SECRET BASE OFFICE STYLE!

And now for a trio of teaser stills from the interview at Hiddy's office.
Here's the entryway to the headquarters!
We snagged this shot of the shelf above the desk area while setting up. We also listened to the Clash as Hiddy cracked jokes. For real, this man's got skills as a comic. Somebody needs to put out a Hiddy stand-up record. (Ramos, where you at?!)
Hiddy lays it down in interview. We talk about his collecting style, musical taste, design inspiration and his hometown of Osaka. It was a great discussion that reveals much about Hiddy's personality and, in turn, the amazing items that SB puts out. Thank you, Hiddy. As we translate this interview and all of the others, we'll be dropping video snippets on the site.

SECRET BASE IS GONNA FIGHT: PT2!

So sick! A sketch of Marvel's Venom by Usugrow for Secret Base!

Hiddy holds court at the shop before we hit the road for the interview. It's just a short walk to Hiddy's office...

SECRET BASE IS GONNA FIGHT: PT 1!

On our second day of shooting we hung out with Hiddy, a master of comedy and toys, and the proprietor of Secret Base in Harajuku. Here's a still shot directly from our interview at Hiddy's office. For those who aren't familiar with Secret Base's vast catalog of work, the company has been going strong for five years, creating hundreds of the freshest underground vinyl toys in Japan. Known largely for dope designs and made-in-Japan quality, most of Hiddy's line is based on his close friend Takeshi Sakamoto's Fink-Shit "fight figure" that was released independently in 1997. Several fight figure micro-brands have emerged in SB's wake, but SB is the undeniable original. SB rules.

Before we journeyed to Hiddy's office, however, we dropped by the SB boutique, which is quite literally underground. This is a pic of the entrance sign tucked in a back alley of Harajuku. Take the stairs down to the point of no return! Once you're hooked on the Base, there's no going back.

On the right at the bottom of the steps, an amazing archive of Secret Base figures greets you. Awww yeah.
Secret Base items are made in Japan using production methods that have been refined by Japanese toy makers for the past half century.
SB's shop manager, Chika, share's a little about the day-to-day at the boutique and the brand's most popular toys.

Cut! Take five.

After the BXH interview, Chris and Hikaru have a smoke.

BOUNTY HUNTER'S GOT THAT P.M.A.

Toypunks officially began filming in Japan on March 2nd! To kick things off, here's a video still from our interview with one of the original kings of toys and punk style, Hikaru Iwanaga. Hikaru and his partner Taka are the gentlemen behind the perennial Bounty Hunter toy and fashion brand which began nearly ten years ago. We filmed at the original Bounty Hunter shop in Harajuku, met Taka and their crew, and toypunks own Chris Nelson gave Hikaru his Bad Brains shirt from the '89 Quickness tour as a token of thanks. It was sugoi, which we learned in Japanese means pretty fucking awesome. Hikaru and Taka are both as cool as it gets and Hikaru gave an intense interview. He talked heavily about his youth in punk and toys, the unrelentless spirit of BXH, and the past, present, and future of the brand that started it all. Thank you Hikaru and Taka.

Here's a video still of the life-size Skull-kun toy that adorns the Bounty Hunter Harajuku Shop. Creator of the Skull-kun, Hikaru, says that the figure is cast "in the image of Frankenberry combined with the Misfits." This is one of the raddest and most historically relevant designs to emerge from the toy underground.