TOYSREVIL's #TopTenToysof2018 .... Okay, make it "Top Fourteen" - Becoz #TOYSREVIL14 :p
[ Image on Instagram ]
2018 was a somewhat tough year for "toys" in the TOYSREVIL HQ, with most of my purchases happening near the last quarter of the year (ie: *I got paid* :p), but I've a grip of awesome gifts that I've received and cherish as well, and I am sharing my TOP TEN TOYS OF 2018, completing my serial feature as Februay ends, and the month of March begins!
Caveat #1: TOYS must be owned by myself & within my
Caveat #2: TOYS considered & listed can be released before the year 2018, but has to be opened/unboxed within the year of 2018.
Caveat #3: As importantly, the TOYS chosen are/is not based on the monetary value, but the emotional value the item possess for myself personally. I do not just own a piece of painted "toy", but it could be a memory, an emotional connection. I am quite a sentimental kinda guy, I admit ... :p
And without further adieu and delay, I humbly present to you my #TopTenToysof2018 ... and maybe a little bit more... :p
#10: UOZUMI KONG from Mame Moyashi x Ozzo (Toy Reviewed)
And while I own earlier versions of Mame Moyashi's seafood plater line - including the adored MAGURO Senpai (Named My Top Toy of 2017 too), GID Squid Chef Squidiano and Master Of The Giant Claw - I've not owned any of the land-animals in their Mame Moyashi Zoo-line, until UOZUMI KONG!
Design & Illustrated by Chino Lam, this edition was exclusive to Ozzo Collection in Singapore, and I was hella happy with my albino toy ape!
#10: DANGER DOG Vinyl Pitbull Mascot from Tenacious Toys (Toy Reviewed)
Having adored the OG resin 2.25 inches tall version of Tenacious Toys' DANGER DOG (as sculpted by Mike NEMO Mendez, an artist I really like the work of)... than having the chance to have it side-by-side with the 5-incher tall vinyl version right next to it, really brought all kinds of mixed emotions in me, encapsulating TOY-JOY (of seeing a toy evolution), and PRIDE (for the friends, producers and folks who have made the vinyl toy a reality)!
#8: FAIRY TUTTZ by Argonaut Resins
My family of TUTTZ from Argonaut Resins welcomed a new member in 2018, with the 3-inch tall FAIRY TUTTZ being a gift from Eric Nocella Diaz, and I do not take it lightly, as I have had in the past released two series of Tuttz and a Large Tuttz at my STGCC Booth in 2012, and remains one of my fav designer resins to date. The sheer simplicity and sexiness of the regal form belies the majesty of the beast that awaits folks and fans!
#7: WORTH CAT by Michael Lau x PUMA (Toy Reviewed)
I am a toy-fan of Michael Lau (although I am not fanatical enough to love ALL his toys, because not every one of them appealed to me ;p), and credit him and others of that time crucial in turning me over to the "urban vinyl/designer toy" from my deeply entrenched 1/6th-scaled hobby, decades back! And any opportunity to own a toy from the "Godfather of Hong Kong Urban Vinyl", is "special" for me ... Enter "WORTH CAT" - in collaboration with the 50th anniversary celebration of the PUMA Sample Suede, which released in January of 2018 in Singapore!
Thanks to the generosity of PUMA Sg, I was a grateful recipient, and have the sneakers still snug in their boxes, while the figure itself has been lying beside my bed since the day I opened it, actually!
#6: THE BEST CONTRACTOR from Good Guys Never Win Toys
Folks in Singapore might be familiar with the by-now-icon "Phua Chu Kang" character (played by local actor Gurmit Singh), who had a wildly successful Singaporean TV sitcom back in 1997 ... what folks might not know (and more probably might not remember), was that the character was first performed in Gurmit's own weekly skit show, named "Gurmit's World" for the then Television Corporation of Singapore (now we know as "MediaCorp"). I was the main set designer assigned to said program, and was one of my first few long-term projects when I started designing for TCS in the mid-90s!
With his trademark yellow rain boots, curly hair and mole, he was then (self)-touted as (the) "Best in Singapore, JB, and some say Batam", and my memories of this character ran deep. Back in the day, we didn't have much "merchandise", and cannot believe that it took 3 decades later, for an Indonesia toy-brand to bring the character back into our subconscious!
Featured above is a single low-res image of PCK's messy contractor office studio set, before the transformation to the lovable ah beng contractor (of which I was not a part of the design team tho) ... you can as well check out more "Gurmit's World" set designs I did here on Facebook, a lifetime ago...
#5: THE AIRFORCE 1 FIGURE PLAMODEL KIT by COOLRAIN
I have been a fan of CoolRain since discovering his Michael Lau-homage makes in 1/6th, and was even as fanatical about his hand-made 1/6th-scaled shoes (I certainly love my scaled sneakers :p), but had never the opportunity to afford to own a pair, or ten ... then The Airforce 1 Figure Plamodel Kit happened ... than I received a SIGNED box of said kit, and I was in toy-heaven, I tell'ya!
#4: DA FIGHTER (KEYCHAIN) from Tim Tsui
The thing about #3 on this list, were that the collectibles had been in my collection/hoard for over a decade, but had not been opened (fully) nor shown to the wwworld, until this year (in 2018)! I had been asked by the designer Tim Tsui, to not to show these items online as the artist did not want folks to know he gifted them to me, in the first place. I always try to accommodate requests, and sometimes I keep them quite literally (:p) ... but these boxes had been quite literally sat beside my work desk for the past few YEARS, that I had felt their designs and style should not be forgotten, even as the designer himself had faded off the toy-scene!
The aesthetics are still fresh, the spirit still sparkle of that particular toy-era, and really brings me back into a time when toy-collecting had been a more heightened passion in my toylife ... I really miss your toy-art, Mr Tsui!
#3: SKOLL from SunnyAndCloudyWeatherShop (Toy Reviewed / "Have You Seen My Lighting Wand?" Photo series feature))
I had been fascinated with SunnyAndCloudyWeatherShop's SKOLLS since I first laid yes on them, admittedly because they had come from the creative mind of Eunbyeol Choi, who also produced beautifully twisted femme fatales under her "Lo-Fi Collective" artist name, and I certain adore "variety" in an artist/creators' work, with such a difference between genres, I am been intrigued as well, and marvelled at the creation of a wolf girl who chases the sun and causes lightning... :)
After blogging about her SKOLLS, I finally had a chance to meet the full-time South Korean artist personally at last year's STGCC and was utterly thrilled and honored to receive the figure. I do not take such generosity lightly, and one of my two regrets was not asking her to sign the box or do a sketch for me ... the other was not being able to bring both Eunbyeol and Jihye (@jyelloween) for a chili crab dinner on the last night ... and I still think and regret that too...
#2: POOL BABIES from Pucky x POPMART (Toy Reviewed)
I was THIS close to snagging a display box of POOL BABIES from Pucky x POPMART, when at the very last minute I decided to go for Unbox & Friends .... and even though I had already own three figures, I really would not have minded double figures (*And I HATE having doubles :p) ... Out of the Lucky mini figures I have (Forest Fairies, Xmas Babies I gifted my family for Christmas), my favourite HAS to be POOL BABIES! And they are my Top Picks for 2018 Toys!
Actually I'd voted for the adorable Penguin-baby, but they were pulled by Mum and my brother, and technically did not belong to me so .... *mansobs*
#1: Custom One-Off Chocolate Manjūsagi Dessert from TOVI
The moment I received this custom one-off (and peeked at it), I KNEW it would be on my Top 3 Toys ... and after an easy deliberation, I have picked this to be my NUMBER ONE TOP TOY for 2018, because (A) It is awesome, (B) It looks utterly yummy and dangerous for my diabetic-ass (I LOVE "ironies" lol), and (C) Catching up with artist/creator Tovi Vo had been one of my more fun and enriching times spent in 2018 (beyond with family), and I truly appreciate the short time, which makes this make even more delicious in my memories! Thank you again, Dr. Vo!
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
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And because I am celebrating the "14th Anniversary" of TOYSREVIL this month/year, I HAD to do my TOP FOURTEEN TOYS of 2018, don't it? Here is my additional/bonus countdown from #14 to #11:
#14: NORA by FufuFanny (Toy Reviewed / What-Are)
#13: TOXIC LIME Edition SHINIGAMI by Clogtwo (In-Hand/What-Is)
#12: CODY from Jon Knox x Extended Playz
Finally bit the bullet and snagged me a CODY vinyl toy at Ozzo Collection! And while I had earlier owned the All-Black version, I had longed for but never snagged the trio of colored versions (the colors did not grab at me back then, as they do now, actually), as much as I'd regretted in the past not being able to afford his self-made resin figures made under the moniker "hello brute" - for which these figure perfectly mirrored his aesthetics and indie-spirit! Made by Extended Playz and released back in 2011, this was a Christmas present I gifted myself with, after holding back an entire year's worth of toy-desire LOL
Check out my full toy-review HERE.
#11: THE DESSERT ORACLE from Sad Salesman
First released at New York Comic Con 2017, I managed to grab this from the 1000Toys booth at STGCC'2018, thanks to a tip off from Angeline K.! This was not a "planned" pick-up, but a "happy" pick-up, nevertheless :)
