JLED's Pico and Wilshire

I love everything that JLED (Joe Ledbetter) releases. Let’s see there’s the Bunny line, Firecat and Icecat, Smash line, Ringo line, etc. It is sad that I was not able to get my hands on his early releases so all I can do is drool at my friend’s collection. His latest release courtesy of the Loyal Subjects is also something to drool about.

JLED’s known for his cartoonish approach with his creations and his trademark black mark outline is the finishing touch. I am fond of his creations because they don’t look weird or horror-like unlike some of the others and also because they are so cute.

His latest release, Pico (approx. 6”) and Wilshire (approx. 12”), has that same JLED trademark black mark outline and cartoonish approach. It has limited edition release of 415 pieces and retails for about $ 160.00. My brother got this piece (with shipping) about $ 212.00.

http://www.theloyalsubjects.com/joeledbetterspicoandwilshire.aspx

PhoTOYgrapher’s Perspective:

Similar to what I wrote before vinyls are harder for me to photograph because they don’t have articulations or flexibility in movements. I admire those creative geniuses like Brian McCarty who can pull it off in every single photo that he takes.

Unlike action figures or statues, which I can play with lights and shadows, it is a bit of a challenge with vinyl toys for me. I basically did an outdoor shoot with Pico and Wilshire, ambient lighting and all. It’s more of giving it more depth (bokeh) to let it stand out in the picture. Maybe if we have snow here in the Philippines I could mimic a scene from the Ice Age. 

Terror & Magnus by Joe Ledbetter

In the vinyl universe, there are a lot of great and talented artists but there is one particular person who caught my attention ever since I got introduced to this hobby – Joe Ledbetter or JLED as he is better known as (http://www.joeledbetter.com/).

The fact that his creations cater to both the young and the not so young, it makes me wish I was rich and could afford to buy all the toys that he released. Unfortunately most of his items are sold out and if you decide to go to eBay then you have to pay a hefty price for his collectibles. JLED’s trademark is the thick outlines on his cute and colorful characters. A vinyl collector will know a JLED product when he/she sees one.

Collectors are always anxious to buy his items whenever they become available and some are really hard to get because of his popularity. During 3^rd quarter of last year, there was an announcement of yet another masterpiece release from JLED of 2 characters called Terror and Magnus. This was in collaboration with an outfit called The Loyal Subjects who made 515 limited edition sets and was pre selling it for $99.00 per set.

Package Contents:

The box is beautifully designed by JLED and contains the 8” Terror and 3” Magnus that comes with a staff with JLED’s emblem.

Collector’s Perspective:

If you are a follower of JLED’s merchandise then you already know that his toys are HOT collectibles. There is always frenzy whenever he releases a toy and some are fortunate to buy them at regular price while others have to go to eBay or forums just to get their hands on one.

As with all his toys I strongly recommend Terror & Magnus as part of your collection. The value appreciates over time (check out his Bunnies and the cats). Over the years, some of his toys have been criticized because he was releasing the same character with different color ways. To the critics it is just another fast way to earn money since the mould is the same. The only differences are the new colors and Terror & Magnus are guilty as charged. As of this writing I have seen and photographed 4 color ways already.

You can purchase T & M directly at The Loyal Subjects’ site http://theloyalsubjects.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15 ($99.00 regular edition) and http://theloyalsubjects.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=25 ($115.00 death metal edition). The latter being a bit more expensive because only 199 sets were made as opposed to the 515 sets for the regular edition. There is also an icy blue (European edition) and Lava, which is the holy grail in the series.

Lava AP edition

PhoTOYgrapher's Perspective:

There is one photographer who brings out the best in these vinyls when it comes to photographing them and it's Brian Mc Carty (http://www.mccartyphotoworks.com/). The guy takes a lot of time to prepare for his location shoots and sometimes add live models in his pictures. Brian's pictures are what I consider the best way to bring your collectibles outdoors. Unfortunately I do not have the time to do what he is doing.

You can also do tabletop shots with plain backgrounds and just do a composite later (adding a colorful background) via Photoshop. Better yet bring these guys outdoors and give it a Mc Carty treatment.

Some Issues:

1.) Limited movements.

2.) Some paint quality issues

3.) Vinyl collecting is expensive

Gears used:

Canon DSLR

Canon 70-300mm Lens

Benro A300 Tripod

3 pcs. Jinbei 180 watts (each), Softbox, Grid & Pocket Wizards

Falcon Eyes Product Table