We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program

I'd like to mention some blogs and web sites that I really like, even though they have very little to do with vintage space toys. I find them endlessly fascinating, and I think some of my discerning and intelligent readers might find them fascinating, too. So don't skip this post just because it doesn't have any vintage toy porn in it. Follow the links and maybe, like poor ol' Doc, you'll develop yet another all-encompassing, time-devouring obsession. 

Propnomicon (propnomicon.blogspot.com)

 

If you like H.P. Lovecraft -- and who doesn't? -- and you're interested in the world his characters inhabit, this is the blog for you. Focusing on Lovecraftian props and art, it's a treasure trove of dark, and often whimsical, artifacts and collectibles. The writer also makes his own props, including some fantastic Arkham University Expedition Patches (based on the stories At the Mountains of Madness and Shadow Out of Time) that currently grace my own shelf of H.P.L. ephemera. 

Toybot Studios (toybotstudios.blogspot.com)

This is one of the best places to see photos of Japanese vinyl monster (or "kaiju") toys. Great photos, news, and commentary makes this site accessible to old-school collectors and newbies alike. Custom paint jobs are a big part of this scene, and the blog's author has produced some fantastic work in his own right. Take the time to go through the flikr pages of his work, you won't be disappointed. 

Max Toy Co (www.maxtoyco.com)

Toy Karma (toykarma.blogspot.com)

Mark Nagata is an artist, toy maker, ray gun collector, and owner of the largest collection of Ultraman toys and ephemera in the world. The first site, Max Toy Co., is home to his vinyl toy company. The second is his personal blog, an insightful look into the world of art, Japanese monsters, and anything else that crosses Mark's mind. I've known Mark for a while, I own some of his toys, and I never get tired of seeing what his fertile imagination comes up with next.

Dead Presidents Design (deadpresidentsdesigns.blogspot.com)

When it comes to customizing toys, Dead Presidents Designs' Matt Walker is tough to beat. He made his bones working on cars and motorcycles, and he brings his considerable chops and unique style to vinyl kaiju figures. Rumor has it he's also customizing some reproduction tin robots... I can't even begin to describe how that makes me feel. Not in a PG-13 blog, anyway.

That's all for now. More vintage robots coming up. And soon: I start digging into the Atomic Arsenal of vintage ray guns! Stay tuned, True Believer.