Background

Rocket USA has yet again teamed up with artist Gus Fink to release a line of plush characters.  The Puff Dogs are six round plush puppies with various personalities that are made to appeal to children (and adults) of all ages.

Released in three different sizes (8”, 5” and 2.5”), we’ve reprinted the bios of three of the characters here (top row, left to right):

Juff (the quiet one) is the quiet and calm type, yet he craves adventure.  Her loves to mediate.  Juff once even ran to be mayor of the Puff Dogs, but he lost.

Bradley (the silly one) loves to juggle, even though he is a little clumsy.  Bradley tries to make the best of every situation by joking around.  He lives for the attention and laughter of others.

Pilyo (the softest dog) is often seen being followed by bats.  No one is sure why they are attracted to her.  She also has a strange power to shoot off rainbows and unicorns for her skull bow.

Packaging

They might be packaged in a clear plastic bag…or they might not.  Each of the three different sizes comes with a small plastic clamshell pack that includes the mini-comix, trading card and checklist.

The Figures

Gus Fink’s Puff Dogs are available in three different sizes (8”, 5” and the 2.5” plush clip-on).  All of the various plush sizes include a small clamshell packet that includes a mini-comix, trading card and checklist.  Each mini-comix has a poster of the character on the other side, and the trading card has a short bio (the remaining three we’ve reproduced here).

Yuki (the gross twin brother of Mushy) likes to play with dirty disgusting stuff, he loves to be messy.  He cleans up well though, when it’s time to work at the ice cream shop that he owns.  His favorite thing of all is to rollerblade around.

Gikki (the cool confident one) isn’t afraid of anything, even snakes.  She can’t be spooked no matter how hard you try.  Her day job is a dance choreographer for penguins and ducks.  She is very confident of herself.

Mushy (the free spirit) sleeps all night and plays all day. Since he used to be attached to Yuki, he is just happy to be free.  His favorite thing to do is giving away lots of candy.

Our Opinion

I got my first glimpse at several of the Puff Dogs’ characters back at the 2008 NY Comic Con.  It’s more of a cuddly plush line than the Boogily Bunnies and Stitch Kittens, which were also produced by Rocket USA and Gus Fink.

While the 2.5” clip-on line is fine if you’re looking for something to attach to a backpack, you get a different (cleaner) looking character with the larger sizes.  The 8” tall figures seem bigger than that measurement.  They’re big, cute and fluffy, and would be great for kids as well as plush collectors.

The plushies utilize stitching, silk screening and vinyl printing for the various spots, stripes and facial features.  I actually like both the large and medium sized lines.  So, it’s really up to how much room you have in your house.

If I’d have to list the characters in terms of my favorite, it would look like this:  Mushy, Bradley, Juff, Gikki, Yuki and Pilyo.

You can pick one up at the following:

Rocket USA: 8" - $19.95, 5" - $12.95

Puff Dogs Grades:

Quality: 8/10
Stitching: 9/10
Packaging: N/A
Durability: 10/10
Hype: 8/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Value: 8/10

Overall: 9.2/10

Have these figures?  What do you rate them?