Birthday Massacre {A New Painting 08/21/08}

Wow what can I say about this painting, well it took forever to do with constant distractions and chronic illness.
It feels like such a weight lifted off my shoulders now that this painting is completed, you folks have no idea.
I've also grown in the habit of painting in very thick layers almost covering the canvas entirely, which takes allot of time waiting for it all to dry.
I would have to say this painting took me about 8 months to complete give or take, it is definitely my most involved painting thus far and largest as well at 25 x 25.
This painting was going to be made as a present but it's now become such a part of me that I'd like to dedicate this painting to everyone who's ever had a birthday.
I'd also like to wish a very happy birthday so my Sister Ashley who was the major inspiration for this painting as she is a pastry chief and makes allot of yummy cakes and baked goods.
Another inspiration for this one is simple and goes back to days many of us long for, our childhood years.
Birthdays are so much fun as kids, literally attacking the cake before us like some sort of monster.
As we get older the fun starts to fade and birthdays for the most part become just another day.
I love the idea of inanimate objects being alive which I guess stems back to my love of cartoons and as usual the Muppets.
The theme of this painting is not only birthdays but that of Eat or Be Eaten, as the Cakes are about to attack us the looker on and the child behind is ready to eat them.
I worked very hard on this and am very happy to share it with all of you and I hope you like it.
As a side note I've been going through a number of tests these past months I'm very happy to report that I'm 100% healthy!
I no longer have to take the medication for my stomach and I've been exercising allot and eating a special diet, I've pretty much become a vegetarian these days.

Mini-Mutants Wave 3 Prt. 2

Well after what a week or so after my last report of finding Baxter & 4 Arm Shredder Clone and countless hours and days of searching I've finally found the other 2 sets and at a Target close to my home.
I was very excited to find the other 2 sets I need to say the least, and happy to see Fast forward characters still being made in plastic form.
Last time I said how nice the paint jobs are on this new wave of figures compared to past waves, well I am now taking that back.
Thank goodness they had more than one of each of these because the paint isn't to hot in spots with other colors dripped on parts they shouldn't be and just gloppy in others.
So please look carefully at these figures when buying them.
So up first is Extreme Sports Leonardo & Jammerhead sadly the least fun set out of this assortment. Leonardo comes with newly sculpted legs, hands, body, a removable helmet, some sort of exercise ski bike thing, and 2 swords.
This figure has typical articulation for the Mini-Mutant turtles: Hands, Arms, Legs, & Head.Leonardo's sports gear, swords and ski bike are painted in a shimmery paint.
The thing that's interesting to note about this Leo is that he's wearing what looks like Converse shoes. I think Leonardo and Donatello are the best turtles in this series, but sadly Leo's Ski Bike just doesn't have the cool playability factor that Don's bike does.
Jammerhead is pretty much just the same exact figure as the large one that came out some time ago even if it is a new sculpt, they didn't change the worst part about the big Jammerhead figure and that was the position his arms had been sculpted in making it very tough to do anything with his weapons or arms.
And this if pretty much a first for me so far with the Mini-Mutants but I like the Large version of Jammerhead much more than the Mini one but don't get me wrong I think it's just great to have a Mini-Jammerhead.
Jammerhead comes with an Axe, Sword, and removable Snow Board/ Hover Board.This figure has basic articulation: Head, Waist, Hands, & Arms.The only thing that doesn't move that should and bothers me is the Legs and seems to be a common thing with the secondary characters in this line.
Next set is Extreme Sport Mike & Foot Elite both decent figures.
Michelangelo has newly sculpted legs and gets the short end of the stick once again.
He comes with a removable helmet, 2 Nunchucku, and a large skateboard (with movable wheels).This figure has typical articulation for the Mini-Mutant turtles: Hands, Arms, Legs, & Head.Just like the other new turtles in this series Mikey has shimmery paint on his newly sculpted parts and weapons.His vehicle is fun but this collector is not impressed with this effort.
Foot Elite is a pretty decent figure and makes it worth buying this set.This figure is an all new sculpt and I think it's much better than the large 2k3 Foot Elite Guard figure.Foot Elite comes with 1 Lazer Blaster looking gun & a really odd but cool scooter with moveable wheels and a card foot symbol on the back which is painted to my surprise .
I can't say I care for his weapon either because to me these guys should come with an Axe or Sword or something along those lines.This figure has basic articulation for a secondary character in the Mini-Mutants line: Head, Arms, & Hands.
It looks as if his waist should move but it's blocked by his belt, it also should be noted that his hat is glued down as well but I think that's pretty nice as the old figures hat would always fall off.Once again I can't stress enough how bothered I am by the legs not being articulated.

Over all this series is a really great lineup of figures even with the silly turtle variants as they come with things that are really fun for kids and have a playability factor that's not something dumb like fall apart action.I give this entire lineup of figures 10 Shells out of a possible 10 shells, because these have great paint jobs(wells some of them), great characters, and they're just really fun.
There is still room for improvements though!

Mini-Feet's

Went to the only Wal-Mart that sells TMNT figures in the PA area the other day and saw that they had just gotten the other 2 Mini-Mutant Playsets in.
While I do really want the bad guys that come with all of these sets I'm just not interested in playsets nor do I have the room for them.

I'll also be quite honest that I'm not very interested in the mini movie looking turtles either.
But the sets are really nice and come with figures that are really tempting.
My only major gripe so far with this Mini-Mutant line are the paint jobs on the figures, it's been very hard to find them with a decent one.
Please excuse the photos as I took them with my cell phone.

Mini-Mutants Wave 3 Now Out!

The Past few days I've been spotting some new Mini-Mutants popping up on Ebay, so I thought I'd swing by a local Wal-Mart that's usually good at stocking newly released figures and sure enough they had them!
This is a very exciting wave for me as a big Baxter Stockman fan and also as a Fast Forward fan with the release of Mini Jammerhead.
There are 4 figures sets in this series each one is very fun and very nicely done.

The sets include Donatello & Baxter Stockman, Raphael & 4 Arm Clone Shredder, Mikey & Foot Elite, Leonardo & Jammerhead (sadly the one I wanted most wasn't there).
They had 3 of the 4 sets but I only bought the Don & Raph set's for now so I'll be showing those to you.
The Paint jobs on this third wave of figures is much better compared to the first 2 waves.
First up is Extreme Sport Raph & 4 Arm Shredder clone both very nice figures.
Raphael comes with newly sculpted legs, a removable helmet, removable skates, 2 sais, & a hockey stick.
This figure has typical articulation for the Mini-Mutant turtles: Hands, Arms, Legs, & Head.
The thing that's interesting to note about Raphael's sports gear is that it's painted in a shimmery paint.
The 4 Armed Shredder Clone is really nice and makes it worth buying this set.
This figure is an all new sculpt and a much improved version of the larger figure that came out a few years back.
The 4 Armed Shredder Clone comes with a double sided hockey stick looking weapon, and removable rolling spiked shoes.
This figure has some decent articulation for a Mini-mutant: Head, Waist, All 4 Hands, 2 Sets of Arms That Move Together.
The only thing that doesn't move that should and bothers me is the Legs.
Now in the Next set is Extreme Sport Don & Baxter Stockman both very nice figures.
Donatello has newly sculpted legs, body, and shoulders.
He comes with a removable helmet, 1 bo, and a bike (with movable wheels, handle bar, & kick stand).
This figure has typical articulation for the Mini-Mutant turtles: Hands, Arms, Legs, & Head.
The thing that's interesting to note about Donatello's bike is that it's painted in a shimmery paint.
Baxter Stockman is just to cool and makes it worth buying this set.
This figure is an all new sculpt and I think perhaps one of the coolest Baxter figures to date.
Baxter comes with 2 entirely different robotic pickaxe type weapons.
This figure has some decent articulation for a Mini-mutant: Head, Arms, Hands, Waist, & 3 wheels that not only spin but can be turned around anyway you please.
The only thing that bothers me is his backpack with the pickaxe that sits right over his head, very odd placement.

Over all so far this is a really great lineup of figures even with the silly turtle variants as they come with things that are really fun for kids and have a playability factor that's not something dumb like fall apart action.
I give this entire lineup of figures 10 Shells out of a possible 10 shells, because these have great paint jobs, great characters, and they're just really fun.