Toy OTD: Robert Harrop's Roald Dahl Collection Figurine: Willy Wonka

I'm sure every toy fan has a favorite artist that they would love to see in toy form, but believe that the artist's drawing style is impossible to sculpt. That's how I felt about Quentin Blake. I love his drawings, but I didn't think you could really sculpt well from them. Case in point: here's Mr. Blake's version of Willy Wonka (left). There's not a lot of form there, right? Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome drawing, but at best there'd have to be a lot of interpretation by the sculptor in order to make it work:

It's always great to be proven wrong with a nice-looking statuette! Robert Harrop Designs, Ltd. is a large figurine concern in the UK, and their products run the gamut from tacky to wonderful. Some time ago, RHD produced a line of figurines based Mr. Blake's illustations from some of the Roald Dahl books. Check out what one of their sculptors has done with the Wonka drawings...

Great, huh? Granted, the hair is a little less bristly, and the colors are darker, but overall it really captures the flavor of the original artwork. The posing is lively, the paint work is quite tight for a ceramic piece, and the base is cleverly incorporated into the overall concept. No logos or branding, either!

It's been a while since I bought this figure, so I don't remember the packaging very well - I think it was a similar style to the Walt Disney Classics Collection boxes - good, but not much in the way of theming.

You can still buy this figurine at the the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Center's online store for £24.50 + shipping (about $36.35 + shipping USD). Happy shopping!

Toy OTD: Robert Harrop Dennis The Menace Figurine

Did you know that England has its own version of Dennis The Menace - twice as big, twice as mean, half as cute? I traveled to England in '99 to celebrate the re-release of Yellow Submarine, and was looking in the stores for something British to take back with me as a souvenir. Fortunately, it didn't take long, and it was comic-related to boot! This little guy is very nicely made - it was even on sale (I think it cost me $10 or less)!

A great, on-model sculpt and tight paint job pulls the whole thing together - it's nice that it has a matte finish, so as not to obscure the clarity of the design. The hair treatment is tricky, but I think it's handled very well!

There's tons of Dennis figurines out there, but you can get this one on eBay.co.uk right now for £9.99 + £2.50 shipping (about $24 USD).