Update - August, 2008
There are 3 new figures that are some of the best of the lot on a new page that I've called
Newest Figures. Check them out, they are the last figures that will be posted on this site for the forseeable future.
I have entered into graduate school and I cannot keep the business open and do my studies. Perhaps, one day I will reopen the doors
to the public and start taking action figure orders again, but alas, not now.
Thank you for your support over the past 5 years. It's been a helluva ride, and all of my many fans friends family
and clients helped me realize a dream. Thanks to you I can say that for a time in my life, I lived the artists life and didn't
starve. Thanks.
Update - January...does the day matter?...it's been nearly 6 months, 2008
There are 8 new figures that are some of the best of the lot on a new page that I've called
Newest Figures. Among the gang is a figure that I made of my beloved Brother-In-Law, Luke Stanford, check him out!
Also new to the site is a long page chock full of photos and descriptiongs that answers an age old question --
"How do you do it?". If you are one of the many who has asked that alound then please make your way to
our new action figure tutorial page that shows progress shots of one of the newest figures.
Over on the Press page you'll find two new articles, one from the Jewish Exponent and the other
from Die Welt Online, a german language site. HFT continues to be international, baby! Thanks for visiting and check back in another
half a year for more action-figurey goodness!
Update - July 18th, 2006
It happened again. Although it appears that 6 months has elapsed in between updates, actually I have been
secretly updating the site in drips and drabs over the past few months, in fact, all the figures above the 'Kurt Andersen'figure
may be new to you, but when I do a large update...when I create NEW ROLLOVER BUTTONS!!!...when I correct typos from three years
ago (oy!)...then that calls for an Official Update!!! So, what's new you ask? WELL...
I've decided to highlight the new figures (of which there are many) with a new rollover button called oddly enough,
New Figures. Click on that to see a page with nifty new rollover buttons that link to
each new figure. Yeah, I know, I went crazy with the rollovers, but until I learn Flash, that's the state of the art for ol' HFT.
A similar button was created to help you find the new posters of which there are 4.
I also finally got around to putting up a Press and Media page where you can read all the nice
stuff the media has said about HFT and Russ Tucker over the past three years and slightly updating the about page
.
Lastly and absolutely not leastly...leastly? I've got a huge personal update to share. You know that girl that I mentioned
in my last update? Well, things have gone really, really well as you'll see by the
first poster on the new posters page. Aw shucks,
I might as well tell you as no doubt your eyes have already been drawn to the oversized, bolded text below... on August 28th, 2006,
I, Russell James Tucker will be marrying the girl of my dreams, Jessica Jane Stanford in good o' Oklahoma City!! I could go on
and on about her wonderfulness but this isn't really a blog. Needless to say
I though I am still taking orders for the second half of 2006, new figures won't start shipping until Jessica and I return
from our honeymoon!!!!! in early September.
So there it is. Check out the new stuff. Any feedback is greatly appreciated and stay tuned, there may be one more update before
the big day and certainly one after I get back--probably the most important update EVER!!! (cue: "Fanfare for the Common Man")
Past Updates
Update -January 18th, 2006
Now, I know what you're thinking....6 months between updates?? Actually, I've been sneaky. There have been several updates
between then and now, but I just didn't get a chance to make it official on this, the News and Update page. What that means is, there is likely
to be a plethora of new figures and posters to entertain your eyeballs for at least fifteen minutes. Maybe even 17 minutes. Big things have
happened here at HFT in the past few months--the NPR article drove hordes of people to our virtual doors and was followed up
a week later by an article in the USA Today: Weekend section about our famous personalized movie posters. We had a record number
of holiday orders and most recently an article in the New York Post. All of these will be posted soon. I had a celebrity client in the
form of actor Daniel Roebuck and was comissioned to create a figure based on his character from "Lost" and I think it's one of
our best.
On an artistic front, after attending a sculpting symposium last year I discovered new materials and new methods that have
greatly improved the quality of the figures. All of our heads are now being sculpted in wax, and a few bodies as well. It gives
us much greater sharpness and detail. Secondly, thanks to my executive investors (my parents), I am also the proud owner of a vacuum
pump, a pressure pot, an air compressor and a vacuum chamber. Without getting too technical, these four magic items significantly
improve our molds and castings and cut down on time and materials used. I don't know how I got along without them.
Lastly, and most importantly, I met a great girl right around the time the Studio 360 piece came out (so Kurt Andersen has
claimed responsibility) and we are in crazy love and things are going very well. Update on that situation soon. Zang-Za-Dan!!
Update -June 24, 2005
Big things are brewing here at Highly Flammable Toys after a brief hiatus. One major news outlet is ready to burst
with the good word on our newest product, Personalized Movie Posters but until I get the official thumbs up from the
powers that be, I'll have to keep it under wraps. That said, I'm proud to include two new posters in our gallery, please
check them out.
Secondly and more stupendously, Russell Tucker and Highly Flammable Toys have been featured on the Public Radio hit
weekend arts program, STUDIO 360!!!! HFT has crafted an
action figure of the show's host, Kurt Andersen and they documented the process and presentation. Russ can he heard on
program "Garage-Rock, Wrinkles, Hornby" (#626) which orginally aired on 6/25/05, and featured Nick Hornby as the guest host. You can listen to Russ's
interview as well as other fine episodes at Studio360.org
Update - February 3, 2005
The biggest, most important gallery update in the history of website updates...ever!!!! Welcome back,
I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a joyous new year. Things were very busy for HFT as you can finally see. We've got
eight new figure galleries containing 11 new figures! This time around we've got a few corporate chairmen, a banker, a
programmer, a rock n' roller, a superhero,  a mayor and even a HORSE! Instead of listing them here, I thought I'd wisen up a bit
and make it a little more graphically apparent which are the new pages. Look to your left and any button that has a
little "new" next to it is, well...NEW!!
I'd also like to draw your attention to the very first new entry, P.I.M.P.s. No, I'm not doing figures of pimps now, that actually stands
for Personalized Independent Movie Posters, the latest and greatest section the site. Please check it out if for nothing else than
to see what my family looks like. If you like what you see, HFT will make a poster for you or a friend.
Check out the About page for some shots of my studio towards the end of last year, in a rare state of tidyness. Lastly, having finished my Adobe GoLive training, a site redesign is in the works and there are still more figures to post.
So please enjoy the latest galleries and as always, pass on the good word.
Update - October 7th, 2004
Huge gallery update--7 NEW FIGURES!!!!! SE7EN!!!!! Can I get sued for that? Anyway, yes, our largest, non
mass order update to date! Some of these figures date back to March, believe it or not, but it's been a hectic year
and there's a lot that happens between finishing a figure and then seeing it on screen. For your viewing pleasure I'm proud to
introduce guitar playing lawyer Richard Groenendyke, jeweler and tennis nut
David Kantor, financial analyst and Yalie Alex "Tay-Tay" Taylor,
strong-armed seaman and horse trainer Christian Rakshys, fancy steppin entrepreneur
Kevin Corcoran, nation-healer Charles Sequoia, MD and
taking our number one spot comes a pirate space king with a friend in Canada, Christopher Acers. If you read that last
line in a Casey Kasem voice it gets better.
Stay tuned! There's much more plastic fun coming up in the next few months as the holidays kick into high gear!!
Also, you can now link to the Ithaca College Alumni magazine article by
clicking here.
Thanks again to everyone at the ICQ for helping out an alum.
See ya next update!!!!!
Update - August 9th, 2004
You're shocked. I know. How is it possible that there hasn't been an update since April? Have we been working?? What is
going on??? Well, calm down, pull up a chair, get some guacamole and listen for a spell.... A great deal has happened here at
Highly Flammable Toys since April. First of all, we have been working our flat fannies off. There are 14 new figures waiting in
the wings for their plastic portrait gallery opening. To sate your action-figure appetites, we are extremely proud to announce that
5 new figures are up today!!! First, check out up-and-coming, environmental law sensation Ashley Miller who has
the number one spot till the next update (Go Ash!!), next up is the Dark Knight of Ontario Robert Borstein,
following Robert is the sushi eating shutterbug Herbert Keppler, fourth in line is the Man of
Steel from PA, Bryan Elderkin and last, but not least, the man who puts the "swing" in
golf swing, James Deen. I am very happy with all five of the new figures and I think the work
is getting better and better. Let us know what you think!
What else has been going on since April? Well, many of you know HFT frontman, Russ Tucker, recently relocated to East Williamsburg
in Brooklyn and that took a goodly amount of time. In addition, we relocated the HFT workshop from a basement in Bay Ridge to a snazzy
new studio in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, and that too took some time to work out. Russ was also interviewed by his college
Alumni magazine, the Ithaca College Quarterly, and has a great, full page article in the most recent issue. The full text will be
posted soon, but here are a few select quotes...
"...one-man operation..."
"More than 40 hours..."
"...kill me..."
Wow!! Lastly, there is a website redesign in the works that has
been in the works for a while. We had been holding back new updates until the kinks were worked out, but we've accumulated so
many great new figures that we were suffering from no-update-itis, or some other fictional disease. So expect a whole new look sometime
soon, and lots and lots of great new figures and maybe some shots of the new studio too. Again, if you see something you like or don't
like, let us know and please pass on the good word.
Update - April 7th, 2004
We've got three new figures to boast about this time. First, check out renegade ski-coach,
Rick Ruback, next up is CEO Chris Nickerson,
and finally, septuagenarian lawyer Sid Smith! More to come very soon!
Update - March 24th, 2004
This will most likely be the biggest update ever!!!!!!We have just added 54 FIGURES to our
galleries!! Really! The biggest piece of that is a project that Highly Flammable Toys has been working on, behind the scenes
since October 2003. V2 Records, a NY label that produces The White
Stripes, Moby and Stereophonics (among others) has a new band that they are promoting called
PRE)THING and they have joined forces with HFT to create
50 promotional figures of frontman, Rust Epique. It's a huge page worth checking out by clicking here
or on the Prething button to your left.
Next up is another first for HFT. We proudly and loudly announce our very first (and second) pet action figures!! Now, I know
a few eagle-eyed fans may contest, saying that we've done pets before. That's true...but never as their own action figures!!
Hoo-hah!! Shadow and Miss Mur, two fantastic felines, and stars of an upcoming children's book have been made into figures and
are just waiting for you to visit. Check them out here
or click on the Shadow and Mur button to your left.
Lastly and not leastly...uh...double trouble is on the scene! Bob Phillips and
his identical twin brother Bob Phillips can be seen discussing pies and pens on the
page called.....Bob Phillips.
Update - March 8th 2004
We've a small update for you: two new figures have been added to our gallery pages! First is Bull-Rider,
Eugene Edison and secondly, Vinny Smith has arrived to brighten up your day!
Update - February 5th, 2004
I'm very happy to announce THREE new members of the plastic portrait gallery are up as of today!! First, check out
Richard Tait, who just so happens to be the co-creator of some little
board game, perhaps you've heard of it....CRANIUM!!! Second on the list
is groovy guy bartender Joe Fulcher, and last but not least,
Kevin Cousins has stormed the scene with his two mini Schnausers in tow. Go and say Hi!
I'd also like to say "Hi" to all the listeners out in Fort Wayne, Indiana! Highly Flammable Toys founder, Russ Tucker, is
running a promotion with Dan Austin, B.J. and The Dude from
K105's morning crew for Valentine's Day. The winner of their
contest, announced next week, will recieve a gift certificate granting them one free Highly Flammable Toy! Hopefully, in the
spirit of the holiday, it will be that person's sweetie, and not be used as a voodoo doll.
Update - January 15th, 2004
Well, here we are in 2004 - the Year of the Monkey, or as we like to call it, The Year of the Action Figure!!!!
We've got a number of holiday orders that are finally coming home to roost in our pages. The first of which is US Senate
Judiciary hero...David Hantman! Go and see what all the hoopla is about!
I'd also like to take this opportunity to say how much, we here at Highly Flammable Toys appreciate our customers and we'd
like to thank them for all of their support. The process from photo to figure is long one with many, many email
correspondences along the way. We get to know our customers a little bit better than most businesses and it really means
a lot. We're a small and growing business and so much of it relies on word-of-mouth and a good relationship with our clients.
The past six months have been a wonderful, challenging, educational roller coaster and we owe so much of it to you, our
customers and action figure recipients.
And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank my friends and family for their constant support and advice. Thank you
for helping me make 2003 the most important year of my life. Here's to 04!!!
Update - December 5th, 2003
Highly Flammable Toys--as seen in Time Out New York, The Washington Post, and now....(drumroll please...)
The Wall Street Journal!!! In the Weekend Section of the Friday, December 5th, 2003 issue, on page W16, is an article
discussing the growing trend of personalized action figures and Highly Flammable Toys is prominently featured. On top of that
a former HFT customer, Fatima Kafele is quoted talking about the figure she purchased for her husband Jasiri Kafele! HFT offers a hearty
thank you to The Wall Street Journal!
Update - December 3rd, 2003
New page, new member of the HFT family...welcome, Andrea Marcucci!!! Stay tuned for some
great news and some major happenings here at Highly Flammable Toys!!
Update - December 2nd, 2003
A month later, and two new pages, (with hopefully, 5 more to come within the next month). Please check out our
newest members to the "Plastic Portrait Galleries" of Highly Flammable Toys. Go and check out Matt Law!!
and Michael Sandusky!! I think they are some of our best figures yet! And boy, we
sure do love these exclamation points!!!!
Update - October 25th, 2003
A whole month since the last update? Don't fret, there's good reason. Very good reason!
First of all, check out yet another new page highlighting a new figure based on a fellow Brooklynite,
Jasiri Kafele. Also there is a super-secret-not-so-secret link to a new
picture on the Wedding page. Try and find it!
Secondly, Highly Flammable Toys' luck-powered press machine rolls on! HFT founder Russ Tucker gave a live
interview on Topeka, Kansas's own V-100 Radio Station.
He was interviewed for "The Morning Show with JC and
Joey Baggz" and is currently working out a promotion deal with them as well as Indiana's K105.
AND...Russell was also interviewed for the Washingon Post! A small article, along with a full color
photo was featured on page M2 of the Sunday Source section from October 12th. You can find it by
typing in "Russ Tucker" in the news search, but you'll have to pay to view it, hence no reprint here. Not that
we're complaining, mind you...
Lastly, we must apologize. Due to our unbelieveable luck, things here at HFT are so busy, we are bursting at the seams. So much
so, (and I never thought I'd be typing this, but) we can not accept any more orders for Christmas
delivery. We are now taking orders for Feb 2004 delivery. But don't let that stop you from brightening someone's life with their very own personalized
action figure in 2004--The Year of the Action Figure!! Start thinking about future birthdays, weddings,
bar/batmitzvahs, confirmations, promotions or that always hard to shop for bris!
Look for a truckload of updates in the next two to three months as the holidays kick our production schedule
into high gear, and thanks for reading this far.
Update - September 26th, 2003
Highly Flammable Toys kindly requests your presence at the unveiling of a new wing of the site--
Weddings!! Please check out our first, and certainly not last
wedding cake topper. If there is a wedding in your future and you want a little something
special Highly Flammable Toys can make that happen!
Actual pictures of the figures on the cake will be coming shortly.
Update - September 3rd, 2003
Publicity!!! Highly Flammable Toys has been given the Offical Nod of Coolness. Check out
Time Out New York in the Ones and Zeros column on page 134 of the Aug 28-Sept 4 issue!
Or you could just read this... 
Extra special thanks to Lisa Sweetingham
of Time Out NY for helping out a local artisan get the good word out. Consider the subscription renewed.
Teeny Update - August 21, 2003
I've finally procured "the lost pictures"! If you check out the archive section, and scroll to the bottom of the page
you'll notice two new pictures (if you were paying attention). The Andy Brill figure is the very first
Highly Flammable Toy. Before it was plura!! The one that started it all! Go! Go and see a piece of HISTORY!!!
Update - August 7th, 2003
There's a few new things to check out here at Highly Flammable Toys...
First off, if you click on the merchandise link
a new window will appear that will magically transport you to the Official HFT Shop courtesy of those
brilliant entrepreneurs at Cafe Press. At the shop you'll be able to purchase T-shirts, jerseys
and coffee mugs with the blazing hot HFT logo printed on them! The T-shirts run a bit on the big size so order
slightly smaller. In the upcoming months there will be new products added to the store so check it out frequently!
If you haven't already noticed, there's a new section on the site called the Head Gallery, where you can
examine some close up pics of my favorite heads. This gallery will also be expanding quite a bit in future months.
And there will be a slew of new figure pics going up before the end of the year as HFT revs up for holiday production.
There's still time to place a holiday order!
HFT.COM LAUNCHES!!!!!!!!!!!
June 23, 2003! - Highly Flammable Toys is officially on the world wide web! I can't begin to express how excited I am about going live. Many, many people to thank for getting HFT this far and making HFT a reality...
Dave and Justin - Literally without the two of you, this would never have happened. Thank you for all of your help and support and for the countless hours of hard work you put in. I really appreciate it. Thank you for your technical answers, design sense and patience.
Phil - Thank you for the best birthday gift a brother ever received and for unwittingly supplying web copy. We're a month off schedule, but it happened. Now to work on third quarter goals...
Mitch and Marion - Defacto shareholders in HFT and my original supporters, thank you so much for your input and enthusiasm, and for making sure my childhood was filled with action figures.
Jen and Gabe - Thank you for helping to legitimize a side project and spreading the good word.
And extra special thanks to the Monkey Boys, The Lakins, the cast and crew of Play With Me Sesame, Flock Theatre, my friends and family and to everyone who has supported me, inspired me, and never let me forget that this was always a pretty cool idea.
Thank you all and let the toys begin!!!
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