Based and operating out of Tucson, Arizona Josh Hansen(@ thejoshhansen on IG) and his company Saturday Morning Cult(@ smctoys on IG) has been making cuter platform - esque toys since 2019, most notably the Baphomet & Friends figures that somewhat resemble the silhouette of Skullbrain’s favorite Devil Bunny toy. However, since July of 2020 SMC, in conjunction with designer Travis Haight(@ recipeforhaight on IG) they have birthed the Foni - Oni. A flat out, fuckin’ awesome marriage between a traditional Japanese Oni and loose stylings of Ed Roth. Made out of soft vinyl from China the original 2020 version of Foni - Oni stands roughly 18” tall, and is girthy. During this most recent DCon, though, they released a smaller, more space conscious version that stands about 8” tall, which is what all three of these photographed versions are. I absolutely love this figure. The posture is very sumo - like, ready to start some nefarious shit and destroy. The additional face on its back, with the tongue stretching from outside its mouth to the undercarriage of the Oni is such a great design. It’s just SUCH a clean sculpt!!! The veiny, bulging eyes, squiggly, exaggerated lips, even the single popped up pinky toe on the left foot, all great nods to Roth’s Rat Fink. The influence is very obvious, but not forced or so overdone that you have to beat “IT’S RAT FINK” into onlookers. My only complaint with this toy is that the shoulder horns and eyes are not articulated. I have no idea why they’re glued in place, but it’s something I intend to inquire about from Josh directly, who I met at DCon, and was great to speak to! Very kind and humble dude. This figure is one I highly recommend. The red rub version is classically and masterfully done by our own @Paulkaiju, while the green is a custom one off by @ thedevilskaiju. Spoiler: Rage Incarnate Spoiler: Godslayer Spoiler: Blank Black
