toy review: maxim zhestkov's quadrics 001 + 002
and here we have TOYSREVIL's first ever Guest Toy Reviewer: Evan Gordon (of Vertigo Toys) with his excellent and insightful review of Maxim Zhestkov's Quadrics 001 and 002 figures [blogged] as produced by Kaching Brands and distributed (in the US) by DKE Toys./// READ REVIEW HERE
REVIEW:
Robots Are Among Us...
They're Russian and they, I assume, mean well.
Maxim Zhestkov's Quadrics figures have finally made it to stores this week. While #s 003 and 004 are unavailable at the moment, sweet little 001s and 002s are filling the shelves of our favorite retailers, and I, for one, couldn't be happier.
Produced by Kaching Brands and distributed by DKE Toys, the Quadrics continue the stellar lineup from Kaching with some of the most innovative design that we've seen in a while in a vinyl toy line. Based partly on the inclusion of machines into our everyday lives, Zhestkov has taken one of the most prevalent of electronic devices, the video game system, and anthropomorphizing it into a series of superbly designed and well executed figures. I'll get to each of the figures individually in a moment, but I just want to touch on a few things that are common to both.
First, it's important that we don't kid ourselves, these are not really toys. The figures themselves have no articulation apart from the accessory that is included (001 has a joystick that moves and 002 has a handheld controller). Not being toys, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. Most of Kaching Brand's figures have little articulation (Eric Scarecrow's Liberty comes to mind), but the main thing that we CAN count on Kaching for is some damn nice looking pieces of art. That's what the Quadrics are. I could go on and explain the implications of technology and art if I wanted to, as I'm sure Zhestkov is making some sort of statement to that effect, but I don't want to write a thesis on why the Art-Toy industry is, at the moment, focusing more on the "art" and less on the "toy." That said, these figures are art, plain and simple.
Second, the packaging and design on the Quadrics figures is inspired. While completely understated, the figures have a way of standing out through design aspects alone (which I'll touch on more in a moment). The box design is just as minimalist with a simple black and white 001 or 002 adorning the top of each window box and a simple black dot on a white field on the back.
The simple packaging gets to the heart of the matter, and fast, this box isn't going to win awards, but the figures inside, which is where the focus SHOULD lie, will.
Quadrics 001
Based upon the old-school arcade joystick, 001 is very simple with a black visor and what appears to be headphones. As stated earlier, there is no articulation on this figure apart from the attachable joystick that fits nicely into the back of the figure. 001 is attached flawlessly to a stand up base as the legs on this little fellow will not allow him to stand on his own.
Joints are accentuated by a thin black pinstripe, but do little other than make the piece stand out as more than just a semi-amorphous blob with a joystick in it's back. Apart from the seemingly bad posture of the 001 figure, this little spaceman looks really nice sitting on a shelf, which is about all it can do.
Quadrics 002
002 is certainly more humanoid looking than his singular brother. With big feet, 002, stands on his own. His outstretched arms hold nothing when you open the figure but his controller accessory fits perfectly into his grip and makes for a really cool visual of a robot playing video games, or perhaps controlling another robot.
Joints are still accentuated by pin striping, but not as much as the 001 figure. The standout features of the 002 are it's huge feet and head, along with the controller that is almost as big as our man 002.
I admit, it's difficult for me to pick features of the two robots separately as they are without a doubt part of a larger whole. Neither figure looks particularly impressive by itself, but when 001 and 002 are together, the similarities and form mesh so well that it's somewhat confusing as to why Kaching decided to sell the figures separately. Although, with a price point of USD 60.00, it might have been a bit prohibitive to sell them as a set. Nevertheless, the figures, whether you get one or both, look amazing. With the recent surge of cutesy, cartoonish, figures from certain manufacturers, the Quadrics have a nice aesthetic that is much more about form than function.
The point at which these figures become a comentary on our reliance on technology is debatable, but as it stands, I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. Photos really can't do the figures justice and you really need to see them in person to tell if they you're cup of tea. It should be understood that the kind of futuristic robotic sentiment expressed by Zhestkov is not for everyone. People still like the cutesy toys that are produced, and that's just fine with me. The robots, on the other hand, might have something to say about that.
[review and images by Evan Gordon of Vertigo Toys]
