Kaiju in my window

My office window is transformed by the arrival of these amazing Kaiju. They all arrived on the same day. I juggled the boxes up the stairs and tried to decide which to open first. Finally, I grabbed a box knife and just went for it. Each box was more breathtaking than the one before, but nothing topped the glory of Clear Orange Wage, shown in the center. It's worth it to click on this photo to see a close-up of Wage.

The taller pieces are Mothman and Flatwoods Swamp Gas Type in pink, then El Grande himself, Clear Orange Wage, and Chupacrabra with the gold top notch. The little guys are all Uma. Each of these is from the creative genius of David Horvath of Uglydoll fame. The Uma are offspring of Mothman and Flatwoods, but not together, as I'd previously thought. Call me a romantic, but yes, I thought Mothman and Flatwoods were a couple, or at least met up sometimes outside work.

What is so appealing about this group of Kaiju? Where to start! Quality shows in every part of them, from David's design to the final product. They gleam in the light, and when backlight at dusk, or by the porch light, they radiate color and coolness. They are smooth to the touch, and are poseable. In his photo Chupacabra is seen with his head turned to the wide so you can see his face and the ridges down his spine. Chup's tiny arms are also articulated. Even the hoods pop off of the Uma Flatwoods, the little guys with the pointy heads. And if all that wasn't enough, Mothman and Flatwoods GLOW IN THE DARK.

They are fun to look and fun to touch. That to me is a collectors dream.

A 25 cent grab

Who's that in Deer Ugly's boat? That's Koffing, a Nintendo plush from the early 1990's.
And he's happy to be aboard.

Was at a garage sale last week, plunged my hand deep into the 25 cent toy bucket, snaked down through a foot and a half of plastic cast offs, cupped something soft and round, and came up with this little purple ball. Brought him home, cleaned him up a bit, then did some research. Turns out he's Koffing of former Nintendo fame, and worth many times more than a quarter on eBay. He will, however, never see the auction block. We love him.

He is not, by the way, the Koffing ball toy that you can turn inside out. He is the original Koffing from days gone by. A real celeb.

Mothman and Flatwoods are coming

Ok, I admit it. I'm still a kid. Formerly more a closet kid, I've busted out. And I find I am not alone.

Mothman and Flatwoods Swamp Gas Type are coming. I've dusted off my shelf (several times) in preparation. For weeks I'd look at that shelf and see Mothman in my minds eye, sitting there in his Swamp Gas glory, reflecting pink awesomeness. My vision did not include Flatwoods due to the extra cost of having them both. No, I was resigned to only having Mothman, listening to that practical voice within. But suddenly "practical voice" got laryngitis, and I bought the Mothman and Flatwoods set. And soon they will adorn my office window.

How did I make my decision among the very appealing versions of Mothman? It could have come down to the fact that most other versions are sold out. But I was lucky. My love was Swamp Gas, and by the time I saved enough cash to get him, he was still available. Makes up for all those other times I was too late.


I ran my "death bed" senario to make this decision. There I am, on my back, dying. I just knew I would look up and say, "I should have bought Flatwoods". Check one more potential regret from the I Wish I'd Done It list.

Give credit where credit is due. And I must give credit to Cinko, who is always at my side when I shop for Uglydolls, Kaiju, Noupa, or other prized items. Cinko is unfailing in his eye for a good bargain, and uncanny at winning auctions.

Further credits go to David Horvath for dreaming and designing Mothman and Flatwoods. To Wonderwall, kudos for making some of the best Kaiju in the world.

Important message: Never stop playing.