Kubrick
Kubrick is a line of collectible block-style figures and associated products created by Japanese toy company MediCom Toy Inc. Kubrick figures are produced in three scales, designated as 100% (six centimeters high), 400% (24 centimeters high), and 1000% (60 centimeters high). The basic Kubrick figure design has a body that resembles an extremely simplified human form, somewhat similar in appearance to Playmobil or Lego figures. Produced in limited numbers and not re-released, Kubricks are highly sought-after by collectors. Kubricks are predominantly collected by adults; the packaging recommends the figures to collectors 13 years or older.
Kubricks have been produced in a myriad of themes. Many figures are licensed representations of film, comic book, or video game characters. Among this diverse range of sources is an even more diverse range of subjects: MediCom has produced Kubricks based on the films The Great Escape, Star Wars, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Usual Suspects, and Amélie among many others. Comic book characters may be of Japanese origin, such as the Berserk series, or American, such as figures based on Marvel Comics and DC Comics characters. In the instance of the Blythe series, MediCom has created a figural toy with another figural toy as its subject. However, not every Kubrick draws on popular culture for inspiration; in addition to creating likenesses of breakfast cereal mascots, MediCom has released a likeness of Andy Warhol, as well as Kubricks in Eames patterns and Pantone colors. They also offer Grand Theft Auto III and GTA: Vice City sets.
Tatsuhiko Akashi, founder and president of MediCom, developed the basic Kubrick with a former employee of LEGO. The first Kubrick figures were representations of characters from the manga and anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, released in 2000. Since then, hundreds of Kubricks have been produced.
Although Kubricks have captured the interest of collectors all over the world, MediCom focuses primarily on the Japanese market, to the extent that MediCom’s online store ships only to Japanese addresses. Furthermore, Kubricks created as promotional items are (officially, anyway) not even sold at retail in Japan. Many pieces are distributed as a part of a larger promotion, such as the Wolverine figure released to commemorate the film X-Men 2: X-Men United and only available as a limited edition promotional only giveaway with advance ticket purchase for the cinema, or the Master Chief figure, offered as a not-for-sale promo exclusive in Japan for the Halo 2 video game. Another highly sought series were found inside the Kill Bill 1 and 2 Box Sets. Alongside t-shirts, trading cards and all sorts of other goodies, were a Kubrick in each box. A similar promo only item was the Sin City Kubrick. This was even harder to get than the Kill Bill items, as it needed a trading card purchase, and these cards were very limited and only available in advance of screening at cinema counters that were showing the film. With these Trading Cards was a lucky draw and a 1 in 300 chance to get a Sin City Kubrick. Even then you had to send off for it and hope the postal service got it safely to you. As a result of this limited availability, the only ways for collectors outside Japan to obtain certain Kubricks are designer toy retailers, Japanese import stores, and the secondary market (especially online auctions).