DESIGNER TOYS + COMICS + STREET ART + BEER + NYC
WHAT:
The Five Points Festival, a designer toy and comic convention, lands on Pier 36 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side this weekend, featuring a dynamic lineup of counterculture
artists and artisans from around the world. The inaugural event is a celebration of comic artists and writers, toy designers and customizers from across the US, Europe, and
Asia, original street art, and gourmet food trucks and craft beer presented by Clutter Magazine and Midtown Comics and sponsored by Playcrafting.
TOY HIGHLIGHTS
- Designer Toy Awards: The Five Points Festival is the new home for the Designer Toy Awards! The 7th Annual Designer Toy Awards fueled by Lagunitas takes place at Webster Hall on Friday, May 19 to kick off the festival. The world’s premier accolade for designer toy artists and the industry around them, the Designer Toy Awards are this year hosted by Academy Award-nominated writer, director, and producer Morgan Spurlock. To apply for media credentials, email maura@lindarothpr.com.
- Lev’s Hall of Fame: Israel “Lev” Levarek, owner of the iconic New York designer toy store Toy Tokyo, has been collecting rare toys for decades and Five Points is honored to feature highlights from his personal collection.
- Simone Legno – The Founder of Tokidoki: Designer toy and apparel brand Tokidoki was founded in 2005 by Italian artist Simone Legno and has grown into one of the most recognizable collectable and fashion brands in the world. Meet him both days at Five Points!
- Toys from Japan: The Five Points Festival welcomes creators and toys from around the world, including a strong contingent from Japan. Instinctoy and 1000toys will showcase detailed, intricate, and extremely limited collectables and names including Goccodo, Punk Drunkers, Sun Guts, and Skull Toys presenting the world of “sofubi” – richly-detailed Japanese soft vinyl figures.
- Kidrobot: Kidrobot is the company behind the “Dunny,” a blank toy famously customized by creators around the planet, and one the largest names in the designer toy world, offering both low cost toys made together with brands including DC Comics, The Simpsons, Adventure Time, and South Park as well as high end items selling for up to $25,000. Five Points will offer an exclusive Dunny created together with artist Gary Ham, and Kidrobot will present several additional upcoming and in-demand products at their booth.
- Ron English: One of the most prolific and recognizable artists alive today, Ron English’s work can be seen in museums, galleries, films, and murals around the world.
- DC Collectibles Booth: DC Collectibles will be premiering their new line of artist-designed collectables “Artist Alley” at The Five Points Festival featuring characters such as Superman, Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker.
COMIC HIGHLIGHTS
- Midtown Comics: The largest comic shop in the country will be at Five Points with a selection of some of the biggest creators in comics today. Stop by to meet names including Nick Spencer (Morning Glories, The Fix, Captain America, Ant-Man, and Marvel’s 2017 summer event, Secret Empire), Dan Slott (Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, She-Hulk, and Avengers: The Initiative), Mike Hawthorne (artist for Universal Studios, Illumination, Epic Games, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Ankama, and most notably for his work on Deadpool), Matthew Rosenberg (writer of comics such as Rocket Raccoon, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, We Can Never Go Home, and Kingpin), Greg Capullo (artist for the New York Times best-selling highly acclaimed Batman series for DC Comics and Image’s Reborn), and Scott Snyder (Greg Capullo’s long-time compatriot and writer of All-Star Batman, Detective Comics, American Vampire, and Wytches).
- Bryan Lee O’Malley: Creator of the iconic Scott Pilgrim comic series, he will make a rare appearance at the Five Points Festival. His other works include Lost at Sea and Seconds. Currently, he is writing Snotgirl – and Snotgirl’s artist, Leslie Hung, will also appear.
- Artist Alley: Over 150 artists from across the full world of comics come together in the Five Points Festival’s Artist Alley. Featuring mainstream titans, independent names, and rising stars, Five Points is the place to rub elbows with them all including Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl), Andrew MacLean (Headlopper), Annie Wu (Black Canary), Brandon Montclare (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur), Chrissie Zullo (Josie and the Pussycats), Sean Gordon Murphy (Tokyo Ghost), and Eisner nominees Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls) and Magdalene Visaggio (Kim and Kim).
- Publishers: In addition to artists, Five Points welcomes several comic publishers presenting their latest to the audience at Five Points. Discover the latest from publishers including Valiant, Zenescope, and more.
- Jack Kirby Museum: Join the Jack Kirby Museum to help celebrate what would have been the 100th Birthday of Comics Legend Jack Kirby. Kirby (1917-1994) is widely recognized as one of the most influential artists in comics. He co-created iconic characters with Stan Lee such as Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, and hundreds of others stretching back to the earliest days of the medium. Kirby grew up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, just blocks from Pier 36, the home of the Five Points Festival, and it’s entirely fitting the Jack Kirby Museum kicks off their summer-long 100 Days of Kirby tribute at Five Points. Randolph Hoppe, Director of the Jack Kirby Museum, will showcase books, prints, and art that bring Jack Kirby’s creative journey to life.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 20
PRESS ACCESS: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
PUBLIC ACCESS: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Interview opportunities available upon request
Sunday, May 21
PRESS ACCESS: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
PUBLIC ACCESS: 11:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Interview opportunities available upon request
WHERE:
Pier 36
299 South Street
New York City, NY 10002
For more information about The Five Points Festival, please visit www.fivepointsfest.com and follow the Five Points Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To inquire about press passes, email maura@lindarothpr.com or call 202-888-3573.
Five Points Festival
The Five Points Festival is a collision of toys, comics, and counterculture curated by Clutter Magazine (cluttermagazine.com). A designer toy and comic convention in New York’s Lower East Side, Five Points is two days and nights of comic artists and writers, vinyl and plastic toys, original art, resin, plush, blind boxes, graphic novels, indie comics, blanks, minis, kaiju, Japanese vinyl, posters, prints, apparel, food trucks, and craft breweries – capped off by the 2017 Designer Toy Awards. The antidote to the average con, Five Points brings together tastemakers, misfits, and rebels with the new, retro, and infamous in a one-of-a-kind marketplace. For more, visit fivepointsfest.com.