Rocket World's Titus
by Jager

To say that the world's wildlife is running out of space would be an understatement. Between dirty water, global warming, and humans encroaching on territory; animals don't have a fighting chance. Or at least they didn't. Some animals have stood up, become sentient, and are raising arms to defend what rightfully is their home. This is the basic idea behind Titus the Grizzly Bear and the I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo that he headlines.

This isn't your average idea behind a toy line. But this isn't your typical line. Nor is Rocket World your typical toy company. This can be argued as being as much about art as it is about toys. But there's more on that subject in A Look at Urban Vinyl.

Back to Titus.
Here we have a Grizzly Bear holding a .308 bolt action rifle. But it's not just a normal bear, and most definitely he is far from being ferocious. He's quite funny looking (in a good way): Kinda cute and friendly. But he's holding a gun. The marriage here of cute and violent is wonderfully executed. I don't know whether to love him or run away. Of course, if this were a real bear wielding a high powered rifle, I'd run for the hills. Luckily, this guy is a finely crafted vinyl and I can't get enough.

Articulation and such.
Titus has five points of articulation. That's not much in comparison to many action figures out there, but it doesn't bother me. He is able to turn his head, raise his arms and kick out his legs. Sure, you can play with the guy, but his main priority is to be displayed. And when he is, he will garner many a double take. Whether he's sitting next to a Gardener or a Marvel Select figure, Titus stands out thanks to his simple design, and that one-two punch of cuteness and violence. Like most Urban Vinyl, the I.W.G. will be produced in limited runs. Each piece is numbered under its foot so you know that you received an authentic piece of art. And who's to argue?

Make a difference!
This guy is a great addition to your vinyl collection, true. But he is also perfect for anyone who's environmentally conscience. The point to this figure, in my opinion, is to make one think about nature and what we as humans are doing to it. It won't be long before animals' environments are totally over run by us and then what will happen? Will animals only exist in zoos and farms? Will our country side be overrun with strip malls where animals once ran free? What can be done to help stop this encroachment, or at least make it as painless for the animals as possible? [Ed note: eat them all now].

Well, one thing you can do is buy Titus and the rest of the I.W.G. because a portion of all their sales is donated to select wildlife conservation non-profits like the World Wildlife Fund, ZCOG, the Gorilla Foundation, and the International Rhino Foundation. This company takes their ideas and beliefs seriously!

As stated, Titus is leading the charge for the I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo and Rocket World gave us a sneak peak at a few prototypes of what's to come. Enjoy! Keep an eye out for the rest of the line and maybe you'll think twice before you throw your candy wrapper out the car window.

We now have reviews of Affonso and Hannibal.

Check out all the happenings with the I.W.G. and the other rad things cooking at RocketWorld.org

You can see this and other great productions at Strangeco— StrangeCo.com

Titus and lots of other great Urban Vinyl are available at Kidrobot— kidrobot.com

Article © 2004 MillionairePlayboy.com unless otherwise noted. All characters are property their original owners.