Garden State Kaiju Space Beasts Mudbelly "Wild Type" Soft Vinyl Figure Garden State Kaiju, 2023
Day #2,574: June 1, 2023
Mudbelly "Wild Type" What's a dewback? I don't know, what's a dew with you?
Space Beasts Sofubi Soft Vinyl Toy Figure
Item No.: n/a Manufacturer:Garden State Kaiju Includes:Figure, sticker, paper slip Action Feature:n/a Retail:$35.00 Availability: January 2023 Other: There's a reason it looks like an old Kenner toy
The number of figures that can say "Made in the USA" on them in this column are rare - but indie figures like Space Beasts Mudbelly "Wild Type" Soft Vinyl Figure seem to make the cut. Sculpted by the guy who sculpted the original Patrol Dewback toy, this new lizard looks so much like the old one that I had to squint to confirm it wasn't just the original, but reduced in size and carved up in a digital rendering program. It's legit.
The figure has a jointed neck and angled feet, so he's designed primarily to lean on his tail and hind legs. Nose-to-tail he's about 5-inches, which means he's about just over waist-high to your 3 3/4-inch action figures. He's a baby space lizard with an appropriately hairy back, complete with a faux trap door sculpted in the back. It doesn't do anything other than looking vaguely like a button - but you spoiled Kenner kids know exactly what it represents.
He can indeed stand on all fours on his tiptoes. It looks a little silly, but it looks like he's running very awkwardly. And isn't that what a baby would do? I'm guessing yes. Baby animals tend to get excited and do silly things, and this smug, smirking creature is absolutely up to something.
The coloring is so old-school Kenner that I assume a lot of people will assume this is a vintage product at first glance. Kenner didn't do sofubi, but the yellow of the eye, the white of the belly, and the green skin all look like the photos - or toys - of the original. Plus or minus some aging, it's pretty close to an old-school toy. The feet are flat and the legs are thick, the hair on the back is similar, the eyes are incredibly similar, and the nostrils are barely different. It's like seeing two toys made from the same concept art, or two directions for the same concept. There's no saddle or reins this time, but it's a cute little sidekick for your old toys - your your new ones.
Future colorways in yellow and blue been confirmed, which is good - the first green run sold through with minimal publicity in hours. It's not cheap, but we live in a world where indie 3 3/4-inch figures are around $25. This is made in the USA with hand-painted details, so it's probably the nature of the business - you might not get every version at that price, but you'll probably want at least one or two. He's a great addition to your shelves of not-quite-Kenner retro toys.
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