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Toys & Collectibles

Bish – Bash – Ash: Kotobukiya Adds Evil Dead 2 to Anime Styled Statue Series

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Kotobukiya’s newest bishoujo style horror statue, “Evil Dead 2’s” Ash Williams. (Photo Courtesy of Kotbukiya)

We’ve been following the evolution of Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo (“beautiful girl”) statues for several years now. The series applies the playful sexiness and wide-eyed naivety of anime and manga art to popular film, comic book, and video game characters. We’ve seen DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Kill Bill, Tekken and Streetfighter figures all translated into the popular Japanese visual idiom.

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Toys & Collectibles

Kotobukiya 2016 ArtFX+ “Pre-Veals”

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Kotobukiya’s ARTFX+ rendition of “Batman Vs. Superman” much anticipated face off. (Photo courtesy of Kotobukiya)
kotobukiya, batman vs. superman, dawn of justice, dc comicsThe Toy Industry Association’s 2016 New York Fair is just a month away and things are heating up in Toyland. That includes some interesting “pre-veals” that have recently found their way into the SkeletonPete mailbox.

Punch Brothers…
We just received a communique from collectible figure artisans Kotobukiya unveiling their spectacular Dawn of Justice tableau with DC Comics icons Superman and Batman locked in combat. The ARTFX+ creation, scheduled for May 2016 release, is actually two individual 1/10 scale statues that fit together at the base to form the battle scene.

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Toys & Collectibles

Bat-Mites: Kotobukiya’s “Lil Gotham” Figures Announced

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DC’s Lil Gotham gang as collectible 2″ figures (Photo courtesy of Kotobukiya)

Let’s Get Small…
Fans of DC Comics Batman, Lil Gotham series have some welcome merchandise on the horizon. Scheduled for June 2015, a selection of seven characters will be brought to collectors by toy maker Kotobukiya.

Quite appropriately the Lil Gotham figures are – well – little. They average 2 inches tall and are made of soft PVC. They’ll be sold blind bagged, two to a package, in any one of six bright colors. Represented are Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Catwoman, Joker, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, all as envisioned by artist Dustin Nguyen.

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Kotobukiya adds Bishoujo Zatanna to their selection of manga styled heroines. (Photo Courtesy of Kotobukiya)

Do You Believe in Magic in a Young Girl’s Heart…
New to Kotobukiya’s line of Bishoujo styled statues, which cast well known heroines in the playful “pretty girl” manga look, is DC’s Zatanna. The Mistress of Magic should be ready for her first reveal at the New York International Toy Fair.

SkeletonPete Says…
Kotobukiya is noted for their high quality ArtFX statues. They have licensed products that span the DC and Marvel Universes, Star Wars, Mass Effect and more. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing many of them on display at recent fairs and conventions. Please enjoy the gallery below.

Click Any Image to Launch the Gallery

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Toys & Collectibles

Out on a Limb: Kotobukiya’s Sci-Fi Sidekicks @ Toy Fair 2014

Kotobukiya's Marvelous Depiction of Galaxy Guardians Rocket Raccoon and Groot @ NY Toy Fair 2014
Kotobukiya’s Marvelous Depiction of Galaxy Guardians Rocket Raccoon and Groot @ NY Toy Fair 2014
Ya Gotta Have Friends…
Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy trailer premiered on February 18th, which seems to have lifted the embargo on companies at The 111th Annual American International Toy Fair in New York City showing advances of their film related product. So it was a nice surprise to return to the Kotobukiya company’s booth on the final day at NY Toy Fair to see them previewing this wonderful Rocket Raccoon and Groot figurine prototype.
Guardian Groot in his early Marvel Comics Days.
Guardian Groot in his early Marvel Comics Days.


Rocket is clearly equipped “to shoot off the legs of his rival” as was his near namesake from The Beatles’ White Album. Limb limbed Groot goes all the way back to the Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck monster stories of Marvel’s Tales To Astonish, and as the trailer notes has been “traveling as the raccoon’s personal houseplant/muscle.”

Oowee Little Chewy, Don’t Know What You’re Doing to Me…
Kotobukiya also displayed the unpainted prototype for their Han Solo and Chewbaca statue as part of their ArtFX Star Wars line. This representation of the iconic partners is slated for November 2014 release.

Kotobukiya's Han Solo and Chewbacca ArtFX statue @ New York Toy Fair 2014.
Kotobukiya’s Han Solo and Chewbacca ArtFX statue @ New York Toy Fair 2014.

SkeletonPete Says…
I’ll be posting many more photos of Kotobukiya’s beautiful product line in the coming weeks.

The company’s roots in the international Toy Industry reach back to its first retail store in Japan in 1947. They moved into manufacturing original model kits in 1983 and produced their first licensed kit, King Godzilla, in 1985. Since then the company has expanded to include collector quality figures for Star Wars, Marvel and DC comics, as well as many anime and game themed kits and statues.