All Posts tagged qee

Designer Qee Series 6 is a Return to Form for Toy2R

It’s been a while since I’ve had particularly glowing remarks for a new range of Qees, but Designer Qee Series 6 represents a return to what got me into collecting artist-made toys at the beginning of this decade…right down to the Doink! In a move sure to please longtime Qee collectors, Toy2R has brought back the designers behind one of many Qee fans’ favorite pieces for a trilogy in red, blue and GID. They’ve also tapped the talents of Cameron Tiede, Peskimo, DGPH, Daniel Jarrett, Saucernauts, Lisa Petrucci, Frank Kozik and Qee-creator, Raymond Choy for some interesting designs with a variety of heads. Perhaps most notably, Series 6 introduces the first production toys for Jon-Paul Kaiser and local customizer Dril One. Congrats!

With tomorrow’s release of Dunny 2010, it’s important not to forget the other white platform, the Qee. Get ‘em by the case here. Get ‘em individually blind-boxed here. Get ‘em in store in San Francisco, and you can always swap your blind pull for a display figure. For further insight, click on the artist links to see some of the chase figure reveals.

Zipperpullapalooza

Zipperpulls are kind of the unsung heroes of the designer toy world. They’re really popular, but they have a Napoleon Complex. They serve a purpose, but they’re not exactly practical. It’s hard to justify that you need them, but you really want them. Zipperpulls are literally yanking your chain. And we’ve got tons of them.

Shane Jessup’s Things That Hurt are a fan favorite. You could sort of say that zipperpulls make you less likely to get something caught in a zipper, which would be a Thing That Hurt, indeed. I am guilty of being smitten by the new Paul Frank zipperpulls. Lots of people like the combination of dark humor and cuteness of Gloomy Bear zipperpulls. Perhaps the opposite of gruesome Gloomy Bears would be Friends With You’s Luckies zipperpulls. And the going joke is how nobody uses their Qees as keyrings, so Toy2R put out some 1.5-inch Qees as zipperpulls. We’ve got fishbowls full of ‘em for just a couple bucks each from Kidrobot, Toy2R and Rocketworld. Come fish ‘em out, or order blindly via the online shop.

Top 10 Art Toys of 2009 Under $50

Supercool geek chic(k) Danie Ware asked me to send her my favorite toy of 2009 to be posted on the Forces of Geek site. I gave myself a parameter: Top Ten 2009 Production Art Toys Under $50. Let’s be real: 2009 was a rough year economically. There were big toys by big names, but for most folks, they remained hundreds of dollars out of reach. Resin really hit its prime, and customizers took their art to a new level, but that’s another list. So without further ado, here’s my Recession Necessities list. I own all ten of these, and I give you my word (which is 97% opinion), that should you also own them, they will bring you great joy. The list has now been updated to include links to buy everything without leaving the Bay Area or your chair! Reposted with permission of the Geeks.

1. Lunartik in a Cup of Tea by Matt JOnes – This toy is the antidote to 2009’s surplus of snore-inducing “urban” vinyl retreads. Prepare to shout “that’s what she said” because everyone agrees that the Lunartik figure is bigger than it looks on the Internet. I love the saucer and spoon accessories and the cheeky colorway names. The customs I’ve seen on this unintentional platform are some of the best I saw this year. Fingers crossed that the Tea Tour hits San Francisco in 2010. [Available in milky DIY flavor here.]

2. O-No Sushi by Andrew Bell – Something I ask of my art toys is whether they elicit an emotional response. O-No Sushi gives me guilt. Am I going to stop eating sushi or buying toys? Heck no. Can’t wait for the green colorway. Bonus points for smart packaging and dedicated microsite. [Now available in green here and red here.]

3. CHOEGAL by David Choe – 2009 was a year where many toys masqueraded as art but fell short of the definition. Love him or hate him, David Choe is an artist, and CHOEGAL is an art toy. If the prices on his prints and paintings are too steep for your wallet, consider this a three-dimensional entry point to owning a piece of Choe. The figures are hand-painted with great boxes, and Choe is rumored to have painted a few himself and slipped them into the mix. Ningyoushi did good on these. [Cupcake edition available here.]

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Buff Monster Art Basel Customs in Store Now

People have been asking what became of the Buff Monster customs seen above and in these photos from our live painting event in Miami. We’ve got two pieces left. First up: an 8-inch KitCat Qee.

This super glossy 8″ KitCat Qee was customized by Buff in sparkly silver, gray, black and Buff’s signature Pink. The flat black sections of paint float over the surface of silvery sprays so superflat you can see your reflection. Exclusive to Art Basel. Get him here.

Next up, this 3-inch Dorogami is a hard beast to photograph, but we did the best we could. Buff Monster customized this kaiju for exhibit at this year’s Art Basel Miami. A harmonious balance of Buff’s signature pink mixed with various shades of green speckles enhance all of the contours of the Dorogami’s viscous-like body. The upper eye features a pink crystal and the 2 lower eyes are lighter clear crystals inset into the vinyl body. A final clear coat makes this one sweet X-mas Grinch. Get him here.

Buff doesn’t do a ton of customs, and even less on platform figures. Check ‘em out, and remember EVERYTHING in the store is eligible for our Neon Monster Loves You sale, this weekend only.