Stuff is brewing

Okay, I'm trying to get back into a weekly update rhythm to prevent each post from becoming a fucking wall of text. We'll see how poorly I fare! :P

Aiight, so what's new? Well, a bunch of shit, as it turns out. And just for the fuck of it, I'm not keeping anything secret this week! So first off, I've made some progress in getting MUSCLE Gin Gin produced. I've had a chance to sample some custom resin MUSCLE figures on the market today, and I gotta say, them shits is tight! So like I said last time, for the sake of my homeboys I grew up with, I've decided I wanna pursue getting him done in resin just to be able to offer some shit heads can afford, y'knowmsayin?

A quick tidbit in terms of prototyping: Shapeways has rolled out a new machine (a ProJet HD 3000, I believe, from 3D Systems) that prints with better accuracy and supposedly smoother surface finish and stronger final product than Objet. Of course, the price has gone from $13 to $19, but that still ain't too bad. I've already ordered a MUSCLE Gin Gin 3.0, so we'll see how it looks in a week or so.

Now, on top of that, I've been working on another, more-traditional MUSCLE figure. Now, this may seem like a bite on The Godbeast and Jason Frailey's ClawShine--and I apologize for that--but I've always loved Sunshine and I've always loved Ashuraman. Sunshine is just a killer design--and I love how he can shape-shift into all sorts of other stuff. And let's face it--it's MAD simple to CAD him up and make him look legit! And Ashuraman? C'mon...y'all know I'ma throw down for my South Asian heritage. So peep this:

AshuraShine:


An Ashura (more properly Asura...or even Ahura if you're a real cunning linguist) is a class of demigods in Hindu mythology. The opposite of the Devas (who were sorta the "good guy" demigods), the Asuras were materialistic, egotistical pricks. Just like Ashuraman in Kinnikuman! ;)

So this is my Sunshine version of him. I've replaced the sun emblem on his chest with an Om (while keeping the sunshine mark on the foreheads).


And yes, I said foreheads, plural! I gave him three faces to go with the six arms, in keeping with how Asuras like Ashuraman are depicted:



I think it's kinda fresh, and would make a dope companion to the Gin Gin MUSCLE. Plus, it may win over some hardcore MUSCLE-heads, y'knowmsayin? ;)

Right now, I have the lower right hand in an open palm facing forward, as is traditional for depictions of divine character in Indian artwork...but I think that's gonna play havoc with molding this beast. We'll see what the experts think when I start looking into resin casting...

Okay, next up, FORM BLAZING SWORD!!

Oh fuck yeah. Toynami Jumbo Dairugger in the house. And peep this shit:



For all intents and purposes, it's a scaled up version of the Kikou Gattai sword (with the sharp tip restored). Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? The original toy's sword was dope, so why fuck with it? This shit's fire, yo! I'm getting a prototype of just the handle right now to test the fit.

Oh, all that weird shit on the handle is filler to accommodate the figure's hand geometry, which was obviously never designed for a sword. It looks dumb as hell separate, but if my CAD skills are worth a damn, it should make for a rock-solid fit that doesn't look bad at all when held in his hand. Prints have been ordered, so keep an eye out for my next update!

Unicron stands...yeah, remember those? Heh...the next batch should be en route, actually. I've got a lot of preorders to process, but other than those, they should be up for grabs!

And finally, that other toy I've been spending some time on: the Foe-Gokin Gin Gin! Y'all have been patient with this chooch, huh? :) Well, painting of the first couple figures has begun, and sticker fitting is almost complete. I'm hoping in the next week or two, I can at least show y'all some progress pics of this beast coming to life. MAD heads have been asking me about it...and I hate saying "a couple more weeks", "a couple more weeks" over and over again! So believe me--if y'all are psyched about this shit, imagine how I feel! ;)

I'd make a shitty father

Has it seriously been three weeks since my last post??? Hahaha...that's awful. I can just picture the baby crying 'cause he hasn't eaten all day. Wha??? He ate yesterday! Fucking free-loader... :P

Nah, yo, it's been a rough week, work-wise, but it's straight. I'm just happy to be where I'm at these days. The 9-to-5 is overall pretty chill, and the toy stuff progresses nicely. Well...you know what happens when I take too long between posts: y'all get slapped with a gigantic fucking update! So enough about all that other shit. Let's get down to it! Word is blonde...

So earlier today, Troy Stith, Man of the Hour, dropped his Kaiju For Japan charity sale. This dude deserves sick props for having had to deal with us tempermental, unreliable-ass "artist" goons! He organized this sale with the quickness and I'm sure he'd never want to take any credit for the work. To be sure, it's all about those who've suffered--and continue to do so--in the Tohoku region of Japan, but I just wanted to take a second to give my man a shout. Big ups.

Heh...I really shoulda been more active about pimping this sale before, but what can ya do? It's all good so's long someone pulls the trigger, knamean? Do it for the cause. Do it 'cause the toy's fucking DOPE. Finally...Tohoku Gin Gin:









The figure was painted at Walker's lab with a special blend of Monster Kolor formulated to mimick anodized aluminum. Shit's fresh! If the sun ever decides to peak out over the Bean this month, I'ma take some outdoor shots. Thing looks BLAZING! I wanted to go for a sort of Bullmark Hedorah color scheme...and I think we rocked it pretty damn good. Either way, this is the first full-color Gin Gin release ever! One of one and all that...you know what time it is...

So it's the same mold as the Yojimbo releases. Same two+ pounds of lead-free pewter locked together with rare earth magnets. You could drag this thing behind your truck, and after dusting it off, it would still sparkle...and maim intruders. And it features the same packaging as the Yojimbo's. This stuff will never be used again. The production figures will have slightly tweaked packaging and inserts...and most importantly, no hand-carved foam padding inside!





I know $258USD is mad steep, but it's obviously for an important cause. Not a dime goes into my or Troy's pockets. Tell your people. Post it all over the world. This hobby may be fun and all that...but at the end of the day, it's about making a difference and trying to create a better tomorrow. 'Cause you know some people less fortunate than we could use it.

If you can't swing the price tags these things are going for--or if toys just aren't your thing--please consider donating to Second Harvest. They're a food pantry that serves displaced folks immediately. Japan isn't hurting for rapid-response tech or personnel. They're highly organized and relief workers are well-integrated with the communities they serve. But the immediate need of those who are hungry in the most chaotic areas still has to be addressed. Pantries like Second Harvest are going above and beyond right now.

...

Anyway, the light sensor on my camera's starting to go...so pics are gonna get progressively more and more grainy until I get off my lazy ass and pilfer a new one. Yo, I can't front, though: my shit's lasted for-fucking-ever. That joint was top of the line...in '93! ;)

Quick M.U.S.C.L.E. Gin Gin update. I completed "baby Gin Gin" 2.0 a few weeks ago because I wanted to tweak the proportions and some details. Got 'em printed through Shapeways...and I gotta say, they look mad fresh. I basically made the head a lot bigger so it's more in the M.U.S.C.L.E. style, pointed the toes out a bit, and enhanced some of the other fine details.

Check it (note the "BN" on the back actually stands out visibly now!):



The clear Objet print material ain't bad. I'ma have Walker hit it with his high-gloss clear coat to make it look extra glassy. Right now, if I dunk him in water, it looks like a fucking jewel: as usual with clear shit, the material may be "truly" clear, but the microscopic surface texture is what fucks everything up (think clear Chinese vinyl that looks mad cloudy because it has an "open grain" porous surface texture...versus clear Japanese vinyl that's SUPER glassy because of the closed, hard glossy surface).

Anyway, now that I'm getting more of these from Shapeways, I'm starting to notice more variation in their print quality. One of these came back looking like a lump of dog shit. Took a while to clean it up...and it's still got this weird slimy chemical feel to it. Eh...what can ya do? They're still $13!

I'ma do the final tweaks this weekend. The 3.0 version will likely be the final. "Final" what, you ask? I have no fucking idea! On the strength, I'd LOVE to get these produced in big quantities and in lots of different colors and styles. It's tough when my own homies are SO supportive of Gin Gin and all the sick shit we're doing...but likely won't be able to afford the damn things when they come out. I wanna make something that's flavor--that they have a real connection to--and that they can afford, y'knowmsayin? I'll keep y'all posted...

Quick Unicron stand update: got a call from my fabricator the other day--sounds like wave 3 is just about ready to roll! This will be a bigger order, so hopefully, maybe a few will actually remain in stock for more than a few days! I've already taken a bunch of preorders, so we'll see how it goes. I sound like a broken record, but I just love hearing how people are REALLY feeling the stand! I'm not some egomaniac (WHAT!?) who thrives offa pats on the back, y'knowmsayin? I'm a fan, first. I consider my "customers" my peers: so if fellow fans think my shit's dope, then that means a lot to me!

And finally...some really fresh news...a new project. Check it. Most of y'all probably aren't aware, but I'm a HUGE Voltron I fan. Yes, the superior Vehicle Voltron Force. Yeah, I said it. WHAT!? I challenge any of y'all to go back and try to watch either show--neither is Shakespeare, but after two or three episodes of lion, you'll be ready to end your life with a bullet. The vehicle joint actually had a plot...in fact, as a wee pea, I saw it as "Starblazers light"! There was politics and war...and yet it wasn't so GODS-DAMNED depressing as fucking Starblazers...

Whatever--if y'all disagree, we'll go toe-to-toe some other time.

The 15" Matchbox combiner based on the venerable Popy DX "Kikou Gattai" Dairugger set was, like, my favorite shit in the world as a kid--even though my family could never afford to get me one! A friend of the family had one (heh...a kid I didn't even like), so whenever we were forced to go over there for dinner or whatever, I would just make nice in order to rub my love-stink all over that toy! Anyway, what was the biggest problem with the Matchbox release? No fucking Blazing Sword.

And now, George Sohn of Toynami has given us Voltron I/Dairugger fans something fresh to lose our shit over like when we were kids: a genuine "Shogun Warriors" Jumbo Dairugger XV. Holy hell--the fact that such a thing exists makes my head swim. A bunch of us were partying at JoshB's last weekend and I got to fondle this thing inappropriately in person. What's it's biggest problem? No fucking Blazing Sword.

What the fuck...really? Gonna do me like that AGAIN??? That shit ain't right. But wait--I'm a CAD jockey and with so many avenues of rapid prototype and manufacture at our disposal these days...could we actually make something happen???

Stay tuned.

;)

I need sleep...

Damn, yo...been a minute since an update. I'm hurting as a motherfuck, but I really wanted to let y'all know what was up.

Well, I got in at almost 4AM last night (this morning?). Then right back up for work around 8. As usual: toy shit. It's a monstrous schedule, but most every Wednesday night, I find myself at the master's lab. Matt Walker. Chooch extraordinaire. TDF for life. My wild, wild west whitey n**ga.

This man, like Matt Doughty before him, makes shit happen. And his motivation is infectious. Without him, you likely wouldn't be reading this. There wouldn't be a Gin Gin. So every Wednesday, with no hesitation, I take a nap under my desk at work, Costanza-style. Around 8, I schlep about an hour straight to the lab, get my grub on, and meet Walker around 10. Then, into the wee hours, we make shit happen.

And that's exactly what's going on right now. Shit happening. The FINAL METAL GIN GIN FIGURES ARE IN. Production. They're being processed down at the lab as I type this. Acid etching, priming, sanding, stickers being cut. It's on now. Packaging is undergoing final tweaks. Shit is lovely!

And I'm ready to pass the fuck out!

Anyway, on top of the production figures, I'm working on my entry into Troy Stith's Kaiju For Japan, a great little way we can get together as Japanese toy enthusiasts and try to raise some money for those hit hardest by the Tohoku quake and tsunami.

I'm not revealing much about it now, but stay tuned...there will be hot shit!

And one more little tidbit...remember "baby Gin Gin"? That's what Joshb calls the deformed M.U.S.C.L.E.-style Gin Gin figure I had prototyped before. Well, for the longest time, elite CAD modeler, Mike de Coninck and I have been wondering about getting quick, dirty prototypes done by Shapeways, a company that encourages CAD modelers to "lease" their designs to consumers on the site by having the company print the ones they like in a variety of materials. Interesting concept...I guess. I mean, I kinda don't care, but it is what it is. As far as we're concerned, it's a fairly cheap way to get your prototypes done.

Well, compare this baby Gin Gin with the "chiisai" pics I posted at the beginning of the month:



Ain't too bad.

Almost as good as what my prototypers came up with...but then again, we're just talking hardware at this point. See, Shapeways just prints shit out for people. My prototyper goes dimensions beyond that, with layers upon layers of post-processing available. Through their efforts, a simple printout can transcend even the quality of the original STL file you supply them with! Heh...and naturally, they charge a good ten times more...but I guess it's not entirely fair to compare a professional toy prototyping company that's worked with the likes of Hasbro to a company that just churns out raw 3D prints for consumers. I mean, what you get from Shapeways isn't actually *usable* in any realistic molding process: they don't clean up the print layer lines, let alone do gloss coating, resin-casting, wet-sanding, etc...

So what's good about 'em? Well, that baby Gin Gin cost me a little over $13! Yes, thirteen fucking dollars, US. Ya kinda can't fuck with that. It's inspired me to work on some more M.U.S.C.L.E.-style figures and see what kind of shit I can come up with. I mean, if prototyping them is THAT ridiculously cheap, why the fuck not, y'knowmsayin? The only thing you gotta watch your back about is size. Shapeways charges strictly by volume of your part. Baby Gin Gin is only around 5 cubic centimeters...but parts for average-sized toys can get massive quick.

Oh, last thing before I forget--the Unicron stands are sold out AGAIN! Thanks to all who ordered them; y'all should have 'em by now. They actually sold out a couple weeks ago and I've already started taking preorders for the third batch, which was ordered early this week. So...same rules as before:

"So if you want a stand, you have a couple options right now: 1) you can contact me and pay for a stand now, which would *guarantee* one from the next wave, and it would be shipped immediately upon receiving them from our distributor (in a month or so), or 2) you can simply watch the blog for my announcement of the next wave's arrival, and just place your order then. Either way is fine me, so go with whatever makes sense for you"

Thanks again, y'all!

Home stretch?

Two quick updates today...

First, the second shipment of the mighty Throne of Chaos has arrived! All the preorders have finally been shipped; some even received, according to the very kind comments I've gotten from fellow fans. There are, in fact, a few pieces left, so get 'em while they're hot, y'all.

Second...Gin Gin. Well, rather than spit the usual verbal diarrhea, I'll let a picture say a thousand words:

Chiisai!!

What's happening, y'all? Just some fun experimental stuff to share with ya this week. Last night, I just got back a 3D print of the Gin Gin M.U.S.C.L.E.-style figure I was showing off last time. On the real, I really wasn't expecting much...but as it turns out, I'm actually pretty impressed with how nice it came out! Now, my prototyper warned me that 20 mils (.02") is generally the lower limit on 3D printed detail from their Objet printers. Anything under that will likely get lost...or end up looking like a pile of dog shit.

I didn't dumb down the Gin Gin design before I sent it, so all the tiny/sharp detail's still in there. But amazingly, most everything came through okay.



Now, as y'all have noticed by now, my camera work's aiight...if it were 1993. But on top of that, there's just something about the surface texture on that Objet print material ("VeroWhite") that makes it damn near invisible to my camera! Hell, even my early full-size Gin Gin printout shots look the same...



Anyway, rest assured--the majority of that surface detail is there.

I'ma send this lil dude to Joshb of Sharkfist Designs to see if he can resin cast it. He seems pretty confident based on the pics, but I dunno. Yo, it's mad small...and kinda delicate. We'll see. Anyway, it's all good--I was just fucking around with this whole thing. I really just wanted to have an example in my hands of what kind of resolution these machines can deliver.

As it turns out, in the next few months, my prototyper's actually looking into getting a new printer that's optimized for smaller, high-detail parts. Perfect for joints like this, y'knowmsayin?

And this may just be a pipe dream right now, but I've been considering getting a 3D laser scanner. The idea is that we can start developing hybrid CAD/hand-sculpted designs. Like, say you wanted to make a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure, right? Well, sculpting at that scale is nightmarish. Imagine being able to sculpt at a 2UP or even 4UP scale, 3D scan that shit, and pull the data into CAD. You could then add geometry that's a pain in the ass to hand sculpt like primitive shapes or other mathematically-precise shit...then ultimately scale down the data to true M.U.S.C.L.E. size.

And of course, that's where having a reliable prototyper who can come through with the sharp 3D print outs! See where this is headed? Some hot shit, right here...

More later.



Now update time, as usual!

The real Gin Gin is chugging along. In fact, I just got a call from my metal caster the other day: a sample of what could very well be the final figure is on it's way as I type this! She sounded pretty confident, so I'm cautiously optimistic. The next step--IF I approve it--would be to measure up the figure for fitting the stickers and do a final paint color test. Word the fuck up!

And lastly, all you poor transfans waiting patiently for an update on the next round of Unicron stands...FEAR NOT!! The fabricator I work with is notoriously slow, but as many have seen, their quality is always on point...and, of course, their prices are thankfully sane. Anyway, I got word from them last week that the stands are ready to ship. Only a matter of time now! As soon as they arrive, I'll immediately start processing the dozens of preorders I've received before announcing their general availability publicly. Heh...I have a feeling I'm gonna have to place another order for a new batch pretty damn soon...

So what's cooking?

As it turns out, a lot! So I figured I'd let y'all know what time it is...

At the moment, I can break down what's happening into three major projects in full effect. Well, there's still two or three minor joints in the works...but they're either on the straight down low, or they're purely experimental (and you know I love doing shit no one's ever done before!).

Anyway, first up is something new. Or, rather, some shit I haven't mentioned here yet. Some of y'all may have heard of this already: a few weeks ago, Mad Joe of Overkill Creations announced a collaboration of epic proportions. A straight up Han's tournament style throw-down of independent artists and sculptors from all over producing custom M.U.S.C.L.E. things.

In a nutshell, you send Mad Joe your custom M.U.S.C.L.E., he resin-casts you 20 for free, and he sells 'em alongside other artists' figures (giving you full credit, of course) to pay for the whole project. It's basically free publicity. Sounds dope, right? Well...it also sounds like a fucking logistical nightmare, unfortunately. I can only imagine the hundreds of idiotic e-mails from non-reading-ass motherfuckers this poor man's gotta wade through on the daily. More power to the brotha, though...I hope this shit works out.

Well, on the local tip, Brownnoize, Sharkfist Designs, and Prometheus Rising Studios, are teaming up to produce these things, too. Oh, we wanna support Mad Joe, so submissions WILL be made for his collabo...but we ain't gonna stop there. We're looking to cast legit rubber (like I said, one of the many side projects I got cooking!). We'll see what happens...

Anyway, for right now, I'm working on a 1-3/4" M.U.S.C.L.E.-style Gin Gin to send Joe. It's a slightly super deformed style version of the "Foe-Gokin". Check it out:




Could be kinda hot, right? Heh...I love this shit!

[On the strength, I used to LOVE the shit outta M.U.S.C.L.E. things when I was little! Basically all my friends and I would play with 'em, trade 'em, carry 'em around with us... Shit was dope.]

Anyway, next up, the Unicron stands. I know MAD heads have been waiting patiently for updates on new stock of the stands. Well, they're being cooked up as we speak--wish I could give y'all a more definite ETA on 'em. I gotta say, though, it's kinda crazy: I've received preorders for just about 3/4 of the stock I have coming! Haha! I guess that's not really that crazy...I'm just floored at how popular these things are. You can tell by all the bitter hatred directed towards me on most TF sites! ;)

So, here's an interesting development in the acrylic department: one of my boys on TBDX asked me if I was interested in making similar acrylic stands for other toys. At first, I said nah...Unicron's the shit and this project was almost like a holy fucking calling to make a perch worthy of the Universal Dominator. But then I got to thinking about it. Many of y'all probably have heard of Yamato's new 1/3000 SDF-1 Macross from Do You Remember, Love?. Well, despite praying to the toy gods daily that Yamato makes a tv version, I couldn't resist picking up the movie version!

Anyway, you see where this is going... Why not design an acrylic stand for this new SDF-1 toy?? Apparently, the stock stand for the Cruiser/Fortress mode blows. First of all, it's black, which just doesn't look good for flying shit...and it holds the toy a whopping three millimeters off the fucking ground! Seriously. What asshole designed this!? Sure, the stock stand also "transforms" to hold up the Storm Attacker (robot) mode. Yeah, great. The robot can already stand on his feet, ass. I mean, peep the CDX review: Atom doesn't even use the stock stand in his shots of the Cruiser!

Well, once I receive the toy, I'ma look it over and see how feasible a nice, tall, clear acrylic joint would be. I'll likely post the idea on TBDX to see what the fellas think. If there's enough interest, I'll probably throw down...but I don't expect nearly as much action as with the Unicron stands (Macross fans are more rabid than Transfans...but the numbers are with the Transfans!).

And lastly, and bestly, we have our homeboy, Gin Gin! I was hoping to have a painted prototype of the final figure by now, but alas...nope. Minor bugs in the system as usual, but things are coming together nicely. In fact, I should have something at the very least for display in about a week or so. Maybe not the final version, but definitely something tantalizing! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, the "Yojimbo" version has been rocking bells! I think I have about three left, and I couldn't ask for a better response from those who threw down. In fact, Yojimbo was featured in a recent TBDX brog repping Dorchester, Mass!

Anyway, that's it for now--and believe me, that's plenty to keep me busy! More later. And I'm out!

Updizzle...

Aiight...*whew*...that was some hellacious-ass shit, right there.

Folks, we still technically haven't "gone public" with the Unicron stand. Can you believe that!? We were planning on making an announcement on CollectionDX, along with a video review and comparison with a Unicron.com stand! But last Thursday, someone got wind of the noize over at TBDX ('cause I mean, no one reads this blog! :P ), and posted it on Seibertron.com...and it was all over from there!

And so, here's the deal: as of last night--in a mere seven days--we are all sold out of Unicron stands!!

I'm fucking spent! ...And my post office thinks I'm smuggling WMDs! HAHAHA!!

Nah, for real, though, THANK YOU to all the heads who've ordered a stand (or two, in a few cases). If you've just paid in the last couple days, I've got some more to ship tomorrow and hand-deliver later this month, but that's it. Everyone else, if you've paid, your stands are in the mail!

And we've already got some happy customers! Check it:

[By all means, keep sending me pics like this! I love 'em!]

Now, here's the deal: I'm getting more from my distributor. I don't know if these'll end up popping up on eBay someday, but I figure I'll nip this in the bud right now: do not pay flipper prices for these stands...ever. I can make more at any time...just be patient. No need to feed eBay scalpers...

So if you want a stand, you have a couple options right now: 1) you can contact me and pay for a stand now, which would *guarantee* one from the next wave, and it would be shipped immediately upon receiving them from our distributor (in a month or so), or 2) you can simply watch the blog for my announcement of the next wave's arrival, and just place your order then. Either way is fine me, so go with whatever makes sense for you. Or, y'know, you could go on the TF boards, curse me out, and say I'm worse than Hitler... ;)

ANYWAY...let's get down to business. Yeah, real news. Saucer Animal Gin Gin.

The second wave of the Yojimbo figures are being produced as we speak, and I expect them to arrive soon. A couple are already reserved, so I think that leaves about three left. Some heads already have theirs, and their response has been fantastic! And of course, one of the greatest honors...the Chairman with his Yojimbo:



Fuck yeah.

As for the final painted Gin Gins, we're having ONE more prototype made. Yeah, another delay? No shit! Haha...sucks being a perfectionist. But then again, this is my motherfucking baby...and he's paving the way for many more toys like this in the future!

This time around, we're developing some extra hardware to compensate for some mold problems we saw with the last prototype (the crystal clear one I posted pics of). I'm hoping to get that prototype, plus the hardware, early next week...then off to the metal casters. Another week or so, and we should hopefully have final metal. The paint is ready to be sprayed and stickers ready to be applied. I'm gonna clean up the box art a little bit...and we'll be good to go (again, HOPEFULLY) in under a month!