One of the most popular questions is "Where do you get all the toys?". I assume this question is asked because people cannot comprehend any human being actually purchasing this much crap in a single lifetime. But the truth is yes, I buy most of this crap.

But that's not the whole story. Occasionally, I borrow from friends. Yes, I actually have a few, and they often collect as well - us toy collectors tend to pack up as a defense mechanism. They'll buy something I never would, but would make a good review nonetheless.

However, I also get quite a bit of stuff from the companies and retailers themselves. They send it along in hopes of a good review, and generally get one, because they are smart enough not to send any true crap (as opposed to the idea that it's all crap) my way. No, most of the time the stuff that gets the really bad reviews is stuff I actually bought, because I'm such a sucker. Oh, sure, there are exceptions to the rule - the recent Mortal Kombat stuff from Jazwares for example - but generally they send along only things they know will kick ass.

The interesting part about that is these things generally just appear. No warning, no notice, a package is on the doorstep with some sort of unknown goodie. And that's how Rabbbit, a creation of Ron English, arrived from Dark Horse.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Rabbbit"

Who the hell is Rabbbit? Well, I had to ask myself the same thing, so don't feel bad. If you saw the film Supersize Me, then you know who Ron English is. Considered a 'subversive' artist, with a very unique style. He takes corporate brands and images and alters them, turning them against the actual corporation in surprisingly interesting ways. One of his favorite tricks is hijacking billboards, altering the advertising in ways that the company is usually not too happy about. There's a documentary out there by Pedro Carvajal on his work, a version of pop art that has a moral conscience.

What has Rabbbit got to do with that? He's a creation of Ron's, one of his more lovable characters I suppose. With three eyes, three ears and an extra nose, he's not exactly Bugs Bunny, but not exactly road kill either.

Packaging - ***
The box art was done by Ron as well, and you can see in his simple designs and bright colors a lot of the Warhol influences. Those of us that no nothing of Rabbbit though would have liked a little background as well, but I can hear the artist screaming now. They tend to get very testy about explaining their work.

The box is sturdy, with a nice window showing off most of the figure. It's somewhat collector friendly, since you don't have to actually destroy it to get him out, but you'll have to wrangle a couple twisties back into place if you plan on storing him in it later.

Sculpting - ***
Whether this sculpt matches the actual artwork or not is really up to the artist, no? I'm not really in a position to say whether it matches perfectly or not, since every version Ron draws is slightly different anyway.

However, I can talk about quality in general. The sculpt is nicely done, and while this is a vinyl toy (better known as a dog chew toy to most), the quality is well above the usual squeeky mouse. The vinyl is much thicker and heavier, and the construction is solid.

He does suffer from an obvious seam on the legs, where the feet were molded separately and then attached to the torso, but there's no other deformations, flashing or distractions from the art.

He stands about 8" tall, and fits in well with other vinyl figures from different artists, if that's your collecting habit.

Paint - **1/2
Rabbbit exhibits basic colors, done brightly and broadly. In fact, like a three color comic, he's a three color rabbit, with pink, blue and white making up his entire palette.

The colors are consistent, which is critical for a fairly big figure like this with large areas of a single color. The masking isn't perfect, with the sculpt lines and paint lines not quite matching up in areas like the tail, noses and stomach, and it looks more mass market than specialty market in that regard.

Articulation - Bupkis
In case you hadn't noticed, this is a vinyl figure. And vinyl figures very rarely have articulation. I know he has that seam on the legs, but it's not a joint, just an artifact of the manufacturing process.

Accessories - Bupkis
Hey, Mcfly - it's a vinyl figure. How often do they have accessories? Okay, so it's not completely unheard of, so it's worth mentioning that no, Rabbbit comes sans any extra goodies.

Fun Factor - **
It's pretty rare for an artist to create art with the intention of anyone playing with it. Again, not unheard of, just not common. Rabbbit is actually pretty damn cute, even though he looks like his parents chose to live a tad too close to the power plant. My four year old kids thought he was pretty cool, at least for awhile. There's not much they can do with him though, once the amusement of his appearance wears off.

Value - ***
Vinyl figures tend to cost a lot. Why? It's not because the cost a lot to make, but because they are 'art'. And art is worth whatever you're willing to pay. When it comes to vinyl figures from certain artists, people are willing to pay an awful lot.

The Ron English fans will be happy to know that's not really the case here. At about $18, he's well below the usual cost of vinyl art, and is part of a larger line of various vinyl figures being produced by Dark Horse at this lower price point.

Overall - ***
Categories like articulation and accessories don't carry a lot of weight when revieweing a vinyl toy, but should be mentioned just to inform. The important categories here are sculpt and paint, with some weight thrown to value as well.

I find it somewhat amusing that English spends much of his artistic talent corrupting the icons of corporations to communicate his beliefs, and now has an icon of his own in the form of Rabbbit. I'm not deep enough to fully comprehend what that means, but I find it amusing nonetheless.

Where to Buy -
This figure is produced by Dark Horse, and can be found at various comic shops and specialty stores.

Related Links -
If you're looking for more info on Ron and his work, check out his official website, Popaganda. There's info on his upcoming shows, books, etc.