My Friend the Micronaut 2013

An art and custom toy tribute to Micronauts, Microman, and friends, presented by Bwana Spoons and MicroBry at the Grass Hut Art Market 400 NW Couch St., Portland, Oregon 97209. The show ran through the month of August, 2013 and works exhibited will remain on sale at the Grass Hut web shop until the end of October.

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With the end of October quickly approaching, we are now drawing near to the end of the post-show web sales of works from the exhibit.   To view all the works still available from the show, please visit the My Friend the Micronaut 2013 section of the Grass Hut web shop.   These will only be available in the shop until October 31st, 2013, so please come check it out once more before it is too late! As for the future of this site and the show, please stay tuned for more details afterwards!   Currently we are discussing a slightly different format for the next My Friend the Micronaut art show, in honor of Microman's 40th anniversary in 2014, and are discussing ways we can improve the show overall.  This was our first show of its kind, and likely the first dedicated Micronaut/Microman-themed art/custom show ever, and we had a few bumps along the way, but we are still proud of how it came together and think that next year in turn may be a very exciting one as well.    Thank you so much to all who participated this year and helped make the debut something amazing! 

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Ampzilla created by Chanmen Ace Robotman created by Comet Debris (Koji Harmon) AcroMecha Jeff created by Bwana Spoons Chanmen of Gargamel fame has contributed a beautiful rendition of the Micronaut alien menace Ampzilla on a rampage available for sale directly at the Grass Hut gallery.   Also coming in from Japan, Koji Harmon of Comet Debris has contributed both a custom of his new Ace vinyl toy painted in Microman Robotman (Micronauts Biotron) colors, as well as some collaborations with Sucklord (see prior profile below).  Koji's work is now sold out at the time of this posting. Finally, our co-curator and host for My Friend the Micronaut 2013 (and creator of the original classic My Friend the Micronaut fanzine back in the mid 1990s), Bwana Spoons, has created a set of "AcroMecha" variants of his brand new Jeff vinyl figure, which is already a fantastic homage to and mash-up of various Acroyear villain characters from throughout the classic Microman toy series.  Bwana, like Koji, also collaborated with Sucklord on variants of the Cosmo-Douche figure, which can be seen below in our prior profile on Sucklord. AcroMecha Jeff is available for purchase at the Grass Hut online shop here.

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Clone o'Forms MFTM Exclusive Bermuda Anomaly edition

Clone o'Forms test shots:  Rip-Toe Commander, Temporal Displacer Micro-Keshi Clone, MK-1 Explorer Class Batt'l Bruiser, and Implant Mem' Loss

Clone o'Forms 2x size prototype Catastrophic Mem' Loss Created by BigManToys (Lee Burbridge) with MicroBry (Bryan Wilkinson) The first wave of resin-cast Clone o' Forms parody micro-not figures by BigManToys and MicroBry…a show exclusive colorway, the Bermuda Anomalies are an oddly colored set of mutated Clone O'Forms that appear to have been battling within the Bermuda triangle since the 1960s!  Each set includes one Mem’Loss, one Batt’l Bruiser, one Rip-Toe, and one MK Clone cast in bright neon orange translucent resin with painted neon green details!  Limited to a series of only 3 just for the show! The Bermuda Anomaly sets are available for purchase at the Grass Hut online shop here.

Also available are a set of first test shots for the main Clone o' Forms line with added painted detail: Rip-Toe Commander, Temporal Displacer Micro-Keshi Clone, MK-1 Explorer Class Batt'l Bruiser, and Implant Mem' Loss are each available for purchase separately and are each one-of-a-kind, painted by BigManToys' Lee Burbridge. Along with other prototypes only available on-site at the Grass Hut Gallery, the Clone o'Forms 2x size prototype Catastrophic Mem' Loss is a currently one-of-a-kind prototype for a planned later release by BigManToys and can be purchased from the Grass Hut online shop here.

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Steve Peters of Awakening Comics is offering some copies of his Runner's Paradox (guest art splash pages by MicroBry, Michael Jaecks, Will Jones, and Scott Elyard) as well as a special new edition of Awakening Masterpieces #1, a fun and engaging reprint of Steve's epic childhood Micronaut comic he created at age 11!  These issues are available for purchase on site at the Grass Hut gallery or directly from Awakening Comics.

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Acvorbuilder, Time Outlanders and Micro-Adamen

Created by: Ni Stuff (481 Universe)

Ni Stuff has been producing a number of original factory-produced as well as resin-cast and customized figures that compliment Onell Design’s Glyos universe and bring at times a Microman-like aesthetic  with them.  His recently developed, first fully articulated self-produced and Glyos-compatible action figure, the Outlander, is used here to create a new set of characters in Microman homage colors, some intermixed with parts from Onell Design’s Armorvor, Buildman, andNoboto figures:  the Acroyear-like alien Acvorbuilder, and a set of three Time Outlanders.   Also available are a pair of his Anomalies mini-figures, the Micro-Adamen, done in metallic colors. Acvorbuilder is available for purchase in the Grass Hut shop here. Red Time Outlander is available for purchase in the Grass Hut shop here. Blue Time Nobotlander is available for purchase in the Grass Hut shop here. Orange/Green Time Outlander is no longer available for purchase at the time of this posting. Micro-Adamen are available for purchase in the Grass Hut shop here.

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Indy toy celebrity (hey, he was on that Bravo TV show, you know!) and legend the Sucklord personally was at the show, bringing new show-exclusive variants of his Cosmo-Douche (Ultronic Dickwad) figure--including collaborations with Bwana Spoons and Comet Debris--who were also featured at the show.   This unique(...?) figure has been long out of print...until now! See the original first release of Cosmo-Douche at TOYSREVIL here. Also appearing at the show is a new exclusive yellow color variant of the Time Straggler SuckPeg!  While these figures are no longer available for purchase, they can still be viewed on display at the Grass Hut gallery until the end of August (please see the sidebar for more information).

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Membrolliac, Neo-Acroyears (President, Commander, and Soldier), and MicroShin Borgman Glyan Created by: Onell Design (Matt Doughty)

Matt Doughty at Onell Design  has been redefining the boundaries of small independent toy production with the incredible interchangeable line of Glyos System figures and accessories, helping many other independent toy makers along the way and further expanding the potential of the series.   Microman and the Takara SF Land aesthetic were among Matt’s many early influences and has had a way of showing up as motifs frequently in his work,  most notably in his Buildman and Glyan figures.    Matt has assembled some incredible creations for the show which will delight and inspire Micro-fan and Glyos fan alike!     The Membrolliac is a further advanced and enhanced version of his earlier builds inspired by the Micronauts alien Membros, using a massive number of Glyos parts from various figures and accessory sets, demonstrating the full potential of the Glyos interchangeable construction! Next, the Neo-Acroyear builds are each unique takes on the classic Microman villain, with the slender but charismatic leader Neo-Acroyear President, the bulky Neo-Acroyear Commander, and the battle-ready Neo-Acroyear Soldier!

The Microshin Borgmen are swing-joint equipped variants of Matt's Glyan figures with an added special Microman/Henshin Cyborg twist: human heads, which are former test shots of a never-produced (and never previously released) alternate Glyan head inspired by Microman head designs! While these fantastic creations are no longer available for sale at the time of this writing, you can also read Matt's story behind the making of them here.

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Alien Bug Base

Created by: Laser Mego (Paul Wasson) Paul Wasson of Laser Mego has created many custom laser-cut accessories for vintage Mego figures and other toys.   Featured for the first time at My Friend the Micronaut 2013,  Laser Mego presents a completed laser-cut sample of Paul's Alien Bug Base (more info here),  a new take on the original Micropolis Micronauts construction set, but designed for the Micronaut's second worst enemies, the aliens.   The set includes a full set of vintage connector pieces, and is fully interchangeable with vintage Micropolis sets and Micronaut toys. The Alien Bug Base is available for purchase from the Grass Hut web shop here.

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Sea-Borgs Microyear Mutations Creator:  MonsterPantsToys

Microyear Mutations:  after the Invaders ruined the Sea-Borgs’ world,  a new mutant came lurching out of the murky depths…perhaps showing a bit of influence from a certain other miniature crash-landed ancient alien species that shared their plight…  Sea-Borgs are handmade collector's resin figures designed, sculpted, cast, finished and packaged by artist, writer and filmmaker James Felix McKenney. Each comes sealed in a plastic bag with full-color header card. The Microyear Mutations are available for purchase at the Grass Hut on-line shop here.

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Title: "Antron's Magic" Photographer: Adam Middleton Animation producer and longtime Micro-collector Adam Middleton will be displaying one of his most popular Micronaut photographs as well as have some other surprises sure to please fans at the show...

One-of-a-kind print of the image previously popularized in Micropola Magazine and on InnerSpace Online, by animation producer and well-known Micro-collector Adam Middleton.   Adam also has created some Micronauts and Acroyear "faction" symbol decals that are exclusively available at the show itself! Antron's Magic can be purchased at the Grass Hut online shop here.

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Dave Waugh is a world-renowned tattoo artist and also the creator of the world's greatest Micronauts web resource, Innerspace Online.  In 2002, Dave also helped design many of the new accessories for the Palisades Micronauts Retro Series of toy replicas.  For the My Friend the Micronaut 2013 show, he has created a number of beautifully detailed paintings, some available as originals, others as prints: Cross-Section Giant Acroyear recalls the striking catalog illustrations of the early 1970s in sharp detail.    Prints available at Grass Hut here.

Cosmo Car Micro Cessna and Micro Saucer UFO bring to life two of the earliest Microman vehicle toys from 1974 in vivid color and detail.  Originals for sale at Grass Hut here and here.

Microman Manga Puzzle is Dave's loving homage to the original illustrations of the 1970s Microman manga by the late Yoshihiro Moritou, painted on pre-cut blank jigsaw puzzles, recapturing the feel of Showa Era Japan’s playful menko card illustrations and promotional materials.    Original for sale at Grass Hut here.

Acroyear Navy highlights the whimsical but dangerous sea creature-based figures released during the early run of Microman in Japan and featured as comical relief in the manga series (they also make a reappearance as bosses in the 1999 Tiny Titan Microman video game for the Sony PlayStation game console).   Prints are available for sale at Grass Hut here.

Mazinger Punch! recaptures the joy of playing with Shogun Warriors, a rival toyline contemporary to the Micronauts five-year run in the later 1970s, as well as its original earlier manifestation in Japan as the first Jumbo Machinder toys which battled for shelf space with the Microman toyline.  Prints available for sale at Grass Hut here.

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(photos courtesy of Fred Yee and Bwana Spoons) MegLobros --handcrafted giant plush Micro-monstrosity from the deepest undersea trenches of the ocean-world Zenon ! Created by: Concocted Curioddities At just shy of ten times the size of the original Micronauts alien Lobros, MegLobros may be the largest depiction of an original Micronauts alien yet!   Hand-made by Jennifer Ozehoski (interviewed here) of Concocted Curioddities (http://www.etsy.com/people/ConcoctedCurios or https://www.facebook.com/ConcoctedCurios  on Facebook), this plush behemoth is fully figure-accurate and includes the special feature of an opening head carapace to reveal a detailed plush brain inside and his pair of blood-sucking siphon-tongue tentacles, feared by many across the Microverse!

Prototype displayed -- Accepting pre-orders ($300), limited to a series of five.  Original Micronauts action figure shown for comparison purposes only, not included.

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Union Fighter Blockman Combo Droid CD-1-L 1/18th scale prototype

Created by Ben Mininberg of Prometheus Rising Studios (photos courtesy of Prometheus Rising Studios)

Union Fighter Blockman is an obscure, short-lived Takara line that came out in 1984 as an offshoot of Diaclone and Takara's broader "SF Land" range of semi-related properties.  The line featured two inch tall plastic and metal robots covered in 5mm pegs and ports.   The Blockman sets came with little one inch tall chrome pilots with sculpts reminiscent of Diaclone drivers, which were the same size.  The original toyline also was briefly re-released by Revell as part of its expanded Robotech model kit and toy line under the name "Robolinks" in the US and "Changers" in Europe. Prometheus Rising Studios’ Ben Mininberg wanted to thus explore how a Blockman would look scaled up to Microman (1/18) scale.  The now fully-posable (and quite sizable!) Blockman features ratcheting joints in the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees, with additional articulation at the shoulders, biceps, wrists, waist, and hips.   My Friend the Micronaut is proud to be hosting the first CD-1-L Blockman prototype from Prometheus Rising Studios! This first ever-released prototype can be purchased from the Grass Hut store here.

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Allaround Power Suit 1/18th scale - Buffalo Squad Created by Ben Mininberg of Prometheus Rising Studios

(photos courtesy of Prometheus Rising Studios) The Prometheus Rising Heavy Industries Allaround power suits are 1/18 scale, designed to look at home next to Micromen and their many robotic allies.  The “Buffalo Squad” being deployed at My Friend the Micronaut 2013 is the Allaround’s first release, done up in a Diaclone inspired color scheme and given Prometheus Rising Studios’  trademark weathering and refined detailing treatment.    Each member of the squadron has their own number designation and personalized details unique to their suit, and the squad leader comes equipped with his own unique weapon of choice, a mag-rifle with a distinctive metallic green coil. The Allaround Buffalo Squad also represents the first full Prometheus Rising Studios fully 3D printed release to use a new method of acetone treatment allowing for smoothed surfaces and a more solid look.   These superbly detailed figures are fully posable, have incredible presence and will look excellent on any collector's shelf with Microman and Micronaut figures or any popular 1/18th scale format action figures. The 1/18th Allaround Power Suits from the Buffalo Squad can be purchased at Grass Hut here. 

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Now that the My Friend the Micronaut 2013 show is well underway, we'll be taking a closer look at many of the art and creations on display at the show.   First up are Brownnoize Productions' amazing Fake Type Powered Suits (shown above) and Powered Bio Suit!   As multiple artists (Mason Fitch, Lisa Fitch, Dylan Gould, Sanjeev Selvaraj  and Larry Kwong of Minutia Studios) collaborated on these works, which are packed with features, we'll be focusing on each creation separately in individual posts!  

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Powered Bio Suit  

(Close-up photos courtesy of Brownnoize Productions)

Creator: Sanjeev Selvaraj, Brownnoize Productions

The Powered Bio Suit represents the next step in the evolution of toy making, while clearly paying homage to the classics that inspire us. Sanjeev Selvaraj of Brownnoize Productions enters the burgeoning arena of home 3D-printing by offering homemade durable ABS plastic figures designed for rugged play, as well as display on a collector's shelf. This emphasis on durability is at the core of his offerings, as he strives to produce items that children (of all ages!) can play with and enjoy as toys should be. 

This unpainted blue and white plastic Powered Bio Suit is the very first prototype of what will be an on-going line of powered armor toys, meant to enhance existing Micronauts/Microman action figures. The aesthetic design is a tribute to the Diaclone Powered Suit (Type C), but the figure offers a number of brand new features, such as a 5mm peg for mounting a Micronaut action figure inside the suit, Micronaut-compatible 5mm ports in the fists and on the back, a shoulder mount for the massive Type C cannon, ratcheted shoulder joints with strong detents, a clear plastic face shield, longer feet for added stability, and glow-in-the-dark cockpit detail panels that illuminate the pilot figure's face at night! This one-of-a-kind prototype figure comes with a large poster featuring artwork by Larry Kwong of Minutia Studios.

  The Powered Bio Suit handles like a dream.  The scale of the suit is impressive at the 1/18 human scale of Microman, and feels both lightweight and sturdy at its large size, smooth to the touch, the articulation is smooth and the cockpit hatch closes with a very satisfying "click".  This prototype will look right at home on any Microman or Micronaut collector's shelf in its colors which evoke both the classic Microman robot toys of the 1970s as well as the 1983 Microman Bio-Suits.   Seeing a familar Diaclone-based design like this redone at four times its original size and made for 3 3/4" action figure interaction and with 5mm parts is a real treat for any fan of classic mecha and action figure toys! This one-of-a-kind prototype can be purchased from Grass Hut here.

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Powered Suit Fake Type "The Foreman"

(Close-up photos courtesy of Brownnoize Productions)

Creators: Sanjeev Selvaraj, Brownnoize Productions with Mason Fitch 

Brownnoize Productions' Powered Suit Fake Type is an homage to the miniature Diaclone Powered Suit (Type C) that was released by Takara both individually packaged, and as a part of their Big Powered super robot set. The Powered Suit was a simple and inexpensive way to enhance the humble Diaclone driver by giving him powered armor with which to battle the evil Waruders! The Powered Suit Fake Type is a multi-media 3D-printed figure that incorporates a variety of plastics and even a printed stainless steel body. The figure features magnetic shoulder joints, an additional shoulder mount for the massive cannon, a female “Inch Lady” driver figure, and it is fully compatible with the original Diaclone Powered Suit toys.

Referred to as "the Foreman", this homage to the Diaclone Powered Suit type C is a hand-painted work of Mason Fitch, one of the masterminds behind the Powered Suit Fake Type project. The color scheme is a tribute to another Diaclone toy that was incorporated in Hasbro's "Transformers" toy line in the 1980's: Devastator. In keeping with the construction theme, the Inch Lady pilot figure is painted to resemble Spike from the G1 cartoon...though a human Autobot ally piloting Decepticon power armor may raise some eyebrows. Figure comes with a large poster featuring artwork by Larry Kwong of Minutia Studios.

The heavy, solid steel body gives the suit much more weight than many die-cast toys of the same size or larger.  The hatch clicks tightly into place and the arms’ magnetic connections snap on and off easily, locking into place when attached and smoothly pivoting in place.   Mason's clever homage to the slightly later, more famous incarnation of the Diaclone (and Microman) toyline as a Transformer-based color scheme really pops and gives this uniquely painted toy incredible character!  And as a hand-painted, 3D printed work incorporating stainless steel, plastic, and magnetic parts, the Powered Suit Fake Type represents a totally new and cutting edge fusion of brand new technologies making their way into independent toy design.

This incredible and uniquely painted prototype can be purchased at Grass Hut here.