A cyclops at heart, Mitch is happiest at box socials and themed mixers. Unfortunately, at The Facility, such events often devolve into psychotic episodes, leaving Mitch in a lonely state. To recharge, Mitch absorbs nutrients from sunlight and sustenance from the classics. You can usually find him pouring over his well-loved copy of The Iliad or spinning his favorite Mozart record.
It’s cool to get in a groove, but don’t end up getting stuck in one. Life has lots to offer. Try a different style of music. Check out some new art. Talk to a total stranger. Mix it up.
This picture was taken at Wondercon 2010, but it goes out to all my friends in San Diego today. Keep calm and carry on. Repeat after me: It’s only a toy. It’s only a toy. It’s only a toy. If the mantra fails, go get it; it’s probably awesome 
Kidrobot announced the winners of Munny Munth today, and check out this category for Best Cyclops! First place award went to Eduardo Capuano of Caracas, Venezuela (above left). Second and third prize winners’ names were not provided, but brother Cyclops in the middle could have doubled up in the Creepiest Design category.
The Cyclops is taking over the world! London has declared a pair of Cyclops as its mascots for the 2010 Olympics. Wenlock is the Olympic mascot and Mandeville is the Paralympic mascot. Of course, you can follow both mascots on Twitter.
It seems like there is already a cloud of unhappiness with the highly-produced mascots, but as a Cyclops mascot myself, I must stick up for my brothers. It’s pretty hard to create a universal icon that pleases everyone on a scope as big as the Olympics. Why don’t we all keep our eye on this and see how it pans out?
Wondercon 2010. At first, it was rather quiet. Even amongst the mini-Mitches.
…And then the doors opened.
My pal Domo stopped by. It’s always good catching up with him.
Not sure who these guys are, but the one in the striped shirt poked me in the eye. Watch your back at Wondercon 2011, buddy.
Isaac and Jacob Pritzker, co-founders of Neon Monster, stopped by on Saturday. They take good care of me.
Click through for tons more pictures.
Our good friend, Sergey Safonov, is celebrating the 5th anniversary of his shop, Lunohod-1 with a massive exhibition / party / installation mix in Moscow/Russia on April15th, 2010. There are just a couple days left to join in. Here’s the brief:
If you want to participate and exhibit your characters at the event, please email me — sputnik [at] lunohod-1 [dot] ru
2D/3D/Photo/Video, anything will work.
For character designs — no background. Vector is preferred, but if you make raster, make it big enough to print A2 poster. (2000 pixels large side with 300dpi will work.)
Photo/Video — no specific requirements.We’re waiting for your artwork until March 20.
For those who slept late on Know Your International Toy Designers day at school, Sergey is the designer of the much-beloved and wished-for Moon Wanderers figures, who are a late-breaking addition to our Wondercon Resin Showcase! He also spends his spare time tinkering with Rotocasted. How cool would it be to have your art displayed in Moscow? Very cool! Get involved.
It’s me! First you saw me in 2D on your screen, then you saw me in giant-sized high-density foam, and now here I am in 100% recycled fleece plush. Here’s some nice stuff people have been saying:
On January 25th, Neon Monster will unleash Mitch in 100% recycled fleece plush. Mitch is a depressive aesthete dreamed up by co-founders Isaac and Jacob Pritzker. “He’s a tough cyclops with a soft side,” said Isaac. “We made him out of plush so people can bask in his gruff hugability at a price point easy on the wallet and from materials easy on the planet.”
Supporting the San Francisco art scene is a priority for Neon Monster, who tapped the talents of local artists, Reuben Rude and Lauren Venell to bring Mitch to life. In addition to exhibiting his own art, Reuben has worked as a product designer for STRANGEco and a colorist on over 100 issues of Savage Dragon and early Spawn comics. “Reuben has been a remarkable asset in the production of the visual aspects of the Neon Monster brand. His combined experience in the designer art and illustration community has made him a wonderful resource for our company,” said Jacob. Neon Monster also worked closely with Lauren to develop the three-dimensional pattern and plush prototype from Reuben’s design. Lauren is the founder of sweet-meats.com, whose humorous hambone plushes can be seen in shops around the world. She is recognized for combining a unique knowledge of product development with a highly skilled ability to sew and create complex patterns. Co-founder Kristy Klinck referred to working with Reuben and Lauren as “the perfect collaboration,” saying: “Bringing Mitch to life has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Everyone involved in the process has really worked hard to give Mitch a unique personality.
Mitch is a giant misfit, rather anachronistic in his taste, and with a tendency to slide into psychotic episodes. His full story, and those of his fellow characters, will be progressively revealed on Neon Monster’s dedicated microsite, The Bestiary. The Mitch toy measures 14 inches when standing and can sit due to his bean-bag bottom. He is available in two limited edition colorways: albino-pink and grey. The plush is made of 100% recycled fleece and meets environmental and kids’ safety standards. Each plush comes packed in a signature kaiju-style reusable plastic bag. For further details and ordering information, please see: www.neonmonster.com. Grey Mitch is now available here, and Albino-pink mitch is available here.
