Toy OTD: Gentle Giant Clash Of The Titans Statue: Bubo (2007)

Nostalgia does strange things to people. I've never been a huge fan of Ray Harryhausen's last movie, Clash of the Titans (though it does have it moments), nor was I particularly enamored with Bubo, Perseus' mechanical sidekick/comedy relief. Yet when Gentle Giant announced a limited-edition resin Bubo statue, I was interested! I'm not sure how that works, unless you consider my long-running affection for robots.

Regardless of the sanity involved in purchasing a quasi-obscure character from a quasi-obscure '80s fantasy film, Gentle Giant did a terrific job here. The sculpt, paint work, metallic finish and branch perch all feel straight from the movie!

Since an open-winged pose would have been harder to manufacture and ship, Bubo's pose is fairly minimal here. Considering he's a mechanical character, it still feels appropriate. The head is a separate piece, which allows for a little extra pose variety.

The branch display stand is great - not only in helping to set the scene, but it's also subdued enough to support the character, not distract from him. Of course, the lack of branding is always appreciated!

The packaging is also really strong - the original film logo is used, and the new graphics are well art-directed to match to the tone and feel of the poster art. The back panel gets a little busy with text, but in general the box has great shelf presence. Rather than using a cellophane window, GG decided to use photos of the finished maquette. It still gives an accurate view of the product while integrating nicely with the new box art. You can see another side of the box here.

There were only five hundred of these statues made, so the edition is long sold out. Collectors can expect to pay between $150-$200 for Bubo on the secondary market. I paid $200 for mine at a toy show, but there might be one selling for $179.99 + shipping at Razor's Edge Collectibles (via kaboodle.com). Happy hunting!

Two post scripts. First: be careful looking up "Bubo" on Google Image Search. Two words: Bubonic Plague. Second: Mattel had originally planned to make a Bubo puppet-like toy back in the day, but poor response to the merchandising led to production being canceled. Wild!

Some images from gentlegiantcollectors.com and plaidstallions.com.

Toy OTD: Kitchen Sink Press, Bowen Designs "The Girls Of R. Crumb Statue": Catholic Girl (2001)

I think this was a great idea - a series of limited-edition maquettes featuring some of Robert Crumb's fantasy women - but apparently it collapsed along with Kitchen Sink. Did poor sales scuttled future releases? I think this originally cost about $125, which is less than many of the current Bowen pieces, but maybe the higher-end statue market hadn't sufficiently emerged yet. Whatever the reason, Bowen never made another Crumb girl statue in this 11" scale.

It's a shame, because this is a real beauty! Kent Melton does his usual fantastic job, capturing Crumb's style perfectly. It's a simple pose, but Mr. Melton preserves the subtle attitudes and weight distribution from the source art.

The paint work is also well executed, especially the color choices. There's a nice retro feel to the whole piece, due to the muted palette - accurate to the original comics, yet not as bright. Of course, the face needs special care, and the work here supports the sculpt extremely well.

I do think the base could've been simpler, but Bowen/Melton get extra credit for designing the branding plaque in Crumb's handwriting. It performs the prerequisite labeling function, but supports the style of the statue very well!

Since this piece has been sold out for eight years, be prepared to shell out the big bucks! There's the unsigned version in an edition of 3,000, and a signed version in a much more limited edition of 100. The signed version is for sale on eBay right now for $515.00, and it looks like there might be an unsigned one for auction here. Otherwise, save your money and cast out those eBay search nets... good luck!

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: Princess Mononoke Image Collection Maquette: Ashitaka (2003)

Almost every bit of merchandise based on a Studio Ghibli film is amazing, and this piece is especially good! Princess Mononoke is one of my favorite Miyazaki films, and this is a beautiful sculpt of a possessed Ashitaka (one of my favorite sequences in the film, too!). The pose is really lively, and the well-applied paint work is spot-on model. Nice!

The figure is packaged separately from the base, but it's simply a matter of setting it up - that really helps minimize shipping damage (as opposed to molding the figure and base together). Ashitaka's sword is also packed as another piece for the same reason (I haven't included it here).

Japanese merchandise is generally limited and quickly 'retired', and this piece is no exception. There's a few for sale online, but they've gone up to $300 + shipping! Grit your teeth and get shopping - it'll probably only get worse if you wait (though you could try to dicker if one comes up in "or-best-offer" mode on eBay) - good luck!

Toy OTD: Cartoon Network Powerpuff Girls Maquette: Blossom (Signed)

Originally, I bought the Trendmasters Powerpuff Girls action figures, but while they each had bases, stability was still a problem, so I upgraded to the maquettes (I think I bought the set at Comic-Con one year) after they were released. It's not a cheap solution, but they are well-mounted and stable.

The sculpting is fine - it's a great interpretation of the design, and the attitude is captured nicely, too. The paint work is a little rough, but not to a point where it really detracts. I'm just spoiled by the meticulous work on overseas toys!

I waited in a huge line to get Blossom signed by the show's creator, Craig McCracken. I couldn't help feeling like I shouldn't have had to - Hey, I'm not just another fan... I went to the same school, and I'm working on cool stuff, too, I thought - but I felt like I'd be an asshole if I cut to the front. So I waited for my autograph, and complimented him on the then-newly-released Powerpuff movie, which I enjoyed a great deal.

There's one for sale on eBay for $49.99 + $16.95 shipping. You can make an offer, and it might be worth a try, as I think the shipping charges are pretty steep!

Toy OTD: Cartoon Network Samuai Jack Maquette

Cartoon Network wisely started its own line of merchandise some time ago, and some of it is really great - especially their limited edition maquettes! The Samurai Jack line is terrific - the sculpts interpret the stylized designs beautifully. The paint work is simple, but precise where it needs to be. No silly branding anywhere, which helps keep it looking classy.

The only minus is that they're more expensive than a comparable Gentle Giant figurine - $150 or so, as compared to maybe $80 or $100. I'm assuming that's due in part to smaller production runs.

Jack here is sold out, and I'm not finding him for sale elsewhere online. The pieces I am seeing on eBay look about the same price as they were at the CN website, so that's encouraging. Keep your eyes open there, and at your local toys shows or comic conventions. Good luck!

When Toys, Manga & Anime Aren't Enough

BLOG@NEWSARAMA.COM: Life-sized Gigantor memorial to be erected
Monday June 25, 2007, 8:33 am
Posted by Stephanie Chan

Kobe, Japan will be the home of a life-sized Gigantor statue.

The 18 meter high, 70 ton Ironman-28 will carry the price tag of 135 million yen. The project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008.

Debuting in 1958, Tetsujin 28-gō was the first “giant robot” series, which became a staple in Japanese pop culture.

The statue will serve as a double memorial, marking both the birthplace of creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who passed away in 2004 in an apartment fire, as well as celebrate the revitilization of the area, which was devastated in the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

From Asahi.com

Toy OTD: Diamond Select Silver Age X-Men Statue: The Angel (2003), Marvel Girl (2002)

I'm generally not a fan of Diamond Select products, but I think this line of statues is quite good! The sculpts have a slightly rough-hewn quality that evokes Kirby's early drawing style (at least, to me). They're posed well, and the bases are nice and simple (completists will be encouraged to get the whole team, as all the bases include lettering that together spell out "X-Men"). The paint work is tight, and the colors are on-model. The only real minus of the line is Marvel Girl's face, which could use a little more delicacy (easier said than done, I know).

These statues sold for about ninety dollars each when they were first released, but it is possible to find them for considerably less now. I bought most of them for about forty to fifty dollars each (sometimes the boxes were damaged or the logo lettering was missing, but the statues themselves were fine). Mile High Comics has an Angel available for $100 + shipping, and I can't find a Marvel Girl statue online anywhere. I think if you keep your eye on eBay, though, you can get better prices with some patience.

Toy OTD: Bowen Designs Invisible Woman Statue (Half-Visible Version, 2000)

One of the first superhero comic books that I ever read was an issue of The Fantastic Four, and it's still one of my favorite Marvel creations. They hooked up with Bowen for all their statue and mini-bust needs, and DC's still playing quality catch-up. DC Direct may be improving, but Marvel's added Sideshow to their cool manufacturer list!

Anyway, I waffled for the longest time before I finally bought this statue. It wasn't too bad in terms of price (though I'm sure I could've paid less if I'd bought it earlier), and action figures just can't do the whole half-visible thing nearly as well. The sculpt is nice, and the paint work is strong, too. It has the added feature of the later statues - the figure itself can detach from the base, making cleaning and transport easier and less risky.

As you might imagine, there's two other variants of this statue - fully painted, and fully 'invisible'. To be honest, I don't know why the others even exist - the half-and-half version is definitely the way to go! Why not do the entire run that way?

At any rate, I think I paid around $200 for mine, but there's one for sale on eBay that's currently at $47.00 + shipping. Good luck!

Dark Horse Classic Comic Characters #2: Popeye (2000)

To celebrate the release of the Fleischer cartoons on DVD, here's another terrific faux-syroco statue from Dark Horse and Yo! Studios of Popeye! As usual, they've done an incredible job. The sculpt is amazing - a great, dynamic pose without sacrificing strength or balance. The paint work is perfect for the retro style of the series.

It comes packaged in a foam-lined tin box, complete with an informative pamphlet and collectible pin. While these extras are very well-done, I'd prefer simpler packaging and a lower price. I wound up recycling all the tins, as I've bought most of the statues and don't have room for the packaging, too.

Unfortunately, the only example I've found of this statue for sale is this eBay dealer, and it's pretty expensive there - $125.00 +shipping! I think you can find it out there somewhere cheaper than that. Even if you can't, Dark Horse did another Popeye statue in 2004, and it's just as good and much more affordable!

I'm A Sucker For Bubo

Remember that stupid robot owl in Clash of the Titans? I don't know if I love it because it's a such a blatant R2-D2 rip-off, or in spite of it. Even though I'm not a big fan of the movie itself, I've always wanted a Bubo toy or statue or something, and now I'm going to get my wish. Gentle Giant takes one more name off the rapidly-shrinking list of recognizable genre film characters that haven't been mechandised yet by making a limited-edition (500 pieces) Bubo statue! Cool!

You can pre-order it here - it'll cost $59.99 + shipping at Entertainment Earth.