Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1: BKC Toys

Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1:
Aleksander for BKC Toys.
Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1 megolike
Chapter 6 in my book is called “Bootleg Toy Art” and it features profiles of a few of the people in this wonderful art toy movement.
I approached Aleksander from BKC to be my first subject because I am just in awe of his work. I’m fortunate that he was excited to be involved.
Aleksander chose to mimic the style of Lincoln International and not merely copy the original figures but craft inventive and stunning new creations based on their aesthetic.
Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1
Everything is hand made and honestly, these look like they were sold in dime stores back in the 1970s. I love the card backs, the clever use of header bags (which I really hadn’t seen used before) and of course, the concepts.
Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1 megolike
Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1 Megolike

Knock-Offs Artist Spotlight #1

Please check out his work:
For the next few weeks I’ll be doing more spotlights on bootleg toy artists featured in my new book “Knock-Offs: Totally Unauthorized Action Figures” shipping this month from PlaidStallions press.

Oh and I posted an Update on Issue 6 of Toy-Ventures in our newsletter, you can read it here.


We’ve got a new book coming! Knock-Offs Totally Unauthorized Action Figures is our follow-up to Rack Toys, click here for more info.

 

Our book Rack Toys, Cheap, Crazed Playthings is now available again! Order through our Affiliate Link

Order Rack Toys 2.0 Here through out Affiliate Linkhttps://amzn.to/3Bkm9z1

Toy-Ventures Magazine is our newest creation, an old-school print magazine about vintage toys! Professionally laid out and written, each issue is brimming with obscure and rare toys from companies such as Mego, Kenner, Remco, AHI, and much more. Monsters, Superheroes, Adventurers, Knock Offs, Apes, and so much more, it’s in Toy-Ventures.

Toy-Ventures Issue 5 is available now:
Ebay: https://ebay.us/XSS1X7
Plaid Stallions Store: https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop/
Amazon Affilitate Link:https://amzn.to/3d9Q0AS

Toy-Ventures Issue 5

FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS


Pod Stallions is one of the most fun groups on Facebook. Toys, Comics, Movies, TV, it’s all up for grabs and remember, you keep the glass!


Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s Dime store knock-offs of Mego action figures, we talk vintage toys and not others. We know the difference between Astro Apes and Action Apeman! It’s a really fun group where we talk about Lincoln International, AHI, Tomland, Bogi, Demo Man, Mortoy, and other generic greats.

 

Get Toy-Ventures Issue 3 here with a comprehensive look at the Lincoln Monster line:
https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop/

Join Mego Knock Off Head Quarters Here;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Megoknockoff

 

Order our book Rack Toys 2.0 Here through our Amazon Affiliate Link►https://amzn.to/3Bkm9z1

PS Store: https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop/
Follow PlaidStallions on Social Media:
Twitter ► https://bit.ly/2UzxQ5q
Facebook ► https://bit.ly/3mfY73R
Instagram ►https://bit.ly/3yZ3kAV
Website ► https://bit.ly/3yZ3kAV

New Book! Knock-Offs: Totally Unauthorized Action Figures by PlaidStallions Press

Knock-Off Book

Knock-Offs Book

Hey folks, if you didn’t catch my Livestream this Saturday,  I’m doing my follow-up to Rack Toys with a book I’ve titled Knock-Offs: Totally Unauthorized Action Figures.  This is a piece I’ve been working on since 2012 but stuff got in the way and I had to put it on hold. I’m glad I did because it just made the whole thing better. 

Knock-Offs is a celebration of the dimestore bootleg figure, the copyright-infringing silliness  meant to fool our grandpeople. The subjects range from toys of the 1960’s to the 2000s and include every popular genre you can think of.

Knock-Offs Book

Knock-Offs Book

Knock-Offs Book- Nightmare Feddy

Knock-Offs Book- Nightmare Feddy

Chapters will include Superheroes, Science Fiction, Horror, TV/Movies and you’d better believe 80s toys. So many discount Darth Vaders and Skid Row Skeletors…

Knock-Offs Book- Robocops

Knock-Offs Book- Robocops

Knock-Offs will also celebrate the amazing bootleg toy art scene and I have to say, the work these folks create is pretty darn infectious.

Bootleg toy artist Knock-Offs Book

Bootleg toy artist Knock-Offs Book

Bootleg toy artist Knock-Offs Book

Bootleg toy artist Knock-Offs Book

The book is expected to launch in December, to keep updated, join our mailing list here: http://plaidstallions.com/reboot/subscribe/

 

 

Our book Rack Toys, Cheap, Crazed Playthings is now available again! Order through our Affiliate Link

Order Rack Toys 2.0 Here through out Affiliate Linkhttps://amzn.to/3Bkm9z1

Toy-Ventures Magazine is our newest creation, an old-school print magazine about vintage toys! Professionally laid out and written, each issue is brimming with obscure and rare toys from companies such as Mego, Kenner, Remco, AHI, and much more. Monsters, Superheroes, Adventurers, Knock Offs, Apes, and so much more, it’s in Toy-Ventures.

Toy-Ventures Issue 5 is available now:
Ebay: https://ebay.us/XSS1X7
Plaid Stallions Store: https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop/
Amazon Affilitate Link:https://amzn.to/3d9Q0AS

Toy-Ventures Issue 5

FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS


Pod Stallions is one of the most fun groups on Facebook. Toys, Comics, Movies, TV, it’s all up for grabs and remember, you keep the glass!


Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s Dime store knock-offs of Mego action figures, we talk vintage toys and not others. We know the difference between Astro Apes and Action Apeman! It’s a really fun group where we talk about Lincoln International, AHI, Tomland, Bogi, Demo Man, Mortoy, and other generic greats.

 

 

Rack Toys : The Second Edition is now available!

Rack Toys is now available!

Order Rack Toys 2.0 Here►https://amzn.to/3Bkm9z1

Our magazine Toy-Ventures is available to order right now
PS Store: https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop/
Follow PlaidStallions on Social Media:
Twitter ► https://bit.ly/2UzxQ5q
Facebook ► https://bit.ly/3mfY73R
Instagram ►https://bit.ly/3yZ3kAV
Website ► https://bit.ly/3yZ3kAV

Toy-Ventures Magazine is our newest creation, an old-school print magazine about vintage toys! Professionally laid out and written, each issue is brimming with obscure and rare toys from companies such as Mego, Kenner, Remco, AHI, and much more. Monsters, Superheroes, Adventurers, Knock Offs, Apes, and so much more, it’s in Toy-Ventures.

Toy-Ventures Issue 5 is available now:
Ebay: https://ebay.us/XSS1X7
Plaid Stallions Store: https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop/
Amazon:https://amzn.to/3d9Q0AS

Toy-Ventures Issue 5

FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS


Pod Stallions is one of the most fun groups on Facebook. Toys, Comics, Movies, TV, it’s all up for grabs and remember, you keep the glass!


Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s Dime store knock-offs of Mego action figures, we talk vintage toys, not others. It’s a fun group where we talk about Lincoln International, AHI, Tomland, and all those companies that never thought to put their name on things because….lawyers.

THE NACELLE COMPANY TO PUBLISH THE DEFINITIVE EDITION OF RACK TOYS

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Nacelle Company, the people behind Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, The Toys That Made Us, Down To Earth with Zac Efron and Behind The Attraction for Disney+ have announced they’re publishing the definitive edition of Brian Heiler’s Rack Toys, and will release it through their new publishing department on September 10, 2021.

Brian Heiler’s 2012 book, Rack Toys is a love-letter to the fun toys that broke really easy. Chronicling decades of cheaply made toys found on the rack of discount stores, drug stores, and anywhere in-between, what these toys lacked in quality, they made up for in charm and kitsch. A beautiful and comprehensive (and updated!) account of all these weird and wonderful toys and where they came from, with new afterward by Brian Volk-Weiss.

If you’re asking yourself “What are rack toys?”, we’re glad you asked! They’re colorfully packaged toys hanging from your pharmacists’ or grocer’s shelves, designed to entice you while you sit in your parent’s shopping cart. Often terribly made, these strange playthings were low priced enough to wear down even the most frugal adult and were most likely forgotten or broken by the time you left the parking lot. Rack Toys is a lesson that re-purposed illogically licensed toys were not always meant to be remembered.

This new definitive edition of the popular collector’s book includes expanded chapters and even deeper dives into the world of Comic Action Heroes, TV & Movie Superstars, Saturday Morning, Spooky Fun Page, World Famous Super Monsters, Mighty Crusaders, Sonic Woman, Space Master and much more. Even the nostalgic Santa Putty makes an appearance! Fans can enjoy over 30% new information and material in this Nacelle Company-approved definitive edition of Brian Heiler’s Rack Toys.

As a freelance pop culture writer and photographer, Brian Heiler and his work have been featured in Toy Shop, Lee’s Action Figure News, Toyfare Magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and Model & Collector Mart. His website, PlaidStallions is a repository for his childhood obsessions including toys, 70s clothing, superheroes making mall appearances, and pictures of long-defunct toy retailers. Brian is a brand manager for a publisher, who resides outside of Toronto with two wonderful children, an all too understanding wife, and more stuff than he probably should have.

“I am very grateful and excited that Nacelle reached out to me about producing this new edition of Rack Toys. The book was a love letter to my childhood and to find that it resonated with the folks at such an awesome company was especially validating,” said Brian Heiler.

“I’ve been buying Rack Toys at Becket General Store since I was 5 years old, and to be able to publish a book about one of my favorite pastimes feels almost too good to be true,” said Brian Volk-Weiss, Founder and CEO of The Nacelle Company.

About The Nacelle Company
The Nacelle Company, founded by Brian Volk Weiss, is an American diversified media company headquartered in Burbank, California. Established in 2017, they are a leader in the pop-culture space through its scripted and unscripted production, podcasting, publishing, records, distribution, development, marketing and management divisions. Nacelle has produced hits such as Netflix’s docu-series, Down To Earth with Zac Efron, The Movies That Made Us, and The Toys That Made Us, and Kevin Hart’s Guide To Black History, as well as Behind The Attraction for Disney +, CW’s Discontinued, Sony’s Mad About You reboot, All The Way Black for BET+, History’s Grant, and History’s Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek. Nacelle’s vast array of partnerships include Netflix, Amazon, Disney +, HBO, Discovery, BET+, A&E Networks, Hulu, Viacom, History, and many more. The company as a whole is dedicated to showcasing groundbreaking stories and pop-culture history through its signature documentary filmmaking style, the unique distribution system, and a consistent desire to never stop exploring.

ORDER RACK TOYS HERE

PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures Magazine NOW AVAILABLE

PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures magazine is an old school print magazine about vintage toys from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s covering topics and items that don’t get the respect they deserve.

Issue #1 will be a salute to the celebrated toy company Azrak-Hamway International or AHI and topics will include:

Set Phasers for Fun

How AHI turned Star Trek’s phasers and the USS Enterprise itself into major profits.

The Guide to World Famous Super Monsters-

The most comprehensive gallery of AHI’s Universal Monsters action figure compiling every known figure and packaging variant plus we even delve into company history and solve a few mysteries.

Now, SkyDive Like Apes!

The weird world of AHI’s Planet of the Apes toys.

I wanted the Best!-

Steve recalls his long journey to own the fabled AHI KISS microphone.

Rack Toys:1999

A deep dive into the world of Space:1999 merchandise including some toys owned by Martin Landau himself.

Crime Fighting Drop Zone-
We talk about the long-running series of Super Heroes on Parachautes including card variations and prototypes.

Adorable Horror-

The Official World Famous Super Monsters Bend ‘Ems!

Subsequent issues will cover toys from Mego, Hasbro, Remco, Ideal, Lincoln International, Fisher-Price, Kenner, Cipsa, Lili Ledy, Palitoy, Tomland, Matchbox, and more with guest articles written by some of the top collectors in the field.

GET ISSUE ONE OF PLAIDSTALLIONS TOY-VENTURES HERE

Toy-Ventures the Magazine is coming soon

PlaidStallions announced on their YouTube channel that they are launching an old fashioned toy magazine and the first issue will be a tribute to the rack toys created by Azrak Hamway International or AHI.

Among the highlights of this publication will be a reference guide to the insane variations of the World Famous Super Monsters toys.

Other toy lines cover will include Planet of the Apes, Superheroes, Star Trek, KISS and Space:1999 and hope to provide checklists of every toy produced.

More information about this consider following PlaidStallions on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Rack Toys Digital Edition coming Dec 2017

racktoysdigital

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m very pleased to announce that Rack Toys the Print edition is totally sold out. It’s gone and not returning to print any time soon.

However, I feel like there is still a story to tell and I’m happy to say that the new E-book version of Rack Toys will debut just before Christmas 2017. It will be expanded with approximately 20 new pages of exclusive content and goodies.

This has been a wonderful, rewarding journey that I totally encourage you to go on should you feel you have a book in you. Seriously, go for it, it will change your life for the better.

Follow my progress on the Rack Toys Facebook page or follow me on twitter for daily updates.

 

 

 

 

 

A great deal for the holidays!

 

bigbundle (1)

 

Rack Toys is now available at the Mego Museum Mall and offered as part as the Big Bundle, an unprecedented value (and terrific Christmas gift) for the toy collector.

 

What you get in this lot:

One Copy of “Rack Toys, Cheap, Crazed Playthings” $19.95 value
One ODEON TOYS Brick Mantooth Action Figure MIB $16.00 Value
One Copy of Megozine Issue One $9.95 value
One Copy of Mego Museum 1978 REImagined $8.95 value
One copy of 70s toy explosion DVD volumes one two and three $12.00 value
A stack of Mego Museum Trading Cards
Three Rack Toys promotional Post Cards

To buy all of this individually, you’d pay $66.00. In this exclusive offer to the Mego Museum Shops, you pay only $42.99 plus shipping.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THIS GREAT OFFER AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM RACK TOYS!

Rack Toys Featured on Toy Break

Rack Toys gets reviewed on cool internet toy culture series “Toy Break“.we are truly honoured.

As mentioned in this episode “Rack Toys; Cheap, Crazed Playthings” is now being distributed by DKE Toys in California.  DKE is the largest independent wholesale distributor of designer toys, limited edition art objects, collectibles, and gifts in the world. So if you are a retailer interested in carrying the book, it’s never been easier, just call 818-765-3500.

Like Rack Toys on Face Book!

 

Rack Toys gets MAD

 

racktoysmad

Very happy to announce that Rack Toys: Cheap Crazed Playthings is featured in this month`s MAD magazine. Time and Newsweek are nice but this is the highest honour somebody like me can hope for.

More coverage is to follow, keep speading the word.