Unboxing & Toy Review for PLUTEUS THE HANGOVER GHOST & Interview with ZEPITROR & 6FOREST
INTRODUCTION: "Pluteus" is designed by Zeptiror (a well-known Spanish artist who has left his mark on the video game and graffiti industry with some of his paintings in museums and galleries in Madrid and New York, among others),. Apart of the 'Hangover Ghosts" series, I had previously featured this piece on TOYSREVIL. Limited to 200pcs, this 8.6-inch tall pre-painted resin collectible figure is currently available online via 6forest.com (for 133€ each).
Thanks to the generosity of Javier at @6foreststudio, I have an opportunity to review this wonderful collectible (featuring videos and in-hand images to share), PLUS a Interview/Q&A with both the creator RAUL ZEPTIROR, and JAVIER FASSI from 6Forest Toys, who brings us thru a complex but fascinating journey into the creation and completion of this collectible!
“Pluteus“ is one of these ghosts.. Those who have met him describe him as a being of psychedelic appearance that can emits only good vibrations. He’ll make you appreciate the awesomeness of the simple things."
ABOVE: TIMElapse Unboxing
BELOW: A Closer Look at the collectible (1st filmed on Instagram Live / Watchable HERE on IG)
TOYSREVIL: I am very intrigued with the different aspects of the design, who is the character in the right hand, and why is it looking / sat in reverse ... and why the knot in the right leg? Please share with us Raul!
RAUL ZEPTIROR: These little, one-eyed creatures are present in many of my works and I like to think of them as very basic representations of ourselves, humans. I like that they share the stage with larger and more complex creatures, and think about how they interact with them, in many cases passively, as in this figure.
The designs of the figures in this series are a mixture of different elements that over the years have become part of my own graphic language, which are unconsciously repeated in many of my works. The "cables" or "ropes" twisting together or forming knots is one of these elements that I like to draw and that I thought was cool to include in the figure. It doesn't mean anything in particular, but it is true that my head is always in a mess and maybe that's why I like to draw knots and things like that.
TOYSREVIL: How was the production process for this particular figure, Javier? Interpreting the character design, and producing it to the result we now see?
JAVIER 6FOREST: The manufacturing process begins with the interpretation of the sketches made by the artist. At this stage, our 3D department interprets, in permanent communication with the artist, the translation of the 2D character to the three-dimensional space.
Once the modeling process is finished, we proceed to the division of the toy into parts to continue with the 3D printing process. In this part of the process, we try to anticipate problems that could arise when creating the molds and during the painting process.
JAVIER 6FOREST: With the 3D printing already finished, the pieces that make up Pluteus are prepared by the hands of our artisans, who sand and caulk any possible imperfections that could have been caused by the 3D printing, leaving them in perfect condition for the creation of molds.
After finishing the process of setting up the pieces, the analysis begins to decide what technique will be used in each piece to create the molds.
When the molds are finished it's time for the resin casting and its subsequent sanding and conditioning before the process of painting different prototypes by the artist.
With the approved prototype, serial production begins in a 100% artisan process.
TOYSREVIL: Thanks for sharing, Javier! I am sure these'll be valuable tips for folks keep to manufacture toys and collectibles. Any specific struggle for any specific production of this figure? And how it informed you of your subsequent releases from 6Forest?
JAVIER 6FOREST: Moving from 2D paper sketches to the 3D model was straightforward and quite fun. The challenges came when we had to do the analysis and decided to divide the character into different parts; trying to figure out what was best for the molds and replica process but also taking into account the painting process. We also had some doubts regarding the stability of the figure and the strength of the legs to support it since the weight is mostly located in the upper part and the legs are very thin.
Although undoubtedly the most complex part of the manufacturing process was the creation of the molds, the figure has areas with a lot of detail and we had to design the pieces in a way that the seams generated by the mold do not pass through these detail rich areas to prevent any possible irregularities.
Fortunately, during the painting process, we have not yet encountered any problem beyond the needed attention to detail and the skill necessary to achieve the finishes in a piece of this quality.
TOYSREVIL: What do you think of the final figure released, Raul? How has the experience of this figure informed you of your following releases?
RAUL ZEPTIROR: We are very happy with the final result of Pluteus. It's hard to believe that a project like this takes so much work and involves so many people. Any detail has a lot of work behind it, and any decision made in any of the steps of the process affects everything else. In general we love how it turned out and that gives us strength to face the next project. Ganji, the second figure in the series, has taken us more work and effort than Pluteus. The launch of it is very close and we hope you like it as much as we do
TOYSREVIL: Please introduce yourselves, gentlemen! And thanks again for sharing, and for the wonderful figure!
RAUL ZEPTIROR:My name is Raúl Zeptiror and I live in Madrid, Spain. I like to paint, board games, beer, kaiju and insects: D You can see some of my work on my Instagram account @zptrr and I thank you very much for all the support we have received with Pluteus and the future figures who are by arrive, Thank you! (www.zeptiror.com)
JAVIER 6FOREST: We create Art Toys thanks to the collaboration of international artists and illustrators, carefully selected for their unique style and originality, always manufactured with the best quality and care in mind for each of the different steps of production; guaranteeing an excellent result for every Art Toy made. Regardless of the different styles, all of the art toys are created with a great deal of effort, dedication, and above all, a lot of passion and commitment for what we do. You can follow us on Instagram at @6foreststudio (6forest.com).
(The following interview was completed by June 2021, but remained unpublished til now)
