onibaka's tunny the oni and flying cloudy sheep resin figures
fledgling Italian-designer/sculptor Onibaka aka Davide De Rose Veltri has created a fantasy world of candy-eating-creatures and flying failed sheep experiments with his TUNNY The Oni and Flying CLOUDY Sheep, and is set to materialize them unto resin figures to be made available in two colorways: (OG) RED CLASSIC (limited to 150-pcs, signed & numbered) and B&W OLD CARTOON (limited to 100-pcs, signed & numbered)
i had a quick online chat with Davide about the origins
of Tunny and Cloudy /// CLICK HERE TO READ
TOYSREVIL: Who is Tunny The Oni and his Flying Cloudy Sheep?
DAVIDE: Tunny was an Oni banished by the other Oni(s) because they were angry with him for not wanting human flesh, but instead liked sweets, candies and cakes! (for liquorice, he prefers green gummy bears)(NOTE: Oni are the classic japanse demons, and in some mythological stories; eat humans :D)
One day Tunny met the mysterious Doctor Candyman and decided to join his crusade of making a world based on Candyman's rulez - which is to transform all things, both plant and animals into cute and sweet creatures; but very hungry creatures with an insatiable appetite! ... but something bad happened along the way ... Tunny's hunger was uncontrollable and he started to eat the other members of the Candyman's Hungry Army Living Candies.
The Doctor caught and punished Tunny by banishing him to a island (where he discarded his failed and useless experiments), and made him to go thru a complete therapeutic cycle at "Gluttoouses Anonimous". And on this island, Tunny made friends with a strange flying sheep; Cloudy, one of Dr. Candyman's failed experiments. Flying Cloudy Sheep was unable to speak normally, but instead communicated by singing Frank Sinatra songs.
TRE: how did their creation come about?
DAVIDE: In the real world, "Tunny" and the sheep are characters of a world i made up in my mind, where there was this crazy doctor candyman who gave life to an enormous pile of discarded halloween candies and had decided to transform the world according to his rulez. I created the characters in story because of my first love for toys; all kinds of toys! and of course of my job as a prototype sculptor made it an easier decision :p
TRE: are you making/producing the figures yourself?
DAVIDE: I sculpted the prototype myself, but the production will be made with professional molding and resin cast by professional prototype studio here in Italy, Milan, with professional materials and techniques.TRE: how big is Tunny and Sheep actually? and in what colorways will they be available in?
DAVIDE: Tunny is 4 inches, the sheep 3 inches. Tunny sitting on the Sheep stands a total of 6.3 inches :)
Tunny will be available in two colorways/versions: Colored-Version with 150-pcs signed and numbered, and Old Cartoon-Version (in black and white with a shade of grey) limited to 100-pcs signed and numbered
(Davide: the toys will be colored with professional
pigments and detailed with professional decals)
TRE: when are they scheduled to be released?
DAVIDE: i have to paint the two prototype for the colours test and i hope to start working on the orders by the end of October after my participation at MondoPop - but but it also depends on the demand from the shops ... if anyone wanna preorder a piece or if any shops want further information, do feel free to contact/email me at onibakasculpture [at] gmail.com or you can look for me on myspace :)
TRE: sounds good so far, Davide! in closing, do tell us a a bit about yourself please.
DAVIDE: I'm an Italian nerd :p - my real name is Davide De Rose Veltri, I'm 26 years old and i work as a prototype and resin-kits sculptor, and my passions are illustration, comics, toys and much too many things to be listed here! i try to have passion in my work. my brain is like a sponge that absorbs all the "crap" around me like entomological (insect) data, comic-books stories, movies and tv garbage (live long and prosper) and then grind them all in a unique mess from where i create and develop my characters :p
DAVIDE: I'm a newbie in the professional world, and i'm kinda shy and i really don't know how much more i can tell you about myself :p
TOYSREVIL: you're doing fine so far, Davide! good luck with Tunny and Cloudy, yeh? do keep us updated :)
- peep Onibaka on myspace / deviantart
