Decode's Dudson's Modern Tales by Nathan Jurevicius
with Jager

The newest toy line from the mind of Nathan Jurevicius is a blind boxed mini series titled Dudson's Modern Tales. Based on a series of animated shorts of the same name; the line shares characters with the successful Minitreehouse line. Decode Entertainment starts off the line with four mini figures who star in the shorts. This means they look great with their larger versions from STRANGEco but still have their own style that's present in the animated shorts.

The toys come blind boxed and in Eastern fashion need to be assembled for display. Even though no instructions are included, it's easy to put the toys together properly because each piece's peg is cut to only fit in its corresponding hole. The plastic used is sturdy enough to take the "abuse" needed to really get the pieces tight together. Also, most of the series stand on thin legs but are still sturdy. The paint applications are clean throughout the line with no runs or thin spots. The spots on the toys where the mold was poured or where the mold met could have used a little more TLC and trimming, but it's mostly not noticeable. Decode really did a nice job on their first jump into the Designer Toy pool. Overall, this is a solid showing from the company, depicting Nathan J's style really well in miniature 3-D form. While the quality is nice throughout, each member of the line deserves a little closer look so... let's go!

Dudson
The title's main character is Dudson, an octo... squid... Oh I don't know what he is exactly, but he sure looks like a nice one. He stands on three tentacles and has three eyes. The tripod action of his legs give the guy a very sturdy stance and his hat is a great touch. I love the content emotion they went with for his face rather than an overly happy look.

Naal
This mushroom guardian comes to us now in an actual size that can sit on a mushroom and catch bugs. His legs are sturdy even though they are so thin and his arms are in a great pose as if to be singing "I'm a Little Teapot" or "Walk Like an Egyptian." Your choice.

Heenie
This daredevil is ready to rock with a wheel that spins in his hands. I love the expression on his face compared to the larger STRANGEco version. It really fits in with his short where he's a tad embarrassed by his constant wrecking. Every detail is here, right down to his gold tooth.

Arkski
This cat-like gal carries her child around in a backpack. I like how her scarf is blowing behind her and the fish necklace is cut into her form not just painted on. Her design is sweet symmetry and it looks great... from any side!

Dudson's Modern Tales is a fun line that deserves some attention. With STRANGEco making the larger versions of the Minitreehouse characters, it's nice to have some new mini-figs to compliment them in our collections. Decode has done a great job with these and definitely gets me excited for the animated shorts.

Check out Dudson's Modern Tales at the official site, www.Dudson.tv

If you're interested in seeing what else Decode Entertainment has in production, check out their web site.

Nathan Jurevicius has two sites you should give some time. First, his personal site is full of some great illustration. But more in line with his toys is scarygirl.com.

If you'd like to read about more Designer Toys than you probably thought possible, check out our handy page full of our articles on the subject.

Article and photographs are ©2007 MillionairePlayboy.com.