As much as I love lining my shelves
with toys and statues from giant franchises like Star Wars and
Marvel, I also like finding treasures from indie and/or creator-owned
franchises too. In fact, it's more rewarding to me to find something
like a replica of a shield from Mouse Guard or a plush Chog from Chew
because I wouldn't expect those products to exist like I do with a
replica of Captain America's shield. But exist they do, and they're
made by
Skelton Crew Studio.
Founded by Israel Skelton, Skelton Crew
Studio makes officially licensed, high quality replicas. It started
with keys for IDW's Locke and Key. The replicas aren't quite toys; that's not the right word. Not even for the plushes. They're
collectibles. I took a close look at a handful of Skelton Crew
products and was impressed with the attention given not only to the
products but to the packaging and tags. They've managed to make the
mere act of opening a box or bag an immersive experience that throws
you into a fictional world.
Let's take a closer look!
From David Petersen's Eisner and Harvey
award winning Mouse Guard, Skelton Crew has made axes, a shield, and
plush. They all are, of course, mouse-sized versions. Skelton worked
with Petersen to create the replicas and the plush of Saxon, and I
love being able to have a piece of Mouse Guard on my shelf. Mouse
Guard Fall 1152 was one of the first graphic novels I read - I
remember finding it at Barnes and Noble and being enthralled. But, I
digress.
The plush captures the character from
the comics, is sturdy, and manufactured well - for example, the butt
is weighted so Saxon sits up properly rather than falling off your
shelf.
Rand's Shield is a thing of beauty. The
front is engraved and weathered with care, and it looks like it's
seen plenty of action in the course of Guardmouse duties. And though
you won't see the back of the shield often, there are little leather
straps. That's an area where they could have slacked off but nope.
I've never been so excited about a
nail. The Bog Roosh's Nail is a replica from Mike Mignola's Hellboy
and has my favorite packaging of maybe any product ever. It comes in
a sealed B.P.R.D. box and is cataloged like a proper artifact.
Busting open the "do not tamper" seal made me feel like I
was breaking some sort of law, but I did it anyway. The nail itself is
solid, made of quality material - you know, not flimsy plastic. It's
made from pewter. This is a replica that's built to last.
If you've heard of Skelton Crew, you've
probably heard of their collectible keys from Joe Hill and Gabriel
Rodriguez's Locke and Key. They've crafted more than 20 replica keys
from the series since 2009, each of them unique and gorgeous. I
received the Head Key and the Grindhouse Key. I love the design of
this line. They're right out of the pages of comics. Again, they're
made from pewter and could be used as weapons in a pinch. Their size
makes them ideal for shadow box style displays - they would look
amazing in a museum display case.
These two keys in particular really
show off Skelton's range. They vary wildly in style and color but are
beautifully crafted and evoke different emotions. Bonus: they also
make lovely pieces even if you're not familiar with the source
material.
John Layman and Rob Guillory's Chew
continually makes me laugh. The quirky story and characters are fun,
and I don't see myself forgetting about Chogs anytime soon. And
Skelton Crew has brought them to life. This plush Chog is so cute and
huggable that I can totally forget it's a genetically engineered
creature. He (it just seems like a he to me) needs to be leaned
against something to stay upright, but he's super soft and looks like
he just walked out of the pages of the comic. And again with the
packaging! The Chog comes in a Sushi Ono takeout carton that's so
funny you'll be displaying it right alongside the Chog.
You can see more photos of the replicas and all the wonderful packaging at
Flickr. All of these items are available for purchase from
Skelton Crew Studio.
Full disclosure: The items featured in this post were provided by Skelton Crew Studio for review purposes. This did not affect my review of the products.
