das mo

new website - this blog is down!

2012-01-13T15:12:00.002+01:00

mates,

please continue following my stuff directly on www.das-mo.net .

thanks

timo

ironcloud - we take toy making serious

2011-12-12T10:08:00.005+01:00

Mates,

after Dust, Slurg and me found the ironcloud in 2010 there was not much happening.
We all have been busy with our own projects...

The Slurg and I were working on something for couple of months and were able to meet in Cologne for a week in order to make it happen. The master sculpture has been finished, first set of silicone molds produced and I started casting the new platform with a polymer plaster.

Please stay tuned and get ready for our global release events in 2012.

das mo

2011-07-26T10:59:00.002+02:00

Mates,

finished my custom 3 inch Android bot. Original platform by Andrew Bell - http://www.rotocasted.com/toy/12455/?number=20&seed=cc4619f2-140b-455c-86d9-43055ac699fd

das mo

2011-07-22T09:53:00.003+02:00

Mates,

have not been posting here for ages as most updates happen on Facebook these days. I did a custom Monster Mate for a show in Munich some month back and finished a custom 3 inch android this week. Need to be assembled still though...
Apart form that there are not major updates when it comes to final artworks as most projects I have been working on for the last months have epic scale compared to the little spare time I have. Hope to able to update you on them soon.

das mo

Golden Monster Mate

Custom Android Bot (not assembled yet...)

The last one of it´s kind - a custom Jouwe

2010-09-30T23:07:00.001+02:00

Mates,

just finished my custom Jouwe for a show that will be kicked off in Cologne this Saturday.

For those being around, don´t miss seeing a set of stunning customs at Arty Farty gallery:

http://www.artyfarty-gallery.com/blog/

Greetings

das mo

2010-09-30T06:09:00.006+02:00

custom jouwe show @ arty farty cologne, germany

2010-09-20T14:56:00.004+02:00

mates,

getting my custom jouwe done for the jouwe show in cologne, which opens october 2nd.
prepare for a killer vernissage with plenty of the 23 artists around...

if you are around cologne area beginning october or düsseldorf in november make sure to visit this show as it brings you a great variety and top nodge customizers from round the globe...

see you in cologne on october 2nd!

das mo

So much going on...

2010-05-28T01:10:00.003+02:00

Mates,

for those not following my updates on Facebook:

After the show in Istanbul, I was invited to show some toys at the Stroke02 Urban Art Fair here in Munich. It opened today and kept me quite busy lately...

Please find some stuff attached that can be seen at the Stroke Toy Room (3.10) till sunday this week!

space whale - custom TWRG by Pete Fowler

bramble dog - custom bramble toy by ashley wood

mystic worm - acrylics on canvas - 50x60cm

custom monster mate - bloody red

I also worked on a vinyl record that is currently in a show down under in Australia...

moctopus record - acrylics on vinyl record

timo aka "das mo"

update...

2010-04-09T10:24:00.003+02:00

mates,

little update to those, who do not follow "das mo artworks" on facebook:

i did a solo show at milk gallery in istanbul 2 weeks back.
for those being around: my toys will be displayed in the milk store for some more weeks, so make sure to drop by!

finally it looks like there is some progress no the s.p.u.d. 6 inch toy. i hope to get the prototype done in the next 2 weeks and can take it to molding and casting from there. despite the initial plans of having it produced in china, i am now back to manual work and will cast the toy myself using high quality polyurethan.

it will be 3 parts now - head, body and neck, allowing head rotation....

stay tuned!

das mo

collecting orders for the 6 inch s.p.u.d.

2010-02-01T15:38:00.002+01:00

mates,

i am currently collecting orders for the 6 inch s.p.u.d.
please let me know, if you are interested.

cheers

das mo

s.p.u.d.

2010-01-23T13:51:00.004+01:00

mates,

i am about to kick off the promotion for my new toy.
Finalizing the last bits and pieces....

I plan to produce 6 inch resin toys as well as 1 inch zipper pulls.

das mo

moving to facebook ...

2009-11-03T20:21:00.002+01:00

mates,

i just opened a facebook page to keep you updated on my new stuff.
would be great to welcome you as a regular visitor and fan...

greetings

das mo

-> das mo artworks

Long time no see....

2009-10-21T01:33:00.005+02:00

Mates,

what a break. Work kept me travelling for quite a few months, so I was not able to work on new stuff really. The only thing I got done was my custom Robolucha for a European show organized by ViseOne from Patchtogether.com.

Great lineup, great customs, great mess!!! The show was supposed to start in Istanbul, Turkey. Unfortunately the customs were never delivered to the gallery there...

It seems some fuckers stole the package with all the custom works! In case somebody comes accross any of those toys here, please get in touch!!!

Robolucha Custom Toy Show

I posted some more pics of my MoRobo on Flickr too...

Tonight I just finished a custom 2.5 inch Ox Ugly Doll Vinyl Toy.
It fell from my shelf some weeks back, so the paint of the right eye was scratched.
So - I replaced it tonight:

Hope being able to keep you updated with new stuff more regularly again...

das mo

mate island spotted ...

2009-07-11T23:54:00.004+02:00

mates,

a friend of mine just spotted the legendary mate island form his heli...

one of my next excursions will go there in order to find out more on the furry mates.

das mo

underground snapshot ...

2009-07-11T00:16:00.001+02:00

das mo

the caves of Mo Island...

2009-06-25T11:02:00.003+02:00

Moin,

I just want to provide you some pics of a canvas I did for the first Art Bastard group show.
Although still being listed in the store - it is gone to somebody´s apartment out there by now...

I just cleaned up my studio today and am finally able to work on some new stuff again! :D

Art Bastard will also upload some more of my stuff soon, so stayed tuned and support these guys building up a great urban art platform...

das mo

resin collective sale

2009-04-14T13:48:00.001+02:00

mates,

the resin toys & customs from the resin collective show @ the red hot robot are available now!!!

-> red hot robot

das mo

Monster Mates are taking over....

2009-04-03T10:08:00.006+02:00

Mates,

the time has come to welcome more Monster Mates on this lonely planet.

In cooperation with PatchTogether I offer 3" resin Monster Mates in various colorways to stores & toy fans now!

In case you want those, make sure your favorite toy store orders some.

Orders and additional info can be requested from Patchtogether ...

das mo

www.das-mo.net/monstermates is on its way...

another fancy show is coming up...

2009-04-01T18:55:00.003+02:00

mates,

i would like to point you at the first group show from the fresh street art people from iloveartbastard.com:

drop by and enjoy. the show runs until june 3rd in hannover, the beautiful.

das mo

gallery website

new stuff....

2009-03-15T23:47:00.006+01:00

hummingbird (acrylics on canvas - 50x20cm - 20x8inch)

moctopus III (acrylics on canvas - 24x18cm - 9.5x7inch)

das mo

The Resin Collective

2009-03-04T18:49:00.008+01:00

Mates,

I would like to inform you about an outstanding show happening in Phoenix:

All handmade resin stuff, so if you are close: Do not miss that one!!!

das mo

Moctopus canvas...

2009-03-01T10:36:00.003+01:00

mates,

another canvas done.

acrylics - 120x80cm - 47x16inch.

das mo

Custom Monster Mate from VISEone...

2009-02-25T10:30:00.002+01:00

Mates,

VISEone sent me these pics of his first custom Mate

Enjoy

das mo

Fred is pissed off!

2009-02-12T00:03:00.003+01:00

Remembering the good ol´ days when he and his 56k gang were rockin´ the crowd!
They were the latest, freshest technology! No more hacking via the telephone a la matrix style…

And now!? Only couple of years later... Being categorized as antique devices or even not known by the kids!

Anger grew and grew until today. It is time to stand up and fight for slow internet connection, isn´t it!?!

I did this piece for the current Custom Vibe Contest, which is about making something out of rubbish -> contest website...

das mo

New canvas...

2009-02-11T12:22:00.004+01:00

Just finalized a new piece last night.
Not clear coated yet though....

Greetings

das mo

Moctomate....

2009-01-30T16:25:00.002+01:00

My first custom piece this year....

Greetings

das mo

Stunning from B´ham...

2009-01-28T18:07:00.001+01:00

Mates,

these days Okkle sent me this outstanding piece:

Amazed....

das mo

Reduced prices on Art Bastard...

2009-01-20T10:17:00.002+01:00

Mates,

today the prices on Art Bastard have been reduced!

Good chance to grab yourself a handmade DIY Mate...

das mo

US Sale...

2009-01-19T11:38:00.003+01:00

Mates,

let´s get the remaining items out of store in the US: Heavy Price Drop!

DIY Mate - the toy everything started with in 2007 - 35USD only!
Pure solid, finest resin. Handcasted. 2 copies left! Buy it here!

DIY Monster Mate - I made only 7 of those boxes. 3 of them are now available at Banana Lab!
This toy comes with a little booklet; is limited to 7 copies and 100% handmade as usual...

Poison Green Monster Mate (artist edition) - Custom painted Monster Mate in poison green. Last chance to grab one of these fellas! Limited to 7 handcasted and painted copies! Now only 70USD! Get your Monster Mate now at Banana Labs!

Other toys from 2008 still available with shipping from Munich, Germany:

Custom Fyoog (LED version):

The Lost Guard:

The King Off

GID Monster Mate:

Greetings

das mo

Help...

2009-01-16T14:46:00.003+01:00

something strange happens with some gimos at night!!!

;P das mo

Some more stuff from 2008

2009-01-16T12:18:00.005+01:00

Mates,

let me just drop some more from 2008...

Greetings

das mo

Making of Gimo:

Some done and in progress canvas:

DJ Shadow - Preemptive Strike Mate...

2008-12-14T17:14:00.004+01:00

Mates,

did this one for a friend of mine last week....

This records for me stands for plenty of good times and parties during my university time.
The pal I was doing this for owned the LP that time and I was always happy to feed his turntables with it...

I really enjoyed doung this as the cover design is somewhat dirty and therefore allowed me to work messey here and there...

So much fun to not care about brushlines and stuff!

(Got the vinyl myself in the meantime! ;P)

Greetings to all shadow fans out there - meet you on the dancefloors at high noon!

das mo

weekend results (so far) ...

2008-11-30T12:15:00.002+01:00

mates,

let me give you a preview of a new toy that i casted yesterday. the arms will be unique handmade...

i was also playing around a bit on a canvas...

das mo

A lot of stuff in the pipeline...

2008-11-27T17:48:00.002+01:00

Mates,

there is a lot comin´up!!!

Just posted the Hunting Monster Mate at Patchtogether!

Tomorrow I will release a new toy from a fresh mold that I was working on last weekend.
I hope the mold turns out fine a the resin I have left is still ok...

Apart from that I am currently painting 3 MoctoMates, which are based on my DIY Mate toy platform!

And if there is some time left, I hopefully will be able to finsh the last canvases that I started long time back...

Stay tuned!

das mo

U-Boot

2008-11-17T16:03:00.003+01:00

Ahoi,

another design of mine has been uploaded on Patchtogether.com in order to receive your feedback -> U-Boot !

I designed this little U-Boot for a video game I was working on with some friends of mine during university. Still in love with this vehicle!

Would be great to be able to paint and collect it. What do you think?

das mo

Greetings to the uboot dev crew!!!

MoRhino

2008-10-17T19:22:00.003+02:00

Mates,

it has been some time since I was giving you some new stuff.
This was due to the fact that I did not spend all my nights on making toys
as well as the fact that I am currently working on some canvas pieces,
as I would like to get some stuff together for a show...

But I published a toy concept today on Patchtogether.com: MoRhino

Take a look and vote for this toy in order to motivate the
PatchTogether people to produce it!

Cheers

das mo

Coalesce Show - Bronx ...

2008-09-12T08:28:00.003+02:00

Mates,

I have two of my customs in a show in NYC Bronx these days:

You can visit the outstanding show at:

Focal Point Gallery
321 City Island Ave
Bronx, NY 10464

All toys can be purchased via the website:

http://coalescecustomvinylshow.blogspot.com/

If not sold in this show, my customs travel back to Europe
and will be available here...

Enjoy!

das mo

US shopping tour....

2008-09-04T15:02:00.004+02:00

mates,

I was hanging around in the US the last weeks and
got me some more "material" for new customs! :D

Hope to be able to get something new done soon...

das mo

Yes we can ...

2008-08-07T08:48:00.003+02:00

... make my Monster Mate a produtction piece!

Mates,

let me introduce you to PatchTogether - a website where toy designers can uload there designs and concepts. Those are judged by the visitors of the website and winners are picked on a regular basis to make real designer toys out of it!

How cool is this, huh?

So, if you like my stuff and the little nasty Monster Mate in particular:

Visit PatchTogether, create your account (you need this anyway to vote for more of my stuff in the future) & then vote for the monster mate and leave a comment! :D

Last step to perfection would be telling your friends about it... ;P

When this ends up in a more positive feedback than for other toy concepts we might make it happen!

Cheers for your support

das mo

yes we can ...

The tale of the half swallowed Teddy Trooper...

2008-08-02T12:51:00.003+02:00

Moinsen,

let me tell you about this one:

Once upon a time there was a little creature Swa
living on Mo Island that was outstanding hungry
and always swallowing everything coming along.

One day there was a Teddy Trooper passing by
enjoying the beauty of the island.

Swa was close and hungry seeing the Trooper close.

As his brain functionality estimating the size of booty
was overruled by his greed, Swa attacked the Trooper
immediately....

The Trooper was too big - off course he was!

Swa got stuck on top of the Trooper.
There was no way back nor forward!

Swa started to dribble and as the Trooper was not able to
get him of either.

Since they have not been seen, but maybe they became one of
the most amazing symbiosis of our time....

das mo

Heavy Monster Mate Support Bot ...

2008-07-13T21:22:00.009+02:00

Mates,

sorry for not being in touch with you for that long. But I was quite busy!

After being attacked by some Monster Mates on Mo Island beginning of this year, I started working on a Monster Mate Support Bot in order to be able to get closer to their hideouts.
It was a quite touch project, but I was able to commit the command over the Monster Mate robot to the Golden Cyclops Mate that I was working on around Xmas last year.
The size of the cyclops and its high developed AI unit allowed me to place it in the Monster Mate Support Bot cockpit and therefore to concentrate on the pure mechanical skills of the Bot.

First tests in my laboratory proved me right: the symbiosis of the cyclops´ intelligence and the bot´s strength is amazing! It definitely takes me to the next level of excursions on Mo Island!

I forgot to takes some pictures on the Bot on Mo Island and left it behind. This is why I would like to provide you some pictures of the model I did before working on the large sized one:

For those, who can not remember, how Monster Mates look like (shame on you) - this is poison green one I hit last year

And this is it - the heavy Monster Mate Support Bot:

The gun of the model acts as switch for the 3 LEDs...

Cockpit insights...

Hope you like it! In case you like it a lot, please feel free to volunteer for having it at home! ;D

das mo

no updates ...

2008-07-09T18:17:00.002+02:00

mates,

have been quite lazy in terms of creating new toys and things in the last months....

i will paint that cyclop controlled monster mate soon that i have posted long time ago!

in the meantime - check out the MOctopus USB flash drive i designed on fabidoo.com

you can vote for this design until end of this week in the contest!!!

das mo

ART BASTARD....

2008-06-04T17:08:00.003+02:00

Mates,

Art Bastard just launched there online store trying to build up a global selling and buying platform for urban art!

I have some toys in already and will sell most of my artwork via this channel in the future!

Check it out: Art Bastard

das mo

Special pricing in the US

2008-06-02T16:22:00.004+02:00

Mates....

there is a limited number of DIY Mates available for 35 USD at Banana Lab now!!!

Make sure to catch one!

das mo

c.a.m.o.o.

2008-04-26T12:26:00.011+02:00

Mates,

fabidoo.com has launched a new toy I designed - c.a.m.o.o.:

Visit fabidoo to:

- customize a c.a.m.o.o.!
- submit it to the weekly contest and get your custom c.a.m.o.o. shipped!
- order your custom c.a.m.o.o printed via a 3D printer!

Enjoy

das mo

2008-04-18T15:08:00.004+02:00

Mates,

on my last trip to Mo Island I was diving into the depth north of the main island.
When I was about to go up, I relaized a group of little animals flashing in the dark...

They somehow seemed to move in a very simultaneous way...

Getting closer I realized that it not small creatures at all.
And I started to realize that I hit something much bigger...

das mo - MOctopus - acrylics on canvas - 24x18cm - 9.5x7inch

das mo

Finished a little canvas...

2008-04-13T21:40:00.001+02:00

Mates,

I just finished another little canvas:

das mo

Custom Vibe Competition

2008-04-13T19:56:00.001+02:00

Mates,

just want to point you at this nice contest from Custom Vibe again:

link

There are 7 DIY toys to win!!! Simply post a picture of your custom super hero toy until 1st of may and become owner of this stunning collection of DIY toys!!!

das mo

MOctopus

2008-04-08T18:22:00.007+02:00

Mates,

I have worked on my first Mini Munny, which is toy by Kidrobot.com:
I turned it into a MOctopus, which is a very rare species from Mo Island:

The eyes can be switched on and off via the switch at the Munny´s tail.

das mo

Pimped my Fyoog...

2008-04-02T00:44:00.007+02:00

Mates,

I invested few more hours into my Fyoog today!

You need to have a close look from the front to see the change:

But on the back there is a lever:

Which can be moved from left to right - surprise surprise:

And when we switch of the sun....

I was my first time using LEDs and a soldering gun. Lessons learned: Touching the front of the gun hurts and does not make much sense...

Cheers

das mo

custom fyoog...

2008-03-30T20:00:00.007+02:00

G4G,

I am so sorry! I know that I told you to keep an eye on the Fyoog, but on my last expedition to Mo Island I thought it would be a great idea to take the Fyoog along for some heavy labor.
He was great support until we have been attacked by some creatures that I did not come across so far. He protected me well and disappeared right afterwards. Guess it was about some broken circuits.
I found him few weeks later using the locating unit you have installed lately! He seems to be fine, but needs some fixing and a new paint job soon!

I will manage that and keep you up to date! I hope all the other prototypes run fine too!

Sorry again!

das mo

!!! Fyoogs can be ordered from here !!!

Original cast from G4G:

mate zipper pulls...

2008-03-19T23:53:00.004+01:00

Mates,

it took me some month of trial and error, but today is the day I finally casted some mini mates I am happy with:

Cheers for checking out my stuff!

das mo

2008-03-16T22:10:00.002+01:00

Just did another one with spraypaint and markers as I enjoyed paiting that tree in the background. Some more work needed on the refinement of them...

das mo - trees - spraypaint and markers on canvas - 20x20cm - 8x8inch

das mo

Art Bastard

2008-03-16T19:35:00.001+01:00

Mates,

some fellows from Hannover Germany have launched a new platform this weekend:

http://www.iloveartbastard.com

The online shop, which will launch soon, is meant to enable everybody selling his/her art online. There are also plans to rent a gallery in the future for being able to run art exhibitions.

Register today and get your art out there!!!

das mo

Resting Monster Mate Canvas ... (sold)

2008-03-16T19:25:00.004+01:00

Mates,

got up this morning and felt like painting a canvas.. it´s been some time I did that...

The ones owning one of my monster toys already know about the habits of Monster Mates for all the others:

... As Monster Mates usually hunt at night time, they rest during the day.
In order to avoid attacks while resting, they developed a simple
one-of-a-kind way to hide. Using their strong front legs, they
dig a shallow dell in the ground, to fit their head and limbs, leaving only
their massive backs visible...

das mo - resting monster mate - acrylics on canvas - 24x18cm - 9.5x7inch

I also worked on a new mold for Mates and casted a new run on friday, so that DIY Mates are available again! :)

Cheers for looking!

das mo

DIY Mate on toybreak.com ...

2008-03-04T19:39:00.002+01:00

Mates,

the DIY Mate got reviewed in episode 28 of ToyBreak.com. No idea, why the spraycan head was leaching??? Probably some release agent from the mold...

Check it out (for those in hurry - time stamp is around 25:30):

das mo

"Multiple Personalities" group show @ LiFT Detroit ...

2008-03-02T23:14:00.002+01:00

mates,

i just boxed my customs for a toy show in detroit organized by D-Lux. have this little sneak preview on my stuff for the show...

the lost guard

be careful with that cannon - please!!!

king of ...

hope you like it!!!

das mo

DIY Monster Mates are boxed...

2008-02-25T00:47:00.005+01:00

Mates,

I just boxed up series one of my DIY Monster Mates!

There are 7 of them available. The box includes:

- aprox. 3" resin casted toy
- a set of 8 teeth modeled with milliput*
- a booklet with some info on monster mates
- 3 copies of my postcard of Mo Island

* teeth are not glued in the mouth to allow you easy painting

Everything is handmade by me as usual!

As I plan to ship 2 to 3 of them to LiFT in Detroit, there are 4 or 5 available now!

das mo

spooky monster mate...

2008-02-20T15:33:00.004+01:00

mates,

i bought some phosphorescent pigment and mixed some nice colour glowing in the dark. the eyes, teeth and grooves on hands of this monster mate can be "charged" by light and then glow in darkness - spooky! ;D

das mo

plenty of new stuff...

2008-02-03T22:36:00.000+01:00

mates,

i got some nice outside shots of the monster mates for you:

and some results from playing around this weekend:

das mo

The Tales of Mo Island...

2008-02-01T12:22:00.001+01:00

Mates,

the limited edition set of 7 poison green monster mates and boxes is done. As usual this is a 100% in house production! A small booklet and postcard from mo island is part of the box...

Preorder has started! I´ll be able to ship them next week. Drop me an email to mail[at]das-mo.net in case you want to have one of these very rare handmade toys!

das mo

Boxing...

2008-01-22T23:25:00.000+01:00

Ladies and gentlemen,

as I am not happy with the monster mates yet, lets have a sneak preview on the box design tonight. Not done yet, but the basic idea is realized:

Cheers

das mo

Draft...

2008-01-20T23:35:00.000+01:00

As usual all this takes much longer than expected. Would have enjoyed to present to you the finished ones, but....

I´m back...

2008-01-20T20:26:00.001+01:00

Mates,

has been a long time since I posted something. I hope you all had a great Xmas and stuff. I was not really investing plenty of time into my toy project lately. The freezy wheather caused trouble with priming the toys outside and there were some computer games to be played! :)
Yesterday I finally started working again on my monster mates and it was a quite successful weekend. Let´s see whether I will be able to give you some pics of the final ones tonight.
In the meantime enjoy this great custom mate by Tan-Ki from France:

Find more great artwork by Tan-Ki at www.tanki.fr

Greetings

das mo

zombie mate from riot68...

2007-12-09T23:46:00.000+01:00

A custom mate flipped in today from the UK. Riot68 finished his first custom mate ...

das mo

mo´s zipper pull mates...

2007-12-07T18:05:00.000+01:00

just want to show you the prototypes i got today for the mate zipper pulls. i got them printed with a 3d printer in 2,5 and 3 cm height. as 2,5 cm is too small, i plan to go for 3 cm zipper pulls. the fellow needs some smoothing and priming first. let´s see - quite a challenge to do minimolding i fear!

das mo

Little update...

2007-12-03T15:15:00.000+01:00

Mates,

the 10 DIY mates I shipped to Royal Oak in October finally arrived at LIFT. Kent sells them for 45USD only - so US toy fans go for it!!!

I was quite busy working on graphics for my tales of mo island series and the mate zipper pulls coming up soon. Stay tuned for updates and put aside some of your xmas money for new stuff from Munich!!!

das mo

MOnster mate....

2007-11-12T13:29:00.000+01:00

Mates,

as the minor outstanding improvements will not be visible on a small picture anyway, I would like to present to you my first custom painted toy ever! ;D

My monster mate:

das mo

big red mate...

2007-11-04T21:19:00.000+01:00

painted a mate for my buddy "big red".

so - this is how the little fellow looks like sanded , primed and painted...

das mo

hiking mate...

2007-11-01T23:54:00.000+01:00

Studio Pics of DIY Mate...

2007-10-30T12:14:00.001+01:00

Daan from customtoyworld.com provided me some nice pictures of his diy mate today. They are too nice too be hidden on my disk:

Please make sure to pay customtoyworld a visit. It is a new fast growing platform for toy makers, customizers and lovers!!!

Do not miss the interview with Okkle from UK with some first pics of his first custom mate! ;P

Cheers

das mo

first customs sneak...

2007-10-28T18:54:00.000+01:00

Mates,

I am about to finish the sculpting activities on my first two customs. Have a sneak preview on them...

Shark Mate - gills missing so far:

Monster Mate - teeth will be glued in carved mouth after painting is done:

das mo

New point of sale in Munich...

2007-10-19T16:47:00.000+02:00

Mates,

as of today the Soda book store in Munich is selling my little fellows! In case you are around make sure to drop by! Apart from some nice toys there are plenty of great books and magazines around....

das mo

First customs awaited...

2007-10-15T11:10:00.000+02:00

Mates,

there was a first bunch of orders from UK and US mainly. Thank you!

Now there are some great toy artists working on some mates and I am awaiting the first results. I also started to work on some customs and will post some pictures soon....

There are still some mates hanging around in my apartment, so make sure that you grab yours soon! ;P

das mo

Update...

2007-10-05T11:08:00.001+02:00

Mates,

in the meantime I have boxed 25 diy mates, shipped the first diy mates and found a point of sale in Detroit. I will post you the link as soon as the store starts the preoders! Soda Books in Munich will also have some diy mates available soon!

As some molds start to get brittle, I will start replacing one by one soon to have cleaner casts again.

Since last night, there are some news on Vinyl Abuse and Plastic and Plush ! ;D

Cheers

das mo

Basement session...

2007-10-02T20:03:00.000+02:00

mo´s mates are on sale...

2007-10-01T10:42:00.001+02:00

Mates,

finally: due to your support and feedback during the last weeks, I am finally able to start selling the first 10 diy bundles of mo´s mates! Casting goes on every night....

As stated before I am in contact with some stores in the UK and US for hopefully being able to cut down costs for you. This actually depends on how much money these stores want to make. I really hope it pays of for you! Actually there is also some issues to be solved with the complex german tax laws....

Apart from that I send out my mates from today on myself!!!

Although I was forced to invest much more money than planned into this project (do not tell my girl - it was plenty of cash), I would like to keep the announced price of

26 Euro (37 USD, 18 GBP) including paypal fees.

Please feel free to pay more to work on my break even! ;P

As international bank transfer seems to be quite expensive (especially from the US), I would like to go for paypal. You can also go a different way, if cheaper for you, as long as the money arrives.

Now we get to the worst part - shipping costs and toll fees:

In general shipping costs are the same for 1 to 6 diy bundles and do not increase significantly for 6+, so tell your friends, grandmas,.... about my mates and always remember: These guys do not like to travel alone! ;D

Within Europe it is not a big deal. National shipping is 4 Euro. International 9 Euros and there are no toll fees. For the US it is around 13 Euros plus some toll fees. I actually was not able to find out, how those guys calculate it. For some bigger orders from Rotofugi I payed around 10% of the value of goods. Might be similar in the US!? Please get back to me on other countries. So:

1. Please place your orders via Email - mail[at]das-mo.net
2. I will get back to you on specific costs and my paypal account
3. When money arrives, I send out your mate
4. You place some wicked design on the diy mate
5. If are fine with it: You send me pics and confirm that I can print and publish them.
6. I will be very happy!!!!!

I think this is it....

Thanks for supporting me on my little project!!!

das mo

the mates army assumes shape...

2007-09-30T23:59:00.001+02:00

production runs fine so far....

2007-09-30T03:30:00.001+02:00

the first ours of mate home production ran quite well. let´s hope for this to continue...

2007-09-27T23:20:00.000+02:00

I finished the master body tonight and made my first experience with Mold Max - nasty stuff! It is sticky as bubble gum and I messed around quite well! ;) Now I have some modern piece of art on our living room table, made of legos, silikon and everything that was not able to escape...

Boxes...

2007-09-27T09:44:00.001+02:00

The master is almost done, so I will be able to work on the mold soon...

Let me share some insights into my print shop formally known as living room in the meantime:

Back on track...

2007-09-20T20:23:00.001+02:00

Mates,

today the new material arrived and I found some time to work on the master body.

Hope for the best!

das mo

Bad weekend...

2007-09-18T09:52:00.000+02:00

Actually my weekend started great. Coming home from work a big package blocked my door. It was few gallons of Smooth Cast 305 that I ordered the other day. I didn´t expect it to arrive before the weekend, so I switched plans from printing the boxes for the mates to casting mates. So far so good...
First I broke the master. Fixing the master head in the master body, I managed to break off the whole front of the "collar". Great! Well, at that point in time I was not too frustrated, because I still had the mold, right.
So, get ready for casting. The first two bundles came out fine. When I started the third one, it was getting dark and cold outside, so I decided to continue inside with an open window for the necessary fresh air. 30 minutes after having poured the resin inside the molds, I realized that the resin did not transform into a solid smooth white toy but a slug-soft something, which actually decided to join the silicon mold here and there. It tooks me several ours to clean the mold. It was not perfect, but I hoped for a good next cast anyway... So - mates, when the SC manual tells you that this resin needs to be kept dry even during the casting process - believe it. It sucks water even from the air like a black does and ruins cast and mold!!!
Next day I gave it another try. This time I used a lot of release agent to be sure that everything goes well. Air was dry. Let´s do it! After the standard waiting time of 30 minutes, I entered the room and was really happy to see a solid white material. This happiness ended quite abrupt, when I demolded the body and realized that parts of the mold stuck on the cast.
So - here I am. No master, no mold and only few casts, which are not perfect enough to become the master for a new mold!

I will get back to you, when I have a clue on how to continue....

das mo

Way forward...

2007-09-12T16:25:00.000+02:00

after taking a decision on how to do the packaging last night, I ordered lots of resin this morning. Finally! I decided to go for the Smooth Cast 305 one, which some of you should know from the designer toy forums. It is pretty expensive, but the quality rocks and the solid material will provide you heavy customization potentials.
Tomorrow I will start collecting the different items for packaging. The boxes will be illustrated manually to give this custom toy a adequate package.

I´ll keep you updated!

das mo

Issues, issues, issues,...

2007-09-11T11:51:00.000+02:00

Mates,

the funny part of my project is over and I am currently trying to find ways to cut down production costs. The resin is quite expensive, but as I do not want to go for a lower quality one, its hard find a solution on this. Apart form that some traders only sell to companies and shipping costs are almost unacceptable high for heavy chemicals.
As recognized by other toy makers before, getting the packaging done on your own is tough. I am fan of fancy packaging, so I am trying to put some additional time and money into that. I hope people will appreciate that! ;)
When those things are handled, I can finalize my pricing calculations and inform the toy world about mo´s mates going on sale!

Until then I hope that you will work on the templates. Can´t wait to see what you have in mind when looking at the DIY!!!

Best Regards

das mo

Decision taken...

2007-09-07T11:30:00.000+02:00

the little fellow was baptised "mate" in a fancy ceremony last night! ;)

"DIY mate" will hopefully be joined by some other mates soon ...

Stay tuned!

Templates for Bundle 1...

2007-09-05T23:33:00.000+02:00

I just prepared templates for those of you, who plan to customize the little fellow*.

Template for the can head.

Template for the basic head.

I am looking forward to all your crazy ideas!

das mo

* I still have not decided about the name! ;(

Both versions side by side...

2007-09-05T10:07:00.001+02:00

I sanded off the second body yesterday. This is the two versions you will be able to put together with bundle one. I actually plan to put few caps in different colours to the box.

First casting results...

2007-09-04T11:02:00.000+02:00

So - after few weeks of work the first set was successfully casted:

Fresh casted parts. The overlapping material needs to cut and sanded off manually.

2007-09-04T10:58:00.000+02:00

Making the mold...

2007-09-04T10:55:00.000+02:00

Master Piece

2007-09-04T10:37:00.000+02:00

This is the master piece I modelled using a knid of ceramic powder thats simply needs to be mixed with water to cast a solid block as a starting point:

Welcome to the documentation of my current toy project

2007-09-04T08:14:00.000+02:00

Mates,

after thinking about launching a website to document some of my projects and being very much afraid of fighting code and scripts, I go the easy way and invest my time in toymaking instead!

After being fascinated by designer toys since I came accross the first Monsterism series (www.monsterism.net) by Pete Fowler years ago, I spend lots of time enjoying products and documentations of this art form.

As I am drawing cartoons and characters since my childhood, I was stunned when realizing, how much is going on in toy design discussion boards, such as http://forums.kidrobot.com/ and http://forums.rotofugi.com/index.php . Being inspired by artists and introduced to the how-to´s and materials, I started to model my first toy this summer.

This blog is meant to document the path of trials and errors and from a bucket of materials to a toy!

Enjoy and please get back to me with feedback at any time!

das mo

das mo

new website - this blog is down!

ironcloud - we take toy making serious

The last one of it´s kind - a custom Jouwe

custom jouwe show @ arty farty cologne, germany

So much going on...

update...

collecting orders for the 6 inch s.p.u.d.

s.p.u.d.

moving to facebook ...

Long time no see....

mate island spotted ...

underground snapshot ...

the caves of Mo Island...

resin collective sale

Monster Mates are taking over....

another fancy show is coming up...

new stuff....

The Resin Collective

Moctopus canvas...

Custom Monster Mate from VISEone...

Fred is pissed off!

New canvas...

Moctomate....

Stunning from B´ham...

Reduced prices on Art Bastard...

US Sale...

Help...

Some more stuff from 2008

DJ Shadow - Preemptive Strike Mate...

weekend results (so far) ...

A lot of stuff in the pipeline...

U-Boot

MoRhino

Coalesce Show - Bronx ...

US shopping tour....

Yes we can ...

The tale of the half swallowed Teddy Trooper...

Heavy Monster Mate Support Bot ...

no updates ...

ART BASTARD....

Special pricing in the US

c.a.m.o.o.

Finished a little canvas...

***Custom Vibe Competition***

MOctopus

Pimped my Fyoog...

custom fyoog...

mate zipper pulls...

Art Bastard

Resting Monster Mate Canvas ... (sold)

DIY Mate on toybreak.com ...

"Multiple Personalities" group show @ LiFT Detroit ...

DIY Monster Mates are boxed...

spooky monster mate...

plenty of new stuff...

The Tales of Mo Island...

Boxing...

Draft...

I´m back...

zombie mate from riot68...

mo´s zipper pull mates...

Little update...

MOnster mate....

big red mate...

hiking mate...

Studio Pics of DIY Mate...

first customs sneak...

New point of sale in Munich...

First customs awaited...

Update...

Basement session...

mo´s mates are on sale...

the mates army assumes shape...

production runs fine so far....

Boxes...

Back on track...

Bad weekend...

Way forward...

Issues, issues, issues,...

Custom Vibe Competition