A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... Okay, I won't go too deep into the George Lucas references, but I couldn't help but make at least one Star Wars quip in regards to this new Munny series! The limited-edition collection of handmade Munnys is a collaboration between leading vinyl toy retailer KidRobot and lighting artist Marcus Tremonto, a master of optical illusions who utilizes electroluminescent materials to recreate the shapes of objects like lamps, chandeliers, tables, and light bulbs.
The Marcus Tremonto-designed Lighbot Munny series consists of various designs that incorporate light in unexpected ways and which allude to a futuristic, sci fi-flavored, almost Blade Runner-esque universe. My favorite design is the Evil Dr. Skit L Spytr, pictured at top, which incorporates a handful of lighting rods in various colors along the figure's mouth, arranged in such a manner as to create a conical shape that widens as we move away from the toy, hence creating a sense of movement (it almost looks like he's spiting out rays of light). Two small lighting rods were also placed along the Munny's slanted brows, so as to create a sense of anger that emphasizes the "evil" nature of the caricature. Another piece that mesmerized me was the Laser Boy figure (pictured second from top), which features green rays of light placed in a horizontal line along the Munny's eye area and angled to create a fan-like shape. As soon as I saw the figure, I thought of Cyclops (the X-Men character, not the mythical creature). And of course, as a hip-hop head, I was immediately drawn to the DJ NomiS figure, in which Tremonto used luminous materials and shaped them into headphones.
Each of these Munny figures measures seven inches in height and is signed, numbered and packaged in a custom made box. They cost a pretty penny (the cheapest one is $425), but the level of innovation and technical expertise, not to mention the optical illusions facilitated, all serve to further my belief that we toy fiends are no different from art collectors -- even if we have to explain our obsession in a bit more detail to naysayers.
Evil Dr. Skit L Spytr Custom Munny by Marcus Tremonto, $625; Laser Boy Custom Munny by Marcus Tremonto, $625; and DJ NomiS Custom Munny, $625. Visit KidRobot.com
