Upper Playground has launched a new sub-brand designed by Japanese artist, Usugrow called :SHINGANIST:.  Derived from the Japanese word “Shingan,” (meaning mind’s eye), “the line represents those people who create by seeing things in their mind’s eye, and are not bothered or influenced by things around them.”  Inspired by underground Japanese lifestyle, :SHINGANIST: will feature the art of Usugrow, as well as guest artists including Mozyskey, Toshikazu Nozaka, Bene and Jun Kaneko.

The launch of the line comes along with the release of the book of the same name as well as the re-release of Love Hate From JP. Love Hate From JP sold out and has been re-printed with a heavier-weight of paper with a slightly glossy finis for the :SHINGANIST: launch. Now available at Upper Playground.

Check out the T-Shirts from Upper Playground x Usugrow’s :SHINGANIST: after the jump.

For its August release, Upper Playground is releasing two new New Era cap styles – one by Jeremy Fish and the other by FIFTY24SF. Jeremy Fish’s “superFishbones” pays homage to the Los Angeles ska band of similar name, while incorporating signature Jeremy Fish elements like skulls and bunnies. The “superFishbones” Fitted comes in navy and features front and back embroidery. FIFTY24SF’s “Great White” gives us an up close and personal view of what it would be like to get chomped on by a Great White shark. Both caps are now available in the Upper Playground online store.

More detailed images of the caps follow after the jump.

After selling out the main colorway in just a few days, Upper Playground has unveiled an exclusive tonal purple colorway of Sam Flore’s Kid Dragon. Unlike most vinyl figures, Kid Dragon is made up of three pieces, creating the illusion of a dragon floating through clouds. The figure measures 10″ and comes packaged in a double-sided window box with scenic insert card. The purple color is more limited than the first release at only 200 pieces.

The Kid Dragon Upper Playground Exclusive Colorway is slated for a late September release, but is now available for pre-sale at Upper Playground.

The latest edition of Upper Playground’s Walrus TV features legendary New York based street artist WK Interact. Inspired by the concepts of movement, gesture, and place, WK Interact’s site-specific pieces have garnered notoriety through the obvious concern for spatial context with which he approaches each location and through his fluid depictions of figures in motion. Blurring lines between street art, fine art, and design, WK Interact has exhibited in galleries internationally and collaborated with brands such as Nike, Adidas, and BMW. Check out the above interview from Walrus TV and “The Run Up” to learn more!

The July Upper Playground New Era 59FIFTY hats feature the artwork of David Choe and Upper Playground. David Choe is well known for lots of things, one of them being his notorious whales, so it’s only fitting that Mr. Choe’s cap features his signature whales embroidered all over the hat. The Upper Playground Logo Mesh Fitted blends the breathability and comfort into a hat perfect for warmer weather. Both hats are available at Upper Playground stores and on the Upper Playground Web Store.

Have a closer look at the Upper Playground July 2009 New Era Caps after the jump.

San Franciso based Upper Playground present the newest in a series of vinyl figures slated for release in 2009 – Dragon Boy designed by Sam Flores.  Known for his signature characters and fusing them with Asian motifs, Flores’ Dragon Boy fuses his influences in this new vinyl figure. 

Unlike most other vinyl figures, the Dragon Boy is made up of 3 pieces creating the illusion of the dragon floating through the clouds.  The figure measures 10″ tall and the head, midsection and tail feature extremely detailed gradient blends. Limited to 500 units, Dragon Boy is slated to release in early September but is now available for pre-sale on the Upper Playground web store.

Have a closer look at the Upper Playground x Sam Flores Dragon Boy Figure after the jump.

Upper Playground brings you another interview from The Run Up. This time they chatted with Swoon, somebody you do not catch too often in front of the camera. Enjoy!

To celebrate it’s 10th Anniversary, Upper Playground has teamed up with several artists to create vinyl figures commemorating the event. The first in the series, Alex Pardee has created the Walrus Rider, a two-faced creature, whose legs were stolen, seeking vengeance and searching for his legs atop his walrus associate. The figure is approximately 11″ tall and has bendy arms and a removable tusk, which fits into the rider’s hand.

The Walrus Rider is available in two colors: Teal and black. The teal/magenta figure is being produced in an edition of 500 pieces. A second colorway of black/green is an Upper Playground exclusive and is being produced in an edition of 113 pieces. The Upper Playground exclusive colorway is releasing on Saturday, May 30th and Alex Pardee will be at Upper Playground’s flagship San Francisco store for a signing from 12 to 2 PM. Alex Pardee is also taking a trip down to Los Angeles to do a signing at Munky King on Saturday, June 13th.

The limited black and green UP colorway of the Walrus Rider will be available exclusively at Upper Playground retail stores and online at the Upper Playground web store. Both Walrus Riders are available for pre-sale now on the Upper Playground Web Store.

More information on the new Upper Playground x Alex Pardee Walrus Figure follows after the jump.

This month, Upper Playground releases two hats in black and white. “Paint,” designed by Saber, features brush strokes in a tonal palette of black, white and grey. “Hair” features an embroidered rendering of Usugrow’s well-known hair illustration. Both hats are available at Upper Playground stores and on the Upper Playground Web Store.

Detailed images of the Saber and Usugrow designed Upper Playground New Era Caps follow after the jump.

Japanese artist Usugrow has put together an impressive group of artists for the upcoming Shinganist book and group show, taking place at the Fifty24F Gallery in San Franicso. The line-up includes USUGROW, MOZYSKEY, TOSHIKAZU NOZAKA, BENE and JUN KANEKO.

There will not only be an exhibition, but there will also be a Shinganist Book accompanying the show and in August Upper Playground will be introducing the Shinganist Clothing Collection, featuring artwork by the participating artists. Something to look out for!

More information on the event follows after the jump.