How To Clean Your (Vinyl) Labbit!

Domo consoles a sad, dirty Pipkin. "At least your teeth are clean." NOT HELPING.

 
It is a known fact that labbits do not like baths. If you share a home with a labbit of the soft vinyl variety, you will not have received instructions on the proper care of your labbit. (Well, okay, the box says "This is a work of art, not a toy" so perhaps the labbits are guilty of playing too much and not sitting around on a shelf enough.) If you have a plushy labbit in your home, Mr. Frank Kozik provided labbit care instructions on the swing tag attached to your labbit's ear. It clearly states, "Keep labbit dry, he hates baths". Prevention is key. But what if your labbit is adventurous and gets a little dirty? What's a labbit to do?

Note yellowing around the chin, the ears, the eyes, the dirty mouth - okay, he's filthy everywhere.

Pipkin gets pretty down about his yellowing fur. He subjects himself to sink baths with soap once in a while, but it doesn't seem to get him clean. During his visit with his maker, Frank gave him the insider Toy Creator scoop on keeping labbit clean. Two words. Are you ready?

Magic Eraser.

Domo isn't skeptical. He trusts Mr. Bald Guy.

Pipkin was a little skeptical, but since the advice came from The Boss himself, he decided to give it a try. With Domo's help, Pipkin's gonna get clean today!

Domo thinks this is some pretty cool s#!t.

Using the Magic Eraser is easy. Just get it wet, squeeze out the excess water and...erase!

Just start from the back and move to the front. Repeat on the other side. Pipkin thought the bumpy side, used in circular motions, was like a nice massage.

Don't forget to clean the undersides! Feet get really, really dirty!

THE POWER!

Okay, so...little itty bits of Magic Eraser wound up on Pipkin's fur so...Domo decided a little rinse was in order...

Happy Labbit is happy.

...and just like that, a cleaner, whiter labbit! YAY!

Captain Holly Tackles Tough Mudder VT

Up that wall! F#$k that wall! HOO RAH!

While Pipkin and Domo are off in sunny northern California, Captain Holly remained in Vermont to tough it out in mid-40s weather at Mount Snow for the Tough Mudder. "Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie."

Tough Mudder isn't like a marathon or a triathlon, and it certainly isn't a 5k walk in the park. It's an event that encourages team work and cameraderie. There are some obstacles that can't be done without the help of your fellow Mudder. You help each other over the wall, through icy cold water, and down the steep, muddy, rocky and dangerous terrain. No Mudder is left behind! There's NO QUIT IN HERE.

 If you're just spectatin' you can grab a sharpie and mark up the back of these signs to cheer on your Mudders. There's also a map of the course, which runs up and down and back and forth over Mount Snow's ski terrain, but SURPRISE! The obstacles arn't exactly laid out as planned, so you don't know when that Arctic Enema (an ice filled tank of water where you have to climb in, submerge yourself under a wall, and come out the other side and climb up and out of the tank. Did I mention it's filled with ice?!) is gonna rear its cruel self.

Each wave of 600 Mudders starts the course every 20 minutes. Every Mudder gets a muddy welcome, safety briefing, pep talk, makes the Tough Mudder pledge, and gets down on one knee in the mud to remember why we are here - to help raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Mudders pay anywhere between $80 - $200 to have a day of fun running these obstacles, but every day, there is a soldier who isn't doing this for fun - he's doing it for his country and he's doing it so you don't have to. No matter how tough the course gets, you have to remember that soldiers out there are made of the real tough stuff. Let's give them a HOO RAH!

Tough Mudder events support rehabilitating soldiers who have been wounded on duty, or those who need counseling or employment services.

After such a sober reminder, Mudders get to their feet and sing the national anthem, before charging up the hill at Mount Snow.

The course is no joke. It will hurt you. Good thing Captain Holly's a trained medic.

And you will get very, very, muddy. Even after you do the water obstacles and get cleaned off (a bit) you keep encountering mile after mile of muddy terrain. It ain't mud season in Vermont for nuthin'. Shoes are tied together as pairs, then tossed into a giant pile where they will be cleaned up and donated to those who are not fortunate enough to pay to do these things for fun. There are people, not just in the third world, but in your own community, who work hard and break their backs everyday and wouldn't dream of spending money this way. Let's give them a HOO RAH!

To find a Tough Mudder event in your corner of the world, visit the Tough Mudder Events page. Sign up, get training, and NO QUITTING!

To The Rock

Waiting at the bus stop in Japantown.

Pipkin and Domo got together after Pipkin's official labbit business with Frank and Kidrobot, and decided to do the tourist thing. And what's more touristy in San Francisco than a visit to Alkatraz prison, AKA The Rock? Hoping to avoid the midday tourist rush, Domo shook Pipkin out of bed super early and they rode a bus to Pier 33 to take the ferry to Alkatraz island.

A lot of the buildings are quite weathered and worn, like this old soldier's recreation hall. (Alkatraz was a military fortress before it was a military, and then federal prison.)

Domo's actually small enough to fit through the bars, but Pipkin's just a touch too fat and bunchy to fit through. No escape for labbit! (Unless he drops a little weight.)

The cell is 5'x7'x9'. Pretty small for a hooman but quite spacious for a labbit. Still, prison doesn't seem like a fun place.

In fact, prison is a cruel, cruel, place. Just look at all the yummy noms out of Pipkin's reach. Even the sunshine is on the other side of these bars. Pipkin definitely doesn't want to go to prison.

At least there's visitation, but you can't nuzzle your loved ones through glass.

Get me outta here!!

Prison is definitely a lonely, dark place.  It had been rainy and miserable on the ferry ride to the island, but after touring the prison, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Pipkin and Domo enjoyed the gardens on the island before heading back to San Francisco.

Apartments for the residents of Alkatraz Island

A clear view of Golden Gate Bridge from Alkatraz.

The Rock is an important nesting area for birds like cormorants and this snowy egret.

Farewell, Alkatraz. Nice to be leaving...

Next Stop, Kidrobot!

During his visit with Frank, Sharon and his labbit ancestors, Frank and Sharon asked if Pipkin had stopped by the Kidrobot store. Pipkin admitted no, and that he was afraid of taking pictures in the store because someone might mistake him for an in-shop labbit and make him relive a life of waiting for his forever home on the shelves. Frank said not to worry, that he could go in and take pictures and if there was trouble to tell the people in the shop that he was a Very Good Personal Friend of Mr. Kozik. Also, Frank assured Pip that the people in the shop were really friendly, so it wouldn't be a problem anyway!

So Pipkin hopped over to the shop on Haight St, (which was very busy and colorful and had lots of fun shops and interesting looking hoomans) and took a look at all toys. It was his first time in a Kidrobot store and there is lots in there, despite the small footprint. Along the row that Pipkin's sitting on are all the blind boxed toys. If you are new to the concept of blind box toys, it is a lot of fun! Each artist comes out with a unique series of toys, and the box often shows you what you could get...with a few mystery toys that often occur less frequently. You won't know who will be inside until you open up the package, which is the fun of it! (If you're a collector though, this starts to be less fun as you accumulate more and more and keep chasing after the rare guys. But that's what trading is for!) 

Above the row of blind boxes are lit cases of toys from a wide range of kidrobot artists. There are also blank DIY Munny toys: they come in monkey, bear, cat, giraffe, and...some sort of unlabeled "monster". They're blank white (or glow in the dark!) and just begging to be customized. And in case you're a blind box fan, there's an unknown accessory in the box that might inspire your DIY design. 

Along the opposite wall, there are t-shirts, hats, bags, more plushes, and a whackton of Kozik art - busts, the 10" MechaBanana, and many of the newest 10" labbits, including the new bondage labbit, glossy labbit and Choice Cuts labbit.

Pipkin himself came from a small boutique in Port Townsend, WA. He kinda wished he grew up in a Kidrobot store - he would have had soooo many more friends! 

Back then he didn't even know he had other plushy cousins! From L - R: Labitus Tigrus Rotundii (aka Tiger Labbit); Labbitus Bos Taurus (aka Cow Labbit); Minty Fresh, the Candy Cane Christmas Labbit, and beneath him the Zebra 'Stache Labbit; Pipkin!; Leopard 'Stache Labbits (Pipkin wonders what Edward's been up to with the labbits at night); and the original plush 'Stache Labbits. He might not have minded store life so much if he had these guys around.

Plus, these two guys, Luke and Ryan, work at the shop and are really sweet! Ryan saw Pipkin hopping around the shop and said, "excuse me, but are you friends with Frank? I think I recognize you from a picture I saw..." Pipkin suspects Sharon sent the shop pictures that she took with her phone, and let them know Pipkin might be hopping by because there's no other way Ryan would have known...Sharon is the bestest! It made Pipkin feel like a celebrity. Luke and Ryan were both impressed that Pipkin got to visit Frank's studio.

Pipkin can't wait to tell Clover about seeing this! It's a sculpture version of the silkscreen Uprisings by Kozyndan! You can see Clover admiring this print here.

How much is that laaaaabit in the windoooow?

For kicks, Pipkin spent a little time in the window, but in the end, he realized he's got so much of the world to see, plus a family that loves him back in Vermont, so he said goo-bye to the shop, and assured everyone that one day someone would take them all home. And, before he left...

...he couldn't help but adopt this guy, a 7" Labbitus Bos Taurus. He was up on the shelf with Pipkin in the picture with the plushies. One look into his sweet eyes and Pipkin knew he had made a friend. Welcome to the fambly!

Visit Kidrobot San Francisco! You can find DIY events, artist signings, blind box trading, customization workshops and more fun at the store by checking their regularly updated events page.

1512 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-487-9000
sfstore@kidrobot.com
Regular Hours
Sunday-Thursday:
11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Friday-Saturday:
11:00 am to 8:00 pm

Pipkin Meets His Maker

Pipkin with Sharon and Frank Kozik at the door of the studio.

Today was a big, big day for Pipkin.  Apparently Frank Kozik, Pipkin's very creator, has been a longtime reader of YearoftheLabbit, and when he and his wife Sharon heard that Pipkin was headed to San Francisco, they invited Pip to stop by the studio to say hi.

*pause for dramatic effect*

I KNOW RITE?!!??11!!

Domo knew it was a real big deal for Pipkin so he stayed out of the picture for the day, exploring Japantown on his own while Pipkin made the trek out to 1488 Howard St. He was greeted at the door and headed up into the studio where Frank told him to make himself at home, check out all the neat stuff in the studio (books and toys and art galore) and chat with Frank's friends, a couple of artists who had stopped by to visit.

Is this real life? Pipkin' a little dizzy with excitement.

In the photo above, from L - R, is Justin Kamerer, an illustrator who does work for albums, gigposters, websites, movie posters, skateboards...seemingly anything that has a surface that you can look at; Jeral Tidwell, another illustrator who produces work on t-shirts, skateboards, hot rods and books; Sharon, who does photography, handles the technical side of the business, and much of the behind the scenes things at the studio; and Mr. Frank Kozik himself.

Pipkin hung out with Sharon while she took care of details on the sale of the special 20th Anniversary Blink-182 print. (You can see an image of the poster below. Sorry, the pink edition is all sold out!)

Pipkin hopped around the studio and it didn't take long before Edward Goralsky (the studio supervisor) made an appearance. Edward invited Pipkin to share some of his noms...

...which Pipkin declined because as we all know, labbits are vegetarian (mostly).

Edward's a busy cat (sometimes) so he hopped up on a work table to make sure Frank was still rolling up posters and getting work done, despite the visitors.

So Pipkin kept wandering about the studio, checking out where all the magic of creation happens. Here is Frank's NUARC light table, a heavy behemoth that's been with him nearly 20 years and, according to Frank, is probably the best piece of equipment he's ever bought. Pipkin is honored to have his butt warmed by its gentle light.

Here's part of today's task - rolling and packaging up the Blink-182 prints for shipping. 

Amongst Frank's collection of toys at the studio there are various generations of Pipkin's family hanging about. On the right is the first incarnation of labbit in hand-poured resin form. You can see a couple more pictures of this labbit with Frank on Jeremyriad's blog post here.  In the center, a couple of generations later, the Medicom (that's right, pre-kidrobot days!) Bone Bunny in the more familiar vinyl. Note the evolution from fat and lumpy to still fat but less lumpy and with added smork, and then Pip's kidrobot generation of fat and smooth. Labbits do like to multiply. In the background there is a special silver harnessed edition of the Bondage Labbit. Pipkin should have invited him into the picture but someone told that labbit to stay put and, well, he likes to be told what to do.

SOoooOo....here's a look at Bone Bunny's innards. He doesn't mind you looking, really.

Another kidrobot generation creation: this giant labbit stool! This is the happy labbit version, but there are smorkin' versions (check the photo above where Pipkin first meets Edward) in bright colors.

Last but not least, a trip to visit the family would not be complete without seeing labbits from past, present and future. Here is the future, people. A sneak peek of the upcoming 10" clear Smorkin' Labbit, available in pink and blue May 10th. Check out the kidrobot blog for more info and pictures.

Pipkin was so so so happy to get to meet Frank, Sharon and Edward, and the other members of his extended labbit family. Frank was really friendly and welcoming, and praised the YearoftheLabbit blog. He told Pipkin about lots of great places to eat and visit while in San Francisco, and gave him toy creator insider's scoop on how to keep his smooth vinyl exterior nice and white. Hanging out with Frank and chatting about the blog made Pipkin more enthusiastic about future travel, noms, and photo posts. Frank and Sharon also had a BIG surprise for him, but you will have to keep checking back here to find out what it was!!