Today we have a first on Proto Monday — a return performance. Back in May of ’07, we debuted the unpainted sculpt of the upcoming Monkey King figure created by Nathan Jurevicius and produced by Munky King. The wait is almost over and it’s been well worth it. Check out the painted vinyl test sample of the Earth Monkey above. The painted details on the Earth Monkey, especially on his face, add personality and charm to the excellent sculpt by Dave Pressler. The sweet fades around his eyes and the ends of his staff top off this beautiful standard colorway.
Standing 8" tall on his own, Monkey King ships fully loaded with his removable crown, staff, floating cloud and has a bendy prehensile tail. Based on an animated spot Nathan did for MTV, the character design is excellent – streamlined and agile with a cunning face; perfectly capturing the essence of the traditional Chinese trickster. For display Monkey King is all about options. On the cloud or off the cloud? With the staff or without? Then there’s the bendy tail which Monkey King can use to wield his staff (pics after the jump). Slick.
So far we know about three Monkey King editions. There’s the Earth Monkey (Brown – 600 pcs), the Fire Monkey (Orange – 150 pcs), and the SDCC ’08 Exclusive Metal Monkey (150 pcs). The Fire Monkey features a paint scheme reminiscent of retro Japanese toys. Check it after the jump.
Btw, if you love Nathan’s rendition of Monkey King, check out the Monkey King giclee (50 pcs) dropping today, March 3rd from munkyking.com.
