Toy OTD: Bwana Spoons x Gargamel Sleeping Killer Vinyl Figure

I can't remember where I bought this toy - I think I got it at Double Punch. Regardless, it's a very cool vinyl - one of my favorite Bwana Spoons designs!

The toy came in bag-with-hang-tag packaging, decorated by the artist. I thinks it's appropriate, since the whole design evokes the kaiju-toy stylings of the sixties and seventies. There's at least six colorways - pink (above), yellow/green, 'dark chocolate', 'milk chocolate', a blue custom, and black/yellow.

I'm not sure that I see the 'killer' part of the equation, since the sculpt is such a cute, peaceful mix of whale and coelacanth, with just a pinch of Godzilla for good measure. It's a simple paint job, but the great color use really makes it stand out! There's no articulation at all, but it's more art piece than action figure, so that's fine with me.

This figure originally cost sixty-five dollars, but it's become hard to find these days - most of the colorways are long sold out. You can buy a pink one here at knunt.com for ninety dollars + shipping.

Toy OTD: Gargamel Vinyl Figure: Smogun

I don't have a lot of old-school Japanese vinyl - it was an acquired taste for me. Initially, I was turned off by the soft sculpting and airbrush over-spray painting style - they looked like toys you should be able to get at a gas station for five dollars or something. Little by little, I grew to like that aesthetic, and started to buy both vintage and modern pieces. This is an example of current artists echoing that retro style (I think Gargamel is a group of artists, but I'm not positive).

I'm pretty picky about this type of toy - they have to appeal specifically to me, because I don't have any nostalgia for the style or the characters. I like this one mainly for the character - I just think it's cool that someone designed a monster made of tires and garbage, with wrecked cars for its head and feet. The colors are striking to me, too, and the faux-naive sculpt/paint work combine with its diminutive size (six inches) to make it cute and charming - at least, in a kaiju sort of way!

I think I paid $40 for this at last spring's Vinyl Toy Network. It's available in several different colorways, but you can still get this one for $43.00 + shipping from giantrobot.com. You can get a green version at ningyoushi.com for $40 + shipping, and Super 7 has the green version, and a pink colorway as well, both for $40 each. Use Google Image Search if you want to know what other versions are out there!