RISE OF THE BEASTS: Red Panda turnarounds

This character study of the Red Panda was made as part of the promotionals for the ROTB Kickstarter for series 2 by Jon Karis, showing the red panda concept in turnaround action figure format (for a potential series 3 or 4), ...some added correct colors for splash (like in the tail) and she looks ready for action!!
Hopefully we will see this drawing in Glyos figure-form someday soon!!  ;-)

RISE OF THE BEASTS: Red Panda concept

I approached Jon Karis about RISE OF THE BEASTS last year on adding some female figures in the line, the gracious Jon asked me what my thoughts were, & I think to his pleasant surprise came the following concept, a Red Panda martial artist! Inspired by Asian motifs, Thundercats 2011, and my love for character design, I put alot of thought into how "XIAO" would fit into the ROTB Universe. The sword is based of an ancient Chinese sword (as are the Chinese inspired) armor and motifs.  Using what I know about indie production toys I kept the colors to a minimal, affordable palette and both Jon & I love how she came out.  Looking fwd to seeing her appear in the comics written by the one & only Glenn White!I just want to say what a privilege and an honor it has been working with both Johnny & Glenn on ROTB, for both the upcoming comic and being able to create character designs for them.  They have so much amazing stuff planned and I can't thank them enough for the opportunity.  They are both really stand up guys and are a pleasure to work with.  This is just the start of a dream come true for everyone involved and the potential behind the ROTB brand is immeasurable!  =)

RISE OF THE BEASTS: Preliminary Art Part 2

Continuing the awesome that will be coming soon from the "RISE OF THE BEASTS" toy line, here is some more preliminary work as a post card/character study of the characters  "CAHRIV" & "GAAMIK!!"

RISE OF THE BEASTS: Preliminary Art

Gearing up for something big in the near future with ROTB!!  ;-)

In Print...

Got this sweet print in from my buddy Mark Vasquez of my colors on JB Roe's art for Mystical Warriors Of The Ring, hitting the convention circuit starting with Wizard World in Iowa this weekend!  Awesome!

Mystical Warriors Of The Ring Comic Book Cover Colors

One of the most exciting new indie toylines on the mini figure market today is none other than my pal Mark Vasquez's nostalgic anthropomorphic wrestlers "Mystical Warriors Of The Ring!" The figures are very reminiscent of the classic M.U.S.C.LE. line of the 80's with a more modern aesthetic and wild flare. The figures are around 2" but have varying shapes and sized dependent upon the character themselves, and have a lot of fun and flex packed right into them (just like back in the day!) Mark has 6 mini figures & 1 deluxe figure available including a female wolf character named "Yvonne" (my personal fave, and a rarity in the mini figure market!)   Another enjoyable aspect of this line is how much media has already been produced for it, including comics, animation, & cards that you can view right on the MWOTR site.  There is even a wrestling ring playset and play mat to add to your battles or dioramas.  Great for both kids and collectors alike you will be seeing even more MWOTR characters in the future, as there is big plans to keep this line expanding.  Proof of great things happening is that we have seen the beginning of the 1st spin-off line of deluxe figures called "Mystcial Warriors Of The Ring Evolution." This new era of MWOTR features poseable figures that have Glyos joints that are compatible with other Glyos figures!  The 1st figure "Goliath" is already available and is an instant hit with the now expanded fan-base. Mash him up with your favorite Kabuto Mushi figure or Glyos Neo Granthan and you have a battle armored Goliath ready to fight outside the ring on worlds unknown! 

Mark recently asked if I would do some colors on his talented friend's JB Roe's line art, and I was more than happy to oblige, the result is what you see above, the cover of volume 4, featuring the plucky twosome"Winged Fury!"  This was a lot of fun for me and I'll be doing some more color work for Mark in the future!  =)

And here's some pics of my own collection, including an extra  special "Manager version" resin figure of Yvonne!

 You can pick up some MWOTR figures of your very own right here at the Ringside Store!

Recreating a Toyline: BUGMEN OF INSECTA

In 1983, DFC Multi-Toys Corp created a line of insect warriors called the "BUGMEN OF INSECTA."  These 6 figures & 2 vehicles proceeded Coleco's (more popular and remembered insect warriors,) the"Sectaurs," and were released at popular toy outlets like Toys R Us. As a child my Aunt Leta had a way of finding us a variety of toys that my brothers and I weren't currently collecting on our own to help spark and further our adventures with playtime, & imagination. Receiving 1 figure each from her that Christmas, the BUGMEN have always had a fond place in my heart as a durable, fun, and little known figure line from my childhood.  Although the figures had no media and just a brief blurb on the back of their cards, both the figures & packaging resonated with me as a 50's-70's kind of sci-fi throwback tale of giant monstrous bugs reclaiming the Earth.  My brothers & I  had the characters  KING STINGA, CARNIVORA, & WEBSPINNER IV (the other 3, LORD GRASSA, ELEPHAS, & the lone female BLACK WIDOW were equally cool) but as with most little known toy lines of the 80's, these figures moved out of the toy infested aisles as quickly as they arrived, and have been mostly forgotten except by the savviest of today's adult collectors.  Today these are near impossible to come by, as carded samples are so rare, and loose samples usually are very worn, but through the building power of the Glyos system I saw a way within THE GODBEAST'S exciting KABUTO MUSHI figure to rebuild these characters using 95% of what the Kabuto Mushi figure already came with as the aesthetic.  So in a an usual attempt to recapture a small sample of my childhood, I started looking at Glyos in a new way, to homage figures & characters of my past, something the current Kabuto Mushi line is doing right now with slick paint applications. I'm proud to say that in just about a little over a year of it's original release, through the help of Marty Hansen and his investor Kaleb's kindness and inventiveness, through Kabuto Mushi I have been able to complete this project and rebuild a 2015 updated version of the 80's infamous BUGMEN OF INSECTA!

*special thanks  to Onell Design & Spy Monkey Creations for also helping to complete my recreations/reimaginings.

RISE OF THE BEASTS & October Toys Contest Art Entry "Vespula!!"

  A hot indie property that I am very excited about is the all new "RISE OF THE BEASTS" line! A creative new breed of figures that homage the beloved 1980's toylines "Battle Beasts," "Masters Of The Universe," and "Thundercats" in one mighty mash-up of awesome! Creators Jon Karis and the good people at Plastic Imagination have helped form a new line filled with endless creative character and storyline possibilities!  I have been fortunate enough to have contact with Jon and want to share in his passion for this new and innovative line of figures. The high quality PVC production figures are a 60mm scale (similar to the modern "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "Avengers: Age Of Ultron"  retail lines), and work with all Glyos compatible figures (created by Onell Design), as they also contain the Glyos peg & socket system. The figures have 4-5 points of swivel articulation at the pegs, & have hands that can hold most 3mm weapons.  This line is both affordable and fun and Jon and Co. have many incredible characters planned for the future!  There is also a cool retro style mail-away incentive batch of figures on the store site to entice you to army build with this terrific line!

A recent contest opportunity was held on "October Toys Forum" for "Rise Of The Beasts" where you could create what type of beast you would like to see next in the line.  Happy to join in the fun I went with a "Yellow Jacket” concept female that I called “Vespula” ...as I always wanted to make a Bee Girl warrior. lol  I imagined her as a hero but then thought she could also work as a villain within the soon to be vast ROTB universe.  My vision is that her 2 “knives” could double as wings with a port on one side of the knife and a Glyos peg on the opposite side of the knife to connect together & separate.  Then there could be another port on her back to plug 1 of the unconnected Glyos pegs from her knives/wings onto her back. 

If you are interested in RISE OF THE BEASTS be sure to pick up the 1st 2 figures offered in both Painted & Unpianted options of the Rhinoceros and Scorpion available now from "Little Rubber Guys.Store" and help support this great new line of figures! There are 4 more beastly characters already in the works to expand the line, a Lion, an Ape, a Horned Lizard, and an Ant!  Take the plunge and get your collecting started as I think you will love this new line as much as I do!

pic by J. Karis

Buy ROTB @ the OFFICIALSTORE: http://littlerubberguys.storenvy.com/collections/884539-rise-of-the-beasts

Learn about ROTB from the OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://riseofthebeasts.com/home.htm

Talk about ROTB @ the OFFICIAL FORUM: http://www.littlerubberguys.com/forums/index.php?showforum=121 

See the latest ROTB developments from the man himself on JON KARIS' LITTLE RUBBER GUYS INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/littlerubberguys/

 

KABUTO MUSHI 2/6/15 release (being a part of the magic!!) XD

THE BIG REVEAL!!

http://thegodbeast.blogspot.com/

http://godbeast.com/shop.htm
 

"Galactic Emperor"

ver 1:

 

final product:

 I have been coloring the official Kabuto Mushi mechanicals by Pat Bussey in various colors (based on homages) and submitting them to Marty "The Godbeast" Hansen (the figure's creator) these past couple months as color concept possibilities for his wonderful Glyos buildable figure. Marty is an endless well of talent & ideas so for him to take my concepts into consideration was a true honor. What was special about this particular color combo was Marty went with the one that I submitted that actually came from an idea for a color scheme that I had concocted at work not based on anything specific, just an idea for colors that I thought would look cool on Kabuto Mushi. The fact that he could pull DBZ's "Freiza" from this color combo & improve upon it was a perfect union of tribute and Japanese pop culture character recognition. He also took my recommendation of painting the inner circle on the bug's head as a new paint mask!
It's moments like this as an artist and friend that really will stay with you forever! 

The white is a metallic and the purple & red (etc. details) are painted on the pvc.

I can't thank Marty enough for this opportunity, it really is a dream come true to be a part of the magic that is his amazing Kabuto Mushi figure. 

The other 2 Japanese tribute figures available tonight will be the "Ultraman" homage (metallic silver & red) & "Henshin Cyborg" homage, all are just $16 each while supplies last!

 product shots:

 My version 2, and 2 more versions I did after the final with Marty's revisions advice.

Marty's final mechanical

I'm so pleased to see this colorway make production and cannot thank you enough brother.

^^^ 2/12/15 Update:  He's here and he is amazing!!!

2014 Kabuto Mushi Checklist Poster

These are my Checklist Posters variations that I made for the 1st year of the incredible & versatile Kabuto Mushi Glyos figure & it's color variations created by "The Godbeast" Marty Hansen.  Photos & graphic design by me.  I also used the official logo.  The 1st version (on the orange backing) features the solicitation description names, & the 2nd (on the green-blue backing) features my "fan-made" names for the characters in my fan-verse (+ official solicitation names).   Special thanks to The Godbeast Marty Hansen for creating this amazing figure and the Glyos community for inspiring some of my builds!

KABUTO MUSHI Propaganda Art

 I had some free time & decided to get creative!  Using Pat Bussey's wicked Kabuto Mushi Mechanical Art, (along with the new KM logo)... I merged & colored the line art & also created the background imagery etc. for a combination illustration to create a "Propaganda" style poster for the mighty "Sectivorus Supreme!" Big thanks to Marty, & Pat!

COLORS: "The Saga Of Crystar"

Sometimes I just like to color.  Simple, clean, fun.  So I flat colored this old (1982-83) Marvel ad for "Crystar: The Crystal Warrior."  This ad was only ever black & white, so adding colors to it for the first time added an extra level of interpretation, as some more decisions had to be made than the norm.  This ad looks as though it was what the toy company Remco used for it's basis for some of  the Crystar toyline, (as well as an early interpretation of the final painted cover of comic issue #1.)  I hope to do my own take on the Crystar Universe sometime, and have already started on some aspects of that. ;)  Unfortunately the Marvel pencil/ink artist(s) are not credited on this art, but colors by me.

KABUTO MUSHI Part II...

PART II of the Kabuto Mushi art card series!!

TOKETSU: The mighty Beetorian of the cold north, brother of Shigaisen, & ally of Kabuto Mushi. Toketsu has led a heroic life, he has worked hard, demonstrated patience, and has gained respect in leadership within his colony. Living on Mount Fuji he has seen many battles due to the military advantage point of that location. Toketsu has made many wise choices & allies to get to his rank & standing, all at his brother Shigaisen's dismay, as Shigaisen can't understand why he has not had the same success, as he considers them brotherly equals, but Shigaisen does not care for virtue, nor trust, nor does he value life, the opposite of Toketsu's personal and military strategies. Toketsu's hard shell can handle the most extreme temperatures of cold, & he is as handy with a blade as he is a blaster. He displays himself in the "Tall Samurai" form, one of the highest ranking forms for a Beetorian & usually only used for a commander or leadership form within the Beetorian race.

SHIGAISEN: Toketsu's jealous sibling has nothing but contempt for his brother & the Bettorian Corps cause. Although cunning & bright, he acts the fool as Onikisu's right hand man. Seeing as Onikisu is a famous Gladiator, just by being seen with him, Shigaisen believes he is equally as famous, a plea to match his brother's worth in Beetorian eyes. He fights with a ferocity and has no mercy. His weapon of choice is a Empyrean hook that he finds can easily crack the shells of his Beetorian enemies. Shigaisen has been gifted with extreme type of fast fwd vision, where he can see & intercept motions before they happen by the energy that an opponent emits, this gives him a distinct advantage over his enemies, and why Onikisu uses his gift in interpreting their battles with telepathic communication. His chosen form is considered a mockery of the similar samurai forms, as it is a twisted take on a respected look, by inverting his body and wearing the most savage head display.

*I equip most of my Mushi with Spy Monkey weapons, and couldn't resist including the red hook I gave the Metallic Purple Mushi for my art cards (the red is like a perfect match!)

GAIJIN KUROKAMI: In the future, the young human girl known by the Beetorian's as Kurokami (Japanese for black hair) was once a USA historian fluent in Japanese & teaching English in Japan under the JET prgramme. When on a field trip to a research lab on Mount Fuji, the increasing changes in climate over the decades eventually caused a violent eruption, forcing the lab facility occupants to take shelter. A brave Japanese lab tech, who felt that a foreigner should not die away from home, pushed "Kurokami" into one of the state-of-the-art life support systems on the lab site. The lab was covered in molten rock and debris from the eruption, but the 6 pods survived intact within the underground chamber in a form of suspended animation. After countless years of evolution, a battle with the Beetorian corps unearthed the lab, and the battle destroyed all of the pods accidentally except for Kurokami's. Feeling a sense of duty to all life, Kabuto Mushi managed to save Kurokami's suspended body from the wreckage and she was brought back to health within the Colony, although with amnesia. She can remember history & events but not her personal information or past life. Kabuto Mushi decided that she was a valuable asset as a historian of what-was-then-Earth (to educate the Beetorians about human's mistakes) & a friend. Many do not feel the same way about the Gaijin (outsider) & Aka Sasori has often made boasts of having her as a meal & often refers to her as Yochu (larva) or Ujimushi (maggot). She still wears her (now more fitted & customized) suit from her life support unit, (which is almost insectoid-like in appearance, an endearing trait to Kabuto Mushi himself) & although their is plenty of oxygen, it is more to shield her from (at times) the unstable climate. She has heard whispers that some humans still exist but they are no where to be found on land, and hopes that one day she reunite with them & bridge the race of heroic Beetorians and existing humans together peacefully.

*Kurokami is a character I made myself to demonstrate the human element to the chaotic world of Kabuto Mushi, she would serve as our view into the hostile world of Sectivorus.
I don't plan on adding many fan-made characters, but would like to someday include the 80's cult line "Bugmen Of Insecta" toy characters that I will eventually recreate using the KMMKII parts!

 
MINI MUSHI: Mini Mushi's are the workers of Beetorian society. A subspecies of Beetorians, they do not grow as large or as complex, and they have only a single display form. Like Beetorians the majority of the race is male, with females being uncommon, & more protected due to their rarity. All of the day-to-day tasks from food gathering to building, to 1st line of defense are a part of the Mini Mushi's role in Beetorian Colonies. At least 1 Mini Mushi shares a Telebond with a matching color Beetorian, due to this phenomenon, a Beetorian can Telebond communications with their sidekick Mini Mushi who can communicate telepathically with other Mini Mushi's of the same color division and they will act as a single unit under the Telebonded lead Beetorian's command. A "Swarm" of Mini Mushi is considered 4 or more, and they are fully capable of taking down a unseasoned Beetorian in a fight, acting as a single minded unit. Although smaller than humans, enemy Mini Mushi swarms are the main reason that what remains of humanity has moved underground and no longer can inhabit the topside of the earth.

I hope you enjoyed our second visit to my Kabuto Mushi Fan-Verse!!

*New colorway figures are available tonight 6/1/14 at THE GODBEAST'S STORE...
http://www.godbeast.com/shop.htm