Toy-Release: Gunkanjima Kaiju by Plaseebo (US-Release on May 20)
Plaseebo announces the first US release of their "Gunkanjima Kaiju" aka “Bituminous minor”, scheduled for an online release Thursday May 20th via the Plaseebo website shop @ http://plaseebo.net. Available would be two Gunkanjima figures, each uniquely hand painted, and signed by Bob. Price is US$550 each.
Gunkanjima stands eight inches high, and is made in hand cast resin with eye inserts and a color changing LED unit inside the removable head. The LED unit is switched and has replaceable batteries. CLICK THRU for full-peeks at the figures, and for a little backstory.....
[copyright 2010 Bob Conge]
All projects begin at the point of INSPIRATION and this one is inspired by a real place, “Hashima” aka “Gunkanjima”, a nickname translated to English meaning “Battleship Island”. This tiny (1.2 sq km) island when viewed from the coast of Japan does in fact look like a battleship setting 19 km off shore.
Described today as a rotting Metropolis, Gunkanjima was from 1887 until 1974 a self contained coal
mining facility that fed the iron and steel industry and contributed to Japans modernization. At its peak in 1959 Gunkanjima was the most densely populated place on earth, packing 139,000 people into one square kilometer of its 50 residential high risers. Mining coal from beneath the the sea floor with waves and typhoons raging above.
Then 36 years ago the entire population vanished almost overnight leaving behind most of their possessions. The official line said they returned to the mainland, but of course we know better....
"And this is where MY story begins ..."
“A great storm raged from the sea that black night in 1974 breaking loose the moorings of all ships docked at the island sending them crashing into the towering break water that surrounds Hashima. Any hope of escape was at the bottom of this tormented ocean when a creature of revenge was awakened in the deepest of the mine shafts as a hand full of men broke through into the cavity before them. This was the first taste of flesh in over 2000 years for “Bituminous minor” aka “The GUNKANJIMA Kaiju”. He made his way up through the dark winding shafts to the city above and by morning had consumed all those living on this doomed island.
[Above: "Gunkanjima P-4" / Below: "Gunkanjima P-5"]
