Pedro
#sofubisabbath is a feature on TTC where we invite one person a the time to conduct this celebration. Meaning presenting 6 favorite pieces/concepts and talk about them or simply promote your work or show off your collection.
Now the celebration continues with Ryan Taylor of Ophelia Toys.
Ryan has been a dedicated collector all his life and a very talented artist. He made his way painting customs and recently his about to drop an all original toy Sucker.
As he presides this ceremony he will take us through his most precious possessions, the toys that inspired him the most. A very personal look at these pieces will for sure touch you in some way.
We gather once more for this plastic celebration. Ryan takes the circle center and we feel mesmerised by his words.
6 enchantments in the pale moon light, 6 lions roar in a far away land 6 figures Ryan chose.
First, thank you Pedro at the Toy Chronicle for having me participate in this article!
I’ve been a collector throughout my life but nothing has taken hold of me the way art toys and soft vinyl has over the last couple of decades. And because of those years of interacting with other collectors and artists I gained the knowledge to start painting customs a few years ago and more recently, have started the production of my own toy, Sucker.
My dream is to end up on a list like this so allowing me a platform to thank the artists that inspire me everyday is awesome!
So in no particular order, here are my top 6 pieces of sofubi.
Paul Kaiju Boss Carrion
When someone says the word sofubi, what do you think of? The first image that pops into my head is a Boss Carrion. No question about it. I’m an old guy and even though the toy has only been around for about 10 years it feels like it’s always been a part of my life. And knowing Paul still sells blank and painted versions every now and then just adds to it’s timeless appeal.
Toysbian Cheese
What can I say, Toysbian is a genius. If you follow me on Instagram ( @ophelia.toys ) you’ll see I’m also a huge fan of vintage American and Asian squeak toys. They have a lot of the same styling characteristics and simple airbrush paint applications as you see on modern soft vinyl and the two styles work really well together in my opinion. Toysbian brilliantly captures that cute vintage quality with a modern look and wraps it all up with crazy colors and ultra clean sculpting. This is about as good as it gets as far as I’m concerned!
Frank Kozik Labbit
So I’m not sure if this truly qualifies as Sofubi, but a 10″ GID Smorkin’ Labbit was literally the first vinyl toy I ever purchased. Little did I know this one toy would begin a lifelong pursuit of collecting the strangest 3D art I could find. Back then Denver had a wonderful little shop called The Plastic Chapel and they filled my vinyl needs for many years to come.
Purple Toys KirinBilly
This toy embodies everything that I love about current sofubi; anything goes! I mean, it’s a little devil cowboy on a dragon rocking horse, what’s not to love? I’m a huge collector and this is the kind of toy that really ticks all of the boxes for me. It has a classic/vintage look, extremely intricate sculpt, and a ridiculously creative application. Wish they were easier to find!
Splurrt Cadaver Kid
I’ve painted more Splurrt toys than toys by any other artist. The CK world he’s created is just so damn fun and appealing that you are GUARANTEED a good time if you have a blank and some nice paints. And with the heads and bodies all being interchangeable the potential for creativity feels truly endless.
Candie Bolton Bake Kujira
Now that I’m more immersed in the production side of soft vinyl toys I truly understand what an achievement the piece is. It’s a huge, dynamic sculpture; that’s obvious the first time you see one. But knowing what goes into the mold-making and production process, I’m even more impressed with what a technical milestone it seems to be as well. I’m no expert but I feel this piece really pushes the limits of what’s already a near-limitless world of creativity.
I spent a lot of time wandering around my house to create this list.
My girlfriend and I have an ever expanding collection and I can talk for days about why every toy is special to me for one reason or another.
I’m sure if you come back to me next year there will be some changes to this list. But that’s what I love about these toys; there’s always somebody finding new ways to create weird, crazy, and beautiful art. Happy collecting!
Ryan Taylor, Ophelia Toys
We feel honoured and enlightened by the words and pictures shared in this ceremony.
Silently and slowly we return to our every day life with the feeling that nothing will be like before.
We thank Ryan Taylor of Ophelia Toys for presiding this #sofubisabbath.
Find King Hideous Toys on Instagram HERE. Be on the lookout for future drops of the insane Dungeon Beast, we know we will!
We’ll see you on the next #sofubisabbath, brave are those who attend.
We have a forum dedicated to this series, be sure to discuss everything sofubi HERE.
Click below to check previous editions.
Follow Ophelia Toys on INSTAGRAM and opheliatoys.bigcartel.com.
Want to preside the ceremony? Email us at [email protected] with your 6 favourite pieces.
