It’s hard for me to believe that Lilo & Stitch came out eight years ago! What’s also interesting is that the film and related goodies like videogames are still quite popular in Japan. Show above is the Stitch HQ 3-Way Furisu Blanket which is quite kawaii! And at under $30 makes for a cheap cosplay outfit — although the catch is that since the blanket is on the small size it may only benefit young and somewhat short con goers. Read more…
Every once in awhile someone does something awesome with legos that makes me wish I still had my box of spare parts. I always end up regretting the fact that I sold the majority on eBay so many years ago, with the exception of a few sets that I’ve managed to keep sealed away in their original box. Still, it really amazes me when someone creates something that’s actually somewhat useful. Sure, it’s neat to see someone construct a robot or a Valkyrie, but creating something a bit more original always manages to impress, and that’s exactly what B3ta user, Squirrelfantasy, did with his felt-tip lego printer. It might be a bit crude, but it looks pretty neat and gets the job done. Read more…
Etsy artist Doc Martin was self trained in art from an early age but took his talent to the next level at a respectable SoCal art school. This colorful series of Star Wars inspired posters draws inspiration from the likes of Andy Warhol and LeRoy Neiman. Featured in this vivid set of prints are Boba Fett, Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper and a TIE fighter. Read more…
I’ve seen a great deal of geek shaped soap in my day, but the added touch of making this faux BlackBerry scented with blackberries is genius! Produced by the Two Eggplants Company this BlackBerry PDA Phone Soap shows some nice detail on the keyboard and even includes a screen full of mock icons: Read more…
Commissioned over 100 years ago in 1903 the paintings by C. M. Coolidge which are collectively now known as Dogs Playing Poker is a cornerstone of pure(bred) Americana. But as good as those doggies were, I belive that an America of the 21st Century needs a more modern for of kitsch — and thus I nominate this Ultimate Boston Terrier Star Wars Dog Art Set for the honor. Lavishly illustrated by Brian Rubenacker this set of prints captures the canine side of Darth, Boba, Princess, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Read more…
This kawaii set of Han and Leia Kokeshi Dolls are designed as cake toppers — although I think they’d stand out on their own as a collectable. They were crafted by PeanutbutterBandit who who hails from Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Read more…
Even though I’m vegetarian the Japanophile in me craved this wonderfully detailed Ultra Realistic Sushi Lover Deluxe Soaps Gift Set. Designed by the Two Eggplants Company this set includes soap shaped likes shrimp, salmon, fatty tuna, calamari, cucumber, spicy tuna, roe sushi and a cute little gyosa as a bonus. And best of all the soaps are wasabi scented! Read more…
Some of you may know Danny Choo, he’s a pretty popular guy among otakus and fanboys alike. As such, I tend to share many of the same passions, such as Japanese anime and figures. Recently he uploaded these amazing photos to his flickr account, showing off some fantastic anime papercraft. I especially loved the Asuka he posted, as it actually looks better than some of the low-end PVC statues I’ve seen floating around. Pretty crazy considering it’s just paper. Check out his flickr stream if you want to see some more. Read more…
I recently came a across a nice series of fan videos by GoldenJellyBean on YouTube which included a few well done tutorials on creating crochet anime and videogame characters. Here’s a nice one on creating a Totoro: Read more…
H.P. Lovecraft was great at spinning a good yarn and I think he would have been quite charmed by this little guy! This Holy Guacamole Cthulhu Baby is suitable as either a key chain or backback buddy. Designer UglyGerbil also makes a wide range of these guys available in almost every color of the Cthulhu rainbow. Read more…
This young Padawan is too young to know the power of The Force, yet is not too tiny to amuse fanboy and fangurl parents with this Baby Yoda Hat! This charming baby cap was crafted by Demulcent Arts, who is a middle school art teacher that you wish you had a child. Read more…
The sad fate of most red shirts is Star Trek is brutal, but poor Ensign Bernie here has it worse than most Enterprise away teams! Usually a security officer can count on getting killed in a clean manner like a motral but quick and painless phaser wound, but poor Bernie has been turned into a sad version of oysters on the half shell by some Etsy monster that I’m sure we’ll meet in the future. Credit for Ensign Bernie goes to Ory B. Read more…
Even though he’s reffered to a walking rug there’s always been something so charming about Chewie: I think it’s because Wookies remind us a bit of doggies (it’s the nose I tell you!). So you’d think that by making him a cyclops that Chewbacca wouldn’t have any appeal — yet this adorable Chewbacca the Timid Monster proves otherwise. Standing at only 1.5” tall this little guy designed by TrishCzech won me over. Read more…
This is yet another example of why I love The Empire Strikes Back so much. I’d point out how Shakespearean the film was — being a tragedy and all — but plot aside, it’s inspired so many awesome products. Take this amazing backpack for example. Sure it was sad to see C-3PO strapped to Chewbacca’s back, but whoever thought to turn him into a portable storage device was a genius. The backpack actually comes with light up eyes and the ability to reassemble the droid, should you feel the need. Read more…
Get a load of these upcoming Mojibakeru kanji transformers from Bandai. Each one’s an animal such as a tiger, dragon or dog, that’s capable of transforming into its kanji, the Chinese and Japanese character for which it belongs. I’m not sure why I’ve always loved transformable toys so much, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy them all. I should probably note that these are just trading figures, so they’re not made of fancy PVC or anything and they’re certainly not an Autobot or anything, but for $1 how can you go wrong? I haven’t been able to locate a vendor for pre-orders, but you’ll probably be able to pick them up from AmiAmi. Read more…
It’s probably not as warm as the insides of a Tauntaun, but now you can own your very own Wampa rug straight from the icy caverns of Hoth. Sure, it might be synthetic fur, and have claws of vinyl, but what would you expect for a fictional beast? Besides, it’s not like your friends have ever encountered one in person and lived to tell about it. The rugs will start to ship out this August, retailing for $99.99 each. I’m not really sure how fast they’ll sell, but if you want, StarWarsShop.com is currently taking pre-orders — now, if only they’d toss in Leia. Read more…
This beautifully crafted One Piece human/reindeer hybrid figurine is from a Japanese company called Plex. I’m particularly impressed with the high level of detail of the paint job shown in the photos, it shows a nice level of craftsmanship. The cast of the manga is being released one at a time and Tony Tony Chopper who is shown here is set to come out in June. Read more…
I knew that Jabba the Hutt was many things — but I’ve never imagined him to be so well read! This overly detailed Star Wars Jabba’s Palace Bookends Statue pretty much has everything except for Jabba: Han Solo on ice, Boba Fett and even a well placed bowl of fruit for visitors who like to eat healthy. Although I’m surprised that slave Princess Leia wasn’t included! Read more…
The exogorth is one of my favorite silly Star Wars monsters — and now you can go cooking with him! This Space Slug Oven Mitt allows you pretend that you are a silicon-based lifeform that lives in an asteroid who likes to attack incoming cookie trays: Read more…
When I was growing up, I absolutely loved my legos — so much so that I actually fancied myself a structural engineer of sorts. Of course, I never really built anything without a set of instructions but at least I did a good job of it. Needless to say, I was in complete awe of this fantastic creation by lego enthusiast Brickshelf. Using a simple image of a T-800 exoskeleton, he was able to recreate a bust of James Cameron’s metallic killing machine with stunning detail. Maybe it’s not as nostalgic for me as say… a Valkyrie, but its still way too awesome for me to ignore. Check out Brickshelf’s gallery for more photos. Read more…
Warning! This Star Trek First Contact Phaser Rifle Replica is not for low budget fanboys. At over $1000 this fabulous firearm includes a hand painted finish, shoulder strap, and of course working lights and sound effects. Here’s Worf in action with the phaser rifle (note: Klingon attitude not included with the replica): Read more…
For those who aren’t familiar with it Kingdom Hearts (キングダム ハーツ) is a Japanese RPG series that has been around since 2002 that combines original anime characters with old school Disney critters. To celebrate the series in August Square Enix will be shipping this set of Kingdom Hearts Avatar Trading Arts Mini Vol. 1 collectables. In this set of figurines the original Kingdom Hearts characters have been turned into ultra-cute “avatars” — included in the set are Cloud, Tifa, Sora, Riku and ginger haired Axel: Read more…
This ever so kawaii collection of Hello Kitty Formation Arts miniatures reminds me a great deal of those famed bejeweled Fabergé eggs (Яйца Фаберже). Aspiring nouveau riche feline fans can decorate their drawing room (didn’t you always want one of those?) with kitty characters who come fashioned as a roper Parisian mademoiselle, a Chinese Empress, a Greek goddess with leafy wreath on her head, the Queen of England with a scepter in her paw and as an Arabian belly dancer. Although be warned: At $65.90 for the entire collection lesser financed fans might find themselves going more broke than baroque. Read more…
