Y'ARRRUMA "2-Year Anniversary" Blue Version from PNL Toy Works + Q&A with Patrick Leon
Patrick Leon shares with us his latest version of his 7cm tall Y'ARRRUMA soft-vinyl eye-patched daruma character creation, since released and listed online via pnltoyworks.com, with this "Y'ARRRUMA "2-Year Anniversary" Blue Version" limited tio 13pcs, each priced at US$35 (excluding shipping), available worldwide, ships from New York.
This edition was released on June 1st, along with a "Gold Unpainted Version" (limited to only 9pcs), whichb has since been Sold Out! Check out the video below to see what you missed out on, and stay connected to his Insta @pnltoyworks for updates and not miss any releases again!
TOYSREVIL: How did "Y'ARRRUMA" come about? What was it's genesis? How did The Eye-patch come about? And why the name"Y'ARRRUMA"? I have QUESTIONS....! LOL
PATRICK LEON: Like all great characters, Y'ARRRUMA started out as a doodle on a napkin. Okay, maybe not a napkin...and only time will tell as far as greatness is concerned but to make a long story short, Y'ARRRUMA first manifested as a sketch. The eyes of the Daruma are of great importance to the tradition so manipulating them in some way seemed interesting to me. Fill in one eye, make a wish or set a goal, fill in the other eye upon completion. Adding an eyepatch created a sense of mystery and I began to assign meaning to its symbolic nature.
Adding wrinkles gave the impression of the eyepatch constricting the Daruma doll, thus adding another layer of complexity, alluding to the ever mounting pressure of life goals, aspirations, wishes, or even dreams - all of which the Daruma represents.
PATRICK LEON: I tried to convey the deeper message behind its symbolism, but people didn't seem to care at first. Someone referred to it as a "Pirate Daruma" and I thought that might be a way forward. I admit that I kind of fell into the whole pirate aesthetic but I have a great respect for the sea and it's many creatures. Plus, pirates are cool...and I hate naming things so I just embraced it and started using the Japanese word for pirate, birthing the name "Kaizoku Daruma". Before that, during its original resin iteration, I was just calling it "Eyeless Daruma". After using the pirate motif for a while, I realized there was a beautiful pun sitting right there in front of me this whole time Y'ARRR....uma. So I embraced change once again.
TOYSREVIL: What can we look forward to in the Y'ARRRUMA Universe? Is he always going to be a one-Daruma-dude shaking in the woods of destiny?
PATRICK LEON: I'm actually working on a sculpt right now which will be the next addition to the so-called Y'ARRRUMA Universe. I have about 3 or 4 new toy projects that are all in early stages of production right now, some of which share some qualities with Y'ARRRUMA...but this next sculpt is a direct successor and is almost ready for mold making. I don't want to reveal too much quite yet but what I can tell you is that it's physically a lot bigger and it's a serious departure from the neat and clean nature of Y'ARRRUMA. It really leans more towards the horror side of things actually. I plan on sharing some teasers within the next few weeks and starting resin production this Summer. If there is interest I'll move forward with a new vinyl toy!
TOYSREVIL: What would you tell your two-years-ago-self today about the production of Y'ARRRUMA?
PATRICK LEON: I would say "stock up on vinyl paint!" haha! There's a serious shortage of vinyl paint in the U.S. right now because of shipping restrictions due to the pandemic but hope is on the horizon. Jokes aside, there's a lot I have learned over the past 2-3 years. For example, it took me forever to realize that I like Y'ARRRUMA's open eye way better without a painted iris/pupil. I'm also still actively learning the lesson of avoiding gimmicky paint apps. They just aren't worth the time commitment. I've been sitting on a 7-Eleven themed micro run for like 9 months...I just can't help myself! There are so many small lessons I could try and teach my former self but I've always understood that toy making is a never-ending learning process. There are times when that's the only thing keeping me going. All I can do is continue to look to the masters for knowledge, and not just the toy Gods. It's like Socrates said "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
Stay connected with Patrick @ instagram.com/pnltoyworks & his new TIKTOK at tiktok.com/@pnltoyworks!
