As with any kind of product, an art toy begins with an idea. In StickUp Monsters, we only create things we enjoy creating. What we love and keeps un motivated. We believe it’s the only way to be happy as we work, and that with our enthusiasm we will reach like-minded collectors that will enjoy what we do, whatever it is.
So when we have to create a new character or toy, we take inspiration from one of our passions: folklore and pop culture. In the case of Wananeko, we read a lot about the Japanese yokai Bakeneko and Nekomata, but trying to add as much from our own as possible to give it a different spin, personality and characteristics so he would feel like a unique character and not just literally taken from these folk tales.
Dorobanii was inspired by the American myth of the Jackalope. A rabbit with antlers that’s basically a trickster who pranks humans for fun.
In the case of Watari Kappa, the character was created as a collaboration with a brand from Macau, so even though we took inspiration from the yokai called Kappa, we added a lotus flower on her head as a reference to Macau’s flag.
