THRONE OF CHAOS

And now for something completely different...

For folks not following the crew's misadventures on TBDX, this'll come as a big BWAH!?

But first, let's take it back a few months. I gotta tell ya, the Gin Gin hustling wears on a brotha. I needed a fun side-project. Something light. Something that wasn't gonna make me wanna pull my hair out...or demolish my bank account! Well, last year saw the re-release of an already amazing toy: the TakaTomy 2010 Universal Dominator Unicron, a G1-inspired recolor and minor remold of 2003's Armada/Micron Legends Unicron.

Hmm...how do I summarize Unicron for newbies in a nutshell? Okay, I'm an 80's child (well, born in '78). I was at the "perfect" age for the early G1 Transformers, whose culmination was arguably the '86 animated movie, "Transformers: The Movie" (creative title, no?). The movie was obviously a vehicle for toys sales, but at least it featured dope hand-drawn animation, hilarious 80's hair-metal, and a passable Hero's Journey plot.

Well...Unicron wasn't so much the main antagonist--more like the omni-present "oh crap" looming in the background. He was kinda like an anti-god (not unlike Marvel's Galactus), incarnated in the form of a giant metal planet that ate other planets...and ultimately transformed, itself, into a titanic humanoid robot. WOW. 8-year-old mind=blown.



For years, America's collective youth dreamed of getting Unicron toys for Diwali, Chanukah, Christmas, Atheist-day, whatever...who really needed a reason!? But alas, it was never to be. The toy gods can be fickle.



We got older. Toys gave way to chicks and drugs...and Unicron slipped from our consciousness. Then came the internets. And we found our nerd again. Pics of G1- (and even Beast Wars-)era Unicron prototypes surfaced. Still nothing in stores.

Then suddenly in 2003, we were given a Japanese-made cartoon that actually involved Unicron!! The bad news? Well, the show sucked. Good news? We finally got a toy! Yeah, it didn't look perfect...but who cared? It was *plenty* good enough. And all was well.

I mean, who the hell was gonna argue at this point?? We'd been waiting for a Unicron toy for over a decade and a half! Any shortcomings were easily dismissed. That said, there was one common gripe...with a theoretically simple solution. See, planet-mode is kinda THE mode for this guy...and THE iconic image of Unicron is him floating "ahead" through space, with the glowing mouthy bits pointed forward and the orbital ring vertical.



But with the orbital ring in the way, you can't "stand up" the planet to face straight ahead. The intended solution was actually to leave him on his back. This facilitated the toy's use as something of a playset, featuring interaction with minicons and other various gimmicks. Yeah, aiight...clever workaround that I'm sure lots of kids and minicon collectors enjoyed...but still a workaround.

Fortunately, we live in the era of unlicensed (heh) "upgrades" for Transformers toys. Dozens of small companies--really, clumps of enterprising fans, rather than businessmen interested in actual profit--producing dope add-ons and accessories to make the play experience better. Jerks like me.

Well, along came aptly-named Unicron.com. They produced an alleged stand for Unicron's planet mode to allow him to be displayed "properly" (in other words, the way an 80's nerd would). Again, theoretically simple solution to a common gripe. Solid concept. But, oh, how the execution went so very wrong. Awful...like, 'what the hell were you thinking?' Well, rather than dwell further on the negative, I'll link you to this young lad's amusing youtube rant. :)


^^By the way, points for the creative cutouts on the base...but my camera wasn't tilted when I took the side-shot--the damn thing just leans that far forward, ever-threatening to snap like a twig. The toy is just too heavy for that narrow post; it just wobbles up there precariously. And yes, there's been a couple shelf dives. FAIL. Well, whatever. I just resigned to display the toy in robot mode...

Anyway, to make this long story longer, TakaTomy dropped the movie-inspired 2010 version of Unicron a few months ago, and I gotta say, this version is TIGHT. I mean, it looks killer. The molds for a lot of the reused bits are clearly tired, resulting in some fitment issues, and other minor glitches here and there...but this is clearly the 80's nerd version for me. There was much rejoicing.

In that discussion, you'll note my displeasure with the subpar effectiveness of the Unicron.com stand. But the new 2010 Unicron was just too good to let it slide. As a result--and to take my mind off the ever-secretive Gin Gin drama for a bit--I decided to make my own. A completely "open" project, I posted my ideas in real-time on the board to elicit feedback.

The result is what I have to offer today: the Throne of Chaos



The Unicron.com piece of crap retailed for $15. Mine unfortunately goes for over twice that...and it can't be shipped flat. :/ But it has advantages. Chiefly, it it does not suck. Not only does it get the job done...but as far as display stands go, ya kinda can't ask for much better.



The 3/16" thick acrylic base and cradle (all fabricated in the USA by good people) are crystal-clear and have a brilliant polish on the edges...so the last thing you wanna do is scratch it up. The first thing ya gotta do is attach the bumpons. Do this first--I made the mistake of putting the unprotected bottom surface of the prototype stand on a slightly dirty work table...and it scratched the hell outta the bottom!



Next, just throw on the cradle. It takes a little finagling to get it on because of the awkward shape, but you'll understand once you have it in hand. Just flex the acrylic of the base a little bit to make some clearance--don't worry, it won't break!



And you're done! No tools or adhesives required. Just toss that badass beachball up there, and you're ready to rock out to some Spectre General!




With the toy on top, there are NO worries of this thing taking a tumble. It's pretty much earthquake-proof. The size and angles of the cradle are perfect. The notch in the front matches the orbital ring pylon very closely, so even though toy's plastic is slippery against the top surface of the cradle, it's not going anywhere. You can even pick up the whole rig by the base and "fly" him around your room looking for tennis balls to gorge on [though I don't recommend this...'cause I know some clumsy jackass out there's gonna try it, drop their toy, and blame me].




The bumpons obviously protect the bottom, but they also provide slip-free stability. So go on...toss this guy high up on top of a detolf or your favorite display case. Go nuts!




Now, I can just hear y'all screaming over the internet, "WHERE DO I BUY ONE???" As it turns out, these are now available over at BigBadToyStore.com. Ain't that something!? So head over there and pick one up. Any paid preorders that are still pending with me will still be honored, though...so don't sweat it!

But by all means, if y'all have feedback--positive or negative--keep sending it my way. You can hit me up here or at the "**Contact Brownnoize**" link over on the right. And if you send me pics of how you have your Unicron and other TFs displayed, I'd LOVE to post them on the blog!

Edit: Whaddup, folks? Just a quick update for Summer 2014. The stands are BACK for a limited time! They're no longer being carried by BBTS, but big homie, Matt "Dead Presidents" Walker, has taken up the mantle. You can now pick up a stand from the Monster Kolor website. Like I said, I'm not sure how long these will last, so if you're planning on getting one, please try to order as soon as possible. Any questions, as always, just hit me up! ;)

More Yojimbo...plus packaging

Yo, One Love to everybody who threw down on the Yojimbo's! Like I've been telling folks, don't even sweat this little "micro-release". If you're on the fence, it's all good...just wait for the legit painted one. This was only for fun...and really, for those who're serious fanatics over this style of "raw metal" figures. Think...the cats who picked the nekkid SoC T-28 over the regular 'un...

The first wave of the Yojimbo's are completely sold out...so THANK YOU to everyone! Honestly, pleased to have made the sales, but I'm really just happy to be putting actual product into people's hands.

I've got a few more of these coming, so hit me up if you're interested!

In the meantime, I've been having some fun with these dudes outside...








Honestly, in that last shot, I just dropped one in the snow while trying to get my South Asian ass someplace warm...and thought it looked kinda funny. Hey, maybe there's no snow on Gorman's planet--so why wouldn't he wanna make snow angels...in his colossal battle robot!? :P

Anyway, it hasn't been all fun & games. Been assembling the packaging for these guys for the past few nights. And, YES, I've been making y'all wait enough for this shit! Now, the Yojimbo boxes are slightly different from the final packaging meant for the painted figures...final product may vary...yadda, yaddda, yadda.

Check it!





Some of these'll be mailed out shortly...some, I'll have the honor of hand-delivering to my fellow Massholes! Thanks again, everyone...and stay tuned, 'cause there'll be some interesting updates--and even some brand-new shit--dropping soon!

"Yojimbo" Gin Gin

Hey, what's popping, folks? It's New Year's Eve and check it: I actually have something for y'all! HA! :P

Obviously, I've been pretty anxious about getting something to release for everybody...especially before the end of the year. 2010 has sure had some fucked up ups and downs, but I wanted to end the decade on some hopeful shit.

There was a delay with the molds for the final Gin Gin figure (are you surprised! haha!) so still no final, fully-painted joints...but one small side project has turned out shockingly sucka free.

Check it: "Yojimbo" Gin Gin



In honor of one of my favorite chambara of all time, Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo, starring the brilliant Toshiro Mifune, this figure is a pull from an older mold featuring full embossed/engraved 3D detail.




The figure is all-pewter, lead-free, and just like the final figures will have, they feature magnetically-linked joints. Now, pewter normally comes out of the molds a very bright, almost gleaming white. What the fabricator has done here is applied a special rub to the metal to "antique" it. Think some secret family recipe barbeque sauce-type shit! Mmm...ribs... Anyway, the finish is lacquered for protection...and I happen to think the shit looks pretty fresh.



Keep in mind that the nature of the beast is such that there'll always be little cracks and crevices everywhere. These are hand-made figures made in the image of the classic Popy STs. I consider each of these a work of art from some very cool people I've had the honor of working with. The final fully-painted Gin Gins will have similar surface flaws, but with these "Yojimbo" joints, part of the beauty lies in emphasizing those flaws...

Anyway, some of y'all who're real familiar with Gorman/Gin Gin, and obviously Grendizer, should get a kick outta these next couple shots!

Ghosts from the past:


Punks step up to get beat down:


I wish there were a TFO in-scale with these ST-sized figures that I could show Gin Gin stepping on. Heh...I love this shit!

Aiight, so check it. This obviously isn't the "official" final toy. Hell, I wasn't even planning on using these molds ever again! Heads seemed down with this "antiqued" idea, so I decided to see how they'd turn out.

I'm only making ten of these motherfuckers. Five are ready now, but the other five will have to wait a few weeks (consider it a preorder...afterall, the final full-painted figures will pretty much be made-to-order, so everything will eventually be a fucking preorder).

This limited Yojimbo run will feature an older style of the box art that won't be printed again. Sorry--I haven't actually assembled the boxes yet, so no packaging pics...

Anyway, remember, this shit's kinda underground, y'knowmsayin? So if you like what you see, hit me up.

...

As y'all know, this is all a part of my love letter to ToyboxDX. The last decade's been pretty crazy, but I've made some amazing relationships with some pretty incredible people. Talented. Driven. Passionate. Creative. Without the 'DX, there would be no BN. Word is bond.

Here's to another year and another decade...where we take this silly hobby to another level! Go play. Peace.

Milestone 1, completed

Simple math lesson.

You take this

Plus this

And you get this:

And what that is, y'all, is the final prototype for this motherfucker!!

Last night, headed to my grimies' after work...got a little nice, got a little lifted...watched the Pats utterly LAY WASTE to the Jets. Got home around 1 and was greeted with this...work of art. Straight up and down, my photography ain't shit. You pick this thing up in your hands, it's like holding solid fucking water! That's how gods damn clear it is. Flawless like a gemstone. Blew my fucking mind. And maybe a little load.

Then I passed out.

This morning, I grabbed my shitty-ass camera and dipped to the suburban-hell backyard--crawling on the fucking ground & shit, freezing my nuts off--and took some more pictures. B-b-b-b-rrap!

At work, I very reluctantly boxed up this jewel and overnighted it to the metal caster. I was talking to my prototyper the other day--he was saying how excited they are that this shit's finally going down. Apparently, he and his crew have various multi-colored test shots laying around their office! That's what's up!

As I've mentioned before, they do lots of work for Hasbro and other big name toy companies, but this is pretty much the first time they've ever done something like this. Like, for real, who's this dick coming outta nowhere with the bomb CAD skills and a little scratch but no actual faceless corporation to back him up??? That's me, motherfucker, and we're doing it.

These guys know their shit, but they've never developed prototypes to be used in making vulcanized rubber molds for jewelers to hand-pour white metal. They're used to casting up simple, sharp resin bits for steel injection molds in China! Not this damn time--this shit stays local and stays gully. Heh...as "gully" as a homemade toy of a robot from a 30+ year old Japanese cartoon can be! WHAT!? :P

But I guess the point is that it's real nice to have these cats just as excited about this project as I am...even if it is mad underground and my "account" probably ain't worth a whole lot! One dude trying to make a little metal robot ain't exactly "supreme clientele", y'knowmsayin? But this is how we roll and they're on board.

And now, it's on the metal caster. Let's see what they can pull off...

Holiday season...

I'm a curmudgeon...and the actual holidays most Westerners celebrate this time of year only remind me of rampant, ingrained materialism and the thoughtless destruction of indigenous civilizations. But as with all things, you pick your battles. There are things to be hopeful about at this time of the year. I mean, Diwali was earlier this month. The Patriots and Celtics are fucking DOMINANT. This is the best time of the year for Boston weather (in my opinion anyway; I fear no cold). And there's lots of time offa work so I can chill with my people.

At first, I wasn't planning on showing too much more shit before the big release. But fuck it. Before I throw down, here's a little pre-turkey update...

Material testing is done, y'all! The special prototype urethane we've been messing with has checked out a solid 95% suitable...and that busted 5% can be made up for with some special tricks up our sleeves. That means that the actual final prototype--yes, we're talking white, blue, yellow, red RX-78-3 type shit here--is in the midst of being created. I'm hoping to have it in hand next week...then on to final fabrication!

Aiight...so what do I have for you today? Well, since I can't quite give away all my secrets just yet, I'ma have to break your balls some. Peep this busted-ass preview pic of the outer packaging!

Yeah, it'll give you a fucking headache if you stare at it too long! But...you get the idea. VERY Popy. Hella flavor. This shit is real-deal, folks. To keep the cost of this toy within the realm of "affordable" (yeah, fucking right!), the packaging's a hybrid of ideas we kicked around for *a while*. A full blown 100% dope Popy style cardboard box would have increased the retail price of the toy almost $20...no joke. AND...that doesn't even include the styrofoam tray...good luck getting that shit sourced.

So what we've come up with is a slick compromise. The primary packaging is going to be a plain white heavy corrugated cardboard shipper. Inside, convoluted foam (yup, egg crate material!) will be used to cushion the toy. But to make this shit rock domes, we have a slipcase that goes over the whole rig. That is what you see above. And it's bangin'! I seriously think you will be pleased!

As always, stay tuned for more...

What's the latest??

No pics this time...sorry!

But I can give you some dope news this time around. Check it...so why are there so many prototypes shown in that last blog post anyway? I mean, it ain't like we playing around and just pumping these figures out in different colors & shit! :P

We are knee-deep in the material testing phase right now. Don't that sound fresh??? That yellow joint below is currently over at the fabricator's shop getting tested for suitability. Suitable for what? Well, it'll all become clear eventually. That lil dude's getting sacrificed to the volcano as we speak...but the sacrifice will NOT be in vain. I'll just say for now that if all goes well with these tests, a final prototype will be built...and it's off to get produced. Actual production toys!

Could y'all actually see this motherfuckin' toy by the holidays??? Maybe...just maybe!

And in the meantime...the packaging is complete.

Stay tuned... ;)

Prototype Parade...

Okay, so you guys have been good, so I'll hit y'all up with another update! Haha

First of all, the name of the game is prototyping. Okay, okay--it's got other names like "hurry up and wait", "delayed and over-budget", and "where's your fucking toy!?" HA! But for real, like I've been saying all along, we're developing a process here. I know I haven't given y'all much in terms of details yet, but on the strength, we're pulling some shit that VERY few people have tried before. And early on, I committed to dropping this joint the absolute best way I can.

Haha...aiight, I've pretty well left my late summer/early fall release date goal in the dust. I didn't wanna start blogging and diddling y'all until there was something real about to touch down. It's all good, though.

See, I'm happy with where we're at--if not with how much dough I've dropped into researching this shit! Heh...but like I said, I committed to sparing no expense--time or scratch--whatsoever in exploring every idea and paving the way for many more toys like these to be produced locally and (relatively) cheaply. I just didn't think it'd take this motherfucking long! :P

But we have results! Developing a unique toy production process by dolo may be a bit daunting, but it's happening, word is bond. And here's some shit for y'all...consider it proof that I'm not just sitting here, poundin' off to delusions of grandure!



That's a whole lotta prototypes. And, no, I'm not about to take a clearer or better-lit shot for y'all. C'mon now. I'm trying to keep this shit at least a LITTLE under wraps, y'knowmsayin? But anyway, with the system we have in place right now, I'm hoping that in the next two weeks or so, I'll have a finalized prototype to send to my fabricator. Yeah, some RX-78-2 type shit...just no whiney Amuro getting smacked like a bitch all the time! ;)