Up Close – Sancho Canary Edition

The recently released Canary edition is the third release of the Sancho figure from Angels and Gringos.  Limited to 250 pieces, the Canary edition’s subtle color scheme compliments Daniel  and Johnny Monahan’s Dia De Muertos interpretation of Dante’s Sancho Panza character.  Daniel Monhan’s intricate and  finely detailed sculpt brings the complex character to life as an art toy with a unique aesthetic.  While Sancho offers surprise with the choice of an ostrich as a mount,  the presentation is traditional rather than edgy.  The result is a piece that bridges genres art toy and sculpture for a reasonable $100 price tag.

Angels and Gringos started with the strong character design and then finished it well by including several accessories — a Hat, Sarape, and Mandolin.  The inclusion of Toro – a Bull/saddle hybrid shows the companies commitment to providing value to the collector.  While Sancho looks great on the ostrich, Daniel and Johnny included Toro in order  to give collectors the option of displaying both figures separately — side by side. 

Sancho comes in a striking black and white box featuring Daniel’s early flowing sketch of the character as well as the ‘toon styled skeleton logo.  Each colorway is marked by a sticker displaying the figure’s edition number.  The edition number is also printed underneath Daniel’s signature on the back of Sancho’s shirt. 

Sancho, the ostrich and the numerous accessories are packed in an inner
clamshell that fits perfectly — no annoying twist ties (I want my toy
now…, not five minutes from now). Mounted
on the ostrich, the combined Sancho piece is impressively large at
nearly 12" high.  While Sancho has a sculpture like appearance, the
figure has five points of articulation — at the neck, elbows (forearms
rotate) and ankle (feet rotate).  The feet have a ball-socket
construction which allow them to be removed and repositioned easily.   


Sancho mounts easily and  with good balance on the ostrich without
any aid such as a peg which would mar the appearance of both pieces.
The accessories are easily attached to Sancho and are well-designed,
again no hassle with pushing items into a socket to secure them.

The ostrich is an elegant piece with beautifully executed flowing
tail feathers. The ‘leg’ – a connecting rod which joins to the ‘feet’
(base) is quite sturdy as it’s made of metal.  No worries about
it bending or warping over time. The four ribbed ‘feet’ at the bottom
of the base are a nice touch — blending the character into the
design. 


While your mileage may vary, we had some difficultly mounting Sancho on
Toro (the Bull/saddle accessory).  It worked but was not as ‘sure’ and
easy as with the Ostrich.

All in all, Sancho is a unique figure, a worthy addition to almost any
collection, and works equally well in an Ikea Detolf dedicated to vinyl
as well as a stand-alone collectible in a mahogany bookcase or on a
desk.  It’s an art toy with the emphasis on a pleasing subtle
aesthetic. At $100, it offers good value for collectors.  While the
price might seem high to some it’s important to remember this is an
original toy not a platform and comes with both Sancho and the Ostrich. If you haven’t collected Sancho yet, this is a good starting point, and if you’re collecting them all — then you probably have it already 😉 Wholesale inquiries should be directed to DKE Toys.  Next up for Sancho ?  Red and Yellow in May.  More soon.