News & Events
Nov02
Halloween 2011 update
2011 at 09:57 am by admin | Comments Off
Hello Friends! We at Tomodachi are happy to announce that our Halloween 2011 event was a great success. We would like to thank all of you who dressed up for the cosplay/costume contest, competed in the Marvel Vs. Capcom video game tournament, showed off your skills on the “Pop’n Music” arcade machine, or simply stopped by to check out everything that was going on. We would also like to thank everyone who helped out by volunteering their time.There were many fantastic entries in the costume contest, with the photos from photographer Scott Traczyk posted below.
Costume Contest Winners
1st Prize ($100 gift card): Amanda Ritchie as ‘Tera’ from the video game ‘Kingdom Hearts’
2nd Prize ($75 gift card): Aaron Grono as ‘Totoro’ from the movie ‘My Neighbor Totoro’
3rd Prize ($50 gift card): Tessa Anderson as ‘Kusuri the medicine seller’ from the show ‘Monoke’
Best Group (shared $50 gift card): Sky Vang as ‘Madoka’ from ‘Madoka’, Keely Ferguson as ‘Haruko Shima’ from ‘Sugacha’, and Cindy Vu as ‘Nana’ from ‘Nana’Honorable Mentions
Best Anime Character: Andy Freeman as ‘Rock Lee’ from ‘Naruto’
Best Video Game Character: Vong Thor as ‘Izanagi’ from the video game ‘Persona4′
Best Science Fiction Character: Brian Nguyen as ‘Dr. Doom’ from the Marvel Universe
Best Prop: Vivian Poon as ‘Yukimura’ from the video game ‘Samurai Warriors’
The Marvel Vs. Capcom video game tournament was full of amazing comebacks and counters, with a special sudden death round needed to determine where some of the prizes would go. Every contestant showed great spirit, whether they were new to the game or had been practicing for this moment.
Video Game Tournament Winners
1st Place ($50 gift card and Street Fighter Blind Box Figure): Chris Lo
2nd Place ($25 gift card and Street Figher Blind Box Figure): Punh Nom
3rd Place (Giant Pocky and Street Figher Blind Box Figure): Robbie Vongnalath
4th Place (Street Fighter Blind Box Figure): Yanny ChaHonorable Mentions
Best Match (Chocolate Pocky): Mike Tighe and Kenny Cha
Thanks to everyone who showed up, you really made it a special day! We are going to be planning many more fun events like this one, so make sure to attend our future events as well!
Oct19
Halloween 2011
2011 at 12:17 pm by admin | No Comments
Hello friends,
We at Tomodachi are happy to announce that our 2011 Halloween event is coming on Saturday, October 29th. Everyone is invited to take part in the many exciting things happening such as: a cosplay/costume contest with a photo shoot by professional photographer Scott Taczyk, an all new ‘Pop’N Music’ arcade machine, a ‘Marvel Vs. Capcom3 (Fate of two worlds) video game tournament (entry fee is $3), a free workshop teaching you how to make a charm out of special air-dry-clay. Don’t miss out! come join us for a great time.
Schedule of Events for Saturday, October 29th, 2011:
Cosplay/Costume Contest
Registration:11am to 7pm
Photo session: 3pm to 7pm
Cost: Free
Prizes
1st Place: $100 Gift Card
2nd Place: $75 Gift Card
3rd Place: $50 Gift Card
Runner up Prizes:
Best Anime Costume
Best Sci-Fi Costume
Best Video Game Costume
Best Prop
Best Group Costume
Rules and Regulations:
Once you register your first and last name, contact number (cell phone), your costume’s name, and have your picture taken you will be entered into the contest. Winners will then be announced at 8:30pm.
Rosedale Mall’s regulations state that you may not wear masks when you enter or walk around the mall. If your costume includes a mask, please only wear it for the photo shoot. Also real weapons are not allowed in the mall.
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Fate of two worlds/Playstation3 Tournament
Registration: 1pm – 3pm
Event Begins: 4pm
Cost: $3
Prizes
1st Place: $50 Gift Card + Street fighter blind box
2nd Place: $25 Gift Card +Street fighter blind box
3rd Place: Giant pocky + Street fighter blind box
4th Place: Street fighter blind box
Rules and Regulations: To be announced shortly.
Oct03
All City Breakers mini seires are here!
2011 at 03:02 pm by admin | No Comments
Available now!
All City Breakers Mini Series
2-Inch $1.95 each
All City Breakers Mini 20-Pack
2-Inch Orange Edition
$29.95 each
Straight out of the South Bronx, Kidrobot’s first series of All City Breakers celebrates the best dance style born from 70’s hip-hop culture.
Individually foil-wrapped and blind, each b-boy and b-girl’s punctuated move is captured perfectly in plastic – a stylized freeze.
Injection-molded and inspired by the retro but classic green army men and their solid plastic bases, these breakers flaunt moves from Power to Flex in four neon colors: pink, green orange and blue.
Each 2-inch art piece is paired with boombox to deliver the beat. No matter what your style, you’re gonna want to choreograph a collection of your own.
Oct03
KidRobot' Bots mini 3inches and Fly guys zipper pull!
2011 at 02:40 pm by admin | No Comments
Available on Oct 6th at tomodachi!
KidRobot’Bots 3 inches $9.95 each
Eleven ‘bots from the KR ‘hood have gathered to be 3-inch vinyl versions of Kidrobot’s classic icon. Stylized and suited up to resonate awesome, these fresh figures articulate at the head and arms, and are dressed to fit their different personas – punks, gangsters, boxers – you name it!
What gangster sleeps with a Teddy bear? KidGangster, that’s who! And who carries a crowbar? Only the perfect KidVandal. Jam out with KidPunk, rob a bank with KidPrisoner, or tag your KR pride with KidBomber.
Series includes 11 blind boxed figures in all… grab one, or the whole KR posse.
Kidrobot Fly guys Zipper pull $2.95 each
Tiny and shiny, these dudes know how to hang.
Featuring 25 character versions of Kidrobot’s classic icon, the Fly Guys are 1-inch tall and stylin’.
Made with shiny zinc alloy and enamel paints, the blind foil series includes such fan favorites as KidPirate, KidPunk, KidVampire, and KidRobber. Represent the ‘bot and hang some on your zippers, bookbags, keychains – wherevs!
Sep22
We love vinyl opening
2011 at 06:45 pm by admin | Comments Off
We at Tomodachi are delighted that our opening reception for the “We LOVE Vinyl” art show was such a great success. The 80 total DIY (do it yourself) vinyl Toys created by 42 artists were all unveiled this past weekend, showcasing a wide variety of styles and talents. Furthermore, we would like to thank everyone involved for their participation in making this event such a wonderful occasion. We appreciate all of the hard work the artists put in, their unique abilities making this event a one of a kind experience.
We also appreciate everyone who came to take part in the charity auction which raised money for ‘Imagine No Malaria’ and the Keystone Community Food Shelf. And, last but certainly not least, we would like to thank all of our guests who stopped by to see the artistic creations. Everyone of you really helped make this event truly fantastic. Thank you so much! However, if you weren’t able to stop by, it isn’t too late. The show is still running until Oct. 2nd, with all of the different works still on display at our Rosedale location.
Thanks to following artists:
Jacquelyn Anderson, Barbara Guttman, Erik Pearson, Lucas K. Anderson, Kung Ha, Rebecca Portz-Glaser, Shane Anderson, Amina Harper, James Powell, Daniel W. Campbell, Sarah Hartwick, Aaron Quist, Ari Carillo, Ashley Hay, Dr. Clement Shimizu, Helena Shimizu, Noel Costumbrado, Bryant Locher, Ayaka Stowers, Jacob Cramer, Mayro, Tommy Sunders, Guava DeArtist, Benjamin Meents, Linda Shoemaker, Leon W. Durivage, Sophia Meents, Rich Stroh, Grant Edwards, Andrew Michalski, Akane Toda, Joelle Fernandez, Trung Le Nguyen, Midori Toda, Lucas Gluesenkamp, Isabel Olson, Katie Ulibarri, Chi Watana, Jason Michael Kwok-Yin Ho, Chelsey Grands, Denny Park, Kate Winterhalter and all the munny contest winners.
Special thanks to photographer Sarah Ta/September three photography, Jeff Roberts/Patch, and KidRobot, Toy2R and all the vinyl community.
If you have any questions about this event or anything else about the Tomodachi store, please email us at info@tomodachi.us or give us a call at 651-631-1777. Hope to see you soon!
Tomodachi Staff
Sep09
We Love Vinyl!
2011 at 06:20 pm by admin | Comments Off
Greetings from Tomodachi Artists!
We are happy to announce that our art show, “We Love Vinyl,” will open on Saturday, September 17th. We would be honored if you’d join us for the opening reception from 4–7 pm.
“We Love Vinyl” is a celebration of do-it-yourself (DIY) vinyl toys. DIY toys are an exciting, new type of collectible pop art that allows artists to work on a three-dimensional canvas. The featured DIY toy for this show will be Kidrobot’s Munny. We’re planning on having pieces from over 20 artists!
The reception will have prizes, music, refreshments, and a chance to meet many of the artists. There will also be a silent charity auction and several pieces at the show will be available for purchase. The charity auction will run from September 17–19, with all proceeds going towards Imagine No Malaria. Current art majors and alumni from Hamline University are working with us to create these pieces. We are also donating a portion of all gallery sales to Keystone Community Food Shelf. This non-profit organization works to help families dealing with hunger and homelessness in the Twin Cities area.
Tomodachi Artists was founded by Tomodachi as a non-profit art organization in the spring of 2011. As a group, we are dedicated to helping grow a Minnesota-based, but nationally connected, artistic community. Tomodachi Artists also works to improve the lives of our fellow artists through programs and events, help them gain greater exposure with regular gallery shows at Tomodachi, and provide them with unique opportunities in the art community.
We hope to see you at our opening reception! If you have any questions, please email us at info@tomodachi.us or call us at 651-631-1777.
Aug31
GoldLife Dunny release!
2011 at 03:25 pm by admin | No Comments
Hi friends!
Tomodachi will release goldlife dunny at 6pm instead of 10am. Sorry about the confusion. Also please bring your duplicates to trade with others! Thanks
Tomodachi staff
Aug30
2011 Munny Contest Winners
2011 at 11:10 am by admin | No Comments
Hello Everyone!
We are finally ready to announce the winners of the 2011 Munny Contest. Everyone at Tomodach and Tomodachi artists want to thank you everyone who participated in this year’s contest. We loved receiving each entry, and you are all winners to us. Thank you guys!
And now, here are the winners:
16 and Under
1st Place – Fresa by Jacquelyn Anderson(15) $100 gift card
2nd Place – Day Dreamer by Isabel Olson(13) $50 gift card
3rd Place – Princess by Sophia Meents (6) $25 gift card
All three winners will be featured in our art show We LOVE Vinyl.
17 and Over
1st Place – Roscoe by Kate Winterhalter $200 gift card
2nd Place – Piet MUNdrian by Cea $100 gift card
3rd Place – Ruffle Butt by Chelsey Garads $50 gift card
All three winners will be featured in our art show We LOVE Vinyl.
Best Use of Pen - Hyve Tyarant by Nick Lee (18)
Best Accessories – 20,000 leagues under the sea urchin by carla Januska
Best Use of the Color – Splat by Moriah Moberg(12)
Best Minimalist Design – Stone age bear by Carla Januska(48)
Best Use of materials - Minimum Wage by Hanna Clank(11)
Best Dressed – Bardock by Tubtsim Moua(17+)
Best celebrity/anime/cartoon character – Bruce Lee by Lucky Moua(19)
Most Innovative - Mun-Stein by Jenna Chan(10)
Funniest Munny – Bob by Emma Meents(9)
Tomodachi Awards-Aang by sean Takaki(17+),Time is Munny by David Caste(24), Black Cat by Ana Rodriguz(12), Sun King by Charile Steensland(13)
Pocky Award- Kimimaro by Zouang Vang(13), Coca Coly by Dvon McCann(10), Bat boy by Chee Vang(17), MimRoo by Jack hawkinson(8), Jun Sun by Mai Kao&Pamala(19), Death bear by Megan Jaeger(12), IsLand by Townes Nelson(12), Mariella by Sammy Zaccardi(17), 8 tail beast by Pai Vang(22), Gantz by Mark Larson(20),
Hi-Chew Award-Teenager by Noah Sugg(16-), Fallen Angel by Nicole Foley(20), Sgt. Crocadilen by Mason McFarland(9), Mickey by Thomas Nymoen(8) Mr. Agility by Scott Schulz(17+), Blossom by Shayd Young(8), Kungfu Boy by Joseph Vang(14)
We will have all the pictures of the main winners up soon.
Thank you!
Aug29
GOLDLife by Huck Gee release!
2011 at 02:51 pm by admin | No Comments
The long awaited Gold Life Series has arrived. Huck Gee puts his special Asian Pop spin on the traditional ways of the Samurai for his first-ever Dunny Hyper Series. With an unparalleled attention to style and color, and exquisite detail, Huck’s Gold Life brings to life each of the players in the storied Samurai tale.
Join us on Sept 1st at our Rosedale Shopping Center location. Complementary snacks and drinks will be served.
STRICT Release: September 1, 2011 @ 10am CT
Jun29
20-Inch Killjoy Dunny is Coming!
2011 at 04:32 pm by admin | Comments Off
Attention Kidrobot Collectors!
On June 30, 2011 Tomodachi will have a limited number of 20″ Killjoy Dunnys available. Be sure to be here when we open because this Dunny is limited to 350 pieces worldwide! Check it out now.
About Killjoy
Stunningly complex and arresting, the high gloss 20” Killjoy Dunny by South African artist Kronk invokes spring’s delight at first blush, with its soft white, pink and blue floral design. But look closer and you’ll discover a far more dark and sinister vibe; the true Killjoy is no celebration of spring’s joyful rebirth. Instead, it’s the hollow stare of the round white eyes, the flowered frowns, the fresh wound in the back, and a heart gripped tight in the throes of angst. Maybe he’s telling us spring isn’t all it’s Kronked up to be. Beautifully complex, stunningly powerful, Killjoy just tells it like it is.
About the Artist
Kronk, a designer/illustrator based in Capetown, South Africa, refers to himself simply as “a human being.” He actually works for a living, getting paid to doodle cool stuff for big companies like soft drink giants, cell phone companies, cable TV and even his dad. He drinks lots of coffee and loves biltong, a cured meat delicacy of South
African origins. Every now and then he stumbles upon ideas that are conceptually relevant to the microcosms of other humans that exist in the current social environment. He rarely sleeps, but on those occasions when he does, he dreams about the stuff he wants to make. Kronk operates in a perpetual cycle of creativity; it’s a bit vicious, but it works for him. And you.
