Review – Nerd One Steregon

Year: 2010

After a couple of months of trying to score a Steregon vinyl toy (first mentioned here) I’ve finally managed to get my hands on one of these fantastic toys. 6-inches tall, speakers instead of eyes, and a total of three mouths, this is a wild toy that was worth the hunt. This is an expensive toy, but if you’re into Japanese vinyl toys then you’re going to want one of these in your collection.

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


Articulation

As with the other Japanese vinyl toys I’ve seen, Steregon’s articulation appears to be more about what was necessary to produce the toy than it does giving the toy play value. Simple joints at the waist, shoulders, and the neck on each head are it. The monster can pivot his heads, swing his arms up and down, and turn at the waist. That’s it. These aren’t at all complicated joints, but then we’ve yet to see a Japanese vinyl toy that has any more than the basic plug in the socket design for articulation. But these toys aren’t about the articulation; no, these vinyl toys are all about the insane sculpts. And the Steregon doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the insane sculpt department.

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


Steregon’s Sculpt is Stupendous!

This rocky, craggy monstrosity is covered in detail, with everything from the teeth to the toes well-sculpted and full of character. I love how the speakers take the place of eyes, and giving the monster a body-wide mouth at the waist was a cool way to make it just a little stranger than it already was.

On the back of the monster we get what’s either a bootprint or a vent for the speakers; I’m not completely clear on what this one detail is meant to be, but it’s odd enough that I snapped a close shot of it so that you could see what I’m talking about. Bootprint feels right, but the shape’s not quite right for most feet.

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


Also on the back of the monster is what I assume is the designer’s signature. This swirly pattern — shown in the photo below — doesn’t make sense to me unless it’s a signature. It’s a tiny detail that isn’t even viewable from the front, but it’s another oddity so I snapped a tight shot of it for you to get a look at what I’m talking about.

What do you think, signature?

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


And even though the artist could have saved time and money by making the two heads identical, what we get are two uniquely sculpted head designs. These toothy, oversized grins are cute as hell and are actually not even immediately noticeable in the red of this toy when you first glance at it. But once seen, these teeth are with you forever.

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


Speaking of Red . . .

As you can see, I’ve got a solid red monster here. There’s no detail paint at all, just the red plastic that the beast was cast in. It’s a bit dull, so what I’m thinking I’m going to do is paint the teeth a bone color, the eyes a dark gray, and then give the entire monster a black wash followed by a gloss coat. That will keep him primarily red, but it should help pull all of the details of the sculpt into focus. Thoughts?

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


Rarity and Art

The $75 to $100 price tag on these Steregon toys is because of the limited run of each colorway and the fact that Japanese vinyl toys are always expensive. I’m not sure if hardcore fans of these toys would classify them with designer toys, but in my book that’s exactly where they belong since we know the artists involved in the creation and because these are limited run toys snagged by toy and art lovers. This guy’s expensive, yes, but he’s a great example of durable, playable art and he’s completely unlike anything you’re going to find at Target or Wal-Mart. For now, at least. It has to be just a matter of time before Mattel or Hasbro leap on the designer market and import some of the more popular Japanese toy designs over to the US.

After all, it’s happened more than a few times in the past.

Click to enlarge the image.
Click to enlarge the image.


Closing Thoughts

Expensive for its size and complexity, the Steregon toy is an excellent example of the exact type of toy that mainstream toy fans find overpriced and ridiculous. That’s kinda true, yes, but where else are we going to find such unusual and fun monster designs?

The Steregon isn’t for everyone, but if you like what you see here then you should keep your eyes on sites like toybot studios and Kaiju Chronicle for release information. This is still a relatively new design and it sells out fast each time a new colorway is released.

I’ve got one, though, so I’m done. After all, once you’ve got a Steregon toy every other release in the series is the same toy in a different color or with paint. There are some toys out there I buy multiples of in different colors, but with the Steregon I’m content just owning one.

So that’s one less person competing with you the next time one of these is released to the world. Good luck!


Philip Reed is going to have to pose his Steregon somewhere where everyone can see it, since it’s such a fun design and should be enjoyed by everyone who comes into the house.

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