Leica has partnered with Japanese collectible company Medicom Toys with a limited edition Bearbrick toy. The Leica x Medicom Toy BE@RBRICK Collaboration features a cartoon-style bear that will be available in three sizes and features iconic Leica camera iconography, but it will not take photos. The collaboration was designed by Leica’s David Suh and the chief designer at 3125C Mike Lam and features a look that draws heavily from Leica’s M cameras. Similar to just about all of Medicom’s Bearbrick figures, the base design of the bear remains the same while the patterns are painted on. In the case of the Leica collaboration, the front of the bear features the Leica lens mount and lens cap as well as the rangefinder diopter. The rear shows “Leica Camera Wetzlar” next to other side of the diopter and above it a rendition of the back of modern digital M rangefinders. The bear is mainly silver and black but also has the signature red Leica logo emblazoned on the front of the bear “as a tribute to the legendary M-system rangefinder camera in the history of photography,” right below its neck.
BE@RBRICKs are a form of collectible toys that resemble a cross between LEGO and well, a bear. These block-style figurines boast teddy bear-style heads that have become an integral pillar of the collectible toy scene. In fact, it would not be so far-fetched to say that it almost single-handedly carved out the fad of toy collecting in modern times, treading the very fine line between toy and art. Since its inception, BE@RBRICKs have become one of the most recognizable characters in the world, and some of the most sought after. The Leica x Medicom Toy BE@RBRICK Collaboration bear will be available in three sizes: 100%, 400%, and a much larger 1,000%. The standard size is 2.8-inches tall, which is considered 100% in Medicom’s Bearbrick size charts. 1000% figures are therefore about 28-inches tall, and 400% measure about 11-inches tall. In this case, the 100% and 400% sizes will also ship with an “exclusive” Leica camera strap and “multifunctional camera bag.”
In other Leica news, check out the Leica Leitz Phone 1.