Realizing that the human face is a much more expressive than a few well-placed characters , Right Brain Terrain has come up with a project called Real_Emoticon. It allows you to use your own visage instead of Mr. Yellow Happy Face. All you have to do is send in three successive photographs against a simple background and they’ll transform you into a visual cue. We’re practicing getting the dollar signs in our eyes just right.

Remember when Michael Jordan retired from basketball to play baseball, only to go back to basketball and win three more championships? That is basically the story of Olimax. A pivotal photographer in the 80s who gave all of his cameras away to work as a music producer, he announced his return to photography a few years back and created the book Possession 78, a series of portraits in South London. The book and project were great, except it took a year to do. Why take a year when you can finish the same work in an afternoon in a pub? For Olimax’s new portrait project he wants everyone to come The Victorian pub in London and pose for a photo (professional hair and make up will be available) at 3 p.m. on August 31. The project was originally slated to be 26 portraits based on the alphabet, but because of a growing demand an alphabet soup is a more accurate portrayal. Everyone who shows up will have their photo taken and every photo will be used in the book. Send an email to abcd [at] olimax.com to reserve a time spot — or just show up and enjoy some drinks and have your portrait taken by a landmark photographer.

The Nat 2 Shoe that’s buzzing around the blogosphere has me in stitches today. It’s reminiscent of those old school REI pants that zip off into shorts. The ones I had to have to go camping as a kid. More than 20 perplexing styles are for sale by this company– and all I can think to myself is– seriously? What happened to some good old fashioned flip flops and chucks in your bag? And something about the glitzy zipper around the sandal has my toes curling up to avoid scrapes and cuts. But the concept looks fun, almost like an art piece. What do you think, readers?

Via Core77 and Daily Mail

I’m not sure if Kidrobot’s Dunnys are the “world’s greatest vinyl canvas” as their press releases proclaim, but they certainly are one of the most popular. As a designer toy created by KR founder Paul Budnitz (with Tristan Eaton), Dunnys have been released in four core assortments and a handful of special series. Series 5, however, is prepared to dominate with a truly amazing selection of artists.

The 19 new Dunnys include designs by: Amanda Visell, Aya Kakeda, Clutter, Devilrobots, Dirty Donny, Frank Kozik, Huck Gee, JMGS//Jellymoon, Jesse LeDoux, JK5, Junko Mizuno, Kathie Olivas, MAD, Mad Barbarians, MISHKA, Reach, Sneaky Raccoon, Steven Harrington, TOOFLY.

Each Dunny is sold blind-boxed for $6.95. You might get doubles, but you’ve got a shot at the Kozik Mecha or 1 of 600 Golden Tickets redeemable for an exclusive Huck Gee figure (that’s like, $8 million dollars on the aftermarket…). Dunny Series 5 drops September 4th. Let the trading parties commence!

The 2008 Olympics are like the war in Iraq. You may not approve of the politics, but you still want to support the people. Take Pride is a T-shirt company that designs tees that illustrate the stories of young soldiers and donates a portion of the proceeds to veterans. Their latest is the “Stronger” shirt and duffel bag that celebrate the life of Melissa Stockwell, a 28-year-old who has become the first U.S. female amputee (or more importantly, the first Iraq War veteran) to qualify for the Beijing Paralympics. You’ll be helping out some athletes who really deserve your money.

Jon Burgerman is one of the most prolific illustrators in the U.K. His doodles have adorned platform toys, shirts and skate decks. On September 25th, when Kidrobot drops The Heroes of Burgertown, he can add a line of mini-figures to his portfolio. Fans of Jon’s style will recognize characters like Coco Gulab Jaman who’ve popped up throughout the years, even appearing as figures in a 2006 Artoyz show. The premise for the new series is that each character has been made into a toy as a reward for their achievements in Burgertown. Says Jon: “It’s a gentle jab at the cult of celebrity and how it’s the dubious accomplishments that usually get rewarded with recognition.” The blind-boxed vinyl series contains 16 standards and two chase figures and will retail for $7.95 each.