Darth Deady

In 2004 Hong Kong's premiere vinyl toy company, Toy2R, introduced Voltaire to the world of "designer vinyl" by manufacturing a toy of his comic book character, Deady. It was an instant hit and lead to a string of other Voltaire toys including a line of "Pocket Goth" plush toys for Toy Network that were made for the games and amusement market. Those toys were available as prizes at all of the major amusement parks as well as in crane machines at Walmart, Toys R Us, etc. Voltaire continues to make toys, mostly of his character, Deady. Recent Deady toys include a figure made by Disney and Minstyle (of Deady as Stitch from their film "Lilo and Stitch"), an 8-inch Deady figure by Toy2R that was co-branded with the popular on-line role-playing game AdventureQuest Worlds, a Deady Hot Wheels car by Mattel for the Japanese market as well as collaborations with the ubiquitous "Skelanimals" characters (also by Toy2R). Qee Bear is a designer toy created by Toy2R, a Hong Kong-based company founded by Raymond Choy. It is part of the Qee (pronounced “key”) series, a line of customizable, anthropomorphic figures that became a major influence in the global designer toy movement. Qee Bears have a rounded head, stubby limbs, and a signature “Q” shaped keychain attachment, allowing them to be used as collectibles or keychains. Like BE@RBRICK, Qee Bears come in DIY (Do-It-Yourself) blank versions, allowing artists and collectors to customize their own designs. Available in multiple sizes, typically 2.5-inch mini Qees, 8-inch medium Qees, and larger collector editions. Toy2R has worked with international designers, brands, and pop culture franchises, including collaborations with Tokidoki, Michael Lau, Adidas, and even Star Wars. Qee Bears were one of the earliest urban vinyl collectibles to gain international recognition in the early 2000s, helping establish the designer toy movement alongside figures like Dunny (Kidrobot) and BE@RBRICK (Medicom Toy). Though they’ve been somewhat overshadowed by newer toy trends, Qee remains an iconic piece of designer toy history.