Serious about playthings

TOY LOVERS OF any age are guaranteed lots of fun this weekend as the Thailand Toy Expo returns for its third edition to CentralWorld in Bangkok.

Taking up more than 40,000 square metres, the show has more than 70 brands of collectibles and rare playthings as well as the chance to meet 30 toy designers.

“We are expecting a capacity crowd of 800,000 at the expo,” says organiser Pongsthon Tumwattana, after drawing more than 500,000 visitors last year.

A figure of the character Nong Toy, an old-fashioned wind-up top who serves as the event’s mascot, sets the scene for the theme, “Beyond Imagination”, with visitors sure to be bowled over by the objects on display.

“Our survey showed that the wind-up toy was the most-loved plaything of our time so of course we chose it. Its design is based on my face,” Pongsthon adds with a giggle.

The expo, which is costing Bt30 million, has five zones: “Toys from Movies and Series”, “Designer Toys”, the “World’s Most Popular Toys”, “Thailand’s Toys” and “Rare Toys”.

“We’ve compiled copyrighted playthings and collectibles from America, Europe and Asia. They include the superheroes from Marvel Comics, creative playthings from PlayMobil, Barbie, Hot Wheels, toys from Walt Disney and models by famous designers,” says Pongsthon, who owns JP Toys, a company that specialises in the production of muay Thai action figures. “Thailand Toy Expo is not a toy fair in the commercial sense but is all about innovation and imagination. I want our event to be an international toy exhibition on par with those organised by Japan and Hong Kong. Our aim is to make it as great as the San Diego Comic-Con.”

The 30 designers contributing to the expo include Ashley Wood from 3A, Kim Fung Wong from ThreeZero, Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk of Coarse Toys and Amanda Visell.

Wood is an Australian illustrator known for his comic-book covers and concept designs. Initially associated with the UK and international comic-book industries and a key player in creating Judge Dredd, Wood later broke into the US market, where he worked for Marvel and DC. He has also collaborated with Konami Japan and producer and director Hideo Kojima in producing “Metal Gear Solid” comics and also with such musical acts as Reuben, Lismore, Kiss and rap artist Ice T.

ThreeZero, founded by ThreeA co-owner Kim Fung Wong is one of the original producers of Hong Kong designer figurines and is best known for its gas mask logo. In 2013, ThreeZero rebooted its autonomous production of toys with a series of licensed-product announcements that included a collaboration with Bandai on a new mecha toy and 1/12th scale pilot designed by original Gundam creator Kunio Okawara and Kenny Wong respectively. The company has also been involved on the redesign of Zoids and action figures based on characters from “The Walking Dead”.

German sculpture duo Landwehr and Waschk are the creative minds behind Coarse and are known for their distinct style of sculpting that looks as if they have chiselled figures from rock. Their works are available in art-toy stores and galleries in 32 countries. Ranging from small resin pieces to life-size fibreglass creations, the figurines blend are coveted by collectors, and are usually limited editions of one piece or a small run.

“I am passionate about toys and have attended lots of toy expos around the world. In Hong Kong, I was inspired by a ThreeA artist’s toy show held in a very small room but which managed to draw 1,000 visitors,” recalls Pongsthon, who started collecting the Japanese Super Sentai series.

“I never really played with toys like other kids. I remember discovering my father’s old toys that had been kept in a store room since 1974 and were all worth a lot of money. Today, I have a toy museum that’s home to more than 100,000 toys, which I have acquired from Tokyo, Yokohama, Hong Kong and Myanmar.

“Now my interests have switched to designer toys,” he says.

 

FUN AND GAMES

 

- The Thailand Toy Expo runs through until tomorrow at CentralWorld. Admission is free.

- For more details, visit www.Facebook.com/ThailandToyExpo.