I.C.U. Moody Lands In Chicago

The designer vinyl art toy movement is alive and well in the 'Windy City'. Urban art toy destination, Rotofugi, is leading the way with featured artists and designers. Rotofugi has definitely paved the way for other designer vinyl stores in the area. I.C.U. felt right at home amongst the incredible selection of toys, art, fashion and customs.

I.C.U. Moody took the opportunity to check out the sites in 'Chi-town'. The highlights during the brief stay were Rotofugi, Millenium Park, Sears Tower, The Art Institute of Chicago, Palmer House Hotel and, 'oh yeah', the incredible deep-dish pizza . The Palmer House is a hidden gem and is a must see. It has been restored ($150 million investment) to its orginal character and charm.

We'll be transforming the 'I.C.U. Chicago' images into a new YouTube video. Watch for it!

Bovinyl/Ted Stilson Participating in the 'Humans Beware' I.W.G. Custom Show in San Francisco

I will be participating in the upcoming I.W.G. (Insurgents Wilderness Gruppo) custom show at Rocketworld in San Francisco.

I'm a huge fan of Rocketworld and can't wait to start working on one of their platform toys.

Creator of the I.W.G. Series and owner of Rocketworld, Patrick Ma, is working alongside artist/customizer DrilOne. Their goal is to put on one heck of a custom show.

The platform being used will be various blank I.W.G. figures, which includes bears, rhinos, rhinos on vespas, bears on vespas, and many more. This show features over 60 artists, including: Angry Woebots, Apina, Betso, Brent Nolasco, Cris Rose, Ckawkees, El Maz, D-Lux, FAS, Jeremiah Ketner, Jim Koch, Keith Poon, Leecifer, Lou Pimental, Motorbot, Okedoki, Paulkaiju, PhuEk, Reactor 88, Toybotstudios and many, many more.

The army of I.W.G. figures will definitely dampen some diapers.

Opening reception starts on April 10th at Rocketworld in San Francisco.

Part of the proceeds from purchases made at Rocketworld are donated to a variety of non-profit groups and organizations such as the Gorilla Foundation, International Rhino Foundation, Zoo Conservation Outreach Group, Friends of the Sea Otter and the World Wildlife Fund. When time permits, Patrick spends time in the field with wildlife groups.

To read more about Patrick and Rocketworld, visit www.rocketworld.org.

Moody Does Cuba!

Once again, Moody escaped the harsh winter weather - this time travelling to the warm, lush and colorful island of Cuba.

It is a beautiful country and the people are passionate and full of life. They express their diverse culture through dance, music and art.

Cuba is a unique country and visitors are treated to a way of life that is a blend of old and new. At times you feel as if you have taken a step back in time - old cars, horse carts, crumbling architecture and no cell phones. It is an extremely interesting place that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Although we had some fun with Moody, we also took the time to visit a number of galleries and meet some talented artists. One of those artists, 'Manuel', has agreed to work on a Moody for one of our upcoming group shows.

Manuel Hernandez Valdes was born in Cuba in 1943. He has been a participating artist in many major events in Havana. His paintings have also been shown in Belgium, Mexico, Germany and Spain.

In addition to his reputation as a painter, he is also known as a cartoonist, ceramist, illustrator and humorist.

He has been honored with the Pablo Picasso Medal of UNESCO and the Journalism Prize - National Jose Marti.His works are found in important private collections such as:
- Danielle Mitterrand Foundation - Geraldine Chaplin Collection - Mario Benedetti Collection

His paintings are very representative of the Cuban art that idealizes the human body and integrates nature - planting sugar cane, banana, tobacco etc. His characters reflect the gentleness and happiness of the Cuban rural-living environment.

VIVA CUBA ... Moody Takes a Vacation!

Huichol (wee-chol) Moody Custom

A blank Moody took the long journey from Canada to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and came back adorned in colorful beadwork applied by a Huichol Indian by the name of Roberto.

To create bead art, the Huichol Indians place a thin layer of beeswax with pine resin onto a hollowed out gourd or other form. Small, colorful beads made from glass are then picked up with a long needle and pressed into the wax. Using complex designs and symbols, the result is stunning.

Each piece tells a unique story about the legacy of their tribe, while each symbol is a representation of the many facets of their 'animism' religion.

Huichol beadwork originated as an art form long before the Spaniards set foot in Mexico. Bone, clay, coral, jade, pyrite, shell, stone turquoise and seeds colored with insect and vegetable dyes were utilized instead of the glass seed beads used today. The seed beads are finer and smaller and, as a result, more detailed work is being created. These beads are very similar to those that were brought to the mountains of Mexico by missionaries in the 18 century.

You can find Huichol bead work done in both traditional and contemporary designs. Because of the small number of artists and the individual creativity, no two pieces of bead art are alike.
Although some of the Huichol Indians create bead art for pleasure, most use the art to help generate income for the tribes.

Today, you can find a few Huichol Indians willing and eager to embrace modern life but most prefer to remain tucked away in their remote mountains where they work by hand with natural materials to create some of the most amazing pieces of art found in the world.

Matt Doughty from Onell Design Launches his Govurom Spaceship Moody for the Pravus Gallery Show

Matt Doughty definitely pushed the outer limits with this brilliant Govurom spaceship Moody custom. The character that accompanies the Moody custom is Onell Design's newest toy, Govurom, which will make its debut at the opening of 'Don't Cry Over Spilt VINYL' on May 2 at the Pravus Gallery in downtown Phoenix. Matt's custom will definitely be a huge hit with attendees.

Matt and his partners at Onell Design http://www.onelldesign.com/ have gained a strong following within the toy collector world. Their expertly crafted and highly articulated toys are in huge demand. If you haven't seen one of their toys up close, I urge you to visit their online store and pick up a Pheyden or some of the other amazing characters from the Glyos System Series.
Here is an excerpt from their local newspaper, the Beacon, that will provide you with a glimpse into the man behind Onell Design.

In the first room, a massive collection of action figures stand their posts on a network of shelves or hang from the walls, like sentries guarding the entrance to the second room, Doughty’s workshop.

Like the first room, nearly every square inch of this inner sanctum is dedicated to action figures. Walking through the room requires carefully maneuvering between a few bare patches of carpet. There are action figures hanging from the walls and overflowing from plastic bins on the floor.
In the corner is the desk where Doughty, an Acton resident, first crafted Pheyden, the hallmark of Onell Design, an independent toy and comic book manufacturer based in Acton. Doughty, 34, and his wife Michelle started four and a half years ago. Doughty decided to go ahead with his dream after spending seven years working for his wife’s family’s generator company, Buxton Service.

Pheyden and Doughty’s other figure, Exellis, stand 2.75 inches tall and hark back to the durable, affordable, small-scale action figures of the 1980s, bucking the trend of the independent toy movement, which is largely built around elaborate vinyl figures intended mainly for collectors. Doughty is more than happy to demonstrate Pheyden’s durability by hurling him against the floor and popping his arms and legs off only to reassemble them, tactics he often uses when presenting the figure at comic book conventions.

Check out more information about Onell Design at http://onelldesign.blogspot.com/.

'Mad Cowboy' Moody by Dr. Bao/NVC Crew

This stunning custom was well worth the wait. Dr. Bao and Spive put their hearts and souls into this custom. 'Mad Cowboy' is vintage NVC Crew ... excellent concept, attention to detail, brilliant execution. Check out more about 'Mad Cowboy' at Toysrevil - http://toysrevil.blogspot.com/2008/04/about-that-madcowboy-moody-custom-by.html - 'Mad Cowboy' is on its way to Phoenix for the 'Don't Cry Over Spilt VINYL' show. Arizona is cattle country and this custom is sure to be right at home at the Pravus Gallery. Bao and Spive put the finishing touches on their custom after returning from a successful trip to NYCC, where they unveiled their first production toy - Ishikawa 'The Roller Warrior'. Every piece of the Ishikawa project, from concept to packaging, was built by Bao and Spive and the results are amazing. Read Andy's in-depth interview at Toysrevil - http://toysrevil.blogspot.com/2008/04/nvc-crews-ishikawa-roller-warrior-nycc.html. A huge THANK-YOU to Bao and Spive from everyone at Bovinyl. You guys are true 'Custom Masters'. http://www.drbao-nvc.blogspot.com/

'Hugsy' Moody by Nick Louma (Canada)

"I'M ONLY A MONSTER ON THE OUTSIDE"

Don't let Hugsy's fierce appearance fool you. Hugsy lives for only one purpose - to find, love and hug other creatures. The creatures that inhabit this strange, dark world, live in constant fear that they will be captured and taken back to Hugsy's cave. Much like Frankenstein's monster, it does not know its own strength. Hugsy's happiness is always short-lived because his new friends never wake up after he gives them their first hug. Hopefully, these cute, cuddly chicks will be able to escape before Hugsy decides to literally 'hug them to death'. "Peep, peep, SQUISH!" So sad : (

HULK Spiki x Moody by Nakanari (United States)

Tony Shiau Nakanari was born 1979 in South Taiwan and from childhood began collecting and designing toys. It grew from one of Nakanari’s favorite hobbies to a career he wanted to pursue when he grew up. “Designing toys never started on paper for me, because I never really liked to draw. Instead, I would picture a design in my head and just start molding them out of Super Sculpey, adding new features as I went along.” Nakanari's distinct designer toys are infused with oriental style and a colorful mixture of innocence and cute characters. “The Misfits of Nakanari was the very first toy line I came up with. I used two different characters to show contrast, just like good vs. evil.” In 2004, B.B.birdyprmier toy designer and first to launch Taiwanese designer toys, picked up Nakanari’s “Misfits of Nakanari” design for his Funny Club series. That year Nakanari also began working on the Funny Club Show. “As show director for the 2004 Funny Club Show,” explains Nakanari, “the idea was to have a number of artists bring their talent from 2D to 3D artwork on blank canvas toys. This was the beginning of my dream of working with over 150 global artists, traveling the U.S. from the east to the west coast as well as exhibiting in Asia.”

Nakanari has exhibited with other well knows artists like Emmy award winning "Teacher’s Pet" creator Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, graffiti legend "Seen", Cameron Tiede, popular toy designer MAD, Sket One, Frank Kozik, Jada Toy Crew, x-concept designer Chito and Mattel’s Hot Wheels head designer MIQ WILLMOTT. Nakanari’s work has been exhibited and collected around the world.

For more information on the art of Tony Shiau Nakanari visit http://www.nakanari.blogspot.com/.

Moody Idols - the Urban Vinyl Toy Movement

Moody Idols, featuring customs by local and international artists, opened on November 9 and runs until January 11, 2008 at the University of Lethbridge’s Helen Christou Gallery.

The U of L is home to one of the most significant holdings of art in Canada with over 13,000 objects. The U of L Art Gallery maintains the collection, organizes on campus and touring exhibitions and provides access to the collection as part of the Faculty of Fine Arts.

The Helen Christou Gallery provides a significant increase in public access because it is located in a prominent location that is part of the main pedestrian route for visitors and students. Because of its unique location, Moody Idols will potentially be seen by over 9,000 students, faculty, staff and visitors to the campus.

The show was organized by guest curator/artist Ted Stilson and Bovinyl. Moody Idols was a year and a half in the making and includes a diverse group of 47 artists representing 10 countries.

The Moody Idols show not only showcases 53 custom Moody’s, it is also designed to educate students, faculty and the public about designer vinyl toy culture and the ‘low brow’ art movement. Over 100 toys, plush, original art, prints and publications, ranging from 3” Dunny’s to a pencil sketch by Scott Musgrove, have been included as part of the show. Two video monitors and headsets have also been installed which show a variety of stop-action videos and the recently released ‘Toys Are Us: A Revolution in Plastic’ documentary by XRay Films.

Cameron Tiede (United States); Victor ‘Marka27’ Quinonez (United States); Ayako ‘Uamou’ Takagi (Japan); PhuEK (Singapore); Aaron Keeling (Canada); Tyson Summers (United States); ‘The Fiend’ (UK); Tan-Ki (France); Brandon Sopinsky (United States); Shin Tanaka (Japan); Megumi Nogochi (Canada); Janice Rahn (Canada); Misha ‘Streetrock’ (Russia); Khayne Tan (Singapore); Miles Van Yperen (Canada); John Oreshik (Canada); Erwin Weber (The Netherlands); Nick Louma (Canada); Dan ‘Wavedog’ Fenelon (United States); Keeley Carrigan (United States); Jason Kochis (United States); Will Osler (Canada); Michael Campbell (Canada); Jenn Rourke (Canada); Jeff Orriss (Canada); Chris Ryniak (United States); Barbara Warren (Canada); Lana Ing Gabor (Canada); Brent Nolasco (United States); Ian Bickley (UK); David K. Rose (United States); Bil Betsovic (United States); Sol Nte ‘Figurepunk’ (UK); Bo Ye (China); Erin and Kelly Carty (Canada); Anna Puchalski ‘Angel Devil’ (United States); Darren Booth (Canada); Devon Bowman (Canada); Wendy June (Australia); Jennifer Kellogg (United States); Matt ‘Mother’ Connelly (United States); PlaysKewl (The Netherlands); Attila Adorjany (Canada); Troy Denning (United States); Leila Armstrong (Canada); Bunka (France); Ted Stilson (Canada).

Moody Custom by Tan-ki (France)

Tan-ki is a talented graphic designer and the creator of the Kitoy DIY platform toy. I was honored when he decided to apply his amazing talents to a Moody platform. His whimsical, psychedelic patterned Moody is a feast for the eyes. Viewers of this colorful custom are definitely taken on a 'Magical Mystery Tour.' Tan-ki is not only a talented artist and designer, but is also one of the main promoters of custom vinyl through his comprehensive http://www.kitoy.fr/ site. I urge you to check it out ... you won't be disappointed.