HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I'm travelling about 100 mph on a high speed train through the Northern part of France.  Reflecting on this year and dreaming about the possibilities that wait ahead in 2013.  I love this modern age in times like these.  When I was 15, I couldn't imagine the connections I would make by 38.  It's amazing.  This planet is amazing.  Being connected.

Reflections - 2012 was a big year for The Loyal Subjects.  A big year for growth, personally and business wise.  We began looking at our business in a different light.  Organization, connecting, image, vision, growth, expansion - all items we are defining.  2013 will be the beneficiary of our planning from the latter half of this year.  I finally get to accent the great properties and identities that captured my imagination; Transformers, G.I. JOE and Mr. Potato Head.  Each of these magical properties define certain periods of my life.  They are DNA, endemic, a very integral part of my creative development.  I am extremely excited about building out our brand with these fantastic characters and worlds.  

We produced a mountain of releases in 2012 - Large scale Sam Flores' Kid Dragon, Gary Baseman's Buckingham Warriors, Joe Ledbetter's Burger Bunnies, Mr. Bunny, our apparel line, Transformers, G.I. JOE, Laurie Lipton prints, Skate Decks, TLS x Coachella merchandise, art for Tender Greens restaurants, Inflatables and vuvuzelas for Diplo and Major Lazer!  Somehow I feel that we're just scratching the surface.  We travelled to the Philippines, Hong Kong and New York for special TLS events, releases and signings.  We had Sold Out releases at Designer Con.  Again, we're barely scratching the surface, that's what makes the prospects of 2013 so exciting.

What we learned in 2012 we will apply in 2013 - better customer service, a new website, more product, continuation of our high quality, limited edition collectibles, better shipping prices and increasing our brand profile so those who believe in us and those who support us can be proud to wear, follow, collect the TLS brand.  We promise to increase your experience and hopefully we can capture your imagination.

Here's to the triumphs of 2012 and here's to the growth, education and continued pursuit of being better for 2013 and beyond.  Carpe Diem.

A special thank you goes out to Joe Ledbetter, Gary Baseman, Sam Flores, Alex Pardee, Tara McPherson, Laurie Lipton, FriendsWithYou, Les Schettkoe, Sket-One, 123 Klan, Jon Burgerman, Jeremyville, Greg "Craola" Simkins, Erik Oberholtzer and the Tender Greens Family, Han Cholo, Truant Media, The Service Company, Royal Interactive, Guy Logan, Diplo, Mad Decent, Teamwrk Management, Melissa Fox,  Bruce Gedminas, Jim Crawford, Brandee Leonard, Jonathan Bird, Hasbro, Elizabeth Miller, Nancy Braga, Sharon Swanson, Susan Romero, Michael Verecchia, Secret Fresh, Big Boy Cheng, Yoyamart, Stephen and Gena Gerbier, Minty Fresh, Joel and Isabelle, Giorgia Ledbetter, Colette, Jed Carter, Tony Thaxton, Merch Graphics, Emam Abed, and all of our vendors, retailers, customers, supporters, followers and family!  It takes a Village.  We are thankful.

If I don't see you in Amsterdam on the 5th then I will see you soon!  For now, it's back to the French countryside.  Amazing if you think about the footsteps that have covered this land.  Unreal.  

Happy New Year.  Health, Wealth and Happiness to all of you!

INFLATABLE LIFE

It's working.  Our beautiful, Koonsian Creatures are suddenly making appearances everywhere.  Aren't they perfect semi inert creatures?  I love them.  An inflatable life.  A joyful life.  A hopeful life.  Art in space and art that interacts.  

SIGNED KOSTOPOL WARRIORS

Do you like signed things?  I do.  How about from a famous artist who has three Emmys in their possession   Well, that sounds interesting.  How about if this artist is Gary Baseman and things bearing his signature historically go up in value?  I think that's a yes.  Also, his paintings sell anywhere between $7.5k - $35k.  I think that's a double yes.

The Loyal Subjects loves to give the gifts that keep on giving.  In this case;  Gary Baseman's Kostopol Warrior.  Signed!  Some with original art/doodles!  This is huge.  This is worth buying.  This is taking a piece of pop art home with you permanently.  What a deal!  So I bet you're asking yourself, "well, how do I get this?"  Easy.  Buy a Kostopol Warrior on www.theloyalsubjects.com and you'll probably be lucky enough to be one of the few people who gets an actual signed Kostopol Warrior.  I wish I had one =.(

Even though I own the company, I'm sure I'll have to wait just like everyone else to see if I can score a signed Gary Baseman piece.  Please FATES, look upon my meek existence mercifully and bless me with good fortune!  I think I'm trying to apply the "Secret".  I just asked the Universe for one.

How about you?  Will you ask the Universe for one?  If you do, the Universe will say in a large omnipresent voice "GO TO www.theloyalsubjects.com AND PURCHASE A KOSTOPOL WARRIOR.  GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE TO SUCCEED AND YOU'LL MAKE NEW FRIENDS."  I love that omnipresent voice.  It's so powerful.

Good luck!

The event recaps always take a second to recollect and document.  Trust us, it isn't a procrastination vice.  It seems that way since we're always a week or two post event before we're able to collect our thoughts and the pictures we want to share.

The Loyal Subjects had the opportunity a little more than a week ago to co-host a signing with the very generous brand, Bait.   We are certainly grateful for Bait's hospitality and the amazing job the Bait crew did organizing Gary Baseman's first Buckingham Warrior signing (the Kostopol Warrior).  I would personally like to thank Kevin Cao for bringing this together.

The Buckingham Warrior is a deeply personal project for Gary Baseman, and, we at The Loyal Subjects back his passion 100%.  The signing was fantastic.  There were fans from around the world and everyone who participated was satisfied - expectation met!  Below is an interview Gary gave to CNN reporter Chris Marrow.   Gary gives an intimate view inside a deeply personal experience. 

The Kostopol Warrior is $120.00 and available at www.theloyalsubjects.com (only 250 made).

SDCC 2012! TLS X GARY BASEMAN X BAIT - SIGNING!

Hello hungry, happy, hurried Comic Con folk!  It's that time of year again.  Get to looting the bountiful booty that comes funneling into the hallowed halls of the San Diego Convention Center - ripe with desire and intent to make some fans, followers and counter culture goers bonkers for these delicious offerings!

We know that you have your weekend mapped out.  We know that you have your cash counted for - more thorough than Wall Street Mavericks or Downtown Dans.  In this one prolific week(end), stimulus is afoot.  And, we thank you!  So we're giving you, the fans, something equally and boastfully rewarding.  What's that?  That's right!  Gary f'in Baseman!  We say it emphatically like that, with zeal, purpose and intent because Gary doesn't make it to San Diego all the time.  This is a once in three year cycle.  So, for one of our industries most influential and creative guiding lights to come available, I think we should all jump in line and wait to purchase, poach, or bask in some Baseman magic.

Gary will be signing the Kostopol Warrior - the 2nd Edition in the Buckingham Warrior Series.  This is Baseman's first public appearance with the BW.  This is a big deal.  If you've read up on the genesis of the Buckingham Warrior, it's laced with endemic Baseman DNA and is a representation of his past, present and future.  A reminder to those that in the face of tyranny, Virtue will stand, fight and eventually win.  Beside the historical relevance, The Kostopol Warrior is beautiful!  Dry brush deco, as if Gary painted these himself, adorns the figure.  The figure itself is 12" tall to the antler tips.  The box is a puzzle.  If you buy two, you can complete the Gary Baseman Buckingham Warrior painting that dresses the outside box.  Only $120.00 and an edition of 250.  Stop by the BAIT Booth, #4429, this Friday July 13th at 2p to grab this special collectible.  

See you there!

BUCKINGHAM WARRIOR GOES HOME

On the eve, before the Buckingham Warrior ships out to our supporters, customers and retailers - I get to stand back and reflect about what a fun life we all have and how insignificant are our troubles that we choose to own? 

When I first started working on the Buckingham Warrior (a project that has been earned through mindfulness, labor, care and patience), I thought "Wow, what a great design!  This will definitely work!"  I was concentrating on the nature and spirit of manufacturing a collectible.  The design turned me on and I thought our customers would be excited to see this unique character come to life.  Fortunately, it seems they are.  However, it was a "B" to "C" concept; a great idea that fits right in with our brand identity, and complex enough to create conversation, ultimately landing in customer's hands.  It turns out the project, in spirit, is much more complex, much more layered and emboldened with a righteous spirit.

Gary Baseman is unique.  He has been a pioneer in our community, a feverish personality, a champion of our realm.  His fabric is art.  He also is woven to certain strands of great and significant circumstance.  Events which reshaped the lives of many, desperately wounded the world community and events so atrocious, they are deprived of any semblance of light.  Gary's parents are immigrants from Poland.  A country that was destroyed by Nazi Germany, preempting WWII.  Gary's father was a local fighter.  A man who took up arms, not part of any great or greater army but as a civilian fighting for respect and thwarting an evil injustice.

The Buckingham Warrior is the allegorical representation of his father.  Along with it, a mythology adhering to his father's legacy.  

Recently, Gary stopped in Rome.  He created a provocative mural in an area known as Q44 (The Quadraro in 1944) - an area where thousands of liberal minded civilians were rounded up by the Nazi and fascist soldiers - either killed or sent to camps.  Gary's powerful image of the Buckingham Warrior, a character infused with the spirit of righteous intent and protector of his fellow brothers and sisters, stands as both watchmen and reminder.

I'm proud to have contributed just a small bit to the memory of Gary's father and to those who suffered nameless.  I say this with pure humility and respect.  The Buckingham Warrior is a true and unveiled hero - even if just for all of our imaginations.

Available @ www.theloyalsubjects.com

POOL TOYS AND HYDRATION - BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

Spring is upon us.  I love Spring.  It's a prelude to Summer.  Summer is my favorite season.  I couldn't imagine a world without summer - the renewal of life, the radiant sunshine, pool parties, surf trips, beach days, long days, warm nights...  What fun.  What memories.

I think we (TLS) subconsciously make seasonal product.  I do.  It might not be deliberate but it sure seems that way.  Case in point - the Joe Ledbetter Water bottle - in time for Coachella, Spring, the renewal of activities, Beach days and your general all around hydration needs.  It's perfect!  And it's so cool.  Only $20.00 on www.theloyalsubjects.com and ready to ship now.  It's reusable, washable, aluminum - with a really cool screen printed graphic.  I want 10 for myself, unfortunately, I started a business to sell my wares, not hoard them.  Thus, I offer it with great humility and concern for your hydration needs, and, with an equally great conscious for your eco conservationist sensibilities.  Boom!

Next - Gary Baseman's wildly famous alter ego, TOBY.  We turned him into a very cool Jeff Koonsian like inflatable.  And he's huge.  T H I R T Y S I X I N C H E S T A L L.  I've been told that's big.  It is.  Be the coolest at the pool - what better pool condiment than a very cool, famous art object that floats?  And, it's 20% off from now to the end of Coachella on www.theloyalsubjects.com.  Bad A$$.  

Let's all heed great concern for each other's cool points and health.  Get on the bus, we have some good gets on the way to your destination!

GARY BASEMAN'S BUCKINGHAM WARRIOR

The phrase "Art Toy" is interesting.  I remembered when it was coined.  It was Jim Crawford, Co-Founder of StrangeCo who first brought the term to life.  He did it because he was having a difficult time generalizing what we do.  It's art but it isn't so exclusive or inclusive.  It's a toy but it isn't really played with (to an extent) and it's less broad in notion.  So, he came up with a term that could describe what we do in pure dumb simplicity that is dually genius.  Art Toy.  And there it was.  It was a perfect term describing StrangeCo's product line since much or all of it derived from 2D art - be it paintings, fine art or pop art in much the "indie" realm - relatively what is considered "non-licensed" to those accustomed to stocking shelves with large evergreen brands like Star Wars, etc.  We all adopted that term - believing, what we do is a combination of art, design and product.  Specifically, product derived from art springing from similar wells - painters, fine artists, pop artists, etc. - both, in a scholastic, meaningful sense and a playful, less emphatic and didactic sense.  Cut to the chase.  Gary Baseman's Buckingham Warrior is a perfect example of 'Art Toy' in scope. The project is a non deliberate gesture in familiarity - picking up with The Loyal Subjects where the brilliant Critterbox left off.  If you don't remember Critterbox, you should.  They were brilliant in their approach.  The pieces were big, beautiful and had depth.  The Buckingham Warrior certainly has these inherent traits.

The Buckingham Warrior in Cliff's Notes:

The Buckingham Warrior is a deer named Buckingham.  An unusual deer.  He has three legs.   This three legged deer lives in the Wolyner Forest.  He is a living organism in symbiosis with the greater and vastly expansive mother to all...Nature.  Life is ideal.  Until the idyllic inertia was disrupted by a malevolent and greedy man.  This man (the Land Baron) saw the forest as a rich resource ripe for exploitation.  He and his henchmen marched into this otherwise peaceful domain and without conscious or compassion, started to destroy the forest.  Buckingham refused to submit to this painful reality.  He stood his ground and fought back.  In his struggle, Buckingham was decapitated by the evildoers.  In an act of other-wordly defiance, the deer grew several heads back, replacing the decapitated head.  Buckingham was unmovable in his righteous stand. 

The story itself is anecdotal, a fable in feel but the sentiment is rich in metaphor.  The story was inspired by Gary's own father who was a Holocaust Survivor.  The Buckingham Warrior embodies the spirit emboldened by strong value sets; Freedom, Respect, Dignity, Fairness, Bravery - and to a larger scope, including the delicacy of our own ecology.   Buckingham is a hero for the ages.

The first edition is Buckingham as the the deer living peacefully in the Wolyner Forest.  The figure boasts several points of articulation, accessories and the rich color palette that is signature to Gary Baseman.  The figure is packaged in a closed 4C box with a satin finish.  A gorgeous piece. 

The Buckingham Warrior will be available Wed, Feb 22nd 2012 at NOON PST on www.theloyalsubjects.com and select retailers for $115.00USD.  Edition - 400.

WORKING ON 2012

It's a new year.  We have over a dozen projects in the cooker right now.  Here's a quick little list:  Gary Baseman, Craola, Hasbro, FriendsWithYou, Joe Ledbetter and more!  It's been great organizing the year with our factory team in China.  Our partners are getting ready for the New Year - Year of the Dragon - I decided to pop in before everyone went on break to organize and smooth out the details.  First up - Joe Ledbetter - Burger Bunny Wood 10" collectible (expect color ways *hint hint*).  Next, Joe Ledbetter Bop Bag inflatable - Looks a lot like a 60" tall Burger which you can punch feverishly at pesky calories.  Also, Sam Flores 5' tall Kid Dragon (would it look good in gold?) - you'll find out!  Gary Baseman - the Buckingham Warrior - Wow!  This piece is epic.  10" tall of Baseman brilliance and coming this April (stay tuned for pics).  Next for this first quarter - remember Joe Ledbetter's Fire Cat?  Thought about ever owning a 50" tall one in fiberglass?  You'll find out this April/May.

We're in the airport now, leaving for Manila, Philippines where we'll join Joe and Big Boy from Secret Fresh.  I've been told the Burger Bunny had sold out days ago and the fans in Manila are going nuts awaiting Joe's arrival.  It feels good to be working with our team and retail partners, even though we're so far away from home, nonetheless, we still feel at home.  2012 is stacking up to be a great year and what greater way to kick it off than a 50 piece 10" tall Wood Bunny release starring Joe Ledbetter.  I'm happy to be here.  I'm happy for the experiences.  For the relationships.  For the opportunities.  Life is amazing.  Carpe Diem.

GARY BASEMAN - TOBY 36" INFLATABLE!

If you're queued into Gary Baseman and his Anthropomorphic Pantheistic imagination then I'm sure you are well aware of his favorite character, Toby.  Toby is a cat.  A cat that experiences life through all mystic dimensions, including the ones here, on earth.  That is probably where you have seen Toby - or you may have seen him documented through his detailed travels, ala the Toby postcards, as seen on Gary Baseman's Facebook page.  Toby has been to South America, Russia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East - serious, it's hard to keep up with this cat.  His Passport looks like a coupon book from an episode of Hoarders.  

Since Toby is so famous and so well recognized, it seemed only fitting to make a Toby 36" inflatable.  It's fitting in every way.  It's a bit retro, it's art, it's sculptural, it's perfect in a physical space, it's fun, and it's...TOBY!!  So, if you don't mind spending $80.00 for a piece of this most famous cat, then I say by all means, take this bad boy home!  

In case you haven't noticed - anything Toby from Gary's past creations are sprouting up on EBAY, demanding some serious steep fortunes.  I've seen one for $2k.  $80.00 is a drop in the bucket for this loveable icon.  You can buy one HERE!