ThePeteToys: Stripe-B

Stripe-B Flickrset, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

As my long-timers know, one of my passions is custom toy design. I don't do it as much as I'd like, so I guess it ends up being a hobby thanks to that whole "pursuit of money" thing. But get me in a room with a blank DIY vinyl and a wad of Sharpie pens and I'm a happy, happy guy.

So, here's another piece from the archives--I finished it back in January of 2008.

"Stripe-B" started out life as a blank DIY Baby Qee Devil Toyer from Toy2R. He was created because I wanted a counterpart to Stripe-R whom you can see at the end of the photoset or you can check out Stripe-R's own photoset here: flickr.com/photos/thepete/sets/721576014 92854661/

ThePeteToy EyeRobot (in progress)

When I'm not blogging about politics and current events, I like to have FUN by designing custom toys. There's a great feeling of control you get from drawing on a white piece of pre-molded vinyl or plastic. It's a feeling you just don't get from everyday life.

You know, that feeling you can control anything at all, ever. :)

Above is a screencap of a Flickr photoset I just created featuring progress shots of a piece called "EyeRobot."

He started out life as a blank Egg Qee I picked up at the Giant Robot store here in Manhattan.

Not sure where I was coming from as the design developed in my head, but I started drawing and the first thing that came to me was that big eye.

He's basically done, but I have to apply a clear coat and then put him together.

See the pictures in my Flickr photoset here: http://flickr.com/…394893430/

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ThePeteToys: Daruma-Kun

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit of a Japanophile. So, naturally, Japanese themes pop up in my art, regardless of what it is. My novels often have Japanese elements in them and, likewise, my custom toy work does, too.

This piece is called "Daruma-Kun." It combines a couple of different elements. First, it takes a blank Baby Toyer Qee (the Toyers have a skull-head) and then adds the karate uniform (I should have gone with a yukata, a common robe, like a kimono). The head is my interpretation of a daruma.

A daruma is a Japanese doll (really just an oddly shaped, hollow ball) painted to look like the founder of Zen, a guy called Bodhidharma.

The eye-sockets are left blank until you are ready to make a wish. As you draw a pupil on the right eye you wish for something. Once your wish comes true, you fill in the left eye. Then, on the next New Years Eve you go to a shrine and set your daruma on fire as an offering to god(s) to prove you stuck with your wish.

Maybe "wish" is the wrong word. "Goal" is better.

Normally, daruma don't have arms and legs, so Daruma-Kun is a little different. Also, I won't be burning this one as he's made of vinyl and might be the messiest daruma at the shrine. There is a bit more to daruma rituals that you can check out at Wikipedia.org here: http://en.wikipedia.org/…iki/Daruma

I'm thinking about making more of these and selling them on eBay--I love the idea of things that help you stay true to your goals. I've seen that Japanese film and television productions will often have huge daruma around to symbolize a successful show or movie. I really dig that.

Anyway, so you can check out close ups of Daruma-Kun at my toy site: http://toys.thepete.com/
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ThePeteToy/Hack: The RoBunny USB hub+Flash drive

Here is another one of my custom DIY vinyl toy projects. This one is called the RoBunny and not only is he a toy, he's also a hack! He started out life as a blank DIY Baby Qee bunny from Toy2R. However, when I held my Ridata-brand flash drive and 2-port USB hub combo up to this guy's head I realized that I could hack him into a cybernetic toy. ^_^

Now he works great as a triple purpose accessory for my desk of gadgets! It's a toy, a USB thumb drive AND a 2-port USB hub! Pretty, cool, huh? OH yeah, he's also got an evil looking eye that lights up when he's plugged in, which I really think is cool.
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ThePeteToys: Stripe-R

When I'm not writing fiction, bitching about the world, or messing around with my XO laptop, one of my hobbies is doing custom DIY blank vinyls. These start off life as a blank, white toy made of vinyl. The idea is that you buy one and apply your own character to them. Think of it like working as a painter, only instead of canvas, your medium is pre-formed vinyl. :)

Another thing I like about custom vinyls is that they are mega-brand-free. While many of the companies that make blanks are corporations (who isn't these days?), none (that I know of) are owned by mega-corporations like Time-Warner or Viacom. A few have done deals with bigger companies for franchise licenses, but the blanks I use are just that--blank.

No brands.

You just use your imagination and create the toy you want. Sometimes it doesn't even have to be a character. I'm a little too control-freakish to turn a blank into abstract art, but I've seen it done. In this post I'm calling attention to a piece I finished a while back which I call Stripe-R based on the most prominent design motif on him--the thick, red stripe down the middle of his face. He's about as abstract as I think I can get ^_^

I've got more custom toys and a section on my website dedicated to just toys that you can check out at: http://toys.thepete.com/ It's pretty sparse right now as I just recently created it. But I'll be posting more of my own creations as well as non-custom toys in my own collection.

Hey, I can't write about politics and movie reviews ALL the time, can I?

Stripe-R started out life as a Baby Qee Toyer, which is a model of blank toy from a company called Toy2R, which you can check out at their website: http://toy2r.com/

Check out my Flickr photo set for Stripe-R here: http://flickr.com/…492854661/

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One of my Custom DIY Toys in Progress

I posted the other day about having a love for custom toy making and here is a progress shot of something I'm working on right now. It's the head of a glow-in-the-dark, blank Munny figure that I am applying my own design to. The piece, over all, is very close to being done--but I need to pick up some sort of spray-on clear coat before I can be completely done. The Sharpie I used for the silver there is still very sticky. :P

I've got plenty more pictures of my customs that I'll be posting soon for anyone who wants to see more. :)
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ThePeteToy: ThePeteMunny!

Just finished up another ThePeteToy! This one is ThePeteMunny, which is based on ThePeteMan who's first adventure you can read in the first issue of ThePete.Comic, which you can buy at it's very own CafePress store!

Check out pictures of ThePeteMunny by clicking on the screencap of ThePeteMunny's photoset at my Flickr:

MY WORK FEATURED ON CustomToyLab.Com

Ah, this is cool. There's no major application process or anything, but it's still neat when another website features something you did, you know? Also, CustomToyLab.Com features some really amazing work from artists around the world. Even if you're not into toys or urban vinyls, if you like any kind of sculpture or modern art, you should check out CustomToyLab.Com.

Of course, the main reason you should pay a visit to CustomToyLab.Com right now is that OUR OLD PAL CHALKY IS FEATURED!! Check out the link below and be sure to leave a comment on how cool you think he is!!

http://www.customtoylab.com/2007/05/20/chalky-munny-thepete/

In case you don't remember who Chalky is, here's a refresher:

Awww, isn't he adorable? Don't you just want to hug him and wipe all of that chalky goodness onto your shirt?

My First Custom Vinyl Toy!!

chalky01, originally uploaded by thepetecom.

Ever since I was a kid I thought it would be so cool to design my own toys. I used to customize my GI Joe figures with Sharpies. Well, Kid Robot has produced a line of blank vinyl toys that you can do just about anything to. So, I bought a stack of them and here's my first attempt! I started simple and and created Chalky!

Click here to check out more pictures of the finished product!

Oh and do let me know what you think!

Check this image out:

There's just something so cool about seeing a toy you designed inside packaging. I know my design was simple, but it's still neat...