This Friday Billiken Shokai in Aoyama is releasing the next figure in the Sakabashira Imiri series, Alien Critten! This is from the same guy who gave us Pharaos (the voodoo looking one, not the Rockin' Jellybean one) and Riruze.



The sculpt looks solid, but I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the paint job. However, I thought the third Pharaos figure (lime green vinyl with gold spray) looked super lame at first, but after seeing some pictures of it in better light I decided I really liked it (this was unfortunately after it became impossible to find...) so I'm definitely going to snag one.

It says on the website that they're taking advance orders, and I know they can mail stuff (that's how I got the clear black/glitter Pharaos and Riruze from around New Years time) so if you're into it you might want to send them an e-mail!

Neat. Thanks for the info on obtaining the Biliken items, and welcome to the boards.

I'm a huge fan of the Pharaohs figure, but I wasn't impressed by the Riruze. This one, I'm not sure of. I wish I could see more pics of it, different angles, lighting. Ugh! I'm afraid I'll end up liking it later when it's impossible to find.

Looks like a Gumby that got run over by a big semi-trailer.

Thanks for the warm welcome




Yeah, I loved Pharaohs but wasn't really big on Riruze at first either. But I managed to score one used for about ￥3000 and it definitely grew on me. I was a little bummed out about the clear black one, though, because the vinyl they used wasn't so stiff and because of that all the ones I've seen lean over to the side.

The only Riruze that I've held in my hands leaned, too. I think it leaned backward a bit which just looked weird to me. It wasn't the clear black, though. I think it was the first colorway. Last time I was at Super7, they had one on the shelf.

I just took a look at mine and realized that you're right, it does lean back. I forgot that I had positioned the tail to hold him up!

(click for big)

Welcome to the boards Velocitron
Do you have a link for Billiken's website?

Thanks!

http://www.billiken-shokai.co.jp/

This one reminds me of some of Kenny Scharf's critters -

Oooh Kenny Scharf! He's one of my heroeses

welcome and thanks for the head's up! You know, there's something oddly appealing about that 'lil guy -- could be the eyes and head or the faux diamond plate body but I dig it

Also badass from these guys

Kenny is cool, I loved the Scharf Shop he had on South Beach for a short while (mid-90s?). Here's a life-size Scharf plaster mannequin I have at the beach - IIRC he did a half-dozen or so of these for one of his gallery installations, and this one popped up cheap on eBay a coupla years back. (The clothes are just assembled from stuff left behind by guests at the beach.)

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There was a Scharf Schack in an old newsstand on Prince Street in SOHO for a long time in the 90s. He sold stuff like mousepads and postcards. Now its an espresso bar next to Prada...
How times change eh? Its' kind of cool how far ahead of the game he was on so many different levels. Mannequin is great BTW

Oh man... I can't believe how much that mannequin looks like the girl version of a mini-bust I just finished sculpting!

Lousy picture, but it should give you the idea:

I like this...









From http://plastica.cocolog-nifty.com/

I like how different the back is.

Weird how Ricky's name isn't clickable.

I think he was a casualty of the purges last year. Probably his old account.

Like him. Nice minimal feel.

It's true, my old account was sent to the gulag about two days after I registered. I'm now on V.2!

And the Imiri line is one that I totally haven't kept up with... the last two SuperFests they have had some ridiculously cool paint apps on the Imiri figures, but I'm just outta space. That Critten is beautiful, and there were some excellent Pharaos-es as well!

I recently got the Kaiju Blue version of this figure and man, this is such a great figure !

the paint job is very clean and the figure is so weird looking ! I am definitely in love with this toy !

If they were easier to obtain, I might grab one or two. As it is, there just isn't enough desire for me to hunt one down (above certain other toys), so it will probably be a while before I hold a billiken shokai toy in my hand. My favorite part about this line for sure though, is the artwork that (seems?) to come with 'em. It just makes these toys really come alive in a more psychedelic retro future feel, which I love.