Ever thought about what’s inside your toys? Mighty Jaxx and Jason Freeny have.
The Singapore-based toy and collectibles company and the New York-based artist have long collaborated on a series of collectibles called “Dissectibles.” Each of these figures is segmented into two halves: one that showcases the character’s outer body and another that showcases the character’s inner body. For New York Comic Con (NYCC), Mighty Jaxx invited Jason Freeny to its booth to showcase their collaborations.
The two began collaborating when Mighty Jaxx was just starting out. Not only have both grown their fan bases over the years, but also — because they’ve been working together for so long — the creative process is now much easier. “I think Mighty Jaxx and I have come to understand each other,” Freeny explains to The Pop Insider. “We’re in such a groove now where they’ll get a license, mock things up, and I can approve it almost immediately.”
Although he’s hit his stride with licensed figures, Freeny didn’t begin by drawing popular characters. He started with other illustrations, but focused on one of a robot with a pet balloon dog. After multiple pieces, he began thinking about what could lie beneath the balloon’s latex surface. His curiosity led him to do an anatomical schematic of what the balloon dog would look like on the inside, which garnered many positive reactions.
Freeny then moved into licensed characters. He began by sculpting his figures, but after partnering with Mighty Jaxx, quickly realized that it was more time-efficient to 3D model them. It’s also helpful for the long-distance partnership — Freeny is based in New York City, while the Mighty Jaxx headquarters are in Singapore. “Because of this technology, we’re able to work together, art direct, and do it all in that sense,” Freeny explains. Jasmine Aw, senior licensing and artist relations executive at Mighty Jaxx, agrees — “We’re looking forward to releasing many new things with Jason.”
Over the years, Mighty Jaxx and Freeny have released collections ranging across licenses from My Little Pony and SpongeBob SquarePants, to newer anime licenses, like One Piece. Despite the public’s positive response to Freeny’s Dissectibles, not every company is jumping to get their characters’ skin in the game, so to speak. However, Freeny says more brands are beginning to realize that fan art is a good thing, so hopefully fans can expect to see more licenses join Dissectibles in the future.
And as for his dream character property? Freeny feels like he’s done it all. “SpongeBob was always what I wanted to do,” he says. “That made me happy.”
In addition to Freeny’s art, Mighty Jaxx is also displaying its One Piece Cosmiq Luffy figure ($169) for the first time at NYCC. After traveling through a portal from The New World into modern-day Japan, Luffy gets a streetwear glow-up in this figure. It is available online at the links below.
If you’re at NYCC, stop by the Mighty Jaxx booth (No. 1537) to check out these figures in person. And if you’re missing the show, you can buy most of them online at mightyjaxx.com.
