By now it's clear that Rocket World's I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo isn't going to stop until they've made their point. What started out as a grass roots movement by Titus the Grizzly Bear has become a full fledged war with six troops ready to do what it takes to take back their habitat. The newest additions are Odysseus the Sea Otter, Ocho the...well, we don't know what he is yet, but I'll get to my theory in a bit, and Moly a mutated octopus. These new recruits bring a new look to the line and are welcome additions to the family.
If you're new to this scene, the I.W.G. is a group of animals who have been mutated by alien overseers. These mutations give the beasts intelligence and the ability to use tools/weapons. While most animals would use this power to hotwire a car to get to the nearest White Castle, these guys have decided to make a difference and take back their habitat. Also, they're known to take out poachers, oil rigs, lumberjacks, and the occasional time share. This may seem frightening, but the style of these toys keeps the nightmares to a minimum. This marriage of heavy issues and innocence of execution is wonderful, and it keeps me coming back to the line again and again.
Odysseus
Sea Otters are fun loving creatures, right? Well, this guy thinks it's fun to shoot spears into oil riggers! That's right; Odysseus is committed to protecting the North American coastal waters from the oil rigs that pollute his favorite shores. To do this, he uses the spear gun he comes with and his keen wits. Sure that sounds frightening, but when you look at his round head you can't help but smile. He has six points of articulation (head, arms, legs and tail) giving him the honor of having the second most of the line. His fur is painted a nice matte gray with a lighter gray on the belly (with belly button) and nose. As always, the signature Rocket World eyes are two different sizes. Besides the tail articulation, the nicest touch is his whiskers. They are clear nylon threads that stick out from his muzzle and sorta feel like real whiskers. Like most Designer Vinyl, he's numbered on the foot to show you what number of the 500 run you received.
Ocho
Ocho is a mysterious creature. It isn't quite known what he is, but I like to think of him as a Sasquatch type beast. I have a kind of infatuation with these creatures, so to me, that's what he is. What we do know is that he prefers to use his axe to handle his "business". He comes with a shiny silver axe to hack through lumber jacks and anyone else who comes stomping in his forest. This by far is the most horrific of the I.W.G. in terms of weapon choice, but again his cuteness takes it all away. Sporting two points of articulation (arms), Ocho checks in as having the least of any I.W.G., but what he lacks in function, he makes up for in style. He has some sweet mussed up hair. And his feet are very big with pointy toes (this has to be a Sasquatch!). Since his legs don't move, he stands very solid and static. This really works for me though, because it's such a change from the rest of the I.W.G. family. He has a matte green color, with his eyes and nose being colored with no smudging. Again, his foot is stamped with the print number indicating which of the 500 you have.
Moly
Octopuses [Ed note: octopi?] are very interesting creatures and this mutated cephalopod keeps the trend by being the most interesting I.W.G. released to date. Rocket World really pulled out all of the stops when they made her. Being an Octopus, she should have eight legs, but since she's mutated she sports sixteen. Each is articulated and these arms are why she's so handy as the team's demolition expert. To do this work she uses the monkey wrench and hammer she comes with. But let's talk more about these tentacles. Each one can twist making her one of the more poseable Vinyls I've seen, I.W.G. or not. The material Moly is made with is squishy just like a real octopus. Well not that squishy, but squishy all the same. This is a nice touch that wouldn't have been missed if it wasn't used, but since it was, the toy is that much sweeter. Finally, to just add a little more icing to the cake, Rocket World teamed up with Super 7 magazine to produce an uber limited 100 piece run of glow-in-the-dark Molys. Now that's impressive.
These three new additions to the I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo family are well received. They bring a new look to the group (even if it's a bit smaller in size), and we're starting to address water quality issues. As with the all of the toys in this line, a portion of the proceeds are donated to various non-profit wildlife groups. Making these toys ones you can feel good about buying. I've said this before, but it's worth mentioning again. If you or someone you know is right on the verge of getting into the toy scene, this line is the welcome wagon they've been waiting for.
Be sure to check our Toy Fair coverage for what Rocket World and STRANGEco have planned for 2005.
Ocho is available at kidrobot right now, with Moly and Odysseus following right behind.
If you dig these guys, check out Titus the Grizzly Bear, Affonso the White Rhino, and Hannibal the Gorilla.
Can't get your head around this idea of art meeting toys? Check out A Look at Urban Vinyl.
Rocket World has some good stuff cooking. Check out their site Rocketworld.org
Strangeco produces some of the best designer toys around (including these). StrangeCo.com
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