Celebrating Singapore Toys for National Day 2014

This particular article started as an attempt at making a "List" of forty-nine Singapore art toys, specifically designed by Singaporeans, and made by a a Singaporean brand, or made physically in Singapore - in tandem with Singapore's National Day today August 9th, as we celebrate 49 years (I'm a schmuck for gimmicks like that LOL) - but then soon realized, THAT list would indeed be a very short list … and I decided to widen the parameters …

[A] The toy-producers/brands have to be Singaporean (or at least Singapore-based).
[B] The designers were Singapore-based (which meant brands outside of Singapore can be and are featured)
[C] they have to be "production pieces", with at least a 10 piece run, which meant one-off customs or mico-runs are left off the virtual toy-shelf here!
[D] The items have to have been released into the wild (as of this post)
[E] they are not exclusive-editions or colorways of other existing toys (which leaves TOYSREVIL nearly out of the listings lol)

Last year I did a little "hurrah" blog-post dedicated to select local toy artists … this year? I had to go and make a "challenge" out of it … Here are what I have listed so far - in on particular order of importance or preference otherwise:


(www.mightyjaxx.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
It would be utterly "unfair" to quantify the value of a brand by the years in it's existence, but by sheer volume and product panache, MIGHTY JAXX has carved out a slice of the toy world to call their own, much less in Singapore - in the last couple of years, and what wondrous years they have been! Jackson Aw and his dedicated full-time team has curated and nurtured an extensive list of original artist-designer created collectibles, and add to that multiple colorways of each piece, and your toy-shelves would be filled to the edges! This list continues to grow at an alarming rate too! Check out the sub-list at the bottom of this blogpost :)

(1) Hell Lotus by Clogtwo (Vinyl)
(2) Skuhl by Clogtwo (Resin)
(3) Culturedby SKLO (Resin)
(4) Miss Mao by Flabslab & Gao Brothers (Vinyl)
(5) Oi! Cthulhu by Daniel Yu (Resin)
(6) Tau Pok King by Devilrobots & Daniel Yu (Resin)
(7) Love Bomb by Phunk Studio (Resin)
(8) Sideways by Yoskay Yamamoto (Resin)
(9) Mr Hell Yeah by Mamafaka (Resin)
(10) Lyle Bean with Scott Tolleson (Vinyl)
(11) Bad Apple by Goin (Resin)
(12) Skull Bomb by Jason Freeny (Resin)
(13) Brainlington by Ewok5MH (Vinyl)
(14) New Eva by Ajee (Vinyl)
(15) Sailor Trixie by Andrew Hickinbottom (Resin)
(16) Hug the Killer by NikoPicto (Resin)
(17) LEPUS PELLIS OS OMENTUM by Nychos (Resin)


(www.thedanielyu.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
Resin-slinger and artist, DANIEL YU started doing Playmobil-based customs and have since produced limited quantities of this own creations for public sales, without a need at all to replicate or adapt existing characters (except for Tau Pok King) and properties.

From making his name in the toy scene with "Crawdad Kid" in October Toys' first OMFG Series, Daniel is in this full-time as an indie artist, with recent original creations include Oi! Cthulhu, and his recent (18) Rebeca Mortis, (19) Gory Bomb and (20) Broncho Buster! The future is not just "bright", but are positively a beacon spotlight that will burn like sunshine!

The indie-artist spirit continues with ANTHEA TAN x SAMANTHA LO of THE PBKs with (21) NO GUTS, NO GLORY!, (22) YOU NEED JESUS!, (23) Galabitty The Assuming Rabbit and (24) Bammer Budskis. More lifestyle art commentary than "toys", you cannot deny their existence! (www.thepbks.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL).

All above listed items are made exclusively in resin, and hand-cast by Daniel in Singapore - making them truly Made In Singapore products!

Do note that both Daniel and PBKs will be sharing a table at Artist Alley in this year's Singapore Toy Games & Comic Con (Sept 6-7, 2014), so expect more goodies from them!


(www.flabslab.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
Producing larger scaled resin sculptures in limited quantities, with higher price-points, has FLABSLAB carve out an undeniable mark in this little red dot that which is Singapore, and beyond. The thing is, they are not necessarily a "toy-making" brand! And with the products they have produced thus far, it would be hard-pressed to label them "toys" as opposed to "Collectible art pieces", methinks!

Head-honcho Jeffrey Koh runs a creative agency by day, and is a well known hardcore toy collector himself in these parts (and no doubt beyond Singapore's shores) who has since put passion into production, and continually stocks disconcerting collectors shelves with collectibles and exclusive colorway editions of existing products.

(25) Wicked with Angry Woebots
(26) Chewballer with Angry Woebots
(27) MICKIV with Arkiv
(28) Originally Fake with Abell Octavan
(29) Dancing Gaia with Budi Nugroho
(30) Sleeping Gaia with Budi Nugroho
(31) No One Can Save Us with Steve Lawler / Mojoko x Eric Foenander
(32) Storm Terra with Steve Lawler / Mojoko x Eric Foenander
(33) Histary with Francesco de Molfetta x FLABSLAB
(34) Willy
(35) Oh Fuck!
(36) Crawdaddy with Daniel Yu

**Do note the above list are all resin-made collectibles


(www.pobbertoys.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
A brand firmly dwelling in the art toy vinyl realms, is POBBER TOYS. Helmed by Jake Lee, who has been a one-man machine unto making vinyl and resin collectible art toys with international designers for the past couple of years, with a splendid spread of products:

(37) Humphrey Mooncalf by Doktor A (Vinyl / multiple colorways)
(38) Jaguar Knight with Jesse Hernandez (Vinyl / multiple colorways)
(39) Sylvan with Gary Ham (Vinyl)
(40) Ivy Lee with Scott Tolleson (Resin)
(41) Bad Ass Toy with Kronk (Vinyl / multiple colorways)
(42) Mork with Jeremy Madl (Vinyl / multiple colorways)
(43) Bear Champ / Panda Champ with JC Rivera (Resin / multiple colorways)

Pobber will also be at STGCC this year, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for fans and folks!


(mytummytoys.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
Bandung, Indonesia based MYTUMMYTOYS is "connected" to Singapore via the production of collectibles designed by PHU! - with larger-scaled resin figures include the (44) P-77 v2.0 (in multiple colorways) and (45) Jackal Rebel Tank - all of whom were made specifically in resin.

Not to forget PHU! himself had released the first version of his self-produced (46) P-77 in 2007, and (47) Rebel Pilots with Dodgrrr.

China-based brand ADFUNTURE (adfunture.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL) has been pretty supportive of local artists/creators these years, in particular PHU! with (48+49) 2 x Rebel YOKAs, (50) CLOGTWO's Grizzly YOKA, and (51+52) ANTZ with both a Skateboard YOKA and a "Thunderape" Mini G-Robot design. And TOYSREVIL will ever be indebted to Eddie Yip for my first ever production toy YOKA (53)!


(www.playimaginative.com / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
PLAY IMAGINATIVE was one of the earliest "designer" toy brand from Singapore, blazing a trail since 2005 with their locally designed "Trexi" platform figurine, subsequent designer toys with Asia-based creators (predominately from non-Singapore based creators like Japan's DEVILROBOTS, TOUMA, Mori Chack, and Kenny Wong, Winson Ma, Danny Chan etc from Hong Kong, and even publication of Playtimes magazine!

In recent years they have since turned their focus to media-related characters and properties in recent years - like Iron Man, Batman, Mickey Mouse, Spongebob Squarepants, Carebears and even platform-based collectible Project Singa, utilizing a local/Singaporean mascot LOL - and no longer are as active in the "art toy" scene.

Worth mentioning are their early series of (54) Trexis featured designs from local/Singapore names+brands like Darren Gan, Flesh Imp, Pixelmunky, Ffurious and Ee Shaun.


(Vinyl-on-Vinyl / Tagged #onTOYSREVIL)
The Philippines-based VINYL ON VINYL has produced three resin collectibles based on designs by Singaporean Artists, with (55) Honnie by MASHI, (56) Pinnochio from SONNY LIEW, and WANTONDOODLE's Can Of Worms (57). All three made their debuts at STGCC last year! Although the released quantities might have missed out on my set parameters, they deserve a mention, for supporting local artists too :)

There have been a decent variety of Singapore-designed toys in the early days, but perhaps the earlier record I have on this blog, was (58) Lei Gong by PHUNK! x Taiwan based Pixie! I have longed wanted to own a slice of this "historical" piece - in it's multiple colorways - and maybe one day I will …

And while is might not necessarily be categorized under "art toys", as opposed to "designer toys" ("labels" and their political correctness, yeh? LOL), is Mr. SBTG's sneaker and lifestyle specialists Royalefam with their 2008 (59) 400% and 100% BE@RBRICKS with Medicom Toy.

Facebook-based Star Wars-fan themed SUHAIMI's GULLIVER CHRONICLES also made available a series of Anarkin Skywalker x Darth Vadar-themed resin figurines named "Prophecy" (60), available to it's members, back in 2012.

And not to mention that there might be quite a few products slip thru the cracks of my parameters, like;

- Singapore Spore
- mimipong's plush
- Sharim Gubbels' Crossville papercrafts
- Zakane's papertoys
- Resin figurines from Alan Ng AKA Creamous
- BO9 by BlackOinkDesign
- 3D-printed toys from Trobok Toys helmed by South African designer Rick Treweek, who resides sometimes in sunny Singapore :)

… And I am sure I am missing out on a (possibly small) number of toys pre-2005/6 as well … and maybe one day I'll be able to track them down, before all memory of their existence fades … be that as it may, with the continued growth of the scene and somewhat voracious collecting community - due to no small efforts of the folks listed above - along with the slate of toys and collectibles to come, no one can ever say Singapore doesn't have "art toys"!


Yet To Be Released:
- The Chunky Knight by Alex Solis (produced by Mighty Jaxx / release STGCC2014)
- 100000 horsepower by Sonny Liew (produced by Mighty Jaxx / release STGCC2014)
- Noodle by Sarah Isabel Tan (produced by Mighty Jaxx / release STGCC2014)
- Killer Donut by Angry Woebots (produced by FLABSLAB / release STGCC2014)
- YODDHA by Scott Tolleson (produced by FLABSLAB / release STGCC2014)
- The Uprising by SKL0 (produced by FLABSLAB / release STGCC2014)
- Unnamed Collectible by Frank Kozik (produced by FLABSLAB / release STGCC2014)
- WuKong by ANTZ (proceed by MyTummyToys / release TBC)
- BOBA by Luke Chueh (produced by FLABSLAB / release TBC)
- Dripple Series 1 by Mighty Jaxx (release TBC)
- Rivet Wars by Mighty Jaxx (release TBC)
- Never Negative Again by Yosuke Ueno (produced by Mighty Jaxx / release TBC)
- Falkenskull by Falkenskull

DISCLAIMER: "This list is by no means a complete directory of practitioners in Singapore, nor is it a complete discography of folks products and release. All listings here are as of the date of the post, pending status of products that I do not publicly know about.

Please feel free to help me list any missing folks/brands in the Comments Section of this post below, thanks!" -Andy Heng, TOYSREVIL.