Review: Kidrobot's Dunny Apocalypse Series!

I wasn’t even aware that these existed until late last week, but Kidrobot has surprised us with another series of blind-boxed designer 3 inch vinyl rabbits, this time to portend the imminent End of the World! The Dunny Apocalypse series features 15 new existence-aborting designs showcasing work from beloved artists such as Ron English, Kronk, Joe Ledbetter and Chris Ryniak. Collect them all quickly before your impending death in a lake of fire!

I picked up two of these bad boys. To check out what I got... join me after the jump!

Normally I would purchase an entire case but this release truly blindsided me. Plus there’s only fifteen figures - including the rare chases - and each case holds just 16 boxes, so I imagine that half of what I got would be doubles (and not so easy to trade here in Australia). But luckily our local collectibles emporium (Empire Toys) not only has these in stock but has also opened them up so you can see what you’re getting. I only got two this time but will definitely be going back for more.

But first let’s look at what is on offer this time:

I think that overall it’s a super strong series. It’s a great lineup of artists and they’ve really been allowed to unleash with a ton of unique sculpting and accessories. There’s plenty of wings, helmets, masks and flaming weapons to go around. Nothing has been held back here.

It was a tough decision, but I chose two figures from artists whose iconic work I’ve admired for a while now. First up is this satiric monstrosity by Ron English...

English has targeted many pop culture idols in the past and you don’t get much bigger than the serially-shirtless Mickey (whose face he has previously grafted onto Marilyn Monroe’s generous boobs). We’ve also seen English experiment with the idea of horrific skulls being revealed beneath grins (he did this with Charlie Brown and Bart Simpson, for example) so to own one of these in Dunny form (at a meagre Dunny cost) is a welcome treat.

As you can see, this is a whole new head sculpt with an intricately detailed and textured skull bursting from the featureless curves of the regular rabbit head. This was a must-have for me. English’s familiar style here feels a little shoe-horned into the Apocalypse theme (in the sense that it’s an extension of previous work as opposed to a rumination on this particular series) but the grim visage of death emerging from such a blatantly corporate figurehead could certainly be interpreted as an ominous sign of the end times. It’s kind of horrific to look at for too long.

My only complaint is some poor paint masking where the flesh tones of the face meets the black widow’s peak. Mine is a little bit messy but I have no idea if that’s indicative of the entire run.

The other artist I’ve admired is Chris Ryniak, whose huge-eyed, brightly coloured, monster sculptures and paintings have often caught my eye. I believe a lot of Ryniak’s works are one-of-a-kind, so again the opportunity to own one in Dunny form was easily embraced. 

This little guy is a great example of Ryniak’s style and its anguished, melting face fits neatly into the Apocalypse theme. I must give huge props to another completely unique head sculpt, plus a new accessory in the form of an equally unfortunate fish. I also love that one ear is half melted.

Overall I’m thrilled with these and look forward to picking up more in the coming weeks. Great work, Kidrobot!