A good friend of mine is an avid toy collector. Don't make "40 Year Old Virgin" jokes when you visit him at his apartment for the first time. Trust me, he's heard them all. He lives in a cozy one-bedroom in central Tucson and that bedroom is stocked, floor to ceiling, with collectible toys.

Currently house-hunting, he needs more space. For himself and the countless Mighty Muggs, Star Wars Figures, Ugly dolls and Domos, Batman, Spiderman and Billy dolls. He even has a few old Micronauts, my toy of choice growing up. I have a fairly impressive collection of them still. But they remain in a box in the garage, likely globs of colorful and unidentifiable molten plastic courtesy of the Sonoran summer heat.

Pictured here is a limited edition Darth Maul vinyl figure that belongs to my friend. Standing roughly nine inches in height, it draws attention even from the back corner of my studio. Inspired by the character from the animated series of Star Wars, he's my favorite Darth Maul yet.

On the very tip of the nose is a chip out of the red paint. Drew asked me if I would try to match the color and paint the flaw. It's a challenging task for even such a tiny spot. Because it got chipped, there was a slight indentation in the nose. That needed to be filled. And not only does the color need to be matched but also its sheen. If it is too glossy or too matte it will be noticeable. So far the process is going well. I have filled the chip and plan to match the red and do a final coat within the next couple of days. No one will ever know. 

Working on this figure has given me an even greater appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship of these unique sculptured characters. It's an art form that I hope to explore myself someday soon. I would like nothing more than to see vinyl versions of Leek & Riley out in the world.

I don't know a lot about these vinyl toys, but I really dig them. I first came across them during one of my recent trips to San Francisco. I picked up a copy of Hi-Fructose at City Lights after having lunch at House of Nanking on the edge of Chinatown. (If you haven't checked out this publication, I recommend you visit them online immediately. And Nanking does an amazing thing with yams, by the way.)

Hi-Fructose will introduce you to some incredibly talented contemporary artists. Styles of painting, drawing, photography, digital and sculpture you may not have had much prior exposure to. Great artists like, Brandon Maldanado, Laurie Hassold and Yosuke Ueno fill the pages with inspired creativity.

In that particular issue was an ad for a store called Double Punch. It is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods, North Beach, on Powell just below Washington Square. I could only imagine the erection my friend would have had to conceal had he walked in the door with me. And I have to tell you, there was so much cool merchandise on their shelves, I was a bit aroused myself.

I picked up one of the Misery Children, by artist Kathie Olivas, as a gift for my toycentric buddy back home. It went over very well and I enjoy seeing it displayed in the living room, normally next to Darth Maul, whenever I visit.

Lulubell Toy Bodega

All of this brings me to what I really have been wanting to tell you.

Tucson has its own terrific designer toy store. It's called Lulubell Toy Bodega.

Located right off Fourth Avenue at 6th & 6th (the old Firestone Building) they have a great variety of vinyl toys as well as t-shirts, designer plush toys, resin figures, books and art. And they're cool people too.

They also have an online store so be sure to check them out, whether you live in Tucson or elsewhere. But if you do live in this little desert city, be sure to stop by and get a unique gift for yourself and a friend. The perfect double punch.