Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist NRB Relic

We are spotlighting a few on NRB Relic’s custom this week. This 3″ custom Vinylmation is titled “Jailbird Mickey Mouse”. This piece is part of the “Treasures” Series by NRB Relic.

He was inspired by Disney’s short “The Chain Gang” from 1930.  This piece is one of a kind and is hand painted and additions to the Vinylmation are hand sculpted by artist NRB Relic. A little fun Disney fact..Did you know that in “The Chain Gang” short Pluto makes his first appearance?

Find more pictures and contact info on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NRBRelic.

Advertise with Destination Vinylmation

Destination Vinylmation’s reach is growing each and every day. Thanks to our loyal readers and listeners, our numbers have grown beyond our wildest dreams. With this growth, comes added difficulties and expenses in delivering the content that you enjoy. While we still have a blast recording the podcast and writing for the website (and have no plans to slow down anytime soon), we have taken on some unexpected costs. Based on these new costs, coupled with our growing number of visitors, we have developed some wonderful advertising packages that offer you a way to get your message to our fans both via the podcast and website while helping us continue to deliver the information and entertainment.

On DestinationVinylmation.com, you will receive placement on each and every page a reader clicks on. Premium placement of your ad is also available. On the podcast, we offer a variety of placement and delivery ideas including fully produced spots and live reads.

Advertising on Destination Vinylmation is perfect for anyone wishing their message to reach thousands of collectors, Disney fans, artists and more. Do you have a hobby shop? Art supply store? How about a travel agency? Maybe you are an artist that wants to advertise your online shop? We can do that for you.

You personally may not have any products or services to advertise on Destination Vinylmation, but most likely you know someone who does. So we ask your help as a reader/listener to pass along our name and contact info. Our rates are extremely affordable for anyone wishing to extend their reach into the Disney fan community.

Our rate card is available upon request. Please email us at DestinationVinylmation@gmail.com

Vinylmation Reporters Wanted

Have you ever wanted to write for a popular website? Well good luck. In the mean time, why don’t you put your Disney and Vinylmation passion, knowledge and skills to work writing for Destination Vinylmation. We are looking for collectors out there who are dedicated to deliver opinion and news articles on a regular basis. Some of the things we are looking for are “blue sky” type articles where the ideas and topics are endless. We would also like articles that cover events… at WDW, DLR and across the globe. Also, coverage and reviews of the daily news. Photographers are also very welcome.

We also want to invite you to help us with the podcast. We are always looking for new ideas, topics and segments to bring into the mix. In both print and podcast, we would like a majority of the topics to be on Vinylmation, but as you know, we stray into other Disney related categories as well. So if you have some ideas for a column, bring them to the table. Or if you just want to report on the news, we want to hear from you today. Email us at DestinationVinylmation@gmail.com.

Dirk Wallen’s 8/16-19/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen was all over the Walt Disney World Resort this weekend, visiting Downtown Disney, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He took some great photos on his trip and has them to share with us in this photo report:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Looks like the Earful Tower is being painted or repaired

At the Magic Kingdom the Bakery has been out from behind tarps for a while now

The old Swan Boat dock is getting refurbished at the moment

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

The Castle Walls are approaching completion

We still can’t go on the second level of Village Haus to take photos…

More grass being placed on the facade of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

The structure for the new Fantasyland restrooms is coming along nicely

The Yankee Trader is open but behind tarps

The Crow’s Nest is still being worked on

Next-Gen FASTPASS has been installed at Haunted Mansion, but it is still covered

Work is wrapping up on the Tomorrowland bridge and we can now see new futuristic railings have been installed

Another look at the Swan Boat dock

Another look at the work on the new bathrooms

Moving over to Epcot, Habit Heroes is still closed!

Epcot 30th anniversary merchandise is starting to hit shelves, like this awesome lanyard!

Perry the Platypus/Phineas and Ferb snacks are available, but I’m more interested in what’s on those Epcot-only popcorn buckets and cups…

A permanent DVC booth is being built next door to the Canada pavilion

Phineas and Ferb topiary still up

A quick stop at Downtown Disney shows us the progress on the new Rainforest Cafe volcano

Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there’s a Frankenweenie ad in the parking lot

The first sign of work on The Legend of Jack Sparrow is this blue coat of paint on the building matching the colors now used for the Superstar Television Theater complex

Oz billboard behind the Great Movie Ride

Frankenweenie as well

Wreck-It Ralph and Frankenweenie up in the Animation Courtyard

Finding Nemo banners hanging in the courtyard

At the end of PPIXAR Place, you can find this Finding Nemo billboard

Halloween merchandise is out!

Awesome shirt featuring the Haunted Mansion and the Fab 5

Another shirt has the Hatbox Ghost

Our last stop is a look at Grand Floridian DVC wing construction

It’s coming along…

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist NRB Relic

The third NRB Relic custom to be featured this week is from the NEW NRB Relic Biomechanical 3″ custom Vinylmation series “Biomechanical Heartless”.

The first in the series is “Scar”. “Scar” is hand painted by artist NRB Relic. There will be more NRB Relic “Biomechanical Heartless” customs coming soon….You may see some hints on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NRBRelic what you will be seeing in the “Biomechanical Heartless” series.

Changes to Release Schedule

Disney updated the Events page of the Disney Vinylmation Blog today and with that, came a couple date changes. The Pixar Tuck and Roll combo, still listed as LE 1000 by the way, has been moved from December 28 to January 4.

Also, while Disneyland will still get the open edition 2013 figure on December 28, Walt Disney World will have to wait until the following Friday. Due to an early release in Hong Kong, we think the Open Edition 2013 figure will be this one…

And on February 1st at the Aulani Resort in Hawaii, the following Mickey and Minnie figures will be released.

They are LE 1500 and retail for $14.95. This is a clarification as well because the way Disney originally listed these items did not make sense.

Check out the full upcoming release calendar here.

New Window Display at D-Street Orlando: Commentary on the Hobby?

When guests showed up in Orlando for the release of the Pixar 1 LE combo set featuring the Little Green Men from Toy Story, we were treated to a brand new Vinylmation themed window display at D-Street.

Behind the left hand window was a moving conveyor belt full of Vinylmation! The figures ranged from sets throughout the years and included commons, variants and chasers. Some figures were in good condition, but many had scuffs and spray paint on them as if they were factory rejects. The figures were stuck to the belt and continued to go around and around in a rotation.

At the end of the conveyor, there was a bin stacked high with vinyls as if they were just dumped off the belt. You can see damaged figures piled up and spread around the windows. Looking at this display, I can’t help to think it’s a commentary on the state of the Vinylmation hobby from Disney. This is completely my observation and is NOT from any Disney Cast Member. But it seem almost a message to Vinylmation collectors saying, ‘look at all these “valuable” figures you hold near and dear. There is nothing special about each individual piece except what you put upon them. Each and every one could end up here.’ As if they are asking us to lighten up and stop taking ourselves so seriously. I don’t think it is necessarily a mocking. Although it is hard to look inside here at figures you desperately wish to add to your collection and see how easily Disney artists take spray paint to them and toss them into a display. I just think this gives us a moment to pause and think about why we collect. I understand there will naturally be an aftermarket, but how important do these little 3″ pieces of plastic need to be in our lives? This display is very funny and wonderfully themed, but I think we would be remiss not to take a lesson from it as well. OK, enough preaching… do you want to see the rest of the display?

There were some signs posted on a chain link fence behind the conveyor belt.

On the right hand side of the display were some mannequins in D-Street lab coats.

Up against the windows, there were a whole bunch of Vinylmation figures and parts scattered in disarray.

Here is a look at some rotations of the conveyor belt to see the various figures chosen for this wonderfully themed project.

Yes, there is a Duffy, Park Starz Ghost Bride, Obi Variant and Moon Walking 80’s Dale among others. I love how Lotso is looking on from the side… very Toy Story 3ish of him.

Little Green Men Land at D-Street

Friday, December 14th saw the release of the Pixar 1 Little Green Men combo at D-Streets and Online.

The set of three Little Green Men is a limited edition 2000 and retails for $44.95. The online quantity sold out in less than 15 minutes. As of the end of the day on Friday, both D-Streets still had an undefined number of sets left on the shelves. It was not a very crowded release at Walt Disney World. There were about 5 people in line at 6am and about 20 by 8am. There were about 50-60 people at 10:30am when the store opened. I felt bad for the vacationers, of which there seemed to be many. It was a very chilly morning… not the sunny Orlando they were promised.

The Little Green Men fit in nicely with the Toy Story set produced a couple years ago. That set did include an LE 9″ version of the alien. Artist Thomas Scott, who handled the Toy Story series, also designed this LE combo. He did a remarkable job with these three little guys. He gave them each a unique personality in the facial expressions and eyes. When put together, they make a perfect trio.

There is, of course also a Park 2 Toy Story Alien. The guys are a little concerned about him as he has a different nose, no antenna  and some suspicious bumps on his stomach. They think he should get those checked out.

An Andy’s drawing version from Japan was released earlier this year. The new LGM are impressed by the artistry, but think it best to keep this work of art boxed up until further research can be done. There is also a TS Alien in the recently released Robots 3 set now on sale at The Disney Store and Online. They haven’t met him yet.

Then there is the Urban 7 Alien. They don’t know where he originates from, but it certainly isn’t the claw machine. They are split on weather or not he comes in peace.

By the end of the day, the Little Green Men had settled in and felt right at home in my collection.

Classic Collection Photoshoot

I was very excited to take the Classic Collection to Walt Disney World for a photoshoot… well before the set was even released. I had already decided the shoot would be in black and white, but I had not settled on a place to take them. I at first thought Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom would be the right spot. But in the end, I decided Hollywood Blvd at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be more suitable. Then, when we went to take pictures, Austin and I were not in agreement on what type of photos to take. So we each set up our own photo for each figure (except Oswald) and we would like to share those with you now. (you can find more Classic Collection photos and follow all the Vinylmation news on our Facebook page)

CLARA CLUCK
Austin

 

Nick

 

CLARABELLE COW
Austin

 

Nick

 

DIPPY DAWG
Austin

 

Nick

 

DONALD DUCK
Austin

 

Nick

 

GIDEON GOAT
Austin

 

Nick

 

HORACE HORSECOLLAR
Austin

 

Nick

 

MICKEY MOUSE
Austin

 

Nick

 

MINNIE MOUSE
Austin

 

Nick

 

PEG LEG PETE
Austin

 

Nick

 

PIG
Austin

 

Nick

 

PLUTO
Austin

 

Nick
OSWALD