Toy OTD: Disney, MINDstyle Black Hole Figure: V.I.N.CENT. (2009)

There aren't a lot of Black Hole toys to be had, and even fewer modern ones. For the most part, collectors have had to thrash about in a decades-old secondary market. But fortunately MINDstyle, a formidable maker of vinyl art, seems to have plenty of nostalgic employees. What better way to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Disney's sci-fi epic than with a spiffy new V.I.N.CENT toy? I was thrilled to hear the news!

While the figure is good, the promise and the reality are different things, and I was a little disappointed. The sculpt is quite precise - it looks exactly like the character - but the paint work seems a bit looser than I would've expected.

Generally, I'm not a stickler for articulation, but there's nothing movable here at all. The head can't retract, nor can the arms, legs, or laser guns pop out. I don't think the head even turns.

When you have a character where posing isn't much of an option, it's good to add a gimmick or two to keep the buyer from feeling that they've paid a good deal of money ($130) for a large chunk of pvc vinyl (even though they have). Working lights. A voice chip with dialogue and/or sound effects from the film. Moving parts. Different materials (a clear plastic insert for the monitor, for example). Something to make the figure feel a little less - well, inert. I don't necessarily mean voice response or animation, but a few small extras can go a long way!

Aside from the sculpt, the primary pluses here are scale - it's a big figure, a little over eight inches tall (and almost as wide) - and packaging. The box is simply gorgeous, made from heavy coated stock and slathered with sexy graphics and lacquer passes. If it weren't so big, it'd make a tempting keepsake! The figure also comes with a similarly decorated I.D.-like "collector's card", but I'm not sure why - the box borders on overkill as it is!

MINDstyle did include a display stand (a good thought, since V.I.N.CENT can't stand on his own in this pose), but while nicely unobtrusive, it doesn't add much in the balance department. You'll probably need a display case and some museum putty to protect this figure properly.

The original colorway (read: film version) debuted at this summer's San Diego Comic-Con and had a limited run of 300 pieces, so doubtless it's long sold out by now. Toy Tokyo still has one for $150 + shipping (call before ordering), there's one for sale on eBay right now for $180 + shipping, and ToyArena still has one in stock for $250 + shipping. If you're not finicky about the original film colors, MINDstyle has also released a Tron-looking colorway (an exclusive for the D23 Expo) that might be a little less popular (i.e, cheaper). Unfortunately, I can't find it for sale anywhere online, so you'll have to set up another eBay favorite search if you're interested in that version. Good luck!

Sweet! MINDstyle Pours On The Coolness: Black Hole Figures!

Well, "Black Hole figure" for the time being, but hopefully things will continue on down the character line if V.I.N.C.E.N.T. sells well. Can't wait!

I'm a big robot nerd, so I have a soft spot in my heart for these guys... especially old B.O.B. I sure hope he's next on the production line!

Article and images courtesy of Disney Consumer Group and I LIKE TOYS. Check out the link for more pictures, including a paint test!

Micheal Lau, MINDstyle's Godfather Vinyl - In Color!

Toysrevil has posted color pictures of the Godfather figure on the way from Michael Lau and MINDstyle. I'm a bit surprised by this color scheme - while it looks great, the paint work make the figure look more like Orson Welles than Don Corleone.

There's two more colorways coming, so I'll be curious to see if one looks older (the way I was assuming it'd be).

Images courtesy of I LIKE TOYS and MINDstyle.

Photoshop Afterglow Beaver Mock-Up, Some Great Toy News!

Here's a (really) rough mock-up of the Afterglow Beaver variant using a defective production sample, a paper 'sticker' applied with packing tape, a little Sharpie and a lot of Photoshop. It's pretty close to the way I want it to look - but I'm trying to figure out a way to make the white areas look good in normal light and in the dark. If I paint the eyes and teeth, they'll look too dark when the toy's glowing. But - I'm also worried that those areas will be too weak if I simply leave them the GID vinyl color. So I'm still pondering...

In other news, Hot Toys has the license to make Up merchandise, which is very exciting! Hot Toys is one of the best collectible manufacturers around, so I'm sure they'll do an amazing job. I'm hoping for vinyl figures of Carl, Ellie, Russell, Dug, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kevin, Muntz, young Ellie, young Carl, and young Muntz. Give 'em all the deluxe Hot Toys treatment, I say!

The first stills have emerged for the Michael Lau/Godfather mash-up vinyl being produced by MINDstyle. I think it looks amazing! I knew I was in for it when Mr. Lau announced that he was doing movie toys, and I was right - the three-figure Kubrick set was super-cool, and this one is just as good! I'm saving my pennies as we speak...

Maquette photo, posts courtesy of I LIKE TOYS.

Toy OTD: Mindstyle, Cameron Tiede 13 Tomadachi Figures: Edgar, Oswald, Agatha

It's so great to see a new design aesthetic emerge in the world of art toys - granted, these figures debuted two years ago, but Cameron Tiede's style still feels fresh and new! He had the good sense to team up with Mindstyle, one of the best in the designer toy game. The results are really special!

The sculptor did a wonderful job of bringing Mr. Tiede's very flat graphics into three dimensions. The chunky shapes are drawn into bold relief, and emphasized still further with color - faux highlights and cast shadows both create more dimension, yet also call back to the 2-D feel of the source art. The colors are appealing and true to Mr. Tiede's palette. Parts are separated along color lines for easy assembly, and to make the overall figure even richer in dimension.

The paint work is a skillful blend of large paint areas, dyed vinyl and smaller apps, creating a striking effect. There's some bleed-over here and there, but nothing too significant.

The characters are good choices for vinyl figure work - all of them have sufficiently low centers of gravity to minimize balance problems (display bases really aren't needed here!). I do recall that at least one piece was broken off upon opening the box, but in general the toys ship well with minimal damage.

The packaging is sturdy and quite attractive - you'll be tempted to keep (or re-purpose) the brightly-decorated drums that protect each figure. If not, they're made of cardboard, so at least they recycle easily.

These toys had a pretty small run - only three hundred of each! It looks like you can still get them (including the dog Roofus, which I decided to pass on) here at artoyz.com for €39.90 each. Good luck!

Toy OTD: Mindstyle Dark Crystal Vinyl Figure: UrRac The Scribe (2007)

Dark Crystal fans have waited a long time for character figures - twenty-five years - but MINDstyle has finally given us a toy that's worth the wait (no offense to Plan-B Toys, who has also produced some fantastic mini-busts). This recent Mystic figure is simply gorgeous!

Everything about this vinyl figure is top notch - the sculpt is beautiful and extremely accurate. The pose is straight out of the movie, and the paint apps are on-model and appropriately complex. If you want a vinyl version of this character, you simply couldn't ask for better!

Granted, there could be more articulation, but I think to maintain the design integrity, MINDstyle could have gone the jointed-figure-in-a-cloth-costume route, a la Hot Toys. To get hair that isn't sculpted, they could've gone the hard-core-clothed-resin-figure route, a la Sideshow, but both of those routes would make the figure much more expensive. Now you know I love both of those approaches, but to make a figure this accurate and this detailed for under a hundred dollars is really terrific!

And then there's the box. Even the box is incredible! Its design is on theme to the film's style, and it's covered with lovely photography and eye-catching foil passes. There's even a front-panel-door that allows you to check the figure out if you're one of those mint-in-box types. I think it had magnetic fasteners, but the may have been Velcro. Either way, the packaging is stand-alone great!

This toy sold a year ago for $70-$80, but you're in luck! It's available for sale at toynk.com at the lower price of $59.99 + shipping - grab one now, before they wise up!

More High-End Henson Swag On The Way

MUPPETNEWSFLASH.COM: MINDstyle to Make "Fraggle" Figures and More "Crystal" Collectibles
Tuesday, February 05, 2008

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of "Fraggle Rock", MINDStyle has announced plans to releasing a set of Fraggle Rock figures. The series of vinyl figures based on the beloved characters are planned for released later this year.

MINDstyle has licensed several properties from the Jim Henson Company and has already produced several successful product lines, including the Jim Henson's City Critters and a series of high-end "Dark Crystal" collectibles. More limited-edition figures in the "Dark Crystal" line are currently in development. The third collectible, a replica of the Skeksis' castle, is planned for release this spring with more "Dark Crystal" products planned to follow.

Initial offerings of many new MINDStyle products, plus sneak-peaks at others upcoming figures, is planned to take place at the International Toy Fair in New York later this month. I'll be sure to keep you updated as soon as more information on these, and other pieces of Jim Henson merchandise, becomes available.

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Image and tip-off courtesy of toysrevil and his "I Like Toys" blog.

Toy OTD: MINDstyle, Frank Cho Monkey Boy Vinyl Figure: NYCC Exclusive

Here's a terrific piece from one of the best figure-makers out there, MINDstyle. I've been very impressed with the level of quality of everything they do - if I don't want to buy it, it's usually a taste issue with the designer - and that's really rare, too!

This sculpt utterly nails Cho's drawing style, and it's a nice, solid, sag-resistant pose. The paint apps are really tight, and I like the color scheme a lot. If these colors are too loud for you, there's at least three other colorways, so you've got options.

This figure was exclusive to the New York Comic-Con earlier in the year, and I got mine for about $60. It might be a little trickier (or pricier) to get now. There's one for sale on eBay.ie for £74.99 (or about $150 USD).

Fantastic Frank Cho Vinyl Figure On The Way

It looks like "Monkey Boy" (Frank Cho's alter ego in Liberty Meadows) will make 'his' debut at the New York Comic-Con, Feb. 23rd - 25th. What a great figure! Nice, punchy colors and a sculpt that really nails Mr. Cho's drawing style. This'll be an exclusive paint variant to the Con, so snap it up if you're in the area. Mr. Cho will be making an appearance as well, so you can get it signed! Another (presumably the 'regular') version is due out soon from MINDstyle. However much it costs, it's worth it!

Thanks to vinylpulse for the tip-off!