#throwbacktoythursday: Futura 100% Unkle Kubricks
(All above images from "Playground" circa 090103 / More Uploaded Here)
The late-90s / early 2000s saw a sweet selection of Futura-designed toys and collectibles invade the toy world, including the "Unkle 77 Pointman" as 12" figures and 8" vinyls from Medicom Toys, Mo Wax Toys, and numerous BE@RBRICKs and Kubricks, including the highly desired triangle box set with 4 x colored Pointman Kubricks! I used to have folders filled with images and online-auction lists for which I never had a single score from LOL
The aesthetic appeal of these designs, were heightened by the music, at least for me, and is not necessarily a visual genre I would normally collect. Coupled with the "cool" factor in their collaboration with "cool brands" like A Bathing Ape? I was a "sheep", admittedly so, and I "bleated" for more! LOL
Released on August 2004, is the above shown "Futura 100% Unkle Kubrick Deluxe Box set" from Medicom Toy, featuring a total of 25 x clear version 'Kubrick' figures. Designed by Futura and supervised by James Lavelle, this splendidness was limited to 500 sets worldwide.
I've not personally had a chance to see this set up close and in person, in fact, I've not seen this box at all! But I knew of it's existence, and having raved over their 1998 "Psyence Fiction" album (which I can't seem to find in my collection now gggrrrr, started me on DJ Shadow too ;p) and recognizing the figures from their 2003 "Never, Never, Land" album cover, I had quite coveted this!
Funny remembering now, because I could not process what I had heard then, from Unkle to DJ Shadow - being engulfed in Top 40s and slowly being sucked into the chillout clubtechno - little did I know this would become a staple of the "Soundtrack of my Life" … Back to the toys!
But along the way, said desire had somewhat fell into the dark recesses of my memories, lost amongst other desired-collectibles, and was soon "forgotten" … until last Sunday, while fingering thru a tray of ziplocked little figurines in the Sunday flea market at China Square Central, I came across one of these guys, to which the flea market table operator told me "there are 2 more" … and without a moments' pause, I brought them home with me in my man-bossom - after paying for them, of course! 20bucks total for the 3 = flea-markets FTW!
Long story short, these are amazing and pretty darn solid! I've never given much thought about BE@RBRICK being made from ABS plastic versus vinyl, but in this instance, the clear quality of the piece, is remarkable, heightened with the black lifework on the figures themselves. The heads are shaped differently, and was/is quite breathtaking to hold, IMHO.
Released nearly a decade ago, proven themselves quite the long-lasting collectible, methinks.
(Additional info via XL-Shop / Deluxe Set-pic via Ebay)
