What’s there to say about the new Joe Ledbetter figures from Wheaty Wheat Studios? I’m sure that everyone knows that they are the hottest figures on the market right now. And we also realize that these are very limited edition toys.
For this review, I would like to focus on Mr. Bunny. He was first released way back in September. Well…the limited edition (50 piece) Lava Bunny was released in September. That sold out almost instantly, with those Lava Bunnies going to 50 lucky folks who attended the Kidrobot release event.
Mr. Bunny and Snow Bunny have just recently hit the market. They keep popping up little by little at lucky online shops…only to sell out moments later. Mr. Bunny (the yellow one) is limited to 400 pieces and the Snow Bunny (the blue one) is only a run of 100 figures. Your best bet for snagging one is to quit your job, sit in front of the computer, and bookmark all existing vinyl toy shops.
Both of the recently released Bunnies are packaged in the same type of box. There is not much reading on the box, but the oversized packaging is about 75% covered in Joe Ledbetter artwork. There is a small, thought-balloon shaped window where you can view the enclosed vinyl figure. The packaging truly accentuates the figure inside. If you’re a fan of Ledbetter’s art, it’s almost like getting a print along with your figure.
O yeah, that’s right! There’s actually a rotocast vinyl figure inside of that box. Both the Snow Bunny and Mr. Bunny are the same sculpts. The only thing that varies between the two is the color scheme (so I’ll refer to the figure as Mr. Bunny from now on).
What sets this line apart is the conversion from 2D to 3D. Thick black lines outline all of the corners and curves of the figure. Mr. Bunny is made up of 7 separate pieces, so it’s very delicate. The body, head, two feet, two ears and tail are all joined to create this figure. I would stay away from picking it up by the ears or the tail. The artwork on the vinyl Mr. Bunny is also full of intricate shading.
The Ledbetter line has been one that I have been waiting for since I saw it previewed at Toy Fair 2005. When I first saw Mr. Bunny and Fire-Cat, I was blown away. The thick black outlining made the figures look as if they were made of paper. And I am very glad that this project has finally come to fruition. All of the buzz you hear is well due.
Joe Ledbetter and Wheaty Wheat have definitely put out one of the best toys of the year in Mr. Bunny. The best bunny all depends on which color scheme you prefer – yellows for Mr. Bunny and blues for Snow Bunny. Personally, I prefer the Snow Bunny…but that seems to change by the day.
Overall Grade: 99%
