746.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0747.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0747.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And, oh, the colors! Alec sent me a couple translucent-opaque mash-ups...and they'll <b>melt your eyeballs</b>. I've noticed that neon pink or orange details get kinda washed out in my photos, and purples can look a lot more blue than they're supposed to, but hell if I know how to fix that in my camera settings! But whatever...you get the idea. The figures are fantastic in person.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0739.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0739.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0738.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0738.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And that translucent rubber is legit. Add a little back-lighting, and these things become epic!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0748.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0748.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>So here's how it's gonna work: I'll be establishing a list on <a href="http://musclethings.com/showthread.php?52-Spinning-Head-Sunshine-X-Spinshine">MUSCLEThings.com</a> for those interested in purchasing. The MT list <b>gets priority</b>...so if you want yours sooner, head over, register if you haven't, and post in that thread. Once the MT list is done, I'll serve anyone on LRG who may not have replied on MT. I decided to go this route to drive some traffic Alec's way and to make sure the custom minifigure-casting community there gets love.</p>
<p>As for the price, just like AshuraShine, it's gonna be $20 for either figure (Spinshine or SHS). They're gonna be bagged and sold separately, and once someone's name comes up on the list, they're gonna have the option to buy up to one of each (though I may extend that to up to <i>two</i> SHS armor figures if mad heads want one for their existing Sunshine F...AND one to go with the brand-new Spinshine--we'll see).</p>
<p>But let's not get ahead of ourselves! Even if they're <b>production quality</b>, these are only test-shots. Hell, I haven't even gotten started on the header card! :P Soon, though...I hope you guys get a chance to see how neat these figures are in person!<p>
<p>And as for AshuraShine, production may have slowed down for the summer, but we're back on. In fact, I've got a <b>big pile of multi-colored ones</b> on my floor right now!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0724.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0724.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>There are less than a dozen folks still patiently waiting for these guys on the LRG thread/list, so I'm going to offer them a chance to buy one of these <b>AshuraShines of color</b>, rather than waiting for the next round of traditional pink ones. I figure that's fair for making 'em wait so damn long.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Aiight, enough with the <b>MUSCLE-hustle</b> for now. Let's switch gears back to robutts for some quick Gin Gin updates.</p>
<p>First off, I need to get something off my chest. I unwrapped something that made my brain explode last night. Most of the fellas interested in 3D-modeling/printing over at TBDX have known that print shops like Shapeways have offered <b>stainless steel printing</b> for some time now. I guess the perception for a while has been...<i>why bother?</i> I mean, SLA processes offer FAR better resolution and general surface quality...and SLS offers light, durable plastics for more <b>structural applications</b>. Oh, and both SLA and SLS are *vastly* cheaper. Well, at this year's East Coast Chogokin Summit, I got a chance to see steel-printed minis from Roger Harkavy and from Ben of <a href="http://prometheusrising.net/2012/08/31/adventures-in-shapeways-part-5-solid-metal/">Prometheus Rising Studios</a>. They were pretty damn neat, so I said "what the hell"...</p>
<p>Holy crap...on a crap cracker. Mind = Blown.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0712.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0712.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Baby Gin Gin...in all his 1-3/4" glory...rendered in <b>indestructible stainless steel</b>. I unwrapped this guy last night, and I simply haven't been able to put him down since. It's THAT awesome. Weighing in at 1.3 ounces, he's actually pretty damn hefty for his <b>diminutiveness</b>. And even if I squeeze (with <i>just</i> my fingers--no wrenches or other tools!) those tiny horns with all my might, I can't make 'em budge. Of course, I could see a shelf-dive potentially taking out a horn just given the weight of the figure and the momentum from a fall.</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0713.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0713.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>But just check out the finish. Pretty wild! The resolution is not nearly as bad as I thought it'd be--most of the surface features came out shockingly well. The issue, of course, is the finish. The layers are pretty clearly visible and there's that pitted texture. But I'll tell ya: the resolution of these photos tends to enhance the flaws. The figure is TINY...compared to the hugeness of these macro shots. In hand, this lil guy looks and feels great. The star emblems on the shields make me squeal like a little girl!</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0715.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0715.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>The figure stands super-firmly on the ground with no wobble whatsoever, but what was interesting to notice (see above) was that the bottom of his right foot is almost mirror-polished, while the left foot has the same pitted texture as the rest of the figure. I wonder if that's because the bronze was infused via the right foot (see <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/materials/steel">Shapeways' page on stainless steel printing here</a>...it's actually pretty neat), and thus needed to be machined clean after the process.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm definitely printing more of these guys. Then again, at over $40 a whack...not TOO many more... ;)</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0717.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0717.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>And as for the Foe Gokin version of Gin Gin, we're making some good progress this week. I'm meeting up with paint-maestro, <a href="http://monsterkolor.ning.com/forum">Matt Walker</a>, to continue our paint color discussions. Also, I've officially fired the print shop who was handling the Foe Gokin slipcases. I'm praying to Aron Ra that the new shop I'm going with doesn't bend me over like the previous one...</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0749.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0749.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>Anyway, I've shown y'all the latest 3D print of the body, in polished alumide, but this is actually the first time anyone but Walker has seen the <b>actual pewter casting</b> from the print! All I can say is that <i>it's tight</i>. The geometry is much sharper than ever before because of alumide's ability to withstand high temperatures. Alumide's only weakness is the rough surface texture...but in the final castings, it turns out it's not too bad:</p>
<a href="http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/?action=view&current=IMG_0752.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/sanjeev666/Brownnoize/IMG_0752.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<p>That <a href="http://www.monsterkolorstore.com/">Monster Kolor paint</a> should have no trouble smoothing out those tiny surface pits. Also, if you notice above, we're trying something a bit different with the star marks on the shield. I think it looks a little better--more star-like?--and it shouldn't be tough to hand-paint.</p>
<p>That's it for this month, folks! Til next time...</p>Sanjeevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15130798394355660057noreply@blogger.com4