CRAZYSMILES
Michael Lau revealed his fifth vinyl figure of PIX-mas 03— GARDENER 090 BOX C, one of the cardboard box-headed characters from the hand-made 12-inch Gardener series of the late 90s. No surprise here, as BOX C was previewed in the prior week's PLAYGROUND Magazine. The true surprise came in the form of new lettering on the crazysmiles booth: "FINAL IN TOYCON — SEE YOU AT SIXS." Michael Lau will no longer attend Toycon, and will instead sell his wares exclusively at his new Causeway Bay toy gallery, SIXS.
Rumors abound as to the reason for this unexpected end of an era, but we will hold off on perpetuating any until we hear it from the horse's mouth. Needless to say, there was a sense of unease among many of the exhibitors, especially in light of the relatively light turn-out by exhibitors and attendees alike this season. But there was much talk of how Toycon could change for the better in the coming year. Possibly a different schedule, perhaps the inclusion of other media or more designers from abroad.
Whether the Hong Kong designer toy market is facing dark times or merely in a minor lull, it is clear that a the design and collecting movement that began in Harajuku and Hong Kong has reached far beyond East Asia. The growth in international interest, sales and popularity of these local personalities and their products, and the sheer volume of designers newly considering figures an art medium illustrate that designer toys is be coming a global phenomenon.
DID
DID (Dragon in Dream) made their second appearance at Toycon with licensed and original 12" action figures. Six characters from the hit Hong Kong movie Internal Affairs 2 faced off against seven of Middle Earth's finest. The Lord of the Rings is one of the hottest entertainment licenses of the last few years, so it is an amazing coup for this relative newcomer to branded toy production. Three characters from DID's original X-Boy 2 fashion figure were also on display.
FLYING CAT
We delivered the highlights of the Flying Cat booth in our Day 1 report; now we will deliver the full story. First up is Heaven and Hells, designed by Los Angeles illustrator Pedro Astudillo. It's a series of 2 figure sets: Heaven, the male character and his dog will be released in February, followed by the female character, Hell, and her cat. 500 total sets will be produced in grayscale and color variants.
Larry & Lulu by Curtis Jobling (UK) is also due to be released as two sets of vinyl and PVC figures. Larry will arrive with a dog companion in February and Lulu & pet cat is scheduled to be available for the 2004 April Toycon. Both sets will come in color and grayscale versions, with total production limited to 500 pieces of each set.
Strawberry Girl by HK comic artist Li Chi Tak, who designed the 12-inch "Agent K" figure for Dragon about 2 years ago. Strawberry Girl is the lead character from Li Chi Tak's comic, which was published around 5 years ago. The figure will be available in color and grayscale versions and is limited to total 500 pieces available.
Freesquare returned to Toycon with another preview of their 12" figures representing a mix of Hip Hop fashion and traditional Chinese dress. Most Wanted premiered their O.S.S. 01 ATTACKERS vinyl figures. The black and red original version is limited to 200 pieces, and the HK Toycon special black and white version is limited to 100. The police figures that debuted at August's Toycon were also on sale. My Toys sold their handmade IVAN & REX and took pre-orders for MINI MYFRIENDS.
FREE SQUARE
MOST WANTED
MY TOYS
Newcomer Cool Toy-s (not to be confused with HK toy shop Cool Toys) showed their new series, MANIKIN. These PVC figures are based on the five heroes from the the traditional Chinese legend of 3 Kingdoms. Kevin's Creatures revealed their UXS (Ultimate Xtreme Sports) 12" figure on Sunday in addition to the several canine iterations of their HUSKY toys.
MANIKIN
KEVIN'S CREATURES
ACTION JACKSON
Action Jackson's "WHITE BOY" and "BLACK BOY" are a comical rendition of legendary Chinese ghosts said to appear at the moment of one's death. Each toy comes with a tongue that is replaceable by one of six included accessories. 600 pieces were produced in 5 different versions: 2 each of the black and white ghosts of the legend and a special red "Santa" version.
Pal Wong revealed a crossover with Toy Soldier Workshop at the Pazo Art booth as well some hand-made prototypes. His JAMES JAY 12" figure appeared as a special edition with 2 sets of clothing: casual street wear and tactical gear. Steven Lee displayed new versions of his DARK INSECTER and SNORTY AND FRIENDS series at the Steven House booth. Immediately around the corner, Joe Lo showed a diorama with his 12" fashion series SYMBOL. The Pooyan Toys booth remained unmanned the entire show, but featured some of the best eye candy. A pair of intricately painted and detailed 1/6 scale WORKING S.A.F.S. toys from Kow Yokoyama's Machinen Krieger series shared the display with a number of miniatures from Japan's Hobby Base.
PAZO ART
STEVEN HOUSE
SYMBOL
POOYAN
RED MUSHROOM
One of the few newcomers to Toycon this December was Singapore's Red Mushroom. AGGY & AFFY, brother cows, were created as a response to the multitude of military and violence-themed toys on the market. Red Mushroom is currently working with Singapore playwright Kok Heng Leun to develop a flash comic about the misadventures of the young bulls in "Gaga Town." Three additional characters may also be developed into toys.
TAIWAN TOY LEAGUE
An organization of toy designers, producers and retailers from Taipei, the Taiwan Toy League, made their debut Hong Kong appearance at the PIX-mas 03 show. Among the several designs were multiple formats and versions of B. B. Birdy's BANG JAY (a fictionalized character combination of Bruce Lee and Taiwanese pop star Jay Chau); the SO WHAT and WAR APE 12-inch figures by Mark Chang; and TIYASE & BIKO, produced by MONSTER TAIPEI proprietor Jen. Jason Yang showed samples of his forthcoming BANANA ISLAND ASYLUM and METAL figure series, the former a premium for Taiwan media software company East Orange.
MEDICOM
