Toy OTD: West Kenji Booska, Chamegon OP Animation Completed Set (Monochrome Version - 2007)

I bought this set at my first Vinyl Toy Network show. I've always kind of liked Booska (even though I've never seen him in anything), but this stylized interpretation put me over the edge and finally got me to hit the 'spend' button. The pair cost me sixty dollars at the time.

I like the colors in Booska's design, the monochrome version was sufficiently attractive. I suspected that this might be the case, but I didn't know until just now that this set is designed to look like the opening animation of the program. Not to mention that I got his girlfriend (?) Chamegon in the bargain! Pretty cool.

The sculpts, color palette and paint jobs are great - the only real minus is that the interchangeable arms don't fit into the body as well as I'd like (see photo). The package design isn't mind-blowing, but I rarely keep that stuff anyway. Average-looking boxes are easier to recycle, so in a way it's a plus!

I can't find either set online right now, so set up a favorite search and keep casting that net. Be prepared to pay north of a hundred dollars, as they've been sold out for a while. Good luck!

Something Interesting Has Happened

Mainly, that (according to my Bravenet hit counter) my blog audience seems to have increased in a big way - from about four hundred hits a day to almost fifteen hundred today! I guess the Vinyl Toy Network show triggered the jump, but I'm not exactly sure how.

I didn't give out my contact information that much, so I'm assuming that naming my toy business after my web address (and having it displayed on the VTN homepage) was a much better idea than I'd ever anticipated! It's a big reason why I bit the bullet and started the web comic - I wanted to hang onto my new readers with more original material.

Welcome, everybody! Hope you enjoy the new feature...

Expectations, Vinyl Toy Network, And Paying Dues

We're back from Pasadena, and my second foray with the Vinyl Toy Network show. It seemed like there were more tables than last year, not to mention the people waiting in the convention hall and in a long line that snaked down the block. Awesome! I knew that these folks weren't waiting for me specifically, but it looked like a lot of potential target-market customers, and Christmas was right around the corner. Except... I forgot about a couple of things. Primarily, this guy:

Apparently, Joe Ledbetter's Ringo Bear had an exclusive, only-one-hundred-made Toxic green version (through 3D Retro) available only at the VTN show. The first hundred guests got goody bags, and half of them got tickets reserving a Ringo for that guest, Willy-Wonka-style. If I remember correctly, it cost eighty dollars (a mid-range designer toy price), but it might not leave much left in terms of a collector's spending budget.

The other thing that I forgot was that the dealers' room - even though it was bigger than last year - is still pretty small. There's no other events like panel discussions or screenings, so once folks are done shopping... they're going to leave. A few designers - Frank Kozik, Joe himself, Bwana Spoons, Dan Goodsell, and Cameron Tiede - were there to sign their work and do sketches, but again, even if you got everyone's autograph, that's not going to keep you there all that long.

So. The room exploded with people at ten o'clock! Most of them came in, sat down, and feverishly dug through their bags. They lined up for the Ringo Bear and they lined up again to get it signed. After that, they browsed for about thirty minutes - an hour, tops.

And then they left. An hour or two into a seven and a half hour show, ninety percent of the crowd was gone.

I drew a lot of free sketches during the surge to keep people at the table, but we only sold five toys all day. I was as sick as a dog - I'd caught a bad cold a day or two before - and I was not a happy camper. I don't blame the show, and I don't blame Joe - he made a cool toy, and people were dying for it. I hope to be in that place myself someday! But I let my expectations run away with me, and it bit me in the butt, big time.

Ironically, the only toy that I bought was one of Joe's - it's my favorite of his work so far, the Kaiju For Grown-Ups' Gamorita from Wonderwall. Super-cool looking, and a bargain at $65.00!

Well, better luck next time...

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Photos by doc18 and VinylMadness. A special thanks to Bwana Spoons and Dan "Mr. Toast" Goodsell for their words of encouragement and support during the show!

JeffPidgeon.com, Happy Beaver At The Vinyl Toy Network Show!

Yup, I'm going to the Vinyl Toy Network show again this December - but this time as a vendor! I'll have a booth to peddle Happy Beaver toys to Southern Californians in person. I figure the attendants for this show are my core audience, so it seems like a good one to set up shop (plus, the vendor space is very affordable, and it's super-close to Christmas)!). Here's the info:

Where? - Pasadena Convention Center 300
East Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101

When? - Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
For How Long? - 10 AM - 5:30 PM
How Much? - Free admission!
Why? - The core audience thing

Hope to see you there!

Photos From Vinyl Toy Network

I've been meaning to post these pictures for a while. Sorry for the delay...

(above) The door of mystery! I was a little disappointed in the size of the show, but to be fair, this is only its second year. There was enough that I wanted to buy as it was, though there wasn't any debuts or show exclusives that I recall.


The line wasn't too bad, though the show did open late. I did manage to get the goodie bag that I got up at 5:30 in the morning / flew into Burbank as early as I could stand to get. Ironically, I didn't want to keep most of the freebies, and wound up giving most of it away. Having to take everything you get at the show back on the plane (in your two permissible carry-ons) kept me from getting too crazy!


Lots of technology in line - not very surprising, really. If they've got money for designer toys, they're probably going to have gadgetry as well!


I think this is Michelle Valigura, who, along with Amanda Visell, comprise Switcheroo, an art/product company. Amanda made the hand-made Dragon Scout figure that I bought. Pricey, but it's closer to buying a drawing or a painting than a toy. Plus it's a great piece, of course!

UPDATE (10/24/08): Whoops! This isn't Ms. Valigura - it's Sarah Jo Marks, film distributor and wife of toy distributor Dov Kelemer. Pidgeonblog regrets the error.


The Strangeco table. I picked up the Ningyo Project Gosho figure (the traditional version) there. It looks awesome!


The Cardboard Spaceship table had a great selection of toys. I picked up the Mr. Capman Kanser figure there, which I'd been meaning to get for a while.


These are great mini-figures that had come out just recently, so I bought a few. In classic blind-box fashion, I didn't get any of my favorites. Oh, well!


Not surprisingly, Tim Biskup's Flopdoodle online store had a table there. His stuff is terrific, but I didn't buy any of it this time.


More friendly toy salsemen, more than happy to take my money. Not this time!


Cameron Tiede made an appearance, which was a nice surprise! His wife and I chatted while he drew my friend Brian a picture. I can't wait for Cameron's toys!


I bought a nice monochrome Booska & Chamegon vinyl figure set from the table right next to this one. The picture of that booth didn't come out, so this one'll have to do.


There were artier toy makers there, too, some working in other media.


Some people sold clothing and art prints as well.


All in all, it was a good show, and I had fun! Still, I don't know if I'll drop the cash for a round trip plane ticket again just for the event. If I can work it into a weekend trip, though, that'd be worth doing. Yay, toys!