#DTA2019 Showcase: BEST MINI SERIES
BEST MINI SERIES: "Whether a production platform or customized toy series, this category acknowledges excellence in 2" to 5" mini figures that have been produced in multiple quantities. Aspects considered in judging include quality of manufacturing, design, packaging, and even innovative use of the smaller size."
We have (re)entered an era of BLIND BOXED MINI FIGURES, which has since seen a slight decline from a decade ago, now exploding within toy-culture (a exploding scene in Asia, as far as I am concerned), with a decent showing from Asia in this year's Designer Toy Award Finalists for "BEST MINI SERIES" - with Winner to be announced at the DTA Show circa June 1st at Five Points Festival 2019!
And while Voting has since ended (Panel Votes / Closed to the public), Id like to share with folks which series have made this year's list, and what you could be looking out for at your toyshop online or offline!
DESIGNERCON KIDROBOT DUNNY SERIES from Kidrobot was a dedicated series showcasing the designs from a select group of artists who have being apart of past Designer Cons. Check out designs since revealed HERE - Featuring designs from Scott Tolleson, Paul Frank, Brandon Ragnar Johnson, Chris Lee, Flat Bonnie, Greg "Craola" Simkins, kaNO, Jerome Lu (of Hyperactive Monkey), Jon-Paul Kaiser, Deph and Chet Zar.
FLUFFY CAFE MR WHITE CLOUD SERIES 3 features characters from Hong Kong's Fluffy House (Featured with MORE images), as produced by Pop Mart (which makes me wonder, what else have they produced for Fluffy House?).
The massive success of U.S.-based Super Plastic's JANKY SERIES 1 Kickstarter really put the toy-scene on attention. And as the second series nears completion of yet another already successfully funded Kickstarter, its fitting to remind folks that Series One only happened a year ago.
I've not hidden my toy-love for Pucky's PUCKY POOL BABIES from Pop Mart, and it is in a huge line/catalog of Pucky-designed releases to come! (Above video from my toy review).
Tara Mcpherson's STELLAR DREAM SCOUTS MINI SERIES was somewhat of a "sequel" release with Kidrobot, with evolved designs from similar characters from her 2009 "Gamma Mutant Space Friends" blind boxed series, and very often seen in her paintings/illustratios. This release was in tandem with "Astra and Orbit" 8-inch tall tall art figures.
TEDDY TROOPER 2.0 SERIES 2 from Artoyz @artoyz_officiel is a sequel to Series 1 from 2017, featuring the designs of Flying Fortress @flyingfortress243 on a new 3-inch tall Teddy Trooper body (Sculpted by @muffinmansculpts). Both series featured "Regular" and "Variant" (skin) designs and colors.
The second series of THIMBLESTUMP HOLLOW SERIES 2 features new creature designs from Chris Ryniak and Amanda Louise Spayd, as produced still by Cardboard Spaceship, seen in a variety of colorways, themed for exclusives or event editions.
The first series release for UNBOX & FRIENDS by Hong Kong's Unbox Industries had Thai designer/artist Too Natthanpong (the creator of Greenie & Elfie) restyling/reinterpreted the designs of the characters previously made with Unbox, include new collaborations, and with the inclusion of hand-painted CHASE figures, really helped bring back the excitement of "blind boxes", IMHO.
"UNBOX & FRIENDS" was Unbox's first blind boxes series, subsequently followed by the first series of "Who Goes There?", and I wouldn't doubt if there'll be more BBs to come...
V.A.G VINYL ARTIST GACHA SERIES 16 from Medicom Toy features a total of 5 different designs from Mutant Vinyl Hardcore / MVH (with "Ollie"), Shimomoku ("Kubita Baby"), Jetture ("Kai Thunder"), Yoshimoto Kogyo ("Misty") and Hinatique ("Morris").
Since my first ever blogpost in 2015, to declaring my toylove for gachas, and again in 2016, along with the myriad of toy-snaps (2015 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017), to the utter collapse of my personal finances, which led to a outright avoidance of VAG (although I tried to continue featuring toynews), crushing my toy-dreams ... *man-sob*
"Mini Figures" has always been a "gateway toy-drug" for folks to edge in unto the toy-scene, with the tried and tested "platform" toy figure, utilising a myriad of artists and brand names providing the aesthetics and colours within the confines of said toy-form ... but in recent years, with the proliferation of different forms, most individualistic shapes, gives collectors a more visually kinetic-choice, and in return, we exchange our hard-earned money for small sized sculpted awesomeness, and the paint+print application have been amazing thus far, other rather most of the pieces I own and review, of course LOL
Besides choosing their favourite designers/artists, it will come s time when collectors begin to be more discerning on the quality of the pieces that they choose to own, with the sheer waves of artists in the international open market now, having a good design might not be enough, IMHO.
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
We have (re)entered an era of BLIND BOXED MINI FIGURES, which has since seen a slight decline from a decade ago, now exploding within toy-culture (a exploding scene in Asia, as far as I am concerned), with a decent showing from Asia in this year's Designer Toy Award Finalists for "BEST MINI SERIES" - with Winner to be announced at the DTA Show circa June 1st at Five Points Festival 2019!
And while Voting has since ended (Panel Votes / Closed to the public), Id like to share with folks which series have made this year's list, and what you could be looking out for at your toyshop online or offline!
DESIGNERCON KIDROBOT DUNNY SERIES from Kidrobot was a dedicated series showcasing the designs from a select group of artists who have being apart of past Designer Cons. Check out designs since revealed HERE - Featuring designs from Scott Tolleson, Paul Frank, Brandon Ragnar Johnson, Chris Lee, Flat Bonnie, Greg "Craola" Simkins, kaNO, Jerome Lu (of Hyperactive Monkey), Jon-Paul Kaiser, Deph and Chet Zar.
FLUFFY CAFE MR WHITE CLOUD SERIES 3 features characters from Hong Kong's Fluffy House (Featured with MORE images), as produced by Pop Mart (which makes me wonder, what else have they produced for Fluffy House?).
The massive success of U.S.-based Super Plastic's JANKY SERIES 1 Kickstarter really put the toy-scene on attention. And as the second series nears completion of yet another already successfully funded Kickstarter, its fitting to remind folks that Series One only happened a year ago.
I've not hidden my toy-love for Pucky's PUCKY POOL BABIES from Pop Mart, and it is in a huge line/catalog of Pucky-designed releases to come! (Above video from my toy review).
Tara Mcpherson's STELLAR DREAM SCOUTS MINI SERIES was somewhat of a "sequel" release with Kidrobot, with evolved designs from similar characters from her 2009 "Gamma Mutant Space Friends" blind boxed series, and very often seen in her paintings/illustratios. This release was in tandem with "Astra and Orbit" 8-inch tall tall art figures.
TEDDY TROOPER 2.0 SERIES 2 from Artoyz @artoyz_officiel is a sequel to Series 1 from 2017, featuring the designs of Flying Fortress @flyingfortress243 on a new 3-inch tall Teddy Trooper body (Sculpted by @muffinmansculpts). Both series featured "Regular" and "Variant" (skin) designs and colors.
The second series of THIMBLESTUMP HOLLOW SERIES 2 features new creature designs from Chris Ryniak and Amanda Louise Spayd, as produced still by Cardboard Spaceship, seen in a variety of colorways, themed for exclusives or event editions.
The first series release for UNBOX & FRIENDS by Hong Kong's Unbox Industries had Thai designer/artist Too Natthanpong (the creator of Greenie & Elfie) restyling/reinterpreted the designs of the characters previously made with Unbox, include new collaborations, and with the inclusion of hand-painted CHASE figures, really helped bring back the excitement of "blind boxes", IMHO.
"UNBOX & FRIENDS" was Unbox's first blind boxes series, subsequently followed by the first series of "Who Goes There?", and I wouldn't doubt if there'll be more BBs to come...
V.A.G VINYL ARTIST GACHA SERIES 16 from Medicom Toy features a total of 5 different designs from Mutant Vinyl Hardcore / MVH (with "Ollie"), Shimomoku ("Kubita Baby"), Jetture ("Kai Thunder"), Yoshimoto Kogyo ("Misty") and Hinatique ("Morris").
Since my first ever blogpost in 2015, to declaring my toylove for gachas, and again in 2016, along with the myriad of toy-snaps (2015 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017), to the utter collapse of my personal finances, which led to a outright avoidance of VAG (although I tried to continue featuring toynews), crushing my toy-dreams ... *man-sob*
"Mini Figures" has always been a "gateway toy-drug" for folks to edge in unto the toy-scene, with the tried and tested "platform" toy figure, utilising a myriad of artists and brand names providing the aesthetics and colours within the confines of said toy-form ... but in recent years, with the proliferation of different forms, most individualistic shapes, gives collectors a more visually kinetic-choice, and in return, we exchange our hard-earned money for small sized sculpted awesomeness, and the paint+print application have been amazing thus far, other rather most of the pieces I own and review, of course LOL
Besides choosing their favourite designers/artists, it will come s time when collectors begin to be more discerning on the quality of the pieces that they choose to own, with the sheer waves of artists in the international open market now, having a good design might not be enough, IMHO.
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
