Need a New Name

The Man Purse needs a new name.

For one, my real Man Purse is wearing out, and I'm unlikely to replace it (what gives, J-Fold? No more leather messengers?).

Second, Man-anything has accumulated irritating bro-culture/advertising connotations (you can't be a Man! unless all your products say Man!).

Third, I may be trying to use this site to sell things, and I'd want the name to match my future, hypothetical, business.

Unfortunately Nerdpuddle.com is already taken. Suggestions?

Outer Space Men: Custom Metamorpho

I've been itching to customize some of the new Outer Space Men figures, designed by Mel Birnkrant, and produced by The Four Horsemen.  Finally got around to it last weekend.  More pictures and writeup after the jump.

Recent Glyos Customs

Glyos figures continue to be my favorite custom toy canvas.  See the slideshow above for my latest.  All painted with Monster Kolor.  The Armodoc is probably my favorite.  Black and Charcoal metallic, highlighted with orange pearl, Moondust Silver, and Lemonade Yellow.  Red details on the eyes were hand brushed.  I started customizing it with acrylic paints, and it languished due to my inability to get a solid, brushstroke-free coat of paint on it.  Post-airbrush, I just needed a good concept, and it was done in 24 hours.

Custom Glyos: Aether Explorers

This Pheyden and his research team have spent to much time exploring The Edge of Space, and now their very physical existence has become fragile and ethereal!  These will be posted for sale on the October Toys Glyos boards, $25 + Shipping each.  Full writeup and more pictures after the jump.

Custom Glyos: The Electric Light Delphi

The Electric Light Delphi.

It's much easier to blog when I have interesting things to talk about, for example, the Electric Light Delphi, pictured above.  It's my latest and greatest custom Glyos toy.  Build details and overlong write-up after the jump.

Monseter Kolor: The Right Way

Monster Kolor is Awesome

A follow up, and mea culpa to this post: How Not to Use Monster Kolor.  I bought an airbrush a few months back, and it's completely changed my view of MonsterKolor.  The paint was designed for an airbrush, and it is the finest airbrush paint I have found.  No thinning required, sprays smooth and consistent right from the bottle.  I've tried other airbrush paints as well, and nothing I've used even comes close.

Glyos Gobon with Monster Kolor C-Thru paint.

Monster Kolor is almost too easy.  I've been knocking out custom toys that actually look decent, and feature effects (color change, pearls, auto-paint worthy metallics) that I couldn't even approximate with a brush and hobby paint.

Now that I'm more familiar with the Monster Kolor's properties, I've been brushing it on as well.  In small areas, with a good brush, the results are excellent, for example the iris on Mini Xam, and gold highlights on Mini Eyezon below.  The paint provides smooth, vibrant colors with great consistency:

Left to right: My first Mini  Eyezon with MK brushed on. Mini Xam and Eyezon Airbrushed.

I've barely plumbed the depths of what Monster Kolor can do, and now my only gripe is that there aren't more colors (a standard, non-metallic purple would be great)!

Glyos Buildmen with very little MK color, and lots of MK clearcoat!

This is fantastic paint, and there's an active, helpful community growing up, at the Monster Kolor website to take care of newbies and veterans alike.  I would recommend it to anyone with an airbrush, or who is interested in starting with an airbrush.

New products like the just-introduced aerosol cans, and upcoming Monster Kolor Brushable should make an excellent product even more accessible.

Trekathalon TOS: 2-6 The Doomsday Machine

I have nothing snarky to say, this is a great shot.

For once I'm going to praise the updated effects.  They look great, while preserving the spirit of the original models.  A seminal episode, and still great.  James Lileks writes lovingly about this episode all the time, and does it well.  One of his best is here (start reading about halfway through for the Doomsday relevant bits, but it's all good).  I can't add anything to that, other then praise the updated effects again.

Trekathalon goes on hiatus after this ep, but will return!

Trekathalon TOS: 2-5 The Apple

Powered by Biomass!

Anvilicious episode, but fun none the less.  Modern series have not realized the potential for red backdrops, and giant Papier-mâché snake heads.  Like I said before, I love it when Trek gets weird.  If the allegory wasn't beaten home throughout the episode, it's summed up with a laugh in the final minutes on the Enterprise.  Subtlety!