Greetings all, Valkor here. I just wanted to add a quick note here as this is the first real toy review we're doing here on TOV. On the side bar you'll notice a link to GameView and that will change as we get in more and more toys. Also Wowwee Toys is link to TechView and i'll bring that over as the toys grow. Enjoy
So as I continued around the endless booths at Toy Fair 2010 I met Damien over at the Idolz booth where he introduced us to these small figurines that share a resemblance to a mix of Tiki and Moai heads of Easter Island. The idolz are Stackable and if you choose to you can wear them as a pendant. They made a great addition to my desk, not taking up any space since they stack easily and securely. Plus they come with a small base stand and detachable appendages. Damien was nice enough to give us a few minutes to answer some of questions of how he came up with iDolz and where he is planning to go next.
Q. How did you come up with the idea of idolz?
A. In my quest to create my own urban designer toy, I wanted something iconic that would make people stop and think "hey, I'm familiar with that design." In searching for iconic structures online, the famous Easter Island Moai heads came up, and there it was; the exact image I was looking for. IDOLZ are based on the Moai, with many differences. The forehead and nose design are generally going to stand out with different colors, so you can make out a capital letter I… for IDOLZ.
Q. What is your inspiration for the designs?
A. My inspiration comes from real idols that represented various deities or entities that ancient people would have worshipped thousands of years ago: A gold sun entity, a zebra-patterned animal entity, or one of order and chaos, etc.
Q. What are you future plans for idolz?
A. I'm looking at more expansive distribution for Idolz. Also, I've had many requests for DIY blank IDOLZ, and some licensor interests. I would like to see more of an online gaming presence and possibly an animated series for IDOLZ. They really have a lot of character. I have many other designer toy ideas that I want to explore.
The good:
I like iDolz they are fun to put on your desk and arrange. They come in many designs and the DIY one to come out is going to be good.
The Bad:
I need more accessories bad! The mace is nice but I need something more. May I suggest some other hand gestures also.
The Ugly:
Working on stealing Valkors Gruntor! Its about to get ugly.
The End:
Idolz make a great toy for kids and I thought they would be perfect to hand out at a party as a parting gift or a small prizes. You get a choice of a few styles Zebo (Pink Zebra), Glynt (Silver & blue), Fantok (Orange & Purple), Badok (Silver & black, and next on my list to get), and Limited edition Gruntor (Camouflage). I also like iDolz their good community company they participate in many things like local school contest, Fight cancer fair and , Toys for Tots. These guys really do their part. They are also coming out with blank ones so you can create and customize your own design. Gruntor is my new favorite desk ornament. And out of TOV 5 stars, I give Idolz 4 stars.
