What’d ya think, Lug-Nutz?! First Rumble Con in the bag! Not too shabby, eh?
Ya really crushed those games, I’m impressed! 💪 I know ya didn’t forget I’m givin’ away ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE prizes so keep your eyes on our Winner’s Page and see if ya made the cut!
If ya haven’t already, go check out our brand-new Instagram filter and Rumbler-fy yaself!
In case ya missed anything or ya just wanna have your mind blown 🤯 for a second time, scroll on for a recap of the BIGGEST (…and the first) Rumble Con in history!
Welcome back to Customizer’s Corner – an intermittent highlight of the creativity and originality of the collectible community!
Vol. 3 is here to ease you into the frightening festivities of this month by showing off some familiar faces in costume! From scarecrows to thunder gods, these Rumblers are pulling out all the stops. Hide your jack-o’-lanterns, hide your valuables, but most importantly, hide your candy!
Scroll on to check out the work of Keown, Gabriel, Mitchell, Pedro and Caleb to see how they suited up the Rumble Society for Halloween.
Name: Keown Location: New Jersey, US Inspiration: Japanese Mythology is my jam! One of my favorite characters is Raijin the Thunder God! Behind Raijin are his drums which the legend says were behind the loud “booms” we hear following the site of lighting. In old artwork, Raijin is typically displayed holding drum sticks as well. Today, we see Raijin’s influence on tattoos, manga, and art, so why not quality toys as well?! MezcoToyz’s Lone Roach had there perfect amount of grays and reds to complete Raijin’s ominous look. I also swapped the hands for Doctor Nocturnal to give it that subtle vibe which matches Raijin’s lips.
Name: Gabriel Location: New York, US Inspiration: We have been living a lie, not many know that behind The Batman’s mask hides Gomez Diaz and not the billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne as the media has pointed us to believe. Jason Grub has been able to unmask him to show the truth to the world (hey, don’t judge, glasses work for Clark Kent and no one complains about it). As a general rule I like my Mezitz with six legs, so I customize them. The background is Vitaly Semenuk’s work (https://www.artstation.com/artwork/W2ba32); I just used a mirror, some lights and smoke to simulate the atmosphere and extend the floor, finally everything comes together with the magic of color grading in Photoshop.
Name: Mitchell Location: Washington, US Inspiration: Though this isn’t a direct sequel to a previous shot I did, this photo is generally a continuation of Vapor getting into trouble tagging walls and other shenanigans! Because of his “poor” decision making, I imagined he would be VERY adept at hopping fences and evading the authorities so I tried to show that story here in this picture.
Name: Pedro Location: Florida, US Inspiration: I’m a sucker for classics and the one movie that stuck with me was (The Warriors) introduced to me by my Old Man who was born in the Big City back in the 50’s. The grit and grime that movie presented was the chefs kiss; and when I saw Mezco toyz’ Bodega Box commercial I fell in love with the whole theme of that singular advertisement. THAT’S when the motivation/inspiration and fixation to want to recreate those characters came into
play. ❤️🔥✨
Name: Caleb Location: Florida, US Inspiration: The inspiration was really just the comics…the Mezco Nosferatu body was the perfect base. Just the head and Freddy Krueger hands!
While it may only be 0 days since the last incident (lookin’ at you, Grub), a long day’s work at the Void Headquarters’ workshop is not all it’s cracked up to be. This week, we’re giving the spotlight to the hard workers (and slackers…) of the Local 112 Collectors Union!
Safety is our #2 #1 priority so grab your welder’s mask and scroll on to check out the work of our latest recruits Juan, Johnny, Mark, Elijah and Charlie.
Name: Juan Location: Florida, US Inspiration: This shot was actually inspired by the packaging this wonderful Union Gomez came in. As soon as I opened the box up and saw that art looking back at me I knew I needed to recreate it, and so I did. Much love to whomever designed it.
Name: Johnny Location: California, US Inspiration: The idea of shot was to show the early morning life of a union worker. I wanted to show what it would look like before the actual work started.
Name: Mark Location: Texas, US Inspiration: The tools really make this Union Gomez in my mind, so I wanted a shot that showcased as many as possible. I built this little workbench out of XPS foam and it seemed perfect to have the lil’ Grub picking up his hammer too.
Name: Elijah Location: Tennessee , US Inspiration: I really enjoyed photographing this figure. My father has been a craftsman all my life and this figure captures the essence if a working man perfectly. I was inspired by the care and level of detail Mezco toy puts into their products.
Name: Charlie Location: New York, US Inspiration: Inspiration for this picture comes from all the blue collar workers out in the world and in my family. They work long hours and very hard to provide for their families! Much respect to you all out there! Gomez is working with ya!! 👊🏻💪🏻
Welcome ghouls, ghosts, and goblins to Collector Spotlight – a regularly irregular interview with a fellow Mezco collector where we dive into the inner workings of their brain and find out what’s haunting their shelves.
In this spooktacular edition of Collector Spotlight, we’re hangin’ out with Nicole from Georgia and taking an in-depth look at her bloodcurdling collection of Living Dead Dolls! Creep on and learn more about Nicole!
Q: When did you first start collecting and what was the first doll you remember seeking out? A: I first began collecting Living Dead Dolls about 6 years ago, I found my first doll secondhand online and that opened a whole new world. Living Dead Dolls have been around for more than 20 years now, I had a lot of catching up to do. The first doll I specifically looked for was Sadie, she wears a Wednesday Addams-esque outfit, comes with a black bouquet, butcher knife and coffin shaped purse. This doll is the mascot for the line and has also had the most versions or “resurrections”. I have 3.
Q: What inspired you to start collecting? A: My main inspiration for this collection would be my boyfriend Brandon, he has a rather impressive collection of Transformers and Gunpla models he has completed, he’s even gotten me into some of the models as well. We split the second bedroom of our apartment in half with his collection of various robots on one side, and my collection of little creeps on the other. We have a lot of fun sharing the space and finding common ground. He is extremely supportive of my collection and has even gotten some of my favorite pieces for me!
Q: Who is your favorite horror villain? A: My favorite horror villain is definitely Pinhead from Hellraiser. Doug Bradley as the leader of the Cenobites is one of the most iconic villains in any horror movie. This villain is not only creepy with nails coming out of their head and bloodied hooks, but they are also quite eloquent which brings another level of terror.
Q: If you could switch lives with any fictional character for a day, who would you choose? A: Of course it would have to be Doctor Who, hop in the TARDIS and go anytime any place? Count me in!
Q: What is your favorite horror movie of all time? A: I have always been a huge horror fan so this is a very hard choice, but since I have to pick 1, I will have to go with the original IT based on the novel by arguably the best horror writer of all time, Stephen King. Tim Curry plays Pennywise the dancing clown in one of the creepiest performances to date. It is a wild ride seeing the Loser Club band together to defeat IT, whatever shape it appeared as. Watching this movie as a child definitely instilled a fear of clowns, balloons and storm drains, but a love of horror movies was born as well.
Q: What was your first Living Dead Doll? A: My first Living Dead Doll was Calico, she has green skin with stitches and purple yarn hair. She comes with her pet Muzzy who is a sort of Frankenstein’d lizard duck. I found her second hand, but fell in love with the details of her stitches, the tissue lined coffin box and “death certificate” which comes with every doll. She started the collection for sure.
Q: What is your favorite Living Dead Doll? A: There are so many creepy and unique dolls in this line but for me the favorite in my collection is Walpurgis. Named for the witchy German festival she wears a goat mask perfect for summoning demons. The resurrection version seen in my collection has fiery hair and amber glass eyes.
Q: How many Living Dead Dolls do you have in your collection? A: I have 39 full size dolls, 20 miniatures and 5 mystery mini figures.
Q: What is your grail doll? A: My holy grail doll would be the fuzzy Eggzorcist, this was a Japan release so finding them is very rare, but maybe one day!
Q: What is your favorite aspect of being a collector? A: I have always been a fan of museums, libraries and art galleries, so in my collecting I’m basically curating a museum of my favorite things. It’s so satisfying seeing the shelves filling up and the collection growing.
Q: How long have you been a toy photographer and what made you start? A: Previously I was a portrait photographer for 10 years, but have a degree in commercial photography. Within the last few years this has shifted more to still life/product photography as I have taken a bit of a career change to the technology field. Digital art is becoming increasingly popular it seemed like an easy transition to keep up my love of photography.
Q: What inspires your photography? A: I’ve always loved catching details that may otherwise go unnoticed. For my portrait photography I take inspiration from old movies, and vintage imagery, this often gives my images a nostalgic, quirky feel.
Q: Any advice you’d like to offer to new collectors? A: Find your community! There are so many resources and groups now thanks to social media to help find other people who share your passion. I am from a small town so finding other people locally can be tricky, but whatever your Fandom there are other people out there who can help expand your collection or just talk about and show off!
“It’s Halloween. Everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”
We’re celebrating all things spooky, scary, and strange in this week’s Fan Feature Friday. Readers beware…what you are about to see may fright, haunt, or rattle you to your bones…this is your chance to turn back now!
If you’re still here, scroll on and see the chills and thrills captured by Chris, Adrian, Jhonatan and Abraham!
And remember…NEVER blow out a jack-o’-lantern before midnight…Happy Halloween! 🎃
Name: Chris Location: South Carolina, US Inspiration: I have an affinity for this time of year and for Halloween in particular. I especially love the older black and white horror movies and recognize Nosferatu broke the mold and set the standard for what would end up being modern horror. There are few creatures of the night that have captivated our imagination like the legend of the vampire. I really love this MezcoToyz Nosferatu because it’s such a unique piece in my collection. The tailoring and soft goods are fantastic, the sculpts are beautiful and it is an iconic character. Something I will forever keep in my collection.
Name: Adrian Location: California, US Inspiration: My main inspiration for this pic, and for all of my pics for that matter, is always lighting. I wanted to put Jason by a cabin looking like he just got done doing what he does best with the cabin light glowing behind him and with the moon light. I wanted it to feel like you can hear Mrs. Voorhees telling Jason he did well and she was pleased with him like in the Friday the 13th game. My goal is always to transport my figures somewhere in my pics and in this particular one I wanted to bring Jason back to the camping grounds of good ol’ Crystal Lake.
Name: Jhonatan Location: Mexico Inspiration: I wanted to capture the character’s essence, as if it were a screenshot from the movie.
Name: Abraham Location: Mexico Inspiration: For the photo I was inspired by the atmosphere of the second movie. (Nosferatu 1979) I like the dark colors of that version and the contrast of the shadows.
The Bat Signal illuminates the night sky as the criminals of Gotham City run rampant! Bat Bolas? Check. Rebreather? Check. Bat-radio? Check. The Caped Crusader has a long night ahead of him…
Batman has the spotlight once again and this time, he’s donning a Golden-Age-inspired look!
Travel back to the Golden Age with Spicy, Ashok, Erik, and Mikey and see how they captured the Dark Knight!
Name: Spicy Location: Indiana, US Inspiration: To me, the story of Batman is a story of justice and vengeance. The Golden Age Caped Crusader Edition depicts a classic version of Batman while nailing the grit and rawness of the character and I wanted to capture that in this pose and photograph.
Name: Ashok Location: Minnesota, US Inspiration: The inspiration behind this photo comes from referring many artworks/ comic covers showing the caped crusader on top of buildings. I wanted to showcase the versatility of the cape as well. Going with the red background makes this figure pop visually.
Name: Erik Location: Mississippi, US Inspiration: I wanted to create a classic comic book panel using the Golden Age Batman figure, while utilizing the wired cape to frame the shot.
Name: Mikey Location: Massachusetts, US Inspiration: Always loved the Batman animated series so the red background with a black and gray suit Bats was a no brainer ! The figure did the rest of the work!
Fan Feature Friday is receiving an upgrade…introducing Fan Takeovers! Every so often, we’ll be giving the reigns to a fellow Mezconian and allowing them to spotlight some of their favorite photographers in the community.
This week, @JasonBMichael takes us on a tour of the Rumble Society while telling us who he’s been diggin’ lately!
Scroll on to see what Jason had to say about Max, Darais, and Felton and check out the photos he chose to spotlight!
Name: Max Jason said: “Max Fischer is the best photographer you’re not following. Max has a beautiful semi-portrait style that tells a story; something I had never come across in toy photography. He doesn’t shy away from very creative angles, sometimes letting the props and accessories do the storytelling rather than the figure. His ability to create a mood in such a tight frame shows just how much he masters lighting and posing.”
Name: Darais Jason said: “Not only has Darais been a monument in the toy photography community for years, but he’s also the Bob Ross of action figure reviews on YouTube. Watching him pose action figures feels like watching a magic trick; it’s a clinic in itself. Although I’d like him to take a break from time to time, his work ethic and dedication to his craft are unparalleled. Once while we were chatting on the phone, I could hear his camera operating in the background … he has time to take 100 photos in the time I’ve setup for one. Because he shoots handheld, I’m what he calls tripod people, one of the funniest monikers I’ve had the pleasure of being called. Perhaps when I’ve got ten plus years of photography under my belt, I’ll be able to get on his level. For the time being, I’m enjoying the magician.”
Name: Felton Jason said: “Felton is the definition of ingenuity. My favorite part of his work is how he uses overexposure to his advantage; flooding his photos with blaring white which creates razor sharp shadows, adds a heightened contrast to his subject, and a beautiful glow surrounding it at the same time. I also admire how versatile he is with his choice of subjects. He isn’t afraid to take risks that may potentially alienate his audience. From risqué poses or storytelling choices to political commentary, it’s always a treat when Felton graces us with a new image.”
The Death Brokers have arrived to carry out their sole mission – dimensional annihilation!
According to official Void intel, the Black Skull Death Brokers have been employed as covert operatives who somehow got their hands on SMITH technology. These chameleon-like mercenaries travel in groups of 3 and are extremely deadly.
The Void is currently gathering information on the Death Brokers. Scroll on and check out their findings below.
Name: Madison Location: Arizona, US Inspriation: The box art alone is fire! The second I cracked these bad boys opened they gave me straight Reservoir Dog vibes so I tried my best to recreate that!
Name: Luis Location: California, US Inspiration: So this shot was inspired in part by the briefcase scene in Pulp Fiction. But, a little more than that, I just kind of imagine these guys to deal in the trading and acquiring of various dangerous contraband. This is my idea of what it might look like for these guys to come up on some highly coveted destructive goodies!
Name: Jake Location: California, US Inspiration: What’s better than triplets? Easy, triplets in well-tailored suits who wear ties that match their eyes! I was going to a Charlie’s Angels setup, but with a darker twist.
Name: Jose Location: Texas, US Inspiration: I had the Shark Toys Furious Tony figure on my desk when I received the Death Brokers, and felt they would be agents available to the highest bidder, for any nefarious deeds. I love the way all the green pops on these guys, so I added some green lights to add to that. Another satisfied customer, the Death Brokers never disappoint.
Name: Valis Location: US Inspiration: As soon as I put the batteries into the Death Brokers briefcase and opened it up, I knew that I had to re-create the kitchen scene from Pulp Fiction where Vincent Vega opens up Marcellus Wallace’s briefcase to check its contents. When the green lit up the BSDB, I knew it was go time! I took a smoke from the PSCC Gig from Hell box set, set up the shot, and the rest is history!
Name: Russell Location: New York, US Inspiration: The Death Brokers are delivering an important package that needs serious attention!
An ancient tribe spoke of a figure draped in darkness with eyes as bright as fire, so powerful that he had an army of the living dead at his command. They called him the Death Dealer. With one swing of his axe, Death Dealer would execute any who visited his domain.
Based on the genre-defining works of master artist, Frank Frazetta, Death Dealer has arrived and is ready for the grim tasks at hand.
Scroll on to see how Angel, Juan, Charlie, and Johnny captured the menacing, armor-clad warrior.
Name: Angel Location: California, US Inspiration: From the moment I unboxed the figure, I felt the urge to photograph it. Death Dealer has an imposing feel to it, one particular cover came to mind and I wanted my shot to have the same feel one gets from looking at Frank’s oil paintings. Death Dealer is a great homage to an iconic artist and a fantastic entry to the ONE:12 line
Name: Juan Location: Florida, US Inspiration: Shelf presence, Death Dealer has it in spades. My goal with this shot was simple, to show off how cool and menacing he looks simply standing there. The glowing red eyes and detailed rippling arm muscles certainly help.
Name: Charlie Location: New York, US Inspiration: For this photo of Death Dealer was to show thank you and appreciation to MezcoToyz for making an incredible piece of art come to life by the late great Frank Frazetta! I kept it simple to show just how amazing this figure looks! I have been “Dealt” the figure of the year
Name: Johnny Location: California, US Inspiration: Death dealer comes down from the mountain to cause more death.
Silent, invisible, and invincible, Predator is on the hunt for this Fan Feature Friday! This extraterrestrial race of warriors and hunters travel the galaxy, seeking dangerous quarry to hunt for sport and honor.
Scroll on to see how Sal, Mr. Mad Orange, Ken, and 大澤 captured the huntsman in his natural habitat and whatever you do…DO NOT ENGAGE!
Name: Sal Location: California, US Inspiration: I wanted my shot to try and capture the jungle aspect of the original Predator film.
Name: Mr. Mad Orange Location: China Inspiration: I’ve seen the movie Predator so many times , and when I got this predator, I had a picture of him in the forest in my mind
Name: 大澤 Location: Taiwan
Inspiration: I have always been a fan of the Predator movie series, and the inspiration for the creation comes from the concept of the Predator invisible invasion of Earth in the movie.
Name: Ken Location: China Inspiration: The inspiration for this picture is the rain forest scene in original 1987 Predator film. The critical element to create the atmosphere is the real water fog I used in this picture.
