Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Custom Toy Wednesday- Swamp Skeleton!


The other day, I found a whole slew of Halloween Creatology Vinyl action figures at the Michael's Store where I work. Halloween is my favorite holiday so I ended up picking up two skeletons with top hats, a witch and Frankenstein's monster. All of the designs for this vinyl run are really good, but the Skeleton is my favorite design so far. That's probably why I chose this base body first. For this custom, I decided to make the skeleton into a swamp creature dressed as a skeleton. The idea just sounded funny enough to pursue. I sculpted the face at Roll 2 Play in Coppell, TX (while on the DELol show) and the rest at home. I'm not sure where the inspiration to make a swamp creature dressed as a skeleton came from. This design in not what I had originally planned. Originally I had planned on making the skeleton blank into Scareglow, due to the cape that was already molded on to the vinyl. I would have worked except for the hat. I have posted pics of the process of making these pins and of the process of making custom toys on Instagram. You can see those pictures and follow me @barnlord. Now, I've got some important updates, so more pictures will be at the end of this posting. Enjoy the pictures!

I've been invited to be one of the many talented artist to have work featured in a one night vinyl toy show called, "Vinyl Thoughts 4: Free for All" in Dallas on September 12th 2013. If you plan to be in the area, stop by and check out all of the cool custom vinyl toys. 

I had a blast being on the DELol show on Sunday July 21st. I totally lost to Jeff in the "Throw down in the toy isle" toy quiz competition. Folks, Jeff knows his toys! This last competition should be an absolute testament to that. So, a whole hearted thank you goes out to Del Pullen and Taffeta Darling for having Jeff and I on the show. 

I did buy a table for the Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days on October 4th-6th. If you are wanting a pre-Fan Days commission, let me know and I'll get it ready for pick up at that show. 

I have posted some new shirt designs in my Cafepress store. Head over to my Cafepress store and get a shirt or a couple! 

Just to let you know all know, I am taking commissions. If you would like to commission me for original artwork, head over to the commissions tab in store to see how. 

If you have not heard about the Podcast called, "Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff", then it's time I let you know! Jeff and I are on the show where we talk about toys! (Go figure, I mean Go action figure!) Seems simple enough. We pick out a toy line to discuss in each show. We share our childhood memories, our favorite five, and talk about the one toy in the line that got away. Jeff talks about how he cherished his toys and I talk about how they ended up in the garden! The other two shows are The pilot episode, where Jeff and Josh Taylor break down the Pilot Episode in TV series, and The Loosely Based Podcast where Brynna and Jeff compare the book to the movie adaptation! The shows are great! If you are interested in what we got, go to Marvindogmedia.com  and give us a listen. You can subscribe to the shows on itunes and get up to date info on upcoming shows on facebook:

If you like what we have, be sure to tell your friends! We need your word of mouth to help us keep making shows!







You can see this project in my deviantart gallery here. Do you like the piece? Do you have a suggestion? Don't be shy! Feel free to comment... just keep it clean. 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Action Figure of the Day- Masters of the Universe Classics- He-Man (Galactic Enforcer)


When I first saw the 4 Horsemen's sculpt of the New Adventures He-Man, I knew that this version of He-Man had to be in my collection! I know that the He-Man toy line from 89' (also known as the New Adventures of He-Man) is not a big love with many Masters of the Universe toy collectors. That line is unlike anything else in the MOTU canon. Due to the economy, I missed getting anything in this line when I was a kid. I found a He-Man vs Skeletor 2 pack, but we lacked the money to get it at that time. After that, I never could find them. I now have a small collection of characters now from that line, but not enough to really boast about it. So, every time Mattel promises a New Adventures character in the Masters of the Universe Classics line, I jump to the chance to get it. So far, I have all of the Classics New Adventures characters that have been broken into two factions, the Galactic Protectors and the Space Mutants. This He-Man would be the second toy added to the Galactic Protectors. This Classics version of He-Man is way cool! He comes with a nice selection of accessories that allow you to change his uniform up a bit as with the vintage toy. I like the look of both the standard and the armored outfits so much, I'm having a hard time deciding what uniform setup I want to display him with on my Classics shelf. He also comes with his energy shield and power sword that is casted in the frosted green plastic just like the vintage toy. There is a decent amount of re-used  parts which is perfect for him, but he also features some new tooling and a brand new articulation feature that we have not yet seen in this toyline; the ball swivel wrists. These wrist do make it easier for He-Man to hold his sword aloft. I would hope to see this articulation become a regular in this line. I think there are many characters that would benefit from having that style wrist. If you missed out of this version of He-Man, you can keep checking back for a re-release on mattycollector.com. Otherwise, you would have to get him on amazon or ebay. Mattel just announced another New Adventures character that will be added to this next years roster. That character is Hydron. As long as I can help it, I will be getting one to add to my roster of Galactic Protectors. Then I'll have to set up He-Man, Icarius, and Hydron posed in a way that mimics the New Adventures of He-Man DVD cover. I am such a nerd.



I've been invited to be one of the many talented artist to have work featured in a one night vinyl toy show called, "Vinyl Thoughts 4: Free for All" in Dallas on September 12th 2013. If you plan to be in the area, stop by and check out all of the cool custom vinyl toys. 

I had a blast being on the DELol show on Sunday July 21st. I totally lost to Jeff in the "Throw down in the toy isle" toy quiz competition. Folks, Jeff knows his toys! This last competition should be an absolute testament to that. So, a whole hearted thank you goes out to Del Pullen and Taffeta Darling for having Jeff and I on the show. 

I did buy a table for the Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days on October 4th-6th. If you are wanting a pre-Fan Days commission, let me know and I'll get it ready for pick up at that show. 

I have posted some new shirt designs in my Cafepress store. Head over to my Cafepress store and get a shirt or a couple! 

Just to let you know all know, I am taking commissions. If you would like to commission me for original artwork, head over to the commissions tab in store to see how. 

If you have not heard about the Podcast called, "Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff", then it's time I let you know! Jeff and I are on the show where we talk about toys! (Go figure, I mean Go action figure!) Seems simple enough. We pick out a toy line to discuss in each show. We share our childhood memories, our favorite five, and talk about the one toy in the line that got away. Jeff talks about how he cherished his toys and I talk about how they ended up in the garden! The other two shows are The pilot episode, where Jeff and Josh Taylor break down the Pilot Episode in TV series, and The Loosely Based Podcast where Brynna and Jeff compare the book to the movie adaptation! The shows are great! If you are interested in what we got, go to Marvindogmedia.com  and give us a listen. You can subscribe to the shows on itunes and get up to date info on upcoming shows on facebook:

If you like what we have, be sure to tell your friends! We need your word of mouth to help us keep making shows!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Custom Toy Wednesday- Cheese Cake Charlie!


To prep for the Vinyl Thoughts Show in September, I am cleaning older piece and getting a few pieces made that will help reflect more of my personality as an artist. The first piece here is from a line I am calling, "Sweet Evils". The idea of this line is to teeter on a fine line of what looks delicious and absolutely creepy. If you salivate and cringe at the same time, I've done my job. If you also cuckle, then you get it. I am hoping to get one more piece done in the, "Sweet Evils" custom line before the show. To add to the creepy deliciousness of the Vinyl Thoughts 4 show, I am also making a small run of 50 handmade pins of Cheese Cake Charlie to sell at the show. They are still being made, but should be ready for the show. When they are ready, I'll post pictures of them. I have posted pics of the process of making these pins and of the process of making custom toys on Instagram. You can see those pictures and follow me @barnlord. Now, I've got some important updates, so more pictures will be at the end of this posting. Enjoy the pics. I've got to get back to illustrating comic books! :)


I've been invited to be one of the many talented artist to have work featured in a one night vinyl toy show called, "Vinyl Thoughts 4: Free for All" in Dallas on September 12th 2013. If you plan to be in the area, stop by and check out all of the cool custom vinyl toys. 

I had a blast being on the DELol show on Sunday July 21st. I totally lost to Jeff in the "Throw down in the toy isle" toy quiz competition. Folks, Jeff knows his toys! This last competition should be an absolute testament to that. So, a whole hearted thank you goes out to Del Pullen and Taffeta Darling for having Jeff and I on the show. 

I did buy a table for the Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days on October 4th-6th. If you are wanting a pre-Fan Days commission, let me know and I'll get it ready for pick up at that show. 

I have posted some new shirt designs in my Cafepress store. Head over to my Cafepress store and get a shirt or a couple! 

Just to let you know all know, I am taking commissions. If you would like to commission me for original artwork, head over to the commissions tab in store to see how. 

If you have not heard about the Podcast called, "Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff", then it's time I let you know! Jeff and I are on the show where we talk about toys! (Go figure, I mean Go action figure!) Seems simple enough. We pick out a toy line to discuss in each show. We share our childhood memories, our favorite five, and talk about the one toy in the line that got away. Jeff talks about how he cherished his toys and I talk about how they ended up in the garden! The other two shows are The pilot episode, where Jeff and Josh Taylor break down the Pilot Episode in TV series, and The Loosely Based Podcast where Brynna and Jeff compare the book to the movie adaptation! The shows are great! If you are interested in what we got, go to Marvindogmedia.com  and give us a listen. You can subscribe to the shows on itunes and get up to date info on upcoming shows on facebook:

If you like what we have, be sure to tell your friends! We need your word of mouth to help us keep making shows!

Now... more pictures!







You can see this project in my deviantart gallery here. Do you like the piece? Do you have a suggestion? Don't be shy! Feel free to comment... just keep it clean. 



Monday, July 15, 2013

Sketch Card of the Day- Skeletor!

Skeletor or Ole' bone head! There are not too many people in the world who do not know the name, "Skeletor". When the 200X series of action figures hit the market, I was extremely excited about the new design that Skeletor rocked. He looked so cruel and evil. I liked him a lot when I was a kid, but due to his new design, he won my heart in 2002. If you know the 200X design well, you should understand what I am saying. So this piece is an older sketch card that I did way back a year or so based on the 2002 toy of Skeletor. You can also see this piece in my deviantart gallery here

Big news! I've been invited to be one of the many talented artist to have work featured in a one night vinyl toy show called, "Vinyl Thoughts 4: Free for All" in Dallas on September 12th 2013. If you plan to be in the area, stop by and check out all of the cool custom vinyl toys. 

I'm scheduled to be on the DELol show on Sunday July 21st to have a good old fashioned "Throw down in the toy isle" toy quiz compatition between Jeff and I. You need to tune in to the DELol show that Sunday. It will be fun!

I did buy a table for the Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days on October 4th-6th. If you are wanting a pre-Fan Days commission, let me know and I'll get it ready for pick up at that show. 

I have posted some new shirt designs in my Cafepress store. Head over to my Cafepress store and get a shirt or a couple! 

Just to let you know all know, I am taking commissions. If you would like to commission me for original artwork, head over to the commissions tab in store to see how. 

If you have not heard about the Podcast called, "Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff", then it's time I let you know! Jeff and I are on the show where we talk about toys! (Go figure, I mean Go action figure!) Seems simple enough. We pick out a toy line to discuss in each show. We share our childhood memories, our favorite five, and talk about the one toy in the line that got away. Jeff talks about how he cherished his toys and I talk about how they ended up in the garden! The other two shows are The pilot episode, where Jeff and Josh Taylor break down the Pilot Episode in TV series, and The Loosely Based Podcast where Brynna and Jeff compare the book to the movie adaptation! The shows are great! If you are interested in what we got, go to Marvindogmedia.com  and give us a listen. You can subscribe to the shows on itunes and get up to date info on upcoming shows on facebook:

If you like what we have, be sure to tell your friends! We need your word of mouth to help us keep making shows!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Action Figure Friday- Maxx Steele's Robo Force- Maxx Steele!


In the latest Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff podcast, Jeff and I talk about the Maxx Steele Robo Force toy line. I have been holding off on posting any of these toys until we posted the show. I am so happy to finally show some of these toys off. Robo Force was created by the Ideal Toy Company (CBS Toys) in 1984. Each robot had crushing arm action feature and a suction cup on their bottom. As theoldrobots.com put it, "they resembled customized daleks." I came into possession of almost the entire run of the very short toyline due to a friend who wanted them to go to a good home. Well, fret not, they did go to a good home indeed. I need to say,"Thanks, buddy! I enjoy having them."

Today's robot is Maxx Steele, the leader of the Robo Force. THis was the robot that I had when I was a kid and to be honest, who wouldn't want to have Maxx first in their collection? Maxx has a couple of extra play features other than his crushing "robot-hug" arm feature and suction cup base. Mr. Steele also features an opening drawer that can hold his extra weapon and a plug port to put his dual barreled laser blaster on his back. I really dig the look of this guy. Out of all of the robots in this toy line, Maxx has the more unique body sculpting with little re-use of already made parts. Maxx also has the best suction cup of all of the robots from this toy line. 





Even though his extra action feature gun storage is kind of lame, I am very happy to see the nice sculpting that is inside the storage area. If you happened to lose your outer storage door, like I did, you still had the sculpting to  embellish his chest. When I lost my door as a kid, that became Maxx's servicing port for Cobra to use to program him. If you happen to be able to get your hands on one of these gems, I would suggest it. They are simple and fun, and with the new Robo Force line trying to get put into the works, these toys are becoming harder to get. 

I'm scheduled to be on the DELol show on Sunday July 21st to have a good old fashioned "Throw down in the toy isle" toy quiz compatition between Jeff and I. You need to tune in to the DELol show that Sunday. It will be fun!

I did buy a table for the Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days on October 4th-6th. If you are wanting a pre-Fan Days commission, let me know and I'll get it ready for pick up at that show. 

I have posted some new shirt designs in my Cafepress store. Head over to my Cafepress store and get a shirt or a couple! 

Just to let you know all know, I am taking commissions. If you would like to commission me for original artwork, head over to the commissions tab in store to see how. 

If you have not heard about the Podcast called, "Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff", then it's time I let you know! Jeff and I are on the show where we talk about toys! (Go figure, I mean Go action figure!) Seems simple enough. We pick out a toy line to discuss in each show. We share our childhood memories, our favorite five, and talk about the one toy in the line that got away. Jeff talks about how he cherished his toys and I talk about how they ended up in the garden! The other two shows are The pilot episode, where Jeff and Josh Taylor break down the Pilot Episode in TV series, and The Loosely Based Podcast where Brynna and Jeff compare the book to the movie adaptation! The shows are great! If you are interested in what we got, go to Marvindogmedia.com  and give us a listen. You can subscribe to the shows on itunes and get up to date info on upcoming shows on facebook:

If you like what we have, be sure to tell your friends! We need your word of mouth to help us keep making shows!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Sketch Card of the Day- Captain Cold!


For a while, I'll be posting some older art from my archives. I really should get that work on the site and it will help for postings as I finish up a big comic project for Gradient Comics

Today's Sketch card is Captain Cold. Captain Cold made his first appearance in May of 1957. He is a DC villain and namely one of the Flash's. I had never heard of Captain Cold until Mattel made an action figure of him in the DC Classics collection. He was part of a big build-a-figure toy wave and when I saw him, I couldn't resist getting him in my collection. This sketch card is based on that action figure. 

You can also see this sketch card in my deviantart gallery here

I'm scheduled to be on the DELol show on Sunday July 21st to have a good old fashioned "Throw down in the toy isle" toy quiz compatition between Jeff and I. You need to tune in to the DELol show that Sunday. It will be fun!

I did buy a table for the Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days on October 4th-6th. If you are wanting a pre-Fan Days commission, let me know and I'll get it ready for pick up at that show. 

I have posted some new shirt designs in my Cafepress store. Head over to my Cafepress store and get a shirt or a couple! 

Just to let you know all know, I am taking commissions. If you would like to commission me for original artwork, head over to the commissions tab in store to see how. 

If you have not heard about the Podcast called, "Talking Toys with Taylor and Jeff", then it's time I let you know! Jeff and I are on the show where we talk about toys! (Go figure, I mean Go action figure!) Seems simple enough. We pick out a toy line to discuss in each show. We share our childhood memories, our favorite five, and talk about the one toy in the line that got away. Jeff talks about how he cherished his toys and I talk about how they ended up in the garden! The other two shows are The pilot episode, where Jeff and Josh Taylor break down the Pilot Episode in TV series, and The Loosely Based Podcast where Brynna and Jeff compare the book to the movie adaptation! The shows are great! If you are interested in what we got, go to Marvindogmedia.com  and give us a listen. You can subscribe to the shows on itunes and get up to date info on upcoming shows on facebook:

If you like what we have, be sure to tell your friends! We need your word of mouth to help us keep making shows!