As first stated in the Fruit Fighters spotlight, and several times since then, the influx of new custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figures is causing the current Art infrastructure to be rendered outdated. Below is a working outline of the new Art section.
Art 100 – This will still focus on the various bootleg and counterfeit M.U.S.C.L.E. figures.
Art 200 – This section will now encompass every custom M.U.S.C.L.E. figure. It seems like there has been an almost constant influx of new creators working on original M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. While the figures all differ in many ways the one consistent is that they are created as if they would be included in the original M.U.S.C.L.E. brand of toys.
Art 300 – This will essentially become the catch-all of every other art project (i.e., paintings, drawings, etc.). It will also house any figures created using M.U.S.C.L.E. pieces, but not necessarily envisioned as part of the M.U.S.C.L.E. brand of toys (e.g., Fruit Fighters).
Art 400 will be removed. Originally this had been earmarked to focus on professional artists using M.U.S.C.L.E. toys in their work. The original catalyst for this section has never been added, and would now easily fit within Art 300. Additionally it is no longer possible to differentiate between “professional” and “amateur/hobbyist” given the sheer number of creators appearing.
The M.U.S.C.L.E. community has not only seen an increase in custom figure creators, but it has also seen an increase in fun and useful collecting resources. Originally the University of M.U.S.C.L.E. had intensely focused on original Mattel M.U.S.C.L.E. figures only, so the suggested links were equally focused. However with the recent inclusion of Anthropology (featuring Kinnikuman and MUSCLEMANIA) and upcoming reorganization of Art 200 and 300 has expanded the scope of the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.
It would now be in the best interest of collectors to a resource to connect with the creators, purchase products, or learn more about expanded topics through trusted and reputable resources.
In an effort to avoid unintentionally omitting a website, blog, Twitter account, or Facebook page the University of M.U.S.C.L.E. is asking for webmasters and/or focal individuals to submit a 250×50 banner for their website (or whatever). The banners can be sent to the University of M.U.S.C.L.E..
Lastly, the main pages of each course listed under the Course Catalog will be shifting to a more graphical interface. Hopefully this will aid navigation for both novice and experienced users. The names of specific courses (e.g., Art 200) will also be reformatted to make navigation easier. For example, Art 200 currently comes up as “Art 200 – Creating a new medium.” After the change it should come up as “Art 200 Custom M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures.”
If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.. Comments can also be posted below.
