On February 8th, we'll be celebrating the release of Toypunks on DVD with our great friends at Domy Books in Houston, Texas! A custom video projection piece featuring live mixing, a project photo installation, some killer Japanese toys, libations and surprises await attendees! Punk rock DJs will play the event and keep it hopping. Domy is a rad store and we're excited to be collaborating with them. Check back for more on this party and some exiciting Toypunks announcements soon! For now, check the evite http://www.domystore.com/invites/toypunks.html
On December 14th, Toypunks screened in Philadelphia at Mason Warner's shop, WTHN. The turnout was solid, the people were rad, and Mason and crew showed us a great time, Philly style.
seats in the house.
On December 7th, designer vinyl shop, Atomic Pop, in Baltimore, MD, hosted one of the premiere screenings of Toypunks Volume 1 and the turnout was awesome. The film also premiered in Hamburg Germany on the same day. Benn and Rachel, Atomic Pop's owners, also run the venerable Atomic Books in Baltimore. They were great hosts. It was awesome for us to hang out for the night, watch the film, and to catch up with old friends. Early copies of the DVD were for sale as well as these wild vinyl prints that Atomic Pop had created. A massive shout out goes to everyone who attended and said hello! Also, thanks very much to talented Baltimore-based writer Raven Baker and the Baltimore City Paper for running this story the week of the event. http://citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=14936
With a full bar located in Atomic's spacious back room, the afterparty went down in the store. It was a blast.
Here's a shot of two super solid amigos and toypunks contributors: Will Sulima (additional photography) and David Manganaro (promotional art). Dave keeps the look sincere while Wild Willy brings the mischief!
a few rad toys that we put on display that night. A special thanks goes to Isaac Ramos, a star of the toypunks film and a great friend who was in attendance that evening. Isaac loaned his Kid Hunter vinyl (far left) for the display. Created by Bounty Hunter brand, who's a major focus of toypunks Volume 1, the Kid Hunter is considered the world's first designer vinyl toy.
Here's a look at the original toypunks mascot drawing that was on display in Baltimore. This was hand-drawn by Mike Giant, who we were blessed to hire as illustrator for our logo and character mascot. Mike is one of the best line artists on Earth. Until you flip this piece over to see the marker bleed, it is impossible to tell it was drawn with a sharpie by human hands. Unreal!
Toypunks takes the big screen. Kozik in Deutchland! So rad.
We've been mad busy packing pre-orders and shipping from Toypunks HQ! As of today, all individual domestic and international orders have shipped. Wholesale international orders are on the way this weekend. The response so far has been staggering and inspiring!
After one wild ride, the Toypunks Vol 1 DVD is now available for pre-order! 17.99 plus 4.00 domestic shipping. The DVD will ship DECEMBER 1st!
Shocker Europe's Armin Strommer is hosting this showing of Toypunks at 3001 theater in Hamburg, Germany on December 7, 2007. It will be one of the first public viewings of toypunks: Volume 1 and it promises to be an aweseome event! In addtion to the film, there will be a micro-exhibition of Japanese vinyl toys, great music, beer and cool people celebrating their love of toys, punk, fashion and Japan. Additional live-footage of ripping Japanese band Balzac may be shown as time will allow, and of course, Balzac is also featured in the toypunks film. Complete radness. Shocker EU made this cool promotional poster for the event. Thanks, Armin! For additional information please check out http://www.shocker-europe.com/ and www.balzac308.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=16
After filming and traveling since March and interviewing a killer cast of toy makers, fashion designers and artists, we've posted the trailer for the first toypunks DVD on Youtube!Toypunks Volume 1 will take you in-depth with Hikaru Iwanaga of Bounty Hunter, who mixed punk and toys over a decade ago to create the top fashion and toy brand in Japan. In turn, he unwittingly gave birth to the designer vinyl movement. Frank Kozik, Hiddy Kinoshita of Secret Base, Balzac, Isaac Ramos of RFSO, Carl Kent-Smith and many more make guest appearances while offering insight on the culture.
Toypunks Volume 1 goes on sale on November 15th 2007 at toypunks.com and select retailers worldwide. Each subsequent volume of toypunks will focus on a different creator while exploring the cultural connections between toys, punk and street fashion on a global scale. Expect loads of extra features, interviews and outtakes on each release. Please contact justin@toypunks.com for ordering information and inquiries.
Finally, a shout out! Last week we premiered the toypunks trailer at Isaac Ramos' party during San Diego Comic Con and it was a blast. Isaac knows how to throw a party! Thanks to Carl Kent Smith, Chris Kohler, Paul Kaiju, Pete, Mike Le Merde, Jeremy of Mutant Massacre, Glenn and Lisa Pogue, Gargamel (skate to live), Paul, Skylar, Missy and the whole RFSO crew for being cool and to Isaac for being the glue! Check out Isaac's new site at http://www.realfanshitonly.com/.
While editing toypunks footage early this morning, we received an email from our friend Hiddy of Secret Base Toys containing this stunning pic of an upcoming release. Designed by Usugrow, the Japanese artist who's garnering international accolades for his meticulous skull-and-letter laden work, this toy represents the freshest take on the genre since Pushead's Skullpirate. In the SB tradition, prototype figures are released first in all black vinyl. Check Secret Base's site for details and updates. This piece looks amazing and we are officially clamoring!
Before any US companies or designer vinyl collectors preached the merits of new Japanese vinyl, Isaac Ramos was on it. A crazy collector (toys + music) and co-owner of Dog and Pony Record company, Ramos first began a fan site to help educate people about the first wave of Japanese designer vinyl and its modern offshoots. Kids and old school collectors alike got full-blown addicted to Japanese vinyl thanks in large part to his infectious enthusiasm for this under appreciated scene in the US. Recently, he's been dropping rad toys and fashion items made in extremely limited runs that boast his mantra, "Real Fan Shit Only". When toypunks sat down with Isaac for an interview in San Francisco, he dropped the knowledge like only he can while proving his penchant for comedy. After toiling for various companies over the past few years in the skateboarding, music, design and toy industries (most recently for S7), Isaac just 
announced his new solo toy site www.realfanshitonly.com which is currently being crafted. Expect it to rule!
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When we sat down with Frank Kozik for an interview a few weeks ago, we knew we were in for some serious stories from the veteran artist. Most popular in the toy world for his Smoking Rabbit character, Kozik turns out more toys than any other designer in the business, so it's no surprise that vinyl fans with down-from-day-one attitude get a bit frazzled over his release style. However, for Kozik it's an old story; he's no stranger to creating for subcultures. Before vinyl hit, he ran the independent record label, Man's Ruin, and he was a successful poster artist who cut his teeth in Austin's punk scene in the early '80s. In our interview, he explains how he's created for and sold to the underground for over 25 years and that, though the players and products have changed, the same dynamics exist in the toy, music and art worlds. It was a compelling interview that really shows the cultural connections between underground toys, art and punk from someone who's been hugely successful in all three worlds.
Perched high in the studio, Kozik's Mao Tse Tung with Mickey ears (aka The Bird is the Word) sits next to Bounty Hunter's life-size Skull Kun. Kozik's first figure release, the initial Smoking Rabbit, was produced by Bounty Hunter in the late '90s. Kozik cites Bounty Hunter's Kid Hunter as an early inspiration on his vinyl career!
l Head figures designed by Mori await the finishing paints.
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