Bearbrick
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Type | Collectible art toy |
---|---|
Inception | 2001 |
Manufacturer | MediCom Toy Incorporated |
Website | http://www.bearbrick.com |
Bearbrick (rendered BE@RBRICK) is a brand of
The figure is an anthropomorphized bear with an extremely simplified form and a pot belly. Each plastic figure features nine parts (widely referred to as tools in the toy industry): head, torso, hips, arms, hands, and legs; These nine tools allow eight points of articulation: swivel head, swivel waist, ball joint arms, swivel wrists, and ball joint legs.
Releases
The first figure was released 27 May 2001 as a free gift to visitors of the World Character Convention 12 in Tokyo. Since then Bearbricks have been released in several different sizes using a variety of materials, including wood, felt, and glow-in-the-dark plastic.
The standard size is seven centimeters high, and these figures are referred to as 100% Bearbricks.[2] Other Bearbricks are named for their size relative to the standard: 50% are four centimeters high, 70% are five centimeters high, 400% are 28 centimeters high, and 1000% are 70 centimeters high. A 200% size chogokin Bearbrick has also been produced standing 14 centimeters tall. A 150% size "Bearbrick Light" has also been produced in 2012, standing 10.5 centimeters tall with a key chain on its head.
For the 100% size, they have four different styles; the SEVEN ANS 200000000 parts which can all be separated; an 'unbreakable' 100%, launched from Series 14 in 2007; a new kind of 'BB bearbrick', launched for kids in 2008, on which all the parts cannot be separated, but the look is a bit different with four screws on the back of the bearbrick.
Bearbricks differ from their predecessor Kubricks, in that each series includes 18 figures in different themes, which are constant from series to series:
- Basic, a solid-color figure with a letter in a second color on its chest; when all nine figures are placed in a row, they spell the word Bearbrick.
- Jellybean, a solid-color figure molded in translucentplastic.
- Pattern, a figure with a patterned deco that may range from polka dots to patterns designed by artist and designer Charles Eames.
- Flag, a figure painted as a nation's flag.
- Horror, a figure with a theme based upon a well-known horror film, or other source in the horror genre.
- SF (an abbreviation of science fiction), a figure with a theme based upon a science fiction source, often a film.
- Cute, a figure which visually represents the concept of cuteness.
- Animal, a figure which depicts an actual animal.
- Artist: two figures, each designed by a visual artist.
- Hero: this category was introduced in series 21, and consists of superheroes from DC Comics.
Bearbricks are most often sold individually in "
Collaborations
Many contemporary artists and designers from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America have designed figures. Designing a Bearbrick figure means creating a design scheme, or deco, for the standard mold. Contributors range from visual artists such as
MediCom also produces Bearbricks outside the regular release schedule of the basic figures. For example, a
Casio has also released a 400% Bearbrick collaboration with the accompany watch, the DW-6900MT-7JR, in conjunction with the G-Shock's 30th Anniversary.
Sports apparel and footwear company
Sustainable fashion brand PANGAIA, have collaborated with Bearbrick on a collection of hoodies, track pants, T-shirts and bags.
It was revealed that Japanese company Dentsu collaborated with American animation studio DreamWorks Animation to develop a Bearbrick television series for Apple TV+.[3][4]
See also
- Kubrick
- Designer toys
References
- ^ "BEARBRICK Trademark of Medicom Toy Corporation - Registration Number 2839649 - Serial Number 76471459 :: Justia Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ a b Jackson, Will (2023-09-01). "Bearbricks are 'the sweet spot' for criminals looking to launder money, experts say". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2018-01-02). "Dentsu, DreamWorks Bringing Medicom's Be@rbrick to Screens". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ^ Petski, Denise (April 25, 2023). "Apple TV+ Orders 'Be@rbrick' Animated Kids Series Based On Collectible Bear-Shaped Figures". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2023.