PopCult Rudy Panucci on Pop Culture

The PopCult Toybox

Img_6812aThe dioramas at Joelanta and The Great Atlanta Toy Convention embody the true spirit of convention’s beneficiary, The Cody Lane Memorial Toy and Diorama Museum, a space dedicated to preserving the artistry and celebrating the educational value of creative play.

In the above video you can see all of our raw footage of the diorama room, set to music by Chuck Biel’s Punk Jazz (Chuck gave me permission to use this fantastic music).

Below you will find a rather large photo essay with pictures of almost every entry in the diorama and custom figure contest. Yesterday we posted a photo essay of Mike Gardner’s Route 66 diorama. You’ll see more of it in the video.

I do need to apologize for an unfortunate omission. The video we shot of Steve Bugg’s enormous Star Wars diorama (seen above right), which was set up in the dealer’s area, glitched and was not usable, so his remarkable display is not properly represented in the video. We have a few photos to lead off this photo essay, but I want to direct your attention to the Wanderlust Atlanta blog, which has more photos of Steve’s masterpiece. If more folks post photos and video of Steve’s work, we’ll link to it.

In the coming days the plan is to post all the panels from JoeLanta and The Great Atlanta Toy Convention, plus bonus videos of the dealer’s rooms and the parachute drop. Then we’ll post the big wrap-up video. For now, it’s the dioramas and customs. If you can identify any of the talented customizers who we did not name, please do so in the comments below.

If only we could have salvaged the video
If only we could have salvaged the video
You could just walk around this all day and find something new on each trip
You could just walk around this all day and find something new on each trip

Detail in every corner
Detail in every corner
This was a majectic and giantic diorama
This was a majectic and gigantic diorama
I only got this one fuzzy shot of a cool custom Funko Pop of Abraham from The Walking Dead
I only got this one fuzzy shot of a cool custom Funko Pop of Abraham from The Walking Dead
First Place Youth Diorama, Joseph Floyd - Rice Paddy
First Place Youth Diorama, Joseph Floyd – Rice Paddy
On the far right, 3rd place Youth diorama winner, Nicki Kossin - Kreo Zombie Slayer
On the far right, 3rd place Youth diorama winner, Nicki Kossin – Kreo Zombie Slayer
This one cracked me up
This one cracked me up

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Mike Dickey - Moon Landing
Mike Dickey – Moon Landing
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3rd Place Adult Diorama - Cobra Castle - Matthew LeCroy
3rd Place Adult Diorama – Cobra Castle – Matthew LeCroy
3rd Place Vehicle - Camo ATV W/Trailer - Jeff McGarry
3rd Place Vehicle – Camo ATV W/Trailer – Jeff McGarry
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2nd Place Vehicle - Beverly Hillbillies Olds Model 46 - Wayne Schoenberg. This one stopped us dead in our tracks
2nd Place Vehicle – Beverly Hillbillies Olds Model 46 – Wayne Schoenberg. This one stopped us dead in our tracks
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Cool cstomized packaged The Walking Dead customs
Cool cstomized packaged The Walking Dead customs
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Adult figure 1st Place - Mountain Man by Joey Tutor
Adult figure 1st Place – Mountain Man by Joey Tutor
Jeff Joslin's 12" Big Jim, headsculpt by Jase Marshall
Jeff Joslin’s 12″ Big Jim, headsculpt by Jase Marshall
This B&W George Reeves Superman blew me away
This B&W George Reeves Superman blew me away
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2nd place Adult figure, Jimi Hendrix by Randy Sapp
2nd place Adult figure, Jimi Hendrix by Randy Sapp
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Very cool custom by Terry Stair
Very cool custom by Terry Stair
All Hail DOB
All Hail DOB
Eugene Bullard - Robert Williams 3rd place Adult figure
Eugene Bullard – Robert Williams 3rd place Adult figure
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Morgan Brown - SEC Cheer Squad - 2nd Place Youth Diorama
Morgan Brown – SEC Cheer Squad – 2nd Place Youth Diorama
Brain Tatum's Seaport pier. I brought one of these home with me.
Brain Tatum’s Seaport pier. I brought one of these home with me.
If you know who did this, please tell us in the comments, it's fantastic!
If you know who did this, please tell us in the comments, it’s fantastic!
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WWI German Trench by Hunter McGarry. First-pplace Adult Diorama winner
WWI German Trench by Hunter McGarry. First-pplace Adult Diorama winner
Joey Tutor's first-place Adult Vehicle, M113 Vietnam
Joey Tutor’s first-place Adult Vehicle, M113 Vietnam
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A very cool two-part sci fi diorama. If you knoow who idid it, please leave a comment
A very cool two-part sci fi diorama. If you knoow who idid it, please leave a comment
Cathy Jones incredible Steampunk Butterfly, check the video to see it in action. 2nd Place Adult Diorama winner
Cathy Jones incredible Steampunk Butterfly, check the video to see it in action. 2nd Place Adult Diorama winner
A figure/diorama commemorating Larry Hama's appearance on MASH
A figure/diorama commemorating Larry Hama’s appearance on MASH
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"tHE bATTLE OF tHE hOTH" BY fERNANDO COTA
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