REVIEW: STRANGEco and Woodring’s Mr. Bumper

Background

Toy Fair 2006 gave collectors the ability to salivate over a number of amazing prototypes. STRANGEco’s booth had at least one such figure in Jim Woodring’s Mr. Bumper. Fans clamored over the who’s, what’s and where’s. After several months of anticipation, Woodring released his rotocast figure on December 16th at the OKOK Gallery in Seattle.

STRANGEco refers to Mr. Bumper as “the haughty driver, whose amphibious animal-vehicle actually lifts off to reveal that appearances are deceiving.” As you can tell, Woodring’s artwork is heavily influenced with amphibians and reptiles…specifically frogs.

Packaging

The extremely colorful artwork that adorns the illustrated cardboard packaging is 100% Jim Woodring. Mr. Bumper is shown in what appears to be a slight traffic jam. The packaging conjures up memories of board games of yesteryear. There’s a definite retro feel to it.

The Figure

Mr. Bumper is made of rotocast vinyl and measures approximately 10” in
length and 5” in height. The original prototype had a glossy
paintjob, however, the final product has been toned down to more of a
matte finish (although the cowl is still somewhat glossy).

The main feature of the Mr. Bumper figure is his removable cowl. The
cowl is the red section that slips over the frog character. The figure
has 8 points of articulation (legs).

Our Opinion

He’s the Boss for Sure! That’s Mr. Bumper’s catchphrase…and it’s
fitting. The figure is the most anticipated STRANGEco release of the
past year, and it does not let collectors down. With both an intricate
sculpt and a detailed paint scheme, Mr. Bumper accomplishes what many
recent lines have failed to do.

You also have to appreciate a large, limited edition figure that is
kept somewhat affordable at less than $60. When a number of smaller,
less detailed figures are being shopped for twice that price, it makes
the average collector smile.