Happy New Year VinylManiacs!!!

In honor of the famous New Years Eve Ball Drop at Times Square in New York, I proudly present: 2011 Ball Drop Mickey!!!

2011 Vinylmation

coming soon...

Mad Hatter & Dormouse 9"/3" Vinylmation Combo

The "Mad Tea Party" scene from Disney's 1951 animated film "Alice in Wonderland"

D Street 1 Year Anniversary!

Just one year ago, D Street opened its doors in the Downtown Disney District, paving the way for many exciting events, trunk shows, product releases, and most importantly Vinylmation!!!

Just one year ago, we had the pleasure of first getting to meet and know Noah, and get our hands on his first one-of-a-kind custom Motor Mouse Vinylmation!

D Street in Downtown Disney has become a "must stop" on all our of our Disneyland Resort trips! We here at VinylMania consider D Street to be our second headquarters! Here's to one fantastic year, with many more to come!

Cheers~

Tron Legacy Party!!!

So with all the Tron Legacy hype, the VinylMania team decided to throw a Tron Legacy party to fully immerse ourselves in the world of Tron!

We all gathered @ "Deep Space S.L.i.M.E." to watch the Original 1982 Tron!

Our night countinued with us buying out an entire row of seats of an IMAX 3D presentation of Tron Legacy at the Rave 18 (formerly The Bridge) @ The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center. We had to see it in IMAX 3D! There's no other way to properly watch a movie!

Evilos: Custom Illuminated Tron Legacy Vinylmation!

With all the Tron Legacy hype, various Tron Vinylmation customs have made their presence felt all over the Vinylmation collectors community.

But one exists that is superior to all.

Behold! The Evilos Custom LED Illuminated Tron Legacy Vinylmation!!!

Using design elements from Tron Legacy's main antagonist, Codified Likeness Utility 2.0 (CLU 2 for short), Evilos has carefully crafted a Vinylmation masterpiece.

These pictures, as professional looking as they are, don't do this Vinylmation justice.

Evilos's Tron custom was the first and still one of the few Tron Vinylmation customs using yellow for the circuitry color, which alone makes this piece stand apart from others.

Secondly, the base black paint is unrivaled in quality and application. One may ask "Is there really a difference between one person's black paint on a custom versus another?" And in short, the answer is absolutely. As mentioned before, the pictures don't do this Vinylmation justice. For when you have this piece in your hands and can examine it with your own eyes the difference is extremely prominent.

Next, and most evident, are the carefully constructed collinear lines used to bring CLU 2 to life! Using masking tape over a yellow Create-Your-Own Vinylmation, Evilos meticulously lays down CLU's circuitry lines. Then, he applies black paint over the entire Vinylmation. Finally, he peels the masking tape away to unveil the perfectly aligned design. Check out this video below to get a first hand look at this step in Evilos's process. The circuitry design is very detailed and executed with amazing precision.

And to add the final insult to all other Tron Vinylmation customs, Evilos added LED lights inside the figure toggled on and off by a tact switch. Here it is pictured below in all it's glory!

Here's Evilos giving us a little video demo of this Vinylmation!

It should be quite obvious by this point about my overall opinion and feelings on this particular custom. So instead, let me take this opportunity to commend Christopher Avalos on such elaborate, and intricate work. Evilos brings (not only to the Vinylmation world, but to all media he works with) over 20 years of experience to the table and it is without a doubt unmistakably lucid.

I myself being a fan of Vinylmation, a fan of Tron, a fan of Disney, and a fan of art in general can truly, truly, truly appreciate all the time, effort, and most of all passion that went into this custom. The Evilos Illuminated Tron Legacy Vinylmation custom was an absolute must have in my collection!

And to bring this entry full circle, there are many notable Tron Vinylmations available to collect, most which I personally own. Any of which would be a fine addition to any collectors collection. But only one can reign supreme. And after reading this review, I think it's pretty apparent which one holds that title.

---> www.Evilos.com <---

To Chris: "Thank you for all that you do for all the communities you run with. Your craftsmanship is unprecedented. I will continue to support your endeavors purely on the fact that your work speaks for itself. Considering you a friend is just an added bonus. Again, thank you."

Tomorrowland/Adventureland Poster Vinylmation

Retro Magic Kingdom/Figment Dream Finder Vinylmation

Figment, a small purple dragon, occasionally seen sporting a yellow sweater, is the mascot of the Imagination! pavilion at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. He is extensively seen in Epcot merchandise.
The Journey Into Imagination pavilion opened with the rest of EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982, but the Journey Into Imagination dark ride did not open until March 5, 1983. In the original attraction, Dreamfinder, a jolly wizard-like scientist, teaches Figment how to use his imagination. Figment is meant to be the literal embodiment of the phrase "figment of the imagination". He is composed of various elements Dreamfinder found in his travels including two tiny wings, large yellow eyes, the horns of a steer, a crocodile's snout, and the childish delight found at a birthday party.

Journey Into Imagination With Figment is an attraction which is contained within The Imagination! Pavilion at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World and opened on March 5, 1983. It has been through three incarnations over the years, two of them featuring Figment, a small purple dragon, as a character

1983-1998 Version: Journey Into Imagination

Spawn Vinylmation Custom

As a child growing up I was a huge comic book fan! In particularly I was a huge "Image" comic book fan! Reading such greats as Pitt, The Maxx, Savage Dragon, Gen13, StormWatch, Team 7, Ultra, Wetworks, WildC.A.T.s, ShadowHawk, and last but most certainty not least Spawn!

Spawn was by far my personal favorite! Spawn was to my youth what Vinylmation are to me now! I would rush to the comic book store on my bike to pick up the latest issue of Spawn! I always bought two issues, one to read and one that went straight into a comic book sleeve and straight into a box for preservation! I stood in line for hours at Puzzle Zoo in Santa Monica to get Todd McFarlane's autograph with a certificate of authenticity!

Alright, enough reminiscing about my childhood nerdiness, and back to the present!

When I saw Celeste's custom Spawn vinyl, it was an absolute no-brainer for myself to add this to my collection!

Spawn, in all his Vinylmation awesomness!

Profile view! The spikes add to the fantastic detail!

Can't have a Spawn without a cape!

I love the way the cape drapes down.

Kudos on all the accessories that really bring this custom to life!

Shout out to Celeste and Co. who continue to produce quality customs! I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at the trading event held at the Paradise Pier on January 14th. I look forward to seeing what else you produce! Keep up the amazing work!

If you have not had a chance to check out her work, click the link at the bottom of this post to see her customs displayed on her blog! And last but not least I leave you with a fun picture of my Spawn prowling around the cities rooftops, like only he can!

---> Celeste's Custom Vinylmations Website <---

Disneyland A-E Ticket Book & Birthday Cake Vinylmation release

Got to the park at 6:15am exactly. I got lost in the fog. I've been to Disneyland a million times in my life, and never have I been lost. I actually had to break out my GPS to guide me to the park. Slowly but surely I arrived safely. Upon arrival I was 9th in line.




It was a little chilly waiting in line. Not as bad as the Noah Tron Legacy Vinylmation release though. But at least D-Street opened at 8am rather than the usual 10am. I was in and out by 8:15am.

Released today was the much anticipated Disneyland Resort A-E Ticket book set. The edition size is 1955 and retails for $99.95.


Orgin (from Wikipedia):

"When Disneyland opened in 1955, visitors purchased a ticket for admission to the park and then paid separate admission fees at each ride or attraction. Less than 3 months after opening, Disney began selling ticket books, which contained several coupons labeled "A" through "C", to supplement the pay-per-ride system. Rides and attractions were designated as "A", "B", or "C" attractions and required the visitor to either pay a specified amount or present a coupon of the corresponding denomination. As determined by Disney, "A" attractions were the smallest and least popular, "B" attractions were more popular and/or more advanced, and "C" attractions were the most popular and/or most advanced.[1] In 1956, Disney introduced the "D" designation for the most popular attractions and upgraded several former "C" attractions including Jungle Cruise to "D".

In June 1959, amid the completion of Disneyland's first major expansion, Disney introduced the "E" designation for the park's most popular attractions, and made the new Submarine Voyage, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Disneyland–Alweg Monorail "E" coupon attractions. Additionally, the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, Rocket to the Moon, Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules, Rainbow Mountain Stage Coaches, Mark Twain Riverboat, Sailing Ship Columbia, Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, and Jungle Cruise – all previously "D" rides – were upgraded to "E".[1] "E" remained the highest attraction/coupon designation for over 20 years. Several "E" attractions were added throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and the coupon system was duplicated at Magic Kingdom when it opened in 1971.

The coupon system was gradually phased out beginning in the late 1970s and by July 1982 was fully replaced by the present-day system in which paying the entrance fee admits the visitor to all rides and attractions."

Also released was a Birthday cake 9" Vinylmation from the Holiday #2 series. The edition size is 1000 and retails for $44.95. As said before on the Disney Vinylmation blog, they would be releasing the Holiday #2 9" vinyls around their corresponding holiday. Thus, the Graveyard Vinylmation was released around Halloween, and the Prancer and Snowman Snow globe vinyls were released around Christmas. Which leads me to the questions "If this is a Birthday cake, who's birthday are we celebrating?" There has been no official answer to my question, but I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume we are celebrating Walt Disney's birthday (December 5th). Happy Birthday Walt! Have a slice of cake! :)

Tron Pop-Up Shop @ Royal/T Café

So I get home from work yesterday, and I start to unwind by plopping myself down in front of my compy. I start doing some research on this Tron Pop-Up Shop that everyone was talking about at the D Street - Noah Tron Legacy custom release. Sure enough The Royal/T Shop in Culver City is hosting the special shop that sells all sorts of Tron themed merchandise.

As tired as I was, I jumped back in the my car and battled through after work traffic to make my way to Royal/T shop. And I'm glad I did. This place is amazing! And I'm not talking about just the Tron Pop-Up Shop, but the entire Royal/T shop is awesome! Royal/T is an Art Gallery, a Cafe, and a Shop all in one! Here's a little video that explains in more detail:

The Tron Pop-Up Shop specifically was superb! The modern designed room, dimly lit with blue neon lights made the Tron world come alive! I think I looked at every single piece of merchandise in the shop with amazement! Having that feeling of kid in a candy store!

---> Royal/T Cafe/Shop/Art Space <---

Happy Birthday Walt!

Forever & always we'll keep moving forward!

Ice Cube Tray Vinylmation

coming soon...

Vinylmation Timepieces + 3"

coming soon...

Holiday 2 Vinylmation

coming soon...

Christmas Present Mickey

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Vinylmation Gingerbread Decorating Contest!

Soulchild in conjunction with VinylNation.net are hosting the first ever Vinylmation Gingerbread Decorating Contest!

So let's get down to business...


Rules:
- Everything must be edible. Essentially, this means you're limited to gingerbread, candy, and icing.
- You must bake your own gingerbread. You can use store-bought mixes, or your grandma’s favorite receipe.
- The gingerbread cookie must be Vinylmation (Mickey) shaped.
- The design on the gingerbread must be of an official Disney Vinylmation. You may do any 3", 9" or 1.5" Jr!

Entry Guidelines:
- All entries must be posted in the Entry Thread before 12:01 AM PST, November 30th.
- You mush post at least four pictures of the following:
1 - Ingredients
2 - In-progress pictures (either baking or decorating)
1 - Finished product
- A copy of your gingerbread recipe. If you use a box mix, let us know what brand.
- You must post which Vinylmation you decided to bake and decorate. Please be specific and include series name and number (i.e. Park 3 Herbie)

Judging:
- Appearance: How pretty is it?
- Accuracy: How much like the Vinylmation is it?
- Tastiness: How tasty does it look? Yum!

Prizes:
- Custom Vinylmation Jr. Reindeer Ornament by Soulchild
- One of a kind glow-in-the-dark TRON: Legacy 3" custom by Evilos
- Holiday Series 2 blind box.
- Depending on how many participate, there might be more prizes included...
-If more than 12 people enter the contest I will include the MVMCP Toy Soldier 3"
-If more than 25 people enter the contest I will include the Osborne Lights 2010 3"
Why 12 and 25? Because it's for Christmas!


And so after lot's of planning and careful consideration, I was off to try my hand at baking gingerbread!

Ingredients: Sugar Cookie Mix, 1 egg, 1 stick of Butter, Rolled Fondant, water, sugar, flour, PAM cooking spray, & various colors of decorating gel.

I started with Krusteaz Bakery Style Sugar Cookie Mix, adding 1 egg, and 1 stick of butter. Stirred until dough formed.

I put the dough in the freezer for about an hour to let harden. Next I layed wax paper down on a cookie tray and sprayed it with PAM non-stick cooking spray. After an hour I rolled the dough flat using a rolling pin. I printed out a Create-your-own-Vinylmation template and cut the figure out. Sprayed the template with PAM and placed it directly on top of dough.

Then using a knife, cut the excess dough away from the template.

I decided to leave the template on top of the cookie as it baked, as seen here in my oven.

When it was finished baking, I easily cut the excess dough away that spread out using the template, and simply peeled the template away for a nice shaped Mickey cookie!

Now I got to play with Wilton brand Ready-To-Use Rolled Fondant. I sprinkled the fondant with flour and rolled it flat. Next, using the appropriate color fondant and again using the the template, I traced and cut out each piece of the Urban 1 Oopsy.

Then I put all the pieces together on top of the still warm cookie.

Using a light mixture of water and sugar, I basted the fondant to remove the appearance of flour.

Here is the cookie, half way through the process. Still a little damp, but looking great!

Then, I used Wilton and Betty Crocker decorating gel to outline the hands and feet, and draw the mouth, nose, and eyes. This part took a long time! Going very slowly, and using a toothpick to spread around the gel.

And finally, my cookie was done! Super sweet! Super delicious!

Update: I came in first place in the contest!!! Yay me! :)

WOWZERS!!!

First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Soulchild for hosting a great contest! I had such a fun time choosing, designing, creating, and decorating my cookie!

Secondly, I'd like to thank Soulchild again and Evilos for donating their custom vinyls (pictured below)! When I saw their customs, that's what made me decide to officially participate in this contest! I had to have them! They are amazing pieces of art!

Thirdly, I'd like to thank the judges for your votes, and all the peeps who enjoyed my cookie! I put a whole lot of work into it. Especially decorating the face of Mickey; took me forever and a day to get it just right! In the end (in all honesty) I wasn't 100% happy with the finished product.

Next, I'd like to thank Jennyeatworld's for her amazing work! When I saw her Yeti and Lava lamp, I knew I had to step my game way up! Her detail was awesome! She raised the bar in my mind, which in turn made me work that much harder (and slower) on my cookie! I commend you on your efforts!

I'd like to thank my girlfriend for helping me with the tedious work like cutting out the template for me, and keeping me company as I decorated the cookie. Let it be known she ultimately decided on the Oopsy Mickey. My first pick was to do Shag, then Moon & Stars. But she swayed me towards my winning design.

And last, but not least, I'd like to thank Allie086! She was the person whom I bought my Oopsy Mickey from. Thank you!

I'm glad everyone liked the design! And thank you for all the kinds messages!

I had such a great time!

Love & Peace during the Holidays!

Here's a quick look at some of the other contest entries!

Holidays Around The World Vinylmation

coming soon...

Noah: One-of-a-Kind Tron Legacy Vinylmation!

The Fish and I arrived at Downtown Disney at exactly 4:44am! It was freezing out there! We were the first two people in line! Thank you to the two security guards that kept us company!

And on top of it all, it started raining just before 6am. Cold, wet, and tired we waited in line. Miss Rachel (a castmember) finally walked us into D-Street at 6:15am!

As you can see from the video, once the rain really started pouring the small group of us huddled together under the Fossil store awning. Now wet, cold, tired, and hungry. Low and behold, around 7:30am Noah himself brought donuts and coffee for everyone! We were all shocked, yet very grateful to see the artist come down and show us some love! Thanks Noah!

Got a picture with Noah early in the morning! :)

Finally the store opened, at we had first pick at all 24 Tron Legacy vinyls! The Fish and I examined maybe about 10 vinyls before selecting our two favorites. We looked for the customs with the most detail on them.

Here is my pick! Hands down (in my opinion) the best one of the bunch! What sets mine apart from other customs is the "Y" shape right in the center of its chest.

Here's a front view of my vinyl sitting on it's stand that sits about 22 inches tall!

Side view of the stand.


After a much needed nap, the Fish and I headed back to D Street to get our Vinylmation signed by Noah! The line wasn't too long when we arrived, but became very long soon after. My custom is the one on the right, again the one with the "Y" on its chest.

Some other Noah Tron themed merchandise available.

Noah singed the vinyls and the stands.

He also took some time to add some more art to my One-of-a-Kind Noah custom!

Noah & The Outsider with my very own personalized One-of-a-Kind Noah custom Vinylmation!

Here's a video from Noah's blog showing the whole signing experience! You can catch a glimpse of the team in the video a couple of times, as well as the "Y" shape on my vinyl! Plus, you get to hear in Noah's own words his feelings about the overall event and us collectors!  :)

On the left: is the front of my Noah custom with Noah's logo and signature on the head, and my name "The Outsider" on the body. He did this for me at the "World of Color" Vinylmation release back in August of 2010. On the right: is the same vinyl, but now Noah has decorated it with my online moniker "DjGA77", and Mickey Mouse in Noah's hot rod style on the head! Very awesome! I'm hoping to take this piece with me at to all the Noah releases and have him add a little to it every time. Thus, in the end, having a truly unique, personalized, One-of-a-Kind Noah custom Vinylmation!


To Noah: "Thank you again for simply being awesome! Thank you for the donuts in the morning! You showing up there not only surprised everyone, but made us appreciate that you truly appreciate us in return! Every time we meet you are always so humble, and I will continue to support your amazing work! Thank you for not only adding to my Vinylmation collection, but more importantly, adding to the memories and experiences that keep collecting Vinylmation enjoyable for the entire VinylMania staff!"