Thursday Salute to Originals: Novelty Action Figures

Famous Japanese paper artist creates original action figures from inexpensive toys.

Tomohiro Yasui, a Japan-based artist, and designer, is best known for creating the famous kami-robo paper figurines and cartoons. Now, his trend-setting and fun-loving imagination is taking on a new medium — handmade action figures!

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In his new project, Yasui takes wires and cheap rubber ducks, squirting frogs, and plastic hammers to create posable action figures. Taking 35 years of experience creating humanoid, robo figurines, Yasui applies his expertise in anatomy and dynamic movement to hand-craft toys that look like they came fresh off an assembly line.

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The repurposed materials are still noticeable, but the finished product is so carefully crafted that it’s hard to tell that each piece wasn’t made specifically for the figurine.

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This Thursday, we’re saluting Tomohiro Yasui’s handmade, novel action figures. Each is packed with the same fun, creativity, and craftsmanship that sparked his famous robotic craze three decades ago! You keep up with the artist’s latest projects on their Twitter account, @kami_robo_yasui.

Sources: Tomohiro Yasui, This is Colossal