Review – Elegab Shuttlegon

Almost one year ago I pointed you guys at the Shuttlegon toy by Elegab (website) and now, after far too many weeks of being without time to play with him, I give you my Shuttlegon review. Turn away, fools, unless you want to be tempted into trying to buy yet another incredible Japanese vinyl toy.

Monstrously Massive

The photos don’t give you any true sense of scale when it comes to the Shuttlegon, but I can confidently say that he’s larger than he appears and the first thing that surprised me on holding the toy was how good he feels. Seriously, this is one massive chunk of plastic and he’s great a great “in-hand” feel to him. The toy is about 8.5-inches tall, which is big, but it’s the tip of hand to tip of hand measurement of 9.5-inches that really adds to the bulk. Shuttlegon here has a fantastic heft and he feels really durable; I’m not about to toss him to the dogs for a strength test, but if he fell off of the shelf I wouldn’t worry about the toy being damaged beyond maybe some paint dings.

A Monster in a Suit?

The toy’s sculpt makes me think that what we’re seeing here is some bizarre monster-robot being, or maybe a cyborg monster in a spacesuit. I’m honestly not sure what I’m looking at — there are organic bits for the head, left hand, and feet, but everything else is mechanical and there are ever bolt-like protrusions from the neck. I guess the Shuttlegon is some sort of kaiju Frankenstein’s Monster creation. Whatever it is it’s cool; the sculpt is soft and rounded almost everywhere — which is common for vinyl toys — but the teeth and mechanical claw make it a menacing monstrosity that looks great in my collection.

Metallic Sprays

This particular Shuttlegon toy is mostly painted with metallic spray effects; gold, a coppery color, and a touch of silver spray apps cover the blueish plastic base. There are also a few painted details — the teeth and eyes — but most of the toy’s color is brought out through the near-random effect of the sprays in specific places. Seeing these kaiju toys with the cool spray effects always makes me want to buy an airbrush, but intelligence wins out each time I get the urge to buy an airbrush. After all, do I really need to sink time into learning how to use an airbrush?

I know that a lot of people hate paint effects like this, and I can say I would love to see one of these carefully painted with each detail brought out, but there’s something about sculpts like this Shuttlegon that just make a spray effect work. I think it’s the rounded edges of the toy mixed with the weird combination of design elements; the entire toy almost feels random so a random-like paint pattern is just appropriate in some twisted way.

Closing Thoughts

Designer toys aren’t for everyone, and kaiju toys from Japan are certainly not for everyone who collects toys, but I think that anyone who loves toys as art objects — and not simply action figures as collectibles — would enjoy the Shuttlegon if they ever got a chance to hold him. Looking at photos of kaiju toys in no way brings across just how great they are to hold and play with; for me it took people sending toys to me before I actually broke down and started collecting some of them. Really, photos do not do these toys justice.

The Shuttlegon may not be my favorite kaiju toy in the collection — if I had to choose just one I think it would be the Steregon (first review here, second review here) — but it’s a great enough work of art that I definitely want to buy more toys from Elegab.

I just wish their toys weren’t so damned tough to get.

Philip Reed just got in a box of Real X Head and Toygraph Space Trooper toys yesterday. Prepare for reviews, fools! Philip also feels like calling everyone a fool today. What’s he think he is, Mister T?