Profile for bortwein - Adventure Spy Toy for MAD Magazine. Was just @ NY Comic-con 2011

bortwein aka Brandon is a 36.64 year old boy, has been a member since October 8, 2003, has scored 108,578 submissions, giving an average score of 1.65, helping 1,608 designs get printed.

URL: http://homepage.mac.com/bortwein/
AIM: bortwein

Jun 09 '11 by bortwein
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Adventure Spy Toy for MAD Magazine. Was just @ NY Comic-con 2011

Adventure Spy is a Custom Vinyl Blank Toy that I painted and customized for MAD Magazine in honor of the Spy vs Spy 50th Anniversary. The toy will be shown at the 2011 San Diego Comic-con in the DC Comics area. I was contacted by MAD Magazine back on April 1st to customize the toy for the publication and celebration of Spy vs Spy. At first I didn't know if it was an April Fools joke or not, but it turned out to be a really cool project and no joke. Other artists were also approached, so I wasn't the only one custom painting the blank toy.

Now it shares the company of other spy creations by the likes of Pendleton Ward of Adventure Time and Weird Al Yankovic

Also the 2 sided Poster featuring all 50 of the spy creations was in Issue #511 the one with the Angry Birds spoof on it. I got some prime real estate up in the left hand corner of one of the two sides.

Photo by Phil. Featuring Adventure Spy, Alvin and Shimala.

"Adventure Spy" is now on display at the San Diego Comic-con 2011!!!
Photo By insidethemagic

Featured on the MAD: The Idiotical Blog (July 7th, 2011) The Official MAD Magazine Blog

The Sneak Peek page featuring 3 of the toys in this issue of MAD Magazine. Including Mine as one of the three! CLick the image to see it bigger.

Here is what it looked like when I got it:

The concept sketch of the character.

All the parts in my custom cardboard Spray Booth getting a coat of Primer.

Stage 1 of the Painting process.

Stage 2 of the Painting process.

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bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 1:35pm

Other artist were also approached, so I wasn't the only one custom painting the blank toy.

NiNTH WHEEL on Jun 09 '11 at 1:39pm

Awesome!

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 1:50pm

The skull idol and the whip handle are made from sculpey. The whip is twine and a wire stolen from a twist tie which was woven and then painted.

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 2:32pm

this was fun to paint.

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 2:34pm

Posted a photo of the original Blank toy.

squintygirl on Jun 09 '11 at 2:40pm

Awesome!

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 2:47pm

thanks.

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 2:47pm

it wasn't easy to paint the joint areas. This was also my first ever blank toy project.

FRICKINAWESOME on Jun 09 '11 at 2:51pm

ahaha@manly scruff on the bottom of the spy's ridiculously shaped head. Grats man, looks real cool!

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 2:53pm

ha thanks. That scruff was not easy to paint. I ended up redoing it 3 times. Each time with a different style and size tooth brush.

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 4:08pm

I can't wait for them to publish all of the different artists versions of the blank toy.

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 8:10pm

if you are going to the San Diego Comic-con this July keep an eye for it at the DC Comics area.

Bio-bot 9000 on Jun 09 '11 at 8:25pm

Awesome!

I stopped reading Mad magazine soon after Spy v. Spy became color. I didn't like the new artwork or format. Also, I turned 16.

Bio-bot 9000 on Jun 09 '11 at 8:26pm

But i appreciate a good blank toy canvas.

the czar on Jun 09 '11 at 8:41pm

That is amazing! Great job man!

Daviisilva on Jun 09 '11 at 8:46pm

= O ~~ where can I buy a blank one??

toopersent on Jun 09 '11 at 8:51pm

Wow, really nice. I grew up with Spy vs. Spy and, naturally, am a big fan. Fantastic work!

mitchloidolt on Jun 09 '11 at 9:03pm

rad :D

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 9:08pm

Daviisilva: I don't think they are available any where at the moment and I'm not sure if they will release the blank.

reags on Jun 09 '11 at 9:09pm

That is fantastic work mate!

bortwein on Jun 09 '11 at 10:09pm

Thanks. I had less than a month to work on it.

Daviisilva on Jun 09 '11 at 10:12pm

congrats by the way, the costumization looks great!!

SuperRyan on Jun 09 '11 at 10:22pm

that is cool

Steve The Great on Jun 09 '11 at 10:32pm

so cool!

bortwein on Jun 10 '11 at 9:12am

thanks all.

4 days later

bortwein on Jun 14 '11 at 1:17pm

Just saw another artists version of the Spy blank. It was really cool.

bortwein on Jun 14 '11 at 1:23pm

Also I just found this. Spy vs Spy 50th Anniversary toy box set

2 days later

bortwein on Jun 16 '11 at 2:49pm

Posted the project to the Behance network

rodrigobhz on Jun 16 '11 at 2:53pm

Woah! Fantastic work!

bortwein on Jun 17 '11 at 12:11pm

thanks. I can't wait until they publish more of the other artist versions of the toys. They are all supposed to be in an issue of MAD Magazine later this year but they are going to show some of them on their blog before Comic-con... I think.

2 days later

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 9:38am

Added some of the in-progress photos of the toy.

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 11:21am

wish I took more pics when I was spraying down the brown and then later when I was sculpting the idol. I ended up creating 2 idols before deciding to go with the smaller version of the 2 I made.

Bio-bot 9000 on Jun 20 '11 at 12:30pm

I just read the August issue (Green Lantern cover) of Mad (my brother has a subscription). Congrats dude!

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 1:54pm

are photos of the spy toys in there? or just a mention of the project?

Bio-bot 9000 on Jun 20 '11 at 2:02pm

there are photos of yours and 2 other figures!

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 2:11pm

A Robot Decoy looking one and a Cowboy with an outfit made out of Felt?

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 2:15pm

Robot Decoy Spy
&
Black Cowboy Spy

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 2:37pm

Now I'm going to have to find myself a copy. Already called one local comic book shop to see if they have it... no luck.

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 3:43pm

Can't wait to see the magazine in person!!!

bortwein on Jun 20 '11 at 9:12pm

The comic book store has not gotten the magazine in yet so they are going to email me when they arrive and put one aside for me. :-)

bortwein on Jun 21 '11 at 9:50am

I just found out that this issue is just the Teaser! The Teaser!!!! Wow I was included in the group to tease the custom spy toys. There will be a later issue with all of the spies featured, so that means I get my spy printed in 2 different issues of MAD. How awesome is that...

bortwein on Jun 21 '11 at 10:10am

Hooray!

6 days later

bortwein on Jun 27 '11 at 10:12am

Posted a Photo of the Magazine and the page with the Sneak Peek photos/blurb about the custom toys. I was 1 of 50 artists asked to participate in the project!

bortwein on Jun 27 '11 at 11:18am

Looks like they used the photo that I took.

bortwein on Jun 27 '11 at 3:59pm

I'm very curious about the rest of the 50 artist concepts.

bortwein on Jun 28 '11 at 9:52am

morning bump for the hell of it.

Daviisilva on Jun 28 '11 at 10:14am

Congratulations! Great stuff.. had a good laugh with the green lantern cover also!

9 days later

bortwein on Jul 07 '11 at 11:25am

Featured on the MAD: The Idiotical Blog (July 7th, 2011) The official MAD Magazine Blog!

spacesick on Jul 07 '11 at 11:36am

that's awesome dude! :D

bortwein on Jul 07 '11 at 11:50am

thanks. I was so excited to be contacted by MAD Magazine when they started this project.

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