POST SCRIPT: Though we learned that Dreamland Toyworks has recently closed its doors in Philadelphia after nearly a decade we felt it was an apt tribute to have a closer look at the Hoodiez. This set of five uniquely inspired figures are from the mind of artist Carl Jones (Boondocks). This is urban vinyl at its core, a reflection of the people and characters that surround us everyday, with a twist.
While we will miss this interesting production company, we have perhaps not heard the last from artist/designer Carl Jones (tba)...In Dreamland's wake we have the truly unique set of characters known as the Hoodiez - a set of five vinyl figures measuring from 4" (Scrapz) to 8.5" (Boogie). I was thrilled to pick these up recently, and these are the "original" set (there are two other colorways: black and grayscale). These come in an edition of 1000 and were originally released in 2007.
THE NEW BLACK: These figures came about partly as a response to a contemporary look at society's impressions of African American youth. These guys appeal as fresh, hip reflections of black culture in a highly cartoonish style, you might even look at these as a sort of modern day Fat Albert crew.
The sculpts are genius in a minimalist way, the paint job is only average as there are slight issues, nothing major, and these are also muted in coloration overall, giving off a matte palette. Jones designed figure that are stoic and so highly stylized that a few lines and undulations in the vinyl tell a story of a group of friends fetted by urban chic and the banality of cultural impressions in a post Trayvon society (though these were fashioned five years before the teen's untimely death).
Cool characters that to me seem more retro oriented to the era of Mile Davis' "electric years" (On the Corner). There's just an instant sense of nu-jazz when confronted with these "cats". The figures sit perfectly flat without any articulation, check out the base:
RATING
Paint: 7/10
Articulation: N/A
Sculpt: 9.5/10
Originality: 9/10
Design/Packaging: 8/10
Special Thanks to DKE Toys