Axis of Evil - Fun For Adults and Children Alike
"Pour the blood of the villain ' in one basin, and the blood of the gentleman in another: what difference shall there be proved?"
- Thomas Becon, from The Catechism of Thomas Becon, 1844
Every great political scandal has its icon. Watergate had Nixon, Iran Contra had Ronald Reagan and Oliver North, everyone still loves Clinton and Lewinsky, and now we have a new cast of characters--
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The Axis of Evil, designed by pop-culture satirist and celebrated artist, Plastic God , in conjunction with top tier vinyl art toy producers, SUPER RAD TOYS , are the iconic projection of a generation totally disenchanted by politics. In this world both hero and villain share the same stage and are equally met with suspicion, distrust and most importantly, humor.
"'Axis of Evil' is a work inspired by a time when the world's attention was hostage to the decisions of five men."-- Plastic God
Plastic God's Axis of Evil is a limited edition boxed set of 5" rotocast collectibles, featuring everyone's favorite cast of current political icons: Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair, Kim Jong-il, George "W" Bush and Osama bin Laden. The dolls have 7 points of articulation and come packed together in a flip open window door box.
Axis of Evil will be available late September/October at finer retailers and online. Retails cost $120.00.
Also, keep a watchful eye out for the Jail House version exclusively available from CARDBOARD SPACESHIP.
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This edition is limited to 250 pieces exclusively available at Cardboard Spaceship in Santa Cruz. The "Ghost of Saddam" doll glows in the dark. Pre-orders are available by contacting Cardboard Spaceship directly at www.CardboardSpaceship.net.
ABOUT SUPER RAD TOYS
Super Rad Toys, Inc., founded by toy industry veteran Jonathan Cathey and fine art collector Simone Richlin, produces high-quality collectibles influenced by traditional and contemporary art forms. Super Rad Toys' mission is to inspire imagination with projects exhibiting a unique sense of design, the heart and soul of the artist, humor, and impeccable quality.
Super Rad Toys' upcoming projects include collectibles for Yo! MTV Raps, Love is, and Tootsie Pop, in addition to new Ningyo Project and Mister Cartoon dolls. For more information on Super Rad Toys, Inc., the Ningyo Project, and the company's other super rad toys, visit www.superradtoys.com.
ABOUT PLASTIC GOD
Often referred to as the 21st century's Warhol, Plastic God's gently satirical caricatures of musicians, movie stars and madmen (from politicians to murderers) are the perfect symbols of our pop generation. With over 500 different famous faces in his "Heads" collection, there really is something for every one. Some of the famous Plastic God patrons include Jamie Foxx, Bruce Willis, Malcolm McDowell, Seth Green, and Japan's T.M. Revolution.
Plastic God has been exhibiting since 2001 on the West Coast and abroad, and has shown extensively (over 100 shows) in galleries and art-related boutiques including a collaboration with high-end jewelry company Minx. With press in international magazines such as Italian Vogue and Elle, as well as Entertainment Weekly, Sportswear, two covers for BPM and mentions in the New York and Los Angeles Times, it's no wonder he's been dubbed the "The 21st Century Warhol".
For more information visit:
www.superradtoys.com
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Comments
2 comments postedlet me note before i begin i think this set is awesome, and really cool- an excellent idea, and it looks like a lot of fun.
*BUT*
if the regular set was in the $50 rage, even $75, this would be great, and a fair value.
*but* you've got to break the $100 mark, and i can't let that slide without busting on it a lot.
$125 is *WAY* too much for this product. especially a "limited edition" with no edition ##s! what's the real number? or does it just say that on the box so you can keep manufacturing to demand? that just screams bad 1990's comic book marketing to me.
its not licensed at all, plus each figure is only 5 inches tall and rotocast. if they were licensed in some way, or gave some money to charity, then i could understand such a hefty price tag.
if we were talking hand-painted or hand-sprayed, then i wouldn't be leaving this comment. but we're not, this is mass-produced, and mass-market. hand made or hand painted art toys deserve a premium value, super-uber-limited edition deserve a premium retail value, limited imports deserve a premium retail value. *very innovative art* deserves a premium retail value.
a set of joke celebrity knock off Kubrick/Lego figures *do not* deserve a premium value.
maybe its the artist. maybe it's the manufacturer. but somebody here is making a Wal-Mart style profit margin on this set, and to me, that is 100% taking advantage of your audience, or worse, it shows that the artist/company have no respect for the people who buy their products.
this is why "art" toys like this will never really catch on in the collector community.
it's one thing when an artist creates something completely 100% original, manufactures it, hand-paints or sprays it, and then sells it for a hefty profit.
it's another thing when a boxed set of 5 political figures, probably the five most hated humans of the 21st century, and uses their images to make a profit, generate "buzz", and generally make oneself money and fame, in effect making a profit off of the misery of the people who were/are forced to live under these people's rule.
this project just screams "hot topic" not "art gallery" so let's not pretend that these are an art toy of any type- there is a big difference between YO! MTV RAPS! figures and Secret Base, guys. "art toy" is becoming a useless marketing label drool, like "indie", "diy", "4-wheel drive", "viral video", "wi-fi", "podcast"- just like "extreme" and "ultimate" were buzz words in the 90s. sad sad.
i'm sure these dudes have their hair frosted just right, the most expensive clothes they could find, and make their way around the indie/fashionista nightlife world of LA and SF, but just like the majority of artists of my generation, you have to come to realize people will remember your work and what you actually do, rather than how cool your sunglasses and t-shirts are. nowadays, especially in the art vinyl community, it is unfortuantly becoming all about who you know, how skinny you are, how ironic your t-shirt is, how expensive your ipod and/or car is, how many backpack hip-hop artists you can name, and how many celebs you can get to your openings. exactly what destroyed art in NYC in the 90s. i am sorry to sink to that name-calling level, but when US vinyl companies do this type of stuff, it exposes people for what they are, not DIY or indie at all, just wal-mart wannabe, and the truth hurts.
and i'm sorry, anyone who has the gusto to call themselves a "21st century warhol" in their press release when they make Kubrick/Lego figures is either arrogant, stupid, or listens to their trendy friends too much; or any combination of the above. with all the magazines and press you're bragging about in your PR, it doesn't seem like you need the huge profit margin you're running on this set.
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perhaps the parties involved could donate 30%+ of the profits to a worthy cause, like the ACLU, Korean Children's charity, or an Iraqi childrens charity- or even just the local soup kitchen. it would prove that you do care about art and humans, and not just a bunch of skaters looking to get rich at anyone's expense.
it certainly doesn't look like you guys need money, and it would be a true sign of intelligent life if you actually shared the profits of this set with the people who are/were actually negatively affected by these people.
Aiight, I pretty much agree with your sentiments, if not the intensity of your points. I mean, it's true that a lot of these "artists" are profitting--even if very indirectly--from the infamy of these political figures while not really giving back in any way to the community. That's crap, but can ya really blame them?
In today's society (at least in the West), "art" is given ZERO value unless it generates revenue. That's capitalism, baby! Sure, it's not impossible to be a conscious artist, but it sure ain't easy. And, as such, just statistically speaking, you're simply gonna get *more* money-grubbing artists reaching prominence because of that reality.
It's no different from professional atheletes acting foul. Most of these kids are raised poor and then indoctrinated into an absurdly corrupt system. Maybe if the rest of us got a taste of what such a crazy existence might be like, we wouldn't be so quick to condemn Michael Vick.
I hate to drop cliches, but hate the game, not the player.
But to be clear, I'm ultimately NOT advocating that people just run amok without taking responsibility for their actions. Personal responsibility is a goal we need to work towards. It's just important to realize why others around us aren't meeting that goal.
So back to toys, these guys may be "acting foul" for charging such ridiculous prices...but what can we say about the folks buying 'em? I don't know the answer to that, but I agree that this is just a fad, like you said. It won't affect my collecting toys one damn bit, and I'm pleased with that.
The one good thing is that the more "art" toys get created, for better or for worse, the bigger the industry and market will become. This will, at the very least, continue to open such opportunities to more artists. Sure, capitalism may continue to screw with people...and the majority of art toys may end up being overpriced garbage, but I think it'll ultimately be worth it to be able to catch the few inevitable diamonds in the ruff!
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Sanjeev