Cheers to 24!

While I was doing my research for Series 24, I was struck by the beauty of the Flag bearbrick. I had no idea which country it represented and had to Google it using the key words "flag" and "dragon".

It turned out to be the flag of Bhutan, a landlocked kingdom at the eastern end of the Himalayas. I also found out that according to a BusinessWeek survey, Bhutan is considered the happiest country in Asia and the eighth happiest in the world. After doing another Google image search and seeing how it looked, I understood why. Check it out here.

Well, next to Bhutan, I suppose the happiest place can only be... Bearbrickland! Presenting the complete Series 24!

Upper row, left to right:

Basic (Metallic Green)
JellyBean (Cola Soda)
Pattern (Gossip Girl)
Flag (Bhutan)
Horror (Madoka Magica – Charlotte, the Dessert Witch)
Cute (Peanuts – Snoopy)

Bottom row, left to right:

Animal (Felix the Cat)
Hero (The Dark Knight Rises – Batman)
Artist (Kyary Pamyu Pamyu)
Artist (Tarout – Brickun)
Artist (Neighborhood Technical Apparel)

Upper row, left to right:

Secret Hero (The Dark Knight Rises – Selina Kyle)
Secret Horror (Gekidan Inu Curry)
Secret Cute (Monstock – Fueki Kun)
Secret Artist (Tarout – Brickie)

Bottom row, left to right:

Secret (Zarigani Works)
Secret (AA= – Takeshi Ueda Pic )
Secret (Phantaci)
Secret (Yukikuroda)

So which bear of the bunch makes you smile?

Pics by Yours Truly / Copyright March 2013 Bearbrick Love

be@rbrick makeover

What you see on the LEFT is the original 100% Molly Bearbrick. I think it's a good adaptation of Kenny Wong's Molly character (shown below at the 2008 Taipei Toy Festival) EXCEPT that it has a rather oversized logo on its chest.

Which I hate.

So the obsessive-compulsive artist in me decided to perform an unsolicited makeover with Photoshop. The result is the bear on the RIGHT. I've erased the logo completely and replaced it with dot/dash/zigzag patterns similar to the ones on its hands, feet and ears. What'ya think? ;-)

To the guys at Medicom: Bearbrick collectors love design, not logos. We collect pop art, not promo items. We prefer quality to rarity. Capisce?

Info and Mollympics pic from www.kennyswork.com

delicious by design

One of the best-designed bears I've seen is the Watermelon Bearbrick (above), a collaboration between Levi's Jeans and Clot, Inc., the hip clothing company owned by the controversial Hong Kong celebrity Edison Chen (who supposedly loves watermelons).

The design is quite tasteful. A hard-sell logo is dispensed with in favor of witty graphics. (The seeds form the eyes!)

Speaking of cleverness, aren't square watermelons ingenious? These manually engineered fruits won't roll off a farm truck or slide off the picnic table. Best of all, they'll save space inside refrigerators, just like Tupperware.

According to reports, an 84-year old Japanese farmer started to grow them inside boxes about 30 years ago (!) and now holds a patent for the containers.

Only in Japan... :-D

Square watermelon pics from www.picdit.com / Info from www.oneinpunch.net, www.hypebeast.com

and the lucky winner is...

Glenng87 from Singapore!

Congratulations, Glen! Just email me (acomia@pldtdsl.net) your postal address so I can send your free Darth Maul Bearbrick right away. :-D

the man behind the menace

In Star Wars Episode 1: the Phantom Menace, there existed a ruthless assassin by the name of Darth Maul (above, left). Mentored by the evil Darth Sidious and powered by the dark side, Maul, for me, was the most malevolent force – and face – in the Star Wars universe.

So who would think that the guy who played him – Ray Park – actually looks like this (below)?

He may appear charming and friendly, but mind you, he and Darth Maul have a lot in common.

Like the deadly Maul, Ray started combat training at a very young age. When he was only seven years old, Glasgow-born Parks trained in Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu. At sixteen, he was the United Kingdom's Martial Arts National Champion. In the 1993 World Wushu Games in Malaysia, he competed as a member of the British Wushu Team.

Like Darth Maul, Ray was trained to kill.

But unlike his sinister Star Wars character, Ray will play the 'good guy' very soon – as the mysterious hero Snake Eyes in the forthcoming movie, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra.

Yup, I have two of the same bearbrick and I'm giving one away for free! Just leave your nickname (or pseudonym) and city of residence in the comments section. After a week, I will write down each of the names in small pieces of paper, put them in a box from which a winner will be drawn. Don't worry, I will ask a friend to pick the winner! :-)

I will announce the raffle winner in my next blog entry. The winner should email me his/her postal address so I can send the Darth Maul bearbrick to him/her by registered airmail – absolutely FREE! Simple, isn't it?

Ray Park pics from www.raypark.com / Darth Maul head shot from www.cinematicwallpaper.com / Info from wikipedia and www.imdb.com

who's afraid of the number 13?

In the condominium where I live, there is no 13th floor, just like in most of the buildings that I've been to.

Likewise, you won't find 'row 13' in the majority of airplanes.

In Formula One racing, no car is numbered 13.

It is reported that in Scotland, all airports have no gate 13, only 12B.

After Wordperfect Office 12, Corel named their succeeding software Wordperfect Office X3, conspicuously avoiding the number 13.

Despite this widespread triskaidekaphobia (or fear of the number 13), there are those who have achieved huge success and fame by wearing the number on their uniforms: Basketball greats Wilt Chamberlain of the L.A. Lakers and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. Football superstar Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins. And power-hitter Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.

It seems that the fierce and the fearless can conquer the curse.

(Top, left) Gallery 1950, a design/lifestyle retailer in Tokyo, bravely celebrates its 13th anniversary with this polka-dotted Bearbrick. This bear is available in 100% and 400% sizes.

Info from wikipedia / www.g1950.com

ledger's last laugh

I just the read the early reviews of The Dark Knight, the latest Batman movie starring Heath Ledger and Christian Bale, at Metacritic.com and I am thrilled that it earned a very high score.

Metacritic.com compiles reviews from publications and averages the scores based on the respective 'weights' of the different publications (because some critics/publications are considered more credible and prestigious than others). It's my bible when it comes to deciding which movie, book, CD, DVD or game to spend my money on.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote:

"No fair giving away the mysteries of The Dark Knight. It's enough to marvel at the way Nolan – a world-class filmmaker, be it 'Memento,' 'Insomnia' or 'The Prestige' – brings pop escapism whisper-close to enduring art."

Richard Corliss of Time said:

"Beyond dark. It's as black – and teeming and toxic – as the mind of the Joker. 'Batman Begins,' the 2005 film that launched Nolan's series, was a mere five-finger exercise. This is the full symphony."

And David Ansen of Newsweek only had praises for Heath's performance:

"As played by the late Heath Ledger, with tangled greasy hair, grotesque white makeup, darting mad eyes and an obscene tongue that keeps licking his slashed, painted-on smile, this Joker is an agent of chaos so arbitrarily evil he strikes terror not just in his foes, but in the mobsters who hire him to eliminate Gotham City's caped crusader. It's a stupendously creepy performance, wild but never over the top."

While there has been speculation about a posthumous Oscar, only one thing is sure – Ledger's legendary performances, from gay cowboy to dark villain, will live on.

(Left): Sold out at Toy Square Pre-Selling – Hot Toys 12 inch Joker. It's the best Joker action figure there is. You'll probably find the last few pieces on eBay.

(Top) Joker Bearbrick comes from Medicom's Batman & Joker Set, released in 2008.

Joker background pic from Entertainment Weekly, Free Batman wallpapers from wwws.warnerbros.co.uk/thedarkknight, Hot Toys pic from Toy Square Canada

the deadly storm

Last June 21, at the height of Typhoon Fengshen, a local ferry called MV Princess of the Stars carrying 849 passengers capsized off Sibuyan Island in the Philippines. Only 56 survived.

26-year-old Jimmy Relativo, a bakeshop employee from Manila, was among the few who were able to climb on a raft to safety. But his 22-year-old pregnant girlfriend, Roselyn Ligan, did not make it.

Below is a snippet of his own account from Tarra Quismundo's Philippine Daily Inquirer article:

' “I was thrown overboard and got separated from her. I saw her climb [up the bow] when the ship started to tilt. I told her to jump, but when I glanced back to the ship, she was gone,” said Relativo." '

The article recounted how the couple boarded the MV Princess of the Stars en route to Negros Island to tell Roselyn's father of their plans to get married.

But just hours before they were scheduled to dock, powerful winds overturned the ship. Jimmy and his co-survivors were washed ashore in the far-flung province of Quezon.

Days after, hopes of saving other trapped survivors died. Search and rescue operations had to stop because the ferry was carrying an acutely toxic cargo called endosulphan, a substance that is already banned in 17 countries. Fishing in the area is now prohibited, and local fishermen were told to find an alternative source of livelihood.

The tragic love story has taken an even deadlier turn.

(Top) Misha Hollenbach's Perks Bearbrick (with the rain clouds pattern) is part of the 2004 Bearbrick Worldwide Tour held at the Shibuya Parco in Tokyo. There are 9 other bears designed by various artists in this exhibit.

(Bottom) Natives of Sibuyan's fishing village stare at the exposed keel of the overturned MV Princess of the Stars ferryboat after the accident.

MV Princess of the stars pic from BBC UK website.

be@rbrick-to-wear

From bearbrick passion to bearbrick fashion: These 70% bearbricks are the perfect accessories – they've got clasps that can be attached to cellphones, bags, necklaces, and bracelets. These were created by Medicom to promote Pepsi Nex soda and 20th Century Fox movies and televison shows in Japan early this year.

(Upper right) The Devil Wears Prada.

(Below, left to right) The Day After Tomorrow, Prison Break, Alien, Planet Of The Apes, Die Hard.

(Below, left to right) Night At The Museum, 24, Titanic, Fight Club, and The Omen.


(Left) My favorite is the one inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger's hit film, Predator. It's edgy and logo-free (so it doesn't look very commercial). Looks good on a Tiffany chain, too.

The wearable bearbrick. If you've got it, flaunt it! ;-)

Note: If you missed this collection of clasped bearbricks, then watch out for the forthcoming Star Wars series which includes Darth Vader, Darth Maul, R2D2, C3PO, Yoda, Chewbacca, Stormtrooper, Clone Tropper, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Wicket, Jawa, etc. All must-haves!

let's get loud!

My neighbor, Mr. Y, is a friendly old man. Whenever I bump into him in the corridors of our condo, he greets me with a smile and chats me up. (Never mind that he always gets my name wrong.) He's particularly chummy with Mrs. X, a sexy middle-aged divorcee, who only wears short shorts and tank tops, and goes for a drive in her BMW practically every night. ;-)

Once I hosted a party for a friend. Around midnight, my place was packed with drunk guests while Hed Kandi music blared from my JBL speakers.

Then the doorbell rang.

Uh-oh. Was the music too loud? Did we wake up the neighbors?

I opened the door and peered outside. Mr. Y was in the corridor, intoxicated and swaying from side to side. No, he wasn't about to fall – he was dancing to the loud music!

"Hi, I just got home and I heard you guys havin' a party in there. You know, I like to dance – I'm a very good dancer," he blurted while thrusting his hips a little harder. As I opened my mouth to answer, his door opened and his maid (a hefty and dour-looking woman who only spoke Visayan) quickly dragged him in, despite his drunken protests.


Several months after that incident, my driver, Guido, told me that he saw Mr. Y get out of the elevator, shirt tattered and face bruised. He asked me, "What could possible get a nice old man like him in trouble?"

I could only think of three L's. Liquor. Ladies. Loud music. :-D

(Top left) This Boombox-inspired Bearbrick was created by Hong Kong illustrator and toy designer Jason Siu. It was among seven bears that were released during the 2001 Hong Kong Toycon. Siu's work, including his fanciful speaker collection entitled 'Speak Your Mind' (above), reflected his fascination with 80s hiphop street culture. Check out his toys here.

Info / speaker pics from jasonsiu.com

elvis for hire

I finally got my 100% Elvis Bearbrick!

Don't you just love the campy white jumpsuit? Very 70s! FYI, Medicom Toy and AllRound Music Japan created this bear for the King of Rock & Roll's 30th death anniversary last August 16, 2007.

Elvis is the most impersonated man in the world – there are as much as 50,000 Elvis performers worldwide! In Las Vegas alone, one can pick from more than a hundred Elvises online. To book one for your grandpa's birthday, click here. :-)

The best Elvis-for-hire is Shawn Klush of Pennsylvania (above). He won the first-ever contest for Elvis 'tribute artists' endorsed by Presley's estate in 2007. An Elvis of his caliber gets paid up to $50,000 for a show!

But nothing compares to the real King: Elvis (right), during a live television broadcast from Hawaii in January '73, the same year he got divorced from wife Priscilla.

After that year, health problems, exacerbated by drugs and middle-age crisis greatly affected his stage act and self-esteem.

“The image is one thing and the human being is another...it’s very hard to live up to an image.”
– Elvis Presley, during a press conference for his record-breaking Madison Square Garden shows in New York City, 1972.

Just wondering: if it was difficult for Elvis to live up to his own image, how much more for the thousands of poor Elvis wannabes?

Info and Elvis Presley pics from Wikipedia, www.abc.net.au, www.gigmasters.com, www.toybeast.com, usatoday.com, spitting-images.com, mainetoday.com, bbc.co.uk, canadianchristianity.com, quotesandsayings.com

chameleons

One bear, different designs. Below, left to right: (1.) One of Series 12's secret bearbricks is this bat-bear in black from Japanese fashion brand Roen (2.) A blue green surrealistic bear from the 2007 San Diego Comic Convention, by New York Pop Artist Ron English (3.) Pink bearbrick by David Flores for Los Angeles streetwear store, X-Large (4.) Bear in shades of blue with the symbol of singer/songwriter/actress Hamasaki Ayumi to promote the 2003 A-Nation concert tour in Japan.


One babe, multiple looks. (Above, left to right) Dutch supermodel Kim Noorda looks (1.) understated in Bottega Veneta, (2.) glamorous in Christian Dior, (3.) trendy in Emilio Pucci, and (4.) corporate in Moschino.

Because of Kim's classic, soft features, her face is the ultimate canvas for any make-up artist. Her brows can be darkened to convey strength, her lips can be thickened to look more sensual, her eyes can be outlined for that edgy goth look, etc.

That's why fashion designers love her. Just last spring 2008, she walked the runway for more than 50 different brands. From Diesel Jeans to Louis Vuitton. From pret-a-porter to haute couture.

Just like a Be@rbrick, she's the consummate chameleon.

Kim Noorda pics from style.com / info from bellazon.org

survival of the fittest fashion

Isn't it interesting how the theory of natural selection also applies to clothing? Through centuries, impractical garments such as long capes and veils, petticoats, corsets, and kilts have practically gone extinct. But essentials like coats, dresses, hats, belts, shoes, shirts, etc. have evolved and survived.

Sexual permissiveness encouraged the switch from old-fashioned pantalettes to today's skimpy thongs. Global warming transformed the chemise undergarment into outerwear. Likewise, today's focus on fitness and six-pack abs lowered pants' waistlines to hip level.

Take denim jeans, for example. They are among the oldest garments that ever existed, yet today – more than a hundred years after Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis invented them – they have remained young, hip and in fashion.

The reasons are obvious – denim jeans are comfortable, durable, and look better with wear and tear. Better yet, fashion designers can reshape, embellish, dye or distress them – and the results always turn out fab.

Denim jeans are undoubtedly durable, but thanks to their amazing adaptability, they've truly endured the test of time.


JEANS TODAY (Above, left to right): Loose hiphop style at Yohji Yamamoto's Y3 show. Slim and sexy at Dolce & Gabbana.

(Top) The Levi's Jeans Bearbrick comes free with every purchase of Levi's special 501 jeans or 'Origin' t-shirt. Check out the official website here. Produced by Levi's Taiwan and Medicom Toy.

Info from hypebeast.com & levistrauss.com / Runway pics from menstyle.com

clear skies, blue waters

My friends and I found out that the best antidote to a week of frenzy is a weekend at The Pearl Farm in Davao, Philippines.

No crowds. No annoying hawkers. No bars with blaring speakers. We were surrounded only by the soothing color blue.

All our rooms had a view. And a price to match!

Everyone could nap and tan in peace. The next group of sun worshippers would be at least ten meters away.

Buffet breakfast. Buffet lunch. Buffet dinner. Had we been a bunch of anorexics, we would have gotten cured.

We slept in suites that hung over the water's edge. The sea breeze was our air conditioning. And the sound of the surf was our lullaby.

It was a perfect place to rejuvenate the weakened, the perfect healing drug for the city's weary and wounded souls.

(Top) The clear and blue Be@rbricks were designed to promote the 2006 Summer Sonic Music Fest in Japan. The 2-day concerts in Tokyo and Osaka featured rock groups such as Linkin Park, Metallica, Hoobastank, Deftones, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Daft Punk, and Scritti Politti. A neo-Woodstock – indeed, a different way to lift one's spirit!

Pics by me. / Info from nunchuckblog.com and the Summer Sonic Website

be@rbrick bares it!

The Be@rbrick as underwear model?

Yup. Check out the sexy bear on the left wearing lacy black lingerie and fishnet stockings. This little hottie joins the equally foxy Fergie (below), former vocalist of of the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, as underwear model for Peach John, a Japanese mail order company.

Remember when former rapper Marky Mark (now Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg) posed in his undies for Calvin Klein? That sold bundles of boxer briefs. And though I don't think it did anything for his musical career, it gave his abs instant fame.

Like they say, sex sells. But I hope, for Fergie's sake, that it sells songs, too!

palimpsest

My artist friend Christina Quisumbing Ramilo was based in New York City for the longest time. But she returned to Manila two years ago to take care of her ailing mom, bury her father who passed away, and to tear down and rebuild her grandmother's old house which she had inherited.

When I visited her late last year, the house was almost done. Created from the wood of the former dwelling – combined with vintage tiles, colored glass, and other rare and recycled materials – it was quite beautiful. Old remnants came to life in an eclectic structure pieced together by Christina's passion and artistry.

But she had so much 'leftover wood and stuff' that she decided to put them to good use.

The result was 'Palimpsest' (left), an exhibit of sculptures and installations made of leftover lumber, old door knobs, metal locks, cabinet handles, used nails and rusty drain covers.

A palimpsest, figuratively speaking, is something that has been reused and altered, but still bears visible traces of its earlier form. Like the dead reincarnated, its spirit continues to live and evolve.

Below are details of her work.

(Above) Wooden scraps are resurrected as two-legged creatures.

(Above and below) Roughened relics are rearranged as skyline art.

I am happy for Christina. After losing her Dad, she has moved on – built a new home, created a new kind of art, found a new life back here in Manila.

There is life after death. My friend has proven this to be true.

'Palimpsest' will run till May 21, 2008 at the West Gallery, Level 3, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines.

(Top, right) Joseph Michael Lisner's 'Death' Be@rbrick comes alive. His name is Cernunnos, the god of death, who has reincarnated himself in the form of a mortal named Darrian Ashoka. His lover, Dawn, leads him to his true identity and self discovery.

weepy women

Women and tears.
A powerful combination, they say.

"Oh! Too convincing – dangerously dear – in woman's eye the unanswerable tear!" wrote English bard Lord Byron in 'The Corsair'.

Consider Hillary Clinton's teary-eyed interview after a 'poor third' showing at the Ohio primary (see pic below).

The result was an unexpected turnaround in New Hampshire where voters gave her a much-needed lead against closest male rival Barack Obama.

It's also interesting how a crying scene almost assures a nominated actress of an Oscar. While she was lauded for her performances as a homicidal bitch in 'To Die For' (1995) and a singing goddess in 'Moulin Rouge' (2001), it was only after shedding one fabulously orchestrated tear in 'The Hours' (2002) that the Academy handed Nicole Kidman (below) her first golden statue.

Most powerful of all are tears of the Divine. A statue of the Blessed Virgin (below) that 'wept blood' drove thousand of pious pilgrims to the Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs Church in Sacramento, California. Check out this story and 25 other reports of crying statues and icons in recent years at Crystalinks.com.

I wonder, if men cried more, would people be just as sympathetic? Now that might be a different story. :-)

(Top) The crying Dawn Be@rbrick is based on a character created by American comic book artist Joseph Michael Lisner. Dawn (below), the 'goddess of birth and rebirth', is a young, red-haired woman with three tears running from her left eye.

Lord Byron's 'Corsair' Quote from worldofquotes.com / Hillary pic from dailymail.com.uk / Nicole 'The Hours' pic from allmoviephoto.com / Virgin Mary's pic from crystalinks.com / Cropped Dawn pic from lisner.com