Ironically, the whole idea behind the "Paper Mario" video game series from Nintendo, is that the paper versions of Mario and his friends are 2-dimensional, while papercrafters like us spend all that time to make 2D paper sheets into 3D paper models... ;o)
Download + build your own official "Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros." Mario, Luigi & Goomba papercraft toys (by Nintendo Japan News):
(download instructions: click the big buttons with the pictures on the Nintendo Japan website)
Its papercraft not papertoy
ReplyDeleteIt's a distinction that I really just make for myself, so it's funny you bring it up. ;o)
DeleteYou're absolutely correct, these are papercrafts just like everything else here on my weblog. I just call these paper toys because they are usually simpler papercrafts, which make them quicker to build for people that thaink they look nice to have, but that don't want to spend a lot of time on them.
I guess 'officially', papercraft is really a generic term for "any hobby/craft you do using paper". On the blog I use papercraft in general for more 'complex' models (like airplanes, cars or whatever or more detailed figurines). They're usually just one-offs, to make that one, specific paper model, and they usually take a while to put together.
What I call paper toys or papercraft toys are these kinds of papercrafts that are made out of easier shapes so they aren't very difficult and don't take so long to assemble: the details don't come from the paper shapes but from the texture/artwork.
Often, the same basic shape can be used for different characters, just by changing the artwork on the paper toy (like how Mario and Luigi are basically the same shapes just with different artwork). Cubees are a good example, and years ago there were even 'urban' paper toys by graphic artists that specifially made blank versions that other artists could customize with their art like the Urban Paper Collective.
So to be honest, they are definitely papercrafts! And if the 'toys' bit sounds like I'm talking them down for their 'simpleness', that's definitely not my intention! In fact I think they are really fun and cute and the artwork to make them recognizable as specific characters is often really stunning!
Its papercraft not papertoy
ReplyDelete