The designer vinyl craze is more lucrative than ever, with top designers and artists making some of the coolest (and most expensive) art toys for savvy collectors. One popular purveyor of such coveted collectibles is Japanese toymaker Medicom. Known for their Kubrick and Be@rbrick block-style body types, the company produces a slew of sold-out designs each year.

But for every awesome-looking figure, there are always a few that make us scratch our heads. StreetLevel takes a look at some of the most questionable Kubricks and Be@rbricks ever made, where we go, "WTF?" (Hint: A lot of bad licensing decisions are to blame.)

Continue reading after the jump.



10) "The Matrix Reloaded" Kubricks
Watching the sequel to "The Matrix" was like being in the Matrix: you wish you could've unplugged yourself from it. That didn't stop Medicom from making a toy set of its main characters. But... um, hello? What about Agent Smith? Even the Keymaker and the Architect got chase figures. Medicom partially corrected this error with a Be@rbrick as part of a recent Pepsi promotion, but still.


9) Pantone Kubricks
Ever heard of Pantone? The company is known for its proprietary color matching system used for printing, paint, fabrics and plastics. If you think about it, Pantone is especially important to those making designer toys, but these faceless, single-colored figures are as exciting as learning what a proprietary color matching system is -- not very. Good job, Medicom, for making colors seem as boring as black and white.

8) My First Be@rbrick B@by
This isn't a Be@rbrick for toy collectors; this is a Be@rbrick for toy collectors' infant sisters. We know each series of Be@rbricks has to have a "cute" one in it, but this lame, pastel-painted figure with baby-rattle body seems to be made for baby showers or the insides a kid's cakehole -- not for our art toy displays.
7) B@wbricks
B@wbricks were a series of miniature dog and cat figures made by Medicom back in 2002. The line included breeds like the Labrador Retriever, Miniature Pinscher, Border Collie, Toy Poodle, Maine Coon Cat, Silver Tabby and the Chihuahua, pictured here. Only two series were made before Medicom figured out that no one wanted hideously blocky animal figures with oddly shrunken heads.

6) Holiday Be@rbricks
These green and red, logo-laden Christmas Be@rbricks border on Hallmark Card territory: there's one for every occasion. But we hope Medicom realizes that there's only so many red and green, Christmas-themed toys we can have before our toy collection starts looking like our grandma's attic. Less holiday themes and more original designs, please.

5) Blythe Kubricks
After nearly 30 years, the freakishly big-eyed Blythe dolls of the early '70s made a comeback, and Medicom capitalized on this with Kubricks based on them. However, every Kubrick figure had the same bored, blank expression -- the same one we had when we first set eyes on these homely playthings intended for little girls. Plus, how creepy would we look if we had these things displayed all over our crib?

4) "The O.C." Be@rbrick
There have been many great TV shows, and Medicom has recognized a few of them with special Kubricks and Be@rbricks. We see how kick-ass series like "24" and "Lost" deserve toys in every form, but canceled Fox teen drama "The O.C."? That's what we'd call "a stretch." Try to have some standards, Medicom. Check the Nielsen Ratings first.

3) Be@rbrick Blister Pack
Forget the toys: how about forking over some hard-earned cash for an exclusive toy... holder? Medicom is releasing these limited-edition blister packs in black or gold to hold your precious Be@rbricks. Because "shelves" are so five minutes ago, and you haven't given enough money to Medicom already.

2) Hello Kitty Be@rbrick iPod Holder
Giving a toy an actual function (besides just being cool to play with look at), Medicom made this Hello Kitty iPod holder in the form of a 400% Be@rbrick. To make it related to Hello Kitty, the designers simply wrote "Hello Kitty" all over its body. As for the "iPod holder" part, it has a big, ugly white plastic carriage that attaches to the Be@rbrick's crotch when sitting. Classy, Medicom. Classy.
1) "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" Kubricks
Okay, Medicom, we might forgive you for "Matrix 2" toys, but we cannot forgive you for this. "Blair Witch 2"? That forgettable flick didn't deserve screen time much less its own Kubrick set. If you ever wanted to commemorate nondescript "Blair Witch 2" characters Stephen, Erica, Tristen, Jeff and Kim (and no Blair Witch!?), well, there you go.