#DTA2019 Showcase: TOY OF THE YEAR
Showcased here in this blogpost are finalists for TOY OF THE YEAR (FAN) whereby "(it) recognizes a singularly outstanding platform, whose design and manufacture was of the highest quality and execution. This award celebrates a Designer Toy that captured the imagination of the fans and became a popularly demanded item."
This particular category is a FAN / PUBLIC Voted category, with voting currently opened online here (you'd need to log-in or register to vote), with voting ending Thursday, May 16th, 2019, 12pm (noon) EST.
Scroll thru to view the listed 21 x Collectibles in this category!
JURASSIC PARK 25TH ANNIVERSARY LIFE FINDS A WAY by Chris Ryniak was conceived as a part of the "Jurassic Park Art show" exhibited at the 2018 DesignerCon (along with these production releases I featured), with this piece being a 1-of-1 edition, 3D Printed + ABS Plastic + Acrylic.
I am ashamed to say, this is the first time I am seeing this and know of it's existence, actually! (Insert/event image via @ikatme).
This was what Keith Poon of ToyQube had to say about producing Steven Harrington's "AAPE", first released at ComplexCon 2018:
"I have been building a toy shop since 2004 and now I am 2018. I have been 14 years since I realized it. It is my happiest thing to turn my interest into my career. TOYQUBE is not a big brand, maybe a circle of friends. There are still many people who don't know what I am doing. But one of the crossover projects this year, I really feel very proud, I really want to share with you.
In the middle of 2005, I started to buy a Bathing Ape shirt, and I was able to daydreaming about the possibility of cooperating with the big trend brand. I knew that my company’s positioning was too low, so I spent 8 years from retailer to producer to a brand with a small popularity. .
2018 This year's dream come true TOYQUBE x AAPE BATHING APE x STEVEN HARRINGTON Co-branded, the entire crossover has a toy shirt, the end of the month AAPE Bathing Ape store have to buy, buy it all to go down 😎." (Direct Google Translated from Facebook circa 2018)
This particular colorway of coarse's CELLS (shown in the DTA-Finalist page) was first featured on TOYSREVIL in August, 2017 ... the sheer fact that it reminded me somewhat of a scene in anime classic AKIRA, and of how awesome it looked online, warrants the nomination, IMHO... although perhaps the nomination was for it's later release in 2018? Or for the 2018 Ignited Edition?
COOKIE from UK based artist / toy designer street artist / sticker designer Czee13 is an independently designed, made and produced collectible, with the above montaged makes displayed and sold out of his solo show in Woot Bear Gallery, circa November 2018.
Czee13 and his Cookies are also DTA-Finalist in 3 other "Panel Voted" categories: "Break through artist", "Best Resin" and "Toy of the Year". You might want to stay connected to his Insta @czee13art for more yums~!
"CULPEPPER" by Artist/Creature Creator Valency Genis first greeting the art toy world in her "Animal Magnetism" solo show in Rotofugi, circa June 2018. For more of her "Faux Taxidermy", you are recommended to stay connected via her Insta @valency!
The Super SUCKLORD's "GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS" was unleashed to the adoring toy-world in early December 2018, and was sold out as immediately as it was released, so much so I missed adding said release to my continued coverage of his toy-art!
"HOI BA LONG" is part of a deep line-up of super-splendid dragons-with-castles-for-backs, I have since lost count! You can connect with Hong Kong toy designer Kenneth Tang via his Insta @blackseedkenneth.
INKTERACTION from illustrator Alex Solis is based off his original design (*that are non-pop culture sculptures of his earlier releases), sketched and done in 3D, with the finished product self-produced and made in polystone, since sold out on his online shop. I'd recommend you stay connected to his Insta @alexmdc, and maybe one day I'll be able to own his toy-art :)
JANKY SERIES 1 from Super Plastic undoubtably made a stupendous splash, nay - EXPLOSIVE entry in the toy-world in 2018 with their Janky Toys, with an insanely successful Kickstarter! The figures are one of the only few pieces in this list that I actually own (Well, "5" was all I could afford ... :p). This is one of THREE Blind Boxed mini figure series nominated in this particular list :)
"LARRY LACTOSE" from Andrew Bell is an independently produced and made resin figure, first unleashed at DesignerCon 2018, along with it's "Intolerant Lact-O's™" cereal boxes that are pukingly good! Stay connected to his Insta @deadzebrainc for updates, and CLICK HERE to view coverage of Andrew Bell's toy-art on TOYSREVIL.
Andrew is also a DTA-Finalist for this year's "Artist of the Year" (Public Voted).
MICKEY MOUSE & MINNIE MOUSE 90th Anniversary Edition from James Jean had been produced by Good Smile Company of Japan, for well, the 90th Anniversary of Disney's famous mouse and girlfriend, released in November 2018 with much fanfare.
MINI WOOPER LOOPER from Gary Ham was produced by Pobber Toys, with this Autmun Edition first released in New York Comic Con 2018, to now being a Finalist in this year's category. Here's looking forward to more colorway editions of this 3-inch tall articulated cutie!
MR. SELF INDULGENCE (& Scoopy) from NOUAR is his first produced vinyl collectible with Martian Toys, with a multitude of colorways since released... I'd like to have a slice of that!
MR. SELF INDULGENCE is also a DTA-Finalist this year for the Panel-Voted "Best Production Sculpt" and "Best Vinyl & Plastic".
RAVAGER [TEQ63] by QUICCS and produced by Martian Toys has since been unleashed in a quartet of colorways (at time of this post), along with a multitude of custom-jobs by artists, since its first introduction to the toy-world with the display of the prototype in Shanghai Toy Show, from a digital sculpt by Oasim Karmieh.
And while the SEEDLAS colorway shown on the DTA-page was from Japanese artist/toy-designer Shoko Nakazawa's "AMPHIBIANS" show in Harujuku, Japan (additional images above via Rotocasted), the Seedlas Brother vinyl figure is produced by Paradise - For which I own another colorway and adore the piece!
This is an upsized version from the Kaiju Hunting series (from Paradise), or Medicom Toy's Vinyl Artist Gacha figures.
Shoko Nakazawa is also a DTA-Finalist for the Public Vote "Artist of the Year" category.
SPACE CAT by Hong Kong artist PUCKY was produced by Unboxed Industries and first released in Shanghai Toy Show, and subsequently online in June 2018. I adore it because it is essentially the size of an actual cat! LOL
THE BACKPACK from Alex Pardee is a literal "plush backpack", and is also the sole "lifestyle" item in this year's list. The voted colorway was first released at DesignerCon 2018, and there might well be MORE colorways coming too, including the black-n-white "Great Depression" edition! Stay connected to Insta @alexpardee for availability updates!
There have been quite a few character releases for Scott C's THE GREAT SHOWDOWNS (featured on TOYSREVIL), with this particular "Raiders of the Lost Ark"-design shown released at DesignerCon 2018. Sculpted by George Gaspar of @doublegtoys and produced by DKE Toys.
SERIES 2 of Chris Ryniak x Amanda Spayd's THIMBLESTUMP HOLLOW was first released in October 2018, and have since seen different colorway editions planned. Produced by Cardboard Spaceship.
UNBOX & FRIENDS is the first blind box series from Unbox Industries, featuring the re-styling by Too Natthanpong of a host of their collaborators' characters ... I treated myself to an entire case back in 2018 too haha
WOOD BODEGA from KaNO is the sole "wood"-made collectible in this year's "Toy of the Year" list. Produced by v @knocksonwood, this was based off KaNO's "Bodega" vinyl toy (from BIC Plastic) and made its debut at Designer Con 2018.
"WOOD BODEGA" is also a DTA-Finalist in the Panel-Voted "Best Non-Plastic": category.
