Started by Rahul Thayyalmkandy and Prad Lal back in 2014, the 3D market platform Blokko has been working to take illustrative comics and stories off of the paper and onto the 3D print bed, in the form of 3D printed toys. We covered their journey last year, and saw their unique platform in action with a 12.5 cm tall figure from the Untold Tales of Bigfoot. Since then, Blokko has gone on to expand upon and enhance their community of storytellers and 3D designers, creating a unique platform that to me, resembles a mixture of a 3D marketplace, a 3D printing service provider, and Kickstarter.
What the Blokko platform does is help connect storytellers and comic illustrators with top-notch 3D toy designers. The storytellers and designers collaborate on a campaign that, if it reaches the set amount of pre-orders, will get 3D printed in full-color sandstone and distributed by Blokko. The story-based figurines are manufactured by printing color and binder onto a bed of gypsum-based powder, which is then finished with a sealant to promote the product’s longevity. Both the storyteller and toy designers receive 35% of the revenue a piece, while Blokko retains the remaining 30%.
The latest two campaigns featured on Blokko showcase two characters from the comic books Lost NightMare and Evacomics. Little Ink, a character from Lost NightMare, was designed by Bernhard Bauer, an intricate and marveling design measuring up at 7.5cm tall. The figurine costs $42.50 to pre-order (there are currently four remaining), and is estimated to ship out around mid-March. The other campaign, which features a figurine based on the comic book about a Singaporean artist named Eva, was designed by Rachel Collier. The Eva figurine, which is a colorful representation of the Japanese-inspired comic book character, also costs $42.50; pre-orders for this model (there are currently nine remaining) are expected to ship sometime in February.
Blokko’s platform is certainly a great way for storytellers, designers, and the platform to connect and supply their creativity to the masses, but that doesn’t mean Blokko doesn’t have their own toys up their sleeve. Last year, we covered the release of their XR-35 3D printable toy truck model, which is currently purchasable on Pinshape as a 15-part DIY 3D model kit for $10.40. So, if you’re an illustrator or storyteller looking to bring your characters into the realm of 3D printing, but don’t necessarily have the means to do so, Bokko may just be the right platform to team up with.
